Ruto Allows Sudan’s Militia To Form Parallel Government In Nairobi

Sudan’s brutal two-year-long civil war is reaching a new flashpoint, with rival factions expected to announce parallel governments in a move that could further entrench the conflict.

At the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, delegates representing various Sudanese political entities are gathering to sign the founding charter of a new ‘peace and unity government’ aligned with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The alliance includes a faction of the opposition National Umma Party, several armed groups, and former members of Sudan’s civilian government.

The civil war, which erupted in April 2023 during Ramadan, has pitted the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, against the RSF, commanded by Janjaweed leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti.

Kenya’s role as a mediator in Sudan’s crisis has increasingly come under scrutiny, especially in light of its broader diplomatic setbacks on the continent. The African Union’s recent rejection of Kenyan candidate Raila Odinga for the African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson position underscores Nairobi’s waning influence in African affairs. Despite its historical position as a regional powerbroker, Kenya is struggling to assert itself, raising questions about its ability to lead peace efforts in Sudan and beyond.

As the rival factions in Sudan prepare to formalize their competing governments, the political and humanitarian crisis in the country shows no signs of abating—leaving Kenya’s diplomatic ambitions hanging in the balance.

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