I am now in Djibouti for the IGAD 33rd ordinary meeting of ministers. IGAD is an international organization, a REC (regional economic community), consisting of 7 member states namely Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Somalia and Sudan. There are several RECs in Africa of which 8 are accredited to the African Union. But to us, based in Addis and dealing with Peace and Security issues, IGAD is the most important one. It is not difficult to understand. Just take a look at the list of member states: Sudan is at war in Darfur and heading for a referendum which might split the country in two states; Ethiopia is at war on several fronts - internally it combats insurgents in Ogaden and externally it has a silent war against Eritrea as well as a stand by war in Somalia; Somalia itself is war personified and tries to get to grips with international terroritsts setting up camps there at the same time; Eritrea is the "bad boy" of Africa, the constant spoiler both in Somalia and Ethiopia, and is also in open border conflict with Djibouti; Uganda fight their own insurgents - the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) and Kenya tries hard to keep itself under control since last elections provoced hard core ethnic killing sprees throughout the country. Kenya also tries to deal with a massive crossborder refugees pouring in from Somalia.
This is the Horn of Africa in a nutshell - it is the most war torn piece of the whole globe and ones that fuels terrorism and threatens to destabilize a major part of the continent. IGAD is the one organization where dialogue continues to some degree between the 7 countries. Although Eritrea has "suspended" its membership, the door to dialogue is still open for them. Sweden and other donor countries is a partner to IGAD and supports its endeavors through development assistance funds. We are in for some interesting two days here in Djibouti...
Regards,
...
Yeah dumping so much arms
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/08/world/americas/08iht-arms.4.5191534.html
Propping a man who stolen election and killed 200 demonstrators and Ethenically cleansed Addis of more 70,000 people as nothing to do with it.
Ofcourse hypocrite europeans have no problem falling over themselves to throw money to prop the buthcher of Africa with a refined track record
Illegal invasion of Somalia with UN and US complicity
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VJka6q16Os
Somalia Crisis worse than Darfur, says UN
http://tinyurl.com/cern3e
Ethiopia's 'own Darfur' as villagers flee government-backed violence
http://tinyurl.com/ysmvtc
Ethiopia: Army Commits Executions, Torture, and Rape in Ogaden
Donors Should Act to Stop Crimes Against Humanity
http://tinyurl.com/cg4ygx
Hmm... not sure what part of the post you are referring to... Seems you are talking about Ethiopia. At this point Sweden has interrupted all government-to-government aid to Ethiopia. There are still NGO support and food relief aid in some regions. To Somalia, there are some funds through UN to try to support the TFG and AMISOM. To Eritre no support, neither to Djibouti. To Kenya and Uganda there are still bilateral programs with the govts. Need more info?
ReplyDeleteIt is not one thing, it is tsunami of hypocrisy, and there is no consistency just hot air.
ReplyDeleteIs Eritrea leader any worse ? Are the people less needy? Why was the border issue deliberately fudged and now Eritrea is being blamed ?
http://www.slate.com/id/2178793/
Do you think a man responsible for the worst of African wars, and refusing to abide by the international rule of law, is deserving of more than $3billion/yr of aid (half of it from europe), while penalizing the others.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/1999/may/18/ethiopia
Do you think it is appropriate for Norway to award him $200,000 Yara prize, knowing well what his track record ? The same man who unceremoniously kicking Norwegian ambassadors out, accusing them of terrorism ?
http://www.tecolahagos.com/THE%20YARA%20PRIZE%20AND%20CORRUPTION.pdf
I guess when the order books of Boeing and Airbus are low, far to many cancellation and British Airways is asking their crew to work for free for a month, the 5billion worth of planes can be dumped on Ethiopia in exchange for huge aid, at the time half of the country is starving.
http://www.centreforaviation.com/news/2009/01/09/boeing-and-airbus-face-mass-aircraft-deferrals-and-cancellations/
http://www.netcomposites.com/newspic.asp?5693
I completely agree there is a lot of hypocracy circulating transfers of funds from one country to another, and the politics that goes with it. Ethiopia is one of the most complicated cases. As I am sure you know, it is not possible for me to express myself as freely as I would like - not even here - but the Eth. govt is an intelligent one that knows which cards to play to the international donors, no doubt there. Even countries with a track-record of being human right defenders dare not to be too critical since they have the Norweigian case fresh in mind. At the same time, these countries know (and ethiopia knows) that they need to keep a presence in Eth. since it has become the epicentre of regional african politics... Hipocracy - Diplomacy - Cowardice - Realpolitik? Maybe all at the same time...
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you can not comment much. I just despair for the credibility lost that is all.
ReplyDeleteTrue. I call it politics. Not very nice, ethical, or moral, but it is the way human beings deal with one and other - more often with their own individual interest at the center, than the interest of all.
ReplyDeleteis it safe for USA students to travel to Ethiopia
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
ReplyDeleteYes it is completely safe to travel to Ethiopia.
If you travel around the country by yourself there are some regions that are best to avoid- the somali region for example, or of course the Ethiopia/Eritrea border.
regards
Everything looks good in your posting.
ReplyDeleteThat will be necessary for all. Thanks for your posting.
Bathmate
Every part of the world is facing war, direct or indirect. This is wastage of money, spoiling our environment and peace. God knows for what we all are fighting for.
ReplyDelete