Kenyans living in South Sudan are currently living in fear for their lives after reports that rebels are targeting confiscating their passports demanding to know the whereabouts of their spokesman James Adak.
According to the Nation, Kenyans in rebel-controlled areas have constantly claimed their lives are in danger after rebels confiscated of 11 of them working with NGOs in the country.
Overseas Security Advisory Council (Osac) African Regional Council has raised alarm that "those of you working in South Sudan, there's a threat for Kenyans right now. UN Mission in South Sudan (Unmiss) recommending Kenyans avoid POCs and IO areas for a couple of days".
An Osac constituent has reported that already a number of Kenyans in Aboko town have been affected.
“We just had our three Kenyan staff passports taken in Akobo town. Other opposition areas, officials have been meeting with Kenyan staff [but] passports not taken in these locations yet," he said.
Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO) spokesperson James Gatdet Dak was on Wednesday arrested by police at his Nairobi home and later deported to Juba.
The news did not however go down well with opposition leader Riek Machar who appealed to the international community to intervene for Dak’s immediate release.
“The deportation of Mr James Gatdet Dak is a violation of the Geneva Convention. Moreover, the Kenyan Government is a guarantor to the peace agreement that was signed in August 2015 and we do not expect that it would put in danger the life of an innocent person,” said Dr Machar in a Friday press statement.
The opposition spokesman was again arrested upon his arrival at the Juba International Airport and is currently being held in custody by South Sudan’s National Security Service.