News in Brief
Foreign Minister Gedu and EU Ambassadors hold Article 8 dialogue
The 4th Technical Ministerial Meeting on the Grand Renaissance Dam
UN Security Council extends UNISFA mandate until mid-May 2020
Security Council told: Federal Government and States must co-operate in Somalia
Ethiopia’s Chief Justice on a working visit to the United Kingdom
An Ethio-South Korea Business Forum in Addis Ababa
Ethiopia participates in the China International Travel Mart 2019
Africa and the African Union
UNICEF marked World Children’s Day to raise awareness on children’s rights on Wednesday (November 20) and this year is the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of UNICEF said: “As we mark 30 years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, let’s also look ahead to the next 30 years and commit to redoubling our efforts to ensure we leave no child behind.” She stressed that World Children’s Day provided world leaders with a “momentous opportunity” to pay attention to children’s rights worldwide and to recommit to those rights.
The World Export Development Forum was opened in Addis Ababa on Wednesday (November 20) under the theme “Trade and Invest in One Africa.” The Forum is timed to contribute to Africa Industrialization Week, intended to help business make the most of the newly ratified African Continental Free Trade Area agreement with a special focus on the role of women and youth and to address international business competitiveness issues and profile international investment in Ethiopia and beyond. It was co-hosted by the International Trade Centre and the Ethiopian Ministry of Trade and Industry.
The 4th annual meeting of Africa Free Zones Organization (AFZO) started at AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa on Tuesday (November 18). AU Commissioner for Trade and Industry, Ambassador Albert Muchanga stressed the importance of special economic zones for structural transformation in Africa. President of AFZO, Mehdi Tazi Riffi, said AFZO had been put in place by Africans, for Africans, to develop successful African special economic zones. Ms. Dagmawit Moges, Ethiopia’s Minister of Transport, highlighted the importance of transit and transport corridors to connect economic zone with other areas. The two-day meeting attracted over 220 participants from 43 countries, with representatives from over 60 African Economic Zones and partners and international experts.
Ethiopia
President Sahle-Work Zewde received the Credentials of the newly appointed Ambassadors to Ethiopia of Burundi, Iceland, Kazakistan, Lebanon, the Philippines, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa and Venezuela, on Saturday (November 16). The President highlighted the great importance Ethiopia attaches to the relations with their countries and encouraged them to continue effort to expand existing relations and explore new avenues for investment and trade.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed held talks with Simeon Oyono Esono Angue, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Equatorial Guinea on Friday (November 15). Mr. Angue delivered a personal message from President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo in which he congratulated Prime Minister Abiy on his Nobel Peace Prize, thanked him for Ethiopia’s support of Equatorial Guinea’s nomination to the UNESCO Executive Council and invited Prime Minister Abiy to make an official State visit to Equatorial Guinea.
Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachew met with resident European Union Ambassadors led by Ambassador Johan Borgsatm on Wednesday (November 20) for a meeting under the Article 8 dialogue of the Cotonou Agreement, regulating cooperation between the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. (See article)
The 4th Technical Ministerial meeting of the Ministers of Water Affairs of Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan on the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) was held at the end of last week (November 15-16). The meeting identified points of convergence and of divergence. The next session will be in Cairo on December 2-3.(See article)
Mrs. Meaza Ashenafi, President of the Federal Supreme Court of Ethiopia, led a delegation of senior Ethiopian judges on a working visit to the United Kingdom last week, holding a series of meetings and consultations with members of the UK judiciary and justice-sector institutions. (See article)
Defense Minister Lemma Megersa signed a Memorandum of Understanding on strengthening bilateral defense and military cooperation with Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Bowardi, UAE Minister of State for Defense Affairs, on Tuesday (November 19) on the sidelines of the 16th Dubai Airshow. Al Mowardi said the agreement underlined the UAE’s commitment to consolidating partnerships and cooperation with its partners. Minister Lemma stressed
Ethiopia’s keenness to advance Emirati-Ethiopian defense cooperation in order to serve their mutual interests.
Dr. Hirut Kassa, Minister of Culture and Tourism is attending the UNESCO Forum of Ministers of Culture in Paris this week to discuss the central role of culture in peace, education, sustainable development and employment. Ministers are presenting their cultural policy priorities and visions for the future in response to the challenges and opportunities of contemporary societies.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tilaye Gete, speaking at the 40th General Conference of UNESCO, last week welcomed the designation of President Sahle-Work Zewde as Chair of the Commission on the Futures of Education of UNESCO. He highlighted the ongoing political, economic and social transformation in Ethiopia and underlined the emphasis on sustainable development, including protection of the environment and tackling of climate change with almost all energy needs coming from renewable and clean energy sources, the massive tree planting campaign, and safeguarding of tangible and intangible cultural and natural heritage sites, as well as the focus on education for eradication of poverty and achievement of SDGs by prioritizing quality education and improving learning outcomes for women, girls and marginalized communities.
Dr. Tilaye Gete, Minister of Education met with Tian Xue Jun, Vice-Minister of Education of China on the sidelines of the UNSEO meeting in Paris last week. The Vice-Minister expressed his country’s readiness to further increase support to Ethiopia’s education sector.
State Minister Mrs. Hirut Zemene held talks with Deng Dau Deng Malek, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of South Sudan on Thursday last week (November 14) on the implementation of critical pending pre-transitional tasks. Mr. Deng Dau said his Government had started taking the necessary measures. Mrs. Hirut emphasized the need for
special attention to issues relating to the security arrangements. She reminded the South Sudan delegation on the importance of cooperating with the guarantors and reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to send a supervisor within a week to help oversee the implementation of outstanding issues.
State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Aklilu Hailemichael opened the Ethiopia-South Korea Business Forum in Addis Ababa on Monday this week (November 18). The South Korean business delegation of more than 40 companies attending the Forum, which aimed to enhance bilateral ties and showcase Ethiopian investment opportunities, is on a two week visit to Ethiopia. (See article)
State Minister Dr. Aklilu Hailemichael held talks with the Sultanate of Oman Charge d’Affaires to Ethiopia, Jassim Bin Eid Al Saadi on Friday last week (November 15). The State Minister called for strengthened relations between the Ethiopian and Omani Chambers of Commerce and underlined the importance of creating direct links between Oman and Ethiopian exporters of livestock, coffee, flowers and oilseeds. Mr. Jassim Bin Eid Al Saadi, who reiterated the need to expedite the signing of pending labor law agreements, noted the Oman Chamber of Commerce had invited the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Association for a dialogue in Oman in February.
A Sudanese Public Diplomacy Team of more than 50 members, arrived in Addis Ababa on Thursday (November 21), for a three-day official visit. The team was composed of Sudanese Government officials, religious leaders, prominent individuals, journalists, artists, members of the business community, women, and representatives of political parties and higher education institutions. The visit aimed to cement people-to-people ties between the two countries and to thank the Government of Ethiopia for its contribution in restoring peace in Sudan.
Ethiopia and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) signed a $90 million loan agreement for a new lowlands livelihood resilience project on Monday (November 19) in Rome. The agreement signed by Ambassador Zenebu Tadesse, Ambassador to Italy and Gilbert Houngbo, President of IFAD will allow half a million most vulnerable families to increase resilience to climate shocks. The project will install small-scale irrigation technology to reduce dependence on erratic rains and help smallholder farmers as well as strengthen rangeland and natural resources management, improve delivery of social services and help mitigate conflicts over scarce resources. Women, half of the participants, and young people will especially benefit; and the project will cover the pastoral and agro-pastoral areas in the Afar, Benishangul-Gumuz, Gambela, Oromia, Somali and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ region. Since 1980, IFAD has invested $755.5 million in 19 rural development programs and projects directly benefitting around 11.5 million rural households.
Ethiopia’s Ambassador to China, Ambassador Teshome Toga, attended the 2019 One Town One Product International Commodity Fair (OTOP 2019) held in Changsha, Hunan Province, on Friday last week (November 15). Speaking at the OTOP International Cooperation Forum, Ambassador Teshome noted the Trade Facilitation Initiative of China under Forum on China-Africa Cooperation which was designed to expand the spectrum of imports from Africa, had demonstrated the Chinese Government’s commitment to embrace a fairer trading system with a sense of economic mutuality for all. He said this would “narrow the trade imbalance between China and Africa, through increased Foreign Direct Investment in manufacturing and value addition.”
Ethiopia’s Ambassador to the UK, Ambassador Fesseha Shawel Gebre, attended the launch of a book by Dr. Arkebe Oqubay, Senior Minister and Special Advisor to Prime Minister Dr. Abiy at the London School of Economics on Wednesday (November 20). Co-edited with Kenichi Ohno, a celebrated Japanese economist, the new book, titled “How Nations Learn,” aims to generate interest and debate among policy makers, researchers and practitioners on the complexity of technological learning, industrial policy and the problems of catching-up for developing nations.
The Ethiopian Embassy in Beijing participated last week in Asia’s largest and most influential professional tourism exhibition, the China International Travel Mart (CITM) held this year (November 15-17) in Kunming city, Yunnan Province. (See article)
Djibouti
The Minister of Equipment and Transport, Moussa Mohammed Ahmed, visited Ethiopia this week for talks with Ethiopia’s Minister of Transport, Dagmawit Moges, on the development of the freight and passenger services of the Ethio-Djibouti railway line over the last two years, and to discuss plans for the future as well as cost sharing. Safety, tariffs, and provision of reliable electricity for the trains were also on the agenda. Ms. Dagmawit said joint management of rail, maritime, aviation and road transport linking the two counties would facilitate import-export trade. Moussa Mohammed Ahmed said Djibouti was ready to work jointly with Ethiopia in the field of transport.
Eritrea
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Osman Saleh, addressed an Eritrean community seminar in Jeddah on Saturday (November 16), detailing the objective situation in Eritrea and regional developments as well as the national development program to improve the livelihoods of citizens. He said the peace and friendship agreement signed between Eritrea and Ethiopia attested the relentless diplomatic efforts of the Government of Eritrea, adding that the positive engagement and respect for each other would make a significant contribution to regional peace and stability.
Kenya
The UN and other partners of Somalia, including AMISOM, the EU, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, France and Germany, issued a statement last Saturday (November 16) welcoming last week’s agreement by President Kenyatta and Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi to normalize relations. It said “mutually beneficial relations between Somalia and its neighbors contributed to the prosperity of their peoples, and positively impact security and development in the wider Horn of Africa region.” Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary, Ms. Monica Juma, said “The two principals agreed to bring normality to our bilateral relations and do everything to ensure peaceful relations.” She added that President Abdullahi had expressed his confidence that the ICJ issue would be resolved in a mutually acceptable manner and not affect our bilateral relations. The ICJ postponed the final hearings until June next year following a request by Kenya.
Somalia
President Mohamed Abdullahi met with the Attorney-General of Qatar, Dr. Ali bin Fetais Al Marri, on Saturday (November 16). They were both on visits to Nairobi and discussed ways of cooperation in consolidating the rule of law and fighting corruption.
Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre met with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on Sunday (November 17) and discussed cooperation between the two countries and ways to promote it. The Prime Minister also delivered a message from President Mohamed Abdullahi on bilateral relations and the means to develop them. During his visit, the Prime Minister also held talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs, Dr. Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah and senior officers in the Qatar Armed Forces.
The UN Security Council was briefed on Somalia on Thursday this week (November 210 by James Swan, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and Head of UNSOM, Ambassador Madeira, Head of AMISOM and the Chair of the National Independent Electoral Commission. Council members welcomed Somalia’s progress, expressed concern over the continuing threat of Al-Shabaab and the humanitarian crises, and strongly urged resolution of differences between the Federal Government and the federal member states through sustained dialogue and cooperation. (See article)
The UN Security Council renewed the mandate of the Panel of Experts, and the Sanctions Regime on Somalia, on Friday last week (November 15) despite Somalia’s Permanent Representative calling for the lifting of “the outdated sanctions imposed on Somalia”.
The United Nations said on Monday this week (November 18) that flooding in parts of Somalia had now affected more than 547,000 people, with 370,000 displaced from their homes. OCHA said at least 17 people have died since the flooding started a month ago with farmland, roads and infrastructure destroyed, and livelihoods disrupted. OCHA said humanitarian agencies and partners had reached at least 105,000 flood-affected people but significant gaps remain in the provision of assistance. The floods were triggered by moderate to heavy Deyr seasonal rains that started early in September in Somalia and in southern Ethiopia where the Juba and Shabelle rivers rise. The two rivers require constant maintenance and upkeep but this has been lacking for several decades.
South Sudan
South Africa’s Deputy President David Mabuza arrived in Juba for a working visit on Wednesday this week (November 20) to strengthen and support efforts to deal with various aspects crucial to the final formation of the transitional government. South Africa is chair of the AU’s Adhoc Committee on South Sudan, the “C5” of South Africa, Algeria, Chad, Nigeria and Rwanda, set up to express political support to the South Sudan peace process. Mr. Mabuza is also South Africa’s Special Envoy to South Sudan. He and his delegation are holding talks with various stakeholders.
AU Peace and Security Commissioner, Ambassador Smail Chergui said South Sudan leaders have their “last chance” to form a national unity government. Ambassador Chergui made the remarks at a meeting with United States officials in Washington on Friday last week (November 15). He said: “This maybe is the last chance for them to respond to the will of their people. The South Sudanese are tired of war. “
The United States Ambassador to South Sudan, Ambassador Thomas J. Hushek urged South Sudan’s rival leaders to hold regular face-to-face meetings as part of their commitment to implement the revitalized peace agreement on Tuesday (November 19). He said: “There have been a couple of good face-to-face meetings, but all the leaders need to be meeting regularly…They need to be building the habits of collaborative governance so that when they are all in Juba in a unity government, they [will] be in the habit of meeting daily, weekly, discussing issues, not trying to beat out the other faction, but to govern in a collaborative way.”
Sudan
The UN Security Council met on Thursday last week (November 14), and unanimously extended the mandate of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) until 15 May 2020, but specified that Sudan and South Sudan must show “measurable progress” on the border issues before that date. The Council also demanded the two Governments provide full support to UNISFA and expressed strong disappointment about continued obstruction from both parties.(See article)
The talks between the Transitional Government, the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) and the SPLM-N led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, due to resume on Thursday (November 21) have been postponed until December 10. South Sudanese Presidential Adviser Tut Kew Gatluak who is mediating the talks on ending the armed conflicts in Darfur and South Kordofan and Blue Nile State said the delay was because the opposition groups were holding discussion workshops in different areas.
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Foreign Minister Gedu and EU Ambassadors hold Article 8 dialogue
Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachew met and held discussions with resident European Union Ambassadors led by Ambassador Johan Borgsatm on Wednesday (November 20).The meeting was held in accordance with Article 8 dialogue of the Cotonou Agreement that regulates cooperation between the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries and covers their economic, political and development relationship. In his opening remarks, Foreign Minister Gedu appreciated the EU for its unrelenting commitment to development assistance and underlined Ethiopia’s belief that its partnership with the EU was of great significance to the realization of the development goals the country is striving to achieve. The EU Ambassadors, who praised the reforms Ethiopia was undertaking raised a number of issues and questions with the Foreign Minister.
The Minister, explaining Ethiopia’s new foreign policy directions, stressed the countries of the Horn were embarking on a new path of cooperation spearheaded by Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed. They were showing the world that they were capable of solving their problems by themselves. The Minister briefed the EU Ambassadors on Ethiopia’s positive role in promoting peace with its neighbours, emphasizing Ethiopia’s interests were best served through the existence of peaceful and stable neighboring countries. He reassured the EU Ambassadors that the relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea stood on firm grounds. He said the details of future relations would materialize once the two countries established institutions that are capable of carrying out the terms of the trade and political agreements.
The Foreign Minister highlighted the successful Referendum for a Sidama Regional State which was taking place that day, Wednesday (November 20), and reassured the Ambassadors that Ethiopia was preparing to conduct free and fair national elections in 2020. He said: “Making the upcoming election free, fair and credible will be the culmination of the democratic reform that the current Government has championed.” Concerning the Grand Renaissance Dam, Mr. Gedu stressed that the construction of the dam was to support poverty alleviation and socio-economic development efforts. These were matters of survival for the country. He briefed the Ambassadors on the recent Washington discussions between the Water Ministers of Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan.
The ambassadors raised concerns over the recent conflicts in some parts of Ethiopia, the endangering of people’s rights to life, and the effect on the business environment. Mr. Gedu underlined the Government’s commitment to secure peace and stability in the country and its determination to ensure both foreign and domestic investment could flourish. He detailed the positive developments that have been achieved since the implementation of the new reform agenda to ensure the human rights of all Ethiopian Citizens. He said that a lot remained to be done to address challenges to human rights including the need to improve the capacity of institutions in the country.
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The 4th Technical Ministerial Meeting on the Grand Renaissance Dam
The 4th Technical Ministerial meeting of the Ministers of Water Affairs of Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan on the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) was held at the end of last week (November 15-16) in Addis Ababa. The meeting discussed outstanding technical aspects of the filling and operation of the GERD on the basis of the topics agreed at the third ministerial meeting held in Khartoum at the beginning of October. Among these were the technicalities of dealing with possible droughts, protracted drought and the refill situation, as well as the coordination mechanism between the three countries. The meeting identified some points of convergence and divergence, and agreed to resume the discussions in Cairo on December 2-3.
Ethiopia’s Water, Irrigation and Energy Minister Dr. Seleshi Bekele said after the meeting: “Our trilateral meeting on GERD filling and operation ended 16th Nov 2019 evening. It progressed well, surmounting previous obstacles.” He tweeted that “We have organized our agreeable and yet to be resolved issues of the three countries in one document, signed minutes, and communicated jointly,” adding, “Major areas covered include basis, principles, filling the dam in stages, operation under normal and extreme conditions, coordination mechanism and ecosystem functions, all topics with multiple negotiation points.”
Sudan’s Minister Yassir Mohamed Abbas said the meeting was positive and had made progress on the six issues put on the table at Khartoum in October. He said the discussions addressed permanent operations of the dam, the size of annual use of the dam’s water and its effect on the dam systems in Egypt and Sudan.
In a statement after the talks, Egypt said the discussions had involved technical discussions on the rules of filling and operating the GERD, as well as how to deal with cases of drought or prolonged drought that might occur in the future, but gave no further details.
The Addis Ababa meeting was the first of four rounds of talks agreed at the US-brokered meeting between the three parties in Washington earlier this month. According to the Washington agreement, Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan will hold a series of urgent trilateral meetings with the participation of observers from the US and the World Bank to break the deadlock in the technical discussions. These meetings aim to reach agreement between the three countries on operating the dam and filling the reservoir, by 15 January 2020.
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UN Security Council extends UNISFA mandate until mid-May 2020
The UN Security Council met on Thursday last week (November 14) and unanimously adopting resolution 2497 (2019), extended the mandate of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) until 15 May 2020, but specified that Sudan and South Sudan must show “measurable progress” on the border issues before that date. The resolution demands the two Governments provide full support to UNISFA in the deployment of its personnel; and expressed strong disappointment about continued obstruction from both parties in that regard. The resolution maintains the current troop ceiling of 3,550 personnel, deciding to postpone the withdrawal of an additional 295 troops for the period of the mandate extension. The authorized police ceiling was maintained at 640 personnel, but the Council expressed its concern about the delay in reaching the full police deployment, and noted Government of Sudan had been slow to issue visas.
The Council also decided to extend the modification in UNISFA’s mandate that provides support to the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism. It said that this would, however, be the final such extension unless the parties show measurable progress in border discussions, freedom of movement for patrols, withdrawal of forces and other requirements.
The resolution also reiterates the request to the UN Secretary-general to appoint a civilian Deputy Head of Mission for UNISFA. It asked for a report by mid-April 2020 to cover this, the deployment of police and the issuing of visas as well as progress toward stabilizing the area and settling the border dispute.
Speakers, who thanked Ethiopia for providing the forces for the mission, urged Sudan and South Sudan to provide full support to UNISFA. They underlined the need for a strengthened police component, and for greater effort to find resolution of outstanding issues. The parties must cooperate and make progress toward a final settlement of the Abyei issue. The Security Council must keep pressing for progress.
Sudan’s representative thanked the Council for the extension of UNIFSA’s mandate. He reiterated Sudan’s commitment to cooperate with UNISFA, to maintain peace in Abyei and establish the common mechanisms that would lead to agreement on the final status of the area. He stressed the temporary arrangements of 2011, for the Administration and Security of the Abyei Area, and the Joint Political and Security Mechanism, and other joint mechanisms, including the Joint Border Commission and Joint Demarcation Committee, remained the basis of any progress and said they must remain in force until the final status was determined. Pledging Sudan would continue to cooperate with all relevant parties, he called on the Council to establish the entities called for in the agreement, including the Abyei Area Council, the Abyei Area Administration and Abyei Police Service, as the only way to secure stability and a final resolution.
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Security Council told: Federal Government and States must co-operate in Somalia
James Swan, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) told the UN Security Council on Thursday (November 21) that progress on the ambitious agenda for Somalia in 2020 would “require a high degree of political consensus.” Underlining the critical importance of the upcoming elections, he said there must be broad consensus at all levels and it was of particular importance to forge cooperation between the Central Government and key Federal Member States. This was particularly important after a year without effective cooperation between the Central Government and key federal member states, Galmudug, Jubaland and Somaliland. Leaders must act urgently to break the stalemate and the urged them to act with responsibility, eschew violence and protect the integrity of national institutions. He urged dialogue, compromise and pragmatism, with the support of international partners to overcome differences, and called for building a consensus with the approach of the critical elections in 2020.
Ambassador Swan welcomed the advances in Somalia’s fight against Al-Shabaab and in planning for political and economic progress. He said additional force generation was now required for AMISOM to continue advances as well as to support related institutional reforms. He applauded the courage and tenacity of Somali and AMISOM forces. He said that since his last report three months ago, the country has made progress in all areas, finding a path to debt relief, adopting a new national development plan and holding territory captured from Al-Shabaab. He noted President Mohamed Abdullahi and President Kenyatta of Kenya had announced last week plans to normalize bilateral relations which had been strained since February.
The Security Council also heard from Ambassador Madeira, Special Representative of the Chairperson and Head of AMISOM; Halima Ismail Ibrahim, Chair of the National Independent Electoral Commission; and Osman Moallim, Executive Director of the Somalia Youth Development Network.
Mr. Madeira, speaking by video-teleconference from Mogadishu, noted AMISOM’s support for national efforts to complete the constitutional review by June 2020, and prepare for elections, scheduled for 2020 and 2021. An electoral bill had already been introduced, a national electoral task force appointed and the selection of voter-registration sites was underway; AMISOM had realigned its work to better support electoral preparations, he said. However, he cautioned that progress remained fragile and required international support. He said Al-Shabaab was finding it increasingly difficult to operate along supply routes and had been forced into hiding after months of intense activity. AMISOM, he said, had already handed over security in several key towns to the Somali Security Forces, but major force-generation gaps remained and he stressed military pressure against Al-Shabaab “must be relentless”. To achieve those goals, better trained and equipped Somali battalions were required, as well as greater support from partners. He welcomed the decision to hold a conference on force generation in December, as well as the European Union’s decision to redirect some of its support to force-generation efforts.
Ms. Ibrahim explained that the clan-based power-sharing model in place since 2017 had been compromised by vote-buying, limited participation by women and the total exclusion of marginalized and minority groups. This was why the one-person-one-vote suffrage was necessary in the forthcoming election. She noted the provisional registration of political parties, the identification of potential voter-registration sites, voter-education messages and the construction of a data processing centre due to be completed in February 2020. She emphasized leaders must view the upcoming elections as a constitutional obligation and a national priority, and provide the Commission with the support it needed, including the adoption of an electoral law by the end of the year. She appealed to Somalia’s international partners for funding, estimating the operational cost of the 2020 election at $53 million.
Mr. Moallim, who also spoke via tele-conference from Mogadishu, emphasized the importance of inclusive and credible elections through one-person-one-vote suffrage. He said Somali civil society was ready to support the process when a political consensus is achieved and called for international support for security, for reconciliation efforts between the Federal Government and the federal member states, and for ensuring inclusive participation, particularly by women.
Council members, while expressing concern over the continuing threats posed by Al-Shabaab and the humanitarian crises, welcomed Somalia’s progress but urged the resolution of differences between the Federal Government and the federal member states through sustained dialogue and cooperation. South Africa, speaking for the African representatives, warned that political tensions might increase as elections approached. It called on the African Union, United Nations and the Federal Government to undertake a joint threat assessment in order to inform the reduction of 1,000 AMISOM troops by February 28 next year. Any future draw down must be based on conditions on the ground and on the capacity and capability of Somali security forces.
Somalia’s representative said his country’s priorities were concluding the constitutional review, preparing for elections, providing humanitarian relief and strengthening security institutions. He said the Government was fully committed to bold reform and timely electoral preparations and recognized its goals could not be met in the absence of cooperation and engagement with the federal member states. However, he also said, it would not recognize election outcomes in places where the voting was not fair and inclusive, and neither should its partners.
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Ethiopia’s Chief Justice on a working visit to the United Kingdom
Mrs. Meaza Ashenafi, the President of the Federal Supreme Court of Ethiopia, led a delegation of senior Ethiopian judges on a first working visit to the United Kingdom last week. The Chief Justice and her delegation held a series of meetings and consultations with members of the UK’s senior judiciary and justice-sector institutions as part of efforts to strengthen cooperation in the rule of law and advance judicial reform in Ethiopia. Accompanying the Chief Justice, were Mr. Fuad Kiyar, President of the Federal First Instance Court, Ms. Ruta Gebretsadik Alemayehu, Civil Bench Judge at the Federal Supreme Court, Mr. Mulusew Dires Fentie, Commercial Bench Judge at the Federal High Court and Ms. Abigeya Getachew Wolde, Reform Coordinator/Legal Assistant in the Office of the Chief Justice.
The delegation met senior judges and legal professionals from the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, the Royal Courts of Justice, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey) and the Administrative Court of England and Wales. The Delegation observed legal proceedings in these courts as part of the experience-gathering component of the trip.
During the visit, Chief Justice Meaza delivered the keynote address for the International Rule of Law Lecture 2019 hosted by the General Council of the Bar on championing judicial independence during democratic transition. Later in the week, the Chief Justice also sat on a panel at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on “Women in the Law”. Among those attending were Supreme Court Justice, Lady Arden of Heswall; Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, Barrister and Member of the House of Lords; and Professor, writer and broadcaster, Afua Hirsch.
The delegation concluded their working visit with a roundtable discussion at the Ethiopian Embassy in London with UK legal professionals of Ethiopian descent. The Chief Justice and her colleagues briefed participants on the state of judicial reforms currently being undertaken in Ethiopia, and encouraged Ethiopian lawyers abroad to contribute their share to the success of these reforms. Mrs. Meaza said that although challenges still remained, the Judiciary in Ethiopia was now free of undue political pressure from the Executive, a landmark in Ethiopia’s history. The briefing was followed by a lively question and answer session in which legal professionals from the Diaspora, specializing in various areas of the law, were able to raise questions about the state of the judiciary and the legal sector in Ethiopia.
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An Ethio-South Korea Business Forum in Addis Ababa
An Ethio-South Korea Business Forum was held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Addis Ababa on Monday (November 18). Organized by the Ethiopian Embassy in Seoul, the Korea-Africa Foundation, Korea Federation of Textile Industries, Ethio-South Korea Business Association, the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations, the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce, the South Korean Embassy in Ethiopia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, it aimed to attract Foreign Direct Investment and strengthen business-to-business relations. It was attended by more than 90 Ethiopian and South Korean companies, including more than 40 South Korean enterprises making a pre-Investment visit to Ethiopia from November 18 to December 2. In addition to attending the Forum, the South Korean delegation is holding a series of meetings with government officials as well as numerous business-to-business consultations.
Opening the Forum, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Aklilu Hailemichael noted the long-standing bilateral relations between Ethiopia and South Korea. He highlighted the special attention the Ethiopian government has given to attract Foreign Direct Investment and Ethiopia’s commitment to help foreign companies succeed in their investments in Ethiopia. The State Minister invited South Korean companies to invest in agriculture, agro-processing, tourism, mining and ICT sectors together with their Ethiopian counterparts.
South Korea’s Ambassador in Ethiopia, Ambassador Lim Hoon-min said that South Korea and Ethiopia had historic relations dating back to the unforgettable contribution of the Ethiopian Defense Forces to the United Nations Command during the Korean War. He emphasized that Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed’s visit to Korea in last August was a testament to the growing relationship between the two countries. Ambassador Hoon-min also stressed that expediting the implementation of the pending Investment Expansion and Protection Agreement between the two countries was indispensable in attracting foreign investors.
The President of the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations, Engineer Melaku Ezezew, said that although Ethiopia registered a trade deficit with South Korea, the trade between the two countries reached $1.8 billion in 2018.Ethiopia exports coffee, oilseed crops and cereals to South Korea while its major imports are drugs, machinery and electronic equipment. Engineer Melaku said the two countries should create new investment and trade opportunities to scale up business ties and further bolster their relations.
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Ethiopia participates in the China International Travel Mart 2019
Asia’s largest and most influential professional tourism exhibition is the China International Travel Mart (CITM) held last week (November 15-17) in Kunming city, Yunnan Province, in south-west China, attracting a total of 3,860 exhibitors and 700 tourism product buyers from 75 countries and regions. It was sponsored by China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Civil Aviation Administration and the People’s Government of Yunnan Province. China International Travel Mart was founded in 1998 and is alternately held in Shanghai and Kunming, becoming a major platform for forging international tourism cooperation. The Ethiopian Embassy in Beijing is now planning to work with both Ethiopian and Chinese institutions to make Ethiopia an official partner country of CITM in the future.
CITM 2019 provided an opportunity for the Ethiopian Embassy in Beijing to present Ethiopian tourist attractions at a country-dedicated platform through a promotional video entitled “Ethiopia: The Land of Origins”, with synchronized English and Chinese translations; and promote the country’s unique tourist attractions and let Chinese and international tourists discover why Ethiopia is a real “Land of Origins”, loaded with history and culture in a landscape of dramatic beauty.
The current administration is paying special attention to attracting inbound tourism to Ethiopia and expects the flow of tourists from China to increase exponentially over the next few years as Ethiopia gears up to improve tourism facilities, simplify visa processing, enhances air connectivity and accessibility as well as deploy China-focused destination marketing mechanisms. Prime Minister Dr. Abiy has made it clear he regards the tourism industry as a key component in the recently launched blueprint for home-grown economic reform.
During CITM 2019, diplomats from the Embassy held bilateral discussions on tourism cooperation with the heads of the Tourism and Culture Bureaus of Sha’anxi, Shandong, Jilin, Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Gansu, Shanxi and Xinjiang provinces, Tianjin Municipal City Government and Yunnan Tourism Industry Association. They also had meetings with major tourism and travel companies to discuss specific areas of cooperation to promote Ethiopia’s tourism resources for Chinese outbound tourists.
