Kenya offers to host mediation process between warring Sudan parties

President William Ruto has announced that Kenya is ready to host a mediation process between the parties to the Sudan peace agreement.

President Ruto, in a statement issued on Friday, said a peacefully negotiated solution to the conflict in Sudan is within reach and called on the two factions to hold on to the ceasefire for now.

The Head of State’s statement comes only a day after a meeting of the African Union’s emergency ministerial meeting on the situation in Sudan held in Addis Ababa.

“Kenya is strongly persuaded that a peacefully negotiated solution to the conflict in Sudan is within reach and, as always, stands ready to make our contribution. We note with appreciation the gesture by the parties to the political framework agreement to cease hostilities in response to the call by the IGAD Heads of State and government summit,” he stated.

With over 300 people so far having been killed in Sudan since the fighting broke on Saturday, President Ruto termed the situation as fragile and one that needs a lastful solution.

“We regard the cessation of hostilities as a welcome signal of goodwill, commitment to arrest the descent into conflict, insecurity, instability and humanitarian crisis, and pursue peaceful resolution of the outstanding items in the framework agreement, with a view to ending the conflict in Sudan,” he noted.

President Ruto added that to support further progress in the peaceful resolution of the conflict in Sudan, Kenya offers to host a process of mediation between the parties to the agreement.

“We make this offer in the spirit of brotherhood, peace and solidarity as an acceptable neutral venue and also as an engaged stakeholder well-seized with the challenges facing our region,” he said.

The Commander-in-Chief said Kenya has had a commendable record in peace deals and hoped that the situation in Sudan will be resolved.

Kenya has in the past mediated the conflict between Sudan and the then Southern rebels under Dr. John Garang.

The outcome of the Kenya-led talks then, was a Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed in Nairobi between Dr. John Garang of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and Sudan’s then Vice-President Ali Osman Taha, and led to the cessation of South Sudan from Sudan in 2011.

“We want to tell our brothers that cessation of hostilities and silencing of their guns is the first step to achieving stability, the time to bring peace to Sudan is now,” said the President.

As Sudan awaits the peace deal, if there will be any, a trail of destruction in the capital Khartoum looms large as tension continues to escalate.