Jeffrey Feltman appointed US special envoy to Horn of Africa

Position created to help mitigate the crisis in Ethiopia's Tigray region and the Nile dam dispute

Jeffrey Feltman on a visit to Abu Dhabi. Ryan Carter / The National.

Former US diplomat and UN undersecretary general for political affairs Jeffrey Feltman was on Friday named as special envoy to the Horn of Africa.

The position is one created by President Joe Biden's team to help mitigate the crisis in the Tigray region of Ethiopia and the Nile dam dispute between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia.

“Today, I am announcing that Jeffrey Feltman will serve as the US special envoy for the Horn of Africa,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

Highlighting Mr Feltman’s long service record in US government as former ambassador to Lebanon and former assistant secretary of state for Near East affairs, Mr Blinken said he hoped his appointment would ease tension in the Horn of Africa.

“Of particular concern are the volatile situation in Ethiopia, including the conflict in Tigray; escalating tension between Ethiopia and Sudan; and the dispute around the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.”

The appointment also highlights renewed attention to that region, providing high-level US engagement to the Horn of Africa in both mitigating conflicts and countering China’s growing influence.

The Biden administration has increased focus on the conflict in Tigray but has yet to bring forth a solution.

The conflict broke out in the Ethiopian region last November when Ethiopian and Eritrean troops alongside allied militias launched an offensive against the Tigray’s People Liberation Front (TPLF).

The fighting has already displaced about one million civilians and left 4.5 million in need, according to the UN.

The administration dispatched Chris Coons, a US senator, in March to pressure Addis Ababa to reach a ceasefire and withdraw Eritrean forces.

Mr Blinken also called Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to end the fighting and has described what is happening in Tigray as “ethnic cleansing".

Cameron Hudson, a senior fellow with the Atlantic Council's Africa Centre, saw the appointment of Mr Feltman as critical to filling in the void in US diplomacy in the Horn of Africa.

"The appointment comes not a moment too soon, given increasingly dire conditions in Tigray, intransigence in the GERD [Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam] negotiations from all sides and a continued military standoff between Sudan and Ethiopia," Mr Hudson told The National.

A satellite image taken on June 26, 2020 shows a close-up view of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile. Maxar Technologies via Reuters

The construction site of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in Guba in the North West of Ethiopia, seen in November 2017. AP

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile River in Guba, northwest Ethiopia. AFP

An aerial view of water levels at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in Guba, Ethiopia, 2020. AFP

The Blue Nile River is seen as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam reservoir fills near the Ethiopia-Sudan border, in this broad spectral image taken on November 6, 2020. Reuters

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has been a source of discord for years. AP

The GERD dam on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia has been under construction since 2011. EPA/MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile River is considered by Ethiopia to be integral to its energy supply, but neighbouring countries say it jeopardises their own water resources. AFP

This frame grab from a video obtained from the Ethiopian Public Broadcaster (EBC) on July 20 and July 21, 2020 and released on July 24, 2020 shows an aerial view of water levels at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in Guba, Ethiopia. AFP

A view of northwestern Ethiopia that focuses on the status of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and the Blue Nile River on July 11, 2020. AFP

A handout satellite image shows a closeup view of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and the Blue Nile River in Ethiopia June 26, 2020. Maxar Technologies via Reuters

The foreign ministers of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan will return to Washington this week for another round of talks to reach an agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam after missing the deadline last month. Reuters

The Blue Nile river flows near the site of the planned Grand Renaissance Dam near Assosa in Ethiopia. AP

The Grand Renaissance Dam hydroelectric project in Ethiopia. Egypt belives Adis Abbaba is being deliberatley slow in negotiations. William Lloyd George / AFP

A combination picture of handout satellite images shows a view of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) July 25, 2017 (top left), July 20, 2018 (top right), July 3, 2019 (bottom left), July 9, 2020 (bottom right) in Ethiopia, in these Sentinel-1 satellite imageries obtained by Reuters on July 14, 2020.

“He has his work cut out for him but has the experience and the clout to be able to hit the ground running,” he said on Mr Feltman’s experience.

Mr Hudson, a former US official, said the appointment will help the Biden administration develop a strategy in addressing the region.

“Washington has been at a disadvantage diplomatically for many months, trying to engage on these growing crises from afar,” he observed.

Developing a strategy towards the region will enable Washington “to pursue our security interest while at the same time promoting the values of democracy and human rights,” Mr Hudson argued.

Mr Feltman, 62, served for about six years as the under-secretary general for political affairs at the UN where he worked directly with former secretary-general Ban Ki-moon on mitigating conflicts. He also brings 26 years of experience in the US foreign service.