Stories about Ethiopia from July, 2006
Somalia, Ethiopia: Mystery plane
Reject the Ethiopian Invasion! picks up on reports of a mystery aircraft which landed at Mogadishu, rumored to be carrying arms from Eritrea. “The last thing Somalia needs is more arms,” the blogger writes. There is also part of a transcript of the U.S. State Department media briefing which dealt...
Ethiopia: Eritrean weapons
Ethioblog posts news reports quoting the Somali government as saying that Eritrea has sent a plane full of weapons to the Islamists who now control the southern part of the country, attracting a wide range of opinion from commentators.
Appeal for Ethiopians in Lebanon
Ethiopian Politics is in the processes of contacting the Red Cross, Amnesty International and UNHCR regarding the problem of Ethiopian nationals trapped in Lebanon. “We ask all concerned Ethiopians to join us in voicing the plight of our brothers and sisters to anyone who may be in a position to...
Africans in Lebanon
Black Looks reports that an estimated 20,000 Ethiopians as well as Nigerians, Ghanaians, Sudanese and Somalis working in Lebanon, many of whom were trafficked there, are being “left to fend for themselves without money or papers.”
Ethiopia, Somalia: Potential bloodshed
On the appearance of Ethiopian troops in Somalia, Yebo Gogo writes: “I hope all parties will find a way to walk away before more blood is shed, but this has the potential to be a long, deadly conflict.”
Ethiopia: Funeral blues
Lela Tensae gives a witty and detailed portrait of funeral rites among Ethiopians in the United States. “The worst type of funeral for me is when the deceased is in the age bracket of 65 to 80. The deceased probably was hiding during the Italian invasion or was titled by...
French-Speaking Bloggers on Rabat Conference on Migration
What Will the Conference Bring? Says France-based African blogger Le Pangolin, Du 10 au 11 juillet 2006, s'est tenue à Rabat au Maroc, la première rencontre interministérielle euro-africaine sur les problèmes des migrations entre ces deux continents.Elle a regroupé 57 pays africains et européens et certaines organisations humanitaires qui se...
Ethiopia: Call to action
Weichegud! calls for action urging the U.S. Congress to vote for the H.R. 5680 bill, “To encourage and facilitate the consolidation of security, human rights, democracy, and economic freedom in Ethiopia.”
Somalia: Ethiopian troops
Voice of Somaliland Diaspora and Ethioblog take note of a BBC news report that Ethiopian troops have been seen on Somali soil.
Ethiopia: Wolfowitz statement
Ethioblog takes issue with recent “disheartening” comments from World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz, who traveled to Ethiopia a few days ago. He calls them “guarded to the point of being empty even by diplomatic standards, contrast sharply with donor language just six months ago.”
Nigeria, Ethiopia: Lebanon evacuations
Ethioblog takes note of a report that Nigeria has begun evacuating its nationals from Lebanon, and is also helping Ethiopians, Ghanaians, Senegalese and citizens of other African countries to leave.
Ethiopia: Scale of happiness
Ethiopia has been ranked 144th on a 178-nation survey of happiness ratings, writes Ethioblog. The Happy Planet Index measures life satisfaction, life expectancy and ecological footprint.
Ethiopia: Various issues
Andrew Heavens at Meskel Square points to a stunning level of vagueness on the part of the Ethiopian official media when reporting what Prime Minister Meles Zenawi actually did at the African Union leaders’ summit July 1-2. He also links to his journalistic debut for the Ethiopian news agency.
Africa: Lessons Learned from Mittal Steel
Lessons drawn by Le Pangolin from the recent acquisition by Indian-owned steel company Mittal Steel of European-owned Arcelor (Fr): ” Economic actors of developing countries can really change the world if they are so inclined. (…) The West is not invincible.”
Sounds of Africa
As you read this the World Cup is in it's Semi Final stages with Italy knocking the host Germany out. So far it has been a wonderful festival of football with heroes created and reborn. Ghana made it to the last 16 and made all of us proud. Other African...
Ethiopia's blogosphere takes a hit
Ethiopia's once burgeoning blogging scene took a hit over the past few weeks after the bulk of its weblogs mysteriously disappeared from computer screens inside the country. All online journals hosted on Blogger's blogspot platform – about two thirds of the Ethio blogosphere – are still affected – as are...
Africa: Is Homosexuality a Religion?
France-based Togolese Blogger Kangni Alem reflected on homosexuality in Africa recently. Namely, he tackled claims by some on the continent that homosexuality is a heretic religion. In the process, he mentioned recent “outings” of public figures. A debate ensued that involved Martinique's lesbian blogger Le Blog de [Moi] who'd read...
