Landlocked Ethiopia plans to build a navy: Are they planning to defend GERD by military vessels?

Sometimes, just sometimes you wonder what is going and why, why is this happening and what is their reasons for doing so. Now the Ethiopian Revolutionary People’s Defence Force (EPRDF) are planning to build a navy. That means warships, submarines and docks, which can have these boats. If this Lake Tana or the Blue Nile or if they planning to be stationed in either Djibouti or Somalia. Who knows, but they are not having that many options. Since, they are landlocked.

This is coming, the day after Council of Ministers accept the start to draft to lift the State of Emergency. This is happening as the Chinese is winding down their investments as the debt is growing and lack of foreign exchange. You can wonder why they want to invest in that now and for what reason?

Because, you don’t extend your reach and your military, either on land, in the air or at sea. Unless, you having a plan or any ideas of usage. If they are doing this to secure the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), if they are planning to have boats on the boarders to Sudan on the Blue Nile. Because that would make sense, but they could just order Long Range Missiles and Anti-Aircraft Guns, if they we’re afraid and station them there. A navy there doesn’t make sense in that regard.

I just wonder what is the use, unless, they want supremacy all over the Horn of Africa. If the Ethiopians want a giant military and navy, to secure power over Somalia, Djibouti and Eritrea. That they want to be the kingpins in the area. Because that is the only thing that makes sense. If they does this, will they work together with UNSOM and fight piracy in and around the coast of Somalia? What else are they supposed to do?

It is not like they got a coastline, they don’t have fisheries and foreign troops landing on their coast to get into Ethiopia and invade it. You have either an army and navy for defense or attack. They could be a standby force, a standby navy, but why spend fortunes on warships, on submarines and other naval boats that are there for one reason. You don’t get military boats to go fishing, neither to do research or even something needed at sea.

Warships is to stop enemy from getting to shore, to secure the harbors and the coasts from enemy forces. You don’t have a navy to have funky ships at port and YMCA discos. If so, then the Ethiopian government can take an expedition to San Francisco and see the sights.

I look forward to hear the reasoning for a landlocked country investing in a navy, unless their securing the GERD. That is the defensive military thing, that would make sense, unless they are annexing other coastal lines close by their borders.

What else will these vessels do?

I do not have the answers, but asking questions, that should be within reason, as it is foolish not ask this. I would do the same thing with any landlocked country. When you don’t have a coastline, when you don’t have a border to the ocean. What need do you have of a navy?

Unless, you plan to annex coastal border land with both soldiers, tanks and warships. Peace.

Ethiopia: Council of Ministers approved to draft law to lift the SOE, but will it make big difference?

When one with honeyed words but evil mind

Persuades the mob, great woes befall the state.” Euripides

As things are standing in Ethiopia there are minor changes in the ways it is perceived, this mostly because of how the new Prime Minister is carrying himself. This being Dr. Abiy Ahmed whose been all around and visiting all parts of the Republic. However, there been continued oppression, detaining and killings during his tenure in the regions where the State of Emergency has hit the hardest. This being in Oromia, Somalia Region and Amhara. All of these areas has been hit hard by the State of Emergency, where the police and military, the Aghazi Squad has attacked civilians and killed too.

Addis Ababa, June 2, 2018 (FBC) – The Council of Ministers in its today’s regular meeting approved a draft law that lifts the State of Emergency. The draft will be sent to the House of People’s Representatives (HPR) for consideration. The Council noted that law and order has been restored. Ethiopia declared a six-month State of Emergency on February 16, 2018” (Fana Broadcasting Company – ‘Council of Ministers approves draft bill to lift State of Emergency’ 02.06.2018).

Therefore I am reluctant about this move, as long as the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Defence Force (EPRDF) is in power and using their methods. I wonder what is their safeguard and their next move, as they have done everything they can to silence dissidents. This being silencing phone-lines, blocking internet, stopping people from having sit-down strikes and generally banning all possible protests. While making activists, writers and everyone involved in these matters into criminals. Even as they fight for liberty and justice over their own. The EPRDF comes with the military as a hostile takeover and takes control. Instead of being in dialogue. That is what the State of Emergency and the provisions of the Commando Post is all about.

There is no reflection or anything saying that they will really change, the SOE now was really to stall for time. The demonstrations and the protest spirit is not gone, there are still lingering thousands upon thousands in jail. Even as high-profiled individuals has been released. The majority is still behind bars and the lack of freedom is still there. The New PM hasn’t changed that or the laws, not tried to repeal the Anti-Terror laws, which has used to oppress civilians who protest against the EPRDF.

We can hope for change, but its still lots of the same. The powers are within the same structures, a small change in the cabinet, but the reality is that Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) is still controlling the EPRDF. The government and its institution isn’t significantly changed, even as the Prime Minister has been in talks with Oromo Opposition leaders. That is positive step, just as the possible repeal of the SOE. However, as long as no one takes responsibility of the violence, the killings and the arbitrary arrests, there will not be real changes. It will just be patches on the hurt, but when the wounds are evident. The flair and the flames will start again, because no one acted upon the hurt. That should be the vision of the EPRDF, to take responsibility and charge itself. If they are real about the damage and hurt it has given over the years. Not just walk away because your in power.

Who knows if they within a months time repeal the SOE, will they do it again if the Queerro are starting to block the roads and stop businesses from moving goods from Djibouti to Addis. Will the army and the police accept that? As the TPLF and EPRDF will lose foreign exchange on it and also possible profits from doing so. Will they accept that the Amhara are also closing the roads into the capital. Would they accept it, as they are not listened to or even considered. As long as the government are caring about themselves. That is the reality.

This is a positive step, but if it is not followed up by more heartfelt measures, the reality will hit the fan and the possible violence will appear, because the government haven’t shown another side or character. Peace.

South Sudan: Ghana Police FPU – “Update on Formed Police Unit Alleged Sex Scandal” (31.05.2018)

Communique of the 62nd Extra-Ordinary Session of IGAD Council of Ministers on the Situation in South Sudan (31.05.2018)

Draft Communique of the 62nd Extra-Ordinary Session of IGAD Council of Ministers on the Situation in South Sudan (31.05.2018)

Burundi: OLUCOME – Portant Sur la Corruption qui se Developpe Exponentiellement dans la Quasi Totalite des Domaines de la vie Nationale Sans Que Les Dirigeants Burundais ne Disent Aucun Mot (31.05.2018)

Somalia: Puntland – Oppression in Las Anod (30.05.2018)

South Sudan: Maj. Gen. Acuil Lual Acuil resigns from SPLM/A-IO to join SSUF/A (26.05.2018)

Central African Republic crisis ‘breaks my heart’ says senior UN aid official (29.05.2018)

The already serious humanitarian situation in Central African Republic (CAR) has worsened amid a spike in violence which threatens to overtake almost every area of the country, a top UN aid official said on Monday.

NEW YORK, United States of America, May 29, 2018 –  One in four people has been displaced, according to Najat Rochdi, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for CAR, who said that this included areas that were formerly peaceful, such as the north and central zones.

Speaking at a press conference in Geneva, Ms. Rochdi warned that severe acute malnutrition in six administrative regions is higher than 15 per cent – the emergency threshold – and infant mortality is at 18 per cent.

And amid severe funding shortages which have meant aid cut-backs, she told journalists in French: “It breaks my heart every time a child comes to me and says I’m hungry.”

Speaking later in English, she said: “Where you have kids, those little girls and little boys coming to you and looking at you and telling, ‘I’m hungry, I’m starving,’ it’s horrible, really horrible. Unfortunately the situation has worsened because we had in one year’s time an increase of 70 per cent of the internally displaced people. Meaning more children, more little girls and more little boys, meaning also that it’s a whole generation that is sacrificed because they are not going to school.”

She said it was very important to keep providing them with humanitarian assistance, which meant going beyond food distribution, beyond the access to water, beyond the access to health. “It’s just access to hope.”

Of the more than $515 million aid requirement needed in CAR for 1.9 million people, less than 20 per cent has been provided so far this year.

Fighting between the mostly Christian anti-Balaka militia and the mainly Muslim Séléka rebel coalition has plunged the CAR into civil conflict since 2012. A peace agreement was reached in January 2013, but rebels seized the capital, Bangui, in March of that year, forcing President François Bozizé to flee.

Concerned with the security, humanitarian, human rights and political crisis in the CAR and its regional implications, the Security Council authorized the deployment of a UN stabilization mission, known by its French acronym, MINUSCA, in 2014 with the protection of civilians as its utmost priority.

The humanitarian community distributed high-energy biscuits to 1,500 children and debilitated adults who suffered from starvation and thirst for more than 72 hours during an outbreak of violence in Mbomou Prefecture, Central African Republic in May 2017.

The country’s huge natural wealth – in the form of diamonds, gold and uranium – continues to fuel the fighting, Ms. Rochdi explained, adding that there was “absolutely no problem” in areas “where you don’t have that much to steal.”

The violence reached the capital, Bangui, at the beginning of the month after almost a year of relative stability.

In that incident, 70 people were killed in clashes between security forces and armed militia, and thousands were displaced.

Ms. Rochdi said that UN troops had to intervene after Muslims were denied healthcare access.

The town of Bambari has also seen armed groups return, despite becoming a “safe haven for all communities” since last year, the UN official added.

The militia aimed to put pressure on the government to grant them an amnesty but this would be a “disaster” for the country, Ms. Rochdi insisted, before adding that efforts to prevent impunity had been stepped up and had resulted in a Special Criminal Court, which is due to start work in CAR next week.

Some of its “first clients” would be “high-profile leaders of armed groups,” Ms. Rochdi said, adding that CAR was one of the most dangerous places on earth for humanitarians, with six people killed this year and attacks on aid workers and looting happening on a “regular” basis.

Yet despite the instability and fact that funding levels in 2017 were only 40 per cent of what was requested, she maintained that it still made a substantial difference on the ground and had helped to prepare communities to withstand future shocks too.

It meant that more than one million people had access to water, that 7,000 tonnes of humanitarian assistance were delivered and more than 60,000 children were given an education.

In addition, the aid ensured that more than 70,000 farming families received a vital seed allocation, helping them to become more self-sufficient.

More than 17,000 children from six to 59 months suffering from severe acute malnutrition were also given support.

The most important thing was that the people of CAR had some sense that they had a future, Mrs Rochdi said, adding that humanitarian assistance “is making the difference between life and death”.

Aid is also “the best way for all of us to sustain peace in CAR”, she added, since the funding gave communities hope.

Communique on the meeting between the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and the Prime Minister of Somalia (27.05.2018)