It is reported that Beyonce Knowles will not perform at Al Amoudi’s millennium party in Addis Ababa. Instead, the Black Eyed Peas band from the U.S. will perform, according to the organizers. The Black Eyed Peas web site has also posted the band’s planned event in Addis Ababa.
Reuters and other media had reported that Beyonce, Janet Jacksom and 50Cent would perform at the millennium party, but there is no explanation available yet as to why these singers pulled out.
At least two Ethiopian human rights advocacy groups, Tegbar and SCOEPP, had sent warnings to Beyonce and others not to come to Addis Ababa for the millennium, saying that Ethiopia today is not a place to party; “t is a place where the people are being massacred, tortured, raped, and terrorized.”
The host of the Washington DC-based Hager Fiker Radio has announced that he is shutting down his weekly radio program due to lack of funds.
Ato Negussie Woldemariam said on his program (aka Hod Fiker Radio) last Sunday that he is running out of money and that it would be a miracle if he comes back next week.
It seems that he is no more useful for his backers, Woyanne and Al Amoudi.
Norway expressed “surprised and regret” over Ethiopian Woyanne authorities’ decision to request Norway to withdraw six diplomats by 15 September, said reports from Oslo on Tuesday.
Ethiopian authorities have expressed dissatisfaction with Norway’s conduct in relation to Ethiopian Woyanne interests in the Horn of Africa. The Ethiopian authorities have therefore requested Norway to reduce the number of its diplomatic staff in Addis Ababa to three people, according to Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK).
The Ethiopian Woyanne position was communicated to the Norwegian Embassy in Addis Ababa on 15 August. Since then, Norway has sought to clarity the situation through consultations with the Ethiopian authorities, but this has proved unsuccessful, the Norwegian Foreign Office said in a press release.
“We are surprised and regret the Ethiopian authorities’ unilateral decision,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Stoere, who informed that Norway has urged Ethiopia to reconsider its decision.
“We must now take the consequences of the fact that the Ethiopian authorities are upholding their decision and we are therefore making preparations to withdraw six diplomats from our embassy in Addis Ababa,” Stoere was quoted as saying.
“This sharp reduction in staffing means that we may not be able to maintain our development cooperation with Ethiopia at the current level. We regret the impact this will have on our partners, ” said the Foreign Minister.
However, Stoere underlines that this does not imply a break in Norway’s diplomatic relations with Ethiopia.
The Norwegian Embassy in Ethiopia is also responsible for Norway’s relations with the African Union, which has its headquarters in Addis Ababa.
It is reported that Beyonce Knowles will not perform at Al Amoudi’s millennium party in Addis Ababa. Instead, the Black Eyed Peas band from the U.S. will perform, according to the organizers. The