Africa 2000

Land of the free

Liberia is the first and oldest republic on the African continent. Although it has a brief history compared to Ethiopia’s millennia, Liberia shares with our country the distinction of never having been colonized.
The Republic of Liberia was set up by freed slaves from the United States in 1982. This extra-ordinary enterprise was nevertheless sponsored by colonization societies. Liberia becme a republic two decades later with a constitution modeled on America’s, along with the US dollar. The establishment of Liberia (Land of the Free) by returning Africans was at the time viewed as an enlightened development. Little did the world realize that the seeds of bitter social division were being sown. The Americo-Liberians who today make up about 2.5% of the population were soon resented by indigenous tribes as the newcomers controlled all political, military and economic life to the detriment of the majority ‘African’ Liberians. After simmering quietly for decades, the resentment culminated in over a decade long civil war which erupted in 1989. The Liberian conflict horrified the world with its brutality and because it contributed to inflaming nearly the entire region in strife.
Chrles Taylor emerged victorious and was heralded as a pragmatic politician when he first came to power. Taylor used to be an American citizen from a prominent Americo-Liberian family but soon proved to be a ruthless, power hungry despot who became involved in stoking the fires of civil wars in Sierra Leone,Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea. Today, Charles Taylor warms a cold Dutch cell in the Hague as his trial proceeds. He is likely to serve the remainder of his years in a maximum security facility in the U.K.
Current President Ellen Johnson – Sirleaf is likened to a ray of bright sunshine on the gloom of the last twenty years and has with tremendous character and vision been steering this wounded nation on a path to stability, reconciliation and economic success.
Liberia is potentially among the richest nations of Africa as it has vast deposits and reserves of strategic minerals, not to mention a coastline rich in marine life.
In fact the sea is probably the most rewarding and consistent contributor to Liberia’s economy as, after Panama, it is the most popular flag of convenience provider.

Accused of crimes against humanity, former rebel and president, Charles Taylor in one of his flamboyant outfits before his arrest and trial. He is expected to receive a life sentence from a court he refuses to recognize.

Sergeant Samuel Doe, Liberia’s last ruler before the civil war. He was brutally killed by Taylor’s victorious rebel army in a televised act which shocked the world..

International soccer star and Millionaire George Weah is now an active politician. Weah narrowly lost the first post civil war election to current president Ellen Johnston-Sirleaf.

Pragmatic, professional and earnest, Liberia’s Ellen Johnston-Sirleaf is also Africa’s first female president.

Facts and Figures

Location - Southwest coast of Africa, Sierra Leone on West, Guinea on North, Côte d’Ivoire on East
Area - 113,700 sq km
Topography - Marshy Atlantic coastline, low mountains and forested interior
Population - 3,043,000
Distribution - 47% urban
Ethnic Makeup - Kpelle, Bassa, Dey and others 95%, Americo-Liberians 2.5%, Caribbean 2.5%
Languages - English (official), Mande, W.Atlantic and Kwa languages
Religions - Indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian Protestant 40%, Muslim 20%,
Capital City - Monrovia
Government Type - Republic
Head of State - President Ellen Johnson- Sirleaf, since 2006
Currency - Liberian Dollar (LRD) 49 = 1 US
Gross Domestic Product - $ 2.8 bln
Per Capita GDP - $ 1000
Economy – Rubber, palm oil, rice, timber, coffee, cocoa, iron, diamonds, gold, hydropower
Electricity Production - 330 mln kwh
Literacy - 58%
Life Expectancy - 38 male, 41 female
AIDS Rate - N.A.
Airports - 2
Railroads - 490 kms
Ports - Monrovia, Buchanan, Greenville, Harper
Vehicles - 30,000 units
Telephones - 6,900 lines
Radios - 329 per 1000 people
TV sets - 26 per 1000 people
Daily Newspaper Circulation - 14 per 1000
Internet - 10000 users

Facts and figures are the latest available at time of publication and may not necessarily be the most accurate.

Of Adam

By Kirubel Tadesse

The film Adam is based on a true story and revolves around Markos a young boy, who falls deeply in love with a pretty girl popular from Jossy's clip. Jossy is a young talented Ethiopian singer, who twice came up the hottest singles and their clips, from which one brought a KORA Awards nominee. Adam takes a weird twist when Markos, decides to kidnap and take her to his uncle, who lives in 'Guragundu'.
No one can knows where 'Guragundu' is, whether it is a fictional place or an existing one, since the people shown as living in the area and wearing white sheets do not represent any particular local ethnic group. There is one scene in a traditional wedding ceremony where the locals dance 'Eskesta' and then 'Gurageina'. After an unconvincing struggle to kidnap Meron, comes a funny twist: her friend who had just said good bye seemingly without knowing what is going on at Kaldis coffee tells Meron's parents news of the kidnapping.
Main character 'Meron', finally returns home, crying like the 'Mommy and Daddy's girl' she is. The main question here is who would kidnap a girl in Addis, hoping she will love him and they would live happily ever after in 'Guragundu'? But the film has a happy ending as Meron does fall in love and later marries the guy who had kidnapped her and takes her to remote areas for months.
The director of the film claims that it is a true story but we would surely prefer more depths in scenes that may have made it a little easier to swallow.
The good news is that the movie has gathered many talented and youthful attractive actors, who are usually only seen on music clips and commercials, they help to make 'Adam' humorous, sexy and generally enjoyable.

US grant for restoration of Mohammed Ali house

By Tedla Desta

As part of the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation, an annual competitive program of the U.S. Department of State, a grant amounting to $25,000 was provided to a local NGO, Addis Wubet, for the restoration of Mohammad Ali House last Wednesday, September 5, 2007.
The grant was given by Donald Yamamoto, U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia, to Her Imperial Highness Princess Mariam Senna Asfa Wossen, Founder and CEO of Addis Wubet.
Restoration of the house enlisted on the World Monuments Watch List is a pilot project for the Piazza District Revitalization Project of Addis Wubet, in the heart of Addis Ababa.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Ambassador said that Ethiopia's successful participation in the 2007 Ambassador's Fund competition was a sign not only of deep U.S.-Ethiopian cultural ties but also of the American people's recognition of the richness and depth of Ethiopia's cultural heritage. He pointed out that the site being preserved through this funding is itself a cultural symbol of Ethiopia.
The Ambassador added, "The Mohammad Ali House is an exemplary demonstration of Ethiopian - American friendship and cooperation. Its location in the heart of Addis Ababa will make it a key showcase site for Ethiopia's Millennium Celebration."
Established in 2001, the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation is the only U.S. Government Program that provides direct small grant support to heritage preservation projects in developing countries. The U.S. Congress said of the Program "in efforts to assist in preserving the heritage of other cultures, we show our respect for them."
Previous grants to Ethiopia have supported conservation efforts at Hager Fiker Theater in Addis Ababa; Sheikh Nur Hussen Shrine in Oromia; Guzara Castle in North Gonder, and a needs assessment study for the historic monument of Yeha in Tigray. This year 94 countries participated in the Ambassador's Fund. Ethiopia's successful program was one of the 57 projects chosen for funding out of over 177 proposals.
Mohammad Ali House, designed around 1900, stands in the courtyard of the Arada Post Office compound in Addis Ababa's Piazza District.
Mohammad Ali House served as headquarters for the renowned Indian firm G.M. which was one of the most powerful trading companies in Ethiopia during Emperor Menelik's reign. The architectural interest of Mohammad Ali House stems from the combination of different architectural languages, styles and building materials, local and imported, that provide the building with an unmistakable character. Particularly noteworthy is the exquisite symmetry of the building's facade, characterized by a beautiful double stairway.

Bright light in abandoned buildings

By Kirubel Tadesse

Photographs without human figures and consisting of abandoned buildings and lights, by Helga Kohi are on display at the Alliance Ethio-Française. The exhibition opened on Monday September 3, 2007 in the presence of invited guests including Wilfred Emvula,
the Namibian Ambassador to Ethiopia, and the newly appointed director of the Alliance Ethio-Française, Denis Charles Courdent, who had just arrived from France that very day.
The thirty photographs that are touring the world have so far been exhibited in Paris, Madagascar, Seychelles and now in Addis Ababa .The photographs were taken by Helga Kohi of Namibia, who was born in 1943 in Silesia, Germany where she is a certified member of the Chamber of Commerce of Munster, Westphalia. Helga represented Namibia as the official artist at the Festival of Art, SADC. In 2001, she was awarded at the biennale of Standard Bank. Helga was also a prize winner at different competitions organized by Fuji Profoto. In 2004, she obtained a scholarship in photography of architecture.
Helga's pictures show abandoned buildings that gradually got invaded by sand. Her point is not to forget what the social and political realities of her continent are and through her images she reveals abandonment and distress. The New Director of the Alliance Ethio-Francaise, Denis Charles Courdent, said that he doesn't only see the abandonment in the empty buildings but also the hope and bright future that is expressed by the light in the photographs. He added, "The photographs are very optimistic for me. They show light, which represents hope and of better things yet to come.
Denis told Capital that he is eagerly looking forward to hosting Ethio-French collaboration works and exhibitions during his tenure. The photographs exhibition remains open for visitors until September 21, 2007, and will continue its tour of the world after that.