Deutsche Welle \Germany August 31, 2011 Interviewer: Ludger Schadomsky Farmers cannot own land in Ethiopia, they must lease it Although one in 10 Ethiopians is going hungry, the government is leasing fertile land to foreign investors. Deutsche Welle spoke with Essayas Kebede from the Ethiopian government about so-called land grabbing. Countries in Asia and the [...]
Category Archives: UN
Nations Fall Short in Helping 12.4M Africans in Drought-Caused Famine
September 1, 2011 – 11:14 pm
Climate Wire/NY Times August 12, 2011 LISA FRIEDMAN Warning that famine in Somalia is likely to get worse before it gets better, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterday pledged an additional $17 million in U.S. aid to East African countries racked by the worst drought in 60 years. The money comes on the heels [...]
International court could curb Somali piracy
September 1, 2011 – 11:06 pm
Deutche Welle August 26, 2011 Author: Ben Knight Editor: Saroja Coelho Piracy has flourished in lawless Somalia Somali pirates are currently being sentenced, in some cases to death, in courts all over the world. But with 80 percent of pirates being set free, experts say the risks are too low to stop the problem. Late [...]
Ethiopia’s Deplorable Conduct at IGAD Meeting
September 1, 2011 – 10:27 pm
Shabait, Government of Ethiopia August 26, 2011 Press Statement In what is almost a familiar pattern now, Ethiopian security agents manhandling Eritrea’s delegate to IGAD’s 40th Extra-ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers which was convened in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Abeba, this Wednesday 24th August. Eritrea’s envoy was harassed, verbally abused, and threatened by [...]
Igad’s new dilemma over Eritrea return
September 1, 2011 – 10:20 pm
The East African, Kenya August 27, 2011 Editorial The question facing regional leaders is whether to rehabilitate or isolate Eritrea? The Red Sea country suspended itself from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in 2007 on the basis that the regional body had given Ethiopia unfettered control over Somali issues. Recently, Eritrea reactivated its membership of [...]
Somali Islamists behead 11 civilians in capital
September 1, 2011 – 10:18 pm
AP August 26, 2011 ABDI GULED MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali Islamist rebels have beheaded at least 11 civilians in the capital in the past two weeks, a campaign of terror that residents said Friday is designed to show the insurgency can still act in Mogadishu after withdrawing from their bases there earlier this month. “We [...]
AU famine meet raises $351m, figure questioned
August 29, 2011 – 9:32 am
Reuters August 25, 2011 Barry Malone * Summit raises $351 mln * Four heads of state show up * Aid groups say need another $1bln to stop deaths (Recasts with final contributions tally) ADDIS ABABA – A much-delayed African Union summit held to raise money to tackle famine in Somalia and drought in the Horn [...]
In Brief: More Somalis fleeing to Yemen
August 29, 2011 – 9:29 am
IRIN August 26, 2011 GENEVA – An increasing number of Somalis, fleeing drought and insecurity, are making their way to Yemen aboard overcrowded, rickety boats, the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, said. At the same time, the number of Somalis arriving in Mogadishu, the Somali capital, or crossing into Kenya is dropping, UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards [...]
African presidents shun AU famine fundraiser
August 27, 2011 – 9:09 pm
Reuters August 25, 2011 Barry Malone * Four heads of state show up for African summit * Aid groups say need another $1bln to stop deaths * Activists say summit must raise at least $50mln ADDIS ABABA – A much-delayed African Union summit held on Thursday to raise money to tackle famine in Somalia and [...]
Germany wants armed guards on Europe ships-official
August 27, 2011 – 8:58 pm
Reuters August 23, 2011 Henning Gloystein and Jonathan Saul * German plan likely to face legal issues * Piracy costing billions of dollar a year LONDON – Germany plans to lobby other European Union countries to allow the deployment of private armed guards on their merchant ships in high-risk areas as a piracy crisis escalates, [...]