(July 02, 2011, BBC) --Eritrea's neighbours say they are still considering its request to rejoin the East African body, Igad, after initially saying they welcomed its bid to end years of isolation.
Igad's Executive Secretary, Mahboub Maalim, told the BBC that the process of rejoining the regional body was in the "very early, preliminary stages".
Eritrea is under UN sanctions for its alleged support of Somalia's al-Shabab.
Analysts say rejoining Igad could be aimed at avoiding more sanctions.
Being a member of Igad (Inter-Governmental Authority on Development) would give it more diplomatic clout to resist moves to tighten measures.
Last week, the UN accused Eritrea of plotting to bomb January's African Union summit in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa - an accusation it denies.
It also rejects charges that it has smuggled weapons to al-Shabab, an Islamist insurgent group which controls most of southern and central Somalia and has links to al-Qaeda. Read More from BBC »
Igad's Executive Secretary, Mahboub Maalim, told the BBC that the process of rejoining the regional body was in the "very early, preliminary stages".
Eritrea is under UN sanctions for its alleged support of Somalia's al-Shabab.
Analysts say rejoining Igad could be aimed at avoiding more sanctions.
Being a member of Igad (Inter-Governmental Authority on Development) would give it more diplomatic clout to resist moves to tighten measures.
Last week, the UN accused Eritrea of plotting to bomb January's African Union summit in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa - an accusation it denies.
It also rejects charges that it has smuggled weapons to al-Shabab, an Islamist insurgent group which controls most of southern and central Somalia and has links to al-Qaeda. Read More from BBC »
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