Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Those who Came Divided Abroad Must Return Home United! Forward with the Democratic movement in Ethiopia! Ethiomedia)

With the TPLF/EPDRF is it now a case for the opposition a case of total mistrust because it is the case of once smitten twice shy? It is very difficult to take at face value the democratic credentials of the ruling TPLF/EPDRF coalition given the way the great achievements of May 2005 were derailed. They have to do a miracle to change the reality, perception people hold and remember: It is the TPLF/EPDRF that unleashed repression on the people they seemed willing to allow to vote in the first place. How would we know they will not do the same: invite the people to vote and repress when the result goes against their expectations to persons who are in the various opposition parties? What real risk can the opposition take given that the TPLF/EPDRF can behave in such contradictory fashion with carrots and sticks again and again? Can the opposition take a risk? Will the TPLF/EPDRF change and abandon the stick of reprisal and repression for the carrot of democracy? Whilst in principle there is no reason why the TPLF/EPDRF cannot change, the onus of proof lies in the TPLF/EPDRF to show that it is prepared to behave democratically and not militaristically. Until this demonstration the opposition would be always taking a risk unless it plays by the rules set by the ruling coalition! Click here to read more in PDF file

Bertukan Mideksa's Oct. 28 speech - a must listen (Ethiopian Review)

Kinijit leaders will arrive in Toronto on Nov. 1 (Ethipian Review)

Calling Our Ethiopian Ally to Account for Abuses (The Jewish Daily)

A farmer from Ogaden told a reporter that Ethiopian soldiers had strangled his wife to death with a rope; the wife had been nursing the couple’s one-year-old son when she was killed. A 25-year-old woman told The New York Times that Ethiopian soldiers visited her village each night and picked a new girl to be gang-raped. A staff member of Doctors Without Borders said she saw Ethiopian soldiers chasing women and children away from water-wells.....more

Birtukan-Mania is spreading fast in Ethiopia (Blog) (Jimma Times)

Anyway, Birtukan is capturing the hearts of many people. Those who used to say Birtukan Medeksa is Oromo only in her name are now praising her because of her plans for an all-inclusiveness of her CUD party. Until now, some Oromo and other southern people were supporting her CUD party just because they hate the ruling party. But if Birtukan manages to change the one-ethnic face of CUD, her party will unquestionably win any election in Ethiopia. Her party’s Amharic name "Kinijit" meaning Unity has been seen as a unity between Amhara and Gurage ethnicities, but now it can become a unity among all ethnicities. At least that is what most people hope....more

Monday, October 29, 2007

Clerk shot, killed at East Dallas gas station (DalasNews)

Two men armed with handguns entered the Fina Food Mart No. 1 in the 11400 block of Garland Road shortly before 11 p.m. Saturday, Dallas police said. Both men fired their weapons at Abate Z. Hailu, 43, who was pronounced dead at the scene, police said....more

Kinijit - the democratic armada - to sail back home from US (Ethiomrdia)

Once respected as the charismatic leader of the opposition party, Hailu Shawel fell from grace when he turned down frequent invitations from the Bertukan-headed delegation to join them, and instead aligned himself with Kinijit International Council (KIC), a group he single-handedly created while he was in prison but lacks recognition by the rest of the Kinijit leadership, and from bad to worse, is largely seen as a corrupt group alleged to have squandered Kinijit funds....more

Ethiopia denies plot to attack Eritrea (Reuter)

"The Ethiopian government denies the allegation of a plot to invade Eritrea in November," Wahade Belay, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Reuters....more

Rep. Smith Speaks Out for Human Rights in Ethiopia (Ephoc Times

Human rights abuses in Ethiopia, including the injuring and killing of hundreds of peaceful protesters and the detention of thousands, are well documented. Amnesty International reported that the government has subjected opposition party members to beatings, detention on trumped up charges, harassment and disappearances, according to 2007 report of Freedom House. Journalists and editors of the independent press routinely face harassment and prosecution for alleged violations of strict press laws in Ethiopia, according to the "findings" section in the bill HR2003.....more

Journalists Say Press Freedoms Lacking in Ethiopia (VOA)

CPJ says that eight newspapers were banned, two foreign journalists were expelled, and a number of websites were blocked last year. Websites critical of the government are still being blocked.

Observers say Ethiopians now have little choice on the quantity and quality of information they are able to get from the media....more

Analyst Sees Ethiopian, US Pressure Behind Somali Prime Minister Resignation (VOA)

“This was a long time in coming and what finally prompted the resignation was unquestionably Ethiopian pressure. This was Ethiopia’s game. They were making the decision as to who would stay and who would go in the TFG. They were trying to manage the long running split between President Abdullahi Yusef and Prime Minister Gedi. And in the end I think they came to understand that Gedi had to be replaced,” he says....more

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Their khat deemed legal, Ethiopian immigrant couple wants it back (Herald Tribune0

When they are fresh, khat leaves contain cathinone, a chemical that produces euphoria when chewed. Cathinone is illegal under Minnesota and federal law.
But within 48 hours of harvest, the leaves' chemical composition tends to break down to the point where they contain a much milder chemical called cathine. That is what is usually found in graba, the dried khat leaves, which users often steep in tea to get their high....more

Hundreds protest Ethiopian presence in Mogadishu (AFP)

This is an uprising against the Ethiopian colonialists and its stooges," said another demonstrator, who declined to give his name. "We will continue day after day until they leave our country because we don't need them."...more

Saturday, October 27, 2007

UEDF calls for national dialogue (Ethipian Review)

Heavy fighting in Somali capital (BBC)

Local elders described the Ethiopian offensive as a genocide and have appealed to the international community to intervene. ...more

Eritrea accuses Ethiopia of plotting to invade (Reuter)

"Intelligence agencies ... say that (Ethiopia) is intending to launch an invasion against Eritrea in the first week of November 2007 with the blessing of the U.S. Administration," the statement said....more

Oromo rebels welcome US appeal for talks with Ethiopia (Sudan Tribune)

The Ethiopian regime has shown that, left to its own devices, it will continue to pursue a war it can not win in Ogaden characterized by a policy of collective punishment tantamount to genocide. As such, the international community bears a moral responsibility to intervene in order to hold this regime accountable for its actions...more

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

N.J. lawmaker battles Ethiopia (North Jersey)

"You can't have people languishing in prison whose only crime was winning an election," Smith told another questioner who said Ethiopia was a democracy that needed to be supported instead of criticized....more

The origin of the leadership crisis in Kinijit - by Andargachew Tsige ( Ethipian review)

Kinijit Central Council member Ato Andargachew Tsige explains the origin of the ongoing leadership crisis inside Kinijit in this 15-page article in Amharic. Click here to read

Ethiopia PM in opposition warning (BBC)

The accusations came after opposition leader Bulcha Demeksa complained about widespread arrests and harassment in the Oromia region in the southern central part of the country.

Mr Meles said the government was aware that some senior leaders of opposition organisations were members of the rebel Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). ...more

Female journalists from Iraq, Mexico, Ethiopia win awards (The Times of India)

...and Ethiopian reporter and former publisher Serkalem Fasil who was released from prison in April after facing a possible death sentence for treason were also honoured...more

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

`Skirmishes' in Ethiopia's Ogaden(BBC)

However, an international aid worker in the region told BBC correspondent Elizabeth Blunt that there was confirmation an attack had taken place near Wardheer and that more than 100 people had been killed.,,,more

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Ethiopia rebels claim killing 140 govt troops (METime)

The army officers were escorting Abay Tsehaye, a senior official in the Ethiopian ruling party, when they came under attack.

"Abay Tsehaye and a few senior officers escaped by helicopter after all land routes out of the area were blocked by ONLF forces," it said...more

Saturday, October 20, 2007

No Urgent Matter than Restoring the Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities (Government of Ethiopia)

Government of Ethiopia on New-york times Article -The Horn, the List and the Risks
to read press release of the gov.click here

Travel: Harar, Ethiopia, readies itself for tourism(StarTribune)

Harar was named a UNESCO World Heritage site last year, joining some of the world's top landmarks, such as the Grand Canyon, the Great Wall of China and the Acropolis in Greece.

It is also the fourth holiest city in Islam -- behind Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. And some consider Harar the birthplace of coffee. Its aroma wafts through the cool air of the Ethiopian highlands....more

Ethiopia: The Beginning of the End of a Brutal Dictatorship (Africanpath)

Ethiopians in the Diaspora have demonstrated a determination and effectiveness unparalleled hitherto to bring freedom to their fellow citizens. Waiving the tri-color that Zenawi denigrated, they have accorded a hero’s welcome to the leaders of Kinijit across Europe and the United States. They received Hailu Shawel with admiration and gratitude, Birtukan Mideksa, Berhanu Nega and the other leaders with songs and ululation, and Yacob Hailemariam and his entourage in Europe with the utmost affection and reverence. In city after city, they have opened their hearts and wallets to these leaders who have symbolized the struggle of the people against Zenawi’s tyranny....more

Expert: Ethiopia's invasion of Somalia 'a disastrous miscalculation'(garoweonline)

"It [Ethiopia] now has to be in the difficult position for itself to choose sides and its going to alienate many of its clients [in Somalia]," Dr. Weinstein said....more

Friday, October 19, 2007

The Horn, the List and the Risks(NYTimes)

What the administration needs to do now is press Ethiopia to respect the treaty. If something isn’t done quickly, we fear many more Eritreans and Ethiopians will die for no reason. There is time to put Eritrea on the list of terror sponsors if it doesn’t clean up its act....more

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Ethiopia hosts Somali rift talks (BBC)

She says the whole carefully pieced-together structure in Somalia is teetering, not because of Islamist attacks but because of a quarrel between the two leading players Mr Ghedi and President Abdullahi Yusuf....more

Somali PM in Ethiopia amid debate on his fate (Reuter)

Gedi met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, with whom Gedi has personal ties going back to Meles' time as a rebel leader in exile in Mogadishu, as soon as he arrived, Ethiopian officials said....more

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

SMSing' restored in Ethiopia (Africanews)

According to media reports and bloggers from Addis Ababa, the 'texting' service was disabled on June 10, 2005 after an opposition party resorted to using 'SMSees' as a campaign tool to reach voters....more

East Hartford High School Team 10A has a goal of creating libraries in Ethiopia.(Zwire)

This is an amazing initiative here at EHHS," said Patla in an email announcing the project. "Through this community service project, we would like to help our students understand that they are part of a larger, worldwide community; that regardless of one's "station" in life, it is always important to share what you do have with others." ...more

Bush Backs Ethiopia Leader as Terror War Trumps Democracy Push (bloomberg)

``When you start seeing the U.S. Congress engaging in efforts like this, it's a strong signal that something has gone really wrong in a country,'' says Saman Zarifi, an advocate with Human Rights Watch in Washington....more

Friday, October 12, 2007

Eid mubarak

Eithiopian Publisher, Free From Jail, Still Faces Charges (IWMF)

“I’m not familiar with international journalists,” she said, “but journalists who are on death row anywhere in the world or who lost their life in reporting – or Ethiopians who are on death row: they are my heroes.”...more

Divisions rip through Somalia's Ethiopia-backed govt (Garoweonline)

Sources in Baidoa said Ethiopian generals postponed their plans to disarm Yusuf and Gedi's security forces for fear of an armed clash....more

Thursday, October 11, 2007

GOAL statement on Ethiopia's Ogaden (newsblaz)

GOAL is calling on the Irish government to use its influence with the Ethiopian authorities to allow food aid to flow to the people of the Ogaden. For the past few months Ethiopian forces have cut the region off from humanitarian organisations, leaving 600,000 people facing starvation....more

Ban Ki-Moon Urges Restraint By Ethiopia and Eritrea as Tensions Rise (News Blez)

Of particular concern are "recent shooting incidents, as well as the building up of military forces in the border area," according to a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sgsm11215.doc.htm">statement issued by Mr. Ban's spokesperson....more

Eritrea & U.S. Rescue of its Puppet in the Region, Ethiopia

denouncement of Jendayi E. Frazer, U.S. Department of State Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, the messenger that delivered the administrations threat, for her lies, incompetence and whatever real or perceived deficiency the ‘lady’ may have.
Some fringe minority elements within the atrociously ineffective and barely existent Eritrean opposition group, and of course the minority TPLF regime in Ethiopia, have also denounced Eritrea for bringing these actions onto itself by its involvement in Somalia, as well as, allowing the Somalia opposition group to gather for their peaceful conference in Eritrea....more

22 Somali Ministers Demand No-Confidence Vote on Government (VOA)

Twenty-two members of the Somali prime minister's Cabinet are demanding that parliament hold a no-confidence vote on the country's transitional government.....more

It was when the phone rang that things got sticky in Gode (Telegraph)

In few other countries would a phone call arouse such strength of feeling. But during my three days under armed guard in Ethiopia last week, I discovered the true meaning of "walking on eggshells". Whenever I was brought before Jamal or another official, I felt as if one careless gesture or ill-chosen word could land me in prison....more

Ethiopian refugees by Sudan

UNHCR urges the government to abide by this important principle of international law, which is also an integral part of Sudan's National Interim Constitution. UNHCR also urges authorities to abstain from any further deportations....more

Dismissive Ethiopia tests US indulgence (FT)

When the US objects to Ethiopian policies – such as a crackdown on political opponents that killed scores of people in 2005 and a scorched-earth campaign against separatist insurgents this year – it is ignored. When America gives implicit acquiescence – as it did over the Christmas invasion of Somalia and Ethiopia’s bitter border dispute with Eritrea – the US goes through the motions of diplomatic pressure and claims to have been rebuffed....more

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Ethiopia's 'secret war' forces thousands to flee (Telegraph)

Ethiopia will receive £130 million of British aid this year - more than any other African country. Critics say that Mr Meles is using his favoured position - and Ethiopia's standing as a key Western ally in the war on terrorism - to avoid any protest over his behaviour....more

Rescuing Ethiopia (vanguardngr)

From the manner the trial was conducted, it is doubtful if the accused persons were given fair hearing. Zenawi did everything to hang those who dissented with him. Abraham Tetmke, state prosecutor, asked the court to impose death penalty on some of the accused just for standing up against official trampling on their political rights....more

Saturday, October 6, 2007

UN Warns of Humanitarian Crisis in Ethiopia's Somali Region (Political Affairs)

“We will see a major crisis develop in the next month unless there is a resumption of livestock trade and export, commercial and humanitarian food distribution, urgent healthcare, and access by government service providers and humanitarian
partners,” stated Paul Hebert, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Ethiopia, in a report issued on 5 October. Hebert led a mission to the Somali region between 30 August and 5 September.

Meanwhile, legislative moves in the United States to cut aid to Ethiopia are unlikely to have a dramatic impact on its internal policies, an analyst with a leading think-tank said.

"It is going to have some limited effect," Tom Cargill of Chatham House said of the Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act, which has been passed by the House of Representatives but has yet to be approved by the Senate or President George W Bush.

"It is symbolically important because it shows there is a range of views in the US about Ethiopia, but we should not read too much or too little into it." ...more

Rebel ONLF welcomes passing of Ethiopia Democracy & Accountability Act (Sudane Tribune)

As noted by the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Dr. Jandayi Frazer "A political solution is needed in the Ogaden that will both end the region’s historic marginalization and restore the commercial trade with Somalia to prevent a humanitarian crisis. "...more

Ethiopia Democracy & Accountability Act is a major step: OLF (Sudane Tribune)

The passage of H.R. 2003 is a major step in the right direction. The Bill brings to the forefront the political crisis in Ethiopia and the Ethiopian government’s large-scale human rights violations. Moreover, the Bill sends a clear signal that promoting democracy and human rights are the ways to defeat international terrorism. To the contrary, the support of undemocratic regimes actually creates conditions on which extremism could thrive....more

Ethiopia rebels back U.S. pressure on government (Reuter)

We believe the Oromo people would have everything to gain and nothing to lose from the advancement of human rights, democracy, independence of the judiciary and the supremacy of the rule of law and freedom of the press, which (the bill) calls for," the OLF statement said.

"The bill...(highlights) the Ethiopian government's large-scale human rights violations," the OLF added, calling for the U.S. Senate and president to sign the bill into law....more

Friday, October 5, 2007

U.S. House Passes Historic Ramadan Resolution (USinfo)

Washington – A resolution recognizing the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and expressing the "deepest respect to Muslims in the United States and throughout the world" was adopted in the U.S. House of Representatives October 2 by a vote of 376-0....more

Somalia: President Yusuf Loses His Grip on Power (allafrica)

As PINR forecast on September 19, the failures of the two national conferences aimed at devising a political formula for Somalia -- the National Reconciliation Conference (N.R.C.) sponsored by the country's internationally-recognized Transitional Federal Government (T.F.G.), and the Somali Congress for Liberation and Reconstitution (S.C.L.R.) organized by the political opposition based in Eritrea -- have led to a continuation of Somalia's spiral into political fragmentation and conflict. As an armed insurgency against the T.F.G. ratcheted up significantly in Somalia's official capital Mogadishu, rifts opened up in the transitional institutions, with conflict surfacing between the T.F.G.'s president, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, and its prime minister, Ali Mohamed Gedi; parliament demanding accountability from Gedi's government; and the arrest of Somalia's chief supreme court justice, Yusuf Ali Harun, followed by the sacking of the public prosecutor who initiated the case by Gedi and the prosecutor's refusal to leave his post....more

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Flight from Ethiopia(CPJ)

However objectionable these conditions were, they got much worse for the press in 2005. In May of that year, contested parliamentary elections led to violent clashes between opposition groups and the ruling EPRDF party. At least 15 journalists were imprisoned on claims of antistate activity for articles that criticized the government’s handling of the civil unrest. Several others were detained on years-old charges and held without bail....more

Increased Threats to Civil Liberties Exacerbate Poor Governance in Ethiopia (Freedom House)

“In the new millennium, Ethiopia must allow civil society, political opposition, and media to not only function but to flourish,” said Daniel Calingaert, deputy director of programs at Freedom House. “It can do so quite simply by amending the draft press and NGO laws to reflect international standards and then adhering to those standards.”....more

Ethiopia angry at proposed U.S. aid sanction(reuter)

The bill, which still needs U.S. Senate approval and a presidential signature, would also deny U.S. entry visas to any Ethiopian government official involved in what it calls human rights violations, unless the president authorized a waiver....more

Ethiopia bill faces Bush backlash (FT)

Known as the Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act, the bill would ban “non essential US assistance” if Ethiopia obstructed US efforts to further human rights, democracy, independence of the judiciary and freedom of the press. It would restrict security assistance and impose travel restrictions on Ethiopian officials accused of human rights violations unless Ethiopia met the conditions – although the legislation would give the president a waiver to prevent such measures from taking force....more

Germany's Merkel kicks off Africa tour with plea for democracy(AFP)

"We are in favour of further openness of the country, of the political system," Merkel said at a joint press conference with Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in Addis Ababa.

"We have the interest to see this society more open and the opposition's rights protected," she said, adding: "The respect of human rights is among the factors very conducive for development."...more

US targets Ethiopia for sanctions (BBC)

The US representatives approved the Ethiopian Democracy and Accountability Act on Tuesday, which puts Ethiopian government officials at risk of being denied entry visas over human rights violations.

It also threatens to withhold military aid of at least $1.5m

Mr Payne said the bill was bipartisan and secured unanimous approval....more

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Q & A with President Isaias Afwerki(LA Times)

There is a process of transformation in any society. The political process is part of that social and economic transformation. You may tell me there is a constitutional monarchy here, or elections there, or multiple political parties over there. It's a mockery. It's become fashionable to pretend to be democratic, to pretend to have a constitution and multiparty-system. But those systems undermine all the processes that would lead to participation of the population. It's a matter of providing equal opportunities, not a political document, that guarantees your rights. It's not putting your vote in a ballot box that will guarantee you good living standards....more

A calm voice from embattled Eritrea(IHT)

Democratic or not, there is a certain easygoingness in Asmara, at least on the surface. The streets are spotless, and when Isaias drives through town, it is not in a motorcade with whirling sirens and sunglassed police officers. Instead, there is just one car, a white BMW, and the president rides shotgun....more

Ethiopia and the State of Democracy Hearing House has approved H.R. 2(Nazret)

Lawmakers passed the bill Tuesday on a voice vote.

The measure authorizes $20 million in each of the next two years to promote human rights, democracy and economic development in Ethiopia.

The legislation would also restrict U.S. security assistance and other aid to Ethiopia because of concerns about the country's human rights record.

The Bush administration would still be allowed to provide funds for joint counter-terrorism operations and Ethiopia's participation in peacekeeping missions.

To become law, the bill must win approval from the Senate and be signed by President Bush....more

Letter to Ben on his outrage on Coalition for HR 2003(Ethiomedia)

You see, Mr. Ben, Ethiopia needs principled friends, more so because of the hostile geophysical location in which she finds herself. Whether you like it or not, Congressman Donald Payne and Congressman Chris Smith are illustrious leaders who will be remembered for their sterling contribution to HR 2003. So the activists in the Coalition for HR 2003 are right to say that its approval marked the �Finest day for Ethiopia in US Congress�. The Ethiopian people would have greeted the news joyously out in the streets if the repressive regime would have allowed it. Then, the truth would have come out in the open as to which side enjoys the support of the majority � the vocal few in the Diaspora or the �silent majority� that you are blaming for its inaction. Against the vocal few....more

Congress Should Condition Military Aid to Ethiopia on Human Rights (Huffington Post)

Our government's support for abuses by the Ethiopian government has not received prominent media attention. But advocates for democracy and human rights in Ethiopia have been lobbying Congress. Now we have a chance to change course from a destructive policy in Africa based on the "global war on terror" towards a policy based on democracy and human rights....more

HR 2003 approved unanimously!(Ethiomedia)

All Ethiopians should take this opportunity to thank Congressmen Donald Payne, Chris Smith, Tom Lantos and Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer for their support in getting this legislation passed. When we needed their help, we called upon them . NOW IT IS TIME TO CALL AND SAY: “THANK YOU.”..more

Monday, October 1, 2007

Final action on H.R. 2003 scheduled for Oct. 2 (Ethiopianreview)

H.R. 2003 was referred to the floor on a special House procedure known as “suspension of the rules”. This procedure is used generally to act swiftly on relatively non-controversial legislation. The procedure is set forth in clause 1 of House Rule XV. When a bill or some other matter is considered “under suspension,” floor debate is limited, all floor amendments are prohibited, and a two-thirds vote is required for final passage. The equivalent calendar in the Senate is called the consent calendar...more

Gebrselassie sets marathon record (BBC)

Haile Gebrselassie broke the marathon world record in Berlin on Sunday, posting an official time of two hours, four minutes and 26 seconds....more

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/27/AR2007092700082.html (Washinton Post)

Ethiopia boasts eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites but decades of hunger, conflict and political instability have kept the country and its fabled palaces, obelisks and castles off the beaten track for most visitors to Africa.

Tourism represents a mere 2.5 percent of its gross national product -- something the government is keen to change....more

Ethiopia Legislation Moves Forward in US House of Representatives (VOA)

A key congressional committee has approved legislation supporting democracy and human rights in Ethiopia. VOA's Dan Robinson reports from Capitol Hill, where consideration by the House Foreign Affairs Committee was marked by some disagreement over how best to help bring about change in Ethiopia....more

WORLD CLOCK - Move the cursor over the map to know the local time

Total Pageviews

CHUO Radio Archive