By Elizabeth Blunt
BBC News, Ethiopia
Monday, June 15, 2009
The Ethiopian government has confirmed it plans to build an extensive railway system, despite some of the world's most challenging terrain.
At the moment the country has only one railway - the historic narrow gauge line from the capital Addis Ababa to the neighbouring country of Djibouti.
But it is in very poor condition and only half of the line is operational.
The plan involves the construction of 5,000km (3,000 miles) of track, mainly for carrying goods, officials say.
Renovation project
Ethiopia's old imperial railway was built by the French for the Emperor Menelik in the early 20th Century. But it is long past its best
There is an average of one derailment a week.
Officials expect train travel to be more popular than road travel |
But a major European Union-funded renovation project is now under way.
Engineers are consolidating embankments, strengthening the bridges, re-laying about one-third of the track, using better quality rails and replacing flimsy metal sleepers with more solid concrete ones.
When that is done, the Ethiopian government intends to embark on its even more ambitious plan - to create a whole new rail system.
This time it will be standard gauge, electrified to make use of Ethiopia's huge hydro power potential. It is primarily aimed at goods traffic.
The man in charge, Getachew Betru, said such a system would make a huge contribution to Ethiopia's development.
One of the reasons Ethiopia had stayed poor, he said, was because it was not connected.
And, he said, railways were inherently much more popular with the poor than - for instance - the donor-funded tarmac road network that is mostly used by tourists and aid workers.
The government is still looking for partners to build the new railway.
But it says it is convinced that trains will be the transport of the future in Ethiopia.
Ayoub
You have every right to marry who ever you fancy even if she is from Meles's tribe, that is your choice not mine.
Indeed i have a deep rooted animosity for the brutal regimes of Ethiopia-not the ordinary Ethiopian man/women in the street - for all the misery, death and destruction they have brought to the people of ogaden during their reign of ter*or of over half a century.
We treated them well including dictator Meles when they sought support and security in Somalia during Megestu regime and our then government supplied them with Somali passports and facilitated safeways for them.
There is also the danger that Ethiopia might try one more time to inavde and occupy Somalia. It is no secret that it already rules P/L and S/L indirectly , some of you may disagree with me.
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fiqicigaal, you seem to have deep seated towards Ethiopians. Perhaps you still suffer from the propaganda of siad barre but the Ethiopians are really good people. In the early 1990s when our government collapsed more than 500,000 Somalis went to Ethiopia. Somalis were greeted into cities and homes, most Somalis who are now in Europe and USA were once in Ethiopia, even to this day there are thousands of Somalis in Addis Abeba and other towns of Ethiopia. Maybe you should visit Addis Abeba and experience the Ethiopian hospitality thousands of us saw. Infact I am so in love with Ethiopians I plan to marry an Ethiopian girl.
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Have you ever read one Ethiopian who wished good luck for Somalia in its quest for peace and stability?
They would rather see us perish. You don't have to look any where far, it is on their policy on Somalis either in Somalia or in Ogaden.
Do you know your enemy? don't mistake awareness for animosity.
One has to be aware of his enemy to fight against its deceit.
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I will never congratulate an enemy that is known to commit uniamginable atrocities on Somalis regardless of their location or political affiliation.
Ethiopia is not better than Somalia and it has never been. But only when we lost our human side and killed each other then we became prone to division and manipulation by the enemy sadly.
Perhaps Ethiopians were forced to become nationalists by Emperors who wanted to keep their colony together. That worked for them i must say but they are the worst enemy one could think of, ask those Somalis who live under Ethiopian rule.
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Ethiopia is building a train? Is that a news?
Good for Ethiopia.
What's that got to do with Somalia?
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Diingaal,
Muqdisho iyo Sh.Hoose adigay wax kula tahay.
Cid u soo socota ma laha ee dadka masaakiinta aad marti jab ku noqotay isaga tag.
Gadabuursi dhulkoodi bay dhisteen. Isaaqa dhulkoodii bay dhisteen. Warsangeli dhulkoodii bay dhisteen. Dhulbahante dhulkoodii bay dhisteen. Majeerteenku dhulkoodii bay dhisteen. Leelkase dhulkoodii bay dhisteen. Rahanweyn dhulkoodii bay dhisteen. Hawadle dhulkoodii bay dhisteen. Murusade dhulkoodii bay dhisteen.
Mareehaan dhulkoodii bay dhisteen. Ogaden dhulkoodii bay dhisteen. Maxaa adiga dhulkaada ku nacaybsiiyay oo aad u dhisan la'dahay. Reer Xamar, Biyo Maal, Jareer Weyne, Sheekhaal, Abgaal iyo Reer Baraawe dhulkooda faraha uga qaad oo dhiso dhulkaada.
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Waxaa xaqiiqo ah inuusan tariinkaan soo gaareyn muqdisho
dhulka ay mujaahidiinta joogaan. Wuxuu ku ekaan dhulka
kuwa adis-ababa xaramka ka dhigtay oo xitaa ugaasyadooda
u dhoogfaan si ay u raali geliyaan dhiciska bahalka
u eg ee meles. Laakiin looga hari maayo oo dhul dabadhilif
mujaahidiinta waa tageysaa waana xoreyneysaa.
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Ethiopia plans to construct their new railway from the hinderland of coptic Ethiopia to either Berbera or Bossaso; depending who wins the competition to suck to the Midget!
Allow Sahal.
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Ethiopia as a country is better than Somalia.
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They are better than our crazy waring factions. They are thinking about the welfare of their people and developing their country. They are building dams as well which will boost their energy demands.
We could have started something if we had the right mind. We never become tired of killing each other and destroying what we have been building since independence. What a shame!
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Who wants to know what plan has Ethiopia for its rail system? Not me.
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Africans!!!!!!! we always want to be spoon fed. Look @
Ethiopia and the rest calling themselves nation but
can't provide for its citizens.
P.S you can see why ethios invaded somalia
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