News in Brief

Ethiopia launches first free trade area zone

Ethiopia proves that 3^rd filling of GERD causes no significant harm to downstream countries

TPLF’s excuses undermining the Ethiopian peace process

Africa and the African Union

The Ethiopian peacekeeping mission, restructured under the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), has taken over from the 6th contingent, which was serving in South West Somalia under AMISOM. Security heads and representatives of supporting agencies under the sector have attended the takeover ceremony. Brig.-Gen Zewdu Tsetarge, Commander of the Sector Three Force of the Ethiopian AMISOM contingent, said the contingent has effectively discharged its responsibilities in safeguarding the peace and security of the people of Somalia.

Ethiopia

Ethiopia announced the successful completion of the third filling of its mega-dam on the Blue Nile. “It is with Grand pleasure, I announce the successful completion of the third filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD),” said Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Friday (August 12) during a program at the dam site. The announcement came a day after Ethiopia launched electricity generation from the second turbine of the mega-dam. According to the prime minister, the dam will create an enabling situation to facilitate integration among neighboring countries as Ethiopia starts selling power to them from the mega-dam. (See article)

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed inaugurated the Dire Dawa Free Trade Zone on Sunday (August 14). The trade zone is expected to improve Ethiopia’s overall economy by increasing the country’s import and export trade. The establishment of a free trade zone is one of the initiatives outlined in the 10-year prospective development plan of Ethiopia. Dire Dawa was selected to be the first free trade zone due to its proximity to ports, market potential, and high cargo gravity, as well as suitability for multimodal transport and logistics operations. (See article)

In related news, the Ethio-Djibouti Railroad announced on Thursday (August 15) that it is ready to provide efficient and swift transport services to the Dire-Dawa Free Trade Zone, which was recently inaugurated by FDRE Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Dire-Dawa’s proximity to the Port of Djibouti will contribute Grandly to the economy, and the fact that the Ethio-Djibouti railway line passes through the city makes it convenient for logistics services.

The Main Peace Committee of the government of Ethiopia briefed members of the diplomatic community, including ambassadors based in Addis Ababa, on Thursday (August 18) about “the peace process that the Ethiopian government has been pursuing so far.” “The Committee, in its discussion, has emphasized the imperative of alleviating the suffering of citizens in the conflict-affected parts of the Tigray, Afar, and Amhara regional states. In order to ensure the sustained provision of humanitarian aid as well as to facilitate the resumption of basic services and also to resolve the conflict peacefully, the Committee has underscored that there is a need to conclude a ceasefire agreement as soon as possible, “the Committee said in a statement released after the briefing. (See article)

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen met with Sarah Montgomery, UK Special Envoy for the Red Sea and Horn of Africa, on Thursday (August 17) in his office. The deputy prime minister and foreign minister recalled the historic relations between the two countries and emphasized the importance of further solidifying ties between Ethiopia and the UK. He also valued the comprehensive and all-encompassing assistance provided to Ethiopia by the UK government.  Demeke also spoke extensively about the state of affairs in the northern region of Ethiopia and the government’s commitment to the current peace process being spearheaded by the AU. The special envoy stated that because this is her first trip to the Horn of Africa, she is eager to learn how she can support the peace process.

At a press briefing on Thursday (August 18), Prime Minister’s Office Press Secretary, Billene Seyoum, said: “The Government of Ethiopia affirms it is ready at any time and at any place suggested to engage in peace talks under the auspices of the AU led process. The issue of the restoration of services comes up again and again, as if there were an on-and-off switch centrally located. This is an erroneous and dangerous view of how service that is disrupted due to conflict and related damage is administered.

The government of Ethiopia invited investors on Friday (August 19) to submit their expression of interest to participate in the tendering process of eight sugar factories. As part of the ongoing economic reform, the government of Ethiopia affirmed its commitment to ensure efficient use of national resources by shifting towards a competitive market structure with a Grander role for the private sector in the economy.

Kenya

Kenya’s Electoral Commission on Monday (August 15) announced William Samoei Ruto as the fifth president of the East African nation. Announcing the election results, Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commissioners (IEBC) head Wafula Chebukati said Ruto won 7,176,141 votes, 50.49% of the total vote, while his main opponent, 77-year-old former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, had 48.85% (6,942,930 votes).

Regional leaders from across the continent have sent congratulatory messages to President-Elect William Ruto and Kenyans at large for a successful election following the proclamation of presidential election results. Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, while conveying his congratulatory message on Monday (August 15), committed to working closely with Ruto to strengthen bilateral ties between the two nations.

Somalia

Officials in central Somalia say a U.S. airstrike against al-Shabab militants has killed 14 fighters, the deadliest strike against the terrorist group in months. The airstrike that targeted al-Qaida-linked Islamist militant group al-Shabab took place on Sunday (August 14) in Somalia’s central region of Hiran. Military officials said the attack killed 14 al-Shabab fighters. They say the airstrike was conducted by the U.S. military to support Somali troops who were conducting operations against al-Shabab.

South Sudan

President Salva Kiir Mayardit met on Thursday (August 18) with a government delegation led by Tut Gatluak Manime, Presidential Advisor on National Security Affairs that was sent to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for matters of bilateral relations between South Sudan and Ethiopia in the areas of security and regional matters. The meeting in Addis Ababa led to the signing of Memorandum of Understanding on the areas of cooperation in the aspects of security between the two countries. Tut said the two governments agreed to open immigration and passport offices at the common borders to facilitate the movement of citizens.

Ethiopia and South Sudan signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Wednesday (August 17) to jointly prevent terrorism, armed groups and organized crime in the region. The agreement was signed by the Director General of the National Intelligence and Security Service of Ethiopia, Temesgen Tiruneh, and the Director General of South Sudan’s Internal Security Bureau, Akor Kor Cook. The agreement states that the countries will work together to contain and take action against terrorist groups, rebel forces, armed groups, and organized criminals who have taken the mission to disrupt peace and security in the border areas and destabilize the East African region.

Sudan

An official disclosed on Thursday (August 18) that Sudan will assist in training South Sudanese security forces to graduate from cantonment sites as part of the country’s necessary unified forces, a disclosure he made. Tut Gatluak Manime, a presidential advisor on security, said preparations are in advanced stages to pass out the first batch of forces from cantonment sites.

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Ethiopia launches first free trade area zone

The first free trade area zone Ethiopia, the “Dire Dawa Free Trade Area Zone’, was inaugurated on Sunday (August 14, 2022) in Dire Dawa city. In attendance were Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, ministers, the Mayor, and high-level government officials and invited guests.

In his opening remarks, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, congratulated Dire Dawa city, elucidated the various benefits of having free trade zones for a country’s economic prosperity, and noted the achievements the country has embarked on in recent years. Furthermore, he affirmed that free trade zones are very important to facilitate export and import and stated that trade zones like the Dire Dawa Free Trade Zone will be multiplied in a way that will enable competition with the global trade system.

The Prime Minister congratulated Dire Dawa City on becoming the second city in the process of establishing a small Ethiopia, as free trade allows the city to establish its own rules, laws, and regulations. He said that even though the city has been a pioneer in implementing train routes and other technologies in the past, it has again proven itself by launching the free trade zone. We have not yet realized how to exploit sectors like water, land, and the growing population, he said, but it’s regrettable that we have not yet put in place the free trade area zone in the country. The Premier mentioned China’s experience, noting that China established the first free trade zone more than four decades ago and now has more than 50 free trade zones, ports, and related infrastructure. When China first started the free trade area zone, its GDP was half a trillion dollars. Currently, having put in place its vast free trade areas over the country, China has become a country with a more than 9 trillion GDP, enabling the country to go from being one of the lowest exporters to becoming the world’s leading exporter, Prime Minister Abiy noted. He encouraged investors to be active players and also mentioned the vision of opening other free trade zones in different parts of the country.

In her press briefing, Billene Seyoum, press secretary of the Office of the Prime Minister on Thursday recalled that prior to the inauguration, the Council of Ministers put into effect the draft policy document of the National Special Economic Zone, which emphasizes that the contribution of international and regional trade links to the economic development of a country is important. Speaking about the Councils’ decisions on the importance of creating an enabling environment for trade relations, she stated that the Council, in its decision, recognized that it is important to create enabling conditions for our country to be an active participant and beneficiary as trade relations are rapidly expanding and developing. She explained that it was found important to establish a system for the expansion of dry ports and smooth logistics services in the main trade corridors of Ethiopia for four reasons, among others, including improving the export trade system of our country; increasing the attractiveness of foreign direct investment; enhancing our export trade capacity; and creating wide employment opportunities in the sector.

The Dire Dawa Free Trade Area Zone has numerous impressive beginnings. It covers an area of 150 sq.m. in phase one and 4,000 sq.m. of land for future expansion. It has a dedicated 20MW electric power supply and a dedicated water supply. It is found in close proximity to the DireDawa-Addis Ababa highway. It’s also situated adjacent to the rail line connecting Addis Ababa and Djibouti, and Dire Dawa Dry Port is within a 2.8km distance. The International Airport is within a 25.2 km distance and the free zone has a locational advantage with two major port corridors of 348 km and 507 km, respectively, from the ports of Djibouti and Berbera. The services offered at the free trade zone range from value-added logistics services to industrial and logistics estate rental, which are complemented with public services and government services at a one-stop service.

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Ethiopia proves 3rd filling of GERD causes no significant harm to downstream countries

Ethiopia announced the completion of the third filling of its colossal dam, which it has built on the Blue Nile River, called the Abay, since April 2011. The second turbine has now started to generate electricity, which takes the dam to a new level.  Speaking on the completion of the third-round filling of the GERD’s reservoir, Demeke Mekonnen, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, said, “Despite every kind of human-made pressure, the filling of the GERD reservoir became a reality, standing as a testament to the spirit of unity and cooperation among Ethiopians.”

Over the course of the construction and the filling of the dam, there have been concerns expressed by the downstream countries over significant harm to their water supply from the river. However, Ethiopia has stated unequivocally that it adheres to the international water treaty principles of ‘’not causing significant harm’’ to the downstream countries while maintaining its equitable and reasonable utilization of the river.

For the third consecutive year of filling the dam’s reservoir, Ethiopia was able to prevent “significant harm” to the river’s downstream water flow as it did in the first and second rounds of filling. Ethiopia has always shown its determination to maintain its “principles”, according to Prime Minister Abiy.

“Ethiopia, in developing the Abbay River for its own needs, has no intention of causing harm to lower riparian countries. Heavy rains last year enabled the successful 1st filling of the GERD while the presence of the GERD itself has undoubtedly prevented severe flooding in neighboring Sudan. “Last year, Prime Minister Abiy tweeted!

The Trilateral Negotiation

Although several key challenges remain in the equitable and fair utilization of Nile water among Nile basin counties, the counties have been working together for the past 10+ years to build a cooperative framework that allows them to use their shared water resources equitably for regional economic development and have agreed to many mutual activities.

It is noteworthy that there have been a series of negotiations to settle the differences between Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt on the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

While Egypt and Sudan’s obstinacy has stalled all rounds of dam negotiations, Ethiopia has been working to reach a negotiated agreement on the dam’s filling and operation.

Rather than committing to trilateral negotiations, Egypt and Sudan kept trying to characterize Ethiopia’s dam-filling as unilateral, despite the fact that it is based on the Declaration of Principles signed by the three countries in 2015; the principles of cooperation, equitable use of waters, and “no significant harm.” However, Ethiopia is still calling on Egypt and Sudan to negotiate in good faith and reciprocate Ethiopia’s endeavor.

During his speech on the completion of the third filling of the dam’s reservoir, Prime Abiy Ahmed recently sent a clear message to downstream Sudan and Egypt, saying, “Peaceful negotiations and genuine discussions over the GERD will yield more fruitful results than any other alternative.” This shows Ethiopia remains committed to the principle of peaceful settlement, to the principle of equitable and fair utilization, as well as the principle of not causing significant harm to the downstream countries.

Therefore, despite some challenging issues, Egypt and Sudan should continue to engage in good faith in the trilateral negotiation rather than resorting to any other unconstructive avenues. The issue of the GERD can only be resolved through a good-faith negotiation between the parties. 

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TPLF’s excuses undermining the Ethiopian peace process

The Ethiopian government is committed to the ongoing mediation process under the auspices of the African Union (AU), which aims to find a political solution to the conflict in the country’s North.

AU, no parallel Effort

The Ethiopian government reaffirmed that no “parallel” efforts to mediate talks with the Tigray rebels would be made in lieu of the African Union’s mediation, which would be overseen by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo.

At a weekly press briefing, Meles Alem, a Spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, reiterated Ethiopia’s position that talks with the rebels in Tigray can take place, anytime and anywhere without any conditions.

The Spokesperson referred to a widely shared social media report from last week that claimed to be from the Political Affairs, Peace and Security Commission of the African Union Commission and suggested that the African Union Commission had recommended the inclusion of the UN, US, and EU in the mediation as being “a fake document.”

However, he added that the African Union Commission might, if deemed necessary, enlist highly esteemed Africans to assist Obasanjo in his endeavors.

Billene Seyoum, the Press Secretary for the Prime Minister’s Office, stated on Monday that the Ethiopian government is dedicated to putting an end to the civil war. However, “Any peace process is long. It is not easy. It is a complex, “Billene told reporters.

The Peace Proposal

Ethiopia’s Federal Government’s peace proposal is yet another illustration of its unwavering dedication to finding a peaceful solution to the conflict in the nation’s north. It is to be recalled that the Main Peace Committee has adopted a peace proposal that would lead to a ceasefire and lay the foundation for future political dialogue.

The proposal asks that the peace talks take place in the coming weeks and progress toward a mutually agreed-upon ceasefire. Additionally, it suggests a meticulous political discussion that results in an agreement between the parties. The proposal states that any other outstanding issues should be resolved through the National Dialogue.

The proposal acknowledges the need for relief at this time from the effects of the destruction for the people of Tigray and the affected communities in the regional states of Afar and Amhara.

The peace proposal stipulates that there must be no preconditions placed on the talks because Ethiopians in the Tigray region do not have to remain captives of the TPLF’s own political agenda.

TPLF preconditions

As a precondition to the negotiations, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) made a number of demands, including the immediate restoration of banking, telecommunication, and electricity services.

The TPLF has persisted in spreading a false narrative that says the problem of service restoration is “as if there is only one on-and-off button that is centrally located.”

To facilitate the technical repair work on the ground to restore the services, the government has made it clear to its partners and the general public on numerous occasions that the security and administrative arrangements within the Tigray region need to be cleared and put in place.

Therefore, in order to carry out such technical tasks on the ground, an operational and enabling environment is required.

But, at the moment, with a very vocally belligerent and illegally armed group that is operating at its own whim and refusing to accept peace talks, the required enabling and secure environment is lacking for the restoration of services.

Despite the efforts of the federal government, Tigrayan leaders are looking for pretexts to sidestep these peace negotiations. They continued the recruitment of young people in the area and the amassing of weapons using various techniques developed by the TPLF.

The federal government is also cognizant of the illegal flow of local and foreign currencies being funneled into TPLF’s coffers and the siphoning of humanitarian assistance and fuel reserves towards the combatants, instead of the intended beneficiaries in the Tigray region.

Nonetheless, the posture of the federal government remains that of peaceful engagement and resolution to the conflict.

If TPLF generally cares for the wellbeing of Ethiopians in the Tigray region, then they should be publicly asked by various international community actors to accept the peace agenda and sit for talks instead of looking for excuses to avoid this peace talk.