IGAD Secretary: Intensive Activity in New York for the Region

New York – Sudanhorizon

Intensive diplomatic activity by the Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Workneh Gebeyehu, on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, on regional issues.

In addition to his meeting with the Somali Foreign Minister, Workneh discussed with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Djibouti, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the current session of IGAD, views on peace and security issues in the region, stressing the continuation of work to exert efforts to calm tensions in the region and enhance regional cooperation.

The Executive Secretary of IGAD, Workneh Gebeyehu, also met with Rosemary DiCarlo, the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, stressing the urgent need to address the complex peace and security challenges in the Horn of Africa region.

The two parties agreed to enhance efforts and cooperation to develop a comprehensive roadmap to effectively calm tensions and enhance cohesion among member states. The meeting also discussed cooperation and partnership with the Office of the United Nations Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa in several areas of common interest.

Workneh discussed with US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee the challenges of peace and security in the region, with a focus on the Sudan crisis and efforts to ease regional tensions, stressing the need to enhance collaborative efforts to address these issues.

He reiterated the organization’s commitment to partner with the United States and other stakeholders to promote stability and peace across the region.

With the President of the Republic of Kenya, William Ruto, IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu was briefed on the regional peace and security situation, with a focus on ongoing conflicts and tensions.

The meeting also affirmed the two parties’ commitment to intensifying collaborative efforts to address these challenges, end conflicts, and de-escalate tensions in the region. The IGAD Secretary also commended the Kenyan President for his leadership of the Tumaini Initiative, which played a pivotal role in advancing the peace process in South Sudan.

Workneh participated in a meeting that included the European Union, Germany, the United States, France, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Sudan’s partners and neighboring countries.

During the ministerial meeting on Sudan, to unify joint efforts, IGAD’s commitment to work with all partners to achieve lasting peace and stability in Sudan was stressed.

“IGAD” is a sub-regional African governmental organization, founded in 1996, headquartered in Djibouti, and includes: Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Sudan, and South Sudan.

The organization’s official website states that the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) was established in East Africa in 1996 to replace the Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD), which was established in 1986 to mitigate the effects of severe recurrent drought and other natural disasters that led to widespread famine, as well as environmental degradation and economic difficulties in the region.

Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda have taken action through the United Nations to establish an intergovernmental body for development and drought control in their region.

Eritrea became the seventh member after gaining independence in 1993, and in 2011 South Sudan joined IGAD as the eighth member.