tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85447212465154707892024-03-13T07:41:58.660-07:00Woyane's irridentism in EthiopiaEPRDF 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.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger696125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544721246515470789.post-82465144436262533402020-05-19T03:22:00.001-07:002020-05-20T02:38:44.175-07:00 Tigray Police in Mekele kills in name of "coronavirus regulations"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
-----------<br />
<br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/94gWh622Ok8" width="560"></iframe>
------------<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Two police officers, one armed with a rifle fired and killed due to so-called </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">flouted coronavirus regulations</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">During the incident, two other men were shot and wounded, it was reported. The police officer who fired the shot has been arrested, told the BBC. Another person has been </span>killed <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in the region under similar circumstances at the end of March.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">------<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9Xm3dv0LXgQ" width="560"></iframe>----</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-------</span></span></div>
</div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QvQKRJ08tzA" width="560"></iframe></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544721246515470789.post-58007568544020684482019-08-07T01:21:00.001-07:002019-08-07T01:21:37.477-07:00 EGYPT: Government prepares plan for water use rationalisation Afrik 21<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 class="post_excerpt" itemprop="description" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #453330; font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0px;">
The Egyptian government recently announced the development of a plan for rationalizing water consumption throughout the country. The objective is to preserve surface water resources that are being depleted with population pressure and Egypt's development.</h2>
<div class="post-wrap" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: "Roboto Slab", serif; font-size: 16px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem;">
Egypt is preparing to embark on an important project: the rationalization of water consumption in the country. The ultimate objective is to preserve surface water resources that are depleting with the country’s development, as well as population growth.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem;">
This is the case with the Nile. This river has long provided drinking water to the population and irrigated plantations in Upper Egypt. Its flow is now severely affected by water projects, including the construction of the 6,000 MW <a href="https://www.afrik21.africa/en/ethiopia-cggc-invests-40-million-in-grand-renaissance-hydroelectric-project/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #ff8200; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" target="_blank"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">Great Renaissance hydroelectric dam</span></a> in Ethiopia.</div>
<h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #453330; font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 28px;">
Seawater desalination</h3>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem;">
The Egyptian government has put in parallel levers that allow the implementation of a policy of rationalisation of water consumption on the exploitation of unconventional resources. It is therefore increasingly turning to other sources of drinking water supply, particularly desalination. According to Assem al-Gazzar, the Egyptian Minister of Housing who announced the plan to rationalise water consumption, 23 desalination plants are being built in the coastal governorates.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem;">
Such is the case in new cities under construction such as New Mansoura, where International Co for Water Services & Infrastructure (IWSI), the Egyptian partner of Fluence Corporation, an American company, and Hassan Allam EPC, an Egyptian company, are currently building a <a href="https://www.afrik21.africa/en/egypt-fluence-and-local-partners-win-74-million-desalination-contract/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #ff8200; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" target="_blank"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">40,000 m3 per day desalination plant</span></a> (later expandable to 80,000 m3). Another sign of the Egyptian government’s commitment to massively exploit seawater for drinking water production is the recent signing of a contract with SepraTek, a South Korean company, to build a<a href="https://www.afrik21.africa/en/egypt-sepratek-to-install-desalination-membrane-manufacturing-plant/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #ff8200; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" target="_blank"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;"> membrane manufacturing plant</span></a> for seawater desalination plants and transfer technology.</div>
<h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #453330; font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 28px;">
Water reuse</h3>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem;">
In its strategy to rationalise water consumption in Egypt, the government also intends to rely on the reuse of wastewater through the construction of wastewater treatment plants. In this regard, 26 such facilities will soon be commissioned across the country. The treated water will be used to irrigate plantations or green spaces in large cities.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem;">
The Bahr Albaqar plant, located near Port-Saïd in northeastern Egypt, is one of the <a href="https://www.afrik21.africa/en/egypt-arab-contractors-and-orascom-to-build-739-million-wastewater-treatment-plant/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #ff8200; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" target="_blank"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">wastewater treatment plants</span> </a>under construction in Egypt. It is built by Arab Contractors and Orascom Construction, two Egyptian companies, and will treat 73,000 m3 of wastewater per day.</div>
<h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #453330; font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 28px;">
Up to 45% water savings!</h3>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem;">
The government’s new policy will also impact households with the use of special rooms on taps to save water. It will also focus on raising public awareness of this issue. Rationalisation also concerns public administrations. All ministries and their affiliated institutions will benefit from technology developed by the Arab Industrialization Organization (AOI). It is used to control the flow of water and its pressure in a water system. A pilot project incorporating this technology has already been implemented in several public administrations. This experience shows that it saves about 45% of consumption…</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder; text-align: right;">Jean Marie Takouleu</span></div>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544721246515470789.post-29292974671552145922019-03-20T08:09:00.000-07:002019-03-20T08:09:04.164-07:00107 ፓርቲዎች ወይስ የብሔር ነጋዴዎች እና ኪራይ ሰብሳቢዎች? Andafta<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kw8fUBMI_VM" width="560"></iframe></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544721246515470789.post-84746972909250720192019-03-11T04:13:00.001-07:002019-03-11T04:13:15.529-07:00Ethiopian elite lost in electoral maze under Abiy's gaze by Lefort & Tronvoll <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h1 class="article-page__title" style="background-color: #f1f6fb; box-sizing: inherit; break-after: avoid; font-family: "Libre Baskerville"; font-size: 3.33333rem; grid-area: 2 / 3 / auto / 11; line-height: 4rem; margin: 0px; text-underline-position: auto; width: 806.625px;">
<br /></h1>
<br />
<div class="article-page__profile-photo-container" style="background-color: #f1f6fb; box-sizing: inherit; flex: 0 1 auto; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; grid-area: 4 / 3 / auto / 4; margin-right: 0px;">
<div class="article-page__profile-photos" style="align-items: flex-end; box-sizing: inherit; display: flex; flex-direction: column;">
</div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="article-page__summary-container" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #f1f6fb; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; grid-area: 3 / 4 / auto / 10; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; width: 594.969px; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div class="article-page__summary" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: "Libre Baskerville"; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.66667rem; text-transform: none;">
<div class="rich-text" style="box-sizing: inherit; overflow-wrap: break-word;">
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: "Libre Baskerville"; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.66667rem; margin-block-end: 0px !important; margin: 0px 0px 2rem; text-transform: none;">
<span class="article-page__author-link" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 40px; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/author/renac-lefort/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0162b7; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 0.8rem; letter-spacing: 1px; text-transform: capitalize; text-underline-position: under;">René Lefort</a> and <a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/author/kjetil-tronvoll/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0162b7; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 0.8rem; letter-spacing: 1px; text-transform: capitalize; text-underline-position: under;">Kjetil Tronvoll</a></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: "Libre Baskerville"; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.66667rem; margin-block-end: 0px !important; margin: 0px 0px 2rem; text-transform: none;">
If the Prime Minister chooses to lean on his personal popularity, could he obtain and sustain enough political support? There is no easy answer or quick fix to the gathering predicament.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: "Libre Baskerville"; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.66667rem; margin-block-end: 0px !important; margin: 0px 0px 2rem; text-transform: none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: "Libre Baskerville"; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.66667rem; margin-block-end: 0px !important; margin: 0px 0px 2rem; text-transform: none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: "Libre Baskerville"; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.66667rem; margin-block-end: 0px !important; margin: 0px 0px 2rem; text-transform: none;">
<img alt="lead lead " src="https://cdn-prod.opendemocracy.net/media/images/PA-39418039.width-800.jpg" /></div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
<i style="box-sizing: inherit;">Abiy Ahmed welcomed at Brandenburg Gate before summit on private investment in Africa launched by Angela Merkel as President of G20. Kay Nietfeld/ Press Association, October, 2018. All rights reserved.</i></div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
In Ethiopia today, most political forces keep repeating the same mantra: we need to get everything in place for free and fair polls in 2020. Elections are heralded as the last crucial stepping-stone to the completion of a democratic transition that is believed to definitively turn the page on the authoritarian order and struggling ethnic federal system established in 1991.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
Taking the long view, one might wonder whether holding elections on schedule and under acceptable conditions will really give birth to the new, fair, and stable order as promised, given the political fragmentation and polarization observed in Ethiopia today. In the short-term, however, this mantra raises two questions: Are the political parties publicly advocating for the election to go ahead as planned really committed to that stance? And are they acting as if it is their sincere desire?</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
While last year's dismantling of the 'TPLF system' was lightning fast and radical, the construction of the framework needed to hold competitive elections is erratic and slow. Work <a href="https://www.waltainfo.com/news/editors_pick/detail?cid=35983" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;" target="_blank">was announced</a> by the 'old' EPRDF during the height of the protests 18 months ago, but pushed as a priority shortly after Abiy Ahmed took office. Yet revising two of the three big anti-freedom laws (terrorism and media) is still ongoing, as is the revision of election laws and the regulatory framework for the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE).</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
The work on the electoral system hadn't gone much further than a draft bill and the appointment of a new chairperson of the board. Agreement has only <a href="https://www.thereporterethiopia.com/article/parties-approve-nebes-draft-procedure" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;" target="_blank">just been reached</a> on “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">the procedure to conduct and regulate the upcoming negotiations and discussions</em>” between the government and the plethora of registered parties. Yet it is via the NEBE that Abiy Ahmed proposed to <a href="http://addisstandard.com/news-defunct-political-parties-negotiation-forum-leaders-at-odds-with-pm-abiys-fresh-talk-with-opposition/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;" target="_blank">restart the dialogue</a> between EPRDF and the opposition after the burial of the Political Parties Negotiations Forum, set up in January 2017. In late December, NEBE itself <a href="https://twitter.com/addisstandard/status/1078554393841143808" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;" target="_blank">sounded the alarm</a>: “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">delays in pre-election preparations may create hectic schedule to hold the much anticipated general elections in 2020</em>.”</div>
<h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; break-after: avoid; font-size: 1.6rem; margin: 0px; text-underline-position: auto;">
<span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Sensitive census</span></h2>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
The immensity of the task at hand may partly explain this procrastination. There are a lot of hurdles to overcome. The national census is planned for April and its outcome is crucial for credible elections. Highly sensitive issues are at stake.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
<a href="https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/20190122_Ethiopia_Internal_Displ.pdf" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;" target="_blank">Close to three million</a> people are now internally displaced. The census will count the number in each of the “nations, nationalities and peoples”, which carries highly significant political and economic weight in a federal system. It will also assess the ethnic composition in mixed areas. But for the first time, no one will be forced to choose an ethnic identity, and can instead register as “Ethiopian” or of “mixed ethnic heritage”. This may prove confusing for the ethnic quota system.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
Furthermore, the Constitution states that it is “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">on the basis of the census results</em>” that “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">the boundaries of constituencies are determined</em>”. This may appear as a recipe for continued ethnic conflicts and demographic rearrangements (read, 'cleansing'); or 'ethnic ownership' of cities such as Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa, Harar, and Hawassa. Hence, will existing ethnic tensions prevent completion of the census, or, more likely, preclude its findings from being widely accepted?</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
In addition, the work of the newly created Administrative Boundaries and Identity Issues Commission, or the ongoing demand of different zones in the SNNP to become states, could impact the election's organization. In particular, will the Sidama statehood claim complicate the election process, as it seems unlikely that the Sidama will accept a postponement of their presumed right to establish their own region? So far NEBE has not started to prepare for a referendum on this question, although they are required to do so within a year of the request, which was made in June/July. Sidama activists are demanding that the process must be obeyed. A separate Sidama state would add additional burdens on NEBE to prepare for elections in the southern region, as a new electoral map would need to be drawn.</div>
<h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; break-after: avoid; font-size: 1.6rem; margin: 0px; text-underline-position: auto;">
<span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Delayed reaction</span></h2>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
The herculean task ahead of the NEBE to put its house in order to facilitate a “free and fair ” election in just 15 months' time has allegedly led to discreet discussions at the center to possibly postpone them for about six months until after the main rainy season. However, whatever they publicly say, for a substantial proportion of political forces, creating suitable conditions for timely elections does not genuinely seem a priority. This position is dictated by beliefs and/or interests.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
Let us recall first that in the 2005 election, the only one under EPRDF to have been relatively free, people voted primarily for a party, embodied by a leader, and took practically no interest in the candidate representing their local electoral constituency. The vast majority probably did not even know the names of the local candidates. Thirteen years on, however, some strong representatives, linked with varying degrees to the opposition, have emerged locally, especially during the last few years of widespread protests. This time, voters may be more influenced by these figures than by party leaders in Addis Ababa. And, let's not forget, the Prime Minister is not on the ballot; it is the House of People's Representatives that elects the premier from among its members.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
Some are convinced that elections can only occur as the culmination of a democratic transition. The recent <a href="https://borkena.com/2019/01/26/ethiopia-some-tough-decisions-needed-by-kebour-ghenna/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;" target="_blank">proliferation of articles</a> pleading for a postponement, for different reasons, is symptomatic of this trend. For example, they <a href="https://addisfortune.net/columns/toward-the-foundations-of-democracy-then-elections/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;" target="_blank">should only be held</a>“<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">after the public has regained its trust in the democratic institutions of the nation… There is a danger in allowing incumbents to stay in office beyond the mandated limit, but there is just as much peril in pushing forward with an election before the foundations for a democratic nation are laid</em>.”</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
Building these new foundations by May 2020 is an impossible task, given the dearth of reforms completed so far and the disorganization and fragmentation of deeply conflicting political forces. So, how could a democratic transition be managed, according to those calling for elections to be postponed? For its promoters, by a transitional government only. The question of the elections should be shelved until comprehensive institutional reforms are completed and consolidated.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
But this logic returns us to the same obstacle: are the present political forces cohesive enough to reach a consensus on how trustworthy democratic institutions should be designed, when simply agreeing on an electoral roadmap has been so laborious?</div>
<h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; break-after: avoid; font-size: 1.6rem; margin: 0px; text-underline-position: auto;">
<span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Systemic opposition</span></h2>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
Above all, too many factions and figures believe that elections on the due date and under current rules would be fatal. First among these are the “unitarians” or “pan-Ethiopianists” who prize “Ethiopianness” above all else. In private, they cite years of harassment, even prohibition, as a reason why they should be given ample time to rebuild their constituency and party platform and why the elections should be postponed. But their reasons go deeper. Some of them never accepted ethnic federalism. Yet the most important issue is their observation that radical ethno-nationalist parties currently dominate the political stage.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
Some extremist positions are presented. To prevent the next elections being “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">dominated by over ninety percent of ethnic based parties</em>”, there should even be a ban on “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">all ethnicity based political parties from participating in electoral politics</em>” <a href="https://borkena.com/2019/01/26/ethiopia-some-tough-decisions-needed-by-kebour-ghenna/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;" target="_blank">some even argue</a>. Without going as far as this, the dominant current within this political segment is surreptitiously pushing to prevent the victory of a “block” of ethnic and resolutely ethnofederalist parties, and at the same time for measures to be taken against the growing insecurity in the country. They argue consistently for the establishment of a sort of special transitional regime. Parliament would be mothballed and the executive would govern by decree.<a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/ethiopian-elite-lost-in-electoral-maze-under-abiys-gaze/#_ftn1" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;">[1]</a></div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
The new alliance created around Ginbot 7 is the spearhead of the “unitarians”. However, the situation is nothing like 2005, when the Amhara region, Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa, and parts of the South – in particular Gurage area – were their bastions. It is likely that they would still attract urban votes – Addis Ababa in particular – and from segments of the South, primarily Gurage. But the newly established National Movement for Amhara (NaMA) has the wind in its sails, partly as the ruling Amhara Democratic Party is widely discredited. The growth of Amhara nationalism would diminish Ginbot 7's support in the region. Elsewhere, they would probably be even less popular, except in urban centers with strong Amhara – or rather ‘Ethiopianised’ – populations.</div>
<h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; break-after: avoid; font-size: 1.6rem; margin: 0px; text-underline-position: auto;">
<span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Party moves</span></h2>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
A similar scenario may also face Abiy's Oromo Democratic Party (ODP). The stigma of being the EPRDF flag bearer may haunt it. We have not met any Ethiopian who is currently a die-hard defender of EPRDF; rather, the opposite – it is generally despised. The ODP political machine, for instance, is so disparaged that a majority of informed observers think the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), possibly in alliance with the Oromo Federalist Congress, might win a majority of federal seats in Oromia.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
In the Southern Nation, Nationalities and Peoples Regional State (SNNPRS), the governing party, the Southern Ethiopian Peoples' Democratic Movement (SEPDM) is a shambles, as the region's integrity crumbles. Mismanagement, internal power struggles, the stepping down of former Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn as chairperson, and a host of other issues, have left SEPDM in such disarray that most southern observers claim that it no longer de facto exists.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
Paradoxically, the only EPRDF party that has more or less sustained its cohesion and regained its grassroots support is the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). Strong criticism from the grassroots was articulated against the leadership for mismanagement, corruption and lack of delivery. Certain corrective measures have been undertaken, foremost of these the change of leadership. However, the turn of events elsewhere in Ethiopia, and the more or less open persecution of all things Tigrayan as a consequence of collective blame for the authoritarian streak of TPLF/EPRDF rule since 1991, has led the Tigrayan people to ‘circle the wagons’ for individual as well as collective protection.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
Tigrayans are convinced that the only agent strong enough to provide this protection in the uncertain terrain into which Ethiopia is heading is the TPLF; hence its absolute dominance at the ballot box in 2020 seems guaranteed. The Tigrayan opposition parties Arena and Tand are in talks of a merger, also possibly including the Tigray People's Democratic Movement. Although they may gather some protest votes, it seems unlikely they will pose any threat as a constituency level anywhere in Tigray. </div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
In short, if the political landscape and electoral system remains the same and if a free and fair election is conducted, which is highly questionable as things stand today, then EPRDF – with the exception of TPLF in Tigray – can feel nothing but dread about the possibility of elections in 2020; and consequently Abiy Ahmed about his chances of continuing as Prime Minister.</div>
<h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; break-after: avoid; font-size: 1.6rem; margin: 0px; text-underline-position: auto;">
<span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Ambiguous Abiy</span></h2>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
As on so many other points, Abiy Ahmed’s public position is ambiguous.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
Heading a federalist party, he has nevertheless made repeated statements and moves which were godsends for the “unitarians”. Abiy’s emphasis on ‘medemer’ – Ethiopian ‘synergy’ or ‘oneness’, is permeating all his speeches, as well as his intentions to reconnect Eritrea, one way or the other, to Ethiopia; making both his own <em style="box-sizing: inherit;">qeerroo</em> constituency and Eritrean nationalists nervous.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
And <a href="https://addisfortune.news/the-eprdfites-or-whatever-is-left-of-them/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;" target="_blank">according to a report</a> about the last session of the EPRDF Executive Committee, “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">the chairman of the ruling party does not seem to have made up his mind whether to let the national elections be conducted on schedule</em>.” His game is obviously to keep things vague in order to hold two irons in the fire, one in each camp, each totally opposed to each other on this subject. On the one hand, he has allegedly <a href="http://addisstandard.com/news-defunct-political-parties-negotiation-forum-leaders-at-odds-with-pm-abiys-fresh-talk-with-opposition/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;" target="_blank">stated at a forum</a> with 81 opposition parties that “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">constitutional amendment, if necessary, will only happen after first having a legitimately elected government with the mandate to govern.</em>”</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
On the other hand, there are multiple rumours about his intention to switch to a presidential system. He <a href="https://allafrica.com/stories/201810180629.html" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;" target="_blank">declared</a>: “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">eighty people in the Council of the EPRDF made me PM,<a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/ethiopian-elite-lost-in-electoral-maze-under-abiys-gaze/#_ftn2" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: bolder;">[2]</span></a> even though there are 100 million Ethiopians. We need to open up the leadership to direct elections</em>.” Apparently he recently asked the Attorney General's Office to prepare a legal brief on this matter, and he all but admitted his ambitions in his recent first major interview with the international media. This would be the major card he could play, in fact his trump card, in order to stay in charge of the country, since there is no other national figure likely to overshadow him.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
Bulcha Demeksa, a veteran Oromo figure who still has a certain political stature, has always advocated for a presidential system. It is gaining adherents in Oromia, in particular because the Oromo are the most numerous ethnic community and direct suffrage would increase their chances of getting one of their own to the pinnacle of government. A move to a presidential regime is also advocated by the “unitarians”, including Berhanu Nega, head of Ginbot 7, due to a belief it would have a national unifying dynamic.</div>
<h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; break-after: avoid; font-size: 1.6rem; margin: 0px; text-underline-position: auto;">
<span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Federalist</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> unity</span></h2>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
At the other extreme, a pivot to a presidential system is rejected by all those who fought dearly for ethnic federalism and who believe that they would benefit under the current system. This is the case in particular for the resolutely federalist dominant camp – not to say confederalist forces – such as OLF, OFC, TPLF, and most parties from the so-called ‘peripheral regions’ of Afar, Somali, Benishangul-Gumuz and Gambella. Nevertheless, some of them, particularly among the former outlawed parties, are considering that a brief electoral postponement would be welcome to help them reinforce their positions.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
In the face of this stalemate, the political class, whether in power or in the opposition, seems unwilling or unable to break it. There are absolutely fundamental disagreements among the political forces, mainly on the role of ethnicity and the degree of devolution in the federal system, and on the shift to neoliberalism. They lack sufficient cohesion and coherence to rise to most of the challenges they face. The autocratic rule of former Prime Minister Meles Zenawi undermined the collective leadership model of EPRDF after the 2001 split, and authoritarianism devastated the political opposition.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
After Abiy Ahmed's rise to power ended the wave of protests, there is a popular impetus and mobilization to move towards a liberal democratic system, similar to those in countries escaping from an authoritarian regime. However, the mismatch between this business-as-usual approach and the gravity of the country’s situation is striking.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
At the federal level, the ruling group comes down to a handful of persons under the thumb of a Prime Minister who is the sole embodiment of power. He is hyperactive and hyper-visible, but is busy with routine tasks. Day after day, he receives foreign VIPs, travels frequently to foreign countries, speaks to various groups, inaugurates… But to the best of our knowledge, he has for instance yet to visit any of the IDP camps scattered across the country; and to tackle head-on the primary crisis of security in Ethiopia.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
Instead the PM is focusing on his top priority of resuming high growth, running after potential investors, mainly foreigners, as if the political crisis is in the process of being resolved. Thus he acts in accordance with the analysis of the former government for which the root cause of unrest was the lack of jobs, mainly for the youth.</div>
<h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; break-after: avoid; font-size: 1.6rem; margin: 0px; text-underline-position: auto;">
<span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Collective irresponsibility</span></h2>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
Addis Fortune noted an incongruity that “best describes Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.” Addressing an audience of Ethiopian financiers who expected to be discussing "the most important subject" in their eyes – the faltering economy – Abiy Ahmed <a href="https://addisfortune.news/the-tale-of-two-dispositions-could-be-what-best-describes-prime-minister-abiy-ahmed/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;" target="_blank">asked them</a> to put their hands in their pockets to contribute to two tourist amenities in Addis Ababa, together representing a sum of more than $1.2 billion.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
Lemma Megersa, President of Oromia, <a href="https://twitter.com/addisstandard/status/1090610349466886159" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;" target="_blank">recently travelled</a> to the Netherlands, accompanied by Gedu Andargachew, President of the Amhara region, “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">to familiarize with some of the Dutch companies active in Ethiopia</em>.” The other ministers are largely invisible, except to some extent Workneh Gebeyehu, at Foreign Affairs. For example two new key ministers, the Minister of Peace, responsible, among other things, for all the security services, and the Minister of Defense, both with no previous experience in their field, are hardly visible in the public domain, although their portfolios are crucial.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
The opposition leaders occasionally speak up here and there, mainly to complain about the slow pace of reform, but seem incapacitated or powerless to assume an active position as checks-and-balances to power and push efficiently for genuine democratization. At the same time, these same leaders, whatever their allegiance, are quite ready to claim that the house is on fire, that Ethiopia is on the edge of the precipice and at risk of sinking into a Yugoslavia scenario.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
True, the agreement reached between OLF and ODP to put an end to their confrontations, notably in Wollega, sends a positive signal. However, it remains to be seen whether it will be applied by all the Oromo Liberation Army units, many of which are semi-autonomous, and whether the young Oromo activists who recently took up arms to form the mass of the combatants in Wollega will agree to disarm. The Somali region is beginning to heave again. There is a renewal of tensions between Afar and Issa. The conflict – and reportedly mass evictions and killings – between the Amhara authorities and the Quemant is still ongoing, without any official comment or intervention from the federal government.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
In Tigray, the Raya grievance remains tense. Concomitantly NaMA and Amhara nationalists are mobilizing to reclaim Wolkait and Raya areas of Tigray, as they are seen as Amhara lands. In addition, the incorporation of Metekel Zone into Benishangul-Gumuz after 1991 is criticized on the ground that it was historically part of Gojjam. A cold war between Amhara and Tigray is in effect, as their border is securitized and crossing it is restricted, as local Amhara vigilantes erratically prevent personnel and goods going to and from Tigray; most has to be re-routed through Afar region. Former chief of staff Tsadkan Gebretensae, a TPLF veteran thrown out of the party after the 2001 split, known for his levelheadedness, <a href="https://www.ethiopia-insight.com/2019/01/17/is-tigray-really-a-drop-in-the-bucket-for-abiys-administration/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;" target="_blank">has declared that</a>: “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">a war </em>[between Tigray and the Amhara region] <em style="box-sizing: inherit;">seems at the zenith of the chaotic situation</em>.”</div>
<h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; break-after: avoid; font-size: 1.6rem; margin: 0px; text-underline-position: auto;">
<span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Displacement activities</span></h2>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
Ethnic confrontations, far from diminishing or even stabilizing, are becoming worse. The number of IDPs driven out by conflict <a href="https://www.thereporterethiopia.com/article/idps-continue-climb-ethiopia" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;" target="_blank">has risen</a> from 1.47 to 1.77 million in <a href="https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/ethiopia/document/ethiopia-humanitarian-response-situation-report-no-19-november-2018-0" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;" target="_blank">the last two months</a>. “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">The country registered one of the fastest growing internally displaced population (IDPs) in the world in 2018</em>”. A recent report puts even this figure as at least 2.4 million: “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">more than 80 per cent of the at least 3 million IDPs in the country… cited inter-communal violence as the primary driver of displacement</em>”.<a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/ethiopian-elite-lost-in-electoral-maze-under-abiys-gaze/#_ftn3" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;">[3]</a>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
Although information on the ground is patchy, not a day goes by without news of civilians being killed here or there by unidentified “gunmen” or by the security forces. Arms-trafficking is exploding,<a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/ethiopian-elite-lost-in-electoral-maze-under-abiys-gaze/#_ftn4" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;">[4]</a> and reportedly gunshots are heard during the nights in cities across Amhara region as people are testing their newly purchased arms.<a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/ethiopian-elite-lost-in-electoral-maze-under-abiys-gaze/#_ftn5" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;">[5]</a> The prices for Kalashnikovs and hand-guns are skyrocketing. The police, whether federal or regional, have ceased to play their full role. The army seems to be the only solution in the event of significant disorder. But there are also some worrying signs that the new “Republican Guard” special force may develop in parallel to the armed forces and is commanded directly by the Prime Minister.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
The economy has ground to a halt: the 8 per cent growth forecast for the current fiscal year is probably an over-estimate for two main reasons: insecurity, and as Abiy has decided to turn his back on the developmental state strategy to embrace neo-liberalism. But this U-turn is so sudden and unprepared that its management is chaotic. A close observer of Ethiopia’s economic performances and development since the Derg period draws a parallel with the radical policy shifts seen in the economic sector that happened after Trump’s takeover in the U.S.. Whatever policy Obama had pursued, even if it was working well, was thrown out regardless. Apparently the same is happening in Addis. Ethiopian neo-liberals are called home and given authority to redesign the economic sector. The brain behind Ethiopia’s industrial park program, Arekbe Oqubay, is reportedly sidelined, and with him institutional memory is lost.<a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/ethiopian-elite-lost-in-electoral-maze-under-abiys-gaze/#_ftn6" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;">[6]</a></div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
The dollar is shooting up again on the black market (now c.37/38 to the dollar, while official exchange is 28), <a href="https://www.thereporterethiopia.com/article/ethiopia-misses-export-target-yet-again" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;" target="_blank">exports have declined</a>by 10 per cent and FDI has fallen by half compared with the same period last year. Ethiopia will <a href="https://borkena.com/2019/01/30/ethiopias-international-and-domestic-debt-soars-to-1%C2%A8-4-trillion-birr/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;" target="_blank">not be able</a> to reimburse its loans without restructuring, the industrial parks are failing to <a href="https://newbusinessethiopia.com/ethiopia-attracts-843-million-foreign-direct-investment/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;" target="_blank">keep their promises</a> in terms of both exports and jobs.</div>
<h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; break-after: avoid; font-size: 1.6rem; margin: 0px; text-underline-position: auto;">
<span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Divided rule</span></h2>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
So the political class recognizes that the situation is dire, but does not take proportionate action. It seems neither willing nor capable of rising to the challenges – to <em style="box-sizing: inherit;">prioritise – </em>but jumps from one issue to the next without proper empirically underpinned policy planning, accountable decision-making processes, and speedy institutionalization. It is hanging in the air, as if it would be in charge of a virtual country, a country in a tranquil situation. A smart but disillusioned observer close to the political class, including the top players, reveals that they are locked in “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">pathetic short-term political calculations</em>.”<a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/ethiopian-elite-lost-in-electoral-maze-under-abiys-gaze/#_ftn7" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;">[7]</a></div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
In this flux, Abiy is <a href="https://addisfortune.news/the-eprdfites-or-whatever-is-left-of-them/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;" target="_blank">said to have informed</a> the EPRDF Executive Committee meeting that the opposition is “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">highly fragmented and occupied by mutual squabbles</em>… <em style="box-sizing: inherit;">hence little worry about their capacity to challenge the ruling party on the electoral front</em>”, which could thus expect “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">a landslide victory</em>”. This harks back to a similar statement a month before the 2005 elections, when Meles Zenawi was asked by French officials during his visit in Paris about the election outcome. He smiled and responded: “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">It will be a formality”</em>…<a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/ethiopian-elite-lost-in-electoral-maze-under-abiys-gaze/#_ftn8" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;">[8]</a></div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
All observers agree that the EPRDF is more divided and polarized than at any previous time. Even key leaders and politburo members of EPRDF admit in private that “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">the party is dead</em>”<a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/ethiopian-elite-lost-in-electoral-maze-under-abiys-gaze/#_ftn9" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;">[9]</a>, even if it is the only surviving power pole at national level. By way of illustration, although they are supposed to form part of the same coalition, ADP and TPLF are at daggers drawn. The Tigray assembly, composed exclusively of TPLF members, yet with two ministers in the federal government, declared the formation of the Administrative Boundaries and Identity Issues Commission – an institution backed by the head of the government and approved by parliament – to be unconstitutional and void in matters related to Tigray.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
An arrest warrant issued against Getachew Assefa, former chief of the federal security services, has not been executed, and Getachew remains a member of TPLF’s politburo and at large. Most recently, at the Yekatit celebrations commemorating the 44th anniversary of TPLF, the chair Debretsion Gebremichael made his most critical statement against the federal government and the PM to date; calling all federalist forces to stand together against the chauvinist rule in the palace. He stressed that TPLF and Tigray will take all necessary measures to defend the constitutional framework and Tigray region.<a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/ethiopian-elite-lost-in-electoral-maze-under-abiys-gaze/#_ftn10" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;">[10]</a></div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
It is no surprise, then, that the lines of authority that EPRDF maintained between the federal government and the regions, as well as within the regions, have disappeared to the point that in many places the exercise of power is no longer decentralized, but atomized. In some places, local authorities have been chased out of office by local vigilante groups, or are mainly ceremonial because they are delegitimized by the population. When they do continue to effectively administer, they do largely what they want. With one key exception: Tigray; TPLF maintains law and order and normal public administration throughout the region.</div>
<h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; break-after: avoid; font-size: 1.6rem; margin: 0px; text-underline-position: auto;">
<span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Premier ambition</span></h2>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
If the electoral framework is derailed, the compass which sets the only common course of the political leaders in general at least officially, would disappear. Ethiopia would enter into unknown territory. But this could strengthen Abiy’s hand. Objectively, the longer the political class remains divided and impotent, the stronger his position as the irreplaceable leader will become.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
Speculations about his ultimate intentions continue. In particular, the question of whether his ostensible reformism is rooted in sincere and sustained conviction, or is instead the card he has played to attain power by riding the wave of the Qeerroo’s anti-authoritarian protest. He is rightly credited with having rapidly shattered the yoke that was weighing on Ethiopia's neck, and radically opened up democratic space.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
However, a double note of caution is in order. First, the high-speed liberalization he introduced had been sought and initiated by his predecessor: the main lines of reform were decided at the EPRDF Executive Committee meeting in December 2017. Second, his conversion to liberalism is very recent. Like his partner Lemma Megersa, and like the number three at the top Workneh Gebeyehu, he spent a large part of his career in the security services of a particularly repressive regime.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
Moreover, it is not known whether Abiy initially opposed the brutal repression exerted on Oromo protesters from 2015 onwards. As a Member of Parliament, he did not vote against the proclamation of the first state of emergency. It was only after the stampede at the Oromo Irreecha Festival caused dozens, perhaps hundreds, of deaths in October 2016 that he performed a U-turn to endorse the demands of the Oromo protests.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
Abiy Ahmed doesn’t always make a big deal about accountable government, administrative procedures and the rule of law; or at least he turns a blind eye when it is challenged. For example, Abdi Iley, the former president of Somali region, ruled in an unacceptable way. But the federal army couldn’t intervene legally to depose him if not requested by the Somali regional government, which of course did not happen. So the intervention was, de jure, unconstitutional.</div>
<h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; break-after: avoid; font-size: 1.6rem; margin: 0px; text-underline-position: auto;">
<span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Old tricks</span></h2>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
Furthermore, the constitutionality of the Administrative Boundaries and Identity Issues Commission is also highly questionable. Likewise, the prosecutions for corruption and human rights violations focused on former leaders may appear to have an ethnic bias as most of them are Tigrayan, and some old-class ‘TPLF loyalists’ such as Bereket Simon. Yet there are suspicions that are at least as serious hanging over senior figures who remain untouched. As a result, the neutrality and independence of the judicial system remains in doubt, as it can be perceived as being used as a political revenge tool. The state media has been used to condemn the individuals arrested before they even got to court.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
While Tigrayans were overrepresented at many levels of the state apparatus and in public or semi-public companies, and while an adjustment of the ethnic balance is justified, there is no apparent legal basis for the seemingly targeted purge they are experiencing, while currently serving Oromo officials known to be part of the ancient regime are left untouched. Despite appealing endlessly to “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">medemer</em>”, the ruling power risks the same error for which its predecessor, the TPLF, has paid such a heavy price: to cleave instead of to reconcile.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
Abiy Ahmed clearly favours the <a href="https://addisfortune.news/meek-mps-attract-domineering-executive-body/,%20February%201" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;" target="_blank">role of individuals</a> over the work of institutions. Despite a Parliamentary constitution, the representatives “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">cheer and sing to the tune of the incumbent in the executive as if they are guests at a wedding”</em>. He makes spectacular and mostly unexpected appointments to key positions, showing an indisputable willingness to open things up. But the question is not only whether the appointees have the required skills: are they given the resources, political backing and means to revitalize the often moribund institutions in their charge? He has created multiple committees of eminent figures charged with proposing solutions to the most burning issues, rather than task the institutions concerned with these problems. They are filled with members recommended by him for forgone approval by the Parliament,</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
In particular, the institutions don’t seem to play a leading role in tackling the major question of ethnic conflict. Most of the attempts at mediation, which have not yet produced lasting results, are entrusted to groups of elders, religious leaders, etc. The recent agreement between the government and Dawud Ibsa’s OLF was organized, driven, and underwritten by the Abba Gadaa Council, the senior body of the traditional Oromo system of governance, which has no constitutional existence. Dawud Ibsa went so far <a href="https://addisstandard.com/news-breakthrough-as-government-olf-sg-agree-on-immediate-ceasefire-encampment-of-rebel-army-in-20-days/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;" target="_blank">as to announce</a> that the OLF combatants would be handed over to “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">the Oromo people and the Abba Gadaa</em>”, in other words not to the established state institutions.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
The slide towards the personalization and deinstitutionalization of power seems apparent. Apart from Abiy Ahmed’s evident ambition, another factor may be at work. Abiy Ahmed, like the two other key leaders Lemma Megersa and Workeneh Gebeyu, is a fervent Pentecostalist. Pentecostalism is a doctrine with a profoundly individualistic vision, which perceives the achievement of required change much more as a personal accomplishment than a collective enterprise. Such a worldview may also influence his governance thinking.</div>
<h2 style="box-sizing: inherit; break-after: avoid; font-size: 1.6rem; margin: 0px; text-underline-position: auto;">
<span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Illiberal democrat?</span></h2>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
Given such a level of complexity, confusion and open conflict, any prediction on the way forward for Ethiopia would be bravado more than ever. But three assessments and one question may be derived. In the present political and legal environment, could the elections lead to an effective winner? Here is the core of the problem. The probability that Abiy and the EPRDF would be defeated in 2020 is high, assuming it is a “free and fair” process. The possibility that another consolidated coalition could rise to power is low. Hence, the likely outcome would, if a democratic vote occurs, be a hung parliament without any strong coalition achieving a majority.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
If so, there is a risk that the gate could be open for Abiy to assert himself as the sole vehicle to prevent Ethiopia entering into this unknown territory – a prospect that would increase if there is a <a href="https://borkena.com/2019/02/24/ethiopias-ruling-coalition-to-merge-with-affiliate-parties-form-a-single-national-party/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;" target="_blank">renewed drive</a> to convert the EPRDF into a unified party under Abiy; with or without TPLF or other affiliates in the federalist camp. Then a sort of “illiberal democracy” could emerge, dominated by a benevolent and modernizing firm-handed leader, a contemporary remake of the “enlightened despot” or, to draw on Ethiopian history, the “Big Man”, the <em style="box-sizing: inherit;">teleq säw</em>. He would rely for his acceptance on a relative tolerance of dissidence, crushed under the previous regime, on a return to order, and on hoped-for growth, revitalized by economic liberalization.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
A <a href="https://www.ethiopiaobserver.com/2019/01/15/from-predatory-to-modernizing-elites-prospects-in-abiys-ethiopia/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;" target="_blank">recent article</a> by Messay Kebede, a notable opponent of ethnic federalism, is symptomatic of this broader call for something like this. Faced with ethnic parties that seek only to “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">foment disorder and violence to achieve their true goals</em>,” faced with rising insecurity, Abiy Ahmed and EPRDF are the only game in town. Certainly, “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">Abiy and his supporters may well be compelled to resort to authoritarian methods.”</em> But “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">authoritarianism is not always a negative outcome so long as it continues to promote the order of achieveme</em>nt,” so long as it is used by “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">reforming</em>” and “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">modernizing</em>” “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">nationalist elites</em>” “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">to promote a social order upholding achievement</em>”.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
Popular concerns are increasing about the government’s apparent powerlessness to curtail the growing climate of violence, as is the disillusionment of the literati and civil society elites. The advocates of a classic model of liberal democratization feel increasingly impotent. They believe they can do nothing other than support Abiy and keep silent over the multiple criticisms that they level at him in private, because they are convinced that to express them in public, or to mobilize their adherents, would simply throw oil on the fire. One of them sums up their dilemma in the following way: “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">Abiy is in the driving seat of the bus; if he is pushed out, no one will be able to replace him; the bus will end up in the ditch</em>.”</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
There is thus no easy answer or quick fix to the predicament Abiy, EPRDF and Ethiopia are in. If the Prime Minister chooses to lean on his personal popularity and reinforce his position in the driving seat, could he obtain and sustain support from enough of the political spectrum? And could he also bring on board the army and the security forces, and the general population, in particular the young protesters that helped bring him to power, so that the bus would continue unsteadily along its treacherous course?</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
<em style="box-sizing: inherit;">openDemocracy and <a href="https://www.ethiopia-insight.com/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;" target="_blank">Ethiopia Insight </a>are pleased to be publishing the author's pieces jointly.</em></div>
<hr style="box-sizing: content-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; height: 0px; overflow: visible;" />
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
<a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/ethiopian-elite-lost-in-electoral-maze-under-abiys-gaze/#_ftnref1" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;">[1]</a> Personal accounts, Addis Ababa, October 2018.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
<a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/ethiopian-elite-lost-in-electoral-maze-under-abiys-gaze/#_ftnref2" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;">[2]</a> Where this figure of eighty comes from is unknown. The EPRDF Executive Committee consists of 36 members, the Central Committee of 180 members.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
<a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/ethiopian-elite-lost-in-electoral-maze-under-abiys-gaze/#_ftnref3" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;">[3]</a> These figures contradict the <a href="https://addisfortune.net/articles/sober-address/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;" target="_blank">Abiy Ahmed assertion</a> that “90pc of the people that were displaced since the reform began.”</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
<a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/ethiopian-elite-lost-in-electoral-maze-under-abiys-gaze/#_ftnref4" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;">[4]</a> “<em style="box-sizing: inherit;"><a href="https://borkena.com/2019/01/01/bahir-dar-498-illegal-guns-seized-in-the-residence-of-a-police-commander/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;" target="_blank">Bahir Dar: 498 illegal guns seized in the residence of a police commander</a></em>”</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
<a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/ethiopian-elite-lost-in-electoral-maze-under-abiys-gaze/#_ftnref5" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;">[5]</a> Personal account, February 2019.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
<a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/ethiopian-elite-lost-in-electoral-maze-under-abiys-gaze/#_ftnref6" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;">[6]</a> Personal account, February 2019.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
<a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/ethiopian-elite-lost-in-electoral-maze-under-abiys-gaze/#_ftnref7" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;">[7]</a> Personal account, January 2019.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
<a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/ethiopian-elite-lost-in-electoral-maze-under-abiys-gaze/#_ftnref8" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;">[8]</a> Personal account, April 2005.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
<a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/ethiopian-elite-lost-in-electoral-maze-under-abiys-gaze/#_ftnref9" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;">[9]</a> Personal account, October 2018, January and February 2019.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", "Century Gothic", "Franklin Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.86667rem; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
<a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/ethiopian-elite-lost-in-electoral-maze-under-abiys-gaze/#_ftnref10" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-underline-position: under;">[10]</a> Personal account, 22 February 2019</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544721246515470789.post-12528147318334050622019-03-10T09:52:00.002-07:002019-03-10T09:52:53.413-07:00Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 crash near Addis Ababa no survivor! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qOXOlCjpyWE" width="560"></iframe><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="el__leafmedia el__leafmedia--sourced-paragraph" style="background-color: #fefefe; box-sizing: border-box; color: #262626; font-family: CNN, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Utkal, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">
<div class="zn-body__paragraph speakable" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.66667; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-size: 19.2px;">157</span><span style="font-size: 19.2px;"> </span> people on board an Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed soon after taking off from Addis Ababa have been killed, the airline said on Sunday morning.</div>
</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph speakable" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: #fefefe; box-sizing: border-box; color: #262626; font-family: CNN, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Utkal, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.66667; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-right: 0px;">
The plane, en route to Nairobi, Kenya, lost contact at 8:44 a.m. local time, six minutes after taking off from Bole International Airport in the Ethiopian capital.</div>
<div class="el__embedded el__embedded--standard" style="background-color: #fefefe; box-sizing: border-box; color: #262626; font-family: CNN, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Utkal, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; position: relative; width: 780px; z-index: 0;">
<div class="el__storyelement--standard el__article--embed" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; cursor: default; float: left; margin-bottom: 30px; margin-right: 30px; margin-top: 10px; width: 300px;">
<div class="el__article--teaseimage" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/ethiopian-airlines-plane-crash/index.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #006598; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s ease 0s;"><img alt="Live updates: Ethiopian Airlines plane crash" class="media__image media__image--responsive" data-demand-load="loaded" data-eq-pts="mini: 0, xsmall: 221, small: 308, medium: 461, large: 781" data-eq-state="mini xsmall" data-src-full16x9="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190310072538-ethiopian-airlines-ceo-visits-crash-site-full-169.jpg" data-src-large="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190310072538-ethiopian-airlines-ceo-visits-crash-site-super-169.jpg" data-src-medium="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190310072538-ethiopian-airlines-ceo-visits-crash-site-exlarge-169.jpg" data-src-mini1x1="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190310072538-ethiopian-airlines-ceo-visits-crash-site-small-11.jpg" data-src-mini="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190310072538-ethiopian-airlines-ceo-visits-crash-site-small-169.jpg" data-src-small="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190310072538-ethiopian-airlines-ceo-visits-crash-site-large-169.jpg" data-src-xsmall="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190310072538-ethiopian-airlines-ceo-visits-crash-site-medium-plus-169.jpg" src="https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190310072538-ethiopian-airlines-ceo-visits-crash-site-medium-plus-169.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; width: 300px;" /></a><br />
<div class="img__preloader" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
</div>
<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/ethiopian-airlines-plane-crash/index.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #006598; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s ease 0s;"> </a></div>
<div class="media__caption el__storyelement__title" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; font-size: 1.06667rem; line-height: 1.375; margin: 30px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;">
<span class="el__storyelement__header" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-size: 1.06667rem; line-height: 1.5;"><a href="https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/ethiopian-airlines-plane-crash/index.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s ease 0s;">Live updates: Ethiopian Airlines plane crash</a></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph speakable" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: #fefefe; box-sizing: border-box; color: #262626; font-family: CNN, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Utkal, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.66667; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-right: 0px;">
The aircraft, flight number ET302, went down near Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa. An airline spokesperson told CNN the victims were of 35 different nationalities.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: #fefefe; box-sizing: border-box; color: #262626; font-family: CNN, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Utkal, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.66667; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-right: 0px;">
The spokesperson said 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, nine Ethiopians, eight Americans, eight Italians and seven UK nationals were among the passengers.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: #fefefe; box-sizing: border-box; color: #262626; font-family: CNN, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Utkal, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.66667; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-right: 0px;">
Eight Chinese passengers were also on board, said Li Liang, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy to Ethiopia.</div>
<div class="el__embedded el__embedded--fullwidth" style="background-color: #fefefe; box-sizing: border-box; color: #262626; font-family: CNN, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Utkal, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; position: relative; width: 780px; z-index: 0;">
<div class="el__image--fullwidth js__image--fullwidth" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; width: 780px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<img alt="A family member of a victim of the crash awaits news at Addis Ababa airport." class="media__image media__image--responsive" data-demand-load="loaded" data-eq-pts="mini: 0, xsmall: 221, small: 308, medium: 461, large: 781" data-eq-state="mini xsmall small medium" data-src-full16x9="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190310082311-03-ethiopian-plane-crash-full-169.jpg" data-src-large="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190310082311-03-ethiopian-plane-crash-super-169.jpg" data-src-medium="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190310082311-03-ethiopian-plane-crash-exlarge-169.jpg" data-src-mini1x1="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190310082311-03-ethiopian-plane-crash-small-11.jpg" data-src-mini="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190310082311-03-ethiopian-plane-crash-small-169.jpg" data-src-small="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190310082311-03-ethiopian-plane-crash-large-169.jpg" data-src-xsmall="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190310082311-03-ethiopian-plane-crash-medium-plus-169.jpg" src="https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190310082311-03-ethiopian-plane-crash-exlarge-169.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; width: 780px;" /><br />
<div class="img__preloader" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
</div>
<div class="media__caption el__gallery_image-title" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; font-size: 1.06667rem; line-height: 1.5; margin: 30px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 5px 5px; position: relative;">
<div class="element-raw appearance-fullwidth" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
A family member of a victim of the crash awaits news at Addis Ababa airport.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="zn-body__read-all" style="background-color: #fefefe; box-sizing: border-box; color: #262626; font-family: CNN, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Utkal, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">
<div class="zn-body__paragraph" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.66667; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-right: 0px;">
Ethiopian Airlines CEO, Tewolde GebreMariam, told reporters at a press conference that the pilot had reported technical difficulties and asked for clearance to return to Addis Ababa.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.66667; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-right: 0px;">
He was given clearance to turn back, according to GebreMariam, citing the Air Traffic Controllers record.</div>
<div class="el__embedded el__embedded--standard" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 780px; z-index: 0;">
<div class="el__storyelement--standard el__article--embed" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; cursor: default; float: left; margin-bottom: 30px; margin-right: 30px; margin-top: 10px; width: 300px;">
<div class="el__article--teaseimage" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/03/10/africa/ethiopian-airlines-crash-boeing-max-8-intl/index.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #006598; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s ease 0s;"><img alt="Ethiopian Airlines crash is second disaster involving Boeing 737 MAX 8 in months" class="media__image media__image--responsive" data-demand-load="loaded" data-eq-pts="mini: 0, xsmall: 221, small: 308, medium: 461, large: 781" data-eq-state="mini xsmall" data-src-full16x9="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/181115121211-file-boeing-737-max-8-full-169.jpg" data-src-large="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/181115121211-file-boeing-737-max-8-super-169.jpg" data-src-medium="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/181115121211-file-boeing-737-max-8-exlarge-169.jpg" data-src-mini1x1="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/181115121211-file-boeing-737-max-8-small-11.jpg" data-src-mini="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/181115121211-file-boeing-737-max-8-small-169.jpg" data-src-small="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/181115121211-file-boeing-737-max-8-large-169.jpg" data-src-xsmall="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/181115121211-file-boeing-737-max-8-medium-plus-169.jpg" src="https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/181115121211-file-boeing-737-max-8-medium-plus-169.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; width: 300px;" /></a><br />
<div class="img__preloader" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
</div>
<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/03/10/africa/ethiopian-airlines-crash-boeing-max-8-intl/index.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #006598; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s ease 0s;"> </a></div>
<div class="media__caption el__storyelement__title" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; font-size: 1.06667rem; line-height: 1.375; margin: 30px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;">
<span class="el__storyelement__header" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-size: 1.06667rem; line-height: 1.5;"><a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/03/10/africa/ethiopian-airlines-crash-boeing-max-8-intl/index.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s ease 0s;">Ethiopian Airlines crash is second disaster involving Boeing 737 MAX 8 in months</a></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.66667; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-right: 0px;">
The pilot was a senior Ethiopian Airlines pilot who had flown more than 8,000 hours. He had an "excellent flying record," according to the CEO.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.66667; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-right: 0px;">
The CEO visited the crash site on Sunday. He said the plane "is now right inside the ground" and it was not possible to identify whether it was an emergency landing or a crash. He said there was still smoke at the site when he visited.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.66667; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-right: 0px;">
"As it is a fresh incident, we have not been able to determine the cause. As I said, it is a brand new airplane with no technical remarks, flown by a senior pilot and there is no cause that we can attribute at this time."</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.66667; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-right: 0px;">
"The routine maintenance check didn't reveal any problems," GebreMariam added.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.66667; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-right: 0px;">
Asked about the possibility of terrorism or sabotage: "At this stage we cannot rule out anything."</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.66667; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-right: 0px;">
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 is the same type of plane as the Indonesian Lion Air jet that crashed soon after takeoff from Jakarta in 2018 -- killing 189 people.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.66667; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-right: 0px;">
"They of course are the same [model of 737 MAX 8] planes," but GebreMariam said only an investigation could make any conclusions.</div>
<div class="el__leafmedia el__leafmedia--twimg" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.66667; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-right: 0px;">
The airline said in an earlier statement that staff would "be sent to the accident scene and will do everything possible to assist the emergency services."</div>
<div class="el__leafmedia el__leafmedia--map" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px; position: relative;">
<div class="el__locator-map-container active" data-eq-pts="xsmall: 0, small: 300, medium: 460, large: 780, full16x9: 1100" data-eq-state="xsmall small medium large" id="container__map575" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; visibility: visible;">
<div class="el__locator-map" id="map575" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 438.75px; position: relative; width: 780px;">
<div style="background-color: #e5e3df; box-sizing: border-box; height: 438.75px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 780px;">
<div class="gm-style" style="border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; height: 438.75px; left: 0px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 780px; z-index: 0;">
<div style="border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: url("https://maps.gstatic.com/mapfiles/openhand_8_8.cur"), default; height: 438.75px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; touch-action: pan-x pan-y; width: 780px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 390px; position: absolute; top: 219.375px; transform: translate(0px, 0px); width: 780px; z-index: 1;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 780px; z-index: 100;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; z-index: 0;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; transform: matrix(1, 0, 0, 1, -192, -147); z-index: 996;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: 256px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 256px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; width: 256px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 256px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; width: 256px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: -256px; width: 256px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; width: 256px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: 256px; position: absolute; top: -256px; width: 256px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; width: 256px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: 512px; position: absolute; top: -256px; width: 256px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; width: 256px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: 512px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 256px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; width: 256px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: 512px; position: absolute; top: 256px; width: 256px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; width: 256px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: 256px; position: absolute; top: 256px; width: 256px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; width: 256px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 256px; width: 256px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; width: 256px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: -256px; position: absolute; top: 256px; width: 256px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; width: 256px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: -256px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 256px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; width: 256px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: -256px; position: absolute; top: -256px; width: 256px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; width: 256px;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 780px; z-index: 101;">
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 780px; z-index: 102;">
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 780px; z-index: 103;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; z-index: -1;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; transform: matrix(1, 0, 0, 1, -192, -147); z-index: 996;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: 256px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 256px;">
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: 0px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 256px;">
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: 0px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: -256px; width: 256px;">
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: 256px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: -256px; width: 256px;">
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: 512px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: -256px; width: 256px;">
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: 512px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 256px;">
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: 512px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: 256px; width: 256px;">
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: 256px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: 256px; width: 256px;">
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: 0px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: 256px; width: 256px;">
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: -256px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: 256px; width: 256px;">
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: -256px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 256px;">
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: -256px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: -256px; width: 256px;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 37px; left: -37px; position: absolute; top: 116px; width: 37px; z-index: 124;">
<canvas draggable="false" height="40" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 37px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; user-select: none; width: 37px;" width="40"></canvas></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 37px; left: -15px; position: absolute; top: -23px; width: 37px; z-index: 6;">
<canvas draggable="false" height="40" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 37px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; user-select: none; width: 37px;" width="40"></canvas></div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; z-index: 0;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; transform: matrix(1, 0, 0, 1, -192, -147); z-index: 996;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: 256px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: opacity 200ms linear 0s; width: 256px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; z-index: 0;">
<img alt="" draggable="false" role="presentation" src="https://khms0.googleapis.com/kh?v=821&hl=en-US&x=10&y=7&z=4" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; user-select: none; width: 256px;" /></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; z-index: 1;">
<img alt="" draggable="false" role="presentation" src="https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/vt?pb=!1m5!1m4!1i4!2i10!3i7!4i256!2m3!1e0!2sm!3i455165716!3m17!2sen-US!3sUS!5e18!12m4!1e68!2m2!1sset!2sRoadmapSatellite!12m3!1e37!2m1!1ssmartmaps!12m4!1e26!2m2!1sstyles!2zcy50OjMzfHMuZTpsfHAudjpvZmY!4e0!5m1!5f2&key=AIzaSyAJSw8WFqR13gda0S-MIr4VvcVeLh2CvWo&token=47459" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; user-select: none; width: 256px;" /></div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: opacity 200ms linear 0s; width: 256px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; z-index: 0;">
<img alt="" draggable="false" role="presentation" src="https://khms1.googleapis.com/kh?v=821&hl=en-US&x=9&y=7&z=4" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; user-select: none; width: 256px;" /></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; z-index: 1;">
<img alt="" draggable="false" role="presentation" src="https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/vt?pb=!1m5!1m4!1i4!2i9!3i7!4i256!2m3!1e0!2sm!3i455165716!3m17!2sen-US!3sUS!5e18!12m4!1e68!2m2!1sset!2sRoadmapSatellite!12m3!1e37!2m1!1ssmartmaps!12m4!1e26!2m2!1sstyles!2zcy50OjMzfHMuZTpsfHAudjpvZmY!4e0!5m1!5f2&key=AIzaSyAJSw8WFqR13gda0S-MIr4VvcVeLh2CvWo&token=13090" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; user-select: none; width: 256px;" /></div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: -256px; transition: opacity 200ms linear 0s; width: 256px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; z-index: 0;">
<img alt="" draggable="false" role="presentation" src="https://khms1.googleapis.com/kh?v=821&hl=en-US&x=9&y=6&z=4" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; user-select: none; width: 256px;" /></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; z-index: 1;">
<img alt="" draggable="false" role="presentation" src="https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/vt?pb=!1m5!1m4!1i4!2i9!3i6!4i256!2m3!1e0!2sm!3i455165716!3m17!2sen-US!3sUS!5e18!12m4!1e68!2m2!1sset!2sRoadmapSatellite!12m3!1e37!2m1!1ssmartmaps!12m4!1e26!2m2!1sstyles!2zcy50OjMzfHMuZTpsfHAudjpvZmY!4e0!5m1!5f2&key=AIzaSyAJSw8WFqR13gda0S-MIr4VvcVeLh2CvWo&token=1000" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; user-select: none; width: 256px;" /></div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: 256px; position: absolute; top: -256px; transition: opacity 200ms linear 0s; width: 256px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; z-index: 0;">
<img alt="" draggable="false" role="presentation" src="https://khms0.googleapis.com/kh?v=821&hl=en-US&x=10&y=6&z=4" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; user-select: none; width: 256px;" /></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; z-index: 1;">
<img alt="" draggable="false" role="presentation" src="https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/vt?pb=!1m5!1m4!1i4!2i10!3i6!4i256!2m3!1e0!2sm!3i455165716!3m17!2sen-US!3sUS!5e18!12m4!1e68!2m2!1sset!2sRoadmapSatellite!12m3!1e37!2m1!1ssmartmaps!12m4!1e26!2m2!1sstyles!2zcy50OjMzfHMuZTpsfHAudjpvZmY!4e0!5m1!5f2&key=AIzaSyAJSw8WFqR13gda0S-MIr4VvcVeLh2CvWo&token=35369" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; user-select: none; width: 256px;" /></div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: 512px; position: absolute; top: -256px; transition: opacity 200ms linear 0s; width: 256px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; z-index: 0;">
<img alt="" draggable="false" role="presentation" src="https://khms1.googleapis.com/kh?v=821&hl=en-US&x=11&y=6&z=4" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; user-select: none; width: 256px;" /></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; z-index: 1;">
<img alt="" draggable="false" role="presentation" src="https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/vt?pb=!1m5!1m4!1i4!2i11!3i6!4i256!2m3!1e0!2sm!3i455165716!3m17!2sen-US!3sUS!5e18!12m4!1e68!2m2!1sset!2sRoadmapSatellite!12m3!1e37!2m1!1ssmartmaps!12m4!1e26!2m2!1sstyles!2zcy50OjMzfHMuZTpsfHAudjpvZmY!4e0!5m1!5f2&key=AIzaSyAJSw8WFqR13gda0S-MIr4VvcVeLh2CvWo&token=88182" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; user-select: none; width: 256px;" /></div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: 512px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: opacity 200ms linear 0s; width: 256px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; z-index: 0;">
<img alt="" draggable="false" role="presentation" src="https://khms1.googleapis.com/kh?v=821&hl=en-US&x=11&y=7&z=4" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; user-select: none; width: 256px;" /></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; z-index: 1;">
<img alt="" draggable="false" role="presentation" src="https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/vt?pb=!1m5!1m4!1i4!2i11!3i7!4i256!2m3!1e0!2sm!3i455165716!3m17!2sen-US!3sUS!5e18!12m4!1e68!2m2!1sset!2sRoadmapSatellite!12m3!1e37!2m1!1ssmartmaps!12m4!1e26!2m2!1sstyles!2zcy50OjMzfHMuZTpsfHAudjpvZmY!4e0!5m1!5f2&key=AIzaSyAJSw8WFqR13gda0S-MIr4VvcVeLh2CvWo&token=100272" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; user-select: none; width: 256px;" /></div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: 512px; position: absolute; top: 256px; transition: opacity 200ms linear 0s; width: 256px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; z-index: 0;">
<img alt="" draggable="false" role="presentation" src="https://khms1.googleapis.com/kh?v=821&hl=en-US&x=11&y=8&z=4" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; user-select: none; width: 256px;" /></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; z-index: 1;">
<img alt="" draggable="false" role="presentation" src="https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/vt?pb=!1m5!1m4!1i4!2i11!3i8!4i256!2m3!1e0!2sm!3i455165716!3m17!2sen-US!3sUS!5e18!12m4!1e68!2m2!1sset!2sRoadmapSatellite!12m3!1e37!2m1!1ssmartmaps!12m4!1e26!2m2!1sstyles!2zcy50OjMzfHMuZTpsfHAudjpvZmY!4e0!5m1!5f2&key=AIzaSyAJSw8WFqR13gda0S-MIr4VvcVeLh2CvWo&token=112362" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; user-select: none; width: 256px;" /></div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: 256px; position: absolute; top: 256px; transition: opacity 200ms linear 0s; width: 256px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; z-index: 0;">
<img alt="" draggable="false" role="presentation" src="https://khms0.googleapis.com/kh?v=821&hl=en-US&x=10&y=8&z=4" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; user-select: none; width: 256px;" /></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; z-index: 1;">
<img alt="" draggable="false" role="presentation" src="https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/vt?pb=!1m5!1m4!1i4!2i10!3i8!4i256!2m3!1e0!2sm!3i455165716!3m17!2sen-US!3sUS!5e18!12m4!1e68!2m2!1sset!2sRoadmapSatellite!12m3!1e37!2m1!1ssmartmaps!12m4!1e26!2m2!1sstyles!2zcy50OjMzfHMuZTpsfHAudjpvZmY!4e0!5m1!5f2&key=AIzaSyAJSw8WFqR13gda0S-MIr4VvcVeLh2CvWo&token=59549" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; user-select: none; width: 256px;" /></div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 256px; transition: opacity 200ms linear 0s; width: 256px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; z-index: 0;">
<img alt="" draggable="false" role="presentation" src="https://khms1.googleapis.com/kh?v=821&hl=en-US&x=9&y=8&z=4" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; user-select: none; width: 256px;" /></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; z-index: 1;">
<img alt="" draggable="false" role="presentation" src="https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/vt?pb=!1m5!1m4!1i4!2i9!3i8!4i256!2m3!1e0!2sm!3i455165704!3m17!2sen-US!3sUS!5e18!12m4!1e68!2m2!1sset!2sRoadmapSatellite!12m3!1e37!2m1!1ssmartmaps!12m4!1e26!2m2!1sstyles!2zcy50OjMzfHMuZTpsfHAudjpvZmY!4e0!5m1!5f2&key=AIzaSyAJSw8WFqR13gda0S-MIr4VvcVeLh2CvWo&token=86037" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; user-select: none; width: 256px;" /></div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: -256px; position: absolute; top: 256px; transition: opacity 200ms linear 0s; width: 256px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; z-index: 0;">
<img alt="" draggable="false" role="presentation" src="https://khms0.googleapis.com/kh?v=821&hl=en-US&x=8&y=8&z=4" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; user-select: none; width: 256px;" /></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; z-index: 1;">
<img alt="" draggable="false" role="presentation" src="https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/vt?pb=!1m5!1m4!1i4!2i8!3i8!4i256!2m3!1e0!2sm!3i455165704!3m17!2sen-US!3sUS!5e18!12m4!1e68!2m2!1sset!2sRoadmapSatellite!12m3!1e37!2m1!1ssmartmaps!12m4!1e26!2m2!1sstyles!2zcy50OjMzfHMuZTpsfHAudjpvZmY!4e0!5m1!5f2&key=AIzaSyAJSw8WFqR13gda0S-MIr4VvcVeLh2CvWo&token=33224" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; user-select: none; width: 256px;" /></div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: -256px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: opacity 200ms linear 0s; width: 256px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; z-index: 0;">
<img alt="" draggable="false" role="presentation" src="https://khms0.googleapis.com/kh?v=821&hl=en-US&x=8&y=7&z=4" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; user-select: none; width: 256px;" /></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; z-index: 1;">
<img alt="" draggable="false" role="presentation" src="https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/vt?pb=!1m5!1m4!1i4!2i8!3i7!4i256!2m3!1e0!2sm!3i455165716!3m17!2sen-US!3sUS!5e18!12m4!1e68!2m2!1sset!2sRoadmapSatellite!12m3!1e37!2m1!1ssmartmaps!12m4!1e26!2m2!1sstyles!2zcy50OjMzfHMuZTpsfHAudjpvZmY!4e0!5m1!5f2&key=AIzaSyAJSw8WFqR13gda0S-MIr4VvcVeLh2CvWo&token=91348" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; user-select: none; width: 256px;" /></div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 256px; left: -256px; position: absolute; top: -256px; transition: opacity 200ms linear 0s; width: 256px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; z-index: 0;">
<img alt="" draggable="false" role="presentation" src="https://khms0.googleapis.com/kh?v=821&hl=en-US&x=8&y=6&z=4" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; user-select: none; width: 256px;" /></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; z-index: 1;">
<img alt="" draggable="false" role="presentation" src="https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/vt?pb=!1m5!1m4!1i4!2i8!3i6!4i256!2m3!1e0!2sm!3i455165716!3m17!2sen-US!3sUS!5e18!12m4!1e68!2m2!1sset!2sRoadmapSatellite!12m3!1e37!2m1!1ssmartmaps!12m4!1e26!2m2!1sstyles!2zcy50OjMzfHMuZTpsfHAudjpvZmY!4e0!5m1!5f2&key=AIzaSyAJSw8WFqR13gda0S-MIr4VvcVeLh2CvWo&token=79258" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; user-select: none; width: 256px;" /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="gm-style-pbc" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.45); border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 438.75px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; top: 0px; transition: opacity 0s ease-in-out 0s; width: 780px; z-index: 2;">
<div class="gm-style-pbt" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: white; font-size: 22px; position: relative; top: 219.375px; transform: translateY(-50%);">
</div>
</div>
<div style="border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 438.75px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; touch-action: pan-x pan-y; width: 780px; z-index: 3;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 390px; position: absolute; top: 219.375px; transform: translate(0px, 0px); width: 780px; z-index: 4;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 780px; z-index: 104;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: -62.0481px; position: absolute; top: 111.702px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<div class="callout" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: rgb(204, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; color: white; font-family: CNN, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Utkal, sans-serif; font-size: 1.06667rem; line-height: 1; padding: 4px 8px; transform: translateX(calc(50% + 20px)) translateY(calc(50% + 20px));">
Nairobi</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: -61.0228px; position: absolute; top: -5.60028px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<div class="callout" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: rgb(204, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; color: white; font-family: CNN, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Utkal, sans-serif; font-size: 1.06667rem; line-height: 1; padding: 4px 8px; transform: translateX(calc(50% + 20px)) translateY(calc(-50% - 20px));">
Addis Ababa</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 780px; z-index: 105;">
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 780px; z-index: 106;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; height: 37px; left: -37px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: 116px; touch-action: none; width: 37px; z-index: 124;" title="">
<img alt="" draggable="false" src="https://maps.gstatic.com/mapfiles/transparent.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 37px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; user-select: none; width: 37px;" /></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; height: 37px; left: -15px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: -23px; touch-action: none; width: 37px; z-index: 6;" title="">
<img alt="" draggable="false" src="https://maps.gstatic.com/mapfiles/transparent.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 37px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; user-select: none; width: 37px;" /></div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 780px; z-index: 107;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<iframe aria-hidden="true" frameborder="0" src="about:blank" style="border-style: none; border-width: initial; box-sizing: border-box; height: 438.75px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 780px; z-index: -1;"></iframe><br />
<div style="bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; position: absolute; z-index: 1000000;">
<a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=9.520082,39.369029&z=4&t=h&hl=en-US&gl=US&mapclient=apiv3" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #006598; display: inline; float: none; overflow: visible; position: static; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s ease 0s;" target="_blank" title="Open this area in Google Maps (opens a new window)"></a><br />
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; height: 26px; width: 66px;">
<a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=9.520082,39.369029&z=4&t=h&hl=en-US&gl=US&mapclient=apiv3" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #006598; display: inline; float: none; overflow: visible; position: static; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s ease 0s;" target="_blank" title="Open this area in Google Maps (opens a new window)"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="https://maps.gstatic.com/mapfiles/api-3/images/google_white5_hdpi.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 26px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; max-width: none; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; user-select: none; width: 66px;" /></a></div>
<a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=9.520082,39.369029&z=4&t=h&hl=en-US&gl=US&mapclient=apiv3" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #006598; display: inline; float: none; overflow: visible; position: static; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s ease 0s;" target="_blank" title="Open this area in Google Maps (opens a new window)"> </a></div>
<div class="gmnoprint" style="bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; right: 72px; width: 307px; z-index: 1000001;">
<div class="gm-style-cc" draggable="false" style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 14px; line-height: 14px; user-select: none;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 13.9915px; opacity: 0.7; position: absolute; width: 306.989px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; width: 1px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; height: 13.9915px; margin-left: 1px; width: auto;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; direction: ltr; display: inline-block; font-size: 10px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; position: relative; text-align: right; vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Map data ©2019 Google, SK telecom Imagery ©2019 TerraMetrics</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="gmnoprint gm-style-cc" draggable="false" style="bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 14px; line-height: 14px; position: absolute; right: 0px; user-select: none; z-index: 1000001;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 13.9915px; opacity: 0.7; position: absolute; width: 71.3778px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; width: 1px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; height: 13.9915px; margin-left: 1px; width: auto;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; direction: ltr; display: inline-block; font-size: 10px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; position: relative; text-align: right; vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap;">
<a href="https://www.google.com/intl/en-US_US/help/terms_maps.html" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s ease 0s;" target="_blank">Terms of Use</a></div>
</div>
<button aria-label="Toggle fullscreen view" class="gm-control-active gm-fullscreen-control" draggable="false" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); border-color: initial; border-radius: 2px; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3) 0px 1px 4px -1px; cursor: pointer; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11px; height: 40px; margin: 10px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; user-select: none; vertical-align: baseline; width: 40px;" title="Toggle fullscreen view" type="button"><img src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%2218%22%20height%3D%2218%22%20viewBox%3D%220%20018%2018%22%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpath%20fill%3D%22%23666%22%20d%3D%22M0%2C0v2v4h2V2h4V0H2H0z%20M16%2C0h-4v2h4v4h2V2V0H16z%20M16%2C16h-4v2h4h2v-2v-4h-2V16z%20M2%2C12H0v4v2h2h4v-2H2V12z%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E%0A" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: 18px; left: 20px; max-width: none; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; top: 20px; transform: translate(-50%, -50%); width: 18px;" /></button><br />
<div class="gmnoprint gm-bundled-control" controlheight="81" controlwidth="40" draggable="false" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px; position: absolute; right: 40px; top: 60px; user-select: none;">
<div class="gmnoprint" controlheight="81" controlwidth="40" style="box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px;">
<div draggable="false" style="background-color: white; border-radius: 2px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3) 0px 1px 4px -1px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; height: 81px; user-select: none; width: 40px;">
<button aria-label="Zoom in" class="gm-control-active" draggable="false" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; cursor: pointer; display: block; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11px; height: 40px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: 0px; user-select: none; vertical-align: baseline; width: 40px;" title="Zoom in" type="button"><img src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%2218%22%20height%3D%2218%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2018%2018%22%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20fill%3D%22%23666%22%20points%3D%2218%2C7%2011%2C7%2011%2C0%207%2C0%207%2C7%200%2C7%200%2C11%207%2C11%207%2C18%2011%2C18%2011%2C11%2018%2C11%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E%0A" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: 18px; left: 20px; max-width: none; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; top: 20px; transform: translate(-50%, -50%); width: 18px;" /></button><br />
<div style="background-color: #e6e6e6; box-sizing: border-box; height: 1px; margin: 0px 5px; overflow: hidden; position: relative; top: 0px; width: 30px;">
</div>
<button aria-label="Zoom out" class="gm-control-active" draggable="false" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; cursor: pointer; display: block; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11px; height: 40px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: 0px; user-select: none; vertical-align: baseline; width: 40px;" title="Zoom out" type="button"><img src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%2218%22%20height%3D%2218%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2018%2018%22%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpath%20fill%3D%22%23666%22%20d%3D%22M0%2C7h18v4H0V7z%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E%0A" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: block; height: 18px; left: 20px; max-width: none; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; top: 20px; transform: translate(-50%, -50%); width: 18px;" /></button></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.66667; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-right: 0px;">
It added that a passenger information center and hotline "will be available shortly for family or friends of those who may have been on flight."</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544721246515470789.post-52495586413916496532019-02-11T05:29:00.001-08:002019-02-11T05:29:35.784-08:00Kidame Gebeya fire Gonder<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MGwqvWj7dN4" width="459"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544721246515470789.post-3766271983917683902019-02-11T05:19:00.001-08:002019-02-11T05:19:01.354-08:00አስፈላጊ ከሆነ ወደ ጦርነት እንገባለን - ጌታቸው ረዳ | Ethiopia<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kRc544ReCpc" width="480"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544721246515470789.post-79721640168765193532019-01-14T08:21:00.000-08:002019-01-14T08:21:06.773-08:00OLF held region bombarded by Ethiopia army AN<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="program--News programBlockHeader" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; display: inline-block; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; width: 1180px;">
<h1 class="article__title" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 34px; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 34px; margin: 5px 0px 1.5rem 10px;">
<br /></h1>
</div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"></span><br />
<section class="article-wrapper " style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; padding-right: 20px;"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">
<div class="hidden-in-basic article__image main-video" style="box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px -20px; position: relative;">
<div class="video__wrapper" style="box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">
<div id="video-article-646801" style="box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
</div>
<img alt="Ethiopia army executing airstrikes against OLF in western Oromia" class="img-responsive lazyloaded" data-original="https://static.euronews.com/articles/646801/{{w}}x{{h}}_646801.jpg?1547394339" data-srcset="https://static.euronews.com/articles/646801/320x180_646801.jpg?1547394339 320w,
https://static.euronews.com/articles/646801/640x360_646801.jpg?1547394339 640w,
https://static.euronews.com/articles/646801/560x315_646801.jpg?1547394339 560w,
https://static.euronews.com/articles/646801/1024x576_646801.jpg?1547394339 1024w" sizes="(min-width:720px) 80vw, 100vw" src="https://static.euronews.com/articles/646801/400x225_646801.jpg?1547394339" srcset="https://static.euronews.com/articles/646801/320x180_646801.jpg?1547394339 320w,
https://static.euronews.com/articles/646801/640x360_646801.jpg?1547394339 640w,
https://static.euronews.com/articles/646801/560x315_646801.jpg?1547394339 560w,
https://static.euronews.com/articles/646801/1024x576_646801.jpg?1547394339 1024w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: 1200px;" /></div>
<ul class="article-social list-bare article-social--side" style="box-sizing: inherit; left: 10px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute;">
<li class="share" style="box-sizing: inherit; height: 45px; position: relative; width: 45px;"><span class="icon icon_15-share" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; font-family: icons; line-height: 1; speak: none; text-decoration: inherit; text-rendering: auto; vertical-align: middle;"></span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: inherit; height: 45px; position: relative; width: 45px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http://www.africanews.com/2019/01/13/ethiopia-army-executing-airstrikes-against-olf-in-western-oromia/" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 15px; line-height: 45px; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span class="icon icon_17-facebook" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; font-family: icons; line-height: 1; speak: none; text-decoration: inherit; text-rendering: auto; vertical-align: middle;"></span></a></li>
<li style="box-sizing: inherit; height: 45px; position: relative; width: 45px;"><a href="https://twitter.com/home?status=http://www.africanews.com/2019/01/13/ethiopia-army-executing-airstrikes-against-olf-in-western-oromia/" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 15px; line-height: 45px; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span class="icon icon_12-twitter" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; font-family: icons; line-height: 1; speak: none; text-decoration: inherit; text-rendering: auto; vertical-align: middle;"></span></a></li>
<li style="box-sizing: inherit; height: 45px; position: relative; width: 45px;"><a href="https://plus.google.com/share?url=http://www.africanews.com/2019/01/13/ethiopia-army-executing-airstrikes-against-olf-in-western-oromia/" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 15px; line-height: 45px; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span class="icon icon_16-google-plus" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; font-family: icons; line-height: 1; speak: none; text-decoration: inherit; text-rendering: auto; vertical-align: middle;"></span></a></li>
<li style="box-sizing: inherit; height: 45px; position: relative; width: 45px;"><a href="mailto:?subject=Ethiopia%20army%20executing%20airstrikes%20against%20OLF%20in%20western%20Oromia&body=http://www.africanews.com/2019/01/13/ethiopia-army-executing-airstrikes-against-olf-in-western-oromia/" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: block; font-size: 15px; line-height: 45px; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="icon icon_19-email" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; font-family: icons; line-height: 1; speak: none; text-decoration: inherit; text-rendering: auto; vertical-align: middle;"></span></a></li>
</ul>
<section class="article__body" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05) 4px 4px; box-sizing: inherit; margin-left: 55px; margin-right: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 20px 55px; position: relative;"><header class="article__header hidden-in-basic" style="box-sizing: inherit; position: relative;"><div class="article__meta" style="box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-top: 10px;">
<address class="article__author" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; font-family: Overpass-Light, "Arial narrow", Arial, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 20px;">
<span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700;">Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban</span></address>
<time class="article__date" datetime="2019-01-13 16:45:39" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; float: none; font-size: 12px;"><span class="icon icon-clock icon_18-clock" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; color: #9b9b9b; display: inline-block; font-family: Overpass-Light, "Arial narrow", Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1; speak: none; text-decoration: inherit; text-rendering: auto; vertical-align: middle;"></span> 13/01 - 16:45</time><div class="clearfix" style="box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
</div>
</header><div class="article-content jsArticleFirst" style="box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">
<span class="article__flag article__flag--news " style="border-left: 5px solid rgb(231, 179, 34); box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; font-family: Overpass-Light, "Arial narrow", Arial, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; left: 0px; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 45px; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px 15px; position: absolute; text-transform: uppercase; top: -48px;"><h4 class="u-m0" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px !important;">
<a href="http://www.africanews.com/country/ethiopia/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1a1a1a; display: block; outline: 0px; padding: 1px 10px 2px; text-decoration-line: none;">ETHIOPIA</a></h4>
</span><div class="article-content__text article-content__left-column js-responsive-iframes-container" style="box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05) 4px 0px; box-sizing: inherit; float: left; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0px; padding-right: 12px; width: 735px;">
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5rem;">
The Ethiopian army on Sunday morning (January 13) started an aerial operation targeting areas in western Oromia believed to be he held by ex-rebel group, Oromo Liberation Front, <span class="caps" style="box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">OLF</span>.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5rem;">
The Addis Standard portal cited an unnamed military source as confirming the air strikes in Qellem Wellega and surrounding areas.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5rem;">
The portal quoted the source as saying the strikes were targeted at “military camps run by the <span class="caps" style="box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">OLA</span>,” in reference to the Oromo Liberation Army, the armed wing of the <span class="caps" style="box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">OLF</span>. It is not known when the strikes are supposed to end.</div>
<div class="advertising advertising--no-label js-adzone" id="adzone-outstream" style="box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5rem;">
The action is tied to two bank robbery incidents that were reportedly carried out by armed members of the <span class="caps" style="box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">OLF</span>. The Commercial Bank of Ethiopia and the Cooperative Bank of Oromia were robbed on Saturday. Local media outlets are reporting that hostages were taken in the robbery.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5rem;">
The regional administration also told the <span class="caps" style="box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">VOA</span> Amharic service that bank robbery cases in western Oromia had shot up at the last count that 10 incidents had been reported.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5rem;">
The <span class="caps" style="box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">OLF</span> is one of about a half-dozen rebel groups that were based in next-door Eritrea. Its leadership agreed to return home to pursue peaceful political struggle after the Ethiopia – Eritrea peace deal of July 2018.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5rem;">
<span class="caps" style="box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">OLF</span> fighters crossed the border back home after years in Eritrea before its leadership led by Dawud Ibsa flew into the capital Addis Ababa to much fanfare and jubilation.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5rem;">
The group has since their return gotten into disagreement with the federal government especially on the deployment of troops in areas it says its fighters are ‘active.’</div>
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5rem;">
Many political and security watchers have warned that basic disagreement between <span class="caps" style="box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">OLF</span> and the regional and federal government led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed could prove fatal for ongoing reforms.</div>
</div>
</div>
</section></div>
</section></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544721246515470789.post-39858676069646226882019-01-04T02:19:00.001-08:002019-01-04T02:19:59.653-08:00Trouble With Ethiopia’s Ethnic Federalism - New York Times<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 22px; letter-spacing: 0.11px; text-align: center;">The reforms by the country’s new prime minister are clashing with its flawed Constitution and could push the country toward an interethnic conflict.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 22px; letter-spacing: 0.11px; text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div id="fullBleedHeaderContent" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="css-1t8wo5v e1xwzt920" style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto 25px; max-width: 630px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: calc(100% - 40px);">
<div class="css-acwcvw" style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="css-17xsp6v e1hs04dy0" style="-webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; border: 0px; display: flex; font: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 630px;">
<div class="css-1baulvz" style="border: 0px; display: inline-block; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="css-16vrk19 e1x1pwtg1" itemid="" itemprop="author creator" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" style="border: 0px; color: #121212; display: inline-block; font-family: nyt-franklin, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.9375rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0.02em; line-height: 1.25rem; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">
By <span class="css-1baulvz" itemprop="name" style="border: 0px; display: inline-block; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Mahmood Mamdani</span></div>
<div class="css-qsaw8 e177ar5d0" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 530px;">
<div class="css-ri4qrz e177ar5d1" style="border: 0px; font-family: nyt-franklin, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.8125rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.01em; line-height: 1.0625rem; margin-bottom: 2px; margin-top: 2px; max-width: 530px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">
Mr. Mamdani is the director of the Institute of Social Research at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, and a professor at Columbia University.</div>
<div class="css-ri4qrz e177ar5d1" style="border: 0px; font-family: nyt-franklin, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.8125rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.01em; line-height: 1.0625rem; margin-bottom: 2px; margin-top: 2px; max-width: 530px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">
<img src="https://static01.nyt.com/images/2019/01/03/opinion/03mamdani1/merlin_141952419_6c01ae91-a24b-4ccd-956e-3d8770f793bc-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale" /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<ul class="css-zh8slb e1hs04dy1" style="-webkit-box-align: center; -webkit-box-pack: justify; align-items: center; border: 0px; display: flex; font: inherit; justify-content: space-between; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Abiy Ahmed, the 42-year-old prime minister of Ethiopia, has dazzled Africa with <a class="css-1g7m0tk" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/08/abiy-ahmed-upending-ethiopian-politics" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border: 0px; color: #326891; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="">a volley of political reforms</a><span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;"> since his appointment in April. Mr. Abiy ended the 20-year border war with Eritrea, released political prisoners, removed bans on dissident groups and allowed their members to return from exile, declared press freedom and granted diverse political groups the freedom to mobilize and organize.</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;"><br /></span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;">Mr. Abiy has been celebrated as a reformer, but his transformative politics has come up against </span><a class="css-1g7m0tk" href="https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/horn-africa/ethiopia/ethiopia-ethnic-federalism-and-its-discontents" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border: 0px; color: #326891; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="">ethnic federalism</a><span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;"> enshrined in Ethiopia’s Constitution. The resulting clash threatens to exacerbate competitive ethnic politics further and push the country toward an interethnic conflict.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;">The 1994 Constitution, introduced by Prime Minister </span><a class="css-1g7m0tk" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/22/world/africa/meles-zenawi-ethiopian-leader-dies-at-57.html?module=inline" style="border: 0px; color: #326891; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;" title="">Meles Zenawi </a><span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;">and the </span><a class="css-1g7m0tk" href="https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/horn-africa/ethiopia/ethiopia-ethnic-federalism-and-its-discontents" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border: 0px; color: #326891; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="">Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front</a><span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;"> governing coalition, recast the country from a centrally unified republic to a federation of nine regional ethnic states and two federally administered city-states. It bases key rights — to land, government jobs, representation in local and federal bodies — not on Ethiopian citizenship but on being considered ethnically indigenous in constituent ethnic states.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;">Ethnic mobilization comes from multiple groups, including Ethiopians without an ethnic homeland, and those disenfranchised as minorities in the region of their residence, even if their ethnic group has a homeland in another state.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;">Ethnic federalism also unleashed a struggle for supremacy among the Big Three: the Tigray, the Amhara and the Oromo. Although the ruling E.P.R.D.F. is a coalition of four parties, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front representing the Tigray minority has been in the driving seat since the 1991 revolution. The Amhara, dominant before 1991, and the Oromo, </span><a class="css-1g7m0tk" href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/02/ethiopia-mass-protests-rooted-country-history-180219130441837.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border: 0px; color: #326891; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="">the largest ethnic group</a><span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;"> in the country, complained they were being treated as </span><a class="css-1g7m0tk" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/13/world/africa/ethiopia-protests.html?module=inline" style="border: 0px; color: #326891; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;" title="">subordinate minorities</a><span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;">.</span></div>
<div>
<div class="css-4w7y5l" style="border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0px calc((100% - 630px) / 2); max-width: 630px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 630px;">
<div class="css-1ygdjhk e2kc3sl0" style="border: 0px; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 1.1875rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.8125rem; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 630px;">
When the government announced <a class="css-1g7m0tk" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/11/ethiopia-protests-master-plan-addis-ababa-students" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border: 0px; color: #326891; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="">plans to expand Addis Ababa</a>, the federally run city-state, into bordering Oromo lands, protests erupted in 2015. The Amhara joined and both groups continued to demand land reform, equal political representation and an end to rights abuses.</div>
</div>
<br />
<aside class="css-1m2ozyi" style="-webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; border: 0px; display: flex; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0px auto; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 210px;"><div class="css-1n4qhbn ejk1mx12" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 210px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 210px;">
</div>
</aside></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;">Prime Minister Haile Mariam Desalegn, who took office in 2012 after the death of the long-term premier and Tigray leader Mr. Zenawi, </span><a class="css-1g7m0tk" href="https://www.hrw.org/tag/ethiopian-protests" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border: 0px; color: #326891; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="">responded brutally</a><span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;"> to the protests. Security forces killed between 500 and 1,000 protesters in a year. Faced with a spiraling crisis, the ruling E.P.R.D.F. coalition appointed Mr. Abiy, a </span><a class="css-1g7m0tk" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-43567007" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border: 0px; color: #326891; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="">former military official </a><span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;">and a leader of the Oromo People’s Democratic Organization — a constituent of the ruling coalition — as prime minister.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;">Mr. Abiy’s reforms have been applauded but have also led to greater ethnic mobilization for justice and equality. The E.P.R.D.F.’s achievement since 1991 was equal education for girls and boys, rural and urban, leading to greater prominence of women, Muslims and Pentecostal groups.</span></div>
<div>
<img src="https://static01.nyt.com/images/2019/01/03/opinion/03Mamdani2/merlin_143867559_b4d3a005-575b-4442-8eaf-5d434f99a2f3-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale" /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;">The recent reforms of Mr. Abiy, who was born to a Muslim Oromo father and an Orthodox Amhara mother and is a devout Pentecostal Christian, have further broadened political participation to underprivileged groups.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;">Mobilization of ethnic militias is on the rise. Paramilitaries or ethnic militias known as special police, initially established as counterinsurgency units, are increasingly involved in ethnic conflicts, mainly between neighboring ethnic states. A good example is the role of the Somali Special Force in the border conflict with the Oromia state, according to Yonas Ashine, a historian at Addis Ababa University. These forces are also drawn into conflicts between native and nonnative groups.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;">Nearly a million Ethiopians have been displaced from their homes by </span><a class="css-1g7m0tk" href="https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKCN1MF0NX-OZATP" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border: 0px; color: #326891; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="">escalating ethnic violence </a><span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;">since Mr. Abiy’s appointment, according to Addisu Gebregziabher, who heads the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;">Fears of Ethiopia suffering Africa’s next interethnic conflict are growing. Prime Minister Abiy himself is constantly invoking religious symbols, especially those linked to American Protestant evangelical megachurches, and has brought a </span><a class="css-1g7m0tk" href="https://www.nazret.com/2018/11/25/pentecostalism-in-ethiopia/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border: 0px; color: #326891; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="">greater number of Pentecostals</a><span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;"> into the higher ranks of government.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;">Ethiopians used to think of themselves as Africans of a special kind, who were not colonized, but the country today resembles a quintessential African system, marked by ethnic mobilization for ethnic gains.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;">In most of Africa, ethnicity was politicized when the British turned the ethnic group into a unit of local administration, which they termed “</span><a class="css-1g7m0tk" href="https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/africa/1937-01-01/british-and-french-colonial-technique-west-africa" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border: 0px; color: #326891; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="">indirect rule.</a><span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;">” Every bit of the colony came to be defined as an ethnic homeland, where an ethnic authority enforced an ethnically defined customary law that conferred privileges on those deemed indigenous at the expense of non-indigenous minorities.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;">The move was a response to a perennial colonial problem: Racial privilege for whites mobilized those excluded as a racialized nonwhite majority. By creating an additional layer of privilege, this time ethnic, indirect rule fragmented the racially conscious majority into so many ethnic minorities, in every part of the country setting ethnic majorities against ethnic minorities. Wherever this system continued after independence, national belonging gave way to tribal identity as the real meaning of citizenship.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;">Many thought the </span><a class="css-1g7m0tk" href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/07/12/ethiopia-and-eritrea-have-a-common-enemy-abiy-ahmed-isaias-afwerki-badme-peace-tplf-eprdf/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border: 0px; color: #326891; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="">Tigray People’s Liberation Front</a><span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;">, representing a minority in the dominant coalition, turned to ethnic federalism to dissolve and fragment Ethiopian society into numerous ethnic groups — each a minority — so it could come up with a “national” vision. In a way it replicated the British system.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;">But led by Mr. Zenawi, the T.P.L.F. was also most likely influenced by Soviet ethno-territorial federalism and the creation of ethnic republics, especially in Central Asia. Ethiopia’s 1994 Constitution evoked the classically Stalinist definition of “nation, nationality and people” and the Soviet solution to “the national question.”</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;">As in the Soviet Union, every piece of land in Ethiopia was inscribed as the ethnic homeland of a particular group, constitutionally dividing the population into a permanent majority alongside permanent minorities with little stake in the system. Mr. Zenawi and his party had both </span><a class="css-1g7m0tk" href="https://www.channel4.com/news/by/lindsey-hilsum/blogs/meles-zenawi-and-the-legacy-of-ethnic-federalism" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border: 0px; color: #326891; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="">Sovietized and Africanized</a><span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;"> Ethiopia.</span></div>
<div>
<div class="css-1ygdjhk e2kc3sl0" style="border: 0px; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 1.1875rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.8125rem; margin-bottom: 1.25rem; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 630px;">
Like much of Africa, Ethiopia is at a crossroads. Neither the centralized republic instituted by the <a class="css-1g7m0tk" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/04/magazine/04torturer.html?module=inline" style="border: 0px; color: #326891; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;" title="">Derg military junta</a> in 1974 nor the ethnic federalism of Mr. Zenawi’s 1994 Constitution points to a way forward.</div>
<div>
<div class="css-1ygdjhk e2kc3sl0" style="border: 0px; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 1.1875rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.8125rem; margin-bottom: 1.25rem; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 630px;">
Mr. Abiy can achieve real progress if Ethiopia embraces a different kind of federation — territorial and not ethnic — where rights in a federal unit are dispensed not on the basis of ethnicity but on residence. Such a federal arrangement will give Ethiopians an even chance of keeping an authoritarian dictatorship at bay.</div>
<div class="css-1psfkbx e1kwarht0" style="border: 0px; font-family: nyt-franklin, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.375rem; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 630px;">
Mahmood Mamdani is the director of Makerere Institute of Social Research in Uganda, a professor of government at Columbia University and the author of “Citizen and Subject: Contemporary Africa and the Legacy of Late Colonialism.”</div>
</div>
</div>
<ul class="css-zh8slb e1hs04dy1" style="-webkit-box-align: center; -webkit-box-pack: justify; align-items: center; border: 0px; display: flex; font: inherit; justify-content: space-between; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;"><br /></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 19px;"><br /></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544721246515470789.post-78455468433432493232018-12-26T03:29:00.003-08:002018-12-26T03:29:41.486-08:00የኦነግ መግለጫ እና የኦዲፒ ምላሽ OLF Communique <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5zoTRy1Vm8I" width="560"></iframe>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544721246515470789.post-16099171526847801682018-10-20T06:56:00.000-07:002018-10-20T06:56:09.289-07:00Ethiopia's PM changed his version says "soldiers who marched on palace sought to 'kill me' <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="ArticleHeader_container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: knowledge-regular, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="ArticleHeader_upper-container" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f40; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 60px 0px 30px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="foreground" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="TwoColumnLayout_container TwoColumnLayout_fluid-left" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 1280px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Hundreds protesting soldiers, some of them armed, went to see the prime minister odddice - reportedly to demand a pay rise. T</span><span style="color: #313132; font-family: freight-book, serif; font-size: 21px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">he 42-year old leader doing push-ups with smiling men in fatigues and red berets, some of whom stood to snap photos on their mobile phones.</span></div>
<div class="TwoColumnLayout_container TwoColumnLayout_fluid-left" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 1280px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #313132; font-family: freight-book, serif; font-size: 21px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="TwoColumnLayout_container TwoColumnLayout_fluid-left" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 1280px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="TwoColumnLayout_container TwoColumnLayout_fluid-left" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 1280px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #313132; font-family: freight-book, serif; font-size: 21px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">A week after he changed his version and claims:</span></div>
<div class="TwoColumnLayout_container TwoColumnLayout_fluid-left" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 1280px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #313132; font-family: freight-book, serif; font-size: 21px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span></div>
<div class="TwoColumnLayout_container TwoColumnLayout_fluid-left" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 1280px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #313132; font-family: freight-book, serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.52; margin-bottom: 30px; margin-left: 97.6875px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“The approach taken (by the soldiers) was not only unconstitutional and dangerous, but the intent was also to abort reforms,” Abiy address to parliament in which he gave details of the incident after making new version shows how he masters the situation though pushup. </div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #313132; font-family: freight-book, serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.52; margin-bottom: 30px; margin-left: 97.6875px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
And added: <span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">“Had we not taken a cautious approach, it could have led to a dangerous situation. All this took place without a single bullet being fired and a single loss of life,” he said, adding unspecified forces “regretted missing out on the opportunity to kill” him.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #313132; font-family: freight-book, serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.52; margin-bottom: 30px; margin-left: 97.6875px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">But his actions have failed to curb violence between different ethnic groups against each other. About 2.8 million people out of a population of 100 million have been displaced since he came to power.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #313132; font-family: freight-book, serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.52; margin-bottom: 30px; margin-left: 97.6875px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
In June, a grenade attack attended by tens of thousands of his supporters rattled a rally moments after he finished giving a speech, killing two people. <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Last month, Ethiopian prosecutors charged five suspects with terrorism over an attempt to kill Mr Abiy in a grenade attack at a rally in June.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #313132; font-family: freight-book, serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.52; margin-bottom: 30px; margin-left: 97.6875px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
In recent months, thousands of people were arrested on suspicion of involvement in violence in the capital and its outskirts that left dozens of people dead.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #313132; font-family: freight-book, serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.52; margin-bottom: 30px; margin-left: 97.6875px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">“Lawlessness is the norm these days. It is something that is testing the government,” Abiy said in parliament. “Unless we collaborate and work hand-in-hand, we may not exist as a country anymore.”</span></div>
<div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
<div class="Attribution_container" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: black; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 1280px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="Attribution_attribution" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: freight-book, serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 35px 0px 0px 97.6875px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="Attribution_content" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #717375; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 26px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Prof. Muse</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544721246515470789.post-85766797597204603392018-10-09T02:54:00.001-07:002018-10-09T02:54:43.308-07:00ETV ለኢህአዴግ እስከዛሬ የደበቀለትን ሚስጥር አፍረጠረጠው<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZHgsxhGM3VM" width="459"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544721246515470789.post-40205494080880735452018-10-09T02:52:00.001-07:002018-10-09T02:52:39.293-07:00ማንነታቸው ያልታወቁ ታጣቂ ሃይሎች በቤኒሻንጉል እና ኦሮሚያ ድንብር<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3b90sQ-9fZE" width="480"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544721246515470789.post-2331817112246100182018-10-09T02:47:00.001-07:002018-10-09T02:47:41.402-07:00Ethiopia:ኦነግ በሀገሪቱ ሰላም ለማስከበር እንጂ ትጥቅ ለመፍታት አልተስማም ዳውድ ኢብሳ<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TlQGKYPv564" width="480"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544721246515470789.post-81171990989712058372018-10-09T02:43:00.001-07:002018-10-09T02:43:33.266-07:00“ትጥቅ ፈቱ መባል አንፈልግም” - አቶ ዳውድ ኢብሳ የኦነግ ሊቀመንበር<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GcatCTcZfWM" width="480"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544721246515470789.post-71910661321644109382018-10-09T02:03:00.001-07:002018-10-09T02:03:55.452-07:00ETHIOPIA - አቶ በቀለ ገርባ ከኦፌኮን፣ አቶ ገብሩ አስራት ከአረና፣ አቶ የሽዋስ አሰፋ ከሰማያዊ ፓርቲ ያደረ...<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ILIpiiST508" width="459"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544721246515470789.post-42591265033753202612018-07-19T01:04:00.002-07:002018-07-19T01:04:31.609-07:00Warning of Debretsion Gebremichael to PM Abiy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h1 class="article-title" style="background-color: #3e6a94; box-sizing: border-box; color: white; font-family: CooperHewitt-Heavy; font-size: 50px; font-weight: 500; letter-spacing: 0.02em; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px; padding-right: 0px;">
<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 14px;">
Following a meeting held in early July, the president of the Tigray National Regional State (TNRS), <a data-content="See all articles about<br/><strong class='color-primary'>Debretsion Gebremichael</strong>" data-html="true" data-original-title="Debretsion Gebremichael" data-placement="top" data-template="<div class='popover' role='tooltip'><div class='arrow'></div><div class='popover-content'></div></div>" data-toggle="popover" data-trigger="focus hover" href="https://www.africaintelligence.com/tags/debretsion-gebremichael" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: FreightTextProBook-Regular; font-size: 19px; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease 0s;" title=""><b>Debretsion Gebremichael</b></a>, has<span id="more-11712"></span> warned the office of the prime minister <a data-content="See all articles about<br/><strong class='color-primary'>Abiy Ahmed Ali</strong>" data-html="true" data-original-title="Abiy Ahmed Ali" data-placement="top" data-template="<div class='popover' role='tooltip'><div class='arrow'></div><div class='popover-content'></div></div>" data-toggle="popover" data-trigger="hover" href="https://www.africaintelligence.com/search?sqe=IkFiaXkgQWhtZWQgQWxpIg2" rel="nofollow" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: FreightTextProBook-Regular; font-size: 19px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease 0s;" title=""><b>Abiy Ahmed Ali</b></a> that the government has a duty to maintain constitutional order. The meeting had been convened in the immediate wake of the pro-government marches on 1 July during which demonstrators in the Amhara region had flown the former Ethiopian national flag, which the <a data-content="See all articles about<br/><strong class='color-primary'>Tigray People's Liberation Front</strong>" data-html="true" data-original-title="Tigray People's Liberation Front" data-placement="top" data-template="<div class='popover' role='tooltip'><div class='arrow'></div><div class='popover-content'></div></div>" data-toggle="popover" data-trigger="hover" href="https://www.africaintelligence.com/search?sqe=IlRpZ3JheSBQZW9wbGUncyBMaWJlcmF0aW9uIEZyb250Ig2" rel="nofollow" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: FreightTextProBook-Regular; font-size: 19px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease 0s;" title=""><b>Tigray People’s Liberation Front</b></a> (TPLF) views as a symbol of domination over the <i>Amhara</i> ethnic community.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 14px;">
Moreover, manifestations of anti-Tigrayan sentiment were observed in certain towns in that region. The TNRS has, therefore, urged the federal government to uphold the constitution, which in the view of the <i>Tigrayans </i>has been violated, stressing that a failure to do so will plunge the country into a major political crisis. In view of all of this, Debretsion Gebremichael has called on Tigrayans to be vigilant and to save the country from the threat of disintegration</div>
</h1>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544721246515470789.post-70788502940380707282018-07-07T09:31:00.002-07:002018-07-07T09:31:11.980-07:00Ethiopia Removes ONL, ONLF & Ginbot 7 Rebel Group From Terror List<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="story-body-text" data-para-word-count="42" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.01); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, "Liberation Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The Ethiopian Parliament on Thursday unanimously approved a Council of Ministers resolution to rescind "terrorist" tags on three rebel groups. The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), and Patriot Ginbot 7 will not carry the "terrorist" appellation anymore.</div>
<div class="story-body-text" data-para-word-count="37" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.01); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, "Liberation Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
No international agency or country has ever labeled any of the three organizations as terrorist. Since he came to power on April 2, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has called on all rebels to join the democratic process.</div>
<div class="story-body-text" data-para-word-count="24" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.01); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, "Liberation Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
His overtures were met with positive responses as senior OLF leaders came to the capital Addis Ababa in May to meet senior government officials.</div>
<div id="aans-body-mid" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, "Liberation Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
<div class="story-body-text" data-para-word-count="27" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.01); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, "Liberation Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Similarly, Patriot Ginbot 7, a rebel group that took up arms from inside the Eritrean border, announced two weeks ago that it had suspended the armed struggle.</div>
<div class="story-body-text" data-para-word-count="8" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.01); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, "Liberation Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The three organizations were labeled "terrorist" in 2011.</div>
<div class="story-body-text" data-para-word-count="39" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.01); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, "Liberation Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Over the past three months, Abiy Ahmed's government has released thousands of political prisoners, including rebel leaders such as Andargachew Tsige of Ginbot 7, who was in a maximum security cell since his arrest in Yemen four years ago.</div>
</div>
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0OBo2UYiUjg" width="560"></iframe>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544721246515470789.post-90275362114578056012018-06-23T08:51:00.001-07:002018-06-23T08:51:57.669-07:00Ethiopia: ቦንቡን አብይ ላይ ልትወረውረው ስትል እጅ ከፍንጅ የያዛት ልጅ ተናገረ<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9VE7RZaYaiA" width="560"></iframe></div>
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4Y7SkyU4BO0" width="560"></iframe>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544721246515470789.post-71353761067443335752018-06-20T02:21:00.000-07:002018-06-20T02:21:16.401-07:00ዶ/ር ዐቢይ አህመድ በምክር ቤቱ ተገኝተው ያደረጉት ንግግር<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hj3TSiH5LMQ" width="560"></iframe></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544721246515470789.post-24350502977510020012018-06-16T11:38:00.000-07:002018-06-16T11:38:04.540-07:00Protest in Ethiopian Southern region continue ( Awasa)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gQMeZ0FI184" width="560"></iframe>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544721246515470789.post-90132273025471918932018-06-11T07:45:00.000-07:002018-06-11T07:49:23.365-07:00A New Government in Ethiopia Promises Major Political Changes ?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W-O40gUZ2HU" width="560"></iframe>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544721246515470789.post-71382935249885990872018-06-06T02:41:00.000-07:002018-06-06T02:41:44.374-07:00Ethiopia says accepts Eritrea Boundary decision of 2002<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZMp8HhMZWFo" width="560"></iframe></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544721246515470789.post-72203328048148044142018-06-02T05:48:00.002-07:002018-06-02T05:48:25.358-07:00መታየት ያለበት የአንዳርጋቸው ፅጌ ሙሉ ቃለ-ምልልስ<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wQjbx0V-jjs" width="560"></iframe></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544721246515470789.post-71379660028027538522018-05-28T00:10:00.000-07:002018-05-28T00:10:09.429-07:00Ethiopia pardons top rebel leader Andargachew Tsige<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="detail-heading" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 14px;">
<h1 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 35px; line-height: 45px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;">
Ethiopia pardons top rebel leader</h1>
<div class="clearfix" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="rs_skip rsbtn rs_preserve" id="readspeaker_button1" style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 26px; margin-bottom: 20px; position: relative; user-select: none; z-index: 100;">
<a accesskey="L" class="rsbtn_play" data-rsevent-id="rs_916326" href="https://app-as.readspeaker.com/cgi-bin/rsent?customerid=9520&audiofilename=ethiopia-pardons-top-rebel-leader&lang=en_uk&readid=storydetailarea&url=" rel="nofollow" role="button" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; display: inline; float: left; font-family: "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans", Lucida, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin: auto; padding: inherit; position: static; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="rsbtn_left rsimg rspart" style="background: url("img/rs_button.png") 0px 0px no-repeat scroll transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; height: 26px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><span class="rsbtn_text" style="background: url("img/rs_button.png") 0px -641px no-repeat scroll transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; line-height: 16px; margin: 5px 10px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 20px; position: relative;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;">Listen</span></span></span><span class="rsbtn_right rsimg rsplay rspart" style="background: url("img/rs_button.png") 0px -26px no-repeat scroll transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; height: 26px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 42px;"></span></a></div>
<div class="clearfix" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="story-detail" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; float: left; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 15px; width: 560px;">
<div class="clearfix" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="clearfix" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both;">
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;">
</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;">
<img alt="Image result for andargachew tsige" src="https://i1.wp.com/tesfanews.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/tsege-etv.jpg?resize=300%2C185&ssl=1" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14px;" /></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;">
ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopia on Saturday ordered the release of a top member of an armed opposition group whose 2014 arrest in Yemen was internationally condemned.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;">
Attorney general Birhanu Tsegaye said Andargachew Tsige of the outlawed Ginbot 7 group would be among 756 people released in a “special” round of pardons, the state-affiliated Fana Broadcast Corporate reported. “The decision was made as the individuals have demonstrated remorse, the attorney general said, adding it is also aimed at broadening the political space,” Fana reported.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;">
Andargachew was arrested in June 2014 at Yemen´s Sanaa airport en route to Eritrea and transferred to Ethiopia the same day, sparking criticism from Britain. Andargachew also holds British citizenship.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;">
The Foreign Office slammed Yemen for extraditing Andargachew in defiance of international law and urged Ethiopia to ensure his safety.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;">
Ethiopia, which considers Ginbot 7 a terrorist group, had accused Andargachew of plotting attacks and training opposition groups in its neighbour and arch-foe Eritrea.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;">
Shortly after his arrest, Andargachew appeared on state television, proclaiming “peace” with Ethiopia and vowing to “calm down.” Rights groups have criticised Ethiopia for using association with the group as a reason to prosecute politicians and journalists opposed to the one-party rule of the Ethiopian People´s Revolutionary Democratic Front.</div>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0