By Brian Okoth
Kenyan President William Ruto has said his government is ready to meet the rival Sudanese generals in efforts to end the conflict in Sudan, which is in its eighth week.
The dispute pits General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of Sudan’s ruling council and commander of its army, against General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who is Burhan’s deputy on the council and leader of the paramilitary forces.
Speaking in Djibouti City on Monday during the IGAD Heads of State and Government summit, Ruto said the meeting involving the generals can be held “face-to-face”.
While announcing the addition of the governments of Ethiopia and Somalia to the IGAD team mediating the war in Sudan, Ruto said: “As the chairperson of the IGAD quartet on resolving the instability in Sudan, Kenya commits to meet the two Sudan Generals face-to-face to find a lasting solution to the crisis.”
The Sudan conflict mediating nations from IGAD are now South Sudan, Kenya, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Somalia.
Ruto said the meeting would be held in one of the capital cities of IGAD nations, and within two weeks they expect to "secure a commitment" from the two generals.
He further said that Kenya and IGAD hopes that within three weeks of holding the meeting, the rival parties would “initiate an inclusive political process towards a political settlement of the conflict in the Republic of Sudan”.
New IGAD chairperson
During the Monday convention, Djiboutian President Ismail Guelleh was picked as the new chairperson of IGAD Heads of State, taking over from General Al-Burhan, the transitional president of Sudan.
Besides Presidents Guelleh and Ruto, the IGAD summit was also attended by Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ali and Presidents Salva Kiir of South Sudan and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia.
The conflict-marred Sudan was represented by Malik Akar, the deputy chairperson of the country’s Transitional Sovereignty Council.
Others who attended the meeting in Djibouti are Workneh Gebeyehu, the Executive-Secretary of IGAD and Moussa Faki, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission.
Upon conclusion of the 14th Ordinary Session of the IGAD Heads of State and Government, the leaders planted seedlings in Djibouti City “as part of the Green Legacy Initiative”, Ethiopian premier Abiy said.
Conflict rages on
Fighting continues in Sudan after a temporary ceasefire was observed between Saturday and Sunday.
The warring parties first clashed on April 15 over control as Sudan warmed up for a return to civilian democracy.
At least 600 people have died in the ongoing war, with more than 700,000 displaced so far, data by the United Nations indicates.
The number of casualties could be higher as many fatalities are going unrecorded, especially in remote parts of Sudan.
