Reunion Wire

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed held talks with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia and President William Ruto of Kenya on the sidelines of the 14th IGAD Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government.

“Given our many shared mutual interests and concerns, Ethiopia will continue working closely with each country in overcoming our common challenges,” Abiy twitted.

“I Met with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia and President William Ruto of Kenya on the sidelines of the IGAD Summit this morning. Given our many shared mutual interests and concerns, Ethiopia will continue working closely with each country in overcoming our common challenges.”

The 14th Ordinary Summit of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Heads of State and Government has kicked off today.

The leaders and officials of the member countries will discuss on regional issues including IGAD’s response to the region’s endeavors.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

The Executive Secretary of Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has called on Sudanese warring parties to cease all hostilities and give real dialogue a chance.

Speaking at the opening session of the 14th Ordinary Assembly of the IGAD Heads of State and Government held in Djibouti today, the Executive Secretary, Workneh Gebeyehu underscored for a credible cessation of hostilities, the violence and bloodshed must first stop in Sudan.

Today’s summit has brought together leaders and officials of various countries including Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to discuss regional issues including IGAD’s response to the region’s endeavors.

Workneh underlined: “It is an opportunity to prevent further loss of life and allow the safe evacuation of civilians who wish to escape the fighting. We urge the warring parties in Sudan not to allow war to bring out the worst versions of the best of us.”

Noting that this summit comes at a time of great opportunity and positive developments in the IGAD region, the secretary noted that we must recognize the momentous and positive developments in peace and security for the region.

He added the war in Sudan has caused thousands of injuries and over 1.4 million displaced since the fighting broke out almost two months ago, on15th April 2023.

IGAD heads of state and government had convened an emergency summit on 16th April 2023, within less than 24 hours of the onset of hostilities to respond to and make an effort to contain this situation, he recalled.

Following the meeting, the leaders of the IGAD member countries took bold step to establish the High-Level Delegation, led by Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of South Sudan, and Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, President of Djibouti and William Ruto, President of Kenya.

“This demonstrates our collective determination to bring about a peaceful resolution. We are looking forward to the report of the High-Level Delegation and the draft roadmap on peace in Sudan,”he said.

IGAD welcomed the efforts to suspend hostilities through the temporary ceasefire reached on 20th May and the 24-hour truce that came into effect from 06:00am on Saturday 10th June 2023, he added.

However, he further stated the resumption of fighting in Khartoum, parts of western Darfur and El-Geneina in northern Darfur as well as other parts of the country is most discouraging.

IGAD is extremely concerned by the violence in Sudan and wishes to stress that in war, there are no real winners, he said.

Highlighting how serious the situation is in Sudan, the executive secretary went on as saying:“Before this conflict broke out, the Republic of Sudan was already one of the biggest refugee-hosting countries in Africa and the world. As a result of the ongoing conflict, we are now facing twin prospects of ‘double-displacement’ of refugees and asylum seekers as well as the increased challenge of food insecurity in Sudan and our region which has barely recovered from the devastating drought.”

And he emphasized that IGAD, friends and neighbors of Sudan have a moral and historical obligation to halt and reverse the course of this conflict.

On the other hand, Workneh mentioned the resurgence of Al–Shabaab, food insecurity, humanitarian issues and other difficulties in the IGAD region.

Speaking on Ethiopian affairs, the executive secretary appreciated Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed for his leadership in achieving the cessation of hostilities agreement and silencing of the guns in northern Ethiopia.

“This historic milestone marks a significant step towards peace, stability, and reconciliation in the region. The prime minister’s dedication to dialogue and peaceful resolution has proven instrumental in bringing an end to the bloody conflict, fostering an environment of trust and understanding among the parties involved,”the executive secretary pointed out.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

The African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat stressed the need for a total and united action among the African Union (AU), IGAD and other continental and regional organizations to solve Sudan’s crisis.

In his keynote address to the 14th Ordinary Assembly of the IGAD Heads of State and Government held in Djibouti, the chairperson called for swift action and united action as well as strong solidarity.

“The extreme seriousness of the violent crisis that is engulfing brotherly Sudan and the dangerous threats it poses to the existence of this country and the entire Region, are obvious,” the chairperson underlined.

The Sudanese crisis is on such a scale that it does not allow for any division of ranks or procrastination, he underlined.

He particularly stated that it needs a total and united action among the African Union (AU), IGAD and other continental and regional organizations.

“I therefore, call for total unity between the regional and continental organizations, IGAD and the AU. This is the sine qua non condition for the effectiveness of our solidarity with Sudan.”

The chairperson also stressed the need to prevent such foreign middling in Sudan that could exacerbate the ongoing situation in the country.

“It is imperative for mitigating foreign interference. It is the sine qua non condition for mobilizing our partners and getting them to adhere to this fundamental principle of African solutions to African problems, of which the Sudanese crisis is the prototype.”

Mahamat downplayed the spreading of untruths about the position of the African Union (AU) since the outbreak of violence on 15 April 2023 in Sudan.

He also explained the tremendous efforts of the African Union to solve the crisis in Sudan since the overthrow of President Al Bashir in April 2019.

“Just 10 days after the overthrow of President Al Bashir in April 2019, I arrived in Khartoum, as the first non-Sudanese official. I met all the political, social and military leaders, without exception. From the leaders of the party and political coalitions that had just been overthrown to the multiple political coalitions that emerged as revolutionary forces.”

The Chair further noted: “Five days after my visit, I deployed a Special Envoy. He very quickly won the support of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, my friend and Brother Abiy Ahmed who was also IGAD Chair at the time. Everyone knows the remarkable result we achieved: laying the foundations for a Democratic and Consensual Transition.”

Accordingly, Mahamat said we once again, together with IGAD and the United Nations, recommitted ourselves, through a trilateral mechanism to mend the torn fabric.

He also condemned the negative forces of all kinds, both internal and external, that were bent on stirring up contradictions. This whole cocktail eventually exploded and led to the current operation of mass destruction of the Sudanese State and Nation, he underscored.

Finally, the chairperson indicated that the African Union is working energetically for a solution to an African crisis, adding that “our commitment to Sudan remains the same today and in the future.”

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

A recovery and reconstruction conference aimed at discussing the recently completed Damage and Needs Assessment (DaNA) report is underway.

The conference is also expected to discuss Ethiopia’s Resilient Recovery and Reconstruction Framework that would be implemented from 2023 to 2028, it was indicated.

Higher government officials, chief administrators of regional states, diplomatic corps, representatives of development partners, among other pertinent stakeholders are attending the conference.

As Ethiopia emerges from a two-year long conflict in the northern part of the country, it is gearing up efforts to recover and revitalize affected communities and the economy from the scaring effects of the war.

The government of Ethiopia, with support from development partners, has conducted damage and needs assessment, it was learned.

The government also developed a recovery and reconstruction plan to lay the foundation for the reconstruction process, and established institutional arrangements to implement the recovery.

The DaNA also quantifies the conflict’s direct damages to physical assets and economic losses on livelihoods, social, infrastructure, and productive sectors, as well as the macroeconomic and poverty impacts.

It also estimates the total recovery needs, estimated at 20 billion USD over five years.

On the other hand, Ethiopia has Resilient Recovery and Reconstruction Framework, the overarching framework for use by the government and partners to plan, coordinate, finance, and manage the recovery through efficient, timely, and well-coordinated efforts with the involvement of all stakeholders and support from the international community.

The conference is also believed to raise awareness, foster knowledge exchange, and mobilize local and international support for post-conflict economic and social recovery through improved public administration, services and livelihood restoration, infrastructure rehabilitation. It will also support affected households and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

The discussions will contribute to shaping local and global efforts on the way forward for a prosperous and stable Ethiopia as well as exchange views among regional authorities on good practices, challenges, and areas of collaboration for efficient recovery.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency