It is widely acknowledged that Ethiopia left no stone unturned to end an armed conflict that took place in the northern part of the country bringing about a considerable amount of effective remedies heedless of enduring challenges and sowing the seeds of peace and tranquilly.
It is unfortunate that regardless of the fact that the federal government put its best foot forward with the purpose of restoring peace and tranquility in the region, Washington in the fullness of time ended up axing Ethiopia from African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) under the guise of a vast array of whys and wherefores.
It is important to remember that since the beginning of the war, the government left no stone unturned to return the whole thing to normalcy, smooth the path of humanitarian assistance in collaboration with a diverse range of aid organizations and more of the same with flying colors. Gloomily, it was at that moment that Ethiopia was dislodged from AGOA. The decision has broken many hearts.
Notwithstanding the fact that the federal government gave the thumbs up to unencumbered access to humanitarian assistance, Ethiopia turned out to be a sacrificial lamb. To everyone’s dismay, some groups were persistently coming up with cock and bull stories with the purpose of mystifying the international community as a whole.
It is true that subsequent to the signing of the peace accord, the federal government has been putting more than a few meaningful solutions into effect with an eye toward reinstating peace and serenity. It is certain that the Pretoria peace agreement brokered under the auspicious of the African Union (AU) won the hearts and minds of each and every one at the drop of a hat.
Apart from grabbing the attention of the wider international community, the positive achievements surfacing in every corner of the country has almost immediately returned areas affected by the war to normalcy and taking a turn for the better.
It should be remembered that regardless of the promising trends bourgeoning in war-ravaged areas, the country’s deadliest enemies and some international media outlets had been spreading make-believe stories. No matter how far they voyaged to drag through the mud Ethiopia’s positive development surfacing in the northern part of the country, bringing about the desired objective turned out to be an unachievable mission.
It should be underscored that the government in a number of instances demonstrated its approach to get along with standards and norms of the African Union led peace agreement. In actual fact, the country’s standpoint shows beyond doubt Africa’s capabilities to resolve its predicaments in its own right devoid of third-party interference.
Notwithstanding the fact that Ethiopia’s adversaries gave little weight to the African Union-led peace deal, Ethiopia in the fullness of time turned out to be victorious over the peace agreement.
As the intended target of some groups were confounding the global community with bogus stories, they have been unceasingly preoccupied with a smear campaign against the positive development of the country and drag through the mire the constructive measures unfolding on a national scale.
As long as Ethiopia ticked all the boxes required by the United States of America, the country should be reinstated into AGOA.
Similarly, as the federal government and Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) signed the cessation of hostilities agreement in Pretoria, South Africa, Washington should re-enlist Ethiopia into AGOA in the shortest possible time by reassessing its decision.
It should be remembered that a wide spectrum of organizations expressed their disappointments with regard to this matter. While the decision to get rid of Ethiopia from AGOA has instigated weighty economic harm, the incumbent has taken an active role in promoting peace and tackling humanitarian concerns.
It is true that Ethiopia has demonstrated a commitment to upholding peace and stability which is critical in attracting overseas development on a national scale. Other than that the government pulled out all the stops to restore peace and tranquilly. The sad thing is that in spite of these endeavors, Ethiopia’s eligibility for AGOA benefits remained up in the air.
Despite the negative impact of the AGOA decision, the Ethiopian government has demonstrated its commitment to addressing the humanitarian crisis and promoting peace.
As reinstating Ethiopia plays a part in mitigating the social-economic impact of the conflict and also create new perspectives for investment and job creation, in the long run bring about Ethiopia’s economic capabilities. It is of paramount importance that the wider global community acknowledges the noteworthy role Ethiopia plays in fostering regional peace and stability.
In the same way, Washington’s decision to axe the country from AGOA has had severe significances on the country’s economy, for the most part the textile and garment industry. There is no gainsaying the fact that the industry heavily hinged on the American market through AGOA, and its rejection has brought about dismissals and discounts in foreign exchange earnings.
The western countries, mainly the US, should end all sanctions immediately and restore status of Ethiopia to AGOA, the American political-economic analyst Freeman in the recent past told local media. The political-economic analyst, Lawrence Freeman, said support from global partners should help Ethiopia to accelerate its rehabilitation endeavors in the war-affected areas.
According to him, Ethiopia really needs assistance from its friends for the private sector to start the rebuilding and expansion process for more infrastructures. In order to achieve these efforts, the American analyst called on western countries, especially his country the United States, to end all sanctions immediately for Ethiopia’s reconstruction project.
Most importantly, Ethiopia’s eligibility to AGOA should be reinstated by the US President Joe Biden as the suspension is harming ordinary Ethiopians and putting companies out of business, he stated.
“Now the western countries, especially my country the United States, should end all sanctions immediately. It would be more appropriate for President Joe Biden to do it while the African-US summit is underway. We should immediately restore Ethiopia to the status of a member of the AGOA. It should be reversed immediately,” he suggested.
Freeman, who appreciated Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his leadership for coming a long way despite difficulties, urged the Biden administration to consolidate the century-old ties between Ethiopia and the US.
“Now if the Biden administration wants to repair relation with Ethiopia, which they should, then they will end sanctions which have been holding up development funds from the IMF and World Bank,” the American analyst said.
Speaking about the AU-led peace agreement reached between the federal government and the TPLF in Pretoria, South Africa, the analyst said African solution to an African challenge is heralded during this peace agreement to end the conflict in the northern part of Ethiopia.
He noted that the peace agreement signed on 2nd November, 2022, almost two years after the war began, is very important for several reasons. First, it was the settlement of a war inside Ethiopia that was very harmful to people; and the fact that it could be settled peacefully itself is an accomplishment.
He described the deal as an accomplishment done by Africans, the African Union, IGAD, the AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa, former president of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, the former president of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, vice president of South Africa, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka without dictation.
Now, all friends of Ethiopia should move to the next phase as this peace agreement, which is always fragile on paper, can be undermined.
Considering the fact that Ethiopia is making progress in the right direction, concerned bodies devoid of batting an eye should reinstate Ethiopia. But turning a bind to the unvarnished truth bubbling up under Ethiopia’s skies will not help the two nations to consolidate their longstanding ties.
In the present circumstances, on the heels of the commitment and hard work of the government, the northern part of the country has jumpstarted breathing a sigh of peace and returning to normal life and conditions. In more concrete terms, paying heed to the existing reality on the ground, Washington should assist the progress of reinstating Ethiopia into AGOA within the foreseeable future.
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald
BY ADDISALEM MULAT
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 14 SEPTEMBER 2024
