Ethiopian Politics Blog

Events leading up to Ginbot 20 and after

2009-06-01T08:22:00.000-07:00

NY-TIMES archive From 18 years ago

^{Major General Fanta Belay (L) and General Amha Desta (R)
both killed after Mengistu coup attempt}

Mengistu tells of Execution of Coup Figures...

9 generals executed, Mengistu
regaining control...

Ethiopia Base and 2 Towns Fall to Rebels...

As Rebels Surge, addis Fears Fate...

U.S. Urges Americans to leave Ethiopia...

^{Tamirat Layne (L) Berket Simon (C) Meles Zenawi (R)}

Mengistu Flees to Zim; Officials want U.S. Help...

Rebels Storm Capital Addis...

New Ethiopia Affirms Right to Secede...

Eritreans Voting on Independence...

EP's Olympic Site

2008-08-06T06:43:00.000-07:00

Starting August 8, 2008 - August 24, 2008 follow the latest on Ethiopia's Olympic athletes here at www.ethiopolitics.com/Olympics2008

Ethiopia - bizarre news of the day

2008-02-14T04:56:00.001-08:00

The EPRDF (Ethiopian Govt.) has assembled a team of people with a task to edit and change wikipedia entries regarding Ethiopia. The first target was Amnesty International. The EPRDF introduced an entry about Amnesty international's involvement in helping the "extremist" private media in Ethiopia in Wikipedia.(...More from EZ)

Ethiopia - A Moment With...Haile Gerima

2008-02-13T20:23:00.000-08:00

What struggles do independent filmmakers face in bringing projects to fruition? Filmmaker Haile Gerima talks about these issues and his film 'Sankofa,' a widely acclaimed movie about slavery. He also describes the influence of his Ethiopian heritage on his work.

Ethiopians die in Somali port blast

2008-02-13T20:19:00.000-08:00

An explosion killed at least 20 people and wounded a hundred more in a northern Somali port where immigrants often try to cross to Yemen.

Ethiopia - HR2003 revisited

2008-02-13T18:07:00.000-08:00

An American law professor, teaching at the Ethiopian Ministry of Education’s Mekelle University in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, had her contract terminated last week by university officials.

The administration claims “incompetence” was the reason for her termination. But Professor Abigail Salisbury claims that her public voicing of alternative views on the U.S. House of Representative’s Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act of 2007 (HR2003) got her fired.

After failing to convince the university’s academic commission that her contract should not be terminated, Professor Salisbury is planning to depart Ethiopia. The firing quickly followed an article she published in “The Jurist,” the online University of Pittsburgh law review journal, in which she described candidly her participation in a Mekelle University Law Faculty forum on HR 2003.

Taking one stance, Professor Salisbury writes, “Listening to the Ethiopians talk about the bill’s various points during the discussion forum, I… wonder[ed] if America hadn’t done something foolish…by asserting its right to determine the domestic affairs of a foreign nation.” She also points out that the factual findings section of HR2003 must be updated to reflect current human rights progress in Ethiopia.

But based on the passionate testimonies of her own international human rights law students at Mekelle, conveyed to her within mid-term essays she assigned, Salisbury reached an alternative conclusion – that HR2003 should be seen as an attempt by American foreign policy makers not to threaten Ethiopian sovereignty, but to improve the lives of poor Ethiopians who are truly suffering under a government with a firm grip on freedom of speech.

“I had been very careful in wording my assignment. I asked the students to select a human rights issue in Ethiopia…and find another country dealing with that same situation. They were required to then compare the actions of the two nations,” Salisbury writes. According to her, a number of students wrote that they would never give their real opinions to an Ethiopian professor, for fear of “being turned in to the government and punished.”

According to Professor Salisbury, the terms of her contract make it clear that in the case of premature termination, she should receive three months’ pay. Claiming they have an alternative interpretation, University officials have decided not to honor this clause. But Salisbury is more disappointed by the failure of the university’s professors and officials to honor freedom of speech. “The dean [of Mekelle Law School] told me never to be afraid to write anything,” the young American law professor recalled for SSI.

HR2003 was passed in October 2007 by the US House of Representatives and is now being debated by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. It proposes to withdraw “nonessential” assistance from Ethiopia until the federal government meets human rights obligations outlined in the Act.

Ethiopia - IT IS ALL ABOUT US AND OUR FUTURE

2008-02-07T07:36:00.000-08:00

Many years ago, I remember listening a story on Deutche Weille (German Radio). The story was about a German who once visited Ethiopia. He traveled to two neighboring villages which were not in good terms.When he arrived in the first village he received a warm welcome. Elders showed him an excellent Ethiopian hospitality.(More...)

2008-02-04T11:47:00.000-08:00

...New Obama Video

ETHIOPIA - National Bank bought Fake Gold

2008-02-04T07:14:00.000-08:00

Five senior executives from the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) and three chemists from the Ethiopian Geological Survey were arrested last week for their alleged involvement in a gold fraud scandal.(VIDEO and more)

Making exceptions for Ethiopia

2008-01-30T15:42:00.000-08:00

Western policy towards Africa is ill-informed and inconsistent. That’s the message of Ethiopia’s prime minister, Meles Zenawi, in his interview in the Guardian last week. And there’s some truth in what he says. But Meles should be careful what he wishes for.(More...)

Ethiopia - GOSSIP

2008-01-29T16:10:00.000-08:00

To the delight of many Addis Abebans - the latest summit of heads of state from member countries of the Africa Union (AU) will draw a record high number of delegates, according to estimates. There are a few who put the number as high as 6,000 delegates. Addis is about to see the largest crowd in AU's history.(More..)

Ethiopia - 2 Soldiers Killed In Somali's Capital

2008-01-29T05:54:00.000-08:00

Islamic militants firing rockets and mortars clashed with Somali troops and their Ethiopian allies in fighting that killed at least 17 civilians and two Ethiopian soldiers in the capital, witnesses said Tuesday.(More...)

Ethiopia: speaking truth to power

2008-01-28T09:09:00.000-08:00

"The ball is in your court. I only pray you be fair. You talk about 'multi-party democracy.' I believe there would never be any meaningful opposition party in this country as long as you are in power. It wouldn't exist because you make sure it wouldn't exist. So far you have been successful."

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2008-01-25T07:23:00.001-08:00

Ethiopia: JPMorgan Chase urged to reject loan for dam

2008-01-24T15:33:00.000-08:00

JPMorgan Chase has come under pressure to refuse to provide a loan for the controversial Gilgel Gibe III hydropower dam in Ethiopia.

Three NGOs – Campagna per la Riforma della Banca Mondiale in Italy, Les Amis de la Terre in France and International Rivers in the US – have written to the US bank to urge it to refuse a $400 million commercial loan request from the Ethiopian government in connection with the project, which they say would violate the bank’s environmental policy.

The 1,870MW dam is already under construction by Italian firm Salini, at an estimated cost of €1.4 billion ($2.1 billion), and would be the third stage in a project to dam the Gilgel Gibe River for hydropower. The Italian export credit agency SACE has refused to guarantee the project.(More...)

Ethiopia: Kinijit VP Birtukan weighs in on NEB's decision

2008-01-22T06:22:00.000-08:00

After the National Electoral Board (NEB) decided in favor of Ayele Chamiso and awarded the party’s name, ‘CUDP’ to his group, Birtukan’s group, which is forming a union with parliamentarians led by Temesgen Zewdie (MP), is considering forming a new party and obtaining a new name, Birtukan Mediksa told Capital.

“We are discussing the option of forming a new political party so that we can obtain legal status. It is one possibility but the door to further struggle to obtain our party’s name is not a dead option yet,” said Birtukan, “whatever we decide, one thing remains, we will keep the program and policies of the CUD.”(More...)

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2008-01-09T06:45:00.001-08:00

--Police arrests students in Arba Minch University (Reporter)
--AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL URGENT ACTION UPDATE: DANIEL BEKELE & NETSANET DEMISSIE
--Somali parliament approves partial new cabinet
--Ethiopian to launch Khat "wine"
--H.R. Stands for Human Rights: Let's Stand Up for H.R. 2003 in 2008
--RSF: Letter to Prime Minister on government’s refusal to licence two new newspapers
--71% of Ethiopian immigrants report feeling like outsiders
--Saudi billionaire in talks to buy Ethiopian agency
--Three journalists detained by security forces across Somalia
--Somalia: President, Separatist Somaliland Leader Board Same Plane

2008-01-03T06:17:00.001-08:00

Somali interim leader collapses

Somalia's interim President Abdullahi Yusuf has fallen ill and been flown to neighbouring Ethiopia for treatment. A BBC correspondent says Mr Yusuf, 72, collapsed on Friday morning in the seat of government, Baidoa.(More...)

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PEACEFUL RALLY: ETHIOPIAN-AMERICANS AND FRIENDS OF ETHIOPIA IN OKLAHOMA FOR H.R. 2003

DATE: TUESDAY, January 22, 2008
TIME: 11:00 AM
ADDRESS:1900 NW Expressway
Oklahoma City, OK 73118
Invited Guest Speakers: Senator Andrew Rice and Professor Ted Vestal

Senator James Inhofe Refuses to Meet with Supporters of Ethiopian Human Rights Bill

On November 13 and November 20, 2007, peaceful protests were held in front of Senator James Inhofe's Oklahoma City district office objecting to the Senator's strong opposition to H.R. 2003, the “Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act of 2007" H.R. 2003, is a bi-partisan human rights bill that passed unanimously from the U.S. House of Representatives on October 2, 2007.(More...)

CPJ: Ethiopia blocks freed journalists from launching newspapers
New York, January 2, 2008— Three Ethiopian journalists told CPJ the government denied them applications to launch new newspapers on Tuesday. All the journalists spent 17 months in prison following the country’s 2005 elections. The newspapers were slated to become the country’s first independent political publications since authorities banned eight local papers and forced at least a dozen others to close after the 2005 deadly post-election unrest.

Award-winning publisher Serkalem Fasil, her husband, columnist Eskinder Nega and publisher Sisay Agena fulfilled all legal requirements and submitted applications for Lualawi and Habesha—two current affairs Amharic-language weeklies—since mid-September. By comparison, newly launched current affairs weekly Addis Neger cleared its registration with the ministry within one hour in October, according to owner and editor Mesfin Negash, who was never jailed.

Ethiopia’s 1992 press law stipulates that a new newspaper is considered registered if the government fails to issue an official letter of certification within 30 days, but the document is required to obtain a mandatory commercial license, according to CPJ research.

Ethiopian Information Minister Berhanu Hailu and ministry spokesman Zemedkun Tekle did not return CPJ’s calls for comment today. Another ministry official, Fantahun Asres, head of Press Licensing, declined to comment on the matter to CPJ on Monday, but informed the journalists by phone on Tuesday that their applications had been denied, according to Nega.

“Despite public assurances in July that it would allow former prisoners to resume their work, the Ethiopian government instead is using bureaucratic tactics to deny independent journalists an outlet,” CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said. “We call on the government to remove such obstacles and allow our colleagues the right to publish newspapers.”

Fasil and Agena, the former owners of four banned newspapers, had their former publishing companies fined and dissolved in July 2007, three months after Ethiopia’s High Court acquitted them of anti-state charges. Authorities subsequently withdrew an appeal to reinstate the charges in October, according to local journalists.

Ethiopia’s ministry of information is mandated to “facilitate conditions for the expansion of the country’s media both in variety and in numbers,” according to the press law, but independent media outlets remain scarce, according to CPJ research. Last October, authorities allowed two independently owned media outlets to open: private commercial station Sheger Radio and current affairs weekly Addis Neger, although both operated under intense self-censorship, according to local journalists.

PEACEFUL RALLY CALLED BY ETHIOPIAN-AMERICANS AND FRIENDS OF ETHIOPIA IN OKLAHOMA

2008-01-02T06:21:00.000-08:00

For Immediate Release
Contact Person: Ato Muluneh Zeleke
Phone: 405-314-4560
January 3, 2008
SAVE THE DATE

FOR H.R. 2003

DATE: TUESDAY, January 22, 2008
TIME: 11:00 AM
ADDRESS: 1900 NW Expressway
Oklahoma City, OK 73118
Invited Guest Speakers: Senator Andrew Rice and Professor Ted Vestal

Senator James Inhofe Refuses to Meet with Supporters of Ethiopian Human Rights Bill

On November 13 and November 20, 2007, peaceful protests were held in front of Senator James Inhofe's Oklahoma City district office objecting to the Senator's strong opposition to H.R. 2003, the “Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act of 2007" H.R. 2003, is a bi-partisan human rights bill that passed unanimously from the U.S. House of Representatives on October 2, 2007.

Senator Inhofe has publicly admitted that he maintains a close personal friendship with Ethiopia's Dictator Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and his wife. As Senator Inhofe's Oklahoma constituents who are concerned about the worsening human rights situation in Ethiopia, we requested Senator Inhofe meet with individuals and/or organizations that support H.R.2003, during his visit to Ethiopia.
http://www.ethiomedia.com/ace/protesters_address_senator_inhofe.html

A list containing the names of individuals and organizations who were victims of human rights abuses was given to Senator Inhofe’s district office in Oklahoma City in the presence of state Senator Constance N. Johnson (D-Oklahoma City).

Unfortunately, before meeting with any of the victims of human right abuse, Senator Inhofe chose to attack the Human Rights bill immediately upon arrival in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in late November 2007: http://ena.gov.et/EnglishNews/2007/Nov/29Nov07/44031.html

Ethiopian-Americans and Friends of Ethiopia in Oklahoma for H.R.2003 invite fellow Oklahomans to join us in front of Senator Inhofe’s Oklahoma City office to protest Senator Inhofe’s refusal to meet with victims of human rights abuses in Ethiopia. We want to know why Senator Inhofe chooses to support a distant dictator and is UNWILLING to listen to us, his constituents?

A CALL TO ALL ETHIOPIANS AND FRIENDS OF ETHIOPIA WORLDWIDE

We respectfully request that all Ethiopians and Friends of Ethiopia Worldwide to call/fax Senator James Inhofe’s offices and ask him WHY HE REFUSED TO MEET WITH VICTIMS OF GROSS HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES DURING HIS RECENT 6-DAY OFFICIAL VISIT TO ETHIOPIA???

Washington, DC Office: (202) 224-4721 (tel); ( 202 ) 228-0380 (fax)
453 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING, WASHINGTON, DC 20510-3602
Oklahoma City, OK Office: (405) 608-4381 (tel); (405) 608-4120 (fax)

Ethiopia leaves key Somali town

2007-12-27T06:32:00.001-08:00

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also:
- Today's Top HEADLINES
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Ethiopia leaves key Somali town

Ethiopian troops have withdrawn from a key town in central Somalia.
Islamist insurgents say they now control Guriel, where Ethiopia had a big military base to secure the road linking the two countries.(More...)

Ethiopia cracks down on rebels

The Ethiopian army has inflicted losses on rebel fighters in the restive Ogaden region where the government is cracking down on insurgents, Colonel Tsegaye Gebretensae said in a statement today.(More...)

UNMEE expresses concern about firing incident between Eritrea and Ethiopia

On 26 December, 2007 at 3:30 hours, the Indian Battalion (Indbatt) Post and UN Military Observer Team Site located at Tsorena inside the Temporary Security Zone, Eritrea, heard firing sounds in the general direction of Gergera, southeast of Tsorena in the border area.

A Welcome Home and A Look Forward
Meron Wondwosen , cousin of Daniel Bekele

The guilty verdict followed by a two and a half year sentence rendered against my cousin Daniel Bekele and his partner Netsanet Demissie is not a victory for the military junta's court system. Nor is it evidence that the "justice" system with its abundant delays, draconian laws, sick judges and arbitrary detention rules actually functions. No. If there is a victory to be claimed, then it belongs to those who persevered against all adversity and defended Daniel and Netsanet.(More...)

Eritrea accuses Ethiopia of border attack

Firing on Eritrea-Ethiopia border sparks UN concern

Ethiopia government praises Burundi deployment in Somalia

Ethiopia activists get 2 1/2 years but to walk free

Two human rights activists received a two-and-a-half year jail sentence on Wednesday for inciting post-election violence in 2005, but will walk free within days as they have already served their prison time.(More...)

Also see: Press Release from CIVICUS & GCAP

Ethiopia: Prisoners of conscience unfairly convicted; face possible 10-year prison terms

Amnesty International

(A Supporter signs petition demanding the release of Human rights defenders and antipoverty activists, Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie, currently jailed by the government of Ethiopia)

Amnesty International today condemned the convictions of two human rights defenders in Ethiopia on charges of provoking and preparing "outrages against the Constitution", saying that the two men are prisoners of conscience arrested solely for their peaceful human rights work. Both have been held in prison since November 2005.(More...)

Ethiopian govt. convicts activists

An Ethiopian court has convicted two rights activists of inciting an uprising against the government. Judge Mohammed Aminsani, said on Monday: "Despite the lack of evidence proving their involvement in leadership and participation during the unrest, no evidence could be found to refute accusations of incitement."(More...)

Ethiopia activists found guilty BBC News
Activists convicted in Ethiopia UPI
Ethiopian Court Convicts Anti-Poverty Campaigners OneWorld.net

Monkey Trial in Kangaroo Kourt: Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demessie in the “Lions’ Den”

Professor Alemayehu G. Mariam

It is often said that truth is stranger than fiction. The grotesque prosecution of Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie is much stranger than the grim and chilling fictional story of Joseph K., in Franz Kafka’s The Trial.(More...)

One of the Most Important Bills of the Decade - A Bill with Global Ramification

Ethiopia: Draft Parties Registration Law Raises Controversy

Ethiopia’s opposition party denounces Sudan border demarcation

10 Most Underreported Humanitarian Stories Of 2007

Heavy fighting rocks Somali capital

Burundi peacekeepers arrive in Somalia: AU

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CIVICUS & GCAP Press Release

2007-12-26T20:00:00.000-08:00

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation & Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP)

MEDIA ADVISORY
12/26/07

26 December 2007 – Ethiopian activists Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie may face brief additional time behind bars, as the court today sentenced them to two years and six months in prison on charges of incitement, despite demands by the prosecution that they receive the maximum sentence of 10 years.

"While we welcome the fact that Daniel and Netsanet may soon be reunited with their friends, families and colleagues in civil society, we are perplexed and dismayed by the additional sentence. Everyday they have spent and possibly will spend in prison is a deep injustice. They are true heroes of Ethiopia, true heroes of Africa and for everyone around the world who supports democracy, justice and the fight against poverty ," said Kumi Naidoo, Secretary General of CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation and Co-Chair of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) who was present at the sentencing this morning.

Daniel and Netsanet, coordinators of GCAP in Ethiopia, were today sentenced to two years and six months in prison by the Federal High Court in Addis Ababa for provocation and preparing incitement in the aftermath of the May 2005 elections. On Monday, they were acquitted of conspiracy to overthrow the constitutional order, but were found guilty on the lesser charge. CIVICUS and GCAP anticipate that they will soon be released, given the two years and two months they have already spent behind bars, as well as their good behaviour and their willingness to cooperate with the court.

Before sentencing them this morning, the judges read a statement recognising their contributions to peace, democracy and the rule of law in Ethiopia. The presiding judge dissented from the verdict and has consistently maintained they are innocent of the charges, finding their actions to be fully within the constitution.

"The judges' statement today read more like a citation for the Nobel Peace Prize than justification for even a single day they have spent in prison ," said Kumi Naidoo.

Since Daniel and Netsanet's arrest in November 2005, civil society organisations in Ethiopia have come under increasing scrutiny, and many have been forced into silence on controversial issues for fear of meeting the same fate as Daniel and Netsanet.

Speaking from Ethiopian Federal court, Kumi Naidoo said, " This case has significance beyond the travesty of justice against Daniel and Netsanet. Their continued detention has had a chilling effect on civil society in Ethiopia. It is extremely important that the judges stated none of their actions were against the constitution and were in fact legitimate civil society activities. We hope that this vindication will enable civil society to fully exercise its role, including advocacy for human rights, democracy, peace and the eradication of poverty ."

Aside from their work with GCAP, Daniel is also head of the policy department at ActionAid International Ethiopia. Netsanet is also the founder of local human rights group Organisation for Social Justice in Ethiopia.

At the start of the trial in May 2006, 131 opposition politicians, journalists, civil society leaders and organisations stood accused of a range of charges from genocide to treason. They were among thousands who were detained following protests accusing the government of rigging the 15 May 2005 parliamentary elections. Many of the accused were acquitted during the course of the trial. Others were convicted but pardoned in July and August 2007 – all of whom signed a confession, admitting use of "unconstitutional means to change the constitutionally established government functions" following the 2005 elections.

Although they were asked to sign a similar statement, Daniel and Netsanet declined. They argued that their activities in 2005 were entirely legal and did not serve to undermine, but rather to protect and promote Ethiopia's constitutional order.

Recognised as Amnesty International prisoners of conscience, Daniel and Netsanet were consistently denied bail, even after seven attempts, including an appeal to the Supreme Court.

ENDS

For more information or interviews, please contact:

Ciara O'Sullivan, GCAP – in the UK: +44 776 724 6880, ciara_os@hotmail.com

Kumi Naidoo, CIVICUS - in Ethiopia: +251 911 926 295

Julie Middleton, CIVICUS – in South Africa: +27 403 6040 juliejmiddle@gmail.com

For more information on CIVICUS: www.civicus.org

For more information on GCAP: www.whiteband.org

A Welcome Home and A Look Forward

2007-12-26T08:01:00.000-08:00

Meron Wondwosen

"That justice is a blind goddess is a thing to which we [Ethiopians] are wise. Her bandage hides two festering sores that once perhaps were eyes." Langston Hughes

To speak of justice in Ethiopia is to speak of a farce. To expect justice is to imagine a fairy godmother. To wish for that elusive pot of gold. At the end of our rainbow there isn't a green creature with promises of riches but rather a cruel and merciless dictator whose iron fists rule over Ethiopia.

The guilty verdict followed by a two and a half year sentence rendered against my cousin Daniel Bekele and his partner Netsanet Demissie is not a victory for the military junta's court system. Nor is it evidence that the "justice" system with its abundant delays, draconian laws, sick judges and arbitrary detention rules actually functions. No. If there is a victory to be claimed, then it belongs to those who persevered against all adversity and defended Daniel and Netsanet. Victory, bittersweet as it may be, belongs to Daniel and Netsanet. Its hard to imagine what is on the minds of these courageous men who lost more than two years of their lives in the depressing, barbed wire existence that is Kality prison. What is irrefutable is that they exemplify dignity to the highest degree. They had nothing—no wealth, no political aspirations—nothing at all except their dignity and their principles. And in the tradition of many African women and men before them, they stuck to truth—come hell or Meles Zenawi's kangaroo court.

The ordeal of these two men has always had larger implications. The struggle for their freedom has been about the right of all Ethiopians to live without fear that our houses will be raided, our newspapers and radios silenced, our young men arrested en masse and our courageous women, incarcerated and some forced to give birth in prison.

Through this trial, the rest of the world began to see, some albeit begrudgingly, the rampant human rights violations committed by the current regime. During the span of this trial, Somalia was invaded by Zenawi's army and is currently mired in a humanitarian crisis; Ogaden burned as fellow Ethiopians were slaughtered under the Prime Minister's orders; Finally Ethiopia's integrity was compromised as the dictator allowed the CIA to operate its extraordinary rendition (read: torture) programs on our soil. As for the economy, well, measured on any index, the country lags behind and is an utter development disaster.

So it is in the midst of the continuing struggle for the liberation of Ethiopia that we welcome Daniel and Netsanet back into our arms and into the community of people all over the world who worked every single day since November 2005 to free them.

Eighty million Ethiopians suffer daily under a ruthless dictatorship. Let us rise and speak on their behalf as we did for Daniel and Netsanet. While we won this battle, the war rages on. The work is not done until we have freed Ethiopia from the clutches of this brutal cabal.

A La Luta Continua!

Meron Wondwosen is an attorney, human rights activist and cousin of prisoner of conscience Daniel Bekele.

Divide and Rule: Ethnic Federalism in Benishangul Gumuz Region of Ethiopia

2007-12-21T07:36:00.001-08:00

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also:
- Today's Top HEADLINES
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NETSANET DEMESIE AND DANIEL BEKELE – MEN OF THE YEAR (Girma Kassa)

Divide and Rule: Ethnic Federalism in Benishangul Gumuz Region of Ethiopia

Berhanu G. Balcha, NES-Scandinavian Chapter

Since 1991 the political power in the regional state has been characterized by unpredictability and ineffectiveness. Though immaturity in political leadership could be cited as a cause, other factors such as inter-ethnic as well as intra-ethnic rivalries, and the intriguing and self-serving role of the TPLF have played a significant role in creating turmoil and unpredictability in the regional state political structure.(More...)

Ethiopia, UN accuse each other on Somalia - VIDEO

UN 'not exaggerating crisis in Somalia'

The United Nations has rejected Ethiopian claims that it is exaggerating the severity of the crisis in Somalia. The UN says fighting between insurgents and Ethiopian-backed government forces in the capital, Mogadishu, has forced 600,000 people to flee the capital. Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi says that is just hype.(More...)

Eritrean opposition urges overthrow of government

Somalia: Hawiye elders welcome UN position

Ethiopia PM attacks UN on Somalia

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has accused the UN of playing a damaging role in the Somali crisis. "The situation there - as hard as it is - it could do with less hype and exaggeration," he told the BBC. (More...)

YOUNG ETHIOPIANS FIGHTING BACK
New generation steps up battle for equality in wake of school segregation incident

Recounting how officials in this central-Israel city stonewalled complaints this month about the segregation of four Ethiopian schoolgirls, Daniel Uoria paused to answer his cell phone. It was an adviser to the deputy mayor.(More...)

Ethiopian immigrants protest plans to halt Falash Mura aliyah

(Picture-reuters) Ethiopian immigrants hold a demonstration outside the office of Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem December 18, 2007. Some 1,000 Israelis of Ethiopian descent took part in a demonstration on Tuesday calling on the Israeli government to grant permission for their relatives living in Ethiopia to immigrate.(More...)

--French journalist held in Somalia said to be "fine"
--Rebels say killed 215 Ethiopian troops but government denies
--As people flee Somalia and Ethiopia, 56 dead are found on the shores of Yemen
--Somalian cabinet dissolved after 2 weeks
--VOA: interview with Dr. Hailu Araya and Eng. Hailu Shawl on current developments within Kinijit (Part I)
--VOA: interview with Dr. Hailu Araya and Eng. Hailu Shawl on current developments within Kinijit (Part II)
--Ethiopian roses cast shadow over coffee

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GCAP, CIVICUS: Bring Ethiopian campaigners home for the holidays

2007-12-12T12:06:00.001-08:00

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also:
- Today's Top HEADLINES
- INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES
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-Somalia descends into Africa's worst crisis (McClatchy)
-HRW's Letter to US Secretary of Defense on Somalia
-Somali Islamists Said to Be Regrouping
-At least 17 killed in Somalia attacks

Bring Ethiopian campaigners home for the holidays

For Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie, This could be their third holiday season behind bars and away from their loved ones. Join GCAP and CIVICUS by:

1) sending a message of hope to Daniel and Netsanet and their families;
2) sending a letter of appeal to the Ethiopian authorities, urging them to bring Daniel and Netsanet home for the holidays.
3) sending a greeting card by post to Daniel and Netsanet, via the Ministry of Justice (MORE...)

REMEMBERING DECEMBER 13TH: ANUAK JUSTICE COUNCIL PRESS RELEASE

Our World: Condi's African holiday

...THE CONFLICTS in the Horn of Africa have regional and global dimensions. Regionally, Egypt has played a central role in sponsoring and fomenting conflicts. Egypt's meddling advances its interest of preventing the African nations from mounting a unified challenge to Egypt's colonial legacy of extraordinary rights to the waters of the Nile River which flows through all countries of the region.(More...)

12 December 2007: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL URGENT ACTION UPDATE

11 December 2007: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL URGENT ACTION

PINR Analysis: ''Somalia Completes its Devolutionary Cycle''

As a political community, Somalia has disintegrated. The country has now reached the limit of its devolutionary cycle, which began in December 2006, when Ethiopia mounted a military intervention that ousted the Islamic Courts Council (I.C.C.) from control over most of southern and central Somalia.(More...)

Rights Group Accuses Sudan of Deporting Eritrean Refugees

(Audio Report)

An Eritrean human rights group is accusing the governments of Sudan and Eritrea of working together to round up and deport Eritreans who have sought refuge from Eritrea's authoritarian government. Nick Wadhams has the story from Nairobi.(More...)

EHRCO: Press Release on the Occasion of the International Human Rights Day

Human Rights Day is celebrated annually across the world on 10 December to honor and commemorate the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the United Nations General Assembly on this date in 1948. This year on Human Rights Day, the United Nations launches a year-long campaign in the lead up to the 60th anniversary of the UDHR under the theme ‘Dignity and Justice for all of us’.(More...)

PM Olmert promises to fight racism in Israel

The Israeli prime minister opened Sunday's Cabinet meeting with grave remarks in response to a newspaper expose last week about a religious school in Petah Tikva at which girls of Ethiopian descent are segregated from their peers.(More...)

Somali Islamists seize town from government troops

Masked fighters occupied a key business district and residential neighborhood in the Somali capital Saturday, saying they had forced Ethiopian troops to withdraw and urging locals to return home.(More...)

UK, Australian aid staff ordered out of Ogaden

Australian and a Briton working for Save the Children UK have been ordered out of Ethiopia's troubled Ogaden region, aid sources said on Friday. "They have been working in Ogaden on business visas, but were then refused additional work permits and asked to leave," said an aid worker in Addis Ababa, who asked not to be named.(More...)

Press Release: ETHIOPIAN-AMERICANS and FRIENDS of ETHIOPIA in OKLAHOMA for H.R. 2003

December 7, 2007

...The vast majority of Ethiopian-Americans who support the bill have been asking us; his constituents, how Senator Inhofe can, in clear conscience, oppose the bill after refusing to meet with the gross human rights abuses victims to whom H.R. 2003, the “Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act of 2007” is directed to?(More...)

Somalia's leader leaves hospital

Somalia's interim President Abdullahi Yusuf has been discharged from hospital in Kenya after three days' treatment for respiratory problems. A frail-looking Mr Yusuf, 72, who had a liver transplant 13 years ago, said he would now be travelling to London for a routine check-up.(More...)

Ethiopian-American wins Guardian First Book Award

A novel that tackles fraught questions of identity, dislocation and loneliness through the life of an Ethiopian émigré in the US has taken this year's Guardian First Book Award. Dinaw Mengestu's Children of the Revolution tells the story of a man who fled to America to escape the violence of Ethiopia's communist revolution.(More...)

Rice tells Ethiopia to ease tensions with Eritrea

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged Ethiopia on Wednesday to avoid acts that would raise tensions with Eritrea but got new promises from Africa's Great Lakes nations to end fighting in eastern Congo.(More...)

Reporters Without Borders names Eritrean Seyoum Tsehaye journalist of 2007

An Eritrean who has never been allowed a family visit or a lawyer and has never been charged during six years of imprisonment was named "Journalist of the Year" by Reporters Without Borders on Wednesday.(More...)

Somali Leader Reportedly Has Bronchitis

Somalia's president is suffering from bronchitis and is using an oxygen mask, an official said Wednesday as the African leader spent a second day in the hospital in Kenya.(More...)

Rice's visit to Ethiopia puts focus on ally accused of human rights abuses

McClatchy Newspapers

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's visit to Ethiopia this week puts a spotlight on the tight but troubled relationship between the United States and the volatile Horn of Africa nation.

Rice's arrival Wednesday comes as Ethiopian troops are bogged down against Islamist-led insurgents in Somalia and face a growing outcry over alleged human rights abuses against Muslims in the restive Ogaden region — two conflicts that experts believe could serve as a rallying cry for Islamic fundamentalists.(More...)

CPJ asks Rice to discuss Ethiopian press freedom

CPJ's letter to Secretary Rice

Dear Secretary Rice:

In advance of your meeting with Ethiopian officials in Addis Ababa , the Committee to Protect Journalists would like to draw your attention to our concerns regarding press freedom conditions there.

You may know that 15 Ethiopian journalists were recently released from prison, but this development belies the country’s sustained record of contempt for independent media, which manifests itself in a variety of legal and administrative restraints. The 15 jailed journalists were sentenced on trumped-up charges such as genocide in connection with the media’s coverage of Ethopia’s 2005 post-election unrest.(More...)

BBC: SOMALI LEADER RUSHED TO HOSPITAL IN SERIOUS CONDITION - Somalia's interim President Abdullahi Yusuf has been taken to hospital in the Kenyan capital, the BBC has learnt. His condition is said to be "serious".(More...)

Also see: Somali gov't denies president in serious condition

U.S. DEBATING SHIFT OF SUPPORT IN SOMALI CONFLICT

The escalating conflict in Somalia is generating debate inside the Bush administration over whether the United States should continue to back the shaky transitional government in Mogadishu or shift support to Somaliland.(More...)

Ethiopian govt. says world disinterest in Somalia peace

Ethiopia has warned that the world's disinterest in sending peacekeepers to Somalia was dampening hopes of achieving peace in the country.(More...)

PETITION FOR DANIEL AND NETSANET (Family and Friends)

PRESS RELEASE ON SENATOR INHOFE’S ETHIOPIA VISIT
(Ethiopian-Americans and Friends of Ethiopia in Oklahoma for H.R.2003)

...Senator Inhofe, despite his 6-day stay in Ethiopia, chose to meet with only 2 individuals (20 minutes each) out of the 28 he was requested to meet by us, his constituents, in order to enable him to reach an informed decision on H.R. 2003.(More...)

EU Annual Report on Human Rights 2007: ETHIOPIA

The EU has called on the government (Ethiopia) to stop the harassment of the opposition and civil society organizations, and to carry out a permanent and inclusive dialogue with the opposition to implement democratic provisions in practice.(More...)

Today's Top HEADLINES

-'Humanitarian crisis' facing Ethiopia, says UN
-UN Should Press Ethiopia and Somali (human rights watch)
-Five killed in Mogadishu violence
-Somali PM unveils new cabinet
-US official Gates in Djibouti to discuss Africa operations

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

-Sudanese President Pardons British Teacher
-CHAVEZ DEFEATED OVER PROPOSED REFORMS
-Monitors say Russian vote unfair
-Sharif's candidacy papers rejected
-Israel Releases 429 Palestinian Captives
-Dinosaur mummy tells secrets

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Ethiopia: Observers dismayed at further delay in trial of Daniel and Netsanet

2007-11-30T05:27:00.001-08:00

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also:
- Today's Top Stories
- INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

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ERITREA-ETHIOPIA DEADLINE EXPIRES TODAY
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: Public Statement
(On Danile and Netsanet's case)
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(Click on picture to act on behalf of Daniel and Netsanet)

[CIVICUS - Whiteband] Ethiopian anti-poverty activists Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie will remain in prison for at least another 24 days, as Judges in Ethiopia's High Court today delayed their verdict for the third time in two months, postponing it until 24 December.

"We are deeply dismayed by the court's decision to delay the verdict yet again. These numerous postponements are unacceptable and infringe the rights of these innocent civil society leaders to a fair and swift trial. But we will not be deterred - we and others around the world will continue to insist on their immediate and unconditional release ," said Kumi Naidoo, Secretary General of CIVICUS and Co-Chair of GCAP.

After 25 months in prison, Daniel and Netsanet, both coordinators of the Global Call to Action against Poverty in Ethiopia , are the last two accused in the high profile Ethiopian treason trial that originally charged 131 politicians, journalists, organisations and civil society leaders in the wake of the country's May 2005 parliamentary elections. They were due to hear their verdict this morning in Addis Ababa, on charges of conspiracy to overthrow the government, specifically, "outrage against the constitution and constitutional order," which carries a possible sentence of life imprisonment or the death penalty.

In delaying the verdict, the court announced that one of the judges is ill and must be replaced. The postponement is allegedly to allow the replacement judge to familiarise himself with the case.

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Dr. Yacob Hailemariam to speak at Norfolk, December 5, 2007
(Event sponsored by Tidewater Peace Alliance and Amnesty International)

Dr. Berhanu Nega to speak at an Upcoming Conference - Linking Human Rights and Development: A strategy for Africa (December 6, 2007) (Sponsored by Amnesty International)
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US department of state
Released on November 29, 2007

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Travel to Ethiopia Next Week

In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Secretary will attend a meeting with leaders from the African Great Lakes states to discuss issues of regional peace and security on December 5. She also will hold bilateral meetings with the Government of Ethiopia.
Also see: Rice to visit Ethiopia in rare Africa trip
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Dueling Dictators: Newsweek

Newsweek - If there were an award for the most pointless war of the last 25 years, Ethiopia and Eritrea's 1998-2000 border battle might well take the prize.(More...)

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ETHIOPIAN GOVT. FORCING UNTRAINED CIVILIANS TO FIGHT REBELS, REFUGEES SAY
McClatchy Newspapers

Ethiopian soldiers have forcibly drafted hundreds of civilians to fight separatist rebels in the desolate, predominantly Muslim Ogaden region in a shadowy military campaign supported by the Bush administration, according to more than a dozen refugees and former recruits who've fled to neighboring Kenya.(More...)
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Today's Top Stories

-Revenge drives young Somali militant
-Ten more killed in north Mogadishu fighting
-Kenya arrests 12 suspected Ethiopian rebels
-Ethiopia, Eritrea tread a thin line
-Atrocities alleged in eastern Ethiopia
-Meles denies rights abuses in Ogaden
-Ethiopia: UN Humanitarian Chief Concludes Visit
-Somali PM works to put cabinet together
-Call to attack Uganda peacekeepers divides insurgency

INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

Kasparov Warns of ‘Chaos’ in Russia - Released from jail after serving a five-day sentence for leading an opposition march, Garry Kasparov, the former chess champion, warned today that Russia was heading toward chaos under President Vladimir V. Putin.(More...)

-New Ebola Strain Blamed for Killing 16 in Uganda
-Sudan protesters: Execute teacher
-Musharraf Is Sworn In as a Civilian President
-Australia's new prime minister names his own cabinet
-Power Grab or Reform? Venezuelans Debate Vote

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