Ruto, Burhan back Jeddah peace process on Sudan

“Recognising the slow progress in Jeddah, the leaders underscored the urgency to accelerate the process towards cessation of hostilities and humanitarian assistance.”They agreed to plan for a Summit for the regional bloc Intergovernmental Authority on development (IGAD) “to find ways to accelerate the Jeddah process towards cessation of hostilities in Sudan.”

That Summit will also “agree on a framework for an all-inclusive Sudanese dialogue,” a dispatch from State House said. The declaration could be partial victory for both leaders. For Ruto, it signals a buried hatchet with Burhan who had publicly lampooned Ruto and threatened to quit IGAD. For Burhan, it signals his continuing acceptance as the legitimate leader of Sudan in spite of staying in power after a coup and in a stalled transition since the ouster of Omar al-Bashir.

Since the war erupted on April 15, Burhan has toured all of Sudan’s neighbours, visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey and addressed the UN General Assembly in which he promised to give power to civilian leaders as soon as the war is over.But he has had to contend with those who view Hemedti as his equal. When the war began, various peace initiatives followed. IGAD had pursued its parallel peace bid which involved a quartet of Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Djibouti. But Khartoum rejected the quartet especially after South Sudan was supplanted from initial role to mediate.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and the US began the Jeddah Process which also came unstuck after several ceasefire deals were violated hours after signing. IGAD and the African Union have since backed Jeddah Process which last week signaled movement by agreeing to establish contacts between warring parties as well as establish humanitarian corridors.However, new violence erupted hours later and the two sides couldn’t agree on a ceasefire yet.