Adel Abdelrheem and Rania Abu Shamala
14 March 2025•Update: 14 March 2025
KHARTOUM, Sudan/ISTANBUL
Sudan announced Thursday that it is banning all imports from Kenya due to its hosting of meetings of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allies.
The decree was issued by Sudan’s Minister of Trade and Supplies Omar Ahmed Mohamed Ali, the official Sudanese News Agency (SUNA) reported.
According to the decree, the import suspension “is based on Cabinet Decision No. 129 of 2024, which halts all imports from Kenya through all ports, border crossings, airports and entry points.”
The ministerial statement justified the ban as a response to Kenya's hosting and sponsorship of RSF activities and meetings, stating that the move was necessary to protect Sudan’s national interests and security. The ban will remain in effect until further notice.
The directive instructs “all relevant authorities to enforce the ban immediately.”
The Kenyan government has not issued a response.
Sudan imports several products from Kenya including tea, food items and pharmaceutical products.
Sudan’s RSF along with Sudanese political groups and armed groups signed a political charter on Feb. 22 in Kenya to form a parallel government opposing Sudanese authorities.
The Sudanese government protested Kenya's hosting of a "conspiracy to establish a government" for the RSF.
On Feb. 20, Sudan recalled its ambassador to Kenya, Kamal Jabara, in protest against Kenya's involvement in discussions aimed at forming a "parallel government.”
Kenya, however, defended its role, stating that hosting the meetings was part of efforts to find solutions to end the war in Sudan in coordination with the UN and the African Union.
The Sudanese army and the RSF have been fighting since April 2023 in a war that has killed more than 20,000 people and displaced 14 million, according to the UN and local authorities. Research from US universities, however, estimates the death toll at around 130,000.
International and UN calls for an end to the war are mounting, warning of an impending humanitarian catastrophe as millions face famine and death due to food shortages. The conflict has spread to 13 of Sudan’s 18 states.
