ethiopia
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Somalia: Ethiopian Troops Deployed in a Provincial CapitalEthiopian troops with more military trucks accompanied by Somali militias have reached in Garbaharey, a provincial capital of Gedo region in western Somalia, witnesses said on Monday.
Source : AllAfrica | 05-Jan-2009 14:45
Somalia: Ethiopians Take Over Govt Base
The Ethiopian soldiers have taken over the control of Ex-control Afgoi which was a military base for the Somali government soldiers in Mogadishu on Monday, officials told radio Shabelle.
Source : AllAfrica | 05-Jan-2009 12:39
Somalia: Ethiopian Troops Re-Enter Gedo, Al Shabaab Retreat
Ethiopian troops have reportedly re-entered parts of Gedo region and forced Islamist rebels to retreat inward, Radio Garowe reports.
Source : AllAfrica | 05-Jan-2009 12:20
Somalia: Nine People Killed in Mogadishu
At least 9 people were killed in separate incidents of violence in Somalia's war-torn capital Mogadishu, Radio Garowe reported Sunday.
Source : AllAfrica | 05-Jan-2009 12:20
BGI Ethiopia expanding with 34 million USD, to establish Castle Winery
Addis Ababa- January 4 - BGI Ethiopia said that over 90 percent of the expansion work, it launched with 34 million USD, has been finalized.
Source : Topix.net | 05-Jan-2009 12:11
Somalia: Ethiopian Troops Are Pouring Into the Country
Ethiopian soldiers have reached in Burdhubo and Balad Hawo towns in Gedo region in south western Somalia on Sunday, witnesses told radio Shabelle
Source : AllAfrica | 05-Jan-2009 11:50
Somalia: Islamists Take Over Bases Vacated By Ethiopian Soldiers
Islamic Courts Union (ICU) militiamen have began taking control of military bases vacated by withdrawing Ethiopian troops, Radio Garowe reported Saturday.
Source : AllAfrica | 05-Jan-2009 11:17
The President Can Stop Child Sacrifice
RECENTLY media reports carried a story "100 children go missing in one month."
Source : AllAfrica | 05-Jan-2009 08:52
Somalia: Now Uganda Threatens to Pull Out Peacekeepers
UGANDA is reconsidering the continued presence of her forces in Somalia following the pull-out of Ethiopian forces from the volatile country.
Source : AllAfrica | 05-Jan-2009 08:04
No power vacuum after Somalia pull out, Ethiopia pledges
The Ethiopian government on Saturday pledged not to leave a power vacuum when it completes its troop withdrawal from neighbouring Somalia in the coming days.
Source : Topix.net | 04-Jan-2009 12:10
Somalia: Five Ethiopian Soldiers Killed in Explosion
At least five Ethiopian soldiers have been killed and more others wounded after heavy explosion targeted to the Ethiopian soldiers occurred between Ex-control Afgoi and former university of Somalia people in Mogadishu on Sunday, witnesses told Shabelle radio.
Source : AllAfrica | 04-Jan-2009 11:09
Somalia: Islamic Courts Forces Take Over Police Stations
Islamic Courts Union forces have taken control of police stations in Mogadishu as Ethiopian troops started withdrawing from Somalia, officials said on Saturday.
Source : AllAfrica | 03-Jan-2009 19:59
Somalia: Violence Continues As Ethiopians Pull Out
The Ethiopian army has began withdrawing its troops from Somalia's capital after a two-year military occupation, but the violence that triggered the invasion continues, Radio Garowe reports.
Source : AllAfrica | 03-Jan-2009 13:26
Ethiopia re-arrests opposition leader, US embassy expresses concern
The federal police of Ethiopia re-arrested opposition leader, Birtukan Mideksa, one year after she was released on pardon from a life term she was sentenced following the country's post election violence in ...
Source : Topix.net | 03-Jan-2009 12:06
Somalia: More Ethiopian Troops Pull Out
The Ethiopian troops who had military bases in Balanbal town in central Somalia have vacated a base in the town on Friday evening, witnesses told Shabelle radio
Source : AllAfrica | 03-Jan-2009 10:43
Ethiopia begins withdrawal of troops from Somalia
Mogadishu: Ethiopia has started pulling its troops out of Somalia, where they have been helping the Western-backed government fight an Islamist insurgency for the past two years, a senior official said on ...
Source : Topix.net | 03-Jan-2009 03:51
Ethiopia Begins Pullout
A convoy of trucks loaded with Ethiopian soldiers, mattresses and other equipment left Somalia's capital Mogadishu on Friday, witnesses said.
Source : AllAfrica | 02-Jan-2009 18:50
Somalia: Heavy Explosion Kills Ethiopian Soldiers
At least two Ethiopian soldiers have been killed after heavy landmine explosion targeted to the Ethiopian troops occurred at around Three Biano building near Maka Al-mukarama street in the Somali capital Mogadishu early on Friday morning, witnesses told Shabelle radio
Source : AllAfrica | 02-Jan-2009 11:09
Ethiopia: CSOs Ignore Panel Discussion Hosted By State Media
A panel discussion among stakeholders of the draft law providing for civil society organizations establishment and operation was cancelled due the absence of representatives from CSOs, The Daily Monitor has learnt.
Source : AllAfrica | 02-Jan-2009 11:00
Ethiopia: Professor Merid W. Aregay Dies
Influential historian and acclaimed scholar Professor Merid W. Aregay passed away yesterday at the age of 74 at the Black Lion Hospital where he was being treated for his illness the past month, sources told The Daily Monitor.
Source : AllAfrica | 02-Jan-2009 11:00
Ethiopia: Festival Aims to Encourage Culture of Reading
A five-day campaign that aims to enhance the culture of reading among the public particularly the young kicks off today at the Addis Ababa Culture and Theatre Hall.
Source : AllAfrica | 02-Jan-2009 11:00
Ethiopia: Association Hopes to Revive Photo Journalism
The National Photo Journalists Association (NPJA) said on Wednesday it was looking for ways to boost photo journalism as a profession in the country.
Source : AllAfrica | 02-Jan-2009 11:00
PM Defends Ethiopia Army Security Operation in Mogadishu
SANA'Somalia's interim Prime Minister Nur "Adde" Hassan Hussein has defended an ongoing security operation led by Ethiopian troops in Mogadishu, Radio Garowe reports.
Source : AllAfrica | 02-Jan-2009 08:34
Somalia: Ethiopian Troops Disarm Government Soldiers
The Ethiopian troops have disarmed some government soldiers in Mogadishu, witnesses said on Thursday.
Source : AllAfrica | 02-Jan-2009 07:17
Birtukan falls ill from hunger strike since Monday
ADDIS ABABA(Ethiomedia) - Ethiopia's leading opposition leader, Ms. Birtukan Mideksa, has fallen ill from refusing to eat since her arrest on Monday, reliable sources have informed Ethiomedia.
There were requests to send a medical personnel to Kaliti Prison in the suburbs of the Ethiopian capital to check on the health condition of the 35-year-old opposition leader.
The Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ) has reiterated in a statement that the party was 100 percent behind its "faultless" leader.
On Thursday Kaliti Prison authorities had Birtukan in their office, though details were not known except that the opposition leader had turned down requests to stop her hunger strike.
Solitary Confinement
Birtukan is being held in a solitary confinement with a history. The cell where she is behind held was also a room for one army major who in 2001 murdered TPLF's top security minister, Kinfe Gebremedhin.
The opposition party said in a statement that the "Ethiopian people must note that the illegal measures taken by the government against the Chairperson of UDJ go beyond Birtukan as an individual and are aimed at the existence of our party."
UDJ also said it was counting on the support of the Ethiopian people in the struggle for the reign of democracy and the rule of law in the country.
In a separate development, UDJ has dismissed a local newspaper report as "out of truth." Asking in connection with the arrest of Ms. Britukan, Awramba Times had quoted UDJ official Dr. Hailu Araya as saying, "It has been pointed out to us that this is the private affair of W/t Birtukan and concerns her and her alone." Regarded as a unifying force of the ethnically-fragmented country, the arrest of the charismatic opposition leader has sparked protests and condemnations by Ethiopians around the world.
Source : Topix.net | 02-Jan-2009 04:43
The English version of Birtukan Mideksa's letter (UDJP Support Group)
My Word (My testimony)
"I do not believe that all this intimidation and threat is aimed only at me"
It is very difficult to describe what I felt after watching on Ethiopian Television the very same warning that was given to me at the federal police after being summoned there the afternoon of December 23, 2008. Although there is nothing that I will say different from what I know and believe in, I have decided to write this to clarify the issue since what happened has raised questions among the public. Perhaps this can even be my last word.
Let me start with the mediation. The underlying spirit of the mediation led by the elders was to come up with an agreement that can bring the two parties into harmony and resume the political process through injecting a sense of reconciliation. The elders were not aiming at blaming one party while absolving the other from the blames. Instead, what they sought was for each party to ask forgiveness from the public for the problems that followed the 2005 election.
Furthermore, the elders also expected the parties to the negotiation to ask forgiveness from each other and to establish their respective political views on items considered principal in order to move forward with the spirit of reconciliation. The elders continued to present to the two parties proposals they felt will help achieve the above stated objectives. They also tried to facilitate the exchange of ideas between the parties and tried to find a compromised solution.
Therefore, the mediation which was focused on achieving a negotiated deal took place not only with the blessing of the government but also with its active participation. Through the process the government had agreed to guarantee that it will start again to respect the country's constitution and to compensate citizens and families who suffered due to the violence following the 2005 election. However, later while the negotiation continued to progress and the time for the court to render a verdict was approaching, the coordinators of elders informed us of a very disturbing development. We were told that the other party was no longer willing to agree on any issue other than the one in which we, the jailed ones, ask forgiveness from the government and the people. We were told that they were particularly not willing to agree on the discussion points dealing with the government. Nevertheless, More
Source : Topix.net | 02-Jan-2009 00:40
Somalia: Former Mayor Detained
The Ethiopian troops in Mogadishu have arrested former Mogadishu mayor, Mohamed Omar Habeb (Mohamed Dhere) on Wednesday evening, witnesses said.
Source : AllAfrica | 01-Jan-2009 08:13
Somalia: Ethiopian Troops Seize Former Mogadishu Mayor
Ethiopian troops have led an operation to arrest the former mayor of Somalia's national capital, Radio Garowe reports.
Source : AllAfrica | 01-Jan-2009 08:12
Birtukan falls ill from hunger strike since Monday
ADDIS ABABA - Ethiopia's leading opposition leader, Ms. Birtukan Mideksa, has fallen ill from refusing to eat since her arrest on Monday, reliable sources have told Ethiomedia.
Doctors are being sent to treat Ms. Bertukan, president of the opposition Unity for Democracy and Justice Party (UDJP - Andenet). Regarded as national heroine, the arrest of the opposition figure has sparked protests and condemnations by Ethiopians around the world.
Source : Topix.net | 01-Jan-2009 06:45
US concern over Ethiopia opposition arrest
ADDIS ABABA (AFP) - The US embassy in Addis Ababa on Wednesday voiced concern over the fate of an opposition leader who was jailed after her pardon from a life sentence was revoked.
Birtukan Midekssa, head of the Unity for Democracy Justice party, irked the regime when she reportedly claimed during a recent visit to Europe that she had never voiced remorse or acknowledged any mistake to obtain her pardon in 2007.
"The United States is concerned about the government of Ethiopia's arrest of Unity for Democracy and Justice Party leader Birtukan Midekssa," the embassy's information officer Darragh Paradiso told AFP.
"We are particularly concerned by reports that Birtukan's pardon has been revoked and she has begun a life sentence in prison."
The 35-year-old woman, who was detained with dozens of opposition figures and supporters in the aftermath of disputed 2005 elections, was last week given a three-day ultimatum by the authorities to confirm or deny the reports.
The justice ministry announced on Tuesday that she has resumed serving her life term.
The United States, a staunch Ethiopian ally and the country's top aid contributor, called for more political freedom.
"A vibrant opposition, independent media, and a robust civil society are essential elements of any democracy," Paradiso said.
"The United States looks to the government of Ethiopia to provide the political space necessary for them to function. Steps that appear to criminalise dissent impede progress on democratisation," he added.
Birtukan's party made its most spectacular electoral gains ever in the 2005 polls and cried foul over reported fraud, claiming it was robbed of victory by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's ruling party.
The ensuing unrest left close to 200 civilians dead and drew international condemnation.
Source : Topix.net | 01-Jan-2009 05:23
Somalia: Fighting Starts in Gedo Region
Heavy fighting between the Islamist Insurgents and Ethiopian troops has begun at a around Garsow checkpoint and the bridge of Luuq town in Gedo region last night, Shabelle correspondent Ahmed Omar reported
Source : AllAfrica | 31-Dec-2008 10:45
Top Opposition Leader Taken to 'Unknown Place'
In what appears to be the first major incidence after the release, on Government pardon, of top opposition leaders, and the political wrangling that unfolded in the aftermath, a leading politician Birtukan Mideksa was taken to an unknown place by police, a source told The Daily Monitor late on Monday.
Source : AllAfrica | 31-Dec-2008 10:42
You Want to Cope With Inflation?
Recent studies in a couple or so of developed countries have given some hint of how consumer behavior is fast changing in those countries in the face of overall prices relentlessly moving north.
Source : AllAfrica | 31-Dec-2008 10:42
Ethiopia: Centre Launches First Database on Disability
The Ethiopian Center for Disability and Development (ECDD) in collaboration with the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MoLSA) and UNICEF on Monday launched a website and an electronic database of information pertaining disability and related issues in Ethiopia.
Source : AllAfrica | 31-Dec-2008 10:42
Somalia: Ethiopia Troops Raid Ex-Mogadishu Mayor's Home
Heavily-armed Ethiopian soldiers have raided the private residence of Mogadishu's former mayor, Mr. Mohamed "Dheere" Omar, Radio Garowe reported Tuesday.
Source : AllAfrica | 31-Dec-2008 10:35
Six for Junior Tennis Tournament
UGANDA has entered a team of six junior players for the 2009 ITF/CAT East Africa Junior Tennis Championships due January 4-10 in Dar-es-Salaam.
Source : AllAfrica | 31-Dec-2008 08:02
Somalia: Al Shabaab 'Fighting Against Ethiopia-Backed Groups' - Spokesman
Islamist hardliners in Somalia say they are not fighting against a moderate Muslim group, but vowed to continue the war even after Ethiopian troops withdraw, Radio Garowe reports.
Source : AllAfrica | 31-Dec-2008 08:00
August star Frank Wood on his emotional journey to EthiopiaRead the First Person
About the author: Frank Wood took home a Best Featured Actor Tony Award nine years ago for his moving performance as an emotionally repressed jazz musician in Warren Leight's Side Man .
Source : Topix.net | 31-Dec-2008 06:50
Somalia: Fresh Shelling Kills Civilians in Mogadishu
At least 10 people have been killed and dozens wounded Tuesday after government and Ethiopian soldiers shelled Bakaro market in Mogadishu, witnesses said.
Source : AllAfrica | 30-Dec-2008 20:52
Ethiopia: Fire Destroys Saris Market
Early last week, a fire in Saris Gulet, a market place in Akaki-Kality District, behind Ries Engineering, severely destroyed more than four residences, 70 shops and properties worth over five million Br.
Source : AllAfrica | 30-Dec-2008 08:43
Ethiopia: ESL Demands Payment for Services in Dollars
The Ethiopian Shipping Lines (ESL) has begun asking its customers to pay in United States dollars, for the first time since May 2000, when the government bailed it out from its unprecedented losses of close to 20 million Br.
Source : AllAfrica | 30-Dec-2008 08:43
Two Ethiopian Athletes to Represent Libolo in Yearend Race
Two Ethiopian athletes will represent Clube Recreativo do Libolo of the coastal Kwanza Sul Province, in the 53rd edition of the yearend race of Luanda dubbed "Saint Sylvester", to happen on 31 December, announced this Monday to ANGOP, the promotions firm "FAT-Angola".
Source : AllAfrica | 30-Dec-2008 07:08
Zenawi Police Re-Arrest Opposition Leader Mideksa
By Jason McLure
Dec. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Ethiopian federal police re-arrested opposition leader Birtukan Mideksa a year after she was released on a pardon following her arrest during the country's disputed 2005 elections. Mideksa, a leader of the now-dissolved Coalition for Unity and Democracy, was taken into custody today, said Temesgen Zewde, a lawmaker, who is a member of Mideksa's new party, Unity for Democracy and Justice.
"She has been arrested," Zewde said in an interview in the capital, Addis Ababa. "No charges have been made public yet. We don't know exactly where she is being held."
Mideksa was arrested after refusing to acknowledge that she had requested a pardon that led to her release from jail in July 2007, said Bereket Simon, a spokesman for Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. She and dozens of other opposition leaders were initially jailed following the 2005 elections and sentenced to life in prison following a May 2007 trial on treason charges.
Security forces killed at least 193 protesters in Addis Ababa in the aftermath of the 2005 elections. Mideksa was jailed along with 126 other opposition leaders, journalists, and activists after disputing government claims of victory in the ballot.
Her release along with 37 others in July of 2007 came after the opposition leaders signed a letter admitting "mistakes committed both individually and collectively," according to an Amnesty International report.
Life Sentence
Simon suggested Mideksa could again face life in prison.
"She said she didn't ask for a pardon and the government tried to advise her that she has been freed from jail because of the requested pardon," Simon said, in a phone interview from Addis Ababa. "She didn't budge. Technically and legally the verdict has to be implemented."
Mideksa and other leaders were released in two pardons authorized by Zenawi in July and August of 2007 after mediation by Ethiopian elders. Some opposition leaders, including former Addis Ababa mayor-elect Berhanu Nega, have chosen exile in the U.S. and Europe. Mideksa stayed on in Ethiopia and had planned to contest the 2010 national elections with her new party.
A lawyer and former judge, Mideksa has drawn support from Oromos and Amharas, Ethiopia's two largest ethnic groups. Zenawi's government, which has ruled Ethiopia since 1991, is dominated my members of the Tigray ethnic group.
Source : Topix.net | 30-Dec-2008 06:36
African Union suspends Guinea following coup
The African Union suspended Guinea on Monday after a coup in the West African nation.
The suspension will stand 'until the return of constitutional order in that country,' the African bloc said after a meeting of its Peace and Security Council in the Ethiopian capital, where it is based.
The military coup followed the Dec. 22 death of Guinea's longtime dictator Lansana Conte after more than two decades in power. The coup leader, renegade army Capt. Moussa Camara, said his group would hold power until elections in two years.
Source : Topix.net | 29-Dec-2008 16:19
Reader postcard from Ethiopia
A weekly feature of readers' travel photos. Location: Lalibela, Ethiopia Photographer: Jenny Andrews, Bellevue Photographer's description: One of the 11 underground churches in Lalibela - a UNESCO World ...
Source : Topix.net | 29-Dec-2008 12:00
Somalia - Two Years After the Invasion
Two years ago this week in December 2006, the TPLF regime, an agent for foreign powers in the Horn of Africa backed by the US Administration, invaded and occupied the sovereign nation of Somalia in blatant violation of all international laws and principles.
Source : AllAfrica | 29-Dec-2008 10:01