NAIROBI, Kenya – President William Ruto has said both the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are equally to blame for Sudan’s ongoing conflict, arguing that the two rival groups lack the capacity to restore peace.
Speaking in an interview with Al Jazeera, Ruto said the warring factions — led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo “Hemedti” — are products of a failed military transition that overthrew a people’s government.
“To Sudan, I hold the position that both RSF and SAF are cut from the same cloth. They are a product of an overthrow of a people’s government,” Ruto said. “These two generals have no solution for Sudan because both of them believe in solving a problem using military means. This is not a security problem; it is a governance problem.”
Ruto stressed that the war in Sudan is rooted in governance failure rather than a security challenge, and that political dialogue — not armed confrontation — is the only path to lasting peace.
The Kenyan president also dismissed allegations that Nairobi has hosted or armed members of the RSF, describing the claims as “absolutely false.”
“Kenya, being a democratic country, is often accused. The DRC accused us before, saying there were people meeting in Nairobi. Sometimes I don’t even know they are meeting in Nairobi because we are a free and democratic country,” he said.
Ruto maintained that Kenya remains a hub for dialogue, media freedom, and civil society engagement in the region.
He cited the presence of hundreds of international journalists — including Al Jazeera correspondents — as proof of the country’s openness.
“We just deal with criminals, but people who are chasing civil liberties, people who are looking for space to express themselves — we have close to 1,000 journalists in Nairobi, including Al Jazeera. That’s the only place people can find space to speak about their issues,” he said.
He clarified that a recent meeting in Kenya involving Sudanese figures was not an RSF gathering, as alleged by Sudanese state media, but a civil society dialogue that brought together church leaders, Muslim clerics, women’s groups, and community representatives.
“The meeting that was there in Kenya was a meeting of civil society, church groups, Muslim leaders, women — and they were having a conversation about their country,” Ruto said, noting that similar forums have been held in Tripoli and Addis Ababa.
Ruto reiterated Kenya’s commitment to regional peace efforts, saying the country will continue to support dialogue and humanitarian solutions for Sudan and the Horn of Africa.
“Kenya will always stand for peace, democracy, and dialogue,” he added.
