US legislators tell Ethiopia to reform or lose aid

US legislators tell Ethiopia to reform or lose aid

Wed 3 Oct 2007

NAIROBI, Oct 3 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that would force Ethiopia, one of Washington's strongest military partners in Africa, to make democratic reforms or else lose security aid.
The bill, passed on Tuesday, would also deny U.S. entry visas to Ethiopian government officials involved in what it calls human rights violations, unless the president authorises a waiver, according to a copy obtained from a congressional Web site.
But the bill exempts counter-terrorism and peacekeeping operations from any funding restrictions, both roles that Ethiopia is playing in the aftermath of a war to install a U.S.-backed government in neighbouring Somalia.
The vote came nearly two years after two violent protests over May 2005 election results left nearly 200 dead when protesters claiming vote-rigging clashed with security forces.
That, and a subsequent trial of opposition members including those who won seats in parliament and other positions, led to criticism from rights groups and the withholding of certain aid by the European Union and Britain.
The bill would withhold aid unless Ethiopia accepts outside human rights monitoring, fosters an independent judiciary and media, and permits U.S.-funded assistance to those ends.
The bill passed on Tuesday in Washington, D.C., still needs U.S. Senate approval and a presidential signature before it becomes a law.
Reuters

Somali Fighting Intensifies; Hundreds Are Arrested, Police Say

Somali Fighting Intensifies; Hundreds Are Arrested, Police Say

By Ahmed Barre Ibrahem
Sept. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Fighting between government forces and Islamic insurgents intensified overnight in the Somali capital Mogadishu with attacks on police stations and Ethiopian army bases, a police spokesman said.
At least 100 insurgents were slain and 45 Somali soldiers killed or injured after insurgents attacked three police stations and two Ethiopian army bases, deputy police spokesman Abdullahi Nur Omar said in an interview today in the city. About 700 people suspected of assisting the insurgents have been arrested, he said.
Violence in the capital of the Horn of Africa nation has escalated since Ethiopian troops helped the United Nations- backed Transitional Federal Government, or TFG, oust the Islamic Courts militia from southern and central Somalia in January. Somalia has been without a central government since Mohammed Siad Barre's administration collapsed in 1991.
By yesterday, at least 2,000 Somali families had fled their homes in the northern parts of Mogadishu following the skirmishes, Nur Omar said yesterday. More families are leaving the capital today.
About 11,000 people have fled the fighting in Mogadishu this month alone, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR, said today. Since February, 40,000 people have moved to Afgooye, about 30 kilometers (18 miles) west of the capital.
An opposition alliance of more than 400 Somali clan leaders, Islamists, and other political figures met in Eritrea this month and called for the overthrow of the interim government. The alliance has vowed to drive Ethiopian troops and 1,600 Ugandan peacekeepers, who were sent by the African Union, from Mogadishu.
To contact the reporter on this story: Ahmed Barre Ibrahem in Mogadishu via Johannesburg at asguazzin@bloomberg.net

Eessa irraa garam?

Qabsoo ummata Oromoo Adda Bilisummaa Oromoon gaggeeffamu jireenya Saba Oromoo keessatti injiffannoo guddaa galmeessee jira. Qaanqeen warraaqsaa gootota Oromoon bar kudhan sadi dura qabsiifamtee golee Oromiyaa hedduu keessa faca'uun ara'a ummatni keenya akka mirga isaaf itti himiinsa malee falmatu taasiftee jirti. Ummatni keenya Bara 1992 booda fincilla didddaa gabrummaa guututti dhaabaan osoo hin dhuunfatamin bakka addaa addaatti gaggeessa turee fi jiru; qabsoon kabajaa mulqamnee fi bilisummaa sarbamne deebifachuuf godhaa jirru kan murnoota maqaa Oromoon ijaaraman qofa irratti dhiifamu osoo hin taane dhimma isaa akka tahe tolchee hubachuu agarsiisa. Haa tahu malee sochiin ummataa hundi galii akeekatte gahuuf bifa ijaarsatiin qindeeffamuu fi gaggeeffamuu barbaachifti. Milkii sochii ummata tokkoof dammaqiinsi ummata sanaa akkuma murteessaa tahe, jaarmaya isa hoogganu qara, baranee fi kan haala ummataa isaa, naannoo fi addunyaa hubatee tooftaa fi tarsiimoo qabsoo qiyaasu isa feesisa. Addi bilisummaa Oromoo akka jaarmayaa fi murna isaa hoogganuttis warreegama guddaa kan baasee fi qabsoo ummata Oromoo bakka jalqabe irraa tarkaanfii tokko fuula dura kan fudhachiiise tahus yeroo ar,aa kana hoogganni jiru haala qabsoo keenyaa, haala naannoo fi addunyaa waliin tarkaanfachiisuu, irratt tarkaanfachuun hafnaan daaddee dadhabee waan gangalataa ykn konkolaataa jiru fakkaata. Sababni isaas;

1. Bara 1998 irraa kaasee baratootni Oromoo bifaa hoo'aa taheen qabsoo irraa qooda fudhachuun gaaffii sabaa fi miidhaa isa irraa gahu ifa baasuu fi ummatni keenya qabsoo isaa akka finiinsu kakasuuf warraagama guddaa baasuu fi qaamaanis qabsoo hidhaannootti dabalamanii diina irratti duuluuf bakka hundaan bobba'uun ni yaadanna. Hedduun isaanii dhaabatti dabalamuuf biyya keessatti naannoo WBOn jirutti bobbaa'uu fi kan carraa kana hin argatin yookan daandiin hin qajeeliniif biyya ollaatti bahuu dhaan dhaaba qunnamanis dhadhabii hoogganni kun agarsiiseen humni, dandeettiin fi lubbuun isaan qabsoon saba Oromoo ittiin gabbisuuf warreegamaaf qopheessan, qabsoof ooluu dadhabdee, ijoolleen Oromoo qabsoo dhaaf biyyaa maatii, hojii fi barnoota dhiisanii bahan biyyoota ollaa keessatti beelaa fi dhukkubaan dararamaa turan, jiran. Kanneen danda'ameefii dirree leenjisaa dhaqan dhaabni ykn hoogganni ABO qabsoo saba keenyaa gara humnaatti jijjiiruuf ilaalcha guddaa laachuu hanqachuu irraa bu'aa buusuu hanqatan, hedduun isaanii ammoo hojii ofirraa baasuu ykn hojii bilchinaa fi qaraannoo gahaa malee hogganni kun raawwatuun gammoojii biyyoota ollaa keessatti humna diinaatiin akaayaman.

2. Bifa fakkaataan kanneen barootaaf diina waliin dalagaa turan waggoota jahan dabran keessa dhaaba keenyaatti harka laachuu fi ummata isaanii badii irratti dalaganiif hojjachuuf qaphii tahanii dhihaatanis, muuxannoo diinaa keessatti isaan qabanitti gargaaramuun hojii raawwatamuu male raawwatuun hin danda'amne.

3. Beekomsa ykn odeessa an qabu irraa addi bilisummaa Oromoo takkayyuu ogeessota waraanaa sadarkaa ammaa qabuu argatee hin beeku, seenaa waggaa 30 olii keessatti. Humni waraanaa jeneraalotaan durfamu mooraa diina oneessee dhaaba kanatti gale maal irra akka jiru namni beekaa? Waan irra jiran hunda beekuu hin qabnu, garuu dhimma Oromoo wanni ilaalu gaariin raawwatame xinnatu kanneen halkaniif fi guyyaa gurra baasanii sochii qabsoo hordofan jalaa dhokata jedhee hin yaadu. Sodaan ture akkuma kanneen asiin dura dhaaba kannatti dabalamanii ukkaamsamuu dha. Akka natti mul'atutti sodaan kun dhugaa tahuu irraa fagaata hin jedhu. Seenaa dhaaba kanaa keessatti hoogganni turee fi amma jirus ofii dandeetti qabuun hooggana hojii waraanaas tahe siyaasaa akkasumas diplomasii raawwatan leenjise hin qabu. Yoo tolchinee ilaalle ganna 40 booda sammuu fi nammootni qabsoo kana hoogganan hin jijjiiramne, bakkuma 1974 sana jirra. Akkuma namni dhalate guddatee, jaaree dabru yoo kan biraa bakka hin buune sanyiin isaa dhabamu, murni kamuu kan of jijiiruu hin dandeenye ni dhabame. Beekkomsaa fi dandeettiin akka qabeenya lakkaawamuu kaayanii guyyaa du'an wal hin dhaalchisan, osoo jiran wal barsiisanii nama biraa bakka buusan. Gabaabamatti akka adeemsa irraa agarrutti haalli amma jiru dhaaba kana mataa irraa gadi haala ajjeesaa deemuu dha.

4. Qabxiin biroo, kan bira dabruu hin dandeenye, dhalootni itti aanu akka dhibdee kana keessaa bahee jaarmaya kana muuxachiisee as hin baane rakkoon guddaan furamuuf ulfaatu, beekkan, ykn ir'ina hunbannootatiin uumamaa. Ir'ina dandeettii dhaabni kun qabu amanuu diddaa rakkoo amma jirtu faallaatti akka hubatamu godhamaa jira. akka jaarmayaatti ir'ina jiru furuu ykn sabani Oromoo akka furatu haala aanjessuu irra, dhiibdee jiru namootatti haqatuu, caasaa gandummaa gubbaa irraa hanga gadiitii diririisuun humnaa fi yeroo waan bu'aa hin qabne irratti hooggannii ofii isaatiif dabarsuu irra dabree akka miseensotni dhaabaas yeroo isaan qisaanan gochaa jiru. Kun ammoo akka fuula duras furmaata hin arganne ilmaan Oromoo giddutti shakkii ummuu irra dabree jibbaa hin barbaachifne akka uumu godha. Kaleessa akka Galaasaa Dilboo wal dorgomii aangoo fi dadhabii isaa haguuguuf qabsaawota dhaalootaan naannoo bahaa gama kaaniin ammoo giddu galeessa bahaa fi kibbaa bahaatti dhalatan walitti naqee ofii manguddoo araaraa tahee gidduu taa'aa turee fi yoo inni bakka sana hin jiraanne qabsoon Oromoo akka killee lafa dooftee kan caccapxu fakkeessaa turee, fi dadhaabbii dhugaa irratti akka hin haasayamne godhaa turetti, ar,as sabboontatni Oromoo haala jiru bifaa dhugaatiin akka hubatuu hanqatan godhamaa jira.

5. Gidduu kana "congressinal hearing" dhimma Itoophiyaa irratti godhamuuf deemu keessa Addi Bilisummaa Oromoo bahee, kanneen ganna sadi maqaan isaanii hin dhagahamne kan akka ONLF, CUD, fi nammotni dhuumfaan afeeraman dhaabni keenya nama miliyoona 40 bakka bahu, madaala kaasuu hanqatee keessa hambifame waan jedhu yoo dhageenyu maaltuu nutti dhagahama? Diplomacy wanni jedhu nuuf hin barbaachifne moo lakki hojjatuu dadhabne, yookn ammoo ONLF irra jibbamne?

Akkuma armaa olitti tuqe haalli qabsoon keenya keessa jirtu heeduu gaaga'aa dha. Kana keessaa bahuuf tokkummaa feesisa. Dhaabni nuti jaalanu, wareegama bifa hedduu itti baafnee fi lammiin keenya itti cilee tahe yoo dhibdee ykn summii shakkii gubbaa irraa gadi facaatu kana faccisuu hin dandeenya maqaa qofatti hafuuf deema.

Lammiin Oromoo baroota dheeraaf qabsoo isaa dhimma murna tokkoo godhee irratti ilaaluu, badduu fi toltu isaanuma dhageeffatuu aadaa godhatee jira. Akka gubbaa irratti tuqeetti biyya keessatti jijjiiramni hedduun jiraatus, hedduun keenya hanga ar'aatti "yoo dhaabni keenya akkas jedhe jechuu malee" dhimmi qabsoo Oromoo akkuma murna dhaaba kana gaggeessuu kan nu ilaalu tahuu hubachaa hin jirru. Yoo dhaabni ijaa ykn qarayyoo saba keenyaa tahe osoo ijaan ilaalu dadhabbii hooggana kanaa ykn itti gaafatamu Oromummaa akka lammiitti fuchachuu dhabuu keenyaa rasasuma keenyaan madaa'ee haala du'aa fi jireenyaa keessatti argamu harka marannee ilaaluun yakka guddaadha.


Hubachiisa

Kanneen qabsoo saba isaaniif waggaa soddomaa ol jireenya isaanii wareegan hafnaan ilma Oromoo guyyaa tokkoof mirga saba isaatiif jireenya guyyaa tokkoo wareegeefuu kabajaa guddaan qaba. Kanneen ar'a dhaaba kana hoogganan wareegama daangaa hin qabne akka baasan nan beeka. Yoo gama dhimma sana keenyaatti deebinee garuu jireenyaa fi wareegama namoota irra kan sabaa fi biyyaa waan caaluuf, wareegamni isaan baasan ija keenya haguugee dhugaa awwaaluu waan hin qabneef kana yaada kiyya akka ibsashe, kanneen akka tasaa barruu kana dubbiftan akka naaf hubatan gaafadha

HGW

Domestic and Regional Turmoil Color Ethiopia's Millennium Celebration

Lauren Gelfand Bio 20 Sep 2007 LONDON -- Pomp, pagentry and the hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas accompanied Ethiopia's celebration of its entry into the third millennium, seven years after the rest of the world but in line with the Coptic calendar of the Horn of Africa nation.But with the exchange of fiery rhetoric threatening to upset a fragile peace with neighbor Eritrea, new broadsides in the internal conflict raging in the Ogaden region on the country's border with Somalia, and dissatisfaction with progress toward improved social welfare, Ethiopia has entered the 21st century much the way it wrapped up the 20th: divided and poor.In honor of the Sept. 11 and 12 celebrations, the capital, Addis Ababa, was lit up with fireworks that cast long shadows on the expensive civic projects funded by the increasingly unpopular government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.The elite -- few and far between in the country of 70 million people that is ranked 170 of 179 on the U.N. Human Development Index -- attended lavish celebrations at five-star hotels, including the Sheraton, considered one of Africa's most luxurious.Many among them are members of the Ethiopian diaspora, some of the more than 35,000 people who flew home from around the world, from Washington, D.C. to London.For those diasporans who remained in their adopted cities, there were parties galore: London's Trafalgar square hosted a concert attracting some 10,000 people, and Ethiopian restaurants around the United States advertised banquets, music and dance parties."People think of starving children and famine and poverty when they think of Ethiopia, when really we are a country where civilization took root and created sophisticated arts and music and education," said one Addis native in London, an artist who refused to give her name, hunched over a plate of spicy chicken in sauce at a south London Ethiopian restaurant."This millennium party is a chance for us to change the way our country is perceived. Politics should not enter into the equation, it should be about partying and celebrating!"'There is Nothing'For the average Ethiopian, however, unable to shell out the equivalent of two months' salary for the extravagant parties, there seemed to be little on offer to preserve a festive mood.Many of the planned festivities, including the annual racing of the Great Ethiopian Run, a "Taste of Ethiopia" celebration of national cuisine and a free concert hosted by the Rastafarian community, were all cancelled by the government amid "security concerns."Many residents of the capital spent the evening in church, following marathon prayers with meals of roasted goat and the spongy sourdough flatbread known as injera.But even their festive meals were bare of the berberi spices essential to the traditional "wat" sauce that flavors many dishes. Price hikes put hot peppers out of reach for most of the population, leading many to decry the 21st century as the "pepperless millennium."So glum were residents of the capital that a wry joke was making the rounds, both of Addis Ababa and the international media: What's Amharic for Millennium? The answer: minnum yellum, which literally translates to "there is nothing."Ogaden Humanitarian CrisisFurther east, in the Ogaden region on the border with Somalia, the atmosphere was anything but festive.An untold number of refugees have flooded into makeshift camps, escaping rape, looting and murderous rampages perpetrated by Ethiopian troops and civilians on the mostly-Muslim population living in the triangle that juts into Somalia.The Coptic Christian regime has launched a major crackdown on the mostly ethnic Somali and Muslim population of Ogaden, fueled, according to the Meles government, by its opposition to the independence-seeking rebel Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF).For nearly two decades, the ONLF has fought both with force and through diplomatic efforts to end what it considers the region's systematic marginalization by Addis Ababa.In ramping up efforts to crack down on the ONLF, however, humanitarian organizations including Médecins Sans Frontières have warned that civilians are facing collective punishment and being deprived of humanitarian aid -- a public pronouncement that has resulted in the organization's ouster from the region.Three of the worst-affected areas have been decreed off limits to both MSF and the International Committee of the Red Cross, leaving an estimated 400,000 people in a very precarious state, with limited access to food, clean water and medical care.Next Page: 'There is a humanitarian crisis' . . ."There is a humanitarian crisis," said William Robertson, the MSF head of mission, from Nairobi on Sept. 4."Our teams have treated people who were forced to flee their homes and who are now battling for their survival with next-to-no assistance. They are living in fear, the targets of armed groups or in the crossfire."So preoccupying is the evolving humanitarian crisis in Ogaden that the United States, a staunch ally of the Meles government and major contributor of foreign aid, has sent a senior diplomat to help resolve the issue.Jendayi Frazer, the assistant secretary of state for African affairs, called the situation in Ogaden a "humanitarian crisis" on a Sept. 8 visit to the region, putting Washington squarely at odds with a country it relies upon to bring a measure of stability to the restive Horn of Africa.Border Tension With EritreaWashington is also looking warily at the resumption of combustible rhetorical exchanges between Ethiopia and perennial rival Eritrea, seven years after they signed an agreement to end two years of bloody war. Noting recently that Ethiopian troops were just "meters" away from their Eritrean counterparts, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin breathed new life into the intractable stalemate, a tacit warning that Addis would continue to obstruct the implementation of a ruling that awarded the disputed town of Badme to Eritrea.Despite the presence of U.N. troops in the border region these last six years, the two sides have continued their dispute over Badme, a dry and dusty town that has limited strategic value beyond its symbolic worth to Addis and Asmara."At this time there is little separation of troops from the two neighbors. . . . The armies of the two countries are only 70 or 80 meters apart," Mesfin said during a Sept. 10 news conference.Mesfin also chided a U.N. border commission's work to reinforce the 2002 border decision ahead of its dissolution in November, criticism that was backed up on Tuesday by Meles himself, who reiterated Ethiopia's resistance to giving Badme to Eritrea.Analysts contend that Meles is maintaining his bluster on the border dispute in order to boost his sagging popularity and to obfuscate the ongoing domestic travails faced by his impoverished population. But there is real concern that the stalemate could edge into violence again, as neither Addis nor Asmara shows any signs of backing down.More than one in 10 Ethiopians is "food vulnerable," according to development agencies, which means they have no financial security that will allow them to regularly purchase what they need to feed their families."It is absolutely the case that Ethiopia faces some very serious political and security challenges, both at home domestically and in the Horn of Africa," said Tom Porteous, the London director of Human Rights Watch, in an exclusive interview with World Politics Review. "Violating human rights law and international humanitarian law is not an effective way of dealing with those challenges, aside from being wrong and causing a lot of civilian suffering."Lauren Gelfand is a freelance journalist and commentator with a special interest in African issues.

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