Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta ,Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam
Desalegn and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud at State House in
Nairobi on the 27th of December,2013 after attending Inter Governmental
Authority on Development(IGAD) Assembly of Heads of State and Government
on the situation in South Sudan. PHOTO/NATION
After weeks of blood-letting, mediators yesterday began separate talks with the warring sides in the South Sudan conflict.
And though fighting continues in Unity State and other remote areas, this must not distract the negotiations.
For
Kenya, peace in the Sudan is of great strategic economic importance.
South Sudan and Ethiopia present the highest potential for trade and
investment for Kenyans.
Uganda and Tanzania are almost mature markets, while Somalia is still too risky and unstable.
As
we speak, thousands of Kenyan businessmen have suffered losses through
looting and outright theft by government soldiers, rebels and citizens
taking advantage of the instability to enrich themselves.
This is worrying as it implies the Kenyan Government cannot protect the interests of its people in neighbouring countries.
The losses are even more painful because most of the businesses were started at the invite of the Juba regime.
As
Igad pushes the protagonists to cease fighting, Kenyan should also
demand guarantees that Juba will underwrite losses incurred by its
investors.
This is the least the government can do for the anguished lot.
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