The previous July, UEDF was formed with EPRP and AEUP as the principal organizers, and several Ethiopians, reportedly 1000 or more in the conference hall at the time and hundreds of thousands in Ethiopia, had pinned their hopes of seeing an effectively united political opposition in UEDF. Sadly, though, that did not happen. This is […]
Ethiopia’s prime minister and opposition leaders met on Friday to discuss for the first time a disputed election that has dragged out for more than two months and left more than 36 people dead. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and leaders of opposition parties hoped to ease tensions and end the deadlock over who won the […]
Abu’l-Fath, according to Ethiopian tradition, was a Yemeni immigrant, mentioned in the Ethiopic Synaxarium, or Book of Saints, and was probably born around 1470. Several foreign scholars, however, believe that he came on the contrary from Iraq. His father is said to have been of a princely family, while his mother was reportedly Jewish. At […]
The city of Dessie boasts a population of about 100,000. It is in a very attractive setting, sitting about 2600 meters high amidst tree-clad hills. On a sunny day, Dessie can be quite glorious. On a rainy day, it’s dismal. Because of its geographical position, Dessie is densely populated and crowded. It is squeezed between […]
I have found that Dire Dawa takes a certain amount of getting used to. It is a recent city in an ancient country, having been founded as the initial endpoint of the railroad from Djibouti into Ethiopia around the turn of the century (19th into 20th). Previously I wrote an article on Dire Dawa, which […]
Although I’ve managed to visit the Simien Mountains several times, and it has been most worthwhile and impressive, I have yet to complete an assault on Ras Dashen , the tallest mountain in Ethiopia and 4th highest in Africa. The Simien Mountains have the best scenery in Ethiopia, which is quite an accomplishment in this […]
In the last two weeks we’ve walked through the Simien Park. Now the adventure continues Threat to the Environment The fragile environment of the high Simiens is in constant danger from the infringement of man. Ethiopia’s highlands are crowded as they are the preferred living spot for Northern Ethiopians –areas that are free from malaria […]
Ethiopia is embarking on a land certification scheme to try and improve security of tenure for its farmers, IRIN reported here on Tuesday. The scheme aims to offer greater security to Ethiopia’s farmers – whose land is owned by the state – and encourage them to invest more heavily in their farms. Some analysts argue […]
The following article is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Annalena Tonelli, 60, humanitarian worker and founder of hospital and school for the deaf in Borama, Richard Eyeington, 62, headmaster of the Sheikh Secondary School, and his wife Enid, 61, who were all slain in cold blood in Somaliland. Recently, I came across news reports […]