The four-day battle in Sudan, according to Kenyan President William Ruto, has been fast spreading and now includes transgressions of international law.
In a statewide statement on Wednesday, Dr. Ruto cautioned that the crisis in Sudan has shown a “real danger” of spreading beyond its borders and destabilizing the region if allowed to continue.
In the video, which was recorded in Kenya’s State House in Nairobi, Pre. Ruto said, “Kenya is alarmed that a misunderstanding over a single outstanding item in the political framework agreement, namely the timeframe for the reintegration of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) into the Sudanese armed forces, has degenerated into violent conflict.”
Ruto displayed his displeasure over the disregard of an arranged truce made possible by the regional bloc, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), by the two belligerent groups, the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Some days after the crisis broke out, IGAD called for a ceasefire with the aim of bringing the warring parties to the dialogue table.
Ruto’s broadcast also highlighted the state of the crisis and why the rest of Africa and the world should act fast to ensure lasting peace in Sudan.
According to him, the crisis had defied norms as civilians and members of the diplomatic corps have become targets of attacks, as many of them have now been caught in the crossfire.
In the course of the crisis in Khartoum, a United States diplomatic vehicle was attacked when gunshots were fired at it. It has also been reported that the residence of the European Union ambassador to Sudan was targeted. The 58-year-old Irish diplomat Aidan O’Hara was assaulted at his home in the country’s capital. These unconventional outcomes and sad events were part of Pre. Ruto’s concern.
In his words, “a pattern of systematic violation of established norms and principles of international humanitarian laws is clearly emerging, and this situation is evolving into a threat to regional and international peace and security.”
“Kenya notes that disregard for the resolutions, coupled with the evident lack of commitment to ending the conflict, strongly indicates that attacks on diplomatic installations and personnel, as well as the targeting of hospitals, hotels, and other vital public and social spaces, are deliberate, systematic, and tantamount to atrocities against humanity.”
Fighting broke out on the 15th of April, when the Sudanese leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of the RSF, and his deputy, Mohammed Daglo “Hemedti” of the ASF, clashed over a battle for the control of power in Khartoum. The fighting between them has left over 200 people dead and thousands more injured.
Sudan is currently at the precipice of a major humanitarian crisis, as identified by Pre. Ruto. His position was echoed by Kate Maina-Vorley of CARE, a renowned international humanitarian agency. She said, “Sudan is currently facing a humanitarian crisis with more than 15 million people in need of assistance.”
She continued, “We are deeply concerned about the ongoing armed conflict’s impact on the lives of women and girls. We call on all parties to ensure that all civilians, especially women, and girls, are protected from all forms of violence and exploitation.”
Ruto’s statement outlining the severity of the crisis in Sudan is the most recent effort to denounce the catastrophe and jolt the world community into paying attention to the events in Sudan in order to prevent what could turn into a regional disaster in Africa.
