The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has estimated that about 3,000 Kenyans are currently stranded in Sudan as fighting intensifies between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs Alfred Mutua disclosed the figure on Sunday and urged any Kenyans who have not yet registered with the embassy in Khartoum to do so immediately.
Violence erupted on Saturday after weeks of power struggles between Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al‑Burhan, and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the RSF. The conflict has already claimed at least 100 lives, including three United Nations officials, and has left hundreds more injured. Mutua assured the public that the Kenyan government is closely monitoring the situation and is prepared to evacuate its citizens. He confirmed that discussions have been held with Kenya Airways, which stands ready to airlift Kenyans if the situation deteriorates further. “We have a big problem in Sudan. Bombing is escalating, we have about 3,000 Kenyans stuck in Sudan and they are scared, they are in their homes. Nobody is leaving the house. I want to assure Kenyans that we are aligned, we’ve talked to Kenya Airways; they are ready, if things get out of hand, to bring Kenyans back here,” he said.
Mutua acknowledged the difficulty of locating Kenyans who have not registered with the embassy. “The Kenyans who have registered with the embassy, we are in touch with them; the ones who did not register, we have a problem finding them,” he explained. The ministry plans to issue an emergency contact number for those in need.
On Sunday, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Sudan. During a virtual meeting of IGAD heads of state, President William Ruto urged the warring parties to take decisive action to restore peace. Presidents Salva Kiir (South Sudan), Yoweri Museveni (Uganda), Ismail Omar Guelleh (Djibouti), and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (Somalia) also participated, urging Transitional Sovereign Council leader Abdel Fattah al‑Burhan and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo to end the fighting and return to negotiations. IGAD intends to send Presidents Kiir, Ruto, and Guelleh to Sudan as soon as possible to facilitate reconciliation between the conflicting groups.
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