Headline news between March 1-30, 2007
The Reporter, Editorial
Amharic |
English
Ethiopian opposition members begin defending themselves in political
trial
(AP) ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia: A former member of
parliament charged with inciting anti-government violence along with 47
other Ethiopian journalists and opposition activists stressed Monday that
he called for change through peaceful means only, and mocked charges he
threw rocks at police.
How rescued British diplomats in Ethiopia abandoned their local staff - for the
second time At night we slept in a long row under palm trees out in the open. There were
guards sleeping at each end of the row and us all lying together. "We could not
do anything without the Eritrean soldiers giving us permission. They stood with
their guns and told us when we could wash, when we could go into the bushes,
when we could eat and when we could drink water. "The water had sand in it and
so did the crude bread they made over hot stones heated on an open fire. It was
horrible.
China ZTE In US$200 Million Pact With Ethiopian Telecommunication
HONG KONG -(Dow Jones)- Chinese telecommunications equipment maker ZTE
Corp. ( 0763.HK) said Monday it signed contracts to provide products and
services worth a total of US$200 million to Ethiopian Telecommunication
Corp.
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - For the first time since the riots after the
Ethiopian election of May 2005, Addis Ababa university students protested
for two days against the death of a student, who the protesters claim,
had his body parts taken by a hospital. According to the students, the
demonstration started on Wednesday,25th April morning after the students
found out the death of a second year physics student who was sent to
Minilik hospital for treatment returned dead with his body organs
missing.
By: Sam Dear Ben; Thank you for standing for Ethiopia. It
is now apparent more than ever why you called your website
Ethiopiafirst. You have proven to all beyond the shadow of a doubt
that for you what is most important is Ethiopia. While many are bickering
about political differences you have time and again proven that the
preservation of Ethiopia and the peace of its people come first. You have
done this single-handedly braving the atrocious lies, innuendos and
accusations of sectarian politics. I applaud you for that. I wish you a
good health and a peaceful atmosphere so that you will continue to stand
for Ethiopia.
Kidnapped Chinese workers freed in Ethiopia ADDIS ABABA (AFP) - Kidnappers on Sunday released seven Chinese
workers they abducted during an attack on an oil plant in eastern
Ethiopia last week in which 77 people died. "We have released the Chinese
at 2:00 pm (1100 GMT) today to the ICRC (International Committee of the
Red Cross)," said Abderahmane Mahdi, the London-based spokesman for the
Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF).
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - For the first time since the riots after the Ethiopian
election of May 2005, Addis Ababa university students protested for two days
against the death of a student, who the protesters claim, had his body parts
taken by a hospital. According to the students, the demonstration started on
Wednesday,25th April morning after the students found out the death of a second
year physics student who was sent to Minilik hospital for treatment returned
dead with his body organs missing.
ADDIS ABABA
(Reuters) - Eight Ethiopians made a tearful return to Addis Ababa on Thursday,
two months after being kidnapped at gunpoint with five Europeans in the
country's remote northeastern Afar region. Crowds of cheering friends and family
thronged the capital's Bole International Airport long before the eight arrived.
Ethiopia Finds Itself Ensnared in Somalia
Washington Post - ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia -- Four months after Ethiopian Prime
Minister Meles Zenawi declared his own "war on terror" against an Islamic
movement in Somalia, Ethiopia remains entangled in a situation that analysts and
critics are comparing to the U.S. experience in Iraq.
I was wrong
- (By: Ethio Zagol)
-
When the AFD was formed, I supported it. One of the reasons for my support
was that bringing secessionist groups to main stream politics tempers
their radicalization. The Ogaden National Liberation Front was one of the
founders. What
ONLF did a couple of days ago was outrageous and sickening. Though I
still staunchly believe in inclusive politics, the gory drama left me in
no doubt that ONLF has no place in civilized politics. The AFD, if it
still exists, should throw out this terrorist group.
My condolences to the families of the victims of the crime. I share your
sorrow and anguish. (Ethio-Zagol)
http://seminawork.blogspot.com/2007/04/i-was-wrong.html
Editor's Note: I applaud Ethio Zagol for calling ONLF by its name: "a
terrorist group"! As Ethio-Zagol correctly put it "ONLF has no place in
civilized politics". I hope CUD Diaspora also acknowledges its mistake
publicly and disassociate itself from these ruthless terrorists! As of this
minute, CUD Diaspora didn’t express its condolences to the families of the
victims of the crime. It is high time for CUD-Diaspora to abandon the
so-called AFD and align itself with organizations who are not ashamed to
call themselves Ethiopians! "Rebels stormed a Chinese-run oilfield in eastern Ethiopia today, killing 74 workers and destroying the facility, guerrillas and government officials said." (Guardian) "Around 5:00 A.M. yesterday (Monday April 23), the forces of terror ambushed the employees of a Chinese Company exploring petroleum at Abule area in Degehabur zone, Eastern Ethiopia, to have indiscriminately massacred 65 Ethiopians and 9 Chinese citizens, all innocent civilian victims of the attacks that befell a whole camp that was about to wake up for the day’s work." (ENA) "Over all, the brave ONLF fighters should be congratulated for a job well done. ONLF and OLF might also want to consider carrying out similar operations on Al Amoudi's gold mines that are cash cows for the Woyanne terrorist regime." (Ato Elias Kifle from Ethiopian Review) Editor's Note: At least we know where Ato Elias from "Ethiopian" Review stands. What we need to know is where CUD Diaspora (member of AFD) stands!Another lie exposed! (Do you remember "A downed Ethiopian Helicopter" story?)
"Meles Zenawi, gunship helicopters attack a busy shopping boulevard in down town Mogadishu, killing hapless civilians; . shoppers, traders, pedestrians; young and old alike flee for their lives and run for cover, during last week's major offensive against clan militiamen was launched by the occupying Ethiopian forces in Mogadishu. (Photo by Shabelle Media)"
Truth (From EthiopiaFirst): The helicopters you see here do NOT belong to Ethiopian Air Force
and the photo itself wasn’t taken by "Shabelle Media" as reported by EMF.
The photo was taken from the movie titled: Black Hawk Down. Here is the
link for more EMF's "Hawzein in Somalia":
http://www.rotaryaction.com/pages/blackhawk.
(AP)Tuesday's
attackers "were wearing Eritrean military uniforms," Abdullahi Hassan,
president of the region in Ethiopia where the attack occurred, told The
Associated Press. "We are sure. They were speaking the Eritrean language."
(Awate.com
- Eritrean website). . . In a related story, some
Chinese-made pick up trucks which have been improvised in Eritrea (Asha
Golgol) are being mounted with light weapons and heading towards the
Southeast. The final destination is reported to be Somalia. Towards this
end, Colonel Barya, a military official with close ties to President Isaias
Afwerki, has assumed a new identity and is believed to be in Somalia.
Editor's Note: In Somalia, Those Who Feed Off Anarchy Fuel It NY Times - GALKAYO, Somalia - Beyond clan rivalry and Islamic fervor, an entirely different motive is helping fuel the chaos in Somalia: profit. A whole class of opportunists - from squatter landlords to teenage gunmen for hire to vendors of out-of-date baby formula - have been feeding off the anarchy in Somalia for so long that they refuse to let go. The Economist - The insurgency in Mogadishu has pepped up the Ogaden National Liberation Front, an ethnic-Somali group fighting for the autonomy of the Ogaden region, in eastern Ethiopia; this week it attacked a Chinese oil-exploration facility in the desert there, killing some 65 Ethiopians and nine Chinese, apparently with help from Eritrean intelligence. Ethiopians Take Islamist Stronghold Arab News - It (The Arab League) also urged African countries to send troops to the country to strengthen an African Union peacekeeping force there, allowing Ethiopian troops to withdraw “without leaving a security vacuum.” Addis Ababa - Dozens of students were injured on Thursday in clashes with each other and the police at Ethiopia's largest university, said students.
China: Ethiopia
Attacks Will Not Stop Africa Investment
BEIJING - China said Thursday that an attack
in Ethiopia that killed 74 people, including nine Chinese, will not stop it from
investing in Africa - but that it plans to boost security measures.
Ethiopian troops take back Mogadishu Mogadishu - Ethiopian forces on Thursday seized control of insurgent
strongholds in northern Mogadishu after some of the heaviest fighting in the
city's history, residents and the Somali prime minister said. Ethiopia
rebels want to hand over Chinese hostages ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopian rebels who killed 74 people and seized
seven Chinese workers in a raid on an oilfield said on Thursday they had no
plans to hold the hostages or to attack other foreign companies. World Bank approves 100 million USD loan, grant for urban water, sanitation project Addis Ababa, April 25, 2007 (WIC) - World Bank has approved 100 million US dollars grant and credit for Urban Water Supply And Sanitation (UWSS) Project in Ethiopia.
Addis Ababa, April 25, 2007 (Addis Ababa) - The Ethiopian Investment Agency said it has issued investment license to over 2,571 investors with an aggregate capital of over 54 billion Birr during the last nine months. Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of terrorism The Ethiopian government on Monday again accused Eritrea of "terrorist activities" aimed at destabilising the region and of orchestrating the kidnapping of a group of Europeans and their Ethiopian guides.
China
strongly condemns attack on Chinese oil company site in Ethiopia
Addis Ababa, April 25, 2007 (Addis Ababa) - China on Tuesday strongly condemned
a violent armed attack on a Chinese oil company site in Ethiopia's Somali state,
Xinhua reported. "The Chinese government strongly condemns this atrocious armed
attack, mourns for the Chinese and Ethiopian victims and expresses deep
sympathies to their families and those injured in the attack," Chinese Foreign
Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao. Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of aiding oil field massacre ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) -- Ethiopia blamed longtime enemy Eritrea Wednesday for an attack on a Chinese-owned oil exploration field that killed 74 people, escalating the dangerous brinksmanship between the neighboring countries. . . . Tuesday's attackers "were wearing Eritrean military uniforms," Abdullahi Hassan, president of the region in Ethiopia where the attack occurred, told The Associated Press. "We are sure. They were speaking the Eritrean language."
MIDROC Sister Co’s Close to 260m Br Road Construction Deal Derba-MIDROC Cement PLC has hired MIDROC Construction Ethiopia PLC for 260 million Br to undertake the construction of 42Km of road at the factory site in Derba, West Shoa Zone of the Oromia Regional State. The contract was signed on April 19, 2007, at the Derba-MIDROC offices on Jomo Kenyata Avenue by Haile Assegdie, executive director of Derba-MIDROC, and Shimeles Eshete, deputy general manager of MIDROC Construction. Derba-MIDROC was recently licensed by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI), while another 15 companies are registered, since the supply shortage two years ago. It was established with a capital of 2.4 billion Br, Sheik Mohammed Al-Amoudi owning eight per cent, and the rest owned by . . . Anti-peace elements have massacred 65 civilian Ethiopians and 9 Chinese citizens in a terror ambush MoI - The perpetrator of the terrorist attack on the Chinese and Ethiopian workers at the petroleum exploration and development project site is the self-styled Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), a terrorist wing which is part of the front of destruction led by the Eritrean Government. Ethnic Somali rebels kill 74 at Chinese oilfield in Ethiopia The Ogaden National Liberation Front, an ethnic Somali group that has fought alongside insurgents in Somalia, also kidnapped seven Chinese workers, said an Ethiopian government official, Bereket Simon. "This was a cold blooded killing," Mr Bereket, a special adviser to the Ethiopian prime minister, Meles Zenawi, told Associated Press. "This was organised."
PRESS STATEMENT: Humanitarian aid problems in Somalia MFA (April 20 ,2007)
- The Government of Ethiopia is deeply disappointed by the
recent statement from the UN humanitarian coordinator in Nairobi, Mr. Eric Laroche. It is inaccurate, and most certainly not helpful, to suggest that
responsibility for delays and difficulties in the distribution of humanitarian
aid, lies only with either the TFG or Ethiopian security forces in Mogadishu.
It also shows a surprising lack of understanding of the situation in and
around Mogadishu.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and visiting Somali President Abdullahi
Yousuf on Thursday discussed the next step to bring law and order to Somalia.
During their talks, the two leaders said maximum efforts should be exerted to
minimize civilian casualties and property damages during the course of the
operation in Somalia, according to Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin who
attended the talks.
URGENT - Suicide bomber strikes Ethiopian army base in Somalia; official blames
al-Qaida MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) - A suicide car bomb exploded at an Ethiopian army
base on the outskirts of the Somali capital, the deputy defense minister said.
He blamed the attack on al-Qaida elements. No Ethiopian or Somali soldiers were
injured in the attack, said Deputy Defense Minister Salad Ali Jelle. The only
people who died were those inside the car.
(Paltalk:
Ethiopians Forum for Political Civility) Apr 15,
2007
Addis Ababa, April 18, 2007 (Addis Ababa) - Sheikh
Mohammed Hussien Ali Al-Amoudi, Chairman of Midroc Group, received award from
Sweden for his outstanding business investment in Sweden since 1974, the Office
of the Chief Executive Officer of Midroc said. Over the past ten years in
particular, the office said, Midroc has been aggressively expanding investments
in Sweden. The chairman also received a leading investor medal from King Carl
XVI Gustaf of Sweden in the year 2002.
Company
importing 23mln birr worth buses for millennium celebrations
Selam Bus Share Company disclosed that it has purchased 15 modern
buses at a cost of 23 million birr to provide comfortable transport service for
tourists visiting the country during the millennium celebrations.
Scores of Ethiopian troops flee Somalia to Yemen: report Sana'a - Scores of Ethiopian army troops have arrived off the coast of Yemen
onboard two boats belonging to smugglers after they fled fighting with Islamic
insurgents in Somalia, a press report said on Tuesday.
Reports of torture in Ethiopia are widespread
(04-16) 04:00 PDT Ghimbi,
Ethiopia -- First, the police threw Tesfaye into a dark cell. Then,
each day for 17 days, it was the same routine: Electric shocks on his legs and
back, followed by beatings with rubber truncheons. Four or five officers would
then surround and kick him. At last, a large bottle of water would be tied
around his testicles. He'd pass out.
BBC - Apr 17, 2007 - Thousands of people have signed up to a
campaign to free nine Ethiopians who were kidnapped along with a group of
Europeans in Ethiopia more than six weeks ago. The group were taken in the
north-eastern Afar region of the country - one of the hottest, most remote
places on earth. Ashinafe and Debash were both orphaned in the 1984 famine in
Ethiopia when an estimated 1m people died. The security section of the Swedish police has confirmed that it has sent
agents to visit three Swedes being held in Ethiopia as terror suspects, but
says they did not interrogate the prisoners. Meanwhile, Swedish Radio reports
that the security police tried to recruit the brother of one of the captives,
saying he could be freed sooner.
First Ethiopian sports academy to be constructed this year
ADDIS ABABA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The first Ethiopian sports
academy, worth 181.8 million birr (about 21 million U.S. dollars), is to be
constructed this year in the capital Addis Ababa, said the country's Ministry of
Youth and Sports on Tuesday.
PINR and Realities of Somali Politics Events in Somalia have continued to attract a great deal of
attention, comment and analysis. This is hardly surprising given the intensity
of the fighting in March and the numbers of civilians killed. Nevertheless, it is of concern that so much of this comment
continues to draw on information from highly partial, frequently inaccurate and
misleading sources. Even worse, in some cases, these inaccuracies seem to reach
the level of informing policy. The European Union's lukewarm response to
Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG) appeals for funding for the
proposed National Reconciliation conference appears to be based on an entirely
inaccurate understanding of the role and importance of the former Speaker of
Parliament and of the former chairman of the executive committee of the Union of
Islamic Courts (UIC), *1 as well highly partial views of the TFG. Capital Ethiopia - The Second Criminal Bench of the Federal High Court ruled
for 25 journalists to be set free and for eight editors-in-chief to defend the
charges brought against them by the Federal prosecutor. Most of the freed
journalists are either managing directors of newspapers or deputy
editors-in-chief. The court has also quashed the attempted genocide and high
treason charges leveled against all the accused in the case of Engineer Hailu
Shawel et.al. [Free
at last! Serkalem Fasil, once publisher of Asqual, Satenaw and Menilik
newspapers, jailed for almost two years on charges of treason, genocide, and
instigation to violent regime change, along with CUD leadership, members, civil
society activists and other journalists. The young mother is aquitted on all
counts… ] Expresses its appreciation to the Ethiopia Government for all the sacrifices it has made to promote the common position of IGAD Member States, which is fully consistent with the commitment of the organization to the Success of the TFG and to the interest of the people of the IGAD region to achieve peace and stability and to protect the region from terrorist and extremist.
Ethiopia's offenses noted by State Dept. The State Department's 2006 human rights report for Ethiopia cited "numerous credible reports that security officials often beat or mistreated detainees." It included more than 30 pages of detailed accounts of violations, ranging from the beating of teenagers to arbitrary arrests to the banning of theater performances that send the wrong political message. E. African bloc sides with Ethiopia over Somalia NAIROBI, April 13 (Reuters) - East African states backed the Somali government and its ally Ethiopia on Friday, siding with Addis Ababa in a rift with Eritrea that is being played out through Somalia's crisis. Enterprise offering training to its staffs Addis Ababa, April 16, 2007 (Addis Ababa) - Wabishebele Hotels Enterprise said it has been providing training to its staffs with a view to enabling them provide efficient services to tourists who will come here for the upcoming millennium celebration. Indian embassy reaffirm preparedness to join in Ethiopian Millennium celebrations Addis Ababa, April 15, 2007 (Addis Ababa) - Indian Embassy in Addis Ababa said it has been undertaking various preparations to join in celebrations of the upcoming Ethiopian Millennium. Ethiopia denies shipment from North Korea violated ban WASHINGTON: The Ethiopian government has denied that it violated United Nations sanctions by carrying out a secret purchase earlier this year of military equipment from North Korea. The 4th International Conference on Ethiopian Development Studies (4th ICEDS) A Multidisciplinary Conference on Ethiopia & Northeast Africa Western Michigan University - The objectives of the conference are to: 1. Raise awareness about and understand the critical issues that affect Northeast Africa, 2. Provide a forum for constructive and informed dialogue on key policy options for sustainable development and peace, 3. Exchange research papers by scholars and researchers including graduate students on the various dimensions, and 4. Build consensus on policy options that are crucial for future progress toward conflict resolution, development, peace building and democratic governance both among states and within the states.
U.S. Insists It’s Trying to Free New Jersey Man Jailed in Ethiopia NAIROBI, Kenya, April 12 - American officials said Thursday that they were working assiduously for the release of Amir Mohamed Meshal, an American who had been jailed in Ethiopia on suspicion of terrorist activities, and that they hoped he would be freed very soon. Court drops charges of treason and attempt to genocide SS Informer - ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - Ethiopian court dropped two serious charges of attempted genocide and treason against Ethiopian opposition party leaders, journalists and civil association defendants on Monday. The court has also freed 25 defendants among whom eight are journalists and newspaper publishers.
NAIROBI, Kenya: (AP) Ethiopia, facing criticism over its detention of foreign terror suspects, paraded eight detainees on state-run television, with one prisoner saying the captors were "like our friends" and were treating them well. The Ethiopian News Agency's broadcast late Tuesday came hours after the government confirmed an Associated Press report that Ethiopia detained dozens of foreign suspects as part of an effort to stem terrorism. Human rights groups say the detentions violate international law, which Ethiopia denies. Ethiopia selected to showcase successes in MDGs at high-level conference in Geneva Ethiopia has reportedly been selected to make presentation on its successes towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at an international high-level conference to be held in Geneva. Ethiopia and Ghana are the countries selected to present their achievements to the conference, he disclosed. Washington Post (Editorial) - Eritrea, Ethiopia's bitter enemy, has been backing the Somali Islamists -- something that ought to earn Eritrea's government consideration for U.S. and European sanctions. The United States and European governments failed to use their leverage to get peacekeeping forces into Somalia or to pressure the transitional government into cutting deals with Somali groups that are not adequately represented in the government -- particularly the Hawiye clan of Mogadishu, which has been allied with the Islamists.
(Source: www.meskelsquare.com ) This is the first photo that I have come across of Ashenafe Mekonen, the tour guide kidnapped alongside five European travellers in Ethiopia's remote Afar region in early March. The five Europeans - three Brits, one Italian and one French woman - were released two weeks later after diplomatic pressure from their governments. But nothing has been heard of Ashenafe and eight other Ethiopians taken with him. Ashenafe is in his early 20s and was orphaned by the 1984 'Live Aid' famine in Ethiopia. He was brought up in an orphanage in central Ethiopia before moving to Addis to start working as a freelance guide/cook in the travel industry. His many friends in the capital are clubbing together to pay his rent until he returns. The other captives include Ashenafe's friend Debash Baye, another Addis man who was working as a mechanic, and seven Afar men. One of those Afar men in believed to have volunteered to go with the captives to show solidarity with them. Anyone wanting to join a non-political campaign to press for Ashenafe's release can send an email to the 'Free the Ethiopian Captives Committee' at freetheethiopiancaptives@gmail.com. FDI reaches 7 per cent in Ethiopian GDP Ethiopia is showing improvement in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) by registering significant increment in the last decade. According to the 2007 Economic Report on Africa entitled, Accelerating Africa’s Development Through Diversification, which was launched on Wednesday in Addis Ababa, the country’s FDI has increased from 0.3 per cent of GDP in 1994 to 7 in 2004. Ethiopia’s mobile density lowest, ETC among largest monopolies Ethiopia’s mobile penetration rate stands as the lowest in Africa, at 1.4%, with ETC as one of the largest monopolies in the continent. This was told at a gathering to introduce Nokia Siemens Networks. ADF provides over a bln birr for electrification The African Development Fund (ADF), has provided 1151.04 million birr in loans for the Ethiopian government’s Rural Electrification Project II, with the latter requesting the loan to finance the foreign currency component and part of the local currency cost of the project. April 10, 2007: Eritrea, and its ally Iran, are trying to use diplomacy and propaganda to get Ethiopian troops out of Somalia. Eritrea is mainly interested in embarrassing its old enemy Ethiopia, while Iran is keen on throwing the Islamic radicals in Somalia a lifeline. The ceasefire in Mogadishu is holding, but mainly because the Islamic Courts clans now know that the Ethiopian troops will fight by Somali rules (very violent, and nothing is forbidden). Since the Ethiopians are better armed and trained, the clan irregulars are at a big disadvantage. Time to stop and talk. Addis Ababa, April 10, 2007 - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Ethiopia can confirm that no suspected international terrorist handed over to it has been subjected to violation of human rights, torture or inhumane treatment.
Eight journalists freed after 17 months in prison Reporters Without Borders welcomed the release from prison of eight journalists after the federal high court cleared them today of subversion. The organisation called for 13 others held since November 2005 to be freed at once. Ethiopia's excess: U.S. bears responsibility in sad African tale Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Editorial) - How Ethiopia has gone from being a
developing country, focusing on economic improvement, with a fair record for
honesty and an evolving, positive attitude toward democracy, to where it is now
is a sad tale, and one in which the United States bears considerable direct
responsibility. US blames Eritrea over Somalian insurgency Eritrea is fuelling the insurgency in Somalia in order to wage a proxy war against its arch-foe Ethiopia, according to the top US official for Africa. Twenty five government critics freed in Ethiopia Twenty five opposition supporters and journalists who could be sentenced to death or life imprisonment for attempted genocide and treason are acquitted and freed be the Ethiopian judge on Monday.
Q: Are you optimistic about Somalia? A: I am absolutely optimistic. The fighting is only in Mogadishu and only in about 20% of the city. Baidoa, Kismayo and other towns are calm. If this reconciliation process is expedited, more groups cooperate with the transitional government and we can help them to build their own capacity and start up minimal services, I believe we can succeed. German Co Invests Half Bln Birr Plus on Bio-Fuel The internationally booming bio-fuel industry is being represented in the Oromia Regional State after an enormous 671 million Br loan by a German company. Flora Eco Power will join four other firms in Ethiopia, a country rich with potential for growth in the sector receiving increased attention in light of skyrocketing fossil fuel prices. Ethiopian horticulture industry eyeing DFC to expand export base Ethiopia earns about US$20 million annually through flower exports, according to EHPEA statistics. But given the rate of growth in the flower industry, the earnings could soon grow faster, say EHPEA officials who predict that Ethiopia will be one of the world's leading exporters of cut flowers within the next three to five years. Burundi to deploy peacekeepers in Somali in weeks Kampala, April 7, 2007 (Addis Ababa) - Burundi has assured Uganda that it will deploy its promised 1,700 strong peacekeeping troops to Somalia in weeks, Xinhua reported on Friday.
North Korea sells arms to Ethiopia with US OK: NYT NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Bush administration allowed Ethiopia to complete a secret arms purchase from North Korea in an apparent violation of a U.N. Security Council sanctions resolution passed months earlier over its nuclear test, The New York Times reported in Sunday editions. Somali opposition figures convene in Eritrea ASMARA, Eritrea Apr 5 (Garowe Online) - Opposition Somali lawmakers living in Eritrea were joined by a Somali Cabinet minister and the Islamic Courts' executive chief this week, diplomatic sources said. EU looks at potential war crimes by Somalia, Ethiopia
NAIROBI, April 6 (Reuters) - A European Union security expert has
warned that Ethiopian and Somali troops may have committed war
crimes during a four-day battle in Mogadishu, adding to growing
criticism of rights violations in Somalia.
The Reporter, Editorial (Amharic)
By: Getachew Mequanent - A growing number of people are criticizing the current Ethiopian government policy on Eritrea and some among them appear to suggest that EPRDF take a military action. May I remind everyone that any advocacy of war with Eritrea is ill-advised, unnecessary and counter-productive. War causes the loss of lives, destruction of homes, displacement of men, women and children and damage to farmlands and the ecosystem. It creates another historical wound between Ethiopians and Eritreans. It creates an uncertain economic environment and discourages investment by foreign and domestic investors. Finally, should EPRDF declare war, bilateral and multilateral donors can stop the flow of aid resources to Ethiopia; this could mean, for example, cessation of currently operational projects: roads, dams, electricity expansion, schools, health centres, agricultural services, etc. Somalia clan leaders reach agreement with Ethiopian officials (SomaliNet) The Hawiye clan leaders and the Ethiopian military officials have come closer late Tuesday to reach sustainable solution aimed to end the conflict in the Somalia capital Mogadishu. Extremist role ruled out in Somali talks Cairo: The Arab League yesterday said "extremists" should have no role in national reconciliation in Somalia where close to 400 civilians have been killed in recent fighting between insurgents and the Ethiopian-backed government. Torture of Detainees should Stop! EHRCO - The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which Ethiopia has adopted, prohibits cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment under article 5. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Ethiopia is a party, affirming the right under Article 7, further provides that this right is inalienable and inviolable (Article 4 (2)). CIA, FBI Holding Suspects In Secret Ethiopia Prisons, AP Finds NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- CIA and FBI agents hunting for al-Qaida militants in the Horn of Africa have been interrogating terrorism suspects from 19 countries held at secret prisons in Ethiopia, which is notorious for torture and abuse, according to an investigation by The Associated Press.
Ethiopians Discriminated Against in Ethiopia: Title or Misprint By Nahom Minassie Beyene No Ethiopian business should use authoritative intimidation, charismatic deception, or “yilugnta” manipulation as techniques to pressure Ethiopians into forfeiting their equal rights to service. This issue should be taken seriously as we approach the Ethiopian (African) Millennium. I do not want my fellow Ethiopians to struggle with this question in the midst of our greatest celebration in a thousand years. We cannot allow businesses in Ethiopia to discriminate against Ethiopians in their own country. Contrary to Ethiopian history, the Battle of Adwa has not yet been won if we consider ourselves to be of worth less than or worth to our own businesses. http://ethiopianairlines.com/customer) Not long ago one of the passengers, Mrs Rebecca Tesfaye, penned an article titled: "When life hands you lemon, do you throw it back, or make lemonade/lemon pie instead?". From what I see so far, EAL chooses the first. (Online Petition)Calm returns to Somali capital Guns have been silent in Mogadishu after four days of battles pitting Ethiopian and Somali troops against anti-government fighters.
M7 woos Eritrea over war in Somalia New Vision - "Aferworki wants leaders to recognise the Islamic Courts Union as the legitimate government in Somalia but other leaders recognise the Transitional Federal Government," he added. Online donors help provide integrated development to forgotten village The village of Daletti is located just 15 miles from one the most rapidly developing cities in Africa – the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. It might as well be a million miles away. . . . In one case, a woman by the name of Ansha Kadir was forced to send her seven children away to live with relatives to save them from the waterborne diseases they certainly would have contracted had they stayed. All of her children are now grown up but none have returned to live in the area meaning the water situation in the village effectively robbed her of her family. Hundreds more Ethiopian troops enter Somali capital MOGADISHU (AFP) - Hundreds of Ethiopian troops entered the Somali capital on Monday, witnesses said, after four days of heavy fighting with Islamist rebels that left scores dead and forced thousands to flee. Ethiopia: Investors to Be Engaged in Floriculture Dev't The Ethiopian Investment Agency (EIA) said investors with a combined capital of over 7.9 billion birr have ben licensed to be engaged in floriculture development.
Put up or shut up! Meles tells Esayas Prime Minister Meles Zenawi was firm when he told parliament that Ethiopia’s strategy was to make Eritrean President Esayas Afeworki to either fight out in the open or shut up for good.
Ethiopian helicopters and tanks
bombard Somali Islamists' base ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia- The forces of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and the Ethiopian troops who helped them defeat powerful Islamists last year attacked the strongholds of Islamist insurgents in Mogadishu. Helicopters and tanks bombed rebel positions across Mogadishu in what appeared to be a cleanup operation aimed to end the insurgency to pave the way for the upcoming national reconciliation Conference.
Ethiopian helicopter shot down in Mogadishu An Ethiopian attack helicopter was shot down in the Somali capital of Mogadishu as it was bombarding targets in the city on Friday, a witness said. Faisal Omar told Xinhua that he saw the helicopter being hit by a rocket fired from the ground.
Committee set up to lobby for the release of Ethiopian captives
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia- A month after the kidnapping saga at the afar region, North of Ethiopia started the tour associations group calling itself ‘free Ethiopian captives committee’ started collecting signatures of different people and organization to put impetus on the total movement for the release of the eight Ethiopians who are still under captivity. Tarmaber-Kombolcha road project Completed: Authority Addis Ababa, March 30, 2007 (Addis Ababa) - The construction of Tarmaber-Kombolcha asphalt concrete road, which was launched at a cost of 497 million Birr, has been finalized, the Ethiopian Road Authority (ERA) said.
Acid attack on woman
shocks Ethiopia
Kamilat Mehdi, 21, had a bright future ahead of her. She dreamt about doing a degree and becoming an air hostess. All that changed one night when she was walking home from work with her two sisters and a stalker threw sulphuric acid in her face. Burundi troops ready to join Somalia peacekeepers Burundian troops waiting to join an African peacekeeping force in Somalia are unfazed by recent fighting there and are ready to take on the insurgents, an army spokesperson said yesterday. Ethiopia calls for action on 'terrorist' Eritrea Ethiopia accused Eritrea on Thursday of arming anti-Ethiopian rebels and urged the United Nations to take action against its long-time Horn of Africa foe. . . . "The UN Security Council cannot ignore repeated acts of terrorism being perpetrated by one of its member nations." Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee JIMMA, Ethiopia -- Inside the coffee plant's corrugated metal fence, men look more like mules as they lug 100-pound sacks of coffee on their backs. But as midday nears, a heavenly scent wafts from the corner, where Ahmed Achoumeto, 25, pounds a pile of black coffee beans in preparation for the noontime break. The Reporter, Editorial (Amharic) Most Ethiopian troops are out - Meles Addis Ababa - Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said on Thursday he had withdrawn two-thirds of his troops from neighbouring Somalia, as those remaining launched an offensive in Mogadishu. Seven Ethiopian troops killed in heavy Mogadishu fighting MOGADISHU (AFP) - Seven Ethiopian soldiers were killed in heavy fighting on Thursday in the south of Mogadishu, and two of their bodies were dragged through the streets, an AFP correspondent witnessed. Ethiopia: Encouraging Results Seen in U.S.-Financed HIV/Aids Project A "remarkable" achievement have been registered in decreasing HIV prevalence and improve the quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia over the last five years, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Family Health International (FHI) declared on Wednesday.
Archaeologists find Ethiopia's lost Islamic kingdom PARIS -- French archaeologists said Tuesday that they had uncovered the remains of three large towns that may have been the heart of a legendary Islamic kingdom in Ethiopia. . . .The discovery was made in an area about 11 kilometers (6 miles) long, around 45 kilometers southeast of the town of Shoa Robit, in the Ifat region, the press release said. Dancing to a better future in Ethiopia ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (Reuters Life!) - Music echoes through an overcrowded neighborhood in the Ethiopian capital, drawing dozens of children off the streets to get a glimpse of another world -- the world of dance.
According to a DEA website, the more potent part of khat, cathine, deteriorates after 48 hours and according to court papers the khat found at Kabira's apartment was in boxes that had been shipped from Ethiopia and had been there for some time. Possession of cathine carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Possession of the lesser drug, cathinone, carries a maximum penalty of up to 3 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Federal courts can pass verdicts on violence, crimes against women promptly, says Supreme Court Federal courts have procedures that enable them to pass verdicts on violence and crimes against women promptly, the federal Supreme Court. Supreme Court Vice President Menberetsehay Taddese told WIC that the court has put in place procedures that help pass verdicts on those cases within two days.
Ethiopia acid victim shows many women are at risk
The Reporter, Editorial (Amharic) |
Miner says struck gold in Ethiopia A mining company said on Monday it had found an estimated 10 000 t of gold in southern Ethiopia that could be worth more than $1-billion. Ethiopia: Justice delayed is justice denied American Chronicle - It is about to be almost two years since the leaders of the AEUP/CUD party have been put in prison following the 2005 elections. While most of the other opposition parties joined the Ethiopian parliament, AEUP/CUD has been mostly incarcerated. 7.5 Mln. birr pledge for Cardiac Center completion Addis Ababa, March 27, 2007 - Over 7.5 million Birr has been pledged in support of the completion of the new cardiac center, which is under construction by the Children's Heart Fund of Ethiopia (CHFE). Various individuals and organizations pledged to provide over 7 million birr during the telethon while the would-be patron (Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Alamudi) of the center pledged to donate 5 million Birr, he added. EDITORIAL: Putting bucks in Starbucks The Daily Free Press - Coffee farming is primarily a third-world industry that markets its product in first-world countries. Starbucks would be lost without the hard work of subsistence farmers in developing nations like Ethiopia. Ethiopian opposition warns "removing Eritrean govt" not valid option March 24, 2007 (ADDIS ABABA) - The Ethiopian opposition parties have asked the Ethiopian government to continue with its ongoing diplomatic efforts to secure the release of the kidnapped Ethiopian. They further said that removing Eritrean government is not the responsibility of the government.
Addis Ababa, March 24, 2007 (Addis Ababa) - Derba Midroc Cement and East Africa Holdings have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a 60 million US Dollar joint venture company that will be exploring and developing coal. . . . He said through the exploitation of the coal resource, the energy supply demand of cement factories can be met and the copious foreign currency expenditures on imports can be spared.
Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) - . . . Regardless of neo-Nafxanya's backward-looking political programs that call for war with Eritrea (with the hope of capturing Assab), eliminate nations' rights to establish their identities, eliminate nations' already nominal federalism and privatize land. They plan all these priori measures to prepare the ground to eventually roll the nation back to the Nafxanya system should they win this election. Despite all these potentially catastrophic missions of the neo-nafxanya political organizations, the people, especially the Finfinne population, elected the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) politicians to power. Generally, TPLF win or loose, the future of the country is very bleak. We have witnessed the TPLF rule and what it did to the country in the past 14 years. The competing candidate, the CUD, is the greater of the two evils. The neo-Nafxanyas never learn from history. They are set to repeat all the mistakes of their Nafxanya predecessors. This group will not hesitate to revive the old Nafxanya policy of divide and rule. Even before grabbing power, they are busy planning how to partition the Oromos and other nationalities along rivers and hills into miniature provinces to effectively weaken the unity of the Oromo and other southern peoples so that they could easily prey on them. They are busy preparing to deny nations' their constitutional rights to self-determination etc. These are deportments that might lead hell to break loose in that country leading to another round of civil war, shames and woes. What Ethiopia needs is neither CUD's backward-oriented government nor TPLF's minority terror reign. Editor's Note: Is AFD finally dead? As we stated from the start, by joining hate-driven forces like OLF, CUD-Diaspora made a disastrous political move! UEDF-Diaspora proved its political maturity by rejecting this wicked alliance long time ago.
Country Report: Ethiopia 2007 (The Economist Intelligence Unit) Eritrea 2007 (The Economist Intelligence Unit) |
"Hawzein
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2007)
Agency
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Isayas Afeworki's Government Terror Strategy
ADDIS
ABABA (Reuters) - Kamilat Mehdi was walking home after dark with her two sisters
when a man stepped out of the shadows and threw sulphuric acid in her face. The
acid hit the 21-year-old's eyes, nose, mouth, forehead and chest, splashing onto
the faces and backs of her sisters beside her, burning flesh wherever it
touched. Though an isolated case, the attack has horrified Ethiopia's reserved
and conservative society and cast a searing light on a hidden culture of
violence against women. . . "This
isn't just a crime against Kamilat," said Assefa Kesito, Ethiopia's minister of
justice, who visited her bedside. "This is a crime committed against the state
of Ethiopia. A crime committed against my daughter, my sister, my mother."
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