Many elementary and high schools in Ethiopia are scheduled to give exams to their students starting today. Ethiopian Review has been making calls to various cities since early this morning, and from what we have been able to gather, the call for the boycott of the exams is being heeded by many students and teachers. Over 100,000 flyers in Amharic and Oromigna have been distributed in Addis Ababa alone. ER will post a more detailed report later ... Jan 23, 2:20 AM EST
Tensae Radio interview with a representative of Tegbar Students Association in Addis Ababa on the nationwide call for boycott of school exams ... Tensae Jan 22
Almost every newspaper in the world is reporting the expulsion of AP reporter in Ethiopia Anthony Mitchell. This could be the beginning for the international media to break its silence on the atrocities in Ethiopia. Hopefully, they will now start to report more aggressively on the mass arrest, torture and murder of innocent civilians by the U.S.-backed regime of Meles Zenawi.
Addis Ababa is calm but tense today. There is no confirmation of how many people the security forces murdered yesterday. But eyewitnesses told Ethiopian Review that many people were shot dead by the Federal Police during the religious processions which were turned into protests against Meles and Aba Paulos. Hundreds of young people have been dragged out of their homes and taken to unknown locations last night... Meanwhile, students and teachers are preparing to boycott next week's high school exams. Tens of thousands of flyers have been distributed through out Addis Ababa by Tegbar League Ethiopia calling for boycotts of the exams. Students and teachers who are supporting the boycott say that it would be unjust to take the exams while tens of thousands of students are languishing in concentration camps. The boycott is being supported by a network of several groups through out the country, including the newly formed Association of Kinijit Supporters ... ER Jan 21
The Committee to Protect Journalists is outraged at the Meles regime's weekend expulsion of The Associated Press correspondent in the country... CPJ Jan 23
UPDATE: 4:30 PM EST - ER has now confirmed that a bomb has exploded near Tikur Anbesa hospital's medical school. The student dormitory and cafeteria sustained some damage. Another bomb exploded at the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia in Lideta causing heavy structural damage to the building. Residents of the area told Ethiopian Review that they believe the bombs were planted by the police to convince the visiting high level U.S. Department of State officials that the opposition has engaged in terrorist activities... ER Jan 23
UPDATE: 12:10 PM EST - The nationwide call for boycott of exams and classes is more successful than expected by the organizers. ER is able to confirm that all schools in Dessie have heeded the call and walked out of class today even though the exam was scheduled for next week in Wollo. In Addis Ababa, all students at three high schools--Ayer Tena, GCA and Shimelis Habte-- boycotted exams. The schools are now empty. At Medihanialem, Winget, and Dilachin schools, a few students took exam, but the rest were outside school compounds clashing with Federal Police. At least five busses and unknown number of government vehicles were hit with stones. Many schools in Addis Ababa postponed exams until Wednesday. There were few police presence in all the schools as the murderous Federal Police is stretched thin trying to cover all schools. In Winget area, students did not face the usual brutal police response as they threw stones. It seemed that the police were outnumbered. Mean while, the newly formed Association of Kinijit Supporters is also making its presence felt today. It has distributed flyers through out the city calling Addis Ababa residents to heed the call by CUD leaders in prison and rise up... ER Jan 23
A nationwide boycott of exams and classes is underway in Ethiopia. In Dessie, all schools are closed today. In some parts of the city students clashed with Federal Police through out the day. In Addis Ababa, some schools such as Ayer Tena and Addis Ketema students boycotted exams and walked out of classes. Students clashed with police around Addis Ketema and Medihanialem. Other schools are scheduled to give exams tomorrow and through out the week. In Gonder and Gojjam, exams will be given next week, but students who spoke with Ethiopia Review said that they will not only sit for the exam, but they will stage daily protest... ER Jan 23, 11:30 AM
Ethiopian dictator Meles Zenawi held talks with visiting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs... Xinhua Jan 22
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church in London dissociates itself from Aba Paulos
Associated Press correspondent in Ethiopia Anthony Mitchell was asked by the Ministry of Information to leave the country in 24 hours... Xinhuanet Jan 21
Unofficial death toll in Merkato area yesterday is 15... AF Jan 21
CUD North America leadership will be in Atlanta Saturday, Jan 21... EMF
Addis Ababa residents clashed with Federal Police and Agazi special forces today when the Timket (Epiphany) celebration turned into a protest against the Meles regime. The Federal Police unleashed brutal attacks on the peaceful protestors, savagely beating and kicking every one, including women, children and the elderly. The people responded by throwing stone. Police started shooting at the people, killing a 12-year old child, and wounding many. The police also arrested hundreds of people. Major clashes took place in Sidist Kilo, Ayer Tena, Kechene Medahnialem, and Mexico Square. Several busses have been hit with stones. Taxis have stopped service
... ER Jan 19
John O'Shea, the Chief Executive of a major NGO in Ireland, asked the government of Ireland to end all grants to the Meles regime, which he termed a "rogue state."
This was one of the chants for Tagay Aba Paulos during the Timket celebration:
Esachew federal nachew
atikrebuachew yehuda nachew
atikrebuachew shegut alachew
When Aba Paulos' heavily armed guards and the Federal Police heard the chant, they started indiscriminately attacking the people.
The imprisoned CUD leaders sent out a message today announcing that they will not go to court any more to defend themselves... Jan 18, Amharic, pdf
A call for boycott of national exams, classes next week... Tegbar Jan 19
The top U.S. diplomat for Africa, Ambassador Jendayi Frazer, arrived in Ethiopia today to mediate in a border dispute with Eritrea. She was heading to the tense border. She is due back in the capital Addis Ababa on Friday to meet Meles Zenawi, opposition and civil society groups, said the source ... Reuters Jan 19
Ambassador Frazer, please focus on the root cause of the problem in the region. If there is a democratic government in Ethiopia, there will be no more war in the region. Please also break your silence on the massive human rights violations by the Meles regime. As you arrive in Ethiopia today, 12-year old children were being gunned down by Meles Zenawi's Federal Police.
UK's development minister, Hilary Benn, sat down in the British Embassy in Addis Ababa in front of journalists and described the post election violence and arrests as a "betrayel of trust"... Andrew Heavens, Jan 18
Britain cut all of its aid to Meles Zenawi's regime on Wednesday and plans to redirect the 50 million pounds (US$88 million, euro73 million) to humanitarian agencies
Now it's the U.S. turn. Ethiopians around the world need to mobilize to persuade the Bush Administration that it's not in the best interest of the U.S. to continue supporting the fascist regime in Ethiopia that jailed all top leaders of the opposition, detained over 100,000 political prisoners in concentration camps, and banned all independent media.
To Washington Post ombudsman: "We are surprised as well as very disturbed by the silence of the Washington Post regarding the escalating government violence and political oppression in Ethiopia, which carries with it not only human costs and arrested development for the Ethiopian people, but raises concerns for American security if instability is to increase in this large country within the volatile Horn of Africa region. We are particularly troubled by this silence in light of the flurry of articles appearing in the Post in the past few weeks on frivolous and trivial topics related to Ethiopia..." Tegbar Jan 18
Ex-British Ambassador to Uzbekistan Craig Murray on why he defied UK Foreign Office by posting classified memos blasting U.S., British support of torture by Uzbek Regime
This should enlighten us on the ruthless game the the U.K. and the U.S. are playing with the lives of Ethiopians.
upon thousands of youths in neighborhood sweeps to keep order in the capital’s streets. In December, 131 opposition politicians, journalists, and civil society leaders were charged with crimes that included treason and even genocide. This tense standoff is most likely to move into a situation of further retrenchment by the incumbent regime and increased resort to violent repression... Africa Notes, Jan 2006
Interview with Tegbar League Southern Ethiopia representative on the nationwide school exam boycott... ER Jan 24, audio
ER called the city of Dessie this morning. Eyewitnesses are reporting that students have been out in the streets clashing with Federal Police since early this morning. All schools in Dessie are closed for the second day today ... ER Jan 24
UPDATE, 5:27 AM - There was a bomb explosion in the town of Ambo, western Ethiopia, this morning. There is no report of casualty. Local residents suspect that the bomb might have been planted by EPRDF security forces to use the explosion as a pretext to arrest suspected opposition members. Most students in the city are staying away from schools. In the town's main high school, a few students have been observed going into the school. Ambo residents told Ethiopian Review that Federal Police have been conducting house-to-house searches for the past three days looking for flyers. Most schools in the Oromia region are closed today... ER Jan 24
