By our staff reporter
French President Emmanuel Macron is set to return to the Horn of Africa for the first time in five years, with a visit scheduled to Djibouti and Addis Ababa from December 20 to 22, 2024. During this visit, President Macron will inaugurate the newly renovated National Palace on December 21, 2024, marking a significant milestone following a year and a half of extensive renovations.
The renovation project for the National Palace began in April 2023 and was originally expected to conclude by February 2024. Sources indicate that the palace will also be visited by the diplomatic corps in Addis Ababa on December 23.
Originally known as the Jubilee Palace, the structure was named in honor of Emperor Haile Selassie’s Silver Jubilee in 1955. Despite its historical significance, the palace has remained inaccessible to the public, serving solely as an official residence for the president and venue for state functions.
The renovation of the National Palace is part of the French government’s broader commitment to support Ethiopia’s cultural heritage. This initiative was solidified after President Macron visited Addis Ababa in March 2019. A formal agreement was signed on July 16, 2020, between Ahmed Shide, Minister of Finance, Valérie Tehio, Country Director of the French Development Agency (AFD), and Frederic Bontems, then Ambassador of France to Ethiopia and the African Union. This agreement secured €12 million in financing from AFD for the first phase of the renovation project.
The rehabilitation efforts aim to preserve the palace’s original architectural beauty while also implementing additional construction work to transform it into a premier tourist attraction in Addis Ababa.
The first phase of the renovation project, which costs €20 million, focuses on making the palace accessible to the public. The palace administration is overseeing this project with support from French experts and organizations renowned for their expertise in international technical cooperation, including those involved with Versailles Palace.
In line with efforts to expand tourism and boost revenue, Ethiopia has previously opened other historical sites to the public, such as Menelik Palace in 2019 after extensive renovations. Similarly, France is providing funding and technical support for ongoing renovation projects at Lalibela’s rock-hewn churches, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Ethiopia.
