Intergovernmental Authority on Development

Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

An eight-member regional bloc in the Horn of Africa focused on drought response, security, and economic cooperation, headquartered in Djibouti.
Which countries are members of IGAD?
How does IGAD relate to the African Union?
What is IGAD's role in South Sudan?

Updated June 22, 2026

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In September 2018, IGAD facilitated the signing of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan between President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar in Addis Ababa.

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The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is a regional organization in the Horn of Africa established in 1996, succeeding the Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD), which had been created in 1986 to coordinate responses to recurrent droughts and famine. Its secretariat is based in Djibouti.

IGAD's member states are Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda. South Sudan joined in 2011 following independence. Eritrea suspended its participation in 2007 amid tensions over Ethiopia and Somalia policy, though it has periodically signaled re-engagement.

The organization's mandate covers three priority areas:

Agriculture, environment, and natural resources, including drought early-warning through the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) in Nairobi.
Economic cooperation and regional integration, including infrastructure and trade facilitation.
Peace and security, coordinated through the IGAD Security Sector Program and the Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism (CEWARN).

IGAD has played a prominent diplomatic role in regional conflicts. It mediated the negotiations that produced the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, ending the Second Sudanese Civil War. It has also led successive mediation efforts in South Sudan's civil war, producing the 2015 Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCSS) and the 2018 Revitalised Agreement (R-ARCSS). IGAD has additionally convened talks on the Sudan conflict that erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces.

IGAD is recognized as one of the eight Regional Economic Communities (RECs) that form the building blocks of the African Union's integration agenda. It cooperates closely with the AU Peace and Security Council and with external partners including the European Union, the United Nations, and the IGAD Partners Forum. The organization is led by an Assembly of Heads of State and Government, a Council of Ministers, and an Executive Secretary.

Frequently asked questions

Which countries are members of IGAD?

Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda, though Eritrea suspended its participation in 2007.

How does IGAD relate to the African Union?

IGAD is one of the eight Regional Economic Communities recognized by the African Union as building blocks of continental integration and partners with the AU on peace and security issues.

What is IGAD's role in South Sudan?

IGAD has led mediation in South Sudan's civil war, brokering the 2015 ARCSS and the 2018 Revitalised Agreement between the government and opposition factions.