Keywords: IGAD, Sudan, Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF), Intergovernmental Authority on Development, African Union The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has convened a regional summit to discuss deploying troops to Sudan to protect civilians from violence. The bloc, made up of eight states in and around the Horn of Africa, met in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to kick-start a peace process for the conflict in Sudan. However, the initiative was met with a setback as a delegation from Sudan’s army failed to attend the first day of meetings, having rejected Kenya’s president as head of the committee facilitating the talks. The IGAD has agreed to request a summit of the 10-member Eastern Africa Standby Force to consider the possible deployment of the EASF for the protection of civilians and guarantee humanitarian access. Molly Phee, United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, attended the IGAD meeting and is meeting senior representatives of governments in the region as well as from the African Union Commission. Nearly 3 million people have been displaced from their homes and, according to media reports, over 3,000 people have been killed in the conflict. Diplomatic efforts to halt fighting have so far proven ineffective, with competing initiatives creating confusion over how the warring parties might be brought to the negotiating table. Following the meeting, Ruto called for an unconditional ceasefire and the establishment of a humanitarian zone – spanning a radius of 30km (18 miles) in Khartoum – to aid the delivery of humanitarian assistance. The IGAD talks come days after an air raid on a residential area killed at least 22 and wounded many others in the Sudanese city of Omdurman, according to the country’s health ministry. Along with the African Union, IGAD will immediately start a “civilian engagement process” aimed at delivering peace. Egypt has said it would host a separate summit of Sudan’s neighbours on July 13 to discuss ways to end the conflict. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has called for a regional summit to consider deploying troops to Sudan to protect civilians from violence. The bloc, made up of eight states in and around the Horn of Africa, met in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to initiate a peace process for the conflict in Sudan. However, the initiative faced a setback as a delegation from Sudan’s army failed to attend the first day of meetings, having rejected Kenya’s president as head of the committee facilitating the talks. The IGAD has agreed to request a summit of the 10-member Eastern Africa Standby Force to consider the possible deployment of the EASF for the protection of civilians and guarantee humanitarian access. The United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Molly Phee, attended the IGAD meeting and is currently meeting with senior representatives of governments in the region as well as from the African Union Commission. According to reports, over 3,000 people have been killed in the conflict and nearly 3 million have been displaced from their homes. Efforts to halt the fighting between Sudan’s army and the RSF have so far proven ineffective, with competing initiatives creating confusion over how the warring parties might be brought to the negotiating table. Following the meeting, Kenya’s President William Ruto called for an unconditional ceasefire and the establishment of a humanitarian zone – spanning a radius of 30km (18 miles) in Khartoum – to aid the delivery of humanitarian assistance. The IGAD talks come days after an air raid on a residential area killed at least 22 and wounded many others in the Sudanese city of Omdurman, according to the country’s health ministry. Along with the African Union, IGAD will immediately start a “civilian engagement process” aimed at delivering peace. Egypt has said it would host a separate summit of Sudan’s neighbours on July 13 to discuss ways to end the conflict.