By David Ochami
(Africa Press International) — Eleven Muslims deported to Somalia from Kenya after the collapse of Somalia’s Islamic Courts Union (ICU) have been released from Ethiopian Woyanne jails and taken to Somalia.
It is not known why they were freed without charges.
But 19 Kenyans deported and detained with this group remain in Ethiopian Woyanne jails in Addis Ababa and Awasso cities.
An unnamed Kenyan among those released has not returned to the country for fear of persecution.
About 60 Kenyans and foreigners were deported to Somalia on January 27 after crossing from the war torn country in the wake of the collapse of the ICU spurred by an Ethiopian a Woyanne invasion.
Kenyan and Ethiopian Woyanne authorities accused them of links with the ICU and Al Qaeida. Most were taken to Ethiopia and some to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
Reports in Somalia’s Dobley town and Daadab on Kenya’s border with Somalia indicate one of the deportees was Kenyan without identification papers. Relatives declined to divulge further details.
In Nairobi the Muslim Human Rights Forum that has fought against US led renditions said its officials have met some of the released former deportees on the Somalia border.
Al Amin Kimathi, head of the forum, said the eleven were set free from Awasso and taken to Baidoa in South Central Somalia in February, apparently after being cleared by a military tribunal.
The official said one Kenyan has become deaf because of inhuman detention conditions. Independent accounts from former deportees show two detainees are now paralysed and one has lost an eye.
“It shows the extent of torture and atrocities in these jails,” said Al Amin.
Dummy Woyannes do not reliaze that Ethiopians are migrating in massive numbers because the Woyanne regime made it impossible for them to live and work freely in their own country.
(APA) ADDIS ABABA — Ethiopia Woyanne has banned Ethiopians from traveling to take up jobs in Beirut because of “human rights violations” and “various domestic violence” committed against its citizens working there.
The [Woyanne] Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs said on Thursday that the decision to suspend work travel to Beirut was made after thousands of Ethiopians suffered human rights abuses and harassment in Beirut.
“Suspending the work travel to Beirut was the only solution to minimize the human rights abuses on our citizens,” said Zenebu Tadesse, the state minister for labour and social affairs.
During the past few years, a number of Ethiopians have been killed in Beirut by their employers.
The ministry said it would take strong action against any employment agency trying to send workers to Beirut.
It is estimated there are over 50,000 Ethiopians working in Beirut, mainly women who work as house maids.
Over 100,000 Ethiopian workers are believed to be working in the Arab countries of the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Ethiopia celebrated Labour Day on Thursday with calls for hard work to improve productivity and bring Ethiopia to “middle class standard” status in 10-15 years.
BBC NEWS — Zimbabwe’s electoral commission has told an all-party meeting that Morgan Tsvangirai won almost 48% in March’s presidential election, reports say.
The result would mean the Movement for Democratic Change leader is 2% short of the 50% required to avoid a run-off against President Mugabe, who won 43%.
A source at the meeting told the BBC the figures were tabled at the start of the process to verify the final result.
Earlier, Mr Tsvangirai insisted he had won an outright victory in the poll.
On Wednesday, government sources told reporters that Mr Tsvangirai had beaten the president, but had not won enough of the vote to avoid a second round.
The opposition and human rights groups have accused the authorities of waging a campaign of violence to ensure Mr Mugabe wins any run-off.
Dispute
The crucial meeting at the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) offices began what officials called the “verification process”, in which representatives of the candidates each presented their calculations for the final result.
If the numbers fail to agree, the commission has said the candidates must then go back over the paperwork until they all accept the figures.
“Where we don’t agree, we will pull out every relevant document to ensure we have the same figures,” ZEC chairman George Chiweshe said beforehand. “At some stage, we have to agree.”
According to a BBC source in the meeting, commission officials said Mr Tsvangirai had won 47.8% of the vote, ahead of Robert Mugabe, who took 43.2%.
Although none of the candidates have commented on the meeting and discussions are due to resume on Friday morning, it is almost certain that a dispute is now under way, the BBC’s Peter Greste in Johannesburg says.
In an interview with France 24 television earlier, Mr Tsvangirai insisted he had won the 29 March vote outright, and that a second round was unnecessary.
Based on the results his supporters collected from individual polling stations, the MDC has “come up with a result which we feel is credible”, he said.
Mr Tsvangirai’s electoral agent, Chris Mbanga, is reported to have told the electoral commission on Thursday that the MDC leader had won 50.3%.
Mr Tsvangirai has also accused Mr Mugabe’s ruling Zanu-PF party of using the delays to stuff ballot boxes and force the second round run-off, which he says the president plan’s to win using a combination of fraud and intimidation.
So, even if the electoral commission orders a full recount, the MDC is unlikely to accept the outcome, our correspondent says.
(AFP) — Ethiopia’s world and Olympic 5,000 metres champion Meseret Defar suffered a shock defeat finishing second to compatriot Meselech Melkamu at the African athletics championships on Thursday.
Melkamu, the world indoor 3000m silver medallist powered her way to an easy victory after breaking away in the last 400 metres to win in 15 minutes 49.81 seconds.
Defar beat Kenya’s Grace Momanyi in a photo-finish for second place although both runners were awarded the same time of 15:50.20.
Earlier Nigeria entered its name in the medals table when African champion Olusiji Fasuba and Damola Osayami made it a sprint double in the men’s and women 100 metres events.
It was Fasuba’s third title at these championships and the 23-year-old Nigeria said he was satisfied with his performance only four months before the Olympic Games in Beijing.
“My plans for the Olympics are good. I wasn’t ready to run 10.10 now and it came,” said Fasuba, who clocked a personal best 9.85 in Doha in 2006.
“I believe that by the time I get to the sea level and do more speedwork and some more competitions I will be able to run my time consistently”, he added
Guinea’s Fatmata Fofanah won the women’s 100m hurdles beating her Nigerian arch-rival Toyin Augustus into second place.
Fofanah, who like Augustus trains in the United States clocked 13.10 – two seconds ahead of the Nigerian with Cameroon’s Carole Kaboud Me Bam a distant third in 13.52.
By Teddy Fikre
There are 11 vans rented and ready to go, with the option of getting more vans for this weekend’s trip to North Carolina. Ethiopians for Obama have been working hard to ensure Senator Obama’s nomination and ultimate victory in November. North Carolina presents us with another opportunity to contribute to change and take part in our great democracy.
This is a call to all Ethiopians in the DC metro area to join E4O in making a difference in North Carolina. We will be leaving Friday (May 2nd) at 7:00 PM and returning Sunday evening. The transportation has been taken care of, housing will be provided–names have to be submitted by the close of business today so that we can ensure space in the vans for all those who can make it.
Please join Ethiopians for Barack Obama on our caravan for change this weekend. You will get a chance to meet your fellow Ethiopian-Americans who have made unbelievable contributions in this primary season. There are a lot of Ethiopians in North Carolina, and they will be elated to see their fellow Ethiopian-Americans taking part in such a noble effort.
Forward this to all your friends and family, anyone who wants to make the trip to North Carolina this weekend, please email [email protected] and put “Yechalal NC” in the subject header along with a phone number you can be reached at in the email. I will see everyone who can make it on Friday.
