Ethiopia: Reporter Journalist Asegid Tefera fled the country

September 1st, 2010 2 comments

Ethiopia: Reporter Journalist Asegid Tefera fled the country

Ethiopia, Reporter Journalist Asegid Tefera fled the country

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Ethiopia: Interview with Ato Neamin Zeleke secretary of the newly formed alliance (ALEJE)

September 1st, 2010 No comments

“Hiber Radio” interview with Ato Neamin Zeleke secretary of the newly formed alliance called “Alliance for Liberty, Equality, and Justice in Ethiopia (ALEJE)”. Ginbot 7 Movement for Justice, Freedom and Democracy, Afar People’s Party and Ethiopian Movement for Unity and Justice are members of the alliance (ALEJE).

Related story:

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Egyptian company found Gold in Ethiopia

August 30th, 2010 1 comment

CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt’s ASEC Company for Mining (ASCOM) said on Sunday it had found two gold mining targets in an Ethiopian concession with enough tonnage and grade potential to suggest an economic discovery is possible.

ASCOM plans to start drilling on the 800-square-kilometre Asosa concession in Western Ethiopia in October, it said in a statement.

The company, 39-percent owned by Egyptian private equity firm Citadel Capital, also said preliminary satellite investigations had identified “numerous” exploration targets in its 3,000-square-kilometre concession in Sudan.

ASCOM has mining and other operations in Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Algeria in addition to Ethiopia and Sudan.

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Awramba Times Issue 129

August 27th, 2010 No comments

Awramba Times Issue 129

Escape from Ethiopia: The story of Daniel Biru

August 26th, 2010 2 comments

Daniel Biru spent a decade on the run across the African continent. He was a student leader thrown in prison, then he became an escapee and a fugitive, and eventually a stowaway who was cast out into the open sea. Hear it all on Escape from Ethiopia.

Escape from Ethiopia: The story of Daniel Biru

Daniel Biru hosting Ethiopian Voice at CJAM in Windsor

Escape from Ethiopia: The story of Daniel Biru

Daniel Biru with his wife Chantal Vero and his sons Abel and Alex Biru

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ESAT Press Release – Ethiopian Satellite Television

August 25th, 2010 No comments

ESAT - Ethiopian Satellite Television

Urgent advert for ESAT

It is no secret that the Ethiopian Satellite Television, ESAT, has become the most popular television program in Ethiopia and around the world. Despite the continuous jamming of ESAT by the Ethiopian regime, ESAT has stolen the hearts of millions in such a short time. Tens of thousands have called ESAT television station when it went off the air twice. Read more…

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Oromo struggle has transformed into Ethiopian struggle

August 24th, 2010 1 comment

In an interview with OLF media, the President of the Oromo Studies Association (OSA) defended the participation of Dr. Berhanu Nega in OSA’s recent conference and declared that Oromo struggle has transformed into Ethiopian struggle.

OSA president Dr. Haile Hirpa said “Oromo people’s struggle can not proceed as before.” Oromo people “must work together with other Ethiopian forces who want to change the government and democratize the country” added Dr. Haile Hirpa.

Dr. Berhanu Nega is the leader of the Diaspora based Ginbot 7 organization which opposes the current Meles Zenawi government of Ethiopia. Analysts say diaspora based Oromo and other politicians want to follow the example of Oromia based groups like MEDREK (Forum for Justice and Democratic Dialogue) which has managed to unite opposition forces by breaking ethnic, regional and ideological barriers.

But OSA’s decision has been condemned by right-wing OLF supporters. One pro-OLF Oromo media criticized Dr. Haile Hirpa for allowing Dr. Berhanu to speak at the OSA conference. The media, Oromo Affairs Blog, said Berhanu is an Ethiopianist politician and his participation is not scholarly.

“OSA had no business organizing meetings for politicians to assist them in dissemination of their political views,” it said.

However, supporters of OSA’s leadership said diversity should be welcomed inside OSA.

Oromo-Ethiopian Political analyst Jawar Siraj Mohammed said “We cannot claim to fight against sociopolitical and economic exclusion while at the same time advocating self-marginalization.” He said “a scholarly organization is not a fraternity or exclusive club where only select like-minded individuals can congregate.” Another Oromo analyst Kemal Abdisa supported OSA’s decision and added that Oromo unity has a strong foundation that can not be broken by exposure to non-Oromo scholars. “We Oromos are not gullible children who need guardians from foreign ideas,” said Kemal.

The latest controversy inside OSA and among OLF supporters reflects growing division in the Oromo diaspora. In 2006, former OSA officials warned about the OSA’s “regression from a scholarly organization to partisan politics with one function of the splintered OLF cadres as the show-masters.” Analysts say the recent invitation of Berhanu Nega indicated the dispute between OLF factions. According to a reporter on Oromo Affairs Blog, the current OSA leadership supports one faction of OLF against other OLF factions that oppose the reformation of OLF.

Source: Jimma Times

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Meles Zenawi’s Double Digit Growth in Ethiopia

August 24th, 2010 No comments

Zenawi’s Myth of Economic Transformation & Double Digit Growth in Ethiopia

On its August 9, 2010 issue, the Financial Times, a prestigious international newspaper, run an article authored by Mr. William Willis, the newspaper’s Africa Editor. In his article entitled “Perfidious Donors Betray African Democrats”, Mr. Willis wrote “…in Ethiopia, the same is almost true but with a disturbing caveat. It is an open secret that the double-digit growth of recent years is supported by dubious statistics. Yet the same figures are bandied around by development experts arguing that a trade-off between growth and civil liberties is inevitable…”. Another study, which was released by Oxford University and the UN on multi-poverty index (MPI) around the same time, has ranked Ethiopia as the second poorest among the poorest 10 countries in Africa, only preceding Niger as the poorest of the poor.

What then are the basis to claims about a “double digit growth” in Ethiopia and all the pop and fanfare surrounding the so-called “economic transformation” and “Development” of Ethiopia under Meles Zenawi’s regime?

Such persistent and glaring contradictions between the regime’s claims of economic growth and development on one hand and study of other international organizations on the other have prompted a Council of Ethiopian economists and experts to look into the matter even deeper. It is expected that they will make their finding public with regard to Meles Zenawi’ claims to an unparalleled “Double digit economic growth”.

The Voice of America (VOA) has a two part interview with Dr. Getachew Begashaw, professor of economics and head of the economics department at William Ray Harper College in Chicago, IL and Dr. Aklog Birara, a person who has served at the World Bank as a senior advisor for over thirty years.

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Ethiopia: Ginbot 7 and OLF Leaders Response to Meles Zenawi

August 24th, 2010 1 comment

Dr Berhanu Nega of Ginbot 7 movement and Dr. Beyan Asoba of OLF gave interview to Netsanet Le Ethiopia Radio regarding Meles Zenawi’s gimmicks of negotiation and reconciliation and also on the overall struggle for freedom.

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Ethiopia ranks 94th “Best Country” in the World: Another jock to make you laugh

August 22nd, 2010 1 comment

Lies, damned lies and surveys. This is a mother of mockery of surveys intended to give a semblance of inclusiveness to its title. Below this posting, there are surveys suggesting that 46% of us want to leave the country, that we are the 6th in food security risk in the world and 90% of us are poor. How can a nation whose half population wants to leave, a fourth of the population live on food support and two – thirds are mal- or under nourished and almost everybody lives in abject poverty be “Best”? There is something seriously wrong about these surveys. As in most police states, surveyors are not free to contact whom they want in this country. Our guess is that a foreign study group employs local consultants which are mostly affiliated to the government. If these consultants are not involved, the rest are scared of the government and do things that please it. We should object these pseudo surveys and their reports.

According to a cover story published by Newsweek magazine, Ethiopia ranks as the 94th best country in the world. Ethiopia is one of just 18 African countries in the World’s 100 best countries list.

The magazine used several factors including quality of life, economic dynamism, education, health care, transparency and political environment in the ranking.

Ethiopia’s worst score is in education ranking 98th out of 100 countries. Ethiopia’s literacy rate is a sorry 43.3% with just 8 years of average schooling. Its second poor showing is in the quality of life, ranking 95th. With more than 77% of Ethiopians living for less than $2 per day, it is hard to survive let alone maintain a quality of life.

Ethiopia’s life expectancy of just 50 years also contributed to its poor showing in the health category.

Finally Ethiopia ranks 85th in political environment where political stability in the country is very low.

At position 67, Tunisia is the leading African country followed by Morocco, Egypt, Botswana, South Africa, Algeria and Ghana, in that order.

Newsweek said that overall, the top three best countries in the world are Finland, Switzerland, and Sweden.

The survey was aided by an advisory board whose members comprised, among others, Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz.

In other related ranking, Forbes ranks Ethiopia as 108th happiest place in the World.

Source:  The Ethiopian Law and Justice Society (ELJS)

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