Friday, May 21, 2010

Ethiopian Elections on May 23, 2010

East African politics are heating up:
In April, Sudan held general elections in which President Omar al-Bashir was re-elected.  The Sudanese elections caused rifts and divisions within the Southern Sudanese leadership, making the international community wary of what will happen during the Southern Sudanese referendum in January 2011.  A Darfur referendum is also scheduled to take place in July 2010.
Ethiopia is set for elections on May 23, 2010.  The elections have been hampered by politically motivated assassinations, intimidation, and a systemic crackdown on freedom of speech.
Violence, instability and repression have marred the upcoming Rwandan elections to be held in August 2010.
Uganda is also gearing up for elections in 2011 and Kenya will be holding their much-anticipated elections in 2012.


What follows is an excellent article from the New York Times outlining the run-up to the Ethiopian elections and questioning the role of U.S. aid to the country given the political climate of repression: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/21/world/africa/21ethiopia.html?pagewanted=1&ref=world&adxnnlx=1274450440-tmt2cH8Z/je6gXV9Rz5xPg

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