Vol. 24 No. 1235 May 9, 2020 ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA www...

Vol. 24 No. 1235 May 9, 2020 ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA www.thereporterethiopia.com Price 10.00 Birr

EZEMA supports constitutional amendment|FULL STORY ON PAGE 3

#StaySafe

Deportation targets . . . page 25

Federal gov’t, TPLF . . . page 25 DBE sees capital . . . page 25

By Yonas Abiye

In the face of mounting challenges COVID-19 has caused which includes forcing the nation to postpone its upcoming national elections, uncertainty has taken center stage among the public as the federal government and Tigray’s ruling party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), are contradicting one another.

The stalemate started when the TPLF said on Monday that it would proceed with elections in Tigray despite the nationwide postponement of voting.

“We are making preparations including the holding of a regional election in order to safeguard the rights of our people from chaos,” a TPLF statement said. It did not mention a date for the vote.

In response to TPLF’s statement, the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) said no request for a vote was submitted by the TPLF and no organization other than the NEBE had a mandate to conduct any type of election.

Following that, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) on Thursday said the government would take measures against activities violating constitutional laws so as to protect the safety and security of the public.

With the power on deciding election dates and procedures

vested in it by the constitution, the government’s legislative body, the House of People’s Representatives (HPR) on Tuesday, approved in favor of requesting a constitutional interpretation for the postponement of the election, while TPLF decided it would hold its regional election irrespective of the Federal government’s decision.

Held inside the conference room at the Office of the Prime Minister, lawmakers heard the standing committee’s

report before endorsing the constitutional interpretation resolution, among the four options presented to the House last week through the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE).

Despite opposition from MP’s representing TPLF, the House voted with a majority and 25 objections.

It can be recalled that the COVID-19 outbreak had forced Ethiopia to postpone the highly-

By Birhanu Fikade

With global fear mounting as the COVID-19 pandemic is taking its toll all over the world, vulnerable Ethiopian migrants in the Middle East, where some 220,000 live, are facing deportation in the remaining months of 2020, while thousands are feared to be potential targets of flash floods, with 110,000 victims already been displaced.

The World Food Program (WFP) reported likely deportations of thousands of Ethiopians, while the National Disaster Risk Management Commission (NDRMC) revealed that a series of heavy rains has affected thousands of citizens. Damena Darota, deputy commissioner of NDRMC said on Wednesday that in April alone, flooding and landslides had affected many households. Some 220,000 people

living in the Southern Region, Somali, Afar, and in Dire-Dawa have fallen victim to the rains, while close to 110,000 people have been displaced.

Debebe Zewde, Public Relations Director of NDRMC told The Reporter that this May, some 21,000 more people are exposed and likely to be affected by the pouring rain, and feared that some 19,000 will be displaced.

The belg rains that usually comes

during the months of March, April and May helps semi-pastoralist areas and farmers. This year’s rains have caused serious damages and Debebe said that four individuals have died in Dire-Dawa as a result of abnormal rains.

On April 25, according to Debebe, 53 homes have been fully destroyed and 212 homes

Deportation targets 220,000 Ethiopian migrants

Federal gov’t, TPLF at an impasse over elections

Brook Abdu and Dawit Taye

The Council of Ministers boosts the policy bank, the Development Bank of Ethiopia (DBE), through a capital injection of 28.5 billion birr, four times the preexisting capital of 7.5 billion birr. This decision was made at the Council’s extraordinary meeting held on May 7, 2020, The Reporter has learnt.

The decision by the cabinet reasoned that, “as the Development Bank of Ethiopia is a policy bank, and as such it needs to have the capacity to effectively implement the nation’s developmental policies; it is then imperative that its capital is raised sufficiently.”

Speaking to The Reporter, the Bank’s president Haileyesus Bekele stated that the main consideration for this raise is the need to comply with the international standards with regard to capitalization that matches asset levels.

He also said that the capital raised will help the Bank to easily interact with foreign banks and strong capital base is one of the preconditions that foreign banks

DBE sees capital quadruple

Abiy Ahmed (PhD) Birtukan Mideksa Debretsion Gebremichael (PhD)

2| The Reporter, May 9, 2020 Vol. 24 No. 1235

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EDITORIAL

Published weekly by Media & Communications Center

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General Manager Amare Aregawi Managing EditorBruh YihunbelayEditor-in-Chief Asrat Seyoum

Sub city: N.lafto, K. 10/18, H.No. 614Senior Editor

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Senior ReportersSamuel Getachew

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Endalkachew Yimam

Stoking crisis impeding constructive dialogue egregiously irresponsible!

The past fortnight saw momentous decisions bound to have long-lasting ramifications for Ethiopian politics. In a bid to resolve the constitutional conundrum that arose following the postponement of Ethiopia’s 2020 general elections by the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government tabled four proposals to Parliament on the way forward after it discussed them with different opposition parties. Within days Parliament decided to go for one of them, namely referring the matter to the House of the Federation for a constitutional interpretation. The government’s proposals had elicited diverse reactions from all sides of the political spectrum. While some cautioned that a constitutional crisis would unfold if the government arrived at a hasty decision without a broad-based consultative process, others are peddling intimidating rhetoric with intent to strong-arm the government into accepting their views. The latter argue that after October 10, 2020 Ethiopia would not have a legitimate government because the current government’s term expires. They maintain that according to the constitution it cannot extend its term in office in any manner other than that provided under the constitution itself (namely elections) and that the Prime Minister and those who stand by him will be to blame for the ensuing political crisis. They maintain that after October 10 all political parties, including the ruling party, would be equal and that as such it cannot be at the helm of the government. They further contend that the government cannot command the security forces once it loses its legitimacy. The proponents of this view not only call for the establishment of a transition government, but are also actively stoking conflicts as opposed to fostering a constructive dialogue on elections and other vital national issues. They must not doubt for a single second that their bravado or threat is going to elicit a devastating blowback.

The government should have

been receptive to ideas tabled by other stakeholders in addition to the four proposals it floated insofar as they transcended narrow political objectives and put the national interest front and center. Any deliberation on the upcoming elections must be inclusive and take inclusive contemporary local and global realities into consideration if it is to bear fruit. At a time a state of emergency has been declared owing to the coronavirus outbreak, which is posing a grave public health risk, severely restricting the movement of goods and people, battering the national economy and threatening to force millions to go hungry, pressing hot button issues only serves to raise the specter of a catastrophe. If politicians know what is good for them they better do right by the people in the knowledge that they will punish those who, in times of hardship, scheme to foment crisis for political gain rather than protect their wellbeing.

The argument that post October 10, 2020 Ethiopia cannot have a legitimate government without elections does not support the conclusion that political parties which are not represented in the legislature can enter into a power sharing agreement with the ruling party and form a transitional or national unity government. The constitution stipulates that power of Government may be assumed by the political

party or a coalition of political parties that constitutes a majority in Parliament. Hence, a party which has no parliamentary seat cannot enter into any kind of power sharing deal and as such must refrain from invoking the constitution to cloak its illegal grab for power whenever an opportune moment arises. It needs to understand that it too can suffer from a legitimacy crisis, not just the ruling party. Any responsible political actor must contribute its share to resolving a crisis instead of stirring it. Negotiating with the government to have a seat at the table and demanding to be part of a transitional government are entirely separate things. If Ethiopia is to successfully navigate these difficult times it’s imperative to put differences aside and show a united front.

The long overdue change Ethiopia’s vitriolic political culture is in for requires a fundamental attitudinal shift. Though this change cannot be achieved overnight, the COVID-19 pandemic brings with it an opportunity that must not be passed up. One of the upsides of the pandemic has been the demonstration of a rarely seen level of collaboration for a common purpose. Despite a sense of complacency creeping in, most Ethiopians are abiding by the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) and local health authorities in

the realization that ignoring them imperils the individual responsible, his family and society at large. If political parties too resolve to abandon their old habits and abide by the rule of law, the same headway can be made in reforming the political landscape as in the fight against the contagion. Accordingly, it’s incumbent on all political parties to consult on adopting a broad framework paving the way for a level playing field and the flourishing of a constitutional democracy. If they insist on practicing politics-as-usual, however, the future will not bode well for them.

With the exception of a few the majority of the over 100 political parties operating in Ethiopia seem to have no inkling that winning elections is their endgame, that they must live and breathe elections. Consequently, they don’t worry much about the implications of what they say or do. Most of their leaders are so obsessed with taking the reins of power that they have no qualms about flouting the very principles they claim to stand for in order to accomplish their goals. That is why in spite of several areas of common interest the rafts of coalitions they have formed have collapsed over trivial issues. And now, individuals and groups that are like oil and water are coalescing around the “constitutional crisis” brewing over the legitimacy of the government after October 10. Akin to its predecessors this coalition is bound to be short-lived given it’s predicated on ephemeral considerations. Unless these forces come to their senses soon the poisonous political climate will subsist for years to come. No matter what they say, though, after the pandemic is over the state of emergency will be lifted; the delayed elections will be held; and life will return to normalcy. Therefore, any political party which truly has the nation’s interest at heart must do its homework first instead of inflaming tensions and refrain from using the security forces as pawns in the dangerous game the play. History will not be kind to anyone guilty of stoking a crisis impeding constructive dialogue.

HEADLINESThe Reporter, May 9, 2020 Vol. 24 No. 1235 |3


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The Reporter, May 9, 2020 Vol. 24 No. 1235


LIVING AND THE ARTS

PRE-COVID-19

CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES

IN ADDIS

By Messay Zinnahbizu

Schools all over the country

have closed their doors

in response to COVID-19

pandemic, leaving parents

and caregivers scrambling

to find daily activities for

their children. Before that,

when things were normal,

an activity that became

commonplace among kids of

all ages was spending their

weekends at game zones.

Like most children, Abel

Getahun likes to spend his

weekends at Gast Mall with

friends and family. Abel is a

twelve-year-old boy who lives

around the corner and comes

to spend his time at Gast every

two weeks to enjoy his time

with friends and family. His

14||LIVING AND TH

CH

12|



INTERVIEW

The Reporter: The Red

Cross has been in Ethiopia

for eon. Share with me the

highlights of its work?

Julien Lerisson:

The

International Committee of

the Red Cross (ICRC) has been

in Ethiopia for more than 40

years, focusing on protecting

and assisting the most

vulnerable people affected by

armed conflict and violence.

It mostly visited prisons,

ensuring that detention

conditions and treatment of

detainees were in line with

international standards. In

that regard, it maintained

a permanent bilateral and

confidential dialogue with the

detaining authorities before,

during and after those visits.

Also, since its arrival in

Ethiopia, the ICRC has

supported the establishment of

quality physical rehabilitation

services for people with

disabilities. It is the main

provider of the technology

used for assisting devices in

Ethiopia (i.e polypropylene)

and today still supports 10

physical rehabilitation centers

in the country. Last but not

least, it has always been

working in close collaboration

and coordination with its

main national partner: the

Ethiopian Red Cross Society

(ERCS).

What makes it unique,

perhaps different compared

to the others who are

fixtures in the narrative of

Ethiopia?

The uniqueness of the ICRC

lies in its history, mandate

and activities. The ICRC is

at the origin of the Red Cross

and Red Cross Movement,

created more than 150 years

ago and made of the ICRC, the

International Federation of the

Red Cross and Red Crescent,

and each and every National

Society (i.e the Ethiopian Red

Cross Society here in Ethiopia).

It is guided by seven core

principles amongst which

FOCUSING

ON PREVENTION WORK

In the era of COVID-19, the head of Delegation of the International

Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Julien Lerisson, converses

with Samuel Getachew of The Reporter on the ICRC’s recent

effort to help curb the devastation of the virus, on the history of

the organization, how it has affected its operation and on some

of the efforts in the Somali region where ICRC returned two years

ago after more than a decade of absence. Excerpts:

12||INTERVIEW

FOON PIn the era

Commit

with Sa

effort t

the org

of the

ago af

10|



IN-DEPTH

IOM, which facilitated the needs of the migrants, estimates, about 360,000 plus people have come home so far, not

counting the latest returnees and more are coming.

By Samuel Getachew

The cargo entrance of Ethiopian

Airlines has been busy these

days past few weeks. It has been

hosting thousands of migrants

originating from Saudi Arabia

who have suddenly been

transported to Addis Ababa with

little regards to their wellbeing.

Inside a cargo plane belonging

to Saudi Arabia Airlines,

meant to transport live animals

exported from Ethiopia, these

young people, many of whom

in their teens and early 20’s,

took a four hour flight home,

compared to the many months

it took them to reach the land

of opportunity that they never

ended up realizing. In their

travels there, most paid scarce

resources, endured abuse - both

physical and emotional - and the

selected few ended up joining

the life of a privileged migrant,

the dignity of dead-end jobs in

the kitchens of the privileged

in a Saudi Arabia society that

looks down on the vulnerable.

Placed at the mercy of a nation

with little resources and non-

governmental organizations

such as The International

Organization for Migration

(IOM) and UNICEF attempting

fearlessly to help in the midst

of donor fatigue to such human

tragedy, more than 5,000

Ethiopian citizens suddenly

came with little preparation

beforehand, for their families

and theirs and more are

expected to come in the coming

weeks.

The operation to start deporting

migrants began in Saudi Arabia

in 2017 as the corona virus

pandemic started to become an

issue. Naming the campaign –

A Nation without Violations

– a Donald Trump like idea of

finding an easy target out of the

most vulnerable, the kingdom

gave time to have a half a

million people depart the nation

within mere months.

IOM, which facilitated the needs

of the migrants, estimates,

about 360,000 plus people have

come home so far, not counting

the latest returnees and more

are coming.

In Addis Ababa, overwhelmed

with the needs of the returnees,

the operation was suspended

last month when Saudi Arabia

and Ethiopia agreed to stop

temporarily sending them after

the nation was overwhelmed

with dwindling resources to

accommodate the quarantine

needs of those that arrived and

put pressure on the government.

Berhan Berhe, a 17 year old,

was one of the many who

returned to Ethiopia from Saudi

Arabia recently and is now

part of a program that is being

implemented by UNICEF with

the financial support of the

United Kingdom’s Department

for International Development.

According to UNICEF, the

program is a two year program

meant to improve vulnerable

people by training social

workers and building a data

management system.

After reaching there via

Djibouti and Yemen, enduring

much, including being detained

by captors for several months

and abuse and frustration, he

finally reached Saudi Arabia

looking for a future, only to be

detained and be returned to

Ethiopia.

“I believed if I went to Saudi

Arabia, I would be able to

support my mother and three

siblings”, he told UNICEF’S

Feven Getachew.

Like Berhan, thousands of

young people with the promise

of opportunities that is never

within reach, travel to Saudi

Arabia, often to a society that

often mistreats migrants, offers

XXXDEPORTATION STRAIGHT TO

QUARANTINE

h a es es ry

me

His

26|



SNAPSHOTS

DROPPING

BYPresident Isaias Afeworki of Eritrea,

accompanied by his foreign minister and

close advisor, Usman Sahle and Yemane

Gebreab, respectively, visited Ethiopia

early this week for what was said to be “a

bilateral summit” to discuss mutual issues

like the COVID-19 pandemic and the locust

invasion in the Horn Region. Reportedly,

the president visited big farm properties

in the outskirt of Addis Ababa and some

development projects in the capital.

INSI

DE

By Birhanu Fikade

Netflix has acquired a new documentary about the Boeing 737 Max disasters from a renowned filmmaker, Rory Kennedy.

According to a press release Moxie Films in Los Angeles sent to The Reporter, the documentary film was first developed as a series and the streaming giant Netflix will air the project as a feature documentary, on a to-be-determined date. The film comes from Imagine Documentaries, an arm of Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment, run by Justin

Wilkes and Sara Bernstein.

Kennedy and her producing partner Mark Bailey, an Emmy-nominated writer, examine the global tragedy that began in March 2019, after the two brand-new aircrafts had crashed within five months of each other, killing people in Ethiopia and Malaysia.

Media reports have focused on improperly vetted design flaws and an internal push for production speed at Boeing, while numerous accounts have pointed to pilot inexperience and poor airmanship. In addition to the human cost, the documentary will explore the reputation crisis; the iconic Boeing Company has faced in

the aftermath.

The documentary will rely on first-person accounts, to put a human face on the tragedies. It will also let viewers make-up their own minds about what happened and why.

The sale marks the first co-production between Imagine Documentaries, and Kennedy and Bailey’s Moxie Films.

Kennedy’s 2014 documentary, “Last Days in Vietnam,” which told the story of the Vietnam War’s final weeks, was nominated for an Oscar for documentary feature. She won the Emmy for non --fiction special in 2007 for her film “Ghosts of Abu Ghraib,” which chronicled the

American abuse of detainees in Abu Ghraib prison in 2003. Bailey co-wrote both features.

Imagine Documentaries was formed in 2018 with a focus on developing and producing premium feature documentaries and non-scripted television.

Recent releases include the Toronto Film Festival opening night movie “Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band,” executive produced by Martin Scorsese and released by Magnolia Pictures, a feature documentary on NBA star Dwayne Wade from ESPN Films; as well as Bryce Dallas Howard’s “Dads,” premiering on Apple TV Plus, this year.

By Neamin Ashenafi

The Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice (Ezema), established a year ago and presumed to be one of the frontrunners in the next general election, expressed support to the option of constitutional amendment based on the principles enshrined under Articles 104 and 105/2 of the FDRE Constitution following what it said was a critical deliberations over the four alternatives presented by the government to decide on the fate of the upcoming general election and the incumbent administration.

A week ago, the Deputy Attorney General, Gedion Timotiwos (PhD), presented four possible alternatives to the representatives of the opposition parties at a meeting called by the Office of the Prime Minister. The discussion was initiated by the current administration in view of resolving outstanding issues surrounding the postponement of the upcoming general election because of the coronavirus outbreak and the associated constitutional challenges with regard to the outgoing administration.

The options forwarded by the government, as presented by

the Deputy Attorney General, were to dissolve the House of People’s Representatives (HPR), declaring a State of Emergency (SoE), a Constitutional amendment, and seeking Constitutional interpretation.

A statement released on Wednesday, May 6 2020, by the party, states that it has been conducting a series of discussions with constitutional lawyers over the past one month in an attempt to find a constitutional solution for the anticipated power vacuum created due to the decisions taken by the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) to postpone the general elections, initially scheduled for August 29, 2020.

In its seven page statement, the party requested that any attempts to address the current political and constitutional problems should focus on creating opportunities to strengthen institutions and should be conducted swiftly.

The statement went further to point out that, though the party aspires for a full-fledged constitutional amendment, it admits that it might not be the right time to do so since it requires time and discussions with the public. Therefore, the party expressed its support for constitutional amendment

as the only way of addressing the existing political and constitutional crisis.

To this effect, the amendment will have the purpose of enabling the Parliament to postpone the election for not more than one year. However, the process should be accompanied by unambiguous and clearly stated roles of limiting the power of the interim government and restraining it from passing “major and consequential decisions,” as a normal government would have until election is duly conducted, the statement reads.

Similarly, the party opposed the decision the House of People’s Representatives (HPR), passed by on May 04, to approve the option of a constitutional interpretation; by saying it is an option of which its effect is unknown especially during this challenging moment in history.

Apart from this, the party expressed its concerns of interference and that the process should be free from it.

Finally, the party advised that any measure and alternative presented, should take into consideration the existing political and constitutional problems, and at the same time focus on ensuring the stability

of the nation, continuity of peace, and the process of building a democratic system. Hence, any decisions related to national issues should also incorporate the voices of all political players irrespective of their political stand.

One the other hand, the current constitutional crisis was heightened recently following a media interview featuring Jawar Mohammed, known politicians who returned to Ethiopia following the reform and recently joined Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC), and Lidetu Ayalew, another towing figure in Ethiopian politics and member of the top leadership of the Ethiopian Democratic Party (EDP). The two appeared on a local television station to discuss the recent conundrum and caught the wreathe of many commentators for suggesting that current administrations legitimacy would elapse once the current parliamentary year is over and hence all security and army structures should refuse to take orders.

The duo advocated what they termed as “a political solution” for the crisis which is exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, going as far proposing the dissolution of the current administration and the establishment of a transitional government.

EZEMA supports constitutional amendment


Advertisment4| The Reporter, May 9, 2020 Vol. 24 No. 1235

AdvertismentThe Reporter, May 9, 2020 Vol. 24 No. 1235 |5


REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR Consultancy to re-design Community

Conversations toolkit consisting of manual, handouts and implementation guide

LRPS-2019-9158038Topic- UNICEF (Ethiopia) wishes to request eligible bidders to participate in a Request for proposal (LRPS) for Consultancy to re-design Community Conversations toolkit consisting of manual, handouts and implementation guide.Details of the requirements for this bid and eligibility criteria etc. can be found in the bid document. Interested and eligible bidders can get the bid document with the below links;2merkato.com (Local) - https://2merkato.com/images/downloads/UNICEF/LRPS20209158038.pdf

an email to [email protected] before or on 13 May

at 2merkato.com to the public. While sending your request for

the subject email, provide the name of your company, contact person, email and mobile number. The due date for submission of proposals/Bid to UNICEF Addis

2:00 pm Local time (East African Time) 20 May 2020. Please read the LRPS for detailed requirements and due dates.Please quote the respective LRPS (request for quotation) numbers with the request for proposal for Consultancy to Re-design Community Conversations toolkit consisting of manual, handouts and implementation guide.UNICEF reserves the right to accept or reject part or all of any or all bids. ADDRESS: UNICEF Ethiopia, UNECA Compound, Zambezi Building, 2nd

INVITATION TO BID FOR AUDIT SERVICEhealth organization and is legally re-registered with the Agency for Civil Society Organizations under license no. 1233. Engender

Service for its projects for the Audit period July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020.

(Morning 8:30am – 12:30 pm and Afternoon 1:30 pm – 5:00 pm) and submit their Technical and Financial Proposals in a separate

The document must be delivered to the address below in the bid box prepared for this purpose not later than 4:00 pm on or before May 22, 2020. Bidders are required to attach the following documents as part of the technical bid documents.1. Renewed professional license and renewed business license,2. 3.

Auditing specially an International NGO with IPSAS reporting requirement

4. professional competency,

5. Experience of working in new IPSAS reporting standards, 6. A schedule or detailed audit plan, that includes expected

audit start date and completion date,7. The price must include clearly 15% VAT.

accept or reject all or parts of the bids at any time without assigning any reason or reasons whatsoever.

Bole Sub City, Kebele 02, Infront of Abegaz Tower, Djibouti RoadTel: 251-116- 63 08 33, P.O.Box: 156, code 1110

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONSSUB REGIONAL OFFICE FOR EASTERN AFRICA (SFE) AND FAO REPRESENTATION

IN ETHIOPIA, TO THE AU AND THE UN ECAis requesting Expressions of Interest (EOI)

Call for Expression of Interest for Suppliers in Addis Ababa and in the various regions of Ethiopia (for suppliers registered and established in Ethiopia only)

Date of REOI: Tuesday 28 April 2020Reference: EOI/2020/SFEXD/SFEXD/105331GENERAL INFORMATION

Potential Vendor RegistrationDESCRIPTION OF SERVICES

Interested suppliers should submit their qualifying documentation including the application form no later than Thursday 30 May 2020 at 14.00 a.m. Addis Ababa’s time*The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for its operations in Ethiopia is updating its roster of Potential Local Vendors at

this Expression of Interest (EOI) and therefore, invites potential vendors to express their interest. Kindly note that, the Expression of Interest (EOI) includes an application form which is as well launched on www.ungm.org under the same subject mentioned above.The application form can be found at www.ungm.org. For suppliers who

SNNP-Hawassa, Afar-Awash Sebat, Tigray-Mekele, Amhara-Bahir Dar and Somali-Jijiga) and who are not able to access internet in a reasonable time, while they proceed with their registration on www.ungm.org, can collect the application

done through www.ungm.org only. *Suppliers who submit their Expression of Interest (EOI) beyond the closing date will also be reviewed and eventually be included in the roster for future solicitations

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS

In order to qualify, the companies intending to bid must certify to be

documented evidence will be provided when responding to the aforementioned tender:1. FAO’s application form fully completed, signed and stamped by the

supplier2.

including VAT Registration from Ethiopia authorities3. All required documentation listed in the application form4.

or supply of goods5.

entityNOTEPrices are not required at this stage. This request for EOI (REOI) does not constitute a solicitation. Submitting an EOI does not automatically guarantee receipt of the solicitation document when issued.FAO reserves the right to require compliance with additional conditions as

FAO reserves the right to change or cancel the requirement at any time during the REOI and/or solicitation process, without any obligation to

Chimimba David PhiriFAO Sub regional Coordinator for Eastern Africa, and FAO Representative to the African Union and UNECA

HEADLINES6| The Reporter, May 9, 2020 Vol. 24 No. 1235


... NEWS IN BRIEF

25 mln loss on horticultureEthiopia has lost about USD 25 million USD from the horticulture

sub-sector since the outbreak of the global COVID-19.

Ethiopian Horticulture Producer-Exporters Association (EHPEA)

Executive Director, Tewodros Zewdie said even if “detail appraisals

are going on, preliminary assessments show that about USD 25 million

has been compromised or lost due to COVID-19.”

The months February and May are considered peak season for

flower export, he stated, adding that “we can (therefore) say that this

year’s peak season has been compromised a lot. But we are exerting

relentless efforts to minimize the impact and not to lay off workers.”

According to him, “a number of adverse impacts have been observed

in the horticulture supply chain after the advent of Coronavirus

pandemic.”

Moreover, “we are dealing with perishable products that should be on

the shelves of supermarkets as soon as possible. This requires smart

perishable logistics and at the same time free movement of goods from

one border to the other,” the executive director elaborated.

(ENA)

PM, President inaugurate Meki-Ziway irrigation development

projectPrime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) and Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki on Monday inaugurated the 292 million birr Meki-Ziway Irrigation Development Project.

Former Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn, President of Oromia Regional State, Shimelis Abdisa and other federal and regional senior official were also present.

The Meki-Ziway Irrigation Development Project, located in Oromia Regional State, is expected to develop 2,000 hectare of land and make 2,700 households beneficiaries.

Up on the completion of its expansion works, the Meki-Ziway Irrigation Development Project has a potential to develop 15,000 hectares.

The project was constructed by Oromia Water Works Enterprise with an outlay of 292 million birr.

Abiy said that the government will work to double the productive capacity of farmers in a single harvesting season by promoting agricultural technologies.

He noted that the government will invigorate wide range of support to encourage farmers to develop irrigational schemes.

Abiy added that this year the government will provide 10,000 modern water pumps to improve agricultural productivity of the framers.

(ENA)

By Solomon Yimer

A local tech firm, BT Net Technology PLC, has launched the first-ever support platform for crowd-funding in Ethiopia. An online platform dubbed ‘Degafi’ is designed to enable individuals, charities and start-ups, publicly raise funds for their projects.

The platform completed all its trial sessions, and will officially begin running funding campaigns next week, according to Biniam Negessu, CEO at BT Net Technology and the developer of the platform.

“Anyone with ideas which

legal requirements from the government. “They will also sign a compulsory agreement with us, to use the money only for the intended purpose.”

Learning from some crowd-funding frauds, Degafi will assign personnel who will closely follow the projects, to avoid crowd-funding abuses and misuse of money.

According to Biniam, the platform has also a plan to work with local non-profits, NGOs, and Universities, to raise funds for education, poverty reduction, health, agriculture, infrastructure, environment and nature protection in the near future.

In addition, donations of money to support the projects can be made via variety of means including Hello Cash, Amole, CBE Birr, M-Birr. Similarly, the platform also enables donors living abroad to support projects by sending money through banks using SWIFT codes. Furthermore, the company is also working to make the system more accessible to the diaspora community.

According to information provided by the company, it will charge three percent of the collected amount for maintaining and managing the site. In its pilot phase,

Degafi has helped four projects to raise money including a campaign to provide food for people in need during the COVID-19 pandemic and each test projects collected between 10,000 to 15,000 birr within weeks.

Counting GoFundMe, the most familiar to Ethiopians, globally, people are using crowd-funding platforms like Kick Starter, Indiegogo, Causes and Patreon to raise money. In 2018, crowd-funding raised USD 12 Billion globally and the World Bank estimates that crowd-funding activities will raise USD 96 billion by 2025.

By Brook Abdu

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) slashed the projected economic growth of Ethiopia for the second quarter of the year 2020 from 6.2 percent to 3.2 percent because of the impacts of the on-going COVID-19 crisis. The third quarter of the same year is also projected to see a decline of growth from 6.1 percent to 3.7 percent.

In its country report on Ethiopia, released on May 6, 2020, the Fund observed that, “Given the late spread of the pandemic to Ethiopia, the shock would materialize mostly in Q2 and Q3 of 2020—spreading the negative impact on GDP across two fiscal years. Staff revised growth projections

from 6.2 and 6.1 percent to 3.2 and 3.7 percent in 2019/20 and 2020/21, respectively, despite significant policy support. The recovery would start gradually in Q4 2020, with real GDP remaining below pre-shock projections throughout the medium-term.”

While indicating that there will be significant decline in imports because of “weak domestic demand and lower projected inflows,” the Fund indicated that the current account balance of the country is projected to strengthen. Again, the drop in foreign direct investment coupled with the delay in privatization, the overall balance of payments is projects to weaken creating additional financing gap of USD 1.7 billion for 2019/2020.

Although these assessments seem to be gloomy, the IMF expects the economy to spring back to normalcy by 2020/21 in relation to the growing imports and exports. This, however, will result in a deteriorated trade balance.

“But an improved services balance and stronger remittances will mitigate the impact on the current account. Privatization revenues will help contain the additional financing gap, which is projected to reach USD 731 million,” the report assesses.

The tax revenues are also expected to drop by a third of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) compared to the previous year because of the severity of the shock.

In addition to warning that the

Commercial Bank of Ethiopia’s (CBE) asset quality remains concerning “amid large SOE [state owned enterprises] exposures”, the call from borrowers from both private and public banks to delay payments “could translate into weakening asset quality and intensified liquidity pressures going forward.” The report also stressed that “Structural weaknesses in CBE’s balance sheet should be dealt with through a comprehensive solution that addresses debt sustainability challenges at its SOE borrowers.”

With a request from the authorities, the IMF has provided support for Ethiopia to withstand the impacts of COVID-19 with a recent one being USD 411 million that the board approved for Ethiopia.

As recommendation, the report urged the government to ensure adequate commercial bank liquidity buffers, closely monitor the impact of COVID-19 on financial stability, the need for continued vigilance is needed to ensure that the single digit inflation objective will be achieved as planned and increase the pace of exchange rate depreciation.

Until May 8, 2020, Ethiopia registered 194 Novel Corona Virus infection cases with the highest daily increase of 25 infections registered on May 7, 2020. So far, 30,306 people have been tested for the virus. Out of the total infections, 95 have fully recovered while the active cases are 93. The pandemic has also claimed the lives of four people.

IMF revises growth projections amid COVID-19 crisis in Ethiopian

could positively impact societies can run fundraisers by registering at our crowd funding website Degefi.com and start raising funds easily,” said Biniam.

“These days, the concept of crowd-funding has become familiar among Ethiopians. However, there are some limitations in placing the raised fund into the intended project, our company develops Degafi, customizing it to the Ethiopian context,” he told The Reporter, adding that before launching fundraising campaigns, individuals or organizations are required to fulfill all the



Indore to groom Bahir Dar in waste management

Indore has been selected to assist Bahir Dar in implementing solid waste management system.

India’s cleanest city has been selected for this task as part of ‘Waste Wise Cities Campaign” proposed under UN-Habitat Program.

Indore Municipal Corporation commissioner Rajneesh Kasera said that they would be providing assistance to Bahir Dar.

“This program is meant to clean up and establish sustainable waste management practices in 20 cities around the world by 2022,” Kasera told the Times of India.

He said that applications were invited from different cities to apply either as changemaker city- taking up the challenges or as supporter city, assisting a changemaker City (civic and technical twinning)

“We have adapted best possible practices in solid waste management on basis of which, we have decided to go for the second option.” he said.

“This programme would not only help us share our best practices with other cities but also bring opportunities for us to learn and improvise for future need,” he said.

(TOI)

Ethiopian introduces digital services to cargo customers

Ethiopian Airlines, the largest aviation group in Africa, has introduced a mobile application and chatbot-assisted shipment tracking service to elevate cargo customers’ experience.

In a press release issued by the airline, the mobile app, which is now available for both Android and iOS, will bring convenience to Ethiopian Cargo and Logistics Services customers through a range of self-service features including checking flight schedule, cargo tracking and charter requests at the swipe of a finger.

The Ethiopian Chatbot enables customers to access up-to-date information and track their shipment on Messenger and Telegram, it was indicated.

“As a customer-centric airline, we always seek ways to better serve our customers and bring more digital options to their fingertips,” Group Integrated Marketing Communications Director at Ethiopian, Miretab Teklaye said.

“The newly unveiled cargo mobile app and chatbot-assisted cargo tracking service will bring convenience for our customers allowing them to access real-time updates about their shipments and to process their charter requests,” he added.

(Press Release)

By Yonas Abiye

The Enterprises Holdings and Administration Agency (EHAA), has floated Abaya Agricultural Farm for auction whereby potential buyers are offered full acquisition of the farm.

In a public notice [No.001/2019-2012] issued on Monday, May 4, 2010, the Agency has called on interested and capable investors to take part in the bid to fully acquire and develop the state farm.

Pursuant to the powers and duties vested in it by the Council of Ministers’ regulation number 445/2018, the Agency announced that interested bidders could submit their proposal in accordance with the stated bid notice, which has already been published on local media outlets as of Monday.

The latest bid will be opened inside the Agency’s headquarters located in front of Imperial Hotel, while the bid process will go through to next month until its closing day on July 07, 2020. In addition, the winner is expected to be announced in the afternoon of the stated closing date.

The Reporter has learnt that the farm is highly productive in banana production but has not been properly harvested over the past three decades under the state’s possession.

Along with another state-owned farm, the Arba Minch Farm, the Abaya Farm was under Amibara’s’ Lease Management, leased from the former Privatization and Public Enterprises

Supervising Agency a decade ago.

According to various documents The Reporter has reviewed, these two farms have a cultivatable area of 821 hectares and 1,195 hectares, respectively.

The two farms were under the holding of Amibara Agricultural Development for six years, during the then lease agreement that lasted between 2006 and 2012 GC.

Both farms are located in the Southern Regional State to satisfy the needs of the textile and oil mills of the region, with Hawassa and Arba Minch

textile factories being major customers of the farms.

Ethiopia’s agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors, which contributed 31.1 percent to the country’s GDP in 2018, are crucial sectors for the country as they employ two thirds of its labor force. Smallholder farmers account for 95 percent of the sector’s production and commercial farms account for the rest. The agri-business sector depends on traditional farming methods and a rain-fed farming system, with the cost of production inputs and transportation high.

Ethiopia’s main staple crop is maize, while the main cash crops are coffee and sesame seed.

It is to be recalled that the enterprise, during the previous fiscal year, reported that a total of 23 public enterprises under its supervision have bagged a combined profit of some 52.3 billion birr during the 2018/19 (2011 EC) fiscal year.

However, the enterprises also announced that its revenues fell short of their plan, achieving only 77 percent of its set target. The plan, for the reported period, was to collect 69.5 billion birr.

HEADLINES8| The Reporter, May 9, 2020 Vol. 24 No. 1235


.. HORN IN BRIEFHHHORN IN BRIEFSomalia probes

Kenyan aid plane crash

Somalia is investigating how a private Kenyan plane with coronavirus medical supplies crashed near the city of Baidoa, killing all six on board.

Police say the African Express aircraft crashed in flames just before it was due to land in Bardale on Monday.

Officials say the crash’s cause is not clear but there has been speculation it might have been shot down.

The crew was made up of two Kenyan and four Somali nationals.

Al-Shabaab has a presence in the area of Bardale, but the town and its airfield are held by Somali government soldiers and Ethiopian troops who are part of the African Union force in the country.

Ethiopia’s defence spokesperson denied its forces had any involvement in the incident in Bardale, 300km north-west of Mogadishu.

Abdirashid Abdullahi Mohamed, a former Somali defence minister, is quoted by the Reuters news agency as saying that he had spoken to a witness at the airfield who said the plane appeared to have been shot down.

(BBC)

South Sudan announces new steps

South Sudan’s government says it has come up with new strategies to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, after the number of confirmed cases there jumped from six to 49.

More testing and tracking will be carried out in the capital, Juba, according to First Vice President Riek Machar, who is deputy chair of the health ministry’s high-level task force for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

“We have decided to divide Juba into five zones. There will be testing of 100 samples in each zone. This is a sampling so that the task force is able to know if there are people who are affected, say in Munuki, Kator, inside Juba among other places, so that we are able to know the spread of this disease, especially inside Juba,” Machar told VOA’s South Sudan in Focus on Monday.

South Sudan has also ordered more ventilators. There are only four ventilators in the entire country, according to Health Minister Elizabeth Acuei Yor.

(VOA)

By Kaleyesus Bekele

The Addis Ababa City Administration Labor and Social Affairs Bureau received a street children and youth rehabilitation center built and donated by the Tewodros Ashenafi Foundation.

The street children rehabilitation center, which can accommodate 2000 children is built in Akaki Kality Sub City at a cost of 25 million birr. The rehabilitation center has 14 blocks each having 20 rooms. The center in total has 280 rooms and two rooms for first aid clinic, two rooms for administration offices and canteen and TV hall, and a training hall. It also has 36 bathrooms, eight toilets, and 16 washing tubs for clothes.

The alarmingly increasing number of street children in Addis Ababa is a grave concern to all. As the world is faced with a fight against COVID-19 pandemic, to which the street children are also vulnerable, makes the need for facilities with high accommodation capacity crucial.

Taking this challenge into account, by the leadership and initiation of the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) and at the request of the Ethiopian Investment Commission, the Tewodros Ashenafi Foundation has built the street children rehabilitation center and handed over the project to the Addis Ababa Labour and Social Affairs Bureau.

Chairman of the foundation, Tewodros Ashenafi, handed over the project to Mulugeta Tefera, head of the Addis Ababa

City Administration Labor and Social Affairs Bureau. During the occasion Mulugeta said that the Tewodros Ashenafi Foundation made an urgent response to the call made by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Mulugeta said the Addis Ababa City Administration is rehabilitating destitute citizens living on the streets of Addis Ababa.

According to Mulugeta, the city administration in collaboration with various organizations is rehabilitating 3,500 needy people. Two thousand people were admitted to rehabilitation centers run by eight indigenous NGOs supported by UN agencies. Elshadai Relief and Development took

1200 needy people. The bureau admitted 300 beneficiaries to its rehabilitation center in Akaki. Mulugeta said the city administration mobilised a total of 3500 citizens in two month time.

“The beneficiaries receive short term trainings. We give them physiological therapy and vocational training. Those who need to peruse regular education will join schools,” Mulugeta said. “The Tewodros Ashenafi Foundation has built and handed over this huge rehabilitation center. This is a big help for us. We will use the center to rehabilitate and train the youth,” he added.

The Labor and Social Affairs Bureau plans to rehabilitate 11,000 needy people this year.

“It is the perfect timing for the completion of the building project amidst the Coronavirus pandemic allowing it to potentially serve two purposes of great magnitude in supporting our city, community and government,” Tewodros said. “I believe it is important for all stakeholders, government, business and civil society to play their roles,” he added.

The Tewodros Ashenafi Foundation was established by founder and CEO of SouthWest Holdings Ltd. The Foundation is engaged in various community development projects in Ethiopia as part of the corporate social responsibility of SouthWest Holdings Ltd.

City gets street children rehabilitation center



more than 20 yearsSudan has appointed its first ambassador to the United States, the first such envoy in more than 20 years.

Authorities in both countries had agreed to improve ties following the fall of long-time President Omar al-Bashir, who was overthrown by the military in April last year in the wake of mass protests seeking civilian rule.

The Foreign Ministry of Sudan’s transitional government said on Monday it had chosen Nureldin Satti, a veteran diplomat, to become the Horn of Africa nation’s ambassador in Washington, DC, and that US authorities had approved his nomination.

Satti served as Sudan’s ambassador to France in the 1990s and later worked with United Nations peacekeeping missions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.

A Department of State representative declined to provide any insight on plans to appoint a US ambassador to Sudan, saying there was no specific information on the timing but that the decision late last year to exchange ambassadors was “a historic step”.

(Aljazeera)

MIGA supports

scale wind projectThe Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) has issued guarantees that will support the design, development, construction, operation, and maintenance of Djibouti’s first utility-scale wind project.

The guarantees amount to USD 100.81 million and cover up to 90 percent of investments made and future earnings in the Project for up to 20 years.

The guarantees will provide protection against Currency Inconvertibility and Transfer Restriction, Expropriation, Breach of Contract, and War and Civil Disturbance.

The guarantees were issued to Djibouti Wind Company Ltd to benefit Africa Finance Corporation and Construction Equity Fund, a blended finance facility managed by Climate Fund Managers.

The project, which represents the country’s first independent power producer (IPP), consists of a 58.9MW wind farm in Ghoubet, along with interconnection facilities located in the Arta Region (between Lake Assal and Djibouti City).

All electricity generated will be sold by the Red Sea Power Limited SAS to the Djiboutian state-owned national electricity utility, Electricite de Djibouti, under a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement.

(ESI Africa)

By Samuel Getachew

The US, through its State Department and its developmental agency, the Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has pledged USD 37 million to Ethiopia to fight COVID-19 pandemic. This comes weeks after US President, Donald J. Trump and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) spoke on the phone, in which Trump promised Ethiopia that the US would help with ventilators to help fight the coronavirus pandemic.

“As we have done time and time again, the US will continue to support others during their time of greatest need. The COVID-19 pandemic is no different. And both during and after this crisis, we will remain steadfastly alongside our Ethiopian friends and partners to help build a brighter future for all Ethiopians,” Ambassador Michael A. Raynor said in a statement.

The assistance is to go towards, case management in supporting clinical care, infection prevention and control to prevent, support of laboratories, public health screening to help implement

emergency plans, support the Hawassa Industrial Plans to help preserve jobs and to humanitarian assistance.

The US, through its development agencies continues to be Ethiopia’s biggest developmental partners, supporting public health, food assistance, among others.

In the last two decades, the United States estimates it has invested USD 13 billion, including USD 4 billion to go towards the nation’s vulnerable healthcare system.

“The US also continues to be the largest financial contributor to international

financial institutions, including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, which are providing hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars in direct support of the health sector and emergency loans to assist Ethiopia and others in meeting the challenge of COVID-19,” a statement from the Embassy said, adding, “The United States has been the largest provider of bilateral assistance in public health worldwide for decades. Since 2009, American taxpayers have generously funded more than $100 billion in health assistance and nearly $70 billion in humanitarian assistance.”



IN-DEPTH

By Samuel Getachew

The cargo entrance of Ethiopian Airlines has been busy these days past few weeks. It has been hosting thousands of migrants originating from Saudi Arabia who have suddenly been transported to Addis Ababa with little regards to their wellbeing.

Inside a cargo plane belonging to Saudi Arabia Airlines, meant to transport live animals exported from Ethiopia, these young people, many of whom in their teens and early 20’s, took a four hour flight home, compared to the many months it took them to reach the land of opportunity that they never ended up realizing. In their travels there, most paid scarce resources, endured abuse - both physical and emotional - and the selected few ended up joining the life of a privileged migrant, the dignity of dead-end jobs in the kitchens of the privileged in a Saudi Arabia society that looks down on the vulnerable.

Placed at the mercy of a nation with little resources and non-governmental organizations such as The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UNICEF attempting

fearlessly to help in the midst of donor fatigue to such human tragedy, more than 5,000 Ethiopian citizens suddenly came with little preparation beforehand, for their families and theirs and more are expected to come in the coming weeks.

The operation to start deporting migrants began in Saudi Arabia in 2017 as the corona virus pandemic started to become an issue. Naming the campaign – A Nation without Violations – a Donald Trump like idea of finding an easy target out of the most vulnerable, the kingdom gave time to have a half a million people depart the nation within mere months.

IOM, which facilitated the needs of the migrants, estimates, about 360,000 plus people have come home so far, not counting the latest returnees and more are coming.

In Addis Ababa, overwhelmed with the needs of the returnees, the operation was suspended last month when Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia agreed to stop temporarily sending them after the nation was overwhelmed with dwindling resources to accommodate the quarantine needs of those that arrived and

put pressure on the government.

Berhan Berhe, a 17 year old, was one of the many who returned to Ethiopia from Saudi Arabia recently and is now part of a program that is being implemented by UNICEF with the financial support of the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development.

According to UNICEF, the program is a two year program meant to improve vulnerable people by training social workers and building a data management system.

After reaching there via Djibouti and Yemen, enduring much, including being detained by captors for several months and abuse and frustration, he finally reached Saudi Arabia looking for a future, only to be detained and be returned to Ethiopia.

“I believed if I went to Saudi Arabia, I would be able to support my mother and three siblings”, he told UNICEF’S Feven Getachew.

Like Berhan, thousands of young people with the promise of opportunities that is never within reach, travel to Saudi Arabia, often to a society that often mistreats migrants, offers

XXXDEPORTATION STRAIGHT TO

The Reporter, May 9, 2020 Vol. 24 No. 1235 |11


IN-DEPTH

them little protection and throws them out whenever they want.

Many pay agencies for the right to be provided an offer of employment so they can legally travel there. However, the majority with no money to pay, end up taking an easy way out, with cheaper avenues, passing through several nations. Many have lost their lives and the abuse has only increased, forcing a number of non-governmental organizations to help educate them against illegal migration.

A number of donors have also focused on creating employment at home, more specifically within Ethiopia’s Industrial Parks and others, in order to have them join the once booming economy of the nation that has managed to create thousands of jobs in the last few years. This comes as Ethiopia has also implemented a number of modern and progressive policies to allow likely immigrants, specifically refugees to work in the nation.

Sources told The Reporter of the overwhelming psychological needs of many, those who works for years only to be refused payment at the end, long hours

of work slaved in the wee hours of the night, worse, sexual abuse that was never addressed at the end when most were suddenly deemed vulnerable to the virus and transported home.

The initial quarantine center was at Bole Preparatory School that overflew and forced many to sleep next to each other, breaking the protocol on how to curb the spread of the virus that has overwhelmed many nations. Images of filth and overcrowd of people forced the government to quickly find them an appropriate location.

Even then, at the newer and bigger quarantine locations, there were issues of overcrowd, reducing the idea of isolation and many were placed in confinement next to each other.

“Ethiopia continues to receive thousands of migrants returned from countries across the region and the Middle East, in response to the COVID-19 global health pandemic,” IOM said in a statement. “We are assisting more than 9,400 migrants in the country’s quarantine facilities. Migrants have been sent back to Ethiopia from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, and other countries over the last few weeks”.

The Ethiopian Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Ergogie Tesfaye (PhD) last month visited one of the quarantine centers in Addis Ababa to witness the hospitalities of the returnees and converse with them, joining IOM’s Chief of Mission Representative of Ethiopia, Maureen Achieng, as well as the United Nations Resident Coordinator for Ethiopia, Catherine Sozi.

“IOM’s quick response and support for returning migrants in Ethiopia is always appreciated,” Ergogie said. “As the coronavirus response requires harmonized efforts from all, we appreciate the coordinated support we are receiving from UN partners as well”, she said.

The Ethiopian government has taken the support of Saudi Arabia to its developmental goals and economical aspirations to heart. The Gulf nation has donated millions to support the recent reforms and to some, that may explain the diplomatic approach the country is taking to address the sudden influx of people that have become a burden to the nation.

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INTERVIEW

The Reporter: The Red Cross has been in Ethiopia for eon. Share with me the highlights of its work?

Julien Lerisson: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been in Ethiopia for more than 40 years, focusing on protecting and assisting the most vulnerable people affected by armed conflict and violence. It mostly visited prisons, ensuring that detention conditions and treatment of detainees were in line with international standards. In that regard, it maintained a permanent bilateral and confidential dialogue with the detaining authorities before, during and after those visits.

Also, since its arrival in Ethiopia, the ICRC has supported the establishment of quality physical rehabilitation services for people with disabilities. It is the main provider of the technology used for assisting devices in Ethiopia (i.e polypropylene) and today still supports 10 physical rehabilitation centers in the country. Last but not least, it has always been working in close collaboration and coordination with its main national partner: the Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS).

What makes it unique, perhaps different compared to the others who are fixtures in the narrative of Ethiopia?

The uniqueness of the ICRC lies in its history, mandate and activities. The ICRC is at the origin of the Red Cross and Red Cross Movement, created more than 150 years ago and made of the ICRC, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, and each and every National Society (i.e the Ethiopian Red Cross Society here in Ethiopia).

It is guided by seven core principles amongst which

ON PREVENTION WORK

Samuel Getachew



INTERVIEW

three are very dear to the ICRC: Neutrality (we don’t take side in conflict), Independence (we don’t receive instructions/agenda from the States and we are not an intergovernmental organization) and Impartiality (we protect and assist people solely based on their needs, no matter their religion, ethnic origin, culture, nationality, etc.). We are an hybrid organization in the sense that we are not an NGO but neither are we an Intergovernmental organization. We received our mandate from the community of States as enshrined in the 1949 Geneva Conventions to protect and assist the most vulnerable people affected by conflict and violence.

In Ethiopia, we were most active during the fall of the Derg, then the Ethio-Eritrean War, and finally wherever pockets of conflict or violence erupted due to confrontations between some armed groups and the security forces. One of our main activities has always been and still is to engage in a bilateral confidential dialogue with weapon bearers on the respect of International Humanitarian Law (IHL, a.k.a. the Laws of War).

What is some of the efforts of the organization, as Ethiopia in now in the midst of fighting COVID-19?

Regarding the COVID-19, we quickly took actions to protect our staff and beneficiaries/interlocutors, as well as adapting our existing programs and starting new ones specifically dedicated to COVID-19. For example, we’ve already approached the

Federal Prison Administration as well as the regional ones, and delivered Infection Prevention and Control equipment and measures reaching out more than 30 prisons, and 40,000 detainees. We are now supporting them to establish isolation cells/areas inside the prisons in case suspected cases are identified. Similarly, upon request of our Ethiopian Red Cross partner, we’ve handed over 2,500 essential items kits composed of bed mattresses, bed sheets, blankets, hand-washing stations, hand sanitizers etc. for the established COVID-19 Treatment centers in Addis Ababa and the regions. 500 kits were already delivered to Addis Ababa, and the 2,000 remaining are now on their way to the various concerned regions.

We’ve also engaged with the Police and Army in terms of specific Standard Operating Procedures in the fight of COVID-19 and at a time of State of Emergency. This is a dialogue we value as security forces are front line in the fight against the pandemic. They need to protect and serve the population, without unduly exposing themselves or potentially spreading the virus. This is just to name a few of the activities we’ve developed specifically linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.

How has the virus affected the activities of the organization?

We had to very quickly adapt our operations and modus operandi, ensuring the necessary duty of care for our staff and the communities

we are here to serve. So we’ve secured some masks, gloves stocks early in the crisis, and made our own hand sanitizers following the WHO recommendations. Implementing social distancing measures, adapting the number of passengers in the Land Cruiser, allowing staff to work from home, cancelling planned meetings and gatherings, re-arranging the training or Training of Trainers we had planned with the Army, the Ministry of Health (MoH) staff, the Police to ensure social distancing and compliance with the State of Emergency regulations, are just some of the examples I can give you.

I notice ICRC recently donated scarce and needed medical equipment to Ethiopia. Tell me about that?

As mentioned above, we did not donate medical items as such but essential items for treatment and isolation centers. We focus on the prevention work, raising awareness among communities, engaging with influencers, tribal and religious leaders, elders, and heads of communities to pass on key messages. We are supporting few primary health care centers in remote areas at the border of Oromia and Somali regional states and provided them with the necessary protective equipment, but we don’t have the capacity nor the expertise to engage into treatment of COVID-19 cases, this lies with the Ministry of Health and Ethiopian Public Health

Institute, with whom we are in daily contact.

Last year, ICRC began to distribute essential supplies to the Somali region of Ethiopia. How has that been like so far?

Our return to Somali Regional State in December 2018 was a very important moment for our organization. We were absent for 12 years and very happy to be back. We’ve engaged with the regional and local authorities and try to focus on areas where we can be impactful and make a difference. Hence, we’ve focused at the border of Oromia and Somali Regional State to assist the people displaced and communities affected by the conflict at the border of the two regions in 2018. Agricultural seeds and tools, livestock vaccination campaign, rehabilitation of water wells, water points, and support to primary health care centers are some of the activities we’ve deployed there.

We’ve also refurbished the Physical Rehabilitation Center in Jijiga, offering services for people with disability in Somali Regional state for the first time, this service did not exist in the past. We are also supporting the detaining and prison authorities there, visiting detention places, discussing with Police, the Army and others. We are also present in Moyale and working on a massive water scheme to improve water availability and distribution in Moyale for both Oromo and Somali communities.



LIVING AND THE ARTS

PRE-COVID-19 CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES

IN ADDIS

By Messay Zinnahbizu

Schools all over the country have closed their doors in response to COVID-19 pandemic, leaving parents and caregivers scrambling to find daily activities for their children. Before that, when things were normal, an activity that became commonplace among kids of all ages was spending their weekends at game zones.

Like most children, Abel Getahun likes to spend his weekends at Gast Mall with friends and family. Abel is a twelve-year-old boy who lives around the corner and comes to spend his time at Gast every two weeks to enjoy his time with friends and family. His



LIVING AND THE ARTS

father, a business owner, says “I usually bring my children here so that they interact with other kids and enjoy their time.” He usually goes down to the café and waits for his children to finish up. He gives them 500 hundred birr so that they can spend it on whatever they like.

Gast is located in CMC in front of St. Michael church, Addis Ababa. It was officially opened on May 7, 2019 and has an estimated number of 400-800 visitors a day.

Abel says, “My favorite game to play is Laser-tag, a tag game played where a person wears a vest with Infrared-sensitive targets and gets a laser gun. The goal is to shoot at the ‘enemy’ player’s vest and register points. You can avoid being hit by hiding behind objects. The game is usually played in the dark and lasts up to 15 minutes.” Abel also enjoys activities such as the mirror maze, a room of mirrors where you often see copies of yourself spreading out to infinity. The goal is to find your way out.

Another thing he enjoys is the cinema and different types of popcorn that are served. Abel adds, “My younger sister Emenet, however, enjoys the Children’s Playhouse,” an indoor playground where children do various activities like climbing, jumping on trampolines and completing obstacle courses. It is for people above eight years of age.

But Gast has another activity for children younger than eight. It does not include trampolines and has less extreme obstacle courses. Emenet’s favorite game to play with her friends is the escape room, a game, in which, a team of players discover clues together, solve puzzles and accomplish tasks in one or more rooms in order to progress and accomplish a specific goal, in a limited amount of time. Although they never find their way out, they still enjoy it.

Getahun says. “Children’s activity centers such as Gast is a very good initiative, however, he said there needs to be more outdoor activities for children as there are fewer places to go in Addis,“ adding that the amount of money spent in such places is also very high.

Another parent who gave his opinion was Tesfaye, a barber who says, “I am usually too busy to take my son Kaleb to do activities together.” He adds, “He usually does that with his mother and the fact that he cannot provide his son more than 50 birr for the games hurts him deeply but Kaleb always finds a way to make the best out of it, even if, this amount of money lasts him for fewer minutes.” He adds, “However, Kaleb and his wife enjoy spending time in Gast.” They usually eat ice-cream and enjoy walking inside doing window shopping.”

Getahun has been to South Africa before. He says, “I went on amusement rides, and the experience I had was wonderful. He adds, “I wish there are outdoor activities such as amusement parks or themes for children so that my children have more choices.”

Amusement parks are parks that feature various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. Amusement rides are one or more cars or trains traveling on rails travel such a route that passengers can safely experience extraordinary G-forces. Rollercoasters are among the classic and greatest attractions at folk festivals and in amusement parks. The thrilling sensation of traveling up high then plunging swiftly downward has kept roller coasters riders hooked

decade after decade. One true advantage of this ride is the seemingly endless number of variations that can be created. Designers are always coming up with new tracks so people don’t get bored. These Amusement parks by nature are huge and need lots of investments.

However, there are still lots of outdoor activities that require lower investments when compared to Amusement parks. These are extreme sports such as go-kart racing, a variant of motorsport road racing with open-wheel, four-wheeled vehicles known as go-karts or shifter karts. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits, although some professional kart racing is also raced in full-size motorsport circuits.

Paintball is also another extreme sport in which players compete, in teams or individually, to eliminate opponents by tagging them with capsules containing water-soluble dye and gelatin shell outside (referred to as paintballs) propelled from a device called a paintball marker (commonly referred to as a paintball gun).This Game is played on outdoor or indoor fields of varying sizes. A game field is scattered with natural or artificial terrain, which

players use for cover.

Many indoor and outdoor facilities utilize inflatable objects (referred to as bunkers) of

various sizes and shapes to create a layout designed to allow players to formulate

plans or strategies. It is an intense game, considering the fact that you’re armed with a mask, ammunition and a paintball marker, but paintball is actually fun, an interactive way to build teamwork and get some exercise. It is primarily a team sport, which requires some amount of strategy and execution that can be done only when all the players work together as a team.

Getahun says “these types of businesses can cost a lot to open but its profits can be

large and families would enjoy it and have more options.”

For instance, a go-kart business offers indoor racing opportunities for go-kart enthusiasts.

Races include go-kart rentals, track use, and other race-related activities. Modern go-kart

businesses grant drivers the opportunity to engage in low, medium, or high-speed races on indoor race tracks. Services include go-kart rental, safety gear rental, custom race options, and by-the-hour track use. A go-kart business can be a standalone entity or exist as part of a larger entertainment center, park, or public attraction.

According to studies made about go-kart business, while a go-karting business can cost a lot to open, its profits can be large. Go-kart businesses can make between USD 500,000 and USD 700,000 yearly, if they can manage to attract and retaining visitors. However, it is a good idea to join a franchise to increase service reliability. Individual facilities can spend thousands of dollars on financial and marketing advice.

Once the COVID-19 lockdown, which is still in effect lows over, children can go for fun activities in places such as Gast Mall, Edna Mall, Century Mall and the newly-opened Kuriftu Water Park. In that regard, there is a lot to explore by the business community when it comes to such businesses.

Ed.’s Note: Messay Zinnahbizu is an intern writer at The Reporter.



VIEWPOINT

COMMENTARY

By Abiy Ahmed

The world will not be free of the COVID-19 pandemic until all countries are free of the coronavirus that causes it. This simple fact underscores the urgent need for the Global Health Pledging Conference to be held on May 4. Only by acting now to support developing countries’ ability to combat the disease can the world avoid a second wave of the virus this autumn.

African Union leaders welcome the offers that are now coming in of test kits, ventilators, and personal protective equipment (PPE) from the developed world. But if we are to turn the tide against COVID-19, the world’s richest countries must hear and respond to the developing world’s pleas for a comprehensive strategy to overcome the dual public-health and economic crisis we face.

Up to now, there has been a huge disconnect between the rhetoric of rich-country leaders – that this is an existential, once-in-a-century global crisis – and the support for the world’s poor and developing countries than they seem willing to contemplate. Indeed, until last week, African countries were spending more on debt payments than on health care.

In 34 of Sub-Saharan Africa’s 45 countries, annual per capita health spending is below USD 200 – and barely reaches USD 50

in many of these countries. Such low levels of spending make it impossible to fund acute-care hospital beds, ventilators, and the drugs needed to confront diseases like COVID-19. Paying for doctors, nurses, X-ray technicians, and other health professionals, together with their equipment, can seem almost like a luxury.

Worse yet, many of the measures available to richer economies as they work to mitigate the disease – lockdowns, stay-at-home orders, and even frequent handwashing – cannot easily be implemented in much of the developing world. In often-overcrowded cities, social distancing is all but impossible, and there are not enough resources to provide adequate sanitation and, in many cases, the running water that people need.

So, what must be done? For starters, Africa’s governments need an immediate flow of funds to enable investment in health care and social safety nets. Here, the most effective starting point is debt relief. So far, relief from bilateral debt is available for the 173 members of the International Development Association (the World Bank’s concessional lending arm for the poorest developing countries) only until December. To meet our immediate needs and to plan ahead, we need an agreement for debt relief not just for this year but for next year as well.

Beyond debt relief, the grant and lending ceilings of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and other multilateral development banks will need to be raised substantially. And an issuance of international money – the IMF’s Special Drawing Rights – to raise USD 1.5 trillion must take place soon.

We in Africa are asking for this support not only for ourselves, though our needs in this crisis are perhaps greater than they have ever been. We in Africa seek the help of the developed countries (including China) so that we can do our best to protect the entire world from a return of this scourge.

But time is short. Africa may be among the last places on Earth to be struck by COVID-19, but the disease remains as potent and deadly as ever. If we are to eliminate the threat, every country needs to do what it can to accelerate the search for a vaccine and ensure that it is available everywhere.

To that end, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations needs sufficient funding – USD three billion immediately, with more in 2021 and beyond – not only to develop and produce a vaccine for those who can afford it, but also to be in a position to distribute it equitably around the world. And Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance needs the funds to ensure that this

happens.

Likewise, a coordinated global effort could greatly accelerate production of the PPE, testing kits, and ventilators that are needed in every country and on every continent, and ensure that these life-and-death supplies are fairly distributed, not hoarded by the rich and few. Countries that have few coronavirus cases and are beyond the pandemic’s peak should be willing to help poorer countries by sending lifesaving equipment to them. And, looking ahead, we should be building up stocks of these supplies for emergencies, so that we can help each other the next time we need help the most.

All of these issues are on the agenda for the Global Health Pledging event on May 4. We ask all countries in a position to do so to participate, to listen and advise, and, most important, to give.

Ed.’s Note: Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of Ethiopia, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019. The article is provided to The Reporter by Project Syndicate: the world’s pre-eminent source of original op-ed commentaries. Project Syndicate provides incisive perspectives in our changing world by those who are shaping its politics, economics, science and culture. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Reporter.

Climate action can help to By Aaron Bernstein

The COVID-19 crisis has brought economies around the world to a standstill. Huge swaths of manufacturing have been idled, and sectors such as aviation and tourism are largely shuttered. Amid all the economic ruin, some have pointed to a supposed silver lining: cleaner air. But while it is true that today’s lower air pollution will temporarily spare some people’s health, it is also true that winds are much calmer in the eye of a hurricane.

Last year, roughly six million people worldwide died as a consequence of air pollution produced from burning fossil fuels. Such pollution will likely lead to nearly as many deaths in 2020, despite the cleaner air resulting from COVID-19 lockdowns. Air pollution from burning fossil fuels causes heart attacks, strokes, lung cancer, and diabetes. Children who breathe contaminated air are more likely to suffer from asthma. And polluted air can also harm pregnant women, resulting in premature or underweight babies.

But we can reduce this growing toll on our health. As our economies kick back into gear after the threat from COVID-19 passes, we should implement climate solutions that will not only prevent the harms caused by air pollution, but also might just forestall the next pandemic.

A recent study by some of my Harvard colleagues provided the first clear evidence that a small

increase in long-term exposure to particulate-matter air pollution can significantly increase the odds of someone dying from COVID-19. This effect was apparent even after accounting for other factors, such as pre-existing health conditions, socioeconomic status, and access to health care.

Likewise, other researchers had previously shown that air pollution made people more likely to die from severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), another coronavirus. A 2003 study found that someone living in a highly polluted area of China was more than twice as likely to die from SARS than someone living in an area with cleaner air. Chinese cities with high or moderate levels of air pollution had death rates of 8.9 percent and 7.5 percent respectively, compared to a percent rate in areas with low air pollution. Past research has also shown that air pollution can accelerate the spread of respiratory infections

Given this, it is no surprise that communities already suffering from air pollution – often communities of color and the poor – have been particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus. These populations are now experiencing a double burden: severe illness in the form of COVID-19, in addition to the well-known long-term harms from breathing contaminated air.

All this deepens existing economic and social injustices. Poorer people are more likely to be laid off during the current pandemic, even in wealthier

countries, and are also more likely to be exposed to the virus.

Governments can help to end this vicious cycle by speeding up climate action, including by adopting renewable energy and preventing deforestation. By addressing the factors that drive the emergence and spread of infectious diseases, such policies will protect everyone, especially those most at risk.

During the current pandemic, however, some governments have moved to bail out polluting industries and weaken air-quality standards. In the United States, federal authorities, citing the COVID-19 crisis, have suspended enforcement of environmental regulations. And despite the expected impact on the climate, construction has started on the Keystone XL oil pipeline across the US-Canada border, while President Donald Trump’s administration recently rolled back vehicle fuel-efficiency standards.

Similarly, South Africa has slashed air-pollution standards for coal power plants, allowing them to emit twice as much sulfur dioxide as before. And in Brazil, state protection of the Amazon rainforest, already dwindling ahead of the fire season, has weakened further as a result of COVID-19 risks, with fewer enforcement agents going out into the field.

Today, governments are rightly focused on meeting their citizens’ immediate needs. But as we start to rebuild from this pandemic, we must pressure policymakers

to ensure that structural changes do not reinforce business-as-usual scenarios by propping up polluting industries. Instead, we must improve air quality by expanding renewable energy, increasing energy efficiency, and building innovative transportation systems. These measures will save lives, protect communities against pandemic risks, and help to ensure a livable climate for our children.

As Patricia Espinosa, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, recently put it, “COVID-19 is the most urgent threat facing humanity today, but we cannot forget that climate change is the biggest threat facing humanity over the long term.” She is right, and one of the most effective ways to fend off acute threats like COVID-19 is to tackle the larger global crisis we face.

Ed.’s Note: Aaron Bernstein, a pediatrician at Boston Children’s Hospital, is Interim Director of the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The article is provided to The Reporter by Project Syndicate: the world’s pre-eminent source of original op-ed commentaries. Project Syndicate provides incisive perspectives in our changing world by those who are shaping its politics, economics, science and culture. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Reporter.



BID INVITATIONAfar Pastoralist Development Association (APDA) in cooperation with Welthungerhilfe(WHH) wants to invite all interested and eligible bidders to Supply different items for Teeru and Awra Woredas,Afar Region, Ethiopia for the project number:- ETH-1177, and entitled: Livelihood Support for Drought and

A complete tender document in English

Interested and eligible bidders can purchase it upon payment of a non-refundable fee of 100.00 ETB (One Hundred Birr only) in cash and upon submission of a written application letter together with copies of the following legal documents:-1. Companies that have license on supply

trading, Retail Shop, Pharmaceutical and other related license.

2. Commercial and Business License Renewed

for the year 2012 E.C.3. VAT15%, ToT Registration.4.

5. 2% CPO can be guaranted ONLY.The bid document can be collected from the

submit their proposals within Ten consecutive days starting from the annoncement date of this bid 09/05/202020 at 8:00 AM in the Morning.The bid closing date will then be 18/05/02020 at 9:00 AM in the Morning and the opening will be on the 18/05/02020 at 9:30 AM in the Morning in

The bid proposal must be accompanied by a 2% of bid bond only in the form of C.P.O and originals and copies of the above mentioned legal documents. The bid shall be wax, sealed and vividly marked. The bid document should be inserted in the bid box placed at Samara-

conditions clearly indicated in the bid documents!Afar Pastaoralist Development Association reserves the right to fully or partially cancel the bid.

For further information please contact us at the following address:Tel: +251 333660058, Samara-AfarE-mail address : [email protected], [email protected]

BUNNA INTERNATIONAL BANK S. EXTERNAL VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT Vacancy No. BIB/

373 /2020

Bunna International Bank S.C. is a fast growing bank which believes in professionalism & meritocracy. It also possesses attractive pay structure

No. Job Title Required No. Duty Station Minimum Requirement

1. & Receptionist (Secretary)

1 A.A

N.B.1. Terms of Employment: Permanent2. Student copy & updated work experience credentials must be attached3. 4. Job title & place of work applied for should be stated.

Five consecutive working days from the date of this announcement to Bunna International Bank S.C. Human Resource Management Directorate located in Arat Killo area at Haile Michael Building 3rd in front of DABIR Building.For further information please visit our website www.bunnabanksc.com Telephone: 011-8-69-72-38 Fax: 011-158-08-76 P.O.Box 1743 Code 1110 Addis Ababa

Zeta Construction PLC.

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

No Position/ Title Experience in construction Works Required number Place of Work

1 Machinery Senior Mechanic Diploma in Automotive Enginering & Automechanic

8 years and above experience in construction Companies 2 Kality

2 Heavy Truck Senior Mechanic Diploma in Auto Mechanic 6 years and above experience in construction Companies 2 Kality

3 Light vehcles Senior Mechanic Diploma in Auto Mechanic 6 years and above experience construction Companies 1 Kality

4 Auto Electrician Diploma in Auto Electricity from Recognized College 1 Years and above Experience 1 Kality

5 Junior Mechanic Diploma in Auto Mechanic 1 Years and above Experience 2 Kality

6 Surveyor Diploma in Surveying thechnolgy 5 years work Experience 2 Adiremets

7 Store Keeper Techanical Vacational school or TVET (10+3) graduate in supplies & procurement management

2 years and above experience 3 project

8 Crusher Expert BSC degree in Electrical Engineering 10 years and above Experience 3 project

9 Cashier/Accountant Diploma in Accounting 3 Years and above Experience 3 Kality

NB

Salary :- Negotiable and attractive Interested Applicantes should be submit their non reternable CV. from May. 11/2020- May.21/2020

Admin & HR Development Department



R

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#REPORTERBOOK 0 Vol. 24 No. 1235

Evgeny Dubovik was born in a Russian village Belaya Berezka in the Bryansk region. He was born into the family of a joiner — his ancestors worked with trees for many generations: grandfathers built boats, great-grandfathers - mills and churches, etc.

Woodwork is one of those time tested skills that you are not born with, but can be learnt with practice and it has been part of human culture since ancient times. Stunning, carved wood art is one iteration of it and is a tradition carried out by artists today.

Now, the buildings are built from concrete, and boats from metal. That does not mean that woodworking has lost its relevance, though. Nowadays, Evgeny Dubovik uses the wood to carve out incredible works of art from it.

He first became acquainted with woodworking tools at the age of six and after this, he understood what he will do when he grew up. His specialty is various works of art that have an insane amount of detail and certain warmth in them: landscapes, still lives, people, geometric shapes, you name it, and he makes it all. On the right are some of this young master's works, and if you like it, make sure you follow him on Instagram.

(Bored Panda)

Over the weekend, Mozilla launched a new email relay service called Firefox Private Relay. The idea is to provide an ’email alias’ wherever a company or a service asks for your email address, so that you can avoid giving out your actual address and protect your identity.

The product is currently in the testing stage and only available as a browser extension for Firefox. Plus, users have to request an invite on the site to get it.

The inner workings of this product are similar to what Sign in with Apple does while requiring an email ID. Just to be clear, this is not a sign-in service.

“When a form requires your email address, click the relay button to give an alias instead. We will forward emails from the alias to your real inbox,” Mozilla says on its product page.

The service will generate a unique alias for you every time you sign up with a new website. The company says users be able to delete or disable aliases anytime you want.

This is quite useful when visiting a site just to try its service or check out its content, or signing up for a newsletter.

Mozilla will formally launch the service later this year.

(The Next Web)



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#REPORTERBOOK

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by a commentator who broke down amid the

Apple’s iMessage has come a long way since its introduction in 2011, but the messaging service is still behind competitors like WhatsApp and Telegram in some aspects. But now the company might be working on exciting new features for iMessage, as a new patent from Apple reveals an option to edit messages after they’ve been sent.

The patent was filed by Apple in December 2019 and published this week by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), which suggests that Apple may be planning to introduce some of these changes with iOS 14. First noted by AppleInsider, the document shows how the option to edit messages sent over iMessage would look like.

Apple claims that offering this option to users will provide a better messaging experience, as there will be no need to resend a new text to correct what was previously written.

Based on patent mockups, the option to edit sent messages will appear in the action menu by long-pressing on a message. Then, the user can correct the text or even change it completely. In order to avoid misunderstandings, the Messages app will indicate that a message has been edited, and the recipient will be able to see the original text.

(9 o 5 Mac)

When Google first launched its Stadia cloud gaming service, they made it available for a handful of Android devices, the Google Chrome browser, and the Chromecast Ultra. While Google has yet to expand support to Android TV devices, they have enabled gameplay on dozens of additional Android smartphones and have greatly expanded the service’s functionality and game catalog. In a minor update to Google Assistant rolling out to some users, it is now possible to directly launch games that you have purchased.

Over on Reddit, user /u/dericiouswon noticed that they were able to launch the game The Turing Test by searching for “the turing test game” in the Chrome OS search box. The Redditor noticed that this search query opened Google Chrome and directed them to a URL under the “ggp.sandbox.google.com” domain, which appears to be where Google’s internal test server is hosted. Other users noticed that you can type the name of a game followed by “game” to launch a title—for example, entering “The Division 2 game” into Assistant will launch the game on Stadia in a new Chrome tab.

According to 9to5Google, you can also launch Stadia games directly on Android phones with the app installed. On both Android and Chrome OS, you can launch a game that you own by saying “play [insert game]” in Google Assistant.

(XDA Developers)



COMMENTARY +

The need for clarity . . . page 24

VIEWPOINT +

By Mekdelawit Messay

Nature is a perfect system. The four elements, earth, air, fire and water come together to form life and all that is necessary to sustain it. They work together to create the impeccable balance of nature and the abundance therein. Nature also has an incredible system of replenishing itself and of limiting the capacity it can sustain – it is a perfect system. If only we could live in harmony with each other and with nature, we would experience that the abundance of nature is more than enough for our needs. However, typical human greed and conflicting interests coupled with the politicization of humanitarian demands often paint nature in shades of scarcity rather than abundance. Unfortunately, it is this doom and gloom, though unfounded, which is loudly reported. Transboundary waters serve as an apt example to illustrate this challenge.

Management of transboundary water resources is not an easy task. States that are bound by these transboundary resources inherently share common basic human needs which motivates them to secure water for their citizens. As water security is a shared humanitarian challenge it could

potentially be a starting point for collaboration. Nonetheless, because transboundary waters are subject to multiple political orientations, ideologies, policies and demands of sovereign states, the issue of transboundary rivers might fall exceedingly on the political plate and miss its goal. Instead of the point being securing water for people, it becomes politicized to become a matter of “national security”. In recent years we have seen these two concepts, water security and securitization of water, being confused and/or deliberately used to mean one and the same thing. This could not be farther from the roots of the concepts, which brings me to the point of this article: the difference between water security and securitization of water.

Water security: what does it mean?

According to the UN report (2013), water security is defined as:

“The capacity of a population to safeguard sustainable access to adequate quantities of acceptable quality water for sustaining livelihoods, human well-being, and socio-economic development, for ensuring protection against water-borne pollution and water-related disasters, and for preserving ecosystems in a climate of peace and political stability.”

At the centre of it all, water security is all about ensuring the availability of sufficient quantity and good quality of water for basic human needs and social development and environmental demands. Note these three aspects of the definition: human needs, social needs and environmental needs. These three aspects deserve priority and are, hence, in the UN Security Council agenda and in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Water scarcity is ubiquitous; the whole world is struggling with this challenge. The following numbers make my point: one-fifth (20 percent) of the global population currently lives under physical water scarcity and a similar number suffers because of “economic water scarcity”- which means affordable and clean water is not available to people because of lack of necessary infrastructure i.e. economic incapacity. In the near future, by 2030, it is estimated that more than half the global population will live in water stressed areas. This prediction is true for the Nile basin as well, which will indeed be one of the most water stressed regions in the world with demand expected to outstrip supply by 2030. That is 10 years earlier than the global average, with projections showing that global

water demand will outstrip supply by 2040 if serious water management is not in place.

Then there is climate change, which is making rainfalls unpredictable and unreliable. This unpredictability coupled with increasing demands has made the world to turn its eyes to something that is more stable; ground water. But in typical human consumption mode we have and are over exploiting our ground water resources, worldwide, to a point where they are now in danger of running out and not replenishing.

With climate change, population growth, environmental degradation and the rise in demand for water while having only a limited supply of fresh water it seems like we are running against a steep incline. The current population is expected to increase by two billion by 2050. What is more is that demand for water has been growing at twice the rate of population growth. This means not only will we have more people in the future, but more people with higher water needs. This is the case everywhere.

Water scarcity is a universal challenge we are all facing as humanity-together. Ensuring there is a sustainable supply and consumption of this

Business leaders commit to a clean economic recovery

By Bertrand Piccard

The COVID-19 crisis is far from over. Yet, even as people continue to transmit the coronavirus and the death toll mounts remorselessly, pressure for a return to normal is already growing in some quarters.

The immediate question is what normal even means. After all, the global economy was built on a fragile, unsustainable, and unequal basis and could hardly be called normal. A tenuous political, ecological, and socioeconomic system that was already existentially threatened by climate change has now been brought low by a microscopic nemesis. Is that really the type of society we want to see emerge from this crisis?

Imagine, instead, that the COVID-19 crisis does pave the way to a new world. What might it look like? Commentaries and analyses proposing what should come next are everywhere. But simply calling for change won’t make it happen. That is why the Solar Impulse Foundation and its corporate partners are committing to implementing concrete solutions ourselves.

All told, the Foundation’s partners account for more than one million jobs worldwide, as well as a considerable share of the global economy. We produce everything from critical health-care equipment to basic and luxury goods and raw materials. We manage financial products, build new infrastructure, and provide clean energy. Our

activities help people to feed and clothe themselves and their families, stay warm, travel, and pursue the lives they want to lead.

As major economic and industrial players, we are fully aware of our role in society, and we will do everything we can to build a better post-pandemic world – cleaner, fairer, more sustainable, more efficient, and more respectful of biodiversity and the climate. Though the COVID-19 crisis is hitting us as hard as anyone else, we remain committed to meeting our emissions-reduction targets and ushering in a circular economy, by promoting sustainable and affordable food, renewable energies, and fair-trade products.

We will do this with clean technologies whose development the Solar Impulse Foundation has been supporting through its 1000 Solutions Challenge for several years now. Regardless of what sector one operates in – from water, energy, and infrastructure to transportation, manufacturing, and agriculture – innovations are emerging to ensure sustainability.

Our commitment is not just to the planet, but also to the economy. Today’s clean technologies are increasingly good for business. They furnish us with less costly renewable energy and more efficient industrial processes. They reduce waste and pollution, and streamline recycling. As assets that are both clean and profitable, they are a key engine of qualitative, rather than merely quantitative, economic growth.

With clean technologies, we can create an entirely new economic

system in which consumption is improved even as we consume less. Environmentalists’ interests would no longer be pitted against those of the major industrial players. Instead, we would all be focused on the same goals: to create good jobs, support social welfare, and improve the quality of life on this planet.

In the case of the COVID-19 crisis, some commentators have welcomed the halt to human activities, insofar as this has reduced pollution and greenhouse-gas emissions. But this is no cause for celebration. Millions will suffer through the downturn. The current situation demonstrates precisely how fragile the prevailing economic model has become, and it increases the urgency of creating a system in which economic interests go hand in hand with those of the planet.

Some companies have already begun to use the technologies needed to do this. But adoption must become more widespread, so that clean tech becomes the new normal to which we return when the pandemic threat has passed.

To that end, we are calling on all governments to implement ambitious environmental policies, offering clear strategies and sector-specific targets that will drive the necessary investments. Moreover, we want all legal or legislative frameworks to avoid distortion of competition between market actors who are part of the solution and those who continue to act as if there was no environmental crisis at all.

Though it is a terrible tragedy,

the pandemic can serve as an opportunity to rebuild on a new, more sustainable footing. The Solar Impulse Foundation and its partners are committed to doing precisely that, and we urge governments and the rest of the business community to join us.

This commentary is co-authored by the following Solar Impulse Foundation partners: Bernard Arnault, Chairman and CEO, LVMH; Pierre-Etienne Bindschedler, CEO, SOPREMA; Jean-Laurent Bonnafé, Director and CEO, BNP Paribas; Jean-Pierre Clamadieu, Chairman of the Board of Directors, ENGIE; Ilham Kadri, CEO, Chairman of Executive Committee, Solvay; Georges Kern, CEO, Breitling; Florent Menegaux, Chief Executive Officer, Michelin and President, Movin’On; Benoît Potier, Chairman and CEO, Air Liquide; Anne Rigail, CEO, Air France; Mark Schneider, CEO, Nestlé; Markus Steilemann, CEO, Covestro; and Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chairman and CEO, Schneider Electric.

Ed.’s Note: Bertrand Piccard is Chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation. The article is provided to The Reporter by Project Syndicate: the world’s pre-eminent source of original op-ed commentaries. Project Syndicate provides incisive perspectives in our changing world by those who are shaping its politics, economics, science and culture. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Reporter.



Beyond jingoism and . . . page 25

Kenya, jointly or individually to mitigate the disaster. As the Ugandan daily newspaper New Vision reported recently, a group of scientists from the US conducted a study on the threats that Lake Victoria is facing and concluded that the lake can most likely dry up in a matter of decades if the threats that it is facing (hyacinth, pollution, siltation, etc…) continue. Therefore, as a possibility, the White Nile as we know it can also cease to exist. Whither the Nile?!

On top of all these, there is also a global danger that definitely will impact on all lakes: global warming as a result of climate change. Again scientists from all over the world recently issued a warning to the effect that if the nations of the world now in 2020 fail to act in unison to adopt a drastic measure to mitigate climate change globally, in a matter of twelve years from now, the world will be doomed as it will be impossible afterwards to reverse the consequences of climate change. Certainly, climate change also affects the Nile Basin particularly by affecting its potential to generate water.

Lake Tana in Ethiopia, which is the source of the Blue Nile, also faces similar problems

In 2018, the French government adopted a policy to stop importing products linked to deforestation – such as palm oil, beef, and wood – by 2030, and it has established a cap on biofuels derived from raw materials that contribute to deforestation. Instead of the usual blame game, policymakers chose a collaborative approach with exporting countries, including the use of development aid, to encourage them to switch to biodiversity-friendly production methods. The strategy also includes a plan for “zero deforestation” public procurement and labeling requirements to help consumers make better choices.

If it wasn’t obvious before COVID-19, it should be now: conservation of biotopes must be high on national agendas. It is the most effective – and the most cost-effective – way to prevent future outbreaks that endanger our lives and threaten our livelihoods.

Ed.’s Note: Tudor Alexis, a diplomat at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is currently serving as the French consul general in Toronto. The article is provided to The Reporter by Project Syndicate: the world’s pre-eminent source of original op-ed commentaries. Project Syndicate provides incisive perspectives in our changing world by those who are shaping its politics, economics, science and culture. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Reporter.

OPINION

By Melakou Tegegn

As matters stand now, the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) particularly between Ethiopia and Egypt can possibly be exacerbated to open military conflict. That will certainly defeat the very purpose for the formation of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), the regional organization with a membership of the eleven countries of the Nile Basin founded on the principles of cooperation and equitable use of the Nile waters. Should the dispute lead to war? It should not and, in fact, I argue that without prevalence of close cooperation between all the countries of the Nile basin they are all doomed as far as the use of the Nile waters go. Cooperation between state parties of the Nile basin is not just a necessity but a matter of existence for the entire basin. The need for reinvigorating cooperation and bringing it to a new height is more urgent than at any other time. The added values of cooperation are numerous while conflicts and wars only bring destruction and loss of lives and therefore are meaningless. Cooperation is so essential and beneficial that one has only to refer to the many trans-boundary projects initiated by the NBI that benefitted so many countries in the basin. However,

By Tudor Alexis

The blame game has begun. The number of COVID-19 victims is still unknown, but there is a stream of hate and misinformation pervading timelines. The damage of disinformation and the virus itself to families and communities is equal to our failure to ensure that science, not rhetoric, shapes policy.

Studies show that it is more common for viruses to be transmitted from animals to humans. Some erroneously say this is due to innocuous human errors. But there is proof that the preservation and diversity of biotopes, or habitats, lessen human-animal contact and the likelihood of new pathogens appearing in humans. Our failure to rely on science is a major factor underlying our current coronavirus crisis.

Illnesses transmitted from animals are more prevalent than ever. A 2017 peer-reviewed study found that 75 percent of emerging infectious diseases affecting humans, such as West Nile virus, Ebola, SARS, and Lyme disease, are zoonoses, or illnesses caused by pathogens that have jumped from animals.

Reports of zoonoses have appeared throughout recorded human history. The Book of Samuel in the Old Testament describes an epidemic of bubonic plague long before it decimated one-third of Europe’s population in the fourteenth century. In 2,300 BC, rabies from hunting dogs ravaged Mesopotamia.

in face of the natural calamities prevailing now in the entire Nile basin such as the consequences of climate change, the need for cooperation is more crucial than ever. Strategically, what are the most probable scenarios if the deterioration of the environment in the basin continues?

Let’s first look at the threats that the basin as a whole is facing. As the sources of the Nile are Lake Victoria (I wish we use the original African name) in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya as well as Lake Tana in Ethiopia, the continuous availability of water in the Nile river depends on the conservation of nature and protection of the environment of the catchments around both lakes. This is absolutely crucial. If there is no conservation and protection of the catchments, eventually there can be no water. If the land degradation and environmental destruction taking place now in both catchments continue, the result will be the eventual shrinking of both lakes and their gradual drying up. Then there will be no water for any purpose whatever. Therefore, the environmental state of the catchments is the raison d’être for the Nile as a whole. That is fundamental.

In the White Nile basin, we have Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, DR

Researchers re-reading Plutarch found in 2003 that Alexander the Great’s death in 323 BC was probably due to the West Nile virus he contracted from a flock of ravens that fell dead at his feet as he entered Babylon.

Studies of the increase in zoonoses indicate that such diseases can result from human-induced changes to natural habitats: urban development, conversion of wetlands to agriculture, pollution, and deforestation are key factors. Research on Ebola has linked the outbreak to agricultural practices. When forests were cleared to grow crops, insect-feeding bats disappeared, while fruit-eating, Ebola-hosting bats multiplied.

Robust biodiversity buffers the spread of disease transmission to humans. In a 2010 article published in Nature, Felicia Keesing and 12 other researchers concluded that preserving and protecting intact ecosystems and their endemic biodiversity lessens human-animal contact, the onset of new pathogens, and the prevalence of infectious diseases.

This is the result of a phenomenon called the dilution effect. Dangerous pathogens are progressively diminished each time they are transmitted from a host animal species to a non-host species. According to French scientist Serge Morand, who studies the socio-ecological dimensions of infectious diseases, the more robust our biodiversity, the more microbes circulate at “low noise level,” meaning they are not transmitted easily from

Congo and South Sudan. These countries need to come in active cooperation in protecting the natural surroundings and environment of the Lake Victoria catchment and even of their own respectively as there are a number of tributaries to the White Nile originating from these countries. There is a great deal of deforestation and other forms of environmental degradation going on in these countries as a whole and in the catchment in particular. If this continues, siltation in the lake will continue and we know that siltation eventually leads to dryness of lakes as we have witnessed in the cases of Lake Haromaya in Ethiopia.

The other serious problem that Lake Victoria faces is the massive pollution of its water that is destroying the quality of the water supposedly the largest fresh water in the world. Fishermen from Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania use chemicals to catch fish and there seems to be no effective government or inter-governmental authority to regulate the use of chemicals in fishing. The third serious problem that Lake Victoria faces is the massive hyacinth that has been sprouting as invasive species for decades now. Little is visibly done by the three countries with immediate proximity to the lake, i.e. Uganda, Tanzania and

one species to another.

Factory farming is another aggravating factor. In 2012, Robert Lawrence of Johns Hopkins University pointed out that “our current model of food animal production factors heavily into viral evolution and transmission. The system … poses grave threats to public health, including increased risk of pandemic influenza.”

As a “flexitarian,” I will refrain from militant rhetoric about the sin of consuming meat, but the figures are disturbing. Every year, 70 billion farm animals worldwide are reared for food, and more than 150 million tons of seafood are produced, nearly half from aquaculture. Producing such mass quantities is a stress on our biodiversity, because it pollutes air, land, and waterways. And clearing the land needed to raise animals and grow standardized fodder fuels deforestation. So, when it comes to mitigating the spread of infectious diseases like COVID-19, we need look no farther than our dinner plate.

Once the COVID-19 pandemic passes, we cannot afford to return to business as usual. Stockpiling ventilators and masks will not protect us from the next pandemic. The only positive way to act collectively and responsibly, for our own survival, is to ensure that our ecosystems are diverse. That means overhauling habits that encourage us to consume in ways that have proven to be unsustainable – and thus detrimental to our own wellbeing.

Beyond jingoism and parochial rhetoric

Biodiversity or bustOPINION +



EXTERNAL VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENTVacancy No: LIB /EV/05/20

Job Title Place of Assignment

Board Secretary & Executive Assistant

to the President

• Masters or First Degree in Business Administration/ Management/Banking

• Relevant Experience, preferably in Banking Industry, of 7 Years for Masters and 9 Years for First Degree.

•

Summary of Responsibilities

The Board Secretary and Executive Assistant to the President provides administrative support to the Board and its Sub-Committees as well as the Executive Management of the Bank, through the timely and accurate collection, documentation and sharing of information for the use of Board members, executive management and relevant government bodies.

In Addition, preparing agenda of meetings in consultation with Chairperson of BoDs and the President of the bank, distributing agenda of meetings to participants and taking minutes of the meetings of the Board & its Sub-Committees as well as Senior Management are also some of the responsibilities.

reports, & communication documents.

SalaryDeadline: - May 17, 2020 Interested applicants should send their application letter along with CV & photocopies of credentials

[email protected]

Vacancy Announcement GOH CO2 Manufacturing CompanyPositions

Job Title Experience Additional Requirement

Plant Manager B.Sc degree in Mechanical /Electrical/ Chemical engineering or related Filed

A minimum of 10 years work experience in manufacturing sector

of which 5 years work as a managerial position

- Food safety & quality management system (ISO 22000)

- Environmental management system (ISO 14001)

- Quality Management system (ISO 9001)

Accountant B.A in Accounting 3 Years work experience - Peachtree can be implement

Senior Mechanic B.Sc in Mechanical engineering or Diploma in General metal

- 3 Years for B.Sc or - 7 Years for Diploma works in beverage industry

-

Place of work:- For Senior mechanic locates Menagesha Salary:- Negotiable Registration Date:- 10 Consecutive working days from the date of announcement

st Floor For More Information Tel 0111264790 or 0935981667

EXTERNAL VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT Equatorial Business Group Pvt.Ltd.Co. Invites applicants for the following position.

1.

Position

Experience Duties

Knowledge, :Skills and Abilities

:

: ::

:

Auditor (Audit Service)

BA Degree in Accounting/Auditing 4 years of work experience Under close supervise Under general supervision, surveys functions and activities to determine the adequacy and effectiveness of operation systems; carries out audit to ascertain that standards are maintained; prepares draft audit reports; expressing

• Knowledge of Financial Administration and Audit Regulation.• Knowledge of Auditing and accounting principles and practices.• • Knowledge of audit and investigation methodologies.• Ability to prepare audit programs.• Ability to prepare audit reports.• •

Head Count Place of Work

::

1 (one) Addis Ababa

testimonials within 5 working days from the date of this announcement.

P.O.Box:-8964, E-mail:- [email protected] Tel. 011-70-74-71 or 011-442-49-55 Addis Ababa



TNT CONSTRUCTION & TRADING

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT TNT Construction & Trading, a Grade 1 General Contractor, would like to invite competent Candidates for the following positions

S/N Position Number required Experience Place of work

1 Project Manager 2 B.Sc. Degree in Civil Engineering or Construction Technology Management

10 years & above; in Building, Construction from which at least 5 years on the Project out of Addis

Ababa

2 Project Manager 1 B.Sc. Degree in Civil Engineering or Construction Technology Management

12 years & above; in Building, Construction from which at least 6 years on the Project out of Addis

Ababa

3Construction Engineer/Project Engineer(for road project)

1 BSc. Degree in Civil Engineering or Construction Technology Management

6 Years & above work experience & road project experience is mandatory. Project Addis Ababa

4Construction Engineer/Project Engineer(for building project)

2 BSc. Degree in Civil Engineering or Construction Technology Management

6 Years & above work experience & building construction project experience is mandatory.

Project Addis Ababa

5 Engineer(for road project) 2 B.Sc. Degree in Civil Engineering or Construction Technology Management

6 years & above; in road or Infrastructure Construction from which at least 3 years

experience is mandatory.

Project Addis Ababa

6 Head 1 B.Sc. Degree in Civil Engineering or Construction Technology Management

7 years & above; from which at least 4 Project out of Addis Ababa

7 Sanitary Engineer 1 B.Sc. Degree in Hydraulic Engineer or 7 years & above work experience. Project out of Addis Ababa

8 Engineer(for building project)

2 B.Sc. Degree in Civil Engineering or Construction Technology Management

6 years & above; in Building Construction from which at least 3 years on the Project out of Addis

Ababa

9 Engineer(for building project)

4 B.Sc. Degree in Civil Engineering or Construction Technology Management

4 years & above; in Building Construction from which at least 2 years on the Project out of Addis

Ababa

10 Site Engineer(for road project) 2 B.Sc. Degree in Civil Engineering or

Construction Technology Management

5 Years and above work experience & road project experience is mandatory. Project out of Addis

Ababa

10 Site Engineer(for building project) 2 B.Sc. Degree in Civil Engineering or

Construction Technology Management4 Years and above work experience Project out of Addis

Ababa

11 Project safety & Health 4 B.Sc. Degree in occupational safety & Health or environmental health 6 years & above work experience. Project out of Addis

Ababa

12 Project Administration Head 2 BA Degree in management 7 years & above; from which at least 4

years in related position.

Project out of Addis Ababa & Addis Ababa

13 Project Store Keeper 3 TVET College Diploma in Supplies & Purchasing Management

2 years & above (Female applicants are appreciated).

Project out of Addis Ababa

14 General Foreman( for road project) 3 TVET College Diploma in Construction 8 years & above work experience on the

same position & road project experience is mandatory.


15 Finishing Foreman 3 TVET College Diploma in Construction 8 years & above work experience on the same position.


16 Structure Foreman 3 TVET College Diploma in Construction 8 years & above work experience on the same position & road project experience is mandatory.


17 Project Accountant 2 B.A Degree in Accounting , Finance or 4 years & above work experience and

mandatory.


18 Project Equipment Administrator 3 B.Sc. Degree in mechanical engineering 4 years and above work experience Project out of Addis

Ababa

N.B

with all credentials in 10 (Ten) Working days from the date of this announcement; (before noon only).

For all positions construction companies work experience is mandatory

Address: Addis Ababa around Ayat Square on the way to Tafo, TNT Construction & Trading 2nd

Administration DepartmentTelephone No.0118619669 Email: [email protected] P.O.Box 190038


24| The Reporter, May 9, 2020 Vol. 24 No. 123524||

YOUR MIND

CONT`D FROM PAGE 20

Ed.’s Note: Tsion Taye is a researcher in the field of Agricultural Economics. She is a graduate of

Wageningen university from which she obtained her Masters and PhD degrees. Her passions include

reading books and reflecting on life experiences with whomever shares this passion. She can be reached for

comments at [email protected].

Schooling in the time

One of the tricky consequences of the COVID-19 is on schooling. In Ethiopia, it has been more than a month now since schools and universities are closed. In the Western world, the consequences on education is less tricky thanks to the internet and other technologies. Who would have thought and prepared for classes to be shut down so suddenly?

I wonder how the situation with education interruption is going to be dealt with. Except for yesterday, which marked a total of seventeen cases in a single day, new cases in Ethiopia are showing in twos and in threes every 24 hours. This makes you wonder how long one needs to wait to take drastic measures such as a complete lock down. It makes you wonder when these two and three cases are going to stop showing up by the day. If the number of new cases were as big as the ones reported in Russia, which saw ten-thousand new cases in a matter of few days, the wake-up call would have been much harder and the measures much harder as well. In several places in our capital city, one can easily notice that life is going on as usual. It seems that people have forgotten about the situation. I think the number of two and three cases have a role to play in this.

Coming back to the situation in education, I have to say that the current shut down of schools can be considered as an extended school break for the students. Particularly those students in public schools do not benefit from a stronger follow-up from their schools as those in private schools. It would surprise me if there is a public school in the country sending regular messages, updates and school materials via Medias such as Telegram or Emails to their students. The government put in place Television and Radio programs for students to follow their education. How many are seriously following these education programs? What are the schools doing to make sure that students are properly following these programs? And besides, do these programs even cover all syllabus of all 12 school grades? These questions remain to be answered.

Private schools are more fortunate. At least, students are likely to have the phones and internet connections required to receive regular updates from their schools and follow their education accordingly. But even these need the constant reminders and proper follow-ups of parents and other family members to be able to focus and study their school materials. How many parents and other family members are committed in doing so?

The trickiest and saddest part I have heard is that some schools are thinking of forcing all of their students to repeat the year in the coming academic year. I think that is very sad and an unreasonable thing to do. After all, the students have covered two-third of the year’s syllabus before the spread of the virus. Why not evaluate students only based on the covered syllabus once the COVID-19 situation is over? I guess one needs to be flexible with situations. If the students are made to repeat classes, it’s like the whole year did not matter. One year will be wasted in their lives. Hard earned tuition fees will be wasted in vain. One needs to also think about all those hard working and brilliant students who have worked day and night during the year. Are they also going to repeat classes? And besides, it is unfair for only students in some schools to finish this academic year and for students in other schools to repeat the year. After all, the virus did not come only for the selected few. Another option would be to continue from where the students have stopped once the COVID-19 madness is over and make sure students to do get summer breaks and other breaks in the coming academic year. But one way or another, students should not be made to pay hard for something that is beyond their control.

precious resource for all human beings is high on the priority list of the global agenda. Therefore, the world has to look into a common solution to this common challenge and which is in fact in the bound of our knowledge and ability. However, in some rare in stances, but with huge ramifications, we have observed a narrow and misguided concept, securitization of water, hijack water security.

Securitization of water

Securitizing water, making water into a military commodity which should be defended at the cost of human lives, is a completely different matter than water security.

“Securitization in international relations is the process of state actors transforming subjects into matters of “security”: an extreme version of politicization that enables extraordinary means to be used in the name of security. Issues that become securitized do not necessarily represent issues that are essential to the objective survival of a state, but rather represent issues where someone was successful in constructing an issue into an existential problem.” Barry Buzan, Ole Waever, and Jaap de Wilde, (1998) Security: A New Framework for Analysis (emphasis added)

When water is securitized, the discussion runs off-course from being about human needs and water security. Rather it becomes about constructing a social and political narrative to make water into an existential problem. When water is securitized, it is dehumanized, made it into a military commodity that should be claimed, owned and defended at all cost. When water is securitized then states start thinking of the resource as their own property and only theirs; something which they must defend at all cost and not a civil resource open for all, shared by all leading to zero-sum politics. Securitization of water issues leaves no room for negotiation or compromises because water then becomes a matter of national security and you do not negotiate or compromise on national security.

When water is securitized statements like “one drop of water or our blood” make “complete sense” to those making them. When water becomes a military commodity which is claimed, and not a human resource which is available to all, then states become blind to the misery of fellow states, become oblivious to scarcity devouring other states- the same scarcity they are trying to avoid. When water is securitized it becomes necessary that the military and the intelligence have the upper hand over water resource professionals. When water is securitized intellectuals will not be the decision makers, the military will be. When water is securitized war becomes a reasonable, plausible option alongside science and diplomacy. When water is securitized the approach is not knowledge and science-based solution but a Machiavellian way of “the end justifies the means” resonating with statements like “all options are on the table, we will defend our interest by all available means, etc.” Does this seem like a paradigm which makes sense in the 21st century?

The way out

Water is a human right, not something the one with a stronger military can claim. While securing water for people is a noble and genuine thing to do, securitizing water is the most inhumane thing

anyone can do. How can you hope to militarily defend your claim, the same claim you share with your fellow brothers and sisters, the claim that sustains your life, by taking other lives? How does that make sense? How is that reasonable? If scarcity is the issue, it is the issue for everyone. So how does militarily securing one party’s interest even make the slightest rational sense?

It is insanity to hope to protect the giver of life, water, by taking lives. It is senseless to think our needs trumps over others and demands precedence. Fear, negligence, and undeservedly claimed historical privileges “status quo” might well be the reasons behind such ideas as securitizing water. These reasons might be understandable as a result of years of construction, but they most definitely are not justifiable.

Let us make a distinction between water security and securitizing water. They are not the same, they are not related, nor are they compatible. If what we want is to secure water for our people, then welcome, we are all in the same boat and I trust that we can and will overcome this challenge together. But wanting to securitize water, making it into a political construct, construing ones need into a seemingly existential requirement which trumps the needs of others, so much so that we would go as far as defending it with blood, however, is unreasonable and unjustifiable.

So, let us make a distinction; water security does not equate to securitizing water. If we agree on this, I am sure we can come up with a common solution to overcome the challenge. After all, to overcome challenges is the trademark of the human race. Focusing on the issue at hand, which is water security, and capitalizing on the scientific and technological innovations we have is instrumental in solving the challenge the entire world is facing. Genuine political will to come to a mutually beneficial and sustainable use of the limited resources we have is indispensable in resolving the issues of scarcity and disagreements over water. Given the current state of affairs in the world, this might feel like a tall order. However, we do not have to start from scratch, we already have inspirations to look to.

Inspirations

We can site the lesson from the Senegal River Basin, where genuine political will and respect for each other’s needs allowed countries to come to an arrangement which the world applauds. The Senegal River basin is a transboundary river basin in west Africa shared by 4 riparian countries; Senegal, Guinea, Mali and Mauritania. A severe drought between 1968-1973, the great Sahel Drought, was a turning point for these countries to take the steps forward towards a collaborative use of the river basin. They established the Senegal River Basin Development organization (OMVS) as a significant authority in the basin and commissioned a co-owned multi-purpose dam in the basin called the Manantali dam, located in Mali and owned by Mali, Senegal and Mauritania. Like any transboundary riparian states, these three west African states had conflicting interests in water use; Mali wanted to use the river for navigation and energy production while Senegal and Mauritania wanted to use the river for irrigation and power production. However, by capitalizing on their shared interests rather than

individual demands, these three countries were able to reconcile the needs of each country. By starting from a place of understanding and cooperation these countries were able to reach at a symbiotic and amicable arrangement, an exemplary practice of transboundary water governance throughout the world.

We can also look to Israel to see how a traditionally water scarce, drought prone, desert country managed to transform itself into a water surplus nation, a desert oasis while its rainfall decreased by half since 1948 due to climate change while its population increased ten-fold. Relying on “home-grown” technologies such as increasingly energy efficient desalination and drip irrigation added to smart water agriculture, efficient water use and reuse in domestic and industrial sectors, judicious use of ground-water resources and water conservation has turned Israel into a water surplus country.

There a lot more examples of transboundary water cooperation throughout the world such as another co-owned dam between Brazil and Paraguay in South America, the Indus water treaty between India and Pakistan which survived two severe wars between these countries as well as the practices from the Mekong river basin and Aral sea basin in central Asia where basin states engaged in regional energy and virtual water trade as possible mechanisms of transboundary water management.

The Nile basin, sadly, is an excellent example of how wrong things can go when the distinction between water security and securitization is blurred. The insistence to keep extremely skewed historical injustices in the name of national security is utterly indefensible when the whole basin is expected to be one of the most water scarce areas in the near future. Clinging to outdated and biased nations while the rest of the world is moving in the direction of equitable and reasonable use is like sailing against the wind. Article 2 of The Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) defines water security as the right of all Nile Basin States to reliable access to and use of the Nile River system for health, agriculture, livelihoods, production and environment. All the basin states have agreed on this article, so now it is time to put our money where our mouth is.

Water security is and will continue to be a pressing issue in the Nile Basin and we need to collectively move forward in solving this challenge. But for that to happen egocentric policies such as securitizing water need to be eliminated first. There is a lot we can learn from practices across the world, including the good practices mentioned above on how to jointly move towards water security in the Nile basin. It is necessary that we revolutionize our way of thinking, utilization and management of water. No amount of conversation is going to move us forward on the issue of water security if we are stuck on the notion of securitizing water. It is time to let go of self-centred notions implying “my needs trumps yours” and embrace the common challenge and work together for the good of the human race.

Ed.’s Note: The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Reporter. The writer can be reached at [email protected].



CONT`D FROM PAGE 21

CONT`D FROM PAGE 1

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namely the massive sprouting of hyacinth as an invasive species and the environmental degradation of its catchment. Let’s add to this the impact of climate change to and we can see the dangers looming over the Blue Nile as well whether a dam is built on it or not.

Following the dispute between the governments of Ethiopia and Egypt as well as the barrage of jingoist and parochial propaganda campaigns in their respective countries, the threats and counter-threats issued by both governments, one cannot help asking: are these people aware of the dangers looming over the two Nile Rivers as a whole? I can’t claim to be well acquainted with the amount and content of media literature issued in Egypt, but in Ethiopia, there seems to be no one asking such questions. Although it is identical to the saying “two bald men fighting over a comb”, eventually the current propaganda war can possibly be over a “river” that once was. Nobody seems to reflect on the strategic and, therefore, serious environmental and man-made

problems that threaten both Victoria and Tana to dry up.

If we concentrate on the problems of Lake Tana and the Blue Nile, for instance, the responsibility of protecting its catchment is not just that of Ethiopia but also of Sudan and Egypt. Egypt whose life depends on the Nile waters, instead of lamenting and bragging about possibilities of war over the Nile, has to come forward and invest on the protection of the catchment of Lake Tana as well as that of Lake Victoria. Protecting the Nile, i.e. the catchments of both lakes, should not be the responsibility of the countries with immediate proximity to the lakes only but of all countries in the basin. Being obsessed about the Nile cannot bring solutions to problems that are glaringly posing a serious danger to the very existence of the river. If the lakes dry up, everybody will lose, not just Egypt.

It is in face of such dangers that we now see the wisdom in the very principles of the NBI. The NBI visualised and, in actual fact, generated development

projects along trans-boundary cooperation ventures that are/were of immense use to the communities across the Nile basin. Away from jingoist and parochial rhetoric, such cooperation is the way out. Egypt, more than anybody else, must champion in protecting the catchments of both lakes as almost its entire population depends on the Nile water. In this sense, whether or not Ethiopia constructs a hydro-electric dam is a technical question. The main question is however, to bank on the very raison d’être of the Nile.

As such, the countries of the Nile basin should take it upon themselves that reinvigorating the NBI is absolutely essential. It should be the countries of the Nile basin that must oversee and manage cooperation among its members. If the split that occurred within the NBI is over the draft Framework Agreement, can’t there be a different modality for ascertaining cooperation on the equitable use of the Nile waters? Why don’t the governments involve scholars

and academics to reflect on the problem and let them come up with a certain formula for reviving cooperation? Secondly, problems among NBI state parties should be addressed and solved solely by its members. The notion of seeking mediation outside the framework of the NBI should not even be entertained. Above all, involving a man who seems to have no idea about Africa (remember what he said around the time he took office in the White House trying to call a country in Southern Africa, Nambia?) as mediator is to say the least an insult to the intelligence of Africans as a whole. In addition, there are international laws and the UN has also come up with a convention on water rights to which most countries are signatory. The NBI must be the principal institution to deal with disputes. Otherwise, it should be the UN.

Ed.’s Note: The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Reporter. The writer can be reached at [email protected].

anticipated elections scheduled to be held on August 29, 2020. According to the constitution, the term of office for the government is five years, which means the incumbent’s constitutional mandate would come to an end on October 10 2020.

Cognizant to this, the government tabled four proposals, as potential remedies to manage the power vacuum that would occur when its current term expires.

The four thematic alternatives presented were dissolving the House of People’s Representatives (HPR), declaring a State of Emergency, making Constitutional amendments, and requesting Constitutional interpretation.

The Legal, Justice and Democracy Affairs Standing Committee of the House was requested to resolve the deadlock with the committee forwarding the constitutional interpretation route, as the best solution for the House.

Chairperson of the Legal, Justice and Democracy Affairs Sub-committee, Abebe Gedebo, presented the outcome of the scrutiny to the House. In his report, he said, the committee decided to take on the constitutional interpretation option as the most viable one, without trespassing the decrees of the constitution, in order to combat the consequences of the

COVID-19 pandemic to the fullest scale.

Some MPs on their part raised their protest towards the recommended resolution, while others forwarded suggestions and comments to the standing committee, for further elaboration and revision.

For instance, an MP criticized the standing committee, accusing it of infringing rules of procedures and members’ code of conduct regulation, by solely dealing with the case and avoiding the participation of stakeholders and rival political parties. The same MP further said to the House that “The best option is a political solution because the recommended solution violates the constitution and could impose a clear danger to the state.”

Meanwhile other MP’s said there is no infringement in the presented recommendation while down playing the previous comments made by the MP.

The chairperson, trying to address most of the questions forwarded to him and his standing committee, said the major revisions that were made by the members of the committee mainly encompassed specifics issues presented in the recommendations made by NEBE. The chairperson defended the recommendation and said to the House that “The constitutional interpretation

resolution never stands against the constitution and has support of other decrees from the constitution itself.”

Adding to the confusion created by politics, the Executive Committee (EC) of TPLF passed a unilateral decision to hold upcoming elections at a regional level.

The decision came at the end of a three-day meeting by the EC, which came ahead of the standing committee’s report on the favored recommendation, out of the four options tabled before the House, last week by the federal government.

At the end of the TPLF’s EC meeting, it adopted a five point resolution saying that it had extensively discussed on current regional administration works, including the region’s efforts to contain the COVID-19.

“One of the pressing matters the executive has extensively deliberated on was the issue of the national agenda led by Prosperity Party (PP), which has now reached at a campaign stage where it is threatening to dismantle the constitutional order,” the statement read.

TPLF accused PP of already dragging its feet not to hold elections, even before the COVID-19 pandemic was reported in Ethiopia, which has now become “A good opportunity to establish a one man authoritarian rule,”

and to strengthen the party’s efforts to extend its office term “unconstitutionally.”

Similarly, other notable political figures including the renowned Politician Lidetu Ayalew and Jawar Mohamed of Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC) have been protesting against the latest recommendations made by the Federal Government. In a televised program, the two politicians have been pushing for a transitional government, by protesting the government’s recommendation that allows the incumbent to have its term prolonged after September 2020.

Delving deeper in the current ebbs of politics, the issue of elections has widely stirred controversy among various political commentators and legal experts. Some claim the need for the latest legislative action to have a constitutional interpretation, is a manifestation of a constitutional crisis.

Since last week, there are sections of political commentators who have been calling the incident a case of constitutional crisis, which in itself sparked a debate over the need to bring constitutional amendments, while some consider the possibility of forming a transitional government.

Meanwhile, on the other side, groups downplaying the claim of a constitutional crisis, say the current issue showcases a

political party crisis instead of a constitutional one.

“We see some groups describing the current predicament ‘constitutional crises’. But you label it as a constitutional crisis only when the constitution fails to bring a sort of solution or remedy for particular predicaments or difficult situation Ethiopia encounters,” a prominent legal expert told The Reporter requesting not to be mentioned.

“If Ethiopia encounters a sort of difficult situation that cannot be solved by what is in Ethiopia, then you call it a constitutional crisis. But, the actual crisis we are witnessing right now is not that kind. Rather we are actually observing interparty crisis – that the existing various political parties fail to agree on what the constitution plainly articulates,” he said.

“I can simply put it in a way that it’s not the constitution that encounters a crisis. Rather it is the political party who encounters it, which arises from their failure to make concrete agreements. They do have the constitutional provision that is clearly put in place. They are confused because they are looking for their own advantage, yet the constitution offers them the proper way out that enables to solve such kind of issues,” he concluded.

have been partially damaged. This incident has affected 397 households leaving 1,985 families in need of food assistance.

The next day, on April 25, the heavy rain in Jinka town in the Southern Region, a river overflow inflicted damages on infrastructure and had swept away livestock. A 2 kilometer wide crack had also been created in Silte Zone in the Southern Region.

Moreover, 34,500 people have been affected, when the flood devastated all of the Shinelle Zone localities of Somali Region. The Regional government has reported that some 1,200 livestock including goats, camel

and donkeys had been swept away by the flood. More than 3,000 hectares of vegetables and crops had also been destroyed and 200 water pumps swept away.

The abnormal rain is further expected to affect the Southern Region together with Somali, Dire-Dawa, Oromia, Amhara, Afar, Tigray, Harari and Addis Ababa, are on high alert for fresh floods in the coming weeks. Debebe said to withstand the impacts, NDRMC has prepared food and non-food items and shelters to assist victims.

Adding insult to injury, the WFP situation report issued early this week, highlighted that some

220,000 returnees and deportees are expected to arrive in Ethiopia due to the spread of COVID-19 in the Middle East. But more is yet to come, as desert locust infestation spreads and a second generation of newly hatched, consuming some 350,000 metric tons of agricultural produces so far. It is projected that the locust will remain until the coming October. Debebe mentioned the required financial amount to minimize the impact of the disasters. However, WFP outlined a figure close to USD 220 million in response including COVID-19 and logistics is required for the coming six months.

present as requirement to work with the DBE. He further added that this is important for the Bank’s image.

This raise, according to Haileyesus, is part of the Bank’s five years reform plan which is aligned with the Home-Grown Economic Reform (HGER) plan of the government. As the HGER requires huge financial provision, the intention behind the capital raise is for the Bank to strengthen its provision of finance to investors.

Until 2018, the policy bank has been grappling with non-performing loans that reached up to 40 percent. This has started

to moderately improve with the bank registering marginal increase in profit bouncing back from losses which it has sustained for years. Because of the mounting non-performing loans, DBE foreclosed investments in various sectors including textile and agriculture with the prominent examples being Ayka Addis Textile Plant of Turkey and Karaturi farms of India.

Concerned with the impacts of keeping the DBE afloat with loans from the central Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned the National Bank of Ethiopia to stop financing the DBE.



SNAPSHOTS

DROPPING

BYbilateral summit” to discuss mutual issues



SNAPSHOTS







C r o s s w o r d

Your Zodiacs (astrology-online.com)

Kun

cho

Kom

men

tsACROSS1. Box5. A giant with 100 eyes10. Hairless14. Unadulterated15. Happy cat sounds16. Double-reed woodwind17. Voters19. Wharf20. An Old Testament king21. A long-legged S. American bird22. Creepy23. Sparrow hawk25. Welsh dog27. Before, poetically28. Estragon31. More than adequately34. Tapestry35. Anger36. Saturate37. Physically weak38. Ancient Peruvian39. Ribonucleic acid40. Female demon41. Transparent42. So-called "cuddle hormone"44. Biblical boat

45. Presents46. Chest of drawers50. Decree52. Nipples54. Large flightless bird55. Stopper56. Wandering from the main path58. Mobile phone59. Less friendly60. Blind (poker)61. To be, in old Rome62. Untidy63. D D D DDOWN1. Talk2. Throb3. Territories4. Record (abbrev.)5. Orbital high point6. Not urban7. A metric unit of weight8. Hives9. South southeast10. A small Hispanic shop11. Native Australian12. Hubs13. Apollo astronaut Slayton 18. Dawdle

22. Makes a mistake

24. Express in words

26. By mouth

28. Coach

29. Killer whale

30. Close

31. Hairdo

32. Coquette

33. Women pleasure-seekers

34. Truce

37. Proven information

38. Varieties

40. Garret

41. Pepperwort

43. Titillate

44. Blood vessel

46. Challenges

47. A river through Paris

48. Overact

49. Graphic symbols

50. Behold, in old Rome

51. Accomplishes

53. Auspices

56. Not brilliant

57. Unhappy

Aries

Aries, today is likely to feel muddled. Though there

still feel like you are struggling with something. Try to avoid crowds and strangers if you can. Otherwise, keep your wallet as close and closed as possible. This this is to avoid both theft and high spending. Taurus

Taurus, today you are likely to hear much admiration and support. It is likely you will receive attention from your crush as well, however, those who are already paired should be careful to avoid outside temptation. This a great day to make new friends as they may introduce you to a new favorite hobby.

Gemini

Gemini will face the temptations of many vices today. Watch out for dangers to your diet, temptations to return to bad habits or those who may come between you and your partner. Besides this, your day should be relatively calm and trouble-free. Try to spend some quality time with younger members of your family today, and perhaps teach them about their history.

CancerCancer, you are likely to start the day waking up on the wrong side of the bed. Try to refrain from taking this out on your loved ones. Those who are

For those who will be outdoors, it is advised you travel prepared for the weather to change. Today is

your routine. Leo

If you are active in social media, you are likely to attract a swarm of new followers before nightfall. Be mindful today though. Pay attention and be careful on roads. VirgoVirgo, listen to the advice your loved ones offer today. Someone might have an idea that will help you solve an issue that has been on your mind for a long time. Try to spend time outside today, perhaps on a picnic with some friends. This is especially recommended for singles, as today brings a high chance of meeting a special someone.

LibraLibra, there is a high chance that someone who you were looking forward to seeing will have to change their plans at the last minute. Try not to hold this against them and reschedule with grace. If you can manage that, you will gain luck in your trips for

special sales. ScorpioScorpio, while you may prefer to be solitary, you are likely to be required to work in a team today. Try to remain positive about this. Others will pick up on your mood today. Remember to pay attention to your romantic partner as well, and those who are single should keep their eyes and hearts open for this person today. SagittariusToday will be memorable. The chances of interesting trips, happy accidents, and all sorts of fun events are high. However, try not to become so lost in the fun you try things that could be bad for your health. This evening, you may receive a call from someone you haven't heard from in a long time and they may have interesting news or a promising over for you.

CapricornCapricorn, make your own plans for today. It is likely that if you rely upon your friends to make the plans for you, you'll end up doing something that you really didn't want to. It may end up that in doing this you'll end up spending your evening alone, but sometimes

you are looking for a special someone.Aquarius

are advised to remember that the weather can be temperamental though, so try to be prepared for anything. If you'd like, set up a picnic or dinner party for those closest to you. Additionally, any small trips or cultural events you are invited to should go well.Pieces

trying to ask what's wrong. To help recover from this, make a visit to a family member you get along with well or some old friends to help stir some more

love along the way.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Hey Kuncho, can you help me

study for my science exam?

Sure Lily, let’s start with a few

simple questions.

Is that even a question Kuncho?!

Sure and the answer is easy. It’s the moon!

I mean, you can’t see Paris from here, but you can’t see the

moon.

SPO

T TH

E D

IFFE

REN

CES

Can you spot the 12 differences between the two pictures? SOLUTION

Great, fire away!

Ok, what do you think is closer to us, Paris or the

Moon?

LEISURE

NEW TO



SPORT

By Dawit Tolesa

The Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) has announced that there will be no clubs representing their respective countries in the African Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup. The decision has been made following the incompletion of the 2019/20 Ethiopian Premier League (EPL) in wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Ethiopian Premier League (EPL) weekly football games were ordered to postpone games due to COVID-19, a month ago. In this regard, the EPL Share Company had announced week 18 fixtures to be held on April 4 and 5. However, as the cases of COVID-19 grew amidst lockdown in most countries, Ethiopia announced a State of Emergency since April 8, forcing the EFF to cancel the 2019/20 premier league season

By Dawit Tolesa

As part of the Great Ethiopian Run’s (GER) ongoing campaign to promote healthy living among the public in Ethiopia, the GER has announced plans to stage a virtual 5km race. All funds raised from the race will be donated to the fight against the COVID-19 virus. This comes as a 500,000 birr donation was previously made by Great Ethiopian Run for Covid-19 National Fund raising Committee.

“Stay Safe Ethiopia” is a campaign launched by Great Ethiopian Run (GER) to encourage the public to stay safe and healthy during this time and to support the efforts being made by government, to protect our citizens from the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Registration for the race which is being called “Stay Safe Ethiopia – 5km virtual race” started on Monday, May 04 with the race itself taking place over a five-day period in early June, the organizers announced.

At Monday’s race launch, the renowned artist Biruk Yeshitila, in the presence of the Merewa Choir group, will attempt to break his 2015 Great Ethiopian Run record of 135 seconds to complete 50m.

“Which if achieved, will result in a pledge in his name to the fight against the COVID-19 coronavirus. “Biruk is an inspiration for us all. If he commits to this challenge, then so should we all,” said Dagmawit Amare from the GER, who is overseeing plans for the race.

Participants are being asked to register by phone or visiting GER’s website where they will receive details on how to register for the race. Further race information is being given through a telegram group for those who have registered. A registration fee of 100 birr has been set for the participants with all fees to be donated to combat COVID-19.

“This is a typical Great Ethiopian Run initiative,” said Michael Mesfin, who has already decided to register for the race. “It encourages us to stay fit. But this is about more than sport and our own fitness. It captures the spirit of the moment, where as a country, we need to unite, protect ourselves and help others. Just by taking part, we can all have that winning

feeling, and I for one, will encourage many of my friends to take part.”

Participants will use an app for recording their race distance and finishing time. Details of how to use the app will be given after participants register for the race. Participants are also being given the chance to design their own race number which they can wear while completing the run. The idea is to give participants the chance to use their own slogan expressing their way of wanting to unite in fighting the virus.

A maximum number of 500 places are available for the race. Every participant in the virtual race will receive their own finishers’ medal, which will be delivered to their homes.

on Tuesday, May 5, 2020.

Following the EFF’s decision, several clubs have complained regarding the federation’s decision over the fate of clubs over continental tournaments. According to some claims, the current top league leaders, Fasil City and Mekele City must represent Ethiopia in CAF champion’s league and confederation tournaments.

After match week 17, Fasil City sat on top of the league with 30 points, a point ahead of second placed Mekele City. Regardless, the 2019/20 EPL season has 13 matches remaining to conclude the season. Several African countries have also cancelled their league tournaments. The Kenya Football Federation has declared Gor Mahi, as the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) Champion for the 2019-20 season and officially submitted their name for the CAF champion’s league, next season.

In addition, the Angola, Guinea and Congo leagues have also declared the champions and submitted their name to CAF tournaments.

Many argue that it would be better for the EFF to follow Kenya’s lead in order to see Ethiopia represented in CAF tournaments. According to Wubitu Abate, Sebeta City coach, the cancellation of regular competition is proper as the growing COVID-19 outbreaks.

“We have to submit the name of the clubs to compete in CAF competition. The decision which is made by the Ethiopian football governing body needs to be reconsidered,” Coach Wubitu told The Reporter.

However, coach Wubitu explained that all clubs have to mutually agree, to decide on the how to select the representatives.

The Ethiopia Premier League share company, in

a press conference held on Wednesday said, the decision was made following a vote from all participating 16 clubs. Nonetheless, the two league leaders Mekele and Fasil are the first clubs to complain regarding the decision.

“As a country we need to have representatives in continental tournaments. Based on the current results, Mekele and Fasil City have a chance to represent the country. So, it is better to reconsider the decision,” Timotios Baye, a football consultant said.

It is to be recalled that, the CAF Emergency Committee has decided to postpone various matches until further notice. For the moment, CAF is monitoring the situation closely and working with the relevant authorities such as with the Wealth Health Organization (WHO) on the impact of the virus on the continent.

Elsewhere, there is a

suggestion that support the EFF’s decision saying that it is the best option since it would be difficult to name representatives, as half of the participating clubs vary by few points.

“I think it is a fair decision to come up with a mutual agreement. Because, half the clubs almost have a few point differences and the national league clubs will also ask to be promoted to the premier league. So, it would be difficult to select the representatives,” Zeray Eyasu, Sport 52 managing director told The Reporter.

Apart from that, a number of players are complaining about their monthly salary not paid for a couple of months. The Ethiopia premier league share company has pointed out that the contract between players and clubs should end according to their agreement.

participating in international tournaments

GER to stage 5k virtual race



DESIGN & PUBLISHER MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS CENTRE (MCC) PRINTED BY BERHANENA SELAM PRINTING ENTERPRISE

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