(by Paulos Dandego, Ethiopian Politics Contributor)
Deputy prime Minster of Ethiopia, Ato Addisu Leggese has been met with fierce opposition since his arrival In the U.S. So fierce, in fact, that it prompted U.S officers assigned to protect him to ask demonstrators what he had done that evoked such anger from his fellow countrymen. The answer is always the same; he is part of a regime that is holding its own people hostage through fear and intimidation. He is part of a regime that has jailed elected public officials thereby demonstrating its contempt for the public which elected them. He is part of a government riddled with corruption, sleaze and fraud. He is part of an administration which is trying to put to use the old colonial tactics of divide and rule, jeopardizing thousands of years of history, just to prolong its stay in power.
In no uncertain terms, Ethiopians all over the United States are demanding the release of “their leaders” - referring to the very popular jailed opposition members of parliament - and making it clear that if any dialog is to commence between the opposition and current government; it is to be in the presence of the elected Kinijit (popular opposition party) MPs currently detained in the notorious Qality prison.
Pro-democracy opposition leaders of Kinijit being escorted by armed guards to prison
Addisu has a couple more stops in America before he returns to Ethiopia. Already Ethiopians in cities he is scheduled to visit are mobilizing to confront him and give him a piece of their mind. The future is very bleak for Addisu’s America tour; it seems like the next city is trying to outdo the first to see who can protest the hardest. Two to five of his closest relatives attending his meetings, Addisu should cut his losses, journey back home and save himself further embarrassment. (More on this below)
Eight Ethiopian Generals Missing
Reports from Addis Ababa, the capital of the Ethiopian Autocracy, confirm the disappearance of up to eight generals. These generals have been missing for a while now and their whereabouts are unknown. Reliable sources who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of their role within the Ethiopian army indicate that the eight generals were linked to the defection of General Kemal Gelchi.The same sources add that Meles Zenawi, the head of the autocracy in Addis Ababa ordered the detention of the eight generals. The missing eight generals are ethnically from Oromo and Amhara.(More...)
Foreign aid officials: Government Exaggerated flood death toll
Almost two weeks after the Omo River burst its banks and flooded the surrounding plains, many local observers continue to question the number of displaced and dead reported by government officials and media. A doctor from a nearby district who had come to the South Omo region to assist in the recovery efforts supported this belief. He said that in the four days that he had spent living and working in rural villages, he had neither heard nor seen of any dead. "I treated several cases of diarrhea and one or two possible malaria cases," Dr. Getachew said. "But I heard of no dead. There actually isn't much for me to do here, so I'm going back to my own district." (More...)
The price of oil and oil products increases by 25%
The escalating price of petroleum in the international market has compelled the Ethiopian government to make another fuel price adjustment. The price of oil and oil products has increased by 25% from the current price as of today August 27. The Council of Ministers approved the price adjustment on Friday at its weekly meeting after the Ministry of Trade and Industry proposed the adjustment. A study presented to the Council of Ministers suggested that the price would increase until it reaches 12 birr for regular oil in the next two years. (More...)
Boston Protest video – what a united opposition can do
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