The accident happened in Legambo district in the country’s Amhara region, north of the capital Addis Ababa.

Local officials have confirmed 28 men and 10 women were killed.

Ten passengers have survived but suffered “serious and minor injuries”, the Fana broadcaster reported.

Most of the victims of Monday’s accident were “students of higher learning institutions”, it added.

Independent news site Addis Standard reports that the bus fell five metres.

Ethiopia, Africa’s fastest-growing economy, has expanded and renovated its road network in recent years. Many people rely on buses for long-distance travel.

The post Dozens of students die as bus falls off cliff in Ethiopia appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

A statement by the state broadcaster said the move was necessary to stem a wave of anti-government protests.

Hundreds of people have died in three years of unrest in the country.

A 10-month state of emergency that ended last year failed to stop the protests, as did the release from jail of thousands of opposition supporters.

No details were given of how long the latest state of emergency will last or what the restrictions are.

The government has been under pressure because of continuing street protests.

In recent weeks it has released hundreds of prisoners including opposition politicians but the protests have shown no sign of ending.

On Thursday, Mr Hailemariam said he had made his decision to stand down in the hope that it would help end the years of unrest and political upheaval.

“I see my resignation as vital in the bid to carry out reforms that would lead to sustainable peace and democracy,” Mr Hailemariam said.

The political demonstrations in Ethiopia began in Oromia in November 2015. Protests later sprung up in the Amhara region.

Oromia and Amhara are the homelands of the country’s two biggest ethnic groups.

Many people in these communities feel they have been marginalised since the current government took power in 1991.

–

Source: BBC

The post Ethiopia declares national state of emergency appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

No reason has yet been given for the decision. Mr Hailemariam also stepped down as chairman of the country’s ruling coalition.

His departure comes amid months of anti-government protests in Ethiopia’s largest regions, Oromia and Amhara.

In the latest violence, 10 people were killed and dozens more injured following an opposition protest.

The BBC’s Emmanuel Igunza, in the capital Addis Ababa, says the government has released thousands of opposition supporters from jail in recent weeks, but still the protests continued.

Ethiopia has witnessed repeated violent demonstrations since 2015, with protesters calling for political and economic reform, and an end to state corruption.

The ongoing disturbances have led to deep divisions in the governing coalition, says Mary Harper, Africa Editor for the BBC World Service.

Some of Ethiopia’s powerful elites have come to see the prime minister as weak and lacking in direction, she says.

A weak and turbulent Ethiopia is risky for the entire Horn of Africa, our correspondent adds, as this normally stable state is seen as key to holding the region together.

–

Source: BBC

The post Ethiopia’s Prime Minister ‘surprisingly’ resigns appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The leader of the Oromo Federalist Congress was released on Wednesday morning and allowed to go home, where he was welcomed by thousands of people.

He has been in prison since December 2016 and was facing charges, including association with terrorist groups.

The Ethiopian government announced on Monday that it would drop charges against more than 500 suspects.

Human rights groups have long accused Ethiopia of refusing to allow opposition groups to operate freely.

The government has denied holding any political prisoners but says the releases will foster national debate and “widen the political sphere”.

Those being freed will first undergo two days of “rehabilitation training”, the government says.

At the beginning of January, Prime Minster Hailemariam Desalegn announced the government would close Maekelawi – a detention facility in the capital, Addis Ababa, allegedly used as a torture chamber.

Why was Mr Merera arrested?

Mr Merera was arrested in November 2016 at the airport in the capital, Addis Ababa, after he flew in from Brussels.

He had violated Ethiopia’s state of emergency by having contact with “terrorist” and “anti-peace” groups, state-linked media reported at the time.

That month, Mr Merera had criticised the state of emergency in an address to the European parliament.

The government imposed it in October 2016 to end an unprecedented wave of protests against its 25-year rule.

More than 11,000 people were arrested, mostly in the Oromia and Amhara regions, which were at the forefront of anti-government protests.

Many in the two regions complain of political and economic marginalisation.

Who else will be freed?

It is still not clear which other politicians will be released.

Ethiopia says it will not free anyone convicted of using force to overthrow the government, destroying infrastructure, murder or causing physical disability.

However, it says it will pardon some of those convicted under the anti-terrorism law.

Critics and human rights groups have accused the government in the past of labelling its opponents, and some journalists, as terrorists.

Rights group Amnesty International says the release of Mr Merera and other prisoners should not be the last.

“Hundreds of prisoners of conscience continue to languish in jail, accused or prosecuted for legitimate exercise of their freedom of expression or simply for standing up for human rights,” Amnesty’s Netsanet Belay said.

Five more high-profile Ethiopian prisoners:

Bekele Gerba, deputy chairman of the OFC – arrested together with Dejene Fita Geleta, secretary-general of OFC, and 20 others in connection with the 2015 Oromo protests that resulted in the death of hundreds of protesters.

Andargachew Tsege, leader of Ginbot 7 (designated a terrorist group by Ethiopia) – arrested in 2014 while on transit in Yemen and taken to Ethiopia, where he faces the death penalty after being convicted in absentia. A British national, human rights groups have been pushing for his release.

Andualem Aragie, vice-president of the Unity for Democracy and Justice party – imprisoned since 2011, and now serving a life sentence on terrorism charges.

Eskinder Nega, journalist and blogger – imprisoned since 2011 after criticising the use of anti-terror laws to silence the press. He was subsequently sentenced to 18 years in jail.

Woubshet Taye, journalist and editor – imprisoned since 2011 and sentenced the next year to 14 years in prison for terror-related offences.

–

Source: BBC

The post Jailed Ethiopia opposition leader freed appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Ethiopia is one of the biggest source countries for international adoptions by US citizens, accounting for about 20% of the total.

Celebrities Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are among those who have adopted children from Ethiopia.

However, in 2013, a US couple were convicted of killing an adopted Ethiopian girl.

That case triggered a debate about foreign adoption, the BBC’s Emmanuel Igunza in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa says.

The adoption process in Ethiopia has also faced serious questions with rights groups saying that it was prone to abuse by human traffickers who saw it as lucrative market.

Two years ago, Denmark stopped the adoption of children from Ethiopia.

Lawmakers now say orphans and other vulnerable children should be cared for under locally available support mechanisms in order to protect them.

But some MPs said that the country has insufficient local services to cater for vulnerable children.

More than 15,000 Ethiopian children have been adopted in the US since 1999.

Many are also taken to European countries such as Spain, France and Italy.

–

Source: BBC

The post Ethiopia bans foreign adoptions appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Hailemariam Desalegn told a press conference charges would also be dropped for those still awaiting trial.

The move was designed to allow political dialogue, he said.

Ethiopia is accused by human rights groups of using mass arrests and detention to stifle opposition.

Ethiopia PM Hailemariam Desalegn ‘open to criticism’

However, this is the first time the government has admitted to having any political prisoners, previously describing them as “criminals”, BBC Ethiopia correspondent Emmanuel Igunza says.

Campaign group Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused the government of using anti-terrorism laws to jail its critics.

Who are the political prisoners?

Those held in jails across the country include opposition activists from the Amhara and Oromia regions, which were at the centre of anti-government protests in 2015 and 2016, as well as the Southern Nations and Nationalities Peoples Region, and journalists who have criticised the government.

It is difficult to know exactly how many “political prisoners” there are, but our correspondent estimates there are about 1,000 held under the country’s anti-terrorism proclamation, including high profile leaders from the opposition.

However, there are another 5,000 cases still pending, made up of those arrested after a state of emergency was declared in October 2016, he adds.

Will they actually be released?

The government has given no timeline on the release of the prisoners, or explained exactly who is considered “political” and who is not.

Our reporter notes a number of cases have political backgrounds, but are also linked to groups the government considers to be terrorists. Nineteen people linked to Ginbot 7 – deemed a terror group – were sentenced to prison terms just this week.

Any dialogue would have to include legitimate opposition groups like the Oromo Federalist Congress, whose leaders would have to be freed to fully participate in the process, our correspondent says.

What about the detention centre?

As well as releasing the prisoners, Mr Hailemariam announced the closure of Maekelawi – a detention facility in the capital, Addis Ababa, which HRW alleged was using illegal interrogation methods back in 2013.

HRW is not the only group to make such allegations, which are strongly denied by the government.

Despite this, the government has now decided the prison will become a “modern museum” – a move the privately-owned Addis Standard newspaper called for in an editorial in 2016.

A new detention centre will be opened, Mr Hailemariam said, which would comply with international standards.

Why now?

Our correspondent says the detention of political prisoners has always been a major concern. In December, social media users staged a day of action to remember those held behind bars.

But this decision comes hot on the heels of a meeting between the parties which make up the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) collation.

Over the past months, infighting within the coalition, which has been in power for more than 25 years, has led the prime minister to acknowledge the need for change.

The Oromo Peoples’ Democratic Organization and the Amhara National Democratic Movement, which are part of the coalition, have been pushing for increased political space and the “respect of their people” following the massive anti-government demonstrations that have been witnessed in the country.

Who is Hailemariam Desalegn?
A trained engineer, Mr Hailemariam took the reins of power in 2012, after the death of Meles Zenawi, who had ruled since 1991.

However, while the former deputy prime minister was a close ally of Mr Meles, he struggled to gain approval of the other EPRDF leaders in order to assume his new role.

He is not known for tolerating dissent well, despite statements to the contrary, his critics say.

In 2016, he blamed “anti-peace forces” for the violence in the Oromia region, a year after he told the BBC that bloggers and reporters arrested were not real journalists and had terror links.

–

Source: BBC

The post Ethiopia to release all political prisoners appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Namely, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia and Morocco.

At its meeting on September 23, 2017, CAF Executive Committee decided to complete the process of selecting a new host country for the tournament scheduled for January 2018, within 15 days. After Kenya, the initial host, failed to meet the requirements.

Total CHAN is a competition that brings together 16 national teams made up of players selected in their national championships. The 5th edition is to be held in 2018.

Source: CAF Online

The post Morocco, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea bid for CHAN 2018 appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The post Thousands flee Ethiopia clashes appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

President Akufo-Addo was given the award at the opening ceremony of the 29^th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union, which is currently on-going in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

While making the announcement, the President of Guinea, Prof. Alpha Condé, who is also the Chairperson of the African Union, explained that the decision taken by UNECA to confer this award on President Akufo-Addo is “in recognition of your efforts in gender equality at continental level.”

“It was for this reason that UNECA named President Akufo-Addo as the African Union Gender Champion for the year 2017,” he added.

President Akufo-Addo had earlier in 2017 been appointed as Chairperson of the AU’s Committee on Gender and Development, by the AU Chairperson, President Alpha Condé.

29^th AU Summit ongoing

President Akufo-Addo is currently participating in the AU meeting of Heads of State, which is taking place under the theme, “Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investment in the Youth.”

Issues being discussed include: institutional reforms of the AU; roadmap of practical steps to silence guns in Africa by 2020; the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA); and the implementation of Agenda 2063 – “The strategic framework for the socio-economic transformation of the continent over the next 50 years”.

It will be recalled that at the 28^th AU Summit, African leaders signed up to the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) agreement, whose purpose is ensure significant growth of Intra-Africa trade, as well as assisting countries on the continent use trade more effectively as an engine of growth and for sustainable development.

The CFTA will, amongst others, reduce the vulnerability of the continent to external shocks, and will also enhance the participation of Africa in global trade as a respectable partner, thereby reducing the continent’s dependence on foreign aid and external borrowing.

That meeting also agreed on new, adequate, predictable and sustainable ways of financing the African Union, so as to be able to achieve its desired objectives.

The African leaders present agreed that the constant resort to external funding means that the AU would be susceptible to external influences. Self-sustaining mechanisms, they said, have to be developed to demonstrate Africa’s commitment to its regional objectives and agenda.

Also, the Heads of State considered proposals from the AU Reforms Committee, headed by President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, aimed at reforming the continental body, so as to make it more relevant to the needs and aspirations of the African peoples.

Akufo-Addo appointed 36 women as MMDCEs, 9 ministers

President Akufo-Addo after taking office on January 7, 2017 appointed 36 women for the position of Metropolitan Municipal and District Chief Executives.

He also appointed nine women for ministerial roles.

Akufo-Addo’s Chief of Staff as well as the newly appointed Chief Justice of Ghana are all women.

–

By: citifmonline.com/Ghana with additional files from Flagstaff House

The post Akufo-Addo receives ‘AU Gender Champion’ award appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Communications Minister Negeri Lencho told the BBC that the government has asked for the amnesty to be extended.

He said more than 45,000 citizens had so far returned but there were many more waiting to go back home.

Ethiopians have been employed in Saudi Arabia in building and domestic work.

Mr Negeri said that the government was expecting “a positive response” from the Saudi authorities for its request to extend the amnesty.

In March 2017 the Saudi interior minister, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, announced the amnesty under a campaign called “A nation with no legal violator”.

During this period any one in breach of the country’s residency and labour rules or regulations would be free to leave without facing any penalties.

In 2013 a similar amnesty was announced, however any illegal migrant who did not leave Saudi Arabia had to face punishment by way of fines, prison or being deported.

During that time a number of Ethiopians were killed in clashes with the Saudi police as they were being rounded up for deportation.

Mr Negeri says that there was a slow uptake during the amnesty period because some people were sceptical the Saudi authorities would take action during the just ended period of Ramadan.

Minister Negeri added that a taskforce and money has been set aside to receive and resettle the Ethiopian returnees.

–

Source: BBC

The post Ethiopia asks for extension of Saudi amnesty deadline appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.