Some 23 local and international companies including global influential players are engaged in the production or exploration of gold in Tigray region.
The region that is located in the northern part of the country has enormous potential for the precious metal and other base metals.
According to Fisseha Meresa, Licensing Director at Tigray Mining and Energy Agency, the gold deposit is available in many part of the region, while it varies from place to place regarding the potential.
“So far the gold deposit is available in 21 woredas from 34 woredas,” Assefa Girmay, Senior Geologist at the Agency told Capital.
Prospecting the precious metal in the region is growing and the activity of local and foreign investors has reached 23.
“From gold to quarry mining sector so far 1,200 licenses were given in the region to explore/develop the mining resource of the region,” Fisseha told Capital.
In the gold sector Ezana Mining Development is engaged in production and for the year it has supplied 2.7 quintals of gold for the National Bank of Ethiopia.
Dawit Gebregziaber Abrha Gold Mining Enterprise, which is engaged on a small scale, Newmont Venture Limited Ethiopia and Harvest Mining have secured the mining license that is given by Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, which is responsible to overlook some high level investments in the sector.
According to the Licensing Director, 19 companies are engaged on exploration for the precious metal, which will contribute to the hard currency earning of the country.
“Even though there are some delays in few companies, most are expected to commence production after securing production license and transferred from exploration to mining,” he added.
Besides the big investors, artisan mining also expanded in the region as well as new resource areas were found.
So far 700 associations including over 10,000 artisans are involved in small scale gold mining in the region.
“Meanwhile the stated number is formally licensed miners, the number of artisans is more than this since they operate informally,” Fisseha explained.
He said that the informal activity affects the country because they usually use the contraband business. The agency estimates that the average annual production of the artisans is over 10 quintal in total but the issue is to bring it to the formal trading.
The region has also resources like sapphire and copper that is expected to benefit the communities.
The industrial mineral is also the other huge potential for the region. Iron ore, granite, limestone, quartz, gypsum, silica sand, dolomite, feldspar and others are mentioned as wide potential in the region as industrial product.
According to Assefa, six companies are engaged on iron ore exploration.
From the industrial material the silica sand resource is very wide that attracts five companies including Goda Bottle Factory that is constructing its factory at Adigrat.
Goda is in good position to commence the production of bottles that would be good opportunity for the region and the nation, according to Fisseha.
“Others are also on the exploration work to establish their industry for the bottle industry that is mainly focus on import substitution for several packaging industries including breweries,” he added.
Construction resource is also available in majority part of the region. Dimension stones like marble, slate and others are abundantly available in the region.
“Currently the mining industry in the region is dominated by the construction and mining sector. For instance regarding the production of quarry crushing there are 150 centers in the Meqelle cluster,” Fisseha said.
He added that the production of construction materials in large scale like cement and granite industries has replaced the import of construction input in the country beside the benefit for job creation and royalty from the mining sector for the region.
Currently the mining sector in the region is creating up to 40,000 new jobs every year.
Companies eye Tigray for gold production
The 24th edition of ACITF
The 24th edition of Addis Chamber International Trade Fair opened on Thursday, February 20, 2020 at the exhibition center.
More than 127 local traders and 74 foreign companies are participating on the international trade fair on all kinds of consumer & industrial products.
Addis Chamber International Trade Fair is an International Business to Business Exhibition whose main focus is on Industrial, Agricultural and Services Sectors.
The annual international trade exhibition is expected to attract foreign direct investment (FDI), promotes joint venture opportunities between Ethiopian citizens and foreign investors, stimulates a culture of entrepreneurship, promotes exports of locally produced goods, and promotes access to the Ethiopian market for international exhibitors.
The country’s main imports include motor vehicles, petroleum products, civil and military aircraft, spare parts, construction equipment, medical and pharmaceutical products, agricultural and industrial chemicals, agricultural machinery, fertilizers, irrigation equipment, and food grains. The major manufacturing sub-sectors in Ethiopia are food processing, beverages, textiles, clothing, and leather goods.
Since 1995 the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations organized 23 International Trade Fairs colorfully with the involvement and participation of a number of public and private stakeholders. The trade fair is expected to stay until February 26, 2020.
‘Afro-optimism’ on the rise among continent’s youth, finds survey
The most comprehensive survey of Africa’s youth to date – the African Youth Survey 2020 – reveals a rising Afro-Optimism among the continent’s youth driven by a strong sense of individual responsibility, a post-colonial mindset, entrepreneurialism, and confidence in a shared African identity. Africa’s youth believe they can solve problems collaboratively, and are hopeful of fighting corruption, achieving peace and improving their personal living conditions.
These findings, which are in stark contrast with global stereotypes and outdated narratives of a hopeless continent, were unveiled by the Ichikowitz Family Foundation, a leading African foundation encouraging active citizenship across the continent.
The African Youth Survey 2020 was conducted across 14 African countries in an unprecedented attempt to pulse the aspirations, motivations and viewpoints of one of the world’s key demographics. Transatlantic polling firm, PSB Research, conducted interviews in Congo Brazzaville, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Togo, Zambia and Zimbabwe – a total of 4,200 in-depth, face-to-face interviews.
Ivor Ichikowitz, chairman of the Ichikowitz Family Foundation said the results “are a loud wake-up call to all the Afro-sceptics”.
“We have found a youth that refuses to shy away from the very real challenges of Africa, that is honest about what needs to be done and what their role has to be to achieve this – and they are overwhelmingly keen to make that difference.”
The average age in Africa is younger than 20, according to the UN, more than 10 years younger than any other continent.
Those surveyed had strong opinions about the importance of technology and business, with 81% saying they believed technology could unlock the continent’s potential. A similar amount believed access to wifi should be a fundamental human right.
Three-quarters of young people said they planned to start their own business in the next five years, and many already had ideas they were ready to work on if given funding.
Commenting on the report, Rosebell Kagumire, editor of the website African Feminism, said the internet had opened doors to opportunities beyond national borders and connected young people across the continent.
“Technology has connected Africans in so many ways. Our grandparents were pan-Africanists and understood the struggle for Africa … but now, more than ever, you’re able to read a story in realtime of what’s happening in another country.”
While the report said there were strong suspicions about the influence of foreign powers, most supported pan-African institutions.
The African Union was mostly looked upon favourably as a way of uniting countries across the continent.
Kagumire said it was easy to be optimistic about the continent’s future despite localised problems, because some nation states are still relatively new.
“When we see ourselves as African, as a people, and what we have achieved together and what we have survived together, that makes a better picture,” she said. “It’s a bigger picture. We are looking at African people, really thinking outside the colonial construct.”
She added, however, that the idea of Afro-optimism was often simplistic, painting a picture of “happy Africans”.
“It assumes a certain lack of complexity. We are allowed to be complex. I don’t think anyone’s in a permanent state of optimism, and certainly not young Africans,” she said.
The biggest concerns were corruption, the creation of new jobs for the continent’s booming young population, and peace and security.
Kagumire pointed out that young people were often disaffected by politics, and women, in particular, felt discriminated against in the corporate world.
“Even when people are optimistic, it’s pegged to the realities.”
Former South African president Kgalema Motlanthe, who contributed to the survey report, said: “I am encouraged by the youth of Africa’s common vision of a pan-African identity; of a love of their fellows that transcends colour, creed, class or nationality.
“I am immensely heartened too by their Afro-optimism, underscored by their belief in Afro-capability.”
South Sudan forms a new national unity government
South Sudan forms a new national unity government which includes both the leading party and the oppositions. The government of President Salva Kiir Mayardit has formed a new unity government cabinet, which includes the opposition Riek Machar.
On the 14 February, 2020 the presidency of South Sudan has held meeting on the sticky issues of the number of states and boundaries in the revitalized agreement on the resolution of the conflict in the republic, and the mater to revitalized transitional government of the national unity and the presidency decided to dissolving the states and form a unity government on February 22, 2020.
On Tuesday February 19, 2020, the president has dissolved the old cabinet to make way for opposition members and replaced by new cabinet on Saturday February 22, 2020. Under the new cabinet the opposition Riek Macher will work as the first vice president of the country on his former position of the before he left the country.
South Sudan, the most recent sovereign country with wide spread of recognition got independent from Sudan in 2011, starting from 2013 a political struggle broke out between president Kiir and his former vice Machar which cause a civil war in the country.
There are expectations that the new deal will bring an end to the South Sudan’s six year civil war, which has killed more than 350, 000 peoples and left millions in poverty and to migration, widespread abuses such as the recruitment of child soldiers and sexual violence.
“The people are suffered enough, new formation will bring peace to our people; we need to live in peace no more war”
In 2016, the two government has been formed a unity government which only lasted for three months.
The other issue which the government makes is decision to return the country to ten states and their previous respective counties and three administration areas named Abyei administration area, Ruwang administration area and Greater pibor administration.
When it gained independence from Sudan in 2011, South Sudan had 10 states, as set out in its constitution. Kiir increased that in 2015 to 28, then later 32.
“This is because of the subject matter and in the interest of peace and stability, in the country,” said Ambassador Devid Dang, the deputy head of the mission of the embassy of the republic of South Sudan in Ethiopia.
According to the South Sudan embassy in Addis Ababa, after the meeting the president has direct the ministry of justice and constitutional affairs to effect these legal changes immediately.
Kiir and Machar are under increasing international pressure to resolve their differences until February 22.
President Kiir has promised protection for opposition leaders. Machar’s allies had sought assurances about his safety should if he formally return to the capital.
Beside these, the report from the embassy indicates there are also other arrangements put in place to address their concerns.
The president said the final matter of states would be debated once the unity government is formed.
