Date: Friday, 28 February 2025
Ethiopia Rejects Former President Mulatu Teshome’s Statements on Eritrea as His Personal Views
Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a formal clarification, stating that the views expressed by former President Mulatu Teshome regarding Eritrea do not reflect the position of the current government.
The statement comes after Mulatu’s recent comments sparked controversy and led to questions from the media.
Ambassador Nebiat Getachew, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, addressed the media’s inquiries and clarified that the opinions expressed by Mulatu Teshome (PhD), a former Ethiopian president, were solely his personal views and not aligned with the official stance of the Ethiopian government.
The clarification was issued in response to questions raised following an opinion article that Mulatu wrote about Eritrea.
In the article published by Al Jazeera two weeks ago, the former President claimed that the government of Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki was escalating tensions in northern Ethiopia, suggesting that Eritrea’s actions could potentially provoke another war in the region.
He warned that East Africa stood on the brink of a new conflict, which could have grave consequences for the stability of the region.
Mulatu’s comments raised concerns and elicited a response from Eritrea’s Minister of Information, Yemane Gebremeskel, who strongly rejected the accusations made by the former Ethiopian President.
In his response, Minister Gebremeskel dismissed Mulatu’s claims, calling them “false” and accusing him of presenting a view that was “old-fashioned” and out of touch with the current realities.
Ambassador Nebiat, when asked to comment on the article, reiterated that Mulatu’s statements were not representative of the Ethiopian government’s position.
He emphasized that the former President’s remarks were his personal views and should not be construed as the official perspective of the Ethiopian government.
This clarification was important to prevent any misunderstanding among the public, especially as the article had attracted widespread attention both within Ethiopia and internationally.
In his Al Jazeera article, Mulatu also commented on the ongoing Tigray conflict, suggesting that it was used by Eritrea as an opportunity to intervene in Ethiopia.
He argued that Eritrean troops had contributed to the destruction in the Tigray region, and he described the Pretoria Agreement, which had brought an end to the Tigray war, as a “setback” for Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki.
According to Mulatu, President Afwerki is expanding his influence in the region through conflict, and he wants to perpetuate instability rather than peace.
Furthermore, he accused President Afwerki of working with leaders of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) who, according to Mulatu, are dissatisfied with the terms of the Pretoria Agreement.
Mulatu also called for diplomatic pressure to be applied on Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, urging the international community to address the broader regional issues that he believes are connected to the problems in Ethiopia.
His article suggested that Ethiopia’s internal struggles were having far-reaching effects on the Horn of Africa, and that peace in the region was being undermined by Eritrea’s actions.
In response to Mulatu’s allegations, Eritrean Minister Yemane Gebremeskel quickly refuted the accusations.
He accused the former President of attempting to stir up conflict by falsely claiming that Eritrea was instigating a new war in the Horn of Africa.
The Eritrean government insisted that such claims were unfounded and part of an outdated narrative that did not accurately reflect the current situation.
In addition to addressing Mulatu’s article, Ambassador Nebiat’s statement also touched on Ethiopia’s relations with neighboring Somalia.
One of the key issues raised was Ethiopia’s port agreement with Somaliland, which was signed a year ago.
Journalists questioned the nature of this agreement and whether it had any implications for Ethiopia’s ongoing diplomatic efforts in the region.
However, Ambassador Nebiat chose not to comment in detail on this matter. Instead, he emphasized that Ethiopia remains committed to strengthening its relations and cooperation with Somalia.
He also reiterated that Ethiopia had not abandoned its long-standing efforts to secure port access, which is vital for its landlocked economy.
The spokesperson further highlighted Ethiopia’s ongoing diplomatic efforts, particularly through its embassies in Tokyo and New Delhi, to assist Ethiopian nationals who were deceived by illegal brokers and are currently stranded in Thailand and Myanmar under difficult circumstances.
These individuals are being assisted to return home, as part of Ethiopia’s continued commitment to protecting the welfare of its citizens abroad.
