16/05/2026
14 and 15 May, 2026, Key institutional heads in Ethiopia acknowledged the significant work of H.E. Ambassador Dr. Robert Afriyie in promoting Ghana's diplomatic relations, when he paid respective farewell courtesy calls upon the completion of his tour of duty as Ghana's Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union (AU) and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
Ethiopian President, H.E. Taye Atske Selassie commended Ambassador Afriyie for having worked assiduously to enhance bilateral relations between Ethiopia and Ghana, including overseeing the successful completion of the construction of a new Chancery for the Embassy of Ghana in Ethiopia. He also remarked on Ambassador Afriyie's germane role in enhancing trade and economic bilateral relations during his tenure.
AU Commission Chairperson, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf extolled the very strong and constructive engagement of Ambassador Afriyie in the work of the AU, including as: Chairman the Structures Committee; Chairman the Ambassadorial Committee on the Implementation of Agenda 2063; and as 3rd Vice Chair (2024), 2nd Vice Chair (2025) and 1st Vice Chair (2026) of the AU Permanent Representatives' Committee (PRC), as well as his pivotal role in galvanizing Member States' support for the February 2026 AU Assembly decision which served as the springboard for the Leader for Reparative Justice, President John D. Mahama, to successfully table a resolution on the matter at the UN General Assembly in New York. This, he said, is reassuring of Ghana's renowned commitment to Pan-Africanism. He awarded Ambassador Afriyie with an AU Certificate of Distinguished Service and also presented him with a plaque of the Union.
The UNECA Executive Secretary, H.E. Glaver Gatete, expressed pleasure at the diligence with which Ambassador Afriyie had executed his representative functions with the ECA, and said he hoped that this serve as an enduring major building block for enhancing the engagement of the ECA with Ghana.
The Chair of the AU PRC, H.E. Ambassador W***y Nyamitwe of the Republic of Burundi, organized a farewell reception of PRC members where he indicated that, both as his 1st Vice Chair and an influential member of the African and wider diplomatic corps, Ambassador Dr. Afriyie had proven a veritable force in pursuing his national interest while deftly navigating the nuances of international affairs arena to the admiration of his peers. An example was Dr. Afriyie's role in the successful adoption of the AU Decision and subsequent UN resolution on reparations in respect of Trans-Atlantic Enslavement as the gravest crime against humanity. Ambassador Afriyie was presented with a plaque of recognition of his constructive role in the PRC by Ambassador Nyamitwe.
Economic Commission for Africa
African Union