The Ethiopian Messenger 19 - March 2021-May 2021

H.E. Ambassador Hirut Zemene Presents Her Letters of Credence to the Grand Duke of Luxembourg and to the European Council President H.E. Ambassadeur Hirut Zemene overhandigt haar geloofsbrieven aan de groothertog van Luxemburg en de voorzitter van de Europese Raad

S.E. l’ambassadrice Hirut Zemene présente ses lettres de créance au Grand-Duc de Luxembourg et au Président du Conseil européen Politics

Election

Tourism

H.E. Hirut Zemene, Ambassador of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to Belgium, Luxembourg and EU Institutions, presented her letters of credence to the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, His Royal Highness Henri, and to the President of the European Council, H.E

Beginning from February to March 2021, 46 national and local political parties, and 125 independent candidates have been registered to participate in the national election.

Ethiopia is endowed with wide variety of tourism potentials which include allin-one tourism, i.e., historical, religious, cultural, natural, and adventurous destinations. Ethiopia is the only African country that has its own alphabet (Geez) and calendar.

Mr. Charles Michel.

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Simien Mountains National Park Source: Ehiopia Land of Orign

ውድ አንባቢያን

Dear Readers,

መልእክተ- ኢትዮጵያ በ19ኛ እትሙ በሀገራችን እንዲሁም በኤምባሲያችን ባለፉት ሶስት ወራት የተከናወኑ አንኳር ጉዳዮች ላይ የተለያዩ ጹሁፎች ይዞ ለአንባቢያን ቀርቧል።

The 19th issue of the Ethiopian Messenger will focus on the Embassy’s activities and Ethiopia’s major engagements in the past three months.

በቅድሚያ ክብርት አምባሳደር ሂሩት ዘመነ ካሳ የሹመት ደብዳቤያቸውን ለሉክሰምበርግ መስፍን ሄንሪ እና ለአውሮፓ ካውንስል ፕሬዝዳንት ክቡር ቻርልስ ሚሼል ማቅረባቸውን የተመለከተ ጹሑፍ ቀርቧል።

The cover story deals with the presentation of letters of credence of H.E. Ambassador Hirut Zemene Kassa to His Royal Highness Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and H.E. Charles Michel, President of the European Council.

በማስከተል በሀገራችን በመጪው ሰኔ ወር 2013 ዓ.ም የሚካሄደውን ሀገራዊ ምርጫ ላይ ያተኮረ ጹሑፍ ቀርቧል። በመቀጠል በሀገራችን የመስኖ ስንዴ ምርትን በማሳደግ ራስን ለመቻል የሚስችል ፕሮጀክት ተነድፎ እየተሰራ ያለውን እንቅስቃሴ የሚያሳይ ጹሑፍም ተካቷል። በኢኮኖሚ ዲፕሎማሲ ረገድም በሚሲዮናችን እና በኢትዮጵያ አየር መንገድ ቤኔሉክስ አካባቢ ጽ/ቤት ጋር በጋራ በመሆን ኢትዮጵያ ያላትን የቱሪዝም አቅምና የቱሪስቶች ተመራጭ መዳረሻነትዋን ለቤልጂየም እና ለሉክሰምበርግ የባላድርሻ አካላት ለማስተዋወቅ በበይነ መረብ የቱሪዝም ኩነት መካሄዱን የተመለከተ ጹሑፍ በመጽሔቱ ውስጥ ተካቷል፡፡

The issue also covers the upcoming Ethiopian national election in June 2021.

The commitment of the government to boost irrigated wheat production and achieve wheat self-sufficiency will also feature.

On economic diplomacy, a recent virtual tourism promotion event hosted by the embassy will be the main focus.

“News in brief” column will cover major news stories in the past three months related to Ethiopia.

በመጨረሻም ባለፉት ሶስት ወራቶች ኢትዮጵያን በሚመለከት የወጡ አንኳር ዜናዎች ተጠናቅሮ ቀርበዋል፡፡

We hope you enjoy this issue of the Ethiopian Messenger.

መልካም ንባብ!

The Editorial Team

የአርትኦት ኮሚቴ

Content 1. H.E. Ambassador Hirut Zemene Presents Her Letters of credence to the Grand Duke of Luxembourg and to the European Council President

H.E. Ambassadeur Hirut Zemene overhandigt haar geloofsbrieven aan de groothertog

van Luxemburg en de voorzitter van de Europese Raad

S.E. l’ambassadrice Hirut Zemene présente ses lettres de créance au Grand-Duc de

Luxembourg et au Président du Conseil européen

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2. Ethiopians to Go to Polls in June 2021 10

Ethiopiërs gaan in juni 2021 naar de stembus

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Les Éthiopiens se rendront aux urnes en juin 2021 14 3. Ethiopia to Boost Irrigated Wheat Production

Ethiopië wil geïrrigeerde tarweproductie opvoeren

L’Éthiopie va stimuler la production de blé irrigué

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4. Ethiopia: A Destination with Rich Variety of Attractions

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5. News in brief 24

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Politics

H.E. Ambassador Hirut Zemene Presents Her Letters of credence to the Grand Duke of Luxembourg and to the European Council President

Ambassador Hirut and His Royal Highness Henri, presenting her credentials.

(Photo credit: Luxembourgish palace).

H.E. Hirut Zemene, Ambassador of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to Belgium, Luxembourg and EU Institutions, presented her letters of credence to the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, His Royal Highness Henri, in a ceremony organized at the Grand Ducal Palace, Luxembourg on April 21, 2021.

On the occasion, H.E. Ambassador Hirut and His Royal Highness exchanged views on the longstanding relations that the two countries have been enjoying for close to a century. His Royal Highness has expressed wishes Ethiopia will succeed in its reforms and overcome its internal challenges. On the occasion, Ambassador Hirut briefed His Royal Highness about the upcoming national election, the efforts to maintain peace and security and address humanitarian challenges in the country.

His Royal Highness also mentioned the importance of strengthening economic ties between the two countries. Her Excellency expressed to His Royal Highness her readiness to work in further deepening the relations between the two countries.

During her stay in Luxembourg, H.E. Ambassador Hirut Zemene had an extensive engagement with various officials aiming to strengthening the existing relations and cooperation between the two countries. To this end, she met and discussed with H.E. Franz Fayot, Minister of the Development and Economy of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Mr. Tom Reisen, Head of the Sub-Saharan Division and Deputy Director of Political Affairs of Ministry of foreign and European Affairs of Luxembourg, Ms. Cindy Thereba, Director of International Affairs of Chamber of Commerce of Luxembourg. During her meeting with the various of-

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fices, H.E. Ambassador Hirut had a fruitful exchange on various issues including the existing bilateral ties and ways to strengthen the relations further, trade and investment and the private sector, the current situation in Ethiopia as well as the ongoing negotiation on the Ethiopian Great Renaissance Dam (GERD) and the upcoming elections in Ethiopia. She also exchanged views with Mr. Diederick Zambon, Head of Division for Africa in European Investment Bank (EIB) and his team on microfinance for women entrepreneurship, status of existing project implementation and collaboration with the private sector in particular through private equity investment.

Photo credit: The Embassy of Ethiopia in Brussels.

Ambassador Hirut and H.E. Franz Fayot.

(Photo credit: The Embassy of Ethiopia in Brussels).

Ambassador Hirut and her team with Mr. Tom Reisen.

(Photo credit: The Embassy of Ethiopia in Brussels).

Ambassador Hirut and her team with European Investment Bank representatives (Photo credit: The Embassy of Ethiopia in Brussels).

Ambassador Hirut and Mrs. Henoke Courte, Honorary consul of Ethiopia in Luxembourg (Photo credit: The Embassy of Ethiopia in Brussels).

Ambassador Hirut has concluded her mission to Luxembourg with a fresh look on various areas of cooperation that could be promoted for mutual benefits.

Ambassador Hirut and Ms. Cindy Thereba.

(Photo credit: The Embassy of Ethiopia in Brussels).

Similarly, H.E Ambassador Hirut Zemene presented her letters of credence that accredited her to the EU and its institutions to His Excellency Mr. Charles Michel, President of the European Council on February 11, 2021.

Ambassador Hirut and H.E. Mr. Charles Michel, presenting her credentials.

(Photo credit: European Council).

On the occasion, Ambassador Hirut Zemene had an opportunity to exchange views with President Michel on EU-Ethiopia relations including the current situation in the country.

President Michel has expressed the EU’s support to the ongoing reform in Ethiopia and his wish to see the resolution of the existing humanitarian and related issues in Ethiopia.

Ambassador Hirut has had a chance to brief President Michel about the ongoing humanitarian efforts to address the needy population and undertakings in the reform in Ethiopia including about the upcoming election.

Ethiopia and the European Union enjoy a relationship for more than half a century, and the two have signed a “towards strategic partnership” framework in 2016 to elevate their relationship to strategic partnership level.

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H.E. Ambassadeur Hirut Zemene overhandigt haar geloofsbrieven aan de groothertog van Luxemburg en de voorzitter van de Europese Raad

Ambassadeur Hirut Zemene overhandigt haar geloofsbrieven aan Zijne Koninklijke Hoogheid Henri.

(Foto credit: Luxemburgs paleis).

H.E. Hirut Zemene, ambassadeur van de Federale Democratische Republiek Ethiopië bij België, Luxemburg en de EU-instellingen, overhandigde haar geloofsbrieven aan de groothertog van Luxemburg, Zijne Koninklijke Hoogheid Henri, tijdens een ceremonie die op 21 april 2021 werd georganiseerd in het groothertogelijk paleis in Luxemburg.

Bij deze gelegenheid hebben H.E. Ambassadeur Hirut Zemene en Zijne Koninklijke Hoogheid van gedachten gewisseld over de langdurige betrekkingen die beide landen al bijna een eeuw onderhouden. Zijne Koninklijke Hoogheid heeft de wens uitgesproken dat Ethiopië zal slagen in zijn hervormingen en zijn interne uitdagingen zal overwinnen. H.E. Ambassadeur Hirut Zemene informeerde Zijne Koninklijke Hoogheid over de komende nationale verkiezingen, de inspanningen om vrede en veiligheid te handhaven en de humanitaire uitdagingen in het land aan te pakken. Zijne Koninklijke Hoogheid wees ook op het belang van de versterking van de economische banden tussen de twee landen. Hare Excellentie sprak tegenover Zijne Koninklijke Hoogheid haar bereidheid uit om mee te werken aan de verdere verdieping van de betrekkingen tussen de twee landen.

Tijdens haar verblijf in Luxemburg, heeft H.E. Ambassadeur Hirut Zemene had een uitgebreide ontmoeting met verschillende functionarissen met als doel de bestaande betrekkingen en samenwerking tussen de twee landen te versterken. Daartoe had zij een ontmoeting en bespreking met Franz Fayot, minister van Ontwikkeling en Economie van het Groothertogdom Luxemburg, Tom Reisen, afdelingshoofd Sub-Sahara en adjunct-directeur van Politieke Zaken van het ministerie van Buitenlandse en Europese Zaken van Luxemburg, Cindy Thereba, directeur Internationale Zaken van de Kamer van Koophandel van Luxemburg.

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Tijdens haar ontmoeting met de verschillende bureaus had Z.E. Ambassadeur Hirut Zemene een vruchtbare gedachtewisseling over diverse kwesties, waaronder de bestaande bilaterale banden en manieren om de betrekkingen verder te versterken, handel en investeringen en de particuliere sector, de huidige situatie in Ethiopië alsmede de lopende onderhandelingen over de Ethiopische Grote Renaissancedam (GERD) en de komende verkiezingen in Ethiopië. Ook wisselde zij van gedachten met Diederick Zambon, afdelingshoofd Afrika van de Europese Investeringsbank (EIB) en zijn team over microfinanciering voor vrouwelijk ondernemerschap, de stand van zaken bij de uitvoering van bestaande projecten en de samenwerking met de particuliere sector, met name door middel van private equity-investeringen.

Foto credit: De Ambassade van Ethiopië in Brussel.

Ambassadeur Hirut Zemene en Franz Fayot.

(Foto credit: De Ambassade van Ethiopië in Brussel).

Ambassadeur Hirut Zemene en haar team met Tom Reisen.

(Foto credit: De Ambassade van Ethiopië in Brussel).

Ambassadeur Hirut Zemene en haar team met vertegenwoordigers van de Europese Investeringsbank (Foto: De Ambassade van Ethiopië in Brussel).

Ambassadeur Hirut Zemene en Henoke Courte, Honorair Consul van Ethiopië in Luxemburg.

(Foto credit: De Ambassade van Ethiopië in Brussel).

H.E. Ambassadeur Hirut Zemene heeft haar missie naar Luxemburg afgesloten met een frisse blik op verschillende gebieden van samenwerking die tot wederzijds voordeel kunnen worden bevorderd.

Ambassadeur Hirut Zemene en Cindy Thereba.

(Foto credit: De Ambassade van Ethiopië in Brussel).

Ook heeft H.E. Ambassadeur Hirut Zemene op 11 februari 2021 aan Charles Michel, voorzitter van de Europese Raad, haar geloofsbrieven overhandigd waarin zij wordt geaccrediteerd bij de EU en haar instellingen.

H.E. Ambassadeur Hirut Zemene presenteert haar geloofsbrieven aan Charles Michel.

(Foto credit: Europese Raad).

Bij die gelegenheid heeft ambassadeur Hirut Zemene met president Michel van gedachten kunnen wisselen over de betrekkingen tussen de EU en Ethiopië, met inbegrip van de huidige situatie in Ethiopië.

President Michel heeft verklaard dat de EU de lopende hervormingen in Ethiopië steunt en wenst dat er een oplossing komt voor de humanitaire en aanverwante problemen in Ethiopië.

Ambassadeur Hirut Zemene heeft de gelegenheid gehad om president Michel in te lichten over de lopende humanitaire inspanningen ten be-

hoeve van de noodlijdende bevolking en over de toezeggingen in het kader van de hervormingen in Ethiopië, met inbegrip van de komende verkiezingen.

Ethiopië en de Europese Unie onderhouden al meer dan een halve eeuw betrekkingen, en de twee hebben in 2016 een overeenkomst ondertekend om hun relatie op het niveau van een strategisch partnerschap te brengen.

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S.E. l’ambassadrice Hirut Zemene présente ses lettres de créance au Grand-Duc de Luxembourg et au Président du Conseil européen

L’ambassadrice Hirut Zemene présentant ses lettres de créance à Son Altesse Royale Henri.

(Crédit photo : Palais luxembourgeois).

S.E. Hirut Zemene, ambassadrice de la République fédérale démocratique d’Éthiopie auprès de la Belgique, du Luxembourg et des institutions de l’UE, a remis ses lettres de créance au Grand-Duc de Luxembourg, Son Altesse Royale Henri, lors d’une cérémonie organisée au Palais grand-ducal, à Luxembourg, le 21 avril 2021. À cette occasion, S.E. l’ambassadrice Hirut Zemene et Son Altesse Royale ont échangé leurs vues sur les relations de longue date que les deux pays entretiennent depuis près d’un siècle. Son Altesse Royale a exprimé le souhait que l’Éthiopie réussisse ses réformes et surmonte ses défis internes. À cette occasion, l’ambassadrice Hirut Zemene a informé Son Altesse Royale des prochaines élections nationales, des efforts déployés pour maintenir la paix et la sécurité et pour relever les défis humanitaires dans le pays. Son Altesse Royale a également mentionné l’importance de renforcer les liens économiques entre les deux pays. Son Excellence a exprimé à Son Altesse Royale sa volonté de travailler à l’approfondissement des relations entre les deux pays.

Lors de son séjour au Luxembourg, S.E. l’ambassadrice Hirut Zemene a eu un entretien approfondi avec divers responsables en vue de renforcer la coopération et les relations existantes entre les deux pays. À cette fin, elle a rencontré et discuté avec Franz Fayot, Ministre du Développement et de l’Economie du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg, Tom Reisen, Chef de la Division sub-saharienne et Directeur adjoint des Affaires politiques du ministère des Affaires étrangères et européennes du Luxembourg, Cindy Thereba, Directrice des Affaires internationales de la Chambre de Commerce du Luxembourg. Lors de ces différentes ren-

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contres, S.E. l’ambassadrice Hirut Zemene a eu un échange fructueux sur diverses questions, notamment les liens bilatéraux existants et les moyens de les renforcer davantage dans les domaines du commerce, des investissements et du secteur privé, la situation actuelle en Éthiopie ainsi que les négociations en cours sur le barrage de la grande renaissance éthiopienne (GERD) et les prochaines élections. Elle a également eu un échange de vues avec Diederick Zambon, chef de division pour l’Afrique à la Banque européenne d’investissement (BEI) et son équipe sur la microfinance pour l’entreprenariat féminin, l’état d’avancement de la mise en œuvre des projets existants et la collaboration avec le secteur privé, en particulier par le biais d’investissements en fonds propres.

Crédit photo : L’ambassade d’Éthiopie à Bruxelles.

L’ambassadrice Hirut Zemene et Franz Fayot (Crédit photo : Ambassade d’Éthiopie à Bruxelles).

L’ambassadrice Hirut Zemene et son équipe avec Tom Reisen.

(Crédit photo : Ambassade d’Éthiopie à Bruxelles).

L’ambassadrice Hirut Zemene et son équipe avec des représentants de la Banque européenne d’investissement (Crédit photo : Ambassade d’Éthiopie à Bruxelles).

L’ambassadrice Hirut Zemene et Henoke Courte, Consul honoraire d’Éthiopie au Luxembourg.

(Crédit photo : Ambassade d’Éthiopie à Bruxelles).

L’ambassadrice Hirut Zemene a conclu sa mission au Luxembourg avec un regard neuf sur les différents domaines de coopération qui pourraient être promus et engendrer des bénéfices mutuels.

L’ambassadrice Hirut Zemene et Cindy Thereba (Crédit photo : Ambassade d’Éthiopie à Bruxelles).

Aussi, S.E. l’ambassadrice Hirut Zemene a présenté ses lettres de créance qui l’accrédite auprès de l’UE et de ses institutions à Charles Michel, Président du Conseil européen, le 11 février 2021.

L’ambassadrice Hirut Zemene présentant ses lettres de créance à Charles Michel (Crédit photo : Conseil européen).

À cette occasion, S.E. l’ambassadrice Hirut Zemene a eu l’opportunité de procéder à un échange de vues avec Charles Michel sur les relations entre l’UE et l’Éthiopie, notamment sur la situation actuelle dans ce pays.

Charles Michel a exprimé le soutien de l’UE à la réforme en cours en Éthiopie et son souhait de voir la résolution des problèmes humanitaires et connexes existants en Éthiopie.

L’ambassadrice Hirut Zemene a eu l’occasion d’informer le Président

du Conseil des efforts humanitaires en cours pour répondre aux besoins de la population et des engagements pris dans le cadre de la réforme en Éthiopie, notamment en ce qui concerne les prochaines élections.

L’Éthiopie et l’Union européenne entretiennent des liens depuis plus d’un demi-siècle, et les deux parties ont signé un accord-cadre en 2016 afin d’élever leurs relations au rang de partenariat stratégique.

May 2021 9

Election

Ethiopians to Go to Polls in June 2021 Ethiopia is one of the few African countries which has a very long history of constitutional practice. However, its experience on holding a multiparty election is not that aged as its constitutional practice.

Source: wantedinafrica.com Ethiopia is one of the few African countries which has a very long history of constitutional practice. However, its experience on holding a multiparty election is not that aged as its constitutional practice.

In 1995, Ethiopia was able to hold the first multiparty elections in its history after two decades of military dictatorship and civil war. Henceforth, Ethiopia held five general elections. Those elections featured mixed characteristics in terms of competitiveness, fairness, and their level of public participation. Few of them showcased unprecedented participation by opposition parties and independent candidates and an unmatched level of political debate in the country. However, most of the past elections in Ethiopia had been characterized by the dominance of the ruling party-EPRDF. Following the 2015 general elections, which once again experienced the complete domination of federal and local powers by the ruling party, Ethiopia got into a political turmoil that created a huge threat to the constitutional order of the country. Many argue that the absence of a diversified representation of ideas in the parliament was among the causes of the violent protest that erupted across the country and finally led to change of government due to the resignation of the then Prime Minister of Ethiopia, H.E. Hailemariam Desalegn.

In April 2018, H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali became the chairman of the ruling party and Prime Minister of the country. Since taking office, the Prime Minister initiated many reforms. In the political sphere, the reforms mainly aimed at widening the political space and build a solid institutional and legal foundation for enhancing the democratization process by amending the existing laws and regulations and introducing

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new ones. Furthermore, the government of Ethiopia has initiated profound reforms to establish a free and fair electoral system.

To this end, the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has been reorganized in a manner that enables it to conduct a transparent system.

The Board has revised the electoral law, paving the way for an election that is transparent, free, peaceful, democratic, and acceptable by the people. The Prime Minister has also appointed Ms. Birtukan Mideksa, a former oposition party leader and a political prisoner, as Chairperson of the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia, a move that demonstrated the government’s commitment to create a participatory and inclusive system towards making the upcoming elections free, fair, and democratic.

Ms. Birtukan Mideksa swearing in as the head of Ethiopia’s National Election Board.

(Photo credit: PMO, Ethiopia)

Ethiopia was slated to hold the 6th national and local elections in August 2020, when the world was struck by the covid-19 pandemic. This has led to the postponement of the elections, as promulgated by the Ethiopian parliament, until the time enough resilience is created to fight the pandemic. Within months, as the public’s awareness about the means of transmission of the coronavirus as well as the capabilities created in the country to fight the pandemic increased, the Ethiopian parliament passed a decision to hold the election by strictly adhering to the rules and regulations outlined by the Ministry of Health.

After undertaking extensive discussion with various concerned bodies on the preliminary election schedule, the National Election Board of Ethiopia unveiled the timetable for the 6th general election. Accordingly, the national elections will be held in June 2021. Due to the current circumstances in the Tigray region, election has to be postponed to future schedule where an enabling environment will be created to do so.

In his recent address to the regional Presidents of Ethiopia and the National Election Board leadership, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has expressed government’s commitment to holding a free, fair, democratic, and peaceful election. “Elections are a demonstration of building a democratic culture in which differences are addressed through the ballot and not by the bullet. Through the voting process, citizens exercise agency and actively participate in the building of a democratic process.” He said. Citing that the upcoming elections are consequential in Ethiopia’s democratization process, he urged all stakeholders to do their utmost in delivering on a successful and peaceful election.

Ethiopia follows a parliamentary democratic system where the Prime Minster will be elected from the party that won the majority seat in its lower house- the house of people’s representatives which has five hundred fourty seven seats.

Beginning from February to March 2021, 46 national and local political parties, and 125 independent candidates have been registered to participate in the election. These political parties have commenced their preparation; thus, most of them, including the incumbent, have unveiled their political manifesto, and kicked off election campaigns. Voters registration has also been finalized.

International and domestic civic society organizations that showed interest to play an observer role are registered and licensed by the NEBE. So far, 36 domestic Civil Society organizations and 134,109 observers have been licensed.

Even though the election atmosphere has been overshadowed by the surge in the spread of the pandemic, the public and competing political parties are demonstrating on determination to see the light at the end of the tunnel. As it will be the first general election to be held in the post-reform period, undoubtedly, the world’s eye would be on Ethiopia.

The upcoming election would be an opportune moment to consolidate the reform process in the country.

Source: National Election Board of Ethiopia

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Ethiopiërs gaan in juni 2021 naar de stembus Ethiopië is een van de weinige Afrikaanse landen met een zeer lange geschiedenis van constitutionele praktijk. De ervaring met meerpartijenverkiezingen is echter niet zo oud als de constitutionele praktijk.

Source: wantedinafrica.com Ethiopië is een van de weinige Afrikaanse landen met een zeer lange geschiedenis van constitutionele praktijk. De ervaring met meerpartijenverkiezingen is echter niet zo oud als de constitutionele praktijk.

In 1995 kon Ethiopië de eerste meerpartijenverkiezingen in zijn geschiedenis houden na twee decennia van militaire dictatuur en burgeroorlog. Sindsdien heeft Ethiopië vijf algemene verkiezingen gehouden.

Die verkiezingen vertoonden gemengde kenmerken wat concurrentievermogen, eerlijkheid en mate van publieksparticipatie betreft. Enkele verkiezingen werden gekenmerkt door een nooit eerder geziene deelname van oppositiepartijen en onafhankelijke kandidaten en door een ongeëvenaard niveau van politiek debat in het land. De meeste verkiezingen in Ethiopië werden echter gekenmerkt door de dominantie van de regeringspartij-EPRDF (Ethiopisch Volksrevolutionair Democratisch Front).

Na de algemene verkiezingen van 2015, waarbij de regeringspartij opnieuw de federale en lokale macht volledig in handen had, kwam Ethiopië in een politieke beroering terecht die een enorme bedreiging vormde voor de constitutionele orde van het land. Volgens velen was het ontbreken van een gediversifieerde vertegenwoordiging van ideeën in het parlement een van de oorzaken van het gewelddadige protest dat in het hele land losbarstte en uiteindelijk leidde tot een regeringswisseling als gevolg van het aftreden van de toenmalige premier van Ethiopië, Hailemariam Desalegn.

In april 2018 werd Abiy Ahmed Ali de voorzitter van de regeringspartij en premier van het land. Sinds zijn aantreden heeft de premier vele hervormingen in gang gezet. Op politiek gebied waren de hervormingen

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vooral gericht op het vergroten van de politieke ruimte en het bouwen van een solide institutionele en juridische basis voor het versterken van het democratiseringsproces door het wijzigen van de bestaande wet- en regelgeving en het invoeren van nieuwe. Voorts heeft de regering van Ethiopië ingrijpende hervormingen op gang gebracht om een vrij en eerlijk kiesstelsel tot stand te brengen.

Daartoe is de Nationale Kiesraad van Ethiopië (NEBE) gereorganiseerd op een wijze die hem in staat stelt een transparant systeem te hanteren.

De raad heeft de kieswet herzien, waardoor de weg is geëffend voor transparante, vrije, vreedzame en democratische verkiezingen die door de bevolking worden aanvaard. De eerste minister heeft ook Birtukan Mideksa, een voormalige politieke gevangene die in ballingschap leefde, benoemd tot voorzitter van de nationale kiesraad van Ethiopië, een stap waaruit blijkt dat de regering vastbesloten is een participatief en inclusief systeem te creëren om de komende verkiezingen vrij, eerlijk en democratisch te laten verlopen.

Birtukan Mideksa beëdiging hoofd van de Nationale Kiesraad van Ethiopië.

(Foto credit: PMO, Ethiopië)

Ethiopië zou in augustus 2020 de zesde nationale en lokale verkiezingen houden, toen de wereld werd getroffen door de covid-19-pandemie.

Dit heeft geleid tot het uitstellen van de verkiezingen, zoals afgekondigd door het Ethiopische parlement, tot het moment waarop voldoende veerkracht is bereikt om de pandemie te bestrijden. Binnen enkele maanden, naarmate het publiek zich meer bewust werd van de wijze van overdracht van het coronavirus en van de in het land gecreëerde mogelijkheden om de pandemie te bestrijden, nam het Ethiopische parlement een besluit om de verkiezingen te houden door zich strikt te houden aan de regels en voorschriften die door het ministerie van Volksgezondheid waren opgesteld.

Na uitvoerige besprekingen met diverse betrokken instanties over het voorlopige verkiezingsschema heeft de nationale kiesraad van Ethiopië het tijdschema voor de zesde algemene verkiezing bekendgemaakt.

Dienovereenkomistig zullen er in juni 2021 nationale verkiezingen worden gehouden. Vanwege de huidige omstandigheden in de regio Tigray moeten de verkiezingen worden uitgesteld tot een later tijdstip waarop een gunstig klimaat daarvoor zal worden geschapen.

In de periode februari-maart 2021 zijn 46 nationale en lokale politieke partijen en 125 onafhankelijke kandidaten geregistreerd voor deelname aan de verkiezingen. Deze politieke partijen zijn begonnen met hun voorbereidingen; zo hebben de meeste van hen, met inbegrip van de zittende partij, hun politieke manifest onthuld en een begin gemaakt met de verkiezingscampagnes. De registratie van de kiezers is ook voltooid.

Internationale en binnenlandse maatschappelijke organisaties die belangstelling hebben getoond om als waarnemer op te treden, worden door de NEBE geregistreerd en gemachtigd. Tot dusver hebben 36 binnenlandse maatschappelijke organisaties en 134.109 waarnemers een vergunning gekregen.

Hoewel de verkiezingssfeer overschaduwd is door de sterke toename van de verspreiding van de pandemie, geven het publiek en de concurrerende politieke partijen blijk van vastberadenheid om het licht aan het eind van de tunnel te zien. Aangezien het de eerste algemene verkiezingen zijn in de periode na de hervorming, zullen de ogen van de wereld ongetwijfeld op Ethiopië gericht zijn. De komende verkiezingen

zouden een geschikt moment zijn om het hervormingsproces in het land te consolideren.

In zijn recente toespraak tot de regionale presidenten van Ethiopië en de leiding van de nationale kiesraad heeft premier Abiy Ahmed verklaard dat de regering zich zal inzetten voor vrije, eerlijke, democratische en vreedzame verkiezingen. “Verkiezingen zijn een demonstratie van het opbouwen van een democratische cultuur waarin verschillen worden aangepakt via het stembiljet en niet door de kogel. Door te stemmen oefenen de burgers invloed uit en nemen zij actief deel aan de opbouw van een democratisch proces” zei hij. Hij wees erop dat de komende verkiezingen van groot belang zijn voor het democratiseringsproces in Ethiopië en drong er bij alle betrokkenen op aan alles in het werk te stellen om de verkiezingen tot een succes te maken en vreedzaam te laten verlopen.

Ethiopië volgt een parlementair democratisch systeem waarbij de premier wordt gekozen uit de partij die de meerderheid heeft behaald in het lagerhuis - het huis van volksvertegenwoordigers, dat vijfhonderdzevenenveertig zetels telt.

Source: Nationale Kiesraad van Ethiopië

May 2021 13

Les Éthiopiens se rendront aux urnes en juin 2021 L’Éthiopie est l’un des rares pays africains à avoir une très longue histoire de pratique constitutionnelle. Toutefois, son expérience en matière d’organisation d’élections multipartites n’est pas aussi ancienne que sa pratique constitutionnelle.

Source: wantedinafrica.com L’Éthiopie est l’un des rares pays africains à avoir une très longue histoire de pratique constitutionnelle. Toutefois, son expérience en matière d’organisation d’élections multipartites n’est pas aussi ancienne que sa pratique constitutionnelle.

En 1995, l’Éthiopie a pu organiser les premières élections multipartites de son histoire après deux décennies de dictature militaire et de guerre civile. Depuis lors, l’Éthiopie a organisé cinq élections générales. Ces élections ont présenté des caractéristiques mitigées en termes de compétitivité, d’équité et de niveau de participation du public. Certaines ont mis en évidence une participation sans précédent des partis d’opposition et des candidats indépendants et un niveau inégalé de débat politique dans le pays. Cependant, la plupart des élections précédentes ont été caractérisées par la domination du parti au pouvoir, le FDRPE. À la suite des élections générales de 2015, qui ont une fois de plus mis en évidence la domination complète des pouvoirs fédéraux et locaux par le parti au pouvoir, l’Éthiopie est entrée dans une tourmente politique qui a créé une énorme menace pour l’ordre constitutionnel du pays. Nombreux sont ceux qui affirment que l’absence d’une représentation diversifiée des idées au sein du parlement a été l’une des causes des violentes protestations qui ont éclaté dans tout le pays et qui ont finalement conduit à un changement de gouvernement dû à la démission du Premier ministre éthiopien de l’époque, Hailemariam Desalegn.

En avril 2018, Abiy Ahmed Ali est devenu le président du parti au pouvoir et le Premier ministre du pays. Depuis son entrée en fonction, le Premier ministre a lancé de nombreuses réformes. Dans la sphère politique, ces réformes ont principalement visé à élargir l’espace politique

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et à construire une base institutionnelle et juridique solide pour renforcer le processus de démocratisation en modifiant les lois et règlements actuels et en en introduisant de nouveaux. En outre, le gouvernement éthiopien a engagé de profondes réformes pour mettre en place un système électoral libre et équitable. À cette fin, le Conseil national électoral d’Éthiopie (NEBE) a été réorganisé de manière à mettre en place un système transparent. La Commission a revu la loi électorale, ouvrant ainsi la voie à une élection transparente, libre, pacifique, démocratique et acceptable par le peuple.

Le Premier ministre a également nommé Birtukan Mideksa, ancienne prisonnière politique exilée, au poste de présidente du Conseil électoral national d’Éthiopie. Cette nomination témoigne de l’engagement du gouvernement à créer un système participatif et inclusif afin de faire en sorte que les prochaines élections soient libres, équitables et démocratiques.

Birtukan Mideksa prêtant serment à la tête du Conseil électoral national éthiopien.

(Crédit photo : PMO, Éthiopie)

L’Éthiopie devait organiser les 6èmes élections nationales et locales en août 2020, lorsque le monde a été frappé par la pandémie de la Covid-19. Cette situation a conduit au report des élections, tel que promulgué par le parlement éthiopien, jusqu’à ce qu’une résilience suffisante soit atteinte pour lutter contre la pandémie. Au bout de quelques mois, alors que le public était de plus en plus conscient des modes de transmission du coronavirus et des initiatives mises en œuvre dans le pays pour lutter contre la pandémie, le Parlement éthiopien a décidé d’organiser l’élection en respectant strictement les règles et règlements définis par le ministère de la Santé.

Après avoir mené des discussions approfondies avec les différents organismes concernés sur le calendrier électoral préliminaire, le Conseil électoral national d’Éthiopie a dévoilé le calendrier de la 6ème élection générale. En conséquence, les élections nationales se tiendront en juin 2021. En raison des circonstances actuelles dans la région du Tigré, les élections doivent être reportées à une date ultérieure où un environnement favorable sera mis en place.

De février à mars 2021, 46 partis politiques nationaux et locaux, et 125 candidats indépendants ont été enregistrés pour participer à l’élection.

Ces partis politiques ont commencé à se préparer ; aussi, la plupart d’entre eux, y compris le président sortant, ont dévoilé leur manifeste politique et donné le coup d’envoi des campagnes électorales. L’inscription des électeurs a également été finalisée.

opportun pour consolider le processus de réformes dans le pays.

Dans son récent discours aux présidents régionaux d’Éthiopie et aux dirigeants du Conseil électoral national, le Premier ministre Abiy Ahmed a exprimé l’engagement du gouvernement à organiser des élections libres, équitables, démocratiques et pacifiques. “Les élections sont la démonstration de la construction d’une culture démocratique dans laquelle les différences sont abordées par le bulletin et non par la balle.

Par le biais du processus de vote, les citoyens exercent leur pouvoir et participent activement à la construction d’un processus démocratique.”, a-t-il déclaré. Indiquant que les prochaines élections sont importantes pour le processus de démocratisation de l’Éthiopie, il a exhorté toutes les parties prenantes à faire tout leur possible pour que les élections soient un succès et se déroulent pacifiquement.

L’Éthiopie suit un système démocratique parlementaire dans lequel le Premier ministre est élu par le parti qui a remporté la majorité des sièges à la Chambre basse, ou Chambre des représentants du peuple, laquelle compte 547 sièges.

Les organisations internationales et nationales de la société civile qui ont manifesté leur intérêt pour jouer un rôle d’observateur sont enregistrées et autorisées par le NEBE. Jusqu’à présent, 36 organisations nationales de la société civile et 134 109 observateurs ont obtenu une licence.

Même si l’atmosphère électorale a été assombrie par la recrudescence de la propagation de la pandémie, le public et les partis politiques en lice font preuve de détermination pour voir la lumière au bout du tunnel. Comme il s’agira de la première élection générale organisée dans la période post-réforme, il ne fait aucun doute que le monde aura les yeux rivés sur l’Éthiopie. Les prochaines élections seraient un moment

Source: Commission électorale nationale d’Éthiopie

May 2021 15

Economy Ethiopia to Boost Irrigated Wheat Production Ethiopia is the third largest wheat producing country in Africa, next to Egypt and Morocco.

About 1.8 million hectares (ha) of land areas are covered by wheat production with an estimated annual production of 50 million quintals at an average productivity of 28 quintals/ ha, which has been improving constantly over the past 25 years but remains lower than the world average of 33 quintals/ha.

Source: qz.com As part of its overall commitment to boost agricultural output and ensure food security, the Government of Ethiopia has embarked on its goal to achieve wheat self-sufficiency within a period of 3-5 years by expanding production in the irrigable lowland areas and increasing productivity in the rain-fed agro-ecologies of Ethiopia.

Ethiopia is the third largest wheat producing country in Africa, next to Egypt and Morocco. About 1.8 million hectares (ha) of land is covered by wheat production with an estimated annual production of 50 million quintals at an average productivity of 28 quintals/ ha, which has been improving constantly over the past 25 years but remains lower than the world average of 33 quintals/ha.

Despite increasing wheat production trend in the country, the demand for it has been continuously increasing, and still falls short of satisfying the annual need of the country. The demand for wheat is growing at an average rate of 9% annually, while the local production is growing only at a rate of 7.8%. The increasing population size, changing food preference, low wheat production yield due to climate change and its related negative consequences are factors attributing to the demand and supply gap.

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Over the last three years, encouraging results have been registered in increasing irrigation-based wheat production. Last year, from the 20,000 ha of irrigated wheat land, about 600,000 quintals of wheat were harvested. Currently, 5-6 million quintals of wheat is expected from the 144, 300 hectares of land cultivated in Afar, Somali, Oromia, Amhara, and SNNP regional states. Ethiopia has a potential to cultivate an additional 3.5 million ha of irrigable land in the Awash, Shebele and Omo basins. Irrigation-based wheat cultivation piloted in the lowland areas of the country is now being replicated and expanded to the highland areas.

As a temporary fix, the demand gap is being bridged by importing an average of 10-15 million quintals of wheat per annum, costing around 300-400 million USD, and putting additional pressure on already meager foreign currency reserve of the country.

Therefore, to minimize the imbalance between supply and demand for wheat, the government is heavily expanding irrigated wheat cultivation throughout the country as this enables to yield more harvest compared to the rainy fed cultivation. It is anticipated that if the average productivity of wheat is increased from 28 quintals/ha to 50 quintals/ha on the 1.8 ha of land currently being cultivated, wheat self-sufficiency can be achieved.

Source: Ethiopian Monitor On top of the focus on irrigated agriculture, Ethiopia is rolling-out cluster farming system at a large scale. The cluster farming system targets smallholder farmers, which are known to practice labor intensive, fragmented and subsistence farming. The cluster farming system, apart from helping small-scale farmers to increase productivity through adequate supply of modern agricultural inputs, has been facilitating for farmers to get market access by increasing quality and quantity of agricultural product for local consumption as well as export trade.

Government’s effort to scale-up cluster farming is also being supported by development partners with programs like Agricultural Commercialization Clusters (ACC). The ACC is a five-year program that’s being implemented in Amhara, Oromia, SNNP and Tigray regions and prioritizing 10 commodities in 31 clusters across the four major regions.

The ACC to a large part is being funded by the European Union and its member states (Denmark and Netherlands) and targets to double the income of 5 million smallholder farmers during the five-year period (2019/20 and 2023/24).

In order to increase the crop yield and productivity of smallholder farmers, the Government is also taking steps to mechanize agricultural practices in the country, which is still heavily reliant on human labor. The cluster farming system, when coupled with mechanized production, not only helps modernize and increase productivity of the agriculture sector, but also enables intensified market-oriented production practices. Hence the agriculture sector aspires not only to bring about food self-sufficiency to the nation but also to penetrate the international market by leveraging the country’s full potential to become a large exporter of agricultural products including wheat.

May 2021 17

Ethiopië wil geïrrigeerde tarweproductie opvoeren Ethiopië is het op twee na grootste tarweproducerende land in Afrika, naast Egypte en Marokko. Ongeveer 1,8 miljoen hectare (ha) land wordt gebruikt voor de tarweproduktie met een geschatte jaarproduktie van 50 miljoen kwintalen bij een gemiddelde produktiviteit van 28 kwintalen/ha, die de laatste 25 jaar voortdurend is verbeterd maar nog steeds lager ligt dan het wereldgemiddelde van 33 kwintalen/ha.

Source: qz.com Als onderdeel van haar algemene verbintenis om de landbouwproduktie op te voeren en de voedselvoorziening veilig te stellen, heeft de regering van Ethiopië zich ten doel gesteld binnen 3 à 5 jaar zelfvoorzienend te worden op het gebied van tarwe door de produktie in de irrigeerbare laaglandgebieden uit te breiden en de produktiviteit in de regenafhankelijke agro-ecologie van Ethiopië te verhogen.

Ethiopië is het op twee na grootste tarweproducerende land in Afrika, naast Egypte en Marokko. Ongeveer 1,8 miljoen hectare (ha) land wordt gebruikt voor de tarweproduktie met een geschatte jaarproduktie van 50 miljoen kwintalen bij een gemiddelde produktiviteit van 28 kwintalen/ ha, die de laatste 25 jaar voortdurend is verbeterd maar nog steeds lager ligt dan het wereldgemiddelde van 33 kwintalen/ha.

Ondanks de stijgende tarweproduktie in het land is de vraag naar tarwe voortdurend toegenomen, zodat nog steeds niet in de jaarlijkse behoefte van het land kan worden voorzien. De vraag naar tarwe neemt jaarlijks met gemiddeld 9% toe, terwijl de plaatselijke produktie slechts met 7,8% toeneemt. De toenemende bevolking, de veranderende voedselvoorkeur, de lage tarweproductie als gevolg van de klimaatverandering en de daarmee samenhangende negatieve gevolgen zijn factoren die bijdragen tot de kloof tussen vraag en aanbod.

In de afgelopen drie jaar zijn bemoedigende resultaten geboekt bij de verhoging van de tarweproduktie op basis van irrigatie. Vorig jaar werd

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op de 20.000 ha geïrrigeerd tarweland ongeveer 600.000 kwintaal tarwe geoogst. Momenteel wordt 5 à 6 miljoen kwintaal tarwe verwacht van de 144.300 hectare grond die wordt bebouwd in de regio’s Afar, Somali, Oromia, Amhara en SNNP. Ethiopië heeft het potentieel om nog eens 3,5 miljoen ha irrigeerbare grond te cultiveren in de Awash, Shebele en Omo bekkens. De op irrigatie gebaseerde tarweteelt, die als proefproject in de laagvlakten van het land is gebruikt, wordt nu nagevolgd en uitgebreid tot de hoogvlakten.

Als tijdelijke oplossing wordt het tekort aan vraag overbrugd door jaarlijks gemiddeld 10 à 15 miljoen kwintaal tarwe in te voeren, wat ongeveer 300 à 400 miljoen USD kost en extra druk legt op de toch al magere deviezenreserves van het land.

Om het gebrek aan evenwicht tussen vraag en aanbod van tarwe tot een minimum te beperken, breidt de regering de geïrrigeerde tarweteelt in het hele land dan ook sterk uit, omdat hierdoor meer kan worden geoogst in vergelijking met de teelt in regenachtige gebieden. Verwacht wordt dat, indien de gemiddelde produktiviteit van tarwe wordt verhoogd van 28 kwintaal/ha tot 50 kwintaal/ha op de 1,8 ha grond die thans wordt bebouwd, zelfvoorziening met tarwe kan worden bereikt.

Source: Ethiopische Monitor Naast de nadruk op geïrrigeerde landbouw is Ethiopië bezig op grote schaal cluster-landbouwsystemen in te voeren. Het cluster-landbouwsysteem is gericht op kleine boeren, die bekend staan om hun arbeidsintensieve, gefragmenteerde en zelfvoorzienende landbouw. Het cluster-landbouwsysteem heeft niet alleen kleinschalige boeren geholpen hun produktiviteit te verhogen door voldoende moderne landbouwinputs te leveren, maar heeft ook de toegang van boeren tot de markt vergemakkelijkt door de kwaliteit en kwantiteit van landbouwprodukten te verhogen, zowel voor plaatselijke consumptie als voor de export.

De inspanningen van de regering om de cluster-landbouw op te voeren worden ook gesteund door ontwikkelingspartners met programma’s zoals Agricultural Commercialization Clusters (ACC). Het ACC is een vijfjarenprogramma dat wordt uitgevoerd in de regio’s Amhara, Oromia, SNNP en Tigray en prioriteit geeft aan 10 basisprodukten in 31 clusters in de vier grote regio’s. Het ACC wordt grotendeels gefinancierd door de Europese Unie en haar lidstaten (Denemarken en Nederland) en heeft tot doel het inkomen van 5 miljoen kleine boeren te verdubbelen gedurende de periode van vijf jaar (2019/20 en 2023/24).

Om de opbrengst van de oogst en de productiviteit van de kleine boeren te verhogen, neemt de regering ook maatregelen om de landbouwpraktijken in het land, die nog steeds sterk afhankelijk zijn van menselijke arbeid, te mechaniseren. Het cluster-landbouwsysteem, gekoppeld aan gemechaniseerde produktie, draagt niet alleen bij tot de modernisering en de verhoging van de produktiviteit van de landbouwsector, maar maakt ook intensievere marktgerichte produktiepraktijken mogelijk. De landbouwsector streeft er dus niet alleen naar de natie zelfvoorzienend te maken op voedselgebied, maar ook om de internationale markt te penetreren door gebruik te maken van het volledige potentieel van het land om een grote exporteur van landbouwproducten, waaronder tarwe, te worden.

May 2021 19

L’Éthiopie va stimuler la production de blé irrigué L’Éthiopie est le troisième pays producteur de blé en Afrique, après l’Égypte et le Maroc.

Environ 1,8 million d’hectares (ha) de terres sont couverts par la production de blé avec une production annuelle estimée à 50 millions de quintaux pour une productivité moyenne de 28 quintaux/ha, qui s’est constamment améliorée au cours des 25 dernières années mais reste inférieure à la moyenne mondiale de 33 quintaux/ha.

Source: qz.com Dans le cadre de son engagement global visant à stimuler la production taux de blé sont attendus des 144 300 hectares de terres cultivées dans agricole et à assurer la sécurité alimentaire, le gouvernement éthiopien les régions d’Afar, de Somali, d’Oromia, d’Amhara et de la RNNPS. s’est fixé pour objectif d’atteindre l’autosuffisance en blé sur une péri- L’Éthiopie peut potentiellement cultiver 3,5 millions ha supplémenode de 3 à 5 ans en développant la production dans les zones de plaine taires de terres irrigables dans les bassins de l’Awash, du Shebele et de irriguées et en augmentant la productivité dans les espaces cultivés en l’Omo. La culture du blé basée sur l’irrigation, objet d’un projet pilote agriculture pluviale. dans les zones de plaine du pays, est maintenant reproduite et étendue aux zones de montagne.

L’Éthiopie est le troisième pays producteur de blé en Afrique, après l’Égypte et le Maroc. Environ 1,8 million d’hectares (ha) de terres sont En guise de solution temporaire, le déficit de la demande est comblé couverts par la production de blé avec une production annuelle estimée par l’importation d’une moyenne de 10 à 15 millions de quintaux de à 50 millions de quintaux pour une productivité moyenne de 28 quin- blé par an, ce qui coûte environ 300 à 400 millions d’USD et exerce taux/ha, qui s’est constamment améliorée au cours des 25 dernières an- une pression supplémentaire sur les réserves de devises étrangères déjà nées mais reste inférieure à la moyenne mondiale de 33 quintaux/ha. maigres du pays.

Malgré la tendance à la hausse de la production de blé dans le pays, la demande n’a cessé d’augmenter et ne suffit toujours pas à satisfaire les besoins annuels du pays. La demande de blé croît à un taux moyen de 9 % par an, tandis que la production locale n’augmente qu’à un taux de 7,8 %. L’augmentation de la population, l’évolution des préférences alimentaires, le faible rendement de la production de blé dû au changement climatique et ses conséquences négatives sont autant de facteurs qui contribuent à l’écart entre l’offre et la demande.

Au cours des trois dernières années, des résultats encourageants ont été enregistrés dans l’augmentation de la production de blé par irrigation.

L’année dernière, sur les 20 000 ha de terres irriguées, environ 600 000 quintaux de blé ont été récoltés. Actuellement, 5 à 6 millions de quin-

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Par conséquent, pour minimiser le déséquilibre entre l’offre et la demande de blé, le gouvernement développe fortement la culture irriguée du blé dans tout le pays, car elle permet d’obtenir une meilleure récolte que la culture pluviale. On prévoit que si la productivité moyenne du blé passe de 28 quintaux/ha à 50 quintaux/ha sur les 1,8 ha de terres actuellement cultivées, l’autosuffisance en blé pourra être atteinte.

Source: Moniteur éthiopien En plus de l’accent mis sur l’agriculture irriguée, l’Éthiopie déploie à grande échelle un système d’agriculture en grappes. Ce système vise les petits exploitants agricoles, connus pour pratiquer une agriculture intensive en main-d’œuvre, fragmentée et de subsistance. Le système d’agriculture en grappes, en plus d’aider les petits agriculteurs à augmenter leur productivité grâce à la fourniture adéquate d’intrants agricoles modernes, a facilité l’accès des agriculteurs au marché en augmentant la qualité et la quantité des produits agricoles pour la consommation locale et le commerce d’exportation.

L’effort du gouvernement pour développer l’agriculture en grappes est également soutenu par les partenaires du développement avec des programmes comme les Agricultural Commercialization Clusters (ACC).

L’ACC est un programme quinquennal qui est mis en œuvre dans les régions d’Amhara, d’Oromia, de la SNNP et du Tigré et qui donne la priorité à 10 produits de base dans 31 groupes répartis dans les quatre grandes régions. L’ACC est en grande partie financé par l’Union européenne et ses États membres (Danemark et Pays-Bas) et vise à doubler le revenu de 5 millions de petits exploitants agricoles au cours d’une période de cinq ans (2019/20 et 2023/24).

Afin d’augmenter le rendement des cultures et la productivité des petits exploitants, le gouvernement prend également des mesures pour mécaniser les pratiques agricoles dans le pays, qui dépendent encore largement du travail humain. Le système d’agriculture en grappes, lorsqu’il est associé à la production mécanisée, permet non seulement de moderniser et d’accroître la productivité du secteur agricole, mais aussi d’intensifier les pratiques de production axées sur le marché. Le secteur agricole aspire donc non seulement à assurer l’autosuffisance alimentaire de la nation, mais aussi à pénétrer le marché international en exploitant tout le potentiel du pays pour devenir un grand exportateur de produits agricoles, dont le blé.

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Tourism Ethiopia: A Destination with Rich Variety of Attractions Ethiopia has a lot to offer to tourists: from the Blue Nile Falls to world-class archaeological sites and warm and welcoming people. Ethiopian Airlines, which also has daily flights between Addis Ababa and Brussels, is marshalling massive operations worldwide with excellent services to incoming and outgoing tourists. As a cradle of humankind, and with much more to explore, Ethiopia always invites tourists to visit their origin and enjoy the friendly and generous reception from the people.

Source: i.pinimg.com Ethiopia is endowed with wide variety of tourism potentials which include all-in-one tourism, i.e., historical, religious, cultural, natural, and adventurous destinations. Ethiopia is the only African country that has its own alphabet (Geez) and calendar.

The Embassy of Ethiopia in Brussels and the Ethiopian Airlines Benelux Area Office co-organized a virtual event titled “Ethiopian’s Tourism Potentials: Promoting Ethiopia as a Preferred Destination for Tourists” on 4 March 2021. The aim of this event was to promote Ethiopian tourstic attractions to tour operators based in Belgium and Luxembourg, connect Ethiopian tour operators with Belgian and Luxembourgish counterparts, and create a platform for discussions on the prospects and challenges of the sector.

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The promotion event was moderated by H.E. Amb. Hirut Zemene, Ambassador of Ethiopia to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the EU institutions, and was attended by the CEO of Tourism Ethiopia, Mr. Sileshi Girma, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Ethiopia, H.E. Francois Dumont, Ethiopian Tour Operators’ Associations (ETOA & TETOA), Benelux Area Manager of the Ethiopian Airlines, and representatives from Ethiopian Hotels Association, and owners of travel agencies from Ethiopia, Belgium, and Luxembourg, among others.

Partial view of the participants.

(Photo credit:- The Embassy of Ethiopia in Belgium) While welcoming the participants and invited guests, H.E. Amb. Hirut Zemene stated that Ethiopia is an ancient civilization and is perhaps, one of the few countries in the world with its own alphabet and calendar. She further elucidated that the oldest fossil with 3.2 million years old, the mother of humankind, “Lucy”, originates from Ethiopia; the hottest place on earth (Erta Ale), as well as a chain of mountains ranging up to 4000 meters above sea level and 13 UNESCO inscribed World Heritages are also found in Ethiopia. Ethiopia is also the origin of coffee and the longest river in the world, the Nile. It is due to these original riches that Ethiopia’s tourism brand is known as the “Land of Origins”.

At the official opening of the occasion, Mr. Sileshi Girma, CEO of Tourism Ethiopia - a federal government office in charge of tourism promotion- stated that Europe, along with the United States and Asia, accounts for the majority of tourists visiting Ethiopia. He mentioned that with over 80 percent of its population having a culture of spending their holiday seasons outside of the country, Belgium remains an important source of tourists. He further noted, Belgium is one of the top destinations for Ethiopian Coffee and extended his warm invitations to all Belgians and Luxembourgish people to visit Ethiopia and taste coffee from its origin. Mr. Sileshi also called upon the Belgian and Luxembourgish tour operators who have not yet been to Ethiopia to explore the vast potential of the country’s tourism riches. The CEO also highlighted Ethiopia’s readiness to welcome tourists with the necessary COVID conscious protocol at the airport, destination sites, and lodging.

It is evident that COVID-19 has highly affected the tourism sector around the world. To protect the tourism sector from the adverse effects of the COVID, the government of Ethiopia has taken various steps, including the opening of destinations to visitors complying with the COVID safety protocols, granting of tax holidays to businesses in the sector during the high season of the pandemic, and digital promotion of destinations. As a result, Ethiopia has become latest destination to be awarded “the Safe Travels Stamp” – the world’s first-ever global safety and hygiene stamp – from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

The virtual event further encompassed presentations about Ethiopia’s tourism potentials made by Mr. Weldegebrial Berhe, Director of Tourism Destination Marketing, followed by Ms. Andnet Feleke, Chair of Ethiopian Tour Operators Association. Various businesses in the field

also gave their insights such as, Mr. Daniel Ademe, the owner of Source Ethiopia Tours, and Representative of Talak Ethiopian Tour Operators Association and Mr. Hans Van der Stock, a representative of Live to Travel from Belgium. Mrs. Ilse Dehandschutter, Sales Manager at Benelux Area Office of the Ethiopian Airlines (ET), also presented the attractive offers and services provided to tourists by Ethiopian Airlines (ET), the largest Airline in Africa.

During the discussion session, important points such as issues of the cost of travel, accommodation & local transportation, COVID situation, and security issues were raised and discussed.

H.E. Ambassador Francois Dumont, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Ethiopia, who was one of the guest speakers, on his concluding remarks, congratulated the Ethiopian Embassy and the Ethiopian Airlines for organizing a successful event and highlighted the significance of tourism for people-to-people relations, in addition to its economic importance. He also recommended Belgian tourists to visit Ethiopia to enjoy coffee, and beautiful nature, culture, and history.

Ethiopia is exceptionally rich in tourism potentials in Africa with its long and uninterrupted history, natural beauty, and cultural and religious diversity with their colourful festivities. Tourism is one of the significant contributors to Ethiopia’s GDP. The new ten-year development plan of Ethiopia identifies tourism as one of the five priority sectors of the economy along with agriculture, manufacturing, ICT and mining.

The government of Ethiopia is working aggressively in developing and expanding new tourist destinations. These include Unity Park, Sheger Project, and Entoto Park in Addis Ababa, and the three newly launched tourism projects in different parts of the country, namely Gorgora, Wonchi and Koyisha as part of promoting Eco-tourism.

Ethiopia has a lot to offer to tourists: from the Blue Nile Falls to worldclass archaeological sites and warm and welcoming people. Ethiopian Airlines, which also has daily flights between Addis Ababa and Brussels, is marshalling massive operations worldwide with excellent services to incoming and outgoing tourists. As a cradle of humankind, and with much more to explore, Ethiopia always invites tourists to visit their origin and enjoy the friendly and generous reception from the people.

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News in Brief Completing GERD is a Matter of Ensuring Ethiopia’s Sovereignty: Deputy PM Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Demeke Mekonnen, noted completing GERD project is a matter of ensuring the sovereignty of the country.

H.E. Demeke, who is also Chairperson of the National Council on the Construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) made the remark at a symposium organized in connection with the 10th anniversary of commencement of the dam.

Water experts, scholars drawn from higher education institutions and other officials were in attendance of the event organized by the Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy.

“Developing the Abay River and completing the dam go beyond working for the future generation. It is a matter of ensuring the sovereignty of the country,” Demeke told the participants.

Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy, Dr Seleshi Bekele, for his part briefed the participants on the progress of the GERD. The project has now reached seventy- nine percent and the second phase of filling the dam will start in the coming rainy season, the Minister said.

The GERD is to produce electricity for Ethiopia’s more than hundred million people, of which around seventy percent live in darkness with no access to electricity. In fact, the benefit of the GERD is beyond Ethiopia as it will ensure regulated flow of water throughout the year, serve as an additional water bank with less evaporation rate, reduce sediment load and increase the life of downstream reservoirs and water infrastructures, and offers protection against floods and has less evaporation of water. Therefore, the dam is truly transformative in all aspects for all the basin countries.

H.E. Ato Ahmed Shide, Minister of Finance of Ethiopia, visits Brussels H.E. Ato Ahmed Shide, Minister of Finance of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, made a three-day working visit to Brussels from March 24-26,2021. During his visit, he met and held a fruitful exchange of views with the European Commission high officials including H.E. Madam Jutta Urpilainen, EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, H.E. Mr Janez LENARCIC, EU Commissioner for Crisis Management, and H.E. Eamon Gilmore, European Union Special Representative for Human Rights.

The Minister briefed the Commissioners about overall developments in Ethiopia including the upcoming national election. He further explained about concrete steps being taken with regard to the provision of Humanitarian Assistance and the investigation of Human Rights violations in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. The two sides also exchanged views on the current status of Ethio-Sudan boarder, the GERD negotiations as well as issues concerning Ethiopia-EU development cooperation.

During the discussion, the EU side recognised the positive developments registered in allowing unfettered access and the commencement of investigation to bring to justice perpetrators for alleged crimes of human rights violations in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. They also called to strengthening these positive developments.

The EU officials further noted that the EU highly values its strategic partnership with Ethiopia and its key role in the Horn of Africa region.

It’s to be recalled that the two sides reached into ‘Towards EU-Ethiopia Strategic Partnership’ in 2016.

The project is financed solely by the Ethiopian government and contributions from Ethiopians and those Ethiopian origins in the diaspora from all over the world.

H.E. Ahmed Shide meeting with EU commissioners

H.E. Demeke Mekonnen, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs

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Hon. Dr. Negeri Lencho briefs the Joint Parliamentary Assembly of ACP-EU Joint Committees on current developments in Ethiopia

The Joint Parliamentary Assembly of the African, Caribbean and Pacific states and the European Union was held virtually on March 25, 2021.

In the meeting, Ethiopia was represented by the Honorable Dr. Negari Lencho, Chairperson of Foreign Relations and Peace Affairs Committee of the House of Peoples’ Representatives. During the Meeting Hon. Dr. Negeri Lencho briefed members of the Joint Assembly regarding the post-operation undertakings of government in the Tigray region as well as the upcoming general elections.

Representatives from the European External Action Service (EEAS), the International Partnership Commission (INTPA), and the Commission for Crisis Management also presented their views on the situation in Ethiopia and the region at large.

In his statement, Hon. Dr. Negeri expressed, government’s readiness to engage with the international community in a positive and constructive manner to effectively respond to the humanitarian situation in the Tigray region. He further appealed to the Assembly to understand the complexity and the challenges of restoring lasting peace as well as ascertaining the ongoing reforms and called on them to support the government’s effort to scale up the ongoing relief and reconstruction in the Tigray region.

The Embassy holds a webinar on the current situation in Ethiopia including updates on the situation in the Tigray region

The JPA, joint committees meeting, deliberated on various issues, including Global collaboration and challenges for Covid-19 vaccine access and funding ACP-EU cooperation under the post-Cotonou agreement.

Hon. Dr. Negari Lencho, Chairperson of Foreign Relations and Peace Affairs Committee of the House of Peoples’ Representatives

Ambassador Hirut Zemene Addresses the Joint Committees of Foreign Affairs and Development of the European Parliament H.E. Ambassador Hirut Zemene addressed the joint committees of Foreign Affairs (AFET) and Development Committee (DEVE) of the European Parliament regarding the current situation in Ethiopia’s Tigray Region, and exchanged views with the members of the joint committees.

Ambassador Hirut briefed the honourable members of the joint committees of the European Parliament on the genesis and reason behind the Law and Order ascertaining Operation in Tigray, and current efforts of providing humanitarian assistance as well as the task of rebuilding damaged infrastructures and the restoration of public service in Tigray.

Ambassador Hirut further explained that the government is now focused on the following key priorities: delivering much needed humanitarian assistance, bringing the perpetrators before the law, investigating atrocities, reassuring the community, and the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure.

The Ambassador responded to the questions and opinions raised by the members of the joint committee, among others, on the humanitarian and human rights situation in Tigray, the upcoming national elections in Ethiopia, and the relations between Ethiopia and the Sudan.

The Embassy of Ethiopia in Brussels has held a Webinar discussion on the 25th of February 2021, on the current situation in Ethiopia including updates on the situation in the Tigray region. The seminar was mainly organized for Media Houses and Think Tanks based in Brussels.

H.E. Dr. Gedion Timothewos, Attorney General of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, H.E. Mr. Mitiku Kassa, Commissioner of Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission and H.E. Mr. Tesfahun Gobezay, Director General of Agency for Refugees and Returnees Affairs were the guest speakers. Dr Gidon briefed the audience about the reform process and the operation in Tigray from legal and Human Rights points of view, Mr Mitiku gave an elaborate talk on how the government is conducting humanitarian support to the needy population in the region. The overall policy on refugees in the country and the status of camps in the Tigray region as well as the efforts to repatriate Ethiopians in the Sudan camps was expounded by Mr Tesfahun.

Issues such as the need to investigate alleged human rights violations, the actual humanitarian situation in Tigray and access to the media were amongst the issues raised by participants and discussed widely.

Ethiopian Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and EU institution, H.E Hirut Zemene had moderated the webinar. In her remarks, Ambassador Hirut has emphasized the hugely imbalanced coverage of the situation in Ethiopia by various international media houses and think tanks. She noted, hence, the need to organize the webinar with the aim of addressing these imbalances.

Partial view of the participants.

(Photo credit:- The Embassy of Ethiopia in Belgium)

(Photo credit:- The Embassy of Ethiopia in Belgium)

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The Embassy of Ethiopia in Brussels hosts a virtual investment promotion event

The Embassy of Ethiopia in Brussels organized an Investment Promotion webinar on April 27, 2021, with the aim of familiarizing the Belgian and Luxembourgish business communities about the doing business environment.

H.E. Hirut Zemene, Ambassador of Ethiopia to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the EU institutions, moderated the promotion event. Distinguished panellists were H.E. Lelise Neme, Commissioner of the Ethiopian Investment Commission and H.E. Mr. Sandokan Debebe, CEO of Industrial Parks Development Corporation.

In her opening remarks, H.E. Amb. Hirut Zemene stated that Ethiopia leads East Africa in attracting Foreign Direct Investment and is Africa’s fifth-largest recipient of FDI. She also stated that the business relationship between Belgium and Ethiopia is growing and that Belgian companies are active in the light manufacturing and horticulture sectors.

Participants of the event included representatives of chambers of commerce, regional investment and trade agencies, investors and business owners from Belgium, Luxembourg, Ethiopia, and the UNIDO office in Brussels.

Hon. Professor Robert Dussey and H.E. Ms. Jutta Urpilainen Source: OACPS

The Embassy Fosters Investment Links The embassy has reached out to various trade and investment companies and organizations in a bid to widen cooperation with the latter.

Flanders Investment and Trade Agency (FIT), Awex, Hub Brussels Investment and Export Agency, Private Investors for Africa (PIA), Janssen Pharmaceuticals and UNIDO were amongst these contacts. In the discussion held with the three trade and investment offices there was an elevated interest to promote business links between the two sides. All regions expressed readiness to hold business visit to Ethiopia when the COVID situation permits.

Partial view of the participants.

(Photo credit:- The Embassy of Ethiopia in Belgium)

The OACPS and the EU Initial the New Partnership Agreement The initialing of the new Partnership Agreement by the chief negotiators of the Organization of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union (EU), Honorable Professor Robert Dussey, Togo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration and Togolese Abroad, and H.E. Ms. Jutta Urpilainen, Commissioner for International Partnerships, on 15 April 2021, marks the formal conclusion of the post-Cotonou negotiations, which was commenced in September 2018 in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The new Agreement substantially aligns the cooperation to current day mutual needs while expanding the scope and scale of the EU and OACPS’ ambitions to better address current and future challenges. Both parties have raised their commitments in priority areas such as: human rights, democracy and governance, peace and security, human development which encompasses health, education and gender equality, as well as environmental sustainability, climate change, sustainable development and growth, and migration and mobility.

The new Agreement, which is expected to be signed in the second half of 2021 once the internal procedures are completed by both sides, will replace the Cotonou Partnership Agreement and sets the framework for political, economic and sectorial cooperation for the next twenty years under the new name - Samoa Agreement.

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(Photo credit:- The Embassy of Ethiopia in Belgium) Further discussion was held with the management of Janssen pharmaceuticals led by Mr. Mohsen Ramez and Herwig Janssen and Secretary General of Private Investors for Africa (PIA), Mr. Walter Gelens. The two are among others, targeted in the effort to attract anchor investors in Ethiopia.

In the discussion with PIA, both sides agreed to consider the possibilities to work on the agriculture sector that could support farmers to get a better yield and fight pesticides. Ambassador Hirut also explained about the ongoing privatisation process in Ethiopia, among others, in sugar and steel manufacturing projects and encouraged Mr Gelens to focus on those sectors as well.

Promoting Ethio-Belgian Cooperation through City Greening The staff of the Embassy of Ethiopia in Belgium have staged a cultural exchange event by tree planting under the title “ Promoting Ethio- Belgium cooperation through City Greening” at Woluwe Park in Brussels on March 22, 2021.

The event aimed at promoting Ethiopia’s effort to build green footprint by combating environmental degradation, build resilience, and transition into a green society. Ethiopia planted more than 9 billion seedlings all over the country since the beginning of the campaign launched by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in 2019.

(Photo credit:- The Embassy of Ethiopia in Belgium) Janssen pharmaceuticals, a leading manufacturing company has also expressed interest to study possibilities of manufacturing of pharmaceutical products in Ethiopia and technology transfer.

The Belgian municipality appreciated the Green Legacy initiative and took part in the tree planting event by providing seedlings and taking part in the plantation process. The program envisaged in promoting exchanges between Ethiopia and Belgium on the cause of environmental protection. Through Green Legacy, the government of Ethiopia plans to plant 20 billion trees by the end of 2024.

The Embassy had also fruitful exchanges with the UNIDO Office Representative to the European Union and OACPS in Brussels. Discussion was focused on how to collaborate to increase the efficiency of promotion activities for the country’s diverse range of investment opportunities.

H.E. Ambassador Hirut stated that UNIDO has been involved in various industrial capacity development projects in the country for many years.

The Head of UNIDO Office in Brussels, Representative to the European Union, and OACPS, Mr. Patrick Jean Gilabert, on his part, noted that Ethiopia is one of the eight ACP countries selected for the UNIDO program called “Business Friendly and Inclusive National and Regional Policies to Strengthen Productive Capacity and Value Chains.” He also underscored his office is ready to collaborate with the embassy on investment promotion capacity building program to improve the promotional activities.

During the discussion, Mrs. Aurelia Patrizia CALABRO, UNIDO’s Country Representative and Regional Director, explained that UNIDO is currently working in Ethiopia on three major investment projects: agro-industry, leather and leather product industry, and textile industry.

(Photo credit:- The Embassy of Ethiopia in Belgium)

Ethiopians residing in Belgium and throughout Europe staged a rally to protest foreign governments’ interference in Ethiopia’s internal affairs The rally was organized to express concern and opposition to unfair pressure put on Ethiopia in its law and order ascertaining operation to uphold its sovereignty and territorial integrity during its law enforcement operation in Tigray.

The rally was held in front of the European Commission building in Brussels, Belgium.

(Photo credit:- The Embassy of Ethiopia in Belgium) Source :- www.vrt.be

May 2021 27

Tributes to Professor Mitiku Belachew held at the Embassy of Ethiopia in Brussels, Belgium

Ethiopia Qualified For 2021 Africa Cup Of Nations

The Embassy of the Federal Democratic of Ethiopia in Brussels together with the Ethiopian cultural centre in Belgium organized an event in the memory of Professor Mitiku Belachew, who passed away, on April 7, 2021, at the age of 79.

The Ethiopian National Football Team has qualified for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) that will be held in Cameroon.

During the event, Ambassador Hirut Zemene, on behalf of the government and the people of Ethiopia, expressed her deepest condolences and sincere sympathy to Professor Mitiku Belachew’s family and friends. Ambassador Hirut highlighted that Professor Mitiku Belachew was a profoundly talented person that through his research has introduced the science of Lastroscopy that brought a remedy to many people around the world. She mentioned with appreciation the contribution he made to the Black Lion hospital in Ethiopia by establishing African Laproscopy Centre.

Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed as well as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs congratulated the national team.

The National Football Team has qualified for the 2022 AFCON after eight years of absences from the continental competition.

His deeds in dedicating several years of his life to helping promote and implement important social support projects in various parts of Ethiopia, she said, were unforgettable.

His wife, Madam Fatma Cartar had deeply expressed the good deeds of Prof Mitiku, among others in Belgium, Ethiopia and Morocco. She further noted how a loving family man he was.

Representative of the Ethiopian cultural centre Dr Zerihun Assefa gave a documented account of the professor’s life.

His family members around the world as well as his friends expressed how he has positively and tangibly impacted the lives of ordinary Ethiopians and how many are grateful for his deeds. Many expressed how Professor Mitiku was humble, kind, and wise in his walks of life. They added that his intelligence, ambition and passion accompanied him in everything he did.

It was to this featuring deed that he received “Merits Wallon” in 2016 in recognition of his service and scientific achievements in the Wallonia region of Belgium.

Ethiopian-born beauty wins Miss Belgium 2021 Ethiopian-born Kedist Deltour, a 23-year-old, East Flanders, has won the Miss Belgium 2021.

Deltour was crowned at the Proximus Theatre in Adinkerke. The ceremony was held without an audience due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Out of a total of 33 candidates, 15 were chosen for the finals. Thanaree Scheerlinck won first runner-up, followed by Louise-Marie Losfeld, Elodie Gualano, and Camilia Martinez.

The new Miss Belgium was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. When she was eight years old, she lost her mother to cancer. Her father left her in an orphanage the following year.

Belgian couple Peter and Nadège Deltour adopted her when she was ten years old.

(Photo credit:- The Embassy of Ethiopia in Belgium)

Source :- Brussels Express

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Rock-Hewn Churches Of Lalibela Source: Ehiopia Land of Orign

Source: www.fanabc.com

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Lucy Source: Ehiopia Land of Orign