Parliamentary State Secretary Niels Annen (Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, BMZ) was the first high-ranking representative of the German government to meet with the newly elected leadership of the African Union Commission during his trip to Addis Abeba on 10 and 11 April 2025.
The focus of the visit was on strengthening Germany’s partnership with the African Union and Ethiopia, as well as on current conflicts on the African continent and their implications for displacement and migration.
“The African Union remains a key partner for Germany. In my meeting with the new Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, I underlined Germany’s continued commitment to serve as a prominent partner of the African Union for the further implementation of the Agenda 2063, including flagship projects such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and to support its role in responding to conflict and crises situations in Africa,” said Niels Annen.
The membership in the G20, which Germany has supported from early on, has provided the African Union with a key platform to pursue Africa’s political priorities, reflecting the continent’s increasing role on the world stage. In my meeting with Ethiopian State Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political and Economic Affairs, Amb. Hadera Abera, we reflected on 120 years of bilateral relations between Ethiopia and Germany and discussed current regional issues as well as the situation in the Horn of Africa and its effects on Ethiopia,” said Niels Annen.
During his visit, Parliamentary State Secretary Annen also had meetings with AU-Commissioner Amb. Bankole Adeoye (Political Affairs, Peace and Security – PAPS), AU-Commissioner Amb. Amma A. Twum-Amoah (Health, Humanitarian and Social Affairs – HHS), Ambassadors of African Union Member States, as well as representatives of United Nations organisations based in Addis Abeba. He underlined the importance of integrating refugees and displaced persons in host societies, including through professional education and employment perspectives.
German Development Cooperation both with Ethiopia and the African Union actively supports such an approach. Germany supports the Government of Ethiopia to enhance access to relevant Technical and Vocational Training (TVET) and to the labour market for forcibly displaced persons from neighboring countries or from within Ethiopia. This was illustrated by a visit to the Polytechnic College Tegbare-id TVET College. With the support of German Development Cooperation, both young refugees and young locals are being trained as craftspeople and technicians and are supported to start their own businesses.
Bringing together refugees and internally displaced persons with those living in hosting areas contributes to social cohesion and to fostering peace. This is supported by the German programs Qualification and Employment Prospects for Refugees, IDPs and Host Communities in Ethiopia Program (QEP II) (GIZ implemented) as well as the BioMed and Refugees Programs (both KFW implemented).
Mr. Niels Annen has been serving as Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development in the coalition government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz since 2021. Previously, he was Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office in the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel. Niels Annen is also the German candidate for the position of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).