Kiir’s foreign trips for strategic national interest: spokesperson - Article <http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article49176#tabs-1> - Comments (0) <http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article49176#tabs-2>
[image: email] Email<http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?iframe&page=enviar_email_articulo&id_article=49176> [image: print] Print<http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?iframe&page=imprimable&id_article=49176> [image: pdf]Save<http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?page=spipdf&spipdf=spipdf_article&id_article=49176&nom_fichier=article_49176> [image: separation] [image: increase] <http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article49176#> [image: decrease] <http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article49176#> [image: separation] [image: separation] ------------------------------ December 13, 2013 (JUBA) – The South Sudanese president, Salva Kiir is involved in series of foreign trips for strategic national interests, his spokesperson said on Friday. Ateny Wek Ateny, in a statement aired on the state-owned *SSTV*, downplayed claims from those who insist the president’s trips were "politically" planned to deny people a chance to meet him. The president has, in less than a month, visited Kuwait, France, South Africa and most recently Kenya, where he attended its golden jubilee celebrations. “There are no schedules that show the president would travel out soon. He will be here to celebrate the Christmas with the people. The reasons for recent trips, especially those which took him to Kuwait, France, South Africa and Kenya were all meant for national interest”, said Ateny. So it was important the president attends because it was about issues which concerns us, he added. South Sudan, Ateny stressed, was not on an island, but in a world where countries and their leaders work together to strategise on issues of importance to their existence in peace and prosperity. He cited Kiir’s recent trip to South Africa, where he paid tribute to the late Nelson Mandela, describing the latter as an “international icon”. “The visit [of the president] to Kuwait, as you know was for investment, which is also important to the country. All these trips were strategically important for the country”, Ateny stressed. *CITIZENS REACT* Simon Deng, a native of South Sudan’s Jonglei state said some of these trips did not necessarily require the president’s involvement. “We have ambassadors and the minister of foreign affairs to represent the country. I am not saying the president should not travel, but you know that the president and his entourage travel on the expense of the public resources”, said Deng. When he [Kiir] travels, he goes with [a] huge delegation, even those who should not have traveled, he added. William Subek, in his views, argued that the president should only travel on issues which carry more value like his recent trip to South Africa, while the Kenyan visit could have involved an ambassador. “That was why they were appointed. They are to represent the country on such functions and occasions in their host countries. It does not require presence of the president”, said Subek. *8 YEARS WITHOUT MEETING KIIR* Meanwhile, a senior government official told *Sudan Tribune* that he has, in the last eight years, never met Kiir, despite several attempts. “I have never met comrade Salva since he went to the presidency. It is now eight years. The last time I was with him was on May 4th, 2005 in Rumbek. Oh, we met again in July in new site after the death of our chairman, John Garang and I have never met him again”, the official, who preferred anonymity, said Friday. “I have issues of national importance to share with him, but it has been difficult getting him”, he added, saying he only sees the South Sudan leader on television and in newspapers. The unnamed official was those in Kiir’s headquarters when the latter was still a rebel commander during the over two-decade civil war it fought with Sudan, prior to the January 2005 peace accord. He, however, claimed the president may not have been informed about the appointments he has made, since December 2005. “I don’t think comrade Salva whom we were together in many places deny meeting me. We shared rooms during the operations of Kurmuk and in the first operation to take Rumbek. Late comrade Dominic Dim Deng and I were in the headquarters of comrade Salva who was the overall zonal commander. So I don’t think he can really turn down meeting me even if his busy schedules are tight like what”, stressed the official in an exclusive interview. What I think is happening is that he may not have been informed about these requests to meet him, he added. (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/CAJb14oqh_VffQZcY%2Br7K65uH7vGZy%2BdbTkF68tvKudePgtn2Rg%40mail.gmail.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
