Sudan rejects Kenya's leadership of regional body on Sudan crisis

President William Ruto chairs the virtual Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD) meeting on the crisis in Sudan. [Jonah Mwangi, Standard]

Sudan has rejected Kenya's chairmanship of a regional body recently tasked with resolving the crisis in the country.

Sudan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs claims the Kenyan government and some senior officials have adopted the position of the rebel group battling the country's army.

On Tuesday, Khartoum expressed concern over several points in the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) final communique on Sudan that was issued after regional leaders met in Djibouti on June 12.

Sudan said several points in the communique were not put into discussion and agreed on.

Sudan has "informed the IGAD leadership and its executive secretariat on its position on the need for South Sudan President Salva Kiir to continue the chairmanship of the quartet," read a statement from Sudan's Foreign minister.

Though, the ministry did not cite any specific case regarding Kenya's position on the crisis in Sudan.

On Wednesday, the regional bloc of IGAD expressed alarm over "the continued fighting and the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in Sudan."

The leaders of the regional body adopted a four-point roadmap for the resolution of the conflict in Sudan, including President William Ruto to chair the quartet, composed of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and South Sudan.

There other three points were: The regional body to arrange within ten days a face-to-face meeting between Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, the Chairperson of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of the Republic of Sudan, and Gen. Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo in one of the regional capitals; to secure within two weeks a commitment from the leadership of SAF and RSF to establish a humanitarian corridor and to initiate within three weeks an inclusive political process towards a political settlement of the conflict in Sudan.

The Sudanese foreign ministry said President Ruto's chairmanship of the quartet was not discussed during the meeting.

"In terms of procedure, it is not possible to adopt or approve a subject that was not raised or discussed during the deliberations."