President Ruto to Lead IGAD Direct Talks with Sudan Generals

In what is being hailed as the most organized attempt to date to end the bloodshed in Sudan, Kenyan President William Ruto will go to the Horn of Africa with three other leaders in an effort to meet directly with warring Sudanese generals.

The decision was made on Monday following the Ordinary Summit of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a regional organization that established a group of four nations to work towards Sudanese peace.

The quartet is made up of South Sudan, Kenya, and Djibouti, three nations who have previously tried unsuccessfully to hold direct talks with the warring parties in Sudan.

But because Djibouti will now preside over the Igad Summit, the new four nations—South Sudan, Somalia, and Ethiopia—will be led by Kenya.

Lt-Gen Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and his nemesis Mohamed Daglo Hemedti lead rival forces; the Sudan Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces.

Since April 15, their clash has led to more than 1200 deaths, 800,000 displacements and serious property destruction. The sides have signed seven ceasefire deals, all broken within hours of declaration.

The latest ceasefire on Monday was also broken, according to mediators in the Jeddah Talks, facilitated by Saudi Arabia and the US, even though there was less reported fighting this time.

“The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) demonstrated effective command and control over their forces, resulting in reduced fighting throughout Sudan that enabled delivery of vital humanitarian assistance and the achievement of some confidence building measures,’ said a statement from Jeddah talks.

“However, there were violations, and, following the expiration of the short-term ceasefire, facilitators have been deeply disappointed by the immediate resumption of intense violence, which we strongly condemn.”

IGAD'S move could fill a void left a week ago after Jeddah Talks were suspended with mediators accusing parties of lacking seriousness.

President Ruto said part of the direct talks with the Sudanese generals will be on reopening a reliable humanitarian corridor.

"But IGAD will want a permanent cessation of hostilities to allow the country hold discussions on how to reform their governance," Ruto said.

 “We have also agreed that in the next three weeks, we also begin the process of an inclusive national dialogue to get the people of Sudan to discuss, in their diversity, the issues in their country. The generals will also have opportunity to send representatives ."

Kenyan President William Ruto stated at a press conference in Djibouti, where the Summit convened on Monday, "We have taken the decision that the quartet of Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Somalia, will meet face-to-face with General Al-Burhan and General Daglo, in the next ten days, so that we can speak to them directly on behalf of Igad, with a view to stopping the war that is raging."

Kenya pledges to have face-to-face talks with the two generals of Sudan in order to find a long-term solution to the problem, he added.