By Samuel Getachew

Quartz

Ethiopia has approved a policy to introduce four additional working languages alongside Amharic, which has been the working language of the nation. Going forward, Afan Oromo, the most widely spoken language in Ethiopia, Afar, Somali, and Tigrigna will all be adopted as official languages of government.

The new policy is among a series of reforms being introduced by Ethiopia’s reformist prime minister Abiy Ahmed, who received the Nobel Peace Prize last year. It also comes just a month ahead of a national legislative election. Oromo-born Abiy, 43, who founded the Prosperity Party, is seeing his political honeymoon winding down, including in parts of Oromia and in the Tigray regions.

“Introducing additional working languages is a commendable action. In fact, it is long overdue,” says former political prisoner Befeqadu Z. Hailu, who now heads the Centre for Advancement of Rights and Democracy in Ethiopia.

According to the latest census, Afan Oromo speakers account for 34.4% of the population, while Somali and Tigre speakers account for 6%. The share of Afar people is just 1.7%, and the Sidama and Wolayita each have twice as many people.

“Amharic (has) played a big role in facilitating communications among Ethiopians. But in order to build a society that is integrated both politically and economically, introducing new working languages is very important,” said Abiy in a statement. “The new languages would play a big role in uniting the country and further improve cultural ties among Ethiopians.”

The language policy of Ethiopia adopted during the past two successive regimes of Ethiopia prioritized Amharic as the state’s sole official language. While there is no official reason for Amharic to be the dominant language of  the federal government, history shows it was reinforced during the era of emperor Haile Selassie (1930-1974), who made it the lone working language under the “andinet” (unity) law.

Critics have pointed out that under the Prosperity Party (formerly the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front), some regions have been allowed to make a local language their working language, but there has been little change to reflect the diversity of the population at the national level. This has become increasingly important because of the growing instability in the country along political and ethnic lines.

In the past year there have been numerous reports of people killed as a result of ethnic conflicts, resulting in the displacement of more than 1 million people, according to the International Organization for Migration’s Displacement Tracking Matrix, in a nation of approximately 110 million. Ethiopia is Africa’s second-most populous country, with ethnic groups spread across nine autonomous states.

While acknowledging the impact of the new development, some are doubtful Ethiopia has the budget to make it an instant reality.

“The addition of the new working languages is expected to reduce ethnic extremism and play a role in our state-building endeavor. However, I do not think it is possible to achieve it in the near future. It might take more time considering the financial obligation the commitment requires,” a prominent member of the Prosperity Party who wanted to remain anonymous told Quartz.

The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), a political party that was once labeled as a terrorist group, had a wait-and-see reaction. “We still doubt the execution of the new policy and how is it going to be put into practice,” it said in a statement.

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ADDIS ABABA— In a joint statement, Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy of Ethiopia yesterday stated that Ethiopia has legitimate right to construct the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachew stressed that Ethiopia has the right to develop its own natural resource in its effort to eradicate poverty.

The GERD construction was commenced with the aim to connect huge number of the country’s population who still remain off the grid without causing significant harm to the downstream countries, who depend on the Abay River.

GERD is under construction taking into account these concerns from the beginning. Though Ethiopia is making all efforts to use state of the art technology, given that the downstream nations want assurances meant that there needed to be negotiation.

In this context, Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan have been conducting negotiations over and over to help narrow the differences between the three countries.

The negotiations that have been conducted in U.S. were productive and have led to agreements; although some issues that are technical and legal in nature have not been resolved.

Stating on the need of protecting the national interest of Ethiopia, the Minister pointed out his country’s belief that the unresolved issue could be solved through negotiations, and its desire to hold thorough talks on the issues.

“While there is urgency among U.S. and Egyptian negotiators to sign the agreements sooner, he continued, we believe the Ethiopian people should be involved and be made aware on the issue, and this will take time.”

He further noted that the role of U.S. and the World Bank in the negotiations should be made clear, as these parties want to go beyond the role of mediators and go as far as involving themselves in drafting the legal framework.

Gedu stated that it would be behoove of Egypt to understand that the solution for all the concerned parties is to negotiate and reach an agreement, and the threats its making does not benefit any side except for straining the relations between the countries.

During the negotiation process, Sudan had showed its support for the project; it is only Egypt that wants to control the whole water.

Mentioning Ethiopia’s insistence on making sure the construction of the dam does not bring harm to the downstream countries, he said that Ethiopia is going ahead with the project by negotiating.

The Minister added that the U.S. should play a positive role in pushing all parties (countries) to reach to agreement by themselves.

Giving updates on the project to the Media, Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy, Seleshi Bekele (Eng.) stated that the construction of the dam is moving ahead fast, after solving the problems that were seen with regards to the steel work, turbine installation and contractor’s inefficiency. “All contractors have recently attended meeting in the PM’s office to assess the construction stage.”

Noting that the outbreak of Corona virus in China is hindering the country from importing the necessary equipment needed for the dam, Sileshi said that they are working as much as possible to complete the construction at the set time frame.

The dam will start to hold water in July and at that time it will hold 4.9 billion cubic meters of water. And following this, it will start to produce power beginning from February or March.

In connection with the ongoing talks on the dam, Dr. Engineer Sileshi said: “We do not want improper legal frameworks to be put forward in relation to water filling. The agreement that we are going to sign requires greater care. We have to discuss with the public and concerned bodies,” he said.

The Ethiopian Herald March 4/2020

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Israeli regime’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travelled to Entebbe, Uganda early February and met General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council leading to angry protests in Sudan. We discussing about Sudan’s move to normalize ties with the Israeli regime despite massive opposition by Sudanese masses. We are also going to focus on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and reasons for Egypt’s opposition to this multi-billion-dollar project.

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MICHELLE CARBERT
OTTAWA

Thirteen Canadian humanitarians who were detained in Ethiopia over allegations they were practising medicine without permission and dispensing expired medication have been granted bail.

Canadian Humanitarian, the organization the detainees represented, said 10 Canadian volunteers and three staffers, along with two Ethiopian staffers, were granted bail on Tuesday but will remain in prison in the northern Ethiopian city of Gondar while the necessary documentation is processed. In a statement, the Alberta-based organization said it hopes the detainees will be released on Wednesday.

“At that point, they will be free to move within the country, but it is uncertain when Ethiopian authorities will allow their return to Canada,” the statement read.

James Murphy, a brother-in-law of one of the detainees, said the situation has been “deeply distressing” for everyone involved.

“We are focusing all of our efforts on getting our loved ones back to Canada safely and quickly,” Mr. Murphy said in a statement provided by Canadian Humanitarian.

The organization said a representative from Canadian Humanitarian and consular officials were granted brief access to the prison where the Canadians were being held, confirming they had received fair treatment. Ethiopian authorities have suggested the detainees may need to remain in Ethiopia while the investigation is completed, the organization said.

Heather McPherson, the Alberta NDP international development critic, said she knows some of the detainees, as she has previously volunteered with Canadian Humanitarian. She said Tuesday’s bail decision was a step in the right direction, but added she will remain cautious until the Canadians are released and allowed to come home.

“We don’t want to jinx anything, but at this point, there is that positive news that it does look like we will at least see them in more comfortable conditions,” she said in a phone interview.

Ms. McPherson travelled to Gondar with the organization in 2012, when she led a group of Alberta high school students who were volunteering. She said the organization is prudent in the field.

Canadian consular officials were present for Tuesday’s bail hearing, Ms. McPherson said.

Canadian Humanitarian said the group, which included Canadian doctors and other medical professionals, was detained on “allegations that they were practising medicine without permission and had dispensed expired medication.” It has said it cannot comment on the “specifics of the expiry of the medication.” However, it said it had the necessary permits to be providing medical care in Ethiopia and that the medicine and care offered by its team in the country were safe.

In a statement Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne’s office said he spoke to his Ethiopian counterpart, Gedu Andargachew, about the detentions, but did not provide details from the call.

“The government of Canada continues to be fully engaged in this matter and officials are in contact with local authorities to gather further information. Consular officials are providing consular services to the Canadian citizens and their families,” said Syrine Khoury, Mr. Champagne’s spokesperson.

The government did not provide any more information, citing privacy concerns.

Canadian Humanitarian describes itself as a non-political organization that has provided urgently needed medical and dental support, education programs and other humanitarian needs to thousands of Ethiopian youth over the past 15 years.

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The Middle East News Agency (MENA) reported that Sudan had reservations about a draft resolution reached by the council of Arab Foreign Ministers, affirming the Arab League’s solidarity with the position of Egypt and Sudan regarding the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam as downstream countries.

MENA quoted sources saying that during the meeting of the council of Arab Foreign Ministers on Wednesday Egypt submitted a draft resolution issued by the Arab League expressing solidarity with Egypt and Sudan regarding the Renaissance Dam, taking into account the interests of the downstream countries. The Sudanese side was informed in advance of the draft decision to consult on it while confirming that this decision supports the position of the downstream states of Egypt and Sudan, and reflects Arab support for the water rights of both countries.

The sources said that Sudan asked not to include their name in the decision, and added that the decision is not in Sudan’s interest, nor is permissible to include the Arab League. They also expressed concerns over a possible confrontation between Ethiopia and Arab countries as a result of this decision.

According to the sources, most Arab delegations stated that supporting Egypt and Sudan is not aimed at confronting other parties, but rather it is an obligation that must be performed in connection with a file that threatens Arab national security.

The sources pointed out that the Arab delegations were surprised that Sudan maintained its conservative position even after the name of Sudan was deleted from the draft resolution, as it was limited to protecting the water interests of Egypt. The Sudanese side sought to empty the draft of its content, while the other Arab parties emphasised the feasibility and importance of this decision.

At the end of the session, the draft resolution was adopted without amendment, with Sudan formally withdrawing from it.

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Tecola W Hagos, 6 March 2020

General

Let me start by reminding the people of the United States that the leader of the terrorist group that blew up the New York Twin Towers and the Pentagon and murdered thousands of American Citizens  was the Egyptian Mohamed Atta.  The following terrorist Saudis and Emirates were also the causes of that destruction: Abdulaziz al-Omari (Saudi Arabian), Wail al-Shehri (Saudi Arabian), Waleed al-Shehri (Saudi Arabian), Satam al-Suqami (Saudi Arabian) and Marwan al-Shehhi (United Arab Emirates), Fayez Banihammad (United Arab Emirates), Mohand al-Shehri (Saudi Arabian), Hamza al-Ghamdi (Saudi Arabian), Ahmed al-Ghamdi (Saudi Arabian). The Second Commander next to Bin Laden of the terrorist group called Al Qaida is an Egyptian terrorist called Ayman Mohammed Rabie al-Zawahiri. By contrast, Ethiopia supported America in the Korean war by sending its warriors under to fight under America’s command. Why in God’s blessed world is Donald Trump (hereafter “Trump” for brevity) supporting Egypt the home country of deadly terrorists against and over Ethiopia?

In my opinion, in case of the dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia, Trump chose the wrong side of history in supporting Egypt, for some personal gain and not in the best interest of the  United States of America [hereafter ‘America’ for brevity]  long-term or short-term foreign policy. Most commentators have written that Trump’s motive in sacrificing Ethiopia in favor of Egypt is to  win the Nobel for peace by brokering  lasting peace agreement between Palestinians and Israel. I hold the Nobel is a secondary point of interest for  Trump and Family. Trump’s interest and focus is access to the immense Sovereign wealth of Saudi Arabia and the wealth of the other Gulf countries. When Jared Kushner the senior White House Advisor and Son-in-law of Trump run into a problem paying mortgage on his Family owned the 1.8 Billion 666 Fifth Avenue skyscraper, it is Arab fund that he sought foremost. Finally, Brookfield bailed him out of an embarrassing situation by leasing that property for 99 years. Furthermore, the entanglement of Kushner with the Saudi  Crown Prince Mohammad Salman is a troubling situation. It was reported some times back that Mohammad Salman had said that Jared Kushner is in his pocket.

I could easily draw a parallel narrative between Trump’s recent manipulative involvement as a sort of conjuror/joker impartial broker in the negotiation between Egypt and Ethiopia (with Sudan, a favorably disposed participant) and the impeachment record of Trump’s abuse of power charge. The Trump impeachment charge is about abuse of power of holding back military aid to Ukraine, allegedly trying to force Ukraine Leader to conduct some kind of investigation against presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son, for Trump’s own political personal advantages. It was obvious over the years that Egypt has sought the entanglement of America in its unattainable childish dream to conquer and subjugate Ethiopia and control the Tikur Abay (Blue Nile Basin) with Lake Tana.

There are several historical events that  we Ethiopians should be aware of the many tragic facts that past American Presidents, such as Civil-War-era Johnson (mercenaries), Truman (Kagnew), Eisenhour (Point Four), Nixon (coup d’état), Carter (withholding weapons), Clinton (secession), Bush (commission), and now Trump (GERD),  have tried without success to subjugate us  and destroy our pride and sovereignty. But they have inflicted on us in the guise of friendship and handouts tremendous moral decay and economic setbacks. Look at the Chinese who have financed and constructed in less than a couple of decades tremendous infrastructure allover Ethiopia that American Presidents did not do a fraction as much in their one-hundred years so called friendly relationship with Ethiopia. America’s Presidential ultimate betrayal is now personified in Donald Trump who is trying to force Ethiopia into signing a revitalized colonial period treaty that Ethiopia is fighting off by building the GERD with its own money and within its sovereign territory harnessing the vital force of its own mighty Tikur Abiay (Blue Nile River).

The Objective and the Whys of the GERD

Egypt falsely is casting the dispute about the filling of the GERD as a national security issue. The fact is totally far from such war mongering and deals with down to earth economic issues of equitable use of a natural resource. Ethiopia is building the GERD in order to generate electric power, ie hydropower generated by gravitation cascading water turning turbans to produce electric power. the water of the Blue Nile will simply flow into its traditional water course and join the White Nile at Khartoum. There is no farming irrigation project that will reduce the flow of the river significantly. The Dam could be easily filled in three to seven years without causing harm to Sudan or Egypt. It will act as a great control system from the recurring flooding of the Nile River areas in both Sudan and Egypt. The benefit for all Riparian states is immense.

Egypt’s Rabid Behavior

Egypt has been for  the last couple of centuries a horrible neighbor to Ethiopia. Egypt  throughout its history after its independence was asserted by the  Ottoman ruler Mohammad Ali Pasha of Greek Origin emerged as an independent nation but not for too long. Modern Egypt is a byproduct of the Ottoman masters who employing Mameluke non-Arab  mostly Slavic slave soldiers dominated the leadership of Egyptian military and government to this day. . The current power structure of Egypt has no connection whatsoever with the original people of  Pharonic Kemet.  Ethiopians have always been generous to Egyptians through out the thousand years connections. The foreign Slavic origin Khedives and most current military commanders such as Alsisi have inherited such a legacy that they taunt as something to be proud of. Don’t forget the facts that for centuries Egypt was ruled by Alexander’s General forming the Ptolemaic Dynasty that included Cleopatra, before Egyptians were ruled by the Romans, followed by the Ottomans. The French too subjugated Egypt during the Napoleonic wars.  In the 19^th Century they became a British Protectorate.

The few Egyptians I met in College were erratic with serious identity problems. I found them to be racist and emotionally immature like most Arabs I have met. I believe that Engineer Simegnew Bekele was murdered by Egyptian agents. The ridiculous report of the Ethiopian Federal Police that Engineer Simegnew Bekele committed suicide should be discarded and a new investigation must be conducted in collaboration with internationally recognized experts on such types of violence.  I believe several current TPLF Leaders in order to hide their looting of billions of dollar value, the OLF in toto, and Jawar Mohammed are in the service of Egypt/Arabs and are fully engaged in the Egyptian grand project of causing instability, violence, and ethnic cleansing on a massive scale in Oromo, Somali, Amhara, and Gambela Kilils.

 Support PM Abiy Ahmed

There is no room for political games now, especially during a time that Ethiopia is being attacked by both the United States and Egypt. All Ethiopians irrespective of their political differences with the current Ethiopian Government must rally around our leader PM Abiy Ahmed. We must ensure that election takes place as scheduled. It is a fact that I had highly criticized PM Abiy Ahmed’s too frequent international activities flying off to Arab, European, and Asian countries during a time of instability, violence, and ethnic cleansing taking place on a massive scale in Oromo, Somali, Amhara, Gambela et cetera Kilils, inappropriate and wasteful of hard currency.   However, at times I have pointed out about a number of activities of Abiy Ahmed as patriotic and admirable. Now, that Abiy Ahmed is making bold decisions in protecting Ethiopia’s Sovereignty and dignity in read to American and Egyptian arrogance, I am committed to support him in this patriotic stand against injustice and bullies.

I urge Abiy Ahmed to disclose all communications and draft agreements, letters of understanding to the Ethiopian public on time without delay. A well informed public is the best defender of the interest of Ethiopia. I urge Abiy Ahmed to make sure that his disagreement with TPLF, OLF, and/or Jawar Mohammad is fully disclosed to Oromos and Tigrai people et cetera. He must heal the caustic relationships between the leaderships of Amhara and Tigrai Killils. I urge Abiy Ahmed to Include the great Ethiopian Somali Kilil leader to prominence. Provide him with additional funding and military hardware.

Trump Reincarnated Andrew Johnson

In particular, Trump reminds me of another American President Andrew Johnson, who was elected as Vice President of Abraham Lincoln and succeeded to the Presidency after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in 1865. Just like Trump,  Johnson was impeached by the House of Representatives in 1868 on eleven charges one of which seems to me similar to that charge of abuse of power Trump was impeached for.  Andrew Johnson was a blatantly racist degenerate poorly educated rustic unelected one-term president who championed Egypt against Ethiopia for no cause involving America.  Herein below I quoted from Miller Center studies as reported by Ethiopedia a parallel history illustrative of what Trump is trying to do following in the footsteps of Andrew Johnson who approved former Civil War General Sherman to recruit American mercenaries to lead Egyptian military to attack Ethiopia and occupy the Blue Nile basin and Lake Tana.

Andrew Johnson is described by the Miller Center as “the worst possible person to have been President at the end of the Civil War. His Secretary of State instigated and gave the green light to the Confederate General Sherman to recruit and ship the secret mercenaries to Egypt to kill the Ethiopians and capture the Nile Basin and Maritime lands of Ethiopia. Sherman was also commander-in-chief of the United States between 1865-1883 and his recruiting of confederate armies against Ethiopia took place at this time. [Dispatched] mercenaries to Egypt to kill the Ethiopians and capture the Nile Basin and Maritime lands of Ethiopia. In the end however almighty Ethiopia prevailed.” The Egyptian misadventure took place during the Reign of Emperor Yohannes IV and under the command of his illustrious Ras Alula Aba Nega at 1. Gundet, 16 November 1875 and 2. Gura , 8-9 March 1876 whereby the Civil War Generals leading the Egyptian Army along with their Egyptian counterparts including the Khedive’s son were trashed and humiliated by Ethiopian Black Warriors who never been defeated by anybody.

Statements by Treasury Secretary Mnuchin

In my long adult life as a student of international law and as a devoted professional of international treaties,  agreements, letters of intent, or drafts, I have never read such a deceitful, dishonest, and amateurish piece by an official of any government in the world  as the statement issued by the U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. To begin with, first, Mnuchin’s demand that Ethiopia sign the draft “agreement” is insulting and beyond any diplomatic decorum. No Government will sign a document  drafted even by its own appointed experts let alone by a third party without first reading such document to make sure the draft agreement reflects the interests of the parties accurately. Ethiopia has every legal and Sovereign right and power to walk away from any negotiation without signing any document. Period.  The Second deceitful statement by the Secretary is the fact that he never addressed the document solely prepared by his employees as a draft. He wrote all over in his official statements referring to the draft document as “agreement”, with equivocation in meaning, even though there is only a draft “agreement”. Elementary lesson for Mnuchin and his deceitful experts is that an “agreement” happens in formal treaties or contracts after proper signing of the document. The signing of a draft agreement occurs after a document is read, reviewed, and corrections or additions made as needed. If there is cause for proper public consultations that too will be observed. No treaty or agreement of such magnitude can be rushed with set cut-off time to satisfy the time schedule of a third party in this case that of Donald Trump.

The responses of Gedu Andargachew and Seleshi Bekele effectively neutered both Egyptian and American Leaders’ effort to have Ethiopia sign a truly hotchpotch document. Both  Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Trump, as well as Mnuchin, sound shallow, thuggish, and criminal conspirators in many of their public statements, It is an insult to try to force a sovereign and ancient country like Ethiopia sign up a document with such urgency. What is all this urgency for by the American Government? It is really none of America’s business how slowly or when Ethiopia fills the Dam. In fact, I urge the Ethiopian Government to cut off America from the ongoing negotiation between the three primary riparian countries.

Recommendations for the Ethiopia of Abiy Ahmed

Step 1: Withdraw from the Washington Negotiation immediately. Make public all drafts, communications,  from the American, Egyptian and Sudanese Governments  concerning the GERD and the Blue Nile basin. Reinforce the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) (2010) by inviting all Nile Basin States for a new Conference.

America will meddle in Ethiopia’s Blue Nile basin issues endlessly if given an opening like the recent Trump’s effort to “moderate” talks/negotiations to reach an agreement on the filling of the GERD that showed the true face of American government ill intent toward Ethiopia. It is utterly sophomoric for anyone to assume that America to be an impartial moderator, considering the amount of leverage the Arab world has on America in billions of dollar assets,  and trade value, and all forms of economic interests. By contrast, Ethiopia is involved in limited trade and business interactions with America. Even the balance of trade is in favor of America.

Step 2: Although I have no doubt about the patriotism of Minister Degu Andargachew, I do not think he is the right person to be the Minister for Foreign Affairs. I suggest either to appoint a special envoi For the Blue Nile/GERD dispute with Egypt or replace Degu Andargachew, for he does not have the right education, he does not command the necessary fluent English language ability, and he has no commanding presence and charisma to lead a Foreign Ministry or a delegation to negotiate any major treaty. Make sure to appoint either man or Woman who have physical presence. There is no personal animosity from my side toward Degu, he is simply not the right person for the job.  He Could be Deputy Prime Minister.The current Minister for Water, Energy and Irrigation, Sileshi Bekele has an ideal physical presence, but must improve his English language skill with a professional trainer.

Step 3: Liquidate all subversive agents (foreigners or Ethiopians) promoting Egypt and the members of the Arab League  within Ethiopia.  Ethiopia must organize and reinforce existing counter-spy structures. Do not be shy about violence against subversive agents in the service of Egypt and its supporters within Ethiopia. 

Step 4: Declare National military recruitment and create New Military Command for the Defense of GERD. Recruit a million young volunteers who will train as guerilla fighters.

Step 5: Form a Strategy Commission made up of Elders, Scholars, Community leaders, Young Ethiopian Association Leaders to assist in dealing with Egyptian Treat.

Step 6. Form Ethiopian Mothers and Children Associations. The Association will supplement all existing social services.

Step 7. Form Patriotic Youth Vanguard Associations. and create a Ministry of Ethiopian Youth in order to monitor, finance, guide, and direct the patriotism of all young Ethiopians.

Step 8: Establish in every village,  town, and city a monthly held communal Lunch either on Saturday or Sunday to promote the defense of Ethiopia against Egyptian and American treats.

Step 9: Improve and expand agricultural production. Improve cattle, and other farm animals husbandry.  

Step 10: Expand and improve health services. Increase the number of clinics and hospitals. Lobby all technologically advanced nations for support in health care for rural Ethiopia, mostly for pharmaceutical products/medicine.  

In conclusion

I would like to quote the former Minister of Water, Energy and Irrigation, Alemayehu Tegenu, whom I admire immensely: “Ethiopia will never ask the consent of any country to undertake development projects. Ethiopia is an independent country and will never request the consent of any country. Ethiopia will undertake its development projects in a way that does not cause any significant harm to any country. Moreover, Ethiopia undertakes its development projects based on principles. It takes into consideration the benefits of the countries from the development projects as well as friendship and healthy relations with the countries.”  [Alemayehu Tegenu, Minister of Water, Energy and Irrigation Minister of Water, Energy and Irrigation, interview, ‘Newstime Africa’, March 2, 2015] Alemayehu has captured the right attitude and spirit that all Ethiopian Officials should take to heart.

PM Abiy Ahmed should never again allow America to get involved in any capacity in the Blue Nile GERD issues with Egypt. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, or Minister of Water, Energy and Irrigation, inform the Governments of the United States, Egypt, and Sudan that the Ethiopian Government has no reason to continue the Washington Negotiation under open threat and one-sidedness of the United States.  Once such cutting off letter is delivered to all Officials of the Ethiopian Government must speak in one voice and must not respond to calls or any form of personal contacts by such officials of the United States.

Egypt had lost every battle it ever fought in the last two hundred years. Its military is just puffed up paper-tiger, and no Ethiopian Government official should be worried about military attacks by Egyptians. They probably would use idiotic mercenaries from neighboring  countries. Ethiopia’s response must always be fast and devastatingly violent. If Egypt tries to bomb the GERD directly or through third parties, Ethiopia should retaliate by hitting the Aswan Dam. If Egypt attempts to place military stations, its soldiers in any of the neighboring countries in South Sudan, Djibouti, North Sudan, or any part of Somalia Ethiopia should attack and destroy such outposts of Egypt. Considering the current constructive and extremely important reconciliation between Abiy’s Ethiopian Government and the Eritrean Government, and if Eritrea foolishly allows Egypt such beachhead, Ethiopia should attack such formations on Eritrean soil, Ethiopia ought to attack and neutralize such treat without delay. Of course, the main issue is where would Ethiopia get the military resources to launch such defensive attacks? The short answer is its own existing resources and by mobilizing millions of its young people. The temptation to connect with Iran must be avoided, rather connections with South Africa,  South Korea, France, Germany, Ukraine, Spain, Italy must be enhanced and courted with proper incentives.  Italy’s major Construction Company is the Contractor building the GERD. Mexico, and several South American countries are great supporters of Ethiopia. Such relationship must be enhanced and pursued vigorously.

I am very much aware of how people in the world thinks about Ethiopia or Ethiopians and our culture. The perception of other nations of Ethiopia is simply secondary and not be a decisive factor that would make me hide the truth, especially a type of truth helpful to build a healthy society based on justice and equality for all. I am not in any way bashful to state openly and bluntly that of all the histories of nations, communities, and societies I have studied, none has impressed me so positively as that of the history of the people of Ethiopia. I find in Ethiopians great nobility of spirit, great moral principles, and tremendous strength of character and surviving with great dignity against tremendous man-made and natural disastrous situation of recurring famine, civil war, inept leaders, et cetera.

I cannot see how a people from the West, or the East could give us any moral lesson when their history is drenched to its core with the blood of hundreds of millions of innocent victims. What is important to me, more than technological and industrial development, is the moral and ethical content of a society. Development without the corollary moral and ethical development leads to social disaster as evidenced in the death and destruction of the Second World War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf Wars et cetera. We need to focus on a single monumental treat to our independence and Sovereignty paused by Egypt and the America of Donald Trump. Long live Ethiopia, the land of Firsts.

Tecola W Hagos

6 March 2020

The post “IN THE END HOWEVER ALMIGHTY ETHIOPIA PREVAILED”: IN SUPPORT OF ABIY AHMED NOT BOWING TO THE TREATS OF TRUMP AND El-Sisi appeared first on Ethiopian Registrar News/Breaking News/Your right to know!.

David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A draft interim report from Ethiopian crash investigators circulated to U.S. government agencies concludes the March 2019 crash of a Boeing Co (BA.N) 737 MAX was caused by the plane’s design, two people briefed on the matter said Friday.

Unlike most interim reports, this one includes a probable cause determination, conclusions and recommendations, which are typically not made until a final report is issued.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has been given a chance to lodge concerns or propose changes, the people said, declining to be identified because the report is not yet public.

NTSB spokesman Eric Weiss confirmed the agency had received the draft interim report, but declined to comment on whether the agency would suggest any changes. Boeing on Friday declined to comment to Reuters about the report.

According to Bloomberg News, which first reported the contents of the interim draft, the conclusions say little or nothing about the performance of Ethiopian Airlines or its flight crew and that has raised concern with some participants in the investigation.

The Ethiopian interim report contrasts with a final report into the Lion Air crash released last October by Indonesia which faulted Boeing’s design of cockpit software on the 737 MAX but also cited errors by the airline’s workers and crew.

Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 crashed in an open field six minutes after take-off from Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, killing 157 passengers and crew. The Boeing 737 MAX has been grounded worldwide for nearly a year after the two fatal crashes.

Under rules overseen by the United Nations’ Montreal-based aviation agency, ICAO, Ethiopia should publish a final report by the first anniversary of the crash on March 10 but now looks set to release an interim report with elements that would normally be included in the final report.

Ethiopian Airlines did not respond to a request for comment. Ethiopia’s Transport Ministry could not immediately be reached for comment.

A preliminary accident report by the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority released in April last year said faulty sensor readings and multiple automatic commands to push down the nose of a Boeing plane contributed to the fatal crash and left the crew struggling to regain control.

The U.S. House Transportation Committee on Friday released preliminary investigative findings into the two crashes which faulted the Federal Aviation Administration’s approval of the plane and Boeing’s design failures, saying the 737 MAX flights were “doomed”.

Reporting by Rama Venkat in Bengaluru and David Shepardson in Washington and Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Editing by Shri Navaratnam and Edwina Gibbs

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By Prof. Alemayehu G. Mariam

… Ethiopians have no desire or idea to harm the Egyptian people. We believe that we should benefit from this river, the Nile, but when we benefit, we should not do harm to the Egyptian people. We want to forget what was in the past and begin a phase of cooperation … We will take care of the Nile, and we will preserve your share of the Nile water and we will work to increase this share.” — H.E. Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed, June 10, 2018 talking about a peaceful resolution of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance (Hedase) Dam disputes…

… Some say things about use of force (by Egypt). It should be underlined that no force could stop Ethiopia from building a dam. If there is a need to go to war, we could get millions readied. If some could fire a missile, others could use bombs. But that’s not in the best interest of all of us… — H.E. Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed, October 22, 2019, addressing those who stoke up war hysteria and threaten to wage war on Ethiopia.

The Greek historian Herodotus is said to have called Egypt the “Gift of the Nile”. If Egypt is the gift of the Nile, then Egypt should beware not bite the hand that gave it the precious gift. It is the height of folly to tread on Ethiopia. Don’t tread on Ethiopia. ኢትዮጵያን አትንኩ! — Alemayehu G. Mariam

Ethiopia is being victimized by the “Axis of Lies, Fake News and Disinformation” (ALFND)

On March 2, 2020, Soliman Wadhan, deputy speaker of the Egyptian parliament declared “Egypt will not stand helpless in the face of ‘Ethiopia’s conspiracies’ and is ready to take all measures necessary to preserve its historical rights to the Nile water.”

Wadhan offered no evidence of an “Ethiopian conspiracy” or any sort of improper action.

But there is a real, long-standing and current secret propaganda conspiracy that is unfolding before our eyes.

It is a four-pronged conspiracy:

It is a conspiracy of lies, fake news and disinformation to demonize Ethiopia that is concocted, coordinated and spread in the international media and in American policy circles by U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Steven T. Mnuchin, World Bank Group President David Malpass and the Egyptian Government, the “Axis of Lies, Fake News and Disinformation” (ALFND).

It is a conspiracy that has the ultimate aim of reducing Ethiopia to a “water colony” of Egypt by reinventing, reinforcing and perpetuating the nearly century-long deprivation of Ethiopian sovereign rights under an outdated and oppressive colonial-era treaties that excluded Ethiopia.

It is a conspiracy that aims to diplomatically isolate and cripple Ethiopia in the world community, expose Ethiopia to global condemnation, censure and denunciation and delegitimize any and all of Ethiopia’s rightful claim to use the waters of the Nile to lift itself out of perennial poverty.

The “Washington talks” charade was a bait and switch conspiracy by the ALFND to bring Ethiopia to the table and arm twist her into signing an agreement concocted by the ALFND.

In 1929, Britain and Egypt conspired and drafted a treaty denying Ethiopia all rights to use the Nile River even though Ethiopia is the fountainhead of the Blue Nile.

In 1959, Egypt conspired with the military junta regime in Sudan to reaffirm and expand its “rights” under the 1929 treaty and deny all rights to Ethiopia in the use of the Nile.

In 2020, Egypt conspired with the Trump Administration and the World Bank to reaffirm and vastly expand its “rights” under the 1929 treaty and 1959 agreement and deny Ethiopia any and all rights to use the Nile, specifically by demanding a 12-20 year reservoir filling time for the GERD and renunciation of any and all future development on the Nile River or its tributaries.

The current ALFND sleazy propaganda conspiracy against Ethiopia aims to accomplish a variety of objectives including those listed below:

1) Demonize Ethiopia in the global media as the “bad guy” in the so-called “Washington GERD talks and agreement”.

2) Create global sympathy and solidarity for Egypt as the underdog denied and deprived life-saving Nile river water and provoke global condemnation against Ethiopia as a greedy and rapacious nation hellbent on making money by selling electric power. In other words, the the ALFND have launched a media campaign propagandizing that the Nile waters are a matter of life and death for Egypt but a wasteful luxury for Ethiopia.

3) Tar and feather Ethiopia as an international outlaw that flouts international conventions, treaties and agreements, including a 2015 agreement on the equitable use of the Nile waters.

4) Show Egypt as always negotiating in good faith and with sincere political will to reach an agreement that meets the interests of the three countries and depict Ethiopia as always acting in bad faith and in flagrant disregard for the needs of downstream countries.

5) The U.S. has played a fair and constructive role in the Washington GERD talks over the past 4 months and all of the achievements were wrecked by a reckless Ethiopia which refused to sign it the final agreement by boycotting it.

6) The “agreement” prepared by Mnuchin and Malpass are valid final agreements endorsed by Ethiopia which Ethiopia in bad faith abandoned at the last minute.

7) Any use of Nile River water by Ethiopia will destroy Egyptian agriculture, its economy and infrastructure.

8) Final testing and filling should not take place without an agreement because of unfinished work on the safe operation of the GERD and the need to implement all necessary dam safety measures in accordance with international standards before filling begins.

9) Ethiopia and Egypt could go to war if an agreement is not reached soon.

10) International organizations and governments should sanction Ethiopia for not signing the Mnuchin-Malpass GERD agreement.

The INDISPUTABLE facts about Ethiopia’s sovereign right to use the Nile River and disproving the campaign of the Axis of Lies, Fake News and Disinformation.

Fact # 1: Ethiopia is NOT bound by treaties Egypt has concluded with other countries in the use of Nile River waters. Ethiopia is NOT bound by any treaty or agreement to which it is not a party.

In 1929, Egypt and Britain concluded The Anglo-Egyptian Treaty on the utilization of the  waters of the Nile River declaring Egypt has a  “natural and historic rights in the waters of the Nile”. Ethiopia was not a party to that agreement.

That treaty accomplished two objectives: 1) allocate 48 billion cubic meters of water to Egypt and 4 billion cubic meters to Sudan from an estimated annual flow of 84 billion cubic meters, and 2) granted Egypt veto power on any construction projects on the Nile River, including in Ethiopia, to permanently guarantee full flow of Nile waters  to Egypt without any access or use by Ethiopia.

In 1959,  a bilateral agreement was signed between Egypt and the military junta regime in Sudan which reaffirmed the 1929 Anglo-Egyptian Treaty and increased Egypt’s water allocation from 48 billion cubic meters to 55.5 billion cubic meters and from 4 billion cubic meters to 18.5 billion cubic meters for Sudan. This agreement made no allowances for Ethiopia, the source of 80 percent of the water that flows into the Nile River.

Ethiopia was NOT a party to the 1959 agreement.

Fact # 2: Ethiopia is a sovereign nation and can use its resources without the permission of any other power and consistent with applicable international law and commitments.

Under the 2015 Declaration of Principles (DOP) agreed to by Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan, Ethiopia has faithfully and without evasion performed its obligations, and upheld its commitments  to utilization and sharing water resources with downstream countries in an equitable and reasonable manner, among many other things.

Ethiopia has also upheld its commitment to implement the recommendations of the International Panel of Experts (IPOE) on first filling and operation of the dam covering different scenarios during the construction of GERD and create an appropriate coordination mechanism among them.

Above all and without question, Ethiopia has agreed and is fully committed to resolving all disputes by the heads of states as stated in Article 10 of the DOP.

Egypt’s effort to flagrantly disregard the DOP and pressure Ethiopia by enlisting the support of the Trump Administration and the World Bank is a supreme example of its fundamental bad faith, duplicity and hypocrisy in the GERD negotiations.

Ethiopia at all times has acted in good faith and lived up to its obligations under the DOP while Egypt demonstrably acted in bad faith by running to Trump and the World  Bank to end run the entire process that has been going on for the past nine years.

The fact of the matter is that Ethiopia need the GERD because it has a growing population at 110 million, one of the fastest growing economies in Africa and its people need to be lifted out of poverty. The GERD is just as important to Ethiopia as Aswan Dam is to Egypt. It is not simply an infrastructure project. It is Ethiopia’s pathway out of centuries-long poverty and privation. But the GERD is valuable not only to Ethiopia but also to neighboring countries including Egypt.

Fact #3: The U.S. set up the “Washington GERD talks” in bad faith and colluded with Egypt to trap Ethiopia and force her to sign an “agreement” under duress and threat of foreign aid and World Bank loan cut-offs. The U.S., the World Bank and Egypt tricked Ethiopia into attending the “Washington GERD talks” by false pretenses, calculated misrepresentation, deception, treachery and mendacity.

Secretary of the Treasury Steven T. Mnuchin, World Bank Group President David Malpass “invited” Ethiopia to the “talks” with a bait and switch trick up their sleeves.

On November 6, 2019, the Treasury Department announced:

… The ministers [of Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt] agreed that the World Bank and the United States would support and attend the meetings as observers… If an agreement is not reached by January 15, 2020, the foreign ministers agree that Article 10 of the 2015 Declaration of Principles will be invoked. (Italics added.)

On January 31, 2020, the Treasury Department reaffirmed its observer role in an announcement:

… The Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Water Resources of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan and their delegations met with the Secretary of the Treasury and the President of the World Bank, participating as observers in negotiations on the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), in Washington, D.C. on January 28-31, 2020… (Italics added.)

On February 9. 2020, the New York Times in a report on the “Washington GERD talks” headlined, “President Trump is mediating.”

On February 28, 2020, the Treasury Department issued an announcement stating:

… The United States facilitated the preparation of an agreement on the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) based on provisions proposed by the legal and technical teams of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan and with the technical input of the World Bank… (Italics added.) 

The Treasury Department imperiously commanded: “… [F]inal testing and filling should not take place without an agreement.”

In less than 4 months, the U.S. metamorphosized from “observer” to “facilitator” to “mediator”, to “broker”, to binding arbitrator and to “bully arm twister” commanding, “final testing and filling [of the Dam] should not take place without an agreement.”

At no time during the four months did the U.S. reveal its evolving role from observer to binding arbitrator.

There is no explanation by Mnuchin and Malpass why, as clearly indicated in the November 6 Treasury announcement, the matter was not referred to the heads of states pursuant to Article 10 “if an agreement is not reached by January 15, 2020″.  Manifestly, no agreement was reached by January 15. The Ethiopians reasonably expected the January 15 date would be respected. It was then that they found out they had been had, been took, bamboozled and let astray.

The whole “Washington talks” charade was a bait and switch conspiracy sprung on Ethiopia in midstream.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia David Shinn said it best commenting on the chameleon role played by the U.S. “You can’t all of a sudden play the role of a binding arbitrator or you’re telling one party or the other what to do”.

Suffice it to say, I smell a dirty rat when an “observer” suddenly becomes a “binding arbitrator”. 

The U.S. and Egypt intended to trap the Ethiopian ministers, arm twist, strong arm, bully and coerce them into signing an “agreement” they had secretly concocted among themselves. They did not succeed.

Fact #4: NO agreement between Ethiopia, Egypt and the Sudan was reached in the so-called Washington discussions. Secretary Mnuchin and World Bank President Malpass LIED through their teeth when they represented to the world Ethiopia had agreed to the “agreement” they drafted. There is only an “agreement” drafted by Secretary Mnuchin and World Bank President Malpass, pre-signed by Egypt and imposed on Ethiopia and the Sudan.

The Ethiopian Government has flatly and unequivocally rejected Mnuchin’s claim Ethiopia has agreed to the agreement Mnuchin and Malpass had prepared:

Ethiopia does not accept the characterization that the negotiation on the Guidelines and Rules on the First Filling and Annual Operation of the GERD (Guidelines and Rules) is completed. The “text” reportedly initialed by the Arab Republic of Egypt in Washington D.C. is not the outcome of the negotiation or the technical and legal discussion of the three countries. Ethiopia made it clear that the Guidelines and Rules must be prepared by the three countries. The Countries are yet to address outstanding issues pertaining to the finalization of the Guidelines and Rules.

Mnuchin and Malpass knew they were perpetrating a LIE, a DAMNED LIE, to demonize Ethiopia when they said Ethiopia had agreed to their agreement.

The Ethiopian Government’s position that the Mnuchin-Malpass “text is not the outcome of negotiations is fully supported by the Egyptian Government which officially stated “the agreement to fill and operate the renaissance dam was developed by the American side and the world bank”. Ethiopia, Egypt and the Sudan were simply handed a “text” to sign, which Egypt pre-signed with a nod and a wink, while Ethiopia and the Sudan did not.

Fact #5: Egyptian zero-sum water games: Anglo-Egyptian Agreement (1929), Sudan Egypt Agreement (1959), Mnuchin-Malpass-Egypt Agreement (2020)

Egypt today is playing the same old agreement game it has been playing for nearly a century.

It is called the Nile River Zero-Sum Game.

The rules are written by Egypt and its colonial and neo-colonial masters: Egypt gets all the Nile water, Ethiopia gets nothing, not even the evaporation from the river because Egypt wants to tax that with additional release of water by Ethiopia from the GERD.

In 1929, Egypt used its colonial master Britain to play its Nile River zero-sum game.

In 2020, Egypt is trying to use the U.S. to play its Nile River zero-sum game.

Today, Egypt is trying to substitute the United States for Britain to do its dirty work on Ethiopia.

Ethiopia will not put up with Egypt’s Nile River Zero-Sum Game.

The days of Egypt sucking dry the teats of Ethiopia’s Nile River is over.

It is GAME OVER for the Egypt Nile River Zero-Sum Game

For nearly a century, Egypt has succeeded in its zero-sum game against Ethiopia.

That stops with the new GERD Game played only by one rule: equitable and reasonable utilization of the Nile waters by Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan.

Fact #6: Any “Agreement” prepared, drafted or otherwise tendered to the parties by the Treasury Department and the World Bank in the GERD talks is in violation of U.S. federal law and Constitution and is therefore null and void.

Any “agreement” drafted by Secretary Steven Mnuchin and the World Bank Group’s David Malpass is unconstitutional and in violation of federal law and therefore null and void.

In “preparing” the “final agreement” Secretary Mnuchin unconstitutionally trespassed on the powers of the State Department and his actions are ultra vires (beyond his legal authority) as a matter of federal law.

By engaging in “negotiations with public ministers or other foreigners, or to such other matters respecting foreign affairs”, Mnuchin and Malpass have illegally usurped, and continue to usurp, the jurisdiction of the State Department and flagrantly violate the Act of Congress of July 20, 1789 which provides, “negotiations with public ministers or other foreigners, or to such other matters respecting foreign affairs” are the exclusive domain of the State Department.

Given the fact that Ethiopia and the United States are in “dispute” over the GERD agreement, David Robert Malpass, President of the World Bank Group and a private American citizen, is in violation of the Logan Act, 18 U.S. Code § 953, in past and any continuing participation in the so-called “Washington DC GERD Talks” and in drafting and preparing U.S. foreign policy instruments.

The fact of the matter is that the so-called agreement drafted and prepared by Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin and World Bank President David Malpass is not worth the paper it is written on.

Ethiopia has no obligation to sign or even participate in diplomatic negotiations or discussions conducted by unauthorized officers of the United States. Secretary Mnuchin and President Malpass are unauthorized officers of the U.S. to conduct foreign policy.

 Fact #7: Africans, the African Union, and Article 10 of the Declaration of Principles, NOT the United States, the International of Justice or any other Western organization or institution be the final arbiters should be the agency to deal with the GERD issue.

Why did Egypt run to Uncle Sam (the U.S.), in much the same way as it did in the past to Uncle John Bull and Old Blighty (Britain) to solve the GERD-related disputes?

After all, the Nile River is a trans-boundary resource shared by 11 African countries including Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan. Shouldn’t the AU at least get a chance to address the issues?

Why didn’t Egypt seek out African Union involvement in addressing the GERD issue first?  After all, Egyptian President El Si-Si was the Chairman of the African Union until a few weeks ago.

How could Africa ever deal with its own problems if African countries run to their former colonial or neo-colonial masters for solutions?

It should  come as no surprise to anyone that Ethiopia, the only African country to have maintained its independence for thousands of years and never colonized, despite two attempts by Italy, should stand its ground and not kneel before anyone and sign an agreement under duress or trickery. Italy tried to do just that in the Treaty of Wuchiale and learned a hard lesson at the Battle of Adwa, 124 years ago to the week.

There will be no Treaty of Washington to bargain away the GERD!

Fact #8:  What is good for the goose is good for the gander. If Egypt can dictate to Ethiopia on the use of the Nile River, Ethiopia can dictate to Egypt in the same way.

Egypt today wants to dictate what should happen to the Nile River and how Ethiopia may or may not use the GERD.

If Egypt could demand 10-20-year filling for the GERD, Ethiopia could easily demand a 75 percent reduction in the use of Nile River water for Aswan Dam for the next 10-20 years.

If Egypt could demand no development on its stretch of the Nile River, Ethiopia could demand no development on Egypt’s stretch of the Nile.

The Nile River is a two-way river. Whatever can happen upstream can also happen downstream.

An old lesson for Egypt: “What is good for the goose is good for the gander.”

Fact #9: MAKE THE MNUCHIN-MALPASS GERD AGREEMENT PUBLIC!

If Ethiopia is the “bad guy” in refusing the GERD agreement, let Mnuchin and Malpass release their so-called final agreement to the public.

What are they trying to hide in their secret agreement?

Are the Axis afraid their true colors – hypocrites, liars, diplomatic bullies, cheats and frauds — will be revealed if they make their so-called agreement public?!

Let the world judge Ethiopia on the basis of the truth and facts.

Fact #10: The River Nile is a gift to Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan. They should work together in good faith and in the spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood to enjoy this gift. 

Egypt needs to face a stark fact: The days of sucking dry the teats of Ethiopia’s Nile River is over. Period!

Egypt needs to be more creative and resourceful:

It should plan to invest in desalination plants, water conservation and less water intensive agriculture. It should develop nuclear energy. It should divert its huge military spending to civilian infrastructure projects.

Egypt should develop its huge aquifers (Nile, Nubian sandstone, coastal, fissured, etc.)

And for goodness’ sake, stop all this nonsensical talk about waging war on Ethiopia.

History shows those leaders who waged war on Ethiopia met the most gruesome fates.

Egyptian leaders should learn from the experiences of those leaders who launched aggression on Ethiopia and failed spectacularly.

Prime Minister Francesco Crispi of Italy resigned in total humiliation after the Italian defeat at the Battle of Adwa in 1896 at the hands of Emperor Menilek II of Ethiopia.

In 1935, Italian Fascist leader Benito Mussolini invaded Ethiopia. In 1941, Ethiopia defeated Italy and Emperor Haile Selassie returned triumphantly.

Mussolini was executed by Italian partisans in 1945 principally because of his misadventures in Ethiopia. “Angry crowds strung up his corpse, spat on it, stoned it, and otherwise desecrated it before finally laying it to rest.”

Let Egyptian leaders who contemplate war on Ethiopia take heed. History repeats itself!

The Greek historian Herodotus is said to have called Egypt the “Gift of the Nile”.

If Egypt is the gift of the Nile, then Egypt should beware not bite the hand that gave it the precious gift.

President Ronald Reagan said, “History teaches that war begins when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap.”

Those who threaten aggression on Ethiopia by proclaiming they will “defend their interest by all means necessary” should know the price of their aggression will be a quick death on Ethiopian soil.

One hundred twenty-four years ago to the week, a European aggressor, equipped with the latest military technology with thousands of soldiers armed to the teeth, was wiped out in less than half a day.

It is true history repeats itself.

Let any aggressor try to tread on Ethiopia in 2020. He will surely meet the fate of the European aggressor in the Battle of Adwa in 1896.

It is the height of folly to tread on Ethiopia.

“ኢትዮጵያ ማለት ሰላም ናት
ለጦርነት አንቸኩልም
ገፍቶ የመጣን ጠላት ግን
አንለቅም አንምርም
ዶጋ አመድ እናረግዋለን።”

This is the time for all Ethiopians to come together and fight the “Axis of Lies, Fake News and Disinformation” with the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. So help us God!

To be continued… How to fight back against the Axis of Lies, Fake News and Disinformation demonizing Ethiopia…

The post The Sleazy Propaganda Conspiracy by the Axis of Lies, Fake News and Disinformation (ALFND) to Demonize Ethiopia in the GERD (Nile) Dam “Agreement” appeared first on Ethiopian Registrar News/Breaking News/Your right to know!.

By Alula M. Abate

Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden had a memorable Super Tuesday last week (March 3, 2020) with a stunning come-from-behind victory in ten states  in the biggest election day of the Democratic Primary competition. In the delegate rich state of Texas, which is home to tens of thousands of Ethiopian Americans, Biden won 60% of the black vote. Historically, the results on Super Tuesday are considered a powerful barometer of the high probability of the ultimate nominee of each political party. In addition to Texas Biden captured 69 % of the black vote in Virginia, which is also home to a sizable concentration of Ethiopian American voters and an incredible 72 percent in Alabama.

“In recent decades, old-style kingmakers faded from American politics. This year, though, there are hundreds of thousands of them: the African American voters across the South who gave Joe Biden a lead in the race for the Democratic nomination,” stated the Washington post. “There appeared to be some regional and generational differences in which candidates black voters prefer. Biden won the African American vote by considerably smaller margins in California, Massachusetts and Minnesota. Exit polls suggested that, in keeping with his strength among young voters, Sanders likely beat Biden among black voters under 30. But Biden won the overall black vote everywhere. Black America, it would seem, has made up its mind.”

Indeed, historians and political scientists  point out that the “interracial, interethnic and intergenerational collaboration that elected Obama and Biden in 2008 and 2012 remains a force to be reckoned with in 2020.

Be that as it may, the question remains where exactly is America headed under the current administration?

Traditionally during an election year the media plays an indispensable part in providing answers while shaping the public conversation and debate, which is the hallmark of a mature democratic system. Regrettably, however, VOA Amharic is failing when it comes to its redundant, superfluous and one-sided Ethiopian diaspora punditry that has remained virtually unchanged for the past three presidential election cycles. One of the major ways the media such as VOA  contributes to the health of this  participatory civic experience is by selecting which commentators to feature when and why. Voters depend on credible information to make reasonable choices, not mulish puffery and agitprop.

Joe Biden’s resurgent victory may or may not be a harbinger of things to come in the general election, but what’s clear is that the sentiments of the democratic party’s silent majority is no longer in doubt. When all is said and done it’s the job of good journalism to help separate the wheat from the chaff and the spin from the propaganda. The ACE Electoral Knowledge Network, which is the world’s largest online community and repository of electoral knowledge, illustrates that ”media’s role as a public educator is in essence a combination of media’s other roles (including as “watchdogs,” and “forums for debate”].  ACE specifies that “media as a campaign platform ensures the public is educated in political agendas of all participating parties and candidates equally. ”

For starters, the tax-payer funded channel should diversify its Ethiopian-American portfolio in order to present a more balanced election coverage in 2020. Ethiopian American viewpoints are not chiseled out of a single stone. To the contrary, they are as diverse as Ethiopia itself holding very divergent perspectives on various matters both local and international informed by their own individual experiences.  The instability of the stock market, the unfolding health crisis, worries about an imminent economic downturn and other local kitchen-table issues as well as foreign policy developments are all driving factors behind the average Ethiopian voter.

On foreign policy, for example, most Ethiopians have become disappointed to say the least by the Trump administration’s recent undiplomatic maneuvers in favor of Egypt in connection with Ethiopia’s five billion dollars Grand Renaissance Dam project on the Nile (Abay) river. The whole backhanded scheme blew up in the face of the Trump administration and Egypt when Ethiopia withdrew from the latest talks being held in the U.S. capital and lambasted America for its insensitive and tactless handling of the negotiations. The Egypt-Ethiopia fiasco follows Trump’s bizarre public taunting of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed two months ago for winning the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. Abiy Ahmed received the distinguished international accolade for making his own deal with Eritrea that ended the longest running border conflict in Africa. Moreover, it was extremely improper that Trump in conspiracy with his head of the Department of the Treasury Steven Terner Mnuchin and  the World Bank reportedly exerted (unsuccessfully) undue financial pressure on Ethiopia to accept a rushed agreement that jeopardized its national security. Regardless, the fundamentals of U.S.-Ethiopia relations remain normal, both countries assure the world, as U.S. insists that its 5 billion cash promise is intended to help Ethiopia’s political reform not influence the Abay decision. Given Trump’s habit of playing fast and loose with the truth, it’s hard to believe what his administration is saying about anything. Some Ethiopians are even urging Prime Minister Abiy to release all documents and communications about the dam discussions to the public in defense of Ethiopia. As Bob Marly says ‘Time will tell.’

The post Time for VOA Amharic to Upgrade Its U.S. Election Coverage appeared first on Ethiopian Registrar News/Breaking News/Your right to know!.

By Salem Solomon, Eden Geremew, Habtamu Seyoum
March 09, 2020

WASHINGTON – To celebrate International Women’s Day, an all-female flight crew from Ethiopian Airlines flew from Addis Ababa to Washington D.C. The flight marked the sixth consecutive year the airline has made the symbolically important flight with a female crew.

“Ethiopian Airlines aims to show African girls that there are no professions reserved for men only and inspire them to have no limits to their dream of becoming anything they set their hearts to,” said Rahel Assefa, marketing vice president for the airline. “In short, as we say back home at Ethiopian, on this day we fly to inspire.”

The largest airline in Africa has made hiring women a priority and said 40% of its employees are female including 32% of management positions. The airline has female pilots, aircraft technicians, engineers, flight dispatchers, load controllers and ramp operators.

Rahel said too often on the African continent girls are taught that their only worth is to be married and live a domestic life.

“When their brothers are sent off to schools, girls are mostly held back at home, to help out as well as groomed on how to be a good wife, a good mother, a good homemaker,” she said. “Much work is needed to educate parents and communities in general, that their daughters can be anything and everything their sons can.”

Captain Amsale Gualu, who piloted the transatlantic flight, became the first female captain in Ethiopian history in 2010. She said it is important for women to support one another in fields whether they are underrepresented.

“The main thing is networking. Women should have a connection among one another and exchange ideas,” she told VOA’s Amharic service. “The other thing is supporting each other. For example when we fly with an all-female crew, even when there are standard procedures, there are things that make you happy.”

Amsale said at the time of the first all-female flight in 2015, there were only eight female pilots at the airline. Today, she said, there are 20 with another 24 training in aviation school.

“The change has come. Women support each other, we have our own groups and we show that it is possible. And by supporting each other, showing that it is achievable is our responsibility,” she said.

‘Educate a woman, educate a nation’

Ethiopian Ambassador to the U.S. Fitsum Arega said the country’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has made it a priority to promote women to positions of power. His cabinet is made up of 50% women and the country now has a female president and chief justice of the supreme court.

“There’s an African proverb that says, ‘if you educate a man, you educate one person. If you educate a woman, you educate a nation,’” Fitsum said.

He added that empowering women is a boost to the nation’s economy.

“When half of the population is empowered with higher education and actively engaging in the workforce in the formal economy, this accelerates technological innovation, productivity and economic prosperity, which in turn will have a far-reaching multiplier effect on families, communities and the entire nation,” he said.

Hostess and team leader on the flight Bizuayehu Yilma said there was a special feeling on board. She hopes it inspires women worldwide.

“Any woman can reach any position she aspires to reach,” she said. “This is not charity but the duty or the responsibility of all. Everyone should support us. This is a show of our strength and how we can stand on equal footing. So I think that we have given a big education to all.”

This story originated in the Africa Division with reporting contributions by VOA Amharic Service’s Habtamu Seyoum and Eden Geremew.

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 by Middle East Monitor

Egypt’s foreign ministry yesterday slammed the Ethiopian government’s recent remarks on the Arab League (AL)’s resolution for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) dispute.

In an official statement, the ministry described the Ethiopian foreign ministry’s comments as “inappropriate, lacked diplomacy, and made an unacceptable insult to the Arab League and its members.”

“Ethiopia’s posture and position during these negotiations, which has been criticized by the AL, evinces its intent to exercise hydro-hegemony and to anoint itself as the unchallenged and sole beneficiary over the Nile,” the ministry said, adding that Addis Ababa was “insisting on filling the GERD unilaterally in July 2020 without reaching an agreement with downstream states [Egypt and Sudan], and while holding negotiations on the GERD hostage to domestic political considerations.”

The statement pointed out that the AL resolution was reflecting “dismay and discontent at Ethiopia’s track record throughout the endless rounds of negotiations on the GERD, particularly since the conclusion of the 2015 Agreement on the Declaration of Principles (DoP).”

The ministry noted that Addis Abba’s stance was constituting a “material breach of the DoP and demonstrated, beyond any doubt, Ethiopia’s bad faith and its lack of political will to reach a fair and balanced agreement on the GERD.”

Calling on the international community “to join the AL in taking cognizance of Ethiopia’s continuing defiance and unilateralism, which threatens to undermine regional stability and security,” the ministry stressed that Cairo was still having a “fair and balanced solution that achieves the interest of the disputed parties, and provides a historic opportunity to write a new chapter of cooperation between the three countries.”

“A win-win solution is at hand and should be seized for the benefit of over 240 million Egyptians, Ethiopians and Sudanese,” the foreign ministry reiterated.

Ethiopia is building a $5 million dam near the border with Sudan. It says it will provide the country with much-needed electricity and economic regeneration. Egypt believes that when the barrier is filled, already scarce water supplies from the Nile will be restricted.

Egypt is almost entirely dependent on Nile water, receiving around 55.5 million cubic metres a year from the river, and believes that filling the dam will affect the water it needs for drinking, agriculture and electricity.

After three-way talks between the African countries failed, they settled in the US as an external mediator.

In November, the US-brokered a meeting in Washington, setting 15 January as a deadline for resolving the dispute, which at one point looked set to break into a military conflict between Cairo and Addis Ababa. They agreed on four rounds of negotiations. The first was held in the Ethiopian capital, the second in Cairo and third in Khartoum.

Despite discussions looking up, over Christmas, they stalled again after the third round in the Sudanese capital.

Cairo wants Ethiopia to guarantee Egypt will receive 40 billion cubic metres or more of water from the Nile. Ethiopian Irrigation Minister Seleshi Bekele said Egypt had abandoned this demand, but Egypt insists it hasn’t and issued a statement to this effect.

There is also an unresolved conflict over how fast the dam will be filled, with Egypt fearing if it is filled too quickly, it could affect the electricity generated by the Aswan High Dam. Egypt wants it to be filled over seven years, at least, while Ethiopia is pushing for four.

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Talk Media News 

WASHINGTON — A Marine stationed at a base near Washington, D.C., has been diagnosed with coronavirus — puzzling the Pentagon as to how he contracted the disease.

The Marine stationed at Fort Belvoir tested positive Saturday after returning from overseas on official business, according to a Department of Defense statement. He had been in Ethiopia.

There are no reported cases of COVID-19, the official name for coronavirus, in Ethiopia, according to the World Health Organization. Ethiopia is home to one of Africa’s busiest international airline hubs and has stepped up its preparedness to contain a potential outbreak of COVID-19, according to news reports.

Ethiopia is Africa’s second populous nation with an estimated population of over 107 million. It has four international airports and 21 land border crossing points.

The infected Marine is being treated at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, the Defense Department said. Fort Belvoir is about 21 miles south of Washington, D.C., in Virginia.

He is the third service member diagnosed with COVID-19. A sailor in Italy and a soldier in South Korea, and that solider’s spouse, have been confirmed to have the illness.

Also, a U.S. Army soldier deployed to Kuwait was put under observation to determine if he has contracted the virus.

On Sunday, the Army announced further restrictions on service members’ travel to and from Italy and South Korea — two countries that are hot zones for COVID-19. The Pentagon previously announced reductions in training exercises with some foreign troops, keeping ships out to sea to self-self-quarantine and limiting leaves from certain overseas bases.

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Haitham Nouri , Tuesday 10 Mar 2020

Sudan voiced reservations on the resolution of the Arab League foreign ministers’ meeting held in Cairo last week. The Arab League resolution of 4 March called for supporting Egypt, that adheres to international law in the tripartite negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) supported by the US. The meeting urged against unilateral measures that could infringe on Egypt’s rights and water interests.

Generally, relations between Cairo and Khartoum had maintained a stable, good shape despite temporary squabbles between the two countries. But Sudan’s stance on GERD illustrates its continuous “support of Ethiopia against Egypt”, a position Khartoum has maintained in the past nine years since Addis Ababa started building the GERD, and in the prior two decades before that.

Sudan position caused no surprise among observers of the regional situation.

In the last two decades of the 20th century, the politics of the Horn of Africa regions was extremely complicated. With the fall of former Ethiopian president Mengistu Haile Mariam in 1991, Eritrea won in the war for independence and snatched the entire coast, rendering Ethiopia locked down without a marine gateway amid its plummeting economy.

In the same year, the regime of Somalia president Siad Berre fell, taking down the entire country which until now is divided and ruled by extremist groups that directed much of their terrorist activities towards Ethiopia.

At that time, then Sudan president Omar Al-Bashir was in his second year in rule. He had lost much of his polished image when he supported late Iraqi president Saddam Hussein in his war on Kuwait. Al-Bashir’s political cover was exposed for what it was: he was part of the Sudan Muslim Brotherhood led by Hassan Al-Turabi.

Sudan opposition members fled the country, escaping the repression, and took refuge in Eritrea and established a support base against the rule of the Islamists in Khartoum. Immediately, the Sudanese regime established close relations with Addis Ababa, the historical archenemy of Asmara.

Al-Bashir and the Islamists concluded that they should look south amid their animosity with Egypt, Arabs and the Gulf.

Egypt accused Sudan of harbouring the terrorists who conducted the assassination attempt on the life of late Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in Ethiopia in the mid-1990s.

Sudan wanted to establish good relations with the West and the US after its policy supporting Islamist extremism resulted in its international isolation.

Through improving its relations with Addis Ababa, Khartoum managed to decrease the number of allies of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement that was entrenched in war in South Sudan since 1983.

Addis Ababa accepted friendship with the Muslim Brotherhood regime led by Al-Bashir, and faced off with Eritrea and the rise of political Islam in Somalia led by the Islamic Courts Union.

Consequently, war ensued on the borders between Ethiopia and Eritrea, rendering hundreds of thousands dead and injured, establishing political rivalry between the two regimes that lasted for two decades.

Ethiopian forces entered Somalia to fight the Islamic Courts Union, which a few years later produced the Shabab Al-Mujahideen terrorist group.

Addis Ababa’s with relationship Asmara and Mogadishu remained tense. Ethiopia engaged in bitter wars with the two countries: one to liberate Eritrea from the rule of emperor Haile Selassie, and the other called the Ogaden War with Somalia.

Ethiopia wanted to use Port Sudan alongside Djibouti as seaports to boost its trade with the world. Sudan linked its port with the Ethiopian capital, by land, which brought Sudan a somewhat lucrative economic return.

Despite gains between the two countries, the popular view between them remained complicated, carrying the hostile legacy dating back to the 19th century, during the struggle of Sudan’s Mahdi state, with a strict Islamic ideology, and the Christian rule of emperor Menelik.

The question now concerns the benefits Sudan will reap as a result of its stance from the GERD negotiations.

A number of Sudan experts believe the GERD will help their country decrease the dangers of the destructive floods Sudan witnessed in the 20th century. Among those holding this opinion is Ahmed Abdel-Maged, a professor at the Asia-Africa Studies Institute at Khartoum University.

“The GERD can help Khartoum benefit from its entire share of Nile water” set at 18.5 billion cubic metres annually, and of which Sudan benefits only 15 billion cubic metres, according to the 1959 agreement between Cairo and Khartoum, said Abdel-Maged.

Abdel-Maged casts doubts on concerns over threats that may result from GERD’s collapse and the subsequent “drowning of Sudan by the Nile”, dismissing this scenario as “mere opinion”.

However, not all of Sudan’s scientific circles are lined up in support of their regime’s position on GERD.

Ahmed Al-Mufti, a Sudanese expert on international law and a former member of the Nile Basin Initiative negotiations held between 1994 and 2012, pointed to the dangers of a possible GERD collapse. He said these threats were raised by the international technical committee on GERD.

“Sudan will be in real danger if the GERD collapsed. Many Sudanese villages and provinces will be completely flooded by the Nile waters which will reach 10 metres at least in height in Khartoum. It will be a tsunami and a ticking nuclear bomb,” Al-Mufti said.

Underlining this danger, Sudanese activists that reject Khartoum’s support for Ethiopia on GERD point to a study prepared by the Water and Food Systems Lab at MIT, created to coordinate and promote water and food research. The study referred to the type of soil in the area where GERD is being built, in addition to its construction on the edge of the Great Rift Valley

But relations between Khartoum and Addis Ababa remain strong. This was evident in the mediation of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize of 2019, between Sudanese opponents following the fall of Omar Al-Bashir’s regime last year.

There is no imminent change in sight regarding the relationship between Ethiopia and Sudan in the future. Trade between the two countries is vast and can possibly expand, particularly in the absence of an Arab player that can fulfil Sudan’s economic needs.

*A version of this article appears in print in the  12 March, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Zecharias Zelalem

Addis Abeba, March 12/2020 – Saudi Arabia has temporarily banned travel to and from a number of countries, including Ethiopia. The measures are part of an attempt to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 or coronavirus outbreak, although there are no confirmed cases in Ethiopia. All flights to Ethiopia will be cancelled and entry of non nationals will be halted. There are currently 45 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Kingdom, according to Saudi Health Ministry spokesman Mohammed Abdelali, who also announced that 25 hospitals around the kingdom were fully prepared in the event of any upsurge in cases.

A similar ban on travel to China, Italy and South Korea had already been announced last week. The European Union, India and Pakistan were added to Saudi Arabia’s list today. The rational behind the inclusion of a number of African states in the ban is unclear. Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Djibouti have also been removed as travel destinations for Saudi nationals, despite none of these countries confirming a single case of the virus. Despite the outbreak in the United States being currently the tenth worst in the world, the United States hasn’t been subjected to any sort of travel restrictions by Saudi Arabia.

The World Health Organization’s Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic, as the number of cases surpassed 120,000 globally and the spread of the virus outside initial epicentre China increased “13 fold.” Over 4600 deaths have been reported. “The WHO is deeply concerned by the alarming levels of the coronavirus spread, severity and inaction,” Ethiopian born Dr. Tedros tweeted. He added that he expects things to worsen.

There remain no confirmed cases in Ethiopia. Four suspected cases last month were declared negative by Minister of Health Dr. Lia Tadesse. She also announced the setup of quarantine centers, intensive screening at Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport and an emergency hotline specifically for dealing with potential coronavirus cases.

But Ethiopia’s preparedness has been put into doubt by its inability to contain ongoing outbreaks of measles and cholera, both of which have infected 9,000 people in parts of Oromia. The Voice of America’s Tigist Geme reported 30 deaths in the past two weeks as a result of the rampant spread of these diseases.

The concerns are shared by medical specialists in the country. Dr. Nuredin Luke who a medical doctor at the Shashemene Referral Hospital, some 255 km south of Addis Abeba, says the government’s efforts at readying institutions to deal with the coronavirus are subpar.

“We as health professionals lack protective equipment such as masks, goggles, face shields and aprons to fight the virus and help patients,” Dr. Nuredin told Addis Standard. “I can say that medical professionals are more than ready to carry out their duties if the government provides us with protective equipment.”

Ethiopian residents of Saudi Arabia are believed to number in the hundreds of thousands and it isn’t clear if any were among the thousands of people in Saudi Arabia recently tested. The United Arab Emirates had recently announced that two Ethiopian nationals living in Dubai were being cared for in quarantine after testing positive, although one of them has since been declared coronavirus free.

Ethiopia’s capacity to control the flow of passengers traveling by air from places hard hit by the pandemic to Ethiopia is also questionable. However, authorities are exerting efforts to use various ways to get community reports about possible symptoms. Last week, for example, the state telecommunications provider Ethio Telecom sent sms messages to mobile phone users across the country asking them to report to authorities if they’ve recently traveled to hard hit states and are coming down with known symptoms.

In addition Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has set up a national Ministerial Committee dedicated to assess the status of national preparedness to be taken the virus and the tasks undertaken so far. On March 09, PM Abiy has received the first briefing from the committee from Dr. Liya.

Accordingly, the Press office of PM Abiy listed the following as the main gist of Dr. Liya’s briefing on the status the national preparedness:

In Ethiopia, there is no confirmed positive case thus far. Nevertheless the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with relevant institutions, have:

– set up a 24hr emergency center to work on #COVID19 preparedness
– screening of travelers entering the country through land and air
– follow-up of suspected cases by phone
– operation of 8335 phone line for alerts of suspected cases and information
– in country testing being done since February 18 after acquiring the required testing equipment
– setup of quarantine centers
– setup of Yeka Kotebe hospital as the primary hospital to take care of suspected cases and positive confirmations with capacity to attend to 600 patients
– development of other medical institutions as backup centers
– collection of required input materials for prevention and response, like masks etc
– strengthening communication and relaying adequately and timely information to the public to raise awareness

Considering global trends, it is inevitable that cases will emerge in country and therefore the public needs to be well aware of prevention precautions and keep calm. Relatedly, members of the public are advised to:

1. Increase sanitation practices, washing hands frequently and limiting unnecessary touching
2. Increase consumption of immune system boosting nutrients; and
3. Engage in awareness raising on prevention measures and alert public health officials on suspected cases.

Addis Standard

Kenya, Ghana and Ethiopia all confirmed their first coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours as the global pandemic picks up pace around the world.

Kenya’s health ministry confirmed the its first coronavirus case on Friday, prompting the nation to put its emergency preparedness efforts to the test. The 27-year old Kenyan woman arrived in the country on Mar. 5 via a US-originated flight with a layover in London. The health secretary Mutahi Kagwe assured the public the ministry is tracing all contacts including recording names of passengers on her inbound flight.

Last week, after a court order was issued ordering the state to prepare for a potential outbreak, Kenya’s Health and Public Works ministries scrambled to construct the nation’s first coronavirus treatment facility. The 120-bed maternity ward turned coronavirus “containment and treatment” unit is housed at Nairobi’s Mbagathi Hospital and equipped with ventilators, monitors, refrigerators, infusion pumps, diagnostic facilities and mobile ultrasound and protective equipment gifted by the US Center for Disease Control.

For East Africa’s largest economy, treatment facilities may not be enough to contain the virus’ spread. Kenya  depends heavily on tourism and trade as a vital aspects  of the economy making it difficult to issue a full scale ban of flights from affected areas. In preparation for the potential blow that coronavirus may wreak Kenya’s  government has committed 500 million Kenyan shilling ($5 million) for a post-coronavirus public relations campaign.

On Thursday night Mar. 12, Ghana confirmed its first two cases of Covid-19  who returned to the country from Norway and Turkey. The health minister said both patients are in isolation and the government has initiated processes for contact tracing.

The person who travelled from Turkey is a citizen of Ghana while local media reports that the other person is a diplomat at the Norwegian embassy in Accra. Both have been in the country for a week.

The cases were confirmed a day after president Nana Akufo-Addo announced $100 million to “fund the expansion of infrastructure, purchase of materials and equipment, and public education,” to battle the coronavirus outbreak.

While there has not been a run on supermarkets, in Accra, some people have been seen wearing masks and gloves. Public buildings are also offering alcohol-based hand sanitizers to visitors at their entrances. Before now, all of Ghana’s neighbors, Togo, Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire have recorded cases.

On Friday, Ethiopia confirmed its first coronavirus case, a 48-year old Japanese man who arrived in the country via Burkina Faso, which earlier this week confirmed two cases. The country is currently tracing his previous contacts and says he is in “good condition.”

There has long been a concern that Sub-Saharan Africa in particular could be devastated by a severe outbreak of a virus due to what the World Health Organization has described as the sub-region’s “fragile health systems.”  But so far, the spread of virus cases has been relatively slow, mostly in single digits except in South Africa (24) and Senegal (10) so far.

However, the coronavirus has spread quickly to more countries and it is likely that Sub-Saharan Africa is simply behind the curve in terms of the virus spread compared with other continents. The challenge for all African countries will be to keep track of index cases and trace back all contacts of the individuals.

African countries are increasingly concerned about the arrival of international visitors and their own nationals coming from Europe in particular where the vast majority of Africa’s cases have originated.

Some countries including Uganda have put in place stricter controls and checks on visitors from Europe.

Prof Teferedegn Haile (Shoa /Yifat)

I’ve read your article entitled “The emperor who rooted out magic in the Medieval Ethiopia” (https://www.ethiopianregistrar.com/the-emperor-who-rooted-out-magic-in-medieval-ethiopia/ ).

I the right desendant of his daughter Atsenaf Semera of Shoa gonna refute your narratives in detail. It seems that you are indeed trying to comply with that very old formalities of Eurocentric fabrication and distortion of African people’s history and civilization. Your very wrong assumption that Medieval Ethiopia has fragmentary written historical source is absolutely wrong. Quite to the contrary, ever since 13th century Ethiopia has immense annals, Chronicles, hagiologies, treatises etc. even much better than many European and Asian countries. This fact has been corroborated by one of the well known German linguist Augustus Dillman (Über die Regierung, insbesondere die Kirchenordnung König Zar’a Jakob, Berlin 1884).

Yes! you are very right, we have so many invaluable manuscripts in our ancient monasteries all over Ethiopia despite some have been stolen and looted by Westerners. Little wonder, you have mentioned in your narratives that “the courts of the emperors were marked by violence, betrayal and power struggles”. What have done their contemporaries in Europe? Other than power struggle among themselves, they were also battling to subjugate their nearest neighbouring independent nations. Moreover, in the name of Catholic Christianity there was a very powerful Inquisition office beginning in the 12th century in France and continuing for so many years until 1834 in Spain. Heresy was severely punished by burning. The largest witch-hunt trials and mass-execution took place in Germany, in the city of Würzburg, in 1626-1631. There men, women and children have been burned after first being beheaded. Not only in Europe but also in North America witch trial took place in May 1878 in Salem, Massachusetts.

All along savage Italian, French, German, Spaniard, English, Habsburg Monarchy and so many other ruling classes used to butcher the peasantry, persecute Jews and Muslims all over Europe. Subsequent to this event West European colonial expansion and trans-Atlantic slave trade began to develop.

Regarding your description of Emperor Zera‘ Yakob based upon a late 15th- or early 16th-century Ethiopic manuscript from the Giovardiana Library in Veroli, Italy, is absolutely wrong. Since the frontispiece of the book, Tamire Mariam (Miracles of Maria) does not at all look like an Ethiopian. For sure it seems to be a very recent Italian fabrication. In this regard, one of the original MS which

A Response Page 1

was donated to the Ethiopian monastery in Jerusalem by Emperor Zera’ Yakob is now in Vatican, Rome. Moreover, another MS of Tamira Mariam which was also donated to Mekane Mary monastery which it was later on taken to Maqdella library and then was looted by the British army led by General Napier in 1868 is now in the British library catalogue No. 76 as Maqedella collection.

Great Zera’ Yakob had three brothers. His father was Emperor Dawit I

(1382-1411) and his mother was Egize Kibra. Atse Dawit same as emperor Kaleb of 6th century who conquered South Arabia and later abdicated his throne to his son Gebre Meskel so also Atse Dawit the very piteus gave his thron to his first born Tewodros I (1411-1414) mainly due to the conspiracy of the monks from Debre Haiq Estifanos monastery in Bete Amhara. After his Abdication Atse Dawit left for lake Tana Island monastery of Daga. There he had an accident and died consequently. His successor Tewodros died all of a sudden after only three years in power and was first buried in Merabete. Thereafter, the second son of Atse Dawit, Yishak (1414-1429) was crowned. He was too a great warrior same as Amade Tseyon (1314-1344). Atse Yishak marched as far as Zeila and Barbara at the coast of the Indian Ocean in order to subjugate the Muslim Sultanates of Adal. He was killed in the battle field against the Adal vassals. Thus his brother Endryas / Eskinder (1429-1430) followed him. Eskinder died of Typhus infection and his son Tekle Mariam (1430-1433) ascended to the Ethiopian throne. The cause of his death is not at all known. Due to the wide spread epidemic the war with the Muslim Adal in the East and south east and in northwest against the Felasha came to stand still for a while. The younger brother of the deceased Emperor, Serawee Ieeyesus, was crowned only for months and his junior brother Amade Iyesus (1433-1414) succeeded him. Thereafter, one of the greatest Ethiopian Medieval Emperor Zer’a Yakob as the fourth son of Atse Dawit ascended the throne.

Indeed the scribes of the time between the reign of Atse Eskindir and the ascendancy of Emperor Zer’a Yakob (1434-1468) have not detailed records. Great Zera Yakob was born in 1399 in the province of Fategar in the district of Te’leq. i.e. west of Addis Ababa in the area around mount Menagesha named Yelebasho where he had established a botanical garden. The trees he planted there are to be seen at present.

Zera Yakob and his brothers were tutored by the famous Aba Giyorgis of Gashta (Segela), the greatest Ethiopian theologian for many centuries, author of the book of mystery (Metsehafe Miste’re). Later on Zera Yakob was sent to Amba Gishen and stayed there for 20 years.

Amba Gishen in Amhara was a very unique Ethiopian Institution. It has been a common practice in many countries to keep all male members of the reigning dynasty in the imprisonment with the possible exception of the heir apparent. In India for example the Mogul rulers had their confinement at their palace in Delhi and Ottoman Sultans were strangling brothers at first and in later times they imprisoned in the Kafes. In Ethiopia, this established custom was revived when the ancient Aksumite dynasty was restored in 13th century. During the Axumite period Mount Damo in Tigre was used. The objective of the custom was the prevention of civil war. It is very well known that Amba Gishen as the school of the princes was equipped with immense reference library. It was the place of higher learning of theology, philosophy, Ethiopic poetry, liturgical compositions, etc. Zera’ Yakob was an outstanding student of Aba Giorgis and other ecclesiastically famous personalities.

At the age of 35 Zera’ Yakob (Qostentinos) was crowned in Berera at his father’s residence in Wereb. In 1436 he went to the Axum Tseyon Cathedral to revive the ancient ceremony of coronation. After that on his way back to Shoa, he established two monasteries in Amhara province at the place called Tsehaya which were called Mekane Gol and Debre Negodguwad. Moreover, he changed the name of Debre Asebo in Graria, Shoa, to Debre Libanos, enriched it with possessions, and entrusted its abbot, the eccage, with wide responsibilities for the control of all other monasteries. He settled so many new chewaas (special troops) in Dewaro (Harerghe), Ba’lee, Hadya, Fategar, Cambata, Gurage, Kafa, Gamo, Wedje, Genz, Enarea, Damot (Welega), Gambela, Bezamo, Gojam, Semen, Tselmet, Tseged, Wolqayit, Begemidir, Tigre, Sanar, Bahir Mider (Hamasen, Akale Guzayi, Bilen, Kunama, etc.), Harla, Adal, Zeyila, Berbera, etc. Bahire Negash was nominated by the Zera’ Yakob to administer Bahirmidier (Eritrea). Even though Zera Yakob was married to the sister of Gerad Mahiko of Hadya, a Muslim vassal who allied himself with his likes in Adal. In the year 1445 Sultan Ahmed Bedelaye of Adal was killed at the battle of Eguba in Yifat. Thereafter, Yifat Sultant of Welasma was expelled from upper Shoa (Yifat) beyond Awash River and Chercher Mountain to Harerghe, Zeila and Berbera Regions. Gradually Harer had become their main Centre of settlement for Adal Welasma dynasty. Zera’Yakob was not only a great warrior but also a famous theologian. He himself has written many books such as the book of light (Metsehafe Birhan), which consists of readings for Saturdays and Sundays of the month, Metsihafe Milad, Egiziabheer Negse, etc. etc. Zera’ Yakob was the one who also ordered that every church’s altar on its right side Virgin Mary icon and on the left side a cross have to be fixed. The devotions of his father and himself to the cult of the cross and of Mary the Mother of Jesus were of enormous importance. On the other hand the heretical monks of Stephanite and Michaelites rejected devotions to the Virgin Mary and the cross. Hence they have been severely punished. Religious dispute over iconoclasm in Europe was deep rooted for many centuries. The Virgin Mary has so many different names such as Blessed Virgin, Mother Mary, Our Lady, Mother of God, Queen of angels, Mary of sorrows and queen of the Universe. Virgin Mary is the patron saint of all human beings. Reverence for the Mother of God and pray to her so that she might present our prayers to God and obtain forgiveness from him for our sins started by Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD). Ethiopian Christians ever since the fourth century AD wrote also very beautiful prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary before St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787).

The first Christian monastery in the world is the monastery of St. Anthony in Egypt in the fourth century and spread to the Ethiopian Axumite Empire. Monastic tradition developed and Christianity flourished in Ethiopia.

Miracles of Virgin Mary

In Egypt during the reign of emperor Justinian I (527-565 A.D) of Byzantine Empire the monastery of St. Catherine at the foot of Mount Sinai was established. The legend about this monastery states that the monks were forced to abandon it due to hunger, snakes, lack of oil, pestes, flies attack, scarcity of food and water. Then they climb Mount Moses to leave the keys of their monastery. However, before they gave up they met the Blessed Virgin Mary. They were then convinced of her advice just to remain in the monastery. All over a sudden at the gate of the monastery, they have seen a caravan of traders having plenty of loads destined for them. They began asking who has ordered that for us. The merchants replied that the Virgin Mary you’ve encountered with on Mount Sinai has guided us to deliver. This act has been recorded as the Miracle of Virgin Mary. Another legend about Mother of God is from Mount Athos (Agion Oros- which means holy mountain), a mountain and a peninsula in northwestern Greece, is the most important monastery of Orthodox Christians. The first monks arrived in the 9th century and women are not allowed within 500 meters of the shore and even female animals are prohibited from walking on Mount Athos. This is because the Virgin Mary is said to have visited the peninsula and prayed to have it as her own. That is why it is called the “Garden of Virgin Mary”. She was sailing accompanied by St. John the Apostle. After the Islamic conquest of Egypt in 8th century, many monks from the Egyptian desert fled to Athos for their safety.

In Tegulet Zera’ Yakob established the monastery of Debre Mitmaqi upon hearing of the demolition of an Egyptian monastery of the same name by the Muslim Arabs. In August 1449 Zera Yakob had great council at Debre Mitmaqi where hundreds of senior abbots and clerics were assembled. The long theological division regarding Sabbaths and Sundays was once for all resolved.

Subsequently Zera’ Yakob built a palace with a golden cupola and the three churches: Trinity Church, Qirqos Church and Ansasa Mariam church of Debre Birhan in 1454. He stayed here for 14 years and died on 26th August 1468. He ruled Ethiopia for 34 years and his son Bede Mariam ascended to the throne.

From one of the Rock-hewn churches in Ethiopia the priest showing a book

Miracle of Maria, Tamire Mariam This is the typical Orthodox traditional icon.

This too is an icon of orthodox tradition.

From Lake Tana Monastery in Ethiopia.

This magnificently illuminated manuscripts from the 6th century Debre Damo

, one of the oldest monasteries of Ethiopia was which was founded by Aba Aregawi, one of the ‘Nine Saints’. His fellow 8 monks also founded monasteries in Axum, Yeha, Geralta, Medera, Amhara, Simen, Begemider, Gojam, Shoa etc. In the Medieval times the monastery Debre Damo used to have more than 6000 monks. At present it has more than 150 monks and more than 200 students.

The second part will continue with detailed information.

March 14, 2020
Tesfaye Yigzaw

Historically, present Egyptians are descendants of tenderfoot’s settlers of the seventh century after pushing native Africans, the natural owners of the land, towards south.  Subsequently, several empires such as Greece, Turkish and British colonized this land. A Hollywood Movie, embellished mystical queen Cleopatra was a descendant of Greece. Because of this, Alexandria was a center of an Orthodox Church. Presently, this city has been the center of radicalism rather than a true religious teaching. The colonizers, except the British, made their settlement around the banks of the sea shores, where Abay (Nile) drain its water.  It was a British empire that formulated and expanded the current territory of Egypt. Ethnically and religiously, Egyptians are neither Arabs nor true Muslims. True Muslim cares for peace, humanity, and forbid jealousness according to the teachings of a prophet Mohamed. The September 11, attack on twin towers in New York killed thousands of lives spearheaded by Egyptian radical group.  Those who allay with Egypt would condemn the true foundation of Muslim teachings. Egypt is the main cause of conflicts in Africa, Arab and Middle East countries because of its selfish benefits. This is a reason it opened an Arab league in Cairo to control Muslim believers, which has been contrary to a fundamental teachings of religion to organize in a form of political associations, and to counter the African Union.

Abay (Blue Nile) is a God given natural resource of Ethiopia. As it is true that no country has a right to claim petroleum resources of any country, the water of Abay (Blue Nile) is the water source belonging to Ethiopia, and no earthly force able to stop to utilize its God given gifts. However, it is true, and is natural and humanly to share the outflow of water.

Almost a hundred years ago, British, then a master of Egypt, divided the outflow of the Nile water approximately sixty percent to Egypt, to a small fraction usage to Sudan. Back then, most of the water served the British cotton plantations, which still remains under Egypt usage. Naturally, Cotton plantation demands extremely large water consumptions than any agricultural farmsteads, thus should be reconsidered on the agreements of improper usage of the water. It is also true to note that, the British did not treat its colonies equally, because of their dark skin, Sudan portioned the water about twenty percent, while Egypt was given a lion share.

Again, Abay (Blue Nile) carries tons of trillion fertile soil from Ethiopian highlands each year, and Egypt must pay for reforestation to keep the life of a river vigorous.

Ethiopia, the only independent country where over eighty percent of water generates, and about fifteen percent water contributors of African countries were all absent when the British allocate all the water to Egypt.

During the Great Recession, the USA had crafted the great innovations, a breakthrough landmark, one of the best wonders America made to prosper. This was intended to build dams on its rivers to generate electric power and irrigation for agricultural usage. Since then, the USA has not experienced a single starvations. “What is good for the goose is good for the gender”. We are all immigrants to this great land, we came to the USA for different reasons, in fact, and not all immigrants are perfect. Those whose parents, great parents or themselves abused humanity elsewhere are mingled among innocent populations, yet make themselves to be known with their innate views on occasions. There is no righteous place in the world than the USA. Nevertheless, sometimes politicians make a senseless, and baseless statements. There is a saying; “There are no permanent enemies, and no permanent friends, only permanent interests.”  This saying does not go along with Ethiopian sentiments. When Ethiopian be friended, they give their own precious lives over causes of others. In the same token, when they were done wrongs, they will never forget for generations. A person who took side with Egypt, does not reflect that of the views of the people of the USA. He is a political appointee not a public servant and his views by no means represents the American people.  But, as a person representing the office of the USA government, he should be accountable over his statements. History repeated itself, retrospectively during Italian invasion, and now, the mouth piece of Egypt, the Arab league, and the Secretary of finance of the USA, both ridiculed justices. For true believers, including Christians and Muslims alike, this is unjust.

The leaderships of Ethiopian government should be applauded for its strong guidance, the late Meles Zenawi, Hailemariam Desalegn, and now a young vibrant leader Abey Ahmed. There is no a perfect leadership in the world, with their weaknesses and strengths but for their efforts to build the dam, and all those involved in technical and managements, must be appreciated for their efforts. Above all, the Ethiopians effortless contributions of their hard earned money to see a bright future. Now, Ethiopians should have learnt from their mistakes to agree on inviting in the USA, they should take back the matter to African Union. This dam is an emblem of Ethiopian’s self-reliance, built in the absence of funds from IMF and WB that have taken part in alliance with Egypt. These organizations are well known to perpetuate poverty and miseries for Africans.

Egypt invested heavily for years to destabilize the country and East African regions, as well as the Middle East countries. For example, it is directly or indirectly responsible for the crises and lawlessness in Somalia. Retrospectively, in the early 1970’s, Said Bare was partly funded by Egypt to wage a war to which ultimately disintegrated the country and he fled to die in exile.  Similarly, Egypt has sponsored the most inane group, and radicals, such as the Oromo Liberation Front to disseminate hate, and lodged in conflicts among other ethnic groups. I believe Ethiopia must sue Egypt in a world court for the loss of lives and property damages caused by hooligans funded by Egypt. It is also appropriate for the Ethiopian government to crackdown those groups involved in such crime especially when Abey government has opened up a peaceful political platforms, and those individuals, groups or parties directly or indirectly allied with Egypt to destabilize the country must be accountable for their crimes.  There is no such a thing called human rights when the national interest of the country is on a threat.

Egypt has neither historical nor natural rights on the Nile River. It is only the goodwill of downstream riparian countries to share their water. However, it is humanly to share the Nile water only when Egypt ceases its belligerency and bulling the regions. War is not an alternate for cooperation. No country, even the superpowers ever controlled a piece of lands with invasions, had Egypt relies on its might, it should think twice as there is unrelenting fire on the other side too, and Ethiopia is not a “Banana Republic.” The Nile River has enough water for all countries to utilize wisely for regional developments based on a benevolence cooperation. Would Egypt insist with an era of colonial law, then it has to invite back the British to recolonize the country so that riparian countries would deal with more civilized manner.

Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Guinea all confirmed their first cases of the new coronavirus on Friday, giving the disease a foothold in 18 countries on the African continent.

NAIROBI: Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Guinea all confirmed their first cases of the new coronavirus on Friday, giving the disease a foothold in 18 countries on the African continent.

Africa had so far largely been spared the rapid spread of COVID-19, which has infected at least 127,000 and killed 4,700 worldwide.

Most of Africa’s reported cases were foreigners or people who had travelled abroad. Rapid testing and quarantines have been put in place to limit transmission.

But concerns are growing about the continent’s ability to handle the disease.

Cases have been reported in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Senegal, Togo, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Nigeria, Cote D’Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Sudan, Kenya and Ethiopia. Most of the countries’ totals are still in single figures.

Kenya is the richest economy in East Africa and a hub for global firms and the United Nations. Ethiopia is Africa’s second-most populous nation, with 109 million citizens. Both Addis Ababa and Nairobi are regional transit hubs.

Source: Reuters