May 25, 2022 (DJIBOUTI, Djibouti): The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) held a one-day consultation workshop on the development of a cross-border area between Somalia and Ethiopia called Tog Wachale today in Djibouti.
The aim of the consultation workshop is to agree on Tog Wachale as the location for IGAD’s Regional Migration Funded (RMF) cross-border development activities and to ensure coordination and communication between federal and regional governments on the planned development intervention that benefits the migrants and host community along the border. The workshop is also aimed at mobilising the necessary political support from all levels of the government structures for the smooth implementation of the project.
The consultation workshop was attended by the representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia and Somalia, Directors for Immigration from the two countries, Director of Refugee Affairs, representative of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and Skill Development.
At the opening ceremony, IGAD Director for Health and Social Development Division, Mme Fathia Alwan, disclosed that the project is designed to improve the living conditions and economic opportunities for the migrants and host communities along Ethiopia-Somalia border in Tog Wachale location.
“Addressing the root causes of migration and refugees in the IGAD region, for which the IGAD Regional Migration Fund (RMF) was established after Financial Agreement signed with the German government in September 2019, is of paramount importance”, the Director added.
Finally, in her closing remark, Mme Fathia thanked the Member States (Ethiopia and Somalia) for their participation, contribution to the constructive discussions and their final endorsement of the location for the implementation of the RMF.
The outcome of the workshop was the endorsement of Tog-Wajaale cross-border area as IGAD’s new Regional Migration Fund (RMF) location.
The Regional Migration Fund is dedicated to supporting the initiatives aimed at improving social and economic condition of migrants, refugees and host communities along the migration corridor and protracted refugee settlement areas in the region.
The IGAD Regional Migration Fund (RMF) intervention is supported by the Government of Germany via the Development Bank KFW.
