Parliament members have been conducting an investigative report on the status of internally displaced people and the status of peace and security in four regional states. It will soon be released to the public.
The lawmakers have gone to Tigray, Amhara, Oromia and Southern People’s Nation and Nationality regional states to gather information on internally displaced persons in each region.
According to Misrak Mekonnen, head of the parliament’s secretariat office, members of the parliament have recently returned from the four regional states and are compiling their report.
Some of the parliamentarians traveling in Amhara were involved in a car accident. Thankfully, no one was injured.
The report analyzes the causes, impact and recommendations to curb ongoing internal displacement and rehabilitate IDP to their homeland.
“This will show the commitment and hard work the lawmakers have put in to the job,” Misrak said.
The role of security forces in relation to displacement and deteriorated security issues is being looked into.
According to UNDP, Ethiopia is registered one of the fastest growing internally displaced population (IDPs) in the world. Over three million IDPs are in the country. This has been instigated by inter-communal violence.
Report to examine displacement in Ethiopia
US grants 9m birr for nutrition
Save the Children announced a new Grants-under-Grant program in which the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Growth Through Nutrition Project will provide more than nine million Ethiopian birr (more than USD 300,000) to three woredas in support of the Government of Ethiopia’s Seqota Declaration to end child under-nutrition by 2030. Over the next year, the grants will support Debark and Ebinat woredas in Amhara regional state, and Nader Adet woreda in Tigray, by strengthening the woreda authorities’ capacity to deliver locally appropriate nutrition interventions.
Senior representatives of the National Nutrition Program implementing ministries, CEO of Save the Children USA, Save the Children in Ethiopia’s Country Director, and USAID’s acting Deputy Mission Director participated in the event, which highlighted the achievements of the Growth through Nutrition project over the past two years and marked the official rollout of the first grants to the three woredas. The event also emphasized the Growth through Nutrition project’s innovative approaches and multi-sectoral, integrated nutrition and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions to reduce stunting.
The Growth through Nutrition project is USAID’s flagship five-year (2016-2021), multi-sectoral nutrition and WASH project, implemented by Save the Children. Currently at its mid-point, it has reached more than 2.2 million children under the age of 5 and 375,000 pregnant women with quality nutrition services. Growth through Nutrition is working to improve the nutritional status of women and young children in four regions of Ethiopia – Amhara, Oromia, SNNP, and Tigray – with a focus on enhancing nutrition during the first 1,000 days of children’s lives, from conception to age two. The project is implemented in collaboration with the Government of Ethiopia and a consortium of six international and five local partners.
PM to attend second Belt and Road forum
Several sideline and bilateral events regarding Ethiopia are expected during the upcoming second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed will attend, along with 40 other world leaders.
The Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia, Tan Jian said that upon the invitation President Xi Jinping, PM Abiy will attend the forum that is expected to take place for three days starting from April 25 in Beijing.
Ambassador Tan said that Ethiopia is a strong partner of China regarding all aspects not only on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that President Xi put forth in 2013.
The theme of this year’s BRF is: Belt and Road Cooperation: Shaping a Brighter Shared Future. The Forum events include the opening ceremony, leaders’ round-table, high-level meeting, thematic forums, CEO conference and other side events.
The upcoming visit to China would be the second for PM Abiy within 8 months. He went to China last September.
According to the ambassador some few African leaders are also invited for the forum besides several government officials of different countries in the continent.
Tan ridiculed some political experts speculation that the relation of the two countries is not warm as before Abiy’s period. “Our relation is very strong as usual, you can see that this is the second time within few months for the visit of Pm Abiy to China,” he told Capital.
“Representatives from over 100 countries, including about 40 leaders of foreign governments, including PM Abiy Ahmed, have confirmed their attendance. As the host country, we will, together with other Forum parties, take stock of what has been achieved and draw a blueprint for future cooperation to further enrich BRI cooperation,” he said at a press conference held on Thursday April 18 at the compound of the Chinese Embassy.
Tan said that BRI cooperation is not a talk shop, but an action-oriented initiative that delivers tangible outcomes. The second BRF is expected to produce a full range of deliverables, including governmental cooperation agreements and initiatives, as well as concrete cooperation projects involving participation of the business sectors. “We hope and believe that the participating parties attending the Forum will build on successful practices and jointly develop a multi-tiered cooperation framework with more real results of still higher quality,” he added.
He said that BRI is an important initiative for international cooperation to enhance China’s cooperation with global partners. The BRI represents a major breakthrough in both theory and practice, and it carries far-reaching significance.
So far, a total of 124 countries and 29 international organizations including Ethiopia have signed BRI cooperation documents with China. “Ethiopia is among the first batch of African countries who signed cooperation documents concerning jointly building the Belt and Road, and China supports Ethiopia in playing a bigger role as a bridge and a link for jointly advancing the BRI in Africa,” he added.
“Protectionism and unilateralism are rising, so are uncertainties and destabilizing factors. As stressed by President Xi, the BRI is a significant move China has taken to fully open itself under the new conditions, and it embodies China’s commitment to sharing development opportunities and outcomes with more countries in the world,” the ambassador added on his press conference.
The latest studies by the World Bank and other international institutions suggest that the BRI cooperation will cut the costs of global trade by 1.1 to 2.2 percent. It will contribute at least 0.1 percent of global growth in 2019.
During the first BRF held in 2017 Hailemariam Desalegn, the then Prime Minister of Ethiopia, attended the Summit.
Local mining companies finally competing here
The ministry of Mining and Petroleum has issued eight licenses to local and international companies to explore for resources in three regional states.
The Ministry issued eight licenses to seven companies to explore for gold, metal, coal, limestone and potash.
“Unlike previously, the screening process took a month. This is the shortest time in the history of the ministry. We are trying to make doing business easier in Ethiopia,” Samuel Urqato said.
According to the ministry, the companies are selected based on their capability by considering financial status, knowledge and skills. The other companies will be evaluated based on a strict set of criteria though the end of the fiscal year.
The seven companies that received exploration licenses include: Sekota, Ayiga, Agodayo, Africa Mining and Energy, Altaw, Himra and Sun Pick Ethiopia.
Sun Pick Ethiopia, Africa Mining and Energy and Agodayo are international companies with vast experience in exploration and development of mines worldwide.
“The Ministry revised regulations and directives. We want to make it easier for Ethiopian companies to get involved in exploration and mining,” Assefa Kumsa State Minister of Mines and Petroleum said.
Himra Mining is local, even though it’s their first year of existence, they got an exploration license. They will explore metallic mines in Amhara at Wag-himra Zone, Zeguwala Woreda near Mishra River.
Ayiga Trading Industries is another local company which has expressed an interest in exploring metallic mines in Kombolcha, which is also located in Amhara, around 378 km from Addis Ababa.
The companies have been exploring since last year through a sister company with technical support from Chinese and Indian companies.
There are positive signs that we have seen through the exploration. These mines can create 10,000 temporary and permanent employment opportunities when the development process is underway,” says general manager Temesgen Assefa.
Sun Pick, a Canadian company based in Vancouver, British Columbia obtained an exploration license for a new project in Adi Daro, in Tigray Regional State.
In 2018 they got an exploration license in “Nefisit” outside “Shire” city.
“The licensing process took, more than a year then but this time it was much quicker than the previous one in Nefisit,” said their vice president David Awram.
Unlike previously, regional mining office heads were there to facilitate and welcome them, providing all the support they needed.
The tenure of the agreement will be effective for three years of course it can be renewed if both parties agree.
According to the agreement, the companies are expected to abide by the directives and regulations and works in accordance with internationally accepted mining procedures.
The companies will invest a total of 90 million birr for the exploration cost. The mining should create employment opportunities for two hundred people.
