The Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Ambassador Mahboub Maalim, expresses support for the African Union’s (AU’s) call for the cancellation of Somalia’s debt. As rightfully stated in the Decisions document, the Executive Secretary views “debt cancellation as a means towards enhancing peace, security, development and durable solutions for displaced Somalis”. The member States of IGAD are: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, the Sudan, South Sudan and Uganda. Ambassador Maalim reiterated IGAD support to Somalia’s journey to peace and lasting development, and recalled that “Somali people deserve a peaceful and prosperous Somalia”. He concluded that a normalized Somalia “will be a major player towards regional integration in the sub-region”, according to the statement.

Source: News Business Ethiopia February 16, 2019 13:18 UTC