addisstandard – Page 908

Senegal: When enough is enough and the people know it as that

A chain of constitutional breach and dishonesty are threatening a rare democracy in Africa

Yordanos Gouhse, Accra, Ghana

In an unfortunate turn of events, the 85-year-old Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade broke his own promise, made in 2000, to leave office after the first two terms of his presidential tenure were over, which would have been this year. Now he is forced to count the costs of his decision to dishonor his own promise: a stiff opposition from thousands of Senegalese who took to the streets of the capital Dakar in the wake of the national election held on February 26^th, 2012.

March 3, 2012

World News, Africa

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I don’t know about Paris, but Harar is a city of love

It is easy to think of the city of Harar as an old city of ruin, but easier to depart from it with a lasting taste of a city of harmony and love

Henok Wondyirad (PhD)

When I first planned to go to Harar a few weeks ago, I never thought to experience anything new. All that I had imagined was an old city (probably half in ruin) surrounded by its inhabitants deeply addicted with khat (a mild narcotic) and Shisha (Hookah). On top of that my previous information about the people of Harar, a city in the eastern part of Ethiopia some 336 kms from Addis Ababa, was not a pleasant one. I heard that socially they were careless, less trustworthy and that they curse each other as if they are blessing one another.

But, there was also another legend I knew: Harar is a city of love.

March 1, 2012

Travel

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Mr. Xi comes to town

Douglas H. Paal

China’s Vice President Xi Jinping recently visited the United States on a trip intended to keep relations between the two largest economies and often mistrustful partners within constructive channels. The visit was also meant to familiarize the figure likely to head China for the next five to ten years with his American counterparts, should they be reelected. Finally, in light of troubled economic times, Xi’s party signed contracts and made modest policy adjustments to benefit some American farmers and businesses and symbolize good intentions. It was an opportunity to lay out many issues forthrightly, but to leave partisan politics out.