Publication of The Ethiopian Embassy in London 

ETHIOPIAN  NEWS

Volume 4 Number 12 February, March & April 2006 On-line version 

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PM Meles reports positive results in development activities

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has reported to the 17th regular meeting of the House of Peoples’ Representatives that development activities are bearing positive results.

Presenting his report on Tuesday 28^th March, the Prime Minister expressed the Ethiopian government’s firm conviction that it is possible to eradicate deep-rooted poverty and under-development through hard work and the implementation of appropriate development plans.

The Prime Minister reported on the work undertaken to strengthen and enhance democratic institutions, “drawing lessons from the last election” to reform the Code of Conduct and Procedure of the House of Peoples’ Representatives (HPR), enhance the capacity of the National Electoral Board (NEB) and review the country’s media laws.

He reported how consultants from four countries with rich democratic experience – Canada, Britain, Germany and India - had been retained to present to all the political parties represented in the HPR a comparative analysis of Ethiopia’s procedures and experiences and provide an objective view of what improvements could be made as appropriate. This process will allow the views of all stakeholders to be taken into account, to “help narrow differences among political parties and promote healthy competition and a cooperative spirit.”

The plans to reform the NEB are also underway, also to be presented to the political parties in the House for consultation, after which a new electoral board should be appointed by the House, in accordance with the Constitution.

The Prime Minister also took the opportunity to thank Ethiopia’s development partners for their significant contribution in cooperating and exchanging their experiences in building up these institutions.

During his speech, Prime Minister Meles touched on the Ethio-Eritrean Border, reaffirming the commitment of the Government to resolving the situation “in a manner what would ensure lasting peace” and reiterated their conviction that dialogue was needed. He praised the recent initiative of the US government as “exemplary and commendable” and noted the support from the UN Security Council for proposals calling for dialogue which have been put forward by the Witnesses to the Algiers Agreement. He also commented on the meeting between representatives of the two governments convened in London by the Boundary Commission, which he noted was a positive step, even though it did not achieve a breakthrough.

The Prime Minister also discussed the extension of health and education programmes, particularly in pastoralist areas and provided the House with an update on the Addis Ababa City Administration and recommendations on how best to proceed. 

He reported that the number of medical institutions providing HIV/AIDS testing and counseling services has increased by 120 this year to 645 such institutions operating throughout the country, boosting the number of people accessing free medical services from 900 to 23,000. 7,100 health workers were also trained and assigned to posts this year; the total 9,900 health workers assigned representing a third of the country’s total need, with a further 7,505 trainee workers expected to graduate next year.

He observed that despite the delays effecting the construction of the thirteen new universities, it had been possible to accept 36,500 students into state universities this year, representing a 14% increase on the previous year, while coverage of primary education had reached an incredible 89.14%, up from 79.8% last year.

With reference to the pastoralist areas in the Afar and Somali States, the Prime Minister noted that such regions have not derived commensurate benefit from the development activities in the country. The restructuring of State organisations in these areas was underway to ensure efficiency and accountability, including work to decentralise decision-making powers to the regions’ woredas and kebeles, to encourage wider participation. Efforts to improve the supply of drinking water are also underway, with coverage in the Afar and Somali States to increase to 30% and 25% respectively. He also noted that 45 towns in the pastoralist areas have access to diesel generated electricity, with 15 towns provided with hydro-electric power, and as part of the plan to connect the area to the main electricity grid, the Dire Dawa-Harar-Jijiga line has been completed while the Kombolcha-Semera-Dicheto line is under construction, as is the programme of extensive road building in the States.

The Prime Minister praised farmers and professionals working in different sectors, as well as the political leadership at all levels, for the results achieved so far, and noted that the “recent continuous, rapid and high economic growth in our country is a testimony to the fact that there is no reason why successful growth will not be achieved if the community as a whole is determined to defeat poverty.”

On the subject of the Addis Ababa City Administration, Prime Minister Meles reported that the Government had devoted great effort to encouraging those elected representatives wishing to assume the administration to do so. He noted that while several representatives had demonstrated such a desire, they had not been able to gather sufficient votes to allow them to accomplish their objective. In light of this and the need to resolve the matter urgently, the Prime Minister put forward the following recommendations.

The first recommendation was to give elected representatives a further three weeks to assume the City administration, and if successful assist them to assume the administration at sub-city and kebele level. If this is not possible, the second recommendation stipulated that the provisional administration be dismissed, to be replaced by a care-taker administration for one year, comprised of professionals who will have a clear mandate to undertake the economic and social development activities of the city.  The final recommendation – in light of the formation of a care-taker administration – was to hold new elections after a year to ensure that elected representatives assume the responsibility of administering the city.

The Prime Minister’s recommendations were approved by the House with 332 votes in favour, 78 objections and 53 abstentions.

The full version of the Prime Minister’s Report can be found here.

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Meles and Blair attend Governance Summit in South Africa

The 2006 Progressive Governance Summit took place in South Africa on 11^th – 12^th February, with Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and his British and South African counterparts, Tony Blair and Thabo Mbeki, in attendance. The Summit – which took place in the developing world for the first time – was structured around three key themes; Political strategy, Development and Africa and Policy Challenges of the 21^st Century.

The Summit, which was held at Didimala Game Lodge in Gauteng, was preceded by a high level round table discussion on Saturday 11^th February, which drew together Heads of State and Government, on the themes of what progressives can do to ensure the success of the World Trade Organisation negotiations and what is happening to the centre-left across the World. The Free market, world peace, progressive governance and poverty alleviation were also among the topics under discussion.

While responding to questions from journalists at the Press Conference with the members of the Global Governance Summit, Prime Minister Blair said Britain will continue to support Ethiopia and said that he was working with Prime Minister Meles to resolve the issues that arose following the elections in 2005, adding that the election was “the most free and fair election there has been in Ethiopia.”

“There are real issues, and we have discussed them, but I think it is important to emphasise this is not a question of a government having lost an election and then trying to retain power, the government won the election,” he added, saying that he wanted to resolve the situation in a way that supports Ethiopia and its government in ensuring the economic development progress that Ethiopia has made is maintained.

Prime Minister Meles echoed Blair’s comments about the election and noted that if the independent investigation into the post-election period in Ethiopia demonstrated any flaws, then “we will not hesitate to learn from our mistakes and move on, and we are moving on,...on the economic front, this is the third year of double digit growth in our country...and on the democratic reform front.”

Referring to the decision by the British Government to set up a new Protection of Basic Services Grant, which was announced by Hilary Benn MP, the UK Secretary of State for International Development on 18^th January, Prime Minister Meles said

“They respect my responsibility to make decisions in Ethiopia, and I respect their responsibility to make decisions about their own money, it is their taxpayers' money.”

The Network for Progressive Governance was set up in 1999 by a few leaders who shared a progressive vision for their countries and for the world to provide a platform to exchange views and learn from each other about how to tackle the challenges and opportunities emerging in the 21st century. Membership of the network is by invitation only, with current members including Brazil, Canada, Ethiopia, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom among others.

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New Ambassador to the UK arrives

The newly appointed Ambassador of Ethiopia to the United Kingdom, Berhanu Kebede, presented his credentials to Her Majesty The Queen at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday 28^th March. During the ceremony, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth told the Ambassador of the great importance she gives to the relationship between Britain and Ethiopia and spoke of her great respect for the Ethiopian people. The Queen also noted the encouraging growth of the democratisation process in Ethiopia, which should be further strengthened.

Speaking to Ethiopian Worldwide Television after the ceremony, His Excellency Ambassador Berhanu said the occasion marked a new beginning in the cooperation between Ethiopia and the UK. He also noted that there is much work to be done to further develop investment, tourism, trade and economic ties between the two countries. The Ambassador added that this was “a moment in which both sides enter a promise to work in collaboration with friends of Ethiopia” and that he would work with his fellow Ethiopian diplomats to promote the relationship further.

That afternoon a Vin d’Honour was held to mark the occasion, with more than 200 guests in attendance, among which were fellow Ambassadors and diplomats accredited to the Court of St. James’ from countries across the World, representatives from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office including the Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps, Sir Anthony Figgis KCVO CMG, UK Parliamentarians, representatives from NGOs, journalists, business investors in Ethiopia, academics and members of the Ethiopian community in the UK.

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Japanese Prime Minister visits Ethiopia

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi accorded a warm welcome to his Japanese counterpart, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, on 30^th April at the National Palace during his three day visit to Ethiopia. During his stay, Koizumi and Prime Minister Meles held talks on bilateral and other issues of common interest before he went on to meet with Alpha Omar Konare, the Head of the African Union (AU) Commission, and address diplomats at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa.

Speaking after their meeting, Prime Minister Koizumi said he’d "had very candid exchanges with Prime Minister Meles on regional issues as well as the reform of the AU and others.” Also under discussion were proposed reforms to the United Nations, of which Prime Minister Meles said Ethiopia supported Japan’s request to have a seat on the Security Council “because we don’t think it makes sense for the second largest economy in the World not to have a seat in the reformed Security Council.”

The AU has been calling for the UN Security Council to be expanded to 26 seats, with six new permanent veto-wielding seats, two of which would be reserved for Africa, and five new non-permanent seats, of which two would also be set aside for Africa.

During Prime Minister Koizumi’s visit – his first to Ethiopia – he reiterated Japan’s support for continued efforts to assist Africa in the consolidation of peace and the reduction of poverty through economic growth.

 
"Japan wishes to continue its cooperation so that African countries can develop their economies and stand on their feet," Koizumi said, adding that his country had pledged at last year’s G8 Summit to triple aid to Africa over the next three years.

“Japan has always followed through on its commitments, based on the principle that we provide what each country needs.”

Japan's aid grant to Africa for the year to March 2005 rose 13.5% from the previous year to 45 billion yen (US $390 million), and the country currently ranks as the fourth leading donor for Africa globally after France, the United States and Germany. Ethiopia and Japan recently signed a new $3.85 million grant agreement for the purchase and transportation of fertilisers aimed at increasing food production in the country. The grant, which was signed by Finance and Economic Development State Minister, Mekonnen Manyazewal and the Japanese Ambassador to Ethiopia, Kenjiro Izumi, on Tuesday 7^th March, will make a significant contribution to efforts to increase food security.

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PM Meets US Senators

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi met with a delegation of US Senators led by Senate Banking and Urban Affairs Committee Chairman Senator Richard Shelby. The meeting on 19^th April, focused on ways of strengthening relations between Ethiopia and the US and other matters, such as the Ethio-Eritrea boundary dispute. Shelby and his fellow Senators indicated that the two governments will continue their cooperation to ensure peace and stability in the Horn of Africa. During the meeting the Prime Minister re-iterated his recent call to the US Government to support the work towards strengthening the banking services in Ethiopia. Senator Shelby also noted the need for further work in boosting micro and small-scale credit services, stating that the expansion of such institutions is of immense importance to the economic development of the country and its people.

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Royal Society of Chemistry to give free access to archives

The Royal Society of Chemistry has announced that it is to provide developing countries with free access to its science journal archives. The London based international society is to make its historical research archives available free of charge, as part of its commitment to help build science and technology capacity. The archives contain 1.5 million pages and 250,000 articles, all of which will be available electronically.

The Archive of Africa was launched by Society President Dr Simon Campbell on 28th February at the House of Commons, and was previously introduced at the Annual Congress of the Chemical Society of Ethiopia on 24^th - 25^th February in Addis Ababa, where the newly created Federation of African Societies of Chemistry was launched.

The new initiative, as well as supporting the work undertaken during the UK’s Presidency of the G8 last year, also reflects the European Union Council decision of December 2005 to expand collaboration between Europe and Africa through the establishment of a ‘Euro-African network of universities and centres of excellence’, assisting the realisation of African ambitions to develop their scientific and technological capabilities.

Dr Campbell said

“Access to scientific information is an essential ingredient for the establishment of a sustainable science base and the RSC Archive has been widely subscribed throughout the chemistry world by both academia and industry. We believe that free access to the RSC Archive will make a major contribution towards building scientific capacity, which African leaders have stated is essential for social and economic development”

At the launch of the initiative, Hareg Tadesse, a researcher studying in Nottingham for one year as part of her Ethiopian Ph.D, called on other chemistry institutions to open their archives free-of-charge too.

"In order to do my work, I needed to know the results from previous research,” said Hareg. “It was really hard in Addis for me to get hold of the right papers. This is where the archives are going to be so useful. Now students like me in Addis can get the RSC Archives straight away, when we need them.

"I would like to call on all publishers of chemistry journals to follow the lead of the RSC to support young chemists like me with their archives so that we can bring the benefits of chemistry to our great continent," she added.

Hareg is carrying out research on a plant called Brucea antidysenterica – named after the 18^th century British explorer James Bruce – which is found in Ethiopia. It is known locally as ‘Yedega Abalo’ and has been used by people living in northern Ethiopia for many centuries for treating dysentery. Bruce was cured by a herbal extract from the plant, and brought some seeds back to London which he gave to the British Museum. The plant’s compounds are now being studied, as some show potential medicinal and anti-cancer properties.

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AXA Re Insurance pilot may help meet future disaster needs

A new and unusual initiative which aims to have fund available to meet the needs of disaster victims as soon as they occur has been launched with the sponsorship of the United Nations World Food Programme. It was announced on 9^th March, AXA Re, the reinsurance division of France’s AXA Group, has been chosen by the UN to underwrite a new weather derivative transaction that could provide $7.1 million to Ethiopian farmers, if rainfall levels fall below pre-determined parameters, which would indicate if a drought or famine is possible.

The new initiative offers a “novel way to transfer humanitarian risk to the financial markets”, according to Weil, Gotshal and Manges, the New York law form that has been acting as pro bono counsel to the UN in establishing the programme.

By establishing the rainfall parameters indicative of a drought in the region, the funds would be available before the threat of starvation becomes a reality.

The policy calls for rainfall data to be collected from 26 stations throughout Ethiopian. Payment would be triggered if data gathered over a period from March to October 2006 indicates that rainfall has been significantly below historic averages, which may point to the likelihood of a widespread crop failure.

The programme would give the World Food Programme immediate access to emergency food relief funds as well as providing additional time to raise more funds if necessary.

"This is an incredible application of financial and legal concepts, which have the potential to do so much good for so many,” said Conrad G. Bahlke, a partner at Weil, Gotshal & Manges Structured Financial and Derivatives practice group. “While the pilot transaction only provides a small amount of contingency funding, the model has been designed on the basis of the potential losses that poor Ethiopian farmers risk should an extreme drought arise.”

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PM meets UN Human Rights Commissioner

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has met with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louis Arbour. During the meeting, which took place on Tuesday 25^th April, Prime Minister Meles discussed a number of national and international issues with the Commissioner, and said the Ethiopian government has made encouraging progress in ensuring democracy and the respect of human rights, and that progress would be further strengthened, for which the support of the UN would be of paramount importance.

Commissioner Arbour, who is on the first leg of her official visit to the Horn of Africa, said the UN wishes to assist in efforts to build democracy and boost the capacity of democratic institutions. Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Commissioner Arbour said that her discussions with the Prime Minister had been very extensive and useful.

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World Bank approves international development debt relief

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved the financing and implementation details for the World Bank’s contribution towards the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI), which will cancel the International Development Association debt of some of the world’s poorest countries – including Ethiopia – beginning on 1^st July 2006, the start of the Bank’s new fiscal year. It is expected that the IDA will provide more than US $37 billion in debt relief over 40 years.

“This is a historic agreement combining increased financing with debt relief, which will help poor countries meet the Millennium Development Goals” said Paul Wolfowitz, President of the World Bank. “I am particularly pleased that the Bank’s shareholders have agreed on a funding package that will help to preserve the International Development Association’s role as a cornerstone in development finance for the poor countries of the world.”

Donors have agreed to a financing package that calls for additional donor contributions over time to ensure delivery of fresh resources for poverty reduction.

Debt cancellation will be provided by the International Development Association IDA of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the African Development Fund to countries that have reached the “completion point”, such as Ethiopia, from the Enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative.

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Mausoleum to honour Red Terror dead planned

Ethiopia is to build a monument to honour the thousands of people killed during the 1977-78 “Red Terror” purge by Marxist Dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam. It was announced on 24^thApril that a committee has been entrusted to oversee the construction of the $1 million mausoleum, which will shelter 27 caskets bearing the remains of 55,000 Red Terror victims, exhumed from different mass graves in and around Addis Ababa city, which will be located in Meskel Square, next to the Addis Ababa Museum, and will incorporate a library and a meeting hall.

The final verdicts in the Red Terror genocide trials are due on 23^rd May, after 14 years of proceedings. The former dictator Mengistu, who fled in 1991, and others are being tried in absentia.

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EC launches Civil Society Fund

The European Commission has launched a €10 million civil society fund in Ethiopia as part of a five-year programme under the Cotonou Agreement signed between the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries in 2000.

Speaking at a Cotonou General Assembly meeting held at the Hilton Addis Ababa on 21^st February, Civil Society Fund Technical Unit Programme Manager Getinet Assefa said the fund will be implemented in two phases, between 2006 and 2010.

The civil society programme was established following the realisation that the lack of or under-development of civil society organisations is a major obstacle for sustainable development and democratisation in Ethiopia. The programme seeks to increase and improve relations between civil society organisations, their constituencies and the government, and to increase their capacity to actively participate in the national development process. A task force comprising representatives from civic organisations was formed last year to increase participation.

The Cotonou Agreement was originally signed in 2000 and concluded for a twenty-year period until February 2020, with revisions undertaken every five years. The agreement contains aid packages to help support development, poverty reduction strategies and the democratisation process of the ACP countries. A total of €25 billion has been allocated to 77 ACP countries for the period 2000 to 2007, with €538 million made available to Ethiopia between 2002 and 2007.

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Ethiopian appointed to senior UN role

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced the appointment of Yohannes Mengesha of Ethiopia as Assistant Secretary-General for General Assembly and Conference Management on 27^th April 2006. Ato Yohannes, currently serves as Director of the Office of the Deputy Secretary-General and has been with that office since its inception, previously serving as Principal Officer.  Earlier in his career, he held the position of Director, Iraq Programme, Department of Humanitarian Affairs (1996-1998).

Yohannes, who holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and a Master of Arts in Law from Cambridge University in the UK, joined the United Nations in 1976 as Project Officer for the World Food Programme and has served the Organisation in various capacities, including as Regional Manager, World Food Programme Eastern and Southern Africa Bureau  and Senior Adviser, Department of Humanitarian Affairs.

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Dr Tewolde hailed as a ‘Champion of the Earth’

Dr Tewolde Gebre Egziabher of Ethiopia was among the seven ‘green’ leaders celebrated as the 2006 Champions of the Earth by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on 21^st April. The awards recognise prominent and inspirational environmental leaders from each region of the world, and each Champion is nominated on the basis of the impact they have made at policy level through leadership, vision and creativity.

The winners were honoured at a gala event hosted by UNEP, Singapore’s Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources and the Singapore Tourism Board with the support of various sponsors and partners, such as the Lien Foundation, CNN, Time, Singapore Environment Council, Channel News Asia and Today.

The event itself and the stories of each of the Champions was broadcast across the Asia Pacific region by CNN and will feature in Fortune and Time magazines.

Dr Tewolde has been made a Champion of the Earth for his work in negotiating at various biodiversity-related fora, in particular the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Food and Agriculture Organisation. Recognition is also given for his efforts in building a strong group of well-prepared African negotiators who initiated and took the lead in the Group of 77 and China Group, a result of which saw Africa maintain a united, strong and progressive position on various issues such as no patents on living materials and the recognition of community rights, which have strengthened the G77 and China’s negotiating positions. He was instrumental in securing recommendations from the African Union (AU) encouraging African countries to develop and implement community rights, a common position on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), and a clear stance against patents on life. He also guided the drafting of the AU model legislation for community rights, which is being used as the common model by all African countries.

Mikhail Gorbachev, former leader of the Soviet Union, and Massoumeh Ebtekar, Iran’s first female vice-president, are among Dr Tweolde’s fellow Champions; Gorbachev for his work in international environmental politics and Ebtekar for championing cleaner production methods in the petrochemical industry.

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Statistics Agency launches New ‘User-Friendly’ Database

Ethiopia’s Central Statistical Agency (CSA), in collaboration with UNICEF, has launched new database software that will provide socio-economic and demographic data in a user-friendly manner. According to eh CSA, EthioInfo, which was launched in February at the UNECA Conference Hall, will strengthen efforts to improve the CSA’s data and information dissemination system, which up until now has only used hard copies, disks and the internet.

"The statistical information collected and produced by the agency has no value unless it is disseminated to users effectively and efficiently through reliable software like EthioInfo," said Yassin Mossa, Acting Deputy Director of the CSA.

"Currently, CSA disseminates statistical data and information in the form of printed publications CDs and internet using CSA's website,” he added.

"The EthioInfo database offers a tool to organise, disseminate and display data in a result-based environment, allowing for better allocation of resources and development efforts. The software is designed to serve as a store house and dissemination tool at a national level.”

"The database acts as a storage and as a dissemination tool for data generated by different survey results in the CSA. It is an essential tool for Monitoring and Evaluation on reliable current performance indicators and information on the socio-economic statistics at national level and in various parts of the country."

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$1 billion UN Development Assistance agreement signed

The State Minister for Finance and Economic Development Mammo Gitto and officials of the United Nations Country Team have signed the second UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF II) which will see development projects valued at up to US $1 billion being carried out to help enable the Ethiopian government realise its development programmes over the next five years.  The UNDAF is the common strategic framework for the operational activities of the UN in Ethiopia, which helps to provide a collective, coherent and integrated UN response to national priorities and needs. 

The agreement, which is based on the government's five year development plans and the Millennium Development Goals, was signed on Friday 24th February and will be implemented from 2007 to 2011.

At the signing, Admassu Nebebe, UN Team Leader with the Multilateral Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, said the development projects, which would be undertaken by associated agencies, will help to reduce poverty in Ethiopia. He said the agreement would enable a four-fold increase in the development support being provided to the country. 

UN Resident Coordinator Elizabeth Lwanga said key areas had been agreed on as priorities for action under the UNDAF II agreement, and identified them as Humanitarian Response, Recovery and Food Security, Basic Social Services and Human Resources, HIV/AIDS, Good Governance and Enhanced Economic Growth.

Ethiopia is one of seven priority countries selected by the Millennium Project, a special advisory body to the UN Secretary General on the Millennium Development Goals, to prepare a scaled-up investment plan that will help the country to meet the MDG targets.

The signing ceremony was observed by invited guests from the UN Development Programme, UNICEF, the World Food Programme, representatives from the donor community, civil society and the media.

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Ethiopian climate favourable for Cherry Tomatoes

Israel based company Tomaisin has discovered how favourable the climate of Ethiopia is for growing Cherry tomatoes. Trials conducted by Tomaisin and the Melkasa Agricultural Research Centre (MARC) since November last year have found the Rift Vally area and surroundings of Mekele in Tigray State are ideal for growing high quality tomatoes. The company announced on 7^th April their plans to begin supplying next year and aims to enter onto the European market, worth around US $150 million, within two years.

MARC Director, Dr Fasil Reda, confirmed that more than 1,000 quintals of cherry tomatoes per hectare could be grown and easily cultivated by household farmers and preserved for more than a month without effecting its taste and quality. Dr Fasil also noted that supplying cherry tomatoes to the market could help maintain the economic growth of the nation, as the annual market share of cherry tomatoes in Europe is around US $150 million.

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ADB has $450 earmarked for development

The African Development Bank has announced that it has earmarked US $450 million for various development projects in Ethiopia over the next three years. The announcement was made by the President of the African Development Bank (ADB), Mr Donald Kaberuka, who recently paid a three day visit to Ethiopia, where he met with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and officials of the African Union. Ethiopia will use the money from the ADB for the construction of roads, electricity generation and the provision of water, as well as agricultural development.

Following his meeting with Prime Minister Meles on Saturday 25^th February, Mr Kaberuka told journalists that he and the Premier had discussed ways of effectively utilising the funds that will be made available by the bank, as well how the bank could further enhance its development work. He added that the discussions had helped him to understand the challenges facing Ethiopia in its battle against poverty, but noted that the country had been registering encouraging results in its efforts to increase economic growth.

During his visit, Mr Kaberuka also signed a $64.32 million grant with Ethiopian Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Sufian Ahmed, which will be used to finance a number of activities, including the provision of new and the renovation of existing water supply services, the construction of latrines for schools, health centres and the improvement of rural water supplies and sanitation.

At the signing Mr Kaberuka said the programme would improve access to water and sanitation for more than 2.5 million people in rural areas, and added that the focus on rural supply and sanitation is appropriate, reflecting the commitment of both the government of Ethiopia and the Bank to the reduction of poverty.

The ADB was established in 1964 under the auspices of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). It obtains funds from cash subscriptions from regional and non-regional members. The ADB Group has financed 79 operations in Ethiopia to the value of $1.9 billion since it began operating in the country in 1975.

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Air industry developments

Ethiopian President Girma Wolde Giorgis opened the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport expansion project in February, saying that once completed, the project will make a significant contribution to Ethiopia’s development. The Project’s construction period, undertaken by Airports Enterprise at a cost of 1.35 billion Birr, began ten years ago, and includes a terminal and Air Traffic Control Tower at Addis airport. Ethiopian Airlines also recently signed a US $10.5 million contract with Sabre Airline Solutions, a US-based business company to allow the airline to begin using Sabersonic passenger solutions technologies for reservations, on-line booking, e-ticketing, code-sharing and departure control air price fares management systems by the end of 2006.

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Ethio-International Leather Fair 7^th – 11^th July

The Ethio-International Leather Fair is to be held at the Addis Ababa Exhibition Center from 7^th to 11^th July 2006. The event is designed to enable businesses in the leather industry to stay competitive in a fast changing world that seeks cost efficiency and increased productivity. More than 200 businesses from across the leather industry, from equipment and technology suppliers to buyers from countries in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa, are expected to participate, with Tanning Machinery, Footwear Machinery, Manufacturing Equipments, Technology Shoes, Leather Garments, Leather Goods, Semi-Finished Leather, Hides & Skins, Components & Accessories, Process Chemicals & Dyes among the exhibits. More than 10,000 foreign and local visitors are expected during the Fair.

The Fair will also host meetings to bring together Government officials, local investors and representatives from foreign businesses to share important information on investment potentials and opportunities in Ethiopia’s leather sector. The meetings will also cover such topics as macroeconomic stability, labour availability and costs, local and regional market access, and provide contact with local investors seeking opportunities for subcontracting, equipment purchase and raw materials. 

The event is being organised by BA Promotions in association with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ethiopian Investment Agency, the Privatisation and Public Enterprises Supervising Authority, the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce, the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Leather and Related Trade Unions and Institutions.

For more information please visit www.ba-eilf.com or email batethio@yahoo.com. More information is also available in the trade section of the Embassy website www.ethioembassy.org.uk

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Third International Automative Fair (IAF 2006)

The Ministry of Transport and Communications and Ed Stelar PLC will host the 3rd International Automative Fair (IAF 2006) from 18th May to 22nd May 2006, in the Addis Ababa Exhibition Center. A total of 112 local and foreign companies took part in the IAF 2005, which received more than 200,000 visitors. This year, 130 companies from 26 countries will be participating, with large numbers of visitors from both Ethiopia and neighbouring countries expected. A range of different products and services from automobile related sectors will be on display at the fair, the motto for which is “Safety First, Fasten your seat belt”.

If you would like more information, please contact: International Automative Fair, PO Box 13297, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Tel: +251 11 552 2936, Fax: +251 11 465 4799, Mob: +251 91 121 0486, Email: iaf-eth@usa.com    www.iaf-eth.com

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The Tenth Addis Chamber International Trade Fair Opens

The Tenth Addis Chamber of Commerce International Trade Fair (ACITF) opened on Thursday 23^rd February at the Addis Ababa Exhibition Centre yesterday with 165 Ethiopian and 125 foreign companies from 27 countries displaying products and services. Organised by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce, the “Quality and Standards for Competitiveness” trade fair is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Bank of Ethiopia, Ethiopian Investment Commission, Ethiopian Airlines and the Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation, amongst others, and was opened by Trade and Industry Minister, Girma Birru.

In his speech, Minister Girma said the development of trade is “recognised as one of the major areas for poverty reduction and national development.”

“The Ethiopian economy has enjoyed an export growth of 10.6%, 24% and 33% continuously over the last three years,” he said. “There has been significant growth in the import trade volume of Ethiopia as well."

"This is one of the basic indicators that the Ethiopian Economy is steadily growing. Trade Fairs of this type in such a growing economy, therefore, are a very good vehicle for technology transfer, new product development, promotion of investment and development of new markets.”

He went on to pledge the full support of the Government towards assisting the Chamber of Commerce and sectoral associations to fulfill their objectives.

Also in attendance was the President of the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectorial Associations (AACCSA) Eyesus-Work Zafu, who said that the main objective of the 10th ACITF, among others, was to “bring together individuals and enterprises engaged in manufacturing, agriculture, industry, commerce and the provision of services from all parts of the world. Here each exhibitor will have the unique opportunity of displaying one’s best products.”

He went on to say that as happened at previous Fairs, certain exhibitors will organise their own National Day, as a celebration of their culture, services and products. The Ethiopian Reflections Day, which will be comprised of a workshop jointly held by the Ethiopian Investment Agency, the Addis Chamber of Commerce and the Ethiopian Standards Agency, would be held at the Crown Hotel, and would be followed by a cultural evening, including a dinner for exhibitors and prospective investors.

The tenth Addis Chamber of Commerce International Trade Fair ran until 1^st March.

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Ethiopia explores interest in gas

A shortlist of seven out of the nineteen potential bidders that responded to the invitation by Ethiopia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy to submit letters of interest in the Hilala and Calub gas fields in the Ogaden basin, has been drawn up. The Ministry had issued a notice in March 2006 for the development of the two gas condensate fields. The reserve in Calub, 1200km east of Addis Ababa is estimated at 2.7 trillion cubic feet, while the reserve in Hilala, 75km east of Calub, is estimated at 1.7 trillion cubic feet, which amount to a combined total area of 285 square km. The two gas fields are remotely located and will require the building of processing facilities and a long distance gas pipeline to reach potential markets.

The invitation has aroused the interest of local and international companies with financial and technical experience, who submitted their letters by the deadline of the end of March. Malaysia’s Petronas – one of the most active companies in Ethiopia – is one of those that expressed an interest in exploring these regions further, with interest also coming from the Middle East, China, Russia and India. Gail India Ltd has also announced that it has been short-listed to participate in the bidding process, as has the Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation Ltd (GSPC). The bids are due for submission by 10^th June 2006.

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NBI to launch new Power Trade Project

The Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) is to launch a US $13 million Regional Power Trade Project that will work to establish institutions that can develop regional power markets among the Nile Basin countries, to improve access to reliable and low-cost power in an environmentally and socially sustainable manner. The four-year project is the first Nile basin-wide effort to develop a regional power trading architecture through the active participation of all countries in the region, and is supported by the governments of Norway and Sweden and the African Development Bank.

In most of the NBI member countries, only 10% of the population have access to electricity, despite the vast but mostly untapped hydroelectric resources in the basin region. The project aims to overcome the financial constraints of limited power system development in these countries by expanding the market for energy resources through trading power between member States through a regional market. It is also believed that the creation of a regional electricity market could play a key role in furthering cooperation among the basin states.

A major feature of the project will be the creation of a Nile Basin Power forum which will bring together national power experts and power utilities to promote and facilitate dialogue on ways to expand power trade and advance the development of power supply facilities.

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EC launches grant to develop water resources

The European Commission has launched a second grant programme worth an overall €190 million to support the development of water resources in African, Carribean and Pacific (ACP) countries. The Initiative seeks to raise the profile of water and sanitation issues in the context of poverty reduction efforts, promote better water governance and act as a catalyst for additional funding, with the aim of achieving the specific Millennium Development Goals and meeting the World Summit for Sustainable Development targets. In the first grant programme, seven water resource development projects (5 of them from NGOs) from Ethiopia worth €34 million approved for financing.

Tim Clarke, the Head of the European Commission Delegation to Ethiopia said,

“I am very pleased that Ethiopian NGOs and Institutions were a major beneficiary of the first programme of this sort. I hope they can do equally well in this latest programme”.

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Canada to provide $46.5 million to support African children

Canada is to provide US $26.5 million to help support children in Ethiopia, as part of the $46.5million which the Canadian International Development Agency is giving to UNICEF to support programmes designed to improve child health in Africa. The announcement was made by the Canadian Minister of International Cooperation at the launch of UNICEF Canada’s 50^th anniversary report on global child survival and health in February.

UNICEF will receive $17.5 million for a package of health interventions in Ethiopia, such as measles immunisation, pneumonia and diarrhea treatments and related health and nutrition programmes. A further $9 million is to be put towards the provision and distribution of more than 1.2 million long lasting insecticide treated mosquio nets to households with children in malaria-affected areas in Ethiopia, which is expected to prevent more than 10,000 child deaths over the next three years.

The projects are designed to contribute to the strengthening of the health system and training of front-line health workers to reduce the burden of life-threatening illnesses.

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New Polio vaccination drive launched

Ethiopia launched a new drive to vaccinate more than 11 million children under the age of five years against polio in a four day house-to-house eradication programme. More than 105,000 volunteers and health workers organised into teams of vaccinators, went door-to-door between 17^th and 20^th February in Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa City Administrations and the Amhara, Harari, Oromia, Somali and Tigray regions, which comprise roughly 75% of the eligible children in the nation. Almost 700,000 vials for the monoyalent oral polio vaccine and millions of registration forms were dispatched to respective regions. The vaccine is the best known protection against the poliovirus, and all eligible children were encouraged to two receive two drops, regardless of their immunisation status.

The vaccination programme was organised by the Federal Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Regional Health Burueas, WHO, UNICEF, Rotary Club International and other partners. To contain and prevent the further transmission of the virus, additional National Immunisation Days will be necessary. According to the World Health Organisation, Ethiopia had been free of polio for almost fours, until 24 new cases were discovered last year.

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 ALSO IN THE NEWS

● Prime Minister Meles held talks with Europe’s Development and Humanitarian Aid Commissioner, Louis Michel in Addis Ababa on Friday 17^th February. They discussed the current internal political situation in Ethiopia and future plans for economic and development cooperation with the European Union.

● Spanish Foreign Affairs Secretary General Rafeal Dezcallar de Mazarredo visited Ethiopia on a two-day working trip from 17th February, where he met with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and Speaker of the House of People’s Representatives, Teshoma Toga.

● Ambassador Teshome Toga, the Speaker of the House of People’s Representatives, met with the Senate Speaker of the Federal Government of Belgium, Anna Marie Lizen on Thursday 23^rd February. Ambassador Teshome praised Belgium’s assistance, which is of “paramount significance to the ongoing development endeavours in Ethiopia.”

● The Prime Minister met with the Foreign Affairs Under-Secretary of State of Finland Marjata Rasi, on 23^rd February to discuss development cooperation and the current political situation. Rasi signed an agreement providing for the promotion and protection of investment with the Ethiopian Investment Agency.

● On 4^th April, Meles met with the Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Ambassador Marcos Rodriguez Costa. The Prime Minister and Costa discussed the long-standing relations and cooperation between the two countries.

● A new car assembly plant has begun construction in Ethiopia. Holland Car Private, a joint venture between Dutch car manufacturing company Trento and Ethiopian engineer Tadesse Tesemma, is planning to begin production of its first car in the coming months.  Fifty cars will be assembled in the first production round, following an investment of 18 million Birr. The plant, which will be supervised by foreign technical experts, will have the capacity to produce 1,000 cars annually and will create 200 jobs.

● An Ethiopian tea development project has produced significant results over the last three years, according to the East Africa Agri Business Liaison Office. The Chewaka Outo Tea Development Project has supplied more than 1,700 tonnes of tea to Ethiopia’s central market and has created 2,000 jobs.

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Latest on the Axum Obelisk

Three sections of the Ethiopian obelisk stolen by Mussolini’s troops in 1937 and repatriated last year, are to be re-erected in Axum, more than one year after their return to their land of origin, UNESCO has announced.

"The reinstallation of the stele will commence at the end of the rainy season, towards the month of October and should be completed by the end of December 2006," Francesco Bandarin, Director of  the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage centre, announced to the Addis Ababa press.

The cost of the entire operation amounts to $4 million dollars (€3.4 million) and will be financed exclusively by the Italian government, he stated.

After having been dismantled into three sections in January 2005 in Rome, the obelisk, weighing more than 150 tonnes, was returned to Ethiopia last April at a cost of $4.2 million (€3.5 million).

The funeral stele, at a height of 24 metres, was removed to Italy in 1937, during the conquest of Ethiopia by Mussolini’s troops. Following its removal by the Italians, Addis Ababa repeatedly called for the return of this important historic relic, a testimony to the great past of the Axum civilisation which, from the 3rd century before Jesus Christ to the 8th century, was prominent in the region.

The stelae of Axum form part of the seven sites in Ethiopia, classed as World Heritage sites by UNESCO.

"It is a monument that represents more than 2,000 years of history...This is not only a piece of granite to be reconstructed, it is a quite unique operation that has never previously been attempted", added Mr Bandarin, who also noted that site was extremely fragile. As a result, he’s taking what he calls a “zero risk approach.”

"We have to avoid any contact with the surrounding archeology. The obelisk was essentially a royal tomb. So all around this obelisk is full of tombs of royal families. So we cannot touch these structures," he says.

The site preparation works should begin in March to strengthen the foundations of the stele and to build an access ramp. The three pieces of the stele will then be hauled onto the ramp, then set one on top of the other, using a special crane. UNESCO will be supervising the entire operation.

"This is the largest monument ever returned to its country of origin...It is a quite unique operation", asserted the UNESCO representative in Ethiopia, Aawad Elhassan.

French film-maker Laurent Védrine has produced a film on the history of the obelisk and the campaign for its repatriation to Ethiopia. The film will be shown on the French channel ARTE in June, on TV5, and on three other satellite channels. There will be a public projection in a cinema in Paris in the presence of tutors and scholars from EHESS, France’s most prestigious history/sociology university.

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First private radio licences granted

The first broadcasting licences allowing private radio stations to operate in Ethiopia have been issued. They have been issued to two radio stations, Zami Public Connections and Tinsae Fine Arts, which will broadcast on FM, and were chosen in February from a list of twelve contenders on the basis of their financial status and programme content.

“These stations will have to be operational within the next twelve months if they don’t want to lose their licence,” said Sissay Melese, spokesman for the Ethiopian Broadcasting Authority, announcing the two new licences on 4^th April.

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Ethiopian Cultural Evening

The new Ambassador to the United Kingdom, His Excellency Berhanu Kebede, met with representatives from a wide range of government departments, non-governmental organisations, interest groups and the Ethiopian community, when he attended his first Ethiopian Cultural Evening hosted by Mr John Austin MP. The event, which is staged in the estate of the Houses of Parliament and is designed to promote Ethiopian culture, was this year held in the McMillan Room in Portcullis House on Monday 20^th March. 

Guests at the function were given the opportunity to socialise and sample Ethiopian food, wine, beer and coffee while listening to Ethiopian music and watching promotional films of the country.

In his speech, Ambassador Berhanu spoke about the 2005 elections, attributing the changes in the political landscape to the “unflinching commitments of the ruling party, the Government and the people of Ethiopia, to the democratic principles enshrined in the constitution.”

“Despite the setbacks...the Government and people of Ethiopia have continued with the task of building a democratic society,” he said, and discussed the important measures underway to address the short-comings and inadequacies observed during and after the elections. These included the work on the proposed draft amendments to the current House of Peoples’ Representatives Code of Conduct, the draft press law and the recommendations to address the capacity problems of the National Electoral Board, all of which will be prepared through dialogue and negotiations with the parties participating in Parliament and other stakeholders, before being submitted to the House for discussion and adoption.

The Ambassador noted that in parallel to this, the Government was adopting its next five-year development plan, and that development work in the country was already achieving significant results.

“The agricultural sector has registered...an increase in crop production from 12 million tonnes last year to almost 14 million tonnes this year – a growth of 15.13%,” he said.

“Investment is vital,” he continued. “In the last six months investment licences worth over 14 billion Birr have been issued, a 45% growth on the previous year. About 8 billion Birr’s worth of these licenses were issued for foreign investment, a growth rate of over 100% on a similar period last year.”

In conclusion, he said that on-going efforts can succeed “only with the support and understanding of our partners; a support which is anchored on the principle of partnership and shared responsibility” and called on those friends present to follow the path pursued by the British Government “to work with the Embassy in facilitating trade, investment and tourism relations between the UK and Ethiopia.”

In his speech Mr John Austin MP, who is Chair of the British-Ethiopia All-Party Parliamentary Group praised the considerable success achieved in fighting poverty and in the country’s work towards attaining the Millennium Development Goals. He also noted that despite the high level of poverty and the country having the second largest population in Africa, Ethiopia has enjoyed strong economic growth.

Finally Mr Austin said that the UK remained committed to supporting the people of Ethiopia through the protection of basic services grant and through its support to improve food security, and that he and fellow parliamentarians of the All-Party Parliamentary Group would continue to press the government to continue its work in support of Africa. 

The Embassy would like to thank all those individuals and companies whose donations, time and effort assisted with the evening; Mr. Muktah Seid, Managing Director - Adult Learning and Improvement Foundation, Mrs. Almaz Anteneh – McDonalds, Mr. Endale Beyene - Ethiopian Worldwide Television, Mrs. Gelila Kebede - Paradise Restaurant, Mr. Bedilu Teklemariam - Addis Restaurant, Mr. Natnael Getachew - Internet Cafe, Mr. Seyoum Bereded - Millennium Project Co-ordinator, Mr. Berhane Gebru - T.B.A. Supermarket, Mr. Assefa Kiros - Selamta Supermarket, Mr. Mulugetta Eriko - ERIKO Ltd. and Mrs. Yeworkuwuha Abate - Abyssinia Restaurant, and Mr John Austin MP and his staff for their assistance on the evening.

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Ethiopian Fossil Find Filling in gaps in Human Evolution

Palaeoanthropologists in Ethiopia have found fossilised remains of a possible direct ancestor of humans that lived more than four million years ago. The scientists, who have been working in the Middle Awash Valley of the Afar Region, some 230km northeast of Addis Ababa, announced the discovery of what they believe to be the earliest species of the genus known as Australopethicus anamensis on Wednesday 12^th April in the science journal Nature. They claim the discovery will help define the origin of the ape-man genus and bridge a big gap in the understanding of a crucial phase in human evolution. 

"Dating to just over four million years ago, the fossils represent unambiguous evidence for human evolution," Dr Berhane Asfaw, one of the 13-member team of scientists working on the research project, said.

“It is the first time that the new species has been found outside northern Kenya, where fossils of the same genus were unearthed in 1995,” he added.

The fossils include several teeth representing at least eight different individuals, a jaw fragment and a femur, determined to be 4.1 million years old. They are 300,000 years younger than the Ardipithecus ramidus found at Aramis, another site in the study area.

"The new information that we were able to produce shows, as you all know, that humans have passed through three phases of evolution - ramidus, Australopithecus afarensis and the genus homosapiens," said Dr Berhane.

Fellow team member Professor Tim White said “our own genus, Homo, is widely thought to have evolved from this group. So the relationship of Australopithecus to even earlier bipedal hominids is crucial to understanding where we all ultimately come from.”

"The fact anamensis is sandwiched between earlier and later hominids is what is really significant about this Ethiopian sequence," said Professor White. “The finds close the gap between ramidus and afarensis. Anamensis is intermediate between the two not only chronologically but also in terms of its anatomy. This find is the first time that these three species have been shown to be time-successive in a single place.”

Afarensis was first recognised in the 1970s on the basis of the now famous Lucy skeleton discovered in Hadar in Ethiopia.

The team, made up of paleontologists, geochronologists and geologists from Ethiopian and the United States have spent five years collecting the fossils around the Asa Issie location.

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Sport

Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba took part in the Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix on Saturday 18th February. Kenenisa produced an awesome run to seal his victory in 8 minutes, 5:12 seconds while Tirunesh won the 3,000m in a season's best time of 8 minutes 41:22 seconds. Abebe Dinkesa, Gelete Burika Bati and Ibrahim Jelan were the race victors at the 23^rd Jan Meda Cross Country took place in Addis Ababa on Sunday 26^th February, with Abeba successfully defending his Senior Men’s 12km title with a time of 35 minutes and 30 seconds. Gelete’s finished the Senior Women’s 4km race with a time of 13 minutes and 9 seconds, while Ibrahim Jelan finished the Junior Men’s 8km in 23 minutes and 26 seconds.

More than 8,000 female runners took part in the 2006 Confidence Women First 5km Run on Sunday 5^th March. The event, organised by the team behind the Great Ethiopian Run, has now become the country’s largest mass participation race for women and was won by Rehima Kedir, who crossed the finish line in 15 minutes 42.77 seconds. The 11^th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Moscow, Russia brought more success for Ethiopian athletes when Kenenisa became the first person to win World titles on three surfaces on Sunday 12^th March, when he finished in first place in the 3,000 metres in a time of 7 minutes, 39.32 seconds. He now holds world indoors, outdoors and cross-country titles. There was also success in the Women’s 3,000 metres final on Saturday 11^th March, when fellow Ethiopian athlete Meseret Defar came first in 8 minutes and 38.80 seconds.

Haile Gebrselassie clocked an impressive 1 hour, 11 minutes and 37 seconds when he won the 25km at Alphen aan den Rijn in the Netherlands on Sunday, beating the World Record set by Kenyan Paul Kosgei in Berlin in May 2004 by 1:08 minutes. Kenenisa achieved an historic double at the World Cross Country Championships at the Umi-no-Nakamichi Seaside Park in Fukuoka, Japan on 1^st and 2^nd April becoming the first man to win both the 4km and 12km titles five years in a row. He took the 12km gold medal in a time of 35 minutes and 40 seconds. Fellow Ethiopian Sileshi Sihine took silver with a time of 35 minutes 43 seconds. Meanwhile, last year’s junior champion Gelete Burka won the women’s 4km title with a time of 12:51, with fellow Ethiopian Meselech Melkamu finishing in third place in 12:54.

On Sunday 9th April Meseret Defar broke the women’s 5km road record on Sunday in Carlsbad, California, finishing in a time of 14 minutes and 46 seconds. Meanwhile, Abreham Cherkos won the Men’s race in 13 minutes and 15 seconds – the fifth fastest time ever run at Carlsbad. Mindaye Gishu won the Women’s race in the Fortis Rotterdam Marathon, finishing in a time of 2 hours 28 minutes and 30 seconds, and Gashaw Melese won the 30th Paris Marathon in a time of 2 hours, 8 minutes and 3 seconds. Meselech Melkamu shattered the BUPA Great Ireland Run record by 35 seconds when she captured the Women's title in 31:41 in the competition held in Dublin's Phoenix Park, after the Irish athlete was unable to run due to a hamstring injury.

Finally, both Haile Gebrselassie and Berhane Adere were among the elite athletes taking part in the Flora London Marathon on Sunday 23^rd April, with Haile finishing in ninth place in the Men’s competition and Berhane finishing fourth in the Women’s.

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Ethiopian News – Volume 4 Number 12 February, March & April 2006

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

Telephone: 020 7838 3883   Fax: 020 7838 3889

info@ethioembassy.org.uk  www.ethioembassy.org.uk