Addis Standard
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An independent Ethiopia based online media focusing on current affairs. Original content+daily gist of media monitoring
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#Ethiopia: Four people died as #Cholera outbreak reported in #Bale zone #Oromia, #Somali region bordering areas

As of 10 October, 191 cholera cases were reported in three woredas of Bale zone (Harana Buluk, Berbere and Delo Mena) with four associated deaths (Cumulative Case Fatality Rate – CFR – of 2.09 per cent1). The use of unsafe water from contaminated water points is the most likely cause of this outbreak. Limited access to water and sanitation (WASH) services, poor hygiene practices, including open defecation and lack of water treatment options are among the factors that have contributed to the rapid spread of the disease across these three woredas.

Bale zone remains one of the most drought-affected areas with increasing malnutrition cases and report of measles’ outbreak. Since the beginning of 2022, 21 measles outbreak waves have been confirmed in Oromia. In the first week of October, Bale zone registered 219 new meningitis cases (10% of the total meningitis cases reported in Oromia). https://addisstandard.com/news-four-die-after-cholera-outbreak-in-bale-zone-oromia-somali-region-bordering-areas-un/
News: Journalist Meaza Mohammed, author Asaye Derbe released on bail; court reverses bail for journalist Gobeze Sisay

By Biruk Alemu

Journalist Meaza Mohammed and author and activist Asaye Derbe were released on Thursday 13 October on a bail of 10,000 ETB each. However, at a hearing held today, federal judges at the Supreme Court denied journalist Gobeze Sisay the right for bail, his lawyer Henok Aklilu told Addis Standard.

During previous hearing, Amhara Voice internet based media owner and founder journalist Gobeze Sisay was granted a bail for 20,000 ETB, but was banned from leaving the country, and his release from detention was delayed until after the immigration procedure was completed. However, in today’s hearing, the Supreme Court reversed the bail grant and rescheduled another hearing, according to Henok.

The release on bail of Meaza and Asaye itself came a week after the Federal High Court granted the bail. It was last week, on 07 October that the Federal High Court’s Lideta criminal division trial decided to ruled to release all three defendants on bail. But “the police told us that they cannot release them because the prosecutor was appealing at the federal Supreme Court”, which resulted in the defendants being held in custody for a week.

https://addisstandard.com/news-journalist-meaza-mohammed-author-asaye-derbe-released-on-bail-court-reverses-bail-for-journalist-gobeze-sisay-2/
#NewsAlert: #Ethiopia Central Bank orders banks to freeze LC issuance for import of 38 products

The National Bank of Ethiopia has informed banks to freeze issuance of Letters of Credit (LC) to import 38 types of products as of Monday 17 October. The ban will last indefinitely.

Accordingly, prohibited products include drinks (whiskey or beer and other alcoholic beverages), chewing gum, chocolate, water, cigarettes, artificial accessories and related materials, among others. It also applies to cars that are imported by private individuals.

https://addisstandard.com/news-alert-central-bank-orders-banks-to-freeze-lc-issuance-for-import-of-38-products/
'Where is humanity?' ask the helpless doctors of #Ethiopia's embattled #Tigray region

One of the greatest casualties of the brutal civil war in Ethiopia has been its health care. With the country's northern Tigray region under blockade and cut off from most communications, a disastrous humanitarian crisis has been unfolding in a war that has become the world's unseen war.

Dr. Fasika Amdeslasie, a surgeon at Tigray's Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, says, "Our patients are not getting basic medicines like antibiotics, IV fluids, [and] oxygen." Without these kinds of supplies, he's watched patients die.

"Seeing the hopelessness in their eyes," he says, "and being the one to tell them that you cannot help them, that they are going to die soon, as a firsthand witness as a physician is very heartbreaking."

"You cannot do anything for them and you tell them to pray," adds Fasika, who was dean of Mekele University's medical school before the war. (Per the Ethiopian custom, we are using first names for subsequent references.)

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/10/14/1128363867/where-is-humanity-ask-the-helpless-doctors-of-ethiopias-embattled-tigray-region
#Ethiopia: OFC rejects #AddisAbaba, #Oromia Special Zone admin demarcation; urges #AfaanOromo to be city admin’s working language alongside #Amharic

By Natnael Fite

The opposition party, Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC), rejected the recently conducted administrative demarcation between Addis Ababa city and Oromia Special Zone Surrounding Finfinne. The party rejected the decision, which was hailed “historic” by Addis Abeba Mayor Adanech Abiebie, and said it was “unacceptable as it does not respect the interests and demands of the Oromo people.” The party also urged “Afaan Oromo to be a working language alongside Amharic in Finffine city administration.”

OFC communications officer Tiruneh Gemta told #AddisStandard, that the party has been closely following the boundary issue and has been fighting for it for many years. “We cannot remain silent under any circumstances, we took a longer time as we have a detailed investigation to conduct on the matter. Now we have something concrete and our goal is not only to issue a statement and express our opinion but also to prepare our people for the next struggle,” Tiruneh said.

https://addisstandard.com/news-ofc-rejects-addis-ababa-oromia-special-zone-admin-demarcation-urges-afaan-oromo-to-be-city-admins-working-language-alongside-amharic/
News: #US calls on #Eritrea, #Ethiopia to halt #Tigray “joint military offensive”; #UN humanitarian chief confirms shelling in Shire injures two aid workers

Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued the latest concern of the U.S. government “over reports of increasing violence, loss of life, indiscriminate targeting of civilians, and destruction in the conflict in northern Ethiopia, particularly around Shire in the Tigray region.” The U.S. also called on “the Ethiopian National Defense Forces and Eritrean Defense Forces to immediately halt their joint military offensive and for Eritrea to withdraw its forces from northern Ethiopia.”

Blinken also called on “the Tigrayan Defense Forces to cease provocative actions.”

The statement came shortly after Martin Griffiths, U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, confirmed that “two frontline staff were injured in shelling today” in Shire. He described the situation as “increasingly tense.”

https://addisstandard.com/news-us-calls-on-eritrea-ethiopia-to-halt-tigray-joint-military-offensive-un-humanitarian-chief-confirms-shelling-in-shire-injures-two-aid-workers/
#Ethiopia: Two civil servants, a teacher accused of financially supporting #OLA, #TPLF appear before court in #Sidama region

By Mhret G/Kristos

Addis Ababa: Two civil servants and a teacher have been brought to a court in Sidama regional state for the second time on 12 October after being accused of financially supporting the armed group Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), commonly referred to as “OLF/Shene”, and the TPLF.

Both the OLA and the TPLF have been labelled as terrorist organizations by the parliament of Ethiopia.

The suspects, Kanbata Kiwi, an employee of Science and Technology Agency of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples (SNNP) region, Tesfatsion Legesse, an employee of Construction and Design Supervision Authority of the SNNP, and Mitiku Belayneh, a principal at Tabor Mekaneyesus school, were first brought to the court of law on 30 September, according to a family member and an informant who asked to remain anonymous for fear reprisal.

Police said it suspected the individuals of financially supporting the OLA and the TPLF, a party ruling the Tigray Regional state. https://addisstandard.com/news-two-civil-servants-a-teacher-accused-of-financially-supporting-ola-tplf-appear-before-court-in-sidama-region/
#Ethiopia: #AlmazAyana runs fastest ever women's marathon debut with 2:17:20 in #Amsterdam

Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana ran 2:17:20 to achieve the fastest ever women's marathon debut and win a high-quality clash at the TCS Amsterdam Marathon, a World Athletics Elite Platinum Label road race, on Sunday (16).

Setting a Dutch all-comers’ record, Almaz won the head-to-head against her fellow global track gold medalist and compatriot Genzebe Dibaba, who was also making her marathon debut, while Tsegaye Getachew made it an Ethiopian double, winning the men’s race in a PB of 2:04:49.

The women’s race in Amsterdam featured a trio of notable debutants and despite going up against some more experienced opponents when it comes to marathon running, the spotlight was on Ayana, Dibaba and their compatriot Tsehay Gemechu.

https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-label-road-races/news/amsterdam-marathon-2022-ayana-getachew
Business: #Akobo Minerals kicks off #Ethiopia mine development

Akobo Minerals, the Scandinavian-based Ethiopian gold exploration and boutique mining company, today announced that its mining contractor, IW Mining Pty (Ltd), has arrived at site.

The Scandinavian-based Ethiopian gold exploration and boutique mining company is currently engaged in ongoing exploration and boutique development in the #Gambella region and #Dima Woreda, in #southwest Ethiopia.

https://addisstandard.com/business-akobo-minerals-kicks-off-ethiopia-mine-development/
#NewsAnalysis: As fears grow for civilians in #Shire, #AU, #Tigray region echo need for immediate, unconditional ceasefire; Federal gov. to continue “defensive measures”

**The federal government says it will continue to take defensive measures against what it said was “repeated attack of the #TPLF and its active collusion with hostile foreign powers”

Among growing global concerns and condemnations over recent intensified attacks on civilians by the joint Ethiopian and Eritrean military offensives in and around Shire, a city in northwest Tigray regional state, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat has called for “an immediate, unconditional ceasefire and resumption of humanitarian services” in the Tigray Region.

The Chairperson' statement also signaled that talks will be “convened in South Africa by a high-level team led by the AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa, and supported by the international community,” but he did not give a specific time frame or mention the stakeholders among the international community.

https://addisstandard.com/news-analysis-as-fears-grow-for-civilians-in-shire-au-tigray-region-echo-need-for-immediate-unconditional-ceasefire-gov-to-continue-defensive-measures/
Opinion: War is not #African! – A shift from colonial development aid approach to global a solidarity

By Siyane Aniley

Solidarity has become a global buzzword in the development sector and even more in the recent context of global pandemic. However, Solidarity is not a new way of doing things in Africa.

In Africa, we have a philosophy called Ubuntu; meaning, ‘I am, Because We are’.

https://addisstandard.com/opinion-war-is-not-african-a-shift-from-colonial-development-aid-approach-to-global-a-solidarity/
#Kenya-#Ethiopia power buy deal to vary after five years

Kenya will buy power from Ethiopia at 6.5 US cents per kilowatt for the next five years before it can be allowed to renegotiate.

Ethiopian Electric Power (ECC) has revealed a clause in the power purchase agreement that says Kenya Power can only seek a review of the tariff after that period.

Kenya signed a 25-year deal with the Horn of Africa’s nation to start importing electricity from next month in a bid to edge out the expensive power from the national grid and ensure buffers to meet peak demand.

The clause allowing tariff renegotiation is a key plank for the State-owned utility to get cheap energy that will then be passed on to consumers in the form of lower bills.

https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/economy/kenya-ethiopia-power-buy-deal-to-vary-after-five-years-3987396
#Ethiopia: "Today at 11:50 a.m. EST Antonio Guterres will address the media at the Security Council stakeout on the situation in Ethiopia. This will be followed by our regular noon briefing."

Source: #UN Spokesperson

For live feed: https://media.un.org/en/webtv/
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#Ethiopia: Key points raised by #UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in his address to the media at the Security Council stakeout:
*The situation in Ethiopia is spiraling out of control.
*Violence and destruction have reached alarming level.
*The Social fabric is being ripped apart.
* Hostilities in the #Tigray region must end now, including the immediate withdrawal and disengagement of Eritrean armed forces from Ethiopia.
*There is no Military solution
* Civilians paying horrific prices
*Indiscriminate attacks including in residential areas are killing more innocent people everyday, damaging critical infrastructure
* Disturbing accounts of sexual violence & other forms of brutality against women, children & women
* The level of needs is staggering
* Even before the resumption of hostilities, 13 million people required humanitarian aid in #Amhara, #Afar, and Tigray
* The is UN is ready to support the #AU to end this nightmare.
* The international community must rally together now for peace
Ethiopian soldiers take strategic city in Tigray amid civilian exodus

Thousands of terrified inhabitants fearing a repeat of previous atrocities — including gang rapes and mass killings — began streaming out of the opposition-held city of Shire over the weekend, said an aid worker who was among a group of people evacuated from the city.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/10/17/ethiopia-tigray-eritrea-war-shire/
Business: #Maersk launches new multi-purpose centre in #Ethiopia
porttechnology.org/news/maersk-la… “The new consolidation centre in #Modjo Dry Port saves our customers time and cost through consolidation, synergies and providing a single point of contact with greater visibility."
#Ethiopia: #UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk warns of devastating impact of continued hostilities on civilians


“Since 31 August we have received numerous reports of civilian casualties and destruction of civilian objects due to airstrikes and artillery strikes in Tigray – disruptions to communication make it particularly difficult to verify reports, but it is clear that the toll on civilians is utterly staggering,” Türk said.

https://shar.es/af66PD
Forwarded from Addis Standard Amharic
ዜና: ከኦሮሚያ ክልል የተፈናቀሉ በርካታ ሰላማዊ ሰዎች ወደ አማራ ክልል እየገቡ ነው፣ ተ.መ.ድ

በኦሮሚያ ክልል በተለይም በወለጋ ዞኖች እየተካሄደ ባሉ ግጭቶች የተነሳ በርካታ በአካባቢው ይኖሩ የነበሩ ሰላማዊ ሰዎች ወደ አማራ ክልል መፈናቀል መቀጠላቸውን በኢትዮጵያ የተባበሩት መንግስታት ድርጅት የሰብአዊ እርዳታ ማስተባበሪያ ቢሮ ዲስ በለቀቀው ዘገባ ተናግሯል። ይሁንና ሪፖርቱ ምን ያህል ሰላማዊ ዜጎች ተፈናቅለው ወደ አማራ ክልል እንደደረሱ አልገለጸም።

በዚህም መሠረት በርካታ የተፈናቀሉ ሰላማዊ ሰዎች ወደ ጎጃም፣ ሰሜን ሸዋ፣ ደቡብ ወሎ፣ ዋግ ኽምራ ዞኖች እንዲሁም ወደ ባህር ዳርና ደብረ ብርሃን ከተሞች መጉረፋቸውን የዞኑ ባለስልጣናት እና ግብረሰናይ አጋሮች አረጋግጠዋል ሲል ቢሮው በትናንትናው እለት ባወጣው አጭር ዘገባ ገልጿል።

https://amharic.addisstandard.com/%e1%8b%9c%e1%8a%93-%e1%8a%a8%e1%8a%a6%e1%88%ae%e1%88%9a%e1%8b%ab-%e1%8a%ad%e1%88%8d%e1%88%8d-%e1%8b%a8%e1%89%b0%e1%8d%88%e1%8a%93%e1%89%80%e1%88%89-%e1%89%a0%e1%88%ad%e1%8a%ab%e1%89%b3-%e1%88%b0/
#Ethiopia-#Somalia- PM Hamza and his delegation met with #Somali Regional State President

The Prime Minister of the Federal Government of Somalia, H.E Hamza Abdi Barre and his delegation had a meeting this afternoon with the President of the Somali Regional Government, Mr. Mustafa Mohamud Omar, which took place at the Presidential Center of the Regional Government.

President Mustafa gave a general briefing to the PM and his delegation on the state of the environment and development projects implemented by the Regional Government in the regions during their four years in office.

After the meeting, the Prime Minister and his delegation visited various centers where local government agencies operate and a large center that is being built for the Local Government’s Parliament.

https://sonna.so/en/2022/10/17/pm-hamza-and-his-delegation-met-with-somali-regional-president/
#Ethiopia: Government security forces kill member of Karrayyu Gadaa leaders, abduct five others in East Shewa Zone of #Oromia regional state

By Getahun Legesse

Government security forces have killed Boru Roba, a respected member of the #KarrayyuGadaa leaders, and abducted his brother and sister along with two other individuals in #Fentalle, East Shewa Zone of Oromia regional state. According to multiple sources in the area who spoke to #AddisStandard, the killing and abductions took place on Saturday, 15 October.

Security forces composed of the national defense forces, Oromia special force, and the militia are operating in villages including Gidara, Tututi and Toro Bedeno in Fentalle district.

https://addisstandard.com/news-government-security-forces-kill-member-of-karrayyu-gadaa-leaders-abduct-five-others-in-east-shewa-zone-of-oromia/