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N° 1234
15/03/2008
The Indian Ocean Newsletter
The Prime Ministerial palace in Addis Ababa
was the subject of particularly improved
surveillance last week. Soldiers wearing red
berets were on guard every 5 metres.
Additional soldiers were seen leaving the
building in two trucks on their way to the
defence ministry.
This heightened tension could be linked to
the combats with the Ogaden National
Liberation Front (ONLF) rebels at the end of
February and early March in the south east
of the country, which resulted in a large
number of casualties in the ranks of the
government army.
Addis
Ababa
N° 1234 15/03/2008
The Indian Ocean Newsletter
The number three in the Ethiopian ministry
of security, Tariku Sedo, died in a road
accident on 25 February while returning to
Addis Ababa from Debre Zeit/Bishoftu where
he was supervising the security measures for
the federal government decision to take
direct control of certain local zones,
withdrawing them from the authority of the
Oromiya Regional State. His body was buried
very soon afterwards, sparking off rumours
that he had been murdered.
However, Tariku Sedo is loyal to the
Ethiopian regime and was the head of
security in the south region of country for
ten years. A few weeks ago, the head of the
National Electoral Board (NEB), Merga Beqana,
also had a car accident on the same road and
had to spend time in hospital.
Abune Samuel
N° 1234 15/03/2008
The Indian Ocean Newsletter
The Auxilliary Bishop of the Ethiopian
Orthodox Church (EOC) in Addis Ababa is a
hair’s breadth from dissenting with the
Church’s Patriarch, Abune Paulos. Abune
Samuel received the support of three other
important dignitaries in the EOC in his
protest against the recent practice of
placing a photo of Abune Paulos in all the
Orthodox churches in the country.
Abune Samuel also raised the issue of the
$430,000 Hummer 4x4 that Abune Paulos wants
for himself that is being bought using the
congregation’s offerings, even though he
already has a bullet proof car at his
disposal. If this dissidence gains ground,
Abune Samuel could get into trouble with the
Ethiopian government, since Abune Paulos is
closely allied to it. |
