Bloomberg- Saudi-Ethiopian billionaire Mohammed Al Amoudi is in the custody of authorities and has been charged with corruption and bribery, a Saudi official said on Thursday — more than a year after the tycoon was held in the kingdom’s controversial anti-corruption campaign.

During Al Amoudi’s long detention, rumors spread among Saudi Arabia’s business elite that he had died. But the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he was “still alive” and would face trial in a Saudi court on a date yet to be confirmed.

Tim Pendry, a spokesman for Al Amoudi, disputed that the businessman
had been officially charged with any wrongdoing and declined further
comment.

Al Amoudi was detained in Riyadh’s Ritz-Carlton hotel last
November along with dozens of princes, officials and businessmen as
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman declared a campaign against corruption.
Critics denounced the purge as a shakedown and intimidation tactic, a
charge the government has vehemently denied, saying it was necessary to
clean up the kingdom as part of the prince’s economic transformation
program.

Most of the detainees were released earlier this year;
however several high-profile figures are still being held. The
government has never officially announced who was freed, who remains in
custody or what charges they face.

Al Amoudi’s arrest is of
particular interest to Ethiopia, where the billionaire owns vast assets.
In May, after a visit to Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy
Ahmed said that he had inquired after Al Amoudi and was “sure” he would
be released soon.

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Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has fired press secretary Billene Seyoum, barely two month after she was appointed in the newly created post.

Abiy has appointed Nigusu Tilahun as press secretary at the office of the Prime Minister. Nigusu had been serving as head of the Amhara region culture and tourism bureau with the rank of deputy chief administrator.

Nigusu also served as director general of Amhara regional state communication affairs office.

Source: Fana

Editor’s Note: According to Addis Standard, “Billene Seyoum and Helen Yosef will remain in their position at the press secretariat department of the PM’s office. Although Nigussu Tilahun is assigned as head of the Press Secretariat department, Billene will remain at her position “

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BBC – Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been widely praised for introducing sweeping reforms aimed at ending political repression, writes BBC Africa editor Fergal Keane after visiting the country.

The crowd at the airport in Jimma in Ethiopia’s Oromia region was handpicked and universally rapturous.

But these were not the praise-singing party hacks who so often grace the arrivals and departures of powerful men in Africa.

Men
and women, old, young and very young – beaming babies were held above
the crowd – had gathered to witness the arrival of a political
sensation.

“We are so very happy,” an elderly man shouted to me
above the sound of the military band, “it is like a renaissance. We have
waited so long for this.”

Shift from autocracy

Then
Abiy Ahmed was among us, descending the steps of his plane to delighted
cheers, testing the nerves of his security detail as he reached into
the crowd to kiss a baby here, embrace an old man there.

I was conscious of an extraordinary fusion between the driven energy of an individual and the hope of a nation. Africa has rarely seen anyone like him.

At 42 he is the youngest leader on the continent but his impact is far greater than his age suggests.

When
the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF)
coalition elected him prime minister nine months ago the country,
Africa’s second largest in terms of population with more than 100
million people, shifted decisively from a long period of autocracy.

He
ended a 20-year conflict with neighbouring Eritrea, freed thousands of
political prisoners, unfettered the media and appointed women to half
the cabinet posts.

Parliament also accepted his female nominees for president and head of the supreme court.

On top of that, he asked a dissident leader to return from exile in the United States to run the electoral commission.

The pace of change has delighted pro-democracy activists and thrown more reactionary elements off balance.

Fourteen
years ago, Birtukan Mideksa spent 18 months in prison as leader of an
opposition party before leaving for exile in the US.

She was as surprised as most observers when Mr Abiy invited her to return and chair the National Election Board.

“Thousands,
if not millions, of people paid [a heavy price] to see this kind of
change in this country… to see this opening,” Ms Birtukan told me.

“To
have a former opposition leader, former dissident, to lead an
institution with significant independence of action… means a lot.

“For those people who paid a price in the process, it’s really significant,” Ms Birtukan added.

‘Use ideas not weapons’

But change has inevitably emphasised the significant challenges still facing Mr Abiy.

When I caught up with him at a graduation ceremony for medical students in Jimma he appealed to them to “use ideas not weapons” and to follow the example of a nation like Japan, which recovered from World War Two to build a sophisticated economy.

Ethiopia has one of the fastest growing economies in the world but still has a vast number of unemployed young people.

This
is both a reservoir of potential talent and potential dissent if Mr
Abiy’s moves to liberalise the economy and tackle corruption do not
succeed swiftly.

The prime minister was addressing the graduates in Jimma against a backdrop of deepening ethnic conflicts across the country.

Ethiopia has more than 80 different ethnic groups.

The divisions are old and deep rooted, but they flared up with a new intensity in the first half of last year when 1.4 million people were forced to flee ethnic conflict in the west of the country, according to the UN.

Overall, some 2.8 million people have been uprooted from their homes
in recent years. The other major concern is the fighting on the borders
of the Oromia and Somali regions.

Over decades, the central government used force and a whole battery of repressive legislation to quell ethnic unrest.

Predictably,
this merely gave an impression of national cohesion while unaddressed
grievances festered. They erupted into protest in 2016.

‘Steel in Abiy’s voice’

Demonstrations
by members of the Oromo community – Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group –
precipitated the resignation of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and
the election of Mr Abiy.

Mr Abiy is the first leader to come from the Oromo community but has stressed that he is a leader for all Ethiopians.

When I caught up with him in Jimma I asked if he was the man to unite an increasingly divided country.

He was being ushered away from the crowds by his guards but the question made him pause.

Looking
around he caught my eye and shouted above the noise: “Of course I am.
No doubt about it!” There was steel in the voice. And then the smile
returned.

Last month, Mr Abiy established a reconciliation commission to deal with some of the issues.

This
may provide an outlet for the airing of uncomfortable truths about the
past but the greater challenge is the federal constitution which divides
regional government along ethnic lines.

Respecting ethnic rights while fostering the idea of a nation will demand considerable political and legal sure-footedness.

In the Tigray region, in the north, there have been ominous stirrings.

Although Tigrayans compose only a small percentage of the population they dominated the previous government.

In
recent months, prominent Tigrayans in the army, security services, as
well as business figures, have been accused of human rights abuses and
corruption.

Travelling in Tigray one frequently hears concerns about the alleged marginalisation of the once-powerful group.

A former communications minister, Getachew Reda, told me he thought Tigrayans were being turned into scapegoats.

It was as if only Tigrayan leaders were responsible for past abuses under the ruling coalition, he said.

Although still calling himself a friend of Mr Abiy he believes the young leader risks creating a failed state.

“He symbolises the kind of ambition, the kind of courage to storm the heavens that youth would represent.

“But
he also represents the kind of tendency to gloss over things, the kind
of tendency to try to telescope decades into months, years… to rush
things.”

For the moment Mr Abiy has the momentum and no shortage of energy.

Even in Tigray, the ordinary citizens I spoke to saw him as an inspirational figure.

Elsa
Tesfaye is a small-holder farmer who lives close to the border with
Eritrea and lost a brother to the war between the two nations.

For her Mr Abiy is the man who brought peace “and I thank him for that”.

‘Revivalist preacher’

She
worries about ethnic divisions and whether her son – an engineering
student – will be able to work in other parts of the country if the
situation deteriorates.

“[The reforms] are great. But it still needs a bit of work. If ethnic conflict… and hate could be removed I would be satisfied.”

Mr
Abiy is a devout Pentecostal Christian and there is something of the
revivalist preacher in the way he evangelises for his vision. He has the
energy, the passion and the certainty.

The question is whether he can prevent an escalation of conflicts without resorting to the repressive methods of the past, and maintain his reformist momentum up to the next elections in 2020.

Before he left Jimma I managed to speak with Mr Abiy again.

He greeted me with a traditional embrace and kiss. This was Mr Abiy being the consummate politician.

The
world should look at the example of Ethiopia, he told me, to see how
people can live together in peace. Given the vast numbers of displaced
it seemed more a statement of ambition than reflective of any current
reality.

But on the central question of reform he was adamant.

“Would anything stop you?” I asked.

“Not at all,” he replied with a vehemence that left no room for doubt.

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ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – Ethiopia charged the former head of
military-run industrial conglomerate METEC with corruption on Thursday,
nearly two months after his arrest.

Kinfe Dagnew was charged
with four counts of corruption related to the procurement of tractors,
said a judge in the Lideta High Court in Addis Ababa. His co-defendants
faced three further charges. Kinfe was arrested after a months-long
investigation into METEC, which uncovered suspicious procurement
practices involving more than $2 billion.

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Ethiopian Ministry of Defense said it will investigate the death of eight civilians in West Gondar region. Deputy Chief of Staff of the Defense Forces, General Berhanu Jula told journalists that the incident happened when defense forces were escorting Sur Construction company.

The company was moving its equipment out of West Gondar with a military convoy protection, when residents of Gende Wuha stopped the convoy and demanded that the trucks be searched.

During the press briefing, General Berhanu said the trucks were searched as demanded by the residents of the town and were cleared . But moments later, in a different incident, a military convoy transporting water was fired upon by unknown gunmen and two soldiers were injured and the soldiers fired back.

He said, the Sur Construction convoy was stopped again by protesting residents and while the soldiers and residents were talking, fires were shot indiscriminately by unknown gunmen towards the convoy and civilians were killed. When asked why the armed forces did not deescalate the situation, the Deputy Chief of Staff said, the soldiers first need to defend themselves because they were fired upon. The government will investigate the incident and if the armed forces is found to be at fault, he said the army will apologize and compensate the victims’ family. He denounced reports that said the military fired on civilians with out full investigation.

When asked why a private company needs a military convoy, General Berhanu said, “You are a journalist right, if you are unable to go to Metema to report due to security reason and ask for an escort, we will provide you protection let alone a major corporation. ”

Sur Construction is one of the major companies owned by Endowment Fund for the Rehabilitation of Tigray (EFFORT), a TPLF affiliated company.

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JAKARTA: Two Indonesian F-16 fighter jets forced an Ethiopian Airlines cargo plane to land on Monday at an airport on Batam island after it had flown into Indonesian airspace without permission, an air force spokesman said.

Air force spokesman First Marshal Novyan Samyoga said in a statement the Boeing Co 777 cargo plane had been secured by air force personnel at Hang Nadim international airport on Batam, an island south of Singapore.

The cargo flight ETH 3728 had been flying from the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to Hong Kong, Suwarso, head of Hang Nadim airport, said in a text message to Reuters.

Officials at Ethiopian Airlines could not immediately be reached for comment.

Source: Free Malaysia Today

By Al Mariam

What a difference a year makes?

The rule of law crushed to earth for 27 years rose up in Ethiopia in 2018.

If someone would have told me in the first week of 2018 that I would
be writing in earnest about the rule of law in the first week of 2019, I
would have rolled my eyes with disdain.

Very few believed 2018 would be the end of TPLF thug-rule in Ethiopia.

But the writing was on the wall for all to see.

In February 2013, I predicted, “Meles and his worshipers have profoundly troubled the Ethiopian house and they shall inherit the wind!”

By 2015, I was certain the TPLF thug-rule game was over and done.

In March of that year, I wrote:

I believe the T-TPLF leaders know with absolute certainty
that they are sitting on a powder keg.  As I have written previously,
the T-TPLF has built its castles in the sand. The only question is
whether those castles will be swept up by a tidal wave of deep public
discontent or blown away by the tornadic wind of the people’s fury. In
either case, the T-TPLF will be vacuumed and deposited in the dustbin of
history.

In December 2015, I wrote a commentary entitled, The “End of the Story” for the T-TPLF in Ethiopia.

The TPLF laughed at me
and said, “Al Mariam is ignorant of the underlying factors of TPLF’s
staying power and predicts state collapse on every small and big
occasion.”

In 2018, a tidal wave of civil disobedience and resistance led by
Ethiopia’s Cheetahs (young people) finally put TPLF thug-rule in the
trash bin of history.

Who’s laughing now, TPLF?

Today, a handful of thugtators are holed up in self-imposed garrison prisons hoping to evade the long arm of the law.

They pipe dream of the day they can return to power as they try to wreak havoc throughout the country.

They will return to power when hell freezes over and the Devil goes ice skating.

But the transition from thug-rule to the rule of law has always been a
critical concern for me. I articulated that concern in my April 2012 commentary.

Now, we must move from concern to action and transform 27-years of thug-rule into civilized rule of law.

As I reflect on 2018 and all of the changes that have taken place, I recall the opening words of Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of
wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it
was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the
season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of
despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were
all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way…”

There were two Ethiopias in 2018.

In the first quarter of 2018, we saw the worst of times in Ethiopia.

We were sweltering under the rule of a small group of predatory thugs
and everyone was convinced Ethiopia was going to hell (civil war) in
hand basket.

In the second half of 2018, we began to see the first sunlight of the
best of times in Ethiopia and the final sunset on thug-rule.

We learned what it means to live under the rule of law.

We even saw the motley crew of senile old fools 
invited to to enter the country with dignity only to find these
boneheads talking trash about how they can take over power through
terrorism.

These buffoons declared, “Damn the rule of law. We will take power by the rule of AK47s.”

But no ignorant old fools, unreformed terrorists and young empty
barrels who think they can “capture power in 24 hours” will be able to
turn the tide of rule of law, democracy and human rights in Ethiopia.

But they have the right to pipe dream, indulge in delusions of grandeur.

For me, 2019 shall be the “Year of the Rule of Law in Ethiopia” as 2018 was the “Year of Ethiopiawinet”.

On the newly established website of the Office of the Prime Minster of Ethiopia, the  rule of law is announced as Job #1.

Over the past nine months, H.E. Prime Minster Dr. Abiy Ahmed has
demonstrated, to the wonderment of the world, his unwavering commitment
to the rule of law in words and in action.

He has emptied the country’s prisons of all political prisoners who had been held illegally for years.

For the first time since 2004, there are NO journalists in prison in Ethiopia.

Practically every day, in one form or another, PM Abiy has been preaching the gospel of the rule of law in Ethiopia.

Under PM Abiy’s leadership, the “Government of Ethiopia is undertaking a comprehensive reform program with a strong commitment to uphold rule of law and build a robust democratic system.”

The notorious anti-terrorism and civil society proclamations are
currently under complete revision “ to ensure respect for fundamental
rights, rule of law and democracy.”

I join PM Abiy in his efforts to institutionalize the rule of law in
Ethiopia, and call on all Ethiopians to join in this monumental effort
by engaging in informed exchange of views, ideas and opinions.

Many Ethiopians have asked me, “What is the rule of law? What does it mean?”

I ask myself if I should start by expounding on Corpus Juris Civilis, “without doubt the most important and influential collection of secular legal materials that the world has ever known”?

Perhaps the Magna Carta Libertatum? The U.S. Constitution? The Universal Declaration of Human Rights?

Blackstone’s Commentaries?

Are these “too Western” for Ethiopians?

How about the Kibra Negest?

Perhaps the “living customary laws” of Africa?

None of them will do.

People want simple, straightforward answers.

To those who ask, “What does rule of law mean in Ethiopia?”, I ask
them to think about their lives under thug-rule over the past 27 years.

What is thug-rule?

When an innocent citizen is jailed, tortured and left to rot because
that citizen proclaimed his/her Ethiopiawinet, that is thug-rule.

When a citizen is denied the equal protection of the laws because of his ethnic affiliation, that is thug rule.

When a citizen is denied job, educational and business opportunities
because s/he does not have the right ethnic credentials, that is
thug-rule.

When a nation’s treasury is looted for the benefit of the few in power and their cronies, that is thug-rule.

When a nation of proud people who have defended their freedom for
thousands of years are subjected to a life of humiliation, subjugation
and subordination under the rule of a Mafia-style gang of bush thugs,
that is thug rule.

By the way, the English word “thug” comes from the Hindi word “thag” which means “con man”.

In India “Thugees”, well-organized criminal gangs, robbed and murdered unsuspecting travelers over a century ago.

In 1991, a small cabal of arrogant and ignorant thugees came out of
the bush and imposed the “rule of the bush” (law of the jungle) on
Ethiopia and began a campaign of killing, looting and plundering.

That is why I coined a new English word to describe the TPLF as a “thugtatorship”.

To those Ethiopians who ask me, “What is the rule of law?”, I simply
tell them to compare their lives over the past nine months to the
previous 27 years of tears.

That’s it!

Why I am a stickler for the rule of law…

Philosophers and scholars have argued for millennia whether some “people are born evil”.

Are those who commit atrocities, torture innocents, inflict
unspeakable suffering and  horror on their fellow human beings and
bankrupt the public treasury “born evil”?

Is there a mutant “evil gene” that turns ordinary humans into conscienceless monsters?

I don’t know, but I believe I was born with the “rule of law gene”.

The expression of that gene in me compels me to stand up for the underdog, always.

In my 2014 New Year’s Resolution, I made a full confession:

It is part of my core belief that I must care for the
welfare of others less fortunate than myself. That is the major reason I
decided to become a lawyer after I had achieved my principal academic
objective. I am always for the underdog. It could be the homeless
veteran at a freeway exit asking for spare change or the throngs of
young people I have never met in Ethiopia who are unjustly imprisoned
merely because they spoke their minds or expressed their opinions in a
publication. I guess I was born that way. That is why I never get
discouraged even if others believe my efforts are ultimately in vain.

In 2016, I wondered
out loud if there is something wrong with me because I am so committed
to the rule of law and protecting the underdog, the weak, the
defenseless, the helpless, the powerless.

Shakespeare wrote in the Twelfth Night, ‘Some are born
great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon
them.’ I wonder if Shakespeare considered whether some people are also
born doomed to always defend the  underdogs, condemned to bark and yap
truth to the Uber-dogs.

Now, I am too old to change and learn new tricks.

I still root for the underdog. Could it be because I can relate to them on a visceral level?

The difference between me and those who do not believe in the rule of law can be expressed simply as follows.

They believe in the principle, “Might makes right.”

I believe in the principle, “Right makes might,” just like Abraham Lincoln expressed it in his Cooper Union Address
in 1860 defending the role of the federal government in eliminating
slavery. “LET US HAVE FAITH THAT RIGHT MAKES MIGHT, AND IN THAT FAITH,
LET US, TO THE END, DARE TO DO OUR DUTY AS WE UNDERSTAND IT.”

For the last 13 years, I have dared to do my duty for Ethiopia as I
understand it; and I shall stand with and by Abiy Ahmed, without
flinching or wavering, as he toils day and night to usher in and
institutionalize the rule of law in Ethiopia.

The aim of the series on the rule of law

The aim of the planned series of commentaries is to share my
reflections on the rule of law and Ethiopia’s democratic transition.

Of course, I have previously written extensively on the rule of law in Ethiopia and the United States.

In 2019, I aim to energetically promote and defend the principle of rule of law in Ethiopia in a variety of ways.

Why?

First, I consider myself a public intellectual in the mold of  Edward Said:
“The intellectual is an individual endowed with a faculty for
representing, embodying, articulating a message, a view, an attitude,
philosophy or opinion to, as well as for, a public, in public.”

Second, as a practitioner and teacher of American constitutional law
and someone who has taken the time to study Ethiopian constitutional,
criminal and civil laws  over one-half century, I believe I can offer
some informed views and opinions on Ethiopia’s constitutional future.

Third, I believe fresh and creative ideas on Ethiopia’s transition
from the rule of a small group of thugs to the rule of law is very much
needed.

Fourth, I have a moral obligation to respond to PM Abiy’s call to
Diaspora Ethiopians to be fully involved in the making of the New
Ethiopia.

In furtherance of the Ethiopian public interest, I plan to provide
throughout the year public education on the “rule of law” using a
variety of media.

I doing so, I aim to accomplish a number of objectives: 1) provide a
broader understanding of the subject to the Ethiopian public, 2)
challenge prevailing conceptions of  “Ethiopian constitutionalism” (an
exercise in futility given the indisputable fact that Ethiopia’s
“constitution” has been trashed by the very people who wrote it,  3)
present alternative constitutional arguments and designs to replace the
current “constitution” written by and for a small group of power hungry
thugs and criminals against humanity,  and 4) provoke intellectual
debate and promote cross-fertilization of constitutional ideas .

I hope 2019 will be different and there will be a great many learned
men and women who will join the debate and discussion on the rule of law
in Ethiopia.

I hope that is not a pipe dream on my part.

Since June 2010, I have been asking, “Where have the Ethiopian intellectuals gone?”

I still don’t know because I don’t see many of them engaging the
issues of the day. They seem to be watching on the sidelines as stunned
spectators.

If they go AWOL as they have in the past, it does not matter to me.

I learned long ago that “it is easy to stand with the crowd. It takes courage to stand alone.”

It is better to stand alone that to stand with people without
backbone, integrity, courage, audacity, endurance, tenacity, grit,
strength of character and an indomitable will.

As we begin a brand-new chapter – better yet, as we begin to write a
new book about the New Ethiopia under the rule of law, we need
Ethiopians with the courage of their convictions to stand up and be
counted.

Stand up and be counted on the side of the rule of law.

In launching my series on the rule of law, I hope to attract a core
group of open-minded, informed, dispassionate, courageous Ethiopians
with unwavering  dedication to the institutionalization of the rule of
law in Ethiopia.

I am sure there will be those who will laugh at me, “Here he goes again. Dreaming the impossible.”

The fact of the matter is that I have never believed in dreaming the possible, only the impossible.

When they said it is impossible to end thug-rule in Ethiopia without
the power of the sword, I declared in 2006, we shall become victorious
by the power of the word.

It took 13 long years for me, but I am blessed to see the victory of the word over the sword in Ethiopia.

Abiy Ahmed won the hearts and minds of the Ethiopian people with the power of his words, without once raising the sword.

That is what the rule of law is all about.

The power of the word supreme over the power of the sword.

As Dr. King said, “That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind.

If Ethiopians choose the sword over the word, we will have a nation of blind people.

If we do not learn from our history of the past several decades, we shall be doomed to repeat it.

We must open our eyes and look at reach other through the lens of the rule of law.

When we have just and fair laws, there will be no bloodshed, no need
for revenge, retribution and reprisals, no collective punishment and no
guilt by association.

Only redress for wrongs under the rule of law.

With the rule of law ascendant, I know Ethiopia’s best days are just around the corner.

I made that announcement
in December 2013 when I reassured Ethiopia’s youth to “be optimistic
and determined in creating their Beloved Ethiopian Community because
Ethiopia’s best days are yet to come.”

“I’d give the Devil benefit of law…”

I have often been criticized for defending the rights of those with whom I not only disagree but despise.

When I defended Meles Zenawi’s right to speak at Columbia University in September 2010, I was roundly criticized.

They said, “How could you defend the ‘monster’ who had denied
millions of Ethiopians the right to speak?” Some even called me a
“sellout”.

I insisted I was not defending a “monster” but the universal principle of free expression.

My defense was simple, “If we don’t believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don’t believe in it at all.”

My position is no different now.

Today, I defend the rights of those individuals who are currently in
custody on a variety of human rights and corruption charges.

Many think these suspects are the “devil incarnate”. I have even been
urged to write condemnatory commentaries and whip up negative public
sentiments against them.

I will never do that.

To those who wish to criticize me for defending “the devil
incarnates” and not speaking publicly against them, I will them what I
told those who criticized me when I defended Meles Zenawi’s right to
freely express himself.

If you don’t believe in a fair trial – rule of law — for those you despise, then you do not believe in fair trial at all.

As far as I am concerned, those in custody today are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

A fair trial is the litmus test for any conception of the rule of law.

Someone more eloquent than I has said it all.

“I’d give the devil the benefit of law…”

I invite you to watch this 3-minute dramatic video of a historical
figure I admire and try to emulate speaking on the rule of law.

Click on this link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMqReTJkjjg

TO BE CONTINUED…

ETHIOPIAWINET AND THE RULE OF LAW FOREVER.

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Addis Ababa, January 15, 2019 –Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed gave certificate of appreciation to Africa’s longest serving diplomat, ambassador Konjit Sine-Giorgis, in recognition of her distinguished contributions in the diplomatic arena.

Ambassador Konit started her career in 1962, a year before the establishment of the Organization of the African Unity (OAU).

After joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she has held numerous positions both in Addis Ababa and overseas for 52 years.

In the early days of her career, Ambassador Konjit served as an officer in charge of decolonization Affairs in the Ethiopian Permanent Mission to the UN in New York.

She had played a significant role in strengthening the AU while holding positions in the AU, UN, serving as ambassador overseas in Austria, Egypt, Israel, Canada, Mexico (non-resident) and serving in different positions starting from third secretary to permanent representative in missions to New York, Vienna and Geneva.

Later in 2009, she became Ethiopia’s Permanent Representative to the OAU, and eventually to the AU and UNECA, and contributed her share in the transformation of OAU to the AU.

Ambassador Konjit received her BA Degree in International Affairs from University College London in 1954 and is a receiver of the Carnegie Fellowship at the Colombia University, New York in 1963.

She has also received an honorary degree from Addis Ababa University in 2016 for her contribution in diplomacy.

In her last speech during a farewell bid to her by the African Union in November 2015, Ambassador Konjit Said “My career has been my life and I sacrificed everything for it… there is no greater honor than serving one’s country to the fullest!”.

Source: FANA

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The Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) has partnered with WorldRemit to launch its first ever international mobile money transfer service to Ethiopia.

The new service would enable Ethiopian Diaspora living in over 50 countries to make mobile money transfers to over 1.2 million birr CBE wallets as well as any mobile phone number in the country.

Customers can also transfer money quickly and securely to over 20 million CBE bank accounts and 1,300 new cash pickup locations.

CBE President, Bacha Gina said, “We are proud to be a pioneering bank in modernizing Ethiopia’s payment systems. The various e-payment facilities deployed have enabled us to become the number one provider of technology-based banking services.”

Head of East and Central Africa at WorldRemit, Sharon Kinyanjui, commented, “We are delighted to partner with CBE, the leading bank in Ethiopia, to launch our first mobile money service to the country and expand our network of bank accounts and cash pickup locations.

“Our new strategic partnership will extend financial services to the unbanked population in Ethiopia, allowing currently underserved groups, including rural communities and low-income households, to receive money directly to their mobile phones.”

CBE is the oldest and largest bank in Ethiopia, serving over 20 million account holders.

WorldRemit is a leading digital money transfer service that makes sending money as easy as sending an instant message. Transactions to Ethiopia via WorldRemit grew by over 130% in 2018, driven by the rapid expansion of its partner network.

The new international mobile money transfer service offered by CBE and WorldRemit offers the diaspora a low-cost and secure way to send money home directly to any mobile phone in Ethiopia.

Customers who are already registered with a CBE Birr mobile money account will receive their funds within one working day.

Source: Commercial Bank of Ethiopia

African Heads of State and Government today met in Ethiopia’s capital
Addis Ababa to review the political and security situation in the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed, Current Chair of AU and
President of Rwanda Paul Kagame, South African President Cyril
Ramaphosa, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, and Chairperson of the AU
Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat‏ are in attendance of the summit

In his opening remark at the summit kicked off at the African Union
headquarters, Paul Kagame, said the efforts being made to find African
solutions for African problems is important to prevent foreign
interference.

The crisis occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo following the
presidential elections held on 30th December 2018 should be resolved by
authorized institutions in the country, Kagame said.

Despite an invitation from AU, President of DRC Joseph Kabila is
unable to attend the meeting due to current situation in the country.
However, he is ready to accept if the African Union comes up with
solutions, he said.

Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat,‏
for his part said today’s meeting was called with a view to finding a
viable solution that appeals to all stakeholders involved in the DRC
situation.

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Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia leading a high-level government delegation arrived in Rome on his first leg of his European visit. According to the Prime Minister office, the Prime Minister was warmly welcomed by Ethiopian community in Italy.

PM Abiy is expected to hold bilateral talks with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte during his visit.

After his visit to Italy, PM Abiy will travel to Davos, Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum. On Wednesday, PM Abiy will be speaking on a forum titled, “A Conversation with Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of Ethiopia “.

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By Mahlet Fasil

The police have arrested founding member of the ruling EPRDF and veteran politician Bereket Simon, and former TIRET Corporate CEO, Tadesse Kassa, A.K.A. Tinkishu, the Amhara Mass Media Agency reported.

They are detained on suspicion of wasting public money when both were running TIRET Corporate, a conglomerate owned by the Amhara Democratic Party (ADP).

On August 24, ADP suspended both from its central committee membership and said they were being investigated for inappropriate conducts in running TIRET.

Breaking: ANDM suspended veteran politician Bereket Simon (*1st pic) & Taddese Kassa (Tinkishu), who was the former TIRET Corporate CEO, from the party’s CC membership. ANDM said both will be investigated for inappropriate conduct in running ANDM’s conglomerate TIRET, state TV pic.twitter.com/HU41xjeLvu

– Addis Standard (@addisstandard) August 24, 2018

In July 2018, Dashen Brewery Plc, which is primarily owned by TIRET, has replaced Berket Simon and Tadesse from its board membership. AS

Source: AllAfrica.com

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Addis Ababa, January 23, 2019 (FBC) –Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed addressed the 2019 World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, a few minutes ago.

The Prime Minister told participants about the nationwide reforms undertaken during the past nine months and the economic growth registered in the country.

“Ethiopia today is among the fastest growing economies in the world, consistently averaging growth of over 9%. Poverty has been halved and education enrollment has markedly increased,” he said.

“Our challenges however, remain formidable.” The challenge, he explained, is to sustain that level of growth, especially to find jobs for a rapidly expanding young population.

“Ethiopia’s Gross domestic product (GDP) has multiplied 10 fold in 25 years.”

According to the Prime Minister, investment in infrastructure has contributed a lot to the growth and attracted Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), making Ethiopia one of the leading FDI destinations in Africa.

The Prime Minister also called on investors from all across the world to come and invest in Ethiopia as the country has huge investment and business potentials.

Source: Fana Broadcasting

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Ethiopian Airlines on Wednesday (January 23) inaugurated the expanded Addis Ababa Bole International Airport and a hotel complex funded by the air operator.

Describing the airport as Africa’s biggest gateway to the world, Ethiopian said the facility: “has been expanded to triple in size and accomodate 22 million passengers annually.

“The newly expanded airport terminal has been renovated with amenities and high-tech systems of 21st century global airport hub with the view to avail best possible on-ground experience, including automated bag drop solutions, e-gates, self-check-in kiosks.”

Other features include improved baggage handling and latest technology security machines along with tilting tray sorter systems.

The Ethiopian Skylight Hotel, a 5-star facility funded by airline officially becomes the biggest such facility in the capital. It is a stone throw from the airport and has 373 rooms.

It has 27 presidential and executive suites, four restaurants and a conference and banquet hall that can seat 2000 people at a time. It has other meeting rooms, a gym, pool, gift shops and other facilities.

The rise and rise of Ethiopian has made it the continent’s biggest national carrier with routes continually expanding across the globe. The successes have propelled the Bole International Airport into Africa’s biggest hub.

By Elias Meseret | AP

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Ethiopia is banning street begging by Syrian nationals who have startled people by showing up in growing numbers in recent months in major cities around hotels and mosques.

“We are now coordinating our security services to effectively ban Syrian citizens from begging. We have tolerated them for some time but we have now decided to ban the illegal practice. … They are becoming a burden,” the deputy head of Ethiopia’s immigration office told The Associated Press on Friday.

Some 560 Syrians entered between mid-August and mid-December and the majority leave when their tourist visas expire, said the deputy, Yemane Gebremeskel. While street begging is not illegal in Ethiopia — there is a large presence of children — the act of entering the country as a tourist and begging is, he said.

Nearly 120 other Syrians have applied for refugee status in the East African nation that hosts one of the world’s largest refugee populations, and they were provided with support equaling around $73.

“We gave them what we could afford but they are still begging,” Yemane said.

Many Ethiopians were baffled when the Syrians began appearing on the streets of the capital, Addis Ababa, displaying signs written in the local Amharic language appealing for help.

One Syrian told the AP his family fled the war at home and has moved from place to place as life in other countries became too expensive… READ MORE Here on WashingtonPost

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – An Ethiopian ex-minister was arrested on
Wednesday on suspicion of “mismanagement of public funds” while he was
head of a regional public investment fund, the state-affiliated Fana
Broadcasting said.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been pursuing a nationwide crackdown on graft in the public sector since taking office last year.

Bereket
Simon, who served as minister of communication in the 1995-2012
government of Meles Zenawi and was widely considered his right-hand man,
co-founded the fund, TIRET Corporation, in 1995 and led it until 2017.
TIRET belongs to the Amhara regional administration and owns firms in
the brewery, construction, transport and logistics sectors.

Also arrested on the same allegations on Wednesday was Tadesse Kassa, a former board member of TIRET.

Neither Bereket nor Tadesse were immediately reachable for comment.

The
two suspects were taken to Bahir Dar, capital of Amhara region, from
their residences in Addis Ababa, and were due to be charged, Fana quoted
the head of Amhara’s anti-corruption commission as saying.

Earlier
this month, Ethiopia charged the former head of the military-run
industrial conglomerate METEC and other officials with corruption.

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(Reuters) – Ethiopian-born Saudi businessman Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi, arrested in November 2017 during a crackdown on corruption, has been released from detention in Saudi Arabia, Ethiopian state television said on Sunday.

Ethiopian Television cited Arega Yirdaw, chief executive of Al Amoudi’s MIDROC Technology Group, as its source.

Two Saudi sources confirmed that Amoudi had been released on Sunday, nearly 15 months after he was detained with scores of princes, ministers and businessmen in the state-run anti-corruption campaign.

Statement from Ethiopian Prime Minister Office

Ethiopian born Saudi business tycoon Mohammed Alamoudi has been released from prison in Saudi Arabia. It is to be recalled that earlier in 2018, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed traveled to Saudi Arabia and discussed a number of issues with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman. One of the issues included the release of Mohammed Al Amoudi. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in his Millenium Hall address later in May 2018 further assured of his return.

We wish Mohammed Al Amoudi a safe return to Ethiopia.

በትውልድ ኢትዮጵያዊው የሳውዲ ባለሀብት መሀመድ አል አሙዲ ከሳውዲ አረቢያ ከእስር ተፈቱ:: እንደሚታወቀው ጠ/ሚር ዐቢይ አሕመድ ወደ ሳውዲ አረቢያ በተጏዙበት ወቅት ከአልጋ ወራሽ ቢን ሳልማን ጋር ከተወያዩባቸው ጉዳዬች ውስጥ የመሀመድ አል አሙዲ መለቀቅ አንዱ ነበር:: ግንቦት 2010 በሚሊኒየም አዳራሽ ባደረጉት ንግግርም በቅርቡ ወደ አገራቸው እንደሚመለሱ ጠ/ሚር ዐቢይ እንደገና መናገራቸው ይታወሳል::

በሰላም እንዲመለሱ መልካም ምኞታችንን እንገልፃለን::

Source: Ethiopian Prime Minister Office

#PMOEthiopia #AddisDaily #AddisNews #EthiopianNews

Ethiopian Airlines to Restructure the Entire U.S. Network

AddisNews:  Ethiopian Airlines, the largest Aviation Group in Africa and SKYTRAX certified 4-Star global airline, is pleased to announce that it will restructure its U.S. network, adding frequencies and shifting gateways as of the summer of 2019. The new U.S. network is aimed at giving passengers traveling between the U.S. and all over Africa the best possible connectivity and shortest routes, whether they are traveling for leisure, business or government work.

Accordingly, Washington D.C. flights will be increased from current daily to ten weekly flights. The new additional three flights will pass thru Abidjan with service continuing on to Addis Ababa. The current three weekly flights to Chicago will be increased to five weekly flights. From the planned daily flights from the New York area to Addis Ababa, four will be served via Lomé from Newark and three will be via Abidjan from JFK Airport. Lastly, there will be a new gateway, Houston, which will replace Los Angeles, and will operate three times per week to Addis Ababa via West Africa. The new Houston flights will be the only connection between Houston and Africa and will facilitate the travel of the huge African community in the Houston area, as well as oil and other companies doing business in the continent. Flights will be served with the latest technology aircraft, the Boeing 787, which offers unparalleled on-board comfort.

Regarding the route restructuring, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, remarked, “The U.S. is among our most important markets owing to the presence of a large African community and growing business and tourism ties with Africa. Our new route structure with additional frequencies to multiple gateways and the opening of the new route to Houston are aimed at responding to the market demand and availing the best possible connectivity to over 60 African destinations.

On board our flights, our customers will continue to enjoy our premium and award-winning service on the most technologically advanced commercial aircraft, the Boeing 787. In line with our Vision 2025 strategic roadmap, we will keep on expanding our U.S. and African network so as to facilitate people-to-people ties and the flow of investment, trade and tourism.”

Further details regarding start dates and timetables for the new services will be forthcoming.

Africa’s leading carrier, Ethiopian Airlines, has been expanding its international destinations which have now reached more than 119. Manchester, Moscow and Mogadishu are just some of the new destinations the airline launched recently.

About Ethiopian

Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopian) is the fastest growing Airline in Africa. In its seventy plus years of operation, Ethiopian has become one of the continent’s leading carriers, unrivaled in efficiency and operational success.

Ethiopian commands the lion’s share of the Pan-African passenger and cargo network operating the youngest and most modern fleet to more than 119 international passenger and cargo destinations across five continents. Ethiopian fleet includes ultra-modern and environmentally friendly aircraft such as Airbus A350, Boeing 787-8, Boeing 787-9, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 777-200LR, Boeing 777-200 Freighter, Bombardier Q-400 double cabin with an average fleet age of five years. In fact, Ethiopian is the first airline in Africa to own and operate these aircraft. Ethiopian is currently implementing a 15-year strategic plan called Vision 2025 that will see it become the leading aviation group in Africa with Six business centers: Ethiopian International Services; Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services; Ethiopian MRO Services; Ethiopian Aviation Academy; Ethiopian ADD Hub Ground Services and Ethiopian Airports Services. Ethiopian is a multi-award winning airline registering an average growth of 25% in the past seven years.

Africanews: Volkswagen brand continues its engagement in emerging countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the presence of Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Thomas Schaefer, Head of the Volkswagen Sub-Saharan Africa Region, and the Commissioner of the Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC), Abebe Abebayehu, today, January 28, 2019.

Thereby, Volkswagen is taking the fast development of the country into account. Over the last ten years, the GDP growth rate in Ethiopia was above 8 percent – one of the highest worldwide. Moreover, Ethiopia is a priority and focus country for Germany under the G20-“Compact with Africa” initiative.

Volkswagen will focus on four key pillars: the establishment of a vehicle assembly facility, localization of automotive components, introduction of mobility concepts such as app-based car sharing and ride hailing as well as the opening of a training center.

As such, Volkswagen will work closely with the Ethiopian higher education and training institutions for skills development and capacity building of local talent.

Schaefer commented: “As one of the fastest growing economies and with the second highest population in the continent, Ethiopia is an ideal country to advance our Sub-Saharan Africa development strategy.

“Additionally, Volkswagen intends on tapping into existing expertise and strategic resources in Ethiopian to help to establish a thriving automotive components industry.”

Ethiopia becomes the third country in Sub-Saharan Africa to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Volkswagen. It follows Ghana and Nigeria who both signed MoUs with Volkswagen in August 2018.

In Ghana, Volkswagen will establish a vehicle assembly facility and conduct a feasibility study for an integrated mobility solutions concept. In Nigeria, Volkswagen implemented a phased approach of vehicle assembly with long term view of establishing Nigeria as an automotive hub in West Africa.

Volkswagen has been manufacturing vehicles in South Africa since 1951. In Africa, Volkswagen also has vehicle assembly operations in Algeria, Kenya and Rwanda.

EIC signed an MoU with Volkswagen Group to deliver on a joint vision for the development of a sustainable, vertically integrated & export-oriented automotive industry in #Ethiopia. Local value addition (local supply of automotive parts) & skills development are central to z MoU. pic.twitter.com/hTvqbEJ3G3

— Abebe Abebayehu (@AbebeAbebayehu) January 28, 2019

Under its TRANSFORM 2025+ brand strategy, Volkswagen is strengthening the regions and focusing on new up-and-coming markets. The Sub-Saharan Africa region plays an increasingly important role.

Although the African automotive market is comparatively small today, the region has a bright look-out to develop into an automotive growth market of the future.

Source: Africanews.com