Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Addis Ababa, December 6 (WIC) – The Security Council on Monday December 5, 2011 placed additional sanctions on Eritrea for continuing to provide support to armed groups seeking to destabilize Somalia and other parts of the Horn of Africa, building on the arms and travel embargoes it imposed exactly two years ago.The new measures are contained in a resolution which received the support of 13 of the Council’s 15 members. China and Russia abstained. It follows an earlier meeting yesterday at which the Council heard a briefing from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

The UN Security Council on Friday refused to delay a vote next week on taking sanctions against Eritrea so the isolated country’s head of state can make his case, diplomats said.The vote is set for Monday but President Issaias Afeworki does not have enough time to get to New York, according to the UN envoy for the impoverished nation, which is accused of plotting an attack on an African Union summit this year.Several Security Council members, including Russia, China and South Africa, argued in informal talks for the vote to be delayed for two days, diplomats said. But the 15-member body stuck to the schedule demanded by the United States and Gabon, which drew up the resolution.”It is going to be Monday,” said Russia’s UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin after the talks, but he said the details of who would be present are not clear. Some East African ministers are expected to address the meeting by video-link.Afeworki asked in October to speak to the Security Council which sent an invitation this week.Eritrea’s UN ambassador Araya Desta told AFP that Afeworki wanted to attend but did not get a visa to enter the United States on time to organize a flight.However US officials said visas were granted within hours of the application being made. Diplomats said Afeworki still had three days to get to the UN headquarters.

Niger’s president is standing by his country’s decision to offer amnesty to one of the late Moammar Gadhafi’s sons, saying he is entitled to stay in his nation like other “Libyan refugees.”President Mahamadou Issoufou addressed reporters Friday, reaffirming his stance on Saadi Gadhafi, whom Libya wants returned home to stand trial.”The attitude of the Niger government regarding this has already been noted: We have already welcomed Libyan refugees for humanitarian reasons,” Issoufou said. “Of these, one is a son of (Moammar) Gadhafi — Saadi Gadhafi.”

Ethiopia is organizing what it calls a Health Development Army aimed at lowering child mortality rates and improving the quality of care in rural areas where 85 percent of the population lives. The announcement came at an event marking  progress in reducing malnutrition, one of the Horn of Africa’s biggest child killers.”The government is setting up what we call the Health Development Army, which is basically organizing the community into small groups and engaging them to further own the programs that are implemented through the Health Extension Program,” said Kesteberhan.The 2011 health survey suggests the massive international effort to improve Ethiopia’s health is paying off. The number of underweight children has decreased by more than 30 percent over the past decade.  During that time, the number of youngsters whose growth was stunted due to malnutrition has dropped from nearly 60 percent to less than 45 percent

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia—A top U.S. aid official says the U.S. will donate more than $121 million to Ethiopia to fight food insecurity amid a drought in the East African nation.USAID director Raj Shah said Tuesday during a visit to Ethiopia’s capital that the U.S. will provide $110 million to a program that will benefit 1.5 million people. He says another $10 million will be spent on a nutrition program and $1.2 million given in loans to encourage farmers.

A picture of our artists taken
before the Fateful day 9/16/11

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! An emergency meeting was called at the Sheraton Addis on Friday to discuss the rise of male violence against women. Last week police arrested a man who had cut out his wife’s eyes with a knife; this vicious manifestation of male violence towards women has outraged women across the country causing them to call emergency meetings to begin solidarity campaigns and to collectively  announce to male aggressors that ‘Enough is Enough’.  The event was attended by prominent personalities such as Eyesuswork Zafu, president of the Ethiopian Chamber and Sectoral Association; Selome Tadessse former Ethiopian government communication office head and board member of Raya beer Share Company and Meaza Ashenafi former head of Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA) and board chairman of Enat Bank Share Company. The event was also attended by parents and relatives of women who have be.