FBI foils assassination plot against Ethiopian journalist

Addis Voice—The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has foiled a plot to shoot and kill Ethiopian journalist Abebe Gellaw in Boston, Massachusetts.

The plot was allegedly orchestrated by a man named Guesh Abera, a Boston resident and parking lot attendant inhis mid-thirties. Guesh and his three accomplices, who are suspected of being spies and fanatic members of the tyrannical regime in Ethiopia, were determined to “eliminate” the journalist and press freedom activist, sources say.

Abebe, who was voted Ethiopian Man of the Year 2012 by listeners and viewers of the Ethiopian Satellite Television (ESAT) and radio across the world on Monday, traveled to Boston last month to attend a fundraiser for the popular TV and radio channels. The suspects had planned to shoot him during his sojourn.
According to the sources, four Boston residents suspected of being agents of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, an ethnic-based rebel group that has brutally ruled Ethiopia for the last 21 years, had taken steps to execute the  journalist. Guesh, the ringleader of gang, was reportedly communicating with his accomplices using a fake Facebook account (Hailemarim Desalegn) and emails. FBI agents reportedly intercepted some of the exchanges detailing the plot. in Boston.

Special Agent Greg Comcowich, a spokesperson for FBI Boston branch, declined to give details of the investigation but emphasized that the agency will take seriously any criminal activities that violate not only the civil rights of individuals but also the constitution of the United States.

“Anybody who threatens people’s lives because of their political views or attempt to usurp one’s constitutionally protected First Amendment rights will be dealt with appropriately. That is not the way America works,” he said.

He further noted that the FBI takes allegations of being agents of a foreign government to attack or spy on anyone very seriously. He encouraged Ethiopians with such information to contact their local FBI branches.

The plot was foiled in the bud as FBI special agents had uncovered the plot in time and took measures to prevent the would-be assassins from executing their  plot, according a source, who wants to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the matter.

A fortnight ago, FBI agents raided a Roxberry house where the ringleader of the plot shares with four other people. Agents also went to the workplaces of two of the residents. An Ethiopian who knows Guesh Abera said that he worshiped the late Ethiopian dictator Meles Zenawi. He was also very upset with Abebe Gellaw’s dramatic protest against the former PM at such a high profile meeting.

President of Genocide Watch, Prof. Gregory Stanton, praised the FBI agents who foiled the plot and commended the agency for being strong and very reliable defender of civil rights. Prof. Gregory, who famously brought perpetrators of mass atrocities in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge and also investigated mass atrocities in Ethiopia, said that the TPLF is a terrorist organization that should be labeled as such by the United States.

“The Justice Department has never declared the TPLF a terrorist organization the way it should. But it is clearly the arm of a criminal government. The FBI needs to be aware of this reality and any threats by the TPLF needs to be reported to the FBI,” he said.

Journalist Abebe Gellaw says that since he confronted the late dictator Meles Zenawi at the G8 Food Security Symposium last May in Washington DC, he has received hundreds of death threats through various ways including Facebook, which is also being misused as a means of organizing crimes.

“It is unbelievable that I have faced persecution by the very people that forced me into exile. I very well know the risks of reporting and speaking truth to power. I am happy to sacrifice my life for the right cause. I will continue to do whatever it takes to make a difference and bring the truth out as much as possible.”

Last July Abebe, along with 10 other prominent Ethiopian journalists and two Swedish journalists, was convicted of being a “terrorist”. He was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in jail journalistic work and his roles in ESAT, a rising media powerhouse that seems to terrify the Ethiopian government. The government constantly jams transmissions of ESAT and the Voice of America Amharic broadcasts.

“We surely know that the Ethiopian government is allergic to the truth. Those of us that are in the business of reporting and writing on so many sensitive issues such as gross human rights violations will continue to spread the truth as widely as possible. That is our mission. If this costs my life, I will happily pay the ultimate price,” Abebe said.

FBI foils assassination attempt against journalist Abebe Gelaw

የFBI መርማሪዎች አበበ ገላውን ለመግደል የታቀደ ሴራ አከሸፉ፥፥

በሴራው የተሳተፉ የህወሃት ሰላዮች ምርመራ እየተደረገባቸው ነው፥፥

Sham Verdict by a Kangaroo Court

G7 Press release, June 27, 2012

Today’s political verdict by the kangaroo court of Meles Zenawi comes as no surprise to the 24 wrongly convicted political prisoners. The Ethiopian people are long accustomed to witnessing these self-serving show trials on trumped up charges of perceived political enemies.Under the rogue regime of Meles Zenawi, the court system, time and again, has been brazenly used to criminalize dissent and brutally punish innocent citizens.

According to CPJ, Ethiopia, under Meles Zenawi’s regime, has the dubious honor of being the # 1 jailer of journalists.  Today’s verdict will have an even more chilling effect on freedom of expression and the press.

The 2009 draconian anti-terrorism law that was enacted for the sole purpose of stifling dissent is now being used aggressively to punish independent journalists, newspaper editors, and bloggers who dare exercise their right to freely express their views as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Right and in the 1994 Ethiopian Constitution as well.

Ethiopian journalists have become an endangered species under the rogue regime of Meles Zenawi and the right to free expression will remain in peril in Ethiopiauntil a democratic government based on the rule of law and the will of the people is established in Ethiopia.

We call on the Ethiopian people to unite behind a common purpose of bringing an end to the corrupt and abusive regime of Meles Zenawi which has been an enemy of freedom, democracy, justice, and equality in Ethiopia for far too long. It is time for Ethiopians to say enough to the dictatorship of Meles Zenawi and his ethnic party, the TPLF.

We call on the Obama Administration and all freedom loving nations to condemn this sham verdict in the strong words possible and to stop ignoring the plight of the Ethiopian people suffering under the unrelenting assault of the tyrannical regime of Meles Zenawi.

The time has come for Western donor nations to withdraw their moral and materialsupport to Zenawi’s regime and force the regime end its flagrant human rights violations and   step out of the way of the democratic transition that the Ethiopian people are yearning for. The United States needs to acknowledge the legitimate democratic aspirations of the Ethiopian people and to stand with them and their dream of a better future.

Ginbot 7 Movement for Justice, Freedom and Democracy

ESAT Ethiopia interview Dr. Aregawi Berhe part 1 of 6 june 2011

ESAT Daily News Amsterdam 04 January 2013 Ethiopia

Civil Society Crackdown in Ethiopia

On 1 January 2013, Ethiopia took up its seat on the United Nations Human rights Council. The uncontested election – Africa put forward five countries for five seats – has raised some eyebrows, given the country’s own poor rights record. Elected member countries are obliged to ‘uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights’. Yet, in Ethiopia, hundreds of political prisoners languish in jails where torture is common and a crackdown on the media and civil society is in full swing.

The blogger Eskinder Nega exemplifies the fate of those who dare to speak out. Eskinder was arbitrarily arrested and jailed following the controversial 2005 elections. After his release from prison two years later, he was placed under ongoing surveillance and banned from publishing. Then, in 2011, he was rearrested, convicted in an unfair trial under Ethiopia’s broad terrorism law, and sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Since the 2005 elections, the human rights situation in Ethiopia has progressively deteriorated: the government has shut down legitimate political avenues for peaceful protest; and opposition leaders, civil society activists and independent journalists have been jailed or forced to flee. Furthermore, state-driven development policies, including large-scale agricultural development and ‘villagization’ programmes, have seen communities forcibly relocated from their traditional lands, without adequate consultation or compensation, to villages that lack basic services

The ruling party has passed a host of laws attacking the media and civil society, including the Charities and Societies Proclamation that has made independent human rights work in the country almost impossible. The state has frozen the assets of the last two remaining groups – the leading women’s rights organization, the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association EWLA) – which has provided free legal aid to over 17,000 women – and the Human Rights Council (HRCO).

Ethiopia’s security forces have in recent years been implicated in crimes against humanity and war crimes in the Somali and Gambella regions. But Ethiopia has not only succeeded in stemming criticism at the national level but also internationally. And the worsening human rights situation has not dampened donors’ enthusiasm, even when their assistance has harmed democratic institutions or minority populations. Ethiopia’s friends and partners in the region should use its three-year term on the Council to put its rights abuses under the international spotlight. They should use debates to urge the Ethiopian government to release all political prisoners, lift unlawful restrictions on civil society and the media, and stop blocking visit requests

byUNhuman rights experts.

http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/01/04/civil-society-crackdown-ethiopia

20 killed, 21 injured to save a burning fuel tanker

DEBRE TABOR, GONDER – At least 20 people were killed and 21 seriously injured when they were trying to put out a fire that had engulfed a fuel tanker near the small town of Kimir Dingai on Wednesday.

Fully loaded and on its way from Woldia to Kimir Dingai, the tanker with a trailer was owned by TPLF, and was the target of a powerful land mine buried by rebels of the Ethiopian Unity and Freedom Force (EUFF). The victims were all passengers on a bus that was heading from Gonder to Woldia town.

The tanker hit the mine on Golesh Mer Bridge at 2:00 pm local time, and was caught up in an inferno when the passengers disembarked their bus to help but were killed in an ensuing huge explosion.

An EUFF spokesperson told Ethiomedia by phone that the rebel organization deeply regretted the unintended loss of civilian lives in a target that was aimed at destroying the property of a repressive regime.

EUFF has stepped up military operations in recent times, speciallydestroying TPLF/EPRDF property and targetting prisons to free detained political prisoners.

Sourse: Ethiomedia 
January 4, 2013

What can the 44th president really achieve in his second term? Here are 10 ideas.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013

Previous: John Prendergast on why Obama should get Kony.

Kenneth Roth: Dump These 8 Unsavory Allies

During the U.S. presidential campaign, challenger Mitt Romney famously accused President Obama of having "thrown allies like Israel under the bus." It was an odd characterization of a policy that saw Obama make a brief, abandoned effort to limit settlement expansion, no serious attempt to stop the Jim Crow-like separate-and-unequal treatment of Palestinians in Israeli-controlled parts of the West Bank, and a determined push to ensure that the International Criminal Court won't get jurisdiction over war crimes in Palestinian territory.

But plenty of governments deserve, if not being directed to the bus, at least being shown the door when it comes to unconditional U.S. support. So-called realists will offer the usual rationalizations for ignoring that prescription. Their view of the national interest, however, is outdated in a world where modern communications make it easy for people to coalesce around grievances and perilous for governments to ignore them. The Arab Spring showed nothing if not the folly of relying on strongmen to bring stability.

In this new world, standing up for human rights reflects not only America's values but also its interests. It should be at the heart of U.S. policy, not an option of convenience. If Obama wants to bolster his legacy in his second term, he can and should get tough on some of the United States' most unsavory friends and allies. Here is a good start:

Afghanistan: As the Pentagon bows out, it is counting on Afghan President Hamid Karzai to see through the planned 2014 transition. But the Obama administration hasn't used its considerable leverage to dissuade Karzai from undermining women's rights, appointing an alleged torturer as intelligence chief, tolerating rampant corruption, and blocking efforts to hold accountable his warlord allies.

Uzbekistan:

During the 2005 uprising in the town of Andijan, President Islam Karimov ordered troops to surround the demonstrators and shoot everyone in sight. Hundreds were slaughtered. His government routinely tortures dissidents and imprisons them for 15 or 20 years. Some have even been boiled alive. Yet the Obama administration soft-pedals his brutality -- and waived restrictions on selling him military equipment -- because Uzbekistan provides an alternative to Pakistan for resupplying the troops in Afghanistan. Especially as this rationale disappears, the Faustian bargain should end. 

Cambodia: In 28 years as prime minister, Hun Sen has presided over the killing of countless political opponents while increasing his control of the army, police, and courts. But the Obama administration has done little to discourage him from building a one-party state, such as insisting that exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy be allowed home without fear of arrest, and has placed no conditions on increased military ties or aid. Cambodia is where Obama should demonstrate that his Asian "pivot" isn't a competition with China for the loyalty of autocrats but a vision for Asian democracy.

Rwanda:

Led by President Paul Kagame, the Rwandan government has long benefited from Washington's genocide guilt (Bill Clinton's administration sat on its hands during the 1994 massacre of more than half a million people) and admiration for its progress rebuilding the country. But the Rwandan Patriotic Front, which became the national army, itself murdered tens of thousands of civilians in the 1990s; the government uses detention and violence to shut down political opposition; and the military, despite persistent government denials, has actively supported a succession of rebel groups in neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo. At the U.S. Congress's insistence, the Obama administration has finally suspended some military aid to Rwanda, but it continues to run political interference for the government and downplay its crimes, most recently its military support for the murderous M23 rebellion in eastern Congo.

Ethiopia: Washington had a blind spot for growing repression under the late Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who died in August. In return for Ethiopia's help fighting terrorism and battling al-Shabab militants in Somalia, the Obama administration muffled its criticism of the security forces' war crimes and the government's restrictions on civil society, detention of journalists, violence against demonstrators, and pursuit of development policies that penalize political opponents.

Saudi Arabia: Yes, it has lots of oil. But the Saudis, who need cash to fuel their welfare state, are going to sell it regardless of how Obama treats them. Meanwhile, the Saudi monarchy holds thousands in arbitrary detention, imposes archaic restrictions on women, suppresses most dissent, mistreats its Shiite minority, and insists that the neighboring Bahraini monarchy crush its pro-democracy movement. Obama has been silent.

Bahrain:

Saudi Arabia's next-door neighbor is the most glaring exception to Obama's generally supportive posture toward Arab Spring demonstrators. The ruling Al Khalifa family uses lethal force, torture, and arbitrary detention to crush protests. Yet out of deference to Saudi sensibilities and fear of losing the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet base, the Obama administration has allowed its security relationship with Bahrain to trump its concern for the rights of Bahrainis -- a selectivity that undermines its broader support for Arab freedom.

Mexico: The country's drug cartels have committed horrific crimes, but so have the security forces that former President Felipe Calderón sent to combat them. Obama routinely praised Calderón's "great courage" in fighting the cartels with nary a word about widespread military and police abuses. Instead, the administration has sent some $2 billion to support Mexico's counternarcotics efforts, despite ample evidence of human rights violations and security forces so corrupt that the Mexican government has turned to its navy to crack down on the cartels.

Kenneth Roth is executive director of Human Rights Watch.

Next: David E. Hoffman on why Obama should take the nukes off alert.

JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

Ethiopian Journalist Fasil Yenealem (ESAT) and His Dream ...

Always keep a diamond in your mind!

NEW YEAR MESSAGE
By Leoul Mekonen

As the New Year of 2013 approaches, I am triggered to write something to my beloved patriotic friends and comrades whose love and devotion to Ethiopia is as strong as diamond. For many reasons the year 2012 has immensely inspired many patriotic Ethiopians to take uncompromising step in the struggle for territorial integrity, freedom and Ethiopian unity. Even though we feel our country has been taken by traitors and tribalists, still we live with the undying spirit and courage to take back what has been stolen from us. What has been stolen from us are our country, our national and territorial integrity, our unity, our flag and above all the spirit of Ethiopianness on our own soil. We have been humiliated by Meles Zenawi and his ethno-facist war-Lords, soldiers and supporters since 1991 to this very moment. Even after the death of the dictator, our land is governed from the grave through Hailemariam, a client king of the TPLF tigrean ethno-facist regime.

Even though our country and people have been constantly exposed to the evil plans of the tribalist facists, we are always armed with courage and knowledge which the Woyanes (ruling class), their supporters and infiltrators among us hate to see in us. Courage, fearlessness, love and devotion to our country and integrity are the things Woyanes(the regime) couldn’t destroy in the heart and minds of patriots. Since patriots don’t sell themselves and their principle, the only strategy Woyanes devised to weaken Ethiopians is by attracting non-patriotic Ethiopians whose interest is only getting advantage like money, a piece of land to build house and the freedom to do business without obstacles. No matter what, patriots are unbreakable and unalterable. Patriots prefer to die standing with their integrity than living on their knees.

These days I felt deep inside the urge to write especially after I heard the song “always keep a diamond in your mind” a song usually played during Christmas. The song of Tom Waits has bear a strong message which might enrich our soul and enable us to receive the New Year with positive thoughts, plans, feelings and optimism.

Oh always keep a diamond in your mind
You gotta always keep a diamond in your mind
Wherever you may wander
Wherever you may roam
You gotta always keep a diamond in your mind.

When I heard the song, the first question that struck me was “where and when a mind has become a jewelry box?” This song made me ask deep questions about what it means to keep a diamond in a mind and how we can turn our mind into a jewelry box.

Looking for an answer for the question ‘what it means to keep a diamond in a mind’, I ventured to think deeply about the qualities and characteristics of a diamond. The name diamond is derived from the Greek- adamas which means “Unbreakable”, “unalterable”. Diamond is renowned as the hardest natural crystal in the world. Beside, it has a great optical characteristics and high ability to disperse light of different colours. The transparency, luminous nature, hardness and the radiance of beauty has made a diamond the most expensive and precious jewelry in our planet.

It is quite common to hear people say: “think positive”, to someone who feels down and worried. I have experienced many times that many people including me don’t take these words seriously, as many of us don’t know what it really mean or don’t consider it as useful since we have many problems in our lives. When one is faced with many challenges and threatening situations, it is difficult to understand the meaning of positive thinking.

In many ways the human mind is as clear as crystal, transparent and radiant like a diamond. Many years ago I heard from one martial art instructor that our mind is like a lake. Water in a lake reflects a moon which is millions of miles away from the earth but if we drop a little stone in the water the waves will disturb the reflection and we can’t see the clear picture of the moon. As the wave from a little stone damages the reflection, negative thoughts damage our self-esteem and prevent us from being aware of our potentials, opportunities and strength to face challenges and problems effectively.

What many of us ignore is that, our thoughts and emotions, affect all aspects of our life. As Mahatma Gandhi said “A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes.” Learning to be mindful of our internal dialogue will help us recognize thought patterns and how they may be affecting the way we handle situations in our daily life. Thoughts like, “I could never do that”, “I am not good enough”, “I have no influence” , “What if I fail?”, “what if my compatriots betray me”, “what if my friends don’t like my action and turn against me” can seriously impact the way we behave. The stress associated with the negative internal dialogue, in turn, affects every aspect of our life. Sometimes our inner negative thoughts and feelings leave us with feelings of self-doubt; sometimes it will make us feel negative and critical of others.

When we dwell on negative thoughts it will separate us from our best self as well as from others. In my opinion our best personal selves come from a place of self love and acceptance. When we can truly love and accept ourselves we can also see other patriots around us as collaborators on our path of personal growth. The way I see it, it is love for our country, people, culture and religion which brings us closer and saw the seed of creativity in us. And it is love that takes us to a place where we can grow, learn and share the fruits of our labour with others.

Thinking and thoughts are powerful because human development is a direct result of thinking and thoughts. A very good example to this would be the invention of aeroplane which once was considered as foolish idea and unrealistic. We learn from history that thinkers like Leonardo Da Vinci had a vision of making flying machines in 1500s. At that age their idea was nothing more than wish and fantasy.
Even today many of us say “If I were a bird, I would fly” as if we couldn’t fly using heavy machinery that carry hundreds of people and tons of goods. Thinkers like Leonardo thought the impossible which was materialised 400 years later by other thinkers and visionaries. The thoughts and ideas we conceive today will slowly but surely bear fruit as long as we are consistent and determined to materialize them. When we look how the western countries support the Ethiopian dictatorial regime today and prolong the oppression and sufferance of Ethiopians, we may think that it is impossible to get rid of the system. But getting rid of the ethno-facist regime is not as hard as making airplanes, what we need first is a vision that assures us the downfall of TPLF oppressive regime. We need a vision which brings all patriotic Ethiopians together for a common goal. When we think positive, most of the time we harvest positive results, the impossible becomes possible and we move forward with new thoughts and ideas. It is only then that we realize that “if I were a bird, I would fly” thought is not merely fantasy but tangible reality.

In my opinion positive thinking and great vision are diamonds in a mind, they are unbreakable, unalterable, they make us shine and glitter, drive us to think and act and inspire us to make a difference in our and others’ lives . When we are occupied by positive thoughts and attitude we entertain pleasant feelings and constructive images, and see in our mind’s what we really want to happen. This brings brightness to the eyes, more energy, more determination and perseverance. We walk tall and our voice becomes powerful like the trumpets which destroyed the walls of Jericho. Our body language also displays the way we feel inside.
When I summarise my experience in 2012, I wish to call 2012 the year of empowerment and ‘can-do attitude’. I have never seen in my life when the “yes I can, yes you can and yes we can” attitudes were reflected among Ethiopian opposition groups. As bread and water nourish our body, great visions nourish our mind and heart. What we conceive in our mind and heart is what we are going to receive. We harvest what we produce in our mind. If we foster an image of defeat and failure, then we are going to live with defeated mentality. But if we develop an image of victory, success and determination, nothing will be able to keep those things away from us. Positive thinking, positive attitude, enlarged vision and willpower are diamonds we need to keep in mind. Then it is not only the diamond which shines but the jewellery box that contains the diamond is as precious and glamorous as the diamond itself.
Then, my friends before I say Merry Christmas and happy New Year I would like to remind you to always keep a diamond in your mind!
A person, people or nation without vision is like a boat on a dry land.
I love you!
Leoul Mekonen
Leoul.mekonen@gmail.com

ESAT WAZA ENA KUMENRGER 29 December 2012 Ethiopia

እሳት ዋዛና ቁም ነገር ከ አቤ ቶኪቻው ጋር

Ethiopian Journalist Fasil Yenealem (ESAT) and His Dream ...

ESAT New Frequency advert

ESAT Tikuret Dr Birhanu Nega December 2012

CNN on Meles Zenawi's Death / Must Watch /

CNN on Meles Zenawi's Death. Difference reports about Meles Zenawi's death from CNN. Erin Burnett of CNN and Others! Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/ethi...

Ginbot7 Popular Force (GPF) Formation

For Immediate Release

London, United Kingdom,

December 20, 2012

Ginbot7 Popular Force (GPF) makes official announcement on its formation and calls on all freedom loving Ethiopians to join the resistance against tyranny.

Ginbot7 Popular Force (GPF) announces its official formation and calls on the oppressed people of Ethiopia to join the resistance and rise up in arms against the Tigrai People Liberation Front (TPLF) led dictatorial regime of Ethiopia. GPF has taken this radical step because the alternative will be forfeiting to tyranny all rights and dignity associated with being human and a citizen of Ethiopia.

GPF believes that all civilised options for peaceful political engagement in Ethiopia are firmly shut by the regime in Addis Ababa.  The degree of terror that prevails inside the country has made the general public live in absolute fear and insecurity.

Under the prevailing conditions the only way that citizens of Ethiopia can bring about democratic change and make liberty and justice a reality for all is to use all available means, including arms, against the brutal dictatorship in Ethiopia.

GPF is committed to the forcible removal of the dictatorial regime of the TPLF, usher the condition for peaceful and democratic transition, play a part in the creation of a strong and capable national defence, security and police force whose only allegiance is to the constitution of the land, thereby, bringing an end to the existing affiliation of these institutions to the political forces in the country.

Finally, GPF urges the international community to refrain from bankrolling the criminal regime in Ethiopia and demand that donor countries use their financial leverage to exert pressure on the TPLF regime to stop its policy of terror that will seriously destabilize an already fragile situation in the Horn of Africa.

Ginbot7 Popular Force

Email – pr@ginbot7pf.org

Phone Number – +44 2081230056

ESAT Meade Esat Ethiopia Dec 24 2012

ታማኝ በየነ ማን ነው፥፥

አምስተርዳም የሚገኘው ጋዜጠኛ ደረጀ ሃብተወልድ የታማኝ በየነን ሂወት በቪዲዮ አስደግፎ በማለዳ እሳት ፕሮግራም ላይ እንዲህ አርጎ አቅርቦታል ይከታተሉት፥፥

ESAT Daily News Amsterdam 25 December 2012 Ethiopia

http://www.ethsat.com - Ethiopian Satellite Television (ESAT) 
ESAT is the first independent Ethiopian Satellite Television service and Radio Station who broadcast to Ethiopia and the rest of the world

ESAT Weekly News 23 December 2012 Ethiopia

ESAT Tikuret with Solomon Mengistu 19 December 2012 Ethiopia

ESAT News Analysis 14 December 2012 Ethiopia

Esat a Must Listen News analysis on the 20-year long dispute between 2 synods (by Sisay Agena)

For Immediate Release: 16 Members of the European Parliament Call for the Release of Imprisoned Ethiopian Journalist Eskinder Nega

December 18, 2012
For Immediate Release

Contact: Patrick Griffith
+1 (202) 423-7925
pgriffith@freedom-now.org

16 Members of the European Parliament Call for the Release of Imprisoned Ethiopian Journalist Eskinder Nega

Washington, D.C.: Today, 16 members of the European Parliament issued a public letter to Ethiopian Prime Minster Hailemariam Desalegn expressing their grave concern regarding the continued detention of imprisoned journalist and blogger Eskinder Nega.

Arrested in 2011 and detained without access to an attorney for nearly two months, Mr. Nega was sentenced to 18 years in prison under the country’s broad 2009 Anti-Terrorism Proclamation on July 13, 2012. Mr. Nega’s arrest and prosecution came after he wrote online articles and spoke publicly about the possibility of an Arab Spring-like movement taking place in Ethiopia. After his sentencing, the government initiated proceedings to seize his assets, including the home still used by his wife and young son. An appeal hearing in the case is scheduled for Wednesday, December 19^th.

The letter, notes that the Ethiopian government has an obligation to uphold the right to free expression and reminds the newly appointed Prime Minister that he has “the unique opportunity to lead Ethiopia forward on human rights and bring the country fully within the community of nations.” The letter closes by urging the Prime Minister to take all measures within his power “to facilitate the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Nega.”

“This is an important recognition by members of the European Parliament from across the political spectrum that the right to free expression is universal and must be respected by the Ethiopian government,” said Freedom Now Executive Director Maran Turner. “Mr. Nega has been wrongfully detained in Ethiopia in violation of his right to freedom of expression, and he must be released.”

The text of the letter is copied below and a full PDF of the letter can be found at the below link. Freedom Now, a legal advocacy organization that represents prisoners of conscience around the world, serves as international pro bono counsel to Mr. Nega.

###

Dear Prime Minister Desalegn,

We write to express our grave concern regarding the continued detention of independent Ethiopian journalist and blogger Eskinder Nega and urge you to facilitate his immediate release.

Mr. Nega, a longtime publisher and journalist, was arrested in 2011 and charged under the country’s 2009 Anti-Terror Proclamation after he wrote and spoke publicly about the Arab-Spring movements then unfolding across the Middle East and North Africa. Although clearly sympathetic, Mr. Nega consistently emphasized that any similar movements in Ethiopia must remain peaceful. Despite this, the government of your predecessor Prime Minister Meles Zenawi arrested Mr. Nega, held him without access to family for nearly one month and without access to an attorney for nearly two months, and ultimately sentenced him to 18 years in prison. Even now, reports indicate that proceedings are underway to seize Mr. Nega’s home, where his wife and young son continue to live.

Unfortunately, Mr. Nega is not alone—journalists Woubshet Taye and Reyot Alemu have also received long prison sentences on terror charges. In response to your government’s use of the 2009 Anti-Terror Proclamation against journalists and opposition leaders, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and five United Nations Special Rapporteurs—including the Special Rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights—have all expressed alarm at this worrying trend. As some have noted, the use of vague anti-terror legislation to silence legitimate expression threatens to seriously undermine the credibility of efforts to address real security threats to the region.

It is our understanding that appeal proceedings in Mr. Nega’s case are ongoing and we respect your need to allow the judicial process to continue. However, it is also your government’s obligation to respect the right to freedom of expression as established under customary international law and codified in Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Ethiopia is a party.

You now have the unique opportunity to lead Ethiopia forward on human rights and bring the country fully within the community of nations. As such, we urge you to take all measures within your power to facilitate the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Nega.

Sincerely,

Alexander Graf Lambsdorff

Ana Gomes

Charles Tannock

Eduard Kukan

Eija-Riitta Korhola

Emilio Menendez del Valle

Fiona Hall

Frank Engel

Kinga Gál

Laima Liucija Andrikienė

Maria Da Graça Carvalho

Mariya Gabriel

Ethiopia - Break The Silence (entertainment)

ክብራችንን በማንኛውም መስዋትነት ማስመለስ ያስፈልገናል

Main Play List on Home Page (spilleliste)

የሳምንቱ የዋዛና ቁም ነገር ፕሮግራም በአቤ ቶኪቻው ከእሳት ጋር፥ ይከታተሉት

ESAT Tikuret Fez Ralizm Activist Tamagne Beyene 16 December 2012 Ethiop...

Mesert Mebrate vs Melese Zenawi

Tigray conference "We fought Amhara"

The man is saying there is a problem withing TPLF. He states they fought and toppled Amhara and the Amhara regime, but now power has been transferred from Amhara to Adwa.

Open letter to Ambassador Susan Rice by Abebe Gellaw

Dear Ambassador Rice, I have great admiration and respect for you. I believe that you have made the right decision not to bid for the position of U.S. Secretary of State. Although your commitment to serving your country with utmost integrity and passion is very commendable, some of your backstory is truly disturbing, especially your position of steadfast inaction during the height of the Rwandan genocide. 

Last September, you traveled to Ethiopia to attend the funeral of Ethiopia’s 21-year long dictator Meles Zenawi. Your eulogy has troubled and upset so many ordinary Ethiopians. You referred to Zenawi as a trustworthy friend to the U.S and you personally. That is fine! But according to you, “Meles was disarmingly regular, unpretentious, and direct. He was selfless, tireless and totally dedicated to his work and family.” You also claimed: “Among Prime Minister Meles’ many admirable qualities, above all was his world-class mind. A life-long student, he taught himself and many others so much. But he wasn’t just brilliant. He wasn’t just a relentless negotiator and a formidable debater.”
Yes, as a master of deception, he might have appeared selfless in front of global VIPs like yourself. Far from it, Meles Zenawi was an obstinate dictator who did not understand the language of diplomacy, negotiation and compromise. He killed, tortured and maimed countless Ethiopians. He divided the country along ethnic lines just to enforce his divide-and-rule policies. 
Your “brilliant” friend did not have a world-class mind, as you claimed. He was narrow-minded who could not see the world beyond his nose and power, no matter how eloquently he could speak. Your friend was not selfless, but a narcissist who did everything in his power to destroy critics and dissidents. 
It was even hurtful when you insensitively said: “He was tough, unsentimental and sometimes unyielding. And, of course, he had little patience for fools, or “idiots,” as he liked to call them…Meles was consistently reasoned in his judgments and thoughtful in his decisions; and, he was driven not by ideology but by his vision of a better future for this land he loved….” 
As a critic, I was among those whom he labeled as terrorists, idiots and fools. For Meles, any critic is a threat including the minors killed savagely in broad daylight for protesting his tyranny and brutality. Tens of thousands of others are languishing in jails even after his death. Those were the “idiots and fools” he seemed to have referred to insensitively and you echoed approvingly. 
Your eulogy for Zenawi was not only insensitive but also quite revealing as to your lack of commitment to the freedom of others that dictators like Zenawi robbed and destroyed. I am one of those countless Ethiopians abused, tortured and exiled by your “brilliant” friend. 
I honestly feel that the world is lighter and safer without the likes of Meles, Gaddafi or Mubarak. Your brilliant friend was in fact an idiotic despot who did not know how to treat his fellow countrymen fairly, respectfully and kindly.
I do believe that your eulogy for dictators will be more measured and reasoned in the future. I hope this would be a teachable moment for you to move forward. 
I wish you all the best. 
Best regards
Abebe Gellaw
Exiled Ethiopian journalist

የተዋረደው ታሪክ (TPLF Government in Ethiopia degrading Amaras) Must Watch!

ESAT FEZ-RALIZM Ad

SMNE December 13, 2010

Dear Friends and Colleagues;

December 13, 2012 marks the 9-year anniversary of the brutal massacre of 424 disarmed Anuak in Gambella, Ethiopia by the TPLF/EPRDF Defense Forces armed with guns and militia groups armed with machetes. Not just the families of the victims, but all Anuak, will forever remember that dark day that brought so many pains, tears and suffering.

Even after 9 years, some widows, some fathers, some mothers and children are still waiting to bury their loved ones properly. Some day their bodies, which were buried in mass graves, will be exhumed and buried with proper respect by their families and loved ones. Someday a memorial of remembrance may be erected in Gambella in their honor, to remind people that behind every name on that memorial, is a human life, given as a precious gift from God, our Creator.

Such memorials may be erected all over Ethiopia where innocent lives of Ethiopians have been taken. Someday, a large monument—a wall of shame—could be erected in Addis Ababa with the names of the Anuak and the names of all other people throughout Ethiopia who have lost their lives at the hands of this government that devalues human life.

On this Anuak Memorial Day, Anuak in Gambella cannot join with Anuak in the Diaspora in observing this day. It is prohibited by the TPLF or EPRDF government. Instead, they will have to look forward to the day they will be able to join together in a service such as the ones being held in USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, Kenya, South Sudan and in other cities where there are Anuak where they are free to remember the death of more than 1500 other Anuak who were killed in the next two years following the December massacre.

Because public mourning is not allowed, those who want to remember family members, friends and community members who died, must quietly carry out some kind of observances within their homes and hearts.

This TPLF regime wants to erase it from the memory of the Anuak, but this will never happen. Someday, all the details will be revealed for all to see on the shame-filled pages of our Ethiopian history books. Until then, Anuak are still waiting for those responsible to be brought to justice. As one Anuak who lost a family member recently said, “the TPLF and it killers have moved on, but we will never stop grieving or rest until the killers have been brought to justice and until our family members are buried properly.”

For the Anuak people and supporters of the Anuak, let us all remember this day together. Let us take this day of sorrow and make it a day of reconciliation and healing among all peace-loving Ethiopians. This pain we feel was brought because of hate, anger, envy and greed and we want to create a different Ethiopia.

May God bless all of those who are remembering this day of tragedy and may God help bring about an Ethiopia where truth, justice, freedom, reconciliation and harmony prevail over death and destruction.

Please take a few minutes and watch this heartbreaking video below: The testimonies of survivors and other witnesses of the December 13th Massacre.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaZty97JXzU

Thanks so much for your never-ending support. Don’t give up. Keep your focus on the bigger picture and reach out to others and listen!

I am appealing to all my friends and colleagues to forward it to your friends. If you do, you will not just be giving a voice to our beautiful people, but you would be doing justice to our humanity. Knowing the truth is overcoming the first obstacle to freedom! 

Sincerely your severance,

Obang

Executive Director of SMNE

E-mail: obang@solidaritymovement.org

http://www.solidaritymovement.org

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The Bible Says (Ecclesiastes 11:4), "

- If You Wait for Perfect Conditions, You Will Never Get Anything Done - "

" - One Action is More Valuable Than a Thousand Good Intentions -

32 ONLF Rebels and Ethiopian Forces killed in Dhagahbour – Diplomatic Source

(Ogadentoday Press)- A report says that clashes between ONLF, Ogaden National Liberation Front and a coalition of Ethiopian military and Liyu Police Troops erupted in the restive Ogaden region, Dhagahbour Zone on Tuesday.The sources said that 32 Ethiopian Troops and ONLF fighters killed in the fighting.According to a diplomatic source based In Jigjiga told Ogadentoday Press that ONLF troops attacked, a Labbiga, a small village near to Dhagaxbour, where Ethiopian Troops had a military camp, the ONLF troop’s ambush killed 30 Ethiopian coalition troops, while two ONLF fighters killed, the source confirmed.Ethiopian troops carried out a massive crackdown after the attack, some elders have been taken to prison; while some women are unknown where have been taken. Civilians in the area express concerns about the crackdown.
There was no immediate word on the situation Tuesday from ONLF and Ethiopian Government.ONLF has accused of Ethiopian troops committing human right abuses in the Ogaden, but Addis Ababa denied the accusation.Human right organizations labels Ogaden Region, as Darfur of Sudan.Meanwhile the Ethiopian Government and Somali Regional administration says that they want the development of Ogaden Region and the production of Oil and Gas, there are poor human right records in the region which International Community widely criticized.Thousands of civilians are detained in the region and hundred are killed for last months.Many flee in the Ogaden Region and registered the UNHCR offices in Kenya and Djibouti.There is no independent judicial system in the region, people in the regionbelieve they are under martial law.
Peace talks between Ethiopian and ONLF ended in the Kenyan capital without a breakthrough on October.Ethiopian Prime Minister Haile Mariam Deselam told Aljazeera Television that ONLF refused to accept the constitution.No agreement of precondition said, ONLF officials.The ONLF has been fighting for self-determination for the Ogaden since the 1970s, and Ogaden people in the region and Diaspora supports the vision of ONLF.Ogadentoday Press.

ESAT Daliy News-Amsterdam Dec. 12 2012 Ethiopia

(MUST WATCH) Message to Ethiopians