S. Sudan admitted to IGAD regional bloc

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

November 25 (ADDIS ABABA) – The Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on Friday officially admitted South Sudan as a member state.

“The Republic of South Sudan have taken a pro-active measure for membership to IGAD, and their membership was approved by the summit,” IGAD executive secretary Mahboub Maalim told the press following the IGAD Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

South Sudan became an independent state on 9 July 2011, was admitted to the UN General Assembly on 14 July and the African Union (AU) on 27 July.

South Sudan embassy in Addis Ababa welcomed their admission and pledged the new nation would contribute positively to the east African region.

“We the people of South Sudan are profoundly grateful to all the IGAD member states for admitting South Sudan as a permanent member of the intergovernmental authority on development” David Dang Kong, deputy head of mission in Addis Ababa told Sudan Tribune.

“We want to assure all IGAD member countries that South Sudan and its people will play a vital role in horn of Africa as well as in Africa as a whole to bring development and peace into the region”

The IGAD summit discussed the current political, humanitarian and security situation in war-ravaged Somalia and particular deliberated on the recent Somali joint military operations in South and Central Somalia.

The Summit also received a brief from the AU on the implementation of the outstanding issues of the Sudan Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

The CPA ended more than two decades of Sudanese civil war in 2005. However, since independence stipulations such as the sharing of oil wealth, border demarcation and popular consultations remain unresolved. Also, both Sudans accuse one another of supporting rebel movements, conflict with whom is leading to the displacement of thousands.

(ST)