Sudan has recalled its ambassador from Kenya following a diplomatic dispute over establishing the Founding Alliance for Sudan in Nairobi. This coalition, built around the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), aims to create a parallel government to the military-led administration in Port Sudan. Sudan’s Foreign Ministry accused Kenyan President William Ruto of supporting a ‘conspiracy’ that undermines Sudan’s sovereignty.
Kenya has faced criticism for its alleged ties with the RSF and its backer, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Nairobi’s red-carpet welcome for RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as ‘Hemedti,’ in early 2025 angered Khartoum, and reports suggest Kenya serves as a conduit between the UAE and the RSF. A Reuters investigation found that weapons shipments to the militia often pass through Nairobi and the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa. Kenya’s high-ranking officials have also been implicated in gold smuggling, while the UAE remains the primary buyer, according to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.
Kenya’s role in hosting the RSF-backed coalition has sparked domestic and international criticism. Some Kenyan political figures and human rights activists have accused Ruto of prioritising commercial interests over regional stability, particularly given Kenya’s growing economic ties with the UAE, a country widely accused of arming the RSF. The controversy adds to concerns about Kenya’s involvement in regional conflicts, especially in light of past allegations of the country facilitating the abduction of foreign political opponents, as well as the 2022 murder of Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif.
The proxy war in Sudan has created what the UN calls the ‘worst humanitarian crisis.’ It has internally displaced more than 11 million, caused half the country to suffer ‘high levels of acute hunger,’ k*lled more than 150,000 killed by May 2024, according to US envoy Tom Perriello.
Sources
https://www.ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/details-map/en/c/1157066/?iso3=SDN