The Italian apparel/fashion manufacturer company Calzedonia Group inaugurated ITACA Textile Plc., a 15-million USD investment, in Ashegoda, near Mekelle city, Tigray Regional State, on Friday 19 October.

This is Calzedonia’s first factory on the African continent.

In terms of job creation, the factory will offer employment opportunities to 1300 people and is currently exporting 22 million Ethiopian birr worth of products every month.

During the inauguration, ITACA CEO Federico Fraboni said the factory has already started exporting clothes to different European countries.

Calzedonia specializes in hosiery, leggings, socks, and swimwear for women, men, and kids.

The location of the factory has proximity to Eritrea’s Massawa port and is expected to contribute to regional economic growth.

Mekelle Industrial Park which was constructed at the cost of 100 million dollars and inaugurated in 2017 is housing the factory.

According to the Investment Director at Tigray Trade, Industry and Urban Development Bureau, Haftom Fantahunegn, two additional textile factories will start production soon.

On Sunday 21 October, the government of Ethiopia and the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) signed a peace deal in the Eritrean capital Asmara, that officially ended one of the oldest arms struggles in Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian delegation was led by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Workneh Gebeyehu, whereas the ONLF side was led by the Front’s Chairman, Admiral Mohamed Umer Usman. The two held a productive discussion and reached a historic deal that allowed the ONLF to undertake peaceful political struggle in Ethiopia. Indeed, this is the beginning of a new chapter of peace and stability in Ethiopia, particularly in Somali regional state, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The ONLF had launched its bid for the secession of the Somali Region, also known as Ogaden, in eastern Ethiopia in 1984.

Earlier this year, the parliament removed the ONLF from a list of banned movements as part of a reform drive being led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who has extended an olive branch to several armed groups. The ONLF declared a ceasefire in August.

The agreement stipulates that both sides would end hostilities and that the ONLF would “pursue its political obligations through peaceful means”.

The two sides will now form a joint committee to discuss the root causes of the conflict, the agreement said.

On the occasion of the Great Ethiopian Run (GRE), the annual 10-kilometre road running event which takes place in late November in Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Airlines is offering flight tickets starting from $799!

For more information, visit www.ethiopianholidays.com
Contact the nearest Ethiopian Airlines Office, your travel agent or call Ethiopian at +251-11-665-6666

A  roadmap was designed to help the implementation of the peace process in South Sudan.

State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hirut Zemene briefed partners on the implementation of South Sudan’s peace process yesterday.

On this occasion, the State Minister noted that a roadmap had been designed to help the implementation of South Sudan’s peace process.

Hirut stressed the significance of endorsing the peace agreement by all warring parties and commended the partners for their constructive engagement for helping achieve peace and stability in South Sudan.

IGAD member states also demonstrated their full commitment to the peace process in the country more than ever, she added.

The State Minister also revealed that the IGAD Chiefs of Staff will convene in Khartoum on October 22, 2018, and would come up with a proposal on the next step to be taken.

IGAD Special Envoy to South Sudan, Ambassador Ismail Wais said IGAD member countries are now on the same page with regard to South Sudan’s peace process.

This has been evident in their commitment and support to the implementation of the peace agreement, he added.

He further commended partners for supporting the implementation of the peace process in South Sudan.

The Foreign Affairs Ministers of Eritrea and Ethiopia arrived in Mogadishu on Wednesday, October 17, to appeal to all stakeholders in Somalia to work towards the peace and stability in the country.

Somalia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmed Isse Awad received his counterparts, Osman Saleh, Eritrea; and Workneh Gebeyehu, Ethiopia, on their arrival at the airport.

This meeting is the latest sign of the strengthening of relations across the Horn of Africa and is a boost for regional cooperation, diplomacy and security.

The current visit forms a marked departure from past politics in the region where different actors have been supporting different factions within Somalia, creating further chaos and making Somalia ungovernable.

If the current trends continue, this will likely have a significant effect on Somalia’s slow return to a more unified and stable nation.

During the visit, the two foreign ministers held talks with Mohammed Abdulahi Mohammed Farmajo, President of Somalia, and with Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre.

In a joint press statement issued after the discussion, the foreign ministers of Ethiopia and Eritrea reaffirmed their firm support for the government and people of Somalia.

They also called upon the international community to support the government of Somalia to pursue much-needed reforms and its progress towards recovery.

The last time the three ministers met in the region was in Asmara after their leaders signed a tripartite cooperation agreement. The trio was dispatched to Djibouti to mediate in soured relations between Eritrea and Djibouti.

 

The Ethiopian government-owned industrial enterprise, Metals and Engineering Corporation (METEC), is going to be reorganised with a new name. The Corporation was established by the Council of Ministers to advance Ethiopia’s industrialisation drive.

METEC came under hot water recently for the delay it caused to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) project. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed himself singled it out as one responsible for the project delay. METEC later lost its contract for the GERD. Billions of Ethiopian birr were wasted due to the failure of the corporation to complete the projects as per scheduled time.

Because of the company’s poor performance, the new administration of Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed has taken different measures, starting from changing the leadership of the Corporation.

According to Abdulaziz Mohammed, Commercial and Civil Products Operation Deputy Director at the Corporation, the reform aims at improving the structure of the Corporation.

Industries that have been manufacturing military equipment under the auspices of METEC will be transferred to the Ministry of Defense. The rest will remain under the Corporation.

Accordingly, METEC will now manufacture civil and commercial products under a new name – the National Metal Engineering Corporation.

A draft regulation has been prepared to reorganise the Corporation, and the decision will be applied once approved by the Council of Ministers.

Metals and Engineering Corporation (METEC) has 14 industries under it and as per the new draft regulation, it will transfer four of them to the Ministry of Defense.

The four industries are Homicho Ammunition Engineering Industry, Dejen Aviation Industry, Gafat Armament Engineering Industry, and Hi-tech Engineering Industry

Ethiopia’s parliament – The House of Peoples Representatives, HPR, was meeting this morning to discuss a range of issues tabled by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, including the approval of a new downsized cabinet as agreed by the Council of Ministers last week. The new cabinet posts were reduced from 28 to 20.

It also created new ministries reflecting the government priorities, such as the Ministry of Peace.

“The main problem in this country is the lack of peace. This peace ministry will be working hard to ensure it prevails,” Mr Abiy told deputies.

A few of the ministries are going to merge. Among the notable ones, the Ministry of Trade will join with the Ministry of Industry, and the Ministry of Science and Technology is to unite with the Ministry of Communications and Information. The Construction Ministry, for its part, will join the Ministry of Urban Development.

On this occasion, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed also announced the names of his new Ministers. The new ministerial portfolio will have a record number of female ministers consisting 10 out of the 20 ministers. This includes the position of Minister of defence, which will be held by a woman for the first time in history.

HPR speaker Muferiat Kamil will assume the new ministerial portfolio, Ministry of Peace; Workneh Gebeyehu will remain as minister of Foreign Affairs; and Ahmed Shide will become Minister of Finance, where he was a state minister before moving to communication.

Ahmed dissolved the Government Communication Affairs Office, which was led by Ahmed Shide with ministerial portfolio and instated it under the Prime Minister’s office.

Muferiat’s Ministry of Peace will oversee the National Intelligence & Security Service (NISS); Information Network Security Agency (INSA); Federal Police Commission; & Finance Security & Info. Center. It will also assume the roles of Federal & Pastoralist Deve’t Affairs.

The following agencies will be under the auspices of the House of People’s Representatives (HPR): Ethiopian News Agency (ENA); Ethiopian Broadcasting Authority (EBA); Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA); Federal anti-corruption commission; & Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation.

Source: Addis Standard

Ethiopian airline on Saturday made the first commercial flight between Addis Ababa and Mogadishu in 41 years, in yet another sign of warming ties between neighbouring Horn of Africa nations Ethiopia and Somalia.

A plane from the private airline Ethiopia National Airways landed at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde airport, and will conduct four flights per week, officials said.

“It’s a historical day for us as we launch this direct flight between Addis Ababa and Mogadishu. It has never been easy, we have been trying so many times, but finally, we succeeded and this day finally came,” said airline owner Abera Lemi at a ceremony in the capital.

Ethiopian Airlines in July launched the first flights between Addis Ababa and Eritrea in two decades in a whirlwind peace process between the two nations after a bloody conflict and extended cold war.

The peace process led by Ethiopia’s reformist young Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been followed by a flurry of diplomacy in the region that has also seen Somalia mend ties with Eritrea and a move to end tensions between Djibouti and Eritrea.

In June Abiy paid a visit to Mogadishu, where he and Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed agreed to strengthen relations.

Ethiopia supports the transitional government and has troops in Somalia now forming part of an African Union mission to combat Al-Shabaab.

Ethiopia inaugurated Omo Kuraz III sugar factory this Sunday 14 October. Located in South Omo zone, SNNP regional state, it is one of the four sugar factories under the Omo-Kuraz sugar development project.

The sugar factory, which was built at a cost of over 8 billion birr (290 million USD) through a loan obtained from the China Development Bank and is expected to produce 8,000 to 10,000 quintal of sugar a day. It will serve as best development corridor for the region and create jobs for 12,000 people. It is the eighth operational sugar factory in the country.

Prime minister Abiy Ahmed, former Ethiopian Prime minister Hailemariam Desalegne, Muferiat Kamil (Speaker of the House of representative) and Eritrean President Isayas Afeworki were among the dignitaries present during the inauguration.

Hailemariam Desalgne is credited for initiating the project during his terms of office as president of South regional state and has also contributed a lot for the completion of the project.

The government is also undertaking an irrigation project over the river Omo to cultivate sugar cane on 100,000 hectares of land which will supply the factories with raw material.

Abiy said, “We need to invest more in exponentially exploiting the national potential related to products like sugar, rice, sesame, wheat and maize.”

President Isaias Afeworki of Eritrea who attended the inauguration ceremony as a guest of honour said,” This is an eye opener for us on what we can do and achieve.”

Isaias added that the fruitful completion of Omo Kuraz III sugar factory teaches everyone to unleash potential.

Stating that with rapid population growth rate in East Africa, Isaias stressed countries to focus on regional development spheres.

 

Eritrean President Isaias Afeworki arrived in Addis Ababa this Sunday 14 October for a two-day working visit.

Upon arrival at Bole International Airport, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and higher government officials warmly welcomed the president, who is expected to visit some development projects of Ethiopia.

Moreover, Premier Abiy and President Isaias are expected to confer on the progress of the peace accord signed between their two countries last July on the top of other issues of mutual interest.

The visit of President Isaias to Ethiopia is for the second time after the two countries signed the Joint Declaration on Peace and Friendship to end the two decade border standoff.