Sri Lankan nationals who are living and working in Ethiopia, in collaboration with the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Addis Ababa organized a Sinhala and Tamil New Year festival on 21 April 2024 in the Hawassa Industrial Park. This year’s festival was particularly organized by the Sri Lankans in Hawassa with the support of the Sri Lankans living in other parts of Ethiopia.

The event commenced with the welcoming of the invited guests at a splendidly created Sri Lankan traditional village in the Industrial Park. The ceremony  also included hoisting of the national flags followed by singing of the national anthems of Sri Lanka and Ethiopia and lighting of the traditional oil lamp.

During his remarks, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia and Permanent Representative to the African Union (AU)&the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), K.K. Theshantha Kumarasiri, who graced the event said that the true value of traditional ceremonies can never be under – estimated and that the value of our togetherness continues to act as a bond between Sri Lanka and Ethiopia. “Culture is amongst the most important aspects of human life and behavior, and Sri Lanka recognizes that culture is an essential component of human development and an important factor in social inclusion”, the Ambassador further added. Ambassador Kumarasiri also said that the New Year festival provides us with joy and happiness. Therefore, we Sri Lankans, as a nation with a rich cultural heritage are so lucky and proud to celebrate  the New Year in Hawassa together with colleagues and friends.

A number of Avurudu games  such as mini marathon, bursting of balloons, obstacle running, finding the hidden person, breaking pots, eating buns, lime and spoon race, placing the eye on the elephant, thread and needle, passing the egg, pillow fighting, folk songs, musical chairs and tug of war were enjoyed by both local and foreign participants. All participants were treated to delectable Sri Lankan traditional cuisine including milk rice, kavum, kokis, young jackfruit curry, cashew curry, and appetizing hathmaluwa.

This grand event was attended by distinguished members of the government of Ethiopia, representatives of the Hawassa Industrial Park, representatives of the City Administration, members of the diplomatic corps, top management of the Ethiopian Commercial Bank, members of the Sri Lankan community in Ethiopia, friends of Sri Lanka and the staff of the Embassy of Sri Lanka, and their family members.

The winners of the games received beautiful wooden trophies designed by the Sri Lankan citizens in Hawassa city. A souvenir mug  depicting the culture of Sri Lanka was also presented to each participating guest.

The visit to Hawassa by the Ambassador of Sri Lanka in Ethiopia  also included a tour to  Sri Lankan manufacturing companies at the Hawassa Industrial Park, notably Indochine Apparel PLC, Sumbiri Hela Intimate PLC, Hela Indocine PLC and Hirdaramani Apparel. During the visit, the top management of those factories with Sri Lankan expertise explained the process of manufacturing and their contribution to the apparel industry in Ethiopia. The Ambassador and the Embassy staff witnessed the outstanding contribution of Sri Lankan professionals in the apparel industry to the economy of Ethiopia.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Sri Lanka.

Today, the Council decided to temporarily suspend certain elements of the EU law that regulates the issuing of visas to Ethiopian nationals. In particular, it will no longer be possible for member states:

to waive requirements with regard to the evidence to be submitted by Ethiopian visa applicants
to issue multiple entry visas
to waive the visa fee for holders of diplomatic and service passports

Furthermore, the standard visa-processing period now becomes 45 calendar days instead of 15.

This decision follows an assessment by the Commission, which concludes that cooperation by Ethiopia in the field of readmission of its nationals illegally staying in the EU is insufficient. There is a lack of response from the Ethiopian authorities with regard to readmission requests and difficulties persist with the issuance of emergency travel documents and with the organisation of both voluntary and non-voluntary return operations.

The suspension decision is temporary but does not come with a specific end date. The Commission will continue to assess any progress made on readmission cooperation.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Council of the European Union.

President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., was recently interviewed by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) where he shed light on various governance issues including corruption, food security, impunity, drug abuse, and the future of Liberia’s youth. 

He emphasized the need for a change in the perception of government as a place for self-elevation and personal enrichment, rather than a place of service and accountability. He vowed that he would dismiss any official of government caught in acts of abuse of public resources, as he views corruption as the root cause of Liberia’s problems. 

President Boakai said he believes that Liberia is not a poor country but on the contrary, the country is well endowed, and that people must understand their responsibility to the state and people to change the narrative about Liberia being a poor and corrupt country. 

The President intimated that he is selective when it comes to appointing people in government, as he is determined to fight corruption to the core. He pointed to his long years of public service without any stain of corruption to serve as a reminder for people coming to Government. 

Regarding agriculture, President Boakai re-echoed his conviction that Liberia has the potential to feed the world if its endowments are managed well. 

He said that Liberia’s soil and land are fertile to produce rice, the country’s staple, and his comments do not amount to a quick-fix solution to food insecurity but rather an accentuation that the country has the resources to do a lot more if corruption is curbed. 

On the issue of war crimes court, President Boakai stated that he believes that those who bear the greatest responsibility for crimes must account for their actions and admit their wrongs as a way of ending impunity and promoting reconciliation.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of Liberia: Executive Mansion.

The Council today adopted an assistance measure worth €15 million under the European Peace Facility to support the Armed Forces of Côte d’Ivoire.

This support will strengthen the operational capabilities of the Ivoirian Armed Forces to secure areas close to land borders and to counter non-state armed groups, which are destabilising the country and the whole West Africa region.

Through the proposed assistance, the EU will provide equipment not designed to deliver lethal force in order to upgrade the Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance’s capabilities of the Air Forces of Côte d’Ivoire through the acquisition of communication and data transmission equipment and unmanned aerial systems. It will also strengthen the logistics and security of military units deployed in the northern areas of Côte d’Ivoire through the provision of multi-purpose vehicles and personal protective equipment.

The delivery of the equipment will be accompanied by relevant tactical and on-the-job training, as relevant, to ensure the full effectiveness of the support and draw the maximum benefit from it.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Council of the European Union.