Medeshi 30 Aug, 2008 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - Africa has at last found its feet and its people are not only dynamic but giving the continent an enterprising outlook, according to Ethiopia's weekly 'Capital'. The business-focused tabloid this week says the continent has acquired a new global image that elicits the attention of the world's industrialised nations and the biggest emerging markets of Brazil, India, China and Turkey.
Africa's lure to these countries lies in the abundance of its minerals and a growing market space that is set to boom with infusion of capital and technology.
But, for Turkey in particular, the weekly's editorial suggests, there is need to get rid of the widely-held view in Africa that this country (Ethiopia), located between South-Eastern Europe and South-West Asia, is just another developing nation.
From 18-21 August 2008, Turkey hosted in Istanbul its first cooperation summit with Africa that was held under the theme 'Solidarity and Partnership for a Common Future'.
Opening up to Africa, Turkey declared 2005 'The Year of Africa' and the just-ended summit declared a number of principles that will guide the Africa-Turkey partnership based on equality and mutual benefit.
"Today's Turkey is engaging Africa with Africa in the pursuit of mutual prosperity," the Ethiopian paper reported, noting that the country has much to share wit h the new Africa through development cooperation and technology transfer.
"What Turkey gains is a 900-million strong emerging market of vast untapped potential."The geographic proximity to each other and the cultural affinity between their peoples will undoubtedly provide Turkish and African businesses with an edge," the paper adds, urging the expansion of the momentum gained at the Istanbul summit.
Meanwhile, another Ethiopian weekly tabloid, 'Sub-Saharan Informer', focuses on Somalia where it sees light at the end of the tunnel after the Transitional Federal Government and the opposition Alliance for Re-liberation of Somalia reached accord to cease hostilities and armed confrontation.
"The agreement debunks the myth that compromise within the Somali peace process is unattainable," says the paper, noting that the long-overdue agreement should be a cause to rally for to bring peace back to Somalia.
According to Sub-Saharan Informer, the price that Somalia has paid by looking for military solutions to its 18-year conflict and the ensuing diplomatic backlash warrant very little elaboration.
It argues that putting in place peacekeeping forces in Somalia is a venture that will either fail or go for the long haul scenarios where very few nations would prefer to embark on.
Nevertheless, the paper perceives that a political consensus would leave room for nations contributing peacekeeping forces to evaluate their stand on the matter.
"The real impact of a full-fledged peacekeeping operation in Somalia will no doubt help in garnering support as regards to setting up a government of national unity as well as federal institutions outside Mogadishu."
For government and factional leaders taking part in the search for peace in Somalia, it is important to understand that stalling national reconciliation would reflect negatively within their respective constituencies.
"[It] is only likely to translate into greater support for parties not included within the peace talks and further fragmentation of the parties involved in the talks," the paper cautions.
Also focusing on the same war-ravaged country, 'The Ethiopian Herald' appeals to the people of Somalia to let bygones be bygones in the wake of a reconciliation agreement signed this week in Addis Ababa by the leaders of the Transitional Federal Government and the Parliament of Somalia.
The agreement, reached after 10 days of talks and mediation by the African Union, the Government of Ethiopia and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), ended squabbles that had put President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, Prime Mini s ter Nur Hassan Hussein and Parliament speaker Sheikh Adan Madobe at loggerheads.
"If this agreement is put into practice on the ground, the attention of every Somali citizen will unquestionably focus on one thing -- working for stability, growth and prosperity of the nation of Somalia," says the Ethiopian government-run daily.
The paper expresses optimism that the people of Somalia would in due course come together with one vision to pull their country out of the presently grim situation of poverty, bloody conflict and diseases so that it gets back on the track of development.
Viewing Somalia as a failed state, the paper expresses confidence that neighbouring countries would come to its support once its citizens were ready to embark on national reconstruction.
The Herald, however, points out that Eritrea was the sole country in the Horn of Africa region that has played a negative role to aggravate the unpleasant situation in Somalia. Addis Ababa - 30/08/2008
Africa's lure to these countries lies in the abundance of its minerals and a growing market space that is set to boom with infusion of capital and technology.
But, for Turkey in particular, the weekly's editorial suggests, there is need to get rid of the widely-held view in Africa that this country (Ethiopia), located between South-Eastern Europe and South-West Asia, is just another developing nation.
From 18-21 August 2008, Turkey hosted in Istanbul its first cooperation summit with Africa that was held under the theme 'Solidarity and Partnership for a Common Future'.
Opening up to Africa, Turkey declared 2005 'The Year of Africa' and the just-ended summit declared a number of principles that will guide the Africa-Turkey partnership based on equality and mutual benefit.
"Today's Turkey is engaging Africa with Africa in the pursuit of mutual prosperity," the Ethiopian paper reported, noting that the country has much to share wit h the new Africa through development cooperation and technology transfer.
"What Turkey gains is a 900-million strong emerging market of vast untapped potential."The geographic proximity to each other and the cultural affinity between their peoples will undoubtedly provide Turkish and African businesses with an edge," the paper adds, urging the expansion of the momentum gained at the Istanbul summit.
Meanwhile, another Ethiopian weekly tabloid, 'Sub-Saharan Informer', focuses on Somalia where it sees light at the end of the tunnel after the Transitional Federal Government and the opposition Alliance for Re-liberation of Somalia reached accord to cease hostilities and armed confrontation.
"The agreement debunks the myth that compromise within the Somali peace process is unattainable," says the paper, noting that the long-overdue agreement should be a cause to rally for to bring peace back to Somalia.
According to Sub-Saharan Informer, the price that Somalia has paid by looking for military solutions to its 18-year conflict and the ensuing diplomatic backlash warrant very little elaboration.
It argues that putting in place peacekeeping forces in Somalia is a venture that will either fail or go for the long haul scenarios where very few nations would prefer to embark on.
Nevertheless, the paper perceives that a political consensus would leave room for nations contributing peacekeeping forces to evaluate their stand on the matter.
"The real impact of a full-fledged peacekeeping operation in Somalia will no doubt help in garnering support as regards to setting up a government of national unity as well as federal institutions outside Mogadishu."
For government and factional leaders taking part in the search for peace in Somalia, it is important to understand that stalling national reconciliation would reflect negatively within their respective constituencies.
"[It] is only likely to translate into greater support for parties not included within the peace talks and further fragmentation of the parties involved in the talks," the paper cautions.
Also focusing on the same war-ravaged country, 'The Ethiopian Herald' appeals to the people of Somalia to let bygones be bygones in the wake of a reconciliation agreement signed this week in Addis Ababa by the leaders of the Transitional Federal Government and the Parliament of Somalia.
The agreement, reached after 10 days of talks and mediation by the African Union, the Government of Ethiopia and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), ended squabbles that had put President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, Prime Mini s ter Nur Hassan Hussein and Parliament speaker Sheikh Adan Madobe at loggerheads.
"If this agreement is put into practice on the ground, the attention of every Somali citizen will unquestionably focus on one thing -- working for stability, growth and prosperity of the nation of Somalia," says the Ethiopian government-run daily.
The paper expresses optimism that the people of Somalia would in due course come together with one vision to pull their country out of the presently grim situation of poverty, bloody conflict and diseases so that it gets back on the track of development.
Viewing Somalia as a failed state, the paper expresses confidence that neighbouring countries would come to its support once its citizens were ready to embark on national reconstruction.
The Herald, however, points out that Eritrea was the sole country in the Horn of Africa region that has played a negative role to aggravate the unpleasant situation in Somalia. Addis Ababa - 30/08/2008
