Hundreds of Ethiopian-Israelis Rejecting Mandatory Military Service In Protest of Institutional Racism

By David Love

Israel Defense Forces – Standing Guard in Nablus
(From Wikimedia Commons)

In Israel, hundreds of citizens of Ethiopian descent are refusing to serve reserve duty in the Israel Defense Forces, citing racial discrimination by the Israeli government in various state agencies, including the police.

As David Sheen reported in the San Francisco Bay View, more than 300 Ethiopian Jews have made the decision to refuse any military order to report for duty, including soldiers from all Israel Defense Forces infantry brigades and specialized commando units. As long as the nation fails to respect their civil rights, these Black “refuseniks” say they will fail to respect their obligations to the state.

“So, let me get this straight: If my rights don’t exist, why should I have to do reserve duty?” asked Avishai Malson Tzaghon, an Ethiopian Israeli, in a video interview with the Bay View. “Our issue is not with the army. We are not saying that the army is the problem. It’s the state. The army is an arm of the state. We say to the state that we are starting off by no longer doing reserve duty.” Tzaghon said he also may stop fulfilling other obligations.

“As long as the policy of discrimination and exclusion and disparaging treatment towards Ethiopian émigrés does not change, don’t bother talking to us about doing reserve duty,” refusenik Jajaw Bimro said.

Like people of African descent in other white-dominated nations, Ethiopian Israelis experience racism in their daily lives. Tebeka, a legal aid society that provides free legal services to Ethiopian Israelis, strives to help in combating it. Racial discrimination affects all Israelis of Ethiopian origin, says Fentahun Assefa-Dawit, Tebeka’s executive director, particularly those who were born and/or raised in Israel, served in the army and now want to be an equal part of Israeli society.

Fentahun Assefa-Dawit, Executive Director, Tebeka

“And with that, there was some grievance, discontent and even anger about why these young people who served in the army should be treated differently than any others,” Assefa-Dawit told Atlanta Black Star, “because in the army, they are committed, they serve the country and fulfill their duties as citizens here In Israel.” He said only a “small number” of Ethiopian Israelis have refused to serve.

In Israel, all able-bodied 18-year-olds are required to serve in the military, men serving for three years and women for two, though there are religious exemptions. While there were very few secular draft dodgers in years past, in recent years, the number of Israelis declining to serve has increased to 28 percent among men and 42 percent among women, according to the Bay View.

Some of those rejecting further service are in fact already in the military. According to the Israeli nongovernmental organization Breaking the Silence, some combat veterans who were stationed in the Occupied Territories and charged with controlling the daily lives of the Palestinian population have refused to return to duty. In an effort to end the racist occupation, the organization has compiled testimony from 1,000 veterans who have witnessed the human-rights abuses that have resulted because of it.

“Soldiers who serve in the Territories witness and participate in military actions that change them immensely. Cases of abuse towards Palestinians, looting and destruction of property have been the norm for years but are still explained as extreme and unique cases,” the group says on its website. “While this reality is known to Israeli soldiers and commanders, Israeli society continues to turn a blind eye and to deny what is done in its name.”

Assefa-Dawit said that the institutional racism facing Israel’s Black Ethiopian population as a whole “includes discrimination, violence, racism in policing and excessive policing. It includes discrimination in public places, in universities and colleges, and everywhere.” He did say, however, that there has been heightened awareness of racism and discrimination toward Ethiopian Israelis and movement to improve the situation over the past few years.

Tahunia Rubel, an Ethiopian-born Israeli model and actress, put it bluntly: “Israel is one of the most racist countries in the world,” Rubel said in an article in the daily newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, where she criticized Israeli society, government and police. “People in Israel find it strange to see an Ethiopian woman who behaves like an Israeli.”

Ethiopian-Israeli journalist Revital Iyov echoed Rubel’s sentiment in a commentary in the newspaper Haaretz. She made particular note of the dual oppression Ethiopian women face in Israel, pointing out that Rubel herself has received racist comments from white Israelis who called her “a disgusting African” and told her to “Go back to Ethiopia.”

The journalist condemned the rampant racism in Israel, stating that minorities are accepted only if they remain quiet, stop complaining and show gratitude. “Israel commits racist crimes” Iyov said. “A prominent example is the police violence during the demonstrations by young Ethiopian men and women a year ago. Another example is the investigation that revealed the pressure on Ethiopian women to receive shots of the birth control hormone Depo-Provera before immigrating.”

In addition to facing discrimination in employment, housing and other facets of daily life — even having their blood thrown in the trash when they donate, as the Bay View reported — Ethiopian Israelis also experience harassment from law enforcement. In August, Israeli Police Chief Roni Alsheich claimed publicly that it is natural for police to be more suspicious of Ethiopians because immigrants commit more crimes, according to Haaretz.

Ethiopian-Israelis protest (Wikimedia Commons)

The trigger that led to a wave of mass demonstrations among Black Israelis was the unprovoked attack and detention by two white police officers of Damas Pakada, a Black IDF soldier, in April 2015, Fssefa-Dawit told ABS. Calling it the “straw that broke the camel’s back,” Assefa-Dawit said that single incident mobilized the Ethiopian community, leading Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form an inter-ministerial committee. The committee, of which Assefa-Dawit is a member, made 53 recommendations to eradicate racism in Israel, 17 of which were directly related to police violence.

“We started another process with the police themselves where we demanded the police go out and announce that there is racism and discrimination against Ethiopian Israelis, that there is police violence against Ethiopian Israelis,” Assefa-Dawit said. “The police chief acknowledged that and we came forward with a list of demands to the chief of police.”

Those demands included introducing body cameras to the police force (15,000 Israeli police officers will wear them), controlling and monitoring the use of tasers by police, mass recruitment of Ethiopian-Israelis to the police force and among higher-ranking police officers, and language accessibility during interrogation.

“When teenagers are being interrogated, the parents have to be present. But what good will it do if the parents do not understand the language?” Assefa-Dawit said, noting that during interrogations involving Ethiopian Israelis, police must now have an interpreter or a bilingual officer present who speaks Amharic. Police also have agreed to begin the process of writing a code of conduct for officers to improve trust with the community.

While Assefa-Dawit said change is taking place — the number of Black police officers is increasing, the police force is recruiting lawyers and academics, and Ethiopian Israelis are now among those training police officers — much more must be done. Yet, he believes the police have reached a “point of no return” in understanding they must address the public’s mistrust of police, increase their cultural sensitivity and improve their image, which is low among the Ethiopian Israeli, Haredi (Orthodox) and Palestinian communities.

“I want to hold accountable the Israeli government, the Israeli society for the values they say they have,” Assefa-Dawit said. “I want them to look in the mirror and know what they are doing is wrong, and stand up for their declared values.” He also said that the reforms stemming from the Ethiopian Israeli community will ultimately benefit the entire society.

In the meantime, Assefa-Dawit wants his people to believe in themselves. He wants them to take action, make the system responsive and know that they are as good as — if not better than — any white person.

“Yes, there is racism and discrimination. Yes, we have to come up with a solution to eradicate it, and we do that by being stronger,” Assefa-Dawit said, urging Ethiopian Israelis to project strength and confidence, as they will be treated accordingly.

Ultimately, Assefa-Dawit said the Ethiopian Israeli community wants less violence against them and more Black people serving on the police force and as high-ranking officers. “Demonstrations are important to reach a solution, but demonstrations are not going to be an aim,” he said. “They are a tool to achieve an end, to make life better, to reach justice and equality.”

Russian Military Plane Headed For Syria ‘Disappears From Radar’

AFP

Which Country Has More Nuclear Arsenal?

By Tom O’Connor International Business Times

President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin both expressed their support for expanding their respective nations’ nuclear capabilities in separate statements on Thursday.

The Russian leader told an annual meeting with his chiefs of defense that the Russian arsenal was already capable of overcoming any potential aggressors, but that nuclear expansion should be a goal for the upcoming year. Later that same day, Trump tweeted his desire to “greatly strengthen and expand” the U.S.’ nuclear capability until “the world came to its sense” on nuclear warfare.

Both Washington and Moscow control two of the largest nuclear arsenals in the world. The United Nation’s 1968 Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty recognizes only five countries as being nuclear-weapon states, which represent the five permanent members of the National Security Council – the United States, Russia, China, the U.K. and France. Other countries, such as Pakistan, India and North Korea, have openly developed and detonated nuclear weapons despite not signing the treaty. Israel has intentionally hidden its nuclear program, maintaining a policy known as “nuclear ambiguity” or “nuclear opacity” through which it neither confirms nor denies its nuclear capabilities.

Nine countries in total were believed to possess nuclear weapons. Nations often keep the precise number of nuclear armaments they possess confidential, but leading experts have compiled figures estimating just how many nuclear weapons there are out there and who has them. As the two largest nuclear-capable countries consider expanding their arsenals, here’s a look at the existing state of affairs:

#1 Russia

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A deactivated Soviet-era SS-4 medium range nuclear capable ballistic missile is displayed at La Cabana fortress in Havana, Oct. 15, 2012. Photo: Reuters

Putin was not lying when he said Russia’s nuclear arsenal overshadowed its opponents. Russia is believed to possess 7,300 weapons in total. Moscow detonated its first nuclear weapon in 1949, soon after the end of World War II and during the early stages of the Cold War with the U.S. The nuclear arms race was a primary area of competition between the two countries and partially responsible for the vast size of their nuclear arsenals today.

#2 United States 

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An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launches during an operational test from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, Feb. 25, 2016. Photo: Reuters

With an estimated 6,970 nuclear weapons, the U.S. is not far behind Russia. The country’s modernized military, which easily dominates in number and quality of aircraft carriers, also gives the U.S. a distinct tactical advantage. The U.S. was the first nation to develop nuclear weapons and the only nation to have ever conducted nuclear warfare, launching two atomic weapons on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 during World War Two, killing an estimated 225,000 people and injuring many more.

#3 France

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France’s missile M51 soars into the air during its first test in Biscarosse Nov. 9, 2006.Photo: Reuters

France hasn’t let the end of the Cold War keep it from stockpiling up to 300 nuclear weapons, the largest stockpile in Western Europe. France conducted its first nuclear test in 1960 and, despite eliminating about half of its nuclear arsenal since the late 1980s, the country has pushed for more nuclear deterrent cooperation with the U.K.

#4 China

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A Chinese man sits beside a Chinese Hongqi-2 missile at an exhibition room in Beijing’s Military Museum July 16, 2005. Photo: Reuters

China boasts the largest nuclear arsenal in Eastern Asia, with around 260 warheads. Beijing’s communist government began pursuing nuclear technology soon after taking over in 1949 and conducted its first nuclear test in 1964. Since then, China has advocated for disarmament and expressed Friday that it was “paying close attention” to Trump’s rhetoric on the matter.

#5 United Kingdom

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An officer poses in the weapons storage compartment on board the nuclear-powered and nuclear-capable HMS Vigilant at Her Majesty’s Naval Base, Clyde on Jan. 21, 2016.Photo: Getty Images

The U.K.’s political players have questioned the future of the nation’s estimated 215 nuclear weapons. The country’s close relationship with the U.S. and popular support for non-proliferation have led some to speculate as to whether the country’s nuclear arsenal was necessary to maintain. Hawks, however, say that Russia’s military expansion mean the possession of nuclear weapons is as relevant as ever.

#6 Pakistan 

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Scientists, engineers and army personnel pose for a photograph before the test flight of a Hatf-VI (Shaheen-II) missile, with a range of 2,000 1,242 miles, in Pakistan April 21, 2008. Photo: Reuters

Pakistan is thought to maintain around 130 nuclear weapons. The nation’s nuclear history began in 1972 when then Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto urged politicians to support such a program to defend against its southern rival, India, which had also pursued nuclear weapons. The Pakistani-Indian conflict has been widely considered a flashpoint for nuclear warfare and border skirmishes between the new countries often raise fears of all-out war. Pakistan has rejected to adopt the “no first-use” policy, allowing it to respond to Indian aggression with nuclear warheads. However, analysts have said the dire consequences and close proximity of the nations make this an unlikely outcome.

#7 India

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A surface-to-surface Agni V missile is launched from the Wheeler Island off the eastern Indian state of Odisha April 19, 2012. Photo: Reuters

India possesses about 120 nuclear weapons, according to experts. India conducted its first nuclear test in 1974 and did not detonate another until 1998. Unlike its rival Pakistan, India has adopted a “no first-use” policy, meaning it would not launch nuclear strikes unless it was clear that the other side would attack first. Still, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhary said last year that nuclear warfare against Pakistan was not off the table. Some analysts say that, despite the tense situation between India and Pakistan, their nuclear arsenals actually deter war. Others have argued that they allow the possibility of mass destruction.

#8 Israel

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Map of suspected nuclear facilities in Israel. With illustrations and statistics on Israel’s missiles, March 9, 2010. Photo: Reuters

Israel deliberately maintains a shroud of secrecy over what’s believed to be an arsenal of about 80 nuclear warheads. In the 1950s, Tel Aviv pursued a top secret campaign to acquire parts necessary for nuclear development with confidential help from France. Not even Israel’s greatest ally, the U.S., was fully made aware of Tel Aviv’s nuclear aspirations. Israel has rejected inspections of its Dimona facilities from the International Atomic Energy Agency and only allows limited access to Washington. Israel’s nuclear capabilities have angered its Arab neighbors, some of which faced significant international criticism for pursuing nuclear warheads in the past and have threatened to walk out on current treaties if Israel maintains its arsenal.

#9 North Korea

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A rocket is launched during a demonstration of a new large-caliber multiple rocket launching system attended by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (not pictured) at an unknown location, in this undated file photo released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on March 22, 2016. Photo: Reuters

Unlike Israel, North Korea has been eager to show off its nuclear arsenal, estimated at fewer than 10 warheads. The reclusive, authoritarian state carried out its first nuclear explosion in 2006 and has conducted four more tests since. Pyongyang’s aggressive nuclear rhetoric has concerned its rivals, especially its southern neighbor South Korea, which North Korea routinely threatens. The nation’s nuclear program has also made it a target of severe international sanctions, which even its greatest ally China has signed on to.

Why Did Gondar Revolt?

 | The Guardian

From uneven development to authoritarian government, the morass of issues facing the city of Gondar offer a snapshot of Ethiopia’s wider problems

A coach torched by protesters during anti-government unrest in Gondar, Ethiopia
A coach torched by anti-government protesters in Gondar, Ethiopia. 

In Gondar, a city in Ethiopia’s northern highlands, a lone tourist pauses to take a photo of a fortress built more than two centuries ago. Nearby, past a row of gift shops, lies the wreck of a coach torched during unrest in August.

Gondar, known as “Africa’s Camelot”, was once the centre of the Ethiopian empire – at a time when that empire was defined mainly by Amhara traditions.
Today, the city is facing new tensions that have a complex history. A territorial dispute between elites here in the Amhara region and those in neighbouring Tigray has been simmering for at least 25 years.

Tigrayans have been accused by opponents of wielding undue influence over Ethiopia’s government and security agencies since 1991. In recent months, these and other grievances have led to protests, strikes, vandalism and killings in Gondar, causing a drastic reduction in foreign visitors to the tourism-dependent city and an exodus of fearful Tigrayans.

Shops and schools have reopened in Gondar, after the authorities reasserted control in urban areas by declaring a state of emergency on 8 October. But sporadic clashes with the military continue in the countryside.
“We don’t feel like it is our country. We feel like it is the time when the Italians invaded. We are like second-class citizens,” says a prosperous local businessman. Like all interviewees, he requested anonymity due to fear of reprisals from the authorities. Europeans never colonised Ethiopia, but Mussolini’s army occupied the country from 1936 to 1941.

Gondar’s predicament is a microcosm of Ethiopia’s: a toxic brew of uneven development, polarised debate amid a virtual media vacuum, contested history, ethnic tensions, a fragmented opposition and an authoritarian government. Ethiopia’s rulers show few signs of being able to solve the morass of problems, which many believe the government itself caused.

Trouble began in Gondar in July 2015, when word went around that the authorities intended to arrest Col Demeke Zewdu, a former rebel and retired military officer.When security forces tried to arrest Zewdu, who is a member of a committee campaigning over the contested Wolkait territory, armed Amharas protected him and several people, including security officers, were killed.

Wolkait is an administrative district in Tigray that borders Amhara. The committee says Wolkait and others areas were taken out of Gondar’s control by the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front in 1992, when Ethiopia was divided into a federation along ethno-linguistic lines. Allied rebels led by the TPLF, who unseated a military regime in 1991, introduced the system and still monopolise power.

Critics of the committee point out that a 1994 census found more than 96% of the people of Wolkait were Tigrayan , and that the complaints of annexation stem from the town of Gondar, not the district itself. The activists say the TPLF moved Tigrayans into the area during the rebellion.

The issue struck a chord in Gondar. After Demeke’s arrest, rural militiamen paraded through the city on 31 July, firing bullets into the air during a large, peaceful demonstration. It is thought that the demonstration was facilitated by the Amhara wing of the TPLF-founded Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) – a four-party coalition that, along with allied organisations, controls all the country’s legislative seats.

A Tigrayan lecturer at Gondar University said he abhors Ethiopia’s ethnicised politics and believes jostling between the Amhara and Tigrayan EPRDF wings lay behind the Gondar violence. The TPLF is the predominant party in the EPRDF, and Amhara National Democratic Movement politicians are seeking greater power, he said. “I don’t believe in parties which are organised on ethnicity. I prefer it to be based on the individual.” An end to ethnic politics would make a resolution of the Wolkait issue possible, he believes.

Among activists from Amhara, disavowal of the ethnicity-based system is at the crux of disagreements over how to oppose the EPRDF. Because federalism formally protects the rights of communities marginalised during previous eras, when Ethiopia was a unitary state, promoting national unity at the expense of ethnic autonomy is often cast as regressive.

Groups promoting Amhara identity within a democratised federation are therefore at odds with those focused on national cohesion, according to Wondwesen Tafesse, a commentator on Amhara issues. “Since most diaspora Amharas support Ethiopianist political parties, they seem to have this fear in the back of their mind that a resurgent Amhara nationalism, and the possible emergence of a strong Amhara political organisation, might undermine their political designs,” said Wondwesen.

In the weeks after Demeke’s detainment, there was more unrest, amid allegations that Tigrayan businesses were being targeted and Tigrayans attacked. People in Gondar say the companies were targeted because of their connections with the regime, rather than the owners’ ethnicity.

Amba Giorgis town in the North Gondar district of Ethiopia’s Amhara region
Amba Giorgis town in the North Gondar district of Ethiopia’s Amhara region. A territorial dispute has recently caused clashes between farmers and the military

Unrest in Amhara was preceded by protests by the Oromo, Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group, who also complain of marginalisation and repression. In response, the government has reshuffled officials – and intensified repression. During the state of emergency, the government has sent at least 24,000 people to camps for indoctrination under rules that allow the suspension of due process. According to the Association for Human Rights in Ethiopia, security forces killed some 600 demonstrators over the past year.

Since the beginning of November, a new federal cabinet has been announced and similar changes made in the Amhara government. But while maladministration and corruption were tagged as the pre-eminent problems, there is little evidence of officials being punished, or of policy reforms. An Amhara government spokesman said systemic changes were not required.

In August, on the outskirts of Gondar near Demeke’s neighbourhood, a crowd looted Baher Selam hotel. It was targeted following a rumour that the Tigrayan security officers allegedly involved in the operation to arrest the colonel were staying there.

Near the wrecked hotel, an elderly lady was roasting coffee beans. On the morning of the incident she was coming home from church when she heard gunshots.Business has since declined and large numbers of unemployed young people have been mobilised against the government, she said.

People here believe Wolkait was part of Gondar throughout history. “If they take that place, where else are they going to take?” the woman asked. “The situation is not going to go back to normal. If you light a match, it’s small – but it can burn a whole area.”

Here is a joke-Arabs helping Ethiopia!

Egypt-Gulf relations tested by Saudi visit to Ethiopia dam

A Saudi visit to Ethiopia and a tweet falsely attributed to a Qatari official have harmed relations between Cairo and Gulf monarchies

Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir and Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry at a meeting in Jeddah in 2015 (AFP)

Egyptian media lashed out at Saudi Arabia over a high-level Saudi delegation visit to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) during a short trip to Ethiopia on Friday. Experts said the decision to visit the GERD was an act of revenge against Egypt that could deepen tensions between the two countries.

Ahmed al-Khateeb, a senior adviser at the Saudi royal court and board chairman of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), visited the site and met Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and other officials to discuss GERD’s construction project.

Khateeb’s trip came after the Saudi agriculture minister visited Ethiopia last week, making it the second visit by a Saudi official to Addis Ababa in less than a week.

‘You will soon hear that we have the capacity to intervene in the Gulf region’s affairs and provide support for the royals who oppose current Saudi policies’

– Tarek Fahmy, Egyptian professor

On Saturday, Egyptian news commentator Mohamed Ali Khayr called on Riyadh to “review its policies before it can only blame itself for what ensues”.

“Egypt is not obliged to continue to contain its reactions towards Saudi Arabia… any interference [by Saudi Arabia] in the GERD project implies a direct threat to Egypt’s national security,” he said on Egyptian TV.

Khayr went as far as accusing Saudi policy makers of being “amateurs” that have caused bilateral relations between the two countries to completely break down as a result of this visit.

On Saturday, Ahmed Moussa, another journalist, threatened Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states that if they were to invest in Ethiopia, their investment would be lost in the Nile.

Workers build the Grand Renaissance Dam near the Sudanese-Ethiopian border (AFP)

Moussa continued to condemn the visit over his talk show on Sada al-Balad, an Egyptian satellite TV channel.

“The GERD will not last forever, a volcano might erupt at any moment. So for those looking to invest billions [of dollars] in this project, your money might as well be going to waste,” said Moussa.

‘Egypt has many cards’

Egyptian media personalities were joined in their denunciation of the Saudi visit by several academics who voiced strong criticisms against the Gulf state for its policy.

“You will soon hear that we [Egypt] have the capacity to intervene in the Gulf region’s affairs and provide support for the royals who oppose current Saudi policies,” Tarek Fahmy, a lecturer at the American University in Cairo, told viewers of Sada al-Balad on Saturday.

Fahmy warned Saudi Arabia that Egypt’s patience is waning and that Cairo will no longer accept actions that threaten its national security.

“Egypt has many cards to pressure Saudi Arabia, which we have yet to use,” Fahmy said.

However, he added that Cairo wanted to continue its friendly relations with its “siblings in the Gulf”.

Meanwhile, Egyptian political science professor Hassan Nafaa told Daily News Egypt on Sunday that the visit was an indirect message from Saudi Arabia that it could align itself with anyone if Egypt does not comply with Saudi foreign policy.

Nafaa said the visit will likely increase tensions in Saudi-Egyptian relations, saying that Cairo would not be tolerating Saudi’s implicit support for the GERD.

Many Eyptians fear that the waters of the Nile will drop with the opening of the Ethiopia dam (AFP)

The 6,000-megawatt GERD, which is not yet 70 percent complete, is situated close to Ethiopia’s border with Sudan. While Ethiopia hopes it will be able to export energy generated by the dam, Egypt has long expressed concerns that the dam might reduce the amount of Nile water it receives, thus affecting its main source of irrigation water.

Relations between Cairo and Riyadh have soured since Egypt voted in favour of a UN Security Council draft resolution by Russia regarding the Syrian civil war.

Egypt took an opposing position to Saudi Arabia by choosing to support the Syrian government and army against rebel fighters – Saudi’s envoy to the UN described Egypt’s vote as “painful”.

Since the vote, the Saudi ministry of petroleum said that Aramco, the Saudi state-owned oil company, has suspended its oil aid to Egypt but that the five-year agreement is still in effect.

Egyptian officials, including President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and foreign minister Sameh Shoukry, have repeatedly denied any tension with Saudi Arabia.

Qatari-Egyptian relations shaken

As Egypt’s alliance with Saudi Arabia continues to deteriorate, bilateral relations with Qatar have also been tested in a new series of obstacles.

Tensions grew after a Qatari national wrote on Twitter that Qatar will no longer be issuing work permits for Egyptians.

“Qatar has been extremely patient in regard to Egypt’s ‘dirty’ policies. It is now time for payback,” he added in the tweet.

After the tweet was mistakenly ascribed to deputy Qatari minister of trade Sultan bin Rashed al-Khater, news of Qatar’s “new policies” spread across Egyptian media platforms with Egyptian commentators condemning the alleged move as an official decision to deny Egyptians entry into the Gulf state.

‘Circulating information without verifying it has resulted in disastrous ramifications’

– Jaber al-Qarmouty, Egyptian commentator

Spokesperson for the Egyptian prime ministry, Ashraf Sultan, issued a statement denying that Egyptian labourers had been expelled from Saudi Arabia and Qatar and confirming that the news was only a rumour.

In a television interview on Egyptian satellite TV channel Alassema 2, Sultan said: “We are completely transparent when it comes to information we receive. Any changes would be communicated directly to you all.”

Sultan said citizens should verify information before circulating it to avoid the spread of rumours such as this, it was reported by Elwehda news website.

At the same time, the minister of manpower, Mohamed Saafan, denied reports that Qatar had decided to reject applications by Egyptians for work permits, adding that there were 150,000 Egyptians working in Qatar at the moment.

Saafan said he met with the Qatari minister of labour on Thursday to discuss the rights of Egyptian workers in Qatar, highlighting that Egyptian-Qatari relations continue to be fully respectful.

Meanwhile, Egyptian commentator Jaber al-Qarmouty condemned the Egyptian media for circulating the tweet and building false reports upon it.

“Circulating information without verifying it has resulted in disastrous ramifications, which in this case can only be considered a slap in the face of Egyptian media personalities,” Elwehda news website quoted Qarmouty as saying.

Relations between Qatar and Egypt have been shaken since Doha showed support for former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi – who was ousted in a military coup led by then General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Qatar has also voiced support for Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, which was outlawed by Cairo.

Egypt has accused Qatar of using state-funded Al Jazeera news network to tint the image of Egypt’s military by publishing news and documentaries that show the army in a negative light.

Where is Ethiopian Jailed Journalist?

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Human rights groups are asking Ethiopia’s government to immediately disclose the whereabouts of a popular local journalist who has been behind bars since October 2014.

The Association for Human Rights in Ethiopia and Defenders on Wednesday called it “unacceptable” that the government was unwilling or unable to provide Temesgen Desalegn’s relatives with information after two years of detention.

The groups say Temesgen was jailed on “spurious charges.” The journalist is serving a three-year sentence on charges of defamation, incitement and false publication.

The public relations head of the Ethiopian Federal Prison Administration, Gizachew Mengiste, tells The Associated Press he has no information about Temesgen’s whereabouts.

Ethiopia declared a state of emergency in October amid massive anti-government protests, leading to the arrest of at least two journalists.

The Ethiopia government has been ranked 3rd in Africa by jailing and harassing journalists. According to the 2016 CPJ’s report, 16 journalist have been jailed by the regime for exercising the rights of free speech and press. The Ethiopian regime has been using the anti-terrorism law to stifle freedom of speech, journalists and political oppositions. The government is intensifying its arrest and harassment of journalists during the on going state of emergency that that came after wave of protest and public disobedience erupted across the country. Temesghen Desalengne had been held at the remote Ziway Prison, about 83 miles south-east of the capital.

Cairo Coptic Christian Cathedral Bombed

BBC

A bomb explosion in the Coptic Christian cathedral complex in the Egyptian capital Cairo has killed at least 25 people, officials say.

Dozens of others were injured in the blast in a chapel adjoining St Mark’s cathedral during a Sunday service.

Many of the victims are thought to be women and children.

Egypt’s Christian minority has often been targeted by Islamist militants. Christians gathered to show anger at the attack, the worst in years.

Egypt has seen a wave of attacks by militants since 2013 when the military overthrew President Mohammed Morsi, an elected leader who hailed from the Muslim Brotherhood, and launched a crackdown against Islamists.

Some of Mr Morsi’s supporters blamed Christians for supporting the overthrow.

Members of the special police forces stand guard to secure the area around St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral after an explosion inside the cathedral in CairoImage copyright RETUERS
The chapel is next to St Mark’s Coptic Cathedral, seat of the Church’s pope

The explosion happened at about 10:00 local time (08:00 GMT). Video footage carried by regional media showed the interior of the church littered with broken and scattered furniture, along with blood and clothing on the floor.

“I found bodies, many of them women, lying on the pews. It was a horrible scene,” said cathedral worker Attiya Mahrous.

Samia, eyewitness: “I left, and just two minutes later, the bomb went off”

“There were children. What have they done to deserve this? I wish I had died with them instead of seeing these scenes,” another witness told the Associated Press news agency.

President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has declared a three-day period of national mourning.

In a statement, he condemned the attack, calling for the perpetrators to be hunted down and punished.

“Vicious terrorism is being waged against the country’s Copts and Muslims. Egypt will emerge stronger and more united from this situation,” he said.

A relative of one of the blast victims screams at a police officer in front of St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral after an explosion inside the cathedral in CairoImage copyright REUTERS
Image captionPolice officers cordoned off the area from family members and other churchgoers

Coptic Christians make up about 10% of Egypt’s population.

St Mark’s Cathedral is the headquarters of the Coptic Orthodox church, and the home of its leader, Pope Tawadros II.


What is the Coptic Christian faith?

The Coptic Orthodox Church is the main Christian Church in Egypt. While most Copts live in Egypt, the Church has about a million members outside the country.

Copts believe that their Church dates back to around 50 AD, when the Apostle Mark is said to have visited Egypt. Mark is regarded as the first Pope of Alexandria – the head of their church.

This makes it one of the earliest Christian groups outside the Holy Land.

Who are Egypt’s Coptic Christians?

The Church separated from other Christian denominations at the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD) in a dispute over the human and divine nature of Jesus Christ.

The early Church suffered persecution under the Roman Empire, and there were intermittent persecutions after Egypt became a Muslim country. Many believe that continues to this day.


Bishop Angaelos of the UK’s Coptic Orthodox Church said his prayers were with Egyptian Copts, “as well as for the broader Egyptian society that fall victim to similar inhumane attacks.”

On Saturday, six policemen were killed when a bomb exploded on a main road leading to the pyramids at Giza. The explosion, at a police checkpoint, was the deadliest attack on security forces in Cairo in more than six months.

A recently formed militant group called Hasm said it had carried out that attack.

A Christian employee at Cairo's Coptic Cathedral checks for damage from the blast after an explosion inside the cathedral in CairoImage copyrightREUTERS
Image captionThe force of Sunday’s blast could clearly be seen
Protesters gathered outside the churchImage copyrightDAVID MILNE
Image captionA crowd of protesters gathered outside the church, along with a heavy police presence

Egypt’s Coptic Christian minority has long complained of discrimination in the mostly Muslim nation.

Two people were killed outside St Mark’s cathedral in 2013, when people mourning the death of four Coptic Christians killed in religious violence clashed with local residents.

In February this year, a court sentenced three Christian teenagers to five years in prison for insulting Islam. The teenagers had appeared in a video, apparently mocking Muslim prayers, but claimed they had been mocking the Islamic State (IS) group following a number of beheadings.

Egypt has pursued a number of blasphemy cases since the country’s 2011 uprising. Many of those cases have been against Copts.

Most of the Islamist militant attacks of recent years have been focused in the Sinai province, where an IS-linked jihadist group is active, but Cairo has also suffered a string of attacks in the past two years.

 

US State Department Renews Ethiopia Travel Warning

The State Department continues to warn U.S. citizens of the risks of travel to Ethiopia due to the potential for civil unrest related to sporadic and unpredictable anti-government protests that began in November 2015. The U.S. Embassy’s ability to provide consular services in many parts of the country may be limited without warning due to the government’s restrictions on mobile and internet communications and the unpredictable nature of the current security situation. This replaces the Travel Warning of October 21, 2016.

The Government of Ethiopia declared a State of Emergency effective October 8, 2016 that includes provisions allowing for the arrest of individuals without a court order for activities they may otherwise consider routine, such as communication, consumption of media, attending gatherings, engaging with certain foreign governments or organizations, and violating curfews. Additionally, the Government of Ethiopia routinely does not inform the U.S. Embassy of detentions of U.S. citizens in Ethiopia. The full text of the decreeimplementing the State of Emergency is available on the U.S. Embassy’s website.

Internet, cellular data, and phone services have been periodically restricted or shut down without warning throughout the country, impeding the U.S. Embassy’s ability to communicate with U.S. citizens in Ethiopia. You should have alternate communication plans in place, and let your family and friends know this may be an issue while you are in Ethiopia. See the information below on how to register with the U.S. Embassy to receive security messages.

Avoid demonstrations and large gatherings, continuously assess your surroundings, and evaluate your personal level of safety. Remember that the government may use force and live fire in response to demonstrations, and that even gatherings intended to be peaceful can be met with a violent response or turn violent without warning. U.S. citizens in Ethiopia should monitor their security situation and have contingency plans in place in case you need to depart suddenly.

If you are living in or intending to travel to Ethiopia, please refer to the Safety and Security section of the Country Specific Information for Ethiopiafor additional useful information.

Due to the unpredictability of communication in the country, the Department of State strongly advises U.S. citizens to register your mobile number with the U.S. Embassy to receive security information via text or SMS, in addition to enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).

For further information:

  • See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Country Specific Information for Ethiopia.
  • Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
  • Contact the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia, located on Entoto Street in Addis Ababa, at +251-11-130-6000 from 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday. After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is+251-11-130-6911 or 011-130-6000.
  • Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
  • Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Stunning photos of Ethiopia’s vanishing tribes

By Matt Khoury, for CNNThe women of Naregeer village in Ethiopia's Upper Omo Valley are known for their lip plates and intricate scarification patterns on their skin. The women and children often adorn themselves with white clay patterns and flowers on their head.Photos: ‘Odyssey’ by Louisa Seton

Mursi womenThe scarification on shoulder of the woman standing on the right is prominent. Denoting beauty, the process involves cutting the skin with a razor and applying ash from fires to infect the wound. The scar tissue then causes the skin to protrude.

(CNN)Kenyan-raised, Sydney-based photographer Louisa Seton undertook an epic journey into Ethiopia’s remote Upper Omo Valley to capture the traditions of the Surma people — before they’re lost.

After dealing with local militia and being stranded on the Omo River, Seton now has a series of stunning images to tell her tale of survival and exploration.
CNN: What’s the inspiration behind your African photography?
Seton: I grew up in Kenya, so I’ve got an affinity with Africa.
When I was a child I used to fly around Kenya with my father, a pilot, in a light aircraft and see all these incredible tribal people.
Every time I went back to Kenya, I’d go into the bush and seek out different tribal groups in order to do portraits.
What are you aiming to capture?
A lot of people photograph Africa in such a negative light, with wars and famine and struggle.
But I wanted to show the beauty of these incredible, strong and very proud people — the way they have an affinity with the land and the seasons.
"The children are always the easiest to photograph as they love to touch, laugh and joke with me, says Seton. "These children were fascinated with my long blond hair and loved to touch it."
Why did you take this trip to Ethiopia?
I’d heard about the tribal groups that live in the Upper Omo Valley.
And I’d heard about the Gibe III Dam that’s being built to provide electricity — but with that comes displacement of tribal people.
A lot of these different groups could, in time, slowly lose their traditions.
What was the target of your lens?
I really wanted to photograph the Suri tribe and the Mursi tribe — collectively called the Surma tribes.
In particular, the lip plates they wear are fascinating.
When women become of marrying age, about 14, they get their lower teeth knocked out with a rock.
Then they cut the lower lip with a razor and stretch the lip with a wooden plug — then with a bigger one, and a bigger one.
Eventually it stretches so much they fit a clay plate around the lip. It’s a form of beauty and status for these women, and the bigger the lip plate the higher the dowry.
How did you travel to the Upper Omo Valley?
I flew from Nairobi to Addis Ababa and met a guide and driver who were referred to me by another photographer.
From there it’s a three-day drive — eight hours a day — by four-wheel drive to get to Kibish, near the South Sudanese border.
The Upper Omo is very remote and very hard to get to; there are more tourists in the Lower Omo.
The only people interested in going there are anthropologists or photographers.
Was it safe?
It wasn’t safe photographing the Suri tribe near Kibish. They all carry AK-47s and they’re a lot more aggressive than tribal groups in the Lower Omo Valley.
When we left, our vehicle got stuck on a track in the middle of the bush.
We had torrential rain and we dug for eight hours trying to get it out of the mud.
Eventually, my guide and I walked around for help while the driver stayed.
I had to leave with just the clothes on my back. I had to abandon all my equipment and the vehicle, everything, and just walk in the bush until a lorry managed to get us to Kangatan, a one-horse town on the Omo River, where I ended up staying in a shebeen brothel.
Eventually, three days later, we heard that the driver had managed to get out and go back to Kibish. We hitched a lorry to Jinka — that’s where our driver found us.
Then I photographed the Mursi tribe that live in the Mago National Park.
Did you have to pay the tribespeople to photograph them?
I was paying about a couple of dollars per person to take the photos.
They work in cliques.
People get aggressive and argue over money, and I was trying to create a studio in the bush — it was all a bit stressful.
There’s a lot of money involved — not quite that romantic idea where you can just cruise into a village and take photos.
How did you stage the shots?
I’d gather a group and have two guys hold up a white cloth to create a studio backdrop.
I had a Canon 5D Mark lll, and three lenses — a 100mm fixed lens for my portraits.
In Africa, you get that hard, harsh light and shadows, so you have to shoot in the beautiful, soft, early morning light.
I like to shoot in black and white, as when I studied photography, we were only allowed to shoot in color after we mastered black and white. It really taught me to see in black and white.
‘Odyssey’ by Louisa Seton exhibits at Studio 124, Mosman Park, Perth, from April 7-30. A catalog of images can be viewed online and purchased at Louisaseton.com.au.