René Lefort, a French journalist and author is expelled from Ethiopia upon arrival at Bole International airport, reported Addis Standard.
He traveled from Paris to Addis Ababa with valid visa and arrived on Tuesday, on the 14th of November, at Bole International airport where his French passport was confiscated by immigration authorities.
And then he was made to return back to France with the next flight. Apparently, he had plans to spend weeks in Ethiopia.
From an e-mail Rene sent to Addis Standard, which confirmed that he was indeed expelled from Ethiopia, he said immigration authorities refused to tell him as to why he is sent back to France.
In an e-mail to Addis standard, he wrote :
“I have been blocked at the airport, my passport has been confiscated, the immigration service obliged me to [fly] back to Paris the same night”
He tried to reach Ethiopian officials via e-mail and the answer from officials seem to suggest that it was “misunderstanding.”
Egyptian President – Sisi Source : South Sudan News Agency
Ethiopian News
borkena
November 20,2017
Egyptian president Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is warning Ethiopia for the second time over the Grand Renaissance Dam construction.
Earlier, on November 12, 2017, a Tripartite National Committee (which is drawn from Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan) meeting was held in Cairo to discuss the Renaissance Dam. But it did not bear fruit as as there was disagreement on the part of the host country on guidelines to assess the impacts of the dam on Egypt and Sudan. While Egyptian negotiators approved of the impact assessment guidelines Ethiopia and Sudan rejected it. Sudan seeks to make economic gains and power supply from the Grand Renaissance Dam.
Egypt announced last week that negotiation effort on impact study, which was to be carried out by a hired firm, failed.
President Sissi told Egyptians that water is a matter of “life and death for Egypt.” Egyptian Foreign Affairs ministry, Sameh Shoukry, reportedly discussed the matter with the United States secretary of state Rex Tillerson pointing out that matter is of a grave concern to Egypt.
On November 14, Egypt Daily News reported that “Experts, officials designate Ethiopian Dam as imminent threat” and indicated that future decision on the dam is in the hands of political leaders.
More than eighty percent of Nile river, the longest river in the world, water comes from Ethiopia. Egyptian president rants that “no one can touch Egypt’s share of the water” and that water is a matter of national security, of a matter of life and death. And share of the water, for Egyptian politicians including the president, is set out on colonial time treaty which Ethiopia never signed.
Ethiopian government did not yet reply to war threat like the speech of the Egyptian president. Apparently, Egypt sought to destabilize Ethiopia using radical Oromo groups based abroad and Ethiopian government has been accusing Egypt of intervention in internal affairs of Ethiopia.
In the past, Egyptian leaders ruled out military confrontation to pursue military confrontation as a means to attain motives regarding Nile river. Now, the tone of rhetoric from Egyptian leaders is changed. Perhaps, Egypt is thinking that the policies of an ethno-supremacist regime of Tigray People’s Liberation Front have weakened Ethiopia internally and made it vulnerable.
There was a perception among Ethiopians that the dam is not a priority for Ethiopia but on matters of Ethiopian interest, it could be a miscalculation on the part of Egyptian leaders to think that Ethiopia is weak and will give away its interest easily.
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A voice in the parliament is defending Dr Negeri Lencho,Government Communication Minister, and his office
Dr Negeri Lencho, government communications minister. Photo credit : Ethiopian Reporter
Ethiopian News
borkena
November 20,2017
“Culture, Tourism, and Mass Media standing committee” in the parliament is speaking out on behalf of Government communication office, reported Tigst Zerihun from Sheger FM.
The committee thinks that the parliament should support government communication office against what it says is character assassination on the minister, Dr Negeri Lencho, by people who are promoting discrimination and ethnic-parochialism from within the umbrella of the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) party.
The issue was raised when the committee was discussing Government communication Affairs yearly plan. “Since the parliament is a seat of people’s representative”, says the committee, “it should support government communication affairs office”
The committee added “it should be known that government communication Ministry position and information from the office represents that of government’s position.
Government communication minister Dr. Negeri Lencho thanked the standing committee for standing up against character assassination on himself and his office. He also remarked that concerned government bodies need to look into it and take corrective measures.
It is to be recalled that there was controversy between Dr. Negeri Lencho, who criticized some media outlets in the country for accentuating conflict during the Buno Bedelle zone violence a few weeks ago, and Ato Zeray Asgedom, director of Ethiopian Broadcasting authority, who was asserting that the minister’s remark, regarding media outlets that appeared to be in the business of aggravating ethnic conflict, according to the ministry, does not represent government position but rather a personal opinion.
The minister’s remark came following Buno Bedelle conflict coverage by Zami FM and Ethiopian News Network, they are both believed to be, in the opposition quarter, affiliated with and supported by Tigray People’s Liberation Front party which is the dominant party in the ruling coalition.
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University students abandoning campus Source : ESAT
Ethiopia News
borkena
November 20,2017
Ethiopian university students in the eastern, southern and southwestern parts of the country are abandoning their university campus on grounds of government intervention in academic and “daily lives of students”, reported Ethiopian Satellite Television.
Among the things that the students are protesting is “peace forum” whose abolition from they university ground is demanded. Students think that the purpose of the forums is “to spy upon students”
Students of Alamaya University in South Eastern Ethiopia left their campuses today after their demands were not met by the university administration.
Following ethnic tensions in the university grounds in the region, the government deployed military force in the campuses as well which has become another contentious issue between government (the university administration) and students. Students are demanding unconditional withdrawal of military force from the campus grounds.
Students of Gambella University and Metu university joined students from Alemaya university in abandoning their university campus. With regards to Metu Univesity, which has seen sentiments of ethnic violence and confrontation between the university administration and students for a week now, Oromo regional government communication head claimed, on social media, that “teaching-learning process is resumed.”
Also, students from Bule Hora University in Southern Ethiopia abandoned their university campus over what students say is a government effort to orchestrate ethnic conflict, indicated the report by Ethiopian Satellite Television.
The oldest universities in Ethiopia are not even 100 years old. Once centers great intellectual discourse and centers of political mobilization of the cause of Ethiopia, quality of university education in Ethiopia has become a disaster. With that, social and political consciousness dwindled.
For many young people, who are born and brought up after the current regime took power in 1991, ethnic politics has become a measure of political consciousness and revolutionary character.
Socialization within university campus grounds tends to be ethnically based. It is not uncommon to find students in a dormitory entirely from a single ethnic group, to find students in a cafeteria table entirely from the same ethnic group and what not. In fact, language has become a barrier to communicate one another – all products of the existing over propagated ethnic ideology.
In consequence, Ethiopian universities began to see deadly ethnic violence. Many argue about government complicity in ethnic violence in university grounds which they see, as mentioned above, deliberate orchestration to instigate one ethnic group over the other (specially Oromo against Amhara or the vise versa) which is not untrue but the ideology itself actively promoted politicized ethnic division for decades.
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TPLF reportedly seeking new era in terms of relationship with Eritrea
TPLF mekele meeting Source : Fana
Ethiopian News
borkena
November 22,2017
TPLF leadership is considering rapprochement policy towards Eritrea according to sources that cited African Intelligence report.
The paradigm shift in Ethiopia’s foreign policy towards Eritrea is being crafted by a team under foreign affairs minister, Worqneh Gebeyehu.
Takeda Alemu (who is serving as Ethiopia’s representative at the United Nations), Berhane Gebrekristos (who was Ethiopia’s Ambassador to the United States and currently Ambassador to China) and Moges Tesfamihcael ( vice president of Ethiopian International Institute for Peace and Development) are some of the names in the workgroup mentioned in connection with developing new foreign policy draft towards Eritrea.
Growing diplomatic and military cooperation between Ethiopia and Sudan, Egyptian effort to iron out differences with Sudan, the impact of rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia in the Gulf region are some of the developments that the policy workgroup is considering, according to Eritrean and Ethiopian News sources, in its effort to come up with new foreign policy.
Ethiopia is mired in a diplomatic row with Egypt over the construction of Grand Renaissance Dam which Egypt thinks that it will affect the flow of water. After talks over the technical guidelines to assess the impacts of the dam on lower riparian countries including Egypt, which was to be undertaken by a hired firm from Europe, failed, Egyptian president Abdel- Fatah al-Sisi – is ranting in a televised speech that “water is a matter of life and death.”
It is not clear if the development in relation to Egypt over Nile added impetus on TPLF leaders to pursue rapprochement with Eygpt.
what is the cost of with rapprochement with Eritrea ?
With regards to Eritrea, the TPLF leaders, who have been undertaking an evaluative meeting in Mekelle for months now, seem to be ready to go to the extent of abandoning claim over the territory of Badme and give it away to Eritrea, and quitting proxy war against the administration in Eritrea by not arming Eritrean opposition groups- among other things.
Nearly 100,000 soldiers were killed by both Eritrea and Ethiopia ( of which more than 80,000 from Ethiopia) in the war that broke out between the two countries in 2000. The alleged cause of the war was the village of Badme although analysts tend to see a more fundamental cause for it in the realm of economic relation between the two countries.
Some Ethiopian activists seem to think TPLF “divide and rule” policy locally backfired in a way to cause security concern for TPLF and its ethnic base in Tigray to the extent of the regime is pursuing a new strategy of “people to people forum” with a motive to mend relation with other Ethiopians as the increasing fragility of the previous strategy is unfolding.
Despite the fact that TPLF has developed unprecedented economic power, some observers think that Eritrea might not easily fall prey to TPLF concession.
Eritrea on its part has been arming rebel forces whose expressed motive is to topple TPLF led government in Ethiopia.
A few years ago, Herman Cohen, who was United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs when TPLF and EPLF took power in Ethiopia and Eritrea respectively, was suggesting face-saving agreement for Eritrea and Ethiopia. And there are rumors that the US government is working on mending relation between the two countries.
Is tourism that lucrative under circumstances of deteriorating security?
Ethiopian News
borkena
November 22.2017
Ethiopian government claims a revenue of 959 million USD out of tourism sector. Pro-government broadcaster, Fana, reported that it is generated in the first four months of this fiscal year.
A total of 256,000 tourists visited the country added the report citing Ministry of Culture and Tourism sources.
Given the fact that a number of countries including United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom have issued a travel warning to advise their citizen traveling to Ethiopia due to deteriorating security condition in the country, the numbers do not seem to add up.
Recent reports were rather indicating that the tourism sector, an additional foreign currency source for the government, suffered decline.
Ethiopia has a huge potential for tourism as the country has natural and historical tourist attractions. Located close to the Equator with tropical weather through the year, the country has numerous national parks with endemic wild animals and birds.
Government is facing chronic shortages of foreign currency and has recently announced 15 % devaluation of Ethiopian currency on grounds of “promoting export”
Did TPLF government halted Ethio-Telecom fund raising campaign to help displaced Oromo speaking Ethiopians?
One of TPLF’s key men in the Federal government – Debretsion Gebremichael
Ethiopian News
borkena
November 22,2017
Opride, a website that advocates for “Oromo cause,” indicted the government in Ethiopia for halting fundraising campaign to help people displaced from Ethio-Somali regions following an ethnic conflict.
The source attached evidence which, says the news source, is leaked from government officials.
The “text-to-give” fundraising campaign was apparently launched by Oromo regional state in collaboration with Ethio-Telecom but it lived only for five hours, claimed Opride citing e-mail communication between government officials leaked to the news source.
“Emails between senior Ethiopian government officials, obtained exclusively by OPride, shed new lights on the state-run Ethio Telecom’s abrupt decision to halt the text-to-give campaign launched by Oromia State in September. The disclosures also pinpoint the key government officials behind the action.”
The report indicates that Addisu Arega, Communication head of Oromo regional state, was promoting the campaign in a Facebook update posted on September 28, 2017.
An estimated half a million Oromo speaking Ethiopians were displaced from Ethio-Somali region conflict – a conflict in which the opposition sees coordination between leaders in the Somali regional government and Tigray People’s Liberation Front leaders.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) and its Capital Region Council hosted its Annual Holiday Reception this month, with special guest His Imperial Highness Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie of Ethiopia.
Prince Ermias spoke highly of the bilateral relations between Ethiopia and Armenia that dates back centuries.
“At this point, it is both important and gratifying to know our two people – Ethiopia and Armenia – have been colleagues longer than most of the nations on this planet. Indeed, the Imperial Family has taken note of the active trade and civil relationships between Ethiopians and Armenians, extending back to the 3rd Century A.D. Moreover, Armenians and Ethiopians share a rich and historic connection as members of the same branch of Orthodox Christianity, as well as perhaps lesser known stories of the invaluable Armenian contributions to Ethiopian history,” Prince Ermias said.
Prince Ermias, President of the Crown Council of Ethiopia, recalled the story of his grandfather, Emperor Haile Selassie I, and his encounters with Armenians. In 1924, when the Emperor was visiting Jerusalem, he came across a marching band of forty Armenian youngsters. When he asked who they were, he was told that they were all orphans who had escaped Ottoman Turkey during the Armenian Genocide. After listening to the band play, the Emperor was “struck by the band’s musical talent.” Thereupon the Emperor asked for permission from the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem to adopt and bring the musicians to Ethiopia.
The Armenian musicians were then known as the “Arba Lijoch,” which means forty children in Amharic, and were trained in Ethiopia by musical director Kevork Nalbandian. Nalbandian was an Armenian Genocide survivor, originally from Aintab in the southeastern region of the Ottoman Turkish Empire. The Armenian musicians came to form the Royal Imperial Brass Band, beginning a tradition in modern Ethiopian music of heavily using brass instruments. Amazed by their progress and skill, Emperor Selassie asked Nalbandian to compose a national anthem for Ethiopia. On November 2, 1930, the Emperor’s coronation day, the Arba Lijoch unveiled the Imperial National Anthem, Marsh Teferi, which was Ethiopia’s official anthem from 1930 to 1974. Prince Ermias told the audience that these Armenians became known as the “forerunners in the modernization of mainstream music in Ethiopia.”
Assembly Board Member Annie Totah expressed her gratitude to Prince Ermias, her personal friend, for his kind words about the Armenians. “We thank you so very much for joining and educating us about the situation in Africa, and thank you for having presented to us the history about Armenians in Ethiopia. Emperor Haile Selassie welcomed us – the Armenians – and we have an ideal, mutually beneficial and fantastic relationship between both countries,” Totah said.
Over 100 guests attended the Holiday Reception, including Armenian Ambassador to the United States His Excellency Grigor Hovhannissian with his wife Victoria and Artsakh Permanent Representative to the U.S. Robert Avetisyan with his wife Elvina.
In his remarks, Ambassador Hovhannissian noted that Ethiopia has a special place in the hearts of Armenians. He also recognized the Assembly’s advocacy work, as well as the grassroots activism and dedication of its members.
“We are very mindful and cognizant of the tremendous effort that the Armenian Assembly of America has been making towards the development of Armenia and towards building and strengthening relations with the United States,” Ambassador Hovhannissian stated. “You have many, many dedicated members, and Armenia is blessed to have them among its most committed friends,” he added.
Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny briefed the audience on the Assembly’s accomplishments this past year and explained the challenges ahead. He emphasized the continued efforts to increase membership in the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, which is currently at 113, as well as urging Members to withdraw from the Turkish and Azeri Caucuses. Both Ardouny and Totah encouraged the audience to contact their Representatives and educate them on the importance of strengthening U.S.-Armenia and U.S.-Artsakh relations.
Following the speeches, Dr. Naira Babayan, a member of the Armenian Assembly, performed an Armenian musical selection, including Krunk (Stork) by Komitas, Six Dances by Komitas, and Dance of Sasun by A. Arutiunian.
Arrested Princes and Billionaires at the RIz Carlton Hotel in Riyadh Source : DailyMail
Ethiopian News
borkena
November 23,2017
Saudi Arabia princes, business tycoons, and former politicians who are detained in a crackdown in the first week of this month are going through interrogations.
Saudi Arabian government has hired a security and private investigation company from the United States according to a report by The Daily Mail which cited unnamed Saudi Arabian sources.
The reason Saudi Arabia wanted to hire private investigators and security instead of using the country’s own security and crime investigation apparatus is because the prince (MBS) “doesn’t want Saudi officers there who have been saluting those detainees all their lives” said the anonymous Daily Mail source in Saudi Arabia.
At times, the Prince Mohammed Bin Salman get himself involved in the interrogation process :
‘He speaks to them very nicely in the interrogation, and then he leaves the room, and the mercenaries go in. The prisoners are slapped, insulted, hung up, tortured.’
The report added that the elites have been hung by their feet and beaten by their interrogators. Once one of Saudi’s most influential man and billionaire(worth at least 17 billion US), Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is tortured and hang upside down.
“Detained members of Saudi elite have been hung by their feet and beaten by interrogates” wrote The Daily Mail citing sources.
“Blackwater” is the American investigator company that is cited in the DailyMail report but the news source reported that the company denied involvement in Saudi interrogation and/or torture. It is illegal in the United States’ law to commit torture. However, the Daily Mail report added, citing the anonymous source, that the company no longer exists and it is “Academi.” Yet, “Academi denied that it is involved in the interrogation of Saudi Princes and businessmen.
So far, Saudi crown prince, Mohammed Bin Salman, confiscated $194 billion from the bank accounts and assets of detained princes and billionaires.
Ethiopian born billionaire, Al Amoudi, is among the arrested during the crackdown three weeks ago.
Will Eritrean authorities nod to Ethiopian government-backed effort to promote relation between Eritreans and Ethiopians? But is there even a problem between Eritreans and Ethiopians?
Photo credit : The Ethiopian Reporter
Ethiopian News
borkena
November 23,2017
Just two days ago, news of Ethiopian government working on new foreign policy as it relates to Eritrean situation was reported by Ethiopian news sources including this website.
As it turns out, an interest group based in Addis Ababa seem to be planning to turn around the tide so as to promote what they called “people to people relation” between Ethiopians and Eritreans. The group is composed of intellectuals and elders, according to The Ethiopian Reporter, who even seem to be determined to travel to Asmara to meet president Isayas Afeworki to promote the idea.
A meeting of intellectuals was held at Harmony hotel in Addis Ababa to discuss the issue.
Habtom Gebre Libanos, head of Harmony Events ( which organized the meeting) told The Ethiopian Reporter :
“The objective of the discussion among intellectuals is to create a common understanding and to identify issues we need to work on in the future so as to facilitate working together [between Eritrean and Ethiopian intellectuals]”
The group, which is apparently organized by Harmony Events, has two step plans to bring Eritreans to Ethiopia for a discussion. In the first step, it will bring 200 Eritreans and in the second phase they will bring 400 Eritreans (including celebrities, artists, and elders) to organize “people to people conference and concerts.”
Ethiopian government expressed readiness to give free visas for Eritreans to come to Ethiopia for the project. Last week government permitted Eritreans to protest in Addis Ababa against the government in Eritrea.
Professor Medhane Tadesse presented a paper at the meeting and spoke to The Ethiopian Reporter. A translation of what he told to the news source reads
“…efforts to reconcile Eritreans and Ethiopians are not coordinated which could be an obstacle to utilize their[Eritreans and Ethiopians] potential to tackle security and peace challenges and expose them to suffering at individual level”
Medhane emphasized the need to make history and culture of the two people open for discussion as it is crucially, he thinks, important to resolve the current impasse.
As well, he says that there is a plan to convince president Isayas Afeworki on the matter.
Already one hundred thousand Eritrean refugees live in Addis Ababa – which was once a cherished home for thousands of Eritreans before Tigray People Liberation Front government expelled them following the Ethio-Eritrean conflict which caused the loss of at least 100,000 lives on both sides.
The Irony is that Ethiopians were abused by the TPLF government and their patrols (some of whom are now emerging as interest groups to unite Eritreans and Ethiopians) when they claimed that Ethiopians and Eritreans are one people on grounds of culture, history and even blood relations.
Ethiopians have also opposed when the TPLF government decided to expel Eritreans, many of them were born and raised in Addis Ababa, from Ethiopia after the border conflict.
Now when the domestic and regional situations become security concerns for TPLF, it is pushing the “people to people relation” agenda to “reconcile” with Eritrea and Eritreans. Again the question is, was there any problem at all between Ethiopians and Eritreans as people? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
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Renaissance Dam is a ” matter of life or death” for Ethiopia too, government
File / Reuters
Ethiopian News
borkena
November 24,2017
In what seem to be a clear response to Egyptian president Abdul Fetah Al-Sisi’s warning to Ethiopia over the construction of mega dam over the Nile, Ethiopia is responding that the dam is a “matter of life or death” too.
Ethiopian Foreign Affairs ministry spokesperson, Meles Alem, told journalists on Thursday at a press conference in Addis Ababa that “Ethiopia is firm on its position of equitable use of the Nile’s water,” according to Chinese news source Xinhua.
Despite no agreement is reached over impact study during the latest round of talk in Cairo , Ethiopian Foreign Affairs ministry is quoted as saying, by The Associated Press, that “Ethiopia will continue to work with Sudan and Egypt for a fair and equitable use of the Nile water.”
Authorities in Ethiopia say that the project along the Sudan border is 60 % completed. The US $5 billion Dam project is going to be the largest in Africa. The government sold thousand Renaissance Dam bond shares for citizens and investors alike. Analysts say dam is both an economic and political project which the government has propagated as one of its achievements. In fact, government propaganda painted it as a measures of “foresight and invincibility” of the late Meles Zenawi.
Sudan and Ethiopia are on the same page regarding the construction of the dam but Sudan accuses Egypt of using Sudan’s share of the Nile water after failure of Cairo talk.
The intention of Egypt is for riparian countries to stick to agreements signed during colonial time. Ethiopia, from which more than eighty percent of the Nile water originates, is not signatory to agreement signed in 1929 and 1959.
Egypt has briefed the US administration about the failure of Cairo talk to assess the impacts of the mega dam and then Abdul Fetah al-Sisi appeared on Television to say that water is a matter of National Security. Politicians and academics are alarmed by the project and the dominant view is that the dam will reduce the flow of water to Egypt.
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Ethiopian Government made arrest over ethnic violence in Somali-Oromo region ; activists bluff it
Dr Negeri Lencho Credit : EBC
Ethiopian News
borkena
November 25,2017
Ethiopian Government claims that it arrested about 103 individuals in connection with Somali-Oromo ethnic violence which caused the death of more than 50 civilians and the displacement of more than half-million Ethiopians of Oromo origin.
It was Dr. Negeri Lencho, Communications Minister, who disclosed the arrest during press conference in his office yesterday.
According to report by government media, 98 of the suspects are from Oromo region of Ethiopia of which 54 were arrested by Oromo region police and the rest of them by Federal police.
From Ethio-Somali regions, only five are arrested while the number of suspects is 29.
Dr Negeri added that although the conflict is now rare in the Oromo-Somali region, it is not completely stopped.
Details of the individuals who are arrested and the role they played in the conflict is not explained
Oromo regional government did not react to the news yet.
Activists and opposition perspective
Prevailing view in the opposition regarding the Somali-Oromo ethnic violence is that it was an orchestrated conflict. People in the opposition who see the conflict as a manufactured one and speculate collaboration between TPLF political leaders and military generals on the one hand and Somali region Abdi in making the conflict happen.
Jawar Mohammed is a US based activist who tend to show sentiments of radical oromo ethno-nationalism and has a fan base in the diaspora with over a million facebook followers. He called news of the arrest of oromo-somali violence suspects by government “Irresponsible joke!”
In this, he is not alone as many other people in the opposition think the main culprits of the conflict are TPLF leaders and Somali region president. The Federal Communication Affairs Minister, Negeri, is seen as a subservient of TPLF elites and his words do not carry much meaning,if not nothing, in the opposition.
An oromo activist blog,opride, reported last week that authorities in the Federal government stopped text-to-give fundraising drive via Ethio-Telecom to help Oromos displaced by the violence in Somali region just five hours after it was kicked off.
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The 17th edition of the Great Ethiopian Run will take place tomorrow at Meskel Square in the capital, Addis Ababa. 40,000 elite and carnival runners are expected to attend the event. However, organizers believe that number of participants might even climb to well over 50,000.
It is the biggest road race in the continent.
According to information published by the Great Ethiopian Run page, so far participants from over twenty countries have arrived in Addis Ababa. A delegation from China included members fromChinese Athletics Federation and Beijing marathon Organizing Committee.
Participants from charitable organizations across Europe are also taking part in the event.
From notable elite runners, 2016 Olympic 5000 meters champion in the women category,Vivian Cheruyiot of Kenya, and former World half Marathon champion, Lornah Kiplagat of Holland, have arrived to take part in the race.
Pre-race press conference happened at Hilton Hotel yesterday.
Children run is taking place at Addis Ababa Youth Sport Academic, adjacent to Imperial hotel, and as many as 3000 children will take part in the event.
Haile Gebreselassie with other elite athletes and musicians
Apart from the race, Great Ethiopian Run has organized a concert in Unity park of Ghion Hotel where Reggae Musician Star Luciano will perform. This event is expected to attract as many as 8000 spectators and will take place after the completion of the race in the afternoon. Source : Great Ethiopian Run
The militia at the graduation ceremony Credit : Fana
5000 Oromo militia recruited and trained by Oromo regional state graduated today. They graduated in the presence of Lemma Megerssa, president of the region. The militias were trained at the Senkele police training center for two months. According to government report, the militia took capacity building and military training before they graduated today.
The Oromo regional state says training the militias was important so as to “protect the constitution,rule of law and security of people in the region.”
There is a claim by the oromo regional state that there was public participation in the selection of the militia.
The region has its own police and special police force. For the last two years, the region has been unstable due to ceaseless demonstrations against government and hundreds of civilians have lost their lives – mostly in the hands of government security forces.
Sporadic ethnic violence become a hallmark of the region and citizens from other parts of Ethiopia have been attacked in different occasions. In the last two months alone, at least three ethnic violence were recorded in the region.
The level of ethnic sentiment and sense of entitlement has become so bad to the extent that a fight between two individuals from different language speaking could turn to a full scale ethnic based violence. Two days ago, a conflict between two individuals which led to homicide in Arsi Negele was turned into a full scale ethnic violence.
What many citizen question though is if militia and security forces could make a difference in a situation where radically politicized ethnicity and ethnic based hate has taken root.
Ahmed Abdul-Gheit, Arab League Secretary Photo : AP via Ahram
A report by Egyptian news source,Ahram online,indicates that the secretary general of the Arab League, Ahmed Abdul-Gheit, is accusing Ethiopia of not cooperating on Nile Dam talk.He said on Sunday that the pan-Arab organization is following the talks between riparian countries over Mega Dam project that Ethiopia is undertaking “with extreme concern”, as cited by Ahram online.
Also, the secretary is quoted as saying “We do not feel that Ethiopia was cooperating and coordinating enough. The Ethiopian plans to operate the dam and use its water in irrigation are ambiguous and concerning”
In an address to the Fourth Arabic Forum for Water in Cairo, Abul-Gheit stated that the water security of the most populous Arab country, in reference to Egypt, was a matter of Arab national security.
Noting that Egypt receives 85 % of its water from Ethiopian highlands, he said that “there are currently 400 million people living on the banks of the Nile who will reach one billion by 2050” and called on Ethiopia to be open and transparent and cooperate.
The Ethiopian position
While 86 percent of the volume of Nile water originates from Ethiopian highlands, the country is not getting its fair share of the water. Ethiopian authorities believe that the Grand Renaissance Dam, which is 60 % completed according to recent reports, will not significantly reduce the flow of water to lower riparian countries.
Sudan,one of the countries in the lower course, nodded that the dam will not affect its interest.
Affirming commitment for dialogue over the dam,Ethiopian authorities reject the desire on the part of Egypt for the implementation of colonial time treaty ( in 1929 and 1959) over Nile which Ethiopia didn’t sign.
When Egyptian president stated, for second time, that “water is a matter of life or death for Egypt” in what seemed to be a warning to Ethiopia, Ethiopian foreign Affairs ministry spokes person told journalists that the Grand Renaissance Dam is a matter of “life or death for Ethiopia,too”
Irrigation Minister Dr. Sileshi Bekele Source : Ethiopian Embassy, Belgium
The assertion that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has no significant impact on downstream countries is based on scientific research, Water, Irrigation and Electricity Minister said on 25 November 2017.
When Ethiopia says that GERD has no significant impact on the downstream countries, this is not unempirical pronouncement but a factual statement based on scientific research, Dr. Sileshi Bekele stressed. Briefing journalists, the Minister said the dam will not have significant negative hydrologic simulation, socio-economic, and environmental impacts on downstream countries. Dr. Sileshi recalled the agreement reached by the tripartite countries to integrate any issues of concern by their respective National Technical Committees and submit them to the consultant. This approach has been practiced as per the agreement during the last three rounds.
However, differences have recently appeared as Ethiopia and Sudan strongly stood by the agreement reached earlier to submit the inception report in an integrated way, while Egypt wanted the inception report to be approved as it is, the Minister explained. According to him, the inception reports are ‘supplementary studies’ and not conclusive; but they are helpful in creating understanding about the dam among the tripartite countries.
Responding to the question whether the construction of the dam would be stopped mainly because of Egypt’s current stand, Dr. Sileshi said “the dam is 63 percent completed and it is being constructed around-the-clock. On our part we are constructing the dam according to the schedule, the quality and the standard that the dam of this size requires”, the Minister added.
He pointed out that the dam will have paramount contribution towards eradicating poverty, maintaining economic growth and regional integration. “We have to take this dam as a real opportunity that provides lots of benefits for the three countries. So these additional studies will really articulate on those kinds of dimensions and indicate if there is any significant harm so as to devise a mitigation strategy. But we have carried out relevant and adequate studies on our side which prove that the dam does not bring any significant impact on downstream countries”, the Minister further stated.
In the water filling strategy, Ethiopia has taken into account the drought scenario, mean flow scenario, and high water flow scenarios, which in turn minimize wastage of water and utilization throughout the year, he said. Besides, Egypt and Sudan will be benefitting from the renewable energy to be generated from the dam and this will serve as a water bank for both countries in any occurrences of drought. Sudan annually pays 50 million USD to clear the sands in its reservoir and irrigation dams, Dr. Sileshi noted, adding that GERD will reduce the possible accumulation of silt in the reservoirs and irrigation dams of both countries. “The study underway may bring additional recommendations. If so we will consider them together after they are authenticated by the three countries”, he stated.
The Minister revealed that Ethiopia has so far provided about 150 documents that are related to hydrological simulation and other things in dealing with the other parties in a transparent manner. Dr. Sileshi underscored that hydropower never consumes water and “Ethiopia is always careful in filling the dam, releasing adequate water to downstream countries and retaining reasonable amount of water.”
Azeb Mesfin is now expelled from executive committee. Will she be arrested?
Ethiopia News
borkena
November 28,2017
Expelled members of TPLF , Abay Woldu, Azeb Mesfin and Beyene Mekru Source : Horn Affairs
It has been more than two months since the executive committee and central committee of Tigray People’s Liberation Front, whose longtime chairman and the earliest member was the late Meles Zenawi, is undertaking performance evaluation of the executives. And it is not over yet.
What appears to be over, from what is known so far, is that Meles Zenawi’s widow – Azeb Mesfin – is “suspended” from the rank of the executive committee which composed of nine members, and she will not be a member of the central committee either.
The central committee is composed of forty-five members and it was undertaking what some insiders say is a harsh evaluation of the executive members. In addition to central committee evaluation, the TPLF party has a tradition of “self-evaluation” – a process by which executive members evaluate themselves as part of performance evaluation. They call it “gimgema”
The central committee has also relegated, demoted rather, Abay Woldu, president of Tigray regional state and chairman of Tigray People’s Liberation Front after the death of Meles Zenawi, to a position of membership to the central committee.
TPLF executive committee statement sent to pro-TPLF media, Fana Broadcasting, did not shed light if Abbay Woldu is going to be removed as president of Tigray regional state. However, other TPLF affiliated sources, like Horn Affairs, seem to suggest that Abbay will be dismissed as chairman of TPFL and president of the region.
Beyene Mekru is another member of excutive committee who is expelled from the team along with Azeb Mesfin and Abay Woldu. He was Deputy of EFFORT and vice president of Tigray Regional State.
Lack of unity based on principle, faction and familial based attacks within the party and strong anti-democratic thinking patterns were identified as cardinal problems in the uncompleted months-long evaluation – accordign to the statement sent to party-affiliated media. However, the issue of corruption is left untouched – probably with the assuption that it will demolish the party entirely with given mounting allegations of corruption within the party which is owning a business empire worth tens of billions of dollars.
What happened to Azeb Mesfin?
Widow of the late Meles Zenawi was one of the executive committee members and in charge of EFFORT – TPLF business that has invested in a range of sectors across the country.
In the latest round of performance evaluation of the party, Azeb Mesfin walked out after a fifty-nine-page evaluation report was presented to the executive committee on which she voted “nay” along with two other members of executive committee members ( namely Abay Woldu, who is seen as her ally, and Addis Alem Balema, deputy president of Tigray)
But she had to write a letter to the central committee pleading to re-join the performance evaluation again. The road back to the meeting was not easy, if not humiliating, for the lady whose husband was seen as a political god within TPLF and its supporters.
The end of it is not less humiliating either. At this point, it is confirmed that she is removed from the central committee and executive committee.
However, it is not clear if the decision is related to her behavior during the evaluative meeting or something else more serious. The party is secretive about it.
With that that the notion of “Meles vision” – a mantra that was entrenched after Meles Zenawi deceased – is speculated to see its end.
If her expulsion is related to her performance as head of EFFORT, she could even face something more serious. And it remains to be seen if her allies including Abay Woldu will not respond to that in their won way.
Azeb Mesfin met Meles Zenawi during the gurrilla war time of TPLF and they have three children together
There was already speculation that she has made arrangements to live in exile along with her daughters but this is not confirmed from credible sources so far.
Carolyn Turk – World Bank Group country director to Ethiopia Source : World Bank
The World Bank Group unveiled today a five-year strategic operational plan for Ethiopia, reported Chinese news source Xhinua. The plan will guide the organization’s operational plan its until the year 2022.
The news source added that World Bank’s newly released five-year strategic plan is in alignment with the government’s second five-year growth and transformation plan (GTP) which started in 2016.
World Bank Country Director to Ethiopia, Carolyn Turk, is cited as saying that the focus area of the organization in Ethiopia is “promoting structural and economic transformation through increased productivity.”
Derartu Tulu will now serve Ethiopia as vice-president of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation, alongside Haile Gebreselassie
Derartu Tulu – Ethiopia and Africa’s first women to win Gold Medal at the Olympics
Ethiopian News
borkena
November 28,2017
As Ethiopian athletics Federation concludes its emergency meeting this week, Derartu Tulu, Africa’s first women and first Ethiopian Olympic Champion in 10000 meters at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 is elected to join the leadership of the federation as vice-president.
The Federation was apparently striving to include more women to the leadership.
Colonel Derartu Tulu
Derartu competed for the position along with 17 other females represented from different regions of the country and she was elected with the highest number of votes, according to state media sources. Derartu was represented from Oromia region of Ethiopia.
Derartu, cousin to Tirunesh Dibaba -another great long distance Ethiopian runner, is very much revered among Ethiopians.
In the executive committee member election, Aziza Abdi of Oromia region and Fozia Edris of Afar region competed in two rounds and Fozia Endris is elected to as an executive committee member.
Haile Gebreselassie, the greatest long-distance runner in history, was elected as president of the Athletics Federation last year. He is currently working on Athletics village construction project in Sendafa.
Running has become a popular sport in Ethiopia. In this week’s The Great Ethiopian Run event, as many as 40,000 runners took part.
Can Debretsion Gebremichael turn around mounting political pressure on TPLF?
One of TPLF’s key men in the Federal government – Debretsion Gebremichael
Ethiopia News
borkena
November 29,2017
After expelling Abay Woldu, currently president of Tigray regional state, this week, Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) elected Debretsion Gebremichael as its chairman upon concluding its months-long gimgema (performance evaluation with an extensive self-criticism sessions) on Wednesday evening, reported Fana broadcasting and other TPLF affiliated media outlets.
In addition, the party elected Fetlework Gebregziabhier, also known as Monjorino, as deputy chairperson.
Another business in concluding the meeting was to elect executive committee members to replace three expelled executive committee members including the late Meles Zenawi’s wife Azeb Mesfin. The position of Tedros Adhanom, currently Director General of World Health Organization, seem to be filled as well.
Kerya Ibrahim, Asmelash Woldeselassie, Getachew Reda and Abraham Tekeste are elected to join the executive committee.
The election seems to be a culmination of months of, if not years, in-fight between two factions; Debretsion Gebremichael faction on the one hand and Abay Woldu on the other – and the later turned out to be losers. Yet, the new election ostensibly reflects an interest within TPLF to diversify executive in terms of gender and age, even religious diversity.
Getachew Reda, the youngest new addition to the executive committee, served as Government Communication Minister and was removed from the post following the countrywide popular protest in 2016 which led to the year-long state of emergency.
History : who is Debretsion Gebremichael?
Like many of TPLF senior leaders, he abandoned his university studies to join TPLF guerrilla forces in the late 70`s. During the guerrilla war, he was in charge of Radio (Dimtsi woyane).
After TPLF took over government power, Debretsion resumed his study at Addis Ababa University while on holding his government position and received his undergraduate and graduate degrees. Later, he got PHD degree, through distance education, from Capella University, Minnesota.
A section of Wikipedia profile post on Debretsion reads “He was sent to Italy by the TPLF and received training in communications technology”
In terms experience within TPLF government apparatus, he was the second person in the security and intelligence under Kinfe Gebremedhin, who was assassinated by a TPLF veteran with a rank of major in the military.
In 2005, Debretsion was appointed Director of the Ethiopian Information and Communication Development Agency. He is currently Debretsion Gebremichael is the current Minister of Communication and Information Technology and one of the three deputy prime ministers of Ethiopia.
Uncertainties for TPLF
TPLF may have sorted out internal problems, at least for now, but the road ahead might not be as easy as it was, if not will not turn out to be a maintenance.
While TPLF represents only 6 % of the Ethiopian population, it dominated the ruling coalition ( Ethiopian People`s Revolution Democratic Front which constitute four parties.) TPLF has a military upper hand and controls key Federal government positions including intelligence and security apparatus. The party has also created unprecedented wealth – which apparently added impetus to the insight. The party`s business empire is worth at least $6 billion US , not to mention wealth by individuals related to TPLF leaders at different levels.
Coalition member in the ruling party with far more population in terms of number are marginalized and disenchantment has been simmering for a long time although they appeared to be subservient in the open. But now at least two parties within the coalition are showing signs of open hostility to TPLF. Added to that, there is a contentious issue of Wolkait, a region in the northwest of Ethiopia, that was wrested from Gonder.
Oromo Peoples Democratic Organization, a creation of TPLF itself, has evolved to become somewhat assertive of power and seem to have a tendency to reject TPLF as master of the ruling coalition. Some Oromo activists claim and alarmed, apparently based on speculations based on past TPLF behaviours,that the TPLF has the intention to arrest assertive and popular elements of OPDO while releasing some political prisoners.
Sings in tension is also apparent in the military ranks. Apart from defections of armed soldiers from the defense force, there are rumors of clandestine plots within the military to engage TPLF military in the event that TPLF is resorting to total military administration – in fact, essentially what it has been doing for the last two or so years at least in some parts of the country.
![Protest in Jimma University ; one Instructor is arrested [Audio – in Amharic]](http://www.borkena.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Jimma-University-source-Jimma-University-website-150x150.jpg "Protest in Jimma University ; one Instructor is arrested [Audio – in Amharic]")
