Kenya Defends Position in Sudan Crisis Mediation Amid Tensions

Kenya’s Foreign Affairs member of the Cabinet, Musalia Mudavadi has spoken out to defend the country’s participation in the conflict ravaging Sudan. This was in response to a recent meeting in Nairobi’s KICC by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese civil groups.  The meeting, designed to delve into potential solutions for the ongoing crisis in Sudan has sparked controversy, with Khartoum’s government denouncing it as a “hostile act.” But Mudavadi’s speech serves to reaffirm Kenya’s decades-long role as an impartial broker in regional disputes.

Kenya’s diplomatic balancing act on Sudan has been called into question as the East African nation continues to navigate a bloody power struggle between the Sudanese military and the RSF. The fighting, which broke out in April 2023, has displaced millions, created humanitarian woes and raised concerns about a declining security situation. The conflict has since drawn in various international actors, each with their own interests in the dispute’s outcome. Against this backdrop, Kenya’s invitation to a meeting of the RSF with Sudanese civil groups attracted scrutiny and was condemned at high volume by Sudan’s Foreign Ministry, which described the event as a hostile act.

Musalia Mudavadi also reiterated Kenya’s neutrality and desire to use its good offices to facilitate peaceful talk and resolution to the Israeli-Palestine conflict. The gathering in Nairobi shows Kenya’s tradition of providing unbiased mediation in regional disputes, Mudavadi noted, as the nation is historically known for hosting peace talks and taking a leading role in brokering negotiations. According to Mudavadi, Kenya is motivated by a conviction that dialogue and diplomacy should be seen as means to resolve differences, and that the wellbeing and stability of the entire East African region will not be discreet from Kenya.

Mudavadi explained that “the meeting in Nairobi, which brought the RSF together with Sudanese civil groups, is part of Kenya’s continuing engagement to promote peace and stability in Sudan.” “We have always played the role of providing a neutral platform for dialogue when all voices are heard and solutions are found through peaceful negotiations.”

While Kenya’s leaders have rallied behind the meeting, its preparation has encountered fierce pushback from Sudan’s government. The Foreign Ministry in Khartoum denounced the meeting, saying that it threatened Sudan’s sovereignty and that it was an interference in Sudan’s internal affairs. The government also warned that such actions could impede a peaceful resolution to the crisis. Their sudden harsh reaction by Sudan again emphasizes the tightrope Kenya has to walk as it tries to engage parties that are at odds with each-other but still avoid a feeling of taking sides.

Kenya’s role as mediator in the storm over Sudan fits with its wider diplomatic strategy for conflicts closer to home. Over the years, the country has hosted peace negotiations for several African countries, including South Sudan and Somalia, where it has been a key mediator for fighting groups. This legacy of participation in mediation processes has brought Kenya recognition as a reliable mediator, although its actions are often questioned by other regional actors with competing interests.

But the Kenyan government stands strongly by its conviction that dialog is the only way forward to peace. The conflict in Sudan has reached unbearable levels and the Kenyan government is urging an immediate return to the negotiating table for peaceful resolution of issues between the Sudanese government and the RSF Accuse of killing and ethnic cleansing with a view to back root resolution of the Sudan conflict to minimise the suffering of its civilians.