OPENING STATEMENT H.E. Workneh Gebeyehu, IGAD Executive Secretary
2nd Forum of Special Envoys/Representatives Harmonising Regional and International Mediation Efforts for the Sudan Peace Process Djibouti, 18th November 2025
- Your Excellencies,
- Distinguished Envoys and Representatives,
- Colleagues and Friends,
- I thank you for joining this important gathering. We meet today with heavy hearts and a sharpened sense of responsibility.
- We meet after the horror of the fall of al-Fasher, an episode that has brutally reminded all of us of the magnitude of Sudan’s tragedy and the limits of our collective response.
- What unfolded in Darfur was neither unexpected nor inevitable. It was foreseen. We understood the risks. We raised the alarm. And yet, despite that knowledge, we were unable to prevent it.
- Al-Fasher stands as a painful symbol of two realities: First, the accumulated brutality of a war now in its third year, a war whose cruelty is shredding Sudan’s social fabric, pulverising its institutions, and pushing millions into destitution and despair. Second, it has exposed the uncomfortable truth that the fate of Sudan today is shaped not only by Sudanese actors, but also by a constellation of external forces, many of them influential, deeply entangled, and fueling the war in ways that Sudanese civilians are forced to pay for with their lives.
- More than two and a half years since fighting began, we must speak plainly: There is still no credible peace effort underway. Not one that is commensurate with the scale of the crisis. Not one capable of altering the calculations of the warring parties. Not one that reflects the urgency demanded by a collapsing nation.
- And here, I must acknowledge what is evident to all of us: coordination among the multilaterals, regional bodies, and partners—including IGAD—has not kept pace with the enormity of this war. We have all made commitments. We have all issued statements. And yet, the collective impact remains far short of what this moment requires.
- The horror of al-Fasher will not shame the warring parties into restraint. The entrenched logic of this war; fragmentation, militarization, external sponsorship will not correct itself. Left to its own momentum, Sudan is on a trajectory toward de facto disintegration.
- Despite all the frustrations, there have also been encouraging developments since our last meeting. Most importantly, a broad consensus has emerged among Sudanese civic and political formations, among regional institutions, and among international partners. This consensus is centered on principles:
- There is no military solution.
- The unity and territorial integrity of Sudan are non-negotiable.
- A credible and inclusive political process is indispensable.
- Humanitarian access and civilian protection must be secured immediately.
- Stopping the war is the entry point to any durable future for Sudan.
9. The Quad Statement of September has provided a clear direction. The primacy of the Quad in brokering a humanitarian truce must be pursued with renewed urgency. IGAD and its Member States support such an undertaking.
10.While the Quad advances the truce track, the multilaterals must step up decisively on the political track. This requires a coordinated, synchronized peace architecture under IGAD, the African Union, the European Union, and the League of Arab States.
11.In partnership with the African Union, IGAD is preparing to convene a Preparatory Consultation with key Sudanese political and civic formations in Luanda, Angola. Allow me to clarify the objectives of this consultation.
First, the meeting is intended to affirm, consolidate, and harmonize the various positions adopted by the AU Peace and Security Council, the IGAD Ministerial Committee, the UN Security Council, the League of Arab States, and the European Union, together with the Quad Communiqué. Taken collectively, these now constitute the most widely accepted and legitimate framework for both Sudanese stakeholders and the international community.
Second, by convening Sudanese political formations, we aim to promote structured civilian-led political platform with the current consensus and with urgency to trigger an inclusive political process—one that allows Sudanese actors to enrich, refine, and Sudanize the frameworks within these international statements, ensuring national ownership of the political process.
Third, the consultation will support a sequenced and coherent process consistent with the Quad’s roadmap: humanitarian cooperation, political and security de-escalation arrangements, and an inclusive intra-Sudanese dialogue. These objectives reflect both practical imperatives and our strategic commitment to anchoring a Sudanese-owned political trajectory capable of stabilizing the country.
12.We have no time left to repeat old mistakes. The stakes: Sudan’s survival, regional stability, and Africa’s credibility are too high. This forum is an opportunity to reenergise, re-organise, and re-commit ourselves with a renewed sense of purpose.
THANK YOU.
