Amba Digital; Saturday, July 30, 2022 ―Professor Merera Gudina and Dawud Ibsa are the leaders of the two Oromo opposition groups, the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFCO) and the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), who yesterday spoke with Mike Hamer, the new US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, upon his arrival in Addis Ababa.
Professor Merera Gudina, the chairman of the Oromo Federalist Congress, spoke with Amba Digital about the conversation the two leaders had with the special envoy.
In their meeting with the special envoy, Professor Merera asserts that he and Dawud Ibsa spoke about the necessity of a comprehensive national dialogue in Ethiopia, the position of the war negotiators in Northern Ethiopia, the current state in the Oromia region, and other relevant topics.
Among these are discussions regarding the ongoing peace negotiations to end the twenty-month-old war in Northern Ethiopia. They emphasized that making the claim that the peace agreement should solely be governed by the African Union is unworkable.
They highlighted the African Union’s lack of prior experience in negotiating fruitful peace deals for countries with complex political situations, like Ethiopia, whether it be in Africa or on any other continent.
Other parties with expertise and experience in brokering peace deals, such as the European Union and the United States, should be included in the process, as opposed to making the African Union the sole mediator in the Ethiopian conflict, according to the professor.
The federal government has consistently shown an interest in taking part in negotiations to end the situation in Northern Ethiopia. The opposing negotiator, the TPLF, expressed its contempt for the African Union and named Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta as a vital mediator.
The OFC chairman claimed that despite critical issues raging throughout Ethiopia, westerners are currently only paying attention to the country’s northern region. Merera emphasized that Oromia’s situation is being overlooked and not given enough attention. He suggested an immediate resolution to the problem in that region.
In relation to this, Professor Merera noted that the 2018 dramatic political changes within the EPRDF, which was the then-ruling party, have resulted in a number of issues and left a crisis unaddressed. He clarified that extensive discussion and negotiation are the key components of the solution to this issue.
During his visit to Ethiopia, Mike Hamer, the new US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, spoke with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonon. The special envoy will travel to Egypt and the United Arab Emirates in addition to Ethiopia.
The new US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Mike Hamer met with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonon on his trip to Ethiopia. In addition to Ethiopia, the special envoy will visit Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
