Kenya complaint seeks prosecution for Sudan war crimes

A criminal complaint has been filed in Nairobi seeking the prosecution of members of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, reports Capital FM. The complaint, submitted to the DPP, marks the first known attempt in the country’s history to invoke universal jurisdiction in pursuit of accountability for atrocities allegedly committed outside Kenya’s borders. Filed on behalf of 12 Sudanese victims by Legal Action Worldwide and the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies, the petition calls for investigations into 10 alleged RSF members accused of crimes committed during the ongoing Sudan conflict between April 2023 and March 2025. The allegations include detention, torture, sexual violence, forced labour, and killings reported in and around Khartoum, including facilities such as Soba Prison and the Al-Riyadh complex. One survivor described being violently interrogated, held in darkness for weeks, and forced at gunpoint to commit sexual violence against a fellow detainee. The move places Kenya at the centre of a growing global effort to use domestic courts to prosecute atrocity crimes where international mechanisms are limited or geographically constrained. The complainants further argue that some of the accused have alleged links to Kenya, raising concerns about possible cross-border movement of individuals implicated in Sudan’s conflict. The filing comes amid growing criticism from rights groups over the limited reach of existing international accountability systems. The International Criminal Court mandate in Sudan remains largely confined to Darfur, while other UN mechanisms lack prosecutorial authority.