African Leaders Showed Confidence in Gov’t by Deciding to Hold Summit in Addis Ababa: Prof. Getachew

African governments have proved that they have confidence in the Government of Ethiopia by attending the African Union Summit, Morgan State University Political Science and International Relations Professor, Getachew Metaferia said.

He told ENA that this has significance as African Heads of State and Government have decided to attend the session in Addis Ababa at this critical time.

Ironically, the U.S. and European countries have warned their citizens against traveling to Ethiopia as the country is exposed to security risk.

“The measure taken by African leaders to attend the AU conference proves that the warning was simply a Western ploy to destabilize the Ethiopian government, discourage tourists, caution investors, and undermine the economy,” the professor elaborated.

African governments, by attending the conference, have proved that they have confidence in the government and the country “sending strong message to the West.”

Furthermore, Professor Getachew stated that the credibility of the West is online, especially at the time when the diaspora arrived in droves and the Timket celebration was well-attended.

According to him, the African leaders also know the misrule and atrocities committed by the TPLF against the Ethiopian people for 27 years.

They were uncomfortable with TPLF’s leadership for espousing undemocratic and colonial stratagem of ethnic-based politics in Ethiopia, he underscored.

“I do not know if the conference agenda will allow the Ethiopian government to brief the attendees on the situation in the country.”

Professor Getachew said, “If possible, then, it behooves the government to thank the African leaders for the bold and unwavering support they have given to Ethiopia by attending the session and providing a well-organized and articulated briefing on the current situation in northern Ethiopia.”

It is to be noted that Ethiopia, in addition to being inspirational to wage resistance against colonialism and imperialism, also gave meaningful contributions to the independence and post-independence development efforts in African countries.

It, for instance, supported and gave refuge to anti-colonial fighters and activists such as the Mau-Mau in neighboring Kenya and South Africa’s anti-apartheid fighters by giving military training to leaders such as Nelson Mandela, he pointed out.

Furthermore, it made diplomatic efforts with Liberia for the independence of Namibia and supported anti-colonial fighters in Zimbabwe and the Portuguese colonies in Africa.

In the 1950s and in the early 1960s Emperor Haile Selassie provided scholarships to the future African leaders to study at the current Addis Ababa University and prepared them to manage Africanized post-independence bureaucracy.

The 35th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU Heads of State and Government will take place from February 2 to 6, 2022 in Addis Ababa.