Ethiopia-Eritrea: A New Hope for Peace
Ethiopia-Eritrea: A New Hope for Peace
- “By renegotiating the U.S. African Growth and Opportunity Act, [US President Donald J. Trump] can strengthen American exports, create new export-related jobs and foster development-oriented investment on the continent. By reforming U.S. humanitarian aid to Africa, he can cut considerable bureaucratic waste, and effectively increase assistance without increasing the cost.
- Washington can also take advantage of the close relationships between them and one of its biggest allies, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed, Crown Prince of UAE, who has a strong ties with many African leaders and who has played an important role during the different negotiations between Ethiopia and Eritrea.
- UAE’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has welcomed the reestablishment of cordial relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea. He has stressed that such an agreement will positively reflect on boosting security and stability in both countries, the Horn of Africa and the MENA region.
- Making America great again, as Trump’s campaign slogan goes, means helping Africa rise and stabilize.
The leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea signed a declaration on July 9, ending a state of war between the two countries. It was a major step toward resolving one of post-colonial Africa’s bloodiest and most protracted conflicts.
The U.N. Security Council said the peace declaration signed by Ethiopia and Eritrea after 20 years as enemies “represents a historic and significant development with far-reaching positive consequences for the Horn of Africa and beyond.”
The council commended Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki for signing the agreement and welcomed their commitment “to resume diplomatic ties and open a new chapter of cooperation and partnership.”
A statement by the governing party of Ethiopia, the second-most populous country in Africa, said it would “fully accept and implement” the agreement with Eritrea, a former province of Ethiopia, which was signed but never honored.
The countries also fought a war from 1998 to 2000 over their border dispute, which left about 80,000 people dead. They signed a peace agreement in 2000, but the Ethiopians never accepted the findings of a boundary commission established by the agreement.
The border has been a deadly point of contention ever since, and the dispute had been widely regarded as a diplomatic stalemate.
A thawing relationship between Ethiopia and Eritrea could bring economic revival to the Horn. The countries are natural economic partners; peace would create access to ports, cross-border trade and jobs. But creating lasting peace will not just be about forging diplomatic ties between Addis Ababa and Asmara; it will be about demining and demilitarizing the border and restoring the livelihoods of communities that have long lived near each other.
For the United States it is a good opportunity, as it will allow for increased stability. The Trump administration can try to disown the old policies and get a fresh start.
U.S. President Donald J. Trump has the opportunity to make a historic course correction, and to do so in a manner consistent with his administration’s stated goals. By renegotiating the U.S. African Growth and Opportunity Act, he can strengthen American exports, create new export-related jobs and foster development-oriented investment on the continent. By reforming U.S. humanitarian aid to Africa, he can cut considerable bureaucratic waste, and effectively increase assistance without increasing the cost.
Meanwhile, Trump’s commitment to strengthening U.S. military capacities can and must include due attention to AFRICOM. All these measures — in benefiting Americans, winning goodwill among Africans and strengthening U.S. military capacities in the area — will, in turn, challenge China’s dominance of Africa, gaining America leverage as it moves to challenge Beijing in other ways.
Washington can also take advantage of the close relationships between them and one of its biggest allies, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed, Crown Prince of UAE, who has a strong ties with many African leaders and who has played an important role during the different negotiations between Ethiopia and Eritrea.
UAE’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has welcomed the reestablishment of cordial relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea. He has stressed that such an agreement will positively reflect on boosting security and stability in both countries, the Horn of Africa and the MENA region. ” more at https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/12694/ethiopia-eritrea-a-new-hope-for-peace
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