In 2019, Ethiopia has enjoyed various successes amid dismal situations including the death 86 people due to ethnic and religious skirmishes.
One of the major successes was that the country managed to launch its first-ever Multi-Spectral Remote Sensing Satellite ET-RSS1 to space from China.
The 72kg ET-RSS1 was the 99th satellites that were launched in 2019 by world countries.
The satellite with mainly observational purposes is now sending the necessary data on climate change and weather-related phenomena that would be used for agriculture, forestry, and natural resources conservation activities.
The satellite is reportedly positioned at 80-degree latitude around Ethiopia and East and West African countries.
By launching its own satellite, Ethiopia aims to build space science technology application capacity and skills of its space science engineers through collaborations with different countries’ space scientists and institutions so that Ethiopian scientists will be in a position to design, build and launch the second satellite independently.
Reports show that in Africa, South Africa and Algeria have already launched their own communication satellites to orbit so far, while Egypt launched eight satellites so far.
The other success Ethiopia has had during the ending year was its Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed received the Nobel Peace Prize 2019 in Oslo, Norway ushered by praise in recognition of his personal efforts in ending two decades of enmity with neighboring Eritrea.
“I am honored to be here recognizing and encouraging my contribution to the peaceful resolution of the border dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea. I accept this award on behalf of Ethiopians and Eritreans especially those who made ultimate sacrifices in the cause of peace, Abiy said in his acceptance speech.
Berit Reiss-Andersen, Chairperson of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said the Nobel prize was given to the Ethiopian Prime Minister in recognition of his crucial role in creating peace between Eritrea and Ethiopia, making efforts to build democracy and contributing peace and reconciliation processes in East and North East Africa.
According to the chairperson, the prime minister has introduced a series of sweeping political and economic adjustments, including granting amnesty to thousands of political prisoners, discontinuing media censorship.
CNN also named Ethiopian Innovator Freweini Mebrahtu the 2019 CNN Hero of the Year in recognition of her work on menstruation and keeping girls in school as well as fighting to end the cultural stigma attached with menstruation.
Freweini Mebrahtu designed and patented a reusable menstrual pad for girls in her native Ethiopia who do not have access to sanitary pads.
In 2005, the Ethiopian innovator designed a reusable sanitary pad which she mass-produced at her factory in Ethiopia and went on to help 800 000 women and girls as a result. Speaking from her own experience, Mebrahtu has since described what drove her to design the reusable sanitary pad saying, “I remembered (hearing) that it’s actually a curse to have a period…or that it meant I am ready to be married, or (that) I’m being bad.”
During the concluding year, Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde was named one of the World’s Most Powerful Women of 2019 by Forbes magazine, Ethiopian Embassy in Brussels disclosed. The Ethiopian President is the only African woman on the list.
President Sahle-Work Zewde is a role model not only for Ethiopian women but women all around the world, Forbes quoted as saying.
Sahle-Work is ranked Number 93 on Forbes’ 2019 World’s 100 Most Powerful Women list and is the only African woman listed this year.
In October 2018, Ms. Zewde became Ethiopia’s first female president and is currently the only serving female head of state in Africa.
A seasoned diplomat and a veteran of the United Nations, Sahle-Work was appointed with a unanimous vote by parliament after being nominated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Ethiopia further witnessed positive developments in its negotiations with Egypt and Sudan over the controversial dam it is constructing on Blue Nile River.
One of the success was Egypt dropped its previous proposal which requires Ethiopia to release 40 billion cubic meters of Nile water annually to the downstream countries as it begins operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
In August this year, Egypt had proposed that it needs Ethiopia to release 40 billion cubic meters of water annually to downstream countries and until the Aswan Dam holds water as high as 165 meters above sea level.
Egypt also dropped this proposal too and Ethiopia will not be required to release water until the level of water in Aswan Dam reaches as high as 165 meters.
“Egypt’s move to withdraw its proposals on the two issues was a big success for Ethiopia,” Ethiopian Prime Minister was quoted as saying.
Egypt, however, came up with a new proposal suggesting that the natural flow of the Nile River should be maintained as Ethiopia begins operation of its hydroelectric dam on the Blue Nile.
Ethiopia has rejected Egypt’s proposal as it denies the rights of upstream countries to make use of the Nile water.
During the year Ethiopia has got the tenth regional state after the referendum held by the people residing in Sidama Zone
Out of the total voters, 98.51 percent, numbering 2, 227,063, voted in favor of self-rule of the Sidama zone and the remaining 1.48 percent or 33,463 voted against the self-rule of the zone.
In 2019 Ethiopia saw big sum of financial assistance and loan including from the World Bank (WB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) which provided a total of $6 billion to support the recently introduced homegrown economic reform in Ethiopia.
The global financial institutions provided 60 percent of the total $10 billion Ethiopia is looking to execute the economic reform.
In the just ending year, at least 86 people were killed amid religious and ethnic conflicts which are yet resolved. Worse of all, the religious and ethnic attack still continue that threatens the very existence of the country.
Meanwhile, a foreign policy magazine warned that Ethiopia’s national elections scheduled for May 2020 could be violent and divisive, as candidates outbid one another in ethnic appeals for votes.
The magazine on its website and analysis entitled “10 Conflicts to Watch in 2020” said, since assuming office in April 2018, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has taken bold steps to open up the country’s politics. He has ended a decades-long standoff with neighboring Eritrea, freed political prisoners, welcomed rebels back from exile, and appointed reformers to key institutions. He has won accolades at home and abroad—including the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize.
“But enormous challenges loom. Mass protests between 2015 and 2018 that brought Abiy Ahmed to power were motivated primarily by political and socioeconomic grievances. But they had ethnic undertones too, particularly in Ethiopia’s most populous regions, Amhara and Oromia, whose leaders hoped to reduce the long-dominant Tigray minority influence. Abiy’s liberalization and efforts to dismantle the existing order have given new energy to ethno-nationalism while weakening the central state,” the analysis stated.
The analysis further said ethnic strife across the country has surged, killing hundreds, displacing millions, and fueling hostility among leaders of its most powerful regions. Elections scheduled for May 2020 could be violent and divisive, as candidates outbid one another in ethnic appeals for votes.
MG/abj/APA