Ethiopia’s National Dialogue Vital for Horn: Somali, Eritrean Scholars

Ethiopia’s National Dialogue is of vital importance for the Horn of Africa region, scholars from Somalia and Eritrea said.

Speaking to ENA, Chairperson of Somalia’s Institute for Federalism and Security Analyst, Sonkor Geyre, said Ethiopia’s National Dialogue will play a vital role in the peace and security of the Horn of Africa as Addis Ababa is the most important player in the region.

” We are all observing and following how the national dialogue will go through,” he said, adding that “without Ethiopia being at peace with itself, we cannot have a common vision in the Horn of Africa.”

Since Ethiopia is the leader of the region, the outcome that Addis Ababa will implement out of the recommendations of the National Dialogue will draw the line that the region will follow for the next 100 years, the analyst pointed out.

According to him, the national dialogue in Ethiopia is in a way a common vision for the Horn of Africa.

Geyre believes that the national dialogue will guarantee a new vision not only for Ethiopia but for the Horn of Africa region.

” We in Somalia feel that we are part of the national dialogue,” he said, stressing that “no east African country can be distantly detached from Ethiopia’s political reality.”

A researcher at the Eritrean Center For Strategic Studies and analyst, Fikreyesus Amhazion said what goes on in Ethiopia impacts us all as Ethiopia is a large important historical state.

Because Ethiopia is one of the most important countries not only in the Horn of Africa but all of Africa, the way Ethiopia goes is the way perhaps this region goes too, the Eritrean researcher added.

“No issue in the Horn of Africa within any individual country is restricted in that country. All issues have a spillover effect. Anything that occurs in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Somalia impacts their neighbor,” the analyst noted.

As a neighbor of Ethiopia, Eritrea wants nothing but peace for its neighbor because what is good for Ethiopia is ultimately good for Eritrea, Fikreyesus said.

“We just hope that the national dialogue brings about the true aspirations and wishes of the people of Ethiopia. We wish all the stakeholders and all groups being represented have their views and perspectives listened to.”

The analyst and researcher expressed his hope that the dialogue would be positive and progressive.

Source: Ethiopia News Agency