Ethiopia's Meseret Defar sets world record in women's 2-mile, easily beats own mark

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) — Meseret Defar set a world record in the women's 2-mile at the Van Damme Memorial meet Friday, smashing her own mark by almost 12 seconds.

The Ethiopian finished in 8 minutes, 58.58 seconds, shaving 11.89 seconds off the 9:10.47 mark she set in May at Carson, Calif.

Defar already has set two world records - in the 5,000 outdoor and the 3,000 indoor - early in the season. And last month she won the 5,000 at the world championships in Osaka, Japan.
The Associated Press

Ramadan begins across Muslim world( Al-Jazeera)

Ramadan, a month of day-long fasting, spiritual reflection and sometimes night-long revelry, has begun for most of the world's 1.2 billion Muslims....more

Ethiopia: Ogaden Leaders Accuse Govt of 'Genocide'

In July, a Human Rights Watch statement accused the government of widespread rights abuses. "Ethiopian troops are destroying villages and property, confiscating livestock and forcing civilians to relocate," said Peter Takirambudde, Africa director of Human Rights Watch. "Whatever the military strategy, these abuses violate the laws of war."

In the same statement, Human Rights Watch said that the ONLF targets civilians in their attacks. The OLNF representatives denied the charges during the interview. They acknowledged that civilians sometimes die, but contended that the government had armed civilians and said Human Rights Watch does not have full information....more

Mixed emotions in their year 2000 (chicago tribune)

More than 20 years after images of starving children with bloated bellies captured the world's attention, Ethiopians still suffer from chronic food shortages. Ethiopia ranks 170th out of 177 on the U.N. Human Development Index, which measures life expectancy, literacy and education for countries worldwide. Border disputes with neighboring Eritrea and rebel uprisings are challenging security in the country.

"You celebrate when you achieve something. What are we going to celebrate for?" asked Gebriel, 44, who left Ethiopia 24 years ago and returned in April to see his relatives in the capital city of Addis Ababa. "I have seen new roads, I have seen buildings, but I measure development if the government can provide the basic necessities for the people. That's what I call growth."...more

Ethiopia accuses Norway of aiding terrorists - paper(Reuter)

Norway contributes development aid to all three impoverished African countries, but Oslo has said its direct aid to Ethiopia would be cut by about a third, or by around $5.3 million, as its embassy will not have the manpower to manage the full amount...more

Ethiopians in Washington, DC Celebrate Their Millennium (VOA)

Among the organizers of the five-day events is area resident Neamin Zeleke. He says, “the occasion serves as an opportunity to reflect on our past, assert our present and envision a better tomorrow.”

Neamin rejects critics who say any form of millennium celebration at this time is inappropriate, given the political and economic conditions Ethiopians face back home.

“The millennium celebration here is not only about chifera or dankira or festivities and merriment. We have several events that deal directly with the suffering of our people,” he says....more

Norway contributes development aid to all three impoverished African countries, but Oslo has said its direct aid to Ethiopia would be cut by about a t

"A thousand years from now, when Ethiopians gather to welcome the fourth Millennium, they shall say the eve of the third Millennium was the beginning of the end of the dark ages in Ethiopia," he said.

Because it was never colonised, Ethiopia has always had a special significance for the rest of Africa - which was summed up by the chairman of the African Union, Alpha Oumar Konare.

"We thank Ethiopia for keeping up the flame of African unity," he said. ...more

Ethiopia gets set for new Millennium, (BBC)

The official feel to the Millennium has been reinforced by the fact that none of the independent events originally planned for the New Year period will actually be taking place.

An offer by the Rastafarian community to bring over reggae stars from the Caribbean was not encouraged.

A project by a restaurateur to feed 2,000 hungry children did not get permission to go ahead.

The Taste of Ethiopia exhibition is not happening either; the tourism and culture minister said darkly that it had failed because the organisers did not work with the concerned body and took a course of their own.

And the organisers of the Great Ethiopian Run, an annual event which had been timed this year to coincide with the Millennium and which was expecting more than 30,000 participants, were told less than two weeks before the race that they had to postpone it until after the New Year celebrations. ...more

Ethiopian Diaspora Begins Millennium Celebrations, ( VOANEWS)

Ethiopia is a multi-ethnic country with Amhara the predominant ethnic group. Ephrem Madebo, systems engineer for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration addressed the topic “Democratic Response to what he called the national question in Ethiopia. He proposed a decentralized federal government.

“I brought two alternatives. It could be federalism but not ethnic federalism. It could be interpreted in a way that the Ethiopian masses agree, or it could be kind of regional autonomy. Those are my two alternatives,” Madebo said....more

Tearful joy greets CUD leaders, (Ethiomedia)

The CUD delegates who arrived in Washington DC on Saturday are scheduled to tour major cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, Atlanta and others. The Europe-bound CUD delegation is also on schedule to do likewise. A third delegation has travelled to South Africa, which is also another home to a considerable size of Ethiopian community.

...more

US, UN concern over Ethiopian rebel crackdown (AFP)

Human rights groups have accused the army of razing villages, displacing thousands of civilians and imposing an economic blockade on the region, which has suffered flooding and drought...more

The Struggle for Democracy in Ethiopia:

Illegal Ethiopians on way to an uncertain future back home, (Gulfnews)

While Ethiopians in the UAE are certainly not alone in falling victim to illegal agents, according to members of the community, it is the isolation of some of their compatriots scattered around the country, as well as a language barrier that have made them more vulnerable....more

Ethiopians in Washington and London welcome Kinijit leaders (Ethiopian Review)

Members of the Kinijit delegation that arrived in Washington are now resting in their hotel after spending some time greeting Kinijit representatives from several chapters. Ato Aklog Lemeneh, chairman of the Kinijit North America chapters and Ato Yilma Adamu, Kinijit DC Metro chapter chairman introduced the representatives to Wzt. Bertukan and the other members of the delegation. Then they posed for photos (will be posted shortly). Tonight the delegates are scheduled to attend a small dinner reception organized by members of the welcoming team Ato Tamagne Beyene, Dr Alemayehu Gebremariam, and Dr Solomon Alemu, in collaboration with Kinijit North America and Kinijit DC Metro. After holding a series of meetings with officials of Kinijit North America chapters throughout the week, the next major public appearance for the delegates will be a town hall meeting next weekend. It is expected to be the largest Ethiopian gathering ever in the Washington...morre

Millennium Festivities Expose Deep Rifts, ( Washington post)

"The people are still suffering from disease and dictatorship, there are still people in prison," said Zewdu, 32, a taxi driver. "Having that in mind, I wouldn't think of going and having a party."

The Washington region, the U.S. hub for Ethiopian immigrants, will attract thousands of Ethiopians from across the country for the nation's biggest millennium events. On deck is an explosion of concerts, lectures and celebrations that are meant to show off Ethiopia -- but that also lay bare the community's deep political cleavages...more

Ethiopia: Free Oromo prisoners - OFDM & ONC,(Africanpath)

However, Mr. Bulcha Demeksa gave the harshest condemnation of this problem saying “no one has ever seen these prisoners carrying a weapon, committing a crime or killing any one. But they were simply
suspected of being a member of the OLF.” Demanding that the government set a new policy, Bulcha said that almost half were imprisoned without due process of law and government regulations clarifying which group qualifies for what do not exist.

“There are around 30-35 million Oromos in Ethiopia. These people… how do they know OLF is an illegal or outlawed group? They are imprisoned for something they don’t even know. Has the Ethiopian government ever created a law that specifically indicates any of this? The government has never, in detail, publicized the definition of which group is an outlawed, or which stands for terrorism and it should make this list so that people know which organization is identified as a terrorist and why.”...more

Ethiopia Briefly Detained 4 US Soldiers, (Townhall)

Ethiopia earlier this year briefly detained what it said were four U.S. soldiers trying to contact a rebel group that has been fighting for greater autonomy for eastern Ethiopia, government officials said Friday.

Bereket Simon, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, declined to say when the soldiers were detained or give any further details.

Asked about the U.S. soldiers, he told The Associated Press: "Four soldiers, or some soldiers, were detained. They were trying to contact the ONLF (the Ogaden National Liberation Front). That was not permitted."...more

Tales of horror from Ogaden,(sundaytimes)

"Two of my brothers who were ONLF members were hanged from a tree," says Fardosa. "It’s worse than hell what is happening in Ethiopia." Osman Hassan Ahmed, a 27-year-old from the eastern Ogaden town of Werder arrived in Bosaso on September 1....more

Coptic millennium celebrations fall flat for some Ethiopians, (iht)

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia: As Ethiopia approaches its third millennium, the most popular joke in the capital city goes like this: How do you say "millennium" in Amharic?

The pun of an answer — "menem yellum," which means "there is nothing" — sums up how many in Ethiopia's largest city feel about the festivities for Ethiopia's third millennium, which begins after midnight Tuesday on Ethiopia's Coptic calendar.

With the calendar of events changing and security concerns in the capital reaching fever pitch, many ordinary Ethiopians feel the remaining celebrations — which include a concert with tickets that cost an average Ethiopian nearly two months' salary at 1,500 birr (nearly US$170) — are beyond their reach.

The Black Eyed Peas, a hip-hop act from Los Angeles, will perform Tuesday night at a brand new, US$20 million temporary exhibition hall built by Ethiopia's richest man, and the Hilton hotel will host a US$100-and-up gala.

"The millennium, it's nothing for me," said Mulugeta Demssie, 23, a taxi driver, who said he thought the concert should be free, or at least cheaper.

"Because I don't have money, I can't enjoy it."...more

Ethiopia: U.S. Donates Fund for Restoration of 130 Year Old House,(allafrica)

Founder and CEO of Addis Wubet, Mariam Senna Assefa Wossen, granddaughter of Emperor Haile Sellassie I said on her part that the restoration of Mohammed Ali house which she noted is featured on the World Monuments Watch List, forms part of Addis Wubet's pilot project for the Piazza District Mohammed Ali Shaikh Sharafally was an Indian born business tycoon of the 19th century owning a company going by the name of Mohammed Ali&Co., who established his head office in Harar in 1888....more