![Kenyan President William Ruto speaks at meeting of IGAD quartet countries on Monday, July 10, 2023. [Photo via Ethiopian PM’s office]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/F0qazMwWwAUkUaz.jpeg?resize=1027%2C608&ssl=1)
The IGAD Quartet Group of Countries, Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Djibouti today met in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to discuss the ongoing conflict in Sudan where millions of people have been displaced and thousands have been killed.
In a communique following the meeting, which was chaired by Kenyan President William Ruto, the IGAD said that it has resolved to call for a meeting of the EASF in order to discuss and consider deployment to Sudan to protect civilians.
“[The meeting] resolves to request the East Africa Standby Force (EASF) summit to convene in order to consider the possible deployment of the EASF for the protection of civilians and guarantee humanitarian access,” said the communique seen by Sudans Post.
The regional bloc stressed that “there is no military solution to the conflict in the Republic of Sudan and in this regard, decides to mobilize and concentrate the efforts of all stakeholders towards delivering a face-to-face meeting between the leaders of the warring parties”
It went on to “strongly urges the parties to immediately stop the violence and sign an unconditional and indefinite ceasefire through a cessation of hostilities agreement that shall be supported by an effective enforcement and monitoring mechanism.”
The communique the meeting also decided “to take concrete steps to facilitate immediate humanitarian assistance to all Sudanese affected by the conflict with a focus on vulnerable population in particular, Women Children and Persons living with disability.”
A delegation of the Sudanese army yesterday travelled to Addis Ababa from Saudi Arabia for the purpose of participating in the IGAD meeting, but then decide to boycott it after Kenya refused to step down from leadership of the quartet countries.
President of the Transitional Sovereign Council and head of the Sudanese army Gen. Abdelfattah el Burhan has previously rejected Kenyan leadership of the group of mediators, claiming that the East African country supports the rebellious Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
