Eritrea's Deputy Ambassador to the AU signed the condolences book for the deceased Meles Zenawi

Eritrea's Deputy Ambassador to the AU, Benyam Berhe, signing the condolences  book for Meles Zenawi on August 27, 2012 In an unexpected move, Eritrea extends its condolence to longtime rival Ethiopia after Meles Zenawi’s death, local reporters have said. After days of silence, Eritrea’s Deputy Ambassadorto the AU, Biniam Berhe, visited the EthiopianNational Palace on Monday, where the former prime minister’s coffin has been on display for mourners. While at the National Palace, the young Eritrean diplomat signed the book of condolences on behalf of Eritrea, much to the surprise of many observers and security personal. Regional...

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Ethiopian Tyrant Should Not Be Lionized – Forbes

By Thor Halvorssen and Alex Gladstein With the dust beginning to settle on yesterday’s death of Meles Zenawi—ruler of Ethiopia since 1991—Western leaders have been quick to lavish praise on his legacy. A darling of the national security and international development industries, Zenawi was applauded for cooperating with the U.S. government on counter-terrorism and for spurring economic growth in Ethiopia—an impoverished, land-locked African nation of 85 million people. In truth, democratic leaders who praise Zenawi do a huge injustice to the struggle for human rights and individual dignity in Ethiopia. U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice said Zenawi “leaves...

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South Africa cements ties with Eritrea - 08/21/2012

 International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane South Africa is continuing its mission to strengthen ties with the north east African country of Eritrea, the international relations department said on Tuesday. This was underlined in a meeting between International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane and her Eritrean counterpart Osman Salih Mohammed in Cape Town, it said. “Minister Osman has indicated to me that Eritrea is open for business with South Africa, especially in the sectors of mining, railway and tourism infrastructure, agro-processing, agriculture, fisheries and solar energy,” Nkoana-Mashabane said. “We have...

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Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles has died: state television

(Reuters) -Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has died, Ethiopian state television said on Tuesday. Meles had not been seen in several weeks. The government said in July that he was taking a break to recover from an unspecified condition. State television said Deputy Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn will be acting prime minister. Rumors that Meles is seriously ill have been rife since the former guerrilla leader, in power since ousting Mengistu Haile Mariam's military junta in 1991, failed to attend an African Union summit in Addis Ababa last month. (Reporting by Yara Bayoumy; Editing by Doina Chiacu) Source: http://www.reuters.com/art...

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Enamco Intends to Acquire 30% of Sunridge's Asmara Project, Eritrea

Sunridge Gold Corp. (SGC:TSX.V/SGCNF:OTCQX)(the "Company" or "Sunridge")is pleased to announce that the Eritrean government through the Eritrean National Mining Corporation ("ENAMCO") has informed the Company that ENAMCO intends to acquire a 30% paid participating interest in the Company's Asmara Project in Eritrea. This 30% interest is in addition to ENAMCO's existing right to receive a 10% non-assessable interest that will be carried to production by the participating partners. The terms of the acquisition of the participating interest by ENAMCO have not yet been established and will be determined by negotiation.  Michael Hopley, President and CEO of Sunridge commented, "We are very pleased that ENAMCO has made the early decision to purchase a participating interest and become our partner...

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Eritrea Seeks to Facilitate Talks Between Sudan and SPLM-N Rebels

Eritrean government has launched an initiative to bridge gaps between the Sudanese government and Sudan people's Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) in order to end the South Kordofan and Blue Nile conflict, a news report said. According to Al-Sudani newspaper, Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki proposed to facilitate a negotiated settlement to the conflict that erupted in June last year when the Sudanese army asked the SPLM-N fighters to disarm before the implementation of a protocol related to the Two Areas. Sudanese defence minister Abdel-Rahim Hussein on Friday travelled to Asmara to discuss the initiative with the Eritrean leader. Sudanese government and the rebel groups are holding a difficult indirect process in Addis Ababa as the two parties disagree on everything. Their negotiating...

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US warns of new Sudan-South Sudan conflict over border 09/07/2012

Sudan's refusal to accept a border deal with South Sudan could spark an "outright conflict", the US has warned. The comments were made by the US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, following a Security Council meeting on the issue. South Sudan has accepted the border roadmap proposed by the African Union, but Sudan is refusing to do so. The two countries came close to an all-out war this year over the disputed border and oil revenues. South Sudan won independence from Sudan last year, ending decades of fighting between the mainly Muslim north and Christian and animist south.New deadline Speaking in New York, Ms Rice said Khartoum's refusal to sign...

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Ethiopia: Signs of Panic, Banks Suspends L/C - 08/12/2012

In what appears to be a nervous move by members of Ethiopia’s ruling party, Tigrai People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the well-connected elite in the wake of the disappearance of Ethiopian dictator Mekes Zenawi, big money is being transferred overseas. The situation is so bad that even the pro-TPLF journal, The Reporter, is forced to admit “capital flight”. AUGUST 11, 2012 (The Reporter) CBE suspends opening Letter of Credit The Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) has suspended opening letters of credit (L/C) to businesses after the much-talked about three-month export foreign currency reportedly depleted in a one-year time or so. CBE, the largest buyer of foreign currency from the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) and the biggest generator of foreign currency from its international banking...

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Somalia's new president survives Shebab blasts 09/12/12

Somalia's president survived an assassination bid Wednesday, just two days into his new job, when bomb blasts claimed by Islamist rebels rocked the Mogadishu hotel where he was meeting Kenya's foreign minister. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was unharmed after two blasts went off outside the hotel where he had been staying in central Mogadishu, but three soldiers were killed in what appeared to be an attack by multiple suicide bombers. "There has been a blast around the hotel where the president was. The president is safe. All the people who were inside the hotel are safe," Ali Houmed, spokesman for the African Union mission in Somalia (AMISOM) told AFP. A police officer said a Ugandan soldier from the regional force and two Somali troops were killed in the attack, adding that initial reports suggested...

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Ethiopian government is preparing itself to disclose the final fate of PM Meles Zenawi

With the government still largely hushed about the fate of the Prime Minister and while there are growing reports of internal power struggle within the TPLF led coalition, the Ethiopian Ministry of Defence has instructed the Army, and the Air Force to be on high alert since three days ago. The immediate reason given by the defence ministry officials to the unusually timed declaration of state-of-alert is the hitherto unresolved tension with the Ethiopian Muslim community. However military analysts and sources within the ministry doubt the Ethiopian Muslims’ by and large peaceful movement would be a reason to alert and in some instances mobilize the Army and Air Force. These insider sources say the alert could be a lot more related to the uncertainty and the power vacuum created with the now...

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Nevsun posts 12% profit rise; raises output forecast - 08/08/2012

Vancouver-based Nevsun expects to produce 280,000 to 300,000 gold ounces for the year as it mines higher grades of ore at its flagship Bisha mine in Eritrea.  (REUTERS) - Canadian miner Nevsun Resources Ltd's quarterly profit rose 12 percent as it realized higher prices for gold sold, and the company raised its gold production forecast for the year. Nevsun's second-quarter net income attributable to shareholders rose to $39.6 million, or 19 cents per share, from $35.3 million, or 18 cents per share, a year earlier. Revenue increased nearly 9 percent to $147.7 million. Nevsun said it expects to produce 280,000 to 300,000 ounces of...

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Sudan and South Sudan resume oil talks

Sudan and South Sudan resumed talks yesterday in the Ethiopian capital to resolve outstanding disputes over oil, border demarcation, security and the Abyei region, negotiators said.  "Oil and economic-related issues, border issues [and] Abyei, these are the issues that are on the agenda," South Sudan's minister for cabinet affairs, Deng Alor, said. Sudan and South Sudan fought along their undemarcated frontier in March and April, sparking fears of wider war and leading to a UN Security Council resolution which ordered a ceasefire. It also ordered the settlement of unresolved issues, under African Union (AU) mediation. In August those talks led to a breakthrough deal on export fees landlocked Juba will pay Khartoum to ship its oil through northern pipelines. Talks kicked off last night,...

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Olympics-Men's 10,000m run medal results - 08/04/2012

Eritrea's Zersenay Tadese, left, Britain's Mo Farah, center,  and Kenya's Moses Ndiema Masai lead the pack in the men's 10,000-meter final during the athletics in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics, London, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) Britain's Mohamed Farah won the Olympic gold medal in the men's 10,000m run on Saturday. The United States' Galen Rupp won the silver and Ethiopia's Tariku Bekele won the bronze. Results Table 1. Mohamed Farah (Britain) 27 minutes 30.42 seconds 2. Galen Rupp (U.S.) 27:30.90 3. Tariku Bekele...

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Meles Zenawi’s body arrives in Addis Ababa – unconfirmed report - 08/02/2012

Today is the 42nd day since Ethiopia’s dictator Meles Zenawi has disappeared. This morning, Ethiopian Review has received an unconfirmed, but credible, report that his body has arrived in Addis Ababa from Belgium. Power struggle in the ruling party TPLF intensifies. Tigray President Abay Woldu is emerging as a serious contender to replace Meles. One sign of his growing influence is that there is more security around him than an of the other TPLF leaders. During the past few days he has been observed traveling with an army of bodyguards, according to Ethiopian Review sources. Source: http://www.ethiopianreview.com/content/40...

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