The nexus between international relations and countries being allies is very high as it helps nations smoothly run any activity becoming the life blood of nations around the globe thereby developing network to foster comprehensive bilateral or trilateral ties.
Hence, no country in the earth can run a single activity detaching them from the universal arena as they are firmly tied with one another following globalization. Incredibly, in the 21st century where every account requires the consent and capacity of all nations, some would like to continue associating with others at the expense of the other party. This is an unacceptable unless ornamented with a win-win fashion.
Certainly not quite isolated from the world even so always keen to control its international relations, Ethiopia is hopping over extraordinary steps as it has engaged in deep political, economic and social reforms. Yes, it is tough to get transformed under the pressure of the global influences.
As the country is advancing towards splendid socio-political transformations, many are raising a beating stick instead of providing it with the necessary support to push forward.
Nonetheless, Ethiopia is committed enough more than ever before to safeguard its sovereignty despite the challenges it is, will be, facing following the multifarious international pressures.
“The prime minister has taken the right measure reflecting the assertion and determination of all citizens. We absolutely prefer passing under difficult circumstances to receiving assistance at the expense of the sovereignty and dignity of our country as the TPLF junta did. The secret behind has been vividly revealed that the previous administration was an underling of the United States of America. When the reformist government started refusing to bow for it, US has started taking tyrannizing measures with a view to eroding the confidence of the reform actors like PM Dr. Abiy Ahmed,” said Aster Kidanie, a third year political science and international relations at Addis Ababa University.
As to Aster, Ethiopia is not right now in a position to be submissive sipping what it is fed. It is becoming independent and establishes rapport with global states which can eagerly entertain mutual understanding and benefit.
Truly, nations have to intensely redesign politics by balancing the national scales of the two parties. However, simply accepting what antagonistic forces of a given nation have forwarded benefits no one. Is making liar glad better than getting strategic ally annoyed? The response would be straightforward, no!
According to Mesenbet Assefa (Ph.D) from Addis Ababa University (AAU), the decision passed by US to merely making the terrorist junta joyous targets at delaying the completion of the GERD, which needs to be well revised as it has dropped a black spot on the long standing relations between Ethiopia and US.
Major Haile Gebre-Sellassie on his part said that Ethiopians along with other Ethiopia loving counties, friends and the patriotic citizenry at home and abroad will pass this hard time backing one another and solidifying unity.
It is high time for everyone to join hands and move in unison to well defend the nation as many are campaigning against Ethiopia. He said, “Ethiopia is willing to, capable of setting up relations with nations having a growing demand to find more-effective means of conducting relations between peoples, governments, and economies, the popularization of political affairs, including foreign affairs.”
“Everything will pass, nothing remains static. Though there are a number of influences Ethiopians who are working day in and day out to defend their motherland have come across, consolidating unity and fraternity matters the most. Every citizenry at home and abroad has to say ‘Get your hands off Ethiopia!’ Haile said.
He also said that now is the prime time to work hand in glove with one another and get Ethiopia’s voice heard loud, avoiding the pessimist sentiment of ‘who cares,’ as the issue of national interest concerns each and every citizenry much. We all at present have to understand the outcomes of transforming Ethiopia and helping it enjoy the evolution of political practices.
“Though global relations is concerned with relations across boundaries of countries addressing international political economy, global governance, intercultural relations, national and ethnic identities, foreign policy analysis, international security, diplomacy, terrorism, media, social movements, among others, it has to be run in a well streamlined and respected manner without infringing the right and dignity of either party,” Aster acclaimed.
According to Aster, since our ambassadors, consulate offices and missions are the viable ways that can potentially bridge the gaps, if any, with other countries, they are expected to well foster Ethiopia’s ties with others and it is important to note that international relations matter the most.
Diplomacy by itself is a subset of international relations that is typically focused more narrowly on the process of conducting negotiations between/among representatives of different nations or, in some cases, businesses from different countries. Yes, these relationships can impact everything from international politics, law, and economics to security, diplomacy, and governance, she said.
Housing close to 110 million people, being Africa’s second most populous country, Ethiopia had been suffering from TPLF marginalizing and divisive rule over the last thirty years. Thanks to the unreserved effort the reform actors, it has now emerged as a major power in the Horn of Africa enjoying rapid economic growth, national unification thereby increasing strategic importance in the Horn region, she underscored.
According to Aster, imposition free administration has become more productive and confident to embark on prosperity of the nation and the wellbeing of its citizens. If hands are off a given nation especially with regard to their own internal affairs, they can be of significantly useful in fueling progress and development and full independence. However, some countries which were superior to others have found interference to offer them leverage as they use it to attack others or even gain political and economic mileage. It is illegitimate and unfair to make a falsehood fabricator happy at the expense of the dignity and sovereignty of others, like what US is doing for the sake of TPLF.
Ethiopia has at present committed enough to hit targets like describing the emergence of a ‘new Ethiopia,’ transformed by the restructuring of its interaction with the world, which mostly occurs on a local scale, and to capture the qualitative aspects of these shifts in scale and of the redistribution of powers over space, as those changes are having a deep and lasting impact on the country’s future, regardless of its relations with the rest of the world.
As learnt from Aster, bringing about comprehensive transformation is a bold move as Ethiopia is one of the most scenically beautiful and fertile countries in Africa, which is exactly the opposite of the presumed notion of being famine and drought infected.
Besides, she added, its landscape is bedecked with diverse castles, wildlife, multinational and multilingual society, among others, but many are not aware of some of the mind-blowing facts about this country.
Taking office in 2018, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed responded to prolonged unrest with assurances of over-the-top political and economic reforms, and he marshaled a historic peace deal with neighboring Eritrea, an achievement that brought him the Nobel Peace Prize.
Even the economic reform requires Ethiopia to fully enter the global economy and attract foreign investors. Information and information communication technologies have also become a central and critical aspect in international relations as information is at the heart of political, economic and military development hence the move by countries around the world to grapple for it.
Though globalization has allowed information warfare to gain new dimension, coalitions and alliances which have become more interrelated and inter-reliant and therefore it is easier to influence more than one state at a time, bilateral ties have to be well scrutinized.
BY MENGESHA AMARE
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD MAY 28/2021
