DJIBOUTI, Djibouti—Jan 29, 2026—The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has strongly condemned violations committed by Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and reiterated its support for Sudan’s unity and sovereignty, as the regional bloc signalled readiness to reintegrate Khartoum into its institutional framework amid a protracted civil war.
In a statement issued on Thursday, IGAD said its Executive Secretary, Dr Workneh Gebeyehu, held consultations in Djibouti with Sudan’s Prime Minister, Dr Kamil El-Tayeb Idris, focusing on the deteriorating peace and security situation in the country.
The bloc accused the RSF — which has been locked in a brutal power struggle with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since April 2023 — of committing widespread violations, without detailing specific incidents.
The conflict has devastated large parts of the country, displaced millions, and triggered what the United Nations describes as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
IGAD reaffirmed its “full support for the unity and sovereignty of the Republic of the Sudan and its existing national institutions,” while welcoming what it termed Sudan’s National Initiative aimed at restoring peace and stability.
The regional body also called on Sudan to return to IGAD, following a period of strained relations after Khartoum suspended its participation in the bloc’s mediation processes, accusing it of bias during earlier attempts to resolve the conflict.
“IGAD reiterates its readiness to welcome the Republic of the Sudan back into its institutional framework,” the statement said.
Sudan’s war has added pressure on neighbouring countries — including Chad, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Egypt — through refugee flows, cross-border insecurity and economic disruption, making regional engagement increasingly urgent.
IGAD, which groups eight East and Horn of Africa countries, has previously attempted to spearhead mediation efforts alongside the African Union, the United Nations and international partners, though ceasefire initiatives have repeatedly collapsed.
Analysts say renewed engagement between IGAD and Sudan’s transitional authorities could reopen diplomatic channels at a time when international efforts to end the conflict have stalled, even as fighting continues across Darfur, Khartoum and parts of eastern Sudan.
