Ethiopian News Update

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 17:43:00 +0000

Welcome to Ethiopian News Update

Ethiopia - one of the best tourist destinations in Africa

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 17:41:00 +0000

Ethiopia - One of Top Tourist Destinations in Africa

Photos from pixabay.com

European expert accuse Egypt of hiding report on Ethiopia dam (Somaliland press)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 18:31:00 +0000

Source: Somaliland Press

Ethiopia among "The Ten Hot, New `Emerging’ Economies" in the world (Bloomberg TV)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 07 Apr 2014 15:56:00 +0000

Coface Asia-Pacific Economist Rocky Tung talks about the world ten new emerging economies. He speaks to Angie Lau on Bloomberg TV.

GE plans to establish an assembly plant in Ethiopia (The Reporter)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 25 Jan 2014 17:05:00 +0000

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - The US-based manufacturing giant, General Electric (GE), is planning to establish a medical equipment assembly plant in Ethiopia.

Reliable sources told The Reporter that the US multinational company is planning to assemble various medical equipment and machines in Ethiopia and distribute them to African markets. “They are contemplating to build a light assembly plant in Addis Ababa and export them to different African countries. They want to use the extensive cargo flight network of Ethiopian Airlines,” sources told The Reporter.
The amount of the investment and specific list of items the company wants to assemble here are not yet known.
GE’s chairman and CEO, Jeffrey Immelt, is scheduled to visit Addis Ababa next week. During his one-day visit Immelt is expected to sign an investment agreement with the Ethiopian government for the assembly plant. The CEO will meet Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, Debretsion Gebremichael (Ph.D.), Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Information Technology and Communications, Tedros Adhanom (Ph.D.), minister of foreign affairs and other senior government officials.
In addition to the medical equipment assembly plant project, GE’s chief will discuss the possibility that the company could engage in power and transport infrastructure development projects.
Sources said GE is known for human resource development. “There are a number of CEOs working in different successful multinational companies who once were trained and employed by GE,” sources said. Senior vice president for human resources, Susan P. Peters, will accompany the CEO to Addis Ababa. Susan Peters, will give a two-hour lecture at the Addis Ababa University, Faculty of Business and Economics. Susan Peters leads GE’s human resource department responsible for 300,000 employees worldwide.
Jeffrey Immelt, as part of his Africa tour, will visit Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique and Nigeria. The CEO will start his visit in Addis Ababa where he will stay only one night.
Executives of GE have been negotiating with the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo) to secure a contract on the electro-mechanical work on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) project. GE also has a keen interest to engage in the railway development project in Ethiopia. Particularly, the company focuses on the electrical part of the railway projects.
General Electric has a strong partnership with Ethiopian Airlines and has been supplying aircraft engines to Ethiopian. Ethiopian Boeing B787-8 Dreamliner and B777 aircraft are powered by GE engines. During his stay in Addis Ababa, Jeffrey Immelt will visit the headquarters of Ethiopian.
The company has different wings including energy, health, home and business solutions, transportation and finance and is known for manufacturing aircraft engine, home appliances, locomotives and crude oil extracting machines.
Source: thereporterethiopia.com

Death of an icon, Madiba

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 14:44:00 +0000

Death of an Inspiration (The Reporter)

Ethiopia hailed as 'African lion' with fastest creation of millionaires (The Guardian)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 07 Dec 2013 01:44:00 +0000

Ethiopia hailed as 'African lion' with fastest creation of millionaires (The Guardian)

World Bank launches $4bn worth plan for Ethiopia

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 19:54:00 +0000

The World Bank is set to pump $4 billion into Ethiopia in the coming four years in order to enhance competitiveness and employment generation through its country partnership strategy… [Read the original full article on The Africa Report]

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 May 2012 21:23:00 +0000

Background information about country

Ethiopia - CIA - The World Factbook
Ethiopia - Maps, history, geography, government, culture, facts
BBC - Ethiopia country profile
Ethiopia - Tourism
Map of Ethiopia

Ethiopians steal the thunder again (Daily Nation)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:04:00 +0000

Losing a marathon by one second last year taught Dejere Abera of Ethiopia a lesson that he put to good use on Sunday, when he won the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon – an IAAF Bronze Label event - by less than a second...

Rastafarians in Ethiopia (The PRI's World)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 21:11:00 +0000

by Megan Verlee

Rastafarian artist Bandi Payne leads visitors through the jungle-like garden that surrounds his house in Shashamane, pointing out the many trees he’s planted in his two decades here.

“That’s guava, my guava tree. Tangerine, banana trees and… that is cassava,” Payne said pointing to the shrubby plant...(more..)

In Ethiopia, hope takes a stronger hold (Irish Echo)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 04 May 2011 23:49:00 +0000

I found the following article very interesting for my readership and decided to create a link to it below.

I recently traveled to Ethiopia with Michael Pryce and Joe McCarthy on behalf of the HOPe Charity Organization. Our task was to assess an HIV/AIDS education and development project HOPe is funding with partner organizations, CVM (Community Volunteers of the World) and APA (Aids Partnership with Africa). For ten days we traveled throughout the rural Amhara region in the north. From the orphaned street children to reformed sex workers living with HIV, we witnessed both beauty and crushing poverty, and encountered hope and strength in the people we met.
The first case of AIDS was discovered in Ethiopia in 1984. More than 25 years later the pandemic and its aftermath is still posing a major challenge. A review of the history explains why.
During the late 70s and early 80s the country experienced several man-made and natural disasters: a disruptive Communist government, severe droughts followed by devastating famines. Also, a civil war broke out in 60s and In 1998 a fierce war with Eritrea erupted. This deadly mixture of events fueled the tragic spread of AIDS.[read more..]

Ethiopia must take back Eritrea's Assab port says Opposition leader Yacob (Jimma Times)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 00:02:00 +0000

Dr. Yacob Hailemariam, senior executive member of the opposition party Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ), told the media that Ethiopia “must regain her Assab port.” Speaking to local newspapers, Yacob said the Assab port issue is not a closed case.Dr. Yacob, who previously worked as the lead prosecutor in the United Nations tribunal on war crimes in Rwanda and as a professor of law in American university, has often referred to the Assab case as a matter of international law and justice. He mocked the new “illegal” border agreements, saying the signatories cannot pick and choose which laws and treaties to uphold. When Prime Minister Meles Zenawi signed several agreements with Eritrean leaders Dr. Yacob declared “the question of Aseb is not going to be put to rest by mere signatures” of unelected and illegitimate politicians since the people of Ethiopia have always had access to the sea for several millennia...[Read more]

Millennium Dam: a turning point in the Ethiopian History (Walta)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 13:12:00 +0000

Molla Mitiku

Between the two mountains: Lebeyate and Negro, in the Benishangul Gumuz Regional State, history will repeat itself. The history made by our forefathers against foreign conquerors in the Northern Mountains of Ethiopia will be certainly repeated by this generation by making poverty a history...Read more

Ethiopia Plans to Build New Hydropower Plant to Generate 5,250 Megawatts (Bloomberg)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 02:03:00 +0000

Ethiopia will build a new hydropower plant in the Nile River basin that will generate 5,250 megawatts of electricity, Water and Energy Minister Alemayehu Tegenu said. ..Read more

Ethiopia’s to increase defense budget amid rising tension with Eritrea (Sudan Tribune)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Ethiopia will increase its military spending to safeguard itself from its enemies, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said Saturday, days after Addis Ababa threatened to take military action against neighboring Eritrea.Zenawi, who is also the commander-in-chief of the National Defense Forces, did not disclose how much the increase would be...More

Ethiopia minister says ready to send troops into Somalia if Asked

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 01:47:00 +0000

By: Abdalle Ahmed
Mogadishu (RBC) Ethiopia's State minister for foreign affairs Berhan Jipkirist
dismissed claims about Ethiopian forces fighting inside Somalia alongside with
the transitional federal government forces of Somalia. The minister interviewed
by Almasri Al-Yom newspaper has denied that any of Ethiopian forces entered into
the Somali border and took fighting against Al Shabab rebel group...Read More

Thousands Homeless after Radical Muslim Attack

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 18:12:00 +0000

According to CBN News a few hours ago, some Islamic extremists set fire to 59
church buildings and 28 Christian homes in Asendabo...

It is a serious issue for that country. This must stop immediately. What does
everyone think about this?

blogsbiz@yahoo.com sent you a link to content of interest

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:34:00 +0000

blogsbiz@yahoo.com sent you a link to the following content:

Ethiopia says peace deal agreed with rebel faction
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At least nine die in Eritrea jail (Reuters)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 06:34:00 +0000

NAIROBI (Reuters) - At least nine political inmates have died in a secret Eritrean prison where they are routinely tortured using plastic whips, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said on Wednesday.

The media rights groups said an anonymous source detailed how detainees, including four journalists, were kept day and night under lights. Some were manacled and tortured, it said.

"The prison camp known as Eiraeiro is a disgrace for Eritrea and Africa," RSF said.

Asmara routinely denies criticism from foreign-based rights groups, accusing them of acting on behalf of some world powers.

Information Minister Ali Abdu says the government will not respond to "each stupid comment" by groups such as RSF.

The press freedom organisation called the prison on Eritrea's eastern coastline an "African gulag" and "daily hell."

It said the prisoners' heads were shaved every two months and they were allowed only 20 minutes per week to bathe.

Late last year, RSF called Eritrea the worst nation in the world for press freedom.

Lacking independent media and often accused of harassing journalists, Eritrea is consistently ranked among the world's top violators of press freedom by rights groups.

(Editing by Tim Pearce)

Source: Reuters

DMLEK claims inflicting damage on Eritrean army (Walta)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 08:18:00 +0000

Mekelle, January 29, 2008 (WIC) - Democratic Movement for the Liberation of the Eritrean Kunama (DMLEK) said it has consolidated its attack on the Eritrean government.

According to a press release it sent to WIC, the movement has inflicted damages on the regime.

DMLEK said it destroyed the agriculture office of the government in Binbilina town of Gash Barka Zone along with goods stored in a warehouse last week.

In this same operation it burnt out a military water truck and a tanker in Barentu town, the statement added.

According to the statement, 800 Eritreans caught while fleeing to the Sudan were arrested and jailed in a military garrison in Nakfa. Of those 16 managed to escape and entered the Sudan over the weekend, it stated.

The movement which pointed out the fleeing of more than 26,800 Eritreans to the Sudan finally urged the public and the army of Eritrea to stand up against the dictatorial regime.

Walta Information Center

AU unveils Road Map for peace in Somalia (Walta)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 09:47:00 +0000

Addis Ababa, January 24, 2008 (WIC) - The African Union's top security official has presented Somalia's leaders a four-point plan for creating stability in the country, according to VOA.

During a four-hour visit to Mogadishu yesterday, AU Peace and Security Commissioner Said Djinnit said Somalia is becoming Africa's biggest security challenge and described his stopover as a symbolic show of support for Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein.

Djinnit said he outlined to Hussain a proposal to initiate a road map that would be developed by Somali leaders in partnership with the international community.

Its four components would include strengthening the nation's political process through reconciliation, greater international involvement in peacekeeping operations, creating a safe environment for humanitarian aid deliveries, and building the capacity of federal government institutions to face the immense challenges ahead.

The commissioner expressed frustration at what he called the lack of international support for efforts to bring a stable peace to Somalia. He told reporters his eventual goal, and biggest concern, is persuading the U.N Security Council to re-establish the peacekeeping mission it abandoned in the face of uncontrolled violence 13 years ago.

"It is the issue at the heart of our concerns," said Said Djinnit. " We believe Somalia has been abandoned for so long, and the Security Council remains the principal body in charge of the maintenance of international peace and security, and Somalia is becoming the biggest challenge for security in Africa. And therefore the Security Council cannot but assume its responsibility vis a vis Somalia."

Djinnit chided the Security Council for its recent statement saying it was "reiterating its commitment to considering the possibility of deploying" a Somalia peacekeeping operation.

"If you look to ideal situation where peace is prevailing before deploying a peacekeeping operation, you might not get that ideal situation," he said. "So we are therefore calling for flexibility on the part of the United Nations in considering the situation in Somalia and in deciding as early as possible on the deployment of the peacekeeping operation to come and take over from the African Union."

The African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia, known as AMISOM, has an authorized strength of 8,000. But nearly a year after it was formed, less than one-quarter of the troops are in place.

Ethiopian troops are backing Somali's military in its campaign against Islamic insurgents, VOA stated.

But Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has repeatedly said he wants those troops replaced by a strong international force. Yet with Somalia among the world's most violent and gun-infested countries, and the United Nations balking at sending a peacekeeping mission, Prime Minister Hussein told reporters it is premature to set a date when Ethiopian troops could withdraw.

" To set a time maybe today it's not so easy, but you can see the efforts of the African Union, you can see the efforts of AMISOM [African Mission in Somalia] from time to time increasing their troops, and this will definitely set a way for us to discuss when and how the Ethiopian troops will be reduced," said Hussein. "So what we will try to do is have a very well-elaborated exit strategy."

Somalia's parliament chose Prime Minister Hussein last November to replace his predecessor Ali Mohamed Gedi.

Source: Walta Information Center

White Nile to Ink Oil Exploration Deal with Ethiopia (Fortune)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:29:00 +0000

White Nile Ltd., a British company quoted by Alternative Investment Market (AIM), will be signing an oil exploration agreement with the Ethiopian government next Tuesday, January 15, 2008, officials at the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MoME) disclosed to Fortune. White Nile’s founder and Chairman, Philippe H. Edmonds, is expected to arrive in Addis Abeba, in order to sign the exploration agreement with Alemayehu Tegenu, minister of Mines and Energy, at the Sheraton Addis.

The deal will grant White Nile exploration rights over a 29,000Km area in Southern Omo and Borena - Southern Rift Basin - in Oromia and Southern regional states. The Council of Ministers has approved the concession request a few weeks ago.

This company will be the sixth firm to enter into oil exploration activities in Ethiopia: The most prominent among them is the Malaysian Petronas that is undertaking exploration activities in Gambella and Ogaden areas after signing an agreement in 2003.

Two years later, a company licensed in The Netherlands, Pexco, was granted a permit to explore for oil in the Ogaden. In 2005, a Hong Kong registered company, South-West Energy, owned by Teodros Ashenafi, signed a similar deal to get involved in the Afar Regional State. Another company conducting exploration in the same region is the United States (US) registered Afar Exploration, granted a license in 2006. The Swedish Lundia Petroleum AB, a company that is active in Sudan and Somaliland, was granted a licence in 2007 to explore for oil in the Ogaden area.

“We look forward to see White Nile conduct as significant exploration activities as all these other companies,” Minister Alemayehu told Fortune.

White Nile is very familiar to the area where it wants to conduct exploration now. It has conducted geological and geophysical surveys on 70,000sqkm area of the Southern Rift Basin for two years, after it entered into a join study agreement with the Ministry in July 2005. Its findings of deep basins, potentially containing sedimentary sections similar to that of the Muglad and Melut basins of Southern Sudan, is reportedly behind its decision to enter into an exploration agreement with the Ethiopian government.

In the new agreement expected to be signed next Tuesday, White Nile will be granted exploration rights for four years. However, depending on the progress it makes, the company’s licence could be renewed for an additional four years, according to Abiy Hunegnaw, director of the Petroleum Department at the Ministry. Following the disclosure of its prospective deal with the Ethiopian government, White Nile’s shares were trading 14pc higher than its 45.5p (8.5 Br) on the London Stock Exchange.

Nevertheless, the Nairobi based company has been a poor performer at the stock exchange last year, according to The Financial Times. Its shares dropped by 70pc in 2007, according to the newspaper, and suffered a loss of 1.4 million pounds (26 million Br). The company has failed to secure an oilfield in South Sudan known as “Block Ba”, claimed by TOTAL of France.

Sudanese state company, Nile Petroleum Corporation Ltd. Controls 44.67pc of its shares.

By ISSAYAS MEKURIA

FORTUNE STAFF WRITER

Umbrella of Eritrean opposition parties attracts two more groups (Walta)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 09:10:00 +0000

Addis Ababa, January 22, 2008 (WIC) - The Eritrean Democratic Alliance (EDA), an umbrella of 11 Eritrean opposition organizations, has reportedly admitted two more opposition groups.

According to Awate.com, the two groups are the Eritrean People’s Movement, which is led by Adhanom Gebremariam and the Islamic Congress Party led by Hassen Salman (Abul Bera’a).

The EDA has re-stated its policy that membership is open to any Eritrean organization which has already held a congress and has a recognized leadership, the website added.

Meanwhile, the Eritrean Democratic Party (EDP) said in a press release issued on its website that the party chairman, Mesfin Hagos, met with US Assistant Secretary of State Jandaye Frazier and Deputy Assistant Secretary Jeff Krilla on January 14, 2008, Awate.com said.

Source: Walta Information Center

Sudanese Nile Petroleum to Become Leader in Energy Market (Addis Fortune)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 10:24:00 +0000

The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MoME) is negotiating with the Sudanese giant, Nile Petroleum Co. Ltd (NPC), to grant it fuel blending rights in accordance with a decision made by the Council of Ministers to blend and supply ethanol and benzene. The negotiations are almost complete, sources at the Ministry told Fortune.

The talks, which began after MoME presented a Bio-fuel Development and Usage Strategic Document that envisaged using the country's rich ethanol potential, is expected to make Nile Petroleum the leading stakeholder in the Ethiopian oil energy market.

A steering committee has been established with representatives drawn from MoME, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI), Ethiopian Petroleum Enterprise (EPE) and the six oil suppliers to evaluate the technical and financial feasibility studies, though the total cost of the project will be incurred by Nile Petroleum.

"We will cover the entire cost of the project once the agreement is finalised," Sharaf E. Babkir, general manager of the Ethiopian branch of Nile Petroleum, told Fortune. "The negotiations are in the closing stages, and we will submit our final proposal early this week."

The Ethiopian government chose this company based on a bilateral relations agreement signed with Sudan and Nile Petroleum's capacity.

The Ethiopian branch of Nile Petroleum, a subsidiary of NPC, has secured a 20,000sqm plot in Sululta, 24Km north of Addis Abeba, in the Oromia Regional State, for the construction of a fuel depot which will have a combined capacity of 300tns of Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) and 1,500 cubic metres of Petroleum.

NPC was established in 1954 as Nile Import and Trading Oil Company a subsidiary of TOTAL, with the Sudanese government holding a 75pc stake until 1993. The company, totally state-owned since 1993, has a 60pc share of the marketing and distribution of petroleum products in Sudan.

The local branch first obtained a license from the Ethiopian Investment Agency (EIA) to distribute LPG and in 2004 it upgraded its license to cover its planned expansion project.

Endorsing a strategic document, the Ethiopian government is now focused on exploring the country's bio-fuel resources. It stipulates incentive schemes for sugarcane producers, a major input for ethanol, in addition to encouraging state-owned enterprises to use blended oil. Providing incentives for Flex Fuel Vehicle importers as well as securing finances for the sector has also been recommended.

To satisfy the total petroleum demands in the country, Ethiopia annually spends 8.6 billion Br, 87pc of its total foreign trade earnings, and a serious drain on its limited foreign currency holdings.

Though the government hopes to switch to alternative energy sourceS to relieve this burden, some petroleum supplying companies are sceptical of the benefit they will get out of this venture.

"Though shifting from benzene to blended oil has its own advantages, there is doubt as to who is going to benefit," the marketing manager of one of these companies told Fortune. "There are associated costs like installing new fuelling machineries, and our benefit should be considered when we are made to shift to a new service."

Nile Petroleum currently has four tankers in Sululta; two for benzene and two for diesel. However, the two diesel tankers are set to be used for storing benzene.

"We will also install another two ethanol storage tankers, which will be increased after three years given a higher demand," Sharaf told Fortune.

A veteran expert who for the last 30 years worked in the petroleum industry, however, warns that the blending is sensitive as ethanol is prone to absorbing water.

"Though blending is customary in other countries too, if water accidentally enters in the early stages of the process, the project may fail as people will loose trust in it," he told Fortune. "The water makes the ethanol unable to mix with benzene."

The necessary supply of the ethanol input is also in question.

Of the three state-owned sugar factories, Fincha currently produces eight million litres of ethanol while the other two - Metehara and Wonji Shoa - do not produce.

However, as the latter two are under expansion, in addition to the newly constructed huge Tendaho sugar factory, it is expected that ethanol supply would significantly increase, a source at the Ethiopian Sugar Development Agency (ESDA) told Fortune.

The total ethanol production is expected to reach 35.1 million litres in 2010 when Metehara and Wonji switch to the production of ethanol rather than Molasses.

Nile Petroleum also has planned to open its fuelling stations in Addis Abeba, though its request for plots is yet to find a response from the municipality.

"We had requested eight different plots in Addis Abeba to no avail," Sharaf disclosed.

The Council of Ministers decided at its regular meeting in 2004 that the petroleum sector should be open to domestic and international investors to curb the distribution problems prevalent in the country.

The sector has since seen a couple of investments, mostly by Ethiopians, including NOC, YBP and the Kenyan Kobil.

Nile Petroleum, the latest to have joined the sector, undertakes petroleum exploration, refining, storage and marketing in Sudan.

Source: Addis Fortune