Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly condemned President William Ruto’s administration, accusing Kenya of providing a platform for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group engaged in conflict with the Sudanese army.
The criticism follows a meeting held in Nairobi on Tuesday, February 18, where RSF reportedly laid the groundwork for an alliance with political players and armed groups. The discussions are expected to culminate in the signing of a treaty within the next three days, potentially paving the way for RSF to establish a separate government and exert control over specific regions in Sudan.
However, Sudan’s government has expressed strong opposition to the meeting, with its Foreign Affairs Minister arguing that it undermines Kenya’s commitment to fostering peace in the war-torn country.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs regrets the Kenyan government’s disregard for its international obligations by allowing the signing of a so-called political agreement with the terrorist Janjaweed militia, which continues to commit acts of genocide in Sudan,” read part of the statement issued by Sudanese authorities.
The minister further accused Kenya of fueling divisions within the continent by meddling in the internal affairs of African nations. He alleged that the primary objective of the Nairobi meeting was to install a parallel government in certain parts of Sudan, an action that he argued was a direct violation of the United Nations Charter and the African Union’s Constitutive Act.
“By hosting leaders of the RSF militia and permitting them to carry out political and propaganda activities, despite their involvement in massacres, ethnic-based violence, and other crimes against civilians, Kenya is endorsing and being complicit in these heinous acts,” the minister claimed.
Reports indicate that the meeting, which was temporarily postponed, is set to continue over the next two days, with expectations that the Charter for Government of Peace and Unity deal will be finalized. Among those in attendance is RSF’s deputy commander Abdulrahim Hamdan, the brother of RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan, who has been sanctioned by international bodies.
Kenya’s role in the matter has sparked a fresh diplomatic row, with political stakeholders now questioning the Ruto administration’s handling of Sudan’s ongoing conflict.
