LIBERAL LEAN


LIBERAL LEAN

An infrastructure pole around Bole is being moved on a busy afternoon. The first telephone infrastructure was extended from Harar to the capital city in 1894, during the reign of Emperor Menelik II. The state-owned Ethiopian Telecom has made significant headway since its reestablishment six years ago by cutting tariffs, expanding coverage, and entering new business avenues. The 130-year-old enterprise will avail a 10pc ownership stake as Ethiopia launches its inaugural stock exchange next year. It had revenues of 42.9 billion Br in the first half of the current year. The telecom operator which had a monopoly on telecom services for all but the last two years is the first of at least four SOEs poised to open themselves up to private ownership.

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In-Picture

NEIGHBORHOOD DAMS

Often overlooked in urban homes, jerrycans become priceless where water is a luxury. On the streets of Mekelle, they are hauled on wheelbarrows through neighborhoods that rely on pipes for long-awaited water, without the constant fear of running dry. Ethiopia's water supply struggles touch roughly 60 million people, about 43pc of the population, with rural communities bearing the heaviest burden. Even fast-growing urban centers, including Addis Abeba, face shortages, while several regions are cl...


In-Picture

PEACE TALK

Dawit Merhatsidk, CST Ethiopia Humanitarian Programme Advisor, and Abera Teferi of Adigrat University attend the National Peacebuilding Learning Symposium at the Intercontinental Hotel on October 14, 2025. CST Ethiopia, with support from the European Union, opened the symposium to media coverage, highlighting collaborative approaches to peacebuilding, recovery, and resilience in conflict-affected communities. Delegates from government, civil society, academia, and regional partners convene...


In-Picture

SWEET BASKETS

At Lafto Vegetable Market, young vendors sit among baskets brimming with ripe papayas and avocados, swapping stories as they display their vibrant produce. With the average Ethiopian consuming roughly 550 grams of food daily, mostly staple grains, the bursts of fresh fruit serve as a small, bittersweet reminder of life's flavor in a market navigating rising costs and sweeping reforms. Each basket tells a story, not just of fruit, but of dreams, hustle, and hope ripening under the sun...