Foreign Affairs and International Trade Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed(left) accompanied by her Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho arrive at Harambee House in Nairobi on the 18th of December, 2013 for a press conference on the situation in South Sudan where she said that 15 buses carrying Kenyans who are fleeing Juba clashes have crossed into Uganda as they return back to Kenya and the four who were injured have been treated and discharged. PHOTO/ EVANS HABIL(NAIROBI)
Evacuation of Kenyans trapped in the fighting in South Sudan started Wednesday.
South Sudanese soldiers have been fighting amongst themselves since Sunday, leading to the death of as many as 500 people.
Thirteen buses carrying Kenyans, Ugandans and other foreigners crossed into Uganda on Wednesday.
Kenya Airways, meanwhile, announced resumption of flights between Nairobi and Juba starting this morning.
Flight KQ350 is expected to depart Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at 7.50am and is expected at Juba Airport at 9.30am with the return trip scheduled at 10.20am.
Kenya Airways plans to operate three flights between the two capitals today. Passengers have been asked to confirm flights either online or by telephone before proceeding to the airport.
The government confirmed that four Kenyans had been injured in the fighting. Three of them are in the buses that crossed into Uganda while one remained in South Sudan.
The fighting has been between Sudan People’s Liberation Army soldiers loyal to President Salva Kiir and the former vice-president he sacked in July, Dr Riek Machar.
When fighting broke out, Mr Kiir, dressed in military fatigues, said there had been an attempted coup, a claim Dr Machar, who is on the run, has since denied.
Mr Kiir said on Wednesday that he is willing to hold talks with Dr Machar, AFP reported.
“I will sit down with him — Riek (Machar) — and talk... but I don’t know what the results of the talks will be,” the president told reporters.
Security forces are hunting Dr Machar to arrest him.
In Nairobi, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed said the four injured Kenyans have since been treated and discharged from hospital, were caught up in the fight.
No critical injuries
“There were no critical injuries (on side of Kenya),” Ms Mohamed told journalists at a news conference at Harambee House in Nairobi Wednesday.
Accompanied by Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho, Ms Mohamed said calm was slowly returning to Juba.
She put the number of those killed at between 200 and 400, but added that the number could be more.
As a result, Juba International Airport was re-opened yesterday to allow evacuation of thousands of foreigners who wanted to leave the country, which gained independence two years ago.
Ms Mohamed said two buses carrying Kenyans leaving South Sudan left for Kampala Wednesday.
Thirteen other buses carrying Ugandans, Kenyans and other nationals had also crossed the Ugandan border heading to Kampala.
“The Kenyan ambassador in Uganda will receive the Kenyans in Kampala and facilitate their return to the country,” Ms Mohamed said.
Six other buses were lined up to transport Kenyans back home.
Ms Mohamed put the number of Kenyans in South Sudan at 25,000, although it might be possible that there could be as many as 70,000.
She said the Kenyans affected by the fighting had been camping at the UN compound in Juba, the Kenyan embassy and bus stops from Monday.
Three Fly540 flights had brought evacuees to Nairobi from Juba yesterday, she said. The other airlines that left Juba were Uganda Airways and a Rwandan airline, Ms Mohamed said, adding most of the Kenyans affected are in Juba and Bor in Jonglei state.