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Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed has extended his Christmas (Gena) message to all Christian faithful.

Ethiopia follows the Julian calendar and celebrates Christmas on January 7th, while the rest of the world, who follows the Gregorian calendar, celebrates on 25th of December.

Below is the Prime Minister’s message in full:

Wishing you a joyous celebration of the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

The celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ is a holiday of unity which marks dissolution of separation and enmity.It is a celebration that marks the unification of humans and God, heaven and earth, soul and body, humans and angles.Hence, we should celebrate this holiday by eliminating separation and divisions. Natural distinctions do not divide people since they are the beauty marks granted to them from the Creator. Diversity in sex, colour, nationality, language, thinking, perspective and more are our treasures that testify the wisdom of the almighty.

Nature exists in harmony enveloped within diversity. Its diverse components cannot stand in separation from the others. Harmonious interaction is what continues the existence of creation. Nature understands the golden balance between unity and diversity. Christmas is a holiday which reminds us of this golden balance.

Through the birth of Christ, man and God, shepherd and king, men and women, child and elder, lion and calf connected in a manger. Their meeting in the manger is based on forgiveness and love. Enmity was destroyed, division was abolished, accusation was eliminated, vengeance was erased in that meeting. Since they connected in that manger in unity, they made history happen, they were glorified and became partakers of eternal glory.

Ethiopia is our manger of pride. Diverse communities, thoughts, religions, cultures, histories, languages and knowledge have made Ethiopia their common abode. All nation nationalities residing in Ethiopia’s manger are adorned with the glory of being Ethiopian.

Being Ethiopian, just like the manger in Bethlehem, is where division, separation and enmity lose ground. There are always those like Herod who would try to destroy Ethiopia’s unity and attempt to build enmity. They are terrified with the light in the manger, frightened with its glory, discomforted by its unity and troubled by its love and peace.

Those belonging to Herod raise their swords to challenge this unique love, unity, and peace. They will not have the chance to meet Christ, the virgin Mary, Salome, the shepherds or the wise men. Their swords rest on the innocent children of Bethlehem.

Millions of pilgrims make their way to Bethlehem to celebrate the wonderful miracle that happened two thousand years ago. When we carry with us the treasures of our diversity and solidify our unity as Ethiopians; and we testify that differences are not divisions and that unity does not amount to assimilation, only then can we move past the Herods of our time to make history that anchors the generations to come. It will not be long for millions to journey to Ethiopia, as they do to Bethlehem, to witness this monumental history.

A foundation stone has been laid for Amibara properties, a city centre project, which would be developed by Afar investors at a cost of 11 billion birr.

The development will be undertaken on area of 50,000 square meters around Gotera and comprises over 450 residences, commercial centres, hotels, retail outlets and recreation facilities as well as green area and Afar cultural centres.

The project will create permanent and causal job opportunities for more than 10,000 unemployed residents, mostly the youth, it was noted at the groundbreaking ceremony.

Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Mayor of Addis Ababa city, Engineer Takele Uma, said the city administration would join efforts with other investors to address the housing problem in the capital city.

He also pledged that the city administration would provide all the needed support for the project’s success.

Present at the groundbreaking ceremony were also Engineer Aisha Mohammed, Minister of Construction and Urban Development, and other invited guests.

According to the Mayor Office, the city administration will launch soon eight similar projects in partnership with local investors, in addition to the two housing projects by UAE and Chinese companies.

Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy, Sileshi Bekele, on Sunday held talks with Sudanese Prime Minister, Abdalla Hamdok and Lt.Gen Abdul Fattah Al Burhan, President of the Sovereign Council of Sudan on issues of mutual interest.

According the statement from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the officials have exchanged views on strengthening the bilateral relations of the two sisterly countries.

During the discussion, the Minister also delivered a message from Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed to Sudanese Prime Minister, Abdalla Hamdok and the President Lt.Gen Abdul Fattah Al Burhan.

The meetings were held on the sidelines of the Tripartite Ministerial meeting of Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan on the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in Khartoum.

Ethiopia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gedu Andargachew, met with Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat today.

The discussion focused on preparations being made for the upcoming 33rd AU Summit, scheduled take place 30-31 January 2020 in Addis Ababa at the African Union (AU) headquarters.

Gedu said a national organizing committee led by State Minister Hirut Zemene has already begun making the necessary preparations for the summit.

As a host country, Ethiopia is ready to work together with the African Union (AU) for the success of the meeting, the Foreign Minister added.

During the summit, South Africa will take over the AU Chairmanship from Egypt.

Deputy Prime Minister, Demeke Mekonnen, urged the international community to improve support for refugees in order to enhance their socio-economy capacity.

Demeke made the remarks as the first Global Refugee Forum opens today in Geneva, Switzerland.

A sustainable resolution to refugee situations can not be achieved without the cooperation of the, the deputy Prime Minister noted and adding that the support for refugee should be more responsible.

He said that Ethiopia is committed to provide the necessary supports to refugees based on the comprehensive refugee response framework (CRRF).

The support and response to refugees through Ethiopia will be strengthened in accordance with the International Refugee Convention framework, he added.

He announced that Ethiopia is ready to provide practical assistance to refugees in the areas of basic services and social security, capacity building, skill training as well as economic integration.

The Forum is the first assembly at the Ministerial level to follow up on the practical implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees, affirmed at the UN in New York in December 2018.

The first Global Refugee Forum hosted by Switzerland  co-convened by Ethiopia, Turkey, Costa Rica, Germany, and Pakistan.

The Global Refugee Forum, convened at the ministerial level, is a unique occasion for UN Member States and other stakeholders to deliver concrete pledges and contributions that will advance the objectives of the Global Compact and achieve tangible benefits for refugees and host communities.