The United States government released a press statement on ongoing  protest and clashes in Oromia region and Ethiopian government forces response.

Read The Full Press Statement Below

Press Statement
Mark C. Toner
Deputy Department Spokesperson
Washington, DC
December 18, 2015

The United States is deeply concerned by the recent clashes in the Oromia region of Ethiopia that reportedly have resulted in the deaths of numerous protestors. We greatly regret the deaths that have occurred and express our condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives.

We urge the government of Ethiopia to permit peaceful protest and commit to a constructive dialogue to address legitimate grievances. We also urge those protesting to refrain from violence and to be open to dialogue. The government of Ethiopia has stated publicly that the disputed development plans will not be implemented without further public consultation. We support the government of Ethiopia’s stated commitment to those consultations and urge it to convene stakeholders to engage in dialogue as soon as possible.

Source: United States Department of States

In related news Samantha Power, United States Ambassador to the United Nations calling Ethiopian government to use restraint in response and decrease the tension on the Oromo protest.

Ethiopian government must use restraint in response to #OromoProtests and take immediate steps to decrease the tension.

— Samantha Power (@AmbassadorPower) December 18, 2015

Nairobi (AFP) – At least 75 people have been killed during weeks of protests in Ethiopia which have seen soldiers and police firing on demonstrators, Human Rights Watch said on Saturday.

“Police and military forces have fired on demonstrations, killing at least 75 protesters and wounding many others, according to activists,” HRW said in a statement.

Rights groups have repeatedly criticised Ethiopia’s use of anti-terrorism legislation to stifle peaceful dissent, with Washington expressing concern over the crackdown and urging Addis Ababa to employ restraint.
There was no immediate response from Ethiopian government, which has previously put the toll at five dead.
Government spokesman Getachew Reda said the “peaceful demonstrations” that began last month had escalated into violence, accusing protesters of “terrorising the civilians.”
The protests began in November when students opposed government proposals to take over territory in several towns in the Oromia region, sparking fears that Addis Ababa was looking to grab land traditionally occupied by the Oromo people, the country’s largest ethnic group.
Demonstrations have taken place in the towns of Haramaya, Jarso, Walliso and Robe among others.
– ‘Dozens’ shot –
“Human Rights Watch received credible reports that security forces shot dozens of protesters in Shewa and Wollega zones, west of Addis Ababa, in early December,” HRW added.
“Several people described seeing security forces in the town of Walliso, 100 kilometres (60 miles) southwest of Addis Ababa, shoot into crowds of protesters in December, leaving bodies lying in the street.”
HRW also said “numerous witnesses” described how “security forces beat and arrested protesters, often directly from their homes at night.”
Pictures have appeared on social media, apparently showing bloodied protestors and armed police firing tear gas at student demonstrators.
“The Ethiopian government’s response to the Oromia protests has resulted in scores dead and a rapidly rising risk of greater bloodshed,” HRW’s Leslie Lefkow said.
“The government’s labelling of largely peaceful protesters as ‘terrorists’ and deploying military forces is a very dangerous escalation of this volatile situation.”
With at least 27 million people, Oromia is the most populous of the country’s federal states and has its own language, Oromo, distinct from Ethiopia’s official Amharic language.
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In Ethiopia, authoritarian “development” overlooks human rights and responds to dissent with violence.

In Addis Ababa, Ethiopians should be feeling excited. The city has proudly and successfully debuted the first metropolitan rail line in Sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, the nearly 800 kilometer train from Ethiopia’s capital city to the port of Djibouti has just begun, which should expand global market integration and trade throughout Ethiopia.

Nevertheless, there is no peace. As many as 100 people have been killed by police and military forces across the country since November. Protests against the “master plan” to expand the city of Addis into the surrounding Oromo region have been met with violent retaliation by government forces.

The latest recent round of unrest began over three weeks ago when students in Ginci staged demonstrations in response to the clearing of a stadium and a nearby forest for development by foreign investors. According to reports on social media, Ethiopian authorities responded with disproportionate force, which then triggered mass demonstrations and more police killings across the country.

In April 2014, between nine and 47 students were killed at the nearby Ambo University after participating in similar demonstrations sparked by a plan to incorporate the surrounding Oromo area into the rapidly growing capital city.

The government claims that it only wants to expand the provision of services, but protesters say that this will lead to displacement of farmers in the name of “development.” The precedent the Ethiopian state has established, however, is far closer to the fears of the Oromo than to the claims of the government. At the same time, both can be correct: If this new metro line happens to expand through your farmland, you have gained a service, but also lost your traditional means of sustenance.

The Oromos, by far the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia, have long been oppressed by a predominately ethnic Tigre-led government. Oromo civil society and political organizations are banned by the government, which equates Oromo nationalism with terrorism.

Historical Context

Emperor Menelik II is praised by many Ethiopians for successfully fighting off the Italians and playing a pivotal role in ensuring that Ethiopia became the only country to successfully resist the European “scramble for Africa” at the end of the 19^th century. The Oromos view Menelik II less kindly, however, as he simultaneously expanded his kingdom to incorporate the territory of the southern ethnic groups and strategically moved the capital city to the middle of this newly conquered territory.

Today, residents of Addis Ababa still speak Amharic, an entirely different language than in the Oromo communities just outside the city in every direction. It is an imposed language, and the Oromo people still insist on calling the city by its original Oromo language, Finfine.

Dominance of ethnic minorities by northern rulers continued under the reign of King Haile Selassie and later under the communist military junta of Mengistu Haile Mariam. Under Mengistu’s regime, known as the Derg, political dissidents were commonly murdered in the streets. The memory of such horrors persists in the consciousness of the Ethiopian people.

The militias of the major ethnic groups in Ethiopia united in opposition to the Derg, which eventually led to the current single-party “democracy” and the establishment of Meles Zenawi as the head of state. The ethnic militias united against the Derg with the impression that they would each have their own state upon the downfall of the regime.

The reality, however, is that these promises were broken and other ethnic political organizations that helped to overthrow the Derg were banned by the Zenawi government. The newly established Ethiopian People’s Republic Democratic Front (EPRDF) was, in fact, just a new name for the Tigrayan People Liberation Front (TPLF).

Meles Zenawi and EPRDF

The EPRDF saw capitalist development “for the good of the people” as the only way forward for a country long marred by a history of famine. This has meant the construction of largescale dams and effectively giving away large swaths of land to agricultural investors, displacing traditional peoples who used these lands for grazing and who depended on seasonal flooding to grow staples.

The initial cause for the recent demonstrations is effectively the same, where “development” comes into conflict with human rights and the preservation of traditional ways of living. Meles illustrated his policy by responding to claims of human rights implications of the Gibe III dam by saying: “They don’t want to see developed Africa; they want us to remain undeveloped and backward to serve their tourists as a museum.”

As in Joseph Stalin’s five-year plan, the EPRDF’s Growth and Transformation Plan takes a dogmatic approach to “economic development” as defined by foreign investors and creditors. Ethiopian growth is in the double digits, even as El Nino conditions have led to famine across the eastern portion of the country.

No Disturbing the Status Quo

The EPRDF argues that disturbances of the status quo are an impediment to the mission of development and, as such, demonstrations can justifiably be met with violence. As one Ethiopian stated, “The government treats riots and peaceful protests the same way and because they are treated the same, they always end the same.”

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Ethiopian and Sudan border demarcation faces intense opposition from Ethiopians who believes the Ethiopian government is giving away the fertile land to Sudan with a secret deal without the approval of Ethiopian people and official study.
An online petition draws thousands of Ethiopians protesting the Ethio-Sudan border demarcation that planned to be signed by Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and Sudan’s president Omar Albashir.
In November 2014, Hailemariam Desalegn and Bashir instructed their foreign ministers to set up a date for resuming borders demarcation according to a previous agreement of the late Meles Zenawi and Sudan’s President Omer al-Bashir.
Sudan’s state minister for foreign affairs Kamal al-Din Ismail told the official news agency (SUNA) that Desalegn told 2nd vice-president Hassabo Mohamed Abdel-Rahman on Monday November 23rd that the demarcation will be resumed next month.
The petition addressed to United Nations Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-Moon recalled that, almost two years ago, several political parties and civic society organizations had the honor to register with your office a strong protest against a secret border deal that the dictatorial governments of both countries had concluded. Although the exact details of the deal are still shrouded in secrecy, the media in both countries have recently reported that the Ethiopian Prime Minister and the Sudanese President have made public their intention to demarcate the common boundary between the two countries on the basis of that deal.

We wish to recall that the respective territorial limits of both countries were defined by treaty at the turn of the 20th century. The 1902 Treaty provided that the line delimited therein must be demarcated by officers of the two governments. If and when the decisions and recommendations of the Joint Commission were accepted by the two governments, each side was then to undertake to explain the boundary line to their respective citizens.
This, however, did not occur. Instead, Major Gwynn alone, representing Great Britain as the colonial power then administering the Sudan, travelled the whole frontier ( about 950 miles) in the space of just a few months in 1903 and purported to demarcate the boundary. In this demarcation, the line Gwynn actually marked out departed from that marked on the map attached to the Treaty in several places for reasons which he alone deemed adequate. In the event, the reasons for the departure were all self-serving and unsurprisingly ended up favoring the Sudan to Ethiopia’s detriment.

Read The Full Petition Here

Related Video – Prof. Mesfin Speaks out on Ethio-Sudan border demarcation Issues

Read The Full Petition Here

AddisNews: The United States government asked to release all recently jailed journalists and others by the Ethiopian government.

The White House expressed its deeply concern with a press statement through the National Security Council Spokesperson Ned Price who praised the country for it’s recent release of  bloggers but again start arresting more journalists and others in the past few weeks.

The White House urge the Ethiopian Government to release journalists and all others imprisoned for exercising their right to free expression and to stop using its Anti-Terrorism Proclamation as a mechanism to silence journalists, bloggers and activists who criticize government policies.

The Ethiopian government forces detained thousands of people including prominent opposition leaders, journalists and social media activists who voiced their concern and government forces response on protesters following the recent protest in most of the Oromia region against the Addis Ababa Integrated Master plan which aimed to join nearby  cities from the Oromia region to the capital city.

Read the full White House statement below.

Statement by National Security Council Spokesperson Ned Price on the Arrest of Journalists in Ethiopia

Having welcomed developments in Ethiopia earlier this year–including the release of several detained bloggers–that suggested increased protections for the fundamental right of free expression, we are deeply concerned by the recent arrests of other journalists in Ethiopia. We continue to urge the Ethiopian Government to build on earlier developments by strengthening free speech protections and broadening democratic progress, and note that the continued stifling of independent voices will only inhibit such progress as well as development and economic growth.

The United States has consistently applauded Ethiopia for being a model and a voice for development in Africa, but such gains must rest on a foundation of democratic governance and respect for human rights if they are to be sustainable. We urge the Ethiopian Government to release journalists and all others imprisoned for exercising their right to free expression, to refrain from using its Anti-Terrorism Proclamation as a mechanism to silence dissent, and to protect the rights of journalists, bloggers, and dissidents to write and speak freely as voices of a diverse nation.

Source: The White House

January 9, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ibrahim Ghandour Saturday held talks in Cairo, with his Egyptian counterpart Samih Shoukri on issues of common interest, with emphasis on the issue of the Grand Renaissance Dam Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile.

Sudan’s FM Ibrahim Ghandour (L) meets with his Egyptian counterpart Samih Shoukri in Cairo on January 9, 2016 (Photo released by the Sudanese FM)

Sudanese embassy in Cairo said Ghandour is scheduled to meet President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and hand him a message from President Omer al-Bashir.

Ghandour had arrived in Cairo Friday night, leading a high-level delegation on a two-day official visit, at the invitation of the Egyptian Foreign Minister.

The information office in Sudan’s Embassy in Egypt said Ghandour’s visit was in the context of the continuing political consultations between the two countries.

It said Bashir’s message to al-Sisi is related to the means for boosting bilateral relations between Sudan and Egypt in various fields..

The information office said the Sudanese-Egyptian talks would also tackle the preparations for the upcoming meeting of the joint presidential committee between the two countries, scheduled to hold its first meeting in the near future in Cairo.

The two presidents will co-chair the committee .

Previously the committee was at the ministerial level. But it has now been promoted to presidential level with the two presidents each chairing his side.

THE RENAISSANCE DAM WILL NOT COLLAPSE

Ghandour has ruled out possible collapse of the Ethiopian Renaissance dam.

“We are sure about the safety of the dam , because it is being built by an international construction firm,” Ghandour said, during a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Saturday.

He also ruled out the drowning of the Sudanese cities if the dam happens to collapse. He said even in the case of the dam’s collapse, that will not harm Sudan, because the dam is 20 km away from the Sudan border.

Ghandour confirmed that Sudan was keen about its interests in the Nile water like any country in the eastern basin, without any harm to Egypt and Ethiopia.

“The dam is being built on Ethiopian soil , 20 km from our border,’’ he said.

“Sudan is not neutral in this issue and , equally, it is not biased,’’ he stressed in reply to aone question.

RELATIONS WITH EGYPT

On Sudan’s relation with Egypt in the light of the dispute over the border enclave of Halayeb, Ghandour said that every Egyptian and every Sudanese believes that Halayeb is part of his country and for that, there is no way out of this dispute other than dialogue.

He, in this regard, denied that Sudan had filed a complaint on the Halayeb issue to the United Nations Security Council.

Ghandour described his talks with Shoukri as “superb”.

He further downplayed the emergence of some tensions between the two countries from time to time describing as “Summer cloud”.

“Such tensions are no more than a summer cloud which very soon fades away,” he said.

(ST)

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The Economist – WHEN Egyptian politicians discussed sabotaging the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in 2013, they naturally assumed it was a private meeting. But amid all the scheming, and with a big chuckle, Muhammad Morsi, then president, informed his colleagues that their discussion was being broadcast live on a state-owned television channel.

Embarrassment apart, it was already no secret that Egypt wanted to stop the largest hydroelectric project in Africa. When Ethiopia completes construction of the dam in 2017, it will stand 170 metres tall (550 feet) and 1.8km (1.1 miles) wide. Its reservoir will be able to hold more than the volume of the entire Blue Nile, the tributary on which it sits (see map). And it will produce 6,000 megawatts of electricity, more than double Ethiopia’s current measly output, which leaves three of four people in the dark.

This boon for Ethiopia is the bane of Egypt, which for millennia has seen the Nile as a lifeline snaking across its vast desert. The river still provides nearly all of Egypt’s water. Egypt claims two-thirds of that flow based on a treaty it signed with Sudan in 1959. But even that is no longer enough to satisfy the growing population and sustain thirsty crops. Annual water supply per person has fallen by well over half since 1970. The UN warns of a looming crisis. Officials in Egypt, while loth to fix leaky pipes, moan that the dam will leave them high and dry.

Herodotus, an ancient Greek historian, called the fertile land of Egypt the Nile’s gift. Countless Egyptian leaders have rattled their sabres in defence of the water supply. This has soured relations with the eight other countries that share the Nile basin. Most of them have agreed to co-operate with each other, dismissing another old treaty which, Egypt claims, gives it a veto over upstream projects.

Only recently has the Egyptian government adopted a more moderate tone. In March of last year Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who ousted Mr Morsi in a coup, joined Hailemariam Desalegn, Ethiopia’s prime minister, and Omar al-Bashir, Sudan’s president, to sign a declaration that tacitly blesses construction of the dam so long as there is no “significant harm” to downstream countries. The agreement was affirmed in December, when the three countries settled on two French firms to study the dam’s potential impact.

That step is long overdue. The impact studies were meant to be completed last year, but bickering over the division of labour, and the withdrawal of one firm, caused delays. Many Egyptians believe Ethiopia is stalling so that the dam becomes a fait accompli. Already half-finished, experts worry that it may be too late to correct any problems. Representatives of the three countries are now meeting to discuss “technical” issues. The contracts for studying the dam are not yet signed.

A sense of mistrust hangs over the dam’s ultimate use. Ethiopia insists that it will produce only power and that the water pushing its turbines (less some evaporation during storage) will ultimately come out the other side. But Egypt fears it will also be used for irrigation, cutting downstream supply. Experts are sceptical. “It makes no technological or economic sense [for Ethiopia] to irrigate land with that water”, as it would involve pumping it back upstream, says Kenneth Strzepek of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

A more legitimate concern is over the dam’s large reservoir. If filled too quickly, it might for a time significantly reduce Egypt’s water supply and affect the electricity-generating capacity of its own Aswan Dam. But the Ethiopian government faces pressure to see a quick return on its investment. The project, which is mostly self-funded, costs $4.8 billion.

Some experts say filling the reservoir could take seven years. But “having a fixed time to fill it may not be the best way to do it, because there can be extremely dry years and extremely wet years,” says Kevin Wheeler of Oxford University. He recommends releasing a fixed amount of water from the dam each year, leaving the reservoir to fill at a pace set by nature.

A potential wild card in the negotiations is Sudan, which long sided with Egypt in opposition to the dam, some 20km from its border. But as the potential benefits to Sudan have become clear, it has backed Ethiopia.

Short on energy itself, Sudan will receive some of the power produced by the dam. By stabilising the Nile’s flow, it will also allow Sudan to prevent flooding, consume more water and increase agricultural output (once old farming methods are updated). Currently much of the country’s allocation of water under the 1959 treaty is actually consumed by Egyptians. To their chagrin, the river will no longer gush past their southern neighbours during monsoon season and end up in Lake Nasser, the huge reservoir behind the Aswan Dam.

How much water Sudan uses in the future, and other variables such as changes in rainfall and water quality, should determine how the dam is operated. That will require more co-operation and a willingness to compromise. Disagreement between Egypt and Sudan over such things as the definition of “significant harm” bodes ill. But all three countries will benefit if they work together, claims Mr Strzepek, citing the dam’s capacity to store water for use in drought years and its potential to produce cheap energy for export (once transmission lines are built).

The Renaissance Dam is merely the latest test of countries’ willingness to share water. There may soon be more difficulties. Ethiopia plans to build other dams on the river, which could further affect downstream supply. Sudan has promised foreign investors an abundance of water for irrigation. If Egypt is made to feel at the mercy of its neighbours, it may not have finished rattling its sabre.

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Ethiopia’s government is set to abandon plans to expand the boundaries of the capital, Addis Ababa, which have caused months of deadly protests.

Demonstrations by people from the Oromo ethnic group have been sparked by fears that Oromo farmers could be displaced.

Human rights groups have estimated that at least 140 people were killed by security forces during the protests.

The ruling party in the Oromia region said it was dropping the plan following discussions with local people.

The Oromo People’s Democratic Organisation (OPDO) made the decision after three days of talks, the state broadcaster EBC reports.

The OPDO, along with the Addis Ababa city authority, would have been responsible for implementing the “master plan”.

Oromia is Ethiopia’s largest region, and completely surrounds the capital.

The government has disputed the death toll quoted by the New York-based Human Rights Watch, saying the figure was an overestimation.

Abiy Berhane from Ethiopia’s London embassy told the BBC’s Focus on Africa radio programme that the government “has been trying to avoid confrontation”, but the protests were hijacked “by people whose intention it was to induce violent confrontation”.

The government has also said that plan was going to be implemented only once “a consensus had been reached after in-depth and full discussions“.

But a message on the Facebook page of a leading online campaigner says Oromo activists have “dismissed” the government’s change of heart as “as too little too late”.

The master plan was proposed as a way to incorporate the areas close to Addis Ababa into the capital’s rapidly developing economy.

The recent wave of protests began in November last year, but anger over the proposed expansion of Addis Ababa goes back to 2014.

Observers say that the Oromo protests build on long-standing complaints that the community has been excluded from political and economic power.

At the last census in 2007, the Oromo made up Ethiopia’s biggest ethnic group, at about 25 million people out of a population at the time of nearly 74 million.

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(AddisNews) European Parliament passed a  Joint Motion on the situation in ‪‎Ethiopia‬ without amendment. The parliament recognizes the crisis and Strongly condemns the recent use of excessive force by the security forces in Oromia and in all Ethiopian regions, and the increased number of cases of human rights violations.

It also calls for a credible, transparent and independent investigation into the killings of at least 140 protesters and into other alleged human rights violations in connection with the protest movement after the May 2015 federal elections in the country.

Read the full European Parliament resolution on the situation in Ethiopia below

Watch the EU parliament debate and decision

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in Ethiopia and to the most recent plenary debate on the matter, of 20 May 2015,

–  having regard to the statement of 23 December 2015 by the European External Action Service (EEAS) spokesperson on recent clashes in Ethiopia,

–  having regard to the joint statement of 20 October 2015 by Federica Mogherini, Vice‑President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR), and Tedros Adhanom, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia,

–  having regard to the press release on the meeting of 13 January 2016 between the VP/HR, Federica Mogherini, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Tedros Adhanom,

–  having regard to the statement of 27 May 2015 by the EEAS spokesperson on the elections in Ethiopia,

–  having regard to the declaration of 10 July 2015 by the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, David Kaye, on the release of Ethiopian journalists,

–  having regard to the latest Universal Periodic Review on Ethiopia before the UN Human Rights Council,

–  having regard to the Cotonou Agreement,

–  having regard to the Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia adopted on 8 December 1994, and in particular the provisions of Chapter III on fundamental rights and freedoms, human rights and democratic rights,

–  having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

–  having regard to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, ratified by Ethiopia in 1994,

–  having regard to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights,

–  having regard to the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,

–  having regard to Rules 135(5) and 123(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas the most recent general elections were held on 24 May 2015, in which the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) remained the ruling party and won all the seats in the national parliament, owing in part to the lack of space for critical or dissenting voices in the election process; whereas May’s federal elections took place in a general atmosphere of intimidation and concerns over the lack of independence of the National Electoral Board; whereas the EPRDF has been in power for 24 years, since the overthrow of the military government in 1991;

B.  whereas over the past two months Ethiopia’s largest region, Oromia, home of Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group, has been hit by a wave of mass protests over the expansion of the municipal boundary of the capital, Addis Ababa, which has put farmers at risk of being evicted from their land;

C.  whereas, according to international human rights organisations, security forces have responded to the generally peaceful protests by killing at least 140 protesters and injuring many more, in what may be the biggest crisis to hit Ethiopia since the 2005 election violence; whereas, on the contrary, the government has only admitted the deaths of dozens of people as well as 12 members of the security forces;

D.  whereas on 14 January 2016 the government decided to cancel the disputed large-scale urban development plan; whereas, if implemented, the plan would expand the city’s boundary 20-fold; whereas the enlargement of Addis Ababa has already displaced millions of Oromo farmers and trapped them in poverty;

E.  whereas Ethiopia is a highly diverse country in terms of religious beliefs and cultures; whereas some of the largest ethnic communities, particularly the Oromo and the Somali (Ogaden), have been marginalised in favour of the Amhara and the Tigray, with little participation in political representation;

F.  whereas the Ethiopian authorities arbitrarily arrested a number of peaceful protesters, journalists and opposition party leaders in a brutal crackdown on protests in the Oromia Region; whereas those arrested are at risk of torture and other ill-treatment;

G.  whereas the government has labelled largely peaceful protesters as ‘terrorists’, applying the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation (Law No 652/2009) and deploying military forces against them;

H.  whereas on 23 December 2015 the authorities arrested Bekele Gerba, Deputy Chairman of the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC), Oromia’s largest legally registered political party; whereas Mr Gerba was taken to prison and reportedly hospitalised shortly afterwards; whereas his whereabouts are now unknown;

I.  whereas other senior OFC leaders have been arbitrarily arrested in recent weeks or are said to be under virtual house arrest;

J.  whereas this is not the first time that Ethiopian security forces have been implicated in serious human rights violations in response to peaceful protests, and whereas it is known that the Ethiopian Government is systematically repressing freedom of expression and association and banning individuals from expressing dissent or opposition to government policies, thereby limiting the civil and political space, including by carrying out politically motivated prosecutions under the draconian anti-terrorism law, decimating independent media, dismantling substantial civil society activism and cracking down on opposition political parties;

K.  whereas in December 2015 leading activists such as Getachew Shiferaw (Editor-in-Chief of Negere Ethiopia), Yonathan Teressa (an online activist) and Fikadu Mirkana (Oromia Radio and TV) were arbitrarily arrested, although they have yet to be charged by the Ethiopian authorities;

L.  whereas the Ethiopian Government imposes pervasive restrictions on independent civil society and media; whereas, according to the 2014 prison census conducted by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Ethiopia was the fourth-worst jailer of journalists in the world, with at least 17 journalists behind bars, 57 media professionals having fled Ethiopia in the previous five years and a number of independent publications having shut down as a result of official pressure; whereas Ethiopia also ranked fourth on the CPJ’s 2015 list of the 10 most-censored countries;

M.  whereas numerous prisoners of conscience imprisoned in previous years solely on the basis of the legitimate exercise of their freedom of expression and opinion, including journalists and opposition political party members, remain in detention; whereas some of them have been convicted in unfair trials, some face ongoing trials and some continue to be detained without charge, including Eskinder Nega, Temesghen Desalegn, Solomon Kebede, Yesuf Getachew, Woubshet Taye, Saleh Edris and Tesfalidet Kidane;

N.  whereas Andargachew Tsege, a British-Ethiopian citizen and leader of an opposition party living in exile, was arrested in June 2014; whereas Mr Tsege had been condemned to death several years earlier in his absence, and has been on death row practically incommunicado since his arrest;

O.  whereas Ethiopia’s Charities and Societies Proclamation law requires organisations engaged in advocacy to generate 90 % of the funding for their activities from local sources, which has led to a decrease in action by civil society organisation (CSOs) and to the disappearance of many CSOs; whereas Ethiopia rejected recommendations to amend the Charities and Societies Proclamation and the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation, made by several countries during the examination of its rights record under the Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review of May 2014;

P.  whereas the Ethiopian Government has de facto imposed a widespread blockade of the Ogaden region in Ethiopia, which is rich in oil and gas reserves; whereas attempts to work and report from the region by international media and humanitarian groups are seen as criminal acts punishable under the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation; whereas there are reports of war crimes and severe human rights violations perpetrated by the army and government paramilitary forces against the Ogaden population;

Q.  whereas Ethiopia, the second-most-populated country in Africa, is reportedly one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa, with an average growth rate of 10 % in the past decade; whereas it nevertheless remains one of the poorest, with a per capita GNI of USD 632; whereas it ranked 173rd out of 187 countries in the Human Development Index for 2014;

R.  whereas Ethiopia plays a key role in the region and enjoys political support from Western donors and most of its regional neighbours, mostly owing to its role as host of the African Union (AU) and its contribution to UN peacekeeping, security and aid partnerships with Western countries;

S.  whereas, as economic growth continues apace (along with significant foreign investments, including in the agriculture, construction and manufacturing sectors, large-scale development projects, such as hydroelectric dam building and plantations, and widespread land-leasing, often to foreign companies), many people, including farmers as well as pastoralists, have been driven from their homes;

T.  whereas Article 40(5) of Ethiopia’s constitution guarantees Ethiopian pastoralists the right to free land for grazing and cultivation and the right not to be displaced from their own lands;

U.  whereas Ethiopia is a signatory to the Cotonou Agreement, Article 96 of which stipulates that respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is an essential element of ACP‑EU cooperation;

V.  whereas Ethiopia is experiencing its worst drought in decades, leading to increasing food insecurity, severe emaciation and unusual livestock deaths; whereas nearly 560 000 people are internally displaced owing to floods, violent clashes over scarce resources and drought; whereas the Ethiopian Government estimates that 10.1 million people, half of them children, are in need of emergency food aid owing to the drought;

W.  whereas Ethiopia is faced with permanent influxes of migrants and is a host country for approximately 700 000 refugees, mainly from South Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia; whereas on 11 November 2015 a Common Agenda on Migration and Mobility (CAMM) was signed by the EU and Ethiopia to reinforce cooperation and dialogue between the two parties in the area of migration;

1.  Strongly condemns the recent use of excessive force by the security forces in Oromia and in all Ethiopian regions, and the increased number of cases of human rights violations; expresses its condolences to the families of the victims and urges the immediate release of all those jailed for exercising their rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression;

2.  Reminds the Ethiopian Government of its obligations to guarantee fundamental rights, including access to justice and the right to a fair trial, as provided for in the African Charter and other international and regional human rights instruments, including the Cotonou Agreement and specifically Articles 8 and 96 thereof;

3.  Calls for a credible, transparent and independent investigation into the killings of protesters and into other alleged human rights violations in connection with the protest movement, and calls on the government to fairly prosecute those responsible before the competent jurisdictions;

4.  Calls on the Government of Ethiopia to respect the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter, including the right to peaceful assembly, freedom of expression and association; urges the government to immediately invite the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and other UN human rights experts to visit Ethiopia to report on the situation;

5.  Welcomes the government’s decision to completely halt the special zone master plan for Addis Ababa and Oromia; calls for an immediate, inclusive and transparent political dialogue which includes the government, opposition parties, civil society representatives and the local population, to prevent any further violence or radicalisation of the population;

6.  Stresses that free and independent media are essential in order to guarantee an informed, active and engaged population, and calls on the Ethiopian authorities to stop suppressing the free flow of information, including by jamming media broadcasts and harassing media, to guarantee the rights of local civil society and media and to facilitate access throughout Ethiopia for independent journalists and human rights monitors; acknowledges the recent release of ‘Zone 9’ bloggers and of six journalists;

7.  Requests that the Ethiopian authorities stop using anti-terrorism legislation (Anti‑Terrorism Proclamation No 652/2009) to repress political opponents, dissidents, human rights defenders, other civil society actors and independent journalists; calls also on the Ethiopian Government to review its anti-terrorism law in order to bring it into line with international human rights law and principles;

8.  Condemns the excessive restrictions placed on human rights work by the Charities and Societies Proclamation, which denies human rights organisations access to essential funding, endows the Charities and Societies Agency with excessive powers of interference in human rights organisations and further endangers victims of human rights violations by contravening principles of confidentiality;

9.  Calls on the Ethiopian authorities to prevent any ethnic or religious discrimination and to encourage and take action in favour of a peaceful and constructive dialogue between all communities;

10.  Welcomes Ethiopia’s 2013 human rights action plan and calls for its swift and complete implementation;

11.  Urges the authorities to implement, in particular, the recommendation of the Human Rights Council’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and to release British national and political activist Andargachew Tsege immediately;

12.  States that respect for human rights and the rule of law are crucial to the EU’s policies to promote development in Ethiopia and throughout the Horn of Africa; calls the AU’s attention to the political, economic and social situation of its host country, Ethiopia;

13.  Calls for the EU, as the single largest donor, to monitor programmes and policies effectively to ensure that EU development assistance is not contributing to human rights violations in Ethiopia, particularly through programmes linked to the displacement of farmers and pastoralists, and to develop strategies to minimise any negative impact of displacement within EU-funded development projects; stresses that the EU should measure its financial support according to the country’s human rights record and the degree to which the Ethiopian Government promotes reforms towards democratisation;

14.  Calls on the government to include local communities in a dialogue on the implementation of any large-scale development projects; expresses its concerns about the government’s forced resettlement programme;

15.  Expresses deep concern about the current devastating climatic conditions in Ethiopia, which have worsened the humanitarian situation in the country; calls for the EU, together with its international partners, to scale up its support to the Ethiopian Government and people; welcomes the contribution recently announced by the EU and calls on the Commission to ensure that this additional funding is provided as a matter of urgency;

16.  Recalls that Ethiopia is an important country of destination, transit and origin for migrants and asylum seekers, and that it hosts the largest refugee population in Africa; takes note, therefore, of the adoption of a Common Agenda on Migration and Mobility between the EU and Ethiopia which addresses the issues of refugees, border control and the fight against human trafficking; calls also on the Commission to monitor closely all projects recently initiated within the framework of the EU Trust Fund for Africa;

17.  Is extremely concerned about the economic and social situation of the country’s population – in particular women and minorities, and refugees and displaced persons, whose numbers continue to increase – in view of the crisis and the instability of the region; reiterates its support for all humanitarian organisations operating on the ground and in neighbouring host countries; supports calls by the international community and humanitarian organisations to step up assistance to refugees and displaced persons;

18.  Stresses that major public investment plans are required, particularly in the education and health fields, if the Sustainable Development Goals are to be attained; invites the Ethiopian authorities to make an effective commitment to attaining these goals;

19.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Government and Parliament of Ethiopia, the Commission, the Council, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the ACP-EU Council of Ministers, the institutions of the African Union, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and the Pan-African Parliament.

An estimated 350,000 babies are expected to be born into Ethiopia’s worst drought in half a century over the next six months, campaigners warn today, amid calls for the United Nations to urgently raise the global alarm at a crisis gripping the African nation.

The drought will leave an estimated 10.1 million people in need of food aid, after two consecutive failed rains, the last one triggered by the El Niño which hit the globe last June. Save the Children has categorised the situation as the second worst humanitarian catastrophe in the world, behind only to Syria, with some 400,000 children suffering severe acute malnutrition as a result.

“The scale of the drought in Ethiopia is like nothing I’ve seen in the 19 years that I’ve lived in this country,” said Save the Children’s Ethiopia director, John Graham.

“This is a code red emergency, yet I have never seen such a small response to a drought of this magnitude from the UN or the international community.”

There is serious concern for the most vulnerable people – in particular newborns and their mothers.

At the Mender health centre in the northern Afar region, parents bring children suffering from hunger-related illnesses. Meron, 30, brought her one-year-old son to the centre after he began vomiting and wouldn’t eat.

“We had almost 100 goats before the drought, but now we have just five left,” she said. “We currently have no food, not even fruits. We have nothing.”

“Giving birth in a desperate situation where there are already serious food shortages and where livestock have died en mass, is extremely dangerous for both newborns and their mothers,” Mr Graham said. “There are an increasing number of pregnant and lactating mothers suffering from malnutrition.”

The drought has prompted fears of a repeat of the devastating famine in 1984, when nearly 1 million people died. Western governments were criticised at the time for ignoring warning signs during a drought three years earlier.

Since then, Ethiopia has seen significant economic gains and development and the government has allocated $300m (£210m) to deal with the crisis. But aid agencies say much more is needed. Only around a quarter of the $1.4bn required has been pledged, according to the UN.

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2 February 1965: The state visit was made after the Emperor of Ethiopia visited London when Sir Winston Churchill was Prime Minister

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip with Emperor Haile Selassie I, 1965. Photograph: Keystone/Hulton/Getty Images

Addis Ababa, February 1
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh came here tonight to a leonine welcome at the start of a week’s state visit to Ethiopia.

Waiting for her at the airport was the Emperor of Ethiopia in field-marshal’s uniform and a lion’s mane helmet. As she drove the two miles to the Jubilee Palace she passed two huge gilded aluminium lions erected in her honour.

Halfway on the journey they changed from a car to a state coach drawn by six white horses. Surrounded by a 100 horsemen of the imperial bodyguard, jogging under heavy lion’s mane helmets, it took more than an hour to drive the two miles through crowd clapping a rhythmic welcome and drums thumping. Horsemen cantered among the crowd with even longer lions’ manes stuck to their hair.

State banquet
Later the Queen was guest of honour at a state banquet in the old palace, where in the gardens the Emperor keeps his pet lions. By then she could be in no doubt that she had come to the land of the Lion of Judah, King of Kings.

The welcome, all the same, was gay and unforced. The traffic jams began two hours before her plane arrived, and it was noticeable how pedestrians who had armed themselves with spears made the best progress.

Her palace looks out upon the handsome African Hall where many times in the past 18 months African leaders have met to denounce the colonial Powers and to plan the liberation of Southern Africa. But a banner strung across the road proclaims “Long live the friendship between Great Britain and Ethiopia.” And behind her palace are roads named after three British generals – Wavell, Wingate, and Cunningham – who helped to liberate Ethiopia from the Italians.

Tonight, Britain was in Ethiopian eyes the great country and a liberator rather than a colonialist. Many of the soldiers at the airport wore the British Africa Star.

The state visit is being made in return for one paid to London by the Emperor when Sir Winston Churchill was Prime Minister ten years ago. Britain was also host to the Emperor and his family while he fretted out four years of exile in a country house near Bath.

Ancient glories
For a week, Ethiopia is prepared to be unashamedly imperial. Today’s Issue of the “Ethiopian Gazette” carefully notes that the six white horses drawing the state coach were bred from the stable of the Emperor Maximilian, famous 300 years ago.

During the week the accent will be mainly on the country’s ancient glories, with a night spent camping above the old capital of Gondar. But the Queen is also to see new glories, such as the huge Tendaho cotton estates, one of the few pieces of British enterprise in Ethiopia. It is the successful vision of Mitchell Cotts, and that company’s 10,000 British shareholders.

The Queen’s arrival has inspired the capital’s only daily newspaper to inaugurate a women’s page, and in this the Queen is praised as a monarch who has shown interest in industry and patronised the arts. There is little doubt that the Queen, who added to today’s brightness by wearing a buttercup yellow coat and petal hat, will wipe out the somewhat frosty memory most Ethiopians have of the British monarchy.

No one in public speeches is likely to mention the unhappy events of a century ago, when the Emperor Theodore felt himself slighted in correspondence with Queen Victoria, and the incident ended with a British punitive expedition and the Emperor dying after battle. Today’s horsemen looked as if they had galloped out of the last century, but their welcome belonged to this happier age.

The Queen has invested Emperor Haile Selassie with the honorary rank of field-marshal in the British Army. The only other monarch in the world to hold this British rank is the King of Nepal.

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Google announces yesterday adding 13 new languages including Ethiopia’s Amharic the second most widely spoken Semitic language after Arabic, Xhosa of South Africa to its live translating tool.

By adding these languages Google now supporting 103 languages and that mean around 120 million new people and 99% of the online population will be able to benefit from the app, which allows users to let their phone listen to someone talk and get a written translation of what they are saying, in real-time, on the screen.

Google said beyond the basic criteria that it must be a written language, we also need a significant amount of translations in the new language to be available on the web. From there, we use a combination of machine learning, licensed content and Translate Community. As we scan the Web for billions of already translated texts, we use machine learning to identify statistical patterns at enormous scale, so our machines can “learn” the language. But, as already existing documents can’t cover the breadth of a language, we also rely on people like you in Translate Community to help improve current Google Translate languages and add new ones, like Frisian and Kyrgyz. So far, over 3 million people have contributed approximately 200 million translated words.

Google invited everybody to involve in the Translate Community. After joining the team you can just select the languages you speak; then choose to either translate phrases on your own or validate existing translations. Every contribution helps improve the quality of translation over time.

Get the Translate App for your Mobile

Google Translate on the App Store – iTunes – Apple

The 13 languages added to Translate are Amharic (Ethiopia), Corsican (Island of Corsica, France), Frisian (Netherlands and Germany), Kyrgyz (Kyrgyzstan), Hawaiian (Hawaii), Kurdish (Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria), Luxembourgish (Luxembourg), Samoan (Samoa and American Samoa), Scots Gaelic (Scottish highlands, UK), Shona (Zimbabwe), Sindhi (Pakistan and India), Pashto (Afghanistan and Pakistan) and Xhosa (South Africa).

In March 1896 a well-disciplined and united Ethiopian army led by King of Kings Menelik II and Empress Tayitu did the unthinkable. Ethiopia defeated an invading Italian army on Adwa mountains and brought Italy’s war of conquest in Africa to an end. In an age of relentless European expansion, Ethiopia had successfully defended its independence and cast doubt upon an unshakable certainty of the age that sooner or later all Africans would fall under the rule of Europeans. This event opened a breach that would lead, in the aftermath of world war fifty years later, to all African countries painful struggle for freedom from colonial rule.

The New York Times published articles on the victory of Adwa and terrible defeat of Italian army.

On March 4, 1896, the New York Times had this headline about the Battle of Adwa.
“ITALY’S TERRIBLE DEFEAT” The New York Times March 4, 1896.

Here is an excerpt from The New York Times published on March 4, 1896.
ITALY’S TERRIBLE DEFEAT

Three thousand Men Killed, Sixty Guns and All Provisions Lost.

Baratieri’s Strategy Condemned.

All Available Steamers for Transport of Reinforcements to Abyssinia are Ordered.

Persistent Rumor of Ministry’s Fall

Rome, March 3 – The present campaign against the Abyssinians threatens to become one of the most disastrous in which the Italians arms have ever taken part, and what the final outcome will be it would be hard to predict. It was rumored today that the latest defeat of the Italians by King Menelik had compelled Ministry to resign, owing to the popular disapproval of the Government’s policy, but tonight this report is denied.

Emperor Menelik II

Details received here today of the defeat on Sunday of the Italian Army show that the Italian losses were very heavy, they being placed by some at 3,000 killed. It is still impossible to ascertain the precise losses, but popular opinion credits the report that the number of killed is not overstated. Thus far the reports make no mention of the number of wounded. Among the dead are Gen. Albertone, Commander of the Left Brigade, and Gen. Dabormida, Commander of the Right Brigade.

The news of this latest disaster has caused the greatest excitement throughout Italy, and the Opposition party is taking advantage of it to make violent attacks upon the Government’s policy in attempting to extend the sphere of Italian influence in Abyssinia.

The Pope is greatly disturbed by the news.

Among the many reports current today was one to the effect that Gen. Baratieri had committed suicide, being unable to endure the humiliation of his defeat.

Published on March 4, 1896 in the New York Times.

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RAS ALULA THE ABYSSINIAN

The New York Times
April 12 1887

From The Paul Mall Gazette

The great Abyssinian chief Ras Alula is at present a person of much interest to the Italians, and the Riforma is publishing a sketch of his life, in the course of which it is stated that he is the son of Abyssinian peasants. He was born about 45 years ago in the village of Pamaka, near Mekalle, and served for many years as groom under the Negus Ras Area. Later on he became Master of the Wardrobe at Court, and married the daughter of Ras Area, who died not long after the marriage. He then rose to the rank of Chamberlain, and was finally made Governor of Tigre, with the title of Ras.

Ras Alula is of middle height, has a chocolate-colored skin and a thin face, but it is otherwise rather stout. He never laughs, talks slowly, polite to strangers, but haughty to inferiors. His orders are given only once. If they are not executed, he horsewhips his servants. As a rule he wears a white cotton shirt and trousers. A red fez covers his close-cut hair. On special occasions, he wears a red silk shirt, the robe of the Governor. He is an excellent horseman, and it will be difficult to find an Abyssinian who bears the hardships of traveling better than he. He accompanies the Negus barefooted on all his tours, and never show a sign of fatigue. Having had no education, he can neither read nor write, but is very intelligent and cunning, but pious and superstitious withal. His avarice is extreme; he takes everywhere and gives nowhere. Wherever he goes he takes everything he can lay hold of. On his marches he is accompanied by his servants, who carry his wine, made of honey. Ras Alula is fond of women, but tries to conceal that fact. One of the many Abyssinian poems in his honor runs thus:

“He is as fair as angel
And strong as a lion,
Swift-footed as a leopard,
Sly as a fox,
Wise as Solomon,
Generous as a King,
Is most valiant of all.”

The King has promised him the crown of Kassala, if he can earn it. Eight generals fight under him. His daughter is a good and beautiful woman, who has protected Count Salimbeni and his companion, and it is due to her influence that they have not been killed.
ABYSSINIANS DEFEAT ITALIANS.; Both Wings of Baratieri’s Army Enveloped in an Energetic Attack

Massaowa, March 2, 1896 – Gen. Baratieri attacked the Abyssinians yesterday. Gens. Albertone, Arimondi, and Dabormida commanded the left, centre, and right brigades, respectively. Gen. Ellina commanded the reserve.

The Italians captured the passes leading to Adowa without opposition. Gen. Albertone, with four native battalions and four mountain batteries , engaged the enemy, but where soon overcome by overwhelming odds.

Gen. Arimondi was ordered to cover the retreat, but his position prevented him from complying with the order. The Abyssinians in the meantime made an energetic attack, which soon extended to the whole Italian front and enveloped both wings.

A desperate struggle ensued. and finally the Italians were compelled to abandon their positions. The nature of the ground prevented the batteries from moving. The Italians are retiring behind Belesa. The losses sustained are unknown.

The New York Times Published March 3, 1896

Ras Alula Dead – An Abyssinian General of Great Ability – The Son of Peasants

The New York Times Archives

Rome – Reports received here announce the death of the great Abyssinian chief, Ras Alula.

Ras Alula was fifty-five years old. His parents were peasants in the village of Punake, near Mekahe. He served for several years as groom to the uncle of of the Negus, Ras Area. He entered the service of Ras Area, whose daughter he married, and later he became Master of the Ward robe at court. After the death of his father-in-law, he was promoted to the rank of Chamberlain, and then he was made Governor of Tigre, with the title Ras.

Ras Alula developed great military skill, and for many years was regarded as one of the greatest of Abyssinian Generals. He was deliberate in his speech, cunning, and very determined in character. He always accompanied the Negus in his journeys, and also acted as Councilor of State.

In personal appearance Ras Alula was of chocolate color, was about 5 feet 9 inches in height, and was stout, although his face was thin. He was very pious, but his piety took on the form of great superstition, and his avarice and rapacity were almost beyond the comprehension of Westerners. It is said that, whenever he visited any village with his servants, he took all that he could lay his hand upon, and left hardly anything behind for his hosts.

The above article was published in the New York Times on Feb 27, 1897

According to english.ahram report sourced Egyptian officials Egypt launched a satellite to monitor Ethiopia’s Nile Dam construction progress in detail.

Egyptian officials in Cairo hope that the satellite’s findings will strengthen their position in the debate over Ethiopia’s projected hydroelectric dam. This new Egyptian satellite will track the construction of an Ethiopian hydroelectric dam over which officials in Cairo and Addis Ababa have been locked in a standoff over fears that the project will hinder Egypt’s access to the Nile river waters.
Launched almost two weeks ago, Egysat will monitor Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam by capturing high quality photos of the construction site along with other sources of the Nile, said Alaa El-din El-Nahry, vice president of Egypt’s National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences.

The LE300 million satellite – which will come into operation in mid-June after a two-month test period – will track the dam’s height, storage capacity and water discharge. It will also monitor the Kongo River basin to assess the effectiveness of a proposed project to link the Kongo and Nile rivers.

Egypt’s government believes the satellite’s findings will bolster its negotiations with Ethiopia and provide legal ground in case it must resort to international arbitration over any violations in the dam’s stated purpose of electricity generation, El-Nahry said during a seminar in Cairo, according to Al-Ahram’s daily Arabic newspaper.

Egypt has been particularly concerned that the dam, now more than 30 percent finished, will hugely impact its share of the Nile, the country’s main source of potable water.

Situated near the Sudanese border on the Blue Nile, a Nile tributary, the hydroelectric dam will be the biggest in Africa, capable of producing 6,000 megawatts of energy.

Last week, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn urged Egypt to return to the tripartite discussions with Ethiopia and Sudan in an effort to settle the dispute. The three countries have been engaged in a series of dialogues since the launch of the project three years ago.

Last year, Ethiopia and five other Nile-basin countries – Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and Burundi – endorsed an accord, the Co-operative Framework Agreement, which replaces a 1929 treaty granting Egypt veto power over any project on the Nile in upstream countries.

Sudan, Egypt’s immediate downstream country, has backed Ethiopia’s plans to build the dam.

Muscat: Preparations are in full swing for the Omani Products Exhibition (Opex) 2016, scheduled to take from April 11 to 14, at Millennium Hall, in Ethiopia’s capital city of Addis Ababa, under the auspices of the Ethiopian minister of finance and economic development.

Dr Ali bin Mas’oud Al Sunaidi, Oman’s minister of commerce and industry, in addition to government officials will be present at the exhibition.

Ayman Al Hasani, vice-chairman for economic and branches affairs at Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), and head of the Opex Organising Committee said that more than 100 Omani firms are set to participate in Opex 2016 representing various industries including natural resources, minerals, wood products, manufacturing products, furniture, food, medical and pharmaceuticals, fertilisers, plastic and metal equipment, perfume, leather, and logistics.

Al Hasani added that Opex will be held for the first time outside the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states following the success of previous Opex events held in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE.

“An integrated plan has been put in place to facilitate logistics, customs and other related issues for the participants,” Al Hasani affirmed. “This event represents one of the major steps to promote Omani products in the African continent.

The Organising Committee aspires to promote the Sultanate’s industrial sectors in Ethiopia and Africa through strengthening partnerships with various regional and international institutions. Additionally, the committee seeks to play a pivotal role in stimulating trade movement between the Sultanate and Ethiopia, which eventually develop businesses of local companies and expand their trade to various regional and global markets,” he pointed out.

“Opex 2016 seeks to develop mutual objectives of the two governments and deepen comprehensive partnership, in addition to opening up prospects for further cooperation among similar companies in Oman and Ethiopia, and increasing the volume of trade exchange between the two countries,” Al Hasani added.

Nasima Al Balushi, Ithraa director general of Export Development, emphasised that Addis Ababa was chosen to be the destination of Opex 2016 following studies been conducted to determine the added value and the advantages of East African markets in general and the Ethiopian market in particular.

“Ithraa, which is one of the bodies that form OPEX Organising Committee, in addition to OCCI and Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE), has implemented a marketing study on the Ethiopian market to provide comprehensive facts on the market in order to familiarise the Omani exporters, and on the other hand brief the exporters in Ethiopia on the promising Omani products. The study indicated that there are significant opportunities for Omani exporters to benefit from in the fast growing Ethiopian market,” Al Balushi added.

Al Balushi explained that based on the results of the study, an Omani trade delegation held b2b meetings, in Addis Ababa in an effort to strengthen and develop the volume of Omani non-oil exports to the Ethiopian market, find promising opportunities and deals, and boost trade relations with Ethiopia in line with the plan to develop non-oil Omani origin products.

“A group of Omani companies, which participated in these meetings achieved a number of deals. Around 50 per cent of Omani exporters assigned a commercial agent for their products in Ethiopia on day one of the business to business meetings. Besides, one of the companies signed a MoU with one of the major importing Ethiopian companies for foodstuff. These positive results following the b2b meetings have encouraged Opex Organising Committee to choose Addis Ababa as the destination of Opex 2016,” Al Balushi noted.

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Ethiopia says death toll from raid rises to 208; 108 children kidnapped

ADDIS ABABA, April 17 (Reuters) – The death toll from a raid carried out by South Sudanese gunmen in western Ethiopia has risen to 208 people and the assailants kidnapped 108 children, an Ethiopian official said on Sunday.

The attack took place on Friday in the Horn of Africa nation’s Gambela region which, alongside a neighbouring province, hosts more than 284,000 South Sudanese refugees who fled conflict in their country.

By Sunday afternoon, the number had risen to “208 dead and 75 people wounded” from 140 a day earlier, government spokesman Getachew Reda told Reuters, adding the assailants had also abducted 108 children and taken 2,000 head of livestock.

“Ethiopian Defence Forces are taking measures. They are closing in on the attackers,” he said.

Getachew did not give further details, but officials in Gambela said on Saturday Ethiopian troops had crossed the border in pursuit of the attackers.

Cross-border cattle raids have occurred in the same area in the past, often involving Murle tribesmen from South Sudan’s Jonglei and Upper Nile regions – areas awash with weapons that share borders with Ethiopia.

Previous attacks, however, were smaller in scale.

The gunmen are not believed to have links with South Sudanese government troops or rebel forces who fought the government in Juba in a civil war that ended with a peace deal signed last year.

South Sudanese officials were not immediately available for comment.

Under pressure from neighbouring states, the United States, the United Nations and other powers, South Sudan’s feuding sides signed an initial peace deal in August and agreed to share out ministerial positions in January. (Reporting by Aaron Maasho; Editing by Elias Biryabarema and Stephen Powell)

NAIROBI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Flash floods in drought-stricken parts of Ethiopia have killed people and livestock and are blocking food aid deliveries to hungry communities, a charity said.

Ethiopians have been waiting for the spring rains to replenish water sources and to plant crops after the most severe drought in decades pushed more than 10 million people into hunger.

But many livestock, weakened by the drought, have died following heavy rains in Ethiopia’s remote Somali and Afar regions, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said on Sunday.

“Not only are families losing their remaining livestock, but the heavy rain is making the roads inaccessible,” said Mohamed Hassan, who heads NRC’s work in the Somali region.

“Roads are turning into raging rivers and trucks carrying food assistance are unable to reach many communities.

“If people don’t get aid I am afraid that human lives might be lost,” he said in a statement.

Some 28 people were killed by flash floods in early April, the majority when a river passing through Jijiga, the capital of Somali region, burst its banks, the government said.

The two eastern regions, among the worst hit by the drought, are mainly home to herding communities. Cattle, sheep and goats often die after floods because infectious diseases increase and vegetation becomes toxic.

The government and aid agencies are revising upwards a joint appeal in December for $1.4 billion as the number of districts suffering a humanitarian emergency has widened.

The crisis is expected to deepen until August when people hope to harvest crops they will plant in June to catch the summer rains.

Floods can also contaminate water sources, causing diseases like cholera.

Ethiopia regularly suffers hunger crises as eight out of ten people are farmers who depend upon the rains.

“We will see this situation again and again,” said Hassan. “We must not only hand out food, but also help people find alternative livelihoods.”

(Reporting by Katy Migiro; Editing by Ros Russell; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women’s rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit news.trust.org to see more stories.)

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