Ruto denies Kenya supports RSF militia

Kenyan President William Ruto has denied accusations that Nairobi is backing the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan’s war, insisting that Kenya’s only role is to facilitate dialogue.

In an interview with France 24, Ruto dismissed the idea that Kenya had taken sides, saying the rival Sudanese generals, RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo and Sudanese Armed Forces chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, are “cut from the same cloth, products of an overthrow of a government set up by the people of Sudan.” He added: “Kenya does not agree with the notion that one is better than the other. They are all the same. They are committing atrocities.”

On allegations that Kenya is colluding with the RSF, Ruto said: “There are allegations, rumors, and propaganda. We are being accused because we offered a dialogue platform.”

Kenya–Sudan relations have deteriorated over the past year. Tensions peaked after Sudan accused Kenya of giving Hemedti a diplomatic platform. Earlier this year, Kenyan vice President Kithure Kindiki welcomed the RSF leader to Nairobi, where he later held talks with Ruto. Shortly afterward, the RSF convened a meeting in Nairobi and announced a charter for a rival “government of peace and unity.”

Khartoum condemned the event as an attempt to legitimize a militia accused of “mass killings and crimes against humanity”. In retaliation, Sudan recalled its ambassador, and by March suspended all imports from Kenya. Sudanese officials have since repeated accusations that Nairobi is covertly backing the RSF, allegations Kenya denied.

In June, a joint investigation by Bellingcat and Kenya’s Daily Nation raised new questions about Nairobi’s role. Reporters uncovered ammunition crates marked with Kenya’s Ministry of Defence labels inside an RSF-controlled weapons store near Khartoum. Some crates appeared to match official Kenyan defense contracts and contained heavy machine gun rounds and Chinese-made mortar bombs. The investigation further revealed shipping records showing dates as recent as 2023–2024, during the peak of Sudan’s civil war.

Kenya’s Defence Ministry categorically denied the findings, stating the crates were “unrecognized”. Yet arms experts who examined the evidence confirmed the authenticity of the markings and contract numbers, leaving open the possibility that Kenyan weapons had reached RSF stockpiles.

Sudan’s war, now in its second year, has spiraled into one of the world’s worst humanitarian catastrophes. More than 150,000 people have been killed, and over 12 million forced to flee their homes. Investigators have documented widespread atrocities, including ethnic cleansing campaigns, sexual violence, and indiscriminate attacks on civilians.

Entire cities, including the city of El Fasher, remain besieged, with residents trapped and cut off from humanitarian relief. Despite sanctions on both RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces leaders, fighting shows no sign of abating, and international mediation efforts remain elusive.