Liberia, Ethiopia Sign Political Consultation Mechanism

The Governments of Liberia(GOL) and Ethiopia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the Establishment of a Political Consultation Mechanism. The framework agreement is aimed at enhancing the bilateral relationship between the two countries.
Liberia's Foreign Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan signed for Liberia while the Foreign Minister of the Federative Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Tedros Adhanom, signed the Political Consultation Mechanism agreement for his country.
According to the MOU, both Liberia and Ethiopia have agreed to establish a mechanism for regular political consultations which will deal with the development of bilateral relations, as well as with regional and international issues of common interest. The two countries have also agreed to evaluate and determine common priority areas suitable for the implementation of political cooperation.
The two countries, through their respective Foreign Ministers, shall jointly make efforts and take actions with a view to promoting peace and regional integration and international security as well as fostering economic and social development in the fields of science and technology, agriculture and natural resources exploitation.
A Foreign Ministry release said the two countries also agreed to focus on training, culture and youth development of both peoples, and in order to coordinate points of views in international fora. The parties shall continuously develop contacts between their respective representatives in the context of international organizations and forums with a view to achieving rapprochement between their two States, strengthening universal peace and security and promoting mutually beneficial cooperation with all countries in the political, economic, humanitarian and cultural fields in compliance with the AU and UN Charters.
Speaking after the signing of the MOU, Liberia's Foreign Minister Ngafuan stressed the need for people to people's relationship between Liberia and Ethiopia. Minister Ngafuan said the agreement hopes to see an enhancement of the bilateral cooperation especially in the areas of science and technology, agriculture, aviation among others.
"We look forward to strengthening our relationship, improving our presence here, and want to say thanks to you and your team along with your Africa Director for working with our Liberian team in an atmosphere of mutuality and we are very assured the relationship has gone to another level that our peoples can be proud of", the Liberian Foreign Minister stated.
Minister Ngafuan said it is now time that Liberia and Ethiopia come closer on all fronts and not only on the political front. The Liberian Foreign Minister recounted the long standing relationship between both countries dating back to the struggle for African unity between the late President William V.S. Tubman and Emperor Halie Selasi.
"On the bilateral front as you know Liberia and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia have been in the vanguard for the Liberation of the continent more than 50 years ago as the two were the only countries that were independent when the rest of Africa was under colonial rule", Minister Ngafuan said.
He commended the Government and people of Ethiopia for the successful hosting of the 50th Anniversary celebration of the founding of the Organization of African Unity now the African Union. Minister Ngafuan informed his Ethiopian counterpart that Liberia was proud of the level of organization, excellent hospitality to the people of Africa and the very successful summit of Heads of State and Government under the leadership of the Ethiopian Prime Minister and his great people and country.
For his part, the Foreign Minister of the Federative Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Tedros Adhanom said the Government of Ethiopia considered the event as very significant as it reaffirms the importance of the relationship with Liberia. Foreign Minister Adhanom then expressed heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the Government of Liberia for what he said was the commitment demonstrated to sign the political consultation mechanism.
"As much as we are satisfied with our current level of cooperation at the leadership level; we believe that we have not yet utilized the full potential of our close relationship, we need to employ efforts particularly on the economic front so as to ensure sustainable growth", the Ethiopian Foreign Minister remarked.
Minister Adhanom is of the belief that the agreement signed between both countries will provide the frame work and serve as the basis for more future cooperation on other fields. He is also confident that future series of discussions and interactions will present Ethiopia and Liberia the opportunity to take stock and identify ways to further strengthen their relations in all fields for mutual benefits.
He then commended Liberia for consistently playing and continuing to play significant role as one of the principle advocates in favor of greater political and economic integration for Africa and said he looks forward to the nourishing of the warm and friendly relationship between Liberia and Ethiopia.

Ethiopia diverts flow of Blue Nile

Egypt and Sudan express concern over multi-billion dollar dam on Nile which violates colonial-era agreement.

Ethiopia has started to divert the flow of the Blue Nile river to construct a giant dam to meet its energy needs, according to state media, amid concerns from other Nile-dependent countries downstream. Demeke Mekonnen, Ethiopia's deputy prime minister, said on Tuesday that diverting the flow at the site of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam would provide hydroelectricity not only for Ethiopia but also for neighbouring countries, reported the state-owned Ethiopian Radio and Television Agency. Egypt and Sudan have objected to the construction, saying it violates a colonial-era agreement which gives Egypt nearly 70 percent of Nile River waters. Ethiopia, however, says the dam will not affect Egypt and that the 1959 agreement ignores the needs of five upriver countries. "This project is said to cost between $5-6bn and is expected to produce 6000 megawatts to power not only Ethiopia but also export electric power to a selection of East African countries," said Al Jazeera's Azad Essa, reporting from Addis Ababa. He added that the hydroelectric project, considered the biggest on the continent, is expected to be fully funded by the Ethiopian government and not foreign donors who refuse to enter into a dispute with Egypt. No alternative sources Egypt says its population of 90 million is among the largest in Africa and that unlike other Nile Basin countries, it does not have readily available alternative water sources. Egypt's presidency said on Tuesday that it was awaiting a report by the Tripartite Nile Basin Committee, comprised of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, to determine its next steps. President Mohammed Morsi's spokesman said the move will not have a negative impact on the amount of Nile water reaching Egypt. "The main issue and the essence of the matter is the impact of the dam itself and not of this step of diverting the course of water," Mohamed Edrees, the Egyptian ambassador to Ethiopia, told Al Jazeera. He said that the diversion is a step in the construction of the dam, and will not affect either Egypt or Sudan in the amount of water because of an alternative by-pass route. Some 84 percent of the water from the world's longest river originates in Ethiopia. The Blue Nile is one of two major tributaries of the river. The White Nile, flowing through Sudan, is the other. 382

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

Rebutting Tecola’s disingenuous and nonsensical piece

by Dr. Messay Dejene
I am incensed like many patriotic Ethiopians by the futile attempt of Tecola Hagos to insult the intelligence of fellow compatriots as his mean-spirited article, aimed at glorifying the new premier of occupied Ethiopia amply revealed..
I reject the failed ethnonationalist and his disingenuous ideas as I understand fully what he has been to Ethiopia and non-Tigrean Ethiopians before he moved to America on perhaps another Woyane mission.
I am prompted to engage the ethnonationalist Woyane who is now masquerading as a patriotic Ethiopian. He is not and never was. I challenge him in the demands of conscience as evidence abounds on his activities during the heydays of Woyane.
Tecola attempted to paint a rosy picure of Ethiopia under Haile Mariam, a man who like his masters, the Woyanes, has no constituency. The premier, to many discerning Ethiopians is a figurehead of what many consider as an occupied Ethiopia. The nominal premier who has so much blood on his hands has no power to even choose his personal life guards let alone reversing the collossal ravages that his masters have wrought on the nation.
If Tecola Hagos is a legal scholar, a humble scientist in me refuses to acknowldwge his credentials on the score of what he just said in his recent article. There is seemingly a gross disconnect between his ruling of ‘banishment’ and the supposed weight of his legal credentials. It is this discrepancy that prompted this scribe to pen down his dissent.
It is a sheer irony of scholarship to witness the audacity of the learned lawyer to tacitly recommend the delinquent Ethiopian regime to impose a lenient penalty on the innocent compatriots who are languishing in the prison of an illigitmate and terrorist state.
This scribe would like to interogates the legal scholar how he could dare propose banishment to the unjustly incarcerated patriotic Ethiopians instead of calling for the total repudiation of the charges, demand compensation for the wrongful detention and their unconditional freedom.
I have never known of banishment as an alternative to justice. Tecola should have know the innocence of the patriotic Ethiopians who are suffering at the hands of traitors if he he had rudimentary knowledge of the law and a tinge of conscience..
In an attempt to give banishment a legitimacy the learned lawyer cited its use in ancient Greece and medieval Ethiopia oblivious of the fact we live in the 21 century. How can the learned fellow lie so low like Woyanes who are bereft of honour and dignity?.
Judging from his gibberish, Tecola does seem to be mulling over returning home. There is nothing wrong with that. He does not need excuses to return to a home that his people are in- charge of. Many compatriots would agree with him that a life of an exile is not an enviable one.
Even when one is successful by vulgar economic and social standards, the urge to return home is immense. This scribe has been dabbling with that thought for over three and have decades. The feeling is quashed becuase I sincerely believe that my country is occupied by career traitors.
Whether or not Tecola acknowledges it ,Woyane fought againast the Ethiopian state to create an independent Tigrean republic. That in itself is treason pure and simple.
Since Woyane usurped power by default, it has systematically dismantled the country. From partitioning Ethiopia by fighting for Eritrea’s secession to ceding vast swathes of land to Sudan, it has done what a perfect internal enemy would do. They not only annexed a big chunk of Begemdir and Wollo to Tigrai but also balkanised Ethiopians along spurious etnic lines.