AfDB will resume work in Ethiopia after security assurance - bank

19th January 2024 By: Reuters

AfDB will resume work in Ethiopia after security assurance - bank

AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina
Photo by: Reuters

The African Development Bank (AfDB) said on Friday that all its international staff would return to Ethiopia a month after it withdrew the employees following an assault on staff members by government security forces.

The bank's normal operations in the country will resume after authorities gave an assurance of security, it said in a statement.

In a meeting between AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed late last month Abiy issued an apology to AfDB and assured the bank and its staff of safety and security, the statement said.

It added that the Ethiopian government had committed to cooperate on investigations into missing funds that were to have been transferred to the bank.

"In light of the productive meetings between ... Abiy and ... Adesina, and the formal apologies of the government and the firm commitments ... to address the issues related to the incident, the bank will now resume its normal operations in Ethiopia," AfDB said.