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Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Making exceptions for Ethiopia

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...)

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Ethiopia - GOSSIP

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

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...)

Monday, January 28, 2008

Ethiopia: speaking truth to power

"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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Friday, January 25, 2008

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Ethiopia: JPMorgan Chase urged to reject loan for dam

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...)

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

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

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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Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Thursday, January 03, 2008

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.

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

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

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)