Kenya mediates talks between Sudanese generals in effort to resolve crisis

Kenya has taken the initiative to bring together Sudan’s warring generals to end the crisis plaguing the country, President William Ruto announced on Monday.

"Kenya commits to meet the two Sudan generals face to face to find a lasting solution to the crisis," Ruto said while addressing the media in Djibouti at the 14th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

Ruto announced that within two weeks, a humanitarian corridor will be established to streamline the distribution of aid.

“In the next three weeks, we will begin the process of an inclusive national dialogue,” he added.

In attendance were President Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti, President Salva Kiir of South Sudan, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud of Somalia and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia.

At the heart of the ongoing crisis are two opposing military figures: Abdel Fattah al Burhan, the prominent leader of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commonly known as Hemetti, the head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Escalation

The move comes as the conflict between the Sudanese army and RSF has escalated, resulting in the loss of nearly 1,000 lives and leaving thousands injured since April 15, according to reports from medics on the ground.

In a significant development, Kenya has expressed its support for the expansion of the IGAD Troika on Sudan, which now includes Ethiopia and Somalia. As part of the newly formed IGAD Quartet, Kenya assumes the role of chair, alongside South Sudan, in spearheading efforts to find a resolution to the crisis in Sudan.

IGAD is an eight-member state regional bloc in Eastern Africa.

Recent clashes in Sudan have been marked by repeated violations of previous ceasefire agreements, with both sides blaming each other for the breaches.

Since October 2021, when the military dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's transitional government and declared a state of emergency, Sudan has been without a functioning government. The move was widely condemned by political forces as a "coup."

The transitional period, which began in August 2019 following the ouster of President Omar al Bashir, was originally scheduled to conclude with elections in early 2024.