IGAD has resolved to request that the East Africa Standby Force (EASF) convene to consider the deployment of military forces in conflict-ridden Sudan to protect civilians and guarantee humanitarian access, IGAD's statement read.
The IGAD Quartet Group, including Kenya, South Sudan, Djibouti and Ethiopia made this resolution during the summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to set in motion a process to peacefully reresolve the conflict in Sudan.
Sudan, a member of both IGAD and EASF, however, was represented at the meeting only by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), while the Sudanese government refused to send an Army representative, accusing Kenyan President William Ruto, who chaired the meeting, of "lacking impartiality in the ongoing crisis."
The members of the Quartet, for their part, regretted the non-participation of the Sudan Army delegation and emphasized that "there was no military solution to the conflict."
"[IGAD] underscores that there is no military solution to the conflict in the Republic of Sudan and in this regard, decides to mobilize and concentrate the efforts of all stakeholders towards delivering a face-to-face meeting between the leaders of the warring parties," the statement read.
The bloc also called on the rival generals to "immediately stop the violence and sign an unconditional and indefinite ceasefire."
The next meeting of Sudan’s neighbors is to be hosted by Egypt on July 13 to discuss ways to end the conflict.
Сlashes between Sudan's regular armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Force flared up on April 15, with the epicenter located in the capital Khartoum. The parties have since introduced a number of temporary nationwide ceasefires, but the conflict has not been settled yet.
Last month, Malik Agar, the deputy chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council, said that the Sudanese delegation had asked for Moscow's assistance in resolving the conflict in the North African country during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.