4 Kenyans among 6 aid workers killed in South Sudan

By Magdalene Mukami

NAIROBI

Four Kenyan aid workers were among six who were killed by gunmen earlier this month in South Sudan, the Kenyan foreign affairs ministry said late Tuesday.

Foreign Affairs Minister Amina Mohamed said in a statement that the six victims were ”ambushed” March 25 as they traveled from the South Sudanese capital of Juba to Pibor in the east.

Mohamed said the Kenyans, who worked for GREDO, a local organization funded by UNICEF, were headed for Pibor to build youth centers.

“Efforts are currently underway by South Sudan Security Agents in conjunction with officials from GREDO and UNICEF to recover the bodies of the victims,” the statement added.

Kenya said it is in talks with the South Sudanese government, security forces and other stakeholders to determine the circumstances that led to the tragedy, and it would coordinate efforts to repatriate the bodies for burial.

South Sudan has been mired in war since December 2013 in a conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced more than 2 million residents.