Scholars say S. Sudan crisis is litmus paper for Kenya’s diplomatic clout

The escalating crises in South Sudan will be a litmus test for Kenya’s diplomatic clout as the east African nation leads a multi-national effort to end hostilities in the world’s youngest nation.Kenyan scholars who spoke to Xinhua on Monday were emphatic that the country will play a pivotal role in stabilising South Sudan through diplomatic interventions.Soon after the eruption of skirmishes in South Sudan in mid- December last year, the Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta led a high powered delegation to push for a ceasefire in the war-torn nation.Besides dispatching mediators to bring warring factions on a table of dialogue, Kenya pioneered humanitarian assistance to support civilians trapped in several flashpoints.Foreign relations experts hailed the government for mobilising the international community to support diplomatic interventions to end conflict in South Sudan. “The reaction by the government during the initial stages of conflict in South Sudan was quite inspiring. Kenya scored a major diplomatic victory by sending seasoned mediators to South Sudan to negotiate for a truce,” International Relations Scholar Ibrahim Farah told Xinhua in an interview.He noted that Kenya mid-wived the birth of South Sudan in July 2011 and had a moral obligation to promote peace and stability in the country.Farah stressed that as a diplomatic powerhouse, Kenya is well placed to engage warring parties in South Sudan to find a durable solution to the ongoing crises.“The government has sent a strong team of mediators to participate in the Addis Ababa talks to end hostilities in South Sudan. As the current Chair of the East African Community (EAC), President Kenyatta should exercise his powers to rejuvenate peace talks in Addis Ababa,” Farah said.The Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development (IGAD) member states convened the Addis Ababa talks to end skirmishes in South Sudan.The Kenyan president who is also the Chief Rapporteur of IGAD has supported a diplomatic solution to the South Sudan conflict. Farah noted that Kenya has invested heavily in South Sudan and will lose immensely if the country goes up in flames. “We were the main guarantor to the negotiations that culminated into the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement for Sudan. This agreement paved the way for the birth of an independent South Sudan nation. If the country balkanizes, Kenya has much to lose,” Farah said. The ongoing skirmishes in South Sudan will have effects on neighbouring countries hence the need for them to support peace talks in Addis Ababa.Patrick Maluki, a diplomacy and conflicts resolution scholar at the University of Nairobi emphasised that a healthy mix of military and diplomatic interventions could re-energise the search for peace in South Sudan.“At this stage, neighbouring countries can rally behind limited military intervention to neutralise the insurgency in South Sudan. However, soft power could do magic since the protagonists have grievances that should be addressed through dialogue,” said Maluki.He noted that humanitarian assistance that Kenya airlifted to South Sudan in the aftermath of the latest conflict won the hearts and minds of civilians.The turmoil in South Sudan will reshape Kenya’s diplomacy since the young republic has been perceived as the East African nation’s frontier territory.Maluki said the international community has trained its eyes on Kenya to see whether the country has the capacity and goodwill to negotiate for a lasting truce in South Sudan. “During the two decades of war in Sudan, Kenya hosted millions of refugees and facilitated the talks that eventually led to cessation of hostilities. We oversaw the smooth secession in Sudan and cannot afford to let the country go to the abyss,” Maluki said. The international community should address the cultural, political and economic dynamics that have fuelled conflicts in South Sudan.“At this juncture, the mediators and warring parties should discuss at length the key drivers of conflict in South Sudan to avoid a recurrence of the tragedy,” said Ochieng Adala, Executive Director of Africa Peace Forum.He stressed that dialogue and consensus are critical to the success of Addis Ababa talks to end the turmoil in South Sudan.