Ethiopia Travel Alert

Washington D.C. – The State Department alerts U.S. citizens residing in or traveling to Ethiopia of the upcoming elections scheduled for May 24, 2015. U.S. citizens are urged to exercise caution and remain abreast of the security situation throughout the electoral period. This Travel Alert expires on June 30, 2015.

The State Department recommends U.S. citizens maintain a high level of security awareness during the electoral period and avoid political rallies, polling centers, demonstrations, and crowds of any kind as instances of unrest can occur. Review your personal security plans; remain aware of your surroundings, including local events; and monitor local news stations for updates. Although there have been no specific incidents of violence targeting U.S. citizens, U.S. citizens are urged to exercise caution and stay current with media coverage of local events. Election results are scheduled to be announced June 22, 2015.

During previous elections, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) required all diplomats and international organization staff living in Addis Ababa to receive an official pass from the MFA if they planned to travel outside of Addis Ababa during the election season. While not in effect this election, the U.S. Embassy continues to urge U.S. citizens to be aware of election sensitivities. We especially recommend avoiding public polling stations on the day of the election, including schools and other public buildings. In Addis Ababa alone there will be nearly 1,600 polling stations – roughly one polling station for every kilometer.

We strongly recommend that U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Ethiopia enroll in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program(STEP) at travel.state.gov. STEP enrollment gives you the latest security updates, and makes it easier for the U.S. Embassy or nearest U.S. Consulate to contact you in an emergency. If you do not have Internet access, contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate to enroll directly.

Regularly monitor the State Department’s website, where you can find current Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and the Worldwide Caution. Read the Country Specific Information for Ethiopia. For additional information, refer to the “Traveler’s Checklist” on the State Department’s website.

The U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa is located at Entoto Street, P.O. Box 1014. The Consular Section of the Embassy may be reached by telephone: +251-111-306000 or e-mail at consacs@state.gov, and is open Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. For after-hours emergencies, U.S. citizens should call +251-111-306911 or 011-130-6000 and ask to speak with the duty officer.

Source: U.S. State Department

This source have been taken frrom the internet link http://www.ethiosports.com/2015/05/16/ethiopia-travel-alert/

'It's degrading,' says Ethiopian-Israeli soldier beaten by police

By Oren Liebermann, CNN
Updated 2129 GMT (0429 HKT) May 4, 2015
(HAARETZ) At least 500 people gathered in Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square on Sunday afternoon to protest police brutality toward Israeli Jews of Ethiopian descent.

Jerusalem (CNN)The Ethiopian Jewish soldier at the center of a viral beating video that has sparked protests across Israel says he supports the anti-racism demonstrations, but condemns the violent clashes that erupted.

Cpl. Demas Fikadey, 21, told CNN he was a block away from his house in Holon, a suburb of Tel Aviv, when he tried to cross the street. Fikadey says an officer stopped him from crossing, then grabbed his bike and cell phone. Fikadey says he urged the police officer not to use force, but by then, another officer had joined in. Please read more about from the link http://edition.cnn.com/2015/05/04/world/israel-ethiopian-soldier/

Police violence on protesters in Addis Ababa

Police violence on protesters in Addis Ababa 
By Reuters
April 22, 2015 

Protesters started gathering at Addis Ababa's Meskel Square at dawn to denounce Islamic State. “We will not bow down to terrorism!” one placard carried by a young boy said. Another read: “The world must be united against terrorism.”ADDIS ABABA - Demonstrators hurled stones and police fired teargas as emotions ran high at a mass rally in Ethiopia's capital on Wednesday commemorating 30 compatriots shot and beheaded by Islamic State militants in Libya, witnesses said.

One man at the government-organized rally, who said he was a university professor, said many in the crowd were angry that jobless Ethiopians still felt they had to travel to places like Libya in the hope of crossing over to a better life in Europe.

He also accused the authorities of clamping down on free speech. “Even the chanting [at the rally] was led by the government,” he said. “We do not have the power to speak.” please read more from http://www.ethiomedia.com/101facts/4691.html

በሊቢያ፣ በየመንና በደቡብ አፍሪካ ለተጎዱት ኢትዮጵያውያን ጸሎተ ሐዘንና መልዕክት

በሊቢያ፣ በየመንና በደቡብ አፍሪካ ለተጎዱት ኢትዮጵያውያን ጸሎተ ሐዘንና መልዕክት – ከቀሲስ አስተርአየ ጽጌ – (ፍኖተ ዲሞክራሲ ሬድዮ)

April 23, 2015

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ሊቢያ፣ በየመንና በደቡብ አፍሪካ ለተጎዱት ኢትዮጵያውያን ጸሎተ ሐዘንና መልዕክት – ከቀሲስ አስተርአየ ጽጌ – (ፍኖተ ዲሞክራሲ ሬድዮ)

http://ecadforum.com/Amharic/archives/14875/

‘Declaration of Principles’ signed by Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia

March 24, 2015
In an important step towards resolving a long-running dispute over the Grand Renaissance Dam, the leaders of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan have signed in Khartoum a declaration of principles as follows

File photo: A general view shows construction activity on the Grand Renaissance dam in Guba Woreda, Benishangul Gumuz region March 16, 2014 (Photo: Reuters)

Ahram Online publishes a translated version of the “Declaration of Principles” signed by Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia in a step to put an end to a four-year dispute over Nile water sharing arrangements among Nile Basin countries. Ten principles are outlined in the document signed by the three countries.

Introduction

Valuing the increasing need of the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Republic of the Sudan for their over-border water sources, and realising the importance of the Nile River as a source of life and a vital source for the development of the people of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan, the three countries have committed themselves to the following principles concerning the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam:

1. Principle of cooperation:
– Cooperation based on mutual understanding, common interest, good intentions, benefits for all, and the principles of international law.
– Cooperation in understanding the water needs of upstream and downstream countries across all their lands. Please read the whole declaration principles from http://ecadforum.com/2015/03/24/declaration-signed-by-egypt-sudan-and-ethiopia/

“Jacky Gosee shown us what makes Ethiopians special” Samrawit Tessema

March 17, 2015
by Samrawit Tessema

As a poet and writer, I know, as much as any artist, that words touch people. The way I have touched people and the way that people have touched me were done artistically.
Gossaye Kellemu, also known as Jacky Gosee, has touched me in a way others artists didn’t. That came from the simplest fact that he is one of the few people that helps me remember Ethiopia in a way that others don’t. Jacky Gosee has shown us that love, faith, pride and hope is what makes Ethiopians special. Not by the materialistic objects, but by the faith of our God. Not by the ethnic division, but by the touch of one hand. Not by separation, but by unification. Unification of all the generations, regardless of their ethnicity, social background and class. He has made me trust artists for I give him the respect that he truly deserves. Please read more from http://ecadforum.com/2015/03/17/jacky-gosee-shown-us-what-makes-ethiopians-special/

Ethiopia’s stifled press

Correction: An earlier version of this editorial incorrectly reported that Ethiopia’s government closed five newspapers and one magazine within the past year. The government shut five magazines and one newspaper in 2014, according to Human Rights Watch. The following version has been updated.

By Editorial Board February 9

 

WHILE ENJOYING its status as an international development darling, Ethiopia has been chipping away at its citizens’ freedom of expression. The country now holds the shameful distinction of having the second-most journalists in exile in the world, after Iran. That combination of Western subsidies and political persecution should not be sustainable. 

According to a new report by Human Rights Watch, at least 60 journalists have fled the country since 2010, including 30 last year, and at least 19 have been imprisoned. Twenty-two faced criminal charges in 2014. The government closed five magazines and a newspaper within the past year, leaving Ethiopia with no independent private media outlets. With the country headed toward elections in May, the pressure on the media has undermined the prospect of a free and fair vote. Please read mor about from link http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/crackdown-in-ethiopia/2015/02/08/ad1e6bce-abef-11e4-ad71-7b9eba0f87d6_story.html

Documentary:U.S Policy:ETHIOPIA A FAILED STATE!

Even if we knew what existed in Ethiopia for more reference please watch the following documentary film titled"

U.S Policy:ETHIOPIA A FAILED STATE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikVl6auH83w 

 

Should Ethiopians Boycott the Upcoming Fake Election in Ethiopia?

January 19, 2015

More Crackdowns Lock Out Opposition Groups from Political Participation

“If we do not have a proper multiparty democracy, this country is going to end up like Somalia. This is imperative” he said. “It is up to the people to decide on how many seats should be given to the opposition and how many to the ruling party.” (Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn) . Please have more from http://ecadforum.com/2015/01/19/should-ethiopians-boycott-the-upcoming-fake-election-in-ethiopia/

TPLF shockingly admits failures in Ethiopia By Admasu Belay

Since it came to power over 20 years ago, the TPLF regime has always declared its achievements in Ethiopia’s political and economic sectors. Everybody knows the state media ETV and its daily nonstop propaganda of how much better Ethiopia has become over the years. Not only that, TPLF has been telling the international community about how it changed and transformed Ethiopia. So much so, that it had even deceived some Bush and Obama adminstration officials to believe its lies.
Please read more from the internett link http://www.abugidainfo.com/index.php/22909/

ከ9ኙ ፓርዎች ትብብር የተሰጠ መግለጫ

ከ9ኙ ፓርዎች ትብብር የተሰጠ መግለጫ፣ 

ማስፈራራትና አፈና የዲሞክራሲ ጥያቄዎችንና ሰላማዊ ህዝባዊ የለውጥ  እንቅስቃሴዎችን ኣይቀለብስም በማለት መግለጫ ኣውጥትዋል። ሙሉውን መልእክት ኣባከወን ይህን የኢንተርኔት ሊንክ በመጠቆም ከፍተው ያንብቡት http://ecadforum.com/Amharic/archives/13760/

Ethiopia Court Requests Detailed Terror Charges Against Bloggers

By William Davison, Bloomberg An Ethiopian court asked prosecutors to amend charges so they specify the acts of terrorism that 10 bloggers and journalists are alleged to have been plotting, a defense lawyer said. The order was made Wednesday at the Federal High Court in the capital, Addis Ababa, where nine out of the 10 accused are standing trial for collaborating with a U.S.-based opposition group, Ginbot 7, which is classified as a terrorist organization by Ethiopia’s government.



 The charges “simply say these suspects organized themselves and designed terrorism without mentioning what kind of terrorism did they plot as defined under Article 3” of a 2009 anti-terrorism law, Ameha Mekonnen, the defense lawyer, said Wednesday in an interview in Addis Ababa. - See more at:http://www.zehabesha.com/ethiopia-court-requests-detailed-terror-charges-against-bloggers/

The day Ethiopian protestors shut a busy street in Brussels

November 8, 2014
by Robele Ababya
Tribute to heroic Ethiopian protestors in Brussels
I had the privilege to watch, with tears choking my eyes, the stunning demonstration, in front of the EU Headquarters, by heroic Ethiopians that shut a busy street in Brussels. Ethiopians converging in a display of colorful unity from all over Europe and probably beyond made history by their unique act of patriotism.
The mammoth demonstration was no doubt necessitated by the complete denial of fundamental freedom of expression and gross violations of human rights by the brutal TPLF regime in Ethiopia during its dictatorial rule of the last 23 years and counting. These heinous crimes of the ruling regime are well recorded by respectable international organizations – and even by those powers in the Western industrialized democracies such as the United Kingdom and the United States that nevertheless keep the genocidal regime afloat with generous all round support including military, security, and direct financial assistance at the expense of the taxpayers of their citizens.
Please read more from the link http://ecadforum.com/2014/11/08/the-day-ethiopian-protestors-shut-a-busy-street-in-brussels/

EPRP NORWAY SECTION IN ACTION

Woayne Embassy in Stockholm Occupied for an Hour

Today, on September 30, 2014 members and supporters of the EPRP Norwy occupied the Woyane «Ethiopian» Embassy in Stockholm. The protest is organized by members of the EPRP’s Youth League, Women Wing and supporters. The protesters peacefully stormed the Embassy and demanded for the immediate release of the disappeared leaders and members of the EPRP. The Woyane regime still has not disclosed about their whereabouts. None of the disappeared was ever brought before a court of law.  Please see more from https://articles2u.wordpress.com/2014/10/01/eprp-norway-section-in-action/ 

                                              See the above you tube video that

                                     EPRP Norway Section in Action at Stockholm 

Inside Ethiopian Embassy to ask where about the disappeared EPRP members by Woyanie.

 

Demanding the release of Andargachew Tsige (Europe wide rally in London)

British citizen has been abducted nearly 3 month ago in a country called Yemen, the British government not doing much about it, British government didn’t ask his immediate release or return to the UK. We wonder why? Is that because he is black?” Demonstrators

Ethiopia’s Satellite Jamming Condemned

June 9, 2014
The Association for International Broadcasting (AIB) has condemned intentional jamming of broadcasts carried on Arabsat and Eutelsat satellites.
Programming from a range of regional and international broadcasters has been affected by jamming that technical research shows emanates from the territory of Ethiopia.
The jamming has affected AIB Members including the BBC, Deutsche Welle, France 24 and Voice of America, as well as a number of other channels from the Middle East and North America.
The deliberate harmful interference targeting Arabsat and Eutelsat and the broadcast channels these two satellite operators carry for viewers and listeners across the Middle East and Africa contravenes international agreements that govern the operation of satellite systems and the use of the radio frequency spectrum.
Please read more about from http://ecadforum.com/blog/ethiopias-satellite-jamming-condemned/

Ethiopia detains bloggers and journalist

Security forces arrest six bloggers and a journalist in latest crackdown on opposition voices.

The Ethiopian government has arrested six independent bloggers and a journalist in what human rights group Amnesty International has called a "suffocating grip on freedom of expression". Six members of independent blogger and activist group ‘Zone 9’ and a prominent Ethiopian journalist were arrested on Friday in the capital Addis Ababa. Please read more http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/04/ethiopia-detains-bloggers-journalist-2014426163222797965.html

Malaysia Airlines Families Faint, Cry, Scream Over News

The family members of the passengers on board Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 screamed, cried and fainted when they were told by airline officials today there was no hope their loved ones would be found alive.

At the Lido Hotel in Beiijing, where some families have been gathering for a painful 17 days awaiting news, one woman was so overcome with grief that she fainted and had to be taken out on a stretcher. Get All the Latest Updates on the Vanished Malaysia Airlines Plane
 
The announcement that officials believe the jetliner plunged into a remote part of the Indian Ocean triggered an explosion of grief and anger. Cries of anguish could be heard coming from a room where relatives had congregated. Women screamed and men cursed and the live news conference from Malaysia was cut off. About 50 police officers arrived and at least one scuffle broke out.
A woman emerged to tell the media, "Tell the world it is not true, it's wrong," she pleaded. Other slapped at the cameras and microphones of the media.
"My children didn’t die, they must have been hidden somewhere," a woman wailed. "How can I trust this government?"

Within minutes of the presser beginning, an ambulance pulled up at the hotel and three stretchers were taken inside. The security and family members are screaming at the press to get out of the way. One woman was hunched over on a stretcher wailing as a medic rubbed her back and asked her to try to calm down.
A Chinese woman told ABC News that she and her husband got emails in English that they could not expect any survivors.

At the Hotel Bangi Putrajaya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where the doomed flight originated, a one family emerged from a meeting with officials walking hand in hand and crying. Another group could be heard crying loudly from inside the hotel room.
Others were clearly distraught. One crying woman hit the wall and yelled something which could not be understood.Read more about from http://gma.yahoo.com/malaysia-airlines-families-faint-cry-scream-over-news-144120912--abc-news-topstories.html

Ethiopia's super food export dilemma

Reuters Videos 1:32 mins

International demand for Ethiopia's staple cereal is growing in the west as its super food creditials are endorsed by celebrities. But as Hayley Platt reports the government is reluctant to allow teff exports in case it leads to price rises at home. See more from http://news.yahoo.com/video/ethiopias-super-food-export-dilemma-132954052.html

Malaysian leader: Plane's disappearance deliberate

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The missing Malaysian jetliner was deliberately diverted and continued flying for more than six hours after losing contact with the ground, meaning it could have gone as far northwest as Kazakhstan or into the Indian Ocean's southern reaches, Malaysia's leader said Saturday.

Related Stories 

• Foul Play on Flight 370, Malaysia's Leader Says The Wall Street Journal
• Lost passenger jet was diverted deliberately: Malaysian PM Reuters
• Top Asian News at 9:00 a.m. GMT Associated Press
• Top Asian News at 9:30 a.m. GMT Associated Press

Prime Minister Najib Razak's statement confirmed days of mounting speculation that the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 to Beijing more than a week ago was not accidental. It refocused the investigation into the flight's crew and passengers and underlined the massive task for searchers who already have been scouring vast areas of ocean.

"Clearly the search for MH370 has entered a new phase," Najib said at a televised news conference. Najib stressed that investigators were looking into all possibilities as to why the Boeing 777 deviated so drastically from its original flight path, saying authorities could not confirm whether it was a hijacking. Earlier Saturday, a Malaysian official said the plane had been hijacked, though he added that no motive had been established and no demands had been made known.

"In view of this latest development, the Malaysian authorities have refocused their investigation into the crew and passengers on board," Najib told reporters, reading from a written statement but not taking any questions.

Police on Saturday drove into the residential compound where the missing plane's pilot lives in Kuala Lumpur, according a guard and several local reporters who were barred from entering the complex. Authorities have said they will investigate the pilots as part of their probe, but have released no information about how they are progressing.

Malaysia Prime Minister: 'Deliberate Act'  … Play video

Experts have previously said that whoever disabled the plane's communication systems and then flew the jet must have had a high degree of technical knowledge and flying experience. One possibility they have raised was that one of the pilots wanted to commit suicide.

The plane was carrying 239 people when it departed for an overnight flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing at 12:40 a.m. on March 8. Its communications with civilian air controllers were severed at about 1:20 a.m., and the jet went missing — heralding one of the most puzzling mysteries in modern aviation history. Please read more from http://news.yahoo.com/malaysian-leader-planes-disappearance-deliberate-064752321.html