Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Meles renews extradition request for Mengistu

Also in the news: Public Relations Advisor in critical condition, arbitrarily arrests in Oromia region (Amnesty intr.), 31 unitversity students detained, probe into army discontent and more of today’s top stories
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Meles on his Uganda trip told reporters that his government has renewed extradition requests for Col. Mengistu H/Mariam. Born in the Harar region, E Ethiopia. Col. Mengistu studied at Holetu military academy, and joined the Ethiopian army, rising to the rank of colonel. He took part in the 1974 bloody coup which removed Emperor Haile Selassie, then in 1977 led another coup which ousted the military regime. Despite Ethiopia's perilous economy, guerrilla fighting, and frequent droughts throughout the 1970s and 1980s, he managed to retain power with help from Russia and the West. In 1987 he sanctioned the return of one-party civilian rule under the Marxist-Leninist Workers Party, with himself as president. In 1991 when rebel groups closed in on Addis Ababa, he fled the country, and his government fell. He now lives in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe's government in the past has ignored such similar requests; it looks as if this request will be ignored as well. Some see this move as a diversionary tactic by the government to deflect attention from the countries internal troubles.(Bio by appbio). (More...)

Public Relations Advisor to the Prime Minister in critical condition

(EZ)- Bereket Simon, Public Relations Advisor to the Prime Minister , was rushed to a hospital in Israel last Wednesday evening accompanied by his wife, W/o Assefu. On the morning of the same day, Bereket's aides were spotted taking hard currency from the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia. Bereket's wife returned to Addis Ababa yesterday to attend to her one-year old baby child. Sources said that she would be returning back to Israel soon. Her husband was said to have Hemiplegia (partial paralysis) in his left side.(More...)

31 university students imprisoned over Alemaya incident

Friday August 25, violence broke out in Alemaya (jimma) campus for reasons that are still not clear. It has been widely reported that a government incited ethnic propaganda is to blame. 31 university students are currently in custody accused of fanning the incident. (More...)

Today's Top Stories

-Amnesty International Report [Detention without charge / fear of torture or ill-treatment]
-Ethiopia begins nationwide probe into army discontent
-ER publisher writes a letter to U.S. Attorney General
-Eritrean police arrest UN peacekeepers
-MIDEAST: Shi'ite militia, Iraqi troops in fierce clashes
-Hackers hit AT&T, steal users' info
-Cell phones won't keep your secrets
-CNN: anchorwoman's chat with a colleague accidentally broadcast live
-CBS magazine slims down Couric in photo