Kenyan President William Ruto has once again taken a stand against the ongoing conflict in Sudan, urging the two warring Sudanese generals to halt the fighting that has persisted for over a month.
Despite talks facilitated by Saudi Arabia and the United States, the battles in Khartoum and its sister cities, Bahri and Omdurman, continue to intensify. These discussions aimed at achieving a ceasefire and ensuring humanitarian access seem to have had little effect on quelling the violence.
Expressing his concerns during the Pan-African Parliament Summit in South Africa on Wednesday, President Ruto criticized the Sudanese generals for their indiscriminate attacks on vital infrastructure.
He also stressed the need for them to halt the destruction caused by military weaponry procured using African funds.
According to him, “these generals are bombing everything, roads, hospitals, bridges, and destroying the airport using military hardware bought with African money. We need to tell those generals to stop the nonsense.”
President Ruto, who has been entrusted by the regional bloc Igad to play a role in reconciling Sudan’s opposing factions, stressed that “military power should be directed against criminals and terrorists, not innocent civilians, including children and women.”
However, President Ruto pointed out that African nations often lack the capacity to effectively intervene in conflicts like Sudan’s due to inadequate resources.
He acknowledged that external funding plays a significant role in supporting Africa’s peace and security initiatives.
The ongoing clashes in Sudan have already resulted in a devastating toll, with nearly 1,000 lives lost and over a million people displaced.
The unrest has also forced approximately 200,000 individuals to seek refuge in neighbouring countries, while those who remain in Khartoum face severe challenges in their struggle for survival.
