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Yet another reason to hope Mugabe loses

Tuesday, May 27, 2008
"The Ethiopian Supreme Court has sentenced the country's former dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam to death...The former leader is, however, unlikely to face execution as he has lived in exile in Zimbabwe since he was ousted from power in 1991. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's government is not expected to extradite him". Source

A brief anecdote to give the man's measure: "He shouted "Death to counterrevolutionaries! Death to the EPRP!" and then produced two bottles of what appeared to be blood and smashed them to the ground to show what the revolution would do to its enemies". Source

More substantially, the toll from the 80s famines lies at squarely at his door as does the Ukrainian 'Harvest of Sorrow' at Stalin's.

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posted by Croydonian

Bit of a head scratcher, that one

Tuesday, April 29, 2008
From Hansard:

Mr. Laurence Robertson (Our man in Tewkesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Ethiopia about that country's relationship with Qatar.

And the less than surprising answer:

Meg Munn : My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not had any discussions with the Government of Ethiopia about their relationship with Qatar.


A bit of digging shows that Addis and Doha have fallen out, with Addis throwing a major hissy fit over Qatar's chuminess with Eritrea and hosting of Al Jazeera. Mind you, both are a long way from Tewkesbury.

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posted by Croydonian

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Haile Selassie and Ethiopia

Le Figaro has a mini interview with the President of Ethiopia, but the focus is more on Haile Selassie, 'King of Kings, Elect of God and Conquering Lion of Judah'. He was carted away from his palace in a Volkswagen Beetle, but ended up buried under Mengistu's office so that the Red Negus could keep an eye on him.

Elsewhere the item notes that Ethiopia was a Christian country at least 50 years earlier than France, but continues "However, on the hills of Addis Ababa, mosques are multiplying. Rumour attributes their funding to Mohammed Al-Hamoudi, an Ethiopian-Saudi billionaire...But the old faith is still there. Tthe high plateaus of Ethiopia, are as Christian as Europe was before the 19th century. But the centuries count little for the old kingdom”.


I am hardly the world’s most enthusiastic monarchist, but I can’t help but think that if the line of Selassie had continued, Ethiopia would be a rather happier place today. Meanwhile the criminally wicked Mengistu is a guest of another nasty piece of work, Robert Mugabe. Mengistu is being tried in absentia in Ethiopia and the trial is now in its 13th year...

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posted by Croydonian