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LOOKING GLASS


LOOKING GLASS

A public phone around the Gofa Mebrat Hail area evokes memories of a bygone era when access to a global network was not a mere dip into one’s pockets. Telecommunication was introduced in 1894, with network interruptions during Italy's invasion. Ethiopia re-organised the Telephone, Telegraph and Postal services in 1941 and formed the Imperial Board of Telecommunications (IBTE) in 1952. Ethio telecom which has been divorced from the communications authority since 2010 currently has more than 74 million mobile subscribers.

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In-Picture

MUDDY WHEELS

In the quiet aftermath of a rainy day in Jemo 3, a blue bajaj sits half-buried in the mud, turning its back on what came before it: a horse carriage. The rain has transformed the road into a mirror of struggle and resilience, where puddles reflect not just the grey skies above but the daily battles of those who depend on these paths to earn a living. Surrounded by construction barriers, damp earth, and the traces of everyday life in Addis Abeba...


In-Picture

CLIMATE DIPLOMACY

Alexis Lamek (left), Ambassador of France to Ethiopia, and Laurent Fabius (right), president of COP21 and former French Prime Minister, during a press briefing last week at the Hyatt Regency Addis Ababa. The briefing followed high-level consultations with Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos (PhD) on Ethiopia's institutional preparations, strategic planning, and experience-sharing mechanisms ahead of hosting the 2027 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP32)...


In-Picture

THREADS ALIVE

Before vibrant Ethiopian traditional garments take shape, they begin in quiet workshops where patience, skill, and heritage are woven together. In Lancha inside a  weaving space, artisans work on handlooms crafted for precision, carefully transforming delicate threads into fabrics that will later become cultural symbols worn during celebrations, ceremonies, and everyday moments. Each movement of the loom carries generations of craftsmanship, preserving a textile tradition where every thread tel...