A Week in the Horn 24.5.2019
News in Brief
President Sahle-Work’s working visit to Democratic Republic of Congo
President Sahle-Work and Prime Minister Dr. Abiy meet The Elders
EU’s High Representative Mogherini visits Somalia, Kenya and Djibouti
Foreign Minister Gedu meets members of the Diplomatic Corps
The UN Security Council hears Somalia is making progress
Eritrean delegation on a working visit to Sudan
The African Dialogue 2019 on refugees held in New York this week
The 5th Ethio-Kenya Joint Technical Boundary Committee meeting
News in brief
Africa and the African Union
Africa Day is celebrated on May 25, by African countries and by African communities across the world, marking the date of the establishment of the Organization of African Unity, and for UNESCO in Paris this week is also Africa Week (May 20-24), commemorated under the theme of “Peace, Innovation and Sustainable Development in Africa.” Ethiopia’s Ambassador to France and to UNESCO, Ambassador Henok Teferra, attended the opening ceremony of the week’s activity which has included conferences, films, live arts events and exhibitions, with African countries promoting their culture in all the different forms. Ethiopia has also been well represented with artwork and products. It recently hosted World Press Freedom Day in Addis Ababa when Prime Minister Dr. Abiy was chosen as the recipient of UNESCO’s most prestigious prize, the 2019 Felix Houphouet-Boigny prize, for his exceptional contribution to peace.
The annual African Dialogue Series was held in New York this week in the lead up to Africa Day (May 25). The African Union’s theme for the Dialogue Series 2019 was “Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons: Towards Durable Solutions to Forced Displacement in Africa”. UN Secretary-General Guterres noted that countries like Uganda, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Rwanda were taking innovative action to recognize and promote the rights of refugees; Ethiopia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Taye Atske-Selassie, detailed Ethiopia’s best practices and latest efforts to improve the status of the near one million refugees it hosts. (See article)
The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Policy, Vice President Federica Mogherini, visited Somalia, Kenya and Djibouti this week. She held talks with President Kenyatta and President Ismail Omar Guelleh, Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre and with IGAD’s Executive Secretary, Mahboub Maalim as well as visiting the EU’s security and defence policy missions in the region. (See article)
Ethiopia, Uganda, Djibouti and South Sudan, signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreeing to implement the Djibouti-Addis Ababa-Juba-Kampala infrastructure development project on Thursday last week (May 16) at an IGAD steering committee meeting in Nairobi. The meeting discussed implementation of the recommendations of the studies on the feasibility of the corridor. The four countries pledged to finalise the relevant documents within the next few months and intensify efforts to ensure the success of the project.
Ethiopia
President Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia made a one-day working visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday (May 18) where she had talks with President Felix Tshisekedi. (See article)
President Sahle-Work Zewde and Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed had meetings with the Elders, the independent group of former Presidents and Dignitaries from various countries, working for justice, peace and human rights, who visited Ethiopia this week. (See article)
President Sahle-Work Zewde commended the partnership between the Ethiopian Airlines Group and Mississippi University to promote the Airline in the United States when she met a delegation from the University this week, The President said the partnership can be taken as a bridge to further enhance the relations of Ethiopia and United States.
President Sahle-Work Zewde met with Priyanka Chorpa, Indian actress and singer, and Good will Ambassador of UNICEF, on Monday this week (May 20). Ms. Chorpa was visiting Ethiopia to promote access to education for refugee children, She praised Ethiopia’s effort to host nearly a million refugees as exemplary and commended the work done to accommodate more girls in schools. She said the world should learn from the government’s commitment to refugee children’s welfare.
An Ethiopian delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen arrived in Djibouti on Wednesday (May 23) to attend the funeral ceremony of Sultan Abdulkadir Humed of Tadjourah. The Deputy Prime Minister was met at Djibouti by Prime Minister Abdulkadir Mohammed Kamil, extended his condolences on behalf of the government and people of Ethiopia at the passing away of Sultan Abdulkadir Humed.
Former Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn has been awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun as one of the recipients of Japan’s 2019 Spring Imperial Decorations. The announcement on May 21 said the honor was awarded in recognition of his outstanding contribution towards strengthening bilateral relations between Japan and Ethiopia as well as collaborating with Japan on TICAD and promoting Japan’s friendship with Africa.
Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachew met with members of the diplomatic community based in Addis Ababa on Wednesday (May 22). (See article)
Foreign Minister Gedu received Mr. Turhan Saleh, UNDP Country representative on Wednesday (May 22)for discussions on ways of further strengthening the partnership and cooperation between Ethiopia and the United Nations Development Program.
The Embassy of Rwanda in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, organized this year’s Walk to Remember on Sunday (May 19) in Addis Ababa as part of the activities to mark the 25th Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda. The two-hour walk was held under the theme: ‘Remember-Unite-Renew’; it honored the victims while supporting the building of a future for Rwanda and Africa that is free of division and violence. The Walk to Remember promotes awareness of genocide, fosters Unity and Reconciliation, and empowers participants to take an active stand against genocide whilst giving a message of hope to survivors as well as commitment for Never Again to Genocide!
The Ethiopia-Kenya Joint Technical Boundary Committee (JTBC) held its 5th meeting in Mombasa, Kenya last week (May 13– 17). (See article)
Amir Aman, Minister of Health is leading Ethiopia’s delegation to the 72nd Assembly of the World Health Organization taking place in Geneva this week (May 20-28). Ethiopia is hosting two side events on Primary Health Care and Emergency and Trauma Care as well as tabling resolutions for the Assembly,
A Board of Directors has been appointed for the Ethiopian Diaspora Trust Fund. The Board will provide overall leadership and set the strategic direction, policy, oversight and accountability of the Diaspora Trust Fund and will review and approve EDTF financed projects that are identified and vetted by the Fund’s Secretariat. The Board will be made up of eleven persons drawn from the Ethiopian Diaspora, Civil Society and the Ethiopian Government, and will include Selamawit Dawit, Director-General, Ethiopian Diaspora Agency; Mrs. Hirut Zemene, State Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Bilen Mamo, Advisor, Ministry of Finance and Economic Cooperation.
Teshome Toga, Ambassador of Ethiopia to China held discussions with Mr. Zhang Jianrong Director General of Guangdong Department of Commerce at the beginning of the week on strengthening economic and people-to-people relationship between Ethiopia and Guangdong, increasing Foreign Direct Investment and expanding Ethiopian exports to China market. Mr. Jianrong said Guangdong companies’ involvement in investment and trade in Ethiopia was increasing. The Ambassador invited DG Jianrong and representatives of Guangdong associations to organize a visit to Ethiopia and explore investment opportunities. They accepted the invitation.
The Ethiopian Embassy in Beijing has held discussions this week with Mr. Chen Ying, CEO of Beijing Jingke Hongxiang Import and Export Trading Co., Ltd., one of the largest importers of flowers in China. Mr Chen said the company was very ready to import Ethiopian flowers and he noted the value of Ethiopian Airlines links to China. China, he stressed, would offer huge market for Ethiopian exporters.
Eritrea
Eritrea is celebrating the 28th anniversary of the liberation of Asmara and the 26th anniversary of the declaration of independence following the referendum in April 1993. The occasion is marked by a week-long celebration of music and dance, and reflections on the country’s history. President Isaias and the people of Eritrea has received numerous messages of congratulation from around the world on the occasion. Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed said: “On behalf of the Ethiopian people and on my own behalf, I wish to express my conviction that the reestablishment of mutual trust between Ethiopia and Eritrea will continue to further deepen the ties between our two countries and that of brothers and sisters across borders that have regained the impetus build their relations.” He said: “I also wish to express Ethiopia’s readiness to remain committed to jointly addressing all outstanding issues that we face and to strengthen bilateral relations in all aspects for the mutual benefit of our two countries.”
Foreign Minister Osman Saleh and Presidential Adviser Yemane Ghebreab, visited Sudan at the beginning of the week. They met the President of the Transitional Military Council, Lt. General Abdulfetah Al-Burhan, on Sunday (May 19) and delivered a letter from President Isaias Afwerki to General Al-Burhan.(See article)
The IMF has just completed the first Article IV mission to Eritrea in 10 years. It noted that the peace agreement with Ethiopia and lifting of international sanctions provided the opportunity to build an impetus for economic development.
Somalia
The Security Council considered the UN Secretary-General’s latest report on Somalia on Wednesday (May 22), hearing briefings from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM); the UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator; and the Special Representative of the Chairperson for Somalia and Head of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Ambassador Madeira. (See article)
The EU High Representative and Vice President, Ms. Federica Mogherini, arrived in Mogadishu on Monday (May 20) to discuss implementation of the Federal Government of Somalia’s comprehensive reform agenda since the Somalia Partnership Forum. She met with Prime Minister, Hassan Ali Khayre and other officials. (See article)
Prime Minister of Somalia, Hassan Ali Khayre, met with Ambassador Francisco Madeira, head of AMISOM and AMISOM Force Commander Lt. General. Tigabu Yilma at the beginning of the week to discuss joint operations against Al-Shabaab and evaluate progress on the transfer of security responsibilities to the Somali Security Forces in line with the Somali Transition Plan. Those present included Federal Minister of Defense Hassan Ali Mohamed, the Chief of Defense Forces General Dahir Adan Elmi, and Police Commissioner, General Bashir Abdi Mohamed.
The United Nations called on Monday (May 20) for urgent and sustained resources to avert a major humanitarian crisis caused by severe drought in Somalia. A statement from the UN Office in Somalia said “the drought situation in Somalia has deteriorated rapidly and intensified much earlier than seen over the last decade.
Deputy Prime Minister, Mahdi Mohamed Guled, left on a visit to Turkey on Tuesday (May 21). He was accompanied by the Governor of the Somali Central Bank and the Director of Mogadishu Port. The Deputy Prime Minister will be meeting senior government officials during his official visit.
Parliament passed the Petroleum Sector Law on Monday (May 20). The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources said the law allows for the creation of institutions to oversee the sector and for revenue sharing between the central government and federal states. The Ministry said this would allow for production-sharing agreements to be signed and this, in turn, would mean exploration activity could commence.
Sudan
IGAD called on Sudanese stakeholders to finalize negotiations on a power handover to a civilian-led government. A statement on Saturday (May18) said: “IGAD sincerely hopes that the Sudanese Political Stakeholders will continue to negotiate in good faith and a spirit of compromise to finalize their discussion on the remaining outstanding issues with a view to responding to the needs and aspirations of the Sudanese people.”
Saudi Arabia said on Sunday (May 19) it had deposited $250 million into the account of Sudan’s central bank. This is part of a three billion dollars assistance package that Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced last month in support for the Sudanese economy. The deposit will strengthen the financial and economic situation in Sudan.
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President Sahle-Work’s working visit to Democratic Republic of Congo
President Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia arrived in Kinshasa for a one-day working visit on Saturday (May 18). She was welcomed on arrival by Ms. Hannine Mabumda, Speaker of the Parliament and other high-level government officials as well as Ethiopians residing in Kinshasa. At State House, President Sahle-Work was warmly received by President Felix Tshisekedi and high-ranking Congolese government officials.
Talks between President Sahle-Work and President Tshisekedi centered on bilateral and regional issues of common interest including ongoing engagements aimed at deepening diplomatic and bilateral ties. Highlighting the longstanding and historic relations between the peoples and governments of the two countries, President Sahle-Work reiterated the need to further expand the relationship in different areas ranging from air transport, to agriculture, energy and tourist development. She stressed the importance of working closely together on multilateral issues of common interest and in the maintenance of regional peace and stability.
President Tshisekedi also emphasized the prevailing opportunities to strengthen the relations between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia. He said the two countries should work closely to take their current state of relations to a higher level in many fronts. The President hosted a dinner for President Sahle-Work, attended by Speaker Mabumda, and other senior government officials.
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President Sahle-Work and Prime Minister Dr. Abiy meet The Elders
The Elders, an independent group of former Presidents and Dignitaries from various countries engaged in working for justice, peace and human rights, visited Ethiopia this week, holding their biannual board meeting in Addis Ababa, May 19-22. They met with President Sahle-Work Zewde and Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed, and discussed national and regional politics, development, and security questions as well as various issues including the opening up of the economic and political space and opportunities for regional peace and security. The Elders’ delegation included Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland; Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, former Foreign Minister of Algeria and former UN Special Envoy for Syria; Ms Graca Machel, First Education Minister of Mozambique; Mr. Juan Manuel Santos, former President of Colombia; Mr. Ricardo Lagos, former President of Chile; Mr. Ernesto Zedillo, former President of Mexico and two members of the Elders Advisory Council; Sir Richard Branson and Dr. Lulit Solomon.
The Elders also met State Minister of Health, Dr. Lia Tadesse, on Monday (May 20) to learn more about the country’s efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage, and visited the Feres Meda health centre in Addis Ababa to meet patients and hold discussions with Health Extension Workers. The delegation applauded Ethiopia’s focus on primary health care as the most effective way of providing essential services to poor and vulnerable populations including women and children. They welcomed the launch in Ethiopia of the Community Health Academy program, pioneered by the global health NGO Last Mile Health. The new program is partnering with Ministries of Health across the world, to help frontline health workers use digital technology to improve their clinical skills and the overall capacity of health systems.
The Elders have launched a call on leaders to show greater commitment to providing access to justice ahead of the High Level Political Forum in New York in July, where countries will report on their progress on SDG 16. This will provide a major opportunity for countries to increase their efforts to achieve equal access to justice for all. The Elders are calling for countries to invest in legal empowerment initiatives and grassroots justice providers; increase funding for access to justice for women; and to prioritize funding for civil justice as well as criminal justice. According to a recent Task Force on Justice Report, five billion people, two-thirds of the world’s population do not have meaningful access to justice.
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EU’s High Representative Mogherini visits Somalia, Kenya and Djibouti
The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Policy, Vice President Federica Mogherini, on Monday (May 20) started a visit to the Horn of Africa in Somalia. She met Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre for talks. In comments after the meeting she stressed that the visit was part of the EU’s friendship, partnership and support for the government. She said: “We recognise that Somalia is first and foremost of strategic relevance and importance, not only for Somali people, for the region, for Africa, but also for Europe and the international community.” According to a release from the EU External Action, Ms. Mogherini visited the European Union Training Mission, Somalia troops and the EU Capacity Building Mission (EUCAP) training Somali personnel.
On her visit to Kenya, Vice President Mogherini met with President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday. Their talks focused on trade relations and Kenya’s role in regional security. Ms. Mogherini assured President Kenyatta of the EU’s commitment to continue to support peace and security activities in the Horn of Africa and the entire East and Central Africa region. Present during the meeting at State House, Nairobi, were Cabinet Secretaries Dr. Monica Juma for Foreign Affairs, and Dr. Fred Matiangi of Interior. Earlier, Ms. Mogherini inaugurated the new European Union Embassy in Nairobi. She said the Embassy signified the growing importance of Nairobi to the EU and was an acknowledgement of Kenya’s vital role as a regional hub. She said: “We see Kenya as not only a gateway to the region and to Africa but also as an important hub”, adding it is not a coincidence that the new embassy was the second largest in the world. She noted that the EU’s investments both economically, and politically, in terms of security cooperation were key for the European Union. “and we value Kenya’s partnership enormously.”
In Djibouti, Ms. Mogherini met with President Ismail Omar Guelleh, and the Foreign and International Cooperation Minister Mahmoud Ali Yousouf, emphasizing to them that “Djibouti is for us a friend and a reliable and very important partner in a key region for security and peace, for Africa and also for Europe”. At a joint Press Statement with Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Yousouf, Ms. Mogherini said her visit, the first bilateral official visit of the European Union to Djibouti, was a very strong political signal of friendship and partnership with a reliable and very important country. She praised Djibouti’s role in the region and said the EU was ready to support the new phase of openness, the hope for reconciliation and deeper integration in the region. It should include all countries in the region; none of them should be excluded. She said the EU attached great importance to the work of IGAD. Ms. Mogherini thanked Djibouti for the excellent cooperation with regard to maritime safety and said the EU was grateful to Djibouti for the hospitality and for Operation EU NAVFOR Atalanta which was working to prevent piracy from affecting either security or trade. The High Representative also thanked the Minister for the opportunity to exchange thoughts on regional dynamics in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea. She said it would be a pleasure to continue to deepen cooperation at a bilateral level, as well as in the different areas of regional cooperation that the EU had with Djibouti as a key country in the region.
Ms. Mogherini also held talks with IGAD’s Executive Secretary, Mahboub Maalim, and visited the Frigate Margottini part of the EU’s ATALANTA maritime security mission, one of the three EU security and defence policy missions in the region; the others are : the EU Training Mission in Somalia and the EU Maritime Capacity Building Mission to Somalia. Speaking on the Margottini, she noted Djibouti’s multiple security challenges: the war in Yemen in the north, the persistence of the Al-Shabaab threat in the south, and maritime insecurity offshore. The European Union was on the front line to help and it was proud of the work it was doing. She said Operation EU NAVFOR Atalanta defended the principle of freedom of navigation and also the protection of the delivery of humanitarian aid. “The EU commitment to maritime security in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean goes beyond the military means we all deploy,” she added. She said the EU was putting in place tools and tools to support coastal states and their populations, ranging from supporting maritime police units, to stabilization and development efforts in areas freed from terrorist threats. She emphasized that the EU supported the Djibouti Code of Conduct.
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Foreign Minister Gedu meets members of the Diplomatic Corps
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gedu Andargachew, met with members of the diplomatic community based in Addis Ababa at the Skylight Hotel on Wednesday (May 22). Expressing his pleasure at serving his country in his new capacity as Foreign Minister, he said this was a historic juncture when the country was undergoing transformational reform. He noted he was taking over as the 28th Foreign Minister, heading a prestigious institution with a long-standing and colorful history. He pointed out that Ethiopia was deeply involved in various international agendas, in Multilateralism, Collective Security and Sustainable Development, adding: “I have no doubt there will be various issues of mutual concern that will lead me to closely collaborate with your Excellencies. Rest assured that I will do my utmost to make our working relations a fruitful one. In this spirit, I would like to take this opportunity to express my most sincere gratitude for your Excellencies’ contribution, understanding and assistance in the realization of the ongoing political and economic reform in Ethiopia.” Expressing his own and his ministry’s commitment to work closely with members of the diplomatic community, Minister Gedu said, “I would like to honor your strong stance in considering Ethiopia as a close friend of your respective countries”
The Minister pointed out that the reform process in Ethiopia had set a clear agenda from the outset. It began with the release of political prisoners and the opening up of the political space to opposition groups both in the country and those that had been exiled for decades. He said, “This new approach was launched with the intention of widening the political space for an inclusive process of democratic reform”, involving different institutions including the Election Board and the Judicial system.
Foreign Minister Gedu stressed that the reform process also focused on how best to transform the economy through giving more space to the private sector, expediting creative schemes for development and other areas. The Government, he said, was also undertaking the revision of Ethiopia’s Foreign Policy. He said, that much remained to be done, but these and other measures would certainly lead to a substantial achievement in realizing the necessary goals of democratic governance. While noting that the reform in opening up both the political and economic spaces was going in the right direction, he said there were still some challenges and difficulties. Institutionalizing the reforms was crucial for sustainability and the government was working with various partners to ensure this. The Minister called on the diplomatic community to continue its support to Ethiopia’s reform agenda.
The Minister also noted that Ethiopia’s ongoing domestic political and economic reforms had a multiplier effect on peace and security enhancement and regional economic development as well as integration across the Horn of Africa. The current rapprochement between Ethiopia and Eritrea had put to an end to more than two-decades of hostility and the state of no-war no-peace between the two neighbors. He said: “We believe this will be one of the major steps in creating a strong region. We are also witnessing a wind of hope in the South Sudan peace process, which my country has led as the IGAD Chair together with other IGAD member countries.” He noted Ethiopia remains committed to play a pivotal role in the Horn of Africa in maintaining peace and stability, economic cooperation and integration and remained firmly in support of the realization of the AU’s Agenda 2063: the Africa We Want.
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The UN Security Council hears Somalia is making progress
The Security Council met to consider Somalia on Wednesday (May 22). It had the UN Secretary-General’s latest report on Somalia covering the period from December to May before it, and heard briefings from Raisedon Zenenga, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM); Ms. Ursula Mueller, the UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator; and the Special Representative of the Chairperson for Somalia and Head of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Ambassador Madeira. The Secretary-General said Somalia was making progress toward building a functioning state but it still needed to deal with a number of problems including violent extremism, terrorism, armed conflict, political instability and corruption.
Mr. Zenenga agreed Somalia was making significant progress on economic and security sector reforms and it had “immense opportunities” to make further progress in the coming months. There had been movement on the inclusive politics agenda, including the constitutional review process and preparations for universal suffrage elections. The Federal Cabinet had approved the draft Political Parties Bill and the Electoral Bill and submitted them to Parliament, he said. Their adoption was absolutely essential to keeping the political road map on track. Among other recent steps, was completion in March of biometric registration for all Somali National Army soldiers. All 16,000 soldiers registered were now receiving salaries directly into their bank accounts. This meant regular payments and paved the way for rightsizing the National Army.”Speaking by video teleconference from Mogadishu, Mr. Zenenga said UNSOM, after the political crisis resulting from the expulsion of Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, was back on track, preparing for the 2020 elections, the constitutional review, building police capacity and contributing ongoing security operations’ planning.
Ambassador Madeira said the dialogue between the Federal Government and the federal member states was increasing. Somalia, with AMISOM’s support, was making progress in other areas, including constitutional review and electoral reform. The Somali National Army had retaken some of Al-Shabaab’s strongholds, but the group remained a potent threat. It was also important to remain vigilant over the presence of ISIL. AMISOM was also registering progress in implementing the transition plan endorsed by the African Union Peace and Security Commission and the Security Council, and had handed over responsibility to Somali security forces in Mogadishu Stadium, and completed a drawdown of 1,000 troops. AMISOM had completed reconfigurations in three sectors and would complete the remaining sectors in the coming months. He requested the Council to consider maintaining AMISOM’s current troop level before moving on to the second phase of the transition plan.
Ms. Mueller said the ongoing armed conflict and violence, as well as recurrent climatic shocks, continued to drive humanitarian needs in Somalia. She highlighted three areas of concern: the severe drought conditions that have spread from northern and central areas following two failed rainy seasons; the situation of internally displaced persons; and protection concerns. She said: “We must act now to avert a major humanitarian crisis. Humanitarian partners stand ready to deliver aid to those most in need and are capable of rapidly scaling up response” but that significant funding shortfalls were leading to a reduction in assistance in critical areas.
Somalia’s representative, Abukar Dahir Osman, said the country was more determined than ever to combat “the menace of faceless, borderless international terrorism”. However, he stressed, Somalia could not implement the transition plan effectively “with one hand tied to our back”. It was time to lift the arms embargo. He expressed regret that decisions made at United Nations Headquarters continue to have a negative impact on the capabilities of Somalia’s security forces, giving Al-Shabaab an advantage. He noted a record level of tax revenues and Cabinet approval of a new draft election law, reflecting the Government’s commitment to inclusive politics, as well as promotion of human rights. He emphasized the urgent need to address the humanitarian situation and invest in long-term solutions for sustainable development.
Council members stressed the need to provide coordinated support for building up the capacity of Somalia’s security forces and underlined the importance of a comprehensive approach to security. Strengthening coordination and communications with the Federal Government was critical, as was support for the African Union to help in maintenance of peace and security. They underlined the importance of the next twelve months and the need for all partners to work coherently together to achieve success. Council members expressed concern over the ongoing humanitarian crisis. They also welcomed the efforts of Somalia and Kenya to normalize relations.
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Eritrean delegation on a working visit to Sudan
The delegation, composed of Foreign Minister Osman Saleh and Presidential Adviser Yemane Ghebreab, met the President of the Transitional Military Council, Lt. General Abdulfetah Al-Burhan, on Sunday (May 19). Mr. Saleh handed over a letter from President Isaias Afwerki to General Al-Burhan. Eritrea’s Ministry of Information said that President Isaias had stressed Eritrea’s confidence in the ability of the Sudanese people to find a solution to their own issue. General Al-Burhan welcomed the initiative of Eritrea and briefed the delegation on the developments in the country. Both sides also affirmed their readiness to put the relations of the two countries back on track.
Minister Saleh later described the meeting as “fruitful” and expressed hopes that political change in Sudan would positively impact relations between the two neighbouring countries. Mr. Saleh was quoted as saying the visit comes within the framework of his country’s desire to know about the developments in Sudan after the overthrow of the previous regime and the ongoing negotiations between the military council and the Forces of the Declaration for Freedom and Change. He expressed hope that “the process of change in Sudan will lead to the consolidation of relations between the two countries and achieve the interests of the two peoples.”The Minister also said that the meeting dealt with the peace agreement between Eritrea and Ethiopia and the cooperation agreement among Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia in the economic and social fields. He expressed the hope that the process of change in Sudan will lead to the consolidation of relations between the two countries and achieve the interests of both peoples.
The delegation also met the Deputy Chairman of the Transitional Military Council, Lt. General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who said he appreciated the efforts of President Isaias Afwerki to support Sudan. He underlined the importance of cooperation between Sudan and Eritrea to solve issues of mutual concern regionally and internationally. He said the current visit of the delegation signifies the end of a chapter and the beginning of a promising one in bilateral ties between Eritrea and the Sudan. Minister Saleh said the delegation came to Sudan to express solidarity with the Sudanese revolution, and praised the good spirit characterizing the negotiations between the Transitional Military Council and the Forces of the Declaration for Freedom and Change. He hoped the negotiations would lead to a new era of peace and democracy in Sudan.
The Eritrean delegation met with representatives of the Forces of the Declaration for Freedom and Change who welcomed them and stressed the special relationship between Eritrea and Sudan. They briefed Minister Saleh about their vision for Sudan and the current status of negotiations with the Transitional Military Council. Minister Saleh conveyed Eritrea’s wishes for an outcome that serves the interests of peace, stability and development in Sudan.
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The African Dialogue 2019 on refugees held in New York this week
The annual African Dialogue Series, held in the lead up to Africa Day on 25 May, in New York, provides a platform to explore critical issues affecting Africa, including peace, security, human rights, humanitarian and development. This year, the African Union chose “Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons: Towards Durable Solutions to Forced Displacement in Africa” as its theme for 2019 and for the 2019 Dialogue Series.
Opening the discussions, UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, said “Over the next two days, I urge you to build on best practices; to look for short and long-term solutions; to create new and innovative partnerships; to identify areas for stronger international support; and to continue your leadership on this issue.” He said the best way to protect refugees and displaced people was to prevent them from having to leave their homes and that meant tackling root causes: “poverty, conflict, discrimination and exclusion of all kinds”. He noted that countries like Uganda, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Rwanda are taking innovative action to recognize and promote the rights of refugees; and African countries played a key role in securing the approval of the Global Compact on refugees last year.
He said the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 was the road map. Both agendas were aligned around a people-centered and planet-sensitive transformation. Eradicating poverty was their overriding priority. He spoke of the need to mainstream these agendas into national development plans, and underlined that financing was critical. Equally, he urged people to listen to, and to build, on best practices; to look for short and long-term solutions; to create new and innovative partnerships; to identify areas for stronger international support; and to continue their leadership on this issue.
He also reminded his listeners that in September, the world will gather for a series of summits to take stock of progress made and to mobilize greater urgency, ambition and action. This would include the Sustainable Development Goals summit and meetings on financing for development, universal health coverage and the situation of small island developing States as well as a UN Climate Action Summit on September 23.
On the first day of the dialogue, representatives of countries with large refugee populations shared some of the best practices and lessons learned. Ambassador Taye Atske-Selassie, Ethiopia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, explained Ethiopia’s responses to refugee flows. Noting that the Horn of Africa was one region that simultaneously produced and hosted very large numbers of refugees, he emphasized that protection and assistance of refugees were part of Ethiopia’s history. Fourteen hundred years ago, it had offered refuge to the family of the Prophet, and as a result had one of earliest mosques in the world. Today, Ethiopia still maintained an open-door policy of asylum, offering a welcome to all those fleeing persecution and conflict as it always had done.
Ambassador Taye said Ethiopia provided protection and assistance on the basis of three principles: maintaining its longstanding history of hospitality; meeting its international obligations as signatory to both UN and African refugee conventions; and implementing its foreign policy goal of building sustainable peace with all its neighbors and strengthening people-to-people relations. Ethiopia was one of the largest refugee hosting nations in Africa, with close to a million refugees from some 19 countries, fleeing protracted and complex emergency situations. Ambassador Taye said it was clear that responses could not be short-term or minimal. To ensure effective delivery of protection and assistance, government policies were based on providing out-of-camp activity, encampment, and local integration. The government applied the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework which works to ease pressure on host countries, enhances refugee self-reliance, expands access to the option of third country access, and offers support to improve conditions for voluntary return in safety and dignity to the refugees’ countries of origin. In January this year, Ethiopia also made substantial and significant changes to its existing refugee legislation. These allow refugees to obtain work permits, access primary education, obtain drivers’ licenses, legally register their births and marriages and open up access to national financial services, including banking. In sum, the government has now introduced one of the most progressive refugee policies in Africa.
Ambassador Taye emphasized that Ethiopia was committed to assist refugees and would remain so. But, he also stressed, this was a global problem, needing global responses. The international community needed to accept responsibility to assist host countries in organizing resettlement of refugees or in providing alternative options, to provide financial support to build up the resilience of host countries and communities and to allow for local integration. There was a real need for more support for countries coming out of conflict, to facilitate voluntary repatriation and reintegration of refugees back into their own countries. Stakeholders, he said, should be prepared to undertake a much more comprehensive response to the varied needs of refugees.
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The 5th Ethio-Kenya Joint Technical Boundary Committee meeting
The Ethiopia-Kenya Joint Technical Boundary Committee (JTBC) held its 5th meeting in Mombasa, Kenya last week (May 13– 17). The meeting discussed ways and means to carry out the Inspection and Maintenance of the boundary pillars agreed under the Boundary Treaty signed by Ethiopia and Kenya in 1970, following the directions and decisions of the 32nd Ethiopia-Kenya Border Commissioners and Administrators meeting held in Adama, Ethiopia, in February this year. The 8-person Ethiopian delegation was led by Mr. Wuhib Muluneh, Adviser, International Boundaries, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The JTBC considered the technicalities in detail and on the methods for fast-tracking the inspection and maintenance work. It agreed to carry out the inspection and maintenance of the boundary pillars over a two-month period and on the modalities of the fieldwork including the details of the necessary activity, budget and time line. It deliberated exhaustively on the ways and means of sensitizing the cross-border communities on the importance of preserving the boundary pillars. The meeting, which was conducted in a very cordial and brotherly atmosphere, also agreed on the importance of strengthening cooperation among communities on both sides of the border.
