Eritrea announced Friday it is withdrawing from the East African regional bloc IGAD, accusing the organization of losing relevance and becoming a tool for external interference.
In a statement, Eritrea’s Foreign Ministry said the Intergovernmental Authority on Development “has, regrettably, become a tool against our country and the wider region,” adding that it had strayed from its founding principles and failed to promote regional stability.
Eritrea previously left IGAD in 2007 amid a border conflict with Ethiopia and rejoined only in 2023.
IGAD responded Friday that since Eritrea’s return, it has not participated in any meetings, programs or activities, and that Eritrea “has not put forward any tangible proposals nor constructively engaged with ongoing reform processes.”
The withdrawal comes amid escalating tensions between Eritrea and Ethiopia, which have a history of deadly conflict. The two fought a brutal border war from 1998-2000 that killed tens of thousands. Peace was declared in 2018, but recent statements by Ethiopian officials questioning Eritrea’s sovereignty and seeking sea access have renewed friction.
Eritrea, which gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993, has long accused IGAD of bias, particularly toward Ethiopia. The bloc’s current executive secretary is former Ethiopian Foreign Minister Workneh Gebeyehu.
IGAD was founded in 1996 to promote regional cooperation on food security, environmental protection and conflict prevention. Its other members are Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda. Eritrea has also had tense relations with Djibouti, which hosts IGAD’s headquarters, over a long-running border dispute.
The Horn of Africa remains one of the world’s most volatile regions, plagued by civil wars, terrorism and interstate rivalries. Critics say IGAD has struggled to effectively address these challenges or advance regional integration.