US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, Senator Jim Risch, has accused the Kenyan government of enabling genocide in increasing fallout over Nairobi’s decision to grant the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) access to create a parallel government from Kenya.
RSF is a paramilitary group that is fighting Sudan's national army in a devastating civil war for control of the oil-rich nation. In a statement on X, Senator Risch accused President William Ruto’s government of legitimising the outfit.
“Last year, I led efforts in Congress to recognise RSF-led atrocities in Sudan, which have contributed to over 150k deaths, as genocide. In January, it became US policy,” he said.
He added, “Now, Kenya, a US ally, is helping the RSF legitimise their genocidal rule in Sudan under the guise of peacemaking—this is an unthinkable attempt to obscure the truth and will not end the massacre.”
His accusation comes as 13 human rights groups led by the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHCR) have demanded the government declare a persona non grata status to all members of the RSF currently convening in Kenya.
In a strongly worded statement released on Friday, February 21, the civil rights group called for the government to recall the statement the Prime Cabinet Secretary issued confirming its support for the RSF and “issue an unequivocal apology to the people of Sudan.”
The groups want President William Ruto to stop any involvement in peace talks involving Sudan, accusing Kenya of not being impartial.
“Immediately refrain from engaging in the peace talks or mediation process regarding the conflict in Sudan because it fails to be an impartial arbiter,” read part of the statement of the civil groups.
Their frustrations stem from a week-long debacle that emerged on Monday after Kenya was accused of giving free rein for the RSF to create a parallel government.
Kenya is at the centre of a diplomatic row with the Sudanese government after the RSF announced plans to form a breakaway government in Nairobi. This week, RSF convened in Nairobi, to discuss forming a "Government of Peace and Unity" to administer areas under their control amid the ongoing Sudanese civil war.
The leaders of the RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), have indicated they will announce their new government on Friday, following several postponements of the announcement originally scheduled for Tuesday.
Sudan's military-led government strongly condemned this move. In protest, it accused Kenya of violating its sovereignty and recalled its ambassador from Nairobi. The Sudanese government labeled Kenya's actions as an "act of hostility," asserting that hosting the RSF undermines Sudan's sovereignty.
Relations between Nairobi and Khartoum had begun to thaw in recent months, despite lingering tensions over President William Ruto’s perceived closeness to Hemedti.
On Wednesday, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi defended Kenya’s position, insisting, “Kenya remains at the forefront of seeking solutions to the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.”
"Kenya, therefore, reiterates its solidarity with the people of Sudan as they define their destiny and future political governance through inclusive dialogue," Mudavadi added. This is the statement the groups want to be recalled.
The groups include: Africans for the Horn of Africa (Af4HA) Initiative, Atrocities Watch Africa (AWA), Betty Kaare Murungi, Civic Freedoms Forum (CFF) and Gest Center for Development (GESR), Grace Agenda and Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC).
The others are; Kenyans For Peace with Truth and Justice, Kisumu CSO Network, National Victims and Survivors Network, Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU), The Africa Centre for Open Governance (AfriCOG), and The Kenyan Section of the International Commission of Jurists-Kenya (ICJ-Kenya).
