Eritrea has announced that it is pulling out of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development after informing the IGAD Secretary General of its decision, saying the bloc no longer reflects the purpose for which members created it.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the withdrawal follows years of concern over the direction and conduct of the regional body.
The ministry said Eritrea was deeply involved in IGAD’s renewal in 1993 and worked with other countries to strengthen the organisation so it could help secure peace, stability and economic integration in the region.
It noted that these efforts were anchored on the hope that IGAD would “serve as the primary vehicle for enhancement of regional peace and stability thereby paving the ground for viable regional economic integration.”
But according to the statement, IGAD began to drift from those goals, with the ministry saying the bloc had “not only failed to meet the aspirations of the peoples of the region, but instead played a deleterious role becoming a tool against targeted Member States; particularly Eritrea.”
The statement added that these actions forced Eritrea to suspend its membership in April 2007.
Eritrea returned to IGAD in June 2023 believing the organisation would address its concerns and embrace reforms. However, the ministry said that since then, IGAD has continued to ignore its own rules and obligations.
“Regrettably, IGAD has and continues to renege on its statutory obligations thereby undermining its own relevance and legal mandate,” the statement said.
The ministry said this left Eritrea with no choice but to leave once again, arguing that IGAD no longer provides value to the region or its members. It said the bloc had “forfeited its legal mandate and authority; offering no discernible strategic benefit to all its constituencies and failing to contribute substantively to the stability of the region.”
