Sudan violence: Ruto, Kiir and Guelleh to broker peace deal in Khartoum

When President William Ruto shook hands with South Sudan President Salva Kiir after he was inaugurated as the 5th president of Kenya at Kasarani Stadium. [PCS]

A regional bloc, IGAD has resolved to deploy a high-level presidential delegation to Khartoum, Sudan to reconcile the conflicting groups.

The delegation involves Kenya's President William Ruto his South Sudan counterpart Salva Kiir and Djibouti's Ismail Guelleh.

In a virtual emergency session on Sunday evening, some of the leaders of the Igad member states- Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Somalia, and Djibouti called for an immediate cessation of hostilities between the warring military leaders in Sudan.

The resolution comes after Sudan's military and a powerful paramilitary force battled fiercely in the capital and other areas, dealing a new blow to hopes for a transition to democracy and raising fears of a wider conflict.

On today morning, a doctors' syndicate said the death toll rose to 100, with at least 595 people wounded.

The Heads of State called on the Transitional Sovereign Council Leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo to halt the fighting and return to the negotiation table.

The leaders noted that stability in Sudan is key to the social and economic stability of the region.

They asked the warring parties to provide a safe corridor for humanitarian assistance in Khartoum and other affected towns.

Dozens of people have been killed, including three World Food Programme staffers.

The current deadly fighting has seen the closure of Sudanese International airport in the capital making it difficult to guess when any peace initiative can begin.

In a bold statement, Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni said, "We cannot keep on papering over mistakes of unprincipled politics year after year."

Museveni called for an unconditional and immediate cessation of hostilities to stop the tragedy and mockery of Africa, which he said was of utmost importance.

His sentiments were echoed by President Ruto who implored all the parties to address their differences through peaceful means for the sake of the security of the people of Sudan and stability in the country and the region, especially during this holy month of Ramadhan.

"The outbreak of violence will only reverse the important gains Sudan has made, to the detriment of its lasting peace and prosperity," said Ruto.

According to Ruto, Kenya and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) states were available and ready to contribute to the resolution of the situation.

"I am actively consulting with the regional leadership and other relevant international partners to seek ways to support dialogue and mediation in Sudan," said Ruto.

The European Union's top diplomat Josep Borrell who spoke to President Ruto welcomed the regional bloc efforts aimed at de-escalating the situation.

''Good to see the region taking the lead in efforts to de-escalate," tweeted the EU diplomat.

He further noted that external actors should refrain from interfering.

The African Union has also resolved to send the commission chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, to Khartoum on a mediation mission.

Sudan was suspended from the continental body in 2019 after the country's military overthrew the civilian-led transitional government in a coup.

This suspension will be in place until 'the effective restoration' of the transitional authority steering the country towards elections.

In a statement on Sunday, the pan African Body Peace and Security council strongly condemned the ongoing armed confrontation in Sudan, which has resulted in loss of lives, civilian injuries and destruction of property.