IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu urges elders to lead peace efforts in conflict-hit region

IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu has called on the Council of Eminent Persons to reclaim their role as neutral peacemakers, warning that political crises and armed conflicts across the Horn of Africa have outpaced formal diplomacy and threaten to undo decades of regional progress.

Speaking at the opening of the IGAD Forum for Eminent Personalities and Leaders for Peace in Nairobi, Workneh said the Council must remain independent and impartial amid growing instability in South Sudan, Somalia, and Sudan, alongside climate shocks and emerging threats such as pandemics.

“Your impartiality and independence are valued beyond measure. Your traditional wisdom fills the gap when formal frameworks fail. Your towering stature gives voice to the voiceless,” he said on Thursday.

He reminded the Council that its legitimacy is not drawn from formal authority but from earned trust.

“We must be above the fray, listening to every voice, ensuring our actions serve all our people, not merely a privileged few,” Gebeyehu said.

Gebeyehu recalled the formation of the Council during the 14th IGAD Summit in 2023, terming it a bold recognition that elder statesmanship remains a powerful tool for resolving conflict.

“Elder statesmanship is not merely tradition, but a mighty instrument in our collective pursuit of peace,” the Executive Secretary added, noting that elders have historically played key roles in resolving disputes and restoring trust in communities.

With IGAD set to mark its 40th anniversary in 2026, Gebeyehu said the Council has an opportunity to secure a lasting legacy by endorsing two major institutional shifts: full diplomatic status for IGAD’s preventive diplomacy missions and formal recognition of the Council within IGAD’s governance structures.

“This represents transformation from reactive to proactive peacebuilding,” he said, noting that early action could save lives and resources.

Gebeyehu described the region’s current situation as a “double danger”, a combination of weak leadership capacity and overlapping crises that demand urgent and credible mediation.

“From the terrorist insurgency in Somalia to the political situation in South Sudan, and the hot war in Sudan… we inevitably face a perfect storm of destruction,” he warned.

Going further, IGAD’s Executive Secretary challenged the Council to re-examine its neutrality, cautioning against losing moral clarity amid shifting political landscapes.

“Are we still walking that hallowed path of wisdom and impartiality? Have we remained as neutral as those giants who came before us?” Gebeyehu posed.

He also praised Kenya’s hospitality and thanked Japan for its continued support for IGAD’s peacebuilding agenda.

Calling for unity and renewed purpose, Gebeyehu urged the Council to help “diminish the thunder of conflict into the whisper of reconciliation” and to create space for dialogue where formal peace mechanisms are blocked.

“The hour might be late, but it is not too late. The challenges are mighty, but we are mightier still. The path is treacherous, but we are firm of footing,” he declared.

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He concluded by reminding leaders that the future will judge their actions.

“Let us not be indifferent to it. Let us inspire it, let us guide it, and let us deliver unto it the peace for which all our people in the IGAD region and indeed all of humanity yearns.”