News in Brief H.E. PM ABIY AHMED LAUNCHES GREAT ETHIOPIAN HOME COMING CHALLENGE
Ethiopian Diaspora Community in Benelux welcomes the call
need to have an all-inclusive dialogue among political figures, unfettered access to humanitarian supply, independent investigation of human rights violations, and hold perpetrators to account.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has launched the Great Ethiopian Homecoming Challenge which is aimed to bring 1 million compatriots home ahead of upcoming Christmas holiday. The Prime Minister has officially called on Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopians all over the world to join the Great Ethiopian Homecoming challenge. The Ethiopian diaspora community in Benelux countries has expressed unreserved support for the call made by H.E. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to come to their homeland during the festive month of January. The Ethiopian Diaspora community is mobilised to take this call and make a meaningful contribution to the current engagements of rehabilitation and reconstruction of the social– economic facilities destroyed in the North part of Ethiopia. Many of the members of the community have expressed their concrete pledge to make their own contribution to this effort. It is also expected that the occasion will stimulate economic activities through the injection of finance in various social and cultural sectors. The Great Ethiopian Homecoming program is expected to be a year long event that would last till August 2022.
On the part of the high-level Ethiopian officials, extensive briefing was made on Ethiopia’s commitment to extend unfettered access to humanitarian assistance and concrete steps taken to investigate human rights violations both by the Attorney General’s office and the joint international investigation based on the government’s policy of zero-tolerance for any human rights violation in the country. The pace at which the reform agenda was going was also explained including the upcoming national political dialogue. In the meanwhile, the Ethiopian officials noted the current domestic conflict will be managed at national level while Ethiopia has welcomed the mediation efforts by the African Union. In this connection they have underlined the need for the EU to condemn the TPLF for its transgression. On the part of the Foreign Ministry, it was expressed that it was high time for the two sides to initiate the next round of political consultation mechanisms and create understanding and normalize relations. It is to be recalled that Commissioner Urpirlainen accompanied the EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her visit to Ethiopia in December 2019.
The Ethiopian calendar runs through September to August.
Diaspora consultation on the Great Homecoming Challenge with H.E Ambassador Hirut Zemene
A DELEGATION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION COMMISSION FOR INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS CONFERS WITH VARIOUS ETHIOPIAN HIGH-LEVEL OFFICIALS A delegation led by the European Union commissioner for International Partnerships, H.E. Jutta Urpilainen has conferred with various Ethiopian high-level officials in October 2021. During her visit, she was welcomed by H.E. President Sahle-Work Zewde, H.E. Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen among others. The exchange was focused on creating mutual understandings on the efforts to end the conflict, launch a national dialogue as well as revitalise the cooperation between Ethiopia and the EU.
H.E President Sahle-Work Zewde confers with H.E Commissioner Urpilainen Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen congratulated the government of Ethiopia upon the successfully held elections. The commissioner also asked for the new government’s perspective on handling issues of governance and security in the post-election period. Recalling the strategic partnership between Ethiopia and the EU, she said the Union is assessing on how to resume its development program and support the reform agenda of the government of Ethiopia. She also tabled the EU’s concerns, including the
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The Ethiopian Messenger
H.E DPM Demeke Mekonnen confers with H.E commissioner Urpilainen
INTER-MINISTERIAL TASKFORCE UNVEILS ACTION PLAN FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS IN JOINT REPORT OF EHRC, OHCHR: GOVERNMENT OPPOSES THE UNTIMELY ACTION OF THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL The Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has setup an Inter-Ministerial Taskforce to oversee redress and accountability measures in response to human rights violations committed in the context of the conflict in northern Ethiopia. The Taskforce officially commenced its work on 29 November 2021 by adopting a comprehensive strategy and action plan for the implementation of the recommendations contained in the Joint Report of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The strategy and action plan cover all serious violations that have been committed in the context of the conflict, including those that have occurred in Afar and Amhara regional states after the unilateral ceasefire declared by the FDRE Government in June 2021. The Taskforce has directed all committees to adopt a victim-centred approach, focusing on the rights of victims to know the truth, to seek and secure redress, and the need to implement programs of rehabilitation, restitution, and compensation to the extent resources permit. On the other hand, the government of Ethiopia has expressed its extreme disappointment over politically motivated outcomes of the UN Human Rights Council on the 17th of December 2021, calling for a parallel effort on human rights monitoring mechanism. The Government has therefore opposed the outcome as it didn’t consider the steps taken by the country, most importantly the
