Meles Zenawi Lost at Least 15 Aagazi Soldiers in Today’s Fighting in Mogadishu (shabelle.net, 03/29/07) "Mogadishu 29, March.07 ( Sh.M.Network) At least 15 Ethiopian soldiers have been killed and others were wounded in the latest fighting raged in the Somalia capital Mogadishu, witnesses told Shabelle radio on late Thursday. The casualty on the other side was unclear but sources close to the insurgents say there are fighters killed and wounded in the battle. Some reports say that the Ethiopian forces retreated after one of its trucks was burnt by the militia." EDITORIAL NOTE: Warning- Horrific GRAPHIC IMAGES 

Cousins Meles Zenawi and Isaias Afeworki Bickering Over "Commander of Mercenary Forces Medallion"; Ethiopian Patriots on the March to Victory. (mg.co.za, 03/29/07) "Ethiopia accused Eritrea on Thursday of arming anti-Ethiopian rebels and urged the United Nations to take action against its long-time Horn of Africa foe. Eritrean officials were not immediately available to comment, but always deny such allegations. 
Addis Ababa and Asmara have routinely fired harsh rhetoric at each other since a 1998 to 2000 border war killed 70 000 people. But tensions have climbed higher in recent months amid conflict in neighbouring Somalia and a kidnapping near their frontier."

Ethiopia Muslim Militants Kill Evangelist ; More Violence Feared (spcm.org, 03/29/07) "ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA (BosNewsLife)— An Ethiopian evangelist was beaten to death by militant Muslims as he and two young women were evangelizing in the Ethiopian city of of Jimma, and there were fears the incident could spark widespread violence against Christian believers, Christian rights investigators said Thursday, March 29. The influential US-based human rights group International Christian Concern (ICC) with website www.persecution.org, said the evangelist, identified as Tedase, was killed Monday, March 26 after being attacked by « extremists. » It said the troubles began when Tedase and two female coworkers « were conducting street evangelism on Merkato Street » near a ’Wahabbi’ Mosque in Jimma." RELATED STORY: Ethiopian Evangelist Beaten to Death by Militant Moslem (persecution.org, 03/29/07) 

Somali Islamists Allege Suicide Bomber Killed 72 Meles Zenawi Soldiers (sudantribune.com, 03/28/07) "March 28, 2007 (DOHA) — According to Al-Jazeera TV an Islamist Somali group alleged killing 72 Ethiopian soldiers by a Somali suicide bomber. The pan Arab chain said the videotape shows a suicide bomber reading his will, but didn’t confirmed the attack. The Pan-Arab Satellite TV, Al-Jazeera, reported on Tuesday March 27 it had obtained a videotape that was posted by a Somali group calling itself (Harakat Shabab al-Mujahidin) the Mujahidin Youth Movement. The group said the tape shows a person called Adam Sallad Adam carrying out a suicide operation, during which he detonates a booby-trapped car in a camp for the Ethiopian forces."

Eritrean Football Players Request Asylum in Angola (news.bbc.co.uk, 03/27/07) "Six Eritrean footballers have requested asylum in Angola after their 2008 African Cup of Nations qualifier a United Nations official has said. "I can confirm there are these six football players and they requested asylum here. They are in the custody of the Angolan authorities," the official said, requesting anonymity. Neither the UN High Commissioner for Refugees nor the Angolan football federation were immediately available for comment."

18 Meles Zenawi Soldiers Captured by Insurgents Handed Over to Clan Elders in Mogadishu (english.people.com.cn, 03/27/07) "Clan elders handed over eighteen soldiers captured during recent fighting in the Somali capital Mogadishu between fighters from the Hawiye clan and Somali transitional government troops backed by Ethiopian soldiers to their sub-clans, said Abdullahi Sheikh Hassan, a spokesman for Hawiye clan, on Monday. "The Somali government says that no soldiers are missing from their rank. That is why we have handed them over to their respective clans," Hassan confirmed to Xinhua.," RELATED STORY: Somali Clan Frees Aagazi Prisoners of War (uk.reuters.com, 03/26/07)

Smugglers 'Drown' Scores of Ethiopians and Somalis in Yemen (news.bbc.co.uk, 03/26/07) "At least 29 migrants have died after smugglers forced them at knife-point to jump into the sea off the coast of Yemen, the UN refugee agency has said. The UNHCR said another 71 people - from Somalia and Ethiopia - were missing after Thursday's incident. Some of the 293 survivors said the smugglers ordered some 450 migrants to jump when their boats hit rough seas near the coast town of Ras al-Kalb." RELATED STORY: Up to 100 Somalis, Ethiopians Feared Drowned-U.N (uk.reuters.com, 03/26/07) EDITORIAL NOTE: Meles Zenawi will be held accountable for these acts of barbaric brutality.

Terror Database Has Quadrupled In Four Years: U.S. Watch Lists Are Drawn From Massive Clearinghouse (washingtonpost.com, 03/25/07) "Each day, thousands of pieces of intelligence information from around the world -- field reports, captured documents, news from foreign allies and sometimes idle gossip -- arrive in a computer-filled office in McLean, where analysts feed them into the nation's central list of terrorists and terrorism suspects." EDITORIAL NOTE: We urge Ethiopian refugees driven out of their homeland by Meles Zenawi's brutal neo-fascist regime; and seeking asylum and refuge in the the U.S.A. (not to be paranoid but) to seek legal advice through the 'Freedom of Information Act' and to be certain that Zenawi has not placed their names on his 'Terrorist List' and submitted to Secretary Condoleezza Rice. Zenawi, the pathological lair and "US partner in counter-terrorism" has already planted the seeds of terror by dragging the peoples of Ethiopia and U.S.A. into yet another quagmire in East Africa. Meles Zenawi and cohorts are the ONLY terrorist that exist in Ethiopia today! The struggle to peacefully establish democratic governance in Ethiopia will continue. We shall overcome tyrants!

It is Time to Judge Ethiopia’s Invasion of Somalia (saylac.com, 03/25/07) " At the end of last year, when the Ethiopian troops ousted the Islamic Courts fighters and entered Mogadishu without warfare, many politicians, analysts and reporters euphorically hailed the speedy success of the Ethiopian invading troops. Their exultant judgement was: Ethiopia has won the war; Islamic fighters have been defeated; no save heaven for terrorists; a legitimate government is now in charge. They have conveniently forgotten that Somalia’s affairs are infinitely complicated and ignored how Ethiopia’s invasion would aggravate the matter."

Mogadishu Clan Leaders Say Ceasefire in Place (uk.reuters.com, 03/25/07) "MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Leaders of the dominant clan in Somalia's violence-torn capital said on Sunday a shaky, three-day-old ceasefire remained in place after talks with Ethiopian soldiers who back the interim government. Hawiye elders have been negotiating with the government and Ethiopian military since about 20 people died last week in the worst violence in Mogadishu since a war to oust militant Islamists began earlier this year. The upsurge in violence, which saw some dead soldiers dragged through the streets, came after the government launched a campaign to disarm parts of Mogadishu."

Another Delay in Trial of Former NSU Professor Yacob Hailemariam in Ethiopia (content.hamtonroads.com, 03/23/07) "Yet another delay occurred today in the Ethiopian trial of Yacob Hailemariam, a former Norfolk State University business professor arrested after 2005 election protests in his home country. That means he and more than 70 co-defendants facing treason and genocide charges must wait to hear whether they'll be released or their trial will continue. They deny the charges, calling them politically motivated, and Amnesty International has labeled them "prisoners of conscience." If convicted, Hailemariam has said, he could be sentenced to death."

Eritrea Expels Head of UN Mission in Eritrea, Ethiopia (zeenews.com, 03/23/07) "Addis Ababa, March 23: Eritrea has expelled the head of the United Nations Mission in Eritrea and Ethiopia (Unmee), mine action co-ordination centre (MACC), the public information office of Unmee said. The office said Unmee had received a communication from the Eritrean authorities informing the mission of the government's decision to request David Bax, programme manager of Unmee-Macc, to leave the country "for good" before March 20, 2007. It added that Unmee does not agree with this decision or the rationale given, but has complied with the expulsion order and the head has already left Eritrea."

Cargo Plane is Shot Down in Somalia (chron.com, 03/23/07) "MOGADISHU, Somalia — A cargo plane that had delivered equipment for Ugandan peacekeepers in the Somali capital was shot down by a missile during takeoff Friday, the owner of the plane said. A witness said the aircraft crashed in flames after one of its wings fell into the Indian Ocean. The fate of the 11-member crew was unknown." RELATED STORIES:  Rocket Brings Down Cargo Plane Over Mogadishu (news.yahoo.com -afp- 03/23/07) 'Truce' After Somali Gun Battle (news.bbc.co.uk, 03/23/07) Kenya Deported More Than 100 People to Somalia and Ethiopia (signonsandiego.com, 03/23/07) Plane Shot Down in Somalia; 11 Crew Members Die (news.yahoo.com, 03/24/07)

Plane Crashes in Somali Capital (news.bbc.co.uk, 03/23/07) "A plane has crashed shortly after taking off from an airport in the Somali capital, Mogadishu. Local witnesses said they saw columns of smoke on the ground. The cause of the crash and the type of aircraft were not immediately known. One reporter said he saw a missile hit the plane but this is not confirmed." RELATED STORY: Plane Crashes on Third Day of Mogadishu Clashes (news.scotsman.com -reuters- 03/23/07)

Fresh Clashes in Mogadishu Shatter Short Truce (news.yahoo.com -afp- 03/23/07) "MOGADISHU (AFP) - Fighting erupted for a third straight day in Mogadishu Friday, breaking a ceasefire agreement between Somalia's powerful Hawiye clan and the Ethiopian army made only hours earlier. At least 24 people have been killed and hundreds more wounded this week in the heaviest fighting since the government and its Ethiopian allies drove out rival Islamists from Mogadishu three months ago."

Anger at US 'Rendition' of Refugees Who Fled Somalia (news.independent.co.uk, 03/23/07) "At least 150 people arrested in Kenya after fleeing violence in Somalia have been secretly flown to Somalia and Ethiopia, where they are being held incommunicado in underground prisons, human rights groups say. It is alleged they were questioned by US and British officials. Flight manifests seen by The Independent show that three charter planes left Nairobi for Somalia's capital Mogadishu, and Baidoa, the seat of parliament, in January and February, carrying around 80 people suspected of links with al-Qa'ida. The flights left at night, and the manifests appear to have been filled in hastily with many of the details, including the plane's destination, left blank."

This Meles Zenawi soldier was captured by insurgents in the Shirkole neighbourhood, AFP news agency reports.

Heavy Fighting Spreads Through Somali Capital, Residents Flee (news.yahoo.com -afp- 03/22/-7) "MOGADISHU (AFP) - Somali troops backed by Ethiopian tanks Thursday exchanged heavy mortar and machine-gun fire with insurgents for a second straight day in Mogadishu, leaving a trail of casualties and violence showing no sign of let-up. A day after at least 21 people were killed, according to a new toll, including soldiers who were dragged and burned in the streets, Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi ordered civilians to leave areas in southern Mogadishu "for security reasons"." RELATED STORIES: Mogadishu Anguish- Pictures of the unrest forcing residents to flee Somalia's capital (bbc.com, 03/22/07) Mogadishu Street Battles Rage for Second Day (guardian.co.uk, 03/22/07) Battles Resume in Somali Capital (news.bbc.co.uk, 03/22/07)  Deadly Clashes in Somalia's Capital Mogadishu- BBC Video   Fighting Rages On in Mogadishu (uk, resters.com, 03/22/07) 15 Die When Somalis Try to Disarm Rebels (nytimes.com, 03/22/07)

"Onlookers surround the body of a Somali soldier who was killed during heavy fighting against Somali fighters in Mogadishu. Angry crowds burned the bodies of two dead soldiers in Mogadishu on Wednesday, where fighting claimed some 14 lives, while the Somali Islamist leader defended the capital's bloody insurgency." (AFP/SHABELLE)

Insurgents Drag Soldiers' Corpses Through Mogadishu (news.yahoo.com -reuters- 03/21/07) "MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somali insurgents dragged soldiers' bodies through the streets of Mogadishu before burning them on Wednesday in heavy fighting that killed at least 16 people and injured scores more, witnesses said. The corpses of five soldiers -- either from the Somali government army or their Ethiopian allies -- were desecrated during some of the worst clashes in the lawless capital since the interim government took over in December, witnesses said." RELATED STORIES: Rebels Drag Soldiers' Bodies Through Mogadishu Streets (guardian.co.uk, 03/21/07) Blood on the Mogadishu Streets (Reuters Video)  Islamist Leader Defends Mogadishu Insurgency as Troops Burned (news.yahoo.com -afp- 03/21/07) Somalia's Complex Conflict (news.bbc.co.uk, 03/21/07)

Somalia Tops List of Countries Where Minorities Most Under Threat: 2007 Report (minorityrights.org, 03/20/07) "Somalia is the world's most dangerous country for minority communities and has overtaken Iraq to top a global ranking of countries where minorities are most under threat, Minority Rights Group International (MRG) says in a new global survey. Fierce fighting and the threat of state repression have seen Somalia, Iraq and Sudan lead this year's ranking of 'Peoples under Threat', which is a major feature of MRG's annual 'State of the World's Minorities' report. Last year Iraq led the list and Somalia was in third place. 'A new government in Somalia has raised hopes for democracy, but it is also a uniquely dangerous time. There is the spectre of a return of large-scale clan violence - and groups that supported the old order are now under tremendous threat," Mark Lattimer, Director of MRG says."

AU Commander in Somalia Pleads for More Troops (news.yahoo.com -afp- 03/20/07) "MOGADISHU (AFP) - The commander of African Union forces in Somalia pleaded on Tuesday for reinforcements as the AU's security chief paid a flying visit to volatile Mogadishu. Major General Levy Karuhanga called for more troops after meeting with AU security chief Said Djinnit, who was in the coastal capital for a one-day visit under high security." 

Heavy Mortar Fire Rocks Somali Port as AU Tanks Arrive (news.yahoo.com -afp- 03/19/07) "MOGADISHU (AFP) - Mortar shells crashed onto Mogadishu's port on Monday, triggering heavy fighting between insurgents and Somali troops, as military hardware arrived by sea for African peacekeepers. The artillery duel, which killed at least two people and wounded six others, came hours after Somali and African Union troops from Uganda had secured the port in southern Mogadishu ahead of the arrival of the military equipment."

Mortars Kill Two in Somalia Capital (alertnet.org -reuters- 03/19/07) "MOGADISHU, March 19 (Reuters) - A barrage of mortar bombs on the Somali capital Mogadishu late on Monday killed at least two people and wounded several in what residents said was the heaviest bombardment for weeks. A mother and daughter died in one neighbourhood as more than 20 rounds crashed into areas including the Bakara Market, the police transport headquarters and streets around the seaport where Ugandan peacekeepers earlier set up defences. "Six mortars were fired at the seaport, but they missed," said resident Osman Ibrahim." RELATED STORY: Mortar Blasts Shake Somali Capital (cnn.com -ap- 03/18/07)

Human Rights Sentence in Djibouti (news.bbc.co.uk, 03/19/07) "A court in Djibouti has sentenced a human rights activist to serve six months in jail for defaming a presidential guard. Jean Paul Noel Abdi, who heads Djibouti League of Human Rights, was also fined $360 for accusing the soldier of rape."

Somali Insurgents Step Up Attacks in Mogadishu (news.yahoo.com -afp- 03/18/07) "MOGADISHU (AFP) - Gunmen stepped up attacks in Somalia's capital on Sunday, killing a civilian and wounding 11 others, hours after a police chief was shot dead in the southern port of Kismayo. In Mogadishu, a barrage of mortar shells crashed down into a civilian district after missing their target in the seaport, where an African Union-chartered freighter carrying military hardware is expected to dock." RELATED STORY: 2 Killed in Mortar Attack in Somalia (news.yahoo.com -afp- 03/18/07)

Somali Insurgents Mortar Seaport (washingtonpost.com -AP- 03/18/07) "MOGADISHU, Somalia -- Insurgents struck the Somali capital's seaport and former intelligence quarters with mortar and artillery fire, wounding at least six people who were caught in fighting that drew in Ethiopian and government troops, witnesses said Sunday. Mortar attacks were launched against four separate areas in the violent capital, where attacks against the transitional government are growing more sophisticated and deadly."

FBI Insisted on Using Questionable Methods for Getting Records: Washington Post Report (news.yahoo.com -afp 03/18/07) "WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US Federal Bureau of Investigation ignored warnings by lawyers and continued using questionable procedures to obtain the telephone records of thousands of Americans as part of its counterterrorism probes, The Washington Post reported Sunday." RELATED STORY: Plame Says Administration 'Recklessly' Revealed Her (washingtonpost.com, 03/17/07)

Meles Zenawi's Regime Working to Close Falashmura Emigration Camp in Gondar (haaretz.com, 03/17/07) "The Ethiopian government is working to close a camp in Gondar province used as a center for emigration to Israel. Last week, the governor of Gondar province issued a closure order on the camp, following complaints by Christian residents of the area against the camp's activities. The order's implementation was delayed by organizations working for the immigration of Falashmura Ethiopians to Israel."

Robert Mugabe a tyrant to the core. Getty Images

African Union Calls on Zimbabwe to Respect Human Rights (news.yahoo.com -afp- 03/17/07) "AU commission chief Alpha Oumar Konare "recalls the need for the scrupulous respect for human rights and democratic principles in Zimbabwe," the pan-African body said in a statement. "He urges all concerned parties to commence a sincere and constructive dialogue in order to resolve the problems facing Zimbabwe." The statement said that Konare had followed recent developments in Zimbabwe with "great concern."" RELATED STORIES: AU Concern at Zimbabwe Violence (news.bbc.co.uk, 03/17/07) The Wasteland - Inside Mugabe's Crumbling State (guardian.co.uk, 03/17/07) Mugabe Says Critics Can 'Go Hang' (news.yahoo.com -afp- 03/15/07) EDITORIAL NOTE: Duplicitous African bureaucrats engaging in empty rhetoric against Mugabe while turning a blind eye to Meles Zenawi's slaughter of hundreds of Ethiopians right under their noses, in Addis Abeba. Shame on Alpha Oumar Konare and collaborators!

Meles Zenawi Troops Reportedly to Remain in Somali Capital (sudantribune.com, 03/17/07) "March 16, 2007 (MOGADISHU) — A Mogadishu based electronic news journal said that Somali President discussed wit the visiting Ethiopian Foreign Minister ways to maintain Ethiopian troops in the Somali Capital within the framework of the African peacekeeping forces. Ethiopian foreign minister Seyoum Mesfin who was in a two-day visit to Mogadishu told the press before his departure that the remaining Ethiopian troops in Somalia will immediately withdraw from Somalia. Although the Somalitalk.com reported that they will remain and participate in peacekeeping operations of the country, especially in Mogadishu."

'Fascism is in Fashion' in Russia as is Neo-Fascism in Ethiopia (guardian.co.uk, 03/17/07) "Murdered journalist Anna Politkovskaya was fearless in her pursuit of truth. In this shocking extract from her final book, she chronicles the death of Russian democracy. The day of the elections to the Duma, the [same] day Putin began his campaign for re-election as president. In the morning he manifested himself at a polling station. He was cheerful, elated even, and a little nervous. This was unusual: as a rule he is sullen. With a broad smile, he informed those assembled that his beloved Labrador, Connie, had had puppies during the night."

Sadr Urges Followers to Resist U.S. Forces; Thousands Rally (washingtonpost.com, 03/17/07) "BAGHDAD, March 16 -- Firebrand Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Friday called upon followers inside his stronghold of Sadr City to resist U.S. forces who are trying to stabilize the capital. Officials in his organization said the cleric was advocating a peaceful uprising. "Raise your voices, all of you loving your brothers and united against your enemy saying as your leader taught you, 'No America, no Israel, no, no Satan,' by standing and demonstrating that way," Sadr said in a message distributed at the Kufa mosque in southern Iraq, according to a translation by the Washington-based SITE Institute, which tracks militant groups."

Nobel Winner Warns U.N. on Darfur (news.yahoo.com -ap- 03/16/07) "GENEVA - Nobel peace laureate Jody Williams warned the U.N. Human Rights Council on Friday that its credibility would suffer if it refuses to consider a report accusing Sudan of orchestrating atrocities in Darfur. Williams, who led the U.N. team that wrote the report, rejected criticism from Muslim and African nations on the council that the report lacked credibility because the investigators never visited Darfur. The document was drawn up outside the country after Sudan refused to grant the team visas."

American's Imprisonment in Ethiopia Raises New Questions on Handling of Suspected 'Terrorists' (kansas.com, 03/16/07) "NAIROBI, Kenya _ A U.S. citizen who was caught fleeing the recent fighting in Somalia was questioned about links to al Qaida by the FBI in Kenya, then secretly sent back to the war-ravaged country, where he was turned over to Ethiopian forces. Amir Mohamed Meshal, 24, is now imprisoned in Ethiopia, where the State Department's 2006 human rights report says "conditions in prisons and pre-trial detention centers remain very poor" and "there were numerous credible reports that security officials often beat or mistreated detainees.""

193 Meles Zenawi Troops Killed in Rebel Attack in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia - Statement (sudantribune.com, 03/16/07) "March 15, 2007 (ADDIS ABABA) — Two Ethiopian rebel groups have claimed jointly 193 government’s soldiers in an attack the governmental army in north-western Ethiopia last week. The Tigray People’s Democratic Movement and the Southern Ethiopian Peoples’ Front for Justice and Equality — both Ethiopian rebel groups — have said they killed nearly two hundred regular soldiers in a joint operation they carried out on 8 March."

House Blast Kills Somalia Family (news.bbc.co.uk, 03/16/07) "Seven people have died in Somalia in a suspected bombing attack on the outskirts of the capital, Mogadishu. A BBC correspondent says four children were killed in the blast in Afgoye town, where people were seeking safety after escaping the war-torn capital. Police suspect a bomb may have gone off but investigations are ongoing, said local police chief Aden Obile Ahmed. RELATED STORY: Somali President Prohibits Islamists From Attending the National Assembly (shabelle.net, 03/16/07) 

Meles Zeawi's Aagazi Occupation Forces Must Go Say Somalis (mg.co.za, 03/16/07) "Between June and December 2006, Mogadishu and most of south-central Somalia enjoyed relative peace after the notorious warlords who devastated the country were routed by the Islamic Courts. The courts swiftly stabilised the capital and won people’s hearts by providing much-needed security. Regrettably, the law and order restored by the courts was destroyed when Ethiopian forces invaded the country in December with the support of the United States." RELATED STORY: US Asks Somalia, 'Where Do You Think You're Going?' (vueweekly.com, 03/15/07)

IFJ Calls for Release of Journalists Imprisoned in Eritrea, Ethiopia (sudantribune.com, 03/15/07) "March 15, 2007 — The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today renewed its call for the release of journalists in Eritrea and Ethiopia who have been held for years without trial in deplorable conditions and denied any contact with lawyers or their families. “Eritrea and Ethiopia are both creating a lasting legacy of human rights abuse and intolerance for free expression that is not just taking a toll on society but also on the health and well being of the journalists they have detained for an unconscionably long time,” said Gabriel Baglo, Director of the IFJ Africa Office."

Night Vigil for Ethiopia Hostages (news.bbc.co.uk, 03/15/07) "Ethiopia's British community is to hold a vigil on Thursday night for eight Ethiopians still being held captive after their kidnap in the Afar region. There has been concern over the safety of the Ethiopians who were taken hostage along with five British embassy workers earlier this month." RELATED STORY: Ethiopia Kidnap Group Back in UK (bbc.co.uk, 03/15/07)

World Must Act on Darfur to Prevent Spread of Extremism: Blair (news.yahoo.com -afp- 03/15/07) "LONDON (AFP) - The international community should take a "far tougher line" against Sudan over atrocities in Darfur to prevent extremism spreading across Africa, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Thursday. In an interview on Sky News television which focused mainly on Iraq, Blair offered a robust defence of his views on combating radicalism and said countries needed to act to prevent future security threats." EDITORIAL NOTE: We Urge Misters Tony Blair and George W. Bush to dethrone Meles Zenawi, the Eritrean Tribal supremacist they installed in Addis Abeba to prevent the exponential spreading of Ethiopian patriotic fervor before it is too late.  We surmise that they already have a taste of what is to come in Ethiopia and Somalia. Neo-colonialism will not hold! Democracy for the Ethiopian people NOW or else!

Propaganda War Over Zenawi-Afeworki Kidnap 'Victims' (news.independent.co.uk, 03/15/07) "Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of masterminding the kidnap of five Europeans and eight Ethiopians, less than 24 hours after the Westerners were released. The charge came as the Europeans, all linked to the British embassy in Addis Ababa, put out a statement saying they were treated well by their captors. Ethiopia rarely misses an opportunity to accuse its neighbour of terrorism. But while the three Britons, one Italian and one French woman were still missing, Meles Zenawi's government was careful not to point the finger. Britain asked Ethiopia to refrain from making any statements that might inflame the situation." RELATED STORY: ARDUF Dismisses Eritrea's
Accusation as Absurd (ethiomedia.com 03/15/07)

PRESS RELEASE TORONTO ETHIOPIAN RADIO Posted 03/15/07)

Meles Zenawi and Isias Afeworki, Two Eritrean Terrorist Tyrants Accuse Each Other of Terrorism and Kidnappings to Distract International Attention From Their Autocratic Regimes' Brutality (cnn.com -ap- 03/14/07) "ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) -- Ethiopia accused neighboring Eritrea Wednesday of masterminding the kidnapping of five Europeans and eight Ethiopians, describing it as an act of terrorism and fueling tension between the bitter rivals. The accusation came 24 hours after the Europeans were released from their 13-day hostage ordeal and taken to the British Embassy in Asmara, the Eritrean capital. They said Wednesday they had been treated well by their captors, but the Ethiopians who were with them are still missing, with fears mounting over their safety." EDITORIAL NOTE: Just remember Meles Zenawi and Seyoum Mesfin told the world they knew from the get go where the 'kidnap victims' were being held. This incident was not about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The two tyrants crafted this operation because they want the 'Ethio-Eritrea' boundary line physically demarcated ASAP.

Britons Seized in Ethiopia Freed in Eritrea (news.bbc.co.uk, 03/13/07) "A group of British embassy workers kidnapped in northern Ethiopia 12 days ago have been released, Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett has said. The workers - four Britons and one French citizen - had been released into the care of the authorities in Eritrea, she said. Mrs Beckett said they were safe and were "broadly all in good health"." RELATED STORY: Relief at Release of Hostages in Ethiopia (news.yahoo.com -afp- 03/13/07)

No Demands So Far for Ethiopia Captives (news.yahoo.com -ap- 03/12/07) "ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - Ethiopia's prime minister said Monday that officials have a good idea of the whereabouts of five Europeans kidnapped in one of the country's most remote, inhospitable regions. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi added that he did not believe their captors, who had made no demands, had specifically targeted the five, all of whom worked for or were relatives of employees of the British Embassy in Ethiopia."

ZIMBABWE: More Arrests, Tension Rises (alertnet.org -reuters- 03/12/07) "HARARE, 12 March (IRIN) - Zimbabwean police arrested 240 more pro-democracy supporters on Monday as they protesed the killing of an opposition party member and the crackdown on civil rights groups and political parties. More than 140 opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) supporters were arrested in the eastern city of Mutare, about 300km from the capital, Harare, on Monday as pressure mounted on government to create more democratic space and release those arrested." RELATED STORY: News Fights For a Voice in Zimbabwe (blogs.guardian.co.uk, 03/12/07)

Somali Government Hopes to Tame Mogadishu Quickly (alertnet.org -reuters- 03/12/07) "MOGADISHU, March 11 (Reuters) - The Somali government hopes to pacify Mogadishu within 30 days, a senior official said on Sunday, in a test for the interim administration which welcomed the vanguard of an African peacekeeping mission this week. Deputy Defence Minister Salad Ali Jele said an advance team of newly trained security forces had been deployed to the city where insurgents are attacking government forces and their Ethiopian allies on an almost daily basis. Several residents said up to three Ethiopian trucks were ambushed 60 km (37 miles) south of Mogadishu late on Saturday. There was no word on casualties." RELATED STORY: Vehicle of Kidnapped Embassy Staff Recovered (Guardian.co.uk, 03/12/07)

Ethiopia Hostages: No Rescue Plan (cnn.com, -reuters- 03/10/07) "ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (Reuters) -- Britain and Ethiopia have, for now, ruled out a military operation to rescue a group of five Europeans and eight locals kidnapped in a remote Ethiopian region, their officials said on Saturday. The hostages were seized by gunmen nine days ago during a tour of the Afar region, one of the hottest and most hostile terrains on earth, inhabited mainly by nomadic herders. Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin said there had been indirect contact with the kidnappers, but a rescue mission was not being prepared."

Somali Insurgents Say Their Fighters Fired at Uganda Forces' Plane (new.yahho.com -afp- 03/09/07 "MOGADISHU (AFP) - Islamist militants said on Friday they had fired missiles at a plane carrying Ugandan peacekeepers which caught fire on landing at Mogadishu airport. "Today, March 9, 2007, we destroyed a military plane at Mogadishu airport," said the statement on the Qaadisiya.com website, linked to an Islamist movement. "The plane carrying the last invading troops was hit by two missiles at the centre of the aircraft," it added." RELATED STORY: AU Troops 'May Spark Somalia War' (news.bbc.co.uk, 03/09/07)

Missing Tourists Said Seen in Ethiopia (newsday.com -ap- 03/09/07) "MEKELE, Ethiopia -- Five European tourists who went missing last week in northeastern Ethiopia are being held by kidnappers in a remote tribal region, Ethiopia's foreign minister said Friday. Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin said his information came from tribal elders who spotted the group in the Afar region, which straddles the disputed border between Ethiopia and Eritrea." RELATED STORY: Meles Zenawi Says Hostages 'Safe' With 'Rebels' (cnn.com, 03/09/07) EDITORIAL NOTE: We urge Becki, Condi and Jendi to come clean and tell the world why they instructed Abebe to kidnap and hold the British embassy actors. Let us know if they are going to stay on holiday until all 8,000 'AU" troops are fully deployed in Somalia? This drama will not save Meles. The neo-fascist dictator will be removed by the Ethiopian people!

Accident Kills Two US Soldiers Training Meles Zenawi's Agazi Marxist Troops in Ethiopia (somalinet.com, 03/07/07) "(SomaliNet)Two U.S. servicemen in Ethiopia were killed after the vehicle they were in plunged into a ravine in eastern Ethiopia, the Ethiopian and U.S. governments said on Tuesday. Another soldier and the Ethiopian driver of the vehicle were also injured in the crash on Monday, the U.S. Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa said in a statement from its base in Djibouti. "The accident occurred when the vehicle in which the Americans were travelling fell into a deep ravine," Commander Demsash Hailu, spokesman for Ethiopia's Federal Police, told Reuters."

Ethiopian Rebels Kill 19 Meles Zenawi's Agazi Soldiers Trained by the United States Army (sudantribune.com, 03/07/07) "March 6, 2007 (ADDIS ABABA) — An armed opposition group which mainly operates in northwestern Ethiopia killed 19 Ethiopian soldiers during February 2007, a press statement published by the military command of the group said today. The rebel Ethiopian People’s Patriotic Front (EPPF) in an attack it carried out in northern Ethiopia in the month of February alone killed 19 Ethiopian soldiers, wounded four others and burnt down one military vehicle."

Security Council Urges End to Violence Against Women in Armed Conflicts (yahoo.news.com -afp- 03/07/07) "UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The UN Security Council on Wednesday urged an end to impunity for all acts of violence against women and girls in armed conflicts, and prosecution of those responsible for such crimes. On the eve of International Women's Day, the 15-member council adopted a non-binding resolution slamming "the pervasiveness of all forms of violence against women and girls in armed conflict, including killing, maiming, grave sexual violence, abductions and trafficking in persons.""

African Force Ambushed in Somalia (news.bbc.co.uk, 03/07/07) "Newly arrived African Union (AU) peacekeepers have come under attack in the Somali capital Mogadishu for the second day running. Around 400 Ugandans arrived on Tuesday, and the same again the next day. They have not yet gone on patrol but have come under fire at their airport base." RELATED STORIES: Insurgents Target AU Force in Mogadishu (alertnet.org -reuters- 03/07/07)  World Races Host Kenya Disputes Vicki Huddleston-Richard Bruce Cheney Phantom Terrorist Alert (cnn.com, 03/07/07)

Defense of Ethiopian Opposition Leader Rejects Translation of Accusation (sudantribune.com, 03/06/07) "March 5, 2007 (ADDIS ABABA)  The defence lawyers of the Ethiopian opposition leader rejected today a translated copy — made by the accusation — of a press statement given by Eng. Eng Hailu Shawl in English to the American press. The defence of the opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (CUDP) leader rejected, Monday March 5, a translation of a press statement made in English to the foreign press handed out by the prosecutor. The defence lawyer further argued that the document has borne sign of the translator as being Walta Information Centre (WIC) which is recognized as a media organization, but may be doubted as a licensed translator. The WIC is known as a pro-government media body."

U.S. Envoy in Kenya Warns of Terror Threat (newday.com -ap- 03/06/07) "NAIROBI, Kenya -- The U.S. Embassy said Tuesday it has been alerted to a possible terrorist threat targeting this month's world cross-country championships in Kenya. The embassy released a statement saying the threat was coming from "alleged extremist elements." "...In recent weeks, Muslim leaders in Mombasa have threatened to disrupt the international race unless the government releases Kenyans held on suspicion of engaging in terrorism and those detained in Somalia and Ethiopia. The protests were led by Sheik Mohamed Dor, secretary-general of the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya."

Ambassador Pleads For Help in Search For Kidnap Britons as Wrecked Vehicles Found (guardian.co.uk, 03/06/07) "Britain's ambassador to Ethiopia made an emotional appeal for information about the five Britons snatched from a remote border area last night as efforts to negotiate their safe release were stepped up. Foreign Office officials said that progress was being made in the search for two women and three men who were kidnapped at the end of a adventure tour on Thursday, with senior diplomats engaged in round the clock talks with the Ethiopian and Eritrean governments." RELATED STORIES: Kidnap In Ethiopia: Q&A (news.sky.com, 03/05/07) London Steps Up Efforts to Free Britons in Ethiopia (news.yahoo.com -afp- 03/05/07) Kidnapped Britons' Vehicles Found (news.bbc.co.uk, 03/05/07) British Officials Decline Comment on Eritrea Kidnappings (voanews.com, 03/05/07)

General Aronda of Uganda Flies to Ethiopia (newvision.co.ug, 03/05/07) "THE Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Nyakairima Aronda, is in Ethiopia preparing for the arrival of the UPDF contingent to neighbouring Somalia this week. “Our troops are due in Somalia anytime, ” said the defence ministry spokesman, Maj. Felix Kulayigye, yesterday. Kenya’s media yesterday reported that Uganda’s military tanks and personnel carriers reached the sea port of Mombasa on Saturday on their way to Somalia for a peacekeeping mission. The tanks arrived by train at the Kenyan port, from where they were to be shipped to the war-ravaged horn of Africa state. “The troops will be flown to Somalia this week,” Kulayigye revealed." RELATED STORY: Uganda Denies Its Troops Are in Somalia (voanews.com, 03/05/07)

Unless Forced Out, the Ruling TPLF of Tigray is Here to Stay (sudantribune.com, 03/05/07) "March 3, 2007 — The last 15 years have fluctuated between hope and despair for some of us minority Ethiopians. At first, we thought that we had finally been rescued from grip of our oppressors. The so called rescuer said to us “you are now free and as a result you can now decide for yourselves”. In the light of this supposed new found freedom, we gratefully thanked and promised that we won’t disappoint our supposed rescuer. However, before long, our so called rescuer started to micro-manage our daily affairs. We voiced our concerns and we were given limited authority to run our daily affairs. Then again, our self appointed rescuer snatched our right to decide for ourselves and when we asked to have our right back, our supposed rescuer responded by killing us. In Gambella town alone, more than 420 Anyuak men were massacred in a broad day-light on December 13, 2003 in front of their wives and children."

Meles Zenawi  Accuses His Cousin Isaias Afeworki of Kidnapping Missing Tourists: Here We Go Again; Another Border Incident in the Making - Two Tyrants Seeking Global Attention and More Bloodshed. (newsday.com -AP- 03/03/07) "MEKELE, Ethiopia -- Ethiopian officials on Saturday accused forces from archrival Eritrea of kidnapping five British citizens and 13 Ethiopians who were touring a remote region near the African countries' long-disputed border, then taking the group to a military camp in Eritrea. The claims could not be independently verified. The group went missing Thursday while traveling in Ethiopia's Afar region, a barren expanse of ancient salt mines and volcanoes some 500 miles northeast of the capital, Addis Ababa." RELATED STORIES: Meles Zenawi Accuses Eritrea Over Missing Tourists (news.yahoo.com -afp- 03/03/07) Kidnapped Britons Spotted in [Ethiopia] (cnn.com, 03/03/07) Tourist Kidnap Blamed on Eritrea (theaustralian.news.com, 03/04/07)  Reuters Video Report (03/03/07)

Britons Feared Kidnapped in Ethiopia (today.reuters.co.uk, 03/03/07) "ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Two groups of tourists, including at least seven French nationals and five Britons, are believed to have been kidnapped in a remote and inhospitable area of Ethiopia where separatist rebels operate. "A kidnapping or kidnappings did take place," French Ambassador Stephane Gompertz told Reuters."

Gunmen Kidnap Five Europeans in Ethiopia (news.yahoo.com -afp- 03/02/07) "ADDIS ABABA (AFP) - Five Europeans and 13 Ethiopians have been kidnapped by an unidentified group in northeastern Ethiopia, police announced here Friday, after conflicting reports that up to 20 foreigners had been abducted. The abductions of the Europeans and their Ethiopian staff happened on Thursday night at a camp in the inhospitable Afar region, where separatist rebels are known to operate, the Ethiopia's state news agency ENA quoted the police as saying." RELATED STORIES: At Least 12 Europeans Seized in Ethiopia (newsday.com -ap- 03/02/07) Tourists Missing on Ethiopia Trip (news.bbc.co.uk, 03/02/07) 15 Europeans Missing in Ethiopia's 'Land of Death' (cnn.com -reuters- 03/02/07)

Ten French Tourists Reported Kidnapped in Ethiopia (cnn.com, 03/01/07) "ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) -- Ten French tourists were kidnapped in northern Ethiopia Thursday by unknown abductors, a businessman and a tour operator who work in the region said. The tourists were in a convoy of four vehicles in Dalol, 800 kilometers (500 miles) northeast of Addis Ababa, traveling to salt mines in the Afar region when they were kidnapped, said the businessman, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.""

AU Mission Will Not Impose Peace - Museveni (alertnet.org -reuters- 03/01/07) "JINJA, 1 March (IRIN) - The African Union (AU) peace mission due to be deployed in Somalia will not try to disarm armed groups in that country, but will instead train a Somali national army, Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni said on Thursday. "We are not going to disarm the Somali militias because if we empower the Somali people, it will be up to them to decide whether it is necessary to disarm," said Museveni as he bid farewell to the Ugandan army contingent that will serve in the force. "We don't want you to interfere with the affairs of Somalia. Your work is to teach," he told the soldiers, who are due to arrive in Somalia next week." RELATED STORY: AU Peacekeepers Land in Somalia (uk.reuters.com, 03/01/07)

Pregnant Woman Gave Birth in Detention in Ethiopia (somalinet.com, 02/27/07) "Feb 27, 2007 Reports from the Ogaden Online reporter in the provincial city of Jig Jiga, Ogaden confirm that an illegally detained, pregnant woman, Samsam Farax Dawaare has given birth in the Jig Jiga prison. Samsam is reported to have been severely tortured in detention for the past six months. It is reported that the Ethiopian militia controlling the prison refused any medical care for the pregnant woman who has since given birth. Eyewitnesses and close relatives of Samsam confirm that she was detained on September 9th 2006."

African Union Team in Somalia Ahead of Troop Deployment: Official (news.yahoo.com -afp- 02/27/07) "MOGADISHU (AFP) - African Union representatives are in Mogadishu laying the groundwork for an anticipated peacekeeping mission of some 8,000 troops to war-torn Somalia, an AU official told AFP Tuesday. "A mission left Sunday for Mogadishu. It was due to meet Somali authorities and assess the situation," the official told AFP by telephone, requesting anonymity."

Blowing the Horn (foreignaffairs.org, 03/01/07- March/April 2007 Issue) "WASHINGTON'S FAILINGS IN AFRICA:The Greater Horn of Africa -- a region half the size of the United States that includes Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, and Uganda -- is the hottest conflict zone in the world. "....Recent U.S. policy has only made matters worse. The region, which has both suffered attacks by al Qaeda and hosted its agents (including Osama bin Laden himself), is a legitimate concern of U.S. officials. But stemming the spread of terrorism and extremist ideologies has become such an overwhelming strategic objective for Washington that it has overshadowed U.S. efforts to resolve conflicts and promote good governance; in everything but rhetoric, counterterrorism now consumes U.S. policy in the Greater Horn as totally as anticommunism did a generation ago. To support this critical but narrow aim, the Bush administration has too often nurtured relationships with autocratic leaders and favored covert and military action over diplomacy. Sometimes that has even included feting in Langley Sudanese officials suspected of having a hand in the massacres in Darfur or handing suitcases full of cash to warlords on the streets of Mogadishu."

Somali Officials React Splittingly to an Ethiopian Flag Put Up in Mogadishu (shabelle.net, 02/26/07) "Mogadishu 26, Feb.07 ( Sh.M.Network) - Officials of the Somali transitional government have responded differently to the Ethiopian flag that was erected in neighborhoods closer to the Ethiopian military bases in Mogadishu. Inhabitants closer to Ethiopian military bases in the Somali capital Mogadishu have cut the Ethiopian flag to pieces on Monday morning. Many people were annoyed after they have seen Somali words written in the flag that said: “Somalia is the sixth region of Ethiopia.”" RELATED STORY: US Warship Tackles Somali Pirates (news.bbc.co.uk, 02/26/07)

Pirates Hijack Food Aid Ship Off Somalia (newsday.com -ap- 02/25/07) "NAIROBI, Kenya -- Pirates hijacked a cargo ship delivering U.N. food aid to northeastern Somalia on Sunday -- at least the third time since 2005 that a vessel contracted to the United Nations has been hijacked off the country's dangerous coast. 
The ship, MV Rozen, had just dropped off more than 1,800 tons of food aid in the semiautonomous region of Puntland in northeastern Somalia when the pirates struck, said Stephanie Savariaud, a spokeswoman for the U.N.'s World Food Program." RELATED STORY: Pirates Hijack UN-Chartered Ship in Northeastern Somalia (news.yahoo.com -afp- 02/25/07)