Reporting From Mogadishu – Jeffrey Gettleman

Jeffrey Gettleman calls Somalia the “most dangerous place in the world.” The East Africa bureau chief for the New York Times tells Fresh Air ’s Terry Gross that the country — where violent rebels fight for control and wreak havoc in villages nationwide — is just as hopeless as it was in 1991, when the central government collapsed. “There’s no green zone. There’s no one part of Somalia that’s safe,” Gettleman says.

Africa’s New Age of Authoritarianism

By Jason McLure : June 18, 2010 Why Democracy Isn’t Working Despite an economic renaissance, much of Africa is drifting toward a new age of authoritarianism. A government supporter of Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front at a demonstration. To a casual observer, the tens of thousands of people who poured into the central square of Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on May 25 to peacefully celebrate the country’s elections might have been mistaken for a massive symbol of democratic progress in a poor and troubled part of the world.

Oromia : At Least 1000 activists detained in 10 days

By Jason McLure, Bloomberg Ethiopia’s government has detained about 1,000 opposition activists in the country’s Oromiya region since May 22, the day before national elections, a leader of the Medrek opposition alliance said. While most of those held have been released, supporter intimidation hasn’t stopped, Merara Gudina, a leader of the ethnic Oromo wing of Medrek, said in a phone interview today.

Profile: Ethiopia’s Merera Gudina

The BBC’s Uduak Amimo profiles Ethiopia’s main opposition leader Merera Gudina, as the country prepares to go to the polls.

Ethiopia Arrests Rebel Forces Crossing From Somalia, ENA Says

May 3 (Bloomberg) — Ethiopia arrested an undisclosed number of people from the rebel Oromo Liberation Front and Somalias Islamist al-Shabaab militia who crossed into the country with alleged plans to disrupt Ethiopias May 23 elections, the state-owned Ethiopian News Agency said.

Ethiopian Opposition Claims Activist Killed While Campaigning

April 22 (Bloomberg) — An Ethiopian opposition activist was beaten to death by pro-government militia in the western part of the country after he refused to stop campaigning for his party before May 23 elections, an opposition leader said.

VOA s Amharic language service to be blocked : Zenawi

Reuters. ADDIS ABABA. US-funded broadcaster Voice of Americas local Amharic language service in Ethiopia will be blocked because it is destabilising the country, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said.

Ethiopia : 100 Flowers of Repression Bloom as Ethiopia Moves to Gag Press Ahead of Elections

Nairobi Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, admitted this month that his government had jammed Voice of America’s broadcasting in the country’s Amharic language.

Jirata flees jail term

Bekele Jirata, the Ethiopian opposition leader convicted in absentia of belonging to a separatist rebel group, has fled the country, according to his party colleagues.

Ethiopia opposition leader flees 12-year jail term

An Ethiopian opposition leader convicted in absentia of belonging to a separatist rebel group has fled the country, party colleagues said Thursday.

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