Ethiopia's pardoned critic jailed (BBC)

Her colleague Berhanu Nega, who was also pardoned and now lives in exile, told the BBC it showed the government "was hell-bent on staying in power". ...more..

Top 10 Ethiopian Music Videos of 2008 (Ethiopian review)

Top 10 Ethiopian Music Videos of 2008

The Horn of Fear (galbeed)

Since January 2007 (the onset of Zenawi’s invasion) at least 870,000 civilians have fled the chaos in Mogadishu alone — two-thirds of the city’s population. Across south-central Somalia, 1.1 million Somalis are displaced from their homes.
[Following the invasion] Insurgent fighters quickly adopted hit-and-run tactics…Ethiopian and TFG forces developed patterns of responding to those attacks that have since become part of the day-to-day reality of life in Mogadishu — reacting to indiscriminate mortar attacks in kind, with devastating barrages of rocket, mortar, and artillery fire across populated neighborhoods.

ENDF [Ethiopian National Defense Forces] forces in Mogadishu have routinely and indiscriminately bombarded populated residential areas of Mogadishu since March 2007. They have made regular use of “Katyusha” rockets in Mogadishu, often fired from BM-21 “Grad” multiple-rocket launchers.

Ethiopian forces carried out similar indiscriminate bombardments in fighting in the strategically important town of Beletweyne. ENDF forces responded by indiscriminately bombarding large swathes of the western districts of the town for three days beginning in July 2008. Humanitarian organizations estimated that at the end of July, 74,000 people—more than 75 percent of the town’s population—had been displaced as a direct result of the bombardment and related fighting....read more...

In pictures: Red hot in Ethiopia (BBC)

EID MUBARAK !!!

Obama's Victory Shames Africa ( The Huffington Post)

"Government" doesn't care about the people, let alone provide them with basic social services (clean water, electricity or health). In fact, the role of government is not to serve but to fleece the people. It has been hijacked by a cabal of gangsters, who use the state machinery to enrich themselves, their cronies and tribesmen. The richest in Africa are heads of state and ministers. Says a tribal chief: "Here in Lesotho, we have two problems: Rats and the government."...more..

Disputing HRW's Irrefutable Facts with TPLF Propaganda (Ogaden Online)

How can a former TPLF soldier and an ex-Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs employee be tasked with investigating the very crimes that this ministry, the TPLF cadre, and the clique in Addis Ababa are accused of?...more..

Ethiopia - A cover for TPLF indefinitely(Nazret)

To survive in Ethiopia you have to become a registered TPLF voter and officially we were told that membership is now in tens of millions. New college graduates have no chance to get a job without being a member and survival depends on getting membership certificate.....more..

Ethiopia's dictator wants to talk with OLF (Ethiopian Review)

In January, a group of mediators drawn from 3 Oromo ethnic elders met OLF leaders, namely Dawd Ebsa and Temam Yosuf, in Amsterdam and signed with the rebel leaders a pact of agreement to come for peace talks under which the rebels agreed to accept Ethiopia’s constitution in principle....more..

Ali Bira & Kemer Yousuf: Traitors or Nationalists? (Oromo Affairs)

Much has been said on and off the Internet about Ali Bira’s and Kemer Yousuf’s visits to Ethiopia to perform there. To my knowledge, not since Leencoo Lataa’s visit to Ethiopia (purportedly to have Ibsa Gutema released from TPLF dungeon) has any Oromo’s visit there generated such a heated debate among our people. Opponents have painted them as traitors and sell-outs. The old adage “everyone can be bought” is heard a lot in reference to the two singers. Supporters, on the other hand, see no issues or concerns with what they have done and argue that their critics’ concerns are misplaced....more..

EPRDF failed Ethiopia but blames international community for "double standards" (Ethiomrdia)

The early anticipation, that EPRDF would be a harbinger of peace, justice, equality, democracy and economic salvation has been proven wrong. They have shown no sign of wanting to do this and it is increasingly becoming clear that it is finished now. As a ruling entity, it is in office but practically not in power. The system is paralysed, deeply disorganised and perhaps permanently damaged. Individual members do as they wish; pursuing their interests. Since EPRDF came to power, it failed to remain true to its promises. It has exploited our ethnic difference to divide us further and bring misery and endless conflicts. Yet unfortunately, many countries treat them as partners, especially in the fight against terrorism. Many Ethiopians found it difficult to fathom out how raping and strangling innocent girls and women in the remote Ogaden region could contribute positively to the war on terror. How can punishing, torturing, starving and killing the poverty-stricken pastoralists in the desert Ogaden weaken terror organisations? ...read more..

50,000 Ethiopians displaced by floods (AFP)

Ethiopia, home to 80 million people, is chronically hit by floods and droughts and is currently experiencing what UN and other relief organisations have described as a critical humanitarian situation...more..

Secretary Of State Clinton? Obama Should Not Sleep With Wolves (Black Star News)

Clinton developed special relationships with African dictators like Yoweri K. Museveni of Uganda and leaders of Rwanda, Paula Kagame; Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi; Eritrea, Afewerki; and Kenya, then Daniel arap Moi. Clinton then coined a bogus term, referring to these men as a "new breed of African leaders."...more..

The genius of America By Alemayehu G. Mariam (Galbeed)

Questions for Ethiopians: Can we….?Barack Obama got a resounding “Yes, we can!” from the American people to his questions. As Ethiopians we have many questions to answer: Can we produce leaders who inspire us with hope and faith in the future? Leaders who are able to put our humanity before our ethnicity, our Ethiopianity, our Africanity? Can we get leaders who can unite us as one people in an Ethiopian nation instead of keep us corralled in a nation of shredded nationalities? Can we get leaders who embrace the politics of unity and shun the politics of ethnic identity? Can we replace benighted demagogues with enlightened visionary leaders? Engage leaders with the courage of their convictions and hold accountable criminals who convict the innocents? Can we cultivate leaders who persuade by the power of their logic and substance of their arguments instead of dictators who measure their power by the diameter of the barrel of their guns and the caliber of their bullets? Can we develop leaders who speak truth to dictators living in gilded castles of lies? Can we replace brutes who rule by the law of the jungle with leaders who understand, believe in and practice the rule of law? Can we assemble leaders who respect the human rights and dignity of the least of their citizens and are committed to bringing to justice murderers and thugs who have built a memorial to their power on the gravesite of their innocent victims? I say, YES, WE CAN! Oh! Yes, we can. But first we must believe in the creed of our inner strength as a people: The unity of the Ethiopian people. The territorial integrity of the Ethiopian nation. The inalienable right of all Ethiopians to human rights and their entitlement to freedom and democracy....more..

Broken bones and body bags: horrors facing Ethiopian domestic workers(The Daily Star)

In one recent case, Mekdes Tesfaye Tefera's corpse was found with a noose around her neck. But the consulate has doubts that this was a self-inflicted death and has filed a police report.
"They always say, 'she killed herself,'" the social affairs officer said.
In the case of Zebiba Kedr, who is currently hospitalized, the consulate is working on having charges laid against the woman for whom she was working. The employers have stated that Kedr fell from the 12th floor of their building, but the head of the consular section said that when he went to see her in the hospital and asked her "Madame" had pushed her, she indicated 'yes' by blinking her eyes. read more...

G7 condemns the ongoing mass detention of Oromos Ethiopian Media Forum)

The Meles dictatorship is known for forging documents, producing fake witnesses and conjuring up spectacular crimes, such as treason and genocide against any one, even peaceful human right activists. Seen in this context, the recent mass detention of Oromos under the pretext of foiling a terror plot is a complete farce. We believe that it is an attempt by the regime to gain the sympathy of the new U.S. president...read more

የለውጥ ዝናብ መቼ ይሆን በኢትዮጵያ የሚያካፋው? (ግርማ ካሳ) (Ethiopia Zare)

ጥቂት ደቂቃዎች እንደቆየሁ ለቅሶው የደስታ ብቻ መሆኑ ቀረና የኀዘን እየሆነ መጣ። የተፍታታውና በፈገግታ የተሞላው ፊቴ መጥቆር ጀመረ። የተወለድኩባትና ማንነቴ የሆነችዋን ሀገሬ ኢትዮጵያን አሰብኩ። ድህነቷ፣ ለማኝነቷ፣ የልጆቿ በዘር መከፋፈል፣ የልጆቿ መራብ፣ የልጆቿ በዓለም ዙሪያ ሀገር እንደሌላቸው መበታተንና የልጆቿን መብት መረገጥ ወደ አዕምሮዬ ሲመጣ ውስጤ አዘነ።...more..

A Call for Ethiopians live in the Twin Cities and in greater MinnesotaAnyuak Media)

Right now, our Ogadeni and Somali brothers and sisters are being slaughtered and starved to death by the man who claims to be the leader of their own country, Meles Zenawi, and what is our response?.more..

Body of housemaid lying in UAE morgue for a month (Gulfnews)

"The cost of visa cancellation and obtaining departure permission is not more than Dh200 and must be shared by both," the official said...more..

Barack Obama has Opened Up a New Door of Opportunity and Now We Must Move Ahead! (Anuak Justice Council)

His language of acceptance, justice, unity, inclusiveness and hope was what attracted many supporters, but the road to the presidency required perseverance, sacrifice and hard work. History was made in front of our eyes and could be made in Ethiopia, but it cannot be done as long as we are divided. The antidote is the moral and spiritual transformation of our culture, one person at a time, into a people who can work together with humility and determination for a better future not only for themselves or their ethnic groups or regions, but also for other Ethiopians...more..

World reacts to Obama win (BBC)

Television news bulletins across the world have been reporting the story of Barack Obama's US presidential victory. ..read more..

Obama turns to building his administration (msnbc)

If Emanuel accepts, he would return to the White House where he served as a political and policy adviser to President Bill Clinton. Emanuel is the fourth-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives as the Democratic Caucus Chair. ...more..

In quotes: US election reaction (BBC)

"Your victory has demonstrated that no person anywhere in the world should not dare to dream of wanting to change the world for a better place.
"We wish you strength and fortitude in the challenging days and years that lie ahead." FORMER SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA ...more..

Reactions Around The World (PHOTOS) (The Huffington post)

Source The Huffington Post

Obama Elected President as Racial Barrier Falls (NY Times)

“If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer,” said Mr. Obama, standing before a huge wooden lectern with a row of American flags at his back, casting his eyes to a crowd that stretched far into the Chicago night....more..

President-Elect Barack Obama in Chicago (You Tube)

President-elect Barack Obama's remarks in Chicago at You tube

Obama victory sparks cheers worldwide (AP)

"With Obama, the world will see the Americans as having more sense, being more receptive to change," Khosla said on his way to work. "If Obama even remotely changes things, perceptions will change...more..

Kenyans celebrate Obama victory (China View)

"On behalf of the government and people of Kenya, and on my own behalf, I join the rest of the world in celebrating and congratulating you on your election as the 44th President of the United States of America," Kibaki said. ....more..

Europe awaits new US president in time of crisis(EU Obsever)

If Europeans had a vote, Barack Obama would beat John McCain by large margin. He enjoys greater popularity due to the fact that he represents a more evident contrast to the politics of the outgoing president, Republican George W. Bush.

Mr Bush's eight-year-long term has been marked by a unilateral decision to invade Iraq - something that his reputation has never recovered from, even though he later reached out to consult Europe on issues such as Iran....more..

Chicago gets ready for Obama(The SUN)

All these good people – and Americans ARE good and decent people – will be descending on to Chicago’s lakeshore tomorrow night to salute the man they believe can lay to rest the stumbling incompetence of the Bush era and restore pride, prosperity and confidence to the world’s most powerful nation.

Win or lose tomorrow, Barack Obama has transformed not just American politics but the way the world is run.

He is the first truly cosmopolitan leader, a product not of one place at one time but all places at all times....more...

Japan's Obama town set to party for U.S. namesake (Yahoo News)

Shops in the town have been selling everything from T-shirts, fish burgers and steamed cakes to chopsticks bearing Obama's name.

"We've been dancing for Mr. Obama for more than six months," said Yuko Shirayama of the local "Obama Girls" hula dancing group, created to cheer on Obama. "So I hope he wins."

Her group traveled to Hawaii to celebrate Obama's victory over Hillary Clinton in the Democratic nomination for U.S. president earlier this year and the dancers hope to go to Obama's inauguration ceremony if he wins....more..

The 843-Day War (Ethipolitics)

The Question of War Crimes

Now that there will be a “ceasefire” (effectively ending the occupation and the war), there are serious questions of war crimes against Zenawi’s troops, the forces loyal to the TFG and the insurgents. The tip of the war crimes iceberg is evident in a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) entitled, Shell Shocked: Civilians Under Siege in Mogadishu [1] HRW in its scathing report alleges that the insurgents would “launch mortar rounds within minutes, then melt back into the civilian population.” The “Ethiopian and TFG response to mortar attacks increasingly included the return firing of mortars and rockets in the direction of origin of insurgency fire.” Specific “neighborhoods like Casa Populare (KPP) in the south, Towfiq and Ali Kamin around the Stadium, all along Industrial Road, and the road from the Stadium to Villa Somalia were heavily shelled or repeatedly hit by Ethiopian BM-21 multiple-rocket launcher and mortar rounds.” The impact of the shelling on the civilian population was “devastating”. HRW concluded, “The appalling consequences of indiscriminate attacks, the deployment of forces in densely populated areas, and the failure of all warring parties generally to take steps to minimize civilian harm is reflected in the thousands of civilians who died or whose lives were shattered by the injuries they sustained or by the loss of family members. It is also reflected in the staggering numbers of people who fled Mogadishu and in the scale of the destruction of homes, hospitals, schools, mosques, and other infrastructure in Mogadishu.”...more..

Ethiopia arrests opposition leader, journalist hurt (Reuters)

The Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM) confirmed its general secretary Bekele Jirata was picked up on Thursday as he was going to his Addis Ababa office in what it called an abuse of rights....more..

Meles dissolves the Ministry of Information (Ethiopian review)

Meles did not give any specific reason for dissolving the ministry but said in general that it is not due to a particular reason.

The dissolution of the ministry, some legal experts say, raises some questions as regards who would assume the mandates that the ministry used to have such as licensing newspapers and regulating the media.

So far, nothing has been said as to the fate of the different government media outlets and the Broadcasting Agency, which were accountable to the ministry.

It is not clear so far to which government institution the Ethiopian Television and Radio Enterprise and the state-owned newspapers will be accountable in the future...more..

Obama and the prospects for democracy in Ethiopia (Ethiopian review)

But will an Obama administration be different when it comes to democracy in Ethiopia? Will the new team reevaluate the Bush administration’s coddling of human rights abusers in the name of fighting terrorism?...read to find out..

Somali premier reportedly accuses Ethiopia of "causing trouble"(Mareeg Online)

Nairobi,kenya.2008-10-30-Somali Prime Minister Nur Hasan Hussein (Nur Adde) has told some Somali MPs that the Ethiopian government was causing trouble for the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG)...more..

የኢዴአፓ የቀውስ ፖለቲካ (ቃልኪዳን አምባቸው) (Ethiopia Zare)

ቃልኪዳን አምባቸው

ኢዴአፓ-መድኅን በቀውስ ፖለቲካ ውስጥ መዘፈቁን የሚያሳዩ በቂ አስረጂዎች አሉ። ፓርቲው ውሉ ጠፍቶበታል። በአንድ በኩል የገዥው ፓርቲ ዕድገት አብሳሪ መሆንን ይሻል። የኢህአዴግን መጠንከር፣ በህዝብ ዘንድ ከፍተኛ ተቀባይነት ማግኘት፣ በመጪው ምርጫ አሸናፊ እንደሚሆንና ሌሎችንም የምንሰማው ከኢህአዴግ የህዝብ ግንኙነት ቢሮ ሳይሆን ከኢዴአፓ-መድኅን የፓርቲዎች የግምገማና የልኬት ቤተ-ሙከራ ነው። ኢዴአፓ-መድኅን ይህን ቢያደርግ በእርግጥ ከልካይ የለበትም።

በአንፃሩ ደግሞ ተቃዋሚዎች መፍረክረካቸውን፣ በኢትዮጵያ ፖለቲካ አወንታዊ ሚና መጫወት የሚችል የተቃዋሚ የፖለቲካ ድርጅት ያለመኖሩን፣ ተቃዋሚዎች በመጪው ምርጫ ሊያሸንፉ እንደማይችሉም ሆነ በደፈናው የተቃዋሚዎችን ጉድለትና ድክመት፣ በመራር መግለጫዎች ሲያዥጎደጉድ የምንሠማው ራሱን የተቃዋሚዎች እንደራሴ አድርጎ ከሾመው ኢዴአፓ-መድኅን ነው። ይህን ጊዜ ነው እንግዲህ ፓርቲው ውሉ ጠፍቶበታል የሚያሰኘው።

የኢዴአፓ-መድኅን የቀውስ መዘውር በዚህ ብቻ አይገደብም፤ በኢዴአፓ-መድኅን የልኬት ቤተ-ሙከራ የተገመገመው የኢትዮጵያ ህዝብም ”አሉታዊ ሚና …” ያለው በሚል ተፈርጇል። ”ሕገ-መንግሥቱ በብዙ መልኩ ጥሩ ሆኖ ተገኝቷል …” የሚለው የኢዴአፓ-መድኅን የምርምርና የጥናት ግምገማ በአንድ ጉዳይ ላይ ግን ያብጠለጥለዋል፤ ለጠቅላይ ሚንስትሩ የሥልጣን ገደብ ወይም ለምን ያህል ጊዜ ሥልጣን ላይ መቆየት እንደሚችሉ መወሰን ነበረበት ይለናል። ከኢዴአፓ-መድኅን የመሪነት ዙፋን ነቅነቅ ማለትን ለማይደፍሩት ለአቶ ልደቱ አያሌው፣ ፓርቲው መላ መምታት እንዳለበት ግን ግምገማው አልተወያየበትም። በእርግጥ ኋላ ላይ ፓርቲው ለተዘፈቀበት የቀውስ ፓለቲካ ዋነኛው ምክንያት የከፊል አመራሮቹ ግላዊ ቀውስ መሆኑን የምንሞግተው ቢሆንም፤ አቶ ልደቱ ”ሥልጣን ይልቀቁ” ማለትን እንጂ ሥልጣን ልልቀቅ የማይሉ የአሮጌው ሥርዓት አራማጅ እንጂ የለውጥ ሐዋርያ አለመሆናቸውን መገንዘብ ብዙ አይቸግርም።...more...

Ethiopia blames Somali leadership for peace failures(AFP)

NAIROBI (AFP) — Ethiopia, whose forces toppled an Islamist regime in Mogadishu two years ago, on Tuesday blamed the failure to restore stability in Somalia on the transitional rulers it helped bring to power.

"Somalia's problems are not security, but political," said Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin at a meeting of governments in the region focused on Somalia....more..

“ኢህአዴግ ራሱን ብቻ ለመጪው ምርጫ እያዘጋጀ ነው” የምክክር መድረክ(Ethiopia Zare)

Ethiopia Zare (እሁድ ጥቅምት 16 ቀን 2001 ዓ.ም. October 26, 2008)፦ የዲሞክራሲያዊ ሥርዓት ግንባታ ጥረት የማዕዘን ደንጋይ የሆኑ ተቃዋሚ የፖለቲካ ፓርቲዎች ከገዥው ፓርቲ ጋር በ1998 ዓ.ም. የጀመሩት ውይይት ተቋርጦ “ገዢው ፓርቲ ራሱን ብቻ ለመጪው ምርጫ እያዘጋጀ ነው” ሲል መድረክ ለዲሞክራሲያዊ ምክክር በኢትዮጵያ አስታወቀ።

መድረኩ ይህን ያስታወቀው በኢትዮጵያ ዲሞክራሲያዊ ኃይሎች ጽሕፈት ቤት ትናንት በሰጠው ጋዜጣዊ መግለጫ ላይ ሲሆን፣ በመግለጫው “በሀገራችን ዘላቂ ሠላም ለማስፈን በውጭም በሀገር ውስጥም ከሚንቀሳቀሱት ከሁሉም ተቃዋሚ ፓርቲዎች ጋር ውይይት የሚካሄድበት ሁኔታ ይመቻቻል፤ እንደዚሁም በ2002 ዓ.ም. ለሚካሄደው ሀገራዊ ምርጫ አስፈላጊው ቅድመ ሁኔታዎች ማለትም፣ የፖለቲካ ፓርቲዎች ከመንግሥት ድጐማ የሚያገኙበት፣ የተዘጉ ጽ/ቤቶቻቸው የሚከፈቱበት እና የታሰሩ አባሎቻቸው የሚፈቱበት እርምጃ ይወስዳል” የሚል በፕሬዝዳንቱ ንግግር ውስጥ እንዲካተት ያቀረብነው ሃሳብ ለውይይት እንኳን እንዳይቀርብ በምክትል አፈጉባዔዋ ውድቅ ሆኖብናል ሲሉ በመግለጫው አስታውቀዋል።

በሀገራችን በአስከፊ ሁኔታ በገጠርም በከተማም እየደረሰ ስላለው ረሃብ የሚያወላዳ መፍትሔ የሚገኝበት ሁኔታ ይመቻቻል፣ የኢትዮጵያ ጦር ከሶማሊያ በአስቸኳይ ስለሚወጣበት ሁኔታ አስፈላጊው እርምጃ ሁሉ የሚወሰድ ይሆናል።

በጋዜጣዊ መግለጫው አቶ ቡልቻ ደመቅሳ ከኦፌዴን፣ ከሶማሌ ዴሞክራሲያዊ አንድነት ኃይሎች ቅንጅት አቶ አለን ናስር፣ በግል ደግሞ ዶ/ር ነጋሶ ጊዳዳ ሲገኙ የዓረና ትግራይ ለዲሞክራሲና ለሉዓላዊነት ተወካዮች አልተገኙም።

የዓረና ተወካዮች እነ አቶ ስዬ አብርሃ በጋዜጣዊ መግለጫው ላይ ያልተገኙት ባጋጠማቸው ኀዘን መሆኑን የጠቆሙት ፕሮፌሠር በየነ ጴጥሮስ፤ መግለጫው እነሱም የተስማሙበት የምክክር መድረኩ አቋም ነው ብለዋል።Source Ethiopia Zare

የኢትዮጵያ ብሔራዊ ባንክ 27 ሚሊዮን ዶላር ተጭበረበረ (Ethiopia Zare)

Sunday, 26 October 2008 22:03

Ethiopia Zare (እሁድ ጥቅምት 16 ቀን 2001 ዓ.ም. October 26, 2008)፦ በዚህ ሣምንት ኒውዮርክ (አሜሪካ) ከሚገኘው ሲቲ ባንክ ውስጥ ገንዘብነቱ የኢትዮጵያ ብሔራዊ ባንክ የሆነ 27 ሚሊዮን ዶላር ተጭበረበረ። ገንዘቡን ሲያጭበረብሩ የተያዙት ናይጄሪያውያን በቁጥጥር ስር ውለዋል።

የኢትዮጵያ ብሔራዊ ባንክ በራሱ አካውንት ቁጥር በሲቲ ባንክ ተቀማጭ ገንዘብ ያለው ሲሆን፣ ይህንን ገንዘብ ሦስት ናይጄሪያውያን እንዳጭበረበሩት ባለፈው ሣምንት ኀሙስ ተገልጿል።

ባንኩ እንደገለፀው ከሲቲ ባንክ የሥራ ኃላፊዎች ጋር በመሆን አጭበርባሪዎቹ እንዲታወቁ ያደረገ ሲሆን፣ የገንዘቡ መጭበርበርም በኢትዮጵያ ሀብት ላይ ምንም ለውጥ እንደማያመጣ ገልጸዋል።

ምክንያቱም ችግሩ የተፈጠረው በኢትዮጵያ በኩል ባለመሆኑና በዚሁ ጉዳይ ላይም ከሲቲ ባንክ ጋር በመነጋገር ከስምምነት ላይ በመድረሱ ነው።

እስከ ኀሙስ ጥቅምት 13 ቀን 2001 ዓ.ም. ድረስ 10 ሚሊዮን ዶላር ወደ ብሔራዊ ባንክ አካውንት ውስጥ መግባቱን ገልጿል።

በኢትዮጵያ የሚገኙ ብሔራዊ ባንክን ጨምሮ የመንግሥት እና የግል ባንኮች ከውጭ ባንኮች ጋር አብሮ ከመሥራታቸውም በተጨማሪ አካውንት አላቸው።Source Ethiopia Zare

ከምርጫ 97 በኋላ በተፈጠረው ግጭት የተሳተፉ ሊጠየቁ ይገባል (ፕ/ር ዓለማየሁ ገ/ማርያም)(Ethiopia Zare)

ፕሮፌሠር ዓለማየሁ ገ/ማርያም

ባለፈው ሣምንት የኢትዮጵያን ውስጣዊ የፀጥታ ሁኔታ ማዘመን “Moderenizing Internal Security In Ethiopia” የሚል ይፋዊ ሪፖርት ተሰራጭቶ ነበር። ሪፖርቱ በጡረተኛው የብሪታኒያ ኮሎኔል ሚካኤል ዲዋር ሰኔ ወር 2000 ዓ.ም. ላይ የተዘጋጀ ሲሆን ቅኝቱ፣ ግኝቱና የመፍትሔ ሃሳቡ ስኬትን በሚያሳይ መልኩ የተቀመጠ ነው። ለፖለቲካና ኢኮኖሚያዊ ቀውሶችም ምክር ይሰጣል። ኮሎኔል ዲዋር እንደሚገልፁት በጥናቱ ላይ በለንደን የኢትዮጵያ አምባሣደርና በኢትዮጵያ የቀድሞ የብሪታኒያ አምባሳደርን ጨምሮ በርካታ ባለሙያዎች ከግንቦት 2007 እ.ኤ.አ. ጀምሮ መሳተፋቸውን ይጠቅሳል።...more..

Muslims applaud Colin Powell for defending them (Chigago Sun-Times)

‘‘The correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he’s a Christian. He’s always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer’s no, that’s not America,’’ Powell said....more..

SKorea arrests Nigerians over massive banking scam (Yahoo news)

Han Jeong, a senior police officer at Yongsan, told Yonhap news agency the Nigerians had already handed over most of the eight billion won to unspecified Ethiopians....more..

Untapped Talents of Educated Immigrants (Washington Post)

Highly educated Latin American and African immigrants fare far worse in the job market than Europeans or Asians, the authors said. Almost half of recently arrived college-educated Latin Americans hold unskilled jobs, as do more than one-third of those who have been in the country for more than 10 years. The problem persists even when only immigrants who are in the country legally are considered....more..

Five Reasons for Ethiopian-Americans to Support Obama(Tadias)

New York (Tadias) - Even if this is the most important American presidential election in the last half-century, why should Ethiopians burn with special interest in it?..read more for the answer...

Botswana's Mogae wins $5m prize (BBC)

"Botswana demonstrates how a country with natural resources can promote sustainable development with good governance, in a continent where too often mineral wealth has become a curse," Mr Annan said....more..

Powell endorses Obama for president(msnbc)

Stressing that Obama was a lifelong Christian, Powell denounced Republican tactics that he said were insulting not only to to Obama but also to Muslims.
“The really right answer is what if he is?” Powell said, praising the contributions of millions of Muslim citizens to American society.
“I look at these kind of approaches to the campaign, and they trouble me,” Powell said. “Over the last seven weeks, the approach of the Republican Party has become narrower and narrower.” ...read more..

' Amen Belu ' (you tube)

Funny You tube clips ..Watch it

የትምህርት ጥራት መጓደል (Ethiopia Zare)

..የኢንተርናሽናል ሊደርሺፕ ተቋም መሥራችና ፕሬዝዳንት ፕሮፌሠር ባደግ በቀለ፣ ከሪፖርተር ጋዜጣ ጋር ባደረጉት ቃለምልልስ፣ በኢትዮጵያ የትምህርት ጥራት መጓደል እንደሚታይ ገልፀዋል። ለጥራት መጓደሉም ከፍተኛ ነጥብ ያመጡ ተማሪዎች በዩኒቨርስቲው በመምህርነት እንዲያስተምሩ መደረጉ የመምህራን እጥረት መሆኑን ይገልፃሉ። በሌላው ዓለም የቢ.ኤ. ዲግሪ ያለው የማስተርስ ዲግሪን አያስተምርም፤ እንዲሁም የማስተርስ ተማሪ የፒ.ኤች. ዲግሪን አያስተምርም። በኢትዮጵያ ግን ይኼን መመልከቱ የተለመደ ከመሆኑም በላይ ለትምህርት ጥራት መጓደሉ ምክንያት ሊሆን እንደሚችል ነው ያመለከቱት።

እንደ ፕሮፌሠር ባደግ ገለፃ ከትምህርት ጥራት መለኪያዎች መካከል የአስተማሪዎች ብቃትና የትምህርት ማስተማሪያ አጋዦች (ቤተ መጻሕፍት፣ ኢንተርኔትና የመሳሰሉት) ይጠቀሳሉ፤ የትምህርት ጥራት መጓደል ከተማሪዎች የተወዳዳሪነት አቅም ማነስ ጋር የሚያያዝ ሲሆን፣ መንግሥት ከመጠን በላይ ተማሪ በመቀበል ላይ ማተኮር ሳይሆን ከተቋማቱ ጋር ተመጣጣኝ ተማሪ በመቀበል ተወዳዳሪ ማድረግ ላይ ትኩረት ሊሰጥ ይገባል ይላሉ። ...more..

British minister withholds aid as Ethiopia hides famine victims(TIMESONLINE))

Douglas Alexander, the Minister for International Development, flew to Ethiopia on Thursday with a proposal committing millions in funds to the vast African nation over several years.
After visiting the Somali region and hearing the testimony of aid organisations as well as evidence of attempts by the authorities to hide the scale of the crisis, Mr Alexander told the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, that he had reconsidered. “In light of our continued concerns, I said I was now not prepared to make a multi-annual commitment,” Mr Alexander said. ...more..

Ethiopia Rejects Somalia Withdrawal Timetable (VOA)

The Ethiopian presence is viewed by many Somalis as an occupation force, prompting a violent backlash from extremist clan-based militias. But, Prime Minister Meles said withdrawal would be considered only when stability is assured...more..

On World Food Day, 17 Million People Face Starvation in the Horn of Africa (care))

combination of drought, conflict and rising food prices has left more than 17 million people in the Horn of Africa sliding into a full-blown humanitarian crisis – that's the equivalent of more than half of Calfornia facing starvation. These countries are heading into the peak hunger season when cereal prices are at their highest, and families have no stocks left from the previous harvest....more..

Troop pull-out leaves government on brink (Sunday hearald)

Diplomats and analysts in neighbouring Nairobi believe the government will fall once Ethiopia completes its withdrawal, and secret plans have been made to evacuate government ministers to neighbouring Kenya....more..

From 'Love Kitten' to child literacy(CNN)

"Children could imagine everything from books -- connections to other cultures, to other people, to other children, and to the universe at large," recalls Gebregeorgis. "..more..

8 Kenyans back from Ethiopia want police charged(Daily Nation)

..They complained about their arrest, detention and handing over to Somali and Ethiopian authorities saying it was malicious and in contravention of their rights....more..

Commentary: The End of Pax Zenawi in Somalia - By Alemayehu G. Mariam(HAROWO)

...Zenawi realizes the jig is up in Somalia. For the past several weeks, he and his officials have been consistently dropping hints and insinuations of withdrawal. In his Ethiopian “new year” video interview last month, Zenawi declared triumphantly that he had fully achieved his primary objective of destroying and neutralizing the "jihadist" threat to Ethiopia. Success in stabilizing the Somali transitional government and bringing some measure of peace and reconciliation was “not 100 percent”. But Somalia is ready to host international peacekeepers, and he is ready to take out his troops. For Zenawi, the question is not whether or not to withdraw...more..

Ethiopia returns to Kenya suspected militants(Reuters)

...Muslim and rights groups say those who were rounded up in 2007 were taken for questioning to Ethiopia, whose forces help to support Somalia's fragile government.

The groups say they were kept in jails rife with torture that some campaigners called an "African Guantanamo", drawing a parallel with suspects held at the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba under the U.S.-led "war on terror"....more..

"Why Am I still Here?" (HRW)

The 2007 Horn of Africa Renditions and the Fate of Those Still Missing. Click here to read the full story (PD F file)

ኢትዮጵያና ደቡብ አፍሪካ በዲሞክራሲ ገጽታ (ከፕ/ር አለማየሁ ገ/ማርያም)[Ethiopia are]

ፕሮፌሠር አለማየሁ ገ/ማርያም

ኢትዮጵያና ደቡብ አፍሪካን ከሚለይዋቸው ገጽታዎች ዋነኛው በዲሞክራሲ ግንባታ ረገድ እየተጓዙበት ያለው መንገድ ነው። በደቡብ አፍሪካ የዲሞክራሲ መገለጫ የሆነው የህዝብ መንግሥት፣ በህዝብ የተመረጠ መንግሥትና ለህዝብ የሚሠራ መንግሥት የመኖሩ ጉዳይ ነው። (Government of the people by people and for the people) በኢትዮጵያ ያለው የአገዛዝ ሥርዓት መገለጫ ግን የዲሞክራሲ ገጽታ አለው ለማለት ይከብዳል። ምክንያቱም ከዲሞክራሲ መገለጫው ይልቅ ጥቂት ግለሰቦች በሥልጣን ላይ የሚቆዩበትና የህዝብን ሀብት እንደፈለጉ የሚያደርጉበት ሁኔታ የበለጠ ይጐላልና።...more..

ኢድ ሙባረክ!

Eid Mubarak

Barack and the soul of America (Ethiopianreview)

...Barack understands the problems of Ethiopians and all oppressed peoples in the world. He understands that American security in the world is directly proportional to America’s role in ensuring freedom, democracy and human rights throughout the world. His understanding is not mere repetition of platitudes about democracy and freedom. It is much deeper than that:

"We have heard much over the last six years about how America’s larger purpose in the world is to promote the spread of freedom – that it is the yearning of all who live in the shadow of tyranny and despair. I agree. But this yearning is not satisfied by simply deposing a dictator and setting up a ballot box. The true desire of all mankind is not only to live free lives, but lives marked by dignity and opportunity; by security and simple justice....more..

Djibouti-Eritrea border tension could escalate, warns UN team(Africafiles)

..."The possible destabilization of Djibouti and the militarization of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait [connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and a strategic link to the Mediterranean] do not augur well for peace in the region or for international shipping and investment. Solutions must therefore be found as a matter of the utmost priority." The report placed the onus on Eritrea, which has alleged aggression by Djibouti, to cooperate with the UN and establish the facts to support its allegations. The UN should persuade Eritrea and Djibouti to demilitarize the border and return to the "status quo ante as at February," according to the report....more...

Food, water and sheep: tackling Ethiopia's food crisis (Reuters0

"Unfortunately many of the strategies people are forced to adopt to feed themselves in the short term create conditions where the cycle of poverty and hunger is prolonged. Simply providing food aid helps keep people alive, but it is an unsustainable solution," said Pete Garratt, British Red Cross relief operations manager....more...

ANC forces South African President Mbeki to resign (MiamiHerald0

...South Africans vote for parties, not individuals. That puts a premium on party loyalty and discipline among legislators and allows political leaders to quickly make radical changes....more..

Ethiopia starving Somalis(Pr-inside)

...The latest grief for Somalis was the confirmation of Ethiopian administration to designate Fridays as a working day. Friday is similar to Sabbath and Sunday for Muslims as they consider it a holy day. This loss of religious right has become the latest denial of rights to Muslim Somalis. Somali experts cite an increasing fear of the regime afraid of Muslim gatherings and sermons as the rising tension could spark demonstration in cities such as Jigjiga....read more..

Ethiopian rebels call for Ogaden aid corridor(Reuters)

"The situation is getting out of hand. Women and children and the elderly are dying from thirst and hunger," Abdirahman Mahdi, a founding member of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) said in a telephone interview...more..

Ethiopia downplaying effect of food crisis: UN (The Australian)

JIJIGA, Ethiopia: Ethiopia has been accused of deliberately underestimating the scale of the deadly drought facing millions of its people, some of whom are being deprived of emergency food aid by the country's military.

The humanitarian crisis, caused by three years of failed rains, affects more than 4.6 million people, and the official number could jump to as high as 6.7million this week, The Times newspaper reported yesterday.

The UN says the real number at risk is more than 8 million, an estimate disputed by Addis Ababa, which is insisting on publishing a much lower figure.

"The figure has risen very substantially, maybe even doubled," said John Holmes, the UN's emergency relief co-ordinator, who visited Ethiopia this month, in comments reported by The Times...read more...

Ethiopia accused of hiding famine as millions starve(TimesOnline)

The WFP has told donors that it blames Ethiopia’s “delays in recognising the extent of need” for causing the rapid depletion of existing food stocks. But a Channel 4 News investigation tonight claims that the army has withheld food from villages in the Ogaden deliberately as part of a “scorched earth” policy against separatist rebels of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF)....more..

Militant threat paralyses Mogadishu airport((SwissInfo)

Turning deaf ears to what al Shabaab said means planes will be burned and staff assassinated at their houses," an official at the airport said. "We have agreed not to land planes."...more...

Just Can’t Shake It Loose: Feingold and Leahy for Human Rights in Ethiopia (Ethiomedia)

Feingold-Leahy’s Senate Bill 3457 (“Support for Democracy and Human Rights in Ethiopia Act of 2008’’), shares the same legislative justification and evidence as H.R. 2003. S.B. 3457 documents serious, widespread and extensive human rights violations by the “Government of Ethiopia” in the aftermath of the 2005 elections. It notes the murder of 193 innocent demonstrators and injury of 763 others, detention of “thousands more opposition party leaders and their followers”, “violations of human rights and international law by the Ethiopian military in Mogadishu and other areas of Somalia, as well as in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia.” The bill describes the use of “unjustifiably brutal tactics [by the ‘government’ of Ethiopia] against its own citizens in Oromiya, Amhara and Gambella regions.” The bill asserts that the recent so-called civil society law has the effect of “creat[ing] a complex web of onerous bureaucratic hurdles, draconian criminal penalties and intrusive powers of surveillance that would further decrease the political space available for civil society institutions.” Section 5 of the bill requires the President to take “additional steps to support the implementation of democracy and governance institutions and organizations in Ethiopia,” including support for civil society organizations, fundamental freedoms, bolstering the independence of the judiciary and full international access to the Ogaden, among other things. The bill provides $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2009 to carry out its purposes. In contrast to the Feingold-Leahy bill, H.R. 2003 imposes stricter limitations on security assistance and travel restrictions on any official of the government of Ethiopia involved in human rights violations. To avoid triggering the sanctions provisions, H.R. 2003 requires the President to report to Congress that the “government” of Ethiopia is making “quantifiable” progress in specific areas such as the release of political prisoners, independent operation of the judiciary, free operation of the print and broadcast media and restructuring of the national elections board to reflect the political diversity in the country, among others. H.R. 2003 also provides support for economic development...more..

Statement by Senators Feingold and Leahy on S. 3457 (Galbeed)

Furthermore, the Ethiopian military has come under increasing scrutiny for its conduct in the Ogaden as well as Somalia, with credible reports from non-governmental organizations of torture, rape and indiscriminate attacks. By providing unconditioned security assistance we are also sowing the seeds of insecurity and creating new grievances both in Ethiopia and in its neighboring countries....more..

Islamists threaten to shut down Mogadishu airport(Reuter)

"We banned all planes from Mogadishu after confirming that American spies, the African Union, Ethiopians and the infidel government troops use the airport," said a statement in Somali on www.kataaib.net, one of several sites used by the militants....more..

Jolie-Pitt Foundation to Open Children's Clinic in Ethiopia (Koin News)

"Our goal is to transfer the success we have had in Cambodia to Ethiopia where people are needlessly dying of tuberculosis, a curable disease, and HIV/AIDS, a treatable disease," Jolie said in a statement to People. ...more...

Reparations for Ethiopia will redress injustices ( bdafrica)

“At that moment”, wrote Nkrumah ,” It was almost as if the whole of London had declared war on me personally. For the next few minutes I could do nothing but glare at each impassive face, wondering if these people could realise the wickedness of colonialism, and praying that the day might come when I could play my part in bringing about the downfall of such a system.”...more..

FEINGOLD INTRODUCES “SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN ETHIOPIA ACT OF 2008” IN SENATE(Coalition for H.R. 2003)

The Feingold bill is substantially similar in legislative intent and appraisal of the poor human rights conditions in Ethiopia. The “findings” in the bill document a slew of human rights violations committed by the “Government of Ethiopia” in the aftermath of the 2005 elections, including the injury of “763 civilians,” the murder of 193 persons and detention of “thousands more opposition party leaders and their followers, “widespread violations of human rights and international law by the Ethiopian military in Mogadishu and other areas of Somalia, as well as in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia.” The bill describes the use of “unjustifiably brutal tactics [by the government of Ethiopia] against its own citizens in Oromiya, Amhara and Gambella regions.” The bill finds the recent civil society law has the effect of “creat[ing] a complex web of onerous bureaucratic hurdles, draconian criminal penalties and intrusive powers of surveillance that would further decrease the political space available for civil society institutions.” ...read more..

U.N.: Armed killings cost U.S. $45 billion yearly (MSNBC)

Among the 90 countries are nations from every continent, including Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Ethiopia, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Russia and the United States....more..

Ethiopia kicked out of World Cup (BBC)

However, that January meeting was not recognised by Fifa, who together with Confederation of African Football then released a roadmap in February aimed at rectifying the situation.

The EFF had agreed to implement the roadmap, but failed to put it into action and was suspended six weeks ago as a result....more..

Ethiopia says Eritrea "incapable" of another war (reuters)

The two governments intensely dislike each other and still do not agree on their frontier despite its "virtual demarcation" on maps by an independent boundary commission...read more..

High chicken prices cause discontent in Ethiopia(GMA News)

But people trying to buy live birds for Thursday's Ethiopian New Year celebrations found the price suddenly out of reach even for the relatively well-off...read more..

Egypt-Ethiopia –Food aid(African Press Agency)

APA-Cairo (Egypt) Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Wednesday ordered the Defense Ministry to send food aid to Ethiopia to help alleviate the food crisis currently besieging that country.

A spokesman of the Egyptian government, Magdi Radi said in Cairo that the ministry was preparing to dispatch two military planes full of different foodstuffs to Ethiopia.

The move came in response to appeals from the international community to provide food aid to help drought - stricken Ethiopia to overcome its current humanitarian crisis.

The Egyptian Fund for Technical Cooperation with Africa has revealed recently plans to provide food aid to several African countries to help them to ease the food crisis. Source African Press Agency

Ethiopia: Desperate farmers eat seeds before planting(Relief Web)

"I did not have any other option but to eat the 25kg of haricot bean seed that I had saved from last year," she said. "I readied my land to plant when the rain came again [but] I knew I would not be able to get any seeds."...more..

Middle East/North Africa: Treat Domestic Workers Fairly This Ramadan (HR New)

(New York, September 2, 2008) – At the beginning of Ramadan, a month of reflection and fasting, employers of domestic workers in the Middle East and North Africa should take special care to consider the rights of domestic workers, who work extra hours to aid with the month-long gatherings of their employers, Human Rights Watch said today. ..read more..

Bekele storms to Olympic double (BBC)

Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele crushed the opposition as he cruised to 5,000m gold on Saturday, adding to the 10,000m title he won eight days ago....more...

Athletics - No wifely distractions for Bekele's bid (Reuters)

"We are gifted from God," he said, solemnly....more...

Dibaba storms to Olympic double (BBC)

It is the first time a female runner has won the 5,000m and 10,000m titles....more..

Somali insurgents 'take key port' (BBC)

Islamist insurgents in Somalia say they have taken control of the southern port of Kismayo amid fighting that has left dozens of people dead.....more..

Ethiopia - another famine, another avoidable disaster (TimesOnline)

There are two big causes, and drought is not one of them. They are within the power of politicians to tackle, and tackled they must finally be, with the requisite sense of urgency. The first is Ethiopia's population explosion; with families averaging 5.4 children, it has soared from 33.5 million in the 1984 famine to 77 million now. In a country where 85 per cent of the people rely on farming for a living, this means that, per head, food production has actually fallen since 1984 - by more than a third - and farm plots get smaller and smaller. A fifth of Ethiopian farmers try to survive on areas no more than 20 metres by 40 metres per person, yielding no more than half their cereal needs....more..

ጥሩነሽ ዲባባ ሁለተኛዋን የወርቅ ሜዳሊያ አገኘች (Ethiopia Zare)

Ethiopia Zare (ዓርብ ነኀሴ 16 ቀን 2000 ዓ.ም. August 22, 2008)፦ ዛሬ በቤጂንግ ኦሎምፒክ በተደረገው የሴቶች 5 ሺህ ሜትር ርቀት ፍፃሜ አትሌት ጥሩነሽ ዲባባ አንደኛ በመውጣት ለራስዋ ሁለተኛውን፣ ለኢትዮጵያ ደግሞ ሦስተኛውን የወርቅ ሜዳሊያ አስገኝታለች። አትሌት መሠረት ደፋር ደግሞ ሦስተኛ በመውጣት ለኢትዮጵያ የመጀመሪያውን የነኀስ ሜዳሊያ አስገኝታለች።...more...

Ethiopia’s Dibaba Outkicks Rival to Complete a Distance Double (Newyprk Times)

The women are neither enemies nor friends, but they are rivals. They trade Olympic gold medals and world records. They are in the same events, at the apex of their careers. There are only so many baubles to go around. Gold medals are not like pizza that can be divided into slices....more..

Green famine in Ethiopia (The real news)

Was it like 43 Billion wasted on the Olympics? I don't know if 43 or 34 billion, but hey, that's a whole bunch of money that could help people like these and many others because they aren't the only ones suffering shortage of food. The whole system in which we live today was shaped by the banking mafia, we need to get rid of it completely....Watch the video here

Ethiopia's Bikele repeats as Olympic 10,000-metre champ (CBC)

Bikele won gold in a time of 27 minutes, 1.17 seconds. He took almost four seconds off his own Olympic record although he was short of the world record......more..

Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia
gestures after winning
the gold in the 10,000,
ahead of countryman
Sileshi Sihine, right.
(Stu Forster/Getty Images)

DENAN, "THE MINI-DARFUR" IN ETHIOPIA.:TV VIDEO & EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW....(Maxim New)

Dick Young, the acclaimed Oscar-nominated, multiple award-winning documentary filmmaker traveled to a place in Ethiopia called Denan, also known as, the “Mini-Darfur” where he produced the following three-part video now presented on MaximsNews.TV and MaximsNews YouTube.

He is interviewed here about the project by MaximsNews International Editor Marisha Wojciechowska-Shibuya. MaximsNews Multimedia Editor Bonnie Blake developed the videos for the MaximsNews YouTube channel....more..

Ethiopia’s Golden Girl: Dibaba Wins Women’s 10000m (Tadias)

(BEIJING, August 15) — Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia has won gold and set a new Olympic record in the Women’s 10000m at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 15....more

Guji versus Burji – Proxy War and Ethnic Cleansing (Addis Voice)

Four days ago I wrote a letter to the Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about the on-going political, cultural, economic and the national destruction of Ethiopia. I was candid about the role I felt the USA has played in facilitating the current thugs in Addis Ababa to bring Ethiopia to the current state of degradation. While I feel it is legitimate to lay some blame on the Bush Administration for emboldening the Meles regime in their systematic dismantling of the social fabric of Ethiopians and the sovereignty of Ethiopia, ultimately Ethiopians must take the majority of the blame for the sorry state of affairs!

Meles and his TPLF have never made any secret about their scheme against Ethiopia! They sought and obtained the co-operation from the rest of the country, notably the OLF, in instituting the most subversive constitution imaginable. Once they got that out of the way, they were done with the OLF and the rest is history! The systematic purging of the communities which showed any resistance to their thuggish rule has been well documented:

1. The massacre of the Anuaks;
2. On going purge of the Oromos using their OLF support as the main excuse;
3. The ongoing genocide in Ogaden;
4. Atrocities against the people of the various ethnic background throughout the country; and
5. Blaming natural disasters such as failed rainfall while the country’s thousands of square miles of arable land in Ethiopia lie fallow, thus condemning millions of Ethiopians to recurrent seasons of slow deaths by starvation....more..

HR2003 'Inhofed', but alive and well (Addis Voice)

On Planet Inhofe, Mugabe is an "authoritarian" leader by conducting elections that are "tainted by intimidation of voters and violence against the opposition party and their supporters", but Zenawi is a benevolent leader who has "taken significant steps to regain a democratic process that is fair and respectful of human rights" by jailing opposition leaders, human rights advocates and journalists, and thousands of ordinary citizens suspected of disloyalty to his regime. Mugabe is a heartless and ruthless despot for "threatening already hungry people to either vote for Mugabe or starve", but Zenawi is an enlightened leader for weaponizing famine against civilians, creating the second largest refugee population (after Darfur) in Africa, and condemning 13 million Ethiopians to avoidable famine. "It is time for Mugabe to allow his people to decide the next phase and direction of their country," but it is NOT time for Zenawi to do the same in Ethiopia....more..

Country’s biggest reggae star’s arrest sharpens dissent in Ethiopia (The Indian Express)

“We’d hoped that was the beginning of an opening in the democratic space,” said Hailu Araaya, deputy chairman of the recently formed Unity for Democracy and Justice party. He spent 20 months in jail before his release in July 2007. “But the political space is contracting again. It’s clear the ruling party is determined to stay in power by any means.”...more..

Woyanne tribal politics rears its ugly head at Beijing Olympics (Ethiopian Review)

Ethiopia's superstar athletes such as Haile Gebreselassie, Kenenisa Bekele, Tirunesh Dibaba and others were no where to be found among the Ethiopian delegation. Instead, the flag (with that ugly Woyanne logo in the middle) was carried by Miruts Yifter, a great Ethiopian athlete from the 1970s, followed by Ato Seyoum Bereded, a Woyanne cadre who has never done any sport in his life, and...more..

Islamists Seize Provincial Capital Near Ethiopian Border (VOA)

Witnesses in Somalia say Islamist insurgents have seized control of Hudur, the capital of the Bakool region.

The insurgent group al-Shabab says on its Web site that its fighters entered Hudur early Friday after government-allied soldiers fled the town late Thursday. ...more

The rains have come, the land is lush but Ethiopians still go hungry (Guardian)

n June the government said 4.6 million people in drought-affected parts of the country required £162.5m of assistance, but unofficial estimates from donor agencies following recent nationwide assessments put the figure closer to 8-10 million people....more..

UN To Disband Ethiopia-Eritrea Border Mission (Reuters)

The UN move comes after Eritrea withdrew support for the mission last year, demanding the UN pressurize Ethiopia to agree with an earlier international border ruling that awarded the disputed territory to Eritrea....more..

FIFA suspends Ethiopia with immediate effect. (Ngex)

FIFA has suspended the Ethiopian Football Federation with immediate effect after the Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) failed to comply with a roadmap agreed in February 2008 aimed at normalising the Ethiopian federation. ..more..

Obang Metho's Message to Ethiopian Muslim Leaders (Anauak Justice Council)

ight now there are human rights atrocities going on in the Afar region, in Oromia, in the Beninshangul-Gumuz region, in the Southern Nations and especially severely in the Ogaden and into Somalia. These are not just violations of human rights, they are violations of Allah/God’s law and principles and people who fear Allah/God and value human life, should show that they care about such injustice through their actions.
When the Anuak were killed, no one spoke out. It is now our chance to speak out for those now suffering in our country. If someone is wounded at the side of the road, we should not first ask the wounded person if they are from the same tribe, region, culture or religion before we help them....more..

ICI claims article was 'racially offensive' (Irish Times)

Section 2 of the Act says it is an offence to publish or distribute written material if it is threatening, abusive or insulting and intended to, or having regarding to all of the circumstances, is likely to, stir up hatred.

In the article, Mr Myers questioned whether it was moral to save an Ethiopian child from starvation, given that it could grow up to face poverty, hunger, violence and possible sexual abuse....more..

Africa is giving nothing to anyone -- apart from AIDS ((Independent .ie)

Sorry. My conscience has toured this territory on foot and financially. Unlike most of you, I have been to Ethiopia; like most of you, I have stumped up the loot to charities to stop starvation there. The wide-eyed boy-child we saved, 20 years or so ago, is now a priapic, Kalashnikov-bearing hearty, siring children whenever the whim takes him.

There is, no doubt a good argument why we should prolong this predatory and dysfunctional economic, social and sexual system; but I do not know what it is. There is, on the other hand, every reason not to write a column like this...more..

Failed leader + failed regime = failed state (Ethiomedia)

Contrary to Assefa’s categorical denial that Ethiopia is not a “failed state”, his boss admitted in a Time Magazine interview that Ethiopia actually is just such a state “in terms of poverty”. Zenawi stated⁵: After Nigeria, we are the second biggest black African nation. We are the headquarters of the African Union. We are the only African country that has never been colonized. This is perhaps the last surviving African civilization. We have our own script. We have our own calendar. We represent the greatness of Africa's past. We also represent the worst of Africa's present, in terms of poverty. It is the best and the worst of African reality.

This frank admission by the leader of the ruling regime reflects not so much a failure of state institutions, but rather a dismal failure of individual and collective leadership. It is an admission that the country is at the bottom of the African economic barrel because its lacks capable and visionary political leadership with a long-term economic recovery and growth plans for the country....more

Abebech Gobena: A profile in compassion (drmehretmandefro)

Abebech’s life instructs what happens when you do not stop the love. The kids soon became 200 and in 1988 she received a permit to raise the children as orphans. Her unusual actions have grown into 6 different branches of the Abebech Gobena Children’s Care and Development organization with over 12,000 children under her care...more..

The aid Africa can't afford(LA Times)

Instead of serving their people, most African states function as vehicles for the self-enrichment of political elites that have inherited none of the public-spiritedness of their colonial predecessors but all of the latter's contempt for the African masses. The remedy, therefore, might be to let Africa's failing neocolonial states disintegrate totally -- so that organic African political structures can emerge....more..

OutragCrisis e Over Lavish G-8 dinner At Food Crisis Talks (RTTnews)

Ironically, leaders from Africa - where some of the world's poorest nations exist - - including the heads of Ethiopia, Tanzania and Senegal, who had taken part in the talks, were excluded from the feast organized by the Japanese government in Hokkaido, according to media reports....more..

Medical aid group pulls out of Ethiopia's Fik region after government harassment (Pr-inside)

GENEVA (AP) - The aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres says it is pulling out of Ethiopia's Fik region because of persistent government harassment.
MSF representative Hugues Robert says staff members have been denied work permits and detained without reason....more..

Millions Face Disaster Due to U.S. Ethiopian Occupation of Somalia (Black agenda Report)

The U.S. has made Ethiopia its hit man in the Horn of Africa, a decision that is guaranteed to destabilize the entire region. That’s part of the American modus operandi: to create chaos – always resulting in mass deaths among the poor – in order to declare Africans unfit to run their own affairs. This is a theme that plays well among U.S. corporate media, who have dutifully pushed the Bush line on Zimbabwe, but go months without even mentioning the American-made crisis in Somalia. Democratic Party leadership is no better, including presidential nominee-to-be Barack Obama, whose father was born in Kenya, Somalia’s neighbor. Obama, the Speaker of the House and the top Democrat in the Senate are all mum on U.S. crimes against the Somali people...more..

Somali government base attacked(BBC)

It was the first time Baidoa, the only town fully under government control, had been attacked since late 2006.

A soldier was killed and six people wounded in the attack on the airport and presidential palace, witnesses say....more..

New Media Law, New Threat to Press Freedom (IPS news)

The new law fits into a pattern of official persecution of journalists seen over the last three years. Soon after controversial 2005 elections, three newspapers and magazines belonging to the country's largest private publisher, Serkalem Publishing House, were closed down as part of a widespread crackdown on media that dared to criticise the handling of the poll. Serkalem Fasil and her family were imprisoned for over a year....more...

Ethiopian army occupies Mount Hantub in Sudan - statement(Borglobe)

Tuesday, 08 July 2008 08:57 KUNA

HARTOUM, July 7 (KUNA) -- The Sudanese army announced Monday evening that the Ethiopian army has occupied Mount Hantub, 17 kilometers inside Sudanese territory.

Army spokesman Othman Mohammad Al-Agbash said that the Ethiopian army has attack Mount Hantub this morning and occupied the area, revealing the attack resulted in the death of several policemen as well as the injury of Sudanese citizens and security personnel.
The attack is another attempt to deprive Sudan from its natural and economic resources, stated Al-Agbash affirming that Sudan would from a committee to inquire about the reason behind the attack. (end) hhi.gta KUNA 072134 Jul 08NNNN

Last Updated ( Tuesday, 08 July 2008 09:08 )
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A safari-free zone: Ethiopia's ancient cultural heritage (TopNews)

Even experienced travellers are often unaware that Ethiopia, one of the world's most impoverished countries, is home to a wealth of natural and cultural treasures.

You won't find safaris with lions or giraffes here, but you will discover a culture that stretches back thousands of years....more..

Sudan says Ethiopia attacked military base (Reuters)

By Opheera McDoom

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan's army accused Ethiopian troops on Tuesday of attacking a military camp in northern Sudan and killing about 19 people.

A senior Ethiopian official played down the allegation, saying any "minor incident" on the border could be easily resolved.

Sudan's military spokesman said the attack took place early on Monday in the Jabel Hantub area of Sennar state.

"They hit a camp belonging to the central reserve police and they killed about 19 people," the Sudanese army spokesman said. He did not know how many people were injured....more..

Tension grows along Sudan-Ethiopia border (Sudane Tribune)

The newspaper said that Khalifa was accused by the Ethiopian authorities of offering concessions to Sudan on border issues. Sudan has turned down a request by its Eastern neighbor to hand over Khalifa...more..

Ethiopian soccer tournament fails to score with fans (Medill Report)

WASHINGTON--The teams at this year's African soccer tournament in Washington are playing to a nearly empty stadium. Ethiopian community groups are boycotting the annual event to protest the ... Click here to watch the vedio...

African Immigrants Among Obama's Enthusiastic Backers (WashingtonPost)

But the owner of Duke's City, Donato Sinaci, is not one of Obama's many young, white supporters. And the host of the event, Michael Endale, is not a native-born black American. They are members of Ethiopians for Obama, one of several campaign groups made up of African immigrants who are rallying around the first black American to win a major party's presidential primary, and the son of a Kenyan immigrant...more..

With Spies and Cellphones, Ethiopian Terror Touches Minnesota (New American Media)

“Every Ogadeni in Minnesota has friends or family who have been jailed, tortured, or killed. It seems there is no end to it. We could tell you stories all day for a whole week and still have more stories to tell you.”..more..

Living by Ethiopia's sewage canal (BBC)

But as long as extreme poverty in this country persists, families like the Alemus and the Wordfas will continue to live in a filthy no man's land on the banks of Addis Ababa's rivers...Full text..

Rights groups urge pressures on Ethiopia over repressive NGOs draft law(Sudan Tribune)

The United States and Britain, which collectively provide Ethiopia with more than $600 million in foreign assistance each year, are the Ethiopian government’s most important donors.

"Both governments have consistently failed to speak out publicly against longstanding patterns of repression and human rights violations including war crimes committed by Ethiopian armed forces in Somalia," the statement said....more...

Ethiopia: Gov't Prepares Assault On Civil Society (Scoop)

"Ethiopia's government has already made meaningful public engagement in governance impossible in many areas by persecuting its critics and cracking down on freedom of expression and assembly," said Georgette Gagnon, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "The clear intention of this legislation is to consolidate that trend by taking the 'non' out of 'nongovernmental' and putting civil society under government control."...more..

በጅማ ዩኒቨርሲቲ አንድ ተማሪ በጩቤ ተገደለ (Ethiopia Zare)

Ethiopia Zare (ረቡዕ ሰኔ 25 ቀን 2000 ዓ.ም. July 2, 2008)፦ ወጣት ደጉ ተስፋዬ ሰኔ 13 ቀን 2000 ዓ.ም ከጅማ ዩኒቨርሲቲ ትምህርቱን አጠናቅቆ ወደ ቤተሰቦቹ ለመመለስ ጊዜያዊ የትምህርት ማስረጃውን ይዞ፣ ዕቃውን ሸክፎ መናኸሪያ ከደረሰ በኋላ፤ የሞባይል ስልኩ ጠፍቶበት ስለነበር ስልኩ መገኘቱን የሚገልጽ መልዕክት ደርሶት ወደ ግቢው ሲመለስ ነው ሦስት ቦታ በጩቤ ተወግቶ የተገደለው።..more..

Somalia: The TFG/Ethiopia likely to derail the Djibouti Peace Accord (Somali Press Review)

As demonstrated by the deeds and actions of Ethiopia in the past, it has always played an outside spoiler in all the past Somali peace agreements and perpetuated the Somali crises for the past 17 years and illegally invaded Somalia on December 2006. In his response to this invasion, Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia stated that "Our defense force has been forced to enter a war to defend [against] the attacks from extremists and anti-Ethiopian forces and to protect the sovereignty of the land." This could not be farther from the truth, as Ethiopia has been Somalia's perennial enemy and its desire to cause eternal crisis in Somalia is its chief objective....more..

አፋኙ የፕሬስ ሕግ ዛሬ ፀደቀ (Ethiopia Zare)

ምርጫ 97ን ተከትሎ 21 ጋዜጠኞችን ከቅንጅት ከፍተኛ መሪዎች ጋር እስር ቤት ከከተተ በኋላ ያልታሰሩት የነፃው ፕሬስ ጋዜጠኞች አብዛኞቹ ሀገራቸውን ጥለው ለመሰደድ መገደዳቸው ይታወሳል። ከእስር ከተፈቱትና በፕሬስ ሥራ ላይ ለመሰማራት ፈቃድ የጠየቁትም መከልከላቸው ይታወቃል።..more..

Aid urgently needed to avert serious famine in Ethiopia: Unicef (AFP)

"I witnessed children die when I was present at the stabilisation centre. Government officials reported that children were already dying in villages where there was no access to therapeutic feeding," she said...more..

A Tangled Political Landscape Raises Questions About U.S. Ally (IPS)

These elections weren't even good enough to be rigged," asserts Bulcha Demeksa, a former United Nations and World Bank official who currently leads the OFDM and serves in Ethiopia's parliament. "A genuine dictatorship has been evolving."...more...

Ethiopia's Urban Poor Cannot Afford To Eat (IPS)

Really, again, the food crisis and, by extension, the energy crisis. We are lucky to have electricity today, but tomorrow we don't expect any. Energy meaning not only oil, but in the rural areas where we have 80% of the population, they are using firewood. There, they have to cut trees, and the deforestation of the country is really alarming, it's at about 30 percent now. There should be a policy to stop it. The poor farmers should be helped to plant trees and rewarded for planting trees. ...more..

Ethiopia: Meles Will Ultimately Fall—Are We Ready? (African Path)

Almost daily, we Ethiopians hear about another problem in the country that can be at least partially attributed to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and his corrupt gang of leaders. The list is endless. Here are some, most all of which have been absurdly denied by the government of Meles as “fabricated” or exaggerations; others which have been blamed on others:

• drought and crop failures,
• skyrocketing inflation,
• starvation and malnourishment of millions of Ethiopians,
• the giving away of Ethiopian land to Sudan from Gondor to Gambella,
• the intimidation of the opposition
• EPRDF control of the recent election,
• the thousands of remaining political prisoners,
• the repression of the media,
• the increase in military spending rather than in feeding the people
• lack of agricultural development,
• the lack of progress in healthcare, access to clean water, education and infrastructure in most regions of the country,
• the lack of private enterprise and land ownership
• the gold-plated steel bars in our treasury,
• corruption in high places with great disparity between a select elite minority and the rest of an impoverished nation
• the human rights atrocities in the Ogaden, in the Afar region, in Beninshangul-Gumuz, in Oromia and other place
• constant need for hand-outs from the international community
• the inclusion of Ethiopia as being one of the worst countries in the world on most every index of well-being
• the pervasive lack of hope throughout the whole country
• the lack of unity in addressing these problems...click here to read more..

Stop British complicity in human rights abuses in Somalia (Respect)

This Government are never done talking about the shortcomings of African leaders. Just last week in Rome, the Secretary of State for International Development was roaring at Robert Mugabe, yet there has not been a squeak out of him, or any other Minister, about the much bigger crime in which we are ourselves deeply complicit. Is it any wonder that African opinion considers so much of what we have to say about misgovernance in Africa to be the deepest, most cynical hypocrisy?

Two weeks ago, Channel 4’s “Dispatches” team took terrifying risks to bring us the latest from occupied Mogadishu. That was undoubtedly an award-winning documentary. It was memorable for many reasons, not least the scene in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office when the Minister of State, Lord Malloch-Brown, his face frozen in horror, was confronted by Aidan Hartley with the central case of the documentary makers. For the benefit of Members who did not see the programme—the Minister will certainly have seen it; she would hardly be sent out to bat on this wicket without being shown it—that central case was that, in the grim prison state of occupied Somalia, the fingerprints of our country and our Government were all over the scene of the crime....more..

British law maker blasts Meles regime (Addisvoice)

British lawmaker blasts Meles regime

June 14, 2008 (AV) British Member of Parliament George Galloway has criticised the Meles regime for its continued aggression against Somalia while the people of Ethiopia are starving. He said that immediately after television viewers across the world watched shocking pictures of starving children, the Meles regime increased its military budget. "The US and Britain immediately pledged $90 million in famine relief. Just one week after its appeal to the international community for famine relief, the Ethiopian Government increased their military budget by $50 million to $400 million. The regime in Addis Ababa—when I knew them in the 1980s, they were pro-Albanian Maoists—are the most militarised and heavily armed in Africa." Mr Galloway also slammed the Ethiopian embassy in London which is to hold a grand party to celebrate the 17th anniversary of the coming to power of the TPLF. "The Ethiopian Government are having a beano in the Ethiopian embassy in London to celebrate the 17th anniversary of their coming to power, and it is going to be a very grand event. That event comes at a time when the Ethiopian Government’s own people are starving to death," he said. more..

UDJ UPDATE

UDJ CONGRESS BANNED ! Source Unity for Democracy and Justice

At about 4 o'clock pm today, the police told Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ)—former CUDP---that it cannot hold its Founding Congress which was scheduled to be held at the Imperial Hotel, tomorrow, Saturday, June 14, 2008. Their excuse is that we do not have prior permission for holding a public gathering. Peaceful assembly is guaranteed by the Ethiopian Constitution. There is no law that requires obtaining prior permission for indoor gathering. The hotel reservation was made over two weeks ago. The Hotel Management had informed the relevant authorities on the details of the gathering – a usual practice – over a week ago and were told that it could go ahead as scheduled. Then, suddenly, there came this ban on a Friday, at the end of the day's working hours, followed by a weekend. We believe that this was a deliberate measure calculated to prevent the Congress from taking place. It is an illegal measure that violated our constitutional right. Over 400 delegates were to attend the Congress at the Imperial Hotel. Two-thirds of these delegates have come from the Regions. The rest are from Addis. UDJ had spent over four months painstakingly preparing for this Congress. The preparation started with the gathering of founding-members signatures from throughout the country, the preparation of documents such as the Programme and Bylaw and the selection of delegates. We started our preparations with the full knowledge of the National Electoral Board. We have invested about 300,000 birr on this Congress and on various preparations leading to it. We are examining several options on what to do next. One of the options is to hold the Congress in-house: on the premises of our office. The space available is very limited, weather condition is not favorable. We may have to make drastic adjustments in our programme such as limiting activities, without affecting vital ones, and extending the meeting by a half day. We see the present obstacle before us as a challenge. The Congress will be held, if not tomorrow, then soon.

Unity for Democracy and Justice June 13, 2008 Addis Ababa

UN Security Council condemns Eritrean attack on Djibouti (IHT)

A statement approved by the 15 council members and read by its president at a formal meeting urged the nations to commit to a cease-fire and called on Djibouti and, in particular, its northern neighbor Eritrea, to show "maximum restraint" and withdraw forces from the border along Red Sea shipping lanes.....more..

Éthiopiques: sounds of Ethiopia the generals could not crush (Times Online)

It wasn’t always this way. In the late 1960s, Ethiopia was home to some of the funkiest big bands on the continent, long before the country was pegged as a drought-stricken hell by Band Aid. Forty years on, a concert at the Barbican in London on June 27 brings together for the first time the era’s greatest stars: the singers Mahmoud Ahmed and Alè-mayèhu Eshèté, the saxophonist Gétatchèw Mèkurya and pianist Mulatu Astatqé. Musically and emotionally, it promises to be among the gigs of the year. The following night they headline at Glastonbury, an inspired alternative to Jay-Z....more..

Somalia loosing identity: will Ethiopia alter the demography? (American Chrinicle)

One of the Ethiopian immigrants, Genet Mengesha, a 24-year-old mother of one and former university student, told Reuters News Agency at Port City of Bosasso, Somalia that she lost her brother and sister during public uprising against Meleze Sanawi in 2005. "It was not save for me to continue living in Ethiopia, because of the authorities were hunting those participated in the upraising." She added we are living in Somalia and there is no plan to go back to our homeland until Meleze regime is active....more..

Yacob Hailemariam removes himself from UDJ leadership (Ethiopian Review)

This coming weekend, UDJ will hold its general assembly meeting to decide how the party should move forward and to also elect new leaders. So far, five of the party’s most senior leaders, Ato Muluneh Eyoel, Dr Befikadu Degife, Prof. Mesfin Woldemariam, Dr Yacob Hailemariam, and Ato Seleshi Tena, have made their intention clear not be part of the leadership, citing the extremely hostile political climate in the country created by the U.S.-financed dictatorship of Meles Zenawi...more..

Will it ever be able to stave off starvation? ( Economist )

Mr Zenawi is particularly sensitive about famine talk. He has denied that pastoralists in the south are losing livestock to the drought or that the rates of malnutrition elsewhere are at all close to what foreign aid workers claim. The government has banned photographs of the starving and has told field workers not to give information to foreign journalists....more..

Rights group's report fabricated, says Ethiopia (Reuters)

he government said the U.S.-based group's "groundless" report was based on information provided by sympathisers of the separatist Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF)....more..

Somali President attacked at Mogadishu airport agai( xinhuanet)n

MOGADISHU, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Islamist insurgents attacked the Mogadishu airport and the motorcade of Somali president Abdullahi Yusuf, for the third time in a month, as the president was to fly for Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, presidential spokesman confirmed to Xinhua on Thursday....more..

UK 'complicit in Ethiopian war crimes' (Telegraph)

Britain is "complicit" in war crimes in Ethiopia because it is "turning a blind eye" to sustained human rights abuses carried out on civilians by the country's armed forces, Human Rights Watch said today.

Women were raped until they were unconsciousness, children were tortured and tens of thousands of people were forced from their homes in a "scorched earth" campaign ordered by one of Britain's closest allies in Africa, Ethiopia's prime minister Meles Zenawi....more...

Ethiopia military accused of rape and torture in fight against rebels (Guadian)

Ethiopia's government has committed extensive war crimes and crimes against humanity during a brutal counterinsurgency campaign in the remote Ogaden region, a report says today.

Human Rights Watch accuses the Ethiopian military of extrajudicial killings, rape, torture, forcibly displacing thousands of civilians and using food as a weapon of war in its attempts to defeat the Ogaden National Liberation Front over the past year. Satellite images in the report show how villages have been razed to deny the rebels a support base. The images have been corroborated by the American Association for the Advancement of Science....more...

Also click here to get full report in pdf file

US denies it ignored rights abuse in Ethiopia (LA Times)

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. is aware of allegations of human rights abuses by Ethiopia's military but is continuing a military aid program in hopes the troops become more professional.

The country in the Horn of Africa is an ally in President Bush's fight against terrorism....more..

US Denies Silence on Rights Abuses in Ethiopia (VOA)

The United States said Thursday it has "persistently" expressed concern about human rights in Ethiopia with top officials in Addis Ababa, including alleged abuses in the Ogaden region. The comments follow an assertion by the monitoring group Human Rights Watch that the United States and key European countries have been silent on Ogaden rights violations. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department....more..