Somalia’s parliament ratifies revised IGAD treaty, boosting regional integration
The vote makes Somalia the fifth IGAD member state to ratify the new treaty, joining Djibouti, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Kenya.
Mogadishu (Somali Report) — Somalia’s lower house of parliament on Wednesday overwhelmingly ratified the revised treaty of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, or IGAD, bringing the bloc closer to fully implementing its updated legal framework.
Lawmakers approved the treaty by a wide margin, with 141 of the 144 members present voting in favor, two opposing the measure and one abstaining, according to the Speaker Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur, Madobe, who was chairing the session.
The vote makes Somalia the fifth IGAD member state to ratify the new treaty, joining Djibouti, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Kenya.
The treaty was presented to the House of the People by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ali Omar Balcad, who described it as critical to Somalia’s political stability and its role in regional cooperation across the Horn of Africa.
IGAD welcomed Somalia’s ratification on Wednesday, calling it an important milestone in the organization’s efforts to operationalize the revised treaty, which replaces the 1996 agreement that originally established the regional bloc.
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“I extend my warm congratulations to the Federal Republic of Somalia on the ratification of the IGAD Treaty, and commend the Somali Parliament and Government for their decisive leadership in advancing this important milestone,” IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu said in a statement.
The new treaty is the result of a revitalization process aimed at strengthening IGAD’s legal and institutional foundations. The updated framework is designed to deepen cooperation among member states on peace and security, climate resilience, infrastructure development, health, trade and broader social development.
As IGAD marks its 40th anniversary, Somalia’s approval helps the organization reach the two-thirds ratification threshold required to move forward with implementing the revised framework, Gebeyehu said.
“This strengthens the legal basis for deeper regional integration and more coordinated action in trade, peace and sustainable development across the Horn of Africa,” he added.
Somali officials said the ratification reaffirms the country’s commitment to regional cooperation and to the principles of mutual respect, partnership and shared development that underpin IGAD.
The regional officials say the bloc is moving closer to a new phase of cooperation, one intended to strengthen collective responses to shared challenges and advance peace, stability and development across East Africa and the Horn of Africa.
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