Sustainable energy development gathering momentum in Ethiopia A panel discussion to share experiences on energy development was held in Addis Ababa last Sunday (October 23). Those attending included officials from the Korean International Cooperation Agency and from Ethiopia’s Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Electricity as well as other government officials and private interests. The Minister for Water, Irrigation and Electricity, Motuma Mekasa, emphasized to participants that Ethiopia which subscribed to a green development framework to achieve broad-based sustainable development, had continued its search for sustainable energy generation. The Minister noted that the massive development of power projects in the country…
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South Sudan’s Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission chairman visits Addis Ababa The Chairman of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JEMC) for South Sudan, Festus Mogae visited Addis Ababa on Monday (October 24) for talks with Ethiopia’s Foreign Minster Dr Tedros Adhanom. The JMEC is responsible for monitoring and overseeing the implementation of the Peace Agreement mediated by IGAD, and the mandate and tasks of the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU), including the adherence of the Parties to the agreed timelines and implementation schedule. In case of non-implementation of the mandate and tasks of the TGoNU, or other serious…
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The California-based Oakland Institute joins in external opposition’s destructive abuse The California-based advocacy organization, Oakland Institute, was quick to take note of Ethiopia’s State of Emergency, issuing a statement on Friday last week, typically describing the measure as “authorizing oppression.” With the its usual effort at misdirection, it began its comment: “The government of Ethiopia has responded to a groundswell of protests, which are calling for democracy and human rights for all, by imposing a six-month long state of emergency, effective October 8.” Over the next two pages it then manages to totally ignore the fact that the declaration of…
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The 4th Ethio-Sudan Joint Technical Committee Meeting The Fourth Ethio-Sudan Joint Technical Committee Meeting opened in Addis Ababa on Wednesday this week (October 19) at the Elili Hotel. The three day meeting brought together a range of stakeholders from the governments of Ethiopia and Sudan to review the progress of the various agreements signed during the previous Joint Technical Committee Meeting and to look into other potential areas of bilateral cooperation, such as possible joint cooperation for further economic integration.In a keynote address, State Minster of the Ministry of Industry and Head of the Ethiopian technical committee, Dr Meberhatu Meles,…
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This week’s COMESA Summit in Antananarivo The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) held its 19th Summit from October 10-19 in Antananarivo, Madagascar. Among those attending were the Presidents of Madagascar, Zimbabwe and Zambia as well as the Vice-Presidents of Burundi, the Union of The Comoros, Kenya and Sudan and representatives of COMESA states, the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission and representatives of the EU Commission, USAID and seventeen other countries. Ahmed Shide, State Minister for Finance and Economic Cooperation led the Ethiopian delegation, and, on behalf of Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn, handed over the chair…
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The declaration of a state of emergency is quite in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Under Article 93, the Ethiopian Constitution clearly states that the Council of Ministers of the Federal Government shall have the power to decree a state of emergency, writes Zekarias Talo Anjulo. Over the last months, people in different areas of the country, particularly Oromia and Amhara regional states, have been raising questions concerning lack of good governance, the need for an equitable share of resources and for a fairer distribution of economic development, and the provision of necessary employment…
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A deal to reduce HCFs in Kigali and a pre–COP22 meeting in Marrakech Nearly 200 countries struck a landmark deal on Saturday (October 15) in Kigali to reduce emissions hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), one of the most powerful greenhouse gases. This could prevent up to 0.5°C of global warming by the end of this century. The amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer agreed in Kigali is the single largest contribution the world has made towards keeping the global temperature rise “well below” 2°C, the target agreed at Paris last year. UN Environment chief, Erik Solheim, said…
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Human Rights Watch encourages opposition violence in Ethiopia We noted last week that Felix Horne, Human Rights Watch’s Ethiopia researcher, has recently been making considerable efforts to push the European Union to use its role as Ethiopia’s main development cooperation partner to force Ethiopia to accept an international investigation into the way the government had responded to recent protests. He has been writing articles on the subject, giving interviews to Reuters and, last week, addressing the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights. In all of these, in order to support his demands, he has deliberately given impressions and made claims…
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Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel paid an official visit to Ethiopia on Tuesday this week (October 11, 2016) at the end of a three-nation tour in Africa which took her to Mali and Niger as well as Ethiopia. During her visit she held talks with Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn and also visited the headquarters of the African Union. Prime Minister Hailemariam met with Chancellor Merkel at the National Palace and their discussions covered a range of issues including; peace and security in the region; migration and refugees; natural resource conservation and development; democracy and good governance and trade and investment as…
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Ethiopia will address internal challenges itself not bypass its constitutional mechanisms Felix Horne, Human Rights Watch’s Ethiopia researcher, has been making yet another HRW effort to interfere in Ethiopia’s internal affairs, this time in Brussels, demanding the EU use its role as Ethiopia’s main cooperation partner to “push Ethiopia” to accept an international investigation into the way the government had responded to recent protests. As usual drawing exclusively on opposition allegations, and totally ignoring what is in fact already being done, Mr. Horne called for the government to take a number of measures, including respecting divergent views and bringing security…