This week on 14 July 2009 two French anti-terrorism experts were kidnapped in Mogadishu from Sahafi Hotel.  There are conflicting stories coming from Mogadishu as to who kidnapped the two French nationals.  What is certain is that they were kidnapped by a group of gunmen numbering 10-15 who were said to have been attired in Somali government police uniforms.  The hotel from which they were snatched is   between the presidential palace and the Sea/Air ports in a specific place called Kilometer 4 which is under the control of government militia.  The AMISOM has also a base and presence in Kilometer 4 close to Hotel Sahafi.

The place where the two French nationals are said to be kept is in or around Peace Hotel, just at the outskirts of the Bakara market which is under Al-Shabab control.  This has given rise to the assumption that some groups not really part of Al-Shabab but probably its allies did the kidnapping for ransom or other purposes while pretending to be within the government. 

There are also indications that the kidnappers could be members of Hizbul Islam looking for money in exchange.  There are rumours of tensions between Al-Shabab and Hizbul Islam over the fate of the French nationals.  According to information from Mogadishu, Al-Shabab is demanding that the French nationals be handed over to it.  That, of course, would be the worst case scenario since Al Shabab’s track record in this regard is far from reassuring. It would be foolhardy to assume that only ransom could be of that much interest to Al-Shabab, connected as it is to Al-Qaeda.

If, on the other hand, the French nationals are in the hands of Hizbul Islam, one would wonder what role the Eritrean government could have since, after all, there is a strong cooperation between president Essays Afeworki and Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys on what they call jihad in Somalia. It is to be recalled that Aweys told Reuters on 22 May 2009 that Eritrea fully supports the fight against the Government in what he called was a holy war.  

Ato Seyoum’s visit to the Middle East

A high level Government Delegation led by Ato Seyoum Mesfin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia made an official visit to the State of Palestine and the State of Israel from 11-13 July 2009. On the first leg of the visit, Ato Seyoum met with senior officials of the Palestinian National Authority including president Mahamoud Abbas, Prime Minister Dr. Salaam Fayed, and with his counterpart, Dr. Riyad Almaliki.    Minister Seyoum Mesfin held discussions with the senior officials on bilateral and regional issues of common concern. During his visit, Ato Seyoum Mesfin signed a cooperation agreement on political and economic matters as well as in the areas of trade, culture, youth and sports, and parliamentary consultations.  He also laid a wreath of flowers on the grave of the late Yasser Arafat.  The visit was concluded to the satisfaction of both parties.

The Austrian Foreign Minister’s visit to Ethiopia

The Austrian Foreign Minister H.E. Dr. Michael Spindelegger was in Addis Ababa from 14 - 16 July 2009.  He had the opportunity to meet Ethiopian as well as African Union officials.  His presence in Addis was for both bilateral and multilateral reasons.

During the meeting with the Ethiopian Finance Minister, the two Ministers exchanged views on the impact of the current global economic crisis, particularly on developing countries like Ethiopia. They also discussed the existing partnership between their two countries and they were satisfied that it is moving in the right direction.

During the working breakfast with Dr. Tekeda Alemu, the discussion focused on political and regional matters of common interest.  As his country is a non permanent member of the UNSC, the Austrian minister was particularly keen on listening to Ethiopia's views on regional issues in the Horn of Africa.  Accordingly, the State Minister gave him detailed briefing on the current situation in the region.  He briefed him also on current political developments in Ethiopia, particularly about the national effort in building democratic institutions including the prospect for the 2010 elections.  

While this was what transpired during the visit, a fictitious news report appeared on various websites quoting from a certain Austrian Times, with a headline "Austria rejects Ethiopia's calls for more assistance."                 

NAM Summit at Sharm El Sheik

The 15th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) was held in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt from 11-16 July 2209. The Ethiopian delegation to the Summit was represented by minister of Foreign Affairs Ato Seyoum Mesfin who also led the Ethiopian delegation to the Ministerial meeting of the movement which was held before the summit. In a speech distributed to the participants of the Summit, Minister Mesfin expressed his gratitude to the government of the United Arab Republic and his hope that NAM will thrive under the leadership of Egypt, which will chair the Movement for the coming three years.

While pointing out the vital role that NAM has continued to play in promoting global peace, security and stability as well as in realizing its members’ common goals for development and growth, he also took the opportunity to express his deep appreciation to the people and Government of Cuba for raising high the banner of the Movement of the Non-Aligned countries and for enhancing its credibility throughout their leadership of the Movement during the last three years. He also emphasized that a lot more needs to be done and the coming years and decades are going to be critical in this regard.
 

Reflecting on the relevance of the themes of the Summit, Ato Seyoum underscored that the ongoing global economic crisis, apart from the major negative impact it has already had on members’ economies, is bound to continue for some time to come.  He also reminded the participants that it would be difficult to say whether the future has great opportunities in store for the prospect of economic development of the developing world.

Speaking of the impact the crisis had on the economies of African countries, Ato Seyoum mentioned the accelerating rise in food prices and the sky-rocketing oil prices as the major hindrance to economic growth and a major burden to the well being of the peoples of Africa in 2008.  He raised the issue of the global economic downturn of 2009 that followed the financial crisis to show how much African economies are indeed fragile.  As he put it, Africa is vulnerable, and devastatingly so, to both too high commodity price rises and to the opposite phenomenon, namely—too low commodity prices.  While indicating how these economic events have made too obviously manifest the weaknesses and the deficiencies of the neo-liberal paradigm, and the fact that this orthodoxy does not offer a solution to our economic future, he expressed his conviction about the need for a new consensus; not dogma but one that lays the basis for the transformation of Countries’ economies.  He blamed the vulnerability of Africans on the fact that its economies have not yet begun to rely on value addition, thus becoming fatally dependent on commodities which cannot offer the bases for sustained economic growth and development, and economic transformation.

He pointed out the absence, so far, of the necessary policy space in international economic co-operation that would enable developing countries to pursue effectively and with real international support economic policies that are independently formulated.  He further argued that conditionalities that have so far permeated international economic cooperation have to give way to new approaches consistent with the exigencies of the day.  He called upon the Non-Aligned countries to raise their collective voice in this regard and work for the attainment of conditions in international co-operation which are friendly for the transformation of developing countries’ economies without which, he added, the future will indeed be bleak.

This, Ato Seyoum said, should be done along with the collective effort on the issues of climate change and global warming for which the developed and the developing worlds have common, but differentiated responsibilities.  While pointing out how little developing countries have in the way of responsibility for the growing danger and for the increase in global warming, he nonetheless emphasized the common responsibility that all countries—developed or developing alike—have for managing this increase.  Ato Seyoum also expressed hope that the Movement must play a pro-active role in this and take part in the upcoming Copenhagen meeting on climate change, actively. He further expressed his pleasure with Africa’s decision to participate in that occasion through one delegation which is authorized to articulate the common African position on this vital matter.  

Remarking that the Movement has always been associated with advocacy for peace and for friendship and solidarity among peoples and nations, he reminded members of the Movement of their solemn obligation to the scrupulous observance of principles of international law governing inter-state relations.  He rightly stated that it would be an illusion to hope for sustainable peace in an environment of economic malaise, hopelessness as well as in the midst of injustice and underlined the crucial task of finding just solutions to all conflict situations as well as all situations where injustice prevails.  Foreign Minister Seyoum went on to emphasize how critical it is that states and governments abide by rules and principles governing civilized behavior among nations and be ready, in good faith, to take a firm position, as a matter of principle, when states, including some among us, not only fail to comply with, but also violate in a flagrant manner, these rules and principles.

He described the Movement as one based not on the exercise of power but one that is based on the power of moral persuasion and the credibility it has as a Movement that stands for what is in the interest of humanity in general.  He further pointed that no other entity in the world is comparable to NAM in global reach as a custodian of multilateralism and principles of international law governing friendly relations among nations.  Our Movement, Ato Seyoum said, has its plate full in this regard in the following years and concluded his speech by expressing his confidence in Egypt being at the helm for the next three years.