AU, Sudan welcome lifting of sanctions against Eritrea

Reuters photo

By

Fanuel Lakew

ADDIS ABABA—The lifting of sanctions against Eritrea, by the UNSC, is a further step towards the consolidation of the recent developments in the Horn of Africa, marked by an improvement of bilateral relations between the countries of the region, remarked Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Moussa Faki Mahamat in a statement released yesterday.

The chairperson welcomed UNSC’s adoption of a resolution which lifted the sanctions imposed on Eritrea since December 2009, noting also that this would help renew determination in promoting good neighborliness and fostering regional integration.

Moussa Faki Mahamat emboldens the leaders of the region to sustain this momentum taking all steps required to address any outstanding issues in their relations and deepening their cooperation in the pursuit of the shared objective of peace and prosperity.

He further noted that these developments are major contributions to the AU drive towards silencing the guns by 2020 and advancing continental integration in the context of Agenda 2063.

The chairperson assured that AU will keep assisting this process in any way deemed appropriate.

Sudanese Foreign Affairs State Minister Osama Faisal Elsayed Ali stated that the lifting of sanctions against Eritrea by the United Nations Security Council is a great opportunity for Eritrea as well as the region.

The state minister also praised Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed’s role in thawing relations with Eritrea and bringing a flicker of hope to the region.

The State Minister said that Sudan welcomes the lifting of sanctions against Eritrea. “It is a great occasion for Eritrea to rejoin regional development, peace and security efforts.”

“If we Africans stand together, we can achieve a lot of things and solve problems. This is a lesson we learned from Ethiopia and Eritrea relations and the regions as a whole,” he further pointed out.

Fanuel Lakew

Fanuel Lakew is a reporter at the Ethiopian Herald Newspaper of the Ethiopian Press Agency. He did his B.A. degree in Political Science and International Relations from Addis Ababa University in 2012. He also served as the Secretary-General of the Ethiopian Political Science and International Relations. He as well studied M.A. in Politics and International Relations at the Central University of Gujarat, India. He can be reached at [email protected]