Addis ababa: Ethiopia has reaffirmed its firm commitment to advancing lasting peace and stability across Africa. The commitment was highlighted during the opening of the 17th edition of the international training on post-conflict stabilization and reconstruction, currently underway in Addis Ababa. The workshop was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania in partnership with Ethiopia’s Institute of Foreign Affairs (IFA).
According to Ethiopian News Agency, IFA Executive Director Jafar Bedru noted that African countries are working diligently to transition from conflict and instability to lasting peace and stronger institution-building. He stated that participants from across Africa represented diverse nations, experiences, and perspectives, noting that this diversity is one of the greatest strengths of the program. ‘Your presence here shows our common belief that post-conflict reconstruction must be led by local actors, local agency support through regional cooperation and strengthened by global partnership.’
Regarding Ethiopia’s commitment to lasting peace, he emphasized the launch and implementation of a National Dialogue and Transitional Justice process, designed to heal wounds and strengthen unity. This is one of the experiences that Ethiopia proudly shares with African brothers and sisters as a model, the executive director emphasized. Accordingly, IFA is also serving as a bridge between diplomacy and peace building, providing training for diplomats, policymakers, and regional actors with the necessary knowledge and skills.
Lulia Pataki, Ambassador of Romania to Ethiopia, stated that the program is the cornerstone of the country’s strategy for Africa. She mentioned that the course is very important in reconstruction and stabilization endeavors, noting that one of the important subjects of this course is disinformation, which affects peace and development, and how to deal with it. It is an opportunity to connect, learn from each other, and share experience, expertise, and knowledge on how to prevent instability in countries and rebuild societies.
Director General of Romania Agency for International Development, Daniela Dobre, further stated that the training program has evolved over the years from a technical force into a true platform for dialogue, exchange, and partnership. It brought together civilian and military experts, policymakers, and practitioners from across Africa and beyond. ‘The last three editions that we held have shown us that collaboration and knowledge sharing are the most powerful tools for building peace and stability.’
The five-day program is targeted to share experiences, explore challenges, and build collective capacity to action as the program combines theoretical and practical training, it was indicated.