The 2016 Eutelsat Star Awards in Best Overall Essay was given to Ethiopian Leoul Mesfin, a 16 year old senior student from Gibson School Systems. An event was organized by DStv to recognize Leoul’s achievements as well as to highlight the importance of stimulating interest in science and technology and to inspire innovative thinking among secondary and high school students across the continent. The Eutelsat Star Award is a competition that is open to 14 to 19 year old students in 42 countries. Students are invited to write an essay or design a poster depicting how innovative use of satellite technology in the fields of communication, earth observation or navigation can propel Africa into the future.

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The Ethiopian Health Minister, who had been a party-government office until few months ago has been appointed to a top position by the international Roll Back Malaria Partnership. The News report read: “The Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership Board is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Kesetebirhan Admasu to the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO).”

The selection according to the News report was “following an extensive global search and selection process supported by executive search firm Egon Zehnder.” What was the process like? Who did they compare him with?

Another member of the Ethiopian government, now advisor to the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Tedros Adhanom is poised to take a senior position within the World Health Organisation (WHO). Tedros has been a member of the core member of the Ethiopian ruling Front, the Tigrean Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF), which is accused of scores of human rights abuses. He was also the Minister of Health for Ethiopia and until few months ago, Ethiopia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Members of the Ethiopian Diaspora and activists have been campaigning against Tedros election bid for the WHO leadership. What most activists did not know was who from the start encouraged Tedros to run to lead the WHO. Those are the makers and breakers, who chipped him in for the position and thus despite any protest, they may have little success in averting that. Among Tedros’ Wikipedia biographic details, this sheds light on his international network and contacts,

During his time as Minister of Health of Ethiopia, Ethiopia was the first country to sign compact with the International Health Partnership. He has served as Chair of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership (2007-2009), Programme Coordinating Board of UNAIDS (2009-2010) and the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (2009-2011) and Co-Chair of The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (2005-2009). He also served as member of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) Board as well as the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) and the Stop TB Partnership Coordinating Board.

Dr. Tedros and Dr. Kesete are very close colleagues and as soon as Tedros was moved to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he replaced Kesete in the Ministry of Health and now when Kesete was reshuffled, he gets appointed to lead the WHO. Mind you, Tedros was Chair of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership (2007-2009). Not to forget also is that during their minister-ship, these ministers oversaw the national purchase of malaria kits, medicines, ARTs and many other important international medical contracts. Scratching backs.

Meritocracy defines individuals power ascension based on their talents and ability which measures their performance and records. Often times, we hear calls for a merit-based recruitment of individuals on the basis of their merit.

You hear your own friends and good wishers urging you to discard formal job application processes and find someone who can link you to someone powerful and who could do you a “favor.” We are an equal opportunity employer my foot.

Merit based employment has become a thing of the yesteryear unless one is vying for an extremely technical job but even in such jobs, networks are very important to get placement in the best department, office, region,  or receive the highest salary.

It is now very common to hear people say, you need to have good “networks”, “connections” or “contacts” to get the job you need or whatever you need in fact. It is true. Those of us who lived it, know it. Evidently, it is extremely difficult for an innocent graduate to get a job by simply applying for jobs, unless he/she knows someone in the organisation or his referees have existing links.

It is called corruption or nepotism in the developing world but “networking” in the developed world. Innocent graduates with the perfect skill and training are left jobless or work in a non-professional field, when many who do not qualify for the jobs are doing others jobs simply because they know the employer or they have contacts. This will destroy the world. It pushes us to look for contacts and networks, or worship people to help us secure the posts we need. This nepotistic network culture makes us do or give financial and valuable favors, gifts and contracts in order to get our children employed in their organisation.

How special are Dr. Tedros and Dr. Kesete to be candidates for this job among the many other African scholars, medical practitioners or policy makers? Especially, now that both of them are going to be working in almost two sister companies? What makes the many appointees working in international organisations and NGOs, receiving hefty salaries and benefits from the rest of us? Mostly, it is not their merit, it is their networks or the worldwide nepotism!

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Most developed countries regularly publish/update travel warnings/advice to their citizens planning to travel abroad. The two most sharpest and often updated travel advice are US’s Travel Warning and UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

We look at FCO’s latest travel advice on Ethiopia. It was updated on 19 February 2016 but is still current at March 9, 2016. The details of the travel updates by the US and other European Countries is not much different from the following advice of the UK.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all travel to:

• within 10 km of the border with Eritrea, with the exception of the main road through Axum and Adigrat, and tourist sites close to the road (e.g. Debre Damo and Yeha)
• areas off the principal roads/towns within 10 km of the borders with Sudan and Kenya
• within 10 km of the border with South Sudan
• the Nogob (previously Fik), Jarar (previously Degehabur), Shabelle (previously Gode), Korahe and Dollo (previously Warder) zones of the Somali region.
• within 100 km of the Ethiopian border with Somalia and Kenya in the Afder and Liben zones of Ethiopia’s Somali region
• the Danakil desert area: north of the Mille-Djibouti and Mille-Chifra roads, and east of the towns of Bere-Ale, Shehet, Didigsala and Chifra
• the four woredas (districts) (Akobo, Wantawo, Jikawo and Lare) of the Nuer zone and the Jore woreda of the Agnuak zone of the Gambella region

The FCO advise against all but essential travel to:

• Ziway Wored and Adami Tulu in the East Shewa Zone and Shahemene, Arsi Negele, Seraro, Kofele, Dodola, and Kokosa Woredas in West Arsi Zone in the Oromia region (this includes travel from Ziway town to Hawassa town, including the Lake Langano area)
• west and south-west Shewa zones in the Oromia region (this area includes the popular tourist destination of Wenchi Crater)
• Jijiga town
• Three woredas of the Agnuak zone of the Gambella region that border on South Sudan (Dima, Goge and Etang) and the Gambella Wildlife Reserve (taking into account the advice against all travel to within 10km of the border with South Sudan)

Whether total ban or warning on non essential travel, the above map shows that traveling to most parts of Ethiopia is not advisable.

Looking at the above  list one may wonder which part/region of Ethiopia can anyone/tourist or investor or else travel safely? What does Ethiopia’s PM Hailemariam mean when he says “ ‘We are an island of stability in a troubled region’“.

Compare this with Kenya….below

Which part of Ethiopia is stable and safe to travel to or work/invest?

Please read the details of the advice HERE!

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You are cordially invited to a joint civil society side event on freedom of assembly and state of civil society in Ethiopia.
The event, to be held on Thursday, 03 March, 12:00-13:00 in room XXII (22),
It will provide an important opportunity to hear directly from human rights defenders about the ongoing crackdown on protests in the #Oromia region.

For more information about recent violations of civic space in Ethiopia please see the recent joint civil society letter to the UN HRC.

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Ethiopians at home, in the Diaspora and abroad are celebrating the 120th victory of Adwa, where Ethiopia became the only country to defeat Italian colonizing forces.

Ethiopia remains the only independent African country due to this victory.

On Facebook, a page was created to mark the day “Let Us Celebrate the Victory of Adwa together on Facebook.”

The day is also celebrating by African countries and the African Diaspora spread out around the world. Last week, the Montgomery County in the US declared that the month of March would be officially named Adwa as of this year.

The most widely shared photograph on social media was the picture of his majesty Emperor (Emyee) Menelik II. Creatively designed and painted photographs and drawings of the emperor were shared by Ethiopian virtual youth.

Every year on this day, Adwa is celebrating in front of this statue of Emperor Menelik near Menelik Square in Addis Abeba.

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Speaking during a Mass at the Bon Pastur chapel in Balzan, Archbishop Charles Scicluna announced yesterday that the Lourdes Chapel in Floriana is going to be given to Ethiopian and Eritrean Christians to pray in.

He said this gesture is in thanksgiving to the gifts that migrants are bringing to Malta.

The use of the church in Floriana will be coordinated between the Capuchin friars and the Migrants Commission.

Source: http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2016-01-18/local-news/Arcbishop-announces-Floriana-chapel-to-be-given-to-Ethiopian-and-Eritrean-Christians-6736151894?

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The Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs has today released a four line official statement stating its strategic allegiance to Saudi Arabia and condemning the attack against Saudi Embassy in Tehran, Iran last week following the former’s execution of an Iranian Shia cleric.

Eritrea’s Foreign Ministry noted that Eritrea has a ” strategic neighborly ties with Saudi Arabia.”

The statement further noted that it “condemns the violation perpetuated against the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Tehran.”

The statement is explicitly condemning Iran and officially reaffirming that Eritrea is camping with Saudi Arabia rather than the Iranian block.

Three  years ago, Starfor, the global intelligence agency had reported that Israel and Iran were both holding military bases in Eritrea on the shore of the Red Sea. Especially, Iran’s advance and politico-economic ties with Eritrea had been reported since 2011.

In June 2015, Yemen’s exiled government accused Iran of using Eritrea’s Red Sea islands to support the Houthi rebels, according to an Egyptian News website. The claims were soon rejected by Eritrea.

In November 2015, however, Saudi Arabia and Eritrea signed security and military agreement on fighting terrorism, illegal trade and piracy in the Red Sea, when Eritrea’s Isayas Afeworki traveled to Saudi Arabia for the talks.

Today’s official statement by Eritrea reveals that the country has re-aligned itself with Saudi Arabia indirectly becoming a U.S. ally once again via Saudi Arabia and standing to fight the Houti rebels in Yemen.

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