The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a bloc of East African nations, has called for an emergency meeting to discuss the ongoing conflict in Sudan between the army and paramilitary forces.
IGAD spokesperson Nuur Mohamud Sheekh confirmed that the leaders of the member states will meet on Sunday to discuss the developments in Sudan as clashes between the military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continue for a second day.
Neighboring countries, including Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia, have been urged to intervene and put an end to the violence that erupted on Saturday.
Moussa Faki Mahamat, president of the African Union Commission, has called on both sides in Sudan to immediately stop harming the country, and has urged the international community to work towards finding a solution to the hostilities.
The armed clashes began on Saturday morning in Sudan’s capital Khartoum and its surrounding cities, sparked by a dispute over military security reform, which calls for the RSF to fully join the army.
The situation in Sudan remains tense, and the emergency meeting of East African leaders under the auspices of IGAD is seen as a crucial effort to address the conflict and seek a resolution to the ongoing crisis