Addis Ababa Ethopia

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopian rebels fighting for independence for a region with potentially significant oil and gas reserves said on Saturday they had captured seven towns near the border with neighboring Somalia. The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) wants autonomy for the Ogaden region, whose population is ethnic Somali. The area is drawing interest from foreign oil and gas companies who think its deserts might be rich in mineral deposits. "The operation ... to capture Obolka, Hamaro, Higlaaley, Yucub, Galadiid, Boodhaano and Gunogabo involved thousands of ONLF troops and resulted in two days of heavy fighting," the rebels said in a statement. "A ... Read Full Story

Ethiopian rebels have launched a wide offensive in the southeastern Somali ethnic Ogaden region and recaptured seven towns from government forces, they claimed Saturday in a statement. The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) said in a statement received by AFP that it had launched a broad offensive on several fronts on November 10. "The operation involved thousands of ONLF troops and resulted in two days of heavy fighting. A significant number of Ethiopian troops have been killed and their military hardware captured or destroyed," it said. The ONLF said its forces entered the towns of Obolka, Hamaro, Higlaaley, Yucub, Galadiid, Boodhaano and Gunogabo, where ... Read Full Story

In the streets of the Ethiopian capital hundreds of disabled people beg, some from makeshift wheelchairs, the less fortunate dragging themselves on their hands from car to car. Disabled people are seldom taken care of by institutions here; mostly they are either left to their own devices on the street or kept behind closed doors because their families are ashamed of them. "The traditional perception is that a child with disabilities is the result of a curse, or the work of the devil," said Fantahun Melles, who heads the International Labour Organization's programmes for the disabled in Ethiopia. "The situation is worse in the ... Read Full Story

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- The impact of the worldwide financial crisis could include preventing Ethiopia from reaching its anti-poverty goals by 2015, a United Nations official says. U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Thursday the international economic downturn may leave Ethiopia unable to successfully embrace the Millennium Development Goals, a U.N. release reported. Migiro said at the Regional Coordination Mechanism meeting. Migiro said while Ethiopia moved forward economically between 2000 and 2008 to an average of more than 5 percent growth annually, the current economic doldrums have caused significant problems. Migiro said Ethiopia's 2009 economic growth is ... Read Full Story

When Teddy Afro leaps onto the stage the crowd goes wild, clapping in the air and singing along with the man seen by many as the voice of Ethiopia's conscience. Fresh from his prison cell, the singer known as Ethiopia's Michael Jackson delighted tens of thousands of fans with his benefit concert for street children on Sunday. "He was in jail for more than a year because of his songs. He wants democracy and freedom for us the Ethiopian people. We love him," shouted Alorachew, a student attending the show at the capital's sports stadium. "Last time we saw him it was two years ... Read Full Story