Gloomy future for Ethiopia's press freedom

The Committee to Protect Journalists says Ethiopia has detained a reporter for covering land evictions. The project which involves the construction of a huge hydroelectric dam had forced farmers and locals to relocate.

Ethiopian journalist Muluken Tesfahun of the privately owned weekly newspaper Ethio-Mehedar was arrested while reporting on the return of thousands of farmers who had been forced from their land near the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. The government has admitted the March evictions were illegal, but so far no charges have been brought against the reporter. DW spoke to Mohammed Keita, Advocacy coordinator for sub-Saharan Africa at the Committee to Protect Journalists in New York.

New Ethiopian party leaders have to carve their way

At the ruling party congress in Bahir Dar in March no-one questioned the succession plan devised by Meles a decade before, but differences rumble under the surface.

Any lingering fears that Ethiopia would suffer a bumpy period fol- lowing the death last August of Premier Meles Zenawi were put to rest during the ruling party congress in the Amhara Region's lakeside capital of Bahir Dar in late March.
With more than 1,000 delegates in attendance, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn was elected chairman of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF).
But in an organisation known for its rigid culture of discipline and secrecy, the avalanche of criticism from the party's rank and file came as a surprise.
Inside and outside the $27m conference hall, delegates, retired EPRDF leaders and prominent businesspeople took the party hierarchy to task on a number of problems, the most serious of which, they said, was the leadership's lack of accountability.

Ethiopia Set To Launch Major Yellow Fever Vaccination Campaign: WHO

Mosquitoes spread Yellow Fever by biting uninfected individuals after biting infected ones.

The Ministry of Health of Ethiopia is launching an emergency mass-vaccination campaign against yellow fever starting June 10, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a news release on Friday.
The move is in response to laboratory confirmation of six cases in the African country earlier this month.
The campaign aims to cover more than 527, 000 people in some six districts, including South Ari, North Ari, Benatsemay, Selamago, Hammer, and Gnangatom and one administrative town (Jinka) in South Omo Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' region (SNNPR) of Ethiopia.
The International Coordinating Group on Yellow Fever Vaccine Provision (YF-ICG11) will provide over 585,800 doses of yellow fever vaccine for the mass vaccination campaign run by the Ethiopian Health Ministry, with support from the GAVI Alliance and other partners.

International arbitration could be option for Ethiopia's Blue Nile dam: Govt source

If Ethiopia and Egypt fail to come to an agreement about controversial new dam project on the Blue Nile, the matter could be taken to International Court of Justice

“We have a strong legal case to insist that our share of the Nile water is preserved – this is not just from a political perspective but also from a legal perspective,” said an anonymous Egyptian government source on the eve of the release of a report on the impacts of an Ethiopian dam on the Blue Nile.

Ethiopia had already started on the first phases of constructing the dam, on Tuesday diverting a stretch of the Blue Nile in preparation for the dam.

Dozens protest Blue Nile dam move outside Ethiopia's Cairo embassy

Limited demonstration erupts outside Ethiopian embassy in Cairo as activists protest perceived infringement on Egypt's traditional share of Nile water
Dozens of Egyptian protesters gathered outside the Ethiopian embassy in Cairo on Friday to protest Addis Ababa's decision earlier this week to temporarily divert the course of the Blue Nile as part of a project to build a series of dams on the river.

Protesters held banners aloft reading, "We reject attempts to take our Nile Water." Others chanted: "We are the source of the Nile Basin."

How Ethiopian scientist unearthed 'world's oldest child'

African Voices is a weekly show that highlights Africa's most engaging personalities, exploring the lives and passions of people who rarely open themselves up to the camera. Follow the team on Twitter.

(CNN) -- It was another December afternoon back in 2000, spent like hundreds of others combing the rocky hills of the Dikika region, when Ethiopian scientist Zeray Alemseged heard one of his assistants nearby calling him.

"He said 'oh, doctor I see something there,'" recalls Alemseged, who'd been excavating the hot and dry landscape for over a year, helped only by a small inexperienced crew of locals. "And I went there and I see the cheek bone part ... sticking out of the rock. I turned it upside down and my jaw literally dropped."

Instantly, Alemseged realized this was an extraordinary discovery that could make scientific history.

"Right away I could tell this is a child of a human ancestor," says the paleoanthropologist. "You have this child in a block of sandstone, with the baby teeth still visible, very vertical forehead, small canine," he adds. "But it's so rare and so unbelievable that I just couldn't accept that was the case, that what I saw was the skeleton."

No Change of lanes for Ethiopia

Addis Ababa: modern city and diplomatic hub for the region/Photo©Sven Torfinn/Panos-Rea

While the ruling party maintains its grand plans to to transform the economy, critical voices are asking why agricultural production is not meeting targets and how the regime will hold itself accountable. Fulfilling late premier Meles's vision was never going to be easy.
 Seven months after the death of Ethiopia's Premier Meles Zenawi, the consensus of his ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), emphatically delivered at its 10th congress in March, is that there will be no wavering from the late leader's vision.
Few who understand the inner workings of the party would be terribly surprised. After 21 years, Meles, the ruling coalition and the state became almost interchangeable. In death, his legacy has become the driving force for both party and state.
The anecdotal descriptions of the late prime minister say something about the role his party played in national life: workaholic, intellectually curious, charismatic, dictatorial and wary of dissent.
The 'developmental authoritarian' state was in many ways a reflection of this.
Publicly disavowing its Marxist roots in the post-Cold War era, the party nevertheless intervened in every facet of public life, has been wary of uncritically embracing market reforms under the 'Washington consensus' and sought to transform Ethiopia from a pre-capitalist agrarian economy into an industrial middle-income economy.

Egypt fears grow as Ethiopia builds giant Nile dam

Ethiopia started to divert the flow of the Blue Nile river to construct a giant dam on Tuesday, according to its state media, in a move that could impact the Nile-dependent Egypt. (Elias Asmare/Associated Press)

Diversion of water of the Nile River began earlier this week

 Ethiopia's construction of Africa's largest hydroelectric da
m on the world's longest river threatens to affect flows of water to Nile-dependent, water-starved Egypt, where there is growing outrage, anger and fear.
Egypt in the past has threatened to go to war over its "historic rights" to Nile River water but diplomats from both countries this week played down the potential for conflict.
"A military solution for the Nile River crisis is ruled out," Egypt's irrigation and water resources minister, Mohammed Baheddin, said Thursday amid newspaper reports recalling the threats of war from Egypt's two previous leaders, Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak.
Ethiopia on Tuesday started diverting the flow of the Blue Nile for construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Eighty-five percent of Nile waters originate in Ethiopia yet the East African nation whose name has become synonymous with famine thus far utilizes very little of those waters.

Ethiopia to sign mobile network deals with ZTE, Huawei

By Aaron Maasho

ADDIS ABABA | Thu May 30, 2013 6:12pm BST

(Reuters) - Ethiopia will sign agreements with China's ZTE Corp and Huawei Technologies Co Ltd in a "few weeks" to expand its mobile phone infrastructure and double subscribers to 40 million, a senior Ethiopian official said on Thursday.
ZTE Corp, China's second-largest telecoms equipment maker, has already been involved in developing phone and internet services in the Horn of Africa nation for several years.
Africa's rapidly expanding telecoms industry has come to symbolize the continent's economic growth, with subscribers across the continent totalling almost 650 million last year, up from just 25 million in 2001, according to the World Bank.

Nile River Dispute Between Egypt, Ethiopia Sparks Tensions

A former high-ranking Egyptian diplomat says Ethiopia’s move to divert the flow of the Nile River has needlessly heightened regional tensions.  Ethiopia began diverting the river this week as it builds a massive hydroelectric dam. Egypt, which depends on the Nile for its water supply, stressed that it has not approved the dam's construction.

Ambassador Tarek Ghuneim was a key player in Nile water negotiations until shortly before his retirement last year. In a interview, the former Egyptian diplomat said those talks were characterized by mutual mistrust.

Egypt could use Suez Canal to retaliate against Ethiopia dam move: Sabbahi

Opposition figure Hamdeen Sabbahi says Egypt could block Suez Canal to ships from countries that help Ethiopia build controversial dam on Blue Nile

Egypt could close the Suez Canal to ships from countries that help Ethiopia build a controversial dam on the Blue Nile in the event that the dam threatens Egypt's supply of Nile water, Egyptian Popular Current leader Hamdeen Sabbahi said Wednesday.

"The state is capable of holding talks with the countries financing Ethiopia's Renaissance Dam project, especially China and Italy," Sabbahi said.

He went on to assert that Egypt was capable of prohibiting ships from those countries from transiting the Suez Canal "until they stop harming Egypt's interests."

He also said that Ethiopia's decision to go ahead with the project – only days after President Mohamed Morsi's state visit to the country – was "extremely humiliating to Egyptians."

Inside Story- Death on the Nile

        

Egyptians up in arms as Ethiopia builds giant hydro dam on Nile River; minister rules out war

By Associated Press, Published: May 30

CAIRO — Ethiopia’s construction of Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam on the world’s longest river threatens to affect flows of water to Nile-dependent, water-starved Egypt, where there is growing outrage, anger and fear.
Egypt in the past has threatened to go to war over its “historic rights” to Nile River water but diplomats from both countries this week played down the potential for conflict.

“A military solution for the Nile River crisis is ruled out,” Egypt’s irrigation and water resources minister, Mohammed Baheddin, said Thursday amid newspaper reports recalling the threats of war from Egypt’s two previous leaders, Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak.
Ethiopia on Tuesday started diverting the flow of the Blue Nile for construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Eighty-five percent of Nile waters originate in Ethiopia yet the East African nation whose name has become synonymous with famine thus far utilizes very little of those waters.
Ethiopia’s decision challenges a colonial-era agreement that had given downstream Egypt and Sudan rights to the Nile water, with Egypt taking 55.5 billion cubic meters and Sudan 18.5 billion cubic meters of 84 billion cubic meters, with 10 billion lost to evaporation. That agreement, first signed in 1929, took no account of the eight other nations along the 6,700-kilometer (4,160-mile) river and its basin, which have been agitating for a decade for a more equitable accord.

Former Egyptian commander: Striking Ethiopia dam 'impossible'

Egypt Independent

General Mohamed Ali Bilal, commander of Egyptian forces during the Gulf war, said that it is “impossible” to strike the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam because such a decision would be issuing a challenge to the entire world.

Bilal told al-Arabiya satellite channel on Wednesday that such an attack would bring Egypt into conflict with those countries, such as China and Israel, whose citizens are involved in the construction of the dam. Egypt is not in a position to stand up to all those countries, he added.

He also said that, when the US launched Desert Storm and invaded Kuwait, it did so under the auspices of the UN. Besides, he added, there seems to be international consensus that Ethiopia has the right to build the dam.

BBC HARDtalk in Addis Ababa - John Kerry - Secretary of State, United States

      

Secretary-General Appoints Tamrat Samuel Deputy Special Representative for Liberia

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Tamrat Samuel as his Deputy Special Representative (Rule of Law) for the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).

The new Deputy Special Representative for Rule of Law succeeds Louis M. Aucoin of the United States of America, who concluded his assignment in December 2012.  The Secretary-General is grateful for Mr. Aucoin’s dedicated service during his year with UNMIL.

ጋዜጠኛ ሙሉቀን ተስፋሁን ቤንሻንጉል-ጉምዝ ውስጥ ታስሯል

“ኢትዮ-ምኅዳር” ለሚባለው ሣምንታዊ ጋዜጣ ከአማራ ክልል ሲዘግብ የቆየው ሙሉቀን ተስፋሁን በቤንሻንጉል-ጉምዝ ፖሊስ መያዙን የጋዜጣው ምንጮች አስታወቁ።

ስለጋዜጠኛው እሥራት ከአካባቢው ፖሊስ መልስ ለማግኘት የተደረገው ሙከራ አልተሣካም።

ሙሉቀን ከተያዘበት ዕለት ጀምሮ ይህ ዘገባ እስከተጠናቀረበት ጊዜ ድረስ ፍርድ ቤት እንዳልቀረበም የቅርብ ዘመዶቹ ተናግረዋል።

የኢትዮጵያ ፌደራላዊ ዴሞክራሲያዊ ሪፐብሊክ ሕገመንግሥት “የተያዙ ሰዎች በአርባ ስምንት ሰዓታት ውስጥ ፍርድ ቤት የመቅረብ መብት አላቸው” ሲል በአንቀፅ 19 ንዑስ አንቀፅ 3፤ “ማንኛውም ሰው ያለማንም ጣልቃ ገብነት ሐሣቡን የመግለፅ ነፃነት አለው፤ ይህ ነፃነት በሃገር ውስጥም ሆነ ከሃገር ውጭ ወሰን ሳይደረግበት በቃልም ሆነ በፅሁፍ ወይም በሕትመት፣ በሥነጥበብ መልክ ወይም በመረጠው በማንሃውም የማሠራጫ ዘዴ ማንኛውንም ዓይነት መረጃና ሐሣብ የመሰብሰብ የመቀበልና የማሠራጨት ነፃነቶችን ያካትታል” ሲል በአንቀፅ 29 ንዑስ አንቀፅ 2 ያረጋግጣል፡፡ እንዲሁም በአንቀፅ 29 ንዑስ አንቀፅ 3 እና ንዑስ አንቀፅ 3/ለ የሚከተለው ሠፍሯል “3. … የፕሬስ ነፃነት የሚከተሉትን ሕጎች ያጠቃልላል…፤ …ለ/ የሕዝብን ጥቅም የሚመለከት መረጃ የማግኘት ዕድልን”

Kuku Sebsebe - Chalkubet (ቻልኩበት)

        

Ethiopian Nile move drives Egypt's EGX30 downward

An interior view of the Egyptian stock market is seen in Cairo (Photo: Reuters)

EGX30 falls 1.2 percent Wednesday following Ethiopia's contentious decision to divert course of Blue Nile, raising concerns about move's impact on Egyptian water security

Egypt stocks tumbled on Wednesday in the wake of Ethiopia's recent move to begin construction of a major dam on the Blue Nile, one of the Nile River's two main tributaries, raising fears regarding the move's potential impact on Egypt.

The main EGX30 index declined by 1.2 percent to reach 5,338 points in a session that saw total daily turnover of some LE339.9 million.

VIDEO: ‘Miracle’ man sets new world record for handstand — on crutches

Tameru’s Got Talent- in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

For the first 16 years of his life, Ethiopian Tameru Zegeye’s congenital disability forced him to crawl on his stomach like a snake.
Then he started using crutches. And then he started using crutches to perform handstands.
And as this video shows, he has defied his disability by setting a new world record for the longest distance covered in one minute while doing a handstand — using crutches. He covered more than 75 meters (250 feet) at a stadium in Addis Ababa, a new world’s best for Tameru, which means “miracle” in Amharic, his native language.

Canada expels Eritrea envoy over expat fees claims

Semere Ghebremariam Micael, head of the Eritrean Consulate General in Toronto

Canada has ordered an Eritrean envoy to leave the country following claims he demanded contributions from expatriates to fund Eritrea's military.

Semere Ghebremariam Micael, head of the Eritrean Consulate General in Toronto, has been under investigation for the practice.
It is in breach of both UN sanctions against Eritrea and Canadia
n law, the Canadian government said.
Mr Micael has been given until on 5 June to leave.
Warned previously

“Start Quote

Canada has repeatedly made clear to Eritrea to respect international sanctions and Canadian law”

John Baird Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister

"Canada has taken steps to expel (declare persona non grata) Mr Semere Ghebremariam O Micael, consul and head of the Eritrean Consulate General in Toronto, effective immediately," Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Today's actions speak for themselves," he added.

Changing the Course for Child Brides in Ethiopia

By Gillian Gaynair
Enana recalls her parents bathing her many years ago to get ready for, they told her, a holiday celebration. She doesn't remember how old she was.
"I was a child," Enana said. "I didn't even know how to clean myself."
A child, but ready -in her parents' eyes - to be a bride.
That day Enana married a much older man she didn't know. With her nuptials, she became another statistic in Ethiopia's Amhara region, where the rate of child marriage is among the highest in the world. She became another young girl whose opportunities and childhood were cut short. Another wife and eventually a mother - but not yet an adult - whose life often remains invisible to others.
When we met briefly last year, Enana said she was 17, but she wasn't sure. She figured her husband was around 30 years old. They had a four year old son.
Enana was still upset about that day many years ago, and the life she was forced into. As we sat together, Enana barefoot, clutching her knees to her chest, she told me how disappointed she is in her parents for marrying her off to "that old man." I was struck by how vocal she was - no other girl I met outwardly expressed such irritation with her parents' decision.

Bewketu Seyoum-Poems -Performed at Ethiopian National theatre

               

Ethiopian and Foreign-owned shops in South Africa looted

Analysts suggest violence is a result of poor locals' frustration with inequality and migrants taking jobs. Dozens of people have been arrested in South Africa following the rioting and looting of foreign-owned shops. Some analysts say the recent violence is a result of poor South Africans being frustrated with the government and taking it out on foreigners who seem to be doing better than they are. Al Jazeera's Haru Mutasa reports from Diepsloot township in Johannesburg.

Source: Al Jazeera

‘Skinny guy with a funny name’: Morehouse valedictorian’s long journey to graduation

"There is no impossible. There is no unbelievable," 2013 Morehouse valedictorian Betsegaw Tadele said during his speech.

By Meron Moges-Gerbi, CNN

(CNN) - On a rainy afternoon this spring when President Barack Obama gave the commencement speech at Morehouse College in Atlanta, he called valedictorian Betsegaw Tadele the “skinny guy with a funny name” – a nickname Obama has often called himself.
So, who is that other “skinny guy?”
Tadele’s journey to sharing a stage with the president began in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the youngest of Tadele Alemu and Almaz Ayalew’s two children. Tadele’s first name, Betsegaw, means "by God's grace" in Amharic, his native language.
In the summer of 2009, Tadele came to the United States in pursuit of a higher education.
Morehouse College, a historically black college, was not Tadele’s first choice; he was initially interested in more technical schools. Morehouse only awarded him enough scholarship funds to pay for tuition, not room and board. But Tadele’s brother happened to be living and working in Atlanta. Tadele saw this as an opportunity to spend time with his brother while taking advantage of what the university had to offer. Morehouse became his new destination.

President Obama and Betsegaw Tadele speak at the Morehouse graduation

After four years at Morehouse, Tadele had a 3.99 GPA. He graduated with a degree in computer science and a minor in mathematics. He won departmental awards in math and the school’s computer science leadership and scholarship award, led Morehouse’s Computer Science Club and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
"There is no impossible. There is no unbelievable. There is no unachievable, if you have the audacity to hope," Tadele said during his speech, paraphrasing the name of the president's 2006 book, "The Audacity of Hope."

The next stop in Tadele’s journey is Seattle, where he'll work for Microsoft.
Here’s what Tadele had to say about meeting the president and finishing college:
CNN: First thing first, what was it like to meet President Obama?
Betsegaw Tadele: I didn’t really get to meet him except on stage. There were a lot of Secret Service (agents) around him. Many were suggesting I go and hug him, but I couldn’t do that. But it was great; after my speech, he got up gave me a hug and told me he was proud of me. That was a great honor.
CNN: What was the greatest part of being a Morehouse valedictorian?
Tadele: It was great to be able to mark that moment and summarize our journey at Morehouse. I wasn't nervous at all. I could feel the energy of the crowd, everyone was happy to be there. It was an honor to be able to acknowledge all these parents who sacrificed so much for their kids to be there. Acknowledging them and our hard work and the energy of that moment was unforgettable.

Debrework Zewdie Appointed to TB Alliance's Board of Directors

Accomplished Global Health Leader brings development and international

 health expertise 
 

NEW YORK, May 28, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- TB Alliance, a not-for-profit organization with the mission of developing better, faster-acting, and affordable TB treatments, announces the election of Debrework Zewdie, Ph.D. to its Board of Directors. Dr. Zewdie is a deeply accomplished global health leader, and brings significant expertise to the organization.
"I've dedicated my career to improving public health and tackling some of the developing world's most difficult health issues," said Dr. Zewdie. "However, we cannot defeat tuberculosis without new tools. I look forward to helping TB Alliance advance its mission, particularly at this important time in its history when it has a very promising late-stage pipeline and is poised for impact."

Ethiopia diverts flow of Blue Nile

Egypt and Sudan express concern over multi-billion dollar dam on Nile which violates colonial-era agreement. Ethiopia has started to divert the flow of the Blue Nile river to construct a giant dam to meet its energy needs, according to state media, amid concerns from other Nile-dependent countries downstream. Demeky Mekonin, the Ethiopian prime minister, said on Tuesday that diverting the flow at the site of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam would provide hydroelectricity not only for Ethiopia but also for neighbouring countries, reported the state-owned Ethiopian Radio and Television Agency. Egypt and Sudan have objected to the construction, saying it violates a colonial-era agreement which gives Egypt nearly 70 percent of Nile River waters. Ethiopia, however, says the dam will not affect Egypt and that the 1959 agreement ignores the needs of five upriver countries.

Ethiopia Refuses to Cooperate With World-Bank-Funding Probe

Ethiopia’s government said it won’t cooperate with a probe into whether the World Bank violated its own policies by funding a program in which thousands of people were allegedly relocated to make way for agriculture investors.
Ethnic Anuak people in Ethiopia’s southwestern Gambella region and rights groups including Human Rights Watch last year accused the Washington-based lender of funding a program overseen by soldiers to forcibly resettle 45,000 households. The Inspection Panel of the World Bank, an independent complaints mechanism, began an investigation in October into the allegations, which donors and the government have denied.
“We are not going to cooperate with the Inspection Panel,” Getachew Reda, a spokesman for Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, said in a phone interview on May 22. “To an extent that there’s a need for cooperation, it’s not going to be with the Inspection Panel, but with the World Bank”
Ethiopia, Africa’s most-populous nation after Nigeria, has made 3.3 million hectares (8.2 million acres) of land available to agriculture companies. Investors include Karuturi Global Ltd. (KARG) of India, the world’s largest rose grower, and companies owned by Saudi billionaire Mohamed al-Amoudi.
There is a “plausible link” between the Promoting Basic Services program, partly funded by the bank to pay the salaries of local government workers, and a resettlement process also known as villagization in Gambella, the panel said in a Nov. 19 report obtained by Bloomberg News. The World Bank confirmed the authenticity of the report.

Ethiopia’s lasting legacy of famine

People queue at an emergency feeding tent during Ethiopia's famine in 2003 

At an international hunger summit in London next month, experts will seek to tackle the long-term impact of childhood malnutrition and its consequences for struggling nations

By Roger Thurow

10:20PM BST 27 May 2013

In the first-year classroom of Shemena Godo Primary School, in Boricha, Ethiopia, three dozen children study the alphabet. On a black chalkboard, teacher Chome Muse highlights the letter B and writes the combination with each vowel. Ba, be, bi, bo, bu.

The pupils, crowded two or three to a desk, listen to the sounds. I am watching one boy in particular, Hagirso, who sits at the back of the room. He copies the letters in his tattered notebook and proudly shows me his first attempts at writing, a triumphant milestone in early childhood development.

Hagirso, though, is no child. He is 15 years old. I first met him 10 years ago during the Ethiopian famine of 2003. He was in an emergency feeding tent, on the verge of starvation and weighed just 27lb when his father carried him to the clinic. The doctors and aid workers feared he wouldn’t live.

Miraculously, Hagirso survived, but the damage of severe malnutrition had been done.

When I next saw him, five years later on the family’s small farm in the southern highlands, Hagirso had gained weight but not much height. He was then 10 years old and just over 3ft tall. He wasn’t in school.

Tesfaye Ketema with his 15-year-old son Hagirso, who suffered malnutrition in the Ethiopian famine of 2003.

“He isn’t able,” his father, Tesfaye Ketema, told me. “I can see from his growth he isn’t so good. He is stunted.”

World lead and course record for Tirunesh Dibaba over 10km in Manchester

Crossing the line: Tirunesh Dibaba wins the Great Manchester Run on Sunday

Eight months after her impressive Half Marathon victory in Newcastle, Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba put in another commanding performance on British roads and won the Bupa Great Manchester Run over 10km with a world-leading time of 30:49 on Sunday (26).
Into the bargain, the three-time Olympic champion also bagged a course record at the IAAF Gold Label Road Race, and a personal best.
Dibaba is now the 11^th fastest runner ever at the distance but there is surely much more to come from her as she started the race slowly, in her own words ‘warming up’ during the first half of the race.
During the first kilometre, in perfect weather conditions with gentle sunshine and hardly any wind, the Ethiopian stayed just behind her rivals in the leading pack but then soon took off on her own.
“I started slow because there was a slight wind at first and I felt I need to warm-up,” explained Diabab, who had missed her planned Marathon debut in London because of a shin injury. “It is fine now, I had no problems,” she added, confirming the obvious to anyone who watched the race.
Passing the 5km mark in 15:40, Dibaba was already 38 seconds ahead of the chasing group before she started going through the gears

Ethiopians rule Ottawa Marathon (with video)

OTTAWA — Tariku Jufar and Yeshi Esayias collected the Ottawa Marathon titles and established event records, but Luka Rotich nearly upstaged them.
Jufar took advantage of great running conditions and Rotich’s efforts as a pacesetter to finish the 42.195-kilometre course through Ottawa and Gatineau in two hours eight minutes 4.8 seconds, slicing 67 seconds off the 2012 race standard established by Laban Moiben.
Esayias successfully defended her Ottawa title and made it a double triumph for Ethiopia, crossing the finish line in 2:25:30.1 to take 71 seconds off a mark set by Asmae Leghazoui in 2009.
Rotich, 24, had been hired by Tamarack Homes Ottawa Race Weekend officials to set the pace through 30 kilometres, and he earned an additional stipend by playing that role through 35. Free to do whatever he wanted to do at that point, he kept going.

Marcus Samuelsson: On Becoming A Top Chef

 

James Beard award-winning chef Marcus Samuelsson has been a judge on Top Chef, Iron Chef America and Chopped.

Courtesy of Marcus Samuelsson

A longer version of this interview was originally broadcast on .
Marcus Samuelsson owns two restaurants in New York City and two restaurants in Sweden. He's cooked for President Obama and prime ministers, served as a judge on Top Chef and Chopped, and recently competed against 21 other chefs on Top Chef Masters. (He won.) He's the youngest chef ever to receive two three-star ratings from The New York Times.
Samuelsson's journey to some of the most celebrated restaurants in the U.S. was a long one — and started several thousand miles away. He was born in rural Ethiopia, where he contracted tuberculosis when he was 3 years old. His mother, who was also battling the disease, walked with Samuelsson and his sister 75 miles to a hospital in Addis Ababa. Though Samuelsson and his sister recovered, their mother did not. After her death, both Samuelsson children were adopted by a family in Sweden.
Samuelsson details his path from Sweden, where he learned to cook from his grandmother Helga, to New York City and the Food Network in his memoir, Yes, Chef — in which he pays homage to his Swedish family and to food.
 Listen to the Story 

Brazil Development Bank Gives $1 Billion to Ethiopia Rail

Ethiopia will receive $1 billion in funding from the Brazilian Development Bank to build a section of a railway that will be extended to connect to neighboring South Sudan, a Foreign Ministry official said.
Andrade Gutierrez Participacoes SA of Brazil will build the link running from the capital, Addis Ababa, to Jimma about 439 kilometers (273 miles) to the southwest, Taye Atskeselassie, director general for the Americas at the ministry, said in an interview on May 24.

Morsi underlines 'agreement' with Ethiopia over controversial dam

Speaking on a number of issues at the AU summit, President Morsi batted away concerns about the Ethiopian Nile dam project

President Mohamed Morsi during his visit to Ethiopia (Photo:Presidency facebook page)

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi said on Saturday that he had made an agreement with Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn that both countries' interests would be addressed during the building of the 'Renaissance Dam' in Ethiopia, which many some experts argue will reduce Egypt's share of the Nile’s potable water.

Speaking to Egyptians in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, where he is currently attending the 21st African Union summit, Morsi stated that there is a committee of experts from both countries that will scrutinise all the details and possible ramifications of the controversial dam.

African Union at 50 – will the dream of unity ever be realised?

Africa has come a long way since the formation of what became the AU, but even more needs to be done. Solomon Dersso suggests a path to unification – in word and in deed

Julius Nyerere, left, described Kwame Nkrumah, the inspiration for the AU, as 'the great crusader of African unity' Photograph: Adil Bradlow/AP

In his famous speech, in which he made the case for the formation of a strong union of the continent, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, described as "the great crusader of African unity" by Mualimu Julius Nyerere, told his peers on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa that "unite we must. Without necessarily sacrificing our sovereignties, big or small, we can here and now forge a political union based on defence, foreign affairs and diplomacy, and a common citizenship, an African currency, an African monetary zone and an African central bank."
He went on: "We must unite in order to achieve the full liberation of our continent. We need a common defence system with African high command to ensure the stability and security of Africa … We will be mocking the hopes of our people if we show the slightest hesitation or delay in tackling realistically this question of African unity."

African Union: Continental drift?

Group celebrates its anniversary, but the verdict is still out on whether it is meeting the needs of ordinary Africans.

 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - The African Union headquarters complex in the capital Addis Ababa stands in stark contrast to its immediate surroundings.
The wide planetarium-like structure sitting comfortably attached to a 100-metre lightly glazed tower dominates the city’s skyline. Inside, the combined leadership of 54 nations gather in state of the art conference rooms to contemplate Africa’s future.
Outside the complex, taxi cabs jostle for parking space and pedestrians are questioned by security guards, while local residents navigate the grime and dust of urban life walking along narrow alleys.
The continental bloc might be celebrating 50 years on Saturday, but there is an unmistakable cynicism surrounding the nature and value of the union in meeting the needs of ordinary Africans.



The AU plans to host commemorative celebrations at a reported cost of $1.3m, despite ongoing conflicts and insecurity in five countries across the continent, including Sudan, the eastern DRC and Mali.
Disarray still reigns in Guinea-Bissau, the Central African Republic and Madagascar. Moreover, despite recent economic growth across the continent, living conditions remain abysmal for many average people, with the UN’s signature index suggesting that 24 of the 25 countries at the bottom of the human development index are African.

AU must make a U-turn

I HAD thought only human beings lose their teeth as they grow older but to my surprise, the African Union (AU) just proved me wrong with the number of teeth it seems to lose as it ages.
At 50, the AU seems to be more of a toothless entity in the dynamics of global politics and economics as it constantly seems to struggle to object or challenge decisions taken by the invaders of our mother continent.
Instead of fighting for the interests of Africans on a global scale, our much-vaunted continental body is a mere baby when it comes to influencing decisions taken by the West that directly impact the African people. Two of the AU objectives are to defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of member states and to accelerate the political and socio-economic integration of the continent.
Well, if you ask me, we are not making any strides in achieving those objectives. Not as long as we continue to wait for the West to decide on the fate of Africa. Last time I checked, Africa was still the richest continent in terms of natural resources, why then should we run to the West to beg for aid in the form of loans, medication and what have you? Many of you will agree with me that the West should indeed be running to us to work or provide aid to them.

Kerry, in Ethiopia, Strongly Defends Drone Policy

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry jokingly checks his height, comparing it to that of an unidentified student who is acting as his stand-in for rehearsals, before the start of a town hall meeting with students during his visit to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Sunday May 26, 2013. Kerry visited Ethiopia to mark the 50th anniversary of the African Union. (AP Photo/Pool, Jim Young)

Secretary of State John Kerry defended U.S. antiterrorism policies in a sometimes-contentious town hall meeting in Addis Ababa, just before departing Ethiopia Sunday.
Mr. Kerry, in response to audience questions about the U.S. drone program, vigorously defended the justice of kill strikes by unmanned aerial vehicles just days after President Barack Obama’s big speech last week narrowing the scope of the fight against terrorism.
“The only people we fire at are confirmed terror targets, at the highest level. We don’t just fire a drone at somebody we think is a terrorist,” Mr. Kerry said, adding that strikes are ruled out if there could be collateral damage. He went on to describe the drone program as one of the “most accountable,” unlike terrorist attacks, which are indiscriminate.
Mr. Kerry appeared to be describing the administration’s new drone strategy, unveiled in Mr. Obama’s speech, which aims to increase the oversight process determining drone targets.
But questioners in Ethiopia and around the world who joined in via social media were upset with earlier strikes. So-called signature strikes were a staple of the Obama administration’s earlier policy, often targeting individuals who met the profile of terrorists but whose identity was unknown. And collateral damage from drone strikes has been a powerful source of anti-American sentiment in countries such as Pakistan and Yemen.

Egypt not opposed to Ethiopia's Renaissance Dam

Egypt is not opposed to the construction of the Renaissance Dam in Ethiopia, or to any other development project, as long as it does not impair Egypt's interests, the Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mohamed Bahaa Eddin said on Saturday.
"A tripartite committee involving Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia is studying the effects that building the [Renaissance] Dam would have," Bahaa Eddin added in a press statement Saturday, after President Mohamed Morsy and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn met on the sidelines of the African Summit.
Bahaa Eddin refused to comment on Addis Ababa's insistence on continuing work on the dam despite the fact that the committee has not concluded its study.

Invisible kisses by Lemin Sissay performed at Ethiopian National Theatre

ራስን የማጥፋት ትልቁ ምክንያት-ኤፍሬም ስዩም

Proceeding Adwa by Lemin Sissay performed at Ethiopian National Theatre

Single from The Legendary Singer Theowdros Tadesse upcoming album

Bogalech Gebre on FGM, women's rights and lack of freedom - Video

Ethiopian superstars Gebrselassie and Dibaba to highlight Manchester 10km

Legendary Ethiopians Haile Gebrselassie and Tirunesh Dibaba will highlight the Bupa Great Manchester Run – an IAAF Gold Label Road Race – on Sunday (26). While Gebrselassie returns to familiar territory and intends to take a record sixth win in this world-class 10km race, it will be Dibaba’s first appearance in Manchester.
Gebrselassie vs Kipsang
Gebrselassie, who won the event in 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, will face Kenya’s Olympic bronze medallist Wilson Kipsang. It will be only the second time that they have competed against each other. Back in 2007 they raced over 15km in Heerenberg, Netherlands, where the Ethiopian won in 42:36 as Kipsang finished third, almost a minute behind in 43:30 in one of his first races outside Africa.
Since then the Kenyan has developed into a world-class Marathon and Half-marathon runner, winning the 2012 London Marathon and running the second-fastest time in history with 2:03:42 at the 2011 Frankfurt Marathon. Meanwhile, Gebrselassie – whose former Marathon World record is just 17 seconds slower than Kipsang’s best – is still going strong.

Kerry to Visit Ethiopia for Security Talks

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is headed to Ethiopia for security talks with regional officials and to attend a 50th anniversary celebration for the African Union.

Kerry's three-day visit begins Friday in Addis Ababa, where the State Department says he will meet with senior Ethiopian officials to discuss "bilateral issues."

On Saturday, he will join African leaders and other foreign dignitaries at an AU summit that will celebrate 50 years of the pan-African organization, which used to be referred to as the Organization of African Unity.

Kerry's visit is expected to include talks on efforts to battle Islamist extremists in countries such as Mali and northern Nigeria.

HARDtalk special with John Kerry in Addis Ababa

Send your question to US Secretary of State John Kerry

BBC HARDtalk will be in Ethiopia for a special programme with the US Secretary of State John Kerry.

He will answer questions put to him by a live audience of young people from all over Africa.
And he will take questions sent in by BBC viewers and listeners from around the world. HARDtalk's Zeinab Badawi will host this special event in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa on Sunday, 26 May 2013.
Mr Kerry's trip to Africa comes as the African Union celebrates 50 years.

IMF sees Ethiopia's economic growth slowing as private sector struggles

* GDP growth seen slowing to 6.5 pct in 2012/13 from 8.5 pct
* Inflation seen steady in single digits
* Huge public spending crowding out the private sector
* Reforms needed to lure more foreign investment
ADDIS ABABA, May 23 (Reuters) - Ethiopia's huge public spending has created one of Africa's fastest-growing economies, but volatile inflation, balance of payments pressures and a stifled private sector raise questions over its sustainability, the International Monetary Fund said.
Ethiopia's 85 million-strong population, making it Africa's second-most populous nation, offers an attractive market with cheap labour for foreign investors.
Across the capital, mushrooming construction sites, glass-clad office towers and giant billboards showcasing hi-tech electronics point to Ethiopia's emerging middle class. But idle youths loitering on streets and impoverished slums underscore some of the challenges facing the government.
Economic growth will slow to an estimated 6.5 percent this fiscal year from 8.5 percent in 2011/12, Jan Mikkelsen, the IMF's country representative in Ethiopia, said in an interview on Thursday.
Massive energy, transport, IT and manufacturing projects require financing equivalent to roughly 15 percent of Ethiopia's estimated $33 billion annual national output. About half had to be domestically funded, Mikkelsen said.

Eritrea's Isaias Afeworki: reviled and revered ex-rebel

This file picture taken on May 4, 2007 shows Eritrean President Isaias Afeworki gesturing during a press point with EU development and humanitarian aid commissioner Louis Michel at the EU headquarters in Brussels. While 20 years ago Eritreans danced to celebrate their newly gained independence, on May 24 2013 few have much to dance about. PHOTO | AFP 

Hero, freedom fighter, dictator: Eritrean President Isaias Afeworki has ruled the Horn of Africa nation with an iron grip from independence in 1993, following an epic 30-year liberation war.

Authoritarian and austere, 67-year-old Issaias led one of Africa's most remarkable rebel armies in a bitter struggle against a far larger Ethiopian army, backed first by the United States, then the Soviet Union.

At independence, Eritrea was held up as a beacon of hope for Africa by Western governments, and Isaias was hailed as a "renaissance leader" by then US President Bill Clinton.

But attitudes changed sharply as Marxist-inspired Isaias tightened control of the one-party state run by his People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) and as he began backing regional rebels, including Islamist Somali insurgents linked to Al-Qaeda.

Ethiopia: planting hope in trees

In the past half century, Ethiopia has ravaged more than 90 percent of its forests. Reforestation campaigns are now sowing new hope on the Ethiopian highlands. France 24 went out to Ethiopia to find out more.

By Mairead DUNDAS / Marina BERTSCH

For every tree that is planted in Ethiopia, dozens of others are cut down. The result is an arid landscape, prone to erosion and incapable of growing essential crops.

This week we head to Tigray, close to the border with Eritrea, where the situation is particularly dire. Tigray has recovered from the famine that devastated the region in the 1980s, but the threat of hunger is never far away. Today the locals have begun to realise that replanting trees is one of the keys to their survival. International organisations Green Ethiopia and the Yves Rocher Foundation have stepped in to help.

While 20 million trees have been planted here in the past 12 years, efforts have been jepoardised by a much more powerful enemy: the eucalypt. This species was imported from Australia more than a century ago. It's loved by the locals because it grows quickly, but for the native species it's a vampire tree that greedily sucks up all the water resources. Concerned biologists are urging Ethiopians to respect and nurture the local trees in a bid to preserve biodiversity here and across the Horn of Africa.
http://www.france24.com

COULD THIS BE ONLY THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG? By Eyesuswork Zafu

By Eyesuswork Zafu
There is no pleasure in seeing people go to goal. More so when you know the people well. The news of the arrest of top ranking bureaucrats and prominent businesspersons on Friday 10th May 2013 was an occurrence that shocked many in the nation. It was alleged that they had committed criminal corruption. Like many Ethiopians, I will wait for the time they will be officially charged before the court and proven guilty or innocent before I pass any judgment on any of them. And many would agree with me that this “benefit of doubt” is a great deal more than some of the accused officials gave to many business persons they contrived locked up.

The detainees are accused of different criminal offenses, some of soliciting for and taking/accepting bribes, some of giving bribes, some others of letting off the hook criminally corrupt businesspersons in exchange for one favour or another, and so on and so forth. I shall hope and pray for true justice to be served upon each and every one of them.

Ethiopia's Bogaletch Gebre wins King Baudouin Prize

Ethiopian activist Bogaletch Gebre has won an international prize for her campaign to eradicate female genital mutilation (FGM).

Ms Gebre was awarded the King Baudouin Prize in Belgium for confronting "culturally entrenched taboo subjects", the selection committee said.
She helped reduce cases of FGM from 100% of newborn girls to less than 3% in parts of Ethiopia, it said.
FGM is practised mainly in communities in Africa and the Middle East.
Also known as female circumcision, it is seen as a traditional rite of passage and is used culturally to ensure virginity and to make a woman marriageable.
It typically involves removing the clitoris, and can lead to bleeding, infections and childbirth problems.
'Endemic'

Female genital mutilation

• FGM includes procedures that alter or injure female genital organs for non-medical reasons
• About 140 million girls and women worldwide are living with the consequences of FGM
• Dangers include severe bleeding, problems urinating, infections, infertility and increased risk of newborn deaths in childbirth
• The practice is mainly carried out by traditional circumcisers, who play other central roles in communities

አያት አክሲዮን ማኅበር ከ90 ሚሊዮን ብር በላይ ቅጣት ተወሰነበት

-    የማኅበሩ አመራሮችም በፅኑ እስራትና በገንዘብ ተቀጡ
-    አያት ከ86 ሚሊዮን ብር በላይና የኮንስትራክሽን መሣርያዎች እንዲወረሱበት ተወስኗል

በኢትዮጵያ ገቢዎችና ጉምሩክ ባለሥልጣን በተመሠረቱባቸው 23 ክሶች ለሦስት ዓመታት ከተከራከሩ በኋላ በቅርቡ በ21 ክሶች ጥፋተኛ የተባሉት አያት አክሲዮን ማኅበርና ሦስት አመራሮች፣ በዛሬው ዕለት በፌዴራል ከፍተኛ ፍርድ ቤት ልደታ ምድብ 8ኛ ወንጀል ችሎት ከፍተኛ የገንዘብ ቅጣትና ፅኑ እስራት ተፈረደባቸው፡፡

ፍርድ ቤቱ በሰጠው ውሳኔ አያት አክሲዮን ማኅበር 90,091,270 ብር ቅጣት ሲወሰንበት፣ የማኅበሩ ከፍተኛ ባለድርሻና ዋና ሥራ አስኪያጅ አቶ አያሌው ተሰማ 12 ዓመት ፅኑ እስራትና 3,235,543.50 ብር ቅጣት፣ የኢንቨስትመንት ዳይሬክተሩ ዶ/ር መሐሪ መኮንን 12 ዓመት ፅኑ እስራትና 436,646.60 ብር ቅጣት፣ የፋይናንስ ኃላፊው አቶ ጌታቸው አጎናፍር 10 ዓመት ፅኑ እስራትና 411,969.60 ብር ቅጣት ተወስኖባቸዋል፡፡ 

ከዚህ በተጨማሪ አያት አክሲዮን ማኅበር የባንክና የኢንሹራንስ ሥራዎችን ተክቶ በመሥራት፣ አራጣ በማበደርና መሰል ተግባራት ውስጥ በመሳተፉ 86,495,726 ብር እንዲወረስበት ፍርድ ቤቱ መወሰኑን አስታውቋል፡፡ እንዲሁም አቶ አያሌው ተሰማና አያት አክሲዮን ማኅበር በጋራ ጥፋተኛ በተባሉበት ሌላ ክስ ከቀረጥ ነፃ የገቡ የኮንስትራክሽን ማሽነሪዎችና ተሽከርካሪዎች እንዲወረሱ ፍርድ ቤቱ ውሳኔ ሰጥቷል፡፡
http://www.ethiopianreporter.com/

በኑሮ መንገድ ላይ፥ ዮናታን እና ሜሮን

ሁሉም ሰው አሸናፊ መሆን ፤በህይወቱ ውስጥ ከሚፈልገው አላማ መድረስ ይችላል? አይቻልም፡፡አንድ ሰው በህይወቱ ካሰበበት ለመድረስ ህልም እና ፍላጎቱን ለማሳካት በርካታ ውጣውረዶችን ማለፍ ይጠበቅበታል፡፡የስኬታማነት/ውጤታማነት አንዱ ቁልፍ ደግሞ ቁርጠኝነት (Determination) ነው፡፡  ቁርጠኝነት ስኬት አይደለም፡፡የስኬታማነት ሂደት እንጂ፡፡

በእሸቴ በቀለ

በቁርጠኝነት ላይ ለዳጉ አዲስ  ሳምንታዊ የሬዲዮ ፕሮግራም የሰራሁትን እና  በሸገር 102.1 የተላለፈውን ፕሮግራም እዚህ ማዳመጥ ይችላሉ፡፡
 

የሜሮን  ‘’ፍለጋ’’

አባቷ በነበረባቸው የፍርድ ቤት ጉዳይ እጅጉን ሲማረሩ ታስታውሳለች፡፡ይህን ችግር መፍታት የሚያስችላትን የጥብቅና ሙያ ማለም የቻለችው የ11ኛ እና 12ኛ ክፍል ተማሪ ሳለች ነበር፡፡ቤተሰቦቿ ጅጅጋ ዩኒቨርሲቲ የህግ ተማሪ ሆና ስትመደብ ‘’ተይው’’ ብለዋት ነበር፡፡እርሷም የማታውቀውን ዩኒቨርሲቲ ርቀት አስባ ፍርሃት ፍርሃት ሳይላት አልቀረም፡፡ወስና የዩኒቨርሲቲውን የህግ ተማሪዎች ተቀላቀለች፡፡ግን ህይወት ቀላል አልሆነችም፡፡የትምህርት አሰጣጡ አዲስ ነበር፤ሙቀቱ ከባድ ነው፤ምግቡ አልተመቻትም ፡፡በዚያ ላይ ለመጀመሪያ ጊዜ ከቤተሰብ ለራቀችው ራሄል አጥር አልባው ዩኒቨርሲቲ ያስፈራል፡፡ዩኒቨርሲቲው ውስጥም ሆነ ውጪ ለከፋ ገጥሟታል፡፡የመጀመሪው አመት በእንዲህ አይነት በርካታ መሰናክሎች የተሞላ ነበር፡፡ቢሆንም አልተሸነፈችም፡፡እንዲያውም አካባቢዋን ወደ ሚስደስታት እና አላማዋን ለማሳካት ወደሚያግዛት አለም መቀየር ጀመረች፡፡የሴቶች ክበብ አቋቋመች፡፡በትምህርታቸው ደካማ የነበሩ ተማሪዎችን እና የገንዘብ ድጋፍ የሚያሻቸውን ማገዝ ጀመረች፡፡ስትመረቅ ውጤቷ ጥሩ ነበር፡፡ሜሮን ከኮሌጅ ህይወት በኋላ በሰራተኛ እና ማህበራዊ ጉዳይ ሚኒስቴር በኢንዱስትሪ ግንኙነት ኦፊሰርነት ለ3 ወር ሰርታለች፡፡ቢሆንም ቢሮክራሲው እና የተማረችው ሳይጣጣምላት ቀርቶ ጥላ ወጣች፡፡ቀጣይ ማረፊያዋ ቪኤስኦ የተሰኘ የግብረ ሰናይ ድርጅት ነበር-በበጎ ፈቃድ አገልግሎት፡፡ሜሮን ከአላማዋ ለመድረስ ባደረገችው ጥረት የገጠሟት ችግሮች ነበሩ፡፡ቤተሰቦቿ ቋሚ ደሞዝ ከሚከፈላት ተቋም ለቃ ስትወጣ እና የበጎ ፈቃድ አገልግሎት ስትጀምር ደስተኛ አልነበሩም፡፡ነገር ግን ማሳመን ችላለች፡፡

Ethiopian born Frehiwot or Frederick toddler struck by car dies

A Frederick toddler struck by a car at a Walkersville park over the weekend has died, according to Maryland State Police.Frehiwot Olsson, 2, died Saturday at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where she was taken after being struck at Heritage Farm Park earlier in the day.
Born in Ethiopia, Frehiwot was also known by her adoptive family as Marra.

"She's loved by so many, and she touched so many lives," her mother, Amy Olsson, said during a telephone interview Monday night. "Adoption is such a beautiful, redemptive thing. We are finding so much comfort in her story alone and knowing that we had her for these months that we did, and to give her a family, we feel so blessed. That's what is carrying us through."
The girl's father, Sten, said Frehiwot had a difficult start to her life.

Meet Betesegaw Tadele

እስር ቤት የጠፋ ወጣትነት

በእሸቴ በቀለ

 ‘’አንተ ሰው አትሆንም፤የማትረባ ነህ፤ አሰድብከን የእኛንም አንገት ነው ያስደፋሃን፤አንተን በመውለዳችን እንዲያውም እንፀፀታለን፡፡ብለው ተናገሩኝ፡፡’’ ይህ የዳንኤል ትውስታ ነው፡፡ከቤተሰቦቹ ጋር ለተፈጠረው አነስተኛ ግጭት የተሰጠ ምላሽ-ዳንኤልም ሆነ ቤተሰቦቹ ግጭቱን ለመፍታት በእርጋታ ለመነጋገር እና ለመወያየት መፍትሄ ለመፍጠር አልሞከሩም፡፡የቤተሰቦቹ ንግግር ዳንኤልን በሚፈልጉት መንገድ አላረቀውም፡፡ይባስ ብሎ ከቤት ወጣ፡፡ከታክሲ አስከባሪ ጋር ተጋጨ፡፡በግጭቱ የታክሲ አስከባሪው ጥርስ ወለቀና ለሶስት ወራት እስር ተዳረገ፡፡በዳንኤል መታሰር  ቤተሰቦቹ አቋማቸው አልተቀየረም፡፡የተበላሸውን ነገር የሚያስተካክሉበትን መንገድ አላሰቡም፡፡ይባስ ብሎ  ዳንኤልን መጠየቃቸውን አቆሙ፡፡

በዳንኤል መታሰር ራሱ ዳንኤል የተሰማው ፀፀት እና ድንጋጤ ከቤተሰቦቹም ጋር መፈጠሩ አይቀርም፡፡ነገር ግን በዳንኤል የእድገት ሂደት ውስጥ ቀድሞ ይህን ማስቀረት ይቻል የነበረ ቢሆንም አልተደረገም፡፡ችግሮችን በእርጋታ በውይይት መፍታት፤ስድብ እና ግጭትን ማስወገድ፤ስሜታዊነትን መቆጣጠር የሚችልበትን የህይወት ልምድም አጣ፡፡በአንድ ቀን በተፈጠረ ስህተት በትምህርቱ፤ቤተሰባዊ ህይወቱ እና ከማህበረሰቡ ጋር ባለው ግንኙነት እንዲሁም በህይወት ግቡ(አላማው) ላይ አሉታዊ ተፅዕኖ ወደ ሚያሳድረው ማረሚያ ቤት ለመግባት ተገደደ፡፡

በወጣትነት መታሰር ላይ ለዳጉ አዲስ  ሳምንታዊ የሬዲዮ ፕሮግራም የሰራሁትን እና  በሸገር 102.1 የተላለፈውን ፕሮግራም እዚህ ማዳመጥ ይችላሉ፡፡

በአሁኑ ወቅት በተለያዩ ምክንያቶች በርካታ ታዳጊዎች እና ወጣቶች ለእስር ይዳረጋሉ፡፡ይህ ማለት ግን ሁሉም ጭልጥ ያሉ ወንጀለኞች ናቸው ማለት አይደለም፡፡እንደ ዳንኤል ሁሉ አነስተኛ ግጭቶች፤ስርቆት፤ደንብ መተላለፍ፤በህግ የተከለከሉ አደንዛዥ እፆችን መጠቀምም ሆነ ይዞ መገኘት፤ስድብ እና ለከፋን የመሳሰሉ ጥፋቶች ወጣቶችን ለእስር ይዳርጋሉ፡፡በኢትዮጵያ ወንጀል ሕግ ደግሞ  እድሚያቸው ከ9 ዓመት እስከ 15 ዓመት ያሉትን በወጣት ጥፋተኝነት ከ15 ዓመት በላይ ያሉትን እንደማንኛውም አዋቂ ጉዳያቸው እንዲታይ ያደርጋል፡፡እድሚያቸው ከ15 አመት በታች ያሉ ወጣቶች  ፍርድ ቤቱ የጥፋቱን ክብደት፣ የጥፋተኛውን የኑሮ ሁኔታ እንዲሁም የቅጣቱን አስጠንቃቂነት ልዩ ግምት ውስጥ በማስገባት አስተማሪ የሆነ ቅጣት ይጥላል፡፡እድሚያቸው ከ15 አመት በላይ የሆኑ ወጣቶች ግን በህ ፊት እንደ አዋቂዎች ይታያሉ፡፡