ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – An eastern African bloc has called for a regional summit to discuss the deployment of troops to Sudan, in order to protect civilians amidst ongoing violence between the army and a paramilitary faction. The conflict, which started on April 15 in the capital city of Khartoum, has now spread across the country, resulting in over 2.9 million people being displaced from their homes.
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), made up of eight states in and around the Horn of Africa, held a meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to commence a peace process for Sudan. However, the talks faced a setback when Sudan’s army delegation failed to attend on the first day, as they rejected the appointment of Kenya’s President as the head of the committee leading the discussions.
In response, IGAD has issued a statement expressing their intention to request a summit with the Eastern Africa Standby Force, another regional body comprising ten member states, to consider deploying troops to protect civilians and ensure humanitarian access in Sudan. Among the countries involved are Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Uganda.
Efforts to halt the fighting between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) through diplomatic means have proven ineffective so far. Competing initiatives have caused confusion regarding the approach to bringing the warring parties to the negotiation table.
IGAD expressed regret over the Sudan army’s delegation’s absence, as they had previously confirmed their attendance. The Sudanese foreign affairs ministry, which is under the army’s control, stated that the delegation did not attend because IGAD failed to honor their request to replace Kenya’s President with someone they deemed impartial. Last month, the ministry accused Kenya of harboring the RSF.
There has been no immediate response from President William Ruto’s office or the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the matter. The Kenyan government previously stated that the president was a neutral arbiter and was duly appointed by the IGAD summit.
After the meeting, President Ruto called for an unconditional ceasefire and the establishment of a humanitarian zone in a 30-kilometer radius in Khartoum. This humanitarian zone would aid in the delivery of much-needed assistance to the affected population.
Talks hosted in Jeddah by the United States and Saudi Arabia were suspended last month. In response, Egypt has announced plans to host a separate summit of Sudan’s neighboring countries on July 13 to find ways to end the conflict.
Unlike the discussions in Jeddah, the meeting in Addis Ababa included members of a civilian coalition that previously shared power with the military in Sudan before the 2021 coup.
IGAD, alongside the African Union, has committed to initiating a “civilian engagement process” immediately to facilitate the achievement of peace in Sudan.
(Reporting by Dawit Endeshaw and Hereward Holland; Writing by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Peter Graff)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
![[English - 100% Original] - The Spanish, Middle Eastern & African Cookbook : Over by Pepita Aris (UK edition, hardcover)](https://www.suara.my/wp-content/uploads/english-100-original-the-spanish-middle-eastern-african-cookbook-.jpg)
