NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 15 — Kenya has dismissed reports of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s rejection of President William Ruto to lead Sudan peace talks.
The clarification came after reports emerged that the military general preferred South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit to replace Ruto as Head of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) mediation team on the Sudanese conflict.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary force led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti) has been battling the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in Sudan Capital Khartoum since April in a war that has led to loss of lives and displacement of people.
Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei said in a statement Thursday that no formal communication had been received on the matter in question.
PS Sing’Oei stated that decision to have President Ruto was made during the 14th Ordinary Assembly of the IGAD Heads of State and Governments in Djibouti and could only be reserved by the Summit.
“No official communication on this yet. But both the inclusion of PM Abiy Ahmed to the Troika mandated to seek peace in Sudan Crisis and appointment of William Ruto to lead the Quartet was arrived at by the IGAD Summit,” he said.
IGAD Summit
The Principal Secretary further emphasized that the decision to appoint President Ruto can only be reversed by the IGAD Summit.
On June 13, Kenya welcomed the expansion of the IGAD Troika on Sudan.
In the new formation that includes Ethiopia and South Sudan, Kenya was elected the Chair of the IGAD Quartet to resolve the crisis in Sudan.
South Sudan is also a member.
“Kenya commits to meet the two parties face to face to find a lasting solution to the crisis,” said President William Ruto.
In the session, Djibouti was picked as the new IGAD Chair to be deputized by South Sudan.
Present were presidents Ismail Omar Guelleh (Djibouti), Salva Kiir (South Sudan), Hassan Mohamud (Somalia) and Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ali.
Deputy President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of the Republic of Sudan and Representative of the Chairperson of the IGAD Assembly of Heads of State and Government Malik Akar, Executive Secretary of IGAD Workneh Gebeyehu and African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki were also there.
President Ruto said a humanitarian corridor will be established in a fortnight to facilitate the delivery of aid.
“In the next three weeks, we will begin the process of an inclusive national dialogue,” he explained.
The Head of State told the meeting that this will give the people of Sudan the right forum to discuss in their diversity the issues and future political dispensation of their country.
