ETHIOPIA RISING – an Insight of Current Efforts

AUSTRIAN-ETHIOPIAN SOCIETY

AES

ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Date: Friday, October 27th 2017, 7:30 pm Venue: Clubrooms of the Austro-American Society Stallburggasse 2, Vienna 1010, Austria

Date: Friday, June 22nd 2018, 6:00 pm Venue: UPF – Universal Peace Federation Austria Seidengasse 28, Vienna 1080, Austria

Mag. Andreas G. Andiel President, AES

© by AES 2017 Kontakt: AES | KABELWERK LOFTS, Am Kabelwerk 6/106, 1120 Vienna, Austria Mag. Andreas Andiel, AES President | M: +43 (0)660-7621873 | W: [email protected] 1 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Geography

1,126,829 square km

Population: 2017 estimate 102,374,044

Horn of Africa

Source: AFRICA258 – Ethiopia Geography africa258.wikispaces.com 2

ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Within Ethiopia is a vast highland complex of Geography mountains and dissected plateaus divided by the Great Rift Valley, which runs generally southwest to northeast and is surrounded by lowlands, steppes, or semi- desert.

The great diversity of terrain determines wide variations in climate, soils, natural vegetation, and settlement patterns.

Ethiopia is an ecologically diverse country, ranging from the deserts along the eastern border to the tropical forests in the south to extensive Afro-Mountains in the northern and southwestern parts. Source: AFRICA258 – Ethiopia Geography Lake Tana in the north is the source of the Blue Nile. africa258.wikispaces.com 3

ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Clima

Source: World Koppen Classification.svg.

4 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Political Map

Administrative Divisions

Source: World Koppen Classification.svg.

5 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts Source: http://www.ethiovisit.com/ethiopia/ethiopia-regions-and-cities.html

Regional States and Chartered Cities of Ethiopia Area (Sq. Population Population No. Region Capital City Status Kilometers) 2007 2013 Est.

1 Addis Ababa Addis Ababa City 527 2,739,551 3,104,000

2 Afar Asayita State 72,053 1,390,273 1,650,000 3 Amhara Bahir Dar State 154,709 17,221,976 19,212,000 Benishangul- 4 Asosa State 50,699 784,345 1,028,000 Gumuz 5 Dire Dawa Dire Dawa City 1,559 341,834 395,000 6 Gambela Gambela State 29,783 307,096 406,000

7 Harari Harar State 334 183,415 215,000

8 Oromia Addis Ababa State 284,538 26,993,933 32,220,000 9 Somali Jijiga State 279,252 4,445,219 5,318,000 10 Tigray Mekele State 84,722 4,316,988 5,062,000 Southern Nations

11 Nationalities Awasa State 105,476 14,929,548 17,887,000 and People (SNNPR) 6 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Travel in Ethiopia

The Most Fascinating Place On Earth

Source: ethiopiavoyage.com 7

ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Ethiopia is also considered one of the earliest sites of Homo the emergence of anatomically modern humans, Homo Sapiens sapiens and have been dated to the Middle Paleolithic, around 200,000 years ago.

Homo sapiens fossils excavated at the Jebel Irhoud site

Source: in Morocco have since been dated to an earlier period, https://en.wikipedia.org/w about 300,000 years ago. iki/Ethiopia#Governance 8

ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

The Kingdom Aksum was the name of of Aksum a city and a kingdom which is essentially modern-day northern One of the Ethiopia (Tigray four greatest province) and Eritrea. powers in the Research shows that world Aksum was a major naval and trading power from the 1st to the 7th centuries C.E. As a civilization it had a profound impact upon the people of Egypt, southern Arabia, Europe and Asia, all of whom Source: https://www.khanacadem were visitors to its y.org/humanities/art- shores, and in some africa/east- africa2/ethiopia/a/the- cases were residents. kingdom-of-aksum 9

ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

The Obelisk The Obelisk of Axum of Axum (Amharic: የአክሱም ሐውልት?) is a 4th-century AD, 24- meter-tall (79-feet)

granite stele/obelisk, weighing 160 tonnes, in the city of Axum in Ethiopia. It is ornamented with two false doors at the base Source: and features decorations https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ob resembling windows on elisk_of_Axum all sides. The obelisk

ends in a semi-circular Source: top part, which used to stele aksum Gallery be enclosed by metal keywordsuggest.org frames.

ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

The Obelisk of Axum

Repatriation

In a 1947 UN agreement, Italy agreed to return the stele to Ethiopia, along with the other looted piece, the Lion of Judah.

Source: www.panoramio.com

11 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

The Obelisk The runway at Axum airport was upgraded specially of Axum to facilitate the return of the stele. The dismantled stele remained sitting in a warehouse near Rome's Inauguration Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport, until 19 April Ceremony for 2005 when the middle piece was repatriated by use of the an Antonov An-124, amidst much local celebration. It reinstallation was the largest and heaviest piece of air freight ever of the Aksum carried. The second piece was returned on 22 April Obelisk 2005, with the final piece returned on 25 April 2005. The operation cost Italy $7.7 million. The stele remained in storage while Ethiopia decided how to reconstruct it without disturbing other ancient treasures still in the area (especially King Ezana's Stele). By March 2007 the foundation had been poured for the re-erection of the stele near King Ezana's Stele, structurally consolidated in this occasion. Reassembly began in June 2008, with a team chosen by UNESCO and led by Giorgio Croci, Source: and the monument was re-erected in its original https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ob elisk_of_Axum home and unveiled on 4 September 2008. 12

ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

The Stele of King Remhai

The largest of Axums granite stelae weighs 500 tons and would be over 33 m high. It is decorated with a door and 12 windows.

3rd-century AD

Source: Ethiopia. Philipp Briggs. Bradt , p. 258 http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/15 It is possibly the largest monolithic stele that ancient human beings ever attempted to erect 13 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

He undertook a Emperor Haile Selassie I ("Ras Tafari") nationwide modernization era (1916–1974) - Haile Selassie at his study at the palace campaign from 1916, when he was made a Ras and Regent (Inderase) for the Empress Regnant, Zewditu, and became the de facto ruler of the Ethiopian Empire. Following Zewditu's death on 2 November 1930, he succeeded her as emperor.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eth 14 iopia#Governance ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

On 26 August 1942, Haile Selassie issued a

proclamation that removed Ethiopia's legal

basis for slavery. Ethiopia had between two and four million slaves in the early 20th century, out of a total population of about eleven million.

In 1952, Haile Selassie orchestrated the federation with Eritrea. He dissolved this in 1962 and annexed Eritrea, which resisted and finally won its war of independence. Haile Selassie played a leading role in the formation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eth 15 iopia#Governance

ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Addis Ababa University (Amharic: አዲስ አበባ

ዩኒቨርሲቲ?) is a state university in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. The university was originally called the University College of Addis Ababa in 1950 and was later renamed Haile Selassie I University in 1962 after the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I. The institution received its current name in 1975.

Addis Ababa University was founded as a two- year college in 1950 by a Canadian Jesuit, Dr. Emperor Haile Selassie Lucien Matte, S.J., at the request of Haile (center) and French Selassie. It began operations the following Canadian Jesuit, year. Over the following two years an Fr. Lucien Matte, SJ affiliation with the University of London was (right) at the University, developed. The writer and theorist Richard 1951 Cummings served as a member of the Faculty of Law in the 1960s. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eth 16 iopia#Governance

ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Addis Ababa

University

Source: Above left & right: www.christies.com 17 Bottom left and right: Andreas Andiel ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Addis Ababa

University

Source: Photos: Mag. Andreas Andiel, 18 2013 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Railway Station

Addis Abeba 1964

Cfe:

Le Chemin de fer Franco Ethiopien et Djibouto Ethiopien

The Ethiopian Franco Railway from Ethiopia to Djibouti

Source: Photos: Addis Ababa Railway Station between 1950 & 1972 G.C Credit: Jean-Pierre Crozet: 19 http://www.train-franco-ethiopien.com/photos_cfe/gare_addis_cfe/index.html

ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Railway Station

Addis Abeba 1972

Cfe:

Le Chemin de fer Franco Ethiopien et Djibouto Ethiopien

The Ethiopian Franco Railway from Ethiopia to Djibouti

Source: Photos: Addis Ababa Railway Station between 1950 & 1972 G.C Credit: Jean-Pierre Crozet: 20 http://www.train-franco-ethiopien.com/photos_cfe/gare_addis_cfe/index.html

ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Presentation

Cfe General De Gaulle

Cfe:

Le Chemin de fer Franco Ethiopien et Djibouto Ethiopien

The Ethiopian Franco Railway from Ethiopia to Djibouti

Source: Photos: Addis Ababa Railway Station between 1950 & 1972 G.C Credit: Jean-Pierre Crozet: 21 http://www.train-franco-ethiopien.com/photos_cfe/gare_addis_cfe/index.html

ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Presentation

Cfe H.M. Haile Selassie

Cfe:

Le Chemin de fer Franco Ethiopien et Djibouto Ethiopien

The Ethiopian Franco Railway from Ethiopia to Djibouti

Source: Photos: Addis Ababa Railway Station between 1950 & 1972 G.C Credit: Jean-Pierre Crozet: 22 http://www.train-franco-ethiopien.com/photos_cfe/gare_addis_cfe/index.html

ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Railway

Station Addis Abeba 1951

Cfe:

Le Chemin de fer Franco Ethiopien et Djibouto Ethiopien

The Ethiopian Franco Railway from Ethiopia to Djibouti

Source: Photos: Addis Ababa Railway Station between 1950 & 1972 G.C Credit: Jean-Pierre Crozet: 23 http://www.train-franco-ethiopien.com/photos_cfe/gare_addis_cfe/index.html

ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Railway

Station Addis Abeba 1951

Cfe:

Le Chemin de fer Franco Ethiopien et Djibouto Ethiopien

The Ethiopian Franco Railway from Ethiopia to Djibouti

Source: Photos: Addis Ababa Railway Station between 1950 & 1972 G.C Credit: Jean-Pierre Crozet: 24 http://www.train-franco-ethiopien.com/photos_cfe/gare_addis_cfe/index.html

ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Cfe

Timetable 1969

Cfe:

Le Chemin de fer Franco Ethiopien et Djibouto Ethiopien

The Ethiopian Franco Railway from Ethiopia to Djibouti

Source: Photos: Addis Ababa Railway Station between 1950 & 1972 G.C Credit: Jean-Pierre Crozet: 25 http://www.train-franco-ethiopien.com/photos_cfe/gare_addis_cfe/index.html

ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Today, the Ethiopian Parliament Building large mosaics (early 1930s, Addis Ababa) of St. George and the Dragon (Ethiopia's Patron Saint) and the two Lions of Judah on either side of him have been painted over, and the gilding that covered the winged lions on the gates has worn away Source: Ethiopia - Monarchy Forum 26 royalcello.websitetoolbox.com ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

In 2012, it was announced that a new New Ethiopian Parliament Building parliament building would be built. It would be designed by a consortium of the Dutch architectural firms of Treurniet Architectuur and Michiel Clercx Architectuur and the Ethiopian firm of Addis Mebratu and S7 Architects. The design of the building is centered upon the three drum-like shapes, symbolising Negarit drums, which were beat upon the promulgation of imperial decrees. The symbol of the law- making process is transferred to the building's design. The three "drums" will host the House of People's Representatives, House of Federation, and the parliamentary library. Since the site is sloped, below the drums will sit offices for MPs and their staff.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eth 27 iopian_Parliament_Building ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Derg era (1974–1991) - People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Haile Selassie's reign came to an end on 12 September 1974, when he was deposed by the Derg, a Soviet-backed Marxist–Leninist military dictatorship led by Mengistu Haile Mariam. The new Provisional Military Administrative Council established a one-party communist state which was called People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in March 1975. The ensuing regime suffered several coups, uprisings, wide-scale drought, and a huge refugee problem.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eth 28 iopia#Governance ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Derg era (1974–1991) - People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Up to 500,000 were killed as a result of the Red Terror, from forced deportations, or from the use of hunger as a weapon under Mengistu's rule. The Red Terror was carried out in response to what the government termed the "White Terror", a supposed chain of violent events, assassinations, and killings attributed to the opposition. The 1983– 85 famine in Ethiopia affected around eight million people, resulting in one million dead. Insurrections against Communist rule sprang up, particularly in the northern regions of Tigray and Eritrea. In 1989, the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF) merged with other ethnically based opposition movements to form the coalition known as the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF).

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopia#Governance www.diretube.com 29

ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Derg era (1974–1991) - People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia In May 1991, EPRDF forces advanced on Addis Ababa and the Soviet Union did not intervene to save the government side. Mengistu fled the country and was granted asylum in Zimbabwe, where he still resides. In 2006, after a trial that lasted 12 years, Ethiopia's Federal High Court in Addis Ababa found Mengistu guilty of genocide in absentia. Numerous other top leaders of his regime were also found guilty of war crimes. Mengistu and others who had fled the country were tried and sentenced in absentia. Numerous former officials received the death sentence and tens of others spent the next 20 years in jail, before being pardoned from life sentences.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eth 30 iopia#Governance ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Meles Zenawi – World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2012 Session 'Africa – From Transition to Transformationy‘ Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 26, 2012

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia – FDRE, 1991 till August 20, 2012

In July 1991, EPRDF convened a National Conference to establish the Transitional Government of Ethiopia composed of an 87-member Council of Representatives and guided by a national charter that functioned as a transitional constitution. In June 1992, the Oromo Liberation Front withdrew from the government; in March 1993, members of the Southern Ethiopia Peoples' Democratic Coalition also left the government. In 1994, a new constitution was written that established a parliamentary republic with a bicameral legislature and a judicial system.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopia#Governance 31 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

1st multiparty election 1995 The 1st multiparty election took place in May 1995, which was won by the EPRDF - Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front. The president of the transitional government, EPRDF leader Meles Zenawi, became Prime Minister, and Negasso Gidada was elected President.

Eritrean–Ethiopian War 1998-2000 In May 1998, a border dispute with Eritrea led to the Eritrean–Ethiopian War, which lasted until June 2000 and cost both countries an estimated $1 million a day. This has a negative effect on Ethiopia's economy, but strengthened the ruling coalition. Most reports put the total war casualties from both sides as being around 70,000, hundreds of millions of dollars has been spent on the war.

Source: 32 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopia#Governance ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Map of the disputed territories on the Eritrea–Ethiopia border

On 18 June 2000, the parties agreed to a comprehensive peace agreement and binding arbitration of their disputes under the Algiers Agreement.

A 25-kilometer-wide Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) was established within Eritrea, patrolled by the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) from over 60 countries. On 12 December 2000 a peace agreement was signed by the two governments. Source: 33 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eritrean%E2%80%93Ethiopian_War#/media/File:Eritrean%E2%80%93Ethiopian_War_Map_1998.png ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

In mid-2011, two consecutively missed rainy seasons precipitated the worst drought in East Africa seen in 60 years. Full recovery from the drought's effects did not occur until 2012.

Meles died on 20 August 2012 in Brussels, where he was being treated for an unspecified illness.

Protests broke out across the country on 5 August 2016 and dozens of protesters were subsequently shot and killed by police. The protesters demanded an end to human rights abuses, the release of political prisoners, a fairer redistribution of the wealth generated by over a decade of economic growth, and a return of Wolqayt District to the Amhara Region. The events were the most violent crackdown against protesters in Sub-Saharan Africa since the Ethiopian regime killed at least 75 people during protests in the Oromia Region in November and December 2015. Following these protests, Ethiopia

Source: declared a state of emergency in October 2016. 34 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopia

ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Merera Gudina, leader of the Oromo People's Congress, said the East African country was at a "crossroads". "People are demanding their rights," he said. "People are fed up with what the regime has been doing for a quarter of a century. They're protesting against land grabs, reparations, stolen elections, the rising cost of living, many things. "If the government continue to repress while the people are demanding their rights in the millions that (civil war) is one of the likely scenarios," Merera said in an interview with Reuters.

Merera Gudina is a professor and politician in Ethiopia. He is the leader of the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC), a political party representing the Oromo people. The organization is opposed to the ruling EPRDF - Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Source: Democratic Front. He has been described as Ethiopia's https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Me "leading opposition politician". rera_Gudina 35

ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

USAID portfolio in Ethiopia is one of the largest and most complex in Africa.

Over the last decade, Ethiopia has made tremendous development gains in education, health and food security. In 2015, GDP growth was 9.6 percent (World Bank). The addition of 38,000 health extension workers has helped reduce the under-five child mortality rate by more than six percent a year since 2000.

Ethiopia still remains one of the ten poorest countries in the world, with an estimated annual per capita income of $619 in 2015 (World Bank). Roughly 34 percent of Ethiopians live below the poverty line of $1.90 a day and are vulnerable to food insecurity, and about 75 percent depend on subsistence agriculture Source: (IFPRI). https://www.usaid.gov/ethiopia 36 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Ethiopia Complex Emergency Fact Sheet #5

On March 3, 2016, USAID Administrator Gayle Smith announced the activation of a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to lead the U.S. Government (USG) response to the drought in Ethiopia. In support of the Government of Ethiopia (GoE), which has shown strong leadership in the response, the USAID DART is coordinating USG emergency response activities in close partnership with the UN and relief organizations.

USAID/OFDA staff traveled to Amhara, Oromiya, Tigray, and Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples (SNNP) regions during February 2016 to assess the scale and scope of humanitarian needs in Ethiopia, particularly inadequate seed stocks, severe water shortages, increased acute malnutrition cases, Source: https://www.usaid.gov/crisis/eth and deteriorating food security levels. 37 iopia/fy16/fs05 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

USAID portfolio in Ethiopia is one of the largest and most complex in Africa.

Ethiopia still remains one of the ten poorest countries in the world, with an estimated annual per capita income of $619 in 2015 (World Bank). Roughly 34 percent of Ethiopians live below the poverty line of $1.90 a day and are vulnerable to food insecurity, and about 75 percent depend on subsistence agriculture Source: (IFPRI). https://www.usaid.gov/ethiopia 38 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

ETHIOPIAN Airlines, 2000 – onwards

A fleet renewal started in the early 2000s, with the incorporation of the Boeing 737–700 and the Boeing 767-300ER; The airline discontinued its service to Newark in favour of serving Washington in 2004.

In the late 2000s the airline announced it would be the launch customer of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, An Ethiopian Airlines and placed orders to acquire brand new Airbus A350- Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Frankfurt Airport. The 900s, Boeing 777-200LRs and Bombardier equipment. airline took delivery of the first aircraft of the In late September 2010, Ethiopian Airlines was type in August 2012. In late April 2013, officially invited to join Star Alliance under the Ethiopian was the first mentoring of Lufthansa. The carrier became a airline to resume Boeing 787 operations. member of the alliance in December 2011, the third Africa-based carrier in doing so — following EgyptAir Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eth and South African Airways — and the 28th member iopian_Airlines worldwide. 39 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

ETHIOPIAN Airlines 2000 – onwards

In the late 2000s the airline announced it would be the launch customer of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, An Ethiopian Airlines and placed orders to acquire brand new Airbus A350- Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Frankfurt Airport. The 900s, Boeing 777-200LRs and Bombardier equipment. airline took delivery of the first aircraft of the In late September 2010, Ethiopian Airlines was type in August 2012. In late April 2013, officially invited to join Star Alliance under the Ethiopian was the first mentoring of Lufthansa. The carrier became a airline to resume Boeing 787 operations. member of the alliance in December 2011, the third Africa-based carrier in doing so — following EgyptAir Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eth and South African Airways — and the 28th member iopian_Airlines worldwide. 40 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway 2016 / 2017

Line length: 756 km

• Serves as the backbone of the new Ethiopian National Railway Network. • Connect landlocked Ethiopia to the world market - Ethiopia's capital of Addis Ababa with Djibouti and its Port of Doraleh. • More than 95% of Ethiopia's trade passes through Djibouti, accounting for 70% of the activity at the Port of Djibouti - 24.9 million tonnes of freight annually • In October 2017 it was announced that commercial operations would start on the following month. • The railway is expected to reduce cargo transit times from three days by road to twelve hours by train and to reduce cargo transport costs to a third compared to the transport by road. • The Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway runs in general parallel to the abandoned metre-gauge Ethio–Djibouti Railway for most of its length. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addis_Ababa%E2%80%93Djibouti_Railway 41 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Map of the planned

National Railway Network of Ethiopia with its different corridors

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addis_Ababa%E2%80%93Djibouti_Railway 42 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Railway Construction

• The standard-gauge railway is built on a new, straighter right- of-way that allows for much higher speeds. • New stations have been built outside city centres, and the old stations have been decommissioned. • The railway features 68 viaducts and longer bridges, making up around 2 % of the total railway length. The railway has no tunnels. • The Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa is served by two stations located in the outskirts of the city • Addis Ababa Light Rail gives access to the city centre • The railroad is double-track for the first 115 km from Sebeta over Addis Ababa to Adama. Sebeta is located on the Ethiopian Highlands while Adama sits almost in the middle of the Ethiopian Great Rift Valley. That translates into an elevation difference of almost 650 meters between the two cities. • The railway crosses the Awash River canyon with a 155 meters long bridge 60 meters above the canyon. It is the longest bridge of the whole railway. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addis_Ababa%E2%80%93Djibouti_Railway 43 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Decline of the old metre-gauge railway

• The railway replaces the abandoned Ethio-Djibouti Railway, that was originally built by the French between 1894 and 1917 • It had all the deficiencies of a colonial-era railway, with steep gradients and tight curves. • The old railway was considered to be one of the most dangerous railways in the world. • One of the 10 worst railway accidents in history happened close to Awash, where four overcrowded coaches derailed on a river bridge and plunged into darkness. • As the Ethio–Djibouti Railway deteriorated from a lack of spare parts and maintenance, Addis Ababa lost railroad access to the sea in the 1980s. • To the beginning of the 21st century, an irregular rail service was still running from time to time between Dire Dawa and Djibouti City. • Operation then silently ceased between 2008 and 2011.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addis_Ababa%E2%80%93Djibouti_Railway 44 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Railway Corporations 2011-2017

• The Ethiopian Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP) foresaw investments into the infrastructure of Ethiopia to allow for a speedy economic development. • One of the key elements of the GTP was a heavy investment into the transportation infrastructure, in particular railroads. • In 2011, the Ethiopian Railway Corporation (ERC) awarded contracts to two Chinese state-owned companies for the construction, the China Railway Group (CREC) and the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CRCC). • The 320 kilometres stretch from Sebeta to Mieso was awarded to the CREC, and the 339 kilometres section from Mieso to the Djibouti border was awarded to the CRCC. • In 2012, Djibouti selected the CRCC to complete the final 100 km to the port of Djibouti.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addis_Ababa%E2%80%93Djibouti_Railway 45 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Railway Construction Costs

• The total costs of the railway amounted to US$1.873 billion for the Sebeta-Mieso section, US$1.12 billion for the Mieso–Dewele section and US$525 million for the Dewele–Port of Doraleh section. • In 2013, loans totalling US$3 billion were secured from the Exim Bank of China • 20,000 Ethiopians and 5,000 Djiboutians were hired for construction work. Track-laying was completed on the Mieso– Djibouti segment of the project in June 2015. • The officially completed Ethiopian section was formally inaugurated on 5 October 2016 in the new Furi-Labu railway station in Addis Ababa, by the presidents of Ethiopia and Djibouti. On 10 January 2017, the 100 km section of Djibouti side was inaugurated. • Djiboutian authorities still consider the railway to be under construction and expect it to become operational not before the end of 2017.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addis_Ababa%E2%80%93Djibouti_Railway 46 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Trial service phase (2016–2017)

• An official trial service began on the railway after inauguration in October 2016. • Due to issues with the electric service in particular in the section between Mieso and Dembele, trains had to use both electrical and diesel locomotives to be able to move forward. • On 9 May 2017 it was possible to perform a first thorough stress test with more than 30 trains on the line at the same time - passenger trains ran and freight services • This first test failed, which was attributed to electrical supply shortages between urban and rural areas along the line.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addis_Ababa%E2%80%93Djibouti_Railway 47 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

2015 drought

In 2015, farmers in Ethiopia had suffered crop failures of between 50% and 90% due to a catastrophic drought, and the port of Djibouti was backed up with ships waiting to unload grain for hungry Ethiopians.

Although construction was still in progress on some sections, the completed portion of the railway was put into emergency operation in November 2015 to carry grain to drought-stricken Ethiopia.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addis_Ababa%E2%80%93Djibouti_Railway 48 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Railway integration

• The railway line was built without having access roads, trunk lines, storage facilities and dry ports in mind, which rendered it almost useless and without value for freight and passenger transport services. • It was official policy to have a "cheap railway line first" with integrating work considered being "easy and quick" afterwards. Another official voice called the railway integration as being too complex to consider at the initial railway planning stage due to many regional and local authorities having to cooperate and to coordinate. • The Port of Doraleh terminus as one of the key elements of the railway is effectively non-functional. No trunk line to the three different terminals have been built. • The basic infrastructure to store, to move and to handle goods, containers and fuel is missing. • There was no contract to build the trunk lines and no contract to provide fuel filling equipment or to provide the infrastructure to handle containers. It was – again – a general communication and coordination issue between authorities. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addis_Ababa%E2%80%93Djibouti_Railway 49 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Railway budget

• After inauguration of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway, the Ethiopian Railway Corporation (ERC) found itself to have accumulated an uncomfortable amount of debt – almost one third of the annual state budget of Ethiopia – resulting in difficulties to pay back loans. • There is almost no option to provide additional funding for much-needed dry ports, storage facilities, trunk lines and access roads to have the railway integration in place to generate much- needed revenues to balance the debt. • Nevertheless, mandatory trunk lines are now being built, such as the new Dire Dawa Dry Port, which alone took 12 months to negotiate and which costs per km of rails roughly 10 times that of the main Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway – Ethiopian authorities consider the costs being very high. • The missing facilities and trunk lines within the Port of Doraleh are now "soon" to be built through a combined effort of the two governments of Djibouti and Ethiopia. • The very new Djibouti Multipurpose Terminal, inaugurated in April 2017, will now also be connected to the railway through a trunk line. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addis_Ababa%E2%80%93Djibouti_Railway 50 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Railway budget

• The Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway project provided some lessons. • Two other active major railway construction projects, the Awash–Hara Gebeya Railway construction project and the Hara Gebeya–Mek'ele Railway construction project were expanded to include the most basic pieces of trunk lines and dry port constructions (one future dry port in Mek'ele and one soon to be built in Kombolcha). • To account for the current lack of revenues from the projects, new and existing railways and railway projects could be partially or completely outsourced or sold to private investors. • To increase both the utilization of and revenues from existing railways, any interested railway transportation service provider will be allowed to earn a license to use the existing railway infrastructure. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addis_Ababa%E2%80%93Djibouti_Railway 51 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Addis Ababa Light Rail

• Number of lines: 2 • Number of stations:39 • Daily ridership 200,000 • Operation: 20 September 2015 • Operators: Ethiopian Railway Corporation, Shenzhen Metro Group • Number of vehicles: 41 • System length: 31.6 km • Top speed: 70 km/h • This light-rail system was the first to be built in sub-saharan Africa • The final cost to build the railway was US$475m, with construction taking three years • There are future plans for extensions in all four directions

Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadtbahn_Addis_Abeba 52 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Addis Ababa Light Rail

System map

Light Rail running through parallel to the street (Haile Gebreselassie Avenue) Light Rail Traffic Circle (Mexico Square)

Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadtbahn_Addis_Abeba 53 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Outlook: Ethiopian Growth and Transformation Plan

The main points of the plan are:

• Encouraging large-scale foreign investment opportunities, primarily in the agricultural and industrial sectors. • Completing Ethiopia's membership in the World Trade Organization and improving the country's commercial regulatory framework. • Providing basic infrastructure in four industrial cluster zones. • Renewing focus on natural resource and raw material industries such as gold, oil, gas, potash, and gemstones. • Increasing road networks by 10,000 miles throughout the country. • Building a 1,500 mile-long standard gauge rail network and creating manufacturing plants for locomotive engines and railway signaling systems.

Source:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Growth_and_Transformation_Plan 54

ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Outlook: Ethiopian Growth and Transformation Plan

The main points of the plan are:

• Quadrupling power generation from 2,000 to 10,000 megawatts, building 82,500 miles of new power distribution lines, and rehabilitating 4,800 miles of existing power transmission lines. • Seeking investment in renewable energy projects involving hydro, wind, geothermal, and bio fuels to take advantage of the global focus on renewable energy. • Increasing mobile telephone subscribers from 7 to 40 million and Internet service subscribers from less than 200,000 to 3.7 million.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Growth_and_Transformation_Plan 55

ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD)

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) possesses an invaluable and multi-faceted values and benefits to the peoples of Ethiopia.

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201702210367.html 56 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Ethiopian People-to-People Forum On Our Future

What do Oromo Future Addis Ababa protests mean for Ethiopian unity? National Stadium and Sports Village

We cordially wish all Ethiopians a bright future 57

ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali – 12th Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia – FDRE, assumed office 2nd April 2018 http://ethionewsdirect.com/ethiopian-pm-abiy-ahmed/ Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali, born August 15, 1976 (age 41), is the 12th Prime Minister of Ethiopia. He is Chairman of both the ruling EPRDF - Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front and the OPDO - Oromo Peoples' Democratic Organization, which is one of the four coalition parties of the EPRDF. Abiy is also an elected member of the Ethiopian parliament, and a member of the OPDO and EPRDF executive committees. A former army intelligence officer, since becoming Prime Minister Abiy has launched a wide programme of political and economic reforms.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abiy_Ahmed 58 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed arrives in Khartoum for an official visit to Sudan on May 2, 2018. May 02, 2018

https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news- photo/ethiopian-prime-minister-abiy-ahmed-arrives-in- khartoum-for-news-photo/953813060#/ethiopian-prime- minister-abiy-ahmed-arrives-in-khartoum-for-an-visit-picture- id953813060

Abiy holds a Master of Arts in Transformational Leadership and Change with Merit, earned from the Business School at Greenwich University, London, in collaboration with the International Leadership Institute, Addis Ababa, in 2011. He also holds a Master of Business Administration from the Leadstar College of Management and Leadership in Addis Ababa in partnership with Ashland University in 2013. Abiy, who had started his Ph.D. work several years ago as a regular student, completed his Ph.D. in 2017 at the Institute for Peace and Security Studies, Addis Ababa University. He did his Ph.D. work on the Agaro constituency with the Ph.D. thesis entitled “Social Capital and its Role in Traditional Conflict Resolution in Ethiopia: The Case of Inter-Religious Conflict In Jimma Zone state”. As a follow-up to his Ph.D. thesis, he published a research article on de-escalation strategies in the Horn of Africa Bulletin in a special journal issue dedicated to countering violent extremism. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abiy_Ahmed 59 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

New Tribal Chieftain Or Reformer? Why Ethiopia’s New Leader Abiy Ahmed Could Be A Game Changer

http://www.roguechiefs.com/2018/reformer-ethiopias-new- leader-abiy-ahmed-game-changer/

Rise to power Starting from 2015, Abiy became one of the central figures in the violent fight against illegal land-grabbing activities in Oromia Region and especially around the capital Addis Ababa. Although the 'Addis Ababa Master Plan' at the heart of the land-grabbing plans was stopped in 2016, the disputes continued for some time resulting in injuries and deaths. It was this fight against land-grabbing, that finally boosted Abiy's political career, brought him into the spotlight and allowed him to climb the political ladder. Abiy also became the Head of the Oromia Urban Development and Planning Office. As one of his duties in office, he took care of the displaced one million Oromo people from Somali region during the 2017 unrest. As head of OPDO Secretariat from October 2017 on, Abiy crossed over religious and ethnic divides to facilitate the formation of a new alliance between Oromo and the Amhara groups, both making up two thirds of the 100 million Ethiopian population. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abiy_Ahmed 60 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

New Tribal Chieftain Or Reformer? Why Ethiopia’s New Leader Abiy Ahmed Could Be A Game Changer

http://www.roguechiefs.com/2018/reformer-ethiopias-new- leader-abiy-ahmed-game-changer/

Prime Minister of Ethiopia On 2nd April 2018, Abiy was confirmed and sworn in by Ethiopian parliament as Prime Minister of Ethiopia. During his acceptance speech, he promised political reform, to promote the unity of Ethiopia and the unity among the people of Ethiopia, reached out to the Eritrean government to resolve the ongoing Eritrean–Ethiopian border conflict after the Eritrean–Ethiopian War and also reach out to the political opposition inside and outside of Ethiopia. His acceptance speech sparked optimism and received an overwhelmingly positive reaction from Ethiopian Public including the opposition groups inside and outside Ethiopia. Following his speech, his popularity and support across the country reached historically high and some political observers argued that Abiy is overwhelmingly more popular than the ruling party coalition, the EPRDF.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abiy_Ahmed 61 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

BREAKING NEWS: Andargachew Tsige To Be Released From Prison text Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Abiy_Ahmed Domestic policy Since taking office in April 2018, Abiy's government has presided over the release of thousands of political prisoners from Ethiopian jails and the rapid opening of the country's political landscape. In May 2018 alone the Oromo region pardoned over 7,600 prisoners. On 29 May Ginbot 7 leader Andargachew Tsege, facing the death penalty on terrorism charges, was released after being pardoned by President Mulatu Teshome, along with 575 other detainees. On 30 May it was announced the ruling party would amend the country's "draconian" anti-terrorism law, widely perceived as a tool of political repression. On 1 June Abiy announced the government would seek to end the state of emergency two months in advance of the expiration its six-month tenure, citing an improved domestic situation. On 4 June Parliament approved the necessary legislation, ending the state of emergency. 62

ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

https://www.journalducameroun. The parliament in Addis Ababa appointed on April 2, com/en/dr-abiy-ahmed-named- new-ethiopia-pm/ 2018 the newly elected Chairperson of the ruling Ethiopian People’s Democratic Revolutionary Front (EPRDF), Dr. Abiy Ahmed, as the country’s new Prime Minister. Dr Abiy was sworn in to replace Hailemariam Desalegn who resigned last month Source: under a wave of anti-government protest dating https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Abiy_Ahmed back to 2016. Economic reforms Abiy has announced that state-owned enterprises such as Ethiopian Airlines are to be partially or wholly privatized.

State monopolies in the telecommunications, aviation, electricity, and logistics sectors are to be ended and those industries opened up to private sector competition. Shares in the state-owned firms in those sectors, including Ethiopian Airlines, Africa's largest and most profitable, are to be offered for purchase to both domestic and foreign investors, although the government will continue to hold a majority share in these firms, thereby retaining control of the "commanding heights of the economy". State- owned enterprises in sectors deemed less critical, including railway operators, sugar, industrial parks, hotels and various manufacturing firms, may be fully privatized.

ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

https://www.logisticsmiddleeast. DP World was founded in 2005 by merging Dubai com/business/30352-dp-world- djibouti-tensions-boil-over-with- Ports Authority and Dubai Ports International. The %E2%80%98illegal%E2%80%99- seizure-of-container-terminal company does not currently operate in the United States where its purchase of a number of U.S. ports led to high-level controversy.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Abiy_Ahmed Foreign policy In May 2018 Abiy visited Saudi Arabia, receiving guarantees for the release of Ethiopian prisoners including billionaire entrepreneur Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi, who was detained following the 2017 Saudi Arabian purge. In June 2018 he met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo.

Djibouti and port agreements Since taking power Abiy has pursued a policy of expanding landlocked Ethiopia's access to ports in the Horn of Africa region. Shortly before his assumption of office it was announced that the Ethiopian government would take a 19% stake in Berbera Port in the unrecognized Republic of Somaliland as part of a joint venture with DP World. In May 2018 Ethiopia signed an agreement with the government of Djibouti to take an equity stake in the Port of Djibouti, enabling Ethiopia to have a say in the port's development and the setting of port handling fees. 64

ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts Massawa

https://www.google.com/maps/s earch/Ports+of+Massawa+and+As seb/@16.2728654,37.9950977,7z

Asseb

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Abiy_Ahmed …port agreements Two days later a similar agreement was signed with the Sudanese government granting Ethiopia an ownership stake in the Port of Port Sudan. Abiy and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta had reached an agreement for the construction of an Ethiopian logistics facility at Lamu Port as part of the Lamu Port and Lamu-Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor (LAPSSET) project. The potential normalization of Ethiopia-Eritrea relations likewise opens the possibility for Ethiopia to resume using the Ports of Massawa and Asseb, which, prior to the Ethio-Eritrean conflict, were its main ports, which would be of particular benefit to the northern region of Tigray. All these developments would reduce Ethiopian reliance on Djibouti's port, through which approximately 85% of Ethiopia's foreign trade currently transits.

65 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

http://welkait.com/?p=2271 Disputed lands and “awards” according to the EEBC - Eritrea -Ethiopia Boundary Commission

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Abiy_Ahmed Eritrea Upon taking office Abiy stated his willingness to negotiate and end to the Ethio- Eritrean conflict. In June 2018 it was announced that the Ethiopian government had agreed to hand over the disputed town of Badme to Eritrea, thereby complying with the terms of the 2000 Algiers Agreement to bring an end to the state of tension between Eritrea and Ethiopia that had persisted despite the end of hostilities during the Ethiopia-Eritrea War (1998-2000). Ethiopia had until then rejected the international boundary commission's ruling awarding Badme to Eritrea, resulting in a frozen conflict (popularly termed a policy of "no war, but no peace") between the two states.

66 ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

https://www.eth- niss.info/nissstructure NISS - National Intelligence and Security Service

The National Intelligence and Security Service is re-established with a ministerial status as an autonomous federal government Source: office having its own legal personality and the Service is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Abiy_Ahmed accountable to the Prime Minister.

Security sector reform On 7 June 2018 Abiy carried out a wide-ranging reshuffle of top security officials, replacing ENDF Chief of Staff Samora Yunis with Lt. Gen Se'are Makonnen, National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) director Getachew Assefa with Lt. Gen Adem Mohammed, National Security Advisor and former army chief Abadula Gemeda, and Sebhat Nega, one of the founders of the TPLF and director-general of the Foreign Relations Strategic Research Institute Samora and Sebhat's retirements had been previously announced that May. Personal life Abiy is married and met his wife, Zinash Tayachew, while both were serving in the Ethiopian Defense Forces. They have three daughters together. Abiy is a multilingual and speaks Afaan Oromo, Amharic, Tigrinya and English. He is a fitness aficionado and professes that physical health goes hand in hand with mental health and as such frequents physical and gym activities in Addis Ababa. 67

ETHIOPIA RISING – An Insight of Current Efforts

Source: The First Peaceful Coup d’état Led by Team Lemma http://www.satenaw.com/the- first-peaceful-coup-detat-led-by- team-lemma/ Lemma Megersa (left) President of the Oromia regional state of Ethiopia and Deputy Chairman of the ruling party in the region, OPDO Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali (mid) 12th Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia – FDRE Gedu Andargachew (right) President of the Amhara regional state of Ethiopia and Vice Chair Person of the Amhara National Democratic Movement

Ethiopia’s full restoration is near! She is on the rise! With the blessing of God and her hardworking, intelligent, able, and determined children, she will soon resume her leadership role in Africa. 68