Kenya comments on warmongering video by Sudan general

A Kenyan official said Monday that his government is scrutinizing a statement made by a top Sudanese general daring President William Ruto to deploy his Kenya Defense Forces for war in Sudan.

In a viral video that surfaced online, Lieutenant General Yasser Al-Atta, the Assistant Commander-in-chief of the Sudan Armed Forces, mocked Ruto and told him to deploy his army to Sudan instead of the East African forces.

But Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Alred Mutua said in an interview with TRT Afrika, that the Ruto administration was yet to get the full context of what was said by General Al-Atta.

“We cannot verify the authenticity of the video or whether the senior military officer actually made those remarks. We also need a formal translation to understand what he said,” Mutua said Monday.

Mutua indicated that his government cannot rely on the information available on social media to respond to an issue with diplomatic ramifications.

The former Machakos County governor also said the government is going to follow the right steps to establish the context of the video before a formal response is made.

He was responding to General Al-Atta’s statement made earlier and directed to the RSF and Nairobi.

“The state (Kenya) that supports you (RSF) and the mercenaries like you with money must also bring its army… leave the East African forces and come with your army to intervene and we are waiting for you,” the Sudanese general had stated.

Al-Atta’s remarks come after an IGAD Quartet meeting, on July 11, resolved to request a summit of the East Africa Standby Forces to consider the possibility of deploying troops in Sudan.

The group led by President William Ruto and deputized by President Salva Kiir said the force will protect civilians and guarantee the safe passage of humanitarian assistance.

However, General Al-Atta repeated accusations that the Kenyan government is funding Rapid Support Forces (RSF) which has been battling the forces for the control of Khartoum since the collapse of the transitional government.

Kenya has denied allegations that it supports the paramilitary force and pledged neutrality on several occasions.

But SAF rejects Ruto as the mediator of the ongoing conflict after he was appointed by Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

The Sudanese army faction had also boycotted the first meeting of IGAD Quartet and previously called for President Salva Kiir to head the mediation team.