Athorbey Al-Gaddhaffy-Dit. [Photo: Courtesy]JUBA – Human rights organisations have raised alarm over the reported disappearance of South Sudanese businessman Athorbey Al-Gaddhaffy-Dit, warning that he could be forcibly returned to South Sudan without due legal process.
According to Amnesty International Kenya, Athorbey, also known as Gadafi Athorbey Guet, was allegedly abducted by masked armed men in Nairobi in the early hours of June 10.
The rights group said it believes the businessman may be held at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and could face imminent deportation to South Sudan.
“We believe that he may be detained at Jomo Kenyatta Airport and soon be deported to South Sudan. This constitutes a serious and urgent threat to his life, safety, and fundamental rights,” Amnesty International Kenya said in a statement.
The organization described the incident as bearing “the hallmarks of an enforced disappearance,” warning that such actions would violate both Kenyan and international law.
Amnesty called on Kenyan authorities to immediately disclose Athorbey’s whereabouts, grant him access to his family and legal representatives, and launch a transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.
“If Mr. Gaddhaffy-Dit is suspected of any offense, the only lawful course of action is through Kenya’s justice system, not abduction, incommunicado detention, and deportation,” the organization added.
In South Sudan, the Nile Institute for Human Rights Studies (NIHRS) echoed the concerns, urging authorities in both Kenya and South Sudan to produce Athorbey before a competent court and clarify his legal status.
The institute said family members reported that Athorbey last spoke to his wife on Monday at around 10:19 a.m. before all contact was lost.
“The continued absence of official information regarding his whereabouts raises serious concerns about his safety, security, and fundamental rights,” NIHRS said.
The organization further warned that any cross-border transfer carried out outside established legal procedures could amount to enforced disappearance and unlawful rendition.
Both Amnesty International Kenya and NIHRS stressed that time is critical, cautioning that every passing hour increases the risks to Athorbey’s safety and well-being.
As of publication, neither Kenyan nor South Sudanese authorities had issued an official statement on the businessman’s whereabouts, leaving uncertainty over his fate.
