By The 42nd extraordinary assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) was held at the State House in Entebbe, Uganda, under the patronage of President Museveni of Uganda.
The leaders of the assembly denounced the conflict in Sudan and emphasized that the country belongs to its people. They also called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire to put an end to the war.
In a move toward more concrete action, the leaders further instructed the IGAD Secretariat, in coordination with the AU, to revise the roadmap for the resolution of the conflict in the Republic of Sudan, ensuring a clear timeline.
The members also reaffirmed their call for dialogue and negotiation and extended IGAD’s readiness to facilitate an inclusive peace process, working closely with all Sudanese stakeholders, the African Union (AU), and international actors.
Speaking to the media, President Museveni stated that the leaders had decided during their talks that the opposing sides needed to put an end to what he called the “unprincipled war.”
“We described the Sudan war as unjust. Freedom fighters pay attention to these wars. When we were fighting for freedom, we were fighting for justice, and we could not get it by any other means,” Museveni said.
“I was sharing with Your Excellencies that, if you take for instance the history of the African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa, it was founded in 1912, but I don’t think they adopted the armed struggle strategy until 1961; so, for 50 years, they were using peaceful methods, including petitions and demonstrations. It was only when the oppressor completely closed the possibilities of peaceful ways of doing things that the ANC declared war, but you have got wars; every small thing is war. This is ideological shallowness in our view,” he added.
On the other hand, the leaders issued a resounding call for peace and dialogue, urging the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Federal Republic of Somalia to de-escalate tensions and embrace constructive dialogue.
The heads of state also reaffirmed their commitment to the cardinal principles of respecting the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia. IGAD, which is headquartered in Djibouti city, Djibouti, is an eight-country trade bloc in Africa that includes governments from the Horn of Africa, the Nile Valley, and the African Great Lakes.
Other heads of state in attendance included Dr. William Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya; Dr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia; and Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan. The meeting was chaired by Ismail Omar Guelleh, the President of Djibouti and Chairperson of the IGAD Heads of State and Government, in Entebbe.
