IGAD leader reaffirms to civilian forces commitment to peace in Sudan

January 3, 2024 (DJIBOUTI) – Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, the President of Djibouti and Chairman of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), assured Abdulla Hamdok, the head of the Sudanese Civil Forces Coordination “Taqqadum”, of IGAD’s ongoing commitment to working towards peace in Sudan.

Hamdok, accompanied by a delegation from the coalition of the civilians forces, travelled to Djibouti on Wednesday to brief President Guelleh on the Taqqadum’s stance on the ongoing conflict and the need for their participation in regional efforts aimed at resolving the crisis and restoring civilian rule.

The former Prime Minister also updated IGAD’s President on the Sudanese Civil Forces Coordination’s efforts to achieve peace in the country, following the signing of the Addis Ababa Declaration which outlines a plan to halt the ongoing fighting.

For his part, the Djiboutian President commended the role of the Sudanese civil forces in the peace process, emphasizing the importance of civilian involvement in any political framework aimed at ending the conflict.

Currently, IGAD is working to facilitate a direct meeting between Sudanese Army Commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo Hemetti, after postponing a previously scheduled meeting that was planned for late last December.

IGAD’s initiative calls for the inclusion of civilian forces in the dialogue that it aims to hold between the two military entities. However, the Deputy Chairman of the Sovereign Council has refused to acknowledge Taqqadum as an independent entity from the RSF, characterizing it as the political wing of the paramilitary forces.

In addition, the Sudanese army asserts that the IGAD initiative must be an extension of the Jeddah process, which seeks to bring an end to the fighting between the warring parties and prioritizes the swift withdrawal of forces from cities and civilian facilities.

(ST)