MSF says blocked from Ethiopia's volatile Ogaden (Reuter)

"The government of Ethiopia has denied MSF access to the five zones of the Somali region under military operation, often referred to as the Ogaden region," it said in a statement...more

Ethiopia Celebrates, Without Bob Geldof (Time)

But Geldof's absence is also about pride. The Irish singer raised $100 million through BandAid, a supergroup of British pop stars that set the mold for charity records to come, and Live Aid, which did the same for worldwide charity concerts. The money was to help alleviate the devastating Ethiopian famine of 1984-5, in which more than a million people are thought to have died. But Ethiopia, a nation of nearly 80 million people, now boasts consistent economic growth of 10%, and in that context the famine, and Geldof, are remembered with more than a tinge of humiliation. Two years ago, Geldof stirred the pot more when, in a television interview, he told Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to "grow up" and "behave" when Ethiopian police shot dead 36 dead opposition protesters...more

Ethiopia finalizes studies for building two hydropower dams (Africast)

Andargachew Tsige talks about Kinijit's past and future (Ethiopian Review)

Ethiopia postpones annual Great Run race ahead of millennium security concerns (iht)

Beyonce will not sing at Al Amoudi's millennium party (Ethipian Review)

First Offshore IT Outsourcing Center in Ethiopia Opened by eVentive (Earthtimes)

Homeless Ethiopians Moved Out of Capital(Washingtonpost)

Norway to cut aid to Ethiopia (Aftenposten)

UN assesses needs, abuse claims in Ethiopia region (Reuter)

Unite the people from the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean (Sudane Tribune)

The people of the region must enter into an overriding project to unite and reject colonial boundaries. It is a scandal that in 1998-2000 nearly 100, 000 people died to defend borders drawn by others for their own reasons against the interest of the grassroots population by the elites that chose to split Eritrea from Ethiopia and bring both regions to the brink. This is indeed a historic wrong that continues to amaze all justice and humane people throughout the world. Not only has a war being fought, but to this day a no war and no peace state prevails affecting negatively the people who live on both sides of the Mereb River.

The elites have created refugees from each side and it looks the refugees have turned into a breeding ground to destabilise each regime. In recent weeks a new rhetoric has been launched by both the rulers in Ethiopia and those in Eritrea. Isias has given an interview in a glossy magazine in three languages about his undying and unchanging commitment to a ‘one Ethiopia—andit or hanti Ethiopia’!!! He declared in the front cover: “It’s our persistent stance to strive for a united Ethiopia.” Isias utters such a statement, according to the Ethiopian ambassador in Stockholm, whilst hosting forces that have an explicit agenda to break away and create splinter states from Ethiopia in Asmara!....Prof. Mammo Muchie

Say good bye to 'Hod Fiker Radio'(Ethiopian Review)

OPDO Delegates Chased Away by Oromo Youth in Minnesota (oromoindex)

Defar spearheads Ethiopia's medal sweep bid (ioL)

Norwegian envoys to leave Ethiopia (BBC)

UN to examine needs, violence in Ethiopia's Ogaden,(Reuter)

Mr. Obang Metho Addresses Ogadenis in Minnesota:

The first step is for all Ethiopians to get to know each other as unique people and as fellow human beings, then to acknowledge whatever pain and suffering we have might have caused to each other and then reconcile. In the case of the Anuak and the Ogedenis, we have few, if any, conflicts or hard feelings between us since we were so unaware of the others’ existence!...Mr. Obang Metho

Thousands of homeless being moved out of Ethiopian capital in time for millennium celebrations,(pr-insid)

Ethiopia: A Simple Life?(Emorywheel)

But national news is far from uplifting. Although the rains have been good this year, the specter of famine still haunts Ethiopia. The country occupies a disadvantageous position in the global trade system, and the absence of democracy and freedom of expression at home make parts of Ethiopia vulnerable to famine even when there are bumper crops elsewhere. Since national elections were held in Ethiopia in 2005, half a dozen newspapers have been shut down for criticizing the government.

Last month, the Africa correspondent for The New York Times, Jeffrey Gettleman, was expelled from Ethiopia for interviewing members of the Ogaden National Liberation Front, a militia group fighting for the independence of the ethnically Somali part of Ethiopia. (Gettleman did not respond to an e-mail for this article.) The Ethiopian army is also fighting a protracted war in neighboring Somalia, which it invaded with American support at the end of 2006....more..

Ethiopia expels Norwegian envoys (BBC)