Ethiopia parties like it's 1999

Ethiopia is preparing to celebrate the millennium, nearly eight years after most of the world.

Parties in the capital Addis Ababa will welcome in the year 2000 and Black Eyed Peas will play at a $170-a-head (£84) concert.

The Ethiopian calendar is based on the Coptic calendar, rather than the Gregorian calendar that is most widely used.

While the Gregorian calendar counts the years since the birth of Jesus Christ, the Coptic calendar counts the years since Diocletian became Roman Emperor.

New Year's Day in Ethiopia falls on September 11 most years, and on September 12 in leap years.

In a gesture of goodwill, the government has freed around 10,000 prisoners, mainly women, the elderly and those who had served a third of their sentences.

Many Ethiopians are hoping the celebrations will bring peace after years of political unrest and problems with neighbours Eritrea and Somalia.

Meles Mengesha, a primary school teacher in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, said: "I came here just to see my country celebrating this millennium and Ethiopians are going to celebrate this millennium by compromising each other by just holding hands."

The Black Eyed Peas concert will be held in a £5 million temporary exhibition hall built by Saudi-Ethiopian tycoon Mohammed Al Amoudi.

Tickets for the party cost around two months wages for the average Ethiopian.

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