Ethiopia Grateful To All Africans, Friendly States that Stood with Truth, Says Foreign Affairs State Minister
Ethiopia will always be grateful to all African and friendly states that chose to stand with the truth, Foreign Affairs State Minister Birtukan Ayano said.
Opening a symposium on Pan-Africanism and the role of the Diaspora today, even if Ethiopia faced many internal and external pressures it was able to maintain its sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.
She added that the country will never compromise on these non-negotiable issues. “Even today, this generation has been able to withstand the complex and catastrophic pressures imposed from all directions.”
Moreover, the state minister noted that Ethiopia has been subjected to the bias of the international media and has been dragged to the UN Security Council every month by forces that refused to recognize its fight to defend its sovereignty.
Birtukan asked, “which government refuses to maintain law and order when its national defense forces are attacked mercilessly, butchered and their arsenals looted?”
Unfortunately, the law enforcement operation of the country has been wrongly equated with genocide by the international media, she said.
On a positive note, many Africans and persons of African descent have joined the NoMore Movement, which reiterates independence and opposes undue external pressure.
“I would like to thank our brothers and sisters who have demonstrated their solidarity with us at multilateral levels in times of our need,” she further pointed out.
The state minister said Africa is a huge continent, which through unity, can make itself a power to be reckoned with. That is why African leaders have started to demand a permanent representation at the UN Security Council.
“Our experience showed us that when Africans speak with one voice, they can resist unwarranted third-party influence. We have seen how the concept of ‘African Solutions to African Problems’ is an immense value,” Birtukan stressed.
Ethiopian Diaspora Agency Deputy-Director General, Mohammed Indris said “our diaspora got momentum and made NoMore Movement intertwined with Pan-Africanism absolutely mark the solidarity among Africans in defending and opposing neo-colonial aspirations.”
Despite all these effort, we need to focus on concerted and coordinated energy that could bring meaningful impact, he stated.
To this end, this symposium and similar initiatives will have significant role in bringing African migrants together for unified African cause.
Addis Ababa University lecturer, Samuel Tefera said in his presentation on Pan-Africanism and engagement of the diaspora in development that the diaspora community can help dispel myth and stereotype about Africans to change negative narratives about the continent.
Furthermore, he noted that all diaspora communities can serve as ambassadors to bring new vision and inspiring ideas for Africa.
The other presenter, Ambassador Tesfaye Yilma praised the aspirations of the AU to make the continent a better place to live by launching various flagship projects such as the undergoing construction of the building for Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Addis Ababa, in collaboration with the Government of China.
He also appreciated the formation of the African Continental Free Trade Area envisaged by the Union to create an integrated intra-Africa market and enable the free movement of people and goods within the African boundaries.
The half-day symposium brought together diaspora communities, senior officials, and diplomats, African Pan-Africanists, among others.
Source: Ethiopia News Agency