By Helen Epstein, The New York Review of Books | April 24, 2010
Parts of southern Ethiopia resemble the scenery in a Tarzan movie. When I was there last fall, the green forested hills were blanketed in white mist and rain poured down on the small farms and homesteads. In the towns, slabs of meat hung in the butchers’ shops and donkeys hauled huge sacks of coffee beans, Ethiopia’s major export, along the stony dirt roads. So I was surprised to see the signs of hunger everywhere. There were babies with kwashiorkor, a disease caused by malnutrition, which I’d assumed occurred only in war zones. Many of the older children were clearly stunted and some women were so deficient in iodine they had goiters the size of cannonballs.
This East African nation, famous for its ancient rock-hewn churches, Solomonic emperors, and seemingly intractable poverty, has a long history of famine. But I had always assumed that food shortages were more common in the much drier north of the country than in the relatively fertile south. Although rainfall throughout Ethiopia had been erratic in 2008 and 2009, the stunting and goiter I saw were signs of chronic malnutrition, which had clearly existed for many years.
By Ronald Bera, Associated Press Writer | April 24, 2010
NAIROBI, Kenya - Ethiopia's government is waging a coordinated attack on rights activists, journalists and political opponents ahead of the country's national elections in May, a leading human rights group said on Wednesday.
Some radio broadcasts from the Voice of America were jammed by the government earlier this month, and the country's most prominent independent newspaper was shut down late last year, said New York-based Human Rights Watch, which presented its report in neighbouring Kenya. Journalists and activists have fled the country recently because of government repression, the report said.
Just for the Record - Shortly after casting a ballot on Eritrean Referendum in 1993, the late mother of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi was interviewed by Ethiopian Radio. It is on record that she said: "We have voted for our [Eritrean] independence." The story was aired on Radio Ethiopia's Tigrinya Program, where panicked editors were told to kill the story. It was never reported in Amharic or other local language programs. - Ethiomedia Editor Abraha Belai. (Abraha was deputy editor-in-chief with Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) and senior editor of The Ethiopian Herald until 1994).
The Orange Tree thrown into the notorious Kaliti Prison in 2008 has borne millions of its kind that are now being felt across the globe. Hallelujah!
Our dream of the rebirth of Ethiopia as a blessed land of liberty, peace and freedom - where there shall be no more political prisoners - is insight giving hope for the present and future generations of Ethiopia. Amen to no more prisoners of conscience!
The Orange Tree that was cruelly thrown to a narrow dark cell in solitary confinement for 170 days has truly multiplied to the dismay of those who wanted it to wilt and die. Glory to God for He protects those of His choice to lead the noble cause of unity, democracy, and justice!
A few days ago, I watched on video the 12 February first debate between the political parties contending for power in Ethiopia, courtesy of ERTA, organised as part of preparations for the fourth general election that would take place on May 23rd.
The selected six participating parties in order of their presentations, as determined by ballots, were EPRDF, CUD, EDP, Ye Ethiopian Ra’ey Party (Ethiopian Vision), the Ethiopian Justice and Democratic Forces Front and Medrek.The topic of the debate “Democracy and Multiparty Election in Ethiopia” provided an officially-sanctioned face-to-face attack between the parties, with little time left for elucidating their positions on issues. The interesting thing is that there were only two sides to the debate amongst six debaters, with hardly anyone in-between. Thus: on one side is the ruling party and on the other five opposition parties, four of which are signatories with the ruling party on the code of conduct, which leaves out Medrek.
Many Ethiopians showed genuine interest in the affairs of their country. Not only did they field key questions but also shared valuable advices on top of their generous donations
“Do you have‘game changer’ strategies?” - Gebré
Part Two III. Question and Answer Session Dr. Negasso Gidada and Ato Seeye Abraha were not featured speakers at the Conference, but they fully participated during the extensive “Question and Answer” session. To begin with during the Question and Answer session there were precisely only two men who raised the issue of the past association of Gebru, Negaso and Seeye with the TPLF and/or the Government of Meles Zenawi, with the suggestion that those Medrek leaders should not be there addressing the attendees. The reaction to such questions from the audience was very lukewarm and I could even say hostile and disapproving. The audience did not want to go into such disruptive rhetoric and clearly showed its disapproval through its silence and scattered and faltering clapping. On the other hand, the response of the audience was a thunderous clapping after answers were given by Negasso, Gebru, and Seeye in response to such questions. It was very clear that most of the members of the conferees were supportive of Negasso, Gizachew, Gebru, and Seeye and the process of unity that Medrek was fully representing in the Opposition.
Many Ethiopians expressed outpouring support for Medrek when the opposition coalition met in Washington, DC on April 18, 2010 (More pictures on Ethiomedia's photostream)
"Ethiopia is a wreath of flowers" - Dr. Negasso Gidada
There were very many memorable statements made by Medrek Leaders and also by members of the audience at the Medrek Conference of April 18 in Arlington, Virginia. The one statement that captured my imagination, which was also greatly appreciated by the audience, was the one stated by Dr. Negasso Gidada very eloquently that it was pure beauty on its own other than the fact that it was also a profoundly wonderful idea on the beauty of diversity in our Ethiopian setting. In that one simple sentence, Negasso encapsulated not only the mood of the moment but also the very essence of the up-swelling of hope and aspirations of the people of Ethiopia. Negasso identified Ethiopia as “a wreath of flowers,” whereas each flower is beautiful on its own, but in the garland connected as one by strong ties all the diverse flowers transcend their individual limitations and become a field of greater beauty. I pondered that image long after the conference was over, and it still is fresh in my memory as I write, and I am ecstatic in having that profound image in my arsenal of love for our Motherland when I think of Ethiopia. Thank you my brother Negasso for such profound insight.
Ethiopians never learn from their past mistakes (something Ethiopia ’s no. 2 enemy Isayas Afeworki* was reported to have said once). I would not generalise like that but happy to say that some Ethiopians, especially those in the diaspora, never seem to learn from the past. The reason I say this is to do with ‘cadre’, ‘gazetegan’ and now ‘derasi’ Tesfayi G/ab. Some of us would not embrace Tesfaye and 'his' venomous work blindly and regard him as Ethiopia ’s hero, if we were the type who learn from the past.
By Genet Mersha, 22 April 2010 — In his opening salvo in Debate # Six, Ato Arkebe Oqubay began by portraying all opposition parties as traitors. He used the following words to accuse them of such a heinous crime: “For eighteen years, opposition parties have tried to masquerade as patriots, without being what they say they are. They falsely capitalised on the sovereignty issue, when in reality they have only been serving foreign interests” [writer’s translation]. Since this charge is very serious, the question is why to this day they have not been tried and sentenced. Also, if that is true, how would the governing party justify its contention for power with traitors and criminals, it has accused in public?
