News in Brief

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen briefs diplomatic community in Addis

10th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa takes place in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

Ethiopian youth delegations in expanding Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative to neighboring countries

Africa and the African Union

The ‘All Systems Go Africa Symposium’ is being held in Accra, Ghana from October 19–21, 2022. The symposium will focus on the effective delivery of drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene services; monitoring and evaluation systems; and appropriate service delivery in drought-prone areas. Up to 300 stakeholders from 30 countries are participating in the symposium, including ministers of water and sanitation, service providers, representatives of donor organizations, researchers, and senior experts in the field. The symposium was officially opened by the Vice President of Ghana, Dr. Muhammadu Bawumia, with Habtamu Itefa, the Minister of Water and Energy of Ethiopia, and also Vice President of the African Minsters Council on Water (AMCW), in attendance.

Ethiopia

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen briefed today (October 21) Addis Ababa-based diplomats and representatives of international organizations about current developments in Ethiopia. (See article)

The 10th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa was held last week (October 14-16), with the presence of Heads of State and Government, Ministers, and high-level delegations from various countries. (See article)

Demeke Mekonnen, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, met on Wednesday (October 19) with the UK’s Minister for Development, Vicky Ford. The current circumstances in Ethiopia in relation to the conflict in the country’s north were discussed by the two parties.  Demeke asserted that the UK is a strong partner for Ethiopia’s development and called for the strengthening of ties. On her side, Vicky Ford emphasized the importance of enhancing bilateral ties between the two nations.

Redwan Hussein, the Ethiopian prime minister’s national security adviser, said on Thursday (October 20) that the AU informed the government that peace talks would take place in South Africa next week. “We have reconfirmed our commitment to participate,” Hussein wrote on Twitter. However, we are dismayed that some are bent on preempting the peace talks [and] spreading false allegations against the defensive measures.

On Monday (October 17), the Ethiopian government communication services said the Government was seeking to take control of critical infrastructure in the region, including airports and communications facilities in the Tigray region, to protect the sovereignty of the country. In a statement, the Ethiopian government said its forces have taken control of Alamata, Korem, and Shire cities in the Tigray region and will coordinate with aid groups to get aid into those areas.

Police in northern Malawi are investigating the deaths of 25 male foreigners, believed to be Ethiopians, found buried in a mass grave in a forest in the Mzimba district. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia issued a statement today (October 21) affirming that the Government of Ethiopia, together with the Government of Malawi, is investigating the alleged stories that circulate over social media regarding the discovery of mass graves of 25 Ethiopians. The Ministry expresses condolences over the deaths of the individuals.

A delegation led by the Minister of Defence of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Abreham Belay, participated in the India-Africa Defence Dialogue (IADD), which was held on Tuesday (October 18) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. At the event, Abreham spoke about Africa-India defense cooperation in general and Ethiopia-India cooperation in particular. In his speech, he stated that Ethiopia recognizes the trending global and regional developments that are adding to the world’s peace, security, and stability challenges, as well as the need for a collective and consultative mitigation approach by responsible and active regional and global actors.

The World Food Forum meeting was held in Rome, Italy, under the theme of “Healthy Diets, Healthy Planet.” At the meeting, agricultural ministers, agricultural scientists, researchers, youth and women’s representatives, as well as representatives from development and financial institutions from around the world, have all attended. Ethiopia’s delegation, led by the Minister of Agriculture, Oumer Hussein, has participated in the Forum.

On the occasion of the European Council leaders’ session, the Ethiopian diaspora community and friends of Ethiopia in Belgium and from various European countries staged a rally in Brussels on Thursday (October 20) protesting undue external pressures against Ethiopia. At a rally held in front of the European Commission’s headquarters, demonstrators urged the European Union not to be partial in its handling of the conflict in northern Ethiopia.

At a workshop organized by the Embassy of Ethiopia in Washington DC, Eyob Tekalign, State Minister of Finance, and Ambassador Dr. Seleshi Bekele, Ethiopia’s ambassador to the US, held discussions with about 50 investors, manufacturers, and exporting companies in the apparel and footwear sectors. The main focus of the workshop was to review the impacts of the termination of Ethiopia’s AGOA benefits on Ethio-American business and economic relations.

As part of Ethiopia’s keen interest to share its experience of the Green initiative, the Ethiopian youth delegations have travelled to South Sudan, Kenya, Djibouti, and Sudan last week. Dubbed, ‘Plant African Fraternity,’ the trips to neighboring countries were led by ministers from pertinent government institutions. Officials from the Office of the Prime Minister and Ministry of Foreign Affairs were also part of the delegations. The purpose of these trips was, among other things, to plant seedlings, thereby furthering the Green Legacy Initiative and strengthening relations. (See article)

Kenya

President William Ruto has pledged to initiate public-private partnerships to deliver 100 dams in a bid to progressively increase land under irrigation to 3 million acres. Speaking at Uhuru Gardens during the 59th Mashujaa day fete, the Head of State added that in three years, the government plans to expand the land under irrigation to 1.4 million acres, citing irrigation as the surest intervention to counter food shortages. “Irrigation is the ultimate solution to guaranteeing food security in our country. We are working on innovative investment mechanisms through private-public partnerships to construct at least 100 dams,” he stated.

Kenya’s miraa exports to Somalia have earned the country Sh4 billion in three months since the resumption of sales of the stimulant to the Horn of Africa nation in July this year. Kenya’s Head of Miraa Pyrethrum and other Industrial Crops, Felix Mutwiri, said on Thursday (October 20) that Kenya has so far exported 1.4 million kilogrammes of miraa after the two countries resolved an earlier tiff. The move comes as a major boost to the government in terms of foreign exchange earnings and a source of livelihood for growers who had been hit hard when Mogadishu slapped a ban in 2019.

Somalia

Somalia’s government signed an oil-production sharing agreement with US-based Coastline Exploration Ltd. Coastline, based in Houston, Texas, paid $7 million to the government for seven agreements and will now proceed with an exploration program, the government said in a statement on Friday.  Somali National News Agency quoted petroleum minister Abdirizak Omar Mohamed saying late on Thursday (October 20) that the agreement signed with Coastline was the finalisation of an earlier deal signed in February, without giving further details.

At least 21 people were killed in two separate bombings in the central Hirshabelle state of Somalia, officials said. A powerful car bomb exploded in Jalalaqsi town on Wednesday (October 19) when soldiers operating a security checkpoint intercepted a vehicle. The checkpoint is near local government buildings and a military base belonging to African Union peacekeepers from Djibouti.

Djibouti

The Ethiopian Youth Green Diplomacy Delegation was in Djibouti last week, to advance green diplomacy utilizing Ethiopia’s Green Legacy initiative in African countries. Mohammed Ahmed Awaleh, Minister of Agriculture of Djibouti, Ambassador Berhanu Tsegaye, the FDRE Ambassador to Djibouti, Ethiopian Embassy diplomats, members of the Ethiopian Diaspora community and Djiboutian Youth, all extended a warm welcome to the “Plant African Fraternity” delegation led by Ambassador Hassan Abdulkadir. The initiative was the third round of tree planting ceremonies held in Djibouti since the launch of the Green Legacy initiative. Ethiopia delivered 62,000 saplings to Djibouti last week, bringing the total number of trees presented to a quarter of a million, demonstrating the exceptional green economic integration of the two East African countries.

South Sudan

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and Ngok Dinka leaders from Abyei on Tuesday (October 18) met to discuss the final status of the oil-producing region. Kiir convened the meeting to hear views on the ongoing discussions on the final status of Abyei based on the 2005 Protocol signed between Juba and Khartoum.

South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir, on Tuesday (October 18), said a peaceful relationship with neighboring Sudan is key to consolidating peace and security in the region. He made the remarks while addressing Shilluk traditional leaders at the burial of Alfred Akwoch, a South Sudanese civil war veteran who died in Kampala, Uganda last week.

Sudan

As Sudan’s rainy season draws to a close, the number of people affected by seasonal rains and flash floods across Sudan has remained constant at 349,000 since September 26, according to a report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) published on Monday (October 17). 146 people have died and 122 have been injured due to flooding and torrential rains since June, according to the National Council for Civil Defence.

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Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen briefs diplomatic community in Addis

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen briefed today (October 21) Addis Ababa-based diplomats and representatives of international organizations about current developments in Ethiopia. The expected AU-led peace negotiations in South Africa, the evolving situation of the conflict in the northern part of the country and humanitarian supplies to the areas under the control of the Ethiopian Defense forces were the main points of discussion, among others.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister said Ethiopia is ready for the peace negotiations set to be held in South Africa, as the Government has been saying it is ready to go anywhere and anytime to peacefully resolve the conflict. We thus need to negotiate and find a peaceful end to this conflict. As residents here, you would understand the devastating consequences of a fourth round of conflict. The TPLF must be denied the opportunity to rearm and mobilize again for a fourth round of conflict.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister also expressed the Government’s commitment and preparations to provide humanitarian support to the people in the liberated areas of the Tigray region. He reiterated that the people in conflict-affected areas need emergency aid, rehabilitation, and eventually reconstruction. Some of the aid will be transported by road, and the most urgent support will be airlifted, he said, adding, “Despite the false stories, people living in these areas are not afraid of the ENDF, and there is no exodus or atrocities. They just need assistance. In parallel to this, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister said, “The Governmet is working to restore essential services to these areas.”

He said the Ethiopian National Defense Force is making steady progress to restore constitutional order in the Tigray region, giving priority to securing airports and other federal installations, which enables the Government to preposition the delivery of aid to people in the Tigray region. “We can no longer tolerate the willful violations of our airspace by hostile forces that are intent on helping the TPLF and prolonging the conflict.” He said the Government of Ethiopia cannot accept any imposition or sanction that will deny it the prerogative of defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country. “The people of Ethiopia, indeed of the rest of Africa, will never accept such impositions,” he said.

The Deputy Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to African brothers and Ethiopia’s principled friends in the United Nations Security Council and the United Nations Human Rights Council for supporting Ethiopia during its challenging times. We will remain in their debt for the unconditional support extended to our country, he said, because “They know the Government is committed to the AU-led peace efforts. They appreciated our efforts to uphold human dignity and ensure accountability for violations of human rights.” Finally, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister responded to the queries and remarks raised by the audience.

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10th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa takes place in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

The 10th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa was held last week (October 14-16), with the presence of Heads of State and Government, Ministers, and high-level delegations from various countries. In addition to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Abdelrahman Al-Burhan, the President of the Transitional Government of Sudan, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen, the Prime Minister of Somalia, Hamza Abdi Barre, and Amhara Regional President Yilkal Kefale, among other leaders, were in attendance. Hafsa Maalim, Program Director and moderator of the first session of the Tana Forum, recognized Ethiopia as a host country and the dignitaries.

In his opening remarks, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed emphasized the importance of building continental security resilience and home-grown African solutions to emerging African problems. Besides other aspects that could potentially be reflected by counterparts who are attending the forum, Prime Minister Abiy underlined that he would like to point out three security spheres that indeed need attention during the deliberations of the forum. The Premier stated that those are water, energy, and data governance. He reiterated that today, Africa is vulnerable to climate change despite contributing the least towards it. Putting the challenges of the citizens in that regard to the attention of the participants, Prime Minister Abiy noted most of Africa’s people live in rural areas with rain-fed agriculture and that 1/3 of Africans experience water scarcity. Putting Ethiopia’s efforts in that regard, he said, Ethiopia has embarked on realizing a wide range of renewable energy alternatives. He further briefed Ethiopia’s efforts on hydro-power, gas, and commercial agriculture areas and plans towards energy export to neighboring countries.

Speaking of the green legacy achievements of the country, he said Ethiopia has surpassed the target of planting 20 billion trees by planting 25 billion, with a survival rate of over 70% of the seedlings. He underscored that Ethiopia is putting into effect innovative solutions for timely challenges and indicated emission-free policies that are being developed. He finally, among others, noted the need for data management and stressed that it should be in line with the African Agenda 2063. The Premier also stated that the youth should be integrated with the efforts the country is putting in place.

Abdelrahman Al-Burhan, the President of the Transitional Government of Sudan; Hamza Abdi Barre, the Prime Minister of Somalia; and Amhara Regional President Yilkal Kefale, also delivered remarks. The message from the President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, was also delivered to the Forum.

In the afternoon sessions of the first day of the Forum, participants presided over a State of Peace and Security 2021 report on the continent and held pertinent panel discussions. John Dramani Mahama, former President of the Republic of Ghana and also Chairperson of the Tana Forum Board, presented the State of Peace and Security in Africa Report for 2021. A panel discussion was carried out, deliberating on various proposals and policy feedback on the continent’s wide range of security sector challenges. It was also discussed, among other issues, that the resurgence of unconstitutional change of government in Africa reflects a number of underlying governance issues that necessitate rethinking the structure of the political system, the content of education, and the responsibilities of organizations in the continent. The African Union Commission Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, also delivered his virtual keynote address at the same session of the forum.

On the last day (October 16), The Tana Forum was concluded by delivering another candid, transparent, and relevant panel entitled: “Taking stock of the continent’s peace and security landscape and response capacity.” Hailemariam Dessalegn, Former Prime Minister of Ethiopia, U.S. Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa; Mike Hammer, UN Secretary General Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa, Hannah Tetteh, EU Special Representative for the Horn of Africa (virtual), Annette Weber (PhD), and AUC Commissioner for PAPS, Bankole Adeoye, attended the panel. Hailemariam Desalegn stated during the discussions that the continent’s response capacity and landscape for peace and security should: prioritize actions toward self-reliance rather than externalizing peace and security challenges, fix governance capacity; embrace diversity; and prioritize citizen security over region or regime security. He also emphasized that the need for partnerships does not preclude African solutions to African problems, but rather that partnerships should be fair and mutually beneficial. Regarding the continent’s peace and security framework, participants also brought up a variety of issues.

Among other pressing issues, ways of bringing back cooperation and coordination, multi-lateralism, human security, digital governance, diaspora, and inclusive and durable transitions were raised and discussed during the panel on the last day. An annual book launch of a book by Kenneth Omoje entitled “Feasibility of Capitalism in Africa” was also discussed, and a couple of other events were held on the last day of the forum. The 10 Tana forum, the three-day high-level deliberations, stated that it concluded by successfully proposing multi-layered and timely proposals and insights to the current wide-range of challenges related to the peace and security architecture of the continent and related sectors.

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Ethiopian youth delegations in expanding Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative to neighboring countries

It is a commonplace that the world is risking a direct existential threat as a result of rapid climate change. This change has negative consequences for people all over the world, regardless of their location or identity. Even though we Africans contribute fewer greenhouse emissions compared to the developed world, the adverse impact of these emissions is lingering and getting worse by the day. In other words, climate change continues to cause extreme storms, hurricanes, droughts, wildfires, heat waves, and floods across the world, bringing death and destruction to humanity. Africa is at the receiving end of these natural calamities that are created by fellow human beings somewhere in other parts of the globe.

Preserving our natural environment by planting trees is, therefore, the right thing to do despite our differences in our ways of life and political persuasions. It is obvious that our sub-region is highly affected by climate change. Under this backdrop, the government of Ethiopia, under the leadership of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, launched the Green Legacy Initiative in 2019 as a response to complex environmental problems, preventing global warming and enhancing sustainable development. As part of this initiative, the Ethiopian youth delegations have travelled to South Sudan, Kenya, Djibouti, and Sudan. These Plant African Fraternity trips to neighboring countries were led by ministers from pertinent government institutions. Officials from the Office of the Prime Minister and Ministry of Foreign Affairs were also part of the delegations. The purpose of these trips was, among other things, to plant seedlings, thereby furthering the Green Legacy Initiative and strengthening relations.

These Ethiopian youth delegations that were drawn from all regional states have planted seedlings and had get-togethers with the youth from the host countries. It is believed that these trips offered opportunities for Ethiopia to showcase its commitment to the green legacy by mitigating and adapting to the impact of climate change that keeps harming humanity and the natural ecosystem. Ethiopia’s exemplary ingenuity is the right approach because it helps to pass on the Green Legacy to future generations while also strengthening bilateral relations with neighboring countries. During their stays in those countries, the Ethiopian youth delegations had deliberations with Ethiopian Diasporas and discussed the current state of affairs in Ethiopia.

The second part of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy initiative includes holding African Fraternity Night Programs in 14 embassies here in Addis Ababa. The embassies are: Algeria, Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti, Ghana, South Africa, Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Korea, and Cuba. Fraternity Night Programs have already taken place at the embassies of Algeria, Burundi, Ghana, Sudan, South Africa, and Cuba. All the events were indeed colorful and held in the spirit of fraternity and solidarity. Arousing speeches were made by the guests of honor, and cultural shows were also featured during the night programs.

This Ethiopian initiative is expected to culminate in an African Prospective Youth Leaders’ Summit with the theme “The integrated Africa at the Bridge of Abiy Ahmed,” which will be held in Addis Ababa from October 29 to October 31, 2022.African politicians, eminent personalities, intellectuals, and pan-African activists will be invited to attend the summit, and a Pan-African Award will also be presented by H.E. Prime Minister Doctor Abiy Ahmed to those African founding fathers who have struggled for African emancipation and Pan-Africanism, including through the establishment of the Organization of African Unity.

The Summit will bring youth together from across Africa to reflect on how policymakers and youth organizations can make contributions to address the challenges that African youth continue to face in their efforts to realize a united, peaceful and prosperous Africa. In other words, the Summit seeks to provide an opportunity for African youth to share experiences and best practices so that the continent can utilize this untapped potential by enhancing their capacity and skills to the benefit of their respective countries. At the summit, it is hoped that young Africans will have an opportunity to become acquainted with the essence of leadership that Africa needs in light of pan-Africanism by setting a stage for intergenerational dialogue among all Africans.