The country-led Horn of Africa Initiative (HoAI) was launched in October 2019 with the aim of improving regional integration initially in five Horn of Africa (HOA) countries (Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia). From the outset, it was supported by three Development Partners (DPs), namely, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the European Union (EU) and the World Bank (WB).
In May 2021, Sudan joined the Initiative after being an observer since late 2020. Similarly, South Sudan also formally joined the Initiative in May 2022. Furthermore, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) contributes as an observer, participating in all key meetings, and also collaborates in the implementation of some projects, notably related to resilience.