News Archive
December 12, 2015 - LONDON
On Saturday 12 December, around 250 members of the Ethiopian diaspora community joined Embassy staff to celebrate Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Day at the Embassy in London.
Check out the celebrations below!
Tuesday, 10 November 2015
Release: Immediate
It is evident that a particularly pronounced global El Nino phenomenon has impacted on many countries around the world this year, including Ethiopia.
Up to now, the country has mobilised 2 billion Birr [£62 million] and has positioned food from the national reserve in places that are affected, or could be affected, by the drought.
There are food surpluses in country and food has been transported, and continues to be transported, to areas in need. But the stocks will need to be replenished, which is why Ethiopia is asking for assistance from the international community.
Arsenal breaks new ground in Ethiopia
'Arsenal Football Club has become the first Premier League side to secure a regional partnership in Ethiopia after announcing Dashen Brewery as its Official Beer Partner. The three-year-partnership will help Arsenal get closer to its fans in Ethiopia and will focus on supporting Dashen Brewery’s community based initiatives with coaches from the club taking part in grassroots football development projects in Ethiopia.
Dashen Brewery will also directly engage with supporters in Ethiopia through the club’s digital platforms, promotional activities and marketing initiatives featuring Arsenal first-team players and club legends.
Arsenal chief commercial officer Vinai Venkatesham said: “Arsenal has a huge fanbase across Africa, and our support in Ethiopia stands out as particularly strong. We are delighted to be partnering with Dashen Brewery, together creating the first regional partnership for a Premier League club, in this rapidly growing and developing territory.”
The partnership follows backing from overseas shareholders of Dashen Brewery (Duet and Vasari).
Dashen Brewery chief executive officer Devlin Hainsworth added: “We are truly excited about this partnership. Dashen & Arsenal share common values with community being at the heart of both brands. This partnership will see Dashen invest both in grassroots football while at the same time supporting our commitment to creating meaningful consumer experiences."'
Source: Arsenal breaks new ground in Ethiopia
NOTICE
Ethiopian ID Card Renewal
September 22, 2015
Indefinite extension of the deadline to renew Ethiopian Origin ID Cards.
Click for more information in English and Amharic
The applicable Libor rate for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Bond for the period between 1st July 2015 and 31st December 2015 can be found via the following link.
On Friday 26th June 2015, a successful event which was held at the Ethiopian Embassy in London to mobilise support for alleviating the plight of fistula victims. Around a hundred people attended the event.
Obstetric fistula is said to affect more than 2 million people in Africa. In Ethiopia, it used to be a nightmare for many young women in the rural areas of the country until Dr. Reginald Hamlin and his wife, the now world famous, Dr. Catherine Hamlin, arrived from Australia 57 years ago.
NOTICE
Ethiopian ID Card Renewal
June 29, 2015
It is to be recalled that a penalty has been levied on those who failed to renew ID cards given to persons of Ethiopian origin. In view of the feedback received from members of the Diaspora, the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has waived the penalty fee until 6th August 2015 (Hamle 30, 2007).
The Embassy therefore calls on all members of the Diaspora to renew their ID cards on time before the expiry of this new deadline.
More information via the the following link.
12 June 2015
Flight and Tour Discounts with Ethiopian Airlines
In view of the upcoming 3rd International Conference on Financing for Development scheduled to take place in Addis Ababa from 13th – 16th July 2015, Ethiopian Airlines has the pleasure to announce a special offer to those attending - Save 12% on Business Class and 10% on Economy.
Those wishing to take advantage of this offer should contact the Ethiopian Airlines London Office on: 020 8987 7000 Option 2
Conference participants can also take advantage of the specially priced ALL INCLUSIVE tour packages to some of the best destinations Ethiopia has to offer. More information via the following link.
Fly Ethiopian...the New Spirit of Africa
June 05, 2015 - LONDON
The 24th anniversary of Ginbot 20 (May 28) marking the victory over the military dictatorship of the Derg regime was colourfully celebrated at the Ethiopian Embassy in London.
A large number of Members of the Ethiopian community in the UK turned out in large numbers to attend the event.
Read our Press Release here
May 19, 2015 - LONDON
On Sunday 24th May, 36.8 million Ethiopians will march towards the country’s 45,202 polling stations to cast their votes. This will mark a major milestone in the history of building democracy in Ethiopia.
the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia has done its best to ensure that the 5th National Election will be free, fair, peaceful and credible. The lively election campaign will continue until two days before Election Day.
Read our briefing here
Information on the Diaspora Housing Programme
Ethiopians and foreigners of Ethiopian origin in the UK are entitled to own a house through a government Diaspora housing scheme either individually or by becoming members of a housing association.
Further information on the criteria for registration and house prices can be found in the following links:
NOTE: Registration of the Diaspora Housing Programme will commence on 18 May 2015.
Enquiries:
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Asmelash Bekele Weldemariam
Counsellor - Public Diplomacy
Tel: 020 7589 7212
email: pd.counsellor@ethioembassy.org.uk
Wednesday, 13 May 2015
Ethiopia has appointed an Honorary Consul for Scotland for the very first time.
Professor John Struthers of the University of West of Scotland’s School of Business and Enterprise was appointed in March and officially accepted his exequatur, duly signed by H.E. Dr Tedros Adhanom, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, at a lunch in his honour at the Ethiopian Embassy in London on Tuesday 28th April.
As Honorary Consul, Professor Struthers will assist Ethiopia in its efforts to increase its trade and investment links with Scotland, encourage educational and cultural exchanges, and assist the London based Ethiopian Embassy to interact with the Scottish Government, civic society, and the business community.
24th April 2015
A meeting organised by the Ethiopian Embassy in London was held on 23 April 2015 to discuss the participation of the Ethiopian Diaspora in the country’s development endeavours. H. E Ato Eshetu Dessie, Minister of Cabinet Affairs in the Prime Minister’s Office and H.E. Dr. Yinager Dessie, State Minister of Foreign Affairs, were on hand to brief the participants who represented various sectors of the Ethiopian community in the United Kingdom. H.E. Ambassador Berhanu Kebede was also present on the occasion.
Tuesday, 21 April 2015
Release: Immediate
The people and government of Ethiopia are greatly saddened by the barbarous killing of innocent Ethiopian Christians in Libya.
The Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia strongly condemns the killings, even more so when they were supposedly committed in the name of religion.
Atrocities of this kind have nothing to do with religion: they merely illustrate the psychotic nature of terrorism and violent extremism. There is no excuse for such deliberate crimes against humanity.
New business visa regulations became effective as of 19th January 2015. Applicants are advised to allow at least 2 weeks before the date of travel.
Applicants seeking to apply for a business visa to Ethiopia will now require approval from the Main Department of Immigration and Nationality Affairs in Addis Ababa.
Applicants are encouraged to submit a formal application letter to the Immigration Office requesting visas, with details of their trip and once approved (normally within a few days), the Embassy will be able to issue a visa straight away.
For enquiries, please call the Consular & Visa Section on 020 7838 3897/98
15 April 2015
Response to the Guardian article titled, Ethiopians talk of violent intimidation as their land is earmarked for foreign investors, published on 14th April 2015.
With the country poised to surpass almost all the Millennium Development Goals, Ethiopia’s development efforts have been widely endorsed.
This has not prevented one or two international advocacy organizations and individuals, trying to question these results, claiming these developments are non-existent and, when the evidence has become impossible to deny, claiming they were driven by abuse and violence. Organizations such as the Oakland Institute continue to propagate an image based on flawed methodology, built up from unverified and unverifiable information, with inaccurate and exaggerated accounts drawn from externally-based politically-motivated sources and seldom, if ever, checked on the ground.
Ethiopians in the UK buy bonds worth over £40,000
23rd March 2015 – LONDON
More than 300 members of the Ethiopian Diaspora attended a successful bond selling event held at the Embassy on 21st March 2015, aimed at raising funds for the construction of the Grand Renaissance Dam (GERD).
In his opening speech, H.E. Ambassador Berhanu Kebede thanked the guests for, once again, turning up to demonstrate their continued support for the construction of the GERD. The construction of the dam is crucial to consolidating the double-digit economic growth Ethiopia has been experiencing for over a decade, the Ambassador said, noting that the project had so far reached the 41% completion stage.
Ethiopia showcases its preparations to host the World Coffee Conference in Addis Ababa
Tuesday, 10th March 2015 – LONDON
During the 114th Session of the International Coffee Council held in London from 2nd – 6th March, a delegation led by H.E. Ambassador Berhanu Kebede presented Ethiopia’s preparations to host the fourth World Coffee Conference and actively participated in the deliberation of the conference.
It is to be recalled that during the 112th Session of the International Coffee Council held in London last year, Ethiopia won the bid to host the World Coffee Conference together with the 116th Session of the International Coffee Council in Addis Ababa in March 2016 – the first time the conference will be held in Africa.
March 9, 2015 - The Embassy of Ethiopia in London, in partnership with the Tigray Women’s Association and the Ethiopian Somali Women’s Association as well as members of the Ethiopian community in the UK colourfully marked the International Women Day on Sunday 8th March at the Embassy under the theme “Make it Happen”.
VIDEO: Women's Day Colourfully Celebrated in London
The Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) has launched 11 new channels and recommends using ROKU, a streaming device which can be purchased for around $50 (£33), in order to receive these channels. Please click on the links below for more details.
6 February, 2015
Response to the Independent article titled, Ethiopia refuses to allow access to imprisoned British citizen, published on 9th February 2015.
The Ambassador explained in detail the position of the Ethiopian government on the issue and further underlined that the matter should be left to the bilateral consultation mechanism.
The Ambassador also advised the honourable parliamentarians that there was no need for them to go to Ethiopia as the case is being properly handled by the judiciary in accordance with the national law of Ethiopia and applicable international law to which Ethiopia is a party.
27 January 2015 - A delegation led by H.E. Mr Shiferaw Shugute, Ethiopia’s Minister of Education, participated at the Education World Forum in London from 19th to 21st January. The Minister was accompanied by his Deputy, H.E. Mr Wondwossen Kiflu, State Minister for Education.
Press Statement
Friday, 23rd January 2015 - On 21 January 2015, Human Rights Watch (HRW) launched yet another attack against the Ethiopian Government. It is a well-known fact that HRW has been waging a campaign of vilification against Ethiopia under the guise of a range of issues. This time, the chosen theme was media freedom and the upcoming general elections. In its latest report entitled “Journalism is Not a Crime: Violations of Media Freedom in Ethiopia”, HRW makes unfounded allegations of systematic repression of the independent media.