Addis Ababa, September 11, 2026 (FMC) — Uganda’s Vice President Jessica Alupo has extended warm New Year greetings to the people of Ethiopia, using the occasion of Enkutatash to underscore the enduring bonds of friendship, cultural solidarity and bilateral cooperation linking the two countries.
Alupo conveyed her message after attending a New Year celebration hosted by the Ethiopian Embassy in Kampala, joining Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopia in marking the arrival of 2019 in the Ethiopian calendar.
“I extend my warmest greetings and congratulations to the brotherly people of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia,” the Vice President said in a message shared on X, wishing Ethiopians a new season of “sustained peace, unity, and shared prosperity.”
Her message placed the celebration within the wider fabric of African fraternity, describing Uganda and Ethiopia as two nations connected not only through formal diplomatic relations, but also through enduring bonds of cultural solidarity and cooperation.
The gesture carries particular resonance on Enkutatash, a celebration deeply woven into Ethiopia’s social and cultural life and one that brings families, communities and friends together around traditions of renewal, togetherness and hope.
For Uganda, Alupo’s message also reflects the broader African spirit of sharing in the milestones and celebrations of fellow nations—a tradition in which diplomacy extends beyond official engagements to embrace the cultural ties and human connections that bind African peoples together.
Her reference to the two nations as “brotherly” peoples further underscores the fraternal character of Uganda-Ethiopia relations, while her emphasis on cultural solidarity points to the social ties that complement bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
As Ethiopia begins 2019, the message from Uganda’s Vice President adds a regional dimension to the New Year celebrations, affirming friendship between two African nations while expressing hopes for peace, unity and prosperity for the Ethiopian people.