Ethiopian PM tipped to take over as AU chair - AFP:

(AFP) – 2 hours ago  

ADDIS ABABA — Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn is slated to take over as the chairperson of the African Union this month, replacing Benin president Boni Yayi as the head of the pan-African bloc, officials said Wednesday.

"Ethiopia is going to pick up the chairmanship of the African Union," Ethiopian Foreign Affairs spokesman Dina Mufti told AFP.

Hailemariam must be officially voted in by member states at the opening of this month's African Union heads of state summit, which runs from January 27 to January 28.

A new chairperson is elected every January at the annual summit and is awarded on a regional basis.

Before current chairman Boni Yayi took on the role, the chairmanship has been successively occupied by northern, southern and central Africa.

The last time East Africa chaired the AU was in 2008 when Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete served as head of the bloc.

Dina said the appointment is especially important for Ethiopia, which hosts the headquarters of the AU and is a founding member nation of the AU's predecessor, the Organisation for African Unity (OAU).

"Taking over chairmanship of the African Union will give an opportunity for Ethiopia to work hard for the strengthening of the organisation," he said.

It is the first time the country has occupied the seat since the founding of the AU in 2003, though previous Ethiopian leaders, including late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, served as chair of the OAU.

Hailemariam -- Ethiopia's former foreign minister -- took over as Prime Minister in August following the sudden death of Zenawi, who ruled the country for 21 years.

The AU summit kicks off this month at the towering Chinese-built AU headquarters in the Ethiopian capital. It is the first summit since the election of Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as chairperson of the AU Commission -- the body's executive arm -- last July.

The war against Al-Qaeda-linked fighters occupying northern Mali is expected to top the agenda but crises between rivals Sudan and South Sudan and in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo will also be discussed.

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Ethiopia sentences 10 for Al-Qaeda links -AFP

ADDIS ABABA — An Ethiopian court handed down heavy jail terms to 10 people convicted of having links to Al-Qaeda, a judge said Tuesday.

The sentences ranged from three years to 20 years, and several of the convicted also face stiff fines.

Judge Bahiru Darecha said the heavy sentences were justified because the accused were found guilty of plotting attacks as a group.

"The fact that they were plotting as a group strengthens the penalty," Bahiru said.

But the court stopped short of handing out the maximum sentences of life in prison because of mitigating circumstances, he said, noting that several of the men have families and have never been convicted of a crime in the past.

"The sentences have been given considering all circumstances -- their age, profession, family background and previous record," he said.

The 10, who included one Kenyan, were convicted earlier this month under Ethiopia's anti-terrorism legislation for having links with Islamist extremists, in the first trial in Ethiopia for Al-Qaeda suspects.

They were charged with plotting jihad in Ethiopia and accused of receiving weapons training both inside and outside the country.

The charges were first issued last April against 11 people, of whom one was found not guilty.

Only four of the defendants appeared in court, while the others were sentenced in absentia. The four men were expressionless as the judge read out the jail terms.

Rights groups criticise Ethiopia's anti-terrorism legislation for being vague and used to stifle peaceful dissent. Several journalists and opposition members have been convicted under the law since it was introduced in 2009.

Prominent blogger Eskinder Nega is serving an 18-year jail sentence along with leading opposition figure Andualem Arage, who was sentenced to life. Both men are appealing the ruling.

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Ethiopian News in Amharic - Thursday, January 10, 2013 - YouTube

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Ethiopia's Seyoum Mesfin - Fulcrum between Addis and Beijing | The Africa Report.com

Shortly after Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi died on 20 August 2012, former foreign minister Seyoum Mesfin was back in the country's capital, Addis Ababa from his posting as ambassador to Beijing, China.

The veteran politician, known for his calm temperament, was said to have had a vital role in managing the difficult aftermath.

"He is – bar none – one of the smartest men I have met, Meles included, and good bit slicker," said a journalist who used to cover Addis.

Although the leadership transition was successful, there have been rumours of factionalism within Meles's Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF).

Leader of a southern bloc in the four-party ruling coalition, Premier Hailemariam Desalegn represents a younger generation who did not take part in the armed struggle that ousted the military junta in 1991.

After Seyoum served in the foreign ministry for almost two decades, the leadership removed him from the TPLF politburo and sent him to Beijing in 2010 as part of that regeneration process.

Ensuring that Chinese lines of credit continue to flow, he is also a key cog in the TPLF.

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• Addis Ababa
• Ambassador
• Beijing
• China
• Ethiopia

 

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Ethiopian News in Amharic - Tuesday, January 01, 2013 - YouTube

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Ethiopia: Prime Minister Hailemariam Says No Change of Policy On Eritrea-allAfrica.com

Prime Minister Hailemariam today (January 1st, 2013) responded to questions raised by MPs' in a special Parliamentary question and answer session.

Questions covered a wide variety of subjects including the performance of the Growth and Transformation Plan, transport problems in Addis Ababa, human trafficking challenges, the recent restructuring of the executive and questions on foreign policy.

MPs asked whether the Prime Minister's recent statement to Al Jezeera that he was willing to negotiate with the Eritrean government even in Asmara was indicative of any change of policy. Prime Minister Hailemariam in his reply made it clear that Ethiopia's policy towards Eritrea has not changed over the past eight years since it issued its Five Point Peace Plan in November 2004, accepting in principle the Eritrean Ethiopian Boundary Commission's Decision.

The Prime Minister said that despite the continuing belligerent behavior of the regime in Asmara and its destabilizing activities, Ethiopia's position had always been for peace. Equally, of course, it was always necessary to defend the nation when necessary. He added that his reference that he was ready to travel to Asmara underlined his complete commitment for peace. On Somalia, the Prime Minister said, his government would continue working with the new government of Somalia to help consolidate peace across large parts of Somalia.

The Prime Minister also outlined the peace efforts made by the government of Ethiopia, including his own recent visits to Khartoum and Juba, to bring the two Sudan's to the negotiating table on the remaining post independence issues. He noted that "the two sides have now agreed to hold discussion on the implementation of the Addis Ababa Agreements which cover 90% of the issues and negotiate on the remaining issues ".

Ethiopian News in Amharic - Monday, December 31, 2012 - YouTube

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