Ethiopian editor questioned over story on Azeb Mesfin

(CPJ) New York, May 15, 2013–Ethiopian police in Addis Ababa questioned an editor for several hours today in connection with a story published in October about the widow of the late Ethiopian leader Meles Zenawi, according to news reports.

Azeb Mesfin the widow of the late Ethiopian dictator Meles Zenawi

Officers in the Ethiopian Federal Police Crime Investigation Department interrogated Ferew Abebe, the former editor-in-chief of the private Amharic-language weekly Sendek, about his sources for the October 10, 2012, story that saidAzeb Mesfin, Meles’ widow, had refused to leave the Ethiopian national place nearly two months after the prime minister’s death, local journalists said. The story, which was widely covered in local and international press, cited government sources as saying that Meles’ successor, Hailemarian Desalegn, was unable to live in the palace.

Breaking Political Barriers and Political Taboos

I. IntroductionI watched on ETV with great fascination the recent presentations by Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn to the Ethiopian House of Representatives, especially the question and answer session wherein a representative asked the Prime Minister to expound on the hot issue of ethnic cleansing against the Amhara in the Benshangul Killil. I also read snippets of the report on that same subject by the lucid Redwan Hussien of the EPRDF‘s Secretariat. What both leaders stated without any equivocation was that removing Ethiopian “peoples” from an area based on their ethnic identity is an act by anti-people groups; the phrase they used was ጸረ-ሕዝብ, and they emphasized the fact that every Ethiopian has a Constitutional right to work freely anywhere in Ethiopia. Both political leaders are from SEPDM (Southern Ethiopian Peoples’ Democratic Movement) the Former is its Chairman and the latter Member of its Central Committee.* In referring to the citizens of Ethiopia, I reject the pseudo Leninist-Stalinist designation “peoples” that the EPRDF and its constitutive members use as their political mantra. The term “peoples” is passé and anachronistic.

"So that I may do the deed
That my soul has to itself decreed." - Keates

Individuals can be penalized, made to suffer (oh, how I miss my child) and even killed. But democracy is a destiny of humanity which cannot be averted. It can be delayed but not defeated.

No less significant, absent trials and tribulations, democracy would be devoid of the soul that endows it with character and vitality. I accept my fate, even embrace it as serendipitous. I sleep in peace, even if only in the company of lice, behind bars. The same could not be said of my incarcerator though they sleep in warm beds, next to their wives, in their home

A Call for Action: The OAU & Emperor Haile Selassie’s Rightful Place in History

by Nebyat Aklilu

As Addis Ababa prepares for grand festivities, galas and events in celebration of the 50^thAnniversary of the establishment of the African Union (AU), formerly known as the Organization of African Unity (OAU), on May 25, 2013, we, Africans, and peoples of African descent, pay homage to the visionary leader of the OAU, His Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie. We honor the “Father of Africa,” Emperor Haile Selassie, for his visionary leadership and everlasting contributions to the freedom and independence of Africa and African peoples, and for the key role he played in establishing the OAU/AU.

Woubshet Taye and Reeyot Alemu behind bars as terrorists


Eleven journalists have been convicted and sentenced since 2011 under Ethiopia’s repressive anti-terrorism law, including six in absentia. Three of the eleven are currently in prison. Two other journalists are currently on trial under the anti-terrorism law. Another journalist, Temesgen Desalegn, the editor of the now defunct independent magazine Feteh, is on trial for three offenses under the criminal code.

Ethiopia: Shadowboxing Smoke and Mirrors By Alemayehu G Mariam

Meles Zenawi when he was alive and his apostles today (“Melesistas”) keep playing us in the Diaspora like a cheap fiddle. They make us screech, shriek, scream and shout by simply showing their mugs in our cities. How do they do it? Every now and then, the Melesistas suit up a few of their bumbling and bungling zombies from central casting and unleash them into the Ethiopian Diaspora to “sell bonds” for the “Grand Meles Dam” to be built over the Blue Nile. Anytime these zombies show up to panhandle chump change from their supporters, a welcoming committee of defiant and patriotic Ethiopian activists show up to chase them out of town like campers at a national park chasing coyotes scrounging at the trash bin. For the past several weeks, Diaspora activists have been routing these imposters across European and American cities; but incredibly, these brazen con artists show up in the next city like snake oil salesmen at a carnival. That really piqued my curiosity. Why do these scammers show up in city after city knowing that they will be confronted and chased out by young patriotic Ethiopians? Are they really fundraising by "selling bonds" in the Diaspora or are they using “fundraising” as a cover for something altogether different? Ummm!!!  

A letter from Eskinder – Girma Kassa

May 1, 2013

His name is Nafkot. He is a non-ordinary boy, which I believe will be remembered in history. His mother, Serkalem Fassil, was arrested and placed in rat-infested notorious Kaliti Prison for about two years since November 2005. She was then pregnant and endured heavy pains in prison, for 9 months. No mercy and compassion was she shown by authorities, since cruelty and lack of compassion has been their trade marks.

የሕዳሴው” ግድብና ደሞዜ

 

በፍቃዱ ዘ ኃይሉ

ከስድሰት ወር በፊት እሠራበት የነበረው የግል ከፍተኛ የትምህርት ተቋም ለግድቡ መዋጮ የፈለግነውን ያክል ገንዘብ የምናዋጣበት ባዶ ቅጽ ላከልን። ብዙዎቻችን የወሩን ሦስት አራተኛ በጥልፍልፍ ብድር የምናሳልፍ በመሆኑ ገሚሶቻችን በትሕትና ማዋጣት እንደማንችል ስንገልጽ ቀሪዎቹ ደግሞ “መቶም፣ ሁለት መቶም በዓመት ክፍያ ይቆረጥብን” ብለው ፈረሙ።

On Ethiopian embassies 
By Teklu Abate
May 1, 2013


The website of the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintains that Ethiopia has 39 missions (embassies and consular offices) in Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa. These missions officially represent Ethiopia and poise to serve the Ethiopian Diaspora and Ethiopian-origin nationals. They also intend to encourage and facilitate the transfer of capital, technology, and science to Ethiopia. Since recent times, missions seem to aggressively work on 1) winning the hearts and minds of foreign investors particularly from the Arab world, India, and China, and 2) collecting funds for the construction of the “Grand Renaissance Dam”.

Mengistu Hailemariam and our moral compass

by Yilma Bekele

Today I felt like crawling under the blanket and just hide. I know that is what children do. They think hiding under the blanket makes them invisible. It give them a feeling of security and that what I was looking for. Some place to hide and feel secure from my clueless people. Clueless is what we are and I guess I just have to live with it. Predictable like the season is how we function and I have to accept it.