BBC:- Explaining his decision in a speech to Parliament, Mr Abiy said women were “less corrupt than men” and would help restore peace and stability.

Ethiopia is now the only African state after Rwanda to have equal gender representation in the cabinet.
Mr Abiy also cut the number of ministerial jobs from 28 to 20.
Since becoming prime minister in April, he has carried numerous massive reforms.
He has ended two decades of conflict with neighbouring Eritrea, released thousands of political prisoners and loosened the state’s tight grip on parts of the economy.
Aisha Mohammed was named as Ethiopia’s first female defence minister. She is from the country’s Afar region in the north-east, and had served as construction minister.

Muferiat Kamil, the former speaker of parliament, became the country’s first Minister of Peace. She will be overseeing the country’s intelligence and security apparatus, including the federal police.

Mahlet Hailu, Ethiopia’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, tweeted the list of new ministers:
Mr Abiy said that his reform process needed to continue to address the structural and strategic problems that pushed the country into chaos.

He said women had made a great contribution to restoring peace and stability, were less corrupt, respected their work and could sustain the drive for change.
The 42-year-old became prime minister in April after the unexpected resignation of Hailemariam Desalegn.

It followed three years of protest led by ethnic Oromos, who were demanding an end to what they considered their political and economic marginalization.

Mr Abiy is Oromo himself, but his appeal for trust and unity to “heal our wounds… and work together to develop our country” has received a cautious welcome from many within Ethiopia.

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However, it is unclear as to how many military officers are arrested and what exactly was the level of involvement in terms of inciting army officers for protest. And there seem to be more officers to be arrested.

In a press conference held with local journalists, General Seare pointed out that the manner that some soldiers marched to the palace to raise benefits and other administrative issues was unconstitutional and out of military discipline that does not represent the Ethiopian Defense Force.

The Chief of staff added that the soldiers could have presented their demands to concerned body within the chain rather than directly to the Prime Minister (Commander-in-Chief of the army).

On the other hand, General Seare Mekonen, who seem to be articulate compared to his predecessor, Samora Yenus, went to a great length to give the public an image of professional, committed and disciplined arm that the Ethiopian Defense Force has. He said that the defense force has been competently defending the safety of citizens and was meticulous and effective in terms of conflicts in different parts of the country.

He even hailed those members of special forces who marched to the prime minister’s office last Wednesday in terms of their competence. “They have been diligently accomplishing mission that they were given,” said General Seare Mekonen.

The measures which governing is saying that it is taking against those behind the soldiers’ march to the palace are positively received by politicized Ethiopians.

When the news of military anarchism spread across different platforms, Ethiopians from different walks of life took to social media to express concern that the incident represents bad precedent and that some thing worse could happen. Some even criticized Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed for treating the case very lightly ; he punished the soldiers a few set of push ups which actually made headlines for a different reason.

After a meeting with the Chief of Staff, members of the special forces who violated the constitution and tarnished the image of the military issued a statement asking apology for the government and people of Ethiopia.

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Horse-drawn carts, buses full of visitors and trucks piled high with bricks and plywood make their way across the frontier, watched by relaxed soldiers from the two nations’ armies who just months ago stared each other down from trenches carved into the rocky soil.

After 20 years of bloody conflict and grim stalemate, the Ethiopia-Eritrea border is bustling once again, revitalizing frontier towns and allowing the countries’ long-estranged populations to reacquaint themselves.

“We have everything we didn’t have before, from the smallest to the biggest products,” said Abraham Abadi, a merchant in the Eritrean town of Senafe whose shop is now filled with biscuits, drinks and liquor made in Ethiopia.
Yet the border’s re-opening has sparked a surge in refugees and also raised concerns over the black market currency trade that some fear will destabilize the economy.

BACK IN BUSINESS
Once a province of Ethiopia, Eritrea voted for independence in 1993 after a bloody, decades-long struggle.
A dispute over the the border plunged the neighbors into war in 1998, leaving tens of thousands dead in two years of fighting.

The conflict continued as a cold war after Ethiopia refused to honor a UN-backed commission verdict demarcating the border, a policy Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed reversed in June.
Flights restarted and embassies re-opened shortly afterwards, and in September, Abiy and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki re-opened the crossing at Zalambessa, an Ethiopian town on a major route into Eritrea.

The opening was transformative for the town, a strip of shops and restaurants damaged in the war and economically paralyzed by the border closure that now bustles with shoppers.
“We’re selling sandals and these shida shoes,” said trader Ruta Zerai, gesturing to a pile of the open-toed footwear popular with Eritreans.

In Senafe, a trading hub 23 kilometers (14 miles) north of the border, the impact of the rapprochement is clear.
Twice a week, organised groups of Ethiopian merchants cross the border, marked by a bare strip of earth only recently cleared of anti-tank mines, for Senafe’s market days.
They bring with them recharge cards for the Ethiopian telecom whose service can be picked up in parts of the town and teff, the once-scarce grain needed to make the staple injera food.

Some even decide to stay.

“I live where I can get a job. As long as I have a job, I’ll stay here,” Sanle Gebremariam, an Ethiopian currency trader working in Senafe, said at a roadside where buses from both countries congregate.

TROUBLE AHEAD
Heading in the opposite direction are thousands of Eritrean refugees fleeing the country’s repressive government and stagnant economy.
Eritreans, many of whom aim to reach Europe, came across the border when it was closed, but the UN says arrivals in Ethiopia have increased nearly eight-fold since its opening.

Meanwhile, Ethiopian traders are grumbling over the unstable value of the Eritrean nakfa against their birr currency.
“We’re trading together, but the exchange rate is unregulated, unstable and illegal,” said Taeme Lemlem, a bar owner in Zalambessa, echoing similar complaints, made before the border war, that were never resolved.

Getachew Teklemariam, a consultant and former Ethiopian government adviser, said the unregulated trade at the border, where there appears to be little customs or immigration controls, risks opening a “shadow monetary front”.

“The exchange rate is being governed by largely speculative perceptions from both sides of the border,” said Getachew. “The overall trade scenario has to be guided by some strategy.”
Both countries’ governments have said they hope the renewed trade links will boost their economies.

But the neighbors are not equals. Eritrea’s economy has underperformed since the war, while Ethiopia has grown at some of Africa’s fastest rates, which hasn’t escaped the notice of visitors to the country.
“I’m very surprised. I didn’t expect this much development,” said Simon Kifle, an Eritrean air force serviceman who was hurrying back across the border before its sundown closing after his first visit to Ethiopia.

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Hundreds of the soldiers with their arms marched on the presidential palace demanding to see the Prime Minister. They were only allowed in after agreeing to be disarmed.

According to his chief of staff, Fitsum Aregaa, “PM Abiy Ahmed listened to the grievances carefully, reprimanded them for the wrong procedure they followed to express those grievances, but concluded the meeting with a promise to meet properly in the near future to positively consider their demands.

“They apologized to the people and government of Ethiopia in a discussion held today with Motuma Mekassa, Minister of Ethiopian Defense Force, and General Seare Mekonnen, Chief of Staff of the Defense Force,” the report said.

It quoted Motuma as stressing that an investigation will be conducted to identify superiors whose failure to act led to the grievances that the soldiers took improperly to the PM.

After meeting with the soldiers on Wednesday part of the reprimand Abiy had for the officers was to do push-ups which he personally joined in. The action was largely praised by on social media.

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‘‘The government will reform the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation, the Charities and Societies Proclamation as well as various legislation having to do with the regulation of the media,’‘ Arega quoted the president on Twitter.

Discussions between government and opposition parties to amend provisions the controversial anti-terrorism law in May.

Human rights group have previously accused the state of using the law’s broad definitions against anyone who opposes government policies.

Human Rights Watch has previously said the law “grants authorities the power to prosecute journalists who publish articles about protest movements, armed opposition groups, or any other individuals deemed as terrorist or anti-peace”.

Reforms in Ethiopia
Ethiopia’s government led by prime minister Abiy Ahmed has been championing political reforms including releasing political reforms and reaching out to opposition parties.

Abiy has said his ultimate ambition is to organise democratic elections and pledged to conduct a smooth transition if the ruling coalition loses in 2020.

President Mulatu told legislators to work towards reforming the justice and legal system in order to consolidate democratic gains made in recent months.

‘‘The overriding objective is to ensure that the norms and institutions established in these legislations are compatible with relevant international human rights standards,’‘ said Mulatu.

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But for more than 20 years, Ethiopians and Eritreans were separated by a bitter conflict and militarised frontier sealed as tightly as the Berlin wall or the Korean demilitarised zone.

Now, Eritreans and Tigrayan Ethiopians are mingling again – in what has been hailed as an unexpected and rapid thaw that has profound implications for the horn of Africa.

“We are the same,” declared Dharar Bahlab, an Eritrean baker visiting the Ethiopean frontier town of Mekele for the first time last week.

“We are brothers,” he said of his Ethiopian neighbours as he milled freely around Friday’s livestock market.

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She said in a tweet that the two countries deserved credit “for putting their political differences aside and daring to invite peace back into their midst.”

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean president Isaias Afwerki met on July 9, 2018 in Asmara to sign a historic peace deal that ended decades of hostilities following a deadly border war.

Gbowee who was named a joint laureate in 2011 along with Yemeni activist, Tawakul Karman and former Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf also stressed the importance of the peace message being sold across parts of Africa where war is still raging.

Her full message read: “As we celebrate world peace day, it is my prayer that our world will continue to move one step closer to global peace. This day must be dedicated to Ethiopia and Eritrea, for putting their political differences aside and daring to invite peace back into their midst. #PeaceDay.”

The International Day of Peace, sometimes unofficially known as World Peace Day, is a United Nations-sanctioned holiday observed annually on 21 September.

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Violence in the town of Burayu located on the outskirts of the capital Addis Ababa claimed over fifty lives and displaced about 12,000 people from the area.

Most of the displaced are currently sheltered in Addis Ababa with the Oromia government having firmly promised that it will take charge of their rehabilitation and return.

In Burayu, local residents said shops were looted and people attacked by people reported to be mobs of Oromo youth who stormed through streets targeting businesses and homes of ethnic minorities.
Teddy Afro’s track titled ‘Ethiopia’ was published on video sharing website Youtube on April 14, 2017 and became an instant hit getting millions of views . The track marked Teddy’s global breakthrough and his fifth album since he started off 16 years back.

The 6 and half minutes track helped him top the Billboard World Albums chart, a feat the musician celebrated on his Facebook page. He told the BBC that the current track has exceeded his expectations. It is said to have sold over a million copies by close of 2017.

‘‘It gives me great joy, there hasn’t been an album that has been this well received to my knowledge. All of my music is based on love, like Martin Luther King said, hate is defeated with love, darkness with light,” he said.

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By Yves-Marie Stranger – The Guardian.

Why go?

Ethiopia has astonishing landscapes, ranging from the flat-topped mountains of the north to the otherworldly multicoloured salt flats and lava lake of the Erta Ale volcano in the Danakil Depression; rich flora and fauna(this is the country where residents and hyenas live in peace); and ancient cultures, including the the city of Axum (one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in Africa), the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela and Africa’s oldest mosque, Nejashi. It also has one of the continent’s fastest-growing economies (second only to Ghana), with booming cities and a young population. For all this, it is yet to attract large numbers of tourists, and visitors can often find themselves alone in this amazing country.

One-month itinerary: the historical northern route

Start the historical northern route in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia and also the headquarters of the African Union. Due to its elevation (2,335 metres) the city has a near-perfect climate of 21 to 24C year-round.

See the remains of Lucy – our 3.2 million-year-old ancestor – in the National Museum, then walk through the old Italian neighbourhood of Piassa, to have a coffee in the Taitu Hotel, the city’s oldest, founded by the Empress Taitu Betul in the early 1900s. Stay at the Wutma Hotel, a backpackers’ favourite (details below)

From Addis travel to Gondar (two days by inter-city coach, local loncina bus or Aba Dula minivan) via the town of Bahir Dar on Lake Tana and its inland lakes and the Blue Nile Falls.

Gondar is dotted with castles built during the 17th century and is a relaxed place to stop for a few days (stay in the Ethiopia Hotel with its high ceilinged retro cafe – details below). From Gondar you enter the Simien Mountains. Treks can be arranged in Debark, the small town at the entrance of the Simien Mountains national park. There is an affordable camping inside the park, or try Africa’s “highest lodge”, the Simien Lodge at 3,260 metres (doubles from £80 B&B June-August, rising to £176 in October-November and January).

From Debark, travel into the Tigray region, which more or less (together with neighbouring Eritrea) lies over what used to be the antique kingdom of Axum. The town of Axum, with its Stelae park and palaces, is a fantastic place to stay for a couple of days. It’s also surprisingly laid-back (where else can you get close to the Ark of the Covenant, allegedly housed by the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion?).

From here, the northbound route takes a turn, first due east, travelling through Adua and Yeha (with its great temple of the moon and famed battleground, where Emperor Menelik stopped the Italians in their tracks in 1896), before reaching Debre Damo, a flat-topped, or table, mountain (women are not allowed entry; or anyone suffering from vertigo: as the ascent involves scrambling up than 15 metres with a leather rope). From here, continue to Adigrat, a border town perhaps set for great times now that a new peace treaty between Ethiopia and Eritrea has finally been agreed. Mark Chapman runs the lauded community trekking trail Tesfa Tours here, which also leads treks near Lalibela, Ankober and in the Simien Mountains.

From Adigrat, travel south to Mekelle, the capital of Tigray, stopping en route to visit the stone churches of the Gheralta Massif. The stylish Gheralta Lodge has doubles from £40 B&B. Mekelle is the place to organise your trip to the salt flats and Erta Ale volcano in the Danakil desert (inaccessible to independent travellers, prices vary from £155 to £385 for a two- to three-day trip).

Continue south to the heart of Ethiopian Christendom, Lalibela, and spend several days exploring the church complexes. There is also the possibility of hiking in the nearby mountains, such as Abuna Yoseph. From Lalibela, take off directly for Addis Ababa by plane (saving yourself a long bumpy bus ride). The flight takes around an hour on Ethiopian Airlines (from £85 one-way).

Read More . . .

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