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Biography
of Gegnaw Lt. General Jagama Kello - as written by Ato Fikre Markos Desta
- is published in Ethiopia by Shama. The book entitled 'Yebegaw Mebreq'
documents the extraordinary life of this hero who - at one point - led
as many as 2500 freedom fighters during the Italian invasion. At the age
of 18, he led the forces who liberated the town of Woliso from the Italians.
  
The
three 'qnewoch' are taken from Negadras Tessema Eshete's classic book
'Semna Worku' (authored by Yidnekachew Tessema). Composed more than 50
years ago, these pieces seem to have a remarkable relevance in today's
Ethiopia. What are their meanings? Answers to Spotlight.
 Unlike
its thriving neighboring city in the north, Gondar - the seat of 44 churches
and a capital of illustrious kings like Fasiledes and Bakaffa - this town
further south seems to have been forgotten by History. However, it was
once the capital of the legendary Emperor Theodros who shunned Gondar
for most of his rule. The town has also seen more than its share of battles
such as between Ras Ali II and Dejach Wube, Birru Aligaz and Dejach Wube
as well as the recent civil war between the Dergue and EPRDF. What
is the name of this town 50 kilometers from the shores of Lake Tana?
Answers
to Spotlight.
These
two battles of the late 80s between the Dergue and its opponents symbolize
the largest and most devastating military defeats any Ethiopian government
had experienced in its history. The first one occured shortly after Colonel
Mengistu had the legendary General Tariku Ayene, the commander of the
Nadew Command demoted and executed. The second one occured in Western
Tigray where the 3rd revolutionary army was completely annihilated paving
the way for the TPLF to capture the whole of Tigray and then the rest
of the country. What
are the names of these two battles?
Answers
to Spotlight.
 Perhaps,
one of the most ambitious developmental plans in Ethiopia's History, the
original Tana Beles project was launched in 1987. Salini Construction
company and Studio Pietrangeli who had worked on projects such as the
Legedadi dam and now Gilgel Gibe I, II and III were tasked to build an
agro-industrial complex complete with a new airport, hospital, and residential
units to as many as 45,000 settlers. The original project was abandoned
when EPRP kidnapped some of the Italian engineers in 1987. Now re-launched
as part of the Tana Beles dam project, the integrated project is planned
to provide irrigation water for thousands of hectares of land. Which specific
part of Ethiopia is this project located and what is the name of the indigenous
people who inhabit this area? Answers
to Spotlight.
 Born
in 1926 in Ankober-Shoa, he is, perhaps, among the most seasoned and consummate
professionals in the Ethiopian civil service with most of his career spent
in the banking sector. Imprisoned by the brutal Dergue between 1976-1981,
he recently wrote two outstanding books; one a prison diary and the other
a treatise on the tumultuous years of 20th century Ethiopia. An entry
on his book "A Tripping Stone" reads "...I was allowed
to see my family members at the office for a brief moment today, in the
presence of the prison staff. Mother, my cousins Woinshet Habte Michael,
and Assegedetch Mamo and Maaza came. For a moment we were speechless taking
in our physical appearance to see how much we had all changed." Who
is this extraordinary person, the country and its people are yet to honor
with the distinction he and his family deserve? Answers
to Spotlight.
 Made
from stone masonry in the 1920s by one Professor Papadopoulos of Greece
who was invited by Emperor Menelik to teach in Addis Ababa at around the
turn of the 20th century, this magnificent building is located by the
Belay Zeleke road. The building now houses a well-known hotel. What is
the name of this hotel which - incidentally or purposely - sits across
the Gojjam Hotel? Answers to Spotlight.
 Overlooking
the country's most overpolulated region, Welayta - Sodo & Alaba Koliti
area, this mountain stands at an imposing 4000 meters above sea level.
Due to pressure from poulation growth, this mountain has been ploughed
in almost all direction. What is the name of this mountain that is considered
the ancestral homeland of the colorful Welayta-Sodo people of Ethiopia?
Answers to Spotlight.
Born
in the Debre Tabor region of Gondar province from a very modest background,
this Colonel of the Imperial Body Guard of the 1950s rose to prominence
in the pre-1960 coup attempt era. A favorite of the Emperor who personally
groomed him to the top security position in the country, his life came
to a tragic end with his involvement in the 1960 military coup attempt.
The Emperor is widely quoted to have expressed shock that this Colonel
was among the coup plotters. Who is this intriguing Colonel? Answers
to Spotlight.
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 ELECTION
2010 - MediaETHIOPIA's
Guide.  'Therefore,
in the absence of input from these trained economists, one is left to
wonder whether it is the influx
of Chinese capital and labor, or remittance from the Diaspora, or money
that PM Meles brings from World Bank, EU, the US, and IMF, or investment
from groups ranging from the Saudi king to the Nigeran former dictator
Obasanjo that drive this economy', muses MediaETHIOPIA's photoessay team.
Read our latest photo essay on the
Chinese and Indian presence in Ethiopia.
 T
o see how ordinary Ethiopians are coping with the recent devaluation of
the Birr and the continued inflation, we talked to a number of people
in Addis Ababa varying from university students to company managers. In
their own words, here is what they said. Photo
Essay here. September 21, 09.
 W
hat do people in Addis Ababa say about the continuing power rationing?
We recently hit the road and talked to a number of ordinary Addis Ababans
to gauge the feeling on the street. Their answers (in their own words)
follow. Photo
Essay here. September 12, 09.
'The country is deprived of a rare inspiring and empowering young female leader. Thus, it is not only the three generations of the Birtukan family that areimprisoned; but Ethiopia as a whole is also held as a hostage by the fiendish Meles/TPLF regime. By any measure, this is a crime against humanity. And, where is the outrage by humanity?' asks Professor Negussay Ayele writing on the continued solitary confinement of Ethiopia's leading prisoner of conscience, Judge Birtukan Mideksa. Article here. June 7, 2009. In a timely article, Professor Negussay discusses how Ethiopia came to being occupied by Meles' TPLF and Issayas' EPLF in the past 17 years. Professor Negussay Ayele, a long time contributor to Ethiopians.com, traces the roots of these two groups and their continued undermining of the Ethiopian state. He further investiagtes the role of the Ethiopian military implosion under Col. Mengistu as a major contributor towards the military occupation of Ethiopia by these two entities. Article here. August 12, 2008. Dr. Gedion Getahun discusses tranparency and corruption in an article entitled "Tranparaency International and Worldwide Corruption". Article here. March 08. 
"Maybe,
it is the realization of this fact by the current government and its race
against time or else the confluence of multitude of dramatic historical
forces arrayed to have a say in the country's future, that the most significant
and least understood event in the country today is the expansion of higher
education." write our Photo Essay Team as we prepare for the Ethiopian
Millenium. Photo
Essay here. September 2, 07.
 "How
would Nelson Mandela have dealt with the Shimagles? asks Professor Solomon
Terfa challenging the Shimagles who negotiated with Meles for the release
of the Kinijit leadership. Article
here. August 8, 2007.
Response to Ato Ephrem Madebo - August 07. Pofessor Solomon writes about the issues of sovereignty and democracy (November 2007). Against the backdrop of the recent statements by Ato Sebhat Nega of TPLF reminding Ethiopians that TPLF remains more committed to Eritrea's sesession than even EPLF and Mr. Meles' continued obsession of anti-Ethiopian sentiments, Professor Negussay writes a powerful article on "On the Identity of PM Meles Zenawi and His TPLF Regime in Ethiopia". Article here. June 30, 2007. For the third time in less than 18 months - in response to popular demand - we re-publish the article written by Professor Solomon Terfa challenging PM Meles' stand on Ethiopia-Eritrea relationships. The professor writes, "In conclusion, I would say that the Prime Minister knows that it is inevitable that Badme will be incorporated into Eritrea. The question then becomes: why is he posturing? Because he wants to save himself from the wrath of the people of Tigray who will be outraged by his decision. It would be insane for the world to let this man start another cataclysmic war just to retain his power. What he should do is explain to the people of Tigray why he has decided to let Badme go and convince them why it is in their best interest as well as the interest of humanity that they should accept his explanation." Full article here. Re-published - June 19, 07.  Controversy
is not new for us here at MediaET's Photo Essay Team. As we sat down for
an editorial meeting for this week's story on the upcoming Ethiopian Millenia
celebrations, some of our members complained that the stories they do
in Ethiopia are sometimes repackaged by the US-based team resulting in
editions that come across as too critical. Of course, the US-based team
argued that is not the case and insisted that it is their mission to say
things as they are. The people who write the check finally prevailed and
suggested that the Addis Team tell the story as they see it. "No
spice, no awaze, no qbe, no curry - but plain vanilla," quipped the
US team. Photo
Essay here. May 27, 07.
 Our
Photo Essay Team returns with a story on the housing boom in Addis Ababa
fueled by - they muse - 'well
to do (we are not sure about that) Ethiopian expatriates, various type
of shady people who have made money in the EPRDF-era, political appointees
and cronies' and - we add - hard working Addis Ababans. We know this edition
will earn them - as usual - some admirers as well as detractors; but their
contract with MediaET ties our hands. Article
here. April 1, 2007.
 "...More
to the point, Meles has always cared more about Eritrea than about Tigray
or Ethiopia and Ethiopian causes and in reality, if not in rhetoric, he
still does today", writes Professor Negussay Ayele, a long time contributor
to Ethiopians.com. Article
here. March 20, 2007.
 In
an upcoming photoessay issue, we cover the story of mushrooming private
colleges and universities in Ethiopia's major cities. Population explosion
coupled with high urban unemployment (estimated as much as 25-30% among
25-35 year olds) and lack of economic opportunities among the vast majority
of city dwellers have produced a dangerous mood, particularly among the
young. Those who can afford tuition are increasingly attracted to 2 and
4 year diploma and degree programs to be competitive. More Photoessay Click here. |
"...We
all know that Meles takes a personal interest in Internet. For example,
broadband is down after 10:00 PM as the Prime Minister surfs the Internet,
posting articles (with weird pen names like Kebede, Mengew, etc), doing
his doctoral research, and chatting with Jeffrey Sachs at Columbia on
Google Talk. The bald man is not happy that the Tech Park will gobble
up boardband 24/7,"
comments a member of our Photo Essay team in an uncensored piece explaining
why the long rumored Technology Park still remains illusive. 
