A Week in the Horn 28.6.2019
News in Brief
State Minister Hirut briefs the diplomatic community on current situation in Ethiopia
A UN Security Council briefing on South Sudan
UN High Commissioner for Refugees: Africa “a positive example”
Ethio-Italy Business Forum in Addis Ababa
Global Illicit Trade Summit held in Addis Ababa
IGAD training for Criminal Intelligence Analysis
News in Brief
Africa and the African Union
The UN Security Council had a briefing from Special Representative and Head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) David Shearer on Tuesday (June 25) this week on the progress of the revitalized peace agreement signed last September. He spoke of the drop in political violence and of the positive signs of rapprochement, particularly at grass roots level. (See article)
UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, told the UN Security Council this week that the international community must not take the generosity of Africans for granted. Africa was a “humanitarian leader” and a positive example, championing progressive policies towards refugees unlike some regions, including regions where countries had more resources and more means to respond. He called on states to redouble political efforts to find solutions. (See article)
The Economist organized a Global Illicit Trade Summit: Under the Lens, in Addis Ababa on Tuesday this week (June 25). It brought together stakeholders from government and policy-makers, the private sector, international organizations, law enforcement agencies and civil society, academics and others, to discuss combating “an extremely serious multi-faceted global problem”, which has a major impact on African development. (See article)
IGAD organized four days of advanced training on “Criminal Intelligence Analysis” for all IGAD Member States last week (June 19) in Kampala, attended by members of the Police, Judiciary, Ministries of Foreign Affairs and of Justice, Financial Intelligence Units and National Counter Terrorism Centers. (See article)
Ethiopia
The Government of Ethiopia received a number of messages of condolence over the killings in the failed coup attempt.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Gedu Andargachew arrived in Frankfurt, Germany for a working visit on Saturday (June 22). He was welcomed by Ambassador Mulu Solomon and the Consul General at the Consulate General office in Frankfurt, Fekadu Beyene.
State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Hirut Zemene briefed the diplomatic community based in Addis Ababa on the recent failed coup attempt on Sunday (June 23). Mrs. Hirut said there had been an armed group attack on the leaders of the Amhara National Regional State while in a meeting in the city of Bahar Dar on the evening of June 22, as well as a heinous attack on the Chief of Staff of the National Defence Forces on the same day. (See article)
State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Markos Tekle Ethiopia on a visit to Germany this week has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up a joint commission aimed to create a platform to elevate existing Ethio-Germany ties. Dr. Markos also held discussions with the Head of the Bavarian State Chancellery, State Minister for Federal and European Affairs and Media, Dr. Florian Heerman, in Munich on Tuesday (June 25). Dr. Heerman, who underlined his strong belief that Ethiopia would continue to play a vital role in stabilizing the region, welcomed the agreement on the joint commission. They agreed on the importance of further strengthening ties in trade, business, and investment as well as enhancing cooperation in technical and vocational training. A trade delegation from the Free State of Bavaria has a successful visit to Ethiopia in April his year.
State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Birtukan Ayano, visited the new building of the Ethiopian Chancery and the residence of the Ethiopian Ambassador to India, in New Delhi, at the weekend. The contractor and the consultant briefed Ambassador Birtukan and the supervision team on the different facilities of the building now in its completion phase.
A two-day Ethiopian-Italian Business Forum was held last week (19-20 June). Aiming to strengthen economic ties between Ethiopia and Italy, the Forum attracted representatives from 150 Ethiopian and 50 Italian companies working in various areas and participants deliberated on ways to enhance trade and investment relations between the two countries. (See article)
Eritrea
Foreign Minister Osman Saleh and Presidential Adviser, Yemane Gebreab, met on Monday (June 24) with General al-Burhan, head of the Transitional Military Council in Khartoum. They also met with the Deputy Chairman of the Transitional Military Council as well as with the head of the Political and Security Committee. In a statement released in Asmara, the Eritrean information ministry said the delegation handed over a message from President Isaias expressing “strong expectation to develop the new era of cooperation between the two countries to the highest level”. President Isaias expressed support of the Government of Eritrea to the “transitional process” the Sudanese political forces and the Transitional Military Council are conducting. The visit came ten days after the visit of General al-Burhan to Asmara on 14 June.
Kenya
Kenya has been selected to chair the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia for a period of two years starting January 2020 at a meeting of the Contact Group in Mauritius last week. Organized by the Indian Ocean Commission together with the current chair, Mauritius, the meeting brought together more than 200 participants from over 30 States and regional and international organizations to discuss the way forward. Cabinet Secretary for Defense, Ambassador Raychelle Omamo, who led Kenya’s delegation said Kenya would take the Group to even greater heights and cement its legacy as an effective mechanism in fighting piracy. Principal Secretary for Shipping and Maritime, Nancy Karigithu, noted that Kenya had adopted the ‘blue economy’ as one of the pillars of economic growth and Maritime Security as a pillar of blue growth was of utmost importance to the country.
Somalia
President Mohamed Abdullahi attended celebrations on the occasion of the 59th anniversary of 26th June Independence Day on Wednesday (June 26). The President wished the nation many more years of blessings, togetherness and prosperity as the country moves forward together.
The Somali Parliament agreed to the creation of a National Anti-Corruption Commission on Monday this week (June 24). The Federal Government launched a crackdown on corruption last year, leading to the arrest of dozens of figures, including officials in various departments and the suspension of some deputy ministers. During the session, 149 out of 151 MPs present voted in favour of the bill, which Speaker Mohamed Mursal described as “vital for the fight against corruption and mismanagement in the country.” The bill goes to the president for signature before becoming law.
The new Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia, James Swan, met with Ambassador Francisco Madeira, head of AMISOM and other senior officials of AMISOM this week after his arrival on Tuesday in Mogadishu (June 25). Mr. Swan said, “We have no more important non-Somali partner than the African Union. This relationship is critical to our collective regional and international efforts to support Somalia and the Somali people.” He pledged cooperation to restore peace in Somalia. Ambassador Madeira said AMISOM would seek “coordination, collaboration, and harmonisation of positions to ensure that aspects of inclusive politics are enhanced in order to yield results.”
The Somali National Army has officially commenced Phase II of the Somali National Army reforms, an important component in the larger Somali Security Sector Reforms as contained in the Security and Justice Roadmap. This follows successful completion of phase one, which included the biometric registration of all SNA personnel. Prime Minister, Hassan Ali Khayre speaking on Monday said this was “a significant step forward and a testimony to Government’s commitment to the restoration and development of all State Institutions”. The occasion was also attended by the Minister for Defense, Hassan Ali Mohamed and senior SNA Commanders, including the Chief of Defense Force, General Dahir Aden Elmi. Phase II of the reforms involves verification of forces registered biometrically, ensuring all officers remain on active duty at their units, and establishing their infrastructural and combat capabilities as well as a complete Human Resource system with details of all officers.
South Sudan
Eritrean presidential Adviser Yemane Gebreab met President Salva Kiir (June 26) in Juba on Wednesday. He delivered a message from President Isaias focusing on bilateral ties and regional developments, particularly on Sudan. Mr. Yemane indicated both sides were keen to consolidate their relations in these areas.
The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank has approved a proposal to commit $24.7 million to finance the South Sudan Strategic Water Supply and Sanitation Improvement Project. The project approved at the end of last week, will support rehabilitation of 50km of Juba town distribution network and related works, as well as feasibility and engineering designs for two other towns. On completion, it will benefit 300,000 people in Juba and the surrounding rural Jubek state. Since 2012, the Bank has contributed more than $136.79 million in development aid across various sectors in South Sudan, focusing on capacity building, infrastructure development, and creating conditions for promoting peace, stability and state building.
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State Minister Hirut briefs the diplomatic community on current situation in Ethiopia
State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Hirut Zemene briefed the diplomatic community based in Addis Ababa on the recent failed coup attempt on Sunday (June 23). Mrs. Hirut said there had been an armed group attack on the leaders of the Amhara National Regional State while in a meeting in the city of Bahar Dar on the evening of June 22, as well as a heinous attack on the Chief of Staff of the National Defence Forces on the same day. In these simultaneous attacks, the nation lost Dr. Ambachew Mekonnen, President of the Amhara National Regional State, General Tseare Mekonnen, Chief of Staff of the National Defence Forces, Ato Azeze Wasse, Special Advisor of the Amhara Region for Organizational Affairs, Ato Migbaru Kebede, Attorney General of the Amhara National Regional State and Maj. General Gezai Abera, a senior retired army general.
The State Minister noted Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s address to the nation, in which she said, the Premier expressed his deep sorrow over the loss of important leaders of the reform in Ethiopia and wished for consolation of the nation over this. She took note of the swift actions taken to pursue and bring the majority of the perpetrators to justice.
Mrs. Hirut said, “At the national level, this heinous act of barbarism has ever made Ethiopians stand resolute to fight-anti-reform elements,” adding that the nation is united behind its leader to defend the refom and the peace and stability of the country. “On behalf of the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the Ministry would like to reassure you that the usual necessary protection and assistance will be provided to the diplomatic community,” she added.
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A UN Security Council briefing on South Sudan
Special Representative and Head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) David Shearer, briefed the UN Security Council on the current state of South Sudan and the progress of the revitalized peace agreement signed last September, on Tuesday (June 25). He said the peace agreement had meant a drop in political violence meaning “hundreds, if not thousands of people are alive, who otherwise would not be”. He said the positive signs came from a very low base and it was vital that the trend continued. He noted that since the signing of the peace agreement, “more than 110 rapprochements have occurred in communities around the country. UNMISS directly facilitated more than a quarter of these.” However, he added, the pace of dialogue and peacebuilding at the grassroots level, was moving much faster than amongst the elites negotiating nationally. He said: “The country’s politicians need to listen to the mood of the people and follow the lead set by these local communities.” Mr. Shearer said: “Let’s be frank. The fighting has stopped because the leaders ordered their soldiers to stop. If it resumes, against the will of the people, it will be because those same leaders want it, and ordered it, to happen.”
Mr. Shearer said the safe and voluntary return of internally-displaced and refugees, should be seen in the context of the 2.3 million South Sudanese still living as refugees, and nearly two million IDPs. Before the revitalized peace deal, no more than around 18,000 were choosing to go home; now 76,000 a month were prepared to return to their homes. Mr. Shearer said the most common reason why IDPs were reluctant to leave the UNMISS Protection of Civilian sites at the moment was less a fear of insecurity than a desire not to interrupt children’s education. He said UNMISS’ protection role would naturally diminish if there was peace and it could then look to adjust troop requirements accordingly, while continuing mediation and peace building actions.
Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Andrew Gilmour, also briefed the Security Council on what he called a “significant and welcome decrease” in overall violations and abuses by men in uniform, whether from Government or opposition. However, he also noted “the continued prevalence of sexual violence”.
South Sudan’s Ambassador, Akuei Bona Malwal reiterated the government’s pledge to pay $100 million dollars to help fund implementation of the pre-transition tasks. It said it had already disbursed two million towards food and cantonment preparation activities in Greater Upper Nile and Bahr El Ghazal. He said: “The peace implementation needs technical assistance and experts that we hope the international community would provide.”
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UN High Commissioner for Refugees: Africa “a positive example”
UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, told the UN Security Council on Monday (June 24) that the international community must not take the generosity of Africans for granted. Speaking on a video-link from Geneva, he described Africa as a “humanitarian leader”, and a positive example for other parts of the world, with many nations on the continent championing progressive policies towards refugees: “Unlike other regions, including regions where countries have more resources and more means to respond, borders tend to stay open to refugee flows.” Referring to the role of the Security Council in tackling the challenges associated with refugees, migration and displacement, Mr. Grandi called on states to redouble political efforts to find solutions, because, he said, where they are successful, as in the relatively rare case of Cote d’Ivoire, “refugees and displaced people do return home.” He paid tribute to the solidarity shown by Africans towards those forced to flee their homes, pointing out that, unlike in other parts of the world, such solidarity was not a subject of political debate. He said: “We owe it to millions of ordinary Africans in villages, towns, and cities who, out of a sense of duty, cultural tradition, or their own values, keep their doors open, and share often scarce resources”.
Ms. Bience Gawanas, Special Adviser on Africa to the Secretary-General, who also echoed recognition of African solidarity to displaced people, declared that the Security Council had a responsibility to find coherent solutions to displacement, as opposed to “siloed” approaches to peace, humanitarian affairs and development that are neither effective, nor durable. She said the best way to deal with displacement was to deal with the root causes, so that people do not need to leave home in the first place. The international community, she continued, must listen to young people who do not simply want stability, but better prospects and hope for the future. It was critical that the Council and international community continued to support host countries, both financially and by removing barriers that prevent refugees from working or from fully integrating within host communities.
The informal meeting, entitled “Responding effectively to the needs of refugees, displaced persons and returnees: the role of the UN Security Council and its members”, was organised by the African members of the Security Council, Equatorial Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire and South Africa, together with the African Union Permanent Observer Mission to the UN. It aimed to find ways to improve the situation of refugees, displaced persons and returnees; to discuss the role of the Security Council in implementing the Global Compact on Refugees, and discuss how the partnership between the African Union and the UN can positively assist refugees and internally displaced people.
According to the UNHCR, more 70 million people currently have had to leave their homes (the highest number ever recorded), including 25.9 million refugees, 41.3 million internally displaced persons, and 3.5 million asylum seekers. The meeting also marked the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Organization of African Unity Convention Governing Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa and the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the AU Convention for the Protection and Assistance for Internally Displaced Persons in Africa.
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Ethio-Italy Business Forum in Addis Ababa
A two-day Ethiopian-Italian Business Forum was held last week (19-20 June). Aimed to strengthen economic ties between Ethiopia and Italy; the Forum attracted representatives from 150 Ethiopian and 50 Italian companies working in the agro-processing, infrastructure, textile, and leather industries. Participants were able to deliberate on ways and means of enhancing trade and investment relations between the two countries. They were also briefed by Ahmed Shide, Minister of Finance and other senior officials from the Trade and Finance Ministries as well as the Investment Commission on the trade and investment opportunities available.
In an opening speech, Dr. Aklilu Hailemichael, State Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noted that Italy was one of the major destinations of Ethiopian exports in Europe and a significant source of tourists every year to Ethiopia. He stressed Ethiopia had much to learn from Italy especially in the sectors of light manufacturing, power generation, agro-processing, and textile industry. He emphasized that Ethiopia and Italy had [a] symbolic relationship in terms of infrastructure and this, he said, “should be extended effectively in other areas.” Dr Aklilu said the event would make a significant contribution to strengthen the trade and investment ties between two countries with a more than a century-old diplomatic relationship. He invited Italian companies to invest in area which would be profitable in a country that has large domestic market, conducive investment environments, and large labour force.
Ms. Emanuela Del Re, Italian Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, who was on a visit to Ethiopia last week, also attended the Forum. She said the Forum served to show that the ties between Ethiopia and Italy were going strong. She welcomed the involvement of so many Italian institutions in the forum as a tangible sign of commitment towards Ethiopia and said the number of Italian investors, engaged in various investment areas in Ethiopia and at the Forum, would help to attract more investment from Italy. She said Italy is ready to share its experience to Ethiopia in the areas of trade and investment, technology and other sectors. Carlo Ferro, President of the Italian Trade Agency underlined that Italian businesses had invested over 500 million euros in Ethiopia and wanted to invest more as openings and opportunities occurred.
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Global Illicit Trade Summit held in Addis Ababa
The Global Illicit Trade Summit: Under the Lens, brought together stakeholders from government and policy-makers, the private sector, international organizations, law enforcement agencies and civil society, academics and others, for dialogue and a series of discussions dialogues about combating illicit trade. It provided attendees with the opportunity to hear from a diverse group of people from different industries who shared their experiences and ideas on how to tackle what is agreed to be an extremely serious multi-faceted global problem. The meeting was chaired by Christopher Clague, Managing Editor, Asia, from the Economist Intelligence Unit. It was organized by The Economist Group that runs both the Economist magazine and The Economist Intelligence Unit, with the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Association as a partner.
The meeting, on Tuesday this week (June 25), was the fourth instalment of the Global Illicit Trade Summit, bringing the discussion to Africa. This was appropriate timing as illicit trade is only set to increase as Africa moves towards deeper integration. Porous borders facilitate the illegal trade flows and these can, indeed, form a very real threat to modernization and development whether in any country or in a wider region. More than ever, there is a clear business imperative to fight illicit trade. The response across Africa has been minimal while public-private partnerships have yet to operate effectively or on sufficient scale.
The meeting heard an interview with Fanta Mandefro Assistant Professor, College of Business and Economics, Addis Ababa University who outlined the problems and perspectives from Ethiopia’s point of view, and gave details of just how serious the problem was. It then heard from different panels, whose titles underlined the main areas of interest and concern. The session on “State of Play and A Call to Action” allowed public-private voices from the World Trade Organization, the ECA, the Tobacco Institute of South Africa and Japan Tobacco International to discuss what needs to be done.
A second panel covered the question of “Porous Borders”, underlining the central importance of cross-border cooperation in the fight against illicit trade. African countries in many cases are reforming their tax regimes but often at different speeds, and this can allow criminals to take advantage of the opportunities for arbitrage. Equally, as Free Trade Zones increase, it is necessary to ensure they are a source of legitimate economic growth. In other words, there was a real need to ensure best practices were properly identified and applied.
Another panel dealt with Illicit Financial Flows, looking at how Africa, and Ethiopia in particular, has been dealing with the matter. Overall, Illicit Financial Flows in Africa, have been estimated to surpass levels of development aid. The meeting also considered ways to prioritize and incentivize “multi-stakeholder actions to deter the illicit outflows, across government, financial institutions and civil societies.” Any cross-border element makes networks challenging to dismantle and the discussions noted the Fourth Industrial Revolution was revolutionizing the way illicit trade functioned, with ICT and artificial intelligence. Technological breakthroughs, in effect, equipped both criminal and security forces with new ways to move beyond traditional activities. The question was just how stakeholders could stay ahead of the moving target. There has been a need for cooperation and discussion, between business and government, public-private operations, the engagement of officials in solutions, and proper understanding of the very real nature of the threat.
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IGAD training for Criminal Intelligence Analysis
The IGAD Security Sector Program supported by the European Union Trust Fund launched four days of advanced regional training on “Criminal Intelligence Analysis” for all IGAD Member States last week (June 19) in Kampala. Over thirty representatives from the relevant institutions of IGAD Member States, Police, Judiciary, Ministries of Foreign Affairs and of Justice, Financial Intelligence Units and National Counter Terrorism Centers were in attendance. Experts with long experience of criminal intelligence analysis shared their experiences and facilitated the training through interactive course materials, discussions and case studies.
The session was officially opened by Commander Abebe Muluneh, Director of IGAD Security Sector Program (IGAD SSP) who highlighted the need to differentiate between information, data, and intelligence. The overall objective of the training was to equip trainees with an advanced knowledge of criminal intelligence concepts, processes; and skills of implementing and applying analytical tools and techniques to strengthen the capacity of Member States’ law enforcement agencies, to enable them to collect, evaluate, analyze, and use information effectively.
The training also provided the opportunity to strengthen regional law enforcement cooperation and networking. By the end of the program, trainees could describe and discuss the definitions, processes and cycles of criminal intelligence; apply the tools and techniques of criminal intelligence analysis, research tools and information sharing protocols; understand and describe how intelligence could be used to mitigate risk; and explore various case studies in the context of the training.
Criminal intelligence is an essential instrument in preventing and countering transnational security threats. It is the basis for proactive policing and investigation. The concepts of intelligence-led or problem-solving policing and crime control are dependent on criminal intelligence capabilities. Capability in criminal intelligence analysis and methodology is necessary in this globalized world to prevent and fight serious and organized crime and one of the IGAD program’s key initiatives is bridging the gaps to address these threats. IGAD-wide training needs-assessment of law enforcement agencies revealed that criminal intelligence analysis capability posed a critical gap. This advanced training was organized in response to this, to improve the law enforcement capacity building component and provide for increasing expertise in collecting, evaluating, analyzing, using and disseminating/sharing criminal intelligence information.
