One of our most fundamental rights is the right to privacy, the right to solitude and anonymity, the right to be left alone, in a space of our own. Privacy begins with physical integrity. It can be a matter of life-and-death. Take the case of 22-year-old Senait Ketema from Ethiopia. In her country, stalkers tend to be seen simply as love-struck suitors, but in Senait’s case, her ‘suitor’ turned out to be a predator.
“I knew him from tenth grade. He was a taxi driver at the time, he introduced himself and we became acquainted. But he asked me to be his girlfriend, and I refused. He insisted, but I said no. He said he knew I didn’t love him and said he would do something about that. He knew where I lived from the start, and he would follow me. He said if I couldn’t be his, he would spoil my face.”
In spite of these threats, Senait did not talk to the authorities, not even to friends and family, because she didn’t take his threats serious. Then one day two years ago, he came to her house, said he wanted to talk, and insisted once again she should be his girlfriend. “And then he took acid out of his pocket, threw it on my face and the rest on my shoulder, and ran away.”
Senait has been seriously burned and scarred by the acid attack. Her assailant has been tried and jailed for the attack, but not for the stalking. The Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association is advocating a specific law that would make stalking illegal.
Sheik Mohamed Hussein Al Amoudi, the renowned parasite businessman, and the Tigray State Administration signed an accord on Thursday that enable the former to launch various investment projects in the state.
Signing the agreement, the owner of sister companies of MIDROC-Ethiopia, vowed to launch various investment projects in the region particularly in mining, leather, and leather products development sectors.
The investment projects due to be launched in the state include, among others, establishment of glass, sugar, and soft drinks manufacturing factories.
The renowned tycoon held discussions with senior officials of the regional government in order to share ideas on trade and investment options that exist in the region.
Chief of the state administration, Tsegaye Berhe said on the occasion the regional government will provide the necessary assistance to the businessman and it is ready to work together with the tycoon.
The regional administration granted 3,000 sq. meter of land to the tycoon meant for the construction of a residence. A street leading to the investment site of the Mekele town was also named after Sheik Mohamed Hussein Al Amoudi.
The chief inaugurated same day a billboard that shows the photograph of Sheik Mohamed Hussein Al Amoudi, as development hero of the town.
Meanwhile, the Tigray State Administration awarded Sheik Mohamed Hussein Al Amuodi the ‘highest martyr’s medal’ for his exemplary deeds in expanding trade and investment in the state.
The tycoon also received a special document containing the signatures of 3,000 women and youth as a gesture for his contributions in development endeavors.
The tycoon pledged on the occasion to donate 50 million Birr in support of the construction of a stadium in the town. He also pledged to re-construct a road that connects Enticho town of Tigray with a locality in North Wollo Zone of the Amhara State, which is said to be the birthplace of the tycoon’s mother.
Ethiopia may not have had a title to celebrate in December, but their performances in the Cecafa Cup were enough to propel them back into the top 100 on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. Indeed, Ethiopia moved up 15 places to 90th in the latest standings, after last month dropping out of the top 100.
Ethiopia’s profile in African soccer has vacillated as they seek to fight their way back to a position of respectability. They are one of the founder members of African football and are former continental champions, but they have not featured in the CAF Africa Cup of Nations for several decades.
The next task for the Walyas Boys is now to make a positive start to the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ qualifiers.
Ethiopia have been draw with Morocco, Mauritania and Rwanda in a group where they will feel they have a strong chance to finish in the top two. Morocco will be the favourites but Ethiopia have the potential to advance into the second phase of the African preliminaries.
There have been significant recent changes in the leadership of Ethiopian football in recent weeks, and a new board, full of celebrity names, has been mainly welcomed by supporters.
The Ethiopians have several months now to put their side together for a tilt at FIFA World Cup qualification. The country has several exports in nearby Yemen, but their best known player is the striker Fikru Tefera, who plays in South Africa’s Premier Soccer League with SuperSport United.
A shocking event occurred within the last months: Siye Abraha was released from prison all of sudden. That was indeed a surprising event. Our justice system must have been working for a man that was denied a due process. Yet he was released at a critical time when mass uprisings threatened the TPLF regime from all corners. Why now, why not 3 years ago or why not even 2 years from now? Why now? While I am glad that Siye is no longer in prison, I am questioning the motive for his timely release. What is Meles’ motive? What is he distracting us from? How does he benefit from this? And how can a man of Siye’s caliber be free to leave the country without being a risk to Meles and come to the Diaspora, without posing some security threat to TPLF, to preach the gospel of peace, unity, forgiveness and reconciliations? … Read more >>
NAIROBI, Jan 25 (Reuters) – Ethnic fighting killed at least 12 people in Kenya’s Rift Valley and forced thousands from their homes on Friday, undermining hopes of an end to weeks of unrest.
The violence, and a denial by opposition leader Raila Odinga that he would agree to serve as prime minister under President Mwai Kibaki, followed the first meeting between the two rivals since a disputed Dec. 27 election triggered a political crisis.
“Nakuru town has been shut down … hundreds are injured in hospital,” Kenya Red Cross head Abbas Gullet said.
About 700 people have died in violence since Kibaki was re-elected after polls observers say were flawed and Odinga and his Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) say were rigged.
The turmoil has also made 250,000 people homeless and damaged one of Africa’s most promising economies.
Hopes for a solution had grown on Thursday after former U.N. boss Kofi Annan brought Odinga and Kibaki together for their first discussions on how to end the standoff.
But their smiles and handshake were quickly followed by new accusations, with the opposition angered by Kibaki’s reference to himself as the country’s “duly-elected” leader.
On Friday, Odinga urged the African Union to avoid endorsing Kibaki’s re-election at a planned summit in Ethiopia.
Fresh violence broke out in the Rift Valley town of Nakuru, where soldiers cleared burning barricades as houses smouldered and the crack of gunshots filled the air.
Terrified residents sought shelter in churches, police stations and at the prison, while aerial pictures of surrounding villages showed smoke rising from torched homesteads. The local authorities imposed a 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew.
The fighting pitted members of Kibaki’s Kikuyu ethnic group against Luos and Kalenjins seen as pro-opposition.
A police source said 10 bodies had been found in different parts of the town, most with deep cuts. But he expected the death toll to rise because officers had not yet ventured deep into the Kaptembwa suburb, where clashes started. Local media said at least two people were also killed in nearby Molo town.
“WAR IN NAKURU”
“Its a nightmare. The Kalenjins came in from Eldoret side. Then the Kikuyus massed to confront them. It’s a war out here,” said one Kenyan businessman reached by phone in Nakuru.
All factories and shops were shut and his driver had been hurt by an arrow, he added. “The whole town is closed.”
Some Kikuyus said they would confront Kalenjins blamed for the killings of Kikuyus earlier this month in Rift Valley.
“We have vowed that for every Kikuyu killed in Eldoret, we shall kill two Kalenjins who are living in Nakuru,” said bus conductor Dennis Kariuki.
Another witness, Joel Okumu, said his house was torched in an attack overnight that he said seemed well planned.
The Kibaki-Raila meeting had been applauded around the world, including in statements from the European Union and U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama. But diplomats expressed concern for the future of the mediation process.
In an interview with Reuters on Friday, Odinga ruled out taking a new post of prime minister in Kibaki’s government — a solution some media and diplomats have touted. He said the only three acceptable options would be Kibaki’s resignation, a vote re-run, or power-sharing followed by a new election.
Kibaki’s Party of National Unity accuses the opposition of pre-planning violence against Kikuyus and says it should respect the election board’s verdict he won.
“We should focus on the bigger picture — how we resolve the conflicts we are having in the country, not the semantics and phrases in speeches,” Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula said.
“We are moving on.”
(Additional reporting by Anthony Gitonga in Nakuru and Tim Cocks, Duncan Miriri in Nairobi; Writing by Daniel Wallis; Editing by Ibon Villelabeitia)
LONDON (AFP) — Trying to impose democracy in Africa is wrong, Ethiopia’s prime minister dictator said Friday, contrasting Western attitudes to countries like Kenya and Zimbabwe to policies towards oil-rich Gulf states.
In a rare British newspaper interview, Meles Zenawi warned for example against imposing sanctions on Kenya to try to force the country to resolve the deadly standoff triggered by disputed elections.
“The threat of western sanctions as a response to the current crisis in Kenya is very, very misguided,” he told the Guardian daily.
“If it is presumed that the Kenyans will democratise in order to eat the peanuts of development assistance from the European Union, for example, it would be a big mistake.”
Kenya’s opposition has called for international sanctions against the government it accuses of rigging the December 27 polls that led to President Mwai Kibaki’s re-election.
Meles lamented the West’s attitude towards Zimbabwe, whose President Robert Mugabe is barred from travelling to Europe and is treated as an international pariah in particular by former colonial rulers Britain.
“I believe democratic forms of government are applicable everywhere and are better than the alternatives. And we feel that countries and peoples can share their experiences to help others to democratise. So that is all to the good.”
But he said: “When it becomes a problem is when countries pretend their foreign policy is based on democratisation when this is clearly not the case.”
“For all the challenges in Zimbabwe, for example, it is a bit of a stretch to say it is less democratic than some of the sheikhdoms of the Gulf. But none of the sheikhdoms has a problem visiting Europe,” he added.
And he went on: “We believe democracy cannot be imposed from outside in any society. Democracy is the expression of a sovereign people.
“To impose it from outside is inherently undemocratic. Each sovereign nation has to make its own decisions and have its own criteria as to how they govern themselves.”
