Thursday, January 24, 2013

ETHIOPIA-EGYPT | A WAR ON NILE IMPROBABLE, FOR NOW

The letter from the Egyptian Foreign Minister, in November, to his Ethiopian counterpart, re-assuring commitment to cooperation on Nile and distancing Cairo from the remarks of some officials in the media, seems to have laid to rest the months long speculations on the matter.
The alarming signals from Cairo, started with anonymous remarks of Egyptian officials at the dying days of the late Ethiopian Premier Meles Zenawi, reached its peak November with an advisor of the Egyptian president telling the media the later's "shock" at the state of ties with Nile basin countries. These unhelpful remarks were compounded by two-years old emails of a US-based private intelligence firm, published recently on Wikileaks, claiming Egyptians were discussing with Sudan to establish a base to destroy the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project, launched the prior month.
The re-assuring letter, written in reply to the one his Ethiopian counterpart sent him at a previous date, was a predictable one.
Egypt rarely took an official position to resolve disputes in the use of Nile waters through military force. Indeed, its hope in sheer military force appear to have declined after its disastrous attempt to occupy the sources of the Nile in the 19th century under its leader Khadive Esmail. Since then, Egypt and its British colonial masters efforted to secure monopoly of the water over the upper-riparian countries through treaties of uncertain legal status, which the Foreign and Commonwealth Office reportedly insists are valid. Cairo successfully used those treaties and its clout in the crisis-prone Mideast to block international finance to dams on Nile, besides to laboring to exacerbating Ethiopia's security threats.
Granted, Egyptians didn't make a formal and conscious revision of their outdated Nile policy. The 19th century mind-set was prevalent in the days of their late President Naser when Cairo had large clout with the then super-powers, third world countries and was aspiring to federate with Sudan, Syria and Libya and was engaged in decades long state of war with Israel, whom it suspected might conspire with Ethiopia to cut its lifeline. Given this mix of hopes of grandeur and apprehension of doomsday, no surprise Egypt remained fixated to its securitization of the Nile including the oft-cited belligerent remark of the subsequent President Sadat mentioning military as an option.
In their defense, Egyptians have no reason to completely rule out the military option, despite Ethiopia's official statements often underline a commitment to fair use. Apart from centuries old threats by Ethiopian Emperors to block the waters flow, and apart from Cairo's greed and chauvinism, it is prudent for them to suspect Ethiopia might not honor a deal once it achieves a certain level of growth and might use it in an eventual contest for regional dominance. At least Ugandans MPs floated, a decade ago, a legislative motion to charge upper-riparian countries per thousands of cubic litters of water consumed.
The major flaw of the Egyptian policy is that it premises an ever-weak Ethiopia, as opposed to an increasingly stable, growing and regionally powerful one, which emerged in the last decade. Thus, as Ethiopia started rallying the region for a collective action, the Egyptians had to resort to pledging pet projects for some upper-riparian countries. Pledges, they are having trouble to honor. The policy was further proved ineffective when Ethiopia built two smaller dams on the tributaries of Nile in the last decade from her own coffers. The former President Mubarak could only react to the launching of Tana Beles dam by making an official visit to Italy to plead for its company's withdrawal from the construction and by summoning the Eritrean president to Cairo.
The Egyptian side is indeed in disarray with no realistic game-plan as observed following the announcement of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project in April 2010. Though, Ethiopia might have taken advantage of the political instability in Cairo, the disarray mainly emanates from their outdated outlook as observed in the ¡®national dialogue' conference held a week after the announcement the project. As bad habits die hard, they resorted to blame game and re-emphasizing policy of destabilization and bribing upper-riparian countries and outdated conspiracy theories.
The media remarks of Cairo's officials in the past few months are nothing but an indication of the persistence of the confusion and lingering old-mindsets.
Yet, posturing aside, officials and scholars in Cairo understand the insistence on monopoly of the Nile waters, with implicit military threats is literally unsustainable. Indeed, the more intelligent amongst them should know, at least for a few years to come, a direct military attack on the Renaissance dam project is improbable.
That is what one infers from considering the two most likely scenarios: That is; Egypt bombs the dam and Ethiopia refrains from military response or a scenario where Ethiopia retaliates to Egyptian attack on the dam. Both scenarios would have huge implications for the Nile basin countries and powers with stake in the region.
The first scenario is possible but unlikely to happen. The Ethiopian government has put its weight behind the dam project, as most of the adult citizen contributed about 8.4% of their personal income for a year. The fury that an attack on the dam will create will be unprecedented. The Ethio-Eritrean war will pale by comparison. The government will loose power either by election or by a coup de etat to hardliners who capitalize by blaming its low military spending and emphasis on economic diplomacy. Even if that hypothetical hardliner government may not immediately resort to retaliatory military measures, its foreign policy will surely be militarized and confrontational. The implication of this on the internal stability of Ethiopia and the conflict-prone Horn of Africa will be serious. The westerners will have trouble relying on Addis Ababa as regional stabilizer without facilitating the restoration of sanity by resolving the Nile dispute or lending hand to the military build-up.
The second and most like scenario would be the Ethiopian government will respond to public fury by retaliating whoever deemed Egypt's proxy. The probable target would be Sudan, but Eritrea and Djibouti may not be off-chart, depending on how the government frames the issue and wishes to achieve in the process. No matter what the capacity of the overrated Egyptian air force might be, it can not immune Sudan from Ethiopian ground forces. Not to forget South Sudan who would seize the opportunity to capture the disputed oil-rich Abiye, if not North Kordofan and Blue Nile regions as well. Egypt could only resume backing extremists elements in Somalia at the pain of serious diplomatic fall out with countries in the region and beyond. That would be more than enough excuse for Uganda to resume backing the South Sudanese ¨C this time with legitimate dividends from oil money.
Both scenarios surely concern Sudan, who should provide a passage for Egyptian forces. As much as Khartoum fears an Egypt's wrath, Khartoum is today more apprehensive of such regional instability which could entail further dismemberment of the state and an opportunity for Western powers to induce regime-change and capture their leaders. Again, the Westerners have developed multiple interests in the region, large enough to oppose an irrational act from Cairo, on whom they have much clout as observed in the past two years.
But there is one very recent variable to the equation.
That is: The Muslim Brotherhood government in Cairo and its undecided power struggle with the Army, which postures as guardian of secularism and non-Islamist political forces. A protracted military support to Sudan and overt proxy war with Ethiopia will not only tax the already bankrupt economy but also empowers the Army. The Brotherhood didn't wait for a half-century to handover power as a result of a chauvinist irrational military engagement.
In fact, at this age, a military conflict will eventually end up in a negotiated settlement, which will likely include the Great Lakes countries. The cumulative amount of water volume Egypt would have to concede will be by far greater than any evaporation impact the Renaissance dam might have. A scenario where Egypt maintains the status quo after a regional military crisis is one which even Israel with all its economic, diplomatic and military height couldn't achieve.
I shall hastily note that this analysis may not hold true after a couple of years, assuming the Sudans manage to reach a lasting peace agreement, Kenya survives the looming threats of tribal war, the power struggle in Cairo settles down and Eritrea and Somalia join the international community.
However, in the mean time, Ethiopia will make much progress in the dam project, which in turn forces the International Panel of Experts of the Renaissance dam to articulate all points on concerns as fast as possible. There by, robbing Egypt the benefit of the appeal of its current vague claims on the dam project in diplomatic circles and the media.

 

Yesh Atid to Make History with First Female Ethiopian MK

In addition to its surprise showing in Tuesday’s election, the Yesh Atid (Future) party will also be making history: For the first time, a female Ethiopian MK will be entering the Knesset.
Pnina Tamano-Shata, number 14 on the Yesh Atid list, made aliyah from Ethiopia at the age of three. She is a lawyer who in the past worked as a reporter on Channel 1 News. Now, she will be making history as an MK. Previous MKs from Ethiopia have all been male.
Speaking to Channel 2 News shortly after exit polls predicted that Yesh Atid would be the second largest party in the Knesset with 18 to 19 seats, Tamano-Shata said, “Most people in our party believed we’d make a good showing and that’s why it happened. We kept repeating the messages that we believe in and ultimately the public understood this and voted Yesh Atid.”
She added, “I hope to be an outstanding MK. It’s a great achievement and a great responsibility.”
“I want to promote as much legislation relating to equality and affordable housing,” said Tamano-Shata. “The middle class understands and knows exactly what it wants. It gave us its trust.”
Even though none of its members have ever been MKs or Cabinet ministers, Yesh Atid is expected to be an important partner in Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s next coalition.
Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid spoke on Tuesday night of the “great responsibility” associated with being the Knesset’s second largest party.
“A heavy responsibility was placed our shoulders tonight and the State of Israel is facing serious challenges,” Lapid said in a victory speech at his party’s headquarters.
“Throughout the campaign there was one sentence that I was told again and again,” he added. “Everywhere I went someone stood up and said: ‘Do not forget us when you're there, do not be like all those who get elected and then forget.’ I will not forget.”
In his victory speech on Tuesday night, which ironically was made at the same time as Lapid was speaking, Netanyahu indicated that one of the principles of his new government would be promoting equal sharing of the burden. Lapid has advocated for this throughout his campaign.
“I see many partners in our mission and, by joining hands in a wide coalition we can succeed,” Netanyahu said, adding, “I believe that the results of the election are an opportunity to make the changes that the people of Israel are longing for.”

 

Ethiopia, South Sudan agree to boost border security

January 24, 2013 (ADDIS ABABA) - Ethiopia and South Sudan have signed an agreement to work jointly on measures aimed at combating regional security threats and ensuring peace along their shared border.
The agreement was reached after senior army officers from the two neighbouring countries held security talks in Ethiopia’s western Gambella state, which borders South Sudan.
Ethiopian delegation head Brigadier General Zewdu Belay and South Sudanese delegation leader Major General Gebriel Jock signed the agreement on Tuesday following the talks.
After the signing ceremony, Gambella state chief Umod Ubong stressed the two armies’ joint collaboration is a crucial strategy for maintaining sustainable peace and stability.
Ensuring peace and security, he said, will in time enhance the social and economic ties between the two East African nations, as well as boosting future benefits for both peoples.
The chief underscored the two countries have undertaken successful measures in extraditing wanted criminals and anti-peace elements hostile to both Ethiopia and South Sudan.
Zewdu said integrated activities are currently being executed by the two countries to ensure durable peace and security along their common border, while Jock said “Ethiopia and South Sudan have not only people-to-people ties but also economic and cultural relations, among others”.
Jock also reaffirmed South Sudan’s commitment to implement the signed agreements, adding his country is keen to further boost existing multilateral ties with Ethiopia.
The joint security measures will be targeted at defusing the threat of armed groups and controlling the illegal movement of people in shared border areas.
The Gambella region has a history conflict between communities mainly over natural resources. Last March, a number of South Sudanese, predominantly from Jonglei state, crossed the border to escape a government disarmament campaign following tribal clashes.
The two countries held their first Ethiopia-South Sudan Joint Ministerial Commission in March last year, signing eight memoranda of understanding to strengthen economic and political ties.
The signed agreements covered issues related to transit, communications, trade exports, education, transport and capacity building.
A month later, Addis Ababa and Juba also agreed to undertake a range of joint activities, including cooperation on security and development, after delegations from South Sudan’s Jonglei, Upper Nile and Eastern Equatoria states met in Gambella.

 

President Mugabe attends AU summit in Ethiopia 

President Mugabe is in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa for the 20th




African Union Summit, which will run until January 28 under the theme “Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance”.


President Mugabe chats to Vice President Joice Mujuru and Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa at Harare International Airport yesterday, before departing for the 20th AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

























The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and his delegation arrived here late yesterday afternoon and will join other leaders and representatives from the 54-member states at the meeting.



Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and Women, Gender and Community Development Minister Olivia Muchena are accompanying President Mugabe.



He was welcomed by Zimbabwe embassy staff and senior Ethiopian government officials.
This year’s summit comes at a time when a number of civil conflicts have arisen in countries such as Mali, the Democratic Republic Congo and the Central African Republic over the past year, while troops from Sudan and South Sudan have occasionally fought along the two countries’ disputed border.




The resolution of these armed conflicts is likely to take centre stage while the African leaders will also seek to chart the continent’s development agenda as it enters its 50th year of regional cooperation.



Speaking after meeting the outgoing African Union chair and Benin President Boni Yayi in Harare last week, President Mugabe said Africa was not united as was expected by the founders of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963. The OAU was founded here and changed its name to the African Union (AU) in 2001,  with leaders envisioning a continent united politically, economically and culturally.



“We may, by virtue of history, have been divided by certain boundaries and especially by colonialism but our founding fathers in 1963 showed us the way and we must take up that teaching we got in 1963 that we are one and we must be united,” said Cde Mugabe.



Cde Mugabe said the African leaders should at this year’s summit discuss the integration of the different regions of the continent adding that there was also need to explore the idea of having a president of Africa.



“This is what we must go and discuss but we must also discuss the issue that divide us.” Mr Yayi said the crises in Somalia, Mali, Sudan, South Sudan, Libya, Guinea Bissau, the Central African Republic and DRC were a cause for concern and reiterated Cde Mugabe’s call for a fully integrated Africa. - Herald

 

Sata expected in Ethiopia today

President Michael Sata is today (Friday)  expected to arrive in Addis Abbaba, Ethiopia for the 20th ordinary session of the African Union summit which takes place on January 27 to 28.
Zambia’s envoy to Ethiopia Francis Simenda revealed President Sata is scheduled to arrive at Bole International Airport at about 12:00 hours Zambian time (13:00 hours Ethipian time).
Simenda said President Sata would be accompanied by the first lady Dr Christine Kaseba who will be attending the Organisation of African First Ladies (OAFLA) General Assembly on the sidelines of the AU heads of state summit.
He said the AU summit among many other issues will discuss prevailing conflicts on the continent.
Wynter Kabimba, who is keeping as a concumbine one of Simenda’s daughter is also in Ethiopia.

 

Burkina Faso v Ethiopia
Alain Traore

Africa Cup of Nations

  • Venue: Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
  • Date: Friday 25 January
  • Kick-off: 18:00 GMT
Coverage: Live text commentary on the BBC Sport website, TV coverage on Eurosport and ITV
Burkina Faso have called Marseille midfielder Charles Kabore into their starting line-up as they look to build on their draw with Nigeria.
But striker Alain Traore will again start from the bench despite scoring the goal that earned them their point.
Ethiopia coach Sewnet Bishaw has promised to make a number of changes but would not reveal names.
But he will definitely have to replace keeper Jemal Tassew, who is suspended after being sent off against Zambia.
Burkina Faso coach Paul Put:
"We have a lot of respect for the Ethiopian team. Any team that can draw with Zambia after playing against them with only 10 men after 30 minutes, that says a lot.
"They are physically very strong because they are used to playing and training at an altitude of 3,000 feet - it also means they will recuperate faster than us, but we will not make excuses.
"Tactically, we know their strengths - they like to play combinations of short one-twos. We know what we will face.
"We must try to read the game at the start and see how we will play. We will not be open in the beginning."
Ethiopia coach Sewnet Bishaw:
"The match against Zambia was our first experience after 31 years so, it was fantastic for our football.
"The players have shown their characters, and they have shown the rest of the world they can play football."

Thursday, January 17, 2013


"An audience with Oromo legend Ali Birra"
“I was lucky to be singer at a time with few Oromo singers around. I got the chance to influence people and their thinking. To be a teacher. To engrave my thoughts in peoples’ minds.”
By Andreas Hansen
The rumors of Ali Birra’s death have been greatly exaggerated. During his career, Ali has not only been jailed dozens of times. He has also been reported death more than once.
First in the mid-70’s when the authorities in his home town of Dire Dawa told Ali’s father to travel to Addis Ababa to collect the corpse of his son. The father found Ali sleeping in hotel, rather hung over from the previous night’s performance, but still very much alive. In the past decade, the rumors of Ali’s death surfaced again and in 2009 he was announced dead on Wikipedia. In late 2012 in Addis Ababa, I met Ali – still alive and thriving – and he told me that the untimely obituaries and imprisonments are the price he has had to pay for playing Oromo music and promoting Oromo culture.
A story untold
The past decade has seen an implausible but well-deserved rediscovery of the astonishing Ethiopian music of the 1960’s and 1970’s. Artists like TilahunGessesse, Mahmoud Ahmed and AlemayehuEshete have become known and celebrated outside Ethiopia. However, the majority of the attention has been given to Amharic music from Addis. One important legacy that has until now been left largely untold is the music of the Oromos, the largest ethnic group of Ethiopia numbering around 30 million people and occupying a territory the size of Italy stretching from the Sudanese border in the west, to Harar and Dire Dawa in the far Eastern Ethiopia and to Borena in the south on the Kenyan border. With Ali Birra’s own words: “Oromo music is still a virgin that has been left yet untouched.”
For several decades from the mid-60’s and onwards, Ali Birra was the most prominent representative of modern Oromo music. He was part of a golden generation of Ethiopian musicians, performing with the greatest artists and orchestras of the time but being Oromo he was always an outsider in relation to the Amharic musicians of his time. Yet for many Oromos, he was a hero, fighting their cause at a time where the promotion of Oromo culture was illegal and singing in Oromo language banned.
Half a century on
Ali Birra left Ethiopia in 1984 and has since been back only sporadically. But he has not been forgotten. Heading for lunch we tried in vain to find a restaurant where devoted fans would not overwhelm Ali. Throughout the day his phone was red-hot with new and old friends checking in and while driving around Addis with Ali, we were met by a continuous honking and passengers shouting ’we love you Ali’ through the car windows. This was Addis 2012 but felt more like driving around with FelaKuti in Lagos in the 70’s.
Ali has returned home to Ethiopia to launch his own NGO called Birra Children’s Education Fund. He wants to give something back to Ethiopia and has started support programmes for children in one school in Dire Dawa and one in Galamso in West Hararge. “My father always told me that educated people know how to fight for their rights and to respect the rights of others,’’ Ali explains. He now hopes to expand the programme to other schools around the country.
He has also come back to Ethiopia for musical reasons. In 2013, Ali is celebrating his 50-year anniversary on the music scene and he is planning to commemorate this landmark with concerts in Addis and at home turf in Dire Dawa as well as with the release of one final record before retiring. During our chat, his wife Lily plays some of Ali’s newly recorded songs but Ali insists it is still a work in progress. “These things have to be done properly,” he emphasizes.
The Oromo teacher
“I was lucky to be singer at a time with few Oromo singers around. I got the chance to influence people and their thinking. To be a teacher.To engrave my thoughts in peoples’ minds. The young Oromo musicians now are tough but they have not achieved this yet,” Ali tells me. And things certainly were tough in Dire Dawa in the early 60’s when Ali aged 14 at the time formed his first band HiriyaaJaalalaa and soon after started performing with the group called AfranQallo orUrjiBachalchaa. Being an Oromo musician back then was risky business. Singing in Oromifa was illegal and the band members handed out their records to people on the streets as no Oromo music was allowed on the radio. “We were very young and courageous at that time,” Ali admits.
The emergence of AfranQallo can be considered an early dawn for modern Oromo music and it was at a concert with this group that Ali earned himself his screen name – Birra meaning ‘spring’ or ‘break of dawn’ in Oromifa – through the singing of the ’BirradhaBarihe’ song. In 1964, the group was invited to play in neighbouring Djibouti but the 11 band members were denied permission to leave Ethiopia and had their music instruments destroyed. They decided to split in smaller fractions and travel anyway but when Ali arrived in Djibouti, he was arrested and detained for a month. On New Year’s Eve of 1964, Ali and three of his band members returned to Ethiopia and the next day, January 1st 1965, they were again arrested. Ali who had now turned 16 spent the next six months in prison, jailed for singing in his own language and celebrating his culture. “I still remember it vividly. From that time on I knew that I wanted to fight for the rights of my people,” he recounts.
After his release Ali was still detained on numerous occasions, sometimes for weeks, sometimes for months, until he in 1966 left Dire Dawa for Addis. But although he left Oromia and 20 years later left Ethiopia, Ali has never stopped being a strong and outspoken Oromo advocate. Seven years ago he met with the late Ethiopian Prime Minister MelesZenawi to discuss various Oromo issues and he has often encouraged the federal government to support arts and culture in Oromia by establishing a music school in the region.
The Ali Birra sound
Many of Ali’s early lyrics were strongly inspired by the revolutionary Oromo poet AbubakarMusaa. But singing in Oromifa was only one of the ways that Ali tried to distinguish his music from the dominant Amharic sound. He and fellow Oromo musicians used grace notes and played in diatonic instead of pentatonic scales creating a less Amharic and more Indian or Arabian sound. “Nowadays Oromo music sounds similar to the Amharic,” Ali deplores. But simultaneously he praises the many new Oromo musicians: “Back then it was mostly Ali Shebbo and I. Now you have new Oromo singers coming forth almost every day,” he says and starts listing some of his favourite heirs such as TadeleGemechu, JamboJote, Qamar Yusuf, HachaluHundessa and Elemo Ali among others.
While there truly are many talented young Oromo musicians out there, none of them have carved out a sound as unique as the one that characterizes many of Ali’s recordings from the 60’s and 70’s: the one of a guitar tuned as an oud. This was a sound crafted under rather peculiar circumstances. Ali and his childhood friend Ali Shebbo had learned to play the oud in Dire Dawa. In 1966, when Ali Birra went to an audition for Emperor Haile Selassie’s Imperial Body Guard Band, he was asked if he played any instruments. He replied that he played the oud but was then told they did not have an oud in Addis. Instead Ali was given a guitar, which he tuned like an oud because that was what he knew the best. Thus, the inimitable Ali Birra sound was born.
He has since tried to remain true to that sound. When I ask him about his musical philosophy, he explains: “I believe in small incremental changes to my music while staying faithful to its origins. I have tried to use new technological means while respecting the past. When I left Ethiopia, I was lucky to get the chance to study music in the US. It made me able to better analyse music and its scales. At the same time I can play many different instruments. Many new musicians today are only vocalists or they can only play one instrument.“
Stories from the palace
Ali is full of anecdotes. Some of the finest ones originate in his three-year spell with the Imperial Body Guard Band. Ali confesses that he enjoyed the prestige and fame related to the orchestra and that he was honouredto perform along with Ethiopian music legends such as BesuneshBekele, TilahunGessesse and Mahmoud Ahmed. But being a young and idealistic Oromo musician in the Emperor’s band also posed many challenges for Ali and he did not really fit into the military lifestyle.
One of the first times Ali clashed with palace protocol was during an official visit by the Romanian present. When the Emperor and his visitor strolled by the Imperial Body Guard Band in the palace’s hallway, all the band members were supposed to bow and lie down on the ground. However, Ali was not aware of this etiquette and stood straight staring into the eyes of the Emperor. Ali was then taken to jail but when asked about his misstep, he told his superiors that being a Muslim he was not allowed to bow for any human being.
On another occasion, Ali was caught in the palace chewing chat, which was then illegal in Ethiopia. Ali admits that he was naïve back then: “There were so many cultural differences between life in Dire Dawa and in Addis and I did not speak Amharic very well.” In 1969, Ali finally quit the Imperial Body Guard Band and for a few years he quit music as well. He worked as a water machine operator on the railway between Ethiopia and Djibouti until he in 1972 returned to Addis and to music.
The disarmament
Ali’s second stint as musician in Addis proved to be more successful than his time in the Emperor’s band. He started performing again at various hotels and clubs in Addis and touring throughout Ethiopia. In 1973, a concert at an Islamic School in Jimma in Western Oromia turned out to be the most profitable performance yet for Ali and his band members. Ali describes, how at first the audience was not really able to understand his Eastern Oromo dialect but when he started singing a classic Arabic song praising the prophet Mohamed, the crowd went berserk and started throwing money at the band. Ali repeated the song and in the end the floor was covered with money. The group was originally paid 400 birr to play the concert but ended up earning close to 10,000 birr that single night
In 1977, Ali joined the renowned all-star Ibex band and in 1980 the Ethio Star Band. Nevertheless, Ali also had his difficulties this time around: “When I joined the Ibex Band, I was disarmed my guitar. I was told that my guitar style did not match their vocal so I was left with singing together with Mahmoud Ahmed. At least, this gave me a bit more freedom to be a performer.” Some of the more serious artistic restrictions came from the Derg regime. “There was a lot of censorship during public concerts and the majority of the songs we recorded had to include some praise of socialism, Marxism or Leninism”, he elaborates.
"Ali Birra in Jimma"
Ali (standing in the middle) and his band mates in Jimma, Western Ethiopia, 1973
More than music
The night before Ali in 1984 left Ethiopia, he played with the Ethio Star Band at a wedding at the Hilton. “I never get paid for that job,” he notes. A few years earlier, Ali had met and married a diplomat named BrigittaAlstrom working at the Swedish Embassy. When Brigitta’s posting in Ethiopia ended, she was transferred to Los Angeles and Ali decided to follow his wife to the US. “My motivations for leaving Ethiopia were mixed. I wanted to be with my wife, to escape the harassment of the regime and to explore new opportunities abroad,” he tells me.
In the US, Ali studied music theory at the university and used most weekends touring the US and Canada with fellow Ethiopian diaspora musicians. Diplomatic life later brought Ali to Saudi Arabia and Sweden and he continued to perform and record music throughout this period. Ali now resides in Canada with his wife Lily.
Before I part ways with Ali, I ask him to reflect over the biggest rewards during his 50 years in music. His replies promptly: “The biggest victory for my music and for me is that people after so many years still have an interest in it. Even people from outside Ethiopia. But it also goes beyond the music. Oromo music is much more than music. It is a struggle and a freedom fight.”
The article first published by addisrumble.com.

Addis Ababa Budgets 2.6 Billion Birr for Interchanges

The Addis Ababa City Roads Authority announced a budget of 2.6 billion birr to construct interchanges and roundabouts as  a part of the Light Railway Transit being launched in the Ethiopian capital. The budget for the roads development is expected to be covered by the federal government and the city administration according to sources.
The roads authority will select a contract for the construction of the interchanges and roundabouts once it confirms funding it was noted.
The authority plans to invite capable and experienced international contractors to handle what is expected to be a difficult project explained Engineer Fekade Haile, General Manager of the AACRA.
The main challenge anticipated with the realization of this project are the major water pipelines found around the Mexico and Megenagna squares explained Fekade.
It is expected that the project will commence in April following the selection of a contractor he noted.
It is to be remembered that concerns were raised in relation to the construction of interchanges and roundabouts alongside the construction of the Light Railway Transit System by both the Ethiopian Railway Corporation and the China Engineering Corporation, contractor for the project.

Addis University to Establish Technology Business Incubation

Addis Ababa University, foremost institution of higher education in Ethiopia, is to establish a Technology Business Incubation Center as well as a Science and Technology Park. The proposed center, the Addis Ababa University Technology and Business Incubation Center, will be a center to promote excellence in entrepreneurship development as well as serving to commercialize technological innovations at the university.
It is expected to offer a range of support services including infrastructure, finance, management assistance and a support network to strengthen new and emerging entrepreneurial efforts it was said at a at a workshop organized to promote the proposed center. The center is also expected to support the university’s aim to strengthen technology transfer, and research and development efforts. The center will aim to support research activities, create and nurture innovative thinkers said Dr. Admassu Tsegaye President of Addis Ababa University speaking at the workshop.
The workshop was organized to solicit contributions from stakeholders towards preparing the founding document for the center explained Dr. Fenta Mandefro, Associate Dean of Research and Technology Transfer with the college of Business and Economics.
Large development projects nationally are in need of technical knowledge and expertise of the sort that can be offered through such a center according to Kassa Tekleberhan, Chairperson of the University of the Board.

Ethiopian Airlines Academy Graduates 90 Trainees

The Ethiopian Airlines Aviation Academy graduated its most recent batch of graduates this week. The Academy graduated a total of 90 graduates.
The aviation Academy graduated 65 cabin crew trainees who had undertaken three months of training at the Academy said Samuel Assefa, Vice President of the Academy speaking on the occasion of the graduation.
The remaining graduates, a total of 25 graduated from the Modularized Aviation Maintenance Technical School after 11 months of training he said. The almost year long training included general and specific courses according to Samuel.
The academy is training crew and staff to meet the demand for trained personnel for Ethiopian Airlines as well as others to play its part in the development and modernization of the aviation sector nationally and regionally he noted. Ethiopian Airlines is committed to developing its human resources in order to maintain its leading role in the aviation industry, according to Tewolde Gebre-Mariam, Chief Executive of the airline.
The airline is concentrating on human resource development in order to address the shortage of skilled human power for itself and other airlines.
Ethiopian has been concentrating on its human resource development for the last ten years but was limited because of the training capacity of its aviation academy which could only train 200 people a year. The airline is now able to train 1,000 people according to its current capabilities but this is still not enough to meet domestic and international demands for personnel which has led the airline to revise its human resource development plan with a view towards increasing the number of people it can train said Tewolde.
Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Brazil to Co-Finance Ethiopian Railway


Brazil is to co-finance the Ethiopian railway infrastructure construction project alongside China and Turkey.
The Ethiopian Ministry of Finance and Economic Development is in the final stages of negotiations with Brazil for the financing of the Sebeta-Ijaji-Jimma-Bedele railway project according to sources at the ministry.
It is to be remembered that Andrade Gutierrez S.A , Brazilian contractor signed a Memorandum of Understanding  with the Ethiopian Railway Corporation last financial year handle the construction of the railway project under the condition that it will find financing. The negotiation between the two sides have reached the final stages and financing has secured requiring only the approval of the lending party and official from the MoFED for the funds to disbursed according to sources.
Andrade Gutierrez will become the fifth company following three Chinese contractors China Communication Construction Company, China Railway Engineering Corporation, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation and Yapi Merkezi Construction Industry already involved in the railway project.
The Chinese and Turkish companies also came up with funding for the projects from finance external finance sources including the Chinese Export-Import Bank and its Turkish counterpart.
The 496km Addis Ababa-Ijaji-Jimma-Bedele railway line is expected to transport passengers and freight and is designed to be powered by renewable energy. 

Source: Capital

Wednesday, January 16, 2013


Ethiopia says to take over as AU chair

Addis Ababa - Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn is slated to take over as the chairperson of the African Union this month, replacing Benin president Boni Yayi as the head of the pan-African bloc, officials said on Wednesday.
"Ethiopia is going to pick up the chairmanship of the African Union," Ethiopian Foreign Affairs spokesman Dina Mufti told AFP.
Hailemariam must be officially voted in by member states at the opening of this month's African Union heads of state summit, which runs from 27 January to 28 January.
A new chairperson is elected every January at the annual summit and is awarded on a regional basis.
Before current chairperson Boni Yayi took on the role, the chairmanship has been successively occupied by northern, southern and central Africa.
The last time East Africa chaired the AU was in 2008 when Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete served as head of the bloc.
Dina said the appointment is especially important for Ethiopia, which hosts the headquarters of the AU and is a founding member nation of the AU's predecessor, the Organisation for African Unity (OAU).
Strengthening of the organisationHailemariam Desalegn. (AFP, File)
"Taking over chairmanship of the African Union will give an opportunity for Ethiopia to work hard for the strengthening of the organisation," he said.
It is the first time the country has occupied the seat since the founding of the AU in 2003, though previous Ethiopian leaders, including late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, served as chair of the OAU.
Hailemariam - Ethiopia's former foreign minister - took over as Prime Minister in August following the sudden death of Zenawi, who ruled the country for 21 years.
The AU summit kicks off this month at the towering Chinese-built AU headquarters in the Ethiopian capital. It is the first summit since the election of Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as chairperson of the AU Commission - the body's executive arm - last July.
The war against al-Qaeda-linked fighters occupying northern Mali is expected to top the agenda but crises between rivals Sudan and South Sudan and in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo will also be discussed.

የፌዴሬሽኑ ሃላፊዎችና የብሄራዊ ቡድኑ አሰልጣኝ መግለጫ እየሰጡ ነው. 64 ሚሊዮን ብር ለሽልማት ቀረበ


ጥር 8/2005ዓ.ም
በ29ኛው አፍሪካ እግር ኳስ ዋንጫ ውድድር የሚካፈለውን የኢትዮጵያ ብሄራዊ ቡድን ዝግጅት አሰመልክቶ የብሄራዊ ቡድኑ አሰልጣኝ የገቢና ጉዟ ዝግጅትን አስመልክቶ የፌዴሬሽኑ ስራ ሃላፊዎች በኢንተር ኮንትኔንታል ሆቴል መግለጫ በመስጠት ላይ ናቸው፡፡ ብሄራዊ ቡድኑ በአፍሪካ ዋንጫ ለሚያስመዘግበው ውጤት 64.4 ሚሊዮን ብር ለሽልማት መዘጋጀቱን ፌዴሬሽኑ ይፋ አድርጓል፡፡ ቡድኑ ከምድቡ ካለፈ 8ሚሊዮን ብር፤አራት ውስጥ ከገባ 11.5 ሚሊዮን ብር፤ ለዋንጫ ከደረሰ 23ሚሊዮን ብር ፤ዋንጫ ካገኘ 46ሚሊዮን ብር እንደሚሰጥ አስታውቋል፡፡ ይህ ሽልማት ከአሰልጣኝ ቡድኑ አባላት ውጪ መሆኑን ፌዴሬሽኑ አስታውቋል

Ethiopian Electric Power Corp. to Split into Two

The Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation is to split into separate bodies. The two bodies will be concerned with electric utility and power investment according to sources.
The Israel Electric Corporation was selected by Board of Directors of the electric corporation to run the management of the electric utility. This section will include the distribution and sale of electric power said the sources.
The second entity dealing with power investment will be managed under the leadership of Mihiret Debebe current Chief Executive Officer of the corporation. This section will concentrate on the development of projects to generate electric power from hydropower, geothermal, wind or other means. The responsibilities of this section include the construction of dams, and installation of power plants as well as transmission explained sources.
The division of the state owned corporation is in line with realizing plans to enhance the export potential of the power sector to become a significant source of power for the region said the sources.
It is expected that discussions between the Israel Electric Corporation and the officials of EEPCo will commence in the coming weeks.
Israel Electric Corporation is the only integrated electric utility in Israel, building maintaining and operating power generation stations, sub-stations, as well as transmission and distribution networks. The company is almost 100% owned by the state.

Altu's Ethiopian Cuisine brings authentic east-African taste to East Lansing

EAST LANSING, MI -- Although the dishes at Altu’s Ethiopian Cuisine originated in the kitchens of east Africa, the restaurant’s warm service and flavorful food can make anyone feel closer to home.
Altus Ethiopian Cuisine East Lansing.jpg
Owner Altaye Tadesse opened the restaurant 16 years ago to bring the cuisine of her native country to the Lansing area. What started as an establishment with just a few tables and chairs has since expanded into a spacious dining room to accommodate the many customers craving Tadesse’s healthy, homemade dishes.
Altu’s Ethiopian Cuisine, 1312 Michigan Ave., offers its guests a traditional Ethiopian dining experience: Throughout the restaurant sit basket-like tables called mesob, which each hold one large plate for a party to share. Food is eaten not with a fork or spoon, but instead with the help of injera, a spongy, crepe-like flatbread served with every meal.
“It’s family-style eating from the same plate with your fingers,” Tadesse said. “So you go wash your hands and get ready, and you cut your piece of bread and grab your (food) with the bread. That’s how you eat.”
(Booth seating and silverware are available for less adventurous diners.)
Altaye Tadesse Altu's Ethiopian Cuisine.jpgAltaye Tadesse, owner of Altu's Ethiopian Cuisine, sits at a traditional mesob table.
Growing up in Ethiopia, Tadesse had a passion for making meals from the moment she began learning the skill at 9 years old. And after coming with her husband to Michigan to continue their educations, Tadesse knew cooking was her calling.

“I came to this country, (and) I thought, ‘I can cook, and I love cooking -- what a better way of owning my own business than having a restaurant?,’” Tadesse said. “So I’d been dreaming about it for a long time, and then finally it happened.”
Many of the dishes served at Altu’s Ethiopian Cuisine are vegetarian, including meals of white peas and potatoes, and garlic lentils. Chicken, beef and lamb stews seasoned with spices such as berbere, garlic and ginger also are available.
The restaurant’s specialty is a lima bean dish not traditionally served at Ethiopian establishments but has always been a favorite of the owner’s.
Lansing resident Anne Carrigan and her husband Daniel Luke stop by Altu’s Ethiopian Cuisine for lunch every Friday — a tradition that began about two years ago. Each week, the couple looks forward not only to the healthy food but also the sincere service.
“It feels almost like when you have a really good friend when you’re a kid, and you go over to their house, and their mom cooks you something that’s really wonderful,” Carrigan said. “It’s not intimidating like some restaurants that have really good food… This feels really homey and very earnest and very loving.”
Tadesse suspects it’s the food’s unique flavor that keeps diners coming back.
“Our original customers from day one are still with us too, so it seems like we’re growing slowly but fortunately,” Tadesse said.

Follow Marina Csomor on Twitter: @

Family Brings Baseball to Ethiopian Village

An Arlington family and a local little league group brought America's national pastime to a remote village in Ethiopia.
Moody Alexander and a team of family and friends to Ethiopia to provide medical, educational and religious services to the village of Duba Bute, where his adopted son, Easyu, was born.
"The first time we went, we had to walk an hour just to get there," Alexander said. "It's where there's no electricity, no running water, no appreciable schools."
Two of his sons pitched the idea of bringing baseball.
"Two nights before we left, we put out a little plea saying, 'We're going to Africa. Let's take some baseball equipment.' Within 12 hours, our living room was completely full of gear," Alexander said.
The Arlington Southwest Little League donated several containers full of baseball equipment.
"Never in their life had they seen a glove, never in their life had they seen a bat, which was a little frightening -- you're taking these bats and we're trying to teach them, it's just for balls," Alexander joked.
"For them to get to go and experience joy and laughter and fun is a pretty dramatic opportunity for them," he said. "A little distraction like the love of sport can be a remarkable thing for a child that is struggling to eat and struggling to have clothes."

Ethiopian Potash Corp. Appoints New Director

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Jan. 14, 2013) - Ethiopian Potash Corp. (the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:FED) is pleased to announce the appointment of Antonino (Anthony) Vella as a director of the Company, effective immediately.
Ethiopian Potash Corp.
Mr. Vella is currently an independent consultant and has considerable experience within the private and public marketplace. Mr. Vella joins Ms. Hueston as an independent member of the Company's board of directors. Mr. Vella holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Victoria and is also a director of Black Sparrow Capital Corp.
The Company also announces that it has accepted the resignation of Bruce Cumming as a director of the Company effective immediately.
About Ethiopian Potash Corp.
Ethiopian Potash Corp. (TSX VENTURE:FED) is a Canadian company based in Toronto, Ontario and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
On behalf of the Board of Directors
George Roach, CEO & Director
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Scott Robinson looks to ancient lands in Offbeat Roads premiere


Scott Robinson, a Canadian “extreme cyclist” with the Guinness World Record for the fastest human-powered trek across Africa, tackles the terrain of Ethiopia in his new Travel + Escape television series, Offbeat Roads. Premiering Jan. 13, the program follows Robinson and 15 other cyclists as they travel the Danakil Depression, which is the lowest and hottest place on Earth. The Post’s Sarah Macdonald spoke to Robinson about both rising temperatures and rising tempers.
Q  Why did you choose Ethiopia’s Danakil Depression for this tour?A  Over the years of going to Ethiopia, I heard about the world’s most inhospitable, craziest place on the planet. So I started Googling it and looking at pictures and was just blown away by finding out this is where man’s first steps were taken. Lucy’s bones, back in the ’60s, were found in the Danakil Depression. I thought, “Well, I’m going to ride my bike across the Danakil Depression and be the first guy to ride in Lucy’s footsteps.” I wanted to do it, personally, because that’s the kind of guy I am. I started thinking, “You know, I should film this. It’s too crazy not to film.” I was going to do a documentary for the film festivals, so I hired two cameramen to come along with me, and we just went out there. I got riders to come with me and we just filmed it. Here are with a TV show now.
Q  How did the cyclists fare in the extreme conditions?A  Some really broke down, there’s no question. People broke down badly. I’ve been through deserts before, and it was tough on me, but people broke down. They got nasty. Either they were physically breaking down or mentally breaking down. There are seven people who won’t talk to me from that trip. It’s like [they] thought I put the desert there. They forgot what they signed up for.
Q  This venture isn’t just all about trekking across 1,600 kilometres of land. There is a more social and environmental aspect to it. What else do you hope to accomplish with this show and this journey?A  I was [in Ethiopia] once for a rainy season and watched the farmland get washed away. Ethiopia once was one of the fertile crescents of the world. I just started thinking that I have to plant some trees here. That was one of my goals. But while I was there I always raised money for soccer balls and books for the kids because we rode through the remote Ethiopian Highlands all the time.
Q  What was your favourite find on this trip to Ethiopia? One of them was in the desert and I was standing on an old reef. It was part of the Red Sea. Here you are in the middle of the desert on you’re bike and you’re standing on an old reef that is millions of years old. The other was pushing my bike up a volcano and, at the top, is a sulphur volcano. It’s not lava, it’s sulphur, and green, yellow, purple and bubbling up like a huge lake at the top of the volcano. You feel like you’re in a Dali painting. That’s memorable as hell. You’ll see that in the show. That sulphur volcano was one of the most incredible things.
 Do you have any plans in the future for another trek like this?
A If we get the second season, I already have the ride planned. We’ll be in Peru. We’re going to do the polar opposite. We’re going to get up to 17,000, 18,000 feet on our bikes. We’re going to push through the cold and altitude. We’re going to be on back roads and trails. Then part of our trip will be slashing our way through the jungle, on local’s trails, with machetes and our bikes.

Ethiopian B787 Dreamliners Have Logged 5,560 Flight Hours in Five Months of Successful Operations

Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Ethiopian Airlines is pleased to announce that it has successfully integrated its four 787 Dreamliner aircraft in to its fleet with record length of non-stop flights and record high daily aircraft utilization in the industry. Since its first delivery in mid-August of last year, Ethiopian has logged 5,560 flight hours with average daily aircraft utilization of 14 hours.
Ethiopian is the first African and the third airline in the world to own and operate the Dreamliner. Since their entry into service, Ethiopian Dreamliners have been performing well bringing the ultimate travel experience to its passengers.
Currently, the four Ethiopian Dreamliners are deployed on regularly scheduled flights to Johannesburg, Washington D.C., Toronto, Frankfurt, Beijing, Lusaka and Harare by alternating with its B-777-200 LR. In fact, Ethiopian Airlines is the only carrier in the world, which has reached the design range capabilities of the Dreamliners by flying the aircraft from Washington D.C. to Addis Ababa (11500 km), which is the longest non-stop commercial service in record for the fleet.
“We are pleased with the performance of our Dreamliners. The Dreamliner is a highly capable and safe aircraft, which has enabled Ethiopian to enhance its service. The feedback from our passengers has been overwhelmingly positive and in some instances contributed to higher than expected passenger load factors on routes it has been deployed,” said Tewolde Gebremariam, CEO of Ethiopian. “However, like any new technology aircraft entering into service, it is normal to encounter some minor bugs here and there, which are causing some technical delays in departures as extra time is needed to correct them”, he added.
Ethiopian will receive its 5thDreamliner in March 2013. The remaining five Ethiopian Dreamliners will be phased-in in 2014.
About Ethiopian
Ethiopian Airlines, the fastest growing airline in Africa, made its maiden international flight to Cairo in 1946 and now the Airline provides dependable services to 70 international destinations spanning four continents.
Ethiopian is proud to be a Star Alliance Member. The Star Alliance network is the leading global airline network offering customers convenient worldwide reach and a smoother travel experience. The Star Alliance network offers more than 21,555 daily flights to 1,356 airports in 193 countries.
Ethiopian is a multi-award winner for its commitment and contributions towards the development and growth of the African aviation industry and in recognition of its distinguished long-haul operations enhanced by the introduction of new routes and products. Recently, Ethiopian won Gold in the African Airline of the Year 2011/2012 Awards organized by the African Aviation News Portal. Ethiopian also received the 2011 AFRAA award for being consistently profitable over the years and has won the “AFRICAN CARGO AIRLINE OF THE YEAR 2011 Award” for its excellence in air cargo. Ethiopian also won the 2012 “African Airline of the Year Award” from Air Transport Quarterly Magazine.
With its acquisition of and firm orders for several new modern fleet, the airline is well positioned to pursue aggressively the implementation of its Vision 2025 strategic plan to become the leading aviation group in Africa.

Bank President Pays Courtesy Call to Ethiopian PM

On the sideline of the meeting between the heads of the African Development Bank, African Union Commission and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa that took place January 11-12, in Addis Ababa, AfDB President Donald Kaberuka paid a courtesy call on Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.
Desalegn and Kaberuka discussed a wide range of issues pertaining to Ethiopia and regional matters. Kaberuka assured the Prime Minister of the Bank's continued support to his country, which has one of the Bank's largest portfolios. Desalegn updated Kaberuka on his Government's efforts in combating inflation and sustaining sound economic policies that his predecessor, the late Meles Zenawi, had started. The two agreed to continued cooperation.