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

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

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

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

Islamists threaten to shut down Mogadishu airport(Reuter)

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

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

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

Reparations for Ethiopia will redress injustices ( bdafrica)

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

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

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

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

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

Ethiopia kicked out of World Cup (BBC)

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

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

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

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

High chicken prices cause discontent in Ethiopia(GMA News)

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

Egypt-Ethiopia –Food aid(African Press Agency)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bekele storms to Olympic double (BBC)

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

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

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

Dibaba storms to Olympic double (BBC)

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

Somali insurgents 'take key port' (BBC)

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

Ethiopia - another famine, another avoidable disaster (TimesOnline)

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

ጥሩነሽ ዲባባ ሁለተኛዋን የወርቅ ሜዳሊያ አገኘች (Ethiopia Zare)

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

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

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