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Sudan's RSF Chief Arrives in Kenya on Latest Leg of Regional Tour

Commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) General Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Daglo. (Reuters)
Commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) General Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Daglo. (Reuters)
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Sudan's RSF Chief Arrives in Kenya on Latest Leg of Regional Tour

Commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) General Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Daglo. (Reuters)
Commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) General Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Daglo. (Reuters)

The leader of Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) held talks in Kenya on Wednesday amid regional diplomatic efforts to try to forge a ceasefire in the war at home.

Kenya is the latest leg of Mohamed Hamdan Daglo's first trip abroad since the fierce fighting erupted between the RSF and the Sudanese army in mid-April.

President William Ruto posted pictures on X of him meeting with Daglo, saying Kenya appreciated the commitment of the RSF and Daglo "in ending the conflict in Sudan through dialogue".

"The ongoing Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) talks should bring about a political settlement that would affect a lasting peace in the country," he added, AFP reported.

IGAD, an eight-nation East African bloc headquartered in Djibouti, is leading diplomatic efforts to broker a meeting between Daglo and his rival, Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

The warring generals have not met face-to-face since the outbreak of the conflict that has killed more than 12,000 people by some conservative estimates, and forced millions to flee.

Daglo said his discussions with Ruto focused on latest developments in Sudan, "examining the root causes of the war and exploring solutions to alleviate the crisis and the suffering of our people".

"I presented our strategy to cease hostilities and start negotiations for a comprehensive resolution," he said on X, without elaborating.

A scheduled press conference by Daglo in Nairobi did not take place.

The RSF leader has previously visited Djibouti, Ethiopia and Uganda on his regional tour and said he was committed to ending the conflict.

"Next week, as chair of IGAD, Djibouti will also prepare the ground for Sudanese dialogue and will host a critical meeting," Djibouti Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said on X on Saturday when Daglo visited.

Last Wednesday, Djibouti's foreign ministry said a meeting between the rivals planned for December 28 had been "postponed to early January for technical reasons".

The UN Security Council in November voiced alarm at the growing violence in Sudan and the spread of fighting to areas previously considered a haven for those displaced by the conflict.

By the end of November, at least 12,190 people had been killed, according to a conservative estimate from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project.

The United Nations says more than seven million people have been internally displaced by the war, while another 1.5 million have fled into neighbouring countries.

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Ankara: Assad Does Not Want Peace in Syria

Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
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Ankara: Assad Does Not Want Peace in Syria

Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has stated that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is unwilling to pursue peace in Syria and warned that Israel’s efforts to spread war across the Middle East are undermining the environment fostered by the Astana Process.

Fidan emphasized the importance of Russian and Iranian efforts within the framework of the Astana Process to maintain calm on the ground, pointing to ongoing consultations with the US regarding the Syrian crisis.

Speaking during a parliamentary session discussing the 2025 budget of the Foreign Ministry, Fidan reiterated Türkiye’s expectation that the dialogue proposed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be approached strategically by the Syrian government, with priority given to the interests of the Syrian people.

Regarding Erdogan’s invitation to Assad for a meeting to discuss the normalization of ties between Ankara and Damascus, Fidan remarked that the matter depends on political will, stressing that the Turkish president has demonstrated his readiness at the highest level.

Last week, Erdogan reiterated the possibility of a meeting with Assad, but Russia, which mediates the normalization talks between Ankara and Damascus, ruled out such a meeting or high-level engagements in the near future.

Russian Presidential Envoy to Syria Alexander Lavrentiev attributed the impasse to Türkiye’s refusal to meet Damascus’ demand for a withdrawal from northern Syria, accusing Ankara of acting as an “occupying state”.

Although Türkiye has not officially responded to Lavrentiev’s comments, which reflect a shift in Russia’s stance, Fidan stated in a televised interview last week that Russia remains “somewhat neutral” regarding the normalization process. He also urged the Syrian government to create conditions for the return of 10 million Syrian refugees.

Türkiye maintains that its military presence in northern Syria prevents the country’s division, blocks the establishment of a “terror corridor” along its southern border, and deters new waves of refugees from entering its territory.

Fidan outlined his country’s key objectives in Syria, which include eradicating terrorist groups (such as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and the Syrian Democratic Forces), preserving Syria’s territorial unity, advancing the political process, and ensuring the safe and voluntary return of Syrian refugees.

Meanwhile, Turkish artillery targeted villages and positions controlled by the Manbij Military Council, affiliated with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), whose main component is the People’s Protection Units (YPG).

On Friday, fierce clashes erupted between the Syrian National Army factions and the SDF in western Tel Abyad, northern Raqqa. Simultaneously, Turkish artillery strikes reportedly killed two SDF members and injured others, with reports of captives and missing personnel.

In retaliation, the SDF shelled Turkish bases in the Ain Issa countryside. Turkish forces responded by deploying military reinforcements amid heightened alert at their bases in Raqqa’s countryside, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).