Addis Ababa to host 2020 FIFA Congress; CAF President arrested in Paris

Addis Ababa has been chosen to host the next gathering of world football governing body’s supreme legislative body, the FIFA Congress. CAF President Ahmed Ahmed had been arrested in France on Thursday morning, over allegations of corruption.
The announced of the 70th FIFA Congress taking place in Addis Ababa was announced at the end of the 69th Congress which took place in the French capital, Paris. According to Chief of Staff of the AU Chairperson, the Congress will take place at the Union’s headquarters in May 2020.Addis Ababa, the seat of African diplomacy – as it hosts the African Union, AU; has in recent times boosted its reputation for hosting big conferences partly due to recent raft of reforms by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Early this year, it was announced that Addis will be hosting the 2020 edition of the World Economic Forum, WEF. The announcement was made following a meeting between Abiy and Prof Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of WEF. In early May this year, the capital also hosted the World Press Freedom Day activities over three days. PM Abiy was awarded the Houphet Boigny Prize for 2019.
Reports of Ahmad’s arrest were published by French-based pan-African magazine, Jeune Africa, who said the 59-year-old football administrator had been detained at his hotel in Paris, where he was attending the FIFA Congress. His arrest by the Central Office for the Fight against Corruption and Financial and Tax Offences (Oclif), is reportedly in connection with a contract that CAF terminated with German equipment manufacturer Puma in favor of Technical Steel.
Ahmad is accused of having influenced this decision, standing to be rewarded with up to $830,000. He has denied the allegations. ‘‘All decisions were taken in a collective and transparent manner,” Ahmad said in mid-April.