More than 70 businessmen have signed up for the historic trade delegation flying to Addis Ababa on March 5 to explore business and investment opportunities, the Ambassador of Ethiopia to Pakistan, Jemal Beker, said.
“We are going to make history as the number of delegates we are expecting may cross the mark of 100 before the deadline for registration,” the Ambassador said while addressing a news briefing here that was entirely focused on a five-day business trip to Ethiopia. He says a lot of effort and energy was invested in this initiative as the team worked day in and day out to make the historic delegation a success story.
“This historic trade delegation will change the entire landscape of Ethiopia and Pakistan’s bilateral relations,” Jemal said. The bilateral trade between Ethiopia and Pakistan amounts to only USD 78 million.
“In this delegation, we have included business people from different sectors of the economy, especially those that have trade and investment potential in Ethiopia,” he said, adding the Pakistani business community would find a big market in Ethiopia for rice, pharmaceutical products, medical equipment, sports items, and construction materials.
(The Nation)
Ethiopia holds aid campaign for Türkiye’s quake victims
Ethiopians launched an aid campaign, raising 10 million birr (USD 186,320) for the victims affected by the February 6 earthquakes in southern Türkiye, Anadolu News Agency reports.
Despite being struck by civil war and drought, where tens of thousands of lives were lost, the people in Ethiopia gathered forces and mobilized to help the quake-hit victims in Türkiye’s 11 provinces.
Since the first day, Ethiopians who went to Turkish representative offices in the country to convey condolences have performed funeral prayers in absentia in mosques and prayed for the quake victims and Türkiye.
On Monday, a program was organized in the capital, Addis Ababa, for the aid campaign initiated by Türkiye’s Addis Ababa Embassy.
The program participants included the Turkish Ambassador to Addis Ababa, Yaprak Alp, Ethiopian Federal Parliament Harar deputy and Ethiopia-Turkey Friendship Group Chairman, Fatih Wazir, TIKA Ethiopia Program Coordinator, Cengiz Polat, and Ethiopian-Turkish Alumni Association President, Fennan Mohammed, as well as philanthropists in the country.
During the program, donors presented symbolic donation checks to Alp in Addis Ababa.
Alp said the Ethiopian government has been supporting Türkiye during the quake, sending thousands of blankets and tents, along with soldiers and professional search and rescue workers.
(Middle East Monitor)
Ethiopian Airlines to resume Côte d’Ivoire-JFK flights
Ethiopian Airlines will start a new route between New York and Côte d’Ivoire on May 23. The airline will resume the flight between New York’s JFK International Airport and Felix Houphouet Boigny International Airport in Côte d’Ivoire.
This route was launched in June 2019 but suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Passengers flying from Ethiopia to New York can also board this flight, as it will originate from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.
This year, Ethiopian has been showing its prowess in the aviation industry by flying to new territories as well as destinations it has served in the past. The airline has already announced plans to fly to Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, Singapore, Jeddah, and Malta. According to the CEO, Mesfin Tasew, the flag carrier plans to double its fleet over the next 12 years and expand its global network, making it one of the most incredible aviation superpowers to grace the skies.
Ethiopian Airlines has strategic partnerships and codeshare agreements with major airlines like Lufthansa, Rwanda Air Express, Air Côte d’Ivoire, Air China, Air India, Singapore Airlines, and United Airlines.
(Simple Flying)
Nigeria Air takeoff imminent, Buhari assures Ethiopian Airlines
President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Ethiopian Airlines that the takeoff of Nigeria Air, the country’s national carrier, is on course and will soon become a reality.
He gave the guarantee while speaking with representatives of the airline, according to Mallam Garba Shehu, his senior special assistant on media and publicity. Garba says that the President emphasized that it was a “weighty decision” to reestablish a national carrier by the Nigerian government.
Buhari affirmed this to Girma Wake, Ethiopian Airlines Board Chairman, Mesfin Tasswe, Group Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines, and Daniel Abebe, Group Vice President Strategic Planning and Alliances, on the sidelines of the 36th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Buhari also said that the government is committed to providing the necessary support and infrastructure to ensure the successful launch and operation of Nigeria Air soon. Nigeria Air, according to the President, will serve as a catalyst for economic growth and job creation and contribute to developing the country’s aviation sector.
In his reply, Girma praised Buhari for making progress on setting up Nigeria Air and said that Ethiopian Airlines is ready to work with Nigeria in the aviation industry.
(Travel Radar)
Kenya’s inflation climbs to 9.2% as food prices soar
Increasing food prices in Kenya have continued to put households under pressure and raise the cost of living, with new data indicating that inflation climbed to 9.2 percent in February as some food costs went up 11 percent more than they did in January.
This is a reverse trend. It is coming after inflation slowed for three consecutive months to hit nine percent in January after accelerating through 2022, with households struggling with a high cost of living.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) showed that food prices were a big reason for the high inflation in February. The index showed cabbages, carrots, and sukuma wiki (kale) were among food items whose prices rose at the highest rates by over 11 percent within just a month.
“Tomato prices also increased by 7.8 percent compared to January, while the prices of fresh, unpackaged milk increased by two percent,” KNBS stated.
Households also felt pain refilling their cooking gas, whose price increased by 4.7 percent in February compared to January, even as electricity prices fell by between 2.9 and 3.7 percent on different user bands.
(The East African)
Court dismisses case against TotalEnergies’ east Africa projects
A French court has dismissed a case brought against TotalEnergies by activists contending that the company’s major oil projects in east Africa violated the human rights of the region’s inhabitants and posed environmental risks.
The court said the groups deviated from the proceedings by presenting claims during a December court hearing that were “substantially different” from those made in 2019 when they initially filed their lawsuit.
The six Ugandan and French groups said the company’s oil extraction and pipeline projects completely or partially impacted the lands of approximately 118,000 people in Uganda and Tanzania, and that tens of thousands are still awaiting compensation.
TotalEnergies has said that its planning “has been implemented effectively” and that its Ugandan and Tanzanian affiliates “have used the right action plans to respect the rights of local communities and make sure biodiversity is respected.”
The company said about 8,500 households are affected in Uganda, most of which have received compensation. It added that most of the 9,500 households that have signed a compensation deal are in Tanzania, where the project is less advanced.
In a joint statement, the activist groups said they “strongly deplored” the ruling.
(The Washington Post)
Djibouti’s ruling party wins parliamentary election
The ruling party in Djibouti has retained its significant majority in parliament, a presidential adviser told AFP on Tuesday, following elections it was assured of winning after an opposition boycott.
The main opposition parties in the tightly controlled Horn of Africa nation refused to participate in Friday’s legislative poll, decrying the process to elect 65 MPs as a sham.
Provisional results had given 58 seats to the Union for Presidential Majority (UMP) party, said Alexis Mohamed, a special adviser to President Ismail Omar Guelleh, who has ruled the country since 1999.
The remaining seven seats went to the only other party in the race, the Union for Democracy and Justice (UDJ), he added.
“Due to the absence of any challenge from the two parties, the Constitutional Council can only confirm the provisional results, namely 58 seats for the UMP and seven for the UDJ,” Mohamed told AFP.
He said that the Council has 15 days to confirm or change the results, but it could do so sooner if no formal challenges are made. The UDJ had considered mounting an appeal but did not proceed, he added.
(Daily Mail)
South Sudan’s parliament to reopen after 4-month recess
South Sudan’s Revitalized Transitional National Legislative Assembly (R-TNLA) will resume parliamentary sessions on March 27 after a four-month recess, according to a lawmaker.
Oyet Nathaniel Pierino, first deputy speaker of the R-TNLA, said several bills are expected to be presented before the House during this session of Parliament.
“According to our calendar, the session of parliament commences on the first Monday of April, and I think March 27 is not far away from the first Monday of April,” Pierino told reporters during a press briefing on Monday.
Pierino disclosed that the reopening of the parliament was decided in consultation with President Salva Kiir. “This recess is ending on March 27, according to consultation with the President.”
The lawmakers went on recess on December 15, 2022, after passing more than 10 bills last year.
The assembly was supposed to resume sitting on January 15, but it later extended recess to March, citing delays by the National Constitution Amendment Committee (NCAC) to table outstanding bills for deliberation, a claim denied by NCAC chairperson Gichira Kibara.
(Sudan’s Post)