Amnesty Demands Answers After South Sudanese Businessman Held for Two Months

Amnesty International Kenya is demanding answers after South Sudanese-Kenyan businessman Athorbey Al-Gaddhaffy-Dit was released following nearly two months in detention in South Sudan, amid allegations that he was abducted from Nairobi and unlawfully deported to the neighbouring country.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, August 11, Amnesty welcomed Athorbey’s release but said his freedom did not absolve those responsible for his detention and alleged transfer from Kenya.

The rights organisation also raised concern over reports that Athorbey’s health deteriorated while he was in custody, calling for an immediate independent medical evaluation and appropriate support.

According to Amnesty, the circumstances surrounding the case had the hallmarks of an enforced disappearance, a term generally used when a person is taken or detained by, or with the involvement of state-linked actors, while their fate or whereabouts are concealed or not acknowledged.

Amnesty is now demanding a full and transparent investigation into how Athorbey was allegedly taken from Kenya and moved to South Sudan, as well as accountability for all state and non-state actors involved.

The organisation had also called for Athorbey to be allowed access to medical care, his family and lawyers, arguing that even if he was suspected of an offence, he should have been arrested and prosecuted through the ordinary legal system rather than allegedly being held incommunicado or transferred across a border without due process.

Athorbey, a South Sudanese whistleblower who also holds Kenyan citizenship, was living in Nairobi when he disappeared in June, according to reports at the time.

According to previous reports, his wife reported to police that armed and masked individuals took him at around 3 am on June 11 after he left a casino on the outskirts of Nairobi, with witnesses reportedly seeing him being forced into a white vehicle.

Amnesty later said it had received credible information that Athorbey had been unlawfully deported to South Sudan and was being held at a military detention facility in Juba.

The 51-year-old had reportedly raised concerns over alleged corruption in South Sudan and shared information with Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi, prompting speculation that his detention may have been linked to his whistleblowing. However, this has not been established. 

The case has also revived wider concerns over alleged cross-border abductions involving South Sudanese critics and government opponents in Kenya. Amnesty has previously documented cases in which individuals were reportedly taken from Kenya and held incommunicado in South Sudan.

With Athorbey now free, Amnesty is calling for an independent medical assessment and a full investigation into his disappearance and detention, with Section Director George Morara insisting that those responsible must be held accountable.