News in Brief
President Sahle-Work Zewde’s Speech to the UN General Assembly
Somalia’s Partnership Forum in Mogadishu
The 7th Ethio-Russian Joint Commission meeting in St. Petersburg
News in Brief
Africa and the African Union
African leaders at the UN General Assembly last week demanded that the U.N. Security Council reconfigure itself to add permanent representation for Africa. Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone, suggesting there should be two more non-permanent seats held by African nations, said: “The legitimacy and effectiveness of the Security Council’s decisions, as well as the relevance of the United Nations, will continue to be questioned if urgent action is not taken to make the council more broadly representative.” Angolan President Lourenco said: “We reiterate the need to increase the number of permanent members of the Security Council, including in particular Africa and South America.” Zambia’s President, Edgar Lungu, said the “time has come for the security council to be representative, democratic and accountable to all member states, irrespective of status,” adding, “Given that Africa constitutes the second-largest bloc of the U.N. membership, proposals to reform the Security Council should heed Africa’s call.” The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, also said Africans must be allowed to have a fair say in council decisions affecting their own continent, pointing out that the situation was “an historic, unjust underrepresentation of Africa, which was still ruled by colonial powers when the U.N. came into existence and the Security Council established.”
Members of the UN Security Council will visit Ethiopia, home to the headquarters of the African Union, on October 23-24 for the annual consultations between the UN Security Council and panel and the AU’s Peace and Security Council. On October 25, the Security Council mission will visit South Sudan; and it is expected to leave Addis Ababa on October 26 for New York.
The 5th Meeting of the National Independent Scientific Research Group (NISRG) of Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt opened in Khartoum on Monday (September 30). The four-day meeting discussed agenda items agreed during the meeting of the Water and Irrigation Ministers of the three countries held in Cairo (September 15-16). The
NISRG reported the outcomes of its deliberations to Water and irrigation Ministers who opened their meeting on Friday. President Sahle-Work Zewde emphasized in her speech to the UN General Assembly last week that Ethiopia strongly believed that the utilization of the Nile River should be based on the principles of equitable and reasonable utilization of natural resources, adding “Cooperation in the Nile basin is not an option but a necessity.”
The IGAD Committee of Ambassador’s met in Nairobi on Sunday (September 29) to consider a Protocol on Transhumance. The Protocol aims to promote free movement for transhumance to exploit the full social and economic potential of the pastoral system. It has 32 articles including free and safe seasonal cross-border mobility of livestock and herders in search of pasture and water, as an adaptation and survival mechanism, designated transhumance corridors, the guarding of livestock, and the protection of herders. Two countries, Ethiopia and Somalia, said they needed to consult further with their relevant regional state governments and IGAD’s Director of its Center of Pastoral Areas and Livestock Development said it now expected an answer in December.
Ethiopia
President Sahle-Work addressed the high-level debate of the General Assembly on Thursday (September 26). Introduced to the Assembly by Ethiopia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Taye Atske-Selassie, President Sahle-Work delivered her speech in Amharic, Ethiopia’s working language. (See article)
Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed received the special envoy of South Sudan’s President Kiir on Monday (September 30) The envoy, who brought a message from the South Sudan President, discussed bilateral and regional issues with the Prime Minister.
World Tourism Forum President, Bulut Bağcı, presented the 2019 World Tourism Award to Prime Minister Dr. Abiy on Monday (September 30). The award was given to the Prime Minister for his commitment to promoting tourism. During the ceremony, confirmation was given of Ethiopia as host to the 2020 World Tourism Forum. The delegation from the Forum, which was given a tour of the National Palace restoration work, confirmed their continued support and commitment to Ethiopia.
The Speaker of the House of Federation, Keria Ibrahim, said at the weekend that the 14th Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Day celebration, scheduled to take place in Addis Ababa on December 9, will cement people-to-people relations. She said that the celebration played a significant role in underlining the identity of each ethnic group but, in the past, it had also neglected the common values that exist. This had a detrimental effect on unity among the groups and this year the strengths of the constitution will be assessed during the celebration. The host regional state for this year’s Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Day is the Oromia Regional State. Oromia’s Regional Council Speaker, Lome Bedo said this year’s celebration will include economic as well as cultural aspects.
Dr. Arkebe Oqubay, Senior Minister and Special Adviser to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia and Chairman of the Ethiopian Industrial Park Development Corporation attended UNCTAD’s presentation of its “World Investment Report 2019, Special Economic Zones” in Geneva, at the 68th executive session of the Trade and Development Board of UNCTAD on Tuesday (October 1). He gave a presentation on “Industrial Hubs and Economic Development: The Ethiopian Experience”, to the Board. It covered the experience learned in establishing Industrial parks in Ethiopia, Ethiopia’s experience in building the parks, the policy directions for Special Economic Zones, lessons learned and success stories registered. Dr. Arkebe underlined the economic achievements registered and the vision of the Government’s new “Home Grown Economic Reform Program”.
The 7th Session of the Ethio-Russia Intergovernmental Commission meeting opened in Saint Petersburg, Russia on Tuesday (October 1). The Ethiopian delegation was led by Dr. Engineer Getahun Mekuria, Minister of Innovation and Technology. (See article)
An Ethiopian-Sudan Business Forum was held this week in Addis Ababa. Opening the Forum, Minister of Finance, Ahmed Shide, said it was vital to boost the trade ties between the two countries. The President of the National Chamber of Exporters of Sudan, who thanked Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia for his contribution in promoting peace in Sudan, stressed that the people of Ethiopia and Sudan had strong social, political, and economic relations,
Ermias Yemanebirhan, Director-General of the Ethiopian Intellectual Property office told the 59th Series of Session of the General Assemblies of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva on Monday (September 30) that Ethiopia’s home-grown economic reforms required a well-developed intellectual property (IP) system to drive innovation and creativity and increase productivity. The WIPO support had been critical and timely for preparation of the draft national IP policy and strategy. The setting up of a national IP Academy in Ethiopia should be complete in 2020. He noted the need to scale up efforts to strengthen the development of an IP system which takes into account specific needs of the country in order further progress and maximize results, to expand knowledge about IP, innovation and collaboration, in particular with regard to geographical specific products such as coffee and teff. The support of WIPO, he said, was indispensable.
The President of the Oromia Regional State Government, Shimelis Abdissa and Mr, REN Xiaotie, Deputy Secretary General of Guangdong province in China, agreed on Friday (September 27) to enhance cooperation in establishing a sister-province relationship and exchange experiences on development of special economic zones. The Guangdong delegation promised to inform and encourage investors to localize production in the Oromia region and target export promotion. Mr. Ren invited the President of Oromia to visit Guangzhou in June next year to sign the necessary agreements; he accepted the invitation.
The Embassy of Ethiopia in Seoul and officials of Chilgok County, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea, have signed a Letter of Intent for cooperation in culture, tourism, veterans’ affairs and people-to-people exchanges. Chilgok County, which has carried out several education and water projects in Ethiopia, plans to expand these. The Embassy delegation visited the Chilgok Patriots and Peace Memorial, a museum dedicated to the Ethiopian troops and other soldiers who held the Nakdonggang River’s line of defense for 55 days in Chilgok during the Korean War.
The Ethiopian Ambassador to Germany, Ambassador Mulu Solomon, helped celebrate the 40th year of cooperation between Gondar and Leipzig Medical Schools and on Saturday (September 28). The event was attended by distinguished guests as well as former students of each University. The Ambassador, who appreciated Leipzig University’s support and contributions to the Gondar Medical faculty, called for further engagement between the two universities. The partnership of the two universities dates back to 1979 when Leipzig agreed to reorganize the Gondar Medical School, providing exchanges of teachers, students, research, medical equipment and facilities. During her visit to Leipzig, the Ambassador also held talks with members of Ethiopian Diaspora, explaining the results of the ongoing reforms and calling on them to participate in buying GERD bonds and contributing to the Ethiopian Diaspora Trust Fund.
The first International Symposium on Geothermal Energy in Ethiopia opened in Addis Ababa on Tuesday (October 1) Organised by Addis Ababa Science and Technology University in collaboration with Tulu Moye Geothermal Operation, USAID, and Power Africa, it brought together representatives from institutions and private geothermal companies as well as professionals from Africa, Europe, and the USA. Dr. Dereje Engida, President of Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, said Ethiopia had enabling policy and resources but lacked skilled manpower in the sector. Developing the sector also needed contribution of stakeholders. Dr. Meseret Teklemariam, Program Manager of Energy at the United Nations Environmental Protection said Ethiopia had different renewable energy sources, water, solar, wind, and geothermal and these needed to be exploited for sustainable development. Maintaining development was impossible without sustainable energy, she said, but fulfilling energy demand by depending on water energy alone was unthinkable.
Eritrea
President Isaias Afwerki received a South Sudanese delegation headed by Mr. Mayiik Ayii Deng, Member of Parliament and Minister of President’s Office, on Wednesday (October 2) at Adi-Halo. Mr. Deng brought a message from President Kiir on bilateral and regional matters. President Isaias expressed readiness to work for the development of friendship and mutual cooperation between the two countries.
The Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations for Humanitarian Affairs, Ms. Ursula Mueller paid a two-day visit to Eritrea this week, (September 30-October 1. Ms. Ursula held meetings with various government ministers as well as the President of the National Union of Eritrean Women, Ms. Tek’a Tesfamicael, to exchange views on the programs the Government of Eritrea was conducting in partnership with the UN and on future development cooperation.
Somalia
President Mohamed Abdullahi returned to Mogadishu on Monday (September 30) after attending the UN General Assembly in New York, where he also held a number of bilateral and multilateral talks with world leaders, and also opened the new Somali embassy building in Washington.
Prime Minister, Hassan Ali Khayre held talks with representatives from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the World Bank on Tuesday (October 1). The Prime Minister thanked the officials for accepting the invitation to attend the Somali Partnership Forum held on Tuesday and Wednesday this week in Mogadishu. Government officials from 50 countries and representatives of more than 200 companies attended the two-day conference. It focused on the national development plan, inclusive politics, security, justice and other areas. (See article)
A five-day high-level conference opened in Mogadishu on Sunday (September 29) to develop a comprehensive roadmap to guide the activities and operations of AMISOM from 2019 to 2021 and align them to the revised Concept of Operations and the Somali Transition Plan. Officials of AMISOM, the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) and the AU Commission, representatives of all troop and police contributing countries and the military, police and civilian components of AMISOM attended the conference, aimed to help enhance efficiency and cooperation, and enable the mission carry out more robust military operations against Al-Shabaab. Participants reviewed accountability and reporting mechanisms as well as the existing frameworks between the AU, UN, and the troop and police contributing countries. It came as AMISOM has been conducting key priority tasks against Al-Shabaab, tasks that need proper planning and logistical support, including the securing Main Supply Routes and population centres.
Al-Shabaab attempted to attack the Baledogle Military Airfield base with a vehicle-borne bomb on Monday (September 30). The base is used by US Special Operations forces to train and build the Danab force, a specialized light infantry unit. An AFRICOM statement said US and partner forces killed 10 terrorists and destroyed one vehicle involved in the attack and there were no injuries to any US or Somalia personnel. A separate attack on Monday was also made on Italian Army vehicles participating in a European Union training mission. The Italian Defense Ministry said two vehicles were hit by an explosion; no Italian personnel were injured.
AMISOM Force Commander, Lt. General Tigabu Yilma, awarded medals and certificates to 34 AMISOM staff officers from the United Kingdom Mission Support Team, Benin, Burundi, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe at a ceremony on Sunday (September 29) . He told them they were “the mainstay of this mission”; and they had contributed to the capture of areas under the control of Al-Shabaab.
Police officers from Sierra Leone and Zambia, who served for one year under AMISOM, are thanked for their professionalism, discipline and hard work in building the capacity of the Somali Police Force by AMISOM’s Police Commissioner, Rex Dundun, on Monday (September 30). The AMISOM Police component is made up of the Formed Police Units which provide operational support and Individual Police Officers who train, mentor and advice Somali Police Force officers.
The United States has reopened its embassy in Somalia on Wednesday (October 2) with the new building located in the grounds of Mogadishu’s international airport. U.S. Ambassador to Somalia Donald Yamamoto described the re-establishment as a “significant and a historic day that reflects Somalia’s progress in recent years.” He said the embassy will “enhance cooperation, advance U.S. national strategic interests, and support our overall security, political, and economic development goals and objectives.”
The US government announced $257 million of additional humanitarian assistance for Somalia and Somali refugees in neighbouring countries on Wednesday (October 2). The U.S Aid Deputy Assistant Administrator Diana Putman said the funds for the financial year 2019 would address life-threatening hunger and acute malnutrition and provide safe water, emergency health care, education, and protection to people affected by ongoing conflict and recurrent drought inside Somalia and to Somali refugees in neighbouring countries. This brings the total contributed by the US in 2019 for Somalia to nearly $498 million.
More than six Somali opposition parties, including two parties led by former presidents of the country, have formed a new political alliance following a meeting in Mogadishu on Tuesday (October 1) Himilo Qaran party, led by former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed (President 2009-2012, and UPD led by former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (2012-2107) are part of the new alliance, The Forum for the National Parties.
The Federal Government has lifted the travel restrictions for flights to Kismayo. The Somali Civil Aviation Authority said on Saturday (September 28) in a Notice to Airman (NOTAM) that a previous notice dated September 23 had lapsed, and all flights could resume normal operations.
South Sudan
The Sudan and South Sudan Joint Political and Security Committee held a two-day meeting in Juba on Wednesday and Thursday this week (October 3-4) to discuss the opening of border crossings. President Salva Kiir recently agreed with Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok to open the border. The meeting also discussed activation of the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone and the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism. In March, the joint committee discussed the redeployment of forces outside the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone and agreed that any forces left in the Zone would be withdrawn within 30 days. It also agreed to open six out of the ten border crossing corridors within 30 days. Those decisions remained unimplemented because of subsequent political developments in both Sudan and South Sudan.
David Shearer, the head of the UN mission in South Sudan told South Sudanese leaders they must redouble their efforts and tackle challenges facing the implementation of the peace deal before a unity government is formed. He was speaking at a three-day peace symposium on Tuesday (October 1) bringing together youth, politicians, traditional and religious leaders. He said security reforms and the number of states and boundaries were key and stressed the need to resolve the issue of boundaries or states in the coming few weeks.
The opposition SPLM-IO have confirmed that Dr. Riek Machar will return to Juba later this month to follow-up the meetings he held with President Salva Kiir last month. An SPLM-IO spokesperson said there were several outstanding issues in relation to the implementation of the peace agreement to be discussed. The spokesperson reiterated the SPLM-IO’s commitment to the peace process, and stressed that regular meetings between Machar and Kiir would expedite the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry met South Sudan Foreign Minister, Awut Deng Acuil, and asserted Egypt’s interest in reinforcing its relationship with South Sudan and discussed means of boosting bilateral ties and issues of mutual interests. Egypt would help to meet South Sudan’s needs in building capabilities with the help of the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development (EAPD) in Africa.
South Sudan’s First Vice President, Taban Deng Gai and the Foreign Affairs Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, held talks to strengthen bilateral relations in New York last week. They exchanged views over regional and international developments of common interest and Sheikh Abdullah underlined the UAE’s determination to strengthen cooperation with South Sudan in various areas.
The Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMVM) in South Sudan on Friday (September 27) announced the appointment of Major General Dafaalla Hamid Mohamad Dadaalla as its new deputy chairperson. He replaces Major General Tariq Abdelkarim Ibrahim who left the mission after more than three years of service. CTSAMVM includes representatives of the parties to the September 2018 revitalized peace accord, women’s bloc, civil society organizations, youths and members of the international community.
Sudan
Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok visited Paris on his way back from the UN General Assembly in New York on Monday (September 30), meeting President Macron to discuss ways to support the efforts of the Sudanese government to achieve peace, economic reforms and preparations for a democratic transition. President Macron said he had decided France would host an international conference mobilizing public and private international donors to support Sudan and the region. He said the date would be fixed after Sudan’s removal from the US State Sponsors of Terrorism list. President Macron also pledged France would work for Sudan’s debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative. He said French technical assistance teams had already begun to prepare the reforms necessary for the reconstruction of the Sudanese economy and would work with the Sudanese authorities to implement it.
The United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ambassador Tibor Nagy, said on Wednesday (October 2 that removing Sudan from the list of State Sponsors of terrorism was “a process, not an event” and it wouldn’t happen soon. The US would, however, “work with Sudan and new government to make that process go as quickly as possible,” he said, but it was impossible to give dates as there were legal constraints involved. He said: “I will sympathize with all of our friends around the world for calling for an end to the state sponsor of terrorism on Sudan, [but] the United States has to follow the legal process”. He said Washington would be hosting the next Friends-of-Sudan meeting in the next couple of weeks and “We will get together and will discuss who can do what to help Sudan succeed”.
The Ambassador of Ethiopia to Sudan, Ambassador Shiferaw Jarso, held discussions with Professor Yasir Abbas, Minister for Water Resources, Irrigation and Electricity on Tuesday (October 1). The Ambassador emphasized Ethiopia’s readiness and commitment to develop and utilize water resources in cooperation with Sudan. He stressed the need to strengthen strategic and technical cooperation in capacity building and exchange of experiences to utilize and manage their shared water resources to help bring about economic integration. Professor Abbas appreciated Ethiopia’s mediation role in the negotiations for the establishment of the Transitional Government and underlined the importance of active cooperation in water resource management.
President Sahle-Work Zewde addresses the UN General Assembly high-level debate
President Sahle-Work underlined the unprecedented challenges we all faced: “Climate change is real, posing a real threat to progress even survival, forcing us to shift resources away from development. Threats to global peace and security are multiplying. Geo-political and trade tensions; arms races; proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; terrorism and violent extremism; poverty and income inequalities are all global challenges that require global solutions.” Commitment to multilateralism had never been more urgent.
The President spoke of Ethiopia’s political transition in April 2018, and the launch of major political, legal and economic reforms. “We have widened the political space: releasing jailed political prisoners and journalists; inviting exiled political parties to return home and pursue peaceful struggle; revising the electoral, anti-terrorism and civil society laws; and ending a twenty-year conflict with Eritrea. As we look ahead to elections next year, these reforms have built a solid foundation for lasting democratic order.”
She noted Ethiopia had also initiated liberalization of the economy, building on a decade of sustained growth. She said: “We have recently launched a ‘Home-grown Economic Reform Agenda’ that aims to address emerging macroeconomic imbalances; resolve structural bottlenecks, including the ease of doing business to stimulate private sector growth; and create new opportunities. Inclusivity has been a core element of the policy. And we have made job creation for the youth an epicenter of the reform. We are taking firm steps to institutionalize these reforms, addressing the huge gap in gender parity including the highest levels of government”
The President said: “We have laid down a firm base for development in Ethiopia and for durable peace and stability in the Horn of Africa. Rapprochement with Eritrea was a clear demonstration of the capacity of Africans to solve their problems through constructive dialogue. We are working to transform the whole region into an inclusive zone of peace and prosperity. We are confident the international community will support us.”
She welcomed the formation of a Government of National Unity in Sudan based on last month’s political agreement as a very encouraging development. She said: “the negotiating parties showed faith in the mediation efforts of Ethiopia and the African Union. The new leadership deserves the full backing of the international community in their efforts to revive the country’s economy. We strongly support the lifting of all economic and financial sanctions on Sudan, including removing Sudan from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism.”
Somalia had also come a long way in recent years, consolidating state institutions with elections scheduled for2020. At the same time, Al-Shabaab remained a serious danger, to Somalia, and to the wider region. “Any reversal of the progress made with enormous sacrifices from AMISOM and the Somali National Forces,” she said, “must be prevented. Sustainable financing and support for AMISOM remains critical. Our partners must recognize this, and reaffirm their commitments.”
The South Sudan parties had also taken “encouraging steps towards the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement with the recent meeting between President Kiir and Dr. Machar, The parties should continue to show stronger commitment to increase momentum for the full implementation of all the pre-transition objectives set forth in the agreement. We hope the international community will redouble its efforts to deliver on their pledged support.”
President Sahle-Work emphasized Ethiopia had been resolute in defending global peace and security through its contributions to the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations for seventy years. She said: “I am proud to say that Ethiopia is now the leading Troop Contributing Country to UN Peacekeeping. Our troops discharge their responsibilities with the highest levels of professionalism, dedication and courage. We are currently working to strengthen the efficiency and accountability of peacekeepers, and to increase the role of women in peace and security activities to implement global and regional security architecture sustainable financing for African-led peace support operations.” She added that Ethiopia supported Security Council reform and wanted to see Africa has to be permanently represented in the Security Council.
President Sahle-Work said Ethiopia was registering encouraging initial results on Agenda 2030.It was investing in people, in human resources, to improve their well-being. “We are expanding manufacturing and infrastructure to attract domestic and foreign investment, privatizing state-owned enterprises to create jobs for our youth. To finance national projects, we are mobilizing domestic resources, integrating pro-poor policies. To reduce poverty and enhance the quality of life, we are sustaining rapid and inclusive economic growth. Ethiopia is expected to be the fastest growing economy this year. We are in the process of mainstreaming the SDGs into upcoming five-year national development plans and into a long-term perspective development plan for the next decade.
Ethiopia had also just launched the “Ethiopian Education Development Roadmap”, She said: “building on our significant progress over two decades, this focuses on out-of-school children. Many of these are from pastoralist or disadvantaged areas, groups with special needs, or the physically disabled. The Roadmap provides for strengthening alternative modes of delivery. It focuses on girls, as they are still less likely to complete primary education, and on quality. We are increasing education spending significantly; we hope donors live up to their commitments and target and deliver aid more effectively.”
The President said Ethiopia, with more than 100 million people, was “perpetually affected by climate-induced drought. It is high time to act, urgently and decisively. That is why Ethiopia has agreed to co-lead the Energy Transition Work Stream for the Climate Action Summit.” She noted that Ethiopia had produced “a ten-year Forest Sector Development Program; a master plan to promote sustainable and productive forestry for green economic growth. This includes plans for planting 4 billion seedlings within a year and a half, under the theme: “40 trees Per Head for New Ethiopia.” It was launched in May by Prime Minster Dr. Abiy Ahmed. Last month, we broke the world record, planting over three hundred and fifty million trees in a single day,the President said.
Ethiopia’s main aspiration, President Sahle-Work said, was to move the people out of poverty: “We are striving to provide a dignified life for all our citizens. The central element of our vision for sustainable development includes building infrastructure and harnessing our national resources. The grim reality, however, is that today nearly 65 million Ethiopians do not have access to electricity. The construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile is merely to generate hydro-electric power to offer our people an opportunity, at least, to have supper with a light-on.”
She said the Nile Basin countries enjoyed one of the oldest relationships in human history inseparably linked by civilizations, and by a great and noble river. She said: “The Nile, which provides us with life, truth and faith, can deliver a new level of energy and commitment for the betterment of our people. The utilization of the Nile waters also offers a unique opportunity for trans-boundary cooperation between the sisterly countries of the region. It should never be an object of competition and mistrust. Ethiopia strongly believes the utilization of the Nile River should be based on the principles of international law, namely, the principles of equitable and reasonable utilization of natural resources and the causing of no significant harm.
The President said: “We have always been keen and committed to the establishment of a multilateral legal regime on the basin-wide utilization of the River. The signing in May 2010 of the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) of the Nile, following thirteen years of negotiations, was the first and only truly inclusive multilateral treaty. The consultations and negotiations, as well as the signing of the Agreement on the Declaration of Principles, are testament to Ethiopia`s commitment to cooperation in line with the CFA.” She said the remaining technical matters regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam should be left to the experts, noting the technical ministries of Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt had met earlier in Cairo and were meeting again at the beginning of October. She said: “We should encourage and give our fullest support to the technical people to produce scientific and evidence-based recommendations. As we have always said, cooperation in the Nile Basin is not an option, but a necessity for a win-win cooperation and mutual interdependence among the Nile Basin countries.”
In conclusion, President Sahle-Work said Ethiopia is “fully committed to implement the Sustainable Development Agenda and the Paris Climate Agreement. From our own experience, we know peace and security, reducing poverty, achieving prosperity are attainable. The world does have the resources, the capabilities, the capacity to preserve our planet; but time really is running out. We must accelerate the processes to implement and deliver commitments, to avoid leaving anyone behind, to provide the policies needed for employment, development, peace and security. Above all we must work for a multinational global environment within which we can take all our concerns and interests into account; and in which we can all move forward to achieve our goal of collective security and prosperity.”
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Somalia’s Partnership Forum in Mogadishu
The Somalia Partnership Forum, held in Mogadishu on Tuesday and Wednesday this week (October 1-2), took stock of the progress made, while also noting the challenges that remained. It agreed on a set of priority actions needed to take Somalia forward. Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre told the Forum: “Somalia is making tremendous strides. We are ready to move forward together in this limited time we have, together with our federal member states; both houses of parliament and the political elite. We will endeavour to chart forward, to ensure that progress achieved is not set back.” He said priorities included holding open and fair elections and ensuring a peaceful transition, completion of the constitutional review process and deepening of federalism, while not losing sight of the gains made or the investment of international partners.”
James Swan, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia, called for concerted efforts to tackle existing challenges. He said the Forum offered an opportunity to chart a course forward for the next 12 to 15 months, with clearly defined priority objectives and timelines. He said: “While acknowledging and celebrating progress to date, we must also be honest and frank about the challenges that remain. We must redouble efforts to overcome these challenges and ensure that 2020 is the year of delivery on the most important priorities.” The British Ambassador to Somalia spoke of concerns over the political space in the country and what he called incessant tussles between the Federal Government and regional government. “Real leadership,” he said, “will have to be shown at all sides at a political level to overcome these struggles.”
The two-day gathering brought together officials from the Federal Government of Somalia and some of the Federal Member States, and representatives from more than three dozen countries and various international organizations. Their joint commitments on the way forward were outlined in a communiqué at the end of the meeting. It said international partners recognized Somalia’s achievements and commended the leadership of the Federal Government of Somalia for progress in public financial management and revenue generation, consultations on a new National Development Plan, security reforms, and successful operations to retake and stabilize areas previously held by Al-Shabaab, increased delivery of social services, and progress towards local reconciliation in some areas. Among challenges were noted the need to generate jobs and economic growth, continue the fight against Al-Shabaab, respond to humanitarian crises and build resilience, lay foundations for inclusive politics and strengthen respect for the rights, participation and representation of women and minorities.
With reference to the Mutual Accountability Framework (MAF) for 2019-2020, Somali authorities and partners agreed to focus on priority areas for action and resources in order to achieve key priority outcomes before December next year. The MAF details the joint commitments of Somalia and its international partners in the areas of political reforms, security reforms, economic development and recovery and humanitarian assistance.
International partners noted that despite advances in some key priorities, strengthened political cooperation between the Federal Government and some Federal Member States would have accelerated progress. Somalia’s leaders agreed that such cooperation was critical to make further progress on political, security and economic reforms. This will require the strong personal commitment of all federal and state leaders.
The communiqué noted the country’s executive and legislative arms were committed to adopt an Electoral Law by the coming December for the ‘one person one vote’ electoral process. In discussion, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, James Swan, stressed the importance of meeting set timelines and said failure to meet that deadline would “jeopardize the mobilization of essential funding and risk slippage in the electoral calendar.” He also noted: “Inclusive politics if handled with the necessary leadership and consensus building has the potential to accelerate progress across all of the Mutual Accountability Framework commitments.” Somalia is committed to completing the Constitutional Review by next June as well as adopting an amended Federal Constitution, establishing a Constitutional Court and Judicial Service Commission, continuing the country’s National Reconciliation process, and ensuring the participation of all sectors of society, including women, in political decision-making. International partners agreed to mobilize resources to supplement government financing following adoption of the legislation to support these processes, and to help to meet the timetable.
In security reform, the communiqué highlighted Somalia’s commitment to conclude current security operations, undertake further operations against Al-Shabaab, and complete priority reforms in security, justice and human rights institutions. It said that in 2020 “the focus of these will be jointly identified and planned, to ensure that all stakeholders can align their efforts and resources.” International partners committed to supporting the generation of human rights-compliant security forces, stabilization of newly-recovered areas, and key reform processes, including human resources and payroll reform of the Somali security forces.
With reference to Somalia’s call for debt relief, the communiqué noted the commitment to meet, in full, the benchmarks in its fourth IMF Staff Monitored Program. International partners committed to actively supporting the Federal Government to meet benchmarks building on progress and to take the necessary steps to prepare for an anticipated Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative ‘Decision Point’ early next year. The IMF says Somalia owes some $5.2 billion to its international creditors.
The Forum reaffirmed the commitment of all parties to the partnership between Somalia and the international community and to the principle of mutual accountability in order to maximize their collective efforts. They agreed to ensure efforts were aligned to adopt and implement a national legal framework governing national and international non-governmental organizations.
In addition to commitments in the political, economic, development and security spheres, the communiqué also noted Somalia’s commitments to prioritize youth empowerment and employment generation, to build resilience through social protection, achieve durable solutions for refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons and increase social services delivery. International partners agreed to support these priorities.
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The 7TH Ethio-Russian Joint Commission meeting in St. Petersburg
The 7thregular Meeting of the Inter-Governmental Ethiopian-Russian Commission on Economic, Scientific, Technical and Trade Cooperation was held this week (October 1-3) in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Dr. Engineer Getahun Mekuria, Minister of Innovation and Technology of Ethiopia and Co-Chair of the Commission led the Ethiopian delegation; and the Russian delegation was led by Mr. Evgeny Kiselev, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation, head of the Federal Agency for Mineral Resources and Co-Chair of the Commission.
The two Co-Chairs emphasized the mechanisms and keen interests of both countries to strengthen the bilateral relationship of their two countries in their opening remarks. They also confirmed the commitment of both sides to strengthen bilateral cooperation in various fields and underlined the role of the Commission as an important mechanism for enhancing cooperation.
The Commission reviewed the current state of relations and prospects for development of relations. It assessed the implementation of previously signed bilateral agreements, and discussed eight draft agreements being prepared for signature.
These draft agreements cover both previous and new areas of Cooperation. The Commission discussed and agreed to develop cooperation in the Energy sector. It underlined the importance of implementation of the road map on cooperation for the peaceful use of nuclear technology, signed in April 2019 between the Ministry of Innovation and Technology and the State Atomic Energy of the Russian Federation (ROSATOM). To strengthen cooperation in the energy sector, the Russian side suggested Russian companies to work in Ethiopia in solar and hydropower construction; Ethiopia recommended the Russian companies to present project proposals in areas of interest for further discussions. The Russian company INTERAO and Ethiopian Electric Power agreed to work under the modality of Public and Private Partnerships for the modernization of the Melka-Wakena and other power generating projects.
It agreed to further strengthen Trade, Economic and Industrial Cooperation, and specifically to take measures to boost their trade relations; and to enhance their cooperation in the field of Geology and the use of mineral resources through experience and information sharing, technology transfer, training and capacity building in mineral exploration. It also agreed to expand cooperation on Science, Higher Education and Technology in-terms of capacity building and to increase the number of Russian State scholarships for Ethiopian Students, especially in the field of nuclear technology.
The Commission agreed on the need to develop cooperation in the Agricultural sector, particularly to increase and diversify bilateral trade in agricultural and food products. It agreed to cooperate for Healthcare development, and to work together on the Transport sector, particularly in the development of cooperation in the field of railway transport, and in the implementation of joint initiatives in transport, logistics and railway infrastructure projects. It decided to enhance cooperation on Communication and Mass Media between the relevant departments and organizations of Russia and Ethiopia in the field of information and communication technologies, including cooperation on the automation of government bodies and business activities, the implementation of e-government and smart city technologies, and to cooperate on issues of information security, the development of cooperation in the field of mass media, in particular on exchanging of news content and television products. The Commission decided to cooperate on Space science, particularly in the areas of joint research, exchanges of staff and experience, and training for MSC sand PhD programs in space science and technology.
It also agreed to implement the MoUs on Cooperation on Culture and Tourism signed between Ethiopia and the Russian Federation in 2017, and to establish partnership between Russian institutions and their Ethiopian counterparts, to prepare tourism promotion fora to bring together tour operators and tourism sector institutes to exchange experience, and arrange for short-term training and other developments between the two countries. They decided to organize an Ethiopian art and photo exhibition to be held in St. Petersburg in January 2020.
Both sides agreed to finalize the draft agreements for signature in side-line meetings during the Russia-Africa Summit to be held in Sochi later this month – October 23-24. The Commission also agreed to hold its 8thMeeting in Ethiopia next year.
