BY SOLOMON WASSIHUN
Between 26 January and 3 February, within eight days, Ethiopian authorities, led by the prime minister himself, traveled to two neighboring countries on diplomatic missions to bring peace and stability to the Horn of Africa. The Prime Minister and his team paid a one-day visit to neighboring Sudan and Somalia to jointly review progress on political and economic issues of mutual concern.
During those days last week, the Ethiopian leader also met and held talks with some of the leaders of the Tigrayans rebel group, TPLF in person for the first time since the bloody war began in 2020.
If anything, this week was one of the most productive weeks of the year for Ethiopian diplomacy in terms of building a lasting peace in the troubled Horn of Africa region and strengthening the fragile peace the country achieved after the end of the two-year bloody war in northern Ethiopia with the signing of the Pretoria Agreement on the permanent cessation of hostilities.
The meeting of the Ethiopian and Sudanese authorities in the Sudanese capital Khartoum has given a boost to the diplomatic relations between the two nations and reinvigorated their joint efforts to have a common stance on important regional issues and work towards more cooperation for mutual benefits.
The visit of the Ethiopian leader to Sudan signifies that Ethiopia is committed to having a strong alliance and bilateral cooperation with Sudan; and that it is in the interest of the Ethiopian government to see the success of the ongoing political transition process in Sudan toward civilian administration. It also indicates Ethiopia wishes to resolve the border issues and the ongoing GERD dispute through continued dialogue based on technical facts and historical evidence, without the need of allowing foreign interference and undue politicization.
The ruling Sudanese military council has formally expressed its appreciation of the significance of the visit of the Ethiopian delegation in Khartoum saying: “the talks included the giant dam [GERD] and the border dispute. The leaders reaffirmed the need to resolve it through establishment mechanisms. The visit [of Ethiopian authorities] was to show solidarity and support for the [Sudanse] government and people of Sudan as they exert efforts to reach an intra-Sudanese consensus to establish a smooth transitional period.”
Six days after his return from his visit to Sudan, the Ethiopian Premier and his team flew to Mogadishu, the Somalian capital to have a consultation with his counterparts in the region on the possible ways of putting an end to the primary cause for the lack of peace and stability in Somalia and the sub-region, Al -Shabaab terrorist group.
Following the meeting [the Somalia-Frontline States Summit] they had last week, the leaders of Somalia and the front-line states that share a border with Somalia [Ethiopia, Kenya, and Djibuti] have vowed to extricate the whole of Somalia and the Horn from the vicious cycle of violence perpetrated by the al-Shabaab, which has continued causing loss of lives and livelihood of innumerable civilians in the sub-region.
Given the extent of the evil acts of al-Shabab against the people of the Horn, last week’s joint resolution made by the leaders of the sub-region is an action long overdue. As if what the terrorist group has been doing in Somalia is not enough, it has ‘exported’ terror beyond the Somalia borders causing several cases of atrocious mass murders in Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia. Networking with its sympathizers, al-Shabaab has been terrorizing the horn region not for years but for decades.
Last July, considering the war situation in the northern regions as an opportune moment to hit hard against Ethiopia, al-Shabaab launched a well-organized military operation by going deep inside the Ethiopian territory. Fortunately, the gallant Ethiopian forces neutralized the al-Shabaab aggression, blocking its evil intentions of causing a maximum humanitarian crisis, and inhuman crimes against civilians in the eastern part of the country.
The news of the joint resolution of the regional leaders to launch a collective military campaign against Al -Shabaab came over 16 years late after the establishment of this dangerous terror group, which the Americans describe as a franchise of al-Qaeda in the Horn. But, as the saying goes, better late than never. At least, the good news would serve as a moral boost to men and women in uniform in Somalia under the African Union mission who are defending the freedom of the Somali people tooth and nail from the terrorist group.
Ethiopian forces are still in Somalia fighting al-Shabaab along with fellow AU peacekeepers. During one day’s stay in Somalia, the Ethiopian Premier also paid a visit to Ethiopian peacekeepers there. This in itself indicates the high importance the Ethiopian government attaches to the fight against the terrorist organization that has become an impediment to peace, stability, and economic development for the people of the Horn.
Just Two days after having fruitful consultations with the regional leaders in Mogadishu, the Premier made another bold and big stride to bring lasting peace to the nation. The implementation of the Pretoria peace deal was the subject that has been hitting news headlines daily since early November 2022, but after the beginning of the European New Year, the advent of other current affairs issues including the holiday season has somehow managed to divert the media and the public attention until last Wednesday.
On that day, we heard surprising news on the state media confirming the Ethiopian Premier met face-to-face with some of the top leaders of the TPLF. We all expected this would surely happen after some time in the future, but not so soon and in the manner, it happened. It was additional exhilarating news for all Ethiopians, and especially for those whose lives are directly affected by the war. The muted footage of 3 February on state television would serve as an additional cause for optimism that those dark days of the two years conflict will never be back again whatsoever.
Apart from the practical importance of the joint review of the progress of the implementation of the Pretoria peace accord, the presence of the premier at the meeting has huge symbolic importance. The sight of the Ethiopian leader sitting at the same table with the rebel leaders testifies that the peace process has passed an important milestone. It means the peace process has overcome its major hurdle, which is the challenge of building mutual trust and confidence between the negotiating parties.
Conducting a successful meeting between the negotiating parties at the highest level without the need for the presence of third-party mediators is quite remarkable progress worthy of appreciation. It is a heart-warming experience, especially for those who made extended efforts and sacrifices to stop the war and establish peace in northern Ethiopia. It will also curb the lingering concern and paranoia harbored by those speculators who fear that the fragile peace has a possible chance of regressing to a renewed conflict.
Overall, it has been a fruitful week for Ethiopian leadership as it makes diplomatic strides towards peace and regional alliance. Additionally, the 36th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union will be held in Addis Ababa from 18-19 February 2023, making the upcoming week another period of intense diplomatic endeavors. As a result of these developments, Ethiopia has returned as an active and leading player in the Horn and on the continent, reclaiming its position after a devastating war. The nation has once again asserted itself as an anchor of peace and stability in the Greater Horn.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 7 FEBRUARY 2023
