Kiir, Regional Leaders Discuss Sudan Conflict in Riyadh

Regional leaders including President Salva Kiir and his counterparts from Kenya, Djibouti, Eritrea and Sudan met at the sidelines of the Saudi-Africa summit on Saturday to discuss the months-long conflict in Sudan

Presidents William Ruto of Kenya, Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea, Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti, and Sudan’s Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, expressed their support to President Kiir’s peace efforts in Sudan, according to the South Sudan presidency

The sideline meetings that reportedly focused on ways to resolve the raging war, were without the leader of Rapid Support Forces (RSF), General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who has not seen eye to eye with his archenemy General Burhan, since the start of the war

Foreign Minister Dr. James Pitia Morgan said regional leaders have given their full support to President Kiir to continue engaging the Sudanese political and military leaders to find an amicable solution to the eight months conflict,” the Office of the President said in a press statement

The statement further quotes Dr. Morgan as saying President Kiir will soon host meetings with the Sudanese political leaders and the current warring parties to review the situation in the country.

Deadly clashes have prevailed between the Sudanese army and the rival military faction Rapid Support Force since April 15, killing up to 9,000 people, forcing more than 5.8 million displaced within and outside Sudan, according to the United Nations

The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the conflict has also left 25 million in need of aid

On the weekend, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have blamed each other for destroying a major bridge in the capital Khartoum

Both the United States and Saudi Arabia-led peace talks in the Gulf kingdom, and the regional body IGAD’s attempts to forge a ceasefire and negotiation between the rival military factions in Sudan have since failed to yield fruits.