November 23, 2024
The President-elect of The Somaliland administration, Abdirahman Abdullahi, is planning to visit Ethiopia after his inauguration.
Abdullahi will meet the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to discuss the maritime Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that has not yet been submitted to the Somaliland House of Representatives in Hargeisa.
Earlier this year, Abdullahi told a reporter that he did not know the details of the MoU and that he, in principle, supports any mutually beneficial cooperation with another country.
– Advertisement –
https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-5574727956184600&output=html&h=151&slotname=5579582399&adk=1278943361&adf=3587773027&pi=t.ma~as.5579582399&w=604&abgtt=6&fwrn=4&lmt=1732424520&rafmt=11&format=604×151&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thereporterethiopia.com%2F42651%2F&wgl=1&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiNy4wLjAiLCJ4ODYiLCIiLCIxMzEuMC42Nzc4Ljg1IixudWxsLDAsbnVsbCwiNjQiLFtbIkdvb2dsZSBDaHJvbWUiLCIxMzEuMC42Nzc4Ljg1Il0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjEzMS4wLjY3NzguODUiXSxbIk5vdF9BIEJyYW5kIiwiMjQuMC4wLjAiXV0sMF0.&dt=1732427756068&bpp=7&bdt=6577&idt=546&shv=r20241120&mjsv=m202411140101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Dec47993817a21f2b%3AT%3D1731292607%3ART%3D1732427283%3AS%3DALNI_MalWhXl16U_XydjL1dQloIi0XaxRg&gpic=UID%3D00000f90d4fd149f%3AT%3D1731292607%3ART%3D1732427283%3AS%3DALNI_MZVvzJxmyHXKCv0pAKdHpEiLVgFBA&eo_id_str=ID%3Dd4234c8686246126%3AT%3D1731292607%3ART%3D1732427283%3AS%3DAA-AfjaNimbEKuNmLJLqeqmobrpf&prev_fmts=0x0%2C1068x280&nras=1&correlator=6274809627271&frm=20&pv=1&rplot=4&u_tz=-300&u_his=5&u_h=768&u_w=1366&u_ah=728&u_aw=1366&u_cd=24&u_sd=1&dmc=4&adx=321&ady=1025&biw=1349&bih=641&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=31088129%2C31088581%2C95344790%2C31088457%2C95345967&oid=2&pvsid=1144829156625272&tmod=1832633091&uas=0&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thereporterethiopia.com%2F&fc=1920&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1366%2C0%2C1366%2C728%2C1366%2C641&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7CoEebr%7C&abl=CS&pfx=0&cms=5&fu=128&bc=31&bz=1&td=1&tdf=2&psd=W251bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLDNd&nt=1&pgls=CAEQBBoHMS4xNDAuMA..&ifi=3&uci=a!3&btvi=1&fsb=1&dtd=566
Mohamed Jama Galal, the Information Secretary of the winning Waddani Party, told BBC News that the new administration would review the maritime Memorandum of Understanding the outgoing Somaliland administration signed with Ethiopian Prime Minister on January 1, 2024.
The MoU, signed several weeks after Somalia and Ethiopia entered into a defence pact, had strained relations between the countries. The Federal Government of Somalia managed to exclude Ethiopia from the peacekeeping force set to operate in Somalia in 2025.
The resumption of Somalia-Somaliland talks is unlikely as long as the Federal Government of Somalia insists on the precondition that the Somaliland government must withdraw from the maritime MoU.
(Puntland Post)
Ethiopia readies plans to export power to Tanzania via Kenya
Ethiopia plans to export about 100 megawatts of electricity to Tanzania via Kenya once the nations finalize a deal that will enable cross-border trade in electricity.
The quantum of power to be traded may be revised during final talks, according to Moges Mekonnen, a spokesperson at state utility Ethiopian Electric Power.
An agreement between Kenya and Tanzania, which allows the latter nation to use high-voltage lines to transmit power through its neighbor’s territory, has been signed and is awaiting regulatory approval, according to John Mativo, chief executive at Kenya Electricity Transmission Co. Electricity generated in Sodo in southern Ethiopia will be sent through Suswa in Kenya and onwards to Arusha in northern Tanzania, he added.
Ethiopia has built at least four large-scale dams, including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, to generate hydropower to supply its nascent manufacturing industries and export to its neighbors. Kenya began importing 200 megawatts of hydropower from Ethiopia in 2022.
(BNN Bloomberg)
Ethiopia’s visa policy shift leaves Sudanese refugees in limbo
Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia face mounting difficulties as authorities reimpose visa fees and hefty fines, leaving many stranded and unable to access vital opportunities.
The policy reversal, which ended a February exemption for Sudanese nationals in Addis Ababa, now requires visa renewals and imposes a $30 daily fine for those who are not in compliance. This has resulted in some refugees, like one interviewed by Reuters, facing thousands of dollars in penalties, hindering their ability to secure work abroad.
“I was offered a job in Saudi Arabia, but with these fines, I can’t afford to leave,” the refugee, who fled to Addis Ababa with his family, said.
The UNHCR in Ethiopia has further complicated matters by refusing to register Sudanese refugees in the capital, insisting they relocate to camps. This contrasts with the agency’s approach to other nationalities, such as Yemenis and Syrians, who can register in urban areas.
The Sudanese Assembly in Addis Ababa, a civil society group, has voiced concerns about the new measures and appealed to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed for a reprieve.
“These regulations are creating immense anxiety within the Sudanese community,” said Ismail Al-Taj, a member of the Assembly. “Many are struggling even to renew their visas, let alone pay these exorbitant fines.”
International law expert Hatem Al-Sanhouri noted that the Assembly is engaging with the Ethiopian government to highlight the refugees’ plight and explore potential solutions. He added that the group is also focused on peace-building efforts in Sudan, advocating for an end to the conflict and addressing its root causes.
This policy shift comes as thousands of Sudanese have sought refuge in Ethiopia following the outbreak of civil war in April. With limited support and mounting financial burdens, their future remains uncertain.
The rising debt burden in Africa’s Least Developed Countries is eroding funding for sustainable development
(Sudan Tribune)
Rising debt burden in Africa’s Least Developed Countries is eroding funding for sustainable development
Africa’s rising debt burden is eroding funding for sustainable development in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), impacting heavily on health and education, says Oyebanke Abejirin, Economic Affairs Officer, at the Macroeconomics, Finance & Governance Division of the Economic Commission for Africa.
Making a presentation on the opportunities and challenges for Africa’s Least Developed countries (LDCs), at the Second Session on the Committee on Economic Governance in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Abejirin explained that high debt servicing costs reduce capacity for SDG related spending causing a real decline in health and education funding across many countries.
She noted that debt distress worsens the public financial positions of African LDCs. Debt servicing reaching a record 11.6 percent of the exports in 2022.
In 2021, she said, African governments allocated 4.8 percent of GDPs to debt servicing compared to 2.6 percent for health and 4.8 percent for education.
“Social protection systems in Africa LDCs are severely inadequate; only 12-13 percent of population is covered,” she added and stressed that Inclusive, robust social protection “is essential to shield the LDCs from global and regional shocks including post Covid-19 effects and climate change related disasters.”
Abejirin highlighted that there is a need to strengthen domestic revenue generation to help close the significant gap in financing the SDGs in Africa.
According to Abejirin, African LDCs make up 33 of the 45 LDCs contributing to less than one percent of the global GDP despite having 10 percent of the global population.
She emphasized the need for Africa to have a public debt sustainability framework that includes linking debt obligations to productive investment, improving fiscal and debt transparency and developing a framework for responsible borrowing.
Sharing the Mozambique perspective on debt servicing, Pamela Mabanda, from the Ministry of Finance, said the country is experiencing a trade balance deficit, importing more than exporting with imports mainly consisting of intermediate and capital goods.
The sustainability of the economy, she said, is threatened by the high proportion of expenditure (almost 70 percent) going towards debt repayment, which limits resources for investment and support.
Strategies are being developed to address these challenges and improve the fiscal space for sustainable development.
“There is a need to improve domestic resource mobilization and reduce tax evasion, especially for the main imports in the country,” noted Mabanda.
She emphasized the importance of fiscal consolidation to reduce expenditure and increase revenues through diversification of financial funds and a proactive approach to macro fiscal risk.
Ronald Mangani, Chief Executive Officer Press Corporation in Malawi pointed out a perceived contradiction in the desire for as much aid as possible and the need for a clear understanding of what exactly is desired from development assistance so as to reconcile the various positions on these issues.
Allan Mukungu, Economic Affairs Officer, at ECA discussed the inability of African countries to finance their needs due to fiscal deficits with an average public debt of 67% in 2024.
“Nine African countries are in debt distress and 11 are at high risk, making them vulnerable to financing issues,” he said.
“The focus should be on creating fiscal space to finance sustainable development and meet the Agenda 2063 aspiration.”
Mukungu pointed out the importance of the integrated national financing framework (INFFs) for financing SDGs.
“INFFs helps to unlock financing for national development priorities by aligning available financing with the national development plans.
(ECA)
Ethiopia sees over 7.3M malaria cases, 1,157 deaths in 9 months
More than 7.3 million people were diagnosed with malaria, and 1,157 deaths were reported in Ethiopia from Jan. 1 to Oct. 20, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In its disease outbreak report, the UN health agency said this is the highest number of annual cases recorded in the last seven years caused by bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.
It said malaria transmission is also possible through blood transfusion, organ transplantation, or the sharing of needles or syringes contaminated with infected blood.
The disease can also be transmitted from mother to child before or during delivery.
Malaria poses a significant public health challenge in Ethiopia, where approximately 75 percent of the land mass is considered to be endemic to the disease, said the world health body.
‘‘Around 69 percent of the population residing in these areas face the risk of infection where periodic outbreaks contribute to up to 20 percent of deaths among children under the age of five,’’ said the report dated Oct. 31, but shared on X on Thursday.
The UN health agency said four regions accounted for 81 percent of the reported cases and 89 percent of malaria deaths in 2024. These include Oromia, Amhara, Southwest and South Ethiopia Regional State. It said the western part of Ethiopia is also experiencing a high malaria burden.
WHO said it is providing support to the Ethiopian Health Ministry in coordinating malaria response efforts through integrated platforms alongside a multi-emergency incident management structure.
(Anadolu Agency)