NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 20- The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) leaders converged in Djibouti on Sunday with hopes of solving regional troubles that are pulling them back amid COVID-19 pandemic.
Among the issues the leaders will discuss will be Ethiopia internal conflict, border conflict between Ethiopia and Sudan and Kenya’s diplomatic spat with Somalia.
President Uhuru Kenyatta is among those who arrived in Djibouti on Sunday ahead of the scheduled meeting.
Somalia’s Mohamed Farmajo arrived there on Saturday alongside Sudan Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok who is the IGAD chairman and African Union Commission chairman Mousa Faki.
IGAD is a body comprising seven countries in the Horn of Africa. The regional organisation based in Djibouti supports its member states in their manifold development efforts, especially in the areas of peace processes and food security.
Members include Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.
Somalia had last week written a letter to the regional authority to mediate the ongoing stalemate which observers fear might have a spill-over effect in the region.
A statement from the Somalia Ministry of Foreign affairs revealed Hamdock had called the meeting in an attempt to strike consensus between the two neighbours.
Somalia on November 29 expelled Kenya’s ambassador Lt. General (Rtd) Lucas Tumbo and recalled its envoy Ahmed Nuur, after accusing Kenya of interfering with its electoral process further calling for consultations.
A move Somalia said caused Jubaland President Ahmed Islam Madobe to renege on an election agreement.
These are claims Kenya has denied terming the allegations as “unsubstantiated” as it called on Somalia to focus and remain true to its political commitments and avoid, “distracting actions.”
In the ongoing war of words, Somalia has also accused Kenya, particularly the Kenya Defence Forces in Somalia under AMISOM of withdrawing its troops in the strategic towns of Fafadhun and Busaar without consulting the Federal government.
Last year, Kenya recalled its ambassador after Somalia decided to auction off oil and gas exploration blocks at the centre of a maritime territorial dispute.
The matter is before the International court of justice (ICJ).
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