Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Visits Dire Dawa and Harar, Reviews Development Initiatives
NEWS IN BRIEF
Ethiopia
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday (March 12) to undertake a working visit.
Prime Minister Abiy, accompanied by First Lady Zinash Tayachew, visited Dire Dawa and Harar from March 8 to 10, where he reviewed a range of development initiatives and ongoing public service improvements in the two cities. (See article)
Ethiopia hosted a high-level workshop on March 4-5 at the Adwa Victory Memorial in Addis Ababa in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross and the African Union Commission, aimed at fostering deeper dialogue on the role of disarmament in reinforcing humanitarian norms and promoting sustainable peace. The discussions examined how humanitarian demining and arms-transfer controls can serve as practical tools for peacebuilding. (See article)
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Hadera Abera held separate meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday (March 10–11) with Saad bin Mubarak Al Nuaimi, Ambassador of Qatar; Afkar Nadhim Al Farsi, Ambassador of Oman; Amjad Al-Momani, Ambassador of Jordan to Ethiopia; Abdulaziz Hamadah, Chargé d’Affaires of Kuwait; and Rashed Abdulla Alzoy Alshehhi, Chargé d’Affaires of the United Arab Emirates, exchanging views on recent developments in the Middle East and emphasizing the importance of advancing peace, stability, and constructive dialogue in the region.
Ambassador Hadera also met on Monday (March 9) with Avraham Neguise, Ambassador of Israel to Ethiopia, and Abdullah Hassen Alzahrani, newly appointed Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Ethiopia, to discuss expanding cooperation and exchanging views on recent developments in the Middle East.
Djibouti
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his delegation held discussions on regional matters during a visit to Djibouti on Wednesday (March 11). During the visit, he held talks with President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia.
Somalia
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud visited Djibouti on Wednesday (March 11) to hold talks with President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh aimed at further strengthening relations between the two countries.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Visits Dire Dawa and Harar, Reviews Development Initiatives
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, accompanied by First Lady Zinash Tayachew, visited Dire Dawa and Harar from March 8 to 10, where he reviewed a range of development initiatives and ongoing public service improvements in the two cities.
The Prime Minister began his visit in Dire Dawa, where he assessed the progress of the city’s corridor development project. The initiative is contributing to the creation of improved public recreation areas, enhanced environmental aesthetics, and well-maintained community gathering spaces. The corridor development also incorporates electric vehicle charging stations, shops, cafeterias, and standardized parking areas, creating opportunities for residents to engage in income-generating activities.
During his stay in Dire Dawa, the Prime Minister also visited an urban farming site as part of efforts to promote urban agriculture and local food production.
He further toured the Dire MESOB One-Stop Service Center, which currently brings together 10 public institutions and provides 73 different services to citizens through 96 service counters. Since beginning operations six months ago, the center has served more than 23,000 clients. The facility is also working to expand integrated digital services as part of the broader effort to modernize public service delivery.
Continuing his visit in Harar, the Prime Minister reviewed the MESOB One-Stop Service Center established in the city as part of a national initiative to integrate and modernize government service delivery. The center currently brings together eight institutions and operates 24 service counters, providing 67 public services to residents in a single location. The initiative reflects ongoing efforts to improve efficiency, accessibility, and coordination across government institutions while reducing the time and cost required for citizens to access services.
As part of the visit, the Prime Minister also visited the Nasiol Cave and Kundudo Mountain located in the Eastern Hararghe Zone.
During the visit, the Prime Minister also joined members of the local communities in both Dire Dawa and Harar to observe Iftar during the holy month of Ramadan.
Regional High-Level Workshop on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and Disarmament Held in Addis Ababa
Ethiopia hosted a high-level workshop on March 4–5 at the Adwa Victory Memorial in Addis Ababa in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross and the African Union Commission, aimed at fostering deeper dialogue on the role of disarmament in reinforcing humanitarian norms and promoting sustainable peace. The discussions examined how humanitarian demining and arms-transfer controls can serve as practical tools for peacebuilding.
The event brought together around 100 experts and officials from African Union Member States, along with technical specialists from demining and humanitarian organizations. Representatives from partner countries including Norway, Switzerland, and Saudi Arabia also participated. The expert workshop and accompanying high-level panel discussions explored how International Humanitarian Law (IHL) can contribute to peace and disarmament efforts across the continent while seeking to translate technical findings into practical recommendations ahead of the 2026 global meeting in Jordan.
In his opening remarks, State Minister Ambassador Hadera Abera emphasized that disarmament represents both a legal obligation and a practical mechanism for ensuring compliance with IHL. He highlighted Africa’s resilience and its continued commitment to peace in line with the aspirations of Agenda 2063, while noting Ethiopia’s ongoing efforts to advance humanitarian disarmament. Ethiopia currently serves as co-chair of the IHL and peace workstream under the global initiative, reflecting the principle of “African solutions to African problems.” Within this framework, disarmament is viewed not only as a security issue but also as a humanitarian imperative that supports the conditions necessary for lasting stability.
Representatives from the African Union and the International Committee of the Red Cross also addressed the workshop. Sheku Tejan Sesay of the African Union and Erik Tollefsen of the ICRC highlighted approaches to reducing civilian harm through strengthened policy frameworks. They noted that while technical solutions for improving compliance with humanitarian norms already exist, their effective implementation requires sustained political commitment. The discussions produced practical recommendations for African states on strengthening arms-transfer controls and advancing humanitarian demining efforts.
These discussions take place at a time when the global security landscape remains highly complex. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, approximately 130 active armed conflicts were recorded worldwide as of early 2026. In response to these challenges, a group of states including Brazil, China, France, Jordan, Kazakhstan, and South Africa, in partnership with the ICRC, launched the Global Initiative to Galvanize Political Commitment to International Humanitarian Law in September 2024. By early 2026, more than 100 states had joined the process.
The initiative is structured around seven thematic workstreams designed to translate dialogue into concrete and actionable recommendations for the 2026 high-level conference in Jordan. These workstreams address several pressing challenges in contemporary armed conflict, including the digitalization of the battlefield, the protection of essential civilian infrastructure, the humanitarian implications of naval warfare, and the relationship between disarmament and sustainable peace.
Ethiopia, together with Bangladesh, Colombia, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, co-chairs the workstream on IHL and peace. The central premise of this workstream is that respect for International Humanitarian Law constitutes a strategic investment in long-term peace. Compliance with the rules of armed conflict can help reduce human suffering and social fragmentation, which often fuel cycles of violence. Measures such as protecting civilians, treating detainees humanely, and clarifying the fate of missing persons contribute to preserving the social fabric necessary for recovery and reconciliation.
The 2026 conference in Jordan is expected to provide an important opportunity for states to reaffirm their commitment to the Geneva Conventions through the adoption of practical and cross-cutting measures. The success of this process will depend on sustained international cooperation and a shared recognition that restraint in conflict can help preserve the conditions for future peace.
Within the African context, the integration of humanitarian law and disarmament is increasingly seen as essential to advancing the Silencing the Guns initiative of the African Union and the broader aspirations of Agenda 2063.
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