admin
epa02916969 Ethiopian Foreign Minister Hailemariam Desalegn addresses a joint press conference after his meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Minister Mohammed Kamel Amr (not pictured) in Cairo, Egypt, 14 September 2011. Ethiopian Foreign Minister arrived on an official visit to Egypt on 14 September, days before the planned visit of Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi who is due to meet with Egyptian officials. According to local media reports, the Nile Basin negotiations and the situation in Libya, Sudan and Somalia will be the main focus of the talks. EPA/MOHAMED OMAR
ADDIS ABABA. — In a surprise move, Ethiopia’s leader yesterday announced plans to drop charges against political prisoners and close a notorious prison camp in what he called an effort to “widen the democratic space for all.”
Prime Minster Hailemariam Desalegn’s comments came after anti-government protests engulfed much of the restive Oromia and Amhara regions in recent months, bringing many businesses, universities and transport networks to a standstill.
The sometimes deadly protests, the most serious since the current government came to power in 1991, spread into other parts of the East African country, leading to a months-long state of emergency that has since been lifted. — AP
Online Reporter