Kenya, on Monday, June 12, agreed to mediate in the Sudan conflict after efforts by the United States and Saudi Arabia to broker a ceasefire collapsed.
President William Ruto stated that Kenya had a strong track record in mediating peace agreements in the region and that he was confident of ending the violence in Sudan.
In a concerted effort by Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) countries, Ruto will seek to have the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) embrace new talks.
"We will, in the next ten days, meet face to face with General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and Abdel Fattah al-Burhan so that we can speak to them directly on behalf of IGAD, with a view of stopping the war that is raging in Sudan.
"We will ask them to cease all manner of hostilities and ensure that we have a commitment from them to stop the war that is going on in Sudan," Ruto stated.
In the strategy designed by the IGAD security organ, President Ruto, alongside three other leaders from Ethiopia, Djibouti, South Sudan and Somalia, will hold the talks in Nairobi.
After the warring factions failed to agree on ending the ongoing conflict, IGAD expanded the initial team, which comprised South Sudan, Kenya and Djibouti.
Fighting resumed on Sunday, June 11, with renewed intensity following the end of a 24-hour ceasefire brokered by the United States and Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
Reports indicated there were sounds of air raids, artillery shelling and machine guns barely 30 minutes after the ceasefire ended in the morning.
Through the facilitation of the United States and Saudi Arabia, Lt-Gen Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and his nemesis Mohamed Daglo Hemedti's sides had signed seven ceasefire deals, all broken within hours of declaration.
“The Sudanese Armed Forces (Saf) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) demonstrated effective command and control over their forces, resulting in reduced fighting throughout Sudan that enabled the delivery of vital humanitarian assistance and the achievement of some confidence building measures,’ a statement from the Jeddah talks read.
Mediations which were ongoing in Jeddah, and facilitated by Saudi Arabia and the US, were suspended, with mediators accusing parties of lacking seriousness. The US, however, was open to negotiating the talks afresh once assured that the warring factions had considered the gravity of the matter.
The UN estimated that at least 1,800 people were killed and more than 5,100 have been injured as of June 12, 2023. More than 200,000 people were also displaced from their homes.
