- 3 hours ago
EPRDF regime's self image of ethnically Balkanized Ethiopia, established by late Dictator Melese Zenawie. Freedom of Press is Dead in ethnocracy based irridentism. Fertile land is grabbed by foreign speculators, over 5 million are starving. 500'000 kids are on the streets. Millions are displaced by force. The regime is arming proxy warriors. Dams are built wantonly risking the existence of millions of indigenous people. Eritreans Moles are Ruling even after seceding in 1991.
Monday, December 18, 2017
European Union document outlines procedure to expel Ethiopians and protest in Sweden
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The document below has been leaked. It is still in draft form, but it indicates that the EU and Ethiopia are close to signing a deal to ensure that Ethiopians who have not been granted refugee status can be forcibly returned to Ethiopia.
Martin
In view of the meeting of the Working Party on Integration, Migration and Expulsion on 6 December 2017, delegations will find attached the above draft EU admission procedure.
ANNEX
DRAFT ADMISSION PROCEDURES FOR THE RETURN OF ETHIOPIANS
FROM EUROPEAN UNION MEMBER STATES
FROM EUROPEAN UNION MEMBER STATES
The Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the European Union (EU) agreed on the Admission Procedure applicable only for Ethiopian nationals who are illegally present in the EU Member States (EUMS).[1]
This Procedure will be applied to voluntary and non-voluntary returns in full compliance with the human rights of Ethiopian nationals provided under relevant international instruments.
Section 1: General Provision
- This Admission Procedure is not an international agreement and is not intended to create legal rights or obligations under domestic or international law.
- This Admission Procedure shall apply only to Ethiopians who are determined by the competent authority of an EUMS not to fulfil or no longer fulfil the conditions for entry, stay or residence in that EUMS.
Section 2: Required Travel documents
The following shall constitute valid travel document within this framework
- Valid Ethiopian passport, or
- Laissez-passer issued by the Government of Ethiopia
Section 3: Issuance of Laissez-passer
- Upon application by the authorities of an EUMS, the Ethiopian Consulate will issue a laissez-passer for an individual who possesses an expired machine readable Ethiopian Passport within three (3) working days from the date of application by a EUMS when the recipient is in the EUMS where the Consulate is located. When it is applicable, laissez-passer will be issued within eight (8) working days when time is needed for a consular officer to travel to another EUMS.
- The application referred under Paragraph 1 of this Section will include a declaration ensuring that a return order/decision has been issued in accordance with the domestic law of the EUMS.
- Where the individual possesses no valid or expired machine readable passport, the following paragraphs will apply:
- The EUMS will provide information and evidence on the nationality of the individual to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic republic of Ethiopia (MFA).
- The information and evidence referred under ‘paragraph 3(a)’ are data retrieved from the EU Visa Information System (VIS) including passport number, name and other information; or ID Card, birth certificate or a drivers’ license the individual possesses.
- MFA (the headquarters) will transmit the information and evidence to the Ethiopian National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS).
- NISS will examine the documents for veracity and communicate its decision to the MFA.
- The outcome of the verification process will be communicated to the EUMS and the Ethiopian Consulate responsible for the EUMS concerned within fifteen (15) working days from receiving the communication under ‘paragraph 3(a)’.
- The Ethiopian Consulate in or responsible for the concerned EUMS will issue the Laissez-passer within three (3) working days from receiving the communication under ‘paragraph 3(e)’ and other required documents. When it is applicable, the laissez-passer will be issued within eight (8) working days when time is needed for a consular officer to travel to another EUMS.
- Where the individual possesses no valid or expired machine readable passport and there is no information provided under Section 2, paragraph 3(b) of this Procedure, the following paragraphs will apply:
- Ethiopian nationality will be determined by NISS.
- The EUMS that has a reason to believe an individual is of Ethiopian nationality may file a request for nationality determination interview by the Ethiopian Consulate in its territory or the Consulate accredited to it.
- The interview will be conducted within fifteen (15) working days from receiving the request under ‘paragraph 4(b)’.
- Upon the request of an EUMS, interviews may be conducted by a dedicated mission from Ethiopia, the costs of which would be fully covered by that EUMS, in charge of identifying Ethiopian nationals.
- If the outcome of the interview is not conclusive and some additional verification of nationality in Ethiopia is needed, NISS carries out the necessary checks and informs the EUMS on the outcome within thirty (30) calendar days.
- Individuals identified as Ethiopian nationals in the process of identification will be issued Laissez-passer within three (3) working days. When it is applicable, laissez-passer will be issued within eight (8) working days when time is needed for a consular officer to travel to another EUMS.
- In the case where an individual is determined not to be an Ethiopian national the outcome of the process of identification will be communicated to the EUMS in writing.
Section 4: Travel Documents
- Laissez-passer will be of single use and valid for up to six (6) months.
- Replacement of an expired Laissez-passer will be issued within three (3) working days upon return of the expired Laissez-passer.
- Ethiopia will receive individuals returned within this Procedure upon the receipt of communication from the EUMS on the details of scheduled or dedicated flights for transfer, with all costs of such transfers borne by the EUMS.
Section 5: Post Admission
- The EU has expressed its commitment to support the Ethiopian authorities in the reintegration of Ethiopians returned within this Procedure through appropriate dedicated projects.
- A working group involving representatives from both sides, meeting regularly and at least every six months will monitor and discuss implementation of the process established by this document, including with regards to travel documents.
Section 6: Final Provisions
- This Procedure will start to apply upon exchange of a note verbale between the EU Delegation and the MFA indicating their agreement on the content.
- The date of receipt of the later note verbale will be the date of first application.
- The EU or the Government of Ethiopia may at any time request to modify this Procedure.
- Any change will be subject to the written mutual consent of the EU and the Government of Ethiopia accepting the change.
[1] Taking account of the close relationship between the European Union and Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland (Schengen Associated Countries), Ethiopia may seek the consent of the relevant Schengen Associated Country to apply this Procedure also to for Ethiopian nationals who are illegally present in that Country.
Dozens die in clash between Ethiopian Somalis and Oromos - BBC News
At least 61 people have been killed in clashes between different ethnic groups in Ethiopia's Oromia region since Thursday, officials said.
It is not clear what caused the latest violence between ethnic Somalis and Oromos.
But it comes after soldiers shot dead 16 ethnic Oromos at a protest on Tuesday, reports Reuters news agency.
Ethiopia's Oromia and Somali regions share a long internal border and in the past have fought over grazing land.
Oromia government's spokesperson, Adisu Arega, announced the deaths on his Facebook page.
He said 29 ethnic Oromos were killed between 14 and 17 December and 32 ethnic Somali Ethiopians were killed in revenge attacks.
He added that the clashes happened in the region's Hawi Gudina and Daro Lebu districts.
What is behind the long-running conflict?
Oromia and Somali are, respectively, the two largest regions in the country by area size. Oromos are Ethiopia's biggest ethnic group - making up about a third of Ethiopia's population while Ethiopian Somalis make up just 6% of the population.
Historically, the relationship between Somalis and Oromos has been characterised by territorial competition which often leads to disputes over resources, including wells and grazing land.
These conflicts can cause the displacement of tens of thousands of people.
In 2004, a referendum to decide on the fate of more than 420 kebeles - the country's smallest administrative unit - gave 80% of them to Oromia.
Following the outcome, tens of thousands of ethnic Somalis reportedly fled the areas for fear of repercussions.
The decision has still not been implemented and this is one factor behind the current conflict.
Saturday, December 9, 2017
Ethiopia travel alert after killing of German tourist in Afar region_ Africa news
U.K. reviews
Ethiopia
The United Kingdom on Tuesday December 5, reviewed its travel advice to citizens in Ethiopia citing the killing of a German tourist last Sunday (December 3.) They disclosed that security presence had been increased in the area where the incident took place.
The Ethiopian government on Tuesday confirmed the death of a German tourists whiles his Ethiopian tour guide also sustained injuries. Addis Ababa said a probe was underway to ascertain the circumstances around the incident.
“The perpetrators of the attack are being sought by security forces,” Information Minister Negeri Lencho told Reuters.
There is now an increased military and police presence in the area; travel may be disrupted and entry to some sites may be prohibited at short notice.
The U.K. travel alert was categorized in the area of ‘Safety and security’ and read as follows: “On 3 December 2017, a German tourist was shot and killed in an Ethiopian guide shot and wounded while sightseeing at Erta Ale, in the Danakil area of the Afar region of north-east Ethiopia.
“There is now an increased military and police presence in the area; travel may be disrupted and entry to some sites may be prohibited at short notice; if you’re in the area, exercise caution and follow the advice of the local authorities.
“You should only travel to this area with a recognised tour company – such tours are normally supported by an armed police or military escort,” it concluded.
The Afar province which borders Eritrea has long been prone to banditry and separatist rebels have operated there. Addis Ababa has said the rebels are backed by its northern neighbour, with whom it is at odds over an unresolved border dispute.
Five European tourists were killed and two others kidnapped alongside two Ethiopians in the same region in 2012, in an incident claimed by a group that has carried out sporadic attacks for over a decade.
The Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front (ARDUF) has fought a low-key insurgency to carve out a homeland from Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti.
Five years earlier, another five Europeans were kidnapped in the province – a barren, searingly hot corner of the Horn of Africa country where rocky hills rise above vast deserts below sea level.
A German tourist was shot and killed in northeastern Ethiopia stratfor.com/
A German tourist was shot and killed in northeastern Ethiopia while visiting the Erta Ale volcano, BBC News reported Dec. 5. It remains unclear who conducted the attack and the government is investigating the incident. In 2012, five tourists were killed and four others were abducted in the same area, with the Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front claiming responsibility for the attack. Ethiopia has long been one of the most stable and influential countries in East Africa.
Monday, November 6, 2017
Ethiopian-born billionaire detained in Saudi anti-corruption crackdown | Africanews
An Ethiopian – born business mogul has been named in an anti-corruption crackdown by the Saudi Arabia government over the weekend.Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi, 71, was detained along with 11 princes, four current ministers and a number of former ministers. Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television said the probe is headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Al Amoudi is an Ethiopian – born business man who holds both Saudi and Ethiopian nationality. According to Forbes, as at 2016, his net worth was approximately $10.9 billion.
His investments are linked to oil and global commodities. He is also listed as Ethiopia’s richest man and the second richest Saudi Arabian citizen in the world. He is one of two businessmen detained, the other is one Saleh Kamel.
His two main businesses are Corral Petroleum Holdings and MIDROC. MIDROC describes itself as “a global investment group, wholly owned by Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi.
“It has substantial interests in petroleum, agribusiness, property, industry and industrial services, engineering and construction, tourism and trade and investment, largely in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and North Africa.”
Al Amoudi is said to have migrated from Ethiopia to Saudi Arabia when he was 19 and became a full citizen of the Kingdom in 1965. He built up a private fortune in construction and property before diversifying into the downstream energy sector with major refining and retail investments in both Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.
MIDROC has an international focus with three main operating companies: MIDROC Middle East (based in Saudi Arabia), MIDROC Europe (based in Sweden) and MIDROC Africa where the company’s focus is heavily on Ethiopia. It also has separately managed and significant petroleum interests.'
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Ethiopia Prime Minister hit by resignation of another top official | Africanews
Another top advisor to Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, has resigned from his post.
Bereket Simon according to BBC Amharic submitted his resignation as the PM’s advisor in charge of Policy Studies and Research, leaving a post he has held for the past four years.
Local media reports indicate that Simon, a veteran politician has thus resigned from two top positions in just a week. Last week, he gave up his position as board chairman of the government-owned Commercial Bank of Ethiopia.
A member of the ruling Ethiopia Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), he has served the government in different capacities including as Minister of Communication.
The move comes weeks after two major political shifts around the Prime Minister. The Protocol Chief of the PM, Baye Tadesse Teferi, sought asylum in the United States for fear of political persecution.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abadulla Gemeda, also resigned his post following ‘disrespect’ to members of his ethnic group and his party in the ruling coalition.
October 2017 asylum move of Baye Tadesse and the fear of political persecution
Baye Tadesse Teferi, was part of the Ethiopia’s official delegation to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York weeks ago.
The Ethiopian delegation returned to Addis Ababa but he remained in the U.S. He confirmed to the Voice of America’s Amharic service that for political reasons he had opted to seek asylum in the United States.
The Protocol Chief of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn thus quit a role he had served in for over two years. Ethiopia’s economic successes have long been eclipsed by what political and rights watchers call a systemic and institutionalized crackdown on media and political dissent.
The East African nation has been severally called upon to open their political space and to tolerate dissenting political views.
Oromo: Speaker of Ethiopian Parliament Resigns to Protest Mistreatment of his Ethnic Group
After Abadula Gemeda, speaker of the Ethiopian lower house of Parliament, the House of People’s Representatives, resigned from office last week, he now explains his decision with the disrespect of his ethnic group, the Oromo, and the Oromo People’s Democratic Organisation (OPDO) by the government. Protests against the government and the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), ruling the country since 1991, had risen again in past weeks and have resulted in the death of eight protestors, with many more being injured. In light of the continuous violence, Mr Gemeda proclaimed he would step down from his position but continue his fight for the rights of the Oromo population.
The article below was published by Daily Mail:
The speaker of Ethiopia's lower house of parliament, who resigned last week [9-15 October 2017], said Saturday that he quit because of "disrespect" of his ethnic group.
Abadula Gemeda, a member of the Oromos, the country's largest ethnic group, announced last Sunday that he was stepping down after seven years as speaker of the House of People's Representatives.
He is one of the highest-ranking government officials to resign since the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) coalition took power in 1991.
A former army chief of staff, Abadula is also a founder of the Oromo People's Democratic Organisation (OPDO) C, which represents the Oromos within the EPRDF.
Oromos led a wave of anti-government protests that began in late 2015 and were only quelled after more than 940 deaths and the imposition of a 10-month state of emergency, and distrust of the EPRDF still runs deep.
In comments carried by the state-affiliated Oromia Broadcasting Network, Abadula said he was dissatisfied with the EPRDF's treatment of his people.
"I resigned because my peoples and party were disrespected," he said. "However, I will struggle to bring the necessary respect and do the best I can for Oromo people to gain their rights."
His resignation came at the start of a turbulent week in Ethiopia, which saw protesters return to the streets in several towns in Oromia, the largest of the country's ethnically based regional states.
On Wednesday, three people were killed and more than 30 injured at a protest in the city of Shashamene, while another protest in the town of Boke left another three dead and three more injured, spokesman for the Oromia regional state Addisu Arega said in a post on Facebook.
His accounts could not be independently verified, and the cause of the deaths remained unclear.
An official in the southern Borena zone told AFP the four people were killed and 20 injured on Thursday after they tried to stop a convoy carrying what they believed to be weapons destined for communities in neighbouring Somali region.
A separate conflict started last month along the border between the Oromia and Somali regions, leading to hundreds of deaths and the displacement of at least 67,800 people from the two regions.
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