26th Ministerial Meeting
26th Ministerial Meeting of the Horn of Africa Initiative (HoAI) Held as part of the WB-IMF Annual Meetings
Finance Ministers from Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan convened for the 26th Ministerial Meeting of the Horn of Africa Initiative (HoAI) in Washington, DC as part of the WB-IMF Annual Meetings. The meeting was chaired by H.E. Mr. Bihi Iman Egeh, Minister of Finance of Somalia, and co-chaired by Mr. Ndiame Diop, Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa at the World Bank. The meeting reaffirmed the HoAI’s strong partnership with its Development Partners, including the African Development Bank (AfDB), the European Union (EU), Germany (BMZ), the United Kingdom (FCDO), and the World Bank Group (WBG). Together, these partners have mobilized US $13.6 billion in support of the HoAI’s strategic priorities.
A main topic of the meeting was the HoAI Borderlands Roadmap as a driver of regional economic growth through cross-border trade, emerging urban hubs, and shared natural resource management. Strengthening social cohesion across these frontier zones is essential to enhance stability, reduce cross-border insecurity, and accelerate the integration of borderlands into regional economic corridors.
The Ministers acknowledged the important contributions of IGAD, whose analytical work helped identify key borderland clusters. They also discussed ongoing efforts to attract additional funding, including through the Multi-Donor Trust Fund, which supports operational costs and key analytical work. They welcomed updates on IDA 21 and expressed confidence that the new GROW window will provide renewed support for regional programs built on cooperation and country ownership.
Ministers emphasized a multi-sectoral approach aimed at improving shared prosperity and social cohesion in border communities. They agreed to accelerate the formulation of a comprehensive borderlands development program, calling on Development Partners to provide long-term financial support, while committing to increased national investment and local economic development.
The meeting concluded with an agreement to hold the next Ministerial Meeting in late January 2026. The next session will focus on energy access, regional power trade, last-mile connectivity, and East Africa Power Pool (EAPP) reforms and capacity building.
