Sudan has taken a diplomatic stand by recalling its ambassador from Nairobi in protest against Kenyan President William Ruto’s hosting of talks with RSF Commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
Dagalo, whose forces have clashed with the regular Sudanese army led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan since April, has been on a diplomatic tour across African capitals, including visits to Uganda, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, and currently South Africa.
This move has provoked the ire of Burhan’s administration, which seeks to undermine RSF’s international legitimacy. Sudan’s acting foreign minister, Ali al-Sadiq, announced the recall of the ambassador “for consultations in protest of the official reception organised by the Kenyan government for the leader of the rebel militia.”
He said those consultations would “cover all possibilities for the outcome of Sudan’s relations with Kenya”.
Tensions between Burhan and the Kenyan government have been escalating, with Nairobi attempting to maintain communication channels with Dagalo to potentially mediate in the ongoing conflict.
In a January 1 address, the army chief warned that African governments hosting visits by “these killers” were “making themselves a partner in the murder of the Sudanese people”.
The conflict has resulted in a devastating toll, with over 12,190 casualties and the displacement of more than seven million people, according to estimates by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project and UN figures, respectively.
Mediation efforts have faced significant obstacles due to deep-seated animosity between the rival factions. Despite Burhan’s administration continuing to issue statements as Sudan’s government, Dagalo’s Rapid Support Forces assert control over Khartoum’s streets, Darfur, and a substantial part of Al-Jazira, once Sudan’s vital agricultural region.
