Addressing the parliament during the 36th regular session of Ethiopian parliament last Thursday, Prime Minster Abiy Ahmed responded to queries raised by lawmakers.
The premier has shaded light on the actions taken by his government in the spheres of economy, peace and stability, diplomacy and international relations.
As to the premier, the incumbent has shown its strong commitment in ensuring the nation’s peace in every corner. The Premier has also highlighted the prolonged conflicts that have erupted in various parts of the country as those conflicts have brought a number of challenges.
“It is the right time to end this cycle of violence and conflict, and it has to come an end in our generation,” Abiy stated, adding the government has carried out bold moves such as the national Dialogue through the National Dialogue Commission with the objectives of finding solutions for old and persistent problems of the country so that this generation can build a better tomorrow for the generations to come.
Abiy added, “Starting a war is simple, but once it gets going, the effects are terrible. So the sound of the gunshots is enough. We don’t want a war. Let’s be united. We have one common country.”
Peaceful discussion through the national dialogue, as to the Premier, is the way to resolve the conflicts, and the government is fully committed to ensuring sustainable peace in the country, adding, “It is impossible now to grab political power through the barrel of the gun and war in Ethiopia. There is no price we have not paid to prevent war. For example, with Shene, we sent Aba Gedas and elders to the forest to beg; we sent investors with the TPLF and told them to stop the sound of bullets in Tigray and in Amhara region in the same way.”
In addition, Abiy has called on all active armed groups in the country to put down their guns and present their ideas to the table as the government is ready to solve any dispute through peaceful dialogue.
Speaking of the Pretoria agreement and government’s actions towards its implementation, the Premier elaborated that the agreement has become a means to cultural shift regarding the way of resolving conflicts in Ethiopia. Abiy also stated that the Pretoria Agreement has resulted in silencing the guns and to permanent ceasefire coupled with the starting of services including banks, airlines, and telecom.
“We have started returning war-displaced citizens to their home villages according to the agreement. This is a special step in the accord. The Pretoria Agreement needs to be carefully managed so that it does not backfire and no more people die. That is the way we are diligently working on. Most of the time, there are certainly forces that push toward conflict. We do not want conflict. We want to put our energy and time into development.”
Besides, the premier acknowledged the current ongoing efforts in returning displaced citizens to Raya and Tselemt areas; however, there are still some groups that are trying to hinder the efforts. Similarly, the reformist government has proven itself in establishing a new political culture that incorporates and invites all political forces and parties including armed groups from in and outside of the country, adding, “We reaffirm our commitment, and say; let’s abandon extreme and polarized political practices. All should be the owners of the country. So, let’s work together.”
On top of that, the Premier has elucidated about Ethiopia’s diplomatic policies and endeavor. He said that Ethiopia is exercising Neighbor- oriented diplomacy that is cemented on collaboration and mutual development. The Ethiopian Government has always implementing peaceful approaches in terms of any dispute with its neighboring nations. The premier mentioned the government’s determination to resolve disputes with Sudan and bring internal peace to Sudan through negotiations.
Ethiopia, as to Abiy, considers its neighboring people as its brothers and sisters. Bringing Sudan’s issue, he said that Sudanese people are peace-loving and they have strong social bonds with the Ethiopians. In addition, the two nations share history, cultural ties and longstanding diplomatic relations. Any dispute should be resolved through peaceful negotiations.
Regarding the current ongoing war in Sudan the Premier highlighted that the people and government of Ethiopia, as always been, reflects its non- partisan stand regarding the ongoing conflict in Sudan. He further added, “We are hopeful that the conflict be resolved peacefully.”
Again, in the case of Al-Fashqa area which is an Ethiopian land captured by the Sudanese force, Abiy addressed that Ethiopia could have used this time and opportunity to reclaim the Al-Fashqa area when Sudan is in an active war, but the government chose to wait patiently until the rivals in Sudan resolve their differences and the country becomes peaceful, then things will be brought to the table for discussion.
“Our diplomacy is based on mutual growth and cooperation. We never exploited Sudan’s situation to our advantage. Sudan has been in turmoil and the government has been unable to pay the bills of Ethiopia’s power supply, we have never cut the electricity supply since we believe in brotherhood. We cannot abandon our brothers during this difficult time. We could have taken back the land invaded by Sudan had we wanted to take the situation in Sudan to our advantage,” Abiy added.
Accordingly, the Premier noted the power supply accord between the two countries. Ethiopia has continued to export electricity to Sudan throughout the conflict without making a request for immediate payment which shows Ethiopia’s commitment to promote the brotherly co-existence.
In a similar vein, the Prime Minister raised the case of Somalia by recalling their brotherly relations and cooperation. Ethiopia has paid lives ensuring peace and development of the neighboring state Somalia. He spoke to the parliament that Ethiopia’s support to Somalia’s integrity and sovereignty has never been faltered. The government in Somalia should not waste its money shuttling across the world. It only takes an hour’s flight to discuss with Ethiopia and settle the matter on the current adversary.
“We made our intention clear and asked our coastal neighbors to give us access and it was Somaliland that agreed to our terms, this does not mean Ethiopia is trying to harm the interests of Somalia. We could not have sent our troops to pacify Somalia had we been looking to destabilize Somalia,” said Abiy. Regarding the quest for an access to the sea, he added, “We are a great country and good partners. We always aspire to keep our relations on a win-win base.”
The premier summed up that Ethiopia’s interest is to work together with neighboring countries for regional cooperation, peace and mutual development.
BY DANIEL ALEMAYEHU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 6 JULY 2024
