Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary, Alfred Mutua, has explained why Kenya has not issued a formal response to a video showing Sudan General Yasser Al-Atta daring President William Ruto to deploy the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to Sudan.
In an interview with TRT Afrika, Mutua indicated that Kenya has not received the full context of the video. Kenya cannot, therefore, rely solely on social media information for a response with diplomatic implications.
“We cannot verify the authenticity of the video or whether the senior military officer made those remarks. We also need a formal translation to understand what he said,” said Mutua.
In the viral video, General Al-Atta accused Ruto of meddling in Sudan’s ongoing conflict. He warned that Sudan would triumph over Kenyan forces if they deployed.
The general also alleged that Kenya was financing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) under the leadership of Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemeti.
The Kenyan government is taking measures to establish the context of the video before issuing a formal response.
Ruto had previously denied supporting Hemeti’s faction, stating during an interview on June 24 that the accusations were false. He maintained his support for a truce between the warring factions, acknowledging the impact of the conflict on citizens.
Ruto’s mediation role at the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) was rejected by the Sudanese army.
The Sudanese conflict has been ongoing since April 15, 2023. In the course of 100 days, it has resulted in over 600 deaths, according to the United Nations.
Darfur is the worst-affected area by the conflict.
The country plunged into a civil war in mid-April. This was after its two most powerful generals – army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti – fell out.
