09 March 2017

 A top Ethiopian railway official said President Donald Trump's plan to cut foreign aid, which is expected to have a major impact on poorer states that rely on money from the United States for health and development projects, will not affect the railway functions or renovations in several African countries.

“Railway projects and upgrades do not rely on U.S. aid,” said Getachew Bertu, the CEO of the Ethiopian railway cooperation told Zawya this week on the sidelines of the Middle East Rail conference and exhibition in Dubai.

“The railway will not be affected by Donald’s policies. So, tell Trump he can’t do anything to us,” he added.

President Trump has stirred international controversy over an array of international policies he has adopted since he took office in January. (Read more here)

Earlier this month, his admiration proposed “fairly dramatic reductions” in the country’s foreign aid budget, Reuters reported. (Read more here)

The newly elected president this week also signed a revised executive order to ban citizens from six-Muslim-majority countries from traveling to the U.S., after a previous one, that included Iraq on the list, prompted chaos and protests at airports and drew local and international opposition.

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