Students who participated and won the AfriCAN Code Challenge (ACC) on behalf of Ethiopia were awarded on September 6, 2022, at the Embassy of Ireland in the presence of the Ambassador of Ireland, Nicola Brennan, the Minister of Education, H.E. State Minister Fanta Mandefro and other distinguished guests.
The competition was organized by Camara Education Ethiopia in collaboration with Africa Code Week. This year’s main message was “Change the world with your superpowers.”
In the competition, children between the ages of eight and 16 were invited to create a game of their choice that offered a solution to a global problem. The objectives of the competition is to encourage students to be able to code, think critically, and be able to generate innovative solutions to problems.
For Ethiopia, the top three contestants were Natnael Kedir, Bezawit Yohannes, and Dagim Yohannes. They then went on to compete against children from Africa. Natnael kedir came in third place.
(Camara education)
Dubai tourism kicks off multiple-city roadshow in East Africa
Dubai’s Department for Economy and Tourism, (DET), in continuation of its ongoing activities in Africa released dates for its East Africa roadshow. After successful Road Shows in Nigeria and South Africa; DET has concluded plans to hold its next set of roadshows in Ethiopia, Uganda, and Kenya. The dates are September 15th for the Ethiopian Roadshow, 19th for the Ugandan Roadshow and 22nd September 2022 for the Kenyan Roadshow.
The roadshow will highlight Dubai’s affordable experiences and the diversity of the city’s offerings to key travel partners in the visited cities. Highlights of the roadshow span across travel, hospitality, entertainment, and Dubai’s citywide events with a focus on leisure, family travel, education, and medical tourism. Key elements of the event will include breakout network sessions, partner presentations, one-on-one meetings, and medical facility updates.
Tareq Binbrek, assistant manager, International Relations (Africa) for Dubai Tourism (DET), said “East Africa is a significant market for Dubai Tourism and is host to some of our largest travel numbers from Africa. This is our first roadshow post pandemic, and we are happy to be back.”
(Dubai economic tourism)
Deep-water Somali port gives landlocked Ethiopia new trade route
Somalia will open a deep-water port on its northern coast next month, with a road link forging a new trade route connecting Ethiopia’s south-eastern region with the city of Gara’ad.
The development is part of a USD 531 million investment plan aimed at boosting the export of livestock, fish, minerals and agricultural commodities, according to Saed Faadi, the chief executive officer of Wadagsan LLC, the developer.
The first two deep-water berths in the Puntland state’s city will be capable of docking 40,000-ton container ships and provide services such as modern loading equipment, refrigerated storage facilities and feeding grounds for animals.
“The port will also provide easy access to food imports from the outside world,” Faadi said in an interview. “This will allow food to be less expensive and enhance food security in the region, which is plagued by droughts and famine.”
The Gara’ad port will be the Horn of Africa nation’s fifth deep-water facility providing access to the Indian Ocean, but it’s the closest to Ethiopia, a landlocked country of 115 million people whose economy was one of the fastest growing in the world before the coronavirus pandemic and conflict curbed expansion.
Somalia exported USD 1.5 billion worth of goods and services in 2021, a third of which was livestock, according to government data. That was a 30 percent increase from the previous year.
The nation, which has been battling an insurgency for years, is hoping successful counter-piracy operations will be a boon for shipping. The global industry last month agreed to declassify its coastline as a “high-risk area.”
Another two berths, which will be deeper and wider, are due to be completed by the end of 2024, Faadi said.
(Bloomberg)
Andersen Global broadens footprint in Ethiopia with tax firm HIMA
Andersen Global continued its African expansion with the addition of collaborating firm HIMA, an Ethiopian tax firm based in Addis Ababa.
Led by Managing Partner, Nabiyu Feto and founded in 2015, HIMA works closely with clients to provide comprehensive tax solutions for their business needs in the emerging Ethiopian market.
“The Ethiopian tax market is a developing industry and continuously evolving. Over the past few years, our firm has become one of the leading firms in the market. Our collaboration with Andersen Global enhances our service capabilities so we can continue to meet client needs with the additional resources and support from a global firm,” said Nabiyu.
Andersen Global Chairman and Andersen CEO, Mark Vorsatz said that Nabiyu has built a strong practice in Ethiopia, demonstrating the firm’s commitment to stewardship,“Their extensive knowledge of the market will be invaluable to our clients as tax is still a developing industry in the country and they maintain a competitive edge in the market. This collaboration positions us for further growth as we aim to build out our presence and capabilities in Africa.”
(Africa business community)
Horn in Brief
Tanzania freezes export permits for Kenyan traders
Tanzania has frozen the issuance of new maize export permits for Kenyan traders in what could worsen the shortage of the product, which has driven prices of flour to historic highs.
Several millers and animal feed manufacturers in Kenya told Business Daily that the neighboring country stopped issuing permits last week, tightening the supply of the staple locally.
“We have been unable to get maize from Tanzania since last week after the country stopped issuing export permits to traders with the cutting off of stocks from Tanzania expected to push up the cost of flour,” said Ken Nyaga, the chairperson of the United Grain Millers Association.
John Gathogo, publicity secretary of the Association of Kenya Feed Manufacturers, said their members are unable to get stocks from Tanzania as well following the move that has seen processors cut down on production.
Millers are issued with a one-off permit for grain export from Tanzania and they need to apply for a new one every time they intend to ship maize out of that country.
(The east African)
China seeks to bolster relations with AU
China wants to take the 20th anniversary of the establishment of its diplomatic relations with the AU as a new starting point to bolster relations between the two.
President Xi Jinping said China attaches great importance to the development of China-Africa relations and stands ready to work with heads of the African Union (AU) member states taking the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the AU as a springboard.
On September 9, 2022, Jinping exchanged congratulatory messages with the rotating Chairperson of the African Union (AU) and President of Senegal, Macky Sall on the 20th anniversary of the founding of the AU and the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the AU.
The President stated that the AU has led African countries in forging ahead on the path of seeking strength through unity, development, revitalization and integration, and demonstrated Africa’s strength in fighting COVID-19, upholding multilateralism and safeguarding the common interests of developing countries over the past 20 years.
(Embassy of China in Addis Ababa)
New Gulf support for Egypt, Sudan
The Gulf States expressed support to Egypt and Sudan in their dispute with Ethiopia over the Renaissance Dam on the Nile River.
The GCC Ministerial Council rejected “any action or measure that affects their water rights,” stressing “support for all endeavors that would contribute to resolving the file in a manner that takes into account the interests of all parties.”
“Water security for Egypt and Sudan is an integral part of Arab national security,” reads the final statement issued by the meeting of the GCC foreign ministers on Thursday, at the headquarters of the General Secretariat in Riyadh.
Egypt and Sudan demand that Ethiopia stop filling the dam until an agreement is reached between the three parties on the operation mechanism. But since April 2021, the negotiations between the three countries, which are being held under the auspices of the African Union, have been frozen, after they failed to make a breakthrough.
The situation forced Egypt to resort to the UN Security Council to demand pressure on Ethiopia through international partners, with the aim to reach an agreement that satisfies all parties.
(asharq al-awsat)
China calls on international community to help Somalia
China on Wednesday called for more assistance and a quicker humanitarian response from the international community to help prevent Somalia from humanitarian disaster.
Dai Bing, China’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, made the remarks during a UNSC meeting discussing the Somalia issue, adding that China proposes emergency funding from the UN and other countries from the Horn of Africa to relieve the drought situation.
China recognizes Somali President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s appointment of the special envoy for drought response this May to carry out humanitarian aid, as Somalia suffers from multiple challenges, including the deterioration of food security and the risk of famine and a malnutrition crisis, Dai said.
He said China signed an exchange of notes about emergency food aid with Somalia in June, hoping to accelerate the aid process and help Somalia with the drought. He also called for the promotion of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to help Somalia through debt relief.
Security is another challenge facing the new government, Dai said, and China encourages Hassan to prioritize counterterrorism and army reconstruction to gradually take responsibility for national security.
(CGTN)
