Sudan: Ruto's claims on tea exports ‘inaccurate,' Kenyan tea still banned
Sudan insists that it has not reversed the ban on tea trade with Kenya imposed about three weeks ago in protest against Nairobi's hobnobbing with the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who are fighting against the ruling junta.
Sudan's embassy in Nairobi on Tuesday termed inaccurate remarks by President William Ruto on Monday night that Kenyan traders were still selling tea to Sudan.
Speaking at a joint interview with local radio and television stations at Sagana State Lodge in central Kenya, the president said: "We are still selling tea to Sudan, even after they said they are not buying our tea. The market itself has forced them. So, there is no issue about the selling of tea, and that is why we are making money in the tea sector."But, in a statement on Tuesday, Sudan clarified that the March 11, 2025 ban had not been reviewed."Sudan's Ministry of Trade and Supply issued a decree suspending all imports from Kenya, in line with Sudan's national interests. This decision has been fully implemented and, since then, no Kenyan products, including Kenyan tea, have been imported into Sudan. Sudan remains firmly committed to upholding this trade policy as part of its sovereign economic and diplomatic considerations," the embassy said.
It added that any claims suggesting otherwise are unfounded and inaccurate.
At the same time, Khartoum reaffirmed its 'commitment to regional cooperation and constructive dialogue, guided by the principles of mutual respect and non-interference.'Some 207 containers of tea for export to Sudan are stuck along the supply chain, potentially leading to losses of than $10 million, tea traders told The EastAfrican.
East African Tea Trade Association (Eatta) managing director George Omuga has appealed to Nairobi to engage Sudan to give at least a one-month window to clear the teas already dispatched to that country to mitigate the impending losses to traders and farmers.
There are 400 bags of tea destined for Sudan at the port of Mombasa with other consignments in warehouses, in the high seas and at Port Sudan awaiting clearance.
Early in March, Eatta voiced concerns about a potential blowback from Sudan, a key market for the country's tea, after the RSF held a symbolic political meeting in Nairobi ostensibly to form a parallel government.
Read: Black market brew: Sudan conflict reshapes Kenya tea exportsThe Sudanese government described Kenya's hosting of RSF, whose forces have been fighting the Sudanese army since March 2023, as an act of hostility against the Sudanese people, and announced a ban on Kenyan exports to its territory.
Sudan is among the top 10 markets for Kenyan tea, and the standoff means a decline in exports, impacting trade.
Other Kenyan products exported to Sudan are food and pharmaceuticals.
Before the current stalemate, Sudan bought about $37 million worth of Kenyan tea. © Copyright 2022 Nation Media Group. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
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