President William Ruto engaged in discussions with Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, as part of regional diplomatic endeavors to establish a ceasefire in the domestic conflict.
The meeting, held today at State House Nairobi, focused on addressing the Sudanese conflict and exploring avenues for warring factions to unite and negotiate a resolution to the ongoing political discord.
In a statement following the meeting, President Ruto expressed Kenya’s appreciation for the commitment of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo to ending the conflict through dialogue.
President Ruto emphasized the importance of the ongoing Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) talks in achieving a political settlement that would usher in lasting peace in Sudan. “We are anticipating nothing less than a peaceful resolution and a stable neighbor,” he added.
IGAD, an eight-nation East African bloc headquartered in Djibouti, is leading diplomatic initiatives to facilitate a meeting between General Dagalo and his counterpart, Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
The two conflicting generals have not met face-to-face since the outbreak of the conflict, which has resulted in a conservative estimate of more than 12,000 fatalities and forced over seven million people to flee.
General Dagalo’s regional tour has included visits to Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Uganda, where he expressed his commitment to ending the conflict in Sudan.
In November 2023, the UN Security Council voiced concern over the escalating violence in Sudan and the expansion of hostilities to areas previously considered safe havens for those displaced by the conflict.
