Sudan-Kenya diplomatic tensions persist over RSF engagement
Sudan accused Kenya of supporting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and interfering in its internal affairs.
January 4th marked a year since Sudan recalled its ambassador to Kenya, protesting Nairobi's warm reception of Sudanese paramilitary commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo by President William Ruto.
Kenya defended the meeting, stating it aimed to foster lasting peace in Sudan. However, the military leadership in Port Sudan viewed the red-carpet welcome, complete with dancers and a grand reception for Mohamed, as a sign of bias.
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This was in contrast to the low-profile treatment given to Sudanese military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan during his earlier visit to Nairobi.
Sudan accused Kenya of supporting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and interfering in its internal affairs.
Tensions further escalated after the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) removed President Ruto as the lead mediator for the Sudan conflict in December 2023, following Sudan's objections to his perceived bias.
Ruto had been appointed to head a quartet of mediators, including South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Djibouti, in mid-2023 to engage warring factions and seek a resolution to the conflict.
However, minimal progress was made, with General Abdel favouring South Sudan's President Salva Kiir to take over the mediation process.
Amid these tensions, Kenya's embassy in Sudan, which was attacked during the early days of the conflict, temporarily relocated to Port Sudan, where the Sudanese military authorities are based.
Diplomatic sources revealed that Nairobi has since established a provisional base there for diplomatic operations.
Jeremy Laibuttah, a former senior director at Kenya's National Intelligence Service, currently leads the mission as Charge d'affaires while awaiting formal accreditation.
Laibuttah was appointed by President Ruto as Kenya's ambassador to Sudan in October 2023 but has yet to present his credentials to the Sudanese authorities.
The ongoing conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has triggered one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with diplomatic efforts to end the violence remaining unsuccessful.
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