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FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
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INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 002650 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM ETRD ECON KFLU ET
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA:  BI-WEEKLY REPORT SEPTEMBER 29 2006 
 
¶1. The following reports compiled over the last two weeks 
illustrate the variety of economic, political, and social 
developments occurring in Ethiopia. 
 
POLITICAL 
--------- 
 
Kidnapped Red Cross Workers Released 
 
¶1.  The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) 
reported September 24 that two of its staff kidnapped by the 
United Western Somali Liberation Front rebel group near the 
town of Gode in Ethiopia's southeastern Ogaden region had 
been released.  ICRC said the two had been released unharmed 
and without condition.  The rebel group claimed to be 
fighting for the rights of ethnic Somalis in western Somalia 
and eastern Ethiopia and warned foreign energy firms against 
operating in the Somali region.  ICRC resumed operations 
after the kidnappings had prompted a temporary suspension of 
activities in the region. 
 
3.3 Million Year-Old Toddler Discovered in Ethiopia 
 
¶2.  The skeleton of a three year-old girl who died 3.3 
million years ago was discovered in the northeastern 
Ethiopian region of Afar and is said to be the most complete 
skeleton of the juvenile human ancestor Australopithecus 
Afarensis ever found.  According to experts, the skeletons 
completeness, antiquity, and age at death combine to make 
this finding unprecedented in the history of 
paleoanthropology, and opens new research avenues to 
investigate the childhood of early human ancestors. 
Discovered in an area called Dikika, the fossil of the child, 
named Selam by her discoverers, belongs to the same family 
best know for the adult skeleton nicknamed Lucy. 
 
EPRDF to Convene Conference Focusing on Development and Good 
Governance 
 
¶3.  The EPRDF convened its sixth regular conference September 
24 aiming to address good governance and development issues 
at the national level.  Conference Organizing Committee 
Chairman Taddese Kassa said that good governance was chosen 
as one of the conference's topics as it is the basis for 
rapid development and creation of democratic order. 
Representatives from academia, business as well as the 
African National Congress, the Communist Party of China, 
Rwanda, from Yemen, Uganda and Sudan also attended the 
conference as observers. 
 
Bereket Simon Declines Party Spot 
 
¶4.  Head of the Political Department of the EPRDF Bereket 
Simon declined to continue on as chairman of the Amhara 
National Democratic Movement (ANDM) citing the need for "new 
blood" to take over.  The former Minister of Information 
served as ANDM deputy chairman for nearly seven years and has 
been a member since the party's inception 26 years ago. 
Bereket currently holds the position of Media Advisor to the 
Prime Minister. 
 
Business Executives for National Security (BENS) Visits 
October 12-13 
 
¶5.  At the request of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of 
Africa Commander RADM Richard Hunt, business leaders from 
BENS will visit Ethiopia October 12-13 to familiarize 
themselves with U.S. military training operations and meet 
with GOE officials and business leaders. 
 
ECONOMIC 
-------- 
 
$20 Million Agribusiness and Trade Expansion Program Launched 
 
¶6.  USAID and its contractor, Fintrac, launched a $20 million 
agribusiness and trade expansion program on September 19. 
More than 400 representatives from the business, farming, 
sectoral, government and donor communities attended.  In the 
first three years, this project will support four key sectors 
-- coffee, horticulture/floriculture, oilseeds/pulses, 
hides/skins/leather products -- to increase sales and exports 
by $450 million in national, regional, and international 
markets. 
 
Accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) 
 
¶7.  The first national seminar for phyto-sanitary and 
sanitary measures was held in Ethiopia with a WTO expert 
leading the workshops. More than 50 participants from the 
Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Trade and 
Industry, and Health were trained on WTO accession rules and 
sample national standards and certification. 
 
ADDIS ABAB 00002650  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
Ethiopian Airlines Rated Africa's Best 
 
¶8.  Ethiopian Airlines was named African Airline of the Year 
by the African Aviation Journal.  According to the journal, 
Ethiopian won due to its financial performance, 
profitability, passenger growth, route network expansion, 
fleet modernization, inflight services and overall customer 
care.  Ethiopian Chief Executive Officer Girma Wake received 
the award in South Africa from Deputy Assistant Secretary for 
Aviation and International Affairs Susan McDernoff. 
 
DEVELOPMENT 
----------- 
 
Ambassador Signs Small Grants for FY06 
 
¶9.  The mission's small projects program held its annual 
signing ceremony for FY06 recipients of the Ambassador's 
special self-help and democracy and human rights grants. 
Ambassador Huddleston authorized 11 projects totaling 
$155,000 for communities in each of Ethiopia's 11 
administrative regions.  Among the projects made possible by 
this year's grants were initiatives to provide potable water 
for a school and surrounding community in the Oromiya region, 
to produce a nationwide radio program that raises awareness 
of issues facing disabled persons, and to establish a 
telephone hotline through which women in Addis Ababa can 
obtain legal assistance against abuse and discrimination. 
 
 
USAID Works to Improve Distribution of Health Commodities 
 
¶10.  On September 25, USAID Mission Director and 
representatives from the Amhara Regional Health Bureau and 
Regional Council inaugurated renovations to the Central 
Warehouse for health commodities in Bahir Dar. This 
intervention will help essential health products flow 
efficiently through the warehouse and improve the supply and 
distribution of health commodities to service delivery 
points.  Ultimately, it will help the logistics system to 
fulfill the "six rights" of logistics management:  to ensure 
that the right products are available in the right 
quantities, in the right condition are delivered to the right 
place, at the right time, for the right cost. 
 
Acute Watery Diarrhea 
 
¶11.  The GOE reports that the number of cases of AWD has 
risen to 20,900, including 199 deaths.  AWD continues to be 
of concern in 61 woredas, not including the Somali Region, 
where there are unconfirmed reports of the disease.  To date 
USAID has provided $50,000 and $48,800 to the SNNPR and 
Oromiya, respectively, regional health bureaus for logistics 
and procurement of water purification products.  There are 
unconfirmed reports that the National Laboratory confirmed 
that the causative agent for AWD is viviro cholera subtype 
¶01.  However, neither the government nor WHO has declared a 
cholera emergency in Ethiopia. 
 
ENVIRONMENT 
----------- 
 
U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Technical Assistance to Ethiopia 
 
¶12.  Two U.S. Forest Service experts will visit Ethiopia in 
mid-October to provide technical assistance to the Amhara and 
Tigray water bureaus as a component of the broader ongoing 
Integrated Water Resource Management project.  The USFS 
technical assistance will focus on improving the capacity of 
the water bureaus to monitor watershed conditions and 
implement management interventions to address water quality 
and quantity issues. 
 
CONSULAR 
-------- 
 
Diversity Visa Allocation Met 
 
¶13.  Ethiopia reached its allocated 3,500 diversity visas 
September 22 for FY2006.  Post's DV2008 campaign, which will 
provide application instructions and general information, 
will begin October 2. 
HUDDLESTON