The Prime Minister’s Progress
Ethiopia has seen some surprising developments this month, with the recent lifting of the state of emergency during a parliamentary session in early June, and the release of more than 500 people held on corruption and terrorism related charges. Prominent businesspeople and government officials, including Melaku Fenta, former Director General of the Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority (ERCA), Nega Gebreegziabher and Fikru Maru (MD), were among those who had corruption-related charges against them dropped and were released from detention. Jawar Mohammed and Berhanu Nega ( PhD ) were amongst the prominent political activists who had their charges dropped. They had both been charged in absentia. Political activist Andargachew Tsige, on death row in Ethiopia since 2014, was also released from prison. Leaders of Oromia Media Network, a television network that was banned during the first state of emergency, have come to Ethiopia to hold discussions with the government and possibly open an Ethiopia office.
The Prime Minister also met with former British PM Tony Blair, for a moderated discussion with students and young leaders at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa conference hall.
In an even more startling turn of events, the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front Executive Council released a statement on June 5, 2018, saying that government enterprises, such as Ethiopian Airlines, Industrial Parks Development Corporation, ethio telecom and Ethiopian Shipping Lines and Logistics Services Enterprise would be partially or completely privatised to local investors.
6th Year . June 16 2018 . No.62