The Spokesperson Of The Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Of Ethiopia, Press Briefing Summary (July 1, 2021)

/0 Comments/in /by

The spokesperson of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, H.E. Ambassador Dina Mufti, gave the Ministry’s biweekly press briefing today (July 01, 2021) to the media. In his presentation, the Ambassador focused on political diplomacy, the humanitarian ceasefire in Tigray, Economic and citizen-centered diplomatic activities over the week.

I. Political Diplomacy

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, H.E. Demeke Mekonnen met on Monday (June 28) with Graham Maitland, UN Director for Eastern African Division of the Department of Political and Peace Building Affairs and Operations. The two sides, among others, have discussed Sudan’s request to the UN to remove the Ethiopian peacekeepers from the disputed Abyei region. In this regard, Mr. Demeke said Ethiopia’s force members are paying sacrifices to prevent war, and their exit, if necessary, has to be with the consent of stakeholders and in a dignified manner. The Deputy Prime Minister also questioned the morality of some UN agencies in politicizing and unnecessarily echoing the cases of some Ethiopian soldiers who dramatize their defect from their unit just to get acceptance to their asylum quests.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Demeke Mekonnen bade farewell on Monday (June 28) the outgoing Ambassador of the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan to Ethiopia, H.E. Wafi Ayyad. Mr. Demeke said the relationship between the two countries is long and historic, adding that the two countries need to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in various fields. In connection with their discussion on GERD, the Deputy Prime Minister expressed his dissatisfaction with the Arab League’s unfair stance on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. He also said that Jordan was expected to play a positive role as a friendly country in this regard.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Council of Ministers has held its 72nd extraordinary meeting virtually on Thursday (June 24) chaired by the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sudan, H.E. Mariam al-Sadiq al-Mahdi. Ambassador Birtukan Ayano representing Ethiopia, said the 6th national election in Ethiopia ended peacefully with the participation of nearly 40 million voters and thanked member countries and institutions for their support in this regard. The meeting ended in a constructive manner where all the speakers praised the electoral process in Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Uganda, and gave due attention to outstanding issues of member states that were held as agenda items.

In a letter sent to the president of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday (June 23), Ethiopia rejected the latest attempts made by Egypt and Sudan to seeking the involvement of the Security Council over the GERD issue outside of its mandate. Ethiopia said in the letter that Egypt and Sudan’s recent actions are simply a continuation of a well-orchestrated scheme to undermine the AU-led process and eventually declare it ineffective adding that this only erodes trust between the three countries. The letter concluded its explanation of Ethiopia’s stand over the tripartite negotiations by calling on the Security Council to encourage Egypt and Sudan to continue negotiating in good faith under the auspices of the African Union.

II. Humanitarian Ceasefire

A. Following the declaration of the unilateral ceasefire by the government of Ethiopia in the Tigray region, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed spoke with the media; Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen addressed Ethiopian mission leaders via zoom while State Minister Ambassador Redwan Hussien and General Bacha Debele jointly briefed the media regarding the unilateral ceasefire that the government declared in Tigray. The main points on the necessity of humanitarian ceasefire are:

  • Law enforcement objectives- the ceasefire considered the objectives of the law enforcement operation, survival of the nation, concerns of the people of Tigray, and the international community.
  • Threat to the State- During the operation the government aimed to neutralize TPLF militarily, recapture or destroy looted ammunition, set Ethiopian troops free from TPLF, and hold criminals accountable for their impunity. In this regard, the government met the objectives, and despite its propaganda, TPLF is no longer an existential threat to the well-being of the nation.
  • Ethnically motivated propaganda and attack on soldiers- Although TPLF’s capacity to launch conventional war was neutralized within three weeks and many insurgents were decimated through time, the government declared the ceasefire because the Ethiopian army was not ready to exchange fires with people in Tigray who have been misled by the ethnically charged propaganda of the TPLF.
  • Time for inward looking moment: the ceasefire would help the people of Tigray to reflect on the pros and cons of colluding with a terrorist group to fight the Ethiopian troops who were providing protection and humanitarian aid in the region.
  • Agricultural reasons- the people of Tigray should get undisturbed time for agricultural activities during the rainy seasons. Although TPLF is irresponsible, the government should not be tempted to go through the stubborn stance of TPLF to continue fighting despite the food insecurity in the region.
  • Neutralising third parties: the government has observed that there were too many attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of Ethiopia and weaken the state under the disguise of what they call solving the “crisis” in Ethiopia
  • International community: The unilateral ceasefire is also an attempt to address the major concerns of the international community for cessation of hostility, unimpeded access to the region, and the withdrawal of Eritrean troops, he said. In line with this the international community now is expected to scale up much-needed humanitarian support to the people of Tigray and give due attention to the recent TPLF bravado belittling the ceasefire and threatening to launch attacks against the Amhara region and Eritrea.
  • Mekelle forceful capture or evacuation? the Ethiopian army was evacuated from Mekelle because Mekelle has ceased to be the center of gravity that is capable of posing a threat to the nation and the federal government. The Ethiopian army was not dislodged by the TPLF from Mekelle. The group was defeated in a 3-weeks swift conventional war while it was armed to teeth but now its military, administrative and organizational structure is obliterated and could not make the Ethiopian forces leave the city by force.
  • External threat the army has to refocus its attention to protecting the country from another national threat, this time an external one, rather than fighting the already incapacitated TPLF.

General Bacha further said the army is ready to respond accordingly if unduly provoked by attacks that compromise the spirits of the ceasefire.

B. Reactions from the International Community

African Union, China, UAE, United Nations, United States, Sweden have welcomed the ceasefire although some were cautious in this regard. Their major point is that all conflicting parties should strive for peace and be willing for further dialogue.

III. Economic Diplomacy

Finance Ministers of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Sudan under the Horn of Africa Initiative (HoAI) met on Saturday (June 26) in Djibouti to evaluate progress witnessed so far in areas such as trade and energy and to discuss the way forward.

IV. Citizen Centered Diplomacy

  • The repatriation of a large number of undocumented Ethiopian migrants who have been detained for more than a year inside Saudi Arabia refugee camps has begun on Saturday (June 26) with up to 8 flights per day. The plan is to evacuate 40,000 Ethiopians from Saudi Arabia within 2 weeks. We have repatriated 9,902 Ethiopians from Saudi Arabia since last Saturday with 35 flights.
  • We have also repatriated 33 Ethiopians form Hargeisa and 73 from Puntland.
  • Ethiopia contributes a replica of Lucy to be displayed at UNESCO headquarters on Friday (June 25). H.E. Dr. Hirut Kassaw, Minister of Culture and Tourism delivered recorded remarks for the ceremony.The event was addressed by H.E. Director-General Audrey Azoulay, H.E Ambassador Henok Teferra, some of the co-discoverer Professors Donald Johansen and Ives Coppens, Ambassadors accredited at UNESCO and invited guests. The display highlights the fact that Ethiopia is the land of origins and a symbol of our common humanity.
  • Alliance for GERD in Canada, Manitoba chapter in collaboration with the Ethiopian Embassy in Canada have managed to collect 44,575 Canadian dollars while Ethiopians in Frankfurt, Germany, under the auspices of the Consulate have bought 16, 000 worth of GERD bond while Bedir Ethiopia Ethiopian Muslims Organization in the US in collaboration with the embassy in Washington has collected 50,000 US dollar via zoom meeting.

State Minister Ambassador Redwan Hussien and General Bacha Debele briefed media on unilateral ceasefire in Tigray (June 30, 2021)

/0 Comments/in /by

State Minister Ambassador Redwan Hussien and General Bacha Debele have jointly briefed the media today (June 30) regarding the unilateral ceasefire that the government declared in Tigray.

Ambassador Redwan said the ceasefire considered the objectives of the law enforcement operation, survival of the nation, concerns of the people of Tigray, and the international community.

During the operation, he said, the government aimed to neutralize TPLF militarily, recapture or destroy looted ammunition, set Ethiopian troops free from TPLF, and hold criminals accountable for their impunity.

In this regard, Ambassador Redwan said the government met the objectives, and despite its propaganda, TPLF is no longer an existential threat to the well-being of the nation.

Although TPLF’s capacity to launch conventional war was neutralized within three weeks and many insurgents were decimated through time, the government declared the ceasefire because the Ethiopian army was not ready to exchange fires with people in Tigray who have been misled by the ethnically charged propaganda of the TPLF.

He said the ceasefire would help the people of Tigray to reflect on the pros and cons of colluding with a terrorist group to fight the Ethiopian troops who were providing protection and humanitarian aid in the region.

The law enforcement operation also costs the government about 100 billion birr for rehabilitation and humanitarian works, said the state minister adding that the ceasefire is a pragmatic approach to avoid this financial quagmire too.

The unilateral ceasefire is also an attempt to address the major concerns of the international community for cessation of hostility, unimpeded access to the region, and the withdrawal of Eritrean troops, he said.

In line with the government’s decision, he said the international community now is expected to scale up much-needed humanitarian support to the people of Tigray and give due attention to the recent TPLF bravado belittling the ceasefire and threatening to launch attacks against the Amhara region and Eritrea.

General Bacha Debele, on his part, said the Ethiopian army was evacuated from Mekelle because Mekelle has ceased to be the center of gravity that is capable of posing a threat to the nation and the federal government.

He also downplayed the claims of TPLF and its sympathizers that said the Ethiopian army was dislodged by the TPLF from Mekelle.

He said the group was defeated in a 3-weeks swift conventional war while it was armed to teeth but now its military, administrative and organizational structure is obliterated and could not make the Ethiopian forces leave the city by force.

He also said the army has to refocus its attention to protecting the country from another national threat, this time an external one, rather than fighting the already incapacitated TPLF.

General Bacha further said the army is ready to respond accordingly if unduly provoked by attacks that compromise the spirits of the ceasefire.

PM Expresses Gratitude To Political Party Heads Over Peaceful Election Process (June 28, 2021)

/0 Comments/in /by

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has today met with political party heads this morning, a week after the 6th National Elections.

On the meeting, the Premier has expressed his gratitude to party heads for their contribution in enabling a peaceful election in the country.

They also discussed assessment of challenges and gaps that surfaced during the election and the lessons learnt in the process with a view to strengthen the democratization process in Ethiopia.

DECISION BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF ETHIOPIA IN RESPONSE TO THE PROPOSAL OF THE TIGRAY PROVISIONAL ADMINISTRATION TO RESOLVE THE CHALLENGES FACING THE TIGRAY REGION (June 28, 2021)

/0 Comments/in /by

Today, the Tigray Provisional Administration has requested the Federal Government to enact a humanitarian ceasefire in the Tigray region. The provisional administration’s request came after due consideration of the needs on the ground and following the consultations with academics, business community and religious leaders and elders from the Region.

The Federal government understands that the people of Tigray, especially those in the rural areas, have suffered greatly. Battling desert locust, the COVID19 pandemics, the displacement and interruption of farming activities due to the criminal clique’s instigation of violent conflict have left many in the region exposed to untold suffering. Thus, the Federal government believes that the current challenge in the Tigray Region needs to be addressed expeditiously given the risk of humanitarian crisis confronting our people.

Despite the Federal government’s effort to facilitate unfettered humanitarian access, humanitarian workers still face challenges to reach all areas in the region to deliver urgently needed humanitarian assistance to those in need and avert potential risk of serious food insecurity. Moreover, while efforts are underway to provide agricultural inputs to the farmers, it has been difficult to ensure that all farmers in the region are able to plant during this farming season. It is essential that the planting season ahead is not disrupted lest farming communities will miss it with grave consequences for their livelihoods. There is also an urgent need to accelerate the return of internally displaced persons to their place of origin. This is a challenge that needs to be addressed as soon as practically possible.

In light of the foregoing, the Federal government has decided to address the above challenges in a forthright, frank, and bold manner. Accordingly, it has decided to enact a Unilateral Humanitarian Ceasefire (pause in military activities), which takes immediate effect as of today 28th June 2021 with a view to addressing the above-mentioned challenges. The Federal government has decided to do so with the conviction that this measure will help ensure better humanitarian access and strengthen the effort to rehabilitate and rebuild the Tigray region. Therefore, all Federal and Regional civil and military institutions have been ordered to implement the ceasefire in accordance with the directions set out by the Federal Government.

However, it should be understood that this measure taken by the Federal government is in no way designed to allow impunity, as this would severely harm the cause of justice and sustainable peace. It should be abundantly clear that the Government will ensure full accountability for crimes committed, whoever might be responsible for the atrocities. The Federal government takes this opportunity to call upon all stakeholders, both domestic and international, to assist in the full and effective implementation of the humanitarian ceasefire. The magnitude of damage caused by the enemies of peace is indeed enormous and rehabilitating the region certainly requires the concerted effort of all stakeholders.

The Federal government would also like to underscore that the aforementioned step is being taken in recognition of its heavy responsibilities in ensuring that the people of Ethiopia work together, in order to realize a united, democratic, and prosperous Ethiopia.

The successful completion of the 6th National Elections in Ethiopia has clearly demonstrated the strong commitment of the Ethiopian people to decide on their own fate and destiny through a democratic and peaceful process. Standing in line for hours and staying late through the night, Ethiopians from all walks of life have sent a strong signal that they are ready to work together to build a stronger, united, and democratic Ethiopia, removing the seeds of discord and division sown within the Ethiopian body politic.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen confers with UN Director Graham Maitland on Ethiopia’s peacekeeping mission in Abiye (June 28, 2021)

/0 Comments/in /by

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, H.E. Demeke Mekonnen met today (June 28) with Graham Maitland, UN Director for Eastern African Division of the Department of Political and Peace Building Affairs and Operations.

The meeting aimed to discuss the strategic review of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) and assess ways reconfiguring the mission.

Mr. Demeke stressed that the peacekeeping force must stay in Abiye and the necessary support should be given to it to enable it to discharge its mandate.

He said the withdrawal of the Force further exacerbate political instability and conflicts in the area.

The two sides have also discussed Sudan’s request to the UN to remove the Ethiopian peacekeepers from the disputed Abyei region.

The Deputy Prime Minister stressed that Ethiopian troops are in Abyei based on the joint agreement of Sudan and South Sudan and under the authority of the UN.

In this regard, Mr. Demeke said Ethiopia’s force members are paying sacrifices to prevent war, and their exit, if necessary, has to be with the consent of stakeholders and in a dignified manner.

The Deputy Prime Minister also questioned the morality of some UN agencies in politicizing and unnecessarily echoing the cases of some Ethiopian soldiers who dramatize their defect from their unit just to get acceptance to their asylum quests.

Finance Ministers of Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan meet in Djibouti to discuss regional connectivity through trade, digital markets, energy (June 26, 2021)

/0 Comments/in /by

Finance Ministers of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Sudan under the Horn of Africa Initiative (HoAI) met today (June 26) in Djibouti to evaluate progress witnessed so far in areas such as trade and energy and to discuss the way forward.

Ethiopia’s Finance Minister, H.E. Ahmed Shide commended the African Development Bank, the European Union, and the World Bank Group for their continued commitments in helping advance the implementation of the programs of the Horn of Africa Initiative and underscored the need to hone capacity in inclusive cross-border value chains across the Horn.

Minister Ahmed Shide also welcomed Sudan’s new status as a full member of HoAI, adding that the Initiative would develop new priorities to align Sudan’s economic development agenda with its program.

The current chair of the HoAI Secretariat, H.E. Mr. llyas Moussa Dawaleh, Minister of Economy and Finance of Djibouti noted that the Initiative has mobilized over US$3.3 billion so far from the three development partners to finance critical regional priorities, including transport connectivity, energy trade, digital economy, trade facilitation, agro-pastoralism and locust control.

The Finance Ministers in Djibouti were joined by Mrs. Nnenna Nwabufo, Director General East Africa of the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the Executive Secretary of IGAD Dr. Workineh Gebeyehu, who is attending the meeting as an observer, to best exploit the regional organization’s knowledge and experience for further advancement of the programs and projects of the Initiative.

የኢትዮጵያ የመዋዕለ ንዋይ ፍሰት ዕድልና የኢኮኖሚ ማሻሻያዎቿ (June 26, 2021)

/0 Comments/in /by

ከ110 ሚሊዮን ህዝብ በላይ ያላትና ከ80 በላይ ቋንቋዎችን የሚነገርባት ህብረ ብሄሯ ኢትዮጵያ በአፍሪካ ኢኮኖሚና ፖለቲካ መስክ መሪ ሀይል እንደሆነች ይታመናል፡፡ ኢትዮጵያ የሰው ልጅ መፈጠሪያ፣ የጥቁር አባይ ምንጭና የቡና መገኛ መሆኗም አይዘነጋም፡፡

ይህቺ ድንቅና የረጅም ታሪክ ባለቤት የሆነቸው ሀገር ነጻነቷን ከወራሪዎቸ ጠብቃ የኖረችና የአፍሪካውያን የነጻነት ተምሳሌት ምድር ነች ፡፡ ስለዚህም ነው ነጻነታቸውን ከቅኝ ገዚዎች የተቀዳጁ የአፍሪካ ሀገራት በ1955 ዓ.ም ግንቦት 16 ቀን በአዲስ አበባ ከተማ የአፍሪካ አንድነት ድርጅትን ያቋቋሙት፡፡ አዲስ አበባ የአፍሪካ የዲፕሎማሲ ከተማ የተባለችውም በምክንያት ነው፡፡

ለ17 አመታት ኢትዮጵያን ያስተዳደረው ወታደራዊው ደርግ የሶሺያሊስት ርእዮተ አለም በመከተል ፋብሪካዎችን፣ ሰፋፊ እርሻዎችንና የከተማ ቤቶችን በመውረሱ የግሉ ዘርፍ እንዲቀጭጭና የሀገሪቱ የኢኮኖሚ እድገት እንዲገታ አድርጓል፡፡ ከዚህ በተጨማሪም በአፍሪካ ቀንድ ሰላምና መረጋጋት በመጥፋቱ በርካታ ስደተኞች ወደ ኢትዮጵያ በመሰደድ ኢኮኖሚው ላይ ጫና አሳድረዋል፡፡

ከደርግ ውድቀት ሶስት አስርት አመታት በኋላ ኢትዮጵያ በአለም ፈጣን እድገት ካስመዘገቡ ሀገሮች መካከል አንዷ ለመሆን በቅታለች፡፡ አዲስ አበባም እንደቀድሞው የተጎሳቆሉ መንደሮች የሞሉባት ሳይሆን ያሸበረቀች የአፍሪካ መዲና በመሆን ላይ ትገኛለች፡፡ የግሉ ዘርፍ እያደገም በመምጣቱ በኢትዮጵያ ትላልቅና መካከለኛ ከተሞች የኢንዱስትሪውና የአገልግሎት ዘርፉ ከጊዜ ወደ ጊዜ እያደገ መጥቷል፡፡

ይህም ሆኖ ግን ኢትዮጵያ ከ2010 ዓ.ም በፊት ባሉት ጊዚያት ጽኑ የማክሮ ኢኮኖሚ ሚዛን መዛባት ገጥሟታል፡፡ በመንግስት ይከናወን የነበረው የተጋነነ የልማት ስራ ደካማ የፕሮጀክት አፈጻጸምና ዝቅተኛ የውጭ ንግድ ታክሎበት አጠቃላይ የኢኮኖሚ አፈጻጸሙን በችግር የተተበተበ እንዲሆን አድጎታል፡፡ ይህ የተዛባ የማክሮ ኢኮኖሚ ሁኔታና ፍትሀዊ የሀብት ክፍፍል ያለመኖር ህዝባዊ አመጽ ቀስቅሶ በ2010 ዓ.ም የመንግስት ለውጥ ማስከተሉ ይታወሳል፡፡ አዲሱ የለውጥ መንግስትም በግሉ ዘርፍ የሚመራና ዘላቂ የኢኮኖሚ አድግት የሚያመጣ የኢኮኖሚ ማሻሻያዎችን በማድርግ በመትጋት ላይ ይገኛል፡፡

ኢትዮጵያን ለኢንቨስትመንት ምቹ የሚያደርጓት በርካታ እውነታዎች አሉ፡፡ ኢትዮጵያ ከፏፏቴዎች እስከ ፍልውሀዎች የተለያዩ የተፈጥሮ ሀብት የታደለች፣ በውሀ ሀይልና በከርሰ ምድር እንፋሎት ሀይል ማመንጨት የምትችል ሲሆን ይህን እምቅ ሀይል ለማልማት ለሟል በቁርጠኝነት ጥረት እየተደረገ ይገኛል፡፡ ኢትዮጵያ የናይልን ወንዝ 85 በመቶ የውሀ ሀብት የምታበረክትና በምስራቅ አፍሪካ ለግብርና ስራ የሚውል ለም አፈር ያላት ሀገር ነች፡፡ በቀንድ ከብት ሀብቷም ከአፍሪካ አንደኛ መሆኗንም ልብ ይሏል፡፡

ኢትዮጵያ ከ18 አመት በታች ያለው የሀገሪቱን ህዝብ ግማሽ የሚሆነው ህዝቧ የተሸለ የትምህርት እድለ እያገኘ እንዲሄድ በማድረግና የስራ እድል እንዲፈጠርለት በትጋት በመስራት ለሀገሪቱ እድገትና ልማት ወሳኝ ሀይል እንደሚሆን እሙን ነው፡፡ ከቅርብ አመታት ወዲህ በርካታ የኢንዱስትሪ ፓርኮች በመገንባታቸው የአምራች እንዱስትሪው ዘርፍ ማንሰራራት ችሏል፡፡ የቱሪዝም ዘርፉም እየተስፋፋ በመምጣቱ የአገልግሎት ዘርፉም እያደገ እያሳየ ይገኛል፡፡ ኢትዮጵያ ከአፍሪካ ሀገሮች በአለም አቀፉ የትምህረትና የሳይንስ ድርጅት (UNESCO) በርካታ ቅርሶችን ያስመዘገበች ሀገር ነች፡፡ ለኢትዮጵያ የወደፊት ብሩህ ተስፋ አመላካች ከሆኑት በጎ ጅምሮች ወስጥ በትምህረት፣ በንጹም መጠጥ ውሀ፣ በንጽና አጠባበቅና በመሰረታዊ ጤና አገልግሎት እንዲሁም በአጠቃላይ ማህበራዊ አገልግሎት ከለላ መስክ የምታስመዘግባቸው ስኬቶች ተጠቃሽ ናቸው፡፡

መንግስት የኢኮኖሚ መወቅራዊ ችግሩ በከተማና በገጠር የስከተለውን ድህነት እንዲሁም የኮቪድ 19 በኢኮኖሚው ላይ ያስከተለውን መቀዛቀዝ ከግምት ያስገባ የኢኮኖሚ ማሻሻያዎችን ተግባራዊ በማድረግ ላይ ይገኛል፡፡ ማሻሻያው በመንግስት ግዙፍ የመዋለ ንዋይ ፍሰት የሚመራውን የኢኮኖሚ ልማት በመግታት ላይ ያተኩራል፡፡ የኢኮኖሚ ማሻሻያው የማክሮ ኢኮኖሚ መዛባትን በማስተካከል፣ የውጭ ምንዛሪ እጥረትን በመቅረፍ፣ ምቹ የስራ ከባቢ በመፍጠር የመዋለ ንዋይን ፍሰት በማሳደግ፣ የንግድና ምርት ማነቆዎችን በማሰውገድ፣ የመንግስት የልማት ድርጅቶችን የስራ አፈጻጸም በማሻሻል፣ የመንግስትን ብድር በመቀነስ እንዲሁም የኢኮኖሚ እድገቱ በግሉ ዘርፍ እንዲመራ በማስቻል ላይ አተኩሯል፡፡

ይህ የኢኮኖሚ ማሻሻያ የውጭ ቀጥታ ኢንቨስትመንትን መሳብ ከፍተኛ አስተዋዕኦ እያደረገ ይገኛል፡፡ የቴሌኮም አገልግሎት ለግሉ ዘርፍ ክፍት መደረጉም በመንግስት በሞኖፖል ተይዞ የነበረው ዘርፍ ላይ ከፍተኛ ለውጥ እንደሚያመጣና ቀልጣፋ አገልገሎት ለተገልጋዩ እንደሚያስገኝም ይታመናል፡፡ የመንግስት የኢኮኖሚ ማሻሻያው የግል ዘርፉን ለማጠናከር፣ ውድድርን ለማጎልበትና የግል መዋእለ ነዋይን ለማሳደግ መዋቅራዊ ለውጥ ማድረግ አስፈላጊ መሆኑ ላይም ትኩረት ተደርጎበት እየተሰራ ይገኛል፡፡

ኢትዮጵያ በቀየሰችው የእድገት ጎዳና እንድትገሰግስ ስልታዊ በሆነ ዘዴ የኢኮኖሚ ማሻሻያውን ተግባረዊ ማድረግ ይጠበቅባታል፡፡ የግሉን ዘርፍ ሚና ማጎልበት እድገትን ያፋጥናል፣ የስራ እድል ይፈጥራል፣ በመጨረሻም የኢትዮጵያን እድገት ይበልጥ ዘላቂ ያደርገዋል፡፡

Ethiopia calls on UN Security Council to encourage Sudan and Egypt to respect the AU-led process and negotiate in good faith over GERD (June 25, 2021)

/0 Comments/in /by

In a letter sent to the president of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday (June 23), Ethiopia rejected the latest attempts made by Egypt and Sudan to seeking the involvement of the Security Council over the GERD issue outside of its mandate.

Ethiopia said in the letter that Egypt and Sudan’s recent actions are simply a continuation of a well-orchestrated scheme to undermine the AU-led process and eventually declare it ineffective adding that this only erodes trust between the three countries.

The letter stated that since the commencement of the AU-led negotiation over the GERD, both of the lower riparian countries have disrupted the process nine times undermining the genuine efforts of the union and blocking a productive discussion.

The two countries have tried to suffocate the AU-led process by injecting unrelated issues in the discussions, by unnecessarily securitizing and internationalizing the matter, and dragging the Arab league into the situation to further complicate the issue, the letter stated.

Undermining all the genuine, sincere, and encouraging efforts of President Tshisekedi of DRC and his proposal for a phased approach for the GERD talks and the filling of the dam, the letter said Egypt and Sudan have continued to squander the President’s efforts and unduly prolong the process.

With all these under-appreciating approaches to the AU-led process, the letter said, the trilateral talks that were meant to promote cooperation should not serve the downstream states to impose their colonial and monopolistic entitlements as well as their whims and wishes on Ethiopia.

In this regard, the letter stressed that the insistence of downstream Egypt and Sudan, not to allow upstream Ethiopia to fill the dam without their consent is neither backed by international law or practice.

According to the letter, the second-year filling of the GERD will be administered in the coming rainy season starting July following the stage-based schedule and rules on which understanding has been reached in the trilateral process.

The letter concluded its explanation of Ethiopia’s stand over the tripartite negotiations by calling on the Security Council to encourage Egypt and Sudan to continue negotiating in good faith under the auspices of the African Union.

Ethiopian Ambassador to US, H E Ambassador Fitsum Arega CNN Interviews (June 26, 2021)

/0 Comments/in /by

The latest interview of Ambassador Fitsum Arega, Ambassador of Ethiopia to the U.S. with CNN International Becky Anderson on the situation in Tigray region of Ethiopia, the relations between Ethiopia and the U.S. and more.

https://www.facebook.com/ethembassy/videos/242788177276506

The Spokesperson Of The Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Of Ethiopia, Weekly Press Briefing Summary (June 24, 2021)

/0 Comments/in /by

The spokesperson of The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, H.E. Ambassador Dina Mufti, gave the Ministry’s biweekly press briefing today (24 June 2021) to the media. In his presentation, the Ambassador focused on political diplomacy, the 6th general election Economic diplomacy, citizen-centered diplomacy and capacity building activities.

I. Political Diplomacy

  • Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Demeke Mekonnen paid a working visit to the United Arab Emirates. During his two-day stay, he met with senior government officials of the United Arab Emirates. They discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries in various fields. Following his visit to the UAE, Mr. Demeke has left for Moscow. He had a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The Deputy Prime Minister explained the current situation in Ethiopia and agreed with Russia to further strengthen the historical ties between the two countries in various fields.
  • High-level government officials have officially inaugurated the establishment of the Center for Public Diplomacy of Higher Education Institutions to enable students and instructors to push agenda items for the success of the Grand Renaissance Dam. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Demeke Mekonnen, Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy, H.E. Dr. Sileshi Bekele, and Minister of Science and Higher Education H.E. Dr. Samuel Urketo were present at the official establishment of the center. Along with the center, digital software dubbed “Nile Nations”, which is designed to facilitate communication among scholars and students of higher education institutions in the country for the issue of the GERD has also come into operation.
  • The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia has issued a statement explaining that the unilateral announcement of ACHPR on establishing a “Commission of Inquiry” will undermine the cooperative spirit and the ongoing efforts of the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to formalize the modalities of the investigation in the alleged humanitarian atrocities in Tigray. The Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia reiterated its readiness and called upon the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to immediately cease the process it launched which is not acknowledged by Ethiopia and engage with relevant authorities in Ethiopia to finalize the modalities regarding the proposed investigation.
  • The Ethiopian government rejects the briefing by the Finnish Foreign Minister, Pekka Haavisto to the European Parliament on 15 June 2021 in relation to his visits to Ethiopia as a Special Envoy of the European Union. Accordingf to the statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the allegations made by Mr.Haavisto in his briefing are clear indications of the underlying desire by the Special Envoy to undermine the Ethiopian government and try to facilitate unwarranted interventions through disinformation and outrageous lies.
  • H.E Ambassador Dr.Muktar Kedir presented his letter of credence to H.E General the Honourable David Hurley, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia in a ceremony held at the Government House, in Canberra, on the 23rd of June 2021. At the ceremony, Ambassador Muktar conveyed the warm greetings and best wishes of President Sahile-Work Zewde to the Governor General, the Government and the People of the Commonwealth of Australia.
  • The Ethiopian Federal Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs denounced the statement made by Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Sheikh of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif of Egypt regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. The Mufti, Haji Omar Idris, Head of the Ethiopian Federal Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, said, the waters of the Nile stem from the heart of Ethiopia, noting that Ethiopia has the right to benefit from its natural resources without causing significant harm to the Nile Basin countries in general. This came in a statement made by the Council to the media today (June 17) to refute the statement of Sheikh Al-Azhar on the GERD as the statement did not take into account the rights of the Ethiopian people.
  • H.E. Ambassador Shibru Mamo, presented the letter of credentials to H.E. Charles A. Savarin, President of the Commonwealth of Dominica on June 18, 2021. At t6he occasion, Ambassador Shibru stated that Ethiopia considers its collaboration with the Caribbean brothers vital to its overall development efforts and of prime importance in its active engagement in regional and global affairs.
  • State Minister H.E. Ambassador Birtukan Ayano, bid farewell to the outgoing Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Ethiopia, H.E. Ambassador Sugeeshwara Gunaratna. Ambassador Birtukan appreciated the Sri Lankan ambassador for his unrelenting efforts in boosting bilateral relations between the two countries. Citing the growing trade volume between the two countries, Ambassador Birtukan further appreciated Ambassador Sugeeshwara Gunaratna for encouraging companies from his country to invest more in Ethiopia.The discussion between the two sides also touched upon the opportunities provided by Sri Lankan companies to the Ethiopian economy, some of the observed challenges these companies have been facing, and measures taken in addressing issues in this regard.
  • Ambassador Nebil met with South Sudan’s vice president H.E. James WaniIgga (Ph.D.) and exchanged views of common interest.During the meeting, the Ambassador underscored the need to further strengthen the two Nations’ long-standing historic relations by investing in grand projects that aimed at taping their respective potentials.

II. On the 6th General Election

A. The messages of the 6th general elections

  • Whoever wins the election, the people of Ethiopia are the ultimate winners. By participating in the elections and withstanding every allegation, and prophecies of pseudo analysts who provided reasons for the failure of the electoral process, people of Ethiopia have shown that they are wise enough to understand that their country stands tall beyond temporary wins for parliamentary seats or the lifespan of a political party.
  • The peaceful electoral process proved the doomsday prophecies wrong
  • The people of Ethiopia have shown their unwavering commitment to decide in which track the country shall proceed
  • The huge voter turnout is a testament to the people of Ethiopia’s commitment to take matters in their own hands. The Ethiopian people have spoken that they need peace.

B. Message of the Prime Minister

  • The election date was unique since it was the first time that Ethiopians were able to elect their representatives in absence of fear or undue coercion
  • Although we were able to protect our sovereignty for a long-time, we were not able to respect the fact that power emanates from the ballot and not from the bullet- but today we are on the right track in laying a strong foundation for democracy
  • Building a democratic system is not a one-time activity but a process and the 6th general elections are significant strides in this regard
  • Competing political parties should be thanked for their understanding that elections are not an end by themselves in building a democratic system. Hence their participation in the elections and their participation in the electoral process jointly with other stakeholders in the country is commendable.
  • Whoever wins the elections, the fact that the elections have been made in a peaceful and democratic manner has huge implications for our effort to build a democratic system in the country
  • NEBE leaders and staffers should be lauded for their unrelenting efforts in building an independent institution that withstood criticisms and was able to provide a credible electoral process
  • Media outlets, election observers, civic institutions have also imprinted their fingerprints on the country’s journey to democracy
  • Security personnel should also be thanked for making the electoral process peaceful and safe for voters

C. The Elections according to AU observers and EASF

Organized by the African Union (AU), a press conference was addressed yesterday by the Head of the African Union Election Observation Mission to Ethiopia, H.E Olusegun Obasanjo in the presence of the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS), H.E. Amb. Bankole Adeoye and other invited guests. Similarly, The Eastern Africa Standby Force Election Observation Mission (EASF EOM) which consists of 26 observers from the EASF Member States namely; Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, Seychelles, Uganda, Rwanda and Comoros has held a press conference the day before yesterday announcing preliminary assessment results of the election. Generally, the observers’ statements stated:

  • The pre-election and election day processes were conducted in an orderly, peaceful and credible manner
  • The election was made following the reforms in Ethiopia that opened the political and civic space which contributed to greater freedoms and the proliferation of political parties and civic organizations, the strengthening of NEBE as an independent institution, the release of political prisoners and the return of exiled political activities
  • The electoral legal framework was elaborately done with stakeholder consultations
  • It was noted that NEBE enjoys the trust and confidence of stakeholders
  • Women’s participation (as candidates and voters) was commendable and additional financial support was granted by the NEBE to encourage women and disabled candidates too
  • The civil societies and the media participation in the electoral process was commendable
  • International and domestic observers were granted unrestricted access to the polling stations and were allowed to conduct their duties without interference

D. Frequently asked questions regarding the elections

Some corners have voiced concerns over issues that may compromise the electoral process and put the legitimacy of the election results under a question mark. The most prominent issues are the situation in Tigray, some border disputes between some regional states in the country, the fact that some opposition groups are boycotting the elections, and logistic concerns overshadowing the efforts of NEBE.

  • The matter regarding the Tigray region has already been settled. Elections in the region will be held once the region is confirmed to be returned to normal life again. Attaching what’s happening in Tigray with the electoral process in the remaining parts of the country is simply naïve.
  • Regarding some territorial claims and the disputes that arise thereof between some regional states in the country have alerted the NEBE that the electoral process shall be extended in some of these hotspots until the matter is settled under the decision of pertinent bodies in the country. This was announced way before the commencement of the election date which should not be confused with holding a credible election in other areas of the country.
  • The electoral process proved that the competition field was open to all political parties and there was huge voter turnout in all areas where the election took place. In this regard, the decision of a political party/parties to boycott the elections under the pretext of imprisoned members, where the judicial process is handling the case, should not be taken as a barometer to judge the inclusiveness of the electoral process. All individuals, regardless of their public status, are equal before the law and the cases of prominent competing party figures should not be viewed separately from this process.
  • NEBE has indeed faced some challenges in logistics, and some areas, for example, in Sidama have to extend the election for the next day due to some logistic concerns. The NEBE was able to overcome all these challenges and run the election smoothly. It was in fact incredible to see the NEBE staffers move swiftly to give quick and decisive responses that came along the way given that the staffers, including Birtukan Mideksa, are new to their posts. Problems associated with logistics are not new either to Ethiopia or to the world for that matter and they could not be taken as a pretext to postpone the election.

III. Citizen-centered diplomacy

  • A delegation comprising officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia and other relevant government agencies has left for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to discuss the situation of Ethiopian migrants in the country.The delegation will confer with relevant Saudi Arabian officials regarding the protection of the rights of Ethiopian citizens in the country and further facilitate the repatriation process.The discussion between the Ethiopian and Saudi Arabian officials will review the achievements and challenges of repatriating illegal migrants who are willing to return home based on their consent.The close cooperation between the two nations, in this regard, has enabled tens of thousands of Ethiopians to return home safely and in a dignified way, despite the challenges posed by the COVID 19 pandemic.The visit by the Ethiopian delegation and the outcome of the discussion between the two nations will further strengthen the cooperation between the two countries to efficiently address the problems faced by migrants and expedite the dignified repatriation process.
  • Following discussions with the management of Busby Auctioneers and Valuers, an agreement has been reached, on the withdrawal of two Ethiopian artefacts that were due to go to auction on 17th June 2021.The two items – an Ethiopian bible on vellum housed in a sewn leather satchel, together with an Ethiopian cross; and a set of graduated horn beakers – are from the estate of Major-General William Arbuthnot, a serving member of the late 19th-century expedition to Abyssinia, which culminated in the battle of Maqdala.
  • Ethiopians, People of Ethiopian origin, Ethiopian Associations, staffers of the Consulate, and religious institutions in Lebanon have collected 595,406.23 Ethiopian birr in response to the government’s call to support displaced people, the rehabilitation efforts in Tigray, including those who need humanitarian support in Ethiopia.
  • 1191 Ethiopians were repatriated from Saudi Arabia, Kenya and Somaliland

IV. EconomicDiplomacy

  • Ethiopian Embassy in Tokyo has held talks with Japan’s ITOCHU Corporation on ways to invest in agricultural products in Ethiopia
  • Ethiopian Embassy in Algeria has held talks with the Algerian Ministry of Energy and Mining on ways to share experience and cooperate on the renewable energy sector with Ethiopia
  • Ethiopian Chefs Association has tabled discussion points with the joint forum established to promote and market Ethiopia’s tourism

V. Capacity Building

The Ethiopian Embassy in Djibouti and the Ethiopian Construction Works Corporation (ECWC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to refurbish a building that had served as the Ethiopian Embassy and Consulate since the second half of the 1960s to 2003 G.C. State Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, H.E. Ambassador Birtukan Ayano, who was on a working visit to Djibouti, attended the signing ceremony and expressed her belief that the renovation of the building would reflect its historical attachment to Ethiopia and Djibouti besides promoting Ethiopia’s image positively. In related news, the delegation had also paid a visit to the status of the renovation and construction works of the Ethiopian embassy building in Djibouti.