African Development Bank international staff to return to Ethiopia

By Mohamed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - The African Development Bank (AfDB) said Friday that its international staff who withdrew from Ethiopia last month will return to resume normal operations.

The development comes after the AfDB and the Ethiopian government resolved to normalize relations following a “serious diplomatic incident” involving the Bank’s international staff.

The Bank said it received formal apologies and firm commitments from Addis Ababa to investigate and share a formal report on investigations into the incident with the Bank and to ensure full accountability for all involved.

“The African Development Bank is delighted with and reassured by the strong personal leadership and firm commitment shown by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, which have led to the resolution of the impasse following the incident,” it added.

Abiy said Addis Ababa’s partnership with the African Development Bank Group is essential to Ethiopia’s food sovereignty endeavors.

“We remain committed to strengthening our relations through the support of my brother President of the Bank,” Abiy wrote on X.

The Bank said in December, that it decided to immediately withdraw its international staff from Ethiopia following a breach of diplomatic protocol and assault by Ethiopian security forces on two of its international staff members.

The Bank’s ongoing portfolio in Ethiopia is $1.24 billion covering 22 projects, according to the Bank.