Your Excellency Olusegun Obasanjo, AU Excessive Consultant for the Horn of Africa, and member of the AU Panel of the Ethiopia Peace Course of
Your Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, Former President of the Republic of Kenya, and member of the AU Panel
Your Excellency Ambassador Redwain Hussein , Director Common of the Nationwide Intelligence and Safety Service and Head of the Delegation of the federal government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE),
Your Excellency, Getachew Reda, President of the Interim Regional Administration of Tigray
Dr. Debretsion Gebremichael, Chairman of the Tigray Individuals’s Liberation Entrance (TPLF),
Ambassadors and Representatives of the US, the EU and different Companions,
Right this moment marks nearly one 12 months and a half for the reason that 2nd November 2022 Pretoria Cessation of Hostilities Settlement.
To this point, and due to our collective motion, the method has already achieved regular and commendable progress.
Certainly, following the Settlement, the AU has held two profitable Senior Commanders’ conferences in Nairobi and established the Monitoring, Verification, and Compliance Mission in Mekele.
By way of collaboration between the Excessive-Stage Panel, the Joint Committee, and Monitoring Verification and Compliance Mission, the AU has been in a position to monitor progress on the implementation of the Cessation of Hostilities Settlement.
A number of the key achievements for the reason that signing of the settlement embrace the instant cessation of hostilities, the handover of heavy and medium weapons, the resumption of important companies, and the reopening of faculties and financial actions in most elements of the Tigray area.
Moreover, the institution of the Interim Regional Administration in Tigray and the Nationwide Fee for Reintegration, with the help of the AU to the working group on transitional justice has additionally registered progress.
I additionally approved the disbursement of 1 million United States {Dollars} from the Disaster Reserve Facility of the AU Peace Fund to help the DDR programme. In so doing, Ethiopia turned the primary AU Member State to learn from the revitalized Peace Fund.
At this juncture, let me categorical the AU’s gratitude to Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa for his or her continued help to the implementation of the COHA. Their contribution facilitated the deployment of a Crew of African Specialists, who diligently serve beneath the MVCM in Tigray area.
Right here let me additionally take this chance to specific my gratitude to the Inter- Governmental Authority on Growth (IGAD), the African Growth Financial institution (AfDB), the United Nations (UN), the EU and the federal government of the US of America for his or her continued help to our collective peace-making efforts in Northern Ethiopia.
Right this moment’s assembly is a crucial and well timed alternative for strategic reflection to take inventory of the continued challenges and excellent points that stay to be resolved. It’s due to this fact, you the Events, who’re greatest positioned to level out the excellent points and the way they will greatest be resolved.
Regardless of the simple achievements made up to now, the method of political dialogue, transitional justice and Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration are among the many vital points that want your pressing consideration.
Your continued management to collaborate and compromise, can’t be beneath estimated. I due to this fact urge you to exhibit the identical dedication and candour that has change into the hallmark of this course of, which is crucial to realize peace for the area of Tigray.
The function of the African Union on this course of has all the time been, and can proceed to be to help your efforts to realize what has remained a really Ethiopian -owned and led course of, for the reason that signature of the Settlement to this point. We stay up for your steerage on how greatest and the AU can proceed to help you on this noble endeavor
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Certainly, sturdy and lasting peace in Tigray is not going to solely be a key peace dividend for Ethiopia but in addition for the Horn of African area. So I can’t urge you adequate, my brothers and sisters, to remain the course as now we have reached a vital level of this course of, to have the ability to consolidate the important thing beneficial properties made up to now.
We stay decided to proceed to help your efforts to revive lasting peace, stability and improvement to Tigray.
In closing, right now additionally marks the start of Ramadan and the Orthodox fasting interval. An auspicious and glad coincidence!
Might God the Almighty carry peace to our hearts and strengthen our resolve to work in direction of the Africa we would like and deserve, one that’s built-in, affluent and most of all, peaceable.
It’s now my honour to declare this inaugural strategic reflection assembly open and need you fruitful deliberations.
Thanks.
