News in Brief

Ethiopia calls on UN Security Council to encourage Sudan and Egypt to respect the AU-led process and negotiate in good faith over GERD

IGAD Council of Ministers has virtually held its 72nd extraordinary meeting

Africa and the African Union

African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) said pre-election and Election Day processes in Ethiopia were conducted in “an orderly, peacefully and credible manner.” The preliminary statement of AUEOM only reflects observations from the date of deployment of the mission on June 2, 20121 up to the conclusion of the counting process at polling stations. At a press conference, he gave on Tuesday (June 22), AUEOM delegation Head and former Nigeria President Olusegun Obasanjo said pre-election and Election Day processes in Ethiopia were conducted in an orderly, peaceful and credible manner.

The 6th General Election held on Monday in Ethiopia was conducted in a calm and peaceful manner, according to the East African Standby Force (EASF) Election Observation Mission. Briefing the media on the preliminary report of the mission on Tuesday (June 22), EASF Election Observation Mission Head Ambassador Abdilahi Aouled Ali Meci said the election was held peacefully and with no major incident recorded so far in areas where the mission observed. “The 6th General Election held on 21st June 2021 in Ethiopia was conducted in a calm and peaceful manner,” the head noted.

IGAD Council of Ministers appreciated the peacefully held general elections in Ethiopia on its 72nd extraordinary virtual meeting on Thursday  (June 24) chaired by the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sudan, H.E. Mariam al-Sadiq al-Mahdi. Djibouti, Somalia, Uganda and South Sudan were represented by their foreign ministers, while H.E. State Minister Ambassador Birtukan Ayano and the Chief Administrative Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kenya, Hon. Ababu Muwamba represented their respective countries. (See article)

Ethiopia

President Sahlework Zewde held talks on Friday (June 18) with a delegation of the African Union (AU) Elections Observation Mission (AUEOM) led by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, according to the Office of the President. The election observation team from various African countries has more than 45 members, it was indicated.

President Sahle-Work Zewde has emphasized the importance of having women in leadership positions in order to ensure the nation’s growth and development. In her remarks to a high-level discussion organized by Women Political Leaders and co-hosted by the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations on Wednesday (June 23) , she stressed the importance of having women in leadership positions in ensuring a nation’s growth and development.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has extended his congratulatory message to Antonio Guterres on his re-election as United Nations Secretary General on Saturday (June 19).UN General Assembly on Friday appointed Antonio Guterres as the UN Secretary-General for a second term beginning January 1, 2022. The Prime Minister said that Ethiopia appreciates Antonio Guterres’s continued support. “Ethiopia appreciates your continued support and I personally wish you the best in your second term,” the premier Twitted.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed convened the National Election Security Strategic Command on Sunday (June 20) for a briefing ahead of Election Day on Monday. The National Election Security Strategic Command has assessed final preparedness in ensuring the citizens can go out to cast their vote peacefully.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed cast his ballot for the 6th General Election in Goma 2 constituency of the Jimma Zone of Oromia Regional State on Monday (June 21). The premier said the 6th General Election is better than the former elections in many ways. He appreciated the competing parties for defying the noises from outsiders and putting their trust on the public and the government.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed commended Ethiopians for their commitment to peace and the democratic process they have demonstrated during the election on Monday. “June 21, 2021 is a historic day for Ethiopia,” the Prime Minister stated.   The premiers further said that all sections of society have gone out to cast their voice in the nation’s first free and fair election.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, accompanied by the Republican Guards, demolished on Wednesday (June 23) old houses of impoverished residents in Addis Ababa to encourage broader volunteer renovation campaigns ahead of the rainy season. Office of the Prime Minister and the Republican Guards which demolished 7 houses today are expected to renovate up to 15 houses for mothers this rainy season.

In a piece published by EPA on Saturday (June 19), Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister H.E. Demeke Mekonnen argues that the US Senate resolution 97 is unhelpful to seek a lasting solution to the instabilities in the Tigray region of Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. He said, “Withholding development aid and programmatic support to Ethiopia will hurt ordinary citizens and taint the longstanding relations between the two countries.” The Deputy Prime Minister explains how collaboration, not confrontation is the best option to nurture long-term economic, political, and diplomatic relations between the two nations. Please click here to read the whole story:  https://www.press.et/english/?p=36876#

In a letter sent to the president of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Thursday (June 23), Ethiopia rejected the latest attempts made by Egypt and Sudan to seeking the involvement of the Security Council over the GERD issue outside of its mandate. Ethiopia said in the letter that Egypt and Sudan’s recent actions are simply a continuation of a well-orchestrated scheme to undermine the AU-led process and eventually declare it ineffective adding that this only erodes trust between the three countries. (See article)

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Demeke Mekonnen has paid a working visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday (June 22). During his two-day visit, Demeke discussed with senior government officials of the UAE on various issues. The Deputy Prime Minister has also exchanged views with government officials on ways to further strengthen bilateral relations and further enhance cooperation between the two countries in various fields.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen discussed with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Wednesday (June 23). On the occasion, the Deputy Prime Minister briefed the Russian side on the current situation in Ethiopia. Demeke told Lavrov that efforts are underway to rehabilitate the Tigray region, provide unlimited humanitarian assistance, facilitate access to humanitarians, and investigate allegations of human rights abuses and bring perpetrators before justice.

In his weekly media briefing, on Thursday (June 24), Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Dina Mufti said there is no fresh war going on in Tigray apart from the hunt for the unlawful elements. He noted that the government does not target civilians, there is no civilian targeted in the region. The reason for this is they want to undermine the general election which Ethiopians conducted in a peaceful manner, the spokesperson explained. “This is simply a diversionary tactic and they want to divert the attention of the government and the Ethiopian people from what they are doing,” he underscored.

The Government of Ethiopia has rejected “the irresponsible remarks” made by the Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto at the European Parliament, following his visit to Ethiopia as a Special Envoy of the European Union, and requested the EU to consider picking an impartial interlocutor. In a statement it issued on Friday (June 18), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the allegations made by Finland’s Foreign Minister Haavisto in his briefing are clear indications of the underlying desire by the Special Envoy to undermine the Ethiopian government and try to facilitate unwarranted interventions through disinformation and outrageous lies.

Ambassador Shibru Mamo, presented the letter of credentials to H.E. Charles A. Savarin, President of the Commonwealth of Dominica on Friday (June 18). Ambassador Shibru stated that Ethiopia considers its collaboration with the Caribbean brothers vital to its overall development efforts and of prime importance in its active engagement in regional and global affairs.

Ambassador Dr. Muktar Kedir presented his letter of credence to H.E General the Honourable David Hurley, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia in a ceremony held at the Government House, in Canberra, on Wednesday (June 23). At the ceremony, Ambassador Muktar conveyed the warm greetings and best wishes of President Sahile-Work Zewde to the Governor-General, the Government and the People of the Commonwealth of Australia.

A delegation comprising officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant government agencies left for Saudi Arabia on Friday (June 18) to discuss the situation of Ethiopian migrants in the country. The delegation will confer with the relevant Saudi Arabian officials regarding the protection of the rights of Ethiopian citizens in the country and further facilitate the repatriation process, according to a press release of the ministry.

The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) stated that it encourages the continued cooperation and peaceful negotiations of all stakeholders in the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). In a statement it issued on Wednesday (June 23), CBC said the negotiations should be based on mutual benefit, good faith, and the principles of international law. The multi-billion-dollar GERD project will have a positive impact in the region by providing Africa’s biggest hydropower dam that will generate approximately 6,000 megawatts of electricity, it said, adding  “thus allowing Ethiopia to export power to neighboring countries.” “thus allowing Ethiopia to export power to neighboring countries.”

China Red Cross has donated 100,000 doses of the anti-COVID-19 vaccine to its Ethiopian counterpart on Saturday (June 19). Out of the total donated vaccines, 40,000 will be delivered to the Tigray region, it was learned. On the occasion, the Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia Zhao Zhiyuan said that his country will support Ethiopia’s effort to prevent the pandemic.

Eritrea

The Ministry of Health has launched on Wednesday (23 June) a nationwide anti-polio program in all sub-zones of the country. Indicating that the objective of the program is to contain the spread of the cross-border poliovirus epidemic that has been detected in neighboring countries, Mr. Tedros Yihdego, head of the National Vaccination Program at the Ministry of Health, said that the vaccination is being provided through injection.

Djibouti

The top health official of Djibouti on Monday (June 21) received a delegation from Turkey’s Health Ministry. Turkey’s Ambassador to Djibouti Salim Levent Sahinkaya was also at the meeting to discuss bilateral health cooperation, Djibouti Health Minister Ahmed Roble Abdilleh said afterwards. Officials discussed medical assessment of Djiboutian patients in Turkey, the training of Djiboutian doctors in Turkey, and the acquisition of medical materials and equipment, according to Abdilleh.

Somalia

President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, H.E. Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo on Monday (June 21) congratulated Somali entrepreneurs for their efforts on uplifting the economy and boosting regional trade after the 1st shipment of fish to Ethiopia at Aden Adde Int’l Airport.

Spokesman of the Somali National Army, Ali Hashi Abdi confirmed on Tuesday (June 22) that 17 Al-Shabaab fighters were killed in the middle Shabelle region during an ongoing military operation, SONNA reported.

South Sudan

Sudan and Ethiopia agreed to reduce tensions along their contested border, following a meeting of military officials from both sides on Sunday (June 20). Military delegations from Sudan and Ethiopia met in the Galabat town of Gedaref State in eastern Sudan. The Sudanese side was headed by Brigadier General Babikir Ibrahim al-Haj, commander of the intelligence of the eastern military region, while the Ethiopian delegation was chaired, the head of North Gondar in the Amhara Region.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) obtained enough pledges from its members to provide comprehensive debt relief to Sudan, said the financial institution on Tuesday(June 22) . This plan relies on IMF member countries, including cash grants and contributions derived from IMF internal resources. “101 IMF member countries have pledged to provide more than SDR 992 million (US$1,415.7 million) in financing,” said IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.

Sudan

Ambassador Nebil on Wednesday (June 23) met with South Sudan’s vice president H.E. James Wani Igga (Ph.D.) and exchanged views of common interest.  During the meeting, the Ambassador underscored the need to further strengthen the two Nations’ long-standing historical relations by investing in grand projects that aimed at taping their respective potentials.

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Ethiopia calls on UN Security Council to encourage Sudan and Egypt to respect the AU-led process and negotiate in good faith over GERD

In a letter sent to the president of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Thursday (June 23), Ethiopia rejected the latest attempts made by Egypt and Sudan to seeking the involvement of the Security Council over the GERD issue outside of its mandate.

Ethiopia said in the letter that Egypt and Sudan’s recent actions are simply a continuation of a well-orchestrated scheme to undermine the AU-led process and eventually declare it ineffective adding that this only erodes trust between the three countries.

The letter stated that since the commencement of the AU-led negotiation over the GERD, both of the lower riparian countries have disrupted the process nine times undermining the genuine efforts of the union and blocking a productive discussion.

The two countries have tried to suffocate the AU-led process by injecting unrelated issues in the discussions, by unnecessarily securitizing and internationalizing the matter, and dragging the Arab league into the situation to further complicate the issue, the letter stated.

Undermining all the genuine, sincere, and encouraging efforts of President Tshisekedi of DRC and his proposal for a phased approach for the GERD talks and the filling of the dam, the letter said Egypt and Sudan have continued to squander the President’s efforts and unduly prolong the process.

With all these under-appreciating approaches to the AU-led process, the letter said, the trilateral talks that were meant to promote cooperation should not serve the downstream states to impose their colonial and monopolistic entitlements as well as their whims and wishes on Ethiopia.

In this regard, the letter stressed that the insistence of downstream Egypt and Sudan, not to allow upstream Ethiopia to fill the dam without their consent is neither backed by international law or practice.

According to the letter, the second-year filling of the GERD will be administered in the coming rainy season starting July following the stage-based schedule and rules on which understanding has been reached in the trilateral process.

The letter concluded its explanation of Ethiopia’s stand over the tripartite negotiations by calling on the Security Council to encourage Egypt and Sudan to continue negotiating in good faith under the auspices of the African Union.

Below are a number of excerpts from the 54-page letter sent by Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen to the UN Security Council:

Excellency,

I would like to convey my best wishes for your presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of June.

I write to you regarding the trilateral negotiation on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). It is our firm belief that GERD is a matter of cooperative endeavor that falls within the purview of the three parties. Per Council’s encouragement, the matter is currently being handled ably by the African Union. With the requisite display of commitment and the goodwill of the parties, I have no doubt that the matter will come to a fruitful conclusion.

Allow me, Excellency, to appraise you of the developments in the ongoing trilateral negotiation process. In this regard, I would respectfully draw your attention to Ethiopia’s letters addressed to the Security Council on 14 May 2020 (S/2020/567), 10 June and 26 June 2020 (S/2020/623), 22 June 2020 (5/2020/567) and 16 April 2021 (S/2021/376).

On 29 June 2020, members of the UN Security Council encouraged the three countries to continue negotiations to resolve the outstanding issues and expressed support for the African Union-led process. The Republic of South Africa during its chairmanship of the African Union (AU) and the Democratic Republic of Congo since the assumption of its chairmanship in February 2021, have been discharging their role to facilitate the trilateral talks on the GERD. Unfortunately, since its commencement, Egypt and Sudan disrupted the AU led negotiation nine times, each time blocking a productive discussion.

Last April, in Kinshasa, while the three countries should have used the opportunity to negotiate and resolve outstanding issues, Egypt and Sudan tried to suffocate the process by injecting unrelated issues with a view to circumventing the role of the African Union. The two countries refused to continue the negotiation unless some of the observers assume a lead role, thereby undermining the ownership of the process by three countries. As a result, the DRC was left with no option but to try and salvage the meeting by producing a consensus communique. Ethiopia agreed to the communique with slight changes on two paragraphs while Egypt and Sudan rejected it categorically.

This past May, President Felix-Antonie Tshisekedi Tshilomobo of the Democratic Republic of Congo, proposed a phased approach for the talks after a highly regarded and welcome shuttle diplomacy between the capitals of the three countries. Ethiopia accepted the proposal and forwarded its version of the filling rules per the request of the Chairperson. In addition, President Tshisekedi designated a facilitator to the trilateral process to fast track the talks with a full time and regular follow-up. Egypt rejected the esteemed facilitator thereby squandering the efforts of the DRC and prolonging the process.

On 17 June 2021, DRC called for a meeting of the Bureau of the AU Assembly to be held on 24 June 2021 that would deliberate on the matter of the GERD and subsequent negotiations based on the phased approach. Furthermore, the DRC is engaging the UN Secretariat to acquire support in the discharge of its role to facilitate the negotiations. Notwithstanding these sincere and encouraging efforts by the African Union, on 09 May 2021, Egypt and Sudan met in Khartoum to unceremoniously declare the negotiation a failure. In addition, Egypt and Sudan went ahead and tried to drag the Arab League into the situation which Ethiopia believes is unhelpful. The efforts of Egypt and Sudan is bound to create misunderstanding between the African Union and the Arab League.

The second-year filling of the GERD will be administered in the coming rainy season starting July. The filling will follow the stage-based schedule and rules on which understanding has been reached in the trilateral process. Egypt and Sudan insist that Ethiopia should not be allowed to fill the Darn without their consent. Ethiopia as a riparian country that contributes eighty six percent of the entire water flow has the right to utilize the Nile. Ethiopia is under no obligation under international law or practice to seek the consent of the two lower riparian countries. That would clearly amount to affording a veto power to the two countries over the development endeavors of more than one hundred ten million people of Ethiopia.

The avenue of trilateral talks initiated for promoting cooperation is not an instrument to subject Ethiopia to the whims and wishes of the two lower riparian countries. The demands and obstructions of Egypt and Sudan are rooted in their colonial and monopolistic sense of entitlement, which purports to foreclose’ Ethiopia from utilizing the waters of the Nile without their permission. Nonetheless, international law and principles fully recognize Ethiopia’s right to utilize the Nile in accordance with the accepted principles of international law. Filling and operating the GERD without seeking agreement from Egypt and Sudan is the bare minimum of the exercise of this sovereign prerogative as a riparian country of an international water course.

It is worth noting that on 20 May 2021, the Foreign Minister of Egypt is reported to have pronounced to the Egyptian parliament “We are confident the second filling of the dam by Ethiopia won’t affect Egyptian water interests adversely. We can deal with it through strict management of our water resources … we have enough water supplies in the, Aswan Dam reservoir”. Egypt’s contradicting narratives to its public and to the international community is part of its effort to make the second-year filling of the dam an international phenomenon due to domestic political considerations that the Security Council could have been spared from.

Ethiopia assures the Council that GERD would be a model for transboundary cooperation, not a source of concern to peace and security. A project that is intended to generate hydropower to improve the lives of sixty-five million people that have no access to electricity can-not be a threat to peace and security. The GERD represents an African effort at self-reliance and commitment to uproot poverty that underpins the vicious cycle of conflict and insecurity in the region.

The rhetoric on the part of Egypt that Ethiopia should not be allowed to extract a drop of water from the Nile System; securitization of the Nile; and seeking involvement of the Security Council outside of its mandate erodes trust between the three countries. In this regard, Ethiopia calls the attention of the UNSC to the bellicose statements and conducts of Egypt and Sudan. The two countries should not treat their letters to the Security Council as a license to impair regional peace and security.

By now, it is clear for everyone that Egypt’s obstruction and undue internationalization of the issue has no limits. I would like to reiterate that Egypt and Sudan’s recent actions are simply a continuation of a well-orchestrated scheme to undermine the AU led process and eventually declare it ineffective. I therefore respectfully submit that the Council defers the matter to the African Union to conclude the ongoing process in accordance with the principle of complementarity. Furthermore, Egypt and Sudan should be encouraged to negotiate in good faith to reach a mutually acceptable outcome.

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IGAD Council of Ministers has virtually held its 72nd extraordinary meeting 

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Council of Ministers has held its 72nd extraordinary meeting virtually today (June 24) chaired by the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sudan,  Mariam al-Sadiq al-Mahdi. Djibouti, Somalia, Uganda and South Sudan were represented by their foreign ministers, while  State Minister Ambassador Birtukan Ayano and the Chief Administrative Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kenya,  Ababu Muwamba represented their respective countries.

Opening remarks were delivered by Dr. Workeneh Gebeyhu, who praised the peaceful elections held in Ethiopia, Uganda and Djibouti. He further spoke about the Covid-19 challenges and the need for internal and external conflicts to be resolved through dialogue, the challenges of refugees and internally displaced persons, and the promising peace process in South Sudan and Somalia.

In her opening remarks, Mariam al-Sadiq al-Mahdi praised Ethiopia, Uganda, and Djibouti for peacefully conducting their elections. She further noted that the peace process in Somalia and South Sudan is on the right track and commended the improved diplomatic relations between Somalia and Kenya.

State Minister Ambassador Birtukan Ayano, on her part, said the 6th national election in Ethiopia ended peacefully with the participation of nearly 40 million voters and thanked member countries and institutions for their support in this regard.

Acknowledging the progress made so far in terms of the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement in South Sudan as commendable and promising, State Minister Birtukan underscored that there still remains critical issues pending, one of which is the establishment of the Unified Necessary Forces, that requires the training and redeployment of the forces. “Ethiopia, therefore, encourages the Government of the Republic of South Sudan to expedite the process and call upon the international community to provide the necessary financial and logistics support required for the process,” she added.

She also appreciated the agreement recently reached by the Somali parties to resolve the election impasse peacefully and to hold the election within months. According to State Minister Birtukan, Ethiopia has always maintained that Somali problems can only be solved by the Somalis themselves without third-party political intervention, except for facilitation and necessary financial and logistical support. The culture of dialogue and negotiation the Somalis developed through time to resolve disputes is very much commendable and exemplary to the region, she said and called upon all stakeholders and parties to commit to the agreement, compromise on pending issues, and expedite the process to hold the election within the time-frame indicated. “Any further delay and election disagreement may pave the way for spoilers of peace to take the opportunity for their own evil purposes.”

 Regarding the COVID 19 pandemic, Ambassador Birtukan noted the coordinated efforts and integrated responses both at the national and IGAD level in helping the IGAD member states to minimize the adversity of the global scourge. In this regard, she commended the IGAD Secretariat for its efforts in mobilizing funds and required equipment and materials from donors, which augmented the efforts of national institutions in checking the spread of the pandemic. “Given the current situation we are in,” she said adding, “the best option at hand in the short term remains coordinated efforts to promote the prevention methods recommended by the health institutions, while still working on the way to make the vaccine available in the long run.” IGAD needs to continue to engage donors and partners to support the efforts of the member states in this regard, she said.

The Foreign Ministers of Djibouti, Somalia, Uganda and South Sudan, IGAD Special Envoy to Somalia, The Director of Health and Social Development of IGAD, the Chief Administrative Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kenya have also addressed the meeting. They all praised the electoral process and security situation in Somalia, the good progress of the South Sudanese peace process and key issues to be further addressed to help expedite the process. They also underscored the need for further assistance from donor countries in the fight against the Coronavirus. The meeting ended in a constructive manner where all the speakers have praised the peacefully held elections in Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Uganda.

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