Kenya put to task over camaraderie with RSF leaders in restless Sudan

RSF deputy commander Major Gen Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo (right), SPLM-N leader Abdel Aziz Al-Hilu (second left) and Sudan's NUP leader Fadlallah Burma (left), during the postponed signing of Sudan Founding Charter for establishing a peace and unity government at KICC, Nairobi on February 18, 2025 [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Kenya's decision to host Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in February has sparked diplomatic tension, drawing sharp rebuke from the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU) and Sudan government.

The fallout underscores Kenya's growing entanglement in regional conflicts, with broader implications for its foreign relations. "Plans for a parallel 'government' by the Rapid Support Forces risk the partition of the country and jeopardise the democratic aspirations of the Sudanese people for an inclusive, Sudanese-owned process that leads to the restoration of civilian rule," the EU said in a statement.