Speaking after the meeting, Dafa’alla Al-Haj Ali said that the crisis in his homeland was an “internal matter” and warned against any external interference.

“I am talking to you now, and there are contacts regarding the completion of this truce, but we want this truce to be with the participation of the political institutions to which we belong, the first of which is the Arab League and also the African Union, but that it takes place with their approval and in all its details, and we do not accept anything imposed on us by whichever direction“, said Dafa’alla Al-Haj Ali, special envoy of General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, president of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council.

On Tuesday, the African Union, in collaboration with the United Nations and IGAD, announced a new concerted effort to de-escalate the ongoing conflict in Sudan

During news briefing at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, African Union Commission’s Chairperson spokesperson Mohamed El Hacen Lebatt announced that Union had “agreed on the necessity to intensify, collectively and individually, all our effort to reach, as soon as possible, a complete and conditional, efficient, inclusive ceasefire all over Sudan”.

Mohamed El Hacen Lebatt, African Union Commission Chairperson and Sudan process Spokesperson:

“We have agreed on the necessity to intensify, collectively and individually, all our effort to reach, as soon as possible, a complete and conditional, efficient, inclusive ceasefire all over Sudan. They (AU, IGAD, Ed.) agreed to intensify, by all means, the effort to bring as soon as possible the humanitarian support for the population inside Sudanese cities and all the borders of all neighbouring countries where thousands of Sudanese have fled”, said Mohamed El Hacen Lebatt, African Union Commission Chairperson and Sudan process Spokesperson.

Thousands of people have fled fierce fighting in central Khartoum for Sudan’s borders. Some have been waiting for days in the open air to cross the Ashkit land crossing into Egypt.

At least 447 civilians have been killed and more than 2,255 injured since the fighting began, according to figures released on Monday by the Doctors’ Syndicate, which tracks civilian casualties.

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A largely peaceful election day was marred by logistical delays and a failure of the identification kit in some parts of the country.

There were several incidents of insecurity reported – one involving an MP from western Kenya who is on the run for allegedly shooting dead his rival’s bodyguard at a polling station.

Baba v Hustler

The two frontrunners in the presidential race are seasoned politicians.

Mr Odinga, 77 – a long-serving opposition leader, nicknamed Baba (“father”) by his supporters – is running for president for a fifth time. Mr Ruto, 55, who has tried to emphasise his connection with ordinary Kenyans by calling himself a “hustler”, is taking his first stab at the presidency.

Two other candidates – David Mwaure and George Wajackoya – are also in the race.

Outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta is backing Mr Odinga, a foe turned ally, to succeed him, after a falling out with Mr Ruto.

To win the presidential race in the first round, a candidate needs:

• more than half of all the votes cast across the country
• at least 25% of the votes cast in a minimum of 24 counties.

After counting the votes, local officials take a photo of the final tally sheet and send the image to both the constituency and national tallying centres.

The media, political parties and civil society groups have been compiling their own tallies using these final results declared at the more than 40,000 polling stations.

But only the electoral commission can declare the winner of the presidential election after verifying the physical and digital forms sent to the national tallying centre.

It has seven days to announce the result.

Who is in the race to run Kenya?

Learn more about Kenya’s presidential candidates

Choose a candidate to view their bio

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