Alemayehu G. Mariam

'There are lies, lies and implausible lies,' to quote Meles Zenawi, the dictator-cum-economic spinmeister of Ethiopia.

‘Lies, lies and implausible lies,’ blasted Meles Zenawi, the enfant terrible of Ethiopia, in describing the 11 March 2010 US State Department’s ‘Report on Human Rights Practices’ in Ethiopia.

When Meles Zenawi, the arch dictator in Ethiopia, was asked about Birtukan Midekssa’s health in her prison on 23 March 2010, he was comically philosophical about it. He said Birtukan's health was in 'perfect condition', except that she may be putting on some weight.

It is a staple of the criminal defense bar to represent thieves, robbers, burglars, muggers, pickpockets, shoplifters, embezzlers, con men, fraudsters and swindlers. It is also the ineluctable lot of the defense lawyer to learn about the M.O.

Meles Zenawi seems to have a morbid fascination with genocide.

Sir Bob Geldof told Meles Zenawi to ‘Grow up!’ when he found out that security forces directly under the control and command of Zenawi had massacred hundreds of unarmed protesters following the 2005 elections. It looks like Sir Bob may have to take his own advice and do a little growing up.

If democracy is a government of the people, kleptocracy is a government of thieves.

Last week, a couple of interesting political statements grabbed the cyber headlines. One was a truly entertaining piece entitled 'Letter from Ethiopia' by the indomitable Ethiopian journalist Eskinder Nega.

When I wrote Part I of 'The hand that rocks the broken cradle' nearly a year and eight months ago,[1] the heartbreaking and outrageous scandal in the broken adoption system in Ethiopia was a shocking molestation crime committed against two rec

It has been said that Africa’s natural resources – oil, diamonds, minerals – have often proven to be sources of woe, suffering and misery rather than wealth, prosperity and progress for the people of the continent.