A video released on Monday featured a Sudanese General Yassir al-Atta using strong language to reject a peace proposal led by Kenya, which suggested deploying East African peacekeepers to put an end to a 100-day-long war in Sudan.

Kenyan authorities have reacted strongly to this rejection.

Since the conflict erupted on April 15, the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces they are battling have received numerous offers of international mediation. However, none of these efforts have succeeded in bringing an end to the fighting or even significantly halting it.

Recently, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and East African regional bloc of which Kenya is a member, put forth an initiative that involved deploying peacekeepers to Khartoum, the capital of Sudan.

Nevertheless, the Sudanese army has consistently refused to consider the Kenya-led proposal, accusing Kenya of supporting the RSF. Moreover, they have made it clear that any foreign peacekeepers would be perceived as hostile forces.

“Leave the East African forces where they are. Bring the Kenyan army…I swear to God, not one of them would make it back,” said Sudanese General Yassir al-Atta in comments to troops.

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He also accused Kenya of being bought off by a third country, which he did not identify.

“This statement is unworthy of our comment,” Kenya’s foreign affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei said. “The accusations are unfounded and Kenya is neutral.”

“By insiting that durable peace will only be realized through the inclusion of civilian actors in any mediation process and calling on accountability for atrocities, some in Sudan may find these principles difficult to accept,” he added.

The conflict in Khartoum State persisted on Monday with reports of ongoing violence. According to a neighbourhood committee in Ombada, at least 15 people lost their lives in strikes that occurred in Omdurman.

Additionally, in the southern part of Khartoum, specifically in the Kalakla area, the local committee stated that forces from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had surrounded the region, resulting in a siege-like situation.