The new African Union (AU) headquarters was inaugurated last week. It was “China’s gift to Africa.” China picked the entire USD$200 million tab for the building, fixtures and furniture. The China State Construction Engineering Corporation constructed the building using nearly all Chinese workers. Meles Zenawi, the dictator in Ethiopia, waxed poeticas he blessed the new building and consecrated the “continuing prosperous partnership” between Africa and China:
Feb. 3 (Bloomberg) -- The United Nations criticized the Ethiopian government’s use of an anti-terrorism law to curb freedom of expression by jailing opposition politicians and reporters critical of the state.
With jail terms for journalists and legal constraints on the activities of civil society groups, Ethiopia doesn't appear to be ticking the good governance boxes required of donors
Ethiopians take part in a vigil in the US to demand the release of all political prisoners in Ethiopia. Photograph: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images
The United Nations has officially declared the famine in Somalia over but warns that there is still a 'humanitarian emergency' in the country
How To Plan A Revolution ?
Written by BST on BBC Two
How To Plan A Revolution ? Thursday 20 April 2006 2100
Two young political activists, Murad and Emin, are on a mission. They want to overthrow the government in Azerbaijan by staging a peaceful "Orange" revolution.
United Nations condemns Ethiopia’s anti-terror law
Written by UN News Center
February 3rd, 2012
(United Nations) A group of independent United Nations human rights experts today spoke out against the ongoing use of anti-terrorism laws to curb freedom of expression in Ethiopia, where several journalists were recently given prison sentences under such legislation.
Ethiopia News: Swedish journalists appeal to Prime Minister Zenawi for pardon
Written by Efforts to free Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson continue
February 2nd, 2012
Sweden’s Ambassador to Ethiopia Jens Odlander (C) stands next to Seleshi Ketsela (L) and Abebe Balcha (R), both lawyers for two Swedish journalists found guilty of supporting terrorism in Ethiopia, outside an Addis Ababa courtroom on Dec. 27, 2011. (Jenny Vaughan/AFP/Getty Images)
There are 3,372 … now 3,374 signatures and counting that ask for the release of Swedish journalist Martin Schibbye and photographer Johan Persson, both serving 11-year prison sentences in Ethiopia. The signature campaign is quickly amassing worldwide support.
From last week to early this week concerned Africans, policymakers, and analysts around the globe were following the events at the Eighteenth African Union Summit in Addis Ababa with a big hope. But unexpectedly, the gathering of the most powerful Africans ended in a deadlock over the leadership of the African Union Commission.
That deadlock, along with other issues, such as the looming crisis over oil business between South Sudan and Sudan, food shortages across the Sahel, the mess in the Horn of Africa, and the controversy over the newly-built headquarters of the AU Commission in Addis Ababa, opens a door for the Western media to report on the African Union in the most belittling manner possible.
London - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange appealed to Britain's Supreme Court on Wednesday not to extradite him to Sweden over accusations of sex crimes, a transfer that could push his anti-secrecy website further towards oblivion.
Australian-born Assange, 40, became a worldwide celebrity and infuriated the United States government in 2010 when WikiLeaks released secret video footage and thousands of US diplomatic cables about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The new African Union (AU) headquarters was inaugurated last week. It was “China’s gift to Africa.” China picked the entire USD$200 million tab for the building, fixtures and furniture. The China State Construction Engineering Corporation constructed the building using nearly all Chinese workers. 
(United Nations) A group of independent United Nations human rights experts today spoke out against the ongoing use of anti-terrorism laws to curb freedom of expression in Ethiopia, where several journalists were recently given prison sentences under such legislation.
![[AFP/Tony Karumba] UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addresses the AU summit in Addis Ababa on January 29th.](http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/images/2012/02/02/120202Feature2Photo1.jpg)
