UAE Expands its Military Infrastructure in Assab Eritrea

December 8, 2016, 11:05 pm

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By Stratfor | Analysis

Over the past 15 months, the United Arab Emirates has been building up its military infrastructure in Eritrea. As a member of the Saudi-led coalition engaged in the Yemeni conflict, the United Arab Emirates has conducted operations from the Eritrean port of Assab. The Emirati military is currently working to complete a military facility northwest of the city, the size of which is clearly evident in satellite photos Stratfor has obtained from AllSource Analysis. Beyond supporting ongoing activities in Yemen, the establishment of bases outside Emirati borders reveals the ambitions of Abu Dhabi and its Gulf allies to step up their military presence in the region.

As construction on the base progresses, UAE vessels such as the HSV-2 Swift, which was damaged in an Oct. 1 attack off Yemen's coast, have continued to use the Assab port. Since the base's development started around September 2015, extensive work has been done on the site.

The new facility, centered on the runway of a disused Eritrean airport, now features aircraft shelters and housing for personnel. A naval docking facility is also being built next to the runway on the coastline, where dredging ships are cutting a new channel. The scale of the undertaking suggests that the UAE military is in Eritrea for more than just a short-term logistical mission supporting operations across the Red Sea.

Instead, the base is part of Abu Dhabi's longer-term strategy, which also includes military assets stationed at a base in eastern Libya, near Egypt. The bases not only enable the United Arab Emirates to operate effectively on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula and in East Africa, but they also play a role in the Gulf Cooperation Council's effort to forge diplomatic alliances. Both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have approached Djibouti, Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea over the past few years, offering them financial perks in the hope of drawing on their resources within the context of a military alliance. Sudanese troops, for example, have taken part in Riyadh's Yemeni operations. Gaining permission to establish bases in those countries, such as the Saudi base in Djibouti, shows the immediate benefit of those relationships. The bases themselves then bolster longer-term connections with the nations hosting them while allowing Gulf powers to support those states' military capabilities.

In addition to the air assets the United Arab Emirates has stationed at the Assab base, there is also a large ground contingent that includes what seems to be at least a battalion-sized armored element equipped with French-built Leclerc main battle tanks. The air assets are the most rapidly deployable, however, and the French-built Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft at the base give Abu Dhabi the ability not only to conduct operations over Yemen with ease but also to project power elsewhere around the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden.

The United Arab Emirates will probably continue to strengthen its military ties to countries throughout the region, but its own capacity to project power will grow along with them. The base near Assab marks a significant shift in the United Arab Emirates' military policy as it becomes part of the small group of countries that maintain bases abroad.

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Ethiopia: Dozens desert army, join resistance forces

December 8, 2016, 11:06 pm

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Ethiopia: Dozens desert army, join resistance forces

By ESAT News (December 8, 2016)

Patriotic Ginbot 7, a group fighting the Ethiopian government, said 46 soldiers have deserted the regime army and joined the resistance movement.

The soldiers, who defected after a marathon negotiations and joined Patriotic Ginbot 7, have defected with various weapons including 9 artilleries, 6 snipers and RPGs among others, according to a source on the ground with the fighters.

The defectors have vowed to fight alongside PG7 to remove the tyrannical regime.

The source also added that PG7 is now providing training to new recruits and defectors inside Ethiopia, not in Eritrea as the regime alleges.

PG7 have been claiming to have caused considerable damages to regime forces in recent fights in northern Ethiopia.

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Ethiopia: Former Prime Minister Tesfaye Dinka passes away

December 10, 2016, 11:00 pm

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By ESAT

Former Ethiopian Prime Minister Tesfaye Dinka passed away on Thursday in Virginia, United States, where he lived in exile after the fall of the military regime.

The 77 year-old former diplomat served his country in a number of capacities. He also worked at the World Bank and other international institutions before his retirement.

Dinka was a graduate of the American University in Lebanon and an alumnus of the Syracuse University in New York.

Dinka, who took over the premiership in 1991, led the negotiating team of the former military government at the dinkaLondon Peace Conference where his government, the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front and the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front, the party now in power in Ethiopia, were negotiating on the fate of Ethiopia after 17 years of civil war.

Dinka wrote a book titled “Ethiopia During the Derg Years: An Inside Account” but unfortunately passed away before the publishing of the book. According to Tsehai Publishers, his book will be released next month.

Dinka is survived by his wife, four children and four grandchildren.

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Fund Raising For An Ethiopian Killed After Apparent Train Suicide In Canada

December 12, 2016, 11:00 pm

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Henok Belete was struck by a GO Train on Dec. 1. The family says his death is a suicide and is trying to raise enough money to bury him back in his native Ethiopia. (PHOTO COURTESY BELETE’S FAMILY)

By ALINA BYKOVA | Staff Reporter

Hewan Wondiyfraw describes her late uncle, Henok Belete, as a kind, quiet man who was very close to God.

When the police came to her door around midnight on Dec. 1 to notify her family of his death, she says her mother was so shocked she couldn’t even cry.

Belete, 37, had a history of depression and schizophrenia, Wondiyfraw said, and he died after being hit by a GO train at Guildwood Station.

The family says it was a suicide — one that has taken them by surprise.

“I had just seen him for Thanksgiving,” said Wondiyfraw, “he seemed totally fine.”

As per Ethiopian tradition, the family would like to bury him in his home country, close to his immediate family. Since the death was so sudden, they are having trouble raising enough money for the funeral, and have started a GoFundMe campaign.

In Ethiopian culture, it’s important that the deceased’s community and distant relatives be involved in the bereavement rituals. Unfortunately, this makes funerals extremely expensive for families abroad because of the cost of flying the body there and flights for relatives.

The family wants to bring Belete to Ethiopia in early January, and hopes to raise $15,000 before then.

Belete moved to Canada from Ethiopia in 2005. Back home, he was a happy bank teller, said Wondiyfraw, but began to show symptoms of mental illness after he immigrated.

“When he moved to Canada, he encountered a new world,” says Wondiyfraw.

Belete found work in a factory, but it is unknown whether he was still employed at the time of his death. He was unmarried and had no children, and Wondiyfraw’s family were his closest relations in Canada.

He had been to therapy a few times, and had been prescribed medication, but didn’t like to take it, Wondiyfraw said.

Despite the family tragedy, Wondiyfraw is glad that the TTC and Metrolinx have recently started acknowledgingthat suicides occur on their tracks.

She says that while people regularly hear about an injury at track level, or that someone has been struck by a train, they aren’t as affected because the technical language dehumanizes the situation.

“You can tell they’re (the commuters) are annoyed. They’re worried about their commute. They don’t understand that a life is gone.”

Wondiyfraw thinks that being honest about death on the tracks will make people more sympathetic toward the victims and help destigmatize mental illness and suicide.

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Ethiopia Internet users continue to receive bills for the service despite the government shutdown

December 12, 2016, 11:03 pm

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State-sanctioned robbery - Ethiopia Internet users continue to receive bills for the service despite the government shutdown

By CDE

10 Dec 2016 - Ethiopians are being forced to pay for internet use despite the TPLF government declaration of a state of emergency to impose bans on telecommunications, media and Internet for six month.

Leased line users who had unlimited access to the internet are being charged US$ 1,000 per month without services being provide to them since October. Subscribers who were allowed only eight hours per month, the lowest category C-1 are paying US$19 to the Tigrayan government.

The state of emergency, effective from 08 October 2016, comes as a result of a thousand people being killed in protests in the Oromiya region surrounding the capital Addis Ababa and other parts of Ethiopia since 2015.

Ethiopia is not new to Internet shutdowns with another closure taking place as recently as July 2016 on the pretext of "preventing leakages during the national exams."

Just a month before the shutdowns began, in June 2016, the number of Internet users in Ethiopia were 4,500,000, 4.4% of the population per IWS, one of the lowest rates of internet access in Africa.

The U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa said the shutdown of Internet by the Ethiopian regime has severely affected its activities.

Responding to complaints by Ethiopians, who are having difficulty in communicating with the Embassy due to the blockage of the Internet and social media, the Embassy insincerely said it shared the frustrations of the public. “We share your frustration, as the restrictions severely affect our activities as well."

The TPLF-owned EthioTelecom (previously known as Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (ETC)) is the sole Internet service provider (ISP) in the country and have exclusive control of Internet access throughout the country.

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U.S. Asst. Sec. of State visits Ethiopia

December 12, 2016, 11:03 pm

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By ESAT News

Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Affairs Tom Malinowski will travel to Ethiopia from December 14-17, the office of the spokesperson for the assistant secretary said in a short statement.

“During his visit, he will meet with government officials as part of a continued dialogue on human rights and governance. He will also meet with members of civil society, political party representatives, and local government officials during the visit,” the statement said.

Malinowski’s visit comes against the backdrop of political turmoil in the east African nation that has seen the killing of hundreds of anti-government protesters and the incarceration of tens of thousands of peaceful protesters. It also comes while Dr. Merara Gudina, a leading political figure is in detention after testifying against the regime at the European Parliament. The whereabout of a prominent journalist Temesgen Desalegn serving a three year sentence is not known. Attempt by his family to find him at the federal prison were to no avail as prison officers say the journalist is not under their custody.

A major ally to the brutal regime in Ethiopia, the United States has been giving lip service to the plight of Ethiopians under a tyrannical regime.

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From Washington, influencing Ethiopia's politics

December 12, 2016, 11:03 pm

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Anti-Ethiopian regime demonstrator waving the Ethiopian flag in front of the White House (Credit: L. Jackson/AP)

The Ethiopian diaspora in the US has assumed a significant role in politics back home and are shaping political debate through social media and satellite television.

By DW

Clashes between police and protestors at Ethiopia's Irreecha festival on October 2 this year left more than 100 people drowned or crushed to death. Soon after, social media sites were abuzz with claims that a police helicopter had fired into the panicking crowds.

A helicopter had in fact been circling above the grounds. But it was dropping leaflets wishing participants a happy festival.

After the incident, overseas activists called for "five days of rage." During the following week, foreign-owned factories, government buildings and tourist lodges were attacked across the Oromo region. On October 9, the government declared a six-month state of emergency.

Members of the large Ethiopian diaspora in the US, who have long used the internet to try to influence politics at home, follow events in Ethiopia very closely.

Successive waves of emigration have formed a worldwide Ethiopian diaspora of around two million people. The largest communities are in the US, with estimates varying from 250,000 people to about one million.

An abuse of freedom of speech?

"They live in a secure democracy, send their children to good western schools, and are at liberty to say whatever they want to cause mayhem in Ethiopia," said one foreign official who works for an international institution and who asked to remain anonymous. "They call it freedom of speech and they abuse it to their hearts' content," he added.

But the growing movement of writers, bloggers, journalists and activists working in tandem with diaspora satellite television channels which broadcast from the US don't see it that way.

"The role of the diaspora is consciously being inflated by the regime to duck its responsibility for the debacle at home,” says Hassan Hussein, an Ethiopian academic and writer based in the United States. "Western diplomats echo the regime's spin and exaggerate the role of the diaspora to justify their cosy relationship with a regime lacking popular legitimacy,” Hussein adds.

Either way, the diaspora is shaping coverage of the protests that began a year ago, when protests by Oromo farmers against land grabs mushroomed into a movement against the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). In August, Ethiopia's second-largest ethnic group, the Amhara, joined the protests.

And diaspora influence goes beyond media coverage. The political opposition in Ethiopia is weak and divided. Its effectiveness has certainly suffered due to oppressive government tactics.

"Nearly all of their political party funds come from the diaspora and the diaspora is not going to pay for an opposition that cozies up to the EPRDF," the anonymous foreign official said.

"Opposition groups come to the diaspora for money because they could not ask their constituents and supporters for money lest they will endanger their safety,” Hassan Hassan says. "If there was a level playing field for them and the political space was opened up, these groups can raise lots of money [locally].”

No room for compromise

As a result, Ethiopian politics remain utterly polarized with no room for negotiation or compromise. The clearest example of this occurred after Ethiopia's crucial 2005 parliamentary election.

The opposition did much better than expected and won a significant number of seats. But due to allegations of vote rigging some opposition candidates refused to accept the mandate - after the diaspora put pressure on them.

"Because of that decision we lost everything, and people lost hope," said Lidetu Ayele, founder of the opposition Ethiopia Democratic Party. "We had hundreds of seats then. Who knows what we might have now."

Government media has little credibility

Deji Olukotun of Access Now, which campaigns for the digital rights of users at risk around the world, feels the government is hurting itself by trying to fight the problem through restricting internet access: "These technologies are here to stay, and governments should embrace their promise rather than curtail them," he said.

Other people involved in Ethiopia's online media scene, such as Addis Ababa blogger Daniel Berhane, point out that rather than just complain about social media, the government could embrace it to counter disinformation spread by diaspora activists. But evidence suggests that the authorities do not really grasp what is at stake. Instead, they rely on the control of traditional media, such as radio and television, and block social media.

"The government is too obsessed with control - control of the information, its delivery, etc.," Berhane said. "Government media is part of the problem, with those involved more concerned about pleasing ministers than being professional. So you get sloppy reporting undermining its credibility."

Social Media blockades are hurting the economy

At the same time, the government has prevented a truly independent local media from developing. That leaves Ethiopians fed up with state media and turning to diaspora news in all its myriad forms, ranging from Facebook posts to Ethiopian Satellite Television, more commonly known as ESAT.

"The problem is that they take a lot of things as fact when they read about them on social media which they would view as gossip if they had heard it by word of mouth", said Lidetu Ayele.

Meanwhile, government-imposed internet restrictions continue to have varying negative impacts, from local businesses to foreign embassies to international aid agencies to ordinary Ethiopians.

Internet shutdowns in Ethiopia between mid-2015 and mid-2016 lost the economy about $9 million (eight million euros), according to a recent study by the US-based Center for Technology Innovation.

"Censoring the Internet is not a solution to the protests or resistance,” says Moses Karanja, an Internet policy researcher at Strathmore University in Nairobi. "It is a blockage to any democratic trajectory of a country."

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TPLF regime confused amid military agreement reached between Eritrea and Egypt

December 12, 2016, 11:04 pm

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By Dawit Hailu | Abbay Media News

Ethiopian government face mounting problem with an amid tentative agreement reached between Eritrea and Egypt to create a joint military command post that can overlook the stability and security of the region.

It is remembered that on November 28, 2016, Eritrea’s Isaias Afwerki traveled to Cairo, a capital city of Egypt for a three-day visit and met Egyptian president Abdulfatah el-Sisi

During their bilateral meeting at heliopolis, a headquarters of the presidency, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi and his Eritrean counterpart Isaias Afwerki stressed the importance of launching a joint committee aimed at boosting bilateral cooperation in all fields between the two countries.

According to many political observers and regional political experts, the tentative agreement recently reached by the two countries panicked the Ethiopian government more than ever before . It is on the record that the Ethiopian and Egyptian governments are in a bitter dispute since right after Ethiopia laying the foundation to build the biggest water dam in Africa. Recently, Ethiopian government officials openly accused the Egyptian government for sponsoring terrorists to disrupt the country’s stability and economic success.

In Ethiopian government thinking, the bilateral agreement that was reached by the two “Ethiopia sworn enemies” will endanger the country’s existence as a reliable regional power house.

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(ESAT Video) Latest News in Ethiopia (Dec. 12)

December 12, 2016, 11:05 pm

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Ethiopia: The Proof is in the Pudding-Nonviolent Resistance Works

December 17, 2016, 11:00 pm

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By Olaanaa Abbaaxiiqi

Nonviolent resistances have led to numerous dramatic changes in many countries around the globe. Understandably, there are also many nonviolent resistances that have failed. I am not claiming that there is a guaranty that all nonviolent resistance will be successful, at least in the short run. There are many scholarly works that studied social movements and the nonviolent means and tried to understand why some are successful while the others fail. Here we are not going into that.

There is a deeply held misconception around many people that nonviolent resistance works only in a benevolent dictatorship or in cases of mild tyranny. Others further argue that nonviolence works only in addressing some civil rights or environment issues and does not work to overthrow a tyrannical government in the face of extreme violence and repression. Those who argue this, conveniently forget stark historical evidence.

In fact some of the most repressive regimes in history fell as a result of nonviolent resistance. Suffice to mention the defeat of Marcos in the Philippines, Pinochet in Chile, the apartheid regime in South Africa, and the communist regime in Poland. And even if we look at recent events, Hosni Mubarak in Egypt and Ben Ali in Tunisia were chased out of power through the nonviolent resistance. None of them were benign.

We can add to the above, the 2005 Lebanon popular movement that ended foreign occupation, and the 2006 Nepal uprising that forced the monarch to make major concession, and the 2000 Serbia, the 2002 Madagascar and the 2003 Georgia nonviolent resistances that led to regime changes. If you look at these examples, one can easily see that nonviolent movements can be successful in less developed, economically poor countries as well as in developed, affluent societies. This means it does not matter whether one is in Europe and North America, or Africa, Asia or elsewhere, or whatever type of regime it is, nonviolent resistance could work everywhere and in every situation. Nonviolent resistance does not need a kinder and gentler ruler in order to prevail.

Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephan, in their seminal work, “Why Civil Resistance Works”, meticulously and rigorously analyzed 323 violent and non-violent resistance campaigns between 1900 and 2006. Their finding is compelling and provocative. According to their statistical analysis with in-depth case studies of specific countries and territories, campaigns of nonviolent resistance were more than twice as likely to achieve full or partial success compared to violent counterparts. Their groundbreaking findings showed that nonviolent campaigns succeeded 53% of the time versus 26% of the time for violent campaigns.

Thus, based on historical experience alone, there is justification why we should opt for nonviolent resistance over armed struggle.
Why are Nonviolent Struggles More Successful than the Alternatives?

Nonviolent resistance (civil resistance) is preferable due to several reasons. Compared to civil war it is more effective, has a better chance to succeed and also has a better chance to peacefully transitioning to democracy. On the contrary, violent resistance has less chance to succeed, and even when successful, usually results in a dictatorship. Violence begets violence; it is self-perpetuating, and therefore, civil war that relies on violence does not in most cases secure a peaceful end.

Nonviolent resistance method starts from one fundamental assumption: authoritarian regimes survive because they get a wide range of obedience from the population they lord over. Without such obedience there is no way they could continue to rule. Thus, the immediate and cardinal purpose of any resistance should be to bring about the withdrawal or denial of obedience the people have hitherto given to an authoritarian regime.

Compared to violent resistance, nonviolent resistance is better positioned to attract active participation of the people. The very fact that nonviolent resistance has less risk compared to its counterpart makes it a better vehicle for attracting more people. People who because of age, gender and disability cannot participate effectively in violent struggle can easily participate in a nonviolent resistance. Nonviolent resistance can also attract business elites, intellectuals, religious personnel and institution, etc., who for one or reason or another cannot support armed struggle. All these expands the participatory advantage of nonviolent resistance over armed insurrection.

Unlike violent resistance, nonviolent resistance is relatively open to all, it’s not only for able bodied men. People of every walks of life can participate actively in it without leaving their home or work, relatively with less risk to themselves and their families. The same is not true in the case of a civil war. The moment civil war starts, immediately the number of mobilized shrinks. Once the method of struggle shifts, hundreds of thousands of people who used to be actively protesting in the street go back to their home and become aloof. Thereafter, the confrontation, rather than being between the populace and the government, becomes between two armed groups.

The larger the number of participants and the more diverse people are mobilized by a nonviolent resistance, the more chance it has to bring about loyalty shift. The more defection there is, the more undermined and weakened will be the tyrannical regime. And the more it is weakened, the more people dare to defy it further. The high level of mobilization is the most important feature for success. Thus, the participatory advantage of the nonviolence resistance is the key factor in destabilizing the incumbent and giving a chance for the nonviolent resistance to be victorious. Thus, every effort should be done lest we take action that diminishes or minimizes the participation of the people.

It should also be noted that it is this participatory advantage of nonviolent resistance that makes it an excellent conduit to transition to democracy. Evidence clearly shows that struggles that unwaveringly avoid violence have much more chance to bring about democracy. Once they degenerate into violence, their chance of bringing about democracy diminishes. Those who come to power through violence mostly end up turning tyrannical. It should not be forgotten that violence is what brought EPRDF to power, and if we want to break this vicious cycle, violence should not be the way to get rid of it.

Because violent resistance has less chance of mobilizing participants, it also has less chance of bringing about loyalty shift. In fact when there is violence, the police, military and security, rather than shifting their allegiance, dig theirs hills in. If huge defection does not occur, it is always extremely difficult to win an entrenched adversary in power that is controlling all the repressive state machinery.

As nonviolent resistance attracts a large size of participants, and especially when it has reached a certain stage and is diversified, repression against it becomes extremely difficult and costly to the tyrannical government. And when repressive actions are taken in such situations, they could have a boomerang effect. In fact, sometimes, widely publicized repressive incidents are precisely the sparks that trigger mass uprisings. With the continuation of the growth of participants in the nonviolent resistance, the likelihood of division within the government and its institutions, like the police, military, media and bureaucracy becomes certain.

Nonviolent resistance is more advantageous because it could be done relatively on the cheap compared to the violent insurrection. Conducting a protracted insurrection is an extremely expensive undertaking. It is so expensive that most armed struggles that became successful in history had to partly or mostly rely on foreign backers or allies for arms and money. Propaganda aside, it is a rarity for self-reliant armed movement to become successful.

For the Oromo people who do not have external allies, one could easily discern why choosing the nonviolent resistance is a no-brainer. Moreover, because you don’t owe anybody anything when conducing nonviolent resistance, you will not be anybody’s client or stooge and you will not be controlled by an outside force. On the contrary when you rely on foreign forces to conduct armed struggle, the chance of your being controlled and used by them is enhanced.

It should also be noted that armed struggle is not viable in many places. Factors such as having foreign backers, suitable terrain for defense, geo-politics, internal cohesion, having outlet to neighboring countries, and many others are determinative in conducting a successful armed struggle.

Having grievances, just cause and an extremely brutal regime as adversary, does not by itself justify blindly opting for an armed struggle for the sake of it. Before undertaking such a far-reaching scheme, one should first meticulously and seriously take stock of pros and cons and the possibilities of winning and the cost involved in it and then decide. Nothing justifies pursuing and supporting unpractical ideas and myopic strategy that in practice has failed again and again.

In the third and final part we will why the #Oromo Protest should stay the course of Nonviolent Resistance.

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AU Expresses Concern About Upcoming Summit In Restive Ethiopia

December 17, 2016, 11:02 pm

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AU Chairperson Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma

By Ismail Akwei

The African Union has expressed concern about Ethiopia’s current State of Emergency against the upcoming Heads of State Summit in the capital Addis Ababa in January 2017.

The concerns were raised by the Chairperson Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma who met with the newly appointed Ethiopian Minister of Foreign Affairs at the AU Headquarters on Tuesday.

The minister Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu allayed the fears of the AU chairperson by assuring that “the situation had now calmed down substantially and nothing untoward was anticipated to occur that could disrupt the Summit proceedings”.

“The Government was fully engaging the people, with a view to find solutions to the teething issues, such as the persistent problem of youth unemployment which gives way to the exploitation of idle hands,” a statement from the AU quoted the minister.

He also expressed hope that the relationship between Ethiopia and the African Union to remain solid and assume its position as the capital of Africa.

Dlamini Zuma praised the cooperation of the Ethiopian government.

Ethiopia declared a state of emergency on October 9 to curb the unrest which turned violent leading to damage of properties including those of local and international businesses.

Before the State of Emergency was imposed, over 50 people died on October 2 in a stampede at a festival in Bishoftu after police fired teargas and warning shots to disperse protesters at the event.

At least 500 people have been killed and thousands arrested in the wave of anti-government protests in the Amhara and Oromia regions over the past months.

International bodies including the United Nations and the European Union have called on the Ethiopian government to exercise restraint against protesters.

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EU Accused of Complicity in Human Rights Abuses in Ethiopia

December 17, 2016, 11:03 pm

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By EU Reporter

The controversial issue of Mediterranean migration promises to be top of the Maltese government’s EU agenda. One of the key questions concerns how to manage migration flows in the Mediterranean, which have reached record levels in the last three years.

According to the EU border agency Frontex, migration to Europe by Africans has climbed in 2016 as the number of migrants using the Central Mediterranean route from Libya to Italy has increased by 13%.

To tackle this, the last 12 months have seen a flourishing of new initiatives, starting with the EU Trust Fund, plus the Migration Partnerships Framework.

Within this scheme, today the EU today announced financial support to Niger in the amount of € 610 million in 2016. This includes €470m under the 2016 Annual Programme of Action (PAA), comprising six financing agreements, three of which are in the form of budget support. The Emergency Trust Fund for Africa will also be boosted to the tune of €140m. Among the first beneficiaries of the Trust Fund have been priority countries identified by the European Commission. Other than Niger, Ethiopia (€97m) and Mali (€91.5m) are the largest recipients of funds.

Such generous financial support is generally seen as a noble objective. But the respected European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) points out that the danger of “migration partnership funding, despite good intentions, is that the current conditionality, based simply on the exchange between money and keeping migration flows as close to zero as possible, risks creating the circumstances for violations of the human rights of migrants.”

There is also the risk of “refoulment”, or the forced return of refugees or asylum seekers to a country where they could be subjected to persecution.

As the ECFR argues, tying refugee flows to aid is a recipe for potential disaster that will dent the EU’s reputation in Africa and do precious little to address the image that the West is more than happy to work with dictators despite its human rights grandstanding. Worse, throwing money at the problem will do precious little to address the deep structural issues that have created the refugee crisis in the first place, which stem from poor governance, high unemployment, conflict and paltry living conditions.

Accusations don’t end there. The EU’s pursuit of trade deals with the African continent, ostensibly aimed at the betterment of African lives, suffers from similar problems.

Recently, and after nearly a decade of negotiations, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), comprising Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland, signed the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the 28 member states of the EU.

The granting of free access to the vast EU market is lauded as a coup for the continued economic progress of the developing nations involved.

But whether it will have the intended effect is still very much unclear. It is argued that instead of pursuing trade deals, Europe should work to help address the African continent’s deepest structural problems.

The fishing industry in Mozambique, one of the signatories of the EPA, serves as a poignant example. The country is suffering from rampant illegal fishing practices and wracked by civil war.

Mozambique, disproportionately reliant on its fisheries for both foreign reserve income and feeding its citizenry, is losing up to US$65 million from its economy every year because of illegal fishing. The country is currently battling criticism over the way a government financed a deal to buy patrol boats, essential to improving the lives of its coastal communities. An EPA offers little hope of alleviating the plight of fisheries, whereas a joint initiative on fishing would instead have the potential to increase export revenue and serve as a catalyst for job generation. Mozambique’s failure to properly deploy the patrol boats adds to the plight.

Ethiopia is another case in point. The country is one of the largest recipients of donor aid in Africa, receiving almost $3 billion in 2015 despite allegations of human rights abuses associated with some development programmes. Human Rights Watch (HRW) says that in 2015 there were continuing government crackdowns on opposition political party members, journalists, and peaceful protesters, many of whom experienced harassment, arbitrary arrest, and politically motivated prosecutions. A HRW spokesman said: “There are no indications that donors have strengthened the monitoring and accountability provisions needed to ensure that their development aid does not contribute to or exacerbate human rights problems in Ethiopia.”

By bankrolling regimes like Ethiopia, the EU is becoming complicit in keeping in power the very causes that have bolstered the waves of refugees fleeing to Europe.

Niger is in a similar situation. A country rich in natural resources, including uranium and oil, Niger is far from stable, and corruption, food shortages and porous borders remain serious problems. It currently sits in last place on the U.N. Development Program’s Human Development Index.

Just a few days ago, Malian and EU officials signed a deal to expedite the return of migrants to the North African country. More than 10,000 Malian migrants have so far illegally entered Europe since the start of 2015 and the deal is the first time the EU has established such a precise mechanism with an African country with regards to returning failed asylum seekers.

Leading MEP Gabriele Zimmer, who leads the GUE group in the European Parliament, is critical of the process of relocating refugees and agreements with third countries in stopping people from crossing the Mediterranean.

The German MEP said: “Member states are pushing for agreements and partnerships with third countries modelled on the dirty EU-Turkey deal. This deal is inappropriate if the EU wants to respect its own values and rules like human rights. Furthermore, this is the EU outsourcing its own responsibilities to weaker and poorer countries.”

Looking to the future, Mattia Toaldo, a senior policy fellow on the European Council on Foreign Relations Middle East and North Africa programme, has authored a report on migration and EU funding and has issued a list of five recommendations for the bloc, including:

Increase intra-African mobility and support local absorption capacity;

work towards processing asylum requests in third countries;

allow for some legal circular migration to Europe;

use remittances to promote development, and;

support voluntary rather than forced returns.

All eyes now turn to 1 January and the incoming Maltese presidency of the EU and the actions it will initiate to address what is one of the most pressing issues facing the European Union.

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(Video) Ethiopia: MP calls EU to end complicity with a brutal regime

December 17, 2016, 11:04 pm

≫ Next: TPLF’s New 'Agaiazian' Agenda is The Old and Worn-out 'Tigrai-Tigrigna'.

≪ Previous: EU Accused of Complicity in Human Rights Abuses in Ethiopia

By ESAT News (December 15, 2016)

A member of the European Parliament called for the European Union to end its complicity with the Ethiopian regime that kills peaceful protesters and jails journalists and political opponents.

Ana Maria Gomes made an impassioned plea to members of the European Union to end their silence over the crimes perpetrated by the regime.

Mrs. Gomes specifically mentioned the recent arrest of Dr. Merara Gudina, Chairman of the Oromo Federalist Congress, who was put behind bars after returning from Europe, where he testified at the European Parliament against the tyrannical regime in Ethiopia.

Mrs. Gomes, who reminded the Member of Parliament that the undemocratic regime in Ethiopia is the top recipient of European aid in Africa urged European governments to end complicity with the regime.

“How many Ethiopian citizens will have to die and how close Ethiopia has to come to civil war to end EU’s complicity with this Brutal and callous dictatorship?” she asked the Parliament.

MP Ana Gomes has been an ardent supporter of Ethiopians in their struggle against a brutal regime that loves to hate her.

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TPLF’s New 'Agaiazian' Agenda is The Old and Worn-out 'Tigrai-Tigrigna'.

December 17, 2016, 11:04 pm

≫ Next: (ESAT Video) Latest News in Ethiopia (Dec. 17)

≪ Previous: (Video) Ethiopia: MP calls EU to end complicity with a brutal regime

Musician Freselam Mussie holding the TPLF flag in Tigray, Ethiopia. Freselam is a victim of TPLF's new Agaiazian brainwashing agenda.

TPLF’s New “Agaiazian” Agenda is The Old and Worn-out “Tigrai-Tigrigna”.

By Abel Kebedom

If you believe the Tigrai Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) will stop surprising you, even for one minute, then you are wrong. Recently, the TPLF that deported more than 70,000 Eritreans because the color of their eyes was different, woke up from its deep sleep to find out that in fact the people of Ethiopia and Eritrea were related. To be specific, it believes the Tigrigna Speaking Eritreans are related to the Tigrigna Speaking Tigreans because they come from common ancestors called “Agaiazians”. Yes, from deep of it heart TPLF believes there are common threats to the newly named and TPLF baptized “Agaiazians. TPLF wants us to believe that the common threats are the Oromo’s, the Amhara’s and off course the Moslems and it is important for the “Agaiazians” to come together and fight their enemies.

Here you have. The TPLF that instigated a border war and killed more than 19,000 Eritreans and still continues to occupy sovereign Eritrean territories, planned and executed a failed economic, political and military siege against Eritrea suddenly woke up from its deep sleep and found out that Eritreans are in fact related to Ethiopians and particularly to Tigreans. For those who have gone through the worn-out “Tigrai-Tigrini” propaganda, TPLF’s new “Agaiazians” agenda is nothing but a laughing stock. However, for those who are new to the propaganda, investigating it a little further may not hurt at all. The propaganda is pushed at three fronts: Simerr Paltalk, Aiga forum and the so called “Agaiazianstv”.

“Simerr Paltalk”.

Some months ago the TPLF financed “Simerr Paltalk” was in turmoil. The reason for that turmoil was because some unsuspecting members of the pal talk found out that $5000 was deposited to their bank account without their knowledge. When the news leaked, it was discovered that a Woyane operative by the name Berhe Desta “Aka Pilot” was in fact the one who brought the money from TPLF and incentivized those who performed well in the pal talk. To be clear good performance in “Simerr Pal talk” is measured by the person’s effectiveness in attacking the people and government of Eritrea. Remember Berhe Desta’s (Aka Pilot) first assignment was to defame the Eritrean women fighters and undermine their contribution to the liberation of Eritrea. I bet he must have been paid a lot of money for that. By the way that explains the mind set of TPLF.

Back to the story. Based on that measurement of effectiveness, those who performed well were entitled to the $5000 TPLF incentive and were paid accordingly. As the turmoil progressed some members, obviously those who did not receive the incentive, asked for every administrator in the Pal talk to disclose his/her identity. When the question was posed to the main TPLF stooge and Bereket Simon’s personal messenger who goes by the nick name “Amiche”, he started performing a circus in the already circus filled Pal talk room. First he said he would tell his identity only to some select administrators. When pushed further, he said he was from the Tigrina Ethnic group. Again when probed further he argued that he did not have to name the country or village because the Tigrina of Eritrea were the same as the Tigrina of Tigrai. Here you have, Amiche was forced to expose the hidden “Agaiazians” agenda given to him by his TPLF bosses.

Aiga Forum

After the TPLF was totally rejected by the Oromos and Amharas, the “Agaiazians” propaganda started to get some traction in Aigaform. On September 13, 2016 a writer by the pen name “Abadi Abay” provided a detailed analysis of the “Agaiazians” agenda. Unconfirmed reports describe the person behind the commentary as being Bereket Simon. The fact that Aiga forum is considered the mouth piece of TPLF, the commentary was a clear evidence that in fact the Agazian agenda has been pushed by TPLF at the highest level. Some Eritreans were angry at the commentary and gave a rebuttal to it. Mr. Abadi Abay never responded. For those who are interested, you can read Mr. Abadi Abay’s analysis on the link below.

http://www.aigaforum.com/amharic-article-2016/one-step-forward-for-tigreans-and-eritreans.pdf

“Agaiazians” TV.

Since the commentary was published at Aiga forum, it has been common to see different TPLF operatives repeating the “Agaiazians” agenda. What is different about the YouTube based so called “Agaiaziantv” is, the propaganda is embedded in religion. The TPLF undercover uses religion to make a point about the need for the “Agaiazian” nation and openly demonizes the Muslim citzens of Eritrea and Ethiopia. This you tube TV propaganda is directed at unsuspecting youngsters in Europe who went through tough times and are clinging to religion. The Link for the “Agaiazianstv is below. https://youtu.be/tsNxi5Sam_g

Lessons to be Learned.

The “Agaiazians’ agenda has two objectives. The first objective of the propaganda is to polarize the people of Eritrea vertically. TPLF tried to divide the people of Eritrea based on ethnic groups and failed miserably. Now under the hills of such big failure, TPLF is testing the “Agaiazians” agenda. To be clear the immediate objective of Agaiazian agenda is to divide Eritreans into highlanders and lowlanders. Remember this was tried by Dergue before and failed. The second objective is to serve as a tit of tat to the Eritrean government strategy to work with Ethiopians. TPLF is telling us that if the Eritrean government continues to work with Ethiopians, it will work with Eritreans. The problem with such argument is TPLF has no credibility left in Eritrea.

Conclusion

To make sure that the regions are small enough to be governed by its divide and rule strategy TPLF, has effectively turned Ethiopia into ethnic hamlets. When the Oromos and Amharas rejected its wicked intentions, it asked the Somalis and Afars to send money and cattle to Tigreans who were allegedly expelled from Amhara administrative region. This was never done when the Amhara’s were pushed out from the Beneshangul Gumuz area and begging in the streets of Addis Ababa. The purpose of the latest TPLF strategy was simply to antagonize the Somalis and Afars with the Oromo’s and Amharas. Hence the “Agaiazians” agenda needs to be seen within such context. With the Agazian agenda, TPLF is trying to do the same in Eritrea. Divide Muslims and christens. Therefore, Eritrean Christians and Muslims, be careful of the fox in a sheep skin.

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(ESAT Video) Latest News in Ethiopia (Dec. 17)

December 17, 2016, 11:05 pm

≫ Next: Egypt-Gulf relations tested by Saudi visit to Ethiopia dam

≪ Previous: TPLF’s New 'Agaiazian' Agenda is The Old and Worn-out 'Tigrai-Tigrigna'.

Egypt-Gulf relations tested by Saudi visit to Ethiopia dam

December 20, 2016, 11:34 pm

≫ Next: TPLF’s New 'Agaiazian' Agenda is The Old and Worn-out 'Tigrai-Tigrigna'.

≪ Previous: (ESAT Video) Latest News in Ethiopia (Dec. 17)

A Saudi visit to Ethiopia and a tweet falsely attributed to a Qatari official have harmed relations between Cairo and Gulf monarchies

By MiddleEastEye

Egyptian media lashed out at Saudi Arabia over a high-level Saudi delegation visit to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) during a short trip to Ethiopia on Friday. Experts said the decision to visit the GERD was an act of revenge against Egypt that could deepen tensions between the two countries.

Ahmed al-Khateeb, a senior adviser at the Saudi royal court and board chairman of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), visited the site and met Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn and other officials to discuss GERD’s construction project.

Khateeb’s trip came after Saudi agriculture minister visited Ethiopia last week, making it the second visit by a Saudi official to Addis Ababa in less than one week.

On Saturday, Egyptian news commentator Mohamed Ali Khayr called on Riyadh to "review its policies before it can only blame itself for what ensues".

"Egypt is not obliged to continue to contain its reactions towards Saudi Arabia... any interference [by Saudi Arabia] in the GERD project implies a direct threat to Egypt’s national security," he said on Egyptian TV.

Khayr went as far as accusing Saudi policy makers of being "amateurs" that have caused bilateral relations between the two countries to completely break down as a result of this visit.

On Saturday, Ahmed Moussa, another journalist, threatened Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states that if they were to invest in Ethiopia, their investment would be lost in the Nile.

Moussa continued to condemn the visit over his talk show on Sada al-Balad, an Egyptian satellite TV channel.

"The GERD will not last forever, a volcano might erupt at any moment. So for those looking to invest billions [of dollars] in this project, your money might as well be going to waste," said Moussa.

'Egypt has many cards'

Egyptian media personalities were joined in their denunciation of the Saudi visit by several academics who voiced strong criticisms against the Gulf State for its policy.

"You will soon hear that we [Egypt] have the capacity to intervene in the Gulf region's affairs and provide support for the royals who oppose current Saudi policies," Tarek Fahmy, a lecturer at the American University in Cairo, told viewers of Sada al-Balad on Saturday.

Fahmy warned Saudi Arabia that Egypt’s patience is waning and that Cairo will no longer accept actions that threaten its national security.

"Egypt has many cards to pressure Saudi Arabia, which we have yet to use," Fahmy said.

However, he added that Cairo wanted to continue its friendly relations with its "siblings in the Gulf".

Meanwhile, Egyptian political science professor Hassan Nafaa told Daily News Egypt on Sunday that the visit was an indirect message from Saudi Arabia that it could align itself with anyone if Egypt does not comply with Saudi foreign policy.

Nafaa said the visit will likely increase tensions in Saudi-Egyptian relations, saying that Cairo would not be tolerating Saudi’s implicit support for the GERD.

The 6,000-megawatt GERD, which is not yet 70 percent complete, is situated close to Ethiopia’s border with Sudan. While Ethiopia hopes it will be able to export energy generated by the dam, Egypt has long expressed concerns that the dam might reduce the amount of Nile water it receives, thus affecting its main source of irrigation water.

Relations between Cairo and Riyadh have soured since Egypt voted in favour of a UN Security Council draft resolution by Russia regarding the Syrian civil war.

Egypt took an opposing position to Saudi Arabia by choosing to support the Syrian government and army against rebel fighters - Saudi envoy to the UN described Egypt’s vote as "painful".

Since the vote, the Saudi Arabia’s ministry of petroleum said that Aramco, the Saudi state-owned oil company, has suspended its oil aid to Egypt but that the five-year agreement is still in effect.

Egyptian officials, including president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and foreign minister Sameh Shoukry, have repeatedly denied any tension with Saudi Arabia.

Qatari-Egyptian relations shaken

As Egypt’s alliance with Saudi Arabia continues to deteriorate, bilateral relations with Qatar have also been tested in a new series of obstacles.

Tensions grew after a Qatari national wrote on Twitter that Qatar will no longer be issuing work permits for Egyptians.

"Qatar has been extremely patient in regard to Egypt’s 'dirty' policies. It is now time for pay back," he added in the tweet.

After the tweet was mistakenly ascribed to deputy Qatari minister of trade Sultan bin Rashed al-Khater, news of Qatar’s "new policies" spread across Egyptian media platforms with Egyptian commentators condemning the alleged move as an official decision to deny Egyptians entry into the Gulf state.

Spokesperson for the Egyptian prime ministry, Ashraf Sultan, issued a statement denying that Egyptian labourers had been expelled from Saudi Arabia and Qatar and confirming that the news was only a rumour.

In a television interview on Egyptian satellite TV channel Al’asima 2, Sultan said, "We are completely transparent when it comes to information we receive. Any changes would be communicated directly to you all."

Sultan said citizens should verify information before circulating it to avoid the spread of rumours such as this, reported Elwehda Arabic news website.

At the same time, the minister of manpower, Mohammed Saafan, denied reports that Qatar had decided to reject applications by Egyptians for work permits, adding that there were 150,000 Egyptians working in Qatar at the moment.

Saafan said he met with the Qatari minister of labour on Thursday to discuss the rights of Egyptian workers in Qatar, highlighting that Egyptian-Qatari relations continue to be fully respectful.

Meanwhile, Egyptian commentator Jaber al-Qarmouty condemned the Egyptian media for circulating the tweet and building false reports upon it.

"Circulating information without verifying it has resulted in disastrous ramifications, which in this case can only be considered a slap in face of Egyptian media personalities," Elwehda news website quoted Qarmouty as saying.

Relations between Qatar and Egypt have been shaken since Doha showed support for former Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi – who was ousted in a military coup led by then General Abdel Fatah al-Sisi. Qatar has also voiced support for Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, which was outlawed by Cairo.

Egypt has accused Qatar of using state-funded Al Jazeera news network to tint the image of Egypt’s military by publishing news and documentaries that show the army in a negative light.

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TPLF’s New 'Agaiazian' Agenda is The Old and Worn-out 'Tigrai-Tigrigna'.

December 20, 2016, 11:38 pm

≫ Next: TPLF’s decades long “Divide and Rule policy” cracking the Ethiopian Diaspora

≪ Previous: Egypt-Gulf relations tested by Saudi visit to Ethiopia dam

Musician Freselam Mussie holding the TPLF flag in Tigray, Ethiopia. Freselam is a victim of TPLF's new Agaiazian brainwashing agenda.

TPLF’s New “Agaiazian” Agenda is The Old and Worn-out “Tigrai-Tigrigna”.

By Abel Kebedom

“Simerr Paltalk”.

Aiga Forum

http://www.aigaforum.com/amharic-article-2016/one-step-forward-for-tigreans-and-eritreans.pdf

“Agaiazians” TV.

Lessons to be Learned.

Conclusion

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TPLF’s decades long “Divide and Rule policy” cracking the Ethiopian Diaspora

December 20, 2016, 11:41 pm

≫ Next: (ESAT Video) Latest News in Ethiopia (Dec. 20)

≪ Previous: TPLF’s New 'Agaiazian' Agenda is The Old and Worn-out 'Tigrai-Tigrigna'.

TPLF’s decades long “Divide and Rule policy” cracking the Ethiopian Diaspora opposition once again

By Muluken Gebeyew

After 25 years of brutal ruling, TPLF has been severely shaken by the new generation peaceful struggle launched in the last one year. The youth, mostly born and brought up in the last 25 years have rebelled against TPLF’s ideology, policy and oppressive regime.

The youth in Gondar demonstration cracked the strong wall, the famous TPLF’s “divide and rule policy” when they said “Stop killing our Oromo brothers”, “Oromo’s blood is my blood”. This galvanised the existing Oromo youth’s peaceful struggle. The country was caught by spirit of change and the whole Ethiopia was “on fire”. TPLF tried every means to quash the struggle but failed. TPLF forced to launch “State of Emergency”.

Sadly, some vocal Diaspora political activists poured cold water on the struggle of the domestic youth by immersing themselves and actively engaging pro-TPLF activities. Instead of learning from the past 25 years weakness, once again the Diaspora politicians who consider themselves as “the leader” instead of “supporter” prepared to eat the fruits of the youth’s revolution before it ripe. Instead of working in partnership and uniting the opposition force against TPLF, some went far to be in the TPLF casino to play the age old games. Some declared how to disjoint Ethiopia; some others called conferences of single ethnic group as if the rest of Ethiopian nationals are “foreign” or not oppressed by TPLF led regime. Even those who are known for their Ethiopian agenda shamefully goes to micro division in ethnicity. Some launched war against ESAT, the most important alternative voice of Ethiopian people.

ESAT has been dong great job in fighting the TPLF propaganda and being the voice of the voiceless. ESAT can have its weakness but to launch war against ESAT is betrayal against the Ethiopian people and prolonging TPLF rule.

TPLF survived from death bed by this Diaspora based political activists betrayal of the domestic youth revolution. The strong wall of “divide and rule ” policy which was cracked by the domestic youths unfortunately well mended by the vocally active Diaspora political activists.
TPLF, of course invested all its resources for such to divide the Diaspora political activism from proactively supporting the popular movement at home. TPLF’s paid mercenaries are able to infiltrate the Diasporas political activism and trapped it in their decade long “divide them by their ethnicity and religion, weaken them and rule” policy.

Once again, lets learn from our mistakes we have been doing again and again. Lets listen what the youths at home told us to work in partnership and unit our force against TPLF. Our role is not to “lead” but to “support” the home based struggle.

Ethiopia is home for all of us. We can build a country where no one is discriminated by ethnicity, religion, gender, ability, age, political opinion or other factors. The common enemy which is killing and imprisoning Ethiopians is TPLF.

Never abandon those brothers and sisters at home fighting TPLF’s led regime. Never give up. Had our forefathers gave up due to the might of Italian military forces, we would have been different people and our identity lost.

Open your eyes and ears, let’s listen the people back home and support the struggle in united approach! Let’s stand and work together to be owners of our country!

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(ESAT Video) Latest News in Ethiopia (Dec. 20)

December 20, 2016, 11:44 pm

≫ Next: ONLF reports daily clashes with TPLF regime forces in Ogaden

≪ Previous: TPLF’s decades long “Divide and Rule policy” cracking the Ethiopian Diaspora

ONLF reports daily clashes with TPLF regime forces in Ogaden

December 20, 2016, 11:58 pm

≫ Next: Why Do Ethiopians Trivialize Truth and Tolerate Lies?

≪ Previous: (ESAT Video) Latest News in Ethiopia (Dec. 20)

By ESAT News

The Ogaden News Agency reported that heavy fighting took place between the Ogaden National Liberation Army (ONLA) and TPLF regime forces in Ogaden.

“TPLF regime forces were engaged in harassment activities around the Dumodlay Village of Qabri-dahar district including rape, beatings, and arbitrary detention,” the report said.

The Ogaden National Liberation Army attacked the regime’s forces in Dumodlay Village on the 15th of December, 2016 and has caused considerable damage against regime forces, killing 6 soldiers and wounded 8 others, according to ONA.

The TPLF regime in Ethiopia has been accused of perpetrating numerous human rights violations in the Ogaden region, as documented by human rights groups.

“Ogaden is war-zone and the conflict between ONLF Army and TPLF regime forces is on daily basis,” the report further said.

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