Eagles must fly over Ethiopia •We will defend our dignity - Ethiopia’s coach

Nigeria are expected to get their 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign back on track with a win over Ethiopia in a final Group C tie today in Rustenburg.

The Super Eagles have drawn their first two group games against Burkina Faso and champions Zambia and would now need to beat Ethiopia to reach the knockout stage of the tournament.

Zambia, who like Nigeria are also on two points, face surprise group leaders Burkina Faso at the same time today in the other game in this group.

Nigeria last failed to reach the quarterfinals of the AFCON in 1982, which was also the last time Ethiopia featured at the tournament proper.

Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi, who has failed to qualify both Togo and Mali beyond the group stage of this competition, said he is aware anything short of victory will eliminate his team.

Incidentally, the last time both teams faced off at the Nations Cup finals was at Libya 1982, when a young Nigerian team walloped the Ethiopians 3-0 in a group phase match in Benghazi with Keshi getting one of the goals.

Ethiopia Vs Nigeria : Match Preview

AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS Venue: Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg
Date: Tuesday 29 January Kick-off: 17:00 GMT

Nigeria go into their final group game chasing their first win, while Ethiopia are bottom of the pile with a point.

The Super Eagles stand in second place in Group C with two points, having conceded late equalisers to Burkina Faso and Zambia.
Ethiopia may be without striker Adane Girma, who scored their only goal of the finals, and Asrat Mergasa.
Girma has a leg injury after coming off in the Ethiopians' defeat to Burkina Faso and Mergasa has a knee injury.

Ethiopia coach Sewnet Bishaw:

"Before the match I will tell my players to play football and to gain experience out of a huge team like Nigeria.
"We are here to play football and everybody is surprised by our football.
"Our mission is to show the rest of the world that we can play football. That is the message to my players."

Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi:

"I am standing by my players, especially John Obi Mikel after his penalty miss against Zambia.
"We have all to play for against Ethiopia and my wish is that we build a commanding lead and hold it."

www.bbc.co.uk

Israel gave birth control to Ethiopian Jews without their consent

Ethiopian Jews in Israel protest against
 racism on January 18 in Tel Aviv.

Israel has admitted for the first time that it has been giving Ethiopian Jewish immigrants birth-control injections, often without their knowledge or consent.

The government had previously denied the practice but the Israeli Health Ministry’s director-general has now ordered gynaecologists to stop administering the drugs. According a report in Haaretz, suspicions were first raised by an investigative journalist, Gal Gabbay, who interviewed more than 30 women from Ethiopia in an attempt to discover why birth rates in the community had fallen dramatically.

One of the Ethiopian women who was interviewed is quoted as saying: “They [medical staff] told us they are inoculations. We took it every three months. We said we didn’t want to.” It is alleged that some of the women were forced or coerced to take the drug while in transit camps in Ethiopia.

The drug in question is thought to be Depo-Provera, which is injected every three months and is considered to be a highly effective, long-lasting contraceptive.

Ethiopia coach Sewnet Bishaw targets goal glut against Nigeria

Ethiopia coach Sewnet Bishaw believes they must face their last encounter
 against Nigeria with a hunger for goals if they are to go through to the quarter-finals.

With a mathematical chance of going through to the last eight, the Walya Antelopes’ trainer says that his side must go into their final game against the Eagles in search of victory

The Walya Antelopes were defeated 4-0 by 10-man Burkina Faso in their second match in Group C.

Having taken a point in their first game against Zambia, lots was expected from the Ethiopians going into the clash against the west Africans but they fell short, having lost inspirational forward Adane Girma to injury.

“We didn’t expect this result from the very beginning. We hoped that we would play again like the first game and take a point against Burkina Faso,” said Bishaw.

Ethiopia trains before match against Burkina Faso

Baby doc aids colleagues in his native Ethiopia

Dr. Mesfin Woldesenbet, center, looks
on while a pediatrics intern examines
 a newborn baby in a hospital in Ethiopia.

Woldesenbet, who prefers simply to be called Dr. Mesfin, traveled extensively in his career before arriving in Houston, spending seven years in England immediately after leaving his home country before heading to New York for his residency. After leaving the Big Apple, Mesfin went to Texas for a fellowship before finally settling in as the medical director of the Neonatal ICU at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital. Mesfin, along with his wife and two children, currently lives in Missouri City.

Mesfin has used his position to do a tremendous amount of good in the United States, but it was a recent trip to his home country that truly opened his eyes to a problem that needs immediate attention.

“I was really shocked by what I saw,” Mesfin said, describing the extremely high infant mortality rate in Ethiopia. “In the U.S., approximately out of 1,000 deliveries, eight are born dead, compared to 77 in Ethiopia.”

Ethiopian fans rule AFCON

THE first sight I noticed after pulling back my hotel curtains yesterday morning was a band of cleaners combing through most streets of Nelspruit.

The reason was simple. They were gathering up all evidence of celebrations sparked by Ethiopia’s historic 1-1 draw against African champions Zambia the previous night.

The approximately 13,000 Ethiopian fans here are clearly enjoying the Orange Nations Cup party more than anyone and last night all streets through Nelspruit were not only flooded with celebrating fans in a night-long fiesta but also paper plates, bottles and discarded paraphernalia.

There was one interesting sight outside the Mbombela Stadium when over-excited fans hijacked a mini bus and forced the driver to hand over his keys. They then danced on the roof of the bus as it careered through the city.

Ethiopian child on the mend after Sutter surgery for deadly brain tumor

Kalkidan Sirbaro poses with neurosurgeon Samuel Ciricillo
at a postoperative checkup Wednesday. The 7-year-old
 was discovered with a life-threatening brain tumor
 in Ethiopia; family physician Sarah Jones,
 taking photo at right, arranged for her care here.

Kalkidan Wondemu Sirbaro, a 7-year-old girl from Gurage, a village in southern Ethiopia, had a checkup at the Sutter Medical Center neuroscience facility in downtown Sacramento on Wednesday afternoon.

But according to the health professionals involved, it is miraculous Kalkidan made it to Sacramento to receive treatment for her craniopharyngioma, Kalkidan's form of cancer discovered in the fall.

"Things like this do not happen," said Dr. Sarah Jones, the Sutter family doctor from Davis who orchestrated Kalkidan's treatment. "There's something special about this child. Why would opportunities like this open up for her?"

The little girl giggled as the elevator whisked her to the fifth floor. But she dragged her feet on the walk to Dr. Samuel Ciricillo's office, fearing needles or cold tools.

Ethiopia seek to deepen Burkina's Cup woes

Monday's 1-1 draw has left one of the founding fathers of African football bang in the mix to qualify from Group C, and they will be looking to further their cause when they take on Burkina Faso here on Friday.

But despite their ster
ling work against the title-holders, they go into this second game under something of a cloud.

Their first-choice 'keeper Jemal Tassew misses out after copping a two-match ban for his terrible tackle on Chisamba Lungu.

And Cup organisers CAF fined the Ethiopian Football Federation $10,000 (7,515 euros) as punishment for the reaction of the fans to Tassew's justified sending off, with vuvuzelas (plastic horns), water bottles and other objects thrown on the pitch.

In light of that red card, a first-half missed penalty and a Zambia goal, Ethiopia showed tremendous fortitude to hold themselves together to level via captain Adane Girma's second-half goal and come away with a point.

Congo and Ethiopia early stars of the Afcon

The Ethiopian national team has injected some much-needed
enthusiasm into the African Nations' Cup.

Eight matches, 13 goals, and just three winners. Mali, Ivory Coast and Tunisia emerge out of round one of this African Nations' Cup as the only teams to make significant dents in the tournament but the opening round will be remembered for the fightbacks of the DRC and Ethiopia more than the performances of the victors.

- An uncomfortable win for the favourites

The two lowest-ranked teams in the tournament (101 and 110 in the world and 27 and 31 in Africa, respectively) brought more enthusiasm than anyone else. They played like teams who had nothing to lose but also like teams who wanted to win.

Ethiopia fined for fan trouble

The Confederation of African Football has fined Ethiopia's football federation $10 000 after the team's fans hurled vuvuzelas and other missiles onto the pitch during Monday's 1-1 draw with Zambia at the African Cup of Nations.

CAF announced the fine late on Tuesday, adding that half of the $10 000 penalty would be suspended on condition that Ethiopia's fans are not found guilty of a similar offense during the rest of the tournament.

Ethiopia had plenty of supporters for its first African Cup match in 31 years, but the Group C game at Mbombela turned ugly when Gabonese referee Eric Otogo-Castane dismissed Ethiopia goalkeeper Jemal Tassew shortly after the half-hour mark.

Vuvuzelas and water bottles rained down from the stands, with coaches and substitutes forced to take shelter in their dugouts while a stadium announcer gradually restored calm.

Ethiopia Scare Nigeria

The performance of Ethiopia against defending champions, Zambia, was talk of the day even after the Nigeria-Burkina Faso match Monday.

They were reduced to ten men in the first half following a red card to their keeper but that did not stop their possession football. Their marking was good, their runs classy and their use of space surpassed what book makers had assumed.

They were not superb in front of goal otherwise they would have humiliated Zambia. What impressed fans was not just their equaliser but their entire play which is now a source of concern for Nigerians.

"There's problem and big work for us to do. Ethiopia could be a problem.

They play well and their fans here are many,"a top member of the Nigeria Football Football Federation said shortly before Eagles took on Burkina Faso.

www.vanguardngr.com

Adane Girma Goal Against Zambia.

Sheger Tribune: Attempted military coup in Eritrea shuts down stat...

Sheger Tribune: Attempted military coup in Eritrea shuts down stat...: A group of soldiers have attempted a military coup in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, RFI reported on Monday. According to local sources, ...

Afcon 2013 Preview: Ethiopia finally back where they belong (including incredible archival footage)

The team of 1962, the last and only Ethiopian team to win
the Africa Cup of Nations. Photo: Bezabeh Abetew

It has been a long time coming. The Ethiopian national team has been rare guest at the Africa Cup of Nations. In the years after the inaugural tournament in 1957 – in which only three teams took part and Ethiopia got a wild card to the final – the ‘Walaya Antelopes’ was a dominant force in African football winning the cup in 1962 on home turf in Addis Ababa and reaching the semifinals in 1963 and 1968. However, the glorious period of the 60′s was followed by four dismal decades and not a single participation in the tournament since 1982.
This week Ethiopia is making a surprise comeback at the 2013 Cup of Nations in South Africa after knocking out neighboring rivals Sudan through an aggregate 5-5 draw in the final qualification round. In the days after the qualification was secured in October last year, Addis seemed like a transformed city. Previously you would hardly notice any football celebrations in the city scape (other than of the usual English Premier League teams) but following the qualification most of the capital’s blue taxies and mini busses – usually the best way of distilling public opinion – started displaying posters of the national team with a ‘Yes We Can’ text added.

History against Zambia, Ethiopia back in big time

We will not make life easy for any opponents: Coach Sewenet

NELSPRUIT, South Africa — Zambia have history against them as Herve Renard's team begin the defense of last year's stunning Africa Cup of Nations title-winning campaign against Ethiopia on Monday.
If they succeed in walking off with the title again on February 10, they will become only the fourth country in 28 editions to claim back-to-back crowns.
In Gabon/Equatorial Guinea 12 months ago, they mocked their underdog status by marching to the final where they upset hot favourites Ivory Coast in a marathon shoot-out.
Renard's band of heroes secured their place at the 2013 finals with a qualifying success, again on penalties, over Uganda.
The squad available to Renard in South Africa is stronger this time around and the dashing Frenchman is upbeat about pulling off another Cup coup.

Zambia won't underestimate Ethiopia

Ethiopia coach Sewnet Bishaw has shrugged off his side's underdog status on the eve of their return to the finals of the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in more than 30 years.

The lowest-ranked of all the finalists at 110 in the FIFA rankings, Ethiopia won the
tournament in 1962 but have not made it past the qualifying stages since 1982.
And they could not face a more daunting start in Group C as they face reigning champions Zambia, who are aiming to become only the fourth team to retain the trophy.
Bishaw, whose side won their final pre-tournament friendly 2-1 against Tanzania earlier this month, said: "Our confidence is sky-high.
"We are looking at going as far as we can with our first aim being the quarter-finals."
Zambia coach Herve Renard, who has a full-strength squad to choose from, has also warned his side must be careful not to underestimate the Ethiopian threat.
The Zambians do not enter the tournament in the best of form, having failed to win any of their last six friendly matches, while a scheduled warm-up clash with Namibia this month was cancelled.
Renard said: "They (Ethiopia) have a lot of skilled players able to run right to the end.
"We have to be very careful about this team. It is going to be a very tough match for us."

www.espnstar.com

Two-hour mark will be broken in 20 years: Haile Gebrselassie

It's a new chapter in Haile Gebrselassie's life. Never before had the Ethiopian had a leisurely breakfast, a day before a marathon, and sauntered into a room with an audience, all too eager to hear from him. Hindu Times brings you excerpts of the legend's interaction with aspiring runners on the eve of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon:

Do you still run competitively?
Not with the same intensity as I did a few years back. I have a coffee plantation business and currently employ about 500 people.

How do you explain your love for running?
If you can push yourself to run continuously for four-five months, you'll realise it's difficult to stop. It's an addiction, like smoking and drinking.

What do you mean when you say you're addicted to running?
I was in a business meeting once, and was very restless because I wanted to run. So I told the gathering that I'll be back in a minute. When they came searching for me, there I was, running on the treadmill in my gym at work.

Zambia-Ethiopia Preview: Chipolopolo target good start as the Walya Antelopes lie in wait

After a 31-year absence at the Afcon, Ethiopia launch their campaign for the diadem with a tricky fixture against the defending champions

PROBABLE LINEUPS                                           

ETHIOPIA

Tassew
Debebe, Bekele, Said, Megeza
Kebede, Bogala, Elyes, Teshome
Tesfaye, Girma

ZAMBIA

(4-3-3)
Mweene
Mbola, Musonda, Mulenga, Katebe
Changa, Kalaba, Katongo
Mayuka, Chamanza, Lungu

Addis Hentsa named among 10 sexiest players at Afcon 2013

AS THE 29th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) kicks off tomorrow and dedicated soccer fans watch every move on the field, Sowetan put together something just for the women. We looked at the talent on show...

This is our list of the top 10 sexiest Afcon players who will grace our soccer fields and TV screens. In no particular order, the players are:

South Africa: Lehlohonolo Majoro - The 26-year-old striker plays for Kaizer Chiefs.

Ghana: Adam Larsen - Born in Norway to a Norwegian mother and Ghanaian father. This Adonis is a goalkeeper for Norwegian side Strømsgodset.

Mali: Seydou Keita - The 33-year-old captains the Mali team and is a midfielder for Dalian Aerbin FC in the Chinese Super League.

Zambia: Christopher Katongo - At 30, Chris is at the top of his game as captain of the Chipolopolo and plays for Chinese Super League club Henan Construction FC as a striker.

Nigeria: Obi Mikel - Obi plays top-flight soccer in England for defending Uefa Champions League champions Chelsea. He is certainly going to turn heads at the tournament.

Ivory Coast: Yaya Touré - The reigning African Player of the Year, Touré is one of the brightest soccer stars on the continent, and he's easy on eye too ... a top contender!

Morocco: Oussama Assaidi - The baby-faced Dutch-Morrocan footballer plays for Liverpool in the English top flight. At 24 years he will be in the Moroccan team for years to come.

Ethiopia: Addis Hintsa - The 26-year-old is one of the better looking footballers in the team.

Cape Verde: Ryan Mendes. Mendes plays club football in France and the 23-year-old will start in tomorrow's match against South Africa.

Togo: Emmanuel Adebayor - He plays top flight soccer in England for Tottenham Hotspur. Adebayor is a firm favourite of male fans. He is a favourite of female fans too.

www.sowetanlive.co.za

From Minnesota to Ethiopia: U.S. soccer star Fuad Ibrahim eyes Africa Cup of Nations chance

Fuad Ibrahim received the call to play for Ethiopia by email

(CNN) -- Life had not quite worked out the way Fuad Ibrahim had planned.
A few years ago the whole world was laid out at the 21-year-old American striker's feet. Ibee, as he is known by his coaches and teammates, was considered one of the most naturally talented players ever to emerge in U.S. soccer.
He was quickly brought into the national team set up, playing in every game at the Under-17 World Cup finals. At the age of 16 he was the second youngest player ever to be drafted into the MLS. Perhaps prophetically, the youngest was Freddy Adu, a name that has become a euphemism for talent unfulfilled.
Luck, nerve, injury, temperament: no one could explain Ibee's decline after being called up to the U.S. Under-20 squad. But decline he did as he went from Dallas to Toronto and then to his hometown club, the Minnesota Stars in the NASL -- the second tier of U.S. soccer. The decline appeared terminal when he was released at the end of last season..
And then out of the blue an email arrived from the country of his birth -- Ethiopia.
"It said that Ethiopia would like to invite me to play for the national team," Ibee told CNN, speaking from his hotel room in the capital Addis Ababa.

Formal arraignment set for Franklin Park couple accused of abusing Ethiopia adoptees

Douglas and Kristen Barbour

A Franklin Park couple accused of abusing their two adopted children from Ethiopia has waived their preliminary hearing, which was scheduled for Friday in Leetsdale.
Douglas and Kristen Barbour are charged with starving a 6-year-old boy they adopted in March and causing head trauma to a then 18-month-old girl.
The charges were filed in October.
Mr. Barbour is on leave from his position as a lawyer in the Pennsylvania attorney general's office.
Prosecutors withdrew one count each of aggravated and simple assault against Mr. Barbour. Remaining against him are charges of endangering the welfare of children, recklessly endangering another person and one count each of aggravated assault and simple assault.
All of the counts against Kristen Barbour were waived to court.
They include endangering the welfare of children, aggravated assault, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.
The couple is now scheduled for a formal arraignment March 7.

www.post-gazette.com

Zambia Coach Renard wary of Ethiopia’s threat

Zambia coach Herve Renard says he is worried of the threat Ethiopia possess as both side prepare to face off in their opening Group C fixture at the 2013 Orange Africa Cup of Nations.

The African Champions begin their title defence against Ethiopia on January 21 and Renard believes their opponent’s unbeaten run in their Afcon build is testament of the fact that they will be no walk over.

“They have a lot of skilled players able to run up to the end of the 90th minutes,” Renard said.

“We have to be very careful about this team.

“That means it will not be very easy to destabilise this team.

“That means we know it will be very tough.”

Ethiopia arrive in South Africa on the back of  1-0 and 2-1 friendly wins over Niger on December 30 and Tanzania January 11 respectively as well as holding Tunisia to a 1-1 away draw on January 7 in Doha.

en.starafrica.com

Degu Debebe believes in the impossible

Ethiopia captain Degu Debebe believes The Walia Antelopes can do the impossible at the 2013 Africa Nations Cup in South Africa.
The 29-year-old veteran defender said Ethiopia could learn from Zambia's experience after the latter lifted their debut AFCON trophy in their 15th attempt last February in Gabon.

"We can learn a lesson from them and make possible what seems impossible," Debebe said. "We will give our best."

Ethiopia will be making their first return to the Africa Cup since 1982 when they failed to advance from the preliminary group stage of the tournament hosted by Libya.

"What matters most is our strength," said Debebe, who has 4
6 caps for Ethiopia.

"We saw how Zambia performed at the last AFCON. No one expected them to win the cup.

"They won because they played as a team and didn’t underestimate any team."

Ethiopia will hope to get that inspiration in the most unusual way by beating Zambia in both sides’ opening Group C game on January 21 at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.

The 1962 champions are expected to arrive in Nelspruit on January 16.

www.supersport.com

For me, running is like eating: Haile Gebrselassie

MUMBAI: Haile Gebrselassie stands at just five feet, five inches. But such is his stature in the world of athletics that you hardly n
otice his height.

There are runners who have won more Olympic gold medals - Pavvo Nurmi. There are runners who have a more endearing personality - Emil Zatopek.

There are runners who have a more compelling story behind their struggles - Abebe Bikila. But Gebrselassie offers you the complete package.

A champion, born poor to a family of 10, raised on maize and corn, who ran 20kms to his school and back, whose father did not believe in his abilities until he won the World title, now employs more than 650 people back home in Addis Ababa.

Gebrselassie runs a school and gives back to the society almost as much as he earns. He also owns 27 World Records, two Olympic gold medals and four 10,000m world titles, besides innumerable marathon titles.

The Beyonce Experience: Ethiopia (Documentary)

Scientists discover 200 mln years old fossils in Amhara

Scientists have found up to 200 million years old fossils in Amhara State, the State Culture, Tourism and Parks Bureau said. The Bureau told ENA on Monday that the fossils include eight prehistoric and 283 historic archaeological sites and 22 artifacts. The scientists have discovered 22 to 200 million years fossils of dinosaurs and various prehistoric plants. They also found graves, castles, spiritual sites, ruins of urban areas as well as caves dated back from the 12th to the 19th century.The Bureau said archaeological surveys have been undertaken in three sites in Azezo and Gorgora areas of North Gondar Zone in the State. The fossils were found in the archaeological survey, which has been carried out for five years since 1998 EC in various tourist sites in the State.
\
www.gcao.gov.et

Africa Cup of Nations 2013: Ethiopia inspired by their past

Ethiopia hold the dubious record of being runners-up in the Africa Cup of Nations without winning a game or even scoring a goal.
That came at the inaugural tournament, held in 1957, after the Confederation of African Football was established by the Egyptian, Ethiopian, South African and Sudanese Football Associations.
Ethiopia received a bye into the final after South Africa were disqualified for refusing to send a multi-racial team, and the Walya Antelopes were then beaten 4-0 by Egypt in Khartoum.
Now, 31 years after their last appearance in the Finals, one of the founding fathers of the African game are back and aiming to make a big impact in South Africa.

History repeats itself
Ethiopia will have a sense of deja vu at the 2013 Cup of Nations, having been grouped with Zambia and Nigeria. In their last appearance in the Finals, in 1982, they also played Zambia (lost 1-0) and Nigeria (lost 3-0) as well as Algeria (drew 0-0)

Ethiopia-Sudan Highway Completed

Addis Ababa — The Ethiopian Road and Transport Authority on Tuesday revealed that the construction of a highway linking Ethiopia with neighbouring Sudan has been completed and opened for traffic.

Officials told Sudan Tribune that the 100km-long corridor, stretching from Ethiopia’s Asossa town to Kumruk will enhance trade relations as well as social ties between the two countries.

The construction of the project was executed by a Chinese construction company at a cost of over $27 million.

The completion of the road has also facilitated trade exchanges and cooperation between Sudanese and Ethiopian communities living along the common border.

B’Faso, Ethiopia scare ex-Eagles stars

Former Super Eagles defender Emeka Ezeugo

Inexperience will count against Eagles- Ezeugo

Former Nigerian stars have admitted that the Super Eagles will face a tough challenge at the South Africa 2013 Africa Cup of Nations as the team aim at winning the tournament for the third time.

The ex-internationals advised the Super Eagles against underrating Group C opponents Burkina Faso and Ethiopia at the South Africa 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, which begins on Saturday.

Defending champions Chipolopolo of Zambia and the Eagles are the favourites to advance from the group to the knockout stage of the tournament.

Former Eagles midfielder, Etim Esin, says the Eagles can only underrate their foes at their own peril.

“There are no longer underdogs in African football. Don’t forget that champions Zambia are in our group. Nobody expected them to win the trophy last time out,” Etim said.

“There are spoilers like Burkina Faso and Ethiopia. These teams can make things difficult for us if we underrate them. We saw what little Cape Verde did to us during a friendly game. So we should expect more of that in South Africa.

Journey Through Northern Ethiopia

Addis Ababa, January 16, 2013, (Ezega.com) - I am used to writing the hectic life in the capital Addis Ababa. In fact, as a person born and raised in Addis Ababa, I have mostly thought Ethiopia is pretty much its capital. I thought Addis has all kind of people from every part of the country and if a person wishes to understand Ethiopia, all he/she has to do is wander around Addis. This is not because I did not have an experience traveling around the country. I have been to all cities that are known to most Ethiopians and observed that more or less, the residents are similar to the Addis Ababa.

I couldn’t be more wrong. My experience in the weeks past has changed the entire angle I have viewed my country. My travel to the north and deep and remote rural areas has exposed me to the majority of the society who experience life a lot differently than the city residents.

Let me introduce you to Dabat, Koladeba, Weken, Dembia, and small rural villages around North Gonder in the Amhara region. All these places are close to the historical Gonder city found 738 kilometres from the capital Addis Ababa. Most of these areas have several farmers’ villages and rural Kebele’s where people consider farming as the only way to live in.

Some of them are areas with no radio, newspaper or television. Computers and internet is not only a foreign language but also absolutely unknown concepts. Though some of the households have a small radio inside, the people say they do not have time to listen to it. ‘We work the whole day and who has time to listen to the radio. Only people from the towns like to listen because they have less burden of work,’ they would say. The only device for communication with a limited number of people is a mobile phone which is found in small town near to the farmers’ village. Farmers who own a mobile phone use it to communicate with some of their relatives and find out about the prices of cereals in the market.

Ethiopians get $111,00 each to win African Cup

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Ethiopia's players were promised more than $100,000 each Wednesday if they win the African Cup of Nations on the country's return to the tournament after a 30-year absence.
Ethiopia Football Federation president Sahilu Gebremariam said the players would get $111,000 each to win the Cup — a huge amount in the poverty-stricken country — and $55,000 each to make the final in South Africa.
Sahilu said coach Sewnet Bishaw and his assistant coach would be rewarded with "significantly higher prize money" if the team progressed to the final.
Ethiopia won the Cup of Nations in 1962 but last qualified for the final tournament in 1982. It was drawn alongside tough opposition in Nigeria, Zambia and Burkina Faso for this tournament and is not expected to get out of the group.
"It's football, there is room for anything, any surprise," Sewnet said. "Although it's a new environment for the team, they have recently done wonderful in tough games."
Sahilu said the offers were "intended to boost the morale of the team."
"I am sure others, such as investors and prominent people, will offer them more prizes and awards if they make us proud in South Africa," Sahilu said.
Squad members were already given $11,000 each last weekend by Ethiopian-born Saudi billionaire Sheikh Mohammed Al-Amoudi for qualifying for the African Cup.
"The players know more is coming if they play their best during the competition," Sewnet said.

www.ctpost.com

Ethiopia: Record Number of Africans Crossed Gulf of Aden in 2012, UN Agency Reports

Eight of every ten arrivals last year were Ethiopian nationals

A record 107,500 African refugees and migrants made the dangerous journey from the Horn of Africa to Yemen in 2012 - the largest influx into Yemen since 2006 when the United Nations refugee agency began compiling these statistics.

"Despite economic and security difficulties, Yemen has continued to receive and host a record number of people fleeing the Horn of Africa in search of safety, protection and better economic conditions," Adrian Edwards, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told reporters in Geneva.

The previous record high was in 2011, when more than 103,000 people arrived in Yemen by sea, the agency noted. Eight of every ten arrivals last year were Ethiopian nationals (over 84,000 arrivals), while Somali refugees constituted the rest. Many migrants use Yemen as a transit stop en route to other Gulf States.

Organisers mourn Ethiopian marathon winner

Alemayehu Shumye in last year's marathon.

ORGANISERS of the Gold Coast Airport Marathon have described the death of 2012 champion Alemayehu "Alex" Shumye as a terrible tragedy, saying the 24-year-old had spoken about returning to the city and defending his title this year.

Shumye died as a result of injuries from a car accident in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Friday, six days after finishing 10th in Xiamen, China with a time of 2hr 12min 57sec.

Gold Coast marathon chairman Kerry Watson said organisers fully expected Shumye to return to the Coast this year after praising the event.

"He loved our marathon; he considered it one of the better ones to run on because it's so flat," he said.

"He wanted to come back and we were expecting him to return and defend his title."

Shumye came to the Gold Coast Airport Marathon twice -- in 2011 and last year -- and became the first Ethiopian male to win the event when last year he posted the fourth-fastest time ever with 2:10:35.

Marathon officials posted a tribute to Shumye late last night on the event Facebook page, which attracted hundreds of comments or likes within an hour.

Mr Watson said the whole marathon community was shocked.

"We're extremely sad. With such great talent as a runner, he was certainly well respected in the world," he said.

"As an Ethiopian, he was a very quiet person, as most Ethiopians are; he was very respectful and quite humble."

His marathon career began in 2008 and with much promise he won his first three races at the distance in Vercelli (Italy), Warsaw (Poland) and Beirut (Lebanon).

His lifetime best, 2:08:46, was set at the 2009 Frankfurt Marathon, where he finished fifth.

www.goldcoast.com.au

Tullow Oil Drilling in Ethiopia

Tullow Oil has begun drilling work on its concession in South Omo, Ethiopia. The British oil exploration is drilling its first well following eighteen month long seismic tests an area over 18 thousand kilometers square. The company began drilling last week on the bloc named after a local bird ‘Sabisa’.

The explorer has hired a drilling company, and all the drilling machines and other required machines have arrived at the drilling location according to sources.

It is to be remembered that the Ethiopian Ministry of Mines announced that it was in the process of facilitating visas for a Tullow drilling crew that will oversee the launch of drilling processes in October. A Full Tensor Gradiamametric Gravity Survey use to establish the geographical characteristics of the concession area was conducted by the Chinese company BGP Geo Service plc.

The process leading up to drilling is very complicated and with a range of components making it difficult to predict the outcome although Tullow officials have already informed the Ethiopian government of the presence of considerable oil reserves in the area according to a geological expert with the ministry.

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Ethiopia Moves On Mobile Money

After months of wrangling, the Ethiopian government has at last approved mobile money in the country and opened the door for banks and micro-finance institutions to provide transaction-based banking online.

 The directive aims to push Ethiopia’s economy forward, which has been largely stagnant since the passing of late President Meles Zenawi in August last year.

The move has been welcomed by economists, who believe the government’s decision will help spur growth in the East African country.

“Clients of banks and MFI’s will be able to make deposits and withdrawals through their mobile phones,” the government’s directive said.

“They can also make payments to businesses or transfer money to clients using their mobile phones.”

Record Prices for Condo Shops

Prices Beginning to Match Those of Beijing, China at least for the moment

Addis Abeba Housing Development Projects Bureau has earned 284.8 million Br from the sale of condominium shops, in Lideta, in a process that had bidders offering more than eight times the floor price.

The bid opening at the Arat Kilo Sport and Gymnasium Center  on December 8, 2012, for the Bureau’s offer, on October 30, to sell 150 shops, ranging from 20sqm to 117sqm, attracted 14,000 bidders. The Bureau subsequently announced 149 successful bidders, on Saturday, January 5, 2013.

The bidders will pay 50pc of the 284.8 million Br in advance, with the balance to be paid through the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE), with interest, over the next five years.

The record breaking offer, that beat last year’s 15,000 Br for a square meter  was 56,164 Br, or a total of 1,123,280 Br, for a 20sqm shop. The lowest offer was 12,630 Br, for a 93sqm space.

Lalibela Price Hike Angers Some Visitors

Foreign visitors to Lalibela were in for a nasty surprise on January 8, 2013, when they arrived at the holy churches and were told entrance fees had gone up by 160pc overnight.

The fee went up from 350 Br to 910 Br to visit the Lalibela churches in the Amhara Regional State, an hour’s flight from Addis Abeba.

The town of Lalibela was buzzing, with numerous people making a living from the tourism industry bracing themselves for the impact of the price increase, amidst concerns over how foreign visitors would react. Over 56,000 foreign visitors were reported to have arrived in the town, 636Km north of the capital, in 2011/12.

Lieuwe Bos, 24, a medical student who has just finished his studies and was travelling across Ethiopia with his girlfriend, was unable to pay the fees last week and did not go in.

“This is a rip-off,” said Bos, a visitor from the Netherlands. “How can they increase it just like this? This is more than three times what you pay at the Louvre in Paris, and that is the best museum in the world.”

Debo Band brings sounds of Ethiopia, much more to town

At World Cafe Live , Debo Band drew on Ethiopian pop music from the 1970s and many other sources.
The band's spirit of adventure made it a pleasing performance.

Hard-driving African music held court Saturday night at World Cafe Live. And though rhythms of Africa and its diaspora dominated the proceedings, drums had very little to do with this domination.

Debo Band, from Boston, has gone all in on the Ethiopian pop music of the 1970s, a veritable golden age of creativity in that venerable land. Though other groups, including Either/Orchestra, Debo's Hub homeboys, have done homage to this music, none is as adventurous or unabashedly traditional as Debo.
Throughout the set, it was the group's horns, which include two saxes, a trumpet, and a sousaphone, that provided an asymmetrical power, a structural framework, and a rhythmic whip to Debo's music. Arik Grier, on his Rootsesque sousaphone, was a true shape-shifter. He sometimes weighed in as backup to PJ Goodwin's serpentlike bass lines, sometimes joined the horn section in its powerful staccato blurts, and sometimes went his own way, anchoring the bass register and the rhythms at the same time.

Five Jailed for Transporting Ethiopian Immigrants

Arusha — THOUGH human trafficking cases involving people from the Horn of Africa are rife in Arusha, it is rare for local culprits who act as conduits to be arraigned.

Five Tanzanians have been sentenced to serve five years in prison for failure to pay the required individual fines of 5m/- each after the court found them guilty of transporting 96 illegal Ethiopian migrants through the Namanga border in Longido District, late last month.

The accused's case was heard at the Ngorongoro District Magistrate court last week. The accused include Said Augustino Mrembe, the owner of the Mitsubishi Fuso truck with plate numbers T-264 APV, which carried the Ethiopians, Romuald Clemence Tarimo and Samwuel Mwashingo who served as drivers and Taritoi Sarikoki Laizer, the trip supervisor and Petro Gilayado Kisima, the vehicle's conductor.

Ethiopians rule Houston Marathon, with Bazu and Merima winning men’s and women’s races

Bazu Worku

HOUSTON — Ethiopian runners withstood heavy rain Sunday to dominate the Houston Marathon and half marathon.

Bazu Worku and Merima Mohammed gave the nation a sweep of the men’s and women’s divisions of the marathon.


This was Worku’s first marathon title. He finished in 2 hours, 10 minutes, 17 seconds and won by more than two minutes. Mohammed was timed in 2:23:37 on a day when temperatures were in the 40s.

“The weather was very bad, and we had troubles with puddles,” Worku said through a translator. “I am very happy to have won.”

Ethiopia confident despite challenges

Adane Girma

They may be smaller than the Nigerians, slower than the Zambians and have fewer professional players than most rivals, but Ethiopia are committed to excelling at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

It is the first time the Horn of Africa squad has qualified for the pan-African tournament in 31 years, and though the odds might be stacked against them, the Walias Antelopes – named after an endangered antelope endemic to Ethiopia's northern mountains – are confident they will defy expectations and proceed to the knock-out stage of the tournament.

"We are going to face a lot of challenges and we have been away from the competition for a long time," striker Adane Girma told AFP.

"But we have good morale, a good mentality and we are very strong, so we can face any kind of challenge," he added, sweat glistening on his forehead after practice at the national stadium in Addis Ababa.

Ethiopia to Push Health Scorecard for African Continent

A mother quenches her malnourished child's thirst while waiting for food handouts at a health center in drought-stricken remote Somali region of Ethiopia, July 9, 2011.

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA — The Ethiopian government wants a uniform health evaluation process to be introduced in all of Africa to help reduce child deaths. The idea will be recommended during an upcoming African Child Survival Conference.

One goal of the United Nation's millennium development project is to reduce the child mortality rate in sub-Saharan Africa by two-thirds by 2015. So far the reduction has been 39%. Ethiopia stands out because it already has reached a 60% reduction in the mortality rate of children under five years old. The country is hosting a conference on child survival and will suggest ways to achieve a two-thirds goal.

The U.S. Agency for International Development, known as USAID, is a partner with the Ethiopian government on the project. USAID administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah said he hopes all African countries will adopt a scorecard that publicly collects and reports health data.

Ethiopia out to prove a point to the world and Arsene Wenger

ADDIS ABABA, Jan 12 (Reuters) - "Minnows", "rank outsiders" or, at best, a hardly flattering "unknown quantity".
These are just a few of the comments flying around about Ethiopia's prospects in next week's African Cup of Nations in South Africa in the country's first appearance in more than three decades.
Asked about his thoughts on the tournament on Friday, Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger told a news conference the Cup was an interesting platform.
"It is maybe the only international competition today where you do not know all the players," said Wenger, who has signed a number of African players in the past including Togo's Emmanuel Adebayor and Ivorian Kolo Toure.
Current Arsenal forward Gervinho will represent the Ivory Coast in South Africa.
"This time in South Africa you will have Ethiopia - if I ask you to name five Ethiopian players, I am sure you will have a problem," Wenger added.

Mapping trachoma eye infections in Ethiopia – in pictures

Teams of surveyors are mapping the spread of trachoma, which can cause blindness, in rural Ethiopia. Cases are often found in remote areas with little access to healthcare. It has taken more than 12 years to identify what is estimated to be half of the world's trachoma-endemic districts. Funded by the UK government, a consortium led by Sightsavers hopes to survey the remaining endemic districts in less than three years.

Before heading out to their allocated communities. There are 16 teams working to identify the disease in Ethiopia

The first survey started in Oromia, central Ethiopia, where 22 million people live in suspected trachoma-endemic areas. Working in teams of four, the surveyors travel to remote communities almost entirely cut off from any type of healthcare

Rasta Christ-mas held in The Bahamas

Nassau,Bahamas - The Rastafari community celebrated Christ-mas, pronounced as "Christ" and "mass", honoring the birth of Christ this January 7, along with the Eastern Orthodox churches of the world.  In the Bahamas, the Bobo Shanti held a feast at its Fire Trail Road east camp, where Rastas as well as other visitors joined in the all night celebrations.

The Bobo Shanti's church is called the Ethiopia Africa Black International Congress True Church of Divine Salvation (E.A.B.I.C.), and the Christ-mas service is one of the most important in its churchical calendar.  The service began at 8pm with the opening hymn: "Hark the Herald Angels Sing", which was followed by seven psalms and then the continuation of hymns for Christ-mas such as "O Come O Come Emmanuel".  The Bobo Shanti host their celebration services much longer than the average church, as their service can continue until the sun rises, at which time it ends only for the morning roll call service and Psalms reading, held each morning at 6am.  The all night service includes the singing of what many refer to as Negro spirituals, with choruses such as: "A little more oil in my lamp", "Roll River Jordan roll", and "I'm gonna lay down my burdens, down by the riverside".

New Picture Book Portrays “The Amazing Rescue” of a Young Child

In June 2005, a gang of kidnappers went into the homely Ethiopian town of Bita Genet and kidnapped an innocent girl, with the malicious purpose of forcing her to marry one of them. An unpredictable twist involving nature itself thwarted their plan, resulting in child’s rescue and the apprehending of the perpetrators by the authorities several days later. The Amazing Rescue is a vibrantly illustrated take on the extraordinary events, drawn and written by author Solomon G. Kitaw.

Kitaw’s work begins by showing everyday life in Bita Genet, and the mundane activities of its denizens, in particular the school children there, amidst an expansive backdrop of sweeping fields of green grass and distant mountain ranges. The idyllic tranquility of this rural community is shattered when an armed gang of outsiders intrudes upon the town. The hooligans enter the school, and take a girl named Duti by force, to the horror of the hapless townsfolk.

Ethiopian Receives an Award for Pioneering the African Renaissance from President Girma

Ethiopian Airlines is pleased to announce that it has received an award from H.E Girma Wolde Giorgis, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, for being a pioneer of the bright future of the Africa Renaissance.
Ethiopian CEO Tewolde Gebremariam received the award during a ceremony celebrating the 89th birthday and 60 years of Diamond Jubilee of the president held at the Sheraton Addis on Tuesday, January 8, 2013.
Ethiopian was given the award for continued growth and performance and for putting Ethiopia and the continent on the map by being the first airline outside of Japan to own and operate the Dreamliner.
"Ethiopian Airlines, from its beginning, has been the pride of Ethiopia and Africa. Its continued excellence and performance has always been unparalleled and contributes to the development of the continent. Ethiopian recent acquisition of the Dreamliner is the crowning jewel of its close to seven decades of operation," said President Girma presenting the award to Tewolde.

FACTBOX-Soccer-African Nations Cup finalists Ethiopia

Jan 11 (Reuters) - Factbox on African Nations Cup finalists Ethiopia ahead of this year's tournament in South Africa from Jan. 19 to Feb. 10:

Previous appearances in African Nations Cup finals: 9

Best performances: Winners in 1962; Runners-up in 1957

FIFA world ranking Dec 2012: 110

Coach:

Sewnet Bishaw will be among seven local coaches in charge of their national teams at the 2013 finals. The 60-year-old worked briefly as a club coach at Al Ahli Sanaa in Yemen but has spent most of his coaching career at a variety of Ethiopia's top clubs and has had two separate spells in charge of the national team.

Saladin Said believes in Ethiopian dreams

We have lost only one game in the last year, so I believe we can have a good tournament, God willing.
Saladin Said on Ethiopia

Later this month, Ethiopia will return for their first CAF Africa Cup of Nations appearance in 31 years, a victory in itself. However, the Walya Antelopes were drawn into a tough group that will see them face off against Burkina Faso, holders Zambia, two-time African champions Nigeria. And yet, after spectacularly upsetting Benin and Sudan in qualifying - each time on away
goals - the Ethiopians believe they can again tear up the form book and get past the first round. That, certainly, is the view of star striker Saladin Said.

Said, who plays for Egyptian side Wadi Degla, admitted that the east Africans face a daunting test in the 19 January-10 February tournament in South Africa, but he insisted Ethiopia will fight hard to earn a quarter-final berth. “Our group is very difficult. Nigeria is a big team, and so is Zambia, who won the Nations Cup the last time,” Said, who has scored nine goals in 12 international appearances, told FIFA.com. “However, our team is also strong. We have lost only one game in the last year, so I believe we can have a good tournament, God willing. We will play with the aim of reaching the next round.”

Addis Ababa Housing Agency Close to Launch 90-10 Housing Project

The Addis Ababa Urban Housing Development Agency is close to begin registration for the 90-10 housing project.

The agency offered training for data encoders to be assigned to the 116 Woreda in Addis Ababa to coordinate the registration period. It is expected that 12 encoders will be assigned to each Woreda to facilitate the registration process using Woreda net the network created for the process.

The city has upgraded the data capacity of its network system from its previous capacity of 512 MB to 2 GB in anticipation according to sources.

The three types of registration to be used in the process have been printed out for distribution to the Woredas in the coming few days.

Registration will be launched when the Mayor gives the go ahead when all the groundwork is complete said Mesfin Mengistu, General Manager of the Housing Administration and Development Agency.

The Woreda are expected to begin re-registration of those who have already registered for the 60-40 housing scheme it was said.

It is to be remembered that 90-10 and the 60-40 housing programs were introduced last July by the Ministry of Urban Development and Construction. The 90-10 scheme is intended to meet the housing needs of low income households earning less than 1 thousand birr a month.  The 60-40 plan is designed for middle income households.

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On the road in Addis Ababa

Zhou Yongsheng and his team have built many of Addis Ababa's major highways.

Efficiency and price competitiveness are key to success of Chinese enterprises, says project manager
Zhou Yongsheng has probably done more than anyone to tackle the bustling city of Addis Ababa's traffic problems.

The 41-year-old is general manager of the highways subsidiary of one of China's largest state-owned enterprises, China Communications Construction Company, and has built many of the Ethiopian capital's major highways.

"You know, in Addis Ababa, around 60 percent of the new roads have been built by me," he says with a hint of pride.

Zhou was taking time out on a Friday afternoon in his sparse office in the Bole sub-city area of the capital but there will be no weekend respite.

Road building in Addis Ababa is now a 24-7 operation, a marked contrast from when he first came to the city in 1998.

Ethiopia among the top 10 Saddest Nations in the World

The influential Forbes Magazine, has listed the country as ranking high in global index for habouring one of the world’s saddest people, saying the country’s leadership must move from corrupt practices and official profligacy to render quality leadership to the people.

This is contained in the annual development analysis index that was released on Thursday culled from the Magazine’s website, stating that citizens of the country ranked 20th amongst their
counterpart sampled across the globe, thus making the country one of the worst country to live in.

Ethiopia and Zimbabwe also shares the same unenviable position with several other African and Asian countries of the world with the war torn Central African Republic topping the chart as the country harbouring the saddest people in the globe. Below are the first 10:

1. Central African Republic

2. Republic of Congo

3. Afghanistan

4. Chad

5. Haiti

6. Burundi

7. Togo

8. Zimbabwe

9. Yemen

10. Ethopia

indepthafrica.com

Ethiopia arrests two over murder of Austrian rafter

Ethiopian police have arrested two men suspected of involvement in the murder of an Austrian rafter shot dead during an apparent robbery of his travel group, an official from the force said.

The 27-year-old man was killed as he camped on the banks of the Blue Nile river on Sunday in a remote area near Bahir Dar, about 570 km (350 miles) north of the capital Addis Ababa.

Three other Austrians on the scene were not injured, Reuters reports.

"We have caught two suspects who were found in possession of clothing, money and other items that belonged to the victims," said Solomon Mohammed, spokesperson of the regional police commission in Ethiopia's northern Amhara region.

Solomon said police were also looking into whether there was a political motive to the killing, but declined to go into details. Rebel groups are active in some of Ethiopia's remote regions, but there has been no reports of such activity recently in Amhara.

The incident occurred almost exactly a year after five Europeans, including an Austrian, were killed when their travel group was attacked in the northeastern Afar region bordering Eritrea.

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