Diplomatic tensions are rising between Sudan and Kenya. On Tuesday, the Sudanese government accused Nairobi of fueling the country’s fragmentation by providing logistical and military support to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have been at war with the regular army since April 2023.
In a statement, Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that the army recently discovered RSF weapons caches in Khartoum containing ammunition “labeled in Kenya.” These serious accusations reignite persistent suspicions about foreign involvement in the bloody conflict.
Several regional and international actors are frequently accused of supporting the warring factions. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has previously condemned the “destructive interference” of foreign powers fueling the war.
Egypt, a longstanding ally of the Sudanese army, has recently strengthened its role through increased cooperation with Turkey, Iran, and Russia. At the same time, Khartoum accuses the United Arab Emirates of arming the RSF through indirect routes via Chad and Libya—allegations both countries continue to deny.
According to Khartoum, Kenya acted as a conduit for the delivery of Emirati military equipment to the RSF. Tuesday’s statement claims that Nairobi acknowledged the existence of these shipments, allegedly intended to help the RSF seize Sudan’s natural resources and secure strategic access to the Red Sea.
At the end of February, the RSF announced in Nairobi the imminent formation of a rival government, setting off alarm bells within the international community, which fears the country’s potential fragmentation.
Since the outbreak of war between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the army, and his former deputy General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commander of the RSF, Sudan has spiraled into violence—with tens of thousands killed, over 13 million displaced, and the threat of national collapse looming.