Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
Released by the Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
March 11, 2008
Human rights abuses reported during the year included: limitation on citizens’ right to change their government during the …
Evaluating U.S. Policy Objectives and Options on the Horn of Africa
Testimony Before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
Subcommittee on African Affairs
March 11, 2008
Theresa Whelan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs
Office of the …
Centering Human Rights in U.S. Policy on Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea
Subcommittee on African Affairs, Committee on Foreign Relations
United States Senate
Testimony by Lynn Fredriksson, Advocacy Director for Africa, Amnesty International USA
March 11, 2008
I would like to …
Evaluating U.S. Policy Objectives and Options on the Horn of Africa
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
Subcommittee on African Affairs
March 11, 2008
Testimony by David H. Shinn
Adjunct Professor, Elliott School of International Affairs
George Washington University
I thank …
(CNN) — Sen. Barack Obama will win Mississippi’s Democratic primary, CNN projects. Obama will also finish first in the Texas Democratic caucuses, which were held last week. He will get more delegates out of the state than rival Sen. Hillary …
EFJA’s Anniversary Message
While almost all of its heroic journalists living currently in exile in the four-corners of the globe, the Ethiopian Free Press Journalists Association (EFJA) is again obliged to mark its anniversary in the wilderness!
EFJA is today …
(APA) Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – One hundred of the 500 city service buses which Ethiopia has purchased from China at an estimated 20 million dollars, have begun arriving in the country, APA observed here on Wednesday.
The buses are intended …
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
The White House
President George W. Bush today announced his intention to nominate three individuals and appoint two individuals to serve in his Administration.
The President intends to nominate Mimi Alemayehou, of …
Human Rights Watch
Press release
(New York, March 11, 2008) – The UN Security Council should strongly condemn serious abuses of civilians in Somalia and establish a commission of inquiry to identify individuals responsible for these crimes, Human Rights Watch …
MOGADISHU (AFP) — Stray bullets and molestors are only some of the dangers 11-year-old Abdi Mohamed Abdusamad faces when he chooses a place to sleep in the streets of Mogadishu.
War and poverty have thrown thousands of children into the …
By Abdullahi Dahir Moge
“I have no intention of jeopardising WFP’s good relations with the government of Ethiopia,” Ms Ingeborg told Abshir. She threw her hands wildly, in frustration. Then, she switched on the intercom in front of her. Gazing …
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – Nearly 9 million people in Ethiopia’s pastoral regions will need food aid this year despite a projected bumper harvest for 2007/08, a U.S.-funded research group said on Tuesday.
“About eight million chronically food insecure people and …
Interview with Kinijit members of parliament Ato Assefa Hailu and Ato Amaha Aba Mecha who are currently in Asmara after escaping persecution by the Woyanne regime in Ethiopia (Part 5).
…
Open Letter to Ethiopians: Concerning the discouragement that has taken such a huge toll on our movement for freedom, justice and equality.
By Obang Metho
Dear Fellow Ethiopian,
I am writing this letter to you to address the problem of …
Official sees September unveiling after wrinkles ironed out
(ANSA) – Addis Ababa – A holy monument returned to Ethiopia after years of foot-dragging is to be re-erected later this year after the final technical wrinkles are ironed out, …
Official sees September unveiling after wrinkles ironed out
(ANSA) – Addis Ababa – A holy monument returned to Ethiopia after years of foot-dragging is to be re-erected later this year after the final technical wrinkles are ironed out, …
For the Woyanne tribal thugs, it seems every solution comes from the barrel of the gun. If they want to bring down the price of commodities, they go out and arrest vendors. The irony here is that most business activities …
ADDIS ABABA, March 10 (Reuters) – Ethiopia plans to build a railway network spanning 5,000 km (3,107 miles) to connect different parts of the vast Horn of Africa nation as it develops its energy and mineral resources, a minister said …
EL-ARISH, Egypt (AP) – Egyptian authorities shot and killed a Sudanese man trying to cross into Israel for work and detained eight other Africans early Monday, a security and hospital officials said.
Border guards opened fire at a group of …
(Garowe Online) – Five dead bodies were discovered and buried Sunday in the Somali capital after Ethiopian troops vacated 30th Avenue, a major thoroughfare that runs adjacent to Mogadishu’s main Bakara market.
The Ethiopian [Woyanne] army contingent had been stationed …
(AP) VALENCIA, Spain — World-record holder Haile Gebrselassie is almost certain to miss the marathon at the Beijing Olympics because of the city’s poor air quality.
The Ethiopian long-distance star has asthma and he fears damage to his health running …
BAIDOA, Somalia (Garowe Online) – The commander of the Somali army’s 17th Brigade said he quit and left the town of Dinsor Monday, citing lack of resources and the presence of a formidable enemy in the region.
Col. Osman Ahmed …
COMMENTARY
By Teddy Fikre
As an Ethiopian, and a person of the African Diaspora in general, it saddens me to see my people–our people–keep routing for our individual differences instead of coming together for our collective enrichment. I don’t know …
By Donald Levine
Whatever else Barack Obama’s presidential campaign signifies, it represents a concerted effort to transcend partisan animosities for the sake of solving problems–both domestic problems like unemployment, housing, education, healthcare, infrastructure, and environment, and a foreign policy that …
By Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
Ethiopian Tariku Bekele won the title in the men’s 3,000-meter race on Sunday at the 12th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics in Valencia, Spain.
It shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone that …
Ethio Kinijit Switzerland Forum interviews Ato Bedru Adem today starting at 2:00 PM. It can be heard live at Ethiopian Broadcasting Network.…
The supreme council of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (Kinijit) chose a new name today: “Unity for Justice and Democracy” (አንድነት ለለፍትህና ዴሞክራሲ).
Kinijit was forced to take this action today after the Woyanne-controlled Electoral Board of Ethiopia …
Senate African Affairs Subcommittee Schedules Hearing on U.S. Policy Options on the Horn of Africa
Dirksen Senate Office Building – SD 419
Tuesday, March 11 at 10:15 a.m.
COALTION FOR H.R. 2003 URGES ALL ETHIOPIANS IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C. METRO …
By MEAD GRUVER
CASPER, Wyo. (AP) – Sen. Barack Obama captured the Wyoming Democratic caucuses Saturday, seizing a bit of momentum in the close, hard-fought race with rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for the party’s presidential nomination.
Obama generally has …
First Lieutenant Abraha’s ‘Decisive’ Measures
By Abdullahi Dahir Moge
First Lieutenant Abraha, the commander of the army in Ogaden, was in no mood for mercy or compromise. If they had to celebrate their ‘silly Eid’ of the end of Ramadan, …
In a 23-page article, Kinijit strategist Andargachew Tsige discusses whether it is possible to wage peaceful struggle in Ethiopia under the current dark political climate created by WoyanneClick here to read.…
The Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (Kinijit) will change its name tomorrow to meet the requirement imposed on it by the Woyanne-controlled Electoral Board of Ethiopia. The Kinijit leadership will travel to Gonder and other cities starting next week …
Kinijit North America will host a press conference with Kinijit executives Dr. Yakob HaileMariam and Ato Seleshi Tena from Ethiopia on Saturday, March 8 at 2:00 PM EST.
The interview will be aired live via Ethiopian Review Broadcasting Network…
የመስራች አባላት የፊርማ ማሰባሰቢያ ቅጽ ሰነድ እንዲሰጣቸው ምርጫ ቦርድን ቢጠይቁም የምርጫ ቦርድ አዋጁ ከሚያዘው በተለየ መንገድ በቅድሚያ ስያሜውን ይዘው እንዲቀርቡ የታዘዙት የቅንጅት ስራ አስፈጻሚ አባላት በነገው እለት በመሰባሰብ አዲሱን ስያሜ እንደሚወስኑ አንድ የአመራር አባል ለዜና አገልግሎቱ ገለጹ፡፡ ብዙዎች አመራሩ ፈቃዱን …
There are two ways to be rich or super rich in Ethiopia: 1) Be a member of the Tigrean People Liberation Front (Woyanne); or 2) Be a Woyanne butt-kisser. There is no other way. The photos below show how one …
Why don’t the ambassadors also talk about the tens of thousands of political prisoners still in jail?
Addis Ababa (ENA) – Ambassadors to Ethiopia of five countries have commended the Ethiopian government’s Woyanne’s measures to have pardoned 18,000 …
Because Barack Obama failed to dispatch Hillary Clinton Tuesday, some in the traditional media are flipping out with talk about how this throws the nomination up in the air, how things are different, “Democrats in disarray” and plenty of other …
Hopefully, this will not make Obama supporters complacent.
Hillary’s New Math Problem: Tuesday’s big wins? The delegate calculus just got worse.
By Jonathan Alter
Newsweek Web Exclusive
Hillary Clinton won big victories Tuesday night in Ohio, Texas and Rhode Island. …
Hailu Shawel and his stooge, Donkoro Taye, once again have embarrassd themselves and disgraced the Ethiopian people’s struggle for democracy on the Washington DC-based WAMU Radio’s Koji Nnamdi show yesterday. It would have been a total disaster had it not …
(Sapa) Johannesburg, South Africa — Zimbabwe has invited 47 regional and sub-regional organisations as well as countries from Africa, Asia, the Americas and one European country — Russia — to observe this month’s election, the government mouthpiece Herald …
(AP) – A judge in Luzerne Country, Pennsylvania, has issued what is believed to be the first sentence in Pennsylvania for possession of khat, a drug commonly used in parts of Africa and the Middle East.
Judge Chester Muroski gave …
(Press TV) – Heavy clashes between Ethiopian Woyanne forces and insurgents in central Somalia have left at least 14 soldiers dead and many others wounded.
The soldiers were killed late on Thursday as anti-Ethiopian anti-Woyanne insurgents raided newly …
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) – A court on Friday ruled a British teacher need serve no time following her conviction for defamation stemming from comments she made in exposing pedophiles at a children’s charity in Ethiopia.
Swiss charity Terre Des …
By KRISTIN DIZON
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Until I stepped into Habesha Ethiopian Restaurant, there was a concept in Seattle dining I hadn’t come across before: an all-you-can-eat Ethiopian buffet. Brilliant! I can only hope the idea will be replicated by others.…
Africa Hard Hit by Health Worker Gap
By KATY POWNALL
(AP) KAMPALA, Uganda – Every week, Charity Kiconco drives hundreds of miles down some of the world’s worst roads on a motorbike, bringing drugs and counseling to hundreds of AIDS …
New York, March 6, 2008—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the recent arrest and two-week imprisonment of three journalists from Muslim-oriented newspapers on criminal defamation charges in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Editor Ezedin Mohamed and Publisher Maria Kadim of Al Kidus …
By Corydon Ireland, Harvard News Office
It’s not easy to be a musician in most of the Third World, said legendary Ethiopian composer and musician Mulatu Astatke, who is a 2007-08 Radcliffe Fellow. Music is not typically taught in elementary …
By Alisha Ryu, VOA
Residents in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, say the city is on the brink of starvation and economic collapse, following what they describe as a massive looting spree of the city’s main Bakara market by government forces …
(ynetnews) – The Immigrant Absorption Ministry and the Ethiopian National Project have launched a joint project aimed at fighting domestic violence and enhancing the Ethiopian community’s standing in Israeli society.
The project was introduced by the ministry and …
By Teddy Fikre
In large numbers, Ethiopians from Virginia, Maryland, and D.C. united to support Barack Obama for President on March 4th. Overall, Ethiopian-Americans and Americans from DC and beyond—including German visitors who are inspired by Obama’s message of change—gathered …
The chief editor of the newly launched Awramba newspaper, Ato Dawit Kebede, was taken to the 6th police station by Woyanne gunmen in Addis Ababa this morning.
Ato Dawit was recently released from jail along with the Kinijit leaders. Ato …
The Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (Kinijit) has submitted an application to the Woyanne-controlled Electoral Board of Ethiopia to operate under a new name… Read more at zikkir News Service…
የቅንጅት የስራ አስፈጻሚ ኮሚቴ በአዲስ ፓርቲ ለመንቀሳቀስ የሚያስችለውን የፊርማ ማሰባሰቢያ ፈቃድ ለማግኘት በዛሬው እለት ለምርጫ ቦርድ ማመልከቻ አቀረበ፡፡
አመራሩ ባለፈው ሳምንት የላእላይ ም/ቤቱን 33 አባላት በማወያየት አዲስ ፓርቲ የመመስረት ሃላፊነቱን እንደተረከበ የሚታወስ ሲሆን በጉዳዩ ላይ በተለያዩ የአገሪቱ ክልሎች ያሉ ወኪሎቹን …
AUSTIN — Obama Texas State Director Adrian Saenz issued a statement on the projected primary and caucus results that show Senator Obama won more Texas delegates than Senator Clinton.
“By fighting the primary to a near-draw and …
Run by a corrupt, violent government, Addis Ababa ranks the 6th dirtiest city in the world, according to Mercer Health and Sanitation Index. Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, faces …
MEKELLE (ST) — The only legal opposition party in the Tigray region, Arena Tigray for democracy and sovereignty (ATDS) today said it won’t contest on the next month’s national election.
“Our party won’t take part in the coming …
PRESS RELEASE
Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF)
The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) welcomes today’s United Nations (UN) appeal for $4 million in drought related aid partly intended for the people of Ogaden.
While appeals for aid are welcome, UN …
“ከኢንጂነር ኃይሉ ተለይቻለሁ” አቶ በድሩ አደም
Wednesday, 05 March 2008
Source: The Reporter
(Read in PDF)
ኢንጂነር ኃይሉ ሻውል ቅንጅት እንዲያንሰራራ የማድረግ አቅም እንደሌላቸው፣ በሰሩት ተደጋጋሚ ጥፋት ቢመከሩም ሊያዳምጡ ባለመቻላቸው አሜሪካ ጥላዋቸው እንደመጡ፣ በሃሳብም እንደተለዩዋቸው አቶ በድሩ አደም ከሪፖርተር …
The primary elections continue to be tight, although Senator Obama continues to enjoy a lead. However, Clinton has vowed to fight on. Therefore it is very important for all Ethiopian-Americans who support Obama and who live in Pennsylvania to make …
By Peter Heinlein, VOA
Addis Ababa — Ethiopian agriculture is about to take a giant step forward from the age of the donkey cart to the digital age. At least that is the hope of a group of visionaries who …
The Daily Monitor (Addis Ababa) – Three inauguration ceremonies took place over the weekend for the construction of two Primary Schools in the SNNPRS, and Oromia regional states and a market centre in the same regional state which altogether cost …
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – The United Nations on Wednesday called for $4 million to help over one million people suffering drought in Ethiopia’s Somali and Borena regions.
“More than one million people are currently facing critical water shortages due to …
JOHANNESBURG, 5 March 2008 (IRIN) – As food prices hit record highs, analysts warn that a re-think of food aid strategies is needed – and Ethiopia, a traditionally food insecure country, could offer some answers.
Globally, the World Food Programme’s …
ADDIS ABABA (AFP) – More than one million people in eastern Ethiopia’s drought-hit Somali region face critical water shortages, the United Nations said Wednesday.
“A joint multi-sectoral Drought Emergency Response Plan… has been released by the regional government. The plan …
PRESS RELEASE
(Washington, DC) – Deeply concerned about the turmoil in the Horn of Africa, the gross human rights violations and incalculable material destruction inflicted by the Ethiopian government, Oromo Youth from across the nation in collaboration with other youth …
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – Ethiopia has won trademark rights for its specialty Sidamo coffee in the United States, the country’s intellectual property office said on Wednesday.
Africa’s largest coffee producer had a protracted tussle with Starbucks Corp last year over …
UN NEWS CENTER
The first group of United Nations peacekeepers left Eritrea today, travelling by plane out of the capital, Asmara, as part of the temporary relocation of the mission personnel after the force’s operations were paralyzed when the Horn …
Estimated Democratic Delegate Scorecard click here
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Primaries and Caucuses update click here
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Fox News and CNN call Texas for Clinton. Obama leads in Texas Caucuses. He could still come up with more delegates in Texas… More
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(UN News Center) – The first group of United Nations peacekeepers left Eritrea today, travelling by plane out of the capital, Asmara, as part of the temporary relocation of the mission personnel after the force’s operations were paralyzed …
Place: Presidents Bar @ the Renaissance Hotel
Location: 999 9th St. NW
Washington , DC 20001
Phone #: 202.898.9000
Time: 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Invited Guests: Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Congressman Patrick Murphy, and Congresswoman-elect Donna Edwards
Come and …
Kinijit vice chairperson Birtukan Mideksa is in Awassa, southern Ethiopia, today to participate in a town hall meeting. She will return to Addis Ababa tomorrow night after attending another town hall meeting in the town of Yirgalem.…
Source: feingold.senate.gov
Congressional Record Statement of Senator Russ Feingold
March 3, 2008
Mr. President, I rise today to discuss the political situation in Ethiopia. The US-Ethiopian partnership is an incredibly important one – perhaps one of the more significant on …
Source: UNHCR
KHARTOUM, Sudan, March 4 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency and the government of Sudan have launched a joint registration operation for tens of thousands of mostly Eritrean and Ethiopian refugees living in eastern Sudan. The registration, due …
Republicans like Sen. Barack Obama nearly as much as they like their own likely presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain, according to a new Fox 5/The Washington Times/Rasmussen Reports poll. The survey determined that a quarter of self-identified Republicans rated Mr. …
By Jason McLure
(Bloomberg) — Ethiopia’s annual inflation rate climbed to 19.4 percent in January as food costs jumped, the Central Statistical Agency said.
Inflation accelerated from 18.4 percent in December, the Addis Ababa-based agency said in a …
(EA) – The Ethiopian experience in America is no different than all Americans. Most Ethiopians immigrated to America searching for the American dream — a dream for a better life and a new opportunity. Most arrived in America with the …
JERUSALEM, March 3 (UPI) — Despite official bans on the practice, Israeli education officials say many teachers are asking Ethiopian immigrants to change their names to Jewish names.
Many Ethiopian students say their teachers are persuading them to …
COMMITTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS
330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA Phone: (212) 465-1004 Fax: (212) 465-9568 Web: www.cpj.orgHYPERLINK
New York, March 3, 2008—Government soldiers raided three radio stations in Somalia on Sunday and detained the director of one …
By Darrell Waller, Navy Facilities Engineering Command Public Affairs
PORT HUENEME, Calif. (NNS) — Three Ethiopian geologists were hosted recently by the Naval Facilities (NAVFAC) Engineering Service Center (ESC) as they sought assistance to discover new water sources …
Ethiopians in Ohio and Texas will have a chance to deliver a resounding victory on Tuesday, March 4th. We encourage all Ethiopians to make a phone call to a family or a friend in either Texas or Ohio and strongly …
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
The Desert Locust situation continued to be serious in parts of the Central Region during February. Several swarms formed in central Oman and moved through eastern Yemen, Saudi Arabia, UAE to …
VOA PRESS RELEASE – Washington, D.C., March 3, 2008 – The Voice of America’s (VOA) Amharic Service has launched a new morning radio show, offering an additional half-hour of up-to-the-minute news and information to millions of VOA listeners throughout Ethiopia.…
By Tendai Maphosa, VOA
London — A new Amnesty International report describes Somalia as one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. The report says the threat to journalists in the war-torn country is now …
The ERI-TV Amharic program is now available on the Internet one day a week. It is presented by EastAfro.com (click here to watch)for free. …
By Yilma Bekele
The news coming out of Kenya is heartwarming. Kenya is celebrating its second independence. It is another evolution in the process of Nation Building. The failed election of December 2007 was the catalyst to the need for …
(Press TV) – Ethiopian Woyanne soldiers have taken over one of Mogadishu’s largest markets over the weekend, opening fire on traders and killing 33 civilians in the attack.
Another 22 people have been seriously injured trying to save …
The Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (Kinijit) has moved to a new office today in Addis Ababa’s Kirkos (ቂርቆስ) district… Read more by zikkir News Service…
ቢሮ ከመከራየት ጋር በተያያዘ በወያኔ ካድሬዎች ከፍተኛ ፈተና ገጥሞት የነበረውና በቅርቡ ወሳኝ የላእላይ ም/ቤት ስብሰባውን ያከናወነው በወ/ሪት ብርቱካን ሚደቅሳ የሚመራው የቅንጅት ለአንድነትና ለዴሞክራሲ ፓርቲ በቂርቆስ ክ/ከተማ ርቼ አከባቢ በተከራየው ቢሮ ዛሬ ስራ ጀመረ፡፡
ፓርቲው ከዚህ በፊት ይገለገልበት የነበረውን ቢሮ የወያኔ …
By Jessica Wang, The Beijinger
Beijing’s first Ethiopian restaurant, Ras Ethiopian Cuisine, is set to open out at Lido this coming Thursday, March 6. We talked to Danny, an Ethiopian-American, and his wife Marlo about the trials and tribulations of …
Press Release, March 2, 2008
Little Rock Marathon Committee
Little Rock, Arkansas
“The members of the Little Rock Marathon Committee would like to offer our condolences and prayers to the family and friends of Adam Nickel, 27, of Madison, Wisconsin, …
By Elizabeth Blunt
BBC News, Addis Ababa
Ethiopians will soon be getting their first chance to vote since the general election in 2005, which ended with violent protests and the jailing of most of the leaders of the opposition.
The …
(AFP)
An Islamist-held town in Somalia came under attack Monday from what local elders identified as a US Air Force AC-130 gunship, leaving at least four civilians dead.
Elder Abdullahi Sheikh Duale said the raid occurred in the early hours …
By Sahra Abdi Ahmed
KISMAYU, Somalia, March 3 (Reuters) – Two U.S. missiles hit a house in southern Somalia on Monday, according to local officials, in an attack Washington said was directed at “known terrorists”.
It was the fourth U.S. …
(Times Online) – A British teacher faces jail in Ethiopia after being convicted of defamation for her role in exposing paedophiles working in a children’s charity.
Jill Campbell and her husband Gary compiled a dossier of evidence that …
Google is looking for the next generation of gadget developers in East Africa! Interested students should register for the competition and submit their ideas for what they think will make a great gadget. Each proposal should explain what the gadget …
By Anthony Faiola, The Washington Post
The U.S. government’s humanitarian relief agency will significantly scale back emergency food aid to some of the world’s poorest countries this year because of soaring global food prices, and the U.S. Agency for International …
By Carol Feineman, The City Star
[email protected]
Agonafer Shiferaw has enjoyed living in San Francisco the past three decades. But 33 years ago, the Ethiopian native never expected to stay in the United States.
Shiferaw was here temporarily …
(AFP) – The United Nations said Friday it was alarmed by a prolonged drought that has worsened food and water availability in Ethiopia’s southern Borena region.
Assessment teams have been sent to the area where insufficient October and December rainfall …
MOGADISHU (Garowe Online) – Ethiopian Woyanne-backed Somali government troops engaged in fierce fighting with insurgents in the capital Mogadishu Saturday, leading to at least 17 deaths, sources said.
Two police officers manning a checkpoint at Howlwadaag intersection near …