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Monday, May 21, 2007

Breaking News: Ethiopian Government Arrests New York Times Reporter

New York Times' East Africa correspondent Jeffrey Gettleman was arrested by the Ethiopian government while he was sneaking to rebel territory in the Ogaden region. EZ Post's security sources confirmed that the correspondent was taken to a prison in Jijiga with his wife, unidentified cameraman and a British journalist.

Gettelman who has been reporting well-researched articles about the Horn of Africa from Nairobi had gone deep into the volatile Ogaden region with fighters from the Ogaden National Liberation Front, a group fighting for the independence of the Ogaden region from Ethiopia. He was caught by government soldiers patrolling the area on Friday afternoon. According to security sources, Gettelman's plans to cross the border might have been obtained by the government before hand from phone taps of his exchange with a stringer in Addis Ababa.

Gettelman had changed the dynamics of reports from Horn of Africa with his thorough investigation and uncompromising reporting. His reports about the Somalia war has been lauded here in Ethiopia by independent observers, but his report about EU probe on war crimes allegedly committed by Ethiopian troops had angered the government.
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See Gettelman's Africa reports here.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

American government may wake up against tplf warlords when one of their citizen languish in tplf jail.

Anonymous said...

Kudos for you EZ for this scoop. Although I condemn the TPLF gangsters and looters for their action against the NY Times reporter, I think their misdeed is, in an other way, a blessing in disguise. What they did will directly put them on the opposite end of one of the most influential newspapers in the United States. Gaining the Times' enemity means a plus gain for the opposition.

Anonymous said...

EZ,
according to some ONLF sources, the news of Jeffry's arrest has remained unreported not because it didn't reach the major media but because all concerned including NY Times prefered to lie low as the US Embassy in Addis is engaged in the usual "negotiation" with Meles for his release.Unconfirmed reports also say that there are other journalsits held by Ethiopian government in relation to this issue.

Anonymous said...

EZ-

you are such an want to be journalist/revolutionary it's embarrasing - for you. The major media have known about this for several days, but out of respect for The New York Times staff and editors, the information was not released. You, hwowever, in your ignorance of how the major media is managed - have jumped the gun on this story because your "sources" are pretty much idiots, LIKE YOU.

And againn, you ARE praiseing someone simplee because they took a risk in Ethiopia and got arrested. Wake up EZ - people are taking risks there all the time!

You don't have a "scoop" here. And if you knew anything, you would know Gettlemen is not respected amongg he peers because he does dumb things like this.

He will most likely be fired for it. He is not like his predecesr, who displayed the utmost in professionalism, Marc Lacey.

Will you edit this from the postings?

Anonymous said...

No surprise here. The Tplf regime already took the "award" for being the number one enemy of the press in the world. The Tplf regime had a bad feeling about The New York Times since the May 2005 election. After the November massacre, the New York Times editorial blasted the regime as rouge and asked donors to exile Meles Zenawi from the community.

The New York Times broke the illegal North Korea arms deal. It also reported extensively on the Somali invasion revealing sensitive secrets.

The Tplf regime has an axe to grind against the New York Times.

Anonymous said...

Helo E.Z,the T.P.L.F regime continue to find it self in down ward spiral of negative events since that first day;a day the regime decided to venrure in to Somalia.This form of behavior by the current rulers will likely generate harsh retaliation by the western media.The next election is but less than six months away,who is not to say that the media will not reveal this double standard bully by the U.S and the Weyane rulers.It looks like the Melese regime is heavily banking on U.S support regardless of its human right violations.It is sad that this regime has lost all civilized decency of handling crisis through peacful means and resorted to belligerency ;If it continue to follow this paty,only time will tell,whether it will be destind to remain in palace or end up in the ditch.

Anonymous said...

I always though he was much better than Nicholes Krostof who became a spokesman for Clinton and Carter after Darfur. But good to know we got another Anthony Michelle who will give a whole lot of headach to the gangetsers

Anonymous said...

Gebru from Awasa:

For the anonymous above who posted at 6:06 am

Get life men. Walk up and be sense full because you sound senseless here. You said `The major media have known about this for several days, but out of respect for The New York Times staff and editors, the information was not released.` what a jerk are you. You condemned EZ for breaking the news and not helping the dictators in Ethiopia by hiding the truth? Wow. To your surprise it is on BBC today and hung yourself now because it has been reported on ALL major media outlets everywhere. Woyane may run but can not escape justice. The truth no matter how long it takes will not stop hunting those who deceive and rob the entire nation. You do not deserve response for your comment but I want you to realize yourself that how STUPID you were.
GOD BLESS ETHIOPIA.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the above coment. Those who lie will die and it will be a painfull death. Yes GOD BLESS ETHIOPIA. Death to those who injoy when our people cry.

Anonymous said...

Is this a new Ethiopia news site www.ethiocity.com ? It seems people can submit a link to Ethio related news