Ethiopia’s Diplomatic Efforts in East Africa

Ethiopia’s Diplomatic Efforts in East Africa

Bereket Gebru

Ethiopia’s foreign policy has been inward looking ever since the rise to power of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). As noted by Mehari Taddele (Ph.D.), Ethiopia’s Foreign Affairs and National Security Policy and Strategy (FANSPS) underscores foreign policy as subservient to Ethiopia’s internal policies, which prioritize economic development, stability and democratic governance. Forging economic cooperation and promoting mutual benefits are, therefore, a key component of Ethiopian diplomacy.

Ethiopia’s conviction is that internal peace and security of a state plays a crucial role in ensuring these highly cherished states of existence at a regional stage. The derailment of rule of law in a state could, for instance, destabilize neighboring countries as the violence could spill over the border. For countries that share the same ethnic groups across border, the risk of such conflicts crossing the border is significant. On the other hand, the presence of sustainable peace and security in a state creates conducive environment for economic prosperity and building democracy.   

From such a belief emanates a strong incentive to work towards peace and security in neighboring countries. Two of the ways this motive to work with neighboring countries is implemented are through its mediating role and peacekeeping.

Mediation

Ethiopia plays a leading role both unilaterally and through the umbrella of IGAD in the South Sudan peace talks. The African Union High Implementation Panel (AUHIP) peace talks on the conflicts are held in Ethiopia. Addis Ababa led the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD, a regional body) peace process on South Sudan and is a guarantor of the August 2015 Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCSS).   

Another mediating role is that of Somalia. Ethiopia also played an important role in bringing the warring parties in Somalia together to establish a government with monopoly of power in the boundary. The Addis Ababa and Sodere talks contributed towards a better understanding between the competing powers in Somalia.

Peacekeeping

Ethiopia has a long history of participating in UN peacekeeping missions. Since dealing with each and every one of them is not in the interest of this article, I have opted to focus on the recent ones. Ethiopia ventured into peacekeeping missions in Congo, Korea, Rwanda, Burundi and Liberia. Currently, Ethiopia deploys peacekeepers to the UN Mission in South Sudan. It has also contributed a battalion of peacekeepers to the first two battalions of the 4,000-strong UN Regional Protection Force (RPF) based in Juba.

The Sudan

Ethiopia was also selected in the peacekeeping mission in Western Sudan. The conflict between the Sudanese government and rebels in Darfur has reportedly claimed the lives of about 70 thousand people while upwards of 2.3 million people have been displaced. Following such developments, the UN Security Council passed a decision to deploy a UN-AU Hybrid force in Darfur. In its ever positive response to help out Africans in need, Ethiopia progressively deployed military personnel of 5 thousand in strength along with 5 tactical helicopters.

In line with the decision, the first round of the Ethiopian peacekeeping force was deployed to Darfur in 2008 with it still carrying out its mission in a brotherly manner. Two factors make the Darfur Ethiopian peacekeeping mission different from previous missions.  

The first factor is that the deployment is in neighboring country Sudan with which Ethiopia shares a long border, natural resources and similar ethnic groups and religions. The second factor is that the army has taken up transport, all rounded logistics, reconnaissance, air force and deep water drilling in addition to its previous roles in deploying ground forces and staff and military observers. These additional responsibilities are clear indicators of the acceptance and trust the army has won in conducting its peacekeeping mission under UNAMID.

The other noteworthy peacekeeping operation is that of Abiye where the Ethiopian peacekeeping force is unilaterally carrying out the task. Following the self-determination of South Sudan, the governments of the North and the South have not managed to agree over the oil reach region of Abiye.

The conflict that ensued subsequently claimed the lives of numerous people with others resorting to displacement. After carefully analyzing the situation, the UN proposed for the deployment of a peacekeeping mission in Abiye. The 15 members of the UN Security Council then unanimously decided to deploy 4,200 Ethiopian peacekeeping forces to unilaterally take on the challenge.

The astonishing thing about the decision was not just the unusual unanimous decision by the members of the Security Council but the fact that both sides of the conflict, the North and South Sudan, expressed their desire to have the Ethiopian peacekeeping force as the unilateral force in Abiye.

This situation was the first time in the history of the UN in which all three bodies involved, the Security Council, the North and South Sudan, decided to deploy a country as the unilateral peacekeeping force.

Somalia

Yet another peacekeeping mission the Ethiopian army is participating in is the one in Somalia under the umbrella of AMISOM. Ethiopia received an invitation to join the African peacekeeping force in Somalia and strengthen the AMISOM mission in 2014.

Accordingly, 4,403 members of the Ethiopian defense force were deployed in Somalia. After being assigned in sector 3 and 4, the Ethiopian peacekeeping force has been discharging its duties responsibly. The army is thus accomplishing the mission it has been assigned with by AMISOM in its endeavors as an ambassador of peace in Somali. The army is, therefore, working on sustaining peace in the sectors it has been assigned to, destroying and annihilating terrorists based in Somalia in collaboration with other parts of the peacekeeping force and creating stable administrative structures along with the people.

Conclusion

Ethiopia has been undertaking valuable mediation and peacekeeping activities in Africa and beyond. With its rapid and broad based development, the country’s economic stability has strengthened. Towards sustaining its growth and stability, Ethiopia has adopted a foreign policy strategy that seeks to work with neighboring countries towards ensuring peace and stability. With the Ethiopian economy growing fast for over a dozen years, keeping it going not only demands internal peace and security but also regional peace as well.  

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