Busy January…

The first weeks of 2013 were some of the busiest ever for our Embassy. Here are just a few of the highlights, which show the wide variety of our work.

G8

1st January marked the start of the UK G8 Presidency, which I blogged about last week. We created a twitter account @G8 for anyone interested to get more information.

Strengthening bilateral relations…

Foreign Minister Tedros Adhanom made his first visit as Foreign Minister to the UK on 10 January. The Minister discussed bilateral and regional issues with Foreign Secretary William Hague; the Secretary of State for International Development (DFID) Justine Greening; and the Minister for Africa, Mark Simmonds.

The visit illustrated the growing bilateral ties between two countries and included a session with UK companies interested in investing here.

…in Two Directions

Last week the British Foreign Office’s Director for Africa visited Ethiopia, to help prepare for the African Union (AU) Summit which begins this week. A UK VIP usually attends this biannual session.

This month the AU has unfortunately been busier than ever looking into country situations throughout Africa – we are often invited to participate in session to ensure that there is good co-ordination between the AU and the UN Security Council.

Somalia

We announced that the UK will host a Somalia Conference in London in May, to be co-Chaired by our Prime Minister and the President of Somalia. This will mean close collaboration over the next few months with Ethiopia, the region and the AU.

From waste to light

A contract was signed between British Company Cambridge Industries and the Ethiopian Electric Cooperation (EPPCO) to construct Ethiopia’s first Waste-to-Energy plant at the Reppie Landfill Site in Addis Ababa.

As I highlighted in my remarks to the press conference at the launch, this project will employ innovative technologies and expertise from the UK; and will represent the first use of Waste-to-Energy technology in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Geothermal awareness

The Embassy organized a seminar for experts from Ethiopia and Djibouti, followed by a site visit to the Aluto plant in Langano, to flag up the many benefits of geothermal energy.

The two countries are located at a triple junction of tectonic plates, the Afar Depression, which offers phenomenal geothermal potential. At least 5,000 MW of this potential is commercially exploitable in Ethiopia.

Professionalizing custody

We also financed a workshop for 100 police custody managers in Ethiopia at the Sendafa Police University College.

The aim was to improve standards of custodial care in police stations in Ethiopia, by developing and piloting policies, procedures and practices which ensure the safe, decent and lawful treatment of detainees.

This project arose from the British government’s commitment to promote human rights in Ethiopia and help the Government of Ethiopia to improve good governance.

Development assistance

We announced a contribution of £510 million over the next five years to the Multi Donor Programme “Promoting Basic Services Phase III Project”. This is part of our continued effort to help Ethiopia eradicate poverty. And today we launch the Community Security and Justice Programme, also sponsored by the UK DFID.

Chevening alumni

I hosted a gathering of Chevening scholars – recipients of the UK’s flagship scholarship programme for overseas students. We would like to maintain close contact with all alumni of British Universities and it was reassuring to hear from the Chevening scholars about the benefits of a UK education. We aim to award four more such scholarships in 2013.

Good luck Walyas-Antelopes

Not so much our work, but after 31 years, the Ethiopian National Football team has qualified for the famous African Cup of Nations in South Africa. I would like to wish them the Best of Luck in the tournament, which started on 19 January in South Africa.