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Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) has announced that cities whose access to electricity was cut off by damage caused by the extremist TPLF clique will receive power on Sunday.
According to ENA, cities in the Tigray region, which have been without power for a month following the extremist TPLF attack on the power transmission infrastructure, are expected to get power within three days.
Ethiopia’s Electric Power Communication Director Moges Mekonnen told ENA that the Tekeze power plant and Ashegoda wind farm are located in the Tigray regional state, adding that they received 230 KV from the national grid.
However, the extremist group TPLF inflicted severe damage on transmission lines and substations.
According to Moges, the 230 KV transmission lines of Alamata-Mehoni, Alamata-Ashegoda, Ashogoda-Mekele and the 66 KV Alamata-Maichew, Alamata-Sekota power transmission lines, cables, insulators and substations were also damaged.
As a result, the power supply had been interrupted for the past four weeks, he said, adding that EPP has established a committee to determine the extent of the damage and perform maintenance by providing supplies and labor. (FBC)
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Expert: There is no evidence that UAE drones are used in the Tigray conflict in Ethiopia
Forces in Ethiopia’s Tigray region have accused the federal government of partnering with the United Arab Emirates to use armed drones stationed in Eritrea. A security analyst told VOA that the drones are in an Eritrean port city, but there is no evidence that they are being used in the Tigray conflict.
Wim Zwijnenburg, leader of the PAX humanitarian disarmament project, an organization that studies global conflict and investigates the use of military technologies, has been analyzing satellite images collected by the US company Planet Lab.
It determined that UAE-operated drones are stationed in the Eritrean port city of Assab. The 20-meter wingspan Chinese drones known as Wing Loong II they are capable of dropping bombs or firing missiles.
“It is true that there are Emirati drones based in Eritrea,” Zwijnenburg told VOA via Skype. “However, the next question is whether they have been used in Ethiopia. And in that sense, we couldn’t find any indication that Emiratis would fly drones in Ethiopia. “(VoA)
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Amhara Bank urges shareholders to delegate representatives
Amhara Bank (in formation) on Thursday urged its shareholders to delegate representatives to allow them to hold the founders conference.
At a press conference, the chair of the organizing committee, Melaku Fenta, said that the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the country’s limited infrastructure prevented the bank from holding a founding meeting with a large number of shareholders.
The chairman urged shareholders to cooperate in delegating representatives to allow the founders conference. The Bank completed the share sale on November 30, 2020, raising more than Birr 8.1 billion in subscribed capital and Birr 6 billion in paid-up capital. The number of shareholders of the Bank reached 185,000.
According to him, a large number of shareholders and the COVID-19 pandemic have challenged the committee to organize a founding conference. As a result, the only alternative is to delegate representatives to which multiple shareholders can delegate representatives to attend and vote on their behalf. So far, only 75,000 shareholders (41 percent) have delegated their representatives. Therefore, the bank has granted an additional 15 days to delegate representatives. (The Herald of Ethiopia)
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Mining export earns USD 269 million: Ministry
The export of 3,600 kg of gold and other products during the last four months has earned the country USD 269 million, announced the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum.
The Ministry’s communications director, Firhwot Fekade, said The Ethiopian Herald on Thursday that the application of conducive procedures has allowed the ministry to obtain better income from the sector.
According to her, the sale of gold through banking procedures is the main contributor.
He said that the initiative taken to attract investment in the sector is also another decisive factor.
During the last four months, the ministry has granted many mining licenses to local and foreign investors. He stated that the ministry has been working to benefit the local community located around the mines through offering job opportunities.
He stressed that the nation has been undertaking a major reform program in the mining sector with a view to attracting investment. (The Herald of Ethiopia)
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Horn shortly
US kills Al-Shabab fighters in two airstrikes amid troop reduction
The US military killed eight al-Shabab fighters and wounded two others in airstrikes on Thursday in Somalia, the lieutenant commander said. Christina Gibson, spokeswoman for the United States Africa Command, told the VOA.
“We will continue to pressure the al-Shabab network. They continue to undermine Somali security and must be contained and degraded, ”Africa Command (AFRICOM) chief Gen. Stephen Townsend said in a statement announcing the attacks.
The AFRICOM statement said that two attacks in the vicinity of Jilib targeted terrorists “who were known to play an important role in the production of explosives for al-Shabab, including improvised explosive devices carried by vehicles.”
The al Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group carries out dozens of car bombings in Somalia every year, including against US citizens, the government and targets.
According to AFRICOM, al-Shabab has carried out around 45 vehicle bombings in the capital of Mogadishu alone since 2018, collectively resulting in the deaths of more than 400 people.
The Command assessed that no civilians were injured or killed in the attacks.
The attacks come just days after President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to withdraw most of the 700 US military troops stationed in Somalia. (VoA)
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We are eliminating regional visas, says an IGAD official
An official with the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD) has said that eliminating visas will promote the free movement of citizens in member states.
“Member states are working to abolish visas by 2028 so that citizens of these countries can travel within the region without the need for a visa. Rather, they will only be asked to obtain a stamp upon arrival in another country, ”said Lucy Daxbacher, project officer for the protocols on the free movement of persons at IGAD.
Daxbacher spoke during a meeting to discuss the roadmap for the implementation of the protocol on the free movement of people in the IGAD region in Entebbe on Tuesday.
He said that the protocol observes the right of entry, stay and exit, which is evidenced in a push towards a visa-free region, a fundamental step that member states are taking.
It is necessary to establish a regime of free movement of goods and services, ”he said. (Daily monitor)
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Eritrea frees 28 Jehovah’s Witness prisoners, according to group
Eritrea has released 28 members of the Jehovah’s Witness group after they served prison terms of up to 26 years, the Christian denomination said in a statement seen by Reuters.
In 1994, the President of Eritrea, Isaias Afwerki, signed a decree revoking the citizenship of the group’s members, for reasons including conscientious objection to serving in the army. Eritrea has maintained compulsory military service for more than 20 years.
Since that decree, Jehovah’s members have been subjected to arrests, torture and harassment in Eritrea, in part to force them to renounce their faith, according to the international human rights group and organizations.
In its statement, the Jehovah’s Witness said 28 of its members imprisoned in Eritrea were released on December 4 after serving sentences ranging from five to 26 years. Another 24 remain in prison, he said.
“Eritrea arrests and imprisons Jehovah’s Witnesses and others without trial or formal charges. Several of those incarcerated are male Witnesses who are conscientious objectors to military service, ”the statement said. (Reuters)
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South Sudan launches an action plan for the health system
South Sudan and the World Health Organization (WHO) have launched a national action plan for 2020-24 aimed at strengthening the country’s health system to respond to disease outbreaks.
Dr Olushayo Olu, WHO country representative in South Sudan, said Thursday that building a strong health system will allow the government to respond comprehensively to disease outbreaks.
“It is an opportunity to strengthen our system. Over time, we have responded to different [disease] sprouts. Now it gives us the opportunity to build a system that can respond comprehensively to outbreaks, not just COVID-19, but several other outbreaks, “said Olu during the launch of the action plan for health security in Juba.
The National Action Plan for Health Security is expected to cost around USD 70 million over the five-year period of its implementation.
“Most of the time, we focus on humanitarian work. It is important to save lives. But the most important thing is also that we must move from there and start implementing, developing activities and developing interventions that will help this country to really move.” Olu said. (Anadolu)
