Ethiopian News Update: 08/06

ERA begins asphalting Kombollcha-Woldiya Road with 361 million birr (Walta)

Addis Ababa August, 31, 2006 (WIC) - Asphalting of the 151 kilometers long Kombolcha-Woldiya Road has been launched with an outlay of 361 million birr, the Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA) said. Full story..

Eritrea ’s Unstable Politics (ENA)

"... Eritrea is not only one of the few countries which has one dictatorial party system, but it has also been suffered by a one man rule (autocratic) system. If the mind of this man is sick, then the whole nation is at risk. Mr. Issayas is ruling the country without any rule of law. No constitution and no parliamentary system. There is no freedom of speech, press, assembly and belief. Mass arrest, because of their political meaning and belief is common in the country. Eritrean youngsters who get the chance to escape from this iron rule, are leaving their country in mass. The thirty years war waged perspective Eritrea has become desperate. " Detail here

Amnesty Int'l reports widespread detentions in Oromia (EthioMedia)

Several high school students and at least two elderly people over the age of 70 as well as a member of parliament for the opposition Oromo National Congress have been detained and were at risk of torture or ill-treatment, a human rights watchdog reported on Wednesday. Full Story ...

Eritreans, human rights advocates appeal for release of over 40,000 political prisoners (Walta)

Addis Ababa, August 30, 2006 (WIC) - Eritreans and human rights advocates in Europe and America appealed for the respect of human rights in Eritrea and the release of more than 40,000 political prisoners detained in unspecified places by the dictatorial regime. Full Story..

UNICEF appeals for over 18mln USD for people affected by floods in Ethiopia (Walta)

Addis Ababa, August 30, 2006 (WIC) - The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF ) today launched an emergency appeal of 18.3 million USD to help save the lives of tens of thousands of people affected by flash-flooding in Ethiopia. Full Story..

AAU making preparations to launch distance education program at postgraduate level (Walta)

The Addis Ababa University (AAU) has reportedly been making preparations to launch distance education program at postgraduate level. Full Story...

Ethiopia raises domestic oil prices (Sudan Tribune)

Aug 28, 2006 (ADDIS ABABA) - Ethiopia has increased the price of domestic oil and oil products in line with rising prices on the international market, the Ministry of Trade and Industry announced on Monday. Full Story..

Ethiopia takes lessons from Indian parliament (Indian Muslims)

New Delhi, Aug 29 (IANS) The Ethiopian parliament is all set to adopt Indian parliamentary practices following an official delegation's visit here last week. Full Story..

Ministry, Petronas to confer on gas project (Reporter)

The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) and the Malaysian oil and gas company, Petronas will next week confer on the Calub and Hilala gasfield development project. Petronas has won the gasfield development tender put up by the MME. Alemayehu Tegenu, Minister of Mines and Energy, told The Reporter that the delegation of Petronas and officials of the ministry will hold a meeting from August 28 to 31. Alemayehu said the two parties will discuss the conditions that would enable them to sign the petroleum development agreement. Full Story..

Caf rejects Ethiopia's bid (BBC)

The Confederation of African Football has turned down a bid by Ethiopia to reverse their Nations Cup fixtures with Libya. Full Story..

Ethiopia to punish investors failing to construct on land acquired (People's Daily)

Ethiopia's Addis Ababa Investment Bureau said Sunday it is about to take measures against investors who had taken land for investment but had not started construction yet. Full Story..

Ethiopia says coffee not affected by floods (IOL)

Addis Ababa - Floods that have ravaged Ethiopia's lowlands, killing nearly 1 000 people this month and displacing tens of thousands more, have not affected the country's highland coffee crops, an official said on Sunday. Full story...

Puntland leader addresses Somalia Islamists, warlords and Ethiopia (Garowe)

The president of the semiautonomous State of Puntland in northern Somalia disclosed on Thursday that Ethiopian troops are inside Puntland regions. Full Story..

Fresh floods push up death toll in Ethiopia (IOL)

Addis Ababa - Rescue teams on Thursday rushed to western Ethiopia where new flash floods claimed at least two lives, raising the nationwide death toll from three weeks of devastating flooding, officials said. Full Story..

Ethiopia Accepts Italian Gov't Initiative On Vaccines (The Daily Monitor -Addis Ababa)

The Ethiopian government on Monday accepted a new initiative on vaccines promoted by the Italian government, the embassy disclosed in a statement yesterday. Full Story..

Somali Islamists tell Ethiopia: Leave or face full-scale war (Mail & Guardian)

Islamists controlling much of southern Somalia warned Ethiopia on Thursday of "full-scale war" unless it withdraws troops allegedly sent to defend the country's weak transitional government. Full Story..

Deputy Prime Minister Addisu Legesse's San Jose Meeting boycotted (EthioMedia)

SAN JOSE, California – Addisu Legesse, deputy prime minister in Ethiopia’s beleaguered government, Tuesday attracted only 21 people to his Amhara segregationist meeting in San Jose, a city in the Bay Area where nearly 60,000 Ethiopians live. Full Story..

Egyptian Aircraft Carrying Consignment of Humanitarian Assistance Arrives (Ethiopian Herald)

An Egyptian aircraft carrying a consignment of humanitarian assistance arrived here yesterday night at Bole International Airport. Full Story..

Japan grants 34.5 mln birr emergency relief aid (Walta)

Addis Ababa, August 23, 2006 (WIC) - The government of Japan signed here today a 34.5 million birr grant agreement to help support compatriots facing food shortage. Full Story..

ETHIOPIA FLOODS: DISEASE FEARS (SBS)

Heavy rain, swirling waters and mud are hampering frantic efforts to rescue thousands of villagers marooned by deadly flash floods in southern Ethiopia. Full Story..

Responding to Ethiopia's deadly floods (ReliefWeb)

Mercy Corps is responding to Ethiopia's deadly flooding by helping those marooned in villages along the Omo River in the southwest corner of the country, near its borders with Sudan and Kenya. Full Story..

Counting the costs of the floods (IRIN)

Ethiopia secures 875 mln dollars of loans, grants last budget year (People's Daily)

Ethiopia has huge potential for rubber tree development: expert (Peoples Daily)

Ethiopia prepares to attack Somali Islamists - Eritrea (Sudan Tribune)

Aug 21, 2006 (ASMARA) — Eritrea accused today the Ethiopian government of planning to attack Somali Islamists with the support of the United States. Ethiopia aims to prevent the unification of the neighbouring country, an Eritrean report said. Full Story..

Storm-weary Ethiopians struggle with disease (Rueters)

Addis Ababa - Diarrhoea has killed 150 people and infected nearly 12 000 in flood-ravaged Ethiopia, the United Nations said on Monday, as aid agencies and governments struggled to deliver food and supplies to tens of thousands left homeless. Full Story..

Diarrhoea kills 150 in flood-hit Ethiopia (Reuters)

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Diarrhoea has killed 150 people and infected nearly 12,000 in flood-ravaged Ethiopia, the U.N. said on Monday, as aid agencies and governments struggled to deliver food and supplies to tens of thousands left homeless. Full Story..

Ethiopia's flood misery deepens as rains threaten dams (EthioMedia)

ADDIS ABABA (AFP) - Ethiopia braced for more damage from deadly nationwide flash floods as the government warned that unusually heavy seasonal rains could force the release of water from dangerously swollen dams. Full Story..

Evacuations urged as swollen dams may release water (Cape Times)

Ethiopian troops cross Somali border (China Post)

Ethiopian troops, allied to Somalia's weak transitional government, entered Somalia early Sunday and reached the southern town where the government is based, officials and witnesses said.
The move was expected to raise tensions with the Islamic militiamen, who oppose Ethiopia and control the capital, Mogadishu, and much of the south. Full Story..

Rescue workers in rush to help victims of Ethiopian floods (Taipei Times)

Emergency workers in southwest Ethiopia scrambled yesterday to rescue thousands marooned by the latest in a series of deadly flash floods across the nation feared to have killed nearly 900 people. Full Story..

Fears of cholera outbreak in wake of heavy flooding (The Mercury)

ADDIS ABABA: Rescuers feared a cholera outbreak among survivors of floods in Ethiopia that had killed more than 450 people this month, officials said this week. Full Story..

Fears of more floods in Ethiopia (Guardian Unlimited)

After 12 days of heavy rains that have left 626 people dead in Ethiopia, the authorities yesterday urged villagers to move to higher ground because of fears of further flooding. Rivers in the south, north and east of the country have burst their banks, prompting a disaster threatening to overwhelm rescue efforts. Full Story..

Hunt for Ethiopia flood survivors (BBC)

Search and rescue teams are scouring flood waters in southern Ethiopia as bad weather continues to hamper a round-the-clock hunt for survivors. Full Story...

Number of people confirmed dead in Omo River delude reaches 364 (ENA)

The number of confirmed deaths in the floods caused by the overflow of Omo River in Dasenech and Gnangatom Woredas of South Omo zone is reported to have reached 364.
The people confirmed dead in the delude reached the stated number until 2:00 PM Tuesday after members of the national army deployed to the area to help the ongoing emergency operations and dwellers searched out 170 more bodies in Dasenech woreda, zonal public mobilization and social affairs department disclosed.
An additional 2,790 cattle and 760 silos full of grains were reported to have been lost to the floods, department head Daniel Dagne told ENA later on the day.
He said nutritious food, mosquito nets and other consignments were being transported to the disaster areas as dispatched by the Federal Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Agency in support of the survivors.

Ethiopian floods feared to have killed 700 (Reuters)

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (Reuters) -- The death toll from the latest in a series of devastating floods in Ethiopia rose to 194 on Wednesday, lifting to around 700 the total feared dead from heavy rains ...Read More

Ethiopian flood toll soars (News24)

Addis Ababa - The death toll from devastating floods in Ethiopia soared to 364 on Wednesday, said police, bringing to almost 900 the number of people feared in raging waters nationwide this month. Read More..

Two Ethiopian army captains defect to Eritrea (Sudan Tribune)

Aug 16 2006 (ASMARA) — Ten Ethiopian army soldiers including two captains and middle rank commanders recently have arrived in Eritrea. Read more..

Suspected Ethiopian militia arrested (The Standard)

Kenyan security forces have arrested 43 suspected Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) militiamen in Moyale and Marsabit districts. In an interview with The Standard, Police spokesperson Gideon Kibunja said 998 stolen animals had been recovered in the ongoing security operation in clash-torn districts. Full Story..

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