20th December, 2023
By Lucy Ogalue
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has decided to withdraw all its international staff from Ethiopia immediately.
The Bank’s President, Dr Akinwumi Adesina in a statement issued by AfDB on Wednesday, said the office would however, remain open under an Officer-in-Charge.
“These measures will not affect national recruited staff from Ethiopia who will continue their work and remain in the full employment of the Bank.
“The Bank will assure them and their families of its duty of care, “he said.
According to Adesina, this decision followed the recent breach of diplomatic protocol and assault by Ethiopian security forces on two of the Bank’s international members of staff.
“Specifically, on Oct. 31, two Addis Ababa-based staff were unlawfully arrested, physically assaulted and detained for hours without charge or any official explanation.
“This was a gross violation of their diplomatic immunities, rights, and privileges under the AfDB Group’s Host Country Agreement with the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
“On learning of the incident, I immediately contacted the highest levels of authority in the Ethiopian government, following which the Bank’s two staff members were released, “he said.
Adesina said the bank formally communicated with the government of Ethiopia through an official note on Nov. 6, requesting a full and transparent investigation into the incident.
He said a high-level delegation of bank officials led by its Senior Vice President to Addis Ababa was sent on Nov. 22 to engage with senior Ethiopian authorities.
The AfDB president said, “The assessment from the Bank’s delegation indicates that the situation is still not yet resolved satisfactorily.
“It also does not provide full confidence that all the AfDB’s employees feel safe and secure to carry out their duties and move around the country without fear of harassment.
“The AfDB remains particularly concerned that the Ethiopian government has, to date, not shared with the Bank any report or details of investigations into the incident,” Adesina added.
According to the AfDB boss, the October incident continues to cause anxiety, especially among staff at the Ethiopia country office.
He explained that the incident had also raised concerns among the Bank’s shareholders, other multilateral development banks and international financial institutions among others.
Adesina reiterated that the AfDB would do everything possible to ensure the safety and security of its personnel and the protection of their rights and privileges in the conduct of their work.
“In this regard, as a precautionary measure, the Bank’s international staff in Ethiopia will work remotely outside the country until the findings of the government investigations into the grave incident are transparently shared with the Bank and full details of the measures taken to bring the guilty parties to book are made public,” he said.
The AfDB boss expressed the commitment of the bank to supporting the country’s socioeconomic development.
“As of Sept. 30, the Bank’s ongoing portfolio in Ethiopia, comprising 22 projects, totalling 1.24 billion dollars.
“AfDB appreciates the excellent relations it has with Ethiopia until this egregious incident.
“Its continued operations and future presence in the country can be negatively affected if the incident is not fully resolved,” he said.
(NAN)