The AfDB lodged a formal complaint with Ethiopian authorities last month, calling the physical assault and hours-long detention of two of its employees on Oct. 31 a “very serious diplomatic incident”. The bank sent a high-level delegation to the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Nov. 22 to meet with the Ethiopian government and bank staff, Wednesday’s statement said. The delegation’s assessment was that the situation had not been resolved, AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina said in the statement. The AfDB’s ongoing portfolio in Ethiopia comprised 22 projects totalled $1.24 billion as of Sept. 30, it said in the statement. Its office in Addis Ababa will remain open, and the decision to withdraw international staff will not affect locally recruited employees. Adesina said, however, that the bank’s continued operations and future presence in Ethiopia “could be negatively affected if the incident is not fully resolved”.
SOURCE: REUTERS
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