Ethiopian Embassy News A Monthly Newsletter of the Ethiopian Embassy, Washington D.C. Issue 08, April 2015 Celebration of the 25th Anniversary of OPDO 25th Anniversary of OPDO Colorfully Celebrated in Washington, D.C. and Denver, Colorado Cities. Contents 25th Anniversary OPDO Colorfully Celebrated in Washington, D.C. and Denver, Colorado Cities ..... 1 Ethiopian Somali State president Abdi Muhamed Umar Welcomed in Minnesota .................................... 3 The 25th Anniversary of the Founding of the Oromo People’s Democratic Organization (OPDO) was colorfully celebrated with hundreds of invited guests and members of the organization present on the occasion. Dr. Tedros meets the President and CEO of the OPDO’s Silver Jubilee was celebrated at the auditorium Corporate Council on Africa ...................................... 4 of the Chancery of the Ethiopian Embassy in D.C. in the Ambassador Girma Birru briefed students from the presence of Special Envoy and Ambassador Extra- National Defense University ....................................... 5 Ordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia to the US Rock Star Bob Geldof Spearheads U.S. Private- Girma Birru, and also Central Committee member of the Equity Push Into Ethiopia ........................................... 5 OPDO /EPRDF / who made a keynote speech pertaining to the historic event. 1 Ambassador Girma Birru in his speech entitled "The struggle of the Oromo people and the role of the OPDO" presented four sub-topics namely, the place of the Oromo people in the unified history of Ethiopia, the past struggle for human and democratic rights in Ethiopia, the struggle waged by OPDO/EPRDF/ during Earlier, the event was opened by holding a minute of Silence in Memory of martyrs. A statement from the Central Committee was read and representatives of sister organizations pledge their support for the struggle of the Oromo people. The occasion was highlighted by Cake Cutting and Candle Lighting ceremonies. the last quarter of the century and the upcoming focus of the OPDO/EPRDF/. Ato Melaku Bedada reading OPDO's Central Committee Statement Amb. Girma Birru delivering his keynote speech The Special Envoy asserted that the Oromo people have been part and parcel of Ethiopian history facing the same challenges and opportunities together with the other nations and nationalities in Ethiopia. He Representatives of Sister Organizations expressing thier support cited as an example the Oromo people have been practicing the "Gedda" system, the rite of passage of leadership from one generation to the next for millennia years. In relation to the struggle waged by OPDO/EPRDF/, the Ambassador underscored that the struggle which commenced a quarter of a century ago has paid off by ensuring the democratic and other rights enshrined in the constitution of the Federal state for the Oromo People. As to the future focus of the OPDO/EPRDF/, Ambassador Girma made a solemn pledge that the OPDO/EPRDF would register yet shining chapters and redouble its effort until the number one enemy of the country , poverty is completely eradicated with all its attending evils. After the historical analysis and presentation by the Ambassador a lengthy and active participation by the house ensued in the form of question and answer session where the Ambassador gave pertinent responses. Discussion with Q&A 2 Ethiopian Somali State president Abdi Muhamed Umar Welcomed in Minnesota Ethiopian Diaspora members from the Somali State residing in and around the state of Minnesota gathered at the Ramada Plaza Hotel in the Metropolitan city of Minneapolis, to welcome President Abdi Muhamed Umar of the Ethiopian Somali Regional National state. Mr. Abdi Muhamed Umar, told the participants during the joyous festive occasion reiterating that the present political environment has enabled the Region to ensure that it registers untold socio-economic and political progress in its history and referred to it as a turning Pictures from the DC event point in modern Ethiopian polity. In a similar development hundreds of members and supporters of the OPDO have celebrated the event in Denver, Colorado. It is reported that there currently are over 3 million members and supporters of the OPDO. He underlined that the achievements so far need to be reinforced and buttressed with the acceleration of the current ongoing development initiatives in the region in particular and the country in general, as exemplified by the determination to build and realize the speedy completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Pictures from Denver Event 3 Participants of the event made a solemn pledge and wholeheartedly expressed their utmost readiness to intensely their support to Ethiopian people Dr. Tedros meets the President and CEO of the Corporate Council on Africa and government to vigorously pursue the development effort. “Because of the determination of the Somali people the regional national state has changed for good. Now, it is our duty to make sure that it never goes back to those old dark days,” said President Abdi, further stating that “this demonstrates that our destiny rests within our reach since now we are the masters of our hard fought dignity and equality which is clearly discernible in the development, peace and security we have registered throughout the region." Foreign Minister Dr. Tedros Adhanom met with Stephen Hayes, the President and CEO of the US Corporate Council on Africa on Thursday (March 26) to discuss the upcoming US-Africa Business Summit. This will be hosted by Ethiopia in November this year. Mr. Hayes said the Summit was being held in Addis Ababa because the country had registered impressive economic growth and the business opportunities were attracting investment from many countries, adding “We want to build on this.” The Summit is expected to attract some 600 US businesspeople and more from Africa and the rest of the world. Turkey, Japan, Holland and United Arab Emirates have also showed interest in participating. Dr. Tedros said the US should replicate its successful and strong political, social, security and development partnerships in Africa on the business and investment front. He suggested this summit would be an eye-opener for many US businesses. Mr. Hayes agreed and said the Corporate Council would do its promised and level best to get a large US business turn out at the expressed their indefatigable commitment to help the Summit at which a number of senior US decision Ethiopian Somali state march towards further makers would also be present. Dr. Tedros assured Mr. development, prosperity and eradicate poverty through Hayes that Ethiopia would use its experience of hosting Participants of the colorful event the provision of all resources at their disposal. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46REaMbTDG4 summits to persuade as many heads of states and businesses as possible to be present. (Source: MFA) 4 Ambassador Girma Birru briefed students Rock Star Bob Geldof Spearheads U.S. Privatefrom the National Defense University Equity Push Into Ethiopia KKR, Blackstone, Paul Tudor Jones help drive investment as Africa makes historic shift from aid to trade A generation ago, this African nation was a magnet for Western charity. Today, some of America’s richest deal makers are delivering something new: investment. A number of high-profile investors have recently shown up here. KKR & Co., the New York-based private-equity firm, last summer bought control of a rose farm, Ambassador Girma Birru, Special Envoy, Ambassador Afriflora, for about $200 million, its first investment in Extra-ordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia to the Africa. Blackstone Group plans to build a $1.35 billion US met and briefed students and staff from the pipeline to bring gasoline to the capital, Addis Ababa. National Defense University who are planning to go Hedge-fund manager Paul Tudor Jones is backing a $2 on a study tour to Ethiopia. billion geothermal power project. During the open discussion held at the Ethiopian The investors are following in the footsteps of Irish punk embassy on March 9, 2015, the Ambassador briefed rock singer turned activist Bob Geldof, whose Live Aid the students and staff on current political, economic concerts 30 years ago this summer raised about $145 and social developments in Ethiopia as well as the million for the victims of a devastating Ethiopian famine. Mr. Geldof now chairs 8 Miles LLP, a London-based Horn of Africa region. private-equity firm that invests in Ethiopia. 8 Miles raised The regional role Ethiopia has been playing in securing peace and security has been paramount. In a $200 million fund in 2012; Mr. Geldof put in a few hundred thousand dollars. this regard Ambassador Girma made references to the US-Ethiopia cooperation in combating international terrorism jointly in our region. “They don’t have to die in vast numbers before we pay attention,” Mr. Geldof said in an interview. “The potential rewards in Africa are far greater than anywhere else.” Pertaining to the diplomatic ties between the two countries, the Special envoy noted that it has been 8 Miles, named after the shortest distance between over a century since Ethiopia and the US have forged Europe and Africa, made its first investments in Ethiopia diplomatic relations and that these relations have in 2013, including state-owned Awash Winery. 8 Miles currently plans flourished participation. to a mutually beneficial to double production at the company, add nonalcoholic drinks such as grape juice and increase exports, said partner Doug Agble. The firm also backed Ethiopian entrepreneur Eleni Gabre-Madhin in 2013 to build commodity exchanges across Africa. The private-equity firms are part of a historic shift: Global foreign direct investment has overtaken Western aid on the world’s poorest continent. Private-equity fundraising for sub-Saharan Africa hit $4 billion last year—more than triple what it was in 2013. 8 Miles plans to start raising a larger second fund next year, Mr. Agble said. 5 In Ethiopia, Western aid in 2013 was $3.83 billion, Ms. still far higher than the value of inbound investment daughter. Her husband is a fisherman on the lake that at $953 million. But investors say more investment is provides water to irrigate the flowers. Other local women sure to follow. work carrying heavy loads of wood on their backs or Colin Coleman, Goldman Sachs Group Inc.’s top Africa banker, visited Ethiopia for the first time in Kadir’s mother looks after the rose worker’s laboring on other farms. Another option is leaving to work as a maid in the Persian Gulf. January. At an investment conference, he was “This is a better opportunity than any other job I could do clutching a booklet of profiles of people to meet. locally,” Ms. Kadir said. Still, some human-rights activists Consumer-goods companies, sovereign-wealth funds are critical. and private-equity groups are showing growing interest in Ethiopia, Mr. Coleman said in an interview. Ethiopia is “relatively undeveloped and therefore with significant upside,” he said. “How do you justify shipping out fancy roses when people are hungry?” said Anuradha Mittal, executive director of the Oakland Institute, a California-based nonprofit that has investigated Ethiopian land rights. Investors say the potential risks are offset by rapid “How do you justify using Ethiopia’s land and water economic growth.Brian Herlihy, chief executive of resources to satisfy our rose needs? What’s so sweet Blackstone’s African infrastructure unit, BlackRhino, about it?” said that the 550-kilometer (340 miles) pipeline he is planning in Ethiopia will make money by helping to supply the country’s energy needs, rather than sucking resources out of the continent. A recent report by the International Finance Corp., a World Bank unit that is considering a €90 million loan to the farm, listed criticisms including too much overtime, a lack of formal process for handling workers’ complaints David Petraeus, the former general who resigned as and inadequate places to eat or areas for working Central Intelligence Agency chief in 2012 and who mothers to breast-feed. The IFC noted that pregnancy now advises on geopolitical risks at KKR, said that testing before employment will be discontinued and Ethiopia has good land and water, improving roads verification that new hires are aged 18 or older has and very good air links, as well as stable politics. begun. KKR director Kayode Akinola said “a key dimension of the investment” in the rose farm is a social program that includes permanent contracts for 9,000 workers, pensions, paid maternity leave, a hospital and a school for about 5,000 children. Afriflora was founded by Dutch farmers 10 years ago and grew 730 million flowers in 2013 for export to Europe, where there is strong demand for low-cost roses in large supermarkets. KKR plans to add almost 5,000 workers and 60% more land by 2019. Flower packer Basha Kadir, 20 years old, said she works late into the night, often for six days a week, and hopes to earn $600 a year at the farm. The average annual income in Ethiopia is just $470, according to the World Bank. 6 KKR said the flower industry plays a “major part” in poverty reduction by providing jobs and that there is Connect with us: potential to grow both more flowers and food in the region. The private-equity firm said Afriflora is addressing the points raised by the IFC. Mr. Geldof said investors can help build a stable Ethiopian economy and prevent the return of famine. “I never want to see again—ever—what I trawled through 30 years ago,” he said. “Developing the economy—not at the cost of exploiting people, not at the cost of hurting them—developing and producing what’s there and their skills seems to me to be what’s required now.” (Source: Wall Street Journal) Contact Us: EMBASSY OF ETHIOPIA 3506 International Drive, NW Washington D.C., 20008 Email: [email protected] Tel: 202 364 1200 Fax: 202 587 0195 www.ethiopianembassy.org 7