Posted by The Ethiopia Observatory (TEO)
Tags: Agazi armed to its teeth, Bahir Dar stadium, Civil service in silent strike, Dembidolo, Rejection humiliates TPLF, Released political prisoners denied Wollega entry, Tongues sticking out at State of Emergency (SOE), wollega
"The government [Ethiopian] rules in a kind of commando fashion rather than building up strong governance institutions. This leads to a personalization of politics which raises important questions about the long-term sustainability of the current order. Ministers get involved in micro-managing policy – a practice that cannot be continued if the country does move to a higher level of development.
There will be increasing pressures to open the system up, but the ruling party is very reluctant to do so. It recognizes the need for capacity-building as such, but has yet to fully fathom that it will also have to increasingly cede some decision-making to civil society and autonomous actors in it. Western donors seem intent on pointing out that doing so can be of great benefit to Ethiopia as a whole and will help galvanize rather than impede its development."
NATO Parliamentary Delegation Report
Delegation visited Ethiopia 25-29 October 2010
"When they [government officials] first came they told us an investor was coming and we would develop the land alongside one another. They didn't say the land would be taken away from us entirely. I don't understand why the government took the land."
Farmer Gemechu Garbaba
His wife adds:
"Since the land was taken away from us we are impoverished. Nothing has gone right for us, since these investors came."
Africa succumbs to colonial-style land grab
Channel 4 News, 7 January 2012
