I’m in Ethiopia this week and Liberia next. Beyond being uncommonly busy, it’s no simple matter to access my site in Ethiopia. Censorship? The Chinese are apparently lending the technology.
Hard to believe it’s Internet speed since I can video Skype with my daughter without problem. Maybe I should write some friendly things about Meles…
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For what it’s worth, I’m accessing your site from Addis right now. Seems to load effortlessly. Maybe you’re in luck?
Given you’re on your way to Liberia, did you see that the Agriculture Minister, Florence Chenoweth, has been awarded the “Africa Prize for Leadership” by The Hunger Project – http://bit.ly/mWAg8u. Given that it’s also been awarded to the Malawian President despite the recent brutal backlash, is the prize given to Chenoweth equally unwarranted or is she unfortunate to receive it with such a disreputable fellow laureate? I’d appreciate your thought.
Chinese government is providing basically unrestricted funds to block satellite transmissions from independent Ethiopian media in the diaspora, and I imagine these are also used to for technology to disrupt internet connection as well. The censoring has been going on for a number of years, but ramped up in the last six months or so, so it’s likely not related to the famine.
I have read isolated rave reviews of different sectors of the Ethiopian economy (certain sectors in Agriculture, communications (but with your troubles I am having second thoughts) and the airline industry). Some have even called it a potential candidate for the “China Model” in Africa.
Do your experiences in Addis and elsewhere in Ethiopia jibe with these takes on the Ethiopian economy?
Also, could the censoring be related to the ongoing famine? How is it being covered in the media?
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