A controversial resettlement program in Ethiopia is the latest battleground in the global race to secure prized farmland and water. Correspondent Cassandra Herrman reports as part of the Food for 9 Billion series, a PBS NewsHour partnership with the Center for Investigative Reporting, Homelands Productions and Marketplace.
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7 thoughts on “A Battle for Land and Water in Ethiopia”
Where are we Ethiopians ? Can we join the battle for our Land and Water by signing the petition and take the fight to USAID, Indian and Saudi embassies on this spring, http://www.oaklandinstitute.org.
American universties like Harvard are recently pulling 500 million dollar from land investment and univesties like Vanderbilt and Spelman are pressured to do so.
The people of Gambella are taking action against foreign Land Lords and we have to support them on their fight.Unfortunately political opponents back home and hear are not doing their part.
The Ethiopian Diaspora failed to comprehend the magnitude of this National threat and are not rallying behind a slogan, “No Ethiopian Land and Water for foreign land lords”.
Without the leading work by Oakland Institute ,SMNE, HRW and reports like this one Woyane have already accomplished its mission of selling six million ha by now. woyane will sell all our Land and Water for Cash to be stashed in foreign accounts.
Al Amoudi and Karuturi should be stopped on their track. Political organizations should be judged for what they are on actions they took against these National Treasury Looters.
Woyane should not be allowed to profit from land sale to extend its total domination of our life. Defeating Woyane in Gambella, Beni Shangul, Oromia, Afar and Amhara regions demand chasing Foreign Land Lords from our land immediately. Let us follow the example of the patriots in Gambella !!!
Please join us in our spring rally to denounce all who are in Business of profiting from our Land and Water at the expense of our farmers. I urge all to sign the petition and hit the 10,000 target on the weekend. Yes We Can !!!!
Jegnaw Ethiopiawe replies:
February 29th, 2012 at 3:31 PM
My brother what you saying is all good that alone will not help Ethiopia.
we need armed struggle,with out it just westing Ethiopians time and our time.
what we have been doing the last 20 years it has not worked,it will not work.
we have to go to the drawing board and start thinking a new and powerful ways to fight.
for those people who stand on the Sid_line think hared? we may not have Ethiopia as we know it!!!!!
This is a scandal!! but what is even more scandalous is the way the reporter is presenting it as if it’s exclusively the Saudi-Star or karakouris who are expropriating lush land in ethiopia. The fact of the matter is that so many and in fact, the vast majority of the fertile lands are leased to western investers. where is the balance in the story or is there a deal with the opposition & the western establishments to ignore and never report the encroachements by the Western land owners or “investers”?
There we go, to those who did not believe that the government is forcing people from their lands. You did not believe it when Ethiopians were telling you and now may be this story make you change your mind. The Saudis are getting the best Ethiopian land not Ethiopians. Which ever way you look at it, it is illegal, immoral, and it is a proof that this government’s agenda is sell Ethiopia just the same as their parents did during Italian invasion.
Land grab is the new form of colonisation, think about it what will happen to the rest of Ethiopia,today it is happening to the southern people of Ethiopia, and tomorrow the rest of Ethiopia. what are we going to do About it? let ask our self? what i am going to do?
Obviously, people cannot live without water, and in the near future the most valuable commodity won’t be oil, but WATER. For this reason alone, countries like Saudi Arabia that live in the desert, are doing everything they can in their power their citizens never run out of clean drinking water in the future. And they grow their food-supplies outside of their country like Ethiopia, using Ethiopia’s rich soil and water, without paying that much for it. I don’t blame Saudis for this, if I were their leader, I would do the same thing they are doing and more to supply my people with enough food and water. Unfortunately, Ethiopia is under a brutal dictator who couldn’t care less if Ethiopians die of hunger and thirst.
http://environment.about.com/od/globalwarming/a/waterinvesting.htm
The problem,
Ethiopians has refused to dissolve their petty ethnic and tribal politics. you call TPLF ethnicist and tribalist but all of them are immersed in it. But they do not see it.
It is this evil Ethnic politics which people are chewing like chat which has given a lease of life for Meles.
According to me, if we do not unite, reform our way of thinking and struggle, I am sure there is no anything that can Stop Meles from selling everything in Ethiopia. Meles is right now doing the same thing right now. He does not damn care about any Ethiopian. Writing here will not affect TPLF. TPLF Meles is emboldenned now to do anything.
The reason they are inviting Arab, Indians, Westerns,… is not to the benefit of any Ethiopia. It is for them to stay longer. If Indian goverment invest in Ethiopia, they will support the goverrnment to secure their interest. The same for Arab, the same for British, the same for Americans. It is about business guys. It is not about humanity.
What is happening right now in Ethiopia has happened in South Africa 400 years ago. The whites removed the people who owned the land and put them in designated areas settlement the same TPLF is doing now in Gambela, villagization. Then the whites build for them useless clincs and schools and they became landless. They have to work as slaves for the whites who took the land. That is what exactly happening in Ethiopia.
Meles Zenawi the most criminal Ethiopian leader is robbing the people their land and making them slaves for Arabs, Indians in their own land?
This subhuman act. I would say TPLF has become a cannibal now. They are becoming senseless and cruel everyday. Their greed is driving them into madness.
My solution:
1. Dissolve all the factions olf, onlf, …. and form a coordinated civil movement and mobilize Ethiopian regardless ethnic and tribe. That is the only way we can unite. Otherwise, if we keep on this track, trust me, Ethiopian will be gone soon. Neither olf, nor onlf, Medrek or UDJ ,… can save Ethiopia. TPLF is hell bent now. Libachew betebit abtewal. Their heart is swollen by arrogance and pride which will eventually to thier demise. I would say let us unite and dismantle the enemy from our country. Otherwise, if we remained divided and keep on chewing the name Tigrie minority and oromo or amhara majority, it is pointless, Mele will succeed to do anything. Do you want change soon? if you do? change they way you think and then you can bring change. If you do not change, it will be another 20 years. Meles will replaced by another Meles.