The Week in Review

Look for the 'The Week in Review' segment below

Weekend Top Stories:
[Ethiopian reinforcement troops heading to Mogadishu] - [Somalia battles called worst in 15 years] - [Kenya, Ethiopia, US secretly detained Somalis fleeing war: HRW]

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-Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Invite Meles to Summit

-Letter from the Ethiopian community in Europe protesting PM Meles's invitation

-To speak out against Prime Minister Meles’s Invitation to the Summit, click here, find the MEP you wish to contact -- write or call

-ALDE event schedule
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The Hummingbird and the Forest Fire:
A Diaspora Morality Tale
(by Professor Alemayehu G. Mariam)
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Free the Ethiopian Captives

(by Andrew Heavens)

A pressure group to campaign for the freedom of the eight Ethiopian hostages was formed yesterday. It is called the 'Free The Ethiopian Captives Committee'.

The idea is to collect lots of signatures and members, then approach international organisations and ask them to do all they can to bring about the release. At the very least, it will aim to keep the eight in the headlines.(More...)

Ethiopian reinforcement troops heading to Mogadishu

Hundreds of additional Ethiopian forces who crossed from the border have reached near Beledweine city, the provincial capital of Hiran region in central Somalia heading to Mogadishu to reinforce their colleagues fighting the local insurgents for the third day, report said on Saturday.

Other Ethiopian reinforcement troops are reported to have reached Afgoie town, 30km south of the capital joining the war with what they called ‘the remnants of the ousted Islamists.

Meanwhile, the Ethiopian forces stationing around El-Irfid settlement in northern outskirt of the Somalia capital are reported to have deserted there heading to Afgoie town, 30km south of the city to reinforce the Ethiopian soldiers fighting the insurgents.(More...)

Also see:
-Somalia: More Ethiopian tanks en route to hostile Mogadishu
-Reinforcement Ethiopian Forces Close to the Capital
-Fresh Ethiopian troops arrive in Somalia

Heavy Fighting Continues in the Capital for Third Day

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Heavy fighting between warring sides of Ethiopian soldiers and Somali insurgents exchanging heavy weaponry fire has entered in its third day in the Somalia capital Mogadishu on Saturday.

Dozens of people have been killed since Thursday, when the government and allied Ethiopian troops launched an offensive to quash an increasingly brutal insurgency by Islamic militants. A statement from the International Committee of the Red Cross said the people of Mogadishu are caught up in the worst fighting in more than 15 years.

More than 220 people have been wounded in the past 24 hours, most them civilians with bullet, grenade and other shrapnel wounds, the ICRC said.(More...)

Also see:
-Somalia battles called worst in 15 years
-Many killed, wounded in new outburst in Somalia
-Chaos in Somalia Worst in 15 Years

Kenya, Ethiopia, US secretly detained Somalis fleeing war: HRW

(AFP) - Human Rights Watch on Saturday accused the governments of Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia and the United States of secretly detaining hundreds of people fleeing the deadly conflict in Somalia.

"Each of these governments has played a shameful role in mistreating people fleeing a war zone," said Georgette Gagnon, HRW's deputy Africa director.

"Kenya has secretly expelled people, the Ethiopians have caused dozens to disappear, and US security agents have routinely interrogated people held incommunicado," he added.(More...)

The Week in Review

• Tuesday - March 27, 2007

[Smugglers toss Ethiopian and Somali refugees to sharks] - [Al-Qaida urges jihadis to go to Somalia] - [Miner says struck gold in Ethiopia] - [Ethiopian army camp attacked] - [Ugandan troops say they are being used as guinea pigs]


• Wednesday - March 28, 2007

[Afar Diaspora group calls for the release of Ethiopian hostages] - [Swedish Teen Released From Ethiopia] - [Archaeologists find Ethiopia's lost Islamic kingdom] - [Prominent politician murdered in Mogadishu] - [Dancing to a better future in Ethiopia]


• Thursday - March 29, 2007

[Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Invite Meles to Summit] - [Seven Ethiopian troops killed in heavy fighting, bodies dragged through Mogadishu] - [Ethioapin Helicopters fire on Somali market] - [Analyst says Somalia a Handicap for Ethiopia] - [Ethiopia calls for action on Eritrea] - [Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee]


• Friday - March 30, 2007

[Court Postpones decision again - Reason: Judge has 'Gunfann'] - [Fresh Ethiopian troops arrive in Somalia] - [Ethiopian Helicopter shot down in Somalia] - [Ethiopia stops plans to close Jewish camp ] - [Travel Agencies to Campaign for Release of Colleagues]

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Court Postpones decision again - Reason: Judge has 'Gunfann'

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also in the news:
[Fresh Ethiopian troops arrive in Somalia] - [Ethiopian Helicopter shot down in Somalia] - [Ethiopia stops plans to close Jewish camp ] - [Travel Agencies to Campaign for Release of Colleagues]

International:
[African nations go softly, softly on Zimbabwe] - [White House has new plan for immigration] - [Heads of Arab States Prod Israel to Embrace Peace Offer] - [Halle Berry reveals suicide attempt] and more of today's top stories!


An Ethiopian military helicopter hit by insurgents is seen in the skies above Mogadishu March 30, 2007. Insurgents shot down an Ethiopian helicopter gunship in Mogadishu on Friday during a second day of fighting after Ethiopian and Somali forces launched a major attack on Islamists and clan militia. (Picture by REUTERS)



__________________________________________________________

-Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Invite Meles to Summit

-Letter from the Ethiopian community in Europe protesting PM Meles's invitation

-To speak out against Prime Minister Meles’s Invitation to the Summit, click here, find the MEP you wish to contact -- write or call

-ALDE event schedule
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Court Postpones decision again - Reason: Judge has 'Gunfann'

(by Lewit) -- The same white walls and peeling blue chairs. The same speculations and prayers. The same crowd shifting nrevously in their seats. The same delays. The same excuses.

Well, pretty much. Today, after over an hour delay, a summary of half the evidence presented by the prosecution was read. All 3 judges were there this time; one was apparently ill (though I couldn't tell which one--maybe the one that sniffled a couple of times?) and so, of course, the trial was postponed until Monday.

This time, it was clear that everyone had had enough, and the frustrations of both family members and the defendents was more than evident.(More...)

(by EZ) -- The trial is postponed again. This time for Monday, 2 April. The court presented the summary of the Audio, Video and documentary evidence today. It said the rest of the prosecutor's evidence will be summarized and presented on Monday. The court was packed. The judges said that they wouldn't continue in the afternoon as one of the judges was sick.

Fresh Ethiopian troops arrive in Somalia

Somalia - Hundreds of Ethiopian soldiers crossed over the common border and entered Somalia overnight, according to sources in Galkayo.

The soldiers, estimated to number 500-strong with armored vehicles, were stationed in the outskirts of Galkayo, the capital of Mudug region in central Somalia.

Reliable sources in Galkayo told Garowe Online on the condition of anonymity that the Ethiopian troops were heading for the northern Somali city of Bossaso, a bustling port town that serves as Puntland’s economic hub.

There was no reason given for the arrival of fresh Ethiopian troops, even as that country’s leader, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, pledged to withdraw his remaining troops from Somalia.(More...)

Ethiopian Helicopter shot down in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - An Ethiopian helicopter attacking insurgent positions in Somalia's capital was shot down Friday as government and allied troops battled hundreds of gunmen in the streets, witnesses said.

Government soldiers and troops from neighboring Ethiopia, who are in Somalia to protect the fragile government, were under a severe attack for a second day as they tried to quash a growing insurgency by Islamic militants.

"The helicopter looked like a ball of smoke and fire before crashing," said Ruqiya Shafi Muhyadin, who watched as the helicopter rolled over in the sky and went down in a residential area near the airport.(More...)

Also see:
-Reuters: Battles rage in Mogadishu, helicopter hit
-AP: Fighting rages for 2nd day in Mogadishu
-CBS: Insurgents Down Helicopter In Somalia
-ABC: Helicopter Shot Down in Somalia

Travel Agencies to Campaign for Release of Colleagues

In a show of solidarity with the eight Ethiopians still held captive in Eritrea, and joining the campaign for their safe release, travel agencies working in Ethiopia yesterday formed an alliance.

Owners and General Managers of three travel agencies namely Origin Ethiopia, Kibre and Ethiopian Quadrants, said they were working jointly to create awareness for the release of the captives who, they said, didn't have any political involvement.

They also criticized the international media who they said were "shouting 24 hours a day" but forgot the issue immediately after the release of the five Europeans.(More...)

Also see:
-Committee set up to lobby for the release of Ethiopian captives

Ethiopia stops plans to close Jewish camp

Ethiopia said it has canceled plans to shut a camp used as a community center for 7,000 Ethiopian Jews seeking emigration to Israel.

The government announced Friday that synagogue and food services would be allowed to continue in the camp for the Falashmura Ethiopians but school services and activities promoting immigration to Israel will be cut off, Haaretz reported Friday.

The decision follows diplomatic pressure from the The United Jewish Communities of North America, which funds the camp, and other groups on the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington.(More...)

Today's Top Stories

-African nations go softly, softly on Zimbabwe
-White House has new plan for immigration
-Gates Seeks Way To Close Guantanamo
-Iran Broadcasts New Video of Seized Britons
-Heads of Arab States Prod Israel to Embrace Peace Offer
-Putin rejects call to serve longer (Russia's upper house speaker called for changes that would allow Putin to remain in office beyond 2008 -- a proposal that was quickly rejected by the Kremlin)
-Breastfeeding alone cuts HIV risk
-French nun credits John Paul for sudden healing
-Halle Berry reveals suicide attempt



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Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Invite Meles to Summit

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also in the news:
[Seven Ethiopian troops killed in heavy fighting, bodies dragged through Mogadishu] - [Ethioapin Helicopters fire on Somali market] - [Analyst says Somalia a Handicap for Ethiopia] - [Ethiopia calls for action on Eritrea] - [Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee]

International:
[Rwanda to probe downing of former president's plane] - [Castro Attacks Bush on Biofuels in First Article Since Surgery] - [How Britons were conned by Iranian gunboat trick] - [Ten of the best April Fool's Day hoaxes: US museum] and more of today's top stories!


Smoke rises in the horizon above the Towfiq neighborhood in Mogadishu. Ethiopian helicopters have fired missiles on southern Mogadishu as heavy fighting across the Somali capital left 30 people dead in an offensive against insurgent fighters.(More on this below) Picture - AFP/Mustafa Abdi


Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Invite Meles to Summit

ETP -- The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), a Group within the European Parliament, has invited Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to attend its 2007 summit.

The summit which will be held in Dakar - Senegal from 1 to 3rd April, aims to strengthen liberal democratic values, according to ALDE.

Attendees list includes 12 African leaders, heads of state from the Pacific and Caribbean countries. The theme of the summit is Liberalism and Governance: the Social Liberal State.

(Picture - Commmissioner Louis Michel and Meles Zenawi, Prime Minister of Ethiopia)

EU Commissioner Louis Michel will attend the summit and is expected to give one of the opening speeches along with Graham Watson, President of the ALDE Group at the European Parliament.

Meanwhile, many within the Ethiopian community in Europe and elsewhere disapprove of ALDE’s decision to invite Prime Minister Meles to this summit.

In a letter to European human rights groups, the Ethiopian community in Europe is asking liberal MEP’s to distance themselves from the invitation extended to Ethiopia’s primer. (Read letter below)

After over 15 years in power, Prime Minister Meles presides over a country that still cannot feed its own people and is very much dependent on the U.N. World Food Program. Approximately half of the Ethiopian population lives on less than one U.S dollar a day, which is not enough to buy a single meal.

Since the parliamentary elections of 2005 human rights and press freedom have suffered significantly in Ethiopia.

Amnesty international has accused the government of Meles Zenawi of torture and extrajudicial killings. Journalists, renowned human rights activists and opposition party leaders are currently detained in the country’s notorious Kality prison.

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-Letter from the Ethiopian community in Europe

-To protest Prime Minister Meles’s Invitation to the Summit, click here, find the MEP you wish to contact -- write or call

-ALDE event schedule
-Event website
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Seven Ethiopian troops killed in heavy fighting, bodies dragged through Mogadishu

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.

Dozens of men and women pulled the bodies of two soldiers in the street, shouting "We will kill the Ethiopian troops", while five other bodies in Ethiopian uniforms lay on the ground in the southern district of Shirkole.

Nearby an Ethiopian military vehicle burned in the street. Loudspeakers had earlier transmitted calls for residents to come out and fight the Ethiopian troops backing Somalia's transitional government.(More...)

Ethioapin Helicopters fire on Somali market, at Least 30 dead

NewYork Times -- Any hope for a quick peace in Mogadishu, Somalia’s turbulent capital, was snuffed out today when Ethiopian troops stormed into the center of the city, setting off clashes that killed more than 30 people.

According to hospital officials in Mogadishu, most casualties were civilians caught in the crossfire between Ethiopian tanks and insurgents firing rocket-propelled grenades.

Many residents now say they were better off under the Islamist administration, which briefly controlled Mogadishu last year until Ethiopian troops invaded.(More...)

Also see:
-SomaliNet: 15 Ethiopian soldiers killed in Mogadishu violence
-Reuters: Death and carnage in Somalia
-Shabelle: Two Ethiopian tanks damaged
-USA Today: Bombs dropped in Somalia
-Washington Times: Renewed violence in Somalia
-Somalia: A chaos of clans, Islamists, foreigners

Ethiopia calls for action on 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.

Eritrean officials were not immediately available to comment, but always deny such allegations.

Addis Ababa and Asmara have routinely fired harsh rhetoric at each other since a 1998 to 2000 border war killed 70 000 people. But tensions have climbed higher in recent months amid conflict in neighbouring Somalia and a kidnapping near their frontier.

"The Eritrean government ... is now organising, arming and training anti-peace Ethiopian elements to carry out its proxy war and cause destruction in the country," Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi told Parliament on Thursday.(More...)

Analyst says Somalia a Handicap for Ethiopia

VOA -- The al-Qaida terrorist organization has issued a call for Islamic extremists around the world to come to the aid of Somalis fighting the country's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and its chief backer in the region, Ethiopia.

As VOA Correspondent Alisha Ryu reports from VOA's East Africa Bureau in Nairobi, Ethiopia, which still has thousands of troops in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, is facing a threat it had hoped it had eliminated, when Ethiopia's military dismantled the leadership of Somalia's Islamist movement last December.

Appearing recently in an Internet video on al-Qaida's official media Web site, a prominent leader in the organization, Abu Yahya al-Libi, said it was the duty of all Muslim holy warriors to go to Somalia and help Somalis end what he called "the occupation of Abbyssinians and their apostate lackeys." (More...)

Chicago Tribune: Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee

In this caffeine-addled corner of the world, the bean and its brew are both blessing and curse, swirled together in a single cup.

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.

"I am terribly addicted. If I don't get coffee, I can't see properly," he said, standing barefoot in the dirt, grinding the beans with a primitive 3-foot-long wooden pestle and a mortar made of a hollowed tree stump. "Almost everyone here is addicted."(More...)

Zimbabwean Opposition Leader Released

HARARE, Zimbabwe Mar 29, 2007 (AP)— The country's main opposition leader was freed after being held by police for several hours, party officials said Thursday, as southern African leaders gathered in Tanzania to discuss the crisis in Zimbabwe.

Police denied arresting Morgan Tsvangirai Wednesday as he prepared to talk to reporters about a wave of political violence that left him briefly hospitalized earlier this month.

"It doesn't matter how long he was deprived of his freedom, he was still arrested," Tsvangirai's aide, Eliphas Mukonoweshuro, told The Associated Press Thursday.(More...)

Today's Top Stories

-Mugabe defiant as condemnation grows
-Rwanda to probe downing of former president's plane(Rwanda to investigate the death of a former president killed when his plane was shot down, widely seen as the trigger for its 1994 genocide)
-Democrats turn up the heat on Bush over Iraq
-How Britons were conned by Iranian gunboat trick (The speed and cunning shown by the Revolutionary Guards suggests that their action was premeditated)
-Castro Attacks Bush on Biofuels in First Article Since Surgery
-Arabs endorse peace plan, warn of nuclear arms race
-Ten of the best April Fool's Day hoaxes: US museum




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Afar Diaspora group calls for the release of Ethiopian hostages

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also in the news:
[Swedish Teen Released From Ethiopia] - [Archaeologists find Ethiopia's lost Islamic kingdom] - [Prominent politician murdered in Mogadishu] - [Dancing to a better future in Ethiopia]

International:
[Britain Presses Iran; Woman May Be Freed] - [Senate backs troop withdrawal from Iraq] - [Arab summit opens in Riyadh] - [World's Tallest Man Marries] and more of today's top stories!

(Photo - Rosa Verhoeve) Founded in 1996 by international choreographer R. Maldoom, "Adugna Potentials" is Ethiopia's only professional contemporary dance troupe. Leading choreographers from Europe and Africa come to teach in the company and its members have gone on to perform at international art and dance festivals (More on this below)
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A MESSAGE FROM TENSAE RADIO
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Afar Diaspora group calls for the release of Ethiopian hostages

(Stuttgart, Germany)ETP -- The Afar forum - an association of Diaspora Ethiopians from the Afar region, in a statement released today, has called for the release of Ethiopian hostages held since the beginning of March by ARDUF rebels.

The marginalization of the Afar people in terms of basic development while their resources are exploited by the governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea, High-handed micro management by the Ethiopian ruling party through appointed puppets; are some of the reasons for discontent in the Afar region, the statement said.

In addition, The Afar forum called for the release of Afar politicians, intellectuals, and merchants in Eritrea who, the group claims, have been detained for more than a decade. It also called on the Ethiopian government to free all prisoners of conscience without any preconditions. [Read the press release]

Denmark tops WEF's networked readiness index, Ethiopia 4th from bottom

Ethiopia occupies 119th position in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Networked Readiness Index (NRI) 2006-2007, from 115th position in the 2005-2006 Index.

Denmark is number one for the first time in the sixth Global Information Technology Report (GITR) 2006-2007's "Networked Readiness Index", moving up 2 positions from last year and reflecting an upward trend dating back to 2003.

The NRI examines the preparedness of countries to use ICT effectively on three dimensions — the first is the general business, regulatory and infrastructure environment for ICT; second, the readiness of the three key stakeholders (individuals, businesses and governments) to use and benefit from ICT; and third, their actual usage of the latest information and communication technology available.

Accompanying Ethiopia; Cameroon, Paraguay, Mozambique, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Angola, Burundi and Chad are in the bottom 10 of the Index.

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.

Ancient manuscripts have long told of the kingdom of Shoa, which, between the 10th and 16th centuries straddled key trade routes between the Christian highlands and Muslim ports on the Red Sea. But Shoa's precise place on the map has never been clear.

The National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) said a team of archaeologists had laid bare the remains of three medieval towns, Asbari, Masal, and Nora, on a high escarpment of the Rift Valley.

Shoa - also written as Shewa - was an autonomous state from about the 10th century, until it was absorbed by the sultanate of Ifat at around the end of the 13th century.

The three towns "may have constituted the heart of the Shoa Muslim kingdom before it came under Ifat's political control," the researchers, led by CNRS' Francois-Xavier Fauvelle, suggest.(More...)

Swedish Teen Released From Ethiopia

A 17-year-old Swede has been released from Ethiopia where she was imprisoned for the past three months.

According to a press release from the Swedish Foreign Ministry, the girl’s release comes after intensive work on her behalf by the Foreign Ministry and embassies.

Three Swedes remain captive in Ethiopia accused of taking part in fighting. They were seized in Kenya after fleeing unrest in Somalia.(More...)

Dancing to a better future in Ethiopia

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (Reuters) - 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.

Inside a garage transformed into a dance studio, the floor crackles at every jump and sunlight pours from huge holes in the tin roof.

For Junaid Jemal, who like millions of other children in Ethiopia sold goods on street corners hoping to make enough money for a warm meal, joining the dance troupe that rehearses in the studio was an escape from hopelessness.(More...)

-More pictures from 'Adugna'

Prominent politician murdered in Mogadishu

Mogadishu 28 -- Gunmen have shot dead the former Somali consulate to Dubai, Mr. Abdi Naasir Ahmed Aadan better known as “Serjito”.

Mr. Serjito was killed along with another man who was riding with him in his car around Tri Biano neighborhood in Mogadishu.(More...)

Also see:
-Senior politician killed in Mogadishu

Zimbabwe opposition chief arrested again

The leader of Zimbabwe's main opposition party was arrested again today, in what appeared to be the latest round of intimidation aimed at political opponents by Robert Mugabe's regime.

Morgan Tsvangirai was seized in an armed raid by the President's security forces at the headquarters of his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in Harare along with around 20 other members of staff, it has been revealed.

The forces were armed with teargas cannisters, sticks, riot helmets and AK47 rifles when they launched their assault.

Fearful for their safety, shopkeepers near the MDC's Harvest House headquarters reportedly closed as the raid took place.

Mr Tsvangirai's arrest came as Mr Mugabe was due to attend a summit called about the crisis in his country in Tanzania.(More...)

Today's Top Stories

-Acid attack on woman shocks Ethiopia
-Senate backs troop withdrawal from Iraq
-Britain Presses Iran; Woman May Be Freed(Britain Freezing Talks With Iran Until 15 Navy Crew Members Released)
-EU extends Microsoft's deadline
-Arab summit opens in Riyadh
-Buzz Grows Over Queen's Upcoming U.S. Stay
-World's Tallest Man Marries




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Smugglers toss Ethiopian and Somali refugees to sharks

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also in the news:
[Al-Qaida urges jihadis to go to Somalia] - [Miner says struck gold in Ethiopia] - [Ethiopian army camp attacked ] - [Ugandan troops say they are being used as guinea pigs]

International:
[U.S. begins large show of force in Persian Gulf] - [Sewage 'tsunami' kills four in Gaza] - [Historic deal 'a new era' for N. Ireland] - [Semi-identical twins discovered] and more of today's top stories!

What of the Ethiopian hostages?: State-run Eritrean ERITV channel shows a senior Afar elder who negotiated the release of five European hostages.(AFP) There are still eight Ethiopian hostages missing. Attention of the world media and that of the Ethiopian government has significantly dwindled after the release of the European hostages. Negotiations have ceased; search parties have been called off

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(Picture - Ethiopian Television Network)
International Ethiopian Women’s Organisation Radio Interview with Artist Telela Kebede
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A MESSAGE FROM TENSAE RADIO
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Smugglers toss Ethiopian and Somali refugees to sharks

Knife-wielding smugglers forced 450 Somalis and Ethiopians overboard into stormy seas along a remote stretch of Yemen coastline at Ras-Alkalb in the Gulf of Aden last Thursday.

The smugglers forced their passengers overboard so they could make a speedy departure after being spotted by Yemeni security forces, UNHCR spokeswoman Astrid van Genderen Stort said.

Survivors also reported that several Ethiopian women and at least one Somali were raped and abused by the smugglers during the voyage from Bosaso in Somalia's Puntland region.

Since January 2006 at least 30,000 people have fled violence and hardship in Somalia and Ethiopia for Yemen, according to UNHCR. About 500 people have died and at least 300 are missing and believed dead.(More...)

Al-Qaida urges jihadis to go to Somalia

WASHINGTON(UPI) -- Al-Qaida has urged Islamic extremists around the world, especially in the information sphere to aid Islamic militias in Somalia.

In a new video released at the weekend by the group's official media arm, the as-Sahab Institute, Abu Yahya al-Libi, a prominent al-Qaida leader called on "my Muslim brothers to stand with their brothers (in Somalia) and go forth to fight at their side."

"All the things which make jihad an individual duty are present in their battle against the Abyssinian occupiers and their apostate lackeys," he said about the situation in Somalia, a reference to the Ethiopian military that in December ousted the Islamic Courts Union, the Islamic militia coalition that had controlled most of the country.(More...)

Ugandan troops say they are being used as guinea pigs

The Ugandan government is reviewing its involvement in Somalia as its troops await the arrival of peacekeepers from other African countries.

“We are assessing the situation on the ground and the magnitude of the assignment before the government decides on the way forward,” Isaac Musumba, the State Minister for Regional Co-operation, said.

He added that he had not received any communication from the African Union regarding when the peacekeepers promised by other African countries would join the Ugandan troops.

Meanwhile, a Ugandan captain in Somalia, who asked not to be identified, said the countries that had promised to send troops were not ready to take the lead. “True, many have pledged to join us, but they are waiting for us to test the waters first,” he said, adding that the situation was complicated by the presence of terrorists and the warfare tactics adopted by the Islamists.(More...)

Miner says struck gold in Ethiopia

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - A mining company said on Monday it had found an estimated 10,000 tonnes of gold in southern Ethiopia that could be worth more than $1 billion.

Privately-owned National Mining Corporation (NMC) said the discovery was made at Dawa Dagiti in southern Oromia region.

"When production starts the country could earn up to $1 billion from gold exports that would help its development," NMC administrator Melaku Beza told a news conference in Addis Ababa.

He gave no more details. Gold is one of Ethiopia's top hard currency earners, along with coffee, hides and skin.(More...)

-Learn more about the National Mining Corporation Plc.

Ethiopian army camp attacked

Mogadishu - Ethiopian troops opened fire after a major explosion occurred at their camp on the outskirts of the Somali capital on Monday, and one person was killed, said a witness.

It was not clear what had caused the explosion or who the troops may have been firing at, and officials were not immediately available for comment.

The explosion was heard in parts of Mogadishu and Mohamed Nur Warsame, a minibus driver, said he saw the Ethiopian troops firing indiscriminately as he drove in the area.(More...)

A mysterious aerial device falls in Somalia

Mogadishu -- A mysterious device which some say could be a surveillance satellite has fallen near buulo burde town in south Somalia.

Villagers report that the device fell five days ago in area which lies forty kilo meters north of Buulo burde town.

The device occupies an area of one hundred Meters Square as villagers who spotted this device confirmed.

“In the evening of last Wednesday, a large device flew over our head and moments later, we heard a large sound, BAM” said Ilyas Ali, a villager who lives nearby where this large device has fallen.(More...)

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SEW - poem by Asradew
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Today's Top Stories

-Putting bucks in Starbucks
-Senate to look at improper FBI spying
-U.S. begins large show of force in Persian Gulf
-Iran Says Detained Brit Troops Are Healthy
-Sewage 'tsunami' kills four in Gaza (At least four Palestinians drowned in a tsunami of raw sewage on Tuesday when a water treatment reservoir burst)
-U.S. offers nearly $60 mln to prepare Abbas's forces
-Historic deal 'a new era' for N. Ireland (Long-time foes reach agreement to share office beginning)
-Semi-identical twins discovered(Scientists have revealed details of the world's only known case of "semi-identical" twins)






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The Week in Review

Look for the 'The Week in Review' segment below

Weekend news:
[Mogadishu ceasefire broken, meeting ends in failure] - [DR Congo-Ethiopia tie postponed ]

Armed Somali insurgents stand at Shiirkole neighbourhood in Mogadishu, March 23, 2007. Heavy fighting broke out for a third day on Friday in the Somali capital Mogadishu between insurgents and Ethiopian troops supporting the interim government. REUTERS/Shabelle Media (SOMALIA)

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The “New Breed” of African Leaders and the Future of Human Rights and Democracy in Africa

Friday, April 6, 2007
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Room 25 Mondale Hall
University of Minnesota Law School
229 19th Ave S.
Minneapolis, MN 55455

The Humphrey Institute, the Law School, and the Human Rights Center are proud to present a panel discussion event on African Leaders, the current state of Human Rights and Democracy in Africa, and U.S. Foreign Policy.(More...)
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(by Birkayehu Mekecha, a former Kinijit Official)
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Mogadishu ceasefire broken, meeting ends in failure

the Somali capital have reached an impasse, threatening a two-day truce, one of the elders involved in the negotiations said.

Mogadishu has remained calm since Friday when a truce between Ethiopian military officials who had come to bolster the government and elders of Mogadishu's dominant clan, the Hawiye, took effect.

The truce halted much of this week's violence, during which dozens of people killed, most of them civilians. Most dramatic was the shooting down Friday - after the truce had begun - of a cargo plane during takeoff after it delivered equipment and supplies for African Union peacekeepers. The 11 Belarusian crew members all died.

Saturday's talks reached an impasse because the Hawiye elders want first to have discussions with President Abdullahi Yusuf and other transitional government officials before there are any further efforts to disarm people in Mogadishu, said Abdi Iman Omer, a spokesman for the elders late Saturday.(More...)

Also see:
-Somalia: 300 wounded in Somali battle

DR Congo-Ethiopia tie postponed

DR Congo's Nations Cup qualifier against Ethiopia, scheduled to be played on Sunday, has been indefinitely postponed because of last week's deadly clashes in Kinshasa.

"We'll set another date after we're in a more secure situation," said Constant Omari, president of DR Congo's football federation.

Street fighting broke out on Thursday in DR Congo between army forces and members of the military guard of a failed presidential candidate - clashes that aid groups say left more than 100 dead.(More...)

The Week in Review

• Monday - March 19, 2007

[ARDUF Rebels claim responsibility for kidnapping says Eritrea TV] - [ION: "En route" for Asmara?] - [Somali gunmen step up attacks after police commander slain] - [BoBo blog from Ethiopia] - [ION: The fallout over the kidnapping ]


• Tuesday - March 20, 2007

[Afar rebel leader says Ethiopian hostages safe] - [The IMF: Friend or Foe?] - [Ethiopia to assemble Ladas] - [Five killed in motar attacks in Mogadishu] - [WTO Member States Begin Grilling Ethiopia]


• Wednesday, March 21, 2007

[Political, Civic, Media and Religious groups call for peace and reconciliation in Ethiopia ] - [Members of the U.S congress ask the state department to Intervene in Ethiopia] - [Mogadishu clash kills 7, body dragged in streets]


• Friday - March 23, 2007

[A Mockery of Justice: Court Adjourned again ] - [U.S. Presses for Release of American Held in Ethiopia ] - [Tinton Falls man being held as POW by Ethiopia ] - - [Somalia silences Al-Jazeera]- [More Than 100 Deported From Kenya] - [Al-Qaeda names cell leader for Somalia]

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A Mockery of Justice: Court Adjourned again

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also in the news:
[U.S. Presses for Release of American Held in Ethiopia ] - [Tinton Falls man being held as POW by Ethiopia ] - - [Somalia silences Al-Jazeera]- [More Than 100 Deported From Kenya] - [Al-Qaeda names cell leader for Somalia]

International:
[Bishop ready to face guns, urges Zimbabweans to take to the streets ] - [Iraqi Deputy PM wounded in suicide attack] - [Iran nabs British sailors in Iraq waters] - [Gates Pushes To Shut Down Gitmo] and more of today's top stories!


Smoke is seen in a general view of Somalia's capital Mogadishu.(AFP/Jose Cendon). Ethiopian troops exchanged heavy mortar and machine-gun fire with insurgents for a thrid straight day in Mogadishu, leaving a trail of casualties and violence showing no sign of let-up.(More on this below)

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The “New Breed” of African Leaders and the Future of Human Rights and Democracy in Africa

Friday, April 6, 2007
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Room 25 Mondale Hall
University of Minnesota Law School
229 19th Ave S.
Minneapolis, MN 55455

The Humphrey Institute, the Law School, and the Human Rights Center are proud to present a panel discussion event on African Leaders, the current state of Human Rights and Democracy in Africa, and U.S. Foreign Policy.(More...)
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A Mockery of Justice: Court Adjourned again

Lewit -- There was an unusual feeling of excitement in the air, and even the most skeptical among us dared hope that today was THE day.

All the regulars were there—the ferenj (journalists , observers, and diplomats) crowding the front rows, the immediate family members behind to the left, and additional relatives, friends and supporters left to fill in the gaps.

As usual, we had time to kill. After the greetings, speculations and words of encouragement were exchanged, casual conversation began to wane and the defendants had still not appeared.

I was in no mood to discuss my easter plans with those seated next to me, so I counted the white tiles on the ceiling and fidgeted nervously with the peeling plastic cover of my chair.

Finally, shortly after 10 o’clock, the defendants were brought in and everyone sprang to their feet, waving and smiling (now skilled in the art of communicating without words.)

The prisoners looked well and flashed us triumphant thumbs-up as they filed in. They appeared overjoyed to see one another again, and we silently interpreted this scene as the appropriate prelude to their immediate release.

After about 15 minutes everyone was settled in their seats and the judges filed in.

When it was clear that Judge Adil would not be present (a fact that was neither acknowledged nor recorded), all hope instantly evaporated.(More...)


Tinton Falls man being held as POW by Ethiopia

WASHINGTON — A 24-year-old American Muslim from Monmouth County been detained by Ethiopia and could be designated a prisoner of war for allegedly fighting for radical Islamists in neighboring Somalia

Amir Mohamed Meshal is in an Ethiopian jail pending a hearing to determine his status, the State Department said Thursday.

The case echoes complaints that other countries have lodged with the U.S. for the many people it has detained at the naval prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and elsewhere as part of the fight against on terrorism. The detention also has caused a diplomatic spat between the U.S. and Kenya.(More...)

Also see:
-U.S. Presses for Release of American Held in Ethiopia

Somalia silences Al-Jazeera

The Qatar-based Al-Jazeera satellite television network and two local private radio stations to stop broadcasting from the country's capital.

The orders came as Ethiopia-backed government troops battled suspected Islamist insurgents in the capital Mogadishu for the second straight day, as months-long violence showed no sign of let-up.

Government spokesperson Hussein Mohamed Muhamoud said authorities had instructed the three organisations to immediately halt their work failure to which they would be forced to abide by the order.(More...)

Zimbabwe bishop ready to face guns, urges Zimbabweans to take to the streets

(CNN) -- A leading Zimbabwean cleric said on Thursday he was ready to face bullets in the street amid international condemnation of Robert Mugabe's regime and fears of a renewed wave of repression.

Pius Ncube, the Roman Catholic archbishop of the southern Bulawayo diocese, urged Zimbabweans to take to the streets in protest at the government's ongoing crackdown against dissenters opposed to the government, Reuters reported.

"The biggest problem with Zimbabweans is they are cowards, myself included, but as for me I am ready to stand in front, even of blazing guns," Ncube told a news conference.

"If only Zimbabweans are prepared to stand, so am I prepared to stand ... we are not going to be bullied."

Meanwhile Angola denied reports on Thursday claiming it had deployed members of a feared paramilitary police force to Zimbabwe in support of the government.(More...)

Al-Qaeda names cell leader for Somalia

A leader of the Council of Islamic Courts, the radical militia ousted from Somalia in December, has been named as al-Qaeda’s leader in the country, according to government intelligence.

Aden Hashi Ayro has been directing the insurgency in the capital, Mogadishu, Salad Ali Jelle, the Deputy Defence Minister, said yesterday.

Counter-terrorism experts believe that Ayro, who is in his mid30s, had al-Qaeda training in Afghanistan. United Nations officials have linked him to the killings of 16 people, including Kate Peyton, a BBC journalist. He was also believed to have been involved in a failed plot to bring down an Ethiopian airliner.(More....)

Plane crashes on third day of Mogadishu fighting

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - A plane carrying 11 people aiding African peacekeepers in Mogadishu burst into flames and crashed on Friday during a third day of fighting in an insurgency many fear could plunge Somalia back into civil war.

Local private radio Shabelle said the plane, a Russian-made Ilyushin used in the region to transport both cargo and troops, was hit by a missile as it took off from Mogadishu.

A witness said he had encountered one survivor wandering dazed among dead bodies and the wreckage of the plane.

At least 16 people have been killed and hundreds more wounded this week in the bloodiest clashes since the government and Ethiopian troops seized the coastal city from rival Islamists three months ago.(More...)

More Than 100 Deported From Kenya

Kenya Deported More Than 100 People From 19 Countries to Somalia and Ethiopia

MOMBASA, Kenya Mar 23, 2007 (AP)— Kenya deported more than 100 people from 19 countries to lawless Somalia after they crossed the border between the two countries illegally during fighting earlier this year, and the deportees were subsequently arrested by Ethiopian troops, a human rights group said Friday.

The Kenyan government denied the men and women refugee status and even sent its own citizens back to face an uncertain future in a country with no functioning legal system, said the chairman of Muslim Human Rights, Al-Amin Kimathi. Ethiopian forces fighting inside Somalia then took the suspects and flew them to two detention centers inside Ethiopia, he added.(More....)

Today's Top Stories

-72 die in Mozambique weapons depot blast
-Will America deliver the final shove that topples Mugabe?
-Gates Pushes To Shut Down Gitmo (Defense Secretary Argued For Closing Of Terror Prison During First Weeks On Job)
-Iraqi Deputy PM wounded in suicide attack (Iraq's Sunni Deputy Prime Minister was wounded today in a suicide bomb attack at a prayer hall in Baghdad that killed at least two people)
-Iran nabs British sailors in Iraq waters (Iranian naval vessels seized 15 British sailors in Iraqi waters on Friday)
-'Shooter' the Movie, Mark Wahlberg in Ethiopia?
-God-fearing villagers snub "satanic" bar codes




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Political, Civic, Media and Religious groups call for peace and reconciliation in Ethiopia

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also in the news:
[Members of the U.S congress ask the state department to Intervene in Ethiopia] - [Mogadishu clash kills 7, body dragged in streets]

International:
[Mugabe's Days Numbered In Zimbabwe?] - [Bill Gates Urges U.S. to Allow More Immigration] - [Chirac to support Sarkozy] - [Death toll hits 70 in Pakistan clashes] and more of today's top stories!

Wounded Somali government soldiers captured by Somali insurgents lie in the back of a van in Mogadishu March 21, 2007. Somali insurgents dragged soldiers' bodies through the streets of Mogadishu before burning them on Wednesday when at least eight people were killed and scores injured in heavy fighting. REUTERS/Shabelle Media (More on this below)

We have received pictures that show the corpse of an alleged Ethiopian soldier being dragged through Mogadishu streets, but these gruesome pictures will not be posted on this site

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Petition to save Eng. Hailu Shawl’s eyesight which is deteriorating due to denial of medical access (Kinijit)
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kINIJIT DC TOWN HALL MEETING MARCH 24
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Addis Abeba: ETHIOPIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL REPORT
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Nine Members of the U.S congress ask the state department to Intervene in Ethiopia

Dear secretary Rice,

We are writing to you to express our strong concern about the continued detention of elected parliamentarians, human rights advocates, and independent journalists in Ethiopia.

It has been reported that thousands of prisoners languish in prisons across the country and many prisoners have been tortured, some of these prisoners are senior citizens and are sick. We encourage you to use all means available to ensure that the Ethiopian government is participating fully in active negotiations for the prisoners’ release.

We understand that Ethiopian security forces continue to harass, detain, torture people they consider opposition sympathizers and advocates of human rights. A number of journalists and human rights advocates have fled the country, fearing persecution. While Ethiopia is clearly a key ally of the United States, we hope that the U.S. would play a stronger role in ensuring that domestic conditions in Ethiopia improve.(More...)

Joint Call for Peace and Reconciliation

(Political, Civic, Media and Religious groups call for peace and reconciliation in Ethiopia)

Whereas, the current political situation in Ethiopia is deteriorating and we are entering into a new phase where the political, social and economic crisis is leading us to a point of no return.

Whereas, we are inviting disaster unless urgent actions are taken to solve this crisis, there is no doubt that there will be no winner — we will all be losers.

Whereas, the only path out of the political crisis in Ethiopia is the release of all prisoners of conscience and dialogue with all peace-loving forces inside and outside of Ethiopia.

Whereas, the ruling party is not willing to take this path and has refused to accept repeated calls for peace and negotiation.

Whereas, the political and civic groups, and major Ethiopian websites listed below believe that the ruling party can play a big role and has a huge responsibility to save the nation from catastrophe.

Whereas, if all parties have the will and the desire for peaceful solution we can withstand the challenges facing us.

Therefore, we call on the regime in power to give peace and reconciliation a chance.

In the light of these self-evident truths, we, the undersigned, call on the EPRDF to:

1. Immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Kaliti prison and in all other prisons throughout Ethiopia.
2. Come to the negotiation table in good faith.
3. Respect the rule of law and guarantee democratic and human rights in Ethiopia.

It is our hope that the EPRDF government will heed our call, and join us to work for freedom, peace, equality and good governance so that we can, together, focus our energy to combat our common enemies poverty, disease and illiteracy.

Kinijit (Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party)
Southern Ethiopian Peoples Congress
Tegbar League
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
International Ethiopian Women Organization
Anuak Justice Council
Ogaden Human Rights Group
Ethiopian National Congress
Ethiopian American Council
Ethiopian American Civic Advocacy
Network of Ethiopian Scholars
Michigan Association for Democracy in Ethiopia
Ethiomedia.com
Ethiopian Review
Ethiox.com
Mahder.com
Addis Voice
Abugidainfo.com
EMF(Ethioforum.org)
Ethiopian Politics Blog
Qaliti Radio
cudethiopia Forum
Kinijit Forum

Joint Call for Peace and Reconciliation (Amharic)
Joint Call for Peace and Reconciliation (English,pdf)

Mogadishu clash kills 7, bodies dragged in streets

MOGADISHU, Somalia Mar 21, 2007 (AP)— Somali and Ethiopian troops entered an insurgent stronghold in central Mogadishu on Wednesday, setting off a battle in which at least seven people were killed and 10 were wounded, witnesses and medical officials said.

Hundreds of masked insurgents confronted the government forces, which were supported by tanks and armored vehicles, said Ali Haji Jama, a resident of the northeastern neighborhood at the center of the fighting.

An AP photographer saw insurgents drag the bodies of one Ethiopian soldier and one Somali government soldier through the streets of northeastern Mogadishu and then set them on fire.

"Ethiopian tanks rolled out of the former defense ministry and moved into nearby Shirkole area, which is seen as the stronghold of the insurgent groups and they met with stiff resistance," he said. Other witnesses said minibuses filled with insurgents were racing through the city to reach Shirkole and defend against the Ethiopian advance. (More...)

Also see:
-7 Dead in Heavy Fighting in Somalia (7 Dead in Heavy Fighting Between Ethiopian Troops Somali Insurgents in Mogadishu)

Today's Top Stories

-Mugabe's Days Numbered In Zimbabwe? (U.S. Ambassador Says People "Losing Fear" Of President, International Outcry Rising)
-Bill Gates Urges U.S. to Allow More Immigration
-Anti-Clinton Web Ad Draws Attention
-Israeli general strike halts flights, public services
-U.S. missile shield touches raw nerve in Europe
-Chirac to support Sarkozy in French presidential elections
-Athens embassy attack reward (Greece and the US both offer rewards of $1m for information on an attack on the US embassy in Athens)
-Death toll hits 70 in Pakistan clashes
-Opera star wins "underwear throwing" case






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Afar rebel leader says Ethiopian hostages safe

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also in the news:
[The IMF: Friend or Foe?] - [Ethiopia to assemble Ladas] - [Five killed in motar attacks in Mogadishu] - [WTO Member States Begin Grilling Ethiopia]

International:
[S. Africa Asks Delay on Iran Sanctions] - [UK says to keep Zimbabwe pressure despite threats] - [Top Israeli diplomat shuns Norwegian envoy] - [Mexico Seizes $205.6M From Luxury House ] and more of today's top stories!


Holland Car plc will soon start building Ladas, car of choice for Addis Ababa cabbies, in Ethiopia. The company has signed a contract agreement with Lada Egypt on March 6, 2007 to assemble Lada '2107's. It is believed that some 5,000 Lada 1200s are currently operating as taxis in Ethiopia.(More on this below)

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Addis Abeba: ETHIOPIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL REPORT
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Petition to save Eng. Hailu Shawl’s eyesight which is deteriorating due to denial of medical access (Kinijit)
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kINIJIT DC TOWN HALL MEETING MARCH 24
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Afar rebel leader says Ethiopian hostages safe

"No-one has died, they are safe. They are our people - we are Ethiopians, they are Ethiopians," Mr Hamaddu said.

BBC - Nine Ethiopians kidnapped earlier this month in eastern Ethiopia are safe, the leader of a separatist group operating in the Afar region has said.
The Ethiopians were seized with five Europeans who were freed last week.

The head of the Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front told AFP news agency they were being treated well.

Musa Ibrahim Hamaddu said his group was reassessing how to release them after the Ethiopian government described his group as terrorists.

The Afar region - one of the hottest, most remote places on earth - straddles the border of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Eritrea has denied Ethiopian claims that they were behind the kidnapping.(More...)

The IMF: Friend or Foe?

(Lewit)

On March 17th, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released the 2007 Country Report for Ethiopia.

The findings of this report include a national economic “growth rate of almost 11 percent” (from 2003/3004-2005/2006), which has resulted in a “real per capita income increasing at the fastest rate in Ethiopia’s recent history” at 7 percent per annum over the same 3-year period (translating to $121 annual per capita income, according to ATLAS calculations).

Frankly, this comes as quite a surprise to me. While I do not have enough information to confidently assess their methods of data collection, I can assure you that such growth has yet to trickle down into the pockets of the poor (or even the middle class, for that matter), though the current rate of inflation is noticeably felt by all.

For those not living in this country (or, rather, any of us who have more than $121/year on which to survive!) this new GDP figure, while perhaps a statistical improvement from a decade ago, is nearly impossible to grasp in actual terms.

Let’s forget the math for a moment--a stroll through Shola market on a Saturday afternoon unfortunately proves a far more accurate indicator of current economic conditions than any official document.

Considering a friend struggling to feed her family on a monthly income of 400 birr (approximately $50/month) puts things sharply into perspective for me: one litre of oil now sells for 16 birr. A kilo of tomatos 4 birr, onions 3.5; oranges, sugar and coffee (unroasted) have become rare luxuries, at 6, 8 and 24-26/kilo, respectively.

A large loaf of bread sells for 2 birr and a month’s supply of teff flour (50 kilos for a small family of 5) has become unafforable at 250- 270 birr. 1.5 litres of bottled water sells for 4 birr and omo (washing powder) for around 24/kilo.(More...)

WTO Member States Begin Grilling Ethiopia

Ethiopia’s quest to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) has finally reached the clarification stage with Canada and the US being the first two countries to send questions on Ethiopia’s Memorandum of the Foreign Trade Regime.

On March 6, 2007 the two North American nations sent a four-page and 20-page clarification questionnaire regarding Ethiopia’s bid to join the (WTO).

The four-page Canadian document focuses on the service sector with specific attention given to the Ethiopian telecommunications industry. It asks for additional details on the individual responsibility and relationship between the Ethiopian Telecommunications Agency (ETA) and the Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (ETC).

The Canadian questionnaire requests clarification on the type of joint ventures permitted in the sector and asks whether ETC regulates the telecom sector in addition to granting issuance, renewals and cancellations.

For the time being, the Ethiopian telecom sector remains closed to private investment, something that is alien to its Canadian counterpart, where the telecom market is highly saturated and competitive.

The US also raised similar points about the telecom and service industries in its 20-page questionnaire, although its focus was more on economic policies and the agricultural sector.(More...)

Five killed in motar attacks in Mogadishu

At least five civilians including two children were killed and six others were wounded after unknown gunmen exchanged heavy artillery fire overnight with African Union (AU) peacekeeping soldiers guarding the seaport and the Presidential Palace in the restive Somali capital Mogadishu, residents and hospital officials said Tuesday.

"Three people in our neighborhood were instantly killed when a mortar shell hit a house," Yahya Omar, a resident of Mogadishu confirmed to Xinhua.

A senior nurse in Mogadishu who sought anonymity told Xinhua that two killed and four wounded people at his hospital in Mogadishu are all civilians caught in the crossfire.(More...)

Ethiopia to assemble Ladas

Andualem Sisay (Capital)

Holland Car plc, which is currently assembling DOCC, is to start building Ladas , which is the car of choice for Addis Ababa cabbies.

Engineer Tadesse Tessema, who owns half of Holland Car plc, told Capital that the company has signed a contract agreement with Lada Egypt on March 6, 2007 to assemble Lada 2107 in Ethiopia.

“I used to import used 1200 cc Ladas to Ethiopia from Europe,” says Tadesse. “But the company stopped manufacturing this model in 1987 so my first plan of assembling the same Lada in Ethiopia didn’t work. As a result, we decided to assemble Lada 2107, which has a 1600 cc engine.

With customized paintwork included , the company is planning to offer the Lada at a price of 98,000 birr. The current price of one imported 1200cc Lada, which has most likely been used for at least for 20 years, ranges from 70,000 to 75,000, according to Tadesse.

It is believed that some 5,000 Lada 1200s are currently operating as taxis in Ethiopia.Lada is a trademark of AutoVAZ, a Russian manufacturer with headquarters in Togliatti.

Today's Top Stories

-UK says to keep Zimbabwe pressure despite threats
-S. Africa Asks Delay on Iran Sanctions (South Africa Calls for 90-Day 'Time Out' on Sanctions Against Iran)
-U.S. approves visa for Ahmadinejad to speak at UN
-Top Israeli diplomat shuns Norwegian envoy(Israel’s foreign ministry cancelled all scheduled meetings on Tuesday with Norway’s deputy foreign minister, just a day after Norway became the first country in the world to recognize the new Palestinian unity government)
-Russia Starts Playing Hardball With Iran (Paper Reports Moscow Issues Ultimatum To Stop Enrichment)
-Mexico Seizes $205.6M From Luxury House
-Paying attention to not paying attention
-Singapore woman jailed for online dating scam





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ARDUF Rebels claim responsibility for kidnapping says Eritrea TV

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also in the news:
[ION: "En route" for Asmara?] - [Somali gunmen step up attacks after police commander slain] - [BoBo blog from Ethiopia] - [ION: The fallout over the kidnapping ]

International:
[Bush to Ask for Patience in Iraq War] - [17 killed in Russian mine blast] - [Pakistani judges resign; call for more protests] - [$2M in Gold Stolen From Japanese Museum] and more of today's top stories!

Ethiopian athletics supporters in party mood (AFP)
The spectre of Ethiopian brilliance hangs over Kenya’s Mombasa ambitions: When the final entry deadline for the 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships passed a week ago, all those athletes who had won last year’s individual senior titles were included. Four golds, three athletes, one country – Ethiopia!(More...)

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Addis Abeba: ETHIOPIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL(EHRCO) REPORT [Amharic]

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Petition to save Eng. Hailu Shawl’s eyesight which is deteriorating due to denial of medical access (Kinijit)
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ARDUF Rebels claim responsibility for kidnapping says Eritrea Tv

Asmara - Rebels in the remote Afar region on the Ethiopian-Eritrean border have claimed responsibility for the kidnappings of five Europeans released last week in an interview on Eritrean state media.

Armed men claiming to be from the Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front (ARDUF) made the claim in a broadcast on Eritrean television late on Sunday, including the first pictures of the release of the European hostages.

"The main reason we took the hostages is because the TPLF (Ethiopia) claims that ARDUF has been wiped out, and we needed to expose the regime's false propaganda and declare our existence," an unnamed ARDUF spokesperson said in Afar language.(More...)

Also see:
-CNN: Ethiopia asks the West for help on hostages

Somali gunmen step up attacks after police commander slain

Gunmen stepped up attacks in Somalia's capital, killing a civilian and wounding four others, hours after a police chief leading a crackdown on insurgency was shot dead in the southern port of Kismayo.

MOGADISHU (AFP) - In Mogadishu, a barrage of mortar shells fell on a civilian district after missing their target in the seaport, where an African Union-chartered freighter carrying military hardware is expected to dock.

In addition, gunmen ambushed a convoy of Ethiopian troops near the seaport in southern Mogadishu, sparking a gun battle, highlighting the government's inability to rein in the deadly and complex insurgency.

"A middle-aged man was killed during the cross fire near the seaport," said Muhidin Farah, a cousin of the deceased.(More...)

The fallout over the kidnapping

Indian Ocean Newsletter

The release of Western tourists kidnapped in East Ethiopia has led to words between Meles Zenawi and Seyoum Mesfin.

Following the release in Asmara of the British diplomats who had been kidnapped in East Ethiopia by a group of Afar rebels, the Ethiopian Prime Minister criticised the way this crisis had been managed by his minister for foreign affairs.

According to information obtained in Addis Ababa, Meles Zenawi is said to reproach Seyoum Mesfin and his ministry of staying rooted to the spot and being content to merely reiterate accusations against Eritrea, which had been initially held responsible for the kidnapping.

Conversely, he considers that they should have tried to use their contacts with the former leaders of the Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front (Arduf) who have now rallied behind the government of Addis Ababa, such as Mahamooda Gass to try and obtain the release of the hostages in Ethiopia. Instead, it was Eritrea that gained the credit for obtaining the liberation of the British diplomats held hostage.

This incident has also brought into the open the opposition in certain Afar circles to the Ethiopian government plans to expand the growing of sugar cane over a 200,000 hectare area in the Afar region of Tendaho.

The consequence of this agricultural project would be to prevent the movement of Afar herdsmen and to encourage the settlement in their stead of arable farmers.

"En route" for Asmara?

Indian Ocean Newsletter

According to a source close to the Ethiopian ministry of defence, the Ethiopian army has obtained satellite photos from the American intelligence services, showing the northern border of Ethiopia and providing useful information on Eritrean troop concentration.

Moreover, the leaders of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF, hard core of the EPRDF in power in Addis Ababa) are currently waging a propaganda campaign based on the slogan “repeat in the North the victorious military operation in Somalia”.

This aggressive orientation towards Eritrea, which has been in a still unresolved border dispute with Ethiopia for many years, is not to the liking of the leaders of the other factions making up the Ethiopian governing coalition.

Furthermore, it has caused diplomats on post in Addis Ababa to wonder whether the United States military cooperation with Ethiopia to prepare their joint offensive into Somalia could now be repeated in Eritrea.

All the more so since the relations between the USA and the government of Asmara are at their lowest point and Addis Ababa suspects Somalian Islamists have transited through Eritrea or have found refuge there.

Zimbabwe at ‘Tipping Point’

Zimbabwe Opposition Aide Is Assaulted

The spokesman for Zimbabwe's main opposition leader was assaulted by security forces as he tried to leave the country Sunday, an opposition official said, accusing the government of continuing to target dissident activists.

President Robert Mugabe's government is under increasing international criticism for its treatment of the country's opposition. Activists say the government has been disrupting their gatherings and beating and detaining their leaders.

Three opposition activists allegedly assaulted when police broke up a March 11 protest meeting were re-arrested at Harare International Airport Saturday.(More...)

248-dimension maths puzzle solved

An international team of mathematicians has detailed a vast complex numerical "structure" which was invented more than a century ago.

Mapping the 248-dimensional structure, called E8, took four years of work and produced more data than the Human Genome Project, researchers said.

E8 is a member of the "Lie group" that describe symmetrical objects. The team said their findings may assist fields of physics which use more than four dimensions, such as string theory.

Lie groups were invented by the 19th Century Norwegian mathematician Sophus Lie (pronounced "Lee").(More...)

Today's Top Stories

-DJ BoBo blog from Ethiopia
-Bush to Ask for Patience in Iraq War
-Detainee confesses to USS Cole bombing
-17 killed in Russian mine blast
-Pakistani judges resign; call for more protests
-US, N. Korea Resolve Dispute Over Frozen Funds
-70s Revolutionary Turned-Writer Battisti Arrested
-$2M in Gold Stolen From Japanese Museum (Thieves Pull Off $2 Million Gold Bar Heist at Japanese Museum; Curators Left Showcases Open)





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