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EAC will not allow another genocide, affirms Uhuru

Friday April 25 2014

President Uhuru Kenyatta has said the East Africa Community will not allow another genocide in the region.

The President, who is also the chairman of the EAC, said he will convene an emergency IGAD summit deliberate on the South Sudan crisis.

In a statement on the South Sudan crisis, the President said the region is committed to averting a repeat of the 1994 genocide killings in Rwanda.

"During the 20th commemoration of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, I expressed our region’s disappointment at having done little to nothing at the time to end the slaughter of a million innocent human beings in Rwanda by a bloodthirsty cabal.

"I also pledged, in the name of Kenya and the region that we would never again allow a similar genocide to happen within our shores. I return to the pledge today because of what is happening in parts of South Sudan, we are outraged and gravely concerned at seeing the killing of hundreds of innocent civilians caught up in the internal conflict of the South Sudan Liberation Movement. We refuse to be witnesses to such atrocities and to remain helpless and hopeless in their wake," the statement read.

Uhuru expressed concern that both the government and rebels sides in South Sudan had ignored a Cessation of Hostilities Agreement they had signed and are still allowing the killing of innocent civilians in Africa's newest state.

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"It is heart-wrenching for us in the IGAD, the EAC, African Union and indeed the wider global community to sit and watch atrocities being committed on a daily basis. This must be put to a stop.

READ: Renewed fighting dims S. Sudan’s bid to join EAC

"We strongly call upon all the Parties to bring their military activities and killing of innocent people to an immediate end and bring to account those involved. Failure to do so is unacceptable and will call for concerted effort by the International Community to do so," he added.

Uhuru further pledged that his government remains committed to the pledge he made in Kigali on full commitment to ensuring the region remains peaceful.

"We expect the Parties to live up to their commitments to save lives, allow decent burials for the hundreds dead – many of them lying on the streets of some of the towns. We also expect them to open up humanitarian corridors for the delivery of assistance to those in need," he added.

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