South Sudanese whistleblower reported abducted in Kenya

A South Sudanese whistleblower has reportedly been abducted in Kenya and taken to Juba, raising fears of political persecution and forced rendition (Image Credit: Amnesty International)

A South Sudanese whistleblower who made allegations of corruption in his home country was abducted in Kenya and taken to South Sudan's capital Juba, according to his wife.

Athorbey Al-Gaddhaffy-Dit, who also has Kenyan citizenship, was taken by armed, masked individuals on Tuesday at around 3 am and bundled into a white vehicle after leaving a casino on the outskirts of Nairobi, according to a police report filed by his wife that cited witness accounts.

"I have no idea where he is currently being held in Juba and I am very worried about his health and the conditions that he is being kept in," his wife, who asked that her name not be used, said in a statement to Reuters on Thursday.

“I pray that whoever is holding him treats him well and looks after him. Gaddhaffy is a loving father and husband, and we are very worried about him.”

Series of incidents

South Sudan's government spokesperson Ateny Wek Ateny, and Korir Sing'Oei, a top official at Kenya's foreign affairs ministry, both said they were not aware of the incident. A Kenyan police spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

Gaddhaffy-Dit's disappearance is the latest in a series of recent incidents in Kenya where foreign nationals have been reported abducted or deported to countries where they say they face political persecution.

"Nairobi used to be safe for those seeking refuge from authoritarian regimes - (this) seems that's over. Too bad!" Tibor Nagy, who served as US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa during Donald Trump's first term as president, wrote on X in response to reports of Gaddhaffy-Dit's abduction.

Sing'Oei, the Kenyan foreign ministry official, did not respond to a request for comment about Nagy's criticism. In previous cases, Kenyan authorities have either denied knowledge of reported abductions or said they were cooperating with legitimate requests from foreign governments.

Fear of repercussions

Amnesty International said in a statement on Wednesday that deporting Gaddhaffy-Dit to South Sudan would pose "a serious and urgent threat to his life, safety and fundamental rights."

Boniface Mwangi, a prominent Kenyan human rights activist, said he met in April with Gaddhaffy-Dit, who said he had shared information about alleged high-level corruption in South Sudan with journalists and diplomats and believed he was being targeted by the country's government as a result, Mwangi told Reuters.

The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan documented in a 2023 report what it called "the ongoing pervasiveness of extra-territorial operations" by South Sudanese security forces, especially in Kenya and Uganda.

This included illegal renditions to South Sudan, death threats and surveillance of South Sudanese dissidents, the report said.

South Sudan's government has repeatedly dismissed accusations of systematic human rights violations.

Source: https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/east-africa/south-sudanese-whistleblower-reported-abducted-in-kenya-5492948