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Her Excellency Etsegenet Bezabih Yimenu, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to the Republic of Uganda, presented an Award certificate of appreciation to the Ugandan friends of Ethiopia who participated and contributed significantly in the 2nd High-Level conference on Equitable and Reasonable utilization of Trans-Boundary Water resource held on 22 June 2023 at Addis Ababa. In addition, the Ambassador has also bid farewell to the three Embassy diplomats who completed their tour of diplomatic duty.
In her speech at the award ceremony, the ambassador highlighted the Embassy’s major achievements secured during the Budget year 2015 E.C. that strengthened the bilateral relations between Ethiopia and Uganda.
Ambassador Etsegenet mentioned the frequent high-level Government officials’ visits from both Ethiopia and Uganda, such as the visit of a delegation led by General Muhoozi Kainerugaba to Addis Ababa, and the visits of H.E. Demeke Mekonnen, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister of Ethiopia, and H.E. Binalf Andualem, Minister of Peace, H.E. Nebiha Mohammed, State Minister of Labor and Skills and visits of Senior Government officials of Uganda to Addis Ababa cemented the strong bilateral relations of the two Countries.
Similarly, the Ambassador stated that the Embassy had made considerable achievements in countering the false news and information directed at the Ethiopian flagship projects of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which is completed 92 percent despite major challenges perpetrated against the dam. In this regard, the Ambassador stressed Ethiopia’s firm belief in sincere transboundary cooperation and fair utilization of Nile waters for a peaceful and integrated region.
Regarding the trade and investment situation between Ethiopia and Uganda, the Honorable Ambassador stated the business relationship between the two countries and indicated the results acquired in the fields of flowers, salt, coal, wood, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and construction. In this connection, Ambassador underlined the need to strive for more results in the future, considering the huge untapped potential between the two countries.
In addition to this, the Ambassador reflected on the provision of speedy consular affairs services for both the diaspora and foreigners. As part of the Citizens’-centered foreign policy direction, the Ambassador has also revealed the effective work carried out in defending the rights of Ethiopians living in Uganda & other countries accredited to the Kampala mission.
Similarly, Her Excellency Ambassador Etsegenet revealed that the Embassy had finalized its Development and Investment plan for the budget year 2016 E.C. based on the national strategy of “one Plan, one report.”
In summary, apart from further strengthening the existing Bilateral relations, considering the cultural and natural similarity of Ethiopia and Uganda, establishing people-to-people and twinning of cities/institutions, promoting Pan-Africanism and the agenda of the African Union, actively participating in IGAD-related regional cooperation conferences, undertaking the 4th Ethio-Uganda Joint Ministerial Commission in Addis Ababa, building Ethiopia’s image, Defending GERD, rendering services to our citizens, strengthening the Existing Ethiopian community & Building a new strong Ethio- Uganda Friendship association in collaboration with Professional Ugandan’s who has a connection with Ethiopia are the major focus areas of the Embassy, said the Ambassador.
Meanwhile, Her Excellency handed over the award certificate for the participants of the 2nd High-Level Conference on Equitable and Reasonable Utilization of Transboundary Water Resource held on 22 June 2023 in Addis Ababa. H.E. highly appreciated Engineer Silvester Matemu, the Executive Director of the Nile Basin Initiatives(NBI), Emmanuel Kasimbazi professor at Makerere University, and other Ugandan friends of Ethiopia, Mr. Kungu. Al- Mahadi Adam, Mr. Matua Job Richard, Mr. Alex Masereka Joel, and Mr. Lambert Ebitu.
Following the award ceremony, Engineer Silvester Matemu and the rest of the friends of Ethiopia made a speech on their overall participation and reflected on the importance of the Conference. The conference participants were amazed by the development works carried out by the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed, for five years and called upon the Ethiopians to support their Prime Minister.
They have also stressed how Ethiopia utilized its transboundary water resources to mobilize its People and resources despite the unjustified challenges emanating from colonial agreements Ethiopia has not signed. Mr. Adam Kungu, a prime proponent of the GERD, said that the “Downstream countries of the Nile have always wanted to monopolize the use of the river based on colonial agreements, which is unacceptable. The time is now for all Nile Riparian countries to ratify the CFA and realize equitable and reasonable utilization of the River Nile”. On this turn, Mr. Matua Job Richard said that Ethiopia has always been the epicenter of African Diplomacy and the fight against colonialism and imperialism. He has also expressed that 60 percent of Ethiopians remain in the dark without access to electricity; must the Ethiopian Government remain ideal without addressing this major need of its People? he asked.
Mr. Alex Masereka Joel has also undermined that Africans must tell their own story. While European countries colonized the rest of Africa,” we can say that we resisted colonialism from Ethiopia.” Finally, Mr. Lambert Ebitu has also expressed his admiration for GERD and how Ethiopia works to build the dam fighting the challenges of internal and external forces, and praised the achievement of the Ethiopian Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed for the development achievements he brought to Ethiopia and reiterated for Ethiopia not to fall back from being a beacon of hope for Africans.