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Somalia: Arms race Vs Arms embargo
by Dereje Hailu Kassa | November 19,2008
" .....The first U.N. Security Council Resolution 733
which was adopted on January 23, 1992 a year after
President Siad Barre was toppled supposed to do just
that. For anyone who closely follow the situa... More
by Dereje Hailu Kassa | November 19,2008
" .....The first U.N. Security Council Resolution 733
which was adopted on January 23, 1992 a year after
President Siad Barre was toppled supposed to do just
that. For anyone who closely follow the situa... More
Aid helped to avert disaster
By Dereje Hailu Kassa | February 19, 2002
" ....In 1984 and 1985, the last time Canada and the
world listened to Khalif's kind of advice, 1 million
Ethiopians lost their lives." More
By Dereje Hailu Kassa | February 19, 2002
" ....In 1984 and 1985, the last time Canada and the
world listened to Khalif's kind of advice, 1 million
Ethiopians lost their lives." More
Just Another Episode?
by Dereje Hailu | 11 January, 2008
" What else is new? Just another episode from the
much bigger tragic story unfolding right in our eyes,
and yet passes as if it was no big deal. Every one of
us, whether we accept it or not, are in the...More
by Dereje Hailu | 11 January, 2008
" What else is new? Just another episode from the
much bigger tragic story unfolding right in our eyes,
and yet passes as if it was no big deal. Every one of
us, whether we accept it or not, are in the...More
| How Free Is Freedom? " the relevance of defining the internal and external values, and the importance of harmonizing them through..." More Horn of Africa Quagmire Continues " The main actors of the killing and destruction field in the region are all locals, " More Somalia: the Bakaara Stories A Glimpse of Mystic Ethiopia Clashes of What? Professor Mesfin: A Statesman he is Sick & Tired of the Somali Peace Process? ( 7 ) Sick & Tired of the Somali Peace Process? ( 6 ) Sick & Tired of the Somali Peace Process? ( 5 ) Sick & Tired of the Somali Peace Process? ( 4 ) Sick & Tired of the Somali Peace Process? ( 3 ) Sick & Tired of the Somali Peace Process? ( 2 ) Sick & Tired of the Somali Peace Process? ( 1 ) Coffee Ruining a Nation |
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| Editor's blog |
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"Unnecessary" Question of Ethiopians
By Dereje Hailu Kassa | 24, March 2009
Selam!
Yesterday afternoon, here in Toronto on my way to work, I saw
hundreds of Canadians proudly waving the national flag along
City streets, and waiting the arrival of the bodies of four
Canadian soldiers who were killed by roadside bomb in
Afghanistan, bringing the total body count to 116. It was heading
towards Toronto on High Way 401( widely called as High Way of
heroes )
I have seen similar crowds before, many of them standing there
and waiting for hours, even during extreme cold temperature. As I
approached the Bayview bypass, I took a glimpse of the crowd
and instantly began to imagine about the downtown crowd on
Grenville St. Where the coroner office is located. Its proximity to
my work place enables me to observe what's going on. The
Street was closed for traffic, a lot of Police Officers, Firefighters,
Paramedics, Cameramen and local officials together with
ordinary citizens were lining up to honor the soldiers.
Over a week ago, the last time such ceremony took place I joined
the gathering, after 10 minutes of waiting the casket that carried
the body of a 22 year old Canadian Soldier wrapped up by a Red
and White Maple Leaf flag was taken inside for examination to
determine the cause of his death. I looked around and noticed
everyone's sadness, many were wiping their tears. As everyone
began dispersing in different directions, I too headed back to
work, and overheard a young lady behind me, repeatedly telling
her friends that she doesn't support the war, but she supports
the soldiers. I kept trying to understand her.
Any how, this writing is neither about the war in Afghanistan, nor
about the Canadian soldiers who died there. It's rather about
transparency and accountability, above all a respect for human
being. Why these things are eroded in my beloved country
Ethiopia, where an opponent's life is dispensable? In the wee
hours when I got back home from work, I found myself asking the
same question.
In fact, towards the end of last year in my last write up, when the
regime was contemplating troop withdrawal from Somalia, I said: “
...The opposition leaders who found the rarest common ground
to voice the persistent concern of the people in opposing the
government's adventurous military involvement in Somalia, now
can claim exoneration as the regime ultimately faces the
question, for what reason and purpose it made young Ethiopians
Cannon fodder in Somalia? And, what did the killing spree
accomplish?”
No surprise; It wasn't the opposition that claimed exoneration,
way before they had the chance to ask anything, victory was
declared, and exoneration was claimed. ( A recent L.A. Times
Editorial sees it differently ) Finally, when they were given
permission to ask in the Ethiopian parliament last Thursday, they
did so by demanding the casualty numbers from the conflict. The
Prime minister responded by saying it is “Unnecessary”, and he
is not obligated to provide it.
Unnecessary?
To be continued
Peace Be Unto You All!
By Dereje Hailu Kassa | 24, March 2009
Selam!
Yesterday afternoon, here in Toronto on my way to work, I saw
hundreds of Canadians proudly waving the national flag along
City streets, and waiting the arrival of the bodies of four
Canadian soldiers who were killed by roadside bomb in
Afghanistan, bringing the total body count to 116. It was heading
towards Toronto on High Way 401( widely called as High Way of
heroes )
I have seen similar crowds before, many of them standing there
and waiting for hours, even during extreme cold temperature. As I
approached the Bayview bypass, I took a glimpse of the crowd
and instantly began to imagine about the downtown crowd on
Grenville St. Where the coroner office is located. Its proximity to
my work place enables me to observe what's going on. The
Street was closed for traffic, a lot of Police Officers, Firefighters,
Paramedics, Cameramen and local officials together with
ordinary citizens were lining up to honor the soldiers.
Over a week ago, the last time such ceremony took place I joined
the gathering, after 10 minutes of waiting the casket that carried
the body of a 22 year old Canadian Soldier wrapped up by a Red
and White Maple Leaf flag was taken inside for examination to
determine the cause of his death. I looked around and noticed
everyone's sadness, many were wiping their tears. As everyone
began dispersing in different directions, I too headed back to
work, and overheard a young lady behind me, repeatedly telling
her friends that she doesn't support the war, but she supports
the soldiers. I kept trying to understand her.
Any how, this writing is neither about the war in Afghanistan, nor
about the Canadian soldiers who died there. It's rather about
transparency and accountability, above all a respect for human
being. Why these things are eroded in my beloved country
Ethiopia, where an opponent's life is dispensable? In the wee
hours when I got back home from work, I found myself asking the
same question.
In fact, towards the end of last year in my last write up, when the
regime was contemplating troop withdrawal from Somalia, I said: “
...The opposition leaders who found the rarest common ground
to voice the persistent concern of the people in opposing the
government's adventurous military involvement in Somalia, now
can claim exoneration as the regime ultimately faces the
question, for what reason and purpose it made young Ethiopians
Cannon fodder in Somalia? And, what did the killing spree
accomplish?”
No surprise; It wasn't the opposition that claimed exoneration,
way before they had the chance to ask anything, victory was
declared, and exoneration was claimed. ( A recent L.A. Times
Editorial sees it differently ) Finally, when they were given
permission to ask in the Ethiopian parliament last Thursday, they
did so by demanding the casualty numbers from the conflict. The
Prime minister responded by saying it is “Unnecessary”, and he
is not obligated to provide it.
Unnecessary?
To be continued
Peace Be Unto You All!