Ethiopian News Blog

Ethiopia: Man shoots his wife and kills himself

St. Louis police department in the midwestern region of the United States said an Ethiopian man shot his wife to death and then killed himself, on Wednesday morning. The two elementary school-aged Ethiopian children who are left without parents contacted their uncle, who then called the police.

According to neighbors, the 47-year-old Tadesse Wodajo and 35-year-old Tigist Mamo have had several marital problems. Police first found Tadesse on the floor and a handgun while his wife’s body was found in another room.

The local Olivette Police Department is investigating what appears to be a murder-suicide of the immigrants from Ethiopia. The children are staying with family members and are being treated by medical and psychological 

LONDON (AFP)–Some African countries could "go under" if they are not helped through the global downturn, threatening "total chaos and violence," Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi warned the G20 on Monday. 

At a meeting of African leaders in London ahead of next month’s Group of 20 summit here, presidents and prime ministers from across the continent warned of the costs of ignoring Africa. 

U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown was meeting African leaders to hear their concerns about the world economic downturn in the G20 build-up. 

"They should care about Africa because it is in their interests," Meles told reporters. "Any stimulus money spent in developed countries is going to have less global impact than if the same amount of money were to be spent in Africa." 

"Some countries could go under and that would mean total chaos and violence. In the end, the cost of violence is going to be much higher than the cost of supporting Africa," he said. "We are talking about the range of money that is being spent on the mid-sized banks. Consider Africa as one of those banks." 

Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf added: "The cost of sustainability in reform and recovery is much, much less than the cost of peacekeeping were the crisis to engender a return to conflict." 

"The support by the G20 in Africa’s reform effort is one that is very critical in sustaining the gains that the African people have made over the years with much, much sacrifice," she said. 

African countries are expected to be hit by falls in prices for commodities such as oil, gold, zinc and cooper, as well as drops in tourism, aid and money being sent home by workers in the developed world. 

Among those attending were Meles, Johnson-Sirleaf, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, Botswana’s President Seretse Ian Khama, Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, plus finance ministers from South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Cape Verde and Rwanda. 

Central bank chiefs plus representatives from pan-African bodies, including the African Union, also attended. 

Click here to go to Dow Jones NewsPlus, a web front page of today’s most important business and market news, analysis and commentary: http://www.djnewsplus.com/access/al?rnd=StXlfP8AHGRffk1%2FkrsLOA%3D%3D. You can use this link on the day this article is published and the following day. 

Addis Ababa, March 17 (WIC) - French investors said they are keen to invest in Ethiopia utilizing the conducive policies and investment friendly environment in the country.

Some of the investors who came here together with French business delegation told WIC that they are desirous to work in Ethiopia as the government facilitated conditions has put in place policies facilitated conditions that are favorable for foreign investors.

Jean-Claude RAUNET, commercial manager of SEURECA, a French company engaged in water services, said his company is desirous to undertake extensive investment activities in Ethiopia, which is one of African countries with an investment friendly environment. Marie-Lorraine de NETTANCOURT, director of international trade department of the BUREAU VERITAS, a company engaged in services for authorities in international trade control, said his company is keen to invest in Ethiopia that produces a variety of exportable items.

He said the company could help Ethiopia export quality agricultural and other produces in large volumes.

Patrick LUCAS, director general of the insurance broker company, GRAS SAVOYE, on his part mentioned that a number of French investors are undertaking various investment activities in Ethiopia, and added that the visiting companies are also desirous to take part in the investment sectors of Ethiopia.
The French companies, whose representatives are on a working visit here are engaged, among others, in maritime transport, IT security, electricity transmission and distribution, cement production, water services, wind turbine manufacturing, manufacturing of medical and hospital equipment, insurance , it was learnt.

By: Dilwenberu Nega, 03/17/09

In the feral world of backbiting malice, veiled threats, liars and blackmailers of the Ethiopian vociferous Diaspora, endless attempts have been made to bury Meles Zenawi under an avalanche of invectives and spurious criticisms.    And anyone who had the guts to challenge the wayward behaviour of the vocal Diaspora’s high-command was ‘stripped’ of their Ethiopian nationality and demonised as a traitor and a glutton.   But the ferocious attack of the deluding diaspora neither prevented Teflon Meles from ploughing ahead with his developmental plans for Ethiopia, nor did it make his supporters bury their head in shame.

Vocal opponents of Meles Zenawi got up on Monday, March 16^th 2009 with a bout of nausea as they heard of the presence in London of Premier Meles Zenawi.   The immediate cause of the bout of the nausea was two-fold.   First was the timing.   Meles jetted in to London close on the heels of a much trumpeted but   poorly attended anti- Meles demonstration outside the American Embassy in early March.   You might be tempted to raise a legitimate question: why did the anti-Meles demonstrators chose the American Embassy as opposed to 10 Downing Street which is home to incumbent British prime ministers.   The truth of the matter has to be told so that Ethiopians in the Homeland and Abroad are fed not an omelette of rumour, but a pancake of truth.   Tough-talking officials at the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office – sick and tired of the endless fabrications of the confused and confounded Ethiopian Diaspora in the United Kingdom – had made the position of Her Majesty’s Government crystal clear.   “Don’t come to us with your pack of lies about an Ethiopia on fire.”   This slap on the face by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office turned the vocal diaspora ballistic so much so that it made attention-seeker Andargatchew Tsiege fulminate: “Downing Street is Woyane Street!”

The second reason for the early morning nausea that struck the deluding opponents of Meles, was the fact that Meles’ visit came at a time when a small band of feral Ethiopian diaspora was frantically trying to father the idea of pulling resources from the ‘gullible’ diaspora for yet another attempt to derail the democratic process in Ethiopia.   As usual the blogosphere, too, was inundated with manuals on how best to overthrow a legitimate government.   Its focal point provided guidelines on how best to come up with a mosaic of lies which in due course will force the International Criminal Court to issue a warrant for the arrest of Meles Zenawi.    The problem here, you see, stems from the fact that the wishful thinking of a self-deluding diaspora not only defies rationale, but also international boundaries.   But the irony of it all is the fact that such a nonsensical plan is churned out from the very people who have made blood-stained former cadres of the Derg their political bedfellows.

Much to the delight of the silent majority of admirers of pragmatist Meles, and much to the chagrin of the movers and shakers of the politics of hate, Meles is basking in the limelight as the wise and the great of the world economy queue up to tap his great mind.   Sober-minded Ethiopians both in the Homeland and Abroad view Meles’ gradual rise to pole position in the international arena, as proof of his tried and tested leadership.   Meles is proving to be an asset not only to Ethiopia, but also to Africa.   EPDRF would be naive if it were not to realise that Meles Zenawi’s “use by date” is a galaxy away.  

Diaspora politics have come so low it has become necessary to keep the score for the record and for sake of the coming Diaspora little league politicians.

San Jose California is home to Silicon Valley where new ideas are nourished and developed in to real products. Silicon Valley is home to many tech whiz kids and dreamers who turn dream in to reality and transform the world. However on March 15, 2009, San Jose has a crude awakening. Though the event could be hailed as the first of its kind to keep San Jose’s age old tradition of being home to new ideas, to the dismay of many participants the event was an eventful. Professor Tesfastison veteran Eritrea politician and DR Daniel Kinde a new kid from the extreme Ethiopian Diaspora politicians were the two guest of the hour for the many Eritreans and Ethiopians.

 To have Eritreans and Ethiopians under one roof is in itself an achievement thus I will give both sides (Eritrean and Ethiopian organizers) equal thump up points. Especially when the audience was both from the extremist Ethiopians who would kill all Eritreans to get Massaw and Eritreans who would like to Kill Meles and Sebhat for telling them[Eritreans] that they must persevere and continue the struggle for independence though Professor Tesfatsion wants them to drop dead and surrender! It was indeed an eye-catching event. But…..

The new comer Dr Daniel failed miserably to make Ethiopia’s case—his Ethiopia that is! Even on behalf of the extremists who would have loved him had he undressed Professor Tesfatsion simply to say our man was no match and brag for  a day or two at local cafes where such kind of events are usually cooked! The veteran politician Professor Tesfatsion was simply amazed by the ineptness of the DR sitting next to him. Close friends to Professor Tesatsion were quoted to have said the professor did not help his cause to sit with this guy. What happen to make DR Daniel so little compare to professor Tesfatsion?

After a gang of five people were able to operate a simple projector—watching the stage saga it seemed the organizers nor the good DR have not seen a projector before! Once they master the technology behind the projector, learning on the spot how to display ill prepared talking items, the DR took considerable time to identify head form tail of his own document paper to display on the projector. This entire time professor Tesfatsion was watching with an astonishment!

 DR Kinde managed to embarrass himself when he forgot his own presentation talking items and went tangential to curse PM Meles. The DR spent most of his presentation on PM Meles Zenawi, telling how Meles was accumulating wealth by selling land to neighbor countries! Unaware, the crowd was losing interest and failing to read the clue from audience faces and murmurs he went on to embarrass Professor Tesfatsion, so much so, the Professor told DR Daniel how he envies him! The professor was teasing Dr Daniel how he became an expert in everything from engineering, to economics and politics!

Apparently even Professor Tesfatsion who has long held grudges against Meles for check mating him when he wrote his famous book about the Eritrean revolution long time ago was bemused how DR Daniel seem to jump from one topic to another with ease and expect to defeat EPRDF which he knows to be a very formidable organization.

While the audience pleaded with DR Daniel to stick to the topic the Dr went on blubbering on topic he seems to have no idea. So much so an old man got tired of him and commented how he got his education and if his types were a symptom across some part of our community.

All in all the event which drew Eritreans and Ethiopians under one roof is indeed an achievement and the organizers must be congratulated, but, I hope next time organizers will match speakers accordingly. By my count Professor Tesfatsion has scored big over Dr Daniel. This does not say much about our extreme Diaspora politicians. But San Jose has done its job in conditioning Ethiopians and Eritreans to think big and out of the box.

 Who would have thought IPod would have rescued Apple form the brink and who would have thought extremist Ethiopians who want to kill EPRDF for signing with Eritrean referendum will be sitting with Eritreans, any kind of Eritrean, in our time! To borrow our Eritrean brothers across the Mereb saying Bravo! To those “Ameche” who are trying to undermine EPRDF try hard. Some of the organizers were Eritreans who grew in Ethiopia thus the nick name “Ameche”.