IGAD leaders to appoint special envoy to mediate Sudanese conflict

December 10, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – The extraordinary summit of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) leaders has approved the appointment of a special envoy to facilitate the mediation of the ongoing conflict in Sudan.

This decision, announced in a statement released on Sunday, follows the request of the Sovereign Council head Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to disband the quartet mediation team headed by Kenyan President William Ruto.

The IGAD leaders tasked the organization’s executive secretary with swiftly proposing a candidate for the special envoy position to the IGAD Council of Ministers. The chosen envoy will report to the executive secretary and assume leadership of IGAD’s mediation efforts under the IGAD Roadmap for the Peace Process in Sudan.

According to sources, al-Burhan during the meeting had expressed his dissatisfaction with the quartet mediation group, citing President Ruto’s perceived lack of neutrality.

Ruto reportedly underscored he was not interested in the chairmanship of the quartet group but ultimately agreed to take on the role when President Salva Kiir stepped down, citing his personal connections to both warring parties as an impediment to his effectiveness as mediator.

(ST)