Ethiopia Update– Peace Talks & more –27 April 2023

th of April: 2023

The federal government and the Oromo liberation army (or OLA) have been in a protracted conflict that has injured and killed many civilians in the Oromia region. Many attacks of the OLA have been directed to ethnic Amharans in Oromia. Recently, the government introduced plans to negotiate with the group a on Sunday the 23rd. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed revealed that talks with the OLA will be held very soon in Tanzania. Abiy also said that a group of delegates composed of the presidents of every region will go to Tigray.

On Monday the 24th, the OLA confirmed the PM's remarks adding that the talks are facilitated by the Norwegian and Kenyan governments with the EU and the US keen to join in as well. The group urged the government to stop using the word 'shenie’ (which means ‘five’ in the Oromo language)' to refer to the group as it is not representative of the identity and objectives of the OLA. That same day, the group's head commander Merro Deriba (aka Jal Merro) told the BBC that the group's delegates are on their way to Tanzania. He expressed his doubts that the talks will be successful but he said he is hopeful that they will bring peace at last saying that if the Oromo people's questions are answered without conflict, the doors of the OLA are always open. Merro didn't say who was going to be present during the talks but the BBC said that diplomats from Kenya, the EU, US, Sweden and Norway will be observing the talks.

The talks began and Redwan Hussein, the PM’s national security advisor, who was the lead negotiator during the peace talks with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (or TPLF), represented the federal government alongside Minister of Justice Dr. Gedion Timotewos. Representing the OLA were the commander’s advisors Jiregna Gudeta, Abdi Taha and professor Mohammed Hassan.

On Monday the 24th, Demeke Mekonnen, deputy PM and minister of foreign affairs, arrived in Tanzania, visited the Haile Selassie I High School and sat down with Tanzanian president Samia Suluhu Hassan. However, the public didn’t know whether or not his visit was related to the peace talks or if he'll attend the talks. Still, this trip was part of a bigger tour throughout the continent. On Wednesday the 26th, Demeke went to Burundi and will continue the tour in Comoros and Uganda.

Speaking of insurgent groups, the Gambella Liberation Front, which has been operating around the border between South Sudan and Ethiopia, has laid down their arms. The government and the front began peace talks in February this year which continued in several rounds held in Juba, the capital of South Sudan and Addis. Hundreds of its members went into rehabilitation training after an agreement was struck. The Chairman of the front said that the group was forced to take up arms due to political conditions that didn’t allow for the freedom of the Gambellan people.

Last week, on Thursday the 20th, media outlets reported that almost all members of the front had laid down arms. This past Wednesday the 26th, the group itself confirmed that all of its members have laid down arms.

Andualem Arage, veteran politician and founder of the Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice Party, announced last week on Wednesday the 19th that he had resigned from the party. In a lengthy resignation letter, he said that the country's political landscape and the party's internal structure had forced him to resign.

Days have passed since a civil war broke out in neighboring Sudan. Ethiopia and Sudan have been at odds regarding bordering areas. Sudan has forcefully occupied Ethiopian territory when the country's resources were deployed in the northern war. After the civil war in Sudan started, Sudanese media outlets have been reporting that Ethiopia was taking advantage of the civil war by invading the disputed area using tanks and armored vehicles. One of the outlets that reported this news was the Al-Sudani newspaper. On Thursday the 20th, the newspaper that shared this fake information apologized on his social media account. So far, the Ethiopian government has not invaded the occupied area and said that it is committed to resolving the dispute peacefully.

Residents of Sudan who have been displaced because of the war are leaving the country through the Metema city in western Ethiopia. The residents include not only Sudanese citizens but also citizens from more than twenty other states. Numerous countries with citizens in Sudan are hard at work trying to evacuate them from the war zone. One of these countries is the US. The US government thanked Ethiopia for helping with evacuations.

Because of the war between the federal government and the TPLF, the relationship between the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (or EOTC) and the Tigray's diocese had soured. The Holy Synod had been sending letters to the diocese but the letters had failed to mend the relationship. Now, the Holy Synod is amping up efforts by putting together a group of delegates made up of the Church's fathers, members and prominent individuals. The Church revealed that this group will leave for Tigray in the coming weeks.

Good news from Tigray as road transport to the region resumed after a two-year halt. One of the cross country road transport service providers Selam Bus revealed that it has begun daily trips between Addis and Mekelle.

Miles south in Gondar, an historic city in the Amhara region has a new mayor. The city council appointed Bayuh Abuhay as the mayor on Monday the 24th.

The controversial annual national university entrance exam will take place this year as usual. Talks of an alleged schedule have been circulating in social media, however, the National Educational Assessment and Exam Agency said that it hasn't decided on a specific date yet. It also reminded prospective candidates to register as soon as possible because the registration deadline is on Friday the 28th.

All retail gas sales would be paid through electronic means in the capital. This rule became mandatory on Monday the 24th. The Ministry of Transport and Logistics told state media on Wednesday the 26th that in only two days, about forty three thousand electronic transactions were made to purchase gas. The total transactions were worth up to eighty million birr or about four million US dollars. However, the process wasn’t smooth sailing because the government didn’t publicize the new rule, gas station employees and vehicle owners were confused with the payment system and some didn’t even have the payment apps, which led to long queues. The Ministry said that these problems will be resolved once users become used to how the new system works.

It’s been a few weeks since the national football team’s coach Wubetu Abate and the football federation parted ways. A week after Wubetu’s resignation, his assistant Asrat Abate left his post. This week, the federation revealed that another assistant and goalkeepers’ coach had both been relieved of their services. The federation said in a statement that it thanks the coaches and wishes the best going forward. It hasn't, however, revealed Wubetu’s successor. The national team, aka the Walya antelopes have struggled recently. They sit at the bottom of their group in the African Cup’s qualifiers tournament.

Aaaand that’s it for this week. Remember you can buy our 100% unbleached organic cotton, grown and ginned in Texas, spun and knit in the Carolinas, sewn and printed in Missouri t-shirts. The most environmentally friendly new t-shirt you’ll own. To get one, check the link in the show notes!

Ciao!