Ethiopia, Egypt pledge more troops for Darfur

REUTERS, Addis Ababa (Dec 31 2007) - Ethiopia and Egypt will each send 850 troops early in the new year to serve with a joint United Nations-African Union force in Sudan's Darfur region, an AU official told Reuters on Monday.

AU troops in Darfur were swapping their green headgear for U.N. blue berets on Monday as the joint force formally takes over peacekeeping duties from the all-African peacekeepers.

However, the handover was largely symbolic and unlikely to bring much immediate change for the people of Darfur.

The plan is for the force ultimately to comprise 20,000 soldiers and 6,000 police, but numbers are currently well below those levels.

Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir has opposed non-African troops, delayed allocating land to the force in Darfur, demanded the right to disable the mission's communications during "security operations" and refused night flights. [Read the rest...]

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Shame of Imported Labor in Kurdish North of Iraq

FROM ETHIOPIA Yobdar Abu, 23, arrived in the Kurdish region in October via Dubai, having been told she was headed for Turkey.

NYT, SULAIMANIYA, Iraq — The tiny Filipino woman’s hands trembled. She was in hiding, fearing capture at any moment.

She and a friend had come to Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish north as guest workers six months earlier. Now they worried they would be forcibly returned to Erbil, where they had been locked in a house for a month and made to work for free, they said, after their passports, cellphones and plane tickets were taken away.

The two had escaped by begging their captor to let them attend church, then making contact with other Filipino workers, who spirited them away.

Thousands of foreign workers have come to the Kurdish districts in the last three years, a huge turnaround for a place that had hardly any before, making it one of the fastest-growing Middle Eastern destinations for the world’s impoverished. They come from Ethiopia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Bangladesh and Somalia, supporting an economic boom here that is transforming Kurdish society.

But nearly all foreign workers interviewed over a two-week period here said they had been deceived by unscrupulous agents who arrange the journeys. Unable to communicate, some arrive not knowing what country they are in. Once here, their passports are seized by their employment agencies, and they are unable to go home.

Some are satisfied with their decision to come here, but agents’ fees are high, often as much as two years’ wages. To come up with the money, many borrow at high interest rates and find that their wages are equal only to the interest. In essence, they say, they end up working for free. [Read the rest...]

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SOCEPP - Thousands Of Political Prisoners Still Suffering

SOCEPP (Dec 27 2007) - The release of Danial Bekele and Netsanet Demissie after two years of illegal incarceration is a welcome news but the regime should not be allowed to cover up the grim fact that there are still more than 35,000 political prisoners being held without any due process of law.

Prison conditions in Ethiopia are worse than horrible. In small cells, prisoners are packed one on top of the other and the sick are dumped with others as the absence of proper medical care has become more glaring. Wardens routinely beat and mistreat the prisoners,most of whom have never been brought before a court of law even though the judiciary is controlled by the ruling front. Holding pens and detention camps like Dedesa,Zwai and Bir Sheleko are complemented by secret prisons all over the country and overcrowded hell holes in the major towns. Rough estimates put the number of political prisoners at more than 35,000 while the regime has increased the number by an ongoing indiscriminate round up of youths in Tigrai region itself. Latest report say that in Maichew alone some 6,000 youngsters are being held.

The Mele Zenawi regime denies it is holding "even one political prisoner" and alleges that all the detained are criminals. Detention without due process is routine and there dozens of Ethiopians that have been disappeared since 1991. Journalists like Berhani Ijigu, trade unionists like Abebe Ainekulu, teachers like Demissie Tesfaye, EPRP leaders like Tsegaye Gebre Medhin and Yishak Debre Tsion, and many others ares till unaccounted for. The regime has banned human rights bodies from visiting Ethiopia or getting access to the very many prisons and conflict areas where atrocities are becoming common. The violation of human rights by the State is presently undeniable despite the cover up attempted by the regime's lobbyists in the USA and Europe.

In Ethiopia, there are at least 35,000 political prisoners denied due process of law.

In the known and secret prisons, political prisoners are mistreated and subjected to torture and hard labor.

The call for the release of all political prisoners should be heard from all quarters.

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President Kibaki declared winner of Kenya's controversial election

Nairobi, Kenya (Dec 30 2007)- Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki was on Sunday declared winner of Kenya's controversial elections amidst claims of cheating by the opposition.

The Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) declared President Kibaki winner with 4,584,721 votes against 4,352,993 by his challenger Raila Odinga.

The elections were a clear vote of no confidence in Kibaki's administration as some 20 cabinet ministers were voted out of parliament.

Odinga, the main opposition candidate, led from the beginning of the count after Thursday's vote but saw his lead melt rapidly on Saturday as he claimed that the results were being doctored to suit Kibaki. [Read the rest...]

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Virtual Doormen Becoming to Replace Humans

Amazingly enough, virtual doormen aren't exactly new, but it seems that they're becoming entirely more popular & accepted in today's society. Increasingly, more and more apartment dwellers are coming home to voices in the wall rather than a physical life form, but virtual doormen can still let tenants into their room, allow deliveries to be made and keep disgruntled in-laws out.

ON CALL Jenneile Bonet, an operator at Cyberdoorman, has struck up relationships with a number of the residents in the buildings she monitors. She knows them by sight, and they recognize her voice. (Marilynn K. Yee/NYT)

As one could expect, these firms rely primarily on an internet connection, a webcam and a couple of microphones. The next evolutionary step? Androids answering the buzz, and subsequent hacks to gain entry into any room you please.

Leave It With the (Virtual) Doorman

The NYT (By Jim Crawford) - lives in an apartment building where he doesn’t need a key to get past the locked front door. He presses a button on a key fob.

But when he lost that fob recently, all he had to do was walk up to the building, and before he reached the door a voice cheerfully boomed from the intercom, “Hey Jim, go right ahead,” and the door buzzed quietly until he was safely inside.

The idea of a formless voice coming out of the ether to welcome him home didn’t faze Mr. Crawford one bit. “I thought it was great,” he said. “It means they recognize me immediately, and they’re watching the building carefully.”

“They” are the operators at Cyberdoorman, a virtual-doorman service based in the South Bronx. While monitoring the building from a remote location, virtual doormen can receive packages for residents by giving delivery people access to a locked package closet in the lobby, and they can also help keep out unwanted visitors, like the nanny who was just fired or the boyfriend who was just dumped.

Since virtual-doorman services first appeared in New York about seven years ago, the technology they use has improved significantly, making them more reliable and more widely accepted, especially by developers of new buildings. Using cameras and an Internet connection that sends the images to a monitoring center, a virtual doorman can see and talk to someone at the door, but the doorman can only be heard.[Read the rest...]

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haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia aims to beat own world marathon record

By John Mehaffey

LONDON (Reuters) - World marathon record holder Haile Gebrselassie believes he can lower his mark still further when he takes part in the Dubai marathon on Jan. 18.

The twice Olympic 10,000 metres champion, who will be running his final race over 42.195 kms before the Beijing Olympics, clocked two hours four minutes 26 seconds in Berlin last September.

"He and I are sure that he can do under 2:04," his Dutch manager Jos Hermens told Reuters by telephone. "But he's 34 and this might be his last chance."

Hermens said Gebrselassie, who has been training in his native Ethiopia, had run a 15-km race this month.

"His preparation is going well," Hermens said. "He's in great shape."

Gebrselassie, who has set 26 world records, will be paced by former world half-marathon champion Fabiano Joseph of Tanzania and the winner of the 2002 Boston and New York marathons Rodgers Rop of Kenya.

The prize pot for Dubai is $1 million with a record $250,000 for the winners of the men's and women's races. If Gebrselassie does break the world record he will earn a bonus of $1 million.

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Kenyan Opposition Party Declares Odinga Victor in Presidential Vote

Raila Odinga casts his vote in Kibera, Nairobi, 27 Dec 2007

VOA News (Dec 29, 2007) - Kenya's main opposition party has declared victory in the country's presidential election, despite continued delays in announcing official returns.

Musalia Mudavadi of the Orange Democratic Movement says Raila Odinga is Kenya's president-elect based on the party's own vote tally. Mudavadi is Mr. Odinga's vice-presidential running mate.

Partial official results released Saturday show Mr. Odinga with 3.7 million votes, compared to 3.4 million for incumbent President Mwai Kibaki.

Related:

• Kenyan count halted amid unrest - BBC

• Violence Reported in Kenya as Vote Count Continues - VOA

The vote count was expected to be completed by Friday. Electoral officials say the delays are caused by high voter turnout and minor logistical problems.

Anger about the plodding official vote count has led to rioting in parts of Kenya. Demonstrators have stoned cars and set fires in the western city of Kisumu - a stronghold of Mr. Odinga. Fighting has also broken out between rival ethnic gangs in Kibera, a sprawling slum in the capital, Nairobi.[Read the rest...]

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FBI to put criminals, security issues up in digital billboard lights

Network world (Dec 26 2007) - The FBI today said it wants to install 150 digital billboards in 20 major U.S. cities in the next few weeks to show fugitive mug shots, missing people and high-priority security messages from the big bureau.

The initiative is made possible through a partnership with Clear Channel Outdoor, the advertising company that’s providing the space as a public service.

The billboards will let the FBI highlight those people it is looking for the most: violent criminals, kidnap victims, missing kids, bank robbers, even terrorists, the FBI said in a release. And the billboards will be able to be updated largely in real-time —right after a crime is committed, a child is taken, or an attack is launched.

The FBI said it tested its first billboard in the Philadelphia area in September, with crystal-clear images of 11 of its most violent fugitives on eight billboards and a 24-hour hotline for the public to call. The billboards paid quick public safety dividends. In October, two fugitives were captured as a direct result of the publicity, the FBI said. [Read the rest...]

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Ethiopia inflicted losses on Ogaden rebels: army colonel

ADDIS ABABA (AFP, Dec 28 2007) — The Ethiopian army has inflicted losses on rebel fighters in the restive Ogaden region where the government is cracking down on insurgents, Colonel Tsegaye Gebretensae said in a statement Friday.

"The Ethiopian National Army has annihilated the remnants of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) that were engaged in disrupting the peace and stability of the Somali region," he said.

Tsegaye said soldiers took on rebels who had regrouped in the region's Danot area, but did not give specific casualty figures.

"The army has also captured 101 Kalashnikov rifles, two machine guns and launchers among others," Tsegaye added. [Read the rest...]

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What Does the Kinijit Crisis Need? Dialogue or Outrage

By Fekade Shewakena

A recent call by Professor Messay Kebede for an honest dialogue about the Kinijit crisis has come too late and after the crisis has taken its toll. I don’t doubt he meant well and wanted to be constructive. In my view, the problem at this stage is anything but salvageable. The problem progressed beyond the breaking point the moment it started. I don’t even think the central problem is the absence of enough dialogue for that matter. For any dialogue to take place there have to be competing ideas between contending groups.

There may be enough blame to go around in this crisis. But we the people that are letting this happen to us and to our country have to take a chunk of this blame. By tolerating lies, corruption and arrogance in our midst, we are letting ourselves be insulted and degraded. People who want to feed us false and obscene information with the hope of changing our mind basically think we are stupid.

Our history is replete with instances where we as a people, particularly the Ethiopian elite, failed our country in many ways. But the saddest part is that we have also become a country and people that does not learn from its past mistakes. What has happened to us as a people and where is all that pride in ourselves of rich heritage and cultural decency and honesty and age old religious morality gone? [Read the whole article...]

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Various Bob Marley interview Videos, Talking about himself, King Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, War and Peace

Interview about Himself, Peace, Rasta people with some reporter trying to get him in a corner, but Bob was too cool for that



Gil Noble Interview with Bob Marley Part 1


Gil Noble Interview with Bob Marley Part 2


Gil Noble Interview with Bob Marley Part 3


Clearer version where he is explaning the origins of the music


Talking about the women in his life and how they are not allowed to keep other men, although he can have as many as he wants...


Interview taken in 1979


Talking about Marijuana and King Selassie


Still talking about Marijuana and King Selassie

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Kimora Hires A Baby Broker - Is Looking To Adopt An Ethiopian Baby

MediaTakeOut (Dec 27) - MediaTakeOut.com told you a couple of weeks ago that Kimora Lee Simmons was interested in having more children. Well, it now appears that she's closer to having a child than anyone could have thought.

We're hearing whispers that the Baby Phat mogul has hired a baby broker who specializes in Ethiopian adoptions. Tells a person close with Kimora, "She's already had a few meetings with [the broker] and I think they're ready to move forward ... [Kimora] even scheduled a trip to Ethiopia for next month."

That's going to be one lucky child ...

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TPLF/Woyane troops expelled from key Somali town

BBC News (Dec 28, 2007) - Ethiopian troops have withdrawn from a key town in central Somalia.

Islamist insurgents say they now control Guriel, where Ethiopia had a big military base to secure the road linking the two countries.

A BBC correspondent in Somalia says it is not clear why the Ethiopian troops withdrew without any fighting.

Guriel was a stronghold of the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), which lost power to Ethiopian-backed government troops a year ago this week.

The BBC's Ayanleh Hussein in Guriel says residents have been cheering the Ethiopians' departure.

During the occupation the local hospital was out of use as it was used as the Ethiopians' military base, he says.

Meanwhile, unrest continues in the capital, Mogadishu, where most Ethiopian forces in the country have been based since last year's invasion, which ended the UIC's six-month rule. [Read the rest...]

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Ethiopia leading purchaser of U.S Arms and Services in Sub-Saharan Africa, CRS Reported for Congress

FAS (Dec 20 2007) - The data tables below are taken from a report prepared in conjunction with the annual CRS report for Congress entitled Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 1999-2006 (CRS Report RL34187), by Richard F. Grimmett. The report details both U.S. and foreign arms transfer activities globally and provides analysis of arms trade trends.

According to the report Ethiopia is a leading purchaser of U.S Arms and Services in Sub-Saharan Africa. [Read the full report here...]


Leading Purchasers of U.S. Defense Articles and Services, Total Values of Africa Agreements (in current U.S. dollars, rounded to nearest million)

Africa Agreements 1999-2002	Africa Agreements 2003-2006	Africa Agreements 2006
1. Nigeria $21 million 2. Kenya $7 million 3. Guinea $3 million 4. Botswana $3 million 5. South Africa $3 million	1. Djibouti $28 million 2. Kenya $26 million 3 Ethiopia $14 million 4. South Africa $13 million 5. Nigeria $12 million	1. Ethiopia $9 million 2. Uganda $3 million 3. Chad $2 million 4. Kenya $1 million 5. Liberia $1 million

Leading Purchasers of U.S. Defense Articles and Services, Total Values of Africa Deliveries (in current U.S. dollars, rounded to nearest million)

Africa Deliveries 1999-2002	Africa Deliveries 2003-2006	Africa Deliveries 2006
1. Nigeria $8 million 2. Ethiopia $7 million 3. Kenya $7 million 4. Mali $2 million 5. Ghana $2 million	1. Kenya $17 million 2. Nigeria $16 million 3. Ethiopia $10 million 4. South Africa $10 million 5. Djibouti $8 million	1. Ethiopia $3 million 2. Kenya $2 million 3. S. Africa $2 mill 4. Uganda $2 million 5. Botswana $2 mill.

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BBC Documentary video- Ethiopia vs. Kenya Athelets from the Days of Bikila

Historically, Kenya and Ethiopia have dominated the middle and long distance races on the biggest stages around the world. However Ethiopia’s Abebe Bikila, who became the first African to win an Olympic medal more than 45 years ago, set the pace early to help Ethiopia stay ahead of the world.

A BBC documentary goes back in history and starts to compare the two horn of Africa countries since the days of Bikila up to the present day of Kenenisa and Meseret Defar. Currently, Ethiopia holds the world record for Men’s 20 KM, Marathon, 20,000 Meters, 10,000 Meters and both men & women 5,000 Meters.

Commentaries for video by Haile Gebreselassie, Gezahegne Abera, Head Coach Dr. Wolde Meskel, among others. (source)

PART 1 of 5 - Abebe Bikila, Mamo Wolde




PART 2 of 5 - Kenyan athletes




PART 3 of 5 - Mirus Yifter, Haile




PART 4 of 5 - Kenyan Athletes and Ethiopia women- Derartu Tulu, Berhane Adere




PART 5 of 5 - Kenenisa Bekele

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Judge releases suspect in khat smuggling case

Deseret Morning News (By Geoffrey Fattah, Dec 28 2007) - One of two men accused of importing more than 400 pounds of an exotic stimulant from Ethiopia to Utah will be allowed to remain free pending charges.

On Wednesday, a federal magistrate ordered Sherif Kadir Sirage to remain on release pending charges of importing a controlled substance.

Sirage, along with Patrick Bahati, was accused of importing more than 400 pounds of khat, a flowering evergreen shrub that is chewed like tobacco in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Khat is considered a narcotic and is illegal in the U.S. as well as part of Europe, East Africa and Arabian Peninsula.

According to charging documents, Bahati and Sirage arranged to have boxes of the narcotic flown to Salt Lake City by claiming they were spices. [Read the rest...]

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Eritrea accuses Ethiopia of border attack

NAIROBI, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Eritrea has accused Ethiopia of attacking its security forces this week, describing it as part of ongoing provocation along their disputed border.

In a statement posted on its Web site shabait.com late on Wednesday, Asmara said the relatively small-scale raid on Tuesday targeted its troops and allied militias in the South Tsorona region, inside a former buffer zone, but failed.

Related:

• Fear of War Increasing in Horn of Africa AP (Dec 26)
• Firing on Eritrea-Ethiopia border sparks UN concern Earth times (Dec 27)

"(The) attack comes in continuation to (Ethiopia's) ongoing provocation and aggression in the Gash-Barka and Southern regions, whereby it planted mines, carried out incursions, abducted nationals and burned crop fields to the ground," the Eritrean statement said.

An Ethiopian official rejected the report and said Addis Ababa had no reason to provoke a new conflict with Asmara.

"If any country is war-mongering, it is Eritrea," Bereket Simon, special adviser to Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, told Reuters. "Ethiopia, at present, is focusing on its economic development, ensuring democracy and good governance internally."

Ethiopian officials routinely reject Eritrea's version of border incidents. Bereket said there was a clash in Gash-Barka this week, but it was "purely an Eritrean internal affair".

"It is well known there are a number of opposition groups waging war internally against the (Eritrean) regime," he said.

Earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged Ethiopia to avoid raising tensions with Eritrea.

About 70,000 people were killed in a 1998-2000 border war between the two neighbours. In November, an international commission charged with setting the 1,000-km (620-mile) frontier dissolved itself, leaving the two states to work it out alone.

(Additional reporting by Tsegaye Tadesse in Addis Ababa; Writing by Daniel Wallis, editing by Mary Gabriel)

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Falash Mura living in Ethiopia Face Unclear Future as Immigration Ends

FORWARD (By Anthony Weiss) - A medical clinic in Ethiopia that emerged as an icon of the Jewish rescue effort in the country will close its doors next month, leading relief organizations to wonder about the future of those who remain in the country.

“We intend to close the clinic in Addis Ababa because it was set up to treat Falash Mura who are eligible to go to Israel, and there are no more,” said Steve Schwager, executive vice president of the Joint. “Everyone who is being served by our clinic is being referred to alternative services offered by the Ethiopian government.”

The clinic, which was set up in 1990, emerged as the de facto capital of the Jewish encampment in Addis Ababa, where thousands of Ethiopians have lived while waiting for immigration papers to Israel. Just last month, the doctor in charge, Rick Hodes, was declared a “hero” on CNN. But now — even though there are thousands of people still living around the encampment — the organization that runs the clinic, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, is shutting the clinic down. [Read the rest...]

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Ethiopians Face Unclear Future as Immigration Ends

FORWARD (By Anthony Weiss) - A medical clinic in Ethiopia that emerged as an icon of the Jewish rescue effort in the country will close its doors next month, leading relief organizations to wonder about the future of those who remain in the country.

“We intend to close the clinic in Addis Ababa because it was set up to treat Falash Mura who are eligible to go to Israel, and there are no more,” said Steve Schwager, executive vice president of the Joint. “Everyone who is being served by our clinic is being referred to alternative services offered by the Ethiopian government.”

The clinic, which was set up in 1990, emerged as the de facto capital of the Jewish encampment in Addis Ababa, where thousands of Ethiopians have lived while waiting for immigration papers to Israel. Just last month, the doctor in charge, Rick Hodes, was declared a “hero” on CNN. But now — even though there are thousands of people still living around the encampment — the organization that runs the clinic, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, is shutting the clinic down. [Read the rest...]

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Ethiopia activists get 2 1/2-year jail sentence - they will walk free within days

ADDIS ABABA, Dec 26 (Reuters) - Two human rights activists received a two-and-a-half year jail sentence on Wednesday for inciting post-election violence in 2005, but will walk free within days as they have already served their prison time.

An Addis Ababa court found the pair "guilty of inciting violence and uprising against the government". Their defence lawyer said, however, they would be freed in three days. (Reporting by Tsegaye Tadesse)

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Woyane Kangaroo Court convicted Daniel & Netsanet, Ethiopian HR activists, guilty of inciting uprising

ADDIS ABABA, Dec 24 (Reuters) - An Ethiopian court on Monday convicted two rights activists, held since a disputed 2005 election, of inciting an uprising against the government.

The two are the last defendants out of 131 originally charged as a result of a post-election violence.

Related (Via ER):

• "Treason," "Attempted Genocide"… sound familiar? By Alemayehu Zemedkun (Dec 23)

• Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demessie in the “Lions’ Den” - By Alemayehu G. Mariam (Dec. 23)

A parliamentary inquiry said 199 civilians and police were killed and 30,000 people arrested in days of rioting after polls the opposition said were rigged.

"The court finds Netsanet Demisse and Daniel Bekele guilty of inciting uprising and distributing anti-government flyers," Judge Adil Ahmed told the court.

They face up to 10 years jail in sentencing set to take place on Wednesday.

The men, who work for ActionAid, were acquitted of the more serious "outrage against the constitution" charge, the global anti-poverty campaigner said.

The defendants were involved in deploying observers at polling stations in and around the capital Addis Ababa.

In August, the court freed 31 members of the opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD), also held since the disputed polls in the same case.

Another 38 opposition members, including CUD chairman Hailu Shawel, were pardoned and released in July after the government said they signed a letter admitting their guilt and pledging to respect the law.

But the two activists had refused to sign a formal apology, preferring the fight their case in court.

The case was strongly criticised by rights groups and donors who saw it as an attempt to dismantle the opposition after it made strong gains in the 2005 vote.

The prosecution said on Monday it would push for the stiffest punishment because the defendants were educated and knew what they were doing.

In a statement following the court verdict, Netsanet said: "Whatever we did during the election, we did with the good and honest intention of respecting the constitution of our country."

By Tsegaye Tadesse
(Writing by Tim Cocks, editing by Katie Nguyen and Mary Gabriel)

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Draft parties registration law raises controversy - no party shall accept donations from abroad

Ethiopian Reporter - A draft political parties registration proclamation has met resistance from the opposition in parliament.

The draft proclamation, which will replace the current one governing the laws of registration, has added articles restricting sources of donation for locally registered parties.

According to the draft proclamation, no party shall accept donations from foreigners, foreign governments, political parties based in other countries, aid organizations, NGOs, faith-based groups or organizations, convicts or unidentified sources.

Any party which accepts the kind of donation which is banned by the proclamation will have that donation confiscated.

The proclamation says that if any party received the prohibited donation, it has to hand it over to the electoral board.

Parties must also keep record of donors and the amount of donations they pledged or the amount of donation already received by the parties.

EDUP-Medhin and OFDM, two opposition parties which are represented in parliament, have opposed the draft proclamation.

EDUP-Medhin's parliamentary whip Abdurahman Amedin says that the restrictions limiting the sources of donation for parties is not practical given the current situation in the country. He cited donors' preference for remaining anonymous, which, according to the proposed proclamation, will be impossible.

Abdurahman also pointed out that under the present law, although it is stated that all parties shall receive budget support from the government, in the past 15 years no significant support was extended to parties, and that in the draft law this should also be clearly put.

Bulcha Demeksa, chairman of OFDM, also criticized the draft law for demanding to reveal the names of individual donors which amounts to discouraging them from donating. He said that if government put restrictions on donations, it has to come up with the finance to cover for the expenses of parties. He pointed out that the sources of small donations are not revealed in any country.


By A Staff Reporter


ALSO:

• A new election law prevents contributions from abroad

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Eritrean opposition urges overthrow of government

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters, Dec 21 2007) - Eritrean opposition groups should help each other bring down the government of President Isaias Afwerki, the Walta News Agency quoted one opposition leader as saying on Friday.

"Eritrean opposition parties should unite in their struggle to overthrow the government in Asmara which is pushing the people to servitude and economic crisis", the head of the Eritrean Peoples Democratic Front (EPDF), Tewolde Gebre-Selassie, was quoted as saying.

Several opposition groups met in the historic northern city of Axum in Ethiopia, which has bitter ties with neighbour Eritrea. The pair fought a war in 1998-2000.

Eritrean opposition leaders from the United States, Germany, Sweden and Sudan were at the unprecedented three-day meeting, the news agency said.

The EPDF head said Afwerki's government was leading its people "to war and a dreadful socio-economic and political crisis" and had lost support at home and abroad while turning Eritrea into a "virtual prison".

Afwerki's rebel movement turned government, and its one-party system, is criticised by many for creating Africa's most repressive state.

But the government says Ethiopia, backed by the United States and other Western allies, is spreading lies against it.

(Reporting by Tsegaye Tadesse; editing by Elizabeth Piper)

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World Bank finances Ethiopia-Sudan power connection

ADDIS ABABA (AFP) — The World Bank has approved a 41-million dollar loan to finance electricity connection between neighbouring Ethiopia and Sudan, a statement said Friday.

The transmission line from the Ethiopian towns of Bahir-Dar and Metema to the Sudanese frontier to connect the countries' grids will be funded by the bank's International Development Association.

Only six percent of Ethiopia's 77 million people have access to power, while just 22 percent of Sudanese have electricity.

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Channel4 Report - Meles accusation and UN's response on Somalia crisis

UN told Channel 4 News today that the somalia situation is “The Worst Humanitarian Crisis in Africa”, nearly a million people are in need of food. Meles in a BBC interview broadcasted Thursday accused UN agencies of exaggerating the humanitarian and security emergency in Somalia.

What is Zenawi's assessment for humanitarian crisis?

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Join GCAP & CIVICUS for the immediate release of Ethiopian campaigners, Daniel and Netsanet

ACT NOW

Join GCAP and CIVICUS by:

1. Sending a message of hope to Daniel and Netsanet and their families;
2. Sending a letter of appeal to the Ethiopian authorities, urging them to bring Daniel and Netsanet home for the holidays.
3. Sending a greeting card by post to Daniel and Netsanet, via the Ministry of Justice

GCAP and CIVICUS

Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie, both courageous human rights lawyers and coordinators of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) in Ethiopia, have been in detention for over two years. They are on trial for treason related charges because of their peaceful human rights work, dedicated to ending poverty in their country. If found guilty, they could face life imprisonment or the death sentence. After numerous delays by the court, they are due to receive their verdict on 24 December. This could be their third holiday season behind bars and away from their loved ones.

For more information on Daniel and Netsanet, click here

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UN: More than 1,400 Africans Drowned Off Yemen

A boat loaded with hopeful immigrants sails through the Gulf of Aden

Intensive search conducted by United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) revealed yesterday that nearly 200 African migrants died in a boat mishap that occurred off Yemen, a Middle East country through which desperate Africans cross to European countries.

The UN humanitarian institution also noted in a report released yesterday that more than 1,400 would-be African migrants, mostly from Somalia, Ethiopia and other countries on the continent had drowned to death, died off the coast of Yemen this year while making attempts to cross the Gulf of Aden on rickety boats run by brutal smugglers.

According to the report, the toll includes nearly 200 people believed to have died last weekend after one vessel capsized off the coast of Yemen and another broke up after hitting a rock. Desperate passengers had been beaten, pushed overboard and doused with acid on perilous journeys during 2007, according to aid workers who were trying to halt further loss of life. [Read the rest...]

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Military Buildup Heightens Ethiopia-Eritrea Border Tensions in 2007

Ethiopian PM Meles Zenawi (L) tells parliament in Addis Ababa that country's defense budget boosted to gird for possible resumption of hostilities with Eritrea over disputed border, 27 Nov 2007

By Peter Heinlein

Listen to Heinlein report or Download MP3

VOA News (Addis Ababa, Dec 17 2007) - Tensions rose along the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea during the year in advance of a November 30 settlement deadline set by an international boundary commission. At year's end, the Horn of Africa rivals had a combined total of nearly a quarter of a million troops facing each other across the disputed frontier.

VOA's Peter Heinlein in Addis Ababa reports the boundary commission deadline passed without incident, but the danger of war remains high.

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has repeatedly said his country would not be drawn into a war with arch-rival Eritrea. But speaking to reporters recently, he made one notable exception.

"We will never, ever go to war with Eritrea unless there is a full-scale invasion," said Meles Zenawi. "Not any old provocation. Full-scale invasion. That is the only condition that would force us to fight Eritrea. I don't expect the Eritrean side to carry out full-scale invasion because I think they know it is going to be suicide."

Mr. Meles and Eritrea's President-for-life Isaias Afewerki were once comrades-in-arms. They fought together in a 20-year guerrilla war that eventually overthrew Ethiopia's Marxist dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam in 1991. [Read the rest...]

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Islamic Courts power growing in Somalia, says spokesman

MOGADISHU, Somalia Dec 17 2007- The spokesman for Somalia's Islamic Courts movement spoke out for the first time on Monday since Islamists were toppled last year by Ethiopian-backed government troops.

Sheikh Abdirahim Ali Mudey told a Mogadishu-based radio station that Islamist officials and fighters are "everywhere in Somalia."

"We will fight as long as a single Ethiopian soldier remains on our country's soil," Mudey said, reiterating the group's long-standing policy towards Ethiopian interventionism.

He said the Islamist fighters are hopeful that "colonial troops" from Ethiopia and their "Somali collaborators" will be defeated and Somalia liberated again. [Read the rest...]


Related:

• Shelling Kills 12 in Somalia's Capital (AP)
• AU troops in volatile Somalia must be beefed up: UN envoy (AFP)

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Ethiopian Immigrants Protest Israel Government Plans to Halt Falash Mura aliyah

Ethiopian immigrants hold up pictures of their relatives beside Israeli border police officers during a demonstration outside the office of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem December 18, 2007. Some 1,000 Israelis of Ethiopian descent took part in a demonstration on Tuesday calling on the Israeli government to grant permission for their relatives living in Ethiopia to immigrate. - REUTERS/Ammar Awad (JERUSALEM)

Dec 18 2007 -Some 1,000 Ethiopian immigrants demonstrated on Tuesday against the government's decision to close down next week its operation to bring the Falash Mura to Israel.

The protest march left from the Jerusalem International Convention Center and headed towards the Prime Minister's Office, where the demonstrators blocked the street. Several attempted to break through the PMO fence.

Cabinet Secretary Oved Yehezkel agreed to receive a delegation of demonstrators for a meeting.

The protest's organizers took issue with ministry figures that show that some 1,500 eligible Falash Mura are still in Ethiopia, and all are expected to arrive here by next June. Ethiopian immigrant associations claim that there are at least 8,500 others who are eligible to immigrate under the government's criteria.[Read the rest...]

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Ethiopians Said to Push Civilians Into Rebel War

According to Western officials, refugees and Ethiopian administrators who have defected, untrained civilians are now being forced to confront the seasoned guerilla fighters of the O.N.L.F., pictured here. By many accounts, many of the civilians have been killed. (Photo: Vanessa Vick for The NYT)

By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN

The New York Times, NAIROBI, Kenya (Dec 15 2007) - The Ethiopian government, one of America’s top allies in Africa, is forcing untrained civilians - including doctors, teachers, office clerks and employees of development programs financed by the World Bank and United Nations - to fight rebels in the desolate Ogaden region, according to Western officials, refugees and Ethiopian administrators who recently defected to avoid being conscripted.

Ethiopia has been struggling with the rebels for years. But with tens of thousands of its troops now enmeshed in a bloody insurgency in Somalia and many thousands more massing on the border for a possible war with Eritrea, the government seems to be relying on civilians to do more of its fighting in the Ogaden, a bone-dry chunk of territory where Ethiopian troops have been accused by human rights groups of widespread abuses.

In a recent report, government officials in the region called upon elders, traders, women and civil servants to form local “security committees” and mobilize their clans to destroy the rebels and their bases of support. The government says that the rebels are terrorists who have carried out assassinations and bombings, and that civilians have volunteered to fight them. [Read the rest...]

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Somalia says rebels regrouping

Mogadishu's biggest market was packed with shoppers when the attack occurred [AFP]

Al Jazeera - Somalia's interim government has said 80 per cent of the country is not under its control.

The Islamic Courts Union driven from power a year ago by Western-backed troops is regrouping and planning a large-scale attack and the government can do little to stop it, Sheikh Qasim Ibrahim Nur, the national security director, said.

The admission came as 13 people were killed and dozens injured in a mortar attack on a busy market in Mogadishu, the capital, one of several deadly attacks on Thursday.

'Not safe'

"About 80 per cent of Somalia is not safe and is not under control of the government," Sheikh Qasim told The Associated Press.

"Islamists are planning to launch a massive attack against the [government] and its allied troops." [Read the rest...]


Related:

• Ethiopia denies Somalia bombing
• Sweden denies Mogadishu conflict

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Nissan Unveils Radar and Navigation-Assisted Cruise Control System

AutoBlog (Dec 14 2007) - Radar-based cruise control systems are quickly becoming par for the luxury course, but Nissan is upping the ante with a new setup that integrates the on-board navigation system to adjust vehicle speed. The system will grab route information from the sat nav, anticipating curves, and then adjust speed for the corner and then resume acceleration once the turn is complete.

The Distance Control Assist feature will also make sure that drivers are aware of an impending disaster, even with their foot on the accelerator, by pushing the gas pedal against the driver's foot. If the system detects things are going to go sour quickly, it will sound off an audio warning and display a message telling the driver to hit the brakes. [Read the rest...]

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Ethiopia and Eritrea - Bad words over Badme

The Economist, Published: Dec 13 2007

A bitter old row shows no sign of fading

“SHOULD Eritrea launch another war, we will make certain it will never ever dream of entertaining or thinking about war again.” So said Ethiopia's prime minister, Meles Zenawi, in a recent speech to Parliament. His country did not seek war, he stressed. But if Eritrea launched a “suicidal” attack, it would be driven into the sea.

Eritrea has heard it before. Ethiopia tried to drive it into the sea at Massawa between 1998 and 2000, and failed. Instead, 70,000 on both sides died in trench warfare; a stalemate led to a truce. This time Mr Zenawi's belligerence comes as the Eritrea-Ethiopia Border Commission wound up business this month, with no agreed demarcation. In 2002 it awarded the disputed village of Badme to Eritrea. Ethiopia rejected the verdict, and has since used diplomatic verbiage to obfuscate and stall.

Eritrea naturally took the commission at its word but under its authoritarian president, Issaias Afwerki, has alienated just about every sympathiser. As his rule has become harsher and more erratic, the border issue has loomed larger in Eritrea's national psyche. Mr Afwerki may disgust his compatriots by torturing and imprisoning his critics. But he knows Eritreans will back him over Badme.

The border is more militarised than ever. According to the International Crisis Group, a think-tank, Eritrea has 4,000 troops inside a supposedly demilitarised buffer zone and a further 120,000 dug in along its side of the craggy border that is 1,000km (621 miles) long. On its side, Ethiopia has 100,000 troops.

A UN monitoring force is meant to pack up next month but may stay on. The tension gives both countries an excuse to spend more on guns and spies, some to be turned on domestic enemies. Neither country can afford such things. Ethiopia, at least 75m-strong, is bogged down in Somalia and fighting separatists in the Ogaden desert; Mr Zenawi says he is putting Ethiopia's defence budget up by 17% to $390m. Eritrea, with only 5m people, simply cannot keep up.

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Bloodbath in Somali market place

The Bakara market place, Mogadishu

Press TV (Dec. 13 2007) - More than 21 people have been killed as Ethiopian troops fire mortar shells at main districts of the Somali capital of Mogadishu.

Eight people were killed in the section of medical stores in the Bakara Market while 14 others were killed elsewhere in the district, a Press TV correspondent reported.

Ethiopian troops put various parts of the city under heavy mortar shelling, firing more than 29 mortars a minute.

At least 100 civilians were injured in the attacks.

Communication agencies were destroyed by Ethiopian troops' barrage of mortars.

Meanwhile fierce fighting erupted in the Gubta District in southern Mogadishu and in the Arafaat District in the northern part of the city.

Casualties are expected to rise as Somali troops join the Ethiopians, pounding various parts of the city with mortar shells. Many sections of the Bakara market place have been destroyed.

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Fashion stole from Ethiopia, Where is the fashion police?

A London celebrity designer, Matthew Williamson, gets his inspiration from several traditionally ethnic designs. Fair enough. No harm in nicking a bead hear and a print there. But is it ethical/legal/fair to copy a country's traditional dress and claim as if its your creation? Or is this going to be the next patent right fight Ethiopia is going to go through after Starbucks coffee?

Being inspired is one thing, but shamelessly copying something is outright theft. Sorry. On a more serious note, if this trend continues, would it have an impact on the livelihood of hundreds of Ethiopians whose livelihood depends on making the Abesha kemis?

Handicraft is therefore considered to be one of the most important and widely spread occupations of most Ethiopians next to Agriculture. As part of the handicrafts heritage, Ethiopia has diverse traditional handloom products. This sub sector provides large-scale employment and is an important source of livelihood for a large number of people in urban and rural areas. Based on the data collected in Year 2002 by the Central Statistical Authority (CSA) on cottages and handicrafts, it was revealed that there were a total of 211,842 handloom/weaving textiles enterprises in the country in various forms of ownership though benefits accrued from this sub sector was much below than expected.

It will be nice if Matthew uses his fashion-weight to introduce the work of Ethiopian weavers and use their original product thereby boosting their meager income. Now that will be fair trade! (Thanks Selam)

Source: African Women Blogs

Related:

• Matthew Williamson defends himself against African print criticism

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Artist Debebe Eshetu on Dinqe Ethiopian TV Calgary, Canada

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UN says Rape is now "part of the game" in brutal Somali conflict

Published: Dec 07 2007 on Reliefweb

Nairobi_(dpa) _ Sexual violence against women in the Somali capital Mogadishu has reached an unprecedented level, with women raped at checkpoints and during the day in front of bystanders by all parties to the vicious conflict, the United Nations said Friday.

The UN children's agency UNICEF said rape was becoming an "instrument" used by Ethiopian-backed government troops and insurgents, a new trend in the 17-year conflict, which has worsened dramatically since the New Year.

"Sexual violence and rape are part of conflicts in most parts of the world but we have not seen it on the level as we are seeing it now in Mogadishu," said Christian Balslev-Olesen, the UNICEF representative for Somalia.

"Sexual violence and rape is part of the game."

An aid worker based in the bullet-scarred capital said Ethiopian troops, in Mogadishu since the New Year and so embroiled in the conflict they cannot withdraw, cordon off areas after an attack, loot whatever they can and rape women left behind. [Read the rest...]

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Petach Tikva: Ethiopians protest racism in schools

Blocking the road (Photo: Raanan Ben-Zur)

YNet (Dec. 12 2007) - Hundreds of Ethiopian-born Israelis rallied in Petach Tikva Wednesday in protest of what they defined as racist policies in the city's education system, as well as the wide-spread racism towards Ethiopians in Israeli society in general.

Protesters tried to force their way into Petach Tikva's City Hall, but were stopped by security guards. Some of the participants blocked the entrance to the building and stood for a minutes of silence "in memory of the education system, which passed away last week."

Meanwhile, other protesters blocked a main intersection nearby, and police forces at the scene decided to enable them to carry on with the rally despite the disruption to traffic. [Read the rest...]

Related:

• Ethiopian Protesters crash Petah Tikva's excelling education prizing ceremony
• PM promises to fight Ethiopian racism
• ‘Separate’ Classroom for Ethiopian students as they are 'not observant enough'

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Ethiopians Get Mobile Phones Texting in Amharic

By Elizabeth Blunt

BBC News, Addis Ababa (Dec. 12 2007)- A new range of mobile phones has just gone on sale in Ethiopia, with the onscreen menu in Amharic, and the ability to send SMS text messages in the Geez script - used for Amharic and other languages in the region.

This is something of a breakthrough in a country where until recently text messaging was not allowed in any language.

As the clock approached midnight on the Ethiopian New Year's Eve in September, just before the start of the year 2000 in the Ethiopian calendar, mobile phones across Addis Ababa started to bleep with the first text message their owners had received for two years.

"I wish you Happy Ethiopian Millennium," it read in English. "SMS service will be launched shortly."

The new range of phones, developed by Nokia, have onscreen instructions in Amharic, keypads showing both Roman and Geez characters, and even the ability to set the date according to Ethiopia's unique, 13-month calendar.

The script will work for any language which uses the Geez script - Amharic or Tirgrinya in Ethiopia or Tigrean across the border in Eritrea. [Read full article...]

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2007 Honolulu Marathon - 27,829 runners - Ambesse Tolossa of Ethiopia won the men's division

The Honolulu Advertiser - No matter if it's the 15th marathon or the first, crossing the finish line at Kapi'olani Park is a feat marked by pain, elation and a few tears.

This year, rain and wet socks were added to the mix of the Honolulu Marathon experience.

Ambesse Tolossa of Ethiopia won the men's division for the second consecutive year, with a time of 2:17:26. The first-place female was Alevitina Biktimirova of Russia, with a time of 2:33:08.

• 2007 Honolulu Marathon top finishers

Considering the mud, puddles and downpours, runners said they felt good about their performances.

And not only for the runners. Many of the roadside supporters, either volunteers at aid stations or spectators, joined in sharing the moment.

Only 19 out of 27,829 runners sought medical aid yesterday for such ailments as heat stroke, sprained ankles or scrapes from slipping on the wet pavement, including one person who was taken off the course by ambulance for heart trouble, said Dr. Larry Rotkin, race medical director. [Read full report...]

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Amharic Music VIDEO: Entertain with one of Gosaye's Great Performances (Wogen Tesebseb)

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Heavy fighting erupts in Somali capital

Somali children look through a hole in a wall, in Bakara Market (AFP Photo)

MOGADISHU (AFP, Dec 09 2007) — Islamist insurgents on Saturday attacked Somali government forces in the capital Mogadishu, sparking heavy fighting, witnesses said.

The clashes shattered a week-long lull in the seaside capital, a theatre of fighting since Ethiopia-backed government forces routed an Islamist movement in January, ending its six-month rule.

The rebels attacked after well-armed Ethiopian forces pulled out of southern Mogadishu's Wardhigley camp, where they have been based for nearly a year, prompting hours-long clashes.

"They exchanged machine gun fire, anti-aircraft weapons and rocket-propelled grenades. Stray bullets wounded two civilians," said resident Ayan Mohamed. Several other witnesses confirmed the artillery duels. It was not immediately clear whether the clashes left fatalities. [Read the rest...]

Related:

• Somali president flies to Britain - Independent Online (Dec 09)
• Somali Islamists seize town from government troops - Reuters South Africa (Dec 09)

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US Airlines to offer In-Flight Internet Access to Passengers from Next Week

Arc technica (Dec 07) - Both JetBlue and American Airlines are making plans to roll out onboard Internet access to passengers while in flight. Even though the plans are somewhat different in scope—JetBlue is only offering e-mail and IM connectivity, while American has plans for full 'Net access—and will only initially be available on certain flights, both represent a significant step towards full online connectivity at 35,000 feet.

JetBlue's first test flight is next week on Flight 641 from New York to San Francisco using an Airbus 320. The aircraft itself (nicknamed the BetaBlue), is JetBlue's standard test craft for any multimedia or entertainment services the company wishes to evaluate.

Thus far, JetBlue has only received FAA clearance to deploy its Internet connectivity service on the Airbus 320. That's not a major problem—of the company's 134 planes, 104 of them are Airbus 320s. JetBlue hasn't stated if it will seek FAA approval for the 30 Embraer E-190 jets that it also operates. [Read the rest...]


Related:

• How Four Airlines Plan to Connect Fliers to the Web - PCWorld

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Isreal Racism: Ethiopian Protesters crash Petah Tikva's excelling education prizing ceremony

Ethiopian first graders attending a Jerusalem school last month. (Roni Schitzer/Jini, Haaretz)

JPost (Dec 09) - Several days after it was revealed that schoolgirls of Ethiopian extraction were being discriminated against in a Petah Tikva school, the municipality was preparing for a ceremony during which excelling education establishment employees were to be given prizes.

But Ethiopian immigrants arrived at the ceremony, mounted the stage in protest and disrupted the event.

"It is inconceivable that on the same week [when] racism [has been revealed], you will sit here and be given prizes," they told the crowd.

The ceremony was just beginning when the angry protesters caused its cancellation.

Following the protest, Petah Tikva Myor Yitzhak Ohayon told the attendants he was canceling the distribution of prizes as a token of his identification with the town's Ethiopian residents, Israel Radio reported.

Related:

• PM promises to fight Ethiopian racism
• Ethiopian Jews are right to feel discriminated against

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"A Walk to Beautiful" takes top prize at IDA awards

HWR (Dec 09) - "A Walk to Beautiful" ran away with the prize in the feature category at the 2007 International Documentary Association (IDA) Distinguished Documentary Achievement Awards gala benefit Friday at the DGA Theatre.

(--> Watch the documentary "A Walk to Beautiful" Trailer here

The ceremony included many powerful messages, including one from a Hurricane Katrina survivor. And despite a back injury that prevented him from attending in person, Michael Moore delivered an enthusiastically received IDA Career Achievement Award acceptance message calling for efforts to have documentaries embraced by exhibitors.

"Walk" topped a field of nominees that included "Crazy Love," "Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience," "Sicko," and "Taxi to the Dark Side."

The film, from director-producer Mary Olive Smith and executive producer Steve Engel, focuses on five courageous women in Ethiopia who have suffered from devastating childbirth injuries and have been shunned by their family and villages. The film follows the trials they endure and their attempts to rebuild their lives. [Read the rest...]

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Ethiopia expels UK, Australian aid staff

(Adds government comment)

ADDIS ABABA, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Ethiopia has expelled an Australian and a Briton working for Save the Children UK on accusations of diverting food aid to rebels in the troubled Ogaden region, officials and aid sources said on Friday.

The Ethiopian army has this year been carrying out an offensive against the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) rebel movement in the remote eastern region bordering Somalia. Several aid organisations were ordered out in July, but the Ethiopian government has since then relaxed restrictions, and licensed the United Nations and 19 agencies to work there amid fears of a humanitarian crisis fuelled by the fighting.

Government sources said the pair had abused their position. "The two foreigners were expelled because they were involved in an attempt to divert food aid to rebels," one told Reuters.

The worst-hit areas in the conflict have been the most difficult for aid workers to access.

Save the Children - which has been working in Ethiopia since 1932, and runs education, livestock and sanitation projects in Ogaden - gave no version of events on Friday. But aid workers in Addis Ababa confirmed the pair's exit.

"They have been working in Ogaden on business visas, but were then refused additional work permits and asked to leave," said one humanitarian worker, who asked not to be named.

(Reporting by Barry Malone and Tsegaye Tadesse; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Catherine Evans)

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Christianity in Ethiopia - Keepers of the Lost Ark?

A Priest carrying a Replica of the Ark of the Covenant (Tabot) during an Epiphany Celebration in Gondar, Northern Ethiopia (Jan 2007)

Christians in Ethiopia have long claimed to have the ark of the covenant. They have claimed that the ark rests in a chapel in the small town of Aksum, in their country's northern highlands. It arrived nearly 3,000 years ago, they say, and has been guarded by a succession of virgin monks who, once anointed, are forbidden to set foot outside the chapel grounds until they die.

By Paul Raffaele
Smithsonian magazine, Dec. 2007 - "They shall make an ark of acacia wood," God commanded Moses in the Book of Exodus, after delivering the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. And so the Israelites built an ark, or chest, gilding it inside and out. And into this chest Moses placed stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments, as given to him on Mount Sinai.

Thus the ark “was worshipped by the Israelites as the embodiment of God Himself,” writes Graham Hancock in The Sign and the Seal. "Biblical and other archaic sources speak of the Ark blazing with fire and light...stopping rivers, blasting whole armies." (Steven Spielberg's 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark provides a special-effects approximation.) According to the First Book of Kings, King Solomon built the First Temple in Jerusalem to house the ark. It was venerated there during Solomon's reign (c. 970-930 B.C.) and beyond.

Then it vanished. Much of Jewish tradition holds that it disappeared before or while the Babylonians sacked the temple in Jerusalem in 586 B.C.

But through the centuries, Ethiopian Christians have claimed that the ark rests in a chapel in the small town of Aksum, in their country's northern highlands. It arrived nearly 3,000 years ago, they say, and has been guarded by a succession of virgin monks who, once anointed, are forbidden to set foot outside the chapel grounds until they die.

One of the first things that caught my eye in Addis Ababa, the country's capital, was an enormous concrete pillar topped by a giant red star—the sort of monument to communism still visible in Pyongyang. The North Koreans built this one as a gift for the Derg, the Marxist regime that ruled Ethiopia from 1974 to 1991 (the country is now governed by an elected parliament and prime minister). In a campaign that Derg officials named the Red Terror, they slaughtered their political enemies—estimates range from several thousand to more than a million people. The most prominent of their victims was Emperor Haile Selassie, whose death, under circumstances that remain contested, was announced in 1975. [Read the rest...]

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