Military Defections Continue in Ogaden (Garowe)

Reports reaching our service desk from the town of Bilcile confirm the defection of up to twenty-eight soldiers from the Ethiopian military stationed there. Full Story..

Ethiopia to open a consulate in South Sudan’s Juba (Sudan Tribune)

Aug 31, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — Ethiopian government said it will open a consulate in the capital of southern Sudan Juba, joining other neighbouring courtiers like Egypt, Kenya and Uganda. Full Story..

Anti-Ethiopia protest in northern Somalia (Garowe)

War-plagued homeland, refugee life doesn't deter pageant contestant (Magnolia)

How Israel Casts Its Dark Shadow Over Horn of Africa (Arab News)

U.S. unclear if Eritrea will allow its mediator in (Tiscali)

Grain Shortfall in HoRn of Africa (AgReport)

World donors urge power-sharing deal for Somalia (Reuters)

Horn of Africa: Effects of drought persist despite rainfall (Sudan Tribune)

Aug 28, 2006 (NAIROBI) — The March-May rainfall in most of the areas of Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia that had suffered drought was insufficient to restore food security and residents would continue to need emergency humanitarian support until the end of 2006, according to early warning agencies. Full Story..

UN warns of new Darfur disaster (BBC)

The UN's most senior humanitarian official has warned that Sudan's Darfur region faces a new humanitarian disaster owing to lack of security. Full Story..

Top leader of the Islamic courts in Somalia flies to Khartoum for peace talks (Shabelle)

Mogadishu 28, August. 06 ( Sh.M.Network) A high level delegation led by the chairman of the executive council of Somalia’s Islamic courts flew to the Sudanese capital yesterday to attend the second round of talks between the transitional federal government of Somalia and the Islamic courts. Full Story..

Eritrea fails convince AU and IGAD not to send peace keepers to Somalia (Shabelle)

Mogadishu 27, August. 06 ( Sh.M.Network) Eritrean government said to began making successive contacts with both Arab and African countries so as to convince them to renounce helping the Somali transitional federal government and to drop their decision of sending peace keeping forces to Somali to restore peace and order to the war- devastated country since 1991. Full Story..

Lethal floods bring disaster to Horn of Africa (CNN)

NAIROBI, Kenya (Reuters) -- A disastrous cycle of drought and flood has hit the Horn of Africa, bringing misery and death to some of the continent's poorest regions. Full Story..

Somali woman is flogged for drugs (BBC)

A Somali woman has been flogged in public for selling cannabis by Islamist militias who now control the capital. Full Story..

Islamists in Somalia spell doom for all (Standard)

The inexorable rise to power of extremists in Somalia raises troubling questions about the prospects of peace in East Africa and the Horn of Africa as a whole. Full Story..

Puntland leader addresses Somalia Islamists, warlords and Ethiopia (Garowe)

The president of the semiautonomous State of Puntland in northern Somalia disclosed on Thursday that Ethiopian troops are inside Puntland regions. Full Story..

Somali Islamists, foreign trainers open militia camp (Reuters)

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somalia's powerful Islamist movement opened a militia training camp on Wednesday with trainers from Eritrea, Afghanistan and Pakistan, witnesses said. Full Story..

Somalia Rulers Reopen Main Seaport (Town Hall)

The seaport in the Somali capital reopened Wednesday for the first time in 11 years, the latest sign that the city's Islamic fundamentalist rulers are trying to restore confidence after more than a decade of anarchy. Full Story..

Kenya, Ethiopia seek to end border conflicts (Standard)

Officials from Kenya and Ethiopia met on Wednesday to seek ways to end persistent cross-border conflicts. Moyale and Marsabit districts security committees held talks with a delegation from the Ethiopian Government, which accuses local residents of harbouring Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) rebels. Full Story..

US policy threatens war in Horn of Africa (World Socialist Web)

The threat of a full-scale war erupting in Somalia is now a real possibility. Ethiopian troops are congregating along the Somali border, amid allegations that the so-called Union of Islamic Courts, which now controls the capital city of Mogadishu and a growing part of the country, is being armed by Eritrea. Ethiopia and Eritrea, headed by nationalist regimes that were originally allies, fought a bloody war in 1998-2000 in which tens of thousands died. Full Story..

Ethiopia: WFP Says Flooding Far From Over - 118,000 Affected (WF)

With heavy rains continuing to pound much of Ethiopia, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said today that 118,000 people - with hundreds killed or missing - have been hit by devastating floods in the past month and warned that the numbers of displaced, homeless and severely affected could rise further. Full Story..

Sudan: Armed Youth Voluntarily Disarm in Jonglei (IRIN)

Young men eyed the 1,300 guns laid out in a field in the southern Sudanese town of Akobo. The rifles would once have been worth a fortune to these members of the Lou Nuer, who typically used weapons to defend themselves or to raid neighbouring villages. Full Story..

Somalia: Somalis Now Seek Power Sharing Deal (East African)

A major reorganisation of the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) is expected if the ongoing pursuit of a power-sharing formula succeeds. Sources close to both the TFG and the Islamic Courts Union told The EastAfrican that chances are that the post of the prime minister, currently held by Ali Mohamed Ghedi, could be given to the Islamic Court's chairman, Sheikh Shariff Ahmed, as part of the power-sharing deal. Full Story...

Islamic courts ban exporting charcoal and cutting plants

(SomaliNet) The council of Islamic Courts (CIC) controlling Somalia capital Mogadishu and other key parts in central and southern of the country has nullified on Sunday 4.5 formula in which Somali tribes shared the power. It originally initiated from the former transitional national government formed in Djibouti in 2000 and the current transitional federal government itself follow the same practice. Full Story..

South Sudan tribes lay down arms (Peninsula)

AKOBO, Sudan • More than 1,200 rusted Kalashnikovs and machine guns were laid out on a football pitch in Akobo, south-east Sudan yesterday, raising hopes that clashes that killed hundreds of people earlier this year will end. The peaceful civilian disarmament was the first of its kind in a former flashpoint of tribal violence in south Sudan where a January 2005 peace deal ended more than two decades of civil war. Full Story..

Ethiopia troops head for Baidoa (BBC)

Ethiopian troops are approaching the Somali town of Baidoa, seat of Somalia's transitional government. Full Story..

US joins Ethiopian flood battle (BBC)

US troops have joined emergency rescue operations in Ethiopia where flash floods have killed hundreds of people and left tens of thousands homeless. Full story..

Somalia: Finding an End to the Somali Crisis (IRIN)

The new rule and relative security in areas dominated by Somalia's Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) offers long-awaited humanitarian space. Full story..

Foreign-based players ‘not for Eritrea tie’ (Standard - Kenya)

Harambee Stars coach Bernard Lama says he is not keen on calling up foreign-based players for the African Nations Cup qualifying match against Eritrea on September. Full Story..

Somalia: Seven Countries to Send Troops to War-Torn Country - The Nation (Nairobi)

Seven countries yesterday resolved to deploy soldiers to keep peace in Somalia in a few weeks.
They have started revising an Operational Deployment Mission Plan for presentation to the UN Security Council to allow for the lifting of an arms embargo in the region. Full Story..

Islamists seize key Somali port: residents (Reuters)

MOGADISHU - Islamist militia took over a key port in central Somalia yesterday, expanding a territorial push from their base in Mogadishu that is denting the interim government’s aspirations to national authority. Full Story...

Ethiopia: Poor Communication Hampering Flood Response (IRIN)

Efforts to reach thousands of people displaced by floods in eastern Ethiopia have been hampered by poor communication and the pastoralist nature of those affected, an official said. Full Story..

Somalia: UN Envoy Urges Security Council to Maintain Pressure for Resumption of Talks (UN News)

The international community must maintain the United Nations arms embargo on Somalia, refrain from interfering in the strife-torn Horn of Africa country's internal affairs and urge the disputing parties there to resume dialogue, the senior UN envoy to the nation told the Security Council today. Full Story...

Eritrea: One Reported Killed in Landmine Explosion (IRIN)

The United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) is investigating landmine explosions in which two boys were reportedly wounded, one fatally, south of the Eritrean capital, Asmara. Full Story..

Ethiopia: Accused of Inactivity, Oromia Investors Lose Land (Addis Fortune)

Punishing investors accused of showing inadequate advancement in their projects, the Oromia Investment Commission has repossessed 324ht of land from 24 flower farming developers. The decision was based on Commission evaluations carried out since last May. Full Story..

Ethiopia: Flash Flood Kills 125 in the South (IRIN)

As many as 125 people were killed and at least 6,000 affected by heavy rains on Sunday night, which forced the Omo river to burst its banks and flood five villages in remote southern Ethiopia, officials said on Tuesday. Full Story..

Somalia's PM calls for ceasefire (BBC)

Somalia's interim Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Ghedi has called for a ceasefire with the Union of Islamic Courts, which controls the capital. Full Story..

Ethiopia's 2-week flood toll hits 381 (KnoxNews)

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - Torrential rains spilled a river from its banks in southern Ethiopia, killing at least 125 people as it submerged five villages, knocked down grain silos and swept away cattle, a police official said Monday. Full Story..

Somali Islamists urge Kenya to push for Ethiopian withdrawal (Sudan Tribune)

Aug 14, 2006 (MOGADISHU) — The Islamic Courts Union militia controlling key parts of Somalia have asked for Kenya’s help in ousting Ethiopian troops deployed to protect Somalia’s transitional government, Kenya’s Deputy Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula said on Monday. Full Story..

Police clash with muslim protesters in Ethiopia (Washington Post)

Read the full story here..

Ethiopia warns of Somali dangers (BBC)

Ethiopia has warned that Somalia's transitional government is in danger of being sidelined by the growth in power of the country's Islamic Courts. Full Story..

Kenya to deport suspected Ethiopian rebels

Isiolo, Kenya - Suspected Ethiopian rebels arrested in joint operations in northern Kenya will be deported to Ethiopia after serving jail terms, a local official said on Saturday. Full Story..

Somalia is on the brink of becoming the fourth front in the U.S. war on terror (Shabelle)

Somalia got Americans' attention was in October 1993, when U.S. Delta Force commandos and Army Rangers were dropped into its capital city, Mogadishu, to capture two aides of a Somali warlord. The mission was successful, but two Black Hawk helicopters were downed by Somali militia, and in the ensuing firefight, 18 Americans died. Images of an Army Ranger's body being dragged through the streets horrified U.S. households. Full Story..

Somalia: As Civilians Flee Fighting, UN Refugee Agency Warns Their Numbers Could Rise (UN News Service)

The United Nations refugee agency, which is currently caring for thousands of Somalis who fled to Kenya to escape fighting between warlords and the Union of Islamic Courts, today warned that that if violence intensifies, more will cross the border. Full Story..

Ethiopia: Army Kills 13 ONLF Mercenaries, Apprehends Others (Daily Monitor)

Ethiopia defense force killed 13 Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) mercenaries and apprehended other military officers in the eastern part of the country, Security officials said on Thursday. Full Story...

Somali path to peace said can only be curved by Africans

Addis Ababa, August 10, 2006 - In its issue Sunday Times said that the stability of the interim government in Somalia is a major concern to neighbouring countries in the Horn and the Eastern African region. Full Story..

Ethiopia's flower export earnings up 73%

Addis Ababa – Ethiopia’s flower exports grew by 73 percent during the most recent fiscal year to reach $22mn, the ministry of trade and industry has said. Full Story..

Ethiopia rebels 'ready for talks' (BBC)

Separatist rebels in Ethiopia say it is untrue that they are not willing to talk peace with the government. Ethiopian troops are currently engaged in a big operation to flush out Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) rebels near the border with Somalia. Full Story..

A region endangered by Islamists, guns and its own swelling population (Economist)

BOSSASO is an exit point from the Horn of Africa and it is bursting. This port in northern Somalia already has 300,000 people, up from 50,000 in the 1990s. More arrive each day. It is a raw place: entrepreneurial, resilient, armed to the teeth. It is also diseased, inadequate and famished. The port's champions reckon it could spread along the inky blue shore like a little Dubai, prospering on exports of livestock and frankincense. But such a future, which now looks a fantasy, depends on the stability of the Horn, which these days is looking only a little less fantastical. Full Story..

Death toll in Ethiopia's worst flood hits 254

ADDIS ABABA (AFP) - The death toll from floods in eastern Ethiopia rose to 254, making it the worst flood disaster in the impoverished Horn of Africa nation's history, officials said. Full Story..

Chad, Sudan reopen borders, resume diplomatic relations (Sudan Tribune)

Chad and Sudan have reopened their borders and resumed diplomatic relations they severed four months ago, Chad’s government spokesman has said. Full Story

Somali Cleric vows to extend power around Galkaio

Mogadishu 10, August. 06 ( Sh.M.Network) The head of Islamic supreme council Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys confirmed his militiamen reached some areas in Central Somali regions. Full Story..

Malaysian oil company to develop Kalub, Hilala natural gas reserve

Addis Ababa, August 09, 2006 (WIC) - A Malaysian Oil Company, Petronas, has reportedly won the bid for the development of the Kalub and Hilala natural gas reserve in eastern Ethiopia. Full Story...

Ethiopian Beauty Among Top Miss Universe Finalists

Ethiopia's Dina Fekadu was included among the 20 women, deemed most beautiful in the world at the 2006 Miss Universe contest. But there is more to the 21-year old from Wollega, in western Ethiopia, than beauty alone. Full Story..

Ethiopia ratifies Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty

Vienna, 9 August 2006: Ethiopia has deposited its instrument of ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) with the United Nations Secretary-General on 8 August 2006, bringing the total number of ratifications to 135. The number of ratifying States in the Africa geographical region now stands at 33. Full Story..

Ethiopian general defects to Eritrea, official says

Aug 9, 2006 (ADDIS ABABA) — An Ethiopian general has defected to his country’s bitter rival, neighboring Eritrea, an official said Wednesday. Full Story...

Somali exiles long to live in peace (BBC)

Dadaab is a city of rags. Thin branches fashioned into tent frames draped with colourful pieces of cloth, are all that shelter the people here from sand and sun in this settlement in northern Kenya, 60 km from the Somali border. Full Story..

Somalia: IGAD Warns Ethiopia, Eritrea On Meddling

The Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (Igad) has warned Eritrea and Ethiopia to stop taking unilateral actions that undermine the powerless but internationally-recognised transitional government of Somali. Full Story..

UN envoy discusses Darfur with AU, Sudan officials

The UN special envoy to Sudan held high-level talks today on Darfur with an adviser to Sudanese President Omar al Bashir and the AU special representative in Sudan. Full Story..

Anti Islamist rally in central Somalia

(SomaliNet) Anti Islamist protest attended by hundreds of people has been held on Tuesday in south of Galkaayo, capital town of Mudug region in centralSomalia where Sa’ad sub-clan of Habar-gidir clan dominate. Full Story..

Ethiopia: Reaching a Milestone, Ethiopia Hits $1 Billion in Exports (Addis Fortune)

Ethiopia's revenues from exported items surpassed the threshold of one billion dollars for the first time, thereby creating much excitement within the government circles. Full Story..

East Sudan peace talks begin, long road ahead (Sudan Tribune)

Aug 7, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — A second round of east Sudan peace talks opened late on Monday in what promises to be a long road to resolving a lingering low-level revolt in the economically important region of the country. Full Story...

Ethiopian ‘weed’ has a green future

Addis Ababa - British firm Vernique Biotech would soon commercially exploit a plant grown only in Ethiopia. Full Story..

Somalia's leaders sack government (BBC)

The leaders of Somalia's crisis-ridden interim government say they have resolved their differences and agreed to dissolve the cabinet. Full Story..

Hundreds dead, missing in Ethiopia (China Post)

Nearly 200 people are dead and hundreds more missing after floods swept through an eastern Ethiopian town over the weekend, police said on Monday. Full Story..

Ethiopia, World Bank sign $289 mln loan, grant agreement (Sudan Tribune)

Aug 7, 2006 (ADDIS ABABA) — Loan and grant agreements totally amounting to 29.7 million U.S. dollars were signed here on Monday between the Ethiopian government and the World Bank, according to a press release on Monday. Full Story..

Ethiopia Continues Efforts of Ensuring Interests of Somali People (Ethiopian Herald)

The Ministry of Information has called for further consolidation of efforts launched to stop the Eritrean government-backed extremist forces in Mogadishu, who are engaged in destabilizing the Horn of Africa region. Full Story..

Somali leaders resolve their rift (Baltimore Sun)

Associated Press
Originally published August 7, 2006
MOGADISHU, Somalia // Aided by an Ethiopian mediator, the leaders of Somalia's weak, U.N.-backed government have resolved their differences over how to deal with an increasingly strong Islamic militia that controls much of the south, officials said yesterday. Full Story..

EU mulls action against Eritrea (BBC News)

The European Commission is considering action against Eritrea in protest at food aid being sold, and the proceeds used for government work programmes. Full Story..

Sudan: Darfur Rebel Leader to Be Honoured in Khartoum (IRIN)

The chairman and commander-in-chief of the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) in Darfur, Minni Minnawi, is expected to arrive in Khartoum on Saturday to be sworn in as assistant to President Umar al-Bashir. Full Story..

US supports Ethiopia's defending for Somali government.

MarkaCadey) - US secretary state official Moccmeck says “according to the international law US will support every step towards Ethiopia's defending for Somali government. Full Story..

Somali leaders reach consensus on dealing with Islamists (Sudan Tribune)

Aug 6, 2006 (MOGADISHU) — Somalia’s three top leaders have resolved their differences over how the transitional government should respond to the rise of Islamic militants, who now control most of the country’s south, officials said Sunday. Full Story..

Scores killed in Ethiopia floods (BBC News)

Almost 200 people are reported to have died after a river burst its banks and floodwaters swept through the city of Dire Dawa in eastern Ethiopia. Full Story..

Eritrea denies Somalia a proxy battleground with Ethiopia (Sudan Tribune)

Aug 4, 2006 (NAIROBI) — Eritrea yesterday denied charges it is backing Islamists in Somalia to fight a proxy war with arch-rival Ethiopia, which has sent troops to support the weak Somali government. Full Story..

Sudan: Deaths of Aid Workers Threaten Darfur Operations (IRIN)

Escalating violence in the volatile Darfur region has left more aid workers dead over the past two weeks than during all the previous years of conflict, jeopardising one of the world's largest aid operations, a United Nations official said on Thursday. Full Story..

Ethiopia attacking Ogaden rebels (BBC News)

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi says his government has been conducting "military sweeps" against rebels in Ethiopia's Somali region. Full Story..

Islamists tightening their grip on a lawless Somalia (Times Online)

The crackle of automatic gunfire echoes through the potholed streets where donkey carts deliver water, firewood and qat, a mild narcotic chewed by the city’s militiamen. Full Story..

Increased insecurity hampers medical assistance in Darfur - MSF (Sudan Tribune)

Aug 3, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) medical activities in Sudan’s troubled region are suspended on the ground because of the volatile security situation. Full Story..

It’s end of the political party (East African Standard)

The political party as an instrument in governance is dead in Kenya, political scientists have said.
Tom Mboya The parties neither have ideologies nor structures that can survive party founders, according to political scientists Adams Oloo, Prof Njuguna Ng’ethe and Prof Peter Wanyande.
Full Story..

Comparing Issayas and Mugabe (Awate) By Nunu Kidane

This may seem like a mindless task, comparing which of the two is more evil than the other, but bear with me…there are some lessons here.
While the West is busy demonizing Mugabe, president of Zimbabwe, we hear relatively little of the deeds of our dear President. Read More..

29 ministers leave Somali government (CNN)

BAIDOA, Somalia (AP) -- Somali leaders were struggling to regroup Wednesday after 29 politicians left the government, saying the virtually powerless administration should reconcile with Islamic militants who have taken over the capital. Full Story..

UNMEE press briefing notes 03 Aug 2006 (ReliefWeb)

MILITARY:
General Overview
The military situation in the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) and Adjacent Areas is stable but tense. Routine troops movements have been noticed on both the Ethiopian and Eritrean sides. The ban imposed by the Eritrean Government on UNMEE helicopters is still in place. Read More..

Somali MPs ready to go to talks (BBC News)

Members of Somalia's interim parliament are ready to travel to Sudan for more peace talks with Islamic courts that control the capital, Mogadishu. Full Story..

Meles says motive of Eritrea is destabilizing East Africa

Addis Ababa, August 02, 2006 (WIC) - The motive of Eritrea in arming the Mogadishu based Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) is its desire to disrupt the prevailing peace in the Horn of Africa, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi told the BBC. Full Story..

Why Ethiopia is on war footing? (BBC News)

The history of Somalia and Ethiopia is marred by distrust, animosity and war. Suspicion of neighbouring expansionism and political extremism is deeply rooted in both states.
Reports that Ethiopian troops have crossed Somalia's border and setup camp in Baidoa, home to the weak Somali transitional government, will not surprise seasoned observers of the often stormy relationship between the Horn of Africa rivals. Read More..