Kenyan police have arrested and detained Yassir Arman, a Sudanese politician and leader of Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – Revolutionary Democratic Current (SPLM-RDC), upon arrival in Nairobi, on Wednesday, according to Sudanese and Kenyan media reports.
The reports confirmed that Kenyan police approached Arman at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and informed him of an Interpol arrest warrant issued against him.
Sudan Tribune reported that he was subsequently detained in a Nairobi hotel pending investigations to determine whether the charges against him are criminal or political.
It was indicated that the arrest follows a letter from Sudan’s Public Prosecution requesting Arman’s extradition to Port Sudan to face charges of violating Sudanese law and international humanitarian law.
Mr. Arman had reportedly arrived in Kenya to meet Western diplomats about developments in Sudan, part of a regional effort by Sudanese civilian groups.
Mr. Arman is the former Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) deputy secretary-general for the Northern Sector. He formed a new faction of the group (SPLM-RDC) in November 2022 just months after breaking away from the SPLM-North.
Arman was arrested and detained for several months following the October 2021 military coup in Sudan which ousted the civilian government of Abdallah Hamdok. After his release, he decided to stay away from the SPLM faction led by Malik Agar.