10TH
A.U. summit gathers momentum
By Abiy Demilew and Groum Abate
The tenth ordinary session of the Assembly of the African Union
opens this week from 31st January to 2nd February 2008 here in Addis
Ababa, the political capital of the continent.
The summit will discuss topical issues on the agenda including the
election and appointment of new commissioners and a chairperson
to replace outgoing Malian Professor Alpha Omar Konare, who has
served in the position since 2003.
With security in the metropolis visibly tightening up, Africa’s
Heads of State are expected to arrive over the next two days.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is also expected to arrive here
to address the opening of the African Union Summit meeting on Jan.
31, 2008. The secretary general has embarked on a five-nation tour.
The Tenth Ordinary Session, opening this week with the theme ‘Industrial
Development in Africa’ will also address the report of the
Executive Council on the audit of the Union and the report of the
Ministerial Committee on the Union government, followed by the adoption
of the Union’s budget for 2008.
The Heads of State are to discuss on reports of the activities of
the Peace and Security Council and the State of Peace and Security
in Africa, report of the Chairperson of NEPAD Heads of State and
government implementation committee, report on AIDS Watch Africa
and other items proposed by member states.
The summit will also discuss on ‘Participation of the Diaspora
as an Observer in the Assemblies of the African Union’, a
move proposed by Senegal.
Six candidates are vying for the chairmanship of the African Union
(AU). The successful nominee will replace Professor Alpha Omar Konare,
whom along with the rest of the Commission, was given six more months
to a tenure that officially ended last July.
Among the candidates are former Mauritian president, Cassam Uteem,
Sierra Leonean politician Abdulai Conteh and the former foreign
ministers of Gabon and Burundi, Jean Ping and Antoinette Batumubwira
respectively. Southern Africa’s candidates are Zambia’s
Ambassador to the US, Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika, and former Prime
Minister of Swaziland, Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini.
The AU will also elect new commissioners, a deputy chairman and
other executive members. The only two nominees for the deputy chair
were Kenyan Erastus Mwencha, secretary-general of the Common Market
of Eastern and Southern Africa, and Egyptian Khair Latif.
Briefing journalists in Pretoria, South Africa’s deputy head
of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Africa, Jessie Duarte, said
that the topmost agenda of the summit was the AU budget, of which
75% was now covered by SA, Nigeria, Algeria, Libya and Egypt. She
said that the medium-sized countries had been paying their dues
in trenches and that although this had improved the AU’s cash
flow, it also resulted in some countries being in arrears at the
end of the AU’s financial year.
“This matter will be addressed quite extensively in the report
by the eminent persons - also with a view of looking at the reality
of some countries who just cannot continue their payments - even
cannot pay the minimum contribution of 0,25% of the budget.”
Along with the summit, a meeting of the AU’s Peace and Security
Council whose agenda will include the crisis situations in Kenya,
the Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Côte d’Ivoire.
“Countries are able to raise matters from the floor, so it
is not a closed agenda,” said Duarte.
Duarte also urged President Thabo Mbeki, mandated by the Southern
Africa Development Community, to put efforts to find a solution
to the Zimbabwe crisis.
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Al-amoudi to construct chain
of hotels
By Kirubel Tadesse
Ethiopian born Saudi business-tycoon Sheik Mohamed Hussein Al-amoudi
announced that he will build a chain of hotels in the country for
the 50th anniversary of the African Union that is going to be celebrated
in 2013.
He said that he planned to attract world leaders to attend the event
by building a chain of hotels in the country from Addis Ababa to
Arbaminch. Debrezeit, Arbaminch, Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa, Zeway are
among the cities in which he plans to construct the chain.
Sheik Mohammed said that his investments would create job opportunities
for over 300,000 people.
The chain of hotels that will have international standards are also
expected to boost the country’s tourism sector. It is recalled
that the Ethiopian born Saudi billionaire Mohammed Al Amoudi is
negotiating to buy Ethiopia’s unprofitable state-owned National
Tour Operation and Travel Agency Enterprise (NTO).
The chain of hotels that are going to be constructed in the south
are also expected to act as safari operators.
In a related development, Horizon Plantations Ethiopia, a project
based on a directive of Sheik Mohammed Hussein Ali Al-amoudi, has
gone operational this week.
Enjoying 50 million dollars in annual budgets for the next five
years, this project of Horizon Plantations P.l.c. will entail the
development, cultivation and management of 253,000 hectares of oil
palm, rubber, jatropa and tea in Ethiopia. The project directly
employs 50,000 and indirectly benefits 350,000 others.
Sheik Mohamed Hussein Al-amoudi and Tissa Perera, Director General
of AgriNexus, the Malaysian consultancy firm which runs the project,
signed the agreement on Wednesday, January 23, 2008 at Sheraton
Addis. As per the agreement, AgriNexus will be providing consultancy,
technical, and training services for a five year period.
At the ceremony, Jemal Ahmed, Deputy General Manager of Horizon
Plantations stated that the investment demands at least five years
before earning its first profits.
Horizon Plantations has secured the 250,000 hectares in Mezenger,
Metekel, and Bench-Maji zones of the Gambella, Benishangul-Gumuz,
and South Ethiopia Peoples’ States. 100,000 hectares of the
land will be devoted entirely to jatropha curcas, a drought-resistant
perennial which grows well in marginal or poor soil. Jatropha is
easy to establish and grows relatively quick, producing seed for
fifty years. The seeds have an oil content of 30 % and when refined,
produce high quality bio-diesel for the use of standard diesel engines.
Combustion is also clear and smoke free. The by-products can be
used as organic fertilizer and insecticides in the form of pressed
cakes.
The rubber tree plantation covers 85,000 hectares. Rubber tree is
a plantation crop of major economic value because its sap-like extract,
known as latex, can be collected and is the primary source of natural
rubber. Rubber’s harvesting begins once the tree is five to
six years old and its productive life-time is up to twenty five
years.
The oil palm, which is used in commercial agriculture in the production
of palm oil and Tea (Camellia Sinensis), which has an average ratio
of 1.00 to 1.25 workers per hectare, are allocated 58,000 and 10,000
hectares respectively.
The plantations project creates new housing, townships, villages,
roads, telecommunications, infrastructure, hospitals, markets, irrigations,
water supply systems, schools, vocational training centers and others
as it employs thousands once it becomes fully functional.
This agricultural project further advances the investments of Sheik
Mohammed’s “The MIDROC Ethiopia Technology Group.’’
Sheik Mohammed Hussein Ali AL-Amoudi and his family have established
the MIDROC Investment Group in Ethiopia, consisting of over 30 companies.
Starting from year 2000, five of the companies were placed under
the leadership of the CEO, DR. Arega Yirdaw, and the number has
since increased to eleven.
The companies are being identified with the name “The MIDROC
Ethiopia Technology Group”. The Group includes MIDROC Gold
Mine PLC (MGOLD), ELFORA Agro-Industries PLC (ELFORA), Huda Real
Estate PLC (HUDA), Kombolcha Steel Products Industry PLC (KOSPI),
Modern Building Industries PLC (MBI), Trust Protection and Personnel
Services PLC (TRUST), addis Home Depot PLC (aHD), Trans Nation Airways
PLC (TNA), addis Gas & Plastics Factory PLC (aGP), Wanza Furnishings
Industries PLC (WANZA), and Daylight Applied Technologies PLC (DAYLIGHT).
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Who said size doesn’t
matter?
What Hercules would give to be shorn in such style! The first All
Africa Leather Fair opened January 24, 2008 in the presence of P.M.
Meles Zenawi. A crowd puller among the 102 local and 63 foreign
stands exhibiting their products was this gigantic boot made by
Belachew Tolla of Serdo Footwear. Measuring a whopping 2.50 mts
high and 2.37 lengthwise, the size 360 shoe required the leather
from 6 cattle as well as taking six months of diligent work. Speaking
on the occasion, Meles stated his conviction to ‘make Ethiopia
a world center of leather and leather products.’ (See full
story on page 4)
...................
Gibe III promises ten-fold
returns
By Groum Abate
Situated on the Omo River, 503 kms south of Addis Ababa, in Welayta
-Dawro Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regional
State (SNNPR), Gibe III when completed is expected to return its
project investment ten fold in 50 years.
When this largest ever hydropower project in Ethiopia was officially
launched on Thursday January 24, in the presence of senior government
officials, it was revealed that 18% of the construction has been
completed.
President Girma Woldegoirgis laid the corner stone for the construction
of Gibe III hydro electric power generation plant, which is to have
a generating capacity of 1870 MW. This is double what the country
is producing at present.
Girma, who started his speech in Italian, said that the construction
of the plant would help accelerate cross-border electricity trade
with neighboring countries.
Mines and Energy Minister, Alemayehu Tegenu, on his part said that
the construction of the plant is part of the 25 year master plan
of the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo) that aims to
generate 4,000 mega watts and the plant covers half of the power
generation plan.
He also praised the rivers of the country as the ‘white oil’
of the country and stressed the need to develop such activities.
SNNPR Chief Administrator, Shiferaw Shigute on his part said his
administration would provide all the necessary support for the successful
completion of the construction since the sector would have a significant
role in the economic development of the nation.
The man behind the current vast activities by EEPCo, Mihret Debebe,
said that the construction of Gibe III is the first step in the
corporation’s 25-year master-plan.
The project that would consume a staggering 19 billion birr or 1.4
billion euros and capable of generating 1870 MW is expected to be
completed in eight years. The Italian firm Salini Constructtori
S.P.A. which also constructed Gilgel Gibe I, and is building Gilgel
Gibe II and Beles hydroelectric power project took the project of
constructing Gibe III. Salini has also played an important role
in securing funds from different sources including from the Italian
government.
Currently, the nation generates less than 840 MW of electric power.
It is also anticipated that the massive earthworks required for
the building of the dam will contribute to the development of the
immediate surroundings.
........................
All African Leather Fair
opens
“Ethiopia and east Africa will be the center of global leather
industry,” Meles
By Muluken Yewondwossen
The first All African Leather Fair exhibition was opened by Prime
Minister Meles Zenawi on January 24, 2008 at the Millennium Hall
in the presence of hundreds of exhibitors from Ethiopia and abroad.
Meles stated on the occasion that Ethiopia would become the world’s
center of leather industry.
Yigezaw Assefa, board director of the Ethiopian Leather Industries
Association (ELIA), said on his part that the Fair was organized
with the primary objective of setting up a platform where Africa
and other countries can come to one place and display what they
are offering in terms of their leather-wealth and thereby benefit
from business networking at the fair.
According to Yigezaw, the All African Leather Fair is planned to
be an annual event for Addis Ababa. This launch event has been able
to attract 63 exhibitors from overseas, comprising of 26 companies
from eleven African countries, 23 from six European nations and
another 12 companies in leather related business from five Asian
countries. The local component consist of 102 exhibitors.
Yigezaw added that the Fair will host technical seminars and as
an international venue, provides a global dimension in networking
and experience sharing.
The P.M. applauded that the All African Leather Fair is to be held
regularly and added that his government will help organizers to
facilitate the endeavor.
One third of the world’s animal population is found in Africa,
continued Meles and added that the Fair would enable the sharing
of experience on the utilization of resources and thereby increase
the income the continent secures from the sector.
“In the business-world of today, actors need to be informed
of events in other markets and that is where the All African Leather
Fair comes in. 2008 is instrumental to promote trade and attract
investors,” said Girma Biru, Minister of Trade and Industry
and added that the contribution in this regard is expected to be
significant and it is hoped to create a platform, where industries
can bring out their potentials in the market place and establish
a strong networking tree among global players.
State Minister of Trade and Industry, Tadesse Haile, said on his
part that currently, a substantial loan of 1.5 bln ETB (to be replenished
annually) has been earmarked by the government of Ethiopia, to be
managed by the Development Bank of Ethiopia, dedicated to the investment
areas that generate foreign currency, including the leather industry.
The package includes incentives and other support to the leather
industry.
The aim of this Fair is to bring together from different countries;
tanners, footwear and other leather goods manufacturers, leather
equipment and technology suppliers, chemical and inputs suppliers,
manpower training institutions, trade promotion organizations specialized
in the industry.
In Ethiopia, the insignificant number of tanning industries ten
years ago currently has risen to twenty seven and more are under
formation. All of them are of considerable size with the smallest
having a soaking capacity of 3000 skins per day of eight working
hours. The daily output of the export standard footwear has now
reached more than ten thousand pairs. This is expected to rise to
at least twenty thousand in two years. The fair is expected to boost
Ethiopia’s income share, currently less than one percent in
the international leather market, valued of 92 billion Birr.
Ethiopia possesses one of the world’s largest livestock populations
with 40.8 mln heads of cattle, 25 mln heads of sheep and lambs and
23 mln goats.
It is recalled that Ethiopia hosted an international leather fair
in 2004. The 4th Meet in Africa 2004 was held October 6-9 and welcomed
270 exhibitors from 20 countries: 90 from Ethiopia, 124 from other
African countries and 55 from outside the continent. In 2006, the
5th Meet in Africa International Leather Fair was held in Egypt
and the 6th edition will be held in the Sudan for three days in
November 2008.
..................
Fuel prices go up …again
By Groum Abate
The Ministry of Trade and Industry announced that fuel prices
were adjusted as of Saturday January 26, 2008. The adjustment made
on Friday, comes after a year since the Ministry adjusted oil and
oil product prices in the country. The price of regular petrol rises
from the current 7.77 birr to 9.61 birr, a 1.84 birr increase.
Kerosene has also risen to 5.72 birr with a 1.60 birr increment;
whereas, diesel has risen from 5.44 birr to 6.90 birr registering
a 1.46 birr increase. Furthermore, jet fuel went up to 7.39 birr
from the current price of 5.16 birr. The Ministry announced that
it is at present subsidizing 50% of the prices. The council had
not increased fuel prices in the last four consecutive seasons and
after a full year this adjustment is the first, as international
oil prices shot up to 100 dollars a barrel in the last few months.
At this time last year the price of oil per barrel internationally
was 55 dollars. Oil futures jumped back above 91 dollars a barrel
on Friday January 25, adding to the previous session’s sharp
gains on a view that the US recession worries that pulled prices
lower in recent weeks may have been overblown.
Reports say that Chinese oil demand grew by 6.4 percent in December,
the highest rate in months, contributing to oil’s advance.
Concerns that demand from the booming Chinese and Indian economies
is outstripping global oil supplies helped push oil to records above
$100 earlier this month. The price of standard crude oil in the
international market was under 25 dollars per barrel in September
2003, but by August 11, 2005 oil prices began to decrease, closing
below 66 dollars per barrel on September 11. As of September, prices
continued to fall. On September 19, crude oil fell to a 6-month
low of 61.66 dollars a barrel. By October 3, the price closed at
58.68 dollars, its lowest close since mid-February 2006. Reasons
for the recent price decreases have included easing tensions with
Iran, ample supply and the lack of hurricane activity in oil-producing
regions of the Gulf of Mexico.
........................
Ethiopian stowaways found
at Dulles EAL purchases 11 trainer aircraft
By our staff reporter
Two stowaways were discovered Wednesday on an Ethiopian Airlines
flight that landed at Dulles International Airport.
This was reported by ‘9 News Now’ and cited the regional
director for Ethiopian Airlines based in Washington DC, as saying
that security at Addis Ababa Airport, where the two men got on-board
is one of the tightest in the world.
It also contends that a spokesman told the broadcaster that the
two men who hid themselves in the ceiling of the aircraft appear
to be Ethiopian nationals, part of a cleaning crew that cleaned
the plane just before take-off.
According to the news, American government officials tell 9NEWS
NOW the two men are not suspected of engaging in either terrorist
or criminal activity and are likely to be charged with the misdemeanor
offense of entering the country without inspection.
It also quotes a former pilot who now serves as a security consultant
to the Allied Pilots Association, Mark Weiss, in the US as saying:
“... it is my understanding that they came in for economic
reasons, then it leads one to believe that you can just as easily
come in for more nefarious reasons. If you wanted to put something
on an airplane, and people can be bribed, it asks the question about
security, perimeter security, security at airports. When you come
through a process, a screening process, it asks the questions of
vetting employees around the world, and what kind of oversight our
government, our Transportation Security Agency, our State Department
have in control over airlines that fly into the United States.”
Leul Gibremedhin, Acting Manager of Pubic Relations of Ethiopian
Airlines told Capital that the case is under investigation and premature
to comment on. However, he informed Capital that two cleaners failed
to report in after the flight took off to the USA.
However, sources say that this has happened before. One such case
was reported in 1984 of two employees of the airline who had attempted
to enter illegally to the UK on a 767 flight. They were however
caught at Heathrow airport and flown back to Ethiopia on the same
plane. Observers have noted that such lapses of security despite
the airlines’ record of maintaining strict security display
a serious shortcoming which could impact on the airline’s
good reptuation. They further added that the airline should strenghten
its system of monitoring its own workforce so that such incidence
do not occur again.
In another unrelated development, in its ongoing expansion plans,
Ethiopian Airlines has purchased eleven Cessna 172 trainers for
6.1 mln USD from the Cessna Company, based in the United States
of America.
According to Captain Lemma Tekalign, manager of pilot training at
the Ethiopian Aviation Academy the aircraft will arrive in October
2008.
“These modern aircraft will help to increase the number of
trainees and will minimize training time,” Lemma stated to
Capital.
He said that currently the school has ten of the same brand aircraft
but they are older models.
Currently Ethiopian Airlines is upgrading its training facilities
and will enrol 136 trainees next year. The Airlines has built 240
modern facility dormitories.
In other news, the Ethiopian Aviation Academy graduated sixteen
trainee pilots on January 24, 2008 upon completion of the commercial
pilot course with instrument and multi engine ratings. Among the
graduates fifteen are state sponsored and one is a self sponsored
trainee.
..........................
FAO sub-regional office opens
this week
By Kirubel Tadesse
The Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN (FAO) sub-regional
office for eastern Africa (SFE) will be inaugurated in Addis Ababa
on Tuesday January 29, 2008. The Federal Democratic Republic of
Ethiopia has provided a four story building on Ethio-China Friendship
Road to accommodate the office according to a January 2007 Ethio-FAO
agreement.
SFE disclosed that the decision to open the new sub-regional office
is part of the reform to FAO decided by the FAO Conference, the
organization’s supreme governing body. The FAO Conference
approved the decentralization reform at its 33rd session held in
Rome, Italy, in November 2005. “The reform aims at making
FAO more effectively and locally adapted in responding to members’
needs,” SFE explains. SFE also stated that it will adapt the
emphasis of FAO’s work to reflect major features of the sub-region’s
agricultural and food security situation such as dominance of small
scale subsistence production, the relatively high degree of food
aid and the comparatively low level of the sub-regional agricultural
production.
The SFE team has been operational since May 2007 from other premises.
The inauguration of the new office is expected to be marked in the
presence of Ethiopian government officials, Heads of state and governments,
the FAO Director General, and other dignitaries.
SFE will serve eight countries; Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya,
Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda as an advisory center. Each of
these countries has an FAO resident representative. The total area
covered by the sub-region is 5,144,288 sq km with a population of
two hundred million, with varied population densities, farming systems
and economic indicators. The sub region has high agricultural potential
but currently faces challenges in achieving sustainable food security.
“Through the new facility, FAO wishes to contribute more effectively
to achieving the good potential for success and for agriculture
to help achieve prosperity, if sound policies and strategies are
adopted and implemented,” SFE states.
..........................
Elders attempted Ethiopia,
Eritrea mediation
By Abiy Demilew
Professor Ephrem Isaak, a former professor at Harvard University
and the leader of the Council of Elders, which made possible the
release of CUD leaders after 18 months of detention, this week,
said there had been set in motion a mediation process to resolve
the Ethio- Eritrean conflict by elders from both sides.
Prof. Ephrem Issac stated this last Tuesday at the Addis Ababa University.
The occasion was the third lecture of a series of lectures presented
under "Democracy and the social question," a forum organized
by the Goethe Institute in collaboration with Fredrick Ebert Foundation
and the Addis Ababa University. The forum, which is in its third
edition, provides a podium on which speakers from both the Ethiopian
and international community present their views for open dialogue
on democracy issue. Tuesday's forum was shared by Prof. Ephrem Issac
and Paster Daniel Mekonnen. Ephrem told the audience that the mediation
process, organized by elders of the two nations, was kept under
wraps until Tuesday.
The elders' mission included top elites and religious leaders of
both sides who worked hard, traveling between Addis Ababa and Asmara.
However, Prof. Ephrem's group of elders of Ethiopia and Eritrea
couldn't achieve further results and was forced to end without success.
Prof. Ephrem said on his lecture, "In 1989, at a critical stage
in Ethiopian history, with violence sweeping the country, a group
of concerned Ethio-Eritrean elders came together to intervene and
stop the bloodshed. We met one weekend and spent a long time praying
together and discussing a spiritual road of conflict resolution
and traditional peacemaking customs. We understood that where there
was no love there could be no peace, as ancient spiritual teachers,
including the late Mother Teresa, have held."
He added, "We, therefore, began our work as a family with love
and respect for each other, for our warring compatriots, and for
all our peoples. Deriving our authority from the peace culture of
our ancient spiritual Ethio-Eritrean shimagles or/jarsas "elders",
we were able to serve as independent, neutral mediators. Rooted
in such a deeper structure of our religio-ethical principles and
committed to seek truth and justice, we vowed to promote and implement
peace and reconciliation, where there was hate and conflict among
our peoples. An Ad Hoc Peace Committee (AHPC) of elders with one
sacred goal was thus born to create a forum for a calm, mutually
respectful dialog with and among the conflicting parties."
The AHPC consisted of noted and respected, politically unaffiliated
Ethio-Eritrean leaders, according to Prof. Ephrem. "Among them
were a former Secretary General of the Ethiopian Teachers Federation
and a director of an immigrant services organization in Texas, a
former Secretary General of the Eritrean Teachers Federation and
a Dean at the University of Maryland, a former Secretary General
of the Ethiopian Labor Federation and a representative of AFLCIO,
a former Director of the Ethiopian Ministry of Public Health and
Professor at Howard University, a former Haile Sellasie University
Dean and Professor of Psychology, a former provincial governor and
President of the Agricultural College and a UN agricultural consultant,
a Professor of Women's Studies in Arizona State University, a former
professor of Ethiopian languages in a German university, a Human
Rights lawyer, and I, a former Harvard Professor, scholar of Biblical
and Ethiopian languages and religious literature, translator of
Handel's Messiah into the Amharic language, and Director General
of the National Literacy Campaign Organization of Ethiopia."
Prof. Ephrem revealed that the elders were chosen carefully for
their ethical standards and for the value they gave to their respective
religious traditions: Ethiopian Orthodox, Protestant, and Catholic
Christians; a devout Muslim; and a devout Jew.
In his lecture entitled Tradition of elders in peacemaking, Ephrem
Yishak for the first time publicly announced the process of the
mediation effort. "Representing a spectrum of opinions, we,
the elders, were deliberately joined together not only from different
religions, but also from diverse ethnic, professional, and gender
backgrounds. The AHPC was also unique not only in this regard but
also in respect to the fact that members, although all highly educated
and sophisticated individuals residing in the West, revered and
valued the traditional religio-ethical, admirably straightforward,
Ethio-Eritrean culture of eldership and conflict resolution procedures.
Fortunately and importantly, each one of us had one or another venue
of contact or relations with the political parties, groups and individuals
involved in the conflicts, whose members we would often encounter
at weddings, funerals, and other family occasions."
The discussion forum also featured various topics such as on elders'
role in peace making, democracy and stability and will appear in
the next issue of Capital.
....................
Ethio-German solar energy
investment
By Muluken Yewondwossen
The first Ethio-German joint investment in solar energy, Solar
23 Development PLC, is set to develop the technology in Ethiopia
by offering a wide range of possibilities to use the power of the
sun as an unlimited resource of energy.
Solar 23 Development PLC offers various solar technology systems
that provide energy from off-grid power solutions in rural areas
(so called “Island systems”) or hybrid power solutions
to on- grid Photovoltaic systems to bring environment-friendly energy
to Ethiopia.
Kidest Tigen, shareholder in the company, has returned to her country
after living in Germany for many years and working for Solar 23
in Germany. She says she is very happy and proud to bring solar
technology to her country which has 13 months of sunshine. “It
is with immense pleasure that we are offering solar energy technology
to Ethiopia, especially to the rural areas,” she said.
German Juergen Raach, also a shareholder and founder of Solar 23,
on his part expressed his excitement at developing solar energy
solutions in Ethiopia.
Solar Energy covers the various solar innovations that increase
collection efficiency and reduce costs. The term solar power is
used to describe a number of methods of harnessing energy from the
power of the Sun.
It has been used in many traditional technologies for centuries
and has come into widespread use where other power supplies are
absent or insufficient, such as in off- grid remote locations. Its
use is spreading as the environmental costs and limited supply of
other power sources such as fossil fuels are realized worldwide.
Solar 23 is represented internationally and in many African countries,
such as Algeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo,
Eritrea, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Madagascar, Morocco, Niger, Senegal,
South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia and Uganda.
.....................
Ethiopia to establish Wildlife
Development and Protection Authority
By Groum Abate
The Council of Ministers on its 52nd regular session on Friday,
January 25, 2008 passed a bill providing for establishment of a
wild animals development and protection authority. The draft proclamation
for the establishment of the authority recognizes the need to tap
Ethiopia’s wildlife resources, including the availability
in the country of a number of endemic species, into national development
including tourism, education and scientific research.
Hence the need to establish a federal body that will be overseeing
wildlife resource development, protection and relevant projects
in the sector at the federal level. After thorough deliberations
and having inserted some amendments, the council referred the draft
proclamation for endorsement to the House of Peoples’ Representatives.
After having looked into the tourism cooperation agreements signed
with Nigeria and Turkey, the council referred both to the House
for ratification.
........................
Ethiopia leads child-survival
project, says UNICEF
By Muluken Yewondwossen
Ethiopia is now to be ranked 30th from bottom, in the current UNICEF
report of under five year mortality rates in the world. The under-five
mortality rate in Ethiopia has been reduced by an impressive 40
per cent between 1990 and 2006. The State of World’s Children
2008 report was launched globally on Thursday January 22, 2008.
The report revealed that the country was able to reduce under- five
mortality rate from 241 in 1970 to 123 per 1,000 births in 2006,
which is referred by UNICEF as “impressive”.
According to Dr. Shiferaw Teklemariam, Ethiopian State Minister
of Health, these reductions have been achieved through national
interventions targeting major childhood killers. For instance, the
Government has taken national measles immunization campaigns and
the malaria reduction programme.
The report indicated that over 20 million insecticide treated bed
nets have been distributed in malaria-prone areas of Ethiopia since
2005, enough to protect 10 million families. Together with the effective
new anti-malaria drug, Artemether-Lumefantrine (Coartem) and all
other health facilities have been distributed in all malaria affected
communities throughout Ethiopia which has notably reduced child
mortality rate
Extreme manifestations of malnutrition, a leading cause of child
mortality, have been brought under control through the Enhanced
Outreach Strategy and Targeted Supplementary Feeding for Child Survival
(EOS), the adoption and institutionalization of a national protocol
on the treatment of the children suffering from acute malnutrition.
“No Ethiopian child should die due to the causes which can
be prevented,. That is the underlying principle guiding our child
and maternal health program” said Dr. Tewodros Adhanom, Ethiopian
Minister of Health, at the Ethiopian launching ceremony held in
UNICEF’s head office.
The child survival program of the Government of Ethiopia is centered
round the Health Extension Program (HEP) which is designed as a
community-based child and maternal health system. This strategy
particularly aims at increasing access to primary health services
to the majority of the population living in rural areas. Over 24,000
Health Extension Workers of the planned army of 30,000 people have
been trained in the provision of 16 basic interventions addressing
child and maternal health and have been deployed in rural health
posts across the country. Training of additional workers continues
and is tried to be fully implemented.
“Ethiopia is at the center of a new wave in the child survival
revolution,” said Bjorn Ljungqvist, UNICEF Representative
to Ethiopia. “The Ethiopian example is a beacon for other
African countries in keeping with the African Union endorsed strategy
for achieving the Millennium Development Goal of Child Survival.
The challenge now is to ensure that the systems, which are being
put in place by the Government, would continue to achieve sustained
results and deliver every key to child survival opportunities.”
The progress made with regard to nutrition is particularly encouraging.
“Ethiopia is in a position to confidently deal with severe
and acute malnutrition, a major underlying cause of child mortality,”
said Dr. Shiferaw Teklemariam. “Ethiopia is putting in place
a national nutrition strategy that will deal with the issue of malnutrition
in a more sustained way.”
The Health Extension Program with its community-based, interactive
approach of providing primary health care to children and mothers
also holds great promise for sustaining gains in the child survival
project. The Health Extension package includes critical preventative
interventions including immunization, nutritional screenings, malaria
testing and treatment, sanitation and hygiene promotion.
“Health Extension Workers, though stationed at the periphery
of the health system, are actually at the center of the child survival
revolution in Ethiopia,” said Tewodros. “They are the
foot soldiers in the war that has been waged against major child-
killers. If they are to carry on the immense responsibility put
to them then we need to ensure that they have the knowledge and
resources to succeed.”
In particular, the Health Extension Programme will need to face
remaining challenges with regard to child survival such as pneumonia,
diarrhea and neonatal diseases.
......................
Business community against
HIV/AIDS
By Muluken Yewondwossen
Merck & Co. Inc. a global research based pharmaceuticals company
has presented cheque for a 35,000 USD grant, to Ethiopian Business
Coalition for HIV/AIDS (EBCA) on Wednesday January 23, 2008 at EBCA’s
offices. Among participants in attendance were Merck & Co.,
Inc. (MSD) representatives in Ethiopia and local business leaders.
The project will be implemented by EBCA in partnership with MSD
and WBI. EBCA will utilize the blueprint used by the companies in
Ethiopia, translate the blueprint into Amharic and integrate it
into its technical support program for small and medium sized companies.
EBCA will also implement a training of trainers (ToT) workshop on
the blueprint to create a team of champion focal persons in Addis
Ababa, Dire Dawa, Oromia and SNNPR.
Zelalem Anteneh, MSD Representative to Ethiopia said, “MSD
has been engaged in the fight against HIV/AIDS for two decades.
Through partnerships developed over the years with public and private
sectors, MSD has seen the difficulties companies often face in designing
and implementing an HIV/AIDS workplace program. In order to
turn the tide against the HIV/AIDS pandemic, particularly in Africa,
every organization public or private, national or international,
must be mobilized to action and establish testing, treatment and
support services for their employees, contractors and partners.”
According to a 2004 International Labor Organization Report, the
cumulative loss of labor force participants to HIV/AIDS globally
reached 28 million in 2005. And without increased access to treatment,
this figure could reach 48 million by 2010 and 74 million by 2015,
50 million of whom would be in Africa.
In August 2007, the Blueprint was officially launched in Ethiopia
by MSD in partnership with the GBC, WBI and the EBCA. This resulted
in requests from Ethiopian companies and partners to translate the
Blueprint into Amharic and use it to guide business action against
HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia.
The Blueprint for Business Action on HIV/AID is a practical, user-friendly
tool developed with the support of Merck & Co., Inc. (MSD).
It is a simple resource that can help local companies to develop
a comprehensive HIV/AIDS policy and program. The Blueprint shows
how prevention and treatment programs in the workplace cannot only
make an important contribution to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic, but
also are a sound business decision.
According to Zelalem as a partner in the battle against HIV/AIDS,
MSD felt that it could best benefit fellow stakeholders by sharing
lessons learned through the Blueprint. By providing access
to it free of charge, it is hoped that every company needing or
considering an HIV/AIDS program will utilize the Blueprint and take
advantage of its availability. The more companies get involved,
the closer it is to halting and possibly reversing the HIV/AIDS
pandemic.
EBCA is a member of the Pan African Business Coalition, and a partner
of the World Bank Institute (WBI), Global Business Coalition on
HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria (GBC), UNAIDS, International Labor Organization
(ILO), and GTZ’s Engineering Capacity Building Program.
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