The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) special envoy for Sudan, Lawrence Korbandy, has proposed deploying African troops to help implement the Jeddah Agreement, reports said on Friday.
According to the Sudan Tribune, the plan involves 4,500 troops from neutral countries, with each contributing 900 soldiers for six months, and is subject to renewal.
In related news, Sudan’s ousted National Congress Party (NCP) is facing a major split after its Shura Council elected ICC fugitive Ahmed Haroun as leader, defying objections from a faction led by Ibrahim Mahmoud, who warned of a potential party fracture.
Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Thursday’s meeting in Atbara, River Nile State, was attended by Haroun, Islamist leader Ali Ahmed Karti, former vice president Ali Osman Taha, and Osama Abdullah. Supporters abroad joined online.
Sources said ousted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir addressed the Shura Council in an audio message, backing Harounès election. Islamist movement members secured the meeting.
Mahmoud’s leadership office rejected the Shura Council meeting in a statement last Wednesday, calling it a violation of party rules and urging members to boycott it.
The split in Sudan’s ousted National Congress Party (NCP) widened after Ibrahim Mahmoud returned to Port Sudan from Türkiye. Mahmoud rejected the Shura Council’s decisions and plans to form a new party under the same name.
Sources said his faction wants to break ties with ICC-wanted leaders, including al-Bashir, Haroun, and Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein, blaming them for the party's political losses.
The dispute escalated after Mahmoud’s return, with strong support reportedly coming from Nafie Ali Nafie and former intelligence chief Mohamed Atta al-Moula.
According to sources, Haroun’s faction quickly convened the Shura Council meeting, with backing from Karti, who is reportedly responsible for sparking the April 15, 2023, conflict. The move was aimed at sidelining any rival factions seeking to take control of the party.
