INTL Africa: Politics, Economics, Military- November 2021

[Plain Jane]

October's thread is here:

INTL - Africa: Politics, Economics, Military- October 2021

September's thread: https://www.timebomb2000.com/xf/index.php?threads/africa-politics-economics-and-military-september-2021.606597/#post-8739178 Regional Conflict in Mediterranean beginning page 75...

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Regional Conflict in Mediterranean beginning page 76:

WAR - Regional conflict brewing in the Mediterranean

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/no_itsmyturn/status/1449850219131244553

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Main Coronavirus thread beginning page 1340:

CORONA - Main Coronavirus thread

[EU] https://www.zerohedge.com/political/watch-meps-protest-oppressive-vaccine-passports-question-why-political-elites-push-agenda Watch: MEPs Protest "Oppressive" Vaccine Passports, Question Why "Political Elites Push This Agenda This Hard" SUNDAY, OCT 31, 2021 - 01:15 PM Via...

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Ethiopia's PM defiant as rival Tigray forces make advances

Ethiopia’s prime minister has called on citizens to redouble their efforts to combat the rival Tigray forces who claim to have seized key cities on a major highway leading to the capital A move on the capital of Addis Ababa is a new phase in the war that has killed thousands of people since fighting

apnews.com

Click to copy
Ethiopia’s PM defiant as rival Tigray forces make advances
45 minutes ago



1 of 4
Armed Tigray forces, center, accompany captured Ethiopian government soldiers and allied militia members as they are paraded through the streets in open-top trucks, as are taken to a detention center in Mekele, the capital of the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia Friday, Oct. 22, 2021. Ethiopian military airstrikes on Friday forced a United Nations humanitarian flight to abandon its landing in Mekele, aid workers said, and a government spokesman said authorities were aware of the inbound flight. (AP Photo)
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Ethiopia’s prime minister has called on citizens to redouble their efforts to combat the rival Tigray forces who claim to have seized key cities on a major highway leading to the capital.

A move on Addis Ababa is a new phase in the war that has killed thousands of people since fighting broke out a year ago between Ethiopian and allied forces and Tigray ones who long dominated the national government before Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took office in 2018.

The prime minister’s spokeswoman, Billene Seyoum, told The Associated Press on Monday that Abiy “is where he’s meant to be, leading the country’s front and center.”

Abiy in a statement on Sunday said federal troops are fighting on four fronts against the Tigray forces and “we should know that our enemy’s main strength is our weakness and unpreparedness.” Amid calls on social media for attacks against ethnic Tigrayans, he said “we should closely follow those who work for the enemy and live amongst us.”

A new roundup of Tigrayans was seen in the capital on Monday.


The Tigray forces over the weekend claimed to control the key cities of Dessie and Kombolcha, though the federal government disputed it. The United States has said it is “alarmed” by those reports.
The Tigray forces also told the AP they were poised to physically link up with another armed group, the Oromo Liberation Army, with which it struck an alliance earlier this year.

The fighting could reach the Oromo region that neighbors Addis Ababa. Ethnic Oromo once hailed Abiy as the country’s first Oromo prime minister, but discontent has since emerged with the jailing of outspoken Oromo leaders.

The government of the Amhara region, where fighting has been focused since Tigray forces retook much of their own region in June, on Sunday ordered government institutions to stop regular activities and join the war effort. It also banned most activities in cities and towns after 8 p.m.

The Tigray forces say they are pressuring Ethiopia’s government to lift a months-long blockade on their region of around 6 million people, with basic services cut off and humanitarian food and medical aid denied.

 

[Plain Jane]

Kenya's voters shun registration for 2022 election – DW – 11/01/2021

Kenya's electoral commission aims to enroll six million new voters in a mass registration drive. But it's failing dismally to meet this target.

www.dw.com

Concern as Kenya's voters shun registration for 2022 election
Kenya's electoral commission aims to enroll 6 million new voters in a mass registration drive. But it's failing dismally to meet this target.




Observers fear the low voter registration could translate to low turn-out in the 2022 polls

When Kenya's electoral commission launched its mass voter registration exercise on October 4, it always expected that reaching its target of registering six million new voters in a month would be challenging.

But on the eve of its November 2 deadline, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) seems shocked by the dismal number of new registrations.

The IEBC appealed last week to all Kenyans that are eligible to "take advantage of the remaining one week and register," emphasizing that their staff were ready to enroll people in every ward.

But it seems not that many Kenyans are heeding the commission's call.

Low turnout
Take Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa, for example; in the first two weeks of the registration drive, a paltry 4,486 voters enrolled out of 190,237 potential new ones. That's less than 2%.
The rest of the country, including the capital Nairobi, has similarly meager rates of registration.

DW reached out to the IEBC for comment on the low voter registration, but it is yet to respond.

"I haven't registered as a voter because the elections were rigged in the past," 26-year-old student Damaclyn Marieri told DW in Nairobi.

Some see the low voter registration as a sign young people have lost faith in the electoral system

"Secondly, after being voted in, some leaders disappear and don't perform the role they promised," she said.

During a recent debate in Nairobi held by DW's 77 Percent, several young people said the current state of politics has turned them off registering.

"I need my voice to be represented. There is no need for me to go, stand in line, and register myself as a voter, then vote for a person who won't be elected because the leader has already been predetermined," said Wesley Mokoa during the 77 Percent street debate.

The 27-year-old digital media student added that he saw no point in voting for a leader who will disappear for five years and come back at election time and tell him: "you know what, I am back again."

Kenya's youth make up 70% of the population — a huge portion of the electorate

Fed-up youth
Kenya's electoral commission initially set a target of recruiting some six to seven million new voters before lowering its goal to 4.5 million.

But even that figure won't be met because "young people don't see the motivation," said Nairobi-based political analyst Martin Oloo.

"They don't identify with anybody who is campaigning who seems to have their issues in mind. For that reason, they [the youth] aren't very enthusiastic. Most of them have no jobs and no hopes, so they're not swayed by the political players," Oloo told DW.

One of Kenya's leading news outlets, "The Standard", reported last week that some young people were even demanding cash handouts before registering as new voters.

Student Wesley Mokoa said he had seen some leaders trying to use bribes to woo young voters on social media.

"As a young person, I feel like I don't need to be coerced by these leaders to go and vote because I have seen their evils," Mokoa told DW, adding that politicians' behavior was a major reason why so many of his peers were reluctant to vote.

"We are tired of leaders lying to us. We are tired of the [electoral] commission, we are tired of everything," a frustrated Mokoa said, pointing especially to the failure of his country's political class to solve the problem of youth employment.

Around 75% of Kenya's 48 million people are below the age of 35, according to the county's 2019 census.

And finding employment for young people of working age remains a significant problem.

Many Kenyans blame lawmakers of selfishness and greed while ignoring those who voted for them

Highly paid politicians
But not registering to vote is like shooting yourself in the foot, says Paul Matheka, a civil society activist.

"Take your voter's card and go use your right," Matheka said, urging the young voters to pick leaders who will give back to the society.

"That is why we employ them," Matheka told DW.

Other big frustration among Kenyans, however, is that they see their lawmakers as doing little for their pay, which is among the highest in the world for politicians.

Kenyan politicians earned an annual salary of $78,500 (€67,822) in 2020, according to PesaCheck, a Kenyan fact-checking initiative. When allowances and other perks are added, that amount almost doubles.

That means Kenya's lawmakers earn 97 times more than the Kenya's GDP per capita of $1,710, PesaCheck finds. (Gross Domestic Product per capita is the total value of a nation's output divided by its citizenry and is seen as a reasonably accurate measure of a country's standard of living.)

"Huge dent in democracy'
Despite experiencing turbulence in its democratic journey, such as the 2007-08 post-election violence, the East African nation has remained relatively stable politically.

Since the introduction of multi-party democracy in December 1991, Kenya has had peaceful power transfers, albeit not without controversy.

But the low turn-out for voter registration should be a wake-up call, warns political analyst Martin Oloo.

"Low voter registration might as well lead to low voter turn-out, which will combine to make the [2022] election less credible," Oloo said, adding that it sends a clear signal that the electorate doesn't believe in its leaders.

"It's a huge dent in democracy if the trend is going to show in the voter turn-out."

He doesn't believe there's much more that the IEBC or politicians could do to persuade larger number of young people in Kenya to register as voters.

The IEBC is now hoping that it will have better success with its voter registration drive for the Kenyan diaspora scheduled for December.

Electoral commission chairperson Wafula Chebukati said it would include six more countries in its diaspora voters roll, adding South Sudan, the US, the UK, Canada, Qatar and the UAE.

During the 2017 general election, Kenyans living in Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Africa were allowed to cast their ballots.


Watch video00:39
How Kenyans react to the allegations against Kenyatta
Andrew Wasike in Nairobi contributed to this report.

 

[Plain Jane]

Ethiopia: State of emergency as Tigray forces gain ground – DW – 11/02/2021

The Ethiopian government has declared a national state of emergency amid fears that Tigray insurgents are preparing to march on the capital, Addis Ababa. The UN called for an "immediate cessation" of hostilities.

www.dw.com

Ethiopia declares state of emergency as Tigray forces claim advances
The Ethiopian government has declared a national state of emergency amid fears that Tigray insurgents are preparing to march on the capital, Addis Ababa. The UN called for an "immediate cessation" of hostilities.




Rebel fighters in Ethiopia's war-hit Tigray say they have seized control of more territory

Ethiopia's cabinet on Tuesday declared a nationwide state of emergency after fighters from the northern province of Tigray claimed to have seized two strategic towns, state-affiliated media said.

Fana Broadcasting Corporate said the state of emergency was aimed at protecting civilians from possible atrocities.

"Our country is facing a grave danger to its existence, sovereignty and unity. And we can’t dispel this danger through the usual law enforcement systems and procedures," Justice Minister Gedion Timothewos told a state media briefing.

The state of emergency will have immediate effect and last for six months. It will allow the government to impose a curfew, allow conscription of "any military age citizen who has weapons" or close media outlets believed to be "giving moral support directly or indirectly" to the Tigrayan fighters, Fana said

The measures would first need to be implemented by law. Lawmakers were expected to convene and approve the measures within the next two days.

Tigray insurgents claim advances, UN urges peace
The insurgent Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) claimed two important towns some 250 kilometers (just over 150 miles) to the north of Addis Ababa, in the Amhara region, in recent days.



Watch video02:20
Tigray conflict: Ethiopia's growing humanitarian crisis
The group claimed it had captured the town of Kombolcha on the main road that links landlocked Ethiopia to the port in Djibouti. It also said it had taken the town of Dessie, putting the insurgents in a position to move down a major highway toward the capital.

The government has denied the TPLF claims of its territorial gains. If confirmed, however, these would represent a significant strategic advance in the eleven-month conflict.
The faction has not ruled out marching on the capital, which has so far been spared from any fighting.

Additionally, insurgents from the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) claimed they defeated government forces in Kemise, which lies even closer to the capital.

On Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called "for an immediate cessation of hostilities, unrestricted humanitarian access to deliver urgent life-saving assistance, and an inclusive national dialogue to resolve this crisis and create the foundation for peace and stability throughout the country," according to spokesman, Stephane Dujarric.

Locals urged to defend neighborhoods
Authorities in Addis Ababa on Tuesday encouraged residents to prepare to defend their neighborhoods, amid concerns about a possible advance.

The city administration said in a statement carried by the Ethiopian News Agency that people should register their weapons and gather in their local districts.

Watch video01:26
Ethiopian conflict exacerbates hunger, malnutrition
"Residents can gather in their locality and safeguard their surroundings," the statement added.

"Those who have weapons but can't take part in safeguarding their surroundings are advised to hand over the weapon to the government or their close relatives or friends."

The statement added that house-to-house searches were being conducted to find and arrest "troublemakers."

US imposes trade sanctions on government, warns TPLF
US President Joe Biden on Tuesday said that he had decided to cut out Ethiopia from a US free trade program over the government's failure to end a conflict that has lasted nearly a year.

Biden said the war in the Tigray region has led to "gross violations" of human rights.

The program requires countries to eliminate barriers to US trade and investment and to make progress towards political pluralism. However, the sanction would only go into effect on January 1.

Biden's announcement coincided with the US Horn of Africa envoy Jeffrey Feltman telling reporters that the parties to the conflict "don't seem anywhere near" a ceasefire or talks. Feltman called the humanitarian conditions in Tigray "unacceptable."

The envoy also stressed to the TPLF that Washington would take a dim view of it moving on the Ethiopian capital.

"Let me be clear: We oppose any TPLF move to Addis or any TPLF move to besiege Addis," he said. "This is a message we've also underscored in our engagement with TPLF leaders."

Both the US and United Nations say Ethiopian troops have prevented the passage of trucks carrying food and other aid.

Ethiopian military airstrikes on Friday that hit Mekele, the capital of the Tigray region forced a United Nations humanitarian flight to abandon its landing there.

In September, Biden threatened to levy sanctions against Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and other leaders involved in the conflict.

Ahmed sent troops into Tigray ago to detain and disarm the TPLF. Although he promised a swift victory, the group had regrouped by late June and retaken most of Tigray.

rc/wmr (AFP, Reuters, dpa, AP)

 

[Plain Jane]

Ethiopia compares Tigray forces to 'rat' as war marks 1 year

Ethiopia’s government is marking a year of war by lashing out in response to international alarm about hate speech.

apnews.com

Urgent efforts to calm Ethiopia as war reaches one-year mark
By CARA ANNA2 hours ago



1 of 4
Current and former Ethiopian military personnel and the public commemorate federal soldiers killed by forces loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) at the start of the conflict one year ago, at a candlelit event outside the city administration in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021. All sides in Ethiopia's yearlong war in the Tigray region have committed abuses marked by "extreme brutality" that could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, the U.N. human rights chief said Wednesday. (AP Photo)

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Urgent new efforts to calm Ethiopia’s escalating war are unfolding Thursday as a U.S. special envoy visits and the president of neighboring Kenya calls for an immediate cease-fire while the country marks a year of conflict.

The lack of dialogue “has been particularly disturbing,” Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said in a statement, as the war that has killed thousands of people and displaced millions since November 2020 threatens to engulf the capital, Addis Ababa. Rival Tigray forces seized key cities in recent days and linked up with another armed group, leading the government of Africa’s second most populous country to declare a national state of emergency.

The spokesperson for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Billene Seyoum, did not immediately respond Thursday when asked whether he would meet with U.S. special envoy Jeffrey Feltman, who this week insisted that “there are many, many ways to initiate discreet talks.”


United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday said he had spoken with Abiy “to offer my good offices to create the conditions for a dialogue so the fighting stops.”
But so far, efforts for such discussions have failed. Last week a congressional aide told The Associated Press that “there have been talks of talks with officials, but when it gets to the Abiy level and the senior (Tigray forces) level, the demands are wide, and Abiy doesn’t want to talk.”https://apnews.com/article/booker-prize-fiction-damon-galgut-4f7d90977059073766c4a9144e424665

Instead, the prime minister has again called citizens to rise up and “bury” the Tigray forces who long dominated the national government before he came to power. On Wednesday, Facebook said it had removed a post by Abiy with that language, saying it violated policies against inciting violence. It was a rare action against a head of state or government.

Kenya’s foreign ministry separately said that statements inciting ordinary citizens into the conflict “must be shunned.” Kenya also has increased security along its borders amid fears of a wave of Ethiopians fleeing the war as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises spreads.

Tigray forces spokesman Getachew Reda in a tweet late Wednesday claimed they had “joined hands” with another armed group, the Oromo Liberation Army, to seize the city of Kemisse even closer to the capital.

“Joint operations will continue in the days and weeks ahead,” he said. The claim could not immediately be verified.

All sides in the war have committed abuses, a joint U.N. human rights investigation announced Wednesday, while millions of people in the government-blockaded Tigray region are no longer able to receive humanitarian aid.

With the new state of emergency’s sweeping powers of detention, ethnic Tigrayans in the capital told the AP they were hiding in their homes in fear as authorities carried out house-to-house searches and stopped people on the streets to check identity cards, which everyone must now carry.

“Our only hope now is the (Tigray forces),” said one young woman, Rahel, whose husband was detained on Tuesday while going to work as a merchant but has not been charged. “They might not save us, to be honest. I’ve already given up on my life, but if our families can be saved, I think that’s enough.”

Another Tigrayan in the capital, Yared, said his brother, a businessman, was detained on Monday, and when he went to the police station to visit him he saw dozens of other Tigrayans.

“It’s crazy, my friends in Addis, non-Tigrayans, are calling me and telling me not to leave the house,” Yared said, adding that police came to his house on Wednesday, the latest of several such visits since the war began.

“They go through your phone and if you have some material about the Tigray war that would be suggesting supporting the war, they would just detain you,” he said. “The past four days have been the worst by far, the scope at which they’re detaining people, it’s just terrorizing. We don’t feel safe in our homes anymore.”

 

[Plain Jane]

Zerohedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

Ethiopians Told To Defend Capital As Tigray Rebels Encroach; US Embassy Evacuating Staff Amid 'State Of Emergency'

BY TYLER DURDEN
THURSDAY, NOV 04, 2021 - 01:19 PM
The war between the Ethiopian government and Tigray rebels, which intensified in the past months, is now threatening to descend of the capital of Addis Ababa - resulting in authorities declaring a state of emergency, and with the US Embassy beginning to initiate non-essential staff departures. The US State Department has further warned all US citizens to evacuate the country immediately.

"Our country is facing a grave danger to its existence, sovereignty and unity. And we can’t dispel this danger through the usual law enforcement systems and procedures," Justice Minister Gedion Timothewos said Tuesday in announcing the six month state of emergency which essentially imposes martial law on the population. The government has also called on all residents in Addis Ababa to prepare to defend their neighborhoods ahead of a potential rebel assault, which is looking imminent.
Airstrike aftermath in Tigray region, via AP

"Residents can gather in their locality and safeguard their surroundings. Those who have weapons but can't take part in safeguarding their surroundings are advised to hand over their weapons to the government or their close relatives or friends," an emergency government announcement stated. Government authorities are now in the process of overseeing the registration of citizens' private arms in preparation for a possible breach of the city.

While up to now the fighting has been concentrated in the country's northern Tigray region, especially since a national army offensive against the breakaway ethnic enclave in November 2020, this is the first time the sprawling capital city of about five million could be thrown into turmoil.

After the rebel group Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) captured the key towns of Dessie and Kombolcha this week, which lie 250 miles from the capital, the fighters have been reportedly making a rapid advance southward toward the seat of the national government.
Some rebel commanders are now claiming to have forces positioned a mere 15 miles from the center of Addis Ababa, though this hasn't been confirmed on the ground, CNN reports. The war which has been intensifying and ongoing for the past year has been largely stalemated, and has included allegations of horrific human rights abuses by both sides in the Tigray region.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1456256056212951049

View: https://twitter.com/ReutersAfrica/status/1456256056212951049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1456256056212951049%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zerohedge.com%2Fgeopolitical%2Fethiopians-told-defend-capital-tigray-rebels-encroach-us-embassy-evacuating-staff-amid

UN General-Secretary António Guterres and Western leaders have urged an immediate ceasefire, and on Thursday US Special Envoy for Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman is en route to Ethiopia in an attempt to broker an agreed halt in fighting. So far the conflict has killed many thousands, but the war coming to the densely populated capital would result in the country's unraveling.

On Wednesday Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed vowed in a televised state broadcast to bury his government's enemies "with our blood", Reuters reported. The chilling message was advanced via official social media channels as well, with Facebook announcing that it promptly deleted the post as it was an incitement to violence.

Since taking power in 2018, Abiy Ahmed was initially celebrated in the West as a unifier, reformer and human rights champion. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in October 2019 for making peace with neighboring Eritrea after two decades of war; however, the current crisis has earned him widespread criticism and condemnation for the ruthlessness with which government forces have sought to stamp out the ethnic minority Tigray rebellion. Ironically it was his peace treaty with Eritrea that helped inflame the anger of Tigrayans - who are concentrated on the northern Eritrean border - with the national government.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1455850567465635841

View: https://twitter.com/USEmbassyAddis/status/1455850567465635841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1455850567465635841%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zerohedge.com%2Fgeopolitical%2Fethiopians-told-defend-capital-tigray-rebels-encroach-us-embassy-evacuating-staff-amid

Earlier this week President Biden slammed the Ethiopian government's "gross violations of internationally recognized human rights" and cut the country from a key US trade program, the African Growth and Opportunity Act - which gave it duty-free access to US goods. The move is seen as paving the way for further and more far-reaching sanctions, which would likely target top Ethiopian officials who are overseeing the war.
* * *
A brief BBC review of the origins of the conflict is as follows:

"The conflict started on 4 November, when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered a military offensive against regional forces in Tigray. He said he did so in response to an attack on a military base housing government troops there.
The escalation came after months of feuding between Mr Abiy's government and leaders of Tigray's dominant political party. For almost three decades, the party was at the centre of power, before it was sidelined by Mr Abiy, who took office in 2018 after anti-government protests.
Mr Abiy pursued reforms, but when Tigray resisted, the political crisis erupted into war."

Tigray area of northern Ethiopia. Map: Associated Press

 

[Plain Jane]

Tigray, other groups form alliance against Ethiopia's leader

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Ethiopia’s Tigray forces on Friday joined with other armed and opposition groups around the country in an alliance against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to seek a political transition after a year of devastating war, and they left the possibility open for his exit by force.

apnews.com

Click to copy
Tigray, other groups form alliance against Ethiopian leader
By CARA ANNA2 hours ago



1 of 5
A man stands outside a mobile phone accessory shop in the Piazza old town area of the capital Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021. Urgent new efforts to calm Ethiopia's escalating war are unfolding Thursday as a U.S. special envoy visits and the president of neighboring Kenya calls for an immediate cease-fire while the country marks a year of conflict. (AP Photo)

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Ethiopia’s Tigray forces are joining with other armed and opposition groups in an alliance against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to seek a political transition after a year of devastating war, organizers say.

The signing in Washington on Friday includes the Tigray forces that have been fighting Ethiopian and allied forces, as well as the Oromo Liberation Army now fighting alongside the Tigray forces and seven other groups from around the country.

The alliance is forming as U.S. special envoy Jeffrey Feltman is in Ethiopia’s capital meeting with senior government officials amid calls for an immediate cease-fire and talks to end the war that has killed thousands of people since November 2020. The U.S. said he met with the deputy prime minister and defense and finance ministers on Thursday.


The new United Front of Ethiopian Federalist Forces seeks to “establish a transitional arrangement in Ethiopia” so the prime minister can go as soon as possible, organizer Yohanees Abraha, who is with the Tigray group, told The Associated Press late Thursday. “The next step will be, of course, to start meeting and communicating with countries, diplomats and international actors in Ethiopia and abroad.”

He said the new alliance is both political and military. It has had no communication with Ethiopia’s government, he added.

A spokesman for the Oromo Liberation Army, Odaa Tarbii, confirmed the new alliance. When asked whether it meant to force Abiy out, he replied that it depended on Ethiopia’s government and events over the coming weeks. “Of course we prefer if there’s a peaceful and orderly transition with Abiy being removed,” he said.

“The goal is to be as inclusive as possible. We know this transition requires all stakeholders,” he added. But as for members of the prime minister’s Prosperity Party, “there would have to be a process. Many members would have to go through investigation, possibly be prosecuted” for crimes related to the war.

The spokeswoman for the prime minister, Billene Seyoum, addressed the new alliance Thursday evening when she tweeted that “any outliers that rejected the democratic processes Ethiopia embarked upon cannot be for democratization,” pointing out Abiy’s opening-up of political space after taking office in 2018. His reforms included welcoming some opposition groups home from exile.

The spokeswoman said she had no further comment Friday, and had no information on whether the prime minister would be meeting with the U.S. special envoy.

The OLA spokesman in reply to her tweet noted that some of the people who returned to Ethiopia were later put in prison or under house arrest. “A lot of goodwill was lost over the last three years,” he said.

Other groups signing on Friday include the Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front, Agaw Democratic Movement, Benishangul People’s Liberation Movement, Gambella Peoples Liberation Army, Global Kimant People Right and Justice Movement/ Kimant Democratic Party, Sidama National Liberation Front and Somali State Resistance, according to organizers.

 

[Housecarl]

Updated version of the above article.....

Posted for fair use.....

Tigray, other groups form alliance against Ethiopia's leader

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Ethiopia’s Tigray forces on Friday joined with other armed and opposition groups around the country in an alliance against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to seek a political transition after a year of devastating war, and they left the possibility open for his exit by force.

apnews.com

Tigray, other groups form alliance against Ethiopia’s leader
By CARA ANNA and NOMAAN MERCHANT
an hour ago

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Ethiopia’s Tigray forces on Friday joined with other armed and opposition groups around the country in an alliance against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to seek a political transition after a year of devastating war, and they left the possibility open for his exit by force.

“There is no limit for us,” Berhane Gebrechristos, a former foreign minister and Tigray official, told reporters in Washington. “Definitely we will have a change in Ethiopia before Ethiopia implodes.”

The opposition alliance was announced hours before the U.N. Security Council for the first time called for an end to the intensifying and expanding conflict in Ethiopia and for unhindered access for humanitarian aid to tackle the world’s worst hunger crisis in a decade in the war-torn Tigray region.

The press statement approved by all 15 members of the U.N.’s most powerful body called on all parties to refrain “from inflammatory hate speech and incitement to violence and divisiveness.” Council members further called on the parties “to put an end to hostilities and to negotiate a lasting cease-fire, and for the creation of conditions for the start of an inclusive Ethiopian national dialogue to resolve the crisis and create the foundation for peace and stability throughout the country.“

The newly announced alliance includes the Tigray forces who are fighting Ethiopian and allied forces, as well as the Oromo Liberation Army fighting alongside Tigray forces and seven other groups. The Tigray fighters are approaching the capital, Addis Ababa, according to the State Department, and Ethiopia on Friday called on military veterans to join what it now calls an “existential war.”

The U.S. Embassy is urging citizens to leave Ethiopia “as soon as possible.”

The opposition alliance formed as U.S. special envoy Jeffrey Feltman met with the prime minister amid calls for an immediate cease-fire and talks to end the war that has killed thousands of people since November 2020. The two held “constructive discussions,” the prime minister’s spokeswoman, Billene Seyoum, told The Associated Press. The prime minister also met with U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths about the rapidly growing crisis.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement called on the Tigray and Oromo Liberation Army forces to “immediately stop the current advance towards Addis Ababa.” He also urged Ethiopia’s government to halt its military campaign, including airstrikes in Tigray, and the mobilization of ethnic militias.

The new United Front of Ethiopian Federalist and Confederalist Forces said time was running out for Ethiopia’s government to act.

The alliance seeks to “establish a transitional arrangement in Ethiopia” so the prime minister can go as soon as possible, organizer Yohanees Abraha, who is with the Tigray group, told the AP. “The next step will be, of course, to start meeting and communicating with countries, diplomats and international actors in Ethiopia and abroad.”

He said the new alliance is both political and military. It has had no communication with Ethiopia’s government, he added.
A spokesman for the Oromo Liberation Army, Odaa Tarbii, said the possibility of forcing the prime minister out will depend on Ethiopia’s government and events over the coming weeks. “Of course we prefer if there’s a peaceful and orderly transition with Abiy being removed,” he said.

“The goal is to be as inclusive as possible. We know this transition requires all stakeholders,” he added. But as for members of the prime minister’s Prosperity Party, “there would have to be a process. Many members would have to go through investigation, possibly be prosecuted” for crimes related to the war.

Ethiopia’s government called the alliance “a publicity stunt, asserting that some of the groups involved ”are not really organizations that have any traction.” It also asserted that life in the capital had a “sense of normalcy” and rejected any notion of a siege.

The prime minister’s spokeswoman addressed the alliance when she tweeted that “any outliers that rejected the democratic processes Ethiopia embarked upon cannot be for democratization,” pointing out Abiy’s opening-up of political space after taking office in 2018. His reforms included welcoming some opposition groups home from exile.

The OLA spokesman, replying to the tweet, noted that some of the people who returned to Ethiopia were later put in prison or under house arrest.

“A lot of goodwill was lost over the last three years,” he said.

Other groups in the alliance include the Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front, Agaw Democratic Movement, Benishangul People’s Liberation Movement, Gambella Peoples Liberation Army, Global Kimant People Right and Justice Movement/ Kimant Democratic Party, Sidama National Liberation Front and Somali State Resistance.

It is not clear whether all the groups are armed. But there’s interest in protecting the 1995 constitution that enshrines ethnic federalism and includes the right to self-determination. Under the constitution, critics have accused regional leaders of asserting the rights of majority ethnic groups at the expense of minorities.

Abiy preached national unity and transformed the former ruling coalition of ethnic-based parties into a single Prosperity Party, but the Tigray leaders who long dominated that coalition opted out, deepening frictions that led to war.
___

Merchant reported from Washington.

 

[Housecarl]

Posted for fair use.....

UN Security Council calls for end to Ethiopia hostilities - World News

The U.N. Security Council called for an end to the intensifying and expanding conflict in Ethiopia on Friday, and for unhindered access for humanitarian aid to tackle the world’s worst hunger crisis in a decade in the war-torn Tigray region.

www.castanet.net

UN Security Council calls for end to Ethiopia hostilities
UN calls for end to war
The Canadian Press - Nov 5, 2021 / 6:47 pm | Story: 350869

Photo: Google Maps
Tigray region highlighted on map

The U.N. Security Council called for an end to the intensifying and expanding conflict in Ethiopia on Friday, and for unhindered access for humanitarian aid to tackle the world’s worst hunger crisis in a decade in the war-torn Tigray region.

The U.N.’s most powerful body called on all parties to refrain “from inflammatory hate speech and incitement to violence and divisiveness.”

Council members called on the parties “to put an end to hostilities and to negotiate a lasting cease-fire, and for the creation of conditions for the start of an inclusive Ethiopian national dialogue to resolve the crisis and create the foundation for peace and stability throughout the country.“

The press statement was approved by the 15 council members the day after the first anniversary of the war in the northern Tigray region that has killed thousands of people and displaced millions. It was only the council’s second statement on the conflict, and the first to call for an immediate cessation of hostilities.

In recent weeks, the conflict has expanded, with Tigray forces seizing key cities on a major highway leading to Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, and linking up with another armed group, the Oromo Liberation Army, with which it struck an alliance in August.

Months of political tensions between Ethiopian President Abiy Ahmed’s government and the Tigray leaders who once dominated Ethiopia’s government exploded into war last November. Following some of the fiercest fighting of the conflict, Ethiopia soldiers fled the Tigray capital, Mekele, in June. Facing the current Tigray offensive, president Abiy declared a national state of emergency with sweeping detention powers on Tuesday.

The Tigray forces say they are pressuring Ethiopia’s government to lift a deadly months-long blockade on their region of around 6 million people, where basic services have been cut off and humanitarian food and medical aid are denied.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said last month that at least 5.2 million people in the region need humanitarian assistance including at least 400,000 “living in famine-like conditions.” Child malnutrition levels are now at the same level as they were at the start of the 2011 famine in Somalia, he warned.

 

[vestige]

Starvin Marvin grew up there

 

[Plain Jane]

Morocco-Algeria relations: What fuels the escalation? – DW – 11/05/2021

Tensions between the two neighboring North African countries have been growing, and Algeria's rhetoric points towards an armed conflict. Analysts however doubt that an escalation is imminent.

www.dw.com

Morocco-Algeria relations: What is fueling the current tensions?
Tensions between the two neighboring North African countries have been growing, and Algeria's rhetoric points towards an armed conflict. Analysts however doubt that an escalation is imminent.




Algeria and Morocco have been at loggerheads over the Western Sahara since the 1970s

Relations between arch-enemies Morocco and Algeria have hit a new low after three Algerian truck drivers were killed on Monday.

So far, Morocco has denied any involvement in the bombings that took place in the Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara near the border with Mauritania. Morocco controls 80% of the Western Sahara, Algeria supports the independence movement Polisario Front.

But Algeria's president, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, has already warned Morocco that "their killings will not go unpunished," as the state news agency APS reports.

"At the moment there are still many question marks over the origins of the attack; some early research suggests that the location where it took place is considered Moroccan by Rabat but under the control of the Polisario by Algiers," Alice Gower, director of geopolitics and security at the London-based political adviser Azure Strategy, told DW by phone.

The killing of the three drivers on a desert road is the latest peak in a series of growing tensions between the two Maghreb states that support opposite sides of the dispute over the Western Sahara territory, a former Spanish colony.

In November last year, then-US president Donald Trump had recognized Morocco's claim over the phosphate-rich Western Sahara as part of a quid pro quo for Rabat's normalization of diplomatic relations with Israel.

This agreement was much to Algeria's dismay as it has been a firm supporter of the local Polisario Front with the Sahrawi group that seeks independence for the region.

Mooroccans support King Mohammed VI's stance on Western Sahara as a purely Moroccan territory

Since then, relations between Algeria and Morocco have been going downhill with ambassadors being recalled, borders closed, accusations for sparking forest fires being thrown around, airspaces being blocked and the killing of three Algerian truck drivers adding fuel to the fire.

This week, the difficult situation has been even further exacerbated, with Algeria ending the contract for a gas pipeline that runs via Morocco to deliver gas to Spain.

A presidential statement confirms that Tebboune had given the order to not renew the contract "in light of the hostile behavior of the (Moroccan) kingdom which undermines national unity."

Algeria's leverage
Algeria has been using the Gaz-Maghreb-Europe pipeline (GME) for the past 25 years to deliver natural gas to Spain and Portugal — via Morocco.

Morocco, in turn, has been receiving about 10% of its gas supply as compensation.

Morocco has invested in solar panel plants but is yet to be energy self-sufficient

However, the contract between Algeria's state-owned energy company Sonatrach and the Moroccan National Office for Energy and Potable Water (ONEE) ended without renewal in late October this year.

While Algeria has promised to meet Spain's demand by using the smaller undersea Medgaz-pipeline instead — as it doesn't run through Morocco — the decision has sparked fear of gas shortages and soaring energy prices in Spain and other European countries.

However, for Algeria, much is also at stake if they can't meet the demand.

"Algeria has obviously said it can replace the supplies to Spain through the Medgaz pipeline. There are expansion plans for that, but they're not due for completion until the end of this year at the absolute earliest," Gower said, adding "there is no back-up plan. Medgaz was the backup plan. So, it is quite a risky position to take."

Morocco's leverage
The 10% cut of energy supply is a setback for Morocco as well, since the country has to import about 95% of its energy.

Solar panel initiatives are already up and running but Morocco is far from being energy-sufficient enough to cover such a loss.

However, Morocco's ONEE was quick to assure in a statement that "the decision announced by the Algerian authorities not to renew the agreement on the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline will currently have only a minimal impact on the performance of the national electricity system."

More important is though, that the "Moroccan King Mohammed VI. can rely on a broad social and political consensus that the Western Sahara should be Moroccan and he has little criticism to fear from his own people," Sonja Hegasy, Vice Director at the Berlin-based Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient (Leibniz Center for the Modern Orient, ZMO), told DW on the phone.

In addition, Morocco has been keen on mending ties with various European countries, among them Germany, after several fallouts in the past year.

"Morocco is in a difficult position where it needs to repair its relationship with the EU at the moment, and particularly now it wants to complete that process so it can focus its diplomatic efforts on the situation with Algeria. It doesn't have the capability to handle both at the same time," Gower said.

Armed conflict in sight?
While Tebboune has been upfront that his country would go to war with Morocco, both experts believe that there is actually little reason to fear an armed conflict at the moment.

Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has been ramping up the rhetoric against arch-enemy Morocco

"There might be some effort to whip up support domestically and to try and create an enemy which therefore empowers the Algerian elite and the regime again. But without strong evidence, I think they would be hard pushed to launch some kind of military attack in response," Gower said.

She believes that neither side can really afford to push the envelope too far.

This view is echoed by Sonja Hegasy who is convinced that "both countries don't have any interest in waging a war on this conflict, so the most realistic scenario is that the bilateral relations are going to continue to stagnate."

 

[jward]

99 Killed in Fuel Tanker Blast in Sierra Leone Capital

In this image made from video, people walk by burning debris following the explosion of an oil tanker in the Wellington suburb of Sierra Leone's capital Freetown Friday. (AP)
Saturday, 06 November 2021 09:44 AM


At least 99 people were killed and more than 100 injured in the capital of Sierra Leone late on Friday when a fuel tanker exploded following a collision, local authorities said.
Fuel still appeared to be leaking from the wrecked tanker on Saturday morning as police and soldiers tried to clear large crowds of onlookers from the street, according to a Reuters reporter.
A burnt human body and the blackened shells of several cars and motorbikes dotted the road in the eastern Freetown suburb of Wellington, where hundreds had gathered.

The death toll currently stands at 99 with more than 100 casualties being treated in hospitals and clinics across the capital, deputy health minister Amara Jambai told Reuters.
Victims included people who had flocked to collect fuel leaking from the ruptured vehicle, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, mayor of the port city, said initially in a post on Facebook that was later edited to remove the reference.
"We've got so many casualties, burnt corpses," said Brima Bureh Sesay, head of the National Disaster Management Agency, in a video from the scene shared online. "It's a terrible, terrible accident."
Videos shared online shortly after the explosion showed people running through clouds of thick smoke as large fires lit up the night sky. Reuters was not able immediately to verify the images.
Accidents with tanker trucks in Sub-Saharan Africa have previously killed scores of people who gathered at the site to collect spilled fuel and were hit by secondary blasts.
In 2019, a tanker explosion in Tanzania killed 85 people, while around 50 people were killed in a similar disaster in Democratic Republic of Congo in 2018.
The mayor said the extent of the damage in Freetown was not yet clear.

"My profound sympathies with families who have lost loved ones and those who have been maimed as a result," President Julius Maada Bio tweeted.
"My Government will do everything to support affected families."



© 2021 Thomson/Reuters. All rights reserved.

99 Killed in Fuel Tanker Blast in Sierra Leone Capital

At least 99 people were killed and more than 100 injured in the capital of Sierra Leone late on Friday when a fuel tanker exploded following a collision, local authorities said.

www.newsmax.com

 

[Plain Jane]

Who are the Tigray fighters? – DW – 11/06/2021

A year ago, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched a military campaign against Tigray fighters, promising a quick victory. But Tigrayans managed to turn the tide. DW explains who they are and why they're fighting.

www.dw.com

Who are the Tigray fighters, and why is Ethiopia at war with them?
A year ago, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched a military campaign against Tigray fighters, promising a quick victory. But Tigrayans managed to turn the tide. DW explains who they are and why they're fighting.




Tigray, Ethiopia's northernmost region, is home to most of the country's estimated 7 million ethnic Tigrayans

Since early November 2020, the Ethiopian government and Tigray fighters have been exchanging fire in a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives and has left more than 400,000 people facing famine, according to a recent UN estimate.

The conflict has escalated rapidly since June, when fighters began to retake most of Tigray and expand into neighboring regions. The fighters have managed to recruit allies and are approaching the capital, Addis Ababa.
So, who are the Tigray fighters?

From militiamen to rulers
In the mid-1970s, a small group of militiamen founded the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). With a left-wing nationalist ideology, they vowed to fight for the rights of Tigrayans, a relatively small ethnic group that account for just 5% of the population and had long been marginalized by the central government.


Throughout the 1980s the TPLF emerged as a formidable challenger to Ethiopia's then Marxist military dictatorship. The group eventually led an alliance of militia organizations, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), that overthrew the Soviet Union-backed regime in 1991.

The alliance then began to run Ethiopia under a federal system, with TPLF holding sway over the other groups and dominating politics for nearly three decades.

Tigrayan leader Meles Zenawi was Ethiopia's transitional president from 1991 until poorly contested elections in 1995, when he was elected prime minister. He would go on to rule the country until his death in 2012, and was succeeded by Hailemariam Desalegn. During this time, Ethiopia saw economic growth, but the government clamped down on dissent.

Watch video01:58
International calls for Ethiopian cease-fire grow
The EPRDF government led the country through periodic drought and famine, and the 1998-2000 border war with northern neighbor Eritrea. Human rights deteriorated during this time, with opposition groups complaining of persecution and corruption, which fed into growing public discontent.

In early 2018, after several years of frequent anti-government protests from different ethnic groups had seriously damaged the legitimacy of the EPRDF government, Hailemariam stepped down. The EPRDF selected Abiy Ahmed, of the Oromo ethnic group, as his successor and he was soon elected prime minister.

Abiy, a non-Tigrayan politician with little ties to the TPLF, enjoyed widespread popularity. He unseated many Tigrayan officials, charged some with corruption and introduced a set of political reforms which sidelined the TPLF. In late 2019, Abiy disbanded the EPRDF coalition government and moved to create the new Prosperity Party (PP). Refusing to join the group, the TPLF moved back to its stronghold.


Tigrayans are Ethiopia's third-largest ethnic group

After the 2020 general election was postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the TPLF and some other opposition leaders accused Abiy of delaying the vote to stay in power. Despite the delay, officials in the Tigray region went ahead with regional elections in September 2020. A month later, the federal government began withholding funds from the regional administration.

In early November 2020, TPLF forces were accused of having attacked and looted federal military bases in the region. Abiy kicked off a military campaign in the Tigray region, known as Operation Law enforcement, and promised to swiftly defeat the TPLF fighters.

But since June 2021, the Ethiopian army has endured continued setbacks and has been forced to withdraw from Tigray. Now the front line is getting closer and closer to Addis Ababa, with the prime minister calling on residents to be ready to defend the capital.

The Tigray fighters might have the upper hand, but capturing Addis Ababa will not be easy. They are likely to face resistance from other Ethiopians who fear the return to power of a party that ruled the country for nearly three decades.

• 

 

[Plain Jane]

Tension in Ethiopia as Tigrayan forces advance – DW – 11/07/2021

A year after the conflict started in northern Ethiopia, fears are growing that TPLF forces could soon reach Addis Ababa. In recent days, there's been an uptick in arrests of Tigrayan residents in the capital.

www.dw.com

Tension in Ethiopia as Tigrayan forces advance
A year after the conflict started in northern Ethiopia, fears are growing that TPLF forces could soon reach Addis Ababa. In recent days, there's been an uptick in arrests of Tigrayan residents in the capital.




Thousands of pro-government protesters took to the streets of Addis Ababa on Sunday

When Adam* returned to his home after a haircut on the morning of Saturday, November 6, he saw his parents and sister being forced into a police van. With them were two other families living in the compound — all of them of Tigrayan origin. Before leaving, Adam's mother was able to lock the house, he said, taking with her the only key to their home.

"My father has a heart problem; he has a disease, and his medicine is in the house. He has to take the pill daily," said Adam, unable to hide his concern. "We are civilians […] I don't know what they are trying to do to us." His father had just been dismissed from his job at a government TV station, and his mother is a housewife. He has not yet been allowed to visit them them in detention.

Increase in arbitrary arrests
Since the beginning of the conflict in Tigray in November 2020, home searches and arbitrary arrests of residents of Tigrayan descent have become common in the Ethiopian capital. With the declaration of the state of emergency on Tuesday, the situation seems to be getting worse.

"They gave the power to the policemen to do anything, harass you and arrest you without any reason, and they can go and search for anything in your house," said Tigist*, a young woman who fled Tigray months ago. Policemen recently came to her apartment in Addis Ababa to ask for her ID, but she was at work.

Tigist was not born in Tigray, although her family is from there, which makes it easier for her to hide her ethnicity. Her friends, however, live in constant fear. "They are very worried, they don't want to stay out at nighttime," she explained. Several of her friends were detained but then released. Another one was arrested on the street after police forces asked for his ID. Tigist said he is still in detention.

Watch video02:01
No end in sight for Ethiopia's civil war
A police spokesperson insisted that those who have been arrested were directly or indirectly supporting the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which the government labeled a terrorist organization last May. While it is still difficult to assess the scale of these arrests, human rights organizations are alarmed.

"We are very worried by the sweeping powers accorded to the security forces through the state of emergency and the risk that it gives legitimacy and legalizes the trends and practices we've been seeing in Addis Ababa almost since the beginning of the conflict," Laetitia Bader, Horn of Africa director for Human Rights Watch, told DW. "It's a very alarming situation for a community which has in many ways been living in a lot of fear for the last year."

Addis Ababa at risk?
The situation comes as Tigrayan forces, partly led by the TPLF, said they were advancing south toward Addis Ababa and east to the highway linking the capital to Djibouti. The organization announced they had joined forces with another group, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), who said it could be a matter of weeks before they reach the capital.
[IMG alt="Map of Ethiopia, showing Addis Ababa in detail
"]https://static.dw.com/image/59748449_7.png[/IMG]
"[Prime Minister] Abiy's ship is sinking and sinking fast. The reason why they are rounding up innocent Tigrayans and Oromos in other parts of Ethiopia is most likely to use them as chips of bargain," Getachew Reda, a leader of the TPLF, said in a Twitter post on Saturday evening.
In light of the uncertain future, several embassies have advised their citizens to leave the country while commercial flights are still running. The US State Department has ordered the evacuation of all nonessential diplomatic staff.

But the Ethiopian government said Western actors, in particular media outlets, were overreacting, and dismissed rebel claims as propaganda. At the same time, citizens of Addis Ababa have been asked to mobilize, register their weapons and be ready to fight for their country. "For us, Ethiopians, dying for our sovereignty, unity and identity, is an honor," read a government statement on Saturday.

Analysts see this apparent contradiction as a way for the government to prepare for armed struggle while hoping to limit civil unrest.

"We could soon be in a scenario where the Tigray fighters are able to choke the Djibouti trade route, and you don't want panic-buying and hoarding in advance of that," said William Davison, senior Ethiopia analyst for the International Crisis Group. "So we can understand government efforts to try and calm things down, even if it runs against simultaneous official calls for all-out mobilization."

Residents have mixed feelings about the looming threat to the capital. One taxi driver said he wasn't worried but said in any case, most residents are living hand-to-mouth and can't afford to stock up on food and other essential items.

TPLF forces have said they've seized control of territory in the north of the country

Government support base on display
There's also widespread belief and hope among some Ethiopians that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed can find a way to defeat the Tigrayan fighters. This was borne out on Sunday morning, when thousands of demonstrators flocked to a pro-government rally on Meskel Square, the capital's main gathering place.

Some of those protesting were members of the major opposition Ezema party. "We went out there to say that despite our different political opinions, when it comes to defending the sovereignty and unity of the country, we stand together," Nathenael Aberra, head of public relations for the Ezema party, told DW.

"I believe that what the TPLF and its allies are doing is posing a threat to national sovereignty and unity of the country, as well as to the security of our citizens. We cannot sit back and see their objectives unfold."

Dancing to chants celebrating Ethiopian soldiers, demonstrators waved Ethiopian flags and carried signs reading "Stop fake news Ethiopia," aimed at Western media organizations. In the midst of animated victory speeches, one voice did call for appeasement. Iconic Ethiopian singer Tariku Gankisi surprised the crowd as he made his way to the main stage to perform "Dishta Gena," one of this year's most popular hits.

"Enough! Our ears are bleeding […] Why are we going in front if we are going to die?" he yelled at the surprised crowd. "Enough with the cannons!"

Last-chance diplomatic efforts
Though a cease-fire still appears only a remote possibility, there seems to be a glimmer of hope emerging on the diplomatic front. The UN's Martin Griffiths and African Union High Representative to the Horn of Africa Olusegun Obasanjo reportedly landed in Mekele, the Tigray capital, on Sunday. According to Reuters, TPLF's Getachew Reda confirmed they were holding talks.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took part in a memorial service for victims of the conflict last week

This as US special envoy Jeffrey Feltman spent two days in Addis Ababa, an effort deemed by many as the last chance for a negotiated settlement. One diplomatic source said Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed agreed to US-led mediation efforts, but others indicated the meetings hadn't gone well.

In the absence of a negotiated cease-fire, the situation still appears grim. The TPLF has denied that their arrival to Addis Ababa would cause a bloodbath, indicating that the TPLF and OLA only want to overthrow the government — but how this scenario would play out without confrontation remains unclear.

*Names have been changed to protect the sources
Correction (November 8, 2021): This article has been updated to correct several misspellings. DW apologizes for the errors

 

[Plain Jane]

Ethiopia's war triggers fears in Kenya, South Sudan – DW – 11/08/2021

As the yearlong civil war in Ethiopia's Tigray region escalates, Kenya and South Sudan are on high alert.

www.dw.com

Ethiopia's war triggers fears in Kenya, South Sudan
As the yearlong civil war in Ethiopia's Tigray region escalates, Kenya and South Sudan are on high alert.




Ethiopia's federal forces, pictured here, have been battling Tigrayan fighters since November 2020

Kenya's government has announced the tightening of security along its 800-kilometer (500-mile) northern border with Ethiopia.

Police have also set up additional roadblocks to monitor the movement of firearms and foreigners who may try to enter Kenya illegally.

Local communities and the government fear an influx of Ethiopian refugees, as the war raging in the country's northern Tigray region spills into other areas of Ethiopia and Tigrayan fighters and their allies advance on the capital, Addis Ababa.

Northern Kenya is already home to the refugee camps of Kakuma in the northwest and Dadaab in the northeast. They are among the world's largest refugee settlements.
For the past few years, Kenyan officials have been pushing hard to have the camps completely closed by mid-2022 — a plan that could be scuttled by new refugees from Ethiopia.

Kenya's police service has already cautioned citizens to report cases of undocumented persons and unprocessed immigrants in the country.

Most Ethiopian refugees so far have fled north over the border to Sudan but Kenya fears that may change

Northern Kenya already under stress
"There is a likelihood [of] hundreds of thousands, if not millions of refugees, flocking into Kenya," the director of the Nairobi-based Institute for Strategic Studies, Hassan Khannenje, told DW.

This will "impose heavy costs on Kenya," he said, adding it could trigger a humanitarian situation that Kenya isn't prepared for.

The large numbers of refugees in northern Kenya have stressed local resources in the region, and are fueling tensions with local communities.

Two million people are currently facing food insecurity in Kenya's north, where the United Nations has described the situation as "particularly drastic" because of poor rainfall.


Watch video02:53
Kenya's drought: A national and humanitarian disaster
Trade between the two countries has also fallen because of the Tigray conflict, according to Kenyan authorities. Earlier this year, Kenya and Ethiopia set up the Moyale Ones Stop Border Post, a free trade area to make cross-border business dealings easier.

Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta appealed last week for a stop to the war between the forces of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and fighters from the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).

"The men and women of the government of Ethiopia, led by my dear brother in leadership, Abiy Ahmed, as well as the men and women who constitute the leadership that is fighting the government must find reason to cease the conflict immediately and talk," Kenyatta said in a statement released last Wednesday.

South Sudan's peace deal at risk
The conflict in Ethiopia seems to have indirectly weakened the implementation of a peace deal in neighboring South Sudan.

Ethiopia, in recent years, has played a mediating role between the rival factions of President Salva Kiir and the former opposition leader Riek Machar.

South Sudan's two main peace deals, signed in 2015 and 2018, were both negotiated in Ethiopia.

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir holds a copy of a signed peace agreement

In addition, the international community is diverting more time and energy on Ethiopia, says political analyst Boboya James from the Juba-based Institute for Social Policy and Research.
"Traditionally the international community used to urge the government of South Sudan to fully implement the peace agreement, but now it appears their attention has been diverted to resolving the conflict in Ethiopia," James told DW.

"You can see the Americans now spending a lot of time in asking the two factions in Ethiopia to dialogue and bring about peace."

He fears that South Sudan's peace process could become more elusive as Ethiopia's war drags on.

Uncertainty for South Sudanese in Ethiopia
Hundreds of thousands of people fleeing South Sudan's war have taken refuge in Ethiopia's Gambela region on Sudan's western border with Ethiopia.

The communities living on both sides of the border have great cultural affinity and there is a brisk flow of goods across the border there, mainly from Ethiopia into South Sudan.

"The majority of South Sudanese on the border get food from Ethiopia," James said.
So if Ethiopia's war continues, it will "definitely bring economic destabilization to the border between South Sudan and Ethiopia," he said.


Watch video02:01
Ethiopia's yearlong civil war shows no sign of ending
Diplomatic efforts
Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has called an extraordinary summit of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, known as IGAD, in Kampala on November 16.
Ethiopia is a member of the eight-member bloc which also includes Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia and Djibouti.

IGAD, which helped broker South Sudan's peace deal, is hoping for a similar role in Ethiopia.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts are ongoing to try to resolve the war in Ethiopia.

US and African Union envoys have been holding urgent talks in Ethiopia in search of a cease-fire.

The UN Undersecretary for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, visited the Tigray region on Sunday, using the occasion to plead for greater access for aid to civilians.

The UN is warning that some 7 million people in Ethiopia, including 5 million in Tigray, are facing famine-like conditions because of the war.

 

[Plain Jane]

Fire sweeps through school in Niger, killing 20 children

Niger's government says more than 20 children were killed and dozens more were injured when a fire swept through a school in Niger’s second-largest city, Maradi

apnews.com

Fire sweeps through school in Niger, killing 20 children
By DALATOU MAMANEyesterday


NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — More than 20 children were killed and dozens more injured when a fire swept through a school in Niger’s second-largest city, Maradi.

Three classrooms made of straw were consumed by the fire at the pre-school and primary school called ‘AFN’, taking the lives of the children aged between 3 and 8, the government said late Monday.

An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the fire and where it started, the Regional Direction of National Education confirmed.

Straw huts are often used as temporary classrooms in overcrowded schools in Niger in West Africa.

In April a fire fueled by high winds burned through an elementary school on the outskirts of Niger’s capital, Niamey, killing 20 children.

Teachers and parents have said that the deaths highlight the dangers of the temporary classrooms.

“Our hearts are with the children and families affected. Our most sincere condolences to the families of the victims and their communities,” UNICEF’s representative in Niger Stefano Savi said in a statement.

“No child should ever be in danger when learning in school,” he said. “UNICEF will continue to work with the national authorities and partners across the country to ensure that children can attend school and learn in safe environments.”

 

[Plain Jane]

UN: More than 70 aid truckers detained in Ethiopia – DW – 11/10/2021

The organization says the detentions amount to "a de facto humanitarian blockade." News of the detentions comes a day after 22 UN staff members were arrested in the capital, Addis Ababa.

www.dw.com

UN says more than 70 aid delivering truckers detained in northern Ethiopia
The organization says the detentions amount to "a de facto humanitarian blockade." News of the detentions comes a day after 22 UN staff members were arrested in the capital, Addis Ababa.




The UN and other groups have struggled to deliver aid to citizens caught up in fighting between Addis Ababa and the TPLF

The United Nations on Wednesday announced that at least 70 truck drivers delivering aid to the northern Ethiopian Tigray region had been detained during the past week, after the government of Prime Minister Ahmed Abiy declared a six-month nationwide state of emergency.

The UN says drivers working for it and other international aid organizations were arrested on November 3 in the northern city of Semera in Ethiopia's Afar region. Although representatives enquired as to the grounds for the detentions, they have received no answer according to the UN.

Semera is a key gateway for aid deliveries into Ethiopia's northern regions. The UN says the mass detention of aid delivery drivers amounts to a "de facto humanitarian blockade."

Watch video01:26
Ethiopian conflict exacerbates hunger, malnutrition
What is the humanitarian situation in Tigray?
The UN has struggled to deliver food and medical aid to millions of people in Tigray in recent months and especially since Ethiopia's government began conducting airstrikes in the region in mid-October. "It is estimated that 80% of essential medication is no longer available" in the region, said the UN's humanitarian aid agency last week.

The Ethiopian government claims that aid may be being diverted to Tigray fighters rather than delivered to civilians, though it has offered no evidence for this. A similar logic also prompted Addis Ababa to impose the state of emergency, which allows government forces to detain anyone it accuses of supporting the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).

On Tuesday, the UN announced that 22 of its staff members had been arrested and detained in the capital for "supporting terrorists." Though six were released, 16 remain in custody. The Ethiopian government has arrested thousands of Tigrayans since the law went into effect last week.



Watch video01:25
Tigrayan forces advance toward Ethiopian capital
Why are relations so bad between the UN and Ethiopia?
Relations between the Ethiopian government and the international organization have been tense since seven top UN staff members were expelled from the country in late September after pushing for an end to ethnic fighting between the central government in Addis Ababa and armed fighters linked to the TPLF. The Ethiopian government accused UN leaders of "meddling" in the country's internal affairs after it was suggested that sanctions may be needed if the warring parties could not strike a peace deal.

Fighting in the northern Tigray region broke out in November 2020, when Addis Ababa accused the TPLF of attacking government forces and then mobilized the army. The TPLF ruled Ethiopia for 27 years before current Prime minister Abiy Ahmed came to power in 2018. Fighting in Ethiopia, the second-most populous country in Africa, has killed thousands, sparked famine, and raised grave concern over the perpetration of war crimes.

Fighting in the country of 115 million has now spread beyond Tigray, with ethnic groups opposed to the central government banding together to embark on a march toward the capital. International observers have warned of probable war crimes committed on all sides. On Wednesday, the NGO Amnesty International (AI) released a report documenting TPLF atrocities including gang rapes in Amhara, which borders Tigray.

Germany joins US and UK advising nationals to leave Ethiopia
Germany's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday issued travel warnings for Ethiopia, urging all citizens to leave the country in response to the "worsening conflict and its potential spread to other regions and even the capital, Addis Ababa."

The move follows a November 5 announcement by the US State Department ordering "the departure of non-emergency US government employees and their family members from Ethiopia due to armed conflict, civil unrest and possible supply shortages."

The UK on Tuesday also advised nationals to leave Ethiopia, saying: "The conflict has potential to escalate and spread quickly and with little warning."



Watch video02:01
Ethiopia's yearlong civil war shows no sign of ending
js/msh (AP, dpa)

 

[Plain Jane]

Zerohedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

Congolese Refugees Use Bitcoin To Build Grassroots Economy

BY TYLER DURDEN
FRIDAY, NOV 12, 2021 - 05:00 AM
Authored by Alex McShane via BitcoinMagazine.com,
After the eruption of Mount Nyiragongo volcano on 22 May 2021, a restaurant worker and a blogger teamed up in the city of Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo and taught displaced families how to use Bitcoin, TechCrunch reported.


Blogger Gloire Wanzavalere went to a refugee camp that popped up in Goma, offering to give Bitcoin to displaced families. Gloire told TechCrunch that he discovered most of the families had traded what few belongings they had managed to escape with, thus they did not have the paperwork required to open bank accounts or acquire phones.

“These people lost everything. I understood it was rational for them to sell what they had left in order to buy food,” Gloire told TechCrunch.
“So we bought phones for eight people…twelve people benefited from our initiative, four among them already had their own smartphones.”

Wanzavalere was inspired by news of the Bitcoin Beach circular economy in El Salvador, which he evidenced as proof poor people can use Bitcoin.

“Coming to their aid with bitcoin was a more powerful act than any marketing campaign could be. That’s when we told ourselves, OK, we’re going to do this in Congo,” the blogger said.

Photo by Gloire Wanzavalere

Gloire’s mother owns a small shop in Goma. She agreed to accept bitcoin using her mobile phone through apps like Wallet of Satoshi and Phoenix Wallet.

“Because she is very excited about the idea of helping people with bitcoin, she is considering the option of bringing a few essential goods closer to the refugees, so they can buy what they need without going too far into town. But it’s a complex question in part because of security concerns,” Wanzavalere said.

Juvin Kombi spent the past summer setting up the first Lightning Network node for Jikofood Restaurant, where he works. This allowed Jikofood to accept Bitcoin without high transaction fees nearly instantaneously. By September Kombi’s node was running, and the restaurant was accepting payments on the restaurant’s PC and sometimes employees own personal smartphones. Their preferred mobile wallet apps are Muun Wallet and Blue Wallet.

“The learning process was very long, but the minimum research we have done has helped us understand bitcoin without any support,” Kombi told TechCrunch. “We realized that it was easy to set up. A simple wallet and an internet connection are sufficient. In addition, we are studying the possibility of setting up BTCPay Server in the near future.”

Photo by Gloire Wanzavalere

At the moment only a handful of the restaurant’s clients use itcoin, Kombi added, including the displaced people Gloire hired. But the staff hopes that the knowledge about Bitcoin as a method of savings and payment option will spread among the community. Jikofood even hosts educational Bitcoin workshops for customers.

Photo by Gloire Wanzavalere

“The Congolese population is suffering greatly; it never had any stable currency except the U.S. dollar,” Gloire commented.
“I am not a journalist. However, I started to write about bitcoin issues in Africa because there was a lack of information on the subject in French.”

As he wrote Gloire fundraised for this grassroots program by inviting Bitcoiners abroad to participate in a “Lightning Torch.” He would invite anyone online through a Tweet to join a chain of Lightning Network transactions by sharing an invoice and sending small amounts of bitcoin to pay it forward to the next invoice holder. Even Jack Dorsey, the CEO of Twitter participated, TechCrunch reported.


Photo by Gloire Wanzavalere

“In total, 18 people contributed,” Gloire said.
“In less than three hours, all the beneficiaries mastered it, learning how to receive and send money using a bitcoin wallet, which shows that in practice the Lightning Network isn’t that complicated to use.”

“We plan to raise more money to help an even larger part of the suffering population,” Gloire concluded. “The money collected by the torch event was meant to be distributed without anything in return. However, this is a long-term idea. Paying the refugees in bitcoin for freelance work could be a source of more community engagement.”

Gloire plans to teach the refugees how to run a lightning node, just like the Jikofood Restaurant, with hopes of expanding the local Goma Bitcoin economy, giving financial power back to small businesses, and banking the unbanked.

 

[Plain Jane]

US sanctions Eritrean military over role in Tigray conflict – DW – 11/13/2021

Washington has blacklisted the Eritrean military as it ups pressure on parties fighting in northern Ethiopia. The US cited "numerous reports" of the killing of civilians by Eritrean forces.

www.dw.com

US sanctions Eritrean military over role in Tigray conflict
Washington has blacklisted the Eritrean military as it ups pressure on parties fighting in northern Ethiopia. The US cited "numerous reports" of the killing of civilians by Eritrean forces.




War erupted in November 2020 between Ethiopian federal troops and forces loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front

The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on the Eritrean military and other Eritrea-based individuals and entities over their "continued role" in the yearlong conflict in neighboring Ethiopia that has killed thousands and displaced millions.

A US Treasury Department statement cited "numerous reports of looting, sexual assault, killing civilians, and blocking humanitarian aid" by Eritrean forces.

The soldiers "have been seen disguised in old Ethiopian military uniforms, manning checkpoints, obstructing and occupying critical aid routes, and threatening medical staff in one of northern Ethiopia's few operating hospitals,'' the statement said.

Ethiopia's government allowed Eritrean soldiers to enter Ethiopia's northern Tigray region but then denied the soldiers were there for months.

Who else has been affected by the US sanctions?
The US sanctions also targeted Abraha Kassa Nemariam, the chief of the Eritrean National Security Office; Hidri Trust, the holding company of the Eritrean ruling party's business enterprises; the Red Sea Trading Corporation, which managed the ruling party's financial interests; and the corporation's chief executive, Hagos Ghebrehiwet W. Kidan.

The Treasury Department noted that Eritrean military leader President Isaias Afwerki was not sanctioned.

Washington also warned it would sanction Ethiopia's government and rival Tigray forces if there is no "meaningful progress" toward a ceasefire and mediation.

Watch video02:01
Ethiopia's yearlong civil war shows no sign of ending
Blinken calls for peace talks
Ahead of a three-nation trip to Africa next week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged for the start of talks between the Ethiopian government and rebels to end fighting in Tigray.

A failure to reach a settlement "would lead to the implosion of Ethiopia and spill over into other countries in the region, and that would be disastrous for the Ethiopian people and also for countries in the region," Blinken told reporters in a separate statement.

"The other path is to halt all of the military actions that are currently underway, sit down to negotiate a real ceasefire to make sure that humanitarian assistance can get in to all of the regions where people are in need," he said.

"I believe that that is still not only possible, but necessary."

War erupted in November 2020 between Ethiopian federal troops and forces loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the ruling party of Tigray. The conflict has left hundreds of thousands in famine-like conditions

The United States has denounced both Tigrayan fighters and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, over the war, which has since spread into two neighboring regions in northern Ethiopia.

Tigray blockade 'systemic'
The United Nations has called Tigray a "de facto humanitarian blockade."

"People are dying because of lack of supplies,'' World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus told reporters on Friday, calling the blockade "systemic."

Tedros, a former Ethiopian foreign minister under the previous government, said Tigrayans across the country were "being profiled and arrested en masse, by the thousands."
"This is blatant and open," he added.
mvb/sms (AFP, Reuters, AP, dpa)

 

[Housecarl]

Posted for fair use.....

IS-linked group kills Nigerian general, destroys buildings

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — An Islamic State-linked extremist group blamed for killing thousands in Nigeria and neighboring West African countries has killed four members of the Nigerian army, including a general, the army said Saturday.

apnews.com

IS-linked group kills Nigerian general, destroys buildings

By CHINEDU ASADU
yesterday

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — An Islamic State-linked extremist group blamed for killing thousands in Nigeria and neighboring West African countries has killed four members of the Nigerian army, including a general, the army said Saturday.

The Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) killed the security personnel during an attack in the Askira Uba area of Borno state, where a war against a rebel insurgency has been centered for more than a decade.

A Nigerian army spokesperson said its troops killed “several” ISWAP members in response to the attack, which residents told The Associated Press had also targeted a military base and unfolded over three days.

Hassan Chibok, a community leader in the neighboring Chibok council, said a classroom building and other structures were destroyed by the extremist insurgents.

“The primary school (in Askira Uba) was burned down. The primary healthcare center was also burned down, and the house of the village head,” he said.

“In the fierce encounter, which is still raging at the time of filing this report, troops supported by the air component of OPHK (Operation HADIN KAI, the code name for the military operation in the northeast) have destroyed five A-Jet, two A-29, two dragon combat vehicles and nine gun trucks,” the army’s spokesperson, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, said in a statement.

The development is yet another sign that the IS-linked group remains a threat in the northeastern part of Africa’s most populous country despite the Nigerian military’s repeated claims of successes in the war against insurgency especially after ISWAP lost two leaders in the last few months.

ISWAP split from Boko Haram in 2016. The rival extremist groups remain united in an insurgency against the Nigerian government that has expanded to neighboring Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

Militants in the IS-linked group have sought to consolidate their position in the Lake Chad basin and northeast Nigeria following the death of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau.

Despite losing two of its leaders - Abu Musab al-Barnawi and successor Malam Bako — in the last few months, ISWAP continues to target the Nigerian military and those who aid soldiers.

 

[Plain Jane]

Tigray conflict: Once a trusted Western ally, Ethiopia becomes a strategic headache

As the battle between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government and rebels from the Tigray region continues, tensions are growing between Washington and its Ethiopian former ally. The Biden administration…

www.france24.com

Tigray conflict: Once a trusted Western ally, Ethiopia becomes a strategic headache
Issued on: 13/11/2021 - 18:16

People gather behind a placard showing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed at a rally organized by local authorities to show support for the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) and against what they call Western interference in internal affairs, at Meskel square in downtown Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021. © AP
Text byavid RICH
5 min
Listen to the article
As the battle between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government and rebels from the Tigray region continues, tensions are growing between Washington and its Ethiopian former ally. The Biden administration is now considering imposing sanctions against Addis Ababa, once considered a strategic and trustworthy partner in an unstable East Africa.


The situation in Ethiopia continues to deteriorate amid ongoing fighting between pro-government forces and Tigrayan rebels. As Tigrayan forces gained the upper hand in recent weeks and are now closing in on the capital, the federal government has launched a campaign against any international organisations still active in the country, including the United Nations, accusing them of collaborating with the enemy. The government ordered the expulsion of seven UN agency officials accused of "interference" on September 30.

The UN announced on Wednesday that 72 of its World Food Programme (WFP) drivers were being held in a northern town on the only road leading into Tigray, which is facing a severe threat of famine. The day before (November 9), at least 16 Ethiopian UN employees were arrested in the capital Addis Ababa.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government has intensified its crackdown as the United States, which remained neutral, has been leading diplomatic efforts for several months to put an end to the civil conflict.

But now Washington is considering levying fresh sanctions on Addis Ababa in the coming days or weeks, according to a senior State Department official. "We can use them quite quickly," the official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. "We'll see in the coming days how things unfold."

Ethiopia considers any such measures as a betrayal by one of its closest allies.

Washington shifted from words to action on Friday by imposing sanctions on the Eritrean military and other Eritrea-based individuals and entities for their roles in the neighbouring northern Ethiopia conflict.

"Eritrean forces have operated throughout Ethiopia during the conflict and have been responsible for massacres, looting and sexual assaults," a Treasury Department statement said.

Both Asmara and Addis Ababa have denounced the move. "The real target for sanctions and further tougher actions by the US government and the greater international community should be directed towards the TPLF," Ethiopia's foreign ministry said in a statement, referring to the Tigray People's Liberation Front rebel group.

'Reassessing relations’
Early this month US President Joe Biden announced Ethiopia’s exclusion from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) as of January 1, 2022. The measure was unveiled two weeks after Biden signed an executive order paving the way for sanctions, including the seizure of assets and suspending the financial transactions of parties involved in the conflict.

"We are not imposing sanctions at this time on elements aligned with the government of Ethiopia and TPLF,” the main rebel movement, “to allow time and space to see if these talks can make progress," US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said in a statement on Friday. He warned that the United States would not hesitate to target both cites with future measures if diplomacy fails.

For Biden, the situation in northern Ethiopia “constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States”, he wrote in an executive order on September 17.

Bilateral tensions have been rising since May, when Washington introduced visa restrictions on Ethiopian and Eritrean officials accused of having "taken no meaningful steps to end hostilities". The Ethiopian government issued a warning at the time, saying it would "be forced to reassess its relations with the United States, which might have implications beyond our bilateral relationship".

Although the Biden administration wants to increase the pressure on Ethiopian leaders, it took seven months to put in place these first concrete measures.

"The United States has an interest in maintaining good relations with Ethiopia. They benefit from a trusted and key regional partner in an area dominated by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, of which Washington is suspicious," said Gérard Prunier, a historian specialising in the Horn of Africa.

Washington has long considered Ethiopia an important ally in the international fight against terrorism, particularly because of its proximity to Somalia, where al Qaeda-linked Islamist group Al Shabaab is based. Addis Ababa has also actively participated in UN missions by providing large contingents of troops. The US, on the other hand, is the largest donor of humanitarian aid to the country, with an estimated $1 billion a year donated through UN agencies.

A Western disappointment
The international community was slow to react to the Tigray conflict in part because of its faith in Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who won a Nobel Prize for his role in ending the 1998-2000 war with Eritrea. After becoming the leader of a country in the grip of a political crisis and plagued by ethnic conflicts in April 2018, the new prime minister implemented reforms to bring Ethiopia closer to its neighbour and regional rival Eritrea, ending a bitter war that killed tens of thousands of people. The war officially lasted until a July 2018 peace deal.
The peace agreement earned Ahmed the Nobel Prize in October 2019.

Africa’s youngest head of government became a symbol on the continent and was soon being courted by Western capitals. In March 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron praised Ahmed’s modern reforms and courage and signed a bilateral defence agreement. The deal was suspended in August 2021 as the conflict in Tigray intensified.

"The United States hailed Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's arrival in power. It is true that the evolution of the situation puts them at odds, and not only with Washington. Many people believed in him," Prunier said of Ahmed.

"No one could have imagined that this political newcomer, who promised openness and modernity, would suddenly launch a war to assimilate Tigray (which was officially a semi-autonomous region) that is totally incompatible with the reality of Ethiopian diversity."

Partnership ‘not sustainable’

As Ethiopia marked the first anniversary of the conflict in Tigray in early November, US Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman, special envoy for the Horn of Africa, published a lengthy piece on the Department of State website saying that "the United States and others cannot continue 'business as usual' relations with the Government of Ethiopia".

"The extraordinary partnership we have enjoyed is not sustainable while the military conflict continues to expand," he wrote, condemning the recurrent blockage of humanitarian aid to famine-threatened Tigray and expressing indignation at the expulsion of the "key UN officials". Feltman vigorously denounced the move, noting that there were "more UN humanitarian staff expelled in a single day by the Ethiopian government than Bashar al-Assad’s regime has expelled in 10 years of war in Syria".

"The US has been very patient. That being said, its expectations over Ethiopia are modest, because it is far from being a priority for them in the same way that China or Iran are," Prunier said. "But [the United States] no longer has any confidence in Abiy Ahmed, and hope to find a functional ally at least. By imposing sanctions against the government, at a time when it seems to be losing the battle, they are planning for the aftermath," he observed.
This story has been adapted from the original in French.

 

[Plain Jane]

Report: Storms in Egypt leave 3 dead, unleash scorpions

Egypt's state-run media reports that heavy rains and flooding in the country's south have left three people dead and more than 500 others hospitalized from scorpion stings.

apnews.com

Report: Storms in Egypt leave 3 dead, unleash scorpions
yesterday


CAIRO (AP) — Heavy rain and flooding in a southern province in Egypt have left three people dead and more than 500 others hospitalized from scorpion stings, state-run media reported.
Downpours, hail and thunder in the province of Aswan over the weekend forced local authorities to suspend school classes Sunday, Gov. Ashraf Attia said.

The storms forced scorpions from their hiding places into many houses across the province, Attia added. He said at least 503 people were hospitalized after suffering scorpion stings and that all of them were discharged after they were given anti-venom doses.

Acting Health Minister Khalid Abdel-Ghafar said in a statement that no deaths were reported from scorpion stings.

Photos and video footage circulated on social media showed flooded streets and damaged houses, vehicles and agricultural farms.

The Al-Ahram daily reported the deaths, citing Ehab Hanafy, the Health Ministry’s Undersecretary in Aswan. It did not elaborate on the cause.

The rainfall also caused power outages.

 

[Plain Jane]

Gadhafi's son announces candidacy for president of Libya

Libya's election agency says the son and one-time heir apparent of late Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi has announced his candidacy for the country’s presidential election next month.

apnews.com

Gadhafi’s son announces candidacy for president of Libya
By SAMY MAGDYyesterday



1 of 4
Seif al-Islam, left, the son and one-time heir apparent of late Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi registers his candidacy for the country’s presidential elections next month, in Sabha, Libya, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021. Al-Islam, who was seen as the reformist face of Gadhafi's regime before the 2011 uprising, was released in June 2017 after more than five years of detention. (Libyan High National Elections Commission via AP)

CAIRO (AP) — The son and one-time heir apparent of late Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi announced Sunday his candidacy for the country’s presidential election next month, Libya’s election agency said.

Seif al-Islam, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity related to the 2011 uprising, submitted his candidacy papers in the southern town of Sabha, 650 kilometers (400 miles) south of the capital of Tripoli, the High National Elections Commission said in a statement.

Gadhafi’s son was captured by fighters in the town of Zintan late in 2011, the year when a popular uprising, backed by the NATO, toppled his father after more than 40 years in power. Moammar Gadhafi was killed in October 2011 amid the ensuing fighting that would turn into a civil war.

In a video shared by an election official, Seif al-Islam addressed the camera, saying that God will decide the right path for the country’s future. The 49-year old, who earned a PhD at the London School of Economics, wore a traditional Libyan robe, turban and spectacles. It was the first time in years that he appeared in public.

The second-born son to the longtime dictator, he was seen as the reformist face of the Gadhaf regime before the 2011 uprising. He was released in June 2017 after more than five years of detention. This July, he told The New York Times in an exclusive interview that he was considering a run for the country’s top office. His candidacy is likely to stir controversy across the divided country.

Seif al-Islam is wanted by the ICC on charges of crimes against humanity allegedly committed in the first weeks of the 2011 uprising. ICC spokesman Fadi El Abdallah declined to comment on Seif al-Islam’s candidacy.

“The Court doesn’t comment on political issues, as for the legal side there is a pending warrant of arrest and that hasn’t changed,” he said.

Gadhafi’s son, who has deeply rooted links to tribes across Libya, is the first major presidential hopeful to submit his candidacy to run for the country’s highest post. Also widely expected to announce their bids are powerful military commander Khalifa Hifter, Parliament Speaker Agila Saleh and former Interior Minister Fathi Bashaga.

Seif al-Islam’s campaign may focus on the failure of political parties and armed groups to establish a government capable of stabilizing and uniting the fractured country since the 2011 overthrow and killing of his father. However, he is highly likely to face stiff resistance from armed groups and militias particularly in the capital, Tripoli, and the western town of Misrata.

Abdel-Rahman el-Swahili, a lawmaker from Misrata, voiced his rejection to Seif al-Islam’s candidacy, saying that Gadhafi’s son should be prosecuted, not running for president.
“Those who believe in the possibility of Libya’s returning to the era of dictatorship after all these sacrifices, are delusional,” he wrote on Facebook.

A group of elders and militia leaders in the western town of Zawiya also announced their rejection of the candidacies of Seif al-Islam and Hifter, warning about the return of civil war. They threatened in a statement to shut polling stations if the elections proceeded with the current laws.

The election agency began the registration process for presidential and parliamentary hopefuls last week. Potential candidates have until Nov. 22 to register to run for the country’s highest post, while parliamentary hopefuls have until Dec. 7 to register their candidacies.

Libya is set to hold presidential elections on Dec. 24, after years of U.N.-led attempts to usher in a more democratic future and bring the country’s war to an end. Following the overthrow and killing of Gadhafi, oil-rich Libya spent most of the last decade split between rival governments — one based in the capital, Tripoli, and the other in the eastern part of the country.

The announcement of Seif al-Islam’s candidacy came after an international conference in Paris on Friday expressed support for holding “free, fair, inclusive and credible presidential and parliamentary elections” on Dec. 24.

The long-awaited vote still faces challenges, including unresolved issues over laws governing the elections, and occasional infighting among armed groups. Other obstacles include the deep rift that remains between the country’s east and west, split for years by the war, and the presence of thousands of foreign fighters and troops.

Gadhafi the dictator had eight children, most of whom played significant roles in his regime. His son Muatassim was killed at the same time Gadhafi was captured and slain. Two other sons, Seif al-Arab and Khamis, were killed earlier in the uprising. Another son, al-Saadi Gadhafi, was released in September after more than seven years of detention in the capital of Tripoli following his extradition from neighboring Niger.
__________
Associated Press writher Mike Corder contributed from The Hague, Netherlands.

 

[Plain Jane]

Uganda: Explosions rock capital Kampala – DW – 11/16/2021

Several people have died in twin blasts in the Ugandan capital. "Islamic State" has claimed responsibility for the deadly attacks.

www.dw.com

Uganda: Explosions rock capital Kampala
Two loud explosions have been heard in the Ugandan capital. The blasts come weeks after a bombing killed one and injured several others in another part of the city.




Kampala was hit by a deadly explosion less than a month ago

Two blasts shook the capital of the Ugandan capital Kampala on Tuesday, local witnesses said.

One of the explosions was close to the parliamentary building but appeared to be targeting another structure housing an insurance company.

The other explosion was heard outside of a police station.

"What we can say [is] this was an attack but who is responsible is a matter that is under investigation," Uganda's Assistant Inspector General of police Edward Ochom told AFP.

Large plumes of smoke
Videos shared on social media showed cars engulfed in flames, large plumes of smoke and debris scattered across the street.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1460519733112025088

View: https://twitter.com/HarunMaruf/status/1460519733112025088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1460519733112025088%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dw.com%2Fen%2Fuganda-explosions-rock-capital-kampala%2Fa-59833115

Witnesses also reportedly saw lawmakers evacuating the area of the parliamentary building, national broadcaster UBC said.

Security forces have cordoned off both scenes and Tuesday's parliamentary session was called off.

Another video showed people running away from the scene of one of the blasts.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1460521351270313985

View: https://twitter.com/IAMartin_/status/1460521351270313985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1460521351270313985%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dw.com%2Fen%2Fuganda-explosions-rock-capital-kampala%2Fa-59833115

Deaths reported
A reporter for the TV channel NTV Uganda reported seeing two bodies, although officials did not immediately confirm any deaths.

Emmanuel Ainebyoona, a spokesperson for the ministry of health, said on Twitter that a local hospital was "currently attending to about 24 causalities. Reports indicate four are in critical condition."

The cause of the explosions was not clear. But officials in the country have warned people to be vigilant in the wake of a series of bomb attacks in recent weeks.
Ugandan soldiers have been fighting against al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab forces in Somalia.
The Allied Democratic Forces, a group with connections to the so-called "Islamic State,"
claimed responsibility for an attack that killed one and injured several others at a restaurant in Kampala on October 23.
ab/dj (AFP, AP, Reuters, EFE)

 

[Plain Jane]

Ethiopia: UN warns of 'disturbing' mass arrests – DW – 11/16/2021

Police have previously denied that the arrests are ethnically motivated. Almost 200 young children have starved to death in Tigray.

www.dw.com

Ethiopia: UN warns of 'disturbing' mass arrests of Tigrayans
Police have previously denied that the arrests are ethnically motivated. Almost 200 young children have starved to death in Tigray.




The TPLF began fighting the Ethiopian government around a year ago

At least 1,000 people have been detained in Ethiopia over the past week, the United Nations said on Tuesday.

Most of those detained are reported to be of Tigrayan origin, the High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement.

This development is "disturbing," the commissioner noted.

The surge in arrests has occurred since the government introduced a state of emergency on November 2 amid fears that the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) fighters would march on the capital.

The declaration is valid for six months. It allows suspects to be detained without trial for as long as the state of emergency lasts and allows house-to-house searches without a warrant.
Some reports have put the number of detainees as "much higher," the UN statement noted.



Watch video01:26
Ethiopian conflict exacerbates hunger, malnutrition
What else do we know about the mass arrests?
People have been detained across Ethiopia, including in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, as well as in Gondar and Bahir Dar, in the north of the country.

A number of UN staff have been arrested since the state of emergency was declared.
Ten local UN staff, as well as 34 drivers subcontracted by the UN, were still being held, UN spokeswoman Liz Throssell said.

The conditions in detention centers were poor and overcrowded. Many were not told the reasons for their detention, the United Nations said.

There have been reports of ill treatment in detention, Throssell added.
Police have previously said the arrests are not ethnically motivated but are aimed at detaining supporters of the TPLF.


Watch video02:01
Ethiopia's yearlong civil war shows no sign of ending
Children dying of starvation in hospitals
The conflict, which broke out just over a year ago between Ethiopian federal troops and forces loyal to the TPLF, the ruling party of Tigray, is also behind soaring malnutrition in the Tigray region.

On Tuesday, data from 14 hospitals in Tigray showed that 186 children younger than 5 years old have died of starvation in hospitals.

Tigray is grappling with a communications blackout and what the United Nations describes as a de facto aid blockade, meaning that most essential medical supplies are no longer available.

Hagos Godefay, the head of the health bureau in Tigray's prewar government, warned that the death toll was likely higher.

He noted that health workers had not been able to reach remote areas where the number of children dying of starvation "will double for sure."

An estimated 29% of children are acutely malnourished, up from 9% before the war, Hagos said.

For severe acute malnutrition, the figure is 7.1%, up from 1.3% before the war, he added.

 

[Plain Jane]

Who's behind the deadly bombings in Uganda? – DW – 11/17/2021

"Islamic State" has claimed responsibility for the triple suicide bombing in Kampala and have named the attackers. Police have linked them to a little-known extremist group that operates along the Uganda-DR Congo border.

www.dw.com

ADF: The group blamed for the bombings in Uganda
"Islamic State" claimed responsibility for the triple suicide bombing in Kampala and have named the attackers. Police have linked them to a little-known extremist group that operates along the Uganda-DR Congo border.




Bomb explosion in Uganda's capital Kampala: The Islamic State claims responsibility

The triple suicide bombing in the heart of Uganda's capital Kampala on Tuesday killed several people and injured scores more. Two blasts happened three minutes apart and sent terrified residents rushing for cover as cars burst into flames.

Police blamed the attacks on Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a local Islamist extremist group with ties to the so-called "Islamic State" (IS). IS meanwhile took credit for the attack via its Amaq news agency on Telegram.

'Islamic State' names bombers
IS identified the bomber that carried out the first attack at a police checkpoint as Abu Sabr al-Ugandi, and gave the names of the two others who carried out a separate bombing together near the National Assembly as Abu Shahid al-Ugandi and Abu Abdul-Rahman al-Ugandi.

The Ugandan government said three civilians and three bombers were killed and 33 people were injured in the blasts.

Ugandan explosives experts secure the scene of an explosion in a Kampala suburb in October

The attacks follow two recent bombings in Kampala. Last month a number of people were wounded in a blast on a long-distance bus in Mpigi District and a woman was killed in a bombing at a roadside eatery in Komamboga.

Police said the explosions were connected and carried out by the ADF.

ADF is little understood
The blasts in Kampala shocked a nation that is known as a bulwark against violent Islamist militants in East Africa, and whose leader, Yoweri Museveni, has spent years cultivating Western security support.

But Uganda was not spared: The al Qaeda-linked Somali insurgent group al Shabaab has carried out deadly attacks there in the past, including a 2010 attack that killed 70 people.
Who is now behind the ADF group and what do they stand for? Analysts and UN experts disagree on how closely local ADF fighters actually work with the international IS network.

United Nations peacekeepers secure streets in Ochia in DRC after a terror attack by ADF

Ben Shepherd, an expert on African politics and conflict at the London-based think tank Chatham House, says the ADF is poorly understood. "There have been claims made from within the group that they are part of the IS, but we do not really know if that is true," Shepherd told DW.

There is no hierarchical leadership representing the group. The IS taking responsibility for the attacks certainly aids their propaganda war, he added.

The extent of local support for the ADF in Uganda, or the nature of its ties to the group may have across the border in the Democratic Republic of Congo, are unclear. "It is one of the least understood armed groups operating in the Great Lakes," Shepherd said.

A hybrid group embedded in DRC
The ADF has been active since 1996, formed initially as a sort of joint operation between disaffected Islamic youth who had fallen into a dispute with the Ugandan government and were pushed out of the country after trying to mobilize support.

The ADF — historically a Ugandan rebel group — became embedded in places such as North Kivu in Congo and engaged with other armed groups. The group came to be treated as one of the perhaps 120 armed groups active in eastern Congo, Shepherd said.

The group has operated alongside fighters from groups supportive of the former regimes from Milton Obote and Idi Amin who felt sidelined by Museveni's politics. ADF members have also been linked to rebels engaged in a drawn-out fight for greater independence for communities on the borders between Uganda and the DRC.

In the nearby Rwenzori Mountains, they've have been blamed for thousands of civilian deaths.

According to Shepherd, the ADF is hybrid in character: It is motivated by a Salafist and ethno-nationalist ideology and the needs of desires of the cross-border community.

Soldiers in DRC patrol in villages near Beni after an attack of the rebel group Allied Democratic Forces

It faced pressure attacks, opposition against it by the Congolese government and by UN and the Ugandan government periodically.

Why is Kampala targeted?
In recent years, the ADF has become much more of a threat to Conoglese communties, as a serious rise in violence continues. When its leader, Jamil Mukulu, was arrested in Tanzania in 2015, he was extradited to Uganda and put on trial for terrorism. The group was reduced to a few hundred fighters. Since 2019, the ADF, led by Mukulu's successor Musa Baluku, has displayed a more Islamist character.

Dino Mahtani, an analyst at the International Crisis Group, said the ADF's focus had once been on settling local scores and controlling local war economies. "With the more recent affiliation of its main faction to ISIS [Islamic State], a number of foreigners from across East Africa with more globalist jihadist agendas have been arriving into its camps," he said.

In April 2019, IS began to claim some ADF attacks on social media, presenting the group as its regional branch — the Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP), which is said to stretch from Somalia to Mozambique and Congo.

In March 2021 the United States officially linked the ADF to IS. "Until we understand who the ADF are at present it is very hard to understand the motivations for the attacks that took place," analyst Ben Shepherd said.

 

[Plain Jane]

Sudan protests continue after deadliest day since military coup

Street clashes again shook Sudan's capital on Thursday, a day after security forces shot dead 15 protesters in the bloodiest day since the military's October 25 takeover.

www.france24.com

Sudan protests continue after deadliest day since military coup
Issued on: 18/11/2021 - 16:51

A protester gestures as people demonstrate against the Sudanese military's seizure of power on October 30, 2021. © Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah, Reuters
Text by:NEWS WIRES
3 min
Listen to the article
Street clashes again shook Sudan's capital on Thursday, a day after security forces shot dead 15 protesters in the bloodiest day since the military's October 25 takeover.

Wednesday's killings were condemned by UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet who said statement that "it is utterly shameful that live ammunition was again used yesterday against protesters."

Since Thursday morning, police fired tear gas to disperse dozens of anti-coup protesters who had stayed on the streets of north Khartoum overnight, witnesses said, braving an intensifying crackdown that has drawn international condemnation.

Police tore down makeshift barricades the demonstrators had erected the previous day.

Later in the day, dozens of protesters returned to rebuild them and police again fired tear gas in a bid to clear the streets, witnesses said.

"Protesters responded by hurling stones at the police," said one of them.

On October 25, top general Abdel Fattah al-Burhan -- Sudan's de facto leader since the April 2019 ouster of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir -- detained the civilian leadership and declared a state of emergency.

The move upended Sudan's fragile transition to full civilian rule, drawing international condemnation and a flurry of punitive measures and aid cuts.

"We condemn violence towards peaceful protesters and call for the respect and protection of human rights in Sudan," the US State Department's Bureau of African Affairs said on Twitter.

Appeal to international community
UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Association Clement Voule said he had "received alarming reports of increased use of lethal force by the military against peaceful protesters".
He called on the international community to "put pressure on Sudan to immediately stop the repression against civilians and respect their rights".

Burhan insists the military's move "was not a coup" but a step to "rectify the course of the transition" to civilian rule.

Thousands took to the streets on Wednesday in Khartoum and other cities but were met by the deadliest crackdown since the coup.

At least 15 people were killed, most of them in north Khartoum, doctors said, raising the toll since the coup to 39 dead.

Police said they had recorded only one death among protesters in north Khartoum. Another 30 had suffered breathing difficulties from tear gas inhalation.

They said they had fired no live rounds and used only "minimum force", even as 89 officers were wounded, some of them critically.

The latest demonstrations were organised despite a near-total shutdown of internet services and the disruption of telephone lines across Sudan.

By Thursday morning, phone lines had been restored but internet services remained largely cut.

Bridges connecting Khartoum with its neighbouring cities reopened and traffic returned to many of the capital's streets.

Last week, Burhan formed a new Sovereign Council, the highest transitional authority, with himself as chief and military figures and ex-rebel leaders keeping their posts.

He replaced members from the Forces for Freedom and Change, Sudan's main civilian bloc, with little-known figures.

Call for 'peaceful protests'
The FFC is an umbrella alliance that spearheaded the protests which led to the ouster of Bashir in 2019, and its mainstream faction has supported the anti-coup protests of recent weeks.

Sudan's largest political faction, the Umma Party, condemned the use of force by the security forces and called for peaceful protests to continue "until the coup is brought down" and those who have committed crimes against the people have been held accountable.

Since the coup, Burhan has removed clauses referring to the FFC from the 2019 power-sharing deal between the military and the civilians from the bloc.

This week, US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee met with the generals and the ousted civilian government in a bid to broker a way out of the crisis.

Phee has called for the reinstatement of ousted Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who is effectively under house arrest.

Burhan has vowed to hold the planned elections in 2023, reiterating to Phee on Tuesday that his actions aimed to "correct the trajectory of the revolution".
(AFP)

 

[Plain Jane]

Sudan's activists: 'Now we are driven by anger' – DW – 11/19/2021

Sudanese protesters are even more determined after the violent clampdown of the past days. Meanwhile, key regional players are following their own agendas.

www.dw.com

Sudan's protest movement: 'Now we are driven by anger'
Sudanese protesters are even more determined after the violent clampdown of the past days. Meanwhile, key regional players are following their own agendas.




Protesters in Sudan have been calling for democracy and the end of the military intervention

The messages came in without prior warning. On Thursday evening, millions of texts, photos and videos about the protests and the violent clampdown finally reached cell phones in Sudan.

"The footage is horrific," Rania Aziz, a 36-year-old activist in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, told DW in a video call. Then she started crying. "We are experiencing a national shock now," she said.

Almost two dozen protesters were killed by the military junta this week.

Following the coup on October 25, when General Abdel-Fattah Burhan dissolved the Sudanese government and declared a state of emergency, he had shut off mobile networks, internet and phones except for a few landlines in Khartoum, leaving the country of 44 million without digital communications for more than three weeks.

Protests seem likely to continue as long as the military junta holds sole power

Inside Sudan
While this cutting of communication channels came as some surprise, the escalation itself didn't come out of the blue for those striving for democracy in Sudan.

"Tensions between the civilian side of the government and the military side of the government had been brewing and building up since September," Aziz said.

And when the coup eventually happened, "people took to the street immediately," she said.
However, to organize the protests, activists were left only with offline methods.

"We've had a structure of resistance committees in place, with people who are mobilizing and organizing within their neighborhoods. A higher coordination committee is in communication with other resistance committees in different districts, and since we couldn't call, we simply went out and walked or drove over," Aziz said.

Other activists put notes on cars, placed folded pieces of paper with information in people's hands and organized so-called advertising marches. "Some of us walked through the streets and chanted that there is a big march tomorrow," Aziz said.

Protests have also spread to other Sudanese cities beside Khartoum, with protesters all over the country calling, "No to military rule" or "The people choose civilian rule."

However, the protests have been met with violence by the military junta, and the situation has escalated this week.

Condemnation of the violence and calls for dialogue have come from Germany, the EU and the US, among others.

Outside Sudan
However, some of Sudan's regional neighbours seem to be following their own agendas.
"Since the transition brought about by the revolution in 2018 and 2019, Sudan's political map is a new reality, and neighboring countries such as Egypt and the Emirates, as well as Saudi Arabia, have different relationships with different parts of that government which impact their position," Theodore Murphy, director of the Africa program at the European Council for Foreign Relations, told DW on the phone.

Regional partners have long-standing ties to different parts of Sudan's transitional government

Particularly Egypt has had long-standing ties with Sudan's armed forces. "They see some similarities with their own experience during their own travel through a kind of popular revolution and then establishing stability," Murphy said.

However, instead of openly supporting Burhan, Egypt has remained silent. "We've seen an absence of Egypt's voice in public statements," Murphy observed.

The two other regional key allies of Sudan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, issued a statement on November 3 through their diplomatic formation, called the "Quad."

Together with the US and the UK, they highlighted the need to restore the civilian component of the civilian military transitional government as well as to release the then-detained Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, his wife and other senior officials.

Activists are calling for the return of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who is now under house arrest

Yet the strongest divergence from Western calls among Sudan's regional neighbors is that there is some "openness for a different kind of civilian government," Murphy said.

He believes that the choice of civilian leader and the way that leader is chosen are delicate matters that could either restore an element of peace or fan the flames of protest.

"Prime Minister Hamdok is so important because the protest movement has seized him as its representative now," he told DW.

If someone else were chosen, he says, it would suggest that the military side was asserting its dominance.

"The political circumstances of that choice will be very difficult to overcome in terms of the protest movement, and I'm not sure that they will accept it at all," Murphy said.

• 

Commitment and anger
Meawhile, the next demonstrations in major Sudanese cities have been organized.

The next days will show whether the junta can completely suppress and eliminate the popular rallies or whether the protests will keep going and force a standoff with the military and the repressive state apparatus.

"I think the latter is likely. I don't think the protest movement can be quashed and can go back home," Murphy said.

This view is echoed by the activist Aziz.

"They do want people to be fearful and to somehow suppress and oppress the voices. But it's not going to happen, because we are much more committed to our colleagues and our brothers and sisters who took to the streets for the same causes and died," she said.

"Now we are driven by anger."

 

[Plain Jane]

Sudan's military sign deal to reinstate ousted PM Hamdok – DW – 11/21/2021

Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok is set to return to power in Sudan just weeks after being ousted by the country's military. At least one protester was killed as demonstrations against military leaders continued.

www.dw.com

Sudan military to reinstate ousted PM Hamdok, says Umma Party head
Abdalla Hamdok will form an independent cabinet of technocrats and all political detainees will be released under the agreement between the military and civilian political parties.




The deal comes more than three weeks since the military derailed Sudan's transition towards civilian rule with a coup

Sudan's military plans to reinstate ousted Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok following an agreement reached between the military and civilian political parties, Fadlallah Burma Nasir, the head of the Umma Party, said on Sunday.

As part of the deal, Hamdok will form an independent cabinet of technocrats and all political detainees will be released, he added.

A group of mediators, including academics, journalists and politicians, had been attempting to reach a deal since the outbreak of the political crisis. It was finally reached late on Saturday, nearly a month after General Abdel-Fattah Burhan took down the transitional government led by Prime Minister Hamdok and detained its leaders. The general had previously deposed autocrat Omar al-Bashir in 2019.

What does the deal include?
Under the agreement, all detainees will be released and Hamdok's position as prime minister will be restored. It will also allow for the resumption of the constitutional, legal and political consensus that governs the transitional period.


Watch video01:20
Sudan sees bloodiest day since military takeover
The deal was reached after weeks of talks that included political factions, former rebel groups as well as military figures.

Burhan has referred to the military takeover as a step "to rectify the transition" and not "a coup." However, he did announce a new ruling council earlier this month, in which he retained his position as the leader. The council also included a paramilitary commander, three senior military figures, three ex-rebel leaders and one civilian.

Large-scale opposition to coup
The coup was slammed widely, both inside the country and internationally. Security forces confronted tens of thousands of protesters who took to the streets in the capital Khartoum and Sudan's most populous city Omdurman.

Earlier this month, UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet called on the military leaders to "step back in order to allow the country to return to the path of progress" after the coup on October 25.

An urgent meeting of the Sovereign Council will be held on Sunday before the agreement is formally announced, reports say.
see/sri (Reuters, AFP)

 

[Plain Jane]

Zerohedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

"Very Violent" South Africa Sees Nearly 10,000 Rapes, Over 6,100 Murders In 3 Months

BY TYLER DURDEN
MONDAY, NOV 22, 2021 - 02:45 AM
BLM activists seeking to make a real change in the world, may want to turn their attention to Chicago or - better yet - South Africa, where nearly 10,000 rape cases and more than 6,100 murders were reported in South Africa between July and September this year, according to official data released on Friday.

The number of rape cases stood at 9,556 – an increase of 634, or 7.1%, from the third quarter of 2020 – while murders were up by 1,056, or 20.7%, to 6,163, the country’s latest crime statistics showed.

There were also 72,762 cases of assault in South Africa in the third quarter of 2021, according to Anadolu.

“This data proves again that South Africa is a very violent country,” Police Minister Bheki Cele said at a news briefing pointing out the blindingly obvious. He termed the soaring rape figures “deeply disturbing” and a “disgrace.”
“The majority of the rape victims are women and those most vulnerable in our society. A sample of 6,144 rape cases revealed that 3,951 took place at either the home of the victim or the rapist,” he said.

On the increase in violence, Cele said a major factor was the unrest in July after former President Jacob Zuma was imprisoned. Zuma’s incarceration sparked widespread riots and looting in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, which claimed more than 200 lives.

The latest crime data showed KwaZulu-Natal had the highest number of murders – 1,744 – between July and September, an increase of 536 from the corresponding period last year.

The figure was 229 for Gauteng, which is home to South Africa’s largest city Johannesburg and capital Pretoria.

 

[Plain Jane]

Why many in Sudan are angry over PM Hamdok's return – DW – 11/22/2021

After Prime Minister Hamdok agreed to return to office alongside the military that had ousted him, pro-democracy factions have vowed to continue taking to the streets after being "betrayed" by their former ally.

www.dw.com

Sudan: Is Hamdok's return a signal of democracy or military victory?
After Prime Minister Hamdok agreed to return to office alongside the military that had ousted him, pro-democracy factions have vowed to continue taking to the streets after being "betrayed" by their former ally.




Protesters in Sudan have called for democratic reforms and an end to military intervention

Sudanese protesters have taken to the streets to call for democracy and an end to military rule after the deposed civilian prime minister, Abdalla Hamdok, pledged to return to the government jointly led with the military.

Nearly four weeks after a military coup, Hamdok was reinstated on Sundaywhen he signed a 14-point power-sharing deal with General Abdel-Fattah Burhan.

"Sudanese blood is precious, let us stop the bloodshed and direct the youth's energy into building and development," Hamdok said after signing the deal.

The new deal, however, was rejected by the civilian coalition Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC), which shared power with the military before the October 25 ousting.

Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's return to the civilian-military joint government has left protesters disappointed and angered

'A disgrace'
Following last month's coup, when General Abdel-Fattah Burhan had dissolved the Sudanese government and declared a state of emergency, protests quickly turned violent. At least 41 people were killed and many others were detained.

Rania Aziz, a 36-year-old activist in Sudan's capital Khartoum, was one of the protesters marching against the military's move.

"We have been very clear in our demands since the revolution started. Actually, the people have never approved or agreed to the power-sharing deal," she told DW in a video call, referring to the 2019 protest movement that led to the establishment of the civilian FFC coalition.

For her, the fact that Hamdok signed a deal with the coup's military leaders without the backing of the civilian coalition is "a setback, even a disgrace."

One key reason for the recent protests by the FFC is that the deal only reinstates the prime minister — and not the rest of the civilian government.

"We affirm our clear and previously declared position that there is no negotiation, no partnership, no legitimacy for the coup," the faction said in a statement.

Theodore Murphy, director of the Africa program at the European Council for Foreign Relations, told DW: "Sunday's political agreement is understood as not even a return to the status quo but a diminishment of the civilian's role to a junior partner."

The difficult situation with the disputed joint-government, he adds, is further exacerbated by the impression that "the revolution has been betrayed by one of its most high-profile representatives: Prime Minister Hamdok."

Western nations react
Contrary to the country's activists, many countries have signaled appreciation for Sudan's civilian and military handshake.

"I am encouraged by reports that talks in Khartoum will lead to the release of all political prisoners, reinstatement of Prime Minister Hamdok, lifting of the state of emergency, and resumption of coordination," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted.

"I also reiterate our call for security forces to refrain from excessive force against peaceful protesters," he said.

Murphy believes that European states and the EU are also more likely to embrace "something that is already on the table and work to improve it, as failure to do so amounts to undermining the highest-ranking official civilian government counterpart, namely Abdalla Hamdok."


Watch video03:01
Kholood Khair: Abdalla Hamdok 'has lost a lot of credibility with this move'
Regional reactions
Sudan's regional neighbors, however, seem to have laid out and stuck to their own agenda long before the coup.

"Sudan has been experiencing a very threatening, transitional period since 2018, and the situation was aggravated by regional interests that consider building a democratic state amid the region as a threat," said Sudanese activist Aziz.

Murphy echoes this view. "Since the transition brought about by the revolution in 2018 and 2019, Sudan's political map is a new reality and neighboring countries such as Egypt and the Emirates, as well as Saudi Arabia, have different relationships with different parts of that government which impacts their position."

Regional partners have long-standing ties to different parts of Sudan's transitional government

Egypt, in particular, has had long-standing ties with Sudan's armed forces. "They see some similarities with their own experience during their own travel through a kind of popular revolution and then establishing stability," Murphy said.

However, instead of openly supporting Burhan, Egypt has remained silent. "We've seen an absence of Egypt's voice in public statements," Murphy observed.

The two other regional key allies of Sudan — the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia — have built a diplomatic formation called the "Quad" with the US and the UK. Together, they had issued a joint statement on November 3, highlighting the need to restore the civilian component of the civilian-military transitional government as well as the release of the then-detained Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, his wife and other senior officials — demands that were all met with Sunday's power-sharing deal.

However, the current political turnaround has left many residents disappointed, angry, and with a bitter aftertaste.

For activist Aziz, protesters will go on taking their demands to the streets. "We shall not delay it," she told DW. "Streets never betray, the fight continues."


Watch video02:07
Sudan prime minister reinstated, but protests continue
Edited by: Stephanie Burnett

 

[Housecarl]

Posted for fair use.....

Flurry Of Air Force Transports Head To East Africa As Potential For Ethiopia Evacuation Grows

A coalition of anti-government factions has been getting closer to Ethiopia's capital after more than a year of civil war.

www.thedrive.com

Flurry Of Air Force Transports Head To East Africa As Potential For Ethiopia Evacuation Grows
A coalition of anti-government factions has been getting closer to Ethiopia's capital after more than a year of civil war.

BY JOSEPH TREVITHICK
NOVEMBER 23, 2021

• THE WAR ZONE

lane spotters using online flight tracking software have noticed an unusual uptick in U.S. Air Force logistics flights, primarily involving C-17A Globemaster III cargo planes, heading from various points in the United States to the East African country of Djibouti in the past few days. This comes amid reports that the U.S. military has started positioning troops in the region for a potential evacuation operation into neighboring Ethiopia, which is embroiled in a civil conflict. An alliance of armed groups in that country is now threatening to march on the capital and overthrow Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed if he does not step down and open a path to a new government.

Since Nov. 19, 2021, at least 16 different C-17As, as well as a larger C-5 Galaxy cargo plane, have been tracked flying from multiple U.S. Army bases in the United States – Fort Bragg in South Carolina, Fort Campbell in Kentucky, and Fort Stewart in Georgia – to Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport. The aircraft have all made their way to East Africa via a number of common intermediate destinations, including Bangor in Maine, Ramstein Air Base in Germany, and Moron Air Base in Spain.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1463043858078392323

View: https://twitter.com/vcdgf555/status/1463043858078392323?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1463044898144153600%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es2_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedrive.com%2Fthe-war-zone%2F43258%2Fflurry-of-air-force-transports-head-to-east-africa-as-potential-for-ethiopia-evacuation-grows

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1463045647741845509

View: https://twitter.com/vcdgf555/status/1463045647741845509?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1463047584700776449%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es2_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedrive.com%2Fthe-war-zone%2F43258%2Fflurry-of-air-force-transports-head-to-east-africa-as-potential-for-ethiopia-evacuation-grows

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1463050341151215616

View: https://twitter.com/vcdgf555/status/1463050341151215616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1463054546599436293%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es2_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedrive.com%2Fthe-war-zone%2F43258%2Fflurry-of-air-force-transports-head-to-east-africa-as-potential-for-ethiopia-evacuation-grows

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1462897088753192972

View: https://twitter.com/IntelWalrus/status/1462897088753192972?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1462897093698277376%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es2_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedrive.com%2Fthe-war-zone%2F43258%2Fflurry-of-air-force-transports-head-to-east-africa-as-potential-for-ethiopia-evacuation-grows


Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport shares its runway with Camp Lemonnier, a sprawling U.S. military complex that serves as America's main operational hub in Africa. It is the primary staging point for missions across East Africa, including counter-terrorism efforts in neighboring Somalia. It also supports American military activities on the Arabian Peninsula, which lies just across the Gulf of Aden, including in Yemen.

GOOGLE EARTH
A satellite image of Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, with the runway that it shares with Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport seen at top, taken in June 2021.

It is unclear what the purpose or purposes of these recent flights are or what exactly they might be carrying. The last time a surge of activity like this was observed at Camp Lemonnier was between December 2020 and January 2021, when significant numbers of U.S. personnel and aircraft were deployed to the region to support the withdrawal of the majority of American troops from Somalia.



AMERICA'S EAST AFRICA MILITARY HUB SEES SPIKE IN ACTIVITY AS SOMALIA WITHDRAWALS CONTINUEBy Joseph TrevithickPosted in THE WAR ZONE
NIGHT STALKER SPECIAL OPS HELICOPTERS NOW IN KABUL COULD BE CRITICAL TO EVACUATION (UPDATED)By Tyler RogowayPosted in THE WAR ZONE
SHADOWY KC-135RT SPECIAL OPS TANKERS HEAD TOWARD AFGHANISTAN AS EVACUATION AIRBRIDGE FORMS (UPDATED)By Joseph TrevithickPosted in THE WAR ZONE
SITUATION AT KABUL AIRPORT "WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT FOR ANYONE TO PREDICT" SAYS PENTAGON SPOKESMAN (UPDATED)By Joseph TrevithickPosted in THE WAR ZONE
MV-22 OSPREY SPOTTED MAKING BRIEF STOP AT U.S. EMBASSY IN LEBANON AFTER PRISONER RELEASE (UPDATED)By Joseph TrevithickPosted in THE WAR ZONE

While we can't say with absolute certainty that this is the case, one distinct possibility is that the U.S. military is staging forces in the region now in case of the need to launch an operation into Ethiopia to help U.S. diplomatic and other government personnel, as well as American nationals, evacuate the country if the security situation devolves. Just over a year ago, a civil war erupted in Ethiopia between the country's central government and authorities in the northern Tigray Region.

Friction had been growing in the country since 2018, when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power. Abiy is an ethnic Oromo and the first member of that group to hold this post. Ethnic Tigrayans from the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) had largely held political sway in Ethiopia since 1991. That year, a rebel coalition, with the TPLF at its forefront, successfully overthrew the Derg military junta that had ruled the country since 1975. Things had come to a head in September 2020, when Prime Minister Abiy said that the Ethiopian government would not respect the results of controversial regional elections in Tigray.


Since the fighting broke out, both sides have credibly accused each other of committing atrocities during this latest civil conflict, which has prompted a humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia. Foreign forces have been involved in the war, including the intervention of troops from neighboring Eritrea on the side of the central government. Prime Minister Abiy won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 for his efforts to resolve the long-standing conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea.

In recent months, the TPLF and forces aligned with it have been pushing toward Addis Abba. Earlier this month nine rebel groups, including the TPLF, announced that they had formed an alliance to unseat Abiy and his government. Just today, the Prime Minister reportedly headed to the front lines to directly oversee the counter-offensive.


CNN reported yesterday that elements of the Army's 75th Ranger Regiment, an elite special operations unit, had deployed to Djibouti to be in position for a potential evacuation operation. These troops were from the Regiment's 1st Battalion, which is based at Fort Stewart, one of the locations where C-17As have recently been spotted departing.

That same CNN report said that the Wasp class amphibious assault ship USS Essex and the rest of its Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), which are carrying elements of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), have been alerted that they could be called in to help, as well.

Continued.....

 

[Housecarl]

Continued.....

MEUs operating from ARGs have been utilized on many occasions in the past to rush reinforcements to countries experiencing civil unrest, as well as natural disasters or other humanitarian crises, to bolster security at U.S. diplomatic facilities or help Americans evacuate. The 11th MEU has AV-8B Harrier jump jets, MV-22B Osprey tiltrotors, CH-53E Super Stallion transport helicopters, UH-1Y light armed helicopters, and AH-1Z Viper gunships. These assets, among others available to this amphibious force, would be useful for support evacuation missions to extract Americans caught up in any fighting in land-locked Ethiopia.


Having additional elements from the Army forward-deployed in Djbouti would make good sense, too. Though we don't know what units might have been deployed so far beyond the Rangers—Fort Bragg is the service's main hub for airborne and special operation units and is the home of the 82nd Airborne Division. Troops from the 82nd form the core of the Immediate Response Force (IRF), an extremely high-readiness task force that is on call to deploy with hours in response to various contingencies. Personnel from the IRF were among those deployed to Afghanistan earlier this year to support the evacuation operations there.

Fort Campbell is the main hub for the Army's elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, elements of which supported the evacuation mission in Afghanistan. The 160th's helicopters, with support from Air Force special operations tankers, would provide one way for Army special operators to make their initial movement into areas of Ethiopia that might be experiencing active conflict, where they could then help coordinate follow-on deployments. Those helicopters would also provide an immediate response element once inside the country to help rescue individuals who might be in otherwise hard-to-reach locations, something The War Zone explained in depth in the context of the Afghanistan evacuations.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1428735772069441538

View: https://twitter.com/KaiGreet/status/1428735772069441538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1428735772069441538%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedrive.com%2Fthe-war-zone%2F43258%2Fflurry-of-air-force-transports-head-to-east-africa-as-potential-for-ethiopia-evacuation-grows


The U.S. military has forces forward-deployed in Djibouti that it could call upon. At least in the past, aircraft forward-deployed to the base on a more regular basis have often included Air Force CV-22B Ospreys and MC-130 special operations tanker-transports. A rotational regional Army contingency response unit, the East Africa Response Force (EARF) is based at Camp Lemonnier and has deployed in response to similar potential crises in the past.

US ARMY
Members of the East Africa Response Force (EARF) prepare to depart Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti for Gabon in 2019. This deployment was in response to concerns about civil unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but these troops ended up being in Gabon during a coup attempt in that country.

The U.S. State Department, which would be in charge of any evacuations and would have to request U.S. military support before it could be employed, has already downplayed the likelihood that such an operation is imminent.

"There are no plans to fly the U.S. military into Ethiopia to facilitate evacuations or replicate the contingency effort we recently undertook in Afghanistan, which was a unique situation for many reasons," a senior State Department official told journalists on Monday. "We are always, of course, engaged in contingency planning for hypotheticals, but again, with the airports wide open, there's no reason for that at all."

Earlier this month, the State Department did order the evacuation of non-essential personnel and dependents from Ethiopia in response to the conflict. It has also advised American nationals to leave the country.

“There is some massive progress in trying to get the parties to move from a military confrontation to a negotiating process,” Jeffrey Feltman, Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, told reporters today. “I was encouraged that [Abiy] was willing to talk to me in detail about what a diplomatic process could look like."

AP PHOTO/MARWAN ALI
US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman, in front, seen during a trip to Khartoum, Sudan, in May 2021.

“What I worry about is that the military developments on the ground are moving more rapidly than we've been able to get the diplomatic process to move," he also cautioned. "I was trying to tell him [Abiy] what was the cost to Ethiopia's stability. The cost to the civilians, the dignity of Ethiopia has been damaged by this war. The costs are too high."

Regardless of the State Department's current position on the crisis, President Joe Biden and his administration are no doubt eager to avoid any potential repeat of the chaos of the Afghanistan mission. The Biden administration continues to face significant domestic criticism for how those evacuations were handled, with nearly 200 American citizens and thousands of permanent U.S. residents still stranded in that country.

With all this in mind, it would not necessarily be surprising that the decision has already been made to position a large and capable response force in the region now, even if it never gets the order to deploy into Ethiopia.

Of course, there remains the possibility that some or all of these flights to Djibouti could be unrelated to the crisis in Ethiopia. There are certainly multiple other hotspots in East Africa, as well as ongoing U.S. operations in Yemen across the Gulf of Aden. At the same time, it seems much less likely that any of those activities would prompt the surge in sorties that we have seen recently.

All told, it remains to be seen whether U.S. military forces will deploy to Ethiopia, but there is strong evidence now that American troops, aircraft, and ships are increasingly in a position to do so, if necessary.

Contact the author: joe@thedrive.com

 

[Plain Jane]

Germany, France and US urge nationals to leave Ethiopia – DW – 11/23/2021

The Western nations say their citizens should leave Ethiopia immediately, after Abiy Ahmed vowed to "lead from the battlefield" against Tigray fighters.

www.dw.com

Ethiopia: Germany, France and US urge nationals to leave
The Western nations say their citizens should leave Ethiopia immediately, after Abiy Ahmed vowed to "lead from the battlefield" against Tigray rebels.




Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has said he wants to 'save Ethiopia' as the Tigrayan approach the capital

Germany on Tuesday urged its nationals to leave Ethiopia as soon as possible.
It follows similar calls for foreigners to flee the country as Tigrayan rebels claimed to be edging closer to the capital, Addis Ababa.

What Germany and the UN said about Ethiopia
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that German citizens could still use Addis Ababa Bole International Airport for transit and said they should board the first available flight.
France and the US also advised their citizens to leave the country immediately, as the conflict in the east African nation appears to be escalating.

The UN also said it had ordered the immediate evacuation of family members of international staff in Ethiopia. "Given the security situation in the country and out of an abundance of caution, the United Nations has decided to reduce its footprint in the country by temporarily relocating all eligible dependents," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.


Watch video02:01
Ethiopia's yearlong civil war shows no sign of ending
What is the state of the conflict in Ethiopia?
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Monday that he would head to the battlefront to lead his soldiers in what his government described as an "existential war," after the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) claimed to have taken a town just 220 kilometers (135 miles) from the capital.

"We are now in the final stages of saving Ethiopia," Abiy said.

Officials in Addis Ababa have tried to portray confidence, saying during a briefing to diplomats that security forces were working to keep the city safe.

"The propaganda and terror talk being disseminated by the Western media fully contradicts the peaceful state of the city on the ground, so the diplomatic community shouldn't feel any worry or fear," said Kenea Yadeta, head of the Addis Ababa Peace and Security Bureau.

The conflict erupted when Abiy, who had won the Nobel Peace Prize for securing a peace deal with neighboring Eritrea, sent troops into the northernmost Tigray region to topple the TPLF.

Thousands of people have been killed since fighting erupted in November 2020. The conflict has triggered a humanitarian crisis, which the UN says has left hundreds of thousands on the brink of famine and displaced more than 2 million people.

What are the chances for peace in Ethiopia?
US envoy to the region Jeffrey Feltman was optimistic about progress in efforts to reach a diplomatic settlement that could end the brutal year-long conflict.

But he warned that it all risked being jeopardized by "alarming developments" on the ground.
"While there's some nascent progress, that is highly at risk of being outpaced by the military escalation on the two sides," said Feltman, who is in Ethiopia this week along with his African Union counterpart Olusegun Obasanjo to broker a ceasefire.



Watch video01:58
International calls for Ethiopian cease-fire grow

 

[jward]

Al-Shabab blast by school in Somali capital kills at least 5
November 25, 2021 2:11am
Updated

Security forces and rescue workers search for bodies at the scene of a blast in Mogadishu, Somalia on Nov. 25, 2021. AP
MOGADISHU, Somalia — A large explosion outside a school in Somalia’s capital on Thursday has killed at least five people, including students, witness said. The extremist group Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack.
The al-Qaida-linked group controls large parts of rural Somalia and continues to frustrate efforts at rebuilding the Horn of Africa nation after three decades of conflict.
The blast sent a plume of smoke above a busy part of Mogadishu during the morning rush hour.
Abdulkadir Adan of the Amin ambulance service confirmed the five deaths to The Associated Press, and the service said at least 15 wounded people were rushed to a hospital.
“This is a tragedy,” he said.
Photos show the blast shredded part of the school, with emergency workers looking through the collapsed roof beams and wooden benches.


Al-Shabab, an extremist group, claimed responsibility for the explosion which killed at least five people.AP
Al-Shabab in a statement carried by its Andalus radio said it targeted Western officials being escorted by the African Union peacekeeping convoy. But a witness, Hassan Ali, told the AP that a private security company was escorting the officials and said he saw four of the security personnel wounded.

The attack occurred as Somalia faces major questions about its political and security future. The AU peacekeeping force was meant to withdraw from the country, but its mission could be extended amid concerns that Somali forces are not ready to assume responsibility for security. The U.S. early this year said its troop withdrawal from Somalia was complete.
A long-delayed presidential vote was meant to take place in February but now looks set to be held next year.
Al-Shabab blast by school in Somali capital kills at least 5

 

[Plain Jane]

Ethiopia: Peace increasingly elusive as violence escalates – DW – 11/24/2021

Growing pressure from the international community to end the violence is falling on deaf ears. As the conflict escalates, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed himself is now on the front lines to personally conduct war operations.

www.dw.com

Ethiopia: Peace increasingly elusive as violence escalates
Growing pressure from the international community to end the violence is falling on deaf ears. As the conflict escalates, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed himself is now on the front lines to personally conduct war operations.




Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has managed to mobilize supporters in the capital Addis Ababa
Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and former soldier, arrived on the front lines of the ongoing Tigray conflict on Tuesday as a government spokesperson officially announced Wednesday. No details have been given on his precise location
Abiy's decision is being widely interpreted as an attempt to mobilize Ethiopians in the fight against Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces.

"You could comment if it is wise or not, but it surely signifies a very serious situation in Ethiopia," Jan Abbink, a senior researcher at the African Studies Center at Leiden University in the Netherlands told DW.

Western nationals urged to leave
Anticipating an escalation in violence amid fears that Tigrayan forces might reach the capital Addis Ababa in the coming days, some Western countries — including Germany, France and the US — have urged their nationals to leave Ethiopia as soon as possible.

This has fueled accusations in Ethiopia that Western powers are trying to sow panic in order to weaken the Abiy government.

"The prime minister believes he has been cornered and that international partners such as the US and the EU are pushing for his removal," Ahmed Soliman from the London-based research institute Chatham House told DW.

Perceived Western support for the Tigrayan forces "has been used to stoke this nationalist sentiment to mobilize resistance for the conflict," he added.

For instance, in an apparent warning shot to the West, Ethiopia on Wednesday ordered four of six Irish diplomats in the country to leave within a week's time over Ireland's stance on the conflict.


Mobilization in full drive
Before leaving the capital for the front lines Tuesday, Abiy again called for every able citizen in the country of more than 110 million people to join the fight.

Tens of thousands of Addis Ababa residents have joined defense groups, and in recent months there have been reports of forced conscription.

National heroes, including Olympic medalists Haile Gebrselassie and Feyisa Lilesa, have publicly announced their readiness to take up arms against the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), setting an example of loyalty to an increasingly besieged government.

Meanwhile, ire against the TPLF among Abiy's supporters is growing — with many believing they threaten more than just the streets of Addis Ababa.

"One vision of the rebels is to fragment, Balkanize, crumble and delete the name Ethiopia from the world map," Yonas Adaye Adeto, of the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) at Addis Ababa University, told DW, contrasting this image to what he called the prime minister's "vision of unity."


Tigrayan forces are advancing on the capital Addis Ababa at a steady pace
Dialogue necessary but increasingly unlikely
In view of the armed escalation, hopes for peace talks in the immediate future are waning.

US envoy Jeffrey Feltman on Tuesday told reporters he feared the ''nascent'' progress in mediation efforts with the warring sides could be outpaced by the ''alarming'' military developments.

Ethiopian observers are also pessimistic that any solution is possible through dialogue alone.

"Unless there is some kind of divine intervention, I don't see any chance for a peaceful resolution through dialogue, because the positions are highly polarized," Kassahun Berhanu, a professor of political science at Addis Ababa University, told news agency AP.

The TPLF's apparent unwillingness to negotiate was reinforced in a statement issued by its external affairs office, asserting that "any peace initiative whose principal objective is to save Abiy Ahmed from imminent demise is dead on arrival.''

Before Abiy took office in 2018, the TPLF dominated the federal government for 27 years. A simmering political rift turned into open war in November 2020.

''The conflict has caused unimaginable anguish,'' said researcher Soliman, stressing that atrocities had been committed by both sides.

''Some might think it's really time for the elites to put their self-interest aside and build a societal order based on mutual understanding and inclusiveness,'' he added.

Analysts agree that the African Union (AU) is best placed to nudge both sides of the conflict into accepting a ceasefire and starting a dialogue. Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo is leading the AU's efforts in Ethiopia, where he has met with both Abiy and TPLF leaders. Calls for peace coming from Ethiopia's neighbors and allies are also ''very consistent,'' explained Soliman.

''This message takes the emphasis away from an external interference in Ethiopia's internal affairs, aligning it with the continental cause within sub-Saharan Africa for the conflict to stop."

Etienne Gatanazi contributed to this article

 

[Plain Jane]

Ethiopia to US: Stop spreading 'false information' about war

Ethiopia’s government has warned the United States against “spreading false information” as fighting in the country’s yearlong war draws closer to the capital, Addis Ababa, while thousands protested outside the U.S. and British embassies.

apnews.com

Ethiopia to US: Stop spreading ‘false information’ about war
yesterday



1 of 7
Ethiopians protest against the United States outside the U.S. embassy in the capital Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Thursday, Nov. 25, 2021. Ethiopia's government on Thursday warned the United States against "spreading false information" as fighting in the country's yearlong war draws closer to the capital, while thousands protested outside the U.S. and British embassies. (AP Photo)

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Ethiopia’s government on Thursday warned the United States against “spreading false information” as fighting in the country’s yearlong war draws closer to the capital, Addis Ababa, while thousands protested outside the U.S. and British embassies.

Ethiopia’s war is not only against forces from the country’s Tigray region “but also with colonialism of the powerful states of the West,” government spokesman Kebede Desisa said.
Some Ethiopians were outraged this week when a U.S. Embassy security message warned its citizens of possible terrorist attacks in the country. The U.S. has also repeatedly told its citizens to leave immediately, warning there will be no Afghanistan-style evacuation if the war’s chaos reaches the capital.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who announced this week he was going to the battlefront to direct the army, once cast the conflict as a “law enforcement operation” against the Tigray leaders who had long dominated the national government before a political falling-out.

Now he calls it an “existential war” and appeals to fellow Africans for support in a struggle against Western intervention.

“I am here to protest against foreign atrocities which have been planned to dismantle the sovereignty of Ethiopia,” said one of Thursday’s protesters, Worku Taddesse.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict that erupted in November 2020, and close to a half-million people in Tigray face famine conditions under a months-long government blockade. The Tigray forces say they are pressuring Abiy’s government to lift the blockade but also want the prime minister to step aside.

Ethiopia’s government earlier this year designated the Tigray forces as a terrorist group, further complicating mediation efforts by the U.S. and African Union for a cease-fire.

 

[Plain Jane]

‘We feel helpless’: Foreign nationals rush to leave Ethiopia as war intensifies

As fighting in Ethiopia’s civil war moves closer to the capital Addis Ababa, foreign nationals are scrambling to leave the country as soon as possible. FRANCE 24 spoke to one French expatriate about…

www.france24.com

‘We feel helpless’: Foreign nationals rush to leave Ethiopia as war intensifies
Issued on: 26/11/2021 - 19:31

Planes on the runway at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport in Ethiopia on March 10, 2021. © Cara Anna, AP
Text by:Aude MAZOUE
3 min
As fighting in Ethiopia’s civil war moves closer to the capital Addis Ababa, foreign nationals are scrambling to leave the country as soon as possible. FRANCE 24 spoke to one French expatriate about the shock of suddenly having to leave.
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The large “danger” symbol and unequivocal warning on the website of the French embassy in Ethiopia say it all: “In light of the situation in Ethiopia, French nationals are formally called upon to leave the country without delay.”

Paris fears for the safety of the more than 1,000 French people living in Ethiopia, as the conflict between government forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) moves closer and closer towards Addis Ababa.

France has been calling on its citizens since November 23 to leave Ethiopia without delay; the French foreign ministry has booked and paid for seats on flights to Paris until the end of the week.

The UK has also urged its citizens to leave: “I am urging all British Nationals – whatever their circumstance – to leave immediately, while commercial flights are readily available and Addis Ababa Bole International Airport remains open,” UK Minister for Africa Vicky Ford said in a statement on November 24. UN employees have also been strongly advised to leave Ethiopia as soon as possible.

Bruno, a 29-year-old French business executive who moved to Ethiopia two years ago to work for a French media company in Addis Ababa, landed in Paris early on Thursday morning. “If someone said to me a month ago that I’d have to go back to France like this, I wouldn’t have believed it,” Bruno said. At that stage he doubted the conflict would spill over from the north of the country.

But on Monday, before the French embassy urged him to leave, he departed from Ethiopia along with the majority of French expatriates. “So far as I’m aware, only embassy workers, journalists and teachers are left – and the teachers should be leaving soon, as well,” Bruno said.

It was a similar feeling for Alexandre, another young French expatriate: “All our friends are gone,” he said.

‘Afraid for Tigrayans’
The rushed exodus of Westerners from Ethiopia was triggered by the rebel forces’ rapid surge toward the capital over recent days. The secessionist troops have reportedly approached the Debre Sina pass, some 190 kilometres north of Addis Ababa.

“The situation has rapidly deteriorated since the end of October,” said Bruno, who intended to settle permanently in Addis Ababa after the end of his contract next month. He is temporarily staying with his sister in Paris and has to find a new job in France.

But Bruno has not given up on the idea of returning to Ethiopia as soon as the security situation improves. “I’ll wait and see how the situation evolves,” he said. “I think there are plenty of things left to discover in this country, which I’ve really fallen in love with.”

In the meantime, Bruno hopes that nothing bad will happen to his Tigrayan ex-colleagues. “Almost all of the Ethiopians at the company I worked for knew someone arrested in a roundup or taken God knows where. As a white man in Ethiopia, I wasn’t really afraid for myself – but I am afraid for Tigrayans.”

For its part, the Ethiopian government continues to claim that reports of the TPLF’s progress are exaggerated – denouncing what it sees as sensationalist media coverage and alarmist security warnings by foreign embassies.

Addis Ababa even sanctioned the Irish embassy on Wednesday by expelling four of its six diplomats posted in Ethiopia in response to Dublin’s stance on the conflict. Ireland had joined in the UN Security Council’s calls for a ceasefire and dialogue between the parties in the country’s civil war.

This came after Ethiopia expelled on September 30 seven senior UN officials for allegedly “meddling” in the country’s internal affairs.

Bruno had a wry take on the current situation from his sister’s sofa, where he was about to spend his first night since returning to Paris: “We feel rather helpless – there’s nothing we expats can do about the situation. In Ethiopia, there’s a feeling that the war is a huge waste, coupled with a fear of raids. Here, we don’t know what’ll happen, but obviously we can afford to be a bit fatalistic.”

This article was translated from the original in French.

 

[jward]

Tanzania Updates
@TanzaniaUpdates
· Nov 26

China to take over Uganda’s Entebbe International Airport for default on debt repayment. China has rejected Uganda's request to re-negotiate toxic clauses in the $200m loan picked six years ago for the Airport expansion. The Airport is the only Intl Airport in the country.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1464584638790258698

View: https://twitter.com/Neoavatara/status/1464584638790258698?s=20

 

[Plain Jane]

China to take over Uganda’s Entebbe International Airport for default on debt repayment.

No surprise here!

 

[parsonswife]

I was in Ethiopia in the late 90’s after the communist government fell...beautiful country, mostly Coptic Christians. Most of the Ethiopian Jews evacuated to Israel with the “right to return”laws around that time. With C19 I haven’t even had Africa on my radar. Hard to believe Addis Ababa could fall.