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The once all too influential American diplomat in
Africa, Herman Cohen, has arrived in Addis Abeba on
Saturday night, April 19, 2008, leading a group of
investors interested to explore opportunities in the
Ethiopian power sector.
Cohen, assistant secretary of state for Africa under
Bush Sr.’s administration, was instrumental in the
early 1990s when the collapsing military government
officials were negotiating in London with the rebels
advancing to Addis Abeba and Asmara. Few days later,
and after EPRDF fighters took over the capital, he
brokered a deal between EPRDF, EPLF and OLF that
ultimately led to a conference held in Addis Abeba
in June 1991.
Retired from foreign services in 1994 after serving
the State Department for 38 years, Cohen is here
together with top executives of a private energy
company, ContourGlobal, including its President and
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Joseph C. Brandt.
Headquartered in New York, ContourGlobal is an
investment company that acquires, develops and
operates electric power businesses across the world.
It runs 50 projects in 25 countries, including many
in southern and western Africa. If materialized,
their investment in Ethiopia will be the first in
East Africa.
Both Cohen and executives of ContourGlobal will stay
until Wednesday, April 23, while experts who came
along with them will stay longer to visit
prospective hydropower sites, according Wondwossen
Hailu and Asemerom Woldu, promoters of the company.
They also manage a US-based company, Addis
Enterprise Liaison Services.
Ethiopia’s power sector is open for foreign
investment in generation, so long as the power feeds
into the national grid operated by state-owned
Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo). Prior
to investment, a power purchase agreement is
required.
Cohen’s team is scheduled to meet Alemayehu Tegenu,
minister of Mines and Energy, and Mehiret Debebe,
general manager of EEPCo.
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