By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Eritrea has announced its exit from East African regional bloc IGAD, accusing the body of “becoming a tool against” countries like itself.
In a statement on Friday, Eritrea’s foreign ministry said Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) had strayed from its founding principles and failed to contribute to regional stability.
“Eritrea finds itself compelled to withdraw its membership from an organisation that has forfeited its legal mandate and authority; offering no discernible strategic benefit to all its constituencies,” the ministry said on Friday.
The withdrawal comes amid a fierce war of words with the neighbouring Ethiopia, leading to heightened renewed tension over a possible armed conflict.
IGAD was established to promote regional stability and food security in East Africa. Its membership also includes Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, and Djibouti.
In response to Eritrea’s statement, IGAD said the country had not made any “tangible proposals” or engaged with reforms.
The government in Eritrea’s capital, Asmara, has long accused IGAD of siding with Ethiopia in regional disputes.
Eritrea had in 2007 left the bloc, during its border dispute with Ethiopia and rejoined in 2023.
In response, IGAD said that since the country returned to the bloc it had not “participated in IGAD meetings, programmes, or activities”.
The withdrawal comes as tensions rise increasing between Eritrea and Ethiopia, two countries that have a long history of deadly conflict.
Since 2023, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been demanding access to the Red Sea through Eritrea, resulting in a furious response from Asmara.
After a decades-long battle for independence, Eritrea officially seceded from Ethiopia in 1993, leaving the latter landlocked.
During this conflict, Eritrea was accused of destabilising the region by interfering in the internal affairs of IGAD member countries, an allegation Asmara always denied.
Instead, Eritrea accused its neighbours of siding with Western powers to destabilise it.
