Ethiopia and the European Union (EU) recently sealed a significant cooperation agreement valued at 650 million euros ($680 million). This partnership was announced during a press conference held in Addis Ababa, where Jutta Urpilainen, the EU commissioner for international partnerships, joined forces with Ethiopian Finance Minister Ahmed Side.
Urpilainen stressed the importance of gradually restoring relations and establishing a mutually beneficial partnership with Ethiopia. She referred to this aid package as the "initial concrete step" following the ceasefire that ended a conflict in November the previous year.
Originally, the EU had allocated 1 billion euros ($1.04 billion) in aid for Ethiopia, spanning from 2021 to 2027. However, this funding was put on hold when fighting erupted in the Tigray region in late 2020.
Prime Minister Ahmed of Ethiopia expressed how this aid would play a pivotal role in the country's recovery post-conflict and in implementing much-needed economic reforms during a crucial period.
It's crucial to note that direct budgetary support to Ethiopia's government remains suspended and will only be reinstated once specific political conditions are met, as Urpilainen emphasized. Furthermore, Ethiopia is currently in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to secure support for its economic reform efforts.
Urpilainen was scheduled to meet with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Moussa Faki Mahamat, the chairman of the African Union Commission.
The conflict in Tigray resulted in numerous casualties, atrocities, and allegations of human rights abuses. The EU had previously asserted that relations with Ethiopia would only normalize when there is accountability for these crimes.
Ethiopia has initiated its own transitional justice process, although human rights experts have raised concerns about its effectiveness. The EU is supporting the peace deal's implementation, which includes national dialogue, accountability, and transitional justice.
The United Nations (U.N.) probe into the conflict revealed that all sides involved had committed abuses, some of which may amount to war crimes.
The EU's pledge of aid to Ethiopia came just ahead of the deadline for renewing the mandate for the U.N. Human Rights Council's investigation in Geneva.
On Tuesday, U.N. experts underscored the urgent need for additional independent investigations into Ethiopia's severe human rights situation due to the substantial risk of future atrocities. They emphasized the international community's responsibility to ensure ongoing investigations to address human rights violations and prevent further tragedies.
A recent U.N. panel report cited "grave and ongoing" atrocities in Tigray and raised doubts about Ethiopian officials' commitment to delivering genuine accountability.
Last week, Human Rights Watch urged the EU to submit a resolution at the U.N. Human Rights Council, calling for continued investigations into atrocities. Failing to do so would be seen as renouncing its own commitments, the rights group stressed.