By The Star Staff Writer
MOGADISHU — The United States donated a C-130 aircraft to the Ethiopian air force in a major boost to the landlocked nation’s military and humanitarian operations, said officials.
“This aircraft represents a deep bond between our two countries, and our shared pledge to play constructive leadership roles on the world stage,” said U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Michael Raynor during the handover ceremony. “The U.S. commitment to this partnership is stronger than ever, and I look forward to building upon it in the days ahead.”
Raynor said on Wednesday the Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules transport aircraft will boost Ethiopia’s capacity to protect civilians in conflict zones and move, in a timely manner, humanitarian supplies to where they are needed.
The handover ceremony was held at the Ethiopian air force’s main airbase, Bishoftu, in Oromia Regional State. It’s attended by Brig. Gen. Deiter Bareihs of the U.S. Air Forces Europe and Africa, Ethiopian Air Force Head Gen. Adem Mohammed and representatives from the US armed forces.
The United States has since 2009 pledged to provide nearly $892 million to develop the capacity of the African peacekeepers and strengthen African institutions. It has also trained and equipped more than a quarter million African troops and police for service in UN and AU peacekeeping operations, the White House said in 2014.
“We are excited to deliver this C-130 at a time of such great optimism,” said Bareihs. “This handover pays homage to our long-valued friendship and lays the foundation for new possibilities for cooperation and interoperability.”
In 1998, the US government donated two Hercules C-130 military transport aircraft to the Ethiopian air force; one of them crashed in Somalia and the US said it would provide a replacement, said The Reporter, an Ethiopian newspaper, in 2015. The initial agreement was, the paper said, for the US to provide four C-130 aircraft, but the 1998-war between Ethiopia and Eritrea forced Washington to withhold the remaining two aircraft.
“The U.S. commitment to this partnership is stronger than ever, and I look forward to building upon it in the days ahead,” said Raynor.
The United States offered — through the African Peacekeeping Rapid Response Partnership — support for more than 67,000 African peacekeepers operating under the African Union and United Nations in the continent, according to the White House.
To counter al-Shabab, President Obama’s administration pledged to provide more than $512 million for the AU Mission in Somalia, or AMISOM, to build the continental force’s capacity. It also gave more than $455 million to the UN Support Office for AMISOM to bolster support for AU forces.