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IGAD Calls on Sudanese Parties to Sign Unconditional Ceasefire 

Smoke rises during clashes between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), in Omdurman, Sudan July 4, 2023. (Reuters)
Smoke rises during clashes between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), in Omdurman, Sudan July 4, 2023. (Reuters)
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IGAD Calls on Sudanese Parties to Sign Unconditional Ceasefire 

Smoke rises during clashes between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), in Omdurman, Sudan July 4, 2023. (Reuters)
Smoke rises during clashes between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), in Omdurman, Sudan July 4, 2023. (Reuters)

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Quartet Group of Countries met in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Monday to discuss the implementation of the IGAD Roadmap for peace in Sudan.

The meeting was chaired by Kenya’s President William Ruto and attended by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and representatives of the IGAD members.

In a statement, IGAD "strongly urges the parties to immediately stop the violence and sign an unconditional and indefinite ceasefire through a cessation of hostilities agreement that would be supported by an effective enforcement and monitoring mechanism."

It stressed that there can be no military solution to the conflict in Sudan. It added that it would "mobilize and concentrate the efforts of all stakeholders towards delivering a face-to-face meeting between the leaders of the warring parties."

Fighting that erupted between the army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on April 15 in Khartoum, Sudan's capital, has spread to other parts of the country and driven more than 2.9 million people from their homes.

IGAD also noted "the regrettable absence of the delegation of the Sudan Armed Forces in spite of the invitation and confirmation of attendance."

The army had rejected Kenya's president as head of the committee facilitating the talks.

Sudan's foreign affairs ministry, which is controlled by the army, said the delegation did not turn up because IGAD had ignored its request to replace Ruto as head of the committee spearheading the talks.

Ruto "lacks impartiality in the ongoing crisis," the ministry said through the state news agency. Last month it accused Kenya of harboring the RSF.

Neither Ruto's office nor the Kenyan ministry of foreign affairs responded immediately when Reuters sought comment. The Kenyan government said last month the president was a neutral arbiter who was duly appointed by the IGAD summit.

Following the meeting, Ruto called for an unconditional ceasefire and the establishment of a humanitarian zone — spanning a radius of 30 kilometers in Khartoum — to aid the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

IGAD said in a statement it had agreed to request a summit of another regional body, the 10-member Eastern Africa Standby Force, "to consider the possible deployment of the EASF for the protection of civilians and guarantee humanitarian access."

It added that along with the African Union, it would immediately start a "civilian engagement process" aimed at delivering peace.

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Arab World

Widespread Protests in Southern Iraq over Arrest of Activists

Crowds of protesters in central Nasiriyah demanding the dismissal of the police chief (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Crowds of protesters in central Nasiriyah demanding the dismissal of the police chief (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Widespread Protests in Southern Iraq over Arrest of Activists

Crowds of protesters in central Nasiriyah demanding the dismissal of the police chief (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Crowds of protesters in central Nasiriyah demanding the dismissal of the police chief (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The city of Nasiriyah, the center of Dhi Qar province in southern Iraq, has recently witnessed large-scale protests, peaking on Friday night. The number of demonstrators is expected to rise following calls from activists to escalate against the local authorities.

Protesters are calling for the dismissal of the city’s police chief and the release of detainees, according to activists. The unrest was triggered by the new police chief, Major General Najah Al-Abadi, who launched widespread arrests of wanted individuals over the past two weeks.

Political sources in Baghdad are expressing concern over the severity of the situation in Nasiriyah, fearing that unrest could spread to other provinces, especially amid the sensitive conditions in the region due to the ongoing Israeli war.

Local and security authorities in the province have justified the arrests, claiming they were carried out under judicial warrants for suspects. However, protest groups accuse the new police chief, who hails from Najaf and is close to the Badr Organization led by Hadi Al-Amiri, of targeting activists from the protest movement that erupted in Oct. 2019. Nasiriyah was a key stronghold of that movement, which lasted for over a year.

According to civil organizations, around 180 protesters were killed and over 5,000 were injured in Dhi Qar during the 2019 Tishreen Protests. On Friday, security forces stormed the protest site in Al-Habboubi Square, leading to injuries among both protesters and police. Police reported that three officers and 19 police members were injured, while activists claim many protesters were also hurt. However, many of them avoided hospitals, fearing arrest or legal repercussions.

The Iraqi Ministry of Interior has emphasized the need to protect demonstrators in Dhi Qar but rejected what it called “unacceptable methods” of protest. Ministry spokesperson Brigadier General Muqdad Miri stated during a Saturday press conference that the ministry “will not allow tire burnings, road blockages, or attacks on public property,” stressing that the authority of the state and the law “will prevail in Dhi Qar.”

Miri also disclosed that security forces had arrested 578 individuals, most of whom, he claimed, were not protesters.

Activists and protest groups present a different narrative, accusing “influential political parties” of being behind the recent escalation in Nasiriyah. Three activists told Asharq Al-Awsat that these parties had pushed government agencies to target those wanted by law, conflating criminal suspects with individuals involved in protests. One activist pointed out that the timing of the arrest campaign, coinciding with the seventh anniversary of the Tishreen Movement, underscores the political motives behind it.