Archive for December 24th, 2020

SPOTLIGHT: D.C. Honors Ethiopian Community With ‘Little Ethiopia’ Resolution

Published by Tadias Magazine December 24th, 2020 in Podcast. Closed
The ceremonial resolution, which was sponsored by Council member Brandon T. Todd and unanimously approved by the D.C. Council this month, recognizes "the Ethiopian community’s heritage and culture, outstanding leadership and contributions to the District of Columbia’s economy and the 9th and U Street business corridor located in the Shaw neighborhood, and its partnership with the African American community in the fight for social justice and civil rights." (Photo: Facebook)

Tadias Magazine

By Tadias Staff

Updated: December 24th, 2020

New York (TADIAS) – The D.C. Council has approved a ‘Little Ethiopia’ ceremonial resolution to honor the business and cultural contributions of the Ethiopian community in the U.S. capital.

The resolution, which was sponsored by Council member Brandon T. Todd and unanimously approved by the D.C. Council this month, recognizes “the Ethiopian community’s heritage and culture, outstanding leadership and contributions to the District of Columbia’s economy and the 9th and U Street business corridor located in the Shaw neighborhood, and its partnership with the African American community in the fight for social justice and civil rights.”

The resolution notes that “more than 300,000 Ethiopian descendants reside in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area, one of the largest populations of Ethiopians in the United States. The region has a multitude of Ethiopian business owners, doctors, professors, entrepreneurs, community leaders, artists, and families.”

In addition the ceremonial resolution points out that “Ethiopian immigrants initially settled in Adams Morgan, then along 9th Street NW in the historical African American Shaw neighborhood, where the 9th Street corridor between 9th and 11th Streets NW is fondly known as “Little Ethiopia.”

The resolution adds:

During the 1990’s, Ethiopian business owners selected the Shaw community as a central location and hub to establish new businesses that led to a vibrant flourishing business enclave that was largely responsible for revitalizing the community following the riots in the mid 1960’s, and returned it to a thriving corridor established by African American business owners prior to the riots;

Ethiopian entrepreneurs have made significant contributions to the business community and have been outstanding leaders in Washington, D.C. and surrounding areas particularly retail strips where their strategy to establish a concentrated group of businesses has contributed to sustainability, and attracted members of both the Ethiopian community and local residents, ultimately enriching the cultural fabric of our international city and tax revenue.

The full resolution is posted below.

A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION
____________

COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
______________

District of Columbia’s Ethiopian Business and Cultural Community ‘Little Ethiopia’ Ceremonial Recognition Resolution of 2020

To recognize the Ethiopian community’s heritage and culture, outstanding leadership and contributions to the District of Columbia’s economy and the 9th and U Street business corridor located in the Shaw neighborhood, and its partnership with the African America community in the fight for social justice and civil rights.

WHEREAS, Ethiopia is an independent African country that has never been colonized and stands as a symbol for all African peoples in their struggle for freedom, dignity and respect;

WHEREAS, Ethiopia defended itself from Italian invasion on March 1, 1896 at the Battle of ADWA. The Ethiopia’s landmark victory unified the country and marked the first defeat of a European power by an African Country;

WHEREAS, Ethiopia is widely recognized as a pioneering nation in the decades long struggle against colonialism and an inspiration to people across the Diaspora, and other nations around the world;

WHEREAS, Ethiopia’s root can be traced to the origins of civilization and is home to the remains of the first human ancestors found in the bones of Ardi dating back to 4.2 million years ago, and Lucy dating back to 3.5 million years ago;

WHEREAS, Ethiopia is also home to the great Axumite Kingdom that rivals Rome, Persia, and China;

WHEREAS, Ethiopia is the birthplace of Queen of Sheba and the enduring Solomonic dynasty;

WHEREAS, there are nine United Nations World Cultural sites in Ethiopia including the eleven 13th century cave churches in Lalibela “New Jerusalem”, and the 16 41 th Century fortress42 city of Fasilades surround by a 900-meter long wall;

WHEREAS, on December 27, 1903 Ethiopia’s Emperor Menelik II and President Theodore Roosevelt established diplomatic relations with the signing of a Treaty of Amity and Commerce;

WHEREAS, the Ethiopian community has a long relationship with the African American community anchored by the historical spiritual struggle for liberation reflected in the Abyssinian Christian Churches;

WHEREAS, a significant milestone in the longstanding relationship with the Ethiopian and African American communities took place in 1808 when Ethiopian seamen and African American parishioners left the First Baptist Church of New York, and founded the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, New York in protest of segregated seating arrangements;

WHEREAS, the Abyssinian Baptist Church was inspired by the ancient name of Ethiopia, Abyssinia;

WHEREAS, the relationship was enhanced through an education exchange that encompassed the training of pilots, teachers, and medical personnel at Howard University; and a cultural exchange of musical and artistic performances that together deepened the ties that connect Ethiopia with the United States;

WHEREAS, the first African Studies Department in the United States was started at Howard University by Dr. William Leo Hansberry, who with the first Ethiopian medical school graduate Dr. Melaku Beyan, founded the famed Ethiopian Research Council. The department was founded for the unique purpose of disseminating information on the history, culture, civilization, and diplomatic relations of Ethiopia in ancient and modern times;

WHEREAS, the first African American Rhodes Scholar and Howard Professor Dr. Alain Locke encouraged his students to recognize and incorporate their African Heritage in their work;

WHEREAS, the great African American poet and District resident Paul Laurence Dunbar in “Ode to Ethiopia” promotes African Americans to look to Ethiopia for pride;

WHEREAS, District native and jazz musician extraordinaire Duke Ellington traveled and performed in Ethiopia and received Ethiopia’s Medal of Honor in 1973, Ethiopia’s highest prize from Emperor Haile Selassie I;

WHEREAS, it was Dr. Alain Locke and others at Howard that provided the intellectual inspiration for the Harlem Renaissance and U Street’s portrayal as Black Broadway;

WHEREAS, Ethiopia inspired Pan African movements that gave hope to those seeking justice in the eyes of God and the world;

WHEREAS, writers, artists, and activists such as W.E.B. Dubois, Frederick Douglas, Martin Delaney, Langston Hughes, Joseph Harris, Marcus Garvey and Edward Blyden built on these traditions culminating in the US Civil Rights Movement and African Independence Movements;

WHEREAS, Ethiopians first began migrating to the United States in the 1970’s because of political persecution by the military junta that overthrew Emperor Haile Selassie I;

WHEREAS, more than 300,000 Ethiopian descendants reside in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area, one of the largest populations of Ethiopians in the United States. The region has a multitude of Ethiopian business owners, doctors, professors, entrepreneurs, community leaders, artists, and families;

WHEREAS, Ethiopian immigrants initially settled in Adams Morgan, then along 9th Street NW in the historical African American Shaw neighborhood, where the 9th Street corridor between 9th and 11 102 th Streets NW is fondly known as “Little Ethiopia”;

WHEREAS, during the 1990’s, Ethiopian business owners selected the Shaw community as a central location and hub to establish new businesses that led to a vibrant flourishing business enclave that was largely responsible for revitalizing the community following the riots in the mid 1960’s, and returned it to a thriving corridor established by African American business owners prior to the riots;

WHEREAS, Ethiopian entrepreneurs have made significant contributions to the business community and have been outstanding leaders in Washington, D.C. and surrounding areas particularly retail strips where their strategy to establish a concentrated group of businesses has contributed to sustainability, and attracted members of both the Ethiopian community and local residents, ultimately enriching the cultural fabric of our international city and tax revenue;

WHEREAS, in 2019 the District of Columbia under Mayor Muriel Bowser’s leadership, renewed its Sister City Agreement between Addis Ababa and Washington, D.C. to create lasting partnerships and cooperation on economic development, public health, culture, tourism and education;

WHEREAS, the Sister City agreement confirms that the two cities will promote collaboration, information exchange, and joint ventures, with a special focus on the growth and development of business investment, trade and tourism and public-private partnerships;

WHEREAS, the Sister City agreement shares best practices in the areas of government operations including public works, transportation, technology, infrastructure and housing; health polices to strengthen the capacity and effectiveness of prevention and treatment programs; sustainable environment, including energy conservation and the green economy; and promote the development of programs in the areas of culture, arts and education;

WHEREAS, the 2019 Sister City Agreement was the culmination of first-hand efforts by a delegation to Addis Ababa of Washington, D.C. leaders, under the auspices, direction, and stewardship of Henok Tesfaye, a prominent and long-standing Washington, D.C. entrepreneur, civic leader, and humanitarian;

WHEREAS, during the mission, the Mayor of Addis Ababa, Takele Uma Banti, unveiled a newly-named street, “Mayor Muriel Bowser Street,” and announced the renaming of Gazebo Roundabout to “Washington, D.C. Square”, an historic honor, as part of the signing ceremony for the renewal of the Sister City agreement between the District and Addis Ababa;

WHEREAS, Mayor Muriel Bowser proclaimed July 28, 2018 as “Ethiopia Day in DC” in honor of the visit of Ethiopian Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali to Washington, D.C.;

WHEREAS, the Ethiopian communities’ contributions to arts, culture, and education in the District encompass four annual events to commemorate the fight for freedom by the resilient and the patriotic people of Ethiopia against Italian invasion and the annual holiday celebration;

WHEREAS, the four annual events include the victory of Adwa on March 1, 1896, the Addis Ababa Massacre and Yekatit 12 on February 19, 1937; the liberation of Addis Ababa and Miazia 27 on May 5,1941; and Kwanzaa and Early celebration of Genna on December 26, 2004;

WHEREAS, the Ethiopian community also commemorates Adwa and Miazia by placing a wreath with the colors of the Ethiopian flag in front of the African American Civil War Memorial in March and May of each year;

WHEREAS, June 4, 2015 Mayor Muriel Bowser declared “Ethiopian International Food Day “where 47,000 students in over 100 schools were served Ethiopian food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The event was held at Walker Jones Education Campus;

WHEREAS, the program was planned by DC Mayor Bowser’s Office of the Secretary, Executive Office of the Mayor in collaboration with District of Columbia Public Schools, the Little Ethiopia DC organization, and an advisory group of ten Ethiopian chefs and restaurateurs guided food preparations for the event including the prominent Ethiopian Chef “Etete” Tiwaltengus Sheenegelgn; and

WHEREAS, the Ethiopian community continues to make exceptional contributions to the District of Columbia.

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, that this resolution may be cited as the “District of Columbia’s Ethiopian Business and Cultural Community ‘Little Ethiopia’ Ceremonial Recognition Resolution of 2020”.

Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia recognizes the long history between the United States and Ethiopia, and congratulates the Ethiopian community for over seventy years of collaborative work in the areas of economic development, entrepreneurship, arts, culture, education, and government collaboration in the District of Columbia.

Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon the first date of publication in the District of Columbia Register.

—

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Ethiopia Gets Debt Deadline Extension; Says Election To Be Held in June

Published by Tadias Magazine December 24th, 2020 in Business. Closed
Getty Images

Reuters

Paris Club of creditors: Ethiopia gets debt deadline extension

PARIS (Reuters) – Ethiopia will get a deadline extension for its debts, with a new deadline set at June 30, 2021, said the Paris Club of international creditors on Thursday.

The members of the Paris Club involved in the reorganisation of Ethiopia’s debts are France, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation.

—

Ethiopia says national election to be held in June

By Reuters Staff

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – Ethiopia will hold a parliamentary election on June 5, the electoral board said on Friday, as Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed seeks to quell political and ethnic violence in several regions.

Abiy’s Prosperity Party, a pan-Ethiopian movement he founded a year ago, faces challenges from increasingly strident ethnically-based parties seeking more power for their regions.

Africa’s second most populous nation has a federal system with 10 regional governments, many of which have boundary disputes with neighbouring areas or face low-level unrest.

In the northern Tigray region, thousands of people are believed to have died and 950,000 have fled their homes since fighting between regional and federal forces erupted on Nov. 4. Tigray held its own elections in September in defiance of the federal government, which declared the polls illegal.

The National Electoral Board said next year’s calendar for polls did not include an election in Tigray. It said the date for a Tigray vote would be set once an interim government, which was established during the conflict, opened election offices.

The national vote was postponed from August this year due to the coronavirus crisis. The head of the winning party becomes prime minister.

For nearly three decades until Abiy’s appointment, Ethiopia was ruled by a coalition of four ethnically-based movements dominated by the party from Tigray. That administration ruled in an increasingly autocratic fashion until Abiy took power in 2018 following years of bloody anti-government street protests.

The initial months after Abiy’s appointment saw a rush of political and economic reforms, including the release of tens of thousands of political prisoners.

‘RESTORING PEACE’

Abiy merged three of the main regional parties last year to form the Prosperity Party. The fourth, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), refused to join.

Voter registration for the June vote would take place from March 1 to 30, the electoral board said.

Abiy’s peace deal with Eritrea, which won independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after years of conflict, helped earn him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019. But his moves to loosen the Ethiopian government’s iron grip was followed by outbreaks of violence as regional politicians and groups jostled for resources and power.

Abiy ordered troops to the western Benishangul-Gumuz region, which borders Sudan, on Thursday after attackers torched homes and killed more than 200 people in a village.

—

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ETHIOPIA UPDATE: PM Abiy Explains How We Got Here — War, Fake News, Refugee Crisis & Crime Against Humanity

Published by Tadias Magazine December 24th, 2020 in Podcast. Closed
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. (Photo: Tadias Magazine)

Updated: December 24th, 2020

  • How Did We Get Here? – By Abiy Ahmed
  • UN Spotlights Refugee Photos: Doctors, Teachers, Artists
  • ‘I Miss Home’: Displaced Children Suffer
  • UN: More Than 2 Million Children in Need of Aid
  • African Union Supports Ethiopia’s ‘legitimate’ actions against TPLF
  • The rise and fall of TPLF as told by its former commander
  • ‘Abandoned’ bomb kills three in Addis Ababa
  • Sudan, Ethiopia to hold border demarcation talks week after clash
  • Sudan’s PM meets Ethiopian leader after cross-border attack
  • PM Abiy confirms he met the Sudanese Prime Minster during IGAD meeting in Djibouti
  • In Pictures: The Conflict in Ethiopia
  • Beyond the Headlines: Forgotten Fragility in Ethiopia
  • For the Diaspora, Finding Reliable Sources of Information is a Struggle


    As VOA reports due to the politically and ethnically polarized nature of the Ethiopian media environment in the Diaspora coupled with the current information blackout, for those of us who live outside the country “the search for verified, accurate news on the conflict” is an ever growing challenge. As a result “Ethiopians from the country’s roughly 3 million diaspora [find] themselves looking to other, often unreliable sources of information found on social media.” VOA adds: “For the [Diaspora] population, the media void struck right at the moment they most wanted news of what was happening in their home country.” (Photo: Reuters)

  • Ethiopia offers reward for intel on fugitive TPLF leaders
  • Foreign Policy Argument: The War in Tigray Is a Fight Over Ethiopia’s Past—and Future
  • PM Abiy says: “The gov’t is closely following the incident on the Ethio-Sudan border”
  • Sudan says officers ambushed by Ethiopian ‘forces’ during patrol
  • Analysis-Spillover from conflict adds to pressure on Sudan
  • Ethiopian soldiers decry betrayal by former comrades loyal to TPLF
  • UN announces $35.6 mln aid for civilians


    In Sudan, many of the refugees from Ethiopia are children. (NYT)


    An Ethiopian refugee holds a child inside a courtesy bus in Sudan December 13, 2020. (REUTERS)

  • Born in Flight: The Youngest Victims of Ethiopia’s War
  • ICRC: We can’t wait for the guns to fall silent to start acting
  • EU delays 90 million euros in aid to Ethiopia over crisis, document shows
  • How War in Ethiopia Impacts Red Sea and Horn of Africa Power Politics
  • Ethiopia’s war-scarred Tigray region regains some services
  • Civilians share their stories as power and phone starts to return
  • PM Abiy Visits Mekelle, says “telecom & electricity currently being restored”
  • First NGO aid gets to Tigray, businesses to re-open
  • Red Cross sends medicines, relief supplies to Mekelle to fortify paralyzed health care facilities
  • Protecting Refugees — and Averting the Next Crisis
  • UN ‘frustration’ at lack of access to Tigray
  • A doctor’s account of Mekelle’s plight
  • The Australian on David Steinman vs Dr. Tedros
  • As War Goes On, Ethnic Harassment Is on the Rise …
  • Sudanese PM visits Ethiopia to discuss Tigray fighting
  • United Nations apologizes to Ethiopia for security violations


    “The UN on Saturday (December 12, 2020) apologized to Ethiopia for a widely reported incident where its staffers breached security checkpoints in the Tigray region,” reports Addis Getachew for Anadolu Agency. “The UN Resident Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs Catherine Sozy apologized for the behavior of the UN staffers, the state-owned Ethiopian News Agency reported citing a statement by Ethiopia’s Ministry of Peace.” (AA)

  • Diaspora Hosts Online Conference on ‘Pandemic & Armed Conflict’
  • PM says the project to rebuild and “restore essential services” in Tigray has began
  • Shifts focus from war to economy
  • Unveils 10 year plan for development, “peace building & institutional transformation”
  • Another draft media proclamation governing “print, broadcast and online” news
  • Expert: No Evidence UAE Drones Are Being Used in Ethiopia’s Tigray Conflict
  • U.S. Insists reports of Eritrean troops in Ethiopia are ‘credible’
  • Survivors recount horrific details of Mai Kadra massacre
  • AP: Shadowy Ethiopian massacre could be ‘tip of the iceberg’
  • Amnesty: International humanitarian aid must be allowed into refugee camps amid food shortage warning


    Refugees from Ethiopia ride a bus going to a shelter in Sudan on Dec. 1, 2020. (AP Photo)

  • UN: Humanitarian workers must be allowed to help in Ethiopia without fear of attack
  • No proof of Eritrean troops fighting in Ethiopia: UN chief
  • UN on conflict’s impact on civilians
  • U.S. senators seek possible sanctions over Ethiopia conflict abuses
  • Law Prof: “I Nominated PM Abiy Ahmed for the Nobel Peace Prize.Then, this happened.”
  • Exclusive: U.S. thinks Eritrea has joined Ethiopian war, diplomats say
  • Ethiopia says U.N. team shot at in Tigray after defying checkpoints
  • Ethiopia’s forces shoot at, detain UN staffers in Tigray
  • Abiy Denies ‘insurgency’ emerging
  • ‘Quickly restore the rule of law,’ urges UN chief
  • Facing War, Virus and Locusts, Ethiopia’s Once-Golden Economy Loses Its Luster
  • Ethiopia’s conflict stokes humanitarian and virus crisis
  • UN, Ethiopia sign deal for aid access
  • Ethiopia’s war of words as divisive as fighting on the ground
  • Journalists struggle through information blackout
  • Victory, defeat and confusion
  • ‘How the conflict made my uncle a refugee in Sudan’: A BBC reporter shares personal story
  • Government Says Member of Tigray Executive Surrenders
  • Sudan says it has arrested one of TPLF leaders
  • Analysis: Why Ethiopia’s Tensions Are Boiling Over in Tigray
  • Pompeo Voices ‘grave concern’
  • Urges Ethiopia to allow “free, safe, unhindered humanitarian access”
  • Wounded flood hospitals in Tigray
  • UN appeals for $147 million to support Ethiopian refugees in Sudan
  • PM addresses parliament


    Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Saturday, November 28th that military operations in Tigray have been completed, shortly after he announced federal troops had seized full control of Mekelle. (AP Photo)

  • Abiy says has TPLF leaders in his sights
  • ‘Stop the madness,’ TPLF leader begs PM
  • Abiy relishes victory
  • Rejects claims army killed civilians in Tigray
  • Ethiopia Declares Victory, but Rebel Leaders Vow to Fight On
  • UPDATED: Addis Ababa, Juba denies expulsion of S. Sudan diplomats from Ethiopia
  • Understanding the law-enforcement operation in Ethiopia
  • UN agency says it hopes humanitarian access to Tigray will be granted soon


    An Ethiopian refugee in Sudan listens to a radio. (AFP)

  • Red Cross says hospitals in Mekelle low on supplies to treat wounded
  • Sudan needs $150 mln to tackle Ethiopian refugee crisis
  • With military operations over, hunt for TPLF leaders begins
  • TPLF claims to have shot down Ethiopian plane, taken town
  • US reports several explosions heard in Eritrea’s capital
  • Mission accomplished: Mekelle under control, PM declares
  • Ethiopia claims victory as military takes Tigray capital
  • Ethiopian military operation in Tigray is complete, prime minister says
  • First of four UN humanitarian airlifts for Ethiopia refugees lands in Khartoum
  • War Spirals Into Full-Blown Crisis
  • Amid civil conflict, the future of Chinese investment uncertain
  • Ethiopian forces capture town, move toward Tigrayan capital, senior armed forces officer says
  • PM meets African Union Special Envoys
  • Rejects Tigray conflict talks
  • Rise and fall of TPLF – from rebels to rulers and back
  • Refugees set to run out of food: U.N.
  • Q&A: Conflict in Ethiopia and International Law
  • Analysis: How attempts to unify Ethiopia may be deepening its divides, say analysts
  • How Western Media (and others) are STILL failing Ethiopia
  • The Fight for Mekelle Begins
  • This is ‘final phase’ of offensive, PM says
  • Troops ordered to move on Tigray capital
  • Ethiopia to UN: ‘Adherence to the Principle of Non-Intervention’ Tweeted by PM Abiy
  • Biden’s National Security Adviser Warns of ‘War Crimes’ Risk in Ethiopia
  • Things don’t have to fall apart: The Economist
  • Africa’s ‘hidden world war’: Did AU fail Ethiopia?
  • Why Ethiopia’s Tensions Are Boiling Over in Tigray
  • Constitutional question at the heart of fight
  • African envoys head for Ethiopia as ultimatum expires for assault
  • UN Security Council meets as Tigray battle looms
  • PM rejects international ‘interference’ in war


    Refugees who fled the conflict in Tigray arrive on the banks of the Tekeze River on the Sudan-Ethiopia border, in Hamdayet, eastern Sudan, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020. (AP Photo)

  • Amnesty to Ethiopia: Protect civilians in Mekelle offensive
  • Tigray Mai Kadra massacre of civilians is a crime of atrocity: Ethiopian Human rights commission
  • I Was a Child Refugee. Another War in Ethiopia Is Forcing More Children Into the Camps.
  • ‘We just ran’: Ethiopians fleeing war find little relief
  • Ethiopia war destabilising east Africa, warns EU
  • The World Needs to Head Off the Worst in Ethiopia
  • With Ethiopia on brink of escalation, diplomacy in doubt
  • Both sides claim gains in war, TPLF accused of massacre
  • Global alarm grows
  • Chinese flee northern Ethiopia as civil conflict hits region
  • Ethiopia piles war risk on shaky economy
  • Ethiopia says ‘large number’ of Tigrayan fighters surrender
  • Ethiopia Commission Says Tigray Youth Group Killed 600 Civilians in Nov 9 Attack
  • Ethiopian Government and TPLF Are Not Morally Equivalent: By HAILEMARIAM DESALEGN
  • Analysis: Ethiopia’s Tigray conflict reflects unresolved ethnic tensions
  • ‘Ready to die’: TPLF leader rejects call to surrender
  • Fight sparks conflicting narratives as battle rages
  • Government says Mekelle encircled
  • TPLF leader denies Mekelle circled
  • TPLF forces accused of destroying Axum airport
  • These refugees fled a massacre in Ethiopia. They join tens of thousands making the journey to Sudan


    Refugees from Ethiopia wait to register at the UNCHR center in Sudan on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020. Tens of thousands of people have fled a conflict in Ethiopia for Sudan, sometimes so quickly they had to leave family behind. There is not enough to feed them in the remote area of southern Sudan that they rushed to. (AP)

  • U.S. briefs reporters on the situation in Ethiopia
  • Alert: Potential Relocation of American Citizens from Mekelle
  • PM gives TPLF 72 hours to surrender Mekelle
  • Civilians told ‘no mercy’ in upcoming Mekelle offensive
  • ‘Save yourselves,’ government says
  • ‘No mercy’ ultimatum stokes international concerns as conflict enters third week
  • PM tweets: Safety of civilians is “paramount importance”
  • Says he will meet African Union Chair “one on one”
  • Rejects mediation; calls reports of AU’s offer “fake”
  • Federal troops take the town of Adigrat
  • Axum and Adwa
  • Push toward Mekelle
  • Who is Debretsion Gebremichael, the man at the heart of the conflict?
  • U.N. Fears Purging of Ethnic Tigrayan Officers From Peacekeeping Missions
  • Internal document shows concern they may face torture or execution
  • Police says nearly 800 TPLF suspects arrested over ‘terrorist’ plot
  • She fled Ethiopia’s fighting. Now she warns of ‘catastrophe’
  • Heartbreaking stories from refugees fleeing violence


    Insecurity in Ethiopia is driving people into Sudan. (© UNHCR)

  • Aid agencies scramble to respond as more people flee to Sudan
  • UN prepares for up to 200,000 Ethiopian refugees in Sudan
  • Latest airstrike hits Tigray university
  • TPLF fires rocket into Bahir Dar again
  • Fake News Alert: Fact-checking misleading images
  • EU fears ‘unravelling’ of Ethiopia
  • Several injured in airstrikes on Tigray capital, humanitarian source says
  • TPLF’s War Against Ethiopia Isn’t About Autonomy. It’s About Economic Power.
  • The Ethiopian Civil War and lessons from Yugoslavia
  • Ethiopia crisis: ‘a political mess that makes fathers fight sons
  • After fleeing to Sudan, Ethiopians from Tigray recount brutal killings
  • As Fighting Rages in Ethiopia, Aid Groups Plead for Access to Refugees
  • A full-scale humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Ethiopia, the UN says


    Refugees who fled the conflict in Ethiopia wait to get cooked rice served by Sudanese local volunteers in eastern Sudan, Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. (AP Photo)

  • UN: Over 25,300 fleeing Ethiopia fighting have reached Sudan
  • U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemns TPLF, urges de-escalation
  • Ethiopia’s multiple crises: War, COVID-19, even locusts
  • Ethiopia seeks arrest of 76 military officers linked to TPLF
  • Both sides claim military gains as fighting rages
  • Who is spreading fake news on social media?
  • AP: Ethiopia claims WHO chief is backing TPLF without evidence
  • Tedros Adhanom denies claims against him
  • Says he desires only peace in the country
  • U.S. distances itself from accusation
  • Military chief calls him a criminal supporting a rebel region
  • Ethiopian army accuses WHO chief of supporting Tigray forces
  • Ethiopian troops push for Mekelle, TPLF promises ‘hell’
  • Ethiopia says troops close to taking over Mekelle
  • PM vows ‘final and crucial’ offensive


    People read newspapers and magazines reporting on the current military confrontation in the country on a street in Addis Ababa, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020. (AP Photo)

  • Ethiopians on streets to hail armed forces
  • Ethiopian Air force targets sites near Mekelle
  • ‘Give us time,’ Ethiopia says of Tigray offensive
  • Resists mediation
  • Ethiopians in America Launch online petition
  • U.S. condemns TPLF’s “efforts to internationalize the conflict’
  • As Ethiopia descends into civil war, civilians are caught in the crossfire
  • Ethiopia seizes town in Tigray, says 10000 prisoners missing
  • Number of refugees fleeing Ethiopia to Sudan surpasses 20,000- UN
  • Ethiopian troops ‘liberate’ key town in Tigray, claim officials
  • Behind the scenes Africa and Europe press for Ethiopia mediation, sources say
  • They Once Ruled Ethiopia. Now They Are Fighting Its Government.
  • Fears of regional conflict in Horn of Africa after rocket attacks on Eritrea
  • Rockets fired at Eritrean capital from Ethiopia, diplomats say
  • Two missiles target airports as Tigray conflict widens
  • Pictures: Fleeing war, Ethiopians cross river into Sudan
  • As Ethiopia’s conflict rages, ethnic targeting turns deadly
  • War crimes feared


    Ethiopian Orthodox Christians light candles and pray for peace during a church service at the Medhane Alem Cathedral in the Bole Medhanealem area of Addis Ababa, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020 (AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene)

  • UN rights chief warns of spiralling situation
  • Amnesty International: ‘Civilians massacred’
  • Ethiopia appoints new Tigray leader
  • First witness account emerges of Ethiopians fleeing conflict
  • UN fears refugee emergency
  • Ethiopia conflict tensions spread as 150 ‘operatives’ held
  • ‘We Can’t Be Beaten,’ Says Leader of Rebel Ethiopian Region
  • Ethiopians Donate Blood, Money to Back Incursion in Rebel Region
  • What’s Happening in Ethiopia Is a Tragedy: By Tsedale Lemma
  • Thousands are fleeing into Sudan to escape deadly conflict in Ethiopia
  • Sudan braces for up to 200,000 fleeing Ethiopia fighting
  • Ethiopia’s Conflict spills over border as thousands flee
  • Misinformation spreads online
  • African Union urges ceasefire
  • PM rejects peace talks
  • Are we at a tipping point?


    (AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene)

  • End of conflict coming within reach, says PM
  • Ethiopia to Talk With TPLF Only Once Weapons Destroyed
  • Ethiopia Sets Conditions for Peace Talks With TPLF
  • PM rejects concerns of a brewing civil war
  • Ethiopian military seizes airport as fighting rages in Tigray
  • Ethiopia says its jets are ‘pounding’ targets in Tigray
  • Hundreds dead in escalating Ethiopian conflict, sources say
  • Pope appeals for peace in Ethiopia
  • PM Reshuffles Top Security Officials Amid Escalating Conflict
  • Clashes in Ethiopian Region Put Horn of Africa on Edge
  • UN Rights Chief Urges Halt to Ethiopia Violence, Dialogue to Restore Peace
  • Ethiopia to replace Tigray region leadership as forces clash
  • Ethiopia: a tragedy in the making?
  • Air strikes in Tigray will continue, says PM, as civil war risk grows
  • Ethiopian Air Force Bombs Military Facilities in Northern Region
  • PM: Airstrikes target TPLF military depots in Tigray
  • PM announces airstrikes in Tigray region
  • Ethiopia says forced into ‘aimless war’ as bombings alleged
  • Ethiopia conflict escalates as army sends more troops to Tigray region
  • Prime Minister says Tigray military ops ‘limited’ as Sudan closes border
  • Abiy vows to disarm ‘fugitives from justice’ in Tigray campaign
  • Tigray region alleges bombings in Ethiopia’s ‘unexpected war’
  • Why Did Ethiopia’s Leader Launch a War on the Tigray Region?

    For Ethiopia’s Diaspora, Seeking News Amid Communication Blackout is a Challenge

    VOA News

    By Salem Solomon

    December 18, 2020

    WASHINGTON – When violence erupted in Ethiopia’s Tigray region between the federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) last month, those living in the global diaspora scrambled for information.

    The Ethiopian army went into Tigray on Nov. 4, after the government accused local forces of attacking a military base there. TPLF leaders called the federal government’s response a war against the people of Tigray.

    The search for verified, accurate news on the conflict was hampered by authorities preventing many international media organizations from accessing the conflict zone and disruptions to phone and internet connections that resulted in an information blackout. And Ethiopians from the country’s roughly 3 million diaspora found themselves looking to other, often unreliable sources of information found on social media.

    For the country’s migrant population, the media void struck right at the moment they most wanted news of what was happening in their home country.

    Most rely on messaging apps including Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber which provide a “lifeline” connecting the diaspora to people at home, Tewodros Workneh, an assistant professor of global communication at Kent State University in Ohio, said.

    “It’s incredibly difficult if you live in this country [in the diaspora] or in other parts of the world when there is a media blackout in the conflict region right now. It’s really frustrating for diaspora communities,” Tewodros added.

    In the information vacuum, people look to other, often unreliable sources of information.

    “When you cannot hear from your relatives and your friends and family members, what you rely on are third parties,” said Tewodros, who studies media development, including in Ethiopia. “And often times this vacuum is filled by different political interest groups on social media platforms who have no knowledge about what’s going on.”

    Misinformation spread widely during the conflict. Images were shared on social media platforms of old airplane crashes alongside claims they had been downed Ethiopian fighter jets. An image showing a 2015 factory explosion in China was passed off as being from a missile strike by Tigrayan forces against neighboring Eritrea.

    Ethiopia has a range of media outlets run from outside the country. But oftentimes these satellite television networks are politically or ethnically aligned, journalists and scholars said.

    Befeqadu Hailu, executive director of the Center for Advancement of Rights and Democracy based in the capital, Addis Ababa, said that outlets abroad can play an important role but that bias sometimes influences the way they report on events.

    “They have a positive contribution especially in times of repression by the government here [in Ethiopia]. They can be the voice of the silenced here,” Befeqadu said. But, he added, they can sometimes “aggravate” the conversation because of their allegiances, or through using sources or information that are less reliable.

    “I think that the diaspora media is usually more divided than the media organizations that are here,” Befeqadu said. “The diaspora is more divided along ethnic lines, along ideological and political ideological lines, and they show their allegiance without fear.”

    Reeyot Alemu, a journalist for the U.S.-based Ethiopian news website Ethio 360 Media, which reports primarily in Amharic, says some journalists do their due diligence and refrain from becoming swayed along ethnic or political lines.

    “There are gaps created as a result of working from abroad but responsible journalists always verify information using all the means available,” Reeyot told VOA in Amharic. “But there is still a big gap when it comes to applying journalism principles not only caused by physical distance, but also taking sides.

    The challenges of reporting from overseas have been exacerbated during the information blackout.

    The government denied responsibility for the latest internet cuts. A tweet by the Ethiopia State of Emergency Fact Check, which says it provides the latest information on the state of emergency, shared a video on Twitter that it says shows unidentified individuals breaking into the northern region’s office of Ethio-Telecom, the country’s sole internet provider and then “intentionally” disconnecting the network.

    Internet blocks during times of conflict or unrest in Ethiopia aren’t new. Data from NetBlocks, which tracks cybersecurity and internet governance, shows other regions in the country were cut off during protests or violence following major events such as the killing of prominent Oromo artist Hachalu Hundessa in June. In that case, internet service was cut off for 23 days, the nonprofit organization said.

    The government said at the time that social media were being used to exacerbate protests, during which at least 86 people were killed.

    Befeqadu, of the Center for Advancement of Rights and Democracy, said journalists find themselves in a precarious position whenever there is conflict. “Since the military confrontation between the federal government and the Tigray region started, about seven journalists are detained and now in jail,” he said. “So, it is always tough when the government is under scrutiny. To be a reporter or a media affiliate in Ethiopia comes always with a risk.”

    Reeyot, who covers her home country from more than 11,000 kilometers away in the United States, said the struggles are felt from afar.

    “It is not just working from abroad, but the lack of access and internet blackout makes it difficult to follow the current situation, even for someone inside the country. Closing all access is problematic,” Reeyot said.

    Reeyot knows firsthand the risks for journalists in Ethiopia. She served just over four years of a 14-year sentence for terrorism because of her critical reporting for the independent weekly Feteh, before her release in 2015.

    In addition to these challenges, journalists working in the diaspora endure regular threats and accusations of bias. Reeyot says the harassment and intimidation comes from all sides but can be strong from the government.

    Ethiopia had shown signs of reversing its poor press freedom record when Abiy Ahmed came to power in 2018. The country was hailed for releasing journalists and political dissidents and the new prime minister last year spoke of the need to open up the media space, while cautioning against the spread of hate speech and fake news.

    But during points of conflict or unrest, including the Tigray fighting, Ethiopia has reverted to blocking access to information, detaining critical journalists or pressuring media who report critically on the government or appear more favorable to opposition, media rights groups say.

    On Dec. 12, the deputy director general of the Information Network Security Agency, Kefyalew Tefera, accused the U.S.-based Oromia Media Network and Ethio 360 Media of collaborating with the TPLF.

    Reeyot, who was imprisoned when the TPLF was in power, said that the accusation appears to be “simply because the media is deemed not to have a favorable view of the government.”

    Accusations of supporting or working for the TPLF have led to an increase in the number of journalists jailed in Ethiopia since the fighting. Figures released by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists showed seven journalists jailed in Ethiopia on Dec. 1—nearly all of whom were arrested in November for coverage of the TPLF.

    —

    What’s Happening in Ethiopia Is a Tragedy By Tsedale Lemma

    Tsedale Lemma is the editor in chief of the Addis Standard.

    NYT

    Nov. 11, 2020

    ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — The announcement last week that the government was about to launch a military operation into one of the country’s regions came, to put it lightly, as a shock.

    Not only was it very far from the emollient statecraft that won Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed the Nobel Peace Prize last year, it also seemed to shatter the purpose of his premiership. When he rose to power in 2018, Mr. Abiy promised to guide Ethiopia into a new era of peace, prosperity and national reconciliation.

    But on Nov. 4, he dispatched the Army to Tigray, one of the country’s 10 semiautonomous regions and home to roughly 6 percent of the population, accusing its leaders — with whom he has increasingly sparred — of attacking a government defense post and attempting to steal military equipment.

    And in the days since, Mr. Abiy imposed a six-month state of emergency on the Tigray region, declared its legislature void and approved a provisional replacement. As fighting raged, the internet and telephone networks have been shut down. Hundreds are reported to be dead.

    This is a tragedy. Ethiopia stands on the cusp of civil war, bringing devastation to both the country and the wider region. While the situation is volatile and uncertain, this much is clear: Mr. Abiy’s political project, to bring together the nation in a process of democratization, is over. And much of the blame must be laid at his door.

    After years of persistent anti-government protests, economic troubles and widespread unrest, Mr. Abiy took over a country on the brink of collapse. At least one million people were internally displaced in 2017, according to the United Nations, as the country was shaken by protests from Oromo and Amhara ethnic groups, who together make up nearly two-thirds of the population. Presenting himself as a reformer, the avalanche of changes promised by Mr. Abiy, who took over in April 2018, seemed to avert the worst of the country’s problems.

    But Mr. Abiy overreached. His first cardinal mistake was to sideline the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, for decades the most powerful political force in the country, in the peace he brokered between Ethiopia and Eritrea. By pushing the Tigrayan leadership aside as he sealed his signature achievement, Mr. Abiy made clear the limits to his talk of unity.

    That was a taste of what was to come. Last year, Mr. Abiy moved to dismantle the old political order. Going beyond his original remit, he proposed reconfiguring the coalition that had ruled the country for 27 years — the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Front, or E.P.R.D.F., which itself comprised a gamut of regional parties — into a new, single party.

    The T.P.L.F., which founded and dominated the coalition, was not keen on the change — but Mr. Abiy went ahead with it regardless, creating a rift with the Tigrayans and undermining the country’s delicate political settlement. Far from minimizing the fallout, Mr. Abiy exacerbated it, removing all ministers from the T.P.L.F. from his cabinet.

    By the time the new party was announced, in November 2019, the damage was done. The T.P.L.F., angered by the whittling away of its power and concerned that the country’s federal system was under threat, had not joined. They weren’t alone in their disquiet. In Mr. Abiy’s own region, Oromia, many were skeptical of the new order, while southern Ethiopia splintered into disorder, as multiple administrative zones demanded self-rule. After coming to power on the promise of unity, Mr. Abiy had alienated and frustrated key components of his coalition. Suddenly, he looked vulnerable.

    The coronavirus changed the calculus. The all-important national election, scheduled for August, was postponed; the focus became how to mitigate the damage wrought by the pandemic. But the political problems didn’t go away.

    Read more »

    —-

    Ethiopia says forced into ‘aimless war’


    Ethiopian Orthodox Christians light candles and pray for peace during a church service at the Medhane Alem Cathedral in the Bole Medhanealem area of the capital Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene)

    The Associated Press

    By ELIAS MESERET

    Updated: November 5th, 2020

    ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Ethiopia’s army said Thursday the country has been forced into an “unexpected and aimless war” with its well-armed Tigray region, while Tigray asserted that fighter jets had bombed areas around its capital — a marked escalation with little sign of the two sides willing to talk to calm the crisis.

    Ethiopia’s army deputy chief said military forces are being sent to the fighting in Tigray from other parts of the country. “The army will not go anywhere,” Birhanu Jula told reporters, amid fears that the conflict would spill into other regions of Africa’s second-most populous nation. “The war will end there.”

    For his part, the Tigray region’s president, Debretsion Gebremichael, told reporters that “we are in position to defend ourselves from enemies that waged war on the Tigray region. … We are ready to be martyrs.”

    Ethiopia’s government has not commented on the bombing allegation, read out Thursday evening on the Tigray regional broadcaster.

    The strong words came a day after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed told the nation the military will carry out further operations this week in response to an alleged deadly attack on a military base by the regional government.

    Observers warn that a civil war in Ethiopia involving Tigray could destabilize the already turbulent Horn of Africa. The prime minister, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year for his sweeping political reforms, now faces his greatest challenge in holding together a country of some 110 million people with multiple ethnic and other grievances.

    Communications remained cut off in the northern Tigray region after services disappeared at just around the time Abiy’s office first announced the attack and military action early Wednesday. The lack of contact has challenged efforts to verify the Ethiopian federal government’s account of events.

    The Tigray capital, Mekele, appeared calm on Thursday morning but skirmishes took place elsewhere, a source told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media about it.

    Ethiopia’s army deputy chief asserted that members of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front are “fleeing and joining the army; those injured are receiving medical treatment.” The army was trying to avoid civilian casualties, he said.

    The Tigray leader asserted that the Ethiopian army’s northern command is siding with the Tigray people, and he confirmed that fighting is also taking place in an area bordering the Amhara region, far from where the original clash was reported. “They are surrounding us with their forces,” he said.

    Verifying either side’s claims remained a challenge.

    “Certainly there is fighting, but I don’t think anyone can credibly assert who attacked who first,” former U.S. diplomat Payton Knopf, a senior advisor with the United States Institute of Peace, told the AP on Wednesday night. He wondered why the well-armed Tigray region’s forces would start by raiding a command post: “They’re not lacking for weaponry.”

    Aid organizations and human rights groups are pleading for communications links to be restored and warning of a humanitarian disaster if hundreds of thousands of people flee fighting in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.


    Ethiopian Orthodox Christians light candles and pray for peace during a church service at the Medhane Alem Cathedral in the Bole Medhanealem area of the capital Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020. The head of Ethiopia’s new state of emergency committee, Redwan Hussein, has said the federal government’s conflict is with a “small clique of TPLF circles that are keen to destabilize Ethiopia,” and the government must do everything possible to “liberate the Tigrayan people.” (AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene)


    AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene

    Ethiopia has imposed a six-month state of emergency on the Tigray region, which played a dominant role in the country’s government and military before Abiy took office in 2018. Since then the region, feeling marginalized, has split from the ruling coalition and defied Abiy by holding a regional election in September that the federal government called illegal.

    Tigray borders Eritrea, which fought a bloody border war with Ethiopia before the countries made peace in 2018, shortly after Abiy took power. The Tigray regional government has accused Eritrea of teaming up with Ethiopia’s federal government in this week’s offensive. Eritrea’s information minister did not respond to a request for comment.

    TPLF officials have said airspace over the region is closed, and accused the federal government of deploying troops to “cow the people of Tigray into submission by force.”

    The TPLF also invited other members of the security forces across Ethiopia to join it in “opposing the colonel Abiy’s regime.”

    The head of Ethiopia’s new state of emergency committee, Redwan Hussein, has said the federal government’s conflict is with a “small clique of TPLF circles that are keen to destabilize Ethiopia,” and the government must do everything possible to “liberate the Tigrayan people.”

    “Given the strength of Tigray’s security forces, the conflict could well be protracted,” the International Crisis Group said in a statement Thursday. “Tigray has a large paramilitary force and a well-drilled local militia, thought to number perhaps 250,000 troops combined.”

    It appears unlikely that Ethiopian forces would quickly oust the TPLF leadership, the group said, and even then loyalists could mount “sustained resistance.” The statement called for “immediate, concerted mediation – local, regional and international.”

    The TPLF over the weekend told the AP it’s not interested in negotiating with the federal government. It was not clear if that stance had changed in light of the new events.

    It also was not clear who might step in to mediate.

    U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a statement overnight seemed to support the federal government’s account of events, saying the U.S. was “deeply concerned by reports that the Tigray People’s Liberation Front carried out attacks on Ethiopian National Defense Force bases in Ethiopia’s Tigray region on November 3. We are saddened by the tragic loss of life and urge immediate action to restore the peace and de-escalate tensions.”

    —

    War Looms in Ethiopia As PM Orders Military Against TPLF


    The statement by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s office, and the reported attack by the well-armed Tigray People’s Liberation Front, immediately raised concerns that one of Africa’s most populous and powerful countries could plunge back into war. That would send a shock wave through the Horn of Africa and beyond. (AP photo)

    The Associated Press

    By ELIAS MESERET

    Updated: November 4th, 2020

    ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Ethiopia’s prime minister on Wednesday ordered the military to confront one of the country’s regional governments after he said it carried out a deadly attack on a military base overnight, citing months of “provocation and incitement” and declaring that “the last red line has been crossed.”

    The statement by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s office, and the reported attack by the well-armed Tigray People’s Liberation Front, immediately raised concerns that one of Africa’s most populous and powerful countries could plunge back into war. That would send a shock wave through the Horn of Africa and beyond.

    Addressing the nation on TV, Abiy announced “several martyrs” in the attack in Mekele, the northern Tigray region’s capital, and Dansha town. The prime minister said “the end is near” for the regional force, which is based in Ethiopia’s most sensitive region, neighboring Eritrea. The two countries made peace in 2018 after a long border war.

    The TPLF had been the dominant part of Ethiopia’s governing coalition before Abiy took office in 2018 and announced sweeping political reforms that won him the Nobel Peace Prize last year. Those reforms, however, have opened space for old ethnic and other grievances. The TPLF, feeling marginalized, left the coalition last year. It remains a strong military force, observers say.

    There was no immediate word from the TPLF, and all internet and phone lines were cut in the Tigray region following the announcement. Tigray TV reported that airspace has been closed over the region.

    Ethiopia was already stressed by a dispute with Egypt over a massive Ethiopian dam project that has drawn rare attention by President Donald Trump to Africa, and by a multi-layer crisis with the COVID-19 pandemic, deadly ethnic violence and a locust outbreak.

    Now the greatest test of Abiy’s rule has has come.

    Tigray officials have objected to the postponement of Ethiopia’s national election, once set for August, because of the coronavirus pandemic, and the extension of Abiy’s time in office.

    On Sunday, a senior TPLF official, Getachew Reda, told The Associated Press his side will not accept a negotiation with the federal government.

    “What we need now is a national dialogue, not a negotiation,” he said. The TPLF says the release of detained former officials is one precondition to opening talks.

    In September, people in Tigray voted in a local election, defying the federal government and increasing political tensions. Last month the federal government moved to send funding for the region to local administrations instead of the regional government, angering TPLF officials.

    “This war is the worst possible outcome of the tensions that have been brewing,” William Davison, International Crisis Group’s senior analyst for Ethiopia, said Wednesday, urging a ceasefire. “Given Tigray’s relatively strong security position, the conflict may well be protracted and disastrous.”

    Abiy’s statement asserted that the TPLF attacked a military base in Tigray early Wednesday and attempted to take artillery and other equipment. The statement accused the TPLF of arming and organizing irregular militias.

    After months of “extreme patience” by the federal government, “a war however cannot be prevented only on the goodwill and decision of one side,” the prime minister’s statement said. “The last red line has been crossed with this morning’s attacks and the federal government is therefore forced into a military confrontation” to save the country.

    Observers have worried for months about the growing tensions and their implications for the long-turbulent Horn of Africa region, where Abiy cast himself as a peacemaker shortly after taking office.

    A report by the United States Institute of Peace said the fragmentation of Ethiopia “would be the largest state collapse in modern history, likely leading to mass interethnic and interreligious conflict … and a humanitarian and security crisis at the crossroads of Africa and the Middle East on a scale that would overshadow the existing conflicts in South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen.”

    The international community needs to rally around the idea of national dialogue in Ethiopia, the International Crisis Group warned a week ago.

    “The alternative, given the country’s multiple and bitter divides, is a potential march to war that would be catastrophic for Africa’s second most populous country and would send shock waves, and refugees, into other Horn of Africa countries as well as across the Mediterranean,” the group wrote.

    —

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    • Ethiopian Muslims Protest After Several Mosques Burned (AP)

    Published by Tadias Magazine December 24th, 2019 in Podcast. Closed
    Many communities across Ethiopia have seen demonstrations including the capital, Addis Ababa. (Map via CGTN Africa

    The Associated Press

    ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Several thousand Muslims across Ethiopia in recent days have protested the burning of four mosques in the Amhara region. The Dec. 20 attacks in Motta town also targeted Muslim-owned businesses. Muslims have called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.

    Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has called the attacks “attempts by extremists to break down our rich history of religious tolerance and coexistence.” Recent ethnic-based unrest in some parts of the country has at times taken religious form.

    Prominent Muslim scholar Kamil Shemsu on Tuesday told The Associated Press there are “political actors who want to pit one religious group against another” and blamed the negative role of activists and videos circulated online.

    Amhara regional officials said they have arrested 15 suspects in connection with the attacks. Police commander Jemal Mekonnen told state media the attacks appeared to be triggered by news of a fire that broke out in an Orthodox church a few days earlier.

    Regional officials were criticized for their slow response and their inability to stop similar attacks.

    Many communities across Ethiopia have seen demonstrations including the capital, Addis Ababa.

    —
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    Entrepreneur Bethlehem Alemu Nominated African Female Leader of the Year

    Published by Tadias Magazine December 24th, 2017 in Featured. Closed
    Bethlehem T. Alemu whose boundless entrepreneurial energy and creativity epitomizes the fearless spirit of Ethiopia's new generation has been nominated as African Female Leader of the Year, this time by African Leadership Magazine. (Courtesy photo)

    Tadias Magazine
    By Tadias Staff

    December 24th, 2017

    New York (TADIAS) — Eight years ago when we first featured an interview with entrepreneur Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, we found her to be just as driven and fearless as she is today. “I’m thinking you might enjoy hearing a grassroots perspective on eco ethical fashion from Ethiopia,” she wrote to Tadias in 2009, bringing to our attention her up-and-coming footwear company. “It is my great pleasure to introduce our firm, SoleRebels to you.”

    Since then we’ve witnessed SoleRebels become a global brand with locations spanning four continents including Europe, Asia and North America. And Bethlehem, who was named one of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders in 2011, has risen to be an admired and respected business leader with Forbes Magazine declaring her a year later as one of Africa’s Most Successful Women. Subsequently Bethlehem’s inspiring story was shared by CNN, BBC, VOA and many other international news outlets.

    In a recent article highlighting Bethlehem’s diversifying portfolio CNN Money noted “Ethiopian shoe designer hopes for repeat success with coffee, while Daily Coffee News added: Ethiopia’s Garden of Coffee Blooms Again with New Addis Roastery.

    This year the African Leadership Magazine has nominated the trailblazing Ethiopian businesswoman as African Female Leader of the Year. “This recognition is open to an African woman who has defied the odds, risen above the patriarchal systems in the continent to positively affect the continent or influence women to aspire for excellence in various fields,” the publication announced, stating the winner will be decided thorough an open online vote that’s currently underway on its website.

    “I love the fact that the winner will be determined by peoples vote – you and me and everyone,” says Bethlehem.

    —
    You can learn more and support Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu at www.africanleadership.co.uk.

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    Ethiopian Woman in California Helps Domestic Violence Victim From Ethiopia

    Published by Tadias Magazine December 24th, 2017 in Featured. Closed
    Menbere Aklilu of Richmond, California helped bring to the U.S. 23-year-old domestic violence victim Messy Negussie whose face was burned when her ex-fiancé threw acid on her. Menbere and Messy are from the same town in Ethiopia. (Photo: KTVU)

    KTVU

    Bonded by tragedy, Richmond woman houses Ethiopian domestic violence victim

    RICHMOND, Calif. – To hear her story, you’d be surprised to see that 23-year-old Meserep Negussie, or Messy, can have a smile on her face.

    Richmond’s Menbere Aklilu, or Memby, says she saw Messy’s harrowing story on Facebook. Visible scars on Messy’s face tell a painful tale from when her ex-fiancé threw acid on her.

    “When I met her she was crying day and night,” said Aklilu. “But now she realizes there’s a light.”

    Messy arrived from Ethiopia two months ago. She said everybody there was afraid and that the people don’t like to see her face.

    The acid burned her face, chest and arms. She and Memby are from the same village in Ethiopia. Memby says when she heard of the brutal attack she had to help. First, sending money, and then flying 22 hours to meet the young woman she’d only heard of online.

    But the two had a shared story. When Memby was pregnant she too was a victim of domestic violence from her then husband.

    “He burned me with a cigarette and after that he gave me three days to pull my own teeth,” Aklilu said.

    Memby says she was lucky and able to get away, and that’s why it’s important that she helps this young woman get back on her feet. She’s opened up her home to a total stranger and is paying it forward, arranging medical treatment and operations, helping to make messy whole again.

    She tells Memby that seeing her face in the mirror doesn’t scare her anymore.

    Messy is a trained cook in Ethiopia, and is now mastering her craft and helping out at Memby’s restaurant – Salute in Richmond. And you may think this is a great present for messy, as it surely is, but the true gift is for Memby.

    “It’s Christmas and she’s here with me and my house is more warm,” Aklilu said. “And it’s a Christmas gift for me.”

    “I want to keep her here. I will do some paper work. I will ask for help and she will stay.”


    —
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    In Ethiopia S. Sudan Cease-fire Signed (AP)

    Published by Tadias Magazine December 24th, 2017 in Podcast. Closed
    South Sudan’s warring factions have signed a new agreement to cease hostilities and protect civilians in the latest effort to calm a devastating civil war. The cease-fire is set to begin first thing Sunday morning, or Christmas Eve. (AP file photo)

    Associated Press

    By Elias Meseret

    ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — South Sudan’s warring factions on Thursday signed a new agreement to cease hostilities and protect civilians in the latest effort to calm a devastating civil war, as diplomatic observers issued sharp warnings against allowing yet another peace deal to fail.

    The cease-fire is set to begin first thing Sunday morning, or Christmas Eve.

    The warring sides also agreed to grant badly needed humanitarian access to conflict-affected areas after days of talks in neighboring Ethiopia brokered by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development regional bloc.

    South Sudan is entering its fifth year of civil war, and no one knows how many tens of thousands of people have been killed in the world’s youngest nation. Parts of the East African country are on the brink of famine, and well over a million people have fled abroad, creating the world’s fastest-growing refugee crisis.

    The U.S. called the deal “the last chance for the implementation of the peace process.” Past attempts at peace deals have stumbled amid renewed violence. The new deal is an effort to salvage a 2015 peace agreement.

    South Sudan’s government is under growing pressure to find an end to the civil war as the U.S. and others threaten further sanctions.

    “This is a gift to South Sudanese people to celebrate their Christmas and New Year. This is the most precious gift of all time,” Ethiopia’s foreign minister, Workineh Gebeyehu, said during the signing ceremony. “But as past experience has showed, implementation is the longer and more difficult aspect many critical issues lie ahead.”

    A spokesman for South Sudan’s opposition, Lam Paul Gabriel, told The Associated Press that they will respect the agreement but said the rebels were ready to defend themselves of the government did not.

    “I doubt if it will hold but we will abide by it as we have always done,” he said.

    The agreement also calls on the warring sides to release prisoners of war, political prisoners and abducted women and children, who have been victims of widespread sexual violence and recruitment as child soldiers.

    “Everyone is tired of the war in South Sudan,” the chair of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, told the gathering.

    Ethiopia’s leader called the deal a “final alternative” and said failing to adhere to it will bring consequences and the rest of Africa and the world “will not sit idly by.” Earlier this month, the U.N. Security Council warned of “costs or consequences” for South Sudan’s government and opposition if they undermine efforts to implement the 2015 peace deal.

    South Sudan President Salva Kiir was not present at the signing. The government’s lead delegate to the talks, cabinet affairs minister Martin Elias Lomoro, told the AP that rebel leader Riek Machar didn’t take part because he wasn’t deemed helpful.

    The country plunged into ethnic violence in December 2013, just two years after a long-fought-for independence from Sudan, when forces loyal to Kiir, a Dinka, started battling those loyal to his former vice president, Machar, a Nuer.

    The U.N. and others have warned against ethnic violence and other abuses.

    —
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    Lemma Guya: Strong at 87

    Published by Tadias Magazine December 24th, 2014 in Art and Featured. Closed
    Lemma Guya: "I am an African and my Africanness is uniquely rooted in my Ethiopianness." (Photo: AA)

    Anadolu Agency

    By Seleshi Tessema

    ADDIS ABABA – Renowned Ethiopian painter Lemma Guya has just put the finishing touches on his goat skin-mounted portraits of the 53 African leaders who founded the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 1963.

    “I am an African and my Africanness is uniquely rooted in my Ethiopianness,” the 87-year-old Guya told The Anadolu Agency from his mansion-turned-gallery in Bishoftu, located some 40km south of Addis Ababa.

    “Throughout my career I have shuttled between these two mutually complementary identities,” he added. “In my paintings I have tried to depict and narrate our acceptable and unacceptable traditions and lives.”

    Maybe that’s why visitors to his mansion, which sits on 10,000 square meters of land, will find a yellowish bronze bust of a smiling Nelson Mandela, the late South African leader, as soon as they step into the place.

    “Mandela is the most perfect embodiment of Africa’s rise,” Guya asserted. “He radiates dauntless moral courage, a peaceful transition of state power, equality, justice, inclusiveness and democracy.”

    Guya traces Mandela’s story to Ethiopia, where the liberation icon received his first military training and his first handgun.

    “This is why he stands here as a philosophical inspiration of my works and our lives,” he said.

    The veteran painter, who looks much younger than his age, established his “African Art Museum” in 1983 inside his gallery.

    “I wanted to make it an African visual art center of excellence,” he said. “But its fundamental objective was to initiate dialogue about African art with the aim of achieving Africa’s rebirth.”

    “The then Organization of African Unity joined the vision and it was inaugurated by its then secretary-general, Ahmed Salim Ahmed,” Guya said.

    Yet the pan-African body’s promises to financially support the center and turn it into a hub for African painters never materialized.

    “I was disheartened by the backpedaling on promises. After years of waiting, I decided to go my way,” he said.

    But despite the passage of years, Guya never forgot his artistic engagement with Africa.

    “I have presented a project that aims to produce the portraits of the founding fathers of the African body on goat or gazelle skin,” he said.

    The idea – along with some sample portraits – was well received by African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma in 2013.

    In a hand-written note, she promised to stand foursquare behind the artist and his project.

    “We are grateful for all the works of art you have produced in authentic African style for the history of Africa, the OAU and AU in a unique way,” Dlamini-Zuma wrote. “Our support is guaranteed.”

    Guya has already completed the portraits to be displayed at the AU’s Addis Ababa headquarters.

    Read more »
    —
    Related:
    Ten Arts & Culture Stories of 2014

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    2011 Kwanzaa-Genna Holiday Celebration: Special Appearance by Miss Africa USA

    Published by Tadias Magazine December 24th, 2011 in Events. 2 Comments
    Miss Africa USA 2011, Ghyslaine Tchouaga of Cameroon (right), is the guest of honor at this year's Kawnaza-Genna holiday celebration on Monday, December 26, 2011 in Washington, D.C. (Photo credit: Miss Africa USA by DJ Photography)

    Tadias Magazine
    Events News

    Source: Little Ethiopia DC & African Heritage

    December 24th, 2011

    Washington, D.C. – Little Ethiopia DC and African Heritage is pleased to announce the 8th annual joint holiday celebration of Genna (Ethiopian X-mass) and Kwanzaa, a nonreligious holiday honoring the legacy of African American life, to be held on Monday, December 26th in Washington, D.C.

    This year’s activities include a special appearance by the current Miss Africa USA, Ghyslaine Tchouaga of Cameroon, and traditional performances by the African Heritage Dancers and Drummers, as well as food, drinks, music and a candle lighting ceremony. Almaz Tilahun from Ethiopia will perform the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony while Thomas an African American trained dancer will perform the unique traditional Ethiopian shoulder dance “Iskista.”

    Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration with each day of the week dedicated to one of seven principles: Umoja (unity); Kujichagulia (self-determination); Ujima (collective work and responsibility); Ujamaa (cooperative economics); Nia (purpose); Kuumba (creativity); and Imani (faith). All are based on values prevalent in African cultures. “The objective of the event is to establish unity and a working relationship among two diverse communities – Ethiopian and African Americans – whose long relationship dates back to 1808 with the establishment of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, New York. Formal diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and America commenced in 1903.

    When the fascist Italian military power occupied Ethiopia in 1935 during World War II, to avenge its defeat 40 years earlier in Adwa, the African American community in Washington DC, New York and other cities organized in large numbers to raise funds in defense of Ethiopia. In his 1954 visit to the United States, Emperor Haile Selassie expressed his gratitude for the support given by the Black community to the people of Ethiopia in their heroic battle against the Italian occupation.

    The Emperor invited two Washingtonians, Duke Ellington, the jazz king who grew up in the Shaw/ U Street neighborhood and Professor Leo Hansberry who started the first African Studies department in Howard University. Hansberry collaborated with Dr. Melaku Beyan, the first Ethiopian to graduate from Howard University in creating the African Studies department. The Emperor gave both Ellington and Hansberry the Ethiopian Medal of Honor.

    After Emperor Haile Selassie was deposed by a military dictatorship the Congressional Black Caucus led by Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm strongly supported Ethiopians in America to be given Extended Voluntary Departure Status from 1977 up to 1982 until the situation in the homeland improved.

    Our joint celebration is an effort to strengthen the value, unity and diversity among people. We can continue to build a relationship of respect and mutual inclusion in everything we do by working, praying, dancing, eating, singing, celebrating together.
    —
    If You Go:
    Kwanzaa Celebration 2011
    Monday, December 26th
    1320 Good Hope Road
    Washington D.C., SE
    7:00 PM – 11:00 PM
    Phone:202.255.1400
    —
    Related:
    Photos: 2011 Kwanzaa-Genna Holiday Celebration

    10 Arts and Culture Stories of 2010

    Published by Tadias Magazine December 24th, 2010 in Featured and Reviews. 5 Comments
    Highlights from the most popular Ethiopian Diaspora arts and popular culture stories of 2010 via Tadias Magazine.

    Tadias Magazine

    By Tigist Selam

    Updated: Monday, December 27, 2010

    New York (TADIAS) – As we wrap up the year and review the contributions in the area of literature, fine arts, film, music and enterprunership, I can’t help but notice that it has been a year of rejuvenation for arts and popular culture among the Ethiopian Diaspora — from the publication of Dinaw Mengestu’s How To Read The Air, to Julie Mehretu’s Grey Area, and from Kenna’s Summit on the Summit to Dawit Kebede’s Press Freedom Award, this year was packed with big achievements and new beginnings. As you may notice, there are many other great stories that are not noted here. It was a tough list to choose from. As always, I welcome your comments and feedback.

    Here are 10 favorite highlights:

    1. Dinaw Mengestu’s ‘How To Read The Air’


    Dinaw Mengestu (ExpressNightout.com)

    The award-winning Ethiopian American novelist and writer Dinaw Mengestu, whose work has become a voice for his generation, has given us a new gem by way of his book entitled How To Read The Air. As The New York Times notes, the young writer – who was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – populates his novels “by exiles, refugees, émigrés and children of the African diaspora…” This book, of course, goes far beyond the Ethiopian American experience, even though Dinaw does extremely well in this regard as well. As he put it succinctly during a recent interview, “It’s less about trying to figure out how you occupy these two cultural or racial boundaries and more about what it’s like when you are not particularly attached to either of these two communities.” The new book follows the author’s highly successful début novel The Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears, described by Bethonie Butler in the Washingtonian magazine as “a poignant novel set in DC about immigration, gentrification, and assimilating to the new amid memories of the past.” The reason why I love this New York Times bestseller is because the substance of the book mirrors my own feelings and reflection about my own generation.

    2. Julie Mehretu’s ‘Grey Area’


    Artist Julie Mehretu

    I couldn’t help but lose and find myself in each of Julie’s Mehretu’s paintings at the Guggenheim Museum earlier this year. She is not only one of the most admired American female artists, but also the most high-priced Ethiopian born artists of all time. Her work ‘Untitled 1’ sold for $US1,0022,500 at Sotheby’s in 2010. Her collection of semiabstract works displayed at the Guggenheim was inspired by “a multitude of sources, including historical photographs, urban planning grids, modern art, and graffiti, and explores the intersections of power, history, dystopia, and the built environment, along with their impact on the formation of personal and communal identities.”

    3. Davey and Rasselas’ Atletu (The Athlete)


    Abebe Bikila (SBCC Film Reviews)

    I have my fingers crossed this will be the first Ethiopian film that will win the Oscars. But either way, the story of Abebe Bekila – the barefooted Ethiopian man who stunned the world by winning Olympic gold in Marathon at the 1960 games in Rome – is one to be told and in this regard the movie is doing a superb job. I really hope it will get the recognition it deserves in the coming year.

    4. Meklit Hadero’s ‘On A Day Like This’


    (Meklit, Tsehai Poetry Jam – L.A.’s Little Ethiopia)

    This sweet and amazingly talented singer/song-writer takes me on a musical journey to the heart of the Bay Area and Brooklyn, as well as to the countryside of Ethiopia. I have never heard such a sincere, poetic and soulful blend of American and Ethiopian music. Reviewers have compared Meklit’s voice to that of the legendary singer Nina Simone. “Once you hear her smooth and silky voice it will be hard to forget it,” NPR’s Allison Keyes reported. Meklit obtained a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Yale University before moving to San Francisco to pursue her true love – music. NPR’s guest host described Hadero’s sound as “a unique blend of jazz, Ethiopia, the San Francisco art scene and visceral poetry…It paints pictures in your head as you listen,” she said. I can’t agree more.

    5. Haile Gerima’s Film ‘Teza’


    Mypheduh Films

    Haile Gerima’s award winning film ‘Teza’ continues to draw crowds at special screenings around the country. The most notable in 2010 was the film’s premiere in Los Angeles on Monday, September 13th, honoring the late Teshome H. Gabriel, a long serving Professor at UCLA and a leading international figure on third world and post-colonial cinema. The director himself is a professor of film studies in the East Coast. Per NYT: “Among the courses Haile Gerima teaches at Howard University is one called ‘Film and Social Change.’ But for Mr. Gerima, an Ethiopian director and screenwriter who has lived here since the 1970s in what he calls self-exile, that subject is not just an academic concern: it is also what motivates him to make films with African and African-American themes.” Personally for me though, there has never been such an accurate, honest, insightful and simply well-made film about the Ethiopian experience abroad and in the homeland. This film continues to influence my professional, but more importantly, personal life.

    6. Marcus Samuelsson’s ‘Red Rooster’


    Marcus Samuelsson at the Red Rooster Harlem

    I hope Marcus’ long awaited restaurant brings together artists, musicians, writers, and alike from the Ethiopian Diaspora and beyond right into the heart of Harlem. From the menu to the décor, I am certain that I won’t have to drag my downtown friends to hangout uptown. But for Marcus, it is clear that the aim is much bigger than fine dining. In a way, it is a contribution to the revitalization of this historic neighbourhood and we salute him for that.

    7. Mulatu Astatke Still on The Move


    Mulatu Astatke (Source:Telegraph)

    The father of Ethiopian Jazz doesn’t seem to stop. As Peter Culshaw wrote of him on the UK paper Telegraph earlier this year, “At the age of 66, Mulatu Astatke is having the time of his life. The jazz composer and performer from Ethiopia is in the midst of a full-blown Indian summer in his career. He received a huge boost when influential film-maker Jim Jarmusch used his music for his 2005 film Broken Flowers, and was also a key figure in the 2007 The Very Best of Ethiopiques compilation, one of the most unlikely best-sellers of the last decade. Once heard, Astatke’s music is not easily forgotten. His signature vibraphone playing style uses the distinctive five-note Ethiopian scale and is like jazz from a parallel universe, by turns haunting, romantic and a touch sleazy, as though the soundtrack to some seductive espionage B-movie.” Enjoy the following video.

    8. First Addis Foto Fest

    Curated by the exceptionally talented and award-winning photographer Aida Muluneh, this festival showcased works by notable visual artists from around the world at venues throughout Addis Ababa for the very first time. My hope is that, with events such as Addis Foto Fest, local artists continue to network with international artists from all disciplines. Here is an interview with Aida Muluneh about photography.

    9. Dawit Kebede’s ‘Press Freedom Award


    Dawit Kebede at CPJ Awards 2010, NYC

    As the editor of Awramba Times, an independent and local Ethiopian newspaper, he spent almost two years in prison after reporting on the Ethiopian election in 2005. Five years later he receives an international award, encouraging others to write without fear. He is an inspiration to many around the world, particularly to those in our profession.

    10. Grammy-nominated musician Kenna’s ‘Summit on the Summit’

    Inspired by his father’s water-borne disease, Ethiopian born Academy Award-nominated Hip Hop artist Kenna climbed the Kilimanjaro to raise awareness about the global water crisis. He was followed by an MTV crew. I salute Kenna on his artistry, as well as dedication to educate the youth on global issues affecting all of us. Watch Kenna talk about the project.

    —
    About the Author:
    Tigist Selam is host of TADIAS TV. She is a writer and actress based in New York and Germany. (Tigist’s photograph by Ingrid Hertfelder).

    Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

    Top 10 Ethiopian News & Entertainment Websites of 2009

    Published by Tadias Magazine December 24th, 2009 in Featured and News. 28 Comments
    Video sharing websites Ethiotube.net and Diretube.com lead the entertainment category followed by AddisZefen, Addis Live and AddisTunes.

    Tadias Magazine
    By Tadias Staff

    Updated: Friday, December 25th, 2009

    New York (Tadias) – Tadias Magazine announces its second annual list of top Ethiopia related websites. In addition to our traditional listing of the most visited websites (based on Alexa’s traffic ranking), we have included our “Favorite Charitable Organizations” (published earlier this month) and the top 5 entertainment websites of 2009.

    Per Alexa: The rank is calculated using a combination of average daily visitors and pageviews over the past 3 months. The site with the highest combination of visitors and pageviews is ranked #1.

    You may also check Quantcast for further comparison. Click here to see “Ethiopia’s Top 25 most popular media of 2009 and click here for “Ethiopia’s Top 10 most Independent news websites of 2009.”

    1. Ethiopian Review
    Ethiopian Review is the most frequently visited Ethiopian online journal.

    Global Rank: 55,207
    U.S. Traffic Rank: 15,264

    2. Nazret.com
    Nazret.com is the largest Ethiopian news and information portal. Directory, forum, travel, history and sport.

    Global Rank: 73,456
    U.S. Traffic Rank: 23,658

    3. Cyber Ethiopia
    Cyber Ethiopia: Portal with forum, directory, chat, news and email.

    Global Rank: 150,872
    U.S. Traffic Rank: 42,955

    4. Ethiomedia.com
    The most influential pro-democracy website of Ethiopians and African Americans.

    Global Rank: 187,957
    U.S. Traffic Rank: 58,263

    5. Ethiopian Reporter
    English and Amharic coverage of national and international news.

    Global Rank: 305,609
    U.S. Traffic Rank: 155,735

    6. Ethioforum.org
    (EMF) provides daily news, analysis and Discussion forum on events concerning Ethiopia and Horn of Africa.

    Global Rank: 322,190
    U.S. Traffic Rank: 74,621

    7. Abbaymedia.com
    Global Rank: 356,543
    U.S. Traffic Rank: 115,463

    8. Abugidainfo.com
    Abugida information center’s main goals are to provide outreach service to Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopia.

    Global Rank:375,336,
    U.S. Traffic Rank: 126,210

    9. Quatero.net
    Quatero.net; Voice for the voiceless of Ethiopian People since 2000

    Global Rank: 398,244
    U.S. Traffic Rank: 195,892

    10. ECADF News, Audio & video
    ECADF provides daily news related to Ethiopia.

    Global Rank: 499,031
    U.S. Traffic Rank: 191,076

    Note: Tadias.com has a global rank of 478,606 and U.S. traffic rank of 196,384 (B/N #9 & 10).

    Related:
    Nazret.com’s Top 10 Ethiopian Websites
    —–

    Top 5 Ethiopian Entertainment Websites of 2009

    1. Ethiotube.net:
    EthioTube is the leader in Ethiopian online video sharing, and the premier
    destination to watch and share original videos related to Ethiopia.

    Global Rank: 160,634
    U.S. Traffic Rank: 51,811

    2. Diretube.com
    Diretube.com is one of the largest Ethiopian video sharing sites.

    Alexa Global Rank: 171,704
    U.S. Traffic Rank: 120,171

    3. Addiszefen.com
    Alexa Global Rank: 642, 223
    U.S. Traffic Rank: 901, 300

    4. AddisLive.com
    Alexa Global Rank :1,065,723
    U.S. Traffic Rank: Unavailable

    5. Addistunes.com
    Alexa Global Rank: 2,842,132

    Party Like It’s 2010 With Teddy Afro

    Published by Tadias Magazine December 24th, 2009 in Events. 28 Comments

    Above: “When Teddy Afro leaps onto the stage the crowd goes
    wild, clapping in the air and singing along with the man seen by
    many as the voice of Ethiopia’s conscience.” – AFP (Photo: Afro
    at the Rosewater Hall in San Jose, California, January 2007 by
    D.J. Fitsum)

    Tadias Magazine
    Events News

    Updated: Thursday, December 31, 2009

    Washington, D.C. (Tadias) – Ethiopian pop-icon Teddy Afro will make a special appearance on New Year’s eve at the Embassy Suites in Washington DC, according to the promoters.

    The singer, who has been dubbed “Ethiopia’s Bob Marley” and the voice of “Ethiopia’s conscience,” will host the midnight toast.

    The event will include a screening of of DICk Clark’s “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2010″ and the live countdown from Times Square.

    Teddy Afro, who was freed early from prison in August after serving 18 months of a two-year sentence for a hit-and-run incident, is scheduled to give a solo concert at the DC Armory on January 2, 2010.

    Video:Teddy Afro live concert (San Jose, California – 2007)

    If you go:
    Date: New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2009
    Location: Embassy Suites, 900 10th Street, NW,
    Washington DC 20001

    Senate passes historic health care bill

    Published by Tadias Magazine December 24th, 2009 in News. Closed

    Above: Victoria Kennedy and Sen. Harry Reid celebrate after
    the Senate OKs landmark insurance overhaul on a 60-39 vote.
    (Harry Hamburg / AP)

    Associated Press
    WASHINGTON – Senate Democrats passed a landmark health care bill in a climactic Christmas Eve vote that could define President Barack Obama’s legacy and usher in near-universal medical coverage for the first time in the country’s history. The 60-39 vote on a cold winter morning capped months of arduous negotiations and 24 days of floor debate. It also followed a succession of failures by past congresses to get to this point. Vice President Joe Biden presided as 58 Democrats and two independents voted “yes.” Republicans unanimously voted “no.” Read more.

    Video: Senate passes historic health care bill

    Video: Obama reflects on ‘century-long struggle’

    Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

    Video: Senate Dems praise health bill’s passage

    Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy



     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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