By Lodu William Odiya
The Ethiopian Special Envoy and Minister of Finance, Ahmed Shide Mohammed has affirmed Ethiopia’s commitment in advancing a comprehensive partnership with South Sudan for the benefit of the both citizens.
In a statement issued by the presidential press unit yesterday, the remark came during a meeting between the Ethiopian Envoy and president Salva Kiir.
The statement underscored Shide conveyed to President Kiir a message from Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, underlining Addis Ababa’s commitment to advancing a comprehensive partnership with Juba.
It further emphasized that the President Kiir meeting with the Ethiopian Special Envoy and Minister of Finance, Ahmed Shide Mohammed, discussion centered on deepening economic cooperation between South Sudan and Ethiopia.
According to the statement the briefing focused on undertaking joint economic cooperation and infrastructure investments, including collaborative efforts on road networks, electricity transmission lines, and telecommunications.
It underlined Minister Shide said that both President Kiir and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed are strongly committed to strengthening economic ties for the mutual benefit of their people.
According to the presidential unit, the meeting emphasized that the discussions included potential cooperation between the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia and South Sudan’s financial institutions, aimed at bolstering the banking sector.
“Air transport was also on the agenda, with Ethiopian Airlines proposed as a strategic partner in enhancing South Sudan’s aviation services”. The statement partly read.
It highlighted that the meeting further explored the development of a trade and transport corridor linking South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Djibouti to facilitate regional commerce.
The visit by the Ethiopian officials marks a crucial step in the ongoing diplomatic engagement between South Sudan and Ethiopia, as the two nations prioritize economic integration and infrastructure development to drive long-term prosperity in the region.
The relationship between Ethiopia and South Sudan is deeply rooted in historical, cultural, and people-to-people connections.
The foundation of their current strong diplomatic and political ties began with the Addis Ababa Agreement of 1972, brokered by Emperor Haile Selassie between the Government of Sudan and Anyanya movement leaders.
In recent years, Ethiopia and South Sudan have taken significant strides to deepen their economic and security cooperation, signalling an increasingly close partnership between the two neighbouring countries.
The two governments had signed a series of new agreements covering areas such as trade, infrastructure development, and security collaboration.
Most of the key focus of this deepening cooperation has been on improving cross-border transport links, with the aim of facilitating the flow of goods and people between the two countries. This includes initiatives to construct new road networks and border crossing points, which will enhance commerce and people-to-people exchanges.
Security cooperation has also emerged as a priority, with the two countries pledging to coordinate efforts to address common threats such as ethnic conflicts, cattle raids, and the activities of armed rebel groups operating across the shared border region.
This collaborative approach is crucial for ensuring peace and stability in the region.
In April 2023, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed made an official state visit to Juba. During this visit, Abiy and South Sudanese President Salva Kiir signed several new bilateral agreements covering areas such as trade, investment, infrastructure development, and cross-border security.