Journalist Dereje Habtewold, who is currently in exile, recounts the terror that was unleashed in Addis Ababa and throughout Ethiopia by the Meles regime in November 2005.
Dereje remembers his interview with the newly elected mayor of Addis Ababa, Dr Berhanu Nega of the opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (Kinijit) just a few moments before he was arrested along with all the other top leaders of the party.
Shortly after Dr Berhanu’s arrest, Dereje and almost all editors and journalists in Addis Ababa that worked on independent newspapers were rounded up and thrown in jail. They were released two years later.
The article is a good reminder of the fascism that currently exists in Ethiopia under the U.S.-financed brutal dictatorship of the tribalist junta.
Ethiopians celebrate Obama’s election as President of the United States because it has real meaning. It is the hope of all Ethiopians that the new Obama Administration will stop financing the regime in Ethiopia that is accused by all credible international human rights organizations of stealing elections and committing crimes against humanity.
The articles is in Amharic (pdf). Click here to read.
EthiDolls, co-founded by two Ethiopian born women now living in the New York City area, tells the stories of African Women Leaders from history and designs the authentic dolls that represent them.
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Born in Ethiopia, she spent her early years in Washington, D.C. and New York, where her father served as Ethiopian Ambassador to the United States and also to the United Nations. She was educated in Addis Ababa in her early years, and in the U.S. where she earned a bachelor degree from Adelphi University. Her education and professional career in corporate America, combined with extensive travel for business and leisure, have given her a unique ability to bridge her rich heritage with the diverse cultural traditions of America.
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ADDIS ABABA (AFP) — Eritrean President Isaias Afeworki on Thursday voiced hope that US president-elect Barack Obama will change his country’s policy in the Horn of Africa, a region blighted by conflicts.
“It is my utmost pleasure to convey to your excellency … my warmest congratulations … for your landslide victory and election as the 44th president of the United States,” Isaias said in a letter to Obama.
“Let me further avail of this historic occasion to express my ardent hope that US policy in our region will indeed change under your excellency’s presidency to pursue a constructive path to advance the causes of regional peace, justice and legality.”
Ties between the two nations have been frosty over the past few years, with Asmara accusing the US of backing arch-foe Ethiopia in its border dispute with Addis Ababa.
Washington claims the small African state has backed Islamist groups in Somalia, an allegation denied by Eritrea.
Asmara has called for the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops, who, under US-backing, are in Mogadishu to prop up an ineffective transitional government. Last year, the US State Department included Eritrea alongside Belarus, China, Cuba, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea and Zimbabwe on its list of “the world’s most systematic human rights violators.”
In addition, the US placed an arms ban on Asmara in October after allegations that it was supporting “terrorists” in Somalia, feared to be a future haven for extremist groups.
For its part, Eritrea banned the United States Agency for International Development from operating in the country in 2007 and also imposed curbs on US diplomats.
In response, Washington closed Eritrea’s consulate in Oakland, California.
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – Ethiopia The Woyanne regime tightened security in the capital on Thursday after police said they had arrested more than a dozen leaders of the rebel Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and accused them of plotting terrorist attacks.
The mostly middle-aged men were paraded on state television late on Wednesday alongside a stack of assault rifles that police said were seized during several raids in Addis Ababa.
Merrara Gudina, chairman of the ONC, also dismissed the charges against his party and accused the Ethiopian Woyanne security services of planting infiltrators in the opposition who they would later “expose” and arrest as insurgents.
“We have no link or association with the OLF whatsoever,” Merrara told Reuters. “Most of the dirty work against us is being done by the government.”
Ethiopia The Woyanne regime, which is an ally of the United States and the biggest military power in the Horn of Africa, blames insurgents supported by neighbouring Eritrea for bomb blasts that killed eight people and wounded many in the city earlier this year.
Extra police were on patrol on Thursday, searching vehicles and members of the public, while car hire companies and hotels were told to scrutinise their clients thoroughly.
“The detainees, who have links to OLF leaders in Asmara, were mobilising finance and dispatching illegal weapons and also recruiting members for their anti-peace activities,” a joint intelligence and police taskforce said in a statement.
It said some of the men had been operating “under the disguise” of membership in legal opposition political parties like the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM) and Oromo National Congress (ONC).
It gave no other details, but added that the taskforce had also arrested the leaders of “Kawerj”, a previously unknown movement that it said was a self-styled extremist group also plotting attacks in the capital.
A week ago, the authorities arrested OFDM general secretary Bekele Jirata and accused him of working with the OLF, one of several rebel movements opposed to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.
The OFDM denies it. In April, it accused Meles’ government of intimidation as voters went to the polls for the first time since post-election violence in 2005 killed 199 civilians.
The party said most of their candidates had been threatened and forced to pull out of the race.
There was no immediate comment from Asmara on the Ethiopian Woyanne allegations. Both Horn of Africa countries routinely trade accusations of supporting each other’s rebels since they fought a 1998-2000 border war that killed 70,000 people.
Ethiopian Airlines has embarked on a strong expansion programme that includes pressing of an order for 10 Boeing 787-800 dream-liners.
The airline’s world sales manager Amare Tsadik briefed Malawian travel operators during their weekend visit at Ethiopian Airlines head office in Addis Ababa to orient them on what the airline offers.
“The aviation market in Africa and globally is strong. The 9/11 had bare or minimal effect on our company and we have continued to grow, posting close to US$800 million in profits in 2007 and we expect over US$1.2 billion this year,” said Tsadik.
Ethiopian Airlines—which operated its first flight to Cairo, Egypt in 1946—has grown in terms of passenger numbers to 2.5 million in the last financial year flying into 50 destinations
“Africa has a great market we look at the market and we want to ensure that our customers have the best facilities. That is why we built an all-purpose cargo terminal which holds any cargo including wet cargo,” said Tsadik.
On his part, the airline’s senior marketing officer Fasika Beharnu took Malawi tour operators to the airline’s head office, aviation school, maintenance and cargo places explaining that the company employs close to 5,000 people and provides its own services.
“When you are selling tickets in Malawi we want you to understand the product your are selling is a complete product. We provide most of our service from cleaning to catering, training and maintenance to ensure that we provide quality standards,’ said Beharnu.
The aviation school also trains international pilots, cabin crews and maintenance staff and the company does offer many of its services across the continent.
Kenneth Kamole of Lloyds Travel said the tour was beneficial to the travel agents as they could now explain properly what Ethiopian Airlines offers to its customers.
Through Ethiopian Airlines, air cargo can be directly sent to Lilongwe from over 50 destinations which include business hubs of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Bangkok in Thailand, Beijing in Mainland China, Hong Kong, London in the United Kingdom and Washington DC.
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA – Following last weeks arrest of its general secretary, the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM) chairman, Ato Bulcha Demeksa, on Wednesday has accused the Woyanne regime of waging a mass arrest against ethnic-Oromo opposition supporters in Addis Ababa using what it says “terror plot and terror links” as a cover.
“Today we have confirmed the arrest of at least 15 ethnic Oromo opposition supporters during the past 48 hours alone in the capital using the so called terror links and terror plot as a cover,” the OFDM chairman told Sudan Tribune by telephone.
“I am sure this number will be at least in dozens over the night when our assessment continues by tomorrow,” he added.
The Woyanne regime has warned Wednesday of a possible plot to carry out terrorist acts in the country.
“The National Intelligence and Security Service has received credible information about an impending terrorist plot to be carried out inside Ethiopia,” police said in a statement.
A series of bomb blasts have rocked the Ethiopian capital this year. Four people were killed and other 24 injured last September, when a bomb explosion inside a bar in Addis Ababa; and in May, a bomb went off on a minibus near the foreign ministry, killing six people, including a US national.
Ato Bulcha said that Meles Zinawi is exploiting “terror plot” as “modern cover” to continue indefinitely the large scale abuses against the constitutional rights of the Oromo people.
“It is also being used as a weapon to silence the Oromo people for fears that the Oromo majority could dominate the political roles of the nation,” he further said.
When asked if last weeks arrest against OFDM’s general secretary, Beqele Jirata, has connections with terrorists as government’s allegation is saying, Bulcha said: “I am more than 100 % sure that there is no way he has links to terrorists.”
“Bereket Simon’s (special adviser to Meles) allegation was so shameful and a total fabrication,” Ato Bulcha added.
“It has been 6 days since our member is arrested by government and according to Ethiopian law he was supposed to come before court in 48 hours but this didn’t happen. “He is also deprived of seeing his lawyer and his family. What else could clearly prove to you that constitutional rights of citizens are openly being violated by government itself other than this?” Ato Bulcha said.
