US Cancels 100 Percent of Ethiopia's Debt

The United States is to write off $72.6m debt owed by Ethiopia, following an agreement signed in Addis Ababa on Thursday between the two countries, Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) reported.

One can hope that the Ethiopian government will engage in the country's poverty reduction programs and tackle the food shortage crises and lack of infrastructure.

More details on the write off.

Italy Cancels Ethiopia's Debt Too
Italy is to write off Ethiopia's debt of $462.4m following an agreement signed on Monday, January 3 in Addis Ababa between the two countries, the Italian embassy said in a statement.

More details on the write off.

Food Statistic: With the largest livestock population in Africa, Ethiopia has an ample supply base for the export of live animals and meat. Its livestock resources are estimated at 27 million cattle, 24 million sheep and 18 million goats.

Recently, the government signed the following agreement...

Cairo-Ethiopia Sign $50 million Meat Import Agreement
The agreement stipulates that Ethiopia would provide Egypt with livestock or beef meat for two years, and that Egyptian companies would build a mechanized slaughterhouse and rehabilitate another four in Ethiopia.

Mineral Statistic: Ethiopia offers excellent opportunities for mineral prospecting and development. Geological studies undertaken so far by the Ministry of Mines show the existence of rich geological environment in the country.

Trivia: Ethiopia is the world's main supplier of civet (zebade), which is used in perfumes throughout the world. LEARN more about Ethiopia's trade crops.

VIEW current mining and explorations in Ethiopia on www.trade.uktradeinvest.gov.uk.

Aid Group Accused of Denying Food

A fight has broken out in Ethiopia's Falasha community over the activities of an American Jewish aid group that some say runs a Mafia-like operation at its compounds in Addis Ababa and Gondar – where some 15,000 to 17,000 Falash Mura await permission to immigrate to Israel.
More on the accusation. (Log in required)

One wonders if these activities are true: Having embroidery operation in slave-labor-like conditions, threatening community members who speak out against the abuses and employing representatives who beat up people...

Other Related News...

Two US congressmen have written to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon urging him to increase the rate of absorption of Ethiopians and criticizing the government for bringing only 300 each month... NY Reps. Nadler and Rangel mention their interest in discussing "how we might be of additional help in completing the ingathering of the Ethiopian Jewish community to our great ally, Israel."
More on the absorption of Ethiopians.

Who knew there was such an urgent need to bring this ancient community to Israel!

CHECK out the New York Times's bizarre story on the Falasha's waiting to emigrate to Israel.

According to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), among children born in Ethiopia, the proportion of those in special education was 4.9 percent, higher than that of other groups. According to the data, children born in Ethiopia, or whose parents were born in Ethiopia, suffered disproportionately from learning disabilities, borderline IQ, and slight retardation.

More on the study.

What this study fails to mention is that these children have to face a language barrier, culture shock, racism and a loss of their own culture - among other things...

Gambella... The New Oil Rush?

Oil is discovered in southwestern Ethiopia. Ethnic fighting started... The Anuaks are displaced, massacred by rebels. The Gambella Petroleum Corporation expects to produce more than 50,000 barrels of oil daily in the Gambella area. Could this be another Darfur?

A report from www.genocidewatch.org

LEARN more about the big rush and the Anuaks.

Oprah, Danny Glover and Brad Pitt Visit Ethiopia

"I am going to speak to the Mayor and the Mayor's wife and see if we can build a great school for girls here in Addis Ababa..."
-- Oprah during her visit in Ethiopia to inaugurate an extension center to the Fistula Hospital.

LEARN more about Oprah's trip and her plans for the school.

"After talking to children I feel a sense of embarrassment and anger that my own country has not signed the landmine treaty..."
-- Danny Glover during his five-day visit to Ethiopia to highlight the horrific impact of anti-personnel mines (APMs). He further said that some one million landmines litter the country following years of internal conflict and fighting with neighboring Eritrea and Somalia.

LEARN more about Danny Glover's trip.

"I spent a wonderful week traveling this beautiful continent, listening to the people and learning about the AIDS crisis, the extreme poverty in which people live and how people in America can help by joining The ONE Campaign to fight global AIDS and poverty..."
-- Brad Pitt during his trip to Ethiopia, where he visited local projects fighting the spread of HIV. LEARN more about Brad Pitt's trip.

Brad Pitt at FHI- funded HAPCSO home - photo courtesy fhi.org

SLIDESHOW: Brad Pitt in South Africa and Ethiopia

UPDATE: Ethiopia is to begin free distribution of potentially lifesaving drugs next month for people living with HIV, US officials supporting the programme said on Thursday.

It will likely save 15,000 people this year. According to government plans, the number of people receiving the drugs will be expanded to 210,000 people within the next five years... LEARN more about the program.

Endurance Running is in East Africans' Genes

The long-distance running prowess of Ethiopia’s elite male athletes is partly dictated by their genes.

Researchers have established that such athletes are more likely to have certain variants of four Y chromosome genes compared with other Ethiopians. No one knows what the genes do, or how influential they are, but they are the first to be linked to east Africans’ outstanding ability for endurance events.

Read more about why it's good to be East African.

Some Worry Public Display Could Harm Lucy's Bones

Ethiopians in Ethiopia haven't had a chance to see the "real" fossils of Lucy in their homeland, but officials in Texas are preparing to display the "real" Lucy skeletons in Houston and other cities starting in '06. Houston is hoping to make a nice buck (over $4 million) from the exhibit too...

Bummer for Ethiopia!
Great for Houston...

Read more about the excitement:

The first public display of Lucy, a 3.2 million-year-old fossil discovered in Ethiopia, is scheduled for Houston in 2006, to the chagrin of some anthropologists who fear the project will harm the partial skeleton.

Where's the "real" Lucy? Read on...

UPDATE: Houston Officials Head to Ethiopia to Close the Deal
The plan, according to Houston officials is to see the Ethiopian National Palace and National Museum. Lucy's fossilized bones are kept there, secured from public view." More on the trip.

Read about what scientists found a year ago in the Afar region:
The fossilized skulls of two adults and one child discovered in the Afar region of eastern Ethiopia have been dated at 160,000 years, making them the oldest known fossils of modern humans, or Homo sapiens.

The "world's oldest kitchen" is discovered in Gona. READ Dr. Quade's interview on his findings in Gona. Dr. Quade is a faculty member in the Geosciences Department at the University of Arizona.