EU suspends budget support for Ethiopia

The European Union has suspended its budget support for Ethiopia due to the worsening humanitarian crisis following the military campaign in Tigray region. The suspension of the support will be in place until humanitarian agencies are granted access to people in need of aid in the northern Tigray region. The support package amounts to 88 million euro.

The EU has provided 815 million euros of development aid to Ethiopia over the past seven years, on top of 409 million euros of project aid, focused mainly on supporting refugees and host communities in the country.

In a blog post discussing the Tigray crisis, Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union, spoke about the desperate humanitarian situation in Tigray and said that the military operation that had been ongoing for over two months goes beyond the scope of an internal ‘law and order’ operation. 

For more than two months, conflict has been raging in the Tigray region in Ethiopia. The situation is desperate for the local population and the conflict is unsettling dynamics both within Ethiopia and the whole region. I have passed a clear message to the Ethiopian leadership: we are ready to help, but unless there is access for humanitarian aid operators, the EU cannot disburse the planned budget support to the Ethiopian government.

At the end of November, Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, said that the military campaign was over but fighting continues in various parts of Tigray, according to the United Nations. 

Borrell also spoke about the regional spillovers of the conflict. 

“Moreover, there are regional spill-over effects of the conflict, with for instance Eritrean troops being involved in the military operations in Tigray and with Ethiopian troops being withdrawn from Somalia,” Borrell said.

In regards to the escalation with Sudan, Borrell said there needed to be a de-escalation of tension between Ethiopia and Sudan.

Ethiopia has said it is running out of patience with Sudan’s continued military build-up in an area populated by Ethiopian farmers on the Sudanese side of their disputed border.

Sudan’s foreign ministry said this week that an Ethiopian military aircraft had crossed the border in a “dangerous and unjustified escalation”.

Read the EU High Representative's full blog post here.

 

Source: commonspace.eu with Reuters (London) and agencies
Photo: Displaced communities due to the fighting in Tigray, Ethiopia (Twitter: @KenRoth). 

Related articles

Editor's choice
News
Borrell tells the European Parliament that the situation in Afghanistan was critical, but the EU will remain engaged

Borrell tells the European Parliament that the situation in Afghanistan was critical, but the EU will remain engaged

Borrell underlined that the European Union will make every effort to support the peace process and to remain a committed partner to the Afghan people. "Of course, we will have to take into account the evolving situation, but disengagement is not an option.  We are clear on that: there is no alternative to a negotiated political settlement, through inclusive peace talks.
Editor's choice
News
Unexploded ordnance remains a deadly concern in Ukraine

Unexploded ordnance remains a deadly concern in Ukraine

On Thursday (5 June), the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) warned that Ukraine is now the most heavily mined country since World War II, with over 139,000 square kilometres of land potentially contaminated by mines and unexploded ordnance. Speaking in New York on Thursday, UNMAS advisor Paul Heslop said that this contamination endangers lives and livelihoods, particularly in farming areas. Over six million people live near these dangerous zones, and more than 800 people have been killed or injured by landmines since 2022.

Popular

Editor's choice
News
Unexploded ordnance remains a deadly concern in Ukraine

Unexploded ordnance remains a deadly concern in Ukraine

On Thursday (5 June), the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) warned that Ukraine is now the most heavily mined country since World War II, with over 139,000 square kilometres of land potentially contaminated by mines and unexploded ordnance. Speaking in New York on Thursday, UNMAS advisor Paul Heslop said that this contamination endangers lives and livelihoods, particularly in farming areas. Over six million people live near these dangerous zones, and more than 800 people have been killed or injured by landmines since 2022.