Sunday, November 06, 2005

Ethiopia and Eritrea Prepare For War?

From Greg Fisher's first hand account at Greg's Africa Thoughts:

"In preparation for the war, Eritrea continues its relentless persecution of evangelical and pentecostal Christians. Up to as many as 1,800 Christians were arrested by the government on the 3rd of November according to a BosNewsLife report. This includes over 200 people -- men, women, and children -- arrested at a wedding. This is the most severe crack-down on evangelicals and pentecostals since the Eritrean government ordered the closure of all churches not belonging to the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, or Lutheran denominations.

According to published reports, the relief and development program of the Kale Haiwot Church have been closed by the government. I, personally, know the leaders of the Kale Haiwot church in Asmara, and I have grave concern for the safety of those leaders who are now in prison." Read full post.

Rumours of war

Ethiopundit writes about Rumors of War and concludes by saying: "We're not buying any of the rumors of war - the issue of war is a sideshow to distract from the real issues that Ethiopians and Eritreans have to deal with."
"There will always be tensions between the countries but the timing of the recent rumors of war between Ethiopia and Eritrea is suspect. The Eritrean government wants attention from the West because it is going broke and because it faces rising internal opposition. The potential for conflict has provided the government with its raison d'etre and has justified endless general mobilization since then along with the lack of political rights.

The Ethiopian government wants Western interest to change subjects from the collapse of the pretense of democracy onto the more manageable topics of law, order and regional security issues dear to the hearts of donor nations. Rumors of war provide just such an opportunity."

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

Sudan: Chad Government ready to send troops into Darfur

Chad has announced it is ready to cross into neighboring Sudan in the pursuit of renegade soldiers aiming to topple the president. Chad has accused authorities in Darfur of harboring the rebels.

Chad's Defense Minister Bichara Issa Djadallah accused local authorities in Sudan's troubled western Darfur province of being allied with a new armed group seeking to overthrow Chadian President Idriss Deby.

Full report (VOA) 2 Nov 2005.

Ethiopia 2nd day of clashes - at least 33 protestors killed

Ethan notes eyewitness accounts of violence in Addis Ababa and Nazret's special blog section reserved for visitors from Ethiopia to post their first hand accounts.

Clashes between hundreds of riot police and protesters over disputed elections erupted in gunfire and grenade explosions Nov 2, with police killing 33 people, a rights group said. Security forces swept through streets littered with burning tires to arrest young men, sometimes dragging them out of hospitals.

At least 150 civilians were wounded, including a 7-year-old boy who was shot in the hip, according to doctors at five hospitals said. The doctors said 23 dead bodies were brought to the hospitals.

The violence followed clashes Nov 1 between protesters and police that killed another eight people and wounded 43.

Full report (AP/Guardian) 2 Nov 2005.

More on this news through Global Voices' link to Friends of Ethiopia blog.

Ethiopia and Eritrea move troops and tanks towards Horn frontier

A source at the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (Unmee) told journalists Nov 2 that both countries have moved more troops and tanks towards the border in the past two or three weeks.

Ethiopia and Eritrea move troops and tanks towards Horn frontier

Diplomats in Asmara are waiting to see the final version of the latest UN Security Council resolution, which will probably be finalised in about a week.

Full report (BBC) 2 Nov 2005.