Sudan’s two warring parties have expressed objection to an initiative proposed by the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) for a political settlement to the ongoing conflict.
At the 14th ordinary session of the IGAD Heads of State and Government, which was held in the Red Sea nation of Djibouti on Monday, an initiative, including a roadmap for the resolution of the Sudan conflict, was adopted.
The roadmap included the establishment of a quartet committee, to be chaired by Kenya, to follow up on the Sudanese file, arrange face-to-face meetings between Sudan’s two rival factions, and initiate an inclusive process towards a political settlement of the Sudan conflict within three weeks.
However, Sudan’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday objected in a statement to Kenya’s chairmanship of the quartet committee, which also includes Ethiopia, Djibouti and South Sudan. The statement demanded keeping South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir Mayardit, as the chairman.
“Sudan’s delegation to the session expressed disagreement and objection to a number of paragraphs in the final communique as those paragraphs were not discussed or agreed on, and thus the delegation asked the IGAD secretariat to omit them,” the ministry said in the statement.
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), for its part, objected to the multi-forums for a political settlement, calling for uniting the initiative with the Saudi-U.S. brokered one.
Youssef Izzat, the political adviser to the RSF commander, said on Tuesday in a statement that the RSF “is committed to the Saudi-U.S. initiative as the forum to discuss ceasefire issues and permanent political solution”.
—Xinhua
