(17-04-23) MOGADISHU – Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Sunday addressed the urgent need for peace and stability in Sudan, drawing on Somalia’s own experiences with war and its consequences. Speaking at an at the emergency 40th extra-ordinary assembly of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Heads of State, President Mohamud emphasized the importance of swift intervention to prevent further escalation of the conflict in Sudan.
“Our painful experience in Somalia is that conflicts are easy to start but prove very difficult to end,” President Mohamud said, urging his Sudanese counterparts to think twice before allowing the situation to deteriorate further. He called on the heads of state to intervene urgently with all means and possibilities under their power.
President Mohamud also highlighted the potential regional and global impact of the conflict, stating that the victims would extend beyond the Sudanese people. He urged the parties in Sudan to “swiftly silence the guns and come to the negotiation table to iron out their differences,” describing this as the best and fastest solution to ensure that the situation does not escalate.
Somalia’s leader emphasized the importance of respecting Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council and urged both the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Sovereign Council to work together to develop a unified and consensus-based security architecture for the country. He noted that most issues had been agreed upon, with the timeframe for integration being the main point of contention.
The Somali government and people have a long history of strong relations with Sudan, and President Mohamud expressed hope that Sudan’s resilient people could build a future of hope, progress, and prosperity by quickly reversing the current situation. “We cannot allow [Sudan] to backtrack,” he insisted, emphasizing the need for peace and security over conflict and chaos.
In conclusion, President Mohamud called on all parties involved in the Sudanese conflict to understand the potentially devastating repercussions of their actions on the nation, its people, and the entire region. He urged them to put down their weapons and transition to dialogue, offering Somalia’s support in promoting peace and stability if and when required.
The Somali president also agreed with his colleagues on the need for immediate intervention by appointing a group of heads of state to go to Khartoum and mediate between the conflicting parties, focusing on the timeline of integration as the main point of disagreement.
In response to the ongoing crisis, IGAD has decided to send a delegation comprising President Salva Kiir of South Sudan, President William Ruto of Kenya, and President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh of Djibouti to Khartoum as soon as possible to reconcile the opposing factions in Sudan. The delegation will focus on mediating between the conflicting parties and addressing the main point of disagreement.
