Africa 2000

Eritrea

History

Eritrea 's name is derived from the Latin Mar -Erthreum and means ‘Land of the Red Sea '. The young Eritrea of today is the heir of the ancient Axumite province of Bahre-Negash , Ge'ez for ‘Master of the Sea' – again a reference to the Red Sea .

The State of Eritrea came into being in 1991 after the end of Ethiopia 's decades long civil war which pitched various separatist, nationalist and ethnic based rebel movements against first; Emperor Hailesellasie's empire and more profoundly Mengistu Hailemariam's Marxist Ethiopia. It is estimated that the Eritrean theatre of war alone has cost the deaths of upwards of 100,000 Eritreans and 200,000 Ethiopian soldiers.

Accurate figures are difficult to come by if at all possible Such was the intensity of the war that keeping records was not a priority.

The drawn out conflict is also blamed for draining the Ethiopian economy and retarding the nation's development in stride with other African countries who were busy prospering economic Tellingly, Ethiopia's economy started improving after Eritrea's independent status was recognized by Ethiopia in 1991.

In a much maligned, controversia and stilted referendum held in 1993, Eritreans, intrinsically a part of the Ethiopian people, were given the so-called unheard of ‘choice' of “ Independence or Slavery?” Needless to say, the populace, high on attaining the trappings of a state with all its promises, voted a resounding yes to independence from an ‘enslaving' country with which it is virtually indistinguishable in culture, religion, language and geography.

The State of Eritrea, soon after consolidating its new status by obtaining international

recognition, embarked on its now trademark character of regional problem child. Isaias Afeworki, EPLF rebel leader and independence hero, loftily dubbed ‘Our George Washington' by a doting nation, displayed that he was more at home in the Sahel, fighting, than administering a government. Eritrean's mentally and physically exhausted by a very bloody war had looked forward of demobilizing the volunteer army and turning to civilian pursuits. In fact, the mantra of the time was “We will make Eritrea the Singapore of Africa”. This ambition did not sound as bombastic then as it does today because Eritrea really did possess some qualities that could have made it a viable, even prosperous nation.

So, what happened? Well, an insecure Isaias Afeworki began to build what would eventually become Africa 's second largest army. This time, it was a force made up largely of national military service draftees of both sexes and their purpose was nothing as noble as independence but to ensure that Eritrea maintains its other stats – The North Korea of Africa.”

Currently, Eritrea is the second most militarized nation on earth after North Korea (not the only commonality the two share) with one in 12 citizens in its army of 322,000.

Eritrea 's name is derived from the Latin Mar -Erthreum and means ‘Land of the Red Sea '. The young Eritrea of today is the heir of the ancient Axumite province of Bahre-Negash , Ge'ez for ‘Master of the Sea' – again a reference to the Red Sea .

The State of Eritrea came into being in 1991 after the end of Ethiopia 's decades long civil war which pitched various separatist, nationalist and ethnic based rebel movements against first; Emperor Hailesellasie's empire and more profoundly Mengistu Hailemariam's Marxist Ethiopia. It is estimated that the Eritrean theatre of war alone has cost the deaths of upwards of 100,000 Eritreans and 200,000 Ethiopian soldiers.

Accurate figures are difficult to come by if at all possible Such was the intensity of the war that keeping records was not a priority.

The drawn out conflict is also blamed for draining the Ethiopian economy and retarding the nation's development in stride with other African countries who were busy prospering economic Tellingly, Ethiopia's economy started improving after Eritrea's independent status was recognized by Ethiopia in 1991.

In a much maligned, controversia and stilted referendum held in 1993, Eritreans, intrinsically a part of the Ethiopian people, were given the so-called unheard of ‘choice' of “ Independence or Slavery?” Needless to say, the populace, high on attaining the trappings of a state with all its promises, voted a resounding yes to independence from an ‘enslaving' country with which it is virtually indistinguishable in culture, religion, language and geography.

The State of Eritrea, soon after consolidating its new status by obtaining international

recognition, embarked on its now trademark character of regional problem child. Isaias Afeworki, EPLF rebel leader and independence hero, loftily dubbed ‘Our George Washington' by a doting nation, displayed that he was more at home in the Sahel, fighting, than administering a government. Eritrean's mentally and physically exhausted by a very bloody war had looked forward of demobilizing the volunteer army and turning to civilian pursuits. In fact, the mantra of the time was “We will make Eritrea the Singapore of Africa”. This ambition did not sound as bombastic then as it does today because Eritrea really did possess some qualities that could have made it a viable, even prosperous nation.

So, what happened? Well, an insecure Isaias Afeworki began to build what would eventually become Africa 's second largest army. This time, it was a force made up largely of national military service draftees of both sexes and their purpose was nothing as noble as independence but to ensure that Eritrea maintains its other stats – The North Korea of Africa.”

Currently, Eritrea is the second most militarized nation on earth after North Korea (not the only commonality the two share) with one in 12 citizens in its army of 322,000.

Source- The Military Balance ,2005-06, International Institute for Strategic Studies, UK . The source lists the top 30 largest armed forces by active – duty and reserve troop strength.

Facts and Figures

Location- E.Africa, SW coast of Red Sea . Ethiopia on South, Sudan on West, Djibouti on Southeast, Red Sea on East

Area- 121,320 sq.km

Geography -Numerous, desolate Red Sea islands, low costal plains, some fertile central highlands, generally arid, sahelian north and north west .

Population - 4,786,994

Distribution - 19.9 % urban

Ethnic Groups- Eritrean Tigray 50%, Tigre and Kunama 4%, Afar 4 % Saho 3%

Languages –Tigrina, Arabic (both official) Afar, Amharic, Tigre , Kunama, other Cushitic languages

Religions – Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant

Capital City – Asmara , pop-552,000

Government Type – Single party dictatorship.

Head of Government – President Isaias Afeworki, since 1993

Currency – Nakfa, (ERN) 15.00= $1US

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – $4.5 bln

Economy – Sorghum, lentils, cotton, tobacco, sisal, food proc, clothing, beverages, salt, fish

Per Capita GDP - $ 1000

Electricity Production – 280 mln kwh

Literacy – 58.6%

Life Expectancy – 57.4 male, 60.7 female

HIV Rate – 2.4 %

Telephones :– 37,700 lines

Railroads: -306 kms

Ports : - Assab, Mitsiwa

Vehicles:- 13,000 units

Radios – 484 per 1000

TV sets – 16 per 1,000

Internet – 50,000 users

(Facts and figures are the latest avilable at time of publication and may not necessarily be the most accurate.)

Senait Mehari

Born in 1974, Senait Mehari was abandoned by her parents as a baby and spent her early years in a state orphanage. After four years, she returned to her father, but at the onset of the War of Liberation he made the shocking decision to give Senait and two of her stepsisters to the rebel troops of the Eritrean Liberation Front. Senait spent three harrowing years in a training camp for child soldiers - witnessing first-hand the brutalities of war and enduring hunger, sickness and beatings. She was rescued in 1983 when her uncle arranged a daring escape to Sudan and the sisters lived in Khartoum for four years, until they were summoned to Germany by their father. Life in Germany was difficult. At fourteen, Senait left home to live on the streets and began composing music. Now, Senait feels compelled to speak. “Heart of Fire” is the moving and inspirational story of a woman determined to succeed.

Fifty Cent and Janet Jackson for the millennium

By Tedla Desta

The two renowned American hip hop and soul singers, Fifty Cent and Janet Jackson, are expected to come for the millennium festival, sources told Capital.

According to the sources the singers would be brought to Addis Ababa , by Sheraton Addis. The hotel has been the trailblazer and still leads in bringing world famous artists known by most only through the screens.

“These two famous performers are expected to come and grace the millennium. Unlike other times their performance is not going to be at the Sheraton Addis but in the park that is being built in Bole subcity opposite London Café by the sister company - MIDROC Ethiopia ,” they added.

Born in South Jamaica, Queens, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson has lived in New York City all his life. Raised by his grandparents after his father ran out and his mother was shot when he was only eight. Growing up, the Queens rapper originally wanted to be a heavyweight boxer, but eventually fell back on rapping. DJs had taken it upon themselves to release two Best of 50 Cent mix CDs, before he had even signed to a major label. 50 Cent hit the scene with “How to Rob an Industry Nigga” and he's been on a rampage ever since dealing with bootleggers, label back stabbing and other platinum selling artists trying to get at him physically. 50 was shot nine times on one night, two shots hitting him in the head, the bullet that struck his face he carries as a reminder of what happened. That event led to the fall out with Columbia and negotiating his release from their grasps. He still showed love and rhymed over a Trackmasters produced remix of “I'm Gonna Be Alright” on J-Lo's latest album, but rivals at Murder Inc. had 50 cut from the track which could have launched the rapper. This all changed in one night when Eminem said on a radio show that “50 Cent is definitely my favorite rapper right now, he's the only one keeping it real.” The very next day a bidding war started on 50, ending when 50 signed to Eminem's very own label Shady/Aftermath. 50 Cent's fame has exploded, being produced by Dr. Dre and Eminem and finally making his debut album “Get rich or Die Tryin'.” 50 has full access and advantage of the streets through mix-tapes; that's his forum because he controls it. 50 Cent is the most anticipated artist of 2003. It's well deserved because he's “been patiently waiting.”

Janet was born with God gifted America 's greatest musical family on May 16, 1966. Her father Joseph and mother Katherine have nine kids in all. She was the youngest. Janet wanted to create her own identity. She didn't get that freedom to expose her skills to the world while staying with her family.

Janet made her first stage show at the age of seven .She started acting career at the age of ten, when producer Norman Lear selected her to join the cast of Good Times. Her first album was released by her father on AM in1982. She was continuously involved in TV and media activities. She acted in musical series Fame in1983. She was not depressed when her second album Dream Street didn't work. Janet left her family and fled away with singer James DeBarge. She was not able to live happily with her lover turned life partner and soon resulted in their break up. She came back to her family.

Her real success came in 1986's from her album Control, which topped the pop and R&B album charts, and there after the series of hit albums. Some of them were “What Have You Done For Me Lately”, “Nasty”, “When I Think of You”, “Let's Wait Awhile” and “The Pleasure Principle. In 1991, she jumped from A&M to Virgin for a reported $32 million. Also she secretly married choreographer and longtime boyfriend Rene Elizondo.

In 1993 she spread her new image with a Rolling Stone cover photo, in which her topless form was covered by a pair of hands of some unknown person. She joined hands with Jam and Lewis on most of her shows. In spite of the failure of first two albums they managed to keep aside their bad mood to give another performance.

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST…

The natural world has a way of humbling even the most majestic creatures, and the natural cycle of life and death catches up with every living thing, regardless of their size or their power. Who will rise to their challenges? And who will be lost to better - or bigger - forces? Tune in for PLANET CARNIVORE on DStv this month to find what these complex, brutal - and completely balanced - parts of paradise be without their carnivores?

Premiering on Thursdays at 21:00 CAT, from July 5, PLANET CARNIVORE takes viewers into the remote hunting grounds of some of the world's ultimate predators, including the African lioness and the great white shark. Each episode focuses on a different predator, with cameras capturing the intensity of the ongoing quest for food from the hunters' point of view, following as they identify their target, position themselves for the attack, and move in for the kill.

Offering fascinating footage and high-quality computer images that depict pertinent geography, the series delivers facts on the animals' evolution, the delicate balance of their environments, and various factors that threaten their supremacy.

ICEBEAR follows a female polar bear named Binne, who, during the course of 10 weeks, must eat enough food to double her body weight and sustain her through the rest of the year. Will the sea ice of Norway provide the necessary prey for Binne's survival? Travelling across the seas, GREAT WHITE SHARK delves into the cold waters of South Africa 's False Bay . DStv audiences are able to follow the life of a great white shark called Haai, as she stealthily searches for food — sometimes feasting, sometimes failing in the chase.

LION transports you deep inside Ngorongoro, an isolated volcanic crater in East Africa formed over two million years ago. Thirteen thousand wildebeest, zebra and buffalo graze on the nearly 20-kilometre crater floor. This land is where one of the crater's oldest lionesses, Malkia, or ‘Queen' in Swahili, reigns over her kingdom. For the last 16 years, Malkia has mastered the art of the stalk. But even though Malkia is at the top of the food chain, she faces competition with – the hyena.

Lastly in KING BEAR, which is set in the beautiful and remote, Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska, DStv audiences can follow one Alaskan brown bear and his rival as they struggle to become a KING BEAR, winning a prime fishing spot and choice of mates. DStv viewers can see Planet Carnivore, every Thursday evening from July 5.

Narrated by actor Alec Baldwin, the program chronicles the harsh reality of nature with a look at what it takes to survive in the wild. Tune in for PLANET CARNIVORE every Thursday at 21:00 CAT, starting on July 5, on National Geographic, channel 66, on DStv.