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IGAD in East Africa
Introduction
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is an eight-member regional economic bloc in East Africa. It was established in 1996 to promote economic cooperation and integration among its member states, which include Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda. IGAD's primary focus is to foster peace and stability in the region, and it plays a major role in regional conflict resolution and peacebuilding initiatives. It has also been instrumental in facilitating the implementation of various regional economic and trade initiatives, such as the establishment of an East African Common Market, which seeks to create a single economic and trading bloc and enhance economic integration among its member countries. In addition, IGAD works to promote sustainable economic growth and development in the region by providing technical assistance to its member countries and encouraging regional infrastructure projects, such as the development of a regional power grid. Through its various initiatives, IGAD seeks to build a more prosperous, unified, and secure region. This paper will look at the history, purpose, achievements, and challenges of IGAD in East Africa.
History
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) was established in 1996 by seven countries in the Horn of Africa: Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda. It was created to promote regional economic cooperation and development, and to address security and political challenges in the region (Bereketeab, 2019). In some ways IGAD represents a kind of African League of Nations. It is similar to the League of Nations, for instance, in its purpose of promoting peace and security in the region. However, the the League of Nations was an international organization founded in 1919 as part of the Treaty of Versailles. It was formed to provide a forum for resolving international disputes, to guarantee the political independence and territorial integrity of its members, and to promote international cooperation. The League of Nations ultimately failed because of a lack of enforcement power, the reluctance of its members to cooperate, and the refusal of the United States to join (Northedge, 1986).
IGAD is more focused on economic and social development, as well as regional integration and cooperation, whereas the League of Nations was a global organization that made binding decisions on international disputes. Additionally, the IGAD has a larger membership than the League of Nations, comprising of eight countries in East Africa, compared to the League of Nations original 42 members.
Purpose
The purpose of IGAD is to promote regional integration and foster development in the region through cooperation and collaboration in areas such as trade, transportation, social development, and security. It also works to promote peace and stability, and to support the implementation of regional and international agreements. The organization's mission is to promote economic growth and development, strengthen democracy, and prevent and resolve conflicts in the region. IGAD works to achieve its objectives through four main areas of focus: peace and security, trade and investment, infrastructure and natural resources, and social development. These areas have different aspects to them and require separate analysis, but overall consist of the following:
Facilitating Peace and Security
IGAD has been instrumental in promoting peace and security in East Africa by mediating in regional conflicts, such as the conflict between Somalia and Ethiopia, and the civil wars in Sudan and South Sudan. IGAD has also been involved in creating regional policies and initiatives to address the root causes of conflict (Adetula et al., 2016). This includes the establishment of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism (CEWARN) in 2006, which provides early warning of potential conflicts and helps to facilitate mediation and conflict resolution (Tanui, 2020). IGAD has also played a role in facilitating peace and security in the region by providing support to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), which has been deployed to Somalia since 2007 to help stabilize the country (Malito & Yionen, 2016). In addition, IGAD has provided assistance to countries in the region in the form of humanitarian aid and development assistance. This includes support for refugees and internally displaced persons, as well as projects aimed at improving food security, health and education. Plus, IGAD has been involved in promoting regional economic integration, such as through the establishment of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) in 1994, which has helped to foster economic growth and development in the region by facilitating the free movement of goods, services, capital and labor, and in turn reduce the risk of regional violence.
Promoting Economic Integration
IGAD has been actively promoting economic integration in East Africa by facilitating the free movement of goods, services, and people across borders. It is also working to create a single market and production base in the region, which will help to boost economic growth and reduce poverty. This means that IGAD is working to create a unified customs union and common external tariff, which will reduce the cost of trading between East African Community (EAC) countries. The EAC is also working with IGAD to harmonize trade policies and regulations, an to create a single market for goods and services. It is also working to facilitate the free movement of...…and coordination, and better implementation of regional agreements. There is also a need for greater capacity building and technical assistance for IGAD member states, to help them develop their own strategies for regional integration. Finally, there are also challenges posed by climate change, which can have a significant impact on economic development and security in the region (Adetula et al., 2016).
One of the biggest challenges facing IGAD is the lack of resources and capacity. The organization is underfunded and understaffed, making it difficult to effectively carry out its mandate. In addition, IGAD has limited technical and financial resources, making it difficult to implement its programs and initiatives. Another challenge is the lack of political will from member states to fully engage in IGAD's activities. Member states often fail to provide the necessary support and resources needed to implement IGAD's initiatives. Finally, IGAD faces the challenge of conflict and fragility in the region. Conflict and fragility can hinder the organization's efforts to promote peace and stability in the region. In addition, it can impede the organization's ability to effectively implement its programs and initiatives. On top of this is the proliferation of small arms, weak economies and the ongoing violence in several member states, as well as displacement of large populations due to conflict. Moreover, many of these challenges are exacerbated by a lack of political will for peace amongst the larger regional powers within IGAD. These issues remain complex and must be addressed with speed and sensitivity if meaningful solutions are to be achieved. To enhance IGAD and ensure that it will play a larger and more effective role in East Africa in the future, the political will of member states will have to be strengthened and solidifiedfor it is on them that the success of IGAD most fully depends (De Waal, 2021).
Conclusion
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is an intergovernmental organization established in 1996 to promote economic integration and conflict resolution in the Horn of Africa. Its eight members are Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and Uganda. Since its creation, IGAD has achieved a range of major successes in areas such as regional trade and market integration and regional peace and security efforts. Additionally, it has contributed to infrastructure development aimed at reducing poverty by addressing challenges such poor road network connectivity between member states. Furthermore, it led effective responses to natural disasters including drought that have affected the region. In recent years however, IGAD's capacity to implement fully its mandate has been hindered by challenges such as lack of resources for programs implementation…
References
Adetula, V. A., Bereketeab, R., & Jaiyebo, O. (2016). Regional economic communitiesand peacebuilding in Africa: the experiences of ECOWAS and IGAD. Nordiska Afrikainstitutet.
Ayalew, T., & Abraham, K. (1999). The role of regional and sub-regional organizations:Statement by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). Refugee Survey Quarterly, 18(1), 102-106.
Bereketeab, R. (2019). Regional economic communities and peacebuilding: The IGADexperience. South African Journal of International Affairs, 26(1), 137-156.
De Waal, A., (2021). The ambiguities of self?determination: IGAD and the secession ofSouth Sudan. Nations and Nationalism, 27(1), pp.80-95.
Malito, D. V., & Ylönen, A. (2016). Bypassing the regional? International protagonism inthe IGAD peace processes in Sudan and Somalia. In Mapping Agency (pp. 35-58). Routledge.
Murithi, E. E. (2015). An evaluation of IGAD conflict early warning system in addressingthe Kenya post-election violence, 2007-2008 (Doctoral dissertation, University of Nairobi).
Northedge, F.S. (1986). The League of Nations: Its life and times, 1920–1946. LeicesterUniversity Press.
Tanui, C. C. (2020). Challenges And Prospects Of Prevention And Management OfConflicts In Africa: The Role Of Igad Early Warning Mechanism (Doctoral dissertation, University of Nairobi).
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