Sunday, August 31, 2014

‘Difret’ Film to Premiere in Ethiopia on September 3rd

New York ( TADIAS) – The award-wining Ethiopian film ‘Difret’ will premiere at the National Theater in Addis Ababa on Wednesday, September 3rd. Directed by Zeresenay Mehari the film narrates the true story of a teenager who was a victim of telefa — a traditional custom of marriage by abduction in Ethiopia — who gained public attention when she was arrested and charged for the murder of her abductor. The girl’s subsequent acquittal on the grounds of self-defense was led by a courageous lawyer Meaza Ashenafi who also worked to outlaw the practice of abduction for marriage.
Difret won the World Cinema Dramatic Audience Award at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and the Panorama Audience Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. It has since been screened in various U.S. cities including New York and Silver Spring as well as worldwide including at Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland; Durban International Film Festival in South Africa; Jerusalem International Film Festival in Israel, and Sydney International Film Festival in Australia.

Ethiopia excludes three dams from Khartoum talks with Egypt

The fourth round of talks on the Grand Renaissance Dam between Cairo and Addis Ababa, held in Khartoum on Aug. 25-26, focused on the procedures to implement the recommendations of the International Panel of Experts. The panel had reviewed the studies of the Renaissance Dam, which is under construction on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia, and worked to assess the damage that may be inflicted on Egypt.
However, a number of files related to the Renaissance Dam and three other complementary dams were excluded from the talks, although the Egyptian delegation insisted on discussing them, as an informed source who took part in the meeting told Al-Monitor in an exclusive interview.
The same source explained that the Egyptian delegation had prepared documents on contentious issues with the Ethiopian side regarding Egypt's share of the Nile waters. The documents included concerns about the damage Ethiopian policy causes by building dams without giving prior notice to downstream countries, as stipulated by international law. The Egyptian side's most important file was on future coordination regarding the Mendaia, Beko Abo and Kara Dodi dams. Ethiopia is preparing to construct these dams once the Renaissance Dam is operational, yet the dams may provoke future crises between Cairo and Addis Ababa. Ethiopia will likely rely on this system of dams to achieve its development goals and monopolize hydropower exports to African countries.


Ethiopian aliya is not over

Ethiopian Jewish immigrants leave Ben-Gurion Airport in 2011. Photo: REUTERS

Although some have declared the Ethiopian Aliya over, it is clear that it is not complete.
Although some have declared the Ethiopian Aliya over, it is clear that it is not complete. It is true that although most of those who left their Ethiopian villages and registered in either 2003 or 2010 to make aliya have come to Israel, but there are still approximately 3,000 in Gondar and 1,800 in the country’s capital, Addis Ababa, who are desperately waiting.

These are not people who recently decided to leave Ethiopia. Their dream has shaped the mission of their lives for many years.

While some may not be Jews based on standards of halacha, these are people who live as Jews, study as Jews, pray as Jews and whose mother or father is Jewish. Those who are not yet recognized as Jews are prepared to convert. Most have first-degree relatives who received permission to make aliya in the recent past and have become contributing members of Israeli society.

Tadewos Abiye Getachew one of the The 10 Smartest Kids In The World


Who are the most brilliant kids in the world?
How much would the world benefit if we could find out, and get those kids training from the best educators on the on the planet?

Those are the question that Brilliant, a startup in Palo Alto, California, wants to find answers to.

Brilliant CEO Sue Khim's belief is that policy-makers are only concerned with the bottom 20% of students around the world, and that the top 10% are "being ignored."

Khim says her company's mission is to find "underserved" geniuses around the world, and help provide them with an education by introducing to top educators and educational institutions.

Ethiopia pledges not to harm Egyptian shares of Nile water

Khartoum (HAN) September 1st, 2014 - Diplomacy and regional water Security. Ethiopian pledges not to harm Egypt’s share of Nile water.
Egyptian Irrigation Minister Hossam al-Moghazi downplayed Friday the negative effects on Egypt’s water supply of the ongoing construction of Ethiopia’s Renaissance Dam, saying the first phase of construction would not cause any tangible harm to Egypt.
“The results of additional studies will appear in March 2015, six months before construction of the first phase of the dam is complete,” Egyptian Irrigation Minister Hossam al-Moghazi told reporters in Khartoum.
Egyptian Irrigation Minister Hossam al-Moghazi added his statement that the first phase of the multibillion-dollar hydroelectric dam would feature a water storage capacity of 14 billion cubic meters, which would not cause any “tangible” harm to Egypt. “This [continued construction of the dam] does not worry us,” Moghazi said.
Meanwhile: President AbdelFattah El-Sisi get presidential breifing from Water Resources Minister Hossam Moghazi and discuss the outcome of tripartite meetings on Ethiopia’s Renaissance Dam held in Khartoum, Sudan.

Friday, August 29, 2014

Egypt minister downplays effects of Ethiopia dam

CAIRO: Egyptian Irrigation Minister Hossam al-Moghazi downplayed Friday the negative effects on Egypt’s water supply of the ongoing construction of Ethiopia’s Renaissance Dam, saying the first phase of construction would not cause any tangible harm to Egypt.

“The results of additional studies will appear in March 2015, six months before construction of the first phase of the dam is complete,” Moghazi told Anadolu Agency.

He added that the first phase of the multibillion-dollar hydroelectric dam would feature a water storage capacity of 14 billion cubic meters, which would not cause any “tangible” harm to Egypt. “This [continued construction of the dam] does not worry us,” Moghazi said.

It's top secret: Haile Gebrselassie on Mr Bean, his lucky pants and historical epics


Who is your sporting hero?
Miruts Yifter. He was a fellow Ethiopian and he won the 5,000m and 10,000m at the Moscow Olympics. I started to get into athletics because of this guy.
What would you be if you weren’t a sportsman?
I used to enjoy doing creative things. I liked painting, carpentry, things like that. Maybe I would have been an artist.
Which other sportsman would you like to be?
Good question! I used to like watching soccer and Diego Maradona was the best when I started watching.

Career highlight?
It would be the Sydney Olympics in 2000. I was defending my title and it was a great race with Paul Tergat. We were close together on the line!
...And the worst moment?
The London Marathon in 2007 when I dropped out. I really wanted to win but had to stop.
If your house was burning down, what one possession would you save?
My family, of course. As long as my wife, my three daughters and my son were safe that would be enough.

HAILE GEBRSELASSIE among 8 of the greatest sportsmen of all time



ROGER Federer is ready to begin his quest for his 18th Grand Slam title at the US Open. He is often said to be the greatest tennis player of all tim
e, but who else would figure at the top of the sporting tree?

FOOTBALL: PELE

With every touch of the ball, every pass and every dribble, Pele was capable of coming up with something new — something fans had never seen before. With a killer instinct in front of goal, an eye for the perfect pass and supreme athleticism, the Brazilian was just about the perfect footballer. He won three World Cups with Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970.

BOXING: MUHAMMAD ALI

The American boxer who floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee is one of the most recognisable sports figures of the past 100 years. As Cassius Clay, he became an Olympic gold medalist in 1960 and was heralded as an American hero.

Mariano Bareto picks Ethiopia’s Squad for the next month’s Orange Africa Cup of Nations – Morocco 2015 qualifications

የኢትዮጵያ ብሄራዊ ቡድን በመጪው ሳምንት ከአልጄሪያ አቻው ጋር ለአፍሪካ ዋንጫ ማጣሪያ ለሚጠብቀው ጨዋታ ፖርቱጋላዊው አሰልጣኝ ማሪያኖ ባሬቶ የ30 ተጫዋቾችን ስም ዝርዝር አሳውቀዋል። በምርጫቸው ውስጥ በተከላካይ ስፍራ ለሲውድን ክለብ የሚጫወተው ዋሊድ አታ እንዲሁም በክንፍ መስመር ላይ የሚጫወተው የሱፍ ሳለህን አካተዋል። 

የተጫዋቾቹ ሙሉ ስም ዝርዝር እንደሚከተለው ነው።

በረኞች
1. ሲሳይ ባንጫ         -ደደቢት-
2. ታሪኩ ጌትነት        -ደደቢት-
3. ጀማል ጣሰው        -ኢ.ቡና-

በተከላካይ ስፍራ የሚጫወቱ
4. አሉላ ግርማ        -ቅ.ጊ- 
5. ስዩም ተስፋዬ     - ደደቢት-
6.  አበባው ቡጣቆ    -ቅ.ጊ-
7. ብርሃኑ ቦጋለ       -ደደቢት-
8.  አክሊሉ አየነው    -ደደቢት-
9. ቶክ ጀምስ          -ኢ.ቡና-
10.  ግርማ በቀለ      -ሃዋሳ-
11. ዋሊድ አታ         -ከሲውድን ክ.-
12.  አንዳርጋቸው  ይልቃል  -ቅ.ጊ-
13.  ሳላዲን በርጊቾ            -ቅ.ጊ-

በመሃል ስፍራ የሚጫወቱ
14.  ጋቶክ ፓሎኖም    -ኢ.ቡ-

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Former President Girma Woldegiorgis to relocate to a new house

The Office of the President which leased a 400,000 birr monthly residential house for the former President Girma Woldegiorgis has agreed with the owner of the house to terminate the deal as of October 17. The former president will then move into a wide green compound located in western Addis Ababa.
Even though the two parties signed a two year contract on September 20, 2013, reliable sources stated that they have now agreed to break the deal harmonically.
Solomon Girma, businessman and owner of Mesale Bar and Restaurant, told Capital that he has agreed with the office to terminate the deal, despite the fact that they signed a two year contract.
He confirmed that he received a letter from the Office of the President about the contract termination.
Sources close to the issue told Capital that the former President is allocated a residential house from the Agency for Government Houses (AGH), which manages business and residential houses in Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa.
Habtamu Sisay, Director General of AGH, confirmed that his agency has assigned a house for the Office of the President, but declined to give further details.
“The president’s office would be the appropriate body to provide details about the issue, because we have already transferred the house to them,” he said.

Abused woman gets refugee status

Pretoria - The sad tale of a woman of mixed Ethiopian and Eritrean ethnic parentage – who as a youngster endured persecution and even sexual abuse at the hands of soldiers in her country before she fled to South Africa – has had a happy ending after many years, after the North Gauteng High Court came to her aid.
The woman, only identified as FAM in a judgment, entered South Africa in 2006 when she was 20. Since then she has tried to obtain refugee status. This was turned down as Home Affairs officials accused her of not telling the truth.
A “translator” whom she paid R50 to help her fill in her application forms years ago, apparently misunderstood her as they did not speak the same language. Without her being aware of it, he stated the wrong information, among others that said she fled Ethiopia as she had nowhere to go.
This while she had told him the full story of her life of abuse at the hands of the soldiers, and why she could not return.
When officials confronted FAM as to why her story had changed, she, with the help of another translator who also did not speak her language, told them the first translator had misunderstood her. The officials still did not believe her story and declined her refugee status.
FAM cannot return to her country of origin – she has no documentation to prove her nationality and now also has a South-African born daughter who – because of her mother’s situation – is stateless.
Acting Judge RM Keightley lashed out at the officials for failing to do their duty with regard to FAM’s situation and for making a derogatory remark about her claim that she had been sexually abused.

Ethiopians' plight: 'The toilets are unhealthy, but we don't have a choice'

Community toilets in Addis Ababa typically consist of a hole in the floor.
Officials plan to build extra public conveniences in Addis Ababa, which has just 63 loos for its 3 million inhabitants
Addis Ababa has more than 3 million people, but there are just 63 public toilets. At one, in the oldest part of the city, there is constant activity and bustle as people queue to pay varying prices for a urinal, full cubicle or shower in the white-tiled facility inside a circular yellow building. For many, this is the only option because of the lack of provision in their own homes.
Nine in 10 households use "non-improved" toilet facilities, according to the Wash Ethiopia Movement. The most common type of non-improved toilet is an open pit latrine or pit latrine without slabs, used by 57% of households in rural areas and 43% in urban. Only one in 25 households has access to improved toilet facilities which are not shared with other households.
Mesay Berhanu, a spokesman for the movement, said: "Many people have shared toilet facilities which they would not find very comfortable. They might have to line up for some time to make use of the facilities. As a result, you may find people doing it here or there along the street."
Government figures show that diarrhoeal diseases are among the 10 most prolific in the country. "These are one way or another linked to an unhygienic environment," Berhanu added.
Waste can accumulate because service providers are stretched. "There is a huge problem in liquid waste management. The number of vehicles they have to collect it is limited. People might have to wait two or three months. We have a very small number of private operators in liquid waste collection." Progress has stalled, Berhanu said, because of bureaucracy. "A year ago there was a plan to create more than 1,000 public toilets, but there is a lack of co-ordination between different departments of government.One of the main challenges is the coordination of the various actors."
But officials in this fast-developing city say they have a 100m birr (£3m) plan to build an extra 25 public toilets within the next year along with 103 community and 289 mobile toilets, the latter equipped for pregnant women and people with disabilities. About 150 areas have been identified, including markets and bus and train stations.

Court repatriates 73 Ethiopians caught at Balambala crash


SOME 73 Ethiopians were yesterday charged with being in Kenya illegally. The immigrants are believed to be part of a human trafficking business in Garissa. They were arrested on Sunday at Hagarjarer, Balambala subcounty.

The suspected human traffickers fled after the lorry they were travelling in was involved in an accident. The immigrants sneak into Kenya at the Moyale border, through the Isiolo-Garbatula route.

Police said the driver and the smuggler are yet to be arrested. Garissa chief magistrate Margaret Wachira ordered the immigrants be repatriated to their country. She directed that five others who sustained injuries during the accident to be treated at the Garissa Referral Hospital.

Coroner delivers open finding on 2011 drowning of Ethiopian man Michael Atakelt in Melbourne

A coroner has been unable to determine what led to the drowning of an Ethiopian man in a Melbourne river in 2011.

Michael Atakelt was 22 years old when he disappeared on June 26, 2011.

Two weeks later his body was hauled from the Maribrynong River at Ascot Vale, in Melbourne's west.

Victorian Coroner Ian Gray delivered an open finding and ruled the cause of death was "consistent with drowning".

The coroner ruled out suicide but said drug use and foul play were possibilities.

Atakelt's father, Getachew Seyoum, has long maintained his son was murdered, possibly by being drugged.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

ዋሊያዎቹ የብራዚል ቆይታቸውን አጠናቀው ተመለሱ፡፡ከ2.2 ሚሊዮን ብር በላይ ወጪ ተደርጓል


-  60 የአልጄሪያ ልዑክ አዲስ አበባ ይመጣል    -  ሳላዲን ሰይድ ዛሬ ቡድኑን ይቀላቀላል

በሚቀጥለው ዓመት ሞሮኮ ለምታስተናግደው የአፍሪካ ዋንጫ ማጣሪያ ዝግጅቱን እያከናወነ የሚገኘው የኢትዮጵያ ብሔራዊ ቡድን፣ 17 ቀን የብራዚል ቆይታውን አጠናቆ ትናንት ምሽት አዲስ አበባ ገብቷል፡፡

ለግብፅ አልአህሊ ክለብ የሚጫወተው ሳላዲን ሰይድ ትናንት አዲስ አበባ ገብቷል፡፡ ዛሬ ቡድኑን እንደሚቀላቀልም ፌዴሬሽኑ አስታውቋል፡፡

የተነቃቃው የአገሪቱ እግር ኳስ ተጠናክሮ መቀጠል ይችል ዘንድ ብሔራዊ ፌዴሬሽኑ ፖርቱጋላዊውን አሠልጣኝ ማሪያኖ ባሬቶን ቀጥሮ ዝግጅቱን ከጀመረ ሰነባብቷል፡፡ አሠልጣኙ ጳጉሜ 1 ቀን 2006 ዓ.ም. ከአልጄሪያ ጋር ለሚጠብቃቸው የመጀመርያው ምድብ ማጣሪያ ‹‹ይጠቅመኛል›› ያሉትን የአቋም መመዘኛ የወዳጅነት ጨዋታ በብራዚል ከተለያዩ አምስት ክለቦች ጋር ጨዋታ አድርገው በሁለቱ አቻ ተለያይተው፣ በሦስቱ ተሸንፈው ተመልሰዋል፡፡

ታክስና ሌሎች ጥቅማጥቅሞችን ሳያካትት 18,000 ዶላር ወርሐዊ ክፍያ የተቆጠረላቸው አሠልጣኝ ማሪያኖ ባሬቶ፣ ዋሊያዎቹን ከተረከቡ በኋላ ከዝግጅቶቻቸው ጎን ለጎን የአቋም መገምገሚያ የወዳጅነት ጨዋታ ትኩረት ከሰጡዋቸው ነገሮች መካከል በዋናነት ተጠቃሽ ነው፡፡ እስካሁንም ስድስት የወዳጅነት ጨዋታዎችን በማድረግ በኢትዮጵያ የመጀመርያው የብሔራዊ ቡድን አሠልጣኝ መሆናቸውም እየተነገረ ነው፡፡

Tirunesh Dibaba to race Bupa Great North Run

Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba is the latest addition to a star-studded Bupa Great North Run line-up.
The five-time world and three-time Olympic track gold medallist is set to return to the roads for the first time since her victory at the Bupa Great Manchester Run 10km in May, going head-to-head with Kenya’s Edna Kiplagat over the half-marathon distance on Tyneside on September 7, while Mo Farah is among those set to compete in the men’s race.
Dibaba has only raced twice this year, once at the Great Manchester Run and once the month before that at the London Marathon where the 28-year-old made her debut over 26.2 miles.
The Ethiopian beat her Kenyan rival in a sprint finish in the 2012 Bupa Great North Run, but Kiplagat turned the tables in London in April as she claimed victory ahead of her namesake Florence Kiplagat, Dibaba finishing third in 2:20:35 to become the third fastest-ever female marathon debutante behind only Britain’s world record-holder Paula Radcliffe and Kenya’s Lucy Kabuu.
Only four women have won the elite women’s races at the Great North Run and the London Marathon in the same year – Liz McColgan in 1996, Joyce Chepchumba in 1999, Radcliffe in 2003 and Priscah Jeptoo in 2013 – so Dibaba will face a strong challenge from two-time world marathon champion Kiplagat as she aims to become the fifth to achieve the feat.

In search for power, Ethiopia turns to growing sugar


An irrigation system showers a sugarcane field with water at the Kuraz sugar project in southern Ethiopia. Photo: Ethiopian Sugar Corporation
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Eating and drinking in Ethiopia involves a lot of sugar, from the quintessentially Ethiopian buna (coffee) ceremony to the fare in pastry shops. But it’s expensive to import.
Now the government has embarked on an ambitious project to grow more sugar to meet that demand – but also to boost electricity production and to create sugar-based ethanol that could help reduce car emissions and cut down on fossil fuel imports.
Ethiopia currently produces about 300,000 tonnes of sugar a year from three factories, at Wonchi, Metehera and Finchaa. The factories also generate 62 megawatts (MW) of electricity, half of which is used by the sugar plants themselves, with the rest sent to the national electric grid.
Gossaye Mengiste, an official at the Ministry of Water
, Irrigation and Energy, says Ethiopia has the potential to produce 600 MW of energy from sugar when 13 additional factories now being built start production – a considerable boost to the country’s national electricity output.
QUADRUPLE THE ENERGY
Altogether, Ethiopia aims to generate up to 8,000 MW of additional energy by the end of the next year, more than quadrupling its current 2,200 MW. Most of the energy will come from hydropower and wind – but waste energy, geothermal and co-generation from sugar plants are all part of the strategy.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan agree on impact studies on Nile dam

Studies will be carried out within the next six months to assess the impact of Ethiopia's hydroelectric dam on neighbouring countries
Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan's irrigation ministers signed an agreement to conduct two studies to gauge the effects of Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam on its neighbouring countries, state-run news agency MENA reported on Tuesday.
The dam has been a source of concern for the Egyptian government since May 2013, when images of its construction stirred public anxiety about the possible impact on Egypt's potable water supply.
A joint statement by the ministers after a two-day meeting in Khartoum revealed that the studies were suggested by the committee of international experts tasked to revise the dam's impact.
An international consulting company will conduct the two studies.
A "national expert committee" will be formed to agree on the framework of conducting the studies. The committee, comprised of four experts from each of the three countries, has been given a six-month deadline starting from 1 September to formulate a timeframe to carry out the reports.
Ethiopia's irrigation minister also invited his Egyptian and Ethiopian counterparts to visit the construction site of the dam in the near future.
Egypt's Irrigation Minister Hossam El-Moghazi said that Ethiopia agreed to be bound by the findings of the consultancy company.

Ethiopia's herbal high struggles after foreign ban

Awaday (Ethiopia) (AFP) - For a town seen as a key trading centre for khat, a drug that is banned in many countries, Ethiopia's Awaday can seem pretty drowsy and laid-back.
As the sun sets on the small eastern town, farmers and brokers of the amphetamine shrub rouse from an afternoon slumber to cut deals in the bustling market, one of the busiest centres of international trade for the leaves.
Khat, a multi-million dollar business for countries across the Horn of Africa and in Yemen, consists of the succulent purple-stemmed leaves and shoots of a bush whose scientific name is Catha edulis.
Chewing it for hours produces a mild buzz.
But Britain in June classified khat as an illegal drug, closing the last market in Europe in the wake of a similar ban by The Netherlands in January.
For the thousands of farmers and traders here in Awaday, 525 kilometres (325 miles) east of the Ethiopian capital, the ban has already had a severe impact.
Previously the plant was Ethiopia's fourth largest export, earning more than $270 million (205 million euros) in 2012-13.
"All of the people, they are in big trouble, even the man who brings from the farm to the market, and the guy who buys from here to export," said exporter Mustafa Yuye.

Libyan Rescuers Recovering bodies of migrants from Ethiopia and Eritrea from Shore

ROME — Libyan rescuers have recovered the bodies of around 170 people after a boat carrying illegal migrants from sub-Saharan Africa sank at sea last week, a coast guard official said Monday.

"We freed about 100 bodies trapped in the hold of the 16-metre (50-foot) wooden boat which foundered not far from the coast," Abdellatif Mohammed Ibrahim told AFP.

Another 70 bodies were washed up by the tide, including five young children, he said.

"It looks like the boat overturned suddenly, leaving the passengers no chance," he said as Red Cross rescuers pulled bodies from the water.

Ibrahim said no leaks were found in the hull of the vessel, ship

In the absence of documentation, rescue workers have been unable to make a list of victims or establish their nationalities.

Funding for $10M youth-focused project to combat exploitative child labor in Ethiopia available from the US Labor Department

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs today announced a $10 million competitive solicitation for a project to address exploitative child labor in Ethiopia.
The project must meet the following criteria:
  • provide services to youth ages 14 to 17 to help prevent and reduce their involvement in hazardous and exploitative labor situations;
  • help youth to develop the marketable skills needed to secure decent work that is appropriate for their age;
  • promote education and vocational training opportunities for youth;
  • seek to enhance livelihoods and access to social protection programs for youth and their households; and
  • support and encourage youth to take on leadership roles in their communities.

Ethiopia, Kenya & Ghana bid to host 2017 Africa Cup of Nations

Ethiopia, Kenya and Ghana have announced their interest in bidding to host the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations following Libya's withdrawal as the host nation.
Libya pulled out last week because of ongoing fighting in the country that has delayed plans to build new stadiums for the 16-team tournament.
Ethiopia, who hosted the tournament in 1962, 1968 and 1976, say they will submit their proposal immediately.
Ethiopia Football Federation president Junedin Basha told BBC Sport: "We already have two ready venues, the Addis Ababa and the Bahir Dar stadiums, and the construction of the other venues has also reached to a good level.
"Our government is ready and interested to do everything it can to bring the tournament back to Ethiopia."
Kenya said in a statement that they are also considering a joint bid with Tanzania or Uganda or Rwanda.

Huawei Secures Contract To Supply Light Rail Communication Systems To Ethiopia

Ethiopia is currently working on the Addis Ababa Light Rail Transit project, expected to greatly improve the transportation system within the region. Given the fact that Addis Ababa is the leading economic and transportation hub in the region, largely attributed to its high population. The railway is expected to boost economic development even further.
The construction of the railway contract has been awarded to a Chinese company called China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Company Limited (GREEC). The railway project is expected to be fully complete by January 2015. Ethiopia has also just announced that it will be awarding Huawei, a global ICT solutions provider has secured a contract of being the sole provider of light rail communication system for the railway constructions being undertaken in Addis Ababa.
Thus, making it the premier comprehensive commercial eLTE communications infrastructure for urban railway system in Ethiopia. The first phase roll-out of the project will be a 31 kilometre (19.26 miles) of East-West and South-North railway lines that incorporate 39 stations and a control center. It is said that once fully complete, the whole railway will carry about 60,000 passengers per hour.

Minister says Ethiopia dam negotiations satisfying

 Negotiations in Khartoum, Sudan on the Ethiopian dam have been satisfying thus far, an Egyptian official told the state-run Middle East News Agency on Monday.

Hossam Moghazy, the minister of water resources and irrigation, told MENA that the first day of negotiations on Monday went well. Meetings ran for six hours where contentious issues regarding the dam were discussed. More sessions are expected on Tuesday, after which a final statement on the outcome of the negotiations will be issued.

The meeting, which is attended by ministers of irrigation from Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan, is the fourth in a round of negotiations on the Ethiopian dam. The fourth round, according to the independent Aswat Masreya website, focused on the formation of a technical committee from the three countries, the drawing of a roadmap for its work, the discussion of studies undertaken on the project and the implementation of the recommendations put forward by another international committee that was formed earlier on.

The Yara Prize Honored Ethiopian Professor Tekalign Mamo Assefa

The laureates represent a diverse range of African society engaged in the African Green Revolution: entrepreneurs and scientists, activists and organizers, businessmen and politicians.

Name: Professor Tekalign Mamo Assefa
Nationality: Ethiopian
Position: Ethiopian Minister of Agriculture

The reason

For 2014, the Yara Prize Committee salutes a champion of sustainable agricultural development. Over the past three decades, Professor Mamo has endeavored to improve the livelihoods of Ethiopian farmers, leveraging his scientific knowledge and exhibiting leadership. Developing targeted interventions for management of waterlogged soils, rehabilitating acidic soils and degraded landscapes, winning farmer acceptance of technologies and modernizing Ethiopia’s fertilizer advisory service are important hallmarks of his engagement.
Professor Mamo stands out for his remarkable effort across levels, but always rooted in a profound understanding of how transformation must always include the farmer. As a scientist, leader and practitioner, Professor Mamo’s innovative and inclusive efforts have been instrumental in lifting millions of farmers’ income.

About the Yara Prize laureate

Born in 1956 in Lekemt, Ethiopia, Professor Mamo graduated as Ph.D. in Soil chemistry and fertility at Aberdeen University, Scotland. From a strong academic basis, Professor Mamo has expanded beyond a purely academic role. In 1985, he and a team of experts launched a national project to improve the country's vast clay soils, especially those that get waterlogged and impair crop productivity. The results have benefited millions of farmers to date.

The first of 41 trams for Ethiopia roll off the production line in NE China's Changchun

CHANGCHUN, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The first of 41 trams for Ethiopia rolled off the production line on Tuesday in Changchun City, northeast China's Jilin Province.

The tram will be put into service in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa where commuters only have a choice of buses or taxis at the moment, said Liu Gang, a manager with China CNR Changchun Railway Vehicles Co..

"We're bringing about 50 Ethiopian drivers and maintenance workers here for training next month," said Liu.

With a maximum speed of 70km per hour, the white and green vehicle is designed to be impervious to ultraviolet light, since Addis Ababa has an altitude of 2,400 meters and the sun is exceptionally strong. Its windows block 90 percent of ultraviolet rays.

Sudan hosts talks on Ethiopian Nile dam row

Khartoum (AFP) - Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia opened talks Monday to try to resolve a dispute over a hydro-electric dam being built by Addis Ababa on the Nile.

Cairo fears that Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance dam project could diminish its water supply.

"This will be a crucial and definitive meeting on a global solution to this issue about the dam," said Sudanese Water Resources and Electricity Minister Muattaz Musa Abdallah Salim, hosting the Khartoum talks.

Despite two previous tripartite meetings late last year ending without agreement, Ethiopian Water Minister Alemayehu Tegenu said Monday the dam project would not have major consequences for Egypt and Sudan downstream.

His Egyptian counterpart, Hussein Mohamed al-Mughazi, stressed his country's "special situation because it depends totally on the waters of the Nile", a river that it also vital to Sudan.

Monday, August 25, 2014

Egypt looks for 'win-win' situation with Ethiopia over dam

An Egyptian official says altering the dam's impact on Egypt will require more money - and thus maybe funding from other Arab stateswich increase
Egypt entered into negotiations with Ethiopia and Sudan in Khartoum on Monday with the objective of convincing Ethiopia to change the technical specifications of its Grand Renaissance Dam so as not to infringe on Egypt's share of Nile water.
According to Egypt's irrigation and water resources minister, Hossam El-Moghazi, the Egyptian delegation currently in Sudan has a new "vision" to present at the negotiations: explaining the threats the dam with its current technical specifications will pose on other countries.

Cairo and Addis Ababa have been at odds in recent months over the dam, which Egyptian officials say will impact its share of Nile water upon completion.

According to Diaa El-Qousi, a water expert, Egypt will never accept the dam with its current specifications or dimensions – a height of 150 meters and a storage capacity of 74 billion cubic meters.

"With the dam's specifications and dimensions, Ethiopia will be capable of completely depriving Egypt of its water supply for one, two or even three years, which is something that Egypt will never accept," Al-Qoussi explained.

Tripartite talks on Ethiopia dam begin in Khartoum

A general view shows construction activity on the Grand Renaissance dam in Guba Woreda, Benishangul Gumuz region March 16, 2014 (Photo: Reuters)
Egyptian Irrigation Minister Hossam El-Moghazi is in Khartoum for talks with his Sudanese and Ethiopian counterparts on the Grand Renaissance Dam project
The opening session of talks on the controversial Grand Renaissance dam between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia began in Khartoum on Monday morning, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported.

Egyptian Irrigation Minister Hossam El-Moghazi arrived in Sudan on Sunday, along with his Ethiopian counterpart Alamayo Tegnoto, for the tripartite talks.

El-Moghazi has previously said that Egypt has a new "vision" regarding the Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam.

Meanwhile, Sudanese Irrigation Minister Moataz Moussa stressed on Monday that Sudan was an essential partner in the discussions and not a mediator.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

El-Sisi ready to visit Ethiopia, 'if it is in Egypt's interest'

President El-Sisi says Egypt appreciates Ethiopian development efforts, so long as they do not negatively affect Egypt's interests
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has said he is ready to go to Ethiopia if the visit would be in Egypt's best interests. He made his remark during a meeting with media figures and journalists Sunday, when asked about the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
El-Sisi added that Egypt appreciated Ethiopian efforts towards development, as long as they would not negatively affect Egypt's interests.

A new round of talks between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan about the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and its impact on Egypt will start 26 August in Khartoum.

Saturday, August 23, 2014

ደጉ ከሜሲና ከኔይማር ጋር ሊሠለፍ ነው

የኢትዮጽያ ብሔራዊ የእግር ኳስ ቡድን (ዋልያ) የቀድሞው አምበል ደጉ ደበበ ኢትዮጵያን ወክሎ ከታዋቂዎቹ ሊዮኔል ሜሲ፣ ኔይማር ጋር በመጪው ነሐሴ 26 ቀን 2006 ዓ.ም. ሮም ኦሊምፒክ ስታዲየም በሚደረገው የወዳጅነት ጨዋታ ይሰለፋል፡፡

በዚህ ጨዋታም ዝነኛዎቹ የቀድሞ ተጫዋቾች ዲያጐ አርማንዶ ማራዶናና ዚነዲን ዚዳን ይሰለፋሉ፡፡

ይሄ ‹‹የሠላም ጨዋታ›› የሚል ስያሜ የተሰጠው ጨዋታ በካቶሊክ ፓፕ ፍራንሲስ ጀማሪነትና ቦነስ አይረስ ተቀማጭነቱን ያደረገውና በአርጀንቲናው ሃቪየር ዛኔቲ የተመሠረተው ፑፒ ፋውንዴሽን በሚባል ዕርዳታ ድርጅትና በፓንቲፊካል አካዴሚ ፎር ሶሻል ሳይንስ ነው፡፡

የኢትዮጵያ የእግር ኳስ ፌዴሬሽን የሕዝብ ግንኙነት አቶ ወንድሙ አላዩ ለሪፖርተር እንደገለጹት ከሆነ ይሄ ግብዣ የፊፋ አባል ለሆኑ አገሮች በሙሉ የተላከ ሲሆን፣ የኢትዮጵያ ፌዴሬሽንም ደጉ ደበበን መርጦታል፡፡ ደጉ ደበበ ለሁለት ዓመታት የዋልያ አምበል የነበረ ሲሆን፣ ኢትዮጵያን ከ31 ዓመታት በኋላ ለአፍሪካ ዋንጫ እንድትሳተፍ ከፍተኛ ሚና ከተጫወቱ ተጫዋቾችም ውስጥ አንዱ ነው፡፡

Germany Donates 750,000 Euros For Refugees In Ethiopia

Germany has donated some 750,000 Euros to support relief operations by the World Food Program (WFP) for Somali, Eritrean and Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia.
Germany has donated some 750,000 Euros to support relief operations by the World Food Program (WFP) for Somali, Eritrean and Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia.

In a statement, the German embassy said that the donation aims to enhance relief operations for refugees in eastern Africa, according to the Addis Zemen newspaper.

According to the statement, the demand for food by refugees in East Africa greatly surpassed expectations due to the ever-increasing numbers of refugees coming from Somalia, South Sudan and Eritrea.

የአቶ ኤርሚያስ አመልጋ የመመለስ ጥያቄን መንግሥት እየመከረበት ነው

 የአክሰስ ሪል ስቴትን ጉዳይ እንዲመለከት የመንግሥት ከፍተኛ ባለሥልጣናትና የሪል ስቴቱ ደንበኞች ተወካዮችን በአባልነት አቅፎ የተቋቋመው ዓብይ ኮሚቴ፣ ለመጀመርያ ጊዜ የተፈጠረውን ችግር ማየት ጀመረ፡፡

የአክሰስ ሪል ስቴት መሥራችና ሊቀመንበር አቶ ኤርሚያስ አመልጋ ወደ አገር ለመመለስ ያቀረቡትን ጥያቄ እየመከረበት ነው፡፡

የሪፖርተር ምንጮች እንደገለጹት፣ የአክሰስ ሪል ስቴትን ጉዳይ እንዲመለከት የተዋቀረው ዓብይ ኮሚቴ የመጀመሪያውን ይፋ ስብሰባ ያደረገው ባለፈው ዓርብ ነሐሴ 16 ቀን 2006 ዓ.ም. ነበር፡፡

በንግድ ሚኒስቴር ተወካይ የሚመራው ዓብይ ኮሚቴ በመጀመሪያው ስብሰባው አቶ ኤርሚያስ አመልጋ ወደ አገር ተመልሰው ኩባንያውን እንደገና ለማስቀጠል አቅርበውታል በተባለው ተደጋጋሚ ጥያቄ ላይ መወያየቱ ታውቋል፡፡

Indian Textile company Arvind Limited eyeing Ethiopia as the destination for its Africa foray

Leading integrated textile player, Arvind is planning to up a dormitory-based manufacturing facility in Dehgam, Ahmadabad where it will house up to 10,000 women who will be employed in an apparel manufacturing facility. This is part of its plan to scale up manufacturing to capitalize on the huge opportunity arising from a shift in apparel manufacture from China. “Although a clear leader, China’s increasingly high costs and restrictive import policy, presents an opportunity for players like us,’’ Sanjay Lalbhai, Chairman & Managing Director, Arvind, told The Hindu.

"As they will be housed on the premises, there will be no issue of absenteeism or attrition. The women will be hired from all over and not only surrounding areas,’’ Mr. Lalbhai said. Arvind has already procured 42 acres of land and the project can come up in 2-3 months. When ready, it will be able to make 15 million garments annually and would entail an investment of around Rs. 400 crore. The first phase with an investment of Rs. 130 crore, could make 6 million jeans. ``I do not think India can have facilities to house 30,000 workers as in China because it is too risky. This model will have to be replicated as 15 million garments is not really a large enough scale,’’ he said.

Fam call up players in preparations for Mali and Ethiopia Matches


Blantyre, August 22: In preparation for 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification, Football Association for Malawi (FAM) has released National Team call up for the Afcon qualifiers against Mali and Ethiopia.

FAM competitions Manager Gomezgani Zakazaka said the team is expected to start camping on Sunday 24th August 2014.

Malawi beat Benin 4-3 in post match penalties to qualify for the group stage of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification.

Malawi is in Group B alongside Mali, Algeria and Ethiopia and the Flames will play six games, three of them away to their opponents.

The group stage qualifiers will kick off in September and the Flames fixtures are as follows:
5 September 2014 Mali vs Malawi, 10 September 2014, Malawi vs Ethiopia, 10 October 2014, Malawi vs Algeria, 15 October 2014, Algeria vs Malawi, 15 November 2014, Malawi vs Mali
19 November 2014.

The call up squad for National Team in preparation for Mali and Ethiopia Matches is as follows

በአሶሳ ምንነቱ ያልታወቀ በሽታ ተከስቷል



  • አንድ ሰው በበሽታው ሞቷል
  • የክልሉ ጤና ቢሮ በሽታው ኢቦላ አይደለም ብሏል 
  • በሽተኞች ላይ ደም ማስመለስና ማስቀመጥ ተስተውሏል


በቤኒሻንጉል ጉሙዝ ክልል የምግብ መበከል ሊሆን ይችላል ተብሎ የተጠረጠረ ምንነቱ ያልታወቀ በሽታ በሁለት ሰዎች ላይ መከሰቱንና አንደኛው መሞቱን የክልሉ ጤና ቢሮ ኃላፊ አቶ ሃብታሙ ታዬ ለአዲስ አድማስ የገለፁ ሲሆን የኢቦላ በሽታ በክልሉ በየትኛውም አካባቢ አልተከሰተም ብለዋል፡፡
የተለያዩ ማህበራዊ ሚዲያዎች በክልሉ በሚገኘው ባምባሲ የስደተኞች ጣቢያ በሽታው ተከስቷል ሲሉ ያሰራጩት መረጃ የተሳሳተ መሆኑን የጠቆሙት የቢሮ ኃላፊው፤ ለጊዜው በትክክል ምንነቱ ያልታወቀው በሽታ የተከሰተው ከስደተኞች ጋር ምንም አይነት ንክኪ በሌለው የአሶሳ ከተማ መንደር 47 በሚባል አካባቢ መሆኑን ገልፀዋል፡፡
በህክምና ባለሙያዎች የምግብ መበከል ሊሆን ይችላል በተባለው በዚህ በሽታ የተያዙት ሁለት ግለሰቦች ላይ የታየው ምልክት ደም ማስመለስና ማስቀመጥ መሆኑን የጠቆሙት አቶ ሃብታሙ፤ በሽተኞቹ ለብቻ ተገልለው በጥንቃቄ እንዲታከሙ ተደርጓል፣ የአንደኛውን ህይወት ማትረፍ ባይቻልም ሌላኛው ቤተሰቦቻቸው ጋር ሆነው ህክምናቸውን እየተከታተሉ ነው ብለዋል፡፡
የኢቦላ በሽታ ምልክቶች ከሌሎች በሽታዎች ጋርም ሊመሳሰል ይችላል ያሉት የቢሮ ኃላፊው፤ ነገር ግን በህክምና ባለሙያዎች በሽታው ኢቦላ አለመሆኑ ተረጋግጧል፤ በሽታው የምግብ መበከል ሳይሆን እንዳልቀረ ተጠርጥሯል ብሏል፡፡
በድንበር አካባቢ በሽታው ሊገባ ይችላል የሚል ስጋት እንዳለ የጠየቅናቸው ኃላፊው፤ ሱዳን ውስጥ በሽታው ስለሌለ ስጋት የለብንም ብለዋል፡፡

Eritrean border guards shoot dead 10 civilians trying to flee

August 22, 2014 (SHIRE, ETHIOPIA) – Eritrean border guards have allegedly shot dead 10 Eritreans citizens as they attempted to cross in to Ethiopia, a recent escapee told Sudan Tribune on Friday.
Samuel Gedion said he was among a group of 18 Eritreans who were trying to flee to Ethiopia two weeks ago.

“Ten of them were killed, while three of us made it to Ethiopia. I am not sure on the fate of the remaining five,” he said.

He said border guards had opened fired on the group without any prior warning.


One of those reportedly killed was a young woman who had recently finished 18 months of military service.

Eritrea has a long-standing shoot-to-kill policy against those who attempt to flee the repressive nation, dubbed the North Korea of Africa.

Eritrean opposition groups in Addis Ababa told Sudan Tribune that hundreds of young Eritreans have been killed by border guards in the past two years alone.

Egypt's FM to travel Ethiopia before Renaissance dam talks


Egypt's foreign minister is keen to visit Ethiopia before tripartite committee talks
Egypt’s Foreign Affairs minister, Sameh Shoukry, has called his Ethiopian counterpart, Tedros Adhanom, late Friday in light of the upcoming discussions of the tripartite committee that will take place 26 August in Sudan's main capital, state news agency MENA reported.
During the phone call, Shoukry stressed the importance of positive talks that will lead to solutions that suit all parties.

Meanwhile, Egyptian foreign ministry spokesperson, Badr Abdel-Aty, told MENA that Shoukry is keen to visit Ethiopia before the tripartite committee talks to discuss bilateral relations and renaissance dam issues.


The committee meeting is considered a sign of progress after a series of talks last year reached a stalemate.

Friday, August 22, 2014

Inside Addis Ababa's Koshe 'ቆሼ' rubbish tip: where hundreds literally scratch a living

The arrival of fresh rubbish at the Koshe dump – especially if the truck is from an affluent area – can unleash tense scrambles. Photograph: Caroline Knowles
At the end of her journey to trace the life of a typical flip-flop – from oilfield to factory to street to trash – Caroline Knowles was confronted with the Ethiopian capital’s largest landfill site …
My first sight of Koshe, Addis Ababa’s giant 50-year-old landfill site, is from the highway. It runs alongside it, and away from the road as far as the eye can see: a giant, murky, grey-brown raised area of partially decomposed rubbish, with occasional bright specks of colour. As my hopes rise from having found it, my heart sinks as I try to take it in.
The interpreter I have engaged for this mission through my contacts, a junior academic at Addis Ababa University, is not keen on going ahead. Leaving the taxi and crossing the highway by the bridge, I try to absorb the panoramic view afforded by this elevated viewpoint over the highway.
This 36-hectare site – shrinking as the city attempts to regulate it – is patrolled from the air by large vultures, diving into the rubbish. Motley crews of wild dogs gambolling and snatching at the soft ground patrol it at ground level. Smoke rises in several places, adding a layer of haze to the murky colour scheme. Yellow bulldozers nose the heap and shift and level it; municipal rubbish trucks and flatbed trucks with skips arrive from all over the city and discharge their contents.
Between the dogs, the birds and the machines there was something else, something I could only slowly take in: 200 to 300 people, dressed in the same murky hues as the rubbish dump, backs bent, hooks in hand, were working on its surface.

Teddy Afro - Beseba Dereja (በሰባ ደረጃ) with Lyrics



               


በሰባ ደረጃ


ከመኮንን ድልድይ ከእንጨት ፎቁ በላይ
ሲመሽ እንገናኝ
መጣሁ አንቺን ብዬ ሳይከብደኝ እርምጃዉ
በሰባ ደረጃዉ

አዝማች፡
በሳሪያን ኮት ላይ ያንን ቀጭን ኩታ ጣል አድርጌ
በመኮንን ድልድይ ልምጣ በደረጃዉ በፒያሳ አድርጌ
በፍቅር ማነቂያዉ ዶሮ እንዳይል በከንቱ እረ አንቺን ወዶ ..(ዶሮ ማነቂያ፣ ዕሪ በከንቱ)
ክራሩን ስትሰሚ ብቅ በይ ቆሞያለሁ ከበርሽ ማዶ

ሲመሽ ወደማታ ማታ ማታ
አቤት ያንቺ ፍቅር ሲበረታ
ሲመሽ ወደ ማታ ማታ ማታ
ብቅ በይ ሲገረፍ ክራር ሲመታ

Ethiopia’s impressive economic growth-CNBC

The country which is sub-Saharan Africa's fifth biggest economy is at the focal point of emerging economies' interest with various delegations of foreign investors seeking investment opportunities in the largest landlocked country in the continent.
“If you look at it [Ethiopia] from an economic stand point, I think Ethiopia is one of the countries that has become the quint essential embodiment of the Africa rising narrative,” Julians Amboko, research analyst at Stratlink Africa from CNBC Africa.
The country’s economic growth is principally attributed to intense government projects aimed at achieving its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as the country aims at becoming a middle income status by 2025.

               

“Look at the year between 2013 and 2014, the GDP growth was about 10.6 per cent, double digits. Kenya did only 4.8 per cent, Rwanda which has been a very stellar performer did only 7.9 per cent and therefore from that stunt point indeed investors must be looking at how they can tap into this market which is growing so fast,” Amboko said.

Ancient Ethiopian walled city keeps modern life at bay

Harar (Ethiopia) (AFP) - Hyenas howl and feast on flesh every night outside the ancient walls of Harar -- one of Islam's holiest cities that is holding out against the pressures of the modern world.
But change is coming, and campaigners are working hard to preserve the gated Ethiopian city's unique history, cultural and religious traditions.
Inside the thick stone walls modern influences abound: beer signs propped on crumbling old buildings, Chinese electronics in shop windows and shiny trucks on the main road alongside ageing Peugeot sedans.
But despite the encroachments from the outside world, a generation of cultural campaigners are determined to preserve ancient customs -- from clothing to bookbinding, to dance and song.
"Because of globalisation, you can't prevent all changes, but the culture, the religion, still survives," said Abdela Sherif, owner of a museum housing the largest collection of Harari cultural relics in the world.
"We are going to keep our culture, our customs, our old civilisation, we are going to keep it by revitalisation," Sherif adds, speaking inside his museum in Harar packed with old coins, yellowed Korans, vintage silk dresses and rusting daggers.
He runs bookbinding workshops, and makes digital copies of old books and songs as part of his preservation campaign.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Court bars deportation of Ethiopian to Somalia

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 21 – The High Court has barred the Director of Immigration from deporting an Ethiopian national to Somalia.

Justice Isaac Lenaola on Thursday issued the prohibiting order after Mohammed Aden Ismail’s wife Shukri Abdihafid applied to the High Court seeking orders to block her husband’s deportation.

The court observed that the Immigration Department and the Interior Cabinet Secretary have given sufficient evidence to show why Ismail is being detained at a holding area at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya lead renewables spurt in Africa


Sub-Saharan Africa will see more capacity come online this year in non-hydro renewable energy than in the whole of the 2000-13 period
London and New York, 21 August – Sub-Saharan Africa is emerging as one of the most exciting new markets for renewable energy technologies such as onshore wind, small-scale and utility-scale solar and geothermal power, according to research company Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
Its latest analysis suggests that 1.8GW of renewable power capacity (excluding large hydro-electric projects) will be commissioned in the region in 2014. That is still small by world standards, but it is more than the amount that came online in the entire 2000-13 period.
The advance of renewable energy in Africa reflects a combination of growing local need for power, and awareness that the cost per MWh of clean options such as wind and photovoltaics has declined sharply over recent years. Renewables can represent a cost-effective alternative, particularly compared to diesel generation but also to power stations burning coal or gas.
Bloomberg New Energy Finance forecasts that investment in clean energy excluding large hydro in Sub-Saharan Africa will be $5.9bn this year, down 5% on 2013′s figure of $6.2bn, but that it will accelerate to $7.7bn in 2016. In the 2006-11 period, investment was far lower, averaging some $1bn per year.

Ethiopia Coffee Export Earnings May Rise 25% on World Supply



Ethiopia’s arabica coffee export earnings are forecast to climb 25 percent to about $900 million in 2014-15 because of higher prices after a drought damaged plants in the biggest grower of the bean, Brazil, an industry group said.
Arabica prices on the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange could average $2 a pound if supplies of the crop in the world market are tight, Ethiopian Coffee Exporters’ Association General Manager Alemseged Assefa said in the capital, Addis Ababa. Ethiopia is Africa’s biggest producer of the crop and the origin of the arabica plant.
“Prices are favorable this year because of the Brazilian coffee drought,” Alemseged said in an interview on Aug. 18. “We presume that price will continue because of the drought.”
Arabica has surged 71 percent in New York since January after a drought hurt plantings in Brazil, the world’s biggest exporter of the beans, fueling speculation that consumption may outstrip supply. The Brazilian woes come as plantings in Central America, Mexico and Peru struggle to recover from a crop disease called leaf rust that has cut yields across the region over the past two years.
Arabica coffee for December delivery rose 1.5 percent to $1.89 a pound on the ICE Futures U.S. yesterday, tumbling 12 percent from a two-year high in April.
Stable Prices
Ethiopia earned $719 million from sales abroad of the beans in the 12 months through July 7, down 3.7 percent from a year earlier. The volume of exports fell 4.1 percent to 191,000 metric tons. The country may produce about 500,000 tons of the beans this year, with about half of that crop sold outside the nation, Alemseged said.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Ethiopia seeks to brand, trademark signature coffee

Ethiopia, Africa's largest coffee grower, is set to continue talks with global buyers in hopes of branding and trademarking its world-renowned coffee and boosting national revenue.

World Bulletin / News Desk
Ethiopia, Africa's largest coffee grower, is set to continue talks with global buyers in hopes of branding and trademarking its world-renowned coffee and boosting national revenue.
"The objective of the negotiations is to prevent illegal coffee trade, unfair price fixing and profiteering involving Ethiopian coffee brands in the world market," Teshome Sileshi of Ethiopia's Intellectual Property Office told Anadolu Agency on Tuesday.
He said 15 million Ethiopians directly or indirectly involved in coffee production receive less than 10 percent of the retail price from coffee sales while the rest goes to international middle men and distributors.

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Climate change impacts livelihoods in Ethiopia

A UN report also asserted that Ethiopia's low level of economic development, coupled with a heavy dependence on rain-fed agriculture and high population growth, made the country particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change.

World Bulletin / News Desk
Climate change has impacted people's livelihoods in Ethiopia, a new United Nations report has found.
"Both the frequency and intensity of droughts have increased, impacting the livelihoods of people," reads the report by the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), unveiled in Addis Ababa on Monday.
"At the same time, increases in flooding have also intensified the vulnerability of households in Ethiopia," it added.
The report, entitled "What does it mean for Ethiopia's development," predicted that temperatures would rise by between 0.9° and 1.1° (centigrade) by 2030, by between 1.7° and 2.1° by 2050, and by between 2.7° and 3.4° by 2080.
It went on to assert that Ethiopia's low level of economic development, coupled with a heavy dependence on rain-fed agriculture and high population growth, made the country particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change.

Ethiopia now Africa's biggest refugee hosting country

South Sudanese refugees sit in the shade of a tree. They are living in makeshift shelters as they wait for UNHCR tents. © UNHCR/P.Wiggers
Ethiopia has overtaken Kenya to become the largest refugee-hosting country in Africa, sheltering nearly 630,000 refugees as of the end of July, according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR.
Kenya currently has over 575,000 registered refugees and asylum-seekers.
The number of refugees in Ethiopia has mainly been pushed up by the on-going conflict in South Sudan which has seen over 247,000 south Sudanese seeking refuge in Ethiopia.
Other refugees in the country include Somalis 245,000 and Eritreans 99,000.
UNHCR says it is providing protection and humanitarian aid in 23 refugee camps and five transit camps around the country.
Adrian Edwards is UNHCR Spokesperson in Geneva.
"Three of the camps and three transit sites are new – having been opened since the beginning of the year to handle the growing number of refugees fleeing the fighting in South Sudan. All three camps are at capacity and UNHCR is developing two more. While refugees wait to be moved to the new camps, more than 18,000 are sheltered in three temporary sites in western region of Gambella. However, in recent weeks heavy rain has flooded these three low-lying sites, as well as Leitchuor Camp, where the situation is most serious. Some 10,000 refugees – more than a fifth of Leitchuor’s population of 47,600 – have been hit by flooding. Many tents and shelters are under water and latrines have collapsed. This is a serious health concern and threatens to undermine gains made in preventing the outbreak of water-borne diseases. Refugees have pitched tents on higher camp roads."
He says the South Sudan’s crisis has caused massive displacement internally and into neighbouring countries.

Ethiopia Walia lose to Atletico Luziana in Brazil friendly


Ethiopia Walia Ibex found the going tough losing their second friendly against Atletico Luziana just two days after an impressive 1-1 draw against Club Gama in their ongoing friendly matches in preparations for Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The match begun like a house on fire with both sides firing from all cylinders as they tried to outweight each other while looking for the elusive goals.

Ethiopia playing their third friendly since arriving in Brazil for a series of friendlies looked startled after Luziana from a defensive lapse .However the goal did not deter Walia who fought relentlessly as they sort an equalizer but Luziana defenders remained resilient as the came ended in the 1-0 loss .

Monday, August 18, 2014

Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan to hold dam talks next week: Sudanese minister

Sudan's water resources minister confirms talks between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan concerning Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam to take place on 25, 26 August
Sudan's water resources and power minister, Moussa Omar Abul-Kassem, confirmed in a statement on Monday that Sudan host tripartite talks with Ethiopia and Egypt concerning Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam on 25 and 26 August, reported state news agency MENA.

Egypt's foreign ministry had previously announced that the meeting would take place on 26 August.