Monthly Archives: April 2010

Ethiopia and election drama

By Yilma Bekele

What do you do when you first wake up in the morning? Some of us cannot move without our first cup of coffee while others require a good breakfast. How about if you went to bed without …

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Ethiopian man accused of murder arrested in New York

Alexandria, Virginia (ABC 7)– New York City police have arrested a Virginia resident who is accused of murdering his 3-year-old daughter and her mother, ABC 7 News has learned.

Investigators have been searching for 34-year-old Simon Asfeha, a native of …

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Prominent Eritrean scholar Tekie Fissehatsion passed away

(VOA) — Distinguished Eritrean scholar and economist, Dr. Tekie Fissehatsion, died last week of a brain tumor. He was receiving medical treatment at Johns Hopkins Medical Center. A memorial service was held on April 24.

Tekie was an economist and …

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Liya Kebede among World’s 100 Most Influential People

Time Magazine has named Ethiopian supermodel Liya Kebede among the World’s 100 Most Influential People in its annual special edition. The following is a piece about Liya on Time.com:

By Tom Ford

I first met Liya Kebede about 10 …

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Violence breaks out at UDJ office in Addis Ababa

A faction of Unity for Democracy and Justice Party (UDJ) led by Prof. Mesfin Woldemariam had attempted to take over by force the party’s headquarters in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa today causing violence to break out. The AP reported the …

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Ethiopian appointed as U.N. Assistant Secretary General

NEW YORK (UN) — United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Tayé-Brook Zerihoun of Ethiopia as the Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs in the Department of Political Affairs. Mr. Zerihoun replaces Haile Menkerios of South Africa, who has …

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Book Review: Ethiopia and the U.S. – by Getachew Metaferia

Ethiopia and the United States: History, Diplomacy and Analysis
By Prof. Getachew Metaferia
New York: Algora Publishing, 2009, 208 pp.

Reviewed by Leslie Wilson

Since its establishment, the United States has maintained a unique relationship with Ethiopia. Long regarded by …

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Meles Zenawi wants to hear from you

Ethiopia’s tribal dictator Meles Zenawi and his Woyanne junta (the ruling party) have come up with a new gimmick trying to appear to be interested in what the people of Ethiopia have to say ahead of next month’s fake election. …

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Gilgel Gibe III divides Ethiopians (video)

Opposition to Gilgel Gibe 3 hydro power dam in southern Ethiopia grows as environmentalists express concern about damage to the ecosystem and the impact on the lives of tens of thousands of people.

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Meles Zenawi’s double dealings with aid donors

By William Easterly and Laura Freschi | Aid Watch

Helen Epstein, author of The Invisible Cure: Why We Are Losing The Fight Against AIDS in Africa, has a stunning piece on aid to Ethiopia published in this month’s New …

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Internet use in Ethiopia remain dismally low

(TMCnet.com) — Ethiopia has the lowest overall teledensity in Africa. The population is approaching 90 million, but there are less than 1 million fixed lines in service, and a little more than 3.3 million mobile subscribers. The number …

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Silencing dam critics in Ethiopia

By Terri Hathaway

The Gibe 3 Dam and Ethiopia’s coming elections have something powerful in common: the silencing of dissent at any cost. Ethiopia’s government has systematically developed a culture of fear that silences any dissent of the ruling party …

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Tennessee hospital shooter identified as a native of Ethiopia

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee (AP) — Police say a gunman who opened fire outside a Tennessee hospital was mentally ill and thought a monitoring device had been implanted in him during an appendectomy in 2001.

Knoxville Police Chief Sterling Owen IV identified …

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Armed groups wreak havoc in northern Ethiopia

The Reporter, a newspaper affiliated with the ruling party in Ethiopia, is reporting that armed groups are currently wreaking havoc in northern Ethiopia, particularly outside Gondar. The newspaper calls the armed groups “bandits.” However, every one knows that they are

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Ethiopia: Information Without Interference

Alemayehu G. Mariam

“Four hostile newspapers are more to be feared than a thousand bayonets,” fretted Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France, as he summed up the informative powers of an independent press. All dictators and tyrants in history have feared …

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Cooperative Behavior – Transformative Reconciliation (Series 2)

By Sioum Gebeyehou

Fighting Evil with Evil Breeds more Evil

Change Your Behavior from Adversarial to Cooperative for a Transformative Reconciliation.

If you act like their adversary– they will respond in kind by being hostile to you.

If you behave …

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Al Amoudi raises funds for Woyanne’s fake election campaign

A group of businessmen in Ethiopia have raised over 20 million birr this month for the ruling junta Woyanne’s fake election campaign. Chief among the contributors is Ethiopian billionaire Ato Al Amoudi. Other businessmen include Tsegaye Abebe, president of the …

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Ethiopian politics and the Diaspora’s role – Awramba Times

This week’s issue of Awramba Times has a feature article on the Ethiopian Diaspora’s role on politics in Ethiopia. Click here to read (, PDF, Amharic, starts on page 9).…

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London Ethiopian Artists at their best

By Mentesnot Mengesha

Recently I have attended a music and drama show presented by household names in London Ethiopian Artists’ community including Behailu Nekatebebe and Yagersew Yayehyirad in collaboration with St Mary Debre Tsion Orthodox church. The show was not …

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Explosion kills 5 in northern Ethiopian region of Tigray

MEKELE, Ethiopia (Reuters) – An explosion at a cafe in Ethiopia’s northern region of Tigray killed five people Saturday and wounded 20 others, officials said, blaming the attack on neighboring Eritrea.

“This is an attack by the Eritrean government to …

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U.S. should reject the outcome of May 2010 Ethiopian election

… history offers a clear verdict: Governments that respect the will of their own people, that govern by consent and not coercion, are more prosperous, they are more stable, and more successful than governments that do not. … In the

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Ruling party thugs killed Medrek activist in north-west Ethiopia

Addis Ababa (DPA) — An Ethiopian opposition activist has been beaten to death in a politically motivated murder in the run-up to elections in May, an opposition leader said Friday.

“Our activist Biyansa Daba, 23, was attacked at his home …

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Three million residents in Ethiopia’s capital without toilets

By Muhyadin Ahmed Roble | AfricaNews

About three million residents of Addis Ababa — one of the biggest cities in sub-Saharan Africa — have no access to toilets, according to a new report by the city authorities. It revealed: “Out …

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Cruelty in Ethiopia – Helen Epstein

By Helen Epstein | The New York Review of Books

Parts of southern Ethiopia resemble the scenery in a Tarzan movie. When I was there last fall, the green forested hills were blanketed in white mist and rain poured down …

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Medrek and the Ethiopian election

By Yilma Bekele

I am sure most of you have heard or read that the leaders of Medrek are on a tour of North America. They have held town hall meetings in Seattle, San Jose, Las Vegas, Washington DC and …

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Interview with Col. Alebel Amare (Part 3)

Part 3 interview with Col. Alebel Amare, senior leader of the newly formed armed Amhara resistance group — Amhara Democratic Force Movement. Watch below.

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U.S. Census 2010: Ethiopians be counted

According to Census 2000, the number of Ethiopians in the US was tabulated as 69,530. This equals to the number of Ethiopians in/around Los Angeles almost ten years ago according to LA Times. For many reasons, what we know does …

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Saving babies in Ethiopia

Anteneh Roba, M.D.

October of 2003 was only my second time to visit Ethiopia in 25 years. It was an eye opening experience that would change my life completely. I left Ethiopia to pursue higher education and eventually became a …

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A tribute to Tilahun Gessesse in DC – April 25, 2010 (video)

Ethiopian artists in the Washington Metro Area are organizing a special tribute to Tilahun Gessesse in remembrance of the first anniversary of his passing away. The event will be broadcast live by ethiov.com.

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‘You Are Not Invited!’

By Magn Nyang

Three weeks ago I got a call from a friend of mine whom I grew up with. The reason for his call was to talk to me about two things. He said to me “have you gotten …

Posted in Ethiopia News

European Parliament hearing on the Horn of Africa

Hearing on Challenges in the Horn of Africa — 26 April, 2010
European Parliament, Room Altiero Spinelli ASP1G-2

DRAFT PROGRAMME

15.00 – 16.00 Political and Security Challenges in the Horn of Africa

Jeremy Lester, Head of Unit, Relations with the …

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Atlanta Ethiopian Arts Festival in pictures

An Ethiopian arts festival was held over the weekend in Atlanta. The event was organized by Hanatzeb Art Gallery. The festival included paintings by Ethiopian artists, music, cultural food, and fashion show.…

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Making a profound impact

Do you know what Ethiopian website is so powerful that it ranks in the top 5% of all websites in the world? Do you know the Ethiopian website that is recognized as the gold standard of all Ethiopian websites? Do …

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Interview with Col. Alebel Amare (Part 2)

Part 2 interview with Col. Alebel Amare, senior leader of the newly formed armed Amhara resistance group — Amhara Democratic Force Movement. Watch below.

Posted in Ethiopia News

Opposition alliance MEDREK faces internal crisis ahead of election

Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ), one of the members of Ethiopia’s major opposition alliance, commonly known as Medrek, is once again engulfed in intraparty squabbles that is threatening to bring down the alliance itself just a few weeks ahead …

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Distribution centers for YeDerasiw Mastawesha

Tesfaye GebreAb’s new book, YeDerasiw Mastawesha, are currently available in stores around the world. Click here for more information.…

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Ethiopia: The Voodoo Economics of Meles Zenawi

“There are lies, lies and implausible lies,” to quote Meles Zenawi, the dictator-cum-economic spinmeister of Ethiopia. Last week, Zenawi told a snickering Parliament a story that is the equivalent of the proverbial bull that gave birth to a calf (or …

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Ethiopians’ natural tendency to be suspicious

By Teddy Fikre

I will admit, I am by no means an expert on the Ethiopian community. In fact, having been away from Ethiopia for over 27 years and growing up in Woodbridge Virginia in a time where there was …

Posted in Ethiopia News

Meles Zenawi’s propensity for lies

By Sophia Tesfamariam

For those of us who are accustomed to Meles Zenawi’s propensity for lies, as well as his trademark boisterous rhetoric and empty bravado, his latest pre-election tantrums and deceptive shenanigans come as no surprise. The leader of …

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Ethiopia in Colors Annual Art Festival in Atlanta

Hanatzeb Arts Gallery will host ‘Ethiopia in Colors Annual Arts Festival’ in Atlanta on Sunday April 18, 2010.

Posted in Ethiopia News

Birtukan Mideksa and a challenge to the Ethiopian Diaspora

I will commence a hunger strike in front of the White House to get President Obama or someone from his administration to acknowledge Birtukan Mideksa as a prisoner of conscious and to call for her immediate release from wrongful imprisonment.

Posted in Ethiopia News

The New Relation between Eritreans, Ethiopians in the Diaspora

By Amanuel Biedemariam

For a long time, relations between Eritreans and Ethiopians were antagonistic, combative, competitive and aggressive. Our relation is unique in the fact that we love each other, enjoy each other’s company and, there is a genuine affection …

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How to win elections in Ethiopia – Ted Vestal

Governance and Human Rights: How to win elections in Ethiopia

Presented at Conference on Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa, 9-11 April 2010

By Theodore M. Vestal

Governance in Ethiopia suffers from deficits of democracy and abuses of human rights. …

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Declaration of the Horn of Africa Conference

Virginia Declaration of the Conference on Good Governance, Peace, Security and Sustainable Development in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa

A three day conference on Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa, which was organized by two civil society organizations- Advocacy …

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Col. Alebel Amare introduces newly formed armed Amhara group

Col. Alebel Amare talks about the newly formed armed Amhara resistance group — Amhara Democratic Force Movement — in the interview below. Col. Alebel is one of the top leaders of the group and a former deputy commander of the …

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Ethiopia’s dictatorship is not a bulwark of stability

By Mike Peter

Open letter to Dr. Charles Tannock MEP, Member of European Parliament for London
Email: [email protected] , [email protected]

Dear Dr. Charles Tannock:

I am writing to express my disappointment and dejection vis-à-vis your article titled “It’s time

Posted in Ethiopia News

Carter Center declined to observe next month elections in Ethiopia

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – The European Union has agreed to monitor Ethiopia’s elections in May, nearly five years after Addis Ababa accused the EU’s chief observer in the last poll of helping to spark violence.

The U.S.-based Carter Centre declined …

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Family pay tribute to British geologist killed in Ethiopia

PORTSMOUTH, UK (Portsmouth.co.uk) — Geologist Jason Read, 39, died on Monday, April 5, when his military escort were ambushed in the conflict ridden region of Ogaden in Ethiopia.

Mr Read was killed and his guards wounded before they …

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EPPF fighters free prisoners from Woyanne jail (video)

Fighters of the Ethiopian People’s Patriotic Front (EPPF) helped free prisoners from a Woyanne prison… and other news. Watch below:

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Horn of Africa conference draws cross-section of experts (VOA)

By Peter Clottey | VOA

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA — A three-day conference that focused on good governance, peace and security as well as sustainable development in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa ended over the weekend in the Washington-Metro Area of …

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Ethiopian man kills mother, daughter in Virginia

Alexandria, VIRGINIA (NBC News) — Alexandria Police are searching for a man they believe murdered his own 3-year-old daughter and the child’s mother.

34-year-old Simon Bahta Asfeha is now wanted for first-degree murder in the deaths of 27-year old Seble …

Posted in Ethiopia News

Ethiopia: The Truth, the Whole Truth and…

By Alemayehu G. Mariam

“Lies, lies and implausible lies,” blasted Meles Zenawi, the enfant terrible of Ethiopia, in describing the March 11, 2010 U.S. State Department’s “Reports on Human Rights Practices” on Ethiopia. Apparently, the U.S. State Department is not …

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Obang Metho at the Horn of Africa Conference on Governance

By Obang Metho

First, I would like to thank those who organized this meeting—Advocacy for Ethiopia and the Ethiopian National Priorities Consultative Process for their excellent job in creating this historic event. We need more meetings like this and I …

Posted in Ethiopia News

A tale of Ethiopia’s brutal revolution

By Abebe Gellaw

Your browser may not support display of this image. Since the 1974 revolution, Ethiopia has witnessed cycles of unimaginable violence. City streets as well as remote villages that are normally far from the influence of the brutal …

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EPPF streamlines its operations (update)

The Ethiopian People’s Patriotic Front (EPPF) recently held its general assembly meeting and made a number of major decisions that affect its activities inside the country and around the world. One of the major decisions the general assembly made was …

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Conference on Good Governance in the Horn of Africa

Conference on Good Governance, Peace, Security, Sustainable Development in the Horn of Africa, 9-11 April 2010, Washington DC, Doubletree Hotel, 300 Army Navy Drive, Arlington, VA

The conference is organized by Organized by Advocacy for Ethiopia (AFE) and Ethiopian National …

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Horn of Africa Conference – triumph of hope

By Yilma Bekele

There is a three days conference on Ethiopia to be held in Alexandra, Virginia. There are plenty of notables involved in this dialogue regarding our neighborhood. All are peoples of stature that have been involved in trying …

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Hallo! It is only a conference

By Fekade Shewakena

TPLF supporters and embassy personnel have been frantically but naively trying to subvert a planned conference in Washington DC to be held from April 9 to April 11, 2010. Listening to these supporters and staff of the …

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Irrational acts and strange behavior

By Yilma Bekele

There is no lack of that in our neighborhood. We are blessed with delusional pea brains with inflated view of themselves and their capabilities while masquerading as leaders. They have a tendency to think if they believe …

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Ethiopia: “C’est la Vie? C’est la Vie en Prison!”

Alemayehu G. Mariam

When Meles Zenawi, the arch dictator in Ethiopia, was asked about Birtukan’s health in his prison on March 23, 2010, he was comically philosophical about it. He said Birtukan health is in “perfect condition”, except that she …

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Security Forces Clamp Down on Gambella

(SMNE Update) — New threats are again on the rise in Gambella as the Meles government attempts to exert increasing federal control of the region, leading to new clampdowns against civilians. Many believe that these actions are meant to suppress …

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Tense confrontation between Siye Abraha and Kality officials

By Peter Heinlein | VOA

Ethiopia’s best-known political prisoner, opposition leader Birtukan Mideksa, is said to be in poor physical and mental health in a jail outside Addis Ababa where she is serving a life sentence. But as Prison authorities …

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Art of the Outrageous Statement

By Alex Belida

We are all accustomed to hearing political figures, especially from authoritarian countries, make outrageous statements.

But I think Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi may have uttered the most outrageous statement of all this past month when he …

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Iran jamming TV satellite signals

By CHRISTOPH SEIDLER | ABC News

Hot Bird 8 may be Europe’s largest and most powerful television satellite, but it still has little chance when the Iranian regime decides to block its signals. When that happens, the Farsi services of …

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