Lucy exhibit draws record crowd

Lucy’s Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia triumphs despite all attempts by critics and some politically motivated opportunists to dissuade the world from experiencing Ethiopia's historical and cultural history.

Brad Levy, director of customer service, estimated that 12,000 to 14,000 people will see the exhibit today through Monday. He said advance sales for the opening weekend already are 25 percent higher than they were for the museum's last blockbuster, Body Worlds, which went on display in February 2006.

..."What people are saying is that they are appreciative the Ethiopian people are sharing this exhibit with them," he said.

Houston's newest (and oldest) visitor attracts about 1,000 (Houston Chronicle) September 1, 2007
Watch Lucy's Legacy TV Spot

Bare Knuckle Tiff with Washington

Indian Ocean Newsletter N° 1220 25/08/2007
Asmara’s relations with the American administration have entered a highly turbulent phase.

Eritrean president Issayas Afeworki doesn’t have a high opinion of American officials in charge of U.S. policy in Africa. In the past, he described Susan Rice, the assistant secretary of state for African affairs under Bill Clinton as “childish and uninformed.” Jendayi Frazer, who fulfils the same functions in George W. Bush’s administration, doesn’t rate much higher in his eyes. Afeworki considers her a protégé of secretary of state Condoleeze Rice and feels - not without some reason - that she is very pro Meles Zenawi, the prime minister of Ethiopia and Afeworki’s rival.

On the delicate question of delimitating the border between the rival states of Ethiopia and Eritrea, Frazer isn’t ready to accept the decision handed down by an international arbitration board, a ruling Asmara insists must be honoured. She has suggested finding a new boundary acceptable to both countries, which Afeworki refuses.

Realizing that the United States won’t turn up the heat on Ethiopia to make it accept the border delimitation decided upon by the arbitration panel, Afeworki is seeking other means of getting Addis Ababa to give in. Hence his assistance to Islamic elements in Somalia, which has only worsened diplomatic relations with Washington. To the point that Frazer let it be known in public last week that her government is thinking of adding Eritrea’s name to the list of rogue states. The tougher American stance towards Asmara also results from a lobbying campaign in the United States by Christian evangelist circles who have been denouncing repression against their brethren in Eritrea for years.

Washington has equally given Eritrea 90 days to close its consulate in Oakland, California in a tit-for-tat move against the Eritrean government’s restrictions on the activities of the U.S. embassy in Asmara. In February the embassy was forced to reduce its diplomatic operations after the Asmara authorities demanded to inspect the contents of the American diplomatic bag.

Millennium countdown

Ben's Blog from Addis has updates on fast approaching Millennium.

Dear Netters,

The Millennium fever is running high. However, regrettably as I mentioned on my last posting, nobody knows about the details of events. If this is the case in Addis, you can visualize how bad it can be outside of the capital. Addis residents are enthusiastic to rejoice this historic day. But, from what I see so far the people who are in charge to inform about details failed miserably. There is still time to improve and I hope they will correct it swiftly. Actually, I knew more details when I was in Diaspora than my stay here. That is unacceptable!

Great Ethiopia Run postponed

The Great Ethiopia Run has been postponed because of unspecified security concerns ahead of next month's millennium celebrations.

..."It's really, really very hard to accept," Gebrselassie said Thursday. "But what can we do? Our top priority is the safety of the people, nothing else."

Ethiopia postpones annual Great Run race ahead of millennium security concerns (Associated Press) August 30, 2007

Some things never change

After endless rounds of sebseba by Millennium committee for the past year, nothing meaningful has been done that would have a lasting effect on the city's poor. Ethiopia's Millennium seems set to be received much like the unexpected guest. Dust coffee table, shove newspapers under sofa and throw everything else into closet.

Ethiopia will try to remove tens of thousands of beggars from the streets of Addis Ababa to create a more "conducive" atmosphere for coming Millennium celebrations, city officials said on Thursday.

Ethiopia to kick beggars off street for Millennium (Reuters) August 30, 2007

Kenenisa is peerless

Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia won his third 10,000-meter world title, surging clear on the last lap Monday and crossing in 27 minutes, 5.90 seconds.

Bekele wins gold at the world championships (International Herald Tribune) August 27, 2007

Tirunesh, indeed!

Spectators were treated to what must be one of the more Herculean performances of all time Saturday night in Osaka as Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba successfully defended her World Championship 10,000m title.

Tirunesh Dibaba delivers Herculean performance (IAAF) August 26, 2007

No Visa for You!

Thanks to fiasco by CUD North America for the past two years, the shameful infighting, corruption and insane alliance with active terrorist groups, U.S. administration has seen fit to deny (or delay) visas for released CUD leaders. Berhanu Nega, the only CUD representative on route to U.S., will now be confronted with three bickering CUD parties, all vying for his ear. God give him strength.

Free But Not Allowed to Roam
Indian Ocean Newsletter N° 1220 25/08/2007

Recently released from jail after asking for a pardon from Meles Zenawi, leaders of the opposition have been refused visas to the United States.

The U.S. embassy in Addis Ababa has refused to grant immediate visas to leaders of the opposition CUDP party who were recently pardoned by prime minister Meles Zenawi, and who wished to travel to Europe and the United States starting from Aug. 29. It appears the refusal will stand at least until Ethiopia celebrates its New Year in September. Only Berhanu Nega was able to fly to London via Kuwait and make his way to the U.S. He could quit Ethiopia because he has a valid Green Card granting him permanent residence in the States. In the U.S. he will seek to meet with Ethiopian exiles or even the leaders of other opposition groups in the hope of persuading them to renounce the armed struggle and their radical positions.

That fits in with American diplomatic strategy as well. The strategy consists of sidelining radical factions of the Ethiopian opposition (specially the ultra-nationalist Amharas) and to persuade others to talk with the Addis Ababa government. The American envoy to Ethiopia, Donald Yamamoto, lifted the veil on the strategy in an interview with the PBS network in Washington last week.

He admitted that the ruling EPRDF party has serious problems in governing the country and could only do so if it joined forces with opponents who call for reforms but are also ready to cooperate with the government.

The new political situation has exacerbated relations between various opposition movements. Radical elements in the EPRP and the CUDP faction headed by Taye Wolde Semayat and Hailu Shawel have come under attack, notably on the Internet, by more moderate wings of the Ethiopian opposition. In one instance, Gemoraw Kassa, secretary general of the Ethiopian Teachers Association (ETA) and close to the moderate opposition party EDP headed by Lidetu Ayalew - some of its members sit in Ethiopia’s parliament - launched a broadside against Taye, a former union leader living in the U.S. and heading the local CUDP faction linked to Shawel.

The Ethiopian Current Affairs Discussion Forum linked to Andargatchew Tsige - and by extension to Nega’s group - has done likewise. Taye’s critics accuse him of secretly being a member of the radical EPRP group.

Rare utopia in Ethiopia

He can't read or write, but Zumra Nuru created a society that would have made Karl Marx proud. The 60-year-old Ethiopian farmer founded and cochairs Awra Amba, a commune where men cook, women plow, and religion has no place.

In Ethiopia, one man's model for a just society (Christian Science Monitor) August 21, 2007

U.S. to place Eritrea on terrorist list

The United States said on Friday it was considering putting Eritrea on its list of state sponsors of terrorism for allegedly funneling weapons to insurgents fighting the Ethiopian-backed government in Somalia.

U.S. considers putting Eritrea on terrorism list (Reuters) August 17, 2007