Ambassador teshome toga biography of abraham lincoln

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The NRC was established by Council of Ministers regulation at the end of 2022.  We would recall that we went through a very devastating war and conflict in the northern part of Ethiopia.  For us the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA) that was signed between the government of Ethiopia and Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) is the basis for the establishment of the commission.

The exact data could only come when there is registration because we are talking about disarmed ex-combatants so there is a way of verifying that we will work with regions, with ENDF, with the police and other institutions working on disarmament because that is the starting point.  But we have a working figure when we developed the program,  we used an estimated 250, 000 ex-combatants.  This is the figure that the defense forces have from an operational perspective not from overall demobilization perspective.

Finally, of course our partners should also participate because the bulk of the resources are expected to come out of donors, private sector and CSOs; technical support is also expected from them. All sources of development, democratic and peaceful exercise undertaken after the change of the government actually requires a stable, peaceful environment.  But again with the violence experience we have several other initiatives in the country; the national dialogue and transitional justice and of course efforts that we are making to get out of the post conflict challenges that we are facing.

So, the major task of the NRC is to really demobilize and reintegrate ex-combatants into the community, into a peaceful life and finally of course we want them to be productive. There is a provision in our regulation that if it is necessary we can establish a branch office so that is what we are also planning to do.

I expect and believe that our donors will support the program; I expect the private sector should contribute to the program and I hope that CSOs should also contribute to our program. All these are very important, and that is why we are working with our partners.

So, participation of all stakeholders including the leadership of the government, there is now an institution on behalf of the government, the private sector, the donor community, the CSOs and the media including you is critically important.

I think, from what I have said earlier,  I have no serious worry about the political commitment and the security environment and the support from the regional states is very reassuring;  to be honest they want us to start the job tomorrow. There are so many technical things we need to do. [First] the government is the owner of the program.

That is why we have been actually going around and making sure that the preconditions for demobilization and reintegration are matured in each of the regions that we are working with.

“DDR does not only include the ex-combatants as there are people like drivers, medical personnel, security personnel, providing them protection, providing them other support and their families and this is again a question that requires a policy decision”

Ambassador Teshome Toga

AS: So, what is the estimated figure you are currently working with?

Ambassador Teshome: To be frank with you, we need further verification on the numbers.

Teshome Toga. Prior to this, he served in the same capacity in Paris since January 2011, concurrently accredited to Spain, Portugal, the Vatican and Tunisia. This becomes very critical whatever cause we might have because the two year war didn’t solve our problem, our political differences. Teshome completed his secondary school in Sodo. So, that is what I actually refer to as the political and security environment, which is a necessary precondition for any endeavor we undertake in this country.  Well, whether violence is a civilized way of doing things, I think we need to pause and reconsider that violence has never resulted I think in anything. 

The best strategy for Ethiopia is really to revert to a peaceful and democratic dialogue centered approach to resolve all our problems.

the major task of the NRC is to really demobilize and reintegrate ex-combatants into the community, into a peaceful life and finally of course we want them to be productive…”

Many countries that emerged out of conflict usually undertake the DDR program and they establish a commission or a government agency to implement the DDR of ex-combatants.

But I think [we also have] some major challenges: one is the institutional capacity, which we are building because we need to do that.