Kenyan President William Ruto has vowed that East Africa leaders will not accept military rule in the region, calling on Sudan to end its ongoing internal conflict.
Speaking in Nairobi, Ruto noted that the East African Community regional bloc, which failed to end conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has a chance to convince Sudan’s military to lay down their arms.
He also said the fighting has no justification as the dispute could be resolved through dialogue. The conflict has claimed 400 lives and displaced 800,000 people since it erupted on April 15.
Last week, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development agreed to send South Sudan’s president, Salva Kiir, Kenya’s Ruto and Ismail Omar of Djibouti to help broker a ceasefire in Sudan.
Sudan’s former colony brokered the latest cease-fire, and Macharia Munene, an analyst on international relations in Kenya, said it was in Kiir’s interest that Khartoum end the conflict because of his dependence on the port for trade.
“We are determined to stop our continent from sliding into military rule. The continent is ready, and we are prepared to build our democratic institutions and get the people of this continent to choose the government they want,” Kenyan President, William Ruto said.
