News in Brief
President Sahle-Work attends the World Economic Forum in South Africa
Prime Minister Dr. Abiy makes an official visit to Israel
The Foreign Ministry Condemns Attack Against Ethiopian citizens in South Africa
Annual meeting of Ethiopian Ambassadors and higher officials in Addis Ababa
The Global Forum on Human Settlements 2019 in Addis Ababa
“Africa poised to play a major role in the world”, says the UK’s Financial Times
27 million people are food insecure in the Horn of Africa
Ethiopia to host African Innovation Week
Africa and the African Union
The Global Forum on Human Settlements (GFHS 2019) was held on Thursday and Friday this week (September 5-6) in Addis Ababa. Under the theme of “Sustainable Development of Cities and Human Settlements in the Digital Era,” GFHS 2019 brought together more than 500 participants including practitioners from NGOs, and different sectors including architecture, energy, transport, tourism, and digital information technology. IGFHS 2019 was organized by the Global Forum on Human Settlements, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the International Telecommunication Union and the World Urban Campaign with the support of the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry. (See article)
The UK’s Financial Times carried a special report on Wednesday last week (August 28), entitled ‘African Development: Africa poised to play a major role in the world’. It looked at trade, foreign investment, the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement, and the continent’s youthful demographics. It underlined the difficulties of generalizing about Africa’s 54 nations but emphasized that since 2000, despite widespread poverty and huge social problems, Africa was doing better than many believed. (See article)
IGAD’s Executive Secretary, Mahboub Maalim, introduced the latest Global Report on Food Crises 2019, issued by the Food Security Information Network (FSIN), on Monday this week (September 2) in Nairobi. The report draws special attention to the Horn of Africa where it says an estimated 27 million people face acute food insecurity, largely caused by climatic shocks, conflict and economic instability. (See article)
IBA Ethiopia Center for Innovation will be hosting African Innovation Week in Addis Ababa later this year, from October 28 to November 2. The event, under the theme “connecting innovators, investors, businesses and organizations for sustainable and inclusive future’’ will be held in partnership with the African Union Commission, the Government of Norway and Ethiopian Ministry of Innovation and Technology. (See article)
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, condemned in the strongest terms the incidents of violence against nationals of fellow African countries in South Africa, including the looting and destruction of their property. He called for further immediate steps to protect the lives of people and their property, to ensure that all perpetrators were brought to account, and that justice be done to those who suffered economic and other losses. He reiterated the Commission’s commitment to support the South African government in addressing the root causes of the problem.
Ethiopia
President Sahle-Work Zewde attended the 28th World Economic Forum on Africa in Cape Town this week, September 4-6. The Forum was held under the theme “Shaping Inclusive Growth and Shared Futures in the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” focusing on how to scale up the transformation of regional architecture related to smart institutions, investment, integration, industry and innovation. (See article)
Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed paid an official visit to Israel last weekend (September 1- 2), holding talks with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and with President Reuven Rivlin. He also visited the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, Yad Vashem. (See article)
Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on Tuesday condemning “the heinous act of violence and looting of properties” perpetrated against foreigners including Ethiopians in South Africa. It said the Ethiopian Embassy in Pretoria was working with the “authorities and members of the community to address the situation.” (See article)
The annual meeting of Ambassadors, Heads of Mission and higher officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia opened in Addis Ababa on Monday (September 2). The week-long meeting was held under the theme of “Institutional Reform for Diplomatic Excellence.” (See article)
Attorney General, Berhanu Tsegaye and Kenya’s Director of the Office of the Attorney-General, Noordin Mohamed Haji, signed an agreement on Friday last week (August 30) to partner against cross-border crimes and human trafficking. Attorney General Berhanu stressed the importance of combating terrorism and cross-border corruption. Director Mohamed, who commended Ethiopia’s determination to combat corruption, invited Ethiopia to join the East African Association of Prosecutors.
The Deputy Speaker of the House of People’s Representatives, Ms. Shitaye Minale, held talks with a visiting German parliamentary delegation on Monday (September 2). She said Ethiopia wanted German support for the ongoing reform initiatives and the efforts being made to digitize the office of parliament. The head of the delegation, Andreas Mattfeldt, assuring the Deputy Speaker of German support said education was the key for economic growth and build democracy, and commended the revised Ethiopia’s Electoral and Political Parties law.
The 2019 China (Guangdong) International Tourism Industry Expo (CITIE), one of China’s most influential tourism expos, was held at the Canton Fair Complex in Guangzhou, August 30 – September 1. The Expo attracted more than 500,000 visitors and exhibitors from Ethiopia attended for the first time. A week earlier, former President Dr. Mulatu Teshome participated in the 2019 Guangdong 21st Century Maritime Silk Road International Expo Theme Forum. Dr. Mulatu also visited the Guangzhou science city, Comba telecom company and the Sino-Singapore knowledge city, centers of the next generation of innovation and high tech.
Ethiopian Airlines announced at the end of last week that it was increasing its weekly flights between Addis Ababa and Chinese cities to 50, up from 35. This is aimed at meeting the increasing demand for flights to Africa from Chinese business people, investors and tourists. The airline is also increasing the number of flights to Tokyo to seven, up from the current five flights and making the service direct to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport.
The 11th International Foundation for Sustainable Development in Africa and Asia (IFSDAA) conference was held this week in Goettingen, Germany with the theme of “Harnessing Scientific, Technological Innovations and Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Development in Africa and Asia”. The conference unveiled IFSDAA’s plans to open a “Knowledge and Skill Center” in Ethiopia for skill training for young Ethiopians. Next year’s conference will be held in Addis Ababa.
The annual Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica) will take place in Addis Ababa later this month, September 23-26. The four-day Forum will be hosted by the Ministry of Innovation and Technology and the Collaboration on Internet Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA).It provides for exchange of knowledge, skills, advocacy efforts and policy agendas on digital rights and internet governance agenda among key actors, including policy makers, human rights defenders, law enforcement representatives, and the media.
Djibouti
President Ismail Omar Guelleh met visiting Somaliland leader Muse Bihi and his delegation on Tuesday (September 3). The two sides discussed a range of issues of mutual concern, including economic, media and trade cooperation between Djibouti and Somaliland. This was Muse Bihi’s second visit to Djibouti and came barely two weeks after Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi held bilateral talks with President Guelleh in Djibouti.
Eritrea
Foreign Minister Osman Saleh, in Tokyo for the TICAD 7 Conference, met with Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs, Taro Kono, for talks on Thursday last week (August 29). Mr. Kono said Japan placed importance on the peace and stability of Horn of Africa and expressed hopes for the further improvement of relations between countries in the region. He said Japan hoped to contribute to improvement of water supply facilities the development of fisheries in Eritrea. Minister Osman said Eritrea hoped for Japan’s cooperation in agriculture, fisheries, infrastructure, health, medicine and other areas.
Eritrea has joined the Elephant Protection Initiative, the conservation coalition aiming to end the trade in ivory. The announcement was made in Geneva at a meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) last week. A statement said Eritrea has one of Africa’s most northerly and isolated elephant populations; elephants of the Gash Setit region, which migrate between Eritrea and Ethiopia, were a symbol of resilience and hope.
Somalia
President Mohamed Abdullahi held bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Abe on the side-lines of TICAD 7 last week. They agreed the two countries would continue to work together in maritime security. Prime Minister Abe praised Somalia’s effort toward regional peace and security, including its fight against terrorism and anti-piracy measures in the Gulf of Aden. He pledged Tokyo’s continued support.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Ahmed Isse Awad, met Japanese Foreign minister Tarō Kōno at TICAD 7 to discuss ways to enhance bilateral relations. They stressed the importance of opening wider horizons of cooperation in several different fields for mutual benefit.
In a statement on Thursday (September 5) the government said it was “closely watching the xenophobic violence meted against foreigners in South Africa and therefore calls upon the government to take measures to ensure the safety of Somali citizens and their property.”
The IGAD Special Envoy for Somalia, Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, Ambassador Mohamed Ali Guyo has commended all stakeholders in Galmudug for their commitment to the pursuit of reconciliation and democratic governance. He underscored the importance of a “peaceful, orderly and inclusive reconciliation process to enable the people to amicably harmonize their views and perspectives prior to the Galmudug State election.” He also underlined the importance of a democratic, peaceful, free, fair, transparent and inclusive election.
Somali media practitioners and human rights activists agreed last week to conduct nation-wide public awareness campaigns on women participation in the 2020/2021 electoral process. In support of the National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC) efforts to raise awareness about the electoral process, AMISOM organized a one-day workshop held in Mogadishu. Youth participants, women’s groups, human right activists as well as female journalists agreed on modalities to promote women participation.
AMISOM Force Commander, Lt. General Tigabu Yilma has commended Ethiopia National Defense Forces troops who had finished their year-long tour of duty in Somalia for their dedication, sacrifice, extreme military professionalism, discipline and commitment to duty. Speaking at a parade in Beled Weyne, he said terrorist groups had been pushed out through their successful joint military operations with Somali Security Forces.
South Sudan
The Foreign Ministry this week thanked the AU for airlifting several hundred multipurpose tents donated by Cameroon for use in the 35 cantonment sites across South Sudan. The Ministry said this would expedite the process of cantonment, security arrangement and implementation of the revitalized peace agreement signed in Addis Ababa in September last year. The tents will increase the capacity of the sites to assemble, screen, and mobilize soldiers who will be deployed for the future unified force. Opposition forces will be cantoned at 25 sites and government forces in 10 barracks across the country.
Sudan
Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok announced the names of his new government at a press conference on Thursday this week (September 5). They include Omar Monis, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Asma Mohamed Abdallah, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ibrahim Badawi Minister of Finance, and Yasser Abbas, Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources, drawn from the nominations by the Forces for Freedom and Change. The army nominated Lt. General Jamal Omer as Minister of Defense and the police nominated Idriss al-Traifi as Minister of Interior. The ministers of infrastructure and of livestock and fisheries have yet to be appointed. The Prime Minister said he would also be appointing state ministers to address the imbalance of the current appointments in regard to gender and the regions. Four of the ministerial appointments are women.
Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed has invited Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok to visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to discuss issues of common interest. The invitation was delivered by the UAE’s Ambassador to Sudan on Tuesday (September 3). The UAE and Saudi Arabia pledged $3 billion in financial and material support to Sudan in April.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas arrived in Khartoum on Tuesday (September 3) for talks with Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok. Mr. Hass said Germany would discuss the issue of removing Sudan from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly, a prerequisite for economic development. During his visit Mr. Hass also met the head of the transitional Sovereign Council, General Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan, and stressed the importance of transferring power to a civilian government.
Four armed groups from Darfur have agreed to unify their negotiating position to engage in talks with the Transitional Government. A joint statement, signed by the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), Sudan Liberation Movement – Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM), Sudan Liberation Movement – Transitional Council (SLM-TC), and the Sudan Liberation Forces Alliance (SLFA), was issued on Saturday (August 31)in Juba where President Kiir has been working to bring together the armed groups in Darfur, the Blue Nile and South Kordofan for peace talks with Prime Minister Hamdok’s government.
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President Sahle-Work attends the World Economic Forum in South Africa
President Sahle-Work Zewde arrived in Cape Town, South Africa on Tuesday to attend 28th World Economic Forum on Africa, September 4-6. The President was received by Alvin Botes, Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, staff of the Ethiopian Embassy and members of the Ethiopian community.
The Forum was held under the theme “Shaping Inclusive Growth and Shared Futures in the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” and the meeting focused on how to scale up the transformation of regional architecture related to smart institutions, investment, integration, industry and innovation. It brought together more than 1, 000 regional and global leaders from politics, business, civil society, and academia to look at regional and industry agendas for the year ahead.
President Sahle-Work began her remarks to the Forum condemning the acts of violence and the looting of properties against foreigners in South Africa. Speaking during the “Reversing the Youth Unemployment Crisis” session, she told the Forum about Ethiopia’s work to address youth unemployment. She said the Government of Ethiopia had embarked on a very transformative and inclusive process just over a year ago, and this included many things to address unemployment. The Government planned to have 3 million jobs for the next fiscal year, adding, “I believe the future would be promising for Ethiopia.”
Addressing a session held under the theme “Working Towards Peace” the President highlighted the key role that women could play to maintain peace in the continent. Women, she said, “have to be part of our quest to peace,” She said: “They [women] are the victims. They are those who have suffered most… How can we expect to have a solution that would be sustainable, that would be encompassing the whole society, if the very victims are not associated?” President Sahle-Work said firmly: “Women should not be portrayed as victims anymore. They should be part of the solution.”
During her visit to South Africa, President Sahle-Work also met with Ethiopians living in South Africa. The members of the Ethiopian community raised their concern over the attacks being carried out against foreigners in South Africa; they requested the Ethiopian Government to work closely with the South African Government and authorities to work to find solution to the problem. The President said she would meet with South African officials to discuss the issue and ways to resolve the problem.
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Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed makes an official visit to Israel
Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed made an official visit to the State of Israel at the beginning of this week (September 1-2) and held fruitful discussions with Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel and President Reuven Revlin on bilateral, regional and global issues. A Joint Declaration on strengthening bilateral economic ties was signed.
During the official welcoming ceremony, at the Prime Minister Office in Jerusalem, Mr. Netanyahu, described Prime Minister Dr. Abiy’s visit as historic, describing him as “one of the most important and influential leaders in Africa.” He praised his exemplary “courage in promoting Ethiopia both internationally and regionally and expressed his appreciation for the reform process of Ethiopia. Mr. Netanyahu, who is facing an election later this month, referred to the Ethiopian Jewish community as ‘a living bridge’’ of 150,000 Israelis of Ethiopian descent, bilateral cooperation on many levels reflected historic ties, he said, adding that cooperation could be further expanded in security, agriculture, water, energy, technology and innovation. He stressed the importance of consolidating economic cooperation in areas of trade and investment and development cooperation through MASHAV, the government’s development wing. He called for increased security coordination with Ethiopia: He said the first prerequisite of any government, of any society was security. Israel and Ethiopia both faced challenges. Israel, he said, could offer some shared experiences: “We have tremendous things that we can do separately, but I think that we can do it better together.” The Israeli Prime Minister thanked the Ethiopian government for its cooperation in identifying one of the two Israelis that lost their lives during the Ethiopian Airlines crash earlier this year, as wells as for its efforts to locate an Israeli tourist and return her body to Israel.
Prime Minister Dr. Abiy, thanking Mr. Netanyahu for the warm welcome, noted that Ethiopia and Israel had enjoyed relations for thousands of years and mentioned the Ethiopian churches and monasteries, particularly the Deir Sultan monasteries, vivid reminders of this very special relationship. He referred to the Ethiopian Jews in Israel who served as a bridge between the two nations and expressed his condolences to the family of Solomon Tekah, a young Ethio-Israeli who lost his life. He paid respects to the three Israelis who had lost their lives in Ethiopia. He thanked the Israeli government for sending its best fire fighters to support efforts to control wildfires in the Semien Mountains.
Dr. Abiy reaffirmed his commitment and readiness to expand relations by promoting their common interest guided by a strategic partnership in key areas. He underlined the importance of reinvigorating ties in agricultural, ICT, irrigation, science, technology and innovation, tourism and health. He stressed the importance of expanding economic ties and invited Israeli companies to invest in Ethiopia. He invited Israeli companies to invest in Ethiopia telecom, aviation, logistics and energy. He also requested the Israeli government to enhance its capacity building cooperation in areas of agriculture, health, and ICT. The Prime Minister underlined that the Ethiopian monasteries in Jerusalem were special representatives of the ancient connections with Israel, symbols for Ethiopia and all of Africa. He called on the Israeli government to create a technical cooperation program to maintain these shared heritage sites.
During the welcoming ceremony, Ambassador Reta Alemu, Ambassador of Ethiopia to Israel and Ambassador Raphael Morav, Israeli Ambassador to Ethiopia, signed a Joint Declaration aimed at further consolidating economic ties between the two countries, strengthening cooperation to implement agreements signed at various levels in the areas of agriculture, water, irrigation, health and science and technology, and to examine the possibilities of additional agreements in other fields of cooperation, including cyber security, telecommunication and space science and technology.
During their bilateral discussions, Mr. Netanyahu stressed Dr. Abiy’s visit showed continuation of the growing bilateral relations between the two countries. He said there was “no limitation” for cooperation between Ethiopia and Israel and said bilateral ties could be further strengthened in areas of agriculture, irrigation, fishery, technology and innovation.
Prime Minister Dr. Abiy said that the common history of the two countries could be transformed into a common future by working together to enhance the bilateral ties in various sectors. The two Prime Ministers exchanged views on regional and international issues and reached a common understanding to work together in areas of mutual concern and benefit. They also agreed to launch an agricultural project in Ethiopian lowlands using Israeli technology, and to cooperate in cyber security, particularly in the training of experts in data and mathematics. The Ethiopian delegation later visited the Israeli Cyber Centre, and both . sides agreed to cooperate in areas of cyber security though training and capacity building programs.
Prime Minister Abiy also held a productive and constructive discussion with Israeli President Reuven Revlin on bilateral and regional issues. Recalling his visit to Ethiopia, earlier this year, the President stressed the importance high level visits to further strengthen historic relations. He extended an invitation to President Sahle-Work to visit Israel. Dr. Abiy, who thanked the President for his visit to Ethiopia, underlined that the two friendly countries should continue to work together to boost bilateral ties. They expressed their profound appreciation to the Ethiopian Jewish community as the human bridge between the two countries.
During his stay, Prime Minister Dr. Abiy visited the Holocaust Remembrance Center, (Yad Vashem) in Jerusalem where he laid a wreath to remember victims of the Holocaust and signed the guest book. The Prime Minister said: “It’s a great honor and privilege to be here this morning to see such a significant place from which we can easily learn the power of destruction and negative energy. The World Holocaust Memorial Center is a place where everyone should come and see, to learn from history and make the future better. I draw on the knowledge that humankind can make or break. As long as the push factor of an individual is negative energy, the destructive power which is planted in a human being is very great. The lesson we should draw from this is: as long as we are on planet earth, we have to act as human beings, we have to be inclusive, we have to help others; destruction is always the source of fear and the source of losing. If anyone wants to win, they should bring something positive to the world. For the current population of Ethiopia, especially the youth, it is a big lesson – hatred, fear and exclusive thought, dichotomous thought, how devastating this is can be easily learned from this place. I am very happy to be here and I have learned a lot. I hope that I can share with my people the use of remembering yesterday to build our future.”
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The Foreign Ministry Condemns Attack Against Ethiopian citizens in South Africa
Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on Tuesday condemning “the heinous act of violence and looting of properties” perpetrated against foreigners including Ethiopians in South Africa. It said the Ethiopian Embassy in Pretoria was working with the “authorities and members of the community to address the situation.”
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa strongly condemned the wave of looting and violence that has mostly targeted foreign nationals. He said on Tuesday there could be “no justification for any South African to attack people from other countries.” He said attacks on businesses run by “foreign nationals is something totally unacceptable, something that we cannot allow to happen in South Africa. I want it to stop immediately. ” He was convening ministers in the security cluster “to make sure that we keep a close eye on these acts of wanton violence and find ways of stopping them”.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s statement denouncing the violence and his promise to arrest perpetrators. It said Ethiopia would “like to see continued and robust measures taken by the South African authorities to contain the violence and ensure the security and safety of Ethiopian citizens. “The Ethiopian Embassy in South Africa urged Ethiopians to take necessary precautions following incidents of violence and looting on businesses owned by foreigners, advising Ethiopians to distance themselves from any confrontation and conflict until the current situation is stabilized. It has advised people to avoid wearing expensive jewellery and if possible, to close their shops, until peace is restored. It also called on people to report any suspicious activity to police or to contact the embassy.
State Minister Mrs. Hirut Zemene met Ambassador Ndumiso Ndima Ntshinga, Ambassador of South Africa to Ethiopia on Thursday (September 5). She said she was deeply saddened by the recent attacks and looting of properties belonging to foreigners, including Ethiopians in South Africa. She said President Ramaphosa statement denouncing acts of violence and his promise to arrest perpetrators was encouraging. She urged the South African Government to give the necessary protection for Ethiopians residing there. Ambassador Ntshinga said the incidents were totally unacceptable and saddening.
The unrest began on Sunday when a building in Johannesburg’s Central Business District caught fire and collapsed killing three people. Following looting and torching of buildings and vehicles in the area of Jeppestown, which is close to the center of Johannesburg, dozens of people were arrested. Police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades in an attempt to bring the unrest to an end on Monday (September 2). Many of the targeted shops were reported to be owned by foreign nationals, but Police Minister, Bheki Cele, said “criminality rather than xenophobia” was to blame for the “senseless violence”. Xenophobia was being used as an excuse, he said. He stressed that nothing had sparked any form of conflict between South Africans and foreign nationals. There have been earlier xenophobic attacks, the most recent in March, when three people died during protests that targeted foreign-owned shops in Durban.
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Annual meeting of Ethiopian Ambassadors and higher officials in Addis Ababa
The annual meeting of Ambassadors, Heads of Mission and higher officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia opened in Addis Ababa on Monday (September 2). The week-long meeting was held under the theme of “Institutional Reform for Diplomatic Excellence.”
State Minister, Mrs. Hirut Zemene, in opening remarks noted that the year was marked by many successful events that were crucial to the country and the region. She noted that the Ministry’s overall diplomatic engagements over the previous year had been focused on bringing peace and security to the Horn region and their success had enabled Ethiopia to build trust and create solid cooperation among neighboring countries. A wide variety of activities had been successfully carried out to support the ongoing economic and political developments and reforms, democratization and the protection of human rights in Ethiopia, strengthening strategic partnerships with neighboring countries. Ethiopia had been able to get the acceptance and support for its foreign relation directives and national interests in regional, continental, and international fora. The State Minister briefed participants on the performance of the overseas missions, noting that a number of world’s largest companies had visited the country to explore investment opportunities. The country had successfully secured more development funds, organized the release and repatriation of prisoners and carried out citizen-centered diplomatic activities. The ongoing policy reforms were progressing well.
The meeting then continued with detailed discussions chaired by Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachew. The Minister emphasized the possible ways of building a robust and competitive institution. State Ministers presented the annual reports of their divisions. The key issues for further developing political, economic, public and citizen-centered diplomacy, and resolving administrative issues were considered. During the week, the meeting discussed and assessed the Ministry’s major activities and set directions for the next year, reviewing strategic goals and key programs as well as considering the draft Foreign Relations Policy Document and current regional issues.
After the discussions on Wednesday (September 4), Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachew and participants of the meeting visited the Cardiac Center, “The Children’s Heart Fund of Ethiopia,” located at Tikur Anbessa Hospital. The Minister urged the visitors to assist the Center’s efforts in its efforts to save the lives of children.
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The Global Forum on Human Settlements 2019 in Addis Ababa
Ethiopia hosted the fourteenth edition of the Global Forum on Human Settlements (GFHS 2019) Thursday and Friday this week (September 5-6). Under the theme of “Sustainable Development of Cities and Human Settlements in the Digital Era,” the main venue was the United Nations Conference Centre. GFHS 2019 brought together more than 500 participants including senior officials from the United Nations and other international organizations, country and government representatives and city mayors, local administrators, business leaders, investors, experts and scholars, NGO principals, practitioners from NGOs, and different sectors including architecture, energy, transport, tourism, and digital information technology, as well as well-known women and children representatives. The Forum offered support to campaigns for smart localities and the use of digital technology for inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities in Africa and beyond. It concluded with an Addis Ababa Declaration, providing contributions to the World Urban Campaign and the World Urban Forum 2020, scheduled to be held in Abu Dhabi, in February. GFHS 2019 has been organized by the Global Forum on Human Settlements, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the International Telecommunication Union and the World Urban Campaign with the support of the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry.
GFHS 2019 has provided a valuable platform for high-level dialogue among participating stakeholders from around the world especially from Africa, to look at ways to leapfrog opportunities that the digital revolution is bringing to sustainable cities and human settlements, and to share innovative policies, strategies, technologies and examples for cities and settlements. It has been committed to strengthen advocacy, capacity building, foster new partnerships, boost urban innovation, accelerate effective actions, and support various parts of Africa, to develop inclusive green sustainable economy, to promote pragmatic cooperation in the context of the “Belt and Road Initiative” and to drive progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 11 and the New Urban Agenda.
The main topics addressed included: Smart sustainable cities and communities; the World Urban Campaign, connecting global sustainability agendas and private sector local actions; Digital technology, innovation, and sustainability in Africa; Smart planning and design and sustainable human settlements; Financing for sustainable urban infrastructure; Renewable energy, climate actions and urban resilience; the International Green Model City Initiative keynote speeches for the first two plenary session on “The Digital Revolution, Challenges and Opportunities for sustainable cities and human settlements” and “Safe, inclusive, resilient and sustainable city policies, technologies and practices, there were a series of parallel sessions on various aspects of the Forum, before a closing session on Fostering Innovation and Partnerships for a Better Quality of Life in Cities and Communities – The Way Forward.
The Forum also saw the Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements Awards Ceremony 2019. This recognizes excellence in sustainable development practices and innovations. Focused on promoting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development especially SDG 11, it provides worldwide prizes annually awarded by Global Forum on Human Settlements (GFHS).
Sustainable Development Goal 11 of the United Nations is committed to making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, and cities and human settlements have an important role to play across the spectrum of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The New Urban Agenda sets out a shared vision for the future of the city and provides a systematic implementation plan, realistic methodology and pragmatic ideas for achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 11.Information technology and the digital economy are leading to comprehensive and profound changes for urban development and human settlements, reshaping cities and communities. It is against this background that the Global Forum on Human Settlements has been exploring in-depth how to harness the huge opportunities arising from the digital revolution, to upgrade the planning, construction and management of cities and human settlements and make them greener, smarter and more sustainable. This will promote enhanced green growth, poverty alleviation, urban resilience, ecosystem conservation, liveability and inclusiveness as well as respond more effectively to climate change.
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“Africa poised to play a major role in the world”, says the UK’s Financial Times
The UK’s Financial Times carried a special report on Wednesday last week (August 28). Entitled ‘African Development: Africa poised to play a major role in the world’ it looked at trade, foreign investment, the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement, and the continent’s youthful demographics. It made the point that journalists, all-too-often, were better at dealing with “fast-moving catastrophes” rather than “slow-moving improvements.” The result has been that reporting, and therefore public perception, of countries, regions, even the continent, often lags behind reality. Africa is a continent of 54 nations. They may be committed to unity, as the recent Continental Free Trade Agreement underlines, or as leaders like Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Dr. Abiy underline, to integration, but they are still 54 countries, and “it is impossible to generalize.”
The Financial Times emphasized that since 2000 despite widespread poverty and huge social problems, Africa is doing better than many believe. It emphasized two reasons. One was the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) Initiative, which cancelled $100bn of multilateral, bilateral and commercial debt in 30 African countries, “escaping the burden of endless debt servicing.’ The other was the impact of China in Africa. In 2000, trade between China and Africa was about $10 billion; by 2017 it had risen to $148 billion, though it had peaked in 2015 at $200 billion.
Following China, Turkey, India, Brazil and the Gulf states all see commercial and strategic opportunities in Africa. The paper quoted Carlos Lopes, former executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa: “The new actors are seeing opportunities because of demographics and developments that show Africa is going to play a major role in the world.” Accompanying this have been improvements in governance and living standards. The paper notes that by 2016, 45 leaders had gone through a multi-party process, of some kind. Overall, “from health to steadily expanding economies, the picture is of gradual improvement.” It emphasized that in 2018, six of the world’s fastest-growing economies, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Tanzania, were from Africa. Ethiopia has had over a decade of double-digit growth. The average life-span for Africa has risen to 65.
Equally, the paper notes the challenges from climate change to inadequate public health and education. It says that on almost all development measures, Africa still lags behind the rest of the world. “Most cities are chaotic. Few countries have escaped the extractive models that see them sell low-value-added commodities to rich nations.” It says African democracy has gone into reverse with some leaders changing the constitution to prolong their rule or holding flawed elections.
Nevertheless, Mr. Lopez is clear that the idea that African countries can grow their way out of poverty has gained traction. The Financial Times identifies Ethiopia as a country that has epitomized steady improvement. It says despite a volatile political situation and, until recently, an autocratic government, Ethiopia has changed greatly over the past 30 years. “Today it is more likely to be associated with skyscrapers and the push for middle-income status than with the famines that defined its image in the 1980s”.With its decade of growth, health and education indicators have improved. It quotes Prime Minister Dr. Abiy: “Development for me is about the income level in my society increasing every year.”Mr. Lopez is clear: “The level of ambition from leaders has gone up…This is the continent with the youngest population in the world. It will lead to a transition different from anywhere else.”
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27 million people are food insecure in the Horn of Africa
The latest Global Report on Food Crises 2019 issued by the Food Security Information Network (FSIN) has disturbing figures on the Horn of Africa. IGAD’s Executive Secretary, Mahboub Maalim, on Monday this week (September 2) in Nairobi, underlined that an estimated 27 million people in the region faced acute food insecurity. This accounted for 24% of the total food insecure people in the world. The report draws special attention to the plight of the region, saying climatic shocks, conflict and economic instability were the main drivers of food insecurity. The worst-affected countries in 2018 in terms of the numbers facing acute food insecurity were Ethiopia (8.1 million), Sudan (6.2 million) and South Sudan (6.1 million). It said in South Sudan, 59% of the population, or six out of ten people required urgent assistance to protect livelihoods, reduce food consumption gaps and malnutrition. In Somalia, more than one in five people (22% of the population) were acutely food insecure.
The report noted that adverse climate conditions were the primary drivers of food insecurity in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Djibouti, affecting 11.9 million people in 2018; while conflict and insecurity were the main drivers in South Sudan and Somalia, with 8.8 million people acutely food insecure. The economic crisis was the main driver in Sudan, where it said, escalating food prices, sharp currency depreciation and fuel shortages led 6.2 million people to be acutely food insecure in 2018. Speaking at the launch of the report in Nairobi, Mr. Maalim said: “It is time that [IGAD] specialized offices, member states and partners invest in resilience, adaptation to climate change, conflict prevention and sustaining peace to overcome vulnerability and address the root causes of hunger and malnutrition.” He noted that additional investments in resilience and adaptation to climate change were necessary to provide households with a buffer against future shocks and stop the cycle of recurring food crisis. IGAD said: “Investment in climate adaptation, conflict prevention and sustaining peace will save lives and livelihoods, reduce structural vulnerabilities and address the root causes of hunger and malnutrition.”
The report itself calls on member states to empower women, invest in nourishment and children’s education, improvement of rural infrastructure, reinforcement of social safety nets and risk transfer, to build resilience in the region. It also called on partners to collect and analyse data on vulnerable populations to ensure a targeted and integrated response in addressing humanitarian, development and peace nexus.
The UN FAO’s Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit also underlined the threat to Somalia on Monday, saying some 2.1 million people faced acute food insecurity through December due to the severe drought in the country. It says an estimated 1 million children under the age of five are likely to be acutely malnourished through mid-2020. The 2019 Deyr, short, rains (October-December) are forecast to be average to above-average, but this will have no positive impact on food security until late in the year. FSNUA pointed out that many households were still recovering from the severe 2016/2017 drought or had been affected by conflict, and 2.6 million people remained displaced. The Gu (April-June) cereal harvest had failed in most regions, leaving most poor agro-pastoral and riverine households unable to meet minimum food needs. According to the 2019 post-Gu data gathered by FSNAU, cereal production was up to 70% below average in southern areas. In the absence of humanitarian assistance, post-Gu estimates are that up to 2.1 million people across Somalia will face severe hunger through December, bringing the total number of Somalis expected to be food insecure to 6.3 million. Save the Children issued a similar warning this week: “the current food crisis in Somalia has driven acute malnutrition to serious and critical levels in most parts of the country, exposing children to life-threatening risks of malnutrition and other diseases. At least 178,400 children are facing severe malnourishment.”
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Ethiopia to host African Innovation Week
IBA Ethiopia Center for Innovation will be hosting African Innovation Week in Addis Ababa later this year, from October 28 to November 2. The event will be held in partnership with the African Union Commission, the Government of Norway and Ethiopian Ministry of Innovation and Technology. The theme will be “connecting innovators, investors, businesses and organizations for sustainable and inclusive future,’’ and participants will come from across Africa.
The founder and CEO of IBA Norway and IBA Ethiopia, Ayalew Desta, said the goal for organizing African Innovation week was the creation of a platform to gather African, Norwegian and international start-ups to come together and share their experience, to get connected with potential investors, executive bodies, game changers and work together for sustainable and inclusive development. He said: “African Innovation Week will offer actionable insights and solutions for the different African economies that lack the technologies to accelerate the development of these countries.’’ Emphasizing the need to work on inclusive regional growth that benefits all,
Asenafi Mulugeta, Managing Director of IBA Ethiopia, said the event was a blueprint for innovation to fast-track one’s development, thinking three years ahead of competitors. The Week would guide participants with a roadmap for the future, informed by state-of-the-art, evidence-based knowledge and best-practice methods. Using technologies and 21st century thinking at the heart of transformation, Africa Innovation Week would be a platform that “will attract experienced intellectuals, policy makers, angel investors and innovators from across Africa and the world,” he said.
Among those expected to provide keynote speeches are former Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn, patron of IBN Ethiopia Center for Innovation, and co-organizer, the Minister of Innovation and Technology, Dr. Engineer Getahun Mekuria. This week, the Minister underlined the fundamental importance of innovation to modernize democracy and social cohesion. He explained: “Africa has been simply an observer of the Global developmental arena. The lack of having fit technologies and initiatives has paralyzed the economy of the continent. Embracing, harnessing and utilizing technologies and digital disruption in a strategic way and to take advantage of technology to innovate would create solutions that would drive positive and inclusive change.” He said: “By pursuing political and economic reform, Ethiopia is laying a very huge foundation to create a digital economy. The preparation of African Innovation Week would embark on exchanging ideas and masterful strategies which will put Ethiopia in a unique situation in the global arena.”
