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DOMRADIO.DE: Behind the peace treaty between Ethiopia and Eritrea, there is one man above all: the new Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. How do you feel that he attributed to the neighboring country a controversial border town and recognized the demarcation of the Eritrean border?
Hans-Peter Hecking (Counselor of East Africa for Missio Catholic Relief Organization): Abiy Ahmed is a political realist at the same time a visionary. He knows that in his only multiethnic state of Ethiopia, there are enough domestic problems and challenges to resolve. In recent years, many ethnic groups have protested and felt oppressed and disadvantaged by the central government. The central government has for many years been dominated by the Tigrin people (Tigrinya is an ethnic group living in Ethiopia and Eritrea in the northern highlands of Abyssinia, ed), that is, say multinational. So, an ethnic group in the north of the country, which accounts for only six percent of the total population. The Tigray people live on both sides of the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea and, of course, border issues have always been particularly moving.
But this time it's over with Abiy Ahmed. He is the first Oromo (ethnic group living in Ethiopia and northern Kenya, ed) to the presidency of the Prime Minister. He sees much more sober, therefore, this border issue, in the end it is a few square kilometers of dry desert land. He defends political stability and friendly relations with his northern neighbors.
DOMRADIO.DE: He has now taken a big step forward towards the neighbors. What concrete consequences will the peace treaty have?
Hecking: After the two-year border war between the two countries, which ended in 2000, the situation resembled that of the deepest cold war. There were no diplomatic relations. On the contrary. The two countries combine a bitter hostility with high corresponding military spending in the two countries, which are among the poorest in the world.
What they are now claiming – as stated – embbadies in both capitals Asmara and Addis Ababa want to open diplomatic relations again trying to balance is a huge step forward. Not only for the conditions in both countries, but also throughout the Horn of Africa region.
It was learned that the telephone links between the two countries had been cut off since the border war. Countries in this way can contact each other directly. Pbadenger and cargo traffic should be partially resumed, scheduled flights between the two countries should – as has been reported – already resumed next week. So we hope
Perhaps the Archbishop of Asmara may be present at the plenary meeting of East African Bishops in Addis Ababa next week, which would have been impossible.
DOMRADIO.DE: Ethiopia is after Uganda the second most important host country for refugees in Africa – even for hundreds of thousands of Eritreans. Do you think their situation in the refugee camps along the border will improve now?
Hecking: I think it will largely depend on the improvement of the situation in Eritrea, so that people no longer have to flee their homeland to Ethiopia and then to the country. Sudan and South Sudan neighbors, who are themselves countries in crisis. This shows how serious the situation is in Eritrea
DOMRADIO.DE: This peace treaty raises at least the hope of a political thaw in this troubled region of the country. East Africa. It would be important for something to happen in Eritrea itself. Do you think that could mean that even the leader of Eritrea will move and possibly show clemency?
Hecking: That is the question of a million. Eritrea is one of the most repressive dictatorships in the world. The political conditions there should change drastically. President Isayas Afewerki has been in power since 1983.
There is only one party, one party. The state of political emergency is a permanent state. He flourishes corruption and nepotism. There is no constitution. There has never been a parliamentary and presidential election. The freedom of the press is suspended. Religious freedom is limited. There is no independent judiciary and so on. So the whole problem with the so-called "National Service". That is, young people are forced to enter this paramilitary service that was originally scheduled to last 18 months, but has been extended indefinitely since the border war.
This is an incredible lack of prospects in this country that does not have a free economy either but everything is controlled by the state. The regime needs urgent political and economic reforms. Reforms, for example, that the Catholic Church claims as the only force of opposition for years.
DOMRADIO.DE: If it really brings national political benefits to Eritreans, then we would probably notice it in Europe as well?
Hecking: Certainly "yes". If the situation improves in the country, when people in need do not have to leave the country by the thousands, the dangerous journey through the Mediterranean, where dozens of people drown every day, then they would stay in their homeland. In addition, Eritreans in exile – also here with us – would return home in large numbers.
The interview was conducted by Hilde Regeniter
This article was written by DOMRADIO.DE
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