#Ethiopia: Court to rule on #Orthodox Church’s request to ban breakaway archbishops for three months as it prepares to press charges

The Federal High Court, Lideta division, fundamental rights, and freedoms bench on Monday has adjourned until today to issue a ruling on a request filed by the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) to ban the three breakaway archbishops and the 25 appointee episcopate they appointed from accessing the church’s possessions for three months until it prepares to file formal lawsuit against them.

The request was filed at the court on Friday, 03 February, but was adjourned until Monday when judges examined the request and listened to explanations given by the church’s lawyers.

The Church’s legal team said in a presser subsequent to the court proceeding on Monday that the request included a strict order particularly against Oromia Region’s law enforcement agencies to refrain from supporting the breakaway group and killing faithful who resisted their forceful takeover of churches and diocese offices in the Oromia Region. Adding that they also asked for an order against the law enforcement agencies to properly execute their mandate of protecting the church’s possessions.

https://addisstandard.com/news-court-to-rule-on-orthodox-churchs-request-to-ban-breakaway-archbishops-for-three-months-as-it-prepares-to-press-charges/

#Ethiopia: #Malta could soon get direct flights to Ethiopia, #USA through Ethiopian Airlines

Aviation was one of the key themes discussed in bilateral meetings that took place between Prime Minister of Malta Robert Abela and Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed Ali in a state visit by the latter to Malta.

During an official visit to Malta by the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, the two prime ministers outlined how increased cooperation in the aviation sector can be of benefit for both countries.

Both sides also discussed enhanced cooperation in the maritime sector, artificial intelligence, education, and science amongst others.

https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2023-02-07/local-news/Malta-could-soon-get-direct-flights-to-Ethiopia-USA-through-Ethiopian-Airlines-6736249476

#ASDailyScoop: #Ethiopia secures €182 million during PM Abiy’s latest visit to #Italy

As part of the Ethiopian Italian Cooperation Framework 2023-2025 which was announced during the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed visit to Rome on 06 February, the two countries have signed agreements worth 140 million Euros (100 million soft loans and 40 million grant).

Two additional agreements for new programs; “Minimizing investment risk in the Ethiopian coffee sector and institutional support to the Ethiopian coffee authority (ECTA)” worth 10.5 million Euros, and another initiative, “WaSH, resilience, energy in Ethiopia’s lowlands” worth 31.5 million euros have also been signed during the visit, by the Italian Deputy Prime Minister, Antonio Tajani, and the Ethiopian Minister of Finance, Ahmed Shide.

https://addisstandard.com/asdailyscoop-ethiopia-secures-e182-million-during-pm-abiys-latest-visit-to-italy/

Analysis: “Enough! Let them come to peaceful path”: #Oromia president wants to end fighting peacefully, but remains vague on how

In what appeared to be a sharp departure in tone and messaging, Shimelis Abdissa, President of Oromia regional state, said that he wants to end the fighting Oromia region that has pitted federal and regional forces against rebels from the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), often referred by the government as “Shene”, for more than four years.

It is a far cry from an announcement by the regional government in November last year that the region will not sit down for talks with militants that it accused of having “no political agenda.” In his latest interview however, Shimelis said that the regional state authorities were working hard to make the peaceful path work, including with Abba Gadaas and Hadha Sinqees, religious leaders, scholars and other stakeholders. “We would like to thank them so much,” he said without delving much about the process.

The OLA, on their part have been saying that they will negotiate in the presence of a credible third party. The group has recently published a brief political manifesto: “From Armed Struggle to the Prospect for Peace”. In it OLA stated, among others, what their prospects for peaceful resolution of the conflict is.

https://addisstandard.com/analysis-enough-let-them-come-to-peaceful-path-oromia-president-wants-to-end-fighting-peacefully-but-remains-vague-on-how/

#Ethiopia: #UN refugee agency chief calls for more aid, new long-term strategy

“Progress is visible on the ground,” the High Commissioner, Filippo Grandi, said. “People are now getting assistance. Some have started to go back to their homes, but much more needs to be done to support the reconstruction and recovery efforts in the Afar, Amhara and Tigray regions. This will be critical to improve their living conditions and work towards lasting solutions, including voluntary returns to their communities.”

Since the peace deal was signed in November, #UNHCR and other partners have been able to step up the delivery of such much-needed aid as medicines, shelter materials, clothes, household items, and blankets.

***
The UN refugee agency stated that its programs in Ethiopia were half-funded in 2022, making it one of its 12 most underfunded operations globally. In 2023, with continued displacements and the dramatic effects of the drought, UNHCR requires $370 million to assist, protect, and find solutions for refugees and forcibly displaced families.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/02/1133287

Analysis: Unpaid #Tigrayan civil servants linger in despair, await for peace deal dividend to trickle

By Mihret G/kristos

Tens of thousands of Tigrayan civil servants who have not seen their paycheck especially since June 2021, when Tigrayan forces recaptured most part of the region, continued sustaining hardships while lingering in despair waiting for the dividend of the November peace deal to trickle.

Civil servants who spoke with #AddisStandard on the phone said they are the unnoticed but most affected part of the society who have been agonizing in between life and death as they are forced to live in a war zone, without salaries for more than year.

The federal Civil Service Commission has been instrumental in dealing with similar complaints from civil servants who were detained during the war and as a result lost their jobs or are denied their salaries over the period of employment, according to Yibekal Mechegiaw, a judge at the commission.

https://addisstandard.com/analysis-unpaid-tigrayan-civil-servants-linger-in-despair-await-for-peace-deal-dividend-to-trickle/

News: Dissenting Archbishop returns to Diocese where Church schism first ruptured as Holy Synod continues rejection

Abune Sawiros (PhD), Archbishop of South West Shoa Diocese, who is excommunicated by Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church (EOTC) Holy Synod in Addis Abeba, has returned today to Woliso city, in South West Shoa zone of Oromia regional state, where he is welcomed by thousands of supporters.

It is recalled that the move by the three dissenting Archbishops, led by Abune Sawiros, to appoint two dozen episcopate three weeks ago in Woliso has sent a shock-wave through the Church’s followers who considered the act as “illegal appointment.” It also led to the immediate excommunication of the Bishops and their nominee episcopate by the Synod in Addis Abeba.

This is the first time Abuna Sawiros went back to the Diocese where Haro Beale Wold Church, which is located in Woliso town, Sodo Dache district, is found and, a sign of the continued split in the Church as his return to the Diocese is taking place despite the rejection by the Holy Synod in Addis Abeba.

https://addisstandard.com/news-dissenting-archbishop-returns-to-diocese-where-church-schism-first-rupture-as-holy-synod-continues-rejection/

#Ethiopia: Joint Security, Intelligence Task Force cautions against unauthorized rallies, threatens to take action as Orthodox Church Schism takes toll

The Ethiopian Joint Security and Intelligence Task Force cautioned both dissenting groups of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) to restrain from calling for unauthorized demonstration to be conducted in Addis Abeba, and elsewhere in the country, to deliberately “create unrest” among the faithful.

In a statement it released on Wednesday, the Task Force said that it has reviewed the recent situation in the EOTC and it strongly believes all efforts must be exerted to resolve the dispute through peaceful means.

The Joint Security and Intelligence Task Force that consists National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF), the Federal Police Commission, and Information Network Security Agency (INSA), further blamed the social media activists for steering the situation and inciting violence.

The joint task force also warned the entire population to abstain from the “illegal demonstration and conflict-inciting activities” taking into consideration that there is no any kind of demonstration authorized by the concerned body.

https://addisstandard.com/news-joint-security-intelligence-task-force-cautions-against-unauthorized-rallies-threatens-to-take-action-calls-as-orthodox-church-schism-takes-toll/

Gudaf Tsegay triumphs with No.2 all-time indoor mile in #Torun

#Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay stormed to second on the world indoor mile all-time list, clocking 4:16.16 for a runaway victory at the ORLEN Copernicus Cup, this season’s third World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting, in Torun, Poland, on Wednesday (8).

The 26-year-old, who set the world indoor 1500m record of 3:53.09 at the World Indoor Tour Gold event in Lievin in 2021, went into the race in Torun targeting the record mile mark of 4:13.31 set by Genzebe Dibaba in 2016. Gudaf was second in that race, running 4:24.98 as an 18-year-old, and now, seven years and six global medals later, she also has the second-fastest women’s indoor mile in history to her name.

https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-indoor-tour/news/copernicus-cup-torun-tsegay-hodgkinson-tentoglou

#Ethiopia: Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) says it has resumed full banking services in many other parts of #Tigray in addition to #Mekelle.

The Bank also said customers with account book opened "in any part of the country" can bring their account book to get full services.

Citing its Mekelle District branch, CBE further said that if there are customers whose account books have been lost due to various reasons, they can use the bank's services in accordance with the procedure used by the bank in the past by bringing their valid IDs.

https://amharic.addisstandard.com/ዜና፡-የኢትዮጵያ-ንግድ-ባንክ-በትግራይ-በ/