News in Brief

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed addresses parliament

“Let there be Light,” Ethiopians are Laud and Clear on GERD

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen participates in the 58th Munich Security Conference

State Minister Ambassador Redwan Hussein pays a visit to Pakistan

Encouraging TPLF’s impunity will not end the conflict peacefully: Amb Redwan

Africa and the African Union

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday (February 23) named Hanna Tetteh as his Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa. Special Envoy Parfait Onanga takes on the role of Special Representative to the African Union and Head of the UN office to the African Union. In related news, Ambassador Xue Bing has been appointed Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

The Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD-8) will be held in Kigali, Rwanda on March 3 – 5, under the theme, building forward better: A green, inclusive and resilient Africa poised to achieve the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063. The theme is aligned with the 2022 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) on Building back better from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The ARFSD-8 is organized by the United Nations Economic Commission of Africa (ECA) and the government of Rwanda in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and other entities of the United Nations System.

Ethiopia

President Sahle-Work Zewde bade farewell on Monday (February 21) to the outgoing Ambassador of the United States of America in Ethiopia, Geeta Pasi. The U.S Department of State announced on 31 January 2022 that Ambassador Tracey Ann Jacobson, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service will serve as Chargé d’Affaires, at the Embassy in Addis Ababa.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed held meetings on Friday (February 18) with leaders of various countries on the margins of the 6th European Union-African Union (AU-EU) Summit. Prime Minister Abiy held discussions with President Emmanuel Macron of France, Olaf Scholz of Germany, and Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson of Sweden in Brussels, Belgium on bilateral and continental issues.  The premier has raised ideas that ensure the benefits of Africa and Ethiopia.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed attended on Tuesday (February 22) the first-year 3rd emergency meeting of the House of Peoples’ Representatives and addressed queries of the MPs. The premier explained the significant decisions of his government and briefed the overall political and economic state of the country. (See article)

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed officially inaugurated electricity generation from the country’s mega-dam on the Blue Nile on Sunday (February 20), a milestone in the multi-billion-dollar project. The Premier, accompanied by high-ranking officials, toured the power generation station and pressed a series of buttons on an electronic screen which initiated production. The event saw one of the 13 turbines of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) beginning power generation, with an installed capacity of 375 megawatts. (See article)

In related news, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Tuesday (February 22) said Ethiopia is always open to a win-win solution with regard to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Responding to questions raised by MPs, the premier said Ethiopia wants to work cooperatively and through negotiation with Egyptian and Sudanese brothers. “We do not have the desire of stopping the flow of the Abay water, rather generating energy,” he stated, adding that all would “benefit if we work together and through negotiation.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen had participated in the 58th Munich Security Forum in Germany which was held from 18-20 February 2022.
The three-day Security Conference was held in a hybrid (both virtually and in-person) format bringing together high-ranking decision-makers and prominent opinion leaders from all over the world in Munich to discuss the most pressing security concerns. The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister had participated in two roundtable discussions and a number of bilateral meetings with the foreign ministers of Sweden and Ireland as well as the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany. (See article)

State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Ambassador Redwan Hussien on Tuesday (February 22) met Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan. During the occasion, ambassador Redwan delivered a message to the Prime Minister on behalf of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The state minister has also delivered the Prime Minister’s appreciation of Pakistan’s principled position in support of Ethiopia in the international fora. Ambassador Redwan noted Ethiopia and Pakistan have laid a sound foundation of friendship and cooperation at both the bilateral and multilateral levels. During his visit to Pakistan, the Ambassador also met other high-level officials and the business community in Islamabad. (See article)

State Minister Ambassador Redwan Hussien met at his office on Thursday (February 24) with a Norwegian delegation led by the Deputy Foreign Minister of Norway, Dr. Henrik Thune, and discussed bilateral issues and current situations in Ethiopia. At the outset, Ambassador Redwan spoke on the long-term diplomatic relations and cooperation between Ethiopia and Norway further appreciating support for Ethiopia’s green economy and the reform agenda. (See article)

The House of Peoples’ Representatives on Monday (February 21) has approved the appointment of 11 commissioners for the newly established National Dialogue Commission. It is to be recalled that the House had approved a Proclamation recently to establish the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission with a view to bringing national consensus, sustainable peace, and reconciliation in the country through an inclusive dialogue.   The Commission is expected to facilitate an inclusive dialogue to a national consensus on key issues and ensure peace.

The 85th Ethiopian Martyrs’ Day has been observed on Saturday (February 19) in Addis Ababa. The Day is observed to commemorate Ethiopians massacred by the Fascist Italian forces following an attempted assassination on Marshal Rodolfo Graziani in 1937 in Addis Ababa. The day is marked by laying wreaths at the Yekatit 12 Martyrs’ Monument erected in the capital in memory of the martyrs.

Minister of Finance, Ahmed Shide, and State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Redwan Hussien met European Union Special Representative for the Horn of Africa, Dr. Annette Weber on the sideline of the AU-EU Summit that was held in Brussels, Belgium from 17-18 of February 2022. During the meeting, they exchanged views on the path that Ethiopia is heading- toward peace and reconciliation through dialogue. The discussion between the two sides included the steps taken for humanitarian delivery, including medical supplies to the northern part of Ethiopia.

Eritrea

Eritrea’s Aviation College (EAF) conferred, in its first Commencement held at Fenkil Airforce Base in Massawa today (February 25), Advanced Diplomas for graduates in three-year programs of Pilot Training; Maintenance of Aircraft, Electronics and Radars and  Certificates for EAF graduates in Seamanship.

Djibouti

The Ethiopian Community School Building Design Delivery Scheme was held in Djibouti on Thursday (February 24). Ambassador Tesfaye Yilma, Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the African Union and UNECA,  Abdi Shehida, Prefet of Nagad Region of the Republic of Djibouti, Presidents of DireDewa and Djibouti Universities, senior Djibouti officials, Ethiopian Embassy diplomats and staffs, members of the Construction Resources Coordinating Committee, Ethiopians residing in the country, and invited guests were present. The Ethiopian Ambassador to the Republic of Djibouti,  Berhanu Tsegaye, stated in his opening remarks that the Ethiopian Community School, which has long been a concern of Ethiopian parents in Djibouti, has reached a significant milestone with the delivery of the building design. He, then, expressed gratitude to the brotherly country of Djibouti for all its support.

Kenya

Speaking at the commencement of a technical committee meeting on fast-tracking the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) between Ethiopia and Kenya over the week in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, Ambassador Meles Alem said the first power generation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on 20 February 2022 has strategic significance to the region and beyond as it is timely. The PPA was signed between Ethiopia and Kenya in 2012. The Ambassador said Ethiopia and Kenya have solid, deep, and undented relations both at the leaders’ and people’s levels.

Somalia

The Prime Minister of the Federal Government of Somalia, Mohamed Hussein Roble on Wednesday (February 23) chaired the National security conference attended by the country’s top security commanders and officials from AMISOM. The meeting focused on strengthening security, counterterrorism, and maintaining stability in the Capital. The Prime Minister ordered the security forces to take extra precautions and tighten the security of the capital because the election of the Speaker of the Parliament is on the way and followed by the President’s election.

South Sudan

South Sudan signed on a Tuesday (February 22) a unified policy document with oil companies, ending years of protest and negotiation to harmonize payment and salary structure. The pact, if implemented, will now allow oil companies and other institutions operating in South Sudan to make equal pay for doing the same job as foreign nationals in the oil and other sectors.

Sudan

South Sudan and Sudan on Wednesday (February 23) have agreed to form a high-level committee to monitor cross border attacks between local communities, winning the support of local leaders. Northern Bahr El Ghazal State Governor Tong Akeen Ngor said Wednesday the Vice President for Service Cluster had informed him and members of his cabinet of a discussion he had with the Sudanese Deputy Chairman of the Sovereign Council about a need to form a high-level border monitoring committee.

Sudan and Russia agreed to enhance economic and trade cooperation and speed up the implementation of the signed bilateral agreements. On Thursday (February 24), Deputy Chairman of the Sovereign Council Mohamed Hamdan Daglo “Hemetti”, held a meeting with the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs to discuss ways to develop bilateral cooperation between Sudan and Russia in various areas including political, diplomatic, economic and trade fields.

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Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed addresses parliament

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed attended on Tuesday (February 22) the first-year 3rd emergency meeting of the House of Peoples’ Representatives and addressed queries of the MPs. The premier explained the significant decisions of his government and briefed the overall political and economic state of the country. 

The Economy keeps growing amidst conflict

The national economy has maintained steady momentum in the first half of the current Ethiopian fiscal year, despite the undeniable consequences of the war on overall performance, Abiy Ahmed told the parliament. Abiy said the national income earned in the first half of the current Ethiopian fiscal year was 14.9 percent higher than the same period last year. The trade balance is also beginning to stabilize, and export trade growth has increased by 25% over the past year, he said. The premier said the one billion USD worth of imported items have been replaced by domestic products, with pharmaceutical products, textiles, and shoes topping the list. In the meantime, he said 1.6 billion USD in FDI has been secured, representing a 23 percent increase over the previous year.

In terms of the financial sector’s performance, the Premier stated that it is continuing to expand positively, with total bank assets reaching two trillion Birr. The total value of shareholder assets is estimated to be 159 billion Birr. In the last six months, the number of bank branches owned by the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia and private banks has increased from 6700 to 7400.

Ethiopia’s external debt is being ‘dramatically’ decreased, with external debt falling from 58 percent of GDP last year to 50 percent this year. Ethiopia’s homegrown economic strategy has made a significant contribution to relieving the country’s economic woes in recent years. Agriculture development is also being considered by the government as a weapon for taming rising inflation.

Foreign banks: coming soon

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (Ph.D.) confirmed the government’s intention to bring foreign banks into the country’s banking sector. Ethiopian banks, according to Abiy, have been operating in the financial sphere without competition from foreign banks for a long time. “We cannot continue with this trend any longer due to several reasons including the need for acquiring additional wealth and foreign currency,” he remarked.

He stated that one of the reasons for allowing international competition is to bring in more innovative services. To that goal, he claims, the government is preparing policy revisions. If the preparations are completed and local banks are aware of the situation, foreign banks may be given permission to enter the Ethiopian banking market, he said.

Lasting Peace in Ethiopia

Premier Abiy remarked that the government’s initiatives on the current situation have helped Ethiopia immensely, particularly the release of high-profile detainees. The Premier further stated that the government released the prisoners in order to achieve long-term peace taking into account the overall circumstances of the prisoners and the need to solidify battlefield victories. “We must be cautious not to fall prey to the enemy’s scheme. We should look for a way to make our victory long-lasting, rather than following the path that our enemies have set for us,” he said.

He explained that the major goal of the terrorist TPLF’s latest offensive on Afar is not to attack the people of Afar as such but to prevent humanitarian aid from reaching the Tigray state and implicate the federal government in starving the people in Tigray. He stated that the federal government is working closely with the state administration of Afar to ease the situation.

On a similar account, Abiy said the terrorist OLF-Shene mob does not have a political endgame and does not consider human life as sacred. Despite the presence of government security troops around the area where it operates, the group shuns direct conflict while killing innocent civilians with empty bravado. The terrorist group’s fighters appear to be stronger now that they’ve found a large number of trainers and are hiding among communities. “We need to reach out to the communities, have conversations, and come up with solutions.”

National Dialogue

The Premier noted that the National Dialogue Commission is established to achieve national consensus by reducing key differences across nationalities and ensuring peace in the country. In order to do this, 11 commissioners were elected last week to facilitate discussion among people from all walks of life. They have no power other than facilitating dialogue, he said adding that in cases of controversy, the Ethiopian people will decide in a referendum. The national dialogue needs to be all-inclusive, participatory and has to leave no group of society behind.

“It’s all about securing Ethiopia’s future through healing the country’s scarred history, which transcends political parties and individuals. It is not about the interests of a single political party, individual, or individual. The country we are constructing is beyond our or any political party’s control, which is why an inclusive national discourse is essential.” The most crucial aspect of this inclusive national discussion is honesty; the entire process must be transparent; the system should not have any room for distrust, he said.

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“Let there be Light,” Ethiopians are Laud and Clear on GERD

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed officially inaugurated electricity generation from the country’s mega-dam on the Blue Nile on Sunday (February 20), a milestone in the multi-billion-dollar project. The Premier, accompanied by high-ranking officials, toured the power generation station and pressed a series of buttons on an electronic screen which initiated production. The event saw one of the 13 turbines of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) beginning power generation, with an installed capacity of 375 megawatts. 

Abiy described Sunday’s development as “the birth of a new era”. He noted that the dam would not obstruct the natural flow of the River Nile, and said the commencement of the power generation proved Ethiopia’s amicable position on the river for the project that did not impose any significant harm against downstream countries. “This is good news for our continent and the downstream countries with whom we aspire to work together. Ethiopia’s main interest is to bring light to 60 percent of the population who is suffering in darkness, to save the labor of our mothers who are carrying wood on their backs in order to get energy,” Abiy said.

“As you can see this water will generate energy while flowing as it previously flowed to Sudan and Egypt, unlike the rumors that say the Ethiopian people and government are damming the water to starve Egypt and Sudan,” he said as water gushed through the concrete colossus behind him. The Prime Minister thanked successive Ethiopian leaders for their contributions to making the dam a reality.

Former Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn said on his part this work is a work of generations. It is a great achievement for the Ethiopian people to be able to carry out this huge project, despite various problems. “We have become exemplary to Africans. Africa has a lot of resources, but with their divide-and-rule policy — like what’s now happening in our country, the bomb they planted has been exploding here and there preventing Africa from developing,” he said.

At the same time, Kifle Horo, the project’s principal engineer, pointed out that there are still works to be done. “We just started generating power, but that doesn’t mean the project is completed. A second will come online within a few months, and it will take from two and a half to three years to complete it.” 

Speaking at the celebration ceremony on the commencement of the GERD’s power generation, ‘Webuild‘ (former Salini Impregilo) Chief Executive Officer Pietro Salini said the Government of Ethiopia and Salini Impregilo have overcome many hitches and enemies in constructing the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). “The company is glad for serving in building the development of Ethiopia through utilizing the water resources of Ethiopia, especially by constructing GERD, overcoming many challenges together with the government.”

The dam’s construction began in 2011 and Ethiopia has so far disbursed over 100 billion birr for the construction. When it is fully completed, the GERD, Africa’s biggest hydroelectric project, is expected to generate over 5,000 megawatts of electricity, doubling the nation’s electricity output. The large reservoir for the dam is 145 meters (475 feet) and can contain 74 billion cubic meters (2,600 billion cubic feet). Currently, the dam is 84% complete and is expected to be fully operational in 2024. 

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Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen participates in the 58th Munich Security Conference

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen had participated in the 58th Munich Security Forum in Germany which was held from 18-20 February 2022.
The three-day Security Conference was held in a hybrid (both virtually and in-person) format bringing together high-ranking decision-makers and prominent opinion leaders from all over the world in Munich to discuss the most pressing security concerns. Roundtable discussions, conversations, statements, and debates were made on a broad range of issues, including combating the pandemic, climate change, and corruption, promoting knowledge transfer, and balancing peace and security arrangements in the world that is defined by geopolitical interests.

Participation of the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister had participated in two roundtable discussions and a number of bilateral meetings with the foreign ministers of Sweden and Ireland as well as Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany. The first discussion was on cooperation on security issues in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea. The second roundtable discussion was on security challenges and way-outs in Africa held under the tilte: “Rethinking responses: Terrorism, violent extremism and Trans-organized crimes in Africa exploring the causes of such challenges and proposing possible solutions.”

On the Roundtable Discussion on the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea

During the discussion, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister raised the following points said the Red Sea and Horn of Africa region need more engagement and radical initiatives for expedited regional economic integration and peaceful development. He said the international community needs to provide solid support to neutralize extremist groups in the region, mentioning the importance of strengthening AMISOM (AU mission in Somalia) in this regard.

He underlined the importance of creating a functioning framework of cooperation among the Red Sea and Horn African states that would accommodate the interests of all or at least of the majority of stakeholders. In this regard, he said the “Red Sea Littoral States Forum” that was established in 2019 was neither correct nor practical since it excluded Ethiopia from the Red Sea. Initiatives to develop common endeavors at multilateral levels to stem the illegal flow of migrants, drugs, and weapons along the Red Sea route should be encouraged, he said. Though Ethiopia is not a littoral state, he said its proximity to the region makes it logical to incorporate it in any association around the Red Sea.

He explained the pivotal roles Ethiopia has been playing to ensure better transport connectivity among nations in the region which leads to improved economic growth and trade. Moreover, he mentioned the ongoing road construction projects underway in the region aiming at improving regional infrastructure unlocking huge socio-economic benefits amongst nations in the region. He called on the International community to give proper recognition to Ethiopia’s decision to conduct an inclusive national dialogue. He also underlined that outstanding and emerging challenges in the neighboring countries require sustainable solutions.

On the Tana Forum Roundtable Discussion

The forum deliberated security challenges and way-outs in the Horn of Africa. The forum was attended by the Foreign Minister of Somalia, Defense Minister of Tanzania, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to the Africa Union, Ambassador Mulu Solomon, Ambassador of Ethiopia to Germany, and Dr. Annette Weber, European Union Special Representative for the Horn of Africa.

Speaking at the event, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister underlined that armed conflict, insurgency, terrorism, violent extremism, trafficking, and organized transitional crimes have made the Horn of Africa a hotspot in the global system. He said the challenges that the Horn Region faces today could be traced back to a failure in managing transitions and elections, ethnic differences, transboundary resources, and interventions by global and regional powers.

The event called on further commitment to abide by the maxim, “African Solution to African Problems,” and to enhance bilateral and multilateral Global North-Global South cooperation.

Attendees have also emphasized the need to forge strong working relationships among intergovernmental organizations, civil societies, academia, and the media.

On the Sideline Bilateral Meetings 

During his meeting with the foreign ministers of Sweden and Ireland as well as Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister,Thanked the government and people of Germany for the uninterrupted development cooperation with the government and people of Ethiopia.

Heexplained a series of major and bold decisions made by the government to reach a peaceful resolution of the conflict in the northern part of the country.He said the TPLF continued its warmongering nature by attacking neighboring regions adding up to the atrocious acts that it has been committing so far.He called on the international community to break the silence and hold the TPLF accountable for destroying the economic and social infrastructure that affected the delivery of humanitarian services.

Speaking on the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the TPLF-induced conflict, and drought in some parts of the country, he said affected people are in need of much-needed humanitarian assistance.He finally expressed hope that Germany, Sweden and Ireland would have a thorough understanding of the complex situation in Ethiopia.The Ministers, on their part, appreciated and pledged to support the positive steps taken by the government of Ethiopia to bring about peace in the country.

The Overall Impacts of participation in the AU-EU Summit and MSC

The overall results of the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister’s participation in the Munich Security Conference coupled with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali’s participation in the AU-EU Summit were successful engagements over the week bearing fruitful results.The participation of the leaders created opportunities to make high-level decision-makers of the world understand the current peaceful situation in Ethiopia and the conflict that the country was dragged into by the TPLF without the government’s choice. The leaders explained the positive steps that the government of Ethiopia has been taking to ensure peace in the country, including the release of prisoners, the proposed national dialogue, the government’s decision to withhold troops from entering Tigray to give peace a chance.

The leaders were also able to show the world the commencement of the recent humanitarian and medical supply to Tigray and the federal government’s commitment to work with humanitarian operators despite the TPLF’s continued attack against the neighbouring regions  Both the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister were able to hold sideline meetings with influential leaders in Europe further cementing relationships and securing the support of Europe to Ethiopia’s peace and security efforts, including development endeavors.

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State Minister Ambassador Redwan Hussein pays a visit to Pakistan

State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Ambassador Redwan Hussien led a delegation to Pakistan and met high level officials and Pakistani businesspeople. The state minister conducted discussions of political and economic nature with pertinent bodies in Pakistan.

In meeting the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, Ambassador Redwan delivered a message to the Prime Minister on behalf of Ethiopian Prime Minister  Abiy Ahmed Ali. The Ambassador also delivered the Prime Minister’s appreciation of Pakistan’s principled position in support of Ethiopia in the international fora. Ambassador Redwan noted Ethiopia and Pakistan have laid a sound foundation of friendship and cooperation at both the bilateral and multilateral levels. Mentioning the growing relationship, particularly in trade, investment as well as international peace and security, Ambassador Redwan announced his country’s decision to open an embassy in Islamabad. Considering the friendly and growing relationship between the two countries, the ambassador extended Prime Minister Abiy’s invitation to Prime Minister Imran Khan to visit Ethiopia and further cement ties.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, on his part, conveyed cordial greetings for Prime Minister Abiy, warmly reciprocated his sentiments of goodwill and friendship, and thanked him for the invitation. The Prime Minister underscored that Pakistan highly valued its long-standing ties with Ethiopia and stressed the importance of further increasing trade and investment cooperation between the two countries.

Ambassador Redwan Hussien also met with the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi and made the first bilateral Political Consultation with the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan, Ambassador Sohail Mohamood. Ambassador Redwan met these high-level officials of Pakistan separately and held discussions of political and economic nature, intending to strengthen bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries.

Ambassador Redwan Hussein had also made a series of meetings with the Office of the Prime minister of Pakistan Board of Investment, the chamber of Commerce of Islamabad, Company CEOs in Pakistan, and representatives of The Center for Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI).

Islamabad’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry expressed the interest of its members to do business with Ethiopian businesspeople and cooperate with the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations. The chamber has shown great interest to work with the Ethiopian Business community to import and export different products and on Joint ventures while requesting options for the issuance of visas on arrival to Pakistan’s businesspeople. Ambassador Redwan, on his part, said a visa on arrival would be considered and a direct flight of Ethiopian Airlines to Karachi was also under process.

During the discussion with members of the Board of Investment (BOI), the Chairman, Muhammad Azfar Ahsan stressed that Pakistan considers Ethiopia to be one of the centerpieces of its Engage-Africa initiative, while Ethiopia can come to rely on Pakistan as a trusted all-weather partner in the Global South. Ambassador Redwan pointed out that Ethiopia is set to establish its permanent Mission in Pakistan soon and underscored the need to set a regular mechanism of interaction between business associations and chamber of commerce of the two countries. The Chairman of BOI finally invited Ethiopian investors to participate in Pakistan Investment Summit scheduled to be held on 30th – 31st March 2022.

The Ethiopian delegation had also a meeting with the leaders of the Centre for Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI). The meeting noted that Ethiopia and Pakistan have a mutual interest to develop economic and trade ties by employing the untapped potentials of the two countries. Their discussion included the need to create academic and institutional collaboration with think tanks and academia in the two countries.

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Encouraging TPLF’s impunity will not end the conflict peacefully: Amb Redwan

State Minister Ambassador Redwan Hussien met at his office on Thursday (February 24) with a Norwegian delegation led by the Deputy Foreign Minister of Norway, Dr. Henrik Thune, and discussed bilateral issues and current situations in Ethiopia. At the outset, Ambassador Redwan spoke on the long-term diplomatic relations and cooperation between Ethiopia and Norway further appreciating support for Ethiopia’s green economy and the reform agenda.

Norway has been vocal in expressing concern and putting pressure on Ethiopia especially on human rights and humanitarian access issues during the law enforcement campaign in the Tigray region. Speaking on the conflict in the north, the state Minister underscored that had there been efforts to understand the inherent nature of the TPLF and the context in which the conflict took place, the conflict would have concluded a long time ago.

Explaining the genesis of the conflict, State Minister Redwan wondered why the international community preferred to echo the victimhood narrative of the TPLF which actually was the belligerent group that attacked government troops driven by greed and superiority complex. Ambassador Redwan walked the Norwegian delegation through the steps taken to resolve the conflict in the Tigray region, mentioning the release of prominent political figures from prison, the lifting of the state of emergency, and commitments to have an inclusive national dialogue. He said the federal troops did not enter into Tigray region and the government scaled up efforts to address the challenges of humanitarian access issues in the region.

Overturning all the positive measures by the government, the TPLF chose to launch new attacks in the Northern Afar Region, affecting the humanitarian corridor and the aid supply process. A viable solution to end the conflict in the north is to squarely condemn the TPLF for committing atrocities and failing to reciprocate the peace overtures of the federal government, he said. Unless the international community holds the TPLF accountable for its crimes and ceases to embolden the group’s intransigence through deliberate silence, there would be no peaceful conclusion to the conflict, he added.

The Deputy Foreign Minister of Norway, on his part, said his country encourages all the recent positive steps taken by the Ethiopian government toward peace. He also thanked Ambassador Redwan for addressing his concerns candidly and reiterated that his country, as a principle, is concerned over the humanitarian and human rights issues related to the conflict in the North. He said the Ethiopian government’s concern over the international community’s partial treatment of the conflict that favored the TPLF is understandable.

The discussion between the two sides also included the peace efforts of  Olusegun Obasanjo which they noted should be supported to conclude the conflict peacefully under the auspices of the African Union.

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