Kenyan organizations demand the government apologize to the Sudanese people
Moatinoon
More than 10 Kenyan and African organizations have issued a statement demanding that the Kenyan government apologize to the Sudanese people for hosting meetings of Sudanese forces demanding the formation of a parallel government in Sudan, led by the Rapid Support Forces.
The organizations considered that the Kenyan governments decision to host the Rapid Support Forces and its allies makes it complicit in the mass atrocities against the Sudanese people.
They said in a statement issued today that the meeting of the Rapid Support Forces in Nairobi on February 18, 2025 to form a parallel government violates Kenyas commitment to justice and accountability and to promoting peace and security in Sudan and the Horn of Africa region.
The meeting came four days after the African Union Peace and Security Council, which was convened by the heads of state and government, condemned all forms of external interference that fuel the Sudanese conflict and urged the warring parties to commit to a comprehensive political dialogue to address the current crisis.
The African organizations said that Kenya’s unilateral move undermines African unity by contradicting the African Union’s peace efforts in Sudan, led by the African Union High-Level Panel and the expanded AU Peace and Security Council Mechanism, which aims to engage all key stakeholders in the conflict.
They added that Kenya’s decision to host the Rapid Support Forces in Nairobi to form a parallel government constitutes a serious violation of its international obligations, including the UN Charter, the AU Constitutive Act and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. They considered the move to undermine Sudan’s sovereignty, constitute an act of aggression against its people, and ignore the immense suffering of countless Sudanese civilians and ongoing peace efforts.
The African organizations called on the AU Peace and Security Council to issue a statement condemning any attempt by the warring parties to unilaterally declare a government-in-exile, which would undermine efforts to secure a comprehensive peace agreement that would address the multiple conflicts in Sudan.
The Kenyan government was called upon to immediately cease participating in the peace talks or mediation process on the conflict in Sudan as it is not an impartial arbiter.
The organizations that signed the statement are:
Africans for the Horn of Africa Initiative (Af4HA)
Africa Atrocities Watch (AWA)
Betty Kari Murungi
Civil Liberties Forum (CFF)
Just Development Centre (GESR)
Grace Agenda
Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC)
Kenyans for Peace with Truth and Justice
Kisumu Civil Society Network
National Victims and Survivors Network
African Lawyers Union (PALU)
Africa Centre for Open Governance (AfriCOG)
Kenya Section of the International Commission of Jurists-Kenya (ICJ-Kenya)
