President William Ruto has been tasked by the Western Block led by Germany to help end the conflict in Sudan.
This was communicated by Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock who began a tour of the East African region on Wednesday, January 24.
Baerbock will visit Kenya, South Sudan and Kenya to meet respective Heads of State in an effort to end the conflict in Sudan pitting Sudan military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his paramilitary rival General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
Should Ruto and other regional leaders fail to mediate between the two leaders, Germany has announced that sanctions will be instituted in the warring country.
“Together with my partners in Djibouti, Kenya, and South Sudan, I will explore possibilities to bring generals Burhan and Hemeti finally to the negotiating table, so that they do not drag the people in Sudan deeper into the abyss and destabilise the region any further,” Baerbock spoke of Ruto’s assignment.
She explained that the sanctions will not only target the two leaders but also their associates.
“We must increase the pressure on both sides through sanctions, by holding them accountable for their crimes against the civilian population and by influencing their supporters from abroad,” she explained the scope of the sanctions.
Baerbock did not reveal if the sanctions would be backed by the larger European Union of which Germany is a member.
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan heads the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) while General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo heads the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The two forces started fighting in April 2023 and efforts by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to mediate have been futile.
Kenya evacuated close to 2,000 citizens who were residing in Sudan after the war broke out.
In the nine months ever since, over 7.3 million citizens have fled their homes in Sudan causing a humanitarian crisis.
The German foreign minister echoed Ruto’s belief that the only way to end the crisis in Sudan was through a civil democratic government.
