23 November 2000
Khartoum, Sudan — A one-day summit of the Inter-government Authority for Development or IGAD wound up Thursday, voicing satisfaction over the political developments aimed at achieving peace and collective development of the sub-region.
The leaders said they "have committed themselves to the promoting of participatory democracy and adapt it to suit local conditions."
"We also dedicate ourselves to promoting freedom of expression and association, transparency, good governance and the rule of the law in our member states," they added in a statement.
The summit, in particular, welcomed the developments that led to the formation of an interim government in Somalia and the cessation of hostilities between Eritrea and Ethiopia.
"It is our conviction that the implementation of the peace agreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea, under the OAU auspices, will bring a permanent solution to the conflict between them," the leaders said in the statement.
They also urged the parties to the civil war in Sudan to "transcend their ethnic and cultural differences and restore peace to the country."
They expressed their determination on economic integration among the states of the region, saying they would encourage the establishment of an interstate rail-road to link the member states.
Presidents Abdulkassim Salat Hassan of Somalia, Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti, Issais Afwerki of Erirea and Omar el Bashir of Sudan, and Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi attended the summit.
Kenya and Uganda were represented by their foreign ministers.
OAU Secretary General Salim Ahmed Salim and representatives of the European Union also attended the summit.
The foreign ministers of Egypt, Libya and South Africa attended as observers.
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