The Intergovernmental Authority on Development IGAD during its 13th Ordinary Summit of Heads of States and Government held in Ethiopia- has elected the Republic of Sudan as its new chair, the regional bloc announced on Friday following the conclusion of the Summit.

“The 13th Ordinary IGAD Summit of Heads of States and Government has concluded in Addis Ababa. The Summit adopted a new IGAD Structure. Sudan is the new chair of IGAD,” the IGAD secretariat announced on Friday.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) was first established in 1996. The bloc replaced the earlier Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD), a multinational body founded in 1986 by Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda and Kenya, with a focus on development and environmental control.