Officials in Ruto govt’ face sanctions over links to Sudan’s RSF militia
This new revelation comes days after a US-based global human rights organisation called on the international community to hold Kenya accountable for issuing passports to individuals linked to Sudan’s RSF militia ragtag
Washington through the US State Department could soon impose travel bans and sanctions against high-ranking government officials serving in President William Ruto’s administration alongside politicians, businessmen and their families over their suspected links to the indicted Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), The Informer Media Group has learnt.
This new revelation comes days after a US-based global human rights organisation called on the international community to hold Kenya accountable for issuing passports to individuals linked to Sudan’s RSF militia ragtag.
The situation is further compounded by the controversial issuance of Kenyan passports to individuals linked the General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo alias Hemedti, the commander of RSF, paramilitary outfit accused of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
“Having sanctions imposed cannot be overruled,” our source intimated.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, State Department of Immigrations under Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang and Director General, Directorate of Immigration Services Evelyn Cheluget have remained tight-lipped despite their dockets being implicated in an alleged intricate web of unprocedural issuance of passports that bypassed protocols and guidelines to issue travel documents to indicted foreigners.
HRF wants Kenya held accountable for assisting indicted individuals from facing sanctions by facilitating their travel.
RSF has, since April 2023, been engaged in a war of attrition with the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) that has claimed thousands of lives and been described by observers as the worst global humanitarian crisis in recent times.
HRF expressed alarm over reports that Nairobi issued passports to “a sanctioned Sudanese war-financier and other individuals linked to Sudan’s genocidal RSF.”
The beneficiaries include RSF’s Algoney Hamdan Dagalo Musa and controversial Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo, who is a regular visitor to Kenya.
Algoney is reportedly the holder of a Kenyan passport number AK1586127. He is also said to hold two different Sudanese passports.
Algoney is the RSF procurement chief and younger brother of the group’s commander, Mohammed Dagalo, also known as Hemedti.
The US State Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on October 8, 2024, imposed sanctions on Algoney for allegedly masterminding the supply of weapons that fuel the Sudanese conflict.
Kenyan President William Ruto last year found himself in the eye of a storm for hosting RSF leaders in Nairobi.
The Kenyan leader was accused of providing the group with both political and logistical support.
The incident angered the Government of Sudan, which proceeded to recall its ambassador to Nairobi, accusing Kenya of interfering in its internal affairs. Khartoum also banned Kenyan tea imports, occasioning the East African state huge foreign earnings losses.
However, the Ruto administration defended itself, insisting the RSF’s visit was intended to facilitate dialogue and peace, but not to endorse the paramilitary group.
