What struck you most when you arrived in Ethiopia?

‘I arrived in August 2020, in the middle of the rainy season. The capital, Addis Ababa, is situated at 2,300 metres above sea-level and although technically it was summer it was freezing cold and wet. On the day I arrived there were hailstones on the runway. Not exactly what you imagine an African summer will be like.  I had quite a difficult start. In the first few months it was really hard to build a network, because I couldn’t meet anyone due to the COVID-19 pandemic.’

‘Life has started to return to normal since the spring of 2022, and I can now see more of the country. Addis Ababa is not what you’d call a beautiful city in terms of architecture, but it’s a very lively place, with a very diverse music scene. There are some really interesting artists here too. I’m beginning to find more and more interesting places. You need to know where to look, though. You can’t see from the outside that a café or gallery is buzzing.’

Before this, your postings included ambassadorships in Uganda and Afghanistan. Why did you want to go to Ethiopia?

‘Ethiopia is an interesting country with an ancient culture that goes back thousands of years. Addis Ababa is Africa’s diplomatic capital: the city is the seat of the African Union. The Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed won the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the peace talks with Eritrea. At that time there was an optimistic vibe around Ethiopia. The Netherlands has a large embassy here, with fifty people working on a whole range of issues and projects.’

What are the main topics on which Ethiopia and the Netherlands work together?

‘The Netherlands has its largest development cooperation programme here. We have projects in the field of healthcare, water management and food security. The Netherlands is also a major player in terms of economic activity; we are Ethiopia’s second-largest export market. There are many Dutch flower growers here. Two hours’ drive from Addis Ababa you’ll find the world’s largest rose farm, employing 13,000 workers. This was originally a Dutch investment. And we have several projects on topics like gender – activities aimed at improving the position of women, for example.’

'One of my favourite projects is BRIDGE, which helps smaller dairy farmers to professionalise their businesses, leading to more milk production, more profits and a more secure livelihood.’

‘Food security is a major theme here, of course. The country was hit by a plague of locusts several years ago, and this year the south has suffered the worst drought in 40 years. Added to that, the war in Ukraine has disrupted grain imports. The Netherlands is trying to contribute to a solution. One of my favourite projects is BRIDGE, which helps smaller dairy farmers to professionalise their businesses, leading to more milk production, more profits and a more secure livelihood.’

‘It’s rewarding to see the difference you can make. In Jimma we’ve introduced performance-based financing to help improve the standard of care in the hospital and clinics there. Instead of getting money in advance, their funding depends on specific results they achieve. I recently visited the area with the Ethiopian Minister of Health, and the difference compared with a year earlier was immense. The buildings were cleaner and better maintained – a bit of paint can work wonders - and the service was better. The figures showed considerable improvements in neonatal care, for example.'

Are you optimistic about the future?

‘I’m still concerned about the impact of the conflict in Tigray, but I don’t see Ethiopia falling apart, as some people think. The recent ceasefire agreement between the government and the rebels of the TPLF is an unexpected, positive step; let’s hope it holds.'

'Economically I also see some light on the horizon. The majority of Dutch entrepreneurs are here for the long haul; they believe in the country’s economic future.  And so do I. The African Union recently made an important decision – establishing a free trade zone between African countries – which is comparable to the first steps towards the European Union’s single market. That is a gigantic leap forward for the continent.’

‘I recently attended a meeting of young politicians. They were undergoing several days’ training, funded by us. It was great to see that, by the end of the course, they had become friends, despite their differing views and political persuasions. And why shouldn’t they be friends? After all, they’re all working for a better future for their country. I left the meeting feeling optimistic.’

What do you want to achieve as ambassador?

‘When I leave Ethiopia, I hope that the country is more stable, and can focus again on its economic development and on democratic reforms. And I hope that I, together with my fantastic team, will have contributed to that.’