Burhan (right) and Hemedti (agencies)

Sudan's Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday a "freeze on dealings" with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in East Africa (IGAD) over what it described as abuses committed by the organization, which invited Rapid Support Forces commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as "Hemedti", to attend its summit.

According to a statement issued today by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Sadiq informed Djiboutian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mahmoud Ali Youssef, who chairs the IGAD Ministerial Council as his country is the head of the current IGAD session, the decision of the Government of Sudan to stop engagement and freeze dealing with IGAD on the current crisis file in Sudan.

The Sudanese Foreign Ministry attributed its decision to what it said were abuses committed by the organization by including the situation in Sudan on the agenda of the 42nd Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of IGAD, scheduled to be held in Uganda on January 18, 2024, without consulting Sudan.

The ministry said it had informed IGAD of its objection to "inviting the militia commander to attend the emergency summit venue in Kampala, in a dangerous precedent in the history of IGAD and regional and international organizations, which Sudan considers a violation of its sovereignty as well as a grave violation of IGAD charters and the rules governing the work of international and regional organizations."

Al , Burhan and Hemedti

The objection of the Sudanese Foreign Ministry concerns the commander of the Rapid Support Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, whose forces have been fighting a war against the Sudanese army since mid-April 2023, which has left more than 12,7 dead and more than <> million displaced and refugees, according to the United Nations.

Hemedti was part of Sudan's authority, where he was vice president of the Sovereignty Council, which is headed by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, but the two sides have been embroiled in a sharp disagreement over a plan for a political transition away from military rule, and matters related to the integration of the Rapid Support Forces into the army, which has developed into a devastating civil war.

According to the Reuters news agency, IGAD recently offered to mediate between the commanders of the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), including by hosting a meeting, which the two sides agreed to in mid-December.

Three days ago, the Transitional Sovereignty Council in Sudan announced that it had received an invitation from IGAD to attend the Uganda summit on Sudan and Somalia. In a statement, the Council considered that there is no need to hold a summit to discuss the Sudan before the implementation of the outcomes of the previous summit in Djibouti.

As for Hemedti, he announced – through his account on the X platform – that he accepted the invitation of IGAD to attend the Uganda summit.

After hiding from public view for months, Hemedti recently appeared on a tour that included visiting several African countries and meeting Sudanese political figures.

IGAD is an African sub-regional governmental organization, founded in 1996, headquartered in Djibouti, that includes East African countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Sudan and South Sudan.

Source: Agencies