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[DefendTheTruth]

The security situation in Ethiopia was "dire", as Finnish foreign minister Pekka Haavisto prepared to travel to the region on an EU fact-finding mission.

"Nearly three months after the start of the conflict ... the security situation in Tigray [a region of Ethiopia] remains dire, with reports of localised fighting especially in rural areas," Haavisto told EUobserver.

This was before a year, in 2021, we are now in 2022.

[DefendTheTruth]

At the same time the Germans are making the difference when it comes to sparing Ethiopia and Ukraine from war in EU.

Ethiopia: Hope for a new political process
Economic Cooperation and Development/Committee - 01/12/2022 (hib 12/2022)

Berlin: (hib/JOH) In view of the comparatively stable military situation in Ethiopia, the federal government is hoping for the start of a new political process in the country. The Tigray Liberation Front TPLF was not able to penetrate the capital Addis Abbeba as feared, said the Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Niels Annen (SPD), this morning in the Development Committee. The Ethiopian government has already announced a dialogue and released a number of political prisoners, including members of the TPLF, as part of a Christmas amnesty.

Since November 2020, northern Ethiopia has been the scene of an armed conflict between the central government in Addis Ababa and the TPLF, with a focal point in the Tigray region. Annen spoke of a "serious conflict" in which 9.4 million people are dependent on humanitarian aid, 5.2 million of them in the Tigray region alone. 400,000 people are threatened by starvation, nationwide 2.4 million people are internally displaced. The most serious violations of human rights have been documented on both sides.

According to Annen and a representative of the Federal Foreign Office (AA), bilateral development cooperation and the reform partnership agreed with Ethiopia have been on hold since the fighting began, and local personnel have had to be withdrawn. Since January 3, however, the helpers have been able to volunteer in some areas, which has prompted many employees of the Foreign Office and the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) to return. In addition, humanitarian aid has been significantly increased. In view of Ethiopia's great importance for the entire region, both government representatives emphasized their hope and willingness to continue previous projects and, if necessary, to expand development cooperation and humanitarian aid.

Auch aus der Unionsfraktion hieß es, ein Auseinanderbrechen des Landes hätte immense Auswirkungen auf die gesamte Region. Ein nationaler Dialog und eine stärkere Begleitung des Landes seien daher notwendig. Eine Vertreterin der SPD-Fraktion ergänzte, Deutschland könne unter anderem seinen Vorsitz in den G7 nutzen, um den politischen Prozess zu unterstützen.

Die Fraktion Bündnis 90/Die Grünen warnte vor einer Verschärfung der Konflikte durch die Klimakrise. Dies könnte mögliche politische Lösungen erneut gefährden. Die FDP-Fraktion erkundigte sich nach der Zukunft der verschiedenen Vorhaben von AA und BMZ im Land.

Ein Vertreter der AfD-Fraktion sagte, die Situation auf dem afrikanischen Kontinent sei zunehmend fragil, woran auch 60 Jahre Entwicklungspolitik nichts geändert hätten. Das Land leide unter starken Umweltproblemen sowie einem Zusammenbruch der Lieferketten im Zuge der Corona-Pandemie.

Die Linksfraktion warnte bezugnehmend auf Stimmen aus den USA davor, militärisch in den Konflikt einzugreifen. Dies berge umso mehr die Gefahr, dass er sich auf die gesamte Region ausbreiten könne.