As the second Russia Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum draws near, this year’s forum is stated as the most crucial one yet with regards to strengthening the relationship of the two bodies in light of the current global situation.
During a round table session held on Wednesday July 12, in Addis Ababa, under the theme, ‘On the road to the Second Russia–Africa Summit and Economic and Humanitarian Forum’, various representatives including that of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, Coordinating Committee for Economic Cooperation with African Countries (AFROCOM), relevant ministries, industry and business associations discussed the prospects for the development of Russian-African economic and social partnership relations.
At the event which was dedicated to the Second Russia-Africa Summit and Economic and Humanitarian Forum that will be held on July 27 and 28 in St. Petersburg, Russia’s Evgeny Terekhin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative of Russia to the African Union, said that the upcoming event is considered by Russia as a systematic foundation element of partnership between Russia and Africa.
As the Russian Ambassador indicates, the main regional alliances within the African Union and regional economic communities is based on the principles of equality, mutual respect, and not intertwining internal affairs as Russia supports African countries unequivocally in the struggle for sovereignty, whilst rendering support and providing security and economic growth.
“This is the biggest difference from the so called countries of the collective West that is still living in the context of supremacy and trying to still stick to some neo-colonial practices as the Russia position strengthens the concept of a multi-polar world and opens up additional opportunities for the development of our relationships. The current geopolitical situation demands and requires a certain direction of the mechanisms of our interaction,” he added.
“The Russia–Africa Summit is an event that plays a key role in the development of Russian-African relations. It is thanks to this format of interaction that we will be able to achieve a qualitatively new level of mutually beneficial partnership as soon as possible which is capable of meeting the challenges of the 21st century and the further strengthening of equally beneficial partnerships between Russia and African countries in all measurements of politics, economy, in education, science, culture and humanitarian spheres,” Amb. Evgeny said.
He added that despite the colossal operation from the Western countries on African partners, the blackmail and threats, St. Petersburg will still see the majority of leaders of African nations and also leaders of regional alliances and integrated communities.
It was also state that the core idea and the backbone of the summit was the eagerness and the readiness of the Russian Federation to provide all kinds of support and strengthening of the sovereignty of African countries and protection of the principle of the sovereign equality.
On the round table, Igor Morozov, Chairperson of AFROCOM said that the digitalization of Africa attracts special attention of Russians, “Russia has the world’s best B2B, B2C digital platforms, product and educational service labeling, and Moscow has become the best city in the world in terms of living comfort and digitalization of the services offered. Only Toronto and Singapore are in the top three. We certainly have something to share with our African partners, especially since they are already ready for a new experience: the African Continental Free Trade Area has begun to operate, many countries of the continent, including Ethiopia, are creating science and technology parks and IT clusters.”
“The west has been trying to sever the ties between Russia and Africa, but our relationship has thrived withstanding all challenges,” he added.
According to the Chairperson, Russian companies are ready to participate in the Ethiopian economy in the fields of production and assembly of cars, tractors and other agricultural equipment, “We are pledging commitment to attract more other investments to the country.”

Rising prices of basic food and food-related products and the current general economic situation are exposing people to severe social and economic crises, underlines the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in its annual report, while also seriously warning that violation of rights have reached dangerous levels.
The report released by the Commission on July 12, 2023, compiled the human rights management from June 2022 to June 2023, highlighted that, “Lack of fertilizers and other essential inputs has prevented the sections of society that are managed by agriculture and related activities from returning to productivity. As a result, the number of people seeking support has increased. The drought that has lasted for several months in Oromia, southern nations and peoples, Somali regions, and neighboring areas still requires a sustainable response.”
According to the commission, in this situation, especially for the disabled, the elderly, women, and children, as well as those who are displaced, their vulnerability to multiple rights violations will increase significantly. To this end, the commission urged for the issue of disability and the rights of the disabled receive the much needed attention by government.
In its report, the commission reminded that there are encouraging beginnings in the peaceful resolution of armed conflicts and urged that peace efforts at both the state and federal levels should be strengthened, especially by involving affected communities, in order to bring about a sustainable and tangible improvement in the national human rights situation.
Despite the good progress seen in law and policy reforms, in accepting and implementing the commission’s recommendations, and especially in finding solutions to various human rights violations, armed conflicts and attacks that recur or reoccur in different forms in all parts of the country, negative impact on the rights to life and movement is still transpiring. The commission, cognizant of this called on the relevant parties to emphasize that the national human rights situation is an obstacle to meaningful improvement.
“The report explores civil and political, social and economic, women’s and children’s, disabled and elderly, refugees, internally displaced persons, and migrants’ rights. It also explains in detail the situation of the rights of people in custody and detainees, the human rights complaints handled by the commission, and the status of Ethiopia in terms of fulfilling continental and international human rights obligations,” the report cited.
“In addition to human rights violations committed by governmental and non-governmental forces, especially in the context of armed conflict, forced disappearances, arbitrary and illegal arrests by security and security agencies, the use of disproportionate force during peaceful public gatherings is causing serious harm to people,” the commission stated.
Harassment and arrests targeting members of the media, opposition political parties, social activists, and members of civic society; temporary or long-term movement restrictions for various reasons and areas, including security problems, are violations of their own rights,” are issues of high concern the commission stated.
The annual report noted encouraging beginnings in the peaceful resolution of conflicts compared to the previous year but explained the dynamic and multifaceted violations of rights committed by various governmental structures and non-governmental entities during the reporting period.
Arbitrary detention and ill-treatment, disproportionate use of force, targeted attacks on the media and opposition, arbitrary restrictions on the right to move from place to place, home demolitions without due process, forced evictions, abuses and violations of social and economic rights, and the rehabilitation of war-torn areas were pointed out in the report as continuing issues.

However, the rehabilitation works that have been started, the return of interrupted social and other services, and the return of a large number of IDPs to their villages are among the positive achievements mentioned in the report.
“Nevertheless, especially in February 2023, following the movement to reorganize the special forces of the regions, especially the conflicts and the observed security problems in various areas of the Amhara region, the increasing number of conflict areas in the Oromia region, as well as the deaths, injuries, and displacement caused by the repeated conflicts due to the failure to find a permanent solution in all regions, remained as points of major concern,” the report noted.
In the report, many improvements and initiatives have been observed regarding the treatment of detained and arrested persons in the 49 prisons and 346 police stations monitored by the commission during the fiscal year. However, arbitrary and illegal arrests, forced disappearances, non-compliance with the right to bail, beatings, and torture have been reported.
Quite recently following the cease fire in the Northern Ethiopia war, one of the recommendations given by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the investigation, was that transitional justice be made part of the peace agreement, and that following this, the federal government was urged to prepare a draft policy option (Green Paper) to implement the transitional justice system and start conducting community-wide discussions to a certain extent.
In the coming fiscal year, the main human rights issues that require the continued monitoring of the commission and the relevant government bodies have been pointed out, and in addition to making efforts and performance appropriate to the issues that are the root cause of the lack of peace and security and human rights violations, the strengthening of early warning and prevention capacity by governmental structures has been included.

Ethiopian Mineral Corporation (EMC) launches a digital gemstone trading platform to transform the way minerals are purchased and sold.
As indicated on the launching ceremony held on July 12, 2023 at Sheraton Addis luxury hotel with the presence of various stakeholders, the platform is set to provide a seamless and secure online marketplace for traders and enthusiasts’ worldwide, enabling efficient communication and transactions between buyers and sellers. Additionally, the platform aims to accommodate other exportable mineral commodities, drawing it a step closer to the government’s “digital Ethiopia vision 2025” in the mineral industry.

It is stated that the digital platform showcases an extensive collection of gemstones from around the globe, including opal, rubles, emeralds, sapphires, and more. Each listing provides detailed information about the gemstone’s characteristics, grading, and origin, ensuring transparency and authenticity. On its end, the EMC will implement a rigorous verification process to ensure all gemstones listed on the platform meet the highest quality standards.
Developed by EagleLion Technology System, the Ethiopian Minerals system is supported by Dashen Bank. The platform uses Mastercard’s Payment Gateway Service (MPGS) for secure transactions, ensuring the safety of transactions and protecting the interests of buyers and product suppliers. Mastercard is an official partner with EMC, working on product development, standardization, promotion; marketing, training, capacity development, and technical advisory support to ensure Ethiopian minerals become a world-class digital platform.
“EMC is aware of the digital transformation occurring in the mining industry globally and is determined to reform itself into a leading force contributing to Ethiopia’s economy. With years of industry experience and a dedication to innovation, EMC is now proud to offer cutting-edge digital trading platform for gemstones and other exportable mineral commodities using its Ethiopian Minerals digital trading platform,” said Rahel Getachew, head of the corporation.

As part of its silver jubilee celebrations, and continued social impact, Capital newspaper in partnership with SAMANU FMGC and SMLH ONM Ethiopia, gives back to the community.
The media house which has often been an avid supporter of the community through its CSR initiatives this time around donated different basic consumer goods to the need, courtesy of Ethiopia’s largest FMCG platform SAMANU and Société des Membres de la Légion d’Honneur and National Order of Merit (SMLH-ONM) which is formed to strengthen cooperation and friendship between French and Ethiopian communities.

The contribution sought to give back to the parents of Hizbawi Serawit School who have been direly affected during these peak times of inflation.
During the donation ceremony which was held on Saturday July 15, at the school premises, Teguest Yilma, Managing Editor of Capital, said that over the years Capital has played a pivotal role in rendering much needed support to the community where need arose.
She further elaborated that the media house has been vocal and keen over the years in improving the educational system as well as in donating educational materials and direct support to parents and students in different institutions across the country.
At the ceremony, Education Bureau heads and relevant government officials appreciated the initiative that Capital took and called on others to follow suit.
SAMANU FMGC is one of the leading basic commodities like edible oil, macaroni and cleaning products manufacturer in Ethiopia.
The association of SMLH – Ethiopia was formed in 2013 by the recipients of the French government’s award of the Legion of Honor in recognition of eminent services rendered to their country and the strengthening of franco-ethiopian bilateral relations.
Textbooks, edible oil, pasta, powder soap and flour were donated to the parents in need under the guidance and selection of the school committee.