By Mammo Muchie

The Ethiopian millennium is a time to bring the people, nation and country into one!

In Ethiopia the millennium should be a time to bring the nation, the people and the country together by lifting their spirit and creating good-feel, and bringing wisdom, celebration, joy, excellence and quality in the communication amongst the people to increase and consolidate their solidarity and lessen their divisions and quarrels. The millennium is for lifting up and not to bring down the Ethiopian spirit. It is a time to strengthen deeply the unity of the people; it is a time to heal the wounds and sores that have been festering in the country creating the static society and the brutal state. This millennium should be a time to make a canon and vow to lift and bring together citizen and state in order that they together create a more beautiful civilisation and world for all Ethiopians irrespective of colour, belief, language, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, age and sex the citizens share both as individuals or communities.

But on the eve of the millennium what we hear leaves us hurt and anguished. We hear the threat of death penalty hanging on those the people elected. Any person who respects the people who voted for these prisoners of conscience can only feel like the conversation of the Adventures of the Wonderland by Alice and the Cat. What else can the threat to kill these democrats mouthed with such wild exaggeration by the state persecutor conjure up except sheer madness emanating from an arrogance of power?

The wonderland of extreme injustice

An adventure in the wonderland of extreme injustice, where the death penalty is casually threatened to citizens who have not committed any crime, who stand for putting the rule of power under the rule of law, and who stand against the madness of audacity, arrogance and hubris in favour of humility, must be felt indeed as an experience that is not to be taken as sane and safe. It must be this type of inexplicable behaviour displayed by the state persecutor with such cruel vindictiveness and wicked malice against the prisoners of conscience that makes one to understand why Alice and the Cat declared both the place and themselves to be mad. What kind of good feel comes out of a state persecutor on the eve of the millennium where he declares he demands the death penalty for the innocent prisoners of conscience not on the grounds of proving any case against them but because they refused to defend themselves against crimes they do not recognise ever committing? Under what law and book of justice can such a stance by them elicit a death penalty unless the persecutor lives in a mad world and is also mad himself, if not also the government he so slavishly serves?

So it looks all along all talk of prisoners release was a gimmick!

Instead of an inspiring momentum to a millennium, the nation is treated to an emotional blackmail and cynical manipulation by the careless and cruel misuse and abuse of the prisoners of conscience whom the Ethiopian people voted for. There is no doubt that the ruling party in power lost the argument during the election. As to the votes, it should have been able to count it properly. We do not know the true result because it took nearly a year to count it by an election board that was favouring the ruling party.

The Government is acting in such a way that today those who voted for the prisoners are driven to curse their vote or deed. They can only feel sad and angry for electing them only to see them suffer in prison for so long. Lo and be hold the time when these frustrations, sadness and anger turn into the courage for resistance, that is when this regime would get its comeuppance. The people can rise and say enough is enough. The time is getting closer when the sheer arrogance of power would compel the people to say they would use any means necessary to restore the dignity of justice and the people, the electorate and the country. This millennium is a test case whether the country moves into broad era of reconciliation or confrontation. The odds are stacked against reconciliation, but the people must patiently exhaust all avenues for the larger good of the country and the future generations.

The regime may see it perhaps as a joke or to taste public attitudes to put on the possibility of the release of the prisoners and to put it off willy-nilly. One moment the nation was treated to a gigantic rumour mill that spilled all over the world that the prisoners would be released. Expectations were whipped high; in fact far too high nearly everyone talked that it is a matter of days before they would be released. We even heard that the prisoners’ families had begun to transport the prisoners’ meagre belongings from prison. How can one make sense of this up and down, on and off, emotional zigzags deliberately leaked and spread by the politicians involved in it?

Then came the tragic disappointment. Meles flatly denied he has been engaged in any mediation efforts despite so many reports such mediations have taken place with Government officials, though the actual persons involved were not revealed except for some of the outside mediators that included a Diaspora professor and a lawyer, and foreign powers backing such efforts either discreetly.

Then Bereket with the usual disdainful arrogance said everything with the prisoners of conscience is going through the courts. He claimed that there cannot be any other route to get the prisoners released except for what they can expect from the constituition, the courts and the law. Then came the final act in this saga. The state persecutor declared that the prisoners be punished with a death penalty, not because they have been found guilty but because they did not show remorse or respect to him, the judges and so on.

By such mad act of the not so clearly thinking men that play Byzantine political games on the future of this nation, like this hapless persecutor, this regime also broadcast to the world that it neither understands justice nor law, nor also respect the evidence that must be proved beyond reasonable doubt for people to be sent to the gallows. They showed the world that the country that has perhaps one of the oldest legal systems and justice systems in the world is still run by people who do not understand elementary norms of legality, legal discourse and justice, not to mention morality, wisdom and humanity.

Is it with threats to kill that we wish to enter the millennium?

The threat of death penalty against the prisoners of conscience is not easy to fathom for any sane person who has both elementary humanity, sense of justice, and moral and intellectual sense. This is time for Ethiopians where ever they are to spread a ‘good feel spirit’ across Ethiopia. The millennium will take place in less than two months! What would be interesting about the millennium celebration is not the expected costly razzmatazz or the party jamboree by the Government in a country that can hardly afford such a spectacle. No, the party jamboree is the least interesting aspect of the millennium episode. What would make the millennium monumental is indeed when state and society, leader and citizen and everyone come to gather and rally behind leading up to the millennium, the millennium day itself, and well beyond it, all as united and purposeful Ethiopians learning and willing to sharing a vision irrespective of what politics, religion, ethnic origin and language difference we have or share at the moment. The most precious outcome would be to be able to come together with a lifted up spirit without any fear and with full national confidence to confront many of the country’s internal and external challenges, threats and problems and create the opportunities for sustainable peace, rule of law, human rights, democracy, justice and democratic governance, stability, prosperity and legitimacy in the rules of the game for orderly and lawful transition for Government for all the people from the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean. The spirit of the millennium should be to hope to undo what pulls as apart; and foster and grow and prepare to unite all as one nation, to emerge also as one people, one country, with one destiny and one vision to be free, independent, democratic, just, with a law-governed system of rule, developing a rule of the game for democratic transition and governance without any need to resort to violent methods, being always self-reliant, non dependent on donors, prosperous and renascent. It means that the millennium spirit is fulfilled when the Government and those who should be having the responsibility to serve, not as they do now to rule by injustice the country, the people and the nation, are able to take wise steps to give leadership to bring the nation together, heal society from its many sores and wounds. The call for extreme application of death penalty suffers not only from its lack of substance but its sheer lack of timing. It leads to disunity rather than help to heal the many fractures and wounds of society. It fosters the breaking up and the spread of anomie amongst society, people, and nation even deeper and elongates further the distance between state and citizen for years to come. Extreme penalty is extreme injustice. It is power gone mad and crazy. It must be condemned by all people of good will who wish well Ethiopia and the Ethiopian people to have a peaceful, gentle, kind and harmonious Millennium.

The death penalty threat cannot be seen lightly

After so much talk the prisoners would be released comes the death penalty threat. Even now commentator after commentator from the Western media says that what the regime intends is to’ make a point’ with the death penalty against the prisoners of conscience, and after that provide them amnesty. Action speaks louder, not words, not secret negotiations, not rumours. No one can be sure what the action of characters in the state of the Cat and Alice who live in an imaginary mad world of power and privilege, opulence and wealth in a sea of popular misery would be. It could be anything. Lest we are not surprised if the worst outcome ensues, we must prepare for the worst. We must try to begin the biggest, deepest and most resolute mobilisation this ancient nation ever had in its history to get the prisoners released. Not just the prisoners of conscience, but also all political prisoners before the millennium must be immediately released. We must enter into citizens covenanting to act like a sea of people who will not stop until justice prevails and sanity overcomes this officially orchestrated madness. If the regime carries out its threats and disabuses the Ethiopian nation by promising blood , chains, imprisonment and death rather than hope, togetherness, unity, wisdom, light and possibility, we must have the courage to say no, defy and prepare for the most resolute united resistance this nation ever have seen and will ever see.

State persecutor is not acting alone

This death threat is not simply the work of the state persecutor. He did not pull the trick out of his hat. No one can believe that in a country where the judicial system has always been interfered by those who are in the executive that the state persecutor did bring these grave indictments against the prisoners of conscience without a green light from the central Government. Those in Government cannot wash their hands from such wicked mischief. What good does this Government get by unleashing such threats whilst at the same time getting its friends in the donor community to spread the rumour of imminent release of the prisoners of conscience? Why unleash such huge expectation that they democrats in jail would be released in the population and clamp back and send equally the de-inspiring talk that the executive has no role, and that all is up to the courts. Why make the expectation to rise high and equally bring down people to disappointment and depression. Why all that talk of mediators when the regime denies that it has not engaged in such mediations, that it knew all along this is a ‘criminal affair’ only fit for its courts?

Concluding Remark: the options are only to release the prisoners now or face deeper and sustained resistance!

This is time for all sections of Ethiopians to spread good feel amongst themselves first and then across Africa and the world. We are heading towards the millennium and beyond. This is such a precious and special time we must vow to leave behind us any residual feelings and deeds of injustice. This is indeed a time when enemies can turn into friends. The millennium is a special moment. It must be captured with all its possibilities and hope. The millennium is the time to enter the era of justice, democracy, human rights, rule of law and mount a democratic governance revolution and civilisation. This is no time to engage in wicked mischief and play cat and mouse with the feelings and social psychology of the Ethiopian people by an unwarranted and cruel misuse and abuse of the prisoners of conscience!!!

It is simply wicked to threaten prisoners of conscience who have committed no crime for standing firm in their position of having either never intended or done nothing to warrant even putting them one second in prison or another second in court with a death penalty. The threat to execute them is made not because they have committed crime or the state persecutor has proved anything against them in law, rather it is related to his anger that they have towered morally and intellectually over his team’s shabby failure to prove anything to incriminate these worthy citizens of Ethiopia.

This is no time for the rule of power to undermine the rule of law. It is not the time for arrogance and public deceit to be unleashed with the hubris of officials abusing the jailed and misusing them to manipulate the public sentiment at the wrong time for the wrong reasons of spreading injustice, cruelty public abuse and enmity.

It is either following Bill Clinton’s notion of lifting up the people to bring them together so that they can also relate and communicate better with the rest of humanity or follow the route of madness of the Adventures of Alice’s and the Cat’s Wonderland. The regime must choose either creating good-feel everywhere in Ethiopia from the family to the country, lifting up spirit and helping responsibly to bring the people together RIGHT NOW or follow the mad threats of death penalties on the eve of the millennium. It is up to the regime to choose. NES hopes commonsense would prevail over cruelty and injustice.

If the Meles regime chooses to join the camp of lifting the spirit of the people, then it must immediately and unconditionally release the prisoners of conscience and all the political prisoners it put into jail since it came to power by violent armed struggle on May 28, 1991.

If it continues to choose the Adventures of Alice in the Wonderland, NES asks for a global Ethiopian resistance observatory to be formed where we all together enter the Millennium with courage, spirit of resistance and defiance until justice and the dignity of our people are fully restored. No time calls for the united opposition to ignore all the petty differences and come together and show robust united strength now. Time to prepare to come together for all the people and their organic intellectuals from the red Sea to the Indian Ocean! Time to mobilise, organise and confront those who show no concern for justice or engage in depleting the spirit of national moments that must be seized to spread good-feel, unity, togetherness and lifting-up all the people the country and the nation.

Mammo Muchie, Chair, on Behalf of o Network of Ethiopian Scholars (NES). He can be reached at [email protected]

By Laura Arcoleo for the IAAF

Ostrava, Czech Republic – With nine finals, the Girls Heptathlon and qualification rounds on the track and in the field, the third afternoon session at the IAAF World Youth Championships here in Ostrava proved a very busy one.

17-year-old Legese Lamiso became the first ever Ethiopian runner to win a global Steeplechase title when he clocked a new World Youth leading time of 5:30.81 to win a superb gold medal. Lamiso finishing speed was no match for Silas Kosgei Kitum of Kenya who had to settle for silver in personal best 5:32.88.

From the gun, one could tell the race would be an African affair but it was expected that Kenya’s superiority at the event would remain unchallenged until a very determined Lamiso made his move to the front.

Morocco’s Abdellah Dacha out sprinted Jonathan Muia Ndiku, the second Kenyan in the race to claim bronze in yet another personal best 5:34.49. In total 8 out of 12 finalists improved on their personal records.

World Youth leader Geoffrey Kibet of Kenya executed the perfect race to win his country’s second gold medal of these Championships as he clocked 1:49.99 in the Boys 800m final.

The final stages of the race proved to be very exciting as all eight finalists entered the home straight virtually on the same line. Ethiopia’s Henok Tesfaye tripped the inside curb and was soon out of contention as Kibet sped away from Ali Al-Deraan of Saudi Arabia and Amine El Manaoui of Morocco the former claiming the silver medal by a mere two hundredths of a second.

Kenya made it a double celebration as Sammary Cherotich ran a personal best time of 4:15.47 to win the Girls’ 1500m ahead of American Jordan Hasay and team-mate Sheila Chepkirui Kiprotich.

Cherotich and Hasay took turns in the lead to ensure the pace was tough and soon it was them, Kiprotich and Ethiopia’s Bertukan Feyisa left in the leading pack. The Ethiopian faded when the trio kicked with 400 metres to go leaving Hasay with the hard task to counter the Kenyan charge.

In the final 200 metres, the blonde American managed to break away from Kiprotich and secured the silver medal in 4:17.24 but could not challenge Cherotich’s supremacy on the day.

16-year-old Natalya Mamlina of Russia jumped a new World Youth leading performance 1.89m to win the Girls High Jump final although she had already secured the gold medal with her first time clearance at 1.84m.

Jamaica’s Misha-Gaye Dacosta whose PB stood at 1.80m coming into tonight’s final was the only other athlete to sail over that height today albeit with her second attempt and took an unexpected silver medal.

Aleksandrina Klimentinova (BUL) and Elena Vallortigara (ITA) tied for bronze at 1.81m as pre-event World Youth leader Kimberly Jess of Germany had a nightmare competition finishing in eighth with 1.78m.

Two gold medals for Ukraine

The Boys Hammer Throw final proved to be one of the highest quality competitions of the day with 29 out of 39 legal throws exceeding the 70 metres mark.

World Youth leader Andriy Martynyuk of Ukraine opened with a massive 76.09 metres which remained unmatched this afternoon. Martynyuk had another three legal throws and all landed beyond 73.88m!

The surprise of the day came from Hungary’s Daniel Szabo who improved his personal best by over two metres his fourth round effort landing at a silver medal winning distance of 75.30m. The bronze medal went to Germany courtesy of Richard Olbrich with 75.18m as Conor McCullough of the US had to settle for a very disappointing fourth after he had been the best qualifier yesterday.

Ukrainians had more to celebrate as minutes later Yuliya Baraley ran a very solid 53.57 to win the Girls 400m with half a second margin over fast finishing Latoya McDermott of Jamaica. In third Alexandra Stukova finished strong to claim bronze in 54.46 ahead of Olha Zemlyak (UKR).

Clarke dominates Boys’ 400m

The Boys one-lap race proved a more interesting final with World leader Christopher Clarke of Great Britain confirming his status and winning his country’s second gold of the competition with a 46.74 clocking.

Coming into the home straight, Russia’s Vladimir Krasnov was trailing Clarke and it looked as though these two would battle it out for the win but as Clarke sped away Krasnov was gradually being caught by Kirani James of Grenada and Jordan McGrath of Great Britain.

The best finisher, James struck his country’s first medal as he clocked a PB 46.96 for silver with Krasnov holding on to bronze 6 hundredths of a second faster than McGrath.

A gold for the USA too

17-year-old Dalilah Muhammad of the United States clocked 57.25 to win the Girls 400m Hurdles her surge in the final run-in making the difference over Romania’s Andreea Ionescu by just eight hundredths of a second.

Ionescu ran a very aggressive first part and entered the home straight well clear of Muhammad who was running on her outside but the tall Romanian messed up her steps as she approached the final hurdle and lost her lead. Despite a desperate attempt to recover her momentum, Ionescu had to settle for silver in 57.33, a new personal best.

One-Two for Japan in Boys Long Jump

It was somehow expected that the Boys Long Jump title would go to Japan although it came as a surprise that it went to Yasumichi Konishi. The 17-year-old prevailed over his more favoured compatriot Daisuke Yoshiyama whose 7.32m best effort was more than 30 centimetres off his World Youth Leading performance.

Konishi jumped a wind assisted 7.52m with his first attempt and remained unchallenged throughout. Christian Taylor of the US jumped a PB 7.29m for bronze in the poorest Long Jump final in the history of the competition.

Heptathlon continues

Katerina Cachova of the Czech Republic has an overnight lead of 13 points over Germany’s Carolin Schäfer after four events in the Girls Heptathlon. Schäfer’s 12.20m effort in the Shot Put reduced the gap with early leader Cachova who could only put 10.81m.

The Shot Put proved to be an even worse event for Cachova’s team-mate Nikola Ogrodnikova who had three fouls and sunk way down to 22nd in the overall ranking ending the country’s legitimate hope of a double in the Girls combined events.

Qualification rounds

A huge Championship record and World Youth leading performance of 70.67m by Mykyta Nesterenko was the highlight in the Boys Discus Throw qualification rounds. The Ukrainian leads five other automatic qualifiers into tomorrow’s final. He is the outright favourite for gold as Marin Premeru of Croatia, the Shot Put silver medallist, the next best today lies a massive 12 metres adrift.

The South African pair of PC Beneke and Cornel Fredericks, the first and second fastest in the world this year respectively, easily advanced to tomorrow’s semi-final winning the first and last heat in the Boys’ 400m Hurdles with 52.05 and 52.48 respectively.

The fastest qualifier was Reginal Wyatt of the USA who ran impressively to lower his personal best to 51.69 while his compatriot William Wynne, a silver medallist in the 110m Hurdles yesterday, had the scare of the day as he could only finish third in his heat and had to wait and see if he could advance as one of the fastest losers.

His 53.41 eventually proved to be enough for the Atlanta based youngster but only just as the last qualifier was Saudi Arabia’s Adel Al-Nasser with 53.48.

Today’s programme also included the heats of the Girls 800m led by Romania’s Elena Lavric and the Boys 1500m with Spain’s David Bustos the fastest qualifier.

The major casualty in the Boys Pole Vault qualification was Japan’s Yu Miura who had a personal best of 5.01m coming to Ostrava but couldn’t go higher than 4.60m missing the cut for Sunday’s final on count-back.

By Maru Gubena

It would certainly not be wrong to argue boldly that the current Ethiopian Diaspora resistance has been made more and more complicated, or even entangled to the point that it has become for most of us difficult, if not impossible, to explain as effectively as possible -– and in a fashion that are acceptable and palatable to the majority of the Ethiopian community –- what exactly went wrong with us. It would also not be wrong to insist that it is of little or no use, and can even be senseless, to discuss or debate about who have been and are still partly or fully responsible for the dashing of our hopes – hopes that most of us had expected would soon be flourishing in our minds and hearts, and hopes that if realized could have led to an increasing role and contribution for us in the political stabilization and democratization process, including the cultivation and development of democratic institutions and the improvement of living conditions for our people at home. This is especially true since the Ethiopian Diaspora community lacks the organizational and accommodative tools, legal mechanisms and rights to punish or even question those who might possibly have been responsible for clouding the path of the Ethiopian resistance. It is also undeniably true that due to the exceptional growth in divisions and animosities and the persistent sectarianism and parochialism among opposing groups, particularly among their disorganized supporters who engage so incoherently and so aimlessly in daily incriminations and counter-incriminations against each other, confusion and chaos have continued to dominate and disgust the entire Ethiopian Diaspora community.

Too much had already been said and written, mostly irrational, unsubstantiated words and statements, just intended to offend, hurt and isolate critical individuals from the Ethiopian community and from the resistance. In the process, a disproportionate number of knowledgeable and skilful Ethiopians who could have played an indispensable role in the politics of the Ethiopian Diaspora have been appalled, and have distanced themselves from the struggle. The damage inflicted upon the unity and the future of the Ethiopian Diaspora resistance by Ethiopians themselves, especially those permanent participants in Paltalk Discussion Forums who consider themselves staunch supporters of certain political activists, has been and continues to be incalculable, to a point that it will be difficult, if not impossible, to repair. It is indeed most unfortunate to witness that these resentful and most vicious individuals who spend their days and nights behind computers, tirelessly sending out strange, uncivilized and distasteful words and statements directed at many innocent Ethiopian intellectuals, are succeeding not only in clouding the path of the Ethiopian Diaspora resistance, but tragically, they have also been able to impose upon the rest of us a period of complete confusion and mistrust, to the point that the members of the community become unable to distinguish between what is fact and what is fiction. This period has been marked by illogical arguments and falsely invented charges and counter charges, which has forced a good number of Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopia to be alert and suspicious about everything we hear or otherwise receive, looking with doubts and suspicious eyes at news and developments, whether transmitted through the Ethiopian Diaspora media or posted on Ethiopian web sites. Most don’t take in this information, don’t accept it as based on fact, without double checking or verifying it with the help of additional information from other media outlets.

It is also true that many of my compatriots, especially those who are permanently and incurably addicted to yelling at their own countrymen through their Paltalk rooms, appear to have little or no interest at all in logic and facts. What they require is information that fits their ideas and views. For them, it does not matter whether the information comes from a staunch enemy of Ethiopians, such as the unelected TPLF leadership, or from the Aiga Forum -– the right hand of the TPLF -– as long as Mr. Meles Zenawi and his cadres acknowledge the existence of the EPPF or AFD. This is what the patriots of the Ethiopian Current Affairs Discussion Forum, who call themselves not ignorant and parochial but “true sons of Ethiopia,” love so much to hear, not just once but repeatedly and tirelessly.

It is indeed most tragic that we are in a period in which the politics of the Ethiopian Diaspora are ruled not by the essence of reason and logic -– verifiable arguments -– but rather, by personal emotions, family and group interests and by parochialism. Yes, this is a remarkable period we are today – in which we seem to have lost our minds.

A great number of Ethiopians, including myself, bother themselves with questions such as how on earth is it possible that we find ourselves in such a remarkable period, in which we all seem to have lost our way? How can it be that while we are all convinced that we are products of our Ethiopian forefathers, we have not kept even a trace of their sense of wisdom or judiciousness? How do we explain the sources for the rapid spread of the disease of animosity within the Ethiopian Diaspora community? More importantly, given the worsening socio-political relations among us in the Ethiopian Diaspora, can we contribute to future political stability and the development of democratic institutions in Ethiopia? Isn’t the current path of the resistance, which I see as dubious and unlikely to succeed, in that it determined by a small group, without consulting the individuals concerned – the presumed backbone of the political organization to be established – partly or fully responsible for the growing feuds and hostilities among opposing groups and their supporters within the Ethiopian Diaspora community?

What about the Ethiopian Diaspora media outlets, especially those who see themselves as belonging to one or another political group and who insist on highlighting not only views critical of the unelected regime of Meles Zenawi, but also positive aspects regarding the activities of certain opposition groups -– even if these views are extremely remote from the reality on the ground? This is despite the continuous turmoil within the Diaspora community itself -– the very foundation of the Diaspora opposition groups. The question then becomes: is it really the time, is it desirable and helpful for us to entertain ourselves by considering only the so-called “positive news and positive thinking” about the activities of the opposition groups, at a time when we are confronted by a series of internal and insurmountable crises? Do we really believe this is the right track to travel? Can’t the current Ethiopian Diaspora political path be characterized not only as dubious but also as putting the cart before the horse? Don’t the Ethiopian Diaspora media outlets have a shared responsibility for the heated and deteriorating socio-political condition of the Ethiopian Diaspora community?
The Dubious Path of the Ethiopian Diaspora Resistance: Does the Ethiopian Diaspora have a Meaningful Role in Ethiopian politics?

Even though it is at present extremely difficult to put together one’s thoughts and reach a state of mind conducive to speaking or writing anything meaningful having to do with the politics of the Ethiopian Diaspora and its future roles and contributions to the process of political stabilization and the development of democratic institutions in our country, it is, however, worthwhile to attempt to briefly recapitulate some of the sources that in my view have been paramount in fashioning and disseminating the winds of socio-political turmoil and chaos within the Ethiopian Diaspora community.

Dr Maru Gubena can be reached at [email protected]

Support to Building Multisectoral National Capacity on Road Traffic Injury Prevention

Ato Kassahun H/Mariam (Right); Dr. Olusegun A. Babaniyi (center) and Dr. Zerihun Tadess

Disability and Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation Programme (DPR) of the World Health Organization (WHO)-Ethiopia country office has, in collaboration with the Ethiopian National Road safety Coordination Office (NRSCO), organized a national workshop on road traffic injury prevention training from 10-13 July 2007 in Addis Ababa Ethiopia.

The workshop objectives were to explore the multisectoral role and to create the opportunity for the development of shared responsibility on road traffic injury prevention.

The opening session was attended by high level policy planners and decision makers from the health, transport, roads and police sectors.

H.E Ato Kassahun H/Mariam, head of federal transport authority of Ethiopia; Dr. Zerihun Tadesse, head of diseases prevention and control department and representing H.E the minister of health; and Dr. Olusegun A. Babaniyi, WHO Representative to Ethiopia had jointly opened the workshop.

Senior experts in traffic injury prevention from the Department of Injuries and Violence Prevention at the World Health Organization joined the country team to facilitate this workshop

It was emphasized that road traffic injuries has multiple determinants and hence it calls for integrated response by all players.

ROME (AP) – Nearly all of Ethiopia’s long-distance runners were pulled out of Friday’s Golden Gala meet in Rome by their national federation to compete in the All Africa Games.

“It’s a very unpleasant situation. This issue needs to be addressed,” meet director Luigi D’Onofrio said Thursday.

“The dates of these events should be looked at more carefully in the future. The meet was counting on another world record attempt by Meseret Defar in the 5,000 meters. She set the mark of 14 minutes, 16.63 seconds at the opening Golden League meet in Oslo, Norway, on June 15.

Tariku Bekele was scheduled to lead the men’s 5,000.

D’Onofrio said that Tariku’s older brother Kenenisa Bekele was not called up by the Ethiopian federation and therefore will compete in Sheffield, England, on Sunday.

The All Africa Games started Wednesday in Algeria and run until July 23.

Long jumper Irving Saladino has another conflict. He is Panama’s flag bearer for the opening ceremony Friday at the Pan American Games.