*Full coverage of Kinijit delegation (DW Radio)
*Kinijit Forum (Amharic Audio)
*Photos London
*Photos US
*Washington, D.C. reception report (video by ETN)
WASHINGTON DC & LONDON - Thousands of Ethiopians danced to the tune of their traditional songs as part of an emotional welcoming ceremony for opposition leaders who were released recently after nearly two years of imprisonment that followed a highly controversial national election in 2005.
The five-person delegation included Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) vice chair Bertukan Mideksa, Addis Ababa mayor-elect Dr. Berhanu Nega (who joined the delegation in DC after having arrived here earlier), CUD Executives Dr. Hailu Araya, Engineer Gizachew Shiferaw and Mr. Brook Kebede.
Some observers said nearly 5,000 Ethiopians converged on Dulles Airport which echoed with the drum beats and ululation of Ethiopian songs mainly reserved for national or patriotic holidays.
Meanwhile in London, a similar tumultuous welcome was accorded to the Kinijit delegation headed by the young and charismatic Kinijit leader Muluneh Eyoel. Also prominent among the London-bound delegation is Dr. Yacob Haile-Mariam, a former UN advisor and a university professor in the United States.
The visits to the U.S and Europe, where a large Ethiopian community resides virtually in each country making up the what's known as the European Union, breaks a two-year non-stop campaign by the Ethiopian Diaspora for the release of the leaders who were jailed following their landslide victory at the May 2005 elections which prompted the current regime in power to declare a state of emergency, which, though not official, but continues to this very day as Ethiopians have virtually lost their rights without the government telling them that they have no rights whatsoever.
Though plagued by intra-party conflict in the Diaspora, CUD remains very popular among Ethiopians and the lingering problems are hoped to be resolved once a democratic structure is put in place in each CUD-support community.
The CUD delegates who arrived in Washington DC on Saturday are scheduled to tour major cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, Atlanta and others. The Europe-bound CUD delegation is also on schedule to do likewise. A third delegation has travelled to South Africa, which is also another home to a considerable size of Ethiopian community.
Friday, January 4, 2008
TPLF Amsterdam meeting disastrous
TPLF Amsterdam meeting disastrous: Only 4 loyalists show up
(1 July 2007) Amsterdam -- Ethiopians in The Netherlands have taught a lesson to the TPLF embassy mission in Amsterdam on Sunday. Amb. Berhane accompanied by two diplomats who came all the way from Brussels couldn't tolerate the opposite views and left out in the middle of the meeting. He is finally brought back to the hall by the participants to listen to the crimes of TPLF from the crowd. [Watch video, secret tapping]
(1 July 2007) Amsterdam -- Ethiopians in The Netherlands have taught a lesson to the TPLF embassy mission in Amsterdam on Sunday. Amb. Berhane accompanied by two diplomats who came all the way from Brussels couldn't tolerate the opposite views and left out in the middle of the meeting. He is finally brought back to the hall by the participants to listen to the crimes of TPLF from the crowd. [Watch video, secret tapping]
Another shameful day for Weyane Ambassador in The Hague, The Netherlands
Ethioguardian News
Video Here
A meeting organised by Weyane embassy cancelled after angry Ethiopians demanded their right to express their view.
Ethioguardian (10-07-2007, The Hague): A meeting that was organised by Ethiopian embassy and some EPRDF supporters in the Netherlands was cancelled yesterday due to protest from the participants. The organisers of the meeting invited some hand picked EPRDF supporters and others to symbolise the support of the Ethiopians in the Diaspora. The meeting was cancelled after the chair persons, deputy Ambassador Brook Kebede and EPRDF’s top diplomat first secretary Zenebe Kebede, tried to silence some Ethiopians who explained the actual picture of Ethiopia and Ethiopians presently. The chair person of the meeting, deputy Ambassador Brook Kebede, cancelled the meeting against the will of Ethiopians, who were expressing their view and forwarding their ideas. The participants also asked the chairperson to answer questions regarding human rights and the condition of political prisoners, which he resisted to accept and cancelled the meeting at that point. Video coming soon!
The first speaker Ato Zenebe Kebede, EPRDF’s first secretary, talked about the current state of the country, Ethio-Eritrean conflict and Ethio-Somalia problem, in the usual way of the woyane propaganda. He was interrupted many times by concerned Ethiopians as he continued to forward conflicting information, which was in contrary to what actually exists inside the country and knowledge of the audience.
The second speaker, deputy Ambassador Brook Kebede, explained the fake economic development in Ethiopia and tried to relate the alarming inflation, increased price of commodities to unrelated factors, in which he tried to cover the existing situation in Ethiopia. The deputy ambassador faced a lot of criticism form the public while he insisted to fool his own invited guests by undermining knowledge and information about their country. One participant expressed his sadness by saying “you are an economist who forgot the science of economics when you start to serve EPRDF”. As the resistance continued, the ambassador called the Hotel security to expel the Ethiopians who were expressing their ideas in a democratic and civilised manner. At this point, the participants were reminded about the Agazi force, which is silencing the peace loving Ethiopians because of their peaceful attempt to request their natural democratic right. The ambassador used EPRDF’s usual technique of employing force to remove the Ethiopians who do not agree with their view. Among the attendants one Ethiopian stated “it is ridicules and shame, in this single incident to observe how EPRDF’s functionaries are intolerants for different ideas, and also manifest their determination to silence opposition through all means even here in the civilised world.” After a short discussion, the hotel security left without taking any action because he understood it was only a conflict of ideas, and that Ethiopians were expressing their ideas in a peaceful way.
Especially when one of the participants started to ask and comment on EPRDF’s external and internal policy, the deputy ambassador and the first secretary were unhappy to listen to his ideas and comments. At one point the EPRDF diplomat tried to take the microphone from the speakers hand by force.
At the end the deputy ambassador closed the meeting as Ethiopians continued to forward their view on EPRDF repression, the current situation in Ethiopia, the human and economical crisis in Ethiopia, specifically, the ambassador cancelled the meeting when the human rights situation in Ethiopia and political prisoners were mentioned.
This was a very amazing drama, which indicates the manner and the level of intolerance how high EPRDF officials and diplomats react to different views, let alone inside the country, but here in Europe. Observers at the event have taken this as a symbolic reflection of Ethiopia under the current illegitimate regime and treatment of real opposition inside the country. Additionally, some of the EPRDF supporters commented that the meeting was almost dominated by opposition reflection, which was against its intended goal of praising EPRDF’s policy.
One participant commented that “they invited us for discussion and to listen to their presentation, although it is fallacious and inconsistent to what is going on inside the country”. After that, people start to give their view, but the government officials lost their patience when they start to listen a contrary to their view”. The same participant also added that, “this chance of discussion should be given to the people back in Ethiopia, not for the Ethiopians in Diaspora.”
In a related development, according to sources closed to the embassy in Brussels, the same meeting was scheduled to be chaired by ambassador Berhane Geberekristos. But due to fear of anticipated protest and severe critics from Ethiopians residing in the Netherlands, he declined to face the audience.
Last week, the Ethiopian ambassador failed to show up on European commission hearing on the human right and economical crisis in Ethiopia, for which he gave a vague reason for his absence. A week later, the same ambassador came to the Netherlands, to lecture about development and progress in Ethiopia. This was a very painful action for Ethiopians who were present on the European commission hearing.
In recent periods, every meeting organised by the EPRDF regime embassies and consulates were disrupted by protest against the government. In the last two years alone, a dozen of government officials were embarrassed and cancelled a lot of meetings. All the above reactions are indicators of persistent protest of Ethiopian Diaspora.
Video Here
A meeting organised by Weyane embassy cancelled after angry Ethiopians demanded their right to express their view.
Ethioguardian (10-07-2007, The Hague): A meeting that was organised by Ethiopian embassy and some EPRDF supporters in the Netherlands was cancelled yesterday due to protest from the participants. The organisers of the meeting invited some hand picked EPRDF supporters and others to symbolise the support of the Ethiopians in the Diaspora. The meeting was cancelled after the chair persons, deputy Ambassador Brook Kebede and EPRDF’s top diplomat first secretary Zenebe Kebede, tried to silence some Ethiopians who explained the actual picture of Ethiopia and Ethiopians presently. The chair person of the meeting, deputy Ambassador Brook Kebede, cancelled the meeting against the will of Ethiopians, who were expressing their view and forwarding their ideas. The participants also asked the chairperson to answer questions regarding human rights and the condition of political prisoners, which he resisted to accept and cancelled the meeting at that point. Video coming soon!
The first speaker Ato Zenebe Kebede, EPRDF’s first secretary, talked about the current state of the country, Ethio-Eritrean conflict and Ethio-Somalia problem, in the usual way of the woyane propaganda. He was interrupted many times by concerned Ethiopians as he continued to forward conflicting information, which was in contrary to what actually exists inside the country and knowledge of the audience.
The second speaker, deputy Ambassador Brook Kebede, explained the fake economic development in Ethiopia and tried to relate the alarming inflation, increased price of commodities to unrelated factors, in which he tried to cover the existing situation in Ethiopia. The deputy ambassador faced a lot of criticism form the public while he insisted to fool his own invited guests by undermining knowledge and information about their country. One participant expressed his sadness by saying “you are an economist who forgot the science of economics when you start to serve EPRDF”. As the resistance continued, the ambassador called the Hotel security to expel the Ethiopians who were expressing their ideas in a democratic and civilised manner. At this point, the participants were reminded about the Agazi force, which is silencing the peace loving Ethiopians because of their peaceful attempt to request their natural democratic right. The ambassador used EPRDF’s usual technique of employing force to remove the Ethiopians who do not agree with their view. Among the attendants one Ethiopian stated “it is ridicules and shame, in this single incident to observe how EPRDF’s functionaries are intolerants for different ideas, and also manifest their determination to silence opposition through all means even here in the civilised world.” After a short discussion, the hotel security left without taking any action because he understood it was only a conflict of ideas, and that Ethiopians were expressing their ideas in a peaceful way.
Especially when one of the participants started to ask and comment on EPRDF’s external and internal policy, the deputy ambassador and the first secretary were unhappy to listen to his ideas and comments. At one point the EPRDF diplomat tried to take the microphone from the speakers hand by force.
At the end the deputy ambassador closed the meeting as Ethiopians continued to forward their view on EPRDF repression, the current situation in Ethiopia, the human and economical crisis in Ethiopia, specifically, the ambassador cancelled the meeting when the human rights situation in Ethiopia and political prisoners were mentioned.
This was a very amazing drama, which indicates the manner and the level of intolerance how high EPRDF officials and diplomats react to different views, let alone inside the country, but here in Europe. Observers at the event have taken this as a symbolic reflection of Ethiopia under the current illegitimate regime and treatment of real opposition inside the country. Additionally, some of the EPRDF supporters commented that the meeting was almost dominated by opposition reflection, which was against its intended goal of praising EPRDF’s policy.
One participant commented that “they invited us for discussion and to listen to their presentation, although it is fallacious and inconsistent to what is going on inside the country”. After that, people start to give their view, but the government officials lost their patience when they start to listen a contrary to their view”. The same participant also added that, “this chance of discussion should be given to the people back in Ethiopia, not for the Ethiopians in Diaspora.”
In a related development, according to sources closed to the embassy in Brussels, the same meeting was scheduled to be chaired by ambassador Berhane Geberekristos. But due to fear of anticipated protest and severe critics from Ethiopians residing in the Netherlands, he declined to face the audience.
Last week, the Ethiopian ambassador failed to show up on European commission hearing on the human right and economical crisis in Ethiopia, for which he gave a vague reason for his absence. A week later, the same ambassador came to the Netherlands, to lecture about development and progress in Ethiopia. This was a very painful action for Ethiopians who were present on the European commission hearing.
In recent periods, every meeting organised by the EPRDF regime embassies and consulates were disrupted by protest against the government. In the last two years alone, a dozen of government officials were embarrassed and cancelled a lot of meetings. All the above reactions are indicators of persistent protest of Ethiopian Diaspora.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Ethiopian call for the release of political prisoners
16 Feb. 2007 The Hague - The international community is carefully watching and making possible scenarios on the trial of opposition leaders, journalists and human right activists in Ethiopia, Dutch authorities said on Friday, 16 February 2007. A group of Ethiopian delegates, including Judge Wolde-Michael Meshesha talked to Dutch authorities in The Hague where hundreds of Ethiopians in The Netherlands call for the release of political prisoners. The Dutch authorities consider the trial as a good test of the judicial system. Similarly thousands of Ethiopians around the world have launched protest rallies ahead of a February 19 court ruling for a trial regarded widely as shame. There is a widespread rumour that the regime will release some of the prisoners. Other leaked information indicates the court might postpone the proceeding (Source EMF, 16 Feb. 2007).Photos
Monday, February 12, 2007
February 16 demonstration in Den Haag
February 16 demonstration in Den Haag
Place Den Haag
Time 12:30- 16:00
Meeting place Infront of Den Haag Central
For more information call to
Time 12:30- 16:00
Meeting place Infront of Den Haag Central
For more information call to
020 6180694, 070 44 51 681,
0641221184,0652006062, 0614883537
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Sign petition to the Dutch parliament
Geachte heer/mevrouw,
Wij, de Ethiopische gemeenschap in Nederland, de supportgroep van de CUDP (Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party)in Nederland, de supportgroep van UEDF in Nederland,en de supportgroep EHRCO Nederland, richten deze petitiebrief aan u en de Nederlandse bevolking om u op de hoogte te stellen en als dat nodig is, te smeken om uw hulp en steun tegen de disproportionele en onmenselijke maatregelen die genomen zijn door de regerende politieke partij van Ethiopië onder leiding van de minister president.......
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Free our leaders world wide action February 14-16 !
Free our leaders ! Organizers
Ethiopian community in the Netherlands
Kinijit Support group Netherlands
UEDF Support Group Netherlands
EHRCO Support group Netherlands
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)