Addis Ababa, June 8, 2018 (FBC) - Sudan and Djibouti have expressed their strong support to the government of Ethiopia in its recent commitment to fully accept and implement the decision of the Ethio-Eritrean Boundary Commission (EEBC).

In their talks with Ethiopian ambassadors in their respective countries Foreign Ministers of Sudan and Djibouti stated that Ethiopia's role towards ensuring peace and stability to the Horn of Africa is monumental.
During the discussion with Ambassador Mulugeta Zewde, Sudan’s Foreign Minister Mohammed Ahmed Dirdiri noted the importance of forging relation as exemplary as Ethio-Sudan and affirmed his government’s support to Ethiopia’s bold decision.
Similarly, Ethiopian Ambassador to Djibouti Shamebo Fitamo briefed Djibouti’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mohammed Ali Yusuf on Ethiopia’s greater determination to bring about lasting peace with the Government of Eritrea.
Ambassador Shamebo also described the decision by the Executive Committee of EPRDF to partially or fully liberalize mega projects and public enterprises as a giant leap forward to further strengthen the economic development in the country as well as encourage the country’s foreign trade performance.
While re-affirming his Government’s full support, Foreign Minister Mohammed Ali Yusuf said the Committee’s decision aimed at ending the stalemate and rejuvenating the uniquely historical brotherly ties between Ethiopia and Eritrea is quite noteworthy.
The Minister also noted Ethiopia’s economic reform would add further impetus to the ever growing Ethio-Djibouti economic cooperation as well as people to people ties.
Source: MoFA
Posted by Amare Asrat
 

Addis Ababa, June 8, 2018 (FBC) –The Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopian) has launched direct thrice weekly flights to Geneva, Switzerland.

The airlines performed its inaugural flight today from Addis Ababa to Geneva with Boeing 787-800 aircraft.
Hosting the highest number of international organizations in the world including the headquarters of many of UN agencies, Geneva is a global city and center for diplomacy.

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, unrivalled 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 110 international passenger and cargo destinations across five continents.
The airlines received its 100th aircraft, Boeing 787 Dreamliner last Wednesday, once again leading the way in fleet expansion and modernization in Africa.
Ethiopian was the first African airline and second only to Japan to operate the B787 Dreamliner in 2012 and the first carrier in Africa to usher with the Airbus A350 XWB in 2016.
Posted by Amare Asrat

Addis Ababa, June 8, 2018 (FBC) – Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed, who arrived in Kampala for a two-day state visit this morning, held talks with President Yoweri Museveni.

The discussion focused on strengthening issues of mutual interest between the two countries, including trade and political ties, Kampala Post reports.
According to a joint statement issued following the meeting, the two leaders noted the existing bonds of friendship and cooperation between Ethiopia and Uganda.
They agreed to concretize cooperation in priority sectors energy, trade, agriculture, transport, tourism and culture.
The two leaders also stressed the need to increase the volume of bilateral trade between the two countries by bringing together the respective private sectors to identify opportunities for trade and investment.
They underscored the need to work on road transport linking North-eastern Uganda to Southern Ethiopia, through Northern Kenya.
The leaders also discussed the situation in South Sudan, calling upon all parties to the conflict to renounce violence and armed rebellion, and redouble efforts to find a peaceful political solution through dialogue under the IGAD-led High Level Revitalization Forum.
The two leaders agreed on the need to convene an extra-ordinary IGAD Summit to address outstanding issues.
The Premier, who is accompanied by a delegation of ministers and high-ranking Ethiopian government official, was welcomed by the President at State House, Entebbe.
The Premier was treated to a red carpet welcome and accorded a 19-gun salute.
He also inspected a guard of honour mounted by the Officers and men of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces after which he was entertained by groups of Ugandan traditional local troupes.
Posted by Amare Asrat

Addis Ababa, June 8, 2018 (FBC) - Former South African President Jacob Zuma, who was ousted by his own party in February, appeared at the Durban High Court on Friday for the second time on corruption charges relating to a $2.5 billion arms deal in the late 1990s.

Zuma faces 16 charges of fraud, racketeering and money laundering relating to the deal to buy European military hardware to upgrade South Africa's armed forces after the end of apartheid in 1994.
State prosecutors and Zuma's lawyers presented arguments over a start date for the trial, a rare example of an African leader being held to account for his actions.
Judge Mjabuliseni Madondo adjourned the case to July 27 for the state and the defense to indicate whether they can commence the case.
The matter will be heard in the nearby city of Pietermaritzburg to allow for renovations at the Durban court.
Source: Reuters
Posted by Amare Asrat

Addis Ababa, June 8, 2018 (FBC) –International law experts have hailed Ethiopia’s move to accept the Algiers Agreement as an appropriate measure.

The Algiers Agreement was a peace agreement between the governments of Eritrea and Ethiopia signed on December 12, 2000, for the formal end of the Ethio-Eritrea border war.
The two-year border war was one the bloody wars in African history. It claimed the lives of several thousands of people.
The Executive Committee of EPRDF, in its meeting last Tuesday, discussed on the need to end the current "no war no peace " situation and agreed on the need to restore peace between the two countries.
At the end, it decided to fully accept and implement the Algiers Agreement and decisions of the Ethio-Eritrea Boundary Commission based on relevant international legal instruments.
Commenting on the Committee’s decision, Dr Yacob Hailemariam, an international legal expert, said “Ethiopia couldn’t retreat after signing the agreement which harmonizes with international law.”
“However, great precaution should be taken during demarcation process. The two nations should properly discuss on it,” Dr Yacob said in an exclusive interview with FBC.
Abay Yimer, a Legal and Administration instructor at the Addis Ababa University and member of research team at the Harvard University, said “the decision of the Committee is strategic and progressive.”
Ethiopia’s decision to accept and implement the Algiers Agreement is important in improving the economic benefit of the two countries through enhancing their mutual cooperation, the experts said.
Translated and posted by Amare Asrat

Addis Ababa, June 8, 2018 (FBC) - Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed today began a two leg state visit to Uganda and Egypt.

The Prime Minister is expected to discuss various issues including Nile Basin, regional security, trade, and investment with the leaders of the two countries.
On Saturday, the Premier will attend Uganda’s Heroes' Day celebrations, where he will also be awarded with the Pearl of Africa grand master medal.
After concluding his visit to Uganda, the Premier will head to Cairo, Egypt.

Addis Ababa, June 8, 2018 (FBC) - The UN Security Council has imposed sanctions on six leaders of human trafficking networks operating in Libya - the first time traffickers have been put on an international sanctions list.

The blacklisted six are four Libyans, including the head of a regional coast guard unit, and two Eritrean nationals.
The sanctions - a global travel ban and an assets freeze - were the result of an internationally-backed Dutch proposal.
The proposal was initially presented on 1 May but held up by Russia, which sought to examine the evidence against the six men.
The unprecedented sanctions follow widespread outrage at the end of 2017 after CNN aired footage showing the auctioning of migrant men as slaves in Libya.
Among the six men sanctioned is Ermias Ghermay, who the UN called "one of the most important sub-Saharan actors involved in the illicit trafficking of migrants in Libya".
The other five are Fitiwi Abdelrazak of Eritrea, Libyan militia leader Ahmad Oumar al-Dabbashi, Libyan Musab Abu-Qarin, Libyan Mohammed Kachlaf, head of the Shuhada al Nasr brigade in Zawiya, western Libya, and regional Libyan coast guard leader Abd al Rahman al-Milad.
The African Union said in December there were an estimated 400,000 to 700,000 migrants in more than 40 detention camps across Libya, many in inhumane conditions.
The International Organization of Migration recorded more than 3,100 deaths among migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean from Libya last year.
Source: BBC
Posted by Amare Asrat

(EBC)- በትግራይ ክልል የኢሮብ ወረዳ ነዋሪዎች መንግስት ለተግባራዊነቱ ይሁንታ የሰጠው የአልጀርሱን ስምምንት በመቃወም ሰላማዊ ሰልፍ አደረጉ፡፡ ስምምነቱ የኢሮብን ህዝብ ለሁለት የሚከፍል በመሆኑ በፅኑ እንደሚቃወሙት መግለፃቸውን የወረዳው የመንግስት ኮሙኒኬሽን ፅ/ቤት ኃላፊ ወ/ሮ ሰላም ሀጎስ በተለይ ለኢቢሲ ገልፀዋል፡፡ በመሆኑም መንግስት ጥያቄያችንን አንዳምጦ ለሁለት የመከፈል ስጋት ከግምት ውስጥ እንዲያስገባልን ሲሉ ዛሬ ሰኔ 01፣2010 ድምፃቸውን አሰምተዋል፡፡