Let us unite with love; surpass in forgiveness!

Vol. LXXVI No 217 21 May 2020 - Ginbot 13, 2012 Price Birr 5.75

Page 5Page 8

See COVID-19’s. .. page 4

Page 6

Spotting opportunities in Ethiopia:

The story of serial entrepreneurAddis Alemayehou

High time to permanently

cancel Africa’s debt

Our African ally in the fight against fascism

Page 4

Ethiopia promotes collective security, multilateralism: FM

Gedu

BY GIRMACHEW GASHAW

Being one of the major foreign currency earners for the country, the hotel and tourism industry has been hit hard by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking the long-run impact into consideration, the government has included it among the sectors chosen to access loans from the 15 billion birr injected to banks to stimulate the economy.

The National Bank of Ethiopian (NBE) transferred directives for all state-owned and private banks to release loans to businesses so that they withstand the effects of COVID-19.

Ethiopian Tour Operators Association General Manager Kiros Mehari tells The Ethiopian Herald that since the start of COVID-19, tour operators have Been highly affected as most countries have put restrictions on the movement of people. As part of the world, Ethiopia tourism sectors in general and tour operators, in particular, have been seriously affected.

“What makes the situation worse is the peak season for Ethiopian tourism is approaching. It is a time when tourism generates a large amount of hard currency. However, tourists who were planning to visit Ethiopia next

COVID-19’s hard-hit sector awaiting loan access from

gov’t’s fund

BY MULATU BELACHEW

As Ethiopia is finalizing preparations to start the filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) next July, an international law expert said the country has

been following the highest moral standards and international law in relation to GERD.

Speaking to The Ethiopian Herald, Zelalem Moges, (Ph.D) said Ethiopia’s decision to build GERD and utilize its water resources

is not only justified in light of international law but also highest moral standards.

Poverty is an existential threat to the country. Hence, fighting poverty is a means

See Ethiopia follows ... page 2

Ethiopia follows highest moral standards, international law in relation to GERD: International law expert

The expert also argues Egypt’s attempt to put undue pressure on Ethiopia through the Arab League, US, World Bank reveals serious contempt to Ethiopia's sovereignty, fellow African countries and African institutions

Bankers’ Association praises new NBE directiveBY TEWODROS KASSA

ADDIS ABABA - Ethiopian Bankers’ Association (EBA) said National Bank of Ethiopia’s (NBE) new directive to limit the amount of cash withdrawal from banks is a right move as it encourages legal transactions and limits unnecessary possession of cash banknotes.

With the aim of curbing tax avoidance and illegal circulation of money, the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) on Tuesday introduced a directive that limits cash See Bankers’ ... page 4

withdrawal from banks.

Association Chairperson and Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) President Abbe

Sano said that the public should not be confused about the new directive.

• Urge Egypt to embrace cooperation

PAGE 2THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 21 MAY 2020

NATIONAL

of ensuring the survival of Ethiopia and GERD is indispensable in becoming victorious in this fight, he said.

“In this vein, Ethiopia is not building a nuclear bomb to destroy others, but instead is building a water dam to lift its citizens from abject poverty. In doing so, it nevertheless has not disregarded similar interests of Egyptians or ever wished to preserve its own at the expense of Egypt.

“Ethiopia has always considered the fundamental interests of Egypt and attempted to continuously engage Egypt in the course of the construction of the dam. This musters the highest moral standards of any kind” said, Zelalem. The Government is also under an obligation to ensure an adequate standard of living to its people.

From the perspective of international law, the construction of the dam is both justified and necessary. Most international and regional human rights treaties and other rules of international law recognize the right of all people to social and economic development Zelalem said

Ethiopia follows ...

BY LAKACHEW ATINAFU

As the country is experiencing constitutional debate due to the delay in the elections following the COVID-19 pandemic, a political science scholar and a political party leader are insisting that priority should be given to long term issues of national interests and holding credible elections.

The arrival of COVID-19 could not have come at a more sensitive time for Ethiopia, which was due to hold pivotal elections in August after five years of political turmoil. On 31 March, some two weeks after authorities announced the first coronavirus case in Africa’s second-most populous country, the electoral board suspended preparations for the vote due to the public health risk.

The situation has resulted in divergent views among different political actors with varied interests regarding the issue.

Some politicians are calling for the establishment of a transitional government since elections couldn’t be held on time while others are calling for

ADDIS ABABA - The UK will invest up to £20 millionin the African Union’s new ‘African Union Covid-19 Response Fund’to tackle coronavirus and save lives.

According to the press release the UN embassy sent to The Ethiopian Herald, this makes the UK the largest national donor to the fund, which was announced by Cyril Ramaphosa, Chairperson of the African Union (AU) and President of the Republic of South Africa last month.

The fund will tackle the pandemic by recruiting African health experts and

BY TSEGAYE TILAHUN

ADDSI ABABA -Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has donated personal protective equipment (PPE) to Ras Desta Damtew Memorial Hospital and Sele Enat Charitable Organization to help fight against the spread of COVID-19 yesterday.

KIM DONG HO, Country Director of KOICA Ethiopia Office said that so far the Korean government has donated COVID-19 prevention instruments and PPE worth about 470 thousand USD for Ethiopia.

Yesterday the office has provided additional PPE a worth of 19,000 USD to Ras Desta Damtew Memorial Hospital and Sele Enat Charitable Organization.

According to him, the support includes testing kits, disinfectant, hand sanitizer, and face masks in collaboration with Korean non-governmental organizations, in the fight for COVID-19.

During the handing over ceremony, Ras Desta Damtew Memorial Hospital CEO Dr. Teshome Hundessa expressed gratitude for the continuous support and solidarity by the Korean government and the Korean community in Ethiopia.

a constitutional amendment. Then again, others are calling that holding elections is a must regardless of circumstances.

Council of Constitutional Inquiry also held a public hearing with members of the Constitution Drafting Commission and experts who had roles in writing the present constitution.

Sisay Asemrie, Assistant Professor of Political Philosophy at Gondar University tells The Ethiopian Herald that the government has to handle internal issues very seriously. “Some tribal chiefs are acting as if they are running an autonomous nation and this has become common.”

Some political groups have also shown their willingness to trade national interests in exchange for narrow political gains, he said.

“Thus, the incumbent has to prioritize sovereignty of the country as the most sensitive national and regional agenda.”

Despite the fact that elections are an important component of the democratization process, there is no moral ground to hold elections at this

critical time where health crisis is imminent, he added.

Hence, he said national security and the safety of the people should be the priority of the time, and then “we will be able to deal with the issue later on.”

Natnael Feleqe Communication Head of Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice Party says that postponing the election is a choice without an option due to a health crisis that the world is dealing with.

“It is important that we hold the elections when the public is in the state of tranquillity and inner composure,” he said.

As the country is aspiring to achieve a transition to democracy, elections are one of the most important parts of the process. According to Natnael however, it is impossible to hold free and fair elections as the time doesn’t allow the assemblage of the people to deliberate on issues that matter.

“The current global situation demands that we prioritize putting the global pandemic under control,” he said.

Priority should be given to immediate national security threats: Expert, parties

adding Ethiopians, as Egyptians, do have the right to develop using their natural resources, including the Nile.

As to him, when it comes to Tarns-Boundary Rivers, international law enjoins upper riparian countries from causing significant harm to lower riparian countries. However, such an obligation is a two-way street, that is, lower riparian countries are obliged to desist from activities that occasion significant harm on upper riparian States.

“In both cases, it should be emphasized that what international law proscribes is significant harm, not every sort of harm. This is relevant because water is a scarce commodity and its use by one country, naturally depletes the resource and some harm is inevitable,” he explained.

He also said when it comes to GERD, there is no scientific evidence showing that the dam will cause significant harm to Egypt. “All evidence indicates that Egypt will in the long run benefit from it, as evaporation is lower in Ethiopia than in the Aswan Dam and the regular flow of

the water can be maintained.”

Egypt’s current problem does not seem to be coming from the fear of facing significant harm as a result of the construction or operation of the dam.

“Instead, as its recent letter to the Security Council clearly shows its principal fear is seeing what it calls a ‘’hydro-hegemonic’’ power in the region. This is not a question of fairness but a desire to sustain unjustified dominance and sheer hypocrisy. If it were an issue of fairness, Ethiopians would have stood by Egypt’s side, for Ethiopians know and sympathetic to the true causes of justice and fairness,” he said.

As to the expert, the way forward is not to stop engaging in zero-sum smear campaigns or escalate it into a security issue. It is an economic one and should be a source of cooperation and mutually destructive conflicts.

“Egyptians should also embrace their Africans and try to ‘Africanize’ their engagements. It is pathetic that Egypt always chooses to run to global institutions and non-African countries to resolve its disputes than involving leaders

from fellow African countries and the good offices of African institutions such as the African Union.

“Egypt’s attempt to put undue pressure, under a threat of coercion, on Ethiopia through the Arab League, the United States, and World Bank is not only pathetic but also a serious failure of diplomatic protocol.

“It also revealed a serious contempt to Ethiopia’s sovereignty, fellow African countries and African institutions, and above all, a total disregard of the basic principles of peaceful dispute settlement recognized by the African Union Constitutive Act and the United Nations Charter,” he underlined.

It is, therefore, time for Egypt to come back to the negotiating table and sort out the outstanding issues using the best of the African culture of negotiation and mediation if need be. It only needs good faith, he said.

“Showing of force and preparing for war will not sustainably promote its interest. War is an internecine undertaking and once and if it starts, it will not be able to insulate itself from the fire,” he noted.

KOICA donates PPE to help fight

against COVID -19

UK to work with African Union to slow spread of coronavirus in Africa • £20 million to help African response to coronavirus

deploying them where they are needed most, strengthening global tracking of the pandemic, combatting potentially harmful misinformation, providing specialist coronavirus training for health workers and making information about the virus more accessible to the public.

Announcing the funding yesterday, International Development Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said “As the UK faces its biggest peacetime challenge in tackling coronavirus, it’s never been more important to work with our partners in

Africa to fight disease.

“No one is safe until we are all safe and this new funding and support for African leadership will help protect us all – in the UK, Africa and around the world – from further spread of the virus.”

The announcement follows calls between Minister for Africa James Duddridge, AU Commissioner for Trade and Industry Albert Muchanga and AU Commissioner for Social Affairs Amira El-Fadil in which they discussed the risks Africa faces from

the pandemic and how the UK is working with partners on the continent to tackle these shared global issues.

This new support comes ahead of the UK hosting the virtual Global Vaccine Summit on 4th June, to secure future funding for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which has already saved the lives of millions of children in Africa from infectious diseases

Yesterday’s announcement brings the total UK aid contribution to fighting coronavirus to up to £764 million ($935.6 million).

The Ethiopian Herald

Established in 1943Published daily except Mondays By The Ethiopian Press Agency

General Manager Tel. 011-126-42-22

Fax. 251-011-156-98-62Advertisement and Dist.

Department email:epapromotion@press.et

Tel. 011-157-02-70Editor-in-Chief: Kifle Worku

email- kifle.worku@press.et Address- Kolfe Keranio

Sub-city Woreda - 03, House No----

Tel- +251 111 26 41 98

Website: www.press.et email: ethiopianherald@press.et

Fb/ /Ethiopian Press Agency/ The Ethiopian Herald

Editorial

Opinion

PAGE 3 THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 21 MAY 2020

Lakachew AtinafuGirmachew Gashaw

Tewodros KassaTsegaye Tilahun

Mulatu Belachew

Deputy-Editor-in-Chief Abiy Hailu

Email- abiyhailu156@gmail.com

Editors/Reporters

Since the start, Ethiopia has been consistently stating that it stands for mutually beneficial and sustainable benefit-sharing from the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). While finalizing the construction of the Dam, Ethiopia is still maintaining that a win-win solution is attainable and calling on the other side to follow suit.

It has been nine years since the construction of the GERD officially began. Despite facing several difficulties in the course of time, the construction is now reaching its final stage through the relentless commitment, contributions and efforts of all Ethiopians, who are eager to see the Dam improving their lives.

Until today, 60 million Ethiopians do not have access to electricity. Despite being poor economically, that is why the majority of Ethiopians have been contributing their share to the construction of the Dam. Their relentless contributions are the reason behind the construction to reach 73 percent. The civil engineering work has also reached 87 percent. They are also committed more than ever to finalize the remaining 27 percent of the work.

While Ethiopia has strongly attached its development prospects with the Dam, it doesn’t by any means claim to violate the rights of other riparian countries to continue to use the Nile waters for their development. It is public knowledge that Ethiopia aspires to develop with upper and lower riparian countries.

For long Ethiopia has been actively working to ensure fair and equable utilization of the Nile among riparian countries. It has been in the front seat, leading the effort to establish the Nile basin initiative. It has also become exemplary in utilizing the

Nile as per international laws and in a manner that does not harm other countries.

Ethiopia showed total openness by making sure that Sudanese and Egyptian experts took part in the study to determine the impacts of the Dam. In the process, it has made sure that the construction of the Dam would benefit lower riparian countries rather than harming their interests. Particularly, besides preventing siltation and flood downstream, the Dam would benefit other countries in the region economically through improving power supply.

Egypt, on the other hand, has been persistently opposing Ethiopia’s right to utilize the Nile, a country that contributes more than 80 percent of the waters. Since the start of the Dam’s construction, Egypt has left no stone unturned to prevent the realization of the Dam.

Once again, now as Ethiopia is preparing to start filling the Dam in the coming July, Egypt is trying to be a stumbling block and disrupt the process. However, as Ethiopia remains committed to mutual benefit and cooperation over the utilization of the Nile, false allegations and propaganda will not deter it from finalizing what it has started. In fact, after the first filling, two units would start power production next year.

Hence, there is no reason for Ethiopia to halt its plan for a second as it has been consistent in its commitment to a win-win solution. Plus, scientific studies also revealed that the Dam would not harm the interests of downstream countries. Ethiopia will start the filling of the Dam next July and this would be one of the biggest achievements of Ethiopians in recent history.

Ethiopia’s unchanging commitment to mutual cooperation over the Nile

Needless to say, the outbreak of COVID -19 pandemic all over the world has disturbed the political, social, economic, religious and financial structures of the whole world. Most of the nations are going through recession and the collapse of their economic structure. With the staggering conditions in this regard; almost 80 countries have already requested International Monetary Fund (IMF) for financial help.

Our economy, which was said to have grown in double-digit consecutively for a decade; yet paradoxically relying much on foreign aid and accruing grants from fellow nations, not to mention the immense international loans, holds just a dwindled market share in the global economy.

At the dawn of the political change that occurred a couple of years before, it was expected to undergo a grave economic downturn for the years ahead; even before the outbreak of the pandemic. With the outbreak of the pandemic, fuel was added to the fire. As a result, the government is now totally absorbed in combating the pandemic and curb its wide range of adverse consequences. Praiseworthy its decision is, as nothing is more important than protecting the welfare of citizens.

With many businesses now on the verge

Dilemmas in the move towards Regional Economic Integration, the FTA

Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald

BY ENEDALE ASSEFA of shutting down, production dwindling in manufacturing industries, banks in fear of liquidity the problem, the service sector almost being in the brink of total closure, agricultural productivity expected to shrink due to crop failure with ample size of the farm being infested by locust, it is high time for the government to take time, contemplate and revitalize some of the local and international economic decisions already undertaken. No opportune moment may come better than today with COVID-19 shattering everything and lessening movements. The best gift of COVID-19 is, perhaps, a moment in time to do nothing but contemplate, one may not have in a lifetime in this hectic world. The focus of this article pinpoints only on the international economic accords made by the country, especially in the region.

Bidding to swim in the global economic circle generally and with the vision of economic integration of African countries, in particular, Ethiopia has been one of the signatory countries for founding the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) in 1994.

Established with a vision to be a fully integrated economic community that is prosperous, internationally competitive, and ready to merge into the African Economic Community, COMESA that comprises 21 African nations, aims at promoting

regional integration through trade and the development of natural and human resources for the mutual benefit of all people in the region. Among the five main objectives of the COMESA, which are not, of course, limited to just five, one of it underscores the need to create and maintain full free trade area guaranteeing the free movement of goods and services produced within COMESA and the removal of all tariffs and non-tariff barriers. This is the focus of attention in this short compilation.

Ethiopia, being one of the founders of the Organization of African Union, now the AU, does support every single socio-economic and political measures are undertaken by the union; as long as it benefits the continent. Besides, the country clearly understands and believes in the motives behind establishing the COMESA; as well as the noble ideas underlying the economic integration concepts like harmony, peace and integrated growth through mutual interest.

It was with this conviction, the country’s move towards economic integration gained momentum when the Council of Minister of Ethiopia last year approved the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), which envisages creating the largest common market in the world. Earlier in 2018 March, it is recalled that Ethiopia had signed AFCTFA in Kigali, to become the

44th nation in the menu.

However, despite the fact that Ethiopia is a member of the COMESA, the country is not so far a member of the Free Trade Area (FTA) that was launched in 2000. Should the country step up to join the free trade area or refrain from the move due to various factors has been a bone of contention for many years in the past.

Some Scholars, which is also the best conviction of this writer, say Ethiopia is increasingly collaborating with its neighbours – notably Kenya, Sudan, Djibouti and South Sudan – in the areas of energy and transport, among others, and the Ethiopian private sector is increasingly investing in those countries. All these countries are thus enhancing their economic co-operation despite the tense and complex security situation in the region, and Ethiopia’s still being outside the formal FTA.

The benefits for Ethiopia in joining the FTA are therefore unclear, and it may well gain more from continuing to develop its economic relations with its neighbours beyond the formal trade liberalisation within the ambit of the FTA.

see Dilemmas in the move page...7

PAGE 4THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 21 MAY 2020

NATIONAL Ethiopia promotes collective security,

multilateralism: FM GeduBY STAFF REPORTER

ADDIS ABABA- Ethiopia, as founding member of prestigious international and continental organizations like the United Nations as well as the African Union and its precursor OAU, promotes the concept of collective security and multilateralism at international, regional and sub-regional levels, said Foreign Affairs Minister GeduAndargachew. In a letter conveyed to the UN Security Council on May 14, 2020, Gedu mentioned Ethiopia’s endeavors to create a fair and balanced cooperation with Nile riparian countries through the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) and the agreement on the Nile River Basin Cooperative Framework (CFA). He also unveiled what he described as a continued unilateral approach by Egypt manifested in rejecting region-wide cooperative frameworks on the Nile River. Elaborating on this, he said Egypt constructed the High Aswan Dam and new canals without any consultation with regional stakeholders. “It is worth nothing that Egypt ignored Ethiopia’s protests in the years, 1956, 1957, 1980, and 1997 objecting to the significant harm Egypt’s water infrastructure would cause to Ethiopia and other Nile riparian

•UrgeEgypttoembracecooperationstates.”Regarding the ongoing trilateral discussions on the filling and annual operation the GERD, he underscored that the country’s position is guided by accepted principles on equitable and reasonable utilization and causing of no significant harm as well as cooperation.Indicating as the principles are stipulated in the Declaration of Principles (DoP), signed in March 2015, by Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan, he went on to say that in unprecedented manner, Ethiopia took the initiative to establish International Panel of Experts (IPoE), in 2011 and invited Egypt and the Sudan, enabling them to participate in the evaluation of the design and study document of the GERD. “Ethiopia in good faith also accepted and applied the recommendation so the IPoE, which was then appreciated by Egypt and the Sudan as recorded in the DoP.”The Minister also underlined as Egypt’s insistence to “historic rights” and “current use” as a baseline to conduct the IPoE recommended studies curtailed works of the Tripartite National Committee (TNC) that Ethiopia together with the lower riparian countries facilitated. Other similar efforts of Ethiopia went

to no avail due to Egypt’s stubborn position, he added.Concerning the draft document that Egypt claimed to have initiated in February 2020, he said:“it is crucial to note that the tripartite negotiation on the GERD has not resulted in any agreement. During the negotiation process, despite Ethiopia’s request to postpone the meeting that was scheduled for 27-28 February 2020, consultations were held in our absence.”He also cited outstanding differences on matters of fundamental importance that have far reaching consequences for the interests of Ethiopia and contravening the DoP. It also enlisted the differences as: “First severely limiting the capacity of the dam to generate electricity, second forming rules that are impractical for dam filling and operation which defy accepted practices; third going beyond the scope of the negotiations on the GERD and inhibiting the rights of the present and future generations by curtaining upstream development; forth undermining Ethiopia’s sovereign right to operate its own dam; and forth, proffering watersharing agreement side-lining the CFA and ignoring the rights of other Nile riparian countries with combined population of over 25 million.”

Indicating that it is common worldwide, Abbe said Ethiopia is even late in introducing the directive. “It was technological limitations that hindered the country from introducing the directive earlier,” he said.

“Currently, there are various options for easy money transaction including mobile and online banking, ATM and others,” he added.

Currently, majority of fund transfer is already being completed through Account to Account Transfer and hence the new directive would not have an impact in terms of the volume of transactions, according to him.

He also said there are exceptions where individual customers and companies could withdraw cash providing they have convincing reasons.

For his part, Association Board Member and Zemen Bank President Dereje Zebene said that the directive will accelerate modern transactions in the country.

The new directive is also common in other countries. “It is not also allowed to withdraw a large amount of money in most countries of the world,” he emphasized.

The measure will also help to build a strong financial system, encourage saving, and curb terrorism and illicit financial transactions. Dereje said.

Bankers’...

rent their cars as they are out of service now. At least this will help them to gain some income.”

“Two months ago, we have heard that the government would inject 15 billion Birr fund to banks so that they provide loans to hard-hit sectors by the pandemic. But when we present our request to the banks, their response is that ‘they have not received any directives from the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE).”

NBE claims that it transferred directives for all state-owned and private banks to release the loans.

In a letter sent to both private and government banks, NBE Deputy Governor Fekadu Degefe asked banks to take measures to ease the severe impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on the hotel and tourism sector.

As to the letter, as part of a six month recovery period scheme, the government has decided for the tourism and hotel sectors to access the fund to support their operational budget with an annual interest rate of not more than five per cent effective as of May 10, 2020.

Out of the total loan to be provided for the sector, some 11 per cent will be allocated to tour operators.

December have cancelled their trips due to the pandemic. Hence, tour operators and agencies will lose a significant amount of income.”

Apart from paying office rent, tour operators are expected to pay a salary for their staff and repeatedly shared their concern with the association about how they are going to deal with their expenses, he said.

People in tourist destination areas whose income is totally dependent on tourism have also become severely affected. “We have been collecting data to know how much tour operators have lost due to the pandemic,” Kiros said.

If it takes four to five months to contain the pandemic, it will be hard for the tourism sector to quickly recover from its effects. As the damage may stay here for long, it needs the synergy of all stakeholders to rescue the sector, as to Kiros.

“So far, we have not been informed of companies that reduced the number of employees. But if the government does not take immediate measure to support them, they will be forced to terminate the contracts of their employees,” he said. “Some have requested the government to

COVID-19’s...

PAGE 5 THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 21 MAY 2020

VIEWPOINT

Our African ally in the fight against fascism

Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect

the stance of The Ethiopian Herald.

BY TATYANA JOLIVET

The beginning of World War II or an armed conflict?

I will not reveal the secrets that the official beginning of the Second World War was September 1, 1939. Not all historians agree with this. When is the war officially started then? By whom and by what principles was it announced? September 1, 1939 is considered by many Eurocentric historians as the war’s beginning. And our Russian historians agreed with this proposal in the 50th, despite the fact that perhaps it was not in our interests.

However, fascists Italy began rehearsing the world massacre in Africa much earlier. Colonial ambitions in relation to Ethiopia did not leave Italy since the end of the 19th century when Italian troops suffered a shameful defeat. From that time, even after several decades Italy did not abandon the idea of expanding its colonial possessions in Africa at the expense of the only non-colonized country.

Was it diplomatic miscalculation or a well-planned action?

We will try to briefly and simply say about this complex and lengthy process. For several years, Mussolini was preparing for the war with Ethiopia. He ran an information campaign against Ethiopia, accusing the negus (emperor) Haile Selassie I of the slave trade and suggested that the international community hands over the power to Italy to “restore order in Abyssinia.”

He was literally agreeing with Great Britain if it will be against his invasion of Ethiopia. None of the countries of the future anti-fascist coalition said a word against the invasion.

In turn, Haile Selassie, realising the inevitability of a war with Italy, tried to negotiate with the future aggressor. A couple of months prior to the start of the war, he turned to the League of Nations (where both, Ethiopia and Italy were members) asking to take international measures to prevent the war. Let’s just say that the leading member countries of the League of Nations gave up Ethiopia to be torn to pieces by Italy. Not only did they not sanction the aggressor, but they also did not give Ethiopia the opportunity to improve its military armaments.

Have England and France then understood that they, through their own actions, destroyed the principles of collective security? If they would have had acted differently, perhaps they could have avoided the Second World War.

Italian-Ethiopian War

I don’t know what the Italians think in this respect, but modern Ethiopians whom I know personally consider this war a frank genocide of the Ethiopian people, for which no one has yet been accounted responsible. During the war, not to mention the advantage of the Italian side in the technical means and armaments, they gladly used mustard gas. This is the chemical weapon that was used during the First World War and was then banned by the Geneva Convention for use during military operations. You will not believe it, but war has also its own rules. And for their violations, the perpetrators must be punished. Tens of thousands of Ethiopian civilians died from gas attacks.

For those Ethiopians who know history, it was especially shocking that the brotherly Christian people (even if they were Catholic) received a blessing from the Pope for this holy war against the Orthodox Christian people. When the message of the

victory of Italians reached Italy, jubilant, triumphant citizens gathered on the streets of large cities celebrating the fall of Addis Abeba.

The war began in 1935, and a year later Italy announced the creation of Italian East Africa. Interestingly, the Negus Haile Selassie received asylum in Great Britain, with whose tacit consent the Italian aggression took place in the first place and who also recognised the annexation of Ethiopia by Italy in 1938.

Yes, Addis Ababa fell, Ethiopia was defeated against a well-trained and well-armed adversary. Its commander in chief left the country, but this did not mean that the Ethiopian state ceased to exist and the war ended. The interim government brought the war into an underground phase. Indeed, the partisan movement

successfully resisted the invaders until May 5, 1941, when the offensive of the British-Ethiopian forces forced Italians to leave the country. Let’s not flatter ourselves at the expense of the British; it is not because of humanitarian reasons why they did this. This happened immediately as soon as Mussolini officially became Hitler’s ally, only then Great Britain represented by Winston Churchill declared the capture of Ethiopia illegal and declared itself an ally in 1940.

Support by the Soviet Union

Only the USSR morally and psych

ologically supported Ethiopia. So, the representatives of the Ethiopian government started seeking the Soviet support in practical way along with the possibility to re-establish the diplomatic relations. The Soviet Union was the only country who expressed fiercely disagreement with the European leaders at the meeting of League of the Nations in September 1935. The same September the delegate from the Emperor Haile Selassie, Martin Worknech, visited the representative bureau of the Soviet Union in London. He transmitted the gratitude of the Ethiopian government for the support by Soviets at the League of the Nations.

The European leaders didn’t want the rapprochement between two countries. Despite this fact in March 1936 David Halla, the personal representative of the Ethiopian Emperor came to Moscow for negotiations. At that time he was the chief of Bureau on Army supply.

The negotiations demonstrated the good intentions from both sides to re-establish the diplomatic links. But unfortunately, in a couple of months the Italian troops took over Addis-Ababa and this discussion was postponed for an uncertain time.

In the Soviet Union people deeply sympathized the Ethiopian folk who suffered from the Italian aggression. The topic of war was widely covered in the newspapers and journals. Two cameramen spent few months in Ethiopia to film the Italian crimes against humanity. The collected financial aid was sent to Ethiopia via the International Red Cross.

The pro-Ethiopian position of the Soviet Union was the serious moral political support for Ethiopia. This fact was reflected in “Ethiopia Herald” in 1944.

Conclusion

Thus, on May 5, Ethiopia celebrates Victory Day over fascism. As a result of the Italian occupation, approximately 800,000 Ethiopians died. A huge amount of toxic substances was brought into the country. In 2001, Ethiopia requested Italy for the whereabouts of these substances, but received no response.

Will history teach the world’s powerful states to act wise and transparent? I doubt it. And what about you?

Each of us had its own Patriotic War. The Russian people send the congratulations to the Ethiopian brothers with the Day of Patriots and let’s never forget our common enemy- fascism.

In turn, Haile Selassie, realising the inevitability of a war with Italy, tried to negotiate with the future

aggressor. A couple of months prior to the start of the war, he turned to the League of Nations (where both, Ethiopia and Italy were members)

asking to take international measures to prevent the war

Commentary

High time to permanently cancel Africa’s debt

PAGE 6THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 21 MAY 2020

BY WOSSENSEGED ASSEFA

The Berlin conference (1884), sometimes nicknamed ‘The Curse of Berlin’ has perpetuated

the European colonialism of Africa by devising a plan to officially scramble and effectively occupy Africa. The European presence in Africa did, in fact, begin long before the conference was held. The colonial expansion of the Europeans was successful because it was after the industrial revolution and they were able to command much military prowess over the African continent and other non-European states. The period leading up to the industrial revolution, and the 16th and 17th centuries, in particular, witnessed the beginning of the shaping of the African economy by European demand. With the onset of the industrial revolution in Europe, Africa lost its remaining autonomy and was reduced to being a supplier of slave labour for the plantations of America.

The colonial powers justified their colonial expansion as it was their responsibility to help the colonies develop. ‘The White Man’s Burden’, as they phrased it. A philosopher like Ernest Renan has on the contrary said, ‘Colonization is a first-order political necessity. A nation that doesn’t colonize is irrevocably destined for socialism and war between rich and poor.’ Even after the effective occupation came to an end in the 1960s, the European influence continued with economic exploitation and military intervention. Jacques Chirac, the French president(1995-2007), has once said, “We have to be honest, and acknowledge that big part the money in our banks comes precisely from the exploitation of the African continent.” He also added, “Without Africa, France would slide down into the rank of a third world power”

The African continent has passed through three phases of a scramble; Colonial scramble, Cold War scramble and Resource scramble. The scramble for resources is, of course, today’s reality. The Chinese have joined the later phase. The Chinese way is however different. Europeans send troops while the Chinese send businessmen. The Chinese model has consequently made China become the major trading partner for Africa.

The post-colonial economic exploitation and negative trade balance have drowned Africa in the huge debt burden. The debt burden is of course among the myriad of problems the African continent is facing. Upon the attainment of political independence, most African States have continuously been in pursuit of economic growth and development under different administrations. Faced with the economic challenges of low domestic savings and investment, the governments in Africa have had to resort

to the fiscal policy option of borrowing short, medium and long term loans from international financial institutions and other economies alike. Years after, a number of these African countries have piled up an unserviceable external debt which consequently has landed them into a sovereign debt crisis.

The literature about the origin of the African debt crisis lists a number of factors as its causes. The oil price shocks of 1973-74 and 1978-79, the expansion of the Eurodollar, a rise in public expenditure by African governments following rising commodity prices in the early 1970s, the recession in industrial countries and the subsequent commodity price fall, and a rise in real-world interest rate are usually mentioned as major factors (Alemayehu Geda, 2003).

The coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak has on its part brought a considerable economic disruption in the entire world. And the fragile health system and weaker economies of African states would likely to be the hardest hit, relatively speaking. The debt burden has further aggravated the continent’s socio-economic and political problems. International organizations such as UNICEF blame the problem of the external debt for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of children in some African countries. In addition, it pointed out that as countries are diverting resources away from social provisions to repay the debt; those most affected are the poor, especially women and children. This debt crisis has also been a factor behind the political instability in most African countries. The high level of corruption and mismanagement of borrowed public funds by the African political leaders has on the other amounted to an overbearing debt burden for the continent.

African debt, in absolute terms, is actually small by global standards. Trying to repay the debt is however a crushing burden for the African debtors. In other words, Africa's debt is so modest as to be no threat to anyone except to Africans. As they say, African countries aren’t borrowing too much but they’re paying too much for debt. If the amount of the debt is not that significant for the lenders, what possible reasons do they have not to cancel what Africa owes them? The American-French political scientist, Susan George, explain the leverage that the power of debt gives to the creditors. The first reason for Susan is the lenders will have control over the currency of the indebted nations and are usually instructed to devalue their currencies which make their exports cheaper for the creditor nations. The debt burden enables the creditors to boldly intervene in the macroeconomic policy framing (implementation of structural

adjustments programs) and also in the foreign policymaking process. Policies of international trade and foreign direct investments will also fall in the hands of the creditors. Debt makes debtors timid and creditors bold; Economic colonization it is in a nutshell. This is what the creditors are not willing to let go, Susan says.

As Karl von Clausewitz put it in his classic work On War, War is an act of violence whose goal is to force the adversary to do our will. Debt provides a powerful lever for forcing the third-world 'adversary' to submit to the will of the creditors.

African leaders have called for more comprehensive debt relief from bilateral, multilateral, and commercial partners asking for a forbearance of interest payments for all African countries for two to three years. They also called for $100 billion in support from donors to address the COVID-19 crisis, of which $44 billion would go towards debt relief. The G-20 has responded, though unsatisfactorily. They agreed only to suspend payment obligations on bilateral debt owned by their least developed counterparts through the end of the year. The goal was to free up more the $20 billion that poor governments could use to buttress their health services.

For the least developed countries in the sub-Saharan Africa that spend more on repaying public debt than investment on public health, the G-20 decision to freeze debt for the short-term won’t be enough, experts believe. Kenya has even rejected the debt suspension proposed by the G-20 saying the terms of the deal were too restrictive. Availing more funds for grants and loans, and permanent debt cancellation should be the policies the international creditors need to follow as part of a plan to tackle the health and economic crises triggered by the coronavirus pandemic and prevent an emerging markets debt crunch.

China should also, play a leading role in debt relief for African countries as it has become a prominent lender to Africa. The Chinese government has to be proactive in coordinating debt relief in the same way they have vigorously facilitated deals with African economies.

Impoverished Africa would become a White Man’s burden in its real sense. Humanitarian crisis consequent of economic contraction and political instability would flood the continent and the problem would then be exported to the developed countries through migration as the Italian deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio has once warned.

As Africa has thus far been doomed to suffer the curse of Berlin, it is time to get drenched by the blessings of the Paris Club and the G-20. Stay Home! Stay Safe!

China should also, play a leading role in debt relief for African countries as it has become a prominent lender to Africa. The Chinese government has to be proactive in coordinating debt relief in the same way they have vigorously facilitated deals with African economies

Economy in Focus THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 21 MAY 2020 PAGE 7

Quick economic recovery demands active government participation

BY GIRMACHEW GASHAW

Coronavirus was first introduced in China, Huwan State, dispersed rapidly throughout the world by

extremely influencing the economy. As a result, many countries locked their borders down, cancelled flights and commanded citizens to stay at home which brings a huge burden on the world’s economy. The report from the United Nations estimated that over half a billion people will be exposed to extreme poverty due to COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a study published by Ethiopian Economic Association, if the coronavirus extends for months, many people may become unemployed. The study conducted by Ethiopia Job Creation Commission also predicts that if the virus is not put under control in six months, over 60 per cent of citizens working in the manufacturing sector will be unwaged. Of the nine million people who worked in the service sector, three million are expected to lose their job, the study depicts.

Conversely, the measure taken so far to withstand COVID-19 is harming the economy of many countries including Ethiopia. Accordingly, the country's export performance declined as many recipient countries Closed their doors due to the pandemic.

What is more, besides the decrease in the tourist and foreign direct investment inflow, the restriction in the movement of people will pose a huge challenge for the economy, said Africa Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Officer Kibur Gena. Presently,

trade activities directly related to food and beverages are diluted. As a result, factories have reduced production.

As to him, if the problem continues as it is, a huge economic crisis will occur as many people become jobless and this would escalate the rate of poverty more than ever before.

Recalling that the government has decreed

a State of Emergency in order to halt the expansion of the virus, he said this may create anxiety among the public and dilapidate the economy rapidly. “In order to control it, we have to be able to quickly return to previous socioeconomic activities. But here, all citizens should respect the preventive measures taken by the government.”

In order to prevent the spread of the virus, many countries such as Italy, France, Germany and others have ordered their citizens to stay at home. These countries passed such a decision taking their economic potency into consideration.

On the other hand, many countries such as China, Korea, Sweden, Mexico and Cuba have been applying preventive measures while allowing economic activities to continue. This is a good move.

It will have severe economic consequences to fully halt all economic activities. “As we aren’t deadly sure about when the virus will be clogged, Ethiopia should pursue steps taken by these countries. In the meantime, we have to be able to protect elderly people and those with other diseases that make them exposed to the deadly effects of COVID-19.

Kibur believes that the economy cannot be revived by providing loans alone. In order to control the dissemination of the virus, other countries closed ports; banned airplanes from arriving at their territories; terminated investment projects; and restricted movement of people which in turn significantly reduced the volume of trade. But in Ethiopia’s case, the most important step is alerting the public to take all the

necessary measures in the fight against the virus.

The government has to take special measures on the three major economic pillars which are agriculture, industry and services sectors. Especially, the agricultural products produced for local consumption have not been facing a market shortage. Thus, the government should work harder to further strengthen the sector. Relatively, the service and industry sectors have been affected more following the decision. Now, many of the sectors’ employees are staying at home. “Though the government ordered the private sector to pay a monthly salary for its employees, if things continue as it is, it would become difficult to continue to do so.”

Indicating that the two sectors will face difficulties to recover quickly, Kibur advises that it would be better to improve access to finance to the service sector. He also added that industries should also continue to produce for the local market. On the other hand, though it is possible to buy and sell locally produced goods, they will face difficulties in terms of importing raw materials continuously. Thus, the country should be ready to manage the challenges.

“Despite the ongoing reform process which gives a lot of room for the private sector, the time demands an increased role and involvement of the government in the industry,” Kibur says. It has to particularly prepare a plan by prioritizing selected sectors.

As to the economic expert, the government should be in front lines to recuperate the economy.

Had the nation have a competitive trade volume with the rest of the COMESA member countries, joining the FTA might not hurt. It would rather create significant opportunities in addition to the benefits of having a wider market for local products. After all, there comes a time when Ethiopia may find joining the FTA appealing. Many believe that every agreement in the COMESA framework as well as in the continent might be delayed, but will definitely be implemented when the right time comes. From the writer’s personal view, however, the country needs ample time.

Nations like Tanzania, Lesotho, Angola, Mozambique and Namibia which joined the FTA has notified their withdrawal mainly because of the zero tariffs, which largely affected their economies which was previously dependent on VAT and tariff. These nations have one thing in common-their economies are relatively poor.

Leaving the decision to the government with regards to its next move concerning

the FTA, let’s try to highlight the country’s economic directions mainly from the private sector point of view, the engine of Ethiopia’s economy.For over a couple of decades, the government focused on attracting Foreign Direct Investment, leaving the private sector with some technical supports they attained from international organizations like the USAID, GIZ, Action Aid, inter alia. The interest of the private sector was not incorporated when the country devised the GTP I. Little attention was also given even when GTPII was devised after reiterated complaints from the private sector.

FDI is not a sustainable business arrangement. The development of domestic private sector should have attained even more tangible attention from the government. FDI is a temporary way of easing severs economic burdens. The truth of the matter is, citizens, build their nation. FDI has no other interest than maximizing profits. Investors can leave any time. FDI brings quick money, knowledge transfer,

somehow job opportunities.

Cognizant to this, the private sector should have attained greater emphasis from the day the investment policy was devised; so as to make it competent enough globally today. With the exception of the leather industry, the manufacturing sector is still crawling and its contribution to the GDP is hardly improving. Even the most dynamic sectors, banking and insurance, and other financial institutions are literally small compared with the development of many African nations. By and large, our manufacturing sector, with the exception of leather and few textile industries, the majority of the manufacturing sector could not even make use of global market opportunities to African markets like the AGOA, African Growth Opportunity Act.

All in all, the COMESA had wider visions which are highly important to Ethiopia such as the concepts of promoting agriculture and food security. Even with joining FTA, the country could have utilized a great deal, had

it not been to a complicated political and economic drawbacks the nation is forced to endure in the past couple of decades. Nonetheless, Ethiopia does have a chance to exploit every available opportunity in the future with genuine and committed support in partnership with the government. Business Associations should help the private sector to focus on Branding of the goods they produce and the services they provide. These are businesses that go strong from generation to generation, which we don’t have any, unfortunately.

To sum up, Ethiopia is a country endowed with abundant resources. It is not surprising if it managed to score successive double-digit growth by intensively exploiting them. With proper and careful utilization of all the resources available, ensuring the prevalence of good governance, unity of spirit and solidarity, the promise of the future to realize a prosperous Ethiopia will not be that far.

(Stay safe! stay at home, never forget to wear face mask in public)

Dilemmas in the move...

The government has to take special measures on

the three major economic pillars which are agriculture,

industry and services sectors. Especially, the agricultural

products produced for local consumption have not been

facing a market shortage

PAGE 8 THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 21 MAY 2020

WEEKLY READ

How We Made It In Africa, published a story about Addis Alemayehou. Partner, managing partner, board member, senior advisor … the list of positions Addis holds concurrently is impressive. Many of these roles are at his own companies, which include one of Ethiopia’s biggest advertising agencies, a popular television channel and a telecommunications start-up in South Africa. Yet Addis comes across as pretty calm and collected. He admits that on the inside, though, the pressure often gets to him. Excerpts.

“There are nights I don’t sleep and there have been times where the stress has threatened my health. Things don’t always work out the way you want them to, or the numbers don’t come in the way you expected, or clients have an issue with your service. It is a never-ending rollercoaster but it is part of being an entrepreneur,” says the 49-year-old Addis.

In 1980, when Addis was a young boy, his family relocated to Nairobi, Kenya, to escape Ethiopia’s then socialist government. At 16, his parents sent him to North Dakota in the United States where he completed his last year of schooling. After living in the States for a year and a half, Addis moved to Canada to join his family who had in the meantime emigrated there. He enrolled at the University of Toronto but ended up studying for only about a year, opting instead to work a variety of odd jobs and to pursue his business ambitions.

It was in Canada that Addis started his first entrepreneurial venture: buying and leasing properties. “I bought my first real estate when I was 18 and by the time I was 21, I owned three properties. When the Toronto real estate market crashed in 1989, guys like me could afford to buy property. There was a huge immigrant community coming into the city, particularly Somalis, and they needed a place to stay.”

In the late 1990s, while still living in Canada, Addis began researching Africa’s mobile telecommunications industry, which was still in its infancy. At the time, several international mobile network operators were looking to acquire operating licences in Africa. Sensing an opportunity, he submitted a proposal to South African mobile operators MTN and Vodacom to partner with him to acquire a licence in Ethiopia. “I had no clue how a licence would work, but I was 29 and just anxious to get back home to Ethiopia to do something.”

Vodacom was interested, and invited Addis and the partners he had assembled for a meeting in South Africa. “I was crazy nervous. It was my first boardroom meeting. I called my brother-in-law and said: ‘Man, I don’t know if I can do this. My hands are sweating.’ I’ll never forgot what he told me:

Spotting opportunities in Ethiopia:

‘They are not going to beat you up. They can just say no. The worst that can happen is that they don’t like the deal. They will say no, and then they will say thank you and goodbye – what do you have to lose?’”

Although Vodacom signed a memorandum of understanding with Addis after the meeting, nothing came of the deal, as the Ethiopian government didn’t allow any mobile operator besides the state-owned Ethio Telecom into the country. It wasn’t before 2018 that the government for the first time indicated its intent to open the telecoms industry to private investors.

“We had a few contacts in Ethiopia and, being inexperienced, we simply assumed that if we came in with a company such as Vodacom willing to invest hundreds of millions of dollars, the Ethiopian government would welcome us with open arms,” he says. “It was obviously not the case.”

These days, obtaining a mobile network licence in almost any African country is costly and requires high-level negotiations. It certainly is not something one would expect an inexperienced 20-something to attempt. But Addis looks at the experience as a learning curve. “Sometimes being young and clueless is good because you learn

things as you go, rather than sitting behind a desk and reading about it. It taught me the basic things: how to dress, how to shake someone’s hand at a corporate meeting, how to put together a pitch document.

“For me, it’s always about finding a gap and an opportunity I can exploit. At the time, the opportunity was to get into mobile in one of the biggest countries on the continent. It didn’t work out but at least it got me back home so that I could look at the next opportunity.”

After abandoning his mobile licence plans, in 2003, Addis began working at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Ethiopia. The American government had just introduced the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which allowed qualifying African countries to export a wide range of products to the United States duty-free. It was Addis’s responsibility to find Ethiopian companies which had products ready for export and connect them with buyers in the States.

His five-year stint at USAID was a deep dive into the Ethiopian economy and served him well to this day. “It was the ideal opportunity to learn how local businesses operate. The job also allowed me to work with the Ethiopian ministries of trade and industry and learn how government works. Furthermore, it gave me insight into what the donor world is all about. I began to understand Ethiopia on a different level without having to spend my own resources to do it.”

Launching Ethiopia’s first English radio station

While working with USAID, Addis frequently travelled to Nairobi where he

still had many contacts because he grew up there. During one such trip he asked his friend, Chris Kirubi – a well-known Kenyan businessman with interests in property, insurance, media and manufacturing – which one of his investments he enjoys the most. Capital FM, replied Kirubi, his radio station.

That got Addis thinking about doing something similar in Ethiopia. “I convinced Chris to let me spend a week at Capital FM with him and his management team. I sat in on every meeting, listened to advertising sales calls, observed the DJs and spent time with the tech guys. I came to the conclusion that there was an opportunity to do this in Ethiopia as there wasn’t a single English FM radio station in Addis Ababa.”

Back home, Addis applied for a licence to operate a radio station. He convinced the regulators by stressing that Addis Ababa, the home of the African Union, was one of the world’s largest diplomatic capitals with many English-speaking residents and visitors – a group that couldn’t be ignored.

In 2008, he received a licence and called his station Afro FM. The business made money from advertisers, which were keen to market to the affluent expats the station was targeting.

Helping multinationals market them selves

Ethiopia, a country once synonymous with famine in the 1980s, has made significant economic progress. In the decade between 2000 and 2009, its economy grew by an average of 8.5 per cent every year. This, coupled with a large population (about 98 million today), attracted the interest of multinational companies and brands.

The story of serial entrepreneur Addis Alemayehou

In 2008, he received a licence and called his station Afro FM. The business made money from advertisers, which were keen to market to the affluent expats the station was targeting

PAGE 9 THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 21 MAY 2020

WEEKLY READHaving already had some experience with the advertising industry through the radio station, Addis saw potential in catering for the marketing and communication needs of these companies. Therefore, in 2011, he launched the advertising, branding and public relations agency 251 Communications. (251 is Ethiopia’s international dialling code.)

“Although the government still didn’t allow foreign investment in a range of sectors, we already had the likes of Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Tiger Brands in the country. Ethiopia was moving away from a communist business environment to one that would attract more big international brands. We certainly have a population size that excites consumer brands. I anticipated that sooner or later, these multinationals were going to start spending some serious money on advertising,” he explains.

251 Communications today employs over 40 full-time staff and counts Pfizer, The Coca-Cola Company, DHL and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation among its clients. But when it first opened its doors, the staff consisted only of Addis, his business partner and a few interns. They counted their pennies. “We had a tiny one-room office. We had the furniture made rather than buying it. We had used-laptops because we couldn’t afford new ones. We started on a very tight budget.

“I see many entrepreneurs who over-invest without really looking at the market and the returns on their investment. You should put in only what you need to start and gradually put in more money as you grow. Nobody starts off earning revenue on the first day. Getting your business up and running is where you should spend your energy and resources, not on nice furniture and a nice office,” says Addis.

With few competitors in the market, 251 Communications landed Heineken – which at the time had just bought two state-owned breweries from the Ethiopian government – as its first client. The first time Heineken came to see them, they used a friend’s office next door. “The lesson here is that you can overcome any hurdle. When we met with the Heineken marketing manager, I was dead honest. I said, ‘We’re new, we’re just starting up, we’re hungry, we will do whatever it takes to make you successful. Please stick with us.’ And they did.”

To further capitalise on growing international interest in the continent, Addis, in 2013, co-founded PR company Africa Communications Media Group (ACG) with his friend Mimi Kalinda. “ACG was set up because we had a lot of multinational PR firms from the European Union and the United States looking at doing work in Africa and not really getting the gist of what the different markets need in terms of local insight,” he explains. ACG operates from Johannesburg and its clients include MTN and Dalberg.

Swapping radio for TV

Addis sold his stake in Afro FM right after starting 251 Communications but kept exploring possibilities in broadcasting. Initially he wanted to launch MTV Ethiopia but after a meeting with MTV, they

declined. MTV did not believe the channel would generate enough advertising revenue to cover the licensing cost and operational expenses. The MTV representative told him, “If I were you, I would start my own channel.”

Addis and his partner went back to the drawing board and researched the Ethiopian television market. They found that most Ethiopians who have TVs also have satellite dishes to watch free satellite channels such as ArabSat which broadcasts throughout the Middle East and parts of Africa. However, these shows were only in Arabic or English, not in the local Amharic language. Many Ethiopian children have even learnt to speak Arabic because of ArabSat.

“We felt if we brought that same content to the Ethiopian market in Amharic, a language which people understand, that it would do well.”

Addis and his partner formed Kana TV in 2015 and teamed up with Moby Group, a television and radio broadcasting company founded in Afghanistan with operations throughout south and central Asia and the Middle East. In the beginning, most of the programmes were international television dramas, such as the Turkish series Kara Para Aşk and Indian soap opera Saraswatichandra, which had been dubbed into Amharic. Although much of the content is still dubbed, Kana TV now also produces original programmes like an Ethiopian music and entertainment show as well as a regular news insert.

It took Kana TV two years to break even – it earns most of its revenue through advertising – and it currently commands around 37% of Ethiopia’s prime-time market. It has been so popular that some conservative voices have even blamed Kana TV for corrupting traditional Ethiopian values.

Lately, Ethiopian media comp anies reliant on advertising have been negatively impacted by restrictions on the advertising of alcoholic beverages. “Ethiopia’s major breweries are continually vying for market share, which is good for advertising.

However, the ban on alcohol advertising in print, TV and radio slashed the revenues of media companies by probably 40% to 60%. Everybody took a hit on that,” Addis says.

And while Ethiopia has so far had only 261 confirmed infections and five deaths from Covid-19 (at the time of publication), the business environment is affected by the depressed global economy as well as some curbs on local trade. “With Covid-19 a lot of businesses are in a slowdown and investing less in advertising, which

is impacting the media space. So it has been a tough time. The problem with Covid-19 is that no one knows when the situation will be over, which makes it difficult to plan for the future.”

Partnering for success

Addis has built most of his ventures by identifying a gap in the market and then partnering with companies that have the necessary technical expertise. And in a few instances, he has simply copied and pasted successful international business models. In all his businesses, though, he is very hands-off, and says, “I’m usually the guy who comes up with the idea and puts the team together. The rest of the time I’m a shareholder who spends maybe 20% of my time on each entity.

“It takes a bit of management and discipline, which I’m still trying to learn, but it has

worked out. That is how I see my role, rather than being pinned down to one company.”

The trick, he says, is to work with the right partners. “For me, the number one thing is to pick the right people to work with, because they will take the burden off your shoulders and share the risk and stress. “I always look for a partner who has something I don’t have. For instance, I’m good in the marketing and strategy space, but I’m not good at numbers. With Kana, I didn’t know anything about the technical aspects of running a TV station or about production. If you are just going to add more of the resources you already have, why look for a partner?”

Addis again employed this partnership strategy for one of his latest businesses, called Arada Mobile, which offers preferential call-home rates and Ethiopian digital content to the hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians living in South Africa. “I needed local expertise, so I have a partner who has lived in South Africa for 16 years and understands the Ethiopian community there and knows how to talk and market to them.”

Looking beyond Covid-19

Despite the dampening effect of Covid-19 on the Ethiopian and broader African economy, Addis remains optimistic and continues to seek out new business opportunities. He says no matter how Covid-19 plays out, Ethiopia will still have a large population demanding basic products and services.

One of his most recent investments is a sock-manufacturing business which will target the domestic market. Production is expected to start in the next few months. “We’ve got 100 million people, of which at least 40 million are men, and we need socks. The average age in Ethiopia is about 17. In the coming years, millions of young people will be getting their first jobs or move from rural areas to the cities, and many of them will have to buy socks. It’s a very basic commodity but one that’s in demand,” he notes.

Addis has also started backing Ethiopian tech-enabled startups. One of these ventures is Sira, which links informal workers – such as drivers and waiters – to employers through a mobile app. “Most of these folks don’t have CVs or email addresses. The app works with GPS location technology, so if there is a job within a specific area that fits your profile, it sends you a notification,” he explains.

Within the startup space, Addis is also upbeat about the potential in areas such as fintech, delivery and transportation, and education. To take advantage of these opportunities, he and a handful of friends recently established the Addis Angels Network, which aims to back early-stage ventures. The group has already heard a few pitches from entrepreneurs and expects to make its first investments in the coming months.

“Ethiopia has tremendous opportunities. Covid-19 has slowed down some of the sectors but it has also opened up a few new opportunities. So you just have to be nimble and look at what’s available,” he says.

The trick, he says, is to work with the right partners. “For me, the number one thing is to pick the right people to work with, because they will take the burden off your shoulders and share the risk and stress. “I always look

for a partner who has something I don’t have. For instance, I’m good in the marketing and strategy space, but I’m not good at numbers

PAGE 10THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 21 MAY 2020

Environment and Sustainability

Ethiopia has initiated the Climate-Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) initiative to reduce the adverse

effects of climate change and to build a green economy. Besides the direct effects such as an increase in average temperature or a change in rainfall patterns, climate change also presents the necessity and opportunity to switch to a new, sustainable development model.

The CRGE initiative strategy was developed to build a green economy. Several government institutions have been driving the initiative to enable keeping greenhouse gas emissions low and sustainable growth model.

The majority of poor people are principally dependent on agriculture. It is also dependent on farmers managing land well to sustain water supplies, biodiversity and other environmental services. Climate change, rising population, resource scarcities and price volatilities put them all under pressure. An integrated perspective that works operationally is needed one that makes economic, social and environmental sense and that inspires stakeholders.

Ethiopia is one of the first countries in Africa to develop a green growth strategy. Ethiopia’s leadership, and its early attempts through greening its economy to achieve more inclusive growth, are of real interest for a world in which alternative growth models for long-term sustainable development.

Meanwhile, social equity has rapidly become a priority in government, business and civil society. The CRGE’s goal is to increase economic growth so as to leap from least-developed to middle-income country status, whilst at the same time reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increasing climate resilience.

Last year, Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed launched the tree-planting exercise as part of country’s Green Legacy Initiative which aimed to counter the effects of deforestation and climate change in the drought.

More than 350 million trees were planted in a single day, 29 July 2019 which is part of to plant a total of four billion indigenous trees across the country breaking the world record held by India held the record in 2016 for the most trees planted in one day and which stood at 50 million trees. In a record-breaking day last rainy season, at the Gulele Botanical Garden in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia launched an historic tree planting campaign. Over 350 million trees were planted in an ambitious move to counter the effects of deforestation and climate

BY TSEGAYE TILAHUN

change. The event is part of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Green Legacy Initiative. It aimed at planting 200 million trees in a single day, but exceeds in 1,000 sites across the country.

The tree planting event was attended by a representative of the UN Environment Programme’s

Liaison Office to Africa Union Comm ission, UN Economic Commission for Africa and representative to Ethiopia, and whose support for this ambitious action was crucial, as well as other United Nations Agencies and various international organizations.

The Prime Minister is also aspiring to repeat the same success this year and is following up seedling preparations. Last Wednesday also, Abiy met with key stakeholders to review the national green legacy initiative and the preparations for planting this Ethiopian rainy season. He discussed with key stakeholders including national steering committee members, technical committee members, regional presidents and influential personalities that will be engaged in public mobilization.

Citing key success factors from last year’s planting season as great public mobilization, active engagement of government leadership, institutional coordination and stakeholders’ participation, the need to build on these good experiences was indicated.

While the target for this year is to plant 5 billion trees, preparations to ready the required number of seedlings has been underway since the end of last year’s planting season.

Abiy emphasized the importance of

continuity and finishing what has been started, indicating the Green Legacy initiative overall goal of planting 20 billion trees within the next few years.

“I reviewed the seedling preparations being undertaken in Bishoftu nurseries ahead the 5 billion Green Legacy planting season. Using precision technology, the progress made thus far is quite remarkable and greatly supports our long term greening goals,” the PM posed on his facebook page on Sunday.

Recently, he also presented updates regarding the status of the Addis Ababa greening projects which are linked to promoting urban tourism and creating a livable city.

The United Nations estimates that Ethiopia’s forest coverage has declined drastically to a low of just 4 percent in the 2000s from 35 per cent a century earlier. As to the UN Environment’s Africa Office, afforestation is the most effective climate change solution to date and with the new record set by Ethiopia, other African nations should move with speed and challenge the status quo.

Africa has what it takes to spearhead this global push and as the most affected and vulnerable continent, climate change mitigation must be the topmost priority in the coming days.

Many African countries have recently engaged in massive tree planting campaigns including Kenya who has recently, with support from the UN Environment Programme, launched the “Greening Kenya Initiative” to reverse the declining forest covers.

UN Environment Programme is working

with countries across the continent to replicate such initiatives to stop deforestation and increase forest cover. This is crucial in honoring African countries’ commitments to mitigate climate change and contribute to the achievement of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

According to documents, the record-breaking mass tree planting exercise championed by Ethiopia inspired new greening efforts across the world, which is currently plagued by droughts, flooding, soil erosion and extreme weather conditions as humanity pays for wanton destruction of forests.

A recent study indicated that planting 500 billion trees could remove one-fourth of the carbon in the atmosphere. It is encouraging to see countries championing one of the largest reforestation campaigns. But expanding forest cover is not an event but a process that should be guided by political will and commitment across the board.

Trees provide many ecosystem services and environmental benefits for the planet as a whole. As they grow, they absorb and store carbon dioxide major driver of global heating. In a scientific paper published in the Science magazine, researchers estimate that a worldwide tree planting programme could remove two thirds of all the emissions that have been pumped into the atmosphere as a result of human activities.

Researchers found that tree restoration was among the most effective strategies for climate change mitigation. They show that the global potential tree coverage stands at 4.4 billion hectares of canopy under the current climate. Planting trees is therefore considered the biggest and cheapest way to tackle the climate crisis.

Promoting agricultural mechanization to boost productivity

THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 21 MAY 2020PAGE 11

States in Brief

CRS budgets 5.5 mln Birr to combat COVID-19

TAMERU REGASA

ADDIS ABABA – The Catholic Relief Services announced that it has been working actively to combat the spread of COVID-19 through allocating 5.5 million Birr budget.

The services have benefitted over 300 thousand people, it added.

Zemede Abebe, coordinator of the organization said that to combat the pandemic the organization has been providing food and nonfood related items, medical supplies, sanitizer and similar

hygiene products to curb the spread of the pandemic.

Equally, the organization has been undertaking different awareness creations via various communication channels to mitigate the virus. It has also donated different medical equipment like digital and infrared thermometer for 28 health centers to fight against the virus.

He underscored that the organization distributed 25 different types of materials for three terms and it will continue to provide its contribution until the virus is mitigated.

Harere State Health Bureau revealed that the daily entrance of some 2o to 30 thousand travelers to the town of Harar via the six gates has provoked fear in relation to accelerating the rate of COVID-19 spread.

Redwan Mohamed, States Health Bureau Communication Director told The Ethiopian Press Agency that travelers from abroad transit through Togochale, Somali Land, and passengers from Diredawa destining Harar triggers hazards for the blow out of the disease in the town.

Redwan said that there are ten thousands of people entering the town of Harar through the main gate Hamaresa and the six gates of the historic city.

Indicating that sensitizing the public is the principal preventive stratagem that gains due concern of officials, he said adding that preventive directives and information have been disseminated using local media of the region and door to door campaign to enhance the disastrous impact of the pandemic among the public.

Bureau unveils risk of COVID-19 spread in Harar

BY LAKACHEW ATINAFU Efforts have been orchestrated to make applicable alerting messages conveyed across the public with the integrated commitment and determinations of religious leaders’ influential people and youth volunteers.

According to the director, the reluctance of the people to maintain social distancing at markets appeared to be the potential threat to the likelihood of fatality if the situation continues with such a momentum.

As Harar is part and parcel of Islam and the capital of Eastern Hararghe where there are several markets transactions need physical proximity, the state has set towards handling possibilities of high risks the upcoming Eid festive would usher.

An action research is being conducted in collaboration with Haramaya University to address why the people fail to bring about behavioral changes and then make further interventions. There are also shortcomings to execute the state of emergency that officials are dealing it with law enforcement bodies as to how to enforce it, he added.

ADDIS ABABA- Gambela state announced that it has finalized preparation to fight against the swarm of desert locust and set preventive strategies to minimize disaster which could happen.

Doctor Lu Obup, States Agriculture and Natural Resource Bureau Head told The Ethiopian Press Agency that the invasion of the pest has first been spotted at the beginning of May in Dima and then Mesung Zone.

The Head has also said that the swarm has become a threat in Musing Zone while in Dima the pest has retreated following farmers sound-based protective measures.

Indicating that the swarm caused substantial damage upon crop production in Musung zone, he said the State Bureau is working with the Ministry of Agriculture to tackle the unprecedented further threat.

Having realized the impacts of the desert pest at four maize farms, alarming signals, and works of sensitizing the community at zonal and woreda have been taken as one of the priority agendas of the time.

As the swarm needs the intervention of

State sustains efforts to prevent desert locust swarm

BY LAKACHEW AITINAFU the federal government, initiation has already been started to use Airplanes and Helicopters, he said.

It was also indicated that the local professionals are discharging their responsibility in fighting the distractive immigrant pest, yet the state further needs comprehensive assistance of the federal government like supplying technique, logistics assistance, and allocating funds.

At the same time the state’s senior officials including the chief of the state have closely been following the situation visiting and observing districts where the invasive pest has been spotted.

According to experts the swarm is currently moving scattered. Hence, the state is ready to prevent the main swarm which would likely invade and thereby tackle the disaster on Agri fields and food security of the state.

Most notably, an integrated communication network has been launched in all administrative units from zonal to lower administrative units across the region to swift the preventive measure to tackle the possibility of the catastrophes particularly in the most exposed districts, it was stated.

Institute working to scale-up livestock insurance in pastoralist areas

ADDIS ABAB (ENA) The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) said it is working to expand Index Based Livestock Insurance (IBLI) for pastoralists and agro-pastoralists in drought areas of Ethiopia.

As the livelihood of pastoralists rely solely or partly on livestock, drought related livestock mortality can have a devastating effect and make them the most vulnerable population in Ethiopia.

Over the last seven years, ILRI and its partners have pursued a comprehensive research into this development agenda aimed at designing, developing and implementing IBLI as an effective and cost-efficient tool for enhancing pastoralists resilience to drought.

ILRI Program and Partnerships Manager, Yihenew Zewdie told ENA that the program designed to help protect pastoralists against drought related mortality of livestock was introduced in Borena Zone of Oromia Region in 2012.

He added that in September, 2012 livestock insurance made payment to 2,500 Borana pastoralists worth five million birr based on the assumption that a significant risk in the area is erratic rainfall.

IBLI triggers payouts to contract holders in the event of severe seasonal forage scarcity during the dry season, helping pastoralists purchase the relevant inputs and services required to keep their animals alive, Yihenew stated.

It is an innovative financial solution spearheaded by the International Livestock Research Institute, in partnership with Oromia Insurance SC.

“At trial level, especially in Borana Zone, pastoralists are buying the insurance and we

have frequently seen that they are benefiting from it for continuous year. Now, at national level, what is expected from us is to scale up this lesson to other places with supportive policy and strategy in order to benefit various pastoralists.”

According to the manager, it is possible to protect livestock keepers from drought related asset losses, and contribute to national economy, if appropriate policy and strategy are put in place.

Recently, preparations are underway to benefit pastoralists in different regions, in collaboration with partners.

It is believed that the insurance not only ensures benefits of pastoralist but also allows the government to proactively and cost-efficiently respond to severe drought risks.

As close to 14 million people Ethiopians are pastoralists and agro-pastoralists, it is essential to bring fundamental changes in this sub-sector, the manager observed.

IBLI products represent a promising and exciting innovation that could allow the benefits of insurance and protect climate-related risks vulnerable rural smallholder farmers and livestock keepers.

PAGE 12THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 21 MAY 2020

Horn News

UN chief António Guterres is encouraging Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan to persevere with efforts to overcome their differences and reach agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

Through his spokesperson, the Secretary-General noted on Tuesday that “good progress” is being made in negotiations between the three countries in hopes of achieving a mutually beneficial agreement.

Going up along the Blue Nile near the border with Sudan, and under construction since 2011, the $4.5 billion dam – also known by its acronym GERD - will be Africa’s biggest hydroelectric power plant once completed.

Negotiations centre on the pace at which Ethiopia fills the 74 billion cubic metre reservoir behind the dam and the impact that could have on water supplies downstream in Sudan and Egypt.

Ethiopia is keen to start filling the reservoir in July.

“The Secretary-General underscores the importance of the 2015 Declaration of Principles on the GERD, which emphasizes cooperation based on common understanding, mutual benefit, good faith, win-win, and the principles of international law,” the spokesman said.

Guterres encourages Member States to reach agreement over Ethiopian Nile dam project

“The Secretary-General encourages progress towards an amicable agreement in accordance with the spirit of these Principles,” he added.

Resolving differences

Cairo, Addis Ababa and Khartoum have all indicated their willingness to resume discussions, but differences linger over the

appropriate mechanism for such talks.

UN experts say that Egypt wants to put international pressure on Ethiopia to agree to a proposal - put forward by the United States and World Bank - on the dam’s first filling and annual operation.

But Ethiopia is rejecting that idea as severely limiting the dam’s capacity to

generate electricity and curtailing rights to future upstream development, among other reasons.

Egypt also insists that Ethiopia must not start filling the reservoir until an agreement is reached, in line with its interpretation of the Declaration that Ethiopia is contesting.

The Declaration, signed in March 2015, outlines the parties’ commitment to cooperation and to resolve differences through negotiations. It also states that if a dispute cannot be resolved, the matter can be referred to the heads of State and Government with an option for a joint request for mediation.

Ethiopia favours resolving the dispute at the trilateral level and has historically been against internationalizing the issue, seeing no mediation role for the United Nations.

On 13 May, Sudan’s Ministry of Irrigation said that the country could not agree to an Ethiopian proposal on the initial filling as it failed to address longer-term technical, legal and environmental issues.

According to news reports, Egypt also dismissed the Ethiopian proposal on the initial filling, writing a letter to the Security Council on 1 May calling on Ethiopia to respect its obligations and resume talks.

While the Horn of Africa’s borderland communities have historically been politically neglected, a new World Bank report says policies for these regions can create pathways to socio-economic progression.

The report, “From Isolation to Integration: An Overview of the Borderlands of the Horn of Africa,” says the Horn of Africa countries - Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia and Uganda - include some of the region’s fastest growing economies, but the same cannot be said for the communities living around the countries’ borders. Despite a history of marginalization, as well as environmental degradation, forced displacement, grinding poverty and underdevelopment, the report says there are several areas in the borderlands with real economic potential even as they face the most current threat; COVID-19 (coronavirus).

“Today, Africa has over 100 active border disputes whose causes include the politics of identity, competition over natural resources,

How to build economic growth and resilience in the borderlands of the Horn of Africa

population growth and displacement and environmental pressures,” said Dr. WorknehGebeyehu, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

“The COVID-19 pandemic has further compounded the vulnerability of marginalized communities in the face of emergencies particularly along the borderlands of Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti. Our efforts jointly with IGAD Member States have focused on protecting vulnerable communities from the infection and spread of the coronavirus and cushioning the informal economy upon which borderland communities depend for their livelihoods.”

The World Bank report reiterates that understanding of context and history is key to crafting better targeted policies for these regions that can then present pathways to socio-economic progression for residents. The report focuses on two border regions – Karamoja region (southeastern Sudan, southwestern Ethiopia, northwestern Kenya, and northeastern Uganda) and the Mandera triangle, formerly known as Somali region (northeastern Kenya,

southeastern Ethiopia, and Southern Somalia).

The preeminent challenge for the borderlands regions is the harsh weather and terrain. These regions are characterized by semi-arid lands and perennial water shortages and are mostly inhabited by agro-pastoralists who depend on a combination of nomadic livestock-keeping and subsistence farming for survival. Mobility is central to their livelihoods, and they often cross-country boundaries in search of pastures, water and markets. This nomadic lifestyle has been a source of conflict over scarce resources (such as water and rangelands).

The region has also witnessed violent extremism, including from al-Shabaab. Several nations have responded to the insecurity by tightening border controls, inadvertently blocking smalltime border traders and cutting off their source of livelihoods. As a result, some households have been pushed towards less sustainable alternatives like burning trees to prepare charcoal, contraband trade and banditry. Lack of options amid depletion of natural resources, cross-border chokeholds and a

population surge has also driven youths to urban centers, denying these regions energetic talent.

There are, however, several encouraging developments toward legalization of informal cross-border trade, identified by the report. Ethiopia, for example, has a bilateral agreement with Sudan, allowing traders to make 48 trips per year with goods valued up to $117 per trip, same with Djibouti, Kenya, and Somalia.

“Given the various drivers of fragility in the Horn of Africa—including high levels of poverty, environmental degradation, weak formal and informal institutions, conflict and forced displacement—there is an urgent need to invest in the systemic resilience of the region and importantly the borderlands, to enhance their capacities to prepare for and respond effectively to shocks and stresses, and to achieve development goals., said VaralakshmiVemuru, World Bank Lead Social Development Specialist, and lead author of the report.

Source: World Bank

BY MULATU BELACHEW

Life is full of games. Winning games is not a matter of chance; it would rather a matter of using all the opportunities at hand. Considering the aforesaid reality some played proactively and recorded positive results for themselves, their country as well as the world at large.

Truly, Liya Kebede is one among those individuals who influenced the world. She was born on March 1, 1978 and raised in Addis Ababa. Later one, she became an Ethiopian-born model, maternal health advocate, clothing designer and actress. Liya has appeared three times on the cover of Vogue. Liya served as the WHO’s Ambassador for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health since 2005.

A film director spotted her while she was attending Lycée Guebre Mariam and introduced her to a French modeling agent. After completing her studies, she moved to France to pursue work through a Parisian agency. Liya, later relocated to New York City.

Her big break came when Tom Ford asked her for an exclusive contract for his Gucci Fall/Winter 2000 fashion show. Then in May 2002 she was on the cover of Paris Vogue, which dedicated the entire issue to her according to The Essence magazine.

It was a few years after she signed an exclusive with Tom Ford-era Gucci and covere French Vogue for the first time that she was approached by the World Health Organization to ask if she’d be interested in helping raise awareness about maternal health.

Her concern to reduce and stop maternal death during childbirth is a highly valued issue. She understands that mothers die in childbirth in a place called Africa. That is why she shows her willingness for WHO calls to raise awareness of the issues in the area according to Fashionista report.

She has been seen on the covers of Italian, Japanese, American, French and Spanish Vogue, V, Flair, i-D and Time’s Style & Design. She has been featured in ad campaigns including those for Shiatzy Chen, Gap, Yves Saint-Laurent, Victoria’s Secret, Emanuel, Ungaro, Tommy Hilfiger, Revlon, Dolce & Gabbana, EScada and Louis Vuitton according to Savoy Magazine.

In 2003, Liya was named the newest face of Este`e Lauder cosmetics, the only Ethiopian to serve as their representative in the company’s 57-year history. At this time

THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 21 MAY 2020 PAGE 16

BERHANENA SELAM PRINTING ENTERPRISE

Supermodel Liya: Influential women in many aspects of life

she was ranked #1 on models.com.

In July 2007, with Liya Kebede earning $2.5 million over the previous 12 months, Forbes named her eleventh in the list of the World’s 15 Top-Earning Supermodels. The following year, casting agent James Scully likened her to “an exotic Grace Kelly” as stated by New York Magazine.

In 2009, she starred in the film-adaption of the bestselling autobiography Desert Flower by former supermodel Waris Dirie. The film recounts Dirie’s childhood in Somalia, her rise to stardom and subsequent awareness campaign against female circumcision. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival and received a standing ovation according to BBC News. She has also had minor roles in The Good Shepherd (2006) and Lord of War (2005). She was featured as a ‘Face of the Moment’ in May 2009’s US Vogue.

In 2011, Liya was among the models featured in Lacoste’s “new look” campaign in January, a different advertising concept for the year, under the new tagline,

“Unconventional Chic”. The ads were shot by Mert and Marcus, showing models wearing the iconic white Lacoste polo shirt worn over fancy black evening wear. She has starred with Jake Gyllenhaal in a Calvin Klein ad and she is currently on the list of “New Supers” by models.com.

Liya Kebede also launched Lemlem, a clothing line, in 2008. Lemlem, which means “to bloom” in Amharic, features hand-spun, woven and embroidered women and children’s clothing. She founded the line to help preserve the art of traditional weaving in Ethiopia and to offer work opportunities to local artisans. Lemlem is sold at Barney’s, J.Crew, Net-a-Porter.com and numerous boutique shops. She hopes this will be part of a sea change for her home country, saying that “It’s wonderful to be able to donate and help people”.

In 2005, Liya Kebede was appointed as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health. She then founded the Liya Kebede Foundation, whose mission is to reduce maternal, newborn and

child mortality in Ethiopia and around the world. The organization funds advocacy and awareness-raising projects as well as providing direct support for low-cost technologies, community-based education, and training and medical programs. In one health center that the foundation works with, hospital deliveries rose by over 50 percent in 12 months.

Liya has traveled to Ethiopia to support maternal health projects on multiple occasions. In 2009, she worked with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as part of their Living Proof Project. She served as a High-Level adviser for the Center for Global Development’s 2009 report “Start with a Girl: A New Agenda for Global Health”.

She writes for The Huffington post about maternal and child health, and has been featured in Vogue and on The Daily Beast. She is also part of the Champions for an HIV-Free Generation, an organization of African leaders led by former president of Botswana Festus Mogae.