The administration of the Central Region, in cooperation with the Research and Documentation Center, provided training on documentation and archive management to 180 employees.

Mr. Bereket Taddese, the head of human resources in the Central Region, stated that the training aimed to enhance the employees’ capacity to ensure proper documentation and management of documents, and to deliver timely and efficient service to clients.

Mr. Tekie Keleta, the head of administration and finance in the region, highlighted the importance of the training in facilitating the daily operations of administrations at all levels and called for the program’s sustainability.

Ms. Azieb Tewolde, the Director-General of the Research and Documentation Center, expressed the center’s readiness to contribute to the effort to develop the employees’ capacities in this area.

The trainees expressed their determination to apply the knowledge gained from the training in their work and to provide timely and efficient service to clients.

Mr. Fesehaye Haile, the Governor of the Central Region, encouraged the trainees to bring about fundamental changes in the documentation and archive management system.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

The East African Community (EAC) Secretariat is set to conduct a high-level sensitization mission at selected borders within the region aimed at reviewing the performance of the various One-Stop Border Posts (OSBPs).

Scheduled to commence on 9th April, 2024, the mission underscores the EAC’s commitment to fostering cooperation, enhancing trade facilitation, and improving cross-border procedures.

The primary objective of the mission is to follow up on the performance of OSBPs, identify areas for improvement, and assess the implementation of agreed action plans. Through engagement with various stakeholders including Officers in Charge of the OSBPs; customs, immigration, standards, and port health officers; as well as representatives of other border agencies, cross-border traders, and local government authorities, the EAC Secretariat aims to address challenges and streamline processes at these critical facilities.

Selected borders and mission dates are as follows:

Nimule/Elegu, South Sudan side – 9th April, 2024
Mutukula/Mutukula, Uganda side – 12th April, 2024
Rusumo/Rusumo, Rwanda side – 15th April, 2024
Kobero/Kabanga, Burundi side – 16th April, 2024
Namanga/Namanga, Tanzania – 19th April, 2024

The mission will take place at the respective OSBPs ensuring comprehensive coverage and engagement.

The EAC Secretariat underscores the significance of continuous sensitization and capacity-building efforts at EAC borders. Similar missions are planned for other OSBPs in the months of June and July 2024, reaffirming the commitment to enhancing awareness and compliance with cross-border procedures.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of East African Community.

A new World Bank program is set to strengthen and expand the electricity network, improve sector financial viability, and enable renewable energy generation through private sector participation in Ethiopia. 

Ethiopia has the third largest energy access deficit in Sub-Saharan Africa with about half the population still without access to reliable electricity. Over the past decade, the Government of Ethiopia has made encouraging progress on its electrification program and expanded the grid network coverage to nearly 60% of towns and villages. Yet the electricity deficit in Ethiopia continues to exacerbate the poverty situation, preventing far too many people from fulfilling their basic socio-economic needs and limiting access to opportunity. For Ethiopia to continue to ramp up electricity access through grid connections, it is essential that the electric utilities and backbone infrastructure are fit for purpose.  

“Transforming the electricity sector in Ethiopia requires a medium-term approach to address interlinked structural and operational challenges and send a strong signal to the private sector. Through this program, the World Bank will partner with Ethiopia over the next 10 years with a financing envelope of up to $1.4 billion, to help the government crowd in other development partners and the private sector,” said Wendy Hughes, World Bank Regional Director for Infrastructure for Eastern and Southern Africa.   

The Power Sector Reform, Investment and Modernization in Ethiopia program (PRIME) will be implemented over several phases. The first phases will prioritize critical infrastructure investments and sector reform actions to improve the overall ability of electricity utilities to add new connections. Leveraging the one World Bank approach, the latter phases of the program will focus on mobilizing private sector participation in the power sector. For the implementation of the first phase, the World Bank approved a $522 million International Development Association* (IDA) credit.  

An important feature of PRIME is to enhance Ethiopia’s resilience towards climate change. Ethiopia is prone and vulnerable to climate related disasters. With the electricity production heavily reliant on hydropower, the sector is vulnerable to hydrological variations. The program will help the country to diversify its generation mix and to tap into its vast but underutilized clean resources, including solar, wind, and geothermal.   

“With the goal of substantially improving the quality of electricity service, increasing generation from renewable resources, and mobilizing private capital, PRIME is expected to make a significant contribution towards modernizing and strengthening the Ethiopian power sector. This is essential to sustain the country’s fast pace of electrification,” said Ousmane Dione, World Bank Country Director for Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan and Sudan. The program, together with other ongoing and planned energy projects, can potentially support the entire population of the country over the program’s lifetime. 

The PRIME project will be implemented by Ethiopian Electric Utility and Ethiopia Electric Power, two fully government-owned public enterprises.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.

The South African Government wishes to convey its condolences to the families of the victims as well as the Government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran following the attack on the consular section building of its Embassy in Damascus, the Syrian Arab Republic.

The South African Government views any attack on a diplomatic or consular establishment as a flagrant violation of international law that offers protection to diplomatic as well as consular representatives in a host state.

The principle of protection of diplomatic and consular premises and staff constitutes a basic principle of International Law, which is required for the orderly conduct of relations between states.

An attack of this nature, therefore, should be a matter of concern for the whole international community.

South Africa calls on the United Nations, including the United Nations Security Council, to hold to account those who are responsible under the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter as well as the 1961 Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the 1963 Convention on Consular Relations and Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Internationally Protected Persons of 1973.

Further, the attack was a violation of Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity which must be respected and upheld.

South Africa urges all parties to exercise restraint and not to exacerbate regional tensions.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: Department of International Relations and Cooperation.