Djibouti and the Ethiopia protests...

June 9, 2005

Nope, we didn’t give up, just a lot of things happened and some delays… Ok, folks forget about our profile, but you can always ask about us and/or about the mission.

Currently living about 4 km from Addis Ababa the main capital of Ethiopia, Africa for 23 months now and our visa expires July 9th, just 4 weeks, in order to stay another 6 months, which our work is not quite done. We have to leave Ethiopia to reenter again and how to go about getting our extension. However, we’d decided to go to Djibouti, instead of Kenya. The flight to Kenya’s expensive, with restriction and is far. Djibouti is closer and the flight is less expensive. So far we had made contacted as to where the Djibouti Embassy to get our visa and photo done before we go there. . Also we need to know how much it will cost for getting Ethiopia re-extension. But we have to wait… because there is no transportation and the University students are protecting… Plus, before we go to Djibouti we also need to obtain Djibouti visa for both of us and get photo done that is $30.00 per couple. Did you get it?

When we do get to Djibouti we hope to find the right connection (Immigration, & US Embassy of Djibouti), a decent cheap hotel and food that doesn’t make our stomach sick. Who need it?

Why causes the delays?

Have you heard? They had the election last month, May 15th, for reelection of current Prime Minister or is it President M. against the “Opposition Party”. Or say the “Opposition Party” against the Pres. Pretty heavy I’ll say…. There is a lot of people here don’t like what Prime Minsiter. M. doing or even like him… however, that is a long story. The gov’t here had ban any demonstration and something else. If you want more detail of about this let us know.

Monday, June 6th, we had gone into Addis Ababa to celebrate our anniversary, even though our anniversary is this Sunday. First went to the P.O. before we even step out of the door – we saw people running in one direction…. What’s going on? University students protecting… quickly all the shop’s closed up … as the people are running… we heard they’re throwing stones … I hope at the police…. Why the demonstration, after we heard the gov’t ban the demonstration. But than why not? I just hope nobody get hurt…or killed. Just as Paul, my husband said, “Something is wrong here”?

To get to our celebration some taxi was pretty full and some were not heading our ways to our destination. So, we had to walk away from the commotion’s from Piazza area. I kept thinking and hoping nobody got hurt. And we got home all right.

Wednesday, June 8th, This is the day we and the people of Ethiopia suppose to hear who had won the election. We heard and read that the “Opposition Party” won, but than, we are not sure. Again Paul said, “Something is wrong here”???

Not knowing what ahead… we got ready to go to Addis Ababa to do some work… as we arrived up to the road to catch a taxi’s. An Ethiopian man said something in Oromo language. I did not know the language, but I did notice no sign of taxi running in both directions. Hmmm! I guess that what the Ethiopian man was trying to tell me. While a young man told Paul while I was observing that there was no taxi running. Why is it that we are the lasts to know? Taxi was on strike! meaning, “protecting against the President M.” Wow! This is good, but no transportation to get to our destinations. Duh! My gosh what we’re going to do. We need to use the Internet… I have messages to send out and I didn’t want to stay home. Than a city bus arrived and we took that. Saw a friend road with us and he had a radio and the only thing he could tell us that no result and it reports… the gov’t just keep everyone dragging.

Again, Paul said, “Something is wrong here?” Here is what Paul wrote to some people back home:

June 8th, Today we tried to get to Addis Ababa. But we were told last night by a friend not to go. We still tried this morning, but we were told that the ubiquitous minibus taxis which we usually take are on strike – due to the election problem. The elections were last month – results were supposed to be released today, but apparently they will not be. Something is wrong. The American Embassy writes to us about Bolivia, but sends us nothing about what is happening here so far! The Jimmy Carter organization came for the election to whitewash everything for the government. Either he is naïve, or not very honest. Even before the election it was obvious that the gov’t was “setting the table”. He ended up being used. The opposition claimed fraud and there was a report that in spite of the harassment they received that they won many parliamentary seats in the capital. The gov has banned all public demonstrations. But the other day when we were in the capital there was a protest by the university students. One of the young ladies we are trying to help, Genet, was hit in the back by a projectile which was probably intended for a policeman. Shops closed in the Piazza area and we had to walk a good distance before we were able to find transportation and avoid the commotion.

The Lord taught us to be flexible and spontaneous in preparing us for the mission field years ago. So this morning we tried to take one of the big city buses, which we usually try to avoid since they are commonly very crowded (giving more opportunity to thievery) and people do not like to let some fresh air in. We found one and indeed it got crowded as the other minibuses were not running. We got maybe half way to the Piazza area, when something obviously disturbed the other passengers who had a glimpse of a bus going the opposite direction. Phoom! Bus doors opened and they began to file out. Apparently what they saw was that the other bus had been stoned and maybe even attacked in such a way as to burn it. We tried to board a bus going the opposite direction, but the driver said he was going to the garage and that indeed the problem was that people had attacked a bus, trying to burn it. Fortunately we were not on that bus! I think that today Evelyn will not be upset with me for taking my time as I usually do before leaving the house. The Lord comes first. She tries to be patient with me.

So now we found an email place close to where we have alighted and are writing to you. We don’t know where this is all going and just how serious it will get, but obviously we may not be able to get to the capital until it is resolved. Thus we do not know when we will be able to write to you again. This is all very interesting as our visa is up in about a month and we had been considering getting a visa to Djibouti and plane tickets so that we can come back into Ethiopia to get a new visa. Now that may have to wait indefinitely. Now I understand why the Lord told me not to get visa photos today!!!

The gov must know the results as I think the election was about 24 days ago. Thus there must be a reason, or reasons, why the results are not being released. The longer the delay lasts, the greater the possibility that uneasiness among the populace will grow, some of which is spilling over already. People are very well aware of the corruption and of the willingness of the gov to manipulate. So delays would only basically admit that there is a problem. Interestingly, at a “town hall” meeting held by the embassy here some time ago I brought up the possibility that there could be problems come election time due to what I was already seeing. The officials kind of played it down I think and basically said that they would monitor things running up to the election. Apparently this current problem blew right past them, and if they do know anything they certainly are not informing the American public (at least those not in the inner circle) of what is going on. As usual, it’s all ‘pc’ in control and any information that is released is to cover one’s backside. We are in Ethiopia, but for probably the aforementioned reason we are informed by the embassy here about Bolivia!! Do they realize that that is on another continent?! Interestingly, though, when I had informed them of the problems we had run into here with the intention that they would warn other American citizens who may also be lured here under false pretenses they declined to do so! All the information one could ask for, except what is relevant! We don’t meet for the 4th of July either – they blame it on the rainy season. In that case why go to work? Hey, maybe the gov here could use that same lame reason and wait for the dry season to release the results of the election. George Bush is right – bureaucracies do not work very well. As he says, they are pretty much incapable of love.

Can tell you more, but maybe another day. There is word of big trouble and they are closing up this place. Chou. God bless.

From Ethiopia,
Paul and Evelyn

We got some work done at the Internet…. Still no transportation in either direction… so we had to walk home. I kept hoping somebody we know get us home away from Addis… glad that it wasn’t hot … but we kept walking until we finally got halfway to Osco area – were we normally buy our fruit and vegetables. Ask where a good restaurant. the soup was good and rested our feet. Again, we had to walk another _____ … than a funny looking bus pulled over to pick up some people including us…. Drop off…. Walk again…. 15 minute passed … and our neighbor friend, friend gave us a ride home. Whew! We got home all right. And Blondie, our dog had wondered “Wow! You got home so soon and what did you bring. ” We couldn't. Normally, we get home around 5pm.

Still don’t know what happened with the University students, our neighbor gives us the same reports that Nobody got hurt. Well we don’t believe it…

It’s difficult not to know what going, on when you don’t have an English radio station in Ethiopia, except on TV at night. We don’t have TV! We try to make phone contact – either the line was busy, and not busy… Did the gov’t shut down the phone line? Still unable to make contact… We have to cancel our appointment with the school, there more delay, and I have Update report to gives about our mission, we need to extend our visa to reenter Ethiopia for another 6 months. Boy do we needs prayer….

That evening, we got news reports from BBC radio station that 20 student had died and 100 injured. And it was our hope that nobody got hurt….. Boy, this is bad.

6/10/05 8:08 PM – We got a news reports from BBC radio station that Prime Minister said “the killing of 25 people was necessary!” My gosh I want to throw up! BBC claimed that Pres. M. “Has no sign of regret either”. The “Opposition Party” did win the entire seat and Pres. will not announce the election result until another 4 weeks! This is not goooood… gov’t police are continuing harassing the supporters and putting them in jail. This is not good. Earlier we heard that some protecters attacked the city bus. People had no way getting to work or getting back home and almost all school children had to stay home.

6/11/05 7:11:08 PM – we got a news report from BBC that the “Opposition Party” is under house arrest. And was told that they were a “threat”. This is not good. And 5 more people had died from the injured. Now, we wonder if they’re going to be more trouble…. Early this evening our neighbor across from us after doing some gardening work…to keep our minds focus on other work… told us that they’re some taxis are running. Our phone was working was working this morning, but than later this evening no dial tones. Still no dial tone... Did the gov’t turns off everybody phone lines?? What about the Internet?

In our opinion the University students have a right to demonstrate against the Prime Minister if he is not right about running the government. I feel bad that the students had to die to fight for their country. We notice that some people we know don’t have no remorse that they died… and fighting for their country. Also, we disagreed about the killing – the police should have shot in the air to scare them away. The killing was unnecessary!

Don’t worry folks, we are fine. Keep you posted… hope to bring a better news.

Evelyn