Sudan banned all imports from Kenya as this civil war hosted rivals
Sudan has suspended all imports from Kenya after Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who are fighting the army in a two -year civil war, they were hosted in Nairobi.
Last month, RSF and its affiliated political and armed groups signed a founder charter in Kenya, intending to form a parallel government in Sudan.
Sudan’s military government said the import ban was to preserve the sovereignty of the country and “protect its national security”.
The war -torn country imports several products from Kenya, including tea, food items and pharmaceutical products.
A decree issued by Sudan’s Ministry of Trade said, “The import of all the products coming through all ports, crossings, airports and ports from Kenya will be suspended as this day.”
This “ordered all relevant officers to implement the ban immediately”.
The tension between Kenya and Sudan has been increasing for several months.
Kenayi President William Ruto has faced widespread criticism at home for his close close ties with RSF.
Last month, Sudan recalled his ambassador to Kenya in protest against Nairobi’s participation in the “conspiracy to establish a government for RSF”.
Sudan called the hosting of Kenya’s RSF meetings “Tantamount for an Act of enmity”.
But Kenya defended her role, saying that hosting meetings was part of the attempt to find solutions to end the war in Sudan “without any inverted objectives”.
The two countries have traditionally enjoyed strong trade relations, Kenya is an important partner for Sudan, especially in agriculture and manufacturing.
Kenya exports several items to Sudan, which is the most important export of tea, followed by coffee, tobacco and other products such as soap, electrical appliances and pharmaceuticals.
Tea is one of Kenya’s most important forex who earns, and this step is expected to disrupt both trade flow and wider economy.
Economist Ken Gichinga told the BBC, “This ban will be a big blow, and foreign currency will be a hit. It will mean less risk for foreign currency and financial services. It has a wave effect that is just extending beyond business,” economist Ken Gichinga told the BBC.
The ban has not yet been commented on the ban to the Kenyan government, but Agriculture Minister Mutahi Kagway recently said that his country was searching for a diplomatic route to resolve the challenges of the market in Sudan.
The ban comes at a time when Kenya’s exports of tea were already struggling due to conflict in Sudan.
Recently, a report showed a 12% decrease in Kenyan tea exports to Sudan in the last one year.
The war in Sudan, which began in April 2023, caused widespread destruction, disrupted supply chains and limited the ability of businesses to operate the ability to normally.
The ports and across the border, significant to trade, either damaged or disrupted by violence, have significantly reduced the flow of goods between Sudan and its neighbors, including Kenya.
According to the United Nations, this conflict has destroyed a large part of Sudan – including the capital Khartum – thousands of people were killed and displaced over 12 million.
