Ethiopia will try to remove tens of thousands of beggars from the streets of Addis Ababa to create a more ?conducive? atmosphere for coming Millennium celebrations, city officials said yesterday.

Still using the Julian calendar, abandoned by the West in the 16th century, Ethiopia enters its new millennium on September 12 with a huge concert expected to draw hundreds of thousands of partygoers and international celebrities.

?Addis Ababa city administration has passed a directive that bans begging on major streets, plus sale and movement of animals, to improve the city?s image and create a conducive atmosphere for guests coming to the Millennium celebration,? a City Council statement said.

Official statistics show some 90,000 beggars live on the streets of the capital, home to 5 million people and headquarters of the African Union. Many beggars are war veterans and are viewed sympathetically by most Ethiopians.

One local non-governmental organisation has been given $100,000 from the government to help return beggars who have migrated from the regions, aid sources said. The council directive also orders residents along main streets to spruce up their houses in the highland city.