Eritrean Siege Stalemate Sheds Light on an Opaque Society

A day-long siege at Eritrea's information ministry Monday ended in a stalemate, with disgruntled soldiers retreating to a strategic location outside the capital, Asmara.  That the incident provides rare insight into the inner workings of one of the world's most opaque societies.

International observers are wondering what happened Monday after a group of soldiers drove to Eritrea's information ministry and demanded that a statement be read out over state-run television.  The statement asking for the release of political prisoners and for respect of the constitution was being read when the station suddenly went off the air.

Nearly 12 hours later, the station resumed broadcasting with no mention of the cause of the disruption.  The troops that had occupied the ministry simply climbed back into their armored personnel carriers and drove off.

Morgan Stanley and IFC Invest in eleni LLC

NEW YORK & WASHINGTON & ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, Jan 22, 2013 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- eleni LLC, a newly formed company led by CEO Dr. Eleni Gabre-Madhin, announced today that Morgan Stanley and IFC (International Finance Corporation) have both agreed to make an equity investment in the Nairobi, Kenya-based company which will incubate and support the formation of commodity exchanges across Africa, helping to promote food security.

Building on the success of the highly acclaimed Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX), which she founded and managed from 2008 to late 2012, Gabre-Madhin and co-founders Mr. Keith Thomas and Mr. Jawad Ali have recently launched eleni, which is positioned to be the industry leader in designing, building, and supporting the operations of commodity exchange eco-systems in frontier markets. The Company's business model is based on delivering turnkey projects on a Public-Private Partnership ("PPP") basis, combining private investment with the best of know-how, technology and management, to support exchange projects. The Company expects to launch several such projects in 2013.

Africa’s best team so far-ETHIOPIA-Sunday Oliseh former Nigerian footballer

They are easily the best team that we have seen so far at the Afcon (Africa Cup Of Nations). They are mobile, confident, skillful, organised and refreshing to watch. No I am not talking about the usual big boys of Africa. I am talking about Ethiopia!

Yesterday Ethiopia took on defending champions Zambia and, for many, it was not a question of who the victors would be (which many assumed would be Zambia) but by how much they might win. End result 1-1. The victory went to the Ethiopians in a moral sense.

As the game progressed it became clear that the Zambians were just as surprised as we all were at the quality of the Ethiopians. They are ranked as the least team in Africa by Caf and Fifa (31st in Africa). Parading a team of all home-based players they reminded me in so many ways of Barcelona of Spain. Yes they were that good!

Ethiopia fined $10,000 for fan trouble at African Cup

Ethiopia's Asrat Megersa, center, and Aynalem Hailu, right, help officials clear the pitch of vuvuzelas and plastic bottles during their African Cup of Nations group C match with Zambia, Monday, Jan. 21 2013 at the Mbombela stadium in Nelspruit, South Africa. Ethiopia supporters threw the vuvuzelas and other objects in protest after one of their players, goalkeeper Jemal Tassew, was expelled from the game. Photo: Armando Franca

NELSPRUIT, South Africa (AP) — The Confederation of African Football has fined Ethiopia's football federation $10,000 after the team's fans hurled vuvuzelas and other missiles onto the pitch during Monday's 1-1 draw with Zambia at the African Cup of Nations.

CAF announced the fine late Tuesday, adding that half of the $10,000 penalty would be suspended on condition that Ethiopia's fans are not found guilty of a similar offense during the rest of the tournament.

Ethiopia had plenty of supporters for its first African Cup match in 31 years, but the Group C game at Mbombela turned ugly when Gabonese referee Eric Otogo-Castane dismissed Ethiopia goalkeeper Jemal Tassew shortly after the half-hour mark.

Eritrea mutineers vanish as calm returns

By Richard Lough

NAIROBI | Tue Jan 22, 2013 4:59am EST

(Reuters) - Dissident Eritrean soldiers who had seized the information ministry were gone on Tuesday and calm returned to the capital, Asmara, an Eritrean envoy and Western diplomat said.

The soldiers took over the ministry on Monday to demand the release of thousands of political prisoners, a sign of a deepening rift between some factions of the military and the secretive country's president, Isaias Afewerki.

Eritrea's envoy to South Africa said there had been a "small incident" at the ministry but that order had been restored.

Soccer-Ten-man Ethiopia hold Zambia on Nations Cup return

Ethiopia's Adane Girma celebrates after scoring during the Africa Cup of Nations group C football match between Zambia and Ethiopia at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on January 21, 2013

* Ethiopia hold champions Zambia

* Ethiopians overcome sending-off of goalkeeper to draw 1-1

NELSPRUIT, South Africa, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Ethiopia ended a 31-year absence from the African Nations Cup by having their goalkeeper sent off, missing a penalty and holding champions Zambia to a 1-1 draw in an eventful Group C match on Monday.

The Ethiopians' wildly enthusiastic and noisy fans threw bottles, vuvuzelas and other missiles on to the pitch in protest at the red card handed to keeper Jemal Tassew.

He was carried off on a stretcher after a wild flying kick and lunge at Zambia's Chisamba Lungu in the 32nd minute which evoked memories of the infamous foul West Germany goalkeeper Harald Schumacher committed on France's Patrick Battiston in the 1982 World Cup semi-final.

Gabon referee Otogo Castane allowed Tassew to be treated on the pitch for 11 minutes before showing him the red card as he was carried off.

Coup Attempt by Rebel Soldiers Is Said to Fail in Eritrea

By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN
Published: January 21, 2013

   GARSEN, Kenya — Eritrea, a sliver of a nation in the Horn of Africa that is one of the most secretive and repressive countries in the world, was cast into confusion on Monday after mutinous soldiers stormed the Ministry of Information and took over the state-run television service, apparently in a coup attempt.
According to several people with close contacts inside Eritrea, the coup attempt failed, with government troops quelling the would-be rebellion and no one rising up in the streets. But many analysts said it was only a matter of time before President Isaias Afwerki, Eritrea’s brash and steely leader for the past 20 years, is confronted again — and most likely from within.

“There’s a lot of dissatisfaction within the armed forces,” said Dan Connell, a professor at Simmons College in Boston and the author of several books on Eritrea. “If this is suppressed, it won’t be the end.”

Eritrea is often called the North Korea of Africa because it is so isolated and authoritarian, with few friends and thousands of defectors in recent years as Mr. Isaias tightens his grip and the economy teeters on the brink of ruin.