Tag Archives: ESAT English

Europe speaks against martial law in Ethiopia

by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (February 22, 2018) Countries across the globe continue to denounce the martial law declared in Ethiopia saying it curtails basic human rights and worsens the crisis in the country. Swedish Foreign Minister, Margot Wallstrom, said today that her country, which is a long-time partner of Ethiopia, is concerned about the re imposition of the state ...

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Ethiopia: OPDO elects new chairman bidding for premiership

by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (February 22, 2018) The Oromo People’s Democratic Organization (OPDO) one of the parties making the ruling EPRDF coalition has elected Dr. Abiy Ahmed as its new chairman, moving him one step closer to the premiership. Ethiopia’s Prime Minister for five years, Hailemariam Desalegn, resigned last week amid political turmoil in the East African country where ...

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Ethiopia: Amhara region continues strike, Gurage zone takes respite to strategize

ESAT News (February 21, 2018) The three day strike called in the Amhara region went as planned with businesses and transportations shutdown on Wednesday, the third day of the strike called as a show of persistent rejection of the TPLF rule and the recently declared state of emergency. The strike was more prevalent in the city of Gondar while most ...

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Ethiopia: “Game over TPLF,” says U.S. Congressman

by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (February 21, 2018) A United States Congressman said today in a tweet that the game is over as far as the TPLF regime in Ethiopia is concerned. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, a senior member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, is a strong critic of the Ethiopian regime. Rohrabacher does not mince words when it ...

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Ethiopia: Strikes, protests continue despite imposition of martial law

by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (February 20, 2018) Residents of towns in Northern Ethiopia and towns in the southwest of the country have continued their strikes and protests despite a martial law imposed last week that prohibits public demonstrations and expression of dissent in any form. Strikes and protests have continued for a week in Wolkite town, 93 miles southwest ...

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Ethiopia: Poster child of protest in Amhara, Nigist Yirga, freed from jail

By Engidu Woldie ESAT News (February 20, 2018) Nigist Yirga, a young activist from northern Ethiopia, who has been jailed since September 2016, was released today, a family member confirmed to ESAT. Nigist Yirga, a 24 year old activist known for her viral photo as she took part in one of the protests in Gondar in July 2016, was abducted ...

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Ethiopia: Colonel Demeke Zewdu freed amid new wave of strikes in Amhara region

by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (February 19, 2010) A leading figure of the resistance movement in the Amhara region, Colonel Demeke Zewdu has walked out of a prison in Gondar today. Residents of the city of Gondar and other major towns have began a three day strike today to demand the release of all political prisoners including the Colonel who ...

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Only a constructive dialogue among all stakeholders resolves crisis in Ethiopia: EU

ESAT News (February 19, 2018) The European Union said in a statement today that “only a constructive dialogue among all stakeholders – authorities, opposition, media, civil society – will allow for a peaceful and durable resolution of the crisis.” The statement by the spokesperson, Catherine Ray, on the situation in Ethiopia also said that the declaration of the state of ...

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State of emergency tantamounts to declaration of war on people of Ethiopia, says U.S. expert on Africa

By Engidu Woldie ESAT News (February 18, 2018) An expert on Africa with a Washington think tank says the state of emergency could be regarded as a “declaration of war on the people of Ethiopia” and called on U.S. and EU to “declare that they are not complicit in Ethiopia abuses.” In her articles and tweets in a week that ...

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Ethiopia declares state of emergency

by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (February 16, 2018) Ethiopia’s Council of Ministers declared a state of emergency effective today February 16, 2018. The report by media controlled by the regime did not say how long the decree would be staying in effect. The report by the national broadcaster says the council of ministers held an extraordinary meeting today to deliberate ...

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