Sudan Condemns Kenya for Hosting RSF Event in Nairobi, Accuses Nairobi of Violating International Law.

The Sudanese government has issued a strongly worded statement condemning Kenya for hosting a high-profile political event organized by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group engaged in Sudan’s ongoing civil war. The event, held on Tuesday at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, has sparked a diplomatic row between the two nations, with Sudan accusing Kenya of violating international law and undermining its sovereignty.

The RSF, a group accused of committing atrocities in Sudan’s civil war, hosted a lavish gathering to sign a “political agreement” aimed at establishing a parallel government in parts of Sudan. The event was attended by hundreds of supporters, including the RSF’s deputy leader, Abdul Rahim Dagalo, who is under U.S. sanctions for his role in the conflict. Dagalo was greeted with cheers as he arrived at the state-owned convention center, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from Khartoum.

In a press statement released by Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government expressed “deep regret” over Kenya’s decision to host the event, calling it a violation of international law, the United Nations Charter, and the African Union’s Constitutive Act. The statement also accused Kenya of complicity in the RSF’s alleged crimes, including genocide, ethnic massacres, and attacks on civilian populations.

“The Kenyan government’s hosting of leaders of the RSF militia and allowing them to conduct political and propaganda activities—while they continue to perpetrate genocide, massacre civilians on an ethnic basis, and commit acts of rape—constitutes an endorsement of and complicity in these heinous crimes,” the statement read.

Sudan further accused Kenya of undermining the principles of good neighborliness and violating its pledges not to allow hostile activities against Sudan to be carried out on its soil. The statement described Kenya’s actions as “tantamount to an act of hostility against the entire Sudanese people.”

The RSF, originally formed from the Janjaweed militias accused of genocide in Darfur, has been locked in a brutal power struggle with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since the outbreak of civil war in 2023. The conflict has devastated the country, displacing millions and leading to widespread allegations of war crimes.

Sudan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry emphasized that the RSF’s “propaganda stunt” in Nairobi would have no impact on the ground, asserting that the Sudanese Armed Forces, backed by the Sudanese people, remain determined to liberate all territory controlled by the RSF and its foreign mercenaries.

The statement concluded with a call for the international community to condemn Kenya’s actions and a vow to take “all necessary measures” to address the situation. The diplomatic fallout from the event is likely to strain relations between Sudan and Kenya, two key players in the Horn of Africa region.