IGAD envoy confirms talks with Sudan rivals and Quad on truce
November 26, 2025 (ADDIS ABABA) – The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is holding intensive and continuous talks with Sudan’s warring parties and a key Quad of regional and international powers to secure a truce and ceasefire, the bloc’s special envoy, Lawrence Korbandy, said on Tuesday.
Korbandy stressed that negotiations are the best way to end the “catastrophic situation” caused by the war between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
In an interview with Sudan Tribune in Addis Ababa, Korbandy categorically denied reports that regional parties were excluding IGAD from the Sudan file, calling the claims “incorrect.”
”We continue to cooperate with all regional and international parties,” he said.
Political process
Korbandy revealed that arrangements were underway to resume the Sudanese political dialogue, noting that meetings with political forces and Sudanese actors were continuing. He added that IGAD would hold meetings with political blocs, civil society organisations, youth, and women who have not yet been consulted.
The envoy stressed the need to involve these groups to ensure “inclusivity” in any future political process, emphasising that the process must be “Sudanese-owned.”
Ceasefire efforts
Regarding the efforts to secure a ceasefire, Korbandy confirmed that IGAD’s contacts with the commanders of the Army and the RSF “have never been cut off” and that the organisation is working to bridge the viewpoints between the two sides.
He welcomed the RSF’s acceptance of the truce call and the Army’s rejection, urging all parties to choose to stop the war and spare the Sudanese people further disasters.
Concerning the Sudanese Army’s objections to the truce paper—which army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan reportedly said “eliminates the existence of the Army”—Korbandy acknowledged that the negotiation process is complex. He stressed the need to “address the concerns of all parties without exception” but noted that IGAD officials “had not been briefed on this paper.”
The envoy also emphasised that the conflict severely affects IGAD member states economically and securely due to refugee flows and regional political instability. He confirmed that IGAD’s contacts are ongoing with the Quad countries (the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt), neighbouring states, and regional and international actors, stressing that coordination is essential to solving the crisis.
African Union coordination
Despite criticisms of the African Union Commission’s role, Korbandy affirmed the importance of the African Union (AU) for legal and diplomatic reasons. He stressed a “good relationship” and joint coordination with the Commission, where IGAD participates as an alternate chair of the sessions on the Sudanese issue.