South Sudanese students in Kenya deny violence is tribal

The violence in South Sudan is political, not tribal war between the Dinka and the Nuer, South Sudanese students in Kenya have said.

The students under the Congress of South Sudanese Patriots for Peace (CSSPP) group maintained that the war being experienced in their country was not tribal adding that relations among the Sudanese currently in Kenya were not strained as a result of the clashes.

“We want to tell you out of our own conviction that it is a political and ideological tussle within the ruling party and has nothing to do with the innocent members of the Nuer and Dinka communities,” Dak Gabriel said on Thursday at a press briefing in Nairobi.

He said they had decided to talk to the media following reports that the war was a between the two communities. (READ: 'Thousands' killed as South Sudan slides toward civil war)

“We are from the different tribes in South Sudan sand we remain united despite the violence, we however call on all South Sudanese in Kenya and elsewhere to refrain from utterances that are inciting on social media and instead disseminate the message of peace at this critical moment,” Dak stated.

He called on mediators to maintain a high level of neutrality citing that conflicts across the continent were worsened by ulterior motives of mediators. (READ: South Sudan leader offers talks as violence spreads)

‘We are not suspicious of any mediators yet but we call on international community, including Kenya to exercise neutrality in dealing with his polarized siruation,” Dak added.

The group also said South Sudan should adopt a liberal Constitution if the ongoing violence is to be quelled and never to recur.

“We should draft a Constitution for posterity and probably adapt from Kenya or the United States of America constitutions which entrench the democracy we fought for,” said Atem Bul, a South Sudanese student in Kenya.

“It is very shameful that only two years into independence we have thrown our country to the dogs,” decried Makuach Aleu, the organization’s secretary.

He offered that South Sudan was bigger than the warring parties and insisted on a call to end the violence.

Kenyans continue to be flown in from the troubled country as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade chartered two Kenya Airways planes to Evacuate Kenyans from South Sudan.

These were in addition to two other KDF planes also engaged in evacuation. (READ: 86 Kenyans flown home from Sudan)