vol. 24 no. 1243 july 4, 2020 addis ababa, ethiopia www...

Lucky Dube, who were voices of

consciousness yet, like Hachalu

died in their 30s. SEE THE

FULL STORY ON PAGE 6

Vol. 24 No. 1243 July 4, 2020 ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA www.thereporterethiopia.com Price 10.00 Birr

Jawar, Bekele, Eskinder under custody|FULL STORY ON PAGE 3

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INFLECTION POINT

HACHALU HUNDESSA 1984-2020

By Samuel Getachew

Countless lives, businesses and scarce infrastructures have perished.

This came about after the mysterious death of Hachalu Hundessa, a 36-year-old entertainer, who sung the music of injustices he saw

and witnessed in Oromia. Unfortunately, Hachalu met his fate like his comrades – from the likes of the late Bob Marley and South Africa’s

JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJaaaaaaJawar, Bekele, Eskinder under custody|FULL STORY ON PAGE 3

By Asrat Seyoum

The remains of celebrated artist and political activist Hachalu Hundessa was laid to rest on Thursday, July 2, 2020 in his birth place Ambo, Eyesus Gedam Church, some 120 kilometers west of Addis Ababa. The 36-year-old was gunned down on Monday evening in the vicinity of Gelan condominium, located in Akakai Kality Sub City, in Addis Ababa, and was taken to Tirunesh Beijing Hospital, where doctors tried to save his life but failed.

The burial of the Oromiffa singing sensation, Hachalu, was every bit dramatic as his death. The whole thing took an unexpected turn on Tuesday when the body of the beloved singer, which was seen off to his birth place, Ambo,

Hachalu Hundessa . . . page 3

Photo By: The Reporter /Mesfen Solomon A commercial building located across the side gate of the Millennium Hall was damaged by protestors

Photo By: The Reporter /Daniel Getachew

2| The Reporter, July 4, 2020 Vol. 24 No. 1243

www.thereporterethiopia.com

EDITORIAL

Published weekly by Media & Communications Center

Address: Bole Sub City, Kebele 03/05, H. No. NewTel: 011 6 616180 Editorial011 6 616185 Reception 011 6 616187 Finance

Fax: 011 6 616189, PO Box:7023

0910 885206 Marketing [email protected]


General Manager Amare Aregawi Managing EditorBruh YihunbelayEditor-in-Chief Asrat Seyoum

Sub city: N.lafto, K. 10/18, H.No. 614Senior Editor

Dibaba AmensisaEditors

Kaleyesus Bekele Yonas Abiye

Bruck Getachew Online EditorBrook Abdu

Assistant Editor

Senior ReportersSamuel Getachew

Dawit Tolesa

Columnists

Tsion Taye

Chief Graphic Designer

Yibekal Getahun

Senior Graphic Designer

Sofoniyas Tadesse

Dagmawi Gobena

Graphic Designers

Tsehay Tadesse

Fasika Balcha

Semenh Sisay

Netsanet Yacob

Head of PhotographyNahom TesfayePhotographers

Tamrat GetachewMesfen Solomon

Daniel GetachewCartoonistElias Areda

Fasil W/giorgis Marketing Manager

Endalkachew Yimam

Reining in forces intent on dismantling Ethiopia

First we would like to express our deepest sorrow on the callous killing of the Oromiffa singing sensation Hachalu Hundessa this Monday. The perpetrators of this outrage must be brought to justice within the shortest possible time. While the motive behind the murder of Hachalu can be fathomed after the investigation underway is concluded, it can be safely surmised that it has political undertones. Ethiopia’s history is replete with egregious acts whose endgame was to accomplish selfish political ends by sowing the seeds of instability. The poisonous atmosphere characterizing Ethiopian politics for the past five decades has left behind a legacy of intolerance that continues to lead to bloody internecine strife. Moreover, at a time the country is in the midst of a perfect storm of crisis posed by, among others, the COVID-19 pandemic, tensions over the postponement of the general elections slated to be held in August as well as the standoff with Egypt over the filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), forces bent on assuming power are collaborating with its archenemy and leaving no

stones unturned to tear it apart. As enemies of democracy and traitors doing the bidding of foreign enemies intent on destabilizing Ethiopia they need to be brought to heel immediately.

Ethiopians should keep in mind that elements harboring evil agendas always plot to further their cause by whatever means necessary. Anathema to the age-old values which have enabled the people of Ethiopia to co-exist in peace and harmony, they not only kill, maim or exile individuals standing in their way, but also incite the youth to spark ethnic and religious conflicts in hopes of riding to power on the rubbles of the devastation they have wrought. They are particularly adept at using both the mainstream and social media to peddle false and vitriolic narratives that are antithetical to the process of democratization. This is precisely what some irresponsible media outlets are promoting.

Citizens can exercise their right to self-govern, promote their language and culture, and enjoy other constitutionally guaranteed rights through the peaceful pursuit of political

objectives, not the path of destruction and violence preferred by anarchists and power-mongers. Disputes should never be settled through the barrel of the gun. The nation should not be subjected to turmoil for the sake of protecting the narrow interests of certain individuals or groups. Change can never be brought about by killing or harming a single individual. But when they put their heads together they can do wonders. Ethiopians should display their usual foresight to beat the trap set for them by the enemy. Otherwise, they are liable to self-destruct and be the laughingstock of the world.

As we have said time and again if Ethiopia is to become a land of peace and prosperity it is imperative to create an environment that allows the free flow of diverse ideas and empowers all citizens to engage in a constructive dialogue. The very survival of Ethiopia makes it imperative to abandon the backward politics of violence and counterproductive propaganda in favor of a brand of politics underpinned by the principles of give-and-take and the rule of law. Though

exposing the weakness of rivals and communicating effectively one’s position is the stock-in-trade of politicians, they have to refrain from resorting to force and other autocratic tendencies if they truly wish to earn the public’s trust and support.

It is of the essence that Ethiopians show a united front to navigate the unprecedented set of extraordinary challenges they are confronted with. This requires the customary demonstration of patience and wisdom on their part. They should not let enemies from within and outside exploit their differences to unravel the tie that binds them together in the realization that this is the best way to avert the catastrophe staring them in the face. Meanwhile, the government needs to see to it that justice is served through a legally defensible process which ensures that the murders of Hachalu and their masterminds get the punishment they deserve. If Ethiopia’s continued existence as a nation and its prosperity is to be guaranteed forces intent on dismantling it have to be reined in. Failure in this regard is not an option!

HEADLINESThe Reporter, July 4, 2020 Vol. 24 No. 1243 |3


10|

The Reporter, July 4, 2020 Vol. 24 No. 1243

w thereporterethiopia.com

SNAPSHOTS10||SNAPSHOTS



He was very proud of the

location and the employees

who worked in there and was

even planning expansion. Even

in the midst of COVID-19,

with dwindling business,

Haile was paying all of its

employees and to him, it was

not just business, but service

and we are all humbled and

hurt by what had transpired.

losing his own brother who was killed by a bomb

thrown at his house as he mourned with hundreds.

His own wife, the mother of Hachalu was also injured.

Since his death was announced, there have been

many deaths and destruction in many cities and the

government estimates there were at least 87 of such

deaths in Oromia alone. However, with the blocking

of internet by the government and fake news being

rampant, there has been no way to verify these

numbers.

Haile Resorts, owned by Olympian Haile

Gebreselassie in Shashemene and Ziway, including

many others have been gutted, denying hundreds of

needed employment and their own livelihoods.

“When Haile took over the property of what was

then a Bekele Mola property in Shashemene, he

gathered us all and told the management that it

was a privilege to be guardians of such legacy

of his own hero and he wanted to keep is as it

is while offering all the signature services

our customers have come to expect

from Haile,” Tesfaye Asrat, a manager

who was once stationed in Zeway and

Shashamene, told The Reporter.

“He was very proud of the location and

the employees who worked in there

and was even planning expansion.

Even in the midst of COVID-19, with

dwindling business, Haile was paying

all of its employees and to him, it was

not just business, but service and we

are all humbled and hurt by what had

transpired,” he added.

Bethlehem Lodge, one of the most beautiful

properties in Ziway, in front of the spacious

Haile Resort was also burned to the ground,

along with trucks parked inside it, most

belonging to BGI, who frequently used the hotel as

its preferred location for hospitality services.

According to sources, many restaurants and houses

were also burned down, including some of the

signature butcheries who were a fixture of the city

that has seen little development. However, little

damage was recorded to the number of Dutch flower

farms, as well as the Castel Wine farm, which has

been expanding in recent year, now posed because of

the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the capital, it was no different.

of young men, from surrounding areas

s of Addis Ababa – ill prepared

ted in uniform-like

of stealing –

dless

properties to create damages on Tuesday the whole

day with little opposition and little

police presence.

The next day was different. Many citizens, seeing

their properties damaged and more expected to come,

decided to protect theirs. There were lots of reports

of citizens staying up late in shifts, defending their

properties with weapons and casualties reported.

There was also a battle among the visiting young men

and young residents and deaths were reported all

over the city. The days after the destruction began;

there are countless damages to properties, including

broken windows to many buildings and damaged

vehicles.

In Adama, many hotels and restaurants, who

sustained much of the population by providing

needed employment were also burned. Among

them was Yilma Butchery (Yilma Siga Bet),

which was a fixture of the city for more than 40

years, before it branched out to Addis Ababa.

As an iconic restaurant that started here

humbly before the children branched

out to the capital after the death of their

father, they have been investing much

on it to keep his legacy alive.

An employee from a Yilma location in

the capital described what happened as

unbelievable and said, the management

is not sure if they will bring back the

place once again.

“The restaurant is no more. There is no

trace of it. It was burned down in the early

morning of Wednesday by young people,

who just decided to come and lit it on fire for

no obvious reason, affecting the livelihoods of

many of our workers”.

In Shashemene, a woman who moved to the city

from the capital to open an electric shop was visited

by dozens of strangers, accused of hiding the killer of

the artist.

She told The Reporter, she was overwhelmed by the

sudden presence of this many strangers and as soon

as her brother appeared, he was accused of being the

one and shaken and threatened to be beaten. She also

felt, the constant begging of her elderly father might

have been what saved the day for her and her brother

was let go.

As the family gathered, worried sick and planned

their escape to the capital, many of the same young

people returned in the early morning hours, and

burned her car and her property to the ground.

Photos By: The Reporter /Mesfen Solomon

Shattered facade of V. Karabian Carpets in Piassa

losing his own b

thrown at his ho

His own wife, th

Since his dea

many deaths a

government e

deaths in Oro

of internet b

rampant, th

numbers.

Haile Re

Gebresela

many oth

needed em

“When H

then a B

gathere

was a p

of his o

s whi

our

rom

who

Sha

Hehen

Photos By: The Reporter /M

6|

The Reporter, July 4, 2020 Vol. 24 N


FEATURE

By Samuel Getachew

Countless lives, businesses

and scarce infrastructures

have perished.

This came about after the

mysterious death of Hachalu

Hundessa, a 36-year-old

entertainer, who sung the

music of injustices he saw

and witnessed in Oromia.

Unfortunately, Hachalu met

his fate like his comrades –

from the likes of the late Bob

Marley and South Africa’s

Lucky Dube, who were voices

of consciousness yet, like

Hachalu died in their 30s.

Hachalu was said to have been

shot in Gelan condominium

area, Akaki Kaliti Sub City, in

the outskirts of the capital.

A once political prisoner of

consciousness, he spent more

than five years in prison as a

16-year-old and was released as

a 22-year-old. The entertainer-

cum-activist was determined

to use his voice for political

pressure. In the last year of

his life, he became a critic of

some of the reforms of Prime

Minister Abiy Ahmed which

he once championed.

Born in Ambo, a city of heroes,

who resisted injustices of the

past, the burial of the artist who

was married and a father of

three, including a one-month-

old was as controversial as

the man himself. He was a

nationalist for some, perhaps

a person who was ahead of

his time for many others who

inspired them to fight what

they consider a dark era of the

past.

“We chose to have him

buried in Ambo so it becomes

convenient for us to go to

his burial site as often as we

would like and cry,” his father

cried who simultaneously

is burdened with the loss of

INFLECTION

POINTBroken windows are becoming common features of the recent act of vandalism



SNAPSHOT

WAKE OF

DESTRUCTION

The two-day violent protest held

in Addis Ababa and other parts of

Oromia Regional State following

the killing of renowned artist

Hachalu Hundessa has left a

trail of destruction in its wake.

According to official reports,

ninety one people lost their lives

around the country and still

many more sustained injuries

and heavy destruction to their

properties. The official tally

shows that around 20 vehicles

were set ablaze in the capital

while another 250 were decimated

in the ensued violent; shown here

is the destruction to one of the

iconic carpet and curtain shops

around Piazza, at the heart of the

old city center of Addis Ababa,

alongside many building and

commercial centers in the capital.

For instance, V. Karabian, which

has been in the business since

the time of Emperor Hailesilassie

I, has seen the worst in its more

than seven decades of existence.


INSI

DE

Jawar, Bekele, Eskinder under custody

By Neamin Ashenafi

High-ranking members of the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC), Jawar Mohammed and Bekele Gerba, and others appeared before court on Thursday July 2, 2020.

The Federal Police stated that in addition to the two prominent politicians, some 35 individuals, who are said to be behind the havoc created in the capital and parts Oromia Regional State and five more in relation to the killing of the

iconic Oromo singer Hachalu Hundessa in Addis Ababa on Monday June 29, 2020, were also under custody.

In this regard, the suspects appeared before court on Thursday, and the court adjourned the cases of Jawar and Bekele for July 9 and 6, 2020, respectively.

Similarly, Eskinnder Nega and Sintayheu Chekol top leaders of the Balderas for True Democracy Party, who were arrested on Wednesday for their alleged involvement in the

unrest in the capital following the killing of the singer, also appeared before court on Thursday and their case was also adjourned for July 14 and 12, 2020, respectively.

According to the Federal Police, Jawar and Bekele were arrested for their alleged involvement in defiling of the remains of the deceased on his way to his hometown Ambo for funeral procession and demanding for the funeral to be held in the capital and not in Ambo.

Furthermore, according to the statement, the two were orchestrating the return of the body of the deceased and try to place it inside the premises of the headquarters of the Prosperity Party Oromia Chapter located across Saint Joseph School, where the confrontation claimed the life of one member of the Oromia Special Force who was on duty.

According to the police, some weapons such as Kalashnikovs and pistols and communication radio were seized from the guards of Jawar Mohammed.

The death of the singer caused chaos and instability across various cities and towns of Oromia Regional State and led to the death of innocent civilians and members of the law enforcement agencies. Hence, according to the official statement from the Oroima Police Commission, some 87 individuals including four police officers have lost their lives on the aftermath of the chaos and instability that was witnessed in different parts of the region.

By Samuel Getachew

The Addis Ababa Water and Sewage Authority is downplaying rumors that spread in the capital over accusations that one of the city’s main sources of water is poisoned and is no longer fit for human consumption.

The new communication comes in defense of Addis Ababa’s water supply, including those located in Legedadi, Gefersa which are the water reservoirs, and one located in Kaliti that is an underground water supply are indeed safe as the city comes to a standstill as a result the current violence which came after the death of artiste Hachalu Hundessa from earlier this week.

“The rumors are false,” Zerihun Abate (Eng.) said as part of a media campaign to dispel the rumor on Friday. However, Ethiopia is not new to such rumors.

Just last year, during an uprising that occurred as a result of the removal

of government securities belonging to controversial political figure, now imprisoned, Jawar Mohammed there was also such worries from residence as rumors spread that the water supply was poisoned but that proved too be untrue.

In addition, during the 2005 contested national elections, there was such happening putting much worry on a population with scarce water supply to begin with and much of it dependent on rationed water.

In the capital, trying to take

advantage of the situation, several stores increased their prices for bottled water as many lined up to supply their needs. In Balderas area for instance, a one liter of water was selling for 23 birr, a sudden spike from its regular price of 15 Birr.

Authority downplays poisoned water rumor

Jawar Mohammed Eskinnder NegaBekele Gerba

was forced to make a detour from Burayu, in the outskirts of Addis Ababa, around a place called Kela, and returned to capital, eventually heading to the headquarters of the Prosperity Party Oromia Chapter.

The problems did not stop once the body successfully arrived at his parents’ home in Ambo. According to reports, on Wednesday, yet again, another attempt to acquire the body the young artist was made at the residence where the body was located.

Actual skirmish with family, neighbors and law enforcement resulted in another tragic loss

to the Hundessa Bonssa family; this time around, Hachalu’s uncle died from a hand-grenade thrown at the residence, and injuries to a number of friends and family and members of the law enforcement were incurred.

Details of the activities in Ambo on in the two days are yet to be fully revealed; however, according to state media reports, the day of the burial itself was not peaceful as some disagreements and minor skirmishes around the burial process was observed on Thursday.

Nevertheless, the remains of Hachalu was finally given the burial his family wanted and

received a memorial service at Ambo national stadium. In the memorial ceremony, a number of people paid homage to the young artist including close friends and colleagues.

Speaking at the ceremony, father of the deceased, Hundessa Bonssa, delivered a touching eulogy to his son, saying, “I have always known my son to be straight and honest; he always spoke his mind and I don’t see how that can get him killed,” Also, a childhood friend of Hachalu also reflected on the sad circumstances surrounding his death; and said, “His parents’ wishes to have him rest in his birth place and next to his fallen fellow activists

should have been respected and it is sad that the body count has to increase because of this.”

After the memorial service, Hachalu’s body was taken to his final resting place, Eyesus Gedam Church, where a burial sermon in the tradition of Orthodox Tewahido Church was delivered and family said their final goodbyes to the young singer.

According to prosecutors of the Federal Attorney General, defiling the body of the beloved artist would be one of the charges that will be instituted against the suspects arrested in connection to the killing of Hachalu.

HACHALU HUNDESSA . . . CONT`D FROM PAGE 1


Advertisment4| The Reporter, July 4, 2020 Vol. 24 No. 1243

HEADLINESThe Reporter, July 4, 2020 Vol. 24 No. 1243 |5


By Brook Abdu

In one of the most polarizing events in the country’s politics, three media outlets have been implicated in fueling the conflicts that followed the killing of the renowned Oromo musician and political activist, Hachalu Hundessa. The government said that it has been monitoring these media outlets for long.

In a press announcement given only to the state media outlets, Fekadu Tsega, the director for organized and cross-boundary crimes with the Federal Attorney General, indicated that the Oromo Media Network (OMN), Asrat TV and Dimtsi Woyane TV studios in Addis Ababa were raided and documents seized. The stations stopped airing programs from Addis since Tuesday June 30, 2020. OMN was giving a live coverage of the transportation of Hachalu’s body from St. Paul’s Hospital to his place of birth in Ambo. The coverage by OMN was also shared by the aforementioned media.

Hachalu, one of the outspoken artistes of the Oromo language, was shot dead around Gelan

condominium, in the outskirts of Addis Ababa.

Consequently, the government blamed the killing as well as the following protests that claimed multiple lives on the Tigryan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) Shene.

Fekadu in his statement added that there have been hate speeches and polarizing messages coming out of these media outlets. The government based its measures on these programs, he added.

According to the director, following the killing of

Hachalu, the said media were broadcasting violence instigating messages to motivate people get to the streets and attack people labeled “the others” and their properties.

Because of the violence that followed the killing, eight civilians and two policemen have been killed in Addis Ababa while 250 vehicles were damaged and 20 burnt down, according to a report from Addis Ababa Police Commission. About 80 civilian and police officers have died in Oromia region.

In a reply he gave to the blaming from the head of the

Oromia Regional State that TPLF has created chaos to hinder the transportation of Hachalu’s body to his birth place, executive committee member of the TPLF, Getachew Reda said that this is a common pattern by the government to blame its failures on people because of its incompetence to lead the country. In his short interview with Tigray TV, Getachew said that the government was unable to bring to justice people that committed crimes in the country including the killings of the Amhara regional officials and the Chief of Staff of the Ethiopian Defense Force a year ago.

Getachew is of the view that the trend that is being seen in the country, especially blame games on third parties is intended only on preserving the power of the current administration for the longest possible time.

While the investigation on the media and the media outlets implicated in the case is ongoing, the Attorney General indicated that charges will be instituted based on the evidence collected from the raid to the media houses.

Media implicated in violence following Hachalu’s death

There have been hate speeches and polarizing messages coming out of these media outlets

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a humanitarian, non-

affected populations – refugees, internally displaced

the world.

The Danish Refugee Council in Ethiopia intends to contract service providers for a period of one-year framework agreement for the provision of passenger transport and freight transport service in various locations of Ethiopia as per the bid document.

Interested & eligible Service Providers can request the tender dossier and instructions to suppliers by emailing to: [email protected] during working hours, Monday to

to 2:00pm start from July 1 - 10, 2020.

Interested and eligible service providers who have renewed your licenses are invited to send your stamped and scanned Bid documents via dedicated tender email box at: [email protected] on or before 10:00 am on the 13th of July, 2020 in the morning.

No Lot Number Bid Reference Number Description

1 Lot 1DRC ETH – AA -

ITB – 2020 – 005/ Passenger

Passenger Transport Vehicles

2 Lot 2 DRC ETH – AA - ITB – 2020 - 005/ Freight

Freight Transport Trucks

The bids should be sent in a separate two emails (containing

relevant tender reference number on the subject line of the email.

Bidders MUST provide valid and renewed business licenses,

the trucks they quote a price for.

Bids submitted after the deadline or in violation of the formal requirements will not be considered.

Further Instructions on submission are provided on tender dossier.

Note: Bidders must send an email request to get tender document at: [email protected]

SUBMISSION PROCESS

Interested and eligible service providers are therefore requested to send your stamped & scanned Bid documents in soft copies to DRC Ethiopia via a dedicated tender email box at: [email protected] on or before 10:00 am on the 13th of July, 2020 in the morning.

Disclaimer

DRC reserves the right to accept or reject any submission in part or entirely without assigning reasons thereof.

INVITATION TO BID (ITB) - National E - Tender No: DRC ETH – AA - ITB – 2020 - 005

For the Provision of Passenger and Freight Transport Framework Agreement for the year 2020/2021



FEATURE

By Samuel Getachew

Countless lives, businesses and scarce infrastructures have perished.

This came about after the mysterious death of Hachalu Hundessa, a 36-year-old entertainer, who sung the music of injustices he saw and witnessed in Oromia. Unfortunately, Hachalu met his fate like his comrades – from the likes of the late Bob Marley and South Africa’s Lucky Dube, who were voices of consciousness yet, like Hachalu died in their 30s.

Hachalu was said to have been shot in Gelan condominium area, Akaki Kaliti Sub City, in the outskirts of the capital.

A once political prisoner of consciousness, he spent more than five years in prison as a 16-year-old and was released as a 22-year-old. The entertainer-cum-activist was determined to use his voice for political pressure. In the last year of his life, he became a critic of some of the reforms of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed which he once championed.

Born in Ambo, a city of heroes, who resisted injustices of the past, the burial of the artist who was married and a father of three, including a one-month-old was as controversial as the man himself. He was a nationalist for some, perhaps a person who was ahead of his time for many others who inspired them to fight what they consider a dark era of the past.

“We chose to have him buried in Ambo so it becomes convenient for us to go to his burial site as often as we would like and cry,” his father cried who simultaneously is burdened with the loss of

INFLECTION

POINTBroken windows are becoming common features of the recent act of vandalism

The Reporter, July 4, 2020 Vol. 24 No. 1243 |7


FEATURE

He was very proud of the location and the employees

who worked in there and was even planning expansion. Even

in the midst of COVID-19, with dwindling business,

Haile was paying all of its employees and to him, it was not just business, but service and we are all humbled and

hurt by what had transpired.

losing his own brother who was killed by a bomb thrown at his house as he mourned with hundreds.

His own wife, the mother of Hachalu was also injured.

Since his death was announced, there have been many deaths and destruction in many cities and the government estimates there were at least 87 of such deaths in Oromia alone. However, with the blocking of internet by the government and fake news being rampant, there has been no way to verify these numbers.

Haile Resorts, owned by Olympian Haile Gebreselassie in Shashemene and Ziway, including many others have been gutted, denying hundreds of needed employment and their own livelihoods.

“When Haile took over the property of what was then a Bekele Mola property in Shashemene, he gathered us all and told the management that it was a privilege to be guardians of such legacy of his own hero and he wanted to keep is as it is while offering all the signature services our customers have come to expect from Haile,” Tesfaye Asrat, a manager who was once stationed in Zeway and Shashamene, told The Reporter.

“He was very proud of the location and the employees who worked in there and was even planning expansion. Even in the midst of COVID-19, with dwindling business, Haile was paying all of its employees and to him, it was not just business, but service and we are all humbled and hurt by what had transpired,” he added.

Bethlehem Lodge, one of the most beautiful properties in Ziway, in front of the spacious Haile Resort was also burned to the ground, along with trucks parked inside it, most belonging to BGI, who frequently used the hotel as its preferred location for hospitality services.

According to sources, many restaurants and houses were also burned down, including some of the signature butcheries who were a fixture of the city that has seen little development. However, little damage was recorded to the number of Dutch flower farms, as well as the Castel Wine farm, which has been expanding in recent year, now posed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the capital, it was no different.

A number of young men, from surrounding areas gathered in all areas of Addis Ababa – ill prepared personally but transported in uniform-like organization and with no intention of stealing – started throwing rocks, breaking windows to endless

properties to create damages on Tuesday the whole day with little opposition and little police presence.

The next day was different. Many citizens, seeing their properties damaged and more expected to come, decided to protect theirs. There were lots of reports of citizens staying up late in shifts, defending their properties with weapons and casualties reported.

There was also a battle among the visiting young men and young residents and deaths were reported all over the city. The days after the destruction began; there are countless damages to properties, including broken windows to many buildings and damaged vehicles.

In Adama, many hotels and restaurants, who sustained much of the population by providing

needed employment were also burned. Among them was Yilma Butchery (Yilma Siga Bet),

which was a fixture of the city for more than 40 years, before it branched out to Addis Ababa.

As an iconic restaurant that started here humbly before the children branched out to the capital after the death of their father, they have been investing much on it to keep his legacy alive.

An employee from a Yilma location in the capital described what happened as unbelievable and said, the management is not sure if they will bring back the place once again.

“The restaurant is no more. There is no trace of it. It was burned down in the early

morning of Wednesday by young people, who just decided to come and lit it on fire for

no obvious reason, affecting the livelihoods of many of our workers”.

In Shashemene, a woman who moved to the city from the capital to open an electric shop was visited by dozens of strangers, accused of hiding the killer of the artist.

She told The Reporter, she was overwhelmed by the sudden presence of this many strangers and as soon as her brother appeared, he was accused of being the one and shaken and threatened to be beaten. She also felt, the constant begging of her elderly father might have been what saved the day for her and her brother was let go.

As the family gathered, worried sick and planned their escape to the capital, many of the same young people returned in the early morning hours, and burned her car and her property to the ground.

Photos By: The Reporter /Mesfen Solomon Shattered facade of V. Karabian Carpets in Piassa


8| The Reporter, July 4, 2020 Vol. 24 No. 1243COMMENTARY

By Tagel Getahun

I trust Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) will take monumental measures to correct the problems of injustice in Ethiopia though I do not agree with him on his move on democracy.

Abiy loves the people. Consequently, he is practicing political idealism, which is full of morality, in contrast to the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) that practiced political realism as a philosophy that is initiated by a siege mentality.

Abiy will regret his policy on democracy as the nation is not yet ready for it. Before democracy we have plenty of jobs to do like justice.

Humanism is closely attached to justice. Justice is the natural demand of mankind. Justice takes different forms like political, legal, economic, social and cultural. We have the obligation to create a just

society in Ethiopia.

Justice means one’s claim and when one is denied his claims injustice is said to be done to her.

The issue of justice is at the center of American politics. Their democracy has failed to create a just society as all injustices are not undemocratic. The growing inequality between the rich and the poor is an issue that has not been solved yet.

Likewise, in Ethiopia the issue of justice has multiple of ups and downs.

The best way to correct the injustice done is to create alliance among all Ethiopians. Partnership and competition are healthy but hostility is bad between different ethnic groups and their respective elites.

Their alliance is crucial for the stability of the nation.

This way it can manage to gain public trust. That may be what precipitated the rising public trust in the aftermath of the reform.

Public trust means the confidence of the people on the government and political leaders together with their political decisions. Public trust is essential for improving the relationship of the government and the people. Moreover it is the instrument that paves the way for the successful implementation of policies. Abiy needs to try and make sure that he has the public trust as trust created for the promotion of the public welfare is indispensible.

Beside public trust there should exist a social trust between the Amharas and Oromos. Trust can be attributed to relationships between people. In the social sciences, the subtleties of trust are the subject of ongoing research. In sociology the degree to which one society trusts another is a measure of belief in the honesty, fairness, or benevolence of another society. Aiby Ahmed has come to power in a nation where the question of justice was on the rise. His reform will help in addressing this area of concern before

he ventures on democracy. Certainly he will regret his move on democracy without responding to the question of justice in the societies for Ethiopia needs a preparation period if not transition to realize democracy.

Still forgiveness is the solution for Ethiopian politics for societies are harmed by different ruling groups.

Finally, let me say few words about what I like about Abiy Ahmed. In addition to his personal eloquence skills, I like the fact that he is not an ethnically minded man. He came to power in a time the nation needs such a man. He is becoming a uniting factor for Ethiopia as he has abandoned the political fashion that was intensifying ethnic division and he is promoting Ethiopiawinet.

Ed.’s Note: The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Reporter. He can be reached at [email protected].

Justice before democracy

VIEWPOINT

The plastic pandemicBy Jacob Duer

There is no denying that single-use plastic has been a lifesaver in the fight against COVID-19, especially for frontline health workers. It has also facilitated adherence to social-distancing rules, by enabling home delivery of basic goods, especially food. And it may have helped to curb transmission, by replacing reusable coffee cups and shopping bags in many cities over fears that the virus could stick to them.

But widely circulated images of plastic sacks of medical waste piling up outside hospitals, and used personal protective equipment floating in coastal waters and washing up on the world’s beaches, illustrate yet again the dark side of single-use plastics. If we are not careful, short-term thinking during the pandemic could lead to an even larger environmental and public-health calamity in the future.

Of course, the proliferation of plastic waste – and its pollution of the world’s waterways – already was a major concern for a growing share of the world population before the COVID-19 pandemic, with policymakers, companies, and international organizations like the United Nations urged to take action. Some national and local governments implemented taxes and bans on single-use plastics (though not all have followed through on their pledges). Major companies invested in more environmentally friendly packaging.

Now, however, the COVID-19 crisis threatens to stall and even reverse progress.

Though it will take time to learn precisely how much additional plastic waste has been generated during the crisis, preliminary data are staggering In China, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment estimates that hospitals in Wuhan produced more than 240 tons of waste daily at the height of the outbreak, compared with 40 tons during normal times. Based on these data, the consulting firm Frost & Sullivan predicts that the United States could generate an entire year’s worth of medical waste in just two months because of COVID-19.

A similar uptick in waste can be seen among ordinary citizens. In China, daily production of face masks soared to 116 million in February, 12 times higher than the previous month. Hundreds of tons of discarded masks were being collected daily from public bins alone during the outbreak’s peak; there is no telling how many more were being discarded in household waste systems. According to the Thailand Environment Institute, plastic waste has increased from 1,500 tons to 6,300 tons per day, owing to soaring home deliveries of food.

Compounding the problem, many waste-management services have not been operating at full capacity, owing to social-distancing rules and stay-at-home orders. In the US, curbside recycling pickup has been suspended in many places, including parts of Miami-Dade and Los Angeles counties.

In the United Kingdom, so-called fly-tipping – illegal waste disposal – has risen by 300 percent during the pandemic.

In some countries, companies that are advancing innovative methods of recycling and reusing waste plastics are reporting reduced amounts of plastic coming through waste streams, suggesting that a growing volume of plastic is ending up in landfills or leaking into the environment.

During the COVID-19 crisis, it is essential to protect the vulnerable, ensure that health workers have the tools and support they need to do their jobs safely, prevent health-care systems from becoming overwhelmed, and avoid additional waves of infection. But, in meeting these imperatives, we cannot lose sight of the other – perhaps greater – long-term challenges facing humanity, including the environmental and public-health risks generated by excessive plastic waste.

For starters, companies all along the plastic value chain, from manufacturers to retailers, should show their commitment to public health and welfare by expanding and accelerating their efforts to end plastic waste. Those that step up to the challenge of environmental stewardship by contributing to the creation of a circular economy will reap a rich bounty of public trust and profitability well into the future.

Governments, for their part, must recognize the crucial role of waste-management services and their workers in the transition to a sustainable future, and allocate COVID-19 spending accordingly. Such efforts would advance multiple Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 11 (which calls for cities to ensure effective waste management), SDG 12 (reduce

waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse), and SDG 14 (reduce marine pollution of all kinds).

But governments cannot always do it alone. Many developing countries struggle with nonexistent or broken waste-management infrastructure. With the COVID-19 crisis highlighting the need for cooperative action, now is the moment to change that.

As the global economy restarts, aid agencies, development banks, and NGOs should invest in building effective waste-management systems. Beyond helping to keep plastic waste out of our oceans, such systems can provide decent jobs and improved livelihoods, resulting in stronger, more sustainable economies in the long term.

COVID-19 is often described as a sudden shock. In fact, some say it was a known risk that policymakers chose to ignore. The last thing the world needs is to allow other well-known threats to remain unaddressed. And, when it comes to plastic waste, the warning bells have been ringing loud and clear for years.

Ed.’s Note: Jacob Duer is President and CEO of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste. The article is provided to The Reporter by Project Syndicate: the world’s pre-eminent source of original op-ed commentaries. Project Syndicate provides incisive perspectives in our changing world by those who are shaping its politics, economics, science and culture. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Reporter.



COMMENTARY +

we have relied on a system of political economy comprising sovereign egoistical nation-states, industries (both under capitalism and socialism) that run on fossil fuels, and the consumption of finite natural resources. This system is quickly reaching its limits, making fundamental change unavoidable.

The task now is to learn as much as we can from the first wave of the triple crisis. For Europe, which seemed to have fallen far behind economically and geopolitically, this moment represents an unexpected opportunity to address its obvious shortcomings. Europe has the political values (democracy, rule of law, and social equality), technical know-how, and investment power to act decisively in the interest of its own principles and goals, as well as those of humanity more generally. The only question is what Europeans are waiting for.

Ed.’s Note: Joschka Fischer, Germany’s foreign minister and vice chancellor from 1998 to 2005, was a leader of the German Green Party for almost 20 years. The article is provided to The Reporter by Project Syndicate: the world’s pre-eminent source of original op-ed commentaries. Project Syndicate provides incisive perspectives in our changing world by those who are shaping its politics, economics, science and culture. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Reporter.

By Joschka Fischer

The COVID-19 pandemic is entering its second phase as countries gradually reopen their economies and loosen or even revoke strict social-distancing measures. Yet, barring the arrival of an effective, universally available therapy or vaccine, the transition back to “normal” will be more aspirational than real. Worse, it risks triggering a second wave of infections at the local and regional level, and possibly on a much larger scale.

True, political decision-makers, health-care providers, scientists, and the general public have learned a great deal from the experience of the first wave. Though a second wave of infections seems highly probable, it will play out differently than the first wave. Rather than a full-scale lockdown that brings economic and social life to a standstill, the response will rely mainly on strict but targeted rules for social distancing, face masks, telecommuting, video conferencing, and so forth. But, depending on the next wave’s intensity, local or regional lockdowns may still be deemed necessary in the most extreme cases.

Much like the first wave of the pandemic, the next phase will involve a trio of simultaneous crises. To the risk of new infections getting out of control and spreading globally once again must be added the ongoing economic and social fallout and an escalating geopolitical bust-up. The global economy is already in a deep

recession that will not be quickly or easily overcome. And this, along with the pandemic, will factor into the intensifying Sino-American rivalry, particularly in the months leading up to the United States’ presidential election in November.

As if this combination of health, socioeconomic, and geopolitical upheavals were not destabilizing enough, one also cannot ignore the Trump factor. If US President Donald Trump were to win a second four-year term, the current global chaos would escalate dramatically, whereas a victory for his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, would at least bring greater stability.

The stakes in the US presidential election could scarcely be higher. Given the world’s mounting crises, it is no exaggeration to say that humanity is approaching an historic crossroads. The full extent of the economic recession probably will not become apparent until this fall and winter, when it will most likely come as another shock, because the world is no longer accustomed to such dramatic contractions. Both psychologically and in real terms, we are accustomed to continuous growth.

Will richer countries in the West and Asia be able to deal with a deep, widespread, prolonged recession or even depression? Even if trillions of dollars in stimulus spending proves sufficient to offset a full collapse, the question will be what comes next.

In the worst scenario (which is not impossible), Trump is re-elected,

the second wave of the pandemic is global, economies continue to crash, and the new cold war in East Asia turns hot. But even if one does not assume the worst, the triple crisis will usher in a new era, requiring that national political and economic systems and multilateral institutions be rebuilt. Even in the best-case scenario, there can be no return to the status quo ante. The past has passed; only the future counts now.

We should harbor no illusions about what might and should come next. The crises triggered by the pandemic are so deep and far-reaching that they inevitably will lead to a radical redistribution of power and wealth at the global level. The societies that have prepared for this outcome by mustering the necessary energy, know-how, and investments will be among the winners; those that fail to see what is coming will find themselves among the losers.

After all, long before the pandemic, the world was already undergoing a transition to the digital age, with far-reaching implications for the value of traditional technologies, legacy industries, and the distribution of global power and wealth. Moreover, an even greater global crisis is already fully visible on the horizon. The consequences of runaway climate change will be far graver than anything we have ever seen, and there will be no chance of a vaccine to solve that problem.

The COVID-19 pandemic thus marks a real turning point. For centuries,

The triple crisis that is shaking the world

improve women’s ability to sell their products. In many places, women are excluded from markets, and a male family member must be present for the sale of crops; that would not be the case online. Governments should support the development and dissemination of such technologies, which could also enable women to assert more purchasing power, such as over agricultural inputs.

Another crucial element of an effective strategy for empowering women in South Asia’s agriculture sector is the reduction of unpaid labor for which they are responsible. Pursuing this objective is tricky, given that in patriarchal societies, interventions that empower women at the expense of male family members are sure to provoke formidable resistance. But productivity-enhancing schemes, such as Biotech-KISAN, can help to pave the way for the more equitable distribution of domestic duties.

The anthropologist Penny van Esterik once wrote, “Women are both vulnerable and powerful – victimized and empowered – through food.” With the right policies and effective use of technology, we can tip the scale in the right direction.

Ed.’s Note: M Niaz Asadullah is Professor of Development Economics at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur and Head of the Southeast Asia cluster of the Global Labor Organization. The article is provided to The Reporter by Project Syndicate: the world’s pre-eminent source of original op-ed commentaries. Project Syndicate provides incisive perspectives in our changing world by those who are shaping its politics, economics, science and culture. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Reporter.

By M Niaz Asadullah

South Asia’s record on gender equality is weak, to say the least. The region has the world’s highest rate of child marriage, and domestic violence against women is pervasive. Women are over-represented in unpaid work, and under-represented in the labor force, even in countries like Sri Lanka, which has invested heavily in girls’ schooling. Yet there is one sector where women are taking over: agriculture. This is an opportunity for women’s economic empowerment that should not be missed.

As South Asian economies develop, men are increasingly pursuing employment in manufacturing (or overseas), leaving women responsible for a growing share of agricultural labor. In Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan, the share of economically active women working in farming now ranges from 60-98 percent. In each of these countries’ agricultural sectors, women outnumber men.

A comparable shift occurred in some high-income countries during World War II. As men left for the battlefield, women filled the vacant civilian jobs – including farming. In the United States, for example, the share of female agricultural workers jumped from eight percent in 1940 to 22.4 percent in 1945.

When the war ended, women were not simply going to return to the pre-war status quo. In some sectors – especially higher-skill positions – the WWII labor shock seems to have directly and permanently altered women’s paid employment. More generally, however, women had sampled the economic and personal freedom that employment provides, gained marketable skills, and proved their capabilities. Women’s wartime experience

thus gave powerful impetus to the movement for gender equality.

Will the feminization of farming in Asia’s transition economies have a similar effect? There are no guarantees. Evidence shows that increased representation in agriculture does not necessarily contribute to women’s socioeconomic empowerment.

In fact, even as women take on more agricultural duties, their decision-making power remains limited. In Bangladesh, the microfinance revolution and NGO-led training programs have enabled thousands of rural women to become frontline workers and even start their own small businesses since the 1990s. The country now leads South Asia in closing the gender pay gap. Yet, in agriculture, women have about half the power of men, measured by variables like asset ownership and control over income.

Moreover, research conducted in India has found that women’s growing participation in agriculture is strongly linked to several indicators of poverty. This at least partly reflects the fact that women’s entry into the paid workforce is not accompanied by any reduction in their already-heavy burden of unpaid labor. And a rising proportion of women employed in the agricultural sector are not paid for their work at all.

Add to that the unpredictable nature of agricultural production, and, as researchers in India noted, “the feminization of agriculture may better be described as the feminization of agrarian distress.” In the Indian state of Maharashtra, mounting debts have led to a doubling of suicides among female farmers in the last four years.

By contrast, my colleagues and I found that, among women in rural Bangladesh, empowerment – such as the ability to influence

purchasing decisions and join voluntary associations – contributed substantially to their life satisfaction, regardless of their economic status. As Amartya Sen once wrote, “The lives that women save through more powerful agency will certainly include their own.”

How, then, can South Asian governments translate rising female participation in farming into genuine empowerment?

One approach focuses on income earned outside the home. Data from rural Bangladesh indicate that it is not paid employment per se that increases women farmers’ autonomy, but rather employment outside of their husbands’ farms.

Yet the fact is that most women in agriculture in South Asia are working on family farms, where they cannot earn an independent income (or, in many cases, any income at all). One way to address this could be to promote exports of high-value-added agricultural products, such as seafood. Formalizing the production process could encourage the monetization of female labor and improve working conditions, as export-oriented manufacturing of readymade garments, textiles, and footwear has done in many emerging Asian economies.

Technology can also help, including by enabling women to circumvent barriers rooted in social norms. For example, even as Bangladeshi women do more on farms, they are traditionally excluded from aquaculture. The USAID-funded Aquaculture for Income and Nutrition project’s low-cost gillnets, however, have enabled Bangladeshi women to harvest small fish from small local ponds quickly and easily, so that they do not have to compete with men for access to larger sources.

Similarly, digital technology can

From farming to women empowerment

VIEWPOINT +



SNAPSHOTS



SNAPSHOTS

WAKE OF DESTRUCTIONThe two-day violent protest held in Addis Ababa and other parts of Oromia Regional State following the killing of renowned artist Hachalu Hundessa has left a trail of destruction in its wake. According to official reports, ninety one people lost their lives around the country and still many more sustained injuries and heavy destruction to their properties. The official tally shows that around 20 vehicles were set ablaze in the capital while another 250 were decimated in the ensued violent; shown here is the destruction to one of the iconic carpet and curtain shops around Piazza, at the heart of the old city center of Addis Ababa, alongside many building and commercial centers in the capital. For instance, V. Karabian, which has been in the business since the time of Emperor Hailesilassie I, has seen the worst in its more than seven decades of existence.




DESIGN & PUBLISHER MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS CENTRE (MCC) PRINTED BY BERHANENA SELAM PRINTING ENTERPRISE

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