Grilled by the legislature

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1 1 January 30, 2016 ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA Science ministry raises concern on international orgs activities Minister says IRLI is one example IRLI says not aware of the allegation Price 5.00 Birr By Yonas Abiye The Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) expressed concerns over the safety and security of the country s indigenous genetic resources especially RwandAir selects Ethiopian as strategic partner in connection with some foreign organizations and individuals who are active in research and related activities. According to Abiy Ahmed, minister of MoST, the government has set up a special committee following the proposal of his ministry to strengthen oversight with regards to the indigenous resources of the country. After presenting his six-month report to the Science Communication and Technology Standing Committee of the House of Peoples Representatives (HPR), Abiy faced question from MPs as to what his ministry is doing to protect the indigenous genetic and other related resources. Science ministry... page 36 Grilled by the legislature By Kaleyesus Bekele The management and board of RwandAir, the national carrier of Rwanda, has selected Ethiopian Airlines as a strategic partner. RwandAir has been looking for a strategic partner that would own a 49 percent stake on the fledgling East African airline. The strategic partner will invest in RwandAir, represented in the management and provide technical assistance. Ethiopian Airlines and Etihad Airways are among the list RwandAir selects... page 32 Advertisment Wakgari Furi (PhD), state minister, (second from right). SEE THE FULL STORY ON PAGE 36 Photo By: Reporter /Tamirat Getachew

2 2 EDITORIAL Published weekly by Media & Communications Center Address: Bole Sub City, Kebele 03, H. No Tel: Editorial Reception Finance Fax: PO Box: Marketing [email protected] Website: General Manager Amare Aregawi Managing Editor Bruh Yihunbelay Editor-in-Chief Asrat Seyoum Sub city: N.lafto, K. 10/18, H.No. 614 Senior Editors Yacob Wolde-Mariam Dibaba Amensisa Mikias Sebsibe Editors Kaleyesus Bekele Yonas Abiye Assistant Editor Tibebeselassie Tigabu Neamin Ashena Senior Reporters Henok Reta Reporter Dawit Tolesa Columnist Leyou Tameru Chief Graphic Designer Yibekal Getahun Senior Graphic Designer Tewodros Kebkab Graphic Designers Tsehay Tadesse Fasika Balcha Semenh Sisay Netsanet Yacob Bezaye Tewodros Head of Photography Nahom Tesfaye Photographers Tamrat Getachew Mesfen Solomon Website Bezawit Tesfaye Binyam Hailu Cartoonist Elias Areda Fasil W/giorgis Marketing Manager Endalkachew Yimam Marketing cers Biruk Mulugeta Biruk Chernet Computer Secretaries Birtukan Abate, Helen Yetayew, Print Tesfaye Mengesha, Yeyesuswork Mamo,Gezaghgn Mandefro Disaster vigilance needed! Building an effective disaster preparedness and management capacity is an essential task of any government. The absence of such capacity makes it difficult to respond quickly and at the required level to both natural and man-made disasters is bound to exact a heavy humanitarian and material toll from which it will take a long time to recover. Let s dwell on some fundamental issues in this regard. This week Hawassa, the capital of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region, was hit by an earthquake. Though the tremor was minor and did not entail the loss of life or property damage, it terrified the city s residents. And even if it did not seriously test the country s disaster preparedness and prevention capacity, it laid bare the woeful state of the disaster early warning system. Had the system taken into account the fact that Hawassa is prone to earthquakes because it is located in the Great Rift Valley, such precautionary measures as sensitizing its inhabitants about the possibility of the occurrence of the danger as well as designing and enforcing appropriate building codes would have been taken. Hence, the quake should serve as a lesson learnt to ramp up the national disaster management capability in view of future eventualities. There used to exist a robust government agency called the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC), later renamed the Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission (DPPC), that did exemplary work in response to drought and other disasters. This huge institution, which had massive grain warehouses, auto workshops, thousands of aid workers and hundreds of transport vehicles and planes, did a lot in terms of providing invaluable assistance to those affected by calamities. Recently though it was downgraded to a department under the Ministry of Agriculture with its purview limited to administrative duties. If the agency is to be revived and vested with a stronger mandate which allows it to put in place an active early warning system, it would be possible to avert or manage effectively any disaster. Following the formation by the Council of Ministers of the National Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission, which is accountable to the Prime Minister, a month ago work has begun to operationalize the Commission. Though the decision to establish the Commission, albeit belated, is commendable, it needs to be implemented promptly with an eye to international best practices. It has to have a competent staff as well as the necessary budget, technologically advanced instruments and other inputs. As anywhere in the world the exigency to enhance the national disaster prevention and preparedness capacity is informed by the imperative to forestall and where this is impossible to respond properly to catastrophes. This capacity can be built mainly through the instrumentality of a government agency expressly mandated with such acommission. If the agency is to develop a solid early warning mechanism and the capability to conduct crucial emergency response trainings aimed at minimizing if not eliminating the costly humanitarian, economic, social and psychological impacts of tragedies, it should be able to formulate and execute comprehensiveplans that must be applied in a coordinated manner. Then any disaster that may trigger dire consequences can be dealt with relative ease. Presently, over 10.2 million people are in need of emergency food assistance in Ethiopia due to one of the biggest drought in its history. The international community is not providing the required level of assistance to ensure that no one dies from and is displaced from their villages at the hand of the drought. Unless the assistance financed thus far largely by the government is supplemented by international donors and aid organizations, the problem is liable to become even more worrying. An all-out effort is mandatory in order to avoid a loss of life induced by the failure in rains that is unprecedented in the last fifty years. This renders the commencement of operations by the commission under formation posthaste absolutely vital. Should the alarming drought be compounded by another disaster, the ensuing humanitarian crisis will be unimaginable. Aside from engendering various health problems including epidemics and weakening the resistance of children and pregnant women to opportunistic disease, it leads to the death of cattle detrimentally affecting the livelihood of a large number of communities. If the country s weak disaster prevention and preparedness capacity is not beefed up immediately, the grave situation it currently finds itself in may well prompt the death of citizens that all of us dread. Therefore, we cannot afford to waste time in beefing up emergency management capabilities. The responsibility of building a robust disaster response capacity does not lie on the shoulders of the government alone. It is also borne by all stakeholders. Even as competent and diligent personnel, a large budget and technology are availed for the purpose of strengthening early warning as well as prevention and preparedness mechanisms, it is important to adopt best practices and coordinate with international partners. A feeling of shame and remorse will hang over the entire nation if it incurs a terrible cost as a result of failure to take these critical measures. This is precisely why it is obligatory to enhance the national disaster prevention and preparedness capacity.

3 ost s and n nd n and. he re ch e eral out as d hop. ing G., re, y). HEADLINES 3 Somaliland to seek statehood via legal arbitration By Asrat Seyoum The de facto state of Somaliland has opted to explore legal options to gain their long-awaited international recognition as an independent sovereign state which includes taking their case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the primary judicial body of the United Nations (UN) headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands. The court settles legal disputes submitted to it by states and provides advisory opinions on legal questions submitted to it by duly authorized international branches, agencies, and the UN General Assembly. Somaliland s quest for recognition is a quarterof-a-century old; and these days the government of the small nation looks to be tired of waiting for the international community to recognize it as sovereign state and have decided to push matter to the legal arena. In his address to the joint session of parliament at the beginning of the year, President Ahmed Mahmud Silanyo told lawmakers in Somaliland that his administration was prepared to pursue legal remedies to his countries long-awaited international recognition. The Somalilanders believe that they have a good legal case and that it would benefit them to seek international legal arbitration. The history of Somaliland is rather complicated. According to local elders, the nation has always been an independent entity in the Greater Somalia Region. For one, Somaliland or the British Somalia as it was once called was never a full colonial state for the British, they argue. They underscore that the country was under British protectorate, an arrangement where a dependent territory is granted, some degree of autonomy and independence to run its local affairs save foreign policy and international relation matters. Regardless, the territory gained its independence in June 26, 1960 under the assumption that it will join the Italian Somalia to the South. Somaliland Executive Council bans AEUP president preceded Italian Somalia in gaining independence. For brief stay, around 5 days, the territory existed as the state of Somaliland there by making the union with Somalia a union of two sovereign states. This appears to be the basis of Somaliland s drive to explore the legal option since the territory has to establish that it is a state to even have the ICJ consider its request and the legal substance that is right to selfdetermine. Saad Ali Shire (PhD), Foreign Minister of Somaliland, told The Reporter in an exclusive interview that his government has good legal case for Somaliland... page 31 By Neamin Ashenafi The Executive Council of the All- Ethiopia Unity Party (AEUP) has banned Abebaw Mehari, president of the party, and decided that the deputy president continue the day-to-day activities of the party on his behalf until the next general assembly. The deputy president, Enderyas Ero, chaired the Executive Council extraordinary meeting on Monday outside the office of the party in the absence of the president. Though members of the Executive Council repeatedly requested the president to call a general assembly to deliberate on the overall activities of the party and other major political issues, the president refused to do so and wanted to purge the members of the party who requested the calling of the general assembly, Enderyas told The Reporter. The major reason that forced us to reach this decision is the reluctant nature of the president to call a regular meeting of the general assembly, and hence decided unanimously to ban the president till the next general assembly, which is going to be held after six months, the deputy president added. He added that their decision is in accordance with the bylaws of the party and one-third of the Executive Council was part of the decision. Though his term has expired and he has been banned, the president should deliver a full report as well both internal and external audit reports at the next general assembly meeting. The deputy president also stated that although the party had faced various challenges from the ruling party, the challenge by very few individuals within the rank and file of the party is also another challenge. It is to be recalled that the party had passed through similar problem on the eve of the 2015 general election when Mamushet Amare and Abebaw Mehari were in a stiff squabble by claiming the leadership of the party. That bickering had forced the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) to interfere. According to the decision made by the NEBE, Abebaw Mehari was recognized, as the president of the party and took part in the 2015 election when the ruling party, the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), won all the parliamentary seats. Abebaw Mehari INSIDE 6 IN-DEPTH Unless there is a strategic leadership capacity for implementation, having the policies right does not lead anywhere. We already have the right policies but we are still a long way from having the required strategic leadership capacity in place. The Ethiopian government has embarked on the implementation of the country s development roadmap the second Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP-II). Like all policy documents the GTP-II identi es the pros and cons of the rst phase of the GTP claiming that the groundwork has been nali ed and the road has been paved for the next ve years. ow strong emphases have been given to ensuring good governance ghting rent-seeking behavior and corruption. This is considered by some as a mountain too steep to climb, writes Solomon Goshu. GTP-I made efforts to weaken rent-seeking and reali e developmental political economy so as to achieve the developmental and good governance goals. Priority was given to works that increase the capacity building of the government political leadership, civil service, and justice sector. Proposals on democracy and good governance If there is a governmental system that should qualify as a state (under any definition) in sub-saharan Africa, it is Ethiopia. It has both the history and ambition to rank as a state. The Ethiopian state, however, tends to diminish on close approach. For every assertion about the continuity, legitimacy and order of Ethiopian governance, there is a counterclaim. These are words of Alex de Waal, Executive Director of the World Peace Foundation and a Research Professor at The Fletcher School. Considered one of the foremost experts on Sudan and the Horn of Africa, Alex de Waal is also a keen observant of the Ethiopian state. He devoted a chapter on Ethiopia in his latest book The Real Politics of the Horn of Africa: Money, War and the Business of Power. As Alex de Waal rightly expresses it, claims and counter-claims are the main characteristics of the Ethiopian political life. Recently, Transparency International, an international non-governmental organization working on corruption, released its 2015 Corruption Perception Index which places Ethiopia in 103 out of 168 countries. For a government that prides itself representing the best interests of the great majority of the citizens, the stand is not good by any account. Back in 2012, the World Bank report indicated that even if the perception is high, the level of corruption in the country is not that big. This is just another indication that despite all efforts of the government, public trust and confidence is waning in the country. The Ethiopian developmental state model as articulated well through the writings of the late Meles Zenawi highlights ways of maximizing growth and minimizing abuse of power and corruption. Alex de Waal being one of his closest friends, this is what he has said about the challenge of Meles s growth model. Ultimately, Meles s democratic developmentalism was more personal than a collective exercise, and the outcome was intellectually rigorous but organizationally dysfunctional. Everyday governmental issues were neglected. Meles s challenge was the practice. For Alex de Waal, while Meles and his closest associates were obsessed with developmentalism, other Ethiopians were not. The project for a developmental state was not becoming hegemonic and Meles knew it, he writes. Alex de Waal also quotes a memorandum Meles had written three months before his death. It reads: Unless there is a strategic leadership We need to develop the culture of enforcing our rights. capacity for implementation, having the policies right does not lead anywhere. We already have the right policies but we are still a long way from having the required strategic leadership capacity in place. Alex de Waal said that Meles frankly identified the party leadership as the strategic weakness of the project. While admitting the fact that members of the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) leadership in general have a modest life-style and have devoted their efforts to the interests of the party and the nation, Alex de Waal expresses his concern on the expansion of corrupt practices to the highest order. The immediate challenge for Ethiopia is the nature of competition within the political leadership of EPRDF and the security services and the army. Control over state rents is distributed among this elite, whose members have the power to appropriate those rents for personal enrichment, for factional political budgets, or for both. Domestically, this system is sufficiently entrenched that it can deter new entrants, he states. Alex de Waal is not alone in fearing that corruption is risking the health of the country. Many Ethiopians believe that the few innocent and committed servants are swallowed by corrupt and incapable ones in the bureaucracy. They are not also demonstrating their confidence on the justice system as they are doubtful if the corrupt and faulty parties are being held accountable when found themselves at the wrong end of the game. On the other hand, the government is saying that it is strengthening transparency and accountability focusing on registration of property of government officials, and giving special attention to corruption prone areas such as procurement, revenue collection, financial administration and others. This seems to imply that on the most important aspects of governance the public and the government are not on the same boat. Then again, the government nt insists that national consensus on the core values are in the making. The second Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP-II) reads: National consensus has been created on the basic principles of the Constitutional order, on the implementation n of the vision of anti-poverty struggle gle and realizing accelerated development, on ensuring sustainable peace, e, on the firm commitment of respecting diversity, on the initial results of the road to renaissance, on the changes of the image of the country, 12 INTERVIEW Beyene Petros (Prof.) is the president of the Ethiopian Federalist Democratic Unity Forum (Medrek), one of the major opposition political parties in Ethiopia which is also a front made up of six parties. Originally, Beyene was president of the Ethiopian Social Democrat (ESD), a party that later merged with the South Ethiopian Unity party (SEUP) to form ESD-SEUP, which, in turn, is part of the larger front: Medrek. Beyene, a familiar face in Ethiopian politics since the transition period following the fall of the Derg, is also a biology professor at the Addis Ababa University Faculty of Science. Since the victory of the ruling front Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) during the last election, which was held in May 2015 in which the front and its affiliates managed to take 100 percent of the seats in parliament, Beyene and his fellow opposition politicians have become more scarce on the public platform. Hence, Neamin Ashenafi of The Reporter paid the professor a visit in his office located around Sidit Kilo near the Addis Ababa University main campus to sit down with him and reflect on the current political landscape in Ethiopia and on other pertinent issues such as drought. Excerpts: Photo By: Reporter /Mesfen Solomon Staggering opposition The Reporter: You have participated in the Ethiopian politics since the transitional government and if there is anyone who can analyze the country s politics in the past 25 years it is you. What are the successes and challenges of the Ethiopian political landscape in the stated period? Professor Beyene: This question requires a complex answer. First of all, there is no government or political party in this country that commands a political clout which enables it to bring about a change in way that satisfies or is agreeable to the majority. By bringing change I mean a favorable and democratic political environment which is based on trust for various interest groups and political forces in the nation. This is the mother of all problems. Since the politics lacks trust, what we have witnessed on the political landscape of the country in the past 25 years seriously lacks positive mentality. Since politics is mainly associated with the struggle for power, it is construed as sheer naivety or innocence for a politician to speak about positive attitude. However, based on my experience, one thing I am certain about is that the ruling party EPRDF is leading the country by the politics of rigging, pretending and shrewdness. Apart from that, they have their own dreams and illusions which they developed during their gorilla fighting days. I can say they were very committed to this dream and were unwilling to entertain any other suggestion or comment other than theirs. In my opinion, this was the biggest challenge. For me, the root cause of this is the way the Derg was overthrown; it was via force. For me, it would have been better had the Derg transferred power via discussions. You see, there is a trend here. The Derg overthrew the imperial regime by force. Although many people advised the emperor to reform the political landscape at the time, he refused to do so and as a result the monster Derg assumed power. By the same token, had the ruling party (EPRDF) shown little willingness to discuss with the various groups and individuals about the future of the country and valued these suggestions, things might have been much better today. The victory comes without proper consultation and discussion with all the concerned bodies in the country; hence what we have noticed since then is sheer domination of the winner which is the ruling party. As the saying goes it takes two to tango; the ruling party 22 LIVING & THE ARTS should be willing to accommodate other voices in the country. However, the ruling party espouses a mentality that dictates whoever paid the most sacrifice by defeating the Derg should impose its ideology and the rest should accept all political prescriptions. By doing so, they have closed the doors on further discussion and discourse. On the contrary, we kept saying no; we said starting from the charter we have not been fully convinced and that there is no agreement. Then, many groups other than the ruling party decided to embark on their own movement. We had a series of discussions with the ruling party after that and even met the late Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, several times. However, the strategy of the ruling party from the beginning was mainly aimed at dividing the opposition camp. Another thing that should be raised here is that EPRDF assumes that since it chased out the Derg, the entire public is thankful and that this achievement is highly revered. However, the fact on the ground suggests otherwise. The public wanted to be listened to; it is good that the Derg is overthrown, but the public also needs to be consulted when it comes to the future of the nation. As a result, the country witnessed many clashes here and there. If you take the election history of the country, before the first election which was held in 1992, there was a snap election which was aimed at creating a favourable environment to hold the first general election. This election was all about determining who will administer r the process and who will be running g and the like; and in that election EPRDF got only 20 percent of the votes in Addis Ababa and heavily lost in the Oromia region. Another challenge was s the ruling party s mindset of being the only political force that truly cares for the nation; they always thought t their way is the only way and all the other voices are detractors at best. Honestly y speaking, is there any Ethiopian who o is against the development and the growth of their nation? Is there anybody who opposes the equality of nations and nationalities in Ethiopia? It is hard to o imagine that there is. The only concern here is that of administering properly, in a way that includes all groups and individuals in the country. EPRDF assumes that if they lost grip of power just once, the country will be in utter chaos. However, this is an obsession. That is largely what you thought to be problems associated with the ruling party. However, the opposition camp p also seems to have problems of its own; especially hiopia.com Hip-hop, as music and culture was formed during the 1970s when block parties became increasingly popular in New York City, particularly among African-American youth residing in the Bronx. Block parties incorporated DJs, who played popular genres of music, especially funk and soul music. The music later on gave rise to phenomenal artistes like Tupac, Snoop Dogg and Eminem. In Ethiopia the music became popular among the urban youth from the mid- 1990s and the early 2000s. And now a few Ethiopian rappers are trying to make it in the Ethiopian music charts, writes Tibebeselassie Tigabu. Jukebox Lij Michael Ethiopian hip-hop at a crossroad The well-known feud in hip-hop history the hip-hop industry. completely turned into a fight. The caused the tragic death of two American bouncers had to intervene to break Thousands of miles away from the east hip-hop giants; Tupac Shakur and The the fight, We were teenagers and it vs. west coast hip-hop scene there was Notorious B.I.G. The prolific rappers was easy to control the situation, Lij a surprising dispute between Tupac were born less than a year apart. Tupac Michael says. and B.I.G. Supporters in Addis Ababa. was based in Los Angeles on the west One of the incidents was at Cotton Club With hip-hop getting millions of new coast, while Biggie is a rapper from New found in Ghion Hotel. fans from all over the world, Addis York in the east. hip-hop lovers are also swayed by Lij Michael, a rapper formerly known as The vendetta between the east and west the wave of the genre. This led to the Crazy, was present when the incident coast factions was raised by lyrical establishment of hip-hop groups such as happened. According to Lij Michael, provocations from Biggie entitled Who Mad Boyz, Habesha Phenomenon and hip-hop fans were divided among the Shot Ya? and Tupac s Hit Em Up. ABC. east and west line. It was common to see Eventually, the antagonistic musical rappers gesticulate west coast and east One of the founders of ABC, Lij Michael, back and forth emerged and gradually coast signs or say east coast for life. recalls the outset of Ethiopian hip-hop. escalated. The media became heavily They are attired in glittery wrist wears, His love for rap came while listening involved in their spat, labeling it a neck chains and baggy pants. The west to the beats of Tupac Shakur, B.I.G., coastal rap war and reporting on it coast fans reveled when the DJ played Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris, Dr. Dre, continuously, which in turn caused fans Tupac s California Love while the Kurupt and Puff Daddy (P-Diddy). to take sides. east coast supporters stood on the side, Lij Michael s rapping career started Matters really intensified once Tupac circling them. Lij Michael remembers with MCing and playing famous tunes. was shot and killed in Las Vegas, the scene when the venue changed into Though there were no big venues, they Nevada. The Notorious B.I.G. was a battlefield when Biggie s music Who were fortunate enough to perform at also fatally shot, which resulted in the Shot Ya? was played. school carnivals and day parties that escalation of the east coast and west They rushed to the dance floor shoving were held at Lion and You Go o clubs. coast feud. This phenomenon changed Tupac s fans. The dancing scene 34 #REPORTERBOOK R Meme excitement over Eritrea marriage law story It was a hoax, like many others on the Internet in this digital media age, but nothing has ever been received with much verve by men all over the world than this piece of news. Various websites have reported that activists have posted a memo allegedly by the Government of Eritrea asking men to marry at least two wives due to acute shortage of men occasioned by casualties during the civil war with Ethiopia. No sooner had the social media corridors received this news had memes sprouted all over with some men clearly saying the Eritrean visa was a prerequisite. The satirical story, which has been shared across Africa, has upset Eritrean officials. Even a madman in Asmara would know that this story was not true, an Eritrean official told the BBC. The hoax was first published online on a Kenyan news site called Crazy Monday. It has been trending on Twitter in Nigeria, and other countries, for several days with people sharing links to the Eritrea s visa application documents. On the right Here are some of the memes that went viral. R streaming to everyone #MarryMoreThanOneWife Facebook just flipped the switch on its live streaming feature in its ios app. The social network is expanding its live streaming capabilities to all of its ios users in the US. The company first began experimenting with live video last year but Thursday s update marks the first time Facebook has made the feature widely available. The new feature, which Facebook is calling Live, now appears in the update status menu next to the check-in pin that allows you to share your location. Live videos on Facebook work similarly to Periscope broadcasts: you can begin a live stream with a brief description, and once you re live, viewers can comment on streams in real time. When you re finished, you have the option to save the video and share it on your timeline. Additionally, you can subscribe to a person or Page s live videos so you can get a notification each time they start a new broadcast. Facebook s Vadim Lavrusik said the company is working to bring the features to Android users soon and the the rest of the world in the coming weeks. The company first began experimenting with live video in August, but the feature was limited to to people who use Mentions, Facebook s app for celebrities and other public figures. Facebook has been ramping up its video efforts over the last year, and bringing live streaming to everyone could help the social network see even more engagement with its video features. According to the company, users are already watching upwards of 3 billion videos a day a number that will likely only increase as the social network makes videos, including live streams, increasingly prominent on its app and website. (Mashable)

4 4 HEADLINES Delonex Energy launches oil exploration project in Ogaden By Kaleyesus Bekele A new UK-based company, Delonex Energy Limited, has launched an oil exploration project in the Ogaden basin, south-east Ethiopia. sources at the Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Natural Gas told The Reporter that Delonex Energy is currently collecting seismic data from its exploration blocks in the Ogaden basin. Sources said the company has already acquired seismic data on more than 1000 km line. According to sources, based on the seismic data the company would identify drilling sites. The company hopes to drill at least two oil exploration wells in its concession. Officials of the Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Natural Gas told The Reporter that they are happy with the progress Delonex is making on the oil exploration project. Delonex Energy is an oil and gas exploration company focused on Sub Saharan Africa. In August 2014, the then Ministry of Mines awarded Delonex an exploration license in the Ogaden basin. The license area covers blocks 18, 19, and 21 located in the Abred-Ferfer area with a total area of 29, 865 sq km. The license covers an initial exploration period of three years with a provision for two extensions of two years each. The exploration areas were previously held by Pexco Explorations (East Africa), a Malaysian oil and gas company whose exploration license was terminated in July Delonex Energy said it is leveraging its technical expertise, proven project execution skills and strong balance sheet to fast-track the exploration and Delonex Energy... page 31 NEWS IN BRIEF By Yohannes Anberbir The African Union Executive Council on its meeting held on Friday endorsed the candidature of Ethiopian foreign minister Tedros Adhanom (PhD) for the post of WHO director general. Only Senegal voted against Tedros s candidature while the rest member states represented in the executive council by their foreign ministers have voted for the Ethiopian minister to represent Africa as director general of the global organization WHO. According to reliable sources the AU heads of state summit that will kick off today in the Addis Ababa is expected to adopt the executive council endorsement of Tedros as a candidate AU endorses Tedros Adhanom for WHO top job By Asrat Seyoum The draft directive that National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) circulated among commercial banks for feedback around the end of last week is seeking to bring about greater transparency in the foreign exchange trade and transaction activities by setting the priorities and instituting first come, first served rule which should be adhered to by banks when allocating hard currency to their customers. The major departure point in the draft directive was the institution of the first come, first served rule while allocating foreign exchange to bank customers. Tedros Adhanom (PhD) According to an industry player, although many banks prioritize forex request based on first come, first served rule, the practice of offering special treatment for high-value customers and exporters is widespread in the banking sector. High-value customers are always prioritized by banks in their forex allocation and this would greatly even the playing field for forex trade industry, he told The Reporter. However, the draft directive also states that apart from fairness in processing forex requests, banks should also observe certain priorities while apportioning their forex resources among their clients. Priority number for WHO. The election of the WHO director general is scheduled to be held in May According to diplomatic sources, the US and the UK have revealed their support to Ethiopia and are going to vote for Tedros in the upcoming election. However, among the western powers, France is suspected to vote against Tedros. The unexpected candidature of Tedros is a surprise for many Ethiopians who knows him with his successful achievement in the health sector while he was a health minister before joining the diplomacy sector three years ago AU endorses... page 31 Directive targets transparency in forex trade one, according to the draft directive, is fuel. Fuel and fertilizer imports make up a line of priorities in forex allocation followed by pharmaceuticals, machineries, raw materials, spare-parts and the like. Apart from that, payments are approved by NBE such as loan, interet, profit, dividend and excess sales of foreign airlines and salary transfer of foreign employees. According to the banking professional who doesn t want to be named, banks should first exercise the sector priorities before allocating their hard currency to customers on the basis of whoever comes first. Directive targets... page 31 AU leadership academy to be opened in Addis Ababa The Administration and Human Resources Management Directorate (AHRMD) of the African Union Commission (AUC) launched the African Union Leadership Academy project yesterday, 28th January, 2016 at the AU in Addis Ababa Ethiopia under the theme: Driving the Africa We Want. The launch was attended by Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma (PhD), Chairperson of the Commission, Erastus Mwencha, Deputy Chairperson of the Commission, Ibrahim Mayaki (PhD), CEO of NEPAD Planning and Coordination Agency, Carlos Lopes, Executive Secretary of UN Economic Commission for Africa (PhD), AUC Commissioners, staff and invited guests. The Chairperson, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, in her opening remarks expressed gratitude towards directors, partners and the entire AUC team who foresaw the success of the launch of the AU leadership academy project. She further went on to stress the goal of the academy which is to provide a systematic way of training towards the implementation of Agenda This project lies at the heart of the priorities and flagship projects of Agenda 2063: The Africa we want Dlamini Zuma said. (AU) Japan pledges to provide USD 21.7 mln for drought affected Ethiopians Japan has pledged to provide 21.7 million US dollars for people affected by drought in Ethiopia. Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn held talks with Japanese, Italian and Chinese delegations here at his office. Special advisor to Prime Minister of Japan and head of the delegation, Katsuyuki KAWAI, said his county will offer a 21.7 million US dollars support for Ethiopians affected by the drought. Japan will deepen its support to Ethiopia in the areas of power development, policy dialogue and industrial parks, the advisor said. Efforts will also be made to boost Japanese investors participations in Ethiopia s ample investment opportunities and growing economy, KAWAI added. Prime Minister Hailemariam said the government would provide support for Japanese investors who are keen to invest in Ethiopia. Prime Minister Hailemariam added Ethiopia will do all it can for the success of the Tokyo International Conference of African Development (TICAD) to be held in Kenya this in the summer of this year. (From News Agencies)

5 5 New TV channel to revolutionize entertainment industry By Birhanu Fikade The newly-established Kana Television is set to introduce new features in the Ethiopian entertainment and broadcast industry by way of hosting standardized dubbing and production techniques. Zeresenay Berhane Mehari known for his award-winning feature film Difret and Elias Schulze, an American entrepreneur, are among the cofounders of Kana TV. The duo gave a rare access to their six studios to reporters on Wednesday. Stationed near the residence of the Embassy of Japan, off Africa Avenue, Kana TV is said to broadcast contents only in local languages. Planned to launch broadcasting in March Kana TV is geared to channel eight shows for twenty-four hours out of which time, five hours of fresh production are to be channeled, both Zeresenay and Schulze explained. Music and other entertainment contents will also be considered. Hence, Kana TV, as an international entity, is to be compared to the likes of MBC, Dubai One or National Geographic channels. New TV channel... page 31 ICAO president on visit here By Kaleyesus Bekele The President of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Olumuyiwa Bernard Aliu (PhD), is visiting Ethiopia. Accompanied by Zaid Woldegebreil, Ethiopia s permanent representative at the ICAO, and ICAO s regional directors Barry Kashambo, Eastern and Southern Africa, and Mam Sait Jallow, Western and Central Africa, Aliu arrived in Addis Ababa last Tuesday to attend the African Union Summit. On Tuesday, Aliu visited the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA), the Ethiopian Airports Enterprise (EAE) and Ethiopian Airlines. The ICAO delegation visited the training center of ECAA and officials of ECAA made a briefing about the authority s effort in ensuring safe and reliable air transport in Ethiopia. The officials explained how the authority was cooperating with neighboring and other African countries in the areas of training and information sharing. The delegation visited the headquarters of the Ethiopian Airports Enterprise (EAE) and the massive expansion project the enterprise is undertaking at the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. Officials of EAE made a presentation about the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport passenger ICAO president... page 32 HEADLINES Series of earthquakes traumatize Hawassa Incidence led to closure of the university By Yonas Abiye The unexpected series of earthquakes that has rocked the town of Hawassa, 275km South of Addis Ababa, has tormented residents of the town and forced the closure of Hawassa University for not less than two weeks. The earthquake with a magnitude of 4.3 on the Richter scale hit Hawassa and its environs first on Sunday 24 January 2016 around 9:33 local time. The earthquake happened 20km far from Hawassa in the south-west direction and some towns located in the surrounding of Hawassa. Although no loss of life was reported so far, around 100 students sustained mild injuries which in turn forced the university administration to suspend regular classes and close down the facility at least for two weeks. Earlier this week, Yosef Mamo (Prof.), President of Hawassa University, told The Reporter that when the first incident took place, many students were inside the library preparing for their first semester finals, which was scheduled for Monday January 25. That contributed to most of the damages on the students, according to the president; there was a stampede in the library when panic broke out among students who were attempting to leave. Some even tried to jump out the window, Yosef said. In another shocking incident, five students of Hawassa University, who Series of earthquakes... page 32 US funded new outpatient center opens at Gondar University Eritrean rebels raid military base, kill intelligence agents The US government, through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), handed over a newly built comprehensive outpatient facility that improves the quality of comprehensive outpatient services and education at Gondar University. The United States has provided 9.1 million US dollars through the US President s Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) for the construction of the new facility. The facility, which was inaugurated by the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia s Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn and US Ambassador to Ethiopia Patricia Haslach in July 2014, is a new Comprehensive Outpatient Center (COC) located at the Gondar University Hospital. Dr. Jeff Hanson, Director of the CDC program in Ethiopia, said, This newly constructed building will allow Gondar University Hospital to offer more comprehensive and integrated HIV clinical services and create a conducive environment for clinical teaching. He added that PEPFAR s investment on infrastructure development at the national level has brought a significant improvement in the quality of HIV treatment and care services and diagnostic capacities. (Press Release) An Eritrean rebel group known as the Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO) claimed on Thursday that it killed six government intelligence agents in an early morning strike on forces loyal to President Isaias Afeworki. The rebel group s leader, Ibrahim Haron told Sudan Tribune that the attack was carried out against a military garrison within the northern Red Sea region. Ibrahim, the commander in chief of the RSADO forces, said the military camp belonged to the 15th sub-division s third battalion intelligence unit. He said many other intelligence personnel were allegedly also wounded during the strike and various types of military hardware were captured. Our gallant forces have completely destroyed the military camp, said Ibrahim. After the surprise attack, the rebel leader claimed the remaining dozens of Eritrean soldiers went in disarray leaving behind their weapons. The latest assault was reportedly in retaliation to the 15th sub-division intelligence unit s different forms of oppression against ethnic Afar minorities residing around Alhan area. (Sudan Tribune)

6 6 IN-DEPTH Unless there is a strategic leadership capacity for implementation, having the policies right does not lead anywhere. We already have the right policies but we are still a long way from having the required strategic leadership capacity in place. GTP-I made efforts to weaken rent-seeking and reali e developmental political economy so as to achieve the developmental and good governance goals. Priority was given to works that increase the capacity building of the government political leadership, civil service, and justice sector. Proposals on democracy and good governance The Ethiopian government has embarked on the implementation of the country s development roadmap the second Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP-II). Like all policy documents the GTP-II identi es the pros and cons of the rst phase of the GTP claiming that the groundwork has been nali ed and the road has been paved for the next ve years. ow strong emphases have been given to ensuring good governance, ghting rent-seeking behavior and corruption. This is considered by some as a mountain too steep to climb, writes Solomon Goshu. If there is a governmental system that should qualify as a state (under any definition) in sub-saharan Africa, it is Ethiopia. It has both the history and ambition to rank as a state. The Ethiopian state, however, tends to diminish on close approach. For every assertion about the continuity, legitimacy and order of Ethiopian governance, there is a counterclaim. These are words of Alex de Waal, Executive Director of the World Peace Foundation and a Research Professor at The Fletcher School. Considered one of the foremost experts on Sudan and the Horn of Africa, Alex de Waal is also a keen observant of the Ethiopian state. He devoted a chapter on Ethiopia in his latest book The Real Politics of the Horn of Africa: Money, War and the Business of Power. As Alex de Waal rightly expresses it, claims and counter-claims are the main characteristics of the Ethiopian political life. Recently, Transparency International, an international non-governmental organization working on corruption, released its 2015 Corruption Perception Index which places Ethiopia in 103 out of 168 countries. For a government that prides itself representing the best interests of the great majority of the citizens, the stand is not good by any account. Back in 2012, the World Bank report indicated that even if the perception is high, the level of corruption in the country is not that big. This is just another indication that despite all efforts of the government, public trust and confidence is waning in the country. The Ethiopian developmental state model as articulated well through the writings of the late Meles Zenawi highlights ways of maximizing growth and minimizing abuse of power and corruption. Alex de Waal being one of his closest friends, this is what he has said about the challenge of Meles s growth model. Ultimately, Meles s democratic developmentalism was more personal than a collective exercise, and the outcome was intellectually rigorous but organizationally dysfunctional. Everyday governmental issues were neglected. Meles s challenge was the practice. For Alex de Waal, while Meles and his closest associates were obsessed with developmentalism, other Ethiopians were not. The project for a developmental state was not becoming hegemonic and Meles knew it, he writes. Alex de Waal also quotes a memorandum Meles had written three months before his death. It reads: Unless there is a strategic leadership We need to develop the culture of enforcing our rights. capacity for implementation, having the policies right does not lead anywhere. We already have the right policies but we are still a long way from having the required strategic leadership capacity in place. Alex de Waal said that Meles frankly identified the party leadership as the strategic weakness of the project. While admitting the fact that members of the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) leadership in general have a modest life-style and have devoted their efforts to the interests of the party and the nation, Alex de Waal expresses his concern on the expansion of corrupt practices to the highest order. The immediate challenge for Ethiopia is the nature of competition within the political leadership of EPRDF and the security services and the army. Control over state rents is distributed among this elite, whose members have the power to appropriate those rents for personal enrichment, for factional political budgets, or for both. Domestically, this system is sufficiently entrenched that it can deter new entrants, he states. Alex de Waal is not alone in fearing that corruption is risking the health of the country. Many Ethiopians believe that the few innocent and committed servants are swallowed by corrupt and incapable ones in the bureaucracy. They are not also demonstrating their confidence on the justice system as they are doubtful if the corrupt and faulty parties are being held accountable when found themselves at the wrong end of the game. On the other hand, the government is saying that it is strengthening transparency and accountability focusing on registration of property of government officials, and giving special attention to corruption prone areas such as procurement, revenue collection, financial administration and others. This seems to imply that on the most important aspects of governance the public and the government are not on the same boat. Then again, the government insists that national consensus on the core values are in the making. The second Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP-II) reads: National consensus has been created on the basic principles of the Constitutional order, on the implementation of the vision of anti-poverty struggle and realizing accelerated development, on ensuring sustainable peace, on the firm commitment of respecting diversity, on the initial results of the road to renaissance, on the changes of the image of the country,

7 IN-DEPTH 7 However, many are pessimistic if the government in power is human rights friendly. Local and foreign commentators contend that concrete measures have not been taken to consolidate democracy in the country except using the concept as rhetoric when it suits the purposes of the ruling party. However, even in this encouraging context, the issue of ensuring the fair distribution of the wealth created as an outcome of the development project is mentioned as a challenge. Despite high rate of economic growth, who are the bene ciaries of this economic growth is questionable. Yibekal Gizaw Alex de Waal and results on education, health, and infrastructure. Moreover, GTP-II also provides the detailed roadmap to address key issues on democracy and good governance including corruption. Another EPRDF rhetoric or a genuine promise? After the first phase of the GTP-I is completed in 2015, Ethiopia has recently started to implement GTP- II as it was endorsed by the House of Peoples Representatives. It is the vision of Ethiopia that by 2025 it would be a country where civil and democratic rights are respected, rule of law and good governance are ensured, citizens safety and security is guaranteed and the society is ethical and free from corruption. Thus, one can safely assume that there will be GTP-III after 5 years. For now, the focus is on the major plans of the GTP-II on democracy and good governance. Just like the previous one, the Plan incorporates the ideals of democracy. However, the issue is particularly treated in the context of good governance. As per this plan, actions will be taken to ensuring good governance, strengthening system of transparency and accountability and combating corruption and rent-seeking through enhanced capacity of the civil service and citizen engagement at all levels of Government administration. The foundation for these activities is already done in the last five years through GTP-I, the document reads. This foundation is assessed in terms of capacity building, developmental good governance, democracy, and public participation. The encouraging results and achievements in these areas is hoped to roll GTP-II in a much better grounds. In the context of implementing capacity building, GTP-I made efforts to weaken rent-seeking and realize developmental political economy so as to achieve the developmental and good governance goals. Priority was given to works that increase the capacity building of the government political leadership, civil service, and justice sector through short and medium term trainings, and new recruits. Attempts were also made to raise developmental capacity of the public including farmers, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and the private sector. Efforts were exerted to make the operation of the government open and transparent, and accountable. Organized public mobilization and participation on rural areas was successful. The documents states that, in the last five years, the encouraging results on social and economic fields show that the capacity of the government and the public is consolidated. However, it concedes that a lot still needs to be done. Similarly, the government also admits that even if the level of public participation and mobilization is encouraging, serious challenges have been observed in delivering government services in an open, accountable and fair manner. Particularly, gaps in good governance on land administration and justice sector were serious. Moreover, rent-seeking political economy were rampant on customs and tax administration system, land administration system, government budget and procurement administration system, the market system, infrastructure supply and service delivery. It is also the assessment of the government that in GTP-I, to strengthen Ethiopia s efforts of building the democratic system, activities related with public participation, multiparty system, national consensus and capacity of the media, have been performed. In the process, different forums that have enhanced the direct participation of the public organized. The public also participated in local, regional and general elections to help establish councils at different levels. The document also indicates that the role of Parliament, Ombudsman, Human Rights Commission and Auditor General improved. Participations of different sections of the society, mass and professional associations such as women and youth organizations, academics, and the private sector, encouraged. Activities of different charities and societies supported. The creation of national consensus, the emergence of mass and professional associations, the existence of over 70 legally registered opposition parties, discussions on national issues with willing opposition, building the capacity and accessibility of the media through human resource development, legal framework, organization, new technologies and working procedures are all mentioned as some of the activities performed by the government to strengthen the democratic system in the country. In light of this background, GTP-II focus areas have not been changed. The main assumption of GTP-II is the fact that in the urban areas, rent-seeking political economy is still dominant. Thus, the plan is, at the end of the next five years, to eradicate rent-seeking from its source. Capacity building program, active public participation on developmental and political affairs, and strengthening the works of Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission are identified as the key strategies to achieve the goal. Major goals of GTP-II includes building developmental and efficient political leadership and bureaucracy, making the public the owner of the development by consolidating its capacity, realizing good governance, making the justice system efficient and free from corruption and discrimination, and consolidating the democratic system. Proposals... page 9

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9 9 Proposals... The plan promises citizens to work on corruption and rent-seeking as they are the major dangers of the transformation process. Building the capacity of the political leadership and the bureaucracy will be performed mainly through merit-based appointment and recruitment. Making the civil service to be a reflection of the diversity in the country by representing all sections of the society particularly the youth and women is given a priority. Implementing citizens charter to ensure transparent and accountable government operation and ensuring public satisfaction and credibility is another priority area. At the center of GTP-II, one finds public participation and good governance. It asserts that building sustainable democratic system is only possible when putting the public at the center. The assumption is if the attitude of the public towards rent-seeking, backward and anti-development thinking is shaped in line with the grand policies, the wishes of the public will dictate over governance as opposed to the whims and caprices of the office holders. The government promises to give special attention to address the good governance question of the public. Special mechanisms will be designed to supervise and oversee land administration, tax and customs administration, government finance and procurement administration, and Advertisment market competition system. Here again, public mobilization and transparency and accountability in government decision-making are identified as a means to tackle the problem. Consolidating the democratic system and democratic institutions, including the HPR, HoF, different lower level councils, National Election Board, Institute of the Ombudsman, Auditor General, is yet another focus area for GTP-II. In this context, increasing the institutional quality of government institutions (efficiency and effectiveness) and ensure institutional sustainability, strengthening democratic institutions through capacity building in information management, access and participation, taking actions to strengthen the parliamentary system of the Government, such as the House of Peoples Representative and House of Federation through training, are all parts of the plan. These democratic institutions and schools are also expected to play a key role to consolidate the democratic culture of the public. Generally, it is the proposal of GTP-II to organize continued public consultations on good governance issues, to strengthen the role of civil societies and other stakeholders in ensuring good governance, supporting massbased societies to ensure the benefits of their members, working for women economic empowerment and ensuring CONT`D FROM PAGE 7 their participation in the civil service and other areas, to build the capacity of media broadcast and communication for national consensus building on constitutional principles, national poverty eradication agenda, the national vision of becoming a middle income economy by 2025, national image building, the ongoing success of Ethiopia s renaissance and respect for diversity. At least in theory, the Ethiopian governance model upholds the ideals of democracy. According to official government reports and party reports, the government of Ethiopia is determined to accelerate and maintain development while strengthening its democratic agenda. The ruling party ideologue the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi once argued that democracy is so important that if the price to be paid for having it is a limited reduction in growth, it is not too much of a price. The reading of the FDRE Constitution also implies that governance in Ethiopia is not devoid of democracy in general and freedom of expression in particular. As a result, it is normal to expect an environment of governance in Ethiopia where the civil society, the current government, the various opposition groups, and the population in general advance their enlightened self-interests. Moreover, independent scholars, civil society, and opposition groups can discharge their responsibilities by providing critical input and offer alternative suggestions on important matters of public policy including development in Ethiopia using such a forum. Despite constitutional safeguards, some argue that the democratization process has a high ingredient of rhetoric not backed by practice. For EPRDF, democracy is a tool to reach development, rather than an objective in itself. For EPRDF, democracy is a key instrument in promoting the struggle of putting in place the developmental political economy, and removing the rent-seeking political economy. As a result, the ruling party is accused of imprisoning the leaders and supporters of the opposition, and cracked down on pro-democracy militants, the press, and human-rights activists in the past two decades. Maimire Mennasemay (PhD) argues that if democracy is the way for extricating Ethiopians from the present abyss, then one must take democracy seriously-which means going beyond the ritual of elections and tackling the political, social, and economic totality of the Ethiopian experience of destitution. For the government of Ethiopia, every culture will have its distinctive ways of formulating and supporting human rights and democracy and that is exactly what the country is doing. In relation to the issue, Arkebe Okubay (PhD), in his book Industrial Policy in Ethiopia states: There seems to be disagreement among external observers about whether, for instance, the ruling coalition is really in favor of Proposals... page 26

10 10 Advertisment EAST CEMENT S.C. 1.Sales: ten (10). Requirement: 1) Age between 25~35, male or female are not limited; 2) erien e in elling and mar e ng, or graduated from ale mar e ng major; according sales plan, compose and accomplish sales targets; collect, sort out and report customer mar et informa on 3) an bear high wor ing pressure 4) Have own living place in Addis; 5) riorit consider having own transporta on vehicle; 6) alar : basic salar plus commission 2.Secretary: one (1). Requirement: 1) Age between 20~35, female; 2) nglish: uent spea ing listening, pro cient wri ng reading; omputer: good s ill of o ce so ware: ord, cel, ower oint and so on 3) 1 year working experience or above ; 4) alary: birr per month ADD: NEFAS SILK LAFTO, KEBELE 05,HOUSE NO. NEW, ADDSIS ABAB (P.O. BOX:7457) TEL: FAX: Tufts University Of e Assist nt Afri Re i n Of e Et i i es ri ti n Overvie f t e P siti n The Of ce Assistant will support the Administrative Of cer with regard to the management of Tufts University Africa Regional Of ce in Addis Ababa Ethiopia. The post holder will report to Administrative Of cer and work closely with Tufts funded Project Managers and the Country Representatives to ensure the effective and ef cient implementation of Tufts projects. et i e Res nsi i ities: Answer the telephone and welcome visitor Take minutes of staff meetings Provide other day-to-day secretarial support services printing photocopying binding maintaining up to-date of ce les Assist with the organizing of workshops and conferences Carry out other duties consistent with supporting the Administrative Of cer in the implementation of her duties to ensure the smooth and ef cient running of the Tufts Africa Regional Of ce E erien e n E u ti n The post holder will be a recent BA Graduate with minimal experience or a Diploma holder with a minimum of two years experience. Ot er inf r ti n Tufts University will provide support and opportunity for the post-holder to develop their career. Closing date for submission of CVs Friday February Contact Address: CVs toto: Tsion.Fisseha tufts.edu REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL- (RFP -ETH ) OPE UNICE Ethiopia Of ce is seeking Request for Proposals R P from irm/ Company/Organisation to to conduct Baseline and End Line Survey for Phase II Passive Cold Chain Equipment ield Test cold chain equipment eld trail coordinator 1. Background: Ethiopia esta lished the Expanded Program on Immuni ation EPI in Immunization services have been provided to children under one year of age for the six vaccine preventable childhood diseases tuberculosis poliomyelitis tetanus diphtheria pertussis and measles. In 200 two additional antigens were included into the national immunization schedule epatitis B and emophilus in uenza type b to provide additional immunity to the population. Further two more vaccines introduced in 2011 and 2013 Pnumoncocla and Rotavirus vaccines respectively. 2. Objectives. - Establishing baseline Asses the current immunization service delivery system of the target woredas- vaccines supply chain and cold chain status Service delivery patterns: session types and frequencies Immunization service coverage status of the target woredas Design tools to track progress the status of the identi ed indictors. - End line measure/evaluate the changes due to the PVSD project at the end of the project period: Improvement in immunization supply chain; vaccines and cold chain status Changes in immunization service coverage and droop out rates. 3. Composition/ uali cation Experience of the rm/company. The principal investigator assigned by the research company should be a public health specialist with the following quali cations: Master degree in public health A minimum of 10 years of work experience in public health research With a solid statistical background The regional/area coordinators assigned by the research company should be public health professionals with the following quali cations: MP degree in public health A minimum of 5 years of work experience in public health research and data management related to public health research and Degree in statistics and knowledge on survey design on sampling methodology is an asset. More details of the requirements for this bid can be found in the RFP. Interested and eligible bidders from local organizations are invited to collect the complete tender documents by sending an to Mr. Sebastian Muzuma smuzuma unicef.org or Mr. Deresse Damte ddamte unicef.org Starting on Monday 25- an Proposals are to be submitted to UNICEF Ethiopia Of ce on or before 9.00 am East African Time 12-Feb-2016 Friday. Please quote the RFP no in all your correspondences. Due to the nature of the bid there will be no bid public opening for this offer. UNICEF reserves the right to accept or reject part or all of any or all bids. ADDRESS: UNICEF Ethiopia UNECA Compound AMBE I Building 2 nd oor Supply Section Attn. Mr. Deresse Damte P.O.BO 1169 Tel / 16 Addis Ababa Ethiopia.

11 11 Advertisment Addis Ababa Office The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung FES would like to invite candidates for the outh Leadership Training Program LTP. The application dead line is Friday 5th of February This multidisciplinary program will be on topics like Leadership Socioeconomic Concepts Policies and International Relations given at regular interval of time spread over the year To be shortlisted candidates must ful ll the following minimum requirements: Age of applicant should be between 18 and 30 years Applicant should possess at least a university rst degree ave the ability to communicate cross-culturally ave an advanced understanding of the English language Should have proven some sort of active involvements in social areas E.g. Applicant could be a leader of school/university/ college clubs political parties trade unions civic organizations associations youth women professional media institutions etc Applicant should have a minimum of two years proven skills of leadership and have organizational experience Applicant should submit the completed application form CV together with an application letter describing how/why you think you are eligible and motivated to apply as well as how this program will have impact on your future career as a democratic leader Should have supporting letter from his/her organization H t A y Re-A vertise ent f r i nts t rti i te in t e ut Le ers i Tr inin Pr r 201 Application forms will be available: At the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Of ce located at Arada i e etema around Ras Amba otel next to St. Matthew s Church. Application form can also be requested by pm3 fesethiopia.org or projectassistant fes-ethiopia.org Deadline for application: 5 February Please make every effort to submit on time. All cost related to this training will be covered by FES. If you have any questions please contact the Friedrich-Ebert- Stiftung Of ce: / 6. OPEN CALL FOR FREELANCE CONSULTANT BAC GROUND OF T E AGENC Adventist Development and Relief Agency ADRA Ethiopia is non-political and not-pro t International Non-Government-Organization which is part of the ADRA International network that operates in more than 122 countries worldwide. ADRA has been operational in Ethiopia since 1982 and has been implementing wide range humanitarian and developmental programs in different regions of Ethiopia. In light of the U. S. Agency for International Development USAID Of ce of Food for Peace FFP request for applications for funding for development food assistance projects ADRA in coordination with other agencies will apply for Title II Development Food Assistance Program. Pertinanent to this request for application ADRA would like to invite the following expert: Commodities Management Planner Consultant Experience Firsthand experience in commodities management in different agencies such as UN agencies or International NGOs. In other words very familiar with FFP or similar commodities internal transporters / transport handling warehousing etc. Work experience with commodities management at a senior level with an international NGO or UN agencies. Recent experience in moving FFP commodities especially in DFAP or any USG food aid or similar program Prior experience letter of certi cation is required Familiarity with USAID rules and regulation and UN Agencies and others major donors Prior experience letter of certi cation is required Ample experience on transporting commodities through the regions targeted by the DFAP Adequate experience on safety and security concerns regarding managing the commodities from receipt of the commodities to the point of distribution EDUCATIONAL BAC GROUND Field of Studies: Social science such as Accounting Management Economics Developmental Studies and Agriculture and etc Master Degree/ First Degree. Masters degree with 8 years of experience and First degree with 10 years of experience Fluent in oral and written English PERSONAL QUALITIES Good understanding of the principles and purposes of people-centered development works; Good inter-personal skills; Ability to work independently and with a team with demonstrable skill and rm believer in teamwork participatory and objective-focused leadership style Ability and willingness to work under pressure; in interest for pursuing new ideas and practices experimenting on latest innovations and working under changing situation; Trouble shoots project problems. Identi es and implements creative solutions. Personal interest and sense of obligation to work towards improving the lives of rural communities and a better management of the environment in order to realize a fairer world and sustainable use of natural resource Consultancy Fee: Negotiable Duration: For two/three months with possible extension. Duty Station: Addis Ababa with frequent travels to the project area Notice: Only applicants ful lling the above requirement will be considered and should submit non returnable letter of application updated CV and copies of relevant documents within TEN CALENDAR DAYS from this announcement date 31st of an 2016 which is until February to ADRA Ethiopia ead Of ce in Addis Ababa at Ras Desta Damitew Road Seventh Day Adventist Church compound in front of Gandhi Memorial ospital in person or send by P. O. Box 1 5 Addis Ababa Ethiopia.

12 12 INTERVIEW Beyene Petros (Prof.) is the president of the Ethiopian Federalist Democratic Unity Forum (Medrek), one of the major opposition political parties in Ethiopia which is also a front made up of six parties. Originally, Beyene was president of the Ethiopian Social Democrat (ESD), a party that later merged with the South Ethiopian Unity party (SEUP) to form ESD-SEUP, which, in turn, is part of the larger front: Medrek. Beyene, a familiar face in Ethiopian politics since the transition period following the fall of the Derg, is also a biology professor at the Addis Ababa University Faculty of Science. Since the victory of the ruling front Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) during the last election, which was held in May 2015 in which the front and its affiliates managed to take 100 percent of the seats in parliament, Beyene and his fellow opposition politicians have become more scarce on the public platform. Hence, Neamin Ashenafi of The Reporter paid the professor a visit in his office located around Sidit Kilo near the Addis Ababa University main campus to sit down with him and reflect on the current political landscape in Ethiopia and on other pertinent issues such as drought. Excerpts: Staggering opposition Photo By: Reporter /Mesfen Solomon The Reporter: You have participated in the Ethiopian politics since the transitional government and if there is anyone who can analyze the country s politics in the past 25 years it is you. What are the successes and challenges of the Ethiopian political landscape in the stated period? Professor Beyene: This question requires a complex answer. First of all, there is no government or political party in this country that commands a political clout which enables it to bring about a change in way that satisfies or is agreeable to the majority. By bringing change I mean a favorable and democratic political environment which is based on trust for various interest groups and political forces in the nation. This is the mother of all problems. Since the politics lacks trust, what we have witnessed on the political landscape of the country in the past 25 years seriously lacks positive mentality. Since politics is mainly associated with the struggle for power, it is construed as sheer naivety or innocence for a politician to speak about positive attitude. However, based on my experience, one thing I am certain about is that the ruling party EPRDF is leading the country by the politics of rigging, pretending and shrewdness. Apart from that, they have their own dreams and illusions which they developed during their gorilla fighting days. I can say they were very committed to this dream and were unwilling to entertain any other suggestion or comment other than theirs. In my opinion, this was the biggest challenge. For me, the root cause of this is the way the Derg was overthrown; it was via force. For me, it would have been better had the Derg transferred power via discussions. You see, there is a trend here. The Derg overthrew the imperial regime by force. Although many people advised the emperor to reform the political landscape at the time, he refused to do so and as a result the monster Derg assumed power. By the same token, had the ruling party (EPRDF) shown little willingness to discuss with the various groups and individuals about the future of the country and valued these suggestions, things might have been much better today. The victory comes without proper consultation and discussion with all the concerned bodies in the country; hence what we have noticed since then is sheer domination of the winner which is the ruling party. As the saying goes it takes two to tango; the ruling party should be willing to accommodate other voices in the country. However, the ruling party espouses a mentality that dictates whoever paid the most sacrifice by defeating the Derg should impose its ideology and the rest should accept all political prescriptions. By doing so, they have closed the doors on further discussion and discourse. On the contrary, we kept saying no; we said starting from the charter we have not been fully convinced and that there is no agreement. Then, many groups other than the ruling party decided to embark on their own movement. We had a series of discussions with the ruling party after that and even met the late Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, several times. However, the strategy of the ruling party from the beginning was mainly aimed at dividing the opposition camp. Another thing that should be raised here is that EPRDF assumes that since it chased out the Derg, the entire public is thankful and that this achievement is highly revered. However, the fact on the ground suggests otherwise. The public wanted to be listened to; it is good that the Derg is overthrown, but the public also needs to be consulted when it comes to the future of the nation. As a result, the country witnessed many clashes here and there. If you take the election history of the country, before the first election which was held in 1992, there was a snap election which was aimed at creating a favourable environment to hold the first general election. This election was all about determining who will administer the process and who will be running and the like; and in that election EPRDF got only 20 percent of the votes in Addis Ababa and heavily lost in the Oromia region. Another challenge was the ruling party s mindset of being the only political force that truly cares for the nation; they always thought their way is the only way and all the other voices are detractors at best. Honestly speaking, is there any Ethiopian who is against the development and the growth of their nation? Is there anybody who opposes the equality of nations and nationalities in Ethiopia? It is hard to imagine that there is. The only concern here is that of administering properly, in a way that includes all groups and individuals in the country. EPRDF assumes that if they lost grip of power just once, the country will be in utter chaos. However, this is an obsession. That is largely what you thought to be problems associated with the ruling party. However, the opposition camp also seems to have problems of its own; especially

13 INTERVIEW 13 with regard to working together by challenging the ruling party. Can you reflect on that? There are different varieties of political questions and issues in Ethiopia around which different political groups and parties are organized to contest power. However, when we look deeper into these issues, we find that many of the opposition parties in Ethiopia are born out of grievances and discontents rather than having clear ideological basis. Many of the parties are the result of current problems. If you look at most of the former political parties such as the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Party (EPRP) and the All Ethiopian Socialist Movement (MEISON), they have some sort of ideological underpinning. However, due to the actions taken by the Derg they were unable to work in the country; EPRDF also closed the door on them once and for all. Hence the parties which were born subsequently were mainly the results of grievances. They don t have a certain principle that they are committed to and stand for. Therefore these parties emerged as a vanguard of a certain ethnic group or raised issues revolving around the equalities of their own ethnic constituency. There were and still are also others, which took the nationalist avenue and/or formed under the premise of saving the nation from virtual collapse; most don t clearly state how and why the nation is on the verge of collapse. The pubic lives here because it wanted to live together, there is no other reason; those who don t want to stay have already gone. But this should not be the center of gravity for unity. The center of gravity should be one common principle that will incorporate all groups. Personally, I have been working with many groups which opposed the EPRDF, utilizing all my resource and energy in the hope of achieving my political goal. However, when we look at it now, it seems that these hopes have been drying; especially in the past five years. It is very difficult to consolidate the Ethiopian opposition camp; I have tried it so many times but with whom are you going to sit and discuss? What would be the political agendas? It is very tough. All parties which are in the political space tend to be highly emotional while advancing their political agenda. Apart from that, these opposition parties are established based on a variety of issues and it is very difficult to consolidate and work together. This is the major challenge in the opposition camp. First of all, we should address more of the tactical issues and these tactical issues are those such as the question of democracy, human rights, good governance and the rule of law. If all political parties in the opposition camp focus on these tactical issues than other detailed political agendas consolidation could have a chance. Political parties lack the capacity to differentiate between tactical and strategic agendas. It is common everywhere; no one can discuss over its strategic agenda at the beginning; the first things that are usually placed on the table are immediate agendas that need swift solution; and then and only then can we move to the details. In this case, the first agenda in our country should be discussion on how to conduct free and fair elections. Parties have different ideologies; however, setting aside ideological differences, what should be a top priority for us is pressurizing the ruling party to create a favorable environment where a free and fair election can be held. During the last election, your party Medrek and other political parties were highly active and visible organizing town hall meetings and demonstrations to galvanize public support. However, you have disappeared after the election. What are you up to these days? Medrek walked away from the election with some serious damage; the party sustained material, manpower and more seriously psychological damages during the election. We the leaders of the party have also taken responsible and felt the damages unlike any other times. During the election, we campaigned to our supporters saying that it is possible to win the election; we told them all we needed to win was their support and commitment. However, after the result was announced, the reality on the ground was totally different in a way that the ruling party took all the seats in parliament. So, how can I face my supporters? I don t want to be called a liar. A political leader should anticipate the situation; in this regard, the overall orientation of the election. If that leader fails to do so, he is not a leader at all. However, the government made it so that we could not even predict the political environment in the country. This is the characteristic of the ruling party. I was expecting that the result in the 2010 election was an embarrassment for the ruling party and hence they don t want similar outcomes in 2015 elections too. However, they proceeded to clinching all the seats in parliament and it was something I did not anticipate. For this reason, Medrek was seriously damaged. We utilized our resources fully to win a seat at least in the three main regions of the country where we contested the election (Southern Ethiopia, Tigray and Oromia). But, the result was zero. So, how can the public trust me again. The public was asking us Why are you creating havoc on us in vain? What makes this election different from the previous ones? And this is why we haven t met our supporter. Right now, we are working mainly on crisis management, a number of problems have emerged in the country and we are working to follow up and make reports about the matter. However, one thing Staggering... page 16 This election was all about determining who will administer the process and who will be running and the like; and in that election EPRDF got only 20 percent of the votes in Addis Ababa and heavily lost in the Oromia region. Another challenge was the ruling party s mindset of being the only political force that truly cares for the nation; they always thought their way is the only way and all the other voices are detractors at best.

14 14 COMMENTARY Environmental campaigners like to insist that Africa should meet its energy needs through solar panels and wind turbines. But as long as fossil fuels remain cheaper than renewable energy, such prescriptions as well-meaning as they may be would cripple the continent s economic growth and leave hundreds of millions in poverty, writes Bjørn Lomborg. VIEWPOINT When war or disaster strikes, the international community rightly mobilizes funding for food, shelter, and health care. All too often, however, financing education is only an afterthought, argues Gordon Brown. Africa is the world s most renewable continent when it comes to energy. In the rich world, renewables account for less than a tenth of total energy supplies. The 900 million people of Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa) get 80 percent of their energy from renewables. While a person in Europe or North America uses 11,000 kwh per year on average (much of it through industrial processes), a person in Sub-Sahara Africa uses only 137kWh less than a typical American refrigerator uses in four months. More than 600 million people in Africa have no access to electricity at all. All this is not because Africa is green, but because it is poor. Some two percent of the continent s energy needs are met by hydro-electricity, and 78 percent by humanity s oldest renewable fuel: wood. This leads to heavy deforestation and lethal indoor air pollution, which kills 1.3 million people each year. What Africa needs, according to many activists, is to be dotted with solar panels and wind turbines. But when US President Barack Obama hosted a summit of African leaders in 2014, most said they wanted more fossil fuels. In the words of Tanzanian Minerals and Energy Minister Sospeter Muhongo: We will start intensifying the utilization of coal...why shouldn t we use coal when there are other countries where their CO 2 per capita is so high?... We will just go ahead. Europe and North America became rich thanks to cheap, plentiful power. In 1800, 94 percent of all global energy came from renewables, almost all of it wood and plant material. In 1900, renewables provided 41 percent of all energy; even at the end of World War II, renewables still provided 30 percent of global energy. Since 1971, the share of renewables has bottomed out, standing at around 13.5 percent today. Almost all of this is wood, with just 0.5 percent from solar and wind. The International Energy Agency estimates that if all countries fulfill the pledges made at the Paris climate change conference last month, the proportion of renewables could increase slightly in the next 25 years, to 18.7 percent. In the IEA s more likely scenario, the share will reach just 15.4 percent. Most of that renewable energy will still come from crop residue, cow manure, wood, and biofuels. While a solar panel can provide energy for a light bulb and a charge for a cell phone, it does little to help run stoves to avoid indoor air pollution or fridges to keep vaccines and food fresh, much less power agriculture and industry. By 2040, in the IEA s optimistic scenario, solar power in Sub-Saharan Africa will produce 14kWh per person per year, less than what is needed to keep a single two-watt LED permanently lit. The IEA Why Africa needs fossil fuels The Sustainable Development Goals, which the international community adopted in September, include a commitment to provide every child with access to free primary and secondary education by Finding the additional USD 20 billion per year, or more, that will needed to deliver on this commitment is one of the central objectives of the International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity. The commission was established last September by the Norwegian prime minister, and co-convened with the presidents of Malawi, Chile, and Indonesia and the director-general of UNESCO. Its members, including five former presidents and prime ministers, three former finance ministers, six Nobel Prize winners, and three of the world s most successful business leaders Jack Ma, Aliko Dangote, and Strive Masiyiwa will report their findings to United Nations Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon and the coconveners in September. On January 24, we met in London to chart the way forward. The challenge is daunting. Some 60 million primary-school-age children have no access to formal education. Of the roughly 590 million who are attending school, some 250 million roughly two in five are failing to learn the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic. And some 60 percent of school pupils in developing countries do not meet basic mathematics standards. If current trends persist, by 2050, children in most regions of the world will receive, on average, ten or more years of schooling up from three years in Some countries in Africa, however, will lag far behind, with just 3-4 years of schooling on average. If we maintain a business-as-usual approach, it will take more than a hundred years well into the twenty-second century before every child is provided with an opportunity to complete his or her schooling. Even as education levels play an increasingly important role in economic growth, the funds needed to raise them have failed to materialize. International development aid for education has fallen by nearly 10 percent in recent also estimates that renewable power will still cost more, on average, than any other source oil, gas, nuclear, coal, or hydro, even with a carbon tax. Few in the rich world would switch to renewables without heavy subsidies, and certainly no one would cut off their connection to the mostly fossil-fuelpowered grid that provides stable power on cloudy days and at night (another form of subsidy). Yet Western activists seem to believe that the world s worstoff people should be satisfied with inadequate and irregular electricity supplies. In its recent Africa Energy Outlook, the IEA estimates that Africa s energy consumption will increase by 80 percent by 2040; but, with the continent s population almost doubling, less energy per person will be available. Although nearly one billion additional people will gain access to electricity by 2040, 530 million will still be cut off. But the IEA outlines another possible future what it calls the African Century in which Africa s governments and donors invest an extra USD 450 billion in energy. This would sharply increase the use of fossil fuels, reduce much of the most polluting renewables, and provide energy access to 230 million more people. Providing more and more reliable power to almost two billion people will increase Why Africa... page 28 A payment plan for universal education years and government spending in low-income countries has failed to make up the difference. In 2002, education accounted for 16 percent of total domestic spending in poor countries. Today, the figure is just 14 percent. Meanwhile, outlays for health increased from nine percent to 11 percent of total spending. And, to make matters worse, in many of the countries with the greatest need for education including Pakistan and Nigeria governments are spending too little on it (sometimes as little as two percent of national income). Nor is the money when it is made available spent equitably. In lowincome countries, almost half of all education funds are spent on the most educated 10 percent of children. Very little trickles down to street children or boys and girls in remote rural areas, conflict zones, or urban slums. According to UNESCO, the ratio of pupils to qualified teachers in the Central African Republic, Chad, A payment... page 28

15 OPINION 15 With his exaggerated facial expressions, penchant for trash talking, and love of superlatives, Donald Trump a showman and a businessman seems to have the right background for Bernaysstyle public manipulation, writes Nina Khrushcheva. Advertisment The marketing of the American president When it comes to political entertainment, it doesn t get much better than presidential election season in the United States. Foreign observers follow the race to determine who is best equipped to lead the US and, to some extent, the world toward a more stable, secure, and prosperous future. But in America, entertainment is king, and Americans tend to focus on excitement above all who looks better, has a catchier sound bite, seems most authentic, and so on, often to the point of absurdity. This is not a new approach, of course. Edward Bernays, the father of modern public relations, examined it in 1928, in his book Propaganda. Politics was the first big business in America, he declared, and political campaigns are all side shows, all honors, all bombast, glitter, and speeches. The key to victory is the manipulation of public opinion, and that is achieved most effectively by appealing to the mental clichés and emotional habits of the public. A president, in other words, is nothing more than a product to be marketed. And, as any marketer knows, the quality of the product is not necessarily what drives its success; if it were, Donald Trump would not be regarded as a serious candidate for the Republican Party nomination, much less a top contender. Instead, a president must serve as a kind of imaginary friend: a beer buddy for men, an earnest empathizer for women, or a charming Twitter user for the millennials. In the current campaign, the most complex candidate, Hillary Clinton, is suffering mightily as a result of let s be honest personality issues. She has made important policy contributions as US Secretary of State in the first Obama administration, and she has offered what is arguably the most complete economic vision of any presidential candidate. Yet she is facing a serious challenge from Bernie Sanders, a self-described socialist senator from Vermont, in the race for the Democratic nomination. Sanders s popularity stems partly from the image he projects of a stereotypical nutty professor, adorably of another world. His energetic and unselfconscious gesticulations make him seem passionate and genuine. Yet his actual policy suggestions such as free post-secondary education and universal health care resemble Trump s calls to make America great again, in the sense that they establish simple yet visionary goals. According to Bernays, people s desire for simplicity extends to another area of electoral politics: party machines should narrow down the field of choice to two candidates, or at most three or four. Here, the Republicans have gone badly astray. After beginning the election season with 17 candidates, they have managed to narrow it down by only a few, to 12. Jeb Bush, former Florida governor and younger brother of George W. Bush, was initially considered a serious contender. But Trump is right, for once, in his observation that Bush is a low-energy person. He is the Charlie Brown of the election, whose every swipe at the football is thwarted by his savvier counterparts. Another Floridian, Senator Marco Rubio, is a more energetic establishment alternative. But his campaign, like his appearance, lacks definition and assertiveness not to mention a good sound bite. A lack of sound bites is not a problem for New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, whose Tony Soprano vibe and brash one-liners have plenty of entertainment value. Indeed, in a typical US presidential election campaign, Christie might be a contender for the most cartoonish Request for Proposal (RFP) Firm Level Consultancy Service to Develop Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA) and Environmental Social Management Framework (ESMF) for Ethiopia Procurement Reference No. ETH/RFP/2016/01 The marketing... page 28 UNDP seeks the services of a reputable rm with proven track record of relevant experience to Develop Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA) and Environmental Social Management Framework (ESMF) for Ethiopia. In this public procurement notice, all legally established rms which satisfy the minimum requirements stated in the RFP are hereby kindly invited to submit proposals. Hence, both the respective Technical and Financial Proposals shall be submitted on or before February 9, 2016 at 5:30 PM (UTC+03:00) Addis Ababa/ Nairobi Time Zone by CoB in the following address: Interested Firms for the captioned service can also download the detailed RFP (both word and pdf les) from the following UNDP Procurement Notices Website links and UNGM Website Link: Procurement Notices Website Link: and on UNGM Website Link: Your proposal must be expressed in English and shall be valid for a minimum period of 120 days. It shall remain your responsibility to ensure that your proposal reaches the address above on or before the deadline. Proposals that are received by UNDP after the deadline shall not be considered for evaluation.

16 16 Staggering... CONT`D FROM PAGE 13 This is the major challenge in the opposition camp. First of all, we should address more of the tactical issues and these tactical issues are those such as the question of democracy, human rights, good governance and the rule of law. If all political parties in the opposition camp focus on these tactical issues than other detailed political agendas consolidation could have a chance. Political parties lack the capacity to differentiate between tactical and strategic agendas. that should be considered here is that we are not closing all our structures in different parts of the country. The party has structure up to the Wereda level and they are deliberating every week and are sending us reports. The public in the rural areas is still struggling to the extent of making his own home an office of the party. The farmers do not still believe that EPRDF has won the election. What are the strategies designed by Medrek to reach its supporters in different corners of the country after the election? All the possible strategies designed by the party to meet the public and to gage the situation have been blocked by the ruling party. The government is using a long list of reasons to deny us our right to stage a public demonstration and meetings. They keep telling us that there is a conference or a certain school is located nearby or that there is ongoing construction work on the areas where we want to demonstrate. Although our responsibilities are to notify the powers that be we are going to demonstrate, they keep saying that we don t have the permission, which is in fact against the law. Since we notified the government, we could stage the demonstration but we don t want to create another problem. We don t want to put our supporters in harm s way. Taking the entire situation into consideration, we refrained from such activities. We figured, on top of everything, we should not be the source of another violent clash; it is not healthy for the political landscape of the country. What if things get out of control? We were really worried that we decided to put it on hold. However, it is not for the lack of strategy and we know how to reach our supporters; but the situation is tough. There is this concept proposed by lawyers and political scientists called a shadow government where the opposition camp organizes its own ministers similar to the government in power so that the assigned personnel will develop a skill of leadership and administration. Is there any effort of such sort on your side? All this is a luxury for Ethiopian politics. This is a luxury in a situation where we are still talking about the basics. Where am I standing to think about shadow government while the government watches every little gathering with great skepticism. Let alone organizing such a system, the government arrests people just because they express their feelings. Currently, the country is witnessing a drought, what are your party doing in this regard? Have the leaders of the party visited the affected areas? Have you made contributions to the cause, no matter how small? What is being done to show solidarity to the affected population? We are following the issue very closely. Regarding your question about site visits, we didn t do it; we don t do it not because it is unnecessary, but because we don t have the capacity to go and visit the affected areas. Many of the affected areas are dry and somehow remote and hence we can t reach them. This is because of the lack of capacity. However, we are following the situation seriously through the reports we receive from our members who are actually living in the drought-affected areas.

17 17 Advertisment Afar Pastoralist Development Association(APDA) BID DOCUMENT For Purchase of different Items A. BID INVITATION Afar Pastoralist Development Association /APDA/ wants to invite all interested and eligible bidders for the supply of the following items: Maize Food oil Pulse(Lentils) Fammax(CSB) All bidders shall provide written application with original and copies of the following legal documents: 1. License de ning the legal status with renewal for the year 2008 EC under consideration 2. Registration with Ministry of nance for Trade 3. Evidence of settlement of current tax obligation (TIN) 4. 2% bid bond only in the form of CPO Bid documents can be obtained from APDA head of ce in Logia. During of ce hours upon payment of nonrefundable Birr (One Hundred Birr).The bid documents will be sold starting from 30/01/2016 and the bid closing date shall be on 06/02/2016 at 11:00 AM The bid will be opened at APDA head of ce, Logia on the_08/02/ :30AM. The tender opening procedure can be attended by all bidders or their legal representatives. APDA reserves the right to fully or partially cancel the bid. For further information, please call on Tel , Addis Ababa Afar region Logia Full Adress of APDA, Afar Pastoralist Development Association P.O.Box 592 Code 1110 UNITED BANK S.C. Call For International Tender Bid No. UB/020/2016 United Bank Share Company would like to invite interested Local and International Bidders to bid for the supply related services of the following machines; S/N Description Unit Qty 1 2 Retail Teller Machine (RTM) Mobile -Point of Sale (M-POS) Pcs 100 Pcs 500 Therefore, interested bidders shall submit their proposals as per the following conditions. 1. A complete set of Bidding documents can be purchased by interested bidders upon payment of non-refundable fee of Birr ( ve hundred) or its equivalent US dollar after 5 ( ve) days of this bid announcement for the rst time. 2. Bidders can obtain the bid document from Procurement Division, which is located at Debrezeit road around Global Hotel, Mekwor Plaza building basement oor. 3. Interested bidders are advised to review the bid document carefully before preparing submitting their bids. 4. Bids must be submitted on or before March 15, 2016 until 5:00 P.M. 5. Each bid must be presented in a sealed envelope and strictly in accordance with the instruction to bidders indicated in the bid document. 6. The bid will be opened at United Bank S.C. Head Of ce located at Mekwor Plaza Bldg 1 st oor in Conference room at presence of bidders or their representatives who choose to attend in the bid opening on March 16, 2016 at 09:00 A.M 7. Failure to observe the instructions conditions provided in the bid document will constitute grounds for rejection of the bidder from competition. 8. The Bank reserves the right to accept or reject the bid partly or totally. 9. For additional information bidders can contact by the following address Tel ext. 212 and 261 or United Bank S.C

18 18 INTERVIEW + The Economist magazine once called Africa The Hopeless Continent. Now the narrative has changed to Africa Rising. This contrast is what is actually happening on the continent. Despite the many promising progress taking place in the economic front, political stability and better access to health and social benefits, poverty is still rampant. Poor infrastructure, inequality, and injustice have all contributed to the elevated poverty levels. Some countries are doing well in lifting many of their people out of poverty by achieving economic growth. However, this exists without fair resource distribution that touch the lives of the majority. The Afrobarometer is one source of information where one can see the extent of poverty and related problems in the continent as it has been carried out since Starting operation in 12 countries back then, it has national partners in more than 30 countries now. It has released its 6th round survey findings in Addis Ababa during the 6th Citizens Continental Conference held on January 21. Henok Reta of The Reporter caught up with E. Gyimah Boadi, professor of political science at the University of Ghana, co-founder and the current executive director of Afrobarometer. Excerpts: How widespread is poverty in Africa? Photo By: Reporter /Mesfen Solomon The Reporter: Why did you release the six round survey findings in Ethiopia when the country is not included in the round? Professor Gyimah Boadi: Yes, Ethiopia is not included in this round because of the capacity problems we have and there was a huge delay in interpreting, analyzing and disseminating the data. Ethiopia is the second most populous African nation and a diverse country with many languages and cultures. It was in 2005 when we conducted our first Ethiopian survey and the last was in 2011 when I personally came to oversee whether the situation was favarable here. Not only Ethiopia but there are countries in which we have failed to conduct our survey in this round. We feel embarrassed for not being able to present Ethiopia s survey findings this time while we are gathering here in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We did our Ethiopian survey in I hope we will be able to include Ethiopia in the next round. What is the relationship between Afrobarometer and Eurobarometer? Both Afrobarometer and Eurobarometer are cross-national comparative survey projects focusing on population sample surveys. Other related projects are the Arabbarometer (Arab region), Asianbarometer (Asia) and Latinobarometer (Latin America). Each of the barometers is implemented independently although in each country, a national research team administers a country-wide face-to-face survey using standardized survey instruments to compile the required micro-level data under a common research framework and research methodology. When we see Afrobarometer it s an independent organization established to carry out surveys in Africa and it is a partnership of various institutes such as Institute of Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) in South Africa, Center for Development and Democracy (CDD) in Ghana and similar other organizations in Benin, Kenya and other countries. The founders of the organization are African scholars who aspire to see a prosperous and developed Africa. What are the criteria and methodologies you apply to gather data and how responsible are you in analyzing the data you collect? Afrobarometer measures the social, political and economic atmosphere in more than 30 countries in Africa. We conduct face-to-face interviews with a randomly selected sample of 1,200 or 2,400 people in each country. To ensure we collect good quality data, we work with national partners in each of our survey countries. Our national partners are responsible for training interviewers before collecting data for Afrobarometer. They make sure the interviewers have the right skills and qualifications to perform an Afrobarometer survey. We have questionnaires and interviews to be applied in order to get the data. We focus on basic necessities such food, water and fuels to cook meals. So, by asking the people and giving the questionnaires for those who can write we gather the data. In each country we follow almost similar approaches unless in small countries with more educated citizens. As much as possible we want to come up with direct and reliable results to keep governments alert in solving their peoples problems. Some of them respond to us by saying that our survey findings are helping them do better while some remain suspicious of our operations. For example: The government of Liberia accepted our survey findings well but they responded they expect more from us while a first lady in West Africa lambasted us in a local newspaper for what the findings brought to her country. Why are there mixed perceptions towards your survey findings? The perception can always be a different because our survey findings can never satisfy all. We have to know it well first and try to do our best all the time. I think some of our shortcomings are from the partners we do business with. When we have strong and capable partners then the survey will turn out less controversial. And the other thing is that some governments are not happy with the findings even if they are open to welcome us. When you released your survey findings in Liberia in 2013 your assessment of the macroeconomic condition was unfavorable, causing popular disapproval, what happened there? That is right. We came up with less satisfying findings in Liberia in

19 INTERVIEW + 19 round five particularly in terms of macroeconomic activities whereby many young people were not able to get jobs when we revealed positive prospects for personal living conditions. However, it inspired the government to pay much attention to the sector. Does your survey indicate a reduction in poverty in those 30 plus countries where you conducted the survey? Though Africa has recorded high levels of economic growth over the past decade, previous Afrobarometer surveys of citizens found little evidence that this growth had reduced levels of poverty in any consistent way. Afrobarometer Round 6, collected across 35 African countries, suggest a very different picture. While lived poverty remains pervasive across much of the continent, especially in Central and West Africa, we now see evidence that the decade of economic growth seems to have finally delivered broad-based reductions in poverty. However, these changes show no systematic relation to recent rates of economic growth. While growing economies are undoubtedly important, what appears to be more important in improving the lives of ordinary people is the extent to which national governments and their donor partners put in place the type of development infrastructure that enables people to build better lives. We have to be positive that there will be more success stories to arise to the future. Why hasn t the success registered on the economic front been manifested in poverty reduction? A relationship between GDP and decline in poverty does not necessarily mean that they should be similar. For example, the GDP in Gabon is high as much as the poverty while in Mauritius, the GDP is high and the poverty is low. Algeria is one of the wealthiest countries in Africa and its performance in the survey has not always been similar. Yet Africa can no longer be characterized as uniformly poor as levels of lived poverty vary widely across the continent. Lived poverty is the highest in Gabon, Togo and Liberia and lowest in Mauritius, Cape Verde and Algeria. Indeed, people in Gabon and Togo experienced shortages at approximately 18 times the rate of those in Mauritius and four times as frequently as residents of Cape Verde and Algeria. How difficult is measuring poverty when there is a lot of inconsistent and varying figures released by governments and NGOs? Poverty can be measured in a number of different ways. At the national level, all countries produce national accounts data to calculate their gross national income (GNI) which is used to summarize national wealth and the total state of the economy. However, the capacity of many African countries national statistics systems to generate these numbers has recently been criticized. At the personal or household level, national statistics offices conduct large household surveys to measure income, expenditure, assets and access to services, which are then used to calculate national poverty lines and place individuals above or below that line. The Millennium Development Goal that focused on reducing the number of people living on less than USD 1.25 a day is a good example. However, such surveys are expensive and are conducted infrequently in many African countries. Other development organizations collect data on the consequences of poverty such as the proportion of people who don t use improved drinking water sources or sanitation services, or the proportion of underweight children under the age of five, in a given country. So what general figure can the 2014/15 survey show and how acceptable do you think it is? Based on responses to these questions in surveys conducted across 35 countries in 2014/2015, we found out that significant numbers of Africans still fail to meet their most basic needs, and many fall short on a regular basis. Across the 35 countries surveyed, half of all respondents reported that they are facing shortages of medicine and medical services (49 percent at least once in the past year) and about four in 10 experienced shortages of clean water (46 percent), food (46 percent) and cooking fuel (38 percent). Reflecting the continent s ongoing employment crisis, the most commonly cited form of deprivation remains access to cash income, with three-quarters (74 percent) reporting that they went without cash at least once in the previous year. While cash income is not in itself a basic need, access to it can enable citizens to meet their basic and non-basic needs. Income shortages therefore have many spillover effects on peoples lives. The fact that three-quarters of Africans reported of having gone without cash income at least once in the previous year and that 40 percent did so frequently. This poses a major development challenge, as many adults on the continent cannot afford to buy resources for immediate use or to invest in assets. I think this is an important finding to look through so that governments will be able to put effort in those areas they fail to fulfill How widespread... page 28 The perception can always be a different because our survey ndings can never satisfy all. We have to know it well rst and try to do our best all the time. I think some of our shortcomings are from the partners we do business with. When we have strong and capable partners then the survey will turn out less controversial. And the other thing is that some governments are not happy with the ndings even if they are open to welcome us.

20 20 COMMENTARY + A reasonably comprehensive strategy for restoring country-level and global growth would include measures to elevate and remove obstacles to public and private investment, thereby contributing to aggregate demand, writes Michael Spence. VIEWPOINT + In 2008, the Commission on Growth and Development, which I had the privilege of chairing, produced a report updating our knowledge about sustainable growth patterns. Then, as now, one thing is clear: the policies that underpin multi-decade periods of high growth, structural transformation, rising employment and incomes, and dramatic reductions in poverty are mutually reinforcing. The impact of each is amplified by the others. They are ingredients in recipes that work and, as with recipes, missing items can substantially undermine the outcome. To understand the weak, deteriorating, and fragile growth patterns seen today in many countries and in the global economy as a whole, one should compare what is actually happening with what reasonably comprehensive growth strategies might look like. Of course, there are many policies that sustain high growth, and to some extent they are country-specific. But a few key ingredients are common to all known successful cases. The first is high levels of public and private investment. In successful developing countries, investment is at or above 30 percent of GDP. The publicsector component (infrastructure, human capital, and the economy s knowledge and technology base) is in the 5-7 percent range. And the publicand private-sector investments are complementary: The former raises the rate of return to the latter, and hence its level. Private domestic and foreign investment is influenced by a host of other factors that affect risks and returns. These include the skills of the workforce, the security of property rights and related legal institutions, ease of doing business (for example, the process and time required for starting a business, and the absence of rigidities in its product and factor markets (those for labor, capital, and raw materials). Above all, the investment climate is positively influenced by stability both competent and alert macroeconomic management and political effectiveness and continuity. Conversely, uncertainty about growth, or the commitment to a reasonably coherent reform agenda, will produce adverse impacts on investment. A second common ingredient of sustainable growth strategies is that financing these relatively high levels of investment comes from domestic savings. Substantial reliance on external savings (as reflected in persistent high current-account deficits) seems to end badly in debt crises and major growth setbacks. Openness to the global economy with respect to trade and investment is critical as well. Foreign direct investment, for example, is a key channel for transmitting and adapting In search of growth strategies the accumulated stock of global technology and knowhow. And export competitiveness is raised as investment pours into the construction of links in global supply chains. The capital account is a more complicated story. Generally, successful developing economies have managed it to prevent excessive volatility, including volatility resulting from external shocks or imbalances and from excessive reliance on external financing. In addition, most successful countries manage the exchange rate to keep it in line with productivity growth, using a combination of capital controls, monetary policy, and reserve accumulation or decumulation. Both over- and undervalued currencies have different adverse effects, though persistent overvaluation is more problematic for stability and growth. Finally, inclusiveness is also a key component of successful development strategies. Growth patterns that systematically exclude subgroups founder on the loss of political and social cohesion and, ultimately, on the loss of support for the strategy. By contrast, income inequality that is not too extreme, and that does not arise from corruption or privileged access to markets, is understood and accepted. The provision of high-quality basic services like education and health In search... page 29 The global economy s marshmallow test Great bankers of the past like J.P. Morgan built industries like rail and steel. Today s money managers, by contrast, tend to resemble gamblers or even fraudsters like Charles Ponzi, argues Jeffery D. Sachs. The world economy is experiencing a turbulent start to Stock markets are plummeting; emerging economies are reeling in response to the sharp decline in commodities prices; refugee inflows are further destabilizing Europe; China s growth has slowed markedly in response to a capital-flow reversal and an overvalued currency; and the US is in political paralysis. A few central bankers struggle to keep the world economy upright. To escape this mess, four principles should guide the way. First, global economic progress depends on high global saving and investment. Second, saving and investment flows should be viewed as global, not national. Third, full employment depends on high investment rates that match high saving rates. Fourth, high private investments by business depend on high public investments in infrastructure and human capital. Let s consider each. First, our global goal should be economic progress, meaning better living conditions worldwide. Indeed, that goal has been enshrined in the new Sustainable Development Goals adopted last September by all 193 members of the United Nations. Progress depends on a high rate of global investment: building the skills, technology, and physical capital stock to propel standards of living higher. In economic development, as in life, there s no free lunch: Without high rates of investment in know-how, skills, machinery, and sustainable infrastructure, productivity tends to decline (mainly through depreciation), dragging down living standards. High investment rates in turn depend on high saving rates. A famous psychological experiment found that young children who could resist the immediate temptation to eat a marshmallow, and thereby gain two marshmallows in the future, were likelier to thrive as adults than those who couldn t. Likewise, societies that defer instant consumption in order to save and invest for the future will enjoy higher future incomes and greater retirement security. (When American economists advise China to boost consumption and cut saving, they are merely peddling the bad habits of American culture, which saves and invests far too little for America s future.) Second, saving and investment flows are global. A country such as China, with a high saving rate that exceeds local investment needs, can support investment in other parts of the world that save less, notably low-income Africa and Asia. China s population is aging rapidly, and Chinese households are saving for retirement. The Chinese know that their household financial assets, rather than numerous children or government social security, will be the main source of their financial security. Low-income Africa and Asia, on the other hand, are both capital-poor and very young. They can borrow from China s high savers to finance a massive and rapid build-up of education, skills, and infrastructure to underpin their own future economic prosperity. Third, a high global saving rate does not automatically translate into a high investment rate; unless properly directed, it can cause underspending and unemployment instead. Money put into banks and other financial intermediaries (such as pension and insurance funds) can finance productive activities or short-term speculation (for example, consumer loans and real estate). Great bankers of the past like J.P. Morgan built industries like rail and steel. Today s money managers, by contrast, tend to resemble gamblers or even fraudsters like Charles Ponzi. Fourth, today s investments with high social returns such as low-carbon energy, smart power grids for cities, and information-based health systems depend on public-private partnerships, in which public investment and public The global... page 29

21 OPINION + 21 Since the home buyers are given a stake in the company, it gives them a significant interest in keeping the company solvent and to continue with the projects responsibly, by making decisions that represent their interests, write Access Real Estate Home Buyers Committee USA. Advertisment BAMBIS NEWS FRIESLAND UHT : from Holland UHF : Long Life Milk Full Cream, half Cream and Skimmed in 1 lt. Tetrapacks Highest Quality Long Life (UHT) Dutch Milk FRIESLAND POWDER MILK : from Holland POWDER MILK : Instant Whole Milkpowder in tins of 2500, 900 and 400 grams FRIESLAND YOGHURT : from Holland YOGHURT : Dairy Dessert Creamy : 3% fat 250g and 500g Dairy Dessert Creamy : 0% fat with Strawberry, Forest Fruit and Peach-Passion 125g FUJAN : from China YANG CHUN Noodles in 340g AMOY Soy in 750g SEA FRESH : from Thailand JUST ARRIVED!!! ON SALE!! Skipjack Tuna SHREDDED in Vegetable Oil 160g Skipjack Tuna CHUNKS in Vegetable Oil 170g Skipjack Tuna SOLID in Vegetable Oil 170g In light of ARE s current state of affairs, the Ethiopian government has requested that the home buyers and the current shareholders of Access Real Estate (ARE) each come up with a proposed plan for the future of Access Real Estate. The ARE home buyers respectfully submit the following as a plan of action for consideration by the Government of Ethiopia. In part one of the proposal, we propose a debt-toequity swap in exchange for control of Access Real Estate. Once home buyers control the ARE Board of Directors, ARE will work with developers to complete construction projects. In part two, individual committees form association owned by home buyers at each property. Titles to land are transferred to each association for development by its membership. Profits resulting from development are used to satisfy home buyers that have property holdings previously liquidated by ARE. The Government of Ethiopia has requested ARE shareholders to raise capital in order to re-start company operations. Currently, the company has authorized shares totaling 100,000,000 birr. From this total only shares valued at 37,645,000 birr were subscribed and 31,811,250 birr paid. On the other hand, it has collected 1,400,000,000 birr from home buyers. The debt to equity ratio is very high. Under current circumstances, in which ARE is severely undercapitalized, the company is insolvent. Without a plan of action to resolve BAMBIS : Your One Stop Shop In Addis!! Information : /05 or Possible way out for ARE s fiasco ARE s insolvency, home buyers will face severe economic damage and many will find themselves in very difficult financial positions. If ARE shareholders fail to provide an effective proposal, we ask that the Government of Ethiopia to consider the home buyers proposed plan, with full consideration due to the nature of the situation. The home buyers have more capital at risk than ARE shareholders, and have the most interest in the successful completion of ARE contracts. Debt-to-equity swap Part-one of this plan has been designed to ensure the interests of the individual home buyers are addressed as fairly as practicable. It s features include the following: 1. ARE home buyers swap a percentage of the debt owed to them in return for a majority of ARE stock and control of the Board of Directors; 2. once in control of the company, home buyers reorganize the company to most effectively fulfill contractual obligations; 3. home buyers are responsible for raising required capital and negotiating contracts with developers; 4. ARE will ensure that all home buyers retain the opportunity to receive a house. The first part of the proposal is for the parties to implement a debt-to-equity swap in order to reduce a substantial amount of ARE s debt to the home buyers and to give the home buyers representation during ARE s corporate voting decisions. Representation in Ethiopia P.O.Box 1076 The proposed plan suggests that ARE homebuyers gain control of the company, by converting a portion of the existing debt to homeowners, into shares of company stock. Since the current valuation of ARE s shares are low due to the company s insolvency, it should take only a small percentage (we suggest 7.15 percent or 100,100,000 Birr which greater than the authorized capital) of the debt to be converted, in order to give the home buyers a majority stake in the company. There are many beneficial reasons as to why this action should be implemented. First, this action addresses a substantial portion of debt owed to the home buyers. It lowers the amount of liability that ARE owes. Second, the equity in ARE converted from the debt establishes a basis for the home buyers interests to be represented during board meetings and voting sessions. Establishing a basis for representation affords the home buyers with the ability to reorganize ARE s corporate structure and to raise more capital through various methods including investors. Third, agreement with this proposal is one of the first steps in preventing insolvency. If ARE remains insolvent, it loses the ability to fulfill the negotiated contractual obligations promised to the home buyers; this would potentially leave them with only a fraction of their initial investment. Fourth, the survival of ARE will help the recovery efforts Possible way... page 29 Tel: Fax: [email protected] REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP): RFP/HCR/AA/2016/003 FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A TWO YEAR FRAME AGREEMENT FOR THE PROVISION OF CUSTOMS CLEARANCE AND FREIGHT FORWARDING SERVICES THE OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES IN ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA INVITES INTERESTED QUALIFIED COMPANIES TO PARTICIPATE IN A TENDER FOR A TWO YEARS LOCAL FRAME AGREEMENT FOR THE PROVISION OF CUSTOMS CLERANCE AND FREIGHT FORWARDING SERVICES. INTERESTED SUPPLIERS MAY COLLECT THE RFP DOCUMENTS FROM THE UNHCR COUNTRY OFFICE IN ETHIOPIA, ADDIS ABABA, SUPPLY MANAGEMENT SERVICE LOCATED AT: BOLE ROAD NEAR TO SAAY PASTERY DURING WORKING HOURS BETWEEN: 09:00 AM 12:00 AM AND 2:00 PM 4:00 PM STARTING FROM 01 FEBRUARY -22 FEBRUARY REPRESENTATIVES OF COMPANIES COLLECTING THE RFP DOCUMENTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE PROOF OF AFFILIATION WITH THE COMPANY AND GIVE CONTACT DETAILS. AN OFFICIAL COMPANY STAMP IS REQUIRED. ALL BIDS MUST BE SUBMITTED IN SEALED ENVELOPES BY THE CLOSING DEADLINE OF 23 FEBRUARY 2016 AT AM, BIDS SUBMITED AFTER THE DEADLINE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ALL BIDS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH INSTRUCTIONS CONTAINED IN THE RFP DOCUMENTS. THE UNHCR REPRESENTATION OFFICE IN ETHIOPIA RESERVES THE RIGHT TO RE ECT ANY OR ALL BIDS RECEIVED. UNHCR ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

22 22 LIVING & THE ARTS Jukebox Lij Michael Ethiopian hip-hop at a crossroad Hip-hop, as music and culture was formed during the 1970s when block parties became increasingly popular in New York City, particularly among African-American youth residing in the Bronx. Block parties incorporated DJs, who played popular genres of music, especially funk and soul music. The music later on gave rise to phenomenal artistes like Tupac, Snoop Dogg and Eminem. In Ethiopia the music became popular among the urban youth from the mid- 1990s and the early 2000s. And now a few Ethiopian rappers are trying to make it in the Ethiopian music charts, writes Tibebeselassie Tigabu. The well-known feud in hip-hop history caused the tragic death of two American hip-hop giants; Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. The prolific rappers were born less than a year apart. Tupac was based in Los Angeles on the west coast, while Biggie is a rapper from New York in the east. The vendetta between the east and west coast factions was raised by lyrical provocations from Biggie entitled Who Shot Ya? and Tupac s Hit Em Up. Eventually, the antagonistic musical back and forth emerged and gradually escalated. The media became heavily involved in their spat, labeling it a coastal rap war and reporting on it continuously, which in turn caused fans to take sides. Matters really intensified once Tupac was shot and killed in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Notorious B.I.G. was also fatally shot, which resulted in the escalation of the east coast and west coast feud. This phenomenon changed the hip-hop industry. Thousands of miles away from the east vs. west coast hip-hop scene there was a surprising dispute between Tupac and B.I.G. Supporters in Addis Ababa. One of the incidents was at Cotton Club found in Ghion Hotel. Lij Michael, a rapper formerly known as Crazy, was present when the incident happened. According to Lij Michael, hip-hop fans were divided among the east and west line. It was common to see rappers gesticulate west coast and east coast signs or say east coast for life. They are attired in glittery wrist wears, neck chains and baggy pants. The west coast fans reveled when the DJ played Tupac s California Love while the east coast supporters stood on the side, circling them. Lij Michael remembers the scene when the venue changed into a battlefield when Biggie s music Who Shot Ya? was played. They rushed to the dance floor shoving Tupac s fans. The dancing scene completely turned into a fight. The bouncers had to intervene to break the fight, We were teenagers and it was easy to control the situation, Lij Michael says. With hip-hop getting millions of new fans from all over the world, Addis hip-hop lovers are also swayed by the wave of the genre. This led to the establishment of hip-hop groups such as Mad Boyz, Habesha Phenomenon and ABC. One of the founders of ABC, Lij Michael, recalls the outset of Ethiopian hip-hop. His love for rap came while listening to the beats of Tupac Shakur, B.I.G., Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris, Dr. Dre, Kurupt and Puff Daddy (P-Diddy). Lij Michael s rapping career started with MCing and playing famous tunes. Though there were no big venues, they were fortunate enough to perform at school carnivals and day parties that were held at Lion and You Go clubs.

23 LIVING & THE ARTS 23 Jolox The youth were being attracted by hip-hop music in venues such as Rock Bottom and Marathon, which also provided stages for upcoming hip-hop artists. With the youth embracing the new culture, it became synonymous with the young urban demographic. According to Lij Michael, hip-hop s negativity weighed down. It was associated with vulgarity, crime and gun violence so it was highly denounced. The outfits of the upcoming rappers, which include kangol hats, saggy pants, loose clothes and layers of neck chains, was hammered by the society. In addition, in relation to mainstream hip-hop which glorified violence and crime, hip-hop in Ethiopia suffered because it did not get an opportunity for conscious hip-hop. This was caused not only by the negative portrayal of hip-hop and the lifestyle of rappers in the West. Lij Michael says that young Ethiopian rappers have also contributed to that. We were mimicking their lyrics and lifestyle failing to comprehend the society we are living in, Lij Michael comments. In Ethiopia most people do not know how hip-hop started or the political preachers behind the movement such as The Last Poets, Gill Scott Heron and Public Enemy. With their politically charged raps, taut rhythms, and dedication to raising African-American consciousness, The Last Poets almost single-handedly laid the groundwork for the emergence of hiphop. Conscious rap tracks focused on poverty, violence and the dreadful lives of the urban poor. Rappers like Run-D.M.C., Saul Williams, Dead Prez, The Roots, Talib Kweli were also considered as social activists. Even confrontational tracks by N.W.A. such as F*** Tha Police was created out of this context. One example is an event which was organized by the British Council entitled Words and Pictures. The event brought Ethiopian hip-hop artistes and made them improvise the beat of the song by changing it into I Shot My Uncle. In many countries such as Senegal, hip-hop was able to impact politics by becoming the voice for the urban poor. A documentary entitled African Underground: Democracy in Dakar depicts hip-hop s role in the political process. The film examines Woah the controversial 2007 presidential election and how the rappers were a threat to the then President Abdoulaye Wade with significant socio political commentaries exposing issues found within poor communities. Coming to the Ethiopian context, hiphop could not become a voice for the disenfranchised youth of impoverished areas. Lij Michael says that it could not reflect the social, economic and political realities of their lives. In a society where talking about sex is taboo, the Ethiopian hip-hop artistes chose to sing sexually explicit lyrics with derogatory terms. That was disrespectful to the society, Lij Michael says. Jukebox The Illustrious, another rapper who grew up listening to his grandmother s expressions, says that apart from the introduction of mainstream rap, the language barrier challenged hip-hop not to be embraced by the people. Introduced to hiphop at a young age, for him hip-hop was a platform to pass socially relevant and substantial messages. Apart from the societal relevance, writing lyrics and rhyming in his room helped him escape the isolation he felt when he was in college in Texas. He rediscovered his talent by going through the works of poets, spoken word artists and painters. Renowned for his deep sound his admiration for Tupac is deep. Nas, B.I.G., Guru and Dr. Dre have also made a lasting impression on him. Ethiopians are really quick to dismiss anything that we don t consider Ethiopian, Jukebox says. I am proud of my Ethiopian heritage and I should learn more about my culture but that does not prohibit me from understanding the rest of the world, he says. The youth attended the performances of Ethiopian rappers for a while but later on the venues disappeared. The music producers did not want to produce the albums so the rappers could not make a living out of it so they were forced to retreat. They believe that hip-hop could not integrate into Ethiopian culture. For Lij Michael, rappers take the lion s share of the responsibility. As a rapper Ethiopian hip-hop... page 30 We were mimicking their lyrics and lifestyle failing to comprehend the society we are living in,

24 24 SOCIETY New life after battered journey By Henok Reta Elfinesh Wate, 22, recently overcame one of the most difficult challenges in her life: years-long battle against obstetric fistula. She underwent an hour-long surgery to get cured at Hamlin Fistula Care Center in Yirgalem, a small town in the Southern Regional State. Having lost her child during delivery, Elfinesh is to a large extent satisfied with the procedure. The young woman will be mourning the death of her newborn but, on the flip side, she now feels that she has avoided the ignominy she had shouldered for years. Elfinesh, who resides in one of the remote villages in Sidama zone, developed fistula the most devastating and serious of all childbirth injuries. Obstetric fistula is a hole between the vagina and rectum or bladder that is caused by prolonged obstructed labor, leaving a woman incontinent of urine or feces or both. As a result, the women who suffer from obstetric fistula remain detached from social life for many years. Only those who have relatives in cities can get the medical attention. And Elfinesh is among the lucky ones who got access to surgical procedure for free. The procedure usually cost some USD 450. This includes surgery, postoperative care and physical rehabilitation. Since 1974 the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital (Hamlin Fistula Hospital) has admitted tens of thousands of fistula patients from across the country until the regional care centers were beginning to assist in decreasing the flow in recent years. The Yirgalem Fistula Care Center (YFCC) was established in 2006 to mitigate one of the highest burdens of fistula in the country. YFCC is found in Yirgalem Hospital one of the oldest hospitals built by King Olav of Norway, making it the 5th in the country in the 1960s. We are very comfortable with the specialists who are available, Abebe Desta, head of YFCC, says. According to him, the two surgeons serve twice a week at the center to help hundreds of young mothers who had underwent medical examinations by experienced nurses. We have many years of experience in dealing with this matter. We assist the surgeons with the operations since they are extremely busy practitioners, Welela Workineh, head nurse at the center, says. Providing service for more than a decade, hundreds of women have undergone surgery and were able to rediscover life after many years of misery. Women from Wolayta, Sidama, and other zones of the region are said to be highly affected by fistula. We started with only 40 beds and now we have 60, Welela says. The head nurse, who has served at the center since its establishment, states that they have successfully executed almost all of the surgical procedures. Since the cause is pretty similar it can usually be cured unless the bladder is damaged, she says. According to researches, only 0.03 percent of all deliveries end up with obstetric fistula globally as the developed world saw its eradication many decades ago. According to Catherin Hamlin (MD), co-founder of Hamlin Fistula Hospitals, an estimated 4,000 women are set to undergo surgery for obstetric fistula every year while the World Health Organization (WHO) takes the figure as high as 7000 per year. In 2014, the Ministry of Health (MoH) launched a strategic plan to tackle fistula by providing a full-scale delivery service across the country. Nevertheless, despite the country s highly appreciated efforts to meet the target in reducing maternal and new-born deaths, according to WHO, fistula remains to be one of the huge burdens for many young mothers in rural communities. However, reliable data on obstetric fistula are hard to come by because of the stigma associated with the condition. Describing it as the most devastating of all pregnancy-related disabilities, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) says obstetric fistula affects an estimated 50,000 to 100,000 women around the world every year and is particularly common in sub-saharan Africa, where populations face challenges to obtaining quality healthcare. The World Health Organization estimates that at least 8,000 Ethiopian women develop new fistulas every year. The condition occurs when a woman usually one who is young and poor has an obstructed labor and, lacking a skilled birth attendant and emergency obstetric care, does not get a Caesarean section when she needs it. The obstruction may occur either because her pelvis is too small, the baby is badly positioned, or its head is too big. Underlying causes include childbearing at a very early age, poverty, malnutrition, and lack of education. According to Welela, the young mothers who often visit the center have problems with literacy. She also says that the compassionate nature of the husbands in the region when compared to the rest of the country, is one thing that benefits the women. I think the husbands in the South are somewhat compassionate and rush to take their wives to the health centers nearby. They have a sense of responsibility, she says. The other problem is finding transportation. And that is also what the hospital is, i.e. by providing transportation to the sick. I think the hospital should be appreciated for the contribution it has made together with the regional health bureau, she says lauding the role the hospital plays in facilitating transport. Catherine Hamlin (MD) amongst her patients After having endured difficulties for years and finally undergoing a major surgical procedure the women can finally start to lead a healthy life; however, there are patients who develop injuries to the repaired fistulas. According to physicians, this would often happen when the mothers are willing to give birth the same way they did before that consequently let them to develop fistula. Although it has always been difficult to alter traditional practices in the villages Hamlin, a pioneer in performing obstetric fistula, has always been outspoken that men should always be careful not to ruin the restored lives of their wives. In these cases, the women have often got new husbands who display the same behavior as their previous ones. Her new husband forbids her to have her baby in the hospital and insists that she have a home birth like other village women. She s got no say and is completely under the thumb of the man, she told Population Reference Bureau of the United States. At 92, Hamlin, looks strong enough to leave a legacy of compassion and humanity in Ethiopia, her second home where she has spent a significant part of her life accompanied by her first two fistula patients at the hospital. A major fistula hospital in Addis Ababa and four more outreach centers in the region will definitely ease the burden of the country which aspires to become a middle income country by 2025, commentators say. Many like Elfinesh are now aware of the available healthcare and are determined to come back to the center if there is anything that threatens their lives. I don t think I would get pregnant again but God knows what will happen in my life. I m well aware of it now so that I will get back here for anything, she says with tears of joy rolling down her cheeks.

25 25 Advertisment INVITATION FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST(EOI) FOR CONSTRUCTION OF CONDOMINIUM WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY IN WU RO TOWN, TIGRAY REGION TO REGISTER FOR REVIEW AND PRE-QUALIFICATION AS POTENTIAL CONTRACTORS TO UNICEF IN ETHIOPIA The United Nations Children s Fund (UNICEF), within the South-South Cooperation programme between Ethiopia and Brazil, has been delegated by Tigray Regional Water Bureau to construct a wastewater treatment facility for a condominium complex in Wukro town, in Tigray Region. UNICEF therefore intends to select pre-quali ed Contractor(s) of Grade-5 and above who will be invited to submit offers for the construction contract. To respond to this EOI, all interested contractors are requested to submit a Letter in English expressing their interest for registration and evaluation. Interested contractors of Grade-5 and above will be required to submit a detailed Questionnaire form lled for pre-quali cation review. The Questionnaires for construction contractor can be obtained by directly contacting Mr. Deresse Damte on ddamte unicef.org and/or Mr. Sebastian Muzuma on smuzuma unicef.org. All requests for EOI must be submitted with full Contractor s name and contact addresses. The contractors will be assessed and quali ed for registration based on the completeness of submission of valid documents for the criteria required as listed below and in the Questionnaires: - Construction Experiences, Reference (include details of similar projects, value of completed ork, etc) - Financial status; - Staff Quali cation and Experience (include resumes of key personnel) - Organizational Structure - Resources - Standard Strategy and Methodology related to similar sanitation construction activities - Quality Control Program - Safety Policy Statement/ Record - Membership Af liation: Well-established companies with excellent construction capacities and experience with reputable clients are encouraged to register as potential construction contractors. A limited number of contractors will be short-listed for evaluation. Contractors ith positive evaluations ill be invited to participate in Construction Bid. UNICEF fully reserves the right to accept or reject registration. Filled Questionnaires and supporting documents must be submitted in hard copy and soft copy no later than 5 th of February 2016 at 5 pm. Soft copy submission can be by copy as MS Word and PDF les to Mr. Deresse Damte on ddamte unicef. org and/or Mr. Sebastian Muzuma on smuzuma unicef.org. Hard copy submission of questionnaires and supporting documents can be submitted in any of the two locations provided below: (1) UNICEF, ICC Ware House, Debrezeit Road, Lancia. In front of Concord Hotel, next to Action Aid, approximately 300 meters from main road. You may call phone No for directions. Or (2) UNECA Compound, NOF Building 20, UNICEF Ethiopia, Supply Section, 2nd oor, east wing. The UNECA security rules requires 36 hours advance notice to be given by visitor, therefore please notify the Supply Section by ETH-Reception-Desk unicef.org providing the full name of the person who will be submitting the EOI and proposed date of arrival.

26 26 Proposals... CONT`D FROM PAGE 9 We need to develop the culture of enforcing our rights. If the system failed to be responsive, it will lack public trust. We believe that the public has trust and con dence in our current bureaucracy. However, if parts of the society has doubts, we have work to address it and consolidate it more, neoliberalism, but what is clearer is that, for good or ill, the coalition does not neatly meet the typical criteria for good governance. National Human Rights Action Plan as engine of enforcement To systematically enforce human and democratic rights and particularly strengthen the justice sector, National Human Rights Action Plan Office is established five years ago. The major tasks of the office includes ensuring the respect of human rights through implementing and monitoring the national human rights action plan and enhancing legal literacy through publication and awareness creation. Making the justice system efficient and free from corruption and discrimination is one of the key focus areas of the GTP-II. Strategies of achieving this goal include deciding cases using authentic and credible evidence, drafting and amending laws in conformity with the Constitution, maintaining the independence of the judiciary and courts, creating the transparency and accountability of government, strengthening the human resource in the sector with knowledge, skill and infrastructure, raising the awareness of the public on the Constitution and the legal system, developing the culture and practice of resolving conflicts amicably, and finally building public trust on the justice system. Moreover, it is hoped that drafting Criminal Procedure Code, Administrative Procedure Code, Private International Law, Alternative Dispute Resolution Law, Advocacy and Licensing Administration Law, Criminal Witness and Whistle Blowers Protection Proclamation implementing regulation and directive will all be completed in the coming five years. The National Human Rights Action Plan identifies over 300 government organs to report on their activities. The office evaluated which activities and how much of the mandates assigned to these organs by the Action Plan was performed in the last three years. We ENTERTAINMENT IN BRIEF have achieved encouraging results in the first Action Plan, says Yibekal Gizaw, Head of the National Human Rights Action Plan Office, and we have done our best considering the fact that the Plan was ambitious like GTP-I. Although all government organs are expected to harmonize their activities with the basic principles of human rights independently, the National Human Rights Action Plan Office coordinates the overall work and provides technical support when required. Even if his office has tasks to be accomplished for specified period, Yibekal argues that fully realizing human rights cannot be bound within a certain period. The Action Plan office only gives extra force to the momentum. Otherwise, the activities aimed at realizing human rights have been in place since So, it is just one additional tool to implement the Constitution he said. Yibekal is also of the view that respect for human rights ensures to guarantee good governance. He contends that awareness and right friendly public can thrive only in the presence of responsive system and bureaucracy. We need to develop the culture of enforcing our rights. If the system failed to be responsive, it will lack public trust. We believe that the public has trust and confidence in our current bureaucracy. However, if parts of the society has doubts, we have work to address it and consolidate it more, he said. However, many are pessimistic if the government in power is human rights friendly. Local and foreign commentators contend that concrete measures have not been taken to consolidate democracy in the country except using the concept as rhetoric when it suits the purposes of the ruling party. For Yibekal, these criticisms are out of proportion. To address the issues of human rights and specifically good governance, there is political commitment, he said. Nevertheless, he admits that the limitations are visible when efforts are made to enforce the human rights as recognized in the FDRE Constitution. The economic reality of the country, the strength of the democratic system and the infant human rights culture are instances of barriers mentioned by Yibekal from fully enforcing these spray of rights. Prioritizing socio-economic rights Alex de Waal states: [I]ndeed, Ethiopia visibly developed under EPRDF rule, with new roads, bridges, dams, electrification, schools and health centers. This was the beginning of a transformation that, if sustained for another two decades, would truly change the face of the country. Scholars argue that the intrinsic value of democracy serves as the key to the attainment of holistic and sustainable development. According to Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua, holistic development embraces not only the satisfaction of one s mental/intellectual needs but also one s religious/moral, aesthetic, emotional, mental, physical and material needs as well. DSs argue that progress in the areas of social and economic areas is the necessary and sufficient condition for full-fledged practice of human rights as outlined in the international human rights instruments. In other words, economic growth and development must first be firmly realized before individuals fully enjoy their civil and political rights. Developing countries led by the successful DSs from the East Asia have claimed that economic and social rights formed the basis for all other human rights. To the contrary, the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the ICCPR and the Economic, Social and Cultural Convention, to which most of these developing states are signatories, states that human rights are indivisible and interdependent. The greater emphasis on development activities in these countries led at times to restrictions upon the exercise of Bob Marley s 71st Ambassador Park The 71st birthday anniversary of the legendary reggae icon, Bob Marley, is scheduled to take place at Ambassador Park on February 6, 2016 with a gate fee of 300 birr. The concert, which is entitled Reggae Movement is a tribute to the legacy of reggae s ever shining star. Organized by Tenayistelegn Entertainment and Event s Organizer, international and local famous reggae artists are lined up to perform on the birthday of their inspirational Jamaican icon. Some of the international lineup include, Teddy Dan, Japila, Laovosti, Ras Seyoum and the Ethiopian reggae artistes who will perform in stage are Jah Lude, Ras Jani, Jhonny Ragga, Mehari Brothers and Geez Root Band. Since his passing on the 11th of May 1981 in the United States, Bob Marley s legend looms larger than ever, as evidenced by an ever lengthening list of accomplishments attributable to his music. Since the 60th birthday anniversary held in Addis Ababa in 2005 this concert is considered to be big, according to the organizers. Teddy Afro to collaborate with Grammy winning composer Ethiopian pop star Tewdros Kassahun a.k.a. Teddy Afro is expected to collaborate with Grammy winning American pianist, composer and critical musicologist at Syracuse University. Teddy Afro, who has been widely considered as a phenomenal pop star in the current Ethiopian music industry to subdue millions of music fans at home and abroad, is currently in the United State discussing his music deal. According to sources, he visited the American Grammy award wining composer James Gordon Williams at his studio in New York to discuss the possible deal of working on his upcoming album. Teddy Afro is said to have been working on his fifth studio album and is aiming to come up with a certain special tune to gain a worldwide audience. His last studio album dubbed Tikur Sew (Black Man) was released five years ago and he is aspiring to come up with another hit album. Despite his controversial fame he enjoyed over the decade he still remains most popular.

27 27 certain human rights, particularly civil and political rights. Official reports of the Ethiopian government indicate that the country has achieved encouraging development results, maintaining an economic growth rate of around 11 percent for the last decade. Even if the disagreement between international financial institutions and the government of Ethiopia on the rate of growth is rather obvious, the latter still confirms that the country s economic growth is one of the highest in Africa. According to some research findings, as a result of this strong economic growth, the government of Ethiopia is bringing the poverty rate down. Here, it is also interesting to note that Ethiopia s investment in infrastructure is the highest in the African continent. In fact, there has also been significant improvement in infrastructure such as roads and telephone services. Access to health centers also improved reducing child mortality significantly. Moreover, export has risen sharply and series of hydroelectric dams have boosted the economy. However, even in this encouraging context, the issue of ensuring the fair distribution of the wealth created as an outcome of the development project is mentioned as a challenge. Despite high rate of economic growth, who are the beneficiaries of this economic growth is questionable. It is also claimed that DS policy of the government has further widened the gap between the few rich who get richer and the millions of poor who continue to go hungry as the majority of Ethiopians have failed to share the benefits of this economic growth. It is also claimed that there is disaffection regarding the division and sharing of power, resources, and social opportunities. For instance, Elias Nour (PhD) argues that even if there are commendable achievements in infrastructure, economic growth and integration with the global economy, the success is well short of the real yardsticks when it comes to sustainable development and in social wellbeing with a broader massbase rather than elite affluence. Of course, the government points out that income distribution is one of the key ingredients of its governance model. In fact, much of the growth in the past five years is in agriculture which employees more than 70 million Ethiopians. This has been provided as evidence that its governance model is indeed broad-based and sharing the benefits fairly and equitably is the utmost priority to the government. In addition, the Ethiopian government argues that it recognizes no hierarchy of importance between civil liberties and the right to social and economic development. Rather it affirms the interdependence of the two set of rights as neither can yield the desired result independent of the other. On the other hand, the practice and other arguments imply that emphasis is given to social and economic rights. It is argued that the ideological shift towards the Developmental State model gives priority to the socio-economic sector than civil rights and political freedoms. The government also asserts that in the absence of equal access to the means of economic development and fair distribution of income, exercise of civil liberties is bound to remain the preserve of the fortunate few, inviting mass discontent and political polarity. As was the case in the earlier stages of East Asian Developmental States, in Ethiopia as well, some believe that as the economy develops, the other rights will progress in time. Meles argued that liberal civil and political rights have no meaning in a context of abject poverty or political chaos. Thus, development and a strong state were prerequisites for human rights, and Ethiopia needed to establish these first. Similarly, Assefa Fiseha (PhD) is of the view that improvement in the socio-economic sector has the potential to create a middle class that will show less tolerance towards the authoritarian state in the long run. Consecutive economic growth, expansion of infrastructure, improved access to education and health and pro poor policies are given the highest national priority by the Ethiopian government. For Assefa, if it succeeds in achieving this, it produces an educated, informed and demanding middle class, the very forces that put pressure for change and political liberalization. In a similar vein, it is argued that Meles Zenawi who is credited to be the architect of the Ethiopian Developmental State was of the opinion that the full exercise of human rights should be delayed for the sake of solidifying the Developmental State. According to Medhane Tadesse, Meles argued that the new economic structures and institutions required their own political organization such as a hegemonic party; and free press distracts such agendas of the DS particularly in its formative stage. Similarly, the Ethiopian government recently states: Indigenization of universal human rights principle in a closed tradition-bound society could never be realized in a space of a decade or two. It will even take longer to fulfill human rights in poverty-stricken Ethiopia. Despite this emphasis on the socioeconomic rights, the FDRE Constitution places equal weight on all generations of rights. The Ethiopian Constitution recognizes democracy, human rights and individual liberties alongside socioeconomic rights. Thus, in Ethiopia, the government s determination of putting economic growth first and rights/ democracy next is not only problematic but also contradicts with the spirit of the Constitution. One can observe from the practice of the Ethiopian DS model that priority is given to socio-economic rights at the expense of civil and political rights. The suppression of opposition members and their leaders, civic organizations, independent media, trade unions, and critics could be presented as evidence. Particularly, EPRDF is accused of tolerating elite opposition voices and parties as long as they are not a serious distraction to its rule. Many non-state actors including opposition parties complain that the ideology of the ruling party exclude them from contributing for the betterment of Ethiopia. Government officials like Yibekal argue that there is no priority when it comes to rights recognized under the FDRE Constitution. However, Alex de Waal explains that Meles s theory of democracy was, in the end, postponing it until Ethiopia had achieved middleincome status. Convincing other individuals and organs having the same view would be a key challenge of GTPII....the government points out that income distribution is one of the key ingredients of its governance model. In fact, much of the growth in the past ve years is in agriculture which employees more than 70 million Ethiopians. This has been provided as evidence that its governance model is indeed broad-based and sharing the bene ts fairly and equitably is the utmost priority to the government. Tariku Shiferaw s Trestle Gallery An emerging artist who hails from Ethiopia, Tariku Shiferaw, is going to exhibit his works at Trestle Gallery, in Brooklyn, New York as part of a group exhibition entitled Introductions 2016 is fascinated by contradiction, glitches, interruptions and disagreement in a system. I investigate intricate moments in our existence that appear to be one way, but at a closer look it can perceived and interpreted in many other ways, he said. Tariku, who was born in Addis Ababa and raised in Los Angeles, where he completed his undergraduate degree in Fine Arts at the University of Southern California moved to New York in 2013 to pursue a master degree in Fine Arts. Influenced by his former instructor Tariku says that his instructor was the reason behind his will to go far in his career. He was my commercial arts instructor during my sophomore year, but eventually became a friend and a mentor for the rest of my life, he told Tadias Magazine. (Tadias) Bewketu Seyoum s new book expects record sale Ethiopia s most admired contemporary author, Bewketu Seyoum s new book entitled Ke Amen Bashager, loosely translated as Beyond Amen is said to become a bestseller, according to his fans and booksellers in Addis Ababa. Beweketu, who critically and cleverly assorts his humorous prose within social and political perceptions of millions lives in the country, has widely been recognized as most popular writer of his time over the past decade. He is currently in the United States where he is releasing his latest book, which is now expected to see record sales here. According to Wazema Radio, which recently interviewed the author, many booksellers have been waiting for the arrival of the book to earn the first profits. Labeled by some a being a liberal politician Bewketu has written his political views in much facetious style in different news papers and blogs to promote free talk and expression. This new book is expected to end his eight years of absence from publishing.

28 28 Appropriately plastic-looking, ru can, when necessary, act as brainless as Sarah Palin (who has just endorsed Trump). ut ru, educated at Princeton and Harvard, is no fool. He is, as Bernays taught, treating his campaign as a drive for votes, just as an Ivory Soap advertising campaign is a drive for sales. The marketing... candidate. But this is not a typical campaign, because there s nothing typical about Trump. With his exaggerated facial expressions, penchant for trash talking, and love of superlatives, Trump a showman and a businessman seems to have the right background for Bernays-style public manipulation. But he has the wrong background for a president. (It is worth asking whether he really even wants to be President. He must know that, like the Wizard of Oz, he can portray himself as great and powerful only until he needs to perform actual miracles.) Among these one-dimensional figures, one fully formed candidate stands out: the Texan Ted Cruz. Once a national debating champion, Cruz is fully in control of his persona; not even Trump, with his frantic attacks on Cruz s eligibility (because he was born in Canada), can get under his skin. In fact, it is Cruz who has made Trump squirm. In last week s Republican debate, Cruz accused Trump of having How widespread... CONT`D FROM PAGE 19 the needs of their people. Do you believe poverty in Africa is a deep-rooted problem because there is no practical democracy and rule of law and corruption is rising? In fact it is a result of many problems that can be related to those factors and for that matter we ask those relevant questions to measure the corruption level or bribe. I think when governments in Africa are becoming more democratic and are dedicated to put practical measures to change the lives of their peoples then poverty will decrease at a high rate. Moreover, fair distribution of resource and equal share in growth will inevitably fulfill the demand of the people to move out of poverty. That is a practical lesson we can take from the other world. At the same time the migration of many Africans is still a challenge in many countries. In some of these countries young people are migrating not because of seeking a better life. I can tell you this from my experience in my home country Ghana. The economy is doing well there and even the political situation is getting better than what is used to be but there are people migrating to Europe. So, we need to settle life in Africa not because of ensuring better living but with all those demands that people have a right to acquire. New York values, calling the city (explicitly excluding New York State) socially liberal and focused on money and media. Cruz managed not only to get a rise out of Trump, but also to enhance his own appeal to conservative voters in the Midwest and South, who view the city as a kind of modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah. (New Yorkers and many others were also offended by Cruz s statement, not because the city isn t socially liberal and the home base of America s media and financial industries, but because the pejorative use of New York has historically been an anti-semitic dog whistle.) Appropriately plastic-looking, Cruz can, when necessary, act as brainless as Sarah Palin (who has just endorsed Trump). But Cruz, educated at Princeton and Harvard, is no fool. He is, as Bernays taught, treating his campaign as a drive for votes, just as an Ivory Soap advertising campaign is a drive for sales. Trump is a showman who has captured Why Africa... GDP by 30 percent in Each person on the continent will be almost USD 1,000 better off every year. In Western countries, environmental campaigners would focus on the downside 300 million tons of additional CO 2 emissions in 2040, and higher outdoor air pollution from greater reliance on coal power and ask why anyone would want to increase CO 2 and air pollution. But let s look at the costs and benefits. The almost four billion extra tons of CO 2 emitted over the next 25 years would cause about USD 140 billion in damage from global warming, using the US official (though, likely somewhat exaggerated) social cost figure. The increase in coal use would lead to more air pollution, costing about USD 30 billion during this period. At the same time, Africa would become almost seven trillion dollars richer. Indoor air pollution would essentially be eliminated for about 150 million more people, with social benefits worth nearly USD 500 billion. And power would reach 230 million extra people, generating benefits worth USD 1.2 trillion. In other words, the total costs of the African Century, including climateand health-related costs, would amount to USD 170 billion. The total benefits, at USD 8.4 trillion, would be almost 50 times higher. The same general argument probably CONT`D FROM PAGE 15 the public s attention. But Cruz is a propagandist, selling to his constituents an ostensibly credible story of actual leadership. Though he, like Clinton, is not the most broadly likable character, he would be a worthy contender in a presidential election. The question is whether Americans will want to buy what they are selling. Ed. s Note: Nina L. Khrushcheva, the author of Imagining Nabokov: Russia Between Art and Politics and The Lost Khrushchev: A Journey into the Gulag of the Russian Mind, is Professor of International Affairs and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at The New School and a senior fellow at the World Policy Institute. The article was provided to The Reporter by Project Syndicate: the world s pre-eminent source of original op-ed commentaries. Project Syndicate provides incisive perspectives on our changing world by those who are shaping its politics, economics, science, and culture. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Reporter. CONT`D FROM PAGE 14 holds for India and other developing countries. In China, for example, CO 2 emissions have increased 500 percent since 1981; but the country s poverty rate plummeted from 89 percent then to less than 10 percent today. In wealthy countries, campaigners emphasize that a ton of CO 2 could cost some USD 50 and should be taxed to reduce emissions. But for Africa, the economic, social, and environmental benefits of more energy and higher CO 2 run to more than USD 2,000 per ton. Focusing on the USD 50 in cost and ignoring the USD 2,000 in benefits is willful blindness. One day, innovation could drive down the price of future green energy to the point that it lifts people out of poverty more effectively than fossil fuels do. Globally, we should invest much more in such innovation. But global warming will not be fixed by hypocritically closing a path out of poverty to the world s poor. Ed. s Note: Bjørn Lomborg is an adjunct professor at the Copenhagen Business School and directs the Copenhagen Consensus Center. The article was provided to The Reporter by Project Syndicate: the world s pre-eminent source of original op-ed commentaries. Project Syndicate provides incisive perspectives on our changing world by those who are shaping its politics, economics, science, and culture. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Reporter. A payment... CONT`D FROM PAGE 14 Guinea-Bissau, and South Sudan is more than a hundred to one. And those teachers receive little support, encouragement, or feedback. Good teachers are undoubtedly the key to quality education; but they can do only so much if they are not provided with skilled supervision, a well-organized curriculum, and access to technology. The phrase universal education will mean nothing if it does not apply to children living in huts, hovels, and refugee tents. When war or disaster strikes, the international community rightly mobilizes funding for food, shelter, and health care. All too often, however, financing education is only an afterthought. With refugees spending more than ten years away from home, on average, this neglect cannot be allowed to continue. Fortunately, progress is being made in this area. In an exciting experiment in Lebanon, schools have been put on double shifts in order to accommodate the country s Syrian refugee population. Local children attend in the morning, and in the afternoon, Syrian refugee children study in the same classrooms. The program has been a stunning success, providing schooling for some 207,000 children who might otherwise have been deprived of an education. And plans are underway to expand the program to cover one million children in Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan. The biggest obstacle to what would be a spectacular achievement as is so often the case is a shortage of money. It is to support efforts like this one that the International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity was formed. UNICEF leader Anthony Lake, UNESCO head Irina Bokova, and Global Partnership for Education Chair Julia Gillard have lent their support to a platform for the provision of education in emergencies, a proposal that I hope will be formalized at the World Humanitarian Summit in Turkey in May. And it is my goal that by the end of the year we will also have a timetable to provide primary and secondary education to every child in the world and the funding with which to achieve this most important of objectives. Ed. s Note: Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom, is United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education and Chair of the International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity. The article was provided to The Reporter by Project Syndicate: the world s pre-eminent source of original op-ed commentaries. Project Syndicate provides incisive perspectives on our changing world by those who are shaping its politics, economics, science, and culture. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Reporter.

29 29 The global... policies help to spur private investment. This has long been the case: Railroad networks, aviation, automobiles, semiconductors, satellites, GPS, hydraulic fracturing, nuclear power, genomics, and the Internet would not exist but for such partnerships (typically, but not only, starting with the military). Our global problem today is that the world s financial intermediaries are not properly steering long-term saving into long-term investments. The problem is compounded by the fact that most governments (the US is a stark case) are chronically underinvesting in long-term education, skill training, and infrastructure. Private investment is falling short mainly because of the shortfall of complementary public investment. Shortsighted macroeconomists say the world is under-consuming; in fact, it is underinvesting. The result is inadequate global demand (global investments falling short of global saving at full employment) and highly volatile short-term capital flows to finance consumption and real estate. Such short-term flows are subject to abrupt reversals of size and direction. The 1997 Asian financial crisis followed a sudden stop of capital inflows to Asia, and global short-term lending suddenly dried up after Lehman Brothers collapsed in September 2008, causing the Great Recession. Now China is facing the same problem, with inflows having abruptly given way to outflows. The mainstream macroeconomic advice to China boost domestic consumption and overvalue the renminbi to cut exports fails the marshmallow test. It encourages overconsumption, underinvestment, and rising unemployment in a rapidly aging society, and in a world that can make tremendous use of China s high saving and industrial capacity. The right policy is to channel China s In search... care is viewed as crucial for equality of opportunity and intergenerational mobility. Against that backdrop, one can assess current growth patterns in the global economy and its various parts. For starters, public-sector investment is broadly below levels needed to restore and sustain growth, partly owing to fiscal constraints in overly indebted countries. Absent defaults, the normal way to reduce sovereigndebt overhangs is with nominal growth. But growth-oriented policies have been absent, beyond whatever monetary policy can contribute, and inflation is broadly below targets. And large pools of savings in sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, and insurance companies have not yet been successfully deployed at scale on the public-sector side, presumably because of blockages in the intermediation channels related to risk and incentives. CONT`D FROM PAGE 20 high saving to increased investments in infrastructure and skills in low-income Africa and Asia. China s new Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and its One Belt, One Road initiative to establish modern transport and communications links throughout the region are steps in the right direction. These programs will keep China s factories operating at high capacity to produce the investment goods needed for rapid growth in today s low-income countries. China s currency should be allowed to depreciate so that China s capital-goods exports to Africa and Asia are more affordable. More generally, governments should expand the role of national and multilateral development banks (including the regional development banks for Asia, Africa, the Americas, and the Islamic countries) to channel long-term saving from pension funds, insurance funds, and commercial banks into long-term public and private investments in twenty-firstcentury industries and infrastructure. Central banks and hedge funds cannot produce long-term economic growth and financial stability. Only long-term investments, both public and private, can lift the world economy out of its current instability and slow growth. Ed. s Note: Jeffrey D. Sachs, Professor of Sustainable Development, Professor of Health Policy and Management, and Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, is also Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary- General on the Millennium Development Goals. The article was provided to The Reporter by Project Syndicate: the world s pre-eminent source of original op-ed commentaries. Project Syndicate provides incisive perspectives on our changing world by those who are shaping its politics, economics, science, and culture. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Reporter. Private-sector investment (in tangible and intangible assets) is also below growth-sustaining levels (though there are contrary trends in some high-growth technology sectors). Contributing factors include a shortage of aggregate demand, high levels of uncertainty about policies and regulatory agendas, and growing doubts about key drivers of global growth like China. In addition, depending on the economy in question, stalled tax reform and policy-induced structural rigidities in product and factor markets are having adverse effects. With respect to inclusiveness, much useful recent analysis focuses on technology-driven shifts in economic structure and labor markets on the demand side, and globalization, which has left education and skills mismatches on the slower-moving supply side. Job polarization and rising patterns of income inequality are in part the result of these forces, with This will facilitate continued funding of the projects and effectively raise a substantial amount of capital. In fairness, it must be speci ed the home buyers who have yet to complete the nancial obligations should pay the amount that the parties originally agreed to with consideration to current in ation and devaluation rate. Possible way... CONT`D of the outstanding non-performing contracts from vendors, e.g. Yebel and other construction companies. This proposal effectively gives all parties the opportunity to fulfill their contractual expectations. Since the home buyers are given a stake in the company, it gives them a significant interest in keeping the company solvent and to continue with the projects responsibly, by making decisions that represent their interests. Home buyer committee/association Part two of the plan has also been designed to ensure the interests of the individual home buyers are addressed as fairly as practicable. Its features include the following: 1. Transference of land titles to individual committees; 2. Recognition of property rights to each individual who has met his contractual obligations; 3. Opportunities for home buyers to complete their financial obligations in order to receive the benefits of this plan; 4 Recognition of currency devaluation and inflation rates. The second part of the plan involves the government allowing or encouraging home buyers to create associations with legal personalities. The title to each of the land sites will be transferred to the members of each of the associations, in order to recognize property rights for homebuyers with contracts. Individual home owners receive their property rights upon completing their financial obligations required by the contract. By only recognizing home buyers who have fully completed their financial obligation, home buyers are incentivized to provide funds to allow CONT`D FROM PAGE 20 adverse effects on final demand and, more important, on the resources that individuals and families have to invest in their own human capital. In short, a reasonably comprehensive strategy for restoring country-level and global growth would include measures to elevate and remove obstacles to public and private investment, thereby contributing to aggregate demand. It would also include a variety of reforms to strengthen private investment incentives. And it would include an inclusiveness agenda directed at structural disequilibrium in labor markets and potentially destructive income inequality. Thus far, with few exceptions, such comprehensive growth strategies have been missing. If those strategies were not just implemented, but also synchronized across major economies, each would be amplified through positive international spillovers via trade a FROM PAGE 21 ARE to continue operations. In furtherance of greater equity to all home buyers, we recognize many of the investing home buyers have completed their financial obligation, while a number of the home buyers have only partially completed their financial obligation. This plan allows those who have yet to complete their financial obligation the opportunity to do so, in order to receive this plan s benefits. While substantially decreasing the amount of debt owed to the home buyers involved by converting the debt into the equity provided to the associations, this plan incentivizes all home buyers to complete their financial obligations. This will facilitate continued funding of the projects and effectively raise a substantial amount of capital. In fairness, it must be specified the home buyers who have yet to complete the financial obligations should pay the amount that the parties originally agreed to with consideration to current inflation and devaluation rate. By implementing the debt-to-equity swap and by recognizing the home buyer s property interest, the government could finally put ARE on the right track. Ed. s Note: This article was contributed to The Reporter from the US committee of Access Real Estate Home Buyers, formed in response to the grave concern that home buyers expressed in the initial meetings held in the United States. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Reporter. The authors can be reached at usaaccessrealestatecustomersin@yahoo. com. clear role for the G-20. In the absence of such an approach, one can foresee an extended period of low and fragile growth, at best, with downside risks stemming from increased leverage in a prolonged low-interest-rate and deflationary environment. A worse outcome and all too plausible is further deterioration in the political and social cohesion that forms the foundation for vigorous policy responses. At that point, stagnation becomes a trap. Ed. s Note: Michael Spence, a Nobel laureate in economics, is Professor of Economics at NYU s Stern School of Business, Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. The article was provided to The Reporter by Project Syndicate: the world s pre-eminent source of original op-ed commentaries. Project Syndicate provides incisive perspectives on our changing world by those who are shaping its politics, economics, science, and culture. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Reporter.

30 30 Ethiopian hip-hop... CONT`D FROM PAGE 23 who struggled for more than ten years, he says that he had to re-think hip-hop. Releasing a successful album entitled Zare Yihun Nege he says that he has brought radical change in his music. He completely changed the content of the lyrics and sang in Amharic to add Ethiopian color to it. He says that he had to take some time to study and analyze what went wrong. It took him three years and it finally paid off as it became a commercially successful album. He says that he was able to show a glimpse of what hip-hop can be by breaking the stereotypes. Hip-hop is being negatively overshadowed and he thinks there is a long way to go in changing the misconception. He strongly believes that Ethiopian hip-hop artists have to adopt hip-hop and Ethiopianize it. This includes translating the name, hip-hop, into Amharic. It will not be easy to take away the negative image of hiphop that is engraved among the society so we have to do everything to change that, Lij Michael says. Even though his album turned out to be successful he had a hard time finding sponsors. No one wants to listen to you if you mention the name hip-hop. So it was difficult to find sponsors, Lij Michael says. He received numerous invitations after the release of his album and he believes that he has paved a way for upcoming artistes. Now the next step he advises hip-hop artistes is to include Ethiopian color in rap. We saw how mimicking mainstream hip-hop damaged us. Now we should look for new ways to make people listen to us. We have to bring socially relevant issues and penetrate the market, Lij Michael says. Lij Michael s single Zemenay Marye is nowadays being played in bars and public transportation. If one goes to You Tube one might encounter a good number of rap music in Amharic with a few in Tigrigna and Oromiffa. One of the highly viewed song is Walia by Woah featuring Jukebox The Illustrious. Following the hype created after Ethiopia qualified for the African Cup of Nations they did a song entitled Walia. The feedback was overwhelming for both artists. Incorporating the traditional instrument masinko, Walia was a new flavor in Ethiopian hip-hop. The success of their single Walia was a motivation for Woah. His introduction to hip-hop was with a few tape cassettes and VCR player. He listened to and watched music videos of Tupac, B.I.G. and P-Diddy to mention some. The coming of computers introduced him to a beat making software. For him the beat making software was a great invention. In time, he started making beats and drum sequences. However, he did not make a profession out of it until recently. A graphic designer by profession, Woah released a digital album entitled Et The Experience in English in the US with Jukebox but he considers it a waste. It is important because it is a work of art. We did not have a strategy on how to promote it so many people did not listen to his work, Woah says. Jukebox says that they chose English because it will enable them to get a wider international audience. After analyzing their journey he now understands that being acknowledged by the society is important. People want to be addressed in their own native tongue even if they understand English. Now I understand the importance of singing in Amharic, Jukebox says. Though they have been recording music for a while, Woah and Jukebox started performing recently. Now they are trying to re-introduce hip-hop music which they say is far from violence and they both believe people will embrace hip-hop. They also focus on socially relevant message and presentation. Chanting is repetitive; so we are trying to introduce melody, Woah says. Now they are getting a wider audience and are invited to various venues such as Ghion Hotel to perform. Looking at the current phenomena, Jukebox says that the struggle is inevitable where genres such as reggae passed the same through the same path to be recognized. Still the music market is hesitant about hip-hop but with Lij Michael seems to have changed this. One of the hip-hop music producers, Jolox, believes that it is deliberately done to shun out hip-hop music. Inspired by his producer uncle, he started producing at an early age after watching a Dr. Dre interview entitled Do s and Don ts. He started making his own beats at home. Growing up in Addis and the United States he started selling his beats on the streets. In Ethiopia he realized that his passion for hip hop was not shared by many and market was a dead end. So he shifted to producing reggae music for artistes including international reggae star, Gentleman. According to Jolox, upcoming artistes have to struggle to finance their own albums, produce and distribute them. He thinks that people in the industry are conspiring against hip-hop. It is inevitable that hip-hop is the future so as much as they can they want to protect the market, Jolox says. The proof for him is how Lij Michael became commercially successful. He says that there are many talented hiphop artists who could not release their album because of the inaccessibility of the market. He stored many albums which are waiting to be released. Establishing a hip-hop group called Jungle Crew they organize concerts and stage performances. He says the assemblage is high and that shows him how hip-hop is loved. However, the difficult part is that there is no money involved in it. They are waiting for the Ethiopian music industry to be favorable for hip-hop and says that there will come artistes who will change the music industry.

31 31 Somaliland... CONT`D FROM PAGE 3 self-determination since what they are asking is to leave the union that they have entered willfully. We were an independent state when we forged the union and all we want to do now is leave this union, Shire said. Furthermore, the minister also argued that the strength of his country s case is much re-enforced when one looks into the fact that the quest for independence is a popular quest of the Somaliland people. It is not a decision passed by politicians; rather it is decision that was reasserted by the people in the reconciliation conference of Burao in 1991 and again in the referendum on the country s constitution, he argued further. Apart from that, the massacre that Somaliland people suffered under the Somali central government especially towards the last decade of the 40 years old union is another strong ground for Somaliland to be a sovereign state. Shire is careful to assert that Somaliland is a not a region that want to secede from a country; rather a country that wants to leave a union which it has opted to join voluntarily. According to legal experts The Reporter talked to the case of Somaliland could well qualify to be one of the unique cases in the ICJ. For one, the court entertains requests coming from territories which have a state capacity. Hence, he argued that accepted and entertained the matter by itself be construed as a positive signal for the Somaliland s recognition. He further remembers the case of Northern Rhodesia where the ICJ rejected the case for it was not recognized as a state and the precedent set by that decision. Shire also argues that the case of Somaliland is going to be a unique case and studies have been conducted pointing to that direction. Nevertheless, another most important factor that would enhance the legality of the Somaliland s request for recognition, according to Shire, is the fact that it has fulfilled all the necessary requirement of sovereign statehood as proclaimed by the Montevideo Convention signed in 1933 in Uruguay which defined the rights and definition of a state. Nevertheless, the legal avenue was not priority number one for Somaliland to gain its recognition. It has tried various ways and exerting its soft power in it strategic partners. Apart from that, they have also tried to engage their neighbors to the south Somalia in hope of achieving a negotiated separation. Formal talks between Somaliland and Somalia finally kicked-off 2012 in London. The talked went on for nine rounds until it finally failed due to alleged lack of commitment by the Somali side, which Shire said was reflected by the composition of his delegates who come to the meetings. They [the Somalis] chose to send Somalilanders who are living in Somalia to talk to our delegates; that defeated the whole purpose of Somaliland-Somali talks, Shire explained. Directive targets... CONT`D On the grand scheme of the matter, the directive is more concerned about ensuring the right level of foreign currency assets that any bank is holding at a certain time. NBE has a clear directive when it comes to the foreign currency asset that banks can hold at any given time: 15 percent of the overall capital of the bank. This in effect entails that banks could not hold forex that is more than 15 percent of their capital base as much as they cannot have foreign currency deficit which is more than 15 percent of the capital. Sometimes, looking at their projected cash flow, banks would accept and process forex requests by customers mostly in the form of Letter of Credit (LC) although they don t have the foreign currency at the time of approval of the currency request, he explains. However, rarely could there be mis-match and since LC are payable obligations to the banks within 90 days at most, some banks might find themselves in a position of being unable to settle their obligations. The draft directive states that the board of directors of the bank is the primary organ tasked with monitoring the foreign exchange level of the bank and whether it is within the declared healthy levels. On top of that, the board is also expected to devise detailed forex Delonex Energy... development of hydrocarbons for the benefit of host nations. AU endorses... CONT`D following the death of the former PM Meles Zenawi. As a foreign minister, he chaired the AU executive council in He also chaired a ministerial contact group on ICC that fought for the deferral of cases of President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, and achieved withdrawal of President Kenyatta s case and procedural amendment of the Rome Statute, according to information obtained from the foreign ministry. In September 2015, he was elected again as chair of the Open-ended Ministerial Committee on ICC and co-chair of the Third Financing for Development meeitng. Tedros holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Community Health from the University of Nottingham in He obtained a Master of Science in Immunology of Infectious Diseases from the University of London in 1992 and completed his undergraduate studies in Biology at Asmara University in trade and transaction guidelines for the bank it is leading and oversee its implementation. Apart from the board of directors, the executive management team is also another entity tasked to monitor the transparency of the forex trade which is conducted in its bank. In fact, the executive is tasked with the responsibility of following up the dayto-day foreign exchange exposure of the bank. An internal audit body is also tasked to closely monitor the implementation of guidelines and other NBE rules and regulations relevant to foreign exchange trade. According to the directive, the audit body will be making surprise visits to the bank and its branches to monitor the level of transparency in the forex transaction. Audit body is further required by the directive to report to both bank s board and NBE s Foreign Exchange Monitoring and Reserve Management Directorate. The directive also strictly prohibits the practice of rewarding exporter clients by allocating large sum of forex for imports. The industry player confirms that exports command a greater market power among banks since they had brought hard currency proceedings to CONT`D FROM PAGE 4 Rahul Dhir, CEO of Delonex Energy, previously said his company had designed a comprehensive exploration programme leveraging best-in-class technology, to test the oil and gas potential in the Ogaden basin. We will work closely with the Ethiopian government and local communities, to ensure this work programme is implemented rapidly and in line with the highest standards of Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance. Delonex Energy was established in 2013 with an investment capital of 600 million dollars led by Warburg Pincus, a renowned global private equity firm based in New York, and the IFC, a member of the World Bank Group. Delonex energy is headquartered in London, with subsidiaries in UK, India and Kenya. In 2013 IFC, the investment arm of the World Bank Group, provided Delonex Energy 60 million dollars in equity finance to fund the company s oil and gas exploration in East and Central Africa. IFC believes that the identification and development of local sources of energy has the potential to support more competitive downstream industries and offset the high cost of imported fuels in the region. Currently, petroleum companies including Poly GCL, New Age, and South West Energy are prospecting for oil and gas in the Ogaden basin. Africa Oil, Genel Energy and East Explorations have working interests in some concessions. FROM PAGE 4 FROM PAGE 4 the bank. Hence, at times, he says, they might request sums almost equivalent to what they have brought in as foreign currency. Sadly, most banks don t have the opportunity to say no since the exporter would immediately go to the bank s competitors and get the service, he elaborated further. However, NBE s rule about foreign currency retention of exporters is quite clear in all senses, he says. The exports would not be allowed to utilize more than 10 percent of the export proceedings. But, the standard practice says otherwise, the bank professional argues. Exporters always get what they want. On the other hand, the banker also argues that there are far bigger damages that are caused by the forex trade system. He says that access to forex is encouraging exporters to get involved in the import business as well. For one, the profit or loss from the export sector is hardly any concern to these exports since they can more than compensate the loss in exports by the gains in profit from imports. This is severely hurting the value of exports because the exporters would not invest in the export business as long as they have the imports. New TV channel... CONT`D FROM PAGE 5 Zeresenay stressed that the satellite TV acquired foreign contents which will be dubbed in Amharic for transmissions via Nilesat on frequency. Currently, the channel plans to broadcast 30 percent local and 70 percent foreign contents. BeMedia, owned by Zeresenay, acts as an exclusive partner and provides localized contents for Kana TV. The six studios are built with scrap and used materials while idealizing aesthetic values. In addition, the new TV channel has trained fresh and young graduates in areas like translating content for TV, sound and sound directing, acting and the like. Additionally, some 47 actors all having a degree in theatrical arts out of a total staff of 92 have joined Kana. Four entrepreneurs, including Addis Alemayehou, managing partner of 251 Communications and Nazrawi Ghebreselasie also own stakes in Kana TV venturing with investors at the Dubai-based Moby Group. According to the study the founders have conducted, nine in every ten urban dwellers in Ethiopia have TV sets million rural and urban communities have weekly satellite views. Hence, Kana and other newcomers are believed to have ample opportunities for getting wider audience. To make things more pleasant for satellite TV channels, three million internet users are also considered as prospective viewers. There are some six TV channels in the making to launch broadcasts via satellite. The newly-publicized Nahoo, Fana, Oromia Broadcasting Service (OBS) and One Love are treading to be part of the Ethiopian broadcast industry.

32 32 ICAO president... CONT`D FROM PAGE 5...the current earthquake would serve as a wakeup call for the government and builders alike on the importance of strictly enforcing building standards in earthquake affected ones across the country. Series of earthquakes... CONT`D FROM PAGE 5 terminal expansion, the planned new international airport and other regional airport development projects. Aliu expressed ICAO s firm commitment to provide technical assistance to both ECAA and EAE. The delegation also visited the headquarters of Ethiopian Airlines. Executives of Ethiopian Airlines gave a briefing about Ethiopian Airlines development strategy. The delegation visited the maintenance facility and Aviation Academy. As part of his visit to Ethiopia, Aliu visited the rockhewn churches of Lalibela in northern Ethiopia. of international airlines that have shown interest in buying stake in RwandAir. After talking to a number of international airlines the management board of RwandAir has selected Ethiopian to be a strategic partner. Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Tewolde Gebremariam told The Reporter that two weeks ago a Rwandese delegation led by John Mirenge, CEO of RwandAir, came to the headquarters of Ethiopian in Addis Ababa and informed the management of Ethiopian of its decision. They told us that they had selected Ethiopian as a strategic partner. They gave us a letter, Tewolde said. The Rwandese delegation includes the deputy CEO and chief operating officer of RwandAir, Jean-Paul Nyirubutama, and Girma Wake, board chairman of RwandAir and advisor of the Rwandese Transport Minister. John Merenge told The Reporter that Ethiopian Airlines is a very good partner of RwandAir. They maintain our B737 and Q400 fleet. They support Officials of ICAO visiting the Bole International Airport Terminal Expansion Project ICAO s delegation met with Workneh Gebeyehu, the minister of Transport, in his office on Friday afternoon. Aliu and Workneh discussed the role Ethiopia is playing in ensuring aviation safety in the region. Workneh told the delegation that the government of Ethiopia is striving to transform the air transport sector in Ethiopia. He mentioned how Ethiopian Airlines is integrating African countries and the various airport development projects being undertaken by EAE. Aliu expressed his delight with the aviation facilities he visited at ECAA, EAE and Ethiopian Airlines. He us training crew and technicians. They also support us in management areas. When we ask them to cooperate in these areas they are very happy to assist us. If you talk about real south-south cooperation among airlines Ethiopian is a true and living example what a big airline can do to a young airline, John said. According to Tewolde, the management of Ethiopian and RwandAir held their first round of meeting in Addis Ababa. We will have a series of meetings and negotiations on the details, he told The Reporter. Ethiopian and Rwandese Ministry of Transport will sign the partnership agreement in the coming few months. RwandAir would be the third African airline to partner with Ethiopian following ASKY and Malawi Airlines. And Kigali will be Ethiopian fourth hub after Addis Ababa, Lome and Lilongwe. As part of the 15 year development road map Vision 2025 Ethiopian is implementing a multi hub strategy in Africa. assured Workneh that ICAO will assist Ethiopia s effort in developing air transport in Ethiopia and in Africa in general. Aliu stressed the need to improve aviation safety in Africa. Aliu is a Nigerian citizen elected by the ICAO Council as president of ICAO in November 2013 at the headquarters of the organization in Montreal, Canada. ICAO is a United Nations body that governs the global aviation industry. Ethiopia is one of the 52 countries that established the organization in 1944 in Chicago, US. RwandAir selects... CONT`D FROM PAGE 1 Based in Kigali RwandAir is a fast growing airline in East Africa. Rwandair was established in its present form in It existed before as RwandAir Express which was semigovernmental. With only one wet-leased twin otter aircraft Rwandair Express was a small airline. The Rwandese government started RwandAir in 2009 as the sole proprietor and started investing in the airline buying new fleet, and expanding its route structure. Instead of investing at one go in the airline, the government is giving the company financial support yearly to upgrade its fleet and to expand facilities at its hub in Kigali. RwandAir is serving 16 domestic and international destinations with eight aircraft. Rwanda is one of the fastest growing economies in Africa. As the country is land-locked the government is paying due attention to air transport development. President Paul Kagame s administration is lauded for transforming the tourism, air transport and ICT sectors. The government is now trying to make Kigali a regional hub. were on their way to Addis Ababa after the University announced temporary suspension of regular classes, have died yesterday after their Toyota Vitz automobile collided with an Isuzu FSR truck on the bridge near Koka town, some 100km south of Addis Ababa. Meanwhile, in relation to the Hawassa earthquake and reports of cracks which appeared on the university building and some condominium houses in the town, concerns are being raised regarding the quality and standards of construction in Hawassa and around the country. According to experts, the current earthquake would serve as a wakeup call for the government and builders alike on the importance of strictly enforcing building standards in earthquake affected zones across the country. A Structural Engineer and Manager of Pelda Consult PLC, Dawit Tamerat, told The Reporter that the country has its own building codes and standards along with the legislation that governs it. However, when it comes to ground acceleration or the peak ground acceleration (the amplitude of the largest absolute acceleration recorded on an accelerogram at a site during a particular earthquake) that is taken into account during constructions is uniform and agreeable among professionals. He further says that this is an issue that a number of conferences had deliberated on in past. For one, geophysicists are not comfortable with the ground accelerator number that Ethiopian engineers and architects employ; they say it is generally quite low. Nevertheless, the country is divided into four different zones based on tendency to be prone to earthquake, Dawit further explained. The most earthquake prone areas inside the rift valley system, which Hawassa is located, is under zone 4, which is also the highest in terms exposure to earthquake. As one moves away from rift valley the exposure to earthquake declines with zone 3, 2 and 1 becoming less prone in descending order. According to the same standards, for instance, in zone 4, which also includes Hawassa, the ground acceleration number that is used is 0.1; the highest number that is used in Ethiopia, he elaborated. But, geophysicists still argue that this number is not enough. Nevertheless, the new building code that is being drafted is expected to address this gap, Dawit said.

33 33 TOUCHBy Daniel Teshome Change and whatnot Change is one of those things that is most valued in society. The basic constitution of man, and probably his instinctively survivalist psyche, may have something to do with what seems to be the innate impulse to seek the betterment of life and the improvement of conditions or circumstances. Of course, the different individuals that constitute society s different sections desire different kinds of change and to differing degrees. A great philosopher started with this line of thinking once and he ended with these conclusions: There is logic in what people do in society; that is, there is logic beyond the mere facts that are the makings of history. This logic dictates that history is anything but the collection of haphazard occurrences, that there is indeed a direction in which society develops; there is a point where history starts and there is a point where history ends. History starts at the point where people start to become cognizant of their surroundings and start taking stock of their situation; for history to begin, the people need to have invented a systematic way of recording their accounts. In other words, history does not exist for the millions of societies that have no literary tradition, even if they may have traditions of oral history. (The philosopher says Africa has no history because African societies had yet to develop writing methods. Considering the facts were quite to the contrary, it is still unnecessary to make any refutation. The man s hint of racism is easily explained by the circumstances under which he lived; he must be excused for he lived in racist times.) The endpoint of history is the main purpose of society, the main reason for its existence, its raison d être. In simpler terms, the endpoint is the goal or objective of society. And this is determined by historical laws. Historical laws indicate a constant improvement in the productive capacities of society which in turn creates the possibility for a general improvement in living conditions for every member of society. In brief, social history, or history simply, is an immutable march of progress. We are not going to contest those conclusions one way or another except for the one contestation already made; and we are not going to reveal the name of the philosopher. It is not necessary to acquaint the reader with the philosopher s name and that is not necessarily because we despise the reader. Of course we despise the reader how could it be otherwise? But that is not the point here; we have another reason. The final words attributed to that philosopher as he lay in his deathbed were to the effect that even his brightest student failed to understand anything he had taught him. By the way, that bright student who his professor accused him of misunderstanding, ended up being misunderstood himself; in fact, he turned out to be the most misunderstood fellow in history. In the early 1990 s, Francis Fukuyama, a bureaucrat in the American State Department with too much time on his hands, published a book with a title he could not have made any more eschatological - The End of History and The Last Man. Francis Fukuyama explains, history marches towards a conclusion, but not necessarily in a progressive manner; as all major progress has been achieved at present (the 1990 s imagine), history has been concluded. Parenthetically, this man was a remarkable idiot who was a danger only to himself; that is why it is safe to name him, whereas the aforementioned, those we left unnamed, possessed such formidable intellect that their ideas still have the power to inspire both admiration and terror centuries after the individuals were buried deep under the frozen ground; we avoided naming them because we did not want, at least on this occasion, to unsettle or unseat anyone. Having said that, even the most mediocre minds can inspire terror, and they often do, but today s column is not about those guys with messianic complex - the carpenter s son who hated his father as much as he hated carpentry and all other work so much so that he kept insisting he was born to another man an out-of-town fellow while he made his living as a traveling salesman, or that merchant fellow who managed to prosper despite his illiteracy and innumeracy, a fact which proved to him and his friends that the divine indeed condescends to intervene in the affairs of nomads, and that he regulates their transactions. In any case, history continues to exist because the disputes and contradictions which are its essence continue to exist. Now, this is not to suggest that historic contradictions be eliminated & go and that historic inconsistencies be forcefully ironed out; we have learned, in a painful way we might add, to keep such suggestions to ourselves, well out of the sight of the good but not-sodiscerning people. We must, therefore, restrict ourselves to oversimplified generalizations. Here goes. Change is a sentiment common to all, change in status or social standing being the most visceral to most people. People want better things for themselves and their children. They want more things for themselves. Maybe those are not always better things, but they always desire more things for themselves and sometimes less things for others. (Things or provisions, we could use either.) Be that as it may, they want their children to lead better lives than the lives they themselves led. All of that is understandable. And in accordance to common practice, they seek to improve their children s lot by educating them and preparing them for the future. They do their best to bring them up the right way, so on and so forth. Even if it is never a guarantee, a good education goes a long way in opening the windows of opportunity for a child. That lack of guarantee is what we need to address. The simple fact is, people these days rarely qualify for jobs on the basis of their education or training; they qualify for jobs on the basis of the people they know, the people with whom they are drinking buddies, or the people with whom they are related, not to mention their tribe and ethnic group, or some other political consideration. Who would dare controvert this? In Ethiopia as in most African countries, excepting the technical fields which necessarily demand some proficiency, most positions are filled with less regard for abilities than personal relations. For instance, Ethiopia s top diplomat, that is, the minister for Foreign Affairs, has nothing to recommend him for that position. It is a political appointment and I understand that fully. And he does not seem to be doing too bad a job of keeping that office, however, I fail to see the logic in making a top diplomat out of a healthcare professional who never held a diplomatic post a day in his life. The man is qualified for something else. This is just one example, but the trend is becoming terrifying. And it is not just Ethiopia; other countries, especially those on the African continent, are the same way. And they wonder why they have too many problems! If we were to make demands upon their abilities, more than half of our current officials will be out of office; (By our, I mean to include other countries as well us Ethiopia.) In fact, with no set of useful skills, these people would have starved to death in the state of nature; natural selection would have weeded them out long ago, but they have others to work for them, so they survive. Would the often-quietsometimes-braying donkeys in most African legislatures have any purpose in the state of nature? Can they produce anything worthwhile? If the system under which they operate actually called forth only those individuals with ability, those legislative houses would have been emptied long ago. Even the House of Commons, everyone s favorite reality show from the United Kingdom, does nothing but dole out what it continually pilfers from the working people, without taking any part in producing any wealth. The heavily-taxed population of Britain produces the wealth that goes to feed members of parliament, the queen, her heirs, and more importantly, her dogs. Her dogs are better treated than the average Briton, I come to think of it. Such an idle group of people with no productive talent run nations and live on largesse extracted from those who create wealth for society. And tampering with these peoples privileges in any way always makes them pugilistic. Because peace is what they enjoy the most, they always avoid taking chances, hence their emphasis on personal relations when making appointments or making job offers. Less change, change as is commonly understood, is better for them. However, even they seek change in the ways they can make more out of nothing; they want, for example, continuous improvement in the methods of taxation so that they can extract more pennies from the people and buy more ponies for their phonies. Change that and everything changes. Ed. s Note: Daniel Teshome is a current affairs commentator for The Reporter. He can be reached at [email protected].

34 34 #REPORTERBOOK R Meme excitement over Eritrea marriage law story #MarryMoreThanOneWifee It was a hoax, like many others on the Internet in this digital media age, but nothing has ever been received with much verve by men all over the world than this piece of news. Various websites have reported that activists have posted a memo allegedly by the Government of Eritrea asking men to marry at least two wives due to acute shortage of men occasioned by casualties during the civil war with Ethiopia. No sooner had the social media corridors received this news had memes sprouted all over with some men clearly saying the Eritrean visa was a prerequisite. The satirical story, which has been shared across Africa, has upset Eritrean officials. Even a madman in Asmara would know that this story was not true, an Eritrean official told the BBC. The hoax was first published online on a Kenyan news site called Crazy Monday. It has been trending on Twitter in Nigeria, and other countries, for several days with people sharing links to the Eritrea s visa application documents. On the right Here are some of the memes that went viral. R streaming to everyone Facebook just flipped the switch on its live streaming feature in its ios app. The social network is expanding its live streaming capabilities to all of its ios users in the US. The company first began experimenting with live video last year but Thursday s update marks the first time Facebook has made the feature widely available. The new feature, which Facebook is calling Live, now appears in the update status menu next to the check-in pin that allows you to share your location. Live videos on Facebook work similarly to Periscope broadcasts: you can begin a live stream with a brief description, and once you re live, viewers can comment on streams in real time. When you re finished, you have the option to save the video and share it on your timeline. Additionally, you can subscribe to a person or Page s live videos so you can get a notification each time they start a new broadcast. Facebook s Vadim Lavrusik said the company is working to bring the features to Android users soon and the the rest of the world in the coming weeks. The company first began experimenting with live video in August, but the feature was limited to to people who use Mentions, Facebook s app for celebrities and other public figures. Facebook has been ramping up its video efforts over the last year, and bringing live streaming to everyone could help the social network see even more engagement with its video features. According to the company, users are already watching upwards of 3 billion videos a day a number that will likely only increase as the social network makes videos, including live streams, increasingly prominent on its app and website. (Mashable)

35 #REPORTERBOOK 35 R Social R media may disturb sleep in young adults Social media could be affecting the sleep of young adults, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine say that young adults who often use social media are more likely to suffer sleep disturbances than those who use social media less. According to the findings, doctors should ask young adults about their use of social media when treating sleep issues. This is one of the first pieces of evidence that social media use really can impact your sleep, said lead author Jessica C. Levenson, a postdoctoral researcher in Pittsburgh s Department of Psychiatry. And it uniquely examines the association between social media use and sleep among young adults who are, arguably, the first generation to grow up with social media. For the study, researchers gave questionnaires to 1,788 young adults aged 19 to 32 to find out how much they used social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapshot, Credit, Tumblr and others. What they found was that on average, participants used social media 61 minutes a day and visited various social media accounts 30 times per week. Thirty percent reported serious sleep disturbances. Those who checked social media more frequently were three times more likely to suffer disturbances. And those who spent the most time on social media were twice as likely to suffer disturbances. This may indicate that frequency of social media visits is a better predictor of sleep difficulty than overall time spent on social media, Levenson explained. If this is the case, then interventions that counter obsessive checking behavior may be most effective. (VOA) Snapchat may be changing the way you share live video and text messages #AbebeAthleteArtist Snapchat may soon be overhauling some of its fundamental features. New screenshots unearthed by some developers show a major redesign of Snapchat s chat screen, where users exchange text messages and live video. The new images suggest the company may be adding stickers as well as new way to connect with people with either voice or video calls. The new features, first described on a forum for Android developers, were apparently found when developers from Snapprefs, a project that develops Snapchat features for third-party software, were poking around in the code of Snapchat s Android app. They were later able to get the new features to appear long enough to test them out and take a few screenshots. First, the images show a redesigned look for Snapchat s chat screen, where users exchange text messages and live video. The new look shows a more intuitive way to share images from you camera roll chatting is the only section of the app where you can share images not taken from within Snapchat s app as well as the ability to initiate an audio or video call. Additionally, the smiley-face icon has apparently replaced the square yellow icon, which is the live video icon within Snapchat in the current version of the app. The screenshots also show an all-new stickers feature that allows users to exchange stickers similar to those in Facebook Messenger, Line and other chat apps. (Mashable) #BlindTrust

36 36 Grilled by the legislature By Yohannes Anberbir Public Accounts Affairs Standing Committee of the House of Peoples Representatives (HPR) jointly with the Office of the Federal Auditor General (OFAG) lambasted officials of the Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoMPNG) citing their failure in properly managing the mining sector. The standing committee summoned the minister, Tolosa Shagi, and other top officials of the ministry on January 27, 2016 to question what they have done so far in correcting an audit finding that exposed the ministry s maladministration and the huge sum of money the country is losing from the mining sector. The Minister Tolosa Shagi, however, did not show up saying that he is engaged in an urgent governmentrelated matter. He delegated his state minister Wakgari Furi (PhD) to take part in the meeting leading a group of high ranking officials. The standing committee commenced the meeting by throwing eight major questions focusing on what measures have been taken on the 2013/14 audit findings. According to the licensing procedure, the Council of Ministers should approve any large scale mining requests before the ministry provides the mining license. The auditor, however, identified three large scale mining licenses provided with no government approval documents; the standing committee said citing the audit finding and demanded clarification. The ministry has a responsibility of collecting royalty fee from licensed mining operators and it should channel Abiy then admitted to MPs that his ministry is concerned with the activities of some international organizations and mentioned the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) as one institution whose activities, especially regarding the gene bank that ILRI owns and operates in its compound located around Gurd Shola area, is a great source of worry for the government. We don t oversee ILRI; it is an international organization, Abiy told the members of the standing committee. However, he said that the gene bank that is developed by ILRI in its compound is probably one of the biggest in the world and the government should be well-informed about the kind of research that is going on there and if our indigenous resources are protected. However, in an response to The Reporter, IRLI s Director General, Jimmy Smith said ILRI is not aware of the issue. Furthermore, the minister disclosed to MPs that the special committee which was set up at his ministry s it to the respective Regional State where the resource is mined. However, the Oromia Regional State has lost 427 million birr during the 2013/14 fiscal year due to the ministry s reluctance, the audit finding revealed. Highlighting this from the audit report, the standing committee requested the officials whether it is collected or not. There is also illicit gold trade in the local market and smuggling which consequently impacted the volume of gold sold to the National Bank of Ethiopia, according to the finding. The state minister, Wakari Furi, who seemed to be unaware of the subject matter because he is a newcomer to the ministry allowed his directors in attendance to respond on their respective areas. But he was helpless, Science ministry... CONT`D proposal is finalizing a study on how ILRI undergoes proper oversight so the government can be sure that the nation s resources are duly protected and that Ethiopia s property right is not violated. This gene bank that ILRI has can even be considered as one of the top ten globally. We have very little knowledge about this huge facility and what is going on in there. Every types of the genetic resource we have are being studied and researched scientifically and after that we don t know what happens; they may leave the country, Abiy elaborated his concern. However, apart from Smith, ILRI s Head of Administration, Gail Amare, in a letter written to The Reporter said: The genetic resources in the ILRI gene bank are housed under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture to which Ethiopia is a contracting party and signatory through ratification. All distribution is done in line with the standard Material Transfer Agreement of the Treaty and approved by appropriate government bodies. Ambassador Mesfin Cherinet because all of his colloquies were incapable to convince the MPs and the audit team present in the meeting, including the Auditor General Gemechu Dubiso. All the officials were beating around the bush than giving a right answer to the questions and none of them addressed the 427 million birr revenue the Oromia Region has lost, Sefrash Berhane, an MP and a member of the standing committee, condemned. Adehane Hayle (PhD), also an MP and a member of the standing committee, was bold in questioning the officials. Are you confident to say you are leading the mining sector or not, he asked but didn t wait for their response, I don t think you are managing it? It On the other hand, Abiy also discussed the need to acquire proper property right documentations on some of our indigenous resources such as Enset (false banana), Tuhullo and the like. This is one of the areas where strategic intervention is required; we need to afford proper protection for these indigenous resources and in that regard there is still a lot to be done, Abiy opined. Meanwhile, the committee is also tasked with conducting detailed researches and study to identify Ethiopia s indigenous resources and genetic variety which needs to be protected. He also indicated that this week the committee is traveling to Geneva where it will negotiate on patent rights of resources that belong to Ethiopia. Beyond that, in his report presentation, Abiy has also discussed various activities his office has been undertaking in the first half of the fiscal year. Despite encouraging performances and better results in authentication, accreditations and well as registration of property rights, he is not only because of the audit finding but your response to our queries is a clear manifestation of how you are leading the sector, he sais attacking the officials. The mining sector would have a significant economic contribution if it is handled carefully; otherwise it a source of conflict and several African nations are evident to this, Adehane said. The General Auditor, Gemchu Dubiso got the floor to further elaborate the audit findings and other issues not included in the audit report. According to him, among the mining companies operating in Oromia 65 were investigated in relation to their responsibility of paying royalty fee and 28 were not paying at all while 25 companies were not paying on time. Beyond this the ministry didn t know the production quantity rather it took for granted their report. This means, large scale mining companies are stealing from the country, Gemechu vowed urging officials of the ministry to react for solutions. Ambassador Mesfin Cherinet, chairman of the standing committee, cautioned the officials to seriously consider the audit findings otherwise legal measures will follow. He also instructed them to prepare an action plan and submit it to the OFAG and the standing committee therefore both will strictly follow the ministry s measures. Wakari Furi said he is appointed as state minister only three months before and apologized for what happened and said that it is another chance for the ministry to correct the findings. FROM PAGE 1 also confessed that the very target that of the ministry that is implementing and utilizing science for the country s development and improvements of the society has been evaluated as almost failure. When we evaluate as a nation the contribution of science that it was supposed to help accelerate our economic development as well as shaping of our youth with better knowledge and scientific innovation, we still are far from the required result, he said. As part of the measures to address the critical issue of science and scientific knowledge, the ministry has already set plans to open its own broadcast media fully dedicated for science and technology. We have already identified the gaps and the major challenges, including the communication gaps and structural issues. By addressing all of these challenges, we are planning to open our own a 24 hours satellite program in two years, the minister told MPs.

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38 38 By Leyou Bits & Pieces A scary direction This week in the news the French justice minister, Christiane Taubira, resigned from the government because of she had a major political disagreement with President François Hollande and Prime Minister Manuel Valls. At the root of their disagreement is a constitutional amendment related to stripping French citizens who have dual nationality if they were convicted of terrorism. Taubira was vocal about how she felt this amendment is against the republican values of France. France is not the first country to be considering such legislations. In December Australia passed a law that just takes it a little further: revoke Australian nationals with dual citizenship who have been suspected or convicted of terror offenses. Mere suspicion of terrorism is enough to get one s nationality revoked. Canada has passed a similar law earlier in 2015, in addition to stripping dual citizens of Canadian citizenship, it allows for people who have gained Canadian nationality by immigrating to Canada. This means that these people can now become stateless. These laws automatically create second class citizenship. It creates a group of people who will never have their citizenship revoked, and those that can. If this is not a classic case of second class citizenship, I do not know what is. Nations and borders are man-made creations, and in order to be able to do the most menial tasks an identification documents is necessary. If one is deprived of a nationality then that person will face grave difficulties. Statelessness is a reality for over 10 million people, roughly the population of large metropolises. But coming back to the issue behind the revocation, how does it help fight terrorism? The basis is that those who have been found guilty of terrorism will no longer have those nationalities. The only thing it guarantees is that convicted terrorists will not have Canadian, French or Australian passports. What good does that do after the damage has been done? The West s constant process of othering those who are terrorists and absolutely overlook the impact that this process has had in creating this reaction is mind boggling. For example the UK has a program that tries to catch radicalization at an early age by targeting Muslim children in primary schools as young as 10 years old. What s next? Start from kindergarten? Revoking citizenship does not solve the problem at hand, it will not make these countries any less of a target than they previously were, nor would it make them safer. Europe is showing its true colors especially with the announcement of deportation this week. Germany is rejecting 65 percent of the 1.1 million refugees it took in 2015, Denmark over 60 thousand and a similarly high number in Sweden. It was not that long ago that ships filled with Europeans seeking refuge left Europe for a better life and to escape persecution. Selective amnesia? Terrorism threat is real, more real for some countries than others. However, who the terrorists are, where they get their money, what religion or nationality they are is not as easy as the West would like to think. If it were, we would have already gotten rid of it. I hope those in a position of power will have the maturity and wisdom to dig deeper and ask themselves how they are part of the problem and start the solution from there. Advertisment Ed. s Note: Leyou Tameru is a graduate of Georgetown and Addis Ababa University Law schools, specializing in International Legal Studies. Born and raised in Addis Ababa, she seeks to understand the impact of economic, political and social issues on everyday lives. She can be reached

39 LEISURE 39 Crossword ACROSS 1. Fired a projectile 5. Doctor of Dental Sciences 8. Sums 12. Wash 13. To the order of 15. Borscht vegetable 16. Ladd, actor 17. Annoyed 18. Napoleon s place of exile 19. Offered help 22. International Telephone and Telegraph 23. Decay 24. Bearing 26. Star Trek actor, Walter 29. Take It Easy musical group 31. Sphere 32. Bowel cleansing 36. Poet Ogden 38. Chew 40. Put away 41. Frequently 43. Young hoot bird 45. Mother sheep 46. Mother, nun 48. Concedes 50. Animal mammalia 51. Portuguese for saint 52. Annual Percentage Rate Kuncho Komments Hey Kuncho! What have you been up to these days? Well I embarked on a new personal development project. 54. Netted 61. Fastener in construction 63. Mistake 64. Flower container 65. Pleasant 66. Kind of tea 67. Produce 68. Born Free lioness 70. Health resorts DOWN 1. Eastern European 2. Angelic circle 3. Almost round 4. Condition 6. Levee 7. Fortune teller 8. Lincoln 9. Marked boundaries or intervals 10. Amount owed 13. Scarring 14. Fluid in tissue 20. No amount 21. Excavates 25. Members of the moose family 26. Macaroni & cheese brand 27. Gynecology Your Zodiacs (astrology-online.com) Well can you share what this project is about? Yes! My teacher told me that I should start doing physical activities. 28. Italian city 29. Not late 30. Puts away 31. Lennon s widow Yoko 33. Gullet 35. Mother sheep 37. Not there 39. Recreation time 42. Not far 44. Blue-green 47. Perpendicular 49. Units of bread 52. of Green Gables 53. Bucket 56. Annoys 57. Fowl 58. Ramp 59. United States Information Agency 60. Goes down 61. Actress Thompson That s really good. I am proud of you my son. Thanks dad! I now play football basketball and tennis on my ipad. Box US office 1 The Revenant 2 Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens 3 Ride Along 2 4 Dirty Grandpa 5 The Boy 6 The 5th Wave 7 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi 8 Daddy s Home 9 Norm of the North 10 The Big Short Aries Take a deep breath; there is going to be a chain of bad events soon enough. Who knows what it is about this time, but someone is going to get way too intense on you way too fast. It could be work, could be an old pal who wants that $25 they loaned you three years ago back and wants it back NOW. This is going to be a great time for you to use that diplomatic stile you possess. This week lucky numbers are: 11, 98, 3, 54, 83 Taurus Admit it - you ve been suffering someone s stupidity too long. It s time to have it out. Let your boss know that you really shouldn t be working together anymore since the voice telling you to kill him has turned it up a notch. If you happen to be one of those rare people with no one on your run over with a backhoe list, you should probably expand your horizons this week. This week lucky numbers are: 64, 62, 65, 21, 10 Gemini It s all about volume my ne feather friend. Talk in a whisper and no one will hear you. You are going to be your own judge, jury and executioner this week (and you always did look good in black) so stand up straight! Granted, some folks are going to not realize their transgression - so go easy on the few innocents, but splatter the blood of the unbelievers everywhere. Just wash up afterwards. This week lucky numbers are: 29, 41, 43, 86, 34 Cancer Ever been to a poetry slam? Do you know about how people stand up and scream about giving birth to a poem? Changing their world by forcing it on yours? Know how stupid they look and sound? (But for once and all - eye drops do not do a damn thing, and that s enough of that.) Use your wiles any way you can to get what you need. This week lucky numbers are: 32, 96, 40, 45, 14 Leo Been looking for an outlet lately? Pen and paper will do quite the trick. A ton of people think they aren t writers, but they ve never given it a shot. Everyone has a story to tell, and this is the time to gure out what yours is. Take the time to write something down and use the creative brain cell. Splurge on the extras this week - get a massage. I mean a serious full body massage. Thank me later. This week lucky numbers are: 31, 70, 36, 48, 53 Virgo There is a ne line between habit and rut. Comfort is cool, but busting out and shaking off the cobwebs has an appeal to it too. Hit a new club, talk to some new folks, kiss a stranger, whatever. If it doesn t work out, you can fall right back into what you were doing before, right? Your sign feels a strong desire to dance this week, don t ght it. Salsa, skank, tango, pogo, just makes sure you let that demon in your feet do the driving for at least a night. This week lucky numbers are: 28, 24, 14, 77, 66 Libra Paranoia is cool, but you don t wear it well. Yeah there are some things that have been kind of hanging on longer than you think they should - but let them go. If you really want to freak people out, it s by forgiving them for an old transgression. Keep a few spare bills back, eat some ramen and pocket the extra loot. You re going to need it for something else soon. This week lucky numbers are: 79, 25, 86, 36, 46 Scorpio Winter really suits you, eh? That little extra surge of energy with the season makes the standard winter annoyances almost worthwhile. Make sure you put it to some good use. Lord knows you ll hit a low some time soon - so if there s anything you can do to prepare, do it now. Heck, maybe it s time to start shopping for all that canned food and bottled water yr going to need when society collapses. Just a though. This week lucky numbers are: 33, 37, 71, 63, 91 Sagittarius OK, so you ve been playing by the rules more than you d like to lately. You don t necessarily want to rob, but you would like to cut a corner or two in a mental or physical sense. Go for it. Make your plan, think about the options, and pick a path. If you ve got the guts, then take a swing for the glory - it s a hell of a lot more fun than sitting around waiting for the winds of justice to turn in your favor... Collect all your debts you can this week. If you can t collect, forget about them. This week lucky numbers are: 68, 25, 3, 61, 47 Capricorn Staying in one place is fun, but it s time to see some new skylines. Even if you just drive one town over, it can t hurt. Even better, take this month to plan out some big trip... cross an ocean, jump the equator, whatever it takes. Sip coffee and watch the marketplace come alive in Marrakech? Now is the time. Listen to some new type of music this week, maybe hit up a friend to borrow some CD s or download a few illegal MP3 s off the net, whatever. This week lucky numbers are: 55, 40, 16, 51, 58 Aquarius This week is probably a good time for some relaxed introspection should be starting to take shape and you can make some informed decisions about what you want to happen in the next few months. It s all good this week, don t let on to others that you ve got it so good and it will all be good. This week lucky numbers are: 5, 69, 26, 9, 44 Pisces Hmmm... sniff, sniff you smell that? It smells suspiciously like a whiff of romance in the air. It might be one of those weeks when romance doesn t seem like the emotional slavery it often does? Smooch with impunity but keep it legal, romance in the air doesn t mean he/she won t press charges. Skip TV for a few days, it sure as hell can t hurt. This week lucky numbers are: 69, 77, 76, 87, 54 Can you spot the 12 differences between the two pictures? Solution Solution SPOT THE DIFFERENCES

40 40 GALLERY Damage assessment Early this week, Hawassa, one of the biggest cities in Ethiopia, was hit hard by a 4.3 magnitude earthquake with the initial shock responsible for most of the damages caused to the condominium houses and buildings in Hawassa University. Although not equal in magnitude to the one happened in Sunday, isolated shocks has reappeared across the week sending residents in to a state of trauma. Pictured below are cracks which have appeared in condominium houses, workshops and show rooms used by Small and Micro Enterprises (SMEs) due to the major shock that hit the town on Sunday. (Photo by Tamirat Getachew)

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42 42 By Dawit Tolesa THE REPORTER SPORT The 33th International Cross Country race is to be held in Addis Ababa on Sunday. 700 participants local and international are expected to take part in the race. Athletes representing sports clubs from Addis and other regional states, individuals and veteran athletes are also expected to take part. Athletes from China, Sudan, Kenya and Djibouti have also been invited for the event. The championship will feature two categories of in two different distances. There will be the six and eight kilometers race in both sexes for juniors and the six and eight kilometers race in both sexes for seniors. The winners of will be awarded with a cash prize. Executive secretary of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation (EAF) stated at a press conference that the EAF is working to develop the race to an international one. Imane Merga, who specializes in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters and won his first world title at the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, is expected to take part in the race. Similarly, Belaynesh Oljira, who competes mainly in the 10,000 meters and half marathon races and represented her country at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 2011, is also expected to feature in the senior s race. It can be recalled that Genet Yalew and the lesser-known Tamirat Tola won at the 32nd Jan Meda International Cross Country Championship which was held on February 1 last year. 12, The African Cross Country Championships is a regional cross country running competition for athletes from Africa. The competition had a one off edition in 1985 in Nairobi, Kenya, and the medalists were mostly from the host nation. The top six athletes will represent Ethiopia at the 4th African Cross Country Championship which will be hosted Yaoundé, Cameroon on March League to return on Monday Pack of athletes to take part in 33th Janmeda cross country race By Dawit Tolesa Following an announcement by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) that the IAAF World Cross Country Championships would change to a biennial format, the Confederation of African Athletics stated that the 2011 African Cross Country Championships would be held in Cape Town, South Africa, marking a pre-launch of the competition. The Ethiopian Premier League (EPL) action is set to return after a three-week break because of the 2016 CHAN tournament which is currently being hosted by Rwanda. The Ethiopian National Football Team a.k.a. the Walias returned back on Wednesday after a morale depleting campaign losing to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola and drawing with Cameroon. Now the Ethiopian Football Federation has announced that the EPL will resume with match week eight. Week eight of the EPL matches will be played starting February 1. Top placed Adama City will face Sidama City and league champions Saint George will play against Woliata Dicha. In the EPL standing Adama City is placed with 19 points while Saint George trail Adama with 16 points. Sidama Coffee are placed third with 12 points and Dedebit follow with 11. Electric 7, Hawasa City 6 and Hadiya Hossana both with 4 points are placed in the relegation zone. In week 8 EPL fixtures 1/2/2016 3:00 CBE vs. Hadiya Hossana 5:30 Electric vs. Hawassa City 2/2/2016 3:00 Dedebit vs. Dashen Beer 4:00 Ethiopia Coffee vs. Dashen Beer 11:30 Saint George vs. Woliata Dicha 3/2/2016 9:00 Adama City vs. Sidama Coffee 11:30 Defense vs. Dire Dawa City

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