Ethiopia hosts first ever E-governments summit after disputed election, building better ties

Blinken condemns violence between the Alula and Tana tribes and proposes a fair contest for the “elevated primacy” of Alula as greater Ethiopia draws nearer to US refugee resettlement. Abiy must “press for moderation among Alula and Tana tribes” and also “manage tensions in areas under government control, especially in Oromia State”.

Eritrea will be excluded from Obama’s Africa visit

An indication that Eritrea is continuing to reject the peace agreement that ended decades of war between the two countries was when President Isaias Afwerki said he would not be welcomed to President Obama’s visit to Ethiopia.

Ethiopia protests long overdue

Some protests have broken out in Aborigines on the outskirts of Addis Ababa, but Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said he was determined to fight for Ethiopia’s rights and support dialogue with its opponents and could not rush to judgment. The protests look much longer than they were in November 2017 when media restricted by a military crackdown was largely news relegated to social media and blogs.

Ethiopia could double exports in five years

A plan to offer incentives to Ethiopian exporters has the potential to double exports within five years, increasing exports to the EU from $3.4bn to $6bn in 10 years. The plan could cost the government $2.1bn if the plan is fully implemented, according to a feasibility study by EY.

Regulating Iranian exportation of poultry imports

Iran is sourcing poultry from places such as Ethiopia and Somalia, boosting local production in defiance of US sanctions. Ethiopia is already exporting frozen meat, eggs and chicken to Iran, which annually consumes about 2.5 billion kilogrammes of meat and 5 billion eggs. With new sanctions a possibility, Ethiopian poultry producers are looking to supply more rice, flour and other staple foods to Iran, which consumes at least 25 million kilogrammes of rice a year.

More competition for Ethiopia and Kenya’s tourism

Will Kenya lose as a host of tourism investors flee Ethiopia? There could be change due to the public protests that have rocked the country, which is one of the biggest tourist attractions in East Africa. More areas could become unfriendly than now if the protests can escalate. Droughts, like the one plaguing Ethiopia, threaten the agricultural viability of most hotels. Some hotels are on the way out of Ethiopia.

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