Professor Mamo Muchie’s achievement and contribution on Ethiopianism

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The constitution now permits prime ministers to serve an unlimited number of terms.

ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopia is considering introducing a two-term limit for its prime ministers in a break from its past, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said.

The ruling EPRDF coalition picked Abiy in March to replace Hailemariam Desalegn, who quit to clear the way for reforms in Africa’s second most populous nation, which has been racked by violence for the last three years.

The constitution now permits prime ministers to serve an unlimited number of terms.

Hailemariam’s predecessor Meles Zenawi, a former guerrilla commander who took power after leading the overthrow of a military government, was halfway through his fourth consecutive five-year term premier when he died in office in 2012.

“Any leader of the country will not serve in office beyond two terms following the amendment to the constitution. Seizing power for a lifetime has come to a dead end in Ethiopia,” Abiy was quoted on the state-run Ethiopian News Agency as telling a meeting of residents in the southern town of Hawassa.

The agency quoted Abiy as saying the constitution would be amended soon but gave no further details on the timeframe for the change. The next general election is due in 2020.

In October 2016, Ethiopia’s ceremonial president Mulatu Teshome said discussions on term limits would take place as part of reforms.

Since replacing Hailemariam – who resigned in February amid unrest threatening the ruling coalition’s tight grip – Abiy has vowed “a new political beginning” including more democratic rights.

The country of 100 million people shares borders with volatile states including Somalia and Sudan, and fought a war with neighbouring Eritrea from 1998-2000.

The government has long been accused by rights groups of using security concerns as an excuse to stifle dissent and the media.

The government boasts that Ethiopia has had one of the fastest rates of economic growth in Africa over the past 15 years, although it remains among the poorest countries in the world.

“Since Ethiopia is in a fast track of growth, it cannot allow few individuals to remain in office for long time,” Abiy was quoted saying.

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Interview With Singer Wendi Mak – SBS Amharic

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Public Meeting with EPRP Leadership - May 26, 2018

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By Al Mariam

“… All this will not be finished in the first 100 days. Nor will it be finished in the first 1,000 days, nor in the life of this Administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin.” President John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, January 1961.

Author’s Note: This Memorandum is to all Ethiopians and Friends of Ethiopia.

There are those clamoring for PM Abiy Ahmed to do everything under the sun in less than 30 days.

It is obvious that what he can possibly ever do will not be finished in 100 or 1000 days or in the lifetime of any Ethiopian alive today or at any time on this planet. But PM Abiy has made a great start.

PM Abiy’s trolls are coming out of the woodwork to spin their tales of defeatism and cynicism. “Oh! He will definitely fail. They will not allow him to work. They will keep on a tight leash. They have him surrounded by the old guard in his cabinet. He talks a good talk, but he has not done anything.” Blah, blah, blah…

In the past nearly 13 years when I was in the trenches every day and every week speaking, preaching and lecturing truth to Meles Zenawi and the TPLF, I rarely saw the wolf packs (cackle of hyenas is a more appropriate metaphor?) that are hounding PM Abiy today standing with me and howling truth at the TPLF. They were either coming out to do a hit and run once every so often or writing in pen names and hiding in the anonymity of cyberspace because they did not have the courage to stand up and counted. Now they are slithering out of their underground lairs to preach their gospel of pessimism and negativism.

Now, the wolf pack is unleashing and howling lies-as-truth at PM Abiy and demanding not only that he walk on water in less than 30 days but also soar in the sky without wings.

Now, the Johnny-come-latelys (ye dil atbiya arbegnoch) are ganging up on a young man whose philosophy is Ethiopiawinet and preaches peace, truth and reconciliation.

I wrote about them as recently as July 2017. They sit down with their hands in their pockets, and say that they know not what to do, and do nothing. They prefer to wait, well disposed, for others to remedy the evil. They do nothing in earnest and with effect. They want others to make sacrifices for them. Many of them come out of the woodwork and play hero when they feel victory is assured.

Victory by no means is assured now but they believe it is.

I don’t want to be misunderstood. I would not mind if they criticize PM Abiy by coming up with their plan to solve any of the myriad problems faced by Ethiopians. I would cheer them on and stand on their side if they were to deliver a comprehensive economic plan to PM Abiy. Or a plan for a comprehensive constitutional revision. Or a plan to deal with the shortage in hard currency, attracting foreign direct investment, dealing with the dire food shortage throughout the country and…

The deceitful windbags are incapable of putting their ideas to paper. But they are quick to pontificate and blow hot air over any proposals made by PM Abiy. Term limits for prime ministers? Oh! That is just a gimmick, they say. It is becoming increasingly clear that they will continue to scandalize and delegitimize PM Abiy regardless of what he does or does not do.

Two simple facts seem obvious to me from what PM Abiy’s trolls are doing. First, they are scared to death he will indeed succeed and bring a measure of peace, reconciliation and hope to Ethiopia. Second, they believe if PM Abiy succeeds, they are doomed to fail. Their ambition for power, fame, fortune and glory goes up in smoke.

Let me argue my point by focusing on what PM Abiy’s critics say are his fatal weakness. 1) He kept many of the old guard in his cabinet. He is doomed to fail because all he is doing is moving the sauce pan from one stove top to another hoping to make the sauce tastier. 2) He is all talk and no action. He does not walk the talk. In less than thirty days?!

I submit both contentions are ahistorical.

Let us consider Nelson Mandela’s cabinet. F.W. de Klerk, apartheid South African president, was Mandela’s deputy president. Several white political and business leaders of apartheid South Africa held important positions in Mandela’s cabinet. Above all, whites dominated the judiciary, media, civil service and economy during Mandela’s term. Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who opposed the African National Congress violently, got a top ministerial job. But Mandela ultimately managed a peaceful constitutional transition for South Africa.

Was Mandela doomed because of what he did? Was his truth and reconciliation just talk that had no meaningful impact on South Africa? Was Mandela a failure?

How about Mikhail Gorbachev?

Gorbachev’s inner circle, the 10-member Presidential Council, included such hardliners as KGB chief Vladimir Kryuchkov, the rabid nationalist Valentin G. Rasputin, the fanatical union leader Veniamin A. Yarin and the die-hard war horse defense minister Dmitri T. Yazov. Gorbachev ultimately managed to transform the Soviet Union through his policy of glasnost (“openness”) and perestroika (“restructuring”).

Did Gorbachev transform the Soviet Union? Was he a failure for pursuing glasnost and perestroika?

What can PM Abiy possibly do in less than 30 days?

Prof. Mesfin Woldemariam, the stalwart of Ethiopian human rights, in an Amharic commentary explained it well:

Abiy is just starting. As he said himself, he is beginning to do his first task. He is just taking his first steps. Let alone running, he is barely walking. But it appears there are many standing in the shadows to ambush him. I believe he is crisscrossing the country to save our people from dangerous intrigues.

In my estimation, those who are expressing bitter opposition against him could be transformed into becoming his supporters. As I understand it, what Abiy has done is generally touch the sore point of the woyane power structure and especially the Wolkait segment of the Amhara society. While we are on the topic, the Wolkait-Tegede dispute is similar to the intrigue that resulted in the dispute between the Turks and Greeks following WW I, which remains unresolved to this day.

If we transcend the politics of ethnicity and identity, both illnesses could be resolved.

Rome was not built in a day, neither will Ethiopia

The old saying is that Rome was not built in a day. But Rome almost got destroyed in a day when Emperor Nero allegedly caused fire to be set in the city so that he could rebuild it to his own liking without interference by the senate.

What I am seeing and hearing today are modern day self-appointed Emperor Neros trying to burn down Ethiopia as PM Abiy Ahmed is toiling and crisscrossing the country as a Fire Chief with millions of young firemen behind him. As soon as he quells one fire, the pyromaniacs will set another one.

I predicted what we see today with PM Abiy 11 years ago in my commentary, “The Hummingbird and the Forest Fire: A Diaspora Morality Tale”.

That tale was about tiny hummingbird trying to put out a forest fire. As the large animals of the forest huffed and puffed about how they could out the fire, the tiny hummingbird went about putting out the fire with droplets of water in its beak. The large animals laughed at the hummingbird for trying to put out the fire with droplets of water. “I can only do what I can do,” replied the hummingbird.

PM Abiy is that hummingbird supported by millions of other hummingbirds. He is doing everything that he can to save Ethiopia from the fire of civil war. His critics are blowing hot air on the fire from the sidelines. They can huff and puff all day, but Fire Chief Abiy Ahmed will put out the fire because he has got the Almighty and a mighty army of Cheetahs on his side!

Ask not what Abiy Ahmed can do for Ethiopia, ask what you can do for your Ethiopia.

Is PM Abiy the only man responsible for solving Ethiopia’s problems dating back generations in less than thirty days?

Is he the only one who has all the answers?

Is he the messiah who will bring salvation to Ethiopia?

The answer to all three questions is an emphatic No!

As I mulled over these questions, I remembered President John F. Kennedy inaugural address in 1961 which has inspired me throughout my life from my teenage years.

In his speech, President Kennedy was “celebrating freedom and change”.

He talked about a “world that is very different” where “man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life.”

He talked about “the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought for and are still at issue around the globe — the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God.”

He proclaimed, “Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans who… are unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this Nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.”

His message to Africans and others suffering from dehumanizing colonial oppression was for the ages.

To those new States whom we welcome to the ranks of the free, we pledge our word that one form of colonial control shall not have passed away merely to be replaced by a far more iron tyranny. We shall not always expect to find them supporting our view. But we shall always hope to find them strongly supporting their own freedom — and to remember that, in the past, those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside.

He urged, “Let both sides unite to heed in all corners of the earth the command of Isaiah — to “undo the heavy burdens and to let the oppressed go free.” In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than in mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course.”

Then he posed two timeless and deathless questions:

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.

My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man. (Emphasis added.)

Today, I pose the same questions to my fellow Ethiopians: Ask not what Abiy Ahmed can do for Ethiopia, ask what you can do for your Ethiopia.

After nearly 13 years of relentless struggle for human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Ethiopia, I am convinced more than ever that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Ethiopians who are unwilling to witness or permit the flagrant violation of human rights in Ethiopia. That generation is PM Abiy’s, not my Hippo (older) generation. Ethiopia’s fate and destiny hangs in the balance of their success and failure. I will do whatever I can to make sure PM Abiy’s generation succeeds because state failure, political failure, economic failure and social failure are not options for Ethiopia!

I must speak truth to myself and answer the inescapable question: What can I do for my Ethiopia?

Let me answer that question in context.

In a recent meeting with members of the Ethiopian business community, PM Abiy raised a number of issues with crystal clarity that resonated deeply with me.

He spoke truth to business entrepreneurs.

On the shortage of hard currency, PM Abiy said:

… We have a big problem generating foreign exchange. I want to appeal to you now to bring the money [dollars, Euros] you have stashed away in Dubai. We are facing severe hard currency problems. We have the problem not as a government but as a country.  We want you to help us now. If you ask me why, [let me use a metaphor to explain it to you]. If your mother is sick and her children do not help her get better, it makes no sense for them to show up at her funeral. Our country is in deep trouble, specifically with hard currency. The government will do what it can, but I’m appealing to you to bring back the money [you have illicitly transferred out of the country]. It does not matter if bring it back from the friends and relatives you have kept it with or from where ever you have stashed it. You understand exactly what I mean when I say bring it back. If you don’t, the problem is not going to be solved easily. That is why we are coming to you and saying we are in big trouble, help us. We are not saying give us money. What we are saying is return the money you moved out of the country [and make it available for hard currency and help the people]. If you help us now, at another time you can say to us you helped us when we were most in need and you should expect us to help you [in your time of need]. You have to help us very much right now. [It is futile] for you to be just asking the government to give you [hard currency we do not have], you must also give back…

[There are many] Ethiopians who have stashed away a lot of money in Dubai and China. Huge amounts of wealth. We are asking them to return the money back to the country. By the way, the Chinese when their citizens have stashed away money outside the country, they use whatever power they have to go into those countries and get the money back to China. We have not reached that point, but we’ll get there. Those who are ripping off the country and accumulating wealth in other countries, it is only a matter of time before we get to them. It is only a matter of time before a proper solution is found…

That money if it’s returned will alleviate a lot of problems…

On investment, PM Abiy said:

… Ethiopia needs foreign investment, especially now. If we cannot attract foreign capital, we will not be able to accomplish the development plan we have set. [The importance of direct foreign investment] is what the experience of all countries shows. All countries [that succeeded in developing themselves] invited foreign capital [and made them part of their development plan]. Foreign investors offer various advantages. First, they are necessary for us to have global market access, and you all know how difficult that access is. Second, we need them for technology transfer. How many in Ethiopia have bought fancy high-tech cars but when they malfunctioned they left them parked or shipped them to Dubai because we don’t have the technical capacity to maintain them. Our children need modern high-tech training and experience [which investors bring with them]. Third, investors bring a different work ethic. You all know how we work traditionally and how they work. [We can learn from their disciplined work ethic.] Fourth, they can get us much needed hard currency. So, we need to invite and create joint ventures with them…

On remittances, PM Abiy said:

… Related to hard currency shortages is remittances. Ethiopians living abroad whether their scientists or do work ordinary jobs, remittance is the money that they sent back to their country. Ethiopia is among the few African countries that have a lot of citizens living abroad. Large numbers of Ethiopians live scattered throughout the world. Remittances coming into our country are very low. Nigeria generates 500% more in remittances and Egypt 300% more than we do. I’m raising the issue because I believe Diaspora Ethiopians may listen to our discussions [and would like for them] to think about it. To decide to send money into the country or to boycott remittances does not mean damaging the government. When the government does something to displease you, keeping remittances away from the country is not the proper punishment. When a child does something wrong, it is not proper to deny dinner to punish the child. We feed them dinner and in the old style we may [take out the belt] or in the new style put them into timeout. If we punish them by denying them dinner, you know the outcome.

When Diasporans say we will not send money to punish the government, who is going to be hurt? It will be the small business operators who do not have the ability to generate hard currency. But you well to do businessmen can get around that on the black market by paying whatever rate to get hard currency. The poor cannot afford that. Diaspora Ethiopians can pressure the government through written criticism, peaceful protest and dialogue. But withholding remittances hurts the whole country. We need to think about that. We have to work together to grow remittances. And as it grows it will help us reduce the problem of hard currency to a certain extent.

On Ethiopia’s image abroad, PM Abiy said:

Ethiopia has official ambassadors in many countries. Those ambassadors have not been able to do much, nor have they done much. Diplomatic work is done by Diaspora Ethiopians and business entrepreneurs like yourselves. Wherever you go, though you do not have official diplomatic commission, you should strive to improve the image of Ethiopia as much as possible. You strive to show the best of our country in your speeches and the things that you do. We cannot attract tourists and investors with official diplomats. Some African countries have opened image-building offices in Europe and with the good information they have been able to generate, they have increased tourism and investment…

And to the extent that bad things are said about our country, other people will stay away and not get involved.

What you must do, as much as possible, improve the image of Ethiopia throughout the world. I am not talking about our [government] image. I am talking about Ethiopia image and we must work together to improve that image.

For us to blacken and undermine Ethiopia’s image because we feel we are damaging the government is [mistaken]. It is important for you to realize what you do to improve the image of Ethiopia is much better than what we can ever try to do. So, as much as possible it would be great if you can help us improve Ethiopia’s image throughout the world.

I must say that I am stunned by the plain-spoken truth of PM Abiy.

Truth be told, he fascinates me. He is the kind of guy who says what he means and means what he says. He does not sugarcoat anything. He tells it like it is. He doesn’t hold back anything. With all due respect to PM Abiy, he speaks truth to power (his own administration), to those with economic power, Diasporans and the poor and powerless without hesitation and evasion just like me. But I can afford to do that because I am a human rights advocate without any political ambition and with a single mission.

But here’s the real twist in what PM Abiy is doing, I think.  When he talks about the role of Diaspora Ethiopians he is speaking truth to me and all of us living outside of Ethiopia.

Truth be told, he is politely giving me and the rest of us a taste of our own medicine.

I have been speaking truth to the powers that be in Ethiopia for the past 13 years. Now, we have a young leader talking back the raw truth about Ethiopia’s survival hanging in the balance. He is telling everyone, “Put up or shut the hell up!”

So, there there are only two question: Can we handle the truth in the Diaspora? Are we going to put up or shut up?

Can we rise up to PM Abiy’s challenge and exceed it?

What can I do for Ethiopia?

On the shortage of hard currency and capital flight:

The issue of capital flight from Ethiopia is not something that is new to me. I first wrote about it in December 2011 commentary, “Ethiopia: The Art of Bleeding a Country Dry”.

The capital flight situation is devastating. Global Financial Integrity in 2009 reported, “The people of Ethiopia are being bled dry. No matter how hard they try to fight their way out of absolute destitution and poverty, they will be swimming upstream against the current of illicit capital leakage.”

Ethiopia lost US$11.7 billion in illegal capital flight from 2000 through 2009. Net official development assistance (ODA) to Ethiopia in 2009 totaled USD 3.8 billion.

Illicit financial flows out of Ethiopia “nearly doubled to US$3.26 billion in 2009 over the previous year, with corruption, kickbacks and bribery accounting for the vast majority of that increase.”

The annual average outflow from Ethiopia for the period 2008–2012 was US$3.55 billion. During same period, “Ethiopia’s illicit outflows were 1,355 percent of the foreign direct investment flowing into the country.”

A 2016 study showed the “stock of capital flight from Ethiopia stood at $29.9 billion in 2010,including interest earnings on past outflows, which is well above the stock of external debt of $7 billion in 2010.”

Those of us who keep abreast with capital flight issues know that Dubai and China are not the only destinations of choice for those robbing the country blind. The United States is another destination.

I don’t want to spend time and ink talking about the problem and particularly those who are largely responsible for the capital flight. There is something I and others like myself networked together could do to engage in grassroots asset recovery efforts at least in the United States.

The Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) of the U.S. Justice Department deals with asset forfeiture and anti-money laundering enforcement efforts. The International Assistance Team of MLARS litigates in U.S. courts to assist foreign governments seeking restraint and forfeiture of assets in the United States.

There are also other possibilities under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act that could be used for illicit assets transferred to the United States.

There are members of the U.S. House of Representatives willing to use the Magnitsky Act to help improve human rights in Ethiopia. That could be a double-edged sword in an asset recovery effort.

In my December 2012 commentary, “Will the U.S. Stand by the Side of Brave Africans?”, I urged President Barack Obama to adopt the equivalent of a Magnitsky Act against certain members of the pre-PM Abiy administration. Obama ignored my plea.

In my October 1, 2017  “Letter to President Trump, I requested targeted sanctions under the Magnitsky Act be imposed against certain members of the  pre-PM Abiy administration. On December 21, 2017, President Trump signed an executive  ordermaking the Act applicable not just to Ethiopia, but to all nations. (There will come a time to publicly thank those who made this possible.)

PM Abiy said that in due course Ethiopia will have to resort, just like China, to undertake aggressive action to recover illicitly transferred assets throughout the world. I believe a volunteer “army” of lawyers could be organized to help in the effort.

I may have some practical ideas about how the Magnitsky Act could be used in an Ethiopian asset recovery effort in the U.S.

I have strongly opposed U.S. aid to Ethiopia for a long time. That is because I believed the pre-PM Abiy administration was using American tax payer dollars corruptly and without accountability and transparency. I have made strong arguments for significant reductions in all aid to Ethiopia and Africa. I have directly challenged USAID Administrator Gayle E. Smith for her past association with certain individuals in the  pre-PM Abiy administration and her role in USAID.

With PM assurances for greater transparency and accountability and direct action against corruption, I am willing to do individually and collectively with others whatever I can to seek increases in critical humanitarian, emergency and development aid. But PM Abiy must put mechanism in place that can facilitate monitoring of U.S. aid against fraud, waste and abuse.

On remittances:

I have some familiarity with the remittance issue in Ethiopia. In my October 2008 commentary, “The Political Economy of Remittances in Ethiopia”, I addressed the very issues PM Abiy raised in his meeting with the business entrepreneurs. “Do our remittance dollars help or hurt our people?”. My concern at the time was focused on the role of remittances in providing economic buoyancy to help keep afloat, support, prolong and entrench a one-party, one-man dictatorship in Ethiopia.

I respectfully direct PM Abiy to consider the data, analysis and arguments in that commentary because I believe them to be relevant today as they were then.

In 2016, personal remittances, received (% of GDP) for Ethiopia was 1 %.

In my February  2018 commentary, I fully endorsed the global efforts to boycott remittances to Ethiopia and provided support to some anti-remittance groups to aid the Diaspora’s civil disobedience efforts against the pre-PM Abiy administration.

I learned from the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1956 that boycotts could be a devastating weapon in the arsenal of civil disobedience against a repressive regime. I supported boycotts to “punish” the prior administration, to borrow PM Abiy’s words.

Indeed, before Official Day 1 of my involvement in the Ethiopian human rights struggle on July 3, 2006, I wrote a three-part commentary on civil disobedience and nonviolence and its relevance in the struggle for freedom, democracy and human rights in Ethiopia.

I undertook that effort after the Tegbar League Addis Ababa Leadership Committee issued a statement in March 2006 indicating that it “will organize nonviolent actions such as blocking major roads, work slowdowns, boycott of schools, and boycott of products that are produced or sold by EPRDF-affiliated companies.”

In 2014, I joined the boycott of Coca Cola Company for its disrespectful and humiliating treatment of the great Ethiopian patriot Teddy “Afro” Kassahun. In my June 2014 commentary, “Why I am boycotting Ȼoca Ȼola”, I called on my readers to boycott Coca Cola products. I promised then never to touch a Coca Cola product, a promise I have kept to this day.

I believe circumstances have changed now, and so I must change my views also. I see no reason to “punish” PM Abiy’s administration. I am convinced that boycott of remittances will immeasurably damage the ordinary struggling people of Ethiopia, not the few fat cat crooks who can and will get their hard currency by hook or crook.

I am prepared to make the case to Diaspora Ethiopians to suspend the remittance boycott. We have made our point loud and clear. The old saying is money talks and our remittance money has talked and PM Abiy is listening.

My deepest concern is that I do not want Diaspora Ethiopians to (literally) throw out Ethiopian babies with the bathwater.  Our people are hurting and if resuming remittances can improve their situation, I will stand with them and make the moral case for suspension of the remittance boycott. After all, making the moral case is all I have been able to do as I have for the past 13 years.

I ask all of us in the Diaspora take a deep breath and remit on remittances!

On foreign direct investment (and U.S. Aid):

I also know a few things about foreign direct investment and foreign in Ethiopia.

I have had opportunity to study the pre-PM Abiy administration’s investment policy and how it has been applied.

I have been consulted by numerous Ethiopians who have invested in Ethiopia and sought legal recourse because they felt they treated badly and literally robbed of their investments.

I have been asked by potential foreign direct investors to assess specific potential legal risks for them in Ethiopia.

Suffice it to say that I have discouraged potential foreign investors from investing in Ethiopia because I truly believed the pre-PM Abiy administration was playing a huge scam on foreign investors.

In my public commentaries I have often observed, “When you make a pact with the Devil who plays a zero-sum game, you always lose, and he will own your soul and body!”

That was precisely what I advised Sai Karuturi in 2011 publicly and otherwise after he decided to invest in Ethiopia in 2010. I cautioned him,  “Beware of those bearing free gifts”.

In the end, a frustrated Karuturi was reduced to threatening to use the power of India to vindicate his rights in Ethiopia.

In September 2017, in my commentary, “I told you so, Sai Karuturi. But you would not listen!”, I discussed how my counsel to him came true in exacting detail.

I made the Karuturi case a teachable moment to all potential investors who sought my counsel.

My view has been that the pre-PM Abiy administration calculatedly set investment traps to lure unsuspecting, overeager and greedy “investors” by offering shady deals and offers they can’t refuse — out-of-this world freebies, free money, no or very low interest loans, no taxes, no problems– and rip them off in broad daylight. That’s what happened to Karuturi and so many other foreign and Diaspora Ethiopian investors based on facts revealed to me.

There are other foreign investor cases that have gone sour under the pre-PM Abiy adminsitration.  In September 2018, Israeli Chemicals announced it is filing an arbitration claim in The Hague for nearly $200 million against Ethiopia. The company alleges that it was not provided  necessary infrastructures and regulatory framework for its potash mining project.

The World Bank’s 2018 “Doing Business 2018” report for Ethiopia asserts “more than 2,900 regulatory reforms making it easier to do business since 2004.” Suffice it to say the reforms may have been made but are they being implemented earnestly? I have my grave doubts, but that is a discussion for another day.

My view is that if PM Abiy can cut the bureaucratic red tape for investment, minimize corruption in the foreign direct investment sector, strongly ensure property rights for investors, establish an ombudsman’s office for them and let them do their business without official meddling, there is a high likelihood that there will be an uptick in foreign direct investment in the foreseeable future. Above all, he must ensure reliable electric power supply and free internet access. These two factors I know to be of special concern for potential investors who have consulted with me.

On Ethiopia’s international image:

PM Abiy said it is important to maintain a high image of Ethiopia abroad and we should make a distinction between the “government” and the country.

As arguably the most persistently vocal Diaspora Ethiopian with substantial media access, readership and following, I have to some extent helped shape Ethiopia’s “image” throughout the world.

Did my relentless opposition to the pre-PM Abiy administration contribute to a negative image of Ethiopia?

I cannot honestly answer that question. There are those who believe my strong human rights stand reflected well on Ethiopia. Others could well argue I have conflated my opposition to the regime with the good of the country.

Both sides may be right. Unfortunately, zealous advocacy is the professional hazard of an American-trained lawyer and accidental human rights advocate. As a lawyer in America, I am trained to be single-mindedly one-sided. It is about winning the argument for one’s side by all ethical means. Those in my profession rarely factor in collateral damage on opposing sides.

When PM Abiy spoke truth about the sacredness of Ethiopia’s image in the world, it jolted me into thinking about my own role and responsibility for potentially creating a negative image about Ethiopia having such wide media access.

All I can say at this time is that I must do a lot of soul searching and determine if and how much I have contributed to any such negative image of Ethiopia.

Suffice it to say, I am the kind of guy who will own up to his mistakes publicly and make corrections instantly. Show me my mistake and it will be corrected in a flash. I have no ego problems whatsoever!

But it also seems to me that much of the Ethiopia image problem is self-inflicted by the pre-PM Abiy administration.

In 2016-17, the U.S. and U.K. governments issued at least 5 travel warnings and notices.

Time was tourists flocked to Ethiopia in search of the “Land of 13-Months of Sunshine” and adventure.

Ziggy Marley, son of the late great reggae king Bob Marley, even wrote a song about it:

13 Months of Sunshine/Is what we got/Take us to, take us to, take us to that land/

Who shall ascend the hill/Stand in that holy place/Lift up your heads/

O ancient gates/13 Months of Sunshine/Is what she got/Forward to, Forward to , Forward to that land/Where the water run (free)/We want to be/…

Tourism has been on the increase in Ethiopia.

2006     330,000                                           2007     358,000
2008     383,000                                           2009    427,000
2010     468,000                                           2011      523,000
2012     597,000                                           2013      681,000
2014     770,000                                           2015      864,000

After the October 2016 declaration of state of emergency, tourism in Ethiopia went downhill.

The pre-PM Abiy administration claimed Ethiopia earned over $5.6 billion from tourism activities in 2016 with over 800, 000 tourists.

By November 2016, tourism had dropped by 100,000. Yet, the “Ministry of Culture and Tourism hopes to increase the number of tourists to one million and the revenue to well over $29.8 billion in 2017.”

But as PM Abiy suggested, the Ethiopian tourism sector is very much in need. With all the travel warnings, states of emergencies and the rest, Ethiopia is no longer a tourist destination of choice.

The impact of a dried up tourism industry on the local services economy has been devastating.

A story in Addis Standard in March 2017 stated that tour businesses were reporting cancellations of “more than 95% of the bookings for the high season.”

The pre-PM Abiy administration sought to drum up tourism by participating in tourism fairs and exhibitions and conducting “workshops” for travel agents and tour operators in Los Angeles, New York, Toronto and other cities. They launched tourism web-marketing under the tagline “Land of Origins” in apparent reference to Ethiopia as the “origin of mankind” and of the “Blue Nile”. None of the public relations efforts have worked. Tourists are staying away.

The decline in tourism has also impacted the availability of foreign currency as PM Abiy indicated. Tourism contributes significantly to the country’s foreign currency supply which is used to finance imports.

Can the tourism decline be turned around?

Absolutely!

The first and foremost thing that needs to be done is lift the state of emergency.

I also have substantial anecdotal evidence suggesting that there is a major problem with immigration officials at the airport, including incidents of alleged shakedowns.

I believe it is possible to increase “educational tourism” in the form of study abroad programs from the U.S. It is also possible to organize academic, scholarly and scientific meetings at higher educational institutions in Ethiopia. Those of us in American higher education could help bridge the “tourism gap” in a significant way.

Two types of Ethiopians: Let me speak my truth!

I believe there are two types of Ethiopians today.

Paraphrasing the words of Robert Kennedy, there are Ethiopians who look at things the way they are, and ask why? Then there other Ethiopians who dream of things that never were, and ask why not?

I belong to the latter group.

So, today the question for me is not whether to support PM Abiy or if he can walk on water and solve Ethiopia’s problems overnight as some expect him to do.

The question is whether Ethiopians at home or in the Diaspora will belong to the camp that looks at things the way they are and ask why or the other camp where they dream of things that never were, and ask why not?

To those who look at things and ask why, I urge them to heed Robert Kennedy’s words exactly 50 years to the month, on April 5, 1968:

Too often we honor swagger and bluster and wielders of force; too often we excuse those who are willing to build their own lives on the shattered dreams of others. Some Americans who preach non-violence abroad fail to practice it here at home. Some who accuse others of inciting riots have by their own conduct invited them. Some look for scapegoats, others look for conspiracies, but this much is clear: violence breeds violence, repression brings retaliation, and only a cleansing of our whole society can remove this sickness from our soul.

I close by paraphrasing Robert Kennedy’s words:

Finally, whether you are citizens of Ethiopia or citizens of the world, ask of us the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land of 13-months of Sunshine love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.

PM Abiy said, “Put up or shut up!”

I say, “Ready to serve!”

EthUTOPIAwinet today

EthUTOPIAwinet tomorrow

EthUTOPIAwinet forever.

The post Memorandum No. 3: Ask Not What Abiy Ahmed Can Do for Ethiopia, Ask What You Can Do for Your Ethiopia! appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News|Breaking News: Your right to know!.

ADDIS ABABA, April 29 (Xinhua) — Africa’s largest hydro dam project, the 6,450 MW Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), is 66 percent complete, an Ethiopian official said on Saturday.

Speaking to Xinhua, Bizuneh Tolcha, Director of Public Relations and Communications Directorate at the Ethiopian Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy (MoWIE), said the construction of the hydro project is going well and is expected to start partial test power generation soon.

The project is a major part of a massive energy infrastructure project the Ethiopian government is undertaking which aims to see the country’s power generation capacity increase from the current 4,280 MW to 17,300 MW by 2020, he said.

The Ethiopian government has embarked on massive energy projects across the country with a view to succeeding in its plans to make the East African country a light industry hub in Africa and a middle-income economy by 2025.

A security officer beefs up security at a mega dam site in Guba, Ethiopia, April 2, 2018. The 6,450 Mega Watts hydro dam named Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is the largest hydro project in Africa. GERD is currently at 65 percent completion and will require about five billion U.S. dollars to be complete. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

GERD, whose construction started in April 2011, is being built at a cost of 4.7 billion U.S. dollars, fully financed from domestic resources and is expected to have a reservoir with a total of 74 billion cubic meters of water upon completion.

The hydro dam, which is being built on Blue Nile river 40 km from Sudanese border, has been billed as a landmark project signaling Ethiopia’s renaissance.

Already, a high voltage electric transmission line built by State Grid of China Electric Power Equipment and Technology Co. Ltd (SGCC) at a cost of 1 billion dollars has been inaugurated, waiting for GERD’s total commissioning to be operational.

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It is of paramount importance that Prime Minister Abiye or one of his trail-blazer colleagues like Lemma Megerssa pay visit to one or two Diaspora Ethiopian cities.

The post Prime Minster Abiy’s Diaspora visit. appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News|Breaking News: Your right to know!.

Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Sunday addressed the Djiboutian parliament as part of his official visit to the country.

It is his first foreign trip since replacing Hailemariam Desalegn almost a month ago. He arrived in Djibouti on Saturday and held talks with his host Omar Guelleh.

His address to the lawmakers was also followed by a joint press conference with his host at the presidential palace. He will be expected to return to Addis Ababa soon.

Relations between the two countries have been cordial at the diplomatic levels as well as on the trade level. Ethiopia’s inability to access the ports via neighbouring Eritrea led to a Chinese rail line that links Ethiopia to Djibouti instead.

Premier Abiy Ahmed has expressly stated his desire to normalize relations with Eritrea calling on Asmara to commit same to the process. He specifically mentioned it in his first address to lawmakers after his swearing in on April 2.

On their part, the Eritrean Information Minister, Yemane Ghebre Meskel, stressed that once Ethiopia withdraws from Eritrean territories it was occupying, specifically the town of Badme, whatever tensions exist will have diffused.

The post Ethiopia PM addresses Djibouti parliament appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News|Breaking News: Your right to know!.

Former Ethiopian prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn has called on South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir to resign and hand over power to new young leadership.

Desalegn resigned in February this year in a surprise move that came after protracted anti-government protests.

“Immediately after my resignation, I asked them, please would you resign because you failed to resolve the problem in South Sudan?” Desaleng said in his remarks at The Ibrahim Forum held by MO Ibrahim Foundation in Rwanda over the weekend.

The former top leader in Ethiopia, who was the head of the East African regional bloc IGAD, said according to a recorded video of his remarks seen by Radio Tamazuj that he had asked South Sudan leaders including President Kiir to resign.

“Leaders have to come to their senses to their mind and they should somehow leave so they give power to new blood leadership that can lead the country to the next level,” he said.

Desalegn expressed concern over the non-implementation of the 2015 peace deal that was mediated by the regional bloc during his time in office.

“Agreements are signed and never implemented and I see further more agreements can be signed but I don’t think they will be implemented as the history shows,” he said.

He emphasized the need to bring an end to the ongoing conflict in South Sudan. “This country has suffered for half a century now and still people are continuing to flow to Ethiopia, Uganda and Sudan as refugees,”” he said.

“I think this is a heartbreaking situation in South Sudan, and we tried our best as a chair of IGAD. We tried our best to resolve this issue,” he said.

The former premier urged the African Union and the United Nations to help bring peace in South Sudan, saying the country’s leadership failed to resolve the ongoing devastating civil war.

The tenure of the South Sudanese unity government led by President Kiir will expire in August this year if there is peace signed with the rebels.

The post Ethiopia’s ex-PM urges Kiir to hand over power to new leadership appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News|Breaking News: Your right to know!.

ADDIS ABABA, April 30 (Xinhua) — The joint session of the Ethiopian House of People’s Representatives and House of Federation on Monday postponed the Fourth National Population and Housing Census by a margin of one year period due to unrests.

The National Population and Housing Census, which was scheduled to take place during the current 2017-2018 Ethiopian fiscal year, was postponed to 2018-2019 Ethiopian fiscal year, due to security challenges that affected parts of the Eats African country.

The postponement of national census came weeks after the decision by the Ethiopian House of Peoples and Representatives, Ethiopian parliament’s lower house, to postponed local elections for a similar period due to security related challenges that, in some occasions, led citizens to forced displacement.

Yalew Abate, speaker of the Ethiopian House of Federation, while briefing the joint session on Monday, stressed that challenges attributed to recent unrests in parts of the country have affected the country’s preparation in various ways.

He further stressed that the postponement of the census “would help to obtain reliable and quality data regarding Ethiopia’s current states of affairs.”

The Ethiopian Central Statistics Agency (CSA), which undertakes the census, has recently disclosed that close to 180,000 tablets have been purchased from Chinese technology giants, Huawei and Lenovo, to conduct the census.

The CSA further revealed that the products had been tested and approved by the agency, in which Ethiopia will, for the first time, apply a modern population and housing census procedure, which includes the use of mobile tablets for data collection.

Biratu Yigezu, Director General of CSA, told Xinhua recently that the products were purchased as part of the 3.5 billion Ethiopian birr (128 million U.S. dollars) total budget that was secured for the census.

The two companies have provided 90,000 mobile tablets each as per the agreement made between the two Chinese companies and the Ethiopian Public Procurement and Property Disposal Services.

Experts at the CSA also told Xinhua that the use of mobile tablet technologies in the data collection procedure will ease the census process by establishing effective data registration system so as to avoid duplication and double counting.

The post Ethiopia postpones national population census due to security challenges appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News|Breaking News: Your right to know!.

Ethiopian Airlines has concluded a firm order for ten new Bombardier jets at the same time as launching three new routes.

By David Casey

Flag carrier Ethiopian Airlines has placed a firm order for ten new Q400 aircraft, which includes purchase rights for an additional five. Based on the list price of the Q400 the order is valued at approximately $332m.

The Q400 has a standard single-class configuration with an optional dual-class interior. There is also an extra-capacity configuration option offering up to 90 seats for higher-density markets.

“The Bombardier turboprops continue to deliver unmatched performance to our operators, and we are proud that the flag carrier of Ethiopia is once again recognising its tremendous value by increasing its fleet of Q400 aircraft,” said Fred Cromer, president of Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.

“The market trend for high-performing and larger turboprops is intensifying, and this fifth reorder is a great example of the Q400 turboprop success story and the value it creates for clients around the world.”

In addition to the Bombardier deal, Ethiopian has launched new routes from Addis Ababa to Kisangani and Mbuji Mayi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nosy-Be in Madagascar.

Chief executive Tewolde GebreMariam said: “When we open these three destinations, we may look at only the direct services we are going to operate between Addis and these destinations. But what is more important and may not be visible is that we are connecting these destinations with more than 100 destinations all over the world.

“Kisangani and Mbuji Mayi will be two additional points to the already three points we fly in the DRC; so we are now flying to Kinshasa, Goma, Mbuji Mayi, Kisangani and Lubumbashi.

“The beautiful island of Nosy-Be is a popular tourist destination for Europeans, and since we announced that we are going to connect it with our network in a direct service, the Madagascar Embassy in Addis has been overwhelmed by visa requests.

“This shows that the trend is changing; nowadays Africans are visiting African friends for tourism which is very encouraging development.”

With the launch of the new flights, Ethiopian now serves 58 destinations in Africa and more than 100 destinations globally.

The post Ethiopian adds more Bombardier jets and expands network appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News|Breaking News: Your right to know!.

GCR

Egypt’s foreign minister arrived in Sudan yesterday for a two-day summit with counterparts to discuss the massive Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), now under construction on the Blue Nile, which Egypt fears will cut its vital water supplies.

Talks on the controversial dam were suspended in February amid political turmoil in Ethiopia which led to the sudden resignation of Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.

A new prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, was sworn in this week on 2 April. Hopes for stability are pinned on Ahmed, the country’s first prime minister from the large Oromo ethnic group, whose members have been protesting for a number of years for better representation.

Egypt’s foreign minister Sameh Shoukry arrived in Sudan for the meeting attended by chiefs of intelligence and ministers of foreign affairs and irrigation in Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, Associated Press reports.

A spokesman for the Egyptian foreign ministry said the meeting, originally scheduled for February, would attempt to settle contentious issues over the dam, which is set to be Africa’s largest hydroelectric scheme.

Reported to be at least 60% complete, the dam is being built by Italy’s Salini Impregilo.

The dam has been a sore point in Egypt-Ethiopian relations since construction began in 2011.

Tensions spiked in November last year when talks over the scope of impact studies broke down.

Image: The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, under construction on the Blue Nile, will be the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa (http://www.geosociety.org/)

The post Ethiopia dam talks resume as new prime minister sworn in appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News|Breaking News: Your right to know!.

BY ALEMAYEHU MARIAM, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR

The post How Ethiopian Americans changed US policy on their homeland appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News|Breaking News: Your right to know!.

The post Ethiopia Could Open Important Projects to International Bidding appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News|Breaking News: Your right to know!.

“We are very disappointed with the Foreign Ministry’s recommendation not to visit the Jewish community.”

The post PRESIDENT RIVLIN WILL NOT VISIT JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER IN ETHIOPIA appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News|Breaking News: Your right to know!.

Aaron Maasho

ADDIS ABABA, May 1 (Reuters) – Ethiopia will take a stake in the Port of Djibouti, its main gateway for trade, under a deal reached between the two countries, state media outlets said on Tuesday.

Djibouti had been seeking investors for its port since it terminated Dubai’s state-owned DP World’s concession to run the port two months ago, citing a failure to resolve a six-year contractual dispute.

The port is a key asset for Djibouti, a tiny state along the Red Sea whose location is of strategic value to countries such as the United States, China, Japan and former colonial power France, all of whom have military bases there.

The size of Addis Ababa’s stake was unclear.

State-owned Ethiopian News Agency said the agreement, reached at the weekend during a visit by Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to Djibouti, involved the joint development of facilities. In return, Djibouti would have the option of taking stakes in state-owned Ethiopian firms.

“A joint committee of ministers would meet to thrash out details,” Ethiopian New Agency said.

The government had previously said that the port would remain “in the hands of our country” until it found new investors.

Djibouti handles roughly 95 percent of all inbound trade for landlocked Ethiopia, Africa’s second most-populous nation and an economic power in East Africa.

The deal with Djibouti follows Ethiopia’s agreement to acquire a 19 percent stake in the Port of Berbera in the breakaway Somali region of Somaliland. DP World retains a 51 percent stake there, while the government holds the rest.

Ethiopian state companies that Djibouti may look to invest in following the bilateral agreement could include Ethiopian Electric Power and Ethio Telecom – one of Africa’s last remaining telecoms monopolies. (Reporting by Aaron Maasho; Editing by Omar Mohammed and Susan Fenton)

The post Ethiopia to take stake in Port of Djibouti, its trade gateway -state media appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News|Breaking News: Your right to know!.

BBC

A nationwide power cut hit Ethiopia overnight after a technical fault at a massive hydroelectric dam.

Power cuts are common in Ethiopia, but rarely on such a big scale.

The dam has caused controversy in Ethiopia and has been blamed for cutting the water supply to northern Kenya, causing Lake Turkana to shrink.

Ethiopia is currently building an even bigger dam on the River Nile, which has led to a diplomatic spat with Egypt and Sudan.

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State media says the power went out when a circuit breaker tripped at Gibe III dam in southern Ethiopia and engineers have now rectified the problem.

But BBC Ethiopia correspondent Emmanuel Igunza says that many areas across the country still do not have electricity.

Gibe III is Ethiopia’s main source of power and was described as Africa’s biggest dam when it was built in 2016.

Ethiopia is currently building the bigger Grand Renaissance Dam along the River Nile. It will cost $4bn (£2.9bn).

But the project is opposed by Egypt, which says the dam threatens the water supply to downstream countries.

Talks to solve the dispute between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan have stalled.

The post Ethiopia hit by power cut as dam’s circuit breaks appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News|Breaking News: Your right to know!.

BBC

A referee has been attacked by players after making a controversial decision in Ethiopia’s football premier league.

The military team Defence and Welwalo Adigrat University were drawing 1-1 when the referee ruled the ball crossed the line and gave a goal to Defence.

Welwalo Adigrat players then chased him down, and he was punched to the ground by one of their coaches.

The coach has been fired, and the Ethiopian Football Federation has suspended all games in the league.

A video posted online by state broadcaster ETV shows the referee attempting to defend himself with a corner flag.

There have been several instances of violence in the Ethiopian game recently, and this latest incident triggered the ban on games.

Federation officials will meet the league’s 16 teams on Thursday.

Set to meet with Falash Mura community waiting to emigrate to Israel, president tells welcoming committee he is ‘returning the visit’ of the biblical Queen of Sheba to King Solomon

Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban

Ethiopia PM Abiy Ahmed has visited the Grand Ethiopia Rennaissance Dam (GERD) site. The PM was accompanied by his deputy Demeke Mekonnen and other top government officials on the trip.

The entourage were given an update on work at the facility being built in the Benishangul Gumuz regional state. They were conducted around by manager of the project Engineer Simegne Bekele, the state run Fana broadcasting corporate said.

The report added that the Prime Minister is expected to hold discussion with representatives of residents of the Benishangul Gumuz regional state in the capital city of Asossa.

Abiy is expected to fly to neighbouring Sudan for a two-day official visit starting May 2 (exactly a month after he took office.)

During his visit to Khartoum, he is expected to hold talks with President Omar al-Bashir and with the Sudanese vice-president Hassabo Abdel-Rahman, the Sudan Tribune reported.

It will be the second time Abiy is meeting Bashir, the two met in Ethiopian city of Bahir Dar in April on the sidelines of the 2018 Tana Forum.

The Sudan visit comes days after he returned from his first trip abroad, he spent last weekend in Djibouti where he met with president Omar Guelleh and also addressed the Djiboutian parliament. Talks between the two leaders also centered on economic cooperation between the two countries.

View image on Twitter

Tesfalem Waldyes@tesfalemw

It seems PM Abiy Ahmed gave priority to nehibouring countries on his yet to be unveiled foriegn policy. He spent 2 days in Dijibouti over the weekend & will travel to Sudan tomorrow, May 2. On his 2 days long visit, he will talk with President Omar Al-Bashir & have a field visit.

4:34 AM – May 1, 2018

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