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eritrea On Friday withdrew from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development accusing East African The regional grouping of nations is working against the interests of the country.
At the same time, the United Nations expressed concern over the renewed tension between Eritrea and the neighboring country. EthiopiaWhich had signed a peace agreement 25 years ago.
Eritrea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday that it was withdrawing from “an organization that has lost its legal mandate and authority; is providing no clear strategic benefits to all its constituencies and has failed to contribute significantly to the stability of the region.”
Eritrea left IGAD in 2003 and rejoined two years ago, but said on Friday the bloc had failed to contribute to regional stability. IGAD responded by saying that Eritrea had not participated in regional activities since rejoining.
In addition to Eritrea and Ethiopia, IGAD includes Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda. According to its website, the organization works on regional policies related to trade, customs, transportation, communications, agriculture, natural resources and the environment.
Eritrea and Ethiopia have accused each other of interference in recent months, raising concerns over the possibility of a return to hostilities.
Ethiopia said it wanted to peacefully gain access to the Red Sea through Eritrea, on which it depended heavily for trade before secession. Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abi Ahmed It said in September that losing access to the sea was a “mistake” when Eritrea gained independence by breaking away from Ethiopia in 1993 to form a separate nation. Abiy’s rhetoric has been seen as provocative by Eritreans.
The office of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday urged both countries to “re-commit to the vision of lasting peace and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
The United Nations cited the Algiers Agreement signed in 2000, which ended nearly three decades of border war between Eritrea and Ethiopia. The United Nations called for recommitment to the agreement, which it described as a “vital framework” for peace.
Eritrea in June accused Ethiopia of a “long-running war agenda” aimed at seizing its Red Sea ports. Ethiopia recently claimed that Eritrea is “actively preparing to wage war against it”, as well as supporting Ethiopian rebel groups.