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- UN Secretary-General António Guterres says Sudan is on the brink of a "full-scale civil war".
- As a result, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is considering the possibility of deploying a force to protect civilians in the country.
- Sudan snubbed an IGAD Quartet meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Monday.
As the civil war in Sudan enters its third month, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is considering sending a regional army to protect civilians.
At the weekend, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said Sudan was on the brink of a "full-scale civil war".
His words echoed what was discussed at an IGAD Quartet meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Monday.
The war, a struggle for power between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), broke out in mid-April.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, more than 2.8 million people have been displaced by the war, including more than 2.2 million inside the country and nearly 615 000 who have crossed the border into neighbouring countries.
Despite a difficult operational environment that included unrest, theft and administrative roadblocks, humanitarian agencies have been able to reach 2.8 million people.
With that in mind, the IGAD called on "states neighbouring the Republic of Sudan to step up efforts for the delivery of humanitarian assistance and to take necessary measures to ease and lift any logistical barriers to the delivery of humanitarian aid, including visa and customs requirements".
To avoid further loss of civilian life, sexual violence and other human rights abuses, the IGAD is considering sending a standby force to protect civilians.
"The IGAD further resolves to request the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) summit to convene to consider the possible deployment of the EASF for the protection of civilians and guarantee of humanitarian access," reads a communiqué from the meeting in Ethiopia.
Sudan snubs IGAD
The SAF, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, on Monday snubbed the IGAD Quartet dialogue.
Fattah al-Burhan is the de facto Sudanese president under the military coalition that's fighting for control of the country.
According to the Quartet, which comprises Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Djibouti, the SAF had earlier indicated that it would send an envoy but chose not to and gave no reasons.
"The IGAD notes the regrettable absence of the delegation of the Sudan Armed Forces despite the invitation and confirmation of attendance," reads the missive from the meeting.
Last month, the SAF objected to having Kenya's President William Ruto as the leader of the negotiation platform.
It accused Ruto of being an ally of the rival RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and instead wanted South Sudan to take charge.
IGAD members raised concerns about "the escalation of the conflict, repeated violations of the various ceasefire agreements, and the spread of violence outside of [the capital] Khartoum".
In other parts of Sudan, particularly Darfur and Kordofan, the IGAD said the war had "assumed ethnic and religious dimensions".
This, it said, was going to deepen polarisation in the country.
According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), conflict in Sudan since independence from British rule in 1956 has been between the Arab-speaking Muslim elite from the northern Nile valley and non-Muslims who are economically, socially and politically marginalised.
The IGAD says the war between the SAF and RSF has seen "escalation driven by external interference".
Last month, the IGAD resolved to get Al-Burhan and Dagalo to sit at the same table. That's still on the agenda, with the bloc emphasising that there will be no need for a military solution in Sudan.
The IGAD "strongly [urged] 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 News24 Africa Desk is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The stories produced through the Africa Desk and the opinions and statements that may be contained herein do not reflect those of the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
