South Sudan’s Kiir backs Kenya’s Uhuru over ICC charges
May 23, 2013 (JUBA) - South Sudan President Salva Kiir said on Thursday he will strongly support his Kenyan counterpart, Uhuru Kenyatta in his bid to overcome the crimes against humanity charges he faces at the International Criminal Court (ICC). South Sudan President Salva Kiir (L) meets his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta, who is on his first visit to the region as head of state, in Juba May 23, 2013. (Reuters) Kenyatta, Kenya’s fourth president since independence is currently facing ICC charges in relation to the country’s 2007 post-election violence, where an estimated nearly 1000 people were killed. However, Kiir said his country remains opposed to joining the Hague-based court, which he said, only targets African leaders in its prosecution role. “The ICC seems appears like it was meant for African leaders and that they have to be humiliated,” said the South Sudan leader, who was flanked by his Kenyan counterpart. “We will never accept it [ICC],” he stressed. Kiir, who hosted the Kenyan leader in the capital, Juba on Thursday, further said the entire South Sudanese citizens will work together with their brother and sisters in Kenya to overcome the ICC issue. Kenya and South Sudan, in August last year, signed a memorandum of understanding to develop and expand a framework of cooperation and partnership between the two states on the principle of equality, mutual benefit, mutual understanding, respect and trust. The areas of cooperation included the development of a crude oil pipeline between the oil fields of South Sudan and the port of Lamu in Kenya. Meanwhile, Kenyatta assured his South Sudan counterpart of Kenya’s commitment to implement a memorandum of understanding the two nations signed last year to build an oil pipeline between the two neighbours. A halt in South Sudan’s oil production, early last year, prompted the land locked country to devise alternative ways of managing its oil resources, which account for nearly 98% of the country’s annual budget. (ST) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/SouthSudanKob/CAJb14ooq49XK7mntk5vBw0mUJFiHwbZTUQqXEWX5T4OegO9_0g%40mail.gmail.com?hl=en-US. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
