Sudan has banned all imports from Kenya. It comes after Nairobi infuriated Khartoum by hosting the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary – which is engaged in a brutal proxy war with the Sudanese army – for talks on setting up a rival government in Sudan.
A decree issued by Sudan’s acting Trade Minister, Omar Ahmed Mohamed on 13 March, states that Kenyan goods will be banned from entering the country via ports, airports and border crossings – effective immediately until further notice.
In late February, Kenya facilitated discussions involving the (United Arab Emirates-backed) RSF and its alleged allies, which signed a political charter and another for a transitional constitution, paving the way for the formation of a parallel authority in areas controlled by the RSF.
Kenya’s hosting of the signing drew sharp criticism from Sudan’s foreign ministry, which recalled its ambassador from Nairobi in protest, accusing Kenyan President William Ruto of acting on “his commercial and personal interests with the militia’s regional sponsors.” In mid-January, Kenya and the United Arab Emirates signed an economic agreement, which they called a “historic milestone in economic relations between the two nations.” The UAE has been accused by the UN of supplying weapons to the RSF.
Sudan ranks as the tenth-largest global importer of Kenyan tea and the second-largest in Africa. According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), Kenya exported goods worth $48.2 million to Sudan in 2023, with tea accounting for $29.6 million, processed tobacco for $3.66 million and seed oils for $1.84 million.
Sources
https://sudantribune.com/article298532/
https://nation.africa/kenya/news/africa/sudan-junta-threatens-to-cut-tea-imports-from-kenya-4937894
https://oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-country/ken/partner/sdn
https://mfa.go.ke/kenya-and-uae-sign-landmark-comprehensive-economic-partnership-agreement