Fighting resumes in Ethiopia's Tigray region
Fighting has resumed in Ethiopia's Tigray region, preventing international humanitarian relief from reaching civilians caught up in the fighting between Tigrayan rebels and the Ethiopian government allied with troops from neighbouring Eritrea. Your playlist will load after this adSporadic shelling could be heard north of the town of Agula approximately 40 kilometres north of the regional capital Mekele. The Ethiopian military blocked the road north to food aid convoys for the UN World Food Programme, including Doctors Without Borders, and World Vision, citing safety concerns. Meanwhile, the head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, in his first public comments on the war in the country's Tigray region, sharply criticised Ethiopia's actions, saying he believed it was genocide. Ethiopia's government said it was "deeply dismayed" by the deaths of civilians, blaming the former Tigray leaders and claiming normality was returning in the region of some six million people.
Source:Ethiopian News
May 08, 2021 21:56 UTC
African Union leads diplomatic shuttle mission over Ethiopia dam
They have both said that AU sponsorship of the negotiations when South Africa held the organisation’s one-year chair failed to make any progress. Ethiopia rejected the proposal, saying the issue was an African one that should be resolved by Africans. Egypt is deeply alarmed that the GERD will reduce its share of the Nile’s water, on which it depends for almost all its fresh water needs. Mr Feltman flew to Khartoum from Cairo, where he had talks with Mr El Sisi. Ethiopia has repeatedly called on Sudan to pull its troops out of areas in Al Fashaqah that it retook before any negotiations to settle the border dispute could begin.
Source:Ethiopian News
May 08, 2021 19:07 UTC
Chad's Military Council Seeks Central African States Support
YAOUNDE, CAMEROON - Envoys from Chad’s ruling military council are seeking support from its central African neighbors in fighting rebels who they say endanger a smooth return to civilian rule. Abdelkerim said Cameroon is one of the five central African states Chad’s military council asked him to visit and give an account of the situation since Deby died April 20, 2021. He said Chad’s military council has sent him to all member states of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community to explain plans the military leaders have for a smooth transition to civilian rule. Marsa said the charter presented to Chadians by the military council states that the military rulers can renew their mandate of 18 months if insecurity persists. He said Cameroon, Gabon, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea and Congo-Brazzaville, should help bring peace by advising Chad’s military to hand power to civilians.
Source:Ethiopian News
May 08, 2021 17:03 UTC
Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarch condemns Tigray ‘genocide’
The video message represents the Patriarch’s first public comments on what he calls “Tigray’s genocide,” since the conflict there began. They have no fear of God or any respect for human dignity,” Mathias added. The Patriarch addressed his many thwarted attempts to speak out against the ongoing six month “carnage” in the Tigray region, which human rights activists fear could have claimed thousands of victims. In the video message, Mathias urged world leaders to intervene and stop the violence. Resultantly the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission together with the UN Office for the High Commissioner of Human Rights are already in the pipeline to carry out investigations.”
Source:Ethiopian News
May 08, 2021 17:03 UTC
South Africa's Royal Scandal: New Zulu King's Claim Disputed
The queen's will named Prince Misuzulu, 46, her eldest son with King Zwelithini, as the heir and next king. But another prince objected and interrupted the announcement at the KwaKhangelamankengane Royal Palace in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province. A dispute over succession had been brewing since the late king's death, fascinating many South Africans with their very own royal scandal. Forbes put King Zwelithini's net worth at nearly $20 million, while the Zulu royal household is given an annual budget of around $5 million by the South African government. King Zwelithini, who had diabetes, reportedly died from a COVID-19-related illness at age 72.
Source:Ethiopian News
May 08, 2021 13:52 UTC
Egypt to Test Visitors from Countries with COVID-19 Variants on Arrival
An airport security agent checks a passenger, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at Sharm El Sheikh International Airport in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, June 20, 2020. (Reuters)Asharq Al-AwsatEgypt will require all visitors arriving from "countries where variants of the virus have appeared" to take a rapid COVID-19 test upon arrival, its health ministry said in a statement on Saturday. The statement did not specify the countries from which passengers would take the 15-minute DNA test, called ID NOW. Egypt's new coronavirus cases have been steadily rising in recent weeks. On Saturday it reported 1,125 new cases and 65 deaths, although experts say that reflects only a fraction of total cases.
Source:Ethiopian News
May 08, 2021 10:30 UTC
Ethiopia designates Tigray's former ruling party as terrorists
By The East African More by this AuthorEthiopian lawmakers on Thursday designated Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) as terrorist organisations. The move comes after the Council of Ministers of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government on Saturday decided to designate TPLF and Shene as terrorist entities. In a statement, the council accused the two groups of carrying out several terror level civilian-targeted attacks in different parts of the country during the past few years. This is the first time for Ethiopia to designate groups as terrorist entities since PM Abiy came to power. Ethiopia will hold a national election next month which was previously postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Source:Ethiopian News
May 08, 2021 10:06 UTC
Indonesia gets third batch of AstraZeneca vaccine under COVAX facility
Overall, a total of 1,444,900 doses of the ready-to-use AstraZeneca vaccine of the third batch reached by this week under the COVAX facility scheme. Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia received the third batch of ready-to-use COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca, under the COVAX facility multilateral scheme, at the Soekarno-Hatta international airport in Tangerang on Saturday.“Today, we need to be grateful that Indonesia is able to receive again the third batch of the vaccine under the COVAX facility multilateral scheme,” Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi stated during an online press conference here on Saturday.Marsudi confirmed the arrival of 1,3,389,600 doses of the ready-to-use vaccine on Saturday.Earlier, on Thursday (May 6), as many as 55,300 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine also arrived here.“Overall, a total of 1,444,900 doses of the ready-to-use AstraZeneca vaccine of the third batch reached by this week under the COVAX facility scheme,” she noted.The minister stated that 6,410,500 doses of the ready-to-use AstraZeneca vaccine, under the multilateral scheme, had arrived in Indonesia.Collectively, the number of vaccine doses received by Indonesia, so far, has reached 75,910,500.Of the total doses of vaccines, 68,500,000 were from Sinovac, 6,410,500 were from AstraZeneca under the COVAX facility, and one million were from Sinopharm.Marsudi highlighted that Indonesia was sentient of the fact that upholding the commitment to providing equal access to vaccination for all nations was no easy task.The COVAX facility, supported by GAVI, WHO, and CEPI and in cooperation with UNICEF, has made unwavering attempts to provide vaccine equally to all countries, according to the minister.“I laud the efforts. Since the start of the pandemic, Indonesia has consistently voiced for equal access to the vaccine for all. Indonesia also supports the COVID-19 patent deletion to boost the capacity of vaccine productivity globally,” she highlighted.On May 17, 2021, the Indonesian foreign affairs minister, along with the Ethiopian health minister and Canadian international development minister, will chair the meeting of the COVAX AMC Engagement Group.The meeting is aimed at discussing the current situations pertaining to the attempts to ensuring equitable vaccine access for all countries.EDITED BY INE
Source:Ethiopian News
May 08, 2021 09:11 UTC
Going two up from blank: The government’s terrorist list
Although it blames different groups for the atrocities committed, it is undeniable that the government has not carried out its basic responsibility of protecting citizens. On that particular parliamentary session, emotional MPs asked the PM why the government failed to designate the two as terrorist groups. It is expected to enhance the government’s capacity to control terrorist organizations and prevent perpetration of terrorist acts. Abiy Ahmed’s (PhD) government scrapped the terrorist list it inherited from the TPLF led EPRDF government after it came to power. The reformist government did not have a terrorist list until now but that has changed with TPLF and Shene bearing that reference.
Source:Ethiopian News
May 08, 2021 06:33 UTC
UAE reports 1,766 new COVID-19 cases, three deaths in last 24 hours
Under a deal reached by the warring sides this week, opposition troops began leaving their positions in the capital, and key roads sealed off with sandbags and machine guns were opened once more. But a resolution in April to extend his mandate by two years split the country’s fragile security forces along all-important clan lines. Soldiers loyal to influential opposition leaders began pouring into the capital, where clashes broke out with pro-government troops, killing three. Maj.-Gen. Ali Araye Osoble told opposition troops outside the capital that it was time to return to duty. “I order that you return to your positions and fulfil your commitments in the fight against Al-Shabab,” the opposition commander said.
Source:Ethiopian News
May 08, 2021 03:22 UTC
Rise and Fall of Ethnic-Based Federalism, its Predicament for Humanity
This is the case in Ethiopia, where political entrepreneurs and ethnocentric nationalists have experimented and imposed a uniquely entrenched ethnic-based federalism in the country over the past three decades. This is followed by an examination of the country’s political journey and key milestones from the lens of national disunity, impoverishment, human rights violations and insecurity that the country has been trapped with since the implementation of the ethnic-based federalism project. ),3 has the second-largest population in Africa and is made up of over 83 ethnic groups, all with their own cultures, languages or dialects. This means that the Ethiopian Constitution allows every ethnic group to form its own political state. Therefore, ethnic groups have the right to remain as a member of the ethnic based federalism or they can exercise their right to cession fromthe federal government arrangement.
Source:Ethiopian News
May 08, 2021 02:26 UTC
Ethiopia : Rise and Fall of Ethnic-Based Federalism, its Predicament for Humanity
This is the case in Ethiopia, where political entrepreneurs and ethnocentric nationalists have experimented and imposed a uniquely entrenched ethnic-based federalism in the country over the past three decades. The article first begins by outlining the political and social contexts of Ethiopia since the cold war and the imposition of the ethnic-federal government arrangement in 1991. ),3 has the second-largest population in Africa and is made up of over 83 ethnic groups, all with their own cultures, languages or dialects. This means that the Ethiopian Constitution allows every ethnic group to form its own political state. Therefore, ethnic groups have the right to remain as a member of the ethnic based federalism or they can exercise their right to cession fromthe federal government arrangement.
Source:Ethiopian News
May 08, 2021 01:31 UTC
Opposition forces leave Somali capital after deadly clashes
The Palestinian Red Crescent emergency service said 53 people were wounded in clashes with police there and elsewhere in Jerusalem, including 23 who were hospitalized. Tensions have soared in recent weeks in east Jerusalem, which is claimed by both Israel and the Palestinians. Israeli police deployed in large numbers as Muslim worshippers were holding evening prayers at the site. Israel annexed east Jerusalem in a move not recognized internationally and views the entire city as its capital. “The (Palestinian Authority) and Palestinian terror groups will bear full responsibility for the violence emanating from their actions.
Source:Ethiopian News
May 07, 2021 23:14 UTC
Malawi President Stands Firm on Refugees Relocation
BLANTRYE, MALAWI - Refugees and their advocates in Malawi have expressed alarm at President Lazarus Chakwera's defense of a plan to force about 2,000 people back into a refugee camp. Speaking with CNN on Thursday, Chakwera said the government was enforcing the law by moving to relocate refugees staying outside their designated camp. Malawi’s encampment policy prohibits refugees from staying outside their camp. Under the relocation order issued in early April, the government said by staying outside the camp, the refugees threatened national security. A refugee receiving maize at Dzaleka refugee camp in Malawi.
Source:Ethiopian News
May 07, 2021 21:56 UTC