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Kenya ‘conduit’ of weapons as South as ‘arms race’ begins in Sudan
Military officers inspect one of the T-72 tanks after they had been offloaded from the mv Faina. The ship had been hijacked by Somali pirates for almost five months. File Picture
Posted Sunday, January 31 2010 at 14:37
The Small Arms Survey report was made public as President Mwai Kibaki last week met Southern Sudan President Salva Kiir, who paid him a courtesy call at his Harambee House office in Nairobi.
At their meeting, President Kibaki said Kenya was committed to enhanced security along the two countries’ common border through regular cross border meetings and other forms of security co-operation.
During the meeting which was also attended by Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the Presidential Press Service reports, President Kiir briefed President Kibaki on the progress in the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which was signed in Nairobi in January 2005.
President Kiir appreciated the role Kenya has continued to play during the entire peace process in Southern Sudan through immense support in various forms.
President Kibaki reassured the Southern Sudan delegation that Kenya, Igad and the AU would remain actively engaged in the successful implementation of the CPA due to the far reaching implications for the region’s security.
Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetang’ula was not available for comment but Assistant Minister for Internal Security Joshua Orua Ojode dismissed the report as “rumours” and demanded evidence. “The Kenya government does not trade in arms and respects the territorial integrity of other countries. But if there is evidence, we are ready to investigate,” he said.
Additional reporting by Fred Oluoch
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