Situation in Tigray region remains Ethiopia’s internal affair: S. Sudan Vice President

Addis Ababa, August 24, 2021 (FBC) – Vice President of South Sudan Hussein Abdel Bagi said the recent situation in Tigray is Ethiopia’s internal affairs to be addressed only by Ethiopians.

Ethiopian Ambassador to South Sudan, Nebil Mahdi has conferred with country’s Vice President Hussein Abdel Bagi on latest developments in Ethiopia and implementation of the South Sudanese Peace agreement.

Ambassador Nebil stressed need to transform the deep-seated and longstanding ties between the two countries through implementation of joint development projects.

The activities under way to link the two nations with power supply and road infrastructure is instrumental in doing so, he said.

He reiterated Ethiopia’s continued commitment to addressing bottlenecks seen in the implementation of South Sudan peace accord and ensuring lasting peace and security in the country.

The ambassador also briefed the South Sudanese Vice President on latest situation in Tigray region, negotiation on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and ongoing green development initiative.

The South Sudanese Vice President, Hussein Abdel Bagi, to his part, appreciated the role of Ethiopia and sacrifices paid by her people for independence and wellbeing of his country and the people at large.

“The ties between Ethiopia and South Sudan is beyond bilateral relationships,” he said, adding that “Senior Government of South Sudan has a great respect for Ethiopia and its people,”

Vice President Hussein Abdel Bagi also stressed an urgent need to integrate the two countries with infrastructure. “GERD is a treasure not only for Ethiopians but also two South Sudanese people and the entire region”, he noted.

He said the situation in Tigray is Ethiopia’s internal affar to be addressed only by Ethiopians, adding that South Sudan denounces any external meddling in Ethiopia domestic issues.