Monday, December 28, 2009

Birtukan, Invictus! (Unconquered) - A Tribute - Alemayehu G. Mariam


Birtukan Midekssa condemned to life in prison by a vengeful dictator, but unconquered.

Birtukan thrown into the dungeon of wrath and tears, but defiant.
Birtukan beaten, bludgeoned and bloodied, but unbowed.
Birtukan mocked, ridiculed and disrespected, but gracious.
Birtukan denounced, vilified, strong-armed and manhandled, but unfazed.
Ethiopia under the crushing boots of soldiers of fortune.
Birtukan, Invictus!
Ethiopia, Invictus! Read Full Story≫

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Is food a political weapon in Ethiopia?


Accusations about food aid are very emotive. Especially when they are made in Ethiopia — a country that saw more than 1 million of its people starve to death in the 1984 famine.


So everyone is tiptoeing carefully around recent allegations that food is being kept from the opposition.

A coalition of eight opposition parties called Medrek, or the Forum, accuses some officials of only allowing ruling party members to benefit from a long running food-for-work programme for more than seven million Read Full Story≫