The Secretariat of the Command Post of the State of Emergency on Wednesday (March 15) announced that it has lifted parts of the State of Emergency imposed in October following the “restoration of law and order in many parts of the country”.

Secretariat of the Comand Post and Minister of National Defense, Siraj Fegessa said that arbitrary arrests without court orders and searches without court papers have been terminated. The curfew that was imposed on movements around major infrastructural facilities from 6:00 P.M to 6:00 A.M for security reasons is among the lifted restrictions.

Siraj added that the article on restricting and controlling messages on radio, TV, literature, pictures, photographs, theater and film productions have also been lifted. It was also said that some of the articles in the two directives previously issued to implement the state of emergency have been cancelled because the country is back on normal state of affairs.

State Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Mrs. Hirut Zemene met a high-level delegation of the Africa Working Party of the Council of the European Union (COAFR) this morning (March 17, 2017).

The State Minister briefed the delegation on national issues and developments in the region.

Praising the overall strategic partnership between Ethiopia and the EU, Mrs. Hirut said the two parties are working closely on implementing the strategic engagement Agreement in general and cooperating across issues of human rights and Good governance in particular. 

The State Minister called on the delegation to work on the implementation of Job Compact initiative which she emphasized would benefit thousands of youth migrants. 

She also underlined the need for a continued comprehensive support from international partners like the EU for countries in the region, including South Sudan and Somalia.

Please consider these two invitations for the members of the Ethiopian diaspora living in the Netherlands and in Belgium (please click on the invitation to see the full-size document):

On Saturday 11th of March 2017, parts of the largest hillside at the Koshe garbage dump in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, collapsed. The landslide buried a slum that had been built in this area.

Dr. Negeri Lencho, Communication Affairs Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia said the majority of the dead were women and children as well the rescue operations were still continuing on the 15th of March. He further said the tragic incident has left 113 people 38 men and 75 women dead and several others wounded.

Mr. Diriba Kuma, Mayor of Addis Ababa city administration has extended his personal condolences and affirmed the commitment of the administration to support the victim families sustainably and provide ten to fifteen thousand birr and they would be resettled permanently in the coming years.

The mayor said the city administration has established three separate committees to conduct studies and provide sustainable solutions to the bereaved families. The administration has relocated 106 households, consisting of a total of 297 families, from the garbage dump site and the Mayor called on donors and other bodies to assist the administration’s effort.

The government tried to close the dump in 2016 and move it to a new location, but reconsidered the decision after people living near the new site shared their concern.

The House of People’s Representatives of Ethiopia has declared three days of national mourning starting on 15th of March 2017. The House also expressed its profound sympathy to bereaved families.

Accordingly, Ethiopia’s flag fly at half-mast for three days across the country, Ethiopian owned ships as well as Ethiopian embassies and consular offices abroad.

The Embassy of Ethiopia in Brussels extended its deepest condolences over the death of the victims and also offered its profound sympathy to the families who lost their loved ones.

Embassy of Ethiopia, Brussels

Contact

The House of People’s Representatives (HPR) has officially declared a three-day long national mourning for the death of 72 people due the sudden slide of dump rubbish at the outskirt of Addis Ababa in an area known as Quoshe.

The House decided three-days of mourning from March 15-17, 2017, after it concluded its regular session today.

Flags will be hoisted at half mast in all Ethiopian embassies, ships and consuls for the coming three days.

The House expressed its deep condolences for the families and the dead via the statement it sent officially to the media.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs would like to extend its deepest condolences over the death of fifty people which occurred last Saturday in the outskirt of the city. The Ministry also offers its profound sympathy to the families who lost their loved ones.

http://www.mfa.gov.et/web/guest/-/mfa-offers-its-deepest-condolences-over-the-death-of-50-people-after-garbage-landslide

This year, Brussels Airport is celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Brussels Airport Aviation Awards. Once again, 10 airlines and partners received a special award during a sparkling evening event attended by 200 guests. The Brussels Airport Aviation Awards are presented in various categories to the airlines and partners that have distinguished themselves in the past year in network development and new routes, environment and safety, performance and punctuality.

The Network Development Award Cargo Airline went to Ethiopian Airlines Cargo. The hub at Brucargo has been expanded with more flights and destinations and Ethiopian has become the largest cargo airline at Brussels Airport in just 6 months.

Ethiopian Airlines Press release: Ethiopian Wins ‘Cargo Airline Award for Network Development” at Brussels Airport

http://www.brusselsairport.be/pressroom/jubilee-edition-of-the-brussels-airport-aviation-awards/

Grapes and wine were already well known in Ethiopia around the first century A.D. when they were first imported through the Red Sea Port of Adulis. Afterwards, Ethiopians started brewing traditional fermented beverages from locally available raw materials to provide their guests. Ethiopia has been making a local wine called tedj, or Ethiopian mead, a honey wine flavored with an indigenous herb much like hops that remains the most popular alcoholic beverage in Ethiopia. However, this ancient wine-making tradition is now coexisting with a modern form of wine-making. Ethiopia is growing its own grapes and producing its own standardized high-quality wines.

A growing local demand

The production of modern winery in Ethiopia first started when Awash winery, the oldest winery in Ethiopia, was established in 1956. Awash Winery – which is run by local entrepreneur Mulugeta Tesfakiros – owns more than 117 hectares of a wine estate and has an annual production capacity of about 10 million bottles, most of which is exclusively sold on the Ethiopian market.

In 2014, Ethiopia’s annual wine consumption was around one million litres, six times lower than Kenya’s. But this reality is slowly changing, as wine has become more popular in recent years. The annual wine consumption in Ethiopia is expected to grow to more than 8.5 million litres per year. As the local demand for quality wine is at an all-time high, Awash is speeding ahead with a capital expansion project to increase the winery’s production capacity to an annual of 20 million liters by 2020 through an expansion of the vineyards and farming mechanisation. New vines have been planted on a 100 ha plot, which doubles the company’s cultivated farm land. This production capacity increase allows the company to look into export opportunities. In the coming 18 months, the company plans to begin exporting its product. This success has attracted new players to engage in the country’s young wine sector.

New players and local incentives

In 2007, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi invited Pierre Castel, founder of French beverage giant Castel, one of the largest wine and beer producer in the world, to assess the opportunities for vineyards in the country. A year later, the company imported different grape varieties and began setting up its vineyard in Ziway spreading across 120 hectares, 163 km south from the capital, Addis Ababa. When sales began in 2014, customers rapidly fell in love with Castel’s products and locally produced wines are now preferred to imported ones. Today, Castel manages a 162-hectare vineyard and produces about 1.4 million bottles a year − with over half exported to China, the US and Australia.

Several factors explain this success. First, Ethiopia’s geographic location and climate. Castle’s vineyards have an annual rainfall of about 650 mm, an average temperature of 25 degrees Celsius per year and sandy soils, which are ideal conditions for the development of quality wines. Due to Ethiopia’s proximity to the equator, it is even possible to make two harvests per year. In addition, local wine consumption is growing in Ethiopia, although starting from a low base. Locally-produced wine can be found in the new supermarket chains appearing around the country, as Ethiopia’s economy continues to grow. A significant portion of Castel’s exports are targeted at Ethiopian restaurants, of which there is a growing number globally.

Third, wineries based in Ethiopia benefit from several tax incentives such as the AGOA programme supporting free access to US market or the EU’s Everything but Arms (EBA) programme, which provides a duty and quota-free access to the European markets. Some regional states in Ethiopia have also provided investment incentives for this sector, in order to further support the development of wineries. Finally, the Castel group employs organic farming method in accordance to Ethiopia sustainable development policies, a promising method as the consumption of organic wine has out-paced growth in the consumption of non-organic wine.

Conquering the Global market

Awash’s winery range consists of four wines: A white and a red, made from the grapes from Awash vineyard: Kemila Medium Dry White 2013, a slightly sweet white, mainly from Chenin blanc (80%) and Grenache Blanc and Axumit Sweet Red Wine 2013, a blend of red Grenache (60%), Sangiovese, Petite Syrah, Gamay, Nebbiolo, Dodoma and Tinta Amarela. This is the most popular Ethiopian wine with a nose of red fruit and a great acidity. Two resinous wines complete the collection: Awash White wine 2014, a Méthode Cap Classique (MCC) sparkling wine made from 100% Chenin Blanc and Gouder Red Wine 2013. A peculiarity at Awash is that they constantly recycle wine bottles, thus we could find old bottles, 40 to 50 years old, on the market. A great environmental initiative.

Castel for its part has two brands, Rift Valley and Acacia. While the Rift Valley wine is targeting more experienced wine drinkers, foreigners and high-end restaurants, its Acacia range (with four different blends) is aimed at an emerging Ethiopian wine-drinker who tend to prefer sweet et fruity wines.  Castel’s wined ranges seven different types of products, two white wines and five red wines. Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were chosen for the reds while Chardonnay grapes were chosen for the white wines. Acacia Medium sweet white 2013 is a 100% Chardonnay with a taste of banana and white flowers. Acacia Medium sweet red 2013 is a blend with equal proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Syrah, which is very popular and appreciated by Ethiopian palates. Acacia Dry red 2013 has the same blend in a dry version, with intense black fruit flavours. The premium range of the Rift Valley are for their part wines partly aged in French oak barrels. Rift Valley Chardonnay 2013 is a fresh white wine with peach and citrus aromas. Rift Valley Merlot 2013 is red a crunchy wine full of red fruit and wood softened tannins. Finally, Rift Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 is a well-made, more powerful structured wine. With such a diverse and promising range, it is easy to understand why the Castel group bet on Ethiopia’s vineyards, and their belief that Ethiopia has the potential to rival the continent’s main wine producer, South Africa in a few years.

For more information

Solomon Dilbaba, “Wine-Making in Ethiopia – Cultural, Historical and Economic Significance”, The Ethiopian Herald, 12 May 2016

Kate Douglas, “Ethiopia’s emerging wine industry luring consumers locally and abroad”, How we made it in Africa, 13 December 2016

The El Niño phenomenon and global climate change caused the failure of two rainy seasons, negatively affecting the livelihoods of millions people in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa Region.

This drought is affecting around 5.6 million people in Ethiopia, especially the pastoral communities in Somali Regional State,  the lowlands of Borena, Bale and Gujji zones in the Oromia Regional State and South Omo zone of the Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples’ State.

As soon as the first climatic signs were detected, Ethiopian President Dr. Mulatu Teshome and other high government officials visited the affected regions and held discussions with local communities on the possible solutions to mitigate the drought.

Moreover, a National Disaster Risk Management Commission was established. Along with the National Command Post chaired Mr. Demeke Mekonen, Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia, it is carrying out studies about the situation of the drought-affected regions of the country.

In an interview given on the 8^th of March, Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Demeke Mekonen underlined the commitment of the government to prevent the negative impact on the lives of the people and of their cattle in the pastoralist communities.

The government allocated 47 million dollars to provide food and health services to the drought affected people. These response programs are conducted without affecting the ongoing development programs currently underway in the country, the Deputy Prime Minister said.

To face the drought at a regional level, the Heads of States and Governments of Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya and Somalia signed the Mogadishu Declaration on Regional Cooperation on the Current Drought on 22 February 2017, and called for “international collaboration and regional partnership between governments, civil society, aid organizations, business and international donors.”

In this spirit of regional partnership, Ethiopia donated over 7,200 quintals of emergency food assistance and 26,667 cartons of milk to the Somaliland region after the Somaliland administration declared the existence of a serious drought.

In the last years, Ethiopia’s government has created dedicated institutions and gained significant experience to mitigate droughts. The country shared its experience at the Istanbul Humanitarian Conferences in 2016.

On 29 January 2017, UN Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres called for total solidarity with the government and the people of Ethiopia. At this occasion, he commended the Ethiopian government and the humanitarian community for the successful response to the 2016 El Niño-induced drought in Ethiopia

Last year, the Ethiopian government and humanitarian partners successfully addressed the impact of the El Niño-induced drought, assisting at least 10.2 million people with food and rolling out a massive emergency response in the country, reaching 1.5 million households. Some 3.1 million children were supported through the school feeding program and 2.7 million people were assisted with clean water.

While international donors contributed close to 1 billion dollars over the course of the 2016 response, the government of Ethiopia spent at least 735 million dollars. The combined government and partners’ effort helped save countless people’s lives and averted a major humanitarian catastrophe in the country.

Embassy of Ethiopia in Brussels. Contact

Byiers, B. 2017. Is the Nile Basin Initiative a ‘regional sailboat’ in choppy geopolitical waters? ECDPM Talking Points blog, 3 March 2017.

With development practitioners increasingly invoking the importance of “Thinking and Working Politically” in development processes, Rachel Klein has a very appropriate line: “Plan for sailboats, not trains”. In other words: forget linear thinking when trying to approach development issues. Adaptability, flexibility and iterative approaches are the watchwords.

Applying this at a regional level implies an even trickier form of sailing: how do you promote a “sailboat” approach among multiple countries on cross-cutting agendas, given that much of what ultimately takes place depends on the political economy dynamics within countries? Regional cooperation is essentially about flotillas of sailboats of different sizes and capabilities, all subject to very localised currents and winds, where it isn’t always 100% clear that all are heading for the same destination.

While we have previously raised these same challenges around trade facilitation, our ongoing work on the Political Economy Dynamics of Regional Organisations (PEDRO) also includes river basin organisations. There may be interesting lessons for those supporting regional organisations and processes in other river basins or indeed other topics.

One example is the NBI – the Nile Basin Initiative – a ten-country organisation set up in 1999 to facilitate cooperation around Nile River Basin policies and investments. Three aspects stand out to suggest that NBI may have some ‘sailboat’ elements for improving regional cooperation.

Firstly, institutionally, NBI is not a commission – it is “in transition”, awaiting an agreement on Nile water usage – so has no legal standing beyond a headquarters agreement with Uganda, where it has its Secretariat in Entebbe. While this might be seen as a weakness, it has also forced the organisation to take a more iterative, adaptive approach to building country interest in cooperation through the initiative.

All countries fully recognised the political tensions around sharing the Nile, which is why the riparian countries negotiated the Nile Cooperative Framework Agreement – as a basis for the permanent Nile River Basin Commission. But due to differences that haven’t yet been resolved, the NBI has focused on technical, relatively apolitical projects. Training and knowledge-sharing was a way to establish formal and informal working relationships and trust between those working on water issues in riparian countries. While easy to dismiss, trust is an important aspect of regional cooperation.

Secondly, the technical capabilities of the NBI can also come to feed political discussions. By gathering and analysing technical data on water resource development plans of the riparian countries, they have been able to show, for example, that, unless the riparian countries efficiently coordinate their water use development plans, there is a risk of serious shortage of water in the Basin.

Being technically strong has helped build political relevance, now culminating in a Collaborative Water Assessment Process which helps to model different scenarios of the water resource levels and impacts of investments. NBI’s plan is to generate technically informed options for addressing the growing water demand in the Nile Basin more sustainably than would be possible through purely unilateral development by individual riparian countries.

Thirdly, sub-regional approaches and subsidiarity appear to both allow champions and sub-regional alignment around narrowed common interests. This is partly defined by the nature of the Nile Basin, with the Eastern Nile tributaries (Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt) physically distinct from the Equatorial Lakes tributaries. This is recognised in two Subsidiary Action Programmes: the first one organised around the Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office (ENTRO) for the Eastern Nile, that is somewhat autonomous from the NBI Secretariat; and the second, Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Program NELSAP.

This allows some specialisation – for example, NELSAP is increasingly engaged on issues of hydropower and connectivity, working by the logic that the willingness of a country to accept a dam upstream is affected by access to the energy created. There is no need for issues affecting only ENTRO countries to be dealt with at a wider NBI platform. This may be how the NBI manages to almost entirely finance its operational costs through membership contributions, even with some states such as Egypt, DRC and Burundi in arrears.

This is not to disregard the challenges of setting sail in these waters – the Nile also has some waterfalls.

One challenge is the common story of overlapping memberships – not only does NBI cut across several Regional Economic Communities, but also regional structures like the East Africa Power Pool (EAPP) and the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC). This need not be a problem if organisations can agree on a division of labour.

However, the continental architecture, and push for RECs to have a water department and water policy also risks confusing rather than helping matters, while countries take different negotiation positions on different issues at different fora. Uganda for example is downstream of Lake Victoria but mid-stream with respect to the Nile, so the political calculations alter. As well as Nile countries, Ethiopia is upstream of Djibouti, Somalia and others through other rivers – should all its water use be governed by one body?

Yet the fundamental challenge for NBI is that while they have tried to keep the technical and political tracks separate, both are seen as inseparable for Egypt, to whom the colonial-era agreements provide most rights to water use. As a result, Egypt suspended its participation in most NBI activities (Egypt participates in the annual meetings of the Nile Council of Ministers(Nile-COM), the Nile Day celebrations and the Strategic Dialogue between NBI governance and donor partners – all organised by NBI).

Though there are increased statements to the effect that Egypt is “turning towards Africa” and growing recognition that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is a reality, it is nonetheless seen as a potential disrupter to Nile water cooperation.

So if indeed NBI is a “strong organisation with a weak mandate”, as some have said, what can it hope to achieve?

By being adaptive and in tune to the politics, it seems that NBI may be well suited to encourage on-going diplomatic efforts. The shifting interests created by the GERD construction – energy generation for Ethiopia can also be sold to Sudan, while storing water upstream is also good for Sudan’s agricultural irrigation and may supplement available water storage in the High Aswan Dam in Egypt – increasing the buffering capacity of the Eastern Nile system.

Depending on how that is managed, the lower evaporation loss from storing water in Ethiopia due to its high altitude with cooler climate and efficient irrigation in Sudan might yet ensure Egypt maintains sufficient water-flow. Egyptian investors might even be willing to invest in Sudanese agriculture – thus importing water through food trade.

Should NBI therefore branch out into regional agricultural trade? One of the challenges of many regional organisations has precisely been ‘agenda inflation’ and on paper COMESA has the mandate – both on agriculture through CAADP, and on trade. While COMESA may be too large to focus on specifics, the best impact may come from NBI engaging with COMESA to ensure that concerns about water use, and energy production can be made part of a wider grand-bargain – think the European Coal and Steel Community.

While there is a tendency to think that overlapping memberships is a constraint to effectiveness, de Waal and Ibreck (2016) recently cited the need in the Horn of Africa for “not only a multilateral approach, but also an approach of multiple and overlapping multilateralisms.”

Multiple flotillas of sailboats may sound messy but perhaps that is the way to ensure that at least some can set sail while others founder or sink.

http://ecdpm.org/talking-points/nile-basin-initiative-regional-sailboat-choppy-geopolitical-waters/