የግል መልእክት

                     
የተከበራችሁ የፌስ ቡክ ታዳሚዎቼ!

 ዛሬ ጾታ፤ሃይማኖት፤የፖለቲካ አመለካከታችንና ሌሎችም  ልዩነታቶቻችን ሳይገድቡን በየ በራሃው፡የወደቁ፤በየ ባህሩ ለሰመጡ፡በደቡብ አፍሪካ በህይወት ለተቃጠሉ፤በአረቡ አለም በየ ግለሰቦች ቤት ህይወታቸውን ላጡት ፤በተለይም አይሲስ በተባለው ቡዲን ችካኔ በተሞላበት ለታረዱትና በጥይት በተደበደቡት 30 ወንድሞቻችን ሃዘናችን ለመግለጽና በህይወት ያሉትንና በየመን የርበርስ ጦርነት ምክንያት መውጫ አጥተውና  በተለያዩ በየአለም ክፍሎች አሁንም ለሞት አደጋ  ተጋልጠው  በመንከራተት ላይ ያሉትን ጭምር ለማስታወስና የምንችለውን ሁሉ ለማድረግ ከያለንበት ድምጻችን እያሰማን ነው ነው።

                                                                             
እንደሌሎች ሃይማኖቶች ሁሉ ያለአግባብ ሰውን የሚአክል ክቡር የአላህ ፍጡር ቀርቶ ለሰው ልጅ ግልጋሎት የተፈጠሩትን እንሣትን እንኳን ያለ አግባብ መግደል እስልምና አጥብቆ ይከለክላል።ለዝህም ነው እንሣትን  እንኳን ለምግባችን  ፍጆታ  አሰቃይቶ ማረድን ወይም መግደል በጥብቅ የተተወገዘው።
                                                                      
በሁለቱም ታላላቅ እምነቶች  በክርስትና እና እስልምና እንዲሁም ከነዚህ በፊትም በነበሩ  ቅዱሳን መጽሃፎች  ውስጥ ያላግባብ ሰውን መግደል በጥብቅ የተከለከለ  መሆኑ ተጠቅሷል። እነዝህ ቅዱሳን መስሃፍት የፈጣሪያችን ቃል በመሆናቸው በምእመናን የተገበራሉ በካሃዴዎችና አስመሳዮች  ግን ይጣሳሉ።
 

ይህንኑ በተመለከተ ቅዱስ ቁራን እንዲህ ይላል፡

ነፍስን የገደለ ሰው ሰዎቹ ሁሉ እንደገደለ ነው፤ ሕያው ያደረጋትም ሰው ሰዎቹን ሁሉ ሕያው እንዳደረገ ነው ማለትን ጻፍን፡፡ (ሱረቱል ማኢዳ 32)

                                                      

በቡካሪ ሐዲስ ውስጥ ነብዩ ሙሀመድ (አ.ራ.ይ)

 “ሙስሊም ባልሆኑ ንፁሐን ሰዎች ላይ ግድያ የፈፀመ ሰው የጀነትን እጣን አያሸትም” (ቅጽ. 3, ሃዲስ # 2995)። በማለት ይህንኑ አጠናክረዋል

 ኢትዮጵያ ሃገራችን በነብያችን ወቅት ለሀያ አመት ያህል በየቀኑ አምስት ጊዜ አዛን ያወጣ የነበረ የሙአዚኑ የነ ብላል ህገር ናት  የሴት ኢትዮጵያዊት ነቢዩ (አ.ራ.ይ) መጀመሪያ ሲወለዱ አጎታቸው በደስታ ከባርነት ነጻ ያደረጉዋት  እና ወላጅ እናታቸው በስድስት አመት ዕድሜአቸው ሲሞቱባቸው ከዛ ጊዜ ጀምረው ሞግዚት በመሆን ነቢዩ እስኪሞቱ ድረስ አብረው ሲኖሩ ሲጠሩዋቸው እናቴ ብለው  ይጠሯት የነበር  የነ እሙል አይማን ወይም ባራካህ ሃገር ናት  ከሁሉም በላይ  ደግሞ የዛሬ 1400 አመት በፊት የገዛ ዜጎቻቸው ከሚያደርሱባቸው መከራና ስቃይ ለመሸሽ የሰው ልጅ በእምነቱ የማይበድልባት ሃገር ሄዳቹህ ተጠለሉ ተብለው  በነቢዩ  (አ.ራ.ይ)     መለኮታዊ ምክር/ትዕዛዝ  የመጡትን  ሙስሊም ስደተኞችን  ተቀብላ ያስተናገደች አገር ናት።ዛሬ በአለም ላይ ካሉት ሀገሮች  የአረብ አገሮችን ጨምሮ  ከዛሬዋ ሳውዲ አራቢያ  ውጭ መጀመሪያ ሙስሊሞች የኖርባት ብቸኛዋ  ሃገር ኢትዮጵያ ናት።ለዚህም ነው የስሃቦሽ/የበዩ  (አ.ራ.ይ)ታከትዮች  ወደ ሃገራችን ያደረጉት ስደት በተለምዶ  የመጀመሪያ ስደት /ሂጅራ ተብሎ የሚጠራው።                                                       

 ከዚያን ጊዜ ጀምሮ ነው የኢትዮጵያ ህዝብ በሃይማኖት ሳይለያይ ተቻችሎ እስከዛሬ የዘለቀው ።ለዚህም በነዚህ አይሲስ በተባሉት የሰው ዘር ጠላቶች ከታረዱት 30 ኢትዮፕያውያን ወስጥ አንዱ የሆነው  ሙስሊሙ ወንድማችን ጃማል ዓብዱራሂም በቂ ምስክር ነው። የጋራነታችን ለወደፊትም በዚሁ የቀጥል ዘንድ ከፋፋዮችንና አስመሳዮችን ለመወጋትም ሆነ ለስደታችን መንሴ  የሆኑትን ችግሮች  ሁሉ በጋራ ለመቅረፍ አንድነታችን አጠናክረን በጋራ መስራት የኖርብናል። ያለበለዚያ ችግራችንና ሃዘናችን  በዚህ የሚያበቃ አይሆንም።

በአይሲስ ፣በደቡብ አፍሪካዊያን ፤በባህር ማእበል ፣ በየበረሃውና በየመን የርስብርስ ጦርነት  ህወታቸውን ላጡት ነፍሳቸው ይማር : ለቤተሰቦቻቸው ደግሞ ጽናቱን ይስጣቸው በማለት እንደ አንድ ሙስልም ኢትዮጵያዊ  እንደ አንድ እንደ የአለም ዜጋ እንደ አንድ የአላህ ፍጡር የተሰማኝ ሃዘን እገልጻለሁ።

 አላህ ኢትዮጵያን ከነ ህዝቦቿ ይባርካት ፤ አሚን!!!

Ethiopia and its press The noose tightens

Bloggers and journalists who criticize the government are under the cosh

Aug 9th 2014 | ADDIS ABABA | 

 

A RANKING that countries do not aspire to ascend is the one compiled by the Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based group. It reckons that Ethiopia is Africa’s second-worst jailer of journalists, ahead only of its ultra-repressive neighbour and bitter enemy, Eritrea. Cementing its lamentable reputation, on August 4th Ethiopia briefly resumed the trial of ten journalists and bloggers, nine of whom it has kept in prison since April; one is being tried in absentia. The court proceedings are to start again in earnest on August 20th.
The ten are accused of several offences, including breaches of the country’s controversial anti-terrorism laws. These include having links to banned opposition groups and trying to cause instability via social media. The government says the journalists and bloggers are connected to two groups that it deems terrorist organisations: the Oromo Liberation Front, a rebel outfit that seeks a better deal for Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group, which predominates in the south; and Ginbot 7, a leading opposition movement formed after widespread protests following Ethiopia’s general election in 2005..read more 

Adoption executive pleads guilty to Ethiopia scam

Washington - A former executive with a US-based international adoption agency which sought to connect American families with Ethiopian children has admitted to fraud, a US justice department statement said on Wednesday........read more.....

Obama Gets "Into" Africa: An Ugly Scramble for Oil, Minerals, and Markets

Unfortunately US policy towards Africa have largely translated into holding the door open for U.S. multinationals to do what outsiders have done for centuries: extract the continent’s wealth.

by

John Feffer

President Barack Obama speaking at a business forum aimed at increasing investment in Africa, in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania last year. At the Africa Summit in Washington, DC this week, more than 50 heads of state from the continent have gathered to discuss "development" in Africa. Sadly, much of what's being discussed looks more like exploitation and a race by the world's powerful corporations to secure Africa's profitable resources for themselves. (Photo:  Evan Vucci/AP file)

President Obama is definitely “into” Africa. As much as possible in a world riven by multiple crises, the president has made the continent a focus of his policymaking. Turning his own Kenyan heritage into a personal bridge to the region, he has visited Africa three times as president – in 2009, 2011, and 2013. He has touted his administration’s multi-billion initiatives such as Power Africa to bring electricity to millions of homes, a fellowship program for young African leaders, and the continuation of efforts to fight HIV-AIDS and other infectious diseases....read more...

US-Africa: Make Human Rights Central to Summit

,,,, In Ethiopia, the government has systematically closed space for peaceful dissent over the past decade. In 2009 it passed a draconian law regulating nongovernmental activity which bars work on human rights, good governance, conflict resolution, and advocacy for the rights of women, children, and people with disabilities if organizations receive more than 10 percent of their funds from foreign countries. The country's most reputable human rights groups closed or scaled down their operations. The government has also used a 2009 counterterrorism law to arbitrarily detain and prosecute dozens of journalists, protesters, and political opposition leaders. Most recently, in July the police charged three journalists and seven bloggers known as "the Zone 9" collective after they wrote articles calling for reforms and peaceful opposition to government policies........read more....

US-Africa Summit Under Way in Washington

The administration of U.S. President Barack Obama is working to strengthen ties with Africa at a three-day summit in Washington for some 50 African heads of state.
Monday's opening forums touched on a range of issues including security, health, the environment and corruption.
At one panel focused on trade, South African President Jacob Zuma urged the United States to renew the trade agreement, African Growth and Opportunity Act, when it expires next year....read more...

Washington Meeting of African Leaders Opens to Protests

By ANDREW SIDDONSAUG. 4, 2014

Photo

Secretary of State John Kerry and Joseph Kabila, president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, speaking in Washington on Monday. Credit Alex Wong/Getty Images...read more

Ethiopian protest at Washington DC U.S.-Africa Summit today - video

Click here to watch the video

Op-Ed In Ethiopia, a stranglehold on freedom

When Secretary of State John F. Kerry traveled to Ethiopia last year, he met a young blogger named Natnael Feleke. When he returned a few months ago, Kerry found that Feleke, along with five other bloggers and three journalists, had been arrested — the latest in a long line of journalists the Ethiopian government has detained on the claim that they were trying to incite terrorism. Although Kerry addressed the arrests with officials he met, and President Obama has spoken forcefully on the importance of good governance in Africa, preoccupation with immediate security priorities — in particular counter-terrorism — trumps the fine words......................read more....

Ethiopia needs to do better

That's the message for Ethiopia

Copyright 2014: Houston Chronicle

July 28, 2014 | Updated: July 28, 2014 10:25pm

As they ready for two days of wheeling and dealing with a high-ranking Ethiopian delegation at a local hotel, Houston business and elected leaders today need to look beyond a foreign market opportunity and first ask hard questions about Ethiopia's recent crackdown on nine journalists, as well as the country's unsuccessful move this spring to make homosexuality a "non-pardonable" crime...read more..............

Rohrabacher: Ethiopia Must Release Opposition Leader

Jul 28, 2014

Press Release

WASHINGTON – Rep. Dana Rohrabacher on Monday urged Ethiopia’s prime minister to release Andargachew Tsige, a native-born opposition leader with British citizenship who last month was extradicted to the African nation from Yemen under questionable circumstances.....read more....

Detention of bloggers is a violation of international law

Forty organisations have called on Ethiopia Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn to free Zone 9 bloggers and revise it's overly broad anti-terror law..........read more.............

David Cameron will LOSE election blasts Ken Clarke after Tory spin doctors 'attempted to silence him '

David Cameron is on course to lose the next election, says Ken Clarke.
The veteran Tory revealed how spin doctors attempted to silence him, voiced concerns over the economy and revealed Margaret Thatcher wanted to scrap the NHS.
The extraordinary parting shot came after the Tory grandee was dumped in last week’s ministerial reshuffle .read more...

As Ethiopia's 'Zone 9' bloggers get popular, they get charged with terror (+video)

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — Ethiopia has charged 10 reform-minded bloggers and journalists with terrorism offenses – marking the latest in a long line of repressive acts against civil society by a key US partner in the Horn of Africa............read more.............

Aid to Africa: donations from west mask '$60bn looting' of continent (The guardian UK)

Aid to Africa: donations from west mask '$60bn looting' of continent

Parched soil in the Greater Upper Nile, South Sudan. Climate change mitigation has been used as a smokescreen to drain Africa's resources, say NGOs. Photograph: PA

Western countries are using aid to Africa as a smokescreen to hide the "sustained looting" of the continent as it loses nearly $60bn a year through tax evasion, climate change mitigation, and the flight of profits earned by foreign multinational companies, a group of NGOs has claimed....read more...

Is the Arrest of Andargachew Tsige the Final Straw for the People of Ethiopia?

by Graham Peebles / July 10th, 2014

Faced with a brutal repressive regime, the people of Ethiopia inside the country and within the worldwide diaspora –frustrated, angry and desperate – are considering alloptions to elicit fundamental change in the country........read more...

Snatched: Justice and Politics in Ethiopia (The Economist)

ANDARGACHEW TSIGE, an exiled Ethiopian opposition leader with British nationality, could be facing the death penalty after apparently being arrested and sent back to his country of origin while on a trip to the Gulf. While transiting in Yemen on June 23rd, during a journey from Dubai to Eritrea, Andargachew mysteriously ended up on a plane to Ethiopia. It is believed that he was detained by Yemeni officials and handed over to members of Ethiopia's security apparatus....read more..

'Britain is supporting a dictatorship in Ethiopia' (The Guadian UK)

It's 30 years since Ethiopia's famine came to attention in the UK. Now, a farmer plans to sue Britain for human rights abuses, claiming its aid has funded a government programme of torture and beatings as villagers have been removed from their homes......read more.....

Ethiopian Muslims stage anti-government protes (AFP)

Hundreds of Muslims protesters demonstrated in Ethiopia on Friday, demanding the release of 17 of their leaders jailed under terrorism charges last year.

"What the government is doing doesn't solve the problem, rather it will worsen the situation," said protestor Mohammed Seman, speaking at the demonstration following busy Friday prayers at a popular Addis Ababa mosque.

The leaders were arrested last August, following months of protests by Muslims accusing the government of interfering in religious affairs. They are currently on trial for intending to "carry out acts of terrorism".........read more.............

Ethiopia : a leadership in disarray

It may be that, in Ethiopia, history is so powerful that the past permeates the present, and it repeats itself. In this case, what we see today is simply another interregnum between two powerful men....read more...

British government statement on extradition of Ethiopian leader, Andargachew Tsege

This statement was issued today by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
On the case
“A British national, Andargachew Tsege, was reported missing in Yemen on 24 June. Since then UK officials have pressed the Yemeni authorities at senior levels to establish his whereabouts, including meeting with the Yemeni Ambassador in London this week. We are aware of reports that he may now be in Ethiopia and we are urgently seeking confirmation from the relevant authorities given our deep concerns about the case. We are continuing to provide consular assistance to his family.....read more....

Ethiopia Ginbot 7 leader facing death penalty 'extradited from Yemen'

Andargachew Tsege, who is also a British national, is secretary-general of the banned Ginbot 7 movement....read more...

UK stands accused over extradition of Ethiopian opposition leader

Andargachew Tsige, a British national, may face death penalty after extradition from Yemen...read more..

Debate: Is Human Rights Watch Too Close to US Government to Criticize Its Foreign Policy?

Human Rights Watch, one of the world’s largest and most influential human rights organizations, is facing an unusual amount of public criticism. Two Nobel Peace Prize laureates, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel and Mairead Maguire, and a group of over 100 scholars have written an open letter criticizing what they describe as a revolving door with the U.S. government that impacts HRW’s work in certain countries, including Venezuela. The letter urges HRW to bar those who have crafted or executed U.S. foreign policy from serving as staff, advisers or board members. Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth has defended his organization’s independence, responding: "We are careful to ensure that prior affiliations do not affect the impartiality of Human Rights Watch’s work. … We routinely expose, document and denounce human rights violations by the US government, including torture, indefinite detention, illegal renditions, unchecked mass surveillance, abusive use of drones, harsh sentencing and racial disparity in criminal justice, and an unfair and ineffective immigration system." We host a debate between HRW counsel Reed Brody and Keane Bhatt, a writer and activist who organized the open letter..........read more............

Part I: Economic and Political Backdrop

Most Ethiopians agree that appropriately planned, designed, constructed, and operated dams on Abay (the Blue Nile) are economic necessities that should be supported to ensure the long-term economic development of the country and the well-being of its people....read more...

Ethiopia’s Police State: The Silencing of Opponents, Journalists and Students Detained

Detention under spurious charges in Ethiopia is nothing new. With the second highest rate of imprisoned journalists in Africa[1] and arbitrary detention for anyone who openly objects to the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) regime’s despotic iron fist, the Western backed government in Addis Ababa is a dab hand at silencing its critics....read more...

Independent Publications in the Face of Grave Threat in Ethiopia

.......................The free press in Ethiopia has been in great trouble since 2005. The new measure is the latest move by the Ethiopian government to completely control the already engulfed newspapers and magazines operating in the county. According to local reports, together with other restrictive laws in force, the new legislation would lead to total absence of independent press outlet in the country. It is believed by many to be a strategy to silence opposition voices ahead of the 2007 election.................click to continue reading.......

የ“ቀለም” አብዮት ናፍቆት! (ጋዝጠኛ ተመሰገን ደሳለኝ ) (ECDF)

የቀዝቃዛው ጦርነት ማብቃትን ያበሰረው የጀርመን ግንብ ሊፈርስ ሶስት ዓመታት ብቻ በቀሩበት ከዕለታት በአንዱ ቀን፣ ቅጥ ካጣ አምባ-ገነንነቱ በተጨማሪ ሀገሪቷን የግል ርስቱ ያደረገው የፊሊፒንስ ፕሬዝዳንት ፈርዲናንድ ማርቆስ “ታሪካዊ” የሚባል ታላቅ ስህተትን ፈፀመ፤ ጠንካራ ተፎካካሪው ሊሆን እንደሚችል ቅድመ-ግምት ተሰጥቶት የነበረውን የተቃዋሚው ቡድን መሪ ካስገደለ ከጥቂት ጊዜያት በኋላ እንዲካሄድ የፈቀደውን ምርጫ በአሳፋሪ መንገድ አጭበረበረ፡፡ ይህን ጊዜ የሕዝቡን ትዕግስት አልባነት የተረዱና መነሻቸው ካቶሊክ.................ቀጥለው ለማንበብ እዝህ ይጫኑ...

Ethiopians Rising

There are tentative signs that the people of Ethiopia are beginning to organise themselves and stand up against the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) government, a brutal dictatorship, dressed in western democratic garb.,,read more...........

When Enough is Enough, Rise up People of Ethiopia

London : There are tentative signs that the people of Ethiopia are beginning to organise themselves and stand up against the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) government, a brutal dictatorship, albeit one dressed in democratic western garb........read more

South Sudan peace deal signed under pressure, says Kiir

May 12, 2014 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s president, Salva Kiir, said political pressure and Friday’s tense atmosphere within the Ethiopian prime minister’s palace ensured a peace agreement with opposition leader Riek Machar was signed without conducting face to face talks.,,,,,,,,click here to read more...

ተቃውሞ እና ጭፍጨፋ በኦሮሚያ

ተቃውሞ እና ጭፍጨፋ በኦሮሚያ

(ተመስገንደሳለኝ)

Click here to read more.

Ethiopia: UN Review Should Condemn Crackdown

Geneva) – United Nations member countries should call on Ethiopia to stop targeting activists and the media under draconian laws. The UN Human Rights Council will review Ethiopia’s human rights record under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) procedure on May 6, 2014. ......Click here to read more

Unity for Democracy and Justice Party (UDJ)’s Addis Ababa Rally, May 4, 2014 [pictures]

Click here to see the pics
 

John Kerry expresses concern over arrest of Ethiopian bloggers

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Kerry urges press freedoms for Ethiopia

Addis Ababa (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry urged Ethiopia on Thursday to allow greater freedoms for civil society and journalists, expressing concern for a group of bloggers and journalists arrested last week. click here to read  full history

John Kerry urges press freedoms for Ethiopia

US Secretary of State John Kerry urged Ethiopia on Thursday to allow greater freedoms for civil society and journalists, expressing concern for a group of bloggers and journalists arrested last week....click here to read more

Protests Grow Over Addis Ababa's Expansion

Addis Ababa is growing fast and set to expand further, pitting the government against Oromo activists, seeking to protect their rights...click here to read more...

Ethiopia charges nine bloggers, journalists with inciting violence

(Reuters) - Ethiopia has charged six bloggers and three journalists with attempting to incite violence, their supporters said on Monday, prompting accusations from rights groups that the government is cracking down on its critics...click here to read more

The NYU professor and best-selling author makes his case for a radical rethinking of approaches to global development.

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Amnesty International: Ethiopia: Opposition Leaders Denied Medical Treatment (Ob. Bekele Gerba and Ob. Olbana Lelisa)

Olbana Lelisa and Bekele Gerba are being denied medical treatment. The two men, political opposition leaders and prisoners of conscience, are reported to be ill in Kaliti prison, Ethiopia. Olbana Lelisa’s friends believe his condition may be life-threatening ..read more

Inside and outside the American embassy compound in Ethiopia: my summer at USAID

From the outside, the American Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, looks just like you would imagine. A high wall surrounds the complex and a series of gates and barriers mark the main entrance. All that’s visible behind the fortifications are the top few floors of a plain, government-style building. Outside, teenage boys herd groups of sheep through the streets towards the informal livestock markets in the center of town. Blue minibuses – carrying twice as many passengers as seats – pass by in all directions, weaving their way around the sheep. A few salesmen push handcarts laden with soaps, candy, cigarettes and SIM cards through the street, avoiding both the sheep and the minibuses as they go. click here to read more

Ethiopia’s Opportunity: A New Day Beckons – OpEd

By: Graham Peebles September 5, 2012

The death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, announced on 22nd August after his mysterious two-month disappearance, presents a tremendous opportunity to Ethiopia. Let a new day dawn for the people, one filled with hope and fundamental change, where human rights and justice are respected, where freedom is encouraged and cultivated in all areas and where fear is banished to the pas ....Reade more

U.S. aid to Ethiopia helping neither us nor Ethiopians

Watch the video of CNN

Death of Ethiopian Leader Meles Brings ‘Opportunity for Peace’

WASHINGTON, Aug 22 2012 (IPS) - Following Monday’s announcement of the death of long-time Ethiopian leader Meles Zenawi, Ethiopian civil society leaders and Western rights groups are characterising the turn of events as an opportunity to heal decades of increasingly stark sectarianism....read more...

Ethiopian Succession Battle May Test Stability of Key U.S. Ally

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s death may cause a succession battle that could test the stability of one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies and a key ally in the U.S.’s war against al-Qaeda.
The 57-year-old premier died Aug. 20 from an infection after recuperating at a hospital in an undisclosed location from an unspecified illness. Deputy Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn is serving as acting prime minister...........read more...

Ethiopia After Meles

The international community, particularly Ethiopia’s core
allies, the U.S., UK and European Union (EU), should accordingly
seek to play a significant role in preparing for
and shaping the transition, by:
 tying political, military and development assistance to
the opening of political space and an end to repressive
measures;
 encouraging the post-Meles leadership to produce a clear
roadmap, including transparent mechanisms within the
TPLF and the EPRDF for apportioning the party and
Front power Meles held and within parliament to lead
to an all-inclusive, peaceful transition, resulting in free
and fair elections within a fixed time; and....read more

Ethiopian PM death 'opportunity' for change: rights groups

ASHINGTON, Aug 22 2012 (IPS) - Following Monday’s announcement of the death of long-time Ethiopian leader Meles Zenawi, Ethiopian civil society leaders and Western rights groups are characterising the turn of events as an opportunity to heal decades of increasingly stark sectarianism...read more...

መተማመን አብሮ መስራትን ያጠናክራል

የኢትዮጵያ ህዝብ  የህወሃት/ኢህአዴግ  አገዛዝ ካንገሸገሸው  ሰንብቷል። ለዚህም የ1997 ብሄራዊ ምርጫ ውጤት በቂ ምስክር ነው።ድምጹን ተነጥቆ ከያኔ ጀምሮ አፉ ተለጉሞና ነጻነቱን አጥቶ ሲኖር ከርሞ ዛሬ ግን ከምንጊዜውም ይበልጥ ከሰሜን አስከ ደቡብ፤ ከምስራቅ እስክ ምዕራብ፤መሃልን ጨምሮ ራሱ የህወሃት/ኢህአዴግ የጻፈውን “ህገ-መንግስት” መሰረት በማድርግ የመብት ጥያቄዎችን እያነሳ በሰላማዊ መንገድ የአሻፈረኝነትንና የበቃኝን ጩሀቱን እያሰማ ነው። ለዚህ ሰላማዊ ለሆነው የህብረተሰቡ የመብት ጥያቄ ግን ትክክለኛና አግባብ ያለው መልስ እንደመስጠት ፈንታ አንባገነናዊው የህወሃት/ኢህአዴግ መንግስት የሃይል እርምጃ በመውሰድ የንጹሃን ዜጎችን ደም እያፈሰሰ ነው።read more

Supporting Stability, Abetting Repression

BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA — Next time I travel to Ethiopia, I may be arrested as a terrorist. Why? Because I have published articles about Ethiopian politics. Supporting Stability, Abetting Repression

የምንፈልገውን ለውጥ ለማምጣት (ባሕር ከማል)

“ለውጥ “ የሚባለውን ቃል ስንሰማ ወዲያውኑ በአዕምሮአችን ውስጥ የሚቀረፀው ጥሩነቱ ብቻ ነው። መጥፎ ውጤት የሚያስከትል ለውጥ መኖሩን ባንዘነጋም እምብዛም ትኩረታችንን አይስብም። የለውጥ ውጤት መቶ በመቶ ጥሩ ይሆናል ብሎ መገመት ባይቻልም በምኞት ደረጃ ግን ሁሉም የሚመኘው ጥሩውን ነው። አንዳንዴ ግን ምናባቱ ከዚህ የባሰ አይመጣም ይባላል።ይህ ከጭንቀትና ነባሩን ሁኔታ ለመቋቋም በማይቻልበት ደረጃ ላይ ሲደረስ ከብሶት የሚመነጭ እንጂ ምን ጊዜም የባሰ ሊመጣ እንደሚችል ቀደም ብሎ መገመቱ አይከፋም። ለጥሩ ውጤት ይበልጥ እንድንዘጋጅ ያደርገናልና።

The decision is yours (EMF)

A form of government in which one person or an oligarchy possesses absolute power without effective constitutional checks is a short definition of dictatorship. Modern dictators usually use force or fraudulent elections to gain power and then keep it through intimidation, terror, suppression of civil liberties, and control of the mass media...read more..

Ethiopian media gagged by anti-terror laws (The Bureau of investigation journal)

Many independent publications were shut down and 13 editors imprisoned. Today most of the media in Ethiopia is state owned. Even the international media are not immune to political interference...read more..

A tightening noose (The Economist)

Take the case of Eskinder Nega, an Ethiopian journalist who has been imprisoned on anti-terrorism charges for his criticism of the government following the Arab uprisings. Mr Nega and his wife, Serkalim Fasil, were jailed for 17 months for their reporting following Ethiopia's disputed 2005 elections, in which the government arrested thousands of students and opposition supporters and was responsible for at least some of the post-election violence. The Negas' newspapers were among dozens later closed by the government...read more..

The compass fails (The Economist)

When outsiders do bring up such issues, Meles Zenawi, Ethiopia’s prime minister, responds tartly that, with famine again stalking the Horn of Africa, the right of people to food, shelter, a job and indeed to life itself depends on the stability of the state. To challenge this is sabotage. ..read more.

WikiLeaks - Privatization or Monopolization by Al Amoudi in Ethiopia ? (Ethiomedia)

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Latest Wikileaks releases of U.S. diplomatic cables from Ethiopia(Ethiopian review)

Unity of purpose (EMF)

In our past history, Ethiopians in general and minority ethnic groups in particular, have suffered and are still suffering under brutal regimes. To change the system of government and replace it with a government elected by the people, by forming political parties (national, multi-ethnic & ethnic based), we went through enormous protests, uprisings and revolution. Unfortunately, all of those efforts were hijacked by few and led us where we are today, dictatorial regime. read more..

Mengistu Haile Mariam Former Ethiopian President said “Ethiopians must free their country”(AbugidaInfo)

Ethiopia 'using aid as weapon of oppression' (BBC)

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In Addis Ababa poverty pushes girls to the streets (Daily Nation)

The streets of Addis Ababa are deceptively languid by day, the slow pace of life probably a manifestation of Ethiopia’s socialism and the attendant intolerance of capitalistic “rot”. Read more

Voice of America: Do Not Censor the Voiceless! (Addis Voice)

Alemayehu G. Mariam

The record will show that I have been an unapologetic defender of the Voice of America. A couple of weeks ago, I defended the VOA as the Voice of the Voiceless. When Zenawi lambasted the VOA for being the flipside of the VOI (Voice of Interhamwe-Rwanda), I rose to its defense. When Zenawi jammed the broadcasts of the VOA to Ethiopia in 2010, I defended the right of the VOA to broadcast to Ethiopians and the right of Ethiopians to receive VOA broadcasts. I am the #1 fan of the VOA. Read more...

Ethiopia: Oromo opposition officials detained by Zenawi Govt (Jimma Times)

This week, a blacklist written by Prime Minister Zenawi given to Voice of America (VOA) radio included nearly the whole Medrek top leadership. Zenawi demanded that the Washington DC based VOA media forbid dozens of Ethiopians from appearing in its radio programs. Some of these Ethiopians banned include the main MEDREK executive officials Dr. Merera Gudina (OPC), Professor Beyene Petros (UEDF), Dr. Negasso Gidada (UDJ), Bekele Gerba (OFDM) and Dr. Hailu Araya (UDJ). In a press statement this week, Medrek accused Meles Zenawi of using its “draconian laws” to criminalize the opposition and restrict freedom of expression. Reed more..

VOA and Ethiopia: Challenges and Danger By Eskinder Nega (Abugidainfo)

Berket is notably incapable of either dialogue or negotiation. He instinctively lectures or demands. And had it not been for the extraordinary courage of David Abnor, then VOA’s horn of Africa chief and one of four media officials traveling with the board members, Berket’s bizarre demands and complaints would never have seen light of day. Reed more..

They chased me out, and now are chasing my idea (Abugidainfo)

Even though it is obvious that the probability for opposition messages to reach the Ethiopian population is very slim due to lack of free press and freedom of expression, EPRDF/TPFL government worry about opposition influence on the western donors to loosen or eventually cuts the life support of the regime. Without the support of western donor the existence of the EPRDF regime even for a single day is unthinkable. That is why the regime intensifies “officially” to chase the idea of people, who were chased from their country of origin by the same regime ..read more..

Ethiopia: Apocalypse Now or in 40 Years?(IndepthAfrica)

Will There Be Ethiopia in 2050?

Whether Ethiopia survives as a viable nation in 2050 free of war, disease, pestilence and famine will not depend on an imaginary 15 percent economic growth or a ludicrous 99.6 percent election victory. It will depend on what is done to deal with the little big 3 percent problem. In other words, overpopulation poses the single most critical problem and decisve issue in Ethiopia today and the years to come...read more..

Walk of horror: Hungry Somalis endure death in weeks-long walk to find food at camps (Lethbridge)

The U.N. expects at least 10 million people will need food aid, and a U.S. aid official said Monday he believes the situation in Ethiopia is even worse than the government acknowledges.

The Ethiopian government announced Monday that 4.5 million people need food aid there, 40 per cent more than last year. Jason Frasier, mission director of USAID in Ethiopia, the U.S. government aid arm, suggested that Ethiopia might even be under-counting those who need help.... read more

[Video] New African State of South Sudan born (Jimma Times)

On Saturday, South Sudan becomes a free and independent country. It is a well-deserved victory for its people. Under a 2005 American-backed political accord that ended two decades of civil war, the people of the mainly Christian territory voted overwhelmingly in January to secede from the Arab Muslim north....Reade more

VOA censored itself after fallout with Ethiopian gov’t (Addis Voice)

-Horn of Africa chief suspended over critical comments

By Abebe Gellaw

The Voice of America (VOA) has been accused of censoring itself and suspending its Horn of Africa Chief, David Arnold, over fallout with the Ethiopian government. The suspension of Mr. Arnold was directly related to his comments in a news report that was broadcast on VOA Amharic service on June 23^rd, informed sources told Addis Voice...read more..

Radio interviews on Ethiopian Review Anniversary (Ethiopian reveiw)

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ዲሲ እና አትላንታ፡ እኛ እና እነርሱ፡ ስፖርት እና ትውፊት (Ethiopia Zare)

Fitawrary Tekle (Ottawa-Canada)...Read more

Journalist Abebe Gellaw versus EPRDF supporter Mekonnen Kassa (Ethiomedia)

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የአሜሪካ ድምጽ የስርጭቱን ይዞታ እስኪያሻሽል የኢትዮጵያ መንግስት ትብብር አላደርግም አለ (VOA)

"It in not posible not to bradcast the Idea that the government doen't like " VOA Read more

The failed states index 2011 ( FP)

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U.S. Underwrites Internet Detour Around Censors ( The New York Time)

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Ghana : George Ayittey’s War on African Dictatorships (Africa Indepth)

Those genuinely in the opposition must accept responsibility for their inability to come together and articulate a vision for the country. They deserve blame for squandering valuable opportunities to build organizational alliances, develop alternative policies and train young leaders… But that is no excuse for not closing ranks against dictatorship now, and presenting a united front in support of democracy, freedom and human rights...Read more..

Updated: Saturday, 11 Jun 2011, 1:30 PM CDT
Published : Saturday, 11 Jun 2011, 7:01 AM CDT

LUSAKA, Zambia (AP) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Saturday warned Africa of a creeping "new colonialism" from foreign investors and governments interested only in extracting the continent's natural resources to enrich themselves and not the African people. ..Read more..

Ethiopia May Charge More Oromo Rebels, After Fighters Sentenced Over Plot (Bloomberg)

“Generally the government’s strategy is the marginalization of the opposition using the anti-terrorism law. They use it against the opposition whether they are legal like us or operating outside the legal framework,” Merera Gudina, chairman of the Oromo People’s Congress, said in a phone interview from Addis Ababa yesterday. “For sure I know the members have nothing to do with Eritrea or illegal activities.”.. Read more..

ኢትዮጵያ/አፍሪቃ | 09.06.2011 የአፋጻጸም ችግርና የገንዘብ ብክነት በኢትዮጵያ ( DW)

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News (ESAT)

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Land Grab: are Indian investors misled or collaborators in crime against Ethiopians(ECAD)F

Despites revolutions engulfing North Africa and the Middle East against dictatorship it is not likely Indian investors are that stupid to throw their money on the word of the tyrant Melse Zenawi and his disciples and expect the contract they signed will be honored and binding on the people of Ethiopia. Indeed, at this day in time it is troubling to see the largest democracy in the world is coddling-up with a small-time depot of Africa and expect to earn profit or goodwill from the people of Ethiopia. ..Read more..

George Ayittey - Oslo Freedom Forum 2011 (You tube)

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http://www.ethiomedia.com/andnen/2556.html (Ethiomrdia)

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The Unconquered Nation, Crippled By Bureaucrats (Tech Crunch)

It’s not just the censorship, though that’s bad enough: the entire blogspot.com domain is blocked, along with various Facebook pages and newspapers. But it’s not what most angers the people here at iceAddis, the new “innovation/collaboration/entrepeneurship” space modelled after Nairobi’s legendary iHub. (I’ll tell you more about it in a separate post.) What upsets this crowd is ETC’s sheer incompetence. ..Read more..

Protesters Absent as Ethiopia Marks Anniversary of Meles Rule (VOA)

The turnout at Addis Ababa’s Meskel Square was a fraction of the one million predicted. And with thunder clouds hanging overhead, a scheduled four-hour event was cut in half.

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s nationally televised anniversary address lasted little more than five minutes. It was largely a patriotic appeal for support of construction of a massive dam that is challenging Egypt’s long-standing monopoly over the Nile River waters...read more..

Inspired by the Arab Spring, Ethiopians gear up for ‘day of rage’ (Al Arabiya)

Much of their frustration is similar to what other Arab nations protested: unemployment, increasing cost of living, charges of mismanagement in governance and poor records of human rights. There is also frustration at the ethnic divisions that they say plague the nation. ..read more..

Ethiopians Celebrate 20 Years of Meles Zenawi Rule(VOA)

Meskel Square is empty on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the bloodless coup that brought a band of Marxist Tigrayan rebels to power in Ethiopia. Only a few workers are here setting up the sound system and stage. ..Read more..

"Beka!" ("enough"). Will Ethiopia be next?( Opend Democracy)

Did Meles Zenawi over-react, as usual, by proving, for the nth time that, in his heart of hearts, he is less confident about the durability of his regime? Does he feel his regime is much more fragile than he proclaims in public or even than most observers assess? In other words, should he be taking these measures at all, even more so when they have largely been counter-productive?..Read more..

Ethiopian Activists Opposed to Meles Claim Power-Cable Sabotage Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/05/23/bloomberg1376-

Tinsae said it and other groups are planning a cam paign of "peaceful civil resistance" to bring about "multiparty Western- style democracy where government exists to serve the people" in Ethiopia. A Facebook group calling for protests on May 28 against the rule of Meles's Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front said 3,112 people had confirmed they would attend. The date is the 20th anniversary of when rebels marched into Addis Ababa to remove Mengistu Haile Mariam's Marxist military junta from power.read more

Jailed journalist: 'I will never hesitate from criticizing'(CNN)

"It's my belief that getting outside or preferring exile and living under such repressive situations are the same form, because as far as I go in exercising my professional duty abroad, that doesn't replace the ultimate freedom that I need in my entire life," says Kebede. Read more.

ደርግ የተወገደበት ሃያኛ ዓመት (DW)

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ESAT interview dr Getachew Begashaw may 2011

Click here to watch the interview part 1 of 4
Click here to watch the interview part 2 of 4
Click here to watch the interview part 3 of 4
Click here to wtach the interview part 4 of 4

በአዲስ አበባ የታክሲዎች ከፊል የስራ ማቆም አድማ (DW)

Click here to listen DW