Sudanese warring generals need to have a face-to-face meeting to get the ongoing crisis resolved there after multiple ceasefires have failed to hold, Kenya’s President William Ruto said on Monday adding that he is trying to arrange for such a meeting, reported The Eyewitness News.
He said Kenya “commits to meet the two parties face-to-face to find a lasting solution”.
Fighting between the Sudanese army, led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by former deputy military chief Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, began on April 15.
Mr. Ruto said the quartet leaders from Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan would meet in the next three weeks to launch the process of an inclusive national dialogue in Sudan.
According to a statement by the Kenyan president’s office released after a summit of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in Djibouti, a humanitarian corridor would also be established in the next two weeks to facilitate the distribution of aid.
Saudi Arabia and the United States have been trying to mediate between the two Sudanese parties since the conflict began. Multiple ceasefire agreements have been agreed and broken so far.
The African Union and East African regional bloc IGAD have also repeatedly called for discussions mediated by South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir.
At a summit held in Djibouti on Monday, the IGAD announced that it would expand the number of countries involved in resolving the Sudanese crisis.
The fighting has killed hundreds of people, wounded many others, and forced millions to flee. According to the United Nations, the conflict has been very active in Khartoum and the western region of Darfur, displacing nearly two million people, including 476,000 who have crossed borders to seek refuge in neighboring countries. It is estimated that a record 25 million people, who account for more than half of Sudan’s population – are in need of aid and protection.
