Monday April 17, 2023
Mogadishu (HOL) - The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a bloc of East African nations, has agreed to send a delegation to Sudan to start talks to end the continued conflicts and restore peace and stability in Sudan.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud engaged in urgent virtual discussions with IGAD member state leaders to address the conflict in Sudan between the army and paramilitary forces.
President Mohamud released a statement on Saturday expressing deep concern about the political violence in Sudan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Somalia has advised Somali citizens in Sudan to be careful and keep in touch with the ministry and the embassy.
Moussa Faki Mahamat, President of the African Union Commission, has urged the sides in Sudan to immediately stop harming the country and work towards ending hostilities.
The Sudanese conflict stems from tensions over a proposed transition to civilian governance following the 2019 coup that removed former President Omar Hassan al-Bashir from power. Another coup in 2021 led to the ousting of the nation's civilian prime minister.
Sudan's leading paramilitary group, the RSF, has accused the army of executing a scheme by al-Bashir loyalists and attempting a coup themselves.