IGAD ministers meet in Djibouti amid regional crises

Foreign ministers and senior officials from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on Tuesday gathered in Djibouti for the regional bloc’s 74th Extraordinary Session of the Council of Ministers.

The meeting, chaired by Djibouti’s Foreign Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Abdoulkader Houssein Omar, is taking place amid conflicts, humanitarian crises and economic pressures across the Horn of Africa.

IGAD Executive Secretary Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu called for urgent action to address the organisation’s financial difficulties.

“Stabilise essential operations now, settle historical arrears in an orderly way, and build a financing framework that prevents this recurring,” Workneh told ministers and heads of delegation.

He said conflicts beyond the region are affecting ports, fuel supplies, food markets and humanitarian budgets.

Nearly 49 million people in IGAD member states are acutely food insecure and more than 19 million are displaced within their own countries, Workneh said.

He described Sudan as being at the centre of one of the world’s gravest humanitarian crises.

“Sudan remains the epicentre of one of the gravest crises,” he said.

The IGAD chief also highlighted the strategic importance of the Red Sea, saying the “southern gate of the Red Sea changed hands” the previous week.

IGAD’s Executive Secretary H.E @DrWorkneh remarks during the official opening of the 74th Extraordinary Session of the IGAD Council of Ministers held today in Djibouti, Djibouti.

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September 15, 2026

Dr Workneh welcomed Sudan’s return to IGAD after it resumed full membership in February. He said he had travelled to Khartoum in July and reopened the organisation’s mission there.

Sudan is represented at the meeting by a delegation headed by Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ambassador Muawiya Khalid.

South Sudan’s planned December elections are also on the agenda. Dr. Workneh congratulated Djibouti, Ethiopia and Uganda on elections held with IGAD observation and said the bloc is looking towards South Sudan as it prepares for its polls.

South Sudan’s Foreign Minister, James Pitia Morgan, attended the session in Djibouti.

The meeting also comes as IGAD moves towards a new treaty framework. Dr Workneh said five of the bloc’s seven member states had ratified the new IGAD Treaty, allowing it to enter into force.

He said the IGAD Secretariat would present ministers with reports on the political and security situation in the region, as well as the organisation’s institutional performance and finances.

Dr Workneh said IGAD’s financial problems are “real” and “measurable”, but could be addressed through measures to strengthen its operations and establish a sustainable financing system.

He also called for preparations for the expected El Niño season and proposed a regional initiative to increase the Horn of Africa’s role in artificial intelligence development.

Despite the challenges facing the region, Dr Workneh said IGAD’s recent performance showed some progress.

He said 77% of priority areas at the IGAD Secretariat were on track during the first half of the year, while the bloc’s early warning systems had exceeded their half-year targets.

He also said health coverage had improved from 60% to 65%.

“We have challenges and we have success stories as well,” he said.

The Council of Ministers is expected to review conflicts and security challenges in the region and consider measures to promote peace and stability.

Ministers are also expected to discuss institutional reforms, implementation of the new IGAD Treaty and cooperation with international partners, including the United Nations and the UN Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa.

The session is expected to conclude with the adoption of a communiqué setting out decisions taken by the ministers and the bloc’s next steps.

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