(CBC News) — A Canadian citizen who has been imprisoned in Ethiopia for more than a year has been charged with terrorism-related activities and could face the death penalty, CBC News has learned.
The Ethiopian Embassy in Canada confirmed the charges against Bashir Ahmed Makhtal, a self-described used clothing dealer.
It’s the first time any Ethiopian officials have spoken about the case of the Toronto man, who was arrested in December 2006 at the Kenyan border after fleeing Somalia in the wake of that country’s civil war.
Speaking to CBC’s The Current, an official at the Canadian Embassy in Addis Ababa said Makhtal had appeared in court twice so far this year in connection with his arrest. The official had no other details.
In a letter smuggled out of prison more than a year ago, Makhtal described being arrested and interrogated by Ethiopian troops while in Kenyan jails before being sent to Ethiopia in late January 2007.
As he was brought to a plane bound for the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, he said he screamed he was a Canadian citizen and asked to be deported to Canada.
Makhtal’s lawyers and family have said they fear for his safety in Ethiopian hands. He’s originally from the Ogaden region of Ethiopia, an ethnic Somali enclave where his grandfather founded a rebel separatist movement.
His cousin, Said Makhtal, who lives in Hamilton, Ont., said this latest development is the worst possible news.
“I was actually devastated. I had to stop the car I was driving,” he said after hearing about the charges.
He also said the Canadian government has not done enough to help his cousin.
Conservative MP Deepak Obhrai, parliamentary secretary to the minister of foreign affairs, travelled to Ethiopia in March and was given assurances that Makhtal was alive and well.
Ethiopia has a large military presence in Somalia, after providing the muscle that enabled a weak secular government to defeat Islamist forces formerly in control of much of the country.
Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba celebrates after winning the women’s 10,000m at the 2007 IAAF World Athletics Championships, in Osaka. (Adrian Dennis/Getty Images)
(CBC) — Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba set a new world 5,000m record at the Bislett Games Golden League Meet in Oslo Friday.
Her time of 14:11.15 smashed her fellow Ethiopian Meseret Defar’s mark of 14:16.63 on a night with perfect running conditions. Lucy Wangui of Kenya finished a distant second in 14:33.39 while Dibaba’s older sister Ejegayehu claimed 3rd in 14:36.78
Dibaba, who turned 23 on June 1, followed the early pacemaking of Russia’s Anna Alminova and her sister through 3km, which she reached in 8:38.83. That is faster than the world leading time for the distance of 8:42.96 set by Russia’s Gulnara Samitova- Galkina. Dibaba broke away shortly after that point to shatter the world record.
Earlier this year, Dibaba captured the IAAF world cross country title in Edinburgh and was the 2007 IAAF world champion at 10,000m.
Megan Metcalfe of Edmonton finished a disappointing 14th in 15:26.82, well off the Olympic A standard of 15:09.00. This was her fourth 5,000m race of the season and clearly a fine opportunity to achieve the standard as a rash of personal bests were set. She has until July 6 to achieve the mark.
Defar has set up a world record attempt at Sunday’s Pre Classic in Eugene, Oregon.
Other Canadian athletes chasing Olympic standards came up short.
Adam Kunkel, a finalist at the 2007 IAAF World Championships, finished 7th in the 400m hurdles in a mediocre time of 50.99 seconds. A year ago he set the Canadian record with a time of 48.24 in winning the Pan American games. Since he was in the world’s top-eight last year he need only run the Olympic B standard of 49.50.
The race was won by Bershawn Jackson of the United States in a time of 48.15 seconds, the second fastest in the world this year. Jamaica’s Danny McFarlane finished in 48.58 seconds to take second, with L.J. Van Zeyl of South Africa also dipping under 49 seconds in a time of 48.84.
“I am a little bit disappointed I had a few delays with my flights this week but I didn’t think the jet lag would bug me,” said Kunkel afterwards. “All in all I was lacking power over the last 150 metres. I couldn’t hold onto my momentum.
“I am running in Spain and then in Prague. I will try to take it a little more conservatively. I ran pretty aggressive tonight, I went out darn near my Canadian record pace and I ultimately paid for it.”
Nicole Forrester cleared 1.90m to finish 8th in the women’s high jump. After winning a world class meet in Hengelo last month with 1.93m she has been in search of the Olympic A+ standard of 1.95m. Tonight she missed three times at 1.94m.
The Canadian record of 1.98m held by Debbie Brill has stood since 1984.
Blanka Vlasic of Croatia continues her streak of super performances, winning the event in a season best of 2.04m. The world record of 2.09m is held by Stefka Kostadinova of Bulgaria.
Ariane Friedrich of Germany finished 2nd with a jump of 1.98m. There was a tie for 3rd place as Spain’s Ruth Beitia and Ariane Friedrich of the Ukraine both cleared 1.94m.
Though she won the silver medal at the 2006 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Forrester has yet to make either a world championship or Olympic games final.
Sudan’s reigning world indoor 800m champion, Abubaker Kaki, beat the African champion David Rudisha of Kenya to win the 800m in a stunning world junior record of 1:42.69.
The 18 year old had hoped to run below 1:43 some time this season. This was his first 800m since capturing Sudan’s first ever world championship gold medal in Valencia, Spain in March.
Rudisha ran 1:43.72 for second while Mbulaena Mulaudzi of South Africa, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist, finished 3rd in 1:44.04.
Five days after a shocking loss to 2007 IAAF world championship silver medalist LaShawn Merritt, Jeremy Wariner, the reigning Olympic and world champion, destroyed the Oslo field to win in a world leading time of 43.98 seconds.
Chris Brown of the Bahamas, who was runner-up to Canada’s Tyler Christopher at the 2008 World Indoor Championships last March, finished 2nd in 44.40 seconds.
Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas, The 2007 IAAF World Championships 100m silver medalist, won the men’s 100m in a time of 9.98 seconds ahead of Michael Rodgers of the U.S. who was timed at 10.04.
Marc Burns of Trinidad was 3rd in 10.07. The runners were aided by a tail wind of +2.3 m/s, slightly over the legal limit of +2.0 m/s. The times therefore won’t be counted in world rankings.
Lack of organization and the absence of competent and qualified political leaders who can organize and lead the struggle for freedom in Ethiopia have contributed to prolonging Woyanne’s rule. Today it is becoming more clear who is responsible for the multitude of political crises facing our country and who is capable of leading Ethiopians to freedom.
One of the main causes of lack of strong political organizations is the old-style politicians. These are individuals who like to be in the spotlights, who like to be seen on stages (usually embarrassing themselves), who claim to be highly educated, but in reality have the analytical skills and leadership abilities of a 1st grader. They even have shown themselves to be dumber than the Dedebit educated Woyannes.
The coward and reactionary wing of EPRPs, and the dumb and foolish remnants of the now defunct AEUP are good examples of old style politicians. These old clowns cannot and will not have a place in the future of Ethiopian politics. These individuals are stuck in the 1960-70s politics and now are rightfully called old-style politicians.
We Ethiopians should not let our hearts be troubled. We have a new generation of leadership that is replacing the failed and bankrupt old style organizations. EPPF, OLF, Genbot 7, ONLF and TPDM are emerging as potent forces that are capable of bringing change in Ethiopia.
When the world is against Ethiopia and supporting Woyanne, a new generation of leaders with clear goals and ideas are making Woyanne sleepless. Thanks to new strategies that are being deployed by these leaders, Woyanne, despite Western and Chinese backing, is today weaker than it has ever been.
Currently, Woyanne is fighting wars within Ethiopia from all corners. It is forced to go into Somalia to prove that it is a loyal servant of the U.S. It is giving away Ethiopian land just to stay in power. It is begging for mercy from Eritrea with its top officials openly saying that they will die for Eritrea before their own ‘beloved’ Tigray region.
In order to defeat the Woyanne regime and liberate our country, freedom fighters such as Ginbot 7, EPPF, OLF, TPDM, ONLF and others need to continue cleansing themselves from the old style politicians.
We at Tegbar for the first time in a long time are encouraged with the progress we are seeing in the fight for freedom in our country.
It is now clear who is who. Let us take a moment to reflect on the past and join the movement for freedom.
Out with the old and In with the New style of leadership
Prominent Ethiopian lawyer Shakespear Feyissa had confronted U.S. top diplomat for Africa, Jendayi Frazer, with tough questions about her support for Africa’s dictators at a public meeting in Seattle last week.
Ato Shakespear asked the ambassador about her close friendship with and strong support for mass murderers like Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia who are terrorizing their people. Watch the video below.
Dr Berhanu Nega, former senior leader of Ethiopia’s major opposition party, Kinijit, and Mayor-Elect of Addis Ababa, is heading to the U.K. today to meet with Ethiopians in London.
The public meeting, which is being organized by Kinijit supporters in the U.K., will be held on Sunday at Priory Community Center starting at 2:00 PM local time.
Dr Admassu Gebeyehu, former vice chairman of Kinijit, who is currently residing in Sweden, will join Dr Berhanu at the meeting.
Dr Berhanu Nega is currently leading a newly formed political organization named ‘Ginbot 7 Movement for Justice and Democracy.’
Ginbot 7 was formed on May 15 last month by Dr Berhanu, Ato Andargachew Tsege and other former senior leaders of Kinijit who have reached the conclusion that it is impossible to wage a peaceful political struggle inside Ethiopia against the ruling Tigrean People Liberation Front led by Meles Zenawi, who is also known as the Butcher of Addis Ababa and Mogadishu.
Place: Priory Community Centre, Acton Lane, London W3
Date/Time: Sunday, June 8, 2007, from 1400-1900 PM
Fore more info click here
Concerned Ethiopians in Washington DC have written an open letter to Aba Kewstos asking him to provide report about the funds he had collected for repairing Ethiopian monasteries in Jerusalem, Israel, that are said to be falling apart.
A few months ago, Aba Kewstos had been collecting money from Ethiopian Orthodox Christians residing in the Washington DC area saying that the monasteries are in need of urgent repair, or else they would be permanently lost.
However, many of those who had contributed money for the purpose of repairing these monasteries are now asking questions after hearing that the monasteries are still not being repaired. In fact, not a penny has been spent so far for repair.
The Ethiopian monasteries in Jerusalem are Ethiopia’s national treasures, on top of their religious significance, but they are totally neglected by the so-called “patriarch” in Ethiopia who has just finished building another rental property for his personal use in Addis Ababa. A few years ago he had built a golden palace for his residence.
Aba Kewstos is said to have been sent to Washington DC from Ethiopia by this fake patriarch, Aba Gebremedhin (formerly Aba Paulos), a Woyanne cadre and a thief who should be in jail for numerous crimes, including the murder of innocent civilians.
