Time for Sudan's warring parties to give peace a chance

People are fleeing neighbourhoods close to the fighting in Khartoum, as the Sudanese army battles a paramilitary group for control. [BBC]

On behalf of the government and the people of Kenya, I take this opportunity to convey a message of goodwill and warm wishes for a blessed Id-Ul-Fitr to all our Muslim brothers and sisters as they celebrate the conclusion of the Holy Month of Ramadhan. I will also use this moment to send a message of solidarity and peace to our brothers and sisters in Sudan.

Our region bears deep scars of conflict and war: The sorrow of loved ones lost to death, the trauma of humanitarian suffering and disrupted livelihoods and the haunting regret of missed opportunities. There is a strong yearning for peace throughout the Horn of Africa, and Sudan is no exception.

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 States and Government Summit on Sunday April 16, 2023 and subsequently the African Union's Emergency Ministerial Meeting on the Situation in Sudan held in Addis Ababa on April 20, 2023.

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. It also expresses a willingness to do this within the peacemaking frameworks under IGAD, the AU and the UN.

In keeping with the African Union's commitment to silence the guns of war through the implementation of African Solutions to African Problems, there now exists meaningful opportunity for the resolution of outstanding issues through peaceful negotiation. This will lead to the restoration of peace, security and stability in Sudan in conformity with the broader objective of transforming the Horn of Africa and Eastern Africa in general into a peaceful and secure hub of productivity, globally competitive industry and sustainable shared prosperity.

Accordingly, to support further progress in the peaceful resolution of the conflict in Sudan, Kenya hereby 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. Kenya has a strong track record in effectively facilitating peacemaking and settlement of political conflict.

We invite the parties to take full advantage of this opportunity and urge IGAD, AU and the UN to mobilise an effective international coalition to support a comprehensive peacemaking agenda for Sudan.

I convey to General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman al-Burhan and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo the numerous pleas and emphatic calls from our brothers and sisters in Sudan, the people of our region and the international community that it is now time to give peace a chance. Your commitment to mediation will restore peace and stability to Sudan within a short time.

Dr William Ruto is the President of the Republic of Kenya