Ethiopia Update–TPLF Denied Legal Status & more –18 May 2023

th of May: 2023

Until recently, the House of People's Representatives, the legislature, deemed the Tigray People's Liberation Front (or TPLF) a terrorist organization. After this designation was lifted, the front applied to the National Election Board to lift the legal personality restriction of the TPLF. The board had previously decided to ban the party's members from working in name of the front, to attach its assets for payment of its debt, and use remaining assets to promote public participation in elections. On Saturday the 13th, the board denied the TPLF's application.

The front was not happy with the decision. On Tuesday the 16th, they released a statement saying that the board’s decision will put the ongoing peace process at risk. The front announced that it will discuss the matters with other stakeholders and asked the board to reconsider in light of the Pretoria agreement -which seeks peace between the TPLF and the executive- and the decisions of the federal government.

It has been more than a month since a war in neighboring country Sudan broke out. Ethiopia has steadily affirmed its commitment to help peacefully end the conflict. This commitment was reaffirmed when Molly Phee, the US Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, came to Addis on a work trip on Sunday the 14th. The Assistant Secretary met with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who talked about his government’s neutrality in the matter and commitment to end the conflict peacefully. Phee also sat down with officials of international organizations stationed in Addis. Her trip to Addis came to an end on Tuesday the 16th.

Speaking of officials in Addis, Francia Marquez,Colombia’s vice president, arrived in the capital on Wednesday the 17th. Marquez had a talk with deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Demeke Mekonnen, and agreed to work together in various sectors including trade, investment, tourism, tech and aviation. The duo signed a Memorandum of Understanding. During the meeting, it was announced that Colombia is going to reopen its embassy in Ethiopia fifty years after it was closed - a decision Demeke commended. Colombia’s Vice President explained that this decision was made because of Ethiopia’s significant influence in Africa.

More news on foreign affairs as the House of People’s Representatives approved a bill on extradition and mutual judicial cooperation in criminal matters with the United Arab Emirates and Turkey. The Council of Ministers approved and sent the bill to the House of People’s Representatives back in January this year. The Council of Ministers explained the importance of this law saying that it will prevent organized cross-border crimes and ensure the rule of law.

If you’re a regular listener of our podcasts, you’ll know that in Ethiopia, there’s a nationwide university entrance exam for soon-to-be highschool graduates. But did you know that sixth and eighth grade students all over the country also have to sit for an exam to pass to the next grade? That’s right, even though the exams aren’t prepared at the national level, but at the city and regional level, they are mandatory. The Addis Ababa Education Bureau revealed that it is going to conduct the grade eight exams in late June and the grade six exams in early July. About seventy-five thousand students from both eighth and sixth grade are expected to sit for the exams in Addis alone.

The schedule didn’t sit well with the city’s Islamic Affairs High Council. The Council wrote a letter to the city’s education bureau rejecting the schedule. In the letter, the council explained that on the days the eighth grade exam will be held, the eve and the holiday of Eid Al-Adha will be celebrated. The Council finally urged the bureau to postpone or pull back the days of the exam by at least three days and announce its decision within a week.

On that note about exam days, the Ministry of Education revealed on Thursday the 18th that the National University Entrance Exams will be held from the 26th of July to the 6th of August. The Ministry said that the exams are going to be conducted in government universities and reminded the universities to be prepared for the exam by the 22nd of July.

The Ethiopian Construction Management Institute revealed that it has drafted a bill obliging large construction firms to work with small scale contractors. The institute said that the bill will support smaller construction firms to gain experience and to ensure their accountability. In drafting the bill, the institute said that it worked with consulting firms, universities, Ministries and other stakeholders. The Ministry of Urban and Infrastructure will review the draft law and if the Ministry approves it, the House of People's Representatives will vote on it.

Alebachew Amogne, The capital's sub-city district officer, was murdered on Friday the 12th. The sub-city's communication bureau said a police officer killed him because he was allegedly disgruntled with how Alebachew dealt with his affairs. The city's police commission said that the alleged perpetrator is in custody and the investigation is underway.

The Oromia Regional Government held a ceremony for the beginning of the construction of the regional palace. The palace is going to be built in the Bole sub-city of the capital on more than six hectares of land. The region said that the project's design represents the Oromo peoples' heritage, culture and history. It was also announced that the Chinese Civil Engineering Corporation would build the palace— which predicts that the project will be completed in two years.

Since Abiy’s ascent to power, plans to privatize various sectors have been introduced and some have materialized with the entrance of Safaricom, a foreign private telecom company, into the Ethiopian market. The government plans to issue another license for another foreign company to engage in the telecom sector. To that end, officials from the Ministry of Finance met with Orange, France’s largest telecom company and Veon, a Dutch telecom firm. Both have expressed their interests in entering the Ethiopian market. The more recent meeting was with Veon, in which officials invited the group’s CEO and his team to come to Ethiopia to ‘actualize investment engagements’.

Ethiopian Airlines is the biggest airline in Africa with numerous destinations all over the world. On Wednesday the 17th, the Airline flew to the latest addition in its destination list - Atlanta, increasing the cities in the US it flies to five. Right before the inaugural flight, Mesfin Tassew, the company’s CEO, Andre Dickens, Atlanta’s mayor, Adanech Abebe, Addis mayor, and Ann Jacobson, US’ embassy’s Charge d’affaires Tracey, came together at the Bole International Airport on the occasion. The Airline will fly to Atlanta four times every week.

A few weeks back, we told you that the Ethiopian National Football Team and coach Wubetu Abate as well as his assistant had parted ways. The post for coach and assistant coach had since been vacant, until Monday the 15th, when the Ethiopian Football Federation revealed that Daniel Gebre-Egziabher will be the coach in the interim, for at least the next few games.

Iconic musician who later became a spiritual songs singer Hirut Bekele passed away on Friday the 12th at the age of eighty. Her tracks are beloved by many and are still listened to. Even after her exit from the professional music scene, she has released numerous albums of spiritual songs.

Aaaaand that’s it for this week! We are a few people trying to share knowledge, with no ads, and no screens. Support us so we can keep doing what we love. Check the link in our show notes to support us.

Ciao!