Ethiopian FM meets Saudi Diplomat who led to delegation to Addis Ababa

Toronto – Ethiopia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs,  Gedion Timothewos, on Wednesday met with Saudi Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Waleed Abdulkarim El Khereiji. Based on news updates from the Ministry, they met to “discuss shared bilateral and regional issues.” The visit to Ethiopia came at a time Eritrea is accusing Ethiopia of “warmongering” and having ambitions over controlling Assab, On March 9, Eritrean president sent a message to Saudi Arabia via foreign Minister Osman Saleh as tension escalated with Ethiopia.  Eritrean Pro-government activists on social media were also reporting that Saudi Arabia and Eritrea sealed an investment agreement over Assab port.  

Some politicians from the Tigray region of Ethiopia (including Gebru Asrat and former defense chief of staff Tsadkan Gebretensae) tend to see potential involvement of Saudi Arabia in Ethiopia-Eritrea military conflict which they see as inevitable. 

The narrative from the Ethiopian government sounds different.  The news update from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the discussion between the Saudi Diplomat and Gedion Timotheos “capitalised on ways of further strengthening the economic relations between the two countries.” 

The Sudan conflict was among the topics in their discussion of regional affairs. Ethiopia’s FM is cited as saying that Ethiopia has a neutral stance in the conflict and that it supports efforts to resolve the problem in the country. Saudi’s Vice FM El Khereiji has reportedly expressed his country’s readiness to work with “all parties concerned to end the crisis in Sudan.”

El Khereiji also met with Ethiopia’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs,  Ambassador Misganu Arega. Strengthening economic relations, and joint efforts to reverse human trafficking were among topics they discussed, according to the Ministry.  Saudi Arabia has expressed commitment in working with Ethiopia and interest in the agriculture, mining, tourism, and technology sectors – based on the update from Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

It is also indicated that they discussed “other bilateral and regional issues.” However, it is not indicated in the disclosure from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs if the escalating tension between Eritrea and Ethiopia was discussed. It is unlikely that the diplomats discussed “regional issues” without discussing what many anticipate is an inevitable war. 

On Tuesday, Eritrea briefed diplomats in Asmara during which it called up on the international community to put pressure on Ethiopia to respect the sovereignty of its neighbors.   On the other hand, the Ethiopian government accuses Eritrea of working with the TPLF faction under Debretsion Gebremichael to stir conflict in the region. Some opposition leaders in Eritrea and the President of the Interim Administration in the region  – whose term in office ended according to the Pretoria Agreement – have been making similar accusations.