Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea Headlines
Jimma Times
Pre-inauguration celebration for Obama
The Ethiopian Embassy in Washington D.C. is hosting a pre-inauguration celebration event for President-Elect Barrack Obama and Vice President Elect Joseph Biden Jr. at the historic President James Monroe Mansion on Sunday evening, where several government officials are invited. The expensive event labelled "Foreign Diplomats Inaugural Ball" will feature continental cuisine from African countries and live performances by famous Ghana drummer Asante Okyerema and Ethiopian-born and Grammy-nominated artist, Wayna.
According to some reports, Ethiopian opposition party supporters and Eritrean government supporters are planning to hold a protest rally in front of Ethiopian embassy and near the pre-inauguration celebration hosted by the Ethiopian government. The United States government closed the Eritrean Embassy after a diplomatic dispute between the two countries.
Threat of Meningitis Outbreak
A Jimma Times source in the capital described growing fears of a Meningitis outbreak threatening the country the next couple of months. Ethiopia occasionally suffers from the disease during the hot and dusty weeks before the rainy season.
Health officials also warned of a possible epidemic unless the government makes necessary preparations and implements comprehensive prevention and control strategies.
Somalis, Ethiopians missing at the Sea
Only 130 passengers managed to swim ashore after three ships loaded with about 420 Somalis and Ethiopians capsized off the coast of Yemen on Saterday.
A U.N. official said dozens of the survivors were rescued by Yemeni coast guards despite bad weather. The hundreds missing are feared dead from drowning. Every year hundreds of migrants from Somalia and Ethiopia die while trying to reach Yemen, with most drowning or being attacked by smugglers in the dangerous waters separating Somalia and the Arabian peninsula.
Legal path closed for Birtukan
The imprisoned chairwoman of the Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ) opposition party, Judge Birtukan Mideksa, has been denied legal assistance, according to a JT source. Thousands of Ethiopians around the world held demonstrations demanding the release of Birtukan and other prisoners this week.
The Ethiopian government has allegedly closed the legal path saying that Birtukan previously rejected lawyers during her initial imprisonment three years ago and her current detainment is only due to her retraction of an alleged apology she made.
Obama Cabinet's first statement on Somalia
The Bush adminstration has been pushing for a United Nations peacekeeping force to help the AU force in Somalia since last month. Ethiopian troops are gradually withdrawing from Somalia according to the Djibouti agreement of power sharing signed between Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and opposition groups led by the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS).
However, Obama's administration indicated its first position this week, with the incoming US Ambassador to UN Susan Rice stressing Somalia's unstabe condition to allow a UN peacekeeping mission. On Saturday Shabaab insurgents attacked AU peacekeepers but casualities were not reported.
The relatively stable and autonomous Somalia region of Puntland elected Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed Farole as its new leader and he appointed a new cabinet this week.
Chrismas incident
According to a JT source, the local government in Dire Dawa has promised to bring participants of the Christmas religious clash to court. The incident occurred when angered Ethiopian Muslim youth confronted several Orthodox Christians who were disturbing the neighborhood with loud singing during nights of Christmas week.
According to new reports, the violence has led to a new total of 25 people injured and one dead. So far, no one has been put in jail.
Haile takes gold but misses record
Multi Olympic and world champion Haile Gebrselassie raced to another victory in the Dubai Marathon this week but he failed to break his own world record. Haile finished in 2 hours 5:29 minutes, in a marathon sweep for Ethiopia. Bezunesh Bekele won the women race finishing in 2:24:02.
In another Dubai event, Eritreans Habtai Kifestsion and Mousie Weldemichael clocked the same time of 30:12 in a spectacular finish to win the Men's 10k.
