H.E. Ambassador Teshome Toga – Commissioner to National Rehabilitation Commission on Virtual meeting with Ethiopian Ambassadors abroad

H.E. Ambassador Teshome Toga – Commissioner to National Rehabilitation Commission discussed Ethiopian Ambassadors abroad. On a Virtual meeting, held on August 4th, 2023, at Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the presence of H.E. Ambassador Mesganu Arega, Minister d’état for Political Affairs. In his intervention, H.E. Ambassador Teshome, reminded the need and urgency of the establishment of the Commission in November 2022, under Regulation No. 525/2015, following the peace agreement signed between FDRE and TPLF in Pretoria. The mandate of the Commission, he stated, include: the DDR activities at national level beyond Tigray all affected seven regions. Institutional organization, the establishment of the National Rehabilitation Council, identification of the a consented number of Ex-combatants, Provision of the project proposal for the DDR program in collaboration with UNDP/ETHIOPIA to be endorsed and distributed to donor stakeholders, Bilateral engagements with different Ambassadors residing in Ethiopia, United Nations Country Team, the AU and its peace fund – for partnership and cooperation in resource mobilization as well political and diplomatic support, a monthly evaluation of coordination efforts in resource mobilization with the UNDP – a UN agency, to coordinate all donors within its basket fund system, the technical, material and financial support received from UNDP, IOM and UNICEF so far, conducted forums with the eight conflict affected regional states, the Civil Society Organizations, the Media house, for awareness creation on the DDR program, thereby, objective and mission of the Commission, Preparation for the upcoming forum with private sector and Ethiopian Political Parties Council, communication with the Federal Government for budgetary issue, visit to Tigray, Gambela and Benishangul Gumuz regional states, to see the sites identified to serve as camps to host Ex-combatants, as well their status and the preparation to demobilize at the first phase, Ambassador Teshome Toga said, are the major accomplishments made ever since the Commission was established.

He further, stressed the expected engagements of the Embassies and Ambassadors abroad, to create awareness for the host and accredited countries’ authorities about the DDR program and its processes, as it is one of the pillars to the peace processes, as well, for the diaspora for confidence building and initiate citizens, At his concluding remark, he underlined, their role to advocate for political and diplomatic support, while, understand the high concern about technical, material and financial resources to the program and make effort to mobilize them. In the meantime, he encouraged them to engage in mobilizing support on de-mining to make ready vast land area, in a war affected proper, available for different economic and social activities;
H.E. Ambassador Mesganu Arega, Minister d’état for Political Affairs, at the Ministry, reaffirmed all the legitimate concerns of the Commission.