Demeke Holds talks with UN Deputy Chief on Current Situations in Ethiopia

ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen, met with Deputy Secretary-General of the UN Amina J. Mohammed to discuss current situations in the country.

The meeting took place after Deputy Secretary-General recent visits to the Amhara and Tigray regions which helped her see the cost of the conflict on human lives and property.

She said her visit to the Somali region along with President Sahle-Work Zewde on Monday also opened her eyes to the severity of the drought, which needs all-rounded support, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) after the meeting.

Amina further appreciated the ongoing peace initiatives in the country, underlining the need to give proper attention to rehabilitation efforts in areas affected by the conflict.

The Deputy UN Chief also appreciated the Ethiopian government‘s commitment to engage with the United Nations while passing through difficult times, according to MoFA..

Deputy Prime Minister Demeke, on his part, said the successive UN meetings over Ethiopia put unnecessary pressure on the government that was fighting anti-peace elements at home.

He said, despite all the external and internal pressures, the Ethiopian government managed to control situations and relatively pacify the country, which even led to hosting the AU annual meetings in person in Addis Ababa.

The lifting of the State of Emergency, the proposed national dialogue, the restraints of the government from engaging in conflicts, and the unfettered access allowed to humanitarian aid in conflict-affected areas are testaments to the government’s commitment to lasting peace in the country, he added.

Despite all these efforts for peace, he said the TPLF has continued to provoke adjacent regions, further obstructing humanitarian support to the Tigray region.

Detailing the effects of the conflict and drought in some parts of the country, Demeke called on the international community to accelerate support for humanitarian aid and rehabilitation efforts.