BY FITSUM GETACHEW
Ethiopia’s influence in African politics has always been remarkable beginning from the struggle against colonialism days and later on. As a founding member of the OAU-AU and the United Nations Organisation, Ethiopia has always stood in the forefront of international diplomatic sphere and this has been acknowledged several times by recognition given to it by both the UN and the AU.
Its peacekeeping forces have been in many missions across the world since several decades ago beginning with the Korean crisis where thousands of Ethiopian troops did go to support the UN peace keeping forces in the early sixties and then in Congo when there was the Katanga crisis there.
Ethiopia has always demonstrated to be a reliable and law abiding state, ready to help whenever solicited to do so by the UN and AU. The recent peacekeeping forces of Ethiopia both in Sudan as well as in Rwanda, in Liberia and elsewhere have added to its reputation as a state that is reactive to all sorts on international missions.
What is more, Ethiopia is also a country that has been receiving thousands of refugees from other nations which are engaged in conflicts and it has been commended for that effort as well. Its collaboration with the EU and the US in fighting terrorism is also a point that should not be forgotten. Ethiopian troops have fought in war torn Somalia where al shabaab has been creating all sorts of problems not only to Somalia but also to the entire Horn of Africa and Ethiopia’s contribution in this regard has been commended repeatedly by the international community.
Moreover, Ethiopia has helped in the efforts to stop human trafficking from Africa to the Middle East and other African countries from where these refugees try to reach Libya or Tunisia and then head towards the Mediterranean Sea and reach the shores of Italy, Spain, Greece and other destinations.
Europe is now in a crisis with regards to illegal migrants. Thousands have been risking their lives while trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea and reach Europe. The role Ethiopia plays in this area has been appreciated and this has contributed further to the good name of the country.
Following the recent security crisis in northern Ethiopia there seemed to have been a slight change in the image of Ethiopia in the international sphere accusing it of taking part in a war that according to them should have been avoided. But once Ethiopia has shown to the world that it was a matter of survival of the integrity and sovereignty of the nation, it was better heeded and understood and now things seem to get normal after the Pretoria Peace Deal with the TPLF forces.
Today as we speak, there is a huge crisis in Sudan, a big nation with about forty six million people, and one of the biggest countries in Africa situated in a geopolitically crucial area at the cross roads of Africa, Europe and Asia, where the great Nile river originates and flows to Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea.
It is clear that whatever happens in Sudan will deeply affect Ethiopia and other neighbouring countries and the fact that the country is now slowly drifting to an all out civil war will be a huge problem, not only for Ethiopia and other Horn of Africa countries, but even to Europe because if an influx of refugees and migrants begins to flood to Europe that will be a huge extra problem for the continent already deeply affected by the conflict in Ukraine and the flow of refugees. Europe cannot afford to receive hundreds of thousands of refugees from Africa at this particular moment.
The fact now that Ethiopia is trying to mediate between the warring parties in Sudan will be a huge favour for the international community because once the war expands to the entire country, the consequences will be catastrophic as the UN has warned and the sooner the international community acts and brings the two generals to a negotiating table, the less the risk of an all out war with devastating consequences.
Already the two weeks of violence and hostilities has caused immense damage because the battle was carried out in a city with five million inhabitants and a good part of its infrastructure has been bombed and demolished or burnt down with civilians not knowing where to shelter. Many have already run out of basic necessities such as food and water not to speak of the suffering of those who injured and need medical attention. Hospitals have been reportedly out of action due to the bombardments.
A few days ago the UN special representative in Sudan was heard commending Ethiopia for its support in the massive evacuation effort asked by about fifty countries. As usual, Ethiopia has stretched a hand in these efforts deserving its rate of commendation from the UN authorities. This has definitely added to the image of Ethiopian diplomacy and its peace loving stance.
The Ethiopian prime minister has made several remarks on this crisis urging the two generals to give priority to negotiations rather than engage in destructive war that would destroy the fragile economy of the Sudan. The UN also has been advising the generals to come to a ceasefire and engage in peace talks rather than try to win the battle on the ground.
It said any victory by any one of the two parties would be reached at too much a cost and eventually that victory would be meaningless. Hence it was better to halt all hostilities and violence immediately and unconditionally and iron out differences at a round table, just as Ethiopia has done with its conflict in the north.
Any involvement in the peace talks with Sudan’s generals is considered as a huge success to Ethiopia if in the end the guns are silenced and a peace deal is reached so that the country can peacefully transition to a civilian democratic government. The stakes are too high to let things deteriorate more than it has already happened because Sudan is a huge country at a very strategic part of Africa and the world. No one can be indifferent to this potential conflagration and if things run out of hand, the consequences could be unimaginable.
Many people have begun to compare the current Sudan to the situation in Yemen, Syria and other places where wars have resulted in extensive destructions and casualties. The current extra danger is the potential involvement of other countries in the equation that would put more fuel to the fire and the Sudanese would find themselves fighting a proxy war. Already there are rumours that Sudan is becoming the battle ground for the once extinct cold war. There are multiple super power interests in Sudan due to not only its strategic position in the Horn of Africa but also due to its immense natural resources such as fuel.
Ethiopia as a country that shares a long border with Sudan, it has its own reasons for being anxious about what is happening there. That is why the Ethiopian government has been contributing everything it can so that the crisis is controlled immediately and the warring factions should stop hostilities and come to the negotiating table. Ethiopia believes that African problems must be resolved by Africans, a principle the AU has embraced, and the intervention of any foreign power is too dangerous.
Ethiopia’s efforts have already been commended loudly by UN authorities and this is another opportunity for Ethiopian diplomatic clouts to grow in the sub-region. Every one hopes that the guns will be silenced soon and the Sudan generals will sit at a negotiating table in the interest of the Sudanese people and the peace and stability of the entire sub-region.
Today no state is an island, and the negative as well as positive consequences of what is going on in a country will soon and inevitably affect others near and far. We hope the warring factions in Sudan will also take the lesson from Ethiopia which has halted the conflict in the north by taking bold measures. It needs bravery to sit down and reach a peace deal forgetting what has already taken place just as it takes bravery to engage in a war.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 9 MAY 2023
