The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a bloc consisting of eight states in and around the Horn of Africa, has called for a regional summit to discuss the deployment of troops in Sudan to safeguard civilians amidst ongoing violence between the army and a paramilitary faction.
The conflict, which began on 15 April in Khartoum, has escalated and displaced over 2.9 million people across the country.
IGAD convened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to initiate a peace process for Sudan.
However, the talks faced obstacles as a Sudanese army delegation boycotted the first day of meetings, rejecting the proposed head of the committee facilitating the discussions.
In a statement, IGAD announced its request for a summit of the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF), comprised of 10 member countries, to consider deploying troops for civilian protection and ensuring humanitarian access.
Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Uganda are all members of both IGAD and EASF.
Diplomatic efforts to halt the fighting have been ineffective, and competing initiatives have caused confusion.
The Sudanese foreign affairs ministry stated that the delegation did not attend due to IGAD’s refusal to replace Kenya’s President William Ruto as the head of the committee leading the talks.
Ruto, however, called for an unconditional ceasefire and the establishment of a humanitarian zone in Khartoum to facilitate aid delivery.
