ESAT English News

Ethiopia: “Country’s displaced must not be forgotten,” says ICRC president

ESAT News (December 14, 2018) The President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said today that while reforms are leading the country in the right direction, Ethiopia should not forget its internally displaced citizens. Ethiopia has more new conflict-driven Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) than any other country in the world, with over 1.4 million this year alone. ...

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Ethiopian troops decamp posts at Eritrea border

Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki (second from left) and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (third from left) celebrate New Year on September 11, 2018 with soldiers at the border by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (December 14, 2018) Ethiopia says it has moved troops away from the border with Eritrea saying there is no more threat from the former foe, five months ...

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Ethiopia: MPs visit notorious jail

by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (December 13, 2018) Members of the Ethiopian parliament paid a visit to the now closed Ma’ekelawi, an infamous jail in the capital Addis Ababa where political prisoners have been tortured. After international outcry over torture and abuse of prisoners at the jail, which also doubled as the “central investigation bureau,” the government announced in April ...

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Eritrean president pays first visit to Somalia

by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (December 13, 2018) One month after the United Nations lifted a nine year old sanction on Eritrea over an alleged support to Al-Shabba, its president, Isaias Afwerki paid the first visit to Somalia amid a high speed thawing of relations among countries in the region. The countries in the Horn of Africa have seen fast ...

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USAID suspends food aid in Southern Ethiopia

ESAT News (December 12, 2018) The United States Aid for International Development (USAID) says it had to suspend its food aid program in Southern Ethiopia due to ethnic violence in the area. USAID Ethiopia director, Leslie Reeds told the Ethiopian Television that the suspension will affect 140,000 recipients of food aid in Kercha, Bule Hora and Gelana areas. Last week, ...

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Ethiopia: Documentary exposes heinous torture of prisoners by TPLF interrogators

Kefyalew Tefera Yonas Gashaw by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (December 12, 2018) Yonas Gashaw trumbles as he speaks. He is now paraplegic and both legs shiver constantly. He has gone through hell. His father died in exile after he was forced out of his country due to his association with the previous regime. His mom was also jailed for six ...

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Ethiopia: New report shows progress in expanding HIV treatment

ESAT News (December 11, 2018) A new report released in connection with the World AIDS day shows Ethiopia has shown significant progress toward achieving epidemic control. “70% of HIV-positive adults in urban Ethiopia are virally suppressed. This encouraging result is close to the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) target of achieving viral suppression of 73% by 2020,” according ...

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Ethiopia lost $36B in illicit financial flows

by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (December 11, 2018) Ethiopia has lost about $36B in illicit financial flows in the past 27 years, according to a new study by an Ethiopian macroeconomist. Dr. Eyob Tesfaye, a macroeconomist consultant, told FM 102.1 Radio in Addis Ababa that misinvoicing was one of the schemes money made its way out of the country, which ...

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Ethiopia: Businessman charged with illegal contracts with MeTEC

ESAT News (December 10, 2018) A businessman was arraigned before a court in Addis Ababa today accused of signing illegal contracts worth over 36 million dollars with the Metals and Engineering Corporation (MeTEC), a military industrial complex at the center of a corruption probe in Ethiopia. Police said they have documented evidence that Aklilu Girmay, the owner of Anona Techno, ...

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Saudi releases hundreds of Ethiopian prisoners

ESAT News (December 10, 2018) The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has released 900 Ethiopian prisoners following negotiations between the two countries. Four hundred fifty prisoners have arrived in Addis Ababa today while another 450 are expected to be flown into Addis on Friday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia meanwhile says about 1,500 Ethiopians who are illegally in the ...

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