Security Message for U.S. Citizens in Ethiopia

December 6, 2014

U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | December 5, 2014

The U.S. Embassy informs U.S. citizens that political rallies or demonstrations may occur without significant notice throughout Ethiopia, particularly in the lead up to Ethiopian national elections in May 2015. Such rallies and demonstrations may be organized by any party or group and can occur in any open space throughout the country. In Addis Ababa, applications for permits to conduct rallies are often requested for Meskel Square or Bel Air Field. Please remember that even public rallies or demonstrations intended to be peaceful have the potential to turn confrontational and escalate into violence. You should, therefore, stay alert and avoid areas of demonstrations, and exercise caution if in the vicinity of any large gatherings, protests, or demonstrations.

The U.S. Embassy reminds U.S. citizens of the on-going threat of terrorist attacks in Ethiopia. U.S. citizens are reminded and encouraged to maintain heightened personal security awareness. Be especially vigilant in areas that are potential targets for attacks, particularly areas where U.S. and western citizens congregate, including restaurants, hotels, bars, places of worship, supermarkets, and shopping malls. Al-Shabaab may have plans for a potential attack targeting Westerners and the Ethiopian government, particularly in Jijiga and Dolo Odo in the Somali Region of Ethiopia, and Addis Ababa. Attacks may occur without warning.

Due to serious safety and security concerns, U.S. government personnel and their families are presently restricted from traveling to the following areas except as permitted on a case-by-case basis:

Ethiopian/Kenyan Border (Southern Ethiopia): In southern Ethiopia along the Kenyan border, banditry and incidents involving ethnic conflicts are common. Security around the town of Moyale is unpredictable, and clashes between Ethiopian forces and the Oromia Liberation Front (OLF) have been reported.

Ethiopia/Eritrea Border (Northern Ethiopia): Ethiopia and Eritrea signed a peace agreement in December 2000 that ended their border war. However, the border remains disputed. The border area is a militarized zone where there is the possibility of armed conflict between Ethiopian and Eritrean forces. U.S. government personnel are restricted from travel north of the Shire (Inda Silassie)-Axum-Adigrat road in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Personnel are further restricted from travel north of the road from Dessie through Semera to the Galafi border crossing with Djibouti, including the Danakil Depression and the Erta Ale volcano. In January 2012, a group of foreign tourists were attacked near the Erta Ale volcano in the Afar region near the Eritrean border, approximately 100 miles southeast of Adigrat in the Danakil Depression. The attack resulted in five deaths, three wounded, and four people kidnapped. The victims were European and Ethiopian citizens. The two Europeans who were kidnapped were subsequently released. On February 15, 2012, Ethiopia, which blamed Eritrea for the attack, retaliated by striking military camps in Eritrea where the attackers were allegedly trained. This episode illustrates the continuing volatility of the border area.

Somali Region (Eastern Ethiopia): Travel to Ethiopia’s Somali regional state is restricted for U.S. government employees, although essential travel to the region is permitted on a case-by-case basis. Since the mid-1990’s, members of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) have conducted attacks on civilian targets in parts of the Somali regional state, particularly in predominantly Ogadeni zones. Expatriates have been killed in these attacks. In 2010, the Government of Ethiopia initiated peace talks with the ONLF, which are ongoing. Despite these talks, incidents of violence continue to occur. Throughout 2013, skirmishes between the ONLF and regional government security forces took place. Some of these incidents involved local civilians. Al-Shabaab maintains a presence in Somali towns near the Ethiopian border, presenting a risk of cross-border attacks targeting foreigners.

Gambella Region (Western Ethiopia): Sporadic inter-ethnic clashes are a concern throughout the Gambella region of western Ethiopia. While the security situation in the town of Gambella is generally calm, it remains unpredictable throughout the rest of the region. Intensified conflict between Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan (RSS) has significantly increased refugee flows into Western Ethiopia. Travel to the border areas in the Beneshangul-Gumuz Region (Asosa) is restricted to major towns north of the area where the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is being constructed due to political sensitivity.

We strongly recommend that U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Ethiopia enroll in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). STEP enrollment gives you the latest security updates, and makes it easier for the U.S. embassy or nearest U.S. consulate to contact you in an emergency. If you don’t have Internet access, enroll directly with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

Regularly monitor the State Department’s website, where you can find current Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and the Worldwide Caution. Read the Country Specific Information for Ethiopia. For additional information, refer to the “Traveler’s Checklist” n the State Department’s website.

Contact the U.S. embassy or consulate for up-to-date information on travel restrictions. You can also call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to have travel information at your fingertips.

The U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa is located at Entoto Street, P.O. Box 1014. The Consular Section of the Embassy may be reached by telephone: +251-111-306000 or e-mail at consacs@state.gov, and is open Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. For after-hours emergencies, U.S. citizens should call +251-111-306911 or 011-130-6000 and ask to speak with the duty officer.

source: ECADF 

December 4,2014 (ኢ.ኤም.ኤፍ) ጋዜጠኛ ርዕዮት አለሙ “ሽብርተኛ” ተብላ በእስር ላይ የምትገኝ ሲሆን እንደማንኛውም እስረኛ ልታገኝ የሚገባውን አመክሮ ሳታገኝ ቀርታለች:: በመሰረቱ አመክሮ የሚሰጠው አንድ እስረኛ በ እስር ቤት ቆይታው ወቅት የሚያሳየው መልካም ባህሪ ተገምግሞ ለአንድ እስረኛ ከተፈረደበት አመት ተቀንሶ እንዲወጣ ይደረጋል:: ከቤተሰብ ያገኘነው መረጃ እንደሚያስረዳው ከሆነ ለርዕዮት አለሙ ሊሰጣት የነበረው የአመክሮ ቅፅ “ከጥፋቴ ታርሜያለሁ” የሚል ነው:: ከዚህ በፊትም “አጥፍቻለሁ ይቅርታ ይደረግልኝ” ተብሎ በፕሬዘዳንቱ አማካኝነት የሚደረገውን ሂደት ሳትቀበለው ቀርታ የይቅርታ ደብዳቤ አለማገባቷ ይታወሳል:: አሁን በቅርቡ ማድረግ የሚቻለውን “አመክሮ” ተቀብላ ቢሆን ኖሮ አሁን ከ እስር የምትወጣበት ወቅት እንደነበር ከቤተሰብ አካባቢ ያገኘነው ምንጭ አረጋግጧል::ጋዜጠኛ ርዕዮት አለሙን በዚህ ጉዳይ ያነጋገራት ከፌደራል ማረሚያ ቤቶች ኤጀንሲ የመጣ ሰው ነበር:: በውይይታቸው ወቅት “ከጥፋቴ ታርሜያለሁ” የሚለውን አባባል ለመቀበል አልቻለችም:: ምክንያቱም ሃሳቧን በጽሁፍ ስለገለጸች ነው “አሸባሪ” ተብላ የታሰረችው:: ከፌደራል ማረሚያ ቤቶች ኤጀንሲ የመጣውም ሰው “እንግዲያው አንቺ ከጥፋቴ ታርሜያለሁ” ብለሽ የማትፈርሚ ከሆነ እኛም አመክሮ አንሰጥሽም ብሏታል::

ጋዜጠኛ ርዕዮት አለሙ አመክሮ ተከለከለች

December 4,2014

(ኢ.ኤም.ኤፍ) ጋዜጠኛ ርዕዮት አለሙ “ሽብርተኛ” ተብላ በእስር ላይ የምትገኝ ሲሆን እንደማንኛውም እስረኛ ልታገኝ የሚገባውን አመክሮ ሳታገኝ ቀርታለች:: በመሰረቱ አመክሮ የሚሰጠው አንድ እስረኛ በ እስር ቤት ቆይታው ወቅት የሚያሳየው መልካም ባህሪ ተገምግሞ ለአንድ እስረኛ ከተፈረደበት አመት ተቀንሶ እንዲወጣ ይደረጋል:: ከቤተሰብ ያገኘነው መረጃ እንደሚያስረዳው ከሆነ ለርዕዮት አለሙ ሊሰጣት የነበረው የአመክሮ ቅፅ “ከጥፋቴ ታርሜያለሁ” የሚል ነው::

ከዚህ በፊትም “አጥፍቻለሁ ይቅርታ ይደረግልኝ” ተብሎ በፕሬዘዳንቱ አማካኝነት የሚደረገውን ሂደት ሳትቀበለው ቀርታ የይቅርታ ደብዳቤ አለማገባቷ ይታወሳል:: አሁን በቅርቡ ማድረግ የሚቻለውን “አመክሮ” ተቀብላ ቢሆን ኖሮ አሁን ከ እስር የምትወጣበት ወቅት እንደነበር ከቤተሰብ አካባቢ ያገኘነው ምንጭ አረጋግጧል::ጋዜጠኛ ርዕዮት አለሙን በዚህ ጉዳይ ያነጋገራት ከፌደራል ማረሚያ ቤቶች ኤጀንሲ የመጣ ሰው ነበር:: በውይይታቸው ወቅት “ከጥፋቴ ታርሜያለሁ” የሚለውን አባባል ለመቀበል አልቻለችም:: ምክንያቱም ሃሳቧን በጽሁፍ ስለገለጸች ነው “አሸባሪ” ተብላ የታሰረችው:: ከፌደራል ማረሚያ ቤቶች ኤጀንሲ የመጣውም ሰው “እንግዲያው አንቺ ከጥፋቴ ታርሜያለሁ” ብለሽ የማትፈርሚ ከሆነ እኛም አመክሮ አንሰጥሽም ብሏታል::

Ethiopia issues unfamiliar investor warning over war and famine

Ethiopia issues unfamiliar investor warning over war and famine

Every country tapping the global sovereign bond market details the dangers investors face in its prospectus, often in a boilerplate section enumerating possible problems – such as fiscal deficits or taxation issues – that is largely ignored.

But the document sent by Ethiopia to international investors ahead of its foray into the global sovereign bond market is somewhat different. Far from a boilerplate, it includes a list of unfamiliar hazards, such as famine, political tension and war.

The document, seen by the Financial Times, is a sobering reminder of the risk of investing in one of Africa’s less developed nations. With gross domestic product per capita at less than $550 per year, Ethiopia is the poorest country yet to issue global bonds.

In the 108-page prospectus, issued ahead of its expected $1bn bond, Ethiopia tells investors they need 
to consider the potential resumption of the Eritrea-Ethiopia war, which ended in 2000, although it “does not anticipate future conflict”.

There is also the risk of famine, the “high level of poverty” and strained public finances, as well as the possible, if unlikely, blocking of the country’s only access to the sea through neighbouring Djibouti should relations between the two countries sour.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, also warns that it is ranked close to the bottom of the UN Human Development Index – 173rd out of 187 nations – and cautions about the possibility of political turmoil. “The next general election is due to take place in May 2015 and while the government expects these elections to be peaceful, there is a risk that political tension and unrest . . . may occur.”

But the long list of risks is not deterring investors, as ultra-low interest rates in the US, the UK, eurozone and Japan push sovereign wealth funds and pension funds into riskier countries in search of higher-yielding bonds.

Instead, some investors are focusing on the danger of a currency crisis. Addis Ababa has devalued its currency, the birr, twice over the past five years – by 23.7 per cent in 2010 and 16.5 per cent in 2011 – in an effort to win export competitiveness. Since then, the Ethiopian central bank has managed to slow the currency’s depreciation by intervening regularly in the market.

Addis Ababa has now told potential investors that “it may not be possible for the National Bank of Ethiopia to manage the exchange rate as effectively in the future as it has in the past” because of reduced hard currency reserves.

The country has reserves to cover only 2.2 months’ worth of imports – almost half the 4.3 months it had in 2010-11. “Failure to manage a steadily depreciating exchange rate may adversely affect Ethiopia’s economy . . . [and its] ability to perform obligations under” the bonds, it says.

The prospectus also reveals for the first time details of Ethiopia’s heavy dependence on Chinese loans to finance its infrastructure investment. Credit lines from China and Chinese entities accounted for 42 per cent of all external loan disbursements in 2013-14, and for 69 per cent in 2012-13.

“China has emerged as a key development partner,” the prospectus says, “often providing sizeable financing tied to infrastructure projects undertaken by Chinese firms.” Among those, telecoms groups ZTE and Huawei and a company the prospectus names as China Electric Power have lent Ethiopia more than $2bn over the past few years.

Lazard, the investment bank advising Addis Ababa on financial matters, declined to comment. The Ethiopian government did not respond to a request for comment. Investors said the bond was expected to price later this week at between 6 and 7 per cent.

finacial times

Saudi Billionaire to Invest $100 Million in Ethiopian Farm

Dec 3rd, 2014 · 0 Comment

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Bloomberg News

By William Davison December 03, 2014

Saudi Star Agricultural Development Plc, an Ethiopian company owned by billionaire Mohamed al-Amoudi, said it plans to invest $100 million in a rice farm in western Ethiopia next year to kick-start the stalled project.

Employees of Saudi Star rice farm work in a paddy in Gambella. Photographer:
Jenny Vaughan/AFP via Getty Images

The company leased 10,000 hectares (24,711 acres) in the Abobo district in the Gambella region, where it’s based, in 2008 and bought the 4,000-hectare Abobo Agricultural Development Enterprise from the government 18 months ago for 80 million birr ($4 million). After delays caused by unsuitable irrigation design and contractor performance issues, Saudi Star wants to accelerate work in 2015 after a change of management, a redesign of the farm and a successful trial of rain-fed rice on 2,000 hectares at the formerly government-owned operation, Chief Executive Officer Jemal Ahmed said by phone.

“We have a very aggressive plan,” he said on Nov. 26 from Jimma, about 260 kilometers (162 miles) southwest of the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. “If we’re able to do that we’ll be able to produce more.”

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The project is part of a government plan formalized in 2010 to establish commercial farms on 3.3 million hectares of fertile land in sparsely populated parts of the country such as Gambella. Ethiopia expected to earn $6.6 billion a year from agriculture exports in 2015, according to a five-year economic plan published in 2010, though total goods exports last fiscal year brought in $3.3 billion.

Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said in October 2013 that progress on the program had been “very slow.”

Billionaire Investor

Ethiopia-born al-Amoudi is worth $8.1 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which ranks him as the world’s 157th richest person. His company built underground oil-storage facilities in Saudi Arabia and he owns Preem AB, Sweden’s largest crude oil refiner. Al-Amoudi is increasingly investing in formerly government-owned farms in Ethiopia, a nation where companies under his Midroc group operate the only commercial gold mine and built the largest cement plant in 2011.

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Saudi Star’s $100 million investment will focus primarily on building irrigation infrastructure, including finishing the main canal from the more than 25-year-old Alwero Dam built by Soviet engineers, as well as a rice de-husking plant, storage silos and land clearing, according to Jemal.

An initial plan to have the farm divided into 3.75-hectare plots to produce rice from submerged paddy fields has been shelved as unworkable, he said. Only 350 hectares has been developed since 2008 on the land leased for 300,000 Ethiopian birr ($14,908) a year.

Economically Unviable

“It was not environmentally and economically viable, that’s why they were struggling, so we stopped that,” Jemal said. “We want to make it large-scale flood irrigation, not small ponds.”

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Saudi Star’s revenue is

forecast

 to be about $60 million in 2016 once the irrigation system is developed, with 60 percent of the aromatic rice exported mainly to Arab nations on the Persian Gulf, Jemal said.

Hampering current harvesting are late rains and, for two days in October, unrest in Abobo town after violence between ethnic Anuak, who are indigenous to Gambella, and other Ethiopians. The company has Ethiopian soldiers guarding its compound and about 100 stationed nearby. Two Pakistanis and three Ethiopians employed by Ghulam Rasool & Co., a closely held Pakistani engineering company building the irrigation canal, died in April 2012 after an attack by a group of gunmen.

Security Addressed

The government has “taken care” of security issues, farm manager Bedilu Abera said while seated in one of the air-conditioned trailers that are now Saudi Star’s headquarters after they were moved from Addis Ababa.

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Anywaa Survival Organization, a Reading, U.K.-based rights group, said in an Oct. 14 statement that land leases in Gambella have fueled conflict.

“The rush for land, water and other essential natural resources has become a curse for indigenous and minority peoples who barely have legal protection and redress,” it said.

Saudi Star says only two Anuak villages of huts with sweeping grass roofs lie just outside the project’s boundaries in deep forest. Some local residents complain they’ve not benefited from the investment and that they suffer collective punishment by the military.

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“They used to kill people from the village,” Akea Ojullo, a 27-year old teacher, said in a Nov. 23 interview in Perbong village. “It got worse after the attack on Saudi Star,” he said.

‘Wrong Project’

The company plans to work with local residents by investing in workers, distributing rice and plowing land for them. “We know we’re creating job opportunities, transforming skills, training local indigenous Anuak, but there’s a campaign to have people perceive it as a wrong project,” Jemal said.

The farm still has the backing of officials, even though progress has been slow, Jemal said.

“The government wants the project to be a success and see more Gambella people be able to work and produce more,” he said. “That’s the big hope.”

Large, complex projects like Saudi Star’s need many years to produce results, Gambella President Gatluak Tut Khot said in an interview in Gambella town.

“We are not disappointed about the operation because we know that agricultural operations are very difficult,” he said. “We are giving them time in order to correct every mistake, overcome every obstacle, every challenge they face.”

The agreement between Sudan n Ethiopia to weaken the opposition is started.

November 23, 2014 (EL-DABBA) – Sudanese authorities and popular bodies have evacuated two thousands Ethiopian nationals from the locality of El-Dabba in the Northern state following discovery of several Hepatitis and AIDS cases among them.

The commissioner of El-Dabba locality, Isam Abdel-Rahman, told Sudan Tribune that the security committee in the state conducted a random medical examination for several foreigners, saying 6 of the 15 Ethiopian nationals who were examined tested positive for Hepatitis C.

He added that another sample containing 54 Ethiopian nationals showed that 5 of them tested positive for the disease, saying they decided to transfer them to the capital, Khartoum and hand them over to the police department of passports and immigration to take the necessary action.

A source within the popular body El-Dabba Development Authority said the random examination revealed that 12 Ethiopians are infected with Hepatitis C while 2 others have tested positive for AIDS, pointing that residents of El-Dabba embarked on collecting signatures to remove foreigners from the locality.

The commissioner said that nearly 2000 foreigners had left the locality, adding there are only 10 foreigners currently residing in El-Dabba.

Eyewitnesses told Sudan Tribune that dozens of Ethiopians were seen leaving El-Dabba locality to Khartoum, saying that few of them are waiting to sell their household appliance before they leave.

The commissioner further pointed the local authorities put in place new measures requiring undergoing medical examination before hiring any foreigner worker.

Sudanese towns have recently seen large influx of illegal Ethiopian workers who enter the country through the porous border with Ethiopia.

source: http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article53124 

Be honest !!

Not even 3 months ago Ethiopian Government says that Ethiopia harvested 50 million tones of ...... and today anther unbelievable news government begins negotiation for Wheat supply with a foreign Company. the report and the truth in the ground un much as usual, .

Today Oil drop by 27%  since June which is good. the question dose we see the price change in Ethiopia? i don't think so because, from my experience the price of goods n services in Ethiopia once  inclined  never ever look back(declined). actually it's a very bad news for Oil exporter including  Russia, oil has a big impact in Russia economy. for the last 14 years around 52% of Russian economy depend on Oil and Gas and already lost $2b.