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As GRHD Approaching the Finishing Line
Amen Teferi
Ethiopia and Sudan are coming out of the darkest chapter of their history and are working hard to forge trust between the two sisterly people who are now toiling to further broaden their partnership and economic cooperation that would benefit not only the two sides but the Horn of Africa region as whole.
As the GRHD is approaching to the finishing line, the two countries are working hard and stepping-up effort to consolidate their centuries old relationship of their people. Recently the Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn had an official visit to Sudan where he attended the graduation of Sudanese military personnel who completed military science training. On Wednesday this week the premier was accompanied by his Sudanese counterpart President Omer al-Bashir and took part in the inaugural ceremony of military and air force. This is a display of the level and commitment of the two countries to forge cooperation that would transform the entire region known for its volatility. We have also learnt that on this occasion, the Sudanese Defense Minister, General Mohammed Ahmed affirmed the army’s commitment to guarding regional and international peace. The two neighbors have also agreed to work together on a range of areas including on regional peace and security.
The statement made by Sudanese Defense Minister has come in the backdrop of a rumor that alleged that Ethiopia and Sudan are engaged in border dispute. The Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir had asserted that there is no border dispute with Ethiopia. According to him the two countries are working to enhance their bilateral relation with a view to achieve regional integration.
Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir stressed “There is a full agreement on the demarcation of the border, and there is no disagreement over the terms of reference for the demarcation of the border between the two countries” adding that “All what remains is to place the boundary markers.”
The Sudanese president also said two countries are determined to develop bilateral relations and to forge regional integration in all fields, pointing that Desalegn’s visit comes within the framework of continuous consultation between the two countries to develop cooperation and consider issues of common concern.
The Ethiopian premier has on his part called for the creation of an economic market that includes Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia Somalia and Sudan. This is discussed by the Sudanese and Ethiopian officials who seriously consider the creation of an economic zone and to open the borders.
As reports have indicated the two leaders are envisaging establishing “Horn of Africa Economic Organization” that aims to promote the interests of the region and meet the aspirations and desires of its people and leaders. Thus, Hailemariam Desalegn has described the relations between his country and Sudan as “advanced” and affirmed that the two countries are working in full coordination on common issues and regional issues through the IGAD.
There is a breeze of brotherhood in the relation of the two countries that would herald the dawn of a new chapter in their century-old relationship of the two countries. One can witness a new spirit that boldly asserts and transform the confrontational attitude that had been lingering for so long among the countries in the Horn gives way to cooperation.
Of course, it would be cliché to talk about the century-old relationship Ethiopia and Sudan have been enjoying. Last year, at the closer of a weeklong visit of the Sudanese delegation to Ethiopia, the PM had asserted the strong relationship of the two people using an excellent metaphor that has spurred a kind of excitement among his Sudanese audience. He said, “If 75 % of the human body is water, then water circulating in the veins of the Ethiopian and Sudanese people is water drawn from the Nile River. Allah has given us this water presaging a kind of division of labor and according to his design, Ethiopia ought to utilize this water for the generation of hydro-electric power and Sudan for irrigation.”
Recapitulating the historic ties of the two people and mentioning the indispensable support Sudan had rendered to freedom fighters in their fight against the dictatorial regime of the Derg, Hailemariam commended the current shape of the relationship of the two countries.
He also said, “Sudan and Ethiopia are anchor states to the region of the Horn of Africa” declaring that the GERD is nothing but a project that would serve the two countries to consolidate their relationship.
In my view, the future is promising. Gone are the days when the heart and mind of the two people are incarcerated in fear and suspicion. Gone are the days when the two countries are engaged in the business of destabilizing each another’s government by supporting insurgents. The notorious attitudes of the past regimes have now given ways to constructive engagement that would promote the strategic interests of the two nations. In the past, fear and mistrust had incapacitated their vision and subverted the huge potential of forging excellent cooperation.
Now the leaders of the two neighboring countries have committed themselves to build an unprecedented economic, diplomatic and political cooperation between the two sisterly countries. As they become willing to appreciate each other’s interests and concern, the general condition for cooperation will eventually improved in an increasing manner.
As Hailemariam Desalgn has underscored last year the cordial relationship of the two countries will have huge impact on the entire region. The cooperation the two countries have established is meant to promote economic integration, while envisaging a political integration in the long term.
The development exhibited in the relationship of the two countries can represent the changing nature of the politics in the Horn of Africa. As the premier has noted their relationship would ensure the peace and security of the Horn as it allows them to make strong alliance in the fight against terrorism.
Beggaring one’s neighbor was a finely developed political art in the Horn of Africa. Unlike the present, Sudanese regional policy during the 1990s was characterized by regional aggression (exporting political Islam) that has ended up antagonizing it with all its neighbors.
Sudan under NIF was exacerbating the chronic problems of the Horn by its aggressive foreign policy that was designed to spread political Islam to the farther corner of the region. This has alerted the government in the region to engage in covert and overt move to contain or remove the government in Khartoum.
Hence, it had fragmented the regional diplomatic landscape and weakened the regional organization IGAD by further complicating the civil wars both in the South Sudan and Somalia and disrupted the search for peace.
In the past, the Ethiopian government like its neighbors was unable to identify where its true national interest lays visa vise its neighbors. In fact, all countries in the region were oblivious of the economic dimensions of peace and security in the Horn.
The diverse complexity and incompatibility of the political system in the region has therefore become venue for regional conflict. Hence, the Ethiopian government has devised a foreign policy that is prefigured as solution to the historical contradiction that deposed the Horn as the most fragile crisis region of the world. The policy aims at transforming the longstanding confrontational attitude into cooperation. This policy does not reflect the usual characteristic of the Ethiopian government.
The new strategy aims to address the root cause of the political crisis that has predisposed it to protracted conflicts among its different political entities. It tries to address the central source of all problems of instabilities in the country and the Horn. The old pattern of governance did not give due attention to the cultural identities of the citizens who sought for self-determination. The net result of this failure has reflected in the behavior of increasingly nervous and isolated political groups and the declining human rights situation.
The non-participatory character of the political systems or lack of democratization has contributed to both political instability and the socio-economic decline, which partly explains the politicization of ethnicity and religion in Ethiopia.
The foreign policy that Ethiopia sought to implement before 1991 does not realize the crucial factor that its vulnerability emanates from its weak socio-economic and undemocratic political arrangement. Hence, EPRDF has tried to redefine this arrangement in light of the wishes and aspirations of the Ethiopian people. This helps Ethiopia to develop a viable political and economic formula that has fundamentally transformed its political structure and helps it to manage its political problems.
The undemocratic governments and their parochial policies have opened up considerable room for both internal strife and regional instability. Governments of the Horn of Africa were the dominant threats to their own the citizens. The authoritarian governments of Ethiopia were incapable of identifying and defining Ethiopia’s national interests and had narrow definition of security based on consideration of military defense and regime stability.
Therefore, they resort to force in trying to resolve issues that rather are best addressed through long-term diplomatic processes. Hence, they usually slide into foreign adventures and unwanted wars. On the contrary, the EPRDF government does not pursue a foreign policy that would lead the country into unwanted wars.
For instance, the aggressive Islamist foreign policy of the early years of the National Islamic Front (NIF) and the belligerent nature of the Eritrean regime does not lead Ethiopia to engage itself in unwanted war.
Moreover, the democratic governance is also a safety valve that would seriously constrain the government from pursuing destabilizing regional policy. The democratic and truly representative nature of the governance that Ethiopia had put in place after 1991 has eliminated the seeds of potential conflict within itself.
Now, Ethiopia does not export conflicts in the Horn. The internal and external policies that it has adopted have enabled her to dispel intensive intra and inter-state conflicts. This largely explains the cordial relationship Ethiopia is now enjoying with Sudan and other countries in the Horn. These changes have transformed the longstanding inter-state rivalry and politics of destabilization that has been assumed as the main characteristic of the Horn. Overcoming its defects, Ethiopia has managed to pursue realist foreign policy that has served her as a means to catalyze peace in the region. Hence, as the GRHD is approaching the finishing line Ethiopian and Sudan are looking forward regional integration.
