Tamagn Beyene receives a hero's welcome in Toronto

Ethiopia 2013: Year of the Cheetah Generation

by Alemayehu G. Mariam

Year of the Cheetahs

2013 shall be the Year of Ethiopia’s Cheetah Generation.

“The Cheetah Generation refers to the new and angry generation of young African graduates and professionals, who look at African issues and problems from a totally different and unique perspective. They are dynamic, intellectually agile, and pragmatic. They may be the ‘restless generation’ but they are Africa’s new hope. They understand and stress transparency, accountability, human rights, and good governance. They also know that many of their current leaders are hopelessly corrupt and that their governments are contumaciously dysfunctional and commit flagitious human rights violations”, explained George Ayittey, the distingushed Ghanaian economist.

Ethiopia’s Cheetah Generation includes not only graduates and professionals — the “best and the brightest” — but also the huddled masses of youth yearning to breathe free; the millions of youth victimized by nepotism, cronyism and corruption and those who face brutal suppression and those who have been subjected to illegal incarceration for protesting human rights violations. Ethiopia’s Cheetah Generation is Eskinder Nega’s and Serkalem Fasil’s Generation. It is the generation of  Andualem Aragie, Woubshet Alemu, Reeyot Alemu, Bekele Gerba, Olbana Lelisa and so many others like them. Ethiopia’s Cheetah Generation is the only generation that could rescue Ethiopia from the steel  claws of tyranny and dictatorship. It is the only generation that can deliver Ethiopia from the fangs of a benighted dictatorship and transform a decaying and decomposing garrison state built on a foundation of lies into one that is deeply rooted in the consent and sovereignty of the people.

Abebe Gellaw: The journalist who silenced the tyrant

There is no doubt that 2012 was one of the most memorable years in our history. We witnessed high dramas, an unforgettable protest, a tyrant’s global hide-and-seek game, the elite’s wailing and cries, a mass hysteria, a dictator’s funeral in par with North Korea, the coronation of a puppet…. All these happened from mid to the end of the year.

by Hilina Taye

Thousands of listeners and viewers of the Ethiopian Satellite Television and Radio residing across the world have cast their votes for the honor, “Ethiopian Man of the Year in 2012,” to select the man that had a noticeable and significant impact in the year.

Over 20 prominent Ethiopians were nominated. Yenesew Genre, the man who self-immolated himself calling for freedom, artist and activist Tamagn Beyene, jailed journalists Eskinder Nega, Reeyot Alemu, and Wubishet Taye, Ethiopian Muslim movement leader Ustaz Abubaker Ahmed, Dr. Berhanu Nega, Andualem Arega, Prof. Mesfin Woldemariam, pop sensation Teddy Afro…and even the late tyrant Meles Zenawi.

Ethiopia’s PM marks 100 days in office

On 21 September 2012 Hailemariam Desalegn was sworn in as Ethiopia’s prime minister. He was regarded as a compromise candidate and many Ethiopians expected more political freedom. 100 days on, hope is fading.

A few days before Ethiopia's new prime minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, was sworn in, the Ethiopian government pardoned 2,000 political prisoners. Desalegn's inauguration coincided with the Orthodox New Year which falls in September. At the same time the Ethiopian government started negotiations in Kenya with the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), a separatist group based in the eastern part of the country.

Swedish photo journalist Johan Persson was convicted of terrorist crimes but pardoned in 2012

The Ethiopian government classifies the armed wing of ONLF as "terrorists".  When the new prime minister hinted at the prospect of peace talks with arch rival Eritrea, many Ethiopians believed they were finally entering a new era of political sunshine.

The 47-year-old engineer and father of three daughters, is considered moderate and affable, compared to Meles Zenawi, Desalegn's charismatic predecessor. Zenawi ruled the country with an increasingly iron fist following the bloody 2005 elections.

BREAKING NEWS: Federal police demanded 3,000 Birr to release the body of a 7 year old boy

The Horn Times breaking news Jan 4 2013
by Getahune Bekele

As the extremely brutal ruling minority junta of Ethiopia continue with its policy of using disproportionate force against the peaceable Muslims of the nation who are simply demanding freedom of worship;

The gruesome picture of the murdered 7 year old boy, Kiya.

Once again, the federal police brutally shot dead a young boy named Kiya, 7, on Friday 4 January 2013 in the eastern city of Harrer during a demonstration and refused to release the body unless the family fork out 3,000 Birr.

The boy’s destitute single mother who was also shot several times is currently fighting for her life, doctors in the city’s main hospital said.

The little boy was denied the right to be buried even after the grieving community of Harrer, in anguish and perplexity, raised the money at 3pm on Friday.

The much feared federal police boss Workeneh Gebeyhu is known for ordering the killing of kids who join anti government rallies in order to demoralize and terrorize parents and neighboring families, an evil tactic used by the TPLF for the past 21 years.

የውጭ ምንዛሪ እጥረት የፈጠረው ሙስና ጥያቄ እያስነሳ ነው

ethiopian reporter

የውጭ ምንዛሪ እጥረት በከፍተኛ ደረጃ በመባባሱ ከንግዱ ማኅበረሰብና ከተለያዩ አቅጣጫዎች ጥያቄ እየቀረበ በመሆኑ ምክንያት፣ የኢትዮጵያ ብሔራዊ ባንክ ጉዳዩን ለመመርመር መረጃ መሰብሰቡን ምንጮች ገለጹ፡፡

በእጥረቱ ምክንያት የተፈጠረው ሙስና ጥያቄ አስነስቷል፡፡ 

መንግሥት በአገሪቱ ውስጥ የውጭ ምንዛሪ እጥረት የለም ቢልም፣ ባንኮች የሚቀርቡላቸውን የሌተር ኦፍ ክሬዲት (ኤልሲ) ጥያቄዎች ማስተናገድ አልቻሉም፡፡ ሌተር ኦፍ ክሬዲት ለመክፈት ጥያቄ አቅርበው ከሦስት ወራት በላይ መስተናገድ ያልቻሉ ነጋዴዎችም ምሬታቸውን እየገለጹ ነው፡፡ 

“መንግሥት የውጭ ምንዛሪ እጥረት የለም ይላል፤ 500 ሺሕ ዶላር ለማግኘት ያቀረብኩት ጥያቄ ከሁለት ወር በላይ ሆኖታል፤” ሲሉ ስማቸውን መግለጽ ያልፈለጉ አንድ የጨርቃ ጨርቅ ነጋዴ ለሪፖርተር ገልጸዋል፡፡ “የውጭ ምንዛሪ አለ ከተባለ ለምን አይቀርብልንም?” ሲሉ ጉዳዩ ግራ እንዳጋባቸው እኚሁ ነጋዴ ይጠይቃሉ፡፡ በሌላ በኩል ደግሞ ባንኮች አካባቢ ከውጭ ምንዛሪ አቅርቦት ጋር የተፈጠረው ሙስና እንደሚያሳስባቸው ይገልጻሉ፡፡ 

የኢትዮጵያ ብሔራዊ ባንክ የሁለት ወራት የውጭ ምንዛሪ ክምችት እንዳለው ይናገራል፡፡ ይህ ክምችት ባንኩ በዕቅድ ዘመኔ ማሟላት አለብኝ በሚለው ደረጃ ላይ የሚገኝ ቢሆንም፣ የነጋዴዎች የውጭ ምንዛሪ ፍላጎት ግን በከፍተኛ ደረጃ በመጨመሩ ጥያቄዎችን ለማስተናገድ እንዳልተቻለ ምንጮች ይገልጻሉ፡፡