Ethiopia nile dam 30% completed

Ethiopia's government has completed around 30 per cent of the Renaissance Dam on the River Nile. Sources in the government say that the administrative and technical work at the site of the dam is almost ready for the second phase to begin with the construction of the main body of the structure.It is estimated that the hydro-electric project will produce approximately 6,000 megawatts of electricity when it is commissioned in 2016. Ethiopia is expected to earn around €2 million a day by exporting electricity to neighbouring countries.On the political front, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Addis Ababa has called on both Egypt and Sudan to activate the tripartite committee to implement the recommendations made by international experts to ensure that the construction of the dam will not damage the countries downstream."We accepted the experts' report as it stands," said Dina Mufti, a spokesman for the Ethiopian government. "Egypt should accept it as well and move forward."-

Addis Ababa Light Rail's Civil Work to Be Completed This Year

23 September 2013 , By Nesru Jemal, Source: ERTA

Completion of civil works for the first light rail system in Ethiopia is expected this year, according to the Chinese Railway Engineering Corporation, the contractor for the project.Construction of the light rail transit system, which will cover a total of 34 kilometers with two major lines, began in January 2012. It was expected to be completed within three years. The timetable was put in question when the project faced a number of difficulties, particularly associated with issues of right of way.The Ethiopian Railway Corporation says securing rights of way has made progress, and 43% of the overall project has now been completed.The ERC hopes to start the electromechanical element of the project this year once the civil engineering work is finished.The budget for the light rail transit system is set at US$475 million, of which 85% percent is provided by loans secured from the Chinese Exim Bank.Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Hydro-Powering East Africa

23 September 2013 , By Nesru Jemal, Source: ERTA

President of Djibouti, Ismail Omar Guelleh, stated "This (Djibouti-Ethiopia Power Interconnection Project) is to reduce significantly the cost of the energy bill that weighs as much on the competitiveness of our economy as on the living standards of our households."The development objective of the project was to improve electricity access in Ethiopia and Djibouti at affordable prices through regional cooperation in power trade.The AfDB has been an active partner in implementing the connection by providing USD 95 million for the project. The 283-km Ethiopia-Djibouti transmission line was officially inaugurated in October 2011.The 230-kV line, enabling Djibouti to import up to 60 MW of electricity, is estimated to be earning Ethiopia at least USD 1.5 million per month, and has eased Djibouti's reliance on fossil-fuel power plants and generators.The project also provided short-term employment for about 1,190 people in Ethiopia and 460 in Djibouti. Also, it generated opportunities for jobs and transfer of skills to sub-contractors in Djibouti and Ethiopia. In Djibouti, import of the low-cost hydropower would help to suppress the costly thermal generation resulting in cost savings through reduced oil import.The interconnection also enables the two systems to support each other during emergencies. ADF 11 has invested a loan of USD 42.89 million for Ethiopia and loan/grant of USD 54.79 million to co-finance the project with the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo) and the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Planning Electricité de Djibouti (EdD).Source: AfDB

Turkish industrial zone planned in Ethiopia

Turkey is preparing to create a Turkish industrial

zone in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, as part of its African policy which started in 2005 and has been showing marked development of its business assets.Speaking at the opening of the African Strategies Sectoral Evaluation Meeting in Ankara on Monday, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said that the Ethiopian prime minister had proposed the assignment of some land to establish a Turkish industrial zone in Addis Ababa, and that Turkey hopes to implement this plan.“They [the Ethiopians] know that we don’t go to Ethiopia with a passing fancy and calculations of temporary profits. We also know that they don’t only offer a business opportunity but that they opened their hearts,” Davutoğlu said, stressing that between Turkey and Ethiopia there are not only economic relations but there are also thriving social relations as well.Commenting on the new diplomatic steps, Davutoğlu stated that Turkey has come a long way in the last ten years. Davutoğlu explained that a Turkish firm invested $50 million in Ethiopia in 2005 while there are now 341 Turkish companies with a total investment of $3 billion in the country.The Turkish foreign minister also mentioned the results of the Turkish government’s public diplomacy in Africa. “The amount of Turkish aid to the African continent, particularly to Somalia, has reached $750 million. If we hadn’t spent billions dollars of in public diplomacy and activity, we wouldn’t have the positive image and perception that we got from our humanitarian aid in Somalia,” Davutoğlu said, reiterating that Turkey is reaping the rewards of its humanitarian foreign policy.Saying that Turkish companies can take advantage of numerous opportunities in fields such as construction and trade, the foreign minister also drew attention to important attempts in the business sector by the African Union, which ranks as one of the most active international organizations in the world.In the African continent, there are 30 offices of the Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency(TİKA) and 25 trade offices of the Undersecretariat for Foreign Trade, aiming to strengthen economic and bilateral relations between the two countries. The number of Turkish ambassadors in Africa has risen to 34 from 12 in 2005.Turkey has a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with four African countries, as well as agreements to prevent double taxation and support mutual investments, and Turkey has also established a business council with 17 African countries. Turkish Airlines (THY) has flights to 35 African destinations to improve links between Turkey and African countries as part of the African policy.

Source: Today’s Zaman

Norway partners with World Bank to support Ethiopia in scaling up climate-smart land management

Source: World BankADDIS ABABA, August 30, 2013 - Ethiopia, a country highly vulnerable to extreme weather events, land degradation, deforestation and food insecurity, is stepping up its efforts to fight climate change, promote sustainable rural development and build resilience. Today, two agreements were signed between the Government of Norway and the World Bank to provide significant financing for sustainable land management, climate-smart agriculture and forest protection in the country.The first agreement injects an additional US$50 million grant funds from the Government of Norway through a trust fund to co-finance the Sustainable Land Management Program (SLMP II) aimed at reducing land degradation and increasing land productivity of smallholder farmers.In the second agreement, Norway provides US$13 million through the World Bank’s BioCarbon Fund (BioCF) to support Ethiopia’s Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) Facility and to promote climate-smart agriculture, forest protection and land rehabilitation at the landscape level. Norway’s contribution complements initial funding of US$5 million from the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), and ongoing financing from the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF)."Norway is pleased to collaborate with the World Bank in supporting Ethiopia's ambitious efforts to fight land degradation, deforestation and climate change while promoting sustainable development in the land use sector. The two complementary programs have the potential to protect the natural resource endowment and to promote climate-smart land use in order to adapt and mitigate climate change and increase food security and resilience in a vast area of the country," said Tove Stub, Charge d`affaires a.i., Royal Norwegian Embassy in Addis Ababa.Under SLMP II, the Government of Ethiopia is building on the remarkable progress achieved during implementation of the program’s first phase in reducing land degradation and increasing sustainable land and water productivity. Under SLMP I, which started in 2008, over 190,000 hectares of degraded communal and individual farmlands have been rehabilitated and agricultural productivity has improved in areas that were hitherto found to be less productive. SLMP II, a blended IDA credit (US$50 million) and GEF grant (US$14 million) with co-financing from Norway (US$50 million), scales up earlier achievements.The ongoing process to reduce deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), a key pillar of Ethiopia’s fight against climate change, will be significantly strengthened with support from the BioCarbon Fund. This program will enable Ethiopia to fully finance its ongoing REDD+ readiness process and to develop a REDD+ pilot program at a Regional State level. It will also provide advisory services to the CRGE Facility, in particular to enhance access to climate finance for REDD+ and other land-based activities."These funds will allow Ethiopia to become ready for REDD+ and will provide for an ambitious landscape-level program to address the causes of deforestation in the most forested region of our country, while also promoting social benefits to local communities,” said H. E. Sileshi Getahun, State Minister, Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture.The BioCF’s new initiative provides an important boost to the activities of the CRGE Facility, which was established by the Government of Ethiopia to spearhead national efforts to reach carbon neutrality by 2025."The World Bank expects that these two initiatives, including others not mentioned here, will contribute significantly to Ethiopia's efforts to deal with three of the most daunting challenges of our times: land degradation, deforestation and climate change. It is also a good opportunity for the Bank to share its global expertise on climate finance to provide advisory support to the CRGE Facility. These two initiatives strengthen the Bank's partnership for Ethiopia's sustainable development,” said Guang Zhe Chen, World Bank Country Director for Ethiopia.

New diaspora 40/60 housing registration to be conducted by embassies in October 2013

by Selamawit BEWKET ABEBE, Addisfortune.net* New Strategy Penned For Diaspora Housing Registration The first round of Diaspora registration saw many challenges caused by the lack of adequate guidelinesThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and the Ministry of Urban Development & Construction (MoUDC), together with the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE), are finalising a new strategy following the controversies surrounding the registration of Ethiopian Diasporas in the 40/60 housing scheme, last week.The registration for the 40/60 housing scheme for the Diaspora community, ran from August 12 to August 23, 2013. It was marked by numerous challenges, caused by a lack of guidelines to identify qualified Diaspora for the registration.The strategy is expected to help determine who qualifies as a member of the Diaspora, remove double registration issues and identify those who are avoiding paying in foreign currency. In addition, it will enable Diaspora members to register in embassies and consulates, according to an official from the Diaspora Affairs desk at the MoFA.This new registration period for the Diaspora community is expected to start on October 11, 2013.So far, during the registration that ended this Friday, August 23, 2013, Diaspora members could either register in person, or send a legal representative to the CBE.“We have been trying to stop this, so as to make the registration consistent,” claimed Mohamed Woleye, an expert at the Diaspora Affairs desk of the MoFA.The new registration process will allow the Diaspora to register directly with their respective embassies.Prior to that, however, the new strategic document will be presented to ambassadors and other concerned bodies so that they can fill any gaps based on observations at their embassies, according to Mohamed. During the past registration process, the number of Diaspora members seeking to prepare the documents giving legal representation in Ethiopia overwhelmed the embassies and consulates.Those who have already registered through their legal representatives will have the right to either remain registered, or to cancel the first registration and newly-reregister in their respective embassies.“Though I have not yet received the exact data from the branches, registration was being undertaken as expected,” said Ephrem Mekria, communications director at the CBE’s head office. In the first three days of the registration period only, 3,000 Diaspora members were registered.Registrants from the Diaspora community are expected to save 145 dollars for a one-bedroom unit, 223 dollars for a two-bedroom and 344 dollars for a three-bedroom, respectively, each month. Those who can pay in full, on the other hand, are expected to pay 8,700 dollars, 13,380 dollars and 20,640 dollars for one, two and three bedrooms, respectively.Out of the 50,000 houses to be built in the 40/60 housing scheme, 10,000 are planned to be completed and transferred during the 2014/15 fiscal year. The construction of the houses in the sites selected for this project has only begun in two of the eight sites: Sengatera, in Lideta District, and Crown, in Bole District.

Ethiopia Signs the Second Half of 1.6 Billion Dollar Mobile Network Deal

August 22, 2013

Ethiopia'sEthio Telecom signed an $800 million deal with China's ZTE on Sunday (August 18) to expand mobile phone infrastructure and introduce a high-speed 4G broadband network in Addis Ababa and a 3G service throughout the rest of the country. The agreement with ZTE is half of the $1.6 billion project; the agreement with Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, the world's second largest telecom equipment maker, was signed last month. Both firms will provide low interest loans to implement the projects. Ato Andualem Admassie, acting chief executive officer of Ethio Telecom, said the agreement would enable Ethiopia to double subscribers to more than 50 million. This, he said, was vital to attain Ethio Telecom'sobjective to increase access and coverage across the country as well as upgrade existing network to new technology. Ethio Telecom is the only mobile operator in the country, but the government has given approval for private companies to provide value-added services. According to Reuters, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has received applications from more than 200 firms to provide such services; and South Africa'sMTN Group, Africa's largest mobile phone company, has already been granted.

Source....Global Data Point

Solar cooking???

On sunny days people passing by on Gløshaugen can spot Asfafaw Haileselassie next to his test rig on wheels. The equipment with the noticeable mirrored disk is a large solar concentration system with heat storage. With the help from the sun, Haileselassie generate steam at the receiver of the concentrating system and use this to transport heat from the receiver to the heat storage and then storage store it, like a battery. Exactly this technique has not been used before.- When this storage unit reaches 250 degrees, it will keep the us

http://www.ntnu.edu/web/ept/news-and-activities/-/asset_publisher/5iMu/content/something%E2%80%99s-cooking-outside-the-thermal-energy-building

Gebrselassie to enter Ethiopian politics

The two-time Olympic gold medallist and multiple world champion in the 10,000 metres says he wants to "reach more people" through politics, a topic most Ethiopians avoid in a restrictive society with few civil liberties.Used to breaking barriers having set over two dozen world records from 5000 metres to the marathon, the 40-year-old Gebrselassie said on Monday that he will run for a seat in parliament as an independent candidate in 2015.And although the next presidential election in September is probably too soon, Gebrselassie also is considering a future run for that office

Source
:http:/theaustralian.com.au

CEO: Record profit for Ethiopian Air despite 787 woes

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - The chief executive of Ethiopian Airlines says that his company has pocketed a record profit despite the temporary grounding of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes.

http://m.usatoday.com/article/news/2483635

Obama annouces a new power initiative for Africa

Obama said the U.S. government would spend at least $7 billion toward the goal of doubling access to electric power, bolstered by investments from private sector partners. Obama, painting a portrait of a rising Africa, argued that the U.S. should get more involved in its success -- for its own benefit. "My own nation will benefit enormously if you reach your full potential," he said

Read More.. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/06/30/obama-to-announce-new-power-initiative-for-africa/

U.S. Officials Highlight Opportunity for Ethiopia's Future

27 June 2013  Source: State Department Washington Ethiopia is "an important partner" of the United States in the East Africa region and one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, a senior State Department official told a U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Subcommittee June 20.Donald Yamamoto, the acting assistant secretary of state for African affairs and a former U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia, told the lawmakers that the Ethiopian economy has been growing by double-digit percentages over the last five years. <!-- more --> However, he cautioned that Ethiopia-U.S. business relationships have been limited because of investment climate challenges.He also noted that Ethiopians in the United States are returning to their homeland to expand political and economic ties between the two countries and to provide humanitarian support. Ethiopia is a major recipient of U.S. aid, primarily for development in the health, agriculture and education sectors, and Ethiopia is one of the U.S. Peace Corps' largest host countries.In development, Ethiopia "has emerged as a leader on the push to end preventable maternal and child deaths," Yamamoto said. As part of its leadership, in 2012 Ethiopia co-hosted the global Child Survival Call to Action with India, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations children's agency UNICEF. The meeting was held in Washington.Yamamoto stressed that the United States wants to increase cooperation with Ethiopia in key areas, including security, counterterrorism and bilateral trade and investment. He said that as chair of the African Union, Ethiopia "will play a key role in determining AU priorities on peace and security and development and governance."On August 12-13, 2013, the United States will partner with Ethiopia to host the 2013 U.S.-Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum in Addis Ababa. Also known as the AGOA Forum, this year's theme is "Sustainable Transformation through Trade and Technology." The event will bring together senior officials from the United States and AGOA-eligible African countries to discuss a range of trade and investment-related issues. The U.S. African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) offers incentives for African countries to continue their efforts to open their economies and build free markets.Yamamoto said the United States will "encourage Ethiopia to work toward greater market liberalization, including progress toward World Trade Organization accession." He added that recent successes on the economic front include a May trade mission to Ethiopia sponsored by the state of Illinois and a November 2012 agricultural investment conference in Ethiopia sponsored by the Corporate Council on Africa.Yamamoto further noted that the United States is working with a major U.S. company to secure multimillion-dollar deals aimed at improving Ethiopia's infrastructure.Following Yamamoto, USAID Assistant Administrator Earl Gast testified that to fuel development in health, education and growth, Ethiopia wants to boost its power production capacity fivefold by 2015. The United States in early June signed an agreement with Ethiopia's Ministry of Water and Energy that will serve as the basis for the government to negotiate project deals with private-sector developers.Yamamoto also said that U.S. companies have signed letters of intent to make investments in support of Ethiopia's country plan under the Group of Eight's New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition. The alliance, introduced in May 2012, aims to form partnerships between investors and local companies in Africa to accelerate progress in mobilizing private capital, taking innovations to scale and managing risk.Gast said Ethiopia is one of the United States' key African partners in countering the effects of climate change and promoting food security. "USAID's programs in Ethiopia have seen remarkable results," he said.But, Yamamoto said, Ethiopia wants to eventually eliminate the need for donor assistance.

The Renaissance Dam V. Fallouts of the Nile Water Agreement, 1959

In fact, all disputes of the Nile Basin nations over the past 50 years resulted from this unfortunate agreement. This article is aimed at discussing this issue and shedding light on the positions the 1959 Nile Water Agreement attempted to impose on the other Nile Basin nations and how this has recoiled against Egypt and the Sudan in the form of decisions by the source nations to build their projects, including the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, in absolute disregard and defiance of this agreement.Ethiopia knew that the Sudan and Egypt had decided to conduct negotiations on distribution of the Nile water since their first meeting in 1954 and sent messages to both countries in June 1955 demanding participation in the negotiations.

Read more http://news.sudanvisiondaily.com/details.html?rsnpid=223971

The new Diaspora Policy and engagement of Ethiopians in the Diaspora

(Mof)The Government has long been aware of the importance of the knowledge, experience, skills, and financial resources of Ethiopians in the Diaspora as a vital contribution to national growth. Indeed, the potential role of the Ethiopian Diaspora in development efforts has been given unprecedented recognition by the government in recent years. And to activate maximum use of Diaspora resources the Government has been aware that the relationship must be institutionalized. It has therefore established formal mechanisms to encourage and facilitate Diaspora engagement, setting up specific departments within Ministry of Foreign Affairs, mandated to assist and cooperate with the Diaspora.

Ethiopian Graduates 26 MPL Pilots

Friday, 07 June 2013 -  Ethiopian Airlines Aviation Academy is pleased to announce that it has graduated 26 pilots trained with Multi-Crew Pilot License (MPL), which is a first in Africa, on June 6, 2013.Leading the way past, present and future, Ethiopian Aviation Academy, has been the first in Africa and among the few in the world to start the ICAO certified training in July 2011.The MPL training was kicked off in partnership with Flight Path International. The MPL training is a response to the ever changing and technology driven aviation industry. Ethiopian Aviation Academy is now one of the few in the world and the only one in Africa providing these training.Today, in addition to the 26 MPL pilots, Ethiopian also graduated 68 cabin crew trainees on the same day."Ethiopian investment in the Aviation Academy has always been the back bone of the success of Ethiopian Airlines creating the necessary skilled and dedicated aviation personnel. Today's graduation of the first 26 MPL cadets in the continent is part of the continued milestones of Ethiopian fueling the fast, profitable and sustainable growth of Vision 2025," said Tewolde Gebremariam, CEO of Ethiopian.Ethiopian Aviation Academy is well on its way to become one of the seven profit centers of Ethiopian as outlined in its Vision 2025 to become the leading aviation training center in Africa. Historically, the academy has opened a third of its capacity to trainees from other African countries contributing to the growth of the aviation industry in the continent.

Sudan reiterates support of Ethiopian dam plans

June 9, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s information minister and government spokesperson Ahmed Bilal Osman insisted today that Sudan would benefit from the controversial Ethiopian renaissance dam and stressed that Ethiopia has engaged Sudan in all operations associated with the dam building.Sudanese Information Minister Ahmed Bilal Osman speaks during a joint press conference with the chief of Sudan’s intelligence service . At a press conference in Khartoum, Osman announced that Sudan’s minister of water resources and electricity Osama Abdalla Mohamed al-Hassan will travel for Cairo early next week.He said that the ten-member committee which includes representatives from Sudan, Ethiopia and Egypt as well as international experts has dispelled all concerns raised about the dam, adding that Sudan is ready to send experts and technicians to help in the construction of the dam.The Sudanese official also downplayed fears of a possible collapse of the dam which could lead to flooding Sudan and said that construction technology has improved and added that the Italian company which is building the dam would not risk its reputation, noting that Khartoum is keen on strengthening relations with Cairo and Addis Ababa.Osman mentioned that several dams such as Al-Rusairs dam in East Sudan and the Aswan dam in Egypt which accommodates 162 billion cubic meters of water have survived for tens of years and did not crumble.He said that Sudan sacrificed 22 villages and a million palm trees and an entire civilization in the far north in order to allow the Egyptians build the Aswan dam in 1964.Osman demanded those whom he said do not comprehend the sanctity of the relations between Egypt and Sudan to stop "muddling".The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, formerly known as the Millennium Dam is being constructed on the Blue Nile 40km from the Sudanese border.Egypt and Sudan had previously argued that the construction of the dam would negatively affect their water shares and insisted the project should be blocked, calling on international donors against funding it.However Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir announced his support to the project in March 2012, saying his government understands the mutual benefits the project could offer Ethiopia and Sudan.Khartoum’s stance have aggravated Egypt in recent weeks with many political figures blasting Sudan’s "treachery".Egypt believes its “historic rights” to the Nile are guaranteed by two treaties from 1929 and 1959 which allow it 87 percent of the Nile’s flow and give it veto power over upstream projects.But a new deal was signed in 2010 by other Nile Basin countries, including Ethiopia, allowing them to work on river projects without Cairo’s prior agreement.The first phase of construction of the $4.2 billion dam is expected to be complete in three years, with a capacity of 700 megawatts.Once complete, the dam will have a capacity of 6,000 megawatts. (Sudantribune)

Nyota Minerals discovered New Gold Anomaly in Western Ethiopia

Thursday, 06 June 2013 - Energy and Mining Nyota Minerals, the dual listed on the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange (AIM:NYO.L) and the Australian Stock Exchange gold exploration and development company, has reported the discovery of a new gold anomaly at the Boka-West target in the company's fully Northern Block exploration license areas in Western Ethiopia.The company reported that, the gold-in-soil anomaly extended for 2.0KM in length and was up to 500 metres (m) wide. The company said that it was also coincidental with anomalies for copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and bismuth (Bi).Richard Chase, Chief Executive Officer of the company said, “The delineation of a large target at Boka-West is testament to the success of our systematic exploration program in the Northern Blocks. The continued exploration  of our greenfield exploration assets is an important facet of Nyota’s development strategy, complementing our advanced preproduction project at Tulu Kapi.""Subject to the first renewal of the exploration licenses and the requisite funding, we anticipate a first phase of drilling at Boka-West during the 2013-2014 field work season.” he added.

Source: Nyota Minerals 

Ethiopia: Nile Basin Framework Set

22 April 2013 , Source: Addis Fortune The House of People's Representatives discussed the draft proclamation that would ratify the Nile Basin Cooperation Framework Agreement, on Thursday, April 2013.The House then referred the draft proclamation to the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Standing Committee of the Parliament for further assessment.The agreement was signed by Ethiopia, Kenya,Uganda, Rwand aand Tanzaniain May 2010 and by Burundi a year later. The signing of the agreement was kept open for an additional year in order to give time to the Sudan and Egypt. According to the agreement, ratification by six countries will allow an equitable utilization of Nile River between all the riparian states. The 1959 agreement between the Sudan and Egypt allocated the entire average annual flow of the Nile to be shared between the Sudan and Egypt at 18.5 and 55.5 billion cubic meters respectively, but ignored the rights to water of the remaining eight Nile countries.Ethiopia contributes 80pc of the total flow of the Nile, but according to the 1959 agreement, is entitled to none of its resources.The agreement enables the establishment of the Nile Basin Commission (NBC) through which member States will act jointly to manage and develop the resources of the famed river.

Ethiopia trying to restore lost heritage

Mar 31st, 2013 // AddisAddis Ababa, Ethiopia  - Ethiopia is battling to bring back more than three thousand artifacts scattered around the globe, a substantial part of its historic heritage.According to Wolde Darsema from the Heritage Authority, thousands of historic items, ranging from the monumental to the miniscule, are to be found in museums or in private hands in France, Israel, Vatican, Germany, Italy, the UK and elsewhere.The Authority said that in addition to the more obvious and better known items in museums it is also working to bring back artifacts in the hands of individuals through diplomatic channels: it is also trying to purchase articles or persuade people to present them as a gift.Efforts so far have managed to recover the Axum Obelisk, the gold Lalibela cross and a handful of other historic items.Wolde Darsema said that the task of recovering many of these items was particularly difficult as many are in private hands, and museums remain reluctant to part with items however obtained.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is cooperating with the Heritage Management Authority, and the MoFA Spokesperson, Ambassador Dina, says the Ministry is working to obtain the return of various artifacts through bilateral channels.(MoFA)

Ethiopia gets $1 billion fuel from Sudan

Ethiopia receiving massive oil imports from Sudan.ADDIS ABABA: It comes via Djibouti and has the Ethiopian government optimistic that energy needs in the country are to be met. According to some here in Addis Ababa, the move by Sudan to export some one million metric tons of petrol to their East African neighbor is part of efforts to help reduce the need to move fast on building the massive Renaissance Dam project that has left much of the Nile Basin tense.“I think this is a positive step on both sides,” an Ethiopian government consultant told Bikyanews.com. “It shows that we as a region are willing to compromise and meet goals without causing unduly harm. Considering the dam project and the anger from Khartoum and Cairo over it, helping give us energy needs is positive.”Officials reported the amount of fuel that has been imported equals $1.12 billion over the past 6 months.And it isn’t expected to curtail in the near future, the consultant said. He argued that over the next 6 months, Ethiopia expects to receive a similar amount of fuel to help meet the growing economy of the East African country.The fuel imported during first half of the Ethiopian fiscal year was a rise of 21 percent in comparison to the same period last year.According to EPSE’s spokesperson, Alemayehu Tsegaye, the imported 1,091,823 metric tonnes of fuel surpasses the initial planned target of 1,093, 073 metric tonnes.Ethiopia imports up to 85 percent of its annual oil consumption from neighboring Sudan, largely due to its geographic proximity. This recent report shows that Sudan is making a push to increase the total in order to dissuade the country from continuing to move fast on its dam project, which Khartoum and Cairo say threatens their water availability.The Horn of Africa nation saves at least $10 million in transit related costs per year by using Sudanese oil sources rather than importing from markets further afield, such as the Middle East.During the stated period of the budget year, Ethiopia has also imported over 125,000 metric tons of coal and spent over $20 million on maintaining sustainable energy supplies for manufacturing and industry.Over 50 percent of Ethiopia’s imports are to meet the nation’s fuel demand.BN