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[ENA] Addis Ababa -- Ethiopian Ambassador to Sweden and other Nordic countries, Deriba Kuma has held a virtual meeting with Head of the Horn of Africa and West Africa Department of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Elisabeth Schwabe-Hansen.
He replaces Debretsion Gebremichael, whose immunity from prosecution was removed Thursday.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International said Thursday that scores of civilians were killed in a \"massacre\" in the Tigray region, that witnesses blamed on forces backing the local ruling party.
The \"massacre\" is the first reported incident of large-scale civilian fatalities in a week-old conflict between the regional ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), and the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, winner of last year's Nobel Peace Prize.
\"Amnesty International can today confirm... that scores, and likely hundreds, of people were stabbed or hacked to death in Mai-Kadra (May Cadera) town in the southwest of Ethiopia's Tigray Region on the night of 9 November,\" the rights group said in a report.
Amnesty said it had \"digitally verified gruesome photographs and videos of bodies strewn across the town or being carried away on stretchers.\"
The dead \"had gaping wounds that appear to have been inflicted by sharp weapons such as knives and machetes,\" Amnesty said, citing witness accounts.
Witnesses said the attack was carried out by TPLF-aligned forces after a defeat at the hands of the Ethiopian military, though Amnesty said it \"has not been able to confirm who was responsible for the killings\".
It nonetheless called on TPLF commanders and officials to \"make clear to their forces and their supporters that deliberate attacks on civilians are absolutely prohibited and constitute war crimes\".
Abiy ordered military operations in Tigray on November 4, saying they were prompted by a TPLF attack on federal military camps -- a claim the party denies.
The region has been under a communications blackout ever since, making it difficult to verify competing claims on the ground.
Abiy said Thursday his army had made major gains in western Tigray.
Thousands of Ethiopians have fled across the border into neighboring Sudan, and the UN is sounding the alarm about a humanitarian crisis in Tigray.
Ethiopia will proceed with filling of its gigantic dam on the Blue Nile despite inconclusive talks with impacted neighbours, Sudan and Egypt.
Addressing lawmakers on Tuesday, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said that recent domestic unrest would not derail government’s plan to fill the dam. “If Ethiopia doesn’t fill the dam, it means Ethiopia has agreed to demolish the dam,” he told lawmakers.
Touching on recent unrest in the country following the death of a prominent musician, he reiterated that it was part of a plot to derail the country’s democratization project. “If Ethiopia becomes like Syria, if Ethiopia becomes like Libya, everybody loses.”
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), set to be Africa’s largest hydroelectric project, has been a source of tension in the Nile basin ever since Ethiopia broke ground on it nearly a decade ago.
Ethiopia says the project is essential for its development. Addis Ababa has been vocal about its plans to start filling the reservoir this month.
According to Egypt the construction of the dam endangers the lives of 150 million Egyptians and Sudanese. The Nile is a lifeline, supplying both water and electricity to the 10 countries it passes through.
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Addis Ababa — The Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat has strongly condemned the murder of George Floyd that occurred in the United States of America at the hands of law enforcement officers, and wishes to extend his deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.
Recalling the historic Organisation of Africa Unity (OAU) Resolution on Racial Discrimination in the United States of America made by African Heads of State and Government, at the OAU's First Assembly Meeting held in Cairo, Egypt from 17 to 24 July 1964, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission firmly reaffirms and reiterates the African Union's rejection of the continuing discriminatory practices against Black citizens of the United States of America.
He further urges the authorities in the United States of America to intensify their efforts to ensure the total elimination of all forms of discrimination based on race or ethnic origin.
Thousands of street children in Addis Ababa are being moved to shelters as COVID-19 cases soar in the east African nation
ADDIS ABABA - When Olana Abdulsewud was woken by the police in Addis Ababa early one morning in March, the Ethiopian teenager was relieved.
Begging to survive on the streets had become increasingly tough for Olana, one of an estimated 10,000 homeless children in Ethiopia's capital, since the arrival of the new coronavirus.
Authorities in Addis started rounding up street children in March to prevent them from contracting and spreading the virus - so far more than 4,100 have been placed in shelters - and the drive is being ramped up as coronavirus cases rise nationwide.
Despite rapid growth in the past decade, inequality is stark in Ethiopia where a growing number of children have been driven from their homes - by poverty or neglect - and ended up begging or selling wares to survive life on the streets, charities said.
Tatek Abebe, an academic who has done research into Ethiopia's street children, said factors such as rural poverty and ethnic violence meant most of these children would prefer to remain in Addis rather than move back home to the countryside.
Meanwhile, in South Africa the death is reported of a two-day-old baby after being born prematurely to a coronavirus positive mother.
The case becomes the country’s first neonatal coronavirus death since the pandemic hit the Rainbow Nation.
Explaining the circumstances leading to the baby’s death, health minister Zweli Mkhize said the premature baby’s condition was critical including lung problems and after birth.
This was a two-day-old baby that was born prematurely and therefore had lung difficulties, which required ventilation support immediately after birth,” the BBC quoted Mkhize at a press briefing.
“The mother had tested positive for Covid-19 and the child subsequently tested positive for Covid-19 as well.
[Nation] Kenyan authorities have beefed up security at the border with Ethiopia amid fears of escalating tensions in that government's fight against the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).
Nearly 25 years ago, I kissed my mother goodbye in a crowded airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
My mother had the trifecta of sins: she was of Oromo-ethnicity ; she was a journalist; and she was progressive.
It would be four years before I saw my mother again, when we reunited in what has been our imperfect but adopted home of America.
Like my mother and me, millions others have immigrated to the U.S., fleeing war, economic oppression, ethnic conflicts and an infringement of personal rights.
Freedom that undoubtedly came from the uncompromising struggle for civil liberties, fought for and won by descendants of slaves in America.
AbyssinianBaptist church, currently located in Harlem, New York, was founded in 1808 whena group of black parishioners left First Baptist Church of New York due to the impositionof racially-segregated seating. ReverendThomas Paul, an African American minister from Boston, Massachusetts, assisted the groupconsisting of African Americans and Ethiopian immigrants in establishing achurch. The group named the new churchAbyssinian after Abyssinia, the ancient name of Ethiopia.
Abyssinian Baptist Church became the first African American Baptist church inthe state of New York; the Reverend John VanVessler served as thecongregation’s first pastor. The church—withits already dynamic, politically astute pastoral leadership—became a stalwartpillar in the New York black community. Increasingmembership forced the church to relocate several times until 1923 when theirpresent day Neo-Gothic architectural edifice was built at 132 W. 138th Streetin Harlem between Adam Clayton Powell and Malcolm X Boulevards. The church,constructed of limestone, features European-imported stained glass windows andan Italian marble pulpit.
Abyssinian Baptist experienced rapid growth with its gospel of social justiceand its mission of community empowerment. Over the course of its 206-year history, Abyssinian prospered under theleadership of its 20 pastors. Notablepastors include Reverends William Spellman (1856-1885); Adam Clayton Powell,Sr. (1908-1936); Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. (1937-1971); and Dr. Calvin O. Butts,III (1989- ). During Rev. Spellman’stenure, church membership increased to 1,600; under the leadership of Rev.Powell, Sr., Abyssinian promoted religious and social outreach within thesurrounding community.
Following the retirement of Rev. Powell, Sr., his son Rev. Adam Clayton Powell,Jr. assumed leadership of the church and their community service activities inHarlem. During Rev. Powell, Jr.’s yearsas pastor, church membership burgeoned to nearly 14,000. The church continued to provide for the needyduring the Great Depression
More than 2,800 people have been arrested in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, for failing to wear face masks in public places and for violating the social distancing rules outlined under country’s state of emergency, the Addis Ababa Police Commission disclosed Saturday.
To enforce the emergency decree, police in Addis Ababa have this week started patrolling areas that are known for being highly crowded under normal circumstances, including busy marketplaces, transport service and at public service providing areas.
Accordingly, 1,941 individuals were arrested for not wearing a face mask, while 860 were held for violating social distancing rules.
On April 8, Ethiopia declared a five-month state of emergency that has given extra power to law enforcement bodies to enforce the decree.
In reaction to police measures, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission said “arbitrary arrests” being made by police against people going out without wearing masks was “needless\"
“Indeed, the Emergency Regulations imposed as an obligation to wear face masks in public services are critical to health directives,” the commission said in a statement.
The dispute between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan over Addis Ababa’s construction of a gigantic dam on the Blue Nile has reached a new level.
On Monday, Egypt’s foreign minister urged the U.N. Security Council to adopt a resolution giving international clout to efforts to resolve the dispute over the hydroelectric dam.
Shoukry said the draft resolution is in line with the outcome of an African Union summit on Friday where the leaders of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia agreed to return to talks aimed at reaching an agreement.
Cairo sees the renaissance dam as a threat to international security, while Sudan fears its negative impact on its population.
Born: 7/23/1892 Ejersa Goro, EthiopiaDied: 8/27/1975 Addis Ababa, EthiopiaTafari Makonnen Woldemikael, was Ethiopias regent from 1916 to 1930 and Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He also served as Chairperson of the Organisation of African Unity from 25 May 1963 to 17 July 1964 and 5 November 1966 to 11 September 1967. He was a member of the Solomonic Dynasty.Awards / Achievements:
June 14: Djibouti hosts Somali – Somaliland summit
\tDjibouti president said it was time for a rebirth of the Somali nation as leaders of Somalia and Somaliland met in Djibouti city on Sunday.
Omar Guelleh tasked the leaders to think beyond today and for the future of the nation as it gears up to mark 60th independence anniversary.
Guelleh’s opening speech
\tExcellencies, Heads of States and Governments
Distinguished guests,
\tIt gives me great pleasure to be here with you today to restart the discussions between two brotherly leaders, two somali leaders.
Djibouti president confirms Farmaajo – Bihi meeting, Abiy invited
\tDjibouti president Ismail Omar Guelleh has confirmed the meeting between Somalia and Somaliland leaders.
Somalia, Somaliland leaders to meet in Djibouti next week
\tPresident Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo of Somalia will meet with Somaliland leader Muse Bihi next week in neighbouring Djibouti, multiple sources have confirmed.
I submit this, because second, the coalition has gone on record to state that the CCJ has no jurisdiction on what is before it.
As we have seen and noted, on matters relating to Guyana’s elections, the presence, reach, objectivity, evaluations, conclusions, and relevance, of regional bodies have all been called into sharp questioning by our political players.
Third, if the coalition is adamant that the CCJ has no jurisdiction, then I venture this: no jurisdiction means no authority at adjudication on the issue at hand.
For its part, the CCJ may decide that it does not have jurisdiction thereby dismissing us to our own devices, however destructive those are.
Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo came out to wring his hands publicly over the unsatisfying and unacceptable foreign intrusions, excessive in quantity and depth, that have not helped, but hurt the state of Guyana’s elections affairs.
[ENA] Addis Ababa -The Kingdom of Morocco on Monday Donated more than 600, 000 pieces of medical supplies to the African Union (AU), to help prevent the spread of COVID¬-19 in the continent.
The meeting follows an invitation from the Djiboutian president Ismail Omar Guelleh.
A planned follow-up meeting in Somaliland, engineered by Ethiopia PM Abiy Ahmed, failed to materialize due to stern disagreement by political actors in Hargeisa, the Somaliland capital.
In between the two incidents, President Farmaajo admitted a dark chapter in Somaliland under the regime of Siad Barre.
[ENA] Addis Ababa -- The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) launched a first-of-its-kind continental tool offers a unique view of price variations in African countries, regional economic communities and the continent.
The Battle of Adwa and the Victory of Adwa Centenary Medal
The Battle of Adwa, in which Ethiopian forces under Emperor Menelik II united to defeat an invading force of Italian troops, was one of the most significant turning points in the history of modern Africa. It occurred, in 1896, when the “colonial era” was well advanced on the African continent, and it served notice that Africa was not just there “for the taking” by European powers. More than this, it marked the entry of Ethiopia into the modern community of nations: Menelik’s victory over the Italians caused the other major European states, and Italy itself, to recognise Ethiopia as a sovereign, independent state in the context of modern statecraft.
The actual battle which took place on March 1 and 2, 1896, at Adwa, the principal market town of the North of Ethiopia, had been precipitated by the great rush of the European powers to colonise Africa. Italy and Germany had lagged behind other European powers — most notably France and Britain — in seizing large parcels of the Continent to colonise. Thus, the Conference of Berlin was convened in 1884-85 to “divide up” the remainder of Africa among the other European powers, anxious to obtain their own African colonies to satisfy the urge for imperial expansion and economic gain. Italy was “awarded” Ethiopia; all that remained was for Italian troops to take possession.
Significantly, until this time, Ethiopia had been left alone by the European powers. Its coastal littoral was well-known to traders, but the heartland in the highlands was peopled by nations notoriously unwilling to accept and embrace external contact and influence. But the Ethiopian nations had been known in the past to be fractious and divided, and from all accounts, Italy’s leaders expected a rapid conquest of the individual national leaders. Britain had, in 1868, waged a successful war against Emperor Téwodros II (Theodore), leading to his death. The Italians, however, failed to recognise that Emperor Menelik II had re-shaped Ethiopia
A quarter of a million migrants are employed as domestic workers in Lebanon, the majority of them Ethiopians. Most of these migrants face harsh sometimes life threatening conditions in the line of work.
After Birtukan Mekuanint left Ethiopia for Lebanon in 2017 to work as a maid for a family of eight, she managed to call her relatives back home only a few times.
She is one of thousand others who worked in strenuous conditions and says her ‘hands were bruised from hard work.’
“For six months I didn’t know if it was day or night. I worked day and night. They didn’t pay me a salary, I was always told that they didn’t have any money. My hands were bruised from the hard work.”
Her father, said he did not know what to think when his daughter emerged unannounced from a taxi outside their home in Addis Ababa last week.
Abiye Yefru, Birtukan’s father said: “I didn’t hold my tears. My wife cried, even more, she was thanking God because our daughter escaped death and came back to us so that is a big thing.”
[ENA] Addis Ababa -- The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has advised all stakeholders to take appropriate measures to prevent risks due to the expected heavy rains in Ethiopia and Somalia in the middle of September, 2020.
Angry protests were reported Tuesday in the capital, Addis Ababa, after Hachalu Hundessa was shot dead on Monday.
A well-known Oromo activist, Jawar Mohammed, was among 35 people arrested during the latest unrest.
AP
June 30: Ethiopia arrests Oromo activist Jawar Mohammed, OMN shut down
\tThe arrest of prominent Ethiopian pro-democracy activist Jawar Mohammed has been confirmed by multiple sources from the country.
The arrest comes in the wake of mass protests against the shooting and killing on Monday night of a famed Oromo musician and activist in Addis Ababa.
VIDEO
Jawar vs. Abiy: Season II
\tThe latest incident is the second major face off between Jawar and state security agents.
This articles lead section may not adequately summarize key points of its contents. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. Please discuss this issue on the articles talk page. (March 2010)
The Organisation of African Unity (OAU; French: Organisation de lunité africaine (OUA)) was established on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa, with 32 signatory governments.[1] It was disbanded on 9 July 2002 by its last chairperson, South African President Thabo Mbeki, and replaced by the African Union (AU).
The OAU had the following primary aims:
To co-ordinate and intensify the co-operation of African states in order to achieve a better life for the people of Africa.[1]
To defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of African states.
The OAU was also dedicated to the eradication of all forms of colonialism and white minority rule as, when it was established, there were several states that had not yet won their independence or were white minority-ruled. South Africa and Angola were two such countries. The OAU proposed two ways of ridding the continent of colonialism and white minority rule. Firstly, it would defend the interests of independent countries and help to pursue the independence those of still-colonised ones. Secondly, it would remain neutral in terms of world affairs, preventing its members from being controlled once more by outside powers.
A Liberation Committee was established to aid independence movements and look after the interests of already-independent states. The OAU also aimed to stay neutral in terms of global politics, which would prevent them from being controlled once more by outside forces – an especial danger with the Cold War.
The OAU had other aims, too:
Ensure that all Africans enjoyed human rights.
Raise the living standards of all Africans.
Settle arguments and disputes between members – not through fighting but rather peaceful and diplomatic negotiation.
Soon after achieving independence, a number of
