DOCSLIB.ORG

News Highlights – Friday December 11, 2020

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
News Highlights – Friday December 11, 2020 News Highlights – Friday December 11, 2020 News Contents COVID-19 Pandemic................................................................................................... 3 Nigeria to vaccinate 20 million people against COVID-19............................ 3 Egypt Receives 1st Shipment of Chinese Vaccine Tested in UAE.................3 GERD............................................................................................................................ 4 Ethiopians Continue Unwavering Support for GERD: Director.....................4 Ethiopia......................................................................................................................... 4 Ethiopia: Aid agencies say four staff killed in Tigray fighting....................... 4 Ethiopian government says it is returning Eritrean refugees to camps in Tigray..................................................................................................................... 5 Ethiopia government denies war impeding aid, agencies report staff deaths..6 Some 88 Trucks Of Food, Medical Supplies Dispatched To Several Towns Tigray: PM Office.................................................................................................. 6 TPLF Clique High Official, Dr. Addisalem Balema, and Seyoum Mesfin’s wife and son appear before Court.......................................................................... 8 State of Emergency Inquiry Board Unveils Field Report............................... 8 TPLF Clique Looted, Destroyed Office of Refugee Camps in Shire: ARRA.9 Council Of Ministers Endorses Ethiopia’s 10 Year Perspective Plan.............9 NEBE Invites Local CSOs To Submit Interest To Observe Upcoming Elections...............................................................................................................10 Benishangul, Sudanese Blue Nile Start Joint Consultative Forum............... 10 Horn of Africa and IGAD Region.............................................................................10 Amnesty calls to maintain UNAMID for more six months in Darfur...........10 General prosecutor of ICC urges UNSC to encourage Sudan to cooperate with ICC............................................................................................................... 11 South Sudan’s parties agree on national assembly formation....................... 12 Uganda receives 1st batch of presidential ballot papers for Jan. 14 polls.....13 Sub Saharan Africa....................................................................................................13 Two soldiers injured, 14 houses torched in Boko Haram attacks in Cameroon 13 DR Congo parliament votes to remove speaker............................................ 14 Ghanaian president appoints 15-member transition team............................. 14 Gulf Region and the Middle East............................................................................. 15 Morocco agrees to normalize relations with Israel........................................15 Libya releases 2 Russians detained on spying charges................................. 15 Saudi-backed Yemen govt hails US sanctions on Houthi leaders.................16 Saudi crown prince asks US court to dismiss assassination lawsuit............. 16 Palestinian President Says Ready to Resume Peace Talks............................17 Emerging Powers....................................................................................................... 18 U.S. government, 46 states sue Facebook, claim Zuckerberg operates ‘illegal monopoly’............................................................................................................ 18 EU rejects imposing economic sanctions on Turkey.................................... 19 US set to sanction Turkey over Russian defense system.............................. 20 COVID-19 Pandemic Region Infections Deaths Recoveries Globe 70.852 million 1.591 million 49.292 million Africa 2.339 million 55,359 1.991 million Ethiopia 115,360 1,779 88,975 Follow live updates on worldometers.info/coronavirus/ Nigeria to vaccinate 20 million people against COVID-19 - CGTN Nigeria plans to vaccinate 20 million people against the novel coronavirus. While speaking at a press conference, the health minister Osagie Ehanire said that the government will receive 20 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ According to Ehanire, health sector employees will be vaccinated first, then the vulnerable and those with chronic illnesses. “We have hope to vaccinate as many people as possible, but we want to start with 20 million doses of the vaccine first,” he said. The West African nation has recorded at least 70,500 COVID-19 cases and 1,184 fatalities, while more than 65,000 patients have recovered from the disease. Egypt Receives 1st Shipment of Chinese Vaccine Tested in UAE – Al-Awsat Egypt on Thursday received its first shipment of a Chinese coronavirus vaccine, which was tested in the United Arab Emirates and is said to be 86% effective. The shipment by Chinese state-owned pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm landed at Cairo’s international airport from the UAE. Egyptian Health Minister Hala Zayed and diplomats from China and the UAE were at the airport to greet the shipment, The Associated Press reported. Health ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said in a statement that the government would first vaccinate health care workers, particularly those who deal with COVID-19 cases. He said they would receive two doses of the vaccine over 21 days. Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous country, has seen an increase in confirmed coronavirus infections in recent weeks amid warnings by the government about a second wave of the pandemic. It also reported 445 newly confirmed coronavirus infections Thursday and 22 deaths from COVID-19, bringing the country’s overall tally to 120,147 cases, with 6,854 deaths. The Sinopharm vaccine has been approved for emergency use in a few countries and the company is still conducting late-stage clinical trials in 10 nations. Sinopharm’s vaccine relies on a killed virus, similar to how polio immunizations work. Vaccines being developed by Western companies, like the shot made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech, target the coronavirus’ spike protein using RNA. The United Kingdom already has begun vaccinating people with the Pfizer shot. Pfizer reports its shot as being 95% effective, while another RNA candidate from Moderna appears to be 94.5% effective. Results suggest a third vaccine from Oxford University and AstraZeneca is safe and about 70% effective, but questions remain about how well it may help protect those over 55. _____________________________________________________________________ GERD Ethiopians Continue Unwavering Support for GERD: Director - ENA Ethiopians across the nation have increasing their unwavering support for the realization of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) as the financial support reached 14 billion birr, GERD Public Participation Coordination Office, Director Argawi Berhe said. Aregawi said that Ethiopians and Ethiopian born Diaspora have been exerted massive efforts on countering all diplomatic attacks to destruct the construction of the dam. “The nations, nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia from all walks of life have contributed over 14 billion birr so far. In addition to the financial support, Ethiopians have been behind the dam in moral, profession, in labor and other contributions including the priceless efforts on countering the pressure and diplomatic attacks from various actors,” he said. Ethiopians, as they were victorious over various enemies through their diversified but united hands, now they are repeating it on construction of the flagship dam project which shows diversity is an asset for the country, he noted. He further said “Ethiopia is endowed in various natural assets with diversified nations, nationalities and peoples. It is our homeland. One of the major assets of the country is being the home of heroes who can properly defend its sovereignty and integrity”. Aregawi noted that the swift measures of the government towards rectifying confusion circulating the grand dam following the comprehensive reforms undertaken in Ethiopia highly increased the participation of the public. “Due to the swift actions undertaken by the government starting from the post reform of the country, the support for the grand dam has been continuing in a better manner. The filling of the first phase of the dam enables to the boost the participation of the general public,” he pointed out. He urged Ethiopians to continue their resolute support to realize the GERD in spite of any differences. ___________________________________________________________________ Ethiopia Ethiopia: Aid agencies say four staff killed in Tigray fighting - Aljazeera Four staff members of two international aid agencies were killed during last month’s fighting in Ethiopia’s troubled northern Tigray region. The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) reported the deaths of three security guards, while the International Rescue Committee (IRC) said one of its staff members was killed. An estimated 600,000 people in Tigray, including 96,000 refugees from neighboring Eritrea, were dependent on food aid before the fighting began. When Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered troops into Tigray on November 4, following alleged attacks by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) forces, aid workers were left stranded and vulnerable. A communications blackout imposed by
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Situation Report EEPA HORN No. 59 - 18 January 2021
    Situation Report EEPA HORN No. 59 - 18 January 2021 Europe External Programme with Africa is a Belgium-based Centre of Expertise with in-depth knowledge, publications, and networks, ​ specialised in issues of peace building, refugee protection and resilience in the Horn of Africa. EEPA has published extensively on issues related to movement and/or human trafficking of refugees in the Horn of Africa and on the Central Mediterranean Route. It cooperates with a wide network of Universities, research organisations, civil society and experts from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda and across Africa. Reported war situation (as confirmed per 17 January) - According to Sudan Tribune, the head of the Sudanese Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, disclosed that Sudanese troops were deployed on the border as per an agreement with the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, arranged prior to the beginning of the war. - Al-Burhan told a gathering about the arrangements that were made in the planning of the military actions: “I visited Ethiopia shortly before the events, and we agreed with the Prime Minister of Ethiopia that the Sudanese armed forces would close the Sudanese borders to prevent border infiltration to and from Sudan by an armed party.” - Al-Burhan stated: "Actually, this is what the (Sudanese) armed forces have done to secure the international borders and have stopped there." His statement suggests that Abiy Ahmed spoke with him about the military plans before launching the military operation in Tigray. - Ethiopia has called the operation a “domestic law and order” action to respond to domestic provocations, but the planning with neighbours in the region on the actions paint a different picture.
    [Show full text]
  • The Tigray War & Regional Implications
    THE TIGRAY WAR & REGIONAL IMPLICATIONS (VOLUME 1) November 2020 to June 2021 1 CONTENTS 1. Foreword …………………………………………………………………………… 4 2. Introduction: war, offensives and atrocities 2.1 Overview …………………………………………………………………………… 7 2.2 Early attempts to halt the fighting ……………………………………………… 10 2.3 The war escalates …………………………………………………………………. 13 3. Ethiopia at war 3.1 The Federal Government v Tigray Regional State ……………………………. 16 3.2 Prime Minister Abiy’s short-lived whirlwind of reform ……………………... 30 3.3 An inexorable drive towards conflict 2018 – 2020 …………………………….. 49 3.4 President Isaias and Prime Minister Abiy – who is in the driving seat? ……. 60 4. Progress of the war 4.1 ENDF offensives along the southwestern front ……………………………….. 73 4.2 The northern fronts ………………………………………………………………. 76 4.3 The Southern Front ………………………………………………………………. 78 4.4 The ENDF’s strategy ……………………………………………………………... 78 4.5 Retreat and consolidation ……………………………………………………….. 80 4.6 TDF expansion and the start of semi-conventional warfare …………………. 82 4.7 Overall War Progress: November 2020 to May 2021 …………………………. 84 4.8 Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………… 88 5. The Ethiopian national context 5.1 Contextualising the war in Tigray ……………………………………………… 91 5.2 A threat to Ethiopia’s integrity? ………………………………………………… 92 5.3 Conflict and the rule of law ……………………………………………………... 94 5.4 Oromia politics and conflict - optimism and excitement ……………………. 95 5.5 Amhara politics and conflict …………………………………………………… 102 5.6 The south, east and west ……………………………………………………….. 112 5.7 Somali Region …………………………………………………………………… 113 5.8 Afar Region ……………………………………………………………………… 115 5.9 Benishangul Gumuz ……………………………………………………………. 116 5.10 Socio-economic stakes and the cost of the war ………………………………. 117 5.11 Concluding remarks ……………………………………………………………. 119 6. Diplomatic Efforts 6.1 UN Security Council and the African Union ………………………………… 122 6.2 The United States of America ………………………………………………….
    [Show full text]
  • Situation Report EEPA HORN No. 72
    Situation Report EEPA HORN No. 72 - 31 January 2021 Europe External Programme with Africa is a Belgium-based Centre of Expertise with in-depth knowledge, publications, and networks, ​ specialised in issues of peace building, refugee protection and resilience in the Horn of Africa. EEPA has published extensively on issues related to movement and/or human trafficking of refugees in the Horn of Africa and on the Central Mediterranean Route. It cooperates with a wide network of Universities, research organisations, civil society and experts from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda and across Africa. The situation reports can be found here. ​ ​ Reported war situation (as confirmed per 30 January) - Fresh reports from the battlefields in Tigray state that second campaign has started with fighting reported in Daero Hafash, Semema, Mahbere Dego, Feresemay, Nebelet, Hawzen, and Edaga Arbi. - Reported “that Eritrean presence in the second campaign is very high.” The report reads: “The Eritrean troops are present at all the fronts. They use the following tricks: using the Ethiopian flag; changing uniforms to ENDF; sometimes hiding troops in some areas, etc.” - Except for Hawzen in Eastern zone, fighting is concentrated in the Central Zone of Tigray. - Report that Eritrea brought 13 trucks of troops via Edagahamus (Eastern Tigray zone) towards Hawzen and Nebelet areas. - Sources indicated that Eritrean forces and Ethiopian National Defence Forces mobilized 163 military transport cars (‘orals’) of soldiers via Maytsebri to Endabaguna and then into Central Tigray. - Video from Shire showing 8 big trucks passing by, loaded with Eritrean troops, posted on 29 January. - Reported that 20 young people were killed by the allied forces in areas between Adidaero and Adi Kokeb in the North Western part of Tigray.
    [Show full text]
  • Horn of Africa Civil Society Forum Report on Tigray
    THE HORN OF AFRICA CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM REPORT ON TIGRAY Contents THE HORN OF AFRICA CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM REPORT ON TIGRAY .................................................. 0 About the Horn of Africa Civil Society Forum (HoACS Forum) .............................................................. 2 FORUM MEMBERS........................................................................................................................... 2 Report on the Breaches of International Law ......................................................................................... 3 Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................... 3 Methodology and Standard of Proof ................................................................................................ 11 Context ............................................................................................................................................... 12 Events occurring before the 4th of November 2020 .......................................................................... 12 Events occurring after the 4th of November 2020. ............................................................................ 14 International Legal Framework Applicable to the Tigray Crisis ........................................................ 17 Major Violations .................................................................................................................................. 18 Starvation as a weapon of
    [Show full text]
  • Policy Briefing
    Policy Briefing Africa Briefing N°89 Nairobi/Brussels, 22 August 2012 Ethiopia After Meles I. OVERVIEW tions under his tight control. Without him, however, the weaknesses of the regime he built will be more starkly exposed. The death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who had not been seen in public for several months, was announced on The transition will likely be an all-TPLF affair, even if 20 August 2012 by Ethiopian state television. The passing masked beneath the constitution, the umbrella of the of the man who has been Ethiopia’s epicentre for 21 years EPRDF and the prompt elevation of the deputy prime minis- will have profound national and regional consequences. ter, Hailemariam Desalegn, to acting head of government. Meles engineered one-party rule in effect for the Tigray Given the opacity of the inner workings of the govern- People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and his Tigrayan inner ment and army, it is impossible to say exactly what it will circle, with the complicity of other ethnic elites that were look like and who will end up in charge. Nonetheless, any co-opted into the ruling alliance, the Ethiopian People’s likely outcome suggests a much weaker government, a Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). The Front more influential security apparatus and endangered inter- promised freedom, democracy and ethnic devolution but nal stability. The political opposition, largely forced into is highly centralised, tightly controls the economy and exile by Meles, will remain too fragmented and feeble to suppresses political, social, ethnic and religious liberties. play a considerable role, unless brought on board in an In recent years, Meles had relied ever more on repression internationally-brokered process.
    [Show full text]
  • Situation Report EEPA HORN No. 57 - 16 January 2021
    Situation Report EEPA HORN No. 57 - 16 January 2021 Europe External Programme with Africa is a Belgium-based Centre of Expertise with in-depth knowledge, publications, and networks, ​ specialised in issues of peace building, refugee protection and resilience in the Horn of Africa. EEPA has published extensively on issues related to movement and/or human trafficking of refugees in the Horn of Africa and on the Central Mediterranean Route. It cooperates with a wide network of Universities, research organisations, civil society and experts from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda and across Africa. Key in-depth publications can be accessed on the website. ​ ​ Reported war situation (as confirmed per 15 January) - During the last three days, there has been heavy fighting in Daero Hafash (East of Axum) where four battalions of Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) and Eritrean Defense Forces (ErDF) were “totally destroyed” by Tigray forces. It is reported that Tigray forces captured “lots of weapons”. - It is reported that in a place called Dairo Hafash, Tigray forces overtook 4.000 troops of the ENDF/EriDF. - Fighting is going on in Tsigereda around Wukro between ENDF/ErDF and Tigray forces. - Reported that one battalion of ENDF/ErDF was “eliminated” by Tigray forces in Ruwa Gered on the way from Adwa to Edaga Arbi two days ago. - Reported fighting is ongoing in “various locations”. - Video circulating with shooting and people running in Addis Ababa. No further information. - In a meeting at Mekelle University staff with the appointed chief of the Tigray provisional government, Mulu Nega, a number of ‘difficult questions’ were raised during a hot debate.
    [Show full text]
  • The Tigray War & Regional Implications
    THE TIGRAY WAR & REGIONAL IMPLICATIONS (VOLUME 1) November 2020 to June 2021 1 CONTENTS 1. Foreword …………………………………………………………………………… 4 2. Introduction: war, offensives and atrocities 2.1 Overview …………………………………………………………………………… 7 2.2 Early attempts to halt the fighting ……………………………………………… 10 2.3 The war escalates …………………………………………………………………. 13 3. Ethiopia at war 3.1 The Federal Government v Tigray Regional State ……………………………. 16 3.2 Prime Minister Abiy’s short-lived whirlwind of reform ……………………... 30 3.3 An inexorable drive towards conflict 2018 – 2020 …………………………….. 49 3.4 President Isaias and Prime Minister Abiy – who is in the driving seat? ……. 60 4. Progress of the war 4.1 ENDF offensives along the southwestern front ……………………………….. 73 4.2 The northern fronts ………………………………………………………………. 76 4.3 The Southern Front ………………………………………………………………. 78 4.4 The ENDF’s strategy ……………………………………………………………... 78 4.5 Retreat and consolidation ……………………………………………………….. 80 4.6 TDF expansion and the start of semi-conventional warfare …………………. 82 4.7 Overall War Progress: November 2020 to May 2021 …………………………. 84 4.8 Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………… 88 5. The Ethiopian national context 5.1 Contextualising the war in Tigray ……………………………………………… 91 5.2 A threat to Ethiopia’s integrity? ………………………………………………… 92 5.3 Conflict and the rule of law ……………………………………………………... 94 5.4 Oromia politics and conflict - Optimism and excitement ……………………. 95 5.5 Amhara politics and conflict …………………………………………………… 102 5.6 The south, east and west ……………………………………………………….. 112 5.7 Somali Region …………………………………………………………………… 113 5.8 Afar Region ……………………………………………………………………… 115 5.9 Benishangul Gumuz ……………………………………………………………. 116 5.10 Socio-economic stakes and the cost of the war ………………………………. 117 5.11 Concluding remarks ……………………………………………………………. 119 6. Diplomatic Efforts 6.1 UN Security Council and the African Union ………………………………… 122 6.2 The United States of America ………………………………………………….
    [Show full text]
  • From Left-Wing Liberation Army Into a Government: the Challenges of Transition and the Case of Tplf/Eprdf
    FROM LEFT-WING LIBERATION ARMY INTO A GOVERNMENT: THE CHALLENGES OF TRANSITION AND THE CASE OF TPLF/EPRDF By Mulugeta Gebrehiwot Berhe MPA: Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), 2005 MBA: Open University of London, 2003 BA: Amsterdam School of Business, 2002 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSHOPHY In the school of Public Administration @Mulugeta Gebrehiwot Berhe, 2018 University of Victoria All rights reserved. This dissertation may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without the permission of the author. FROM LEFT-WING LIBERATION ARMY INTO A GOVERNMENT: THE CHALLENGES OF TRANSITION AND THE CASE OF TPLF/EPRDF By Mulugeta Gebrehiwot Berhe MPA: Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), 2005 MBA: Open University of London, 2003 BA: Amsterdam School of Business, 2002 Supervisory Committee: Dr. Evert Lindquist, Supervisor School of Public Administration, University of Victoria Dr. Thea Vakil, Department Member School of Public Administration, University of Victoria Dr. Marlea Clarke, Outside Member Department of Political Science, University of Victoria Dr. Martin Bunton, Outside Member Department of History, University of Victoria Dr. Alex de Waal, Additional Member The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University ii Abstract The Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) is a reform rebellion that came to power in 1991 and continues to rule with varying level of success in accordance to its promises. This dissertation attempts to provide a full account of the evolution of the EPRDF government and challenges to its promised state building project, and seeks to explore the extent to which its early guiding philosophy and leadership evolved and shaped its transition to and performance as a government.
    [Show full text]
  • Disinformation in Tigray
    Disinformation in Tigray: Manufacturing Consent For a Secessionist War May 2021 Cover Photo: TPLF leader “Aboy” (father) Sebhat Nega captured by Ethiopian National Defense Forces on January 8, 2021. (Courtesy of Ethiopian News Agency) Acknowledgements The preparers of this report by New Africa Institute would like to thank officials from the African Union, United Nations, Ethiopia and Eritrea for their assistance. New Africa Institute 601 West 26th Street Suite 325-53 New York, NY 10001 © New Africa Institute, 2021. Published on May 9, 2021. This material is offered free of charge for personal and non-commercial use, provided the source is acknowledged. For commercial or any other use, prior written permission must be obtained from the New Africa Institute. In no case may this material be altered, rented or sold. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS HISTORICAL CONTEXT ................................................................................................................................................................... III LOWERING EVIDENTIARY STANDARDS ..................................................................................................................................... 8 “COMMUNICATIONS BLACKOUT” .................................................................................................................................................................................. 8 “RESTRICTED HUMANITARIAN ACCESS” ..................................................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]