Isaias Afwerki, the president of Eritrea, visited Kenya to hold bilateral talks with Kenyan President William Ruto, and it was during this visit that he mentioned rejoining the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
As part of their efforts to improve relations, the two presidents agreed to waive visa requirements for their citizens. They also agree to work together to promote regional peace and stability.
Afwerki announced that his country would rejoin IGAD, a trade bloc that it had left in 2007 due to a disagreement with Ethiopia over Ethiopian troops in Somalia.
“This is an obligation in the name of the people of the Horn region,” Afwerki said in a statement at Kenya’s State House.”We have to assume responsibility and revitalize IGAD so that we can have a functional, real organization for the region. Without that mechanism, ideas and goodwill will not be productive. ” We will have to create an institution that is functional and result-oriented so that we can say we have changed the face of the region.”
The statement by the head of state came amid numerous allegations of Eritrea’s human rights violations in two conflicts that erupted in November 2020 between Ethiopian federal government forces and the Tigray rebel group.
Eritrean troops are said to have aided Ethiopia in its fight against Tigray. Later, in November 2022, representatives from the Tigray region and the Ethiopian government signed a peace agreement.
The problem arose when Eritrean troops refused to leave the Tigray region months after the truce was signed.
Afwerki, for his part, denies his troops’ involvement in the fighting and their presence in Ethiopia.
“Why are you bothered about the Eritrean troops who are there or not there? Come out and not come out,” he said. “Let’s assume the peace process in Ethiopia is going on without any obstacles. We would like to see the agreement signed in Pretoria and Nairobi implemented on the ground so that we can secure peace and stability in Ethiopia for the benefit not only of Ethiopians but the whole region,” Afwerki stated.
Eritrea’s newfound relationship with Kenya is expected to have a positive impact and may even help to ease tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea.
According to Patrick Mutahi, a Research Fellow at the Center for Human Rights and Policy Studies in Nairobi, the two presidents’ meeting is poised to push Ethiopia’s tense peace to hold—while calling on Isaias to withdraw completely from Ethiopia.
Mutahi claims that President Ruto’s first visit to Eritrea in December 2022 resulted in a gradual Eritrean retreat from Tigray.
He goes on to say that rejoining IGAD would bring Eritrea back into the diplomatic fold and end its regional isolation. Furthermore, he alludes to how Ruto suggested a rotational presidency in IGAD, much like the UN Security Council; a move that sweetened the pot for Eritrea.
Mutahi claims that if Eritrea becomes a good-standing member of IGAD, a presidency in the organization would improve the country’s image.
On his end, President Ruto said he expects Eritrea to support the region’s ongoing security operations and peace efforts.
“I look forward to working with you to ensure that we stabilize Somalia, we eliminate terrorism and we build a much more secure region,” Ruto said. “I also look forward to working with you in resolving the issues in Sudan and South Sudan, and working with our brothers in Ethiopia to build a better region for all our people and ensuring we make this region attractive for investment, trade, and business.”
Following President Afwerki’s declaration, Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, Executive Secretary of IGAD, published a statement welcoming Afwerki to the organization, stating that Eritrea would play an important role in regional integration.
“I’m delighted with and welcome the re-affirmation by H.E. President Isaias Afeworki in Nairobi this afternoon of his commitment to rejoin the IGAD family! I thank H.E. @WilliamsRuto for his efforts in this regard.#Eritrea is an important player in the regional integration agenda”, Gebeyehu stated.
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