Official: Ethiopia arrests 35 over alleged coup plot led by Ethiopian-American professor(Los Angeles Times)

The opposition won an unprecedented number of parliamentary seats in the 2005 vote, but not enough to topple Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. The opposition claimed the voting was rigged, and European Union observers said it was marred by irregularities. The election was followed by violent protests in which Ethiopia acknowledged its security forces killed 193 civilians protesting alleged election fraud....more..

Dr Tilahun Gessesse’s Funeral: Video + Pictures (abbay Media)

Ethiopia's legendary singer Tilahun Gessesse dies (Jimma Times)

Tilahun, who sang songs both in Amharic and Afaan Oromo, was born on September 29, 1940 to Gete Gurmu and Gessesse Negusse. His music interest began while he attended Ras Gobena Elementary School in Waliso town, the base of Ethiopian Patriot Gurassu Duke during Italian occupation, and Tilahun was later hired by Hager Fikir Theater to start his career. He produced several of his hit songs during the days of Emperor Haile Selassie I, as the lead singer in his imperial bodyguard band....more..

Exclusive: Ethiopia/USA/Somali pirates’ cover-up(cyber Ethiopia)

After securing their ransom for the hijacked ships the Somali pirates head directly to their local safe havens, in this case, the Ethiopian military bases, where they make a sizeable contribution to the retirement accounts of the Ethiopian regime headed by Meles Zenawi....more..

Is Rock Throwing Punishable by Death in Ethiopia?(SMNE)

Ethiopians know what this means. To outsiders, the bill may appear to be innocuous, but to insiders, they know that it will be used to intimidate and to suppress dissent. The Meles regime has become masterful at using the words of democracy—“justice”, “the rule of law”, “the protection of the people” and “the upholding the Ethiopian Constitution”, as tools of tyranny. Because there is essentially no rule of law in Ethiopia, minor infractions can be inflated into serious ones, ill-defined laws can be tailored to justify what are actually politically-motivated charges and the innocent can be targeted with trumped up charges....more..

Ethiopia's Opposition Holds First Rally Since 2005(VOA)

The government used force against the protesters, killing at least 193 people. Many activists were jailed following the riots and a number of opposition leaders were sentenced to prison terms ranging from several months to life. Some were later pardoned. ...more...

EthioPlanet.com EXCLUSIVE Photo: Princess Kemeria(Ethioplanet)

“They also have plans to open an orphanage in her hometown of Jimma, and to create in Addis Ababa, a museum of African history,” the source added...more..

Ethiopia Dismisses Calls for UN Investigation of Rights Abuses(VOA)

In his letter to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Genocide Watch President Gregory Stanton said Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and others in his government were probably aware that they too could one day be brought before the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity...more..

Nkrumah At 100 - Lessons for African Leadership(The Ghanian Journal)

The African delegation to the London G20 summit was led not by Gaddafi the chair of the AU but by Ethiopia’s Meles Zenawi, who is chair of NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa’s Development) and a good friend of the West. NEPAD is at best a substructure of the AU and Zenawi’s presence is illustrative of the ease with which many outside Africa are able to pick and choose how to deal with the continent. During the Beijing China Africa Forum the Chinese were able to deal with African countries as individuals while the AU was treated as observer....more..

Reading the tea leaves (galbeed)

Will a president who emphatically opposes torture, arbitrary denial of due process and reaches back in history to criticize the injustices inflicted on the slaves and Native Americans lend a hand of friendship to support torture, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Ethiopia?..more..

EDITOR NOTE

Dear netters,

The name of the blog changed from Ethio4all which was out there for last three years to inform all what is going on in our mother land Ethiopia to All4Ethiopia which more meaning full and reflect our struggle & fight for our mother land; all of us have to work toward unity, democracy and just for our people for strong & united Ethiopia.

The web address also changed to reflect that.

Thank you all

With a Friend Like This (NewsWeek)

In the past year alone, Meles's ruling party has rigged elections, effectively banned independent human-rights groups, passed a draconian press law and shrugged off calls for an investigation into alleged atrocities in the restive Ogaden region. Yet in the same period, his country has become one of the largest recipients of U.S. aid in sub-Saharan Africa, getting a cool $1 billion in 2008. The Bush administration claimed that Ethiopia was the linch-pin of its regional counterterrorism strategy and a vital beacon of stability. But the evidence increasingly suggests Washington isn't getting what it pays for, and is supporting a brutal dictator in the process. Candidate Obama pledged to strengthen democracy in Africa; if he's serious, this is a good place to start....more..

Ethiopian Exchange Student Makes Big Impact at Signal Mountain (WRCBtv)

Let's talk about when it rains. I didn't have an umbrella. Like other rural Ethiopian students, I had to use the leaf of the Inset plant to cover myself on my way to and from school. The Inset plant looks like a banana plant and it is a major crop that southern Ethiopians use to feed their families. Even though times were tough, I never gave up because my teachers always supported me....more..

Eritrea and Ethiopia leaders make worst dictators list (Jimma Times)

Meles Zenawi - A former guerrilla leader, Meles shows no signs of sharing power with anyone. In January, his government passed a law forbidding any NGO that receives more than 10% of its budget from abroad from doing human rights work in Ethiopia. Despite Meles’ excesses, the U.S. considers him an important regional ally and continues to train his military....more..

British foreign aid: To poor people or oppressive governments?(GBN)

So how is this working out in practice? In 2007, the UK gave 20 percent of their total bilateral ODA in the form of budget support to 13 countries: Tanzania, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Ghana, Uganda, Mozambique, Vietnam, Malawi, Zambia, India, Sierra Leone, Nepal, and Nicaragua. (Source)

Of this list, only Ghana and India were classified as “free” by the annual Freedom House ratings on democracy (according to either the 2007 or 2008 rating). For the 11 other countries that did get British budget support, how much is there “country ownership” when the government is not democratically accountable to the “country”?....more...

Cry Me a Lake: Crime Against Nature - By Prof. Alemayehu G. Mariam (Abgida)

Who is responsible for the death of Lake Koka? And Amina’s husband and children? Did Chromium, Cadmium, Arsenic, Microsystsis Aeruginosa kill them? No. Official neglect and indifference killed them. Those who claimed to have the public trust, but turned a deaf ear, blind eye and muted tongue, are responsible. Those who slammed the official door in the face of the Ammudde resident who complained about “drinking a disease” are responsible.. ...more..

ICC warrant raises questions on leaders targeted (AP)

And they question why only Africans have been charged since the ICC — branded "the white man's court" by Sudan's information ministry — began its work six years ago. A temporary court, the tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, indicted Slobodan Milosevic in 1999 while he was still president of Yugoslavia...more..

Birtu-Can! Yes, We Can!(ECADF)

Col. Dewars concluded, “Detention conditions of prisoners are a disgrace and make the Federal Police
vulnerable to the Human Rights lobby.” He “recommended that the Government should investigate this
situation with the intention of improving the current appalling conditions inside Ethiopian prisons, which
must brutalise prisoners and their goalers equally. It is recommended that senior Ethiopian Ministers
and Police Officers visit the prison that I visited.”...more..

Seeking Paths to Ethiopian Diaspora Dialogue and Consultations ( wu-yi-yit and me me-ka-ker) {Galbeed}

By Alemayehu G. Mariam February 23, 2009

Our conception of civic dialogue and consultation (wu-yi-yit and me me-ka-ker) among pro-democracy Diaspora Ethiopians is based on four simple ideas: 1) Ordinary Diaspora Ethiopians can be effective agents of change in their motherland if they share a common understanding of the problems and challenges, and collaboratively and decisively act to address them. 2) To be effective agents of social change, Diaspora Ethiopians need to unlearn ingrained habits of debate and argumentation and re-learn skills of civic dialogue and consultation. 3) The dialogic and consultative processes require openness to perspectives and views that are very different from our own; and stakeholders must make a commitment to respectfully and genuinely engage others with different ideas, backgrounds and communication styles. 4) The outcome of Ethiopian Diaspora dialogue and consultations depends on building trust, dispelling stereotypes, and the creation of an environment of teamwork and partnership founded on fairness, candor and honesty....more...

ARREST IN $27 MILLION FRAUDULENT TAKEOVER OF NATIONAL BANK OF ETHIOPIA’S CITIBANK ACCOUNT (USA DOJ)

After supplying Citibank with the bogus Corporate Resolution and Authorization documents, AMOS and his coconspirator caused instructions to be sent to a Citibank payments unit in Buffalo, New York, directing Citibank to wire funds from NBE's account to various accounts controlled by AMOS and his coconspirators....more..