AU meets in Addis Ababa

The Eighth Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in Addis Ababa concluded on 30th January with Decisions and Declarations passed on a wide range of issues. Decisions were passed on Climate Change, Food Security, Avian Flu, the Green Wall for the Sahara Initiative, enhancing UN-AU Cooperation, Gender Equality, Africa-China Cooperation and the integration of NEPAD into AU Structures and Processes, among others. 

A Decision was also passed by the AU Assembly on Somalia, which noted with “satisfaction the recent positive developments” that resulted from Ethiopia’s intervention “on the invitation of the legitimate Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia [that] has created an unprecedented opportunity for lasting peace in the country.” It went on to welcome the decision by Ethiopia to withdraw its troops from Somalia and noted that Ethiopia has already started the withdrawal. It also called for the immediate deployment of the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and for member States to contribute troops to the mission and support the Transitional Federal Institutions of Somalia.

Finally it expressed support for the TFG initiative for inclusive inter-Somalia dialogue which would ensure national reconciliation, appealed to the international community to provide all the necessary support for post-conflict reconstruction and called for the United Nations to lead the endeavours for sustainable peace in the country. The Assembly also made a series of Declarations on Economic Partnership Agreements Negotiations, the WTO Negotiations, Climate Change and Development in Africa and the Ethiopian Millennium.

With regards to the Ethiopian Millennium, which is on 12th September 2007, the Declaration called for all Africans to embrace the event as a truly African occasion and to join in the celebrations. It also “noted with satisfaction the commitment of the Ethiopian people to use this occasion to highlight their collective resolve to make a difference in their struggle against poverty” and called on all AU member states to support the successful celebration of this unique African occasion. 

Meles elected NEPAD Chair

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has been elected to serve as Chairman of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Executive Committee. He was elected during the African Peer review Mechanism meeting and the 6th Ordinary Session of NEPAD on 28th January 2007 and will take over the chairmanship on 6th June 2007.

PM Meles meets Triesman

Lord Triesman, the UK’s Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and Minister for Africa, met with Prime Minister Meles in Addis Ababa in January and expressed the willingness of the British government to work with Ethiopia in its efforts to help bring about peace and security in Somalia. After being briefed by the Prime Minister about Ethiopia’s operations, Lord Triesman called on clan leaders and community elders in Somalia to take advantage of the opportunity to establish peace and stability.

Lord Triesman’s visit came days after Ethiopian troops began their withdrawal. The first phase of the began on 23rd January, after most of the security challenges had been addressed and following the authorisation by the AU Peace and Security Council of the deployment of an African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) at its meeting on 19th January 2007. Ethiopian troops, at the invitation of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia, and with a clear mandate from the Ethiopian Parliament, backed a counteroffensive campaign against extremist elements of the Union of Islamic Courts which began on 24th December. In addition to regional security matters, Lord Triesman’s talks with Prime Minister Meles also focused on the ongoing bilateral cooperation between Ethiopia and Britain.

Sana’a Forum committed to Somalia peace & stability

The leaders of the member states of the Sana’a Forum for Cooperation have expressed their commitment to assisting in the restoration of peace and stability in Somalia. The Presidents of Yemen, Sudan and Somalia and Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia attended the fifth Summit of the Sana'a Forum for Cooperation on 26th February 2007 in Addis Ababa. The leaders recognised the new positive opportunity that has been created in Somalia, and backed all the related decisions of IGAD, the AU and the UN regarding the deployment of the African Union Mission (AMISOM) in Somalia. They welcomed the initiative of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia for national reconciliation and dialogue, and reiterated their respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and unity of the country. The leaders also urged the international community to assist the TFG and people of Somalia, to strengthen their achievements through unconditional and tangible political, economic, financial and humanitarian support.

UK Development Committee visit

The eleven members of the British Parliament’s International Development Committee visited Ethiopia from 1st to 7th February to assess the effectiveness of aid for water and sanitation provision, as part of inquiry into water and sanitation in developing countries.  As well as meeting local people, and district and federal officials involved in water and sanitation, the Committee members also met with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and the Ministers for Water Resources and Health. The Committee was assessing the effectiveness of UK funding for water and sanitation projects around the world. They chose to visit Ethiopia because of it’s size and importance in meeting global water and sanitation targets.

Ahead of the visit, Committee Chairman, the Rt Hon. Malcolm Bruce MP, said

“The Committee hopes that what we see in Ethiopia will help us identify a variety of  effective ways of providing safe drinking water and preventing widespread disease through the proper management of waste water, so that best practice can be spread to other developing countries.”

During their stay, the Committee, whose members are John Barrett MP, John Battle MP, John Bercow MP, Hugh Bayley MP, Richard Burden MP, Quentin Davies MP, James Duddridge MP, Ann McKechin MP, Joan Ruddock MP and Marsha Singh, visited sanitation projects in Hosaena, Butajira and Alaba to see first-hand the difficulties faced by people in accessing adequate water and sanitation and to assess the effectiveness of such projects in providing solutions. They also met coffee farmers to discuss issues of fair trade and the efforts to trademark Ethiopian coffee. The Committee report will be published later in the year.

NEBE reforms agreed

Agreement on reforms to the organisational structure and procedures of the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia has been reached after discussions held between political parties with seats in the House of Peoples’ Representatives. Representatives from the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front and its partner parties, as well as the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD), the Ethiopian Democratic Unity Party-Medhin, the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement and the Union of Ethiopian Democratic Forces all took part in the discussions, which were chaired by Endalkachew Molla of the CUD. Further discussions will be held at a later date on the lower operational levels of the NEBE structure.

Mulu WB’s Africa representative

Mulu Ketsela (PhD), Ethiopia’s former State Minister of Finance and Economic Development, has been promoted to full directorship of the World Bank, becoming the first woman to represent Africans in the organisation. Mulu, who joined the World Bank as an alternate executive director in 2004, will be representing 22 African countries as her constituency for the next 2 years.  She has been responsible for choosing which projects receive funding in the region and shaping the policies of the World Bank in Africa. Prior to joining the Ethiopian government in the 1990s, Mulu was a consultant for the United Nations Development Programme and taught economics at New York University in the late 1980s. 

WB approves $175m grant

The World Bank Group board has approved a US $175 million grant to help vulnerable populations in Ethiopia lower their risk of serious food shortage and famine. The grant will finance the second phase of an existing operation, the Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP), which is reaching over 7 million of the poorest Ethiopians through public works and direct grants, while supporting improvements in the programme’s efficiency. The beneficiaries of the targeted programme will be chronically food insecure households which are unable to secure sufficient food for their families.

The Safety Net Programme, which was initiated in 2005, reached 5 million chronically food-insecure people, before being scaled up in 2006 to reach 7.23 million people. It supports a large-scale public works initiative which pays wages to food insecure but able-bodied citizens. For those physically unable to work, the programme provides direct grants. By replacing food aid with jobs and cash payments, the programme helps stimulate rural economies while also addressing some of the underlying causes of food insecurity, improving public infrastructure and maintaining community assets through public works and bringing long- term improvements to rural livelihoods.

In recent years Ethiopia has increased the proportion of national budget dedicated to poverty reduction, as the country’s economy has continued to grow strongly, and it is estimated that between 2000 and 2005, the poverty level fell from 44.2% to 38.7%.

ADB to fund projects

The African Development Bank (ADB) Group is to finance various infrastructure improvement projects across Africa to the tune of US $1.6 billion. According to Dr Ini Urua, Acting Manager of the Bank’s NEPAD Divison, the projects, which are mainly concentrated in  the transport and energy sectors, and will help provide the continent with modern, world-class infrastructure. Dr Urua was speaking to the press in Addis Ababa at the end of the African Union summit which took place from 29th – 30th January 2007. The ADB has completed plans for the launching of the construction phase of the Kenya-Ethiopia highway, extending nearly 1,600km from the port of Mombasa to Addis Ababa, as a means of enhancing transport and communication in the East African region. Kenya and Ethiopia are also working on a joint electricity power grid, which is currently on its final leg following the launch of the power plant last week in Addis during the AU summit.

UN agencies’ $754m grants

Ethiopia and United Nations agencies have signed Country Programme Action Plans that will provide grants totalling US $754.1 million. The grant agreements were signed on 27th February  by State Minister of Finance and Economic Development Mekonnen Manayazewal on behalf of the Ethiopian government and by representatives from the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Children's Fund, the United Nations Population Fund and the United Nations World Food Programme, and will be used to provide money to finance the Plan for Accelerated and Sustained Development to End Poverty in priority areas, such as food security, recovery and humanitarian response, enhanced economic growth and good governance.

Total electrification by 2015

Ethiopia plans to provide all citizens with electricity within eight years thanks to its potential capacity to generate hydroelectric power. Speaking to journalists on 9th February, Mihret Debebe, General Manager of the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo), said a combination of hydro, geothermal and wind power generation projects would help Ethiopia achieve its ambitious goal. By 2010, the country will be able to generate more than 4,000 megawatts of power and install enough distribution lines and high voltage networks to provide access to electric power to more than 50% of the country's population, Mihret told reporters.

“The construction of geothermal and wind power generation in addition to hydropower dams during the next eight years will help achieve total electrification of the country by 2015,” he added.

Representatives from EEPCo have been in discussions with Indian company ENERCON about contracts to build wind power projects. Following feasibility studies, the country’s first wind power project will be installed in Messebo and Ashegode in Tigray, which will help the Corporation meet its ambitious targets. EEPCo also plans to begin exporting electricity to Djibouti and the Sudan next year, with the construction and installation of transmission lines to both countries to begin later this year, with the Ethio-Kenya power transmission line to follow by 2010.

Ethiopia licenses oil exploration

Lundin Petroleum AB of Sweden — through its subsidiary, Lundin East Africa — will commence oil exploration in Ethiopia before the end of the year. A production sharing agreement which covers Blocks 2 and 6, spanning over 24,000 square kilometres and located just west of the Calub and Hilala oil and gas discoveries, was signed in 2006 after negotiations with the Ministry of Energy and Mines.

Ethiopia’s Minister of Mines and Energy Alemayehu Tagenu, who recently attended an international mining conference in Cape Town, South Africa, said the number of companies engaged in the sector was steadily rising, with joint geological and geophysical research studies launched in southern Ethiopia. Pexco is engaged in petroleum exploration and development activities in the Ogaden basin, while South West Energy Company and the Afar Explorer are also engaged in petroleum exploration and mining activities in Dagahabur in Ogaden and northern Afar respectively. On a trip to Nairobi in February, Lundin Exploration manager James Phillips described Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa as an important region for future exploration effort, adding that the Ethiopian government is well organised and runs an efficient Ministry that is ‘open for business’.

11th Addis Chamber International Trade Fair

The 11th Addis Chamber International Trade Fair opened on 22nd February 2007 in the Addis Ababa Exhibition Center in Ethiopia. The Fair, which ran until 28th February, was officially opened by the Ethiopian Trade and Industry Minister Girma Birru who said that it was an important tool in the promotion of trade and investment between countries. “Trade Fairs like this pave avenues for having a better interaction and understanding between peoples and countries. They also strengthen the relationship between different countries and their respective business people,” Minister Girma said.

The event is designed to introduce Ethiopian business enterprises and their products/services to the general public and international business community and to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and to promote Ethiopia’s investment potential.

UNICEF Exec praises Ethiopia

UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman has highlighted the progress achieved in Ethiopia towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals and expressed hope for future success. “Child mortality in Ethiopia has declined by 40 per cent in the last 15 years,” said Veneman during her trip to Addis Ababa at the end of February. “We must build upon these gains to further improve the lives of children.”

Child mortality rates in Ethiopia peaked in 1990, with 204 of every 1,000 children dying before the age of five, which has steadily declined to 123 out of every 1,000 live births.  Veneman also praised effective partnerships between Government, affected communities, donors and UN agencies for their roles in these successes. Veneman's trip to Ethiopia, which included visits to a commercial flower farm and a coffee cooperative, also underscored the importance of developing the national economy to achieve sustainable improvements. Veneman also attended the opening of Plumpy'Nut production at the Hilina Enriched Foods factory in Addis Ababa. The factory will process the ready-to-use Plumpy’nut, a therapeutic food made from peanuts, milk, sugar, vitamins and minerals, which has already been used in Niger where 63,000 children were treated with a 90% success rate in 2005.

Hilina Enriched Foods expects to produce 100 tonnes of the food per month, which will be bought by UNICEF and distributed to thousands of children. Minister of Trade and Industry, Girma Birru, noted that the economic benefits will also help local producers.  “Market links will be created with small farmer groups in Ethiopia to provide raw material like sugar, peanuts and soil and soy beans,” he said. Unlike other therapeutic treatments, Plumpy'nut requires no preparation or special supervision so an untrained adult can feed it to a malnourished child at home.

Carter in Ethiopia

Former US President Jimmy Carter lead a delegation of senior-level Carter Center officials on a tour of Africa to bring international attention to health needs in communities in Ghana, Sudan, Nigeria and Ethiopia.  President Carter distributed long-lasting insecticide-impregnated bed nets in Afeta, in Jimma, as part of the Center’s new malaria control initiative in Ethiopia.  To assist the Ethiopian Ministry of Health the Center has purchased 3 million bed nets and will assist in distribution. President Carter attended the opening meeting of the Ethiopian Public Health Training Initiative's Replication Conference in Addis Ababa. The conference, the first of its kind, was held to demonstrate the positive impact the programme - which was launched in 1997 and works with Ethiopian universities to pair teaching staff with international experts to develop health education based on local needs - has had in helping Ethiopia meet the growing need for trained health care workers in the country.

Notices

Hortiflora Ethiopia 2007

The Ethiopian Horticulture Producers & Exporters Association (EHPEA) plans to hold Hortiflora Ethiopia 2007 from 21st to 23rd March 2007 at the Addis Ababa Exhibition Center. For more information please visit the Trade section of the Embassy website.

IAF 2007

The 4th International Automotive Fair (IAF 2007) will take place from 17th to 21st May 2007 in the Addis Ababa Exhibition Center. For more information and registration details visit  http://www.iaf-eth.com/index.htm

Change to Consular Office hours

The Embassy would like to notify readers of new opening hours for the Consular Office, which came into effect on 5th February. The Consular Office is now open Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm. Visa applications or other consular business cannot be accepted after 3pm as the office will be closed.

WTA 2007 Ethiopian nominees

Ethiopia has nominees in several categories announced for this year’s World Travel Awards. Ethiopian Airlines is one of the nominees in the Leading African Airline category, while Addis Ababa Bole International Airport is up for the Leading African Airport award.  The United Nations Conference Centre in Addis Ababa is among the Leading African Conference Centre nominees, and in the Africa’s Leading Hotel category, Ethiopia is represented by the Sheraton Addis, which is also nominated in the Ethiopia’s Leading Hotel category, along with the Hilton Addis Ababa and the Ghion Hotel. The Africa region awards ceremony will take place in Abu Dhabi on 12th March, with the final Annual World Travel Awards results announced on 12th December on the Caribbean island of Providenciales.

His Holiness Abune Paulos attends Lalibela ceremony

His Holiness Abune Paulos, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, attended a ground breaking ceremony to mark the commencement of construction work on four shelters for five churches in Lalibela. The ceremony, which took place on 13th February at the UNESCO World Heritage site, was also attended by Ambassador Tim Clarke, the representative of the European Commission, which is providing €5.5 million towards the total €6.3 million cost of the works from the European Development Fund.

“We greatly appreciate the European Union playing its role in conserving this magnificent historical and religious treasure of Ethiopia which is unique and one of the oldest in the world,” said His Holiness Abuna Paulos.

The shelters have been designed by Teprin Associati of Italy, winners of an International Architect Competition; “The skies of Lalibela”, held in 2002, who will supervise the works, which are scheduled to be completed by March 2008. The churches to be covered will be Biet Medhane- Alem, Biet Maryam, Biet Masqal, Biet Amanuel and Biet Abba-Libanos, replacing the existing structures to protect the churches ahead of and during the restoration work.

Sport

Askale Tafa Magarsa broke the Dubai Marathon women's record on 12th January with a time of 2 hours 27 minutes and 19 seconds, beating her previous best by 38 seconds. It was a clean sweep in the women's race with Abebe Eda second in 2:35:39 and Adanech Jemilu third in 2:39:28.

Ethiopian athletes were victorious in the Great Edinburgh International Cross Country event at Holyrood Park, Scotland on 13th January. Champion Kenenisa Bekele claimed victory against an elite field in the Men’s 9.3km, finishing in 28 minutes 14 seconds. In the women’s 6.7km race, Ethiopia’s champion Gelete Burka successfully defended her title when she finished in 23 minutes and 25 seconds.

On 14th January, Tirunesh Dibaba helped her club, ‘Prisons Police’, to an emphatic victory in the 10th Ethiopian Marathon Relay Championships in Awassa, while Sileshi Sihine took an unchallenged victory at the “64th Cross Internacional Juan Muguerza” cross country meeting in Elgoibar, Spain with a time of 31:08. Mestewat Tufa and Bezunesh Bekele took the first two positions in the Women’s race, with times of 20:37 and 20:41 respectively.

Meseret Defar broke the World Indoor 3000 metres record at the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle in Stuttgart on 3rd February when she completed the race in 8 minutes 23.72 seconds. Meselech Melkamu finished in second place in 8:23.74, which also broke the previous world record.

Kenenisa set a new world record for the indoor 2,000 metres at the Norwich Union Grand Prix in Birmingham on 17th February. His 4 minutes 49.99 seconds beat the previous nine-year old mark set by fellow Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie.  Meanwhile, Markos Geneti finished the 3000 metres race in second place with 7 minutes 32.69 seconds.

PM Football award

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has been awarded the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) Gold Order of Merit award. The Prime Minister was given the organisation’s highest award in Addis Ababa on 19th February by CAF President Issa Hayatou, in recognition of his services to African football. “Football is playing a great role here and in the continent.  I will do everything at my disposal to support and encourage the game in Ethiopia,” he said. Tributes were also paid to the late President of CAF, Ethiopia’s Yidnekatchew Tessema.

Haile – a celebration

“Haile Gebrselassie - the Greatest”, a photo exhibition on the career of the two-time Olympic and four-time World 10,000m champion was officially opened at the National Museum in Addis Ababa on 9th January.  The exhibition, organized by the Great Ethiopian Run contains 27 photos of Gebrselasse’s most significant victories over the last fifteen years. The oldest picture shows Gebrselassie’s victory in the 10,000m at the 1992 World Junior Championships in Seoul, South Korea. ■

Ethiopian News – Volume 5 Number 4  January & February 2007

Edited by James Thresher

Published by the Press Office, Ethiopian Embassy, 17 Princes Gate, London SW7 1PZ

Telephone: 020 7838 3883   Fax: 020 7838 3889

For more Ethiopian news please visit our website - www.ethioembassy.org.uk, info@ethioembassy.org.uk