Road accident kills 6, injures 4

Addis Ababa - Six persons were killed instantly and four others sustained severe injuries yesterday after a heavy-duty truck collided with three vehicles in Harar town of the Harari State, the State Police Commission said.

Traffic control and inspection sub-section head with the commission, Deputy Sergeant Shekib Adem told ENA that the accident occurred after the truck collided with two taxies and another vehicle in a place locally called ‘Arategna’.

The driver of one of the taxies and five persons on board died instantly following the accident, he said, adding that four others who were on board in another taxi and in a vehicle also sustained severe injuries due to the accident.

Deputy Sergeant Shekib said police put the driver of the heavy-duty truck under custody and began investigating the cause of the accident.

The injured were admitted to Harar Hiwot Fana Hispital for medial treatments, he said.

(ENA)

Bureau to inoculate over 36,000 children against polio

Harar - The Harari State Health Bureau said it has undertaken the necessary preparations to provide immunize over 36,500 children, under the age of five, against polio.

Bureau Public Relations Expert Atnafe Tena told ENA Monday that the door-to-door vaccination service would be provided for four successive days as of tomorrow.

Some 2,445 capsules would be used for the vaccination service, he said, adding World Health Organization (WHO) has provided 159,000 birr for the execution of the service.

Atnafe said 240 health experts and assistants would be deployed in the campaign.

He called upon the public in the state to be cooperative in a bid to make the immunization campaign a success.

(ENA)

Office renovating rural roads

HARAR - The Hararghe Rural Roads Maintenance Office has reportedly started repairing 397-kms of rural and feeder roads in East and West Hararghe zones with over 4.4 million birr.

Office Head Temesgen Debelo told WIC that the renovation of the roads started last month will be financed by the Federal Roads Fund Administration and the Harari State Government.

The maintenance work includes heavy and standardized maintenance on over 80-kms, and light maintenance on 317-kms, the head said, adding that the project would be finalized by the end of the budget year.

Renovation of the roads in the rural kebeles with serious road problems will enable farmers residing in the woredas to easily supply their produces to markets, he noted.

Temesgen recalled that the branch office has also rehabilitated and readied 367-kms roads with over 3.2 million birr in the zones last fiscal year.

(WIC)

CSA finalizes census cartographic work in most states

Addis Ababa - The Central Statistics Agency said most of the census cartographic work needed for the population and housing census due to be taken in May 2007 has been finalized in most States.

Agency Public Relations Service Head Abebe Mihretu told ENA yesterday that the census cartographic work has already been finalized in Tigray, Amhara, Benishangul Gumuz, Harari, Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples State and Dire Dawa administration.

Accordingly, 82, 879 census cartographic works have already been finalized until November 9, 2006, he added.

The census cartographic work is being carried out in Afar, Somali, Gambella and in some woredas of Oromia State, while other office works are underway in States where the census cartographic works have been finalized, Abebe said.

Abebe further said that the census cartographic work would help avoid double registration of families during the census and evenly deploy the logistics needed for the census.

The head thanked the public for providing support for employees of the agency deployed on the census cartographic work that started in June 2006.

(ENA)

Harari State expresses support to Premier’s report

ADDIS ABABA - The Harari people would rally behind the government in reversing the clear and immediate threat of the Union of the Islamic Courts (UIC) of Somalia against the sovereignty of Ethiopia, Chief of the Harari State said.

Murad Abdullahi told ENA Wednesday that the state administrative council and the Harari people fully support Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s report recently presented to the House of Peoples’ Representatives.

He said the Harari people is ready to support government’s efforts in reversing the clear and immediate threat of the UIC based on international laws if the crisis could not resolved through peaceful means.

The UIC is group of anti-Ethiopia forces, he said, adding the Harari people would do everything possible toward reversing the jihad war declared by the Union of the Islamic Courts against Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian government clearly indicated that Ethiopia has been committed to the peace and stability of Somalia, he said, adding government’s foreign policy states that Ethiopia lives with the neighbouring countries peacefully.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Chairman of the Somali People’s Democratic Party (SPDP) said the Somali people would support the measures being taken by the Ethiopian government against the clear and present treat posed by the fundamentalist leadership of UIC.

In a statement he gave yesterday, Dawd Mohammed Ali said the Somali people and the government would not overlook the anti-peace activities of the UIC leadership that declared jihad war against Ethiopia.

In addition to repeatedly declaring jihad against Ethiopia, the fundamentalist UIC leadership is incurring physical damages on Ethiopia, Dawd said, adding that the Somali people appreciates efforts being exerted by the government to resolve the problem peacefully.

Members of woreda administrative bodies in the state have also expressed readiness for the realization of the short and long-term development plans put in place by the government to alleviate socio-economic problems of pastoralists in Jijiga Zone.

In a five-point resolution they adopted after thoroughly discussing the prevailing situation in the country, the ongoing democratization process, capacity building and good governance, members of the woredas’ administrative bodies said they whole-heartedly support the measures being taken by the government to avert the jihad war declared on Ethiopia by the jihadist UIC leadership.

About 600 members of administrative bodies drawn from Gursum, Babile, Jijiga, Kebri-Beyah, Hartisheik and Awbere woredas attended the seven-day meeting held in Jijiga town.



(ENA)

State to host nations, nationalities fetival

Harar - Preparations have been finalized to celebrate the festival of nations and nationalities colorfully in Harari State scheduled for December 29, 2006, Harari State Chief Administrator said.

Murad Abdullahi told ENA Wednesday that the festival is the result of an age-old struggle of the nations and nationalities’ for achievement of equality.

Accordingly, the state has attached due attention to celebrate the festival colourfully and in special manner, he said.

The celebration is not only to observe the day but also to ensure the rights of nations and nationalities.

Murad called on concerted efforts of all segments of the society, governmental and non-governmental organizations for the successful celebration of the Festival.

Traditional dances of nations and nationalities, pictorial exhibition and symposium would be staged as part of the festival.

(ENA)

Elders warn overlooking expansionist moves will have grave consequence

Jijiga - Overlooking the war declared by the Somali expansionists will result in heavy losses, Somali State elders awarned.

Residents of Awbere woreda, Sultan Ali Ilegod and Ahmed Osman Dirir, told WIC yesterday that turning a blind eye to the jihadists’s expansionist drive could have damaging consequences on Somali State.

The elders noted that waiting for the jihadist army to march forward will, as in the past, only expose the inhabitants of the state to massacre and exile, and endanger the well-being of the country.

Fetiya Jamah Mussie and Hussen Gures Egen, residents of the woreda, said the leaders of the Union of Islamic Courts were the military leaders of Siad Barre’s army who three decades ago invaded the country with an illusion of forming the “Great Somalia,” and added that the war they are trying to foment against Ethiopia in the guise of religion should therefore be put out before it spreads as the brunt of the last war still hurts the country.

The elders stated that the anti-peace elements who are serving the invaders are their arch foes and reaffirmed their support to the government vowing to stand along its side to repulse the invaders.

They further pointed out that the decision of some opposition political parties to neutrally observe the invasion proves their indifference to the sovereignty of the country and the safety of citizens.

Ensuring the implementation of the decision of the House of Peoples Representatives regarding the jihadists is the responsibility of all citizens as it is a matter of safeguarding the sovereignty of the country, the Harari State Islamic Affairs Supreme Council stressed.

Supreme Council Chairman Sheik Ibrahim Abdurahman said the Muslim community will stand alongside the government when all the peaceful options of solving the crisis are exhausted because safeguarding the sovereignty of the country and its border is the duty and responsibility of every citizen.

National sovereignty is indeed a matter of existence, Sheik Ibrahim said, adding that the stand of some of the political parties in this respect was a historic mistake.

Peace and national sovereignty precede everything, the chairman said, calling on the Muslim community to strive for the realization of the decision.

Similarly, members of the Amhara Nation Democratic Movement (ANDM) in Gambella State expressed their support for the decision to defend the jihadist invasion against the country.



(WIC)

Ethiopian community briefed on justice improvement system

Addis Ababa - The Ethiopian community and renowned personalities residing in London were briefed on the justice improvement system being implemented in the country, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

In a press release sent to Ethiopian News Agency yesterday, the ministry said the briefing was made by a delegation led by Deputy President with the Federal Supreme Court Menbere-Teshay Tadesse.

He told the community that efforts were launched to address the issues of accountability, independence and efficiency, among others, the release said.

The Deputy President said a legal framework has been prepared with an intention of further developing judiciary independence and accountability, it said.

The delegation comprises executives of Amhara, Oromia, Harari and other states, the release added.

(ENA)

FGAE branch provides service to over 68,000 people

Harar - Eastern branch office of the Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia (FGAE) said it has provided family planning service to over 68,000 people.

Branch Office Head Alemayehu Belachew told ENA Tuesday that the office provided the service to residents of Harari and Somali states, East and West Hararghe zones of Oromia State as well as the Dire Dawa City Administrative Council.

According to Alemayehu, 16,000 of the beneficiaries received long and short-term contraceptives for the first time.

He said the branch office offered the service using at six clinics and youth centres and 22 temporary service stations as well as community reproductive health service centres established in 77 kebeles.

Some 144 community representatives have also participated in providing the service in urban centres, he added.

He said awareness raising education on family planning and harmful traditional practices has also been offered for over 400,000 people in the areas.

Alemayehu further indicated that 16,000 people received treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, gynecology, dermatology as well as HIV/AIDS.

The head said the branch office has provided reproductive health, family planning and other services to over 118,000 people last year.

(ENA)