President Sahle-Work Zewde, along with high level government officials including Amhara Regional State President, Agegnehu Teshager and former Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, on Thursday, laid the foundation stone for the construction of National Cement Industrial Complex to be built in Lemmi town, North Shewa Zone, Amhara region.
The construction of the cement factory situated on 270 ha of land in Insaro Woreda of Amhara Region will be undertaken in various phases.
Upon its completion, the industrial complex will produce 10,000 tons of cement on a daily basis and other products including glass and gypsum, it was indicated on the occasion.
More than 3,000 youth in the area will engage in labor and related works during the construction process, while the factory is expected to create permanent employment opportunity to 10,000 citizens upon completion.
Lemi, a town located some 130 km North of Addis Ababa is endowed with abundant source of raw materials for cement processing and other construction materials. (FBC)
****
Gov’t takes no responsibility for media operating in risky areas
Any media wishing to venture outside of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) stationed areas in Tigray State will not be hindered from mobility, but will do so at their own risk, said the Office of the Prime Minister in a statement on Wednesday.
The Federal Government will not be responsible for risks taken by media personnel that function outside of the established operating protocols, it added.
The statement indicated that media operating in the state are to be bound by operating protocols that ensure understanding of the context, legal operations and mobility as established by the Ethiopian Broadcast Authority.
Stressing the fact that the government believes the allegiance of journalists must always be to the facts, the nuances of history, and to a sober analysis of facts, it cautions the media from simply confirming the considerable misinformation and disinformation campaign of TPLF operatives, conducted by influencing witness testimonies.
Meanwhile, the federal government has distributed 780,534.6 quintals of food items in Tigray State reaching 3.8 million beneficiaries, it added. (The Ethiopian Herald)
****
Universities, scholars setup Nile forum
Presidents and Vice Presidents of 45 public universities have established Scholar’s forum to conduct problem solving researches on the Nile River, to help attain fruitful results in the years to come.
Speaking at the forum on Tuesday, the Science and Higher Education State Minister, Afework Kasu (Prof.) said the cardinal questions that need to be responded to, as to the forum, include: ‘What should be the role and the participation of scholars on the Nile River? What are scholars expected to do in order to make the Nile River productive and a development center? How to use the Nile River sustainably in the long run?
“Establishing a well-coordinated, organized and thriving forum is instrumental in accomplishing various researches and come up with better alternatives for development and prosperity towards which Ethiopia is swiftly advancing. Hence, the coming together of different university scholars helps garner productive collective thoughts,” Afework said.
The universities endorsed the Nile Forum to work together and develop various research projects specifically on the Nile River at Debre Markos University. (The Ethiopian Herald)
****
Ministry secures 169.5 bln Birr in seven months
The Ministry of Revenues on Wednesday revealed that it collected 169.5 billion birr over the past seven months of this fiscal year.
According to Minister of Revenues, Laqe Ayalew, 50 percent of revenue was collected from high taxpayers.
Speaking at a forum organized by the Ministry to discuss issues with senior taxpayers and other stake holders, Laqe further stated that the Ministry planned to collect 169.4 billion Birr during the past seven months. Compared to the same period last year, the performance showed an increase of 22.1 bln birr or a 15 percent growth.
While being thankful to taxpayers who discharge their duties on time, he called on those who are defrauding the tax system to refrain from such acts. (The Ethiopian Herald)
****
1.6mln people face acute food insecurity in Somalia
The UN humanitarian agency on Thursday warned that an estimated 1.6 million people across Somalia are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity and are in need of support.
In a statement, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the drivers of acute food insecurity include the compounding effects of poor and erratic rainfall, flooding, desert locust infestations, the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 and conflicts.
From April to June 2021, the food insecurity is expected to deteriorate for most population groups in the Horn of Africa country due to multiple risk factors, the OCHA warned.
Over 839,000 children under the age of five are facing malnourishment, including nearly 143,000 likely to be severely malnourished, it added.
Meanwhile, over 2,500 families displaced by clan fighting in Somalia’s central state of Galmudug, are facing food insecurity, water shortage and homelessness, according to UN Radio Ergo on Thursday.
At least 17,000 families are facing serious water shortage in Mudug after wells in five settlements in the region broke down, Galmudugs Ministry of Energy and Water estimated. (Anadolu)
****
20 migrants die after thrown overboard en route to Yemen, UN says
The International Organization for Migration said on Wednesday at least 20 migrants are dead after smugglers threw 80 overboard during a voyage from Djibouti to Yemen.
The statement says ‘smugglers started shouting there were too many on board’ after the boat with 200 migrants, including children under 18, set off on Wednesday.
The IOM says five bodies have been recovered, and survivors are being treated in Djibouti.
This has happened before as thousands of migrants continue to try to make their way from the Horn of Africa to Yemen and then onto rich Gulf countries.
The coronavirus pandemic and the resulting closed borders have slowed but not stopped the flow of migrants. The IOM said about 138,000 people made the journey in 2019 but just 37,500 in 2020.
It is not immediately clear what countries the migrants in this latest journey were from, but many make the voyage from Ethiopia and Somalia.
In October, at least eight migrants drowned after smugglers forced them off a boat near Djibouti. (AP)
*****
Sudan, US see first bank transfer in 24 years
Sudan recently transferred funds to a bank in the US, marking the first such transaction between the two countries in 24 years.
Sudan’s Ambassador to the US, Nureldin Sati, told VoA broadcasting network late Wednesday that he received a trial money transfer from Qatar National Bank’s branch in the capital Khartoum to his personal account at Wells Fargo bank in the US and expects other transfers to be conducted soon.
Last year, the US announced that it had officially removed Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism after the country was added in 1993.
Sati noted that such a direct transaction will open the way for further money transfers not only between the two countries but with the world.
Recently, the US Treasury Department issued a statement encouraging banks and financial companies to carry out direct operations with Sudan.
Sudan is experiencing a severe economic crisis with the Sudanese pound facing a huge collapse in value against the US dollar, hitting 400 pounds to the dollar in the Sudanese black market. (Anadolu)
****
South Sudan plane crash kills all 10 on board
South Sudan’s civil aviation authority sent a team to investigate a plane crash on Tuesday in Jonglei state that killed 10 people, including two crew members.
Kur Kuol, director of the South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority, told VOA’s South Sudan in Focus that preliminary investigations suggest both engines failed minutes before the plane went down.
“In just 10 minutes from Pieri, according to the information that we have, one engine stopped and then it was about to return to the airstrip, the other stopped and so the plane crashed,” said Kuol.
The HK-4274 commercial passenger aircraft belonged to South Supreme Airlines, which is owned by South Sudanese businessman, Ayii Duang Ayii. It was flying from Juba to Pibor when it crashed at Pieri Airstrip in Uror County.
State Governor Denay Jock Chagor offered his condolences to the families of the victims. In a statement released on Tuesday, Chagor confirmed all eight passengers and two crew members on board died in the crash. (VoA)
****
