Kenya reaffirms commitment to peace after Sudan’s accusations of ‘hostility’

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya’s foreign ministry said Wednesday it is ready to support peace efforts in Sudan, a day after Khartoum accused Kenya of violating its sovereignty by hosting a meeting of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Force, RSF, in the capital, Nairobi.

In a statement, Sudan called Kenya’s move to host Tuesday’s meeting “tantamount to an act of hostility,” particularly as it preceded a planned announcement of a parallel government by the RSF.

RSF Deputy Commander Abdel-Rahim Hamdan Dagalo led the Sudanese delegation at the government-owned Kenyatta International Conference Center in Nairobi, stating a significant announcement would be made on Friday.

Kenya’s foreign ministry said the country hosts many Sudanese refugees and has a history of facilitating dialogue “without any ulterior motives.”

However, Macharia Munene, a professor of international relations at the United States International University-Africa, said Kenya risks international isolation due to this “foreign policy blunder.” He argues that Kenya’s foreign policy has become a “one man show” with the president leveraging his friendship with RSF’s Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, popularly known as Hemedti, without considering “Kenya’s national interests.”

Delegates sing during a planned signing ceremony of the Sudan Founding Charter aimed at establishing a unity government involving leaders of political forces, armed groups, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

While Hemedti was not present at Tuesday’s event, he enjoys a close friendship with Kenya’s President William Ruto and his brother has met the president on several occasions.

The ongoing conflict in Sudan between the military and the RSF has killed more than 24,000 people and driven over 14 million people — about 30% of the population — from their homes, according to the United Nations. An estimated 3.2 million Sudanese have escaped to neighboring countries.

Sudanese authorities on Tuesday said recent attacks by the RSF had killed more than 400 civilians, including infants after the paramilitary was “overwhelmed by its devastating defeat” by the Sudanese army.

Haydar Abdul Karim, a Sudanese peace activist and freelance journalist now residing in Kenya, told The Associated Press that regional governments should not take sides.

He urged countries to refrain from supporting the formation of new governments or alliances, and instead focus on pressuring the two warring factions to sit down and negotiate and not try to support one faction over the other.