The East African Community (EAC) is deeply concerned by the ongoing conflict in "our neighbouring state," the Republic of the Sudan, it said in a statement.

In a statement released Tuesday, April 18, the bloc calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities between the warring parties to avoid further loss of life, injuries and damage to property.

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The statement reads: "The EAC further calls on both parties to seek an amicable settlement through the available conflict resolution mechanisms at the regional, continental and international levels.

"The EAC stands in solidarity with the people of Sudan in the quest for peace, noting that the conflict will not only cause insecurity and instability in the country but will have a ripple effect in the region and the continent at large. We appreciate efforts that have been made so by IGAD, the African Union and the UN to resolve the conflict."

The Chairman of the African Union Commission, Amb Moussa Faki Mahamat, on April 15, called for a ceasefire in Sudan after the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) clashed in the capital Khartoum.

Mahamat indicated that he continued to follow very closely, and with deep concern, the developments in Sudan and to encourage, directly and indirectly, the political, civilian and military parties to find a consensual solution to the crisis created by the October 25 coup and its harmful consequences, the AU Commission said in a statement.

"Of concern to us in the Community [EAC] is that it is the most vulnerable segments of the Sudanese population - women and children - who will bear the brunt of the conflict."

The EAC is encouraging the two parties to exhaust all diplomatic options in an effort to find a lasting solution to the ongoing conflict.