The Sudanese government issued a strong condemnation against Kenya because Nairobi hosts an event for Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to establish an alternative government.
The planned February 18, 2025 announcement at Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) now takes place on February 21. The RSF continues its ongoing military conflict against Sudan’s national army since April 2023 while controlling both Darfur and southern regions of Sudan.
The Sudanese government issued a February 19 declaration that accused Kenya of breaking Sudanese territorial sovereignty while defying international standards.
According to the ministry the Kenyan activities actively support African states’ secession and simultaneously breach national sovereignty and attempt to control domestic affairs of other states by citing United Nations Charter and African Union’s Constitutive Act.
The Kenyan Foreign Ministry stood firm in their dedication to support peace initiatives in Sudan. The ministry explained how Kenya has a longstanding record of assisting Sudanese refugees through peaceful dialogue without hidden agendas. Some experts doubt Kenya’s neutral position because of its involvement in Sudanese affairs.
Professor Macharia Munene recommends that personal connections between President William Ruto and RSF leader Hemedti might play too big of a role in Kenya’s diplomatic strategy.
The Sudanese conflict continues to produce more than 24,000 deaths and has forced over 14 million people to leave their homes while affecting one-third of Sudan’s population. The RSF aims to create separate political control over territories they occupy to establish firm authority which divides the nation.
Both the RSF forces alongside Sudanese troops stand accused of executing large numbers of people while engaging in sexual crimes of violence against civilians.
The United States placed military commander restrictions on RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan in January because of their violations.
The RSF has encountered domestic opposition from Kenyan President William Ruto after he invited them to his country. Mukhisa Kituyi who is both the former Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and a Kenyan politician evaluated this diplomatic choice as a “reckless abandonment of the traditional caution and dignified approach of Kenyan diplomacy.” Ruto faced criticism from Mukhisa Kituyi who labeled his move as “criminally irresponsible” because Ruto tried to give legitimacy to a criminal organization that is dismembering people.
The Sudanese Foreign Ministry declared that granting access to RSF leaders and permitting their political activities provides support for all crimes the militia commits.
The upcoming RSF government announcement has caused Sudan-Kenya relations to worsen thus creating serious instability concerns across the region while increasing chances of new conflicts.
