Capital

Ethio-India co-operation sweetens

By Abiy Demilew

Ethiopia and India, last Thursday, signed the largest ever loan agreement by India, US $640 million, for the development of the sugar industry in Ethiopia.
The agreement, which mainly targeted Tendaho and Fincha at the moment, enables Ethiopia to boost its sugar industry in the next two years. This was announced at the signing ceremony held at the Hilton Addis Ababa.

Court rules against NBE directive

By Groum Abate

The Federal First Instance Court ruled in favour of The United Insurnace S.C, Eyesuswork Zafu and Workishet Bekele over the National Bank of Ethiopia, with regards to the latter’s directive that includes the sub article forbidding an individual from serving two financial institutions and at the same time be a member of the Board of Directors; at least 75 per cent of the Board of Directors must have first degrees or above and one member of the Board of Directors has to take a break for six years after serving for two terms of three years. Only 1/3 of the outgoing board members can be re-elected for the sake of continuity.
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Gibe III launch imminent

By Tesfu Telahoun

Capable of generating 1870 megawatts when completed in seven years, the Gibe III hydroelectric power project is to be officially launched with a ceremony on January 24, 2007, at which a foundation stone will be lain. Gibe III is situated on the Omo River, 500 kms south of Addis Ababa, Welayta -Dawro Zone, SNNPS region. The project ranks as the largest ever undertaking in the nation with an outlay of ETB 16 bln ( $ 1.75 bln). Funding has been secured from international lending agencies.

Local News

Dire Dawa allocates 40 hectares of land for dry port

NBE suspends nine exporters for under invoicing

Birtukan says reconciliation with Hailu Shawul unlikely

Exporters rocked with stones

Art & Culture

Sudan

13 months of sunshine

Continuity and Change:
Three Generations of Ethiopian Artists


Interview

"I won't give up on the CUD"

Few Ethiopians and for that matter the rest of the world could forget the exhilarating atmosphere of collective accomplishment that surrounded the campaigning, run-up and conduct of the now historic May 2005 elections. Alas, without repeating what is known to all, Ethiopia, for better or worse, has never been the same ever since.
The political scene, particularly but not exclusively, has been dominated by the emergence so it seemed of a strong opposition in the form of the CUD. The EPDRF, it recalled had publicly been wishing for and had long lamented the absence of such strong democratic opposition.
The CUD is or was a coalition among Rainbow, Ethiopian Democratic League (EDL), EUDP -Medhin and All Ethiopian Unity Party and although hastily assembled by individuals of disparate views and even generational gaps, not to mention the now obvious power struggle, the CUD managed to garner millions of votes.
Among the most earnest and charismatic of the CUD top echelon is Justice Bertukan Mideksa. She was kind enough to give Capital's Kirubel Tadesse an exclusive interview on the past, present and future of the CUD. Excerpts.

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I am a strong man of politics

Lidetu Ayalew, chairman of EUDP-Medhin, is one of the influential figures of opposition party politics in the last 17 years. He has traveled a long journey from youth council leader of AAPO becoming a vocal member of parliament.
As of the May 2005 historical election and the crisis which followed and after his early departure from the CUD, he became a controversial image of Ethiopian politics of the last two years. With many people thinking of him as the primary reason for the fragmentation of the CUD, last week, Capital’s Abiy Demilew took a moment with him for an exclusive interview.Excerpts;

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Entreprenuer Profile is Capital’s youngest page and is already eliciting warm reviews. We have received dozens of e-mails, scores of letters and a clamor of phone calls of appreciation, suggestions and ideas which will all contribute for a better Entrepreneur Profile strengthened by your continued participation.

		The Ancient City of Aksum: Its Origins, Zenith, and Decline
		For hundreds of years up to its rapid decline in the early 7th century, Aksum had reigned as one of the most powerful empires of antiquity. This week's Pankhurst's Corner explores the rise and eventual decline of this mighty civilization.
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Roman times economic thought was found hidden in the laws, customs and institution of that society. Later the economic thought in the strictest sense of the term first emerged but surpassing this fact economics has inscribed abrupt disciplinary expansion and attained a quantum leap in world history. In the last three decades economics and law have become the most closely married disciplines, explains Peter Newman, in "The new pal grave encyclopedia of economy and the law."