The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has welcomed Sudan’s decision to resume full participation in the regional bloc, describing the move as pivotal to restoring regional peace, unity and diplomacy in the Horn of Africa.
In a statement issued on Monday from IGAD headquarters in Djibouti, the organisation’s executive secretary, Workneh Gebeyehu, said Sudan’s return reaffirmed the principles of regional solidarity and collective commitment to peace, stability and cooperation.
“We welcome Sudan back to the regional bloc because its membership reaffirms the principles of regional solidarity and collective commitment to peace, stability and cooperation across the region,” Workneh said.
He said Sudan’s renewed engagement as a founding member state had strengthened IGAD’s unity and enhanced the bloc’s capacity to address shared regional priorities, including peace and security.
Workneh also commended the leadership of the current IGAD chairperson, Djibouti’s president Ismail Omar Guelleh, crediting him with providing strategic and constructive guidance that prioritised dialogue and consensus-building in advancing regional cohesion.
Sudan’s resumption of membership follows renewed diplomatic consultations within the region and reflects growing recognition of the need for coordinated regional engagement to address the conflict in Sudan and its cross-border implications.
IGAD said it was ready to work closely with Sudan to advance efforts towards a peaceful resolution of the crisis and to secure a stable future for the Sudanese people and the wider region.
Sudan’s return is widely seen as a step towards restoring a unified regional approach at a time when instability in the country continues to pose significant humanitarian, security and economic threats to the Horn of Africa.
Fighting between the Rapid Support Forces led by Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and the Sudanese Armed Forces led by Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has severely destabilised the country.
Sudan was suspended from IGAD in January 2024 after the RSF leader, Dagalo, was invited to an IGAD summit hosted in Uganda to discuss the conflict. Khartoum strongly objected to the invitation, arguing that it conferred political legitimacy on an armed group engaged in hostilities against the state.
The decision triggered Sudan’s withdrawal from the bloc amid mounting friction over regional mediation efforts, with the government raising concerns about neutrality and the structure of dialogue initiatives involving the two warring parties.
The RSF and the Sudanese army have been at war since April 2023, a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced more than 11 million and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, according to international humanitarian agencies.
