Author Archive
23 Nov 1992
The New Press Law
Originally appeared in Ethiopian Review Magazine November 1992 http://www.ethiopianreview.com/1992/Article_AlemayehuGMNov92.html The Council of Representatives of the Transitional Government of Ethiopia last month approved a “Press Law” authorizing government officials to exercise sweeping censorship powers over the press and persons associated with the press. This law is unnecessary and unduly burdensome on the traditional and universal
23 Jul 1992
Playing Left Field
Originally appeared in Ethiopian Review, July 1992 http://www.ethiopianreview.com/1992/Article_AbiyeSolomonJul92.html Under the pen name Abiye Solomon I am one of those guys who has never really been into sports. I used to Like soccer and I played and watched a lot of it in my younger days in Ethiopia. There really was not much to
01 Dec 1991
Back to the Future: Prime Minister Tamrat Layne’s Transitional Economic Program
In August, 1991, Prime Minister Tamrat Layne presented his economic proposals for public debate. The 35-page (Amharic) booklet entitled Draft Transitional Economic Policy for Ethiopia sought to comprehensively address the country’s diverse economic problems. Generally, the proposals are uninspired, timid and cumulatively favor maintenance of the status quo. Magnitude of Economic Problems Ato Tamrat’s proposals
03 Aug 1991
Appointment With Destiny: The Dawn of Democracy in Ethiopia?
Originally appeared in Ethiopia Review Magazine August 3, 1991 http://www.ethiopianreview.com/index/345 By Alemayehu Gebre Mariam The July Conference Objectives Just three months ago few would have predicted the downfall of the Derg or the sneaky departure of its brutal chieftain to Zimbabwe. The suggestion that Ethiopia’s warring factions would assemble for a dialogue in Addis Ababa
01 Jul 1991
Ethiopia: Beyond Fear and Loathing?
In less than a month Mengistu HaileMariam and his Derg have been swept from the Ethiopian political landscape. Victory for the Ethiopian People’s Democratic Revolutionary Front (EPDRF) came quickly and Addis Ababa was captured with minimum resistance. The political implications of this victory however remain unclear. Historic ethnic antagonisms and rivalries continue to inspire an
10 Jun 1991
Ethiopia in transition: Quick end to a brutal regime
As opposition forces ringed Addis Ababa, Col. Mengistu Haile Mariam boarded an Ethiopian Airlines plane on May 22 and fled Ethiopia for a ranch in Zimbabwe. State-run radio announced Mengistu’s unceremonious departure without comment. After 14 years of iron-fisted rule, Mengistu left behind a demoralized army, a shattered economy, and an ethnically fragmented society. In