Nyala Insurance S.C. (NISCO) disclosed that it has launched a “One-Tree per One-Customer” project with the goal of contributing to the development and improvement of the country’s green environment.
In a press conference held at NISCO’s Headquarter building, at Mickey Le Land Street, on 16th May 2018, Tegegne Masresha, Executive Officer, Marketing and Business Development, said that the company has designed the project in the name of its honored customers to plant trees whenever they buy insurance policies from any of the company’s service outlets. All customers also receive a confirmation certificate that a tree will be planted to grow in their respective names.
To make this happen, NISCO has entered into a contract with the office of the Environmental Protection of Gulele Sub-City Administration to realize the project with the full commitments of nurturing and monitoring the seedlings until the stage of their full growth, he added. NISCO will pay regular visits to the tree site to assure the tasks.
Tegegne also underlined the project which is going to be implemented by planting several local and foreign seedlings around Entoto and then to be extended to regions is expected to play a role in bringing long-term solutions to the natural resource conservation.
“Even if the project entails additional costs to the company, we are very happy to embrace it as it will help us maintain happy customers while discharging our corporate social responsibilities”, Tegegne remarked.
“One-Tree per One-Customer”
Palestine’s Ambassador to Ethiopia ask for support against US embassy move
The Palestinian Ambassador to Ethiopia, Nasir Abujaish who is furious about the recent shift of the American Embassy to Jerusalem asked for support from other countries in opposing the recent move.
“We saw that some countries who were opposed to moving the US Embassy to the occupied Jerusalem territory attended the celebration in Jerusalem and witness the move of the US embassy. This is unfair” he said in a briefing on Tuesday, May 15.
The move on Monday followed a December 2017 decision by US President Donald Trump to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and relocate the US mission there from Tel Aviv. Representatives from countries like Tanzania, Kenya, Angola, and Albania attended the celebration despite recently stating opposition to the move. Reports also said that Ethiopia was among those that attended the ceremony. Ethiopia’s ministry of foreign Affairs said despite media reports, its delegates did not participate in the opening celebrations of the US embassy in Jerusalem. In a statement Meles Alem, MoFA spokesperson, clarified that media reports indicating Ethiopia as one of the African countries which were planning to participate in the event were not true. The news was first reported by Haaretz, a leading Israeli daily newspaper. Nigeria and Thailand, which were included in the report by Haaretz, have also issued statements saying their delegates were not part of the opening ceremony.
Capital asked the Ambassador if shifting the US embassy to Jerusalem will motivate others to do the same thing.
“I don’t think so, but if they will do that we will oppose it because we will not accept Jerusalem without Palestine.”
He said that the ongoing massacre in the Gaza Strip which happened last week was planned in advance, since the protests began on March 30.
“The Israeli officials and the American president and his advisor are accountable for committing war crimes against the defenseless Palestine people. Many times we warned that President Trump’s decision will have repercussions on the stability of the region in particular and the world in general. It will also expand the cycle of violence in the world and in the Middle East region, especially its impact on the spiritual, cultural and historical status of the Holy City in the Islamic and Christian conscience .’’
The status of Jerusalem is one of the thorniest obstacles to forging a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, who with broad international backing want East Jerusalem, captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, as their capital.
Israel regards the entire city, including the eastern sector it annexed after the 1967 conflict, as its capital. The Trump administration has said the city’s final borders should be decided by the parties.
Palestinians have been demonstrating on the Gaza frontier for the past six weeks, demanding a return to family land or homes lost to Israel when it was founded in the 1948 Middle East war.
Czech business delegation visits Ethiopia
A delegation led by Vladimír Bärtl, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, has paid a visit to Ethiopia. This follows a recent visit by the Czech Minister of Agriculture.
According to the statement of the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Association (AACCSA) a Delegation of Czech companies led by Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic visited Ethiopia for two days, aiming at establishing and enhancing bilateral ties between the private sectors of both countries in the respective fields.
An expert at the chamber told Capital that the east European nation wants to expand the relationship with Ethiopia under the Czech Developmental Cooperation. He said that is the reason for their frequent visits to the Horn of Africa nation.
Elias Geneti, President AACCSA, who officially opened the Ethio-Czech Business forum held at the Hilton Addis on May 15, 2018, told Capital that the Czechs are visiting Ethiopia because they have many interests in the country.
“We see Czechs as a strategic destination for several business areas including accessing their industrial technology, which is over one third of their GDP contribution,” he added.
According to the city chamber leader, their technological expertise will contribute to the targeted transformation of Ethiopia.
There are manufacturing industry areas with labor intensive, robotic and smart technology, according to Elias.
“Currently we are focusing on labour intensive industry where they can provide technology,” he said. Czech is one of the major technology providers for the European market and it was one of the top technology providers on the eastern bloc during the cold war era.
According to the chamber head, Czechs want to invest in the country. “They want the growing market, potential, and opportunities like the regional free trade area and free economy of the country, so their interest is growing.”
The delegation of the city chamber also visited the European nation in 2016, while in 2017 business representatives from Ethiopia have also visited the country.
Somalia launches constitutional review process ahead of 2020 elections
A three-day gathering on a new constitution for Somalia ended last Tuesday with an assurance from the country’s leader, President Mohamed Abdullahi ‘Farmaajo,’ that the Horn of Africa country will have a new constitution ahead of schedule – before the end of next year.
“We are determined to put to an end the review and finalize Somalia’s constitution by the end of 2018,” the president said, in a message delivered on his behalf by the Speaker of the House of the People, Mohamed Mursal Abdirahman.
Somalia is currently governed by a Provisional Constitution and the promulgation of a new and permanent constitution is expected before the country holds a ‘one-person, one-vote election’ in 2020.
The National Constitutional Convention, which drew more than 350 delegates from all sectors of Somali society, kicks off a review process that will address a number of unresolved constitutional issues, including the future status of Mogadishu and the sharing of powers and resources between the federal government and the Federal Member States.
Though the review timetable expects the new document to be ready by the end of 2019, in his message, President ‘Farmaajo’ said his government is determined to complete the process earlier, in line with an earlier promise to deliver a new constitution before the end of his four-year term. The president took office in 2017.
The country’s leader – currently on a state visit to Qatar – noted that the process of developing new laws to govern the country and replacing the Provisional Constitution, developed in 2012, had taken too long, adding that it was time Somalia had a new political charter. He also highlighted that a new constitution would unite the country, protect the rights of its citizens and help bring about political stability.
Also addressing the closing today, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, Michael Keating, praised the Somali government for its efforts in developing a timetable for the new constitution.
“This is a major milestone for Somalia, and I cannot tell you how happy I am to see this day and how proud I am to be the representative of the international community congratulating you on what is happening,” Keating said.
The UN envoy added that a successful review process should be approached in the spirit of unity and reconciliation, adding that he would mobilize financial resources from the international community to add to the USD three million pledged earlier this week by the Federal Government of Somalia to help conclude the process.
“Politically, my colleagues in UN will do their best to provide technical advice and will also do our best to mobilize financial resources,” Keating said.
Others addressing the gathering included the Minister of Constitutional Affairs, Abdirahman Hosh Jibril, who is leading the review process, and the Vice-Chairperson of the Independent Constitutional Review and Implementation Commission (ICRIC), Mohamed Abdalla Salah.
The United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, Michael Keating, joined the country’s President Mohamed Abdullahi “Farmajo” in calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities between ‘Somaliland’ and Puntland forces following recent fighting in the Tukaraq area of the Sool region.
In related news the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, Michael Keating, joined the country’s President Mohamed Abdullahi “Farmajo” in calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities between ‘Somaliland’ and Puntland forces following recent fighting in the Tukaraq area of the Sool region.
The UN urged both sides to engage in dialogue to work towards a ceasefire and political agreement.
The organization pointed out the enormous risks posed by the fighting. These range from the possible displacement of tens of thousands of people – at a time when humanitarian needs are already outstripping available funds – to fuelling instability and discord, which support the objectives of violent extremists.
The Special Representative encouraged the authorities of ‘Somaliland’ and Puntland to urgently seek a peaceful solution to their differences.
