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PRESS RELEASES ON THE TRIPARTITE FOLLOW UP MEETING OF MINISTERS OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND MINISTERS OF WATER AFFAIRS ON GERD

Addis Ababa (November 19, 2020)

The follow-up trilateral ministerial virtual meeting of ministers of Foreign Affairs and Ministers of water affairs of Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan is held on November 19, 2020. The meeting is convened by the Minister of International Relation and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa and Chairperson of the AU Executive Council.

The Ministers discussed the text course of action in resuming the negotiation. Understanding is reached on the need to continue the negotiation on the first filling and annual operation rules of the GERD. Although the delegation of Sudan conditioned its participation on the alteration of the format of the negotiation, the Chairperson of the Executive Council concluded the meeting urging the Parties to produce a text that can be presented to the meeting of heads of states and governments.

The trilateral technical meeting is expected to resume under the chairmanship of the Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy Affairs of Ethiopia.

Ethiopia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Demeke Mekonnen yesterday briefed President of DR Congo, Félix Tshisekedi about the operation in Tigray and the negotiation over the GERD.

He further conveyed the message and greetings of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to the President.

As far as the law enforcement operation in Tigray is concerned, Demeke reiterated how the rogue and intransigent TPLF clique have been undermining the sweeping reform that brought hope to Ethiopian citizens.

He said the TPLF junta has also been playing a destructive role by financing, organizing and deploying extremist groups in the country for the last two and a half year.

Testing the government’s patience to its limits, said Demeke, the TPLF group brutally attacked the Northern Command Force on November 04, 2020.

He said the operation in Tigray would end rapidly restoring the rule of law in the region and bringing the perpetrators of the heinous crime to justice.

President Félix Tshisekedi for his part underscored that the government’s law enforcement operation in Tigray is a domestic affair which does not call for any external intervention.

He said the government of Ethiopia has the obligation to protect the constitutional order and uphold the rule of law when extremist groups act unconstitutionally to meet their objectives.

In their discussion about the ongoing negotiation over the GERD, Demeke underlined Ethiopia’s desire to work together with the DR Congo in water and natural resource development and other fields.

Demeke noted that as the main sources of the Nile River, the two countries need to utilize the water resources to accelerate their economic development.

He also expressed his confidence that the Democratic Republic of the Congo would ratify the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) over the Nile Basin water resources.

President Félix Tshisekedi expressed his hope that Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt would reach a negotiated agreement regarding outstanding issues of the GERD negotiation.

The President also reaffirmed his decision to further consult on relevant bodies to ratify the CFA, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Demeke Mekonnen, conferred with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Rwanda,Vincent Biruta in Kigali.

During the meeting discussion, Demeke briefed President Kagame and Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta on the law enforcement operation in Tigray Regional State.

Demeke recounted that the TPLF junta has been organizing, financing, and deploying extremist groups and undermining the multifaceted benefits of the reform in the country over the past two and half years.

Moreover, the TPLF junta has held an election in violation of the country’s constitution, which has been condemned by the House of Federation and the House of Peoples’ Representatives, he said.

Besides violating the legitimacy of the federal government, the TPLF junta attacked the Northern Command of the Ethiopian Defense Forces, which has been protecting the people of Tigray for more than two decades, he noted.

Demeke further elaborated that the federal government has to undertake the ongoing operation to uphold the rule of law, bring perpetrators to justice, and liberate the local people.

He also expressed his confidence that the government and people of Rwanda would understand the Federal Government’s law enforcement operation.

President Kagame expressed the wish for a rapid restoration of peace and stability.

Vincent Biruta, on his part, said as a long-time friend of Ethiopia, Rwanda always stands by Ethiopia for its peace and security.

Rwanda believes that the government of Ethiopia would complete the operation soon, protecting the lives of civilians, he said.

The meeting was attended by Rwandan Security Chief, Major General Joseph Zabita, who echoed the minister’s comments.

The discussion ended in a spirit of mutual understanding and friendship.

MICHAEL R. POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE tweeted today that “We strongly condemn the attack by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front against Eritrea and the attempt to internationalize the conflict. We urge the TPLF and the Ethiopian authorities to take immediate steps to de-escalate the conflict, restore peace, and protect civilians”.

State of Emergency Spokesperson, Ambassador Redwan Hussien briefed the international media yesterday for second round on latest developments in Ethiopia.

In the second briefing session organized to make clear the international media on what is happening in Ethiopia, Ambassador Hussein said the TPLF Junta has admitted that it committed treason against the National Defence Force in Tigray.

He said that the government is taking action against the renegade group of TPLF in a view to ensure rule of law in the country.

The massacre of innocents carried out by the TPLF special force and military in Maykadra is a crime against humanity, said the spokesperson adding civilians including women and children heinously killed in the area.

He told the media that the TPLF Junta carried out rocket and missile attacks at Gondar, Bahir Dar and other place in Amhara Regional State, and killed innocents in Mai-Kadra who are not from Tigray to instigate revenge in other parts of the country and widen the problem it incited.

The motive was to provoke other Ethiopians to attack Tigrean people everywhere as retaliation, and this heinous motive has been thwarted, he said.

TPLF Junta ringleaders are trying to create hysteria among the Tigray people as if the national Derence Forces are attacking the region.

Ringleaders of the TPLF Junta do not care about the people they were leading, push peasants and teenagers to war as they teach their sons and daughters abroad, it is indicated.

People of Tigray will breathe the air of freedom like other Ethiopians once the Junta is brought to Justice, he said.

The TPLF Junta is trying to escalate the issue by attacking neighboring countries and internationalize the case and make is spiral, and are creating humanitarian crisis to get attention of the international community, he noted.

National Defence Forces keep on destroying the weaponries of the TPLF to contain their intention to escalate the issue, he stated.

Regarding some misleading reports from the international media about Uganda-led mediation between the federal government and TPLF, Ambassador Redwan said that Ethiopia has never asked any country to mediate as its position is clear from onset.

We never heard a question from Uganda about the matter, he said, adding that Ethiopia has never asked Uganda or any other country to mediate because our position was very much clear from the onset.

Ethiopia has sent a delegation to Uganda and the entire region, and the tour will covers around six countries, particularly IGAD member countries, he disclosed, adding “It has nothing with mediation”

The delegating was interested to deliver the message of the Prime Minister which augments buttresses and make it further clear that we don’t need mediation until we bring the ring leaders to court.

“Because any mediation would incentivize impunity and unruliness, so any partner who wishes the holding together of Ethiopia, and then the government has to be supported to make sure that the law of the land is upheld.”, he urged the international community.

To equate the government with any sub national entity would threaten the very existence of the country, he stressed.

“Any country and partner should put itself in our shoe.  Would any country in the world allow an entity in a district or a country who openly claims to have a rocket or missile and vow to attack its headquarter and dismantle the country and openly attack its defence forces?”, he stressed, adding “which country in the world be asked to sit down and negotiate with such sub national unduly group?”

“So if any country does not wish to do it if it happens on its soil, the same is true in Ethiopia for the government is taking action against the treacherous group from sub region in the country in a way to maintain law and order and territorial unity of the country.”, the State of Emergency spokesperson said.

The law enforcement operation would be a short-lived and law and order is imminent in the Northern part of the country and the whole nation as well, the spokesperson underlined.

We sent a delegation that would look out facts on the ground and then will come up with a plan as to how actually take care of the humanitarian crisis in the northern part of the country where law enforcement measures are underway.