By Issa Hussein - Reporter
Ethiopia, May 18, 2026 - The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu has called on countries in the Horn of Africa to take greater ownership of the region’s peace and security challenges amid rising global uncertainty and shifting geopolitical alliances.
Speaking during the Elite Dialogue on Peace and Security in the Horn of Africa in Jigjiga, Ethiopia’s Somali region ,Dr Gebeyehu said the region possesses the capacity, leadership and institutions needed to resolve its own conflicts and chart a stable future.
“The Horn of Africa has the wisdom, institutions, governments, intellectuals, diplomats, and people to solve its own problems and build its own path to peace, stability, and shared prosperity,” he said.
The IGAD chief stressed the need for deeper dialogue and stronger regional cooperation to address persistent insecurity, political tensions and humanitarian crises that continue to affect parts of the Horn.
He warned that growing global fragmentation and changing international alliances should push countries in the region to strengthen unity and collective action rather than deepen divisions.
“At a time of growing global fragmentation and shifting alignments, the Horn must stand together, speak with clarity, and act with unity to secure its own peace and future,” Dr Gebeyehu said.
His remarks come at a time when the Horn of Africa continues to grapple with conflicts, climate-related shocks, displacement and cross-border security threats, while regional blocs increasingly push for African-led solutions to continental challenges.
The dialogue in Jigjiga brought together policymakers, diplomats, scholars and regional stakeholders to discuss peacebuilding, governance and cooperation in the Horn of Africa.
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