Ethiopia Seeks African Support on National Peace Effort, Says DPM, FM Demeke

Addis Ababa February 15/2023/ENA/ Ethiopia seeks African support for ongoing national peace efforts, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Demeke Mekonnen said.

Demeke made the remark in his message he delivered today at the opening of the 42nd Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of African Union being held in Addis Ababa under the theme: Accelerating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)

"The African Commission on Human and People’s Right established a unilateral enquiry commission and made this decision irrespective of the government’s initiative for a joint investigation with our national institution," Demeke said, expressing Ethiopia's regret on the establishment of the enquiry commission.

The AU must not undermine the AU led peace process, the peace agreement and its implementation, the deputy prime minister underlined.

The Commission must have a principled engagement with its member states in discharging its function, he noted.

"It must stop its consideration to undertake a unilateral investigation irrespective of the ongoing national effort," Demeke said.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, during the last two years Ethiopia has learned that national effort is indispensable for peace effort.

He said during the last two years, Ethiopia has faced unwarranted political pressure mentioning the establishment of the international commission of human right on Ethiopia, he said, adding this commission was established while the government was undertaking accountability measures.

The government has accepted the recommendation made by the Joint Investigation of the Ethiopian Human Rights commission and the Office of the UN High Commissioner of Human Right, he said.

The government has also established the inter-ministerial task force to oversee the implementation of these recommendations. According to him, the government was taking various accountability measures through the task force.

However, the commission disregarded these initiatives and it produced flawed and politically motivated report, he said.

"To our regret the human right council extended the mandate of this commission for an additional period of one year despite opposition from African members of the council," he elaborated.

This commission could undermine the AU led peace process and the effort of national institutions, Demeke said.

We went ahead and conducted investigation with the UN human right, he said, adding the government has also initiated national consultation on traditional justice mechanism as per the peace agreement and the ongoing accountability measures.

According to him, this year’s meeting has significance meaning for Ethiopia as we continue to make progress in implementing the peace agreement in Pretoria, South Africa.

Over the past two years we are grateful to see that our faith in the African Union has been vindicated, he said.

The AU led peace process has demonstrated the true meaning of African solutions to African problem, he said.

We are redoubling effort to ensure the full implementation of the agreement, he said, adding the implementation of the peace agreement is on course. We have continued expediting humanitarian aid to the region, he said.

"We have taken measures to restore services interrupted by the conflict," the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister said, adding we are also working with African Union commission to support the work of monitoring and verification and compliance mechanism.

"This mechanism consists of a joint committee and a team of African experts. The team is now witnessing major development in the area of disarmament, mobilization and re-integration," he elaborated.

Demeke thanked those who made effort to support Ethiopia in resolving this conflict.

The need to install pan Africanism in the younger generation is also an important lesson, he said stressing the importance of Pan Africanism to achieve continental unity which is important for the economic development of the continent.