Ethiopia: Will Monetary Reform Save the Economy?

 Ethiopia Insight published on 5 November 2024 a commentary titled "Now the Birr Floats, Will Ethiopia Sink or Swim?" by Muktar Ismail, regional analyst and former advisor to the president of Somali Region.  

Last July, Ethiopia adopted a market-determined exchange rate, lifted most current account restrictions, and modernized its monetary policy framework in order to pave the way for International Monetary Fund and World Bank bailouts.

Ethiopia has regressed from two decades of economic and social progress and faces growing economic challenges.  The recent economic policy reform has witnessed a plummeting depreciation of the currency and strong inflationary pressure.  The author concludes that IMF and donor financing are unlikely to stabilize an economy plagued by conflict, poor management, and rapid currency depreciation.  

World Bank Rewards and Warns Ethiopia

 The Addis Standard published on 15 December 2022 an article titled "WB Emphasizes Importance of Ending Ethiopia's Internal Conflict, Full Implementation of Peace Agreement, Board Approves $745 m Grant."

The World Bank approved $745 million in grants for health systems and flood management in Ethiopia.  The Bank also emphasized the importance of ending internal conflict and achieving lasting peace.  

Medical Aid Returns to Ethiopia's Tigray Region

 The Lancet published on 19 February 2022 an article titled "Medical Aid Returns to Tigray" by Sharmila Devi.  

The World Health Organization began delivering supplies and equipment to Tigray on 11 February, the first the agency has been permitted to deliver since July 2021.  Only 40 of 224 health centers in Tigray were considered functional in November 2021.  Even larger numbers of health centers in Amhara and Afar regions are non-functional.  

Conflict and Famine in Somalia

The International Crisis Group published on 9 May 2017 a policy brief titled "Instruments of Pain (III): Conflict and Famine in Somalia."

The report estimates that half of Somalia's population is in dire need of food aid. The international community has been slow to respond and al-Shabaab is preventing delivery of assistance to areas under its control.

Photo Essay on Starvation in Somalia

Foreign Policy published on 6 April 2017 a photo essay titled "Starvation Stalks the Horn of Africa: Images from the Drought That's Pushing Somalia Back to the Brink of Famine" by Dominic Nahr.

The essay notes that nearly half the population of Somalia is now in need of emergency aid.

Somaliland: External Assistance and Political Settlement

International Affairs published in its May 2016 edition a study titled "When Less Was More: External Assistance and the Political Settlement in Somaliland" by Sarah G. Phillips.

The study explores the ways in which Somaliland's isolation fostered mutual dependence between powerful political and economic actors for their survival and prosperity. It suggests that a focus on the dynamics of this mutual dependence offers an alternative perspective to that presented in the majority of statebuilding literature.

Turkey-Africa Relations

I made remarks titled "Turkey-Africa Relations" on 3 March 2016 at the Turkish-American Cultural Center in Madison, Wisconsin.  The presentation covered high level visits, diplomatic representation, trade, investment, aid, political and security relations, and civil society. 

Turkey's Assistance Model in Somalia

The Heritage Institute for Policy Studies (HIPS) published in 2016 a study titled "Turkey's Assistance Model in Somalia: Achieving Much with Little" by Mahad Wasuge, a researcher at HIPS.

The study notes that Turkey has become one of the most prominent donors in Somalia, eclipsing many traditional donors both in quantity and quality of assistance.  Turkey enjoys a rock star status among many Somalis.  Its assistance model combines development, peace-building, and business.  At the same time, some Somalis criticize Turkey for being Mogadishu-centric and being an uncritical ally of the Federal Government of Somalia. 

China-Africa Agricultural Cooperation in West Africa

The South African Institute of International Affairs published in November 2015 a study titled "China-Africa Co-operation beyond Extractive Industries: The Case of Chinese Agricultural Assistance in West Africa" by Emanuele Santi and Maxime Weigert, both with the African Development Bank.

The paper offers an overview of the main trends in and obstacles to China-West African engagement in the agricultural sector, and places them in the context of West Africa's emerging needs.  The authors conclude that West Africa could learn a lot from China, which has built a strong domestic agricultural sector in the last two decades and developed it more rapidly than any other sector. 

New Deal for Somalia Conference

The New Deal for Somalia Conference hosted by the European Union will take place in Brussels on16 September 2013.  The Mogadishu-based Heritage Institute for Policy Studies made a series of suggestions concerning conference outcomes in a piece titled "International Engagement in Somalia: The Day after the New Deal."

To maximize impact, donors must develop a common vision for Somalia, coordinate efforts, and, most importantly, align their support with Somalia's national priorities.  Realistic objectives must be agreed.  Somalia's challenges are as diverse as they are complex.  Ultimately, the success of the conference will be measured by the impact felt by ordinary Somalis throughout the country.

The Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) has an obligation to ensure international support corresponds with growing domestic legitimacy, through inclusive politics, concerted efforts to rebuild and strengthen government institutions, and the laying of foundations for a democratic political system.  To regain and retain the confidence of its partners, the FGS must adopt a zero tolerance approach to corruption and nepotism.