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Ministry of Foreign Affairs Office of the Spokesperson and Media Department

press release

Referring to the statement issued by the heads of state and government of the IGAD Quartet on Sudan yesterday in Nairobi on the sidelines of the African Climate Summit, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterates the Sudanese government’s rejection of Kenya’s presidency of the IGAD Quartet, due to its siding with the rebel militia and hosting its leadership, which is being pursued by international sanctions. The Government of Sudan does not see any justification for transferring the chairmanship of the Committee from the Republic of South Sudan, as decided by the IGAD emergency summit on April 16, 2023.

Second: It is unfortunate that the statement was devoid of any reference to the Government of Sudan and the need to consult with it and obtain its approval regarding the steps that IGAD intends to take regarding the crisis in our country. This is a clear and unacceptable diminution of the sovereignty of Sudan, the second oldest independent member state and founding member of the organization, and the president of IGAD until June 12, 2023, as the closing statement of the fourteenth regular summit of IGAD in Djibouti praised the able leadership of Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of IGAD, on over the past four years. It also contradicts the fact that IGAD is an organization for the governments of member states, and all its decisions and actions must be with the approval of the governments concerned, as decisions are required to be issued by consensus.

Third: The statement granted the African Union and IGAD a mandate to lay the foundations for what it called a political process owned by the Sudanese, including defining the agenda, participants and venue. The question is what authorization does the Quartet itself have to authorize others regarding a matter that concerns an independent, fully sovereign country and a full member of the United Nations? How can the alleged political process belong to the Sudanese while they do not lay down its rules and foundations? For several decades, the African continent bid farewell to the era of trusteeship and mandate forever.

Fourth: The IGAD Quartet statement unfortunately and offensively ignored the organization, any reference to the horrific atrocities committed by the rebel militia, which were condemned by the entire world except IGAD and the African Union. It is not possible to hide behind the claim of neutrality between what the statement calls “the two warring parties”, as there is no neutrality towards genocide, ethnic cleansing, the use of rape and sexual violence as a tool in the conflict and other atrocities. Nor can the national army that defends the country and its people against killing, ethnic cleansing, and rape be considered a mere party equal to the terrorist militia that practices all these atrocities..This violates international law and the principle of state sovereignty and the right of self-defence.

In conclusion, the Ministry clarifies that if IGAD does not respond to our request to change the chairmanship of the committee, the Government of Sudan will reconsider the feasibility of its continuation in the organization that was established on its initiative.

Khartoum, September 7, 2023

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