Ethiopia has repatriated 3,000 citizens stranded in foreign lands during the last three months, a government official said.
The citizens were repatriated from the United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Djibouti, and Sudan, Ethiopian foreign ministry spokesman Meles Alem told local and foreign media.
Meles said since the administration of new Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed came to office in April, efforts to protect the rights of Ethiopians living overseas has achieved notable successes in repatriating undocumented nationals residing in foreign countries.
Ahmed’s reconciliatory gestures and efforts to build consensus during his 100 days in office has seen Ethiopians living in foreign countries return to their home country to be part of the reform process Ethiopia is currently undertaking, the spokesman said.
Despite a growing economy and public awareness campaigns by the Ethiopian government on the dangers of human trafficking, thousands of Ethiopians looking for better economic opportunities are trafficked annually to Middle Eastern, African and European destinations.
Many of the Ethiopian migrants face abuses by smugglers and other criminals, including sexual and physical violence, during transit to their final destinations.
Ethiopia repatriates 3,000 citizens in 3 months: official
WMO to move its headquarters to Addis Ababa
A cornerstone was laid for the construction of the World Meteorology Organization’s (WMO) headquarters in Addis Ababa.
The cornerstone was laid by Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen and World Meteorology Agency Secretary-General Petteri Talas.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and WMO on Wednesday signed an agreement that would enable the latter to move its headquarters to Addis Ababa.
The World Meteorological Organization is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 191 Member States and territories.
It is a specialized agency of the United Nations for meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences.
UN releases $15 mln to people displaced by inter-communal violence
The UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) yesterday released 15 million US dollars to urgently scale up humanitarian assistance to people affected by inter-communal violence in Ethiopia.
“Nearly one million people are displaced and require urgent help, especially during this rainy season,” said Secretary-General António Guterres, noting that releasing money from the CERF is one of the fastest ways to ensure aid reaches those who need it the most.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, new measures to bring unity and reconciliation have spurred great enthusiasm within the country and the enthusiastic support of the international community, Guterres said.
“However, the impact of inter-communal tensions presents a challenge for the new leadership. It is critical to act immediately,” he said.
CERF’s allocation will enable humanitarian partners to scale up life-saving assistance in support of the government-led response.
More than 36,600 people will receive urgent nutrition assistance; some 600,000 people will be supported with water, sanitation and hygiene service; around 71,200 households will receive non-food item kits and 175,000 people will benefit from extra healthcare services.
Established by the General Assembly in 2005 as a global fund ‘by all, for all,’ CERF has assisted hundreds of millions of people with more than $5 billion across 100 countries and territories.
OLF declares temporary unilateral cease fire with Ethiopia
The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) has declared a unilateral cease fire with the government of Ethiopia.
In a statement issued, the Front said “the OLF had for years repeatedly called for a peaceful and negotiated settlement of political problems with Ethiopian government. We have also recently and repeatedly reiterating this call for peace talks.”
However, it said “the OLF’s call for peace did not get proper response for a long period of time.”
According to the Front, the recently Oromo Liberation Front higher delegation led by OLF Chairman meeting with the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Dr Abiy Ahmed is a step forward to resolve the existing political problem.
In order to accelerate the initiated peace talks to a successful conclusion, the Oromo Liberation Front has declared a unilateral cease fire, it said.
“The temporary declaration of cease fire will take us to the final declaration of bilateral cessation of hostilities once for all and conclusion of the conflict,” it stated.
According to the statement, the Oromo Liberation Front instructed its army, operating all over Oromia, to implement the temporary declaration of the cease fire.
