|
. The Eye on the Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa
Vol. XXXIII No. 121 June 2005 DIPLOMATIC BRIEFINGS NEWS VIEWS & REVIEWS
The announcement comes despite an announcement in January that Ethiopia, backed by UN agencies, had enjoyed a bumper harvest last year. Some aid workers now say these figures were inflated for political reasons. Ethiopians are going to the polls later this month, and the government did not want to appear to be in the middle of a serious crisis Prime Minister Meles Zenawi is also sensitive about the high-profile role he is playing as a member of the Africa Commission initiated by British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Its highlands are so overcrowded and eroded that five million people are now permanently in need of food aid from abroad. The only question is how many more need feeding from year to year. Aid agencies now estimate that by the end of this year as many as 10 million Ethiopians could be relying on foreign food aid - putting a rather different gloss on the country's claims of having reaped a bumper harvest. Ethiopia Floods death toll rises The death toll from flooding last month in a remote area of south-east Ethiopia has risen to at 134 and may go higher, officials say. Crocodiles are reported to have eaten at least 19 people during the floods. Rescue teams are working to bring in much-needed emergency supplies but are still unable to reach many survivors. Tens of thousands of people have been unable to return home because of floods and the fear of crocodiles, said the top local emergency official. 'Emergency' Many people were sleeping when the banks of the Wabe Shebelle River burst during the night of 23 April. People, housing and livestock were washed away and survivors were forced to flee their homes for the safety of higher ground. "Thousands of people are unable to return to their homes because of flooding and crocodiles," said Remedan Haji Ahmed, who heads the government's emergency response in the area. "We are going to declare an emergency," he told the AP news agency. Red Cross and Red Crescent workers are bringing in emergency shipments of blankets, plastic sheeting, cooking utensils and medical supplies. Flooding occurs frequently at this time of the year in the Somali region, around 700km (440 miles) east of the capital, Addis Ababa.
Castrate rapists say MPs - Kenyan Kenyan members of parliament have unani-mously passed a motion calling for convicted rapists to be castrated. The motion opens the way for a new Sexual Offences Bill to be introduced. Njoki Ndung'u, who moved the motion, said two women were raped every hour and said the police were too lax in prosecuting rapists. "Kenya is becoming a nation of rapists where rapists go scot-free," she said. Some MPs said the motion would prevent Kenya becoming a haven for sex tourism. The BBC's Gray Phombeah in the capital, Nairobi, says that rape is on the increase in Kenya and that last week, people were shocked to hear about a man who had made his handicapped daughter pregnant. Aids drugs Ms Ndung'u, a women's rights lawyer, said that rape was being massively under-reported in Kenya. She said police records show 2,308 rapes last year, while figures from pressure groups and health centres show almost 16,000.
She said many rapes were not reported because the offender was a relative or because of a reluctance to relive the experience in court. Ms Ndung'u also called for anti-Aids drugs to be given to rape victims. While Ms Ndung'u advocated chemical castration for those convicted of a second sexual offence, others called for physical castration or even stoning to death. Health Minister Charity Ngilu quoted the Bible to back the call. "The Bible says that if any part of the body causes you to sin, it should be removed," she said. The Daily Nation newspaper reports the MPs agreed to speak for five minutes each, instead of the usual 10, so that more people would get the chance to contribute to the passionate debate. Togo leader confirmed president The Constitutional Court in Togo has confirmed Faure Gnassingbe as the winner of last month's disputed presidential election. Mr. Faure succeeds his late father, long-time president Gnassingbe Eyadema. However, one of Togo's main opposition leaders, Gilchrist Olympio, told the BBC the opposition did not accept the court's decision. It would not join a transitional government, as urged by West African regional grouping Ecowas, he said. Martin Assogba said that in one polling station in the northern stronghold of the winner, more ballots were cast than there were registered voters. Thousands of people have fled Togo for neighboring Benin and Ghana because of the political violence since the election. Reports say Mr. Faure's inauguration is set for Wednesday. But Mr. Olympio said the opposition would not join a new administration. "We do not accept the result, and for the moment, for the opposition, there can be no question of returning as a participant... in a government led by Mr. Faure Gnassingbe," he said. Premier visits Mogadishu -Somali
Officials who have returned to Mogadishu in recent weeks were also there to welcome him. The main airport in Mogadishu has been damaged by years of warfare between rival militias. The BBC's Mohammed Olad Hassan in the capital says the prime minister travelled to Mogadishu in a convoy of 70 vehicles, including jeeps mounted with anti-aircraft guns, known as technicals. He hopes to persuade ministers and members of parliament to return to Kenya for further discussions on his plans for the relocation of the government. Pressure The transitional government is under pressure from foreign donors to relocate to Somalia. But Somalia's political leaders and warlords are divided over where in Somalia the administra-tion should be based. While the interim constitution names Mogadishu as the capital, the city is considered the most dangerous place in Somalia. Some MPs want the government to relocate to Baidoa and Jowhar until Mogadishu is considered safe enough. There is also disagreement over which countries should be allowed to contribute to a planned peacekeeping force. Mr. Ghedi travelled from Nairobi to Mogadishu on Friday, accompanied by Kenyan officials and diplomats from Arab countries. General Elections to Be Held as Scheduled – Kenya
Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi
has announced that the country's general election will be held Local media said Moi's words are expected to add more fire into the raging election fever, which has already gripped the country. Kenya's general election is scheduled to be held at the end of this year. Blast strikes PM's rally – Somali A blast has killed at least eight people and injured 30 at a rally in a football stadium in Somalia's capital being addressed by the prime minister. The explosion went off as Ali Mohammed Ghedi began his speech. He later told the BBC that a security guard had accidentally set off a grenade. Mr. Ghedi, on his first Mogadishu visit since being appointed, is negotiating his government's return from exile. Somalia has had no functioning central authority since 1991. Mogadishu is considered to be an especially dangerous location for the government to be based in. 'Not deterred' The BBC's Mohammed Olad Hassan in Mogadishu says that several thousand Somalis, who had gone to welcome the prime minister, waving flags and chanting pro-government slogans, fled from the stadium in panic. He said that some people were injured in the stampede, while others were hurt when security guards started firing their guns. The dead and wounded have been taken to local hospitals. One doctor said that two people had died from their injuries. Information Minister Abdullahi Mohamud Jamah Sifir told the BBC that one of the militias with a grenade launcher, accidently dropped it, and a grenade went off. Security
It is divided between rival warlords, whose gunmen can be seen operating roadblocks on many street corners, where they demand money from commercial vehicles. Most of the city's government buildings are in ruins, or are inhabited by refugees after 14 years of anarchy. Some MPs want the government to relocate to Baidoa and Jowhar until Mogadishu is considered safe enough. Just before the blast, Mr. Ghedi said that the government would relocate to Mogadishu if it became less dangerous. "The security situation is the most important thing," he told the crowd. As many as 10,000 regional peacekeepers are due to start arriving in the next few weeks to provide security for the government. But some local warlords, who have been named as ministers, remain opposed to their deployment. Perspectives ...Every Ethiopian national, without any discrimination based on color, race, nation, nationality, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion or other status, has on the attainment of 18 years of age has the right to vote in accordance with the law. Similarly, the electoral proclamation in article 38 puts that any Ethiopian is eligible for candidacy if he/ she is 21 or more years old on the date of the election. Citizenship is the other basic criteria for voting, i.e. any person should be an Ethiopian citizen to be eligible to vote. In order to enjoy the voting right, however, electors are primarily expected to register at the electoral office of their constituency. … |
