Blog Archives

“We Shall Persevere, Ethiopia!”

Eskinder family“How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!”, decreed Maya Angelou, the great African American author, poet, dancer, actress and singer.

I shall persevere!” wrote Eskinder Nega, the imprisoned and preeminent …

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Power Africa? Empower Africans!

youth powerPower, power, power…

When President Obama recently visited Africa, he announced a “Power Africa” initiative.  In his Cape Town University speech, he proclaimed, “I am proud to announce a new initiative. We’ve been dealing with agriculture.  We’ve been dealing with …

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Obama came and saw but did he conquer Africa?

Alemayehu G Mariam


Obama UCT(This week my regular Monday commentary is presented for the second time in the form of a “flash drama” on Obama (a sub-genre of theatrical play sometimes described as a “ten minute one-act play”).  The first “act” 

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Posted in Ethiopia News

The Audacity of Evil in Ethiopia

Reeyot Alemu Ethiopian Political PrisonerTriumph of Evil?

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing”, said Edmund Burke. But what happens when evil triumphs over a good young woman journalist named Reeyot Alemu in Ethiopia? Do good …

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Ethiopia: Right in Prison, Wrong on the Throne

EskinderLast April, I wrote a “Special Tribute to My Personal Hero Eskinder Nega”.  In that tribute, I groped for words as I tried to describe this common Ethiopian man of uncommon valor, an ordinary journalist of extraordinary integrity …

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Ethiopia 2013: Year of the Cheetah Generation

che

Year of the Cheetahs

2013 shall be the Year of Ethiopia’s Cheetah Generation.

“The Cheetah Generation refers to the new and angry generation of young African graduates and professionals, who look at African issues and problems from a totally different

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Posted in Ethiopia News

The Free Press in Ethiopia’s Kangaroo Kourts

Alemayehu G Mariam

kangctThe Triumph of Lies

Over the past six years, I have written numerous columns defending press freedom in Ethiopia. In a 2009 commentary entitled, “The Art of War on Ethiopia’s Independent Press”, I expressed …

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Political Prisoners Inside Ethiopia’s Gulags

Alemayehu G Mariam

The Plight of Andualem Aragie and Other Political Prisoners in Ethiopia 

The “Gulag” prison system in the old Soviet Union was infamous for warehousing and persecuting dissidents and opponetns. The gulags were used effectively to weed out …

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Ethiopia: Dictatorship is State Terrorism

Alemayehu G. Mariam

Terrorism by “Anti-terrorism Law”

Lately, Meles Zenawi, the dictator in Ethiopia, has been rounding up dissidents, journalists, opposition party political leaders and members under a diktat known as “Anti-Terrorism Proclamation No. 652/2009”. This diktat approved …

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Posted in Ethiopia News