1

Ambasciata d’Italia ad Addis Abeba

SERVIZIO NEWS

19.03.2015

2

Contents

Ethiopia

Padiglione Italiano Alle Prossime Fiere Agrex E Hotelshow Di Addis Abeba ................................3

Egyptian President To Visit Ethiopia To Press For Changes In Proposed Dam Agreement:

Report.........................................................................................................................................4

Istanbul To Host The 2nd Ethio-Turkey Business And Investment Summit .................................5

Ethiopia: Fincha Resumes Production After Fire Accident .............................................................6

Ethiopia: Noc To Build Oil Refinery For 5 Billion Usd......................................................................7

Ethiopia Sets Up Environmental, Forestry Research Institute ......................................................8

Dubai Municipality Discusses Cooperation With Consul General Of Ethiopia...............................9

Ethiopia: Alle To Open Five Stores In April .................................................................................. 10

SOUTH SUDAN

South Sudan President Downplays Threat Of Un Sanctions ....................................................... 11

DJIBOUTI

Simplifier La Procedure De Delivrance Du Permis De Construire ............................................... 13

EVENTS

Concorso Equestre – Domenica 22 Marzo Nel Compound dell’Ambasciata Italiana ................. 14

Per seguire tutte le nostre attività in tempo reale cliccate sul nostro account twitter: https://twitter.com/ItalyinEthiopia

Per maggiori informazioni sui mercati cliccare su: http://www.infomercatiesteri.it/index.php

3

ETHIOPIA

PADIGLIONE ITALIANO ALLE PROSSIME FIERE AGREX E HOTELSHOW DI ADDIS

ABEBA

4

EGYPTIA N PRESIDENT TO VISIT ETHIOPIA TO PRESS FOR CHANGES IN

PROPOSED DAM AGREEMENT: REPORT

The Egyptian president

Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will

travel to Addis Ababa on

Monday for talks with

Prime Minister Hailemariam

Desalegn on the Grand

Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

(GERD), a newspaper

reported today.

(19.03.2015 – Sudan

Tribune)

The Cairo-based al-Masry al-

Youm newspaper said that el-

Sisi aims to resolve

disagreements over GERD and

to seek amendments to a

framework agreement that was

supposed to be signed in

Khartoum on the same day.

Among the changes proposed

are inclusion of clauses that

guarantee Egypt’s historical

rights in the Nile waters and

seeking a reduction the dam’s

storage capacity.

It recalled that the Egyptian

leader called for revising the

accord during his meeting this

week with his ministers of

foreign affairs, irrigation and

water resources, international

cooperation as well as head of

intelligence.

The leaders of Sudan, Egypt

and Ethiopia were scheduled to

be in Khartoum on Monday for

a signing ceremony of an

accord on a mechanism for

operating GERD.

Sudanese foreign minister Ali

Karti described this event as

“historic” that will be attended

by officials from several

neighboring and friendly

countries.

Karti further said that this

accord will form the basis of

future detailed agreements that

will be negotiated.

It Is not clear now if the

signing will still take place in

Khartoum as several other

Egyptian newspapers

mentioned that el-Sisi’s three-

day visit will witness signing of

the GERD agreement between

the three countries. This is

believed to be the first state

v isit by an Egyptian leader to

Ethiopia in decades.

This month, foreign affairs and

water resources ministers of

the three nations reached a

preliminary draft agreement on

GERD following three-day

meetings in Khartoum.

The three countries formed a

committee to select a

consultancy firm to assess the

likely impact of GERD on Sudan

and Egypt. Four consultancy

firms from France, Australia

and Holland had earlier been

shortlisted and invited to

submit their proposals.

Egypt fears the dam will

negatively affect its traditional

share of water from the Nile,

its only source of water which

has been determined by a

colonial-era water-sharing

treaty.

Ethiopia, for its part, says the

project is indispensable to its

own national development and

the economic welfare of its

burgeoning population.

5

ISTANBUL TO HOST THE 2ND ETHIO-TURKEY BUSINESS AND INVESTMENT

SUMMIT

In a press release WAFA

Marking and Promotion PLC

sent to WIC, it has

organized the summit in

collaboration with

Ethiopian Chamber of

Commerce and Sectoral

Associations (ECCSA),

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

of FDRE, the Ethiopian

Embassy in Turkey and

Turkish Ministry of

Economy.

(19.03.2015 – WIC)

Business delegation will be led

by High Government

representatives of Federal

Democratic Republic of

Ethiopia, the press release

indicated.

According to Wafa, top

business delegates are

participating the 2015 summit,

which will explore new

business opportunities for

businesspersons through

networking, B2B, B2G, and

joint venture forestalled to fuel

business growth.

Knowing its immense benefit, a

good number of companies

from various business sectors

have already registered with

WAFA and Ethiopia Chamber of

Commerce. Registration are

still open. Interested company

or indiv idual business person

can contact WAFA Marketing

and Promotion PLC for further

information, WIC learnt.

6

ETHIOPIA: FINCHA RESUMES PRODUCTION AFTER FIRE ACCIDENT

Fincha Sugar Factory, one

of Ethiopia’s sugar

manufacturers, has started

production again on

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

after a fire that broke out

damaged some of its

machines. The machines

damaged at one of the

factory’s sections are now

repaired.

(18.03.2015 – 2Merkato)

In related development, Sugar

Corporation’s Director with a

ministerial portfolio, Shiferaw

Jarso, v isited 11 employees of

the factory that were injured

during the fire accident. The

injured indiv iduals are being

treated at Bethel Hospital,

Addis Ababa.

The Corporation has also

extended his condolence for

Tesfaye Lemi’s family, an

employee who died during the

accident.

The fire which broke out during

the last weekend, was put out

after members of the army,

Oromia State Administration,

local community and workers

put exerted energy

7

ETHIOPIA: NOC TO BUILD OIL REFINERY FOR 5 BILLION USD

National Oil Ethiopia (NOC)

disclosed it plans to build

refinery in a decade in

order to meet the growing

demand for refined

products in the region

whose economy is growing

fast. The refinery is

expected to cost 5 billion

USD.

(18.03.2015 – 2Merkato)

According to Reuters, a refinery

could compete with imports

from India, the Gulf and

beyond, and also help African

countries extract more value

from their own oil discoveries.

After gas is discovered in

Tanzania and Mozambique and

oil is found in Uganda and

Kenya, made East Africa the

new frontier for global

hydrocarbon hunt.

NOC’s chief executive officer,

Tadesse Tilahun, said the final

decision to build a refinery with

a capacity of producing

200,000 to 300,000 barrels a

day is yet to be taken.

"It is a firm plan because oil

demand is growing in

Ethiopia... about 10 percent

each year from the annual

consumption of 3 million cubic

metres and in the next 10

years we expect that to

double," the CEO said. "I would

assume in the next 10 years

we should have the refinery on

the ground."

Nonetheless, the CEO refrained

from commenting on how the

project is going to be financed.

Yet he has previously said

other private and public

investors would need to come

on board.

According to Reuters Ethiopia is

one of Africa’s fastest growing

economies and it has been

growing eight percent a year

for over a decade. The nation

is the second most populous

country in Africa and the

economy is driven mainly by

state led investment.

The CEO also commented NOC

plans to almost double its coal

import and take it to 500,000

tons a year by 2017. The

company imports coal from

South Africa and supplies it to

cement manufacturers.

8

ETHIOPIA SETS UP ENVIRONMENTAL, FORESTRY RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Ethiopia is working to

better benefit from its

forest resources by

undertaking research

activities, according to the

Ministry of Environment

and Forestry which

officially inaugurated the

Ethiopian Environmental

and Forestry Research

Institute here Tuesday.

(18.03.2015 – WIC)

At the opening ceremony,

Minister of Environment and

Forestry Belete Tafere said

strong institutional work was

necessary to benefit from

forest resources and the

institute would play a pivotal

role in sustaining the continued

building of the green economy

for which the country has

gained recognition

internationally.

The institute would in particular

help to reduce the widespread

deforestation and enhance the

utilization of forests, the

minister added.

The institute's co-ordinator, Dr.

Wubalem Tadesse, said even if

research activ ities had been

carried out during the past 39

years on forestry, successes

were not registered in the

sector.

Organising the sector under

the institution would help

support the environment and

forestry products with modern

technology and pass tangible

information and knowledge to

the public, he added.

A geology researcher with

Addis Ababa University,

Professor Zerihun Woldu, said

the income the country

obtained from incense and gum

in particular was very low and

the research work of the

institute was expected to bring

about changes in this regard.

The institute will become fully

operational within the next

three months, it was learned.

(ENA)

9

DUBAI MUNICIPALITY DISCUSSES COOPERATION WITH CONSUL GENERAL OF

ETHIOPIA

Hussain Nasser Lootah,

Director General of Dubai

Municipality has discussed

with Beltal Amero Alemu,

Ethiopian Consul General,

means to strengthen

collaboration between the

two parties in the

municipal areas and the

exchange of experience in

various aspects.

(18.03.2015 – WIC)

During the meeting, Lootah

stressed the municipality

keenness to offer its expertise

and best practices and to

benefit from the experiences of

other cities in various fields.

The Consul General praised the

efforts of the Dubai

Municipality and special

services offered to the

community. He also lauded the

development of the city, which

is witnessed in various fields.

He pointed to the need to

enhance communication

between Dubai and Addis

Ababa and take advantage of

Dubai Municipality experiences

and best practices through the

exchange of v isits between the

two sides.

10

ETHIOPIA: ALLE TO OPEN FIVE STORES IN APRIL

Ethiopia’s state owned

wholesale enterprise, ALLE,

disclosed it is set to open

five additional stores in

April.

(18.03.2015 – 2Merkato)

ALLE’s General Manager and

Advisor to the Ministry ofTrade,

Nuredin Mohammed, explained

the stores are planned to be

opened in Dessie,

Shashemene, Hawassa, Bahir

Dar and Jimma towns.

In addition to these five stores,

in August three more will be

opened in Mekelle, Adama and

Dire Dawa towns, Nuredin

noted.

Currently there are three stores

run by ALLE in Addis Ababa.

Once the other eight join the

market, Nuredin said, ALLE will

have 11 stores across the

nation.

According to him, in the first

seven months of the current

fiscal year ALLE supplied 92

million Birr worth food and fast

moving consumer goods

(FMCG) to retailers.

Nonetheless, the plan was to

supply FMCGs that are worth

118 million Birr.

During the seven months the

enterprise registered 3,115

customers, which is higher

than it planned. ALLE planned

to register 2,000 customers

during the period. These

customers are hotels,

restaurants, supermarkets and

customers’ associations.

It was in May 27, 2014 ALLE

was officially inaugurated with

a paid up capital of 250 million

Birr and an initial capital of one

billion Birr.

11

SOUTH SUDA N

SOUTH SUDA N PRESIDENT DOWNPLAYS THREAT OF UN SANCTIONS

South Sudan’s president,

Salva Kiir on Wednesday

downplayed the looming

threat of UN sanctions,

saying it would be counter-

productive.

(18.03.2015 – Sudan

Tribune)

“If people are talk ing about

sanctions about South Sudan

unless they go up and agree

with God to stop the raining in

South Sudan that will be

really,” Kiir told a public rally

held in the capital, Juba.

“The threat of sanctions has

been waved in my eyes, but I

cannot be threatened with

that,” he added.

The president, in his long

address, blamed armed

opposition leader Riek Machar

for allegedly frustrating the last

round of talks in Addis Ababa,

Ethiopia.

He also ruled out any

possibilities of sharing power

with Machar, contrary to

proposals put forward by the

regional mediators as a remedy

to the country ’s v iolent conflict.

“I don’t agree with the

suggestion that Riek be given

the position of v ice-president,”

said Kiir. “I don’t accept the

issue of the two armies.”

He agitated for practical

solutions to the conflict that

has k illed thousands and

displaced nearly two million

people since December 2013.

“We want practical solutions

and now is the time to do what

is best for our people. No

president negotiates with

rebels, but I went to negotiate

with Riek because I want

peace, but Riek thinks we are

equal that is why he became

intransigent,” he told the rally.

The president, in his address,

demonstrated optimism that

the 15-month-long conflict

would one day come to a

conclusion, however long it

might take.

“There is nothing which does

not have an end, everything

has an end,” he said.

The South Sudan leader

blamed the regional mediators

for allegedly lacking

consistency in preparing the

agenda for the negotiations.

“All of you have seen me going

to Addis Ababa to meet with

my brother Riek Machar so that

we resolve the issues, but

always when we go we find

that the goal post has been

shifted to another place. And

all the time when we go and

stumble on a new agenda, in

such a way you don’t expect

peace to come,” said Kiir. “But

I am confident we will bring

peace to South Sudan.”

The UN Security Council

(UNSC) unanimously resolved

to impose sanctions on

indiv iduals obstructing peace in

South Sudan early this month.

The conflict has k illed

thousands of people and

displaced nearly, two million

others, humanitarian actors

say.

The Intergovernmental

Authority on Development’s

(IGAD) is seeking to end the

12

war through a Transitional

Government of National Unity.

KIIR BLASTS EX-

POLITICAL DETAINEES

Meanwhile, Kiir has slammed

the country ’s former political

detainees for allegedly

championing calls for South

Sudan to be placed under a UN

trustee.

“[The] former political

detainees are the ones

lobbying for our nation to be

taken over by the UN and

that’s why I told you that this

flag cannot be taken away,” he

said, while pointing at the

country ’s national flag.

“[The] former political

detainees are being welcome

with red carpets across the

world instead of being treated

as criminals,” he added.

The president avoided mention

of what plans his government

had in place to address the

ever-rising cost of liv ing or to

end the conflict.

South Sudan’s cabinet affairs

minister, Martin Lomuro, urged

citizens to support president

Kiir’s stay in power, warning

the nation could descend in to

chaos if the latter was

deposed.

“Citizens of South Sudan, if

your remove president Salva

Kiir, you will see what will

happen to you,” said Lomuro,

without elaborating further.

Defence minister Kuol Manyang

said the creation of two armies

in the nation was unnecessary.

13

DJIBOUTI.

SIMPLIFIER LA PROCEDURE DE DELIVRANCE DU PERMIS DE CONSTRUIRE

Hier en conseil des

ministres, les chiffres ont

dominé, en l’occurrence

ceux relatifs aux comptes

financiers de Djibouti

Télécom pour les exercices

2011 et 2012. Les comptes

financiers de DT pour

l’exercice 2011 ont été

arrêtés à 15 milliards de

francs.

(18.03.2015 – La Nation)

L’exposé des motifs des deux

projets de Loi précise qu’au

cours de l’exercice 2011, ce

fleuron de l’économie nationale

a augmenté ses activ ités et

diversifié ses offres de service

à travers la modernisation de

ses infrastructures.

Cette année-là fut en effet celle

du CDMA et de l’internet sans

fil haut débit. DT a également

poursuiv i la réhabilitation des

réseaux d’accès filaires en

province et mis en service le

câble fibre optique entre

Djibouti et l’Ethiopie et la 3G+.

Les comptes de l’exercice

suivant, celui de l’année 2012

sont arrêtés à 13 milliards de

francs. En 2012, l’opérateur

national des

télécommunications a mis en

place un nouveau plan de

numérotation, procédé à la

baisse des tarifs des

télécommunications locales et

internationales et démarré les

travaux de sécurisation du

câble sous-marin EIG.

Le conseil des ministres a

également adopté un projet de

Loi portant approbation des

comptes financiers de

l’Imprimerie nationale pour les

exercices 2011 et 2012.

Dans un tout autre registre, le

conseil des ministres a

approuvé un projet de décret

portant modification du statut

particulier des fonctionnaires. Il

s’agit de permettre aux

instituteurs et professeurs de

l’enseignement moyen,

secondaire et technique

comptant au moins quinze

années de service en qualité de

titulaires de se présenter aux

concours des inspecteurs de

l’enseignement de base, de

l’enseignement moyen,

secondaire et technique.

Un projet d’Arrêté portant

réorganisation de l’attribution

du permis de construire a

également été approuvé. Il

s’agit, pour l’exécutif, de

simplif ier la procédure de

traitement et de délivrance du

permis de construire dont la

lenteur est décourageante. Le

gouvernement entend en finir

avec les difficultés qui

caractérisent cette procédure.

Cette mesure s’inscrit dans le

cadre de réformes entreprises

pour rendre le pays plus

attractif pour les investisseurs.

14

EVENTS

CONCORSO EQUESTRE – DOMENICA 22 MARZO NEL COMPOUND

DELL’AMBASCIATA ITALIANA