ADDIS ABABA (AFP) — Ethiopia’s dictator said Monday that his regime has the means to secure its vital trade corridor with the Gulf of Aden in the event of conflict between Djibouti and Eritrea.
Tensions have grown between the two Horn of Africa nations since Djibouti accused Eritrean military forces of trench-digging along their common border and infiltrating Djiboutian territory by several hundred metres (yards).
Djibouti denies the allegation.
“They do act silly sometimes, but I don’t think they would go totally insane,” said Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi at a meeting with trade officials, referring to the Eritrean government.
“Even so, Ethiopia has a capacity of protecting the safety of the Ethio-Djibouti trade corridor,” added Zenawi, who was quoted by Ethiopia’s state-run news agency ENA.
Eritrea — which has twice clashed with Djibouti over their common border — broke away from Ethiopia and won independence in 1993 after three decades of conflict. A second, two-year war broke out in 1993.
Ethiopia depends on Djibouti’s seaport for its international trade.
The Ethiopia-Sudan Border Committee is reporting that the ruling Tigrean People Liberation Front (Woyanne) has given to Sudan 1,600 square kilometers of fertile farm land. Click here to read the full report [pdf, Amharic]. The Woyanne regime denies the report, but a few months ago, the Sudanese media had reported about it quoting Sudanese government officials. Reportedly, this secret deal between Meles Zenawi and Al Bashir, in return would allow the Tigray region to build a railway from Tigray to Port Sudan. All of the land that was given to Sudan was carved out of Gonder and Oromia regions. Meanwhile, ER Research Unit has learned that the Woyanne regime has moved all air force fighter jets to Tigray. According to eyewitnesses, only a few transport planes and helicopters are left in Debre Zeit.
See also satellite map [click here]
The Ethiopia-Sudan Border Committee is reporting that the ruling Tigrean People Liberation Front (Woyanne) has given to Sudan 1,600 square kilometers of fertile farm land. Click here to read the full report [pdf, Amharic]. The Woyanne regime denies the report, but a few months ago, the Sudanese media had reported about it quoting Sudanese government officials. Reportedly, this secret deal between Meles Zenawi and Al Bashir, in return would allow the Tigray region to build a railway from Tigray to Port Sudan. All of the land that was given to Sudan was carved out of Gonder and Oromia regions. Meanwhile, ER Research Unit has learned that the Woyanne regime has moved all air force fighter jets to Tigray. According to eyewitnesses, only a few transport planes and helicopters are left in Debre Zeit.
See also satellite map [click here]
As we all are aware of, from May 15 – May 18 Ethiopians in the Diaspora are showing solidarity with their people and reach out to each other and move on the spirit of May 15, 2005 where Ethiopians on their vote back home shook the foundation of tyranny beyond repair forever.
On this spirit, Ethiopians in New York Metropolitan area and from New Jersey have organized a rally on May 15, 2008 on the third anniversary of our people victory over TPLF tyranny.
Since then many lives have been lost and many jailed including Teddy Afro loved by many Ethiopians for his pro-Ethiopian songs. Moreover, the killing has been exported to neighboring Somalia since December 2006 and to our Ogaden for a diversionary plot without success in the name of war on terror financed by Bush administration.
The victims of TPLF are all nationalities and we need to come together to defeat this regime and the
separate ways we go to defeat the regime though has weakened the regime there should be a united assault to give a final blow and take our liberty from the hands of homegrown fascists.
I call all Ethiopians to come on May 15, 2008 to the famous site here in New York City where people of the world gather to show their denunciation of terror and tyranny.
All Ethiopians are invited to come to the Ralph J. Bunche Park in front of Peace Form One obelisk at
First Avenue 42nd Street across the U.N headquarters and celebrate our people victory three years ago over tyranny.
The rally from 9 am to 2:30 pm is also a call for political parties to form a united front against TPLF
and narrow differences among ourselves. As you know the great obstacle of peace, TPLF, currently is busy in giving away Ethiopia’s land for Sudan in exchange of denying oppositions safe heaven to conduct their struggle.
Our struggle against TPLF can not be won while some fight and die and others look on sideline and it is
critical to hold each others hand and remove the regime who is killing and abusing our people each day.
We are also condemning the illegal occupation of Somalia and the killing of elderly, women and children
and show solidarity with fellow Somalis who are now fighting to liberate their land from TPLF forces.
Come and participate on this rally at a critical time our region and Ethiopia has been forced to after
Ethiopians rejected the brutal regime of Melese Zenawi exactly three years ago.
To All Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopia Living in Norway
A call for participation in the Word Wide March for Freedom, Justice and Human rights in Ethiopia.
Ato Obang Metho, the leader of Anuak Justice Council has taken the initiative and is organizing the World Wide March for freedom, justice and human rights in Ethiopia. The event will provide Ethiopians with an opportune moment to mark May 15, come together and renew their commitment to the struggle for democracy, freedom and justice in their home country. Democratic and peace-loving Ethiopians have decisively beaten the regime of the mercenary TPLF in the ballot box in the historic May 15, 2005 elections. The dictatorial regime does not have any legitimacy and does not represent the country in any way. The regime of Meles Zenawi has refused to accept the democratic and legal decision of the people as expressed in the ballot boxes and continued to impose its illegitimate rule on the country.
The anti-Ethiopian ethnocentric dictatorial regime of Meles Zenawi is in the process of plunging our country into deep crisis and chaos. It has remained defiant and is closing all the venues for the peaceful settlement of the political crisis which is its own making. Besides, there are alarming and unsettling reports of secretive agreements between the illegitimate regime of Meles Zenawi and Sudan which allows the later to grab Ethiopian land. Considering the gravity of the crisis our country is facing at the moment, we have no option but to forge unprecedented unity and stand together in defense of our county and rights.
There will be a public rally to be held in Oslo Norway as part of the world wide march for freedom, human rights and justice in Ethiopia. All Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopia are cordially invited to take part in the event and demonstrate their solid unity against repression, treason and tyranny which is jeopardizing the existence their country.
Date: Thursday the 15th of May, 2008 (15-05-08).
Place: In front of the Norwegian Parliament (stortinget).
Time: 15:00 or 3:00p.m. in the afternoon.
The British government rewards its blood thirsty puppet Meles Zenawi with hundreds of millions of dollars for continuing to terrorize the peoples of Ethiopia and Somalia. We all know that malaria prevention, etc. is all lie. The money will be used to keep the dying regime of Woyanne alive.
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ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) — Britain said on Thursday it will give Ethiopia 2.5 billion birr this year to help the Horn of Africa country try to achieve the U.N. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Some of the money will be used to send 1 million children to school and buy three million mosquito nets to prevent the spread of malaria, one of sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest killers.
British High Commissioner (ambassador) to Ethiopia Norman Ling said the assistance was the biggest Britain has offered to any African country, adding the aid would be provided through the UK’s Department for International Development.
“The UK is fully committed to helping Ethiopia achieve the MDGs as the assistance of the 2.5 billion birr for this year shows,” Paul Ackroyd, the head of DFID, told a news conference.
DFID has spent some 2.7 billion birr on programmes in Ethiopia over the past four years, Ackroyd said.
One of the U.N. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) aimed at halving global poverty by 2015 is reversing the trend toward a constant increase in the incidence of malaria, HIV/AIDS and other diseases.
