News in Brief

Ethiopia: On the Road to Transitional Justice

AfCFTA: A Promising Flagship Project with the Potential of Accelerating Continental Integration

Africa and the African Union

The 36^th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit is convening from February 18–19, 2023, in Addis Ababa, preceded by the Session of the Executive Council. The summit will be held under the theme “Acceleration of AFCFTA Implementation.” The 35^th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit held in Addis Ababa in February 2022 endorsed “acceleration of AfCFTA implementation” as the theme of the year 2023. This theme will be officially launched at the opening ceremony of the upcoming summit. The implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement is promising, as all African countries except one have signed the Agreement and 44 countries have also ratified it. On the other hand, even though provisional trading under the AfCFTA Agreement was announced on January 1, 2021, by AU Assembly decision, actual trading stalled due to technical reasons. (See article)

A hospital facility designed to provide quality treatment and care to Somali security forces has been handed over to the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) by the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). The 68-bed facility located in Mogadishu was commissioned on Thursday (February 3) at a ceremony presided over by Somalia’s Federal Minister of Defence, Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Mohamed El-Amine Souef, and Italy’s Undersecretary of State for Defence, Matteo Perego Di Cremnago.

The United Nations System, through UN-Women, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in collaboration with the Government of Niger, organized the fourth edition of the Gender Café in Niamey on January 25. Placed under the theme: “Gender Sensitive Planning and Budgeting”, this meeting aimed at conducting a frank, inclusive and participatory dialogue between development actors for a better inclusion of women and the taking into account of their specific needs, on the whole chain of strategic planning in Niger, for a sustainable and inclusive development.

Ethiopia

Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, held a brief discussion on Wednesday (February 1) with the Ethiopian national Defense Forces who are deployed to fight al-Shabaab in Mogadishu under the auspices of the African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). The Prime Minister’s statement on Twitter indicates that he was briefed by members of ENDF operating in Somalia under ATMIS to fight the Al-Shabaab terror group. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed arrived earlier in Mogadishu to participate in the regional forum convened to strengthen the campaign against Al-Shabaab in East Africa and achieve enhanced regional security cooperation.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed held a consultation with the Peace Agreement Implementation Coordination Committee for the first time. During the discussion, the activities carried out so far in the implementation of the Pretoria and Nairobi peace agreements were evaluated, and directions were set on the issues that needed further attention. The members of the Committee held their first face-to-face meeting with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed at Halala Kella.

Senior officials from Ethiopia’s Ministry of Justice and Foreign Affairs met with ambassadors from European Union member states in Ethiopia today to discuss ways to collaborate on issues relating to human rights protection and accountability. Gedion Timotheos, Ethiopia’s Minister of Justice, briefed the ambassadors about the contents of the document, “Policy Options for Transitional Justice in Ethiopia,” which is prepared to address the current socio-political realities of the country based on accountability, truth seeking, redress for victims, and reconciliation and healing. He reiterated that the document was made public in order to gather input from all stakeholders and civil society groups through public consultations and formal national policymaking processes, further inviting the European Union and member states to enrich it with expert opinions. Ambassador Mesganu Arga, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs, delivered remarks in which he expressed his aspirations that today’s meeting with EU ambassadors will help both sides restore and strengthen relations. Despite Ethiopia’s best efforts to ensure accountability, the EU opted to form an International Commission of Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE), which he says overstepped its mandate by participating in politically motivated activities. He called for the ICHREE’s mandate to be terminated as it would undermine the Pretoria Peace Agreement and ongoing cooperation between the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The “Agreement for Lasting Peace Through a Permanent Cessation of Hostilities” signed in Pretoria by the Federal Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front to end the two-year war in the country’s north calls for an inclusive and comprehensive national transitional justice policy centered on accountability, truth seeking, redress for victims, and reconciliation and healing. The policy implementation requested was to address human rights violations and prevent their future recurrence in line with the Ethiopian Constitution and the African Union’s (AU) 2019 Transitional Justice Policy (AUTJP). (See article)

Ethiopia has asked the United States to support its “bid in terminating the mandate” of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE).  This was stated during a courtesy call by Ambassador Tracey Ann Jacobson, Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia, to Ambassador Mesganu Arga, State Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Thursday (February 2). During the discussion, Ambassador Misganu “commended the US for its support for the AU-led Pretoria Peace Deal between the Ethiopian Government and the TPLF,” and stated that the government is “fully committed to implementing the terms of the Peace Deal.” He called on the United States to provide support for the reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts.

The Russian Ambassador to Ethiopia, Yevgeny Terekhin, made a courtesy call on Foreign Affairs State Minister Ambassador Mesganu Arga on Thursday (February 2). Ambassador Mesganu stated that Ethiopia values its historical and friendly relationships with Russia and emphasized the importance of diversifying bilateral cooperation in multiple sectors. In this regard, the two parties discussed the implementation of signed MoUs as well as the importance of active monitoring of their bilateral agreements in various sectors. They discussed measures to resuscitate the Joint Ministerial Commission Meeting between Ethiopia and Russia, as well as issues concerning the forthcoming 2nd Russia-Africa Summit.

The State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Mesganu Arga, met with the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Ethiopia, Daren Welch, in his office on Thursday (February 2, 2023), and the two sides discussed bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest. During the discussion, Ambassador Mesganu spoke about the government’s commitment to implementing the Pretoria Peace Agreement and the restoration of basic services to the war-affected areas. Regarding the United Nations Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia, he urges the United Kingdom to stand by Ethiopia in its bid to terminate the mandate of the politically biased Commission.

The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Ethiopia, Ambassador Dr. Fahad Obaydullah Al-Hamidani, paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Mesganu Arga, on Thursday (February 2). Ethiopia treasures its historical and cordial relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, according to Ambassador Mesganu, and the two brotherly peoples should strengthen their relationship, which is rich in cultural and social interdependence. The State Minister thanked the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its assistance in Ethiopia’s efforts to repatriate Ethiopian citizens who had entered the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia illegally. Human trafficking and illegal immigration are worldwide challenges, and the two countries must work together to combat them, according to the minister, who urged the Kingdom and Ethiopia’s allies to help efforts to rehabilitate returnees.

The Economic Commission for Africa – a think tank with specialist expertise in African and international trade policy – has recommitted to helping Ethiopia’s trade policy agenda that aims to foster industrialization and sustained economic growth. Although Ethiopia remained outside the regional and global trading regimes for a long time, this is now changing. Not only has Ethiopia ratified the agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), it is also negotiating its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). ECA Director, Regional Integration and Trade Division, Stephen Karingi, confirmed ECA’s readiness to work with all the partners to support the Government of Ethiopia and the Ethiopian private sector realize the country’s trade policy priorities at the national, bilateral, regional, continental, and global levels. He said this at a Roundtable on Multi-partner Support on Trade Policy to Ethiopia organized on the 24^th of January by the British Embassy in Addis Ababa in collaboration with ECA.

The 41st Ordinary Meeting of the Intergovernmental Organization on Development (IGAD) Committee of Ambassadors was held in Mombasa, Kenya, on February 2, 2023. The meeting reviewed and deliberated on the Secretariat’s Action Plan for the year 2023, focusing on program performance and organizational reform. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia to Djibouti and the IGAD,  Berhanu Tsegaye, addressed the committee, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing the recurrent issues of drought and other climate change-induced environmental challenges facing the region. He stressed the need for the Secretariat to develop early warning and mitigation mechanisms in advance. Additionally, Ambassador Berhanu called for continued engagement and cooperation between the Secretariat and its partners to build capacities for responding to migration and internally displaced persons issues in the IGAD region.

The two-day Pakistan-Ethiopia Pre-delegation Forum is set to kick off in Sialkot on February 15 and is aimed at boosting the participation of a business delegation bound for Addis Ababa this March. The delegation, representing businesspeople from the industrial cities of Punjab, is scheduled to visit Addis Ababa from March 5–10 to explore investment opportunities and enhance bilateral business and trade between the two countries. The decision to this effect was taken during a meeting between Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Jemal Beker Abdula, and the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) and State Minister, Romina Khurshid Alam, on Tuesday, (January 31).

On Monday (February 1), Ethiopian Airlines announced its plans to increase scheduled flights between Addis Ababa and Moscow to serve the increasing traffic to and from Russia. After nearly eight months with no direct flights to Russia, the airline resumed flights to Moscow in September. Ethiopian Airlines told the media that from June 2023, the frequency of flights would increase from three to four a week, with trips on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

The Ministry of Education (MoE) has announced that it will rebuild 71 standard schools using financial support from the World Bank (WB), Menschen für Menschen charity organization, and the Ethiopian Diaspora Trust Fund (DTF) in the Amhara and Afar regions, which were demolished during the bloody war that lasted for nearly two years between the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front and the federal government. The ministry has officially launched the reconstruction of 71 standard schools destroyed in the war as part of its plan to improve the quality of education in the country.

Djibouti

The Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of Qatar, Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al-Thani, met on Thursday, (February 2) with Minister of Interior of the Republic of Djibouti, Said Nouh Hassan, and his accompanying delegation, on the occasion of his visit to Qatar to attend the graduation ceremony of the fifth batch of candidate students of the Ministry of Interior’s Police Academy. During the meeting, they reviewed cooperation relations between the two countries, especially in the security and military fields, in addition to discussing a number of issues of mutual interest.

Kenya

President William Ruto on Wednesday (February 1) flew out to Mogadishu, where he attended a summit with other regional presidents on the stabilization of Somalia. Ruto joined presidents Hassan Mohamud (Somalia), Ismail Omar Guelleh (Djibouti) and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The Somalia Frontline States Summit is aimed at focusing regional efforts towards the stabilization of Somalia and the eradication of terrorism in the area. 

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Wednesday (February 2) met and discussed a number of issues with Kenyan President William Ruto on the side-lines of the Somalia-Frontline States Summit in Mogadishu. “On the sidelines of the Somalia-Frontline States Summit, I met with Kenyan President William Ruto to discuss strengthening bilateral ties through infrastructure development, increasing trade and investment, as well as regional issues,” Abiy said in a tweet on Wednesday. The Ethiopian PM was also briefed by members of the Ethiopian national forces fighting Al-Shabaab as part of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Executive Secretary Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, delivered the 3rd State of the IGAD Region Address on Wednesday (February 01) in Mombasa, Kenya. He appreciated the abundant political will and commitment of the IGAD region to resolve conflicts and disputes through peaceful negotiation and dialogue. In this regard, he referred to IGAD’s role in promoting peaceful solutions to the Ethiopia-Sudan border dispute, the conflict in northern Ethiopia, and the coordination and support of Sudan’s national dialogue for a civilian transition. Dr. Workneh also raised IGAD’s role in supporting an inclusive and participatory consultation process in South Sudan, its appreciation for stabilization efforts in Somalia, and the combats against the Al-Shabab terrorist group. IGAD’s Chief also listed out the non-conflict issues affecting the region that still have an impact on peace, security, and stability. In this regard, he discussed IGAD’s response to the global pandemic, climate change, persistent drought, pest invasions, and seasonal flooding that contributed to a dire regional food security situation.

Plans for the reopening of the Kenya-Somalia border in Mandera are nearing conclusion, with the renovation of the Customs Border Control Point set to begin soon.This follows a series of high-level consultations between the two countries with the intent to advance new spheres of shared interests, particularly cross-border trade and regional security. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has intimated that the move is one of the strategic interventions that will be deployed to curb illicit cross-border trade, including the smuggling of goods, illegal firearms, counterfeits, and drugs. The CS, who was addressing elected leaders and community elders during a security tour in Mandera and Wajir, directed the county security team and the relevant government agencies to conduct a joint needs assessment for the makeover of the offices and draw up a comprehensive plan detailing the financial and logistical requirements for the undertaking.

Somalia

The leaders of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia met Wednesday (February 1) in the Somali capital to discuss the ongoing fight against al-Shabab militants. The security summit took place amid an offensive by Somalia and its allies against the Islamist militants. Somalia in the past year has won significant victories against the group, which has also increased its counterattacks. In a joint communique issued after the meeting in Somalia’s capital, the four heads of state said the operation would “prevent any future infiltration of elements into the wider region.” “The Summit agreed to make the final push for joint operations in the areas that remain under the control of terrorists to completely liberate the whole of Somalia from Al-Shabab,” read Wednesday’s communique from the four countries, whose soldiers are part of the Africa Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia.

The heads of state and government of Somalia’s neighboring countries, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Kenya, have backed Mogadishu’s bid to completely lift the arms embargo by the end of this year. The summit, which was held in Mogadishu on Wednesday (February 2) and convened in the wake of the ongoing sustained war by Somali Security Forces, welcomed Somalia’s government request to obtain lethal and non-lethal support in the war against al Shabaab. This, the leaders said, is to ensure the newly-generated Somalia National Army units are properly equipped and to enhance the firepower capabilities of the operational units.

The Somali government has sent thousands of military recruits to nearby countries for training to strengthen the army for its war against al-Shabab militants, according to the national security adviser for the Somali president. In an exclusive interview on January 26 with VOA Somali, Hussein Sheikh-Ali said Somalia has sent 3,000 soldiers each to Eritrea and Uganda in the past few weeks. He said an additional 6,000 recruits will be sent to Ethiopia and Egypt. “We want to complete making 15,000 soldiers ready within 2023,” Ali told VOA in the one-on-one interview in Washington, where he met with U.S. officials to seek more support for Somalia.

The first Minister of the Environment and Climate Change of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Khadija Mohamed Almakhzoumi, visits Finland on January 31–February 3, 2023. The visit is on the invitation of the Finnish Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Maria Ohisalo. The purpose of the visit is to support the new ministry in starting its work.

South Sudan

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has appealed to the citizens to maintain peace and order during the Pope’s visit to Juba. Kiir, while addressing worshippers at St. Theresa Cathedral in Kator on Sunday (January 29), urged citizens to welcome Pope Francis in large numbers on Friday. The Pope has traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and South Sudan after he postponed his July 2022 visit due to health issues.

The United Nations Interim Security Force in Abyei strongly condemned on Wednesday (February 1) the renewed intercommunal violence that is threatening the security situation in and around the southern part of the Abyei box. According to the most recent reports from local authorities, a cattle rustling incident on January 27 resulted in the deaths of 18 people and the injuries of nine others (all males). The reports indicated that youths from Abyei Box allegedly attacked the villages of Makuac/Madou, Tongliet, and Makueibum in Twic County. Five Nuer and two Dinka Ngok youths were reportedly among those killed, and hundreds of cattle allegedly rustled have yet to be recovered.

Sudan

Sudan’s Foreign Ministry issued a press release on Thursday, (February 2) regarding Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen’s recent visit to Sudan. The FM said the visit came in the context of continuing previous contacts between the two countries. The ministry underlined that the Israeli delegation, during the several-hour visit, met the President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, the Acting Foreign Minister, and a number of senior government officials. “The talks of the two sides touched on developing the relations of the two countries in various fields, especially agriculture, energy, health, water, and education, and it was agreed to move forward in order to normalize the relations of the two countries,” the release said. The release underlined that the Sudanese side urged the Israeli side to work toward maintaining stability and peace between Israel and the Palestinian people.

The expert on the situation of human rights in Sudan, Radwan Nouisir, during his address to the press conference held on Thursday (February 2), welcomed the human rights commitments contained in the political framework agreement that was signed between the political forces and the military component, hoping it would set a road map to settle the outstanding issues with broad participation to achieve the slogan of freedom, peace, justice, and the formation of a civil government. The Human Rights expert has also welcomed the resumption of legal and institutional reforms with the participation of the largest number of Sudanese citizens in the coming government.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will begin next Wednesday (February 8) an official two-day visit to the country. The Acting Foreign Minister, Ambassador Ali Al-Sadig, said in a press statement that the visit comes as part of a tour that will also take him to Iraq, Mauritania, and Mali. The Russian Foreign Minister will hold talks with his counterpart, the Acting Foreign Minister, Ambassador Ali Al-Sadiq, on bilateral, regional, and international issues of common concern, as well as ways to increase the volume of trade exchange and Russian investments, especially in the field of infrastructure.

King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain held a phone call on Thursday (February 02) with the Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of the Republic of the Sudan, HE Lieutenant-General Abdel Fattah Al Burhan. The King praised the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Republic of Sudan’s strong bilateral relations, emphasizing the Kingdom’s desire to expand joint cooperation and coordination. During the call, the King wished the President of the Sudanese Transitional Sovereignty Council success in his efforts to achieve the aspirations of the Sudanese people for peace, stability, development, and prosperity.

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Ethiopia: On the Road to Transitional Justice

The “Agreement for Lasting Peace Through a Permanent Cessation of Hostilities” signed in Pretoria by the Federal Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front to end the two-year war in the country’s north calls for an inclusive and comprehensive national transitional justice policy centered on accountability, truth seeking, redress for victims, and reconciliation and healing. The policy implementation requested was to address human rights violations and prevent their future recurrence in line with the Ethiopian Constitution and the African Union’s (AU) 2019 Transitional Justice Policy (AUTJP).

Accordingly, while taking several measures to respect the deal regarding a permanent cessation of hostilities and the restoration of constitutional order, the government of Ethiopia announces a document on “Policy Options for Transitional Justice in Ethiopia” for input from all stakeholders and civil society groups through public consultations and formal national policymaking processes. There will be consultations throughout Ethiopia on policy options for transitional justice in Ethiopia with a broad range of key stakeholders and representation from all sections of society. The document aims to boost public consensus on developing a holistic transitional justice framework that fits the country’s current realities and socio-political context, and ensures the centrality of key stakeholders in the consultation process.

The draft document comprises three main parts. The first part examines the history of transitional justice in Ethiopia and its relevance to the current situation. The second part presents an analysis of alternative policy options on a wide range of mechanisms for the pursuit of transitional justice in Ethiopia. The last part examines and proposes a range of institutional arrangements to implement transitional justice mechanisms in Ethiopia.

The policy options for transitional justice document recognizes that previous experiences in Ethiopia had not focused on truth finding, reconciliation, redress, and the creation of national consensus, and it provides a thorough elaboration of possible modalities and approaches appropriate to Ethiopia’s context for transitional justice mechanisms. In this regard, prosecution, institutions, truth-seeking, reconciliation, amnesty, reparations, and institutional reform are presented as alternative mechanisms. The temporal scope of the process, the role of sub-national administrations, and traditional justice systems are also considered. Thus far, there are ongoing initiatives to implement some of these transitional justice mechanisms. Initial measures include the start of political dialogue between conflicting parties and among civil society groups to find lasting solutions to the underlying political differences.

Transitional justice mechanisms are used in a variety of settings for various countries; those that used them successfully advanced in democratic norms, while those that did not continue to suffer from poor governance and weak democratic institutions. As observed in countries with relevant experiences, complementary transitional justice mechanisms are more effective than operationalizing one particular form of transitional justice mechanism. Moreover, the effectiveness of the transitional justice mechanism is measured by its association with the prevailing local and national needs, aspirations, and transitional social contexts.

Before the Pretoria agreement, the Government of Ethiopia established an Inter-Ministerial Taskforce on Accountability and Redress that conducted a comprehensive, independent, and impartial investigation into violations of human rights committed in the context of the conflict in the Tigray region. Similarly, there have been efforts to apply elements of transitional justice to various historical periods. However, the absence of a holistic framework to use transitional justice mechanisms as a way to address the root cause of the repressive past affects the implementation of the process.

The Government of Ethiopia is working towards an inclusive approach to overcome the past’s ineffective methods by prioritizing the pillars of justice, reconciliation, equality, and human rights. Tailored transitional justice alternatives are being organized based on a study conducted by seasoned experts and relevant stakeholders in the field. In this connection, a comprehensive, integrated, and context-specific transitional justice policy is underway to address the current socio-political realities of the country.

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AfCFTA: A Promising Flagship Project with the Potential of Accelerating Continental Integration

The 36^th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit is convening from February 18–19, 2023, in Addis Ababa, preceded by the Session of the Executive Council. The summit will be held under the theme “Acceleration of AFCFTA Implementation.” The 35^th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit held in Addis Ababa in February 2022 endorsed “acceleration of AfCFTA implementation” as the theme of the year 2023. This theme will be officially launched at the opening ceremony of the upcoming summit.

The AU Summit is set to deliberate on wide-ranging issues of continental significance. The Summit will review the implementation of its strategic decisions and adopt resolutions with far-reaching impacts on accelerating the economic development and prosperity of the continent. It will also review the state of peace and security on the continent.

It is quite reasonable to reflect on the theme of the year and its implications for the grand strategy of the Union. The African Continental Free Trade (AfCFTA) Agreement is one of the 15 flagship projects of Agenda 2063 of the African Union. The agreement was signed in 2018 in Kigali, Rwanda, and entered into force on May 30, 2019. Thus far, 54 African countries have signed the AfCFTA Agreement, and 44 countries have also ratified the legal instrument.

The AfCFTA Agreement envisions the establishment of a single continental market for goods and services, as well as the free movement of business people and investments. In the face of fierce global trade competition and trade-related unilateral restrictions on duty-free opportunities by some countries, the Agreement provides State Parties with numerous alternative market opportunities.

The implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement is promising, as all African countries except one have signed the Agreement and 44 countries have also ratified it. On the other hand, even though provisional trading under the AfCFTA Agreement was announced on January 1, 2021, by AU Assembly decision, actual trading stalled due to technical reasons. Recently, six of the countries that have met the technical requirements have started provisional trading under the Guided Trade Initiative, supported by the AFCFTA Secretariat.

In general, while AfCFTA is a promising flagship project with the potential of accelerating continental integration, there is a long way to go before we achieve tangible results. The African Union and its member states need to marshal necessary resources and invest massively in developing physical and digital infrastructure to facilitate free movement of goods and services on the continent. The Protocol on the Free Movement of Persons in Africa will also be crucial in facilitating trade interactions across the continent.

Ethiopia is a party to the Agreement establishing the AfCFTA. As the second-most populous country in Africa, Ethiopia has huge market potential to offer. By implementing the AfCFTA Agreement, Ethiopia can also access the untapped African market potential for its products. The theme of the year is timely and relevant to expedite the implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement.