BY DANIEL ALEMAYEHU
After the years of freedom in 1960s, African people have strived to change the burden loaded on their shoulder and bad effects of colonialism. The whites spit their venom on Africans and the black community all over the world and changed many things during their time as a colonizer in the continent, history tells.
In the course of struggle to be free from colonialism and stand as a nation, Ethiopia’s victory against colonialism was the cornerstone and the country was the role model for the progress for most of the African countries to become a nation. As a result, it is a fact that most African countries used the color of the Ethiopian flag as their flags’ color with different color combination. This is the reason why it is noticed on most of African countries’ flags at least one of the colors of the Ethiopian flag. Therefore, these counties have shown strong will to work with Ethiopia in different occasions.
From the dawn of freedom, African countries tried to make themselves strong and stand together as black people. They have had many meetings and agreements among nations to work in unison. There are also continent oriented and regional based agreements and organizations. For instance, African Union (AU) initially known as Organization of African Union (OAU) is serving as an umbrella organization in the continent. Under this umbrella, there are regional based organizations that incorporate the regional nations such as Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
In the East African region, nations have a desire to work together in economic, political and social affairs of the region. In the present context, Ethiopia has done a lot to work with its neighbors. From the agreements and meetings, these regional countries agreed to become strong in terms of economy, social and political welfare.
In terms of regional agreements, Ethiopia and the rest of East African countries have been the part of different organizations and agreements. These organizations and agreements enable these countries to work together for regional development. Supporting the notions’ development, peace and security, Ethiopia has been involving in different situations.
After the change of leadership in Ethiopia, the current government has done a lot on promoting bilateral and regional relations. As a good example, during the past two decades, Ethiopia had a major security issue with the Eritrean Government. However, now, thanks to the fundamental measures of the new administration in Ethiopia, these problems have been resolved and the two countries resumed their peaceful relationship. After the hand shake between Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia and Isaias Afeworki of Eritrea, the borders were opened and the people who were separated for a couple of decades enjoyed the peaceful relationship. This peace agreement was a relief for both countries
and the regional governments. Following the agreement, Ethiopia and Eritrea started to work on bilateral ties including planning of using the ports of Asab and Massawa. This will pave ways to both countries to work harmoniously and develop together.
This idea of agreement was entertained on the previous publications of The Ethiopian Herald as: The agreements are predominantly economical. There are ample of trade relations that have started since the onset of the economic relations between the two countries. Consensuses was reached to ensure Ethiopia’s seamless use of Eritrean ports though the detail would be prevailed after the agreements signed by leaders of the two countries.
Ethiopia has also worked with Sudan and South Sudan. Related with the construction of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), both Sudan and South Sudan have shown strong desire to use the power generated from the GERD. In different occasions, the government officials have been engaged in meetings that promote the bilateral benefits. A simple example, the report from ‘The Economist’ in 2014 shows the deep-rooted relationship of these two countries, Ethiopia and Sudan. A 296 km electricity transmission connection was inaugurated between Metema, near the border in Ethiopia, and Gedaref in Sudan in 2020.
The transmission line was built with the help of a 41m USD loan from the World Bank and enables Ethiopia to export up to 100 mw of electricity to Sudan. Likewise, Sudan exports products of petroleum to Ethiopia. This kind of agreement shows that Ethiopia has been and will always be positive to work in collaboration with its neighboring countries including the Sudan. However, in the existing situations in Ethiopia, the Sudanese government has taken the reverse measures that defy the sovereignty of Ethiopia by penetrating Ethiopian border and occupying lands in addition to shielding combatants of the terrorist TPLF under the guise of refugees. Be it is, Even this time, the Ethiopian government has shown genuine patience giving priority to resolve the problem peacefully recognizing that the Sudanese and Ethiopian people have long history of brotherhood.
Similarly, Ethiopia has taken part in peace keeping operations under the UN peace keeping force in South Sudan which further strengthened the friendship of the two countries. The official visit of the South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir to Ethiopia held recently, was the manifestation to enhance their bilateral relation.
Furthermore, the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) visited regional countries Uganda and Rwanda last week. In this regard, scholars remarked that Ethiopia is playing a key role not only in safeguarding its own national interests but also in helping Africans to work together, promoting African solutions to African problems in the continent, using Africa’s resources wisely, making Africa economically self-sufficient. In addition, the Premiere had a telephone conversation with the Djibouti’s President Isamael Umar Guille on the two countries long dated bilateral relations. As Djibouti is the major corridor for Ethiopia to sea port, the bilateral relation is one of the basic and most important steps for the development of Ethiopia.
Ethiopia has never forgotten the impact of the southern neighbor, Kenya. These two countries have been friends even in the times of need. Kenya was one of the countries that stood beside the Ethiopian government in the United Nations Security Council meeting held recently on the issue of GERD. This kind of support will broaden the way to these countries to work together. In the case of East Africa, Kenya has been identified as a top performer in its economic integration efforts in 2016 in The East African Community (EAC) in terms of trade integration, productive integration, and free movement of people.
Economically, Ethiopia and Kenya have agreed to be connected. According to a study by Dawit Ayalew Alemneh, it is the AU’s best interest to connect major towns of Africa. In this regard, the African highway is expected to link 26 African countries and 590 million people in which the Ministry of Transport of Ethiopia has contributed its share by constructing highway that connect Ethiopia to Kenya. This highway, jointly constructed by Ethiopia and Kenya is supposed to connect Addis Ababa to Nairobi. It is part of the Trans-African highway that stretches from Cairo to Cape Town.
This road passes through the border town of Ethiopia and Kenya, Moyale. Both Ethiopia and Kenya are working to connect the two-missing links from Ageremariam to Moyale, which is the Ethiopian section of the road and from Moyale to Mombasa which covers the Kenyan side of the road. It is about 666 km long. The Ethiopian side is relatively complete at this point than its Kenyan counterpart. Comparatively, most of the Kenyan side of the road is still under construction.
Though there is instability in the country at the moment, Ethiopia hasn’t stopped its journey to develop its regional integration and the habits of working together. This will help the country to fill its leak hole after the war in the country and become self- dependent, documents and realities on the ground indicate.
The Ethiopian Herald September 5/2021
