Here are some news highlights from Ethiopia this week. I've included a summary of each piece. You can click on the title of each story to go read the full story. As always, links are only good for a few weeks, unless you subscribe to the news service.

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Ethiopia releases protest leaders

The biggest news out of Ethiopia this week is the report from the BBC that 30 protest leaders have been released. Just days after being given life sentences over the June 2005 election protests, the group has now reportedly confessed and asked for a pardon. Three minibuses left the prison amidst shouts of joy from supporters outisde the prison. The group always said the trial was political and refused to enter a plea. Ethiopia came under strong international pressure over the jailing of the protesters. Some donors cut aid. Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi this week denied that he was following US orders to free the 30 protest leaders.


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Ethiopia: Natural Ethiopia

In an opinion piece (Daily Monitor, July 18, 2007) B. Mezgebu discusses the idea of giving Ethiopian farmers incentives for taking good care of their land. A century or two ago, forests covered 40% of Ethiopia. Now only 3% of the land is forested, and most of this surviving forest is concentrated in a small part of the country. This has caused a huge problem with soil erosion during the rainy season. When the best topsoil slides away in the rain, it cam be hard to maximize field fertility. Ethiopia would benefit from an agricultural policy that gave incentive to farmers for soil conservation.

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Ethiopia: UNHCR Says Relocating 4,000 Somali Refugees

Daily Monitor (Addis Ababa)

19 July 2007

The UN High Commission of Refugees (UNHCR) this week began the process of relocating 4,000 Somali refugees to a refugee camp in eastern Ethiopia. They had been living in an overcrowded makeshift settlement close to the border with Somalia, and had been granted official refugee status by the UN.

Over a thousand people arrived on Monday and Tuesday. There will be a convoy bringing more refugees every three days. About 7,000 additional Somalis are waiting to be screened for refugee status at other sites in eastern Ethiopia.

The site was chosen because of its good access to water and room for expansion. Refugees were grateful to be there.

"Praised be to Allah that I managed to escape the chaos and extreme violence of [the Somali capital] Mogadishu with my 10 children to enjoy such a rousing welcome," the statement quoted one of the refugees as saying.

Previous weeks' news from Ethiopia