Israel incensed after Brazil’s Lula likens Gaza war to Holocaust
Jerusalem Reuters Israel accused Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of trivialising the Holocaust and causing offence to the Jewish people on Sunday after he likened the Israeli war against Hamas militants in Gaza to the Nazi genocide during World War II. “What is happening in the Gaza Strip with the Palestinian people has […]
Postcards: Ethiopians celebrate “Timket” festival that marks Jesus’ baptism
DAWIT ENDESHAW, of Reuters, reports from Addis Ababa…
Sudanese paramilitary leader Hemedti meets civilian leaders on tour
Dubai, United Arab Emirates/Cairo, EgyptReuters The leader of Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo met on Monday with civilian pro-democracy politicians in Addis Ababa, the latest stop in a foreign tour as his troops take the upper-hand in a devastating nine-month war. The meeting comes as General Dagalo, known as Hemedti, has appeared […]
Ethiopia commission accuses Oromiya rebels of killing 50 people
Addis Ababa Reuters At least 50 people were killed in Ethiopia’s Oromiya region this month in an attack by a banned rebel group, the state-appointed human rights commission said on Wednesday. Oromiya is home to Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group and has experienced unrest for many years, rooted in grievances about political marginalisation and neglect by […]
Shadow of war hangs over Ethiopia’s Meskel festival celebrations
Addis Ababa, EthiopiaReuters The shadow of war hung over Ethiopia’s Meskel festival in Addis Ababa on Tuesday, with high security, low turnout and Orthodox Christian priests calling for peace and forgiveness in their sermons. The event – usually a joyous affair where huge crowds gather around bonfires – marks the moment when the 4th century […]
As government offensive pushes forward, scars of war dot Ethiopia’s Amhara region
Gashena, EthiopiaReuters In a roadside village shattered by one of Africa’s bloodiest current conflicts, a donkey and its young, turbaned master tiptoe past an unexploded shell rusting by the blasted remnants of a tank, its turret and tracks tossed sideways. Ethiopian soldiers said the tank’s crew had been fighting for Tigray, the rebellious northern region […]
Military moves in Ethiopia risk undermining progress toward peace talks – US envoy
Washington DC, US Reuters The US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa said on Tuesday that “nascent progress” toward getting all parties to Ethiopia’s conflict into negotiations on a ceasefire risks being outpaced by an “alarming” increase in military operations. Envoy Jeffrey Feltman briefed reporters in Washington after returning on Monday from Ethiopia, where […]
UN says at least 16 staff, dependents detained in Ethiopia
New York City, USReuters At least 16 United Nations staff and dependents have been detained in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, a UN spokesperson said on Tuesday, amid reports of widespread arrests of ethnic Tigrayans. “We are, of course, actively working with the government of Ethiopia to secure their immediate release,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric […]
City demolitions expose Ethiopian families to coronavirus
Nairobi, Kenya/Addis Ababa, EthiopiaThomson Reuters Foundation Scores of Ethiopian families are at risk of contracting the new coronavirus after authorities demolished their makeshift houses and left them homeless, human rights groups said this week. Authorities in the capital began destroying the informal settlements near Bole International Airport in February. An aerial view of Addis Ababa, […]
Families mark first anniversary of Ethiopian 737 MAX crash
Addis Ababa, EthiopiaReuters Families who lost loved ones aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 visited the crash site on Tuesday to mark the first anniversary of the tragedy, a day after interim results of a probe focused on faulty systems on the Boeing 737 MAX jet. The accident killed all 157 people on board when the […]