News in Brief

Ethiopia Renews Pledges to Combat Illegal Migration and Human Traffickers

Time to Visit Ethiopia

Africa and the African Union

Olusegun Obasanjo, AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa; Uhuru Kenyatta, former Kenyan President and HoA Peace Envoy; and Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, Executive Secretary of IGAD, visited Mekelle on Thursday (December 29) to take part in the official launch of the Joint Monitoring and Verification Mechanism.

Japan and the African Union Commission agreed on Saturday (December 24) to continue working together on Africa’s priorities as Japan takes leadership of both the UNSC and the G7 in January 2023, said Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security of the African Union Commission, after meeting with Ambassador Horiuchi Toshihiko of Japan.

Ethiopia

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Sunday (December 25) that the implementation of the peace agreement is promising. A meeting was held to review the progress of the Pretoria Peace Agreement. The premier said that following Nairobi II, we met today to review the progress of the Peace Agreement. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the implementation is hopeful, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to peace.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia,  Demeke Mekonen, met on Wednesday (December 28) with Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security of the African Union Commission, at his office. During their conversation, Mr. Demeke stated that the peace agreement signed in Pretoria, South Africa, between the Ethiopian Government and the TPLF is a clear indication that the continent’s principle of solving its own problems is yielding results.

On Saturday, (December 24) Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen, called on Ethiopians to tackle the challenges of human trafficking by addressing its root causes. He said many Ethiopians became victims of human traffickers, drawn by the success stories of a few individuals that could not represent the whole picture of migration and its perils. The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister was addressing a forum that is being held in Hosanna City under the theme, “Let’s prevent human trafficking together through strong community participation.” (See article)

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), over 100,000 Ethiopian migrants returned from abroad during the first ten months of 2022. Between January and October 2022, IOM registered over 100 000 returning migrants to Ethiopia, with the majority—more than 71 000 —coming from Saudi Arabia, the UN migration agency said in its latest Ethiopia Crisis Response Plan issued on Wednesday (December 28).

Ethiopia has comparative advantages in tourism since it has both natural and man-made tourist attractions, its weather is temperate throughout the year, and it is geographically close to the Middle East and European countries. Ethiopian Airlines has over 145 international flights and over 30 domestic flights. Ethiopia is also a multicultural country with interesting customs and practices for visitors. Given all of these advantages and potential, Ethiopia has struggled to fully benefit from the sector’s profits when compared to some regional countries. With the Pretoria Peace Deal between the Ethiopian Government and TPLF successfully underway as an additional input, tourists will enjoy all their moments in Ethiopia. (See article)

The annual performance evaluation and planning retreat of senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia kicks off in Sululta on Monday (December 26) at the African Leadership Excellence Academy. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen, delivered opening remarks, highlighting the internal and external challenges that tested Ethiopia’s diplomacy. He cited the fighting in the country’s north, negotiations on the construction and filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, and Ethiopia-Sudan border conflicts as illustrations.

A delegation led by Field Marshal Berhanu Jula, Chief of General Staff of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF), is visiting Türkiye where he met and discussed with his counterpart, Yaşar Güler, Chief of the General Staff of the Türkish Armed Forces, at the latter’s office, according to the ENDF. The delegation was in Türkiye on official official on Tuesday (December 27). The ENDF said that in addition to the discussion between the two Chiefs of staff on “on military relations and other issues between the two countries,” the delegation toured Türkiye’s defense technology industries and observed the industries’ contribution to the modernization of the defense force and the development of Türkiye.

Ethiopia on Friday (December 23) released the final aircraft accident investigation report on a plane that crashed in 2019, killing all 157 people on board. According to the investigation report, the plane’s angle of attack sensor failed immediately after takeoff, said Dagmawit Moges, Ethiopia’s transport and communications minister. “The malfunctioning of the maneuvering characteristics augmentation system caused the accident,” she said. Moges added that all the crew were licensed, certified, and qualified to operate the aircraft under Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority standards. According to Moges, the release of the investigation report was delayed due to lockdowns imposed by countries across the globe over the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ethiopian Airlines resumed its regular flights to Mekelle, the Tigray region’s capital, on Wednesday (December 28). On Thursday, the Airline also announced its plan to fly to Shire once per day since Monday (January 1, 2023) and increase its flight to Mekelle to three times per day. The resumption of flights to Mekelle and Shire indicates the government’s commitment to resume basic services following the Pretoria Peace Agreement.

Ethio Telecom reconnected its services to Mekelle and 28 other towns this week. More than half of the 1,800-kilometer fiber-optic cable network in conflict zones has been repaired.

Federal police in Ethiopia began to deploy on Thursday (December 29) to Mekele, the capital of Tigray regional state, marking a new stage in a nearly two-month old peace deal. An agreement reached on November 2nd in the South African capital Pretoria provides for the disarmament of rebel forces, the re-establishment of federal authority in Tigray, and the facilitation of access to the region. A delegation of the Federal Government of Ethiopia led by Speaker of the House of Peoples Representatives, Tagesse Chafo, headed on Monday (December 26) to Mekele, Tigray region. The delegation of officials of the Federal Government of Ethiopia led by Tagesse Chafo left for Mekelle to oversee the implementation of major issues in the peace agreement as per the set plan. The delegation is the first of its stature as a high-level federal government body to head to Mekelle in the two-year period.

Peace Minister Binalf Andualem disclosed on Thursday (December 29) that over 106,000 metric tons of humanitarian aid and 1,400 metric tons of medicine have been provided for the Tigray region after the peace agreement. Binalf, who is also Northern Ethiopia Humanitarian Support and Rehabilitation Coordination Head, told ENA that the federal government has been supplying unfettered humanitarian aid since the peace agreement. He stated that the basic commodities required for humanitarian aid are being supplied without restriction through all humanitarian corridors in Kobo, Gondar, and Afar Abala.

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken applauded the signing and launch of the African Union’s Monitoring, Verification, and Compliance Mission (AU-MVCM) in Mekele as another important step toward securing lasting peace for the people of northern Ethiopia. In a statement issued on Thursday (December 29), he said, “The United States will also continue to support the AU’s mandate to prevent, manage, and resolve conflicts and promote peace, security, and stability on the continent.”

After presenting her letters of credentials to the Ivorian President last week on Wednesday (December 21), Ambassador Shitaye Minale, Ethiopian Ambassador to Cote d’Ivoire, met on Wednesday (December 27) with Kandia Camara, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration, and the Diaspora, to exchange views on bilateral relations. The two sides have reviewed the existing bilateral relations and exchanges; and put forward directions to step up these relations through the exploration of several new domains of activities.

Djibouti

Importation of Fertilizer through Djibouti Ports for 2023 Ethiopia’s farming season starts on Tuesday, (December 27). The first vessel, MV Great Comfort, carrying 57,295 metric tons of Ethiopia’s fertilizer has arrived at Dibouti’s Doralleh Multi-Purpose Port as part of the new 2023/2015 E.C. fertilizer season. The operation to directly transport the bulk cargo to various parts of Ethiopia has started upon the arrival of the vessel on December 27, 2022.

Kenya

Kenyan President William Ruto has appealed to his South Sudanese counterpart, Salva Kiir Mayardit, to de-escalate the conflict in the Upper Nile and Jonglei states and deploy humanitarian efforts. President Ruto said the escalation of hostilities might ruin the 2018 peace agreement. “The increasing insecurity, violence, displacement, and unfolding humanitarian crisis are detrimental to the peace and stability of South Sudan and the East Africa region as a whole,” said Ruto in a statement Saturday (December 24).

Safaricom Ethiopia has switched on its network and services in Hawassa, Assela, Jigjiga, Sodo, and Dilla cities in December, growing its network footprint across the country to 21 cities. New customers in the cities will be able to purchase SIM cards for 30 birr (Sh68), choose their preferred numbers, buy airtime, and access dedicated customer support at the Safaricom Ethiopia branded shops in their respective cities. “We are excited to expand our coverage into Hawassa, Assela, Jigjiga, Sodo, and Dilla, with more cities set to join the growing Safaricom Ethiopia family. We are also delighted to have expanded our services into more regional states,” said Anwar Soussa, Safaricom Ethiopia CEO.

Somalia

On Wednesday (December 28), the President of Djibouti, Ismail Guelle, arrived in Mogadishu for an official two-day visit at the invitation of the Somalian President. Upon arrival, President Guelleh was warmly welcomed by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has gathered on Wednesday (December 28) federal and state leaders in the capital Mogadishu in an effort to re-establish unity in the fight against Al-Shabaab militants and also address mounting concerns about the uncertainty of term limits for the leaders. At Villa Somalia, the state house in Mogadishu, the leaders of the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and the Federal Member States (FMS) on Monday started the National Consultative Forum (NCF), a periodical gathering by the leaders of the two levels of the federal republic (FGS and FM) to discuss pressing national issues.

South Sudan

On Monday (December 26), IGAD called for the de-escalation of tension and violence in the Upper Nile. Workneh Gebeyehu (PhD), Executive Secretary of IGAD, appealed to the IGAD Assembly of Heads of State and Government to use their leverage to ensure that no entity or individual undermines peace and stability. According to a statement, Dr Workneh Gebeyehu, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), is deeply concerned about the recent violence and fighting in South Sudan’s Upper Nile and Jonglei states, which has reportedly resulted in the displacement of an estimated 50,000 people as well as death and destruction. He calls for an immediate de-escalation and cessation of violence, saying it poses serious threats to peace, stability, and the humanitarian situation in South Sudan.

Sudan

The Vice-President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, Commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, received during the meeting he held with the state’s Government Secretariat on Thursday (December 29) a detailed review from the Security Committee of the State of South Darfur about the incidents in Beleil locality in the eastern part of the state. He said that the government will take many measures to resolve such chaos, find out the facts on the ground, and arrest the criminals responsible for these incidents, expressing his thanks and appreciation for the efforts made by the state’s government and the rapid steps taken to contain the incidents and prevent their spread to other regions.

China XD Group signed on Sunday (December 25) a contract with the Sudanese government to build an electrical substation in Al-Fula, the capital of Sudan’s West Kordofan State, to connect cities in the state with the national power grid. Sudanese Finance Minister Jibril Ibrahim, representatives of the Chinese Embassy in Sudan, and officials from West Kordofan State attended the signing ceremony in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum. “At the recent China-Arab States Summit in Riyadh, China promised to expand the relationship with Sudan. We hope that this relationship will help us develop the country’s infrastructure and achieve development in various fields,” Ibrahim said at the ceremony, describing Sudan’s cooperation with China as “productive.”

Some biosafety regulators from Africa have told the United Nations (UN) Biodiversity Conference held on Dec 7, 2022 – Dec 19, 2022 that countries on the continent have the appropriate legal regime to regulate the safe application of genetically modified organism (GMO) technology to agricultural production.   Regulators from Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, and Sudan say their countries have established appropriate regulatory systems that will ensure GMOs provide the maximum benefit for consumers on the continent, while guarding against the negatives. They were speaking at a side event at the UN Biodiversity Conference in Montreal, Canada, organized by an academic consortium led by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA).

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Ethiopia Renews Pledges to Combat Illegal Migration and Human Traffickers

A forum on stopping illegal migration was recently held on December 24 in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s region, Hadiya Zone, Hosanna City, with the theme, “Let’s prevent human trafficking together through strong community participation.” The event was attended by representatives of the government, including the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen; the President of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Regional State, Ristu Yerdaw; the Minister of Women and Social Affairs, Ergoge Tesfaye; the Minister of Justice, Gedion Timothewos; and other ministers and ambassadors. The forum was held in one of the regions of the country where human trafficking is a major problem.

In his opening statement, Demeke urged Ethiopians to combat the issues associated with human trafficking by addressing their causes. Along with the conflict in the north, he added, the country has struggled with human trafficking and illegal migration. “The recent tragedies that have affected our citizens in Malawi and Zambia serve as a stark reminder of the severity of the issue,” he said. Demeke claimed that while more than 100,000 illegal immigrants were repatriated in just one year, more than 5,000 prisoners still remain in Tanzania. He added that the northeastern regions of the country, where the issue is also significant, will see an increase in awareness campaigns. According to Demeke, more than 100,000 illegal migrants were repatriated in just one year, and more than 5,000 prisoners still remained in Tanzania. He added that since the issue is particularly severe in the northeastern regions of the nation, awareness campaigns will be stepped up there.

He said that the causes, methods, and outcomes of illegal migration are all hazardous. In order to combat human trafficking, Demeke emphasized the significance of creating job opportunities, accelerating the ongoing awareness campaign, and coordinating all parties, from the federal level to the regional, kebeles, and district levels. In this regard, he declared that the movement that started in Hossanna city in the Hadya zone will continue in some areas of the Amhara region, such as Kemise and Kombolcha.

At the forum, Mukhtar Keder, Ethiopia’s ambassador to South Africa; Shibru Mamo, Ethiopia’s ambassador to Tanzania; and Lencho Bati, Ethiopia’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, spoke about the ongoing problems faced by Ethiopian migrants in the nations where they are stationed and the steps being taken to address them. Presentations were made by the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Labor and Skills, the Ministry of Justice, the IOM, and the regional Office of Labor and Social Affairs in an effort to raise awareness of the detrimental effects of illegal migration and human trafficking.

The IOM lists the eastern, northern, and southern routes as the three main migration routes. The eastern route is the busiest and averages 100,000 migrants per year, the majority of whom are Ethiopians. Ethiopian migrants can also be found traveling irregularly along the Southern Corridor from the Horn of Africa to South Africa, passing through Kenya, Tanzania, and other southern African nations. It is estimated that approximately 110,000 Ethiopian migrants left their country via this route after 2016. Between 2010 and 2019, over 6,000 migrants died or went missing.

The SNNP region accounts for the majority of migrants. Hadiya (68%) and Kembata (25%), two distinct zones within the SNNP, are where the majority of migrants originate. Most migrants claimed they had no set destination in South Africa. The most frequently reported location is the province of Gauteng. A sizable Ethiopian diaspora exists, especially in Johannesburg. Most migrants are not fully aware of the dangers associated with irregular migration. For instance, many migrants traveling along the eastern route were unaware that the perilous journey involved traveling by boat and that Yemen was embroiled in civil war. Migrants traveling along the southern route end up in detention facilities, where they are made to live in appalling conditions. Migrants are subject to mistreatment such as physical (or sexual) abuse, xenophobic attacks, confinement, and forced labor.

There will be about 3,671,274 new jobs created in the 2015 fiscal year, according to the Ministry of Labor and Skills. The plan will significantly contribute to a decrease in the number of migrants if it is carried out correctly.

The public participants provided a variety of explanations for why young people move to South Africa. Some of them had experienced illegal migration firsthand. They described their ordeal and offered what they believed to be solutions. The two main factors cited as motivating young people to migrate illegally are a lack of job opportunities and awareness. The participants noted that the area is home to a sizable number of educated youth but that there are almost no job opportunities. This causes frustration and hopelessness, which ultimately leads to illegal migration. The participants contend that ignorance is another factor that influences these choices. The migrants do not understand the terrible situation that will befall them once they leave their country. Due to the false hope that migrant traffickers instill in their victims’ minds and the success of a select few, they frequently hold onto this delusion. As a result, providing employment opportunities and raising public awareness are suggested as solutions.

The forum gave participants the opportunity to make constructive proposals to help battle the problem of human trafficking and learn more about unlawful migration. The Government of Ethiopia pledged that up until the target outcome is attained, the awareness campaign will continue.

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Time to Visit Ethiopia

Sustainable tourism is a proven development strategy that benefits communities in places all over the world. On World Tourism Day, a new World Bank Group paper offers 20 reasons why tourism should be integrated into the development agenda. The International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development demonstrates how sustainable tourism benefits tourism destinations as well as local citizens. Tourism is key to lifting people out of poverty and creating new opportunities in underdeveloped countries.

In light of this, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration has demonstrated political determination to improve the sector. In his first four years in office, his administration accomplished a lot in the tourism sector. For example, many projects have been completed in Addis Abeba City, such as Unity Park, Friendship Park, the Science Museum, Entoto Park, the restoration of the National Palace and other eight palaces located outside of Addis Abeba, but also the restoration of the Prime Minister’s Office and other public historical institutions, to name a few. On the other hand, outside of Addis Ababa, there are massive tourism projects under construction, such as Gorgora Beach and Resort on the Tana Lake bank, which will supply tourist lodgings.

The country has initiated a number of new strategic initiatives to better boost the country’s tourism business. Among the initiatives is the Ministry of Tourism’s investment in infrastructure and capacity building for destination management and product development. Improved visa procedures, including visas on arrival for African Union-related travel, are part of this. In a recent event held at the Ethiopian Science Museum, the sector introduced smart card technology, allowing travelers to simply pay for their hotel bookings, tour packages, admission fees, meals, vehicle rentals, shopping, and other travel-related activities.

Ethiopia, with its rich historical monuments and friendly people, is a feasible tourist destination. Ethiopian tourism has enormous growth potential due to the country’s nine world heritage sites. Ethiopia has a plethora of natural and man-made tourist attractions. And these are: the birthplace of coffee, the Rift Valley Lakes, Lake Chamo (Crocodile Market), the Simien Mountains, the Simien National Park, Aksum, the Omo Valley, the Blue Nile Falls, Mago National Park, the Bale Mountains, Nechisar National Park, the Danakil Depression, Lalibela Rock Hewn Churches; and Harar’s religious and historical sites.

Locals and visitors alike appreciate the elegant and traditional Ethiopian coffee ritual on a regular basis. Ethiopia is also the location of the long-lost Biblical Ark of the Covenant, which is kept safe in the Chapel of the Tablet next to the St. Mary of Zion Church in ancient Aksum. The country is home to the world’s rarest bird species as well as exquisite religious and cultural festivals.

Ethiopia has comparative advantages in tourism since it has both natural and man-made tourist attractions, its weather is temperate throughout the year, and it is geographically close to the Middle East and European countries. Ethiopian Airlines has over 145 international flights and over 30 domestic flights. Ethiopia is also a multicultural country with interesting customs and practices for visitors. Given all of these advantages and potential, Ethiopia has struggled to fully benefit from the sector’s profits when compared to some regional countries. With the Pretoria Peace Deal between the Ethiopian Government and TPLF successfully underway as an additional input, tourists will enjoy all their moments in Ethiopia.

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