SITUATION REPORT – HORN OF AFRICA No. 371, 13 February 2023

Peace negotiations (per 13 February)

• The Joint Committee for Monitoring and Implementation of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoH) Agreement held an inaugural meeting on 10 February at the African Union in Addis Ababa.
• The Committee welcomed progress made, however, it urged all parties to support reopening schools in Tigray as well as reopening roads to ensure unimpeded access for transportation of goods. 
• The Committee also called upon the African Union to “intensify their support for the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration” as outlined in CoH Agreement.  

Situation in Tigray (per 13 February)

• The Tigray interim government establishment committee led by TDF chief General Tadesse Worede had a meeting today with political parties in Tigray, says Dr Hagos Godefay, a member of the committee and former head of the bureau of health of the region. 
• He said the consultation meetings will continue. 
• Internally Displaced Persons residing in Abi Addi report ongoing shortages of medicine for chronic illnesses, reports Tigrai Television.
• UNOCHA reports that 613,000 people in Tigray received food under the latest distribution cycle, which is 11% of the targeted population. For Afar and Amhara, it is respectively 89% & 61% of the targeted population.
• The Ethiopian Ministry of Education said it is making preparations to resume education in Tigray, Fana Broadcasting Corporate (FBC) reports.
• Public relations officer of the ministry said consultation meetings are underway with Zone level experts and leaders of education of Tigray to restart primary and secondary education in the region. 

Situation in Ethiopia (per 13 February)

• The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church’s (EOTC) Holy Synod announced that it has postponed, until further notice, the nationwide protest rally it called for 12 February, reports Addis Standard.
• The EOTC said that the decision was made after the federal government agreed to accept its demands and promised to implement them, added Addis Standard.
• The breakaway synod called themselves “the synod of nations and nationalities of Ethiopia”.  announced that it is preparing to appoint additional archbishops from various ethnic groups including Gambella, Gumuz, Sidama, Gurage and Gamo, reports Oromia Media network, OMN.
• They added that they are giving spiritual training in churches.
• Eight persons who died during clashes in Shashemene, Oromia, on 4 February, were victims of “excessive use of force by government security forces”, reports the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission. 

Situation in Eritrea (per 13 February)

• President Isaias Afewerki from Eritrea gave an interview to Eri-TV of which the first 20 minutes were focused on the war in Tigray. He made the accusation that the TPLF started the war.
• President Afewerki commented that the ENDF had “not finished off” the TPLF.
• Afewerki said the failure was due to pressure from the US. 
• Afewerki also stated that the US assisted the TDF in the humanitarian break in between the fighting periods.

Regional Situation(per 13 February)

• The government of Somaliland issued a statement calling for “an immediate, unconditional ceasefire in its community of Las’anod”, reports the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Somaliland.
• The statement said “The Somaliland government is committed to the restoration of peace in Las’anod and notes a significant reduction of violence over the last 48 hours.”
• Aviation authorities of Eritrea and South Sudan agree on direct flights between the countries.
• Ethiopian Airlines and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) have signed Memorandum of Understanding and Bilateral Corporate Agreement for improving regional integration through strengthening transportation services, reports FBC. 
• Ethiopia launched the national wheat export program in Bale Zone, Oromia, aiming to export its harvest production to the neighbouring countries of Djibouti and Kenya as a part of  Ethiopia’s  Ten-Year Development Plan.

International Situation (per 13 February)

• The African Union Commission is hosting the 42nd session of the Executive Council in Addis Ababa between 15 and 17 February 2023. 
• The Ethiopian Nuclear Science Society (ENSS) and the Russian nuclear power company, Rosatom, are planning to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding to advance cooperation on nuclear energy.
• Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia expressed solidarity with the EOTC through a letter to Patriarch Abune Mathias, reacting to the recent events of breakaway synod related unrests. 
• Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sameh Shoukry, accused Ethiopia of making obstructions towards the binding legal framework regulating the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, during his opening speech at the annual conference of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs.

Links of interest

AU joint committee to monitor Ethiopia peace implementation held inaugural meeting
በትግራይ ክልል ተቋርጦ የቆየውን ትምህርት በፍጥነት ለማስጀመርበቅንጅትእየተሰራ ነው
Twitter: Dr Hagos Godefay on interim government establishment in Tigray 
Twitter: UNOCHA Ethiopia
በቅርቡ የተጨማሪ አዳዲስ ኤጵስ ቆጶሳት ስመት እንደሚፈፀም አዲሱ ሲኖዶስ ገለፀ።
Twitter: Addis Standard
Ethiopian rights commission says eight people killed in Shashemene, security forces applied “excessive use of force”
Highlights of Eri-Tv and Radio Dimtsi Hafash Interview with President Isaias Afwerki
South Sudan & Eritrea Agree Deal To Form New Direct Flights
Twitter: MFA Somaliland
Ethiopian Airlines, IGAD Sign Bilateral Corporate Agreement And MoU
Ethiopia Launches Wheat Export To Neighbours
Ethiopian Press Agency on nuclear energy cooperation
Patriarch Kirill expresses support for the Primate of the Ethiopian Church due to the latest developments in Ethiopia