The Adama and Dire Dawa industrial parks, whose construction was launched in 2016, will be inaugurated at the end of this month, the Ethiopian Investment Commission disclosed.
The industrial parks will specialize in textile, apparel, and agro-processing and will increase the number of parks with similar sector to five next to Hawassa, Mekele and Kombolcha.
The industrial park in Hawassa, which was inaugurated last year, started operation. Companies have also shown keen interest to open shop at the recently inaugurated industrial parks in Mekele and Kombolcha.
The government spent about USD 315 million to develop the two industrial parks, deputy commissioner in charge of Industrial Parks, Belachew Mekuria (PhD), said.
As Adama and Dire Dawa are in close proximity to the Port of Djibouti, it expected that they will contribute to the facilitation of foreign trade for the country.
The parks are expected to further strengthen industrial development in the country by facilitating the way in fulfilling its vision of becoming manufacturing hub in Africa. (ENA)
Ethiopian strategic partner, ASKY, to resume West Africa flights
The strategic partner of Ethiopian Airlines, ASKY Airlines, has finalized preparations to resume services to and from the West African cities of Monrovia, Freetown and Banjul effective November 1, 2017.
Tewolde Gebremariam, CEO of Ethiopian Aviation Group said, “As an indigenous African Airline, we have always been committed to connect African states together and with the rest of the world through efficient and seamless network.”
“In line with our multi-hub strategy in Africa, we are proud of the successful partnership with ASKY and we have been successfully serving the needs of passengers travelling within, to and from West and Central Africa through our Lomé hub,” he said.
The addition the three cities would provide travellers from these cities added convenience to seamlessly connect to more than 100 international destination via Ethiopian global network in five continents.
Moreover, in addition to these cities, Accra will be able to connect to Ethiopian flights to Newark via Lomé, giving Ghanaian travellers convenient connectivity to the New York Tri-state area.” (Press Release)
US drone strike targets Al-Shabaab after Mogadishu attack
The United States military says it carried out a drone strike this week against Al-Shabaab in Somalia, shortly after the extremist group was blamed for the country’s deadliest terrorist attack.
The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) told The Associated Press that the strike occurred on Monday about 56 km southwest of the capital, Mogadishu. The US said it is still assessing the results of the drone attack.
Saturday’s truck bombing in Mogadishu killed more than 300 people and wounded nearly 400 others.
The United States has carried out 19 drone strikes in the Horn of Africa nation since President Donald Trump approved expanded military operations against the group early this year, according to The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, which tracks US drone strikes in a number of countries.
In April, the US announced it was sending dozens of regular troops to Somalia Al-Shabaab has not commented on the truck bombing, which Somali intelligence officials say was meant to target Mogadishu’s heavily fortified international airport. (Various News Outlets)
South Sudan forces ‘assaulted’ UN commander
South Sudanese forces stopped a UN peacekeeping convoy at gunpoint and beat the unit’s commander in the latest clash with peacekeepers in the war-wracked African country, a report obtained by AFP on Thursday said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council that South Sudan’s defense minister had apologized for the September 21 incident in Juba.
About 100 officers from South Sudan’s national security service “surrounded the convoy and pointed weapons at the vehicles,” a report said.
“At one point the contingent commander accompanying the convoy was physically assaulted before diverting to UN House,” it added.
Guterres listed 17 incidents during the month of September when convoys were blocked, peacekeepers harassed and detained by South Sudan’s forces.
US Ambassador Nikki Haley is scheduled to visit South Sudan next week as a new regional push to end the war appears to be struggling to progress.
UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix told the council that the government had given a “lukewarm response” to the new peace initiative by IGAD. (AFP)