Kibaki's government played a supportive role in South Sudan's path to independence, which was achieved in 2011, making South Sudan Africa's newest nation. Kenya's support for South Sudanese independence reflected both its interest in regional stability and its historical relationships with South Sudanese liberation movements and leaders. Kibaki's government recognised South Sudan's independence promptly and worked to establish diplomatic and economic relationships with the new nation.
Kenya's support for South Sudan independence was also motivated by Kenya's interests in regional trade and investment opportunities. South Sudan, with significant oil reserves and vast agricultural potential, represented a potential market for Kenyan exports and a potential source of natural resources. Kenya sought to position itself as a key partner for South Sudan's development and as a gateway for South Sudan's commerce with the broader international economy.
Kibaki's government's recognition of South Sudan and its efforts to establish relationships with the new nation also reflected Kenya's broader commitment to regional stability and the peaceful resolution of conflicts. The South Sudan independence referendum and subsequent secession had been negotiated through the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which Kenya and the international community had supported as a means of ending decades of civil war.
However, Kenya's hopes for stability and development in South Sudan were quickly disappointed, as South Sudan descended into armed conflict and humanitarian crisis shortly after independence. South Sudan's instability had direct implications for Kenya, particularly through the generation of refugee populations that fled across the border into Kenya's northern regions. Kenya bore the burden of hosting hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese refugees, straining Kenya's resources and creating security and humanitarian challenges.
Kibaki's government's initial support for South Sudan independence thus gave way to management of the humanitarian and security consequences of South Sudan's post-independence instability. Kenya's role shifted from supporter of South Sudan's independence to manager of refugee flows and regional security concerns arising from South Sudan's ongoing conflicts.
See Also
South Sudan Independence Kenya and South Sudan Relations Refugees in Kenya East African Stability Kibaki Foreign Policy Regional Development and Cooperation
Sources
- Mamdani, Mahmood. Saviors and Survivors: Darfur, Politics, and the War on Terror. Pantheon Books, 2009.
- Kenya Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Recognition of South Sudan and Diplomatic Relations. Government Press, 2011.
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. South Sudan Refugee Situation Report 2011-2013. UN Publications, 2013.