South Sudan hands over four political detainees to Kenya

South Sudan government has handed over four political detainees to Kenya, who had been released from custody last week, confirmed Kenyan president on Sunday. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said the four remaining detainees, General Okiech Pag'an Amum, Ambassador Ezekiel Gatkuoth Lol, General Ajak Oyay Deng, and General Dr. Atem Majak Agoot, were transferred to Nairobi on Sunday in line with the release of detainees agreement signed on Jan. 23 in Addis Ababa. "We welcome our four brothers to Kenya and look forward to their participation in the process of reforms and reconciliation in South Sudan," Kenyatta said in a statement issued in Nairobi. The two sides signed a ceasefire in January following peace talks mediated by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), leading to a relative lull but fighting resumed again in April. The rebels have called for the release of the four remaining political detainees and the removal of Ugandan troops in South Sudan for the Addis Ababa talks to make progress. President Kenyatta who chairs the East African Community (EAC) said the region will embark on the full operationalization of the monitoring and verification mechanism, the identification of the potential areas of work for the monitoring and verification teams as well as for the Protection and Deferent Forces (PDF). He reminded the warring parties of the need to move quickly to secure the gains that the Government of South Sudan and IGAD have made so far and move to the next phase of a face to face dialogue between President Salva Kiir and Riak Machar.