Iconic moment, Eritrean sanction lift

A rare but iconic photo. Taye Asqe-Sellasie, Ethiopia's Permanent Representative in the United Nations, voted in favour of lifting sanctions imposed on Eritrea. Members of the Security Council voted - unanimously- to lift the sanctions imposed for nearly a decade.


Iconic moment, Eritrean sanction lift

A rare but iconic photo. Taye Asqe-Sellasie, Ethiopia's Permanent Representative in the United Nations, voted in favour of lifting sanctions imposed on Eritrea. Members of the Security Council voted - unanimously- to lift the sanctions imposed for nearly a decade. Introduced by Djibouti, it was in 2009 that the UN Security Council imposed embargo on arms and introduced tough and targeted sanctions to punlish Eritrea's alleged support to al-Shabab in Somalia. Ethiopia is very pleased with the lifting of the UN sanction believing that, "it will further enhance the collaborative gains that have been achieved in the region over the past few months," according to a press statement issued from the Prime Minister Office following the announcement. Although welcomed the lifting, Djibouti remains to have some reservations. Its Ambassador to the UN, Siad Doualeh, said "third-party mediation failed to make significant progress toward a settlement" on the border dispute his country has with Eritrea. "Continued stalemate is not an option," he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.


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CORDIAL CONNECT

Finance Minister Ahmed Shide and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva shared a friendly moment during her recent visit to the Ministry. Her first visit since last year's IMF-backed economic reforms, Georgieva discussed progress with officials and also explored Addis Abeba's new tourist attractions and IMF-funded social projects...


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RUST REVIVAL

Kazanchis, one of the older districts in Addis Abeba, holds on to these derelict and stripped-down cars that once traversed its inner streets. Now surrounded by tall corrugated sheets, the cars evoke a feeling of a past time when they were functional and valued. They now sit amidst redevelopment plans including the building of 20,000 housing units and 2,000 commercial spaces, just a stone's throw away...


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POLE POSITION

Ethiopia Electric Utility's medium-sized, burgundy Toyota pickup truck drives around Gurd Shola carrying wooden poles previously used to hold transmission lines. Such poles are constantly being replaced by their concrete versions, which offer greater stability and resilience, reducing the risk of electricity disruptions...