Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Deputy Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Demeke Mekonnen has said a lack of democracy has led to a high level of transitional crimes in the Horn of Africa region, which covers Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan, and South Sudan.
Demeke, who also serves as the minister for foreign affairs, said the previous and perpetuated failures of governments to manage transitions and elections, ethnic differences, transboundary resources, and interventions have posed noticeable challenges in the horn region. He said that has made the region a global hotspot.
Demeke made the remarks at the Tana Forum Roundtable discussion of the 58th Munich Security Conference, held on February 18-20, 2022.
The event was held under the theme, “Rethinking responses: terrorism, violent extremism, and trains organised crimes in Africa exploring the causes of such challenges and proposing possible solutions,” in Munich, Germany.
“Armed conflict, insurgency, terrorism, violent extremism, trafficking, and organised transitional crimes have made the Horn of Africa a hotspot in the global system,” he said.
“The challenges that the Horn Region face today could be traced back to a failure in managing transitions and elections, ethnic differences, transboundary resources, and interventions by global and regional powers,” Demeke added.
The forum was attended by politicians and academicians who said the challenges being faced in Horn Africa should be solved by Africans themselves.
“More than eight speakers, including politicians and renowned academics, reflected on the challenges in the Horn of Africa and found ways to meet the problems with effective measures,” the statement read in part.
“The event called on further commitment to abide by the maxim, ‘African Solution to African Problems,’ and to enhance bilateral and multilateral Global North-Global South cooperation.”
The participants called for the establishment of strong relationships among “intergovernmental organizations, civil societies, academia, and the media.”
Joint fight
On February 1, 2022, the Ethiopian delegation led by the Speaker of the House of People’s Representatives, Tagesse Chaffo, assured President Salva Kiir that Ethiopia was ready to beef up security at its border with South Sudan.
“The meeting [was] centred on security issues in the regions bordering South Sudan and Ethiopia. The delegation also discussed issues pertaining to cattle rustling, child abduction, infrastructure development, and border trade in the areas bordering South Sudan and Ethiopia,” the statement from the office of the President stated.
According to Chaffo, the two sisterly countries would form a joint committee to settle disputes that might arise at the border points in the future.
“We have exchanged information and discussed how to work closely for the common goods of the two countries. We are going to form a joint forum to discuss problems whenever they arise,” said Tagesses, as quoted by the president’s press unit.
The delegation included the President of Gambella Region; Omod Ujulu, the President of Benishagul, Ashadli Hassan; the Director-General for IGAD Countries, Feseha Shawel; and the Ambassador of Ethiopia to South Sudan, Nabil Mahdi.
Sealing borders
In January 2022, the South Sudan Director-General of Civil Registry, Nationality, Passports and Immigration, Lt Gen Atem Marol Biar, said that had a robust plan to seal all the borders in a bid to fight human trafficking, insecurity and other crimes.
He unveiled that the borders which were occupied by SPLM/A-IO had illegal openings which should be closed to halt the smuggling of people and goods into the country.
“Borders should be closed because currently most of the borders have open areas where people can sneak inside, especially those occupied by SPLM/A-IO,” he said.
Lt Gen Atem articulated that the country would soon open the Ethiopian border and that a preliminary joint training session would be carried out with the Ethiopian immigration officers at Gambella.
“We will meet with the Ethiopian Minister of Interior so that we can jointly train officers at Gambella prior to the opening of the border,” he said.
After the South Sudan Directorate of Civil Registry, Nationality, Passports and Immigration (DCRNPI), apprehended an Eritrean allegedly smuggled into the country from Addis Ababa.
The Ethiopian Embassy in Juba vowed to liaise with the government of South Sudan to curb human trafficking and other crimes.
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