East Africa boosts anti-Ebola measures

Nairobi (AFP) - Kenya and Ethiopia, home to some of Africa's largest transport hubs, said Thursday they had boosted measures to combat possible Ebola cases arriving in their countries.

Kenya's National Disaster Operation Centre said in a statement that "port health services are on standby, with enhanced screening at border points to prevent and contain any possible disease threat".

Meanwhile Ethiopia Airlines said it was taking "extraordinary precautions in connection with the outbreak of the disease".

Ethiopia's national carrier is a major airline connecting countries across Africa, as well as flying to the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

"Stringent and specific surveillance is being carried out regarding all flights from west Africa at Addis Ababa airport," the airline said in a statement.

In Uganda, which has suffered Ebola outbreaks in the past -- most recently in 2012 -- health ministry officials said they were "on alert", but added that reports of a case in the north of the country had been a false alarm.

Ethiopia Says U.K. Review of Aid Is Based on Fabricated Claims

A British court’s decision to allow a judicial review of aid given to Ethiopia is based on “fabrications” about a resettlement program propagated by people outside the country, the Horn of Africa nation’s Foreign Ministry said.
The High Court in London on July 14 said a review could be conducted into whether the U.K.’s aid agency is adequately monitoring the human-rights record of Ethiopia’s government. The ruling came after an Ethiopian citizen said his government had used aid to implement a resettlement program in the western Gambella region under which he suffered abuses. The program forcibly moved tens of thousands of people and involved “serious human rights violations,” according to Human Rights Watch. The U.K.’s development agency said it didn’t fund the program.
Ethiopia is enacting a five-year economic growth plan in a bid to reduce poverty and develop industries beyond agriculture, which accounts for 80 percent of employment, according to the United Nations.
Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry said the Gambella resettlements were voluntary and successfully achieved their goal of improving public services in sparsely populated areas.
“One reason for these distorted views clearly lies in the failure to understand the objectives of the resettlement program,” it said in a statement e-mailed by Ethiopia’s Embassy in the U.K. yesterday. “This has been further compounded by what can only be described as shoddy analysis of the programs on the basis of flimsy, politically motivated or even non-existent evidence.”

Ethiopian Yewondwosen Girma Hailemarian fatally shot in D.C.

A man fatally shot in D.C. early Sunday morning has been identified as 30-year-old Yewondwosen Girma Hailemarian of Fairfax, Virginia.

A press release from MPD is after the jump.

    Homicide in the Unit block of N Street, NE

    (Washington, DC) – Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch are investigating a homicide that occurred in the unit block of N Street, Northeast.
    On Sunday, July 27, 2014, at approximately 5:24 am, officers from the Fifth District responded to a call of an unconscious person.

    Upon their arrival, they located a male suffering from apparent gunshot wound in the unit block of N Street, Northeast. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel transported the victim to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The decedent’s remains were transported to the Chief Medical Examiner for the District of Columbia pending an autopsy.

በረዳት አብራሪ ኃይለ መድኅን አበራ ላይ ምስክሮች ተሰሙ

የኢትዮጵያ አየር መንገድ ንብረት የሆነውን የበራራ ቁጥሩ ET-702 ቦይንግ 767 አውሮፕላንን የካቲት 9 ቀን 2006 ዓ.ም. በመጥለፍ ወንጀል በሌለበት ክስ የተመሠረተበት ረዳት አብራሪ ኃይለ መድኅን አበራ ላይ፣ ዓቃቤ ሕግ ሐምሌ 22 ቀን 2006 ዓ.ም. ምስክሮቹን አሰማ፡፡

የፌዴራል ዓቃቤ ሕግ በረዳት አብራሪው ላይ የመሠረተውን የአውሮፕላን መጥለፍ ወንጀልና የአውሮፕላንን ደኅንነት አደጋ ላይ መጣል ወንጀል ክስ በመመርመር ላይ የሚገኘው የፌዴራል ከፍተኛ ፍርድ ቤት 20ኛ ወንጀል ችሎት፣ ጣሊያናዊውን ዋና አብራሪ ሚስተር ፓትሪዚዮ ባርቤሪንና በወቅቱ የበረራ አስተናጋጅ ኃላፊ የነበሩትን ጨምሮ የስምንት ምስክሮችን ቃል ሰምቷል፡፡
የዓቃቤ ሕግ የመጀመርያ ምስክር የሆኑት ዋና አብራሪ ሚስተር ፓትሪዚዮ ባርቤሪ ሲሆኑ፣ አውሮፕላኑን ከኢትዮጵያ ቦሌ አውሮፕላን ማረፊያ እስከ ጄኔቭ ስዊዘርላንድ እስካረፈበት ያለውን ሒደት አስረድተዋል፡፡
ዋና ፓይለቱ ለፍርድ ቤቱ እንደመሰከሩት መነሻቸው አዲስ አበባ ሆኖ ከሌሊቱ ለሰባት ሰዓት ሃያ ጉዳይ ነው፡፡ ከነበረራ አስተናጋጆች 202 መንገደኞችን ይዘዋል፡፡ መድረሻው ጣሊያን ሮም በመሆኑ ጉዞአቸውን በሰላም መጀመራቸውን፣ አንድ ሰዓት ከሃያ ደቂቃም መጓዛቸውንና የበረራ መስመራቸው በሱዳን ካርቱም አድርጎ ወደ ጣሊያን ሮም መሆኑን አስረድተዋል፡፡
‹‹መፀዳጃ ቤት ደርሼ መጣሁ ብዬው ሄድኩኝ፡፡ ወዲያው የመፀዳጃ ቤቱን በር ከውጭ ቆለፈው፡፡ በመቀጠልም የአየር እጥረት ሲከሰት በመንገደኞች ላይ በሚታይ የመድከምና የመጨናነቅ ስሜት ጊዜ የሚደረገውን የኦክሲጂን ጭንብል መንገደኞች እንዲያደርግ ረዳት አብራሪ ኃይለ መድኅን  ትዕዛዝ አስተላለፈ፤›› ያሉት ዋና አብራሪ ፓትርዚዮ፣ እሳቸውም መፀዳጃ ቤት እንደሆኑ ጭንብሉን ማድረጋቸውን  ገልጸዋል፡፡ ኃይለ መድኅን ጭንብል እንዲያደርጉ ያዘዘው እውነትም የአየር እጥረት ተከስቶ ቢሆን ኖሮ፣ ከፍተኛ የአየር ድምፅ ይኖር ስለነበር መሰማማት እንደማይቻል ተናግረው፣ እሱ ግን ዝም ብሎ በመናገሩ ምንም ድምፅ እንዳልነበረ አስረድተዋል፡፡

‹‹ዶ/ር ኢንጂነር›› በሚል ሐሰተኛ ማዕረግና ማጭበርበር የተጠረጠሩት አቶ ሳሙኤል ከኬንያ ተላልፈው ተሰጡ

‹‹ዶ/ር ኢንጂነር›› እንደሆኑ በመግለጽና በማሳሳት እንዲሁም በዚህ ሐሰተኛ የትምህርት ማዕረግ ተጠቅመው ባለሀብቶችን በማጭበርበር የተጠረጠሩት አቶ ሳሙኤል ዘሚካኤል፣ ኬንያ ውስጥ ተይዘው ለኢትዮጵያ መንግሥት ተላልፈው ከተሰጡ በኋላ ማክሰኞ ምሽት አዲስ አበባ ገብተዋል፡፡

አቶ ሳሙኤል የተያዙት በኬንያ የፀጥታ ኃይሎች በዋና ከተማዋ ናይሮቢ  መሆኑን ምንጮች ለሪፖርተር ገልጸዋል፡፡ ግለሰቡ ሊያዙ የቻሉት የአዲስ አበባ ፖሊስ ኮሚሽን ለፌደራል ፖሊስ በጠየቀው መሠረት መሆኑን ለመረዳት ተችሏል፡፡ የፌዴራል ፖሊስ የዓለም አቀፍ ወንጀሎችና የኢንተርፖል መምርያ ከኬንያ አቻው ጋር ባደረገው ግንኙነት አቶ ሳሙኤል ተይዘው ተላልፈው መሰጠታቸውን ለማረጋገጥ ተችሏል፡፡
አቶ ሳሙኤል የተጠረጠሩበት የማጭበርበር ወንጀል ይፋ ከተደረገ በኋላ በግለሰቡ መበደላቸውን ለአዲስ አበባ ፖሊስ ኮሚሽን ያሳወቁት ግለሰቦች መኖራቸውን፣ በወቅቱም ግለሰቡ ከአገር እንዳይወጡ የአዲስ አበባ ፖሊስ ኮሚሽን ለብሔራዊ መረጃና ደኅንነት የቦሌ ቅርንጫፍ ደብዳቤ ተጽፎ እንደነበር ምንጮች ገልጸዋል፡፡ ተጠርጣሪው ግለሰብ ግን በቦሌ አውሮፕላን ማረፊያ በኩል ሳይሆን በየብስ ትራንስፖርት በድንበር አቋርጠው ሳይወጡ እንዳልቀረ ለጉዳዩ ቅርበት ያላቸው ምንጮች ያስረዳሉ፡፡
በግለሰቡ የማጭበርበር ወንጀል ጉዳት እንደደረሰባቸው የገለጹ ታዋቂ ባለሀብቶችና ሌሎች ጉዳት የደረሰባቸው ግለሰቦች፣ ለአዲስ አበባ ፖሊስ ኮሚሽን ቃላቸውን እንደሰጡም ምንጮች አስረድተዋል፡፡

Fourth Ethiopian athlete found safe in Washington

The 18-year-old woman was located Tuesday at an acquaintance’s house in Washington

The fourth Ethiopian athlete missing since Saturday morning from the World Junior Championships track meet in

Eugene was located safe by police Tuesday evening in Federal Way, Wash., a University of Oregon Police Department spokesman said.

Zeyituna Mohammed, 18, was contacted at the residence of an acquaintance by Federal Way police, at the request of the UO Police Department, spokesman Kelly McIver said. Federal Way is just north of Tacoma.

The university police had been investigating a missing persons case since late last Friday, when two Ethiopian track team coaches reported about 11 p.m. that four athletes had not checked in at their UO residence hall.

The four athletes — three 18-year-old women and a 17-year-old male — reportedly had left the area by choice with an acquaintance, but police needed to positively confirm the athletes’ safety, McIver said.

Three of the athletes were found safe in Beaverton on Monday afternoon: Amanuel Abebe Atibeha, 17; and Dureti Edao and Meaza Kebede, both 18.

Earlier Tuesday, McIver said police do not know whether the athletes plan to seek political asylum.

“That’s always a question when you have international visitors, especially in an area where there’s unrest,” McIver said.

Sharon Rummery, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in San Francisco, said the agency does not release the names of individuals applying for any immigration services, including asylum, due to federal privacy law.

McIver said the Ethiopian athletes are in the United States legally and can stay per the terms of their visas.

Potash firm moves senior boss to Ethiopia

A SENIOR figure at a potash firm is leaving his role just weeks after revealing £38m plans to create hundreds of jobs in the region, The Northern Echo can reveal.
Phil Baines, managing director at Cleveland Potash, in Boulby, east Cleveland, is moving to work in Ethiopia.
Bosses say Mr Baines will oversee a $1bn low-cost potash development in Dallol, in the north-east of the country.
The company refused to comment on reports it has lost £7m in the last six months.
Mr Baines is expected to leave his role next month, with the firm saying the move is part of a wider restructure.
Earlier this year, Cleveland Potash, which employs 1,100 workers, was awarded £4.9m from the Government’s Regional Growth Fund to support a £38m project focused on mining and processing the fertiliser mineral polyhalite.
The company said it will create 125 direct jobs and about 265 indirect posts, helping to secure the long-term future of the mine, which has a 1,100-strong workforce and is the biggest employer in east Cleveland.

2015 AFCON: Ethiopia head to Brazil for preparations

Ethiopia’s national team will be heading to Brazil to begin the preparation camp before the 2015 Orange Africa Cup of Nations’ Group stage qualifiers kick off.
The 2013 CAN revelation will be hoping to continue their success in Morocco next year. However, they must first of all make it to the tournament as they are grouped alongside Algeria, Mali and the winner between Benin and Malawi in the Group stage qualifiers.
The Ethiopian Football Federation President, Junedin Basha, said on Tuesday that the team will first have an International friendly against Angola on August 3, before flying to Brazil for a camp.
“Besides the training camp, we shall also have some friendly games in Brazil to shape the team,” added the Ethiopia FA President.

Copyright : Starafrica.com

Listen: Thoughts from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia -John Green

          

Oromo nationalism on the rise in Ethiopia

Protests and online activism in recent months have brought a resurgence of ethnic Oromo nationalism in Ethiopia.

 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - Aslan Hasan, a student belonging to the Oromo ethnic group in Ethiopia, was called either a guilt-ridden terrorist who committed suicide or an innocent victim of brutal state repression, depending on who you listen to.
His death came following a bout of violence in May, when Oromo students in several towns protested against a government plan for the capital Addis Ababa to expand into Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia's largest and most populous federal region with around one-third of the nation's over 90 million people.
Security services said Hasan hanged himself in his cell after being arrested for a grenade attack that occurred at Haramaya University in the east of the country. Online Oromo activists such as Jawar Mohammed say Aslan, 24, had his throat slit by police on June 1 while in custody after being snatched four days before. A witness said it appeared his neck had been cut and his eyes gouged out.

Ethiopia's government is frequently accused of trampling on constitutionally protected ethnic rights as it prioritises security, political stability, and public infrastructure investments to drive growth. While technocrats have devised a rational scheme to manage a bulging city, the red-hot political issue of Oromo rights was barely considered, according to an Addis Ababa University academic who wishes to remain anonymous. "They think something is good, they go for it," he said about the ruling coalition's top-down methods. "It's a done deal, it's not consultative at all."
Jawar and other Oromos - including normally acquiescent Oromo members of the ruling political group - say the "integrated master plan" is an annexation of their territory that will weaken the ethnicity politically and also lead to the eviction of Oromo farmers from their land on the periphery of Addis Ababa. Oromos claim the capital city, which they call Finfinne, as their own, and in 2004 protested against the government's attempt to change their capital to Adama.
Deadly protests
The most serious unrest in May took place in the western town of Ambo and involved a student protest-turned-riot, with buildings damaged, cars torched, and civilians shot dead by security forces. At Haramaya, a grenade was chucked at students watching a televised football match. Officials blamed Oromo separatists; activists pointed a finger at agent provocateurs from the regime. In the southeast of Oromia, grainy video purports to show security forces firing on students around Madawalabu University at Robe. An independent assessment estimated as many as 50 people died.
The lack of clarity epitomises the propaganda battle raging inside Ethiopia - and online - amid fear of retribution and a paucity of reliable information. Few if any independent journalists or bloggers operate in the hotspots, and Ambo, for example, was placed on lockdown by security services when violence broke out. Two Peace Corps volunteers who blogged about the unrest - saying police killed two of their unarmed neighbours away from the protests - fled the country soon after.
While debate continues about exactly what happened, the protests indicate a growing and potentially important trend: a resurgence of Oromo nationalism that's increasingly driven by online activists.
During the demonstrations, US-based Jawar, a graduate student at Columbia University, acted as a central hub to distribute information from Ethiopia via Facebook and Twitter: posting photos of dead students and sharing news of protests under way. Cooperation between disaffected Oromo students and savvy mobilisers in the diaspora presents a fresh and substantial challenge to a government that still has work to do in resolving the centuries old issue of unmet Oromo demands for fair treatment and representation.
"The recent Oromo protests and the new online activism is significant, mostly because it represents a fresh, much younger generation of Oromo nationalists, and signals that Oromo nationalism is durable politically," said Michael Woldemariam, an Assistant Professor of International Relations at Boston University.

Four Ethiopian athletes from IAAF World Junior Championships tries to escape for asylum

Thee whereabouts of Amanuel Abebe Atibeha, 17; Dureti Edao, 18; Meaza Kebede, 18; and Zeyituna Mohammed, 18, have not been confirmed since they were reported missing Saturday.

EUGENE, Ore. - Three of the 4 track and field athletes from Ethiopia who were reported missing Saturday after competing in the IAAF World Junior Championships in Eugene have been found in Beaverton.
Police said Amanuel Abebe Atibeha, 17; Dureti Edao, 18; Meaza Kebede, 18, were safe, unharmed, and staying with acquaintances.

A missing persons case is still active for 18-year-old Zeyituna Mohammed.

The four departed the meet earlier than expected and are reportedly visiting family friends in the Portland area, UOPD said.

The University of Oregon was the host venue for the track meet. Because the athletes were reported missing from campus property, UOPD has jurisdiction for the missing person situation.

UOPD said it has not been able to confirm that the group is safe and secure.

Police are treating the situation as a missing persons case. The University of Oregon Police Department is leading the investigation, in coordination with local, state and federal officials.

Ethiopian mother's anger at murdered son in student protests-BBC reports

"Yeshi" is still trying to come to terms with the trauma of discovering the body of her son being carried through the streets of the Ethiopian city of Ambo.

A 27-year-old rickshaw driver, he had been caught up in deadly protests between the police and students in the city in April.
They were demonstrating about plans to extend the administrative control of the capital, Addis Ababa, into Oromia state.

Oromia is the country's largest region and completely surrounds Addis Ababa - and some people feared they would be forced off their land and lose their regional and cultural identity if the plans went ahead.

The government says the "Masterplan", as it is known, would allow them to better extend city services to rural areas.
However for Yeshi - who asked for her name and those of her family to be changed - the heavy-handed response by the security forces that saw her son shot in the head is hard to fathom.
She had come across a group of people carrying a body and overheard people saying it was her son, Tamiru.

In Ethiopia, family planning increasingly an article of faith

Leaders from all religious traditions smooth the way for contraception on the idea that sprawling families in poor conditions are not healthy for kids or moms.

 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — Religious figures have been preaching the gospel of family planning here in Africa's second most populous nation. The result: a whittling of the fertility rate, and a leap in contraceptive use.
In Ethiopia, where the population is devout and widely scattered, local religious figures exercise far more authority than government officials or the young female health workers they send out across the country.
The poverty and high mortality rates in many communities have led to an unusual level of support for contraception among Ethiopia’s religious leaders. Pastors, priests, and imams are paving the way for the birth control that the government is making available for pennies.

Ethiopia’s emerging art scene pits creativity against profits

Local painters forgo experimentation to cater to growing number of foreign buyers

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Tesfaye Hiwet started visiting his homeland from the U.S. shortly after the 1991 revolution that brought down Ethiopia’s communist-inspired military dictatorship known as the Derg. One reason was to source art for his Washington-based restaurant and nightclub.
After noticing the lack of galleries in the Ethiopian capital, he moved back to Addis Ababa 12 years ago and opened the Makush Art Gallery and  Restaurant, starting with a handful of artists. Nowadays, every wall in Makush is blanketed with vivid Ethiopian paintings depicting scenes ranging from monks praying in the dawn half-light to bustling markets and images of wide-eyed, elongated women.

Makush owner Tesfaye Hiwet relaxing in his office, surrounded by paintings, which make up more than half his business.

 

 

 

Addis Ababa has an active art community that can benefit from the lucrative sales at Makush, which now has about 70 artists on its books and a collection of more than 650 paintings.
But not all the city’s artists want to get involved with Makush because of its unabashed commercial focus — at the sacrifice, they argue, of artistic merit. They worry the gallery represents an unfettered art market where lack of analysis and criticism can compromise artistic integrity, drive runaway prices and lead to the prevalence of mediocre art that doesn’t express the true range of artistic talent simmering away.
“Many artists are increasingly enticed to market-driven productions,” said Elizabeth Giorgis, an art historian and director of the Gebre Kristos Desta Center, a modern art museum in Addis Ababa. “The current Ethiopian art market has produced a dark side where prices are ineptly assessed and fixed at exorbitant prices that do not warrant the credibility or skills of the artists.”
But an emergent modern and contemporary art scene in energetic flux is a stark contrast from when Ethiopia had no market at all.

IAAF World Junior Championships 2014 - Men's 5000 Metres Final

         

''It is not easy to break into the first team at Arsenal but certainly he has the quality'' Henry on Zelalem

"I feel like a different man when I wear that shirt."
Thierry Henry may be a New York Red Bulls player these days but his affinity for Arsenal remains, and the Gunners legend made that clear when he faced the media ahead of Saturday's reunion with his old club.
Henry's chief concern is MLS points but, after two spells, one stint as captain, 377 games, 228 goals and countless happy memories, it's obvious what Arsenal represents to the Frenchman.
"Wearing the shirt was a privilege for me," he said. "I understood that when I left and when I came back to play in those seven or eight games. Wearing an Arsenal shirt was the most important thing and it feels unbelievable.
"This is going to sound weird but [facing Arsenal this weekend] will be like being in training, because I have trained with them in the off-season.
"The thing I am happy about is for the US fans to be able to see Arsenal, and for some of the kids to be able to play against them, because some of our guys were not here yet when we played Arsenal at the Emirates Cup.

Police seek missing Guelph coffee shop owner Seble Dietrich

Seble Dietrich, 39, also went by the name 'Mimi'. Police say the 39-year-old was highly involved in the Ethiopian community and ran prayer studies from her downtown coffee shop. (Guelph Police Service)

"Mimi" Dietrich known to travel extensively between Canada and Ethiopia

 Guelph Police say they are interested in speaking to anyone who may have information on the whereabouts of 39-year-old Seble Dietrich, who runs a coffee shop in downtown Guelph.
Investigators say Dietrich, who also goes by the name of "Mimi", left her home sometime between 12:00 p.m. on July 10th and 6:00 p.m. on July 11th, 2014.
She was last seen driving her car, a red 1999 Mercedes SLK. The car has since been located at her coffee shop in downtown Guelph.

Arsenal's Zelalem showed off his incredible basketball skills

Post by A Desta Keremela.

Yomif Kejelcha wins the World Junior 5,000;

Ethiopia’s world youth 3000m champion Yomif Kejelcha led for most of the last kilometre to win the men’s 5000m in 13:25.19, his best-ever clocking.
Kejelcha’s team-mate Yomif Haji, with whom he shared pacing duties in the last third of the race, finished in 13:26.21 for silver, giving Ethiopia a gold-silver sweep. Moses Letoyie of Kenya took bronze in 13:28.11.
Two Ugandans, 10,000m champion Joshua Cheptegei and Philip Kipyeko, set the early pace, pulling the pack through the first kilometre in 2:43.21 and the second in 5:28.35.
Kenya’s Fredrick Kipkosgei Kiptoo came up and set a rhythm of surges, pushing through the first bend and down the backstretch, then backing off on the second bend and allowing what remained of the pack to collect. The group of eight runners was thinned to six as the group passed 3000m in 8:12.27, then 10:54.13 at 4000m.
By then Haji and then Kejelcha had moved to the front of the pack, Haji taking over at 3600m. As they left 4000m behind, the pack shrunk to six with Cheptegei struggling to hang on to the eventual medal trio.

Arsenal's Arsene Wenger: Gedion Zelalem will play vs. New York Red Bulls

HARRISON, N.J. – If you’re a US national team fan desperately hoping to see prospect Gedion Zelalem in action, this weekend’s match between the New York Red Bulls and Arsenal is a must-watch.
Zelalem is expected to play a role on Saturday when the Red Bulls host Arsenal in front of an anticipated sellout crowd at Red Bull Arena (5 pm ET, ESPN2). What kind of role the promising 17-year-old midfielder will have is unclear, but Gunners manager Arsene Wenger intends to use him in some capacity in Arsenal’s first stateside match in 25 years.
"He will play on Saturday," Wenger told reporters on Thursday. "Gedion has the qualities that I believe are very important to give in the States because the national team I've seen [is missing them]. He's a creative player and he can create a spark, an opening with his pass, with his vision through the eyes and if he manages to build up his physique and his qualities, he can be a very important player. Let's hope he will do it."

Freedom of the press in Ethiopia-PM Hailemariam Desalegn on CNBC

Freedom of the press in Ethiopia 

Wednesday, 23 Jul 2014 | 7:00 PM ET The Human Rights Watch has accused Ethiopia of severely restricting freedom of expression. The country's prime minister, Hailemariam Desalegn responds to these accusations.

Health, agriculture key to Africa's development: Bill Gates

Addis Ababa (AFP) - Health and agriculture development are key if African countries are to overcome poverty and grow, US software billionaire Bill Gates said Thursday, as he received an honourary degree in Ethiopia.

"By getting things right in these two areas, the gains can be exceptional," Gates said, calling health and agriculture "enabling factors for all the other things that need to be done."
But Gates warned that progress could be undone by instability, pointing to northern Nigeria, where attacks by Boko Haram extremists have derailed efforts to eradicate polio.
"This Boko Haram disruption is the one real cloud on the horizon, where it means there are groups of children that we're not able to get to," he told reporters after receiving his award.
Gates -- the world's richest man -- and his wife are the co-founders of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which tackles health and poverty in Africa.
"The rise of this continent... will definitely benefit from the leaders here in Ethiopia, and across Africa, opening up and learning from each other, as well as from their people," he said in a speech at Addis Ababa University.

Gates, dressed in a black and red robe, received his degree from Ethiopia Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, who also called agriculture and health "critical elements" for his country's plan to reach "middle income status in the next decade."

Egypt set to play Ethiopia friendly in August

The Pharaohs will square off against Ethiopia in preparation for September's Senegal and Tunisia Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers
The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) under the leadership of Gamal Allam has reached an agreement with its Ethiopian counterpart to play a friendly in early August, domestic reports claimed on Thursday.
The two Nile Basin teams are currently preparing for the qualifiers of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) set to take place in Morocco.
The Pharaohs, currently under the helm of coach Shawky Gharib, have done well at the CAN, winning three times in a row in 2006, 2008 and 2010.

Meriam Ibrahim: 'Apostasy' woman and family arrive in Italy after finally leaving Sudan

A handout photo released by the Osservatore Romano and taken on July 24, 2014 shows Pope Francis greeting Sudanese Christian Meriam Ibrahim and her daughter Maya during a private audience at the Vatican

The Sudanese woman who was sentenced to death for "apostasy" and made to give birth with her legs chained together in jail has finally escaped the country on an Italian government plane.
TV footage showed Meriam Ibrahim and her family arriving at Rome's Ciampino airport alongside the Italian deputy foreign minister, after her case triggered outrage and condemnation around the world.
The family's sudden appearance in Italy came as a surprise - not least to her own lawyer Mohaned Mostafa.
Ms Ibrahim has been stuck inside the US embassy in Sudan for a month and had been expected to travel at some point to America, where her husband has citizenship.
Despite quashing her death sentence last month, the Sudanese government had blocked her from leaving the country with her husband and two small children, claiming her travel documents were "falsified".

First bottles of Ethiopian wine produced by French firm Castel

Women pick grapes at the Castel vineyard near the town of Ziway in Ethiopia. Photograph: Zacharias Abubeker/AFP/Getty Images

Half of 1.2m bottles of Rift Valley wine are intended for export, with company planning to double production


The grape names – merlot, syrah, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay – are distinctly French, but the label on the Rift Valley wines is surprising: made in Ethiopia.
The French beverage giant Castel, one of the world's biggest producers of wines and beers, is raising a glass to its first production of 1.2m bottles of Ethiopian Rift Valley wine.
The African state's former president Meles Zenawi, who died in 2012, encouraged Castel to develop vineyards in Ethiopia, one of Africa's poorest countries, as a way of improving its image.
Half of the bottles are destined for domestic consumption and half for export to countries where the Ethiopian diaspora have settled, though 26,000 have already been snapped up by a Chinese buyer.
Although Castel does not expect its Ethiopian wine business to make a profit until 2016, it hopes to more than double production to 3m bottles a year. Though Ethiopia is better known for its production of another drink, coffee, Castel says the African country has the potential to rival the continent's main wine producer, South Africa.

Alemitu Heroye wins the women's World Junior 5,000; Ethiopians go 1-2

Alemitu Haroye continued Ethiopia’s successful tradition in distance running by winning the 5000m title with a time of 15:10.08, the seventh victory for Ethiopian runners in 10 editions of the event which came on to the championships programme in 1996.
Haroye led a one-two for her country and outsprinted her team-mate Alemitu Hawi in the final stretch to finish barely two seconds outside the championship record, held by their compatriot Genzebe Dibaba who ran 15:08.06 in 2010.
Hawi was rewarded with the silver in 15:10.46, a massive personal best by 25 seconds. Kenya’s world junior cross-country silver medallist Agnes Tirop had to settle for the bronze in 15:43.12, coming home a distant third to repeat her position from two years ago in Barcelona.
Stela Chesang ran a Ugandan national junior record of 15:53.85 to finish fourth.
The Japanese duo of Fuyuka Kimura and Maki Izumida took the lead from the start, but it was short-lived stint at the front as they were caught up by five African women less than four minutes into the race.

Ethiopia: Bill Gates Finally Gets His College Degree

Ethiopia's Addis Ababa University on Thursday conferred Microsoft founder, Bill Gates with an honorary degree in recognition for his role to humanity.
"It is a special honour to receive an honorary degree from Addis Ababa University," Gates said, after receiving the degree from the university.

"This is one of the leading institutions of higher learning in Africa – a continent whose future has been a central interest of my career ever since my wife and I began our foundation nearly 15 years ago."
His speech at Addis Ababa University marks 20 years since he first set foot on Africa, which inspired the establishment of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Addressing students at the university, Gates said: "Africa is now in an incredible position to shape its own destiny for the better, for one very simple and powerful reason: the countries of Africa are learning from each other".
He acknowledged the development gains made through foreign governments, international aid, and non-profit organisations, such as his organisation towards developing the continent.
"The real fuel for development will be the resources of African nations themselves - whether that's in the form of government funding, private-sector investment, or just plain human creativity at all levels of society," Gates continued.

Strengthening Export Performance Through Improved Competitiveness in Ethiopia -WB Video

            

In its 3rd economic update for Ethiopia 'Strengthening Export Performance through Improved Competitiveness' the World Bank identifies bottlenecks and offers recommendations on how Ethiopia can maximize its earnings from its existing exports including coffee. Over the past decade, supported by positive external conditions and increased exports, Ethiopia has been one of the world's fastest growing economies. Ethiopia even discovered and excelled new areas such as the flower industry and air services. The cut flowers industry which started with a single firm less than fifteen year ago today has 100 firms, earning Ethiopia around of US$200 million in exports and making the country the 4th largest flower exporter in the world.
http://www.worldbank.org

Unleashing the Potential of Ethiopia’s Export Industry-WB Report

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• In its third economic update, the World Bank Group identifies opportunities and challenges to help Ethiopia tap into its significant export potential and further transform its economy

• To boost exports, the report suggests Ethiopia build on its agriculture base by adding value to existing commodities and further diversifying exports

• The report also recommends the country tackle key constraints to the export business, in part to attract investors

ADDIS ABABA, July 22, 2014 – Addressing key obstacles in its export sector would help Ethiopia to tap into its significant export potential and further facilitate its economic transformation, according to a new World Bank Group report released today.
In its latest Ethiopia Economic Update, ‘Strengthening Export Performance through Improved Competitiveness,’ the World Bank Group identifies bottlenecks and offers recommendations on how Ethiopia can maximize its earnings from its existing, largely agriculture, export base.
The country also has many economic success stories it can learn from, according to Lars Christian Moller, lead economist and co-author of the update.

Ethiopia does not have to look far for inspiration, it can replicate its own successes to boost exports. If we look at the flower industry, it grew from one single firm 14 years ago to about 100 firms today, earning $200 million per year from exports and employing an estimated 50,000 people.

Lars Christian Moller
Lead economist and co-author of the report.

It helps flower exports to be located near a regional hub, Moller said, as all flowers are transported via Ethiopian Airlines. 

“The growth of horticulture, which is a time-sensitive export product, is closely associated with the rise of Ethiopian Airlines,” he added. “The airline has become the country’s biggest export, earning nearly $2 billion per year.”

ADDING QUALITY TO COMMODITY EXPORTS

Over the past decade, Ethiopia has been one of the world’s fastest growing economies.  While positive external conditions and increased exports contributed to this growth, the country also successfully leveraged agriculture exports to developed countries. To sustain growth, the report recommends Ethiopia build on its agricultural foundation by adding quality and value to its exports.
For example, Ethiopia is among the top producers and exporters of the best Arabica coffee in the world, but it is not taking advantage of the commodity’s full potential in the export market, according to the report. Ethiopia exports mainly raw, unprocessed green coffee beans for around $2 per kilo. However, a kilo of roasted Ethiopian coffee retails for as much as $40 per kilo in international markets.

Ethiopia still needs a ‘strong hand’: PM

The World Bank is "wrong" about how hard it is to do business in Ethiopia, Hailemariam Desalegn the country's prime minister has told CNBC.
In its latest report on the country published in May 2014, the World Bank highlighted that Ethiopia had slipped in its Doing Business ranking due to deterioration in investor protection, registration of property, access to finance and competitiveness.
But in an exclusive interview with CNBC's Yousef Gamal El-din on Access Africa, Desalegn rejected the organization's latest findings saying "what the report says and what's happening on the ground are to the contrary".
With its economic output growing by an average of 10.9 percent over the past 10 years, Ethiopia is the world's 12th fastest growing economy, according to the World Bank. But growth is starting to slip and in 2012/2013, went below the two-digit mark, at 9.8 percent.


Despite the service sector having overtaken agriculture as the biggest contributor to gross domestic product – it represents 45 percent of the country's GDP - Ethiopia has, according to the World Bank, "above average restrictions on foreign equity ownership" in many sectors, particularly in the service industry. The list of prohibited sectors includes telecommunications, financial services, media, retail trade and transport.

Clarification of 2000 U.S. Federal Aviation Administration Warning for Ethiopia-Press Releases

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, July 23, 2014 – There has been no recent FAA warning for flights in or out of Ethiopia.  The FAA flight prohibition (SFAR 87 of May 16, 2000) pertaining to Northern Ethiopia predates the June 18, 2000 cessation of hostilities between Ethiopia and Eritrea and has not been updated subsequently.  The FAA advisory (KFDC A0012/97) pertaining to Ethiopia/Kenya dates to 2002.
Neither the FAA flight prohibition nor the FAA advisory was issued after Flight MH 17 was shot down in eastern Ukraine on July 17, as some media outlets have erroneously reported. Both the Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) No. 87 and the FAA advisory apply only to U.S. air carriers or commercial operators.
http://ethiopia.usembassy.gov

Ethiopian coffee stars in Farmer Horse Coffee

“Coffee is a beautiful thing,” says Mo Farah, who grew up among coffee farms in Ethiopia, as did his friend, Kassegn Sirmollo. Farah, 30, came to the United States as a youngster, Sirmollo, 28, as a teenager. The two recently opened Farmer Horse Coffee, a 25-seat cafe near Symphony (the name is a riff on a famed Ethiopian coffee exporter). “We want to introduce our coffee culture to the community around us, “ says Farah. You’ll find single-origin Ethiopian coffees, but the specialty is the Yirgacheffe bean, considered the best in Ethiopia. It yields coffee that is full-bodied and mellow, almost sweet, fragrant, and distinctive. Making coffee drinks is Hunter Reidy, 20, who honed his art at Pavement Coffeehouse, Boston Common Coffee Co., and Starbucks.

Inside China's Ethiopian shoe factory-Video

As China makes strides in Africa Ilya Gridneff gets inside a Chinese shoe factory in Ethiopia 

 

China is making big strides into Africa. Bloomberg's Ilya Gridneff heard about a Chinese shoe manufacturer that set up shop in Ethiopia. He went to witness the bizarre clash of cultures between the Ethiopians and the Chinese.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Ethiopia Becomes China’s China in Search for Cheap Labor

Ethiopian employees work inside the Huajian Shoes' factory outside Addis Ababa.

Ethiopian workers strolling through the parking lot of Huajian Shoes’ factory outside Addis Ababa last month chose the wrong day to leave their shirts untucked.
Company President Zhang Huarong, just arrived on a visit from China, spotted them through the window, sprang up and ran outside. The former People’s Liberation Army soldier harangued them loudly in Chinese, tugging at one man’s aqua polo shirt and forcing another’s shirt into his pants. Nonplussed, the workers stood silently until the eruption subsided.
Shaping up a handful of employees is one small part of Zhang’s quest to profit from Huajian’s factory wages of about $40 a month -– less than 10 percent the level in China.
“Ethiopia is exactly like China 30 years ago,” said Zhang, 55, who quit the military in 1982 to make shoes from his home in Jiangxi province with three sewing machines and now supplies such brands as Nine West and Guess?. “The poor transportation infrastructure, lots of jobless people.”

Chinese and Ethiopian work supervisors stand for inspection by their President Zhang Huarong outside a shoe factory operated by Huajian Group outside Addis Ababa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Almost three years after Zhang began his Ethiopian adventure at the invitation of the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, he says he’s unhappy with profits at the Dongguan Huajian Shoes Industry Co. unit, frustrated by “widespread inefficiency” in the local bureaucracy and struggling to raise factory productivity from a level he says is about a third of China’s.

Ethiopia Detains 45 Nigerians For Alleged Drug Trafficking – Official

No fewer than 45 Nigerian nationals are being detained by the Ethiopian authorities for alleged drugs trafficking and related offences, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

A top official of the Embassy of Nigeria in Addis Ababa, who preferred not be mentioned, told NAN that the suspected traffickers, including seven ladies, were arrested at the Addis Ababa International Airport within a period of five months.

The suspects are being detained in various detention facilities within the city while awaiting trial in accordance with international laws on trafficking of drugs and other related offenses.

The embassy official said the suspected traffickers were on transit through the Addis Ababa Airport from countries in South America being points of origin.

The official said most of the suspects were heading to Nigeria and some countries in West Africa being their destination points.

Ethiopia should consider currency devaluation, says World Bank

By Aaron Maasho
ADDIS ABABA, July 22 (Reuters) - Ethiopia should consider devaluing its currency to boost exports as they are mostly unprocessed products and need to stay competitive on price, a World Bank economist said on Tuesday.
Ethiopia, whose main exports are coffee, horticultural products, oilseeds and livestock, has operated a carefully managed floating exchange rate regime since 1992.
The last big devaluation was in 2010 when the birr lost 16.7 percent of its value to the dollar. The central bank quoted the birr at 19.6511/19.8476 to the U.S. currency on Tuesday.
"By one measure of real exchange rate, Ethiopia's currency is 31 percent overvalued," the World Bank's lead economist in Ethiopia, Lars Christian Moller, said in Addis Ababa.
At an event to launch an economic report on the Horn of Africa nation, he said devaluing the currency by 10 percent could increase export growth by 5 percentage points a year.
"Ethiopia's exports are relatively unsophisticated, unprocessed and tend to compete in price, that means that we need to look more into what are the export prices, and how can we manage them," he said.

Straightening Sisay's Spine: A Twist Of Fate Saves A Boy's Life

Add caption

One dewy morning back in May 2013, a dozen children gathered in an elementary school courtyard to play soccer in Addis Ababa. Seven-year-old Sisay Gudeta stood alone on the balcony above them.
Sisay poked his head through the arms of a rusty, blue guard rail, staring down at his classmates as they kicked an empty plastic bottle across the pavement. The kids rarely ask him to play, Sisay says. They are afraid to touch him, afraid of the bump on his back that stretches out his neatly pressed school sweater.

Sisay Gudeta walks to class after other kids have cleared the courtyard in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, May 2013. He is afraid of being knocked over by kids playing and falling on his back.

"He is such a beautiful child," Sisay's grandmother says. "I ask God what I did to do this to him."
For reasons unknown, thousands of children in Ethiopia suffer from congenital spine conditions so severe that humps grow from their backs. Their spines resemble flattened pancakes and roller-coaster tracks, says , an American who runs the only spine clinic in Addis Ababa, a city of 3 million people.

Ethiopian jailed in China's first khat smuggling case

HANGZHOU, July 22 (Xinhua) -- An Ethiopian was sentenced to seven months in jail for trafficking khat to China, marking the first such case in the country, which classed the plant as an illegal drug this year.
The verdict was handed down earlier this month by the Intermediate People's Court of Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province.
The defendant, Ibrahim Abdulsemed Abdosh, was also fined 30,000 yuan (about 4,878 U.S. dollars), the judge in the case, Liu Yun, told Xinhua Tuesday.
Chinese customs officers at the Hangzhou International Airport found0.63 kilograms of khat carried by the man, who had flown there from Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, on January 13, Liu said.
She said the man was aware of China's ban on khat, a leafy plant chewed as a stimulant, but attempted to escape the immigration inspection.
The plant is widely consumed in Africa but uncommon in China, she said.
The World Health Organization has listed khat as a drug of abuse that can create psychological dependence.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/

Russia’s state-owned Gazprombank’s GPB Global Signs Oil-Exploration Deal in Ethiopia

GPB Global Resources, a unit of Russia’s state-owned Gazprombank Group, may invest about $60 million searching for petroleum in northeastern Ethiopia, Executive Director for Corporate Communications Sergey Tagashov said.
The company last week announced it won approval from the government for a production-sharing agreement that covers seven years for exploration and 25 years for production. Investment for exploration will focus on conducting surveys and drilling test wells in a 42,000 square kilometer (16,200 square mile) area in the Afar region that forms part of East Africa’s Rift Valley, Tagashov said in a phone interview from Pula, Croatia.
“This is pure common-sense commercial logic,” he said. “There are numerous discoveries along the East African Rift in other nations and also it ends basically in Yemen, which is a known oil-bearing territory.”

Australia grants permanent protection visa to teenager who fled Ethiopia

Scott Morrison during question time in parliament. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

High court ruling and backflip by immigation minister Scott Morrison could have ramifications for other asylum seekers
The immigration minister has issued a permanent protection visa to an unaccompanied minor who fled Ethiopia and arrived in Australia by boat, in a major backflip that could have ramifications for other asylum seekers in Australia.
Since the Coalition government came to power in September, Scott Morrison has aggressively stated it would not issue permanent visas to asylum seekers who arrive by boat in Australia and has attempted to cap the number of permanent visas it offers.
But he has now issued a visa to the 15-year-old boy whose case led to a high court ruling that such a cap was invalid.
After the ruling, Morrison had initially indicated he would still not grant the boy a permanent visa, and had appeared intent upon getting around the ruling by introducing a new public interest test in July.
Morrison said following the ruling: "The policy of the Australian government is that those who arrived illegally by boat or plane ... should only be granted a temporary visa.
"This policy forms part of a suite of measures that have been critical to the government's success to date in preventing maritime people-smuggling ventures as part of Operation Sovereign Borders.
"The government will continue to implement this policy consistent with the powers established under the Migration Act and national interest."
He had then asked the boy’s lawyers to argue why it was in the national interest for a visa to be granted.

Guest Editor: Liya Kebede on Destination Iman

Liya Kebede is an accomplished supermodel, actress, designer and maternal health advocate. Kebede’s clothing line, lemlem, is available at select retailers worldwide and expanded to include a home collection last year. lemlem is a fresh, chic and modern clothing and home line with a spirit undeniably African. Then line is handmade in Ethiopia from natural cotton and is rooted in tradition.
DI: What is the best career advice you ever received? and what is the biggest challenge?
Best advice: do what you love and fight for what you believe in. Biggest challenge: learning how to affect change. I was incredibly lucky to have met deeply supportive people at the early stage of my career including Tom Ford, Anna Wintour and Steven Meisel. They pushed my limits and allowed me to grow not only as a model, but also as a person. They are both a striking model of believing in yourself and having the drive to get what you want.
DI: 6 items that are on top of your must haves for spring 2014 season?
Alexander Wang Clutch
Givenchy Trousers
Celine Sneakers
Lemlem Tebteb Jumpsuit
Prada Mink
Saint Laurent Suit
DI: You have gorgeous skin…. What are your favorite go to beauty & skincare products?
Nothing beats drinking plenty of water and getting rest. L’Oreal also has wonderful lotions and BB creams that I am happy to have in my regimen including their Age Perfect Hydra Nutrition Day/Night Cream. Generally speaking, I want to spend my time with my children, so I always like to keep my beauty routine and fashion routine as quick as possible. Beauty-wise, anything that can be used for more than one purpose is key, such as using a little L’Oreal Glam Shine lip gloss to smudge an eyeshadow to make it more dramatic for evening.

Ethiopia's child brides see marriage as key to jobs abroad, says thinktank

On eve of Girl Summit, ODI reveals trend of girls entering early marriages followed by swift divorces to migrate for family's sake
Up a bumpy, winding dirt track in the mountains of northern Ethiopia, past two bulls chewing pasture and a rondavel built from sticks and cow dung, is the modest home of Lubaba Abdella, its mudbrick walls reinforced by eucalyptus bark and topped by a corrugated roof.
Abdella has lived a lifetime, yet she is still in her teens. She dropped out of school, married, divorced three months later and emigrated illegally so she could cook and clean for a family in Saudi Arabia, earning money to support her parents and eight siblings. Now she is home and back to square one.
Three-quarters of girls in the Ethiopian region of Amhara become child brides like Abdella, according to the London-based Overseas Development Institute. Many also join the so-called "maid trade": up to 1,500 girls and women leave the east African country each day to become domestic workers in the Middle East. A study has shown for the first time how these pernicious trends feed off each other.
In Ethiopia's Muslim communities it is often deeply shameful or "sinful" for girls to remain unmarried after they begin menstruating, notes the ODI. But once girls are married and sexually initiated, parents consider their social and religious obligations complete.

አዲስ አበባ ዩኒቨርሲቲ ለቢል ጌትስ የክብር ዶክትሬት ሊሰጥ ነው

ለማይክሮ ሶፍት መስራችና ባለቤት ለአሜሪካዊው ቢሊየነር ቢል ጌትስ በመጪው ሐሙስ  የክብር ዶክትሬት እንደሚሰጥ አዲስ አበባ ዩኒቨርሲቲ  አስታወቀ፡፡  ቢል ጌትስ የክብር ዶክትሬቱን ለመቀበል በሚቀጥለው ሳምንት ወደ ኢትዮጵያ እንደሚመጡ ዩኒቨርሲቲው ማረጋገጡን ለአዲስ አድማስ ገልጿል።
ቢል ጌትስ የማይክሮሶፍት ኩባንያን በማቋቋም ባገኙት ሃብት አፍሪካውያን ተማሪዎችን የቴክኖሎጂ ተጠቃሚ ማድረጋቸውና በቢል እና ሚሊንዳ ጌትስ ፋውንዴሽን አማካኝነት በኢትዮጵያ በተለያዩ የበጎ አድራጎት ስራዎች ላይ መሰማራታቸው ለክብር ዶክትሬቱ እንዳበቃቸው ተጠቁሟል፡፡
አዲስ አበባ ዩኒቨርሲቲ ባለፈው ቅዳሜ  8ሺህ ተማሪዎችን ያስመረቀ ሲሆን አትሌት ጥሩነሽ ዲባባን ጨምሮ ለ4 እውቅ ሰዎች የክብር ዶክትሬት ሰጥቷል። የቢል ጌትስ የክብር ዶክትሬት አሰጣጥ በተለየ ፕሮግራም እንዲካሄድ የተወሰነው በአዲስ አበባ ዩኒቨርሲቲና በውጭ ጉዳይ ሚኒስቴር ስምምነት የተዘጋጀ በመሆኑ ነው ያለው ዩኒቨርሲቲው፤ በመንግስት ደረጃ የክብር ዶክትሬት ሲሰጥ የአሁኑ የመጀመሪያው እንደሆነ ገልጿል፡፡
በአዲስ አበባ ዩኒቨርሲቲ ዋናው ግቢ በኔልሰን ማንዴላ አዳራሽ በመጪው ሃሙስ  በሚከናወነው የክብር ዶክትሬት አሰጣጥ ልዩ ስነ ስርአት ላይ ጥሪ የተደረገላቸው የውጭ አገር እንግዶች፣ ከፍተኛ የመንግስት ባለስልጣናት፣ የዩኒቨርሲቲው አመራሮችና ምሁራን እንደሚገኙ ታውቋል፡፡

Bloggers, journalists transferred from Meakelawi to Kilinto, Kality

- Federal prosecutor charges them with terrorism act      - Defense asks for constitutional interpretation
Three journalists Tesfalem Waldyes, Asmamaw Hailegiorgis and Edom Kassaye and six other bloggers and members of Zone 9, Soliana Shimeles (in absentia), Natnael Feleke, Befekadu Hailu, Mahlet Fantahun, Atnafu Birhane, Zelalem Kibret and Abel Wabela who were suspected of terrorism acts and spent more than two months in Meakelawi have now been charged by the prosecutor with terrorism acts and transferred to Kality on June 17. 

The charge presented to the newly formed 19th criminal bench of the Federal High Court by the federal prosecutor stated that the suspects participated in terrorism acts and secretly organized to destabilize the country, the charge stated.  
According to the charge, the suspects prepared a short-term and long-term plan to destabilize the country and work and receive commands from the organizations outlawed by the Ethiopian parliament such as Ginbot 7 and the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) starting from 2May 2012 until they were caught by the police.
The charge also detailed that among the suspects, Soliana Shimeles was the founder and organizer of the group from 2012 to 2014 and from 2014 on she was working as the foreign relations head and organizer in foreign countries and creating a connection with Ginbot 7 to recruit and mobilize members.
She was also working on organizing various trainings outside the country, among the training that she organized for the members of the secretly organized group was given outside the Ethiopia and titled “Security In A Box” the charge listed.

An Irishman’s Diary on a match made in Ethiopia

“He asked me in English if I needed help deciphering the noticeboard. I replied, somewhat defiantly, that I was getting on fine, thank you very much. “Look”, I proudly announced, “the first team listed is . . . Cheh-luh-see – Chelsea!”

I was standing on the main street in a small town in Ethiopia, a few hours south of the capital Addis Ababa, studying a noticeboard outside a bar. It listed the times of what I imagined were football matches, probably the English Premier League. At 1.30 it seemed, the bar would be showing “squiggle” versus “squiggle”.

The problem was that the names of the teams were written in Ethiopia’s main language, which (like its Semitic cousins Hebrew and Arabic) doesn’t use the Latin alphabet. What I took to be the team names were written on the board in this strange script and, without some instruction, it all looks like nothing so much as a great collection of squiggles.

I knew a little bit of this strange alphabet and how its characters represented syllables and I was scrutinising the first fixture when a young boy, maybe nine years old, appeared. He asked me in English if I needed help deciphering the noticeboard. I replied, somewhat defiantly, that I was getting on fine, thank you very much. “Look”, I proudly announced, “the first team listed is . . . Cheh-luh-see – Chelsea!”

The young boy looked at me. Then he looked at the board. Then he looked at me again. His world seemed to tilt slightly on its axis. “How did you do that?” he asked, “You’re a farengi!” (you’re a white foreigner). “Well”, as I sought to explain this kink in his universe to him, “I’m learning – like when you’re at school.”

Quickly though, he saw that there was fun to be had. If I was so good, what about this team, playing in the second fixture? “Ar-suh-nah-luh...Arsenal!” I announced. This delighted him, and two other young boys who’d since arrived. Although when I failed to decipher the name of Hull City, they were equally pleased. For the next while they stood at the board, like some kind of collective muinteoir, pointing to team names, with huge grins, demanding to see if I could leap through their linguistic hoops.