ENDF SAYS IT KILLED 50 FIGHTERS ATTEMPTING TO CROSS FROM SUDAN

 Yesterday, the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) said it has killed 50 mercenaries working with Tigrayan Forces who attempted to cross into Ethiopia from Sudan to attack the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and halt the continuing of its operation. The statement quoted Metekel Zone Command Post Operational Coordinator, Colonel Seife Ingi as saying, “The enemy planned for a long time to disturb this region, our forces have taken decisive action against enemy movements. Despite the stiff resistance put on by the...

Read More

UN Peace Operations Chief Will Travel To Ethiopia, Sudan

 UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix will travel to Ethiopia and Sudan next week to discuss with senior government officials issues related to the UN peacekeeping in the region, United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Friday.Lacroix will be joined during his trip by UN Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga."The head of our peace operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, will be traveling to Ethiopia and Sudan....

Read More

Ethiopia’s Tigray crisis: Millions at risk under aid blockade – UN

Aid supplies are not reaching the conflict-area in the north of Ethiopia. An aid blockade is in effect on the Tigray region while a spokesperson for the government denies that supplies are being halted. Millions of civilians are depending on food, nutrition supplies, medicine and other aid. The UN approximates that 5.2 million people need urgent assistance to avoid a famine situation that would be the worst in decades. Aid can move easier within Tigray itself, however, getting trucks into the region is proving to be difficult. The only land...

Read More

Ethiopia Lost $16.5 Billion to Illegal Smuggling of Cash

Last week police in Ethiopia conducted a high-profile corruption sweep in Addis Ababa, the biggest of its type in the Capital in more than ten years, arresting 13 people, including a Minister and his deputy in charge of the Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority. But how big is corruption in Ethiopia on the global scale? We placed a phone call to the Washington, D.C office of Global Financial Integrity (GFI), which tracks illicit financial...

Read More

Fisheries Authority concerned by Ethiopian dam

Head of the Fisheries Authority Amani Ismail has warned of the threat posed to Egypt by the construction of a dam in Ethiopia. Writing on the authority’s official website, Ismail said: “There is no longer room for doubt that Egypt is facing a real disaster in the coming months.” She said that the impending disaster is a result of the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Baha’a El-Din’s recognition of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) project. Ismail highlighted that the GERD will change the course of the Blue Nile,...

Read More

Oromo: OSA Appeals To UN Secretary General

The Oromo Studies Association has written an appeal to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on land grabbing in Oromia. Below is an artyicle published by Gadaa: His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General    Your Excellency Ki-moon: I am writing on behalf of the Oromo Studies Association (OSA), a scholarly organization established by Oromo and non-Oromo scholars to promote studies on and relevant to the Oromo people. We are gravely concerned that the Tigrayan-led minority Ethiopian government continues forcefully...

Read More

Ethiopia enlists help of forest communities to reverse deforestation

Despite taking years to establish the first projects, growth in forest cover and increasing incomes for the communities involved have enabled bigger schemes to begin. When the Ethiopian government realised that outright bans on cutting down trees failed to stop deforestation, it instead turned to a strategy based on enlisting the help of forest communities. The first participatory forest management (PFM) schemes were piloted 15 years ago. Based on signs of success, PFM is being rolled out in larger areas. A particularly ambitious scheme...

Read More

Tilahun Regassa of Ethiopia wins Rotterdam Marathon ahead of teammate Getu Feleke

Tilahun Regassa led an Ethiopian 1-2 finish at the Rotterdam Marathon on Sunday, breaking away with 3 miles left. He won the title in just his second marathon, finishing in 2 hours, 5 minutes and 38 seconds. That was 11 seconds slower than his personal best set in Chicago last year. Regassa ran away from a leading pack of four runners around the 20-mile mark and finished blowing kisses to the crowd down the final straight in this port city. Regassa’s countryman Getu Feleke was second for the second straight year in 2:06.45. Sammy Kitwara...

Read More

Tullow falls on Ethiopian setback

PETER FLANAGAN – 16 APRIL 2013 SHARES in Tullow Oil plummeted yesterday as the company said drilling at a well in Ethiopia had been delayed. In a statement, Tullow said it had experienced "stability" issues at its Sabisa-1 well in Ethiopia. As a result drilling at the well had been delayed until the end of May – two months later than planned. "Hydrocarbon indications. . . have been recorded whilst drilling, but hole instability issues have required the drilling of a sidetrack to comprehensively log and sample these zones of interest,"...

Read More

Ethiopia ready to censor, crackdown on Internet, radio and TV

ADDIS ABABA: Worries are abounding in Ethiopia that the government is preparing to pass new legislation that would censor almost all forms of media, both traditional and new. The new draft law is reportedly being prepared by a steering committee constituting the Ethiopian Broadcasting Authority, Ethiopian Ministry of Communications & Information Technology and Information Network Security Agency. The Ethiopia Radio & Television Agency is also participating in the drafting process of the new law. Activists and journalists and...

Read More

Over 14 killed, dozens injured in bomb attack on Adigrat Prison

Over 14 inmates were killed and dozens were injured when a building housing at least 1300 prisoners was destroyed in a bomb attack in Adigrat town on Wednesday, a source said. Bulldozers were used to pull out bodies from the debris. Those critically injured were admitted to the hospital in town. Fears have mounted that the death toll may rise. The government has remained quiet. Meanwhile, rebels of the Ethiopian Unity and Freedom Force (EUFF) have claimed responsibility for the attack. However, their claim couldn't be verified by an...

Read More

Ethiopia Muslims rally on Fridays as tension rises

By KIRUBEL TADESSE As midday prayers came to an end at the Grand Anwar mosque in Ethiopia's capital, worshippers continued on to what has become a regular second act on Fridays - shouting anti-government slogans.The demonstrations this Friday did not turn violent. But tensions are rising between the government in this mostly Christian country and Muslim worshippers. On Monday, federal prosecutors charged a group of 29 Muslims with terrorism and working to establish an Islamic republic.Not all encounters between police and the protesters have been...

Read More