Honor among thieves (Ethiomedia)

“The threat of Western sanctions as a response to the current crisis in Kenya is very, very misguided. If it is presumed that the Kenyans will democratize in order to eat the peanuts of development assistance from the European Union, for example, it would be a big mistake.” read more

"Be fair, Ato Meles!" Ethiomedia)

"Be fair, Ato Meles!"

ADDIS ABABA - This meeting took place at Addis Ababa University about three years prior to the ill-fated 2005 elections. An honest, fearless and courageous scholar tells Meles Zenawi that it is too late to talk about the dangers of ethnic politics. But he says,clik here to watch video clip

Kinijit past, present, future - Andargachew Tsege (Ethiopian Review)

Jan 27, 2008

Ato Andargachew Tsege writes about learning from Kinijit’s past and planning for the party’s future. Click here to read

Ask Now, Praise Later - the Motive of Seye Abraha (Oromoindex)

By Ebissa Ragassa

Modern Ethiopian politics is an illusion created to confuse and fool the mass through many possible ways of event control. This is a new method that the public has not been aware of yet; it is through controlling events (from the local to the national levels) that the TPLF employees manipulate the Ethiopian peoples. A false event is implanted by the government to create a chaotic state; when the public gets confused and becomes desperate for help, it runs back to the government and accepts any deals the government slaps on the table. In the process, freedom, progress and critical thinking are sacrificed, and the citizens become blind followers. ..more

The challenge of shaping Ethiopia’s sustainable future(sudan Tribune)

One of the appealing consequences from the rise of knjit was the possibility of re-framing national politics on the foundation of citizenship and not ethnicity or vernacular specificity. Knjit appeared to promise the emergence of social capital based on a movement that involved citizens’ votes, expressions, voices. It created a new political space that fired the national imagination...more

Ethiopia: Does it matter, Dialogue or outrage for the Kinijit's sickness?(africanpath)

What Hailu and the other Fives have done after their release is destroying the Kinijit spirit by their examples we heard in their interviews and deeds. They might be educated people but not good leaders in any measurement you take...more

Happy New Year to every one!

We will be back with new energy for the year 2008

From Ethio4all family

Eid mubarak to our Muslim brothers and sisters
all over the world

From Family of Ethio4all

Rice appeal to Ethiopia on Ogaden (BBC)

But at the moment, there is one major irritant to the relationship - a bill known as HR2003, which would restrict US military assistance to Ethiopia because of its poor human rights record.

It has already been approved by the US House of Representatives....more

Beggars and choosers(Ethiomedia)

Meles said, “H.R. 2003 is a curse. The U.S. Congress is making a law for Ethiopia about what kind of an election board it should have, what it should look like. We have a parliament here. Why should the U.S. Congress pass such a law?” The answer is simple. Congress does not want American tax dollars to be used to kill, torture, maim, imprison and persecute Ethiopian citizens. It has nothing to do with telling Meles how to run his show, or usurp the powers of his parliament. It has everything to do with NOT using American aid to massacre unarmed protesters, indiscriminately bomb civilian populations, and deny Ethiopian citizens basic human rights....more

Ethiopia: Oromo Opposition Calls Current Assab Status “Most Unjust”(Jimma Times)

Bulcha, whose party has run for and won some parliament seats in Oromia, however remarked a means where the two countries can share. Without this, he says the current status quo is wrong and believes in an international approach to solving the issue. “It would be one of the most unjust international decisions if it was decided that Assab should be owned and control....more

Terror is a tactic.Interview with Nir Rosen (Uruknet)

Question: The humanitarian situation in Somalia is steadily worsening. The UN reports that nearly 500,000 Somalis have fled Mogadishu and are living in makeshift tent cities with little food or water. The resistance--backed by the former government--the Islamic Courts Union-- is gaining strength and fighting has broken out in 70% of the neighborhoods in Mogadishu. Why is the US backing the invading Ethiopian army? Is Somalia now facing another bloody decades-long war or is there hope that the warring parties can resolve their differences?.. Full Interview

Dueling Dictators (News week)

f there were an award for the most pointless war of the last 25 years, Ethiopia and Eritrea's 1998-2000 border battle might well take the prize. An estimated 70,000 people were killed, another 750,000 displaced, and by the time of the ceasefire two of the poorest countries on earth had each spent over a half billion dollars fighting over a few dusty miles of parched scrubland. As if that weren't bad enough, the two dictators who oversaw that disaster are now leading their countries dangerously close to a rematch...more

Eritrea-Ethiopia deadline expires(BBC)

A deadline for long-time foes Ethiopia and Eritrea to agree their shared border is to expire at midnight.

The date was set a year ago by the Ethiopia-Eritrea Border Commission which was created following a bloody border war between the two countries.

The commission says if it fails to hear anything it will consider the line it has drawn as the official border...more

Journalists from Zimbabwe, Mexico, Ethiopia, Iraq gain recognition (Mediaforfreedom)

The IWMF also recognized Ethiopia’s Serkalem Fasil, who was jailed and, under deplorable conditions, delivered a child prematurely. She was incarcerated because of articles her publications carried that were critical of the government during the May 2005 elections. According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, only China and Cuba have a worse ranking than Ethiopia for their treatment of journalists...more

U.S.'s Rice to visit Ethiopia in rare Africa trip(Reuter)

Tensions have been rising in recent months between Ethiopia and its neighbor Eritrea over its disputed border, with Eritrea accusing the United States of siding with Addis Ababa. (Reporting by Sue Pleming; editing by Philip Barbara)...Full Text

Ethiopia's Meles denies rights abuses in Ogaden(Reuter)

ncreasingly under pressure from the West over his rights record in recent years, Meles says the ONLF is lying, and is a terrorist group sponsored by arch-enemy Eritrea.

"Massive human rights abuses and massive deaths in the Ogaden do not and will not exist," he said.

Once a rebel leader himself, who helped topple former Ethiopian leader Mengistu Haile Mariam in 1991, Meles said it would be counterproductive to terrorise locals.

"After all, it is only 16 or so years ago that we ourselves were insurgents," he said. "The stupidest mistake a government does is to harass civilians."

Meles generally gets high marks from Western diplomats for his anti-poverty strategies, but is frequently criticised for authoritarian tactics handling foes inside Ethiopia...Full Text

Ethiopia accused of civilian abuse(Sacbee)

The untrained and ill-equipped draftees – including students, camel herders and tribal leaders who had never fired weapons in combat – are being thrown into pitched battles with ethnic Somali guerrillas and often suffer heavy casualties, more than a dozen refugees and ex-recruits said...Full Text

Ethiopia:The Human Development Index - going beyond income(HDRStats)

The HDI for Ethiopia is 0.406, which gives the country a rank of 169^th out of 177 countries with data ..Full Text

Somalia offensive after attacks (BBC)

At least six Ethiopian army bases came under fire:

• In the north of the city at two former factories and at Ex-Control intersection
• In the south of the city at the football stadium and an army camp
• In the central Bakara market district where there are bases along the main road.

About three civilian bodies have been found on Wednesday morning around one of former factories....Full Text