Over the last few weeks, the country’s newly appointed ambassadors have been presenting their credentials to the countries where they are assigned to serve. The ambassadors have now multiple missions to execute from mobilizing the Diasporas living in their host countries to making sure that the country’s major interests are properly protected.
These assignments follow as the country is being reformed its foreign policy and diplomatic compositions. The appointments of ambassadors have been largely seen as a departure from previous party-oriented appointments. Arguably, the country pulled more diverse community amidst the ongoing reform the country is going through.
Previous appointments have been lambasted for being party centered and comprising professional competence. The ramification in fact was a restrained in relation with the Diasporas. The way the embassies and diplomatic missions had been running was also restraining the relations between the government and the Diasporas which nowadays are improving with coming of Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
The new reform into the organizational structures and missionaries has been carried out in a bid to meet the present-day diplomacy and foreign relations’ demands thereby ensuring the national interest, the government previously said. Though it is too early to see how the new ambassadors contribute to the diplomatic activities of the country, the composition is a break way from previous working procedures.
The country’s foreign policy gives more emphasis on neighboring relations and economic diplomacy. And the very better way to pursue these is to assign career diplomats who can champion the wide-ranging interests.
Multi-polar and geopolitical order is shaping foreign relations; hence, Ethiopia’s foreign policy should play into these by appointing efficient diplomats with particular focus on the neighboring and Middle East countries. In this regard, it behooves more responsibility from the newly appointed ambassadors or diplomats in putting the country in the right path of diplomatic cooperation, said Abebe Aynete, a researcher with Ethiopian Foreign Relations Strategic Studies Institute.
Appointment of diplomats should be in line with fostering political alliance, strengthening economic cooperation, scaling up citizens’ protection abroad and upgrading consular services both for citizens and foreign nationals, he added.
Diplomacy has long been central to Ethiopia’s position at continental and global levels. It is through relentless diplomatic efforts that the country has able to host many international, continental and regional blocs and organizations. Sustaining this should be the very mission of Ethiopian diplomats. “Hence, the country should be able to maintain its position by refining diplomatic missions and timely redefining foreign policy.”
The appointments of diplomatic positions, including ambassadorships had been politically made a trend that compromises the art of diplomacy said, Hasabu Tesfa, a lecturer at Debre Birhan University Department of Political Science and International Relations.
Political affiliation with the ruling has long been the main card in the deployment of ambassadors and diplomats, he added. “We have seen even people proving incompetence at various government capacities picking up key diplomatic positions, even in embassies of strategic importance,” he says, adding that: “This has been undermining the very essence of diplomatic missions.”
This time, with the Horn geopolitics and international political situation seeing rapid changes, calls for refined diplomats and redefined foreign policy. To him, the government has been over emphasizing on partisanship for years. There were even attempts to use appointments to isolate critics within the ruling party as well as appease inefficient party members, according to the lecturer.
The country should move into merit-based diplomacy in which right and qualified people are appointed to serve the very interest of the nation. The country needs to form a diplomatic mission comprised of scholars, influential individuals and the likes, he indicated.
Ambassadors and diplomats should be one who can serve their country and do not compromise national interests over courses of government or political changes. Diplomacy is a strong weapon to secure national interests at the global frontiers, he argued. The Horn is in states of flux. So, the country’s foreign policy must give greater attention to ensuring healthy and strong policy towards the region.
A diplomat or ambassador should only represent the national interest—be it economic, political or social ones. To materialize this, appointments must be on the basis of merit, he says. “Unluckily, we have very few career diplomats, according to Hasabu.
The Ethiopian Herald, May 31/2019
BY DESTA GEBREHIWOT
