Sudan Returns to IGAD Amid Currency Collapse, Military Gains, and Juba Deal Tensions

After a two-year self-imposed suspension, Sudan’s delegation, led by Undersecretary Muawiya Osman Khaled, took part in IGAD’s 74th extraordinary Council of Ministers meeting in Djibouti, urging the bloc to support Khartoum’s internally driven political dialogue rather than impose external solutions. A late-August central-bank decision that gave banks greater freedom to manage foreign currency coincided with a sharp depreciation of the Sudanese pound, which slid from roughly 6,400 to as much as 8,850 pounds per dollar by mid-September, fueling price volatility.

On the battlefield, the Sudanese army launched its largest operation since July in North Kordofan, capturing eleven Rapid Support Forces positions and leaving the paramilitary with only two strongholds, while RSF drones struck Damazin in Blue Nile, killing five civilians. Prime Minister Kamel Idris issued a decree freezing new hires across the executive and mandating a review of appointments made since May 19, sparking concerns among Juba-agreement signatories that the review could affect power-sharing posts.

Armed groups, including the Sudan one outlet Movement, warned the measure might be used to reshape the political settlement, even as the government argues it targets wartime administrative excesses. The combined diplomatic, economic, and security developments underscore Sudan’s fragile attempt to re-engage regionally while navigating internal power struggles.