President Kiir shakes hands with Raila Odinga in Juba. July 3, 2024. (-)

Kenyan special envoy to South Sudan, Raila Odinga, arrived Friday morning in Juba to help prevent a potential civil war in South Sudan.

Odinga’s appointment was made by Kenyan President William Ruto after a phone conversation with South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir, discussing the tense situation in the country that led to the house arrest of First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar, on Wednesday.

President Ruto assured Kiir that Kenya would send an envoy to engage with the parties involved in order to de-escalate the conflict.

In response to this, Ruto appointed Odinga to travel to South Sudan.

Odinga landed at Juba International Airport this morning, where he was warmly received by Ambassador Philip Jada Nathan.

In a related development, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), which played a key role in facilitating the 2018 peace agreement, issued a warning about the current situation.

IGAD emphasized that if the crisis is not addressed promptly, it could lead to the collapse of South Sudan’s transitional process, potentially plunging the country back into a full-scale war, with dire consequences for the people of South Sudan and the broader region.