The Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Brussels hereby invites eligible candidates to apply for a position of Press and Media Officer at the Embassy.

FDRE Attorney General
21 May 2021

I. #Introduction
It is to be recalled that, in response to the calculated, coordinated, large-scale, treasonous and sudden attack perpetrated against several outposts of the Northern Command of the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) by the Tigray Special Police and Militia of the Tigray Regional State, the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has launched a military operation aimed at:
1) Bringing to justice those who are responsible for planning, organizing and directing the treasonous attack against the ENDF;
2) Restoring the constitutional order and lawful authority within the Tigray Regional State;
3) Neutralizing the grave threat posed by the armed forces organized by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) to the security and territorial integrity of Ethiopia that could have had the possibility of endangering the security of the horn of Africa too;
4) Securing the release of members and officers of the ENDF kidnapped and unlawfully detained by the TPLF, and ensure that the men and women of the Ethiopian National Defense Force who have been slain by the TPLF will be laid to rest in accordance with the appropriate cultural norms and in a manner that befits their sacrifice in the line of duty.
This operation dubbed as a Campaign of Law Enforcement was launched with the authorization of the House of Federation, which ordered the Federal Government to conduct a federal intervention in the Tigray Regional State in accordance with Proclamation Number 359/ 2003 [which provides for a system for the intervention of the Federal Government within Regional States inter alia per article 62(9) of the FDRE Constitution]. The operation was also backed by the authorization of the House of Peoples’ Representatives which declared a State of Emergency within the Regional State of Tigray. Hence, the operation was endorsed and authorized by both the upper and lower houses of parliament, although the authorization of one chamber would have been sufficient from a constitutional legality point of view. The State of Emergency declared by the House of Peoples’ Representatives has also authorized the deployment of security and police forces as well as militia from other Regional States to achieve the objectives of the campaign.
Soon after the launch of this campaign, the ENDF issued clear Rules of Engagement, in a small pamphlet that was distributed to all its personnel deployed in the Tigray Regional State. The Rules of Engagement, which the armed men and women of the ENDF were supposed to carry with them at all times, spelt out the basic duties of the service men and women such as the protection of civilians and other pertinent norms of international law applicable in such context. This is in addition to the continuous training and instructions that are given to officers and servicemen on legal rules and principles applicable within the context of armed conflict. Furthermore, the ENDF regularly evaluates the manner in which the troops executed their missions and took remedial actions when the need arose.
In the operation conducted in the Tigray Regional State since November 4, the ENDF has incurred losses and has gone to great lengths to minimize civilian casualties and avoid engaging the enemy within urban settings. For instance, the ENDF’s effort to avoid armed confrontation in cities has largely been successful in sparing the towns of Humera, Sheraro, Adihageray, Shire, Adewa, Mekelle, Wikro and Abi Adi from the destruction that would have ensued had the ENDF engaged with TPLF forces in these cities.
However, despite the effort of the ENDF to avoid civilian casualties and conduct the operation in line with all applicable national and international legal norms and standards, several allegations concerning the killing of civilians, sexual violence, the looting and destruction of property have been reported by journalists and other entities. The Government of Ethiopia has taken these allegations seriously and has been exerting itself to investigate them thoroughly and ensure accountability as per findings. Parallel, and without prejudice to the preliminary investigation conducted by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission as well as the joint investigation that is now underway by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and the UN Human Rights Commission, the relevant law enforcement agencies have been conducting their own investigations regarding the allegations mentioned above. This brief memo provides a short summary of the legal framework and institutional setup within which these investigations are being carried out. It also provides a brief summary of the progress of the investigations and the challenges faced in the investigation process. The memo indicates the remaining tasks and next steps in these efforts to ensure accountability.
II. #Legal Framework and #Institutional Setup
Substantive Law: When it comes to the substantive legal rules that are pertinent to the allegations and reports of atrocities, the relevant legislation is the Criminal Code of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (Proclamation No. 414/2004). This Code incorporates the relevant international legal standards and provides an extensive list of crimes including War crimes and Crimes Against Civilian Population, War crimes against Medical Services, Pillage and Looting, Use of Illegal Means of Combat. In stipulating these crimes, the Code clearly makes reference to and incorporates international humanitarian law. As such, there is adequate legal framework within the Ethiopian legal system to ensure accountability in the instances and to the extent the allegations are verified.
Jurisdiction and Mandate: when it comes to procedural issues, particularly jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute, there are three entities that seem to have overlapping mandate and jurisdiction: 1) the military police and prosecutors; 2) the federal police and prosecutors; and 3) the regional police and prosecutors. Therefore, the next section of the memo will highlight the progress made by the military and federal entities in ensuring accountability for crimes that are committed within the context of the conflict in the Regional State of Tigray. The information regarding investigations by regional police and prosecutors is still being compiled.
III. #Efforts, #Progress and #Results
Military Police and Prosecutors
***
● The military police and prosecutors have focused their investigation and law enforcement efforts particularly on cases of homicide/ murder of civilians and cases of rape/sexual assaults perpetrated by members of the ENDF.
● Military prosecutors have pressed charges against 28 soldiers who are suspected of killing civilians in a situation where there was no military necessity. The trials of these suspects are underway and the verdicts are expected to be handed down shortly.
● Military prosecutors have pressed charges against 25 soldiers who are suspected of committing acts of sexual violence and rape. The trials of these suspects are underway and the verdicts in these cases are expected to be handed down shortly.
● In addition to the trials underway, three soldiers have already been convicted and sentenced for rape; one soldier has been convicted and sentenced for killing a civilian.
● The military police are also investigating several other cases in which credible allegations of similar crimes have been reported.
Federal Police and Prosecutors
*****
The Federal Police and Federal Prosecutors have focused on allegations of major atrocities that have been reported since the onset of the conflict in the Tigray Regional State. The investigation of alleged atrocities has been carried out in addition to the crimes that are believed to have been committed by those who have perpetrated the attack against the Northern Command of the ENDF.
The first report of major crimes and atrocities to emerge in the Tigray Regional State concerned the killing of several hundreds of civilians in the town of Maikadra. Reports by international human rights organizations and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission brought to light the identity/ethnic based attacks against civilians in the town of Maikadra. A team of federal police investigators and prosecutors were deployed to the area and after extensive investigation involving recording the testimony of 256 witnesses, exhuming and conducting forensic investigation on the remains of victims (conducted by a medical team of forensic experts), the investigation team has ascertained that 229 individuals have been killed and several victims have sustained serious injuries. The investigation team has identified 202 individuals who are believed to have taken part in the commission of this crime. While most of the suspects are believed to have fled to Sudan, 23 have been apprehended so far and the case is being processed for trial with the Federal First Instance Court conducting a preliminary inquiry in the matter in accordance with the request of federal prosecutors who have deemed such inquiry necessary to preserve the testimony of witnesses who might not be available during the trial.
The other report of major crimes and atrocities concerned incidents in the city of Axum. The investigation team consisting of federal police and prosecutors is investigating the incidents that have taken place primarily from the 19th to the 28th of November. The main lines of inquiry so far focus on:
1) Death of civilians and damage to civilian installations, infrastructure and property caused by heavy shelling: the investigation so far seems to indicate that a total of 8 civilians have been killed as a result of heavy shelling of targets that do not constitute legitimate military targets.
2) Looting and Destruction of Property: the investigation indicates that there has been looting and destruction of property including the campuses of Axum University, Kdist Maryam Hospital, Berana Hotel.
3) Killing of Civilians [from November 27-28]: the investigation indicates that a total of 110 civilians have been killed on these dates by Eritrean Troops. It was a reprisal for an attack against a contingent of Eritrean troops carried out by a force comprising of the Militia of the Tigray Regional State, the Tigray Special Police force and residents of the city who had been armed by the TPLF and took a two day training. The investigation shows that 70 civilians have been killed in the city while they were outdoors. There are indications that some of these individuals might have been irregular combatants. On the other hand 40 civilians seem to have been taken out of their homes and killed in home to home raids conducted by Eritrean troops. In this investigation, that is still underway, the testimony of 119 witnesses has been recorded, medical records and evidences concerning those who have been injured and received medical treatment has been obtained, video and photographic record of the damage to civilian property and installations has been taken, samples/pieces of shrapnel from the shelling have been secured.
[The investigation concerning Axum is still underway and incomplete. All findings are tentative and subject to corroboration and confirmation].
IV. Next #Steps
● Corroborate and confirm witness testimonies obtained in Axum particularly through forensic/medical investigation, if possible by exhuming remains and ascertaining the figure of civilian fatalities
● Finalize the investigation in Axum and identify suspects against whom charges should be brought
● Expand the scope of investigation to other parts of the Region where there have been credible reports of major crimes and atrocities.

On 18 May 2021, the Embassy hosted an Ethiopian Coffee Cupping event in the presence of professional coffee connoisseurs.

The cupping event was organized in cooperation with a coffee trader of Ethiopian origin Mrs. Marta Somorowski, Mr. Vincent Ballot, and Mr. Eric Duchossoy – renown coffee roasters and tasters.

H.E. Ambassador Hirut Zemene, on her opening remarks, stated that the event is of the first of its type organized in the premises of the Embassy. It is aimed at promoting the different varieties of Ethiopian coffee to Belgian coffee roasters and creating contract-based market linkages between Ethiopian Exporters and Belgian market, which is one of the major destinations of Ethiopian Coffee. The Ambassador further highlighted the importance of coffee in the culture of Ethiopia in addition to its economic importance, being the major export item of the country.

The tasting program was led by a well-known coffee master Mr. Vincent Ballot, who has been titled as “Mellier Ouvrier de France Terréfacteur 2019” – (the best coffee roaster of 2019 in France) – and Mr. Eric Duchossoy, a professional coffee taster. Different coffee roasters from the three regions of Belgium attended the cupping event and tasted more than 23 types of Ethiopian coffee exhibited.

H.E. Ambassador Hirut Zemene held discussions with the chair of the Development Committee at the European Parliament, Honourable Tomas Tobe on the 19th of May 2021.

Ambassador Hirut briefed honourable Tobe on the humanitarian situation in Tigray, the ongoing investigations on the alleged human rights violations and gender-based violence in Tigray, the upcoming national elections in Ethiopia, the trilateral negotiations on the GERD and other regional security matters, among others. In so doing, H.E. Ambassador Hirut called upon partners not to put undue pressure on Ethiopia, but instead support the ongoing democratic and economic transition in the country.

The two sides further agreed to keep on exchanging views on domestic and regional issues of mutual interest and concern.

Press Briefing Summary 11 May 2021

Spokesperson of The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, H.E. Ambassador Dina Mufti, gave the Ministry’s biweekly press briefing today (11 May 2021) to the media. In his presentation, the Ambassador focused on political diplomacy, (with a special attention on the GERD negotiation and the situation in Tigray), economic diplomacy and citizen-centered diplomatic activities.

I. #PoliticalDiplomacy

H.E. President Sahle-Work Zewde visited Niger and met with H.E. President Mohamed Bazoum to discuss the current situation in Ethiopia. President Sahle-Work briefed President Bazoum on issues such as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, the situation in the Tigray region, the Ethio-Sudan border issue, and the upcoming national elections in Ethiopia. The Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy, Dr. Sileshi Bekele, also gave a briefing on the GERD. President Sahle-Work congratulated President Mohamed Bazoum on winning the national elections and highlighted that Niger’s recently held national elections were a good example for all Africans of peaceful transition of power. Niger is one of three countries representing Africa at the United Nations Security Council.

H.E. Mr. Demeke Mekonnen, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia had a discussion on Monday (May 10) with the U.S. special envoy to the Horn of Africa, H.E. Mr. Jeffrey Feltman. The discussion between the two sides included the current status of the humanitarian support and rehabilitation activities in Tigray, the negotiations over the GERD and the Ethiopia-Sudan border issue. They underscored the dam file and the border dispute should get peaceful resolutions. They also noted the importance of strengthening the longstanding relationship between the two countries.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Demeke Mekonnen met with the President of the Republic of South Africa, H.E Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa and had a very fruitful discussion on both bilateral and regional issues. During the meeting, H.E Demeke Mekonnen informed the President on current issues in Ethiopia. Discussing the AU led trilateral negotiation on the GERD, H.E Mr. Demeke emphasized Ethiopia’s firm commitment to continue the negotiations under the AU framework and reach a mutually acceptable outcome to the three countries. Mr. Demeke expressed Ethiopia’s profound appreciation to H.E President Ramaphosa for his leadership in promoting African solutions to Africa’s problems.

H.E. Demeke Mekonnen, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia had held a discussion on Tuesday (May 04) with Comoros Foreign Minister, H.E. Dhoihir Dhoulkamal on bilateral issues and the tripartite talks over the GERD. Mr. Dhoihir Dhoulkamal expressed his country’s confidence that the tripartite would solve outstanding issues over the dam through a round table discussion. Mr. Demeke

• Appreciated the concern and initiative Comoros has shown to help the tripartite amicably solve outstanding issues over the GERD talks.
• Said Ethiopia wants to utilize the Nile waters equitably and reasonably in line with the principle of causing no significant harm to the downstream states.
• Noted that although Ethiopia contributes 86% of the water resources, it has never been able to utilize the Nile,
• He said Sudan and Egypt want to continue their monopoly over the Nile waters and have continued to internationalize and politicize what purely is a technical matter to protect the unfair status quo
• Said Ethiopia is ready to continue the negotiation and is confident that the AU-led process under the DRC chairmanship would bear fruits satisfactory to all involved.
• Appreciated the unwavering commitment of Comoros to stand by Ethiopia in critical times and appreciated the efforts of the AU Bureau members, such as Comoros to give an amicable solution to the tripartite talks.

State Minister, H.E. Ambassador Redwan Hussien had a briefing with Ambassadors of the members of the UN Peace and Security Council and South American countries residing in Ethiopia on critical issues in the country, including the situation in Tigray. In his briefing on the situation in Tigray, Ambassador Redwan said the government made significant strides in addressing many of the concerns of the international community. In this regard, he said:
• The issue of access to humanitarian support has been adequately addressed with the notification system that is now in place. Some of the pocket areas that were inaccessible are now being reached out through military escort.
• The issues related to visa extension and permits to communication equipment have also been addressed by the government. In this regard, those who contribute significant humanitarian support on the ground, such as the USAID are being granted visa extension permits.
• A guideline has also been introduced to respond to requests for permits to use communication equipment
• While noting the UN-EHRC joint investigation on alleged human rights abuses, he informed Council members that the Attorney General has been conducting a separate investigation and a briefing will be given to the media to announce the outcome of its investigations.

Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, H.E. Ambassador Dina Mufti gave a briefing to international media outlets stationed in Addis Ababa about the status of the GERD negotiations, the Ethiopia-Sudan border issue, and the upcoming general elections. Main points:

#GERD
=====
• the construction and filling of the dam will be held according to the schedule
• Ethiopia is committed to utilize the Nile water resources fairly and equitably while causing no significant harm to downstream states
• Ethiopia is committed to applying the motto of “African solutions to African problems,” for the GERD negotiations,
• Sudan and Egypt are unnecessarily internationalizing the matter
• Ethiopia had to make some concessions to ensure the negotiations turn out successful, such as the willingness to exchange data and widen the role of observers so that they can offer their opinions and separately consult the negotiating parties

#Ethiopia-#Sudan border dispute
=====
• The belligerent act of the Sudanese troops compromised the wellbeing of Ethiopians and it is contrary to the fraternal relationship that exists between the people of the two countries
• Existing border conflict resolution mechanisms, including the works of various joint border committees, could have solved the problem peacefully
• Ethiopia is ready to solve the problem amicably
• The Sudanese stance over the GERD and the border issue does not represent the interests of the people of Sudan but a third party

On the upcoming #election
=====
• The electoral process is well underway with a surge in voter turnouts
• Observers from international and domestic institutions are finalizing their preparations to undertake their responsibilities
• Although the EU has announced the cancellation of its plan to deploy election observers, it has decided to send experts’ mission
• election observers are expected to follow guidelines to carry out their duties as laid out by proper institutions in Ethiopia

Ambassador Nebil Mahdi met with Hon. Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin, Minister of Presidential Affairs of the Republic of South Sudan and exchanged views on issues of common concern. Ambassador Nebil briefed the Minister on the latest improvements in the Tigray region, notably the relief and humanitarian efforts being conducted by the Ethiopian Government. He further shared developments regarding the Ethiopia-Sudan border dispute, the GERD negotiation, and the upcoming Ethiopian National Election.
H.E Melaku Legesse, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to the Republic of Senegal presented the copy of his credentials to the Minister of the Foreign Affairs of Senegal, H.E. Aissata Tall Sall. On the occasion, Ambassador Melaku Legesse and Aissata Tall Sall exchanged views on further strengthening the longstanding bilateral relationship between the two countries.

H.E. Adem Mohammed – Ambassador of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to the Republic of Turkey -presented his Letter of Credence to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Presidential Complex in Ankara. During the ceremony, President Erdogan underlined the great importance his country attaches to its relationship with Ethiopia and emphasized that the two countries should make use of the wide range of economic, cultural and diplomatic opportunities that exist between them to bring their cooperation to the highest level. The Ambassador, on his part, alluded to the strategic partnership that exists between Ethiopia and Turkey and expressed his readiness to spare no effort to further consolidate the excellent partnership between Ethiopia and Turkey.

II. #EconomicDiplomacy

State Minister H.E. Tsion Teklu had a discussion with the Ambassador of France to Ethiopia on the situation of companies led by French investors in Ethiopia. The two sides also talked about available investment opportunities in Ethiopia that have the potentials to draw several French investors to the country’s market.

Pharmaceutical companies from Turkey and Algeria have paid a visit to Ethiopia for a preliminary study for investing in Ethiopia while a Turkish company had held discussions with relevant authorities in the country on investment options. In related news, a Webinar discussion was held with a Chinese pharmaceutical company (Wanbang Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd) on investing in beautification products in Ethiopia.

III. #CitizenCentered Diplomacy

H.E. Demitu Hambisa, Ambassador of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to the Republic of Italy, opened a new Honorary Consulate of Ethiopia in Torino, Italy on Saturday (May 08). Engineer Franco Rubini is the new Honorary Consul of Ethiopia in Torino. He was a lecturer in Building Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering of the Polytechnic University of Turin and now a Director of ACTA. Honorary Consul Eng. Franco Rubin, on his part, promised to strengthen trade, tourism, economic and cultural relations between Ethiopia and Piedmont, Italy, and also to provide support to Ethiopians in Piedmont.

Ethiopian Ambassador in Sudan, H.E. Yibeltal Aemero has a discussion with scholars in from three higher institutions in Sudan on ways to further strengthen people-to-people relations between the two countries.

Ethiopians and Eritreans residing in London and Scotland made rallies supporting the government of Ethiopia in its law enforcement operation and its stance over the GERD negotiations. They have called on the government to bring instigators of ethnic-based violence in the country and condemned the mis/disinformation campaigns of foreign media outlets on situations in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia has repatriated a total of 1168 of its citizens from Kenya (in collaboration with UNHCR), Beirut- Riyadh, Jeddah and Yemen.

A criminal investigation has been underway for the last two months by a team of investigators and prosecutors from Federal Attorney General and Federal Police for alleged crimes committed in different localities of Tigray Region in relation with the Law Enforcement Mission. During the investigation, until May 3, 2021 testimonies of 95 witnesses and documentary evidences have been taken and collected by the investigation team.

From the testimonies and documentary evidences collected, it has been established that TPLF had recruited, trained and deployed about 2,500 para-military personnel from civilians in major cities of the region to conduct urban warfare prior to the entry of ENDF to the City of Axum. As an instance, in Axum city alone, 1,500 youth received one day “training” on how to shoot guns during the period from 10 to 18 November 2020 in different rounds to confront the ENDF.

It is established from the evidences that the ENDF entered Axum on 19 November 2020 and remained in the city until 27 November 2020. During this period, it has been ascertained that five individuals have died by cannon artillery which was intended for military targets of the TPLF. Another civilian was due to confrontation with law enforcement forces regarding breach of curfew imposed by the state of emergency proclamation.

On 27 November 2020, when the ENDF left the city to carry out another law enforcement mission, a small number of Eritrean troops arrived in two vehicles and were stationed in the mountainous area of the city. At this point, TPLF cadres spread a rumour to the effect that the Eritrean army entered the city to surrender and not to fight and instigated the 1500 youth that they had trained earlier to raise arms and capture the Eritrean soldiers.

Simultaneously, members of the TPLF Special Forces and militia in the Adet area entered the city to fight in Axum. Meanwhile, the former mayor of the city of Axum, joined the TPLF forces in the woods, wrote a letter ordering for the distribution of weapons stored in five locations, including those stolen from the ENDF’s Northern Command. At one location alone, 400 units of weapons was withdrawn as per the direction of the latter. This was confirmed by testimonies from the youth, as well as members of the Special Forces.

After such preparation, the TPLF forces had opened attack on the Eritrean soldiers who were settled on the mountainous area of the city. The heavy fighting between the forces took from 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM until ENDF’s help had arrived. At this moment, the TPLF forces had backed to city. According to the words of the 95 witnesses, 93 individuals had been killed due to the fight. According to the same testimony, it is established that the great majority of those killed on the said incident, though they were not in uniform, they were members of the fighting force of TPLF who engaged the Eritrean forces and ENDF.

In Relation to allegation of Rape, to this date, testimonies of 116 victims of rape have been recorded by the police. The criminal investigation has managed to identify members of the Federal Police and ENDF involved in the crime. As a result, the case with the members of Federal Police has been transferred to the Regional Prosecution Office where as the case of members of ENDF who was alleged for to involve in the crime has been transferred to the military court.

Due to TPLF’s sinister act manifested in the release of tens of thousands of notorious criminals from prison and attiring them with ENDF’s and Eritrean military uniforms, it has been found to the investigation team extremely difficult to identify the culprits of the offence. The investigation is still underway and investigators are identifying the perpetrators of the crimes mentioned above and are gathering further evidences that would uncover the offences and bring the perpetrators to justice. The investigation team is still collecting testimonies from religious leaders and funeral service providers as well as collecting medical evidences from medical institutions. It is the firm belief of the Attorney General that with strong collaboration between federal and regional law enforcement agencies and with the relentless support from the people, the law enforcement mission will succeed with its objective in bringing peace and security to the region and ensuring the accountability of the perpetrators of the crimes before justice.

Attorney General

NATIONAL ELECTION BOARD OF ETHIOPIA
United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510
9 May 2021
Re: Response to letter by United States Senators to the Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa Ambassador Jeffery Feltman
Dear Senators Cardin, Kaine, Rosen, Booker and Markey,
You have conveyed a letter to Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman that raised several issues to his attention. The letter calls into question the freedom, fairness, and transparency of the forthcoming 6th General Elections in Ethiopia and suggests that reforms are necessary prior to the election. This letter aims to provide additional context in order to assist yourselves and Ambassador Feltman in forming a more complete picture of the process currently underway.
Let me first express my appreciation to the United States for its close attention and support to the democratic reforms underway in Ethiopia. In recent years the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) supported activities related to electoral legal reform, training of poll workers, and institution building. The support received from the United States continues to be instrumental to the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) in its efforts to bring electoral policies and procedures into line with international standards, and to further establish itself as a professional, accountable and transparent electoral administration.
On a personal note, I experienced firsthand the commitment of the United States to supporting human rights and genuine democracy in Ethiopia during my many years as a political party leader who was imprisoned twice, and also as a first woman leader of an opposition political party in Ethiopia. During subsequent years in exile in the United States, the support of the United States enabled me to continue advocating for the full realization of civil and political rights for all Ethiopians.
Given the strong support and commitment demonstrated by United States to human rights and democracy in Ethiopia, I was taken aback by the forceful statements in the aforementioned letter. In response, I wish to bring your attention to the following considerations:
1. Expectations must be calibrated in view of the broader environment. As an independent organization, NEBE is striving to implement the forthcoming elections in a manner that is consistent with both the Ethiopian legal framework and international standards. Shortfalls are inevitable given factors such as population size, development deficits at all levels, a nascent democratic culture and an increasingly charged political and security environment. Measures are in place to minimize the effect of these factors on the ability of voters to cast their ballot, and to ensure dispute resolution mechanisms are in place at all levels. Nonetheless, expectations of all electoral stakeholders must be calibrated in consideration of the challenges faced.
2. Electoral stakeholders have participated robustly in initial stages of the electoral processes. The overall credibility and integrity of electoral process relies in part on active participation of electoral stakeholders. Participation of political parties, candidates and voters in the initial stages of the electoral process are broadly in line with expectations. Currently, 46 of 49 registered political parties have fielded candidates. More than 9,000 candidates are running in federal and regional races, the highest number of candidates in Ethiopian elections to date. Over 190 domestic civil society organizations are accredited to provide voter education while 34 domestic organizations are accredited to be observers. These domestic observation organizations are expected to deploy more than 100,000 citizens to observe polling and other electoral activities.
3. Political parties and candidates are playing an active role in the electoral process across the country. Registered political parties and candidates are actively campaigning throughout the country. Without doubt, political parties face significant challenges and NEBE has made every effort to accommodate complaints or challenges from political parties when such complaints fall within the institution’s remit, up to and including facilitating release of detained candidate and party officials where possible. Procedurally, a symbol selection process as well as ballot lottery process where designed to level the playing field for all political parties and candidates. Media space allocation was similarly designed to enhance equity among political parties.
4. Several measures were introduced to meet international standards. Measures thus far include the integration of electoral stakeholders’ feedback in electoral directives; procurement of new materials such as ballot boxes, screens, seals, and indelible ink; secure design and printing of ballots; and procedures and training that incorporate checks throughout the process. These measures and others are expected to significantly enhance the integrity of the election in comparison with past elections in Ethiopia.
5. The administration of the 6’h General Election is the most transparent in Ethiopia’s history. Upwards of 50 consultative events with a variety of electoral stakeholders have taken place since late 2019, in addition to regular communications through NEBE’s Facebook, Twitter, Telegram and YouTube channels. Intensive consultations are designed to ensure that electoral stakeholders understand the challenges associated with the electoral process and have the opportunity to propose mitigating measures. NEBE welcomes both domestic observers and international observation missions including the International Election Observation Mission in Ethiopia, jointly organized by International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute. Such missions are critical to enhancing the transparency of the process.
6. Reforms in an election year carry significant technical, financial, political and security risks. A publicly available assessment by NEBE regarding the feasibility of reforms suggests that significant changes at this stage in the electoral cycle could further imperil the overall integrity, credibility, inclusivity and timeliness of the electoral process. Proposals for reform should be mindful of factors such timeliness, cost, complexity, and transparency. For this reason, significant reforms at this stage in the electoral cycle are discouraged. Instead, NEBE encourages all electoral stakeholders to adhere to the applicable codes of conduct and to follow the correct channels to resolve complaints.
I hope the United States will continue to closely monitor and support Ethiopia’s democratic reforms, including the continued efforts of NEBE to enhance the inclusivity, transparency and fairness of the electoral process, a necessary step of Ethiopia on its path to democratization. I look forward to engaging with Ambassador Feltman on these issues during his forthcoming travel to the region.
Sincerely,
Birtukan Midekssa
Charperson, National Electoral Board of Ethiopia

Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, H.E. Ambassador Dina Mufti gave a briefing today (May 08) to international media outlets stationed in Addis Ababa about the status of the GERD negotiations, the Ethiopia-Sudan border issue, and the upcoming general elections.

Speaking about the GERD, he said the construction and filling of the dam would be held according to the schedule adding that Ethiopia stood firm to utilize the Nile water resources fairly and equitably while causing no significant harm to downstream states.

Ethiopia is committed to applying the motto of “African solutions to African problems,” for the GERD negotiations, he said and Sudan and Egypt are unnecessarily internationalizing the matter.

Ambassador Dina also talked about some of the concessions Ethiopia had to make to ensure the negotiations turn out successful, such as the willingness to exchange data and widen the role of observers so that they can offer their opinions and separately consult the negotiating parties.

Regarding the Ethiopia-Sudan border dispute, Ambassador Dina condemned the belligerent acts of the Sudanese troops in compromising the wellbeing of Ethiopians which is contrary to the fraternal relationship that exists between the people of the two countries.

He said existing border conflict resolution mechanisms, including the works of various joint border committees, could have solved the problem peacefully and expressed Ethiopia’s readiness to solve the problem amicably.

The Sudanese stance over the GERD and the border issue does not represent the interests of the people of Sudan but a third party, he said.

On the upcoming election, he said the electoral process is well underway and observers from international and domestic institutions are finalizing their preparations to undertake their responsibilities.

Although the EU has announced the cancellation of its plan to deploy election observers, he said the Union has decided to send observers at experts’ level.

He finally said, election observers, are expected to follow guidelines to carry out their duties as laid out by proper institutions in Ethiopia.