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Thursday, September 13, 2007

SMS Back In Ethiopia

The Ethiopian Telecommunication Corporation has re-started Short Message Service(SMS) for mobile phone users. The service had been discontinued since June 10, 2005. During the elections in May 2005, Kinijit supporters effectively used the service to mobilize the people. It was this use of SMS as a tool of mass mobilization that forced the undemocratic government to shut down the service.

EZ thinks: The service's restoration is a good first step towards opening the political space. Now what about the private press and the blocked websites?

See What has happened to holy Joe?

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's good neews. Let us hope the bright future. We have had enough of fighting one over another. I hope this new millennium would bring us a lot of things to bring us together rather than separate us.

Now, free press shoumd be open. Opposition parties should get free to participate to air thair views in the media.

Ethiopia has got the most moderate and reconcilatory opposition giant in the Ethiopian history. Meles should siez this opportunity.

Happy millennium for all Ethiopians !

Anonymous said...

Thank God Meles finally understood his enemy is not the SMS technology or any other technology but his own deeds. He needs to change. It appears now that he is grudgingly accepting the inevitable...that he can not fight progress, societial or technological.
Some one has said,
"Once a new technology rolls over you, if your're not part of the steamroller, you're part of the road."
We shall see if he is going to be with roller for long!

Anonymous said...

Why don't you tell us about the celebration in Ethiopia?????? It must have been successfull for you to shut your mouth... because if it was a failuer you would have been the first one to talk about it... '

Anonymous said...

SMS cannot be a measurement of oppeness in Ethiopia, nor can it be a factor to measure anything other than one company lobbying through their contacts from the US to get the business opportunity back.

The only way we can measure democratic principle getting respected in Ethiopia is when the elected people come to govern the people of Ethiopia and those that lost the election is gone back to its TPLF base.

Anonymous said...

anonymous wrote "Why don't you tell us about the celebration in Ethiopia?????? It must have been successfull for you to shut your mouth... because if it was a failuer you would have been the first one to talk about it... "

What the hell this has to do with EZ's stuff about SMS. Clearly even you can't defend the sick, cowardly and unethical attempt at stopping communication amongst people.
In any case the success or otherwise of the celebration is measured at family level and is not a political issue.

Any attempt to make political capital out of ENQUTATASH is laughable and betrays a certain kind of stupidity ( this observation holds for certain opposition forces too).

Anonymous said...

If users can pay for the sms message, why not the government profit from it? I think it is a smart decision.
Ohhhhhhhh I Love Meles

Anonymous said...

Reply to anonn use wrote "If users can pay for the sms message, why not the government profit from it? I think it is a smart decision.
Ohhhhhhhh I Love Meles"

Yeah your are right. That is why Meles is also allowing people to have potable water: they can pay for it and the government profits from it. If we hadn't had a smart leader we would have drunk YE KURE WEHA. I love Meles too. In fact I love him more that you do ( I am kidding, just trying to make you jealous).

Anonymous said...

SMS for "mass mobilization"!!
We know...in 2005, Mengistu/Dergue
was very close to comeback!!
"mass mobilization " - Kebele chairmn word

Anonymous said...

Bravo Meles, how about the blocked web sites and blogs????!!!!!! They too play irreplaceable role in building democracy. I hope this Amharic proverb will help: Mot teferto saytegna aytaderim.