www.nazrett.com Home of Ethiopian News and Blog Breaking News
"villagification" programmes (they killed about 100.000 innocent civilians).
Yeah, today they are wise kings, tomorrow - cruelest dictators. That's all about money and power. Ethiopians lived thousands years without any help from europeans and survived.
And now they felt into a vicious circle - more help they get causes increasing population - increasing population causes poverty, diseases and civil wars, that causes deaths and needed for help that causes... etc...etc...etc.
I think that all african countries and mid-east countries will grow up to democratic and human-right dominated states with time. They shouldn't be "pushed" onto this like it was in Iraq etc. Otherwise we'll obtain a strong military state with a-bombs and newest weapons with absolutely weak and archaic goverment with inner struggle for power.
Ethiopian Restaurants worldwide
-
www.nazrett.com Home of Ethiopian News and Blog Breaking News Ethiopian airlines has already planted 7.5 million trees in Ethiopia, one ... -
www.nazrett.com Home of Ethiopian News and Blog Breaking News September 07, 2009In reaction to Secretary Hillary Clinton´s visit to Africa...
-
www.nazrett.com Home of Ethiopian News and Blog Breaking News Gebisa Ejeta, Distinguished Professor of Agronomy at Purdue University, was aw... -
www.nazrett.com Home of Ethiopian News and Blog Breaking News APA-Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) The United States Agency for International Develop...
-
www.nazrett.com Home of Ethiopian News and Blog Breaking News Ethiopian Intelligence Agency and the security force carries out its crucial a...
-
www.nazrett.com Home of Ethiopian News and Blog Breaking News In contrast to the bright lights and glamour of Mahmood Saeed shopping mall... -
www.nazrett.com Home of Ethiopian News and Blog Breaking News The establishment of the Running Across Borders High Altitude Training Camp ...
-
www.nazrett.com Home of Ethiopian News and Blog Breaking News The home-based staff of the Sierra Leone Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on ...
-
www.nazrett.com Home of Ethiopian News and Blog Breaking News Al-Jazeera English aired a story today about the abuse domestic workers suf...
-
www.nazrett.com Home of Ethiopian News and Blog Breaking News
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Ethiopia could risk pre-election violence – Report
www.nazrett.com Home of Ethiopian News and Blog Breaking News
By Tesfa-alem Tekle
September 6, 2009 (ADDIS ABABA) — A new report released by the International Crisis Group (ICG) has warned of a possible outbreak of violence in Ethiopia’s upcoming national elections unless the country’s leadership improves democratic practices.
The latest report from the International Crisis Group, examines the potential for a violent eruption of conflict in Ethiopia ahead of the June 2010 elections amidst rising ethnic tensions and dissent.
"Without genuine multi-party democracy, the tensions and pressures in Ethiopia’s polities will only grow, greatly increasing the possibility of a violent eruption that would destabilize the country and the region," it said.
The group further said that while Ethiopia’s ethnic federalism remains being artificial, the international community has ignored or downplayed all these problems that are sharply swelling ethnic tensions in Ethiopia.
"The international community should take Ethiopia’s governance problems much more seriously and adopt a more principled position towards the government," ICG called.
In the 1990’s, The Ruling, Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Front (EPRDF) led by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, transformed the horn of Africa’s nation into Federal Republic in a bid to improve cohesion but it has increased ethnic polarization in the African nation instead. The report argued.
"Ethnic federalism has not dampened conflict, but rather increased competition amongst groups fighting for land, natural resources, boundaries and government budgets," ICG said
The report further said that some donors appear to consider food security more important than democracy in Ethiopia, but they neglect the increased ethnic awareness and tensions created by the regionalization policy and their potentially explosive consequences.
"Donors must convince Ethiopia to improve current standards of governance and promote democratic reform or risk future waves of violence and new destabilization in the horn of Africa region," Daniela Kroslak, Crisis Group’s Deputy Africa Program Director said.
The International Crisis Group (Crisis Group) is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization covering some 60 crisis-affected countries and territories across four continents, working through field-based analysis and high-level advocacy to prevent and resolve deadly conflict.
OPPOSITION RELUCTANCE TO RUN IN ELECTION
With over 90 legal opposition groups in Ethiopia, preparing to challenge, the ruling EPRDF party, a number of political groups have already began to raise their voice in fears of a violent government crackdown during the electoral period as it has happened in the past.
As the Ethiopian national election only months away to go, major opposition groups are saying that they are uncertain whether to take part or not in the upcoming election.
The Ethiopian government pledged to conduct a peaceful, fair and democratic election; however opposition parties say the government, despite the pledges made, is not ready to conduct a free election.
Some opposition parties told Sudan Tribune that they are already facing "pre-election harassment" and "undemocratic actions" against them.
They are accusing the ruling party of closing their offices, disrupting their public political meetings and intimidating and arresting their members and supporters.
Recently Ethiopia’s former president Dr.Negasso Gidada accused the Ethiopian government of being behind a disruption of an opposition public political meeting in Adama town,of Oromiya region.
Other opposition groups have also accused the ruling party of endorsing a new election law which they said is only applicable to it.
In 2005 post-election violence has left some 180 people killed. But Ethiopian leader, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi now says that the 2005 election was an experience and his country is ready to handle in this election not only riots but also prevent them from happening at all.
By Tesfa-alem Tekle
September 6, 2009 (ADDIS ABABA) — A new report released by the International Crisis Group (ICG) has warned of a possible outbreak of violence in Ethiopia’s upcoming national elections unless the country’s leadership improves democratic practices.
The latest report from the International Crisis Group, examines the potential for a violent eruption of conflict in Ethiopia ahead of the June 2010 elections amidst rising ethnic tensions and dissent.
"Without genuine multi-party democracy, the tensions and pressures in Ethiopia’s polities will only grow, greatly increasing the possibility of a violent eruption that would destabilize the country and the region," it said.
The group further said that while Ethiopia’s ethnic federalism remains being artificial, the international community has ignored or downplayed all these problems that are sharply swelling ethnic tensions in Ethiopia.
"The international community should take Ethiopia’s governance problems much more seriously and adopt a more principled position towards the government," ICG called.
In the 1990’s, The Ruling, Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Front (EPRDF) led by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, transformed the horn of Africa’s nation into Federal Republic in a bid to improve cohesion but it has increased ethnic polarization in the African nation instead. The report argued.
"Ethnic federalism has not dampened conflict, but rather increased competition amongst groups fighting for land, natural resources, boundaries and government budgets," ICG said
The report further said that some donors appear to consider food security more important than democracy in Ethiopia, but they neglect the increased ethnic awareness and tensions created by the regionalization policy and their potentially explosive consequences.
"Donors must convince Ethiopia to improve current standards of governance and promote democratic reform or risk future waves of violence and new destabilization in the horn of Africa region," Daniela Kroslak, Crisis Group’s Deputy Africa Program Director said.
The International Crisis Group (Crisis Group) is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization covering some 60 crisis-affected countries and territories across four continents, working through field-based analysis and high-level advocacy to prevent and resolve deadly conflict.
OPPOSITION RELUCTANCE TO RUN IN ELECTION
With over 90 legal opposition groups in Ethiopia, preparing to challenge, the ruling EPRDF party, a number of political groups have already began to raise their voice in fears of a violent government crackdown during the electoral period as it has happened in the past.
As the Ethiopian national election only months away to go, major opposition groups are saying that they are uncertain whether to take part or not in the upcoming election.
The Ethiopian government pledged to conduct a peaceful, fair and democratic election; however opposition parties say the government, despite the pledges made, is not ready to conduct a free election.
Some opposition parties told Sudan Tribune that they are already facing "pre-election harassment" and "undemocratic actions" against them.
They are accusing the ruling party of closing their offices, disrupting their public political meetings and intimidating and arresting their members and supporters.
Recently Ethiopia’s former president Dr.Negasso Gidada accused the Ethiopian government of being behind a disruption of an opposition public political meeting in Adama town,of Oromiya region.
Other opposition groups have also accused the ruling party of endorsing a new election law which they said is only applicable to it.
In 2005 post-election violence has left some 180 people killed. But Ethiopian leader, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi now says that the 2005 election was an experience and his country is ready to handle in this election not only riots but also prevent them from happening at all.
Ethiopians to attend the Jordan Run October 17 2009
www.nazrett.com Home of Ethiopian News and Blog Breaking News
By Roufan Nahhas
AMMAN - The first Amman International Marathon, celebrating the 100th year anniversary of the founding of the modern day Amman Municipality, kicks off October 17 with the participation of thousands of professional and non-professional runners worldwide.
The marathon will be supervised by a board of trustees with HRH Princess Dina Mired, Amman Mayor Omar Maani and HE Fawwaz Al Zoubi as members and chaired by HRH Prince Firas Ben Raad.
“The marathon translates the vision of His Majesty King Abdullah II, who called on establishing initiatives for youth and which achieves intended goals and results,” said Prince Firas at a press conference on Sunday.
“The marathon is a unique social and sport event which will take runners to the heart of Amman passing through the old streets of the city,” he added.
“The marathon will give us a chance to build a new generation of runners who will represent the Kingdom in future events,” the Prince stressed.
Princess Dina said: “It is an excellent chance for societies to be part of the event to spread awareness on their work.”
Maani said that the municipality has allocated all its resources to make sure that the event is “a success”.
“We expect thousands of runners to be part of the event as it mixes sports and social activity together,” Maani said.
“We are focusing on promoting athleticism, particularly among youth, encouraging tourism and promoting athletic cooperation across countries of the Middle East and the world,” he added.
Several world-class runners from Ethiopia, Kenya, Italy and Europe will take part in the event which will be held in cooperation with the Jordan Athletics Federation (JAF).
“We will also be part of the event and give the marathon its legal and professional status,” newly elected JAF President Zeidan Abadi said.
“The marathon is accredited by the International Athletics Federation (IAAF) as an international event and is supported by Beirut Marathon Association,” he added.
The event will have the support of Abdali Investment and Development Psc. and Arab Bank, in addition to others.
Abdali Investment and Development Psc CEO Mouhib Itani expressed his happiness to be part of the event.
“We are really glad to be part of it and we will give JD10 on behalf of each runner who finishes the marathon to Al Hussein Cancer Centre,” he said.
The route of the race starts at the steps of the Greater Amman Municipality and the finish line will be at the old Gladiator Park next to the Roman Amphitheatre in downtown Amman. The categories of the running events are: 42km for professional runners, 10km for leisure runners to encourage public participation and 4km for children.
Water stations will be located every 2.5km and energy drink stations will be located every 5km. Five medical stations will be positioned along the course and there will be toilet facilities at the start and finish points, as well as along the course.
By Roufan Nahhas
AMMAN - The first Amman International Marathon, celebrating the 100th year anniversary of the founding of the modern day Amman Municipality, kicks off October 17 with the participation of thousands of professional and non-professional runners worldwide.
The marathon will be supervised by a board of trustees with HRH Princess Dina Mired, Amman Mayor Omar Maani and HE Fawwaz Al Zoubi as members and chaired by HRH Prince Firas Ben Raad.
“The marathon translates the vision of His Majesty King Abdullah II, who called on establishing initiatives for youth and which achieves intended goals and results,” said Prince Firas at a press conference on Sunday.
“The marathon is a unique social and sport event which will take runners to the heart of Amman passing through the old streets of the city,” he added.
“The marathon will give us a chance to build a new generation of runners who will represent the Kingdom in future events,” the Prince stressed.
Princess Dina said: “It is an excellent chance for societies to be part of the event to spread awareness on their work.”
Maani said that the municipality has allocated all its resources to make sure that the event is “a success”.
“We expect thousands of runners to be part of the event as it mixes sports and social activity together,” Maani said.
“We are focusing on promoting athleticism, particularly among youth, encouraging tourism and promoting athletic cooperation across countries of the Middle East and the world,” he added.
Several world-class runners from Ethiopia, Kenya, Italy and Europe will take part in the event which will be held in cooperation with the Jordan Athletics Federation (JAF).
“We will also be part of the event and give the marathon its legal and professional status,” newly elected JAF President Zeidan Abadi said.
“The marathon is accredited by the International Athletics Federation (IAAF) as an international event and is supported by Beirut Marathon Association,” he added.
The event will have the support of Abdali Investment and Development Psc. and Arab Bank, in addition to others.
Abdali Investment and Development Psc CEO Mouhib Itani expressed his happiness to be part of the event.
“We are really glad to be part of it and we will give JD10 on behalf of each runner who finishes the marathon to Al Hussein Cancer Centre,” he said.
The route of the race starts at the steps of the Greater Amman Municipality and the finish line will be at the old Gladiator Park next to the Roman Amphitheatre in downtown Amman. The categories of the running events are: 42km for professional runners, 10km for leisure runners to encourage public participation and 4km for children.
Water stations will be located every 2.5km and energy drink stations will be located every 5km. Five medical stations will be positioned along the course and there will be toilet facilities at the start and finish points, as well as along the course.
Distinguished Ethiopian Professor, Gebisa Ejeta, winner of the 2009 World Food Prize, returns to Ethiopia
www.nazrett.com Home of Ethiopian News and Blog Breaking News
Gebisa Ejeta, Distinguished Professor of Agronomy at Purdue University, was awarded the World Food Prize for research leading to the increased production and availability of sorghum in his native Africa.Ejeta, a plant breeder and geneticist, developed sorghum varieties resistant to drought and Striga, a parasitic weed. Sorghum is a major food crop for more than 500 million people on the African continent.
The World Food Prize is considered the Nobel Prize of agriculture. It is awarded each year by the World Food Prize Foundation to individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food worldwide. Norman E. Bourlaug, winner of the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize, established the World Food Prize in 1986.
Gebisa returns to Ethiopia.
Follow his trip.
The award announcement was made at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and World Food Prize Foundation President Kenneth Quinn.
Ejeta will receive his $250,000 award at an Oct. 15 ceremony in Des Moines, Iowa.
Ejeta is the second Purdue professor to receive the World Food Prize in three years. Philip Nelson, the Scholle Chair Professor in Food Processing and former head of Purdue’s Department of Food Science, won the award in 2007 for developing aseptic bulk storage and distribution, a technology for transporting processed fruits and vegetables without product spoilage.
“I’m pleased that the selection committee found my work significant enough to choose me as the 2009 World Food Prize winner,” Ejeta said. “It is a great honor.”
Purdue President France A. Córdova said Ejeta’s research is making a difference in the world. He’s deserving of the World Food Prize, she said.
“We’re very proud of Dr. Ejeta and the work that he has done and are thrilled that he is receiving the 2009 World Food Prize,” Córdova said. “This is a sterling example of Purdue’s commitment to helping resolve the global challenges of world hunger.”
Jay Akridge, the Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture at Purdue, agreed.
“Dr. Ejeta’s work on the development of new sorghum varieties is a powerful demonstration of the difference agricultural research can make in creating a more secure and consistent food supply for millions of people,” Akridge said.
Sorghum is among the world’s five principle cereal grains. The crop is as important to Africa as corn and soybeans are to the United States.
A native of Ethiopia, Ejeta witnessed the devastating effects of drought and Striga on sorghum crops in his own country and several others in eastern and western Africa.
“I focused my research on sorghum because I’m originally from Africa, and I’ve known about the importance of the crop to the people there,” Etejta said. “So I wanted to work on improving sorghum.”
Five years of research in rain-starved northern Sudan produced his first breakthrough in sorghum research in the early 1980s, when Ejeta developed the drought-tolerant cultivar Hageen Dura-1, the first commercial sorghum hybrid in Africa. Hageen Dura-1 produced yields up to 150 percent higher than traditional sorghum cultivars. About 1 million acres of the drought-tolerant sorghum is grown in Sudan annually.
Ejeta then focused on Striga. Commonly known as witchweed, the insidious weed attacks nearby sorghum through the plant’s root system. The almost microscopic Striga seeds germinate and then send out rootlets, which find sorghum roots and work their way into the host plant. Once inside, the parasitic weed removes valuable nutrients.
Striga is especially troublesome because the weed’s seeds can remain viable for up to 20 years. Striga-related losses of 40 percent are possible in non-resistant sorghum crops.
Working with late Purdue colleague Larry Butler, Ejeta identified the exudate – chemical signal – from sorghum that is picked up by Striga rootlets. From there, he was able to develop a biological mechanism for interrupting the exudation process.
“The parasitic weed work took nearly 15 years to come to fruition,” Ejeta said. “The novel approach that we developed was a totally new paradigm on how to dissect this complex trait into simpler components. After that, we didn’t need to go to Africa to do Striga research. We were able to do this work in a laboratory at Purdue University.”
In 1994 eight tons of Ejeta’s drought-tolerant and Striga-resistant sorghum seeds produced at a Purdue agricultural research farm were distributed to Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Farmers reported yields of as much as four times larger than traditional sorghum crops.
Ejeta is not finished with sorghum genetics or international development work.
“The need out there is great, so there is more to do,” he said. “We need to extend the results of our work to more programs and more nations. We need to build stronger human and institutional capacity in African nations to help people feed themselves. We need to encourage the development of similar advances in maize, millets and other crops of Africa.”
Ejeta received his master’s and doctoral degrees in plant breeding and genetics from Purdue in 1976 and 1978, respectively. He joined the Purdue faculty in 1984.
More information about the World Food Prize Foundation and Prize is available
Death toll from Africa floods touches 70-UN
www.nazrett.com Home of Ethiopian News and Blog Breaking News
* Death toll touching 70, some 430,000 affected
* Floods pose food security threat in coming weeks
* Flood cycle must be addressed at Copenhagen summit
By Gabriela Matthews
DAKAR, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Flooding in West Africa has claimed some 70 lives and left hundreds of thousands facing health risks in the rainy season, a senior U.N. humanitarian official told Reuters on Sunday.
The flooding, an annual phenomenon which this year has hit impoverished Burkina Faso and at least five other countries, has destroyed precious grain stocks and so could trigger a food security crisis in weeks to come.
"We can already count close to 70 deaths," Herve Ludovic de Lys, region head for the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said in an interview.
In total, around 430,000 people in Burkina Faso, Senegal, Ghana, Mali, Mauritania and Ivory Coast have seen damage to their homes or are facing health risks linked to the lack of fresh water, deteriorating hygiene or other problems, he said.
"People are being sheltered in schools in pretty deplorable conditions," he said of the situation in Burkina Faso, where aid workers this week said flood water had smashed bridges and roads and was hampering emergency humanitarian work.
"Many traditional granaries have been destroyed and that could pose problems further down the line for food security," he added of the regional impact of rains due to last another three weeks and even intensify towards the end of the season.
In 2007, about 300 people were killed and more than 800,000 affected throughout West Africa when homes, crops and infrastructure were washed away.
"We are in competition, so to speak, with Latin America and the Caribbean because there too it is hurricane and flood season," de Lys said of the scarcity of aid resources, adding that OCHA was considering launching an appeal for Burkina Faso.
The flood and drought cycle which hits many African countries each year is a major obstacle to economic development and African leaders want a U.N. climate change summit in Copenhagen this year to acknowledge a link with global warming.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said last week Africa could veto any deal in December which did not compensate the continent. He did not say how much African officials would seek but some experts have suggested a figure of $200 billion a year.
De Lys said African nations needed help with investment in improving infrastructure and equipment to tackle the impact of climate change, while funding was vital to deal with migration as flood and other damage forced people to leave their homes.
"This is a conference which must openly discuss the human impact of climate change," de Lys said. (Writing by Mark John; Editing by Charles Dick)
* Death toll touching 70, some 430,000 affected
* Floods pose food security threat in coming weeks
* Flood cycle must be addressed at Copenhagen summit
By Gabriela Matthews
DAKAR, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Flooding in West Africa has claimed some 70 lives and left hundreds of thousands facing health risks in the rainy season, a senior U.N. humanitarian official told Reuters on Sunday.
The flooding, an annual phenomenon which this year has hit impoverished Burkina Faso and at least five other countries, has destroyed precious grain stocks and so could trigger a food security crisis in weeks to come.
"We can already count close to 70 deaths," Herve Ludovic de Lys, region head for the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said in an interview.
In total, around 430,000 people in Burkina Faso, Senegal, Ghana, Mali, Mauritania and Ivory Coast have seen damage to their homes or are facing health risks linked to the lack of fresh water, deteriorating hygiene or other problems, he said.
"People are being sheltered in schools in pretty deplorable conditions," he said of the situation in Burkina Faso, where aid workers this week said flood water had smashed bridges and roads and was hampering emergency humanitarian work.
"Many traditional granaries have been destroyed and that could pose problems further down the line for food security," he added of the regional impact of rains due to last another three weeks and even intensify towards the end of the season.
In 2007, about 300 people were killed and more than 800,000 affected throughout West Africa when homes, crops and infrastructure were washed away.
"We are in competition, so to speak, with Latin America and the Caribbean because there too it is hurricane and flood season," de Lys said of the scarcity of aid resources, adding that OCHA was considering launching an appeal for Burkina Faso.
The flood and drought cycle which hits many African countries each year is a major obstacle to economic development and African leaders want a U.N. climate change summit in Copenhagen this year to acknowledge a link with global warming.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said last week Africa could veto any deal in December which did not compensate the continent. He did not say how much African officials would seek but some experts have suggested a figure of $200 billion a year.
De Lys said African nations needed help with investment in improving infrastructure and equipment to tackle the impact of climate change, while funding was vital to deal with migration as flood and other damage forced people to leave their homes.
"This is a conference which must openly discuss the human impact of climate change," de Lys said. (Writing by Mark John; Editing by Charles Dick)
American Islamist Killed as Somali Clashes Intensify
www.nazrett.com Home of Ethiopian News and Blog Breaking News
Written by Benjamin Joffe-Walt
Published Sunday, September 06, 2009
E-Mail This
Printer-Friendly
Archives
An American citizen who joined an Islamic insurgent group in Somalia was among ten people killed in violent clashes over the weekend.
Fighting began Friday night in the Somali capital after forces loyal to the shaky, Western-supported transitional government shot mortars at an insurgent base in the Somali capital Mogadishu. Clashes continued unabated on Saturday, ending in Al Shabaab insurgents recapturing the base and retaining their grip on most of the city.
Al Shabaab fighters said Mohamed Hassan, a 21-year old American from Minnesota, was among the dead. At the time of printing it was not clear when Mr Hassan had arrived in Somalia.
Al Shabaab, the militant wing of the Islamic Courts Union, a group that controlled Mogadishu prior to the invasion by Ethiopian forces, had made significant gains in the Horn of Africa nation. It now controls most of Mogadishu and Southern Somalia.
The government has pledged to drive Al Shabaab insurgents out of the capital upon the completion of Ramadan.
"It's a tug of war," Bashir Goth, an influential Somali blogger and the editor of Awdal News, told The Media Line. "Sometimes they take an area, then the government takes it back. It's extremely unstable."
As a jihadist movement, Al Shabaab members have cited links with Al-Qa’ida although most analysts believe the affiliation to be minimal. The group has several thousand fighters divided into regional units which are thought to operate somewhat independently of one another.
"Al Shabaab is far from a unified organization," EJ Hogendoorn, the Horn of Africa Project Director for the International Crises Group told The Media Line. "There are several Al Shabaab affiliated groups that control much of south-central Somalia, some of which have tried to take control of Mogadishu. But because of the assistance the transitional government is getting, Al Shabaab is not able to achieve this. So right now there's a stalemate: while there is fighting centered around specific neighborhoods, as far as we can tell there are no significant changes in the military balance."
Goth argued that while support for the transitional government had weakened the insurgents, they still posed a significant threat to the viability of the Somali government.
"Al Shabaab is a cohesive, well-organized movement and they are everywhere," Goth said. "These people are well funded and they could potentially take power. They even nearly killed the president of Somaliland."
The U.S. has launched selected air strikes against Al Shabaab leaders thought to have ties to Al-Qa’ida, but analysts say this has only increased their support among Somalis.
U.S. officials believe that dozens of Americans have entered Somalia to join Al Shabaab's ranks. At least three Americans have been killed fighting for Al Shabaab, including a Somali-American who killed himself in a suicide attack last year.
"They are recruiting youth not only from America but also from Europe," Goth said. "They want to send a message that we can recruit your people and we can harm you."
"This is a very dangerous development," he warned. "A suicide bomber can get anywhere, and these people could come back at any time and cause lots of damage."
Somali-Americans are recruited to join Al-Shabaab through secret meetings, personal phone calls and Internet campaigns specifically targeted at English speakers. As many as 20 young American men are believed to have been recruited from Minnesota, home to the largest population of Somali immigrants in the US.
"They are trying to recruit impressionable young Somali Americans who are generally unemployed dropouts," Goth said. "They are just giving them a kind of illusionary hope, saying 'you are not making it in America. Come back to your roots, to Islam, and go to paradise.'"
Hogendoorn argued that Al-Shabaab's success can, in part, be credited to its foreign recruitment and fundraising.
"Al Shabaab has a relatively sophisticated propaganda machine and receives a fair amount of funding from outside of Somalia," Hogendoorn said. "Most of this work is being conducted outside of Somalia by Al Shabaab sympathizers."
"Because of 20 years of war there's a huge Somali population living outside of Somalia," he said. "Those communities still maintain very close ties to their relatives in Somalia, so when a Somali movement tries to speak to the public, they speak both to Somalis in Somalia and to Somalis in the diaspora."
Somalia has not had a functioning government since the 1991 ousting of Mohamed Siad Barre. The ensuing years have seen a chaotic system of rival clans controlling various parts of the capital.
Al Shabaab began its insurgency in late 2006 with assassinations and suicide bombings against the transitional government and aid workers, particularly in Mogadishu.
The Western-backed Ethiopian military invaded the country in 2007, but many analysts believe this augmented Al Shabaab's insurgency campaign, and battles between Al Shabaab and Ethiopian forces caused roughly 400,000 people to flee the capital in August 2007.
The Ethiopians withdrew in January of this year after over 16 months of Al Shabaab attacks on its forces.
African Union (AU) peacekeepers have also been in the country since 2007, but have made little impact with just over 3,000 troops from Uganda and Burundi. Eleven Burundian soldiers were killed by Al Shabaab in February of this year, the deadliest attack on AU peacekeepers since their deployment.
The new President of Somalia's battered government is Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, a former schoolteacher and former official in the Islamic Courts, which controlled Mogadishu and parts of Somalia prior to the Ethiopian invasion. An Islamist supportive of sharia law himself, he seeks to integrate Al Shabaab fighters into the transitional government's forces.
There are over 2 million internally displaced people in Somalia, and UN officials says there are over 1.3 million Somalis in need of emergency food aid. Up to a fifth of the population is suffering from malnutrition.
Written by Benjamin Joffe-Walt
Published Sunday, September 06, 2009
E-Mail This
Printer-Friendly
Archives
An American citizen who joined an Islamic insurgent group in Somalia was among ten people killed in violent clashes over the weekend.
Fighting began Friday night in the Somali capital after forces loyal to the shaky, Western-supported transitional government shot mortars at an insurgent base in the Somali capital Mogadishu. Clashes continued unabated on Saturday, ending in Al Shabaab insurgents recapturing the base and retaining their grip on most of the city.
Al Shabaab fighters said Mohamed Hassan, a 21-year old American from Minnesota, was among the dead. At the time of printing it was not clear when Mr Hassan had arrived in Somalia.
Al Shabaab, the militant wing of the Islamic Courts Union, a group that controlled Mogadishu prior to the invasion by Ethiopian forces, had made significant gains in the Horn of Africa nation. It now controls most of Mogadishu and Southern Somalia.
The government has pledged to drive Al Shabaab insurgents out of the capital upon the completion of Ramadan.
"It's a tug of war," Bashir Goth, an influential Somali blogger and the editor of Awdal News, told The Media Line. "Sometimes they take an area, then the government takes it back. It's extremely unstable."
As a jihadist movement, Al Shabaab members have cited links with Al-Qa’ida although most analysts believe the affiliation to be minimal. The group has several thousand fighters divided into regional units which are thought to operate somewhat independently of one another.
"Al Shabaab is far from a unified organization," EJ Hogendoorn, the Horn of Africa Project Director for the International Crises Group told The Media Line. "There are several Al Shabaab affiliated groups that control much of south-central Somalia, some of which have tried to take control of Mogadishu. But because of the assistance the transitional government is getting, Al Shabaab is not able to achieve this. So right now there's a stalemate: while there is fighting centered around specific neighborhoods, as far as we can tell there are no significant changes in the military balance."
Goth argued that while support for the transitional government had weakened the insurgents, they still posed a significant threat to the viability of the Somali government.
"Al Shabaab is a cohesive, well-organized movement and they are everywhere," Goth said. "These people are well funded and they could potentially take power. They even nearly killed the president of Somaliland."
The U.S. has launched selected air strikes against Al Shabaab leaders thought to have ties to Al-Qa’ida, but analysts say this has only increased their support among Somalis.
U.S. officials believe that dozens of Americans have entered Somalia to join Al Shabaab's ranks. At least three Americans have been killed fighting for Al Shabaab, including a Somali-American who killed himself in a suicide attack last year.
"They are recruiting youth not only from America but also from Europe," Goth said. "They want to send a message that we can recruit your people and we can harm you."
"This is a very dangerous development," he warned. "A suicide bomber can get anywhere, and these people could come back at any time and cause lots of damage."
Somali-Americans are recruited to join Al-Shabaab through secret meetings, personal phone calls and Internet campaigns specifically targeted at English speakers. As many as 20 young American men are believed to have been recruited from Minnesota, home to the largest population of Somali immigrants in the US.
"They are trying to recruit impressionable young Somali Americans who are generally unemployed dropouts," Goth said. "They are just giving them a kind of illusionary hope, saying 'you are not making it in America. Come back to your roots, to Islam, and go to paradise.'"
Hogendoorn argued that Al-Shabaab's success can, in part, be credited to its foreign recruitment and fundraising.
"Al Shabaab has a relatively sophisticated propaganda machine and receives a fair amount of funding from outside of Somalia," Hogendoorn said. "Most of this work is being conducted outside of Somalia by Al Shabaab sympathizers."
"Because of 20 years of war there's a huge Somali population living outside of Somalia," he said. "Those communities still maintain very close ties to their relatives in Somalia, so when a Somali movement tries to speak to the public, they speak both to Somalis in Somalia and to Somalis in the diaspora."
Somalia has not had a functioning government since the 1991 ousting of Mohamed Siad Barre. The ensuing years have seen a chaotic system of rival clans controlling various parts of the capital.
Al Shabaab began its insurgency in late 2006 with assassinations and suicide bombings against the transitional government and aid workers, particularly in Mogadishu.
The Western-backed Ethiopian military invaded the country in 2007, but many analysts believe this augmented Al Shabaab's insurgency campaign, and battles between Al Shabaab and Ethiopian forces caused roughly 400,000 people to flee the capital in August 2007.
The Ethiopians withdrew in January of this year after over 16 months of Al Shabaab attacks on its forces.
African Union (AU) peacekeepers have also been in the country since 2007, but have made little impact with just over 3,000 troops from Uganda and Burundi. Eleven Burundian soldiers were killed by Al Shabaab in February of this year, the deadliest attack on AU peacekeepers since their deployment.
The new President of Somalia's battered government is Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, a former schoolteacher and former official in the Islamic Courts, which controlled Mogadishu and parts of Somalia prior to the Ethiopian invasion. An Islamist supportive of sharia law himself, he seeks to integrate Al Shabaab fighters into the transitional government's forces.
There are over 2 million internally displaced people in Somalia, and UN officials says there are over 1.3 million Somalis in need of emergency food aid. Up to a fifth of the population is suffering from malnutrition.
Corruption rules in Saudi jails
www.nazrett.com Home of Ethiopian News and Blog Breaking News
In contrast to the bright lights and glamour of Mahmood Saeed shopping mall near the disused runway of old Jeddah airport are a number of nondescript buildings that look like warehouses. That they are high-security prisons escapes the imagination. Most commuters drive past the buildings without realising the sinister reputation such places have in Saudi Arabia.
My journey to the "unknown" began in Mecca where I spent the first six nights at the dreaded Mabahus (Saudi Intelligence) detention centre. The notorious building is located at the foot of a mountain in al-Nuzha district. The road is uneven and the place is not easily accessible; passers-by avoid it, motorists go past in high gear and the dusty street bears a desolate look.
My 11-day journey to two cities, 13 detention centres, and a 150-kilometre ride through the desert was no picnic by the Red Sea. This was an experience nobody need to go through but – call it a conspiracy or karma – I had no choice. I was thrown into a prison room barely large enough to accommodate 100 but some 500 persons had been locked in there, in the extreme desert heat.
The room was full of expatriates and some Saudis. As I entered, old timers rushed towards me – Egyptians, Afghanis, Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Indonesians and nationals of African countries – for news from the outside world. They were keen to know if there had been a radical change in the system or if there was any truth in the rumour that Saudi Arabia was going to have an elected parliament and that the kingdom would soon become a democratic republic. My answers didn't please them.
My first shock was the sight of a nine-year-old Nigerian boy sitting on his own crying aloud. He wanted to go to his mama. He had been separated from his family in a souk. For the police, he was an illegal immigrant and booked for deportation. Does the Saudi sharia law require a nine-year-old to be imprisoned with adults? This was not a funfair. Apparently Saudi law is blind when it comes to such subtleties.
My mobile phone and most of the cash in my pocket had been confiscated but inside I saw inmates communicating with the outside world. I was told phones were smuggled in with the connivance of the guards, cigarettes and what appeared to be addictive tablets of some sort were sold for cash. The business was brisk and cash turnover seemed high.
I paid five riyals for a call – to the British Consulate – that would normally cost one-fifth of a riyal. Cigarettes were sold for 10 riyals each whereas outside a packet of 20 costs around six riyals. I have no idea about the tablets and their Jeddah street-price but I am glad I am not an addict for I couldn't afford the habit.
One question that every inmate asked was: "What did you do?" Everyone had a story to tell, and with no television, radio or newspapers, the only pastime inside the prison is to talk.
There was this HGV driver from Peshawar who hadn't received his salary for six months and his employer wasn't keen to pay him either. The driver had paid 2,000 riyals to a Saudi lawyer to take his employer to court. But the employer terminated his service, revoked his sponsorship and reported the driver absconding. The driver's subsequent arrest and torture was a matter of routine. Despite his long stay in prison he is still optimistic.
The story of three burly carpenters from Cairo was similar. They had been made redundant as their sponsor went out of business. He allowed them to work elsewhere to earn money for their journey home. Later he changed his mind, reported them for absconding and got fresh visas which he sold at an exorbitant price.
A young man from Islamabad, a welder, had been offered a job in Medina but on his arrival was told that the factory had been relocated – some 50km down Tabuk highway. It was the middle of nowhere, the factory was an illegal set-up and this welder was the only worker. The little water and food that was delivered fortnightly he had share with the camels and goats.
He tried to talk things over with his employer but it didn't work out. One moonlit night the welder decided to call it a day, walked through the rugged terrain, reached the highway, hitched a ride and surrendered to the police. For a small fee of 500 riyals the police agreed to deport him. Six months have gone past but the welder is still waiting for a passage to Pakistan.
A Saudi-born 18-year-old Yemeni student whose father has a retail shop – in partnership with a Saudi – was a pathetic case. One evening the young man was helping his father arrange shelves inside the shop when the police raided and asked for his residence permit. Scared, the boy started to run but was caught. He was charged with breaking the rules – as a student he cannot work – and was hauled in for deportation. Yesterday I received an SMS from him that his father has secured his release. At what cost, he didn't inform me.
In Jeddah prison I met hundreds of inmates from Burma (Myanmar). Thousands of Burmese Muslims from Arakan – often called Rohingyas – were offered permanent residence in Saudi Arabia by King Faisal but with the change of rulers in Riyadh the rules underwent a change too. The haven of peace that was offered to these refugess is now nothing less than a chamber of horrors.
Sudanese, Nigerians, Erirteans, Ethiopians and Somalis usually go to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage but with turmoil back home they overstay, do odd jobs, get caught and get deported. African inmates are usually the ones most aware of what's happening around the world. I spotted a number of "Man United for the Cup" graffiti.
Going back to "business" in Saudi prisons, the Burmese Muslims – having been there for around three years – had developed a good working relationship with the guards. They sold soap, shampoo, razors, trousers, shirts, painkillers, toothpaste and other items. Then there were "restaurants" offering biscuits, tea and coffee. Dare-devil young men would recharge mobile phones – for a fee of 10 riyals – by tapping into the electricity wires.
The Jeddah newspaper, Arab News, recently carried a report about the profitable business opportunities that Saudi prisons offer. Narcotic peddling under the nose of the guards, directing criminal activities over the phone from within the four walls of the prisons is common. The paper quoted Major General Ali al-Harithy, Director General of Prisons, saying that prison authorities have noticed that some inmates use mobile phones to run their criminal activities outside. Others use mobile phones to smuggle narcotics into prison premises.
Before I checked out from my cell I couldn't resist the temptation of leaving my own mark on the wall: "Corruption Rules. OK!
In contrast to the bright lights and glamour of Mahmood Saeed shopping mall near the disused runway of old Jeddah airport are a number of nondescript buildings that look like warehouses. That they are high-security prisons escapes the imagination. Most commuters drive past the buildings without realising the sinister reputation such places have in Saudi Arabia.
My journey to the "unknown" began in Mecca where I spent the first six nights at the dreaded Mabahus (Saudi Intelligence) detention centre. The notorious building is located at the foot of a mountain in al-Nuzha district. The road is uneven and the place is not easily accessible; passers-by avoid it, motorists go past in high gear and the dusty street bears a desolate look.
My 11-day journey to two cities, 13 detention centres, and a 150-kilometre ride through the desert was no picnic by the Red Sea. This was an experience nobody need to go through but – call it a conspiracy or karma – I had no choice. I was thrown into a prison room barely large enough to accommodate 100 but some 500 persons had been locked in there, in the extreme desert heat.
The room was full of expatriates and some Saudis. As I entered, old timers rushed towards me – Egyptians, Afghanis, Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Indonesians and nationals of African countries – for news from the outside world. They were keen to know if there had been a radical change in the system or if there was any truth in the rumour that Saudi Arabia was going to have an elected parliament and that the kingdom would soon become a democratic republic. My answers didn't please them.
My first shock was the sight of a nine-year-old Nigerian boy sitting on his own crying aloud. He wanted to go to his mama. He had been separated from his family in a souk. For the police, he was an illegal immigrant and booked for deportation. Does the Saudi sharia law require a nine-year-old to be imprisoned with adults? This was not a funfair. Apparently Saudi law is blind when it comes to such subtleties.
My mobile phone and most of the cash in my pocket had been confiscated but inside I saw inmates communicating with the outside world. I was told phones were smuggled in with the connivance of the guards, cigarettes and what appeared to be addictive tablets of some sort were sold for cash. The business was brisk and cash turnover seemed high.
I paid five riyals for a call – to the British Consulate – that would normally cost one-fifth of a riyal. Cigarettes were sold for 10 riyals each whereas outside a packet of 20 costs around six riyals. I have no idea about the tablets and their Jeddah street-price but I am glad I am not an addict for I couldn't afford the habit.
One question that every inmate asked was: "What did you do?" Everyone had a story to tell, and with no television, radio or newspapers, the only pastime inside the prison is to talk.
There was this HGV driver from Peshawar who hadn't received his salary for six months and his employer wasn't keen to pay him either. The driver had paid 2,000 riyals to a Saudi lawyer to take his employer to court. But the employer terminated his service, revoked his sponsorship and reported the driver absconding. The driver's subsequent arrest and torture was a matter of routine. Despite his long stay in prison he is still optimistic.
The story of three burly carpenters from Cairo was similar. They had been made redundant as their sponsor went out of business. He allowed them to work elsewhere to earn money for their journey home. Later he changed his mind, reported them for absconding and got fresh visas which he sold at an exorbitant price.
A young man from Islamabad, a welder, had been offered a job in Medina but on his arrival was told that the factory had been relocated – some 50km down Tabuk highway. It was the middle of nowhere, the factory was an illegal set-up and this welder was the only worker. The little water and food that was delivered fortnightly he had share with the camels and goats.
He tried to talk things over with his employer but it didn't work out. One moonlit night the welder decided to call it a day, walked through the rugged terrain, reached the highway, hitched a ride and surrendered to the police. For a small fee of 500 riyals the police agreed to deport him. Six months have gone past but the welder is still waiting for a passage to Pakistan.
A Saudi-born 18-year-old Yemeni student whose father has a retail shop – in partnership with a Saudi – was a pathetic case. One evening the young man was helping his father arrange shelves inside the shop when the police raided and asked for his residence permit. Scared, the boy started to run but was caught. He was charged with breaking the rules – as a student he cannot work – and was hauled in for deportation. Yesterday I received an SMS from him that his father has secured his release. At what cost, he didn't inform me.
In Jeddah prison I met hundreds of inmates from Burma (Myanmar). Thousands of Burmese Muslims from Arakan – often called Rohingyas – were offered permanent residence in Saudi Arabia by King Faisal but with the change of rulers in Riyadh the rules underwent a change too. The haven of peace that was offered to these refugess is now nothing less than a chamber of horrors.
Sudanese, Nigerians, Erirteans, Ethiopians and Somalis usually go to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage but with turmoil back home they overstay, do odd jobs, get caught and get deported. African inmates are usually the ones most aware of what's happening around the world. I spotted a number of "Man United for the Cup" graffiti.
Going back to "business" in Saudi prisons, the Burmese Muslims – having been there for around three years – had developed a good working relationship with the guards. They sold soap, shampoo, razors, trousers, shirts, painkillers, toothpaste and other items. Then there were "restaurants" offering biscuits, tea and coffee. Dare-devil young men would recharge mobile phones – for a fee of 10 riyals – by tapping into the electricity wires.
The Jeddah newspaper, Arab News, recently carried a report about the profitable business opportunities that Saudi prisons offer. Narcotic peddling under the nose of the guards, directing criminal activities over the phone from within the four walls of the prisons is common. The paper quoted Major General Ali al-Harithy, Director General of Prisons, saying that prison authorities have noticed that some inmates use mobile phones to run their criminal activities outside. Others use mobile phones to smuggle narcotics into prison premises.
Before I checked out from my cell I couldn't resist the temptation of leaving my own mark on the wall: "Corruption Rules. OK!
RAB High Altitude Training Camp Addis Ababa
www.nazrett.com Home of Ethiopian News and Blog Breaking News
The establishment of the Running Across Borders High Altitude Training Camp in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, finally came together when each of the identified athletes chosen to come to the camp arrived from their rural home to Addis in April 2009. Many of these youth would otherwise drop out of school to focus on training, however train in a desperate and unstructured fashion unlikely to yield any positive results or economic gain of any sort. By coming to the Running Across Borders training camp we provide:
· A structured programme of training for 5 female and 7 male athletes supervised by the expertise of qualified RAB head coach Melaku Biratu and assistant coach Maresha Aserat.
· Accommodation, food, sports equipment and medical expertise specific to the needs of an endurance athlete.
· English tuition through Tinbit Amare, our qualified Ethiopian English teacher.
· The opportunity for our athletes to compete in domestic and international competitions.
· Potential employment opportunities on site with athletes acting as chefs, sports administrators, cleaners and running guides to foreign athletes.
· A facility in which to host foreign visitors as part of the RAB High Altitude Visit and Train Programme.
OCUME~1UtenteIMPOST~1Tempmsohtml11clip_image003.jpg">
The extensive preparations for the Camp start date of Easter 2009 took place between July 2008 and April 2009: it was important that the Arsi Zone Youth and Sport Administration, where the athletes come from, were on board with our project; that personal liaison with the athletes’ families took place to explain the objectives of the project; and that we had formal agreement from the Ethiopian Athletics Federation that Garrett and I could act as representatives for Ethiopian athletes. Garrett was able to do this at the beginning of the year while on a fieldwork trip as part of his M.Sc.
We also focused on a fundraising strategy to support the operations of the training camp. The RAB Sponsor-an-Athlete Programme has enabled us to support each of the athletes bar one in the camp. The RAB Visit and Train Programme, specifically tailored for foreign athletes, has provided a valuable source of income beyond monthly donations. Funding for the start up costs such as rent and utilities, furniture, salaries for the coaches, the teacher, chef, driver and cleaner had to be in place also. Each of the athletes have benefited greatly from their initial 4 months in the training camp and are working hard in each area of camp life in particular the education programme.
RAB Education Programme
OCUME~1UtenteIMPOST~1Tempmsohtml11clip_image005.jpg">The start of the camp in April brought with it the start of the RAB Education Programme. For this first year the camp is focused on English as a Second Language (ESL). Ms. Tinbit Amare, an experienced teacher currently completing her M.A. in Journalism at the nationally-renowned Addis Ababa University, designed the curriculum in consultation with the RAB co-directors. While the athletes learn basic skills like grammar, reading, listening, and writing there is also a strong emphasis on speaking skills; in particular student-athletes are put in situations where they need to speak and converse in English in front of the whole group. Lastly, around 2 hours per week is devoted to special applied assignments. The main activity over the first three-month term was writing letters to their respective sponsors while learning how to effectively answer interview questions and keeping training logs were further assignments undertaken. The final exam for the first term was given at the end of July.
OCUME~1UtenteIMPOST~1Tempmsohtml11clip_image007.jpg">Jerry Rothwell, a Director from MetFilm Productions, a London-based production company, got in touch with Running Across Borders in July about a film they are making in the lead up to the 2012 Olympic Games. He is filming in a small Ethiopian town called Bekoji where 4 gold medal-winners at the 2008 Beijing Olympics came from, following the story of 4 young athletes from the next generation on their development as runners. He is interested to explore how the film can be used to impact this small village through a project being established from funds made from the release of the documentary. Running Across Borders knows this town well as we work with the regional sports administration that includes the town of Bekoji, and 3 of our athletes in our training camp are from the town itself.
As a result of this connection Running Across Borders have been invited by the Channel 4 BritDoc Foundation to participate in the Good Pitch on the 7th and 8th of September in London. Jerry, and other select groups of filmmakers, pitch their respective films and associated outreach campaigns to an invited audience of foundations, NGOs, campaigners, advertising agencies, brands and media. A round table discussion exploring the films issues and ways in which the film industry can engage effectively with the NGO sector to bring about social change ensues. The Guardian Newspaper describes it like this: "It’s a perfect marriage. NGOs get access to some of the world’s best filmmakers, and filmmakers get access to research, distribution and funding.” This is a great opportunity for RAB and Malcolm will be representing the organisation at the round table session on 8 September.
The trailer of the film can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsQhAH0IXxk
More about the Good Pitch can be found at: http://britdoc.org/real_good/pitch/
RAB Sponsor-an-Athlete Programme
OCUME~1UtenteIMPOST~1Tempmsohtml11clip_image009.jpg">
We are pleased to announce that Girls Gotta Run Foundation (GGRF) (www.girlsgottarun.org) have expanded their support for us by agreeing to sponsor a further two female athletes in addition to the three they already sponsor. In particular we were very pleased to welcome Gaby Grebski, Coordinator of the GGRF pen pal programme when she delivered letters from the Sidwell Friends Girls Track Team. This pen pal programme helps the girls in their study of English and forges friendships ‘across borders."
2L Coaching an online coaching company in Pennsylvania partners with us in support of RAB athlete Eda'o Welge http://www.2lcoaching.com/news/news.asp?ID=46 Other sponsors include the Guernsey Amateur Athletics Association supporting Eshetu Denbel; Swarthmore College Cross-country Alums, Garrett's former university teammates, sponsoring Daniel Mulugeta; Bart Borghuis sponsoring Endila Tekelab; Peter Middleton sponsoring Yared Hagos having raised money through competing in the Edinburgh Marathon. Triona McGhee sponsoring Aman Suffo having raised money through competing in the Diet Coke East Kilbride 10km race. And Steven Smith sponsoring Haptamu Gotonoho having raised money competing in the Translap Mountain Bike Challenge, an 8 day mountain bike stage race across the Alps covering 630km and 22km ascent in Germany, Austria and Italy.
Many thanks to all our athlete sponsors. Your support is greatly appreciated
We are presently looking for one sponsor for our remaining male athlete, Mesfin Shifter. Athletes living in the camp can be sponsored for 65 US dollars per month. 50 US dollars provides for the cost of training meals in the camp with a diet matched to the caloric needs and the nutritional composition required for elite level endurance athletes. Having 50 cents per day per athlete (15 dollars per month) provides transportation to various training venues in Addis enabling athletes to train on asphalt, grass, hills and track surfaces and enhancing our properly-balanced training program. See www.runningacrossborders.org/SponsorAnAthlete.html for more information
RAB Athletics Results
Domestic
22 March 2009 - Ethiopian National Competition
OCUME~1UtenteIMPOST~1Tempmsohtml11clip_image011.jpg">Daniel Alemu had the opportunity to run middle-distance races on a tartan track and it paid off in a big way running 3:46 in the 1500 (a 3-second PB) and 1:52 in the 800 (also a 3-second PB). Eda'O Hussen ran a very impressive 19-second PB of 30:16 in the 10k. At the high altitude of Addis Ababa Stadium even top-level international athletes often struggle to break 30 minutes. Dunkane Keba Desso ran a PB finishing in a solid 36:23 in the ladies’ 10k.
25 June - 6th Annual Great Ethiopian Run Ring Road Relay
Running Across Borders' two men’s teams and one women’s team were competing against well established clubs such as Global Nike Project, Oromia Police and Muger Cement. Achieved on the day were a solid 6th place for our men's A team and 9th for the B team out of 30 elite teams and 6th place for our women's team out of 20 elite teams.
1 July - Chiba Ekiden Annual Marathon Relay, organized by the Ethiopian Athletics Federation.
This event features relay teams covering the marathon distance in a series of legs of distances 5km, 10km, or 7.195 km, which must be run by a combination of men and women.
1.Habtamu 5km 14:27.9 8th position
2.Dinkuane 5km 18:29.0 9th
3.Girma 10km 29:56.6-8th
4.Nishan 5km 17:31.38-9th
5.Aman 10km 30:16.0—9th
6.Dinkinesh 7.195km 25:43.10—10th
Marathon Time: 2:15:02: Overall Position 10th out of 18 elite teams.
7 July Assela Stadium: Ethiopian Athletics Federation Youth Development Project Competition.
Developmental athletes Haptamu and Aman posted a 1-2 finish in the 10,000m with times of 30:18.0 by Haptamu and 30:18.3 by Aman. Based on their outstanding performance they were selected to run at the Ethiopian Youth Track and Field Championships. In the 1500m competition Daniel suffered a defeat, something he has rarely experienced at the regional level, but nonetheless ran 3:49.6 for 2nd place.
OCUME~1UtenteIMPOST~1Tempmsohtml11clip_image013.jpg">International Results
22 March - Rome Marathon
OCUME~1UtenteIMPOST~1Tempmsohtml11clip_image015.jpg">
In his first ever international marathon Running Across Borders athlete Urga Negewo came through the finish line in 16th position clocking a time of 2:16:01. The 23 year old athlete from the Oromia region of Ethiopia had only raced in one previous
marathon - the Abebe Bikila International Marathon, Addis Ababa in June 2008 (2:20:23). This was the biggest race of Urga’s career to date and his achievement in Rome is a very promising start for such a young athlete.
See http://runningacrossborders.org/RomeMarathonArticle.html.
RAB Visit and Train Programme
OCUME~1UtenteIMPOST~1Tempmsohtml11clip_image017.jpg">In the past few months we have had several athletes train in the camp alongside the Ethiopian runners. Junior Heffernan, a professional triathlete from Ireland, recently came back to the UK after a 3 month stay. One of the highlights for him was when our coach introduced him to the world record holder Haile Gebreselassie. Kayla Nolan, a rising senior on the women's cross-country team at Occidental College, USA spent time on the Running Across Borders VT Programme as well. Nebiyu Osman, a high school athlete from the USA recently returned from Ethiopia where he participated in our Programme of which further details can be found at: www.runningacrossborders.org/TrainingInEthiopia.html
RAB online and in the media
· Letsrun.com - An article about some of Nebiyu Osman's experiences plus a video of a training workout he did with the RAB athletes. http://runningacrossborders.org/7-8-09FunWorkoutArticle.html
· Oxford University Keble College Magazine - Garrett Ash, featured in the Keble College magazine the Brick. See page 9 for the article. http://thebrick.keble.net/brick45/brick45.pdf
· Kayla Nolan’s online blog - Kayla is completing a fascinating summer research project on the role of athletics in the lives of Ethiopian women. See her blog at www.ethiopiaontherun.com
· Freelance writer Amy Reinink has written an article entitled 'Ethiopian runners with DC connections provide inspiration on a rainy day', accounting for three of Running Across Borders female athletes and their sponsors Girls Gotta Run Foundation. See http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-8091-DC-Running-Fitness-Examiner~y2009m5d5-Ethiopian-runners-with-DC-connections-provide-inspiration-on-a-rainy-day
· http://www.bushdrums.com/news/index.php?shownews=2332
RAB’s presence in future months: 2009
August
Ethiopia: RAB athletes have been training specifically for the Suluta Half Marathon, scheduled this month to serve as Ethiopia’s premier national half-marathon and also select their team for the IAAF world half-marathon championships.
Berlin: 15-23 August: Melaku Deresse Biratu, RAB Head Coach and one of the National Team Coaches for the Ethiopian Athletic Federation is in Berlin for the World Athletics Championships. Maresha Aserat, Assistant coach, will oversee the training programme in Addis in his absence.
Newcastle: 31 August: AVIVA British Grand Prix Track and Field Athletics meet in Gateshead. Malcolm will be in attendance so get in touch if you will be as well!
September
London: 7-8 September: The Good Pitch: Channel 4 BritDoc Foundation Event at Amnesty International HQ
Ethiopia: 21-26 September 2009: Roberto Ciurleo, Running Across Borders Massuer (www.robertofitness.com)
will teach a one-week course on sports massage from the RAB Training Camp. The objective of the course will be to enhance the sports massage knowledge and skill of all participants which will include Ethiopian medical professionals, students, and athletes. Ethiopian medical professionals and students will enhance their qualifications and/or develop a new career direction. Ethiopian athletes, meanwhile will learn skills that can aid them and their peers in the prevention of injuries.
October
Loch Ness: 4 October – Bereket Kidanu competes in the Loch Ness Marathon
Venice: 25 October 2009 – Urga Negewo competes in the Venice Marathon.
The establishment of the Running Across Borders High Altitude Training Camp in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, finally came together when each of the identified athletes chosen to come to the camp arrived from their rural home to Addis in April 2009. Many of these youth would otherwise drop out of school to focus on training, however train in a desperate and unstructured fashion unlikely to yield any positive results or economic gain of any sort. By coming to the Running Across Borders training camp we provide:
· A structured programme of training for 5 female and 7 male athletes supervised by the expertise of qualified RAB head coach Melaku Biratu and assistant coach Maresha Aserat.
· Accommodation, food, sports equipment and medical expertise specific to the needs of an endurance athlete.
· English tuition through Tinbit Amare, our qualified Ethiopian English teacher.
· The opportunity for our athletes to compete in domestic and international competitions.
· Potential employment opportunities on site with athletes acting as chefs, sports administrators, cleaners and running guides to foreign athletes.
· A facility in which to host foreign visitors as part of the RAB High Altitude Visit and Train Programme.
OCUME~1UtenteIMPOST~1Tempmsohtml11clip_image003.jpg">
The extensive preparations for the Camp start date of Easter 2009 took place between July 2008 and April 2009: it was important that the Arsi Zone Youth and Sport Administration, where the athletes come from, were on board with our project; that personal liaison with the athletes’ families took place to explain the objectives of the project; and that we had formal agreement from the Ethiopian Athletics Federation that Garrett and I could act as representatives for Ethiopian athletes. Garrett was able to do this at the beginning of the year while on a fieldwork trip as part of his M.Sc.
We also focused on a fundraising strategy to support the operations of the training camp. The RAB Sponsor-an-Athlete Programme has enabled us to support each of the athletes bar one in the camp. The RAB Visit and Train Programme, specifically tailored for foreign athletes, has provided a valuable source of income beyond monthly donations. Funding for the start up costs such as rent and utilities, furniture, salaries for the coaches, the teacher, chef, driver and cleaner had to be in place also. Each of the athletes have benefited greatly from their initial 4 months in the training camp and are working hard in each area of camp life in particular the education programme.
RAB Education Programme
OCUME~1UtenteIMPOST~1Tempmsohtml11clip_image005.jpg">The start of the camp in April brought with it the start of the RAB Education Programme. For this first year the camp is focused on English as a Second Language (ESL). Ms. Tinbit Amare, an experienced teacher currently completing her M.A. in Journalism at the nationally-renowned Addis Ababa University, designed the curriculum in consultation with the RAB co-directors. While the athletes learn basic skills like grammar, reading, listening, and writing there is also a strong emphasis on speaking skills; in particular student-athletes are put in situations where they need to speak and converse in English in front of the whole group. Lastly, around 2 hours per week is devoted to special applied assignments. The main activity over the first three-month term was writing letters to their respective sponsors while learning how to effectively answer interview questions and keeping training logs were further assignments undertaken. The final exam for the first term was given at the end of July.
OCUME~1UtenteIMPOST~1Tempmsohtml11clip_image007.jpg">Jerry Rothwell, a Director from MetFilm Productions, a London-based production company, got in touch with Running Across Borders in July about a film they are making in the lead up to the 2012 Olympic Games. He is filming in a small Ethiopian town called Bekoji where 4 gold medal-winners at the 2008 Beijing Olympics came from, following the story of 4 young athletes from the next generation on their development as runners. He is interested to explore how the film can be used to impact this small village through a project being established from funds made from the release of the documentary. Running Across Borders knows this town well as we work with the regional sports administration that includes the town of Bekoji, and 3 of our athletes in our training camp are from the town itself.
As a result of this connection Running Across Borders have been invited by the Channel 4 BritDoc Foundation to participate in the Good Pitch on the 7th and 8th of September in London. Jerry, and other select groups of filmmakers, pitch their respective films and associated outreach campaigns to an invited audience of foundations, NGOs, campaigners, advertising agencies, brands and media. A round table discussion exploring the films issues and ways in which the film industry can engage effectively with the NGO sector to bring about social change ensues. The Guardian Newspaper describes it like this: "It’s a perfect marriage. NGOs get access to some of the world’s best filmmakers, and filmmakers get access to research, distribution and funding.” This is a great opportunity for RAB and Malcolm will be representing the organisation at the round table session on 8 September.
The trailer of the film can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsQhAH0IXxk
More about the Good Pitch can be found at: http://britdoc.org/real_good/pitch/
RAB Sponsor-an-Athlete Programme
OCUME~1UtenteIMPOST~1Tempmsohtml11clip_image009.jpg">
We are pleased to announce that Girls Gotta Run Foundation (GGRF) (www.girlsgottarun.org) have expanded their support for us by agreeing to sponsor a further two female athletes in addition to the three they already sponsor. In particular we were very pleased to welcome Gaby Grebski, Coordinator of the GGRF pen pal programme when she delivered letters from the Sidwell Friends Girls Track Team. This pen pal programme helps the girls in their study of English and forges friendships ‘across borders."
2L Coaching an online coaching company in Pennsylvania partners with us in support of RAB athlete Eda'o Welge http://www.2lcoaching.com/news/news.asp?ID=46 Other sponsors include the Guernsey Amateur Athletics Association supporting Eshetu Denbel; Swarthmore College Cross-country Alums, Garrett's former university teammates, sponsoring Daniel Mulugeta; Bart Borghuis sponsoring Endila Tekelab; Peter Middleton sponsoring Yared Hagos having raised money through competing in the Edinburgh Marathon. Triona McGhee sponsoring Aman Suffo having raised money through competing in the Diet Coke East Kilbride 10km race. And Steven Smith sponsoring Haptamu Gotonoho having raised money competing in the Translap Mountain Bike Challenge, an 8 day mountain bike stage race across the Alps covering 630km and 22km ascent in Germany, Austria and Italy.
Many thanks to all our athlete sponsors. Your support is greatly appreciated
We are presently looking for one sponsor for our remaining male athlete, Mesfin Shifter. Athletes living in the camp can be sponsored for 65 US dollars per month. 50 US dollars provides for the cost of training meals in the camp with a diet matched to the caloric needs and the nutritional composition required for elite level endurance athletes. Having 50 cents per day per athlete (15 dollars per month) provides transportation to various training venues in Addis enabling athletes to train on asphalt, grass, hills and track surfaces and enhancing our properly-balanced training program. See www.runningacrossborders.org/SponsorAnAthlete.html for more information
RAB Athletics Results
Domestic
22 March 2009 - Ethiopian National Competition
OCUME~1UtenteIMPOST~1Tempmsohtml11clip_image011.jpg">Daniel Alemu had the opportunity to run middle-distance races on a tartan track and it paid off in a big way running 3:46 in the 1500 (a 3-second PB) and 1:52 in the 800 (also a 3-second PB). Eda'O Hussen ran a very impressive 19-second PB of 30:16 in the 10k. At the high altitude of Addis Ababa Stadium even top-level international athletes often struggle to break 30 minutes. Dunkane Keba Desso ran a PB finishing in a solid 36:23 in the ladies’ 10k.
25 June - 6th Annual Great Ethiopian Run Ring Road Relay
Running Across Borders' two men’s teams and one women’s team were competing against well established clubs such as Global Nike Project, Oromia Police and Muger Cement. Achieved on the day were a solid 6th place for our men's A team and 9th for the B team out of 30 elite teams and 6th place for our women's team out of 20 elite teams.
1 July - Chiba Ekiden Annual Marathon Relay, organized by the Ethiopian Athletics Federation.
This event features relay teams covering the marathon distance in a series of legs of distances 5km, 10km, or 7.195 km, which must be run by a combination of men and women.
1.Habtamu 5km 14:27.9 8th position
2.Dinkuane 5km 18:29.0 9th
3.Girma 10km 29:56.6-8th
4.Nishan 5km 17:31.38-9th
5.Aman 10km 30:16.0—9th
6.Dinkinesh 7.195km 25:43.10—10th
Marathon Time: 2:15:02: Overall Position 10th out of 18 elite teams.
7 July Assela Stadium: Ethiopian Athletics Federation Youth Development Project Competition.
Developmental athletes Haptamu and Aman posted a 1-2 finish in the 10,000m with times of 30:18.0 by Haptamu and 30:18.3 by Aman. Based on their outstanding performance they were selected to run at the Ethiopian Youth Track and Field Championships. In the 1500m competition Daniel suffered a defeat, something he has rarely experienced at the regional level, but nonetheless ran 3:49.6 for 2nd place.
OCUME~1UtenteIMPOST~1Tempmsohtml11clip_image013.jpg">International Results
22 March - Rome Marathon
OCUME~1UtenteIMPOST~1Tempmsohtml11clip_image015.jpg">
In his first ever international marathon Running Across Borders athlete Urga Negewo came through the finish line in 16th position clocking a time of 2:16:01. The 23 year old athlete from the Oromia region of Ethiopia had only raced in one previous
marathon - the Abebe Bikila International Marathon, Addis Ababa in June 2008 (2:20:23). This was the biggest race of Urga’s career to date and his achievement in Rome is a very promising start for such a young athlete.
See http://runningacrossborders.org/RomeMarathonArticle.html.
RAB Visit and Train Programme
OCUME~1UtenteIMPOST~1Tempmsohtml11clip_image017.jpg">In the past few months we have had several athletes train in the camp alongside the Ethiopian runners. Junior Heffernan, a professional triathlete from Ireland, recently came back to the UK after a 3 month stay. One of the highlights for him was when our coach introduced him to the world record holder Haile Gebreselassie. Kayla Nolan, a rising senior on the women's cross-country team at Occidental College, USA spent time on the Running Across Borders VT Programme as well. Nebiyu Osman, a high school athlete from the USA recently returned from Ethiopia where he participated in our Programme of which further details can be found at: www.runningacrossborders.org/TrainingInEthiopia.html
RAB online and in the media
· Letsrun.com - An article about some of Nebiyu Osman's experiences plus a video of a training workout he did with the RAB athletes. http://runningacrossborders.org/7-8-09FunWorkoutArticle.html
· Oxford University Keble College Magazine - Garrett Ash, featured in the Keble College magazine the Brick. See page 9 for the article. http://thebrick.keble.net/brick45/brick45.pdf
· Kayla Nolan’s online blog - Kayla is completing a fascinating summer research project on the role of athletics in the lives of Ethiopian women. See her blog at www.ethiopiaontherun.com
· Freelance writer Amy Reinink has written an article entitled 'Ethiopian runners with DC connections provide inspiration on a rainy day', accounting for three of Running Across Borders female athletes and their sponsors Girls Gotta Run Foundation. See http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-8091-DC-Running-Fitness-Examiner~y2009m5d5-Ethiopian-runners-with-DC-connections-provide-inspiration-on-a-rainy-day
· http://www.bushdrums.com/news/index.php?shownews=2332
RAB’s presence in future months: 2009
August
Ethiopia: RAB athletes have been training specifically for the Suluta Half Marathon, scheduled this month to serve as Ethiopia’s premier national half-marathon and also select their team for the IAAF world half-marathon championships.
Berlin: 15-23 August: Melaku Deresse Biratu, RAB Head Coach and one of the National Team Coaches for the Ethiopian Athletic Federation is in Berlin for the World Athletics Championships. Maresha Aserat, Assistant coach, will oversee the training programme in Addis in his absence.
Newcastle: 31 August: AVIVA British Grand Prix Track and Field Athletics meet in Gateshead. Malcolm will be in attendance so get in touch if you will be as well!
September
London: 7-8 September: The Good Pitch: Channel 4 BritDoc Foundation Event at Amnesty International HQ
Ethiopia: 21-26 September 2009: Roberto Ciurleo, Running Across Borders Massuer (www.robertofitness.com)
will teach a one-week course on sports massage from the RAB Training Camp. The objective of the course will be to enhance the sports massage knowledge and skill of all participants which will include Ethiopian medical professionals, students, and athletes. Ethiopian medical professionals and students will enhance their qualifications and/or develop a new career direction. Ethiopian athletes, meanwhile will learn skills that can aid them and their peers in the prevention of injuries.
October
Loch Ness: 4 October – Bereket Kidanu competes in the Loch Ness Marathon
Venice: 25 October 2009 – Urga Negewo competes in the Venice Marathon.
Ethiopian Airlines Receives the 2nd MD-11 Freighter Aircraft
www.nazrett.com Home of Ethiopian News and Blog Breaking News
Ethiopian Airlines Receives the 2nd MD-11 Freighter Aircraft
Source: Ethiopian Airlines
Ethiopian Airlines is pleased to announce the acquisition of its 2nd MD-11 freighter aircraft from the Boeing Corporation based in Chicago, USA.
The newly leased MD-11F aircraft has a payload capacity of 95 tons, 32 pallets and a volume of 513 cubic meters. This new acquisition will increase the total capacity of the current cargo service of the airline by 23% thereby enhancing the newly developed cargo market from Europe and South-East Asia.
Ethiopian cargo movement will gain momentum with the increased capacity to its major cargo destinations like Liege, Dubai, Hong Kong, Madras, Jeddah and Mumbai. In addition to these cities, the airlines’ cargo market has been growing substantially providing air cargo services to/from various points in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Ethiopian provides dedicated cargo services to 19 cities in Africa.
Ethiopian Cargo operates from its state-of-the-art cargo terminal which has a capacity to handle 350,000 tons of cargo per annum with modern facilities and equipments including, cold room storage with capacity of 130 tons, fully automated cargo system, elevated transport vehicles (ETV), storage for dangerous goods and radioactive materials, holding area for perishables as well as computerized work stations.
Currently, Ethiopian has a total of six dedicated cargo fleet consisting of two B757-200, two B747-200 and two MD-11F. The airline also provides efficient cargo services using the belly-hold cargo space in its scheduled passenger aircraft and charter services to various destinations. No other airline in Africa avails cargo services of such dimension and magnitude. This is a unique and pioneering endeavor by the airline to primarily encourage and promote Africa’s export business to Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
For more information about Ethiopian Cargo services, please contact Director Ethiopian Cargo at GebremichaelB@ethiopianairlines.com or call (+251-11) 517-80-12.
About Ethiopian Airlines
Ethiopian Airlines, one of the largest and fastest growing airlines in Africa, made its maiden flight to Cairo in 1946.
Currently, Ethiopian is making a huge investment to expand its fleet and broaden its network. Including the recent orders of five B777-200LR and twelve A350-900, Ethiopian has 35 new airplanes on order direct from the manufacturers which will enable the airline to operate one of the newest and environment-friendly fleet in Africa.
In July 2009, Ethiopian won ‘Airline of the Year 2009’ award at African Business Award organized by the London based African Business Magazine and Common Wealth Business Council.
In August 2008, Ethiopian won the 2008 Corporate Achievement Award of Aviation & Allied Business for setting the pace towards the development and growth of the African aviation industry. Ethiopian is also the first African carrier to win the 2008 Brussels Airport Company Award in recognition of its distinguished long haul operations witnessed through the introduction of new routes, new products, and close cooperation with Brussels Airport in marketing activities.
Ethiopian was the winner of the ‘2008 Best Airline in Africa Award’ at the African Travel Award in Lagos, Nigeria, for its excellent network and convenient connections in Africa
Ethiopian Airlines Receives the 2nd MD-11 Freighter Aircraft
Source: Ethiopian Airlines
Ethiopian Airlines is pleased to announce the acquisition of its 2nd MD-11 freighter aircraft from the Boeing Corporation based in Chicago, USA.
The newly leased MD-11F aircraft has a payload capacity of 95 tons, 32 pallets and a volume of 513 cubic meters. This new acquisition will increase the total capacity of the current cargo service of the airline by 23% thereby enhancing the newly developed cargo market from Europe and South-East Asia.
Ethiopian cargo movement will gain momentum with the increased capacity to its major cargo destinations like Liege, Dubai, Hong Kong, Madras, Jeddah and Mumbai. In addition to these cities, the airlines’ cargo market has been growing substantially providing air cargo services to/from various points in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Ethiopian provides dedicated cargo services to 19 cities in Africa.
Ethiopian Cargo operates from its state-of-the-art cargo terminal which has a capacity to handle 350,000 tons of cargo per annum with modern facilities and equipments including, cold room storage with capacity of 130 tons, fully automated cargo system, elevated transport vehicles (ETV), storage for dangerous goods and radioactive materials, holding area for perishables as well as computerized work stations.
Currently, Ethiopian has a total of six dedicated cargo fleet consisting of two B757-200, two B747-200 and two MD-11F. The airline also provides efficient cargo services using the belly-hold cargo space in its scheduled passenger aircraft and charter services to various destinations. No other airline in Africa avails cargo services of such dimension and magnitude. This is a unique and pioneering endeavor by the airline to primarily encourage and promote Africa’s export business to Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
For more information about Ethiopian Cargo services, please contact Director Ethiopian Cargo at GebremichaelB@ethiopianairlines.com or call (+251-11) 517-80-12.
About Ethiopian Airlines
Ethiopian Airlines, one of the largest and fastest growing airlines in Africa, made its maiden flight to Cairo in 1946.
Currently, Ethiopian is making a huge investment to expand its fleet and broaden its network. Including the recent orders of five B777-200LR and twelve A350-900, Ethiopian has 35 new airplanes on order direct from the manufacturers which will enable the airline to operate one of the newest and environment-friendly fleet in Africa.
In July 2009, Ethiopian won ‘Airline of the Year 2009’ award at African Business Award organized by the London based African Business Magazine and Common Wealth Business Council.
In August 2008, Ethiopian won the 2008 Corporate Achievement Award of Aviation & Allied Business for setting the pace towards the development and growth of the African aviation industry. Ethiopian is also the first African carrier to win the 2008 Brussels Airport Company Award in recognition of its distinguished long haul operations witnessed through the introduction of new routes, new products, and close cooperation with Brussels Airport in marketing activities.
Ethiopian was the winner of the ‘2008 Best Airline in Africa Award’ at the African Travel Award in Lagos, Nigeria, for its excellent network and convenient connections in Africa
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)