By Abdullahi Salad - Reporter
DJIBOUTI, September 15, 2026 - Foreign ministers from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) met in Djibouti on Tuesday as the regional bloc’s new treaty formally entered into force following ratification by five of its seven member states.
IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu announced the treaty’s entry into force in opening remarks published by the bloc.
The 2023 treaty replaces the agreement that established IGAD in 1996. IGAD says it strengthens the bloc’s legal and institutional foundation for cooperation on peace and security, climate resilience, infrastructure, health, trade and social development.
Somalia ratified the treaty in January 2026, joining Djibouti, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Kenya and bringing the number of ratifying states to five, according to an IGAD statement. Gebeyehu said implementing the new framework would depend on the commitment of member governments.
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The 74th extraordinary session of the IGAD Council of Ministers was chaired by Djibouti’s Foreign Minister Abdoulkader Houssein Omar. Gebeyehu said he would present ministers with reports on the state of the region and IGAD’s institutional performance and finances.
He urged the council to stabilise essential operations, settle outstanding arrears and establish a funding framework to prevent financial problems from recurring.
Gebeyehu said nearly 49 million people in IGAD member states faced acute food insecurity, while more than 19 million were displaced within their own countries. He described Sudan as the centre of one of the world’s gravest humanitarian emergencies.
He also called for preparations ahead of the coming El Niño season and noted Somalia’s recent accession to the African Continental Free Trade Area.