IGAD warns: Sudan is on the brink of disintegration policy

The Secretary-General of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Workneh Gebehu, warned that Sudan is on the verge of disintegration after 3 years of bloody conflict, blaming external interventions for the worsening of the situation and the complexity of the scene.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Gebeho confirms that the situation in Sudan has become one of the biggest tragedies the world is witnessing, stressing that what is happening in El Fasher indicates that things are very bleak and not well.

He described the Sudanese situation as extremely tragic, explaining that millions of Sudanese are out of their homes, and that more than half of the Sudanese people now need urgent food assistance.

Gebeho points out that there are many atrocities, disasters and ethnic cleansing coming from Sudan while the world watches without effective action.

The UN official stresses that Sudan is one of the largest countries in the region and one of the tributaries of civilization on the African continent, pointing out that IGAD does not support any disintegration of Sudan, but rather supports its independence and sovereignty.

He adds that the organization also works through multilateral institutions such as the African Union and the United Nations to save the Sudanese from this dark fate.

The Secretary-General of IGAD explains that the organization was the first regional organization to contact the heads of state and government of the region to address the Sudanese situation.

The organization held 5 consecutive meetings of heads of state and government to mediate the Sudanese conflict, but all these efforts failed and did not succeed in bringing the parties to the negotiating table.

Reasons for failure

Regarding the reasons for the failure of all initiatives – including the IGAD initiative – the regional official identifies two main reasons: The first is the need for the Sudanese themselves – especially intellectuals and politicians – to reject the war in their country, stressing that Sudan belongs to the Sudanese and they must play this role first.

The second reason is external interference, and Gebeho confirms that there are many reports indicating the worsening of the situation due to the intervention of various external parties, which did not help in resolving the crisis, but rather greatly increased the complexity of the situation in Sudan.

Regarding responsibility for crimes committed in Sudan, the Secretary-General of IGAD indicates that this is a civil war, and that the Sudanese are fighting among themselves.

He explains that the organization is working hard to stop this war and bring influential parties to the dialogue table in cooperation with international actors, including the United States of America and the European Union.

The UN official warns that history will judge the perpetrators of atrocities later, stressing that this crime occurs in front of the world and the entire international community is watching, and stresses that any type of atrocity will be subject to legal accountability, regardless of who committed it.

The Secretary-General of IGAD calls on all warring parties to refrain from any kind of violations against civilians, pointing out the necessity of opening humanitarian corridors for those in need of food in order to survive, in light of the famine that threatens millions of Sudanese.

Quartet initiative

Regarding the Quartet initiative that brings together America, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Gebeho stressed that IGAD supports in principle any initiatives to resolve the crisis, and he expressed his organization’s appreciation for the Quartet initiative launched by the United States, placing high hopes on it to stop the conflict.

The regional official stresses that the first and most important thing the region needs is the support of the international community – especially the United States of America and other actors – to stop this conflict.

He explains that after the conflict stops, monitoring and evaluation on the ground requires greater capabilities, not only from the region and not from the continent, but from the entire international community.

Regarding the political track and dialogue between the Sudanese, the Secretary-General of the Intergovernmental Authority for Development reveals that the organization expects the second phase of civil negotiations organized by the African Union and IGAD.

He describes this aspect as extremely important for ending the conflict in Sudan, expressing his belief that any armed conflict will not resolve any type of conflict in this region or continent.

Gebeho asserts that the Sudanese are the owners of their country, and that civilians, political parties, religious leaders, intellectuals, and scholars certainly represent the Sudanese.

He points out that the road map drawn up by the organization is very clear, expressing his hope to reach some kind of consensus through dialogue and discussion, despite his acknowledgment that this process is not easy.

On another level, the Secretary-General of IGAD touched on the current tension between Eritrea and Ethiopia regarding Ethiopia’s demands for access to a sea port.

Gebeho stresses that the region cannot tolerate any type of new conflict, calling on all parties to resolve any problem through open discussion, dialogue, and any type of negotiation if necessary.

Regarding the situation in Somalia and the disputes between the federal government and some regions such as Puntland and Jubbaland, the Secretary-General of IGAD confirms that the organization is always present to prevent Somalia from returning to the situation it was previously in, and stresses that the region cannot bear another challenge, another conflict, or another problem in Somalia.