Sunday November 24, 2024

Ethiopia has launched a national coffee platform to fully harness the potential of its coffee production and export by addressing challenges and effectively leveraging opportunities.

Ethiopia has launched a national coffee platform to fully harness the potential of its coffee production and export by addressing challenges and effectively leveraging opportunities.

During the launch of the National Coffee Stakeholder Engagement Platform Thursday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, Adugna Debela, director-general of the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority, said the platform is committed to fostering inclusive engagement to maximize the benefits of the country’s coffee resources.

“The platform provides access for all stakeholders to discuss various coffee-related issues, from cultivation to marketing, with the aim of enhancing the country’s coffee productivity and quality,” Debela said.

Debela added the platform also establishes quality standards for branding and marketing strategies, focusing on specialty coffee trading.

Ethiopian State Minister of Finance for Economic Cooperation Semereta Sewasew said the platform represents a significant step forward in addressing challenges and capitalizing on opportunities within the industry.

Ethiopia, renowned for its coffee production, earned 1.43 billion U.S. dollars from coffee exports in the last Ethiopian fiscal year, which ended on July 7, 2024. The East African nation aims to increase this figure to 2 billion dollars in the 2024/2025 fiscal year.

Mohamed Dhaysane
Sunday November 24, 2024

Twenty-two people were killed after two boats carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, an official said Saturday.

Somali Ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union Abdullahi Warfa told state-run Radio Mogadishu that the boats were carrying 70 passengers — all Somali nationals.

He did not disclose the date of the incident but confirmed that bodies were found Saturday.

He said 48 passengers were rescued by fishermen and were taken for medical treatment.

“An investigation is underway and we have the names of the victims and we will share them through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” he said.

The government did not elaborate on the cause of the accident.

The Indian Ocean has seen an increase in migrant deaths in 2024.

At least 24 people died after a boat sank off the coast of the Comoros Islands, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said earlier this month.

The UN agency said women, children and infants were among the victims and that the boat was deliberately capsized by traffickers.

In September, a boat with 12 people, including two children and an expectant mother, left the coast of Anjouan in the Comoros island chain and never reached Mayotte, an island of the archipelago of Comoros and a French department since 2011.

And eight people were killed in August in a similar incident, including a 12-year-old boy.

Thousands of victims have died on the Indian Ocean migration route in an attempt to reach the disputed island of Mayotte.

Sunday 24,Nov 2024 {HMC} Rising waters from the Shabelle River have flooded multiple areas north of Beledweyne over the past two days, intensifying fears of widespread flooding in the Hiiran and Middle Shabelle regions.

Floodwaters have engulfed the villages of Deefow, Qooqane, and Lafoole, displacing residents and destroying vast agricultural lands poised for harvest, according to local reports.

Mohamed Abdullahi, a farmer from Qooqane, 16 kilometres from Beledweyne, stated, “The people were displaced by the floods and fled to the mountains. The floodwaters completely washed away my farm and others. There are no fields left.”

Flooding in Beledweyne is a recurring crisis exacerbated by climate change and insufficient infrastructure along the Shabelle River. The annual deluge often leaves thousands homeless and disrupts livelihoods dependent on agriculture.

Humanitarian organizations and local authorities have renewed calls for long-term solutions, including strengthening riverbanks to mitigate flooding, promoting sustainable agricultural practices, and establishing robust disaster management systems.

Sunday 24,Nov 2024 {HMC} Twenty-two people were killed after two boats carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, an official said Saturday.

Somali Ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union Abdullahi Warfa told state-run Radio Mogadishu that the boats were carrying 70 passengers — all Somali nationals.

He did not disclose the date of the incident but confirmed that bodies were found Saturday.

He said 48 passengers were rescued by fishermen and were taken for medical treatment.

“An investigation is underway and we have the names of the victims and we will share them through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” he said.

The government did not elaborate on the cause of the accident.

The Indian Ocean has seen an increase in migrant deaths in 2024.

At least 24 people died after a boat sank off the coast of the Comoros Islands, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said earlier this month.

The UN agency said women, children and infants were among the victims and that the boat was deliberately capsized by traffickers.

In September, a boat with 12 people, including two children and an expectant mother, left the coast of Anjouan in the Comoros island chain and never reached Mayotte, an island of the archipelago of Comoros and a French department since 2011.

And eight people were killed in August in a similar incident, including a 12-year-old boy.

Thousands of victims have died on the Indian Ocean migration route in an attempt to reach the disputed island of Mayotte.

Source Hiiraan online

Sunday 24,Nov 2024 {HMC} Somalia officially signed the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and its protocols during a Saturday ceremony in Mogadishu to tackle organized crime and enhance global security collaboration.

Foreign Minister Ambassador Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Hassan Moallin, Chief Justice Baashe Yuusuf Ahmed, and government and civil society representatives attended the event.

“This milestone marks a significant step in Somalia’s efforts to align with international standards and contribute to global peace and stability,” said Foreign Minister Fiqi during the signing.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized Somalia’s dedication to advancing its role in international governance and building robust global partnerships.

Adopted in 2000, UNTOC is the leading international framework for combating transnational organized crime. It is supported by three key protocols targeting specific challenges; one is the protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons, especially women and children. Second, the protocol against the smuggling of migrants by land, sea and air, and third, the protocol against the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms, their parts and components, and ammunition.

The signing underscores Somalia’s ongoing efforts to align with global anti-crime standards, reinforce legal frameworks, and strengthen cooperation with international partners to address shared security challenges.

Source Hiiraan Online