Mogadishu, Somalia – Somalia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, has strongly criticized IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development), stating that Somalia has gained nothing from the regional bloc except conflict, instability, and destruction.

Responding to a question about whether Somalia plans to leave the East African Community (EAC) since most Horn of Africa nations are not members, Minister Fiqi expressed dissatisfaction with IGAD, arguing that EAC has been more beneficial for Somalia, particularly in terms of economic development.

“What have we gained from IGAD? Guns, conflict, bombings, and problems. Nothing useful came out of this narrow-market organization,” the minister stated.

Somalia’s Alignment with Regional Blocs

Minister Fiqi emphasized that Somalia has directly benefited from joining the EAC, as Somali traders were already deeply integrated within its member states.

“Our traders were already part of those communities (EAC), and they have brought back wealth and profit,” he added.

IGAD, established in 1996, consists of eight countries: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, Eritrea, and South Sudan. Initially, its mission was to tackle droughts and environmental challenges in the Horn of Africa. However, Minister Fiqi stressed that Somalia has not benefited from IGAD in any tangible way, whereas EAC focuses on economic growth and regional trade integration.

In contrast, the East African Community (EAC), founded in 1967 and revived in 2000, currently has eight member states: Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Somalia officially joined the EAC in December 2023 after signing its accession treaty in Kampala, Uganda.

Cultural Context of the Minister’s Remarks

Minister Fiqi’s reference to “narrow-market organization” was likely a phrase referring to the physical and ethnic differences between Horn of Africa populations and the Bantu-majority nations in East Africa.

In many African societies, Bantu ethnic groups are recognized for having broader facial features, particularly wider noses, compared to Horn of Africa populations, who generally have narrower facial structures.

The EAC predominantly consists of Bantu-majority nations, such as Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, and DRC, while IGAD is composed of countries with fewer Bantu populations. This demographic contrast may have influenced the minister’s choice of words when comparing the two organizations.