Part 2
African Union Commission, 7th June 2013, The African Border Day
“You see? Chigger yeullem! We made it!”, the taxi driver, who has just conducted an impressive race through the Addis morning traffic smiles triumphantly at me as his Lada rolls down Roosevelt Avenue to the GIZ-AU office, located directly opposite the AU compound. And true enough – against all odds – we made it just on time. The 7th of June officially commemorates the creation of the AUBP and is supposed to be celebrated annually both at the AU-level and within its member states as the African Border Day. High-level African and non-African politicians and diplomats in Addis Ababa, as well as various experts and official representatives have gathered in the Old Plenary Hall of the AUC.
The first photo below is when the German Ambassador is honoured with great applause as she hands over electronic copies of all archives, including maps, treaties and colonial documents, formerly held by the German Government, to the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security. It is a historic moment of success – both for the image of German Development Cooperation and for the AUBP which has requested this more than symbolic handover of political and state affairs concerning African boundaries into African ownership.
The photo below shows the launch of the AUBP guidebook series by the Head of the Programme, Ambassador Aguibou Diarrah. For me personally, this was a moment of relief after several weeks of struggle to finalise the products, have them shipped to Addis, clear them from customs and eventually see them presented at the African Border Day. Just in time, but chigger yeullem…
Most touching, however, are the testimonies given by the two women shown in the following, one from Burkina Faso and the other from Mali. They shyly described in their respective languages the positive impacts of the Cross-Border Health Centre between their villages. It was a half day of ceremonious joy and optimism with praises to the AUBP and its partners but also a day of formality, which was impressive and exhausting at the same time.
Places and faces of Ethiopia
As usually more than 45 hours of the week were spent in the office or in other work-related settings, and thus one is tempted to seize any opportunity to balance every-day work life with experiences of “real” life in the host country. That said, it is difficult to express what “real life” implies in the Ethiopian context, especially due to the fact that there are such profound differences between habesha (Ethiopian) and expat perspectives. Indeed, although most ferenjis (foreigners) coming to Ethiopia indulge in the cultural richness of traditional food, textiles and music, it still seems impossible to touch more than the surface of the true identity of this proud nation. Behind many a smile there are every-day worries that ferenjis in the country might not always be able to fully comprehend. While one section of the society enjoys the highest and yet comparably “affordable” living standards, others have to cope with constant fear of losing their houses and homes in favour of “urban development”, inflationary food prices, and lack of freedom of expression. Poverty, politics, ethnicity and religion are highly sensitive subjects in this diverse nation, which is far from being as unified as it seems to be. Barely perceivable tensions between Muslim and Christian political groupings, as well as between the government and opposing movements are smouldering ‘flames’ which could burst into ‘fire’. The role of the international development community in reinforcing inequalities and increasing gaps between the rich and the poor in Ethiopia should also be subject to more critical scrutiny.
Yet, on a human-to-human basis, the hospitality of the local population is remarkable, as is its general sense of dignity. Equally stunning, in my own experience, is the way in which Muslim and Christian Ethiopians live not only side by side, but with each other, extending mutual invitations to Fasika (Orthodox Easter) and Eid (end of Ramadan), and attending Mosques next to Orthodox Churches, so that it is impossible to distinguish whose religious chants wake you from sleep in the wee hours of the morning. It is close to impossible to briefly capture in writing the richness of impressions I gained from Ethiopia on a daily basis. The following photos display but a tiny fracture of Ethiopian places and faces on the ground-level, absolved from the fictive worlds of politics and state diplomacy.
Megenagna bus station on the East-side of Addis Ababa
What does the bus bring? Mother and her barefoot child in their highland home. Miles away from the next public infrastructure.
Construction sites and modern glass buildings – banks, hotels, commercial centres, etc. – propping up everywhere. Many of them displacing the traditional homes of local residents.
Waiting in the wings. Professional Ethiopian runners at the 7km Coca Cola Race in Addis Ababa.
Out and about with habesha friends. The mountains surrounding Addis Ababa offer brilliant opportunities for hiking and refreshing weekend escapes from the city.
Tranquility above the crowds – an old man overlooking the Lalibela market
Camel market in Babile.
Kristin Fedeler
MSc Africa and International Development (2011 – 2012)