1 a Week in the Horn 8.2.2019 News in Brief President Condé of Guinea

A Week in the Horn 8.2.2019

News in Brief President Condé of Guinea on a three-day official visit to Ethiopia The 32nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union The Prime Minister presents a half-year performance report and answers questions Foreign Minister Dr. Workneh hosts a reception for the AU Executive Council Norwegian International Development Cooperation Minister visits Ethiopia Ethiopia participates in a FOCAC dialogue on Peace and Security The Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS/DAESH meets in Washington Ethiopia’s Cabinet approves the AfCFTA

News in Brief

Africa and the African Union

The 34th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union was held on Thursday and Friday this week (February 7-8) at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa. The meeting of the AU Foreign Ministers preceded the 32nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government being held on Sunday and Monday (February 10-11). The theme of the summit is: “The Year of Refugees, Returnees, and Internally Displaced Persons: Towards Durable Solutions to Forced Displacement in Africa”. (See article)

The AU Commission hopes to reach the necessary 22 ratifications for implementation of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) shortly. Ethiopia is the latest country to approve the AfCFTA, after the Council of Ministers passed the deal on Saturday (February 2). It now goes to Parliament for a final vote before the instruments of ratification are deposited with the AU Commission. (See article)

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in advance of a visit to the AU Summit this weekend said: “I am totally committed to the cooperation between the African Union and the United Nations. We are working more and more together in addressing a number of situations in Africa.” The Secretary-General said there had been a “quantum leap” in relations between the world body and the AU and he hopes this would translate into progress on some of the continent’s biggest challenges. In an interview for VOA this week, he also emphasized that reconciliation between Ethiopia and Eritrea was having a positive effect throughout the Horn of Africa, adding, “We are totally committed to work together with the African Union and the African sub-regional organizations, to support this wind of hope.”

Ethiopia

Professor Alpha Conde, President of the Republic of Guinea arrived in Addis Ababa on Tuesday (February 5) for a three-day official visit. President Conde held talks with President Sahle-Work Zewde and Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed as well as witnessed the signing of a strategic partnership agreement covering the establishment of a joint ministerial commission by Foreign Ministers Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu and Mamadi Toure. (See article)

The President of Republic of Estonia, Kersti Kaljulaid, is paying a two-day official visit to Ethiopia at the end of this week (February 10-11).

1 High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the EU Commission, Ms. Federica Mogherini, arrived in Ethiopia this week. She is meeting Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed to discuss ways of cementing bilateral ties and revamping European Union-Ethiopia strategic engagement dialogue.

Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed delivered the half-year performance report on the federal government to the House of People’s Representatives on Friday last week (February 1) and answered questions on economy, security, rule of law and the reform process. (See article)

The International Development Cooperation Minister of Norway, Mr. Dag-Inge Ulstein, made a four-day official visit to Ethiopia this week (February 4-7). During his visit, he had meetings with Foreign Minister, Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu and State Minister of Finance, Admassu Nebebe, as well as visiting Tigray State where Norway supports a number of development projects. (See article)

The Council of Ministers in a session on Monday (February 4) approved the bilateral trade agreement concluded between the governments of Ethiopia and India. The agreement now goes to the House of People's Representatives for final approval.

Foreign Minister Dr. Workneh hosted a reception for the Foreign Ministers attending the 34th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union on Thursday (February 7). (See article).

During his intervention at ‘’The Report of the Commission on the Humanitarian Situation in Africa’’ held on Thursday (February 7) at the 34th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union, Dr. Workneh reiterated Ethiopia’s continued commitment to put in place durable solutions to the problems related to migration, issues of refugee management as well as internal displacement.

Dr. Workneh met his South Sudanese counterpart, Nhial Deng on Friday (February 8) on the Margins of the 2nd Ordinary Session of the African Union. The two ministers have agreed to further strengthen the bilateral relations between Ethiopia and the Republic of South Sudan. Dr. Workneh praised the relations between the people and Governments of both countries. He said," Given the situation on the ground I'm delighted to see a new spirit and a new chapter in South Sudan’s peace process. There's a lot of optimism and I hope we can continue in a new path to strengthen our bilateral ties with a renewed spirits."

Foreign Minister Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu led a panel discussion titled “Diplomacy in the 21st Century” for newly appointed Ambassadors on Tuesday (February 5), stressing Ethiopia’s “diplomatic posture and stamina should be proactive, robust and multidirectional, fueling our core principles of mutual respect, mutual benefits and reciprocal trust as we navigate a highly unpredictable, uncertain global system.” He said the changing dynamics of international affairs and diplomacy and fast changing global trends had significant implications on regional, geopolitical and global developments. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs aims to become a leading diplomatic institution with the ability to marshal strategic partners to compliment a central role in the achievement of peace and stability in the Horn of Africa.

Foreign Minister Dr. Workneh laid a wreath at the burial of Ambassador Dawit Yohannes on Sunday (February 3) at Holy Trinity Cathedral Church. Ambassador Dawit was Speaker of the House of Peoples’ Representatives and Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the

2 United Nations. The funeral service was attended by several ministers, senior government officials, colleagues, friends and family. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its deepest condolences and profound sympathy to the bereaved family.

State Ministers, Mrs. Hirut Zemene and Ambassador Birtukan Ayano, laid wreaths at the burial of Ambassador Zerihun Reta at Yeka St. Michael Church in Addis Ababa on Sunday (February 3). The funeral service was attended by several ministers, senior government officials, colleagues, friends and family. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its deepest condolences and profound sympathy to the bereaved family.

State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Hirut Zemene attended the Ministerial-level Dialogue on the Implementation of China-Africa Peace and Security Initiative, held on Wednesday (February 6) in Addis Ababa. (See article)

State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Markos Tekle, led the Ethiopian delegation to the meeting of Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS/DAESH at the US Department of State in Washington on Wednesday (February 6). (See article)

State Minister Mrs. Hirut Zemene received copies of the credentials of Ambassador Emiliya Mokussa of the Republic of Namibia, and of Ambassador Zeneni Sinombe of the Republic of Botswana on Thursday (February 06).

State Minister Dr. Markos Tekle told new ambassadors on Friday last week (February 1) that they should exhibit a high level of professionalism to build relationships, gather feedback and provide innovative insights for viable policy recommendations. He said the ambassadors must explore the different venues to influence governments, foreign counterparts, agencies and international organizations to promote Ethiopia’s national interests and its image to project a much stronger, vibrant economic growth to tackle poverty nationwide.

Permanent Secretary Ambassador Dewano Kedir met a delegation led by Mrs. Marcia Cobas Ruiz, Deputy Minister of Public Health of the Republic of Cuba on Tuesday (February 05).

An Eritrean cultural team is due to visit Ethiopia next week on February 14 to strengthen historical relations and people-to-people ties. During its stay in Ethiopia the delegation will participate in a series of cultural and musical concerts to be held in Addis Ababa, Adama, Bahir Dar and Hawassa, under the theme “Grand Musical Concert to Celebrate the Peace between Ethiopia and Eritrea.”

Eritrea President Isaias, on a visit to the UAE, met with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, on Wednesday (February 6) to discuss issues of common interest. They reviewed prospects of economic and investment cooperation and ways of advancing relations to a higher level, and exchanged views on the latest regional and international developments.

Somalia

State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Abdikadir Ahmed-Kheyr Abdi, attended the fifth Arab- European Ministerial meeting in Brussels on Monday (February 4). The meeting focused on

3 cooperation between the two sides and preparations for the first Arab-European summit scheduled for February 24. Mr. Abdi stressed the importance of the relations between Europe and the Arab league and emphasized that the Somali government could benefit from the improved relationship between the two sides. He also held side-line meetings with several European ministers. UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, in an interview with VOA, said he was impressed by the developments in Somalia’s economic sector, and said he encouraged, the IMF and World Bank to work with the government closely. He said the UN would fully support the reforms undertaken by the federal government, while it was also committed to back AMISOM in the fight against Al-Shabaab. He confirmed he would appoint a new envoy for Somalia as soon as possible.

Ambassador Madeira, Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission for Somalia and head of AMISOM, held talks with the HirShabelle President at the weekend to discuss the planned cut back in troops from Burundi. In line with UN Security Council Resolution 2431(2018), AMISOM plans to draw down another 1,000 troops by the end of this month. Ambassador Madeira said the discussions covered ways to implement the Transition Plan in a manner that still ensures security in HirShabelle state.

South Sudan

The Joint Defense Board in a meeting held in Juba on Sunday (February 3) has announced agreement over 25 Cantonment sites with 15 more still to be finalized. Each site will have a maximum of 3,750 combatants and a minimum of not less than a battalion. The JDB will give directives to all forces to report to the nearest cantonment sites and barracks to begin joint training to merge government and former rebel fighters in a unified army.

Sudan

President Omer al-Bashir, speaking to journalists on Wednesday (February 6), said young protesters had been driven to the street by many factors including unemployment and inflation. He announced the release of all journalists detained recently. The President said the doors of dialogue were open to all political forces, including opposition groups outside the country.

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President Condé of Guinea on a three-day official visit to Ethiopia

The President of the Republic of Guinea, Professor Alpha Condé, arrived in Ethiopia for a three-days working visit on Wednesday (February 6). During his visit, President Alpha Condé held talks with President Sahle-Work Zewde on bilateral, regional and international matters. Ethiopia and Guinea signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement and held the first meeting of the Joint Ministerial Commission.

Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed received President Conde on arrival at Bole International Airport, and during their bilateral meeting the two leaders discussed on ways to consolidate the relationship in all areas of cooperation in a spirit of mutual benefits. Their talks covered issues of mutual interest, focusing on the need to reactivate existing bilateral mechanisms and

4 to expand cooperation in the areas of social and economic sectors in the spirit of friendship and solidarity between the two sisterly countries.

Welcoming the President, Prime Minister Dr. Abiy expressed his belief that the visit would pave the way for realizing their common thoughts for strengthening and deepening already existing strong and historic ties. Ethiopia and the Republic of Guinea have longstanding relations, dating back to the 1960s, when President Sekou Toure, supported Emperor Haile Selassie’s efforts to reconcile the Monrovia and Casablanca groups in the course of establishing the OAU. Dr. Abiy applauded their respective efforts in the struggle against colonialism and apartheid, in promoting a Pan-Africanist vision and bringing together the diverse peoples of African continent.

Prime Minister Abiy said the existing friendship between the two countries served as the foundation for strengthening Ethio-Guinea relations. President Condé commended Prime Minister Dr. Abiy for the reforms being undertaken in Ethiopia and the democratization processes he is currently spearheading. He also acknowledged his role in untying the knot that had kept Ethio-Eritrea relations stalled. The two leaders also witnessed the signing of a Strategic Partnership Agreement by Foreign Minister Dr. Workneh for Ethiopia and Foreign Minister Mamadi Toure for Guinea, allowing for the establishment of a joint ministerial commission, and a series of other agreements on agriculture, air services, health, science and higher education, as well as culture and tourism were also signed.

The first meeting of the Ethio-Guinea Joint Ministerial Commission meeting was held during the visit. The delegations were led by the respective Foreign Ministers and attended by other high-level officials. It offered the opportunity to discuss ways of strengthening bilateral cooperation, particularly on areas including education, agriculture, health, tourism, mining, aviation, among others. Dr. Workneh told the first meeting of the Ethio- Guinea Republic Joint Ministerial Commission meeting that he was satisfied with the general and bilateral relations between Ethiopia and Guinea and the way they supported each other’s agendas in multilateral venues. He added: “We need to explore mechanisms to evaluate and follow up the implementation of our existing agreements and the MoUs in different sectors between our two countries.” The Minister stressed the need to enhance people-to-people ties between Ethiopia and Guinea, and to further scale up cooperation on continental peace and security issues, as well as enhance investment promotion, capacity building, livestock sector links, mining and geology. He underlined that both countries were committed to diversifying their bilateral trade and investment ties, as well as establishing cultural and tourism exchange programs.

During his official visit President Conde and his delegation visited Ethiopian Airlines facilities in Addis Ababa; and made a visit to the Eastern Industrial Zone, at Dukem in Oromia Regional state, sharing Ethiopia’s experience in the investment and aviation sectors and identifying areas for future cooperation. In 2016 Former Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn visited Guinea and signed an aviation service agreement; last year Ethiopian Airlines also agreed a strategic partnership in management, maintenance and training with Guinea Airlines.

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5 The 32nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union

The 32nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) will take place next Sunday and Monday (February 10-11) at the African Union Headquarters in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. The Summit will be held under the theme “The Year of Refugees, Returnees, and Internally Displaced Persons: Towards Durable Solutions to Forced Displacement in Africa”. Speakers at the Opening Session of the Assembly will be Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda and Chairperson of the African Union; Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt who takes over the AU Chair; Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission; Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General of the Arab League; Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations; and Mahmoud Abbas; President of the State of Palestine.

The Summit has been preceded by the 37th session of the Permanent Representatives Committee last month which prepared the agenda for this week’s 34th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union, of AU Foreign Ministers on Thursday and Friday (February 7-8). The Executive Committee finalizes the agenda for the Assembly sessions on which we will report next week. Ethiopia’s high-level delegation was headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu.

In his opening remarks, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat said “This session of the Executive Council is held just days before the 100th anniversary of the first Pan-African Congress,” adding:” in a few months we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Sirte Declaration, which laid the foundation for the transformation of the OAU into an African Union”. It is particularly appropriate, therefore, that this Summit will also see the unveiling of a statue of Emperor Haile Selassie in recognition of his role in the foundation in 1963 of the Organization of African Unity, later transformed into African Union. The AU has already recognized the place of Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana with a statue at the AU’s headquarters; now it is adding a statue of Emperor Haile Selassie who provided the “statesmanship and the pragmatic evaluation of what was possible at the time to get Africans together to achieve what has always been the dream of Pan Africanists – the creation of OAU”. The statue will be inaugurated during the Summit in the presence of the leaders of many African leaders.

Among other events during the Summit, the 2019 African Economic Outlook Report was presented by the African Development Bank and African Union Commission on Friday (February 8). The theme of this year’s African Economic Outlook is “Integration for Africa’s Economic Prosperity.” It highlights economic prospects and projections for Africa as a whole as well as for each country offering short- and medium-term forecasts of the major socio- economic factors, as well as looking at challenges and progress.

The AU Commission (AUC), African Risk Capacity (ARC), African Development Bank (AfDB) and UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) on Saturday (February 9) are hosting a high-level side-line meeting on Migration and Displacement in Africa, under the theme “Migration and Displacement in Africa: Addressing the underlying causes through innovative risk financing mechanisms”. The African Risk Capacity (ARC) Agency, a specialized agency of the AU, was established in 2012 to help Member States better plan, prepare and respond to extreme weather events and other natural disasters, protecting the food security and livelihoods of their most vulnerable populations. It is one of the innovative

6 mechanisms which have been established to address the underlying causes of migrations, notably natural disasters and extreme weather events. The African Development Bank (AfDB) has designed the Africa Disaster Risk Financing Facility (ADRiFi) to expand access to ARC’s risk transfer facilities. This meeting will highlight the interdependency of migration, food security and climate change and discuss the ADRiFi program.

Another side-line meeting for African Heads of State and Government, business leaders and global health organizations on Saturday will be the “Africa Leadership Meeting: Investing in Health,” a new initiative to help deliver increased, sustained and more impactful financing for health across Africa by increasing commitments for health and accelerating a path towards Universal Healthcare Coverage. The meeting will be chaired by President Kagame of Rwanda; and current Chair, African Union and AIDS Watch Africa. Other speakers will include Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, and Bill Gates, Co-Chair, of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

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The Prime Minister presents a half-year performance report and answers questions

Prime Minister Dr. Abiy delivered an address on the half-year performance of the federal government to the House of People’s Representatives on Friday last week (February 1) and answered MPs questions on the economy, security, the rule of law and the reform process.

Dr. Abiy told MPs that unity and rule of law were non-negotiable values and asserted there was more to celebrate on the political front than to disparage, including opening up the political space. He noted close to 20 armed and unarmed political parties had returned home from abroad following the government’s invitation and most, he said, were working to build democracy and fulfil their responsibilities of generating new ideas to help to pull the country out of poverty and promote peace. He called on political parties to organize themselves and acquaint the people with their policies, warning that the government would take legal action against those that operated in breach of the law. He said the government would take “all needed measures against anyone that attempts to ruin unity, peace, and development.” He urged students of higher education institutions not to be an instrument for political parties; students, he said, should “generate new ideas, not create fire by rubbing stones that affects peace in the country.”

The Prime Minister said the contribution of the media to exercise of democracy had been less than expected and some public media had been engaged in escalating tensions and preaching hostility. It had not been playing a constructive role, but he accepted it had a right to criticize political reforms - as long as it did not pose a threat to national unity. He stressed the need for restraint and for reform to embrace the values of harmony and unity. There was a long way to go to improve the culture of discourse and to contain lawlessness. He noted the government had already detained people who were suspected of human rights violation and embezzlement and it was working closely with states to apprehend suspects who remain at large hiding among the community.

Responding to questions regarding displacement of people since the reform process started, he described the large number of internal displacements as “anti-constitutional and immoral”. The government had injected a huge amount of funding to support victims and he noted the newly established Ministry of Peace was playing a significant role, stressing “it is far more

7 crucial to focus on dealing with potential conflict issues to ensure lasting peace.” He said about 90% of the displaced people had now returned to their villages. He stressed that respecting the rights of minorities is an essential element of democracy, adding people must learn to strengthen the values that keep them together.

Viable political solutions were a better way to control and end the influx of illegal arms trafficking and illicit financial transactions, the Prime Minister said. He said the alarming flow of smuggled arms could lead to a catastrophe and due care should be taken. One response was to strengthen the capacity of the revenues and customs but more important was solving the political problems. He said the government would “exert efforts to entirely control the situation in collaboration with the concerned institutions.”

In terms of economic reforms, Dr. Abiy said that by improving national project performance and reducing public expenditure, the government had prevented an economic downturn. It was still working to prevent possible economic stagnation. There had been improvements in tax collection and an upward growth in revenue though more was needed. Year-on-year inflation, which had averaged 14%over the past 15 years, was now down to 10.3%.

Overall, the economic outlook was healthy, he said, but there were problems of smuggling and contraband, unemployment, low export revenue, state enterprises, debt levels and project delays. Noting the country’s economic problems appeared to be “structural” in nature, he said the current budget deficit had been substantially resolved by a $1.7 billion grant from the World Bank. When parliament returned from recess, it would approve a supplementary budget. The tax system would be modernized and simplified, along with opening up Ethiopia’s use of Eritrean ports; roads to these were already under construction with the help of World Bank. The government had done a successful job in reducing the country’s debt burden and extending repayment periods; this would help finalize delayed projects and ensure sustainability of development. Dr. Abiy noted there had been increased foreign investment from multinational companies including, most recently, Volkswagen. This would contribute to generation of jobs but it would take at least 10 years to resolve unemployment, currently standing at 10 million.

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Foreign Minister Dr. Workneh hosts a reception for the AU Executive Council

Foreign Minister Dr. Workneh hosted a reception for the Foreign Ministers attending the 34th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union on Thursday (February 7). Warmly welcoming the Foreign Ministers to Addis Ababa, he said they had come to Ethiopia at an exciting time, “with a wave of political, economic, and social reforms underway and making significant progress under the wise leadership of Prime Minister Dr. Abiy.” Dr. Workneh added that there is now a new air of hope and optimism as we have reached a long overdue and peaceful settlement of the long conflict with our neighbor Eritrea. He said: “We believe that realization of regional peace is an engine that pushes forward the economic integration agenda in our continent”. In fact, he said, while there are still tragic incidents and refugee crises taking place in different parts of Africa, there is now a high level of excitement of change evident across the continent: “Despite all challenges, one can confidently say that Africa is indeed rising.” History is being made again, he said, with the fast-paced process of economic integration of Africa, moving beyond the already established social and political solidarity of Pan Africanism.

8 . Dr. Workneh emphasized that unity was the key to resolve challenges. Fifty-six years ago, he said, the founding fathers of Africa had their own vision of Africa and Africans united as one when they established the Organization of African Unity. The African Union had come a long way since then, with each determined step taking the continent closer to that shared vision. “Honoring our forefathers is a very African tradition”, he said, “I am glad that we will do exactly that during this summit, by paying tribute to one of the founding fathers of the OAU. Together with his colleagues, he was a man who fought and defeated colonialism. That person is none other than Emperor Haile Selassie. He will be remembered for his immense contribution to the formation of the Organization of African Unity. And on Sunday, African leaders will be inaugurating his statue in the grounds of the African Union Headquarters”.

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Norwegian International Development Cooperation Minister visits Ethiopia

Dr. Workneh appreciated the coming of the Minister to Ethiopia as the country was undertaking a tremendous reform program in almost every sphere of national development. He noted that on the political level, the government had created a viable platform of consensus with the Diaspora, former armed groups, and opposition parties, and despite the challenges there was a total shift in political dynamism in Ethiopia. Ethiopia, he said, was achieving a continental model of peace and development.” Dr. Workneh recognized that the Ethiopia - Norway partnership nexus covered multiple areas of common interests ranging from peace and security, through climate change and migration, to education and increasingly sustainable development. He expressed his gratitude for the development assistance offered by the Government of Norway to Ethiopia and its interest in supporting Ethiopia in youth job creation, education and health. He noted this was very relevant to success of development efforts. He also welcomed the support of the Norwegian Government for security and stability of the Horn, especially in South Sudanese peace and stability process. Norway is one of the Troika, along with the UK and US.

Mr. Ulstein vowed his country would continue to support Ethiopia’s ongoing and comprehensive reform. He noted the long history of strengthening and widening their bilateral ties and underlined Norway's interest to support Ethiopia in job creation, education and health and migration. He hoped the reform would succeed for sustainable economic development in Ethiopia. He commended Ethiopia for its role in working for peace and stability in the region and its diplomatic moves to craft the historic peace deal between Ethiopia and Eritrea, a deal which had ushered a new wind of hope for peace in the Horn. He stressed the significance of normalization of relations for the stability of the Horn of Africa, which he said was the necessary bedrock for better prospects, collective peace and prosperity.

Minister Ulstein held talks with State Minister of Finance Admassu Nebebe on the development projects supported by the Norwegian government. He visited development projects supported by the Norwegian government in Tigray region and had talks with Deputy

9 President of Tigray, Dr. Debretsion Gebremichael on economic and other related issues. During his visit Mr. Ulstein also attended a seminar on “Protecting and securing quality education for children and women on the move: refugees, IDPs and returnees” organized by the African Union and met with the staff of UN Special Agencies in Addis Ababa and members of Norwegian NGOs in Ethiopia.

The Prime Minister of Norway will be in Ethiopia at the weekend during the AU Summit and she will meet with Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed as well as participate in the ‘’Africa Leadership Meeting-Investing in Health’’ as well as other meetings on the Summit side-lines.

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Ethiopia participates in a FOCAC dialogue on Peace and Security

A Ministerial-level Dialogue on the Implementation of China-Africa Peace and Security Initiative was held on Wednesday (February 6) in Addis Ababa. The dialogue, hosted by Forum on China Africa Co-operation (FOCAC) co-chairs, China and Senegal, as well as by the African Union, was organized to facilitate implementation of the outcomes of the 2018 Beijing Summit in the field of peace and security. State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Hirut Zemene, led the Ethiopian delegation.

The dialogue was co-moderated by Mr. Chen Xiaodong, Chairman of the Chinese Follow-Up Committee of FOCAC and Assistant Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China, and Ambassador Mame Baba Cisse, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Senegal. Ministers and senior representatives of more than 20 African countries exchanged views with on implementation of the outcomes of the Beijing Summit, the peace and security situation in Africa and capacity building in these areas.

In his opening remarks, Assistant Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong emphasized that China was actively involved in mediating hotspot issues in Africa, and supported “African people in resolving African issues in the African way.” In this connection, he outlined new opportunities to step up cooperation on peace and security. These included: enhancing a strategic security communication and policy dialogue on peace and security policy; capacity building focusing on Africa’s priorities and urgent needs; exploring new approaches to facilitate the resolution of hotspot issues; and formulating a plan for the utilization of the China-Africa Peace and Security Fund.

Mrs. Hirut expressed appreciation for President Xi Jinping’s eight major initiatives announced during the Beijing FOCAC Summit in September 2018, including those relevant to peace and security. She described recent positive developments in the Horn of Africa, particularly the reconciliation between Ethiopia and Eritrea and the peace deal in South Sudan as well as the establishment of a stable government in Somalia. The State Minister appreciated the role of IGAD and the AU in the peace and security of the region and thanked China for its engagement in the resolution of the conflict in South Sudan. She requested China to continue its support in capacity building in various areas including peace keeping missions, fighting terrorism and in cracking down on human trafficking. She welcomed the envisioned establishment of the China Africa Security Forum.

10 The dialogue was concluded with remarks from Assistant Foreign Minister Xiaodong. He emphasized that China had taken note of the views of Africans and would use them as input towards the implementation of the initiative.

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The Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS/DAESH meets in Washington

Foreign Ministers of members of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS/DAESH met in Washington at the US Department of State on Wednesday (February 6). The meeting was called by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to review the progress of the past year and discuss the next stage in the campaign to ensure the complete defeat of ISIS. It welcomed progress made in the past year in liberating the territory controlled by ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and freeing more than 7.7 million people from ISIS’ tyranny. However, while the territorial defeat of ISIS in Iraq and Syria marked a significant milestone in the war against ISIS, it did not mean the campaign was over. Further engagement was needed in Iraq and Syria. ISIS’ leadership and affiliates saw its territorial losses in Iraq and Syria as a setback, not as defeat.

The coalition had also diminished ISIS’ online influence and has put pressure on its finances. UN Security Council sanctions and military strikes in Iraq and Syria has also had an impact. The Coalition committed itself to continue providing support to Iraqi counterterrorism operations and support to train a professional and capable Iraqi security force. On Syria, it continued to focus on providing humanitarian and stabilization assistance, help the safe and voluntary return of refugees and displaced persons, and ensure civilian protection and access to education. This would set a path for sustainable recovery from ISIS occupation to allow local communities to continue to rebuild.

Ethiopia’s delegation was led by State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Markos Tekle, who underlined Ethiopia’s unyielding conviction that ISIS must be eliminated and its ideological underpinning removed. He said Ethiopia believed the efforts to degrade and ultimately defeat ISIS required reinforcing many different lines of effort, including the prevention of any flow of funds and fighters to ISIS, and the exposure of its true nature. Dr. Markos underlined that while global attention had largely been focused on the Middle East, ISIS had also been mobilizing followers throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Indeed, Dr. Markos emphasized, despite significant coalition victories over the past year, the fight against ISIS was far from over. He also stressed that ISIS should be accountable for the atrocities committed by its members, not only in Iraq and Syria, but also everywhere else including Africa.

Ethiopia expressed its commitment to the Coalition’s guiding principles and its collective responsibility to defeat ISIS and its affiliates. It would continue cooperation with the Coalition and other regional and international partners to eradicate terrorist safe havens, cut off their finances, and to discredit their ideology. For 2019, the Coalition, which has now been joined by the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD), Guinea, Kenya, and Fiji, is committed to concentrate on implementing its Working Group action plans. These include addressing ISIS’ trans-border networks, branches, and affiliates, which continue to present a significant threat to members of the Coalition.

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11 Ethiopia’s Cabinet approves the AfCFTA

Ethiopia is the latest country to approve the African Union’s African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA, after the Council of Ministers passed the deal on Saturday (February 2). It now goes to Parliament for a final vote before the instruments of ratification are deposited with the AU Commission. A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said this decision and Ethiopia’s track record of advocating Pan African causes would help bring the reality of an integrated Africa. It was consistent with the Prime Minister’s vision of “creating a closer and full regional integration, where minds are open to ideas and markets are open to trade”.

The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCFTA) needs four more ratifications to enter into force; the AU hopes these will come during this week of the AU Summit. Although the agreement is not yet in force, a business guide and handbook to the AfCFTA have been published to assist in advocacy. Preparatory work to make the market operate is being carried out in areas like rules of origin, liberalization of trade in goods and services, and establishment of a digital payments and settlements systems. The AU is developing regional value chains to supply the market and competitively link Africa to global value chains; the AU Supply Chain Platform was unveiled at a workshop in Hawassa, Ethiopia, last month.

Plans for implementation of the AfCFTA already include member states acting to formulate and carry out national AfCFTA strategies. At the regional level, the African Union Commission has already been taking action to break down barriers and improve the flow of goods and capital, envisaging a common African passport and cross-border movement moving toward an internal market free of physical, technical, or fiscal barriers. In January last year, it launched the Single African Air Transport Market and opened for signature the Protocol to the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community Relating to Free Movement of Persons, and Right of Residence and Right of Establishment. Work is underway to conclude by 2020 the negotiation of Protocols on Investment, Competition and Intellectual Property Rights.

At a meeting of the Specialized Technical Committee of the Ministers of Trade, Industry and Mineral Resources, in Rwanda last month, under the theme, “The Entry into Force of the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and its Implementation”, AU Commissioner for Economic Affairs, Professor Victor Harrison, said the AfCFTA provided an invaluable opportunity for Africa to increase its 1% share of world manufactured goods through industrialisation and the creation of regional value chains. For the AfCFTA to deliver, he said, Africa needed supportive and accompanying measures in place, including support for the productive sectors as well as improving the business-enabling environment. He underlined the importance of viable financial institutions such as the African Investment Bank, the African Central Bank and the African Monetary Fund, which are provided for in the Constitutive Act of the African Union.

Once in force AfCFTA aims to increase intra-African trade by 52% by the year 2022, remove tariffs on 90% of goods, liberalize services and tackle other barriers to intra-African trade, including long delays at border posts. The latest African Economic Outlook (2019) estimates there will be an initial increase in Africa-to-Africa trade of 15% and some $2.8 billion in gains in real income when Africa’s bilateral tariffs are removed. Eliminating other barriers will be worth $37 billion and push trade gains up by more than 100%. This will also be increased significantly with the implementation of the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), which went into force in February 2017. More than 30

12 African nations have signed the TFA, in anticipation of reducing trading costs by 14 to 18% and a 0.5% boost in world trade expected to benefit the world’s least developed countries (LDCs) most. That has the potential for real economic impact across Africa, which has 33 out of 47 LDCs, but it also faces the challenges of financing the necessary energy and infrastructure.