Azeb Mesfin, the wife of Ethiopia’s dictator Meles Zenawi (also known as “The Wicked Witch of Ethiopia”), has become deputy head of the Endowment Fund for the Rehabilitation of Tigray (EFFORT), which owns several multimillion-dollar companies. She will serve under Abadi Zemu, the chief executive officer (CEO) of EFFORT, replacing Sebhat Nega, the most senior leader of the TPLF.

[There has been an intense behind the scene power struggle between Azeb and Sebhat as she moved to take total control of Woyanne’s assets.]

This appointment is yet another public role Azeb assumes following the split within the leadership of the TPLF in early 2000. Not only was Azeb elected to the Federal Parliament in 2005 by a constituency in Welkait, she is also a chairperson of its Standing Committee on Social Affairs. She was also elected as a member of the Central Committee of the TPLF, a place she first got four years ago.

Azeb is not new to EFFORT; she has been in charge of one of its subsidiaries, Mega Publishing, whose office and printing facility is inside Mega Building, on Africa Avenue (Bole Road). It is the printing arm of Mega Net Corporation, an umbrella of several subsidiaries, which was first registered in March 1993 as Mega Net Printing & Distribution Share Company, with an initial capital of one million Birr. It was restructured to Mega Net Corporation and increased its capital to 10 million Br, with EFFORT controlling the largest share.

EEFORT was first established in 1995 as a non-governmental foundation. Its leaders often argue that it got its seed money from the TPLF that acquired assets during the period of armed struggle against the Derg. Although this argument has been directed to fierce criticisms from those opposing the administration of the Revolutionary Democrats, its supporters claim EFFORT was created to invest in areas where the public or private sectors are not interested or capable of involvement.

Its first Board of Directors of seven were all senior leaders of the TPLF/EPRDF; EFFORT’s first Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer was Seyee Abraha, a politburo member of the TPLF from the late 1970s, until he was flushed out of the party in early 2000. His chairmanship position was filled by Seyoum Mesfin, who is also minister of Foreign Affairs.

Sebhat took over the chief executive position and served up until this year, before he handed over to Abadi, who has always served as a director of the council. The latter transferred to the board and head of the industrial wing of EFFORT.

The conglomerate has over 25 companies that it controls in the industry, finance, trade, mining, construction, transport and agricultural sectors.

By PAWLOS BELETE | ADDIS FORTUNE

KHARTOUM (Sudan Tribune) — Sudan said it is undertaking extraordinary measures for president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir’s trip to the Arab Gulf state of Qatar later this month as France voiced support to any attempt to apprehend the Sudanese leader.

Sudan has confirmed that Al-Bashir will attend the Arab League annual summit and the Arab Latin summit that will be held in Doha on March 30th.

One of Bashir’s advisers Abdallah Massar told the London based Al-Sharq Al-Awsat that it is likely that the government “will have special arrangements” in place for the flight.

Massar said that having Sudanese fighter jets accompany the presidential plane “is something to be determined by concerned agencies in the government”.

But another security official speaking to Al-Sharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity confirmed that military fighters will guard Bashir’s flight in Sudanese airspace.

The official also said that there may be “camouflage” tactics deployed “in light of threats by rebels to shoot down the plane” before expressing doubt about the ability of them to do so.

“We can say that we will not have the slightest trouble in flying the president safely to Qatar god willing to attend the Arab summit” he added.

The ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said last week that Bashir risks apprehension once he leaves Sudan.

The ICC spokeswoman Laurence Blairon in an interview with Agence France Presse (AFP) yesterday urged Qatar to cooperate with the court in apprehending Bashir.

“The court counts on the cooperation of states and therefore of Qatar, but it does not have its own police force,” she said.

“Qatar is not a state member of the Rome Statute, the founding text of the ICC, but it is a member of the United Nations” Blairon added.

The Sudanese state minister for foreign affairs Al-Samani Al-Wasila downplayed chances of attempts to apprehend Bashir.

“They will not be able to do anything because intercepting a plane is a criminal act of piracy punishable by law unless they decide to down the plane” Al-Wasila said.

But Eric Chevallier, spokesman of the French foreign said that Paris “strongly” supports any operation aimed at arresting the Sudanese president.

“France as many other countries are members of the Rome Statute. There are clear obligations on executing arrest warrant for Bashir” Chevallier told Al-Sharq Al-Awsat in an interview.

The French official said that the majority of the European Union (EU) countries “are pushing towards having ICC members and non-members to assist the court in executing the arrest warrant for Sudanese president especially if he flies to Qatar”.

France has military bases in the African state of Djibouti and Arab Gulf State of United Arab Emirates (UAE). It remains to be seen whether Paris will utilize its air force to bring Bashir’s plane down en route to Qatar.

In December 2006, the ICC arranged an operation along with a number of countries including a neighbor of Sudan to divert a plan carrying Sudanese state minister for humanitarian affairs Ahmed Haroun who wanted to perform the annual Islamic pilgrimage on a forged passport.

Saudi Arabia was notified of the plan, the ICC prosecutor told Sudan Tribune at the time. Khartoum said it was “infuriated” that some countries were willing to take part in the operation.

Haroun, who is also wanted by the ICC, ended up canceling his travel plans thwarting the plot to nab him.

The Sudanese security official said that it is “unlikely” that Bashir’s plane will be prevented from landing in Doha international airport.

“This is not possible and will not happen. We have our own arrangements but will not talk about it in international media” he said. Furthermore he said that the time of Bashir’s flight will not be made public.

Sudan rejects the jurisdiction of the ICC saying it has not ratified its founding Rome Statute treaty. The UN Security Council (UNSC) invoked its power under the Statute to refer Darfur case to the Hague-based court despite Sudan not being an ICC member.

(Economist.com) — OMAR AL-BASHIR certainly gets around. In defiance of the arrest warrant for war crimes issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on March 4th, the Sudanese president has spent the past week jetting about northern Africa. He visited Eritrea, Egypt and Libya and was planning a trip to Ethiopia. Having called on some of his neighbours, he is making up his mind whether to attend a summit of the Arab League in Qatar on Monday March 30th.

Mr Bashir is scathing about the allegations of crimes against humanity and war crimes that are levelled against him. As he travelled, a spokesman for the Sudanese foreign ministry said that the president considers the warrant for his arrest “not worth the ink it is written with—and this is the message of this trip.”

For now the ICC is putting on a brave face. Speaking to al-Jazeera television the court’s chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, retorted that Mr Bashir’s trip is “a sign of desperation rather than a challenge to the ICC”. In fact the trip demonstrates the enormous difficulty faced by the court in getting those indicted into the dock.

Within Sudan Mr Bashir faces no threat of arrest. In Khartoum, the capital, people prefer to avoid talking in public about the indictment of the president. When pressed, a typical response is no more than a resigned shrug of the shoulders. A few dissidents explain that after two decades of military rule, it is time for Mr Bashir to go. Those more sympathetic to Mr Bashir, notably in government and business, suggest that the warrant is part of a broad American conspiracy to steal resources (mainly oil) from Sudan. For them, the president’s wanderings are welcome evidence of his thumbing his nose at the court.

Beyond Sudan Mr Bashir is slightly more at risk, but he has designed his tour with care. Eritrea, Egypt, Ethiopia and Libya have all failed to sign up to the ICC and thus they have no direct obligation to nab Mr Bashir (although any member of the United Nations is expected to co-operate with the court). The African Union and the Arab League, of which they are variously members, have both called for the arrest warrant to be deferred, arguing that it will destabilise Sudan.

It might grow trickier for Mr Bashir if he decides to go to Qatar, which would involve travelling through international airspace. The president’s supporters worry that his plane could somehow be diverted to a third country which might be more willing to enforce the ICC’s arrest warrant, sending Sudan’s president to The Hague.

In Qatar Mr Bashir could have pause for thought. The host country itself has not signed the Rome treaty which set up the court, so is not obliged to detain Mr Bashir. But Jordan, Djibouti and the Comoros—all members of the Arab League—have signed up to the court and should in theory lend a hand in bringing the indicted president to book. In practice, with the Arab League rejecting the validity of the warrant, this is most unlikely.

Yet Mr Bashir might yet hesitate. Various former heads of state—from Liberia’s Charles Taylor to Yugoslavia’s Slobodan Milosevic—were eventually delivered to international tribunals, despite widespread belief that the courts were toothless because they lacked the direct means to conduct arrests. The Committee of Muslim Scholars, Sudan’s highest religious authority, has issued a fatwa advising Mr Bashir to avoid the Arab League summit because “the enemies of the nation are creeping round”. Should Mr Bashir decide to stay home, he has a convenient excuse to do so.

AMMAN, Jordan (CNN) — Gebreegziabher Gebremariam kept the men’s individual title at the world cross country championships in Ethiopia after winning a sprint finish to Saturday’s championship in Jordan. Gebremariam crosses the line first to claim gold in the world cross country championships.

Gebremariam crosses the line first to claim gold in the world cross country championships.

Gebremariam took gold ahead of Ugandan Moses Kipsiro and Zersenay Tadese of Eritrea after a testing 12 kilometers over a course at the Bisharat Golf Course in Amman.

He crossed the finishing line in 35 minutes and two seconds, two seconds clear of Kipsiro and 2007 champion Tadese who had the same time, putting daylight between himself and the other medal winners on a sharp rise before the run in to the finish.

Gebremariam succeeds compatriot Kenenisa Bekele as the winner of what is rated as the most competitive race in distance running.

Six-time champion Bekele, the world record holder for 5,000 and 10,000 meters, was forced to sit out the race through injury.

Kenya’s main hopes for the individual title faded in the closing stages but they still retained the coveted team title from Ethiopia.

Earlier, Kenya’s Florence Kiplagat sprinted past compatriot Linet Masai in the closing straight to win the women’s title over eight kilometers.

Masai, who also finished runner-up last year in Edinburgh, could not hold off Kiplagat in the race for the line.

Ethiopian Meselech Melkamu took the bronze medal behind the Kenyan pair.

Last year’s winner Tirunesh Dibaba did not race through injury as Kenya took the team title. Dibaba’s sister Genzebe won the women’s junior race which was held over six kilometers and is a recognized breeding ground for future world and Olympic champions with Britain’s Paula Radcliffe a past winner.

Ayele Abshero of Ethiopia won the junior men’s race as African runners enjoyed a clean sweep of the major titles.

Ethiopia, Kenya share spoils at world cross-country

AMMAN (AFP) — Athletics powerhouses Ethiopia and Kenya shared the spoils at the World Cross-Country Championships here on Saturday as African runners swept the medals board.

Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam made up for the absence of compatriot Kenenisa Bekele, the defending champion and multi-medal winner, to win the senior men’s event.

With Ethiopia’s defending champion Tirunesh Dibaba also absent in the women’s race, Florence Kiplagat claimed the first victory for Kenya since Hellen Chepngeno in 1994.

Kenya topped Ethiopia in the overall team podiums for both events, Eritrea taking third in the men’s and Portugal in the women’s.

In testing conditions around a largely clay course at the Bisharat Golf Course that featured a range of differing gradients and a strong headwind in places, both senior races came down to dramatic sprint finishes.

Gebremariam clocked 35min 02sec over the men’s 12km course, with Ugandan Moses Kipsiro and 2007 champion Zersenay Tadese of Eritrea both timed at 2sec off the pace.

Up until the half-hour mark, there had been a leading group of 12 runners, but that was cut to six as the pace was upped, Qatar’s Saif Saaeed Shaheen and Kenyan Moses Mosop two notable casualties.

Gebremariam made his mark in the final 50 metres of the gruelling ascent that led to the run-in to the finish line, keeping enough in reserve to out-pace the chasing pack.

“I didn’t know until I crossed the finish line that I had won. But the pace of the race was easy for me and I knew I had a good finish in me,” Gebremariam said, adding that the Ethiopia team had been confident despite Bekele’s absence.

“We won gold when he competed last year and we won gold today. We, as a team, have full confidence and we are afraid of no-one. We fight and we’re happy to have got some medals.”

Earlier in the day, Kiplagat also showed the value of keeping something in reserve when she surged past compatriot Linet Masai over the final strength-sapping 150 metres.

Masai, the silver medallist at the worlds in Edinburgh last year, had taken the lead after 16 minutes of the race and held onto it up through the final punishing ascent of the 8km course to the flat run-in to the finish line.

Cruelly, Masai had left herself too much to do and she faded as Kiplagat sprinted past her in a dramatic finale, clocking a winning time of 26min 13sec.

Ethiopian Meselech Melkamu claimed bronze to prevent a clean sweep by Kenya.

“I did not expect to win,” said Kiplagat. “Kenya have not won since Hellen Chepngeno in 1994.

“The course was hilly and tough and I had to battle all the way.

“I hope the gold remains with us next year even if Tirunesh returns.”

Masai said she had been disappointed at burning out in the final stretch but acknowledged that it was good the Kenyan team had got the monkey off their back by winning the event.

“I was certain I had won and then I was second,” she said of her meltdown in the run-in.

“But as long as Kenya win then I’m happy. We’ve been hoping to break through in this event.”

There was Ethiopian joy in the junior races: defending champion Genzebe Dibaba retained her title while compatriot Ayele Abshero took the junior men’s crown.

Dibaba, 18, timed 20:14 over a 6km course, finishing ahead of Kenyan Mercy Cherono and her compatriot Jackline Chepgnego.

“I am extremely happy that I won, even without my sister Tirunesh here to watch,” Dibaba said of her sister’s absence.

“I am happier with my win this year than last year because this race was extremely difficult with the competitors and the course was more than we could handle.”

In the men’s race, Abshero went one better than the worlds in Edinburgh last year – when he won silver – this time claiming gold in a time of 23:26.

Kenyan Titus Mbishei was second and Uganda’s Moses Tibet won a sprint finish for third.

AMMAN, JORDAN (RaceResultsWeekly.com) — Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba, a younger sister of Olympic medalists Tirunesh and Ejegayehu Dibaba, defended her junior title today as the IAAF World Cross Country Championships kicked off in Amman, Jordan.

Dibaba, who turned 18 last month, was running in a huge lead pack after the first lap of the 6 km race, surrounded by her Ethiopian teammates and her challengers from Kenya, including Mercy Cherono, last year’s world junior 3000m champion. But by the 4 km mark, Dibaba had a four second lead on Cherono, while the rest of the pack was another nine seconds back. Cherono was able to stay within striking distance, but could not get the best of Dibaba who came home first in 20:14. Cherono got the silver in 20:17, while her Kenyan teammate Jackline Chepngeno took the bronze in 20:27.

With athletes from Ethiopia and Kenya taking the top ten spots, there was a very close battle between those nations for the team title. Both Ethiopia and Kenya scored 18 points, but Ethiopia was given the gold medal for the second consecutive year because their last scoring athlete, Emebet Anteneh, finished seventh to Kenya’s top scoring athlete, Hilda Chepkemoi Tanui, who finished eighth. Japan got the bronze with 76 points.

The top non-African finisher was Australian Emily Brichacek who finished 11th; the top European was Britain’s Lauren Howarth who finished 13th, while the top North American was Neely Spence of the United States who finished 19th.