Horn of Africa , Dec 13 — Eritrea has formally withdrawn from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), accusing the regional organisation of abandoning its legal mandate and failing to contribute meaningfully to peace and stability in the Horn of Africa, a move the bloc said it regretted as it urged the country to reconsider.
In a statement issued on Friday, Eritrea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had notified the IGAD Secretariat of its decision through formal diplomatic channels, citing long-standing concerns over the organisation’s relevance, effectiveness and impartiality.
Eritrea said it had played a key role in the revitalisation of IGAD in 1993 and had worked with other member states to strengthen the bloc as a vehicle for regional peace, security and economic integration. However, it said those aspirations had not been fulfilled.
“Over time, and especially since 2005, IGAD has failed to meet the aspirations of the peoples of the region,” the ministry said, accusing the organisation of taking actions that were “deleterious” and targeted specific member states, particularly Eritrea.
Those grievances led Eritrea to suspend its participation in IGAD in April 2007. The country said it reactivated its membership in June 2023 in the hope that reforms would be undertaken and past institutional shortcomings addressed, but said the organisation had continued to fall short of its statutory obligations.
“As a result, Eritrea finds itself compelled to withdraw from an organisation that has forfeited its legal mandate and authority,” the statement said, adding that membership offered “no discernible strategic benefit”.
In response, IGAD said it had taken note of Eritrea’s decision with regret and emphasised that the country had been “unanimously and warmly welcomed back” by all member states at the bloc’s 14th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government in June 2023, reflecting a commitment to inclusivity and regional solidarity.
IGAD said that since rejoining, Eritrea had not participated in IGAD meetings, programmes or activities, despite what it described as sustained openness and goodwill from the Secretariat.
“Throughout this period, the Secretariat has exercised patience and remained available for constructive engagement,” IGAD said in a statement issued from its headquarters in Djibouti.
The bloc added that Eritrea’s decision to withdraw was taken without submitting concrete proposals or engaging formally through IGAD’s established consultative mechanisms on institutional or policy reforms.
In a conciliatory tone, IGAD said it would continue outreach efforts and encouraged Eritrea to reconsider its position and rejoin the organisation in good faith.
“IGAD remains firmly committed to its mandate of fostering regional cooperation, dialogue and collective action for the benefit of the peoples of the Horn of Africa,” the statement said.
The announcement comes amid shifting diplomatic alignments in the Horn of Africa, where regional cooperation bodies play a central role in mediation, security coordination and economic integration.
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