Important Video Clips(Ethiopian Media)

Ethiopia upset by US bill - Washington Times,(Washingtontimes)

..."Every time the bill is scheduled for markup [by a full House committee], the regime touts out a hapless bunch of political prisoners and threatens the U.S. that they will not be released if the House Foreign Affairs Committee marks up H.R. 2003," said Alemayehu Mariam, member of the Coalition for H.R. 2003.

The bottom line on the ruling regime's opposition to H.R. 2003 is that it is incapable of making a morally and politically convincing case against the bill in its entirety, or any of its provisions," Mr. Mariam said.

"So it has to resort to the thuggish tactic of strong-arming members of Congress and holding the freedom of innocent political prisoners in the balance."..more..

New fossils from 10 million year old ape found in Ethiopia(afriquenligne.)

Ethiopia: Eruption of Volcano Kills 5,(The guadian)

Urgent advice to Beyonce Knowles, Janet Jackson and 50-Cent, Ethiopian Review)

Media Watchdog Criticizes Ethiopia's Press Freedom,(voanews.)

Freed Ethiopians Describe Threats,(Washington post)

The government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has often dealt brutally with people deemed threatening to his fragile ruling coalition. In the capital, people suspected of supporting opposition groups routinely disappear from their neighborhoods, according to the Ethiopian Human Rights Council, a pro-democracy group based in Addis Ababa....more..

Ethiopia imports raw sugar after rains cut production (Sudan Tribune)

In Ethiopia, four journalists released from prison, (CPJ)

Political Violence and Democratic Uncertainty in Ethiopia, (USIP)

U.S. must change policy in Horn of Africa: Eritrea, (Reuter)

"U.S. Administration officials need to change their frame of thinking and put an end to their acts of adventurism, as well as weaving conspiracies to undermine our national interests."..more..

Expelled Eritreans seek damages from Ethiopia,(Reuter)

Ethiopian millennium event in Ottawa, (Ethiopian Review)

Leadership Crisis in Somali Region (galbeed.)

From the oil fields of Somali Region, to the diamond and copper fields of Gambelas , to the rich mineral deposits of the Great Awash lake region of Afar, to the mountain ranges, plains and tourist havens of Oromo land, the country of Ethiopia is undoubtedly blessed. However, Meles Zenawi and his ethnic are in control and looting by force. The recent killing of nine Chinese oil drillers illustrated how the Tigrean exploiting the resources of the country without involving the native people frustrated Ethiopian Somalis. The heart of the problem is leadership crisis emanated from Federal Government and the Regional state...more..

Ethiopians at last ready to party like it's 1999(CNN)

But, reports that Saudi-Ethiopian tycoon Sheikh Mohammed Al Amoudi is paying $10 million to build the Millennium concert hall has angered some in Ethiopia, which ranks 170 out of 177 in the United Nation's Human Development Index.

"We could spend smarter," said Fasile Abebe, a 34-year-old taxi driver, gesturing to a man begging beside a fast food restaurant recently renamed "Millennium Burger".

"I won't be partying with Beyonce. I have no time for this Millennium."..more..

Ethiopia releases 32 opposition supporters after 2 years (Khaleejtimes)

....None of those released on Saturday had been charged in court since their arrests between July and November 2005. Bereket Simon, adviser to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, told the AP that he did not know why they had been held for almost two years without charge.
The 32 opposition supporters had applied to the government for pardon at the same time as 38 opposition leaders and political activists who had been tried for inciting violence in an attempt to overthrow Meles’ administration and sentenced to between 18 months’ imprisonment to life...more..

The threat of Tigrean Nationalism,(Ethiopian Review)

In this sense, the EPRP and the TPLF have little to distinguish them from Khmer Rouge, except that the TPLF, also a teen army that grew to power without growing to the society, is now terrorizing Ethiopia whereas the EPRP resides in old Diaspora minds as a political paranoia. They do share concealed hate and love for each other; they can’t go against each other, they can’t go for each other either. It is sad to see that neither the politics nor the social evolution of the last thirty years offered any cure to the survivors of the lost generation of Ethiopia that continue diffusing discord throughout all the political establishments of the region.

There is little doubt that most of the destructive vectors and inward fighters in all political fronts and organizations can be traced to this futile ideology in a resistive or adaptive form. Their relentless propaganda for the unity of Ethiopia, on one hand, and equally relentless objection to the unity of Oromos, Amharas, Somalis etc. when not on their own sadistic terms on the other, their objection to the very idea of the Alliance for Freedom and Democracy (AFD), is a synopsis of their fixation on winning, with extremely poor judgment of their capacity that would enable them to win. By betraying its own mission and stated goals, the EPRP is acclaimed to be the weakest link of the Ethiopian political opposition against Tigrean domination, and therefore the creation of a better tomorrow for the region...Kallacha Dubbi..

Ethiopia - The farce of a pardon (Nazret)

In Meles Zenawi's version of history (with a small h, please note) every turn and event always plays out as a farce though the diminutive tyrant is no comedian in the normal sense of the term. No Marx here, sorry. Meles was a Stalinist and never a Marxist and cannot be blamed for repeating the comedy, the farce. Meles does not rival Bush in giving us gems of Bushism but he does, to his credit or discredit, try. Take his recent statement that the released CUD party leaders cannot regain the parliamentary seats they had won in the last election after "boycotting the parliament for two years". Where were these alleged boycotters for the last two years? In the prison of Kaliti where Meles had thrown them! How can they boycott when their very right to be free had been boycotted and they had to suffer in Kaliti? The tyrant enjoys such statements as his aversion to fact and decency has for long been known. We did cross the border but we never invaded Somalia was what he said at one time. We killed many peaceful demonstrators because our riot police had no training and rubber bullets, he had said at another time. He can declare the Sahara is a rice paddy and Fogera a mountain gorge. What we call in Ethiopia a man who has washed his eyes with salt and lies outright. The tendency to play out history as a farce maybe a symptom for some particular malady which, I admit, I do not know the name. No doubt though, it is a malady. Meles Zenawi is sick and that is no joke. The "pardon" charade was played with seriousness in the State Department of America and in Ethiopia especially by the regime. To start out, the fact is that the ruling front lost the May 2005 election to an Opposition that owed its success not much for its capacity or democratic credentials but for the intense hatred of the people for the Meles gang...By Hama Tuma..

The dark continent(The Economist)

Ethiopian kids refused schooling,(Ynetnews)

Less than three weeks before the school year begins, 80 children of Ethiopian descent residing in Petah Tikvah find themselves with no place to carry out their first year of elementary school. An inquiry revealed that at least eight of the children were refused admission due to racist reasons.The families of eight of the children said they discovered a few days ago that their children were not assigned to the first grade of their neighborhood school because parents of other children objected to having Ethiopian students study there...more..