Gallery owner spent millions in renovation before being unceremoniously kicked out

Five years ago the Lideta Culture and Tourism Bureau (LCTB) agreed to lease a historical home to St. George Art Gallery for 50 years. After the agreement, Selmawit Alene, who owns St. George Gallery, invested five million birr to renovate the registered historical landmark.
However, last year LCTB closed the house, saying that a ‘technical mistake’ was made and the house would be leased to another person.
The 372sqm, 107 year old, wood and brick, Mussei Boghossian House is located in Golla Park and was built by Armenians during the reign of Menilik II. It has 19 rooms, 31 doors and 22 windows.  Previously it was used as a Keble office and youth center.
In response, the federal government stepped in; ordering the Addis Ababa Cultural and Tourism Bureau (AACTB) to allow St. George Art Gallery to use the house.
Remedan Ashenafi, State Minister of the Cultural and Tourism Bureau said, “we are aware, based on a report from the Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage that Selmawit Alene has done a good job in renovating the house so we are asking AACTB to return the house to Selamawit so she can use it for the art gallery.”
However AACTB has not responded. Capital asked AACTB why the house was not returned to St. George Gallery despite the federal government’s order.
Dereje Seyoum, Heritage Officer at AACTB said that they are organizing a committee to look into the issue.
“We are investigating the case and we are addressing the issue and soon we will announce our decision,’’ he said.
Selmawit says AACTB is bending justice by denying her a place she acquired legally.
“I did not conquer the place, they approved my request to renovate the house and create a business there. The letter from the woreda office suspending our lease agreement came after I spent a lot of time and money renovating the place. So my question is why would they allow me to do all this work if they though the house should not be given to a third person.”
Selamawit currently has another art gallery near the Sheraton Addis Hotel.

The historical, Tesfa Gebreslassie Printing Press, a landmark in Arat Killo, is cracking because of the effects of a nearby construction.
Tesfa’s son, Te’ebeb told Capital that the building will be destroyed if things continue like this.
“There are new cracks in the building every day, we have asked the government for help but there has not been a response. The problem is the construction which is taking place less than five meters from the house.”
“Recently the Addis Ababa Cultural and Tourism Bureau wrote a letter asking those constructing buildings nearby to fix the cracks but this request has fallen on deaf ears. I can assure you the building will be destroyed if the cracking continues like this,” he added.
The building was registered as a historical heritage four years ago. In 2010 it, along with several other older homes in Arat Kilo, was scheduled for demolition. However, after much debate the municipality took 5,000sqm from the printing building and left 2,055sqm to Tesfa Gebreslassie to continue the printing business. Tesfa has applied for a title deed many times but has not received one so far.
According to regulations on heritage sites any new construction should be at least 200 meters away. However, due to poor supervision, many new buildings are being built in close to the proximity of historical sites.
The building, located at Arat killo lies on 2,055sqm in a fenced compound. It is made of stones and mud and has been publishing materials for 100 years.
Tesfa Gebreselassie was born in Bulga, Gojam. He is known for preparing the Ethiopian Alphabet in sequential order and he developed the printing business to publish religious and educational books. He also fought the Italians and was given the title Dejazmach. He died 18 years ago and was buried in Entoto Church.
The printer employs 70 people who work on eight machines.

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held to inaugurate the Huruta Farm Service Center in Arsi Zone. Huruta will provide a complete range of supplies including; quality seeds, plant protection products and veterinary products; information and training by skilled staff; and links for Ethiopian stallholders at affordable prices, allowing them to make the step from subsistence to commercial production.  It is expected to serve 25,000 farmers.
Rebecca Amha,  CNFA, Farm Service Center Project Manager , which is sponsoring the project under their Green Innovation Center for food and agriculture said the Huruta Farm Service Center will make it easier for farmers to obtain quality seeds and products at affordable prices.
Esayas Lemma, Crop Development Director at the Ministry Of Agricultural and Natural Resources said that the government Plans to add more farm service centers to benefit farmers, there are currently five in Arsi Zone.

The Special Envoys on Funding Consultations for the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), made a day’s visit to Mogadishu, to discuss sustainable funding to peace operations in the Horn of Africa country.
Ramtane Lamamra and Jean-Marie Guehenno, the Special Envoys from the African Union and the United Nations respectively, emphasized a gradual shift of security responsibilities from AMISOM to the Somali security forces, without a regression in the progress already made securing the country.
“It is very important that gradual shift from AMISOM to the Somali authorities happens in a way that doesn’t jeopardize all the efforts that have been made so far,” said UN Envoy Guehenno.
Mr. Guéhenno acknowledged the presence of a multiplicity of actors who are supporting security and peace building programmes in Somalia and highlighted their importance towards the achievement of sustainable peace.
“In the coming phase, the coordination between all these actors is more important than ever and it is of course a very sensitive issue,” he remarked.
The two Special Envoys met with the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia H.E Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo, the Prime Minister H.E. Hassan Ali Khaire, the AU and UN Special Representatives for Somalia, Francisco Caetano Madeira and Michael Keating respectively, ambassadors from the Troop Contributing Countries to AMISOM, who are accredited to Somalia, and European Union officials.
Discussions with these teams focused on achieving a smooth transition of the security responsibility from AMISOM to the Somali security forces.
The Envoys’ assessment visit to Somalia is part of ongoing consultations on peace support operations for AMISOM, spearheaded by the African Union and the UN.
The AU Special Representative for Somalia Ambassador Francisco Caetano Madeira expressed concern that unpredictable funding to AMISOM, may have far reaching implications on Somalia.
“It is no longer an issue of charity. Supporting SNA or AMISOM is not charity at all. Success of security in Somalia, in all its aspects, is success for everything, including international business,” Madeira said.
Upon completion of their assessment, the Envoys will submit a report, which will inform decisions of the African Union Commission and the UN, on the level of funding and provision of logistical support to AMISOM.
In related news (AMISOM has started the biometric registration of the Darwish militia  in Jubbaland state, preceding their integrating into the state’s security forces.
Over five-thousand members of the militia group will be registered in Gedo, Lower Juba and Middle Juba regions. The biometric registration entails collection of key personal data including photographs and fingerprints of each member of the group.
“This is in line with AMISOM and UN programme aimed at developing the force into a police force in Jubbaland that will be mandated to keep law, order and security in the state,” Martin Abili, the AMISOM Police Coordinator in Kismayo explained.
Abili said the militia will be integrated either into the Jubbaland state’s police force, the paramilitary or the Somali National Army.