Addis Ababa, June 12, 2026 (FMC) – Borders should not be seen as dividing lines, but as spaces for regional integration and development, the Minister of State, Prime Minister’s Advisor on Security Affairs, Kene’a Yadeta (PhD), has said.
He made the remarks today at the opening of a two-day high-level policy dialogue on strengthening Ethiopia’s border governance, organized by the Institute of Foreign Affairs (IFA) in partnership with the German Development Cooperation Agency (GIZ) under the African Union Border Programme in Addis Ababa.
The dialogue brings together policymakers, experts, and legislators to examine Ethiopia’s border governance system and explore ways of improving it to support peace, development, and regional integration.
Kene’a Yadeta (PhD) said Ethiopia’s border governance efforts should be aligned with the African Union Border Governance Strategy and Agenda 2063, in order to promote cooperation and shared prosperity.
He said borders should not be seen only as dividing lines, but also as spaces of security, development, and people-to-people exchange. He added that while they serve as barriers against security threats and illegal activities, they should also function as bridges for regional integration.
Director General of the Institute of Foreign Affairs, Jafar Bedru, said border areas and communities, alongside capital cities, play an important role in maintaining stability in the Horn of Africa.
He said border areas should not be viewed as dividing walls, but as spaces for trade, mobility and social interaction built on long-standing connections between communities.
He noted that Ethiopia’s borders still face security challenges, including smuggling and other cross-border crimes, but also hold strong untapped potential for regional integration and development.
He added that the first day of the dialogue confirmed findings from the Institute’s baseline assessment of border areas, based on field visits from Moyale to Metema, looking at border realities, the role of security and immigration institutions, and the need for a comprehensive national border governance policy.
He said the Institute, together with GIZ, has prepared a draft national roadmap for integrated border governance based on assessments from 12 border areas. The draft will be presented for discussion and approval at the conference.
The dialogue is expected to conclude with discussions on how to implement the roadmap and strengthen coordinated border management.