Source:
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Press Inf. & Documentation G/Directorate
P.O.Box 393
Tel. 517345
Fax 514300
E-mail MFA.Addis@telecom.net.et
Contents
1. Militia Members Seen Off (Sodo, - South Ethiopia)
2. Militias Head for War Front (Assela, Shashamene, Borana, - Oromia)
3. ICRC Delegation Visits Displaced People (Asaiyta, - Afar)
4. Support Continues for the Displaced
5. Ethiopians Abroad Make Donations
6. Over 320,000 Birr Raised
7. MIDROC Employees Raise Money
SODO, Wednesday (ENA) - Militia members drawn from the various woredas of the North Omo Zone were seen off yesterday at they started out to join the Defence Force.
The militia members were accorded a warm farewell by inhabitants and administrative representatives in Sodo and Arba Minch towns. Some of the militia members said the war of aggression committed by the Eritrean government would be defused through the joint effort of the people. They expressed confidence that the militia from the four corners of the country would defeat the enemy.
Meanwhile, young people registered in various woredas to defend the territorial integrity and sovereignity of Ethiopia had made the necessary preparations.
Similarily, young people registered in Gondar town to go to the war front received yesterday an emblem from an elderly person, Balambaras Berhanu Hailu. Speaking at the ceremony, Balambaras Berhanu said that although he was unable to join the Defence Force, he had encouraged his son to join his compatriots. He also urged Eritrean elderlies to oppose the provocation by the Eritrean leadership.
REGIONS, Monday (ENA) - Militia members and youth from the Arsi, Borena, Negele and East Wollega zones, as well as the Shashemene woreda had been mobilized to the war front.
The first contingent of militias registered in the nine woredas of Arsi zone were seen off today by patriots, religious leaders, families and inhabitants in Asella town. The tricolour of Ethiopia was handed over to the contingent by the patriots symbolizing the responsibility entrsuted to it. During their stay in Asella since Satuday, the militias were provided with food and other provisions by the residents.
Speaking during the ceremony, the administrator of the zone, Ato Tadesse Hordoffa, said compatriots would take care of the farmlands and family members of the militias who had left for the war front with the aim of ensuring the Territorial integrity and soverignty of the country.
A great number of youths registered in the zone were now taking medical checkups to join the Defence Force. Meanwhile, militia members drawn from the 12 woredas of the Borena zone today left for the war front.
ASAIYTA, Tuesday (ENA) - A delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) visited this week Ethiopians sheltered at various stations in the Afar National State following their displacement form Assab by the Eritrean aggressors.
The secretary of the regional Red Cross Society, Ato Leulseged Awoke, said the delegation visited and interviewed displaced Ethiopians sheltered at Bure, Manda, Elidar and Logia towns.
Meanwhile, the secretary said the branch office of the society donated three cartons of medicines and anti-malaria drugs.
REGIONS, Wednesday (ENA) - Over 200,000 birr had been donated recently by various members of the society to help people displaced by Eritrea's war of aggression and to bolster the Defence Force. Government employees also pledged between 10 and 100 per cent of their one-month salary.
Employees and other members of the society in Basona Worana woreda and Debre Berhan town raised over 69,000 birr. Inhabitants of 26 kebele peasant associations in the same woreda also contributed 82 quintals of grain, 14 sheep and goats as well as numerous hens and eggs, whereas the employees of the Sport Commission in the town pledged their onM-month salary.
Members and supporters of the Tigray Development Association (TDA) in Debre Berhan contributed 5,600 birr, clothes and materials. Residents of Kemise, Bati, Senbete and Cheffa-Robit towns in the Oromiya Zone, Amhara National State, raised 45,100 birr, while Ato Yousuf Haji, an inhabitant of Kemise town, individually donated 2,000 birr.
Employees of the zonal Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission, the Culture, Tourism and Information Commission, the Sports Commission, the Education and Health Departments and the Labour and Social Affairs department pledged 10 per cent of their one-month salary.
Employees of the department of the 114th Mechanised Brigade in Dessie and its surrounding area decided to contribute five per cent of their one-month salary and the employees of the Dessie Zuria Health Office pledged to contribute 10 per cent of their one-month salary.
Employees of the Kombolcha Prison and inmates raised 5,564 birr. Employees of the Harar Brewery and 12 various offices in Sodo Zuria contributed over 46,000 birr and 23,000 birr respectively.
The owner of the Guder Agro-Industrial Factory in Bahir Dar, Ato Asrat Mekonnen, handed over 130 quintals of fine wheat flour and kinche (granulated grain) worth over 32,000 birr to the Amhara fund-raising committee.
Employees of the factory, as well as the Water, Mines and Energy and the Trade and Industry bureaus in the Amhara State decided to contribute 10 per cent, between 15 to 50 per cent as well as 10 per cent of their one-month salary respectively.
Government employees in Sekota and Dahna Woreda, Waghimra Zone, agreed to donate their one-month salary.
ADDIS ABABA, Wednesday (ENA) - Ethiopians living abroad pledged over 206,000 U.S. dollars to support the National Defence Force and people displaced by Eritrea's war of agression.
Ethiopians living in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and Boston agreed to give 150,000 U.S. dollars. Similarily, Ethiopians residing in Djibouti raised over 53,000 U.S. dollars and those in Cairo gave 2880 U.S. dollars. The Ethiopian community in Yemen set up a fund-raising committee and contributed 50,000 Yemeni riyal.
Ethiopians in Norway and Switzerland pledged to raise funds while those in Geneva contributed 4100 Swiss franc. Meanwhile, civil servants and the public in South Omo, Debre Zeit and Tigray donated over 100,000 birr.
ADDIS ABABA, Wednesday (ENA) - Various sections of the society here in the capital raised recently over 320,000 birr in support of the National Defence Force and people displaced by Eritrea's war of aggression. Some 182,500 birr of the total sum had been handed over to the federal Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission.
The commission said Hagbes Company, Hope Enterprise, Mohammed Yimer and His Sons Private Company, the Ethiopian Hunters Association, the Gerji Taxi Owners Association, employees of the Belay Teklu Pastry and the Medhane Alem Self-Help Association had given a total of 230,500 birr.
The Ethiopian Education Consultancy also donated 3,000 birr for the purchase of teaching aids for students displaced by Eritrea's invasion, the commission said.
In a related development, employees of the Transport Construction Design Enterprise agreed to contribute 10 per cent of their salary and 20,000 birr from their deposit.
Similarily, workers of the Addis Ababa Hilton Hotel and the Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute pledged to give a total of 65,230 birr for the same purpose.
Meanwhile, the Itab-Enter Medical Enterprise, Yakona Engineering Enterprise and the Kangaroo Sponge Factory donated various materials worth 109,000 birr.
ADDIS ABABA, Tuesday (ENA) - Employees of 15 sister companies of MIDROC Ethiopia pledged recently to give over 542,000 birr to people displaced by Eritrea's war of aggression.
According to a press release issued by Mohammed International Development Research and Organisation Company (MIDROC), the employees made the pledge out of their belief that it was possible to carry out economic development only when there was national security and stability.
Workers of MIDROC Construction and the Alfora Agro-Industry Institution and the Ethio-Leather Industry donated 153,129, 98,601 and 63,421 birr respectively.
Employees of the Moha Soft Drinks Industry, the National Mining Cooperation, the Mamko Paper Products Factory and MIDROC Legedenbi Gold Mine gave 52,041, 31,890, 29,150 and 28,734 birr respectively. Workers of eight other sister companies of MIDROC together raised the balance, the release said.