To: President Joe Biden Via: National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan From: Mesfin Mekonen and 10 Concerned Ethiopian-American Civic Organizations Subject: Averting Civil War in Ethiopia Date: October 30, 2024 Mr. President, I am writing on behalf of the Ethiopian-American community to alert you to the imminent danger of civil war in Ethiopia. As a longtime representative of our Read more
Africa
Ethiopia: Washington Update – Ethiopia Constitutional Conference and Congressional Briefing
On October 23, members of the Ethiopian-American community met in the US Senate’s Kennedy Caucus Room to discuss constitutional reform and brief congressional staff about the path to democracy, peace, and prosperity in Ethiopia. A summary of the meetings follows: the constitutional conference and the congressional briefing. In addition to the comments described below, Amanda Read more
News: Ethiopian Bondholders and Debt Distribution Unveiled by Debt Justice
Debt Justice has recently identified Capital Group, BlackRock, and Franklin Advisors as the three largest known holders of Ethiopian bonds. These institutions represent a significant portion of Ethiopia’s international debt landscape, underscoring the critical role of private creditors in the country’s economic stability. According to the latest report from Debt Justice, ten major bondholders collectively Read more
IMF Sets Critical Deadlines and Preconditions for Ethiopia’s Access to Extended Credit Facility Funds
By:Addis Insight August 16, 2024 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has laid out a series of critical deadlines and stringent preconditions that Ethiopia must meet to access funds under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF). This comes at a crucial time when the Ethiopian economy is navigating complex challenges, including a liquidity crisis and the need Read more
From Nobel peace prize to civil war: how Ethiopia’s leader beguiled the world
When Abiy Ahmed took power in Ethiopia, he was feted at home and abroad as a great unifier and reformer. Two years later, terrible violence was raging. How did people get him so wrong? By Tom Gardner Thu 20 Jun 2024 00.00 EDT ‘I’m sorry, I don’t know anything about Abiy Ahmed.” The message flashed up Read more
Op-Ed: Abiy Ahmed Ali is Ethiopia’s “Pol Pot”—International Sanction is Justified By Aklog Birara (Dr)
Aklog Birara12 hours ago Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed, his army was implicated in human-rights atrocities. (Photograph by Alex Welsh) “The numerous tribes who inhabit the Ethiopian state are being forcibly kept from European colonialism by Abyssinian rulers whose aim is to function as champions of all black people so as to attack and destroy Western culture” Roman Read more
Daniel Abebe, New dean at Columbia Law brings free expression experience
BY JULIANNE HILL JUNE 17, 2024, 2:54 PM CDT Daniel Abebe, vice provost for academic affairs and governance at the University of Chicago Law School, will become the dean of Columbia Law School on Aug. 1. (Photo courtesy of the University of Chicago/Higher Learning Commission) Daniel Abebe, vice provost for academic affairs and governance at the Read more
Urging the International Court of justice (ICJ) to Act on Ethiopia Now
Aklog Birara (Dr) I have been trying to draw international attention to ongoing war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of genocide, crimes of rape and economic crimes in Ethiopia for months. These state government and non-government led crimes persist because there is no accountability. The international community has the duty to respond decisively to the Read more
THE JAL MAROO TRANSCRIPT AND THE QUESTION OF SELF-DETERMINATION
By Solomon GebreSelassie May 4, 2024 The transcript of the Tanzania meeting between the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and the Abiy regime as recounted by Jal Maroo, leader of the OLA, and as translated into Amharic by Tsegaye Hailu Balcha [1] was recently posted online. In it, Jal Maroo gave us a blow-by-blow account Read more
Ethnocentric bunches and political opportunism
By Mengistu Musie (PhD) April 24, 2024 The recent news of the remarriage between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Prosperity Party (OPP) in Ethiopia has sparked both surprise and concern among political observers. This unexpected reunion of former adversaries underscores Ethiopian politics’ intricate and often turbulent nature, a labyrinth of alliances formed Read more
The world must respond to Ethiopia’s Merawi Massacre
BY MESFIN TEGENU, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR – 02/23/24 5:52 PM ET It has taken three weeks, but the world is slowly confirming the details and coming to grips with a shocking atrocity in Africa’s second most populous nation. In the Ethiopian village of Merawi, government soldiers massacred civilians in door-to-door house raids, then dumped the victims’ Read more
Airstrike in Ethiopia’s Amhara kills at least 15 civilians, residents say
Reuters Fri, February 23, 2024 at 8:55 AM EST·3 min read (Reuters) – An airstrike in Ethiopia’s Amhara region killed at least 15 civilians, including children and elderly people, when it hit a truck carrying them to a village this week, three residents said. The strike took place on Monday around 24 km (15 miles) Read more
In Ethiopia, a secret committee orders killings and arrests to crush rebels
By GIULIA PARAVICINI Filed Feb. 23, 2024, 11 a.m. GMT Warning: This story contains disturbing visual content. Asecretive committee of senior officials in Ethiopia’s largest and most populous region, Oromiya, has ordered extra-judicial killings and illegal detentions to crush an insurgency there, a Reuters investigation has found. Reuters interviewed more than 30 federal and local officials, judges, Read more
Extrajudicial Killings Leave 66 Dead in Ethiopia, Group Says
Fasika Tadesse Tue, February 13, 2024 (Bloomberg) — Government security forces killed at least 60 civilians in an attack in Ethiopia’s northern Amhara region last month, a state-run human rights body said. The extrajudicial killings of 45 people took place Jan. 29 in the town of Merawi, after soldiers accused residents of supporting the rebel Read more
Urgent Call for Action from International Community: Human Rights Crisis in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia
We, supporters of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Party (EPRP) living abroad, are reaching out to the international social justice supporters and promotor’s with a pressing concern that demands immediate attention and action from the international community. The Ethiopian political history has been marred by a dark reality when it comes to civil, political and human Read more
Ethiopian official: at least 372 deaths due to hunger in two regions in last six months
Dawit Endeshaw Wed, January 31, 2024 at 11:11 AM EST·2 min read 8 FILE PHOTO: A general view shows a bridge constructed across a dried up river in Ethiopia’s northern Amhara region By Dawit Endeshaw ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – At least 372 people have died in two northern Ethiopian regions from drought-induced hunger in the Read more
Somalia rejects mediation efforts with Ethiopia over port deal
By Giulia Paravicini and Dawit Endeshaw January 18, 2024 Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud attends the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) 42nd Extraordinary Session, at the State House in Entebbe, Uganda January 18, 2024. REUTERS/Abubaker Lubowa Acquire Licensing Rights, opens new tab NAIROBI, Jan 18 (Reuters) – Somalia rejected any discussions with Ethiopia about Addis Ababa’s agreement Read more
Why Gambian Ex-Minister Is On Trial In Switzerland For Crimes Against Humanity – OpEd
Who is Ousman Sonko? Ousman Sonko, a former Gambian minister under ousted dictator Yahya Jammeh, went on trial in Switzerland on January 8 for crimes against humanity in a long-awaited case. Sonko, 55, joined the Gambian military in 1988 and became commander of the State Guard in 2003, a position in which he was responsible Read more
End of an Era: Ethiopia Faces a Newly Empowered Somalia
By:Addis Insight Date: January 2, 2024 In the ever-evolving geopolitical landscape of the Horn of Africa, two narratives are concurrently unfolding: Ethiopia’s dwindling influence amidst internal strife and economic challenges, and Somalia’s gradual rise to prominence, buoyed by significant milestones in debt relief and military empowerment. Ethiopia’s Diminishing Stature: A Nation Under Strain Ethiopia’s position Read more
As Somalis Protest, Ethiopia Defends Sea Access Deal With Somaliland
January 03, 2024 4:38 PM Harun Maruf Ethiopia’s government is defending a maritime access deal signed with the self-declared republic of Somaliland, a day after Somalia declared the deal “null and void.” In a statement issued on Wednesday, landlocked Ethiopia said it has a “longstanding cooperation agreement” with Somaliland, and that “consultations on mutual benefits have been Read more
EU urges respect for Somalia sovereignty after Ethiopia deal
Somaliland, a former British protectorate of about 4.5 million people, has been seeking full statehood since claiming independence from Somalia in 1991. [Wikimedia] Euractiv is part of the Trust Project >>> Languages: Deutsch The European Union on Tuesday (2 January) insisted Somalia’s sovereignty should be respected after Ethiopia signed a controversial deal with breakaway Somaliland. The Read more
Ethiopia Offers Airline Stake to Somaliland for Sea Access
The Berbera port of Somaliland. Photographer: Mustafa Saeed/AFP/Getty Images Ethiopia Offers Airline Stake to Somaliland for Sea Access (Bloomberg) — Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, to gain access to the Red Sea in exchange for a stake in its flagship carrier Ethiopian Airlines. Detailed negotiations to reach a Read more
Somalia calls Ethiopia-Somaliland agreement act of aggression
Mohamud Abdiaziz Abdisamad & Kalkidan Yibeltal – BBC News, Mogadishu & Addis Ababa Tue, January 2, 2024 Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud addressed MPs following Ethiopia’s agreement with Somaliland Somalia has described an agreement that landlocked Ethiopia made with the self-declared republic of Somaliland over sea access as an act of “aggression”. Somaliland seceded Read more
Somalia rejects port deal between Ethiopia and Somaliland
Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding agreement between Ethiopia and Somaliland, in Addis Ababa By Abdi Sheikh and Abdiqani Hassan MOGADISHU (Reuters) -Somalia on Tuesday rejected a pact its breakaway region of Somaliland signed with Ethiopia allowing it to use a major port with access to the Red Sea in return for recognition as an Read more
Nigeria’s President Orders Investigation Into 85 Deaths Caused by Military Drones
Armani Syed Tue, December 5, 2023 at 12:23 PM EST· Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu, President of Nigeria, speaks at a panel at the G20 Investment Summit at the G20 Compact With Africa conference on November 20, 2023 in Berlin, Germany. Credit – Sean Gallup–Getty Images Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu announced on Tuesday an investigation into the Read more
An attack on AfDB staff in Ethiopia is sparking an emotional debate inside the bank
Samuel Getachew Tue, November 21, 2023 at 10:23 AM EST The Scoop ADDIS ABABA/LAGOS — Staffers across the African Development Bank are pushing back at attempts by its top management to quietly resolve a major diplomatic spat with the government of Ethiopia after two members of its country management team were physically attacked in Addis Read more
Ethiopia’s Ominous New War in Amhara
A rebellion in the Amhara region risks plunging Ethiopia into wider conflict. The federal government should seek talks with the militants as part of efforts to resolve the country’s interlocking crises. Outside powers should keep nudging Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to take this conciliatory tack. What’s new? Ethiopia’s federal government is battling yet another revolt. This Read more
Ethiopia: Violence in Amhara region
Comment by UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango on drone strikes, other violence in Ethiopia’s Amhara region 17 November 2023 UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango Continued human rights violations and abuses, including arbitrary arrests, in Ethiopia’s north-western Amhara region and other parts of the country are deeply concerning. They undermine any ongoing Read more
Active Genocide Alert – Ethiopia in Amhara Region
23 September 2023 The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention is issuing an Active Genocide Alert for Ethiopia’s Amhara people after the September 3rd massacre of Amhara civilians in Majete and the surrounding areas of the Amhara region in Ethiopia. On September 3, 2023, the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF), under the direction of Ethiopian Prime Read more
Ethiopia: Nearly one year after ceasefire, UN experts warn of ongoing atrocities, including war crimes and crimes against humanity
18 September 2023 GENEVA (18 September 2023) – Nearly one year since the signing of an agreement to cease hostilities in Ethiopia, atrocities, war crimes and crimes against humanity are still being committed in the country and peace remains elusive, the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia warned in its latest report released today. In its 21-page report, the Commission Read more
Ethiopia’s Amhara people are being portrayed as the enemy: the dangerous history of ethnic politics
Heading image is Farmers in Amhara region of Ethiopia. Getty Images Published: September 6, 2023 by AntiNonSense The Ethiopian government declared a state of emergency on 4 August 2023 and sent the military into the Amhara region to engage the Fano, a local armed militia. Some suggested that Ethiopia risked slipping into another civil war. It is only Read more
Ethiopian troops accused of mass killings of civilians in Amhara region
Exclusive: Witnesses say federal forces have been looting villages and shooting farmers in their hunt for defiant Fano militiamen Ethiopian soldiers killed more than 70 civilians and looted properties in a town in Amhara, multiple witnesses have claimed. The killings took place in Majete, a rural town in north-eastern Ethiopia, after two weeks of heavy Read more
Egypt-Ethiopia Talks on Giant Nile Dam End Without Breakthrough
By Abdel Latif Wahba Mon, August 28, 2023 (Bloomberg) — Egypt said the latest talks on Ethiopia’s giant Nile dam ended without a breakthrough, but vowed to press ahead with efforts to reach a binding agreement for filling and operating that it deems essential to safeguarding vital water flows. Two days of discussions between Egyptian, Read more
Shankule weathers hot conditions to lead 1-2 finish by Ethiopia in the women’s marathon at worlds
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Amane Beriso Shankule led a 1-2 finish by Ethiopia in the women’s marathon on a warm Saturday morning at the world championships. Shankule powered through the city streets of Budapest to finish in a time of 2 hours, 24 minutes, 23 seconds to edge defending champion and teammate Gotytom Gebreslase. Fatima Read more
Ethiopia’s Amhara crisis: Abiy’s political failures threaten a return to war
The federal government of Ethiopia declared a state of emergency in Amhara region on 4 August 2023. A special session of parliament endorsed this decision, placing the administration of the country’s second largest region under the military. This followed clashes between federal troops and Amhara forces resisting a government order to disarm and demobilise regional special forces. Amhara region Read more
Daniel Ki(s)(b)ret: The Rasputin of Ethiopia?
Daniel Ki(s)(b)ret: The Rasputin of Ethiopia? By Essayias Lesanu As I unsuspectingly browsed my Facebook, I was taken aback by a disheartening sight. There, glaring back at me, was Daniel Kibret’s page, awash with venomous barbs and scorn. The deep-rooted aspirations of the Amhara community were not only being trivialized but were subjected to blatant Read more
