The new president of Ethiopia calls for promoting unity to consolidate peace

Taye emphasizes that “the doors to peace remain wide open” and warns against trying to “achieve political objectives through force”

Oct. 8 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The new president of Ethiopia, Taye Atske Selassie, has advocated promoting unity in the country to consolidate peace in the country, something to which “everyone must contribute”, after being elected to office on Monday by Parliament , replacing Sahle-Work Zewde.

Taye, who headed the Foreign Ministry since February, has stressed that achieving “a multinational Ethiopia” requires collective efforts and has highlighted that the efforts underway, including those of the National Dialogue Commission, play “a significant role in the process of national construction”.

“All the doors to peace remain completely open,” he stressed, before emphasizing that the Government is open to dialogue “with people or groups”, although he has warned against any attempt to “achieve political objectives through force.” “, as reported by the ‘Addis Standard’ newspaper.

Thus, he stressed that measures will be taken against those who “weaken the ties” between Ethiopians through hate speech, violence or other actions, while indicating that “the monopoly on violence” is in the hands of the Ethiopian security forces.

In this sense, he has emphasized that the Ethiopian Government is determined to maintain “the constitutional order” and guarantee “the security” of citizens, in the midst of the peace process in Tigray and in the face of the resurgence of clashes in Amhara and Oromia.

Taye replaced Sahle-Work on Monday, who had become Ethiopia’s first female president in 2018 and who in recent years had led to a distancing from Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The position of president in the country is largely ceremonial.

The United Nations office in Ethiopia has congratulated Taye on his appointment and reaffirmed its “firm commitment to deepening its cooperation with Ethiopia to support development priorities and advance the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.”

“We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the outgoing president for her close cooperation with the UN. Her leadership and dedication have contributed significantly to progress on our shared goals and we look forward to building on these strong pillars with the new head of state “, he indicated in a statement on his account on the social network X.

The president of the African Union (AU) Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, has joined the congratulations, who has also praised the work of Sahle-Work, who has highlighted her “historical leadership” during her six years as president of the African country.

“The President reiterates the AU Commission’s continued support for Ethiopia’s journey towards deepening democracy in the country and its sustainable development,” Faki Mahamat’s office said via X.

Along these lines, the executive secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Workneh Gebeyehu, has congratulated Taye on her appointment and has applauded the work of the outgoing president in “promoting the interests of Ethiopia and promoting regional cooperation”.

“IGAD highlights its service and dedication to Ethiopia and the region,” he stated, before reaffirming its commitment to “maintain and enhance” cooperation with Addis Ababa “on matters of mutual interest, particularly in areas of regional integration, peace and development”. “We look forward to a continued partnership and constructive interaction,” he concluded.