IGAD calls on Sudanese warring parties to sign ceasefire agreement

Addis Ababa, July 11 The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an East African bloc, has called on warring parties in Sudan to sign an agreement on ceasefire.

In a statement issued at the end of a one-day meeting of IGAD heads of state in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, IGAD said on Monday that it strongly urges Sudanese warring parties to agree on an unconditional and indefinite ceasefire.

The statement called on the warring parties to immediately stop the violence and called for an effective enforcement and monitoring mechanism, Xinhua news agency reported.

IGAD also underscored its call for Sudanese leaders to have face-to-face meetings, saying the ongoing military conflict in the country has no military solution.

"IGAD expresses deep concern regarding the impact of the ongoing war in Sudan which has so far killed thousands of people and displaced nearly three million people, including 6,15,000 refugees," said the statement.

It also expressed concern over the escalation of the conflict outside of the country's capital Khartoum.

Brutal fighting erupted in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on April 15 and swiftly escalated in different parts of the country.

The ongoing fighting is pitting the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) against the paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Force (RSF). Both sides have accused each other of initiating the conflict.

Deep differences have emerged between the Sudanese Army and the RSF, particularly regarding the latter's integration into the Army as stipulated in a framework agreement signed between military and civilian leaders on December 5, 2022.

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