Ethiopian Airlines Group, Africa’s largest airline announced the resumption of its flight services to Victoria Falls, African’s most spectacular natural sites effective 06 October, 2020. Customers are informed that facemasks will be mandatory for travel and are requested to satisfy destination entry requirements such as PCR COVID-19 Clearance certificate issued by the recognized facility within 48 hours from the date of departure, in line with WHO guidelines.
ECA calls for accelerated actions & interventions towards addressing LLDCs’ special challenges
The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) participated in the Annual Ministerial Meeting of Foreign Ministers of Landlocked Developing Countries and highlighted the need for sustained and consistent support to LLDCs on the African continent.
In her remarks, ECA Executive Secretary Vera Songwe said Africa is home to the majority of the world’s LLDCs which continue to face peculiar trade and development challenges arising from their lack of territorial access to the sea and geographical remoteness from international markets affecting their quest for economic development.
“LLDCs suffer from lack of competitiveness of both their exports and imports, as well as reduction in the purchasing power of their populations, leaving them worse off in comparison to non-LLDCs,” said Songwe.
She said if ever there was a time when multilateralism was needed, it was now, especially as the dreaded coronavirus continues to rear its ugly head the world over affecting global supply chains.
“We need multilateralism to provide consistent and sustained support for the LLDCs. They have more special needs than non-LLDCs,” said Songwe, adding the COVID-19 had underscored the need for a strengthened multilateralism going forward.
“Africa’s infrastructure deficit, including resultant high costs of logistics, remains a primary constraint to growth. Regarding energy infrastructure for example, only 30 per cent of people living in the African LLDCs had access to electricity in 2017, lagging behind all LLDCs and the world.”
CULTURE AND ART Twin Essentials for Self Determination
Ethiopian iconic art dates back to the 4th century, seen on monastery walls throughout the country, preserving the encounters and teachings of Yeshua the Christ and his adherents. For the Christian faith, Orthodox or otherwise, Christmas and Easter are the two primary holidays celebrated worldwide. However, the ever-indomitable Ethiopians add one more sacred day, creating a spiritual trifecta with Meskel, “finding of the true cross” by St. Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, celebrated by Ethiopians for over 600 years. As a lover of art and culture, Meskel is much like watching a live work of spiritual art manifesting before my eyes. Energetic Orthodox youth decorate the streets with red, gold and green banners which fly majestically before the convergence of white robed, colorful clergy in Meskel Square. Ancient spiritual songs and dance are choreographed before and after the meters high bonfire burns in the presence of thousands of faithful. Eventually, adherents use the ashes to paint crosses on their faces and large communal feasts follow. Words do no justice to the grand spiritual holiday which creates a sense of colorful cohesion preserving the great Orthodox faith through reverent artistic expression.
On the other hand, in the 19th century, we find art in the West being used nefariously according to Jennifer Dasal’s book, ‘ArtCurious: Stories of the “Unexpected, Slightly Odd, and Strangely Wonderful in Art History.’ Dasal writes, “When the US government established the CIA in 1947, it included a division known as the Propaganda Assets Inventory, a branch of psychological warfare intended to boost pro-American messaging during the Cold War. The secrecy with which the CIA pursued Abstract Expressionism was not only integral to successfully fooling the Soviet Union but also to keeping any associated artists in the dark.” She further writes, “…most of [the Abstract Expressionists] were people who had very little respect for the government in particular and certainly none for the CIA. Multiple artists self-identified as anarchists…(if) you wanted to use their paintings to forward a government agenda,… the answer would most likely have been a firm no. The CIA’s answer… was something known as the long-leash policy. This solution kept CIA operatives at a remove of two or three degrees from the artists and art exhibitions…so that they could not be linked to any furtive governmental bankrolling.” Dasal states, “…they elicited the participation of arts foundations, artists groups, and, most crucially, art museums, requesting their assistance in organizing special exhibitions, events, and collections… funneled through a new arts agency created by the CIA named the Congress for Cultural Freedom (CCF)… developed in 1950 and not revealed as a CIA project until 1966.”
Finally, she asserts, “The museum most closely involved with the CCF’s plans for cultural domination was the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City, focused through the participation of Nelson Rockefeller, a politician, philanthropist, and future vice president of the United States under Gerald Ford. The CIA/MoMA link was never “official,” exactly-and many have disputed the partnership over the years… writer Louis Menand noted in a 2005 article for the New Yorker, no formal deal between the agency and the museum needed to be made because all figures were essentially on the same page. Fighting communism, varnishing the country’s image, and celebrating art? For the cultural elite at MoMA-and others in boardrooms and lounges all over New York City-it was a no-brainer.” Woah! The full article is at https://news.artnet.com/art-world/artcurious-cia-art-excerpt-1909623
As a 20th century Pan African curator, collector and parallel advocate for social justice, I have often cautioned colleagues of the “pick and choose” injustice of the art industry creeping in, if not already entrenched in Africa. And while the injustice seen in the art industry today is about capitalism not communism, galleries are still promoting the “easy to work with non-controversial artists.” But the tide is turning in this Black Lives Matter era with growing interest in artists who unpack and confront injustice head on. I received an email introducing me to African American artist, Trenton Doyle Hancock, from Jim Cohan, owner of the prominent NYC James Cohan Gallery. Jim has visited Ethiopia, is a supporter of Zoma Museum and is well known for representing a roster of phenomenal contemporary creatives including our own Elias Sime and Nigerian Yinka Shonibare. Hancock’s work is intriguing described as “… contend(ing) with American identity and cultural expression, while confronting the ever-evolving, attendant structures of white supremacy.” He’s an artist worth introducing to Ethiopia and Africa, in general, as he expresses the subjugation under which Black people survive in America. Knowledge of antiquated racist practices shape foreign policies on the continent as well as our perspectives of each other, so yes it’s relevant. Hancock takes us on his decades long journey with alter-ego “Torpedo Boy” front and center, illuminating dark hidden areas. He holds nothing back as seen on jamescohan.artlogic.net commenting, “The more you dissect the image, the more it becomes fraught with historic tension and with my own history as a painter.” Hancock goes on to say, “The code switching painting is centered around the idea of Double Consciousness-W. E. B. Du Bois’s idea that the black man in America lives in two worlds. It’s like reaching for a star, the abstraction of the American Dream. This idea of the exchange or a dialogue is just that-it’s how to make painting move beyond its primary functions, as receptacles of symbols that are just overlaid one another, and move it into the space of where it’s overlapping with the language of graphic novels and therefore hopefully moving the form forward.” It is my hope that Ethiopia is taking copious notes in order to protect the artistic integrity and trajectory of contemporary art, ensuring the preservation of our experiences which have preserved our culture and sovereignty thus far.
Dr. Desta Meghoo is a Jamaican born
Creative Consultant, Curator and cultural promoter based in Ethiopia since 2005. She also serves as Liaison to the AU for the Ghana based, Diaspora African Forum.
ECA drafts regulations on Ethio-Telecom’s Liberalization
As one of the instruments for the liberalization of the telecommunication sector, Ethiopian Communication Authority (ECA) has drafted a Universal Service Fund Regulation that will be up for public dialogue in the coming weeks.
The authority will be hosting several public discussions with relevant stakeholders and the general public on the best way to sell the 45 percent share of Ethio-Telecom and further provide two more licenses on the liberalization of the telecom industry.
On similar discussions held on Wednesday the 23rd of September at the Ministry of Finance hall, the participants aired out their concerns with regards to the objective and focus of the new coming operators. They feared that the newcomers will be swayed in focus towards the lucrative urban area market which in turn may affect investment flow to the expansion operation of unreached rural areas.
They expressed their concern by meticulously stating that whilst Tele-Com is under the structure of state owned monopoly, the state was responsible in the management of the expansion that aims to cover areas not yet accessed by telecom and this might not be the case when it is liberalized.
Tasew Woldehana (Prof), President of Addis Ababa University and member of the Privatization Council, was keen to emphasize that the privatization process would be a boost to the economy. However, he also sought clarification from ECA on the matter concerning investment in rural areas. “There must be a proposed modality that may guide us as a framework to secure investment in rural areas beside the lucrative business in hub cities,” he stated.
Balcha Reba, Director General of ECA, affirmed that the drafted regulations, set by the authority, sought to answer all the concerns raised by the participants.
He told Capital that ECA has been engaged in studies to come up with a solution on the matter regarding the sector investment in rural areas.
The draft regulation states that for a company to invest in the telecom sector, the interested company must allocate a fund to undertake universal access in the sector. This fund in this case is ‘The Universal Service Fund’.
The Universal Service Fund draft regulation indicated that the fund provided will not be lower than 1.5 percent of the company’s annual total revenue.
“Under studies we conducted, it is to our understanding that for Universal Service Funds others imposed up to 2.5 percent while on our draft we have tabled at least 1.5 percent of the total revenue to be contributed as a fund to expand the telecom sector for neglected areas, which is attainable,” Balcha explained.
He said that in the coming weeks the draft regulation will be discussed by the public and filed to the Council of Ministers for ratification.
The liberalization process is expected to be accomplished towards the beginning of next year and the new operators will commence operations before the end of the first half of 2021.
According to Eyob Tekalign, State Minister of Finance, the prospectus for the five percent share sales for Ethiopians at Ethio Telecom is under draft and an entity will be formed. “Ethiopians will have stake under the entity that will be formed for this purpose,” he added.
According to the government plan, 40 percent of share at Ethio Telecom will be owned by foreign investors and five percent to Ethiopians and the remaining 55 percent will continue under government control.
During the public discussion Ahmed Shide, Minister of Finance, ridiculed the idea of national security threats linked to the privatization process that rose at the discussion. He stated that the issue of fear is overstated.
“On ground, we Ethiopians are a security threat to ourselves as opposed to the upcoming privatization which can easily be managed,” he said as he strongly criticized the idea.
ECA has developed 16 directives. Seven of these directives have passed, five are up for public discussion whereas four of the remainder are under preparation.
