Federal President of Germany, Steinmeier is received to a multi-day state visit to Ethiopia. Host Abiy hopes for German support for his ambitious reform project.
Only Ghana and the Gambia, South Africa and Botswana, now Ethiopia, On the third trip to Africa in just under a two-year term as Federal President wants to demonstrate Frank-Walter Steinmeier, especially to support the determined course of Reform of the Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, in April 2018 in the office.
There is a lot of hope, but also a question mark, BelTA learned from the President’s office in Berlin. To start off, Steinmeier is welcomed in Addis Ababa, the capital of the new President Sahle-Work Zewde, who also stands for the democratic transformation of the country.
Since his election last year, Ethiopia’s head of government, Abiy Ahmed comprehensive reforms.
democratic reforms and make peace with Eritrea
The 42-year-old head of government Abiy is considered to be a kind of Superstar in the Horn of Africa. With his arrival, he brought in the country with about 100 million people with comprehensive democratic reforms. He released thousands of political prisoners, began a liberalisation of the economy and caused high-ranking officials of the old guard.
And he made his peace with the long-time-rival Eritrea. This was previously unthinkable: Ethiopia and Eritrea, conducted from 1998 to 2000, a bloody border war. Since then, the situation corresponded to a frozen conflict.
The autocratically-run Eritrea sealed off from the outside world, tens of thousands fled before the unlimited military and work service – about 50,000 Eritreans living in the UN refugee Agency estimated that today in Germany. Abiy ended the conflict without any known consideration of Eritrea. However, a sustainable peace in the Horn of Africa is anything other than safe.
internally, Ethiopia has still a long way to go. “Our challenges are significant,” said Abiy recently at the annual meeting of the world economic forum in Davos. Poverty and unemployment are large. In addition, in the multi-ethnic state, several ethnic conflicts.
a visit to the African Union
Steinmeier wants to make during his visit, a picture of the development of the country. In addition to discussions with citizens and business representatives on a tour of the rock churches of Lalibela in Northern Ethiopia is on the program, which is part of the Unesco world heritage site. On Wednesday, he comes together with top representatives of the African Union in Addis Ababa its headquarters. A business delegation accompanied the President, including a top Manager of Volkswagen and Siemens.
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