Ethiopia opens agricultural processing industrial park

By Addis Getachew</p> <p>JIMMA, Ethiopia (AA) – Leaders of three Horn of Africa nations on Saturday joined hands to cut the ribbon on a new industrial park in southwestern Ethiopia.</p> <p>Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, and Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh inaugurated the park, dominated by agricultural processing firms.<br> <br> The industrial park, spanning 51 hectares in the town of Jimma in the Oromia regional state, represents an investment of $61 million.<br> <br> The park will create jobs for 10,000 people, according to information made available at the opening. <br> <br> The three East Africa leaders also attended the opening of a hospital and the graduation ceremony of 2,700 students, including over 300 that studied medicine.<br> <br> Speaking at the graduation ceremony, al-Bashir pledged that his country will give scholarships to 10 students annually for two years.<br> <br> Jimma is the birthplace of Ahmed, and though it is a top commercial center thanks to coffee farms and trade, the town remained undeveloped, with inadequate infrastructure.</p> <p>