Prime Minister H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali is participating in the 38th Extraordinary summit of the Assembly of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (#IGAD) Heads of State and Government that is currently underway in Djibouti.

“The strength of stability in our region is based on cooperation for growth and development,” he tweeted adding, “I am glad as leaders we can come around the table and discuss pressing issues in our region.”

On the margins of the summit, he met with the Prime Minister of #Sudan, H.E. Abdalla Hamdok to discuss bilateral issues as a follow up to their last meeting in Addis Abeba.

He also met and discussed with the President of the Federal Republic of #Somalia H.E Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo regarding recent regional developments and on how to strengthen cooperation among IGAD countries.

Meeting with H.E. Rebecca Nyandeng De Mabior, Vice President of #SouthSudan, the Premier discussed bilateral issues and the continued efforts for peace underway in South Sudan.

President of the Republic of #Djibouti, H.E. Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, President of #Kenya, H.E. Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, and the African Union Commission (#AUC) Chairperson, H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat are also attending the summit.
#MoFA

State Minister H.E. Ambassador Redwan Hussein and Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, H.E. Ambassador Dina Mufti led a discussion today (December 19) with Ethiopian Social media activists on the importance of settling agendas that matter to the public at large.

The discussion covered pivotal national issues, including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, the law enforcement operation in Tigray, the fruits and challenges of the reform process as well as regional and international interests the country aspires to protect.

At the occasion, Ambassador Redwan said social media activists are encouraged to focus on issues that matter to the lives of Ethiopians and avoid destructive and petty nuances.

As agenda setters, social media activists are expected to put the government accountable for its actions, be aware of national interests, and agents of solidarity and brotherhood of the people, he added.

Ambassador Dina Mufti, recalling the swift changes in the media landscape, urged the social media activists to employ the potential of the new communication platforms to advance their country’s interests.

The meeting noted the importance of producing social media outputs tailored to the needs of an identified audience in the international community with specific goals that the country needs to meet for the sake of the wellbeing of the people and the integrity of the nation.

The meeting draws renowned Ethiopian social media activists who relate their works in English, French and Arabic languages, in addition to Local languages.

Participants thanked the ministry for creating the opportunity to deliberate on important issues that helped them focus on the big picture regarding their country’s domestic and international engagements.

 

H.E. Demeke Mekonnen, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia welcomed UN senior officials to his office today (December 15) for a briefing on the latest developments in the #Tigray region.

Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, Her.E. Dr. Vera Songwe, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ethiopia, Her. E. Dr. Catherine Sozi, Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the AU, Her.E. Ms. Hanna Tetteh, and Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the Horn of Africa Mr. Parfait Onanga have attended the meeting.

On the occasion, Mr. Demeke thanked the UN senior officials for joining the meeting on short notice and told them Ethiopia’s appreciation to Secretary-General António Guterres for taking a principled stand on the situation in the Tigray region.

He informed them that the Interim administration in Tigray has started discharging its responsibilities in reestablishing the bureaucratic structure, conversing with the community, and facilitating the restoration of basic services to the people in the region.

The recent visit of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to the region and his discussion with the interim administration is an indication that life in the region is slowly turning into normalcy, he added.

He said a major part of the law enforcement operation is now over and what remains is the police work of apprehending the fugitives.

The main focus of the government now is in rehabilitation and reconstruction of damaged infrastructure, he added.

In this regard, he said, the government has restored telephone and electricity lines in some areas and finalized preparation to rehabilitate damaged highways and airports.

Regarding the humanitarian issues in the region, Mr. Demeke underscored Ethiopia’s firm commitment to address concerns about internally displaced people, Ethiopian refugees in Sudan, and Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia.

He expressed hope that the humanitarian situation will significantly improve soon with the stabilization of the peace and security of the region coupled with the ongoing restoration and rehabilitation works.

He also assured them that the government is closely studying the concerns raised about Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia in order to provide appropriate response.

The UN officials said the Secretary-General believes that Ethiopia is an anchor of peace in the region and stability in Ethiopia means stability for the Horn of Africa.

The meeting ended with the UN officials thanking Mr. Demeke for facilitating the discussion and addressing the UN concerns over the issue.

On December 15, 2020, in his presentation, the Ambassador focused on current situations in Tigray, the diplomatic activities that are mainly related to the law enforcement operation in Tigray, and economic and citizen-centered diplomatic activities within the past two weeks. He also addressed questions related to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s recent visit to Kenya and the visit of Sudanese Prime Minister to Ethiopia.

Press Briefing Summary 15 December 2020
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I. Situations in Tigray
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1. Prime Minister H.E. Dr. Aby Ahmed’s Visit to Tigray

• The visit of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed, to Mekelle after the end of the law enforcement operation in Tigray Regional State shows that peace in the region is returning to normalcy.

• Meeting with senior military leaders and the interim administration of Tigray, the Prime Minister underlined that the most important task left now is restoration and rehabilitation in addition to manhunting the criminals.

2. The interim administration in Tigray is establishing its bureaucratic structure in various cities of the region from the kebele to the upper structure.

3. Telecom and Electricity Services

• Infrastructure in the region sustained heavy damages because of the criminal clique militia’s irresponsible acts

• Mobile voice services in Mekelle city and Maiychew have been restored, in addition to Dansha, Humera, Maikadra, Turkan, Maytsebri, Korem and Alamata.

• Electricity has been restored to Mekelle city and surrounding towns, in the north western part of the country — specifically Metema, Humera and Welkayit.

• The relevant Federal stakeholders are undertaking repair work to enable unhindered service provision in the region.

4. Humanitarian assistance

• The destruction of infrastructure has affected the humanitarian response to the community. The government, for instance, has to build makeshift bridges to make the supply of food and medicine in the Tigray region a bit easier.

• The humanitarian assistance has been mainly covered by the Ethiopian government.

• A favourable environment is now created for making the aid accessible

• The delivery of humanitarian assistance lies within a coordination framework under the Federal government’s overall authority.

II. Diplomatic activities
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1. H.E. Mr. Demeke Mekonnen, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs has delivered his remarks via a pre-recorded video message to the UN’s two days Special Virtual Session held on (3-4 December 2020) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He expressed hope that the session would catalyze and coordinate a unified global response and pave the way for an inclusive, sustainable, green, and resilient recovery. The session was convened upon the request of Azerbaijan on behalf of members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in recognition of the need for a global response to the pandemic.

2. H.E. Demeke Mekonnen, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia held phone conversations with the Foreign Minister of South Korea Her.E. Kang Kyung-wha and the Foreign Minister of Ireland, H.E. Simon Coveney. Discussions included:

• safety of foreign citizens in Tigray
• humanitarian assistance in Tigray
• the latest situations in Tigray.

3. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign
Affairs of Ethiopia, H.E. Demeke Mekonnen briefed on Monday (December 07) the ambassadors of Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and South Africa on the current situation in the Tigray region. He appreciated the ambassadors and leaders of the countries that they represent for fully supporting the law enforcement operation in Tigray. He also briefed them on the most important tasks the government has been undertaking since the capture of Mekelle. The ambassadors:

• appreciated the federal government for rapidly concluding the law enforcement mission without compromising the lives of civilians

• affirmed that they are willing to support the federal government of Ethiopia in its efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to the affected people.

• reiterated that the leaders of their respective countries’ are committed to stand by Ethiopia noting that Ethiopia is an anchor of peace in the region.

4. State of Emergency Spokesperson, H.E. Ambassador Redwan Hussien, and Disaster Risk Management Commissioner H.E. Mitiku Kasa gave a briefing last week on Tuesday (December 08) to the media about the current situation in Tigray, particularly on the humanitarian assistance activities in the region.

III. Economic diplomacy and Citizen centered diplomacy
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• State Minister Tsion Teklu spoke at the Ethio-Scottish Investment Forum organized by our Mission in London over the week. She explained that Ethiopia is on the right track in creating a conducive environment for foreign investment. Her speech also covered potential sectors for investors and government incentives.

• We have repatriated 82 citizens from Lebanon.

#MoFA

 

Today on the 14th of December 2020, H.E Ambassador Hirut Zemene discussed with European Union Special Representative (EUSR) for Human Rights, Eamon Gilmore, regarding the over all situation in Ethiopia’s Tigray Region, the humanitarian and human Rights situation, and the efforts being made by the Ethiopian government to restore communications, provide humanitarian assistance, and rebuild infrastructure in the region.

The two sides agreed to further enhance bilateral consultations on the latest developments in Ethiopia on a regular basis.

Today on the 14th of December 2020, H.E Ambassador Hirut Zemene discussed with European Union Special Representative (EUSR) for Human Rights, Eamon Gilmore, regarding the over all situation in Ethiopia’s Tigray Region, the humanitarian and human Rights situation, and the efforts being made by the Ethiopian government to restore communications, provide humanitarian assistance, and rebuild infrastructure in the region.

The two sides agreed to further enhance bilateral consultations on the latest developments in Ethiopia on a regular basis.

Ethiopians living in Belgium and Luxembourg donate over 800,000 birr to support affected people during the recently carried out law enforcement operation in Ethiopia.

In a webinar discussion facilitated by the Ethiopian embassy in Belgium and held on Sunday (December 13), H.E. Hirut Zemene, Ambassador of Ethiopia to the Kingdom of Belgium, Luxembourg, and the EU institutions, briefed the participants on the current situations in the country.

She underlined that Ethiopians living abroad and those of Ethiopian descent need to support the government’s efforts in rehabilitating displaced people and those affected during the law enforcement operation.

Participants and representatives of Ethiopian community organizations in Belgium and Luxembourg, on their part, said that it is not only an Ethiopian duty but also an honor to be able to support those affected by the law enforcement operation in Ethiopia.

They expressed hope that the fundraising campaign would further be strengthened.

Finally, Ambassador Hirut commended the efforts of Ethiopians and people of Ethiopian descent in Belgium and Luxembourg for mobilizing financial and medical support giving priority to the wellbeing of their fellow Ethiopians at home, and understanding the urgency of the matter.

The Federal Government has been undertaking a law enforcement operation in the Tigray region since November 4, 2020 against the TPLF militia that conducted a treasonous attack on the Northern Command of the Ethiopian Defense Forces. The Ethiopian government’s military operation to restore the constitutional order has taken three weeks and was completed when Mekelle city came under Federal command. The Federal Police has been deployed to gather evidence and arrest the leadership and members of the TPLF that are responsible for the heinous crimes. In parallel, all responsible government bodies are working on infrastructure maintenance and disaster risk management to restore basic services and to deliver humanitarian assistance.

The Government of Ethiopia is committed to put all available resources to address the humanitarian challenges on time. The Ethiopian Government also wishes to reiterate that it highly treasures its partnership with UN Agencies and recognizes their invaluable contribution to our national development programs and disaster risk management activities. Moreover, it will continue to provide all essential humanitarian assistance jointly with the United Nations per the terms of the agreement.

The Ethiopian Government is concerned about the manner in which the recent unauthorized travel of UN staff to an insecure area was reported. And in this regard, wishes to set the record straight. On 06 December 2020, a convoy carrying UN staff without authorized travel permits, ignored the repeated warning and pleas of security officials, in breach of the agreement between the Government and the UN on humanitarian access. Law enforcement personnel had to stop the vehicle and escort the UN staff to a place of safety.

As per the Agreement, it is important that all humanitarian workers follow the security guidelines set out by the Government of Ethiopia. The Government takes its obligation to ensure the safety and security of humanitarian workers and supplies seriously. We wish to once again remind all humanitarian workers to respect the agreed safety protocols and follow the advice of the law enforcement personnel. While the government recognizes the need by international humanitarian organizations to urgently get aid supplies across the Tigray region, it maintains a position that proper authorization is required from federal authorities.

The Government welcomes the apology given by H.E Dr. Catherine Sozi, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Ethiopia, on the incident. It also hopes that the UN will put mechanisms in place to prevent similar breaches in the future as it undermines humanitarian coordination and poses serious security risks.

The Ethiopian Government reaffirms its readiness to work closely with the UN pursuant to the Agreement concluded on 29 November 2020. The people and Government of Ethiopia are grateful for the critical assistance provided to our vulnerable citizens in this time of need.