Ethiopian dictator scared of Egyptian revolution

This video is called Ethiopian dictator Meles Zenawi short history.

From the Voice of America:

Ethiopian Journalist Alleges Detention for Inciting Egypt-Style Protests

Peter Heinlein | Addis Ababa

February 17, 2011

An Ethiopian journalist says he was detained and harassed by federal police after comparing conditions in Ethiopia to those in North African states hit by people power protests.

Journalist Eskinder Nega says six heavily-armed policemen jumped from a truck on a busy central Addis Ababa street last week, grabbed him and whisked him away to federal police headquarters. He says during a two-hour detention, he was brought before a deputy police commissioner who did not identify himself, but who warned him his activities were considered seditious.

“He said, ‘You’ve been trying to incite Egyptian and Tunisian-like protests in Ethiopia through writings you do on the Internet,” Eskinder recounted. “And the interviews you give to various news outlets. And he said, ‘Nothing similar is going to happen in this country.'” …

Eskinder and his newspaper publisher wife, Serkalem Fasil, were among hundreds jailed in connection with Ethiopia’s 2005 post-election violence. They spent 17 months behind bars before treason charges against them were dropped. But after being freed, their newspapers were banned and their applications for press accreditation denied.

Since then, Eskinder has continued to write and comment on political affairs. His columns are published on Internet websites based overseas, where the tone of the commentary is generally anti-government. Those websites are blocked in Ethiopia, however, along with the VOAnews.com site.

Eskinder Nega says a recent interview with VOA’s Amharic language service was among issues raised by police during his recent detention.

“I did an interview with VOA and the interviewer wanted to know if the lack of a strong opposition would in any way affect the prospect of protests breaking out in Ethiopia,” Eskinder said. “My response said the same thing is true of Tunisia and Egypt. There [was] a complete absence of a strong opposition in those countries and that did not prevent the youth from organizing protests because the people wanted change.”

See also here

US now flying armed drones from secret Ethiopia base, reveals Washington Post: here.

About these ads