Some 74000 Africans cross Gulf of Aden to Yemen in record-breaking year

UNHCR (Press release)GENEVA, December 18 (UNHCR) – More than 74,000 Africans, fleeing civil war, political instability, poverty, famine and drought in the Horn of Africa, crossed the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea on smugglers' boats and reached the shores of Yemen this year. This figure represents a staggering 50 per cent increase over last year's 50,000 arrivals, itself a record.

Refugees and migrants make the risky journey under harrowing conditions. In some cases they are beaten, raped, killed or just thrown overboard into the shark-infested waters. In addition, the overloaded and overcrowded boats sometimes capsize, resulting in the drowning of many onboard.

According to the latest UNHCR statistics, at least 309 people drowned or did not survive the trip this year. In 2008, some 590 people died during the crossing. Many more people went missing and are presumed dead. The mixed migration route through the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea is presently the busiest and the deadliest one in the world.

Unlike in previous years, Somalis are no longer the majority of arrivals. With nearly 32,000 Somali arrivals this year their number remains steady in comparison to 2008. However, the number of Ethiopians reaching Yemen more than doubled this year to above 42,000.

While virtually all arriving Somalis approach the two, strategically positioned reception centres in Mayfaa and Ahwar, where they receive protection and assistance, only some 9,000 Ethiopians went to these venues this year. Most press on towards the Persian Gulf states in search of job opportunities.

The Mayfaa and Ahwar reception centres are open for all nationalities arriving in Yemen. In addition to provision of temporary shelter and assistance, they offer information and possibilities to apply for asylum and issue passes, valid for 10 days, for onward travel to Sana'a or Aden, where refugee status determination is carried out.

Upon arrival in Yemen, all Somali nationals are automatically recognized as refugees by the Yemeni authorities, under its group recognition policy. Presently, Yemen hosts some 150,000 Somali refugees. Other nationalities, including Ethiopians, wishing to apply for asylum are required to undergo the refugee status determination procedure conducted by UNHCR. The refugee agency believes some Ethiopian arrivals may have avoided approaching the reception centres, fearing arrest and detention as those who do not apply for asylum and are found to be in the country illegally could be deporte

Ethiopia: Rebels spread jitters in oil region

By Barry Malone

JIJIGA, Ethiopia, Dec 11 (Reuters) - A rebel group's claims to have captured seven towns and killed 1,000 soldiers in fierce fighting in Ethiopia's oil-producing Ogaden region are almost certainly exaggerated, foreign aid workers in the region say.

Ethiopia's Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) staged bold raids on government positions last month and aid workers say several hundred people were probably killed on both sides.

But while the guerrillas are capable of causing instability in the vast Somali region, which includes the Ogaden and accounts for one-fifth of the country's landmass, experts say they cannot hold territory.

"They attacked more than twenty places," one aid worker, who asked not to be identified, told Reuters in Jijiga, the regional capital. "But they only managed to take one town, not seven." Continued...

Ethiopia: Meles insults US Ambassador

VOA
'The dominant role of ethnic Tigrayans in the government, especially in the military, has often been a contentious political issue in Ethiopia. Tigrayans make up about six percent of the population.

But Prime Minister Meles flatly rejected Ambassador Griffiths' assertions. "I have not heard of such idiocy. But if it has occurred, it proves the idiocy of the person in Geneva," he said. read more

Canadian gets life sentence in Ethiopia

Canadian gets life sentence in EthiopistarPhoenex - Canada
He was found guilty last week on three charges related to membership of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF). "The court has decided against the ...read more

Ethiopia: International Crisis Group Warns of Potential for 'Violent ...

Voice of America
A new International Crisis Group report says Ethiopia is becoming an authoritarian one-party state, and warns that government policies there could lead to a violent eruption ahead of next year's elections. The report also faults the international community for downplaying Ethiopia's weak democracy.

The 40-page report by the International Crisis Group says that despite its democratic rhetoric, the government of Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi is ... read more

Explosion Kills 2 and Wounds 25 in The Somali State of Puntland

Puntland State

Newstime Africa -Kent, England, uk
... assailants in a small car threw a hand grenade at a cinema in the city center where people mostly from Oromo community of Ethiopia were watching films. ...read more

6 High Ranking Officers Defected

Reports reaching the Ogaden Online service desk confirm the defection of 6 high ranking military officers. It is reported that the recent ONLA commando attacks may have played a role in the defection of these high ranking officers. It is reported that all six officers who were based in military garrison in and around Addis Ababa were scheduled to be deployed in Ogaden.

File Photo/@ Ogaden Online The names and the ranks of the officers who defected are as follows. The spelling of the names may be incorrect:

1. Colonel Tadhase.
2. Captain Abraha.
3. Captain Haylo.
4. Second Lieutentant Da’ud.
5. Second Lieutenant Gabre.
6. Second Lieutenant Yohanas.

Aside from the defections, reliable sources indicate that there is an increased infighting within the Woyane militias following the spectacular losses in the hands of the ONLA commandoes in the many parts of Ogaden.
Ogaden Online