BREAKING NEWS: Semayawi party chairman barred from boarding flight to the US.

Eng. Yilkal Getnet, Chairman of the Blue Party (semayawi party)

March 21, 2014

(9:05 PM EST) Update: Semayawi Party Chaiman, Eng Yilkal Getnet was barred from boarding his flight to the United States on Friday, March 21, 2014 at Addis Ababa airport. He was scheduled to fly to the US to attend a fellowship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative of the United States State Department. Eng. Yilkal was told to see a TPLF supervisor by airport crew right before boarding time where he was told he would not be flying. His luggage was unloaded from the plane and he stayed at the airport for more than 3 hours thereafter questioned by TPLF agents. He has returned back to his home after 2:00am local time Saturday.

Semayawi Party

Land grabbing in Ethiopia – foreign investors and famine (DW)

Although one in 10 Ethiopians is going hungry, the government is leasing fertile land to foreign investors. Deutsche Welle spoke with Essayas Kebede from the Ethiopian government about so-called land grabbing.

Farmers cannot own land in Ethiopia, they must least it

Countries in Asia and the Gulf – such as China, India and Saudi Arabia – have rushed to foreign countries to buy farmland to grow crops for their own people. Food price inflation in recent years has highlighted the need for greater food security.

Africa has become a prime target, despite concerns about the impact on the world’s poorest people. Locals have nicknamed the practice “land grabbing.”

Extractive Industries: Transparency Group Rewards Repression

March 19, 2014

Ethiopia Approved for Membership Contrary to Rules

Human Rights Watch

(Oslo) – A prominent international natural resource transparency group has damaged its credibility by approving membership for Ethiopia. On March 19, 2014, the governing board of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), which promotes openness over oil, gas, and mining revenues, admitted Ethiopia as a candidate country despite harsh government repression that has crushed Ethiopia’s once vibrant independent organizations and its independent media.

EITI rules call for candidate countries to make a commitment to

Letter to My Son – By Eskinder Nega

March 17, 2014

by Eskinder Nega

Kaliti Prison, Addis Ababa

The mistakes of my life. Ah! I could go on and on and on about them. (Warning, I am aiming for your sympathy.) There are the missed opportunities. (God is generous, I squandered them all, literally.) There are the wrong choices (Hey there is at least the adrenaline rush that comes with every wrong move.) There is the conceited self-absorption (Obviously more and more as I rush through middle age.) There is the lack of direction (Bitter to admit, but true.) There is the incapacitating self-doubt. (Question: are you teary-eyed or disgusted?)

Rise of the Daughters of Ethiopia!

March 17, 2014

by Alemayehu G. Mariam

“We can’t take it anymore!”

Semayawi Party in Ethiopia has done it again!

This time it is the young women of Semayawi Party who took to the streets of Addis Ababa during the 5k run held as part of the International Women’s Day celebrations on March 9.They spoke; no, they cried out the unvarnished truth to the abusers of power:

“We can’t take it anymore! We are hungry! We need freedom! We need freedom! Free Eskinder! Free Andualem! Free Abubaker! Free Reeyot! Free political prisoners! We need justice! Freedom! Freedom! Freedom! Don’t divide us! Ethiopia is One! One Ethiopia! We can’t take it anymore! We are hungry…”