August 21, 2006
I'm back
But, more importantly, so is the Sub-Saharan Informer. And so are Ethiopia's Blogspot blogs.
The Sub-Saharan Informer disappeared from the news stands two months ago after a series of tussles with the ministries of Information and Foreign Affairs. Read more about them here and here. On Friday, it returned with a strong front page and a four-column 'Letter of Explanation' inside. The letter hasn't made it to the website. So here's an excerpt:
SSI continued its regular work, meeting deadlines and fulfilling all requirements, and then on June 22 we heard from our printers that our publication had been banned from printing, just as we were ready to go to print with a new issue. What was particularly frustrating about this was that our printers were notified long before us, and we were given no prior warnings or updates in regards to the nature of the changes then or since.We would like to thank those government authorities who were ready to listen to our grievances and stepped in to resolve the stand-off between us and the Ministry of Information.
The Blogspot blogs disappeared from the nation's computer screens a month earlier. The event sparked a flurry of accusations, claiming that the government had imposed a blockage - accusations that the government denied. Last week, the reports started coming through that they were back again. Here is Enset's report End of the blockade? and Ethio-Zagol's entry Blogs unblocked.
Now that I am back I can confirm that ethiopundit is currently open and legible in another window on this machine. The only thing is that it took an age to download (as did Weichegud! earlier on this evening). More likely a glitch than a sinister slowdown.
UPDATE: Having said that, the following websites still seem to be missing in action: www.cyberethiopia.com, ethiopianreview.homestead.com, www.tensae.net, www.ethioforum.org, www.cyberethiopia.com, www.quatero.net.
Posted by aheavens at August 21, 2006 3:28 PM