A summit of Sudan's neighbours has kicked off in the Egyptian capital Cairo to help settle the ongoing deadly conflict in Sudan.
The meeting, hosted by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, was attended by the leaders of Ethiopia, South Sudan, Chad, Eritrea, the Central African Republic and Libya.
At the opening session on Thursday, President al-Sisi said the summit is being held at a "historic moment," urging a stop of all military operations in Sudan.
El-Sissi said in his opening address that his vision for the crisis' end includes a lasting cease-fire agreement, the establishment of safe humanitarian corridors and a dialogue framework that would include all of Sudan’s wide-reaching political forces.
Devastating conflict
The Egyptian leader called on both parties to commit to cease-fire negotiations organised by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, or IGAD, an eight-member East African bloc, headed by Kenyan President William Ruto.
Sudan has been ravaged by clashes between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April, in a conflict that has killed some 3,000 civilians and injured thousands, according to local medics.
The fighting has also forced more than 2.4 million people to flee their homes for safer areas inside the country, according to the International Organization for Migration. Around 738,000 others have crossed into neighbouring countries, the agency said.
Several cease-fire agreements brokered by Saudi and US mediators between the warring rivals has failed to end the violence in the country.
