Ethiopia
The Nobel Peace Prize for 2019 has been awarded to Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed. The statement from the Norwegian Nobel Committee on Friday (October 11) said the award was given to Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali for his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighboring Eritrea. It added that the prize was also meant to recognize all the stakeholders working for peace and reconciliation in Ethiopia and in the East and Northeast African regions. A statement from the Office of the Prime Minister said that since coming to power last year Dr. Abiy had made “peace, forgiveness and reconciliation key components of his administration.” The statement said: “This victory and recognition is a collective win for all Ethiopians, and a call to strengthen our resolve in making Ethiopia – the New Horizon of Hope – a prosperous nation for all.” (See article)
Africa and the African Union
The AU Advisory Board on Corruption convened the 3rd Edition of the African Anti-Corruption Dialogue on the theme “Towards a Common African Position on Asset Recovery” from October 7/ The two-week Dialogue is reflecting on challenges and developments in asset recovery, aiming to use shared experiences and lessons learnt to inform the development of the Common African Position on Asset Recovery. The Dialogue brings together representatives of Member States, International Organizations, and National Anti-Corruption Agencies, Civil Society, Academia and other actors. It offers a platform for key stakeholders to see the outcomes of the African Anti-Corruption Year and inputs for implementation of recommendations.
Ethiopia
President Sahle-Work Zewde addressed the opening of the joint session of the House of People’s Representatives and the House of Federation on Monday (October 8), She highlighted the major achievements of the political and economic reform initiatives taking place and outlined the government’s plans for the current fiscal year, 2019-2020. (See article)
President Sahle-Work Zewde has called on political parties to act responsibly. She was speaking at the Multi-Stakeholder Outreach Conference on Elections that opened in Addis Ababa on Tuesday (October 8). It brought together representatives from political parties, the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia, civil society organizations, and the media. The President called on all stakeholders to play their part to make the upcoming elections next year, free, democratic, credible and participatory. U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia, Michael Raynor, said the US and other partners were helping the training of nearly 300,000 people on monitoring, observing, analyzing and reporting on the electoral process as well as supporting voter education, helping with electoral dispute resolution mechanisms, and providing infrastructure and skills development for campaigning. Ms. Birtukan Mideksa, Chairperson of the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia, said her office is working with all pertinent bodies to make the election democratic, free, and credible.
Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed welcomed leaders of IGAD member states on Thursday (October 10), visiting Addis Ababa for the inauguration of Unity Park, created within the grounds of the National Palace in the center of the city. Among those present were the Presidents of Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan and Uganda, Prime Minister Hamdok of Sudan and Nabil Mohamed Ahmed, Minister of Higher Education of Djibouti. (See article)
Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok of Sudan arrived in Ethiopia for a two-day official visit on Thursday (October 10). He held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Dr. Abiy on issues including economic cooperation and border security, and also attended the inauguration of the Unity Park in the National Palace. Prime Minister Hamdok’s delegation included the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defense, Industry and Trade as well as other officials.
A meeting of the Water Affairs Ministers of Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan in Khartoum at the end of last week to hear the results of consultations on the technical aspects of filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, failed to agree on the way forward. Egypt said it wanted to invite third party mediation. An Ethiopian government statement said it would reinforce its efforts to make the ongoing trilateral dialogue a success and it expected a similar commitment from Egypt and Sudan. Ethiopia was ready to resolve any differences and outstanding concerns by consultation among the three countries. (See article)
Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen held talks with Sergio Pimenta, the International Finance Corporation’s Vice President for the Middle East and Africa on Tuesday (October 8). He briefed the IFC’s Vice President on the Home-grown Economic Reform agenda initiated by the Government to create conducive business and investment environments. He said the continued support of the IFC to build private sector capacity was vital for economic and financial sector reforms. Mr. Pimenta appreciated the government’s economic reform agenda and its move to boost the participation of the private sector. He said the International Finance Corporation would continue to provide capacity building support to Ethiopia’s agricultural sector and assist in creating market links between the manufacturing and private sectors.
The Third Political Consultation between Ethiopia and Poland was held in Warsaw on Monday this week (October 7). The Ethiopian delegation was led by Ambassador Mahlet Hailu, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (See article)
UNHCR’s High Commissioner Filipo Grandi welcomed Ethiopia’s key role in bringing peace to the region and its importance in finding solutions to refugees. He was speaking at the 70th Session of the Executive Committee of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Program this week (October 7-11). (See article)
Ethiopia’s State Minister Trade and Industry, Ambassador Misganu Arega held talks with a delegation from the Ministry of Industry of Malaysia on Monday (October 7). The discussion focused on ways to enhance trade relations between the two countries. Teresa Kok, Minister of Primary Industries of Malaysia, said that she would work to boost trade between the two countries and promised her country would monitor products it exports to Ethiopia to ensure that they are of good quality and international standard. The two countries agreed to diversify their cooperation in investment as well as trade.
The Commissioner of the National Intelligence and Security Service, Demelash Gebremichael, met with the head of the UK’s Intelligence Service, MI6, on Tuesday (October 9). They exchanged views on the current security situation and threat of terrorism in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. They agreed to exchange information on the activities of al-Shabaab and ISIS and discussed ways of cooperation in counter terrorism activities. Sir Alex also offered to provide capacity building support to the reforms being undertaken by the NISS.
Athletes that took part at the recent 17th edition of the IAAF World Athletics Championships have returned home from Doha, Qatar. They were warmly received on their return at the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport by high level government officials, including Dr Hirut Kassaw, Minister of Culture and Tourism. The Ethiopian team won two Gold medals, five Silver and a Bronze medal, ranking fifth from the world and second in Africa in the medal table. The 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships were held at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar from September 27-October 6. The gold medals were secured by Lelisa Desisa in the men’s marathon and Muktar Edrisin the men’s 5000m.
Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Kenya, Ambassador Meles Alem, called for action on renewable energy and pledged its support for United Nations environmental programs, at the annual conference of the United Nation Environment Program on Tuesday (October 8) in Nairobi. Ambassador Meles reflected Ethiopia’s commitment to protect the environment and spoke of Ethiopia’s’ tree-planting efforts, including the 353 million planted in one day. Stressing that clean energy development was vital to combating climate change and limit its most devastating effects, he said transition to an energy system based on renewable technologies would have very positive economic consequences.
Djibouti
The National Assembly Speaker, Mohamed Ali Hamud, arrived in Mogadishu on Monday (October 7) to attend the opening of the Somali Parliament on Wednesday as chief guest. During his visit to Somalia he also attended the opening ceremony of the Southwest regional assembly session in Baidoa.
Somalia
President Mohamed Abdullahi opened the sixth session of the Parliament on Wednesday (October 9). He noted the government’s plans highlighting fighting corruption, justice, financial management and sharing of resources in the federal system. He said Somalia was ready to engage transparently with the international community and the East African Community. He commended Galmudug’s reconciliation efforts, the recent Somali Partnership Forum summit in Mogadishu and praised the international community for their contributions in Somalia. The President, who commended reconciliation efforts in Galmudug, also appealed to the Somali people to forgive each other and unite to achieve full nationhood and true brotherhood.
The Norwegian Government has proposed a short-term bridging loan of US$343.9 million to Somalia in 2020 to clear Somalia’s debt arrears to the World Bank’s International Development Association. The funds would be transferred to a World Bank account and allow the World Bank to grant Somalia a new loan, which would be used immediately to repay the bridging loan from Norway. Minister of Foreign Affairs Søreide said this would help promote reform and stabilisation in Somalia. Somalia’s external debt amounts to approximately USD 4.7 billion, and debt cancellation is a key priority for the Somali Government as debt arrears need to be cleared before it can receive new loans and debt relief. The UK will also provide a loan to cover Somalia’s debt to the African Development Bank.
Somalia would then need one more donor to cover its debt to the IMF. If it then implemented the ongoing program of economic reforms agreed with the IMF, it would qualify for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative. Norway’s Minister of International Development said “Debt relief is essential if Somalia is to continue its stabilisation and reform efforts. This bridging loan operation shows what we can achieve when donors and multilateral financial institutions work together.
Germany announced a US $73 million aid package to Somalia on Monday (October 7). The German ambassador to Somalia, Ambassador Anneth Gunther, said her government was upping its contribution to Somalia to support the recovery process. She made the announcement during an event marking German Unity Day in Mogadishu.
The Force Commander of AMISOM, Lt- General Tigabu Yilma visited Baidoa, the headquarters of troops from Ethiopia on Saturday (October 5). He was briefed on the overall security situation and the progress being made in implementing the Concept of Operations and the Somali Transition Plan. AMISOM said the aim of the Force Commander’s visit was to evaluate the overall security of the region in which Ethiopian troops operated.
The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation said on Wednesday (October 9) that the latest food security projections in Somalia for October to December were a concern: with 2.1 million people in IPC Phases 3-4, twice the pre-crisis average; and 4.2 million people in IPC Phase 2, the highest number recorded. Since 2016,six out seven rainy seasons have been poor, including late and erratic rains during the most recent Gu season (April-June) producing the lowest Gu cereal harvest since 1995 in southern Somalia. Although the Pastoralists struggle to recover from severe livestock losses and debt incurred from the drought, although the ongoing Deyr rainy season (October-December) is forecast to be average to above-average, there are flood risks along the Juba and Shebelle rivers and a threat of locusts. FAO says it is urgently seeking funding to address needs in early 2020.
The Ministry of Interior and Federal Affairs, in a statement on Sunday (October 6), said the August elections in Jubaland had been unlawful, and laid out procedures for new Jubaland regional parliamentary and leadership elections. It also said the Federal Government proposed setting up a reconciliation committee to resolve grievances among various political groups in Jubaland. The Jubaland authorities, who have been going ahead with preparations for the inauguration of Ahmed Mohamed Islam Modobe as president, said the Federal Government’s plans were against the law and the constitution.
EU Ambassador to Somalia, Ambassador Nicolás Berlanga Martinez met with Somaliland president Muse Bihi in Hargeisa this week to discuss EU-funded development projects in Somaliland and preparation for parliament and local council elections. He also held talks with Foreign Minister Yasin Haji Mohamoud on EUCAP technical assistance to the Somaliland Coast Guard. The EU Ambassador visited Berbera to discuss assistance for improving planning and services in the port.
The Special Envoy of IGAD, Mohamed Ali Guyo, visited Hargeisa on Monday (October 7) for talks with Musa Bihi, president of Somaliland. The meeting focused on peace-building between Puntland and Somaliland.
Ugandan Airlines, which resumed direct flights to Mogadishu in August, announced the start of flights to Hargeisa on Wednesday (October 9).
South Sudan
A UN Security Council Presidential Statement issued on Tuesday (October 8) reaffirmed the importance of the Revitalized Peace Agreement for Sustained Peace, Stability in South Sudan. In a meeting to mark the one-year anniversary of the signing of the agreement, the Council welcomed the initial progress in implementation, including formation of the institutions and mechanisms, joint local peace-building activities and the improved delivery of humanitarian assistance to many areas. (See article)
South Sudan is renegotiating its oil deal with Khartoum after failing to meet the deadline to finish paying the US$3 billion agreed as compensation for its secession from Sudan in 2011.Petroleum Minister, Awou Daniel Chuang, said on Monday (October 7) that South Sudan had so far paid $2.4 billion but could not manage the remaining $600 million by December. He said talks to extend the deadline would start by end of the month, a team from Juba was already in Khartoum to discuss the issue. South Sudan got most of the oil when it became independent but the only export route is through Sudan.
The EU has announced US$10.4 million humanitarian funding to the UN World Food Programme in South Sudan. The EU said this would provide life-saving food and nutrition assistance to more than 700,000 vulnerable people, including people who had to flee their homes, malnourished, pregnant and nursing women, children under the age of five and refugees living in South Sudan. This brings the EU’s total contribution to WFP’s activities in South Sudan in the past five years to US$123.8 million.
Ambassador Teferi Tadesse, Ethiopia’s Ambassador to South Sudan, met with Colonel Girma, the new commander of the 3rd battalion of the Regional Protection Force (RPF) in Juba on Tuesday (October 8). He also took leave of Colonel Kibreab, the battalion’s outgoing commander, who briefed Ambassador Teferi on the activities and achievements of the battalion.
Sudan
Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok on Sunday (October 6) called on Saudi businessmen to increase investments in Sudan and pledged to reforms to facilitate foreign investments. He made the call on the side-lines of a visit by Lt. General al-Burhan, the head of the Sovereignty Council, to King Salman of Saudi Arabia. The Prime Minister said: “The change that has taken place in Sudan is profound and comprehensive for all aspects of life, including the creation of a favourable investment environment for foreign investors.” He said he would be organizing a Saudi-Sudanese economic forum to discuss investment opportunities and increase cooperation. Trade between Sudan and Saudi Arabia was worth about US$1.2 billion in 2018.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the head of the UN Department for Peace Operations and Ambassador Smail Chergui, AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, arrived on Monday (October 7) in Khartoum to review progress in the drawdown of the UN-AU Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). They discussed the preparations for peace talks with Darfur armed groups scheduled to begin in Juba next week. M. Lacroix said this was central to creating conditions for a responsible exit from Darfur and to consolidate peace.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign affairs ministry said on Monday (October 7) that Saudi Arabia was working on removing Sudan from the United States’ list of state sponsors of terrorism. This followed a meeting in Riyadh between King Salman and the leader of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council, Lt. General Abdel Fattah Al- Burhan, and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. The kingdom also said it would “establish ambitious investment projects” in Sudan and “improve existing projects”.
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Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed awarded Nobel Peace Prize for 2019
The Nobel Peace Prize for 2019 has been awarded to Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed. The statement from the Norwegian Nobel Committee on Friday (October 11) said the award was given to Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali for his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighboring Eritrea. It added that the prize was also meant to recognize all the stakeholders working for peace and reconciliation in Ethiopia and in the East and Northeast African regions.
The announcement said that when Abiy Ahmed became Prime Minister in April 2018, he made it clear that he wished to resume peace talks with Eritrea. In close cooperation with Isaias Afwerki, the President of Eritrea, Abiy Ahmed quickly worked out the principles of a peace agreement to end the long “no peace, no war” stalemate between the two countries. These principles are set out in the declarations that Prime Minister Abiy and President Afwerki signed in Asmara and Jeddah last July and September. An important premise for the breakthrough was Abiy Ahmed’s unconditional willingness to accept the arbitration ruling of an international boundary commission in 2002. Peace does not arise from the actions of one party alone. When Prime Minister Abiy reached out his hand, President Afwerki grasped it, and helped to formalise the peace process between the two countries. The Norwegian Nobel Committee hopes the peace agreement will help to bring about positive change for the entire populations of Ethiopia and Eritrea.
In Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed has initiated important reforms that give many citizens hope for a better life and a brighter future. He spent his first 100 days as Prime Minister lifting the country’s state of emergency, granting amnesty to thousands of political prisoners, discontinuing media censorship, legalising outlawed opposition groups, dismissing military and civilian leaders who were suspected of corruption, and significantly increasing the influence of women in Ethiopian political and community life. He has also pledged to strengthen democracy by holding free and fair elections.
In the wake of the peace process with Eritrea, Prime Minister Abiy has engaged in other peace and reconciliation processes in East and Northeast Africa. In September 2018 he and his government contributed actively to the normalisation of diplomatic relations between Eritrea and Djibouti after many years of political hostility. Additionally, Abiy Ahmed has sought to mediate between Kenya and Somalia in their protracted conflict over rights to a disputed marine area. There is now hope for a resolution to this conflict. In Sudan, the military regime and the opposition have returned to the negotiating table. On the 17th of August, they released a joint draft of a new constitution intended to secure a peaceful transition to civil rule in the country. Prime Minister Abiy played a key role in the process that led to the agreement.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee hopes that the Nobel Peace Prize will strengthen Prime Minister Abiy in his important work for peace and reconciliation. Ethiopia is Africa’s second most populous country and has East Africa’s largest economy. A peaceful, stable and successful Ethiopia will have many positive side-effects, and will help to strengthen fraternity among nations and peoples in the region. With the provisions of Alfred Nobel’s will firmly in mind, the Norwegian Nobel Committee sees Abiy Ahmed as the person who in the preceding year has done the most to deserve the Nobel Peace Prize for 2019.
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Regional leaders attend the launching of Ethiopia’s Unity Park
President Kenyatta of Kenya, President Mohamed Abdullahi of Somalia, President Salva Kiir of South Sudan and President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok of Sudan and Nabil Mohamed, Minister of Higher Education of Djibouti, leaders and representatives of IGAD Member States, arrived in Addis Ababa on Thursday (October 10) to join in the official inauguration of the newly refurbished Unity Park, in the restored National Palace. Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed welcomed them at Bole International Airport.
Ahead of the ceremony, the Prime Minister’s office said Unity Park “is a manifestation of the medemer idea, inviting us to take stock of our positive capital from the past, our historical and cultural assets, and build upon this for future generations.” It said: “Unity Park symbolizes our ability to come together for a common goal and cross the finish line by creating exquisite lasting prints of our collective worth.”
The National Palace, in the heart of Addis Ababa, was built 130 years ago during the reign of Emperor Minelik 11, and Unity Park lies around it in some 40 hectares of land which now accommodate a zoo, pavilions that showcase cultural and historical assets of Ethiopia, and a traditional garden, as well as residences, halls and chapels.
President Museveni said: “I congratulate the prime minister and the government of Ethiopia for accurately documenting Ethiopia’s history through this park. It is a product of ideological clarity. People without this clarity tend to look at history in a fragmented manner.”
While in Addis Ababa, the visiting leaders are also expected to hold bilateral meetings aimed at boosting regional cooperation among IGAD member states.
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President Sahle-Work opens the joint session of Parliament
President Sahle-Work Zewde addressed the opening of the joint session of the House of People’s Representatives and the House of Federation on Monday (October 8), She highlighted the major achievements of the political and economic reform initiatives taking place and outlined the government’s plans for the current fiscal year, 2019-2020.
In a wide-ranging speech, the President said the Government’s multi-dimensional and inclusive reforms launched last year had expanded the political landscape and registered sound economic growth and the changes in handling human rights issues, building democracy and utilizing resources fairly had also been fruitful. Nevertheless, these achievements had yet to fully successful; by their very nature some of the problems were structural and needed more time to resolve fully. The President said the reforms would continue throughout the year, guided by the Prime Minister’s principle of “medemer“(synergy); a principle that calls for the creation of a better tomorrow by strengthening the political and economic gains secured so far, rectifying previous mistakes and meeting the demands of the coming generation. The end goal is the creation of a proud, prosperous and unified nation.
More than two million people had been displaced by conflict and violence since the government introduced the reforms last year, by with the joint efforts of the federal and regional governments, almost all had been able to return home; no more than about 100,000 were now displaced. President Sahle-Work stressed that the ongoing reforms would include the creation of a strong and competent federal police and the improvement of professionalism among members of the defense forces in the shortest time possible. This would also apply to regional police forces to ensure prevalence of peace across the country.
The Government would also empower the federal and regional police to help the nation carry out the upcoming national elections successfully. The President emphasized that the cooperation of the public, political organizations, media institutions, elites and civic society was crucial, as well as government commitment and preparation, to make the election fair and credible. She said: “If we make this year’s election more democratic than the previous ones, we will put our future political proceedings on solid base.” She said the upcoming national elections would offer three major developments: they would not in any way repeat the mistakes of previous elections; they it should also would be free, fair and acceptable to most of the Ethiopian people; and they would ensure the participation of political elites as well as the general public.
President Sahle-Work noted the Government would continue the three-year program it started last year to reform the justice system, ensuring independence of judges, increasing access to justice services and expanding transparency. This would be supported by training offered to all stakeholders in the sector. She said about 250,000 cases could be expected to be heard and closed during the year. The reforms to the legal system would also include amendments to the Penal Code, Trade Law and Administrative Law of the country.
Turning to the economy, the President said the recently announced Home-grown Economic Reform would be implemented in such a way to rectify imbalances in the country’s macro-economy, increase the participation of the private sector and create adequate and reliable job opportunities for youth. This would also involve the creation of a favorable investment climate, improving economic structures and expanding power supplies and telecom services as well as introducing a high standard of logistics. A job-creation committee, chaired by the Prime Minister, would work to generate job opportunities both at home and overseas; and job seekers would be offered training to help them compete in the international job market. The President said, “Resource mobilization activities would be reinforced from both local and international sources to attract foreign currency. There would be negotiations to ease the burden of external debt.” State-owned enterprises, including Ethio Telecom and sugar factories would be wholly or partially privatized and the nation would have two telecom operators in addition to Ethio-telecom by the end of the fiscal year. To increase agricultural production and productivity, the Government would engage in modernizing the agriculture sector and expanding mechanized farming. “Efforts would be exerted to help farmers use modern technologies through development agents,” she said; and expanding irrigation to substitute for wheat imports would be a prime focus. In the current Ethiopian year, the President said, the government would also “expand drinking water supplies in rural areas by building 50,000 new water supply projects and rehabilitating the existing 13,000.”
The President noted the activities to enhance bilateral and multilateral diplomacy that enable the country to seek new relationships and strengthen existing ones.” As a result of Ethiopia’s citizen-centered diplomacy, she said, more than 90,000 Ethiopian nationals had been able to return home; agreements on overseas employment had been signed with some countries. Diplomatic relations and air links had been re-established with Eritrea and negotiations were underway to establish the legal framework for all-rounded relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea. The President announced that Ethiopia’s first-ever satellite would be launched in December. This would provide “the necessary data on changes in climate and weather-related phenomena that to be utilized for the country’s key targets in agriculture and forestry as well as natural resource protection initiatives.” The satellite, which will be launched from China, will have the command and control center at the Entoto Space Observatory Facility located in the Entoto Hills on the outskirts of Addis Ababa.
The President concluded by emphasizing that “this fiscal year will be marked both by the Government’s effort to improve the political and justice system to solidify peace and unity, and by strengthening Ethiopian citizens’ sense of pride and sovereignty; and by the results of improvements in economic policy, ensuring gender equality and the public participation of youth, and by the translation of our goals, on culture, tourism and societal programs, into action.”
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GERD: Technical consultations should continue, no need for international mediation
The Water Affairs Ministers of Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan met in Khartoum on October 4-5 to hear the results of consultations on the technical aspects of filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Their meeting followed a four-day meeting of the National Independent Scientific Research Group (NISRG) of the three countries earlier in the (September 30 – October 3) at which the group was to consider and report on Ethiopia’s plans for the filling and operation of GERD and the proposals of Egypt and the Sudan, as well as the outcomes of the group’s four preceding meetings. In the course of its deliberations, the NISRG identified points of common understanding as well as points of differences to be resolved by further discussion by the Group with the guidance from the Ministers. However, despite repeated efforts, the Ethiopian and the Sudanese teams failed to persuade the Egyptian team to follow the direction of the Water Ministers to prepare a joint report for feedback and guidance. Ethiopia and Sudan made it clear they wished to continue consultations to resolve outstanding issues. Egypt insisted on a “take it all or leave it” approach. Their meeting concluded without an outcome document.
The Ministers had instructed the heads of the NISRG team of each country to report on their deliberations but as Egypt insisted on minutes of the discussions and that “disagreement on any single issue means disagreement on all issues”. In fact Egypt denied the Ministerial meeting to record minutes of discussion regardless of the consensus on some topics pinpointing that there was divergence. After their meeting, Egypt’s Water and Irrigation Ministry issued a statement claiming talks had reached a deadlock as a result of Ethiopia’s inflexibility. It said Ethiopia had rejected all the proposals that took Egypt’s water interests into account and presented a proposal that lacked guarantees on how to deal with droughts. Egypt, therefore, wanted the involvement of “an international party” to mediate between the three countries and help in reaching a fair and balanced agreement.” It said later that this should be the World Bank. The Egyptian presidency later called on the United States to play “an active role in this regard”. On Friday, the White House had said in a statement that the United States supported … ongoing negotiations to reach a cooperative, sustainable, and mutually beneficial agreement on filling and operating” the dam.
Ethiopia’s Minister for Water and Energy, Dr. Seleshi Bekele, speaking after the talks, rejected any request for a mediator, asking: “Why do we need new partners? Do you want to extend [negotiations] for an indefinite time?” He said any allegation that talks ended in a deadlock was “completely false.” He said: “Some progress has been made…there are some pending issues, but we believe that these pending issues can be solved before completing the construction of the dam.” Ethiopia’s position is very clear: the issues now are purely technical, and so technical consultations among the three countries are the only viable option for the mutual benefit of the three countries. Given the decision that the NISRG should hold nine meetings, Ethiopia believes more time needs to be given to the technical group to finalize its mandate.
Ethiopia issued a press statement on Saturday, October 5, emphasizing the importance of continuing the technical consultations. The statement said: The Government of Ethiopia is of the conviction that the technical consultation must continue, as it presents the only option for resolution of differences among the three countries with respect to filling and operation of the GERD. It said that the Government of Egypt’s unilateral proposal on technical aspects of filling and operation of the GERD had side-stepped the working procedure of the NISRG and disrupted the ongoing process.
The NISRG had reached an agreement on some points while some other issues remain outstanding, and the statement stressed: “These points of divergence could be resolved through further deliberation by the NISRG.” The statement made it clear that the filling plan of Ethiopia “is set to be completed in stages that will take four to seven years depending upon the hydrology” and is considerate of the interests of the downstream countries of the Nile. Ethiopia and Sudan followed a constructive and inclusive approach for the discussion of the NISRG. However, the Egyptian side persisted in the position of insisting on having all its proposals accepted. Without this, it was not willing to have the NISRG conduct its analysis. The statement said this approach by Egypt wasn’t new, and it is another instance of a disruptive tactic Egypt had applied to halt the hydrological, environmental and social impact assessment of the GERD.
Ethiopia maintains the possibility of resolving the issues based on trilateral technical consultation and the invocation of Principle Ten of the DOP is premature. Principle Ten is the Principle of Peaceful Settlement of Disputes. The statement said that despite tireless efforts during their two days meeting to consider the progress of the work of the NISRG, the Ministers of Water Affairs did not manage to decide on the way forward. This was because of a predetermined plan by the Egyptian delegation to make the process fail.
The proposal of the Government of Egypt to invite third party in the discussions is unwarranted and unjustified by the nature of the outstanding technical issues. It is a denial of the progress that has been made in the trilateral technical dialogue. It violates the Agreement on the Declaration of Principles signed by the three countries on 23 March 2015. It also goes against the consent and wishes of Ethiopia and the Sudan. It affects cooperation between the Parties negatively, undermines opportunities for continued technical dialogue between the Parties, and disrupts any positive spirit of cooperation. To subject the discussion to a political forum contravenes the direction given by the leaders of the three countries to the Water Affairs Ministers to resolve the technical issues and would prevent attainment of a successful resolution of the technical issues. The Government of Ethiopia believes the existing mechanisms of cooperation allow for resolution of differences. It would remind all sides to refrain from negative media and other campaigns that will have no other effect than eroding confidence within the three countries.
The statement emphasizes the Government of Ethiopia will reinforce its efforts to realize development of its water resources to meet the present and future needs of its people. Ethiopia upholds the principles of equitable and reasonable utilization and causing no significant harm to any other riparian country, in the use of the waters of the Nile. It will continue to follow an approach that will not result in direct or indirect recognition of any pre-existing water allocation treaty with no applicability to Ethiopia.
Later a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said “The Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia commends the Water Affairs Ministers of Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt for convening in Khartoum to continue with the trilateral dialogue on the filling and operation of Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. The Government reiterates the right of all the eleven basin countries of the Nile to utilize the Nile water based on the principles of equitable utilization and the causing of no significant harm, which underlines the right of Ethiopia to develop its water resources to meet the development needs of its people. The Government of Ethiopia will reinforce its efforts to make the on-going trilateral dialogue a success. It expects a similar commitment from the downstream countries, Egypt and Sudan. Ethiopia stands ready to resolve any differences and outstanding concerns by consultation among the three countries.
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The Third Political Consultation between Ethiopia and Poland
The Third Political Consultation between Ethiopia and Poland was held in Warsaw on Monday this week (October 7). The Ethiopian delegation was led by Ambassador Mahlet Hailu, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for North America, Asia, Europe and Multilateral Affairs. The Polish side was led by Maciej Lang, Undersecretary for Security, Asia, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East policy in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland.
Opening the consultation, the two Co-Chairs emphasized the keen interest and commitment of both countries to further strengthen their bilateral relationship and raise it to the highest level. They also agreed on the mechanisms for cooperation in various fields and underlined the role of the political consultation as an important device to enhance cooperation between the two countries.
Ambassador Mahlet briefed Mr. Lang and his colleagues on the internal situation in Ethiopia since the peaceful transfer of power in April last year. She focused on the bold social, political and economic reforms launched by Prime Minister Dr. Abiy, in Ethiopia and their impact and effect across the region. She stressed that a new chapter had been opened in the country’s history, a chapter that offered realistic and genuine prospects for peace, democracy and reconciliation in the country and also in the Horn of Africa generally. Permanent Secretary Mahlet provided the latest details of recent developments with regard to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and the Nile, updating the Polish delegation on the status of the construction of the Dam as well as the trilateral mechanism and the ongoing consultations between Ethiopia, Egypt and the Sudan.
The trade volume between Ethiopia and Poland is very low, and Ambassador Mahlet proposed that Ethio-Polish business fora should be organized either in Addis or Warsaw to further explore trade and investment opportunities. She invited the Undersecretary and his government to encourage Polish companies and investors to invest in Ethiopia, particularly in agro-industrial areas in which Poland has extensive experience. A visit by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia in the second half of 2020 was proposed. It was suggested that pending and suggested draft agreements could be signed during the planned Ministerial visit.
During its visit to Warsaw, the Ethiopian Delegation also had the opportunity to visit the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Poland as well as the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange. It held useful discussions and exchanged views on ways to cooperate further, particularly in terms of capacity building and exchange of information.
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UNHCR and US welcome Ethiopia’s progressive policies for refugees
Ambassador Zenebe Kebede, Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva and other International Organizations in Switzerland, led the Ethiopian delegation to the 70th Session of the Executive Committee of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Program this week (October 7-11).
The delegation included Mr. Addisu Kebenessa, Deputy Director-General of the Agency for Refugees and Returnees Affairs, who addressed the session on Ethiopia’s substantial efforts on behalf of the close to 940,000 refugees it hosts. It had reorganizing the Agency for Refugee and Returnee Affairs and enacted a new civil society law to put in place the necessary legal and institutional infrastructure for an inclusive and comprehensive refugee response. Refuge primary education had reached 74%, secondary education 12% and another 3,600 refugees were studying at different universities with the support of the Government. Ethiopia, he said, pledged to achieve universal registration of refugees and issuance of birth certificates to all refugee children in Ethiopia by 2024. Mr. Addisu, who noted Ethiopia would participate at the highest level in the upcoming Global Refugee Forum in December in Geneva, also highlighted the growing funding gap as a challenge for the provision of assistance and protection for refugees. He called on the UNHCR to support Ethiopia by providing robust reintegration packages to Ethiopian refugees who are requesting to return and start life in Ethiopia.
In responding to Ethiopia’s statement, UNHCR’s High Commissioner Filipo Grandi appreciated Ethiopia’s key role in bringing peace to the region and its importance in finding solutions to refugees. He said the UNHCR would scale up its support to ensure that Ethiopian returnees got sufficient support allowing them to reintegrate sustainably; and he called on the international community to increase its support to Ethiopia.
The Ethiopian delegation also held discussions with the US Delegation led by Mrs. Margaret Pollack, Director for Multilateral Coordination and External Relations and Senior Advisor on Population Issues, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, at the U.S. Department of State. AmbassadorZenebe Kebede highlighted the need to address environmental damage that is happening in refugee hosting areas due to inadequate supply of renewable energy. He called on the US to further scale-up support to internally displaced persons in Ethiopia. While noting that the vast majority of IDP’s have returned to their place of origin, he said the task of restoring their livelihood remained a daunting task that needed international support. Mr. Addisu thanked the US for the support it provided in education and health for refugees. He noted Ethiopia was finalizing its 10-year strategy to allow for refugee self-reliance through service inclusion and access to the labor market. He emphasized the need for international support to realize the promise of the new strategy and the refugee law.
Mrs. Pollack appreciated Ethiopia’s continued generosity in hosting refugees and the progressive steps taken towards the implementation of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework. She said the US appreciated the efforts made for registration of refugees and the new law allowing a range of rights to refugees, and underlined its commitment to continue humanitarian and development support as well as mobilize support from the private sector to support the refugee operations in Ethiopia.
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UN Security Council affirms importance of South Sudan’s revitalized peace agreement
A UN Security Council Presidential Statement issued on Tuesday (October 8) reaffirmed the importance of the Revitalized Peace Agreement for Sustained Peace, Stability in South Sudan. It marked the one-year anniversary of the signing of the agreement, and welcomed the initial progress in implementation. This included the formation of the institutions and mechanisms, joint local peace-building activities and the improved delivery of humanitarian assistance to many areas.
The Council welcomed the recent meeting between President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar. The talks had focused on speeding up the screening and reunification of forces in order to create a united national army before Machar’s expected return next month, when he will take up the position of President Kiir’s deputy. The Council called for continued high-level, face-to-face, meetings to resolve outstanding issues and allow for the formation of a Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity, in accordance with the timeline agreed by the parties on 3 May.
It called upon the parties to expedite the implementation of transitional security arrangements and to continue consultations towards a common solution regarding the number and boundaries of states. It also urged the Government of South Sudan to disburse the balance of funds pledged for implementation of the Revitalized Agreement in an accountable manner. Parties not signatory to the Revitalized Agreement should renounce violence, adhere to the cessation-of-hostilities agreements and seek a political resolution for their concerns over the accord. The Council called upon signatories to engage with non‑signatories in a non‑violent and constructive manner.
The Security Council condemned the conflict in the Equatoria region, as well as continued sexual violence and all violation of agreements on the protection of civilians. It expressed concern over the dire humanitarian, human rights and economic situation in the country. It called on all groups to protect medical facilities and personnel and other civilian infrastructure, to allow unhindered humanitarian access and to end sexual violence and use of child soldiers.
The Council statement expressed appreciation for the facilitation work by IGAD and encouraged it to appoint a permanent Chairperson for the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, to replace former Botswana president Festus Mogae who stepped down over a year ago. It also welcomed the critical role played by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and demanded Government and opposition groups put an end to any obstruction of the activities of UNMISS and of the Joint Monitoring and Verification Mechanism.
