(API) Addis Ababa — Ethiopian Muslims, who constitute around 40 % of the estimated 80 million population, are celebrating their Maulid with various activities, as part of Ethiopia’s Millennium celebrations held last September.
Some Muslims told APA that this year’s Maulid is being celebrated in a colourful mood, which is being observed as part of the Ethiopian Millennium celebrations.
The Ethiopian Muslim holidays, like the rest of world, are based on the lunar calendar and thus fall at different times each year.
The Ethiopian Muslim community were busy on Wednesday buying different things for the celebration of Maulid, which is regarded as a Holy day.
On the day, after praying and listening to the imam (religious leader) preach, Ethiopian Muslims sacrifice animals and distribute part of the meat to the poor.
The Muslims observe the day with their Christian neighbors. Many Muslims invite their Christian neighbors to their homes where they will have Ethiopian traditional food and drinks together.
The Muslims prepare special food, as well as give meat to their Christian neighbors.
“We are celebrating the day with Christian neighbors as we are doing like other holidays. We are happy to celebrate this year’s Millennium Maulid,” Fetya Hassen, an Ethiopian Muslim, who was celebrating the day with her Christian neighbors told APA.
Gifts are presented on the day where many Muslims buy various gifts both for their Muslim friends and other neighbors. Colorful processions are held during this time of celebrations, with dancing, singing, and feasting also being included in the festivities.
This year, the prices sheep and goats are quite high compared to the previous year. Big goats and sheep cost around $50 and $60 while the small one is around $35 and chicken is around $3 and $4.
Volunteers affiliated with Ethiopians for Obama have amassed a vast database of Ethiopian residents in the great state of Pennsylvania. Ethiopians for Obama will start phone-banking, where volunteers from multiple states will call Ethiopian voters in Pennsylvania to ensure that the Ethiopian community registers to vote in the Democratic Primary before the March 24th deadline.
Voters who register after the 24th of March are not eligible to vote in the Democratic Primary. Moreover, voters who are not registered as Democrats are not eligible to participate in the Democratic Primary, so it is vital the Ethiopian community register as Democrats before March 24th.
The Pennsylvania Primary will be held on April 22nd, there is a large and tight-knit Ethiopian community in Philadelphia and dispersed in other cities in Pennsylvania. With a large turnout, the Ethiopian electorate can have a huge impact on the outcome of the Pennsylvania Primary. Every vote counts, Ethiopians for Obama will make phone calls to the Ethiopian community in Pennsylvania to make sure that we make our votes count.
We at Ethiopians for Obama are always looking for volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering or being more involved in the politics of our nation — being a part of the change we want — please email [email protected]
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Ethiopians in Pennsylvania can register online here: rockthevote.org. The registration deadline is March 24.
(The Daily Monitor) – More than 14 million Ethiopians may be potentially at risk of fluorosis, the Ministry of Water Resources announced at a workshop on Fluorosis Mitigation Learning Exchange held from from 4- 5 March 2008 in Addis Ababa. A recent assessment of Fluoride, Fluorosis and Defluoridation issues reported that, out of those at risk, approximately 85% may have already been exposed to high fluoride contamination. Excessive fluoride is the most serious water sanitation problem, mainly in the Ethiopian Rift Valley system affecting areas in Afar, Oromia, and the Southern Nations, Nationalities and peoples regional states, including some parts of Gambela Regional State. A high level National Fluorosis Mitigation Steering Committee composed of Ministers and Heads of relevant agencies has been re-established to coordinate fluorosis mitigation efforts in Ethiopia.
—————— The problem is that the ministers are all too busy enriching themselves and getting drunk in their spare time. Even if they want to do some thing constructive, they are too ignorant since their only qualification is their loyalty to their puppet-master Meles Zenawi.
Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs – Integrated Regional Information Networks
ADDIS ABABA (IRIN) – The Ethiopian government’s decision to remove some taxes on grains is unlikely to have an immediate impact on rising food prices in rural areas, where most of the consumers are actually producers, an economist said.
It may, however, ease the burden on the urban poor in several months’ time, if the government follows through on implementation.
“The fact that 85 percent of Ethiopians are living in rural areas means a reduction of value added tax and turnover tax will not have an impact on their lives,” the Ethiopian economist, who declined to be named, said.
“The reduction will probably help the urban poor; (but) the change will not be that significant,” he told IRIN in the capital, Addis Ababa. “It will take at least six months to see some changes in the grain market – with serious regulation and follow-up. However, the government does not have the capacity to do that.”
Speaking in parliament on 18 March, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said: “While our current economic development is encouraging, worsening inflation has created a difficult situation for the low-income urban dwellers.”
The government, he added, had devised temporary measures, including provision of direct and indirect subsidies, and had spent 372 million birr (US$38 million) in the past few years to subsidise wheat and 3.52bn birr ($366 million) to subsidise fuel.
“Direct subsidies have included government expenditure to stabilise fuel prices and provide wheat for low-income populations,” Meles said.
A subsidised wheat supply of 25kg every month for low-income urban dwellers was introduced in March 2007. “The current distribution of wheat will be maintained and edible oil will also be offered in a similar manner until the price of goods has been satisfactorily stabilised. We will also attempt to distribute products such as soap if deemed appropriate, depending on the circumstances.”
Apart from rising commodity prices in the international market, a significant increase in money circulation and deficiencies in the marketing system were two domestic reasons that had exacerbated inflation.
In December 2007, the Famine Early Warning Systems (Fews Net) warned that high cereal and commodity prices in Addis Ababa, and several other monitored markets, including Bahir Dar, Mekelle and Dire Dawa, would affect food security for many urban dwellers.
Market-related factors, along with chronic problems and decreased production, were expected to render an estimated eight million Ethiopians food-insecure this year, while 2.4 million acutely food-insecure people would require food and cash assistance.
“Despite some increases in income, high prices are affecting the food security of the rural and urban poor, who rely heavily on the market to purchase food,” the update noted.
Giving the example of white maize, Fews Net said the nominal retail price in Addis Ababa was 36 percent higher in 2007 compared with the 2002-2006 average.
According to the UN, 16 percent of Ethiopia’s more than 70 million people live in urban areas and the rest in rural areas. Eighty-five percent of the population are employed in agriculture.
“Overall, the increase in prices of cereals is expected to have a serious negative impact on the food security of the poor, both in urban and rural areas, who depend on the market to purchase food, though increases in wage labour are expected to enable them to cope, to some extent, with increasing prices.”
(AP) – MOGADISHU, Somalia: Insurgents briefly overran two government bases Thursday after hours of fighting killed at least seven people, including a 7-year-old boy, witnesses said.
The insurgent attack was the latest brazen move by fighters linked to an Islamic extremist group that was driven out in December 2006 by Somalia’s Western-backed government and its Ethiopian Woyanne allies.
In recent weeks, the insurgents have taken over government positions, marched into towns and even released prisoners from jail before retreating.
“Insurgents were firing machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, and the soldiers were using mortars and heavy artillery,” said Shuceyb Ali, a resident of the capital, Mogadishu.
She and other witnesses said the insurgents drove government soldiers from two bases before retreating.
About 20 people were being treated for wounds at two hospitals in the capital, officials said. A 7-year-old boy died of his wounds at Medina Hospital, said Fadumo Osman, a nurse.
Associated Press writers Mohamed Sheikh Nor and Salad Duhul contributed to this report.
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) organized a canvas painting event at Meskel Square on 7 & 8 March 2008 under the theme “Stop Early Marriage.” The painting of a 100 meter canvas, which is the largest piece of painting ever painted in Ethiopia, was undertaken on the two consecutive days by 30 of Ethiopia’s prominent artists and the painting was launched on March 8, the International Women’s Day, which was commemorated this year with the theme “Investing in Women and Girls”. The event was attended by His Holiness Abuna Paulos, Aba Gebremedhin, [illigitimate] Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and President of the World Council of Churches; Mr. Abdoulie Janneh, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA); members of the diplomatic corps; and other high level dignitaries.
The canvas painting event was one major activity forming part of a national campaign entitled “Stop Early Marriage.” The “Stop Early Marriage” campaign was graciously kicked-started under the auspices of Ethiopia’s First Lady, H.E. Wz. Azeb Mesfin, at the recent summit of the African First Ladies. The campaign was conceived a few months ago by UNFPA, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Population Council. This unique, participatory and big-impact canvas painting event was believed to be a key milestone in enhancing the understanding of the public, policy-makers and development stakeholders on early marriage.
Making a remark during the event His Holiness Abuna Paulos condemned the practice of early marriage and noted that his church would not bless any instance of early marriage.
“Early Marriage is one of the prevalent forms of gender-based violence in Ethiopia with negative consequences on women’s and girl’s reproductive health, including maternal deaths, fistula, HIV/AIDS and other negative psycho-social problems,” remarked Dr. Monique Rakotomalala, UNFPA Representative to Ethiopia. She also underscored that rural-urban migration and susceptibility to poverty, physical and sexual abuse are consequences of early marriage established by research.
The team of artists who participated in the canvas painting are Ethiopia’s celebrated artists, who brought together an interesting mixture of styles, ages and gender to express their feelings for the fight against early marriage. The canvas painting event took place in full view on the public.
Gender is one of the core mandates of UNFPA and the organization has built operational experience in preventing early marriage and addressing the consequences of the practice in urban Ethiopia. With funding it secured from the Nike and United Nations Foundations, UNFPA has in the past two years been supporting a successful early marriage prevention project in the Amhara Region where half of all girls get married by the age of 15. The project has been implemented by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Amhara Youth and Sports Bureau, with technical assistance provided by Population Council. The practice of early marriage is also prevalent in two other regions of the country namely Benishangul Gumuz and Tigray Regions.
The “Stop Early Marriage” campaign will also be linked to some key publicity events in 2008, including the Women’s First Run taking place on March 23rd; the Sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence (November 25-December 16); and World Population Day. Currently UNFPA is running radio and TV spots on national and regional radio and TV stations as part of the campaign and the spots will be aired for three consecutive months to come.
UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect.
