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 Ethiopia |  Russia |
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Ethiopia and the Soviet Union established diplomatic relations on April 21, 1943. Russia currently has an embassy in Addis Ababa, and Ethiopia has an embassy in Moscow. The Ethiopian ambassador to Russia is also accredited to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
The first contacts between Russians and Ethiopians took place in the Palestine, where Russian pilgrims met the Ethiopian religious community. Around 1370, the Russian pilgrim Agrefeny described the performance of Ethiopian rites in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. [1] In the 1470s, Afanasy Nikitin passed through what is today Eritrea on his way back from India, becoming the first Russian to set foot in Ethiopian lands. [2]
The history of this relationship has its origins in the 19th century. Russia's first steps in the Horn of Africa were taken by a Cossack adventurer named N.I. Ashinov, who illegally without any support from the Tsar attempted to establish a "New Moscow" at the coastal town of Sagallo in modern-day Djibouti, with the expectation that a Russian community there would force the Tsar to come to protect and lay claim to it. This short-lived settlement came to an end in February 1889 when French authorities attacked the out-post after Russia denied any official link to them, the 175 Russian settlers were then forcibly removed by a Russian Naval ship detachment that was set to collect them. Nikolay Ashinov was then imprisoned for disobeying the Tsar, who had no interest in forming colonies or engaging in the slave trade in Africa, that was the domain of Turkish Ottoman and European Empires [3] While Ashinov had never received any support from the Russian Tsar, a delegation led by V.F. Mashkov to Emperor Menelik II in October 1889 was official. Mashkov discussed arms supply, technology and diplomatic support supply deals to Ethiopia with the Ethiopian emperor, and upon returning to Russia he was decorated by the Tsar for successfully establishing ties. Mashkov made a second visit to Ethiopia early in 1891 under the sponsorship of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society. [4] Paul Henze notes that the reasons of Mashkov's visits were "no doubt political, but the fact that both countries were Orthodox encouraged favorable attitudes on both sides." [5]
During the First Italo-Ethiopian War, Russia was the sole European power that offered diplomatic support to Ethiopia. [6]
A permanent Russian diplomatic presence was established in Addis Ababa in 1902. [7]
The Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin did not send any aid to Ethiopia during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, and continued trading with Italy during the conflict in spite of sanctions the Soviets themselves officially supported, [8] but the USSR was one of only five nations which never acknowledged Italy's occupation of Ethiopia. [9] Official diplomatic relations between the USSR and Ethiopia were established on 21 April 1943 during World War II. [10]
Ethiopia established friendly relations with the Soviet Union following a 1974 uprising that forced the long serving Emperor Haile Selassie to cede power to a military council called the Derg ("Committee" in Ge'ez). [11] Despite the implementation of a series of radical socio-economic reforms, Moscow was slow to embrace the new regime for several reasons. [12] First, the Derg continued the old regime's policy of buying arms from the United States. Second, the Soviet Union was reluctant to jeopardize its growing relationship with Somalia, Ethiopia's traditional enemy. Third, a significant segment of the Soviet leadership was skeptical of the revolutionary credentials of the Derg, as Moscow perceived a significant number of its members to be pro-Western. [13]
Soviet backing for the Derg increased as Major Mengistu Haile Mariam emerged as its most powerful member. [12] In 1975, the first group of officers from the regime traveled to the Soviet Union for ideological training, including Lt. Colonel Fikre-Selassie Wogderess, who would later become Mengistu's second in command. [14] Soviet media ran positive portrayals of the Derg and of Mengistu in particular. [13] After the execution of Mengistu's rival, Major Sisal Habte, Soviet support for the regime grew substantially, beginning with a secret $100 million arms deal in December 1976. In May 1977, Mengistu traveled to Moscow to sign a "Declaration on the Principles of Friendly Relations and Cooperation" and to conclude a second arms deal worth about $385 million. [15]
Moscow's public embrace of Mengistu concerned Siad Barre's regime in Somalia, who worried about the implications of friendly Soviet-Ethiopian relations on their own alliance with the USSR. [15] After rejecting a Soviet proposal for a four-nation Marxist–Leninist confederation, the Somali government launched an offensive in July 1977 with the intent of capturing Ethiopia's Ogaden region, starting the Ogaden War. [15] Though Somalia appeared to be on the brink of victory after gaining control of 90% of the area, the Ethiopians were able to launch a counter offensive with the help of newly arrived Soviet arms and a South Yemeni brigade. [16] Infuriated by Soviet support for the Ethiopians, Somalia annulled its treaty with the Soviet Union and expelled all Soviet advisors in the country. [15] Consequently, the USSR orchestrated a massive transport of armaments, Cuban combat troops and Soviet military advisors to Ethiopia. [16] By March 1978, Somali forces had been pushed out of the Ogaden. [15]
Following the Ogaden War, the Soviet Union strengthened its ties to Ethiopia. [16] Moscow provided the Derg with more than $11 billion in military aid, leading to the creation of the largest army in sub-Saharan Africa. [16] Soviet support was critical in the continuing suppression of Eritrean and Tigrean separatists. [16] The USSR established naval, air and land bases in Ethiopia, notably facilities for naval reconnaissance flights in Asmara. [16] Politically, the Soviet Union pushed Mengistu to develop a "national-democratic" regime, along the lines of the Eastern European countries. [17] This was something he did reluctantly, as the Workers' Party of Ethiopia was not established until 1984. [17] Economically, the Soviets provided limited credits to develop basic industries such as utilities. [18] A significant number of Soviet professionals such as doctors and engineers also traveled to Ethiopia. [19]
Soviet policy towards Ethiopia remained relatively unchanged until the accession of Mikhail Gorbachev to General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1985. The new Soviet leader sought to reduce East-West tensions in order to pursue domestic political and economic reforms. [20] To this end, Gorbachev called for "the just political settlement of international crisis and regional conflicts" at the 27th Congress of the Communist Party in March 1986. [21] Soviet intellectuals began to question Moscow's support of socialist leaders who did not have popular support. [22] Gorbachev's de-ideologization of Soviet foreign relations led many Soviet observers to view Mengistu less as the leader of a Leninist vanguard and more as an ineffective dictator struggling to maintain power at Moscow's expense. [23]
Signs of Gorbachev's "new thinking" were evident in Ethiopian relations as early as 1986, when the Soviets pressured Mengistu to agree to face-to-face talks with Somalia's Siad Barre that resulted in the signing of peace accords in 1988. [24] Similarly, Moscow indicated to Mengistu that the arms agreement reached in November 1987 was to be the last of its kind. [25] Despite the urging of Soviet advisers, Mengistu resisted implementing political and economic reforms and banned discussion of perestroika and glasnost from Ethiopian media. [26] It was not until the collapse of the hardline communist regimes in Eastern Europe in late 1989 that Mengistu proposed limited economic liberalization. [27]
The drop of substantial Soviet military support after 1987 had consequences. Eritrean and Tigrean insurgents began to make advances, placing the Addis regime in an increasingly tenuous position. [28] By mid-1989, Moscow was significantly cutting back weapon deliveries and advised Mengistu to seek a negotiated settlement. [28] In July 1989, the head of the Soviet Foreign Ministry's African Department, Yuri Yukalov, met with Eritrean representatives in London in an attempt to advance the peace process. [29] In September 1989, the Soviet Deputy Minister of Defense, General V. Varennikov, delivered a message to Mengistu from Gorbachev confirming Moscow's decision to end military aid to Ethiopia. [28] In early 1990, the Soviet Union sought to further its disengagement from Ethiopia by welcoming the entry of the United States into the diplomatic process. This included mediation between the regime and the Eritrea People's Liberation Front by American Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Herman Cohen. [30] These talks collapsed when the Ethiopian insurgents, under the umbrella grouping known as the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, advanced into the capital and overthrew the regime in May 1991, forcing Mengistu into exile in Zimbabwe. [30]
During the Ethiopian-Eritrean War of the 1990s, Russia provided fighter jets and pilots to the then Ethiopian Air Force.
During the Tigray War, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said the issue was an internal affair of Ethiopia and that Russia supported the Ethiopian government's efforts. The two sides also expressed the need to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the fields of education, science and technology. [31]
Ethiopia abstained in the UN vote condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Ethiopians also queued up to volunteer for Russia's side during the Russo-Ukrainian War. [32]
On August 23 2023, at the 15th BRICS summit, Russia along with the other members of BRICS formally invited Ethiopia to join the organization. Ethiopia became a full member on January 1 2024. [33]
In November 2022, Ethiopia was one of 13 countries that voted against United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES-11/5 which calls for Russia to pay war reparations to Ukraine by creating an international reparations mechanism. [34]
In April 2022, Ethiopia voted against expelling Russia from the United Nations Human Rights Council. [35]
| Visiting leader | Hosting leader | Location | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Emperor Haile Selassie |  Chairman Kliment Voroshilov [36] | Moscow, Soviet Union | July 1959 | First visit by an Ethiopian leader to Russia. [37] He was awarded the 1st Class of the Order of Suvorov during the visit. He also met with Patriarch Alexy I of Moscow. [38] |
 Lieutenant Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam | Chairman Leonid Brezhnev | Moscow, Soviet Union | May 1977 | He signed the "Declaration on the Principles of Friendly Relations and Cooperation." |
| Prime Minister Meles Zenawi |  President Vladimir Putin | Moscow, Russia | December 2001 | A declaration on cooperation was renewed. [39] |
| Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed | President Vladimir Putin | Sochi, Russia | 23 October 2019 | Participated in the inaugural Russia–Africa Summit. [40] |
| Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed | President Vladimir Putin | Saint Petersburg | July 2023 | Participated in the Russia–Africa Summit. [41] |
The Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) is the military force of Ethiopia. Civilian control of the military is carried out through the Ministry of Defense, which oversees the Ground Forces, Air Force, Naval Force as well as the Defense Industry Sector.
The foreign relations of Ethiopia refers to overall diplomatic relationship of Ethiopia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs oversees foreign relations and diplomatic missions of the country.
Mengistu Haile Mariam is an Ethiopian former politician and former military officer who was the head of state of Ethiopia from 1977 to 1991 and General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Ethiopia from 1984 to 1991. He was the chairman of the Derg, the Marxist-Leninist military junta that governed Ethiopia, from 1977 to 1987, and the president of the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (PDRE) from 1987 to 1991.
Tesfaye Gebre Kidan Geletu was an Ethiopian general who was the acting president of Ethiopia for one week in late May 1991.
Berhanu Beyeh is an Ethiopian former military officer and politician. He was the Foreign Minister of Ethiopia during the Derg regime from 1986 to 1989. Prior to that, he was chairman of the Derg's committee for legal affairs. Beyeh was a refugee resident of the Italian Embassy from May 1991 until December 2020, when he left the Embassy.
Aman Mikael Andom was an Eritrean general, and the first post-imperial acting head of state of Ethiopia. Aman was also the first Chairman of the Derg. He was appointed to this position following the coup d'état that ousted Emperor Haile Selassie on 12 September 1974, and served until his assassination in a shootout with his former supporters.
The Western Somali Liberation Front was a Somali movement fighting in eastern Ethiopia to liberate the Ogaden region from Ethiopian control. It played a major role in the Ogaden War of 1977–78, assisting the invading Somali Army.
The Derg, officially the Provisional Military Administrative Council (PMAC), was the military dictatorship that ruled Ethiopia, then including present-day Eritrea, from 1974 to 1987, when the military leadership or junta formally "civilianized" the administration but stayed in power until 1991.
The Ogaden War, also known as the Ethio-Somali War, was a military conflict fought between Somalia and Ethiopia from July 1977 to March 1978 over the sovereignty of Ogaden. Somalia's invasion of the region, precursor to the wider war, met with the Soviet Union's disapproval, leading the superpower to end its support for Somalia to fully support Ethiopia instead.
The People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia was a socialist state that existed in Ethiopia and present-day Eritrea from 1987 to 1991.
The Eritrean War of Independence was an armed conflict and insurgency aimed at achieving self-determination and independence for Eritrea from Ethiopian rule. Starting in 1961, Eritrean insurgents engaged in guerrilla warfare to liberate Eritrea Province from the control of the Ethiopian Empire under Haile Selassie and later the Derg under Mengistu. Their efforts ultimately succeeded in 1991 with the fall of the Derg regime.
The Ethiopian Civil War was a civil war in Ethiopia and present-day Eritrea, fought between the Ethiopian military junta known as the Derg and Ethiopian-Eritrean anti-government rebels from 12 September 1974 to 28 May 1991.
The Ethiopian Navy, known as the Imperial Ethiopian Navy until 1974, is a branch of the Ethiopian National Defense Force founded in 1955. It was disestablished in 1996 after the independence of Eritrea in 1991 left Ethiopia landlocked. In 2019, the Ethiopian Navy was re-established based in Bahir Dar, Amhara region, near Lake Tana.
The military history of Ethiopia dates back to the foundation of early Ethiopian Kingdoms in 980 BC. Ethiopia has been involved in many of the major conflicts in the horn of Africa, and was one of the few native African nations which remained independent during the Scramble for Africa, managing to create a modern army. 19th and 20th century Ethiopian Military history is characterized by conflicts with the Dervish State, Mahdist Sudan, Egypt, and Italy, and later by a civil war.
Ethiopia–Israel relations are foreign relations between Ethiopia and Israel. Both countries re-established diplomatic relations in 1992. Ethiopia has an embassy in Tel Aviv. Israel has an embassy in Addis Ababa.
Africa–Soviet Union relations are the diplomatic, political, military, and cultural relationships between the Soviet Union and Africa from the 1945 to 1991. The Soviets took little interest until the decolonisation of Africa of the 1950s and early 1960s which created opportunities to expand their influence. Africans were not receptive to the Soviet model of socio-economic development. Instead, the Soviets offered financial aid, munitions, and credits for purchases from the Soviet bloc, while avoiding direct involvement in armed conflicts. Temporary alliances were secured with Angola and Ethiopia. The 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union left its successor state, Russia, with greatly diminished influence.
Ethiopia–Yugoslavia relations were historical foreign relations between Ethiopia and now split-up Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Both countries were among founding members of the Non-Aligned Movement. The first contacts between the two countries were established at the United Nations in 1947 where Yugoslavia supported Ethiopian claims on Eritrea while Ethiopia supported Yugoslav claims over the Free Territory of Trieste. After the 1948, Tito-Stalin split Yugoslavia turned towards the non-bloc countries and two countries opened their embassies in 1955. The formal diplomatic relations were established already in 1952. Emperor Haile Selassie was the first African head of state in official visit to Yugoslavia in 1954.
The fall of the Derg, also known as Downfall of the Derg, was a military campaign that resulted in the defeat of the ruling Marxist–Leninist military junta, the Derg, by the rebel coalition Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) on 28 May 1991 in Addis Ababa, ending the Ethiopian Civil War. The Derg took power after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie and the Solomonic dynasty, an imperial dynasty of Ethiopia that began in 1270. The Derg suffered from insurgency with different factions, and separatist rebel groups since their early rule, beginning with the Ethiopian Civil War. The 1983–1985 famine, the Red Terror, and resettlement and villagization made the Derg unpopular with the majority of Ethiopians tending to support insurgent groups like the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF).
This list details about chronological aspect of the Derg, the military junta that ruled Ethiopia from 1974 to 1987 by decade.
The government of the Derg consisted of Unitary Marxist-Leninist one-party system with communist and later socialist ideology. Opposing feudal system of Ethiopia, the Derg abolished land tenure in March 1975 and began sweeping land reform under Land Reform Proclamation. All means of goods have been therefore nationalized by the regime including housing, land, farms, and industry.
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