News in Brief

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen confers with Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs Peace and Security

East African countries’ military intelligence agencies vow to scale up cooperation to help build a “peaceful and secure Africa”

Tanzania National Defense College research team pays experience sharing visit to Ethiopia

Ethiopia welcomes statement by the Russian Embassy on recruitment of soldiers

Africa and the African Union

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, expresses his full solidarity and renews his sincere condolences to the affected families, the Government and people of South Africa following the devastating floods in the Kwazulu-Natal province of the Republic of South Africa that has left hundreds of people dead and caused massive destruction of homes and infrastructure. In this regard, the Chairperson announces on Tuesday (April 19) a donation of 150,000USD from the AU Emergency Fund in support of the Government of South Africa response and rescue efforts. The Chairperson re-affirms the unwavering support of and solidarity with the people and Government of the Republic of South Africa during this difficult time.

The African Union Commission (AUC) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) launched new guidelines for scaling up investments in agri-food systems for youth in Africa, during the 32nd Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Africa (ARC32). The Investment Guidelines for Youth in Agrifood Systems in Africa provides practical “how to” steps to develop youth-focused and youth-sensitive investment programmes that see youth as partners in rural development, throughout all phases of the investment programme cycle.

Spokesperson for the IGAD Executive Secretary, Nuur Mohamud Sheekh stated that IGAD strongly condemns Monday’s (April 18) mortar attack on Somalia’s Parliament that happened when MPs were convening to discuss important matters. “We wish quick recovery to the injured, and stand in solidarity with the Government and people of Somalia in their fight against those undermining the peace.” Nuur Mohamud Sheekh underlined.

Ethiopia

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed extended condolences to South Africa after a deadly flood hit the country’s east coast, killing more than 300 people. “My thoughts with Cyril Ramaphosa and fellow South Africans who have been affected by heavy rains and flooding over the past few days,” tweeted the Prime Minister on Thursday (April 19). “Ethiopia stands in solidarity in these trying times,” he added. The flooding started early in the week, sparking landslides that buried or swept away homes, collapsed bridges and blocked key roadways.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen had a meeting on Thursday (April 14) at his office with Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs Peace and Security. (See article)

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen had a meeting on Tuesday (April 19) at his office with Dr. Christopher Elias, the President of the Global Development Division of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The discussion between the two sides focused on ways to strengthen the development programs that the foundation has been undertaking in Ethiopia so far.

The East African military intelligence agencies had a two-day meeting in Addis Ababa (April 15-16) that deliberated ways to collaborate on mutual security concerns in the region. In delivering opening remarks, Lt. Gen. Berhanu Bekele said the purpose of the consultation was to jointly address security concerns in the region. He said: “the exchange of information and experience among the military intelligence agencies is crucial to work together to ensure lasting peace in East Africa.” In concluding the forum on Saturday the countries who were in attendance agreed to tackle security concerns, including terrorism to maintain peace and stability in the region. (See article)

Officers from the Tanzania National Defense College were in Addis Ababa last week on an educational visit to the Ethiopian Ministry of Defense. The officers are currently undergoing training at the Tanzania National Defense College and are from Nigeria, Tanzania, Burundi, Zimbabwe and Rwanda. During their stay in Ethiopia, the officers visited the Defense Research Center, War College, Peacekeeping Center and Defense University with briefings provided by senior officers of the stated institutions. (See article)

The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Republic of Korea held their first policy consultation meeting on Friday (April 22). Ethiopian Finance State Minister, Semereta Sewasew and Korean Ambassador to Ethiopia Kang Seokhee have represented their respective countries in the consultation and co-chaired the meeting. Addressing the meeting, State Minister Semereta noted that such a platform will have paramount significance in deepening cooperation and cementing bilateral ties between Ethiopia and Korea. Kang Seokhee, Korean Ambassador, for his part, said his country is committed to cementing its and continuing to be a true friend of Ethiopia in many aspects.

Ethiopia has been elected to the Executive Board of the World Food Program (WFP), according to the Permanent Mission of Ethiopia to the United Nations (UN). “We look forward to contributing to the work of the world’s largest humanitarian organization in its efforts to support countries change lives in difficult circumstances all around the world, including Ethiopia,” the Permanent Mission noted.  The Executive Board is WFP’s supreme governing body. Comprising 36 States Members of the United Nations or members of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Board provides intergovernmental support, policy direction and supervision of the activities of WFP.

The Ethiopian Institution of the Ombudsman (EIO) reported on Wednesday (April 20) massacres and severe infrastructural destruction, in the Amhara and Afar regional states due to the TPLF invasions. The survey was conducted in seven zones of Amhara and two zones of Afar regions. Some 1,217 people were raped in the Amhara region, infrastructure was deliberately destroyed and 1.8 million people were made dependent on emergency food relief, according to the institution.

The Ethiopian government on Wednesday (April 20) said it welcomes the statement issued by the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Addis Ababa refuting the “unfounded” reports of the recruitment of Ethiopians to join the Russian Armed Forces. (See statement)

Ethiopia’s first-ever Innovation and Technology Talent Development Institute, which is located in Burayu, in Oromia Regional State Special Zone Surrounding Finfinne, and is under construction, will start accepting students as of the next academic year, according to the Ministry of Innovation and Technology. This was stated when members of the House of Peoples’ Representatives (HoPR) Human Resource Development and Technology and Public Expenditure Management and Control Standing Committees visited the construction site of the Institute and were briefed about the progress made so far. The Innovation and Technology Talent Development Institute will enroll 500 students in the next academic year. When completed, the institute will have the capacity to enroll 1000 students.

Finance Minister Ahmed Shide discussed on Friday (April 22) with UK Minister for Africa at the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office the current situation in Ethiopia. The two exchanged views on the progress towards peace in Ethiopia and the humanitarian situation in the country. Vicky Ford reiterated UK’s continued support to the people of Ethiopia in various sectors. Finance Minister Ahmed Shide recently attended the annual meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund in Washington D.C.

The Ethiopian Diaspora Agency concluded its five days study visit in India on Saturday (April 16) which was scheduled from April 11-15, 2022. The delegation, including experts from GIZ-Ethiopia was led by the Deputy Director of the Agency Dr. Mohammed Endris.  The visit was aimed at sharing experiences and exchanging views with similar Indian organizations that deal with the diaspora/overseas citizens.

Eritrea

Senior Eritrean delegation composed of  Osman Saleh, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Presidential Adviser  Yemane Gebreab that was on a five-day working visit to Sudan delivered a message of President Isaias Afwerki to Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, President of the Republic of Sudan. During its working visit, the senior Eritrean delegation met and held talks with President Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, Vice President Mohammed Hamdan Duglo, government officials, and a wide range of Sudanese political actors as well as community leaders. At the meetings, the Eritrean delegation underlined that Eritrea strongly supports a Sudanese approach and solution to the difficult challenges the country is facing. The delegation further noted that Eritrea has full confidence in the Sudanese people’s capability to forge a path towards a peaceful, stable, and united nation that meets their aspirations.

Kenya

Mwai Kibaki, Kenya’s third president has been announced dead aged 90 on the morning of Friday (April 22). The announcement was made by President Uhuru Kenyatta who succeeded him in 2013. “It is a sad day for us as a country. We have lost a great leader, the former president Mwai Kibaki,” President Kenyatta said in a news conference from State House.”I order and direct that in the testimony of high esteem that all Kenyans held for Mwai Kibaki, the country will hold a period of national mourning until sunset on the day he will be buried. All flags will fly at half-mast during this period,” he added.

Kenya is committed to putting in place an adequate legislative and regulatory framework to provide strict compliance mechanisms for handling and disposal of radioactive waste. Kenya Nuclear Regulatory Authority (KNRA) interim Chairman Prof. Dickson Andala said on Thursday (April 21) that the country was also in the process of enacting laws that are supportive of the development of nuclear technologies infrastructure and their long-term sustainability.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kenya, Ambassador Raychelle Omamo received Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia Meles Alem at her office on Wednesday (April 20). Ambassador Raychelle stated during the meeting that Ethiopia and Kenya have a longstanding fraternal relationship that could be a role model for the Horn of Africa. The Kenyan Foreign Minister further expressed her country’s keen interest in enhancing the bilateral relationship. She appreciated the government of Ethiopia’s peacebuilding initiatives, mentioning the proposed National Dialogue and efforts to rehabilitate areas affected by the conflict in the northern part of the country. On the occasion, Ambassador Meles Alem conveyed a message from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Demeke Mekonnen, addressed to the Minister. He pointed out that the historical friendship between the two countries has scaled up to cover multiple areas, including political, economic, and people-to-people ties.

Somalia

Somalia’s newly elected parliament convened for the first time on Saturday (April 16) bringing Somalia a step closer to electing a new president. Elections in Somalia follow a complex indirect model, whereby state legislatures and clan delegates pick lawmakers for the national parliament, who in turn choose the president. Nearly 300 lawmakers were sworn in Thursday — already more than a year behind schedule.

Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the mortar attack that targeted the Somali parliament on Monday (April 18) while the country’s newly elected lawmakers were meeting for the second time since taking office. Mortar shells landed near the parliament building in the capital Mogadishu, injuring several people. No lawmakers were injured during the attack. Officials had been discussing setting dates for parliamentary elections to choose speakers for the lower and upper houses and the next stage in a process to elect the new president. They had agreed to elect the speaker of the Upper House on 26 April and that of the Lower House the following day.

A poor start to the rainy season in the Horn of Africa has added to fears that the worst drought in decades could soon have catastrophic results, with the crisis worsened by the war in Ukraine driving up food prices and diverting international attention, the WFP said on Tuesday (April 19). More than 16 million people—including many children—are already in dire need of food aid in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, which are now staring at an unprecedented fourth consecutive failed rainy season, having received below average rains so far this March to May wet season.

South Sudan

South Sudan President Salva Kiir and a number of senior government officials visited the United State Arab Emirates (UAE) for a three-day diplomatic mission, the presidency announced on Monday (April 18). The presidency spokesperson, Ateny Wek Ateny said, “The president will hold bilateral meetings with leaders of UAE on areas in which South Sudan and the United Arab Emirates can further strengthen their relations and cooperation in areas of mutual interest”.

The South Sudanese government has appealed to the United Nations Interim Force for Abyei (UNISFA) to intensify its operations and prevent the recurring attacks in the contested oil-producing region. In an interview with the media on Wednesday (April 20), South Sudan’s Minister for East African Affairs, Deng Alor Kuol said the Sudan government was informed about the situation Abyei as efforts continue to ensure there is stability and peaceful co-existence of people living in the disputed region.

Sudan

The Director of Economic Cooperation Department and Regional Integration of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Dr. Osman Babiker said on Monday (April 18) that the IGAD has launched studies on solar system complex and policies of regional renewable energy in four countries including Sudan, in the framework of the Sahra and Energy Initiative in cooperation with the African Development Bank (2022- 2026). African Development Fund (ADF) announced recently its approval of a 5.5 million dollar grant for the IGAD to fund the second phase of the energy project from the desert, where the board of directors of the AFD agreed on technical assistance amounting to 5.5 million dollars to commence Sahara initiative to be as pioneer energy in the Eastern Africa countries, including Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Sudan which is known as the Regional Energy Project for East Africa.

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Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen confers with Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs Peace and Security

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen had a meeting on Thursday (April 14) at his office with  Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs Peace and Security.

During their discussion, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister noted the constructive peace-building initiatives that the Government of Ethiopia has been undertaking so far.

He said the release of high-profile political figures from prison, the lifting of the state of emergency before its due time, and the proposed National Dialogue demonstrate the Government’s commitment to ensuring lasting peace in the country.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister stressed that the Ethiopian Government took into account the well-being of its citizens in the Tigray region when declaring the indefinite humanitarian truce that paved the way for unfettered access to humanitarian aid in the region.

In connection with that, he said, aside from the frequent humanitarian flights made to Mekelle, the delivery of aid to Tigray has been facilitated via road transport, including yesterday’s WFP and UN-led humanitarian convoy that headed to Mekelle carrying food items and fuel.

The two sides also underscored the need to encourage and support the peace initiatives of the AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa (HoA) region,  Olusegun Obasanjo.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen reaffirmed to Ambassador Bankole Adeoye that Ethiopia would remain committed to the peace initiative of the former Nigerian President under the auspices of the AUC.

Discussing the trilateral negotiations over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister reiterated Ethiopia’s firm commitment to resume the AU-led negotiations maintaining its stance for a win-win outcome.

Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, on his part, appreciated the peace measures taken by the Ethiopian Government, further expressing hope that the initiatives would bring about durable peace in the country.

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East African countries’ military intelligence agencies vow to scale up cooperation to help build a “peaceful and secure Africa”

The East African military intelligence agencies had a two-day meeting in Addis Ababa (April 15-16) that deliberated ways to collaborate on mutual security concerns in the region. In delivering opening remarks, Lt. Gen. Berhanu Bekele said the purpose of the consultation was to jointly address security concerns in the region. He said: “the exchange of information and experience among the military intelligence agencies is crucial to work together to ensure lasting peace in East Africa.” In concluding the forum on Saturday the countries who were in attendance agreed to tackle security concerns, including terrorism to maintain peace and stability in the region.

The forum was attended by the representatives of the military agencies of Ethiopia, Djibouti, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda. The countries affirmed their commitment to join hands in tackling regional challenges across a range of areas. They, in particular, mentioned their agreement to work on protecting the safety of cyberspace and meet border security challenges.

Their agreement also included working together to protect the environment, combat security issues that might be posed by social media use, and other regional challenges of social issues, including youth unemployment.   The Ministry of Defense of Ethiopia announced on its Facebook page that the countries that attended the forum, have also signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly combat anti-peace elements and terrorists in the region.

Given the enormous humanmade and natural problems the region has faced these days, such a pledge to join hands among the East African countries for cooperation is laudable. Environmental degradation which often exhibits its effect through recurring droughts, terrorism, notably through the Somalia-based terrorist jihadist fundamentalist group- the Al-Shabab, ethnic-based clashes, political and economic instability coupled with a huge number of unemployed youth contributed a lot to making the region volatile that continued to make peace and stability in the region even more fragile.

Aside from discussing common regional security challenges, the forum furnished participants with experience-sharing sessions.  In connection with this, field visits were made to the Headquarters of the Ethiopian Defense Forces, the Information Network Security Agency (INSA), and the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute.

In wrapping up the meeting Saturday, the forum decided to make its next round meeting in Uganda, while applauding Ethiopia for successfully hosting the Addis Ababa-held forum.  

The countries in East Africa seem to have scaled up their commitment to tackling shared security issues. It is to be recalled that a 15-day training was conducted in Kenya last month for members of the Defense Forces, Police, and civilian crew drawn from Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda, Burundi, Djibouti, Somalia, Seychelles, and Comoros in a bid to ensure the East Africa Standby Force make preparations fitting the current security issues in the region.

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Tanzania National Defense College research team pays experience sharing visit to Ethiopia

Officers from the Tanzania National Defense College were in Addis Ababa last week on an educational visit to the Ethiopian Ministry of Defense. The officers are currently undergoing training at the Tanzania National Defense College and are from Nigeria, Tanzania, Burundi, Zimbabwe and Rwanda. During their stay in Ethiopia, the officers visited the Defense Research Center, War College, Peacekeeping Center and Defense University with briefings provided by senior officers of the stated institutions.

Following his welcoming speech to the officers, Major General Teshome Gemechu, Director General of the Public Relation and Information Directorate said Ethiopia’s immense role in helping to protect the peace and security of the region would furnish important inputs to the research team from Tanzania’s military college. “Africa needs to maintain its own peace that necessitates sharing of experiences and commitment to solidify unity,” he stressed.

Brigadier General Yitayal Gelaw, the head of the Center for Defense Studies and Research thanked the Tanzanian team for choosing Ethiopia to be part of its research on the experience of countries in the region in defense, security, training and technology transfer. It is to be recalled that Ethiopia and Tanzania signed a military cooperation agreement last month (March 28) to enhance military cooperation between the two countries.

The officers also had a meeting with Ambassador Fissaha Sawel, Director General of the Directorate of African Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia who briefed them the current situation in Ethiopia. The Ambassador also explained the unfair external interventions and pressures that threatened the sovereignty of the country, which needs commitment to support Ethiopia from fellow African states.

Ambassador Fisseha also briefed the Tanzanian team about the long history of foreign relations and diplomacy of Ethiopia that was shaped by religious and economic interactions and relations among various groups of the Ethiopian society. He also mentioned Ethiopia’s laudable participation in bilateral and multilateral fora.

The Ambassador discussed the wrangling over the construction and filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, including outstanding issues on the negations with downstream states. He told the Tanzanian research team that Ethiopia has the right to utilize its natural resources equitably. He said the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project is a development agenda that does not significantly harm the riparian countries. He said securitizing and internationalizing this development project is unnecessary further stressing that the GERD file should fall under the purview of the African Union.

The Tanzanian National Defense College delegates also appreciated the briefing reiterating the need for African countries to stand together to protect their rights. The military officials also discussed with the Ambassador about specific issues that create opportunities for their respective countries to cooperate with Ethiopia.

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Ethiopia welcomes statement by the Russian Embassy on recruitment of soldiers

The Government of Ethiopia welcomes the Statement issued by the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Addis Ababa refuting the unfounded reports of recruitment for the Russian Armed Forces. The Embassy has clarified that it has not been accepting any applications for recruitment and that it abides by the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

The Government of Ethiopia agrees with the Embassy that any such recruitment would have violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations as it would have been contrary to the functions of a diplomatic mission. It would have also violated this Convention with respect to the obligation of diplomatic missions to respect the laws and regulations of the host State, as any such recruitment by any Embassy or enlistment of any Ethiopian would have violated Ethiopian law.

The Government of Ethiopia reiterates its appreciation to the Embassy for its prompt action.

20 April 2022