News in Brief

IGAD Calls for United regional efforts to meet its mandate

Ethiopia hosts the 17th Annual Internet Governance Forum

Africa and the African Union

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, expressed that he welcomed the United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, to the African Union headquarters on Thursday (December 1) for the 6th AU-UN annual conference to take stock of progress and how to further strengthen the strategic institutional partnership between our two organizations in key peace and development sectors.

Ethiopia

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and AUC Chair Moussa Faki Mahamat in Addis Abeba on Thursday (November 30).The premier noted that they held fruitful discussions on a number of issues, adding that he looked forward to strengthened collaboration.

At the opening ceremony of the 17th Internet Governance Forum held in Addis Ababa, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed highlighted on Tuesday (November 29) Ethiopia’s ICT and digital transformation journey and called upon the Forum to develop tangible, pragmatic, and implementable proposals. (See article)

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Demeke Mekonnen, met with Dr. Alfred Mutua, the new Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, on Wednesday (November 30) in Khartoum. During the discussion held on the sidelines of the IGAD meeting, Demeke expressed his appreciation to the Republic of Kenya, mentioning the role former President Uhuru Kenyatta played in the success of the peace process, and reaffirmed that the government is committed to the implementation of the agreement. Dr. Alfred, for his part, said that Ethiopian friendship holds a special place in Kenya and that its contribution to the peace process is an indication of this.

The 48th Ordinary Session of the IGAD Council of Ministers concluded its meeting on Wednesday (November 30) in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. The Council of Ministers deliberated at length and endorsed the report presented by Workneh Gebeyehu ( PhD), Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority. The Council appreciated the IGAD Secreteriat for navigating the region and the organization when it was traversing under daunting peace and security and humanitrian situations. The Council of Ministers also hailed IGAD for its contributions to the Peace Agreement for the Cession of Hostility in North Ethiopia. (See article)

Ethiopia and Sudan have agreed on Wednesday (November 30) to enhance cooperation more than ever before on bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen held a productive discussion with the President of the Transitional Sovereign Council of Sudan, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Friday (December 2) that the United Nations will fully support Ethiopia’s humanitarian and development activities by mobilizing the capacity of UN agencies and appealing to the international community. Guterres made the remark at the joint press conference he held with African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat at the end of the 6th AU-UN annual conference in Addis Ababa today. Responding to questions posed by journalists, the Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the UN will support the AU-led peace agreement implementation, the rebuilding effort, humanitarian aid, and the development of the country. He said that there are dramatic humanitarian needs in the areas impacted by the conflict. “So we are scaling up the capacity of all UN agencies and our partners in order to take advantage of existing road openings, air access, and all other aspects in order to provide the maximum possible support to all populations in need as quickly as possible,” he added.

Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Meles Alem said on Friday (December 02) that the ministry will focus on image building and scaling up diplomatic relations next year. Raising resources by mobilizing the diaspora, expanding international finance access, attracting investment flows, and raising funds for reconstruction and rehabilitation, among others, are also the main areas of activities, he added. Lots of efforts are expected from diplomats to strengthen and expand the achievements that the country has gained despite many challenges, the spokesperson stated.

Minister of Education of Ethiopia, Prof. Berhanu Nega, held talks on Thursday (December 01) with Gabriel Changson Chang, Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology of South Sudan. He informed them that Ethiopia is broadening and committed to strengthening their joint, collective educational cooperation. Stressing that Ethiopians share a common destiny with their brothers and sisters in the region, he asserted that this would add value to the long-established cooperation with the sisterly nation of South Sudan. Moreover, the two sides have identified areas to broaden cooperation and support by Ethiopia in human resource development, particularly in scholarships, research, and laboratories; capacity building for teachers and health sector professionals; and administration of educational institutions, etc. in South Sudan.

Kenya

Cabinet Secretary of Kenya, Dr. Alfred Mutua, together with Foreign Minister colleagues, met on Thursday (December 01) with Lt. General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan, President of the Sudan, and discussed the resolutions of the IGAD meeting. On behalf of Kenya, the CS offered to request the African Union to send a fact-finding mission to Sudan to evaluate the current political and social situation and engage the leadership and opposition with a view to lifting sanctions that are hurting the majority of Sudanese people.

Cabinet Secretary of Kenya, Dr. Alfred Mutua, stated on Wednesday (November 30) that he held bilateral talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, Demeke Mekonnen, on the sidelines of the IGAD Council of Ministers meeting. The two countries agreed to promote agricultural trade cooperation between Kenya and Ethiopia. He also congratulated the Government of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia for signing a peace treaty with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, saying it will bring a lasting solution of peace and stability to the region.

South Sudan

South Sudan’s Customs Commission and the Customs Corporation of neighboring Sudan inked on Tuesday (November 29) an agreement aimed at opening border crossings between the two countries at Guda area and Kosti Port in order to facilitate trade exchange and goods movement between the two countries. The signing of the agreement took place in Juba, South Sudan, on Tuesday (November 29) Sudan’s Customs Director General, Lt. General Bashir Al-Tahir, and South Sudan’s Deputy Inspector General of Police, Tomas Jack, signed the cooperation agreement.

Pope Francis will visit South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) early next year, the Vatican announced on Thursday, (December 1. The Vatican said Francis would visit the DRC from January 31 to February 3 and then spend two days in South Sudan alongside the archbishop of Canterbury and the moderator of the general assembly of the Church of Scotland.

Sudan

Ethiopia and Sudan reached a fresh agreement on Thursday (December 1) to peacefully resolve issues and enhance bilateral cooperation between the two neighbors. The renewed agreement was reached after Ethiopia’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Demeke Mekonnen, and the Vice President of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council (TSC), Lt-Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, met in Khartoum. The two officials held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) ministerial council meeting held in Sudan, the current chair of the regional bloc.

Somalia

The President of Somalia, Hassan S. Mohamud, received the UK Minister of State for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, MP, at Villa Somalia on Wednesday (November 30).They discussed the UK’s continued support for Somalia, the FG’s counter-terrorism endeavors, and climate change. The UK remains a vital partner in Somalia’s progress and development.

On Tuesday (November 29), the President of Somalia, Hassan S. Mohamud, opened the 1st Somalia International Investment Conference in Mogadishu. In his remarks, the President stressed the country’s openness to foreign investment and business, adding that the government is committed to providing an enabling environment for investment. The President further underscored the significance of foreign direct investment (FDI) to Somalia’s economic growth, praising the private sector and the diaspora communities for their crucial investments in critical sectors of the economy that propel growth and employment.

Djibouti

On Monday (November 27), the official launch of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign for truck drivers along the Ethio-Djibouti corridor was attended by Ambassador Mohammed Hassan, Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy, Dr. Ahmed Roble, Minister of Health of Djibouti, IGAD representatives, and other partners.

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IGAD Calls for United regional efforts to meet its mandate

The 48th Ordinary Session of the IGAD Council of Ministers convened in Khartoum, the Republic of Sudan, on November 30, 2022. In a preparatory session, a technical meeting was attended by the Experts Committee on November 29, 2022, and the committee made several recommendations to the Council of Ministers meeting.

The IGAD Executive Secretary, Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, delivered welcoming remarks and also presented reports on the regional peace and security situation; regional disaster, displacement, and humanitarian situation, as well as on IGAD institutional reforms, financial matters, the performance of projects and programs, and administrative matters.

The Executive Secretary underlined the positive developments that have been witnessed in peacemaking and stability in the region, citing the key role that IGAD has played in the mediation talks between the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) that culminated on November 2, 2022, in Pretoria, the agreement for the permanent cessation of hostilities and silencing of the guns, as well as the roadmap for implementation of the peace agreement signed in Nairobi on November 12, 2022.

The Executive Secretary congratulated the government and people of Ethiopia for this historic achievement and further mentioned IGAD’s role in facilitating the bilateral talks that took place between the leaderships of Ethiopia and Sudan on the sidelines of the 39th Extraordinary Assembly of IGAD Heads of State and Government held in Nairobi, Kenya, that led to the de-escalation of hostilities along the shared border. Dr. Workenh, as the chief of IGAD, thanked General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed for their wisdom, perseverance, and leadership in restoring the historically close and sisterly relationship between the two countries.

The Executive Secretary underlined IGAD’s achievements in the reunification of forces in South Sudan and the ongoing mediation efforts in the Republic of Sudan. He strongly condemned violent extremism, particularly the FRUD-Armé attack in the Republic of Djibouti and the ongoing attacks by Al-Shabab in Somalia and Ethiopia, and urged all member states and the international community to unite in solidarity and support Somalia’s efforts to put an end to it. He further ensured IGAD’s continued assistance to conclude the ongoing peace dialogue and successfully implement the established agreements. He appreciated Member States and partners that have provided invaluable political, diplomatic, logistical, and material support to peace-making initiatives across the region. He expressed his deep concern that a significant number of IGAD member states are subjects of various international sanctions regimes that negatively affect the lives and livelihoods of their people. He called upon the Council of Ministers to appeal for the lifting of sanctions that have created obstacles to regional development and integration efforts.

The Council of Ministers meeting was graced by the presence of IGAD partners such as Ms. Annette Weber, European Union Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa; Mr. Michele Tomassi, Ambassador of the Republic of Italy to the Republic of Sudan, representing the Co-Chair IGAD Partners Forum; and Mr. John Godfrey, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of the Sudan, who also delivered their solidarity statements.

Mr. Ali Al-Sadiq, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Sudan and Chair of the IGAD Council of Ministers, also expressed in his statement Sudan’s efforts towards strengthening solidarity among member states and promoting regional economic integration as a strategy to promote security and stability in the region. He appreciated IGAD’s effort in supporting the Government and people of Sudan towards a peaceful civilian transition through the trilateral mechanism that is in partnership with the African Union Commission and the United Nations. He expressed his concern over the continuing impact of the global pandemic, the protracted drought resulting in food insecurity, and the conflict in Ukraine, and urged for fresh approaches in diplomatic and political engagements with non-traditional partners. He also urged international friends to maintain their friendship and active engagement with IGAD by providing much-needed political, technical, and material assistance.

IGAD Member State Ministers and Heads of Delegation have also made statements, calling unanimously for the IGAD to be restructured in order to achieve its vision for the region. In these connections, Demeke Mekonnen, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, underlined the paramount importance of peace and security in the region and commended the unwavering support of member states during those difficult days that are cherished by the people of Ethiopia. He reiterated the commitment of the Ethiopian Government to the implementation of the agreements signed both in Pretoria and in its implementation framework in Nairobi. He further appealed to the partners to render relevant support in the implementation process of the agreement. He confirmed that the peaceful resolutions of the conflict in Northern Ethiopia were based on full respect for Ethiopia’s unity and territorial integrity, which served as a lesson for the region and beyond as an African solution to African problems.

He lauded the agreement reached between the military and civilians to address Sudan’s challenges and also expressed his confidence that Sudanese will overcome the challenges in the best interests of their people. He also mentioned the popular uprising of ordinary Somalis against the terrorist organization Al-Shabaab, which would bolster the government’s efforts to route Al-Shabaab. He expressed his concern over the threat posed by Al-Shabab throughout the region. He further expressed his concerns over the series of impacts of climate change and drought that have affected the IGAD region more than any other part of the world and called for concerted efforts by member countries and partners to avert the immediate crises.

Following the statements, the Council of Ministers deliberated at length and endorsed the report presented by the Executive Secretary of IGAD. The Council also acknowledged the IGAD Secretariat for navigating the region and the organization through difficult security, and humanitarian situations.

The ministers also inked the protocol on free movement of persons in the IGAD regions and the IGAD Protocol on Transhumance, apart from issuing the IGAD scholarship program.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the IGAD Ministerial Council of Ministers issued a communiqué highlighting, among other things, the importance of adhering to the principles of equity and fairness in undertaking the organizational and institutional reforms and directing the Secretariat to ensure the equitable distribution of projects and programs among Member States, as well as the introduction of a quota system for staffing across the board. The Council of Ministers reiterated the imperative for IGAD to be a rule-based organization and conduct its meetings regularly. The next ordinary session of the Council is scheduled to hold in 2023 at the secretariat headquarters in Djibouti.

On the sidelines of the 48th Ordinary Session of the IGAD Council of Ministers meeting, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Demeke Mekonnen, held discussions with the President of the Translation Sovereign Council of the Sudan, ,General Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, Sudan’s Vice President, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, and Acting Foreign Minister , Mr. Ali Ai-Sadiq. The President expressed his delight at the signing of a peace agreement between the Ethiopian government and the TPLF, and stated that his government will not tolerate or harbor any elements that attempt to derail the implementation of the agreement or attack Ethiopia from Sudanese territory. The two nations have agreed to settle border-related issues bilaterally through agreements signed before and existing mechanisms, as resorting to force will not result in a durable solution. Regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, the two sides stated their conviction that the goodwill and cooperation between Sudan and Ethiopia will contribute to the attempt to address the differences in a trilateral manner.

In addition, Demeke also conferred with Dr. Alfred Mutua, the new Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs. In this meeting, Demeke Mekonnen expressed his appreciation to the Republic of Kenya, mentioning the role former President Uhuru Kenyatta played in the success of the peace process between the Ethiopian government and the TPLF. He also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the implementation of the agreement. Dr. Alfred, for his part, emphasized that the friendly relations between the two countries played a vital role in the recent Ethiopia peace process. He reaffirmed the potential of the two nations to enhance their economic cooperation, particularly in the areas of trade and investment. The ministers agreed to strengthen bilateral and multilateral friendship at the end of the discussion.

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Ethiopia hosts the 17th Annual Internet Governance Forum


The 17th Internet Governance Forum (IGF) was held in Addis Ababa at the UNECA compound, hosted by the Government of Ethiopia with the support of UN ECA and UN DESA under the theme “Resilient Internet for a Shared Sustainable and Common Future.” The forum was held over the week under five main themes. In a hybrid format, the IGF brought together various stakeholders, including representatives of government, business, civil society, the academic community, and international organizations, to discuss public policy issues relating to the Internet.

Dr. Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, welcomed participants and noted that Ethiopia’s ICT and digital transformation journey is reaching key milestones that align with the 17th IGF’s five subthemes.

He mentioned Ethiopia has adopted a national digital strategy, its internet coverage has increased from 19 million in 2017 to 30 million in 2022, and over 2300 high schools throughout the country have internet access. The Premier further explains that the Ethiopian government recognizes the benefits of artificial intelligence, has embarked on using new technologies for national development, and has established AI-related institutions.

The Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Antonio Guterres, in a similar manner stated in his remarks that the future of digital must be human-centered and that the internet should be free, safe, secure, and inclusive.

Mr. Antonio Pedro, Acting Executive Secretary of UNECA, on his part, lauded Ethiopia’s efforts to deploy innovative capabilities in robotics, machine learning, big data management, local language processing, and computer vision via the Ethiopian AI Institute.

UN DESA’s Under Secretariat, Mr. Li Junhua, said that 60% of the African population is offline, whereas 89% of Europe is connected. He expressed his hope that the IGF forum will help accelerate Africa’s transition to a digital future.

Ethiopia has been in a conflict in its northern part for almost two years. Ethiopia hosted the 17th Annual Internet Governance Forum successfully. The implications of hosting the summit in Addis Ababa were immense, as Ethiopia demonstrated its peace and stability, transformed perceptions, rebuilt its image, and practically exhibited its good standing to its allies.

After the peace deal struck in Pretoria between the Ethiopian Government and the TPLF last month, Ethiopia’s hosting another major event, the 17th United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF), from November 28 to December 2 proves once again that Ethiopia has started to enjoy its peace and stability and is open for business.