A sign of tension with Ethiopia: Eritrea is once again disengaging from IGAD ties.

Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia after a long military conflict, and the two sides later engaged in a border war that ended with an agreement signed in Algeria in 2000 (French).

Eritrea announced on Friday its withdrawal from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD ), while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern over the tension between Asmara and Addis Ababa .

The Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Asmara informed the Secretary-General of the IGAD organization that its decision to withdraw came after the organization lost its legal mandate and its inability to achieve regional stability or meet the aspirations of the peoples of the Horn of Africa .

Eritrea has accused the organization of becoming a political tool used against some member states, in a reference to Ethiopia, with which it has strained relations.

The Eritrean government said that the organization's continued evasion of legal obligations made its continued presence within the bloc pointless.

The statement noted that Eritrea reactivated its membership in June 2023 in the hope of advancing the organization's reform process, but has not seen any improvement in its performance.

A regrettable decision

For its part, IGAD expressed its regret over the decision of the Government of the State of Eritrea to withdraw from the organization.

 In a statement, she said that Eritrea had previously suspended its membership for two decades, and that the IGAD summit in June 2023 decided to reinstate Eritrea to the IGAD, in a solidarity move that affirms a collective commitment for the benefit of the region and to enhance cooperation, and that the Secretariat has remained open and has worked positively for the benefit of the organization.

The statement explained that the decision to withdraw was taken without presenting concrete proposals or entering into consultations regarding institutional reforms or specific policies, stressing that its existing consultative channels have always remained open for dialogue.

The statement affirmed that IGAD will engage with the Eritrean government and encourage it to reconsider its decision and fully rejoin the organization in good faith, in service of the common goals of peace, stability and development in the region.

The statement reaffirmed IGAD’s commitment to working towards strengthening regional cooperation and collective dialogue to serve the peoples of the Horn of Africa.

The grudges of history and geography

It is worth noting that Eritrea’s first withdrawal from the IGAD organization marked a pivotal moment in the history of relations between the two parties.

In 2007, Asmara announced its withdrawal from the organization in protest against accusations that Eritrea was supporting the Somali militant group al-Shabaab. Eritrea denied these accusations and accused Ethiopia of aggression against both Eritrea and Somalia .

On that day, Asmara accused IGAD of siding with Addis Ababa.

Following the peace agreement between Eritrea and Ethiopia in 2018, relations improved, and Ethiopia called on IGAD, the United Nations , and the African Union to work with Eritrea and lift sanctions against it, paving the way for the return of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Eritrea officially resumed its membership and participated in the 14th Ordinary Summit of IGAD.

Today’s withdrawal raises concerns about escalating tensions between Eritrea and Ethiopia, which fought a border war that ended 25 years ago under an agreement signed in Algeria.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern over the tension between Ethiopia and Eritrea, stressing that any further escalation between the two countries would threaten the fragile stability in the Horn of Africa.

Source: Al Jazeera