[Pol.ethiopia] News Items

[Political Ethiopia]

June 30, 2005
ADG urges all political parties to maintain commitment
to non-violence
Addis Ababa, (ENA)- The Ambassadors Donor Group (ADG)
urged all political parties that signed the Joint
Declaration to maintain a commitment to non-violence
and full participation in the investigation process,
and with out prejudice to recourse to the courts,
acceptance of election results thereafter, for the
agreements to succeed.

The Ambassadors Donor Group made the call in a
statement it issued on Wednesday after it met with
Prime Minister Meles and leaders of the opposition
parties in an effort to promote a peaceful,
democratic, political solution to Ethiopia’s election
dispute.


As Ethiopia’s partners in development, we staunchly
support the Joint Declaration signed by the parties on
June 10 and reaffirmed on June 13, the ADG statement
said. 


We welcome the start of the National Electoral Board
of Ethiopia (NEBE) complaints hearing process and are
providing international observers to participate in
NEBE-led investigations, the statement said.


A process exists for resolving elections disputes and
promoting a peaceful and democratic future for all
Ethiopians, the statement said, adding international
election observers and representatives of political
parties will play an important role in making this
process transparent and credible. 


The statement pointed out that all parties have agreed
to abide by this process and to respect the outcome,
and added that It is the responsibility of political
leaders of all parties to ensure that this process
produces a peaceful and successful outcome acceptable
to all Ethiopians.


We expect all sides to live up to their commitment to
support the Complaints Investigation Panels so as to
allow them to complete their work, the ADG statement
said.
 


 
There is no place for retaliation or threats in this
process. We abhor ethnic race-baiting and call on all
leaders to prevent such activities and call on all
Ethiopians to reject such politics of hate, the ADG
statement noted.


All sides need to put the interests of Ethiopia first
or the democratic progress this country has made in
recent years could be lost, the statement said.
Whatever the outcome of the current electoral process,
we trust Ethiopians will adapt to the reality of a
multi-party state and embrace new habits for
overcoming political differences.


The statement also calls on the security forces to
respect due process for all detainees and call on the
government to adhere to international principles on
human rights. All detainees should be charged or
released as required by the Constitution.


The prime Minister has promised an investigation into
the events of June 8, and we look forward to the
results of that investigation, the statement said.


The Government has the primary responsibility for
ensuring that the rule of law is upheld in Ethiopia
and that such a tragic loss of life is not repeated,
the statement said.


It is to be recalled that Police has announced the
release of over 3,000 of those who were put under
custody following the violence and riot that had
recently erupted in Addis Ababa. The remaining
prisoners have been brought to justice after
investigations have been conducted.


The International Red Cross Society and other resident
Ambassadors have visited those under custody and
testified that their treatment is in line with
international law pertaining to prisoners.


African Leaders to Converge in Libya for AU Summit
Addis Ababa (ENA) - African ambassadors, ministers and
Heads of State and Government of 53 African Union
members will converge in Libya this week to discuss
issues of Africa's development, the South African news
service BuaNews reported from Tshwane (Pretoria)
yesterday.
 

President Thabo Mbeki will attend the Heads of State
and Government Summit from Monday 4-5 July in Sirte,
where African leaders will discuss a Council of
Ministers' report pertaining to African seats in the
reformed United Nations Security Council. 


The Council of Ministers meeting in Sirte would
forward the AU Committee of 10 Foreign Ministers
report, which was charged with the responsibility of
mobilizing support for Africa's position for the
reformed UN Security Council, the report quoted S.
African Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa as
saying.
 

Ambassador N. Seleka in the South African Foreign
Affairs Department is quoted as saying, the "common
African position on UN reform is stated quite clear in
the Ezulwini Consensus" that before African countries
start arguing for position in the reformed Security
Council, all African countries should mobilize for
reforms to take place. 


The Ambassador said the Ezulwini Consensus, among
others, proposes two permanent seats and five
non-permanent seats for Africa in the Security
Council. 


"The Council of Minister's report might give direction
on how to mobilize support for Africa's common
position on the UN reform in terms of the Ezulwini
Consensus," said Ambassador Seleka. 


Political analyst of the South African Institute for
International Affairs (SAIIA) Kuseni Dlamini told
BuaNews that it was crucial that African leaders
"speak in one voice" to highlight the importance of
African seats in the newly reformed Security Council. 


His comments come amid talks of several African
countries coming out wanting to claim the two African
seats in the Council. 


Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister Aziz Pahad told
BuaNews recently that South Africa and Nigeria would
work together to secure the African seats, after
Libya, Egypt, Senegal and Kenya also expressed their
candidacy for the seats. 


Dlamini said the challenge for the AU Summit was for
leaders to work together to push for the UN reforms
and stop "bickering about who gets the seats." 


"It's important that African leaders stop bickering.
Bickering does not help. African leaders must speak in
one voice to seek reforms of the UN. If we don't [stop
bickering] the world will see Africa as a laughing
stock," he said.
 

Other issues on the agenda of the Summit will be the
strengthening of the AU institutions such as
Pan-African Parliament, Peace and Security Council and
NEPAD.
 

On the peace and security front, Africa has much to
celebrate with a number of conflicts and civil war
gradually becoming a thing of the past, said Dlamini.
 

The mineral-rich but strife-torn Democratic Republic
of Congo (DRC) recently adopted an interim
Constitution paving the way for democratic elections
and ending decades of conflict in the country.
 

Burundi is also preparing to hold elections in the
Great Lakes country while Ivory Coast is also on cause
for all-inclusive democratic elections.
 

African leaders had been steadfast in opposing any
"unconstitutional" ascendancy to power.

President of Djibouti expresses delight over
democratic conduct of Ethiopia's elections
ADDIS ABABA  (ENA) - The President of Djibouti Ismael
Omar Guelleh expressed his delight over the democratic
conduct of the third national elections in Ethiopia.
In a statement the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent to
ENA on Wednesday the Ethiopian Embassy in Djibouti
said President Guelleh has expressed his delight over
the democratic conduct of Ethiopia's third national
election at the 28th Anniversary Celebration of
Djibouti's Independence on June 27, 2005.

President Guelleh said it is very encouraging to see
such democratic election in the Horn of Africa where
there is often instability.

Ethio-South Africa relations of cooperation steadily
gaining momentum
Addis Ababa (ENA) – The bilateral cooperation between
Ethiopia and South Africa are steadily gaining
momentum, officials of the Ethiopian Embassy in South
Africa said.
Minister Counsellor with the Ethiopian Embassy in S.
Africa, Mebrat Beyene, and Economic Division Head with
the Embassy, Abiy Berhane said the official visit to
Ethiopia of the S. African Foreign Minister, Dr.
Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma in March 2004 could be cited as
a landmark in the relations between the two countries.
 

Abiy said while there is a positive trend in the trade
and investment relations between the two countries,
the trade volume at the current level is far from the
desired level compared to the existing huge potential.
 

By 2004, the total trade volume between the two
countries stood at 30 million USD, Abiy said, and
added that the trade balance is more in favour of
South Africa.
 

Export from Ethiopia to S. Africa has not exceeded
10mln USD even in the best of time, Abiy said, adding
that various efforts are being made to improve the
trade balance as well as to attract South African
investment to Ethiopia.


Ethiopia imports industrial equipment, machineries,
chemicals and raw materials for chemical industries as
well as food stuff, wine and milk from South Africa,
Abiy said.
 

Currently, some South African companies are
considering to engage in agricultural sector, while
some companies are preparing to produce grains and
other agricultural produces in Ethiopia and then to
export to South Africa, Abiy said. 


Ropack International, a South African Company, is
currently undertaking preliminary activities to bring
select seed to Ethiopia, introduce it to local
farmers, buy their produces and supply it to European
markets, according to Abiy.


Abiy hopes these and other on-going activities would
improve the trade imbalance, adding the Ethiopian
Embassy is making efforts to promote Ethiopian
products in S. Africa. 


According to Abiy, on-going market researches
indicated that there is a huge market potential for
Ethiopian leather garments in S. Africa.
 

Abiy said contacts have been made with the Leather
Industry Association of South Africa, and that the
division will push on to facilitate partnership
between South African companies and Ethiopian
leatherwear manufacturers.
 

According to Abiy, two South African companies have
shown interest to invest in floriculture in Ethiopia,
while other companies indicated desire to test the
European market for Ethiopian floriculture products.
 

Abiy said South African investors have shown interest
in the areas of mining, tourism, real estate and
floriculture developments. One South African company
has already been engaged in gold prospecting in
Ethiopia, while other companies are under preparation
to do same, he added.

Another company named O & T Development has been
considering to engage in Real Estate development in
Ethiopia, including in the development of low-cost
houses, according to Abiy.

Abiy said the Investment Promotion and Protection
Agreement has already been prepared and is expected to
be signed in the near future by pertinent authorities
of the two countries.

Other agreements in pipeline include those related to
arts and culture, science and technology as well as
capacity building in local government administration
and management, where South Africa will provide
support for Ethiopia, Abiy said.
 

The Foreign Ministers of the two countries had signed
a general cooperation agreement and an agreement for
the avoidance of Double taxation.


The agreement providing for the avoidance of double
taxation, which is yet to be put into force, would
help enhance trade exchanges, while the general
cooperation agreement is serving as a legal framework
for the multifarious cooperation between the two
countries.



 
According to Abiy, the legal agreements pertaining to
the various areas of cooperation have been drafted and
are currently being studied by pertinent experts of
the two countries.

Minister Counsellor with the Ethiopian Embassy in S.
Africa, Mebrat Beyene said that it was decided during
Foreign Minister Zumas visit that the foreign
ministers of the two countries pay an official visit
to each others country every two years.
 

Accordingly, in February 2005 a technical team drawn
from various offices in South Africa came to Ethiopia,
while senior government officials from Ethiopia also
visited South Africa in May 2005, Mebrat said.


The visits of such senior government envoys were meant
to lay the ground work to further enhance cooperation
between the two governments, ahead of the official
meetings of the foreign ministers.
 

Diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and South Africa
started soon after the establishment of a democratic
system following the abolition of the Apartheid
system.


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Pol.ethiopia
June 30,2005
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