News in Brief

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen meets with the European Union Commissioner for International Partnership, Jutta Urpilainen

Statement of the Government of Ethiopia on the Current Situation in the Sudan

Putting the records straight on UN aid planes and the airstrike in Mekelle

Africa and the African Union

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, issued a statement on Monday (October 25) expressing dismay over the serious development of the current situation in Sudan, which has resulted, among other things, in the arrest of Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdock and other civilian officials. The Chairperson calls for the immediate resumption of consultations between civilians and military within the framework of the Political Declaration and the Constitutional Decree. The Chairperson reaffirms that dialogue and consensus is the only relevant path to save the country and its democratic transition. The Chairperson further calls for the release of all arrested political leaders and the necessary strict respect of human rights.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) urges all parties in Sudan to seek peaceful means of resolving conflicts. IGAD in a statement issued in Monday (October 25) says that its “Executive Secretary is alarmed by the current political developments in Sudan and is following the situation very closely. The Executive Secretary strongly condemns any attempt to undermine the transitional government & urges all parties to exercise utmost restraint”. The statement concludes that IGAD “stands ready to support the transitional government of Sudan and the Sudanese people consolidate peace and democratic gains” that have so far been achieved.

Ministers in charge of Communication and Information and Communication Technologies convened virtually on the 27 of October 2021, to deliberate and adopt decisions on accelerating implementation of various programs, projects and initiatives in the field of Communication and ICT. Gathering under the 4th African Union Specialized Technical Committee on Communication and ICT (STC- ICT4), the Ministerial meeting is mandated to oversee the development and implementation of policies on access to information and freedom of expression; oversee the promotion of the capacity of African media; developing common African e-strategies; discuss resource mobilization and capacity building for implementation of the African Regional Action Plan on the Knowledge Economy; promote public investment in ICT infrastructure; and develop frameworks for ICT policy and regulation harmonization in Africa.

The 2021 Africa Human Rights Day Commemoration marked the 40th anniversary of the adoption of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. A High- Level Event was convened, led by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, to look into “Africa Human Rights, 40 years after the adoption of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The Africa Human Rights Day commemoration serves to reaffirm the commitment of all stakeholders, including the States Parties to the Charter, as well as the African civil society on promotion and protection of the rights and freedoms as enshrined in the Charter as a basis for the implementation of Agenda 2063 and for building the Africa we want.

Ethiopia

President Sahle-Work Zewde met Peter Maurer, President of ICRC and discussed the urgent humanitarian assistance needed to the most vulnerable of our population. She thanked the ICRC President for the assistance the committee has provided to Ethiopia so far. In related news, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, Demeke Mekonnen, had received and discussed with the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Morer.  The ICRC President thanked the government of Ethiopia for supporting the activities of the organization. He also asked for access to more cash and fuel and licenses for flights for its operations in Tigray.  Demeke appreciated the ICRC for undertaking its duties independently and neutrally. Given such a non-interference policy of the organization in the internal affairs of any country, Demeke said the government of Ethiopia will consider the organization’s quests to facilitate its humanitarian operations.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has reaffirmed full support of Ethiopia to the people of Sudan at this time of need. In a statement issued on Tuesday (October 26), Prime Minister Abiy said that the government of Ethiopia was closely following the recent situation in Sudan. He said the brotherly peoples of the two countries share the Great Civilization of the River Nile and they have common destiny in many aspects. The Premier recalled that Ethiopia in partnership with the African Union has played a constructive role in bridging differences between the military and civil powers in Sudan and bringing the constitutional document for the transitional period in the country pledging continued support from his government.

In related news, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia has issued a statement on Monday (October 25) regarding the situation in Sudan. The Statement calls on all parties for calm and de-escalation in the Sudan and to exert every effort towards a peaceful end to this crisis. It also supports the completion of Sudan’s transition to democracy and the respect for the Constitutional Document of the Transitional Period. The statement finally underlines the need for the respect of the sovereign aspirations of the people of the Sudan and the non-interference of external actors in the internal affairs of the Sudan. (See full statement)

President Sahle-Work Zewde met with European Union Commissioner for International Partnerships Juta Urpilainen along with her delegation. They discussed the long-standing relationship between Ethiopia and the EU and explored ways to further collaboration. In related news, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Demeke Mekonnen, had a meeting on Monday (October 25) with Jutta Urpilainen, Commissioner for International Partnership of the European Union Commission, and Dr. Annette Weber, the European Union Special Representative for the Horn of Africa. On this occasion Demeke, Expressed Ethiopia’s commitment to give unfettered access to humanitarian assistance by mentioning significant measures taken by the government in this regard. He called on the EU to condemn the TPLF for its transgression and pressure the group to immediately withdraw its soldiers from occupied areas in the Amhara region. She also tabled the EU’s concerns, including the need to have an all-inclusive dialogue among political figures, unfettered access to humanitarian supply, independent investigation of human rights violations, and the need to hold perpetrators to account. (See article)

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen had a meeting Monday (October 25) with Ambassadors of France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, and Slovakia in Ethiopia, for a briefing on the northern part of the country. He thanked them for their bilateral support and understanding as members of the European Union. He also expressed Ethiopia’s disappointment over the silence of the EU in the face of massive belligerence, murder, and destruction of civilians in Afar and Amhara regions by the Tplf.  Demeke also highlighted Ethiopia’s commitment to unfettered access for humanitarian assistance in Tigray with measures, such as reduced checkpoints and continued humanitarian flights to the region.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen welcomed Archbishops of the North American Dioceses of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church on Monday (October 25) to his office. The objective of the visit of the Archbishops was to discuss the current situation in the country and point out areas of cooperation between the government and the church in such challenging times. They have requested the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister to help them get all the necessary information that can help them advance their country’s cause in relevant government institutions in North America.  Demeke, for his part, briefed them on the main challenges posed by the TPLF against the interests of Ethiopia and the people of Ethiopia. He also underscored that Ethiopians from all walks of life should unite and cooperate in fighting the enemy. The church leaders came from Atlanta, Georgia, New York, Colorado, South California, Washington DC, Seattle, Minnesota, and Canada.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, Demeke Mekonnen received on Friday (October 22), Dr. Annette Weber, European Union (EU) Special Representative for the Horn of Africa at his office. The two had discussions over the situation in the northern part of Ethiopia and ways of giving renewed impetus to the relationships between Ethiopia and the EU.  Demeke explained the destructive acts of the TPLF in the neighboring Amhara and Afar regions that blockaded aid from reaching people in occupied territories. The special envoy, for her part, appreciated the government’s initiative to ease up the challenges that the country is facing right now. She further expressed the Keen interest of the European Union to scale up relationships with Ethiopia.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen met UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Refugees (Operations) Rauf Mazou on Friday (October 22) at his office. The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister briefed  Rauf Mazou on the current status of refugees in Ethiopia, including the dramatic increments of internally displaced people due to the actions of the TPLF. He expressed concerns over the activities of some of the Ethiopian refugees in Sudanese camps who exploited their refugee status to escape responsibility for the crimes that they committed in Ethiopia and to resume their assaults on the country. The High Commissioner noted  Demeke’s concern and pledged to cooperate with the government to address the issues and further share responsibilities in supporting refugees in Ethiopia.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Demeke Mekonnen, had participated on Tuesday (October 26) in a ceremony held in Addis Ababa to mark United Nations Day. In addressing the Gathering,  Demeke underscored Ethiopia’s commitment to value the UN Charter and pledged to continue supporting the multifaceted activities that the UN is undertaking in Ethiopia.  Demeke also highlighted efforts of the Ethiopian government to create understanding between Ethiopia and the UN regarding current situations in the country.

The President of the Republic of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has sent last week a congratulatory message to Dr. Abiy Ahmed upon his election as the Prime Minister of Ethiopia for the next five years. The President expressed his confidence that the friendly relations and cooperation that have continued to exist between the two countries would continue to deepen during Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s new term of office.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia has issued a statement over the week regarding the Airstrike that was conducted by Ethiopian Air Force in Mekelle on Saturday (October 23) and the aborted UN plane landing in Mekelle. The statement says, the target was a former ENDF military base, now a training base and a battle network hub of the TPLF. Contrary to what media outlets claim, the plane was denied to land in Mekelle Airport which is under the Tplf control, although the flight was licensed by the government of Ethiopia. As UN spokesman Stephanie Dujarric reportedly said too, the planes had been cleared by federal authorities but received instructions to abort landing by the Mekelle airport control tower. (See article)

Djibouti

The first Sea-Air Cargo Operation that discharge 17 tons of electronics & home appliances from Shenzen to Lagos & Kano in Nigeria via Djibouti is launched on Thursday (October 28) with the presence of the Chairperson of Djibouti Ports & Free zone Authority,  Aboubaker Omar Hadi, a diplomat from Ethiopian Embassy in Djibouti, Beneyam Ephrem, Area Manager of Ethiopian Airlines as well as other important stakeholders in the supply chain.  As the leading air cargo service provider in Africa, Ethiopian Airlines, coupled with the competitive geo-strategic advantage Djibouti has, this project , when fully operational, will double the cargo operation of the Airlines and make Djibouti a hub for sea-Air cargo logistics.  Sea-Air cargo project that is twice as fast as the sea only and twice as cheap as the Air only transportation would massively scale up trade relations between the two countries as well as between the two continents; Africa and Asia; in particular China.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) organized a Ministerial Conference in the presence of Ministers, Ambassadors of IGAD member states, and representatives of International Organizations on Thursday (October 21, 2021). The conference aimed to create a viable platform to deliberate on effective actions and regional coordination mechanisms to enhance the governance of labor, employment, and labor migration.  Ethiopia’s Ambassador in Djibouti, Ambassador Berhanu participated in the meeting and underscored the need to have a regionally harmonized policy and guideline to enhance the working conditions of overseas migrant workers from each member state.

Somalia

Within the context of the ongoing electoral process in the Republic of Somalia, the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Union Mission in the Republic of Somalia (AMISOM) through the joint AUC-AMISOM electoral assistance mission to Republic of Somalia have organised two successive capacity building workshops in Mogadishu focusing on media reporting on elections and citizen election observation respectively. In partnership with the Federal Electoral Implementation Team (FEIT) and the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), the training of Twenty-one (21) Somali journalists took place on 23-24 October 2021.

More than 100 people have died and 200 others have been injured in several days of fighting between government troops and Islamists. The District Commissioner, Anas Abdi told the media  on Wednesday that around 100,000 people have fled the city of Guriel, also known as Guriceel, in the north of the country due to the violence. The government had regained control of the politically and economically strategic town after it was captured by the Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a almost a month ago. Abdi said the militants and their leaders fled overnight, houses and health centres had been destroyed. According to the regional government, the Sufist militia had wanted to influence elections scheduled for next month.

A little more than one month after it won the Amplify Voices Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, The Gravedigger’s Wife has scooped Africa’s top film prize. The drama, by Finnish-Somali writer-director Khadar Ayderus Ahmed, won the prestigious Stallion of Yennenga Grand Prize for Best Film at the Pan African Film Festival in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on Sunday (October 24).

Sudan

The Peace and Security Council of the African Union decided “to suspend, with immediate effect, the participation of the Republic of Sudan in all AU activities until the effective restoration of the civilian-led Transitional Authority,” reads a statement released on Wednesday (October 27). The Council further decided to dispatch a delegation to broker an amicable solution to the current political stalemate between the Sudanese parties. The decision requested the Chairperson of the Commission Mohamed Musa al-Faki to take to reach out to the leaders of the Transitional Government and the Sovereign Council in order to facilitate the resumption of dialogue towards a successful transition in Sudan. Also, it requested al-Faki to immediately dispatch to Sudan his emissary to engage with the Sudanese stakeholders on necessary steps needed to expedite the restoration of constitutional order in Sudan.

The Security Council called to restore the civilian-led transitional institutions in Sudan and to release the political detainees. The 15-member body on Thursday (October 28) expressed serious concern about the recent military takeover and declaration of the state of emergency as well as the detention of the civilian leaders including Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok on 25 October. “The members of the Security Council called upon Sudan’s military authorities to restore the civilian-led transitional government on the basis of the Constitutional Document and other foundational documents of the transition,” reads a statement by the Council on Thursday. They further urged the parties to engage in dialogue without preconditions on the full implementation of the Constitutional Document and the Juba Peace Agreement.

The United States has suspended $700 million of economic support to democratic transition in Sudan, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday. In a statement issued by the State Department, Blinken “strongly” condemned the military takeover by General Abdel Fatah al-Burhan. Also, he rejected the dissolution of the civilian-led transitional government’s institutions and called for their restoration. “In light of these developments, the United States is immediately pausing the delivery of $700 million in emergency Economic Support Funds to Sudan,” he announced. He underscored that this fund was intended to support the country’s democratic transition, and pledged to assess further measures in the future.

European, Troika and Switzerland envoys to Sudan said on Wednesday (October 27) they only recognize the government of Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok and called to be allowed to meet him. On Tuesday evening, the military council in Sudan released Hamdok from custody and escorted him to his house in Khartoum where he is under arrest and an important security force is deployed about his residency. The EU delegation to Sudan, in a joint statement with the embassies of France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the U.S. called for the release of the other political detainees arrested on Monday. The envoys said they note the return to his residence of Prime Minister Hamdok and called for the immediate release of all political detainees “without delay”.

South Sudan

Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan wrapped up a three-day visit to South Sudan, pledging support to the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement. Jonathan jetted into the country on Thursday (October 28), for talks with President Salva Kiir, his deputies and other senior officials in South Sudan. No official statements were released by the South Sudanese officials, except the presidency which issued a statement on October 20, about his offer to contribute to peace implementation in South Sudan.

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Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen meets with the European Union Commissioner for International Partnership, Jutta Urpilainen

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Demeke Mekonnen, had a meeting on Monday (October 25) with Jutta Urpilainen, Commissioner for International Partnership of the European Union Commission, and Dr. Annette Weber, the European Union Special Representative for the Horn of Africa.

Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen congratulated the government of Ethiopia upon the successfully held elections asking for the new government’s perspective in handling issues of governance and security in the post-election period.

Recalling the strategic partnership between Ethiopia and the EU, she said the Union is planning to resume its development program and support the reform agenda of the government of Ethiopia.

The European Union, in particular, is ready to support the Ethiopian government in issues related to climate, energy, human development, health, Covid-19, good governance, and private sector development, she added.

She also tabled the EU’s concerns, including the need to have an all-inclusive dialogue among political figures, unfettered access to humanitarian supply, independent investigation of human rights violations, and hold perpetrators to account.

Demeke, for his part, expressed Ethiopia’s commitment to give unfettered access to humanitarian assistance by mentioning significant measures taken by the government in this regard.

Noting efforts being undertaken by the Attorney General’s office and the joint international investigation over alleged crimes, he underscored the government’s policy of zero-tolerance for any Human rights violation in the country.

The government of Ethiopia is undertaking its economic and political transformation while fighting the destructive acts of the TPLF clique, he said.

He also discussed the reform agenda of the Ethiopian government and expressed his expectations of support from the EU in this regard.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister also highlighted the formation of a new government comprising three leaders of opposition parties that ushered in an era of a new political culture in the country.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister appreciated the EU’s support given to  Olusegun Obasanjo’s mediation efforts and spoke in detail about the government’s roadmap to resume an all-inclusive national dialogue in the country.

He urged the European Union to extend its Airbridge Humanitarian support to affected people in the Amhara region.

Demeke also called on the EU to condemn the TPLF for its transgression and pressure the group to immediately withdraw its soldiers from occupied areas in the Amhara region.

He finally said it is high time for the two sides to initiate the next round of political consultation mechanisms and create understanding and normalize relations.

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Statement of the Government of Ethiopia on the Current Situation in the Sudan

The Government of Ethiopia is closely following developments in the Sudan. This particularly emanates from the strong brotherly ties that have existed between the peoples of the two countries for centuries.

It will be recalled that the Ethiopian Government has played a significant role in successfully mediating the establishment of a coalition government, consisting of its civilian and military components, and to adopt the constitutional document of the transitional period.

The Government of Ethiopia, therefore, calls on all parties for calm and de-escalation in the Sudan and to exert every effort towards a peaceful end to this crisis.

In this regard, the Government of Ethiopia fully supports the completion of Sudan’s transition to democracy and the respect for the Constitutional Document of the Transitional Period.

Ethiopia reiterates the need for the respect of the sovereign aspirations of the people of the Sudan and the non-interference of external actors in the internal affairs of the Sudan.

The Government of Ethiopia is confident that the people of the Sudan would ultimately find the wisdom to address these challenges in a manner that contributes towards a peaceful resolution of the crisis.

The Government and people of Ethiopia, as always, will continue to stand firm with the democratic aspirations of the people of the Sudan.

25 October 2021

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Putting the records straight on UN aid planes and the airstrike in Mekelle

The Ethiopian Air Force had conducted an airstrike on Saturday (October 23) on a former ENDF military base, now a training base and a battle network hub of the TPLF terrorist group in Mekelle, the capital of Tigray Regional State.

On the same day, two UN aid planes licensed by the Federal Government of Ethiopia returned to Addis Ababa after being denied permission by local air traffic controllers to land in Mekelle.

As UN spokesman Stephanie Dujarric reportedly said too, the planes had been cleared by federal authorities but received instructions to abort landing by the Mekelle airport control tower.

However, some media outlets and organizations have misrepresented that the aid planes returned to Addis Ababa due to airstrikes in Mekelle.

Some of these outlets have also echoed the TPLF talking points blaming the airstrike for targeting civilians and educational institutions.

The Ethiopian Air Force carried out the airstrikes with extreme caution targeting only communication and military training facilities used by the terrorist group.

23 October 2021

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