The Government of Sudan has officially imposed an import ban on all products from Kenya in response to Kenya hosting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), currently engaged in a two-year civil war against the Sudan army.
In a decree issued by Sudan’s Acting Minister of Trade and Supplies, Omar Ahmed Mohamed Ali, it was stated that the importation of all products from Kenya through all ports, crossings, airports, and entry points is suspended effective immediately and until further notice.
Last month, the Rapid Support Forces and its associated political and armed groups signed a political charter in Nairobi to establish a parallel government in Sudan. The decision to halt imports came after a Cabinet resolution regarding Kenya’s engagement with the RSF.
Kenya a key partner to Sudan in the agriculture and manufacturing sectors, Sudan said that Kenya has breached the principles of good neighborliness.
Sudan’s military government asserted that the ban was implemented to uphold the country’s sovereignty and national security.
Kenya’s main exports to Sudan include tea, coffee, tobacco, soaps, electrical equipment, and pharmaceuticals. Tea being a major foreign exchange earner, the suspension of its exports is expected to disrupt trade flows and significantly impact the economy.
The East African Tea Trade Association (EATTA) has voiced concerns about contracts and tea shipments stuck in transit. The association noted that shipments are held at Port Sudan, with several containers stranded at sea, and large stocks in Mombasa cannot be shipped. EATTA warned that the disruptions will lead to substantial losses for buyers, impacting producers and farmers as well.
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