Ethiopia: Tremors of Inflation Reaches the Army

[Thierry Henry]

Ethiopia: Tremors of Inflation Reaches the Army

By Tullu Arga ( tullu.arga@gmail.com)

 

According to reliable internal sources, rising worries about inflation in Ethiopia are sending shivers through many sectors of the society, including the very pillar the ruling party relies upon to cling to power. The latest to feel the pinch and cry foul is the military. The source indicated that the army has lodged a request for a cost of living adjustment to stay afloat

 

The price of basic necessities such as flour, onion, coffee, and sugar has skyrocketed. The government blamed the hike in prices on hoarding by greedy merchants. Following tough words by the Prime Minister, the business community in the capital is feeling under siege.

 

Within the last week alone, over 100 shops have been confiscated. To prevent the dire situation from snow balling into a political crisis pensioners are given 84 percent raise. There is also report of a 300 percent salary increase for civil servants. Economists warn that this may fuel the already combustible situation rather than abate it. There is rumor about further devaluation of the birr.

 

To make matters worse, deepening political grievances compounded by increasing anxiety about a possible economic meltdown has prompted talk of a Tunisia style jasmine revolution in the capital, despite the total news blackout by the state-owned media.

[Thierry Henry]

Interesting, inflation is starting to chew away on army budgets as well. The sole thing keeping the TPLF in power

[PasserBy]

TH,

 

There is more nervousness in Hosni Mubarek's palace (A Osman's handlers) than in Menilik palace. The aging autocrat is looking at what took place in the neighbouring Arab state with twitchy eye. :D

[Thierry Henry]

PasserBy;689983 wrote:

TH,

 

There is more nervousness in Hosni Mubarek's palace (A Osman's handlers) than in Menilik palace. The aging autocrat is looking at what took place in the neighbouring Arab state with twitchy eye.

:D

 

Arab, A Osman, ONLF, OLF, TPLF, Eritrea,

 

Stop about being paranoid. This is about inflation now effecting the same sole entity keeping his minority government in power

[PasserBy]

As I wrote, the most nervous people reside in Hosni Mubarek's palace. Don't worry about Ethiopia. :D :

[General Duke]

^^^Etihiopia can not be compared to Egypt. Egypt is a real power, that gets the second most military support from the US, and Ethiopia is bullied by Star Bucks.

[Thierry Henry]

PasserBy;689993 wrote:

As I wrote, the most nervous people reside in Hosni Mubarek's palace. Don't worry about Ethiopia.

:D

:

Why do you seem obsessed with Eritrea,Egypt and others. This is about inflation and rising cost of living in Ethiopia, now even the military is faced with this dire economic situation. Hence, Ethiopia asked for 500 million from America alone

[Faafan]

General Duke;689995 wrote:

^^^Etihiopia can not be compared to Egypt. Egypt is a real power, that gets the second most military support from the US, and Ethiopia is bullied by Star Bucks.

Damnnn kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk! LOOOL

[PasserBy]

At least three people have been killed during a day of rare anti-government protests in Egypt, reports say.

 

In Cairo, where the biggest rallies were held, state TV said a policeman had died in clashes. Two protesters died in Suez, doctors there said.

 

Thousands joined the protests after an internet campaign inspired by the uprising in Tunisia.

 

In Cairo, police used tear gas and water cannon in an attempt to disperse the crowds.

 

Activists had called for a "day of revolt" in a web message. Protests are uncommon in Egypt, which President Hosni Mubarak has ruled since 1981, tolerating little dissent.

 

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said her administration supported "the fundamental right of expression and assembly" and urged all parties "to exercise restraint".

 

She added that Washington believed the Egyptian government was "stable" and "looking for ways to respond to the legitimate needs and interests of the Egyptian people".

 

The events in Cairo were co-ordinated on a Facebook page - tens of thousands of supporters clicked on the page to say they would take part.

 

Reports said the social networking site Twitter had been blocked in Egypt and that mobile phone networks in the Cairo area were down.

 

The Swedish-based website Bambuser, which streams video from mobile phones, said it had been blocked in Egypt. On its blog, it accused Egyptian officials of trying to control the news agenda.

 

The BBC's Jon Leyne in Cairo said rallies had been held in several parts of the capital, and the turnout had been more than the organisers could have hoped.

 

Police were taken aback by the anger of the crowd and let protesters make their way to the parliament building, he says.

 

There police regrouped in full riot gear with tear gas and water cannon and temporarily drove the crowd back. However, protesters threw stones and stood their ground, pushing the police back until they were on the run.

 

Our correspondent says the scale of the clashes will surely come as a shock to President Mubarak.

 

Protests also broke out in other areas, including the eastern city of Ismailiya and the northern port city of Alexandria.

 

In Alexandria, witnesses said thousands joined the protests, some chanting: "Revolution, revolution, like a volcano, against Mubarak the coward."

 

'Nothing to fear'

 

In Cairo's Tahrir Square, demonstrators attacked a police water cannon vehicle, opening the driver's door and ordering the man out of the vehicle.

 

Officers beat back protesters with batons as they tried to break the police cordons to join the main demonstration.

 

 

Protesters alluded to the Tunisian uprising - this one using the French word "degage", meaning "out" One protester, 43-year-old lawyer Tareq el-Shabasi, told the Associated Press news agency: "I came here today willing to die, I have nothing to fear."

 

The AFP news agency reported that protesters had gathered outside the Supreme Court holding large signs that read: "Tunisia is the solution."

 

They then broke through lines of police and began to march through the streets, chanting: "Down with Mubarak."

 

Some chants referred to Mr Mubarak's son Gamal, who some analysts believe is being groomed as his father's successor. "Gamal, tell your father Egyptians hate you," they shouted.

 

The organisers rallied support saying the protest would focus on torture, poverty, corruption and unemployment, calling it "the beginning of the end".

 

"It is the end of silence, acquiescence and submission to what is happening in our country," they said in comments carried by Reuters news agency.

 

"It will be the start of a new page in Egypt's history - one of activism and demanding our rights."

 

George Ishaq, an Egyptian opposition leader, said security forces had been "confounded".

 

He added: "In the end, we will get our rights because this is just the beginning.

 

"This will not end. Our anger will continue over the coming days. We will put forth our conditions and requests until the system responds and leaves."

 

Disillusioned

 

Weeks of unrest in Tunisia eventually toppled President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali earlier this month.

 

Egypt has many of the same social and political problems that brought about the unrest in Tunisia - rising food prices, high unemployment and anger at official corruption.

 

However, the population of Egypt has a much lower level of education than Tunisia. Illiteracy is high and internet penetration is low.

 

There are deep frustrations in Egyptian society, our Cairo correspondent says, yet Egyptians are almost as disillusioned with the opposition as they are with the government; even the Muslim Brotherhood, the banned Islamist movement, seems rudderless.

 

While one opposition leader, Mohamed ElBaradei, called on Egyptians to take part in these protests, the Muslim Brotherhood has been more ambivalent.

 

Our correspondent adds that Egypt is widely seen to have lost power, status and prestige in the three decades of President Mubarak's rule.

[Peace Action]

Yes Mubarak is on his way out & Zinawi will be next. Don't assume that the revolution will not reach Ethiopia ruled by a dictator for the last 30 years or 25 years.