You Are Not Invited
By Dr. Magn Nyang Three weeks ago I got a call from a friend of mine whom I grew up with. The reason for his call was to talk to me about two things.  He said to me “have you gotten a call from your cousin?” I asked, which one? He told me the name of my cousin he was talking about. I asked, what about him? He said “I lobbied the Gambella government to lobby the Ethiopian government to send at least one Gambellian to Washington, DC. to work as a diplomat. What that got to do with me? I asked.  Your own cousin was chosen and he is coming to Washington, DC. to work as Ethiopian diplomat, he said. I congratulated him on his lobbying skills and said to him that my cousin knows where I am and knows how to contact me and he will contact me if he wishes to.

Fundraising for A Church in Pochalla, South Sudan
Dear friend: Greetings to you in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ; you’re invited for a fundraising Prayers to Support a Church in Pochalla, Sudan “Future Pastors are in Bible College and need your support”. The fundraising event will be held in Bloomington MN.  We ask for a donation of $20 and up. Or whatever God is leading to help his work; attached is an appeal letter from Sudan.  

Dear Omot (Omot O. Olum, Governor of Gambella),
  By Nyibola Deng   My name is Nyibola. I don't know whether you may know me or not. I have been out of the country for many years now. When I left, you were a very little kid then. I am sure that you don't know me. From where I am living, I have been hearing about your deeds more often. People are saying that the way you are governing Gambella is full of malicious activities such as nepotism, abuse of power, spoiling the names of those whom you think they are threat to your power, widening the division between Anyuaks( the Lul - Openo syndrome ), and so on. Therefore, I am here sending you a piece of advice as some body who is coming from your own village. I wanted to show you a right way to go. You can take it or leave it.

Ethiopia: In Defense of the Voice of America
Alemayehu G. Mariam   Meles Zenawi seems to have a morbid fascination with genocide. Whenever the going gets tough -- bad news, tightening election campaigns, stiffening political opposition -- he whips out the specter of Rwandan-style “interhamwe” (which in Kinyarwanda or Rwanda means “those who stand, work, fight, attack together”) in Ethiopia to change the subject. Predictably, as recent news of his rebel group’s use of famine aid money in 1984 for weapons purchases received massive international coverage, the opposition stepped up its campaign for the so-called May elections, the U.S. State Department issued its condemnatory human rights report on his regime and Bob Geldof went bananas, Zenawi resurrected his favorite “interhamwe” bogeyman to justify his decision to jam the Voice of America:

A Challenge to All Ethiopians
By Magn Nyang Emperor Yohannis IV, my hero, was killed at the Battle of Mettema, on March 11, 1889 fighting the Mahdists who had invaded Gojam and Begmdir (Gonder). Emperor Yohannis never gave up piece of land. He fought the Italians and Egyptians, even died for it. After his death, on May 2, 1889, the so-called the Treaty of Wichale was signed by Menilek II. The negotiator of this Treaty was an Italian by the name of Count Pietro Antonelli who had imperialistic ambitions for Italy. Article 17 of the Treaty of Wuchale bound the Emperor of Ethiopia to use the Italian government as his contact for Ethiopia’s foreign relations in the Italian version. In Amharic version, however, contained no obligation but permitted the possibility of requesting assistance. Unaware of this old trick used in other African countries before by the colonial powers, Menilek signed it. And based on his signing of Article 17, Italy claimed a protectorate over Ethiopia. Depending on the Italian version of Article 17, Queen Victoria of England sent a letter to Menilek advising him to send all subsequent messages to England through the king of Italy because he had consented to use the government of Italy for his contact with the powers of Europe. Because of this revelation, a great furor resulted in Menilek’s Palace. Count Augusto Salimbeni, who had replaced Count Antonelli, was called in and shown the Amharic version of the treaty and the obvious mistranslation of Article 17 in the Italian version. With now reveled Italian assumption of a Protectorate over Ethiopia, relations with Italy soured further. On March 1, 1889, Ethiopia and Italy got into a battle that ended in Italy’s defeat in Adowa.

ELECTION AND/OR SELECTION 2010 IN GAMBELLA REGIONAL STATE
By Tsegaye Hailemariam   Gambella, Ethiopia - Despite the recent disputed national census, Gambella population has reached about three hundred thousand people. Population projection of 2.6 per annum does not seem to add on the total population year after year. Being small in size geographically and in number of people as well does have some demerits on the allocation of recurrent budget which the upper house at the federal level is responsible for. Still in Gambella, population figure is being cooked in every survey and this keeps the total population at stagnant point. It is irresponsible to allow such a scam that population figures are being manipulated and creates huge concern when counting favors some nationals among the five land races in Gambella region. Gambella people especially the giant Anywaa have never contested the outcome of all manipulated population figures since the office-in-charge of census is independent and exclusively loyal to big wigs at federal level. It is imperative that any appropriate reform within the institution has to be initiated or local workforces should do the job to achieve transparence and comprehensive accountability.

Meles Zenawi says he will authorize jamming VOA
By Peter Heinlein, VOAMarch 19, 2010  ABABA - Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi says he is prepared to order jamming of VOA broadcasts in Amharic, the country's main official language. Mr. Meles compared VOA Amharic to the hate media that incited the Rwanda genocide.

Marquee Ethiopia Election Matchup Pits PM vs Former Comrade
Peter Heinlein | Addis Ababa17 March 2010 Ethiopia's May 23 elections for parliament have produced some interesting match-ups, with several prominent government officials facing stiff competition.  One contest pits Prime Minister Meles Zenawi against a former comrade in arms, Aregash Adane .

Meles Zenwai: Licensed to Steal
Alemayehu G. Mariam If democracy is a government of the people, kleptocracy is a government of thieves. GA_googleFillSlot( "AllAfrica_Other_InsetA" ); Last week the secret world of Meles Zenawi's kleptocracy, famine aid-sharking and money laundering in Ethiopia was exposed by two of his former comrades-in-arms in the Tigrean People's Liberation Front (TPLF). Gebremedhin Araya, a former treasurer and TPLF co-founder Dr Aregawi Berhe, detailed the scam used to swindle, hustle and con millions of dollars from international famine relief organisations in the mid-1980s.

Dha Anywaa on web is coming soon
To Dha Anywaa users,   Gambelatoday is so happy to announce the upcoming of Dha Anywaa or Anywaa language web page on www.Gambelatoday.com. The section“Oduor” is located on the top right center of the website here. This opportunity will offer great advantage for the Anuaks to promote and teach the young generation in Diaspora to use their mothers’ tongue.