A statement from IGAD following a meeting of the quartet’s heads of state in Nairobi said that arrangements are underway to unify all initiatives for peace in Sudan within a comprehensive framework addressing the conflict, and it called on international stakeholders to support a single, comprehensive platform led by IGAD.
On Tuesday, Kenyan President William Ruto told CNN that he had a phone conversation two days ago with the Sudanese army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. It became clear that he retracted his accusation of Kenya’s bias in the conflict and is willing to engage with IGAD along with others, including Egypt, neighbouring countries, Saudi Arabia, and the United States, to coordinate all these initiatives towards a solution.
Khartoum had rejected Kenya’s leadership of the IGAD Quartet mechanism aimed at resolving the Sudanese crisis, accusing it of lacking neutrality due to trade relations and personal interests connecting the Kenyan President to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leaders.
“The IGAD meeting in Nairobi, attended by leaders from South Sudan, Kenya, and Djibouti, as well as officials from the African Union and the IGAD organization, called for a coordinated approach towards peace talks between the warring parties and comprehensive consultations with relevant civil stakeholders.
The meeting urged the fighting parties to take immediate action to cease all hostile activities and reiterated that there is no military solution to the conflict in Sudan.
The IGAD statement warned that the conflict in Sudan has become increasingly complex, with the risk of regional escalation due to the involvement of other armed groups alongside the rapid proliferation of weapons, posing security, humanitarian, and political risks to Sudan and the whole region.
The attendees condemned the continued deterioration of the humanitarian situation, including population displacement and food scarcity. They added, “In this regard, we commit to collecting one million dollars from each IGAD member state for humanitarian assistance and in support of the peace process, in solidarity with Sudan.”