09.02.2024

News in Brief

Africa and the African Union

The African Union through a press statement released on Saturday (February 3) announced that the African Union High Level Panel on Sudan (HLP-Sudan), formed by the Chairperson of the Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, in line with the Communique of the 1185^th meeting of the Peace and Security Council, commenced its work on Wednesday (31 January 2024). Presided over by the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS), Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, deliberated on the steps for the implementation of the AU strategy towards peace and security in Sudan.

The Heads of State and Government meeting of the African Union High-Level Committee on Libya convened by Republic of Congo President Denis Sassou N’Guesso on Monday (February 5) in Congo Brazzaville to mull the status of the Maghreb country’s national reconciliation process.

The Peace and Security Council of the AU (AUPSC) on Friday (February 2) issued a communique regarding the Draft Common African Position on the Application of International Law to the Use of Information and Communication Technologies in the Cyberspace in the aftermath of its 1196^th meeting held on Monday (January 29).

Ethiopia

Premiere Abiy Ahmed during the televised 6^th Regular Session of the House of the Peoples’ Representatives on Tuesday (February 6) responded to questions raised by parliamentarians on various national, regional and global issues of interest.

The Prime Minister on Wednesday (February 7) received at his office Comorian President and Chairperson of the African Union, Azali Assoumani, who arrived in Addis Ababa for an official visit. The leaders in their talks agreed to work closely on burning regional and continental issues.

The House of Peoples’ Representatives on Thursday (08 February 2024) held its 15^th Ordinary Session of the 6^th Term on its 3^rd year. The session approved key cabinet appointments in the Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Affairs, Health and Intelligence dockets (See Article).

On Wednesday (February 7), Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed conferred with CEO of American global credit card service firm, Visa Inc., Ryan McInerney on the various engagements of the company on Ethiopia.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen, on Wednesday afternoon (February 7) Imet at his office with Belgian Minister for Development Cooperation, Caroline Gennez, and discussed bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest.

Minister of Peace, Binalf Andualem, during an exclusive interview with the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) published on Wednesday (February 7) stressed the fact that Ethiopia together with its strategic neighbors under the rubric of ‘neighbours first’ foreign policy imperative is committed to ensuring lasting peace and stability in the Horn of Africa.

During a press availability on Tuesday (February 6), State Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Chairperson of the National Coordinating Committee of the African Union Heads of State and Government Meeting, Ambassador Birtukan Ayano, disclosed that extensive and holistic preparations have been made to successfully host the upcoming AU Summit including the 44^th Executive Council and the 37^th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union.

State Minister for Political and Economic Diplomacy, Ambassador Mesganu Arga, on Wednesday (February 7) held bilateral talks with Director and Ambassador for Business and Development at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Steven Collet, on ways of further enhancing cooperation in the areas of trade, investment and development assistance.

Tana Forum Secretariat on Monday (February 5) held talks with the top leadership of the Amhara National Regional State (ANRS) in the regional seat Bahir Dar regarding the preparations for the upcoming and 11^thedition of the annual Tana High Level Forum on Security in Africa.

An Ethio-Djibouti Historical Friendship Exhibition showcasing the historic ties between the two sisterly countries opened in Djibouti City on Wednesday (February 7). Organised by the Ethiopian Embassy in Djibouti, the exhibition chiefly commemorates the longstanding diplomatic relations.

During a joint consultative meeting between the Government of Ethiopia and global development partners in Addis Ababa on Wednesday (February 7), the Government through the Ministry of Finance launched a coffee sector national action plan to institute compliance measures stipulated in the Regulation on Deforestation-free products of the European Union (EUDR).

Djibouti

President Ismail Omar Guelleh on Monday (February 5) received a letter from the Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani apropos of bolstering bilateral diplomatic ties between the Djibouti and the Gulf state.

The Horn of African country and Türkiye on Monday (February 5) inked several agreements to upscale cooperation in 15 major fileds including agriculture, tourism, environment, fisheries, and standardization. Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf and Turkiye Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu inked a Memorandum of Understanding following the 5^th Joint Economic Commission (JEC) held in Djibouti.

Over the week the Government intensified naval patrols along its waterways along the Red Sea in light of recent security threats. Coast Guard Commander Colonel Wais Omar Bogoreh told the media on Tuesday (February 6) that the move comes as result of “the situation currently going on in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and Bab al-Mandab.

Kenya

President William Ruto on Monday (February 5) received at State House Nairobi his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda, who is in Kenya for a state visit. They presided over the Kenya-Poland Economic Dialogue in the Capital Nairobi. The two countries also inked two MoUs on tax solidarity, agriculture and rural development.

President Ruto on Wednesday (February 7) oversaw the signing of a framework agreement for collaboration in vehicle manufacturing and renewable energy development in the East African country. According to State House, the agreement will see Toyota set up a vehicle manufacturing plant in the country.

Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale met with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on Wednesday (February 7) and discussed on further enhancing US-Kenya strategic partnership in the defence sector and “the fight against al-Shabab and the need for security and stability in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb.”

Kenya Airways (KQ) and Spanish Air Europa Wednesday (February 7) has signed a code-sharing agreement that boasts of extending KQ’s outreach in Europe and the US. The agreement will allow Air Europa passengers to fly to Nairobi from Amsterdam while those on KQ flights would get connections to Madrid, Palma de Mallorca, New York, and Miami, according to the Airways.

South Sudan

President Salva Kiir Mayardiit and First Vice President Riek Machar during a meeting on land related conflict between Ngok and Twic communities, on Monday (February 5) called for an end to the sub-national violence in parts of the country.

Parliament Endorses Cabinet Appointments

The House of Peoples’ Representatives on Thursday (08 February 2024) held its 15^th Ordinary Session of the 6^th Term on its 3^rd year. On the second of the session, the lower chamber mainly deliberated on cabinet appointments proposed by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The Prime Minister tabled cabinet nominations for the posts of Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, Minister of Health, Director of Intelligence and Information Network Security Administration. In their order of precedence PM Abiy nominated former spy chief Temesgen Tiruneh as Deputy Prime Minister, former policy adviser Ambassador Taye Atske Selassie as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Mekdes Daba as Minister of Health, former National Security Adviser Ambassador Redwan Hussein as Director of National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) and former Deputy Director of INSA Tigist Hamid as Director of the cyber intelligence agency.

The Prime Minister during the session presented credentials of the candidates to House Members. Speaking of the need for making the current appointments in these top positions of the Government, Prime Minister, the step was taken “towards strengthening the Nation’s leadership.” After deliberating on the vetted nominees, MPs unanimously passed a decision to appoint the candidates the designated cabinet positions and the appoints were subsequently sworn in. The HPR also bid farewell to the outgoing Deputy Prime Minister, who also doubled as Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2020, Demeke Mekonnen.

Temesgen Tiruneh, who was appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister of the Federation, previously has been at the helm of NISS, INSA as well as the Amhara National Regional State. He was also the Prime Minister’s security adviser.

Former Foreign Policy Adviser to the PM, Ambassador Taye Atske Selassie, on the other hand, previously served as Ethiopia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, State Minister for Political Affairs at the Foreign Affairs and has a diplomatic career spanning over three decades. He became the 29^th Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia taking over the docket from former DPM and FM Demeke Mekonnen.

Dr. Mekdes Daba, who has been working with the World Health Organisation and a practicing OBGYN, has been appointed to the health docket replacing Dr. Lia Tadesse, whose astute leadership of the sector during the most challenging COVID 19 pandemic has been exemplary.

Lastly, Ambassador Redwan Hussein became the new intelligence chief taking over the mantle from Temesgen Tiruneh while Tigist Hamid is the head of INSA after Solomon Soka.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Participates at the Italy-Africa Summit in Rome

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, together with fellow African Heads of State and Government, took part in the Italy-Africa Summit hosted by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in the Capital, Rome, from 28 to 29 January 2024. Heads of state and government from more than 46 African countries and representatives of 25 international organizations participated at the summit, which was themed “A Bridge for Common Growth.”

Italy’s proposed ‘Mattei Plan’ for Africa, named after the founder of the country’s oil and gas conglomerate, ENI, was discussed. The Mattei Plan is a €5.5 billion (US$5.9 billion) investment program centred on five key pillars—education and training; health; agriculture; water; and energy—that aims to offer a new cooperation model for Africa.

Premier Abiy Ahmed, in his remarks, congratulated Italy for assuming the G7 Presidency for the year 2024 and expressed his confidence that, under the leadership of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Italy will champion an agenda that is inclusive of Africa’s interests as an equal partner.

The Premier stated that the long-term economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical tensions, debt sustainability, and climate change can present uncertainties for Africa. But he expressed his hope that the proper utilization of Africa’s rich human resources, the majority of which are youth, through targeted investments and partnerships in key sectors to build infrastructure, develop skills, and catalyse the creation of jobs will enable sustainable growth and address irregular migration.

He emphasized that investments in robust infrastructure are critical. To this end, he mentioned Ethiopia’s efforts to explore ways to increase connectivity, such as pipelines, ports, highways, railroads, and airports, which are of paramount importance to enhance trade and diversify supply chain routes. Regarding the infrastructural developments in Ethiopia, he mentioned the focus given to enhancing road connectivity. To this end, he said that in the last five years, Ethiopia has increased road networks to 160 thousand kilometres and aspires to add another 100 thousand to achieve the demands of Ethiopia’s home-grown economic reform agenda.

He also stated that the government has constructed airports across the country and is planning for the construction of a new international mega hub airport to cater for the growing transport and logistics demands of linking Africa to the rest of the world. Ethiopia being the second largest in population and one of the largest economies in Africa, the Premier underscored the vital importance of diversifying sea access and having an outlet in the spirit of regional integration and mutually beneficial partnerships.

According to the Premier, Ethiopia has given due attention to ensuring energy security, and generates 98 percent of its energy from clean sources to support industrial growth. Given Ethiopia’s capacity to generate more than 60 thousand megawatts from our diversified and abundant renewable energy resources, he indicated that this could be an area of cooperation with Europe for mutual benefit.

Similarly, he noted the paramount importance of cooperation and partnership to realize food security, which is a global challenge. For Ethiopia, he said the food security and sovereignty agenda remains foremost, and the efforts to implement numerous initiatives have enabled it to reap remarkable results. He also emphasized the immense potential that the agricultural sector can contribute to job creation. Furthermore, he stated that even though the agro processing and manufacturing industries are showing remarkable growth in Africa, most of the industries depend on raw materials, which necessitate more capital, skills, and training for value addition. He also mentioned ICT and creative industries, which Ethiopia has identified as new engines of growth.

Upon the conclusion of the summit, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy said that the Italy-Africa Summit is the first international event to be held in Italy since the beginning of its G7 Presidency, attesting to the importance Italy attributes to its partnership with African countries. As per the Primer Meloni, the purpose of the Summit was for Italy to present its new philosophy of cooperation with African countries: a new cooperation model that shuns any predatory temptations or paternalistic approaches, not to mention a certain idea that relations with Africa should above all have a ‘charity-like’ dimension that does not take into account the continent’s great opportunities and great potential. The Italian Premier has declared projects that involve nine African nations to begin with. Accordingly, in the planned projects with Ethiopia, the cooperation pillars are agriculture, water, and education and training.

On the side-lines of the Italy-Africa summit, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed held a discussion with his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni on bilateral and multilateral issues to further elevate the relationship between the two countries. The premier has also held discussions with the director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva, on the pertinent issues of mutual concern.

FAO Awards Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed the Prestigious Agricola Medal

In a ceremony hosted by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome, Italy, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was awarded the prestigious FAO Agricola Medal in recognition of his vision, leadership, and commitment to food security and nutrition, as well as the pursuit of innovative solutions for wheat self-sufficiency in the context of fast-changing and challenging circumstances. The Prime Minister received the Agricola Medal in the presence of high-level delegates from various countries, representatives of international organizations, diplomatic missions in Italy, and private sector representatives.

The award signifies Ethiopia’s critical investments in the past five years in the agricultural sector and pursuing wheat self-sufficiency endeavours, marking significant growth across major commodities.

“I express my gratitude to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for bestowing the prestigious Agricola Medal for our efforts towards the attainment of food security. Our focus on high-value and industrial crops is yielding promising results, and we are committed to our food sovereignty path,” PM Abiy said after receiving the award. That prestigious medal bestowed on the Prime Minister triggered delight amongst Ethiopians, as senior government officials, Ethiopians, and partners poured their congratulatory messages to the Premier.

Speaking on the occasion, the Director General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), QU Dongyu, underscored the achievements registered by the government of Ethiopia under the leadership of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to transform the agricultural sector with a view to becoming food self-sufficient, which has been a source of inspiration for Africa. Further, Dongyu added, “I am so pleased to welcome you to this historical ceremony, not only for Ethiopia, not only for Africa, but for the world,” as it is a matter of global agenda.

He appreciated the premier for his commitment and passion to realizing this big historical, revolutionary change in agriculture and rural development, as well as the Green Legacy Initiative. Since taking office in 2018, Prime Minister Abiy has tirelessly pursued efforts to realize his vision for food security, nutrition, and economic development in Ethiopia and beyond by identifying and implementing innovative solutions, as Dongyu pointed out.

The Director-General has also admired and congratulated the people of Ethiopia and partners supporting the country to implement the premier’s visions in this regard. “I am fully confident that you will see Ethiopia as not only prosperous but also green, beautiful, and peaceful in the future,” FAO Director General underscored.

He stressed the need for strong political commitment, passion, and enabling policies to improve the lives of people in rural areas. “His personal commitment to the successful food self-sufficiency program in Ethiopia has been a source of inspiration for Africa. I always say that Africans have their own solutions based on their local conditions and wisdom. So, share your experience and the best practices with your neighbours and with your colleagues from Africa.” He also recalled that in February 2023, Ethiopia embarked on its first shipment of wheat exports to the international market and said it was a successful model to be followed by other countries around the world.

Italy Hands Over “Tsehay” to the Government of Ethiopia

Speaking during the ceremony to handover the historic “Tsehay” aircraft to Ethiopia, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said, “Today marks another historic milestone for Ethiopia with the handover of Tsehay to the Government of Ethiopia by the Italian authorities. “‘Tsehay’ is the first aircraft built in Ethiopia in 1935, under the collaborative efforts of the German engineer and pilot of the Emperor Haile Selassie I, Herr Ludwig Weber, and Ethiopian individuals of that era. Its name was chosen in honour of Princess Tsehay, the daughter of Emperor Haile Selassie I.

Over the past year, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has made great efforts in discussions with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to guarantee the return of the aircraft to Ethiopia. Tsehay was designed as a two-seat, dual-controlled aircraft, featuring a more powerful engine. It possessed essential components such as a compass, pilot controls, and two fixed landing gears without brakes. The engine, a seven-cylinder Walter Vinus with a water-cooling system, boasted a horsepower of 115. The maiden flight of Tsehay occurred in December 1935, during which Weber flew 50 kilometres from Addis Ababa. The flight lasted approximately seven minutes, with the airplane maintaining an altitude of 1000 meters above sea level.

“Tsehay” stands as the sole aircraft manufactured in Ethiopia prior to World War II. The aircraft was constructed with limited resources and space, relying on the craftsmanship of carpenters of that period. “Tsehay” represents the only surviving artifact from the aviation endeavours of the 1930s.

The Minister of Defence of Italy, Guido Crosetto, who took part in the ceremony, said that the delivery of the aircraft by the Italian government in the aftermath of the Italy-Africa summit highlighted the strong relations that exist between the two countries.

The Ethiopia-Russia Political Consultation

The Ethiopian-Russian political consultation was held in Moscow, Russia on 02 February 2024, with the aim of exploring ways to enhance cooperation in multilateral platforms and bilateral political matters of mutual interest, maximizing economic cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, tourism, development assistance and to set future directions and further explore mechanisms to strengthen people-to-people relations and friendship between the two countries.

On the Forum, Deputy Minister of the Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Bogdanov Mikhail Leonodovich, in his opening remarks, underscored that Russia is interested and committed to strengthen its long-term relationship with Ethiopia. The Deputy Minister underlined that the cooperation and partnership of the two countries should be focused on political collaboration, economy, security and cooperation in multilateral platforms. He said that the Russian Federation provided full support to Ethiopia to be a member of BRICS family and this indicates Russia’s commitment to enhance multifaceted cooperation with Ethiopia.

State Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Ambassador Mesganu Arga, on the other hand stated that, such a forum and dialogue is very crucial to review and further improve the relationship between the two countries. The State Minister expressed that Ethiopia respects the sovereignty of countries in its foreign policy and does not interfere in the internal affairs, and that our country’s relationship with Russia is based on mutual respect. He appreciated Russia’s support for Ethiopia to become a BRICS member and balanced position and stance taken by Russia on the matters related with Ethiopia in the multilateral platforms, especially in the United Nations Security Council recent meetings on Ethiopia. He noted that strong political and security relations between the two countries should be replicated in the economic sector in trade, Investment and tourism.

In the spheres of peace and security, two sides thoroughly discussed and agreed to enhance cooperation in the field of military technical collaboration, fight against transnational crimes including terrorism, drug & human trafficking, piracy, weapons smuggling and others. Both sides further agreed to enhance information exchange, joint operational capability and institutional link between two countries.

Two sides noted that despite the very cordial and historical friendship two countries enjoy, the trade and investment relations are not satisfactory and to the expected level. It’s indicated during the consultations; the two nations have a tremendous potential for Trade and Investment cooperation and it is high time to materialize this tremendous potential.

In economic cooperation, both sides stressed to enhance collaboration in agriculture specifically in fertilizer manufacturing, agricultural machineries and chemicals, metallurgical industry and other areas.

The two sides further exchanged views on Ethiopia’s Right of Access to the Sea, Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, crisis in the Sudan, South Sudan Peace Process, Russia-Ukraine conflict, Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum, Cooperation in the Framework of BRICS and other multilateral platforms.

Ethiopia Participated in the First BRICS Sherpas and Sous-Sherpas Meeting

The Russian Federation, the BRICS Chair for the year 2024, hosted the first BRICS Sherpas and Sous-Sherpas Meeting of the year from 29 January to 2 February 2024 in Moscow. The meeting was attended by delegations from Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Ethiopia, the UAE, Egypt, and Iran.

After becoming a full member of the BRICS family at the beginning of this year, Ethiopia made its maiden participation in this meeting. The Ethiopian delegation, led by Mamo Esmelealem, Ethiopia’s BRICS Sherpas and Governor of the National Bank was comprised of Sous-Sherpas Ambassador Mesganu Arga Moach and delegates. The delegation had a fruitful participation in the BRICS platform.

During the opening session, the Sherpas delivered a speech highlighting Ethiopia’s priorities and expectations from its membership in the grouping. He vowed Ethiopia’s determination to closely work with BRICS members towards strengthening economic partnerships and people-to-people ties. He also pointed out that Ethiopia will actively participate in implementing the BRICS Strategy for Economic Partnership.

Highlighting Ethiopia’s robust bilateral relations with BRICS members, the Governor stated that Ethiopia’s BRICS membership would provide a unique opportunity and a much-needed impetus to further develop economic relationships with BRICS members both at the BRICS group level and bilaterally. This would, in turn, ensure stable and predictable market access, address the infrastructure finance gap, mobilize investment capital, and diversify and modernize the country’s economy, he added. He also called upon members of BRICS to speed up the process of Ethiopia’s membership to the New Development Bank.

Mamo also pointed out that Ethiopia’s commitment to multilateralism will be strengthened further through its membership in BRICS. In this regard, he lauded BRICS as a multilateral platform that can lead by example and strive collectively to reshape a fairer international system – in terms of governance, representation, and operation.

On the margins of the Sherpas and Sous-Sherpas meeting, the head of the delegation held bilateral meetings with his counterparts, where he reiterated Ethiopia’s resolve to play a constructive role in strengthening the BRICS family and tapping into the group’s vast economic, financial, trade, investment and tourism potentials and opportunities. Overall, Ethiopia assured members of BRICS that it would remain devoted to the core principles of BRICS, including the consensus-based decision-making process.

The first Sherpas and Sous-Sherpas Meeting was convened under the theme of the year – ‘Strengthening Multilateralism for Equitable Global Development and Security’.

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