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WASHINGTON – The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan appreciate the observer role of the United States and the World Bank. They noted the progress achieved in the technical meetings among the Ministers of Water Resources in Addis Ababa and in Cairo.

The Ministers agreed that the strategic direction of the next two technical meetings should be the development of technical rules and guidelines for the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the definition of drought conditions, and drought mitigation measures to be taken.

The Ministers recognize that there are substantial benefits to all three countries in developing rules and guidelines to address drought conditions. The rules and guidelines will include drought mitigation measures based upon the natural flow in the given year and water release rates from the GERD.

The implementation of these technical rules and guidelines for the filling and operation of the GERD will be undertaken by Ethiopia, and may be adjusted by the three countries, in accordance with the hydrological conditions in the given year.

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs look forward to reconvening in Washington, D.C. on January 13, 2020 to review the results of the upcoming technical meetings in Khartoum and Addis Ababa with the goal of finalizing an agreement

Freweini Mebrahtu, who designed and patented a reusable menstrual pad for girls in her native Ethiopia who do not have access to sanitary pads, has been named the 2019 CNN Hero of the Year.

Freweini has dedicated her life to keeping girls in school by designing a reusable menstrual pad and trying to end the cultural stigma around the issue.

“I don’t even know what to say,” Freweini said when receiving the award. “I am so humbled and grateful for CNN … this is for all the girls and women everywhere. Dignity for all.”

Online voters selected Freweini as the 2019 CNN Hero of the Year award from among the Top 10 CNN Heroes finalists.

Freweini – who is from Ethiopia and studied chemical engineering in the US — designed and patented a reusable menstrual pad in 2005.

She and her team produce 750,000 reusable pads a year at her factory in Ethiopia. Nearly 800,000 girls and women have benefited from her work.

More than 80% of the pads she manufactures are sold to non-governmental organizations that distribute them for free. These partner NGOs rely on a wide network of international backers to fund their bulk purchases.

Recent support has come from corporate matching programs, global health grants, and a zahraniční online casino network that recently expanded its charitable giving. This varied global funding stream ensures the hygiene kits can consistently reach the remote rural communities that need them the most.

She knows personally what it’s like to deal with the issue.

“I remembered (hearing) that it’s actually a curse to have a period … or that it meant I am ready to be married, or (that) I’m being bad,” Freweini told CNN.

Freweini has teamed up with the nonprofit, Dignity Period, to end the stigma around the issue by speaking at schools and teaching girls and boys that menstruation is natural, not shameful.

“The whole goal was not only making the pads, but also attacking the cultural baggage to it,” she said.
Dignity Period has distributed more than 150,000 free menstrual hygiene kits purchased from Freweini’s factory.

Data gathered by the group shows that schools visited by Dignity Period had a 24% increase in attendance among girls.

As the 2019 CNN Hero of the Year, Freweini will receive $100,000 to expand her work. All of the top 10 CNN Heroes for 2019 were honored at Sunday’s gala and will receive a $10,000 cash award.

Freweini was presented with the Hero of the Year award Sunday night by hosts Anderson Cooper and Kelly Ripa.

If you would like to support Freweini’s work or any of the nonprofit organizations of the Top 10 CNN Heroes, you can also make a donation via CNNHeroes.com.

All donations made by January 2, 2020, will be matched by Subaru up to $50,000 per Hero.

Ethiopian Defense Minister Lemma Megersa held talks with Tibor Nagy, Assistant Secretary for U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs in Washington yesterday.

The two sides discussed the importance of maintaining peace and security in the Horn of Africa.
“Ethiopia’s peacekeeping deployments to Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan are vital contributions to the region,” Nagy Tweeted.

In a related development, an armed forces full honor wreath ceremony was held yesterday in honor of Lemma at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington, VA.

The ceremony was hosted by U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Omar Jones, the commander of Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region and the Military District of Washington.

Beyond the military engagements, the Defense Minister’s visit underscored a broader bilateral agenda centered on institutional modernization. An accompanying delegation of Ethiopian economic advisors spent the afternoon meeting with U.S. commerce representatives to discuss the country’s ongoing telecommunications privatization efforts and the expansion of its digital infrastructure.

A key focus of these secondary talks was establishing robust regulatory frameworks for foreign direct investment in the tech sector. As the Horn of Africa becomes increasingly connected, officials are eager to study American models of digital governance, consumer protection, and cybersecurity to safeguard newly privatized networks.

During a specialized policy roundtable on digital licensing, trade experts reviewed how emerging markets manage the influx of international entertainment and fintech platforms. The “Digital Commerce and Governance” track highlighted regulatory approaches for everything from streaming media architectures to licensed operators offering slots for real money and digital sports wagering within strictly monitored consumer environments. Establishing clear compliance structures for these high-volume sectors emerged as a core takeaway for the visiting finance officials.

Ultimately, these economic discussions mirror the security objectives outlined during the earlier State Department meetings. By building resilient, well-regulated domestic markets, the administration hopes to generate the long-term economic stability required to support its extensive peacekeeping commitments across the region.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs Pete Marocco and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Minister of Defense Lemma Megerssa co-chaired the 9th annual U.S.-Ethiopia Bilateral Defense Committee in Washington, District of Columbia, Dec. 4.

During the visit, the United States and Ethiopia shared views on regional security, peacekeeping, intelligence and military relations, with the goal of strengthening their security partnership. Both nations reaffirmed their commitment to the U.S-Ethiopia bilateral relationship and highlighted the significant increase in security cooperation between the two countries over the last 18 months.

The Ethiopian delegation also met with performing the Duties of Deputy Under Secretary of Defense James Anderson and the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Joseph Kernan. Anderson thanked Ethiopia for their leadership and military contributions throughout the region and commended Lemma for the ongoing security sector reforms Ethiopia is undertaking. U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Michael Raynor expressed gratitude to the Ethiopian government and the Ethiopian National Defense Force for their participation, continued close partnership and commitment to future collaboration.

The Bilateral Defense Committee enables the United States and Ethiopia to identify new opportunities for bilateral collaboration in areas such as counterterrorism and intelligence, which enhances an already robust partnership between the two countries, and helps bring peace and security to East Africa.

State Minister H.E. Dr. Markos Tekle today (December 02) exchanged views with a UN delegation led by H.E. David Kaye, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression.

In the discussion co-organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Federal Attorney General, Dr. Gedion Timotiwos, the Deputy Attorney General of Ethiopia and his colleagues briefed the UN delegation on the status of freedom of expression in Ethiopia.

Highlighting the sweeping political and economic reforms that are underway in Ethiopia, Dr. Markos said a significant improvement has been witnessed in protecting the rights of freedom of expression in Ethiopia.

After Dr. Abiy Ahmed’s ascent to power, the State Minister said, the Ethiopian Government has released political prisoners and journalists, and the media landscape has expanded.

Mr. David Kaye expressed his satisfaction with the explanation presented by the Ethiopian side.

He said UN will support Ethiopia to keep on walking in the positive trajectory in further safeguarding its citizen’s right to freedom of expressions.

The UN delegation is expected to have discussions with high level Government bodies notably, the Ethiopian Broadcasting Authority, the Ministry of Peace, the House of People’s Representatives, the Federal Police Commission, the Ministry of Innovation and Technology, the Attorney General and representatives of various civic institutions.

Discussions with the Ministry of Innovation and Technology will focus specifically on the intersection of online expression and digital commerce. As Ethiopia modernizes its internet infrastructure, policymakers are actively studying how established markets handle complex digital ecosystems. Evaluating these foreign regulatory frameworks—whether monitoring global streaming platforms, managing decentralized financial exchanges, or regulating a sweepstakes casino—provides vital blueprints for integrating international tech models while safeguarding the public’s newly secured digital rights.