Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (EthioPolitics.com) — Reporter – Most of the time, MPs or journalists attending parliamentary sessions are accustomed to witnessing MPs belonging to the ruling party EPRDF raising their hands, almost without exception, in favour of passing any motion tolled on the floor. But on Thursday out of a habit of raising their hands for the Yal, they practically voted nae against the wishes of the leaders of their party.
Parliament was discussing a bill amending the National Flag Proclamation, and at the last moment, yielding to comments made by the opposition MPs, EPRDF’s deputy whip proposed to postpose the draft amendment from being referred to one of the standing committees. So EPRDF MPs should have voted against referring the bill to the standing committee.
But out of habit, they raised their hands for referring it to the committees, and they had to lower their hands when they saw the disapproval look from senior members of the party who were sitting in the front row which caused laughter among attendees.
If you think you face an uphill challenge at work today, spare a thought for Farah Ahmed Omar, the man in charge of Somalia’s navy.
He has neither boats nor equipment and admits he has not been to sea for 23 years.
The interim government does not control much of the 3,000-km (1,860-mile) Somali coastline and then there is the headache of plentiful pirates.
Mr Omar said he was first put in charge of the navy in 1982, but speaking to the BBC by phone from the capital, Mogadishu, he did not sound too daunted by the task ahead.
“Today there is a big piracy problem and we are ashamed. But we think they [the pirates] don’t have sophisticated equipment as they just have fishing boats and small arms which are easy to get in Somalia,” he said.
See map of how piracy is affecting the region and countries around the world
Somalia’s navy chief said 500 new recruits had recently joined after adverts were aired through radio stations and the men would be paid $60 (£36) per month.
Presumably the training will be classroom-based, given the situation at sea.
The country has been without an effective central government for the best part of two decades, since the ousting of Siad Barre.
And this power vacuum has allowed the pirates to flourish as they demand multimillion dollar ransoms from passing ships.
More than 20 international vessels – operating under US, EU and Nato commands – patrol the seas off Somalia in an attempt to protect the vital shipping route.
The interim government seems to think it could do a better job, provided it was given a helping hand.
Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke said on a recent trip to Nairobi: “If 5% of the money being spent on the warships guarding those waters could be spent on building a security force that deals with the piracy, this could be much more effective because these guys have bases on the land and the best way to deal with them is to deny them a safe haven there.”
It is widely accepted that patrols at sea are not enough and the key to ending piracy is on land by targeting the pirates’ bases.
The prime minister appeared to be ignoring the fact that government troops are far from welcome at those bases, such as Harardhere, to the north of Mogadishu.
Another notorious pirates’ lair, Eyl, is in Puntland, which has broken away from Somalia altogether.
Coastguard ‘turncoats’
But the international community may be smarting from previous mistakes and reluctant to turn on the funding taps.
File pic of Puntland police guarding captured Somali pirates in Bossasso, Somalia
“Previous efforts at security sector reform have seen money disappear into a black hole as there was no accountability,” says Rashid Abdi, a Somalia analyst for the International Crisis Group.
“Plus there is evidence that some of the people trained to tackle piracy as coastguards in Puntland ended up working as pirates themselves.”
Once upon a time Somalia had a proud navy which the Soviet Union had helped establish in the 1960s, with bases at Mogadishu and Kismayo.
During the Cold War the Soviets turned the port of Berbera into an important base that included a missile storage facility for the Soviet navy to counter United States military activities in the region.
But it was not just Russian assistance that helped build the Somali navy back then.
‘Give us one year’
When Somalia cut ties with the Soviet Union in 1977 (because of Russian support for Somalia’s arch rival Ethiopia), Mogadishu signed a deal with Washington three years later.
It gave the US access to Somali ports and airfields in exchange for tens of millions of dollars in military equipment and aid in subsequent years.
“We used to be among the top navies in Africa. We had ships that carried deadly missiles and we had 10 battalions covering the whole coast,” said Mr Omar.
The navy has not been operational since the country descended into violence in 1991, but its commander predicts a Somali naval renaissance.
“The international community should give us one year and let them see what we are going to do,” he said.
“I can promise on behalf of the government that I will eradicate piracy within that period if only they give us the resources and support in terms equipment.
“That way the international community could be relieved of the burden.”
Mr Omar has certainly had time on his hands whilst the navy has been boat-less and sailor-less.
He set up his own university and has also been a professor of economics.
Perhaps a lecture on the economic cost of choosing to be a sailor on $60 a month, rather than a potentially rich pirate will be part of the training.
Capital – A new anti-terrorism bill endorsed by cabinet recently will allow hearsay evidence on terrorism suspects’ trials, if accepted by parliament, the Government announced last Monday.
Law scholars say the move would violate international human rights treaties the nation ratified and made part of its constitution.
Prepared by the National Intelligence and Security Service, the anti-terrorism bill was endorsed by the Council of Ministers on May 27.
Ermias Legesse, State Minister at the Government Communication Affairs Office, told journalists last Monday, the bill will establish a national anti-terrorism committee to be set up by the Intelligence, Security Service, Justice Ministry and Federal Police, who are each to set up a special division in their own institutions too.
Government said the bill would not only allow better cooperation with allies to fight terrorism, but would also create an effective system for law enforcing agencies and the judiciary to best protect the nation from the threats and attacks it has repeatedly endured during the past years.
Ermias explained the bill followed similar laws in a number of countries and is based upon up to 12 international treaties.
Parliament is the body that has been given the power to label an organisation as a terrorist group. Ermias said this was done since terrorism acts may involve some political groups and therefore parliament, rather than the executive, should make the decision.
In England, the Prime Minister determines if a group is a terrorist organisation or not, while in the US it is the State Department that has full authority on the matter. Ethiopian parliament will use the bill’s definition to determine if a group should be labeled as a terrorist. The new bill, according to Ermias, defines terrorism as activities that try to impose political, religious or ideological beliefs into the public, or the Government, by force.
While the bill would hold everyone legally accountable for failing to report terrorism acts in progress, it puts a condition on house and car rental services to notify police of the identity of their clients within 24 hours.
Changing the 14 day period police now have to investigate criminal case after putting suspects in custody, the new bill will allow police not only to ask courts an extension period of a minimum of 28 days and a maximum total additional time of four months investigation periods, but empowers it to make arrests without a court warrant.
The most contentious article is the one that allows hearsay evidence in trials of terrorism suspects. Shimeles Kemal, State Minister at the Government Communication Affairs Office, who was also a federal prosecutor, says existing laws don’t ban hearsay evidences: “There are different approaches internationally on hearsay evidence. For example, in the United States there are exceptions where hearsay evidence becomes admissible,” Shimeles explained, adding that the bill complies with existing laws and allows hearsay evidence, taking the very complicated nature of terrorism acts and operations in to consideration.
One law of evidence lecturer agrees. “The existing stipulation that says witnesses can testify their direct and indirect knowledge rather opens door for argument that in fact the law allows hearsay evidence since these evidences are naturally not direct knowledge which is allowed by law.
“However, the practice has been that some courts regard hearsay evidence inadmissible, while others either accept it fully, or consider it as collaborative evidence, but the latter practice was always opposed since it violates the constitutional right of suspects, a right to confront, where suspects can cross examine the testimony, which is impossible in hearsay evidence, since the witness is explaining what they heard other people saying,” the scholar explained to Capital.
The scholar added that to allow hearsay evidence would violate a number of human rights treaties Ethiopia has made part of its constitution.
“The UN led treaties say member states can not deny terrorism suspects’ fair trial as such kind of rights are non-derogable rights, which can not be suspended even in time of war, public danger, or emergency. Fair trial is the one that lets the suspect exercise guaranteed rights those by Ethiopian constitution which stipulates accused persons have the right to full access to any evidence presented against them, to examine witnesses testifying against them,” another scholar with same view argues, adding that hearsay evidence violates constitutional rights.
After the cabinet’s amendments are adopted, parliament will vote on the proclamation. The house has a record of endorsing cabinet approved bills without major amendments.
(Addis Fortune) — Ehiopia’s first FM radio station broadcasting in the English language began pre-test broadcasting approximately a week ago.
The station, run by Paconet Media Plc, incorporated in January 2008 with an initial capital of about 3 million Br, originally planned to turn on its transmitters September 1, 2008. However it experienced delay and began the six-day test broadcast May 29, 2009.
Paconet is owned by Addis Alemayehou and his wife, Martha Wondimu. Addis is the chief of party of VEGA Ethiopia, a USAID programme that assists private companies in Ethiopia in effectively exploiting AGOA opportunities.
The family owned company was licensed by the Ethiopian Broadcasting Authority in March 2008 to start the radio station on FM band 105.3. AfroFM plans to officially inaugurate its radio station within the coming 60 days, Addis told Fortune.
The station now airs mainly infotainment content with a mix of local and international news from 6:00am up to midnight. The station plans to work with other local media organizations for content development.
“Obviously this type of business is not something that we are going to do alone,” Addis, major shareholder and managing director of Paconet, said. “So we need other media and individuals to work with us in terms if sharing ideas and content development for the new local radio station.”
Though, at the moment, Paconet’s station broadcasts for 18 hours a day, the company plans to eventually broadcast 24 hours seven days a week.
The air time expansion will depend on the availability of content; the content will also be accessible on the station’s yet to be developed website, according to Addis.
The transmitter and other studio equipment were imported from Britain and Italy four weeks ago, the Managing Director said.
The foundation of this radio station is based on the owner’s belief that the international community in Addis Abeba has no way of knowing what is happening in the city because there is no media providing them continuous information in a language they can understand.
The target audience is made up of emerging foreign investors and the Diaspora in Addis Ababa – the seat of the African Union (AU), United Nation Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and other international organizations that make the city the world’s largest diplomatic community out side of New York, with over 100 diplomatic missions. Addis states that he is not only trying to target foreign nationals, but the news coverage of AfroFM will focus on local business, politics, entertainment and other socio-cultural affairs as well.
Addis claims that he has been trying to start the English language FM for eight years but could not get the green light from authorities until last year.
Addis Alemayehou, who grew up in Kenya and moved to Canada before he came back home to Ethiopia, says the foreign community has so far been neglected by the media in Ethiopia. Though AfroFM is the first ever English private broadcasting service in Ethiopia, the Amharic commercial broadcasting in Addis Abeba has been dominated by prior stations like FanaFM, ShegerFM, ZamiFM and AddisFM in the past few years. There are also four community broadcasting services in Ethiopia – Kore, Kambata, Bonga and Jimma. Public broadcasting services have been awarded only to federal and regional government running , radio stations .
The full operation of the new radio station is expected to create 15 to 30 job opportunities, according to its owners.
DOOM-MONGERS have got it wrong – there is enough space in the world to produce the extra food needed to feed a growing population. And contrary to expectation, most of it can be grown in Africa, say two international reports published this week.
The first, projecting 10 years into the future from last year’s food crisis, which saw the price of food soar, says that there is plenty of unused, fertile land available to grow more crops.
“Some 1.6 billion hectares could be added to the current 1.4 billion hectares of crop land [in the world], and over half of the additionally available land is found in Africa and Latin America,” concludes the report, compiled by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
If further evidence were needed, it comes in a second report, launched jointly by the FAO and the World Bank. It concludes that 400 million hectares, straddling 25 African countries, are suitable for farming.
Models for producing new crop land already exist in Thailand, where land originally deemed agriculturally unpromising, due to irrigation problems and infertile soil, has been transformed into a cornucopia by smallholder farmers.
As in Thailand, future success will come by using agriculture to lift Africa’s smallholder farmers out of poverty, aided by strong government measures to guarantee their rights to land, say both reports.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (Ethiopolitics.com) — Many businesses in Ethiopia have been forced to close temporarily because of power rationing which began in April.
Cement, metal and other big factories suspended their activities last month due to the power shortage that has hit the country due to the poor rains in the last year rainy season.
Due to the power rationing program, many businesses and residential houses are with out electricity for three days in a week for 16 hours each time.
Small business like internet cafés, restaurants and supermarkets have been affected seriously since the past two months.
“It is really challenging to continue my business with such situation. I am paying rent without getting any income since the past two months,” said Meseret Tesema who runs a café in Addis Ababa.
Those who can afford are running their businesses using diesel generators, which is also challenging due to the high price of diesel.
“I was trying to run my beauty salon with generator service. But it became very expensive to charge my customers with all my expenses. I stopped using generator,” said Almaz Mekibib, a beauty salon owner.
Ethiopian Electric and Power Corporation has said the situation will return to normal next month.
