East Africa’s Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) signed an agreement on the free movement of people on Wednesday, as representatives from the eight African countries gathered in the Sudanese capital.

In a press conference that followed the meeting, the authority’s secretary, Dr Workneh Gebeyehu, said that ‘a free movement of people agreement and a ‘‘trans-human protocol’’ were signed by seven countries’ representatives with the exception of Uganda’s minister, who was absent from the meeting in Khartoum.

Gebeyehu provided no further details about the two deals, which were signed behind closed doors.

He called it a “very big achievement for the region.”

East Africa’s Intergovernmental Authority on Development in Khartoum was attended by representatives from Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan. The three day meeting will conclude on Friday December 2. The gathering will be held next year in Djibouti.

• A Tell / Africa News report