ETHIOPIA: SECSTATE HUMAN RIGHTS VETTING APPROVAL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ADDIS ABABA 002479 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E DESK OFFICER MIKE GONZALES, DRL FOR KAREN GILBRIDE LONDON, PARIS, ROME FOR AFRICA WATCHER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PMIL PGOV ET SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA: SECSTATE HUMAN RIGHTS VETTING APPROVAL FOR GOE PARTICIPATION IN COUNTER-TERRORISM TRAINING, ADDIS ABABA ETHIOPIA, SEPTEMBER 25-29, 2006 ¶1. (SBU) Post requests the Department's assistance in screening the following Ethiopian civilian candidates who have been nominated for USG-sponsored training, pursuant to the Leahy Act and Foreign Assistance Act. Post has no derogatory information. ¶2. (SBU) The training is on civil-military relations and responses to terrorism and will be conducted in Addis Ababa, 25-29 September 2006. The program is jointly sponsored by the American Embassy in Addis Ababa and the Government of Ethiopia and will be conducted as a seminar by representatives of The Center for Civil-Military Relations (CCMR),located in Monterey, California. The CCMR is an agency of the United States Department of Defense and is responsible for civil-military relations education programs worldwide. There will be 60 participants in this program, approximately half of which will be members of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) and other security organizations, with the other half composed of civilians from government as well as non-governmental organizations, the media and other members of civil society in and around Addis Ababa. ¶3. (SBU) The names, occupation, date of birth, and place of birth of the proposed candidates are as follows (NOTE: Several of the candidates do not know their exact date of birth, per Ethiopian cultural norms. The Consular section in Addis Ababa routinely uses January 1 in such cases. END NOTE.): Name: Dr. Negasso Gidada Occupation: MP, Federal Parliament Date of Birth: 1943 Place of Birth: Dembi-Dolo, Oromia region, Ethiopia Name: Shiferaw Jarso Occupation: MP, Federal Parliament Date of Birth: 1956 Place of Birth: Sagure, Arsi, Oromia region, Ethiopia Name: Kursie Sheseno Occupation: Deputy Secretary General, Kalehiwet Church Date of Birth: 1950 Place of Birth: Dilla, Ethiopia Name: Bulcha Demeksa Occupation: MP, Federal Parliament Date of Birth: 1944 Place of Birth: Wellega, Oromia region, Ethiopia Name: Ougaz Mohamed Occupation: Issa Clan Chief Date of Birth: 1949 Place of Birth: Dire Dawa, Ethiopia ;Name: Abdi Jibril Aboboker Occupation: Vice President, Somali regional Administration Date of Birth: 1949 Place of Birth: Dire-Dawa, Ethiopia Name: Aneb Abdulkadir Occupation: MP, Federal Parliament Date of Birth: 1952 Place of Birth: Rabossa, Somali region, Ethiopia Name: Medhane Tadesse Occupation: Professor, Centre for Policy Research and Dialogue (CPRD) Date of Birth: 1967 Place of Birth: Tigray region, Ethiopia Name: Jemal Dirie Kelifa Occupation: MP, Federal Parliament Date of Birth: 1970 Place of Birth: Warder Zone, Somali region, Ethiopia Name: Beshir Ali Mahdi Occupation: MP, Federal Parliament Date of Birth: Dec. 1, 1970 Place of Birth: Jijiga, Somali region, Ethiopia ADDIS ABAB 00002479 002 OF 003 Name: Pastor Daniel Gebreselassie Occupation: Executive Director, Prison Fellowship Ethiopia Date of Birth: Dec. 17, 1969 Place of Birth: Jimma, Oromia region, Ethiopia Name: Dr. Kassaye Ketsela Occupation: Medical Director, St. Gabriel Hospital Date of Birth: February 24, 1947 Place of Birth: Debre-Birhan, Amhara region, Ethiopia Name: Amare Aregawi Occupation: Editor-in-chief, Media and Communication Center (MCC) Date of Birth: Jan. 7, 1955 Place of Birth: Tigray region, Ethiopia Name: Dr. Yacob Arsano Occupation: Dean of Social Science, Addis Ababa University Date of Birth: July 17, 1951 Place of Birth: Kembata, Southern region, Ethiopia Name: Dr. Merera Gudina Occupation: MP, Federal Parliament Date of Birth: July 5, 1956 Place of Birth: Ambo, Oromia region, Ethiopia Name: Abdi Aden Occupation: Peace Building Project Manager, Mercy Corps Int. Date of Birth: July 5, 1965 Place of Birth: Jijiga, Somali region, Ethiopia(Nationality: American) Name: Abdurahman Ahmedin Occupation: MP, Federal Parliament Date of Birth: July 8, 1968 Place of Birth: Dessie, Amhara region, Ethiopia Name: Dr. Teressa Tujuba Erko Occupation: Medical Director, Armed Forces Hospital Date of Birth: June 15, 1949 Place of Birth: Ambo, Oromia region, Ethiopia Name: Beyene Petros Occupation: MP, Federal Paliament Date of Birth: March 11, 1950 Place of Birth: Hamburse, Southern region, Ethiopia Name: Mahdere Paulos Occupation: Executive Director, Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA) Date of Birth: May 14, 1968 Place of Birth: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Name: Sheikh Elias Redman Occupation: Deputy Chairman, Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council Date of Birth: Nov. 21, 1950 Place of Birth: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Name: Meuar Ali Sirro Occupation: MP, Federal Parliament Date of Birth: Sept. 11, 1972 Place of Birth: Berahley, Afar region, Ethiopia Name: Dr. Awol Idris Occupation: Program Officer, UNESCO Date of Birth: Sept. 15, 1957 Place of Birth: Dessie, Amhara region, Ethiopia Name: Temesgen Zewdie Occupation: MP, Federal Parliament Date of Birth: September 13, 1951 Place of Birth: Gamo-Gofa, Southern Region, Ethiopia Name: Ougaz Gedid Occupation: Gurgura Clan Chief Date of Birth: DOB not available at this time Place of Birth: Birth place not available at this time Name: Dr. Zeru Gebre Mariam Occupation: Medical Director, Black Lion Hospital ADDIS ABAB 00002479 003 OF 003 Date of Birth: DOB not available at this time Place of Birth: Birth place not available at this time ¶4. (U) Post appreciates Department's assistance. WILGUS