President of Ethiopia’s Benishangul-Gumuz region, Ato Yaregal Aysheshum, has defected and joined the opposition camp earlier this month.
The Ethiopian Review Intelligence Unit has learned that Ato Yaregal had sought political asylum in an east African country, and when his safety was threatened, he was taken to a third country.
Although Ato Yaregal was the President of Benishangul-Gumuz, a region that is abundantly fertile and rich in natural resources, he had little say in how the region was administered. As in all the other regions of Ethiopia, all important decisions are being made by officials of the Tigrean People Liberation Front (Woyanne) from Mekelle and Addis Ababa.
Ato Yaregal was particularly disconcerted by Woyanne’s recent instigation of ethnic conflicts between Oromos and Benishangul, which finally led him to join the opposition Ginbot 7 Movement, according to ER sources.
After joining Ginbot 7, Ato Yaregal was successful in passing highly valuable information about the regime’s criminal activities. When the Woyanne intelligence was getting close to him, he managed to escape with the help of Ginbot 7 local operatives.
Woyanne agents are currently threatening him with confiscating all his properties in the country and hurting members of his family, while reporting that he is abroad getting medical attention, in order to lure him into returning.
Ginbot 7 officials declined to comment on Ato Yaregal’s case.
By MARCIA VANDERLIP | Columbia Tribune
CULUMBIA, MISSOURI – You can learn a lot about a person’s culture by exploring her pantry. I didn’t know anything about teff, for example, until my Eritrean {www:friend} Akbaret Hailu Hagos invited me into her pantry last week to see the 10-pound bag of teff flour. She goes through the teff pretty quickly because it is used in the family’s daily bread, injera. She buys the big bags online, to save a little. “It’s hard to find here,” she said, adding that it is more expensive than all-purpose flour.
Last week, after spending some time sampling Akbaret’s delicious native food — including the spongy, pancake-like injera made with teff — I wondered why teff is so, well, foreign to this country. Farmers here grow lots of corn, wheat and sorghum, but not so much teff. This is puzzling because the tiny grain is high in protein, nutrient-rich and it is gluten-free. It’s also drought-resistant and, by some accounts, can be grown just about anywhere.
In East Africa, teff is the staple grain, ground into flour to make the injera, which is shared at daily meals in Eritrea and Ethiopia.
I couldn’t find a Missouri farmer who grew teff for food. The closest I came to Missouri was Kansas. Edgar Hicks, a grain-marketing consultant in Omaha, Nebraska, told me about a handful of farmers in Nicodemus, Kansas, who are growing teff, thanks to a USDA Conservation Innovation grant received a year ago, administered by Solomon Valley Resource Conservation and Development Area in Kansas. This year, the farmers used a grass drill to plant 40 acres of the tiny seed in May, June and July. The May crop grew well in warm, dry weather. The later crops failed to mature because of unusually wet weather late in the season. “It’s a learning process,” said Teresa Webb, program assistant at Solomon Valley. “People need to know that food does not magically appear in the grocery store. It’s a process that is sometimes not easy.” Still, teff is growing in Kansas, and it looks promising as an “alternative” rotation crop, a way to supplement farmers’ income. “We wanted to sell it to ethnic markets” and health markets, Webb explained, “for people with celiac” disease who are allergic to gluten, “and people from Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea who want their native grain.”
When Hicks first imagined the market for teff in Kansas, he envisioned “an ecomomic development tool” for these particular Kansas farmers, descendents of African slaves. “Originally, my intention was to grow teff like they do in Ethiopia and Eritrea, where it is hand-grown and labor intensive. We wanted to create something with a value-added feel,” he said. Hicks wanted to see “the farmer, the grower and the buyer all coming together. People could come to this community, get to know the culture, learn how people are sharing, how they eat. I think we need to get back to the way people used to eat — sharing a meal in a communal way.”
He thinks the Ethopians and Eritreans have something to teach us about sharing crops and meals. He also thinks there is demand for teff as a food crop, but communities and farmers will need to be educated about how to use it and grow it. By the way, the grain is currently grown for flour in Oklahoma, New Mexico and Idaho. Farmers in other states, like Ohio and Tennessee, are planting the sturdy teff grass as forage food for horses and cattle.
Meanwhile, out in Western Kansas, Solomon Valley has been getting lots of calls from California, Texas, Maine and even Europe. People want to know where to get teff seed to process into flour, Webb said.
Back in Columbia, I picked up a 24-ounce bag in the gluten-free section at Clover’s Natural Market for just less than $7. (I later found the small bags in the health food aisles at Hy-Vee and Gerbes. Also, if you don’t mind buying on Amazon.com, you can purchase from Barry Farms, a 1-pound bag for $3 or a 5-pound bag for $14.20.)
I mixed up my package of flour with some yeast and water and let it sit, covered, for a day. The next day, my husband poured the all-teff flour batter into a crepe pan and made mini injera, which looked more like a cross between a tortilla and a crepe, only it was deep brown in color, smelled of cocoa and had a robust, nutty flavor. Teff pancakes might not appeal to everyone. I liken it to drinking stout or a hearty microbrew as opposed to a thinner lager.
We lined a wide plate with our injera tortillas and ladled on some Spanish pot roast to share with a friend who is allergic to wheat. Our American adaptation was pretty good, though it did not come close to the soft, delicate injera made by Akbaret. We ate it with our hands, in solidarity and communion with Eritreans. Try it some time. The kids will love it. This kid did.
(Reach Marcia Vanderlip at (573) 815-1704 or [email protected].)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – Haile Gebrselassie easily won the Dubai Marathon on Friday, but said steady rain throughout the race hampered his bid to claim the $1 million bonus on offer for breaking his own world record.
Gebrselassie finished in 2 hours, 5 minutes and 29 seconds — just 90 seconds off his record — to narrowly beat compatriots Deressa Edae Chimsa (2:07.54) and Wendimu Tsige (2:08.41).
The Ethiopians also dominated the women’s event, with Bezunesh Bekele Sertsu winning in 2:24:02 after pulling away from countrywoman Atsede Habtamu Besuye (2:25.17) in the final stretch. Kenya’s Helena Loshanyang Kirop was third (2:25.35).
“Everybody was expecting me to break the world record here, but I am very pleased with the time I ran today,” said the 35-year-old Gebrselassie. “This is my best time in wet weather. It could have been much worse, but I’m really happy with the time.”
Gebrselassie was on pace to challenge his world mark of 2:03:59 set last year in Berlin. But he struggled against the rain in the second half of the race, which began at dawn along Dubai’s Gulf coastline.
“I saw the clouds ahead and it looked like it was going to be difficult,” he said. “Sometimes it’s not just about defeating time, sometimes you defeat yourself. When I saw the rain coming, I defeated myself. But it (a new record) will happen. I will come back next year.”
Sertsu, who finished second last year in Dubai, said the rain forced her to set a slower pace, but she had plenty left in the final stages to build her lead.
“Today was definitely one of the best races I’ve run,” said the 25-year-old.
Gebrselassie said his next goal is to attempt to reclaim the half-marathon record in The Hague, Netherlands, in March. Then there’s the 2012 Olympics, when he’ll be about eight months short of his 40th birthday.
“There’s a lot to look forward to in the future. We have the Olympic games in three years’ time and before that the 2010 Dubai Marathon. If you think about stopping somewhere it’s no good. You’ve got to think about doing more,” he added.
“If you set a date to retire; if you say you’re going to retire in two years’ time, you actually end up retiring at that very moment. So, I haven’t put any time (on retirement).”
Dubai is the world’s richest marathon. The $1 million world record bonus was in addition to the $250,000 winner’s check.
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Gebrselassie Wins Rain-Lashed Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon
Haile Gebrselassie won a rain-soaked Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon yesterday (Friday) storming home in a time of 2h:05m:29s – over a minute outside of his own world record but still the eighth fastest time ever.
The flying Ethiopian went into the race with high hopes of breaking the 2h:03m:59s world record he set last year in Berlin.
But a torrential downpour late into the race and a slight headwind on the return leg along the Beach Road put paid to his record chances, despite a blistering first half that was 20 seconds inside world record pace
“When conditions get like this and you see the rain, you don’t think about records only about doing the best you can,” admitted Gebrselassie after finishing over two minutes ahead of runner-up Deressa Edae Chimsa (2h:07m:54s). “But there are always positives and this is my best ever time in conditions like these.”
Despite missing out on the US$ 1 million world record bonus on offer from Dubai Holding, Gebrselassie collected a cheque for US$ 250,000 and the winner’s trophy from Mattar Al Tayer, Vice President of Dubai Sports Council. Making it an Ethiopian clean sweep in third place was Eshetu Wendimu in a time of 2h:08m:41s.
Although Gebrselassie put a brave face on failing to beat his world best, there is no doubt he came into the race confident of what would have been world record number 27.
The early splits were good. Geb had indicated that a half marathon mark of 61m:45s would see him bang on record pace and at the half way point the time was exactly that, the pacemakers keeping the legendary runner on course some 20 seconds ahead of his record time.
Unfortunately, the head wind took its toll over the closing 10km, while his troubles increased with a torrential downpour that followed him all the way to the 2,000 cheering Ethiopians gathered at the finish line.
“The weather was not good to the spectators but still the sang to me as I came to the end of the race and I thank them for that,” added Gebrselassie. “I have no complaints today – the race organisation was fantastic but it was not to be.”
Making it an Ethiopian double, the diminutive Bezunesh Bekele claimed the Women’s US$ 250,000 first prize in a time of 2h:24m:02s, with compatriot Atsede Habtamu Besuye in second (2h:25m:17s) and Kenya’s Helena Kirop in third (2h:25m:35s).
Sponsored by Standard Chartered for the past five years and held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon saw around 10,000 runners take to the streets of Dubai for the Marathon, the 10km and the 3km Fun Run.
Edging the honours in the men’s 10km was Eritrea’s Habtai Kifetsion who clocked the same time as Moussie Weldemichael (30m:12s) with Othmane Chaibi of Marocco third in 30m:32s.
In the women’s event, Emma Philips of Great Britain took first place in 37m:25s, more than two minutes ahead of Finland’s Anne Mari Hyrylainen (40m:12s) with Australian Amanda Peters in third in 41m:31s.
“Haile has again shown what a great champion he is,” said Event Director Peter Connerton. “The weather was terrible over the last portion of the race yet he still set the eighth fastest time in history – and the top three times are his already. I’m sure we all look forward to seeing him come back and win the Dubai event for a third time in a row.”
PUMA once again helped to encourage all the runners by drawing crowds to the PUMA Turn at the half-way point of race. The spirits of the runners were kept sky high as they were met with cheerleaders, music and crowds of supporters to push them on to the second half of the run, while PUMA’s focus on encouraging women to participate was well received at the Puma Women’s Marquee, where all female runners received free pampering treatments.
One female who captured the imagination was Jordanian Abeer Alsharif of the Achilles Track Club, the only female in the wheelchair Marathon, who completed her first ever event in a time of 2h:34m:07s
The Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon is supported by Dubai Holding, The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort and Marina, PUMA, Arab Media Group (AMG), TNT and Fitness First with assistance provided by Dubai Sports Council, RTA, Dubai Municipality and Dubai Police.
– Dubai City Guide
By Afrik.com
Ethiopian Prime Minister dictator Meles Zenawi said Thursday he was to discuss a peaceful end to the cold war with the Eritrean government, if Asmara feels a need to discuss a peace.
“We are not uncomfortable with the status quo but it is in our interest to have peace. We will consider the status quo as unhealthy, unwelcome, but we will live with the status quo indefinitely,” the Prime Minister dictator told journalists Thursday.
Meles said his regime was ready to discus a peace proposal with Eritrea, if Asmara feels ready to discuss peace, but would not rush into such discussions unless the Eritrean government expresses its wish to discuss peace.
“We are ready to wait for them until such a time when they feel the need for peace, at that time, we will be ready with our peace proposal,” Meles told journalists.
The Ethiopian Prime Minister dictator said he was aware of the Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki’s latest seven-hour long press interview, which bashed the Woyanne regime. He said it was less worrying to him “so long as they do not bloody my nose.”
