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The U.N. has criticized the lack of access to all areas of Tigray for humanitarian workers seeking to deliver aid
He replaces Debretsion Gebremichael, whose immunity from prosecution was removed Thursday.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International said Thursday that scores of civilians were killed in a \"massacre\" in the Tigray region, that witnesses blamed on forces backing the local ruling party.
The \"massacre\" is the first reported incident of large-scale civilian fatalities in a week-old conflict between the regional ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), and the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, winner of last year's Nobel Peace Prize.
\"Amnesty International can today confirm... that scores, and likely hundreds, of people were stabbed or hacked to death in Mai-Kadra (May Cadera) town in the southwest of Ethiopia's Tigray Region on the night of 9 November,\" the rights group said in a report.
Amnesty said it had \"digitally verified gruesome photographs and videos of bodies strewn across the town or being carried away on stretchers.\"
The dead \"had gaping wounds that appear to have been inflicted by sharp weapons such as knives and machetes,\" Amnesty said, citing witness accounts.
Witnesses said the attack was carried out by TPLF-aligned forces after a defeat at the hands of the Ethiopian military, though Amnesty said it \"has not been able to confirm who was responsible for the killings\".
It nonetheless called on TPLF commanders and officials to \"make clear to their forces and their supporters that deliberate attacks on civilians are absolutely prohibited and constitute war crimes\".
Abiy ordered military operations in Tigray on November 4, saying they were prompted by a TPLF attack on federal military camps -- a claim the party denies.
The region has been under a communications blackout ever since, making it difficult to verify competing claims on the ground.
Abiy said Thursday his army had made major gains in western Tigray.
Thousands of Ethiopians have fled across the border into neighboring Sudan, and the UN is sounding the alarm about a humanitarian crisis in Tigray.
The funeral of Hachalu Hundessa, the slain Ethiopian singer, was held Thursday in his hometown of Ambo, in the Oromia region.
The singer, whose highly political lyrics expressed frustrations of the Oromo people, who have long considered themselves marginalised, was shot dead Monday night in Addis Ababa.
His death immediately rekindled tensions. Demonstrations resulted in the deaths of 81 people and increased political and communal tensions in the country.
Over the past two days, demonstrators have been expressing their anger in the capital and in Oromia, the stronghold of the Oromo people, the country’s largest ethnic group.
It was a federal government plan to expand the capital into Oromia that triggered the anti-government protests in 2015 that led to Abiy Ahmed’s accession to power three years later.
Since assuming office, the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner has worked to promote political and economic reforms.
However, this has opened the way open for inter-communal violence, which is putting the Ethiopian system of ethnic federalism to the test.
AFP
[New Zimbabwe] A total of 2.61 million people or 27% of the population in rural Zimbabwe are facing severe food shortages, according to a report released this week.
Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed replaced his army chief, the head of intelligence and the foreign minister as the military continued a five-day old offensive in the restive Tigray region.
Preamble
Be It Resolved, That the Negro people of the world, through their chosen representatives in convention assembled in Liberty Hall, in the City of New York and United States of America, from August 1 to August 31, in the year of Our Lord one thousand nine hundred and twenty, protest against the wrongs and injustices they are suffering at the hands of their white brethren, and state what they deem their fair and just rights, as well as the treatment they propose to demand of all men in the future.
We complain:
1. That nowhere in the world, with few exceptions, are black men accorded equal treatment with white men, although in the same situation and circumstances, but, on the contrary, are discriminated against and denied the common rights due to human beings for no other reason than their race and color.
We are not willingly accepted as guests in the public hotels and inns of the world for no other reason than our race and color.
2. In certain parts of the United States of America our race is denied the right of public trial accorded to other races when accused of crime, but are lynched and burned by mobs, and such brutal and inhuman treatment is even practiced upon our women.
3. That European nations have parcelled out among them and taken possession of nearly all of the continent of Africa, and the natives are compelled to surrender their lands to aliens and are treated in most instances like slaves.
4. In the southern portion of the United States of America, although citizens under the Federal Constitution, and in some States almost equal to the whites in population and are qualified land owners and taxpayers, we are, nevertheless, denied all voice in the making and administration of the laws and are taxed without representation by the State governments, and at the same time compelled to do military service in defense of the country.
5. On the public conveyances and common carriers in the southern portion of the United States we are jim-crowed and compelled to accept separate and inferior
[UN News] The dire shortage of food, water, fuel and cash in the Tigray region in northern Ethiopia is seriously affecting people there, including aid workers, the United Nations reported on Tuesday, citing its humanitarian affairs office, OCHA.
On November 2, 1889 Menelik II was crowned Negusa-Nagast (King of Kings) of Abysinnia, Ethiopia. By 1899 Abysinnia had extended as far as Kenya in the south, Somaliland in the East, and the Sudan in the West. During his reign, Menelik devoted much of his time to the building of railroads, schools, hospitals and industries. Menilik II is probably most known for leading his country to victory over the Italian forces who sought to colonize his country in 1896.
[ENA] Addis Ababa -- Justice for Humanity (JFH), a non-governmental organization headquartered in USA, announced that it is launching a solidarity movement that advocates the just use of Nile River and support for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
Sudan has called for a ceasefire and dialogue in neighbouring Ethiopia, warning of regional instability, as fighting intensified in war-hit Tigray region across the border.
Prime ministers of Sudan and Ethiopia have agreed to resume negotiations on the filling and use of the Grand Renaissance Dam [GERD], signalling a partial end to tensions over the Nile waters.
Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdouk assured Sudan's readiness to continuously communicate with the two countries to reach an agreement that would guarantee full agreement between the three parties.
Ethiopian Prime Minister affirmed his country's readiness to cooperate with Egypt and Sudan to reach a final agreement for the interests of the three countries and supports cooperation between the peoples of the region.
Recent negotiations facilitated by the US government and the World Bank saw Ethiopia and Sudan reject a draft agreement fronted by Washington in February.
The Ethiopian Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy Seleshi Bekele said on Wednesday that the construction of the Renaissance Dam in his country has reached 73 percent, indicating that the initial mobilisation of the dam reservoir will begin in July.
For thousands of Ethiopians who have fled fighting in the Tigray region to Sudan, this year’s Coptic Christmas on January 7 is a sombre celebration. There will be little feasting for those living hand-to-mouth in the crowded Um Raquba refugee camp.
[Dalsan Radio] Somalia's new foreign minister, Mohamed Abdirqzak, has for the first time responded to the ongoing war in Ethiopia.
[Addis Fortune] For Grave Rights Concerns, Truth Should not be Casualty of Conflict
The Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity Against Covid-19 is a joint initiative between the People's Republic of China, the Republic of South Africa in its capacity as the Chair of the African Union (AU), and the Republic of Senegal in its capacity as the Co-Chair of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
We recognize the importance of public health issues to global peace and security and the well-being of people around the world, particularly the fact that Africa is extremely vulnerable to the ravages of this virus and needs solidarity and support, including resources from various parties to bolster its response to the pandemic and to support its economic and social development.
We welcome the 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA) resolution on Covid-19 response, which expresses deep concerns about the negative impacts and consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, emphasizes the importance of global collaboration, and calls for intensified international cooperation, unity, solidarity and joint efforts to contain and mitigate the pandemic, and to pay particular attention to the needs of people in vulnerable situations.
China commends the solidarity and support extended by African countries, the AU and other regional organizations for China's Covid-19 response and appreciates the establishment of the AU Covid-19 Strategy and the appointment of Special Envoys to mobilize international support for Africa's efforts to address the economic challenges faced as a consequence of the pandemic, and further commends the resilience African countries have demonstrated and the positive results thus achieved in curbing the spread of the virus by adopting preventive measures.
We fully recognize the positive role of China-Africa investment and financing cooperation in promoting development and improving people's lives in Africa, and call on the international community to work in solidarity and collaboration, share best practices, and provide more material, technical, financial and humanitarian support to help African countries overcome the impact of Covid-19 and achieve independent and sustainable development.
[Nation] Legendary Ethiopian singer Alemayehu Eshete, 80, died in Addis Ababa on Thursday.
As talks over the Nile waters resumed on June 10, Egypt continued to defend its objections to Ethiopia's plan to start filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in July.
In an interview with The EastAfrican, Egyptian ambassador to Kenya, Khaled ElAbyad, said the impact of the water shortages in Egypt caused by the dam project could be catastrophic.
Ethiopia went ahead to announce that it was planning to store 4.9 billion cubic metres of Nile waters in the reservoir of the dam in July, while Cairo insists on adhering to the Washington talks on filling and operating rules for the mega project, as well as to the declaration of principles signed between the three countries in 2015.
The agreement reached in Washington guarantees that Ethiopia will fill the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and generate at least 75 to 80 per cent of hydropower.
These rules also include mitigation measures that ensure the sustainable generation of hydropower from the mega project while assisting downstream countries to minimise the impact of droughts.
Addis Ababa was the last imperial capital of Ethiopia and serves as the capital of the modern state of Ethiopia. Addis Ababa came into existence in 1886 as a mineral springs resort for Ethiopias royal family and nobility. In 1892, Emperor Menilek II (r. 1889-1913) made it the capital when he constructed his palace there. By 1896, members of the nobility began to build permanent homes in the new capital. Neighborhoods bearing the names of these nobles provided housing for their followers along with districts for the imperial employees. Foreigners, artisans, and merchants also flocked to the city. The city’s previously uncertain future was established in 1907 with the granting of land charters and, in 1917 when the railroad arrived from Djibouti.
By 1917, Ras Tafari Makonnen, later Haile Selassie (r. 1930-74), had become one of the most powerful people in Addis Ababa. He recognized the future importance of the city and redistributed much of his recently acquired wealth to gain the support of the emerging class of urban Ethiopians. In 1918, a series of popular demonstrations in Addis Ababa catapulted Tafari to the head of a regency council.
Addis Ababa experienced an economic boom between 1926 and 1927, fueled by the lucrative processing of coffee and hides just before export. Aided by this new wealth, the bourgeoisie of the city began to construct new, stone houses filled with imported European furniture and the richest amongst them drove automobiles. At this time, a rudimentary banking system began to develop in the city.
In 1930, Tafari was crowned Emperor Haile Selassie in a spectacular week-long celebration. The extravaganza was preceded by a wave of city-wide improvements including street paving, the installation of power lines and telephones, and the erection of several monuments throughout Addis Ababa. However, after a string of defeats by the Italians, who had invaded in 1935, the Emperor was forced to leave Addis Ababa and the country in 1936. This triggered a riot in the capital which was only quelled
Just one day after putting out a dire emergency warning, Ethiopia's federal government has agreed to allow the United Nations "unimpeded" humanitarian access to parts of the northern Tigray region, according to a UN spokesperson.
May 16: Cases pass 300 mark
\tTotal confirmed cases = 306 (new cases = 19)
Total recoveries = 113 (new recoveries = 1)
Total deaths = 5
Active cases = 189
Tests within 24-hours = 4,044
Total tests = 53,029
\tAs of May 9, Ethiopia had recorded 210 cases, it means that it took a week for the next 100 cases to be registered.
Number of cases (new cases)
May 8th = 194 (16)
May 9th = 210 (29)
May 10th = 239 (11)
May 11th = 250 (11)
May 12th = 261 (2)
May 13th = 263 (9)
May 14th = 272 (15)
May 15th = 287 (19)
May 16th = 306
\t
May 15: 287 cases, returnees hit 10,000 – UN says
\tTotal confirmed cases = 287 (new cases = 15)
Total recoveries = 112 (new recoveries = 4)
Active cases = 168
\tAll the new cases involve men.
IOM report by BBC
May 14: 272 cases, record for one-day testing
\tTotal confirmed cases = 272 (new cases = 9)
Total recoveries = 108
Active cases = 157
Tests over 24-hours = 3,580
Total tests so far = 45,278
\tAll nine cases are Ethiopians, five male and four female.
May 10: 239 cases, Abiy appreciates US support
\tSunday May 10 new cases were 29 raising the total national tally to 239.
May 7: Tigray’s first cases takes tally to 191
\tEthiopia’s northern Tigray region recorded four cases of COVID-19, the first in the region.
[Nyasa Times] The Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services has deported 123 Ethiopian nationals to their country. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) supported the return of the illegal immigrants back to their native country.
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UNICEF said some 2.3 million minors are struggling to access treatment for malnourishment, critical vaccines, emergency medicines, water and sanitation.
The Battle of Adwa and the Victory of Adwa Centenary Medal
The Battle of Adwa, in which Ethiopian forces under Emperor Menelik II united to defeat an invading force of Italian troops, was one of the most significant turning points in the history of modern Africa. It occurred, in 1896, when the “colonial era” was well advanced on the African continent, and it served notice that Africa was not just there “for the taking” by European powers. More than this, it marked the entry of Ethiopia into the modern community of nations: Menelik’s victory over the Italians caused the other major European states, and Italy itself, to recognise Ethiopia as a sovereign, independent state in the context of modern statecraft.
The actual battle which took place on March 1 and 2, 1896, at Adwa, the principal market town of the North of Ethiopia, had been precipitated by the great rush of the European powers to colonise Africa. Italy and Germany had lagged behind other European powers — most notably France and Britain — in seizing large parcels of the Continent to colonise. Thus, the Conference of Berlin was convened in 1884-85 to “divide up” the remainder of Africa among the other European powers, anxious to obtain their own African colonies to satisfy the urge for imperial expansion and economic gain. Italy was “awarded” Ethiopia; all that remained was for Italian troops to take possession.
Significantly, until this time, Ethiopia had been left alone by the European powers. Its coastal littoral was well-known to traders, but the heartland in the highlands was peopled by nations notoriously unwilling to accept and embrace external contact and influence. But the Ethiopian nations had been known in the past to be fractious and divided, and from all accounts, Italy’s leaders expected a rapid conquest of the individual national leaders. Britain had, in 1868, waged a successful war against Emperor Téwodros II (Theodore), leading to his death. The Italians, however, failed to recognise that Emperor Menelik II had re-shaped Ethiopia
The rights group said in a report that victims were accused of being supporters of the Oromo Liberation Army, the breakaway armed wing of the Oromo Liberation Front, which the government had previously declared a terrorist movement but which has been unbanned by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
“Security forces have continued to violate human rights despite reforms introduced by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and this is due to widespread impunity and lack of accountability for those violations,” Amnesty International’s Ethiopia researcher Fisseha Tekle said.
Security forces have continued to violate human rights despite reforms introduced by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and this is due to widespread impunity and lack of accountability for those violations.
“The report is further proof that the new administration has not parted ways with the practice of forcefully stifling dissent, committing egregious human rights violations and carrying out extrajudicial killings,” the Oromo Liberation Front and the Oromo Federalist Congress, an opposition party, said in a joint statement, calling on the government to investigate the findings.
Based on interviews with 80 victims or direct witnesses of violence, Amnesty’s report said the Ethiopian army and regional security forces in Amhara and Oromiya were involved in inter- ethnic killings, mass arbitrary detentions and rape.
Two international aid groups said Tuesday that the Ethiopian government had suspended part or all of their operations.
Timber! Trees are Coming Down in Sudan
At the Um Raquba reception camp in Eastern Sudan, dozens of trees are being torn down by bulldozers to create space to build shelters and provide firewood for displaced Ethiopians fleeing the violent conflict in the Northern region of their country, Tigray. One of tens of thousands of Ethiopian refugees is 65-year-old Zayet Wali, who is building a wooden shelter to protect her sick husband from the blazing sun.
Wali shares how she is getting by way of the wood supply, \"I got the wood from a person who was building his house and I collected another pile myself. The machine chops them up for us so they can be ready to use.\"
A Blow to the Environment
According to the head of Gedaref state health department, Amira Elgada, the equivalent of 65 square metres of trees disappears each day. Their destruction is a serious blow to the environment that has harmful consequences for several plant and animal species. But desperation can sometimes precede ecology. Abadi Grazdier, another displayed Ethiopian, explains that options are limited, \"In my country, I have never cut a branch, it is forbidden, but here I don't have any other solution. We get the wood from over there and use it to make fires. There isn't anything other than the wood to use.\"
An Urgent Political Crisis
Indeed, Gedaref has a desert climate and in these semi-arid regions, acacia trees are important from an ecological standpoint but for the tens of thousands of Ethiopian refugees making camp at Um Raquba, their main concern to survive by way of a wooden roof over their heads and firewood to cook their meals. Department head Elgada says the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Sudanese Commission for Refugees have been asked to provide shelters that do not use wood - such as tents and to deliver gas bottles to avoid using logs.
Since Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched a military offensive on November 4 against Tigrayan authorities - vowing to install \"legitimate\" institutions, over 45,000 people have fled the region.
