Kenya just pulled off a diplomatic ‘masterstroke’ – hosting Sudan’s genocidal paramilitary, the Rapid Support Forces in Nairobi. While most of the world recognises the RSF as a gang of war criminals responsible for mass atrocities, Kenya apparently saw an opportunity for… er, ‘networking.’ After all, why worry about pesky things like genocide when the RSF’s number-one sponsor – the United Arab Emirates – is about to give you a $1.5 billion loan.
There’s more. Kenyan President William Ruto is also in talks to ink a deal with Abu Dhabi – to extend Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway to Uganda and South Sudan. What’s a little bloodshed when there’s ‘infrastructure’ money to be pocketed?
Mounting evidence shows that the UAE is the economic force behind the RSF. A September 2024 investigative report published by the New York Times, for example, used satellite imaging to show how the UAE covertly arms the RSF by disguising weapons as aid – using the famous Red Crescent logo. The weapons are funnelled into Sudan via the Chadian border – and increase the RSF’s capacity to commit atrocities against the Sudanese people.
In January, the US – hardly a champion of justice – concluded that the RSF was committing genocide in Sudan and sanctioned its leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
Kenya’s foreign ministry tried hard to justify hosting the RSF with its own reasons in a statement published amid the backlash to its hosting of the group – an event at which the paramilitary revealed plans to dismember Sudan. But as our video explains, Nairobi’s excuses are far from convincing.
Sources:
https://citizen.digital/news/kenya-defends-hosting-rsf-in-nairobi-amid-sudan-govt-backlash-n357919
https://apnews.com/article/kenya-sudan-war-rsf-nairobi-hemedti-2bc5122812ad58d4a6cac8be2e371513
https://www.kenyans.co.ke/news/109099-sudan-slams-ruto-govt-after-hosting-rebel-group-nairobi
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/21/world/africa/uae-sudan-civil-war.html