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≫

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≫

Ethiopians chanted "ቡርቱካን ማንዴላ ልደቱ ሌባ " at Great Ethiopian Run

EthiopiaZare.com, a leading independent media based in Ethiopia, reports that several athletes participating in the 9th Great Ethiopian Run chanted slogans against Hailu Sahwel and Lidetu Ayalew and demanded the immediate release of Ethiopian political prisoner Birtukan Mideksa. Ethiopia Zare reports that many were heard chanting "ቡርቱካን ማንዴላ ልደቱ ሌባ " (Birtukan Mandela:Lidetu Thief)

Concern Over Aid To Ethiopia

The United States is committed to helping people in need all over the world, and it takes this mission very seriously. With billions of dollars spent on humanitarian, economic and other forms of assistance every year, the U.S. wants to be sure that the aid is properly and effectively distributed. So it is that U.S. officials are concerned about recent reports that the Ethiopian government may be politicizing humanitarian assistance ahead of next year's national elections.

Amid wide-spread food shortages caused by a long-running drought across much of East Africa, Ethiopia receives considerable aid from the U.S. and other nations. It is estimated that more than 6 million of the country's 80 million people rely on aid to survive, with another 7 million relying heavily on on the Productive Safety Net Program, a food-for-work program administered by the government and supported by foreign assistance. Read Full Story≫

Ethiopian government starves citizens

Pan-African Coalition Condemns Junta Induced Starvation in Ethiopia

Houston, Texas (October 24, 2009) – On this World Food Week, we condemn the Mass starvation taking place in Ethiopia, primarily due to the Communist led economic and political policy of the regime for the last 20 years. Many observers believe that 23 million people, or nearly more than one in four Ethiopians is in need of food aid, but the Ethiopian dictator denies the existence of such famine.

The regime’s economic and especially agricultural policies have been counterproductive, as excessive state control from land to small business has become a road block to economic development, and put millions of people at risk unless international agencies come to their rescue.

It is heartbreaking and unforgivable to see the agony of Ethiopian children and their helpless and starving parents. Despite the recent hype about the economy by the regime, the food situation is worse than during 1984 famine (Watch video).

What is surprising is, just last week; President Girma Woldeselassie gave an account of a robust GDP growth of 10.1%, one of the highest in the world and dismissed the presence of famine. The current famine is an indictment of a failed economic policy of the regime. Like Marie Antoinette of France, Meles has a problem admitting famine exists in Ethiopia.

The stark and intolerable starvation lies directly and squarely on the laps of Meles and his party, TPLF, which has ruled Ethiopia for nearly two decades with an iron hand by controlling every resource including land, telephone, Internet and every aspect of life in this rich but forsaken country. Yes, forsaken by its own leaders for thousands of years. Ethiopians have been deprived of their land and their political rights by various succeeding rulers. Of course, this regime pales to any other in its cruelty in denying basic human rights and stupidity in management of resources or basic knowledge of economics.

It has been obvious for the majority of Ethiopians that the current regime has been a disaster for the country economically and politically, but the U.S. government keeps this regime afloat out of the believe that it is a stabilizing force for the region despite its corrupt, anti-free market and oppressive system.

In order to stay in power the regime has done uncalculated damage through its Machiavellian gerrymandering of Ethiopia by tribes, putting at risk the unity of the country, long term peace and co-existence of the people. The creation of the clan system has irreparably planted the seed for Ethiopia’s disintegration and has already caused numerous ethnic clashes by pitting one tribe against another. Consequently, it has created a fertile foundation for future genocide.

Some American representatives have been beneficiaries of the government’s largess either through lobbyists, direct funneling of funds to their foundation or direct gifts thus forsaking the people of Ethiopia and their solemn duty to defend human rights, free market and democracy.

In order to end this unprecedented pain and agony of perpetual famine of the Ethiopian people, we demand an unconditional and immediate resignation of this illegal and dictatorial regime which is directly responsible for the current episode and cessation of all non-humanitarian aid until a transitional government is constituted to lead Ethiopia to a democratic and free market economy.

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Contact: Dula Abdu, Media Relations

dula06@gmail.com, (713) 446-5222 (713) 446-5222

Guna, Owned by Ethiopian Ruling Party, Eyes Coffee-Export Share

By Jason McLure

Oct. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Guna Trading House Plc, owned by Ethiopia’s ruling party, said it plans to become one of the nation’s biggest coffee exporters, raising concern among industry observers that private industry may get crowded out.

The company began shipping the beans in July and aims to export at least 12,000 metric tons of coffee in the year through June, Mulualem Berhane, general manager of Guna, said in an interview on Oct. 22 in the capital, Addis Ababa.

“We are intending to export to Europe, the U.S. and China,” he said, adding that Guna is among at least four other companies owned by the state or Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s ruling party intend to expand in the industry.

Ethiopia, where arabica coffee originated, is Africa’s biggest producer of the crop, which accounts for 26 percent of the nation’s export revenue. The Horn of Africa country shipped 133,993 tons of beans worth $375.8 million last year, according to Trade Ministry data. More ≫

A country you can never stop worrying about

Last Updated: Friday, October 9, 2009 | 11:06 AM ET
By Brian Stewart, special to CBC News
Ethiopia is one country that I can never stop worrying about. Nor can the world.

Each time that I have gone back over the past 25 years I am encouraged to see so much has changed since the great famine of 1984-85 that shocked the world and so moved us Canadians. Yet there is also much here that is alarmingly similar.

This time old friends — survivors of that earlier tragedy — are proud to show me the signs of progress in the northern province of Tigray, the very epicentre of a famine that killed over a million people.

In the countryside, small catchment dams have been built to trap rainwater and reforestation projects are underway; in the small provincial capital of Mekele, they can now show off a modern university, busy markets and a vibrant youth culture.

A boy eats raw chickpeas from the family plot in Ethiopia's drought-stricken Oromiya region in January 2009. (Ho New/Reuters) Still, for all these encouraging signs I know there remain two constants here.

First, Ethiopia cannot yet feed itself without help from the rest of the world; and second, the unpredictability of this help means the threat of severe food crisis, even famine, is never far away. More ≫

Author Defends ICG Report from Meles Zenawi's Attacks

By Tizita Belachew
Washington, D.C.
17/09/2009


Daniela Kroslak replied to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's recent dismissal of the International Conflict Group's "Ethiopia: Ethnic Federalism and Its Discontents," by pointing out that he thought it was important enough to read it.

In a press conference last week, the prime minister cited an Ethiopian proverb that suggested the report was not worthy of his time. In the press conference for Ethiopia's Amharic media, Meles questioned the motives of the funders of ICG and said the report, which was written by ICG's Nairobi office staff, was biased because it was written by an Eritrean.

Kroslak told VOA's Tizita Belachew for the Amharic service's Democracy feature that the Eritrean left the staff a year ago and was not an author of the report. She denied the Eritrean had any involvement in the report and said the organizations who fund ICG's work are listed on the ICG web site. Read Full Story≫

Ethiopia PM: ethnic violence claim is contemptible

* Meles says think-tank meddles in developing world

* Says opposition trying to discredit 2010 elections
By Barry Malone

ADDIS ABABA, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Ethiopia's prime minister has denounced a think-tank report that warned his country could descend into ethnic violence ahead of its first national election since a 2005 poll triggered deadly street clashes.

In a study last week, the International Crisis Group (ICG) said there was a risk of conflict ahead of the ballot scheduled for May 2010 because of rising ethnic tensions and dissent.

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi rejected that.

"Some people have too many billions of dollars to spend and they feel that dictating how developing countries manage their affairs is their God-given right," he said late on Wednesday.

"We have only contempt for the ICG."

The Horn of Africa nation's last elections four years ago were touted as its first truly democratic polls. But they ended in protests and bloodshed after the government declared victory and the opposition accused it of rigging the result.

Police and soldiers killed about 200 people who had taken to the streets to demonstrate. At the time, Meles accused the protesters of trying to topple his

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Ethiopia's ruling party tells Meles to stay on

09 Sep 2009 16:22:34 GMT
Source: Reuters
* PM told by party he can go after five years

* Opposition say Meles resignation request a sham

By Barry Malone

ADDIS ABABA, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Ethiopia's ruling party wants Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to remain its leader for another five years, making it likely the former rebel will run the Horn of Africa nation for some time to come.

"We have made a decision about all our frontline leaders, not just Prime Minister Meles Zenawi," Muktar Kedir, chief of headquarters for the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), told Reuters on Wednesday.

"They will all resign within five years. We will consider his request again then," he said after the EPRDF's annual congress this week.

Speculation has surrounded Meles' intentions since he began talking about resigning in 2008. But Meles has always insisted he needed permission from his party to step aside. More ≫

International Crisis Group Warns of Potential for 'Violent Eruption' in Ethiopia

By Peter Heinlein
Addis Ababa
07 September 2009

A new International Crisis Group report says Ethiopia is becoming an authoritarian one-party state, and warns that government policies there could lead to a violent eruption ahead of next year's elections. The report also faults the international community for downplaying Ethiopia's weak democracy.

The 40-page report by the International Crisis Group says that despite its democratic rhetoric, the government of Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi is unwilling to give up power. Moreover, it says the government's cornerstone policy, known as "ethnic federalism," has heightened tensions and sparked growing discontent in Ethiopia, with potentially explosive consequences
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Ethiopian flag flies high at San Jose City Hall

Ethiopian Americans Council (EAC) | September 3, 2009

SAN JOSE - Pride will light up the face of every Ethiopian and Ethiopian American who comes to celebrate the fifth annual Ethiopian flag raising ceremony on September 8 in San Jose. The event will begin at 12:00 noon at the San Jose City Hall.
The event aims not only at celebrating Ethiopian New Year but also at stirring the patriotism within the hearts of Ethiopians, so they may never forget their roots, even when they are far away from their motherland.

Please join the San Jose City Mayor, Vice Mayor, City Council members at the unprecedented flag raising ceremony where the Ethiopia flag will fly over the new San Jose City Hall.

This special civic ceremony is an excellent exercise of patriotism and keeps tradition and respect for the homeland alive in the soul of every Ethiopian. So invite friends and family, dress in the green yellow and red of Ethiopia and come celebrate with us!

San Jose is the first city in the entire United States of America officially hosting the Ethiopian flag.


When: Tuesday Sep. 8th 2009
Time: 12:00 (Noon)
Place: 200 E Santa Clara Street Next to front water feature by the poles.

We look forward to seeing you at the event!

CONTACT

Ethiopian Americans Council (EAC)
P.O. Box 28597 San Jose, Ca 95159
e-mail: ethioamericans@gmail.com
www.eacouncil.org

EPRDF Membership Required for Ethiopia Gov’t Employment

daily monitor - Ayenew Haileselassie

________________________

Is Ethiopia Writing Its Own Obituary?
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Now nearly every university student applies for membership, because the card is at least as important as the diploma and degree.
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One brazen new member attached a copy of his membership ID (dubbed ‘green card’ by the new members) with his CV when he applied for a job- it might have been a coincidence, but he got the job.
________________________

“They (EPRDF) could rule for any length of time,……..finally the outcome is disastrous. Look at what happened to Congo and Somalia when Mobutu and Ziad Barre went out of office.”
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[Addis Ababa] — Into a dreary and cold small Southern village in Kembata a young man was posted as a teacher in a local government school. Those were the dark days of fear under a Marxist military government. Everybody received the party newspaper, Serto Ader, and pretended that they loved it.
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The two sides of Meles Zenawi

Aug 13th 2009 | ADDIS ABABA
From The Economist print edition

A long-lasting leader faces growing problems at home and abroad

HE HAS run Ethiopia as prime minister since 1991, but Meles Zenawi, still only 54, has two faces. One belongs to a leader battling poverty. In this mode he is praised by Western governments, with Britain to the fore, for improving the miserable conditions in the countryside, where 85% of Ethiopia’s 80m-plus people live. Mr Meles takes credit for building new roads, clinics and primary schools, and for an array of agricultural initiatives. He also wins plaudits for his country’s low crime rate and for keeping its parliamentarians more or less on the straight and narrow, especially in terms of wealth. They get paid only about $3,240 a year compared with the $120,000 earned by Kenya’s fat-cat MPs. Moreover, in the past few years Ethiopia’s economy has grown fast. Mr Meles says it will grow this year by 10%, though the IMF’s figure is about half as big.
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U.S. Policy Shift Needed in the Horn of Africa

Author: Bronwyn E. Bruton, International Affairs Fellow in Residence
August 6, 2009


U.S. strategic interests in the Horn of Africa center on preventing Somalia from becoming a safe haven for al-Qaeda or other transnational jihadist groups. In pursuing its counterterror strategy, the United States has found common cause with Ethiopia. The Ethiopian government has long feared the renewal of Somali irredentist claims on its eastern border, or that a powerful Islamist movement may stoke unrest among its own large Muslim population, and feels beset both by a powerful indigenous separatist movement in its Ogaden region and an unresolved border dispute with its northern neighbor, Eritrea.

But the Ethiopian government's behavior in recent years, both domestically and in bordering states, poses mounting difficulties for the United States and its long-term goals in the region. Washington must be prepared to press its partner to alter its strong-handed approach to political dissent and counterterrorism or consider ending the relationship. More ≫

Heads Up Diaspora, The New Terrorism Law Is Dangerous For You Too - Joe Michael

According to the new law, even a peaceful citizen who doesn’t report a terror activity, whether he/she was aware of it or not, historically terror in Ethiopia could be peacefully assembling to criticize the government, could face a serious penalty. A journalist that interview, publish, meet, etc. with someone who is doomed by the government as a terrorist, again keep in mind that the government has been dooming his critics as terrorists, will be punished with rigorous imprisonment of 10 to 20 years.

It is to be recalled that in the aftermath of the 2005 election, special military squad killed close to 200 innocent civilians using U.S. made humvees that was given to Ethiopia by the Bush administration for a purpose of fighting terrorism. The regime also doomed all main opposition leaders as terrorists and imprisoned them for two years. Their crime was basically winning the election.

The new terrorism law also requires Ethiopians to report all foreign nationals in their homes, including Ethiopian born foreign nationals who would go back home to visit their families. This simply means that families must report their loved ones when they return home, or they will face serious punishments, perceptibly if they are pro-oppositions.

Even though terrorism was misinterpreted and misused in Ethiopia long before the new law, it is now going way out of hand. Like one opposition member said, the new terror law it self terrorizes Ethiopians in that it gives infinite power to the government to make 80 million Ethiopians terrorists any time it wants to. The only terror act that is not punishable by the new law is having a dream about terrorists (oppositions), which no one yet would dare to tell it.

What is terror anyway? Who are real terrorists in Ethiopia? Aren’t the terrorists those who are killing innocent, unarmed civilians? Aren’t terrorists those who kept opposition leaders and their supporters in jail without due process? Aren’t the terrorists those who cruelly shot and killed hundreds of civilians, women, and kids
in 2005?

Well, heads up Diaspora, next time you want to go back to Ethiopia, you should know that you are not only taking dollars to your family, you are placing them in trouble too. Get registered, or your family will be doomed as terrorists.

Ethiopia suspends 42 NGOs as hunger worsens

ADDIS ABABA

Ethiopian authorities have suspended the operations of 42 non-governmental organisations allegedly involved in activities that are "out of their mandate” in the Southern region of the country.

Ethiopia's Southern regional state justice office chief Mr Yilma Meresa told this writer that those NGOs were out to interrupt the peace and development of the region.

Mr Yilma refused to disclose the name of the suspended organisations. However, he hinted that most of them were local NGOs.

The Nation has learnt that international humanitarian organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and two local gender rights organisations are among the suspended NGOs.

The Ethiopian government moved to revoke the licence of the NGOs following accusation of their alleged involvement in reporting human right abuses in the rural areas.

Ethiopian government publicly accused some NGOs of supplying “inaccurate” information to the United States' State Department, which was published in March 2009.

Food aid

Meanwhile, United Nations humanitarian office in Ethiopia has warned that the number of people who need food aid in Ethiopia will increase to 6.2 million unless more food aid can be secured.

The recent number of people requiring food aid has been 4.9 million and now the country needs additional 390,000 metric tonnes of emergency food aid for the coming three months.

Ethiopia leads the region by registering an average 10 per cent annual economic growth, has been avowed to end hunger but has achieved less success.

Landlocked Ethiopia is also facing port congestion at port Djibouti which delays the flow of food aid to the country.

Recently, World Food Program (WFP) urged Ethiopian authorities to prioritise the transport of food aid rather than agricultural fertilizer, which is equally important for the second most populous African nation at 85.2 million (UN, 2008).

According to WFP, Ethiopia government agreed to prioritise transporting food aid and allocate more berths for ships to offload available food aid at port Djibouti.

Obama declares to Africa: End tyranny, corruption

- By MARK S. SMITH(AP)

ACCRA, Ghana – America's president and Africa's son, Barack Obama dashed with pride onto the continent of his ancestors Saturday, challenging its people to shed corruption and conflict in favor of peace. Campaigning to all of Africa, he said "Yes you can."

"I say this knowing full well the tragic past that has sometimes haunted this part of the world," Obama told a riveted Ghanaian Parliament. "I have the blood of Africa within me."
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Ethiopia adopts strict anti-terrorism bill

ADDIS ABABA (AFP) – Ethiopia's parliament on Tuesday adopted a new anti-terrorism bill despite criticism by rights groups that the legislation violates civil liberties.

The law, proposed last year after a string of bomb attacks in the capital, comprises 38 sections and paves the way for arrests and searches without court warrants.

The legislation championed by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi was voted for by 286 lawmakers in Ethiopia's 547-seat parliament, 91 against and one abstention, an AFP correspondent reported.

Ethiopia: Amend Draft Terror Law

Source: Human Rights Watch

(Nairobi) - Ethiopia's draft counterterrorism law could punish political speech and
peaceful protest as terrorist acts and encourage unfair trials if enacted, Human Rights Watch said today. The government and members of parliament should amend the draft law, which may otherwise be imminently passed as-is by parliament, to meet international human rights standards, Human Rights Watch said.
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