Intergovernmental Authority on Development

Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) الهيئة الحكومية للتنمية Autorité intergouvernementale pour le développement
Seal
Member states   Withdrawn   Suspended Headquarters
Headquarters	Djibouti City, Djibouti
Official languages	English
Membership	7 member states   Djibouti   Eritrea   Ethiopia   Kenya   Somalia   South Sudan [note 1]   Uganda 21 partner states [1]   Austria   Belgium   Canada   Chad   Denmark   Egypt   France   Germany   Greece   Ireland   Italy   Japan   Libya   Netherlands   Niger   Norway   Sweden   Tunisia   United Kingdom   United States   Yemen
Leaders
• Chair	Abdalla Hamdok
• Executive Secretary	Workneh Gebeyehu [2]
Establishment	January 1986 (as IGADD) 1996
Area
• Total	5,204,977 km2 (2,009,653 sq mi)
GDP  (PPP)	estimate
• Total	$337.82 billion
GDP  (nominal)	estimate
• Total	$393.042 billion
• Per capita	$888.5
Time zone	UTC+3 (East Africa Time)
Website igad.int

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is an eight-country trade bloc in Africa. It includes governments from the Horn of Africa, Nile Valley and the African Great Lakes. It is headquartered in Djibouti.

Formation

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development was established in 1996. It succeeded the earlier Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD), ^{[note 2]} a multinational body founded in 1986 by Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda and Kenya, with a focus on development and environmental control. IGADD's headquarters were later moved to Djibouti, following an agreement signed in January 1986 by the member states. Eritrea joined the organization in 1993, upon achieving independence. ^[3]

In April 1995, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government met in Addis Ababa, where they agreed to strengthen cooperation through the organization. This was followed with the signing of a Letter of Instrument to Amend the IGADD Charter / Agreement on 21 March 1996. The Revitalised IGAD, a new organizational structure, was eventually launched on 25 November 1996 in Djibouti. ^[3]

Member states

Horn of Africa

•   Djibouti (founding member, since 1986)
•   Eritrea (admitted 1993, withdrew 2007, attempted to rejoin in 2011, ^{[4] [5] [6]} rejoined 2023) ^[7]
•   Ethiopia (founding member, since 1986)
•   Somalia (founding member, since 1986)

Nile Valley

•   South Sudan (admitted 2011, ^[8] suspended December 2021) ^[9]
•   Sudan (founding member since 1986, suspended participation in 2024) ^[10]

African Great Lakes

•   Kenya (founding member, since 1986)
•   Uganda (founding member, since 1986)

Partner states

IGAD have partner states outside the Horn of Africa, Nile Valley and the African Great Lakes for participating at IGAD-RCP meetings on an ad hoc basis. ^[1]

•   Austria
•   Belgium
•   Canada
•   Chad
•   Denmark
•   Egypt
•   France
•   Germany
•   Greece
•   Ireland
•   Italy
•   Japan
•   Libya
•   Netherlands
•   Niger
•   Norway
•   Sweden
•   Tunisia
•   United Kingdom
•   United States
•   Yemen

IGASOM/AMISOM

Main article: AMISOM

In September 2006, the AU Peace and Security Council approved an IGAD proposal to deploy an IGAD Peace Support Mission in Somalia (IGASOM). ^[11]

On 21 February 2007, the United Nations Security Council approved Resolution 1744, which authorized the deployment of a new African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) in place of IGASOM. ^[12]

Current situation

• IGAD is a principal supporter of the Federal Government of Somalia and backed it through the AMISOM and ATMIS initiatives.
• IGAD expanded its activities in 2008 with initiatives to improve the investment, trade and banking environments of member states. The organization stressed the deployment of highly innovative programmes and mechanisms.

Structure

• The Assembly of Heads of State and Government is the supreme policy making organ of the Authority. It determines the objectives, guidelines and programs for IGAD and meets once a year. A Chairman is elected from among the member states in rotation.
• The Secretariat is headed by an Executive Secretary appointed by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government for a term of four years renewable once. The Secretariat assists member states in formulating regional projects in the priority areas, facilitates the coordination and harmonization of development policies, mobilizes resources to implement regional projects and programs approved by the council and reinforces national infrastructures necessary for implementing regional projects and policies. The current Executive Secretary is Workneh Gebeyehu of Ethiopia (since 29 November 2019). ^[13]
• The Council of Ministers is composed of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and one other Minister designated by each member state. The Council formulates policy, approves the work program and annual budget of the Secretariat during its biannual sessions.
• The Committee of Ambassadors comprises IGAD member states' Ambassadors or Plenipotentiaries accredited to the country of IGAD Headquarters. It convenes as often as the need arises to advise and guide the Executive Secretary.

Ambassador Mahboub Maalim handed over as Executive Secretary ^[14] to Workneh Gebeyehu in late 2019. Maalim, a Kenyan nominee, had served from 2008 to 2019.

Executive Secretaries ^[15]

No.	Name	Country	Took office	Left office
1	Mekonnen Kibret	Ethiopia	1986	1990
2	David Muduuli	Uganda	1991	1996
3	Tekeste Ghebray	Eritrea	1996	2000
4	Attalla Hamad Bashir	Sudan	2000	2008
5	Mahboub Maalim	Kenya	2008	2019
6	Workneh Gebeyehu	Ethiopia	2019	Incumbent

Comparison with other regional trade blocs

African Economic Community
Pillar regional blocs (REC)	Area (km²)	Population	GDP (PPP) ($US)		Member states
			(millions)	(per capita)
EAC	5,449,717	343,328,958	737,420	2,149	8
ECOWAS/CEDEAO	5,112,903	349,154,000	1,322,452	3,788	15
IGAD	5,233,604	294,197,387	225,049	1,197	7
AMU/UMA  4	6,046,441	106,919,526	1,299,173	12,628	5
ECCAS/CEEAC	6,667,421	218,261,591	175,928	1,451	11
SADC	9,882,959	394,845,175	737,392	3,152	15
COMESA	12,873,957	406,102,471	735,599	1,811	20
CEN-SAD  4	14,680,111				29
Total AEC	29,910,442	853,520,010	2,053,706	2,406	54
Other regional blocs	Area (km²)	Population	GDP (PPP) ($US)		Member states
			(millions)	(per capita)
WAMZ  1	1,602,991	264,456,910	1,551,516	5,867	6
SACU  1	2,693,418	51,055,878	541,433	10,605	5
CEMAC  2	3,020,142	34,970,529	85,136	2,435	6
UEMOA  1	3,505,375	80,865,222	101,640	1,257	8
UMA  2 4	5,782,140	84,185,073	491,276	5,836	5
GAFTA  3 4	5,876,960	1,662,596	6,355	3,822	5
AES	2,780,159	71,374,000	179,347		3
During 2004. Sources: The World Factbook 2005, IMF WEO Database.   Smallest value among the blocs compared.   Largest value among the blocs compared. 1: Economic bloc inside a pillar REC. 2: Proposed for pillar REC, but objecting participation. 3: Non-African members of GAFTA are excluded from figures. 4: The area 446,550 km2 used for Morocco excludes all disputed territories, while 710,850 km2 would include the Moroccan-claimed and partially-controlled parts of Western Sahara (claimed as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic by the Polisario Front). Morocco also claims Ceuta and Melilla, making up about 22.8 km2 (8.8 sq mi) more claimed territory. This box: view talk edit

See also

• East African Community (EAC)
• Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)

Notes

1. Suspended membership.
2. The "D" in "IGADD" abbreviation had multiple meanings (Drought or Disaster) while another "D" means "Development" afterwards.

References

1. "IGAD-RCP". IOM.int. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
2. "The IGAD ES Page". IGAD. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
3. "IGAD - About us". Intergovernmental Authority on Development. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
4. "Intergovernmental Authority on Development: About us: History". IGAD. 9 January 2010. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
5. "Eritrea rejoins East African bloc IGAD". Reuters. 28 July 2011. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
6. Befekadu Bogale (2014). "Eritrea's Relation with IGAD and the OAU/AU: The Domestic and International Dynamics". Turkish Journal of International Relations. 13 (3): 4.
7. "Eritrea rejoins east Africa trade and security bloc IGAD after 16 years". africanews. 14 June 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
8. "East African bloc admits South Sudan as member". Reuters Africa. 25 November 2011. Archived from the original on 5 May 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
9. Şafak, Yeni. "Regional bloc suspends South Sudan's membership over failure to pay fees". Yeni Şafak (in Turkish). Retrieved 2021-12-11.
10. "Sudan suspends ties with East African bloc over paramilitary leader's summit invitation | Fox News". Fox News .
11. "SOMALIA: African Union endorses regional peace plan". IRIN. 14 September 2006. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
12. "Resolution 1744 (2007)" (PDF). United Nations Security Council. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
13. "IGAD countries leaders applaud Dr Workneh's appointment as executive secretary". igad.int. Archived from the original on 2020-02-02. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
14. "Executive Secretary Hails Italy's Support to IGAD". Intergovernmental Authority on Development. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
15. "The IGAD ES Page". IGAD. Retrieved 2024-12-12.

External links

• IGAD official site
• Agreement Establishing the Intergovernmental Authority on Development
• IGAD Profile (Institute for Security Studies)
• Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism (CEWARN)