US diplomats disclosed that the TPLF, who ignited the first fire on November 3 evening, had targeted to overthrow the central government and repossess the political spectrum. They hinted that it’s their expectation that the operation will be done sooner.
On the telephone press conference that was held on Thursday evening, Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, Tibor Nagy and the US Ambassador to Ethiopia Michael Raynor, have briefed journalists about the current situation in Ethiopia’s northern region.
They said that both sides were not willing to take part in mediation, which the US officials called it’s a way for a goal not by itself an end of goal.
Since the operation commenced by the Ethiopian government following the TPLF force firing on Ethiopian Defense Force, the regional force leaders have expressed their desire for negation, while the Ethiopian government underlined that it will be happen when the mission is concluded and the target of the mission achieved.
However TPLF expressed its desire for negotiation on its media outlets and via some international media. Furthermore the US Ambassador said that both sides are not ready for negotiation.
In response to the TPLF chairman’s argument that he stated for Financial Times this week saying that a breakup of Ethiopia could be one of the consequences of this conflict, Nagy said that, “I am not privy to the thinking of the TPLF leadership when they started this, but this was not to secede and create an independent state from Ethiopia, because the Ethiopian constitution has a provision for the states to be able to secede peacefully.”
“I mean, again, it is difficult to tell the motivation, but it seems like they were doing this more to depose the prime minister from power and to reassert themselves into the prominent position that they had atop the Ethiopian political spectrum for the last 27 years,” he explained the motive of igniting the conflict from the TPLF side.
He ridiculed their tactic for an opposite result has occurred.
“So hopefully right now I think that their tactic has had the opposite effect from what they were planning. It seems like this has brought the Ethiopian nation together, at least for the time being, in support of the prime minister, because this has really stoked Ethiopian nationalism, and hopefully those positive forces will remain,” Nagy said.
“But again, I want to make it very clear that this is not about Tigray. There is no equivalency here. This is not two sovereign states fighting against each other. This is a faction of the government running a region in Ethiopia that has decided to undertake hostilities against the central government, and it has not – in my view – has had the effect that they thought that they were going to get,” he added.
Regarding standing together to tackle the current challenge, the US Ambassador stressed that the central government has grabbed support from regions and general public. “Seemingly regional governments, federal governments, and large swaths of the people galvanizing around the government – the federal government and the national,” he expressed.
“From the first attacks on November 3rd by the TPLF, on the Ethiopian National Defense Force bases in the Tigray region, we have publicly and privately highlighted our grave concern. We strongly urge an immediate de-escalation of tensions, a cessation of hostilities, and a return to peace,” stated Nagy-the Assistant Secretary.
He said that the United States continues to coordinate with the Ethiopian government, local authorities, and international partners to ensure that civilians in and around the Tigray region have access to needed humanitarian assistance, “The protection and security of all civilians is essential. Our top priority is ensuring the welfare, protection, and security of U.S. citizens. The U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa continues to work closely with the United Nations and others to relocate U.S. citizens in Tigray, as conditions permit,” he expounded.
He criticized the TPLF action that demands more attention and makes the case an international issue by saying the fighting in Tigray shall continue, as events last weekend suggest that the TPLF seeks to internationalize the conflict.
“The TPLF leadership has admitted responsibility for the November 13 missile launches at airports in Bahir Dar and Gondar, in the Amhara region, and the November 14 attack in Eritrea. These unacceptable attacks make the situation more dangerous, and the Secretary condemned them in his most recent statement. We have been in contact with Eritrean Government officials and are urging their continued restraint,” he said.
The Assistant Secretary said that the US continue to press the Ethiopian government to restore communication in the region as an act of accountability and transparency and to enable greater contact with civilians, including American citizens in the region.
“We also urge both sides to maintain access for humanitarian organizations to provide essential assistance to vulnerable groups in the region. We have been unequivocal with the Ethiopian Government and the TPLF on civilian lives since civilians must be protected and humanitarian access must be ensured,” he added.
“We remain deeply concerned over reports that civilians have been purposely targeted and attacked. We condemn the November 12 massacre in Mai-Kadra, apparently perpetrated by TPLF soldiers and militia as they retreated from the town,” he said expressing his concern on the attack of civilians
“Those found responsible must be held accountable in accordance with the law. Additionally, we are working with the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and the Ethiopian government to ascertain why several journalists were recently arrested, their current status and well-being, and what charges they are facing,” he said.
Nagy appreciated Eritrea for its reservation as TPLF tried to internationalizing the conflict, “We expressed our thanks to Eritrea for not being provoked when they were attacked by missiles because apparently, one of the aims of the TPLF hardcore leadership was to try to internationalize the conflict so that there would be a way to try to really fan the flames of patriotism within the general population of Tigray, and we appreciate the fact that Eritrea has been restrained.”
“Obviously, the Ethiopian government is also very keen to keep the situation from being internationalized because that would be destabilizing the entire region,” the diplomat, who knows the region very well, said.
The Assistant Secretary who appreciated mediation added that it is a tactic and a way to get to the goal that is a quick end to the conflict, restoration of peace, and protection of civilians.
“A whole series of regional leaders, continental leaders, other international leaders have reached out with offers of mediation. At this point, neither party, from everything we hear, is interested in mediation,” he added.
Regarding humanitarian issue, Michael Raynor, US Ambassador says ,“We, along with other humanitarian governments, including the United Nations, have been pressing from the outside: establishing humanitarian access for commodities – fuel, gas, other items; establishing a corridor to enable the insertion of those supplies and also to facilitate and monitor civilians. We raised that with the government. They said they would look into it.”
“When I raised that with the TPLF, they did not really engage on that possibility. But we continue to press it very hard,” he added.
“Another aspect of this is that as the Ethiopian government continues to articulate a vision of the military conflict coming to an end fairly soon, a week or two from now, which isn’t to say that there isn’t a humanitarian crisis on the ground, because there absolutely is,” he said hinting when the conflict might be over and humanitarian crises shall be ended.
US diplomats weigh in on TPLF and Ethiopian Government
The digital migration: New scheme that digitizes logistics set to be deployed in three phases
The Federal Transport Authority (FTA) is set to introduce a modern platform to uplift the logistics and fleet management and operation. To operate the E-service, transport companies are expected to undertake re-registration starting from next week.
Djibouti will be integrated in the second phase of the online operation that is expected to be commenced in the near future.
FTA announced that the system will be operational in the transport companies and facilities that operate under federal level.
Abdulber Shemsu, Deputy Director General of FTA, told Capital that the E-service will be applied in different phases and that the first phase will be commenced in the near future.
“We have accomplished the preparation and have also given training for relevant civil servant, transport company officers and others who have relation with the operation since it’s a new scheme,” Abdulber said.
According to the Deputy Director General, on October 26 the authority has issued a new directive that allows for the implementation of the new system and transport companies should re-register based on the directive. “Action plan have develop for the implementation of the directive so it will be applied,” he added.
The re-registration is expected to commence in the coming week and in the coming six months the registration is expected to be fully done.
The new scheme is an E-service that all transport companies will be administered under and their activity will be managed, coordinated and controlled on paperless basis.
The implementation of the technology is supported and developed by the Innovation and Technology Institute, which is under Ministry of Innovation and Technology.
The system will improve the logistics and transport service and shall reduce the involvement and chain of unnecessary middlemen, because all the gaps shall transparently be seen by the regulatory body, companies and other stakeholders.
Under the new system the security feature is very strong and this allows owners of trucks or companies to follow the activity of their trucks and assign the trucks for proper operation.
Besides strong security features, bar codes will be used to give all information like the drivers and truck data, and there will be QR codes that digitalize declaration of entry and others information that is currently given manually.
Information like the location of truck, its activity permission, profile of driver, owner of the truck, the cargo that it will load and loaded shall be also easily made known on the new scheme.
Abdulber said that it will also allow to prevent loading cargos without agreement since currently contracts of loading are done orally. “Accountability, security and benefiting not only owners but also operators or drivers is also the other advantages,” he commented.
To introduce the first phase it took 8 months and implementation work is undertaken in collaboration with FTA and Innovation and Technology Institute IT and other staffs.
In the second phase, the operation will extend on cross borders with deals with countries. He said that FTA has already agreed with Djibouti Port Community Services to expand the operation in Djibouti, which is the main sea outlet for Ethiopia.
In the phase, other relevant public originations and companies like customs, insurance companies, and other will be integrated to elevate the manual operation.
Integrated GPS system will also be installed to ensue modern fleet management on every commercial truck is undertaken.
Djiboutian leaders who were in Addis Ababa this week have also stated that their country system will be integrated with the new FTA platform.
“Djibouti Port Community Services will benefit by receiving advanced notifications of incoming trucks while the authority tracks cargo trucks on Djibouti corridor and ports,” it said.
“We have agreed to integrate the system with their facility that will be undertaken in the second phase. In the community in Djibouti, the operation will be linked on an end to end basis regarding controlling the activity and flow of information,” Abdulber says, “it needs more work but we have agreed on the implementation.”
In the third phase the operation will be expanded to public transport service and automate the operation by introducing cashless and paper less operations besides implementing different controlling mechanism.
Jiangxi Corporation set to build Oromia Insurance’s headquarters
Oromia Insurance company awarded the Chinese construction company to build its headquarter around the financial district that is becoming the hub for most banks and insurance companies.
On Tuesday November 17, 2020 Oromia Insurance had signed an agreement with Jiangxi Corporation for international economic and technical cooperation to build the structural work of its headquarters.
On the tender which was floated for shortlisted companies, according to Tigstu shiferaw acting CEO of Oromia Insurance, 12 companies has been shortlisted from both local and international. The list included local companies such as Rama Construction PLC and CCCC, however 9 of them had submitted their expression of interest and only two passed to the financial evaluation in which Jiangxi submitted a better technical and financial proposal.
The building which will have 35-storeys and four basements will rest on 3,004 sqm of land leased from the city administration located around Mexico Square close to Wabishebele Hotel between the premises of the Ethiopian coffee, Tea Marketing and Development Authority and the Federal Small & Medium Manufacturing Industry Development Agency.
The 35-storey building will have offices, a meeting facility and a parking space that can accommodate up to 300 cars at any given time. The headquarter building will cost the company 1.5 billion Birr and is expected to be completed in three years.
The construction of the headquarter is classified in three phases, and Anchor Foundation Specialist has done the first phase which includes shoring and excavation.
Anchor Foundation Specialist PLC, a local firm specialized in foundation construction and known for building the United and Nib bank HQs, Marriot International and the Addis Ababa Light Railway Transit Kaliti Terminal is also involved in the project.
Local firm called Zeleke Belay Architect PLC, has done the design after winning the bid two years ago and supervise the contractors. Zeleke is known by taking projects including universities, hospitals and corporate office buildings in the past two decades.
The second phase is set to be undertaken by the Chinese company whilst the third phase is expected to start after finishing the construction of the building.
The construction of the building was initiated in partnership between the insurance firm and Oromia Coffee Farmers’ Cooperative Union, which is a member of the board of directors of Oromia Insurance and Oromia International Bank.
Established in 2009 with 540 founding shareholders and a paid-up capital of 26 million birr the insurance company’s assets have grown to 1.3 billion birr and 500 million birr subscribed capital and 49 service outlets all over the country, with a paid-up capital of 414 million Birr.
Currently, the insurance firm shares a headquarters with Oromia International Bank. The two reside in a 13-storey building that is located near Getu Commercial Centre. Annually, the insurance company pays seven million Birr to Oromia International Bank as rent for the seventh and eighth floors it occupies. The two also share the second and ground floors.
Besides building its headquarter, Oromia insurance is working to digitalize all its services. According to the president the insurer will make all its service digital starting from the coming July. “Both will help us to make all our services efficient, satisfactory and simple for our customers,” said Tigstu.
The vow of the new Tigray interim administration
The new interim administration of Tigray Regional state has said it will work aggressively on public relation and communication in the region to separate the people from the TPLF since the people of Tigray have been very close and highly attached to the TPLF.
“The Tigray people have been hostage of the TPLF for many years. One of the important work the interim administration will be involved in is the rehabilitation work on cooperating with the federal government to ensure justice and good governance widens the political space in the region by involving all political parties,” says Mulu Nega, CEO of the interim administration.
One of the mandates of the interim government is reorganizing the government structure of the region.
The Interim Administration said it has finalized its charter to re-establish new Regional and Zone cabinet structures. However, as the CEO explained Woreda councils and Kebele administration will continue.
In his media briefing on Thursday, CEO of the Interim Administration of Tigray Regional State, Mulu Nega said provisional administration will be instituted in the areas liberated from the TPLF.
It is to be recalled the House of Federation has endorsed to establish an interim administration in Tigray Regional State following the defiant TPLF junta vicious attack on the Northern Command of Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF). The Interim Administration will also establish an administration with the participation of independent and neutral scholars and political parties operating in Tigray. “The political space in the region has been very narrow. So we will open up this and invite all political parties, groups and individuals to operate by respecting the rule of law,” he said.
Also as the CEO noted TPLF will not be allowed to participate in the new administration. Since high officials and executive bodies are engaged in the crime and the so called illegal election. Moreover, in collaboration with other relevant government bodies it will take steps to address the situation that threatens the constitutional order in Tigray Regional State.
“The establishment of the interim administration aims to ensuring the benefits of the People of Tigray and sustain lasting peace by restructuring the preceding administration system,” the CEO said.
In this regard as Mulu noted the new administration will establish a task force to investigate the case of individuals in custody in the Tigray region.
The Tigriyan people have been suffering from lack of justice and good governance, Mulu noted, adding that the interim administration will work to create an enabling situation whereby these problems could be tackled.
The CEO added that the interim administration will discharge its responsibility in facilitating credible and participatory elections to be held in Tigray Regional State.
“Making smooth transition and conducting free and legal election are the main targets of the Interim Administration of Tigray Regional State,” said Mulu adding that the people of Tigray have been coerced into unfair and illegal elections by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) for years.
According to him, the immediate action will be resuming social services not properly functioning at the moment, including education, health and so forth, in collaboration with the federal government, sector ministries and other stakeholders.
Regarding the relation with Eritrea, Mulu said, “We will try to restore peace and stability with neighboring regions and Eritrea. There is some mistrust. So our task is to restore peace and stability within Tigray as well as with neighboring regions and the Eritrean government.”
Ethiopia has said its forces are bearing down on the capital of Tigray region, in a two-week-old war that has killed hundreds and forced 30,000 refugees to flee into neighboring Sudan.
“Our defense forces are moving forward and closing in on Mekelle,” government spokesman Redwan Hussein told reporters. “There are a number of towns that have fallen,” he added.
Moreover, various international organizations are evacuating their staff from Mekelle and Tigray. As Redwan informs the Capital newspaper, countries, including the United Nations, were evacuating their citizens and staffs from the Tigray region, Hundreds of foreign aid workers have left Tigray through boarders of Afar.
He said the regional government is protecting them from Mekelle to the border of Afar State through their satellite communications. At the same time, all organizations must provide a list of people to be evicted and ensure that they are not wanted for crime. In the meantime, he said, the government is seeking better conditions for humanitarian assistance to the United Nations to alleviate the living conditions in the Tigray region.
As Redwan said the government has organized two groups of fact finding missions to assess the situation on the ground on both the western and east southern parts of the region to find which way is easy to supply humanitarian assistance and there is a plan to bring back the migrants from neighboring countries.
