Addis Ababa — Ethiopia has renewed its call for deeper regional economic integration as a cornerstone for achieving lasting peace in the Horn of Africa, with Trade and Regional Integration Minister Kassahun Gofe stressing that durable stability can only be achieved through stronger homegrown solutions.
Speaking at the Horn Inter-Elite Dialogue, also known as the Jigjiga Forum, in Ethiopia’s Somali regional capital, Jigjiga, Minister Kassahun said countries in the Horn must take the lead in addressing their own challenges rather than relying on external actors or fragmented national responses.
He noted that the region continues to face interconnected pressures, including geopolitical competition, cross-border insecurity, weak institutional coordination, and limited economic integration–challenges he said require collective regional action.
According to the minister, growing global competition for influence in the Horn is reshaping regional alignments and increasingly affecting how countries pursue their strategic and development priorities.
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He warned that persistent cross-border security threats, including conflict spillovers, violent extremism, illicit trade, and illegal financial flows, continue to undermine stability and disrupt economic activities across the region.
Kassahun said weak institutional coordination among regional states has also limited progress toward meaningful trade cooperation and broader economic integration.
“Trade and economic integration along shared borders serve as a vital anchor for regional stability,” he said.
He further added that that stronger cross-border commerce can transform historically fragile border areas into “resilient corridors of mutual prosperity.”
The minister highlighted several opportunities to accelerate regional integration, including the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, digital market development, and climate resilience initiatives.
He said platforms such as the Jigjiga Forum provide an important avenue for building trust and creating secure trade environments that can serve as the structural foundation for long-term peace and development.
Kassahun also linked Ethiopia’s regional approach to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Medemer philosophy, which emphasizes unity through diversity, cooperation, and collective progress.
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He said Ethiopia’s ongoing Homegrown Economic Reform Agenda is designed to strengthen private sector-led growth, improve macroeconomic stability, and boost productivity while positioning the country as a key driver of regional integration.
As part of that strategy, Ethiopia is modernizing logistics systems, expanding road and railway infrastructure, improving port access, and strengthening transport corridors with neighboring countries.
The minister added that Ethiopia is also expanding electricity exports to neighboring states as part of broader efforts to improve regional connectivity and support shared economic growth.
On trade policy, he said Ethiopia is working to reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers, harmonize regional standards, and accelerate implementation of the AfCFTA to expand intra-African trade.
Kassahun reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to advancing a shared regional vision built on cooperation, trade, and peace, stressing that stability in the Horn benefits all countries in the region.
“When the region is peaceful, all countries benefit,” he said.
