Pune, India (UNI) – Ethiopian runners, popular for their long distance running, will be taking part along with the top runners from Kenya and Tanzania in the 23rd edition of the Vodafone Pune international marathon, to be flagged off here on December 7.

The 28-member contingent, comprising 25 men, will run in the full marathon while the three women members will take part in the half-marathon.

The most impressive performers among the contingent are Derese Gashu Hilmneh and Wellay Amare, who have broken the 2:10:00 barrier.

Hilmneh has a time record of 2:09:52 in Frankfurt this year. Whereas Amare had finished the race with in 2:09:58 in the Amesterdam last year.

The three women runners of the squad– Wosen Bekele Desta, Firehiwop Tesfaye Gebereyesus and Birhan Aregawi Gebremichael, are expected to provide stiff challenge to their rivals from Kenya and Tanzania.

By Simegnish Yekoye

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia- The Ethiopian parliament has lifted the immunity from criminal prosecution of Shewaferahu Yitina, elected member of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) after a request from Addis Ababa City Administration saying he is a suspect in two robbery cases.

The letter the city administration wrote to the parliament specified that Shewaferahu was also caught committing a third robbery and is already under investigation.

According to the constitution of the country, though parliament members have full immunity, this will be taken away if they are caught committing a criminal act.

However, the letter of the City Administration says police have not been able to question Shewaferahu for the other two robbery cases because of his privileged status as a parliamentarian.
“I have nothing to do with any of the cases the police is charging me with,” said Shewaferahu when asked to defend himself before his immunity is taken away.

“I have written a letter both to the parliament and to the minister’s office about my innocence, but no one came to talk to me. I am becoming a victim of injustice,” he added.

Shewaferahu also explained to parliament members that he was sick and was getting traditional treatment at the time police accused him of being involved in a robbery and that many people can testify to that.

He also revealed the nature of the interrogation the police had subjected him to; “What the police had been asking me about was why I joined the parliament,” he said.

After looking at the letter of request from the city administration, the legal and administration affairs standing committee in the parliament forwarded a recommendation to the parliament asking for the removal of Shewaferahu’s immunity.

“The standing committee isn’t giving a verdict that Shewaferahu is guilty and should be sentenced. We are saying he should be questioned by the police for the crimes he is suspected of,” said Asmelash, a member of the standing committee.

With a majority vote of 245 in favor, 73 opposing and 20 abstentions, the parliament accepted the recommendation of the standing committee to remove Shewaferahu’s immunity.

– The Sub-Saharan Informer

This research paper (authored by the British House of Commons Library) looks at recent developments in the Horn of Africa, where there are a number of protracted and interlocking crises at work, and briefly discusses some of the main factors that have been described as ‘root causes’ of conflict in the region.

The insurgency against the Transitional Federal Government and Ethiopian forces in Somalia is rapidly gathering momentum as efforts continue to form a more inclusive and viable government. There is a humanitarian crisis of massive proportions, with about 40 per cent of the population needing assistance. Almost unnoticed, there are ongoing tensions between neighbouring Somaliland and Puntland over disputed border areas.

Meanwhile, the possibility remains of a resumption of hostilities between Ethiopia and Eritrea over their long- running border dispute. In the Ogaden, which is part of Ethiopia’s Somali regional state, there has also been a humanitarian crisis as a consequence of ongoing fighting between Ethiopian troops and insurgents. Finally, earlier this year Eritrea launched an incursion into Djibouti and is yet to withdraw its forces. Click here to read the paper.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Ethiopian superstar singer Teddy Afro has been convicted of the manslaughter of a homeless man killed in a hit-and-run incident in Addis Ababa in 2006.

The singer was found guilty of running the man down in his car and driving away without reporting the incident.

Ethiopia’s best-known pop star was also convicted of driving without a licence. He faces between five and 15 years in prison when sentenced on Friday.

Afro’s music became an anthem for opposition protests in 2005.

Many of his fans believe the charges against him were politically motivated.

But Judge Leul Gebremariam [a member of the ruling party] dismissed Afro’s defense in a long summing-up, says the BBC’s Elizabeth Blunt, who was in the courtroom.

There had been some confusion about which night the homeless man had died.

On the first date the singer – real name Tewodros Kassahun – had an alibi: He was out of the country.

On the second possible date, Afro claimed he had been out with friends. But the judge was not convinced and found him guilty on all charges.

As sentence was passed, the singer tried to protest and was hushed by his lawyers.

But as he left court, having regained his composure, Teddy Afro gave a thumbs-up sign to supporters and told journalists: “I never killed anyone, I didn’t get justice from this court.”

By Dagnachew Teklu

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (APA) Thousands of Ethiopian Jews (Falashas) still continue their demand to be repatriated to Israel-their promised land-to unite with their relatives already there.

There are still a good number of Falashas camping outside the Israeli embassy in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital waiting to hear if there is good news from the Israeli government about their fate of uniting with their families in Israel.

In August 2008, Israel announced that it has finalized its program of taking more Ethiopian Falashas from Ethiopia. However, there are still thousands of Falashas who continue to ask the Israeli government to unite them with their relatives in Israel.

Falashas means “outsider” in Ethiopia’s national language, Amharic, which is also mainly spoken by the Falashas.

Bitew Mola, head of the Bete Israel Association told APA that there are still around 8,000 Ethiopian Falashas who are waiting to travel to Israel to unite with their relatives in Israel.

“As you know, our families and Ethiopian Falasha associations in Israel continue to ask the Israeli government to look again its decision to stop the resettlement of Falashas in Israel. We are Ethiopian Jews who have the right to travel to Israel,” said Mola, who himself is waiting to unite with his two sisters in Israel.

Zeleke Bihonegn, 26, also told APA that he is still waiting to unite with his father who travelled there some three years ago.

“My father was able to travel to Israel three years ago, but I am still unable to finalize my process and unite with him, which is a must. But the Israeli government is not treating us as they treat the American Jews,” said Bihonegn.

According to available information, Israel is home to more than 120,000 Jews of Ethiopian origin, who trace their roots to the biblical King Solomon and Queen of Sheba.

Many Ethiopian Jews were flown to Israel in airlifts during the 1984 famine and the end of Ethiopia’s civil war in 1991, as well as during the past few years.

Many of the Falashas still left in Ethiopia are waiting for their final fate to unite with their relatives in Israel.

There are several of their elders who cannot read or write, but they still hope to go to live in Israel and die there.

Many Falashas in Israel are supporting their families financially and psychologically here in Ethiopia, with the hope of one day taking them to Israel.

The Falashas, who claim to have been converted to Christianity in the 19th and 20th centuries, are eager to migrate to revive their Jewish roots in Israel, which the Falashas claim to be their “promised land”.

Some of the Falashas are here in Addis Ababa after travelling some 700 and 800 kilometres from Gondor in northern Ethiopia, which is the place the Falashas lived.

“We are living here in a camp and some in rented houses. There are elders aged 60 and 70 waiting to hear from us about their future,” said Mola.

According to information about the Falashas, Ethiopia’s “Falasha Mura” began to practice Judaism in the last decade after converting to Christianity in the late 18th and 19th centuries.

According to Israeli policy, Ethiopian Jews can immigrate to Israel if they have immediate relatives there.

However, getting genuine evidence from them is said to be a difficult job for the Israeli government, which is one of the reasons they had to halt the program in Ethiopia.

In 2007, Israel had criticised many Bete Israel (Home of Israel) local associations here in Ethiopia, and charities supporting the camps, saying they raised false hopes for thousands of Ethiopians — many of whom have no connection with the Falashas.

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – Journalists are hereby informed that the next Ordinary Sessions of the decision-making organs of the African Union will take place in Addis Ababa, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

The AU Summit will hold according to the following schedule:

The 17th Ordinary Session of the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC): 26-27 January 2009;

The 14th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council (EC): 29- 30 January 2009; and

The 12th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government: 1-3rd February 2009.

The theme of the 12th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit of Heads of State and Government is: “Infrastructure Development in Africa”.

Detailed programmes of the Ordinary Sessions and any other side or parallel meetings as well as the process for the accreditation of journalists will be communicated to all the media representatives later.

SOURCE : African Union Commission (AUC)