Ethiopia to Skip IGAD Summit Due to “Overlapping Schedule”
GOOBJOOG NEWS | ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopia has said it will not attend the IGAD extraordinary summit scheduled for January 18th in Kampala, Uganda due to “overlapping schedule.”
The extraordinary summit brings together heads of state and government from IGAD member states, as well as representatives from the African Union and international partners and aims to facilitate dialogue and seek peaceful resolutions to both the Sudan conflict and the Ethiopia-Somalia dispute, promoting stability and regional cooperation.
In a letter issued by the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and addressed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Djibouti and the IGAD Secretariat Ethiopian said “commitment to a prior engagement that overlaps with the scheduled meeting and the short notice extended to convene the extraordinary summit” made it difficult for Ethiopia to attend the meeting.
Alternative Dates
The letter further states that, “Ethiopia stands ready to discuss alternative dates in line with the rules of procedure governing meetings of the IGAD.”
The meeting was called for by Ismail Omar Guelleh, president of Djibouti in his capacity as current chair of the IGAD to discuss ongoing tension between Ethiopia and Somalia following the signing of Ethiopia-Somaliland MoU, as well as the war in Sudan.
The Sudanese government has earlier announced its withdrawal from the upcoming summit emphasizing the necessity for a face-to-face meeting between Sudan’s top military leaders, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemetti), to address pressing issues before broader discussions can occur. It later severed ties with the regional body.