New Eritrea-Ethiopia war fears

Ethiopia and Eritrea may return to war over their disputed border without foreign moves to resolve the crisis, warns the International Crisis Group.
The ICG wants US and UN intervention as the military build up by both countries on the border is at alarming levels.
The International Boundary Commission has given the two countries till the end of November to mark the border physically or it will fix it on maps.
But foreign diplomats fear the deadline could end up being a trigger for war.
Some 80,000 people died during the border war between 1998 and 2000.
The disputed town of Badme was awarded to Eritrea in 2002, but Ethiopia insists on talks about the border demarcation.
The United Nations has a peacekeeping force of 1,700 charged with monitoring a security buffer zone on Eritrea's side.
"The risk that Ethiopia and Eritrea will resume their war in the next several weeks is very real. A military build up at the common border has reached alarming proportions," an ICG report on the crisis says.
The influential think tank now wants the US and the UN to make it clear to both governments that no destabilising unilateral action will be tolerated.
"There will be no easy military solution if hostilities restart - more likely is a protracted conflict on Eritrean soil, progressive destabilisation of Ethiopia and a dramatic humanitarian crisis," the report said.
The report comes after Eritrea for the third time, accused Ethiopia of planning an invasion. But Ethiopia has dismissed the claims as a fabrication.
The ICG estimates that Eritrea has 4,000 soldiers supported by artillery and armour in the demilitarised zone and some 120,000 nearby.
And it says Ethiopia maintains 100,000 troops on the border with Eritrea. (BBC)

Entrepreneurs in N. Shoa zone invest over 9.1 billion birr

Investors in North Shoa Zone of Oromia State have launched various investment projects with an aggregate capital of over 9.1 billion Birr so far, the zonal investment office said.
Office head, Gizachew Gonfa told ENA on Tuesday that the investors operating in the zone launched various projects on over 44,000 hectares of land.
Most of the newly launched projects focus on areas of floriculture, agro industry, catering and tourism, real estate, education, and manufacturing industries, he said.
Some of the projects have already created jobs for more than 42,000 persons. (ENA)

SNNP State constructing condos with over 1.6 billion birr

The SNNP State Works and Urban Development Bureau is reportedly constructing condominium houses with over 1.6 billion birr.
Bureau Head, Tagesse Chafo, told WIC that the 32,000 houses launched this budget year will be completed within the coming four years.
Of the condos under construction, some 12,000 may be handed over to the public this budget year, he said.
The houses are being constructed in Awassa, Wolayita, Arbaminch, Hossaena, Wolkite and 12 other towns, according to Tagesse who revealed that the construction works have so far created over 40,000 jobs. (WIC)

Released journalists complain over delay of license from MOI\

Three Ethiopian journalists, who were jailed for two years with Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) party leaders and released in April 2007, have complained about the Ethiopian government's delay to issue them licenses to start two newspapers under new publishing companies.
"Having established new publishing houses, Medrek plc and Senae plc, and fulfilled all the legal requirements, the processing and approval of our applications for two new newspapers, Lualawi and Habesha, should have taken no more than a few hours," say the three journalists in a statement they issues yesterday.
According to the statement, the two appointments by the Ministry to inform of the decision were cancelled and they have been given no date as to when they will be given the final decision. (The Sub-Saharan Informer)

DPPA dismisses BBC's report on critical malnutrition status in Somali region

The Federal Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Agency (DPPA) announced that the report disseminated by the BBC, quoting the agency as saying children in Ogaden region of the Somali State are facing a critical malnutrition status, was a total fabrication.
In a statement it sent to ENA on Monday DPPA said BBC has disseminated its fictitious and unbalanced report citing the so called nutrition study conducted with the technical support of Save the Children-UK (SC-UK).
The report is unbalanced and is also in contrast with the reality on the ground, it said.
Since the study conducted by SC-UK was not officially submitted to the agency and then confirmed and analyzed by experts of the emergency nutrition study unit of the agency and the nutrition study task force that comprises UN agencies and donor organizations, the report disseminated by the BBC was baseless. (ENA)

Textile factory implementing rehabilitation project with 192mln birr

Kombolcha Textile Factory said it has begun implementing new working procedures which will enable it to double its production.
Factory Deputy General Manager, Yimer Yimam, told WIC yesterday that the factory has organized workers functioning under two shifts into three to boost production and quality.
It has also introduced quality management and modern information system that will enable it meet international quality standards, he said.
The factory is replacing ageing machineries and exerting efforts to computerize them, he said, adding that 192 million birr was allocated for the works.
Upon the completion of the rehabilitation project by the end of this Ethiopian year, the factory will boost its production and increase its annual sales from 70 to 144 million birr, according to the Deputy General Manager.
The factory has been exporting its produces to Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium and China, Yimer said, adding that efforts are also being made to reach the wider markets in the US and Europe.(WIC)