Ethiopia’s foreign policy is neutral

                                                                                                             Dawit Miteku

Recently some extremist forces have been spewing baseless rumors that the South Sudan government opposition Dr. Riek Machar had a Bureau in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian government doesn’t have any kind of separate relation with a leader of one country’s opposition as the neutrality principle it follows doesn’t allow it to do so.

Ethiopia’s relation with its neighboring countries had been based on the benefit it presented to the countries and its people and by centering on them and it didn’t revolve around individuals. And the story of ‘Dr. Riek Machar’s Bureau in Ethiopia is closed’ should be seen from this light and is therefore a fictitious story. This is because the relationship our country forged with its neighboring countries didn’t reflect the baseless rumor that was spewed by the extremist forces.

As it’s known, the relationship the FDRE government forges with its neighboring countries doesn’t center on individuals – it revolves around on the people of the respective country, and potential for collaboration and mutual benefit with them. Truth be told, the diplomatic works our country carried out didn’t side to any specific side and was based on a principle of neutrality. For this we can mention the works our country credibly carried out to end the long standing civil war between Sudan and South Sudan.

As we all can understand, the threat of heavy war that is casting its shadows on East Africa region has taken away the hopes of the people of both Sudan. And in this situation, the FDRE government has played a huge role in a neutral manner and poured a relentless effort to stop the long standing war that posed misery on both Sudan. And there is no possible reason for the FDRE government to disavow its principle that centers on countries and people in the name of individuals.

It is obvious that our government does this out of its respect to the sovereignty of its neighboring countries and out of its principle which centers on mutual benefit. Indeed! Our country firmly believes that the peace and stability of South Sudan has huge role for Ethiopia’s sustainable development and growth. The impact South Sudan’s peace has on our country’s peace and development cannot be underestimated. This is because the lack of peace that exists in our neighboring countries can at least make our border areas risky.

And this will inevitably ignite exodus and multiply the number of refugees. So, South Sudan is at peace means these areas can be safe from threat. And this will give us the opportunity to carry out the development activities without any obstacle. Side to side with this, it will help ensure the people to people relationship continue peacefully. It will especially be a big help in enabling us to work together with the country on issues regarding to peace. And I think it is from this fact or reality that the principle Ethiopia adheres; mutual respect, non-interference and common benefit, emanates.

Truth be told, it lays the basis to ensure the peace and mutual development of any of the neighboring countries. In this regard, there are wide ranging options South Sudan and us can use like trade, investment and people to people relation. So, it is easy to see the impact lack of peace in South Sudan will have in hindering strong development ties from being crafted between the two countries.

For instance we can mention the fact that members of the Murile tribe has taken away our children and animals by crossing into our border as a result of the instability that exist in South Sudan. And I think this can serve as an illustration of how lack of peace in a country can have spillover effect and can harm neighboring countries.

I think it is obvious that the relentless effort Ethiopia exerted for the self determination of South Sudan in neutral manner doesn’t have to do with individuals. Ethiopia played the lion share when South Sudan became an independent nation through referendum not to oppose or support the opposition or the ruling party. This is because any work Ethiopia does in the behest of South Sudan people’s future and mutual benefit is free from the interest of individuals and parties.

Although it’s been few years since South Sudan became an independent nation, the expected peace and stability wasn’t created in the region. A new threat of war has cast its shadow on the new country, and the region is once again made vulnerable to problem. Ethiopia has played a mediator role to solve this problem. The negotiation team that was led by the former FDRE foreign minister Ambassador Seyoum Mesfin has carried out its task of getting a peace deal signed in a neutral manner.

And through IGAD, FDRE Prime minister Hailemariam Dessalegn has tried to help the warring sides resolve their problem in a civilized manner by going back and forth to Juba. And this effort and later through the team called ‘IGAD Plus’ has become the reason for the signing of the peace agreement between President Salva Kiir and Dr. Riek Machar. In addition to bringing a huge relief to the South Sudanese people, the peace agreement has also helped in assuring the existence of that country.

Ethiopia has put a lot of efforts to help the people of South Sudan get free of war and breathe an air of peace and get the benefits that come from any of the national and regional integration. Ethiopia has also shown its commitment to the peace of its neighbor by responding with a positive response to their request by dispatching its peacekeeping forces. And this diplomatic effort cannot in any way be associated with supporting specific individuals. So, the ‘their office in Ethiopia has shut down’ story disseminated by extremist forces doesn’t have any substance in any respect whatsoever.

And it is possible to look at this from the perspective of the neutrality principle our country follows along with evidence. As it’s known, there is the issue of Abeyei in all this. As my readers can recall, following the referendum of South Sudan, both the North and the South are not able to reach some kind of agreement on the oil-reach region of Abeyei.

As a result of the conflict that erupted in the region, many lives have been lost. Many inhabitants of the region have fled their homes. Many properties have been destroyed.

Understanding the dire situation, the United Nations decided to dispatch peacekeeping troops to the region. UN's Security Council unanimously passed a resolution that asks Ethiopian troops to solely undertake the mission with 4200 men.

What makes this decision peculiar is the not only the fact that they gave the order to Ethiopian troops anonymously, which by itself is unique. But what also makes this amazing is the fact that both Sudan’s showed their interest for the Ethiopian peacekeeping troops to be the only ones dispatched to the area.

There is one fact that can’t be denied here. The reason that our troops gained the confidence of all the stakeholders has to do with our government's neutral foreign policies and diplomatic works, its peace-loving attitude, its adhered peaceful policies and strategies and works. And trying to blacken a government that has gained such credibility for its neutrality through a baseless and fictitious story of ‘the office given to Dr. Riek Machar has been shut’ only discredits the narrators of the story and achieves nothing else.

And it is naivety to think that a government that adheres to such kind of diplomatic path/strategy would get outside of its own principles for sake of some individuals. So, the baseless story that was disseminated by the extremist forces has nothing to do with reason, logic and the facts – as the FDRE government wouldn’t be doing anything outside of its principle of helping countries and people in a neutral manner.