Kenya’s Tea Exports Hit as Sudan Halts Imports Over Nairobi’s RSF Hosting

Kenya’s tea exports to Sudan face a major setback after Khartoum followed through on its threat to suspend imports from Nairobi over its hosting of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which formed a parallel government in the Kenyan capital last month.

Sudan is a key market for Kenyan tea, one of the country’s top export commodities to Khartoum.

In 2024, Sudan imported tea worth Ksh2.3 billion ($17.8 million), ranking 12th among the largest buyers of the Kenyan beverage.

Overall, Kenya exported goods worth $48.2 million to Sudan in 2023, with tea accounting for $29.6 million, according to trade data.

Sudan’s acting Minister of Trade and Supplies, Omar Ahmed Mohamed Ali, announced the import suspension on Thursday, citing Nairobi’s role in hosting the RSF.

The ban applies to all Kenyan products entering Sudan through ports, land crossings, and airports, according to a letter quoted by Xinhua.

The decision was based on Cabinet resolutions and recommendations from a special committee formed to address Kenya’s engagement with the RSF and its allies.

The move follows the RSF and allied political and armed groups signing a “political charter” in Nairobi on Feb 22, declaring their intent to form a parallel government.

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), which has been locked in a brutal conflict with the RSF since April 2023, condemned Kenya’s role, calling it a “hostile act” and interference in Sudan’s internal affairs.

Kenya defended its stance, saying it remains committed to peace efforts and providing a neutral platform for warring factions.

However, the fallout now threatens trade relations, with the tea sector among the hardest hit.

Sudan has been engulfed in conflict between the SAF and RSF since April 2023, a war that has killed at least 29,683 people by the end of 2024, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project.

gandae@businessdayafrica.org