News in Brief
Ethiopia is deeply concerned over the ongoing fighting in Sudan
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia pays a visit to Ethiopia
Ethio-American Business and Investment Forum Held in Washington, DC
Africa and the African Union
During its 1149th meeting on Sunday (April 16), the Peace and Security Council of the African Union adopted a communiqué on the situation in Sudan. The dispatch reiterated the Council’s solidarity with the people of Sudan in their quest for the restoration of constitutional order through a civilian-led government and reaffirmed the Council’s continued commitment to respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence, and political unity of Sudan. Among others, the statement called for an immediate ceasefire by the two parties without conditions, in the supreme interest of Sudan and its people, in order to avoid further bloodshed and harm to innocent civilians; to protect civilians, especially women and children; and to provide humanitarian support to civilians caught up in the conflict.
The coastal South African city of Cape Town hosted a four-day (April 16-19) Business Forum on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). In her statement, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr. Monique Nsanzabaganwa, said that as the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement gathers momentum, it is important to allow the pan-African business community to take ownership of this flagship project. She added that the African Union Commission, the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area, Member States, Regional Economic Communities, and Development Partners have delivered on this flagship project on Agenda 2063, and it is now up to the private sector to start trading.
In a statement issued on Sunday (April 16), the President of the Pan-African Parliament, Chief Fortune Zephania Charumbira, expressed PAP’s grave concern over the outbreak and escalation of armed conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that has resulted in the deaths of civilians and injuries to countless others. He appealed to all parties involved in the conflict to settle their differences through mediation and dialogue to prevent any further loss of invaluable Sudanese lives and work towards the restoration of lasting peace and stability in the country and the region.
Ethiopia
In three official statements released in Arabic over the week, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the Sudanese people have enough wisdom and ability to solve the current crisis. He called upon the warring parties to exercise restraint, stop fighting, and return to the path of dialogue. The Premier noted that the Government of Ethiopia is following with great concern the current clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces in the capital, Khartoum, and other cities. (See article)
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen on Monday (April 17) had a telephone conversation with Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sudan, Ali El-Sadig Ali. Demeke conveyed Ethiopia’s deep concern over the ongoing fighting. He expressed Ethiopia’s solidarity with the people of Sudan and sympathy for those who lost their lives and were caught in the crossfire.
On the same news, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Ambassador Mesganu Arga, conferred with the Sudanese Ambassador to Ethiopia, Jamal El Sheikh, regarding the current situation in Sudan. The state minister expressed Ethiopia’s deep concern about the fighting and the continued support of the Government of Ethiopia towards peacefully resolving the conflict, which is in the best interest of the People of Sudan. He noted the need to resolve the conflict internally through dialogue and protect Ethiopians and Ethiopia’s diplomatic mission in Sudan.
A high-level delegation led by Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, paid a two-day working visit to Ethiopia from April 10–12, 2023. During its stay in Addis Ababa, the delegation met and exchanged views with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Demeke Mekonnen, the Ministers of Health, Women, and Social Affairs, as well as Trade and Regional Integration. (See article)
The Ethio-US Business and Investment Forum was held in Washington, D.C., on April 12, 2023. Organized in close collaboration between the Embassy of Ethiopia, Washington, D.C., Wafa Marketing & Promotion, and the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA), the forum brought together Ethiopian and US investors and corporate leaders to explore the abundant business and investment potentials in Ethiopia. (See article)
During his tour of Nekemte City, in East Wollega Zone of Oromia Regional State, over the past week, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed had an audience with community representatives from the four Wollega Zones (East, West, Kellem, and Horro Guduru) and discussed various issues of concern to the people of the area. Inter alia, the participants addressed matters pertaining to development, job opportunities, as well as peace and stability. Reiterating Wollega’s natural endowments that are yet to be exploited, the Premier called on all stakeholders to work hand in hand to utilise these resources for the mutual benefit of the people in the area. He also assured them of the government’s commitment work together with the community to address the concerns raised by participants.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demke Mekonnen met with Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Péter Szijjártó on Tuesday (April 18). They had fruitful discussions on enhancing bilateral and multilateral venues of cooperation.
Djibouti
President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh called for the immediate cessation of hostilities between the Sudanese National Army (SNA) and the paramilitary Rapid Deployment Forces (RSF) during the 40th Extraordinary Assembly of the IGAD Heads of State and Government Virtual Summit (16 April). He said the main priority should now be ending the tension between the warring parties and taking confidence-building measures for an inclusive political consensus to bring an end to the crisis.
Kenya
President William Samoei Ruto convened a cabinet meeting on Tuesday (April 18). According to the Executive Office of the President, the meeting considered, among other things, policies and State programs geared towards enhancing access to and affordability of food, whilst also addressing the adverse effects of climate change as set out in the Administration’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
President William Samoei Ruto called for a peaceful resolution to the crisis in Sudan. He said the outbreak of violence will affect the nation’s stability and reverse the gains made. According to State House Kenya, Ruto is consulting with the regional leadership and other relevant international partners to further dialogue and mediation in Sudan.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi has sent warning shots to local maize millers who are yet to reduce their maize flour prices, threatening to revoke their permits. The Agriculture Cabinet Secretary has scheduled a meeting with millers this Friday, April 21, to solve the unga (maize flour) pricing issue. Linturi, in an interview with Citizen TV on Tuesday (April 18), expressed disappointment in the millers’ inability to reduce the prices of maize flour as directed by the President.
The government of Kenya is mulling legal and policy frameworks to further incentivize investment in the country’s e-mobility sector. Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen told Transform Kenya that part of the plan is to look at infrastructure development. He noted the Government’s initiative to encourage investment in the sector and facilitate the shift from diesel and petrol-powered vehicles to electric vehicles.
The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) and the ICT Authority (ICTA) are planning to roll out 100,000 kilometres of last-mile fibre optic cable in the country’s 19 remote counties to increase affordable access to broadband internet. The project is expected to take three years and will cost the country USD 37 million, which will be sourced from the Universal Service Fund.
Somalia
The Somali Government has announced its intentions to ramp up security measures in anticipation of Eid al-Fitr celebrations, which will mark the end of Ramadan this Friday. The meeting, chaired by Mohamed Ali Hagaa, the Minister of State for Security, focused on reinforcing security measures and implementing the recent Arms Control Act in Mogadishu.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud appointed Ambassador Mariam Yassin Hagi Yussuf as special envoy for children’s rights and immigrants on Wednesday (April 19).
On Wednesday, April 19, the Somali National Army conducted a military operation to hunt down Al-Shabaab terrorists near Awdhigle district in Lower Shabelle region.
South Sudan
South Sudan and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday (April 18) launched a nationwide campaign aimed at improving the livelihoods of teachers in order to prevent them from school abstention. The campaign aims to address the challenges teachers face by improving their livelihoods and the overall quality of education for the future of children in the East African country.
South Sudan on Tuesday (April 18) reported five deaths and 91 suspected cases from an outbreak of hepatitis E in the northwest of the country, including Wau city, which is the capital of Western Bahr el-Ghazal State. Health Minister Yolanda Awel Deng urged the public to remain calm.
Aweil town hosted a two-day cultural peace festival under the theme “Unity in Diversity” organized by the Northern Bahr El Ghazal State Ministry of Culture with support from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). The state’s Minister of Peacebuilding used the festive occasion to call for peace and unity among the different ethnic groups living in the State, as well as between them and communities living in neighbouring Warrap State and Abyei.
Sudan
The Sudanese Armed Forces declared on Monday (April 17) the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a rebel group, and ordered its dissolution, as fighting between the two continues and the death toll continues to rise. In its official statement on Monday, the Foreign Ministry announced that General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, commander of the Sudanese army and the de facto head of state, had declared the RSF a rebel entity that was fighting the state and ordered its dissolution.
On Sunday (April 16) IGAD issued a communiqué of the 40th Extraordinary Assembly of IGAD Heads of State and Government Virtual Meeting held on April 16, 2023, on the worrying security situation in the Sudan. The communiqué expressed alarm at the deteriorating security situation as a result of the fighting that broke out in the morning of Saturday, April 15, 2023, between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in different parts of Khartoum and Merowe and that has since spread to other parts of the country, in particular Darfur.
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Ethiopia is deeply concerned over the ongoing fighting in Sudan
Following the clashes that erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Force (RSF), Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, issued three statements in Arabic to express his sympathy to the people of Sudan. In one of his statements, the Prime Minister said that the Sudanese people have enough wisdom and ability to solve the current crisis facing the country. No outside power may interfere in their internal affairs without their will. We in Ethiopia have a firm belief that the proud Sudanese people have all the wisdom they need to transcend this misfortune, he added.
Abiy also said that it is right to let the people of Sudan solve their problems themselves. If there is any interference with regard to the current situation in the Sudan, its goal should be the achievement of fraternal reconciliation and the establishment of peace. Any attempts without this, with hidden motives and agendas, seek to destroy it. The desire of the Ethiopian government and people is evidently to see the people of Sudan resolve their problems themselves with the wisdom they are accustomed to; we stress, for our part, that we always act in the public interest of Sudan and its people. We strongly condemn all attempts to interfere in Sudanese affairs illegally, as we have done throughout history.
In his statement issued yesterday (April 21, 2023), Prime Minister Abiy downplayed the story that has been circulating over social media platforms, claiming that Ethiopia started attacking Sudanese forces in Al Fashaga to use the opportunity to solve the border dispute between the two countries. There are some parties that seek to achieve their menial political goals by spreading false allegations. “We strongly condemn these allegations, which aim to distort the good neighborly relations between Ethiopia and Sudan,” he said. “We firmly believe that the border issue between our two brotherly countries will be resolved through dialogue and discussions, as Ethiopia values the brotherhood and good neighborliness between our two countries.” Ethiopia does not wish at all to take advantage of the current circumstances that brotherly Sudan is going through, he said, stressing that the two countries can solve their border issues through dialogue. “We are fully confident that the brotherly Sudanese people will not listen to false allegations that seek to drive a wedge between them and the Ethiopian people, who value good neighborliness.”
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Demeke Mekonnen, held a telephone conversation over the week with the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Sudan, Ali El-Sadig Ali. He conveyed Ali El-Sadig Ethiopia’s deep concern over the ongoing fighting in Sudan. He expressed Ethiopia’s solidarity with the people of Sudan and sympathy for those who lost their lives and were caught in the crossfire. Demeke also conveyed Ethiopia’s confidence that the brotherly people of Sudan will find a Sudanese solution to regain peace and order in these final days of the Holy Month of Ramadan.
The clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that erupted on April 15, 2023, continue today for the 6th day. Fighting continues to be reported in different parts of the country and in the capital, Khartoum. In Khartoum, the clashes involved light and heavy weaponry, while the Sudanese Air Force attacked targets within the city. As the clash erupted in the capital, the civilians and the diplomatic community have found themselves caught in the conflict’s crossfires, which has made it difficult for them to receive medical care and buy necessities like food and water and for foreign missions to evacuate their citizens and diplomats from the Sudan.
Thousands of residents are fleeing Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, after two attempted truces failed to hold between the army and RSF. According to the World Health Organization information given on Wednesday, at least 270 people have been killed and 2,600 have been injured since clashes between the army and the Rapid Support Forces broke out. Among the casualties are some Ethiopians who were killed or injured. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia would like to express its deepest sympathies and condolences to both the Sudanese and Ethiopian bereaved families of the victims of this tragedy.
We believe that the principle of “Finding African Solutions to African Problems” shall be dictated to the current conflict in the Sudan. The most important priority shall be silencing guns and sitting down to seek a peaceful and amicable solution. Ethiopia is, without any interference in the Sudanese internal affairs, keen to support the Sudanese people in working with the African Union to bring lasting peace for the best interests of the brotherly people of the Sudan in particular and for the region at large.
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Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia pays a visit to Ethiopia
A high-level delegation led by Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, paid a two-day working visit to Ethiopia from April 10–12, 2023. During its stay in Addis Ababa, the delegation met and exchanged views with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Demeke Mekonnen, the Ministers of Health, Women, and Social Affairs, as well as Trade and Regional Integration.
The discussions have mainly focused on strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries and exploring new avenues of cooperation. The Slovenian side reflected on the importance they attach to Ethiopia as a partner in the Horn and throughout Africa. Understanding was reached to deepen cooperation on water diplomacy, climate change, forest protection, beehives, and honey harvest, as well as cooperation in student exchange. Further areas of cooperation in the areas of medicine, information and communication technology (ICT), and artificial intelligence (AI) were explored. Slovenian businesses were invited to explore the huge economic opportunities in Ethiopia.
Slovenia decided to officially open its embassy in Addis Ababa in 2024. Ambassador Birtukan Ayano, State Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, assured the Slovenian side, during discussions with the Secretary General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, of full cooperation in their efforts to have a diplomatic presence in Addis Ababa.
Extensive discussions were held on the need to coordinate actions on the regional and international levels and on the issues of human rights, reconciliation, and accountability. To this end, Slovenia asked for Ethiopia’s support for its candidature before the UN Security Council. The two sides agreed to conduct bilateral political consultations very soon.
Finally, the delegation expressed their wish to see an agreement reached on the GERD and appreciated the great hospitality they received, symbolic of the strong relationship that exists.
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Ethio-American Business and Investment Forum Held in Washington, DC
The Ethio-US Business and Investment Forum was held in Washington, D.C., on April 12, 2023. Organized in close collaboration between the Embassy of Ethiopia, Washington, D.C., Wafa Marketing & Promotion, and the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA), the forum brought together Ethiopian and US investors and corporate leaders to explore the abundant business and investment potentials in Ethiopia.
Opening the Business Forum, Ethiopia’s Finance Minister, Ahmed Shide, highlighted a wide range of reform measures taken by the government such as the national ease of doing business initiative, the revised investment proclamation and commercial law, the newly launched public-private partnership initiative, as well as comprehensive privatization and liberalization programs. He also expressed his optimism for growing Ethio-US business and investment collaboration and called upon American companies to invest in Ethiopia.
Ambassador Seleshi Bekele, for his part, expressed the Embassy’s commitment to support investment and trade flows by promoting the opportunities that exist in Ethiopia, brokering knowledge to facilitate investment, and providing improved services for investors. The Ambassador also reaffirmed the Ethiopian Government’s determination to advance sustainable peace, stability, and economic development. He also invited the participants to explore the vast investment opportunities in Ethiopia and assured them of the Embassy’s resolve to provide them with all the necessary support, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ethiopian Investment Commission, and other relevant institutions in Ethiopia.
Lelisse Neme, Ethiopian Investment Commissioner, on her part, presented the conducive investment opportunities in Ethiopia, including mining, agro-processing, construction, energy, tourism, technology, and manufacturing. She emphasized that this is the right time to invest in Ethiopia, given the government’s strong commitment and multifaceted incentives. Florizelle Lizer, President and CEO of the Corporate Council on Africa, also reassured the participants of her office’s unwavering commitment to linking US investors with Ethiopian counterparts and facilitating increased trade and investment between Ethiopia and the United States.
The forum provided a valuable platform for engaging with high-level government officials to discuss business opportunities and policy reforms and disseminate comprehensive and timely information to participants. Organizing similar promotional events in the future will be crucial to strengthening bilateral economic relations between the two countries.
Ethiopian and Diaspora Investors Business Forum in Washington DC
The Ethiopian Embassy in Washington, DC, in collaboration with Wafa Marketing and Promotion, hosted an Ethiopian and Diaspora Investors Business Forum on the evening of April 12, 2023. Over 60 Ethiopian diaspora investors and business owners residing in the United States and several business representatives from Ethiopia attended the event.
During the forum’s opening, Ethiopia’s Finance Minister, Ahmed Shede, emphasized the government’s commitment to support the private sector to invest in various sectors of the economy. He highlighted the home-grown economic reform program and liberalization measures implemented to encourage both domestic and foreign investors to play a significant role in Ethiopia’s economic development. The Governor of the National Bank of Ethiopia, Mamo Mihretu, underscored the macroeconomic and financial sector reforms undertaken by the Government and stated that more than 90% of bank loans are currently being allocated to the private sector to encourage investment.
Ambassador Seleshi Bekele praised the important contributions of the Ethiopian diaspora in various sectors, such as education, health, advocacy and image-building, and urged them to bring their expertise and knowledge back to Ethiopia, explore the immense investment opportunities and collaborate with local private businessmen to work in partnership or joint venture engagements. He reiterated the Embassy’s commitment to provide them with the necessary support and affirmed that the Embassy is working closely with the Ethiopian Investment Commission to attract investors and disseminate up-to-date information.
Commissioner of the Ethiopian Investment Commission, Lelise Neme, discussed the various investment opportunities and policy amendments made to create a more investor-friendly environment in Ethiopia. These amendments help investors overcome bureaucratic challenges and obstacles they may encounter during licencing and other stages of the implementation of investment projects. Wafa Marketing and Promotion Manager Fantaye Getaneh, who coordinated the event with the Embassy, said the program enabled Ethiopian investors to establish connections with diaspora partners.
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