As the Horn of Africa is a hotbed of terrorism, Ethiopia has been time and again playing a huge role in foiling the terrorist groups’ evil deeds. Notwithstanding the fact that they made an effort to take the region into uncharted territory at various points in time, the Ethiopian National Defense Forces have driven them out of the region.
In the present circumstances, the criminal groups in the Horn of Africa have been bending over backwards to back the region into uncharted territory and rub salt in the wound. To everyone’s dismay, nothing makes them happier than causing a conflict to become more intense and pouring salt in the wound.
Albeit various means have been put in place by the criminal groups to escalate tension in the Horn of Africa region, bringing about the desired goal has been turning out to be an unachievable mission and insurmountable obstacle owing to Ethiopia’s unflinching stance.
It is widely acknowledge that Ethiopia has been working from dawn to dark to drive away the criminal branches that have been endeavoring to put the region between the hammer and the anvil as well as the devil and the deep blue sea.
As the region from time to time has been going from the frying pan into the fire, Ethiopia has been ensuring peace and tranquilityin the Horn of Africa region. Albeit the group several times made an attempt to up the ante and raise the stakes in the region, the Ethiopian National Defense Forces has been pouring giving on their efforts.
Ethiopia is committed to continuing its indispensable and long stand role in ensuring peace and stability in the Horn of Africa (HoA) and beyond, said President Taye Atske-Selassie.
He made the above remark while celebrating the 117thanniversary of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) recently. The event marks the 117th anniversary of the establishment of modern Ethiopian army and honoring the sacrifices of Ethiopian military forces to safeguard the sovereignty of the nation.
He stated that the heroic defense forces are the manifestation of patriotism and nationalism, sacrificing their invaluable life to safeguard the sovereignty of Ethiopia and the wellbeing of the people. Ethiopia continues to uphold its peace and stability for the sacrifice made by the heroic defense force in protecting the nation from enemies.
Ethiopia had not had a history of intimidating the sovereignty and freedom of any neighboring countries and beyond. Ethiopia is known for cooperation and contributing to regional peace and beyond. Therefore, Ethiopia continues contributing to regional peace and stability. The nation works to ensure collective peace and development with its neighboring countries and committed to revolving disagreements peacefully, he noted.
Since the reform process, the army is built in a professional manner, having modern technologies and infrastructural facilities thereby overcoming difficulties easily. Accordingly ENDF is in a position that allows it to cope with any attempts from enemies and well positioned in terms of human power and weapons.
Heartbreakingly, following the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland, some groups almost immediately set in motion tarnishing the positive moves of Ethiopia giving the cold shoulder to its key role in the region.
It is certain that Ethiopia for years has been making every possible effort to ensure peace and tranquility in every nook and cranny of the Horn of Africa. The country has sustained giving its all to ensure peace in the region.
But on the heels of the MoU, worrywarts embarked on endeavoring to badmouth the promising strides of Ethiopia. It is common knowledge that Ethiopia has been coming across with a broad range of challenges as a consequence of its reliance on other nations’ seaport.
It is worth recalling that the agreement signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland with a focus on getting access to seaport will take the Horn of Africa to new horizons and new standards at the earliest possible juncture.
It becomes obvious that a collaborative approach with the Horn of Africa nations would make certain Ethiopia’s continued clamor for access to seaport and prospering together as well as bolstering economic ties.
During the 6th round of the 4th term and the 3rd ordinary session of the House of People’s Representatives recently, Premier Abiy addressed concerns over Ethiopia’s Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Somaliland. He clarified that the MoU, which grants Ethiopia limited coastal access for some years, has been misinterpreted as a territorial threat.
“The MoU is a mutually beneficial agreement, not an act of aggression,” he emphasized, adding that Ethiopia’s goal is peaceful cooperation, not conflict.
He, moreover, underscored that the importance of access to the resource-rich Red Sea, noting its potential to yield mutual benefits for all involved nations, particularly for Ethiopia, home to a population of 120 million.
Up to this juncture, Ethiopia has been doing everything possible to get access to sea in a diplomatic way on the grounds that the country lost its rights of proprietorship as a consequence of more than a few unforeseen reasons.
Notwithstanding the fact that Ethiopia has the right to have access to seaport making the most of international law, some doomsayers have been bending over backwards to blemish the positive images of the country as always using fake stories and faulty information.
As Ethiopia has been placing the emphasis on collective and collaboration based approach, particular groups have sustained mystifying the wider international community.
Ethiopia should keep on employing its diplomatic efforts to ensure its national interest paying no attention to wet blankets. In actual fact, the MoU is an essential move that would accelerate the Horn of Africa’s economic activity in the near future.
It is a well-known fact that the pact is jam-packed with social, economic, political, military fields and other related aspects.
The MoU functions as a roadmap for multispectral partnership between the two sides apart from clearing the way for realizing the ambition of Ethiopia to have access to seaports.
In the same way, the agreement is vital on the grounds that it would help Ethiopia to utilize the Red Sea for a broad range of undertakings that would catapult the Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa to the whole new level down the road.
As the deal which was held between the two parties become involved in transforming the Horn of Africa, every Tom, Dick, and Harry residing under the region should work in unison for developing together.
Though Ethiopia’s adversaries have maintained tarnishing the positive moves being witnessed, the country has been moving forward in the right direction. One thing should be made quite clear: The envisioned target of the country is to accelerate its import and export business, but not to harm other nations’ sovereignty.
This wrong and misleading interpretation does not help the region grow by any means whatsoever.
Ethiopia’s quest for sea access is critical not only to overcome the country’s economic bottlenecks and expedite its growth but also to accelerate regional integration and shared development, Deputy Executive Director of Institute of Foreign Affairs (IFA) Abdi Zenebe emphasized.
Abdi told ENA that lack of sea access caused significant challenges to Ethiopia’s economic growth and development as it faced substantial hurdles in logistics and transport, industrialization, international trade, foreign direct investment and tourism.
“The country has been experiencing huge ever increasing cost in terms of transportation and logistics, the high cost of shipping for transit and other things are hugely difficult for a country like Ethiopia, and at the same time, also, it reduced the country’s export competitiveness,” Abdi said.
Hence, the country is working to address these challenges by ensuring its sea access.
The Ethiopian approach so far has been through integration, through give and take policy priorities, and the government has been working very closely with all the regional actors to ensure both naval access and outlet for the commercial purposes.
By working in close collaboration, all stakeholders should endeavor to take the region to the next level of accomplishment through the passage of time. If they all join hands, bringing about the intended target would be as easy as falling off a log.
BY ADDISALEM MULAT
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 22 NOVEMBER 2024
