Towns in standstill in Central Ethiopia
and the end of an era (a discontinued snack)
Hi there,
This is Sifter, a newsletter on Ethiopia. I’m Maya Misikir and I am a freelance reporter who curates it from Addis Abeba, Ethiopia. Every week, you’ll get an update on the top 5 news stories of the week in the country.
Today is a holiday for some of you (Merry Christmas!) and considering that a significant portion of people will be avoiding their inboxes at all costs during this time, I will keep this week’s edition short(er) and to the point.
If you would like more information on any of the stories, hit reply and I’ll get back to you.
Now, to the news.
Report: towns at a standstill
Several towns and cities in Ethiopia’s most recently created region are struggling to make ends meet. Government bureaus in the newly established region of Central Ethiopia are facing serious budget shortages and have been delaying employee salaries for months on end according to the latest report by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission.
Public schools remain closed in different cities across Hadiya Zone, leaving over one hundred thousand students out of school because the local administration can’t afford to pay teachers. It doesn’t end there. Hospitals and health centers in the Zone that used to serve over half a million residents in total have also stopped giving services because of similar reasons.
The Commission has been receiving a lot of complaints (and tip-offs) from these areas and has made a call for intervention and support from the government.
What’s worse is that people in these cities protesting late salaries and closure of essential services in their hometowns have been harassed, beaten up, and even thrown in jail, according to the same report.
The full report in Amharic here.
Business: the end of an era
It pains me to write that the company behind Tasties (Tasty Foods Plc) is closing down because of hard currency shortages. A report by Addis Fortune says that the manufacturer (which also gave us other gems like Jolly Jus!) has now stopped operations after 24 years of production.
Here’s an excerpt from the story:
“The foreign exchange crunch Tasty Foods faces mirrors the broader struggles within Ethiopia's manufacturing sector. The company will be one more addition to the approximately 450 of nearly 5,000 firms ceasing production due to the adversities.”
This didn’t happen overnight. The company has been struggling for the past few years, according to the story, decreasing its employee numbers and production amount.
If you remember my update from about a month ago, Moha Soft Drinks Industry PLC (the bottlers of Pepsi, Mirinda, 7UP, and Kool Carbonated Water) stopped operations across all eight production sites because it didn’t have enough foreign currency to import materials for production.
This latest case of Tasties Foods PLC has raised questions about labor rights as it closes down its company. In the case of Moha Soft Drinks, more than 8,000 employees had either lost or resigned from their jobs, prompting talks between labor rights representatives and the company at the time.
The full story on Addis Fortune here.
Law: actions have been followed by consequences
Remember the update on the unlawful arrest and physical assault of two African Development Bank Group officials by security personnel in Ethiopia? At the time, the Bank said it had lodged a formal complaint with the Ethiopian government and that it was promised an ‘immediate investigation into the incident.’ Well, looks like the Bank may have caught on to what an ‘immediate investigation into the incident’ means around these parts.
Last week, the Bank announced that it was pulling all its international staff from Ethiopia. Here’s an excerpt from their official statement:
The Bank President said, “the assessment from the Bank's delegation indicates that the situation is still not yet resolved in a satisfactory manner’. It also does not provide full confidence that all the African Development Bank’s employees feel safe and secure to carry out their duties and move around the country without fear of harassment.”
“The African Development Bank remains particularly concerned that the Ethiopian government has, to date, not shared with the Bank any report, or details of investigations into the incident,” Adesina added.
The statement adds that though the Bank has had ‘excellent relations’ with Ethiopia, this could negatively affect its future operations (which is saying something considering its ongoing portfolio in Ethiopia is around 1.24 billion U.S. dollars.)
The full statement from the bank here.
Dam: the negotiations have come to an end
I have been writing about the negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam since July when Egypt and Ethiopia first agreed to re-start it following a three-year impasse. Representatives from the two countries and Sudan have met in Addis Abeba, and Cairo, for three rounds of talks, all of which have culminated in no agreements reached.
The fourth round of negotiations happened in Addis Abeba last week and it looks like this one may be the last for a while.
Here’s an excerpt from a statement by the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
“During these four rounds, Ethiopia endeavored and keenly engaged with the two lower riparian countries to address the major issues of difference and reach an amicable agreement. Egypt, in contrast, maintained colonial era mentality and erected roadblocks against efforts toward convergence.”
What’s the Egyptian side saying? Here’s an excerpt from a story in the Associated Press:
“Egypt’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation said the talks were unsuccessful due to Ethiopia’s “persistent refusal” to accept any compromise.”
For earlier updates on how the talks were going, go here.
The full statement from the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in English here, and the story on AP here.
Election board: a new head in place
In early July, the head of Ethiopia’s Electoral Board announced that she was resigning for health-related reasons after four years of service. Last month, a committee was busy selecting potential nominees for a new chairperson, initially working with a list of 56 candidates. Parliament has now voted in the new head, Melatework Hailu.
Who is Melatework? Here’s an excerpt on her from the story:
“Melatework’s academic credentials include a bachelor’s degree in law and a master’s degree in peace and security studies from Addis Ababa University, complemented by a master of public administration from Harvard University.
Her progression within the Ethiopian Customs Commission from a junior lawyer to the head of operations and the legal department evidences her professional acumen.”
With a possible upcoming referendum set to adjudicate contested areas in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, she’s got her work cut out for her.
The full story on Addis Standard in English here.
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