Ethiopia, Eritrea edging toward conflict - refugees watching with trepidation

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also:
- Ethiopia and the Newly released Econ. Competitiveness index*
- Today's Top Stories^Updated!
- INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES
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Life presidencies are far from over in Africa (Financial Gazette)
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-AMNESTY: Ethiopians, Eritreans at risk of torture
-AMNESTY: Atanaw Wasie, aged 74, 14 other Ethiopian refugees
-LETTER TO PRIME MINSTER MELES ZENAWI (Sileshi Tesema, a colleague of Daniel and Netsanet, prisoners of conscience)
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Ex- TPLF members have formed a new party (Arena Tigray for Democracy and Sovereignty); which yesterday received license to operate in Ethiopia.

(VOA)
- AUDIO - Interview with founder Berhanu Berhe
- AUDIO - Interview with founder Gebru Asrat
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[CLICK HERE FOR AUDIO REPORT] - When Fitsum Berihu fled into Ethiopia, he risked death by hyenas, snipers and land mines. Two years later the 35-year-old Eritrean vividly recalls the fear he felt as he made his way through a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone and across the trenches and artillery lines of some of the tens of thousands of soldiers dug in on both sides of the divide.

Even worse than all that, though, was leaving behind his 72-year-old mother and two siblings. "I never told my family I was crossing the border," he says. "I never said goodbye." Berihu still doesn't know what happened to his family after he defected from the Eritrean Army. There are no phone or mail links between the neighbors, and he has had no way of keeping in touch.

So today he waits and hopes, one of more than 15,000 Eritreans stuck behind barbed wire and chain-link fencing at the Shimelba refugee camp in a remote corner of northern Ethiopia. It's a part of the world that is growing increasingly tense as the two countries seem to be gearing up to fight their second war in less than a decade. On Nov. 27 an international commission set up to resolve the long-running border dispute between the two nations is set to dissolve.(More...)

Also see:
-Eritrea says Ethiopia plotting to invade
-Ethiopia denies plot to attack Eritrea

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ETHIOPIA 123rd IN ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS

The United States tops the overall ranking in The Global Competitiveness Report 2007-2008. Switzerland is in second position followed by Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Finland and Singapore, respectively.

At the bottom of the list were countries primarily in sub-Saharan Africa, such as Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Chad.(See List)

Also See:
Website: The Global Competitiveness Report 2007-2008
US recaptures 'competition crown' (BBC)
US on Top in Economic Competitiveness (AP)
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Today's Top HEADLINES

-ETH. Govt. MEDIA SAYS REBELS KILL 23 ERITREAN TROOPS
-A brittle Western ally in the Horn of Africa
-U.S. BILL TO BAR INTERNET FIRMS FROM WORKING WITH ABUSIVE NATIONS
-Exiled Somali Islamist leader backs insurgents
-Ethiopia FM in Somalia to discuss political crisis
-Humanitarian disaster imminent in the Ogaden: Report
-Ethiopia, US Behind Somali PM Resignation
-Ethiopia: Azmari Bet: Taboo! Taboo!
-Ethiopia's 'Jerusalem' Major Draw for Pilgrims - VIDEO

INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

-MONKS MARCH IN MYANMAR - AGAIN!
-Obama, Edwards go after Clinton during debate
-Accused Madrid bomb mastermind acquitted -
-Bomb on Russian Bus Kills at Least 8
-Doctors test hot sauce for pain relief
-Be thin to cut cancer, study says



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Ethiopia, US Behind Somali PM Resignation: Analyst

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also:
- Today's Top Stories
- Somalia's President Names New Premier
- INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES
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Ken Menkhaus, Somali expert and professor of political science at Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina.

“This was a long time in coming and what finally prompted the resignation was unquestionably Ethiopian pressure. This was Ethiopia’s game. They were making the decision as to who would stay and who would go in the TFG.

They were trying to manage the long running split between President Abdullahi Yusef and Prime Minister Gedi. And in the end I think they came to understand that Gedi had to be replaced,” he says.

[AUDIO REPORT]

Asked whether United States pressure played any role in the resignation, Menkhaus says, “I suspect there was. In Nairobi, the donor community in general has for quite some time reached the conclusion that the primary obstacle to negotiations toward a more inclusive Transitional Federal Government was Gedi himself. And for an obvious reason. Gedi stood an excellent chance of losing his job if power were shared with the opposition.”(More...)

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Also see:
-VOA REPORT: Delegation's final Public Meeting - AUDIO
-ETN REPORT: Delegation's final Public Meeting - VIDEO
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Today's Top HEADLINES

-Weekend fighting drove 36000 from Somali capital-UN
-Reports of killed Ethiopian soldiers begin to filter through
-Foundation Honors Journalists (U.S. Department of State)
-VIDEO - JOURNALISTS AND PRESS FREEDOM IN ETHIOPIA
-Red Cross repatriates 885 from Ethiopia and Eritrea
-Haile ‘Focused’ On Setting New World Benchmark In Dubai

SOMALIA'S PRESIDENT NAMES NEW PREMIER

Somalia's president named a caretaker prime minister on Tuesday, a day after the outgoing premier lost a power struggle in the government and resigned. Officials said Salim Aliyow Ibrow (Seen here), will temporarily replace Ali Mohamed Gedi.(More...)

INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

THE DEMOCRATIC TARGET IN TUESDAY’S DEBATE

In an interview last week, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois telegraphed his intention to sharpen his distinctions with Mrs. Clinton. At the same time, though, he said he had no plans to “kneecap the front-runner.”(More...)

-Thinktank accuses Saudi regime over hate literature
-Bomber Strikes Within a Mile of Musharraf
-Russia to file Arctic claim to U.N. this year
-AIDS virus invaded U.S. from Haiti: study




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Mogadishu Erupts as Reports of killed Ethiopian soldiers begin to filter through

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

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Also:
- Prime minister Ghedi quits - SOMALIA
- Eritrea accuses Ethiopia of plotting to invade, Ethiopia denies
- Egypt Announces Nuke Power Plants Plans*
- INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES
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-VIDEO - JOURNALISTS AND PRESS FREEDOM IN ETHIOPIA
-VOA REPORT: Sunday's Kinijit Public Meeting - AUDIO
-ETN REPORT: Sunday's Kinijit Public Meeting - VIDEO
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(Hundreds of Somalis take part in angry protest against Ethiopian troops as the Somali capital sank further into violence.Sunday, October 28, 2007.(AFP/Mustafa Abdi)
MOGADISHU: Hundreds of protesters demanding the departure of government-allied Ethiopian troops burned tires and threw stones Sunday in the Somali capital as some of the worst violence in months continued for a second day.

Ethiopian troops fired toward protesters after several hundred Somalis — many of them women and children — took to the streets shouting anti-Ethiopian slogans, erecting burning barricades and tossing rocks, witnesses said.(More...)

Also see:
-Somali insurgents kill 3 Ethiopia soldiers
-Seven Ethiopian soldiers killed: Shabelle
-Ethiopian troops fire on protesters - witness
-Street battles rage in Mogadishu

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SOMALIA: Prime minister quits; violence rocks Mogadishu

Ali Mohamed Gedi has resigned as Somalia's prime minister after an ongoing power struggle between him and the country's president Abdullahi Yusuf Hassan. "He handed in his letter this morning and the president has officially accepted his resignation," minister of information Madobe Nuunow Mohamed told IRIN.(More...)

Also see:
Ethiopian Govt. reaction on Ghedi's resignation -
Profile: Ali Mohamed Ghedi -
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Eritrea says Ethiopia plotting to invade before the November deadline

Signing ceremony for the peace agreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea in Algiers, Algeria on December 12, 2000. Seated left to right are President Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea and Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia. (UN Photo)

Eritrea accused arch-foe Ethiopia on Saturday of plotting to invade the Red Sea state ahead of a late-November deadline to mark their disputed border on maps.

In an online statement on Saturday, the Asmara government said its security agents had uncovered a plot by Addis Ababa. "Intelligence agencies ... say that (Ethiopia) is intending to launch an invasion against Eritrea in the first week of November 2007 with the blessing of the U.S. Administration," the statement said.(More...)

Also see:
-Ethiopia denies plot to attack Eritrea
-Ethiopia-Eritrea Trade Blame on Boundary Dispute - AUDIO
-War brews on the new frontier
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INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

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Egypt Announces Nuke Power Plants Plans

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Monday announced plans to build several nuclear power plants, joining several Arab countries in the Middle East that recently have broadcast their own atomic energy ambitions.

Mubarak said in a speech broadcast live on national television that the decision to build these nuclear power stations was to diversify Egypt's energy resources and preserve the country's oil and gas reserves for coming generations.(More...)
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-Argentina's first lady sweeps to presidency
-PHOTOS: Female Leaders Around the World
-French Held Over Darfur 'Adoptions'
-Olmert Says He Has Prostate Cancer
-Alleged Blackmail Plot Against British Royal




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Ethiopia's Serkalem: I Will continue to speak out even if I pay with My life

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also:
- Panel discussion on the Kinijit Crisis (VOA)
- Today's Top HEADLINES
- INTERNATIONAL news
- San Diego's Inferno: Relief Ahead?

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^* ETHIOPIAN AMERICAN CIVIC ADVOCACY (EACA): LETTER TO SENATOR JIM INHOFE

^* OBANG ON SENATOR INHOFE’S SPEECH
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Note: Readers are encouraged to FAX senator Inhofe's office demanding an apology for his offensive remarks about Ethiopia/Africa.

-Sample letter to fax to Sen. Inhofe’s office
-Professor Alemayehu G. Mariam's letter to Senator Inhofe
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LISTEN TO AUDIO REPORT ON THE AWARD CEREMONY AND SERKALEM’S SPEECH (VOA)
(Picture - Serkalem (Center) did not come to New York to receive her courage award. In a video taped message, she said that despite widespread fear in her country, she would continue to speak out - even if she pays with her life.)
AP - Six women who risked their lives reporting in Iraq, a Mexican reporter who faced death threats for her reporting on pedophiles, and an Ethiopian journalist who was charged with treason received awards for courage Tuesday from the International Women's Media Foundation.

Ethiopian reporter and former publisher Serkalem Fasil, 27, was one of 14 journalists who were arrested and charged with treason for publishing articles critical of the government's conduct in May 2005 parliamentary elections.

On the day of her arrest, Fasil, who was two months pregnant, was severely beaten by police. She was freed in April, but the government brought new charges against her three months later, and her case is scheduled to be heard by the Supreme Court next month.

Fasil did not come to New York. In a video, she said that despite widespread fear in the country, she would continue to speak out _ even if she pays with her life.

Mexican Lydia Cacho, 44, a correspondent for CIMAC news agency, said Mexico is the second-most dangerous place for journalists in the world, only after Iraq. But she said in her acceptance speech that she "will not be silenced."

The foundation presented its lifetime achievement award to freelance journalist Peta Thornycroft, 62, who in the face of a media crackdown in Zimbabwe renounced her British citizenship and became a Zimbabwe citizen so she could continue reporting from the country.

The Washington-based International Women's Media Foundation was launched in 1990 with a mission to strengthen the role of women in the news media worldwide.

Also see:
-Journalists from Iraq, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Mexico Honored
-Female Journalists Honored for Courage
-Journalists Honored in New York

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AUDIO – VOA Panel discussion on the Kinijit Crisis

Engineer Seyoum Gebeyehu
Professor Berhanu Abegaz
Dr. Berhanu Mengistu
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ETHIOPIA RE-ERECTS ANCIENT AXUM OBELISK

Ethiopia started re-erecting its famed Axum obelisk 30 months after it returned to the country from Italy where it stayed for 70 years, a UN expert said Wednesday. The UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), which is overseeing the operation, said preliminary work to restore the 1,700-year-old obelisk on its original site has been completed.(More...)
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AUDIO - SIYE ABRAHA VOA INTERVIEW (PART 2)
AUDIO - Dr. BERHANU NEGA VOA INTERVIEW (PART 2)
VIDEO - BIRTUKAN MIDEKSA MINNEAPOLIS SPEECH
AUDIO - SIYE ABRAHA VOA INTERVIEW (PART 1)
AUDIO - Dr. BERHANU NEGA VOA INTERVIEW (PART 1)
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Today's Top HEADLINES

-Ethiopia Faces New Millennium, Uncertain of Future - VIDEO
-Ethiopia PM in opposition warning
-Congressman Smith's Speech on Ethiopia
-N.J. lawmaker battles Ethiopia (govt.)
-ONLF says killed another 250 on 2nd day of fighting
-PM Meles rejects rebel claims of deadly attacks
-Bending truth about history (Prof. Mammo Muchie)
-Ethiopian dissidents receive warm welcome
-Ethiopian opposition leader in US to return home
-PAP receives petitions from Kinjit S.A
-Mesfin on H.R. 2003
-ASYLUM FOR ERITREAN GOSPEL SINGER
-Beyonce in Ethiopia - VIDEO
-MOZAMBIQUE EX-PRES. WINS AFRICA GOVERNANCE PRIZE

INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

SAN DIEGO'S INFERNO: RELIEF AHEAD?

TIME - Relief may be in sight for one of the most challenging wildfires in southern California's history. The flames are still burning out of control in the San Diego area, where more than 500,000, perhaps as many as 950,000, have been evacuated and hundreds of home destroyed. But the hot desert winds that fueled the flames began to ease Tuesday night, giving hope that the quick westerly progress of the fire would finally slow. (More...)

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Stephen Colbert Moves Ahead of Richardson, Closes in on Biden, in National Poll

He's been "in" the race for less than a week, and already faux-pundit Stephen Colbert has surged ahead of longtime candidate Gov. Bill Richardson in one national poll gauging the race for the Democratic nod for president. And watch out Joe Biden!(More...)

Also see:
Colbert Ahead of 3 Democrats in Presidential Poll-
Poll Tries to Measure Colbert Effect-
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-Mafia Largest Segment of Italian Economy, Business Group Says
-Behind South Africa's Reggae Murder
-US might delay missile defense
-China unveils likely successors to top posts
-Toyota's Sales Numbers A Relief For GM
-Looking for attractive people? Don't go to...



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Ethiopian rebels claim 140 killings

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also:
- Today's Top HEADLINES^UPDATED!
- INTERNATIONAL news^UPDATED!
- Video of the day (Fallen Reggae Icon Lucky Dube)*
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Rep. Christopher Smith to speak on human rights in Ethiopia Monday - October 22, 2007
AUDIO - Dr. BERHANU NEGA VOA INTERVIEW (PART 1)
Breaking News: RADIO SHABELLE MANAGER ASSASSINATED
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ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia—Ethiopian rebels said Sunday they have killed 140 Ethiopian soldiers in the country's southeast, but the government denied that such an attack took place. The Ogaden National Liberation Front said in a statement e-mailed to The Associated Press that about 1,000 fighters attacked Ethiopian troops on Saturday in a southeastern area of Wardher, about 485 miles southeast of the capital, Addis Ababa.

"This is just a story created by the ONLF. I don't believe they have killed even one. I don't think it is true. We believe that ONLF is not in a position to make this kind of attack," government spokesman Zemedkun Tekle told The Associated Press.

It was not possible to independently verify the rebel claims because the area where the attack took place is remote. "This operation was a direct response to the burning of Caado village recently and the continuing abuses against the people of Ogaden by (government) forces in the Wardher area," the rebels' statement said.(More...)

ETHIOPIA: SENATOR INHOFE PROMISES TO KILL HUMAN RIGHTS BILL

INHOFE PROMISES TO KILL H.R. 2003 IN THREE WEEKS AND DELIVER REMAINS ON SILVER PLATTER TO ZENAWI IN ADDIS ABABA

(see video )

For Immediate Release
The Coalition For H.R. 2003
October 18, 2003

Using language previously seen in D.L.A. Piper lobbying materials and official Ethiopia Embassy press releases, Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma released a statement criticizing H.R. 2003.

He described the bill as one “focus(ing) only on shortcomings while blatantly ignoring the unprecedented progress the country has made”. He said Ethiopia “continue(s) to be a close friend of the United States and a strong ally in the War on Terror in the Horn of Africa.”

Other statements lifted from other lobbying promotional materials include unfounded allegations that the “language contained in H.R. 2003 enflames tensions already present in the Horn of Africa, threatening regional stability and long term U.S. national security.”

The Coalition calls attention to Sen. Inhofe’s statements on video found at the web address above where he promises to deliver the remains of H.R. 2003 to Zenawi in three weeks.

The Coalition has learned from highly reliable sources that Inhofe is currently organizing a group of Senators to kill H.R. 2003.

The Coalition will monitor the situation carefully and inform H.R. 2003 supporters on new developments. The Coalition will make further announcements shortly on responses to Senator Inhofe’s statements to kill H.R. 2003 in the Senate.

INHOFE STATEMENT ON ETHIOPIA RESOLUTION
Click here for Video

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Note from ETP - Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma believes that the Government of Ethiopia is respectful of human rights. He also believes that global warming is a myth and Iraq is a “huge success story”.
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Today's Top HEADLINES

-THE HORN, THE LIST AND THE RISKS (NY Times)
-ETHIOPIA FOREIGN MINISTRY ON THE ABOVE NY TIMES ARTICLE
-First locally made car Unveiled -- (See Pictures here)
-Study: Ethiopia Draft Press Law will Hamper Press freedom
-UN and Ethiopian Govt Agree On Ogaden Aid
-Somali PM Consults With Ethiopian Leaders in Addis - AUDIO
-'A Scandal That Is Not Being Dealt With'
-GABRIEL DWAIT LAID TO REST IN BE'ER SHEVA
-INSIDE A CITY OF FEAR
-UN stops Somalia food aid after gunmen seize official

INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

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AFRICAN REGGAE STAR SHOT DEAD IN FRONT OF HIS CHILDREN

[Audio Report from VOA]

BBC - The South African reggae musician, Lucky Dube, has been shot dead in front of his children in Johannesburg during an attempted car hijacking. He had been dropping his teenage son and daughter off in the suburb of Rosettenville on Thursday evening.(More...)

Also see:
ANTI-APARTHEID REGGAE ICON MURDERED (AGI)
African reggae icon dead (Guardian)
Lucky dead (AFP)
South African star shot dead (Reuters)
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-Don't blame me, says militant who threatened Bhutto
-Nobel Winner Issues Apology for Comments About Blacks
-EU leaders approve new treaty
-French President Sarkozy, Wife Separate
-China: US Award for Dalai Lama Gravely Undermines Relations
-Why Males Die Before Females

Video of the Day

(Lucky Dube had a significant following in Ethiopia; many reggae fans considered him to be Africa’s Peter Tosh.)



I've Got You(1988)-Album Slave (From his second major reggae album , this poppy song was the first international hit for the reggae singer)
Also see:
Back To My Roots
Peace Perfect Peace
Prisoner


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2007 Press Freedom Index Released, Ethiopia Ranked 150th

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

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Also:
- Today's Top HEADLINES^Updated
- INTERNATIONAL news^Updated
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ONE SMALL STEP FOR THE U.S. CONGRESS, ONE GIANT LEAP FOR ETHIOPIAN HUMAN RIGHTS (Professor Alemayehu G. Mariam)

AUDIO - Professor Mesfin WoldeMariam’s take on the current CUD crises (VOA Interview)

ON FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND RESPONSIBLE JOURNALISM (Amharic article, Tewodros Abebe)
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ETP/AP - Ethiopia has been outranked by more than 145 countries including Zimbabwe, Sudan, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia in a survey of press freedom around the world.


(Picture - Kifle Mulat, President of the Ethiopian Free Press Journalists Association, who had been arrested at least seven times in previous years)



Ethiopia was rated 150th in an index of 169 countries published today by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which examined various factors such as the way journalists are treated, freedom of speech, freedom of information and diversity of media ownership.

RSF criticized the incarceration of journalists in Ethiopia, deportation of foreign correspondents and the government’s involvement in web censorship. The report stated that most blogs and opposition websites were inaccessible in the country.

The survey also found that Ethiopia’s neighbor Eritrea had the least free media in the world, displacing North Korea.

"The privately-owned press has been banished by the authoritarian president Issaias Afeworki and the few journalists who dare to criticise the regime are thrown in prison," RSF said. "We know that four of them have died in detention and we have every reason to fear that others will suffer the same fate."

China was seventh from the bottom of the list, at 163rd, just ahead of Burma, Cuba and Iran. The top of the list was dominated by European countries, which made up 18 of the top 20.

[Click here to see Press freedom index list]
[Click here to see RSF’s annual report on Ethiopia]

Today's Top HEADLINES

-Ethiopia opposition out of jail but in disarray
-Ogaden Rights Group: Refugees Face Deportation - AUDIO
-UN compound stormed in Mogadishu
-U.N. food program officer seized, jailed in Somalia
-WAR ON TERROR TRUMPS PROMOTING ETHIOPIAN DEMOCRACY
-Ethiopia: Gulf of Aden death toll increases in October
-Eritrea security chief survives assassination bid
-Resentment and rations as Eritrea nears a crisis
-Somali rulers duel in political showdown
-Ethiopian Airlines in afforestation campaign

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Ethiopian biodiversity institute awarded UN environmental prize

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) today jointly awarded an environmental preservation prize to an Ethiopian biodiversity institute and a Slovak ecologist.(More...)
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INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

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Rwanda aims to become Africa's high-tech hub

Sometime in the next two years, nearly every school in Rwanda – from distant mountain villages to swelling urban areas – will be hooked up to the Internet. And it won't be some crummy dial-up service. It will be high-speed broadband, carried by fiber-optic cables.(More...)
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-Bush dismisses Chinese criticism over Dalai Lama
-Parliament in Turkey Votes to Allow Iraq Incursion
-Colbert announces presidential pursuit
-Tensions with Turkey Spur Oil Price Increase
-Japan cuts grant aid to Burma
-Clinton Now Ahead of Obama in Money Race
-Gossip more powerful than truth, researchers say



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Battle raging between Somaliland and Puntland

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

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Also:
- Today's Top HEADLINES
- INTERNATIONAL news
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ONE SMALL STEP FOR THE U.S. CONGRESS, ONE GIANT LEAP FOR ETHIOPIAN HUMAN RIGHTS (Professor Alemayehu G. Mariam)

VIDEO - STATEMENT FROM THE ETHIOPIAN TELEVISION NETWORK (ETN)


(ON FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND RESPONSIBLE JOURNALISM -
Amharic article, Tewodros Abebe)
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MOGADISHU (AFP) - At least eight people were killed and several wounded Monday in fighting between forces from the breakaway Somali states of Somaliland and Puntland over a disputed border town, commanders said.

The latest violence, sparked by a long-running territorial dispute, broke out early Monday in Sool, a region split between sub-clans backing the feuding statelets.

"I can confirm... that heavy fighting broke out... early morning causing casualties. The Somaliland forces waged the attack against our military positions in the northern outskirts of Las Anod," Burhan Mohamed, a Puntland commander, told AFP by phone.(More...)

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IPU Says Parliament Members Disappeared in Eritrea

[Click here for AUDIO report]

Canadian Senator Sharon Carstairs says 11 Eritrean members of parliament have been held incommunicado since 2001 after they called for Democratic reforms. "they have literally disappeared off the face of the earth" She says "We know nothing about these individuals. We have asked to take a mission to Eritrea. So far, we have not been able to do that." (More...)
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Today's Top HEADLINES

-EMF On the CUD crisis
-Ethiopia’s elite are letting the country down
-Explosion in Somalia kills three children
-Somali president, PM duel in political showdown
-Bomb targets Ethiopian Convoy in Mogadishu

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China's Hu says Communist Party must stay in charge

China's Communist Party must stay firmly in charge as the nation embraces economic and social change, President Hu Jintao said on Monday in an agenda-setting speech vowing tightly controlled political reforms.(More...)
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INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

-Togo votes free of boycott
-Putin Confirms Iran Trip, Despite assassination Plot
-Bush 'to focus on Mid-East peace'
-Sweden top in Europe for welcoming migrants
-Rumors Fly in France of Sarkozy Divorce
-Drunken priest punches cop, jailed


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UN condemns deportation of Ethiopian refugees by Sudan

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Eid-Mubarak to all Ethiopian Muslims!
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Also:^UPDATED!
- Today's Top HEADLINES
- INTERNATIONAL news
- Video of the day
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UN concerned about the rising tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea, recent shooting incidents, as well as the building up of military forces in the border area.(Brief statement from the UN)

AUDIO - LEGAL EXPERT DR. DADIMOS HAILE DISCUSSES DANIEL AND NETSANET’S CASE (VOA)^New

THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN ETHIOPIA (English version of EHRCO’s report now available)^New

Monday, October 22, 2007 - Rep. Christopher Smith to speak about his efforts to advance human rights reform in Ethiopia (National Press Club)
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GENEVA – The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, on Thursday condemned the recent deportation by Sudan of at least 15 Ethiopian refugees.

The deportation took place on September 27, but UNHCR only learned of it this week. The refugees were handed over by Sudanese officials to Ethiopian authorities at the border crossing of Metema, about 500 kms south-east of Khartoum.

This refoulement is a breach of Sudan's obligations as a contracting party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, its 1967 Protocol and the 1969 OAU Refugee Convention. One of the key principles of all these conventions is the prohibition against refoulement, or forcibly returning individuals to their country of origin where they could face persecution.(More...)

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Eithiopian Publisher Free but Still Faces Charges

Serkalem Fasil, a 2007 IWMF Courage in Journalism Award winner, has packed a lot into her 27 years. She grew up an avaricious reader and learned the ropes of reporting in secondary school. She had no role models or mentors, but she was active in an amateur journalists association. There are no journalism schools in Addis Ababa where she grew up, so she took useful courses at the British Council and at university.(More...)
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Today's Top HEADLINES

-Three Ethiopian soldiers killed in Somali
-When the phone rang things got sticky
-Dismissive Ethiopian Govt. tests US indulgence
-GOAL statement on Ethiopia's Ogaden
-22 Somali Government Ministers Resign
-Confidence Vote Looming for Somali Govt. - AUDIO
-Splits Developing in Somali Insurgency (GT Analysis)
-Ethiopia: a new view from a 4x4
-Ethiopian Scientists Are Here to Stay (National Geographic)
-IBA offers first contract to Ethiopian reporter

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Emerging voice of mainstream Islam

Spirit of optimism seems to have inspired 138 Muslim scholars—including grand muftis from most of the world's Islamic nations—who this week wrote to Christian leaders, appealing for dialogue.(More...)

Also see:
An unprecedented Muslim appeal to Christianity
Muslims and Christians Table talk for monotheists
Christian leaders welcome letter of peace from Muslim scholars
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INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

-After Oscar and Emmy, Gore lands a Nobel Prize
-Putin threatens to end Cold War nuclear pact
-UN Security Council Reprimands Burma - AUDIO
-World's oldest wall painting unearthed in Syria
-Book brings letters to Hitler to light

Video of the day

Liya Kebede - CNN Revealed
Part 1


Also see: Part 2 and Part 3


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Daniel and Netsanet told to wait 45 more days in jail for verdict

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

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Also:
- Today's Top HEADLINES
- INTERNATIONAL news
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-DETAILED REPORT ON DANIEL AND NETSANET'S CASE (REUTERS/actionaid)
-AUDIO - VOA'S REPORT ON Daniel and Netsanet'S CASE
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(Click on picture for more)
(Picture - On June 28, 2007 organisations and individuals in more than 10 countries stood in solidarity with the two civil society leaders on trial for treason in Ethiopia. Through letters, rallies and vigils they called for the acquittal of Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie. organised by CIVICUS and GCAP.)
(ETP/ActionAid) Final verdict has once again been postponed in the case of the two civil society advocates, Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie, who are currently languishing in an Ethiopian prison.

The presiding judge told the court that the bench needs more time to examine the final statements of the prosecution and the defense, in preparing final verdict. The court is adjourned for 45 days to reconvene on 22nd November 2007.
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PRESS RELEASE
CIVICUS ON TODAY’S COURT DECISION TO DELAY VERDICT

“The courts must stop delaying. It is unacceptable to force these courageous civil society leaders to spend any longer in prison. Justice delayed is justice denied,” said Kumi Naidoo, CIVICUS Secretary General and co-chair of the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP). [MORE...]

Also:
-On trial in Ethiopia – TIMELINE (actionaid)
-CLOSING ARGUMENT SUBMITTED BY DANIEL AND NETSANET TO THE COURT

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YOU BLOCK BLOGSPOT, I BLOCK BOING BOING^{Must Read}
(A tale of two internet blockers)

In Ethiopia, you start suspecting your website has been blocked when it suddenly disappears from your screen. Your suspicion grows as you try to log on from different internet connections at different times of day, during weekends, public holidays - and the site is still gone.(More...)
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Today's Top HEADLINES

-EU urges Ethiopia to allow aid to Ogaden region
-Ethiopian president reelected for new six-year-term
-PM Meles Wants Germany to be more like China
-Eritrea accuses Ethiopia of jamming media
-Ethiopia Accuses Eritrea of Push to War - AUDIO
-Study: HIV Infection Rate in Ethiopia Rose 26%
-Older Than Egypt is Ethiopia (History)
-Somali PM strikes deal with Mogadishu clan leaders

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Cuba remembers Che Guevara 40 years after his fall
Communist Cuba paid tribute on Monday to its poster boy, Ernesto "Che" Guevara, 40 years after the guerrilla fighter was captured and executed in Bolivia.(More...)
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INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

-'DEATH TO THE DICTATOR!' STUDENTS PROTEST AHMADINEJAD
-Israel's nightmare: Homegrown neo-Nazis in the Holy Land
-Burma Military Opens Communication With Opposition -AUDIO
-Belgium downplays breakup concerns
-Physics Nobel goes to German, Frenchman


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Final Verdict Expected in Daniel and Netsanet's Case Tuesday 9 October

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

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Also:
- ETP COMMENTARY
- Kinijit EU delegation report
- Today's Top HEADLINES
- INTERNATIONAL news
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PRESS RELEASE - INCREASED THREATS TO CIVIL LIBERTIES EXACERBATE POOR GOVERNANCE IN ETHIOPIA (Freedom House)

Ethiopia in the Third Millennium—Where Do We Go From Here? (Obang Metho)

PRESS RELEASE - Congressman Mike Honda to host RECEPTION Honoring the Ethiopian Millennium. [Click here for details]
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(Corrected)
(ETP/ CIVICUS) - Final verdict is expected Tuesday, October 9, 2007, in the case of the two civil society advocates, Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie, who have languished in an Ethiopian prison for over 23 months.

Daniel and Netsanet presented their defence from 27 July until 2 August, calling 29 witnesses and presenting 300 pages of documentary evidence. Their witnesses included members of the opposition party CUD and a UN election observer, all who pointed to Daniel and Netsanet’s innocence. Daniel and Netsanet were charged with conspiracy and the treason related charge of 'outrage against the constitution and constitutional order'.

Also see:
-Activists in over 10 countries unite for Danel and Netsanet
-U.N. elections consultant testifies for Daniel and Netsanet
-Daniel/Netsanet's case not to wrap before the millennium
-THE DANIEL BEKELE PROJECT
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ETP COMMENTARY

In a press conference held Oct. 4th with Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi took some time to express his feelings on the passing of H.R. 2003 from the house.

“It is an unfair decision. It is the result of a vendetta” he said “If it was about the human rights situation; they should have looked at Eritrea first”.

What sort of argument/logic is this? Especially coming from the Prime Minister, one who has been deemed by some as being highly intellectual, is very surprising.

First, in regards to the “vendetta” comment;

Is the Prime Minister saying that Congressman Payne, Congressman Smith and all the other congressmen and women who voted “yes” to H.R. 2003, have a “blood feud, rivalry, contention, or the like” with him and his government? Because that is how the dictionary defines “vendetta” –- “a prolonged and bitter blood feud, rivalry, contention, or the like”.

Second, in regards to the “they should have looked at Eritrea first” comment:

Particularly kids in elementary School are very familiar with this excuse. The ploy is simple; when you are caught doing something that you know you shouldn't be doing – blame a peer to divert attention off of yourself. It may be a good strategy in kindergarten, but not so in international politics.

Here is a simple analogy; say you get pulled over for doing ninety in a thirty mile per hour zone, and you say to the officer “Well, I know I was speeding, but my neighbor always drives much faster than me” Will this argument convince anyone?

Why bring Eritrea into this? Eritrea is a totally different issue from the topic at hand. Actually, the Prime Minister has no reason to be envious of U.S’s treatment of Eritrea, as a part of the U.S. government is currently pondering whether to put that country on a terrorism watch list or not.

The uncanny ability of Ethiopia’s Prime Minister to talk his way out of any predicament is well known. But even he couldn’t muster a single convincing and credible reason as to why H.R. 2003 could be of harm to Ethiopia.

Also see:
-Ato Samuel Aseffa Hates HR 2003 (Weichegud)

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KINIJIT EU DELEGATION REPORT - WE TESTED DEMOCRACY, IT WAS SO SWEET

(EMF) - Kinijit Europe Delegation met with EU MPEs, EU commission, ACP-EU high ranking officials and Office of Human right commission.

Discussions were held with the EU authorities during the sessions. The delegation, which started its tour in London, is having similar sessions and lobby works in major European countries, namely Belgium, Norway , Sweden, Finland, Holland, Austria, Switzerland and Germany.(More..)
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Today's Top HEADLINES

-City Expresses Support for Ethiopia's Pro-Democracy Movement(ethiomedia)
-Eng. Hailu Shawl interview with DW - AUDIO (via emf)
-Hijackers release khat cargo plane in Somalia
-Darfur Rebels Find Refuge in Eritrea, but Little Hope
-Attacks kill five in Somali capital
-FLIGHT FROM ETHIOPIA (CPJ)
-Interview with Haile Gebrselassie - VIDEO

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Burmese Military's Offer to Meet Opposition Leader

(Picture - Burma Senior General Than Shwe (L) and democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi (R))


[AUDIO report]

The sincerity of the Burmese leadership's offer to meet with pro-democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi is being questioned by activist groups. But at least one critic of Burma's military government calls the offer a positive step. Chad Bouchard reports from Bangkok.(More...)

-Death toll from Congo plane crash rises to 39
-Obama hopes to surprise Clinton in Iowa
-Pakistan's court puts Musharraf's future on ice
-From soup to swords, this year's Ig Nobels



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Germany's Merkel calls for democracy in Ethiopia

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

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Also:
- Today's Top HEADLINES
- INTERNATIONAL news
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-PROMOTING MILLENNIUM HOPES
(Professor Mammo Muchie, Chair of NES)
-Thank You, Congress, for Passing HR 2003 (EAC)
-PRESS RELEASE - CONGRESSMAN PAYNE’S OFFICE
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ADDIS ABABA — German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday urged Ethiopia to allow more democratic freedoms after the country ran into international criticism over disputed 2005 elections.

(Picture - German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi hold a press conference at the National Palace in Addis Ababa. Merkel kicked off her first tour of sub-Saharan Africa with a plea for more democratic freedoms in Ethiopia.(AFP/Axel Schmidt)
"We are in favour of further openness of the country, of the political system," Merkel said at a joint press conference with Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

Merkel was in Ethiopia on the first leg of a three-nation African tour that will also take her to South Africa and Liberia. "We have the interest to see this society more open and the opposition's rights protected," she said, adding: "The respect of human rights is among the factors very conducive for development."

(Picture - German Chancellor Angela Merkel helps cut a traditional loaf of bread at a home for former street children in Ethiopia on the first day of her four-day, three-country trip to Africa. DPA)

Several opposition leaders were detained during a heavy crackdown in the aftermath of the 2005 parliamentary polls that the opposition claimed were rigged by the ruling party.But in July, the leaders, who were facing heavy jail terms, were freed under a pardon.

Merkel and Meles also discussed cooperation, regional conflicts, notably the crisis in Sudan's Darfur region, violence in neighbouring Somalia as well as the border dispute between Ethiopian and long-time foe Eritrea.

Also see:
-Merkel kicks off Africa tour with plea for democracy (AFP)
-Merkel starts Africa tour with plea to Ethiopia (Reuters)
-Chancellor in Ethiopia, urges human rights efforts (dpa)
-Chancellor offers help in Ethiopia-Eritrea dispute (AP)

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(Click on picture for tuesday's Special
coverage on the passing of HR 2003 from the house)
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Today's Top HEADLINES

-FLIGHT FROM ETHIOPIA^{(Must Read)} (CPJ)
-Peace Corps returns to Ethiopia after 9 years
-ETHIOPIA PLEDGES 5,000 PEACEKEEPERS TO DARFUR-AUDIO
-ETHIOPIAN ENVOY FURIOUS OVER BILL TO LIMIT U.S. AID
-FM Seyoum Mesfin's speech at the U.N. - VIDEO
-Dr. Yakob Hailemariam's VOA interview - AUDIO (EMF)
-INTERVIEW - Ethiopia can't legally scrap border ruling
-US launches new African military command
-African Reactions Mixed on New US Military Presence

INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

-JIMMY CARTER SHOUTS DOWN SECURITY IN SUDAN (Click on Pic. for AUDIO report from NPR)


-Seventeen die in DR Congo crash
-MYANMAR TROOPS STAGE NIGHTTIME ARRESTS
-ASTRONOMERS SEE SECOND EARTH IN THE MAKING



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H.R. 2003 SUCCESSFULLY PASSES THE HOUSE!!

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- SHORT AUDIO CLIP FROM THE HOUSE FLOOR
- Excerpts from Congressman Chris Smith Speech
- Congressman Honda's speech in support of HR2003 - VIDEO
- EMBASSY of Ethiopia on House Passage of H.R. 2003
- House of Representatives Passes Human Rights Bill (VOA)
- House Seeks Reform in Ethiopia (AP)


- Read H.R. 2003 in English
- Read H.R. 2003 in Amharic
- EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT H.R. 2003, BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK!
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U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PASSED H.R. 2003 TODAY AT 12:58 EASTER STANDARD TIME

(Coalition for HR 2003)

The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2003 (Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act of 2007) on a unanimous vote at exactly 12:58 Eastern Standard Time.

Donald Payne delivered an impassioned speech on the floor of the House urging members pass the bill. He outlined the long train of human rights abuses that have taken place in Ethiopia over the past two years. He said the people of Ethiopia deserve democracy and human rights and a government of their choice.

Congressman Chris Smith, similarly delivered an impassioned speech and recounted Zenawi’s arrogant lecture that he planned to imprison all of the opposition leaders. Smith joined Payne in insisting that the U.S. demand of the Ethiopian government accountability for the aid that it receives and compliance with human rights laws.

All Ethiopians should take this opportunity to thank Congressmen Donald Payne, Chris Smith, Tom Lantos and Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer for their support in getting this legislation passed. When we needed their help, we called upon them . NOW IT IS TIME TO CALL AND SAY: “THANK YOU.”

The Coalition will issue further statements on action in the Senate soon.

Coalition for HR 2003
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There was also a separate hearing at the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health which focused on Human Rights and Humanitarian Conditions in the Ogaden and Somalia. Kinijit VP Birtukan Mideksa And Dr. Berhanu Nega were among those who testified at this hearing.

-VIDEO - hearing at the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health
-Full text of the Prepared Statement of Birtukan Mideksa
-Full text of the Prepared Statement of Dr. Berhanu Nega
-Testimony by Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Jendayi E. Frazer

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