Addis Ababa’s Transformation in Repression

y AfricanArgumentsEditor By Ismail Einashe African Arguments The Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa is going through one of the fastest rates of urban growth in the world. In Amharic ‘Addis Ababa’ means ‘new flower’, and Menelik II founded the city at the end of the 19th century. For much of its history, Addis was a small town, at the…

Airlines in Africa, and the tale of democracy

CHRISTINE MUNGAI Mail & Guardian Africa Perhaps there is something unique in the airline business that makes it easier for a “clever” and developmental authoritarian regime to find success. KENYA Airways (KQ) last week announced a loss of $257 million (Ksh25.7 billion), the biggest ever in the country’s corporate history. It’s a shocking tumble for Kenya’s national carrier;…

Toast Remarks by President Obama and Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn of Ethiopia at State Dinner

The Whitehouse National Palace Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 8:02 P.M. EAT PRIME MINISTER HAILEMARIAM:  Your Excellency, the President of the United States of America, Mr. Barack Obama, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen:  In the history of the relationship by Ethiopia and the United States of America, this is an exceptional occasion.  Never before did we have…

Transcript: Remarks by President Obama and Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn of Ethiopia in Joint Press Conference

The Whitehouse  National Palace Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 1:47 P.M. EAT PRIME MINISTER HAILEMARIAM: Members of the press, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to once again welcome His Excellency, the President of the United States of America, to Ethiopia. We are honored to receive a sitting U.S. President for the first time in the history…

Seven reasons why Obama should visit Ethiopia

BY REDIET WEGAYEHU Barack Obama will become the first ever sitting U.S. president to visit Ethiopia. This is a testament to the firm friendship that the two countries enjoy. Ethiopia has had a close relationship with the U.S. ever since Emperor Menlik II earned recognition as the only sovereign state leader in Africa after defeating…