News in Brief

State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China, H.E. Wang Yi visits Ethiopia

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia Demeke Mekonnen meets Country Director of the World Bank for Ethiopia, Ousmane Dione

Ethiopia participates in the 8th Ministerial Conference of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation

Prime Minister Office Briefing (November 30, 2021) (Transcript)

Statement on deceptions made by some international mainstream media(Statement by FDRE Government Communication Service)

Africa and the African Union

The 8th High-Level Seminar on Peace and Security in Africa opens in Oran, Algeria under the theme: “Assisting African Members of the UN Security Council (A3) in preparing to address peace & security issues on the Continent” Organized by the government of Algeria, the African Union and UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). The seminar brought together Ethiopia, in its capacity as Chair of the PSC for the month of December 2021, Niger and Tunisia, as outgoing A3 Members and Ghana and Gabon, as incoming A3 members, and PSC Members, Partners: the Arab League, CISSA, Switzerland, and Norway. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, and chairperson of the PSC for the Month Demeke Mekonnen commends the efforts of the outgoing A3 members ‘who’ve been defending African common positions within UNSC; ensured Ethiopia’s commitment to prioritize PSOs & issues of importance to the Union.

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres and African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat on Thursday (December 02) welcomed the continuing strong cooperation between the two organizations. The leaders, meeting at UN Headquarters for the Fifth African Union-United Nations Annual Conference, also reviewed progress in the implementation of the “UN-AU Joint Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security” and the “AU-UN Framework for the Implementation of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” and discussed a joint framework on human rights. Please click here to access the Final Joint Communiqué of the Fifth African Union-United Nations Annual Conference: https://www.un.org/sg/en/node/260975

Ethiopia

Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the army Abiy Ahmed announced on Thursday (December 02) that the national army is ready to repeat victories gained in eastern and western fronts at the central command. The assertion from the Prime Minister came at a time when he showed up at the key front and then discussed with troops headways ahead. In military operations to be undertaken soon, additional towns will be liberated from the terrorist TPLF Group forces. Premier called on the public to disallow the terrorist forces from any attempt to take looted properties out of the areas they invaded. “It is our deep-seated culture to take care of captives if the terrorist group surrenders and returns back looted properties to owners,” the Premier said.

The office of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Wednesday (December 01) that government forces retook territory from the TPLF northeast of the capital, Addis Ababa. The prime minister’s office said the town of Shewa Robit, some 220 kilometers (136 miles) northeast of the capital, along with several other towns and villages in the Amhara region had been recaptured. Later on, government forces announced they had recaptured the UNESCO World Heritage site Lalibela, home to rock-hewn monolithic churches built in the 13th century. Following the news, the state of emergency command post imposed a curfew and ordered the establishment of an emergency joint committee to oversee the documentation of the damage to private and public property by TPLF forces.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, H.E. Demeke Mekonnen, and State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China, H.E. Wang Yi had held a meeting and a joint press conference on Wednesday (December 01) following the latter’s arrival in Addis for a short visit to Ethiopia. During their discussion, Mr. Demeke reiterated his delight to welcome the State Councilor and Foreign Minister Mr. Wang Yi to Ethiopia and thanked him for making time to visit Addis Ababa disregarding the unfounded rhetoric on the deteriorating security situations in the country and the siege of the capital city by terrorist forces. (See article)

Demeke Mekonnen, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia met at his Office Mr. Ousmane Dione, Country Director of the World Bank for Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, and Sudan in the Eastern and Southern Africa Region on Tuesday (30 November). The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister expressed his profound thanks to the Bank for its enormous contributions and support to address the country’s development challenges, particularly in the efforts to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development. (See article)

The 8th FOCAC Summit was held in Dakar, Senegal, from 29-30 November 2021, under the theme, “Deepen China-Africa Partnership and Promote Sustainable Development to Build a China-Africa Community with a Shared Future in the New Era.” A delegation led by H.E. Ambassador Redwan Hussein, State Minister for Political and Economic Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, has participated in the forum. The Ethiopian delegation comprised State Minister of Finance for Economic Cooperation, H.E. Semereta Sewasew, Ethiopian Ambassadors in Senegal and China as well as officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia and the Ministry of Finance. (See article)

At the 24th General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization, which is being held in Madrid, Spain, Lake Wonchi was chosen as the best tourist village of 2021. Lake Wonchi, located southwest of Shoa, Oromia State, has been selected as the first of 170 tourist villages. According to the Minister of Tourism, Ambassador Nasise Chali, Lake Wonchi, with its rich natural resources, has been selected as one of the best tourist villages in the world. “Congratulations on the selection of Lake Wonchi as the best tourist village,” she said. She thanked the locals and other stakeholders for taking care of the natural resources of the area.

Ethiopian Airlines on Thursday (December 02) has won the ‘Best African Airline’ Award at the 2021 Business Traveller. The votes made by the business travelers for this year took into account the COVID period with key questions covering airlines’ effectiveness in communication, effective implementation of COVID precautionary measures, handling of loyalty program member passengers, and flexibility of ticket changes.

The Mines Minister, Engineer Takele Uma on Monday (November 29) said that Ethiopia has continued to attract massive investments despite the unfounded and distorted campaigns being orchestrated by the mainstream international media. The assertion came at a time when the Minister talked to the leadership of Australian, Swedish, Canadian, UAE, and Italian mining companies. On the occasion, representatives of the foreign companies reaffirmed their commitment to embark on additional areas of investment in the mining sector besides enhancing their existing businesses.

Safaricom Ethiopia announced the finalization of preparations to commence operation in Ethiopia in April 2022. The arrangement was announced last week during a discussion held between the Ethiopian Communication Authority and Safaricom Ethiopia leadership, it is stated that the company has faced no obstacle during the preparation to start the commercial launch of telecommunication operations in Ethiopia as planned.

Billene Seyoum, Press Secretary at the Prime Minister Office, in delivering a press briefing on Tuesday (November 30) has called upon the Ethiopians in the Diaspora to continue raising their voices in a united manner and asked them to take the challenge to come home for Ethiopian Christmas: 1 million Diaspora by January 7th, 2022! The press briefing also covered updates on battlefronts with the Prime Minister’s participation, humanitarian support in Afar, Amhara, and Tigray regions, continued misinformation of the conflict by the mainstream media, what Ethiopia expects from the international community and the diaspora, and government follow-ups on the UN-EHRC joint report on investigations on allegedly committed crimes in Tigray. (See full transcript)

Irresponsible form journalism has, unfortunately, become the norm when it comes to reporting current events in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa in general, says a statement issued on Thursday (December 02) by the Ethiopian Government Communication Service. It downplayed the cries of genocide from the TPLF camps which started to appear on social media from the outset of the conflict on November 4, 2020, the exact date of TPLF’s attack on Ethiopia’s northern command. It finally calls on all those engaged in such disinformation campaigns to refrain from these kinds of acts that are in one way or the other harming millions. (See Statement)

Ambassador of France to Ethiopia, Remmi Marechaux announced on Thursday (December 02) a plan to reinitiate the renovation project of the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela. During his discussion with the Minister of Innovation and Technology, Belete Molla (Ph.D.), Ambassador Remmi Marechaux affirmed the readiness of France to resume the renovation works at the historical churches Lalibela. Ambassador Remi stated that once peace is restored in northern parts of the country, his country will soon reinitiate projects having to do with protecting Lalibela heritages. Lalibela has been liberated from TPLF’s control, and is a major step that helps France to resume the renovation project of the rock-hewn churches, Belete said.

The Ethiopian government has launched a task force to address the human rights violations indicated in a previous joint investigation report between local and UN rights bodies earlier in the year. The team, split into various committees, is supposed to make a “victim-centered approach” according to a statement released on Tuesday (November 30)  by the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Justice.” The inter-ministerial task force [is] to oversee the redress and accountability measures in response to human rights violations in the context of the conflict in northern Ethiopia,” the ministry said.

Government Communications Service, in a press briefing on Thursday (December 02) said that external forces are easing diplomatic pressures on Ethiopia as senior government officials and diplomats are shedding light on realities in the country. State Minister of the Government Communications Service, Kebede Desisa told journalists that Ethiopia’s participation in Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) which was held in Dakar, Senegal is considered a success in correcting distorted narratives on Ethiopia. The Forum has enabled Ethiopia to make the world community clear about the current situation and shed light on the truth that was blackened by disinformation and media propaganda.

The three-day deliberation with Ethiopian ambassadors and mission leaders has ended on Saturday (November 27). They have assessed their performance in the previous fiscal year and discussed issues regarding the institutional-level reform. In delivering closing remarks, State Minister H.E. Ambassador Redwan Hussien reiterated the importance of considering the country’s current situations in carrying out diplomatic works. He said diplomats should notice changes in geostrategic interests to register better results. In yesterday’s session, the ambassadors and mission leaders had pledged to do their level best in the diplomatic sector, considering the challenges the country has been going through lately.

Ethiopians, people of Ethiopian origin, and Eritreans living in Leeds and its environs have participated in a fundraising event on Monday (November 29) to support displaced people in Ethiopia. Remarking at the event, Mekonnen Amare, chargé d’affaires of the Ethiopian Embassy in the UK, appreciated the diaspora for successfully holding the #NoMore rallies and continuing support to IDPs. It is to be recalled that the mission in the UK and the diaspora had hosted similar events in London, Birmingham, and Coventry supporting IDPs in Ethiopia. In related news, the Global #NoMore rallies protesting misinformation and undue interference in the domestic affairs of Ethiopia were held in South Korea, Norway, Italy and South Africa over the week.

Eritrea

Ambassador Sophia Tesfamariam during the Annual Ministerial Meeting of the G77 and China, which was held virtually on Tuesday (November 30), called on member states to “say No More to the violations of the UN Charter, to politics of bullying, and external intervention in the affairs of sovereign nations.” “While we are burdened with structural challenges, several of our countries in this group are facing unilateral coercive measures,” she said. She closed her remarks reaffirming Eritrea’s readiness to closely work with the sisterly member countries of the Group of 77 to realize the objective of a fair, just, peaceful and equitable global political and economic order.

Djibouti

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar met at the Amiri Diwan on Wednesday (December 01) with Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh. During the meeting, they reviewed bilateral relations and prospects of developing them, besides discussing issues of common interest. The meeting was attended by a number of Their Excellencies the ministers. Members of the official delegation accompanying the president also attended.

Somalia

President of Somalia Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo left Doha on Thursday (December 02) after attending the opening ceremony of the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021. The president and the accompanying delegation were seen off upon departure from Doha International Airport by HE Minister of State Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari, ambassador of Qatar to Somalia Hassan bin Hamza Hashem, and ambassador of Somalia to the State Abdul Razak Farah Ali.

At least four people were killed and several others wounded in a roadside bomb attack targeting a water hauling vehicle meant for drought victims in Somalia’s Lower Juba region on Thursday (December 02), state media and police said, and also reported by Anadolu News Agency. The IED was planted by the Al-Shabaab terror group on the outskirts of Kismayo, a port city in the region, according to the Somali National Television.

The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) on Tuesday (November 30) handed over to Jubaland State authorities a newly constructed police station at Kismayo seaport, and commissioned a solar power system and shallow water well at another police station in the same city – all aimed at boosting policing in Somalia. The Special Representative of the African Union Commission Chairperson (SRCC), for Somalia, and Head of AMISOM, Ambassador Francisco Madeira presided over the events in Kismayo, the administrative capital of Jubaland State, where he handed over the newly constructed Sea Port Police station and the solar and water projects implemented at Dalhiska Police Station.

“Escape From Mogadishu,” an action film by director Ryoo Seung-wan, won six prizes including the Best Picture Award at the 42nd annual Blue Dragon Film Awards, one of Korea’s major film honors. The awards ceremony, hosted by actors Kim Hye-soo and Yoo Yeon-seok, was held at KBS Hall in western Seoul on Friday night. “Escape From Mogadishu” is based on the true story of stranded North and South Korean embassy workers who came together to escape the Somali Civil War in Mogadishu in 1991.

South Sudan

November 30, 2021 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has endorsed the resumption of peace talks mediated by the Sant’Egidio community with the hold-out opposition groups, renewing hopes for peace and stability in the country. The Presidential Affairs minister, Barnaba Marial Benjamin said the South Sudanese leader on Monday (November 29) asked the government negotiation team to prepare for talks. Marial said the talks, involving all parties under the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOMA), seek to find a way to achieve “a just and durable political settlement and to recommit themselves to the permanent comprehensive cease-fire”.

Sudan

State Minister of Government Communication Service of Ethiopia, Selamawit Kassa in the Ministry’s routine presser has dismissed recent media reports on Sunday (November 28) that Ethiopian forces have attacked Sudanese forces during clashes bordering the two countries. However, Selamawit said the government had cracked down on militants who had recently infiltrated Ethiopia through Sudan. Sudan and Ethiopia are long-standing neighbors and the people of the two countries have a strong foundation of people-to-people ties, she said, adding that this history and social cohesion between the two countries would enable both to overcome their problems in the face of various incidents that could jeopardize their good relations.

UN Secretary-General and Chairperson of the African Union Commission called on the Sudanese to accept the Hamdok-Burhan agreement pointing that it would allow to finalize the transition and hold general elections. Antonio Guterres and Moussa al-Faki held a joint press conference in New York following the fifth African Union-United Nations Annual Conference on Wednesday (December 01).

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Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, Demeke Mekonnen says China’s FM Wang Yi’s visit during Ethiopia’s challenging time reflects the true depth of relationships between Ethiopia and China

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, H.E. Demeke Mekonnen, and State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China, H.E. Wang Yi had held a meeting and a joint press conference on Wednesday (December 01) following the latter’s arrival in Addis for a short visit to Ethiopia.

During their discussion, Mr. Demeke reiterated his delight to welcome the State Councilor and Foreign Minister Mr. Wang Yi to Ethiopia and thanked him for making time to visit Addis Ababa disregarding the unfounded rhetoric on the deteriorating security situations in the country and the siege of the capital city by terrorist forces.

He said the Minister’s visit during Ethiopia’s challenging time shows solidarity and reflects the true depth and strength of the political trust and strategic partnership between the two countries.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister applauded the long-standing relations and cordial friendship that Ethiopia and China have continued to enjoy by respecting equality, mutual interest, and trust between the two countries.

The government and people of Ethiopia deeply appreciate the balanced, principled, and committed relationship that Ethiopia and China have been able to forge so far, he added.

The discussion between the two sides touched upon the successful outcome of the FOCAC Ministerial Conference held in Dakar where the Deputy Prime Minister reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to the success of FOCAC and bilateral activities.

Mr. Demeke also raised the need for more cooperation in financing post-COVID-19 recovery programs extending his appreciation of China’s considerations of debt reliefs in favor of Ethiopia.

In updating the Chinese Foreign Minister on the current situation in Ethiopia, Mr. Demeke spoke in detail on the destruction of lives and property due to the belligerent attitude of the TPLF.

He said the TPLF demonstrated its indifference to peace efforts while refusing to reciprocate the Ethiopian government’s declaration of the Unilateral Humanitarian Ceasefire last June.

Despite all the anti-government moves and thanks to the support of friends, today, the situation in Ethiopia on the ground is promising, he said.

The enemy is on its back foot following the decision of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to join the battlefronts, he added.

We have continued supporting the peace initiatives of H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo, which is being held under the auspices of the African Union, he said adding that the government of Ethiopia stands ready to extend its peace overtures in giving a peaceful resolution to the ongoing problem.

Mr. Wang Yi, on his part, said China, as a friendly country, is closely following the situation in Ethiopia and opposes attempts by external forces to impose their political interest in the domestic affairs of Ethiopia.

It takes two hands to clap, he said, indicating that the TPLF should have accepted the peace overtures extended by the Ethiopian government.

He expressed his country’s commitment to further engage in investment, trade, capacity building, and development cooperation with Ethiopia, in addition to boosting support to combatting the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said China has confidence in the capability of the Ethiopian government to take things under control and protect all Ethiopians and Chinese citizens residing in the country.

China’s confidence in the government of Ethiopia to stabilize situations in the country is demonstrated through my visit to Ethiopia today and China’s restraint from blindly accepting the alarmist calls of the evacuation of citizens from Addis Ababa, he added.

He finally said that the relationship between China and Ethiopia is and will remain to be solid and unbreakable.

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Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia Demeke Mekonnen has met Country Director of the World Bank for Ethiopia, Ousmane Dione

H.E. Demeke Mekonnen, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia met at his Office Mr. Ousmane Dione, Country Director of the World Bank for Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan and Sudan in the Eastern and Southern Africa Region on Tuesday (30 November).

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister expressed his profound thanks to the Bank for its enormous contributions and support to address the country’s development challenges, particularly in the efforts to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development. 

He also expressed his confidence in the continued support of the Bank to bring the reform agenda that Ethiopia has embarked upon to fruition.

Mr. Dione, on his part, said that there are various programmes and projects under implementation through the ongoing Country Partnership Framework which have brought significant development results in areas of safety net, food security, infrastructure development and rehabilitation.

The Country Director also said the Bank’s efforts are geared towards and aligned with attaining the development objectives set in the country’s Ten-year Perspective Plan and assure the Bank’s continued support to Ethiopia.

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Ethiopia participates in the 8th Ministerial Conference of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation

The 8th FOCAC Summit was held in Dakar, Senegal, from 29-30 November 2021, under the theme, “Deepen China-Africa Partnership and Promote Sustainable Development to Build a China-Africa Community with a Shared Future in the New Era.” A delegation led by H.E. Ambassador Redwan Hussein, State Minister for Political and Economic Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, has participated in the forum. The Ethiopian delegation comprised State Minister of Finance for Economic Cooperation, H.E. Semereta Sewasew, Ethiopian Ambassadors in Senegal and China as well as officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia and the Ministry of Finance.

At the opening ceremony of the forum, the Chinese President, H.E. Xi Jinping, announced virtually that dozens of projects would be implemented in Africa worth billions of USD for the upcoming three years. The projects range from health, poverty reduction, trade, investment promotion, Digital investment, climate change, and capacity building programs, cultural and people-to-people relations, to peace and security areas. Presidents from various Nations in Africa, Secretary-General of the United Nations, H.E. António Guterres, and Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, have also delivered remarks virtually at the event.

In addressing the forum on Tuesday (November 30), State Minister H.E. Ambassador Redwan Hussien said the FOCAC framework is a vital instrument to promote Africa’s development agenda and a key platform for collective dialogue and cooperation between Africa and China. According to Ambassador Redwan, the needs-based projects implemented under FOCAC in infrastructure, energy, and communication sectors helped Africa achieve economic growth and change the livelihoods of its people. Expressing gratitude to partners, including China for donating vaccines through COVAX, he said, a lot remains, reiterating the aphorism that unless Africa is safe, the world cannot claim to be safe.

In his speech, Ambassador Redwan also covered the causes of the current conflict in Ethiopia and affirmed the government’s commitment to give a peaceful conclusion to the matter. Despite the government’s tremendous efforts to avoid the unfortunate conflict through dialogue in the first place, the response from the TPLF was a slap on our face, he said. He said the government had to respond forcefully to the unjustified attack on the barracks of Ethiopian soldiers that had posed an imminent danger to the sovereignty and survival of the country. The ambassador also talked about the joint UN-EHRC investigation over alleged atrocities in Tigray that disproved the claims of the TPLF and its allies that incriminated the government for committing genocide and using hunger as an instrument of war.

He also appreciated the peace efforts of H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo, expressing his expectation that the international community would be fair, balanced, and constructive in approaching the issue. The new administration of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has initiated an inclusive national dialogue that needs the support of friends, and partners, he said, adding that this government-led peace initiative could be augmented by the efforts of the African Union. Ethiopia expects constructive engagement and partnership in this regard, he said, underlining that Intimidation, sanctions, and any other arm-twisting attempts would not give a peaceful resolution to the problem.

He concluded his speech reiterating Ethiopia’s commitment to redouble its efforts to make cooperation and consultation between Africa and China rigorous and accelerate the return to full post-Covid recovery.

Ambassador Redwan had also held a series of bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of Senegal, Zimbabwe, Côte d’Ivoire, and Cameroon on the sidelines of the forum. Accordingly, he met Her.E. Aïssata Tall Sall, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad of the Republic of Senegal, Honourable Frederick M. M. SHAVA, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of the Republic of Zimbabwe, H.E. Kandia Kamissoko Camara, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration and Diaspora of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, and H.E. MBELLA MBELLA, Minister of External Relations of the Republic of Cameroon,

During his discussion with the Senegalese foreign Minister, Ambassador Redwan expressed his gratitude to the people and the Government of Senegal for hosting the Forum and warmly welcoming the Ethiopian delegation.

The meetings with all of the foreign ministers covered exchanges of information on pivotal bilateral and regional issues. During the meetings, Ambassador Redwan also briefed the Foreign Ministers about the current situation in Ethiopia, including outstanding issues on the construction and filling of the GERD. Upon completion, the GERD will have a tremendous contribution to the development of Ethiopia and the realization of Africa’s aspirations for economic integration, he said.

The discussion between the State Minister and the foreign ministers also covered the Ethiopia-Sudan border issue, where Ambassador Redwan explained Ethiopia’s unwavering commitment to addressing the matter peacefully.

The Foreign Ministers said that they are closely following the current situation in Ethiopia out of their genuine concerns for the wellbeing of the people of Ethiopia. They also stated that driven by a pan-African spirit, Ethiopia, with the support of the African Union, would give a peaceful conclusion to the current situation in the country. It is high time to see the Unity and cooperation of African Countries in the multilateral platforms, they said. The one-to-one meeting with the Foreign Ministers ended following their pledge of solidarity with the people and the Government of Ethiopia.

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Prime Minister Office Briefing (November 30, 2021)

Billene Seyoum, Press Secretary at the Prime Minister Office, in delivering a press briefing on Tuesday (November 30) has called upon the Ethiopians in the Diaspora to continue raising their voices in a united manner and asked them to take the challenge to come home for Ethiopian Christmas: 1 million Diaspora by January 7^th, 2022!

Please find herein below the Press Briefing Transcript of November 30, 2021

And the full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hzqN8nenP0

1. Activities of the past week:

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PM Abiy Ahmed at the Front

– It has been one week since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed who is also commander in chief of the armed forces has headed to the front lines to lead troops

– This move by the Prime Minister has been grossly misrepresented by some western media that continue to grapple with understanding context

– To begin with, the decision to lead the troops from the front is not an escalation – rather a constitutional responsibility to preserve and ensure State cohesion which the Prime Minister has to dispense

– We have seen over the past months that the terrorist organizations have escalated and expanded the conflict;

– Moreover, their members based in the US have openly declared efforts to overthrow a democratically elected government by force

– Relatedly, the same individual based in the US leading treasonous efforts to topple an elected government violently was also seen in discussions with former and current Western diplomats conspiring in a leaked video the overthrow of the government

– With these overt sinister schemes at regime change and attempts at an unconstitutional change of government the Ethiopian defence forces have launched a counter offensive on the terrorist organization and the Prime Minister is now leading this from the front

– His decision to join the army on the battle field does not mean a change of the government’s position for a peaceful solution to the conflict in principle. Rather averting the conspiracy of terrorist organizations working in collaboration with their foreign allies is a threat to the constitutional order of the State.

– His decision has boosted troop morale and emboldened the people of Ethiopia to unite and resist and push back the threat of a terrorist organization

– In the past few days alone, great strides have been made in forcing the TPLF to relinquish their occupation of key areas; particularly Kasagita, Chifra, Burqa

– The advance on the Mille front in the Afar region by the terrorist forces which was aimed at chocking off the entire country from the main corridor for goods entering into the country has successfully been thwarted with further advances being made by Government forces as we speak.

– The Prime Minister has made a call today for TPLF fighters to surrender peacefully and end the needless loss of a generation of Tigrayan youth. This is an extension of the several similar calls made by the Federal Government early in the conflict, and is aimed at halting further bloodshed.

2. State of Emergency Gains

– It has been about three weeks since the enactment of the nationwide state of emergency

– As has been shared several times the State of Emergency has been put in place as preventive measures for sinister actions planned by the terrorist organization in Addis Ababa and other parts of the country.

– The proclamation has been enacted to avert the threat against national existence and sovereignty considering the scale of killings, looting and other cruel and inhumane attacks perpetrated by the terrorist organization and its affiliates

– The SOE thus far has been effective in foiling the planning of the terrorist groups who have tentacles embedded within civilian populations and are working with foreign powers to weaken and destroy Ethiopia

– To give you an example, through searches undertaken, small arms and light weapons; combat communication equipment; uniforms stolen from the armed forces and federal police; fake ID cards; foreign passports; counterfeit currency, foreign and local currency beyond legal limits have been seized;

– This small example gives the extent of organizing the terrorist group has been undertaking through its networks to continue undertaking heinous crimes;

3. Humanitarian Response Update in the Northern Part of the Country

On the humanitarian situation in conflict affected areas, I’ll share with you some recent data received from the National Disaster Risk Management Commission.

Amhara

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– AS per the regional ECC report, the escalation of the conflict by the TPLF into the Amhara region has displaced more 1,133,476 people in the region.

– The IDPs are mainly from Waghamera, North Gonder, South Gonder, Central Gonder, North Wollo, South Wollo and North Shewa Zones of the region and Wolkayit Tsegede.

– Currently at the Amhara regional level more than 5.6 million people are affected by the conflict and emergency food assistance by Government, Partners, local community, and private sectors is being facilitated.

Afar

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– The affected population is estimated at more than 265 thousand.

– The displaced people are more than 100 thousand.

This data will no doubt increase considering the attacks the TPLF had waged on the people of Afar in the past couple of weeks

– Federal Government (NDRMC), Regional DRMO and Partner (WFP) are mobilizing resources for the IDPs in the region. As of October 21, 2021 GoE, and partners distributed 36,837 quintals of food for more than 235,000 displaced people in different woreda (Gulina, Yalo, Awra, Ewa, Teru and Chifra, Berhale, Hidalu, Gorahe).

– The food consists of wheat flour, Rice, CSB, Pulse, Oil and wheat.

– Regional Health Bureau is Deployed Mobile health team in Conflict affected woredas and IDP sites.

Tigray

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– Since 23 November, the United Nations UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) flights to Mekelle has resumed. Humanitarian partners were able to rotate staff in and out of Tigray and transfer operational cash to the region.

– Since then, two rounds of flights conducted. Through UNHAS flight, 19 partners transported ETB 40 million (in Cash) to Mekelle for administration and program budget.

– 353 trucks with humanitarian supplies are heading to Tigray Regional State from Semera through Abala road carrying 9,693 MT food, 1,680 MT of non-food items

– A total of 116 trucks have reached Mekelle town.

– From July to October alone, the National Disaster Risk Management Commission

NDRMC has facilitated the humanitarian cargo movement through Semera to Abala corridor.

– 1,114 trucks deployed to Tigray Regional State to transport humanitarian cargo from

Semera to Mekelle through Abala corridor and only 322 trucks have returned.

3. Current Peace & Security situation in the country

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– There is no doubt that Ethiopia is engaged in conflict with a belligerent terrorist organization that is employing playbook tactics of terrorism. While there are conflict pockets, it is erroneous to portray the entire country engulfed in an all-out civil war.

– The Ethiopian government repeats that fear- and panic-mongering about the situation in Addis Ababa and the country is irresponsible and unnecessary. It is extremely disappointing that some partners have been taking the lead here, in a totally unacceptable manner, and undermining any solution.

– Creating an atmosphere of fear and insecurity for political purposes is to be squarely rejected.

– The government of Ethiopia has achieved decisive military victory over the terrorist group and regained control of areas which were infiltrated by TPLF. Measures against the terrorist group will continue until TPLF no longer becomes a threat to national peace and security.

5. Commitment to Accountability

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– It is to be recalled that last month upon the joint investigation report issued by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights, the Prime Minister had committed to following up on the recommendations of the report and had set up a joint ministerial task force for this purpose.

– In that regard, the Inter-Ministerial Taskforce to oversee redress and accountability measures in response to human rights violations committed in the context of the conflict in northern Ethiopia officially commenced its work on 29 November 2021 by adopting a comprehensive strategy and action plan for the implementation of the recommendations in the joint investigation.

– The strategy and action plan cover all serious violations that have been committed in the context of the conflict, including those that have occurred in Afar and Amhara regional states after the unilateral ceasefire declared by the FDRE Government in June 2021.

– To carry out its work, the Taskforce has established four committees that focus on Investigation and Prosecution, Refugees and IDP Affairs, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, and Resource Mobilization.

– The Taskforce has directed the Committee on Investigations and Prosecutions to operationalize a specialized joint civil-military investigative and prosecutorial unit with the requisite operational autonomy to ensure accountability through a transparent and robust legal process.

6. Disinformation

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– The disinformation campaign against Ethiopia has continued propagated by TPLF and distributed by its sympathizers

– Firstly, there continues to be a purposeful disregard that the nation was pushed into this conflict by TPLF. This is an organization that has been the common denominator in three wars within Ethiopia in the past 30 years. It is designated a terrorist organization by the Ethiopian parliament. US homeland security has previously indicated the TPLF qualifies as a Tier III terrorist organization; it has made alliances with other terrorist organizations in the country. And yet a democratically elected government is equated with a terrorist organization just because this clique has best friends in hegemonic circles in the West.

– Secondly, I would like to highlight the distorted views being drawn from statements and news developed in the Amharic language. Many western media are complicit in exaggerating issues based on erroneous translations. The recent erroneous reporting being that media have been clamped down by the State of Emergency from reporting on the conflict. This is purposeful disinformation. The SOE prohibits unauthorized entities from announcing battlefront activities which have not been verified through the appropriate security channels.

– Thirdly, the purposeful crafting of the situation as genocide and ethnic cleansing has been shaped over the past year to gain international sympathy for regime change efforts. To bring facts to the fore, the TPLF attacked Ethiopia’s Northern Command on November 3 and by November 4 before National Defense Forces were even mobilized to enter the Tigray region, TPLF digital activists had already taken to Twitter to declare genocide. Now we see their foreign allies further shaping that narrative globally to facilitate intervention while the war has not been in the Tigray region for five months now. If any entity is committing ethnic cleansing, it is the TPLF as it has been sending human wave after wave into the Amhara and Afar regions to fight. It is important to remind everyone here that TPLF is employing the same narrative tactics it employed in the 80s.

– The only difference now is the advent of social media as a tool for propaganda and psychological warfare.

– I would like to raise here a concerning trend we are witnessing on social media platforms, mainstream media and academic circles which is the silencing of pro Ethiopia voices and the propping up of regime change and pro TPLF narratives.

– On social media, particularly we have reason to believe that Twitter is targeting and suspending pro-Ethiopia voices that are raising awareness about the TPLF’s atrocities and its lies; We have shared with their policy team that we believe that Twitter has been infiltrated by TPLF sympathizers in the same manner that many democratic institutions and corporate spaces have been infiltrated;

– On some mainstream western media, we have of course seen the anti-Ethiopian Government perspective dominate – again we have seen this trend before in many countries where media was used to effectively demonize governments and their leaders in order to facilitate regime change; the same is playing out now

– We have seen academic circles being co-opted to magnify TPLF as a victim narrative

– And this is just the tip of the iceberg, but it is evident that various “democratic” spaces are being captured to facilitate the ground for regime change under the pretext of “humanitarian assistance” “human rights” and “democracy”…we have seen this playbook in Libya and many other countries destabilized purposely

7. For some members of the international community

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– There is no substitute for working with the sovereign, elected government of Ethiopia. Any talk of an unelected and elite groups-orchestrated ‘transitional govt.’ or ‘regime change’ is reckless and futile.

– The Ethiopian political system and the govt.’s offer for national dialogue offer all the room needed to accommodate contestation with opposition groups; they cannot illegally and subversively contest the emerging democratic order.

– Cease selective outrage; TPLF should not be positioned as a legitimate favorite because they once dominated the politics, economy and military of the country and have laid out networks of convenience; they are still a terrorist organization to millions of Ethiopians, employing the same tactics that similar organizations the international community has been fighting off in other parts of the world under the banner of ‘national interest’ ‘democracy’ and ‘regional stability’

8. Call to the Ethiopian Diaspora

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– Continue raising your voices in a united manner;

– There is a time and place for ideological differences and opposition but not when the existence of your country is being tested by forces far and near

– As the Ethiopian Christmas Holiday is upon us, Ethiopians in the Diaspora take the challenge to come home for Christmas. 1 million Diaspora by January 7^th, 2022.

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Statement on deceptions made by some international mainstream media

Ever since conflict broke out in northern Ethiopia with the aggression of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), there have been repeated false allegations of a blockade on the Tigray region by the Federal Government Ethiopia.

Nevertheless, these reports could not be farther from the truth, as evidenced by the reality on the ground, which is readily accessible to anyone seeking to ascertain the truth.

First and foremost, aside from interruptions caused by active belligerence by the TPLF, the humanitarian corridor via ground transportation is open for delivering critical aid to the people of Tigray.

Convoys from ports in Djibouti continue to make their trek through Afar and into Tigray. Recall, the TPLF has on multiple occasions tried to interrupt this flow of humanitarian assistance by expanding the conflict to the Afar region, a point willfully ignored by the mainstream agenda-based media reports.

Moreover, the humanitarian air bridge to Mekelle via air transport is up and running after interruptions due to safety risks posed by TPLF. Currently daily flights continue to deliver critical foods and medical assistance. The TPLF continues to promote a false narrative to garner international sympathy.

The Government of Ethiopia has received credible information that CNN intends to misinform the world once again through a supposed report claiming genocide is taking place in the Tigray region.

If ever there was a nefarious weaponization and deliberate misrepresentation of the word genocide, then it would have to be the “Tigray Genocide”, a narrative so unscrupulously constructed.

The cries of genocide from the TPLF camps started to appear on social media from the outset of the conflict on November 4, 2020, the exact date of TPLF’s attack on Ethiopia’s northern Command.

While TPLF was waging what it dubbed its “lighting strike” to decapitate Ethiopia’s army, it was simultaneously accusing its sworn enemies of genocide on the people of Tigray.

The said genocide was first and foremost debunked by the UN OHCHR and EHRC joint investigation. ,. While the sad state of war implies civilian casualties, Ethiopia has taken steps to minimize this, even at the cost of losing territory to the TPLF. Furthermore, there has not been any active combat or Federal Government presence in the Tigray region since June 2021. Rather, the TPLF has sent in fighters in human waves into the Afar and Amhara regions to undertake grave crimes against civilian populations. Which begs the question, where is the said genocide against the people of Tigray taking place?   Here lies the deception of some international media that portrays the aggressor as a victim.

On September 8, 2021 CNN published an article entitled “Men are marched out of prison camps. Then corpses float down the river”, in which a gruesome portrayal of alleged execution of ethnic Tigray men in Northern Ethiopia is presented. The town was Humera and the suspected perpetrators were Ethiopia’s security services. To the average Western reader of the story, it all sounds plausible, and the premise is all too familiar. A poor African country and a regime with a natural inclination to brutalize its own people is the image that comes up instinctively. Regrettably, this level of ignorance can easily pass unnoticed in the prejudiced framework in which many in the mainstream media dwell. This is exactly the agenda setting reporting exploited by authors of the article to mislead readers. That and readers and audiences steeped in many tropes and stereotypes about Africans that makes such egregious misinformation possible in the first place.

Perhaps more intriguing is the original article published on September 5, 2021 clearly mentions “Ongoing independent investigations by international and local forensic experts found no evidence that the victims had drowned. The experts, who asked not to be identified due to security concerns, told CNN that the bodies had all been exposed  to some form of chemical agent after death, leading to a process which had effectively preserved them before entering the water”‘. For what purpose the bodies would be injected with preservatives after being killed is not elaborated further.

However, a closer look at a later version published on the 8th of September 2021, raises some serious issues of credibility. Namely, the new version of the article features a silent edit, in which CNN removed all mention of finding chemical agents, likely preservatives in the dead bodies floating down river. Why disguise such an important piece of information?

All of this lends credence to forewarning provided by many social media commentators and bloggers that had indicated the TPLF had been planning to stage an attention-grabbing news around the time of USAID’s Samantha Power’ s visit to Sudan in late July to early August of 2021.

Right on cue, Reuters reports on August 2, 2021 “At least 30 bodies float down river between Ethiopia’s Tigray region and Sudan”; while AP News on the same day writes,” Bodies found in river between Ethiopia’s Tigray, Sudan”.

In a seemingly coordinated propaganda ploy, mainstream media pick up the tidbits of information and run with it without confirming the sources or the evidence whatsoever. This sort of irresponsible journalism has unfortunately become the norm when it comes to reporting current events in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa in general.

At this point it has become clear that international mainstream media has willfully and deliberately chosen to disinform its audiences on a continuous basis.

However, manufacturing consent for unconstitutional change of government has proven difficult as more and more people continue to challenge the credibility of such stories. It is unfortunate that such media outlets have not learned from the harrowing consequences of their misleading reporting in different parts of the world.

The Government of Ethiopia once again calls on all those engaged in such disinformation campaigns to refrain from these kinds of acts that are in one way or the other harming millions.

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