Sudan asks regional bloc IGAD to back domestic dialogue
September 15, 2026 (DJIBOUTI) – Sudan has called on East African regional bloc IGAD to support an internal political dialogue free from outside interference, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday, as the army reported battlefield advances against rival paramilitary forces.
Sudan’s military has been locked in a war with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April 2023, creating the world’s largest displacement crisis and devastating basic infrastructure.
Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Muawiya Osman Khalid made the appeal during an Intergovernmental Authority on Development ministerial meeting in Djibouti, according to a ministry statement.
Khalid said the Sudanese-led initiative aimed to address the country’s crises without foreign dictates, highlighting efforts by an independent preparatory committee to engage political and civil society factions.
The military-led government has backed the committee’s work, pledging not to arrest participants and dismissing legal charges previously filed against several political figures.
The move comes as a five-party diplomatic group, comprising IGAD, the African Union, the United Nations, the European Union, and the Arab League, conducts consultations to bridge divisions among Sudanese stakeholders and revive a transition process.
Envoys from the mechanism visited Khartoum last week to align foreign mediation efforts with local initiatives, stressing that any political track must move in tandem with concrete steps to end the war.
Khalid told the Djibouti meeting that security had improved significantly following recent territorial advances by the Sudanese Armed Forces.
He accused the RSF of widespread destruction and targeting civilians, citing international characterizations of the abuses as genocide.
The RSF has consistently denied targeting civilians, accusing the army of carrying out indiscriminate air strikes against residential areas.
Khalid said the government remained committed to keeping border corridors open for humanitarian relief shipments, but accused the RSF of exploiting aid passages for non-humanitarian operations.
On the sidelines of the summit, Khalid delivered a written message from army chief and Sovereign Council head Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh regarding bilateral relations and developments in the conflict.