By Paul Ndiho
July 22, 2010
Ethiopian Airlines began its first flight to Cairo in 1946. Almost 65 years later, the airline is still going strong. Foreign pilots are flocking to the carrier, which remains one of the most profitable African airline in a troubled industry.
Ethiopian Airlines is experiencing steady growth, despite the downturn in the global airline industry, flying to 26 African destinations and the United States. Kagnew Asfaw, with Ethiopian Airlines, attributes the government-owned carrier's success to its investment in its employees.
"From our point of view what differentiate one airline from another airline can only be its people because we buy the same aircraft, we fly the same routes. The only thing that differentiates us from others is the skill of our people.
Nearly 50 of Ethiopian Airlines' pilots are foreigners, and it is recruiting pilots from the U.S., Canada and elsewhere.
"The reason why we hiring foreign pilots right now is that our pilots, the ones which we train ourselves, are so skilled they are in demand with airlines of the region, and airlines from the Middle East, from Asia. They take our pilots. So, and we are growing so fast, almost 25% every year."
David Wooten, a former U.S. Navy pilot from the U.S. State of Florida, joined Ethiopian Airlines in late 2009.
"I just turned 60, so I'm at the age that I'm really not a marketable commodity for many airlines, they're looking for younger pilots, and certainly I don't fit that mold. But Ethiopian recognizes experience that comes with age and they were willing to take me on as a Line Captain and I'm very grateful for that."
Shrinking job opportunities in the west, forced the British-born pilot Toby Crew to look elsewhere for work. Now based in Addis Ababa, the 40-year-old says he was surprised when he heard about the job opportunities at Ethiopian Airlines.
"I'd been working for an airline flying the MD-11 before that went out of business in the States and with the economic downturn there were very few opportunities back home. Here in Ethiopia you've got a growing, profitable airline, that was acquiring MD-11 freighters and needed current qualified crew so it was a very good opportunity and here I am."
Ethiopian Airline's net profit more than doubled in 2009, but the company is not without problems. The airline review website Skytrax, gives Ethiopian Airlines only a 3-out-of-5 star overall ranking, and says that many of the carrier's customers are unhappy with the airline's customer service, baggage handling, and unexplained airport delays.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
First ICC accused - DR Congo's Lubanga - 'to be freed'
The International criminal court in the Hague ordered the accused in its first case - Thomas Lubanga from Democratic Republic of Congo - to be freed. The judges say that his detention is no longer fair. They are giving the prosecution five days to appeal, after which Lubanga could be set free. Lubanga has pleaded not guilty to charges he used child soldiers during the fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo a decade ago. VOA’s Paul Ndiho, who was a reporter in the DRC when Lubanga was a rebel leader, discusses Lubanga with Ndimyake Mwakalyelye.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
2010 Washington DC Africa festival
By Paul Ndiho
July 11, 2010
Washington DC came alive with the sights and sounds of Africa at the first Annual Washington DC African Festival. The festival showcased African arts and culture.
Hundreds of people stepped out in the rain to enjoy a display of traditional African culture. There were cultural dances, fashion, arts & crafts, a taste of African cuisine, and countless other activities.
“This is beautiful. It’s about time that there is an African festival in DC.”
“They’ve had a lot of people turning up and the experience has been wonderful.”
“It’s amazing to see that the Government of DC is trying to bring all African cultures and people together in one place. I hope they continue to do this annually.”
Several Africans from different parts of the United States represented their countries at the fair as they marched around waving flags and dancing to “Waka Waka” and other 2010 World cup songs.
“It’s the first event Africans, as well Americans have come together to celebrate the accomplishments of Africans in the DC area.”
“Great to see so many people come out and experience the different cultures of Africa.”
“Wow the performances have been great, the crowd is wonderful and there are so many people here.”
In an effort to promote African business in Washington, the park was turned into a replica of a small African street. Vendors were selling everything from original African clothing, to artifacts and colorful handcrafted jewelry from West Africa.
After many hours of braving the heat, shopping, sight-seeing and tasting the delicious African delicacies, many visitors capped off the day by sitting down with family and friends to catch the live music.
July 11, 2010
Washington DC came alive with the sights and sounds of Africa at the first Annual Washington DC African Festival. The festival showcased African arts and culture.
Hundreds of people stepped out in the rain to enjoy a display of traditional African culture. There were cultural dances, fashion, arts & crafts, a taste of African cuisine, and countless other activities.
“This is beautiful. It’s about time that there is an African festival in DC.”
“They’ve had a lot of people turning up and the experience has been wonderful.”
“It’s amazing to see that the Government of DC is trying to bring all African cultures and people together in one place. I hope they continue to do this annually.”
Several Africans from different parts of the United States represented their countries at the fair as they marched around waving flags and dancing to “Waka Waka” and other 2010 World cup songs.
“It’s the first event Africans, as well Americans have come together to celebrate the accomplishments of Africans in the DC area.”
“Great to see so many people come out and experience the different cultures of Africa.”
“Wow the performances have been great, the crowd is wonderful and there are so many people here.”
In an effort to promote African business in Washington, the park was turned into a replica of a small African street. Vendors were selling everything from original African clothing, to artifacts and colorful handcrafted jewelry from West Africa.
After many hours of braving the heat, shopping, sight-seeing and tasting the delicious African delicacies, many visitors capped off the day by sitting down with family and friends to catch the live music.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Congo Debt Relief
By Paul Ndiho
July 9, 2010
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank recently approved an estimated $8 billion dollars in debt relief for the Democratic Republic of Congo, the largest such write-off by the two bodies under programs launched in 1996 to ease the debt burdens of the world's poorest countries.
The debt relief for Congo came without the backing from Canada and Switzerland, which both cited governance concerns in the country. Congolese President Joseph Kabila had pushed for the $8 billion debt cancellation before Congo celebrated its 50th anniversary of its independence from Belgium. Mr. Kabila argues that his country has put its painful past behind it following a 1998-2003 war in which some five million people died. Mwangi Kimenyi, Senior Fellow, at the Brookings Institution, says that the timing of this debt relief for Congo could not have come at a better time.
"Countries like Congo have had major problems because of the conflict, as we know--the ongoing conflict, although there has been some improvement. And it's very difficult for those types of countries to actually make major debt progress with what we call a 'debt of hung' problem. So this type of relief is crucial for them to be able to move ahead."
Kimenyi argues that for countries to qualify for debt relief, they must demonstrate improvements in their government and institutions.
"When countries make improvements in institutions there comes a point when they can reverse back. And what you can do is support them so that they do not reverse. So they may not have fully reached where you would like in terms of institutional development, but you also don't want them to revert back to a poorer governance, to conflict, and so on."
The World Bank-IMF deal will save Congo over $12 billion in debt service costs. The mineral-rich, Central African country is still plagued by a violent conflict with rebels in the east, despite a 2003 peace deal and the general elections of 2006. Canada and Switzerland's last-ditch efforts to slow the debt relief process did not sway other World Bank member countries, which felt that Kinshasa had met all of the key benchmarks required under the debt relief program.
"DRC met all the criteria and the reforms needed to reach this completion point. The debt of DRC was about 13.7 billion dollars at end 2009 and after this completion point and debt cancellation that will be 2.9 billion."
News of the debt relief came at a high point in celebrations marking Congo's 50th anniversary of independence from Belgium. Last week, the World Bank also approved $50 million dollars in grants to help Congo improve governance in its mining sector. Analysts say Congo's growth in Gross Domestic Product is expected to reach 5 percent this year.
July 9, 2010
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank recently approved an estimated $8 billion dollars in debt relief for the Democratic Republic of Congo, the largest such write-off by the two bodies under programs launched in 1996 to ease the debt burdens of the world's poorest countries.
The debt relief for Congo came without the backing from Canada and Switzerland, which both cited governance concerns in the country. Congolese President Joseph Kabila had pushed for the $8 billion debt cancellation before Congo celebrated its 50th anniversary of its independence from Belgium. Mr. Kabila argues that his country has put its painful past behind it following a 1998-2003 war in which some five million people died. Mwangi Kimenyi, Senior Fellow, at the Brookings Institution, says that the timing of this debt relief for Congo could not have come at a better time.
"Countries like Congo have had major problems because of the conflict, as we know--the ongoing conflict, although there has been some improvement. And it's very difficult for those types of countries to actually make major debt progress with what we call a 'debt of hung' problem. So this type of relief is crucial for them to be able to move ahead."
Kimenyi argues that for countries to qualify for debt relief, they must demonstrate improvements in their government and institutions.
"When countries make improvements in institutions there comes a point when they can reverse back. And what you can do is support them so that they do not reverse. So they may not have fully reached where you would like in terms of institutional development, but you also don't want them to revert back to a poorer governance, to conflict, and so on."
The World Bank-IMF deal will save Congo over $12 billion in debt service costs. The mineral-rich, Central African country is still plagued by a violent conflict with rebels in the east, despite a 2003 peace deal and the general elections of 2006. Canada and Switzerland's last-ditch efforts to slow the debt relief process did not sway other World Bank member countries, which felt that Kinshasa had met all of the key benchmarks required under the debt relief program.
"DRC met all the criteria and the reforms needed to reach this completion point. The debt of DRC was about 13.7 billion dollars at end 2009 and after this completion point and debt cancellation that will be 2.9 billion."
News of the debt relief came at a high point in celebrations marking Congo's 50th anniversary of independence from Belgium. Last week, the World Bank also approved $50 million dollars in grants to help Congo improve governance in its mining sector. Analysts say Congo's growth in Gross Domestic Product is expected to reach 5 percent this year.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Former Child Soldiers Making a difference
By Paul Ndiho
July 2, 2010
Two former child soldiers from Africa are using their experiences to counsel other child soldiers and to bring justice to those affected by decades of war. Here are their stories.
Child soldiers have been documented in several African nations, countries with a history of unstable governments and long civil wars. In Chad, barefoot children in torn t-shirts play with a deflated soccer ball. Nearby, men in uniform walk through the area - a common site in the capital city where soldiers are everywhere. Ishmael Beah is a former child soldier in Sierra Leone's civil war and UNICEF's advocate for children.
"There's always a bit of sadness. I feel like I can bring some assurance to some of the young kids there."
Beah is author of "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier," a bestselling book. He is one of 16-hundred Sierra Leoneans who immigrated to the United States to escape the war there. The United Nations says children are still being recruited and used in combat in Chad. Orphaned by war, child soldiers find a new kind of family in the military. Robert, a 17 year-old former child soldier, says he was given literacy and language classes, three meals a day and medical care.
"I joined the national army when I was 12 and fought for them for four years and then I joined the rebels, I was a soldier, a soldier of war."
In Tanzania, another former child soldier - now a prosecutor at the International Tribunal for Rwanda - finds motivation for his work in his past. Alfred Orono is pressing his case against a Catholic priest accused of bulldozing a church and murdering the 15-hundred people sheltered inside. He was outraged by the priest's original sentence of only 15 years.
"He was moving events, and the events happened and that makes him a direct perpetrator. He committed genocide."
Orono says he is committed to prosecuting these crimes because his own childhood ended cruelly 30 years ago. He was not yet a teenager when Tanzanian forces invaded his native Uganda to oust Idi Amin. Amid the chaos, he encountered Tanzanian soldiers who persuaded him to join their ranks. As an interpreter, he was given an AK47. When Alfred was 18, President Milton Obote was overthrown, and Alfred again feared for his life.
"I knew I was going to die. I was thinking I was going to die - but then something in me said no."
Alfred Orono escaped death and turned his life around, eventually winning a scholarship to study law in Canada. He was later recruited by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Today, the boy who once held a Kalashnikov helps prosecute criminals from the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
July 2, 2010
Two former child soldiers from Africa are using their experiences to counsel other child soldiers and to bring justice to those affected by decades of war. Here are their stories.
Child soldiers have been documented in several African nations, countries with a history of unstable governments and long civil wars. In Chad, barefoot children in torn t-shirts play with a deflated soccer ball. Nearby, men in uniform walk through the area - a common site in the capital city where soldiers are everywhere. Ishmael Beah is a former child soldier in Sierra Leone's civil war and UNICEF's advocate for children.
"There's always a bit of sadness. I feel like I can bring some assurance to some of the young kids there."
Beah is author of "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier," a bestselling book. He is one of 16-hundred Sierra Leoneans who immigrated to the United States to escape the war there. The United Nations says children are still being recruited and used in combat in Chad. Orphaned by war, child soldiers find a new kind of family in the military. Robert, a 17 year-old former child soldier, says he was given literacy and language classes, three meals a day and medical care.
"I joined the national army when I was 12 and fought for them for four years and then I joined the rebels, I was a soldier, a soldier of war."
In Tanzania, another former child soldier - now a prosecutor at the International Tribunal for Rwanda - finds motivation for his work in his past. Alfred Orono is pressing his case against a Catholic priest accused of bulldozing a church and murdering the 15-hundred people sheltered inside. He was outraged by the priest's original sentence of only 15 years.
"He was moving events, and the events happened and that makes him a direct perpetrator. He committed genocide."
Orono says he is committed to prosecuting these crimes because his own childhood ended cruelly 30 years ago. He was not yet a teenager when Tanzanian forces invaded his native Uganda to oust Idi Amin. Amid the chaos, he encountered Tanzanian soldiers who persuaded him to join their ranks. As an interpreter, he was given an AK47. When Alfred was 18, President Milton Obote was overthrown, and Alfred again feared for his life.
"I knew I was going to die. I was thinking I was going to die - but then something in me said no."
Alfred Orono escaped death and turned his life around, eventually winning a scholarship to study law in Canada. He was later recruited by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Today, the boy who once held a Kalashnikov helps prosecute criminals from the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)