ERITREA has officially rejoined the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the East African bloc, after a politically isolated period of nearly 16 years. Information Minister Yemane Meskel made the announcement on Monday during a summit organised by the seven-nation bloc in Djibouti.
‘Eritrea resumed its activity in IGAD and took its seat,’ stated Meskel on Twitter. He added that the country is ready to work towards ‘peace, stability, and regional integration.’
Eritrea had suspended its membership in IGAD back in 2007 following a series of disagreements, including a dispute over the bloc’s decisi
on to appoint Kenya as a mediator in the border conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993 but engaged in a two-year border war that strained relations
until a peace agreement was reached in 2018.
Following the reconciliation with Ethiopia, Eritrean troops supported Ethiopian forces during the federal government’s conflict against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). The Eritrean troops faced accusations of committing serious atrocities during the conflict, with the United States and rights groups holding them responsible. Although a peace deal signed in November 2022 called for the withdrawal of foreign forces from the Tigray region, Eritrean troops remained present in border areas of Tigray, as reported by residents who accused the soldiers of murder, rape, and looting.
Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki had previously expressed his country’s intention to rejoin IGAD during a visit to Kenya in February. While President Isaias did not attend the Monday summit in Djibouti, Foreign Minister Osman
Saleh and Presidential Adviser Yemane Ghebreab represented Eritrea at the meeting.
Workneh Gebeyehu, the executive secretary of IGAD, welcomed Eritrea’s return to the bloc in an official statement, saying, ‘Let me take this opportunity to welcome back the State of Eritrea to the IGAD family.’
Eritrea, often referred to as the ‘North Korea’ of Africa, has faced sanctions from the United States after sending troops into the Tigray region. The country has been criticised for severe human rights abuses and press freedom restrictions.
Human Rights Watch called for fresh sanctions against Eritrea in February, accusing the country of forcibly conscripting thousands of individuals, including minors, for mandatory military service during the Tigray conflict. Eritrea ranks poorly in global indices for press freedom, hum
an rights, civil liberties, and economic development.
