ADDIS ABABA (AFP) — Human Rights Watch urged Ethiopian lawmakers Woyanne officials on Monday to reject legislation it says would slap major government restrictions on foreign aid groups and ban them from some activities.
Ethiopia’s [fake] parliament will debate the Charities and Societies Proclamation bill later this month.
The legislation would give the government greater control over foreign NGOs and ban them from work related to ethnicity, gender and children’s rights, Human Rights Watch said.
In a statement, the New York-based watchdog urged Ethiopian lawmakers to reject the law “that would criminalise human rights activity and seriously undermine civil society groups.”
It also called on donor governments to “speak out publicly against the bill.”
Although the bill has been revised twice since May 2008, the current version retains many of the most controversial provisions.
“The only reason to have such a repressive law is if it would be used to strangle Ethiopia’s few remaining independent voices,” said Human Rights Watch’s Africa director Georgette Gagnon.
“Donor governments should make clear to Ethiopia the Woyanne regime that enacting this law will threaten future funding,” she added.
The law would carry severe criminal penalties for violations, including three to five years of imprisonment for minor administrative violations, HRW said.
The chairperson of Union for Democracy and Justice (UDJ), Wzr. Birtukan Mideksa, held a press conference on Sunday, Oct. 12. In the press conference, Birtukan explained her party’s current and future programs. She talked about participating in the 2010 elections and a budget proposal of 7.3 million birr that will be used to carry out party activities. Birtukan said the money for the proposed budget will be raised from membership fees and other means.
Asked to explain the difference between UDJ and Dr Beyene Petros’ fake opposition party, United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF), Birtukan said the difference is that Dr. Beyene’s party is organized along ethnic lines.
To the question that UDJ never speaks about the fate of millions of Ethiopians who are facing starvation, Birtukan said that starvation to Ethiopia is not new and that it has become one of those things that Ethiopia is identified with. However, she said, that her party will do a study and present solutions.
Regarding the implementation of the Kinjit 8-Point proposal for participating in future elections, Birtukan answered that as a party that chose to wage peaceful methods of struggle, participating in elections is one of UDJ’s main activities.
Sunday’s press conference has affirmed that UDJ will take part in the 2010 fake elections that will be used only to fool the international community into legitimizing Woyanne as an elected Ethiopian government. Woyanne will then turn around and beg for hundreds of millions of dollars from the international community on behalf of Ethiopia. The donated money will be used by Woyanne to continue pillaging and plundering Ethiopia.
With help from the likes of UDJ the Woyanne tribal junta will get more foreign aid to buy more weapons and continue to commit atrocities against our brothers and sisters in Gambela, Gojam, Gonder, Ogaden, Oromia, Shewa, Sidama, Somalia and other parts of Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. Woyanne will increase the salary of its mercenary army to keep the killers loyal and brutal. A large portion of the money will be siphoned off by the corrupt Woyanne officials.
Thousands have lost their lives, so many have made enormous sacrifices for the principles Kinjit had advocated. By dropping Kinijit’s 8-point Proposal, thus joining the ranks of Dr Beyene Petros and Lidetu Ayalew, UDJ has betrayed the people of Ethiopia.
Kinjit’s 8-Point Proposal states the following:
1. The Restructuring of the Election Board into an Independent body.
2. Freedom of and access to All Media
3. Independent legal system (free from Woyanne party control)
4. An Independent Commission to investigate the killings of innocent Ethiopians following the May 2005 elections
5. Non-involvement of armed forces in political affairs
6. Reinstatement of parliamentary procedures and governance of Addis Ababa in accordance with the verdict of the people
7. Release of all political prisoners
8. Independent commission or body to adjudicate the above.
It is not possible to form a new political party and take part in an election without the implementation of these preconditions. Most of these preconditions are not only true for Ethiopia, but also for countries that are continuously working to build their democracy. They are the foundations for fair and free elections, as well as representative governments.
UDJ’s activities are also nothing but fraudulent. After dropping the 8-Points, UDJ has called itself the former Kinjit and taken funds that were raised for Kinjit in the U.S. and EU. Ethiopians in the Diaspora had made contributions believing that the Kinijit leaders will continue to struggle for the principles they advocated, not to create a new party that surrenders the people’s vote to the Woyanne dictatorship.
Senior UDJ leader Prof. Mesfin WoldeMariam had traveled to the U.S. last July and asked Ethiopians to follow the teachings and practices of the Tibetan Dalai Lama, instead of the teachings of our own Atse Tewodros, Atse Menelik, Dejazmach Balcha and other Ethiopian leaders who kept our country united and respected for thousands of years. It seems like the professor doesn’t know that his hero, the Dalai Lama, currently lives in exile. Does the professor know that there is no such country called Tibet today and if we follow the Dalai Lama teachings, we may lose our country, too?
To add insults to injury, UDJ leaders such as Wz. Birtukan and Prof. Mesfin, have called freedom fighters that are sacrificing their lives for freedom and democracy “primitive” and “neftenoch” — the same word Woyanne uses to demonize the Amhara ethnic group.
As Woyanne currently starves millions of Ethiopians, the UDJ leadership remains mute. When international human right groups raise alarms about the war crimes in Ogaden and Somalia, the UDJ leadership is mute. When U.S. senators work on a bill to stop aid to Woyanne, the UDJ leadership is mute. When Meles admitted to giving Ethiopian territory to Sudan, the UDJ leadership is mute. When the brave EPPF army chased away the occupying Sudanese army, the UDJ leadership called the method used by the brave fighters “backward.”
Enough Is Enough! Ethiopia has seen so many of her own children betray her. Today’s generation of Ethiopians must take the responsibility to confront and expose UDJ and all the other fake ‘opposition’ groups that are helping the Woyanne vampire regime prolong its destructive rule over our country.
LISTEN THE PRESS CONFERENCE HERE
PART 1 [podcast]http://www.kinijitla.org/Audio/Birtukan_Oct_12_08_Part_1.mp3[/podcast]
PART 2 [podcast]http://www.kinijitla.org/Audio/Birtukan_Oct_12_08_Part_2.mp3[/podcast]
Ethiopian refuge-seekers rest on a roadside near the southern Yemeni village of al-Khabar after they arrived on a smugglers’ boat from Somalia in September, 2008.
Ethiopian women refuge-seekers sleep on a roadside near the southern Yemeni village of al-Khabar after they arrived on a smuggling boat from Somalia.
(Reuters) – So far this year, at least 31,192 people have arrived in Yemen after making the perilous voyage aboard smugglers’ boats. They include 21,201 Somalis and 9,854 Ethiopians. More than 228 people have died and at least 262 remain missing.
KAMPALA, UGANDA – Uganda is immune from the ongoing world financial crisis, President Yoweri Museveni has assured the nation. He assured investors that the financial systems of the country are strong and sound. The president emphasized that there is no need to panic following the current global financial plunge.
Speaking at the just ended 46th Independence anniversary celebrations at Kololo ceremonial grounds in Kampala, he stressed that the country’s financial sector had been regulated and banks have been following prudent lending procedures.
The colorful function that was attended by delegations from Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Somalia, also witnessed the inauguration of the new colors of the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) flag by the President.
The president said the immediate spill over effects would however be minimal in the short run. Museveni pointed out that although Uganda’s exports, particularly to European and American markets, may be reduced if the world economy goes into recession, they will, however, end up in regional markets following the diversification of the exports.
On poverty eradication, the President directed NAADS and Uganda Investment Authority as well as the ministry responsible for industry and that of finance to ensure that all agricultural products in Uganda are processed.
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – As of last month, it takes Haile Gebrselassie two hours three minutes 59 seconds to run a marathon. “Kenny” Bekele whips through a 10-kilometre in a little over 26 minutes. On the women’s side, Tirunesh Dibaba punches out a five-kilometre in around 14 minutes.
It’s nice to report that some things take a little longer, even for the all-conquering Ethiopian distance runners. For example, it has taken them 52 years to win a marathon on the MCG, a feat accomplished yesterday by Asnake Fikadu when he won the Melbourne marathon.
Fikadu is one of an Ethiopian national squad of no fewer than 40 marathoners. They train at Etoto, just outside Addis Ababa, at 2800 metres above sea level.
Fikadu dominated yesterday’s race virtually from the start, breaking away after 10 kilometres and steadily increasing his lead. Only the northerly wind, which blew stronger as the morning progressed, caused him any problems, slowing the winning time to two hours 17 minutes 46 seconds. In better conditions, Fikadu may well have threatened Bill Rodgers’ race record 2:11:08 set in 1982.
Such did not appear to worry Fikadu, who has a best time of 2:10:26. He had history on his mind, not records. In halting English he explained he was pleased to come to Melbourne because it was here, in 1956, that Ethiopia first competed in an Olympic Games.
Not with the distinction we have come to expect now as routine, but Ethiopian Olympic history began in Melbourne. Mamo Wolde, a future Olympic marathon champion, competed in the 4 x 400 metres relay and the heats of the 800 and 1500 metres. In the marathon, Gebre Birkay finished 32nd of 33 finishers. Like the others, though, he was there.
“Melbourne is special for me,” said the winner. “I came here because of Ethiopia’s history with the MCG. It was our first time for the Olympic Games. The race is good, the people are good, but it is very windy.”
The wind aside, about his only other problem was that he had to finish twice. Not everyone caught his first run through the finish tape, so he obligingly re-staged it for those who had not been paying attention. He looked as if he could have done the 42.195 kilometres again had anyone asked.
Joshphat Mwangi of Kenya was second in 2:21:20. Like Collingwood, he is compiling an unenviable record of runner-up places on the MCG. He was second last year as well, when the race first finished on Melbourne’s most famous sporting venue. Yared Mekonnen of Ethiopia was third in 2:25:12.
The first Australian finisher was David Criniti of NSW in fifth place in 2:29:08. Magnus Michelsson, a former winner, was first Victorian in sixth place and Dean Cavuoto of the ACT, a former Australian world cross-country representative who has overcome a cancerous tumour in his right shoulder, was 12th in 2:38:14.
Just two seconds behind came Mai Tagami of Japan who, like Fikadu, had a runaway win in the women’s race. A 2:29:43 runner, she was a red-hot favourite and won in a manner justifying the tag. Like Fikadu, Tagami faces an uphill battle to win national representation. Japanese women’s marathoning is probably the country’s strongest event and Japan has provided two of the past three Olympic marathon gold medallists.
Michelle Bleakley finished second, and first Victorian, in 2:49:02, with Jenny Wikham of NSW next in 2:50:17.
Bleakley led last year’s women’s race for a long way before failing to finish with gastric problems. Soon after that, a mammogram revealed areas of “bad tissue” and, given a close family history of breast cancer, she decided to have a double mastectomy.
Shane Nankervis and Cassie Fien won the men’s and women’s half-marathons, in 65:58 and 75:14, respectively. Ballarat’s Nankervis won from Scott McTaggart and Rowan Walker, both representing the ACT. Fien beat Victoria’s Nikki Chapple and Bilinda Schipp of NSW.
The races were national championships with the ACT winning the men’s teams title and Victoria the women’s.
This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/10/12/1223749846892.html
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA – These past few weeks we have been writing about Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Al-Amoudi’s investment in Ethiopia, with particular emphasis on the large tracts of fenced-off land that have been left undeveloped for a long time and projects that are abandoned/neglected after they are well under way.
Why this emphasis now? Does the issue truly deserve to be a subject of concern? Whether Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Al-Amoudi’s investment is successful or fails, does it have such a meaningful impact on the Ethiopian economy to merit so much fretting and writing?
Yes, it does and as such needs to be emphasized. The Sheikh’s investment is the foremost and biggest non-governmental investment in Ethiopia. He is involved in such investment fields as agriculture, manufacturing, transport, hotel and tourism, finance and trading, education and health, sport and entertainment, mining and energy, construction, etc.
The diversity of the fields, the volume of investment as well as the job opportunities created by his investment are so significant that his role requires particular attention.
Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Al-Amoudi’s decision to invest heavily in his country of origin and create thousands of jobs is quite commendable. Despite this, however, one glaring weakness is apparent in his investment: the absence of a management capable of making the investment successful.
Organizationwise, the appropriate organizational structure required for investment purpose is absent. There is lack of clarity as to where and how his major investment vehicle in Ethiopia – Midroc Ethiopia – and other companies are headed to, operate and are managed.
Some of the persons appointed to positions of management are known to have official portfolios and a sense of duty to serve their country. On the other hand, there are those who, without having an official portfolio, claim to be managers and wield considerable power. Heaven knows how they came to have such power.
Consequently, the incapable and unauthorized “management” is increasingly riding roughshod over and undermining the capable and properly appointed management. The investment, hence, is gradually becoming one which is not run by a legally appointed management but is being pulled about by a bunch of “cell-phone overlords” who have no official portfolio or office.
This state of affairs necessarily creates a potentially alarming situation. If, God forbid, something bad were to happen to Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Al-Amoudi, can his companies operate normally under this condition? As things stand now, the answer must be no. So what would be their fate? They would fold up. Can the government prop them up? No, it can’t. Is there another local investor which can come to their rescue? No. Can anyone bail them out as the US government did its financial institutions? No.
Their failure will entail the loss of countless jobs and “toxic” debts for the banks which lent them money; their incaple managements will cause financial loss through their incompetence. The result is a disastrous chaos.
It’s because we foresee that such an unpleasant scenario will unfold that we believe the situation calls for urgent attention.
Can the situation be ameliorated before it develops into a full-scale crisis?
If the Sheikh is determined to address the problem fundamentally, we believe it can be resolved shortly. It is our wish for the problem to be properly handled and to see both him and the nation benefit from it.
There are a range of measures that can be taken with a view to bring about the desired solution. What are these?
One: To create a capable and strong management
Assess the existing situation critically so as to identify both strong and incapable members of management. Headhunt for competent persons experience at running the investment locally and, if necessary, abroad with the aim of putting in place immediately a capable, strong and forward-thinking management.
Two: Get rid of greedy, incapable and unappointed “shadow managers” and “cell-phone overlords”
We think that the fact that there exists a chronic managerial problem, and it is the major problem, is obvious to everyone. The problem is not attributable to the absence of capable persons willing to work for the Sheikh; rather it can be traced to the proliferation and the ascension to power of individuals who claim to be loyal servants but, in fact, derail his investment for their own selfish interests and who, without having any official portfolio or office, meddle in and hold up things orally through their cell phones. If these individuals are relatives or friends, they can be assisted without being allowed to interfere in work-related matters. But they must be purged from managerial positions within the investment.
Three: Establish the ” Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Al-Amoudi” foundation
It is undebatable that Sheikh Al-Amoudi is entitled to give away his money to whomever he pleases. But he can earn public gratitude when he makes the donation institutionally for a cause which benefits both the public and the nation. This way he gets both spiritual and personal satisfaction.
It should not be doubted that throwing away his money for unworthy causes will not earn him thanks. It will only damage his reputation.
The foundation to be established can support various worthy endeavors in the fields of science, research, sports, arts, etc. Hence, it should be created immediately and commence operation. When it does so, it will have an all-round beneficial effect and put the Sheikh in a good stead with the public.
Four: Focus on dependable investment areas, exit from unviable investments, swallow only what can be chewed
Amassing vast tracts of land and fencing them off without developing them or acquiring pubic enterprises from the government and leaving them idle is not a mark of prudence but an action which seems to be motivated by the desire to stick one’s fingers in every pie. Therefore, the Sheikh’s investments must be focused; he must abandon those activities which have no prospects of earning him a return.
Five: Assess and identify companies in terms of profitability, human resource, organization, technology transfer and societal benefit.
An investment can be deemed to benefit a nation and its people when it creates wealth by becoming profitable; it brings in technological know- how; it engages in the development human resource through education and training; and it provides a service which is of value to the community. Companies need to be assessed from this perspective.
Six: Engage in a healthy competition and cooperate with other investors.
The tendency presently being observed is one of unhealthy opposition, suspicion and creating impediments vis-à-vis other investors and not to act as a role model and benefactor for them. This should be immediately halted and be replaced by a culture of responsible corporate governance which is exemplary and promotes a healthy competition. It is high time for an altitudinal change.
Seven: Provide the necessary governmental support
The government must take it upon itself to closely monitor the investments of Sheikh Al-Amoudi so that it can discuss and work with him in resolving the problems attending them. Overall, the investments are beneficial to the country. This said, however, there are harmful aspects of these investments which must be done away with. In view of this, the government ought take a decisive action in that it must support areas of the Sheikh’s investment which are performing well and have the courage to “amputate” the “gangrenous” ones or administer a panacea to those which can be cured.
These solution measures by no means are exhaustive. The important thing is to abandon a spontaneous brand of management and make the transition to a scientific investment management. If there is a commitment to this goal, it can be accomplished successfully.
Speaking at the just ended 46th Independence anniversary celebrations at Kololo ceremonial grounds in Kampala, he stressed that the country’s financial sector had been regulated and banks have been following prudent lending procedures.