Eritrea withdraws from IGAD regional grouping as tensions with Ethiopia rise

Eritrea has withdrawn from the East African regional group IGAD, accusing the organization of “becoming a tool against” countries like itself.

Eritrea’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday that IGAD had strayed from its founding principles and failed to contribute to regional stability.

The withdrawal comes amid a fierce war of words between Eritrea and neighboring Ethiopia, leading to fears of another armed conflict.

In response to Eritrea’s statement, IGAD said the country had not yet made any “concrete proposals” or reforms.

IGAD was established to promote regional stability and food security in East Africa, and its members include Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda and Djibouti.

The government in Eritrea’s capital Asmara has long accused Igad of siding with Ethiopia in regional disputes.

Eritrea left the EU in 2007 due to a border dispute with Ethiopia. It won’t rejoin until 2023.

“Eritrea finds itself forced to withdraw from an organization that has lost its legitimate mandate and authority; and that provides no clear strategic benefits to all its supporters,” Eritrea’s foreign ministry said on Friday.

In its response, IGAD said it had not “participated in IGAD meetings, programs or events” since the country returned to the EU.

The withdrawal comes amid rising tensions between Eritrea and Ethiopia, which have a long history of deadly conflict.

From 2023 onwards, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been demanding access to the Red Sea through Eritreaeliciting a strong reaction from Asmara.

After decades of struggle for independence, Eritrea formally broke away from Ethiopia in 1993, leaving the latter landlocked.

Abiy and other senior Ethiopian officials have even questioned Addis Ababa’s recognition of Eritrea’s independence amid calls for sea lanes.

Abiy won the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for making peace with Eritrea’s strongman President Isaias Afwerki after a two-year border dispute sparked a war that killed more than 100,000 people.

In the conflict, Eritrea has been accused of interfering in the internal affairs of IGAD member states and destabilizing the region, a charge Asmara has always denied.

Instead, Eritrea accuses its neighbors of siding with Western powers to destabilize it.

Instigated by Addis Ababa, IGAD asked the African Union and the United Nations Security Council to impose sanctions on Eritrea.

Eritrea severed diplomatic relations with Djibouti, where IGAD is headquartered, after a border dispute between the two countries in 2009.

Ethiopia’s former foreign minister Workneh Gbiehu now heads IGAD, fueling Asmara’s suspicion of the organization.

IGAD has been criticized by many for failing to bring stability and regional integration to the Horn of Africa, a region plagued by civil war, terrorism and intra-state rivalry.