IGAD Quartet seeks East Africa Standby Force deployment in Sudan

ADDIS ABABA – The Heads of State and Government of the IGAD Quartet Group of Countries on Monday, July 10, resolved to request the East Africa Standby Force summit to consider the deployment of the EASF for the protection of civilians and to guarantee humanitarian access. 

During the meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Quartet led by Kenya President William Ruto expressed deep concern regarding the impact of the ongoing war in Sudan, which it said has so far killed thousands [more than 2,000] of people, and displaced almost three million, including 2.2 million IDPs and nearly 615,000 refugees who have crossed the border into neighboring countries.  

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Present at the meeting were Ethiopia PM Abiy Ahmed, Djibouti Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf representing Djibouti President Omar Guelleh and IGAD chairman, and South Sudan President and IGAD Deputy Chairman Salva Kiir’s Special Envoy Benjamin Bol Mel. 

Also, in attendance at this the meeting was the IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu and Amb Bankole Adeoye, the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security as well as representatives of the UN-OCHA, European Union, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the US and the UK and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) representative Yousif Izzat.  

The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) delegation skipped the meeting despite the invitation and confirmation of attendance, IGAD said.  

The Eastern Africa Standby Force is a regional organization mandated to enhance peace and security in the Eastern Africa region.   

It is one of the five regional multidimensional Forces of the African Standby Force (ASF) consisting of Military, Police and Civilian components.  It was established as a regional mechanism to provide capability for rapid deployment of forces to carry out preventive deployment, rapid intervention, peace support/stability operations and peace enforcement.    

The EASF draws its membership from 10 active member states of Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda. These are the signatories to the Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of the Eastern Africa Standby Force.    

Its establishment is based on past experiences of conflicts in Africa, such as the Rwanda Genocide, war in Sudan, war in Somalia among others.  

The proposed EASF intervention seeks to facilitate immediate humanitarian assistance to all Sudanese affected by the conflict with a focus on vulnerable population in particular, women children and Persons living with disability. 

In addition, the team said it was concerned by the escalation of the conflict, repeated violations of the various ceasefire agreements and the spread of violence outside of Khartoum to the other parts of Sudan particularly in Darfur as well as Kordofan. 

In Kordoofan, which lies between Darfur on the west and the valley of the White Nile River on the east, the mediation team said the conflict is now assuming ethnic and religious dimensions, thus threatening to deepen the polarization in the country. 

It blamed the escalation on external interference, which it said is prolonging and exacerbating the conflict. 

Further noting there is no military solution to the conflict between the Sudan Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Services, the IGAD Quartet welcomed he various diplomatic efforts to mediate the conflict but emphasized the centrality of IGAD alongside the African Union in the peace process. 

” IGAD Quarter] Acknowledges the continuing efforts of the United Nations and key regional and international partners including the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with whom the IGAD Quartet shares an equal commitment to the cause of peace in the Republic of Sudan,” the communique said.  

Ruto says Sudan situation spiraling into genocide as 2,000 killed, 2.9 million displaced

The proposal to bring EASF on board following a meeting between Council of Ministers of Defence and Security of EASF Member States chairman and Kenya Defence Minister Aden Duale with EASF Director Brig Gen Paul Kahuria Njema and his delegation on Tuesday June 6, 2023 at the Defence Headquarters in Nairobi. 

Kenya’s Chief of Defence Forces Gen Francis Ogolla, who is also the chairperson of the Eastern Africa Committee of Chiefs and Security (EACDS) also attended the meeting. 

As part of its efforts in ensuring Peace, Security and Stability in the region, the EASF leadership briefed the principals on the mandate and the achievements of this multidimensional Force as well as the programmes undertaken to provide capability for rapid deployment in Peace Support Operations. 

In a statement by the Force, Duale reaffirmed his “total support to ensure that the Force realizes it’s Mandate of providing capabilities for rapid and preventive deployment on need basis”.  

Duale said “there is need for all the 10 member states to ratify the Agreement and the importance of having frequent joint exercises to enhance capacity building of the Force”. 

Also present were the Assistant Chief of Defence Forces in charge of Personnel and Logistics Maj Gen David Keter, ACDF in charge of Operations, Doctrine and Training Maj Gen Fred Leuria, as well as the Chief of Strategic Plans and Policy, Brig Gen Edward Rugendo.  

Eritrea’s Afwerki opposes Ruto-led IGAD intervention in Sudan