The 42nd Extraordinary Assembly of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in East Africa, Heads of State and Government, hosted by Uganda, has convened at State House Entebbe on January 18, 2024, to discuss the escalating conflicts in the Horn of Africa.

According to Ismail Omar Guelleh, the President of Djibouti who chaired the meeting as the IGAD Chairperson, the member states have convened due to the devastating regional conflict among member states of Sudan and the recent relational clashes between Somalia and Ethiopia, among others.

“Despite this demanding security, we convene today, and there is a sense of urgency as our region grapples with challenging times, be it the devastating conflict in our system, the nation of Sudan, or the recent developments regarding the relations between Somalia and Ethiopia,” he said.

President Guelleh said that the summit was confirmed at the request of the Federal Republic of Somalia due to the demand for a response to the recent signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Federal Republic of Somalia, where so many left.

He noted that the summit is a forum that provides them with a unique opportunity to collectively engage in the deliberations on every disturbing development arising in the region.

President Guelleh pointed out the tendency of heads of state to fear the responsibility of steering their nations in challenging times associated with issues that matter most to the nations and people. He therefore called for cooperation, hoping for the summit to yield positive and robust cooperation.

The government of Somalia urged the two conflicting parties of Ethiopia and the Federal Republic of Somalia, Sudan, which is encompassed by fighting, to de-escalate tensions but engage in constructive dialogues and negotiations. As a result, she expressed the group’s readiness and commitment to end the conflict in a persuasive and amicable manner through an immediate call for a ceasefire.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni thanked delegates for accepting to attend the meeting on short notice to discuss two disturbing issues, pointing out Sudan, which he described as unjust.

“The freedom fighters pay a lot of attention to doing work. When we were fighting for freedom, our anticolonial wars were just wars because we were fighting for justice and we were not gated by any other means,” he said.

The assembly acknowledged President Museveni and the people of Uganda for hosting and successfully organizing the 42nd IGAD, NAM, and G77 summits.

The meeting was attended by heads of state, including President William Ruto of Kenya, H.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia, and H.E. Salva Kiir Mayard of South Sudan.

Other dignitaries in attendance included H.E Dr. Workneh Gabeyehu, the Executive Secretary of IGAD, and H.E Moussa Faki Mahamat, the African Union Chair, H.E. Eng. Waleed M. Alkhuraji, Deputy Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; H.E. Annette Weber, European Union Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa; H.E. Ambassador Michael Hammer, US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa; H.E. Hossam Eldin Mohamed, Assistant Secretary General of the League of Arab States; H.E. Mohamed Abdi Ware, IGAD Deputy Executive Secretary; Ambassador Ismail Wais (PhD), IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan and IGAD representative for the Sudan Peace Process; Ambassador Mohamed Ali Guyo (PhD), IGAD Special Envoy for the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Somalia; and, Chief-of-Staff of the Office of the UN Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in Eastern Africa was created in 1996 in order to replace the Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD), which was founded in 1986, with the aim of mitigating the effects of the recurring severe droughts and other natural disasters that resulted in widespread famine, ecological degradation, and economic hardship in the Horn of Africa.

IGAD is comprised of eight member states, including Uganda, Kenya, Djibouti, Somalia, South Sudan, Ethopia, Sudan, and Eritrea. The previous IGAD summit was held in December 2023.