KHARTOUM, JULY 8, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – The Sudanese government has announced that it will not attend an upcoming summit of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
The regional bloc is organizing a four-way summit in Addis Ababa next week. The meeting will discuss the ongoing conflict in Sudan and will be attended by the quartet members of the mediation South Sudan, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Kenya.
In a statement, the Sudanese foreign ministry said it is refusing to attend the summit because of Kenya’s “unbalanced” mediation role in the conflict. Sudan has previously accused Kenya of favoring the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
A spokesman for the foreign ministry emphasized that Sudan is not interested in any proposal from IGAD under Kenya’s chairmanship of the committee to address the crisis.
He said that Sudan believes that Kenya is not impartial and that it is not committed to a negotiated settlement.
“It is natural for Burhan to decline the invitation to the summit. Sudan is not interested in any proposal from IGAD under Kenya’s chairmanship of the committee to address the crisis,” said the foreign ministry spokesman.
The Kenyan government has denied the accusations and has said that it is committed to a fair and impartial mediation process. The Kenyan government has also said that it is disappointed by Sudan’s claims that it supports the RSF and urged the war-torn country to reconsider its decision.