On Monday, June 12th, Yemane Gebremeskel Meskel, the Information Minister for Eritrea, announced that Eritrea has re-joined the East African bloc, the Inter-Government Authority on Development (IGAD), nearly 16 years after the politically isolated state pulled out of the body.
“Eritrea resumed its activity in IGAD and took its seat at the 14th Ordinary Summit in Djibouti,” Yemane G. Meskel twitted.
He said that the country has affirmed its readiness to work toward peace, stability and regional integration.
“Eritrea affirmed its readiness to endeavor, in conjunction with all Member States, to the rejuvenation and effectiveness of IGAD and the advancement of peace, stability and regional integration, he twitted.
On Monday, Meskel posted on Twitter that Eritrea had “resumed its activity in IGAD and taken its seat” at a summit the seven-nation bloc had organized in Djibouti.
“Eritrea affirmed its readiness to endeavor, in conjunction with all Member States, to the rejuvenation and effectiveness of IGAD and advancement of peace, stability and regional integration”, he added.
The authoritarian state suspended its membership in IGAD in 2007 following a string of disagreements, including over the bloc’s decision to ask Kenya to oversee the resolution of a border dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Eritrea broke away from Ethiopia in 1993 and fought a two-year border war with its neighbor, which poisoned relations until a peace agreement in 2018.
The mission of IGAD is to assist and complement the efforts of the member states to achieve, through increased cooperation, food security and environmental protection, peace and security, and economic cooperation and integration in the region.
