17 days after the government of Sudan banned the importation of Kenyan products, including tea, Kenya's Head of State revealed the war-torn country has reversed its decision.
While speaking during an interview with local media on Monday night, President William Ruto said market forces have forced Sudan to resume imports of Kenyan tea barely a month after it announced the ban.
According to Ruto, there is no issue with exporting Kenyan tea to Sudan, which offers relief to a majority of farmers.
“Even after they said they are not buying our tea, the market itself has forced them,” Ruto said during the interview at Sagana State Lodge.
At the time of the ban, there were concerns that the move could lead to price increases for certain goods in Sudan, which is already facing high inflation on commodities due to the ongoing war.
Adding, “We sell tea today to Sudan, so there is absolutely no issue about selling tea, and that is why we are making money in the tea sector.”
On March 14, Sudan suspended all imports from Kenya in protest after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who are fighting the army in a two-year civil war, formed a parallel government in Nairobi.
Sudan has been engulfed in a civil war since April 2023, primarily between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
In February, the RSF and its allied political and armed groups signed a founding charter in Kenya, expressing the intention to form a parallel government in Sudan.
Sudan's military government said the import ban was to preserve the country's sovereignty and "protect its national security."
Kenya exports various commodities to Sudan, including tea, food items, and pharmaceutical products.
"The import of all products coming from Kenya through all ports, crossings, airports, and ports will be suspended as of this day until further notice," a decree issued by Sudan's Ministry of Trade stated.
It ordered "all relevant authorities to enforce the ban immediately." Before the current hostilities, Sudan bought about $37 million, about Ksh5 billion at the current exchange rates, in Kenyan tea, although that figure dropped to $18 million, about Ksh2.3 billion at the current exchange rates in 2024.
