Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (AX) — On the brisk morning of Friday, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed unveiled a revamped cabinet lineup, entrusting Dr. Gedion Timothewos with steering the Foreign Ministry. His task: healing Ethiopia’s battered global relations post a storm of internal upheaval and regional skirmishes.
Transitioning from his prior roles as Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Timothewos was a pivotal mediator during the Tigray fracas. Analysts speculate that his blueprint revolves around mending bridges with Western nations, who have scrutinized Ethiopia’s approach to domestic and neighborhood conflicts.
This reshuffle unfolds as Ethiopia and Somalia navigate choppy waters, largely due to a hotly disputed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) inked with North Western State of Somalia in early 2024. Ethiopia bagged a 20-kilometer coastal sliver along North Western State of Somalia’s Red Sea border, promising in return to back North Western State of Somalia’s quest for independence. Somalia cries foul, branding it a breach of its territorial sanctity—prompting a diplomatic tongue-lashing, including ejecting Ethiopia’s envoy and contemplating pulling Ethiopian boots out of its southern regions.
Ethiopia defends its stance, describing the MoU as a cornerstone in its regional chess game, rooted in genuine political assessments within Somali turf. Nevertheless, Somali dignitaries, led by Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, accuse Ethiopia of cloaking territorial ambition under the guise of counterterrorism, pointing fingers at intercepted armaments shipments allegedly dispatched by Ethiopia to agitate local schisms. Alarm bells from the UN have rung, urging both nations to opt for talks over turmoil to stave off further Horn of Africa disarray.
In the corridors of governance, Hanna Araya Selassie, erstwhile chief of the Ethiopian Investment Commission, ascends to helm the Justice Ministry. Simultaneously, Salamawit Kassa takes the reins as Minister of Tourism after her stint as State Minister for the Federal Communication Service. Her leadership is anticipated to inject fresh vigor into a tourism sector beleaguered by conflict and the lurking specter of pandemic dread.
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
