Memorial statues manifestation of country’s role in Africa
Gemechu Tussa
At the beginning of this month, African Heads of States had a summit on which different significant decisions have made. In this regard, some of the decisions passed by the 29th AU ordinary summit include intensifying efforts to reform the union, paying attention to some of the pending agendas of the continent, such as youth benefit, economic integration and silencing the guns and to strengthen cooperation so as ensure tangible continental changes in all aspects: political, economic and social affairs.
It is also noticed that the weeklong convention among African Heads of States has also made notable decisions to ensuring the financial independence of the union. One of the significant decisions made by the 29th session was the decision to erect memorial statues for Emperor Haileselassie and the visionary leader Ex-premier Meles Zenawi in the African Union Headquarter.
The decision was made in recognition of the two leaders’ industrious commitment to strengthening the African Union and the contributions they made in forming and reforming the union. Besides, the participants stressed that the two leaders had been engaged, in supporting fellow Africans countries during their time of difficulties.
The session also passed a decision on the union’s financial independence that it emphasized member countries would cover the budget by contributing to the union 0.2 percent of their respective taxes. The union should have its own finance coming from its members rather than looking for the help donor countries and some international organizations.
Another significant decision was to maximize their participation and coordination in enhancing peace and security. The bloc discussed and endorsed the implementation Master Roadmap to Silence Guns in Africa by 2020.
Above all, a decision came out of the session in connection to Ethiopia’s contribution to the African Union in particular and other African countries in general. This significant decision was the fact that Hailesilassie was one of the founders of the late OAU (Organization of African Unity) and had a lot of contribution in supporting other African countries when they face problems.
In fact, this is so important that, Ethiopian leaders no matter what they had impacts on their people had similar stands in connection to African countries. The visionary leader ones explained this fact. He said,
“Emperor Hailesilasie, although, it was a monarchical state at home had contributed a lot to the unification of Africans. Nelson Mandela was trained in Ethiopia while struggling against the apartheid regime in South Africa. Mengstu Hailemariam although he was a butcher at home he had the same stand at strengthening the African Union. He was supporting Zimbabwe and other African countries while struggling for their freedom. No matter what ideology governments in Ethiopia follow, they have no difference in connection to strengthening the unification of Africans and helping fellow African countries”.
The visionary leader has also contributed a lot and took the efforts of the country in strengthening the African Union and supporting other African countries to its climax. All the sacrifices the country made in helping Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan and other African countries, coupled with the efforts exerted by Ethiopia to bring Horn countries together was conducted successfully under the leadership of the visionary leader Meles Zenawi. Besides, he had a significant contribution to climate deals that he performed for the African people well in dealing with developed countries on compensations for what they have been polluting the world.
The African Heads of States recognized the strong commitment of the two Ethiopian leaders in advocating Africa’s interests at the international level. in fact, Ethiopia’s diplomatic efforts have laid incontestable new milestones and many-sided achievements in strategic areas such as multilateral partnership, economic diplomacy, image building and Diaspora development affairs for the past twenty six years.
Its contribution is significant in regional peace and security as well as for development-based regional and continental integration with win-win outcome approaches. It mainly focused on cooperative partnerships for mutual benefit and to address common global challenges and proponent people-to-people ties.
The decision to erect a memorial statue in the compound of the African Union Commission indicates the role that the federal Government of Ethiopia has been playing in bringing Africans together and lending them a hand in time of difficulties. This is, in fact, a remarkable victory for the Ethiopian government and people.
Ethiopians are usually loyal to Africans and the African countries. Even at present, Ethiopia harbors more than 850 thousand African refugees. This clearly indicated that the government of Ethiopia shelters more than 33 percent of the total number of refugees in the IGAD region at the same time 2.3 percent of the total number of refugees worldwide.
This is a significant contribution to the African countries. It vividly witnessed not only the commitment and devotion of the Ethiopian people and government, but also the country’s loyalty to the continent. As for the case of refugees is concerned, Ethiopia not on harbor them, but also offer them with various opportunities including access to universities.
The helping effort has already got both international and regional recognition. And now the decision of erecting Ethiopian leaders’ memorial statues has come through the decision of the African Countries.
In fact, the country has also been playing a remarkable role in conflict resolution in the continent so as to ensure lasting peace and stability. The region where Ethiopia is situated is one of the conflict regions of the continent.
Ethiopia is the role model in struggling to bring lasting peace in the region, which was witnessed by what it has been doing in Somalia, South Sudan, the Sudan and other African countries. Ethiopia’s role to enhance peace in the region, particularly to free Horn of Africa from terrorists is an indefensible role.
The region is also equally affected by drought, famine and serious food insecurity. Economically, the Horn of Africa has remained being the poorest region in the continent.
Ethiopia has extended its efforts to create a shared destiny in the Horn of Africa in particular and in the continent in general. In the remaining three years of the Second Growth and Transformation Plan, the government is determined to strengthen its efforts to work industriously to ensure an enabling environment for economic integration among Horn countries, enhancing the peace and security building process and interconnected the countries with road infrastructure and also with electricity.
Ethiopia’s partnership with the outside world, its diplomatic footprint, its effort to bring lasting peace, its contribution in conflict resolution and in strengthening the African union contributed to the decisions made recently to erect the memorial monuments of the two Ethiopian leaders in the compound of the African Union Commission.