Activities of Secretary-General in Ethiopia, 13-17 February
On Thursday, 13 February, the Secretary-General arrived in Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia, to take part in the thirty-eighth African Union Summit.
On Thursday afternoon, Mr. Guterres met with the UN country team in Ethiopia and also held a town-hall meeting with UN colleagues working in the country.
Later in the day, he met with the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed.
On Friday, 14 February, the Secretary-General addressed a high-level humanitarian conference for the people of Sudan. He said that in his previous capacity as UN High Commissioner for Refugees, he saw first hand the enormous generosity of the Sudanese people — as they supported their own internally displaced population, as well as refugees. Now, he added, the international community must show the same level of support to the Sudanese people in their moment of despair. (See Press Release SG/SM/22555.)
Later in the day, the Secretary-General participated in meetings of the African Union Peace and Security Council at the level of Heads of State and Government, on the situation in Sudan and on the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Secretary-General addressed the Peace and Security Council during closed-door sessions. In his remarks, he repeated his call on the parties to the conflict to engage for an immediate cessation of hostilities. Speaking about the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Secretary-General called for the swift implementation of the conclusions of the Joint Summit of leaders of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Throughout the day on Friday, Mr. Guterres had bilateral meetings with leaders attending the African Union Summit. He met Úmaro Sissoco Embaló, the President of Guinea-Bissau; William Samoei Ruto, the President of Kenya; as well as with Paul Kagame, the President of Rwanda. He also met with Moussa Faki Mahamat, the outgoing Chairperson of the African Union Commission.
Also on Friday, the Secretary-General did an interview with the Nation Media Group from Kenya.
On Saturday morning, the Secretary-General delivered remarks at the opening session of the African Union Summit, during which he reaffirmed that the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union has never been stronger. He also reiterated his calls for reforms of the international financial architecture, as well as for permanent representation of African countries at the Security Council. (See Press Release SG/SM/22557.)
On Saturday afternoon, the Secretary-General held a press conference. He told journalists that his discussions in Addis Ababa focused on four areas: Boosting sustainable development, investment and affordable finance; wecuring climate action and justice to tackle an existential threat that the African people did virtually nothing to create; making sure that Africa is not left behind in the technology race; and fundamentally, achieving and sustaining peace throughout the African continent.
Following his press conference, the Secretary-General did a television interview with France 24.
Throughout the day on Saturday, the Secretary-General held several bilateral meetings. He sat down with Evariste Ndayishimiye, President of the Republic of Burundi; Judith Suminwa Tuluka, Prime Minister and Head of Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Mohamed Younis A. Menfi, President of the Presidential Council of the State of Libya; Daniel Francisco Chapo, the President of the Republic of Mozambique; Bassírou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, President of the Republic of Senegal; and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia.
On Saturday evening, the Secretary-General attended a reception hosted by the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, before leaving the country early on Sunday morning.