Kenya Angry At Un, Pulls Troops Out Of South Sudan

Kenya has withdrawn all its all of its troops from South Sudan after United Nations (UN) secretary-general  Ban Ki-Moon fired Kenya's Johnson Mogoa Kimani Ondieki as the commander of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

Ondieki was dismissed on Tuesday following the release of a special report that slammed UNMISS for its failure to protect civilians during an attack on Juba in July. The decision has angered the Kenyan government, which said that one man alone could not bear responsibility for protecting civilians in the midst of the conflict.

In a statement yesterday, Kenya's Foreign Affairs Ministry said it had rejected the UN's decision and would disengage from South Sudan's peace process. It further accused the UN of acting without discussions with Nairobi in sacking Ondieki.

"The process leading to this unfortunate decision not only lacked transparency but did not involve any formal consultation with the government of Kenya. This demonstrates complete disregard of our key role and responsibility in South Sudan," the ministry said.

According to Africa Report, the country will pull out 1,229 troops stationed in South Sudan, citing "disrespect" from the UN.

Africa Review noted that Ondieki may have been a victim of flawed structures both within the Mission itself and the power sharing arrangement that allowed Dr Machar to return to government.