By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Ethiopia has expressed satisfaction with the country’s invitation to join the BRICS bloc of nations, saying it is a major diplomatic victory.
The country’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who attended the just concluded BRICS Summit in South Africa, called the decision “a great moment for Ethiopia”.
Ethiopia is one of two African countries (Egypt is the other) that will assume full membership of the bloc rivaling the West from January 1.
A total of six nations were invited. The rest four were Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Argentina and Iran.
It is not clear whether any deals were made in order for them to join the bloc, which is currently made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, and aims to challenge perceived Western dominance in world affairs.
“History is made,” Redwan Hussien, Mr Abiy’s security adviser, wrote on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.
Analysts have opined that the move could improve investor perceptions about Ethiopia.
It had suffered negative publicity, stemming from the brutal two-year civil war in its northern Tigray region. It ended last November, but there are also recurrent conflicts in other areas.
Previously a strong US ally in the war on terror across the Horn of Africa, Ethiopia’s relations with the West have deteriorated as accusations of grave rights abuses emerged during the Tigray conflict.
Aid and economic support from the West, on which Addis Ababa depended heavily, has decreased as a consequence.
According to a BBC report, joining the bloc might also give Ethiopia a better footing when it comes to negotiating loans and financial aid as the West might fear the country’s increasingly alignment with China.
