I wonder if the Government’s field trip to the Ogeden has anything to do with the sudden increased interest in the region by multi-national oil companies?
It seems the recent ONLF attack on the Chinese petroleum company and widespread reports of human rights abuses and war crimes committed by government forces in the region have served to pique foreign interest in regional oil exploration, with more than one large international company quietly negotiating the preliminary stages of such a project at present.
It is clear that the government is doing everything in their power to suppress and deny the truth, at great cost to the civilians there, but I wonder--do such multinationals stand to benefit more from reports by the likes of NY Times’ Jeffrey Gettlemen , or the carefully supervised output of BBC’s Elizabeth Blunt?
If a ‘stable local environment in which to conduct exploration operations’ is what they are seeking, does that mean they stand in silent (or even direct financial) support of the severe regional government brutality?
A ferenji resident shares views on Ethiopian political and social issues.
3 comments:
As a senior Africa hand, Elizabeth Blunt has honed her skills at writing reports innocuous enough not to displease brutal dictators; she knows how to be “economical” with the truth.
I do not know how you could consider that honing skills, to me it selling ones integrity and decency to make a buck at the expense of the disenfranchised and poor who are voiceless just for an article that goes no where and say's nothing. If that is what she considers journalism to be, then she is as pathetic as the dictators that she is trying so hard to displease. By the way since when is the news about the pleasure or displeasure of a dictator?
Selam mengedengawu
hope You are safe.we love to read your excellent report.
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