Addis Ababa, Ethiopia August 1, 2007 (ENA – state controlled) – The Federal High Court [kangaroo court] has sentenced five leaders and members of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (Kinijit) from four to 16-year rigorous jail terms.
In its session held here on Wednesday, the Second Criminal Bench of the Court sentenced Lieutenant Girma Amare to 16 year rigorous prison term and other defendants Kidist Bekele and Mebratu Kebede to 15 year-prison term each.
Editor of Addis Zena, Wosen-seged Gebre-kidan and Editor of another tabloid called Hadar, Dawit Kebede received 4- year behind bar each.
The charges in which Lieutenant Girma Amare, Kidist Bekele and Mebratu Kebede were convicted were heavy and they should have been sentenced either to life in prison or death, the Court said.
According to the decision, the convicts incited violence in Kirkos and Addis Ketema sub-cities here in the capital following the May 2005 national election.
Prosecutor witnesses had testified that Lieutenant Girma in particular to have instigated violence and stoned and set ablaze the office of Kebele 13/15, a city bus, government vehicle and a shop while preventing the movement of people.
The Court said Kidist was convicted of supplying petrol for setting ablaze the stated properties while attacking police members and preventing the movement of people.
However, the Court had sentenced the convicts to the stated jail term taking into consideration these attempts had failed to materialize.
The stated editors were convicted of instigating violence claiming that the national election was fraudulent and the incumbent state could not form a government with rigged vote and the public should not accept the outcome of the elections, among others.
Though the convicts were supposed to get up to 10-years in jail each, they were sentenced only to 4-year imprisonment each.
The Court postponed its verdict on other members of the CUD leaderships for August 6, 2007.
By Scott A. Morgan
American Chronicle
We all noticed last fall when the American Voters decidely threw out a Republican Congress and replaced it with the Democrats. But it is becoming clear that if WE expected a change in how things are run in Washington we were sadly mistaken.
Like in the last Republican-controlled Congress, a Bill that was designed to address the internal climate in an African Country that is an ally was introduced. Sadly it appears that it is travelling down the same road. If certain people have their way this legislation will not see the floor to be voted on.
H.R. 2003, which deals with Freedom Democracy and Human Rights in Ethiopia, was reintroduced in the House after a journey that had some treachery in it. After clearing the House International Relations Committee (now the Foreign Relations Committee) it was tabled by then Speaker Hastert. Now, under the leadership of Speaker Pelosi, it may suffer the same fate as it did in the last Congress.
The Current Government in Ethiopia has a serious image problem. Its actions were recently criticized in a report by Human Rights Watch. It released 38 political prisoners that were mainly members of the Political Opposition after an unfair trial. And the Red Cross was asked to leave the Ogaden region of the country. Also the country faces increasing scrutiny after its U.S.-backed incursion in to Somalia.
What did this African country do to try and shore up its image? It has retained one of the most powerful lobbyist groups in Washington — DLA Piper. Already the group has sent two former members of Congress, Dick Armey and Richard Gephardt, to lobby the Speaker in an effort to prevent this bill from being voted on. The government in Addis Ababa could lose substantial economic and military aid if this bill passes.
The fact is that this attempt at a backroom deal could backfire. The Congress has an even lower approval rating than the President. If this occurs, then who knows how much the average citizen will trust their member of Congress. The Ethiopian Diaspora here in the United States are organizing an effort to bring this bill to the floor so it can be voted on. Maybe Americans themselves should join this effort so that people can be heard and not the lobbyists. Isn’t that supposed to happen in the House anyway?
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By Stephanie Hanson
Council on Foreign Relations
After Ethiopia’s December invasion of Somalia to vanquish Islamic militants, many observers labeled Addis Ababa a proxy of the United States, and a few even called it a “puppet.” Both labels implied the United States was an unseemly ally. Now, after the Ethiopian government’s recent attempt to put dozens of opposition politicians to death and reports of military abuse of civilians (HRW), Washington may be starting to balk at its close relationship with Addis Ababa.
Ethiopia receives nearly half a billion dollars in U.S. aid each year as well as military assistance. Yet the Ethiopian government has shown little inclination to improve a dismal record on human rights, as well as a history of unresponsiveness to international pressure on its domestic policies. When Ethiopian prosecutors jailed over one hundred opposition politicians and journalists after 2005 parliamentary elections, international donors—including the United States—put $375 million in aid on hold. By mid-2006, Ethiopian prime minister Meles Zenawi still refused to release the prisoners. “U.S. concerns about terrorism in Somalia led diplomats to accept a status quo they concluded would not change and to get on with business,” writes Terrence Lyons in a Council Special Report on the Horn of Africa.
Since then, Ethiopian authorities have been accused of further harsh measures. Last month, Zenawi announced a crackdown on the Ogaden National Liberation Front, a separatist movement in the country’s eastern Ogaden region. Some aid officials and diplomats now claim the government is blocking emergency food aid (Reuters) to the region. Ethiopia’s military—one of the largest and best-trained in Africa—has been accused of widespread domestic abuses (NYT)in villages in the Ogaden, including civilian executions and gang rape.
Ethiopia is an “important partner for the United States,” writes Horn of Africa expert John W. Harbeson, but “joint counter-terrorism initiatives must be kept separate from Ethiopia’s struggles with democracy and its continuing pursuit of a post-imperial political identity.” The U.S. Congress clearly agrees—it recently passed an amendment cutting $3 million in assistance, and pending legislation would put strict conditions on remaining aid. Yet the Pentagon is “dead keento boost [Zenawi’s] armed forces,” writes the Economist.
Some in the U.S. government may have qualms about Ethiopia’s undemocratic behavior, but it has been a reliable ally in the tumultuous Horn of Africa. While tensions simmer between Ethiopia and Eritrea over a disputed border, rebels wage regular attacks in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital. The Ethiopian military had hoped to withdraw months ago, but it remains mired (WashPost) in the city battling insurgents on behalf of Somalia’s weak transitional government. In an Online Debate, Sadia Ali Aden of the Somalia Diaspora Network and Terrence Lyons agree that Ethiopia must withdraw from Somalia. Lyons argues that the U.S. relationship with Ethiopia could help promote peace in the region, but Aden calls it “a grave impediment to lasting peace in Somalia,” arguing that Washington’s partnership choice “may further radicalize the region.”
(The story of our adventure through the eastern and northern sides of Africa overland in our Landrover in 2007.)
By Lorraine and Neville Karg
Tuesday 31st July 2007 Awassa
We had a lovely night and left early in the morning before the main group was up. We made our way to Awassa which is a lovely town next to a big explosive crater lake. We set up camp to dry out after the cold and wet, at the Wabe Shebelle Hotel #2 in park-like surroundings next to the lake. It is like being in a veritable game-reserve. All kinds of birds, the grivet and the Abassynian Black and White Colobus monkeys everywhere. Litterally everywhere. They are in our tent, all over our washing, in our Landy and making huge pests of themselves. Nev started to throw things at them to scare them off and a man came and said, don’t hurt them, look, they are just hungry. So we capitulated against better judgment and gave him stale bread to feed them. They took it gently out of his hand, but that didn’t stop them bothering us. Another man came and threw stones and eventually they left afterdamaging our washing. But we packed our nicely dry tent, and have decided to sleep in the room tonight.
We are going to the village to blog and spend the afternoon relaxing around the lake.
Monday 30th July 2007 Herero Farm, Adaba
We left the Herena forest, somewhat disappointed and returned to Dinsho HQ where is was freezing and wet, so we left Brian fixing his brakes which broke on the way, and Willy fixing his battery which was bubbling ominously and made our way towards Dodola where we intended to sleep in an ‘hotel’. We got back to the vaste plains, near Adaba, of commercial wheat and couldn’t resist trying our luck at getting a place to camp in the farmyard. It is quite difficult to communicate, as most do not speak English, but we managed to find someone in charge and quizzed him about the farm. It is a government farm, one of four in the area of 40Km radius, but not joined, each of 3700Ha of gently sloping fertile land. They plant wheat, [reap 3-4tonnes/Ha and get R3000/tonne] or barley [reap 3-4 tonnes/Ha and get R2000/tonne]. They also do dairy and fatten cattle. They rotate the crops with rape. They do not plant maize as they are at 2500m and have rains April to Sept, high altitude and cool temps. They fertilize with liquid urea by plane and plant with DAP. The locals each have between ½ and 3Ha per person. That is all we managed to get out of him, apart from permission to camp anywhere, and the offer to stay in their guest house.
We had the workers and their families asking in very broken English what we were doing there and if we intended investing.
Sunday 29th July 2007 Lower camp site, Herena Forest
The temp went down to 2.4 deg C with on-off sleet during the night, so our wake-up was somewhat chilly, especially with the slight breeze. But the sky looked like it was clearing and we packed up, dodging the mud, loaded up the guide and left to go south and down in altitude to 2300m, to the Herena Forest area of the national Park. We saw the Ethiopian wolf again, canis simiensis, a beautiful jackal-like dog with rufus fur, white markings and a bushy black tail. It was calling its mates with a sharp, high pitched, bird-like sound. As we dropped in altitude from the breathless 4119m the vegetation changed from short, tiny-leafed plants and mosses (similar to Losotho) to bushier vegetation to gnarled moss-covered trees to tall creeper-covered woodlands. Descending the twisting road in low ratio saved our brakes, but we are feeling for the Landy as it has to climb all the way back up again tomorrow, as this road, built by the Russians is the only way back, and the highest all-weather road in Africa.
On reaching the forests at the bottom the rainfall is heavy and mosses grow on the trees. Large areas of forests have been cleared by the locals. We went for a walk and it rained in the afternoon again. The soils are deep volcanic, and very fertile with streams everywhere.
Saturday 28th July 2007 High Camp site Bale Mountains
We left Dinsho headquarters for the Bale Mountain campsite high up in the mountains, well known for the endemic birds and the Ethiopian wolf. We traveled up from 2600m to 4119m along a spectacular pass with magnificent scenery. The poor Landy was gasping for breath in thin air. It is amazing how much less power in the high altitude and Ethiopian diesel doesn’t seem to be of the same quality as south, and all vehicles smoke a lot more. The road wasn’t great, but we did the 85Km in 3 hours and arrived at the bitterly cold campsite in sleet and rain, which carried on intermittently for the rest of the day. Nev nd I went on a short walk and saw an Ethiopian wolf which weighs up to 16 Kg, about 2X the size of our jackal. They live in packs of 3 to 13 but only one of the females breeds per year, and they take it in turns. They live off Giant Moor Rats and other rodents. We saw other footprints, which the guide said were cattle. There are 40,000 people which live in this reserve. What chance do the wild animals have?
Friday 27th July 2007 Dinsho, Bale Mountains
Fascinating agricultural land here, massive flat plains of grains mainly wheat. This is land like the Kaarkloof Valley but 100 X as extensive, and more fertile since the soils are of volcanic origin. This area is worked almost to its full potential and the locals are not lazy as in most other areas. We have seen the occasional tractor and combine, but most work is done by a one-man two-ox wooden plough (no metal at all). We have seen from the Landy that sowing is done by hand, (we have not seen how they cover the seed, but could be by driving the cattle through the field), weed control must be done mechanically, but we have seen them pulling weeds by hand, reaping by sickle, and winnowing by women in front of their huts (the straw is made into a stack for their livestock). They get two crops per year and plant wheat, barley, teff, peas or beans. The plains are marked off in about 3Ha lots and form a pretty pattern across the land. This is working well, but amazing to go back in time to the European middle ages before the industrial revolution. The main form of transport is horse and scotch cart. Germany and Italy seem to be involved, judging by the signs we could read. Most writing is in a type of Arabic.
We arrived late at the Dinsho headquarters of the Bale Mountain National Reserve, and set up camp in the really chilly drizzle. We made use of the communal lounge and sat around a lovely warm fireplace until retiring.
Thursday 26th July 2007 Wondo Genet
The celebrations at the church finished at around noon today and the silence was deafening. Anyway we had a lovely shower last night in the hot water eminating directly from the mountain, falling in a shoot onto concreted areas demarcated for men and women. The pool was not yet full enough to use so we all simply had a wonderfully hot shower, the first hot shower in Ethiopia. This morning we had another shower and laze in the hot pool. Brian, typically had hoards of young children around him which he was teaching to swim. He attracts kids like bees to nectar, and is always talking to the local kids (whether they actually understand him is in doubt, but that doesn’t deter Brian). The weather was very damp, so we didn’t do washing of clothes as we had wanted to do.
An sms text message via satphone from Beryl and Dave let us know that they had had their radiator fixed but waiting for us for 10 days in Addis Ababa was not an option. I am not sure what they are going to do, so for the time being the three couples will carry on.
The Ethiopian government has blocked all outgoing cell phone text messages. The internet service is slow and unreliable, so the only means of communication is by satphone. I have tried to reach Glynis and Kita, but have had no response from either. We will blog when we have the chance.
We went for a walk up the hill and saw Heille Sallasie’s shower.
We met a man called Paul Snook who had been involved in building the Katze Dam in Lesotho, and is now involved in building a hydro-electric dam in the north east Ethiopia. He says the Chinese he works with are the same as we explained when we were in Uganda.
Wednesday 25th July 2007 Wondo Genet
We left Arba Minch for Wondo Genet, 120Km of potholed tar, followed by 60Km of wonderful tar. I took a photo to prove the Landy was going 100Km/hr, a speed we haven’t done for months. We went past three huge flat plains of arable, irrigable, fertile land, some farmed and some not. This part of the country has huge untapped agricultural potential. Water is plentiful. In other areas the erosion was so bad that the topsoil 2m deep was eroded to a 10m deep donga.
From Arba Minch to here was wall to wall people and most people along the road begged, except near Sodo where there was successful agriculture.
Here in Ethiopia the busses are unique. They all have loudspeakers on top of their roofs (up to three). They play Ethiopian music full blast. At first we thought it was one of our friend’s Landys playing music. Now we realize the busses play the music full blast. Cattle get out of the way, potential passengers know the bus is arriving well in advance and other vehicles get out of their way and the bus driver cannot hear all the noises the busses are making.
Little did we know, having timed our arrival at the hot springs to coincide with the Wednesday cleaning of the pools, that the darling little hexagonal authodox Christian church next to the hotel was celebrating the day of Saint Gabrielle. This involved the regular delivery of busloads of people to the church. The buses blast forth music/sermons which herald their presence long before the arrival of the bus. On arrival at the church the fully white-cloaked women walk, heads bowed, to the church, cross themselves at the gate and join the singing/chanting/drum beating which accompanies the celebration ALL NIGHT LONG!!!!! Beggars sit, lining the path to the church and they receive donations from the devotees. What a noisy night!!
