How Africa's First Commodity Exchange Revolutionized Ethiopia's Economy [interview]

Dr Eleni Gabre-madhin

While government leaders, NGOs and corporations devise strategies to churn out more food for future generations, Eleni Gabre-Madhin is taking a different approach. Concerned by a 2002 famine in her home country of Ethiopia that followed bumper crops in 2000 and 2001, the Stanford-educated economist decided it was time to go beyond food production and take a hard look at distribution.
The result? Africa's first commodity exchange. As the founder and outgoing CEO of the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX), Gabre-Madhin established a reliable interface for buyers and sellers to meet - an idea that has inspired other African countries to follow suit. Gabre-Madhin won the Yara Award at the African Green Revolution Forum in Arusha, Tanzania, for her role in transforming Ethiopia's commodity market. She told AllAfrica's Lauren Everitt how a formal market has revolutionized Ethiopia's economy and empowered smallholder farmers.

How old is Haile Gebrselassie?

Questions about Haile Gebrselassie's age have come to the fore once more.
AP Photo/Stephen Chernin

His passport says Ethiopian legend is 39, but there's reason to believe otherwise

Every morning, Haile Gebrselassie trains with a select group of runners in the Entoto Hills east of the Ethiopian capitol of Addis Ababa. It's been his routine for many years. One morning in February 2008, Haile's group, whose composition changes a bit from day to day, included Hirpasa Lemi, husband of Berhane Adere, a multiple world champion on the track and on the roads. Also present -- as an observer -- was Matt Turnbull, an Englishman who now works as the elite athlete coordinator for the Competitor Group's Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series.
After meeting up, the 10 or 12 runners comprising that day's group separated into smaller packs, each of which went off to do its own workout. Ninety minutes later, everyone reconvened back where they had started. The only non-professional runner in the group, Lemi was proud to have held his own.

"Not bad for an old man," he said, beaming. Then, turning to Turnbull, Lemi asked, "How old do you think I am?"
"I don't know -- 50," Turnbull joked.

"Forty-one," Lemi said. "Same age as Haile!"

Kenya defeats Ethiopia 3-1 to advance

Nairobi, Kenya – Harambee Stars are through to the quarter finals of the ongoing CECAFA Senior challenge cup on Friday after a 3-1 win over neighbors Ethiopia in their final Group A match played at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Namboole, Kampala.
This is the first time the Harambee Stars make it out of the group stages in the last two years.
In 2009 the Stars lost to Uganda in the final.
Rama Salim opened the score sheets at the 21st minute, with Clifton Miheso coming through with the second goal at the 25th.
Ethiopia got their consolation goal through Elliya Gebremariam at the 29th minute.
Stars sealed their win in the second-half at the 74th minute through a header from defender David Ochieng scoring his second goal of the tournament and extending Kenya’s lead to 3-1.
Stars win now guarantees them a good finish of six points made up of two wins and a loss that that saw them lose in the opening match against Uganda Cranes.
As for Ethiopia they conclude their CECAFA campaign with three points with their 1-0 win over debutants South Sudan who later on play Uganda Cranes.
The results was a sweet song for coach James Nnadwa who had vowed to eliminate Ethiopia team, the only team from the region that will be playing at next years Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

www.ethiosports.com

MTN Ethiopia Launches “Celebrate 31 on 831 with MTN Ethiopia” Campaign

MTN Ethiopia (legal name “MTN ICT SERVICE PLC.”) celebrates Ethiopia’s long-awaited re-entry into the Africa Cup of Nations. Today, the company launched its campaign, appropriately called “Celebrate 31 on 831 with MTN Ethiopia” - a four week SMS quiz-based competition where five winners will win an all expenses paid trip to South Africa in January to watch the Opening ceremony and Ethiopia’s opening game at the Tournament. Through the launch of this campaign, MTN aims to celebrate Ethiopia’s qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in 31 years, to incorporate Ethiopian football as part of MTN’s football program, and to promote its brand in the Ethiopian market.

“MTN Ethiopia is pleased to be engaging in this campaign in support of the people of Ethiopia, especially in this momentous time in Ethiopian football history,” said MTN Ethiopia Country Manager, Ms. Happy-Girl Buthelezi during the campaign launch.

Ethiopia: UN-Led Initiative to Cut HIV/Tuberculosis Deaths in Ethiopia

A new United Nations-led initiative aimed at reducing HIV deaths caused by tuberculosis (TB) by half was launched on November 27th in Ethiopia.

Similar initiatives were also launched the same day in 9 other countries: Nigeria, India, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The initiative followed an agreement reached between the Joint UN Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the Stop TB Partnership and it is part of a wider effort to accelerate the global fight against the HIV/Tuberculosis co-infection.

It aims to achieve the goal of reducing deaths from TB among HIV patients by 50 per cent in the respective countries by 2015. UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé, in a press release said it's possible to stop people from dying of the deadly combination of HIV/TB co-infection "through integration and simplification of HIV and TB services". He said preventative treatments would focus on the 10 countries which currently bear three-quarters of all TB/HIV fatalities.

Eye-opening trip reveals scope of Ethiopian aliyah

Reading news reports and agency briefings about the herculean effort to relocate Ethiopian Jews to Israel is one thing. Experiencing the process is quite another.

Last month, four people from the Jewish Federation of the East Bay made the journey to Ethiopia to experience firsthand the historic aliyah program as it enters its homestretch — and to see how the federation’s two-year commitment of $40,000 has figured into the mix.

Claudia Felson, president of the Jewish
 Federation of the East Bay, and
her husband, Rick,
at the Jewish Agency school in Gondar.

They were on a trip with a dozen people from North American Jewish federations. After meeting in Israel, the group flew to Gondar, where members of the Ethiopian Jewish community wait in squalid conditions for approval to move to Israel.

“We were so moved by what we saw, when we saw how people were living and the level of malnutrition and lack of education and everything that we take for granted,” said one of the travelers, Rabbi James Brandt, CEO of the East Bay federation. “Every person we bring to Israel gives them an opportunity for a new life — arguably saving their life.”
The government of Israel decided this year to step up the rate of aliyah from Ethiopia so the immigration of the remainder of the eligible Falash Mura can be completed by October 2013. The Falash Mura are members of the Ethiopian Jewish community who converted to Christianity during the 19th and 20th centuries.

How Ethiopia Lost Control of Its Teff Genetic Resources

 In 2005, Ethiopia concluded an agreement with the Dutch company HPFI, sharing its teff genetic resources in return for a part of the benefits that would be achieved from developing teff products for the European market.
In the end, Ethiopia received practically no benefits. Instead, due to a broad patent and a questionable bankruptcy, it lost its right to utilize and reap benefits from its own teff genetic resources in the countries where the patent is valid.

The amazing story of the Teff Agreement has been uncovered and meticulously documented in a recent FNI report by FNI researchers Regine Andersen and Tone Winge.

Teff is a food grain endemic to the Ethiopian highlands, where it has been cultivated for several thousand years. Rich in nutritional value, it is an important staple crop for Ethiopians. Since it is gluten-free, it is also interesting for markets in other parts of the world.

A 2005 agreement between Ethiopia and the Dutch company HPFI gave HPFI access to 12 Ethiopian teff varieties, which it was to use for developing new teff-based products for the European market. In return, the company was to share substantial benefits with Ethiopia.

Benefit to help raise funds for orphans with HIV in Ethiopia

Abezash Tamerat

When Abezash Tamerat, 31, an Ethio­pian American artist, established her nonprofit group, Artists for Charity, in 2002, it was to help save a rape crisis center on the verge of losing funding.

But a year later, the focus of her group changed.
 
While visiting Ethi­o­pia to learn more about where she came from, Tamerat met her young cousin, who was homeless and HIV positive. She tried placing him in various facilities, but they all had either reached capacity or turned him away because of his condition. When she eventually found a home for him, she noticed a bigger problem: Numerous children were battling similar struggles, once taken in by relatives only to be abused or abandoned because of their disease.

Tamerat returned to the United States with a greater sense of awareness and commitment to help Ethiopia. She continued having art events and, in 2005, Artists for Charity opened the Children’s Home in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

U.S. Provides 5.5 Million English Language Textbooks for Elementary School Children in Ethiopia

Pictured here are three of the 5.5 million
 English language textbooks, developed
and published with USAID assistance
, for students in grades 2, 3 and 4 in more
 than 28,000 Ethiopian schools nationwide.
 (photo: Robert Sauers/USAID)

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - USAID Ethiopia Mission Director Dennis Weller presented to Ethiopia’s State Minister of Education Ato Fuad Ibrahim 5.5 million English language text books for primary school children in grades 2, 3 and 4. USAID’s Textbooks and Learning Materials Program (TLMP) developed the textbooks in cooperation with the Ministry of Education of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. USAID printed the textbooks to allow each child in grades 2, 3 and 4 to have the learning material. In prior years, USAID has developed, printed and donated English textbooks for other grades of primary schools.

Ethiopia's PM adds two deputies in cabinet reshuffle

* Move aimed at improving governance

* New foreign minister also appointed

* PM Hailemariam in power since Meles Zenawi's death

By Aaron Maasho

ADDIS ABABA, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn appointed two additional deputies and new foreign and trade ministers on Thursday, the first cabinet reshuffle since he took over from long-serving leader Meles Zenawi.

Hailemariam, 47, became prime minister in September, a month after the death of Meles, the towering political figure who had ruled Ethiopia for the last 21 years and steered domestic economic growth into double figures while cracking down hard on dissent.

Meles's passing had sparked concerns that control of the diverse country of over 80 million could disintegrate and diplomats said the subsequent delay to the appointment of his successor suggested a power struggle was being played out.

Hailemariam, who was Meles's last deputy prime minister and foreign minister, announced on Thursday he had appointed Communications and Information Technology Minister Debretsion Gebremichael and newly-appointed Civil Service Minister Muktar Kedir as deputy prime ministers, joining existing deputy Demeke Mekonnen.

It is the first time the Horn of Africa country has had three deputy leaders.

Ethiopian slashes fares

Ethiopian Airlines, the fastest growing airline in Africa and a member of the Star Alliance network, has announced the launch of a massive airfare sale.

The sale is timed to c

Ethiopian Airlines is the first airline in Africa to fly the 787 Dreamliner.

oincide with the introduction of their daily Boeing 787 Dreamliner service on the Addis Ababa-Johannesburg route from 7 December 2012. Ethiopian Airlines is the first carrier in Africa to fly the next-generation carbon-fibre aircraft.

Prices have been slashed to more than 70 international destinations on four continents, and are valid on Ethiopian- operated flights only with immediate effect, until further notice.

Fare offers include return tickets to Guangzhou for R5951, Hong Kong from R6069, and Dubai from R4448.These fares include taxes.

Ethiopian Political Head-Butting in Southwest Houston Spawns Lawsuit, Criminal Charge

Backers and detractors of this man
go to war near Fondren and Main

An Ethiopian-American man handing out flyers for a memorial service for Ethiopia's recently deceased prime minister, Meles Zenawi, claims he was assaulted by a countryman who reviled the repressive leader, according to criminal and civil court documents.
The victim and plaintiff, Tesfai Tsadik, is suing both Wossenu Gizaw, the alleged assailant, and Debre Salam Medahnealem Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the Fondren Southwest house of worship near which the alleged assault took place.

According to the pleadings in the civil suit, on August 26, Tsadik attended services at the church. After church let out, Tsadik went across the street and started handing out flyers for Zenawi's memorial service.

That might not have been the wisest move. According to the suit:

The church founders and many of its members are opponents of Meles Zenawi. The members of the church, including members in leadership positions, have openly shared their views and hatred of Meles Zenawi and his government. In fact, church members and leaders protested outside during the funeral of Mr. Zenawi.
So apparently Tsadik was decidedly not preaching to the choir. Even so, this is a free country, and what allegedly happened next is reprehensible.

Ethiopia: The early travel photographs of Captain Speedy

Captain Speedy (1836-1910) had a long association with Ethiopia, first travelling there at the end of 1860 to assist King Tewodros train his army, returning at the beginning of 1868 as civilian interpreter to General Sir Robert Napier, and on the death of King Tewodros becoming guardian to his son Alamayu. In 1897 he made his final visit, as adviser on a diplomatic mission relating to Britain's campaign to re-conquer the Sudan. and it is believed that this album was borne out of this visit. The aim was to settle the Sudan-Abyssinia frontiers.

Images include: upwards of 20 self portraits of Speedy, some in traditional Abyssinian dress (which he was famous for adopting, notably recorded in portraits taken of him by Julia Margaret Cameron), and others in the guise of a Bedouin chief, a Nubian chief, a Nubian warrior, and several in which he is acting out various moods and expressions, including "ignorance," "superiority," and "equality." Other views include: the serving of Tej (Ethiopian mead); an Ethiopia harp player; group portraits (5) of Somalis, including a Somali war dance; a portraits of Abune Petros VII; a portrait of Mattheos X; a profile portrait of Emperor Menelik; a bridal party, and men "eating raw beef."



Here are some of the pictures of Captain Speedy to be auctioned on December 4.

Captain Speedy first travelled to the area in 1860 to help King Tewodros train his army, and returned several times afterwards. His time there prompted the recording of many different portraits of the country's people, including this shot of a bridal party.

Ethiopia to stay in Somalia until AU takeover: PM

ADDIS ABABA — Ethiopian troops will remain in Somalia until African Union forces fighting Islamists can take over, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said Wednesday, as he met with his Somali counterpart.

"We are waiting for AMISOM (African Union Mission in Somalia) force to come and replace us, and until we get that assurance then we will be waiting there," he told reporters.

Hailemariam, speaking alongside newly elected Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, on his first official visit to the Ethiopian capital, gave no timeline for a pull out of troops.

Mohamud said that the Shebab is "literally defeated" -- although many experts say it remains a potent threat -- and also warned foreign fighters with the extremists to leave Somalia.

IBM To Expand In Ethiopia On Increased Demand, Stable Economy

VENTURES AFRICA – IBM is set to expand its Ethiopian operations as the country’s stable government and improving infrastructure poses extensive opportunities for business growth.

Speaking at an IBM recruitment event in Addis Ababa, Market Development Advisor for IBM Gordon Lehman revealed the company’s plans to grow its presence on the Ethiopian market in the coming period, as demand from local partners has been booming over recent months, reports Ethiopian Business News.

Lehman went on to consider the opportunities presented by the Ethiopian developmental landscape, noting that the country boasts one of the quickest growing economies in the world.

Ethiopia has for years boasted a stable government, which has implemented a formal legal structure for business activities which is largely accepted to be transparent and well-functioning, supported by constructive processes and good implementation.

Tomas Doncker "Global Soul" with Selam Seyoum Woldmariam on CNN

Ambassadors for health

Skilled and respected workers have revolutionized neighborhood healthcare in Ethiopia – using a model other countries could follow. Evelyn Owen discovers how the programme works and the problems it has confronted

Health extension workers at the Sululta health centre are helping increase the number of babies
who receive vaccination against deadly diseases. Photograph: Petterik Wiggers/Panos

In the hubbub of the vaccination clinic, young mother Damanech Alemu waits patiently with a tiny blue bundle nestled in her arms. Six-week-old Ermias is about to receive the injections that will safeguard him against an array of common diseases, including diphtheria, whooping cough and polio.

"I'm glad to be here, because it means healthy development and a safe life for my son," Alemu says afterwards, comforting her baby. "I made an appointment, I came here, and I received the service, so I'm happy about that."

Alemu's trip to Sululta health centre might sound perfectly ordinary, but less than a quarter of Ethiopian children under the age of two are fully vaccinated. The service offered here, 20 miles north of Addis Ababa, is only possible thanks to the expertise and enthusiasm of the women in white coats bustling about the clinic, preparing needles, checking charts and filling in forms. They are health extension workers (HEWs) – the backbone of Ethiopia's health system.

Uganda beat Ethiopia to reach Cecafa Cup quarter-finals

The defending champions and hosts of the tournament scored early through Brian Umony in the ninth minute.
A heavy afternoon downpour made for a wet surface and difficult conditions but Uganda played with a lot of purpose to pin the Ethiopians back for long spells of the match.
Fikru Teferra Lemessa, the only player who featured prominently for the senior team that qualified for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, gave a captain's performance for Ethiopia but was kept in check well by the Cranes.
"We are happy to make it to the quarters, but we need to win the last group game against South Sudan first," said team skipper Hassan Wasswa.
Uganda beat Kenya 1-0 in the first match last Saturday.
In an earlier match, Kenya's Harambee Stars redeemed their hopes of making it to the last eight with a 2-0 win over South Sudan, who became the first side to bow out of the tournament - they lost their first game 1-0 to Ethiopia.
David Ochieng and Clifton Miheso netted in each half for Kenya, who will need a draw against Ethiopia to qualify for the knock-out stage.
'I am very happy with the attitude and we need to keep pushing hard," said Kenya coach James Nandwa.
South Sudan coach Zoaran Djordjevic said that despite the loss, his boys had improved from the first match and he added that they are getting much-needed exposure.
The winner of Wednesday's match between Tanzania and Burundi will automatically qualify for the knock-out stage.
Somalia take on Sudan in Wednesday's other game.

www.bbc.co.uk

Urban HEWs use new strategies to help Addis Ababa's homeless people

In Ethiopia's capital community-based approaches have changed attitudes to homeless people and mental health

Esayas is homeless. As a young man, he was imprisoned and tortured by the Derg, the communist regime that ruled Ethiopia from 1974 to 1987. He had a breakdown, and upon his release, with no family support, spent days wandering the streets. Now aged 45, his health is slowly recovering. "I had a little mental disturbance, I was not sociable. But now I've improved," he says.

His lifeline was Sister Zinash Hailemariam, 28, an award-winning HEW who has transformed the lives of some of Addis Ababa's most vulnerable people. She points to Esayas' new refuge – a small bed sheltered by a rickety structure of corrugated iron and plastic sheeting, which she renovated with funds and manpower from the local community. They all know Esayas and often bring him food. "This is a huge change," she says. "Before, there were piles of dirt inside. There's more to do, but it's a lot better."

“I am not leaving the tracks,”-Ethiopian runner T.Dibaba

10.000m Olympic gold medalist, Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba has said she is relishing the challenge running the 5000 and 10.000m at next year’s world athletics Championships.

With speculation rife that the Ethiopian will focus more on road racing rather than the tracks, Dibaba confirmed at a press briefing last week in Barcelona that she will be on the tracks next year.

“I am not leaving the track and at the next World Championships I’ll run a 10,000m. I will try the Marathon, but I will not leave the track completely,” Dibaba told a press conference.

The Ethiopian did not also understand why she was overlooked for the IAAF top prize in the ladies’ category.

“I was hoping to win after taking the 5000m and 10,000m in Beijing and I went to Monaco confident I would be elected. I never understood how after winning two special gold medals that they selected somebody else,” she said.

www.starafrica.com

Stepping Out, Ethiopian Style

Call it a small step for a brand, but a giant leap for Ethiopian business. Shoemaker soleRebels, whose funky footwear is entirely designed and made in Ethiopia, set up its second overseas outlet in the Taiwanese city of Kaoshiung last month. The brand already operates a store in Vienna.

Boosting its international profile is a distinct possibility for soleRebels, which sells the world’s only Fair Trade-certified footwear. The fashionably designed sandals, slip-ons, lace-ups and boots are handmade and feature organic cotton linings. They’re environmentally friendly too: many of the products have soles made from recycled car tires, as does a lot of the everyday footwear found in Ethiopia.

Child marriage perpetuates cycle of poverty for young people

After her sister died, Tino Borantu was married off to her sister's husband when she was 9 years old, and she was forced to assume the role of wife and mother. The issue of child marriage is being addressed by organizations like CARE Ethiopia, which started a project called Healthy Unions in 2007. (Assefa Amenu, 2008 CARE)

SALT LAKE CITY — In the developing world, one in 10 girls is married before the age of 18. One in seven is married before 15. Tino Borantu of Ethiopia was married at age 9.

She was forced to marry her deceased sister's husband, who is 26 years her senior, and take on his child. Suddenly, before reaching her 10th birthday, Tino had to learn to provide for both husband and child.

The situation is common for young girls in Ethiopia and other African countries, where every year an estimated 10 million girls are married before they turn 18. Globally, nearly 400 million women currently ages 20-49 were married before 18, according to Girls Not Brides, a global partnership of non-governmental organizations committed to ending child marriage.

These numbers can be reduced soon, however, according to one expert.

Empress Menen Asfaw of Ambassel - HD(Collected,Compiled,Edited & Present...

Empress Menen was active in promoting women's issues in Ethiopia, was Patroness of the Ethiopian Red Cross, and the Ethiopian Women's Charitable Organization. She was also patroness of the Jerusalem Society that arranged for pilgrimages to the Holy Land. She founded the Empress Menen School for Girls in Addis Ababa, the first all girls school which had both boarding and day students. Girls from all over the Empire were brought to the school to receive a modern education, encouraged by the Empress who visited it often and presided over its graduation ceremonies. The Empress gave generously, as well as sponsored programs for the poor, ill and disabled. She was also a devoutly religious woman who did much to support the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. She built, renovated and endowed numerous churches in Ethiopia and in the Holy Land. Prominent among these are the St. Raguel Church in Addis Ababa's Merkato district, the Kidane Mehret (Our Lady Covenant of Mercy) Church on Mount Entoto, and the Holy Trinity Monastery on the banks of the River Jordan in the Holy Land. She gave generously from her personal funds towards the building of the new Cathedral of St. Mary of Zion at Axum, but did not live to see it completed and dedicated.

Rachel Stevens emotional over Ethiopia visit

Rachel Stevens

Pop star RACHEL STEVENS was left heartbroken on a recent charity trip to Ethiopia after witnessing a young mum's struggle to provide clean water for her family.

The former S Club 7 singer, who is mother to two-year-old Amelie, has signed on as an ambassador for the WaterAid organisation, and she traveled to the African country to see how locals are helped by the scheme but was left stunned when she saw the conditions many live in.
Recalling one heartbreaking experience of meeting a young mother-of-eight, Stevens tells Hello! magazine, "When I walked into Ajame's home and saw the desperation in her eyes as she was hugging her children, it really upset me.

Uganda, Ethiopia target quarters

Either Uganda or Ethiopia will become the first team to storm the quarterfinals of this year’s Cecafa Tusker Cup if any record victory on Tuesday.

The Cranes and Walya Antelopes face off at Namboole having both posted wins in their opening games at the weekend.

They lead Group A on three points apiece with Kenya and South Sudan, the early kick-off, on naught.

Ethiopia's last Jews prepare for the 'Promised Land'

By Jenny Vaughan (AFP)

GONDAR, Ethiopia — It was one of the most daring operations in Ethiopian history: Israel's 1991 airlift of Ethiopian Jews, when nearly 15,000 people were crammed into a series of non-stop flights lasting 36 hours.
Clutching only a few belongings, in planes with seats removed to make more space, they left a nation their ancestors had called home for two millennia for a land they knew only from scripture.
More than two decades later, some 2,000 descendants and relatives of those Israel had identified as original Jews are set to join them in the Holy Land.
All that's left of Ethiopia's Jewish population, called the Falash Mura, or "wanderers" in Ethiopia's Amharic language -- is expected to move to Israel over the next 18 months, the end of an ancient chapter of Ethiopian history.
"It is God's promise to us to go to the Promised Land and fulfill his prophecy... but that doesn't change the fact that I am Ethiopian," said Gasho Abenet, 25.
Ethiopia's remaining Falash Mura live in Gondar in the north of the country, supported by the Jerusalem-based organisation The Jewish Agency for Israel, where many have waited for years to complete bureaucratic hurdles and win approval to move.

In Ethiopia, a Close-Up for the Gelada

I was in Ethiopia last November for a monthlong assignment for The Times on art in Africa. The final leg of our trip sent us to Ethiopia, where we took a quick detour to the Simien Mountains, full of deep gorges and intricate mazes of canyons. The mountains are home to the gelada, sometimes called bleeding heart baboons because of a red patch on the chest of the males. (They are actually not baboons, though they are closely related.) They live exclusively on the short, tough grasses that grow on the Simiens’ slopes.

A male gelada with the signature red patch on his chest.

Ethiopia: President Urges Youth to Contribute to the Green Economy

President Girma Woldegiorgis has called on the youth of Ethiopia to do their part in the country's drive towards the building of a Green Economy.

During the course of his discussions with students drawn from 31 universities from around Ethiopia, the President stressed the importance if the Green
 Economy in ensuring the country's development.

He also highlighted the vital role university students and instructors have to play in the ongoing government efforts to build the Green Economy, which he described as a matter of survival for Ethiopia.

allAfrica.com

Opinion & Analysis: Can SA make an impact in the Horn of Africa?

Berouk Mesfin

Eritea and South Africa formally established diplomatic relations in 1994. Eighteen years later, the two states seem to be strengthening their bilateral relations.

In March, Iqbal Jhazbhay, the new South African ambassador to Eritrea, presented his credentials to President Issayas Afeworki. Significantly, Jhazbhay was warmly received by the president only a week after his arrival, which is a very unusual occurrence. This demonstrates the importance that Eritrea accords to South Africa.

Jhazbhay is a member of the international relations sub-committee of the ANC’s national executive committee. He is also a member of the ANC’s international relations rapid response task team, which steers party-to-party relations, including those with the ruling parties of South Sudan, Eritrea and Ethiopia.

In May, Eritrea introduced regular flights to South Africa and in July a South African business delegation visited Eritrea and was received at the highest level. This visit was meant to explore additional areas of trade and investment as Eritrea has large deposits of precious minerals such as gold and copper.

War over Nile River water between Egypt and Ethiopia?

Ethiopia and Egypt continue to struggle over Nile water resources.

ADDIS ABABA: War over the Nile River? It seems that every few weeks, commentary is published suggesting that Egypt and Ethiopia are ready for military battles over the future of the Nile River.

This week, Robele Ababya wrote a piece titled “Likely war over the Blue Nile River?” that highlighted the growing concern in Ethiopia over the future of Egypt’s tenuous democracy that has seen massive unrest in recent days.

Ababya wrote: “The matter is so serious that I gave it a rather scary title after a lot of soul-searching, but the arrogant stance of prominent Egyptian leaders begged for it as mentioned in the paragraph below – notwithstanding my long held dream that democratic Ethiopia and Egypt will one day emerge as powerful allies working together as keepers of stability and engines of economic growth in the region and beyond in the African continent.”

Ababya added that with the ongoing turmoil in Egypt and the uncertainty over their ability to reach compromises, the future relations with Ethiopia, despite an optimistic tinge, are not looking positive.

Ethiopia drafts new law on domestic workers in United Arab Emirates

Ethiopia maid attempting to jump to death in Gulf.

ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopia is looking to return domestic workers to the United Arab Emirates after the government announced a new labor agreement aimed to protect the rights of workers in the Gulf country following repeated reports of abuse.

The agreement includes minimum wage, mandatory insurance as well as ensuring the protection of elements of worker’s rights and is to be handed to the UAE embassy in  Ababa.

If implemented, it could end the ban that has been placed on Ethiopian traveling to the UAE for work.

The UAE is expected to sign and ratify the new agreement within the coming weeks after review, although a specific time frame for its approval has not been established.

Ethiopian Tariku Jufar won Beijing Marathon

Tariku Jufar 

25 November 2012 – Tariku Jufar of Ethiopia and China’s Jia Chaofeng were with winners of the Beijing Marathon on Sunday.

Jufar won the men’s contest in 2:09:39 while Jia Chaofeng clocked 2:27:40 to claim top honours in the women’s.

The 32nd edition of this IAAF Gold Label Road Race was staged in freezing conditions. The competition was held much later than the normal mid-October date and that really made life difficult for the runners. The weather forecast promised temperatures down to -3 degrees Celsius, and fortunately for the runners the mercury didn’t dip that low. Temperature was around 2 degrees C during the competition with most of the runners equipped with hats and gloves at the start.

Outrunning the odds: Las Crucens work in Ethiopia for change

Erin and Tony Portillo, of Las Cruces, in Ethiopia
 (Photo courtesy of Tony Portillo)

Every morning, Las Cruces native Tony Portillo and his wife Erin wake to crows of roosters, bahs of sheep, and songs of church loudspeakers; all usual stirrings of another morning breaking over Ethiopia's Abysinnian Highlands, at an altitude of more than 9,300 feet.
Ethiopia is one of Africa's most populous nations, home to an estimated 85 million people in 2010 according to the Population Reference Bureau. It hosts more than 80 languages, and is one of the most unique countries on the continent. Surrounded by nations in tumult and transition — Somalia, Kenya, Eritrea, Sudan/South Sudan, Djibouti — Ethiopia is a comparatively peaceful oasis. It's Africa's only country never to have been colonized, is home to one of Africa's only written languages, operates on the Julian calendar (it's 2005 there), and runs on a clock that starts at sunrise — six hours different from the European clock.
The two NMSU alumni have lived within these idiosyncrasies since May 2011 when they landed in Ethiopia as U.S. Peace Corps health volunteers. Their town, Debre Berhan — "Mountain of Light" in Ethiopia's national language, Amharic — is a two-hour drive from the crowded capital city, Addis Ababa. Located in the Amhara region, Debre Berhan is a semi-urban town of 80,000 to 100,000 people, depending on who you ask. Electricity, cell phone and Internet connections are fairly consistent, and the tapwater is fresh enough to bottle for resale at the town's Aquasafe factory.

Over 77,000 Protected From Malaria

Addis Ababa — 77,000 residents have been protected from malaria in Fogera Woreda, South Gondar Zone of Amhara State following spraying of anti-mosquito chemicals on nearly 27,000 residential houses, the Woreda Health Office said.

The office said 12,000kg chemicals were sprayed on the stated number of houses.

Similarly, the clearing of swampy areas was carried out with participation of the public as part of the malaria prevention activities carried out in eight malaria prone localities of the zone, it said.


Ethiopian News Agency

Somalia, Eritrea among deadliest nations for Journalists - report

November 25, 2012 (ADDIS ABABA) – The East African region has become the globe’s second deadliest spot for journalists after the Middle East, according to a new report released by the International Press Institute (IPI).

IPI revealed that the year 2012 was the deadliest year on record for journalists, with a total of 119 journalists killed so far this year across the globe as a consequence of their work.

Syria tops the list as the deadliest and most dangerous country for journalists where 36 journalists and dozens more media activists were killed.

Somalia follows the list with a total of 16 journalists killed this year in targeted attacks and the global network said that none of the perpetrators has been brought to justice, “perpetuating a culture of impunity that encourages new attacks”.

In neighboring Eritrea, four journalists, who had had been held in prison since 2001, have died this year bringing the total death toll in the sub region to 20.

Ethiopian Airlines bids to buy part of Air Malawi

The Ethiopian Airlines is planning to bid to buy a stake in the struggling airline of Malawi. The government of Malawi plans to sell 49 percent stake to a foreign airline and a local investor in the new flagship airline incorporated this month.

Tewolde Gebremaraim, Ethiopian CEO, who was attending African Airlines Association 44th Annual General Assembly (AGA), told reporters that Ethiopian wants to help Air Malawi. “They are our African brothers and we want to share our experience,” Tewolde said.

Ethiopian airlines will be competing against seven other companies which were selected to participate in the bids for the new Air Malawi flagship.

Amongst the bidding companies is Com Air of South Africa, which has had an on-off interest in Air Malawi for the past decade.

Malawi Privatisation Authority and Ernest & Young are handling the privatisation of Air Malawi on behalf of government.

Ethiopian is one of the three biggest African airlines. The others are South African Airways and Kenya Airways.

www.malawitoday.com

Ethiopia: Childfund Launches 148 Million Birr Programme

Addis Ababa — ChildFund Ethiopia yesterday launched a three year strategic programme designed to improve the well-being of deprived, vulnerable and excluded children as well as families in target areas in Addis .

The organization also announced that it has already allocated close to 148 million birr for the implementation of the programme which will be carried out with partner organizations.

Addis Ababa Area Coordinator Sisay Worku said that the strategic programme was designed following rigorous research and identification of child vulnerability in various parts of the city with the participation of children.

Ethiopia: Road Building Accord

Addis Ababa — A contract agreement providing for building the roads linking the country's road network with three new sugar factories at a cost of over 3.9 billion birr was signed here yesterday.

Ethiopian Roads Authority Director-General Zayid Wolde-Gebriel and General Manager of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) Group Zhou Yongsheng and CGC Overseas Acting General Manager Gao Lei.

The roads linking Enjibara-Chagni- Pawe, Pawe-Fendiqa Ayma and Kesem Sugar Factory will be upgraded to asphalt concrete level.

CCCC will construct the 100-kms Enjibara-Chagni- Pawe road with over 2.2 billion birr.

CGC Overseas will also construct the 75-kms Pawe-Fendiqa Ayma road and the 22-kms road leading to Kesem Sugar Factory and with over 1.6 billion birr.

Ethiopia: Danakil potash prospects see some exit and others double down

After buying out Nova-Ethio Potash, and the departure of BHP Billiton, Allana Potash is betting hard on the region.

he Danakil Depression holds important potash deposits, but extracting them is far from easy/Photo©MOOD BOARD/REX FEATUR/REX/SIPA

The departure of BHP Billiton from its potash concession in the Danakil Depression in northern Ethiopia has been followed by consolidation between two other explorers in the area in September.
With 45°C heat in the shade and close to the tense buffer zone between Ethiopia and Eritrea, the Danakil is an inhospitable place to work.
Nonetheless, the Ethiopian government is keen to welcome miners lured by its rich potash deposits.
A spokesperson for BHP Billiton  said its concession in Ethiopia was "not expected to meet the company's investment criteria" and that its departure in July meant the company was relinquishing its leases.
The Australian miner has been pulling back from expensive projects amid fears about the fall in commodity prices.
In early September, Toronto-listed Allana Potash, which also owns a concession in the Danakil, announced it was buying out its neighbour Nova-Ethio Potash.

በሽብርተኝነት የተከሰሱ 29 ተጠርጣሪዎች በነፃ እንዲሰናበቱ ተጠየቀ

-    የተከሰሱበት ሕግ ለትርጉም ለፌዴሬሽን ምክር ቤት ይላክ ተባለ
-    የአቶ ጁነዲን ሳዶ ባለቤት ክስ ተለይቶ እንዲቀርብ ተጠይቋል

በታምሩ ጽጌ

የሽብር ድርጊቶችን በመፈጸም፣ ሕገ መንግሥቱንና መንግሥታዊ ሥርዓቱን በማፈራረስ ሙከራ ወንጀልና ለሽብርተኝነት ድጋፍ በመስጠት ወንጀል ተጠርጥረው በፌዴራል ዓቃቤ ሕግ ክስ የተመሠረተባቸው 29 ግለሰቦችና ሁለት ድርጅቶች፣ የተከሰሱት ሕገ መንግሥቱን ጥሶ በወጣ ወይም በሚቃረን ሕግ በመሆኑ በነፃ እንዲሰናበቱ ጠበቆቻቸው ጠየቁ፡፡ ከሚኒስትር ጁነዲን ሳዶ ባለቤት ተጠርጣሪ ወይዘሮ ሐቢባ መሐመድ መሐሙድ በስተቀር፣ ሁሉም ተጠርጣሪዎች በጋራ አሥር ጠበቆችን ያቆሙ ሲሆን፣ ክሱን እየመረመረው ለሚገኘው የፌዴራል ከፍተኛ ፍርድ ቤት ልደታ ምድብ አራተኛ የወንጀል ችሎት የክስ መቃወሚያ ሐሳባቸውን ኅዳር 13 ቀን 2005 ዓ.ም. አቅርበዋል፡፡

ፍርድ ቤቱ ተከፋፍለው የቀረቡትን አራት ክሶች በንባብ አሰምቶ እንደጨረሰ፣ የተጠርጣሪዎቹ ተከሳሾች የመጀመሪያ መቃወሚያቸውን አቅርበዋል፡፡ በወንጀል ሕጉ 130 እና በአዋጅ ቁጥር 25/88 መሠረት በቀረበው መቃወሚያ ላይ ጠበቆቹ እንዳብራሩት ከሕገ መንግሥቱ ጋር የሚቃረን ከሆነ ተፈጻሚነት አይኖረውም፡፡ ከሕገ መንግሥቱ ጋር እኩል ደረጃ ኖሯቸው አንድ አካል ተደርገው በሥራ ላይ ይውላሉ የተባሉት ኢትዮጵያ ፈርማ የተቀበለቻቸው ዓለም አቀፍ ስምምነቶችና ሰነዶች ናቸው፡፡ እነዚህም በተባበሩት መንግሥታት ድርጅት ጠቅላላ ጉባዔ ውስጥ ቁጥር 217ኤ (11) ላይ የፀደቀው ዓለም አቀፍ የሰብዓዊ መብቶች ድንጋጌ፣ እ.ኤ.አ ዲሴምበር 16 ቀን 1966 ፀድቆ እ.ኤ.አ ማርች 23 ቀን 1976 በሥራ ላይ የዋለው የሲቪልና የፖለቲካ መብቶች ዓለም አቀፍ ቃል ኪዳንና ጭካኔ የተሞላባቸው ኢ-ሰብዓዊና አዋራጅ አያያዞችንና ቅጣቶችን ለማስቀረት የተደረጉ ስምምነቶች እንደሚገኙ በተቃውሟቸው ጠቁመዋል፡፡ እንደጠበቆቹ ገለጻ፣ አዋጅ ቁጥር 652/2001 ከሕገ መንግሥቱና ከዓለም አቀፍ ስምምነቶች ጋር ይቃረናል፡፡ 

Ethiopians clean sweep at Hyderabad 10K Run

Mosinet Geremew

Ethiopian Mosinet Geremew and Yebrgual Melese won the men's and women's overall titles, respectively, in the 2012 edition of Hyderabad 10K Run at People's Plaza here today.

Olympian Sudha Singh ran her personal best time of 35 minutes and 18 seconds to win the Indian women's title and finish third overall, while Rattiram Saini emerged fastest among the Indian men, clocking 30.16, a time that helped him finish 8th overall.

Sudha scored her second consecutive win over arch- rival Kavita Raut, that too by a considerable margin this time, Kavita coming home in 36.01 and Monika Athrey taking third place in 37.21.

The Indian men's race was closer, with Rattiram followed by G Laxmanan in 30.30 and Nitendra Singh Rawat in 30.54.
Geremew, the fastest male athlete in the elite field lived up to the stature, as the 20-year-old clocked his personal best time of 27 minutes and 36 seconds beating Kenyan Nicholas Kipkemboi, who fell short in the final sprint to finish a second behind in 27.37. The Third place went to Ugandan Jackson Kiprop, who stopped the clock at 28.16.