Sudan's govt snubs east African summit, rebukes UN

Sudan’s transitional sovereign council, aligned with the army, has rejected an invitation to an east African summit on January 18, criticizing the United Nations for engaging with the commander of rival paramilitary forces, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

As the conflict between the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces continues for nine months, the army faces territorial losses while Daglo enhances his diplomatic standing with a tour of African capitals.

The rejection of the summit invitation from the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) by Sudan’s sovereign council, led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, emphasized that the events in Sudan are deemed an internal matter.

Despite IGAD’s repeated mediation attempts between Sudan’s warring factions, Burhan’s government has remained unresponsive.

Contrary to the government’s stance, Daglo, fresh from his African tour, announced on social media that he had accepted IGAD’s invitation and would attend the summit in Uganda.

Sudan’s foreign ministry condemned the invitation to Daglo, labeling it a “flagrant violation” that undermines IGAD’s credibility.

Tensions rise as Burhan expresses discontent with Daglo’s growing diplomatic status, accusing African leaders who hosted him of complicity in atrocities against Sudanese civilians.

Analysts note a growing diplomatic isolation for the army chief as his troops struggle to halt Rapid Support Forces advances.

Amidst the diplomatic dispute, the conflict’s toll continues to escalate, with the war claiming over 13,000 lives and displacing 7.5 million civilians, according to estimates by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data project and UN figures.

Both sides face accusations of war crimes, including indiscriminate shelling, torture, and arbitrary detention. The Rapid Support Forces are specifically accused of ethnically-motivated mass killings, looting, and using rape as a weapon of war.

Sudan’s rejection of a recent contact between UN chief Antonio Guterres and Daglo further strains relations with the international community. The newly appointed UN envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, was informed by Sudan’s acting foreign minister that the UN chief’s phone call served to “legitimize” Daglo, leader of a movement accused of horrific violations.

The developments come after Burhan’s government terminated the UN mission to Sudan last month, signaling a challenging diplomatic landscape for resolving the ongoing conflict.