The Ethiopia-Sudan Border Committee is reporting that the ruling Tigrean People Liberation Front (Woyanne) has given to Sudan 1,600 square kilometers of fertile farm land. Click here to read the full report [pdf, Amharic]. The Woyanne regime denies the report, but a few months ago, the Sudanese media had reported about it quoting Sudanese government officials. Reportedly, this secret deal between Meles Zenawi and Al Bashir, in return would allow the Tigray region to build a railway from Tigray to Port Sudan. All of the land that was given to Sudan was carved out of Gonder and Oromia regions. Meanwhile, ER Research Unit has learned that the Woyanne regime has moved all air force fighter jets to Tigray. According to eyewitnesses, only a few transport planes and helicopters are left in Debre Zeit.
See also satellite map [click here]
The Kinijit North America support group takes a stand against the give away of western Ethiopian farm lands to Sudan by the ruling Tigray People Liberation Front (Woyanne). Click here to read [pdf, Amharic]
By Teddy Fikre
There is something powerful occurring in the Ethiopian-American community. People who were never inspired to take part in the political process are realizing that they have a duty as citizens to partake in the political process and be a part of the change that is taking place. While they will always love the land of their birth, they realize that they are deeply ingrained in United States and are vested in the direction of this great country. Never before has a politician inspired so many people from so many backgrounds and countries to unite for one common purposes.
Senator Obama speaks about the power of one–the power that a sole individual has to change their community and eventually change the world. Throughout history, we have witnessed time and again how one person has been able to change the trajectory of a nation and of the world. What we are witnessing now is the same dynamic, and Ethiopians for Obama have taken on this mantle and decided that the way to seek change is to organize and participate in the political process.
What started off with Maeza Siraj over a year ago when she created Ethiopians for Obama on barackobama.com has blossomed into thousands of Ethiopian-Americans working in multiple states to be a part of a historical moment. Ethiopians for Obama has some of the most amazing and talented Ethiopians working together for a common purpose. This is not a top-down organization where anointed leaders send out directives. It is a decentralized group that believes in the leadership of each member instead of depending on the leadership of any one individual.
They follow closely the unbelievable model inspired by Senator Obama when he was a community organizer and has emulated for his campaign. Obama believes in the inherent power of people, that each person has the ability to do amazing things if the opportunity is presented. Thus, Ethiopians for Obama is a collection of talented Ethiopian-Americans from California, New York, Virginia, Maryland, Oregon, Texas, Washington DC, Minnesota and states in every corner of the United States who communicate regularly and implement ideas that can further galvanized the Ethiopian-American community around the Obama message of hope and change. Moreover, Ethiopians for Obama is a diverse group that work together based on interests that are common to all and do not dwell in the differences that have divided for too long. The aim is unity of purpose for the benefit of all—a unity that bridges the chasms of ethnicity, religion, and nationality.
Ethiopians for Obama has conducted a targeted phone-banking effort in the states of Indiana and Pennsylvania . By relying on the vast volunteer base and a simple tool such as the white pages, they were able to collect hundreds of phone numbers based on common last names of Ethiopian-Americans who live in those states and makes calls on behalf of Senator Obama. One is at a loss to explain the joy that the receiving party felt when they heard their fellow Ethiopians calling to ask them to participate in the political process. There was an overwhelming level of support for Senator Obama from those who were called and a lot of folks who otherwise did not consider voting were motivated to vote as a result of the calls they received. This is how change happens, the power of one to inspire another.
Ethiopians for Obama has also traveled to multiple states to volunteer directly for the Obama campaign. Dynamic leaders such as Emebet Bekele, Yohannes Assafa, Lulit Mesfin, Mike Endale, Bizu Hodge and Jim Tufa to name a few, are constantly reaching out to their fellow Ethiopians to encourage them to be involved in the political process while they continue to do the hard work of making phone calls and traveling to different states. They realize that debating and hoping for change is not enough; while there are countless Ethiopians who have and continue to be involved politically and work selflessly to ensure our collective interests, their effort is only as successful as the people who are behind any initiative.
Ethiopians for Obama is growing by the day. The first road-trip to Ohio organized by Ethiopians for Obama was attended by three supporters and the second trip to Philadelphia was attended by six supporters. The most recent trip to North Carolina was attended by nine while those who could not make the trip stayed behind and made hundreds of phone calls over the weekend to Ethiopian-Americans in Indiana . On May 6th, Ethiopians for Obama held a victory party in Washington, DC; over 45 people showed up to support Senator Obama on a historic night. The power of one—this is how change happens, one person inspires a friend, that friend inspires a sister, that sister inspires a mother, that mother inspires a husband. Before you know it, what started as one over a year ago will grow into thousands of Ethiopian-Americans who are determined to be the change we all have been waiting for.
Ethiopia’s pop superstar Teddy Afro, who is currently detained in Kaliti jail, said that he rejects the recent statement by his lawyer, Ato Million Assefa, who bad mouthed those who protested his client’s arrest.
Ato Million said in a recent interview with an Amharic language newspaper that those who are protesting the artist’s arrest are “bankrupt politicians.”
የቴዲ ጠበቃ የሆኑት አቶ ሚሊዮን አሰፋ በአገር ውስጥ ለሚታተም (በሳምሶን አሳታሚ) ኢትዮ ቻናል ለተሰኘ ጋዜጣ ደንበኛቸውን ወክለው የሰጡትን መግለጫ አወገዘ፡፡
በኢቲቪ መንግስትን በማወደስ የሚታወቁት ጠበቃው አቶ ሚሊዮን ያለቴዲ ፈቃድ በአገር ውስጥና በውጭ የሚካሄዱና አርቲስቱ እንዲለቀቅ የሚጠይቁ ተቃውሞዎች ‹‹የከሰሩ ፖለቲከኞች ተግባር ነው›› ማለታቸውን አርቲስቱ እንደሚቃውም በቤተሰቦቹ አማካይነት ለደጋፊዎቹ በሙሉ እንዲደርስ ጠይቋል፡፡
ቴዲ በቤተሰቦቹ አማካይነት ባስተላለፈው መልእክት በእንደዚህ አይነት ጉዳይ ላይ ጠበቃው እኔን ወክሎ እንዲነናገር አልፈቀድኩም ብሏል፡፡
By Tedla Asfaw, New York
The Oromo Liberation Front’s (OLF) radio Amharic service on its May 6 broadcast commented that the recent land “transaction” between TPLF and Sudan is a mutual agreement benefiting both regimes.
Sudan according to the commentary will hand opponents to TPLF and make sure its land including the one it was given by TPLF as a “gift” not to be used as a military base by TPLF’s opponents.
We have seen another deal between Puntland administration, Somalia and TPLF that resulted to the handling of ONLF high officials for exchange of guns. There was no land transaction between Puntland and TPLF this time because Puntland has no strong army to challenge ONLF. However, we can not rule out that possibility for the future.
The long term goal of the land “gift” to Sudan according to the OLF commentary is to plant a long term conflict between Sudan and Ethiopia mirroring the Badme “fiasco” which took the lives of tens of thousands of Ethiopians.
It went further and challenged all opponents of the regime to come together and remove this regime to detonate all the bombs planted inside and outside Ethiopia before it takes our people and country for a devastating conflict among ourselves and with neighboring countries.
