The African Union (AU) issued a statement regarding the protests in Ethiopia saying it was following the situation with great concern. The AU also called for restraint on the part of parties involved.
The continental body issued a statement from its chairperson, Dlamini Zuma (PhD), stating that the AU was ‘‘following the evolving socio-political situation over the last few months in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia with great concern.’‘
Fresh protests broke out late July with tens of thousands of protesters marching in the Amhara region demanding regime change in the country. The social media instigated protest was however disrupted by security officials.
The Amhara protests came months after the Oromia protests in the country’s south late last year extending into the early part of this year.
After the late July protest in Amhara, several others were staged in parts of the country including the capital Addis Ababa, where the AU has its headquarters. Those protests too were largely clamped down by security officials. (AU)
IGAD, LPI cement longstanding partnership with MoU
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and Life & Peace Institute (LPI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Wedneday here in Addis Ababa.
The cooperation agreement was signed by the Executive Secretary of the IGAD, Ambassador Mahboub Maalim and the Executive Director of the Life and Peace Institute, Dr. Judith McCallum.
The MoU will promote collaboration between the two institutions with a view to promote peace and security in the Horn of Africa. According to Dr. McCallum, “the MoU is a stamp of approval for the work that LPI does in the Horn of Africa, and it is an important milestone for LPI to formalize its relationship with IGAD”.
Beyond the cooperation between the two entities, the collaboration seeks to engage a broader range of relevant stakeholders to further bolster the exchange and joint activities between IGAD, civil society and academia in the region.
The signing of the MoU follows longstanding engagement between the IGAD and LPI, dating back to 1999. (IGAD)