A major newspaper in Ghana gives prominent coverage to a message from the Coalition for Unity & Democracy Party (Kinijit) to the African Union Summit in Accra, Ghana.
Kinijit has sent Ato Andargachew Tsige, head of organizational affairs, to represent the party at the 3-day summit that started yesterday.
Click here to read the newspaper
…
Click here for Amharic
Abba (Father) Melake-Selam Sisay Ayele Yimer, the devoted Servant of the Almighty God; the true son of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo faith; the gallant Ethiopian nationalist; treasurer of the legal Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Holy Synod in exile and the founder and administrator of the Great Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church’s Debre Medhanit Medhane-Alem Cathedral of Columbus, Ohio passed away after five months of ailment and hospital care at the age of 80 in the city of Columbus, Ohio, USA on Friday, June 29, 2007.
Religious Services and Funeral Arrangement Schedule:
Beginning Friday, June 29 His Holiness Abune Merkorios, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church along with other Arch-bishops, Bishops, Fathers, and Dignitaries have started arriving in Columbus, Ohio, USA for the funeral services.
Beginning Monday, July 2, prayers will be conducted from 6:00 Am to 7:00 AM in the morning and from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM in the evening at Debre Medhanit Medhane Alem Cathedral.
On Wednesday, July 4, starting 10:00 AM Holy Mass and Tselote-Fithat (wake) will be conducted at Debre Medhanit Medhane Alem Cathedral, under the leadership of His Holiness Abune Merkorios, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
On Saturday, July 7, starting 9:00 AM the last and final Tselote-Fithat (wake) will be conducted at Debre Medhanit Medhane Alem Cathedral, under the leadership of His Holiness Abune Merkorios, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. After the Tselote-Fithat (wake), eulogy will be read and the burial ceremony will be performed at:
Cemetery Address: St. Joseph Cemetery 6440 South High St., Columbus, OH 43137. Phone (614) 491-2751.
Church Address:
Debre Medhanit Medhane Alem Cathedral
610 Neil Avenue
Columbus, OH 43215
Church Telephone: (614) 280-0626
For more info : (614 ) 622-5922 or (614) 332-8002 or (614 ) 989-4777
By Issayas Mekuria | Addis Fortune
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – After six years of trials, Tamrat Layne, the former prime minister, and Seye Abreha, ex-defence minister, along with his younger brother Miherete’ab, were found guilty by the Federal Supreme Court on corruption charges on Friday, June 29, 2007. The third brother, Assefa Abreha, who was also a part of the inner circle of the ruling party, had been charged under the same file, but managed to escape scotch-free.
In July 2002, the Federal Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission brought forward four cases against Tamrat and two cases against Seye. Each was found guilty on one count.
Seye’s younger brother, Assefa, was found not guilty on the two cases brought by the Commission, whereas the other young sibling, Mihrete’ab, was found guilty by the Court on the one case filed by the Commission.
Convicted for a 16 year prison term, out of which 12 has been served, Tamrat was accused by the Commission of aiding Kahsay Abay to receive unlawful gains by importing five used vehicles duty-free while he was serving office. The two other defendants, Seye and Assefa were also accused under this case. However, the Court found the latter two not guilty of this charge.
The Court accepted the case presented by the Commission, finding Seye guilty of helping his young sibling, Mihrete’ab, unlawfully benefit from the partially sate-owned company, AMCE, and bought 13 trucks at a 19pc discount.
Assefa, who was found innocent on charges under Tamrat’s file, was found guilty last week on the charges under another file with Beshahe Azmete, Fitsumzeab, his brother in-law and Heraier Behsnilian of Hagbes, that he used the power he was given by the public to advance unlawful gains.
Tamrat was the founder of the former Ethiopian People Democratic Movement, one of the off-springs of EPRDF, and later was chairman and founder of the Amhara National Democracy Movement. Soon after the Military regime was ousted by the EPRDF forces, he served as the Prime Minister of Ethiopia for the Transitional Government and, when he was arrested in 1998 under suspicion of high-profile graft, he was the Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia.
Seye, who joined the former Prime Minister four years after the latter was arrested, was one of the founders of the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) and later Defence Minister.
Seye’s sisters, Timinet and Fiseha were also arrested with him but were subsequently acquitted.
Based in the town of Mojo, 65 km outside of Addis Ababa, ‘Holland Car’ is the brainchild of Tadesse Tessema, who lived in the Netherlands for 27 years but decided he could start a successful business in his homeland.
Ethiopia’s known as a mass producer of such commodities as coffee and leather, but one ambitious Ethiopian is introducing a new idea to the country. Returning after nearly 30 years abroad, Tadesse Tessema has opened Ethiopia’s first vehicle assembly plant – to the surprise of many Ethiopians.
Based in the town of Mojo, 65 kilometres outside of Addis Ababa, ‘Holland Car’ is the brainchild of Tadesse Tessema. Tesseme lived in the Netherlands for the last 27 years and exported cars to Ethiopia. But he decided that if he returned to his homeland he could start a successful business and help create employment. More than $2.5 million USD has been invested in this car assembly plant.
The Dutch Government invested $650,000 USD under its ‘Poverty Reduction Plan’. As part of the deal, the Dutch Government requested the company should be a joint venture between Dutch and Ethiopian companies.
The car is partially assembled in China and sent to Ethiopia’s neighbour Djbouti. It’s then transported 1,000 kilometres by road to this factory south west of the Ethiopian capital where it arrives as a skeleton.
Tadesse team of 75 staff assembles the vehicles. More than 30% of the mechanics are women.
Tadesse named the new car, whose design was based on a Fiat 131, ‘DOCC’ – after the Dutch Overseas Car Company. The 1.6 litre five gear DOCC sells for around $13,000 US Dollars new and comes with a one year warranty and in 8 colours: silver, grey and black being the most popular.
25 cars sold in last three months
In the last three months Tadesse has sold 25 cars and 75 in total since becoming fully operational in November 2006. He plans to build 500 vehicles between now and December and in the future aims to have 2,000 built per year (6 per day).
Tadesse hopes that his enterprise will help to change the image of Ethiopia as an impoverished country. While he tries to improve his country’s image – Tadesse’s also planning to improve the environment and in the future will convert the cars to use the more environmentally-friendly LPG – liquefied petroleum gas.
If Tadesse can find enthusiastic customers, he’ll eventually be able to expand into pick-up trucks, 4 Wheel Drives and light trucks as he says his country needs be less dependent on foreign vehicles. He’s hoping that within a short space of time his cars will be speeding off the assembly line.
Amnesty International
July 2, 2007
Four Ethiopian Teachers’ Association (ETA) members who were arrested in December 2006, are now known to have been released in March, but three have since been rearrested. The fourth ETA official, Tilahun Ayalew, is in hiding. Amnesty International believes that the three teachers who are being detained are prisoners of conscience detained for participating in legal ETA trade union activities. They are at risk of torture or ill-treatment.
They have reportedly been accused of being members of an armed opposition group, the Ethiopian People’s Patriotic Front (EPPF). This is the same charge levelled against them when they were arrested in December, but the court that ordered their release in March said it had found no evidence to support the charge.
Anteneh Getnet and Meqcha Mengistu were both arrested at their homes on 30 May. A third ETA member, primary school teacher Woldie Dana, was arrested at his home on 4 June. Woldie Dana was also detained in December 2006 and released on March 22 on the orders of the court.
The three men are being held at Kaliti Prison in the capital, Addis Ababa.
Tilahun Ayalew went into hiding on 28 May on hearing that government security agents were coming to arrest him. The agents arrested his wife instead, but released her the following day. Tilahun Ayalew, was also arrested in December 2006 and released on 22 March. When he was arrested in December, without a warrant, he was taken to a forest, tortured for four days and then beaten until he passed out. He was transferred to the Addis Ababa Police Commission on 26 December. An Addis Ababa court ordered his release on 28 December. However, the police rearrested him and he remained in detention until he was released on 22 March. As a result of the torture he now has difficulty walking.
Anteneh Getnet and Meqcha Mengistu have also reportedly stated that they were tortured when they were detained from December to March. They claim that they were coerced into signing false confessions that they had links with the EPPF. The court rejected these “confessions”, but did not investigate their allegations of torture.
Meqcha Mengistu is a father of four, a secondary school teacher and local ETA chairperson in the East Gojjam area. He is also a member of the ETA Committee responsible for the implementation of an HIV/AIDS education programme (EFAIDS). He was arrested on 17 December and was beaten severely many times in an attempt to make him admit to EPPF membership.
Anteneh Getnet was elected to the ETA Addis Ababa Regional Council in August 2006. He was arrested in December 2006 and after his release in March he is reported to have said that he had regularly been tortured by being suspended by his feet and hands, face downwards, with his chest touching the floor, and left in this position overnight. This has left him with severe problems with his arms, legs and back. He was told that he would not be released if he did not admit to being an EPPF member.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The ETA is the largest trade union in Ethiopia, with half a million members. It is affiliated to the worldwide trade union umbrella organisation the International Trade Union Confederation, and to the global federation of teachers’ trade unions, Education International. The ETA has been critical of government education policies, including regional language teaching policies and teachers’ conditions of service. The authorities have attempted to replace the ETA by setting up a rival pro-government union with the same name. Hundreds of teachers and ETA members across the country have been detained or arbitrarily dismissed since the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) came to power in 1991, reportedly because they failed to support the party, but all were eventually released.
By Farah Ali Jama
The people of Somalia are demanding justice in accordance with the international law. And the international Community is obliged to grant them justice, and to bring to justice War Criminal Meles Zinawi, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia; Yoweri Museveni, the president of Uganda, and the Commander of the AU Peace Keepers for committing the following genocidal war, war crimes, and crimes against humanity against the innocent people and state of Somalia:
War Criminal Meles Zinawi:
a) For the invasion of the sovereign neighbouring State of Somalia contrary to the international law.
b) For the ongoing illegal occupation of the people and State of Somalia.
c) For waging a barbarous and fascistic genocidal war against the innocent citizenry of Somalia.
d) For the use of War Planes, Heavy Artilleries, Missiles, and Poison Gas against the unarmed innocent civilians of Somalia.
e) For the barbarous and fascistic bombardment of residential neighbourhoods of Mogadishu city, the capital of Somalia thereby leveling to the ground entire neighbourhoods, and for intentionally targeting civilians and destroying civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, the university, Hotels, community centres, business premises, mosques, cemeteries, water wells, etc.
f) For the documented genocide of more than 3,000 innocent civilians mainly women, children, and the frail elderly, and for seriously wounding thousands of others, and rendering more than 400, 000 civilians to flee for their lives who are, to this day, internally displaced and are suffering in the bushes at the outskirts of the city without the basic necessities such as food, shelter, medicine, water, etc.
g) For the ongoing intimidations, abuses, arbitrary imprisonments, torture, brutal gang rapes, looting, massacres, and the slow paced genocide against the innocent civilians in Mogadishu particularly against the Hawiye Clan, which is the largest ethnic group in Somalia.
War Criminal Yoweri Museveni:
Likewise, the international community is obliged to bring to justice War Criminal Yoweri Museveni, the President of Uganda:
a) For aiding and abetting the American interests in Somalia, the Ethiopian interests in Somalia, and for participating on the illegitimate and so-called “War Against Terrorism” against the innocent people and State of Somalia.
b) For sending troops to Somalia to aid and abet the illegal occupation of Somalia contrary to AU and UN Charter or international law.
c) For covertly and overtly participating in the genocidal war, war crimes, crimes against humanity against the innocent people and State of Somalia.
War Criminal Ugandan AU Peacekeeping Commander:
The Ugandan AU Peace Keeper Commander, and his troops, which are exclusive Ugandan troops should equally be brought to justice:
a) For aiding and abetting a genocidal war in Mogadishu city, war crimes, and crimes against humanity against the innocent people of Somalia particularly against women, children, and the frail elderly.
b) For the failure of AU Peace Keepers to act in accordance with their mandate and to protect and safeguard the battered and long suffering civilians in Somalia.
c) For remaining in the sidelines and allowing the Ethiopian occupation forces to wage unabatedly a barbarous and fascistic genocidal war against the innocent residents of Mogadishu city.
d) For their covert and overt participation and playing the role similar to the previous Dutch UN Peace Keepers in Bosnia, in which they disarmed the residents of Srebrenica city with the guarantees of protecting them but, when the Serb troops invaded the city did nothing, and remained in the sidelines, while the fascist Serb troops and paramilitaries separated women from men, and in a cold blood slaughtered more than 7,000 men and boys in July 1995. Therefore, the AU Peace Keepers in Mogadishu, Somalia who are exclusively Ugandan troops are as guilty as the previous Dutch UN Peace Keepers in Srebrenica, Bosnia. The Christian Ugandan AU troops allowed the fascist Christian Ethiopian occupation forces to wage a genocidal war against the innocent Muslim residents of Mogadishu city; and the Christian Dutch UN troops allowed the fascist Christian Serbian occupation forces to wage a genocidal war against the innocent Muslim residents of Srebrenica city.
e) For the gross violation of the AU Peace Keeping Mandate in Somalia, and for their failure to act as required, and for collaborating with the fascist Ethiopian occupation forces who are, to this day, waging a genocidal war against the innocent civilians of Somalia.
As a result, much of the previous and the ongoing genocidal war, war crimes, and crimes against humanity committed by the Meles Zinawi, Yoweri Museveni, and Commander of the AU Peace Keepers in Somalia as well as both the fascist Ethiopian and Ugandan troops has been documented by both local and international organization. It can not be disputed as the concrete evidence is out there for the whole world to witness.
Therefore, the people of Somalia are vigorously demanding that the international community to bring to justice these war criminals for committing a barbarous and fascistic genocidal war, war crimes, and crimes against humanity against the innocent people of Somalia particularly against the women, children, and the elderly.
And demanding Ethiopia to unconditionally and immediately end the illegal occupation of the people and State of Somalia.
It has been said that, justice delayed is justice denied; so act now in accordance with the international law and end the occupation and genocide in Somalia.
Farah Ali Jama, Ottawa, Canada, can be reached at [email protected]