Ethiopian reporter had become the latest journalist in that country to be arrested
The Canadian Labour Congress strongly condemns press freedom violations and the repeated attacks on the integrity and human rights of the Ethiopian Teachers Association leaders and rank and file members... CLC, Jan 27
Transportation and CommunicationsMinister Junedin Sado's opponent during the May 15 elections, Wzt Minisha Girma, has been kidnapped by security forces. Minisha had defeated Junedin in the Oromiya regional elections, but he accused her of cheating and asked the Election Board to conduct reelection. The Board then declared him a winner after a fake revote. He is now appointed by Meles Zenawi as the Minister of Transportation. Right after the May elections, Junedin's cadres shot several bullets on Minisha's house in Iteya Woreda, Arsi. She escaped the attempt on her life and went into hiding in Addis Ababa. Last Thursday, January 19, the security forces caught upto her. Minisha's family are unable to locate her and they are gravely concerned for her well-being... ER Jan 26
"We are disturbed that Frezer Negash has joined at least 16 other journalists in jail in Ethiopia," said Ann Cooper, executive director of CPJ. "We call on Ethiopian authorities to release her immediately." ... CPJ Jan 30
Students walked out of classes in Dessie, Gonder, Bahr Dar, Debre Markos and several other cities in Ethiopia today in response to the call by Tegbar. The students shouted "release our friends! release CUD leaders! Meles leba!" The students also clashed with Federal Police and burned several government vehicles. In Dessie, students joined by other residents and attacked government buses and vehicles. As a result, some government officials were unable to move around the city... ER Jan 30
CUD leader Hailu Shawelhas been denied medical treatment for the past 20 days, according to a family member who spoke with ER. His communication with the other CUD leaders has also been restricted... The journalists in jail are suffering from various sicknesses that are associated with lack of hygiene. They are detained in inhumane condition. They are calling on the Red Cross to visit them
... ER Jan 26
Tegbar League writes to Congressman Henry Hyde: The challenge for the United States is to do more than irresolute and innoxious criticism of the tyranical government of Prime Minister Zenawi if there is to be a real progress in mitigating the root cause of instability and international terrorism in Ethiopia and the horn of Africa
Representatives of CUD's Oakland Chapter meet with members of the Congressional Black Caucus and U.S Congressman Michael Honda at Laney College in Oakland, California, on Friday. Representatives Sheila Jackson-Lee of Texas, Barbara Lee of California, Al Green of Texas, and Michael Honda were attending a Western Regional Forum 2006 organized by Congressional Black Caucus, Education & Leadership Institute. The CUD-Oakland representatives informed the Congressmen about the mass murders, arbitrary detentions and torture by the Meles regime to suppress political dissent in Ethiopia... CUD-Oakland, Jan 29
Dr Berhanu Nega's wife, Dr Nardos Minase, was prevented from visiting her husband yesterday at the Kaliti prison where he is detained. She was told that she needs Kebele ID, even though she explained to the prison authorities that as a non-citizen she is allowed to have only a Ministry of Foreign Affairs-issued ID
... ER Jan 29
Some SOS High School students in Addis Ababa took exam under heavy Federal Police presence today. The police were roaming from class to class and dispersing any gathering of more than three students. Last Thursday, the exam at SOS High School was postponed when students started protesting and demanding the release of students, journalists and opposition party members... Meanwhile, IFTN newspaper, which is run by the Meles regime's intelligence agency, published a warning against Tegbar League. The newspaper said its boss, Meles Zenawi, is planning to sue Tegbar in the United States
... ER Jan 30
Corrupt prosecutor is in charge of the trial of CUD leaders
ER has received information that IFTIN newspaper editors Zerihun Teshome, Mimi Sibhatu, Gennenew Assefa and others are playing a major role in the arrest of several opposition party members and journalists, including ER's Frezer Negash. IFTIN was launched a few months ago to serve the Meles dictatorship as a disinformation tool. It's a well-financed operation that has close ties with the regime's security and intelligence agencies. Before her arrest last Friday, Frezer has received phone calls from IFTIN editors threatening her to stop working with ER or face arrest
... ER Jan 30
The nationwide boycott of exams and classes that is called by Tegbar Student Association is going strong... Tegbar Jan 30
Police and soccer fans clashed this afternoon (local time) at the Addis Ababa Stadium. During the soccer match, the fans started shouting slogans, which include "release CUD leaders," and "Meles leba (thief)." The Federal Police reacted by beating up the protestors who responded by throwing stones. The soccer match was called off as a result ... ER Jan 29
State Department to Ethiopian Opposition: We won’t make Changes
Ethiopian Review reporter in Addis Ababa Frezer Negash has been
arrested by Meles Zenawi's security forces yesterday ... ER Jan 28
Distinguished American civil rights leader Dr Joseph E. Lowery will address the February 1st pro- democracy march in Washington DC... Mahidere Andinet, Jan 27
Great job Mahidere Andinet
Tegbar League's congratulates the new prime minister of Canada, urges actions against the brutal dictatorship in Ethiopia ... Tegbar Jan 27
Student protests continued through out Ethiopia... ER Jan 27
Several students at the Tikur Anbessaschool in Addis Ababa have been rounded up today and taken to jail. ER spoke with the family of one of the detained students tonight (local time). They said their son is still in jail. This is his second time to be arrested in the past three weeks... Federal Police also surrounded Misrak Atekalayschool in Addis Ababa around noon local time. They were responding to a confrontation between the student and the school director... Confrontation between the security forces and students is intensifying in Wollo, Gonder, Gojjam, Wollega, Ambo and other parts of the country ... ER Jan 26
Some Western donors are trying to circumvent the EU's cut off of aid to the Meles regime ... ER Jan 26
African Union condemns Meles Zenawi's regime as one of worst offenders of human righs in Africa ... EITB24 Jan 25
Today, in a historic development, African Union came out ahead of the United States in condemning the atrocities in Ethiopia. Not only that, the Bush Administration continues to give hundreds of millions of dollars to the murderous regime of Meles Zenawi, not to mention political and moral support. This money is being used to torture and murder Ethiopians. The American people and its elected officials must be informed about the collaboration of the U.S. State Department with the brutal dictatorship in Ethiopia.
The nationwide boycott of elementary and high school exams that is underway is succeeding in transforming the student-led struggle from an ad hoc to a well-coordinated nationwide movement with a well-defined message. Even though not all the schools in Addis Ababa are participating in the boycott for various reasons-- mainly logistics--the objective of confronting the Meles dictatorship in a more coordinated way is being accomplished. Next week, more schools, particularly those outside Addis Ababa, are scheduled to take exams. Tegbar League representatives in Ethiopia expect that the boycott will be more successful in those areas. Already in Dessie, Ambo, Wollega and many other cities and towns, schools have been closed since yesterday. Students and teachers in these cities are not only boycotting classes, they are also staging protest rallies and clashing with Federal Police
... ER Jan 25
UPDATE, 6:19 AM - A bomb exploded in front of Addis Ababa University's Sidist Kilo campus this morning around 11 AM local time. Roads in the area are closed. There is no report of casualty or major property damage. The university students and residents in the area are pointing fingers at the Meles regime saying that it's not a coincidence that a series of bomb expressions are occurring while a high level U.S. official is in town... ER Jan 24
UEDF candidate Wzt Minisha Girma has been abducted by security forces in Addis Ababa. Minisha had defeated EPRDF's Transport and Communication Minster Junedin Sado in the May 15 general elections. He was the president of the Oromia region at the time. Right after the elections, Minisha had escaped an assassination attempt by Junedin's cadres. Since then, she was forced out of her home town, Iteya Woreda in Arsi, and had been staying with relatives in Addis Ababa. Two days ago she was kidnapped by security forces while on her way to meet friends... ER Jan 24
Ayer Tena High School Students broke windows of government vehicles as they walked out of class this morning. The few police in the area did not react. The school is now empty ... ER Jan 23, 4:11 AM
An explosion was heard around 4:00 AM local time in the Lideta area of Addis Ababa. ER has been able to confirm that the target was the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia and the nursing school close by. The bank sustained heavy damage, and the windows other buildings nearby including Assab Hotel were broken. Police is investigating the incident ... ER Jan 23, 3:44 AM
ER has just received a confirmed report from an eyewitness that Ayer Tena High School students are walking out of their classes now. They are shouting "leba!" and demanding immediate release of their friends and opposition leaders. There is no heavy police presence at Ayer Tena High School now as the Federal Police are focusing more on Menen, Menelik II and other schools. More update in about 1 hour
... ER Jan 23, 2:50 AM EST
