The Government of Ethiopia and the African Union signed a grant agreement to support the demobilization, rehabilitation and reintegration process today at the Skylight Hotel.
The grant agreement envisages the provision of USD 1 million from the Crisis Reserve Fund of the AU to the National Rehabilitation Commission of Ethiopia to support its efforts in ensuring the full implementation of the Agreement for Lasting Peace in Ethiopia through a Permanent Cessation of Hostilities signed in Pretoria, the Republic of South Africa, on 2 November 2022.
The Commissioner of the National Rehabilitation Commission, H.E. Ambassador Teshome Toga, and the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, inked the agreement in the presence of State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Mesganu Arga.
During the signing ceremony, State Minister Ambassador Mesganu commended the African Union for its strong support and commitment to building and sustaining peace in Ethiopia. Mentioning the AU’s key role in the signing of the Pretoria agreement, he stated that the signing of the grant agreement demonstrates the AU’s strong commitment to the full implementation of the agreement and the demobilization, rehabilitation and reintegration process in particular.
Ambassador Bankole, on his part, appreciated the commitment of the Ethiopian Government towards the implementation of the Pretoria agreement. He also stated that the signing ceremony is a defining moment in Africa’s history as Ethiopia is the first country to benefit from the peace fund. He further affirmed the AU’s and its leadership’s commitment to working closely with the Government of Ethiopia to sustain peace throughout the country.
Expressing his gratitude to the AU and its leadership for the attainment of the Pretoria peace agreement, Ambassador Teshome pledged that the National Rehabilitation Commission would ensure that the grant reaches those in need. He also noted that this historic grant agreement would encourage other partners to support demobilization, rehabilitation, and reintegration initiatives.
Source – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia