Leaders of the IGAD met in Djibouti on Saturday to discuss the conflict in Sudan.
The summit was attended by Sudanese sovereignty council President Abdul Fattah al-Burhan Abdul Fattah al-Burhan, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Somali President Hasan Sheikh Mahmud, Kenyan President William Ruto, Gebeyehu and African Union Commission President Musa Faki, President of the African Union Commission, as well as representatives of the US, UN and EU.
“The violence threatens the country’s existence and regional stability. Today’s summit is a beacon of hope. Sudan needs peace,” according to Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh, a chairman of the East Africa bloc.
Eight months of fighting in Sudan between the army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the ruling Sovereign Council, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Force. The conflict has killed at least 12,260 people and injured more than 33,000. The humanitarian crisis continues to worsen as some 6.8 million people have fled their homes to seek safety in the Sudan or neighbouring countries.
IGAD Secretary General Workneh Gebeyehu wrote on X: “The Assembly effectively secured a commitment from the Sudanese belligerents to promptly convene & agree upon a cessation of hostilities-a crucial step in addressing the aspirations of the Sudanese people!”
