Ethiopia, Djibouti Customs to Share Port Database

July 8, 2010 -- Revenue and Customs Authority of Ethiopia (RCuA) is going interface its database with Djibouti Customs Office, reports Capital. This is meant to better manage and control incoming and outgoing goods of the country, according to the news report.

The authority negotiated with their counterpart of Djibouti and reached an agreement to interface their database to supply detailed information about incoming and outgoing goods in Ethiopia, according to sources at the authority.

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Ethiopia Pledges Fair Use of Nile Waters

July 8, 2010 – Ethiopia has reassured Egypt that a new pact it signed with four other countries on the sharing of water from the River Nile will not harm Egypt, reports AFP.

Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda in May signed the Nile Basin Cooperative Framework meant to replace a 1959 accord between Egyptand Sudan that gives them control of more than 90 percent of the water flow.

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Agreement with ONLF Will Speed Development - Ethiopian Official

June 26, 2010 - The agreement reached by the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and the United Western Somali Liberation Front (UWSLF) to accept and operate under the national constitution would help speed up the on-going development in Somali State, says Abay Tsehaye, according ENA.

Abay Tsehaye, Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Prime Minister, said the decision made by the ONLF and UWSLF to renounce forceful means and pursue legal and peaceful path would help speed up development in the region.

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Ethiopia: German Company to Raise $120m for Wind Power

June 26, 2010 -- A German company, Deutsche Unternehmensfinanzierung, will raise USD 120 million for the financing of the Aysha wind farm project, reports Ethiopian Reporter. Citing company manager, Philipp Schuller, the report says the company will facilitate the financing of the pilot project of the wind farm project which will involve the installation of 60 wind turbines with an aggregate power production capacity of 60MW.

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France Grants Ethiopia 5.4 Million Euros to Manage Waste

June 25, 2010 -- Ethiopia and the French Development Agency (AFD) signed here on Friday a 5.4 Million Euros grant agreement in support of solid waste management system in Addis Ababa, reports ENA.

The agreement would also help modernize the Addis Ababa Sanitation Management System.

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ONLF Faction to Lay Down Arms

June 24, 2010 – A faction of ONLF, Ethiopia's most active rebel groups seeking a separate state in the west of the country, has agreed to lay down its arms, a government minister said Thursday, according to AFP.

The faction of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), which is seeking independence for the Ogaden territory, reached the deal in talks in Germany, officials said.

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Ethiopian Diaspora Business Forum to be held in Washington DC

June 24, 2010 - The Ethiopian American in association with USAID VEGA AGOA Plus announced today that the 5th Ethiopian Diaspora business forum and exhibition will be held on July 10 and 11, 2010 in Washington DC, according to WIC.

In a press release, the Ethiopian American LLC disclosed the forum and exhibition is designed to building and expand a lasting business and trade links between indigenous Ethiopian and Diaspora businesses.

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Experts Recommend Wind Power to Meet Ethiopia's Energy Needs

June 23, 2010 -- Electricity supply will have to increase by 38 fold in order to satisfy the growing demand of energy by 2030 and support country’s economic growth, according to energy experts, reports Capital.

Financial institutions like World Bank and IMF have indicated Ethiopia is among the five nations of the world that have shown rapid economic growth over the past five years. Public-Private Partnership (PPP) manager and coordinator from GTZ side Sebastian Herzig said Ethiopia’s economy is growing, depending on various indicators, between eight and 10 percent.

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Medrek plans to go to the Cassation Bench

June 23, 2010 -- Medrek’s Executive Committee has decided to go to the Cassation Bench following the Federal Supreme Court’s rejection of their request for election rerun, reports Capital. The court rejected their appeal prompting the leaders of the eight party coalition to gather and discuss their next step, Negasso Gidada (PhD), Medrek spokesman told Capital.

The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) had a duty to verify and take legal action when it received information regarding errors and irregularities in the election process, Negasso said.

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EPRDF Will Make Utmost Effort to Discharge Responsibilities - Meles

June 22, 2010 - Celebrating Tigray Martyrs' Day in Mekelle, PM Meles Zenawi said EPRDF and the government will exert utmost efforts to discharge responsibilities vested by the public at the 4th national elections during the coming five years, reports ENA.

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NBE to Issue Directive Aimed at Controlling Influence

June 22, 2010 -- The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) is set to introduce directive to control the incluence of powerful people on banks and insurances companies, according to Capital report.

The new document called “Fit and Proper” that has been sent out to all banks and insurance companies for comment, according to the report.

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Ethiopia losing 300MW of power due to leakage

June 22, 2010 -- State-owned Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo) is losing close to 300 megawatts of its annual production due to technical problems, reports Capital. Aged transmission lines and lack of controlling transformers in close distances are some of the causes identified, according to the study.

Leakage of powers during distribution is unavoidable, but Ethiopia’s situation is worse than usual, said an expert in the field adding leakage has been increasing and is an issue of concern to the corporation.

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Ethiopian Parliamentary Delegation Visits China

June 21, 2010 -- China's top legislator, Wu Bangguo, met Monday with a delegation from the Ethiopian House of Federation, reports Xinhua.

Meeting with the delation led by Speaker Degefi Bula, Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), described bilateral ties as an example of friendship between China and African countries.

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NEBE Announces EPRDF Won the 4th Ethiopian National Elections

June 21, 2010 - In an official announcement, the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) disclosed that the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) had won the election, getting 499 of the 547 federal parliamentary seats, reports ENA.

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Ethiopia: Scientists Discovered Lucy's Great Ancestor in Afar

June 21, 2010 -- The Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage announced that it has discovered a 3.6 million-year-old partial skeleton of "Lucy"s species (Australopithecus afarensis) in Afar State, in north eastern Ethiopia, reports ENA. Lucy was 3.2 million years old.

Public Relation and International Relation Director with the Authority, Wolde Darsema told ENA that the newly discovered human Skelton is older than that of Lucy by 400,000 years. Lucy was 3.2 Million years old.

Read More: Ethiopia: Scientists Discovered Lucy's Great Ancestor in Afar

Nile Basin Countries to Meet in Ethiopia Next Week

June 20, 2010 — Water Ministers from nine member states of the Nile Basin are scheduled to meet in Addis Ababa next week to hold the 18th regular meeting of Council of Ministers of Water Affairs, reports Sudan Tribune.

Ethiopia Ministry of Water Resources said the ministerial meeting will hear performance report of last fiscal year as well as approve plan and budget for the year 2010/2011.

Read More: Nile Basin Countries to Meet in Ethiopia Next Week

Kenyan, Ethiopian Win Marathon in Minnesota

June 20, 2010 — Runners from Kenya and Ethiopia won the Grandma's Marathon today.

Philemon Kemboi of Kenya won in 2 hours, 15 minutes, 44 seconds, while Buzenesh Deba of Ethiopia finished with a personal-best time of 2:31:35 in the women's event.

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Addis Ababa: ECA Former Officials Allegedly Involved in Extensive Corruption

June 19, 2010 — Former ECA officials are allegedly involved in extensive corruption involving kickbacks and visa manupilations, according to AP report

The United Nations compound of high-rise buildings, green lawns and white SUVs has been an engine of prosperity not only for Africa's diplomatic capital but also for two senior managers, an internal U.N. report found, the AP report says.

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ECX, CQX to Issue Certificate of Quality to Ethiopian Coffee Exporters

June 19, 2010 - The Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) and an American Coffee Bean Company known as C.Q. signed agreement providing the latter mandate to issue certification of quality to coffee products, reports ENA.

The agreement would enable local coffee traders to sell high quality coffee in international markets without any problem, said Ethiopian Commodity Exchange Manager, Eleni Gebre-medhin while signing the agreement.

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Ethiopia: Medrek Considering Public Demonstration

June 17, 2010 -- Opposition group Medrek is contemplating public demonstration to protest last month’s election it said was rigged by the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), Capital reports.

In results released by the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), Medrek, which fielded the second highest number of candidates after the ruling party for, won only a single seat in Addis Ababa, Woreda Six.

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IMF Approves US$58.7m Payment to Ethiopia

June 11, 2010 -- The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved today the first review of Ethiopia’s economic performance under the 14-month arrangement under the high-access component of the Exogenous Shocks Facility (ESF). The Executive Board decision was taken on a lapse of time basis¹. The approval will enable Ethiopia to draw SDR 40.11 million (about US$58.7 million), bringing total disbursements under the arrangement to SDR 113.65 million (about US$166.2 million).

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Ethiopian Oil Consumption Increasing Steadily

June 14, 2010 - Ethiopia’s oil consumption has been increasing from year to year because of the rapid economic growth being registered in the country, the Ethiopian Petroleum Enterprise said, according to ENA.

Public Relation Officer with the Enterprise, Damenu Kebret told ENA on Monday that 195 fuel tanker trucks enter the country daily carrying 45,000 liters oil each, purchased at a cost of 16.4 billion birr.

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Ethiopia Hosting International Film Festival

June 15, 2010 -- Ethiopia will play host to an international film festival, the first of its kind to be staged in East Africa, reports Indian Television. The festival, scheduled to take place in Addis Ababa from 14 to 19 June will feature 100 short from from various countries.

The five-day event will be inaugurated by President Girma Woldegiorgisse.

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Ethiopian plane makes emergency landing in Beirut

June 17, 2010 — An Ethiopian Airlines plane makes emergency landing in Lebanon after takeoff early on Thursday when crew noticed a door was rattling, AFP reports.

"The door had not been closed properly and some five minutes after takeoff, the pilot was able to return and land in Beirut safely and without having to signal an emergency," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

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Ethiopia, World Bank Sign $100m Loan Agreement

June 4, 2010 - Ethiopia and the World Bank signed on Thursday a 100 million US dollar loan agreement, reports ENA. According to the agreement, Ethiopia will be able to fill its financial
shortfall in completing various road projects.

Finance and Economic Development State Minister, Ahmed Shide and World Bank Director for Ethiopia and the Sudan, Kenichi Ohashi signed the accord here on the premise of the ministry.

Read more: Ethiopia, World Bank Sign $100m Loan Agreement

American Collector Returns Ancient Prayer Book to Ethiopia

June 3, 2010 – A century-old Ethiopian prayer book stolen decades ago was returned to the African nation late Wednesday after the American collector who held it agreed to the restitution, reports AFP.

The precious relic is a psalter written in the liturgical Geez language and illuminated with bright and colourful pictures of saints that belonged to Emperor Menelik, who ruled the country from 1889 to 1913.

Experts say it disappeared three decades ago and was only located recently by Steve Delamarter, a visiting American scholar who made contact with several collectors of Ethiopian items in the United States.

"Gerald Weiner is the largest collector of Ethiopian antiquities in north America. I went to him and said they belonged to Ethiopia," said Steve Delamarter, professor of Old Testament at US-based George Fox University.

"To my surprise, he thought it was a good idea and decided to act in good will," he said, before handing the relic to Addis Ababa University officials at a ceremony late Wednesday.

Read More Here: American Collector Returns Ancient Prayer Book to Ethiopia