Privatizing EFFORT and all Other EPRDF Controlled Companies to Build Abay Dam

July 19, 2013

by Asress Mulugeta

All dictators on the African continent have sought immortality by leaving a legacy that will outlive them and endure for the ages. But all have inherited the wind. Kwame Nkrumah led the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence from colonialism in 1957. Nkrumaism sought to transform Ghana into a modern socialist state through state-driven industrialization. He built the Akosombo Dam on the Volta River, at the time considered the “largest single investment in the economic development plans of Ghana”. He promoted the cult of personality and was hailed as the “Messiah”, “Father of Ghana and Pan Africanism” and “Father of African nationalism”.  He crushed the unions and the opposition, jailed

U.S., U.K. Ignore Ethiopian Rights Abuses, Advocacy Group Says

July 18, 2013

Bloomberg News

by William Davison

The U.K. and U.S. have ignored first-hand accounts of human rights violations in southern Ethiopia where the government is forcibly relocating people for commercial-scale sugar plantations, the Oakland Institute said.

The Western governments are “willful accomplices and supporters of a development strategy that will have irreversible devastating impacts on the environment and natural resources and will destroy the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of indigenous people,” the California-based research and advocacy group said yesterday in a report.

The Nile River is African and Ethiopia is its hub: rightful governance for rightful ownership

July 18, 2013

Commentary

Part two of five

by Aklog Birara, PhD

Part one of this series presented the Egyptian position on the Nile in a manner suggesting that, on its part, Ethiopian society must, equally, overcomes its internal governance gridlock that emanates from a cruel and repressive government leadership. This dictatorial governance refuses to reform itself or to allow other stakeholders to offer alternatives. I start with the premise based on conversations with a cross section of Ethiopians within and outside the country and from various documents and writings that the overwhelming majority of Ethiopians defend Ethiopians rightful ownership and use of the Abay River and other rivers within national boundaries and those shared with riparian states. Here there is no ambiguity. On the other hand and as a Gallop Poll suggests, the vast majority of Ethiopians reject the current ethnic-coalition based and elite run socioeconomic and political system that denies them a semblance of freedom and legitimate demand for the rule of law, a level playing field and fair play.

Ethiopia’s Opposition Rises Again (IPS)

July 18, 2013

GONDAR, Ethiopia, Jul 18 2013 (IPS) - Since the violent quashing of political protests after the ruling party won Ethiopia’s 2005 elections, this East African nation has seen little in the way of political dissent. That is, until the last few months.

On Jul. 14 several hundred opposition protestors gathered in northern town of Gondar to and called on the government to stop exploiting the antiterrorism law and release those whom the law has been used to imprison. Credit: William Lloyd-George/IPS

Since June, the country has witnessed mass protests in three of its major cities. Despite the significance of these protests, observers disagree over how much they signal a rebirth for the country’s opposition movement and the government’s tolerance of it.

The Nameless Torture Victims of Ethiopian Rulers

July 16, 2013

by Zelalem Abate

E-mail: zelalem.abate1@gmail.com

The Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) victims such as Eskinder Nega and Andulem Argae are not forgotten, although they are not remembered to a desired level. Since these TPLF’s victims are among the few Ethiopians who are scarifying themselves and their families for the sake of freedom and justice they should be remembered forever.

Unfortunately, however, majority of the nameless- torture victims of TPLF are forgotten.  It appears Tesfaye Tekalign was one of these nameless torture victims. Tesfaye Tekalign is an indicator for numerous innocent citizens suffering from torture after being hijacked from streets, work places, homes and other places. 

Third world minded South African media unleashing xenophobic attacks on Ethiopia and Ethiopians

July 17, 2013

by Getahune Bekele –South Africa

“Waa….Waa…” the alarm bell sounded as Bafana goalie Itumeleng Kune misbehaved at Addis Ababa stadium.

In that incredibly tense Ethiopia game, at one point …an altercation took place between a number of players on the half way line. At this point, the local fans seemed to be aggressively chanting ‘war! War!’

Soccer Laduma newspaper July 3, 2013

“It was obvious that all of us read what this guy said. We were pissed off. Just let him talk…let him talk. Let anyone speak, we must just focus on doing our job. He had his moment speaking that way about SA.”

Bafana player Ricardo Nunes threatening the temperamental Ethiopian international striker Fikru Tefera for the comments he made earlier. Soccer Laduma July 3, 2013.

Swede ‘beaten in Ogaden’ housed at embassy

July 17, 2013

A Swedish-Ethiopian politician from Gothenburg, assaulted on a trip to Ogaden, has been safely housed at the Swedish embassy in Addis Ababa were immediate arrangements are being made for him and his family return home.

Dayib Mohamud, a part-time Green Party politician from Gothenburg, was detained and beaten in front of his children, the man’s brother told Swedish media on Monday. Ogaden is a restive region where two Swedish journalists were arrested two years ago on suspicion of abetting terrorists.

Dayib Mohamud landed in the Ethiopian capital on Tuesday along with one of his children.

“They’re now at the Swedish embassy to discuss arrangements for a trip home to Sweden,” his brother Qualinle Dayib told news agency TT.

Dayib Mohamud has lived in Sweden for almost three decades and is a Swedish citizen. He had returned with his nine children, all born in Sweden, to Ethiopia to visit their native Ogaden region, according to the brother.

ETHIOPIA: Andenat party (UDJ) Demonstration against TPLF Dessie July 13, 2013

Thus spoke Eskinder, the drum major for Ethiopian democracy

July 14, 2013

by Alemayehu G. Mariam

Still drumming for democracy

Eskinder Nega is still drumming for democracy in Ethiopia. From inside the belly of the infamous Meles Zenawi Prison in Kality, just outside the capital Addis Ababa. Until recently, Eskinder was in solitary confinement. He was allowed to see only his wife and son and a couple of other relatives.

Eskinder is condemned to 18 years in prison.  His unspeakable crimes include speaking truth to power, writing the naked truth about the late dictator Meles Zenawi, standing defiant against the abuse of power and speaking his mind fearlessly as a free human being.

ሰበር ዜና፣ ከ42 በላይ የአንድነት ፓርቲ አባላት በአዲስ አበባ ታሰሩ

July 15, 2013

ዛሬ አዲስ አበባ ውስጥ በፖሊስ የታሰሩት የአንድነት አባላት ከ42 በላይ ደርሰዋል ከታሳሪዎቹ ውስጥ ሁለት ሴቶች ይገኙበታል

ዛሬ ሐምሌ 8 ቀን 2005 ዓ.ም መንግስት የአንድነት ፓርቲ የአዲስ አበባ ዞን የወረዳ አመራሮችንና አባላትን በዘመቻ ማሰር ጀምሯል፡፡ እስከአሁኗ ሰዓትም 42 የሚሆኑ የአንድነት ለዴሞክራሲና ለፍትህ ፓርቲ አባላት በፖሊሲ ቁጥጥር ስር ይገኛሉ፡፡ የፍኖተ ነፃነት ጋዜጠኞች ተዘዋውረው እንደዘገቡት 42 የሚሆኑ የአንድነት ፓርቲ አባላት በፖሊስ እንዲታሰሩ ተደርጓል፡፡ የአንድነት ፓርቲ በአዲስ አበባ እያሰራጨ ያለውን ህጋዊ በራሪ ወረቀት ለህዝብ በማደላቸው የተያዙት አባላት ከአዲስ ከተማ 15፣ ከጉለሌ7 ፣ ከየካ 9 እንዲሁም ከንፋስ ስልክ ላፍቶ ናቸው፡፡

የሚሊዮኖች ድምፅ ለነፃነት በሚል መሪ ቃል እየተካሄደ ባለው ህዝባዊ ንቅናቄ የተደናገጠ የሚመስለው ኢህአዴግ በየአካባቢው የአንድነት አባላትን ምክንያት እየፈለገ ማገትና ማሰሩን ገፍቶበታል፡፡

ዛሬ ከታሰሩት 42 የአንድነት ፓርቲ አባላት መካከልባለፈው ሳምንት ቄራ አካባቢ ተመሳሳይ ወረቀት ሲበትኑ በህገወጥ መንገድ በፖሊስ ታስረው የነበሩት ስንታየሁ ቸኮልና ዳንኤል ፈይሳ ዛሬም በድጋሚ ህገወጥ እስር እንተፈፀመባቸው ለማወቅ ተችሏል፡፡

Ethiopian Police Detain Activists Calling for Terror Law Repeal

July 16, 2013

by William Davison

(Bloomberg) Ethiopian police detained 40 opposition supporters distributing leaflets calling for the repeal of an anti-terrorism law they say has been used to stifle dissent, the Unity for Democracy and Justice party said.

The arrests in four districts of the capital, Addis Ababa, occurred yesterday as UDJ members distributed pamphlets asking people to sign a petition that also demands the release of jailed opposition members, religious leaders and journalists, the party said in an e-mailed statement.

“It is harassment,” UDJ Chairman Negasso Gidada said in a phone interview today from the capital. “There is no law that says you need permission to distribute leaflets.”

Sara Al Amoudi accused of fraud

A woman accused of swindling a couple out of property worth £14 million by posing as a Saudi princess was actually a prostitute, a court heard.

Sara Al Amoudi reportedly boasted of ‘limitless wealth’, and convinced HSBC to lend her £4million, while a statement from Barclays suggested she had £165million in her account.

But property developers Amanda Clutterbuck, 56, and Ian Paton, 45, say the ‘princess’ actually worked as a prostitute with her two sisters in a £750,000 flat yards from Harrods.

A judge also urged Miss Al Amoudi to remove her burka in court for the complex civil claim from Miss Clutterbuck and Mr Paton for the value of six luxurious London properties they signed over to her.

Miss Al Amoudi, who counts peers among her friends and is said to have dated actor Colin Farrell, earned the nickname ‘the vamp in the veil’ following a previous court case in which ex-boyfriend Patrick Ribbsaeter, a Swedish model, was cleared of assaulting her chauffeur.

Proving them wrong – the Ethiopian way

July 13, 2013

by Yilma Bekele

They say all kinds of bad stuff about us. It is said so many times and so often sometimes some of us start to believe the lie. That is always the problem with being lied to. I am sure by now Woyanes are drunk with their own silly propaganda. The situation with us is that they used to own the means of communication and we were their potted plants waiting to be told, lectured and abused to no end.

I have so many instances of this situation I just don’t know where to start. I believe 2005 is day one in recent Ethiopian history. From 1992 to 2005 were the golden years of Woyane where they could do nothing wrong. They could have declared black is white and no one would have challenged them. They held three elections before 2005 and trounced the so called opposition like a beach ball. The loyal opposition led by such luminaries as Dr. Beyene Petros were amenable in a fantastic manner and submitted without much fanfare.

Ethiopian opposition holds rare protests

ADDIS ABABA (AFP) –  Ethiopian opposition activists on Sunday demanded the release of journalists and political prisoners jailed under anti-terror legislation in demonstrations in two major towns.

In rare public outpours of anger, people marched peacefully in the towns of Gondar and Dessie, chanting "freedom" and carrying pictures of jailed politicians and journalists.

Government officials said there were around 1,500 protesters in total in both towns, while the activists themselves claimed the number to be as high as 20,000.

"The protests were peaceful and successful," said Senegas Gidada, protest organiser and chairman of the Unity for Democracy and Justice Party (UDJ) party.

"We are unhappy about the lack of human rights and democratic freedom in Ethiopia," he added.

The demonstrations follow a rally last month in the capital Addis Ababa when several thousand activists demanded the government adhere to basic human rights.

The recent rallies are the largest since post-election violence in 2005 resulted in 200 people being killed and 30,000 arrested.

"The cost of living is too high. We have no rights. They took away my family's property and land and gave us no compensation," said one young unemployed protester, who asked not be named, but who was speaking by telephone from Gondar.

"The dogs on the street have more freedom than we do. We are here to demand freedom and we will continue to protest until the government makes fundamental changes."

But the government dismissed the protesters' calls.

"The protesters are demanding the release of prisoners who have been convicted of terrorism, these are not pro-democracy protests," government spokesman Shemeles Kemal told AFP.