Djibouti President and IGAD Chair Ismail Omar Guelleh has invited the member states of the East African bloc to an extraordinary summit in Uganda next week to discuss the ongoing conflict in Sudan and the recent dispute between Somalia and Ethiopia.

In a letter sent to IGAD countries, the Djibouti foreign ministry announced that the summit will be held on January 18, 2024, in Uganda, following consultations with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.

The African Union and international partners will also be invited to participate, according to the letter seen by Sudan Tribune.

The extraordinary meeting is expected to focus on the conflict in Sudan where a war broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). There is an urgent need for a ceasefire paving the way for a negotiated political settlement to end the violence and restore a civilian-led government.

At the summit, the Sudanese army commander-in-chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the RSF leader agreed to meet directly to discuss an unconditional cessation of hostilities. The meeting will be attended by the IGAD heads of state and government.

The participants will also discuss the Ethiopia-Somalia dispute and try to find a way to resolve it peacefully.

The dispute between Somalia and Ethiopia over Somaliland, a breakaway region that declared independence in 1991. Ethiopia signed a controversial agreement with Somaliland on January 1 that would allow Ethiopia to use a Somaliland port. This agreement has raised concerns in the region and internationally.