Addis Ababa: Ethiopia expressed its resolve to settle disagreement with Somalia peacefully, stressing, however, that teaming up with forces opposed to peace is a short-sighted strategy and counterproductive, Minister of Foreign Affairs stated.Foreign Affairs Minister Taye Atsekesillasie gave media briefings today to local and foreign correspondents on the current regional developments.Taye stated that Ethiopia chose not to retaliate in kind when recently attacked by certain Somali government officials and hostile forces seeking to exploit opportunities to destabilize the region.The foreign affairs minister stressed that their hostile rhetoric and threats will not discourage Ethiopia from its commitment to peace in this region.Taye added that we must redouble our efforts to stop those trying to undo hard-won gains against terrorism in this region.With this conviction, we accepted the facilitation of discussions with the Somalia, firstly in Nairobi, and as a continuation of that effort, in Ankara, he recalled.'These efforts have made progress and are promising to yield results. These efforts must not be undermined by provocative statements. Collusion with forces hostile to peace in this region is also short-sighted and counterproductive,' he pointed out.Ethiopia's foreign policy has always centered on advancing its relations with its neighbors.'We believe that the well-being and prosperity of our country are closely tied with the peace and development of our neighbours. As the largest country in this region, we do not take lightly the responsibility of protecting the safety and ensuring the destiny of our country, and that of our region," Taye elaborated.According to the minister, Ethiopia will continue building, mending and enhancing relations with its neighbours, noting we have unbreakable bonds of fraternity among our peoples.'We are determined to nurture and enhance these historical and traditional ties and continue working on building or rebuilding the infrastructural links, trade, and c ultural exchanges. This is a bedrock of Ethiopia's foreign policy, ' Taye emphasized.The minister stressed that we thus cannot stand on the side when the peace and harmony of our neighbourhood becomes a playground for terrorists and anti-peace elements.Source: Ethiopian News Agency
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Members of the Addis Ababa University community held today a silent protest in front of the US Embassy to express their concern about the intervention of Westerners in the internal affairs of the country and the undue pressure on Ethiopia. The protesters drawn from the University Senate, teaching staff, employees of the university as well as students carried placards with the slogans: Stop weaponizing aid, No more silencing African voices, Hand off Ethiopia, and Unsubscribe fake news channels, among others. Addis Ababa University Political Science and International Relations lecturer, Professor Kasahun Berhanu told ENA during the occasion that said some Western countries, including the U.S, have been putting pressure on Ethiopia because they do not get a puppet government. Democratic administrations in the U.S have been creating problems in Ethiopia for quite a long time, he said, citing as an example the refusal of USA to give the weapons it purchased from that country while it was under attack by Somalia in the 70s, he noted. In the case of the conflict in northern Ethiopia, the professor said the U.S administration is not happy with the harmonious relations Ethiopia with Eritrea have developed as that would result in Ethiopia’s growing influence in Africa. The professor further pointed out that the West is clearly violating the UN Charter which prohibits interference in internal affairs of sovereign nations. “They must comply with the international law that does not allow any country to interfere in the affairs of any government. The West has clearly been violating UN Charter, and we have not heard the United Nations opposing such trends.” Addis Ababa University School of Commerce Head, Professor Worku Mekonnen said on his part that these forces are putting pressure on Ethiopia because they do not want to see a strong and united Africa. “We should be able to reverse this idea. This is about survival. We must all be able to defend ourselves with what we have so that we do not fall. If necessary, scholars must be able to go to the battlefield and defend their country.” Addis Ababa University Political Science and Internal Relations lecturer, Professor Yacob Arsano said scholars should strengthen their role in countering the pressure on Ethiopia. “The important role of scholars is to study the ideas properly and organize them in the right way so that they can be heard by Ethiopians and the international community. Let others see the weight of this scholarly thought and cooperate in this matter. Scholars have been working hard in this direction as the content of the scholars is not only for Ethiopia but also for friends of Ethiopia and the world. They are still in the process and will continue to do so in the future,” he stated. The professor revealed that Westerners have been giving false reasons when they intervened in other countries for their own interests. Source: Ethiopia News Agency
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