Authorities admits imposing new restrictions against jailed journalist

By Tesfa-Alem Tekl

September 19, 2013 (ADDIS ABABA) – The Ethiopian government on Thursday admitted imposing new visitor restrictions against journalist Reeyot Alemu, who remains in prison on terrorism-related offenses.

“Reeyot Alemu has repeatedly violated prison laws, she is abusive and ill-reputed. As a result prison officials, according to the law, have taken disciplinary measures”, government spokesperson, Shimels Kemal told Sudan Tribune.

Kemal said the latest restrictions were only imposed on her regular visitors and not her relatives.

However, the official warned that if Alemu continues to violate prison laws and regulations, authorities have the right to even restrict her from having any visitors.

Press freedom group, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), said the new restrictions were in retaliation against a hunger strike she began on Wednesday in protest against orders by prison authorities to turn in a list of her visitors.

Ethiopia to Continue Land Grabbing and Forced Resettlement

By Curtis Kline • 

photo by TURKAIRO

Millions of acres of Ethiopia’s most fertile lands are being offered to foreign investors, often in long-term leases and at bargain prices. At the same time, through its ‘villagization’ program, the Ethiopian government is forcibly displacing hundreds of thousands of Indigenous Peoples in order to free up their land so the transnational agro-industry can move in and grow foodstuffs and bio-fuels for export. It is a process of dispossession in which Indigenous Peoples are being forced to become dependent on aid handouts having lost their land and their ability to produce their own food.

For over a year, the Anuak and other Indigenous Peoples of the Gambella region of Southwest Ethiopia have been forced into government created villages which seldom contain the amenities promised to them. There is little access to food, arable land, water or electricity.

Last year the Anuak implicated the World Bank in the many severe human rights abuses that are being carried out as part of this resettlement. Last April, Bank

TPLF/ERPDF Efforts to Suppress Testimony in World Bank’s Investigation Regarding the Misuse of WB Funds

Reports Emerge of TPLF/ERPDF Efforts to Suppress Testimony in World Bank’s Investigation Regarding the Misuse of WB Funds in the Forced Displacement of Anuak and Related Land Grabs in Ethiopia’s Gambella Region

Press Release (Vancouver, BC, Canada)— The Anuak Justice Council (AJC) has received disturbing reports from on-the-ground sources in refugee camps in the Republic of South Sudan and Kenya as well as from sources in Gambella, Ethiopia that the TPLF/EPRDF Government of Ethiopia is carrying out a high-priority campaign to suppress the truthful testimony of witnesses in a World Bank (WB) investigation regarding the alleged misuse of World Bank funds by their administration.

Sources allege that a federal government spokesperson recently told regional officials in Gambella that they could not afford to lose the $600 million dollars of development monies provided through the World Bank and instructed Gambella regional administrators to do whatever it takes—even if it costs them a few million dollars—to make sure that whoever speaks to investigators,

A Renaissance for Ethiopia’s Youth

Alemayehu G Mariam

For the past one-half decade, Ethiopia has been awash with talk of renaissance. There has been a lot of windbagging about a “Renaissance Dam” over the Blue Nile. Our ears nearly fell off listening to the endless gab about an “economic renaissance” with “11 percent” plus annual growth. There has also been much talk of a political and social renaissance complete with slogans of “ethnic federalism”, multiculturalism, pluralism and other “isms” (excluding neoliberalism). Of course, all of it is talk! That is exactly what I am talking about. How come there is no talk about a renaissance for Ethiopia’s youth?

The term “renaissance” is generally used to signify rebirth and revival in culture and learning. Immediately following the Middle Ages (“Dark Ages”), Europeans had a “Renaissance” which led to the flourishing of art, science and astronomy and expansion of global trade and exploration. Senegalese scholar Cheikh Anta Diop minted the concept of “African Renaissance” in 1946 to advocate the cultural,

The King is back! Kenenisa Bekele beaten Mo Farah in Great North Run thriller

Mo Farah beaten by Kenenisa Bekele in Great North Run thriller

Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele saw off double world and Olympic champion Mo Farah’s late surge to win the Great North Run in a thrilling sprint finish.

Farah chased down Bekele in the final 400m to set up a nail-biting finale but the Briton had to settle for second.

Another Ethiopian, Haile Gerselassie, was a distant third after falling behind in the last of the 13.1 miles.

Earlier, MO FARAH has been warned he faces a record-breaking war to be regarded as the best distance runner of all time.