Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Depity Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces receives Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki at the presidential palace in Abu Dhabi on July 24, 2018. Karim Sahib / AFP
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Depity Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces receives Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki at the presidential palace in Abu Dhabi on July 24, 2018. Karim Sahib / AFP
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Depity Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces receives Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki at the presidential palace in Abu Dhabi on July 24, 2018. Karim Sahib / AFP
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Depity Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces receives Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki at the presidential

UAE's quiet diplomacy will help ensure peace in the Horn


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The peace deal brokered earlier this month between Eritrea and Ethiopia startled international observers and delighted residents of both east African nations. After 18 years of military tension and diplomatic isolation, one analyst summed it up well while speaking to The National: "It's phenomenal".

But two weeks later, the details of the groundbreaking deal continue to emerge.

Today's joint visit to Abu Dhabi by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isais Afwerki sheds some light on the role the UAE seems to have played in helping both countries conclude a war that claimed more than 70,000 lives.

As the two leaders penned the deal on July 9, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation Anwar Gargash tweeted: “Through years of hard work to support…political continuity with Eritrea and Ethiopia, the UAE has become an esteemed partner in the Horn of Africa and is the leader of the Arab presence in this important region”. It followed the Dh11 billion aid package granted to Ethiopia by the UAE last month.

This is a victory for quiet diplomacy, the likes of which the UAE has finetuned in the Horn of Africa, a strategically crucial region blighted by decades of conflict.

The two leaders, who managed to end a seemingly intractable conflict, were both awarded the prestigious Order of Zayed. Named after the UAE’s Founding Father, it is a rare honour of significant magnitude, recently awarded to Chinese President Xi Jinping, a great and powerful ally.

By bestowing this honour on both leaders, this country’s rulers have reaffirmed their hopes and faith in a lasting peace and prosperity in the Horn of Africa, where they have strong alliances.

By operating ports in Eritrea, Djibouti and the autonomous Somali regions of Puntland and Somaliland, the UAE is able to boost trade and protect the Gulf of Aden. It is, among other things, the UAE's understated, effective diplomacy that has helped usher in a period of renewed peace in one of Africa's most war-torn regions.

And that is the great virtue of the landmark Ethiopia-Eritrea peace agreement. Traditionally the two foes have taken different sides on regional disputes – including in troubled Somalia – dealing a blow to hopes for regional peace. With the two united in promoting peace alongside the UAE, we can expect a so-called security dividend.

Ethiopia now finds itself well placed, for instance, to mediate in the border dispute between Eritrea and Djibouti. Ultimately the peace will be most beneficial for the people of Eritrea and Ethiopia, who are enjoying reintroduced travel, communications, diplomatic and trade links.

But behind their joy, quietly in the background, is the delicate role of the UAE in helping bring peace to a neighbourhood sundered by war.

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The specs: 2018 Maserati Ghibli

Price, base / as tested: Dh269,000 / Dh369,000

Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 355hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque: 500Nm @ 4,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 8.9L / 100km

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Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding

Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.

Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.

Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.

For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae

 

Fixtures (all times UAE)

Saturday
Brescia v Atalanta (6pm)
Genoa v Torino (9pm)
Fiorentina v Lecce (11.45pm)

Sunday
Juventus v Sassuolo (3.30pm)
Inter Milan v SPAL (6pm)
Lazio v Udinese (6pm)
Parma v AC Milan (6pm)
Napoli v Bologna (9pm)
Verona v AS Roma (11.45pm)

Monday
Cagliari v Sampdoria (11.45pm)

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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:

Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona

Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate

Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ

Price, base: Dh1,731,672

Engine: 6.5-litre V12

Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm

Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm

Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UAE squad

Ali Kashief, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdelrahman, Mohammed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Mohmmed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammad Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Eisa, Mohammed Shakir, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Adel Al Hosani, Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah), Waleed Abbas, Ismail Al Hammadi, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai) Habib Fardan, Tariq Ahmed, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Mahrami (Baniyas)