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Tributes have been paid to a man who was shot dead in Ethiopia where he was working as a geologist for an oil firm.

Jason Read, 39, who was originally from Portsmouth, was killed during an ambush on 5 April near Danot in the conflict-stricken Ogaden region.

He worked for Derbyshire-based IMC Geophysics International - which was subcontracted to oil giant Petronas.

Mr Read's father said his son loved working and knew about the dangers in the places he was employed.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs

The State Department alerts U.S. citizens of the risks of travel to Ethiopia before and after national parliamentary elections scheduled for May 23, 2010, and recommends against all but essential travel to Ethiopia during this period.  This Travel Alert expires on July 1, 2010.

Past elections in Ethiopia have featured violence in Addis Ababa and other areas of the country throughout the campaign season, the election, and especially in the days and weeks following the announcement of election results.  Election results are scheduled to be announced June 21, 2010.

Peter Heinlein | April 15th, 2010, Addis Ababa

Ethiopia’s heated election campaign has spilled onto the floor of parliament, with bitter and at times personal exchanges between Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and opposition leaders.  The prime minister was forced onto the defensive on issues from the economy to allegations of political dirty tricks.

With less than six weeks to go before elections for a new legislature, Prime Minister Meles used a nationally-broadcast speech to trumpet his government’s achievements.  He said the economy is expected to register double-digit growth for the seventh consecutive year, inflation has slowed to under four percent, and the number of Ethiopians needing food aid is less than predicted.

By Prof. Alemayehu G. Mariam | April 12th, 2010

“Lies, lies and implausible lies,” blasted Meles Zenawi, the enfant terrible of Ethiopia, in describing the March 11, 2010 U.S. State Department’s “Reports on Human Rights Practices” on Ethiopia. Apparently, the U.S. State Department is not worth a damn when it comes to lying: “The least one could expect from this report, even if there are lies is that they would be plausible ones,” snarled Zenawi. “But that is not the case. It is very easy to ridicule it [report], because it is so full of loopholes (sic). They could very easily have closed the loopholes and still continued to lie.” His consigliere, Bereket Simon chimed in, “It is the same old junk. It’s a report that intends to punish the image (sic) of Ethiopia and try if possible to derail the peaceful and democratic election process.”

So here is a representative sample of the implausible, ridiculous and junk lies of the U.S. State Department and the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth of  Zenawi’s dictatorship:

By Tigabu Yilma | April 8, 2010

As it might be the case for millions of Oromos and other Ethiopians, it was a shocker for me to learn that the TPLF regime of Meles Zenawi had sentenced leading Oromo intellectuals (political leaders, lawyers, engineers, professors and students) and businesspeople to death, life sentence, and long years of imprisonment. This is the second time in less than three months that the TPLF regime issued such a verdict; some three months ago, the regime sentenced the leadership of Genbot 7 and their alleged supporters to death and life imprisonments.

After I saw the news headlines on Gadaa.com and EthioMedia.com, quite instinctively, I went on to read the names of the people. Barely halfway through the list, I was shocked at what I was reading. One of my classmates was among those in the list — Wabe Haji!

By Robele Ababya | April 5, 2010

Meles the Menace

There is a desperate move to subvert the April 9-11 Conference on Ethiopia and Horn of Africa at Double Tree Hotel in Arlington, Virginia. The subversive move by Ethiopian government hirelings comes at a critical time when US lawmakers are openly expressing their concern over the widespread human rights violations in Ethiopia.

For instance, US Congressman Donald Payne (D-NJ) recently said: “I’m deeply concerned and troubled about the deteriorating conditions in Ethiopia. The EPRDF regime is becoming increasingly totalitarian.” Previously, Senator Russ Feingold (D-Wis) also called on President Obama not to hesitate to stand by the side of the Ethiopian people. Such calls by two prominent US lawmakers were followed by the State Department’s damning Human Rights Report on government atrocities in Ethiopia.

When Meles Zenawi, the arch dictator in Ethiopia, was asked about Birtukan’s health in his prison on March 23, 2010, he was comically philosophical about it. He said Birtukan health is in “perfect condition”, except that she may be putting on some weight.

The health situation of Birtukan, the last I heard, is in perfect condition. She may have gained a few kilos, but other than that, and that may be for lack of exercise, I understand she is in perfect health… I am not surprised that they [U.S. State Department] have characterised Birtukan as a political prisoner, because I understand they have also characterised Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and Oromia Liberation Front (OLF) terrorists… as political prisoners… But that is life; I think the French say, “C’est la Vie.”

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