An African Scorecard Governance Counts
Saturday, December 06, 2008 12:04 PM
(Source: International Herald Tribune)trackingBy Robert I. Rotberg

African governance is getting better. That is a major, surprising, finding of the second annual Index of African Governance, produced at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and released last month.

Given continued conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where 3 million hapless citizens have been killed in civil war since 1990; intensified mayhem in the Sudan, where at least 300,000 Arabs and Africans have been slaughtered since 2003; continued antagonism between north and south in the Ivory Coast, in the Nigerian Delta, in northern Uganda and in Somalia - no governance or bad governance might seem more the sub-Saharan African trend than good governance.

This year's Index, however, shows that 34 of 48 governments have begun delivering improved results to their citizens. Multiparty systems are now more normal in Africa; most countries demand that their leaders step down after two terms. Most economies are open, with old-fashioned socialist ideas now largely junked. Millions of Africans are on the Internet .

Liberia, the most improved country in Africa according to the Index, moved up in rank from 44th to 38th place since last year, largely due to the leadership of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Africa's first woman head of state, and to her efforts of post- conflict reconstruction. Countries like Eritrea, with appalling human rights records and suppression of press freedom, moved down strikingly, from 39th to 41st. In both cases, and in nearly all of the others in the Index, political leadership quality helps to determine performance and final national achievements.

The top performers in the Index were the countries, many small, that have been well managed since their achievement of independence from colonial rule. Mauritius, the Seychelles, Cape Verde, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Gabon, Ghana, Sao Tome and Senegal lead the list.

In each of those countries citizens are comparatively wealthy, mostly literate, safe (except for South Africa), free of domestic conflict and accustomed to solid rule of law performance with moderate corruption. Gabon is the outlier in this group, with low scores in the Index for participatory fairness but high scores for security (in a tightly run state).

The African countries internally at war comprise the last 10, from top to bottom: Nigeria, Guinea, Liberia, Eritrea, Ivory Coast, Central African Republic, Angola, Sudan, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia.

Kingdom lifts ban on import of sheep, cows and camels from Eritrea

RIYADH - The Saudi Ministry of Agriculture has issued a decision lifting the temporary ban imposed on the import of sheep, cows and camels from Eritrea.
The decision stipulates that the exported livestock from Eritrea should be subject to conditions and procedures of the quarantine in Kahtalai (Eritrea).
The procedures include attaching authenticated certificates by the Eritrean veterinary authorities, keeping the exported livestock at the quarantine for a period of 30 days, marking livestock by the quarantine including the number of the animal and the date of its entry for quarantine, examining animals to make sure that they are free from the disease of the rift valley fever or any other epidemic or infectious diseases, vaccination of the animals on the 7th day of their entry for quarantine against the Rift Valley Fever by the vaccine called Smith Burm which is used in the Kingdom.
Moreover the procedures also include the transportation of the animals by clean transportation channels. The decision pointed out that the livestock exported to the Kingdom from Eritrea will be subject to all quarantine procedures in line with the system of the quarantine law carried out by the GCC member states and under its executive statutes.
Moreover, random samples will be taken from the animals for examination to get sure of their immunity level from vaccination against the rift valley fever.
The Ministry of Agriculture said the period of quarantine at the quarantine of Kahtalia before the export of the animals will be reduced from 30 days to 10 days during the Haj season of this year.
The animals will be vaccinated on their first day at the quarantine against the Rift Valley Fever by Smith Burm, the Ministry of Agriculture further said.
The Eritrean economy is largely based on agriculture, which employs 80 percent of the population but currently may contribute as little as 12 percent to GDP.
Agricultural exports include cotton, fruits and vegetables, hides, and meat, but farmers are largely dependent on rain-fed agriculture, and growth in this and other sectors is hampered by lack of a dependable water supply.
Worker remittances and other private transfers from abroad currently contribute about 32 percent of GDP. – SPA

November 26th, 2008 | Categories: Ethiopia, Video | 18 Comments

The report in this video by UK's Channel 4 TV is about the devastating Woyanne-Eritrea war of 1998-2000 in which Woyanne tribal warlords Meles Zenawi and Seye Abraha carelessly and recklessly sacrificed over 100,000 young Ethiopians to liberate a small piece of barren land called Badme.

The only thing that is NOT factual in the video is that the war was not between Ethiopia and Eritrea. It was a war between Woyanne and Eritrea. Unfortunately, it was Ethiopians who were used as cannon fodders by Woyanne, not the Woyanne army.

In that war, Woyanne military leaders used what military experts call 'human wave' –a cruel and inhumane military tactic where tens of thousands of poorly trained soldier are forced to run right into the firing line with no regard to their lives. Those who were retreating in the face of a rain of bullets from the Eritrean soldiers were shot dead by the Woyanne special forces unit called Agazi — an exclusively one-ethnic (Tigrean) army that serves as a praetorian guard for the tribal junta. It is this same unit that had gunned down pro-democracy protesters in 2005 in the streets of Addis Ababa and other cities of Ethiopia.

While sacrificing all these precious young Ethiopian lives for a small, dry piece of land that the United Nations later had asked to be given to Eritrea, the Meles-Sebehat regime gave away thousands of square kilometers of Ethiopia's fertile land to Sudan without the Sudanese government demanding it.

After getting its butt kicked in Somalia by 3,000 ragtag insurgents, Woyanne is currently preparing for another devastating war with Eritrea. This time, however, the result will be different. The people of Ethiopia will stand with the Eritrean army and bring an abrupt end to the Woyanne era of endless misery and war.

Click here to close this window Mon, Nov 24, 2008 20:53 UT
Eritrean rebels claim killing 285 government troops
Monday 17 November 2008.

By Tesfa-alem Tekle

November 16, 2008 (MEKELLE) – An Eritrean rebel group, The Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO) claimed killing over two hundred government troops during an attack carried last week against a military training center inside the country.

The Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO) on Sunday said that its fighters have killed at least 285 Eritrean military officers including top military leaders in what it called was the most devastating assault taken earlier this week at a military training base in the remote central Denkelliya region of Afambo local area.

The attack comes after 200 Eritrean Afar-ethnic government Militias willingly surrender to the Afar rebel group two weeks ago.

RSADO’s Executive committee member and head of information and communication ,Yasin Mohamed back from the borders to coordinate the mission and now in Mekelle town says the accomplished mission is well prepared and the most successful and the biggest attack ever attempted by any other Eritrean resistance groups.

"In an unusual attack our gallant fighters on Monday at around 8:30 local time have sneaked a big military training center based at Afambo area and bombarded a hall packed with over 450 Eritrean military officers who were celebrating the end of higher military training," he said.

The rebel official added they also hit a truck carrying gas tanker and a generator outside which completely turned the whole area into massive fire and end up the fun and laughter into shouts, crying and dead bodies.

The Afambo military training base is the biggest training center next to Sawa, an area where tens of thousands of Eritreans from all wakes of life take mandatory military training.

The group explained the success of the attack saying it was taken along with the 200 deserted government militias who had every inside information needed to accomplish the attack.

"We have confirmed the death of at least 285 Eritrean military officers" Yasin said adding "we believe hundreds of others are also wounded or dead then after"

He also said during the occasion, Eritrean military officials who were engaged in training Ethiopian rebels for cross border attacks and also Ethiopia rebel leaders from OLF, ONLF, Tigray rebels who are based In Eritrea were invited .

"We believe Ethiopian former Derg regime’s commander, colonel Selhadin Ali, currently coordinator of cross-border attacks against Ethiopia is killed during the attack” Yasin alleged, adding “ colonel Birhanu head of the attacked military center and top military leader of Eritrean forces is also dead or seriously wounded."

Yasin said, the sudden and massive attack taken has created frustration and resentment to Eritrean authorities, higher military officials and to Eritrean troops in general

“Eritrean president Isayas Afeworki had to postpone his scheduled visit to neighboring Sudan for at least one day after he heard the shocking news” He claimed.

The rebel RSADO is a member of the Eritrean democratic Alliance, umbrella opposition of 13 Eritrean political parties.

In a separate incident the rebel group has also destroyed a radar station in the southern Red sea zone same day same time.

“In parallel to the above raid a different force of RSADO has smashed radar stationed at the mountainous area of Ramllo area” He added.

The group said the latest attack is a big blow to Isayas -led government who repeatedly says "there are no any internal opposition groups in Eritrea ".

(ST)
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Eritrea - Ethiopia
An Ethopian-Eritrean war looms again

Thursday 13 November 2008
Since the withdrawal in July of the United Nation’s Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea, the two countries' armies find themselves in a dangerous face-off.
Every morning these Ethiopian soldiers inspect the road which connects the town of Badme to the rest of the country. They fear commandos sent by neighboring Eritrea may have hidden land-mines. The threat is real: a few weeks ago three civilians died as their car was blown-up by an anti-tank mine.

Since the withdrawal in July of the United Nation’s Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea, the two countries' armies find themselves in a dangerous face-off. The memory of the 1998-2000 war, which caused the death of about 80,000 people, is still on everyone’s mind.

Checkpoints, roadblocks, vehicles systematically searched: the Ethiopian army is everywhere in Badme. And this despite a UN Boundary Commission's ruling that Badme belongs to Eritrea. In Badme it is still the Ethiopian flag adorning the top of official buildings.

For the local authorities there’s no question: this was and will always be Ethiopia. Tilahun Guebremedhin, President of the Badme district council says: "For all times, Badme has been Ethiopian. It has a massive significance for us Ethiopians; it is the symbol of the integrity of our country. "

"I would rather die than to see a portion of my land going to the other side.” The wounds left by the Eritrean occupation are still on everyone’s minds. Many lost a relative or a friend during the surprise attack led by the troops of Asmara in 1998. Many here are afraid of another war, yet they openly back up their army.

Mamite Guebresarkan, a farmer says: "Of course I'm worried. They conduct frequent infiltration missions here. But whatever happens we will remain here, it is our land, our country. Victorious or not we'll live and die here.”

Negussa Guebreselassie, farmer and member of an Ethiopian militia, says: “We always expect the war to start again. During the war my wife was shot by Eritrean soldiers. She suffered a lot and it was very difficult to have her treated.”

By the time the UN local mission ended its operation here more than six months ago, it no longer had the means to keep up with its peacekeeping initiative: the Eritrean authorities were doing all they could to hinder its action. And despite what it had declared, Ethiopia was refusing to acknowledge the new borders. Despite the fact that ten thousand residents before the war now only number 4,000, Badme has resigned itself to endure another war.

Letay Kidane, a shopkeeper, says: "It's good if the border problem is solved through a peaceful dialogue. Otherwise, I myself will support and help our soldiers up to the frontline.”

People are psychologically gearing up for war. An entire division of the Ethiopian Army has taken position in a nearby fortified hill… Only a few kilometers away, the Eritrean Army is waiting.