Worancha ወራንቻ

Addis Ababa is too important a place to sideline over a small matter like democracy On 24 May, Ethiopia went to the polls – a fact that might have escaped your attention. Hardly surprising since there was next to no coverage in the British press. Even the BBC no longer has a correspondent in Addis Ababa. But perhaps there is another reason why the election in what is one of Africa’s most important countries received so little attention: it was a foregone conclusion. The last time Ethiopians were given the opportunity to vote, the ruling party and its allies won hands down. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and its affiliated parties took 545 of 547 seats. The opposition was reduced to just two MPs. There was, apparently, some concern among those close to Prime Minister Meles that an election could be quite so blatantly rigged. The US State Department  reported  that the few international election observers a

Matare, a Nuer settlement along Baro River, Gambela Region, Ethiopia, in quieter times. Photo: UNICEF Ethiopia 2005 / Getachew via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND). It's not just western corporations that are moving into large-scale agribusiness in Ethiopia, writes Mohammad Amir Anwar. Indian investors have acquired rights to some 6,000 sq.km of land much of it in the ecologically sensitive Gambela region, where unconsulted Nuer and Anuak peoples are suffering from forest clearance. Gambela is an ecological hotspot with Gambela National Park at its centre. It is home to Nuer and Anuak people whose livelihoods are threatened by investors illegally clearing trees in the park. The global food  price crises  between 2008 and 2009 led countries that bore the brunt of the catastrophe to look elsewhere for agricultural land to mitigate the effects. In 2008 prices of some foods, including wheat, soared by 130% in a single year and the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisati

Hawassa is to host a continental conference on post harvest and agro-processing starting from June 24-26, 2015, Ethiopian News Agency reported. The conference centers on ways of bringing agricultural transformation in Africa, according to a press statement from the organizers. Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) and the Sasakawa Africa Fund for Extension Education (SAFE) as well as Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture come together to organize the conference. SAA Managing Director, Juliana Rwelamira said 30 percent of food produced by Africa’s smallholder farmers is lost during postharvest. “We must improve postharvest handling, storage and the processing of agricultural produce to reduce losses, increase income, and improve livelihoods. Essentially, also, we must produce more nutritious food both for the home and the market place”, he commented. The conference intends to discuss on ways of adopting and scaling-up good practices supported with policies and infrastructures to d

Fascinating: New data on who most travels to Ethiopia, and where its 90 million-plus locals visit 11 JUN 2015 16:10 EDEN SAHLE Growing tourism industry adding tailwind to Horn of African country's burgeoning economy. Ethiopia is an increasingly popular destination for travellers. (Photo: wo de shijie) MORE than 96 million people are counted as Ethiopian, accounting for 1.3% of the total world population and making the country the 13th most-populated globally. The country is also as diverse as it is populated, home to cross-cultural civilisations from North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, giving it a rich heritage and enticing visitors from all over the world. To further explore visitor behaviour into and within the country, hotel booking website   Jovago  recently surveyed Ethiopia’s travellers. Some of the findings are fascinating.     Domestic Travellers  Addis Ababa, also known as capital city of Africa due to hosting the African Union (AU)

Public Participation - Sense of Urgency to Rescue Rift Valley Lakes Featured Lake Langano shorelines are risk of human encroachment The Ethiopian rift valley lakes are clustered along the northern section of the African Great Rift Valley. Although many disturbances to the natural resources, influencing both its status and diversity the rift valley lakes area is also known for its stock of remnant forests and wildlife, among others. Among the protected areas forest Adaba-Dodola and Harama-Buluk are known by its potential to sequestrate carbon emission and its immense contribution to the local community in particular and the Region in general through Eco-tourism, environmental services and economic values, according to Oromia Forest and Wildlife Enterprise (OFWE). Among the limitless potentials, its is a centre of biodiversity also important bird habitat and sanctuary also breeding, feeding and nesting habitat for many residential as well as palaertic migrating birds. Lake A