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Sudan has decided to suspend its membership in the north-east African bloc, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), due to its involvement in mediating the ongoing conflict in the country. IGAD has been working to end the brutal nine-month-long war between Sudan's army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a rival paramilitary group. The Sudanese government criticized IGAD for inviting the RSF's chief to a summit and found their statement offensive. Founded in 1996, IGAD consists of eight states in the region and aims to transform north-east Africa into an upper middle-income economy and a beacon of regional peace by 2050. The bloc played a crucial role in the peace process that ended the 22-year war in Sudan in 2005 and also oversaw the installation of a transitional government during the Somali civil war in 2004. IGAD's leaders recently met in Uganda, where Sudan's military-led government decided not to attend upon learning about the RSF chief's invitation. The conflict between the RSF and the army erupted in April last year, causing the army to lose control over significant parts of the country. IGAD's leaders discussed the Sudanese civil war and tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia over a port deal during the summit. The bloc reiterated its call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Sudan and urged a face-to-face meeting between the army and the RSF within two weeks. Sudan's foreign ministry declared the suspension of its engagement with IGAD following the summit, and later announced the suspension of its membership altogether. The war has led to the displacement of over seven million people, and the death toll, according to analysts, exceeds 13,000. Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the RSF chief, has been conducting meetings with heads of state in various African countries, as part of a strategy to gain international legitimacy.