Pa. prof denies leading alleged Ethiopia coup plot (AP)

"It became very clear immediately after our release that they will not at all tolerate any opposition, meaningful opposition," he said...more..

Ethiopia arrests 'coup plotters' (BBC)

Along with several of his colleagues he travelled abroad after his release, but while most of the others have returned to Ethiopia and are now organising themselves as a legitimate opposition party to fight next year's elections, Dr Berhanu chose to stay in the US, saying that the situation in Ethiopia was such that the government could not be changed by constitutional means....more..

Official: Ethiopia arrests 35 over alleged coup plot led by Ethiopian-American professor(Los Angeles Times)

The opposition won an unprecedented number of parliamentary seats in the 2005 vote, but not enough to topple Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. The opposition claimed the voting was rigged, and European Union observers said it was marred by irregularities. The election was followed by violent protests in which Ethiopia acknowledged its security forces killed 193 civilians protesting alleged election fraud....more..

Dr Tilahun Gessesse’s Funeral: Video + Pictures (abbay Media)

Ethiopia's legendary singer Tilahun Gessesse dies (Jimma Times)

Tilahun, who sang songs both in Amharic and Afaan Oromo, was born on September 29, 1940 to Gete Gurmu and Gessesse Negusse. His music interest began while he attended Ras Gobena Elementary School in Waliso town, the base of Ethiopian Patriot Gurassu Duke during Italian occupation, and Tilahun was later hired by Hager Fikir Theater to start his career. He produced several of his hit songs during the days of Emperor Haile Selassie I, as the lead singer in his imperial bodyguard band....more..

Exclusive: Ethiopia/USA/Somali pirates’ cover-up(cyber Ethiopia)

After securing their ransom for the hijacked ships the Somali pirates head directly to their local safe havens, in this case, the Ethiopian military bases, where they make a sizeable contribution to the retirement accounts of the Ethiopian regime headed by Meles Zenawi....more..

Is Rock Throwing Punishable by Death in Ethiopia?(SMNE)

Ethiopians know what this means. To outsiders, the bill may appear to be innocuous, but to insiders, they know that it will be used to intimidate and to suppress dissent. The Meles regime has become masterful at using the words of democracy—“justice”, “the rule of law”, “the protection of the people” and “the upholding the Ethiopian Constitution”, as tools of tyranny. Because there is essentially no rule of law in Ethiopia, minor infractions can be inflated into serious ones, ill-defined laws can be tailored to justify what are actually politically-motivated charges and the innocent can be targeted with trumped up charges....more..

Ethiopia's Opposition Holds First Rally Since 2005(VOA)

The government used force against the protesters, killing at least 193 people. Many activists were jailed following the riots and a number of opposition leaders were sentenced to prison terms ranging from several months to life. Some were later pardoned. ...more...

EthioPlanet.com EXCLUSIVE Photo: Princess Kemeria(Ethioplanet)

“They also have plans to open an orphanage in her hometown of Jimma, and to create in Addis Ababa, a museum of African history,” the source added...more..

Ethiopia Dismisses Calls for UN Investigation of Rights Abuses(VOA)

In his letter to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Genocide Watch President Gregory Stanton said Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and others in his government were probably aware that they too could one day be brought before the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity...more..

Nkrumah At 100 - Lessons for African Leadership(The Ghanian Journal)

The African delegation to the London G20 summit was led not by Gaddafi the chair of the AU but by Ethiopia’s Meles Zenawi, who is chair of NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa’s Development) and a good friend of the West. NEPAD is at best a substructure of the AU and Zenawi’s presence is illustrative of the ease with which many outside Africa are able to pick and choose how to deal with the continent. During the Beijing China Africa Forum the Chinese were able to deal with African countries as individuals while the AU was treated as observer....more..

Reading the tea leaves (galbeed)

Will a president who emphatically opposes torture, arbitrary denial of due process and reaches back in history to criticize the injustices inflicted on the slaves and Native Americans lend a hand of friendship to support torture, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Ethiopia?..more..

EDITOR NOTE

Dear netters,

The name of the blog changed from Ethio4all which was out there for last three years to inform all what is going on in our mother land Ethiopia to All4Ethiopia which more meaning full and reflect our struggle & fight for our mother land; all of us have to work toward unity, democracy and just for our people for strong & united Ethiopia.

The web address also changed to reflect that.

Thank you all

With a Friend Like This (NewsWeek)

In the past year alone, Meles's ruling party has rigged elections, effectively banned independent human-rights groups, passed a draconian press law and shrugged off calls for an investigation into alleged atrocities in the restive Ogaden region. Yet in the same period, his country has become one of the largest recipients of U.S. aid in sub-Saharan Africa, getting a cool $1 billion in 2008. The Bush administration claimed that Ethiopia was the linch-pin of its regional counterterrorism strategy and a vital beacon of stability. But the evidence increasingly suggests Washington isn't getting what it pays for, and is supporting a brutal dictator in the process. Candidate Obama pledged to strengthen democracy in Africa; if he's serious, this is a good place to start....more..

Ethiopian Exchange Student Makes Big Impact at Signal Mountain (WRCBtv)

Let's talk about when it rains. I didn't have an umbrella. Like other rural Ethiopian students, I had to use the leaf of the Inset plant to cover myself on my way to and from school. The Inset plant looks like a banana plant and it is a major crop that southern Ethiopians use to feed their families. Even though times were tough, I never gave up because my teachers always supported me....more..

Eritrea and Ethiopia leaders make worst dictators list (Jimma Times)

Meles Zenawi - A former guerrilla leader, Meles shows no signs of sharing power with anyone. In January, his government passed a law forbidding any NGO that receives more than 10% of its budget from abroad from doing human rights work in Ethiopia. Despite Meles’ excesses, the U.S. considers him an important regional ally and continues to train his military....more..

British foreign aid: To poor people or oppressive governments?(GBN)

So how is this working out in practice? In 2007, the UK gave 20 percent of their total bilateral ODA in the form of budget support to 13 countries: Tanzania, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Ghana, Uganda, Mozambique, Vietnam, Malawi, Zambia, India, Sierra Leone, Nepal, and Nicaragua. (Source)

Of this list, only Ghana and India were classified as “free” by the annual Freedom House ratings on democracy (according to either the 2007 or 2008 rating). For the 11 other countries that did get British budget support, how much is there “country ownership” when the government is not democratically accountable to the “country”?....more...

Cry Me a Lake: Crime Against Nature - By Prof. Alemayehu G. Mariam (Abgida)

Who is responsible for the death of Lake Koka? And Amina’s husband and children? Did Chromium, Cadmium, Arsenic, Microsystsis Aeruginosa kill them? No. Official neglect and indifference killed them. Those who claimed to have the public trust, but turned a deaf ear, blind eye and muted tongue, are responsible. Those who slammed the official door in the face of the Ammudde resident who complained about “drinking a disease” are responsible.. ...more..

ICC warrant raises questions on leaders targeted (AP)

And they question why only Africans have been charged since the ICC — branded "the white man's court" by Sudan's information ministry — began its work six years ago. A temporary court, the tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, indicted Slobodan Milosevic in 1999 while he was still president of Yugoslavia...more..

Birtu-Can! Yes, We Can!(ECADF)

Col. Dewars concluded, “Detention conditions of prisoners are a disgrace and make the Federal Police
vulnerable to the Human Rights lobby.” He “recommended that the Government should investigate this
situation with the intention of improving the current appalling conditions inside Ethiopian prisons, which
must brutalise prisoners and their goalers equally. It is recommended that senior Ethiopian Ministers
and Police Officers visit the prison that I visited.”...more..

Seeking Paths to Ethiopian Diaspora Dialogue and Consultations ( wu-yi-yit and me me-ka-ker) {Galbeed}

By Alemayehu G. Mariam February 23, 2009

Our conception of civic dialogue and consultation (wu-yi-yit and me me-ka-ker) among pro-democracy Diaspora Ethiopians is based on four simple ideas: 1) Ordinary Diaspora Ethiopians can be effective agents of change in their motherland if they share a common understanding of the problems and challenges, and collaboratively and decisively act to address them. 2) To be effective agents of social change, Diaspora Ethiopians need to unlearn ingrained habits of debate and argumentation and re-learn skills of civic dialogue and consultation. 3) The dialogic and consultative processes require openness to perspectives and views that are very different from our own; and stakeholders must make a commitment to respectfully and genuinely engage others with different ideas, backgrounds and communication styles. 4) The outcome of Ethiopian Diaspora dialogue and consultations depends on building trust, dispelling stereotypes, and the creation of an environment of teamwork and partnership founded on fairness, candor and honesty....more...

ARREST IN $27 MILLION FRAUDULENT TAKEOVER OF NATIONAL BANK OF ETHIOPIA’S CITIBANK ACCOUNT (USA DOJ)

After supplying Citibank with the bogus Corporate Resolution and Authorization documents, AMOS and his coconspirator caused instructions to be sent to a Citibank payments unit in Buffalo, New York, directing Citibank to wire funds from NBE's account to various accounts controlled by AMOS and his coconspirators....more..

Ethiopian parties form alliance, accuse government (Reuters)

The new alliance includes the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF) and the Unity for Democracy and Justice party (UDJ), whose jailed 34-year-old leader Birtukan Mideksa is seen by regional analysts as the foremost opposition figure...more...

Guantanamo in Ethiopia (Crossed Corocodiles)

In January 2007, after the Ethiopian invasion, and US bombing of Somalia, at least 85 different people from at least 25 countries, including the US, were part of Africa’s first mass rendition of prisoners. At least 18 of these were children under the age of 15. They were people trying to flee the fighting in Somalia by crossing into Kenya, and were arrested by the Kenyans. They were then held without charge. They were flown by Kenya to Somalia, and were taken on from there to Ethiopia. In Ethiopia they were subjected to lengthy interrogations by Americans, who also took DNA samples from them. They were questioned repeatedly, for months....click here for more...

Who will Tame Africa's First Ladies?(African Executivr)

While first ladies such as Michelle Obama, Laura Bush and Hilary Clinton are renowned for helping their husbands, African ones are known for tearing them down. It must be noted that the First Lady crisis in Africa is caused by lack of rule of law and people-geared constitutions. ...more..

Mr. Meles is posturing

February 15th, 2009 | Categories: Ethiopia

By Paulos Milkias

I do not believe that Ethiopia's dictator Meles Zenawi is going to quit. He is simply posturing. Here are reasons why?

An official who is determined to quit will not qualify it by another possibility. An excellent example to announce quitting: “I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your president." This, as you know, was President Lyndon B. Johnson's announcement on March 31, 1968, after the setbacks of the Tet Offensive and the violent student demonstrations against the war in Vietnam made his life unbearable.

Mr. Meles is saying he has decided to quit but will respect his party's decision regarding it. Anybody knows that neither the current TPLF leadership nor what remains of the EPRDF officialdom can survive for long without Mr. Meles' political machinations. What he is saying is, I will say I will quit and my party caucus will put pressure on me through parliament. Then I will have little choice but to respect their wishes!

Second, he says he will quit as Prime Minister but will remain as the party leader. That is impossible in the present political framework in Ethiopia. If he has to resign as Prime Minister, he also has to resign from the Party leadership. Ethiopia has adapted a parliamentary democracy. In parliamentary democracy, the party leader is automatically the Prime Minister. Do not forget that the Front Benchers are selected and directed by the party leader. The Back Benchers also seek direct guidance from the party leader whose dictates they follow without fail.

Mr. Meles' posturing is more in tune with that of Gamal Abdel Nasser. When the Egyptian President’s army was decimated in the Six Day War by June 9, 1967, Nasser tendered his resignation as President in a televised broadcast only to “change his mind” when his decision was “rejected” by Egypt's National Assembly totally controlled by his National Democratic Party

. So, come 2010 elections, rest assured that history will repeat itself.

(The writer, Dr Paulos Milkias, can be reached at pmilkias@yahoo.com)

Source: Ethiopian Review

Ana Gomes calls for the release Birtukan Midekssa

PRESS RELEASE

Member of European Parliament Ana Gomes asks Ethiopian Parliament Speaker to help release Birtukan Midekssa

MEP Ana Gomes asked the Speaker of the Ethiopian Parliament "not to leave a stone unturned until Birtukan Midekssa is released". The request was put forward during a meeting of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, on 12 February, in Brussels, Belgium.

In reaction to the request, Mr. Teshome Toga argued that Ms. Midekssa has questioned the Ethiopian authorities, by publicly stating that she did not voluntarily ask for the governmental pardon that lead to the release of several political prisoners, in 2007.

"In which civilised country is someone sentenced to life imprisonment only for speaking publicly about the negotiations preceding her release from prison?!", added Ms. Gomes, during the discussion.

The European Parliament passed last January a Resolution on the Horn of Africa, which asks for the immediate and unconditional release of Birtukan Midekssa, leader of the opposition party Unity for Democracy Justice (UDJ).

Background:

In 2006 Birtukan Midekssa was charged with treason, alongside other CUD leaders, parliamentarians, journalists and human rights defenders, tried and sentenced to life imprisonment. The majority of those found guilty were released after governmental pardons issued in 2007.

In November 2008, Burtukan Midekssa spoke at a public meeting in Sweden about the process leading to her release. Ethiopian government officials responded by accusing her of denying that she had asked for a pardon. On 28 December she was rearrested. Shortly afterwards, the Ministry of Justice issued a statement revoking her pardon and re-imposing her original life sentence.

Amnesty International

considers her a prisoner of conscience, at risk of torture, who was arrested solely for the peaceful exercise of her right to freedom of expression and association.

More info: anamaria.gomes@europal.europa.eu Source Ethiopian Review

Morgan Tsvangirai’s “Fierce Urgency of Now”! By Alemayehu G. Mariam | February 16, 2009

Zimbabwe Saved From the “Brink of a Dark Abyss”

A year ago, Morgan Tsvangirai won the first round of presidential elections in Zimbabwe. He refused to participate in the run-off calling it a “violent sham” for which his supporters risked death by voting for him. Last week, Tsvangirai became prime minister in a power sharing agreement fabricated by southern African regional leaders. In his inauguration speech, Prime Minster Tsvangirai spoke of the fierce urgency of now for the people of Zimbabwe:

For too long, Zimbabwe has endured violent political polarization.This must end today. For too long, our people’s hopes for a bright and prosperous future have been betrayed. Instead of hope, their days have been filled with starvation, disease and fear. A culture of entitlement and impunity has brought our nation to the brink of a dark abyss. This must end today. Economic collapse has forced millions of our most able to flee the country... This must end today."

Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s Tyrannosaurus Rex (tyrant king), had publicly ridiculed Tsvangirai and his Movement for Democratic Change party as “shameless stooges of the West” and vowed never to talk to them. For over a decade, Mugabe’s thugs had routinely beaten, imprisoned and harassed Tsvangirai and his supporters. But last week Mugabe stood under the towering figure of Tsvangirai and administered the oath of office to him. The iron fist that had ruled Zimbabwe since its independence from Britain in 1980 was finally unclenched to shake Tsvangirai's hand in the spirit of reconciliation to help the suffering people of Zimbabwe. It was truly a wonderful sight to behold: Sworn adversaries making an uneasy peace to save their country from the “brink of a dark abyss.” Mugabe called on all parties to support the “unity” government “by turning our swords into ploughshares”. Tsvangirai offered a road map to get Zimbabwe out of its frightening mess.

Zimbabwe has been in deep trouble for several years. The world looked with horror as Mugabe plunged Zimbabwe into his Ninth Circle of Hell. Like Nero who played his violin when Rome burned, Mugabe kept on pounding his drumbeat of allegations of conspiracy between Western governments and their local “stooges” as Zimbabwe went into total economic meltdown. Today billions of Zimbabwean dollars are needed to buy a loaf of bread. Unemployment stands above 90 percent. One-half of the 12 million Zimbabweans are starving, and a cholera epidemic continues to kill tens of thousands.

Tsvangirai’s Road Map for Zimbabwe

Tsvangirai struck a clear note about Zimbabwe’s future in his inauguration speech. He said there are three things that need to be done immediately: “Firstly, we must implement our democratization agenda.” That includes enactment of laws to “restore the people’s freedoms, create the mechanism through which a people’s constitution can be created, reestablish the rule of law and promote the independent media.” He said the “second priority is tackling the humanitarian crisis with every means possible.” Zimbabwe must deal with the cholera epidemic by reducing outbreaks, community transmission and the high mortality rates. Third, the economy must be “stabilized” by creating an “educated and healthy workforce.” He said that requires building schools and hospitals and taking care of the “professionals in our civil service [who] are the backbone of our government.” He promised that “every health worker, teacher, soldier and policeman [payment] in foreign currency until we are able to stabilize the economy.” He promised to “ensure that every Zimbabwean has access to emergency food aid regardless of tribal or political affiliation.” Zimbabwe will no longer be an international basket case; rather it will once again be Africa’s breadbasket.

Tsvangirai as a New Breed of African Leader

Tsvangirai took on a distinctly Obamaesque-style to his leadership in rebuilding Zimbabwe. He promised accountability, transparency, openness, separation of party and state and clean government. “As your Prime Minister, I will ensure that there is a clear distinction between the party and the state. I will be open and honest with you.” He called for reconciliation of the opposing factions and urged them to “work together to restore our pride in our people and our country.” He was conciliatory towards the international community and humanitarian organizations. He asked them “to engage with us to rebuild our nation and to work towards reestablishing a relationship that is not based on humanitarian assistance alone.” He declared his ultimate trust in the people of Zimbabwe and called upon them to unite in facing the enormous challenges: “People of Zimbabwe, we face many challenges but we are brave and resourceful. By uniting as a nation and a people we can succeed.” He urged them to “match our dreams for Zimbabwe with your own”, and reminded them that “at each point in our proud history we have looked forward not backwards, we have stood for hope not fear, we have believed in love not hate, and we have never lost touch with our democratic values or sight of our democratic goals.”

Two Lessons From Zimbabwe

Two lessons could be drawn from Tsvangirai’s accession to power in Zimbabwe. The first is that all African dictators will spare nothing to cling to power. Neither soaring unemployment, stratospheric inflation, mass starvation, epidemics nor the tears of their citizens will cause these calculating and stone-cold butchers to show compassion for the suffering of their people. But they all fall in the end. As Gandhi taught: “There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time they seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it, always.” Some may have wished Mugabe’s end to come with a bang and not a whimper. But his dictatorship has effectively come to an end. There is no going back. Soon the 84-year old Mugabe will join in the dustbin of history Africa’s bygone dictators -- Idi Amin, Milton Obote, Joseph Mobutu, Charles Taylor, Mengistu Haile Mariam, Hissène Habré, Jean Bedel Bokassa, Sekou Toure, and Peter Botha, among others.

But the real lesson comes from Tsvangirai who is making history. Even as Zimbabwe teeters on the brink of economic and humanitarian disaster, Tsvangirai declared that the most important task for Zimbabwe is restoration of the people’s freedoms, establishment of the rule of law and the full functioning of the an independent media. This realization makes Tsvangirai truly a new breed of African leader. The future of Africa and the dream of an African Renaissance will depend on leaders like Tsvangirai who recognize the vital importance of democratic rights, the indispensability of the rule of law and the necessity of an independent media as quintessential prerequisites for the success of African societies. Tsvangirai’s message is very clear: Unless every Zimbabwean is guaranteed basic freedoms -- freedom of expression, freedom from arbitrary arrest, detention and extrajudicial killings -- the economic problems can not be solved. Unless there is the supremacy of the rule of law, the problems of injustice and lack of legal accountability of those who have abused their power and the public trust will continue unabated. Unless there is a fully functional independent media, corruption will reign supreme in the halls of power and democracy will be unable to flourish in Zimbabwe. He is absolutely right!

A Time for Justice

Few expect Mugabe to honor his word about a unity government and work in good faith to make it succeed. He agreed to a power sharing deal under pressure, not out of genuine interest in reconciliation. Mugabe is already plying his old tricks. Within days of the agreement, he jailed Roy Bennett, a major ally of Tsvangirai and charged him with terrorism and treason. He also tried to swear in more than 20 ministers from his own party at the last minute, instead of the 15 agreed upon by the two sides. No doubt, Mugabe will try every trick in the book; but nothing will save him and his henchmen from their rendezvous with the dustbin of history.

If Mugabe lives long enough, he will certainly be held to account for his many crimes against humanity. During his first term as president, his thugs massacred more than 20,000 Ndebele, the rivals to his Shona tribe. Zimbabwean human rights activists and lawyers have documented thousands of cases of torture, illegal arrests and detentions, excessive use of force and extrajudicial killings by the Mugabe regime. Be that as it may, it is exhilarating to imagine Mugabe and his brother Mengistu riding out into the sunset of oblivion.

Unity Freedom Train Crossing the African Continent

There is a Unity Freedom Train crossing the African continent with whistle stops at all places where Africans are united. Tsvangirai, Zimbabwe’s new railroad conductor, has made it plain to his passengers: “People of Zimbabwe, I call upon all of us to put aside our differences, to begin a process of national healing within every community, to work across party lines and look forward together with hope, while learning from a sad past that has so devastated our nation and our people.”

Next stop for the Unity Freedom Train: Ethiopia. ALL ABOARD!

---
The writer, Alemayehu G. Mariam, is a professor of political science at California State University, San Bernardino, and an attorney based in Los Angeles. For comments, he can be reached at almariam@gmail.com Source Ethiomedia

Queen Elizabeth II has Ethiopian roots say Addis Ababa (Politic & Poetry)

Buckingham Palace has yet to comment on the speculation but is expected to issue a denial in the coming days. If the claims prove to be true it could mark a major change in British-Ethiopian relation...more..

Berhanu Nega-Bucknell University

"Thus ended the Ethiopian democratic experiment that had started with such high hopes, leaving the country in the darkness of totalitarian rule," Nega said, in a talk on campus in February. ...more..

Barack Obama has a unique opportunity to bring something resembling stability to Africa's Horn. (Newsweek)

But as a foreign-policy initiative, Somalia's problems offer Obama a unique chance to sketch a bold path forward in the region. After the Bush administration backed the Ethiopian invasion in 2006, helping to overthrow the moderate Islamic Courts Union, Somalia descended into war, and the Bush policy radicalized an ever-larger portion of the population. But Obama, whose world view embraces the idea of talking to one's enemies, could shift course on this policy failure and increase stability by re-engaging with the Islamists, and in particular with the young fighters who make up the ranks of al-Shabab, the Islamists who have been gaining strength over the last two years and continue to drag Somalia further into chaos....more..

What Obama’s Presidency means to my daughter from Ethiopia (Tadias)

...Because I am Tibarek’s mom, I feel an extra connection to the joy of the African American and African communities here and all over the world that a black man is the new leader of America.....More..

Ethiopian-American Artist Prepares For Grammy Awards (Tdias)

“It wasn’t always easy growing up as an Ethiopian-American, especially at the time I was coming of age,” she confesses. “Because there were far fewer of us here — far different from the experience Ethiopian teenagers have today.”...more..

Ethiopia curb on charities alarms human rights activists (Guardian)

The critics of the Meles Zenawi government say the law is but the latest in a series of measures aimed at cracking down on dissent, ranging from the censorship of the media to the arrest of opposition leaders. The US and Britain have tried to persuade the Ethiopian government, which is a major beneficiary of foreign aid, to dilute the measure....more...

Ethiopian Forces Complete Somalia Pullout ( The New York Times)

The Ethiopian intervention in Somalia did not achieve its stated purpose of curbing Islamist insurgents, who have retaken most of the country....more..

The right and wrong sides of history (Abugida)

All dictators are on the wrong side of history because they “cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent.” They are on wrong side of history because they have no legitimacy: They seize power by force and without the consent of the people, cling to power by brutal repression, stealing elections and suppressing democratic opposition. They fill their prisons with hundreds of thousands of innocent citizens, snatch opposition leaders from the streets, make a travesty of democracy by stage managing a rubberstamp parliament,...more..

Ethiopian Separatists Accuse Government of Killing 48 Civilians (bloomberg)

“The area was closed off for several days in order to remove the bodies and eliminate the evidence of a massacre,” the ONLF said. “These people were unarmed.” State officials weren’t available to comment on the allegation...more..

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...