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Nigeria, Ethiopia sign agreement on research exchange
The Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) and the Ethiopian International Institute for Peace and Development on Tuesday signed an agreement to enhance exchange of research on Africa’s continental relations.
Signing the agreement in Lagos, NIIA’s Director-General, Prof. Bola Akinterinwa, said it was imperative for the institutes to come together and contribute to the continent’s development.
“We have realized that Africa’s relationship with the rest of the world has been vertical. We strongly believe that through our partnership, we can promote African renaissance and intra-African cooperation.
“And one way of doing this is to bring together all Africa’s International Relations Institutes in solving the problems of Africa.”We hope to foster a closer relationship between Nigeria and Ethiopia, using the institute’s research,” he said.
The director-general said that efforts were also being made by governments of the two countries to eliminate trade barriers between them. He also said that there were positive manifestations in the countries’ present and future areas of cooperation.
“Nigeria and Ethiopia have also agreed to work within the framework of the African Union. The agreement we have signed today is by Africa and for Africa’s development,” he said.
Sebehat Negga, the Executive Director, Ethiopian International Institute, expressed satisfaction on the agreement, saying that it would strengthen the relations of the two countries.
Sebehat said the time had come when African countries should be prepared to shape their destinies and development.
“As Africans, we need to begin to independently develop ourselves. I think we have to start rethinking of building our continental relations and development,” he added.
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Dr Tedros attends UK business meeting
Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Tedros Adhanom attended a business lunch on Thursday (January 9), organized by UK companies investing in Ethiopia in collaboration with the UK Embassy.
The UK companies which included Pitards, JCB, Diageo and Stratex were engaged in Ethiopia in leather, brewery, mining and garment businesses.
They also held a side exhibition of their products which Dr. Tedros and Ambassador Greg Dorey, the UK Ambassador to Ethiopia, visited.
Addressing the meeting, Dr. Tedros noted that Ethiopia with its growing market size, its youthful labor force and its conducive investment climate offers great opportunity to UK investors.
He thanked UK companies for choosing Ethiopia for investment and reaffirmed the readiness of his office to support their efforts.
He said, “it is through making your investment endeavors in Ethiopia comfortable that we can lure others to come”.
He said the government is doing its level best to address any problems in telecom and energy supplies, foreign currency, financial services or other investment related issues.
Ambassador Greg Dorey said that UK and Ethiopia bilateral relations were developing steadily with a growing UK investment in Ethiopia.
He noted that more UK investment was in the pipeline to take advantage of the good investment climate in Ethiopia, and he underlined the immense opportunities available in Ethiopia for UK companies in different sectors.
http://www.waltainfo.com/index.php/explore/11979–dr-tedros-attends-uk-business-meeting-
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Ethiopia, Georgia intend to develop cooperation in all areas
Georgian Ambassador to Ethiopia Vakhtang Jaoshvili met with Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome.
The ambassador congratulated Mulatu Teshome on official assumption of office and noted that Georgia attaches great importance to developing relations with Ethiopia, Georgian Foreign Ministry told Trend.
The Ethiopian president praised the Georgian authorities’ decision on opening an embassy in Ethiopia and said that this will contribute to deepening friendly relations between the two countries.
The president also noted that he was the first ambassador of Ethiopia in Georgia (with a residence in Ankara) and it was possible to accelerate the necessary procedures for opening an embassy in Addis Ababa with his immediate participation. He also expressed satisfaction that an embassy has been opened in Addis Ababa.
Ethiopian president also noted that there are many areas of cooperation which will be mutually beneficial and will bring real results for both countries. Ethiopia is interested not only in cooperation with Georgia, but also in the exchange of experience.
Georgian ambassador said that some progress is being observed in relations of the two countries despite the fact that little time has passed since opening of the embassy: a memorandum of understanding will be signed in the near future between the two countries’ foreign ministries, political consultations may be held this year and trade turnover significantly increased over the last year.
Relations have been established in the fields of education and culture. Work has begun for signing a memorandum of cooperation between the two countries’ national museums.
At the end of the meeting the representative of Georgia thanked the Ethiopian president for the assistance provided in the opening of the embassy.
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MSF Complements Medical Provision With Psychosocial Support for Returnees
- press release -
Following the decision of the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to deport ‘illegal’ foreign workers, 154,837 men, women and children have already arrived at Bole Airport in Ethiopia carrying whatever they managed to salvage in sacks, cardboard boxes and suitcases. They are returning home, either by force or voluntarily. All of them have come from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), where they have lived and worked in all manner of jobs, such as domestic workers or nurses. Some were born there while others left Ethiopia when they were very young.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and other partners have been working in the reception centres since the repatriation of Ethiopians from KSA began in mid-November 2013. Besides providing maternal and child health services, MSF is providing the much-needed psychological help.
Medical assistance on arrival
“Immediate medical attention is vital at these reception points as there are many people that need life-saving medical assistance: some women are going into labour on arrival, while others are in their last trimester of pregnancy with complications that need immediate attention. We are vaccinating unaccompanied minors against measles and polio, offering psychological counselling to men, women and children of all ages, and referring critical cases to various hospitals in Addis Ababa,” reports MSF’s medical coordinator in Ethiopia, Dr Jean François Saint-Sauveur.
In the past four weeks alone, MSF medical teams have conducted 160 maternal and child health sessions to more than 18,128 patients.
Abuse at the hands of traffickers
Sambera*, a 22-year-old man reached Saudi Arabia after suffering abuse by different people including traffickers in Yemen. MSF is also providing medical assistance to migrants in detention centres in Yemen, most of whom are Ethiopians. He was detained at the Yemeni border, where he managed to bribe his way into Saudi Arabia. “Even after my arrival to Saudi Arabia, I did not get the opportunity to work and earn money to help my poor family in Ethiopia; instead, I was imprisoned, beaten up, and then deported back home,” says Sambera.
He and many others like 15-year-old Yelem* have been undergoing individual counselling sessions offered by MSF. On arrival, Yelem was totally confused, aggressive, disoriented, talking to herself and smiling occasionally but then after a minute crying bitterly. She mentioned how she had worked in different households without pay and how her employers had physically abused her. She went to Saudi Arabia when she was only 10 years old. Now at age 15, she is lost and confused, MSF psychologists referred her to the Emanuel Hospital to obtain specialised medical and psychological treatment.
Psychosocial counselling
“Most of the returnees that we are attending are suffering from major depression, post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), acute stress, generalised anxiety, dissociative and psychotic syndromes,” says Angelica Kokutona Wagwa, MSF’s psychologist in Ethiopia. “Most of the returnees are aged between 18 and 36 years and there is a need therefore to give them hope for the future by ensuring that they continue to receive psychosocial counselling to help them resettle well in their communities,” she adds.
Most of the returnees have sad stories to tell. MSF, together with other partners like IOM (International Organization for Migration) and the Ethiopian authorities, continues to offer assistance to this vulnerable group of people to improve their situation until they are reunited with their families.
*Not their real names. Names have been changed to protect our patients.
MSF has worked in Ethiopia continually since 1984, carrying out a variety of medical and nutritional interventions throughout the country.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201401101252.html
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House approves appointment of Tolassa Shagi as Minister of Mines
The House of Peoples’ Representatives (HPR) at its regular session held today approved the appointment of Tolossa Shagi as Minister of Mines.
Tolessa has served as a State Minister of Mines since 2011.
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African Defense, Safety and Security Experts begin meeting in Addis Ababa
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, January 10, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Within the framework of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and in preparation for the 10th Meeting of African Chiefs of Defense Staff and Heads of Safety and Security Services, on 12 January 2014, and the 7th Ministerial Meeting of the Specialized Technical Committee on Defense, Safety and Security (STCDSS), on 14 January 2014, a two-day meeting of Experts on Defense, Safety and Security started at the African Union (AU) Headquarters in Addis Ababa today, 10 January 2014. The meeting was opened by the AU Director for Peace and Security, El-Ghassim Wane, who emphasized the urgent need for Africa to enhance its capacity to respond to crises. Participants observed a minute of silence in honor of late President Nelson Mandela and all African soldiers and security forces who have fallen in the line of duty in peacekeeping missions across the continent.
Two key issues are scheduled for discussion at the Meeting, namely: i) The Report of the recently concluded assessment of the African Standby Force (ASF), and ii) Progress made towards the operationalization of the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises (ACIRC), which was established by African leaders at the 22nd Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly, in May 2013. The ACIRC is intended to serve as a transitional arrangement pending the full operationalization of the ASF and its Rapid Deployment Capability, in order to provide the AU with a flexible and robust rapidly deployable force to effectively respond to emergency situations in the Continent.
With regard to the ASF, the Specialized Technical Committee on Defense, Safety and Security, at its 6th Ordinary Meeting, on 30 January 2013, in Addis Ababa, requested the AU Commission, in collaboration with Member States and relevant Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs) to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the African Standby Force, including its RDC, as an important step towards the full implementation of the decision of the 20th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government. The Chairperson of the Commission appointed an Independent Panel of Experts to conduct the assessment.
The ASF Assessment Panel consisted of a multi-disciplinary Team of peace operations experts headed by Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, the former Joint Special Representative of the United Nations – African Union Hybrid Peacekeeping Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) and former Foreign Affairs Minister of Nigeria. Professor Gambari and his Team conducted the Assessment from July to December 2013, during which period they visited the AU Commission and met with all the Planning Elements of the RECs/RMs. The Panel also consulted AU member states, the United Nations Office to the AU (UNOAU) and a large number of external partners, and submitted a comprehensive report on the progress made towards the operationalization of the ASF and its Rapid deployment Capability (RDC).
http://www.bizwireexpress.com/showstoryAPO.php?storyid=5749
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US on South Sudan: We Will Cut Aid if Fighting Continues
President Obama Calls for End to South Sudan Ethnic Conflict with Aid Threat
The US government has urged parties in South Sudan to sign an agreement to end the conflict or risk losing hundreds of millions of dollars in aid.
President Barack Obama’s administration has pledged $50m (£30m) in humanitarian aid while peace talks continue in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.
The two sides, drawn along tribal lines and loyal either to President Salva Kiir or ex-vice-president Riek Machar, have begun face-to-face discussions and agreed a ceasefire – although neither side has agreed on a starting date for the truce.
During the talks, rebels asked for the release of several political detainees who had been accused of plotting against the government.
On Wednesday, the government leaders proposed to shift the peace talks to the United Nations compound in Juba, capital of South Sudan, enabling the 11 detainees to attend the negotiations and then return to custody.
But rebel delegates appeared to have rejected the proposal.
“The United States is disappointed that the detainees being held by the government of South Sudan have not been released,” Obama’s national security adviser, Susan Rice, said.
“The United States reiterates its call upon President Salva Kiir to release the detainees immediately into the custody of IGAD [the Intergovernmental Authority on Development] so that they can participate in the political negotiations,” Rice continued.
China has also expressed its concern for the conflict.
“China’s position is very clear: We call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and violence,” Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi told reporters in Addis Ababa.
The conflict started when Kiir, who is an ethnic Dinka, accused his former and vice-president Machar, an ethnic Nuer, of an attempted coup in December.
Machar denied the allegations and in turn accused the president of planning a violent purge.
The accusations sparked violence between the two tribal groups and escalated quickly into an ethnic conflict, which has caused the death of over 1,000 people and left thousands uprooted.
“There is clear evidence that targeted killings have taken place, with Dinka killing Nuer, and Nuer killing Dinka. Countless civilians, particularly women and children, have become victims,” US diplomat for Africa, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said.
“It is the obligation of both President Kiir and Mr Machar to ensure that the lives of their people and future of their young country are not further marred by continued violence and atrocities.
To report problems or to leave feedback about this article, e-mail: l.iaccino@ibtimes.co.uk
To contact the editor, e-mail: editor@ibtimes.co.uk
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/us-south-sudan-we-will-cut-aid-if-fighting-continues-1431791
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IGAD Mediation Team says there is major progress on cessation of hostilities
Addis Ababa, 9 January 2014 (WIC) – The Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Mediation Team to South Sudan said there is indeed major progress on the issue of cessation of hostilities as both the government and the detainees have committed to unconditional negotiations.
After concluded a two day visit to Juba between 7 and 8 January 2014, the special envoys noted there continues to be a progress towards political dialogue, a press release IGAD sent to ENA said.
The Mediation team met President Salva Kiir Mayardit who reiterated his government’s position that the current crisis is political and reaffirmed his full support to the search for a political solution.
The President also expressed his government’s commitment to unconditional negotiations on cessation of hostilities in a bid to bring an end to the violence.
The Envoys also met the detainees and held discussions on the crisis. The detainees concurred that the crisis is indeed a political one and requires political solution.
In light of the ongoing peace talks in Addis Ababa, the detainees expressed their support to the talks on unconditional cessation of hostilities.
They further stated that their status as detainees should not be an impediment to reaching an agreement on cessation of hostilities.
The Mediation Team is chaired by Ambassador Seyoum Mesfin and consists of IGAD Special Envoys Gen. Lazaro Sumbeiywo and Gen. Mohammed Ahmed Moustafa El Dabi alongside the IGAD Executive Secretary Ambassador (Eng.) Mahboub Maalim.
Direct negotiation between the Parties is continuing in Addis Ababa in good spirit.
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Premier African Minerals Says Exploration Programme In Ethiopia Complete
JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The Phase 1 exploration programme for the Danakil potash project, in Ethiopia, has been completed, with a National Instrument (NI) 43-101-compliant mineral resource estimate expected to be completed within the first quarter of this year, after which a full scoping study would be done, Aim-listed Premier African Minerals said on Friday.
The project is 30%-owned by AgriMinco, in which Premier holds a 42% stake.
The Phase 1 exploration programme included a resource drilling programme, during which 24 holes, totalling 7 893 m, were drilled, and 1 569 samples were submitted for assay work.
“I am very pleased with the progress that Danakil has made during the Phase 1 work programme. The licensed area has real potential to develop into a mine and I am confident that the planned mineral resource estimate scheduled for completion in early 2014 will support the project potential,” AgriMinco CEO George Roach commented.
In addition to the NI 43-101-compliant report, desktop studies on the local environmental conditions and hydrogeology were also in progress, with the final reports expected before the end of January.
The studies would make recommendations on actions required for the next phase of exploration, while the hydrogeological study would also include the detailed planning of the water exploration project envisioned for the early part of 2014.
“The geophysical surveys are progressing well, with a 90% success rate achieved on survey attempts so far. A partial data set comprising the geophysics available to date has been sent for integration into the geological model, so that the impact can be seen and optimisation of the data can be fed back to the geophysics team prior to them finalising their readings,” AgriMinco stated.
