Current Events

As my post for today, I’ve decided to be a bit riské and talk about politics and current events. As you all know, this is a very powerful time in the world today. Apart from the craziness going on in Pakistan, Kenya, and the presidential race, we also have the continuous problems in Iraq, global warming, and the economy. But all of that is insignificant when compared to today’s topic: The ongoing crisis in Ethiopia where reporters without borders write a letter to the Prime Minister about the government’s refusal to license two new newspapers.

From allAfrica:

Reporters Without Borders wrote to Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi yesterday asking him to reconsider the information ministry’s refusal to approve applications made by three journalists to register two new weekly newspapers, Lualawi and Habesha.

The requests for licenses were submitted in September by Serkalem Fasil, the former editor of three weeklies that are now closed (Menelik, Asqual and Satenaw), her husband Eskinder Nega, the former owner of the now dissolved Serkalem Publishing Enterprise, and Sisay Agena, the former publisher of Ethiop, another weekly that was forced to close.

I know!  How harsh!  I can’t believe none of the liberal/corporate media have reported this!  I feel bad for staying silent on this ongoing crisis for so long.  So many of my readers have sent me gigabytes of messages, asking why I haven’t covered it so far…  Back to the article:

“The release of journalists and government opponents in 2007 was a significant step towards national reconciliation and the healing of the wounds caused by the violent protests against the election results in November 2005,” the letter said. “With the prospect of another election in 2008, we would like to point out that, just as political pluralism is essential for democracy, so media pluralism offers everyone a platform to express themselves legally and thereby helps to safeguard public order and social peace.”

When the three journalists filed their applications, all the legal requirements had been met and the licences should have been issued within a few hours. However, a ministry employee told them their case required detailed examination and that they would get a reply by 25 October.

This deadline was not met. Instead, they were given an appointment for 1 November with the promise that the head of the licensing department, Zemedkun Tekle, would receive them in person. On 1 November, they were told the meeting had been cancelled and that they would be notified of the ministry’s decision by phone. They finally learned on 1 January that the ministry had refused their applications without any explanation.

Aside from slavery, apartheid, genocides in Sudan, children being abducted and mutilated, parents being burned alive, the torture of the diamond/chocolate/coffee trade, racial and religious intolerance, and the devastation of AIDS, nothing has hurt Africa worse than this.

I just hope the world doesn’t ignore this… before it’s too late.

As my post for today, I’ve decided to be a bit riské and talk about politics and current events. As you all know, this is a very powerful time in the world today. Apart from the craziness going on in Pakistan, Kenya, and the presidential race, we also have the continuous problems in Iraq, global…