IGAD Renews Call for Ceasefire in Sudan

Djibouti – Sudanhorizon

The Council of Ministers of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) concluded its 74th Extraordinary Session, held yesterday in Djibouti under the chairmanship of Djibouti’s Foreign Minister Abdoulkader Hussein Omar, with a major institutional development: the completion of the legal quorum required for the 2023 IGAD Treaty to formally enter into force after five of the organization’s seven member states ratified it. The new treaty will replace the 1996 Establishment Agreement.

The meeting, which coincided with the 40th anniversary of the organization’s founding in Djibouti, was attended by representatives of Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda, as well as officials from the African Union, the United Nations, and the European Union.

The council tasked the organization’s Executive Secretary, Workneh Gebeyehu, in his capacity as depositary of the treaty, with formally notifying member states of its effective date and registering the treaty with the African Union and the United Nations. It also called on the two remaining states to expedite their ratification procedures.

On the political front, the ministers renewed their call for an immediate and unconditional cessation of hostilities in Sudan. They stressed that scattered initiatives and mediation efforts cannot replace a unified political process led by the Sudanese themselves, warning that the humanitarian crisis is worsening, with around 19.5 million people facing acute levels of hunger.

The final communiqué also addressed the situation in South Sudan, urging the parties to engage in an inclusive dialogue that would pave the way for elections scheduled for December. The council also commended the Somali government’s efforts to combat terrorism and support the African Union mission there.

On financial matters, the council granted member states a one-year period to settle their outstanding arrears through quarterly payments. It also approved in principle the establishment of the “IGAD Center of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence” as a new regional initiative, with a decision on its headquarters to be made during the council’s next ordinary session.

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