MultiChoice Ethiopia, a South African company that operates the DStv satellite television service, on Tuesday announced a plan to significantly increase its investment in Ethiopia.
The company said in a statement that it is looking to extensively expand its reach, investment in people and infrastructure in Ethiopia.
It is also planning to provide support to Ethiopian content and content creators including investing heavily in local content as part of its hyper local content strategy.
Ethiopia is open for business and has demonstrated its commitment to supporting businesses from around the world, Chief Executive Officer of MultiChoice Group, Calvo Mawela said.
“We will continue to demonstrate our commitment to Ethiopia through the development of local skills and industries, and through exciting plans for content that speaks to Ethiopians in their own voice.”
MultiChoice Group’s strategy of creating hyper local content, made locally, has allowed the company to commit to continue its investment in local content production and aggregation, it stated. (ENA)
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Over 19 thousand Ethiopians repatriated: Ministry
Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs announced that over 19,000 Ethiopians have returned home from countries across the region and the Middle-East following the impacts of COVID-19.
Dereje Taye, Ministry’s Communication Director told The Ethiopian Herald on Wednesday that almost all the returnees are those who had traveled illegally in search of better jobs.
He underscored that the citizens were returned from Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, Somalia, Lebanon, and other countries.
As to him, the Ministry was able to return these citizens peacefully working in partnership with different Ethiopian community organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and destination countries.
Mentioning the importance of keeping returnees at quarantine centers for some time and conducting different health checkups before joining their families, he added that the ministry is working to facilitate the situation. It is also working to create jobs, he added.
He also stated that the government is operating to return citizens who are exposed to a number of challenges in different parts of the world through its citizen based processes. The nation is expecting to receive other returnees from different countries in the coming weeks. (The Ethiopian Herald)
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Ethiopian, S. Sudan’s intelligence services agree to work together
The Ethiopian and South Sudan’s intelligence services have agreed to work together on issues related to security.
Director-General of the National Information and Security Service (NISS) of Ethiopia, Demelash Gebremichael on Tuesday, met with South Sudan’s Director-General of External Security in the National Security Service Maj. Gen Thomas Duoth.
Following the meeting, the two sides agreed to cooperate in the fight against illicit arms flow and terrorism as well as other issues related to border security.
They agreed to work closely and exchange information to address the root causes of the flow of large number of illicit arms to Ethiopia via South Sudan.
“Controlling the entry of illegal weapons to Ethiopia via South Sudan has a major contribution to the security of both countries,” they said in a statement issued after the meeting.
The discussion between the two sides also focused on ways to foil any activity that could harm the national interest of the two countries through the exchange of information. (FBC)
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Ethiopia expresses dissatisfaction over lack of security to its embassy in Berlin
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday expressed its disappointment over the lack of measures against such degrading acts despite prior notice.
Ambassador Redwan Hussein said that he has exchanged a phone call with Heiko Nitzschke, Chargé d’affaires of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, about the recent incident in Germany, where protestors occupied the Ethiopian Embassy in Berlin and took down the FDRE flag.
He said the Government of Ethiopia recognizes that its citizens have the right to protest. “However,” he said, “It would be proper if it’s done further away from the Embassy’s premises in such a way that wouldn’t obstruct daily business.”
Heiko Nitzschke has said the recent development surrounding the security of the Ethiopian Embassy in Berlin is unacceptable.
He said his Government would further look into the matter and rectify the impediment. (The Ethiopian Herald)
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Horn in Brief
IGAD Praises Sudan’s Peace Agreement
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has praised the peace agreement signed between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan Revolutionary Front.
The statement released by IGAD on Wednesday said the peace agreement reached in Juba is a historic milestone, for the benefit of the Sudanese people in their aspiration for a peaceful and prosperous country.
It added that, it is IGAD’s sincere hope that the remaining armed actors and non-signatories to the peace agreement will soon join their brothers and sisters to put an end to the suffering.
The agreement is critical for all Sudanese people to participate in their country’s future and contribute to the well-being of their country, the release pointed out.
IGAD acknowledges that a peaceful and prosperous Sudan is in the interest of the region, which needs to be led by the good example of a unified, inclusive and visionary leadership.
It also commended the Chairman of the Sovereign Council of Sudan, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the Prime Minister of Sudan and IGAD Chair, Abdalla Hamdok, and all the leaders of the armed groups signatory to the peace agreement. (ENA)
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Sudan and rebels meet to implement peace deal
On Wednesday, Sudan said that government and rebel leaders had met to begin to implement a deal that aims to end a war in which hundreds of thousands of people were killed.
Rebel commanders from the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) and the transitional government met face-to-face on Tuesday, one day after striking the deal, state news agency SUNA said.
“This was the first joint meeting after the inking of the accord,” said Alhadi Idris, the head of the SRF rebel coalition, SUNA reported.
“We discussed in this meeting what will happen going forward,” Idris said, adding that there were “Still issues related to the timeline to implement the deal.”
The SRF, founded in 2011, is an alliance of five armed rebel groups and four political movements from the vast western region of Darfur, and the southern states of South Kordofan and the Blue Nile.
“Our priorities now are economic progress and humanitarian issues related to people displaced by the conflicts,” said Minni Minawi. (AFP)
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KBR to upgrade US Navy bases in Djibouti
KBR has received a USD 75 million contract from the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Europe Africa Central, to upgrade the infrastructure of multiple US bases in Djibouti, Africa.
As part of the five-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, KBR will offer engineering, design, construction, refurbishment, repair, maintenance, demolition and other related services at Lemonnier Camp and Chabelley Airfield.
This work is said to complement the company’s main operational support across Africa.
The company has provided basic operational support services at the Lemon Valley camp since 2013, and has provided work in the area since 2002.
KBR Government Solutions President Byron Bright said: “KBR will continue its legacy of delivering trustworthy results and expertise to the US Navy through this award.
“We are proud to be a part of strengthening these bases for our troops and allies.”
KBR team in Africa completed more than 25 million hours for the key services with no recorded accidents, the company said. (Naval Technology)
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Danakali flags improvements to Eritrea potash project
Australia’s Danakali (ASX, LON:DNK) said on Wednesday it has completed an updated process plant and infrastructure study for its Colluli potash project in Eritrea, which has identified optimization opportunities for the proposed mine.
The Perth-based company, which has completed phase two of the engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) work at Colluli, said main potential improvements are related to the environmental and economic aspects of the project.
Upgrades include a beach well intake for the water intake treatment area, which has a lower environmental impact and was found preferable to a subsea intake pipeline.
A third-party review of the work by DRA Global, found the beach well intake minimized risk to subsea and coastal habitats by avoiding onshore pipeline construction and offshore installation.
Another optimization was dry harvesting from back end recovery ponds, resulting in a less complex processing design.
Danakali has also selected RA International, as camp provider which will give the project a fit for purpose manufactured camp. (MINING.COM)
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UN deploys troops to new base as violence surges in South Sudan
The UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan announced on Wednesday it was deploying troops to the country’s strife-torn south following an upsurge in violence by armed rebels against civilians and aid workers.
The deployment of blue helmets, to establish a new outpost in Central Equatorial, follows attacks on humanitarian convoys this week that left two civilians dead, and a roadside ambush in the same region in late August that killed six vice-presidential bodyguards.
UN special envoy David Shearer said the peacekeepers would setup a base at Lobonok, some 110 kilometers (70 miles) southeast of the capital Juba, in a region witnessing resurgence in violent clashes between rebel and government forces.
“This will enable us to provide a protective presence in the area,” said Shearer, who heads the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
The rise in violence has been blamed on the National Salvation Front (NAS), a rebel movement active in the wider Equatorial region led by former deputy army chief Thomas Cirillo. (AFP)
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Somali president eyes election deal in talks with Puntland, Jubbaland leaders
Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo is expected to hold crucial talks with the leaders of Jubbaland and Puntland states to chart a common path for the upcoming elections.
Ahmed Mohamed Islam Madobe of Jubbaland and Said Abdullahi Deni arrived in Mogadishu on Wednesday.
Ahead of the meeting, President Farmajo welcomed Madobe and Deni at Villa Somalia, the State House in Mogadishu.
They also held meetings with UN representatives in Somalia, the US and UK ambassadors among other diplomats.
The duo have been rebelling against a new agreement reached last month to have elections conducted via a system known as constituency caucuses, which could improve on the traditional but controversial clan delegate system.
Ahead of the meeting, President Farmajo welcomed Madobe and Deni at Villa Somalia, the State House in Mogadishu.
President Farmaajo is expected to hold closed-door talks with the visiting leaders.
Deni and Madobe had declined to join a series of meetings that took place in Dusamareb town recently, where a deal was reached with the regional leaders of Galmudug, Hirshabelle, South West and Banadir Regional Administration.
The meeting, dubbed Dusamareb 3 was concluded on August 19 with a 17-point communiqué.
They agreed that an election will be held in Somalia, in line with the tradition that polls must be held every 4 years, in this case since 2016.
The communiqué stated that the next election will use an electoral constituency caucus model.
Under this, the National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC) in close collaboration with the member states of the federal government, clan leaders and civil society, will organize and administer the election.
301 delegates will be arranged to elect each of the 275 MPs that in turn elect the federal president.
However, two days later, Puntland and Jubbaland leaders issued a statement saying they were not part of the deal. (The Nation)