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Saturday, September 29, 2007

FINAL HOUSE ACTION ON H.R. 2003 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2007

CLICK HERE TO TAKE ACTION IN SUPPORT OF H.R.2003

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A special congratulations to Ethiopia's own, athlete Haile Gebrselassie, who has shattered the world marathon record with an official time of 2hr 4min 26sec to win the 34th Berlin Marathon
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The Coalition for H.R. 2003 is pleased to announce that HR 2003 (“Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act of 2007”), introduced by Chairman Donald Payne of the Subcommittee on Africa on April 20, 2007, has been scheduled for final action by the House of Representatives on October 2, 2007. Consideration of items on the suspension calendar will begin at 10:00 a.m. [See, Here]

There are 14 bills scheduled for floor debate on October 2. H.R. 2003 is listed as #5 on the calendar.

H.R. 2003 was referred to the floor on a special House procedure known as “suspension of the rules”. This procedure is used generally to act swiftly on relatively non-controversial legislation. The procedure is set forth in clause 1 of House Rule XV. When a bill or some other matter is considered “under suspension,” floor debate is limited, all floor amendments are prohibited, and a two-thirds vote is required for final passage. The equivalent calendar in the Senate is called the consent calendar.

Also see:
-EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT H.R. 2003, BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK!

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Friday, September 28, 2007

Eritrea calls on UN to solve border crisis, warns of Ethiopian attack

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

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- Today's Top HEADLINES
- BURMA - SPECIAL COVERAGE (cntd.)
- INTERNATIONAL news
- Picture of the Day - (MESKEL)

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EDITORIAL: ETHIOPIAN POLITICS (AMHARIC)
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ASMARA — Eritrea urged the United Nations to force its arch-foe Ethiopia urgently to implement a border ruling, warning it feared Addis Ababa was preparing to resume war, in a letter published Friday.

(Members of The Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission, EEBC (from left to right): Sir Arthur Watts, KCMG QC; Professor W. Michael Reisman; Sir Elihu Lauterpacht, CBE QC; His Excellency Prince Bola Adesumbo Ajibola; Judge Stephen M. Schwebel)

In the letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Foreign Minister Osman Saleh said he believed that Ethiopian threats to scrap the Algiers peace deal that ended their bloody 1998-2000 border war were a precursor to an attack.

"Ethiopia seems to be planning to use its unlawful attempt at renunciation of the Algiers Agreements as a precursor for initiation of renewed hostilities," read the letter, dated Thursday but posted on the Eritrean information ministry website Friday.

"It is a cardinal principle of international law that forcible occupation of the territory of another state is an act of aggression and Ethiopia's stationing of troops north of the recognised international boundary falls squarely within that category," Osman added.

Early this month, a meeting of the Eritrea Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) meeting in The Hague, seen as a last-ditch attempt to break the frontier deadlock, ended in failure.(More...)

Today's Top HEADLINES

-100,000 Ethiopian faithful celebrate 'true cross'
-Kinijit delegates arrive in Oakland (ER) --- [See Video here]
-Press Release: The Coalition for HR 2003
-Merkel to visit Ethiopia, South Africa and Liberia
-Meles speaks at the Clinton Summit, NY - VIDEO
-11,000 fled Mogadishu fighting in September-UNHCR
-Press group deplores attack on Somali media boss
-Four Somali soldiers killed in Mogadishu attack

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BURMA - SPECIAL COVERAGE (cntd.)

BURMA JUNTA CUTS INTERNET ACCESS AND PHONE-
Bush: Every nation should stand up for Burama-
VIDEO - Reuters REPORT-
AUDIO - PROTESTER SPEAKING TO NPR-
Burmese Authorities Attack Civilians-

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INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

-Court Allows Musharraf to Seek Re-Election
-Iran Signs Accords With Venezuela And Bolivia
-Iraqi Leader rejects division of nation
-Phone credit low? Africans go for "beeping"

PICTURE OF THE DAY

(Ethiopia, Meskel Festival)

(Festival marking the finding of the true cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. The festival is ancient; dating back 1,600 years. The celebration of Meskel recognizes the presence of the true cross at the Mountain of Gishen Miriam monastery, and also recognizes Empress Helena’s road to finding it. According to tradition, Empress Helena lit incense and prayed for assistance from God in her search for the cross. The smoke from the incense drifted in the direction of the buried cross. She dug and found three crosses: one of them was the true cross on which Christ died. Empress Helena gave a piece of the cross to each of the churches, including the Ethiopian church. The piece given to the Ethiopian church was then brought to Ethiopia.)



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Wednesday, September 26, 2007

HR 2003 ON TO THE NEXT STAGE

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

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Also:
- ON THE KINIJIT CRISES: ETP and Others
- Today's Top HEADLINES
- SPECIAL COVERAGE – JUNTA IN SERIOUS TROUBLE
- INTERNATIONAL news

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HR 2003 ON TO THE NEXT STAGE

[AUDIO] - Congressman Chris Smith, Members of the Kinijit delegation and others react to the news. [Click here to Listen to VOA's Report]

Also see:
-Report: Ethiopia Legislation Moves Forward
-EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT H.R. 2003, BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK!
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ON THE KINIJIT CRISES: ETP and Others

Here are some opinions (articles, video and audio) that deal with the current crisis within KInijit. We have also tossed in our two cents into this conversation by posting our first AMHARIC editorial



-IN POLITICS, CRISIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY (Abebe Gelaw)
-Almezuria Teshome appeals to Kinijit’s leaders
-VP Birtukan Mideksa appeals to chairman Hailu - VIDEO
-Obang Metho Appeals to Kinijit’s leaders
-Winners do not falter at faulty moments (ENC)
-Management of crisis
-Enkifat - Poem (Tewodros Abebe)
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Today's Top HEADLINES

-Kinijit leaders meet with authorities in Finland (EMF)
-Ethiopian Human Rights Council Report
-Upstate New York welcomes Kinijit Delegation
-Press Statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
-Ethiopia Threatens to Terminate Peace Deal With Eritrea
-Ethiopia gets $208 mln China loan
-Ethiopia to sell hydro power to Egypt (Capital)
-Somali president, PM meet to solve latest rift
-Pictures - Kinijit Delegation in Sweden

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Who will win the $5m prize?

The Mo Ibrahim Foundation is next month due to award over $5m to the former African head of state adjudged to have demonstrated exemplary leadership. The presidential prize is aimed at encouraging best practice. The lucky recipient of what the organisers call "the world's biggest prize" will be named on 22 October.(More...)

Also see:

Rwanda 'most improved' in Africa-
Ibrahim Index of African Governance-
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SPECIAL COVERAGE – JUNTA IN SERIOUS TROUBLE

-BURMA MONKS CHANT "DEMOCRACY, DEMOCRACY"
-BUSH TO ANNOUNCE SANCTIONS AGAINST BURMA
-BRITISH PM CALLS FOR ACTION ON BURMA
-AUNG SAN SUU KYI INTERVIEW - VIDEO
-BURMESE CONTINUE DEFIANCE - AUDIO

INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

-Fukuda elected Japan's prime minister
-Ahmadinejad Remarks Meet With Scorn, Laughter
-Putin purges cabinet of last reformers
-Lebanon parliament puts off presidential vote
-Germs taken to space come back deadlier (Science)





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Monday, September 24, 2007

Almezuria Teshome appeals to Kinijit’s leaders

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

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Also:
- Today's Top HEADLINES
- INTERNATIONAL news
- Picture of the Day - (millennium edition featuring Faces of Ethiopia)

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Almezuria Teshome appeals to Kinijit’s leaders

Alemzuria Teshome is 25 years old. In November 2, 2005 security forces who came to arrest her father (Kinijit’s city council elect for Addis Ababa) murdered her mother W/ro Etenesh Yimam , a 52 years old housewife, for screaming too loud. [Listen here]

Also see:
-Alemzuria's Testimony to the U.S. Congress

Today's Top HEADLINES

-VP of Kinijit Birtukan Mideksa Speech - VIDEO
-Winners do not falter at faulty moments (ENC)
-Azeb Mesfin in NY to attend conference
-Ethiopian Doctors fleeing in record numbers
-Ethiopia to see grand Millennium Library
-Africa flooding spreads, 22 countries hit: UN
-Enkifat - Poem (Tewodros Abebe)

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SOMALIA: RIFT BETWEEN PRESIDENT AND PM DEEPENS

The political row between Yusuf and Gedi first surfaced earlier this year when the two leaders supported opposite deals with foreign firms intending to explore for potential oil in Somalia. Some insiders suggested that Gedi's recent meetings with opposition figures represents a separate policy the Prime Minister is pursuing, especially with regard to securing Mogadishu, which is dominated by members of Gedi's Hawiye clan.(More...)

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INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

-Iranian president begins US visit amid controversy
-US invites Syria to peace talks
-Top Pakistan politicians arrested
-Germans Protest Online Surveillance
-The Most Influential People in the World

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JUNTA IN CRISIS AS BURMA'S MONKS MARCH ON

The military leaders of Myanmar, the former Burma, are expected to meet this week, to decide how to react to growing protests against their rule. Thousands of Buddhist monks and nuns have staged daily demonstrations on the streets. The generals face a dilemma; stamp out the dissidents and risk an explosion of popular anger, or allow the monks to continue and see the protests become unstoppable.(More...)
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PICTURE OF THE DAY - FACES OF ETHIOPIAMillennium edition

(Ethiopia - Borana girl)

(the Borana are estimated to total 500,000, but because many live in remote areas it is hard to know exactly how many exist. They are traditionally semi-nomadic pastoralists, who depend exclusively on their livestock for subsistence. The women are independent and equal to men even with building and owning houses. )


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Friday, September 21, 2007

AMNESTY: OGADEN CLAN ELDERS HELD INCOMMUNICADO IN JIJIGA

Sultan Fowsi Mohamed Ali and Ahmed Mohamed Tarah were arrested on 28 August in Jijiga, the capital of the Somali Region (known as the Ogaden) in the east of the country. They are held incommunicado in Jijiga military barracks, where they are at risk of torture or ill-treatment.

Both men are respected clan elders, Fowsi Mohamed Ali with the title of Sultan. Both had long been involved as independent mediators in conflict-resolution activities in the Somali Region.

There have been reports that they were arrested to prevent them meeting and giving evidence to a UN fact-finding mission, which visited the Somali Region on 29 August to investigate.(More...)

Today's Top HEADLINES

-AUDIO: OLF spokesman Beyan Asoba's Interview with VOA
-Fresh Ethiopia forces deployed in Mogadishu
-US gives 'strategically important' Ethiopia $97 million
-Ethiopia: Worst place to live in the World?
-VIDEO - PM Meles answers questions from govt. Journalists


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Thursday, September 20, 2007

Ethiopian Politicians Making the Rounds in the U.S.

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

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Also:
- Today's Top HEADLINES
- INTERNATIONAL news
- Picture of the Day - (millennium edition featuring Faces of Ethiopia)

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“For the sake of political stability and political dialogue we decided to accept the proposal from the elders” - Gizachew Shiferaw On signing the pardon letter

"U.S. government should do more to ensure human rights are protected in Ethiopia" - Hailu Shawel On U.S. foreign policy

"The ultimate desire is for all principles contained in the bill to be implemented" - Brook Kebede On HR 2003

Members of an Ethiopian opposition party who were jailed for 20 months in connection with a disputed election are lobbying the Bush administration and Congress to pressure Ethiopia to support a more open and democratic society.

Members of the CUD delegation also plan to travel to various U.S. cities in an effort to continue to organize Ethiopian Americans and to thank them for providing financial and political support during their incarceration.


The CUD members were among a group of 38 who were pardoned in July after being imprisoned since November 2005. They had been arrested after months of unrest in Ethiopia that followed elections in May of that year.

A report written by the European Union called the election the “most competitive” Ethiopia had ever held, but said it was “marred by irregular practices, confusion and lack of transparency.” The report credited the government for allowing relatively unbiased campaign coverage in the weeks before the election but said support of Democratic institutions waned in the weeks following the disputed vote.

Government police reportedly arrested as many as 30,000 people in the weeks after the elections. Most were released soon after, but around 70 top CUD members were kept in jail, drawing condemnations from human rights groups and foreign governments. Most were released in July and August after receiving pardons.

The pardons came after eight months of negotiations from a group of elders. CUD members said they signed the letters seeking the pardons, which included apologies to the government, even though they believed they had not committed any crimes.

“For the sake of political stability and political dialogue we decided to accept the proposal from the elders,” said CUD member Gizachew Shiferaw, who was elected to a seat in parliament but refused to accept it unless the government agreed to a list of eight conditions CUD members said would promote democracy.(More...)

Today's Top HEADLINES

-SOMALI OPPOSITION ALLIANCE BEGINS FIGHT AGAINST ETHIOPIA
-UN calls for Human rights probe in Ogaden
-O.N.L.F STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO UN REPORT
-ETHIOPIAN GOVT. STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO UN REPORT
-US endorses Arab-African peace force for Somalia
-Shabelle Media Network Closes Radio Station
-Envoy Cites 'Lack of Confidence’ in Somali Government

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"The Failure of 'Reconciliation' and 'Reconstitution' Opens Up a Political Vacuum

(Independent analysis by PINR)

The Power and Interest News Report (PINR) is an independent organization that utilizes open source intelligence to provide conflict analysis services in the context of international relations. PINR approaches a subject based upon the powers and interests involved, leaving the moral judgments to the reader.(More...)
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INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

-Violence reignites in Sierra Leone
-Bin Laden to declare war on Musharraf, al-Qaida says
-BURMA monks escalate pressure on junta
-EU urges Israel to reconsider Gaza "enemy" status
-New York: Iran's leader can't visit ground zero
-Thousands rally in La. to support Jena 6

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LEBANON REACTS TO YET ANOTHER POLITICAL ASSASSINATION

[Audio Report]

Stores, banks and some government offices were closed in many parts of Beirut to mourn the slaying of Christian member of parliament Antoine Ghanem in a car bomb explosion, Wednesday. Edward Yeranian reports from Beirut.(More..)

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PICTURE OF THE DAY - FACES OF ETHIOPIAMillennium edition

(western Ethiopia, Anuak girl)

(The Anuak of Ethiopia reside in the Gambela Region. The Anuak live a tight-knit community life. The villages are run by headmen, but these can be removed if their behavior or judgment is considered unsatisfactory. Unsatisfactoriness includes being dictatorial, as according to Anuak philosophy there are no "God-men." All family and other disputes are resolved democratically within the village. The region is hot and tropical with rich, fertile, well-watered soil coming from the rivers originating in the mountains of the highlands where there is a much cooler, dryer climate.)


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Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Ethiopia's Opposition Wants U.S. Support for Democracy Struggle

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

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Also:
- Today's Top HEADLINES
- INTERNATIONAL news
- Picture of the Day - (millennium edition featuring Faces of Ethiopia)

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UN's FULL REPORT ON THE OGADEN (UN FACT FINDING MISSION TO THE OGADEN PUBLISHES FINDINGS)

LETTER TO THE NATIONAL BLACK CAUCUS (Ethiopian American Civic Advocacy, EACA)
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Ethiopia’s main opposition, the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) says the struggle in Ethiopia is a struggle for democracy, and it hopes the United States will stand on the side of those fighting for democracy in Ethiopia.

In July this year, the Ethiopian government pardoned and released from prison 38 of the country’s top opposition leaders. They had been arrested and charged with treason in a government crackdown following the 2005 parliamentary elections. Now a five-man delegation of the opposition CUD is in the United States.

[CLICK HERE FOR AUDIO REPORT]

Spokesman Hailu Araaya told VOA that the delegation is here to thank the Ethiopian Diaspora for its support.

“You know we have been in prison for almost 21 months, and the Ethiopians in the Diaspora have been helpful, so supportive in many ways such as diplomatically, financially and so on. So we wanted to come to this country to meet them face-to-face and say thank you to them. The other thing is there is a struggle going on in Ethiopia to establish democracy there, and this democracy needs the support of the people not only in Ethiopia but also outside Ethiopia. And we are here to discuss with them how best we can work together to promote the struggle for democracy in Ethiopia,” he said.(More...)

Today's Top HEADLINES

-UN fact-finders say situation in Ogaden deteriorating fast
-Ogaden NGO slams Ethiopian govt over U.N. visit
-Kinijit Leaders Continue in Ethiopia's Fight for Democracy
-Meles's bruised image recovering in Addis? (Fortune)
-EU urges Eritrea to charge or free detainees
-Police surround and fire upon Somalia ’s Radio Shabelle
-US Firm enters Ethiopia’s fuel-distribution market
-Uplift of Ethiopian plateau coincided with evolution (science)
-Africa: Many Modern Conflicts are Food Wars (Analysis)

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[VIDEO] - Finding the origins of humanity

Paleoanthropologist Zeresenay Alemseged is looking for the roots of humanity in Ethiopia's badlands. Here he talks about what he has found -- including the oldest skeleton yet discovered of a humanoid child -- and how Africa holds the clues to what makes us human.[Watch Video]
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INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

-Rice Begins Mideast Peace Mission
-Israel: Hamas-controlled Gaza 'hostile entity'
-Monks on march again in BURMA
-10 Musical Events that Changed the World
-10 Technologies That Will Change The World

-Study: L.A. drivers lose 72 hrs a year
-Kanye crushes 50 Cent in sales showdown

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Tutu calls for action on Zimbabwe

The former Archbishop of Cape Town, Desmond Tutu, has called for tougher action to end the crisis in Zimbabwe. He told a British television station that South Africa's "softly-softly" diplomatic approach had failed and more forthright measures were needed.(More..)

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PICTURE OF THE DAY - FACES OF ETHIOPIAMillennium edition

(western Ethiopia, Nuer girl)

(The Nuer of Ethiopia are located in the western part of the country, there are also many Nuer in Sudan. Collectively, the Nuer form one of the largest ethnic groups in East Africa. Nuer warriors were noted as some of the most skilled in East Africa, with weapons made of fine crafted iron. Since the Nuer were so successful at fending off European powers, they spent much of their time interacting with bordering groups like those of the Dinka and Anuaks.)


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Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Eritreans Deny American Accusations of Terrorist Ties

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

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Also:
- Today's Top HEADLINES
- INTERNATIONAL news
- Picture of the Day - (millennium edition featuring Faces of Ethiopia)

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LETTER TO THE NATIONAL BLACK CAUCUS (Ethiopian American Civic Advocacy, EACA)
EUROPE - UPDATE ON ACTIVITIES OF KINIJIT DELEGATION
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NY Times - Eritrean officials, responding to American accusations that they have abetted terrorists in the volatile Horn of Africa, defended their actions on Monday and said that while they would like to have better relations with the United States, they had no intention of bowing to American pressure.

Over the weekend, the Eritrean government held a conference for Somali opposition leaders that included some prominent Islamists whom Jendayi E. Frazer, the assistant secretary of state for African affairs, has called terrorists.

American officials have threatened to list Eritrea as a state sponsor of terrorism, accusing it of funneling weapons to Somali insurgents. But on Monday, Eritrean officials denied that they were trying to destabilize Somalia, and said their conference was a legitimate way to rebuild the shattered country.(More...)

Today's Top HEADLINES

-Eritrea: Human Rights violations continue unabated (Amnesty)
-OLF applauds new Somali opposition alliance (OLF Statement)
-CPJ: Somali police besiege radio station
-Is Kinijit the Way? (Opinion, Fikru Helebo)
-HARAR: City on a hilltop, UNESCO World Heritage site
-Teddy Afro Rocks Out in Jimma

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[AUDIO] VOA's Report ON LAST SUNDAY's KINIJIT D.C. METRO CHAPTER SPONSORED EVENT
(For more, see yesterday’s post)
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INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

-Musharraf set to relinquish army post
-'Tear gas used' on Burma monks
-Russia warns West over use of force in Iran
-10 Musical Events that Changed the World
-10 Technologies That Will Change The World

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MYSTERY ILLNESS STRIKES AFTER METEORITE HITS PERUVIAN VILLAGE

Villagers in southern Peru were struck by a mysterious illness after a meteorite made a fiery crash to Earth in their area. Around midday Saturday, villagers were startled by an explosion and a fireball that many were convinced was an airplane crashing near their remote village.(More..)

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PICTURE OF THE DAY - FACES OF ETHIOPIAMillennium edition

(Benishangul-Gumuz, Ethiopia - Gumuz man)

(The Gumuz ethnic group of Ethiopia live in the northern and western parts of the country near the Sudan border. Over 120,000 Gumuz in Ethiopia live in the “bush-savanna” region, an area covered primarily with bamboo and other small trees. The Gumuz are rich in culture and the region is full of natural attractions.)


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Monday, September 17, 2007

Bombs defused in Addis Ababa says Govt.

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

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Also:
- Today's Top HEADLINES
- INTERNATIONAL news
- Picture of the Day - (Kinijit's chairman arrives in Washington)

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U.S. CUD DELEGATION ITINERARY -- SEPTEMBER 16 - OCT 27, 2007 (Ad Hoc Coordinating Committee)

EUROPE - UPDATE ON ACTIVITIES OF KINIJIT DELEGATION
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Two bombs were defused in the Ethiopian capital and three suspects were arrested in connection with what the government said Sunday was a thwarted attack.

Authorities defused the two devices in the Lideta district of the capital of Addis Ababa on Saturday, government spokesman Zemedkun Tekle said. He did not provide information on the three suspects arrested or the area where police believed the devices were to be detonated.

Security has been a top concern of the Ethiopian authorities during the country's millennium celebrations, which began last Tuesday and saw tens of thousands celebrating in the streets. Ethiopia follows the Coptic Christian calendar, which is seven years behind the one used by most of the rest of the world.(More...)

Today's Top HEADLINES

-OLF and EPRDF to start Negotiations? (Reporter)
-NPR on the Ogaden - AUDIO (National public Radio)
-Ethiopia to deploy 5000 troops in Darfur
-Afeworki pledges support for anti-Ethiopian alliance
-Ethiopia says Eritrea must change stance
-Eritrea says will never ever change stance
-SOMALIA: "What have we done to deserve this?"

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SPEECHES FROM THE KINIJIT D.C. METRO CHAPTER SPONSORED EVENT SEPT. 16, 2007

Dr. Berhanu Nega: [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ] [ 8 ]

Birtukan Midekssa: [ 1 ] [ 2 ]
Tamagne Beyene: [ 1 ] [ 2]
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INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

-Alan Greenspan Says Iraq War 'Largely About Oil'
-France: Prepare for war over Iran
-Microsoft must share code with rivals
-Al-Qaeda Offers Reward for Cartoonist's Death
-Man in China dies after three-day Internet session

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SIERRA LEONE OPPOSITION WINS PRESIDENCY

Opposition leader Ernest Bai Koroma has won Sierra Leone's presidential election run-off. He won 54.6% of the vote while his rival Vice-President Solomon Berewa of the ruling Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) obtained 45.4%.(More..)

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PICTURE OF THE DAY




(Kinijit chairman Hailu Shawel arrives in Washington DC, Sep. 15, 2007)

Click here to watch short clip of Hailu Shawel arriving in DC.







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Friday, September 14, 2007

Politically Motivated Arrests, Harassments to continue into the New Millennium?

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

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Also:
- Today's Top HEADLINES
- INTERNATIONAL news
- Picture of the Day - (millennium edition featuring Faces of Ethiopia)

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CUD DELEGATION ITINERARY -- SEPTEMBER 16 - OCT 27, 2007 (Ad Hoc Coordinating Committee)
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AP - Authorities have detained three Ethiopians linked to a top opposition politician, accusing them of trying to create a disturbance during the country's millennium celebrations, a fourth man who was released said Friday.

Nebiyu Bazezew, a 28-year-old banker, said that three of his friends had been arrested in the capital on Tuesday night, when celebrations for Wednesday's millennium began, and held without charge.

After attempting to see the men, Bazezew was held incommunicado for three hours of questioning on Friday, but was released without being told why he had been detained. He was informed by police that his friends were being investigated for trying to cause a disturbance at millennium celebrations, he said, but given no further information on the circumstances of their arrest. Ethiopia follows a Christian calendar seven years behind the one most of the rest of the world uses.

Authorities were not immediately available for comment due to the millennium holiday, which was extended over several days. The three men still in prison were scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday, Bazezew said.

"It was more than scary. Nobody knew I was there. In a country where we talk about civil rights, I wasn't even registered, and I wasn't told why I was there," Bazezew said.

His three friends have not been charged. Under Ethiopian law, suspects must be charged within 48 hours, although the holiday may have delayed their case.

Bazezew said the only connection between the four men was fundraising efforts to buy a car for Birtukan Mideksa in August. Birtukan, a top opposition politician, was among 38 opposition members released from prison last July.

They had been held for more than two years after security forces shot 193 civilians protesting electoral fraud. The trial attracted international condemnation and strong pressure from the United States to free the accused, who emerged from prison with strong support in many of their neighborhoods. Such support motivated a group in the neighborhood to buy Mideksa a car, Bazezew said. Bazezew said his arrest was "obviously" political but could offer no further explanation.

Related story:
-Police release ceremony organizers

Today's Top HEADLINES

-CUD DELEGATION PULLING DOUBLE SHIFT
-More Ethioipans Die crossing to Yemen- AUDIO
-WFP food reaching victims of flooding across Ethiopia
-PM Meles awards Al Amoudi golden medal
-Heavy clashes in Somali capital kill six

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ISLAMIST TO LEAD NEW SOMALI OPPOSITION ALLIANCE

Somali opposition figures on Friday named a senior Islamist as chairman of a "liberation" alliance vowing war on Ethiopian troops. They chose 43-year-old Sheikh Sharif Ahmed -- one of the two highest-ranking leaders of Somalia's Islamic Courts movement -- to steer the new opposition grouping.(More..)

Also See:
-Key facts about Sheikh Sharif Ahmed


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INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

-SAUDI WOMEN TO SAY NO TO DRIVING BAN
-Benazir Bhutto to return to Pakistan on Oct. 18
-Sunni Sheik Who Backed U.S. in Iraq Is Killed
-US, China to reward North Korea with fuel aid
-Japan Launches (Unmanned) Moon Mission
-Report on Hindu god Ram withdrawn

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WORLD'S 10 MOST POLLUTED PLACES (PHOTOS)

Areas that researchers have declared the most polluted in the world are typically little known even in their own countries. Yet, the kinds of pollution in these areas not only lead to cancers, birth defects, mental retardation and life expectancies approaching medieval levels, but are also often found all around the globe.(More..)

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PICTURE OF THE DAY - FACES OF ETHIOPIAMillennium edition

(Bumi Men, Omo River Region, Ethiopia)

(The Bumi live south of Omo National Park. Numbering around 6 - 7000 in population, the Bumi are agro-pastoralists, relying on cattle herding and flood-retreat agriculture (consisting mainly of sorghum harvesting on the Omo and Kibish Rivers). The Bumi are known to be great warriors. Small groups of Bumi living along the Omo are specialized crocodile hunters using harpoons from a dugout canoe.)




. . .

Thursday, September 13, 2007

THE DANIEL BEKELE PROJECT

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

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Also:
- Today's Top HEADLINES
- INTERNATIONAL news
- Picture of the Day - (In honor of the beginning of Ramadan for Ethiopian Muslims)

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Join Daniel's family and friends as they call for the end of political incarceration and to a new millennium where human rights and freedom are respected in Ethiopia

Letter from the family of Daniel Bekele

October 8, 2007. To many, that day holds no particular meaning or significance. On that day, many people will go on with their daily lives. They will go to work and spend time with family and friends. Some may celebrate a special event, such as a birthday or an anniversary.


However, in an Ethiopian court on October 8th, it will be a somber day where judges will determine the future of Daniel Bekele, a human rights attorney, activist, scholar and a Prisoner of Conscience who has been incarcerated in an Ethiopian jail for two years.

We are writing to request your legal, social and political intervention to secure his freedom so we may memorialize that date as the day justice prevailed for not only Daniel and Prisoners of Conscience throughout the world, but for a society that values human rights for all.

At the University of Oxford, Daniel is a Ph.D. candidate with a Masters Degree in Legal Research, in addition to a L.L.B. in Law and a Masters Degree in Development Studies from Addis Ababa University. As an attorney, Daniel's fields of expertise are in Public International Law, Human Rights Law and Law in Development.

Daniel actively participated in the Global Call to Action Against Poverty and he worked as a policy and advocate manager at ActionAid Ethiopia, the South Africa-based international development organization, where he pushed for civic engagement in Ethiopian society.

He also published papers with a focus on the freedom of expression and the application of international human rights law in his homeland of Ethiopia. Daniel's contributions and his passion for peace illustrate dedication to his belief in a peaceful and democratic change in Ethiopia.(More...)

Related stories:

-SSI: Daniel and Netsanet's case may not wrap up before the millennium
-U.N. elections consultant testifies for Daniel and Netsanet, says they "acted within law"
-Two-Month Adjournment and a Prolonged Jail Delay

Today's Top HEADLINES

-Celebrating 2000 with Mixed Emotions
-Kinijit Leaders addressing Crowed in London - Picture
-Addis Press Corps: My observations(Mengedegna)
-PM Meles's Millennium speech (ETH govt.)
-O.N.L.F Press Release
-AUDIO - Govt. Ridicules Opposition Gathering in Eritrea
-Cornell University to offer degree program at BahirDar (First in Africa)
-Ethiopia, EU, US agree on coffee trademarks
-TOP STORIES FROM LAST WEEK (The Week in Review)

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MUSLIM WORLD CELEBRATES START OF RAMADAN

Most of the world's 1.2 billion Muslims celebrated the start of Ramadan on Thursday. The beginning of Ramadan, the holiest month of the Muslim calendar, is traditionally determined by the sighting of a new crescent moon. During the month Muslims have to abstain from food, drink, smoking and sex from dawn until dusk.(More..)

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INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

-Egypt faults U.S. for inactivity on Mideast peace
-Bush to endorse limited troop cuts in Iraq
-Russian nominee PM hints at presidency
-U.S. Base Hit By Iranian-Type Rocket
-Japanese Prime Minister Abe hospitalized
-Castro Says Cuba Saved Reagan's Life

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In memory of a South African martyr

Thirty years after freedom fighter Steve Biko was beaten to death by police, his image is still instantly recognisable across South Africa. He is one of the most important figures in recent South African history and some are concerned about the commercialisation of his image. But it is undeniably one of the ways in which his legacy is kept alive.(More..)

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PICTURE OF THE DAYrepost

(In honor of the beginning of Ramadan for Ethiopian Muslims)

(The mosque of Negash is said to be the first one built in Ethiopia by the followers of Prophet Mohammed who came with the First Hijra. The photo shows a modern building on that place)

-ETN Interview with Ato Nejib Mohamed from the Ethiopian Muslim community and Abune Gebrail from the Ethiopian Orthodox church
-The first hijra: Migration to Abyssinia(International Board of Islamic Research and Resources)
-[VIDEO] The Message – first Muslims flee to Abyssinia (Scene from the 1977 movie by Director Moustapha Akkad starring Anthony Quinn)



. . .

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Wednesday , September 12, 2007 - Update

-AUDIO - CUD Delegation On US National Public Radio (NPR)
-AUDIO - Ethiopians in DC Celebrate Their Millennium

THE DANIEL BEKELE PROJECT (Join Daniel's family and friends as they call for the end of political incarceration and to a new millennium where human rights and freedom are respected in Ethiopia)

-PRESS RELEASE FROM THE AD HOC COORDINATING COMMITTEE
-CUD Delegation Meets Congressman Donald Payne - Pictures
-Ethiopia accuses Norway of AIDING TERRORISTS
-"ALLIANCE FOR THE LIBERATION OF SOMALIA" formed in Asmara
-AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: MILLENNIUM OF HUMAN RIGHTS
-EHRCO PRISONERS RELEASED WITHOUT CHARGE
-CPJ: ETHIOPIA should DISCLOSE INFO ON DETAINED JOURNALISTS
-ERITREA RULES OUT WAR WITH ETHIOPIA OVER BORDER
-CONGRESSMAN HONDA ATTENDS MILLENNIUM EVENTS (Word doc.)
-REMEMBER, REMEMBER THE 9TH OF SEPTEMBER! (A short story on the arrival of the Peoples Leaders, from a guy who was there)
-BULCHA DEMEKSA message for the MILLENNIUM
-New US Africa military command to start work next month
-US - 9/11 ATTACK VICTIMS HONORED



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Monday, September 10, 2007

JENDAYI FRAZER: "HUMANITARIAN CRISIS" IS UNFOLDING IN ETHIOPIA’S OGADEN

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also:
- Kinjit’s Delegation arrives
- Today's Top HEADLINES
- INTERNATIONAL news

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Announcement
Ethiopian Millennium Celebration in South Korea
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Financial Times - A senior US official has said for the first time that a “humanitarian crisis” is unfolding in Ethiopia’s Ogaden region, putting Washington at odds with the Addis Ababa government, which has rejected similar claims from aid organisations.

Jendayi Frazer, assistant secretary of state for African affairs, made the comment on Saturday following a trip to the region, where government forces are fighting rebels who this year stepped up a violent campaign for self-determination.

Ethiopian government forces have been accused by non-governmental organisations of human rights abuses, but Addis Ababa has rejected the charges and denied reports of shortages of food and medical supplies.

The difference of opinion with the US is significant because the two countries are normally staunch allies. They co-operate closely on anti-terrorism and Washington sees Ethiopia as a source of stability in the highly combustible Horn of Africa.

The Ogaden is gaining attention just as Ethiopia seeks to use the start of its third millennium, which dawns under the country’s calendar on Wednesday, to present a fresh image to the world. “We are trying to co-operate to solve the humanitarian crisis,” Ms Frazer told a press conference in Addis Ababa.(More...)

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KINJIT DELEGATIONS ARRIVE IN THE US AND EU

ETP - Top officials of the coalition for unity and democracy party CUDP (also former prisoners of conscience), have arrived in the US and Europe to begin their tour which aims to rejuvenate and revive the diaspora constituency of their organization.

(L to R - Dr Berhanu Nega, Brook Kebede, Gizachew Shiferraw, Bertukan Mideksa, Dr Hailu Araya)

The delegation that arrived in North America yesterday, September 9, 2007, will primarily undertake the delicate task of deciphering and resolving the crises that had enveloped dispora CUDP.

Members of kinijit’s delegation to the US are, Bertukan Mideksa (VP), Dr Berhanu Nega (mayor elect of Addis Abeba), Dr Hailu Araya (CUDP’s spokesperson), Gizachew Shiferraw (Public Relations) and Brook Kebede. The party’s chairman engineer Hailu Shawl, who experienced some difficulty acquiring a US visa, is said to be arriving later this week.

The delegation has planed a stopover at several cities in the U.S. and Canada for a meet and greet with support chapter members.

A second team of prominent members of the party’s leadership has also arrived in London yesterday for a tour of the E.U.

This team consists of ; Muluneh Eyuel(Secretary General), Yacob Haile Mariam (External Affairs), Abayneh Berhanu(council member), Kifle Tigneh and Aschalew Ketema (council member).

Kinijit is hoping that this tour will reenergize the diaspora and completely bring to an end the infighting and feud that had plagued its support organizations for well over a year.

Also see:

VOA’S REPORT ON THE DELEGATION - [AUDIO]-
VIDEO of the delegation (Kinijit) arriving in the U.S. (ETN)-
Kinijit’s Delegation arrives in the US - Pictures-
Pictures from Kinijit’s EUROPE delegation-

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Today's Top HEADLINES

-Ethiopia slams UN border commission
-STATEMENT BY ETHIOPIA'S border commission LEGAL COUNSEL
-Eritrea says Ethiopia Scuppers Border Talks
-Somali opposition vows to defeat Ethiopia within months
-Ethiopia Scales Back Millennium Celebration - [AUDIO]
-Time for parties,not poverty, in Addis Abeba
-Ethio Diaspora Begins Millennium Celebrations - [AUDIO]
-TOP STORIES FROM LAST WEEK (The Week in Review)

INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

-Algerian group uses suicide bombers
-APEC Ends With Urgent Message on Trade
-Iraq PM: We Still Need U.S. Military
-Israeli Police Arrest a Homegrown Skinhead Gang
-Iran must go beyond cooperation plan for trust: IAEA
-BRAIN FUNCTION OF LIBERALS, CONSERVATIVES DIFFERS
-MTV Awards flourish despite Britney bomb

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Pakistan Deports Musharraf's Opponent Nawaz Sharif

Former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif has been sent back to exile in Saudi Arabia only hours after returning to his homeland. A Pakistan International Airlines plane carrying Mr Sharif left Islamabad airport only hours after he was detained in the confines of the VIP terminal.(More..)

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. . .

Friday, September 07, 2007

The Week in Review

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Also:
- Weekend News and Updates

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TOP STORIES FROM THE PAST WEEK



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OFFICIAL: ETHIOPIA DETAINED 4 AMERICAN SOLDIERS IN MAY

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day



Also:
- Today's Top HEADLINES
- INTERNATIONAL news
- Picture of the Day - (millennium edition featuring Faces of Ethiopia)

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[VIDEO] - THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY IN ETHIOPIA: A TALK BY DR. BERHANU NEGA (PART 1, 2 and 3)

[AUDIO] - INTERVIEW OF DR. BERHANU NEGA WITH LEONARD LOPATE - WNYC

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PRESS RELEASE - The Citizens Charter Group is pleased to release the millennium edition of the "Citizens Charter for a Democratic Ethiopia". An Amharic translation is provided for the first time, and translations in other major Ethiopian languages shall follow soon. [CLICK HERE TO READ]

INTERVIEW: The CITIZENS’CHARTER GROUP is not affiliated with any political party and is comprised of Ethiopians from a variety of ethnic backgrounds [Interview Part 1] - [Interview Part 2]

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By ANITA POWELL

(AP) September 7, 2007 - Ethiopia briefly detained what it said were four American soldiers trying to contact a rebel group that has been fighting for greater autonomy for eastern Ethiopia, Ethiopian officials said Friday.

Bereket Simon, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, declined to say when the soldiers were detained or give any further details. Asked about the U.S. soldiers, he told The Associated Press: "Four soldiers, or some soldiers, were detained. They were trying to contact the ONLF (the Ogaden National Liberation Front). That was not permitted." An official at the U.S. Embassy could not immediately comment on the issue.

In an interview published in this week's edition of Time magazine, Meles said Ethiopia had no proof the American soldiers made contact with the rebels but they could have been "moving in that direction."

"As far as we know, these personalities did not have official sanction to do that what they were doing. They were violating their own code of conduct," the premier told Time in an interview conducted last month.

An official familiar with the case said that the soldiers were detained in May in the eastern region of Somali State, as the Ogaden is known. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said they were immediately released and their Ethiopian-American interpreter released in August. At the time, the U.S. soldiers' detention was not made public.

Today's Top HEADLINES

-Migrants' horror stories offer glimpse of Ogaden repression
-Somali opposition to discuss military strategy against Ethiopia
-[AUDIO] - Govt. Detains Opposition Oromo Ethiopians
-Millennium celebrations fall flat for some Ethiopians
-U.S. Donates for Restoration of 130 Year Old House in Addis
-Ethiopia: Horn of Dilemma (Time)
-Somali PM to meet Islamist financier in Djibouti
-TOP STORIES FROM LAST WEEK (The Week in Review)

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Interview: Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi

"We are supposed to have burned villages. I can tell you, not a single village, and as far as I know not a single hut has been burned. We have been accused of dislocating thousands of people from their villages and keeping them in camps. Nobody has come up with a shred of evidence. Nobody."(More...)

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INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

-Moroccans vote for new parliament
-BURMA junta blames Diaspora for unrest
-Tension rises after Syria opens fire on Israeli planes
-Al-Qaida Prepares to Release New Bin Laden Video
-Bush, South Korean president have testy exchange
-Tutu praises 'unifying' barbecues

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Darfur peace talks set for Oct. 27 in Libya

Sudan's government and rebel groups will start talks on October 27 in Libya to push for peace in violence-torn Darfur before 26,000 peacekeepers deploy there, the United Nations and Khartoum announced on Thursday. The choice of Libya as a venue came as a surprise as Tanzania had been seen as most likely to host the talks.(More..)

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PICTURE OF THE DAY - FACES OF ETHIOPIAMillennium edition

(Omo Valley, Ethiopia - Mursi girl)

The Mursi are a nomadic cattle herder ethnic group located in the Debub Omo Zone in Ethiopia, close to the Sudanese border. The estimated population of the Mursi is 6-10,000. Surrounded by mountains between the Omo River and its tributary the Mago, the home of the Mursi is one of the most isolated regions of the country. Their neighbors include the Aari, the Banna, the Bodi, the Kara, the Kwegu, the Nyangatom and the Surma.

For more beautiful pictures of the Mursi- Click here




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Thursday, September 06, 2007

Somali opposition leaders unite against Ethiopia

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day



Also:
- Today's Top HEADLINES
- INTERNATIONAL news
- Picture of the Day - (millennium edition featuring Faces of Ethiopia)

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PRESS RELEASE

The Citizens Charter Group is pleased to release the millennium edition of the "Citizens Charter for a Democratic Ethiopia". An Amharic translation is provided for the first time, and translations in other major Ethiopian languages shall follow soon.

[CLICK HERE TO READ]
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ASMARA, Sept 6, 2007 - Somali opposition figures, including top Islamist leaders, opened a 10-day congress in Eritrea Thursday with a call for a swift withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from their war-torn country.

Some 400 delegates gathered in the Eritrean capital for the meeting, which came exactly a week after the close of a clan reconciliation conference sponsored by the interim government and the international community in Mogadishu.

(Picture - Militant Somali Islamist leader Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys (C) attends opening of a meeting of Somali opposition figures in Asmara September 6, 2007)


[CLICK HERE FOR AUDIO REPORT]

Sheikh Hassan Aweys, the overall leader of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) that briefly controlled large swathes of Somalia before being ousted earlier this year by Ethiopian-backed government forces, was present at the gathering.

The Islamist movement's other top leader, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, urged Ethiopia to pull its troops out of Somalia and criticised its US ally in his opening speech. "We hold this conference to establish a political organisation that liberates the country and ends the violence and chaotic situation," he said.

"We call upon Ethiopia to unconditionally withdraw its troops from Somalia and stop its imperialistic adventure on our territory," the senior ICU leader added.(More...)

Today's Top HEADLINES

-U.N. team RETURNS from troubled OGADEN
-AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL URGENT ACTION ALERT - ETHIOPIA
-Ethiopian opposition leader takes fight abroad
-BULCHA DEMEKSA: 107 DETAINED IN THE PAST 2 MONTHS
-Ethiopia's Distinctive Religious Heritage (Donald N. Levine)
-TOP STORIES FROM LAST WEEK (The Week in Review)

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Dr. Yacob donates money to heart disease patients

Dr. Yacob H/mariam donated 4000 birr to heart disease patients in Ethiopia by selling gifts he received from supporters and friends after his release from prison.(More...)

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INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

-Fears as DR Congo fighting flares
-France to Host U.N. Africa Summit
-German police hunt for terror plot 'back-up team'
-Syria says Israeli jets bomb territory
-Bush Meets with China's President in Australia
-Republican Fred Thompson joins presidential race
-Luciano Pavarotti dead at 71

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Nigeria reach Under-17 World Cup final

Nigeria will meet Spain in the final of the U-17 World Cup after the West Africans team beat Germany 3-1 in Thursday's semi-final. Striker Macaulay Christanus took his tournament tally to seven goal when he opened the scoring for Nigeria in the 10th minute.(More..)

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PICTURE OF THE DAY - FACES OF ETHIOPIAMillennium edition

(Turmi, Ethiopia - Hamer man)

(The Hammere are a tribal people in southwestern Ethiopia. They live in a fertile part of the Omo River valley. They are largely pastoralists, so their culture places a high value on cattle. According to the CSA census of 1994, there were 42,838 Hammer language speakers, and 42,448 self-identified Hammer people of a total population of about 53 million, representing approximately 0.1% of the population.)


For more beautiful pictures of the Hamer- Click here




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