The chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan. PHOTO | ASHRAF SHAZLY | AFP

The IGAD Quartet Group mandated to resolve the conflict in Sudan was left disappointed and voiced regrets over the absence of the Sudanese Armed Forces representative in its first meeting on Monday.

The team made up of leaders from Kenya, South Sudan, and Djibouti met in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to discuss the deadly conflict in Sudan.

However, the Sudanese army, which is the legitimate government in the war-ravaged country as well as the chair of IGAD, was not in attendance.

“The members of the IGAD Quartet group of countries note the regrettable absence of the delegation of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) in spite of the invitation and confirmation of attendance,” reads the IGAD communique after the meeting.

The group further expressed “deep” concerns over the impact of the ongoing fighting in Sudan that has killed thousands of people and displaced over 3 million others.

It also raised alarm over the continuous escalation of fighting from Khartoum to other parts of the country such as Darfur, fueled by what it termed as external interference that prolongs the conflict.

The IGAD Quartet further commended the neighboring countries for taking in people fleeing the fighting. It further disclosed that a meeting of the countries bordering Sudan will take place in Egypt on July 13^th, 2023.

Sudan previously protested the appointment of President William Ruto as head of the Quartet and questioned his neutrality.

The faction led by General Abdel Fattah Al Burhan alleged that Nairobi harbors RSF sympathies, but Kenya has denied the accusations.

The meeting was chaired by the group’s leader President William Ruto of Kenya and attended by Djibouti Prime Minister Mohamoud Ali Youssouf and Benjamin Bol Mel, the South Sudan Special Envoy and representative of President Kiir.

Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed, IGAD Executive Secretary Dr. Workneh Gebreyesus, and Rapid Support Forces Special Envoy Yousif Izzat as well as international partners were also in attendance.