Muslim Activism and the Ethiopian State: Accommodation or Repression?
- Created on Friday, 23 March 2012 13:19
By Jawar Mohammed*
Various narratives are being presented to explain the growing standoff between Muslim activists and the current Ethiopian regime. The activists accuse the state of discrimination and meddling in the internal activities of their faith by imposing an imported religious doctrine.
The 'new’ OLF program: much ado about nothing
- Created on Thursday, 05 January 2012 21:19
by Jawar Mohammed
Earlier this week, one of the several OLF factions announced that it had adapted a new political program that apparently drops the ‘secessionist’ agenda. This announcement was preceded and followed by hyped fanfare by Ginbot 7 and its affiliates.
The battle for preferred proxy status: Ethiopia vs. Kenya
- Created on Tuesday, 22 November 2011 21:05
by Jawar Mohammed
Ethiopia invaded Somalia, in 2006, in part encouraged by the United States, against series of warnings from regional analysts and strong domestic objections. The two years of occupation, despite handing the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) a swift blow, had an unintended and deadly consequence of bolstering a more radical movement, al-Shabab, which has since emerged as the most dominant militant group in the Horn of Africa. The U.S. once again is engaged in a fight against a new enemy - another monster of its creation.
Yenesew’s self-immolation, an ultimate call for justice
- Created on Friday, 18 November 2011 07:28
by Jawar Mohammed*
The self-immolation of Ethiopian high school teacher, Yenesew Gebre, 29, signals a clear message to Ethiopian leaders and their international supporters. In Ethiopian politics, practically everything is contested, a contest that has often taken an ugly face leading to arrests, tortures and disappearances of dissidents. The growing clampdown on dissent targets leaders of opposition political parties, activists, and even bystanders with no clear association with what the government alleges to be their offense. But self-immolation in a society known for its unbreakable faith, and perseverance has shaken the social conscience of many.
Behind Ethiopia’s recent mass arrests
- Created on Sunday, 13 November 2011 00:32
Over the last three months, Ethiopia has ramped up crackdown on dissent using its sweeping anti-terrorism legislation. According to Human Rights Watch, the legislation is “premised on an extremely broad and ambiguous definition of terrorist activity that permits the government to repress a wide range of internationally protected freedoms, and contains provisions that ride roughshod over fundamental due process rights.”