Addis Ababa

Ethiopian officials announced on Tuesday that tests are under way at a southern poultry farm after thousands of chickens died of a ”bird-flu-like” disease. The fear is that the disease will turn out to be the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of the bird-flu virus that has killed more than 90 people, mostly in Asia, since 2003.

Floriculture has become a flourishing business in Ethiopia in the past five years, with the industry’s exports earnings set to grow to -million by 2007, a five-fold increase on the -million earned in 2005. Ethiopian flower exports could generate an estimated -million within two to three years.

The child malnutrition rate in drought-hit areas of eastern Ethiopia has surpassed 20% and two out of every 10 000 children are dying each day, according to a study released on Tuesday. The report, the first nutritional study completed in Ethiopia’s worst-hit Somali region since the effects of the drought have taken hold across East Africa, found more than one in five children to be severely malnourished.

Ethiopian authorities on Tuesday announced a ban on exports of four types of grain in an effort to stabilise the local grain market. The ban, taking immediate effect, includes the indigenous fine grain teff from which the country’s staple flat bread injera is baked.

The United Nations on Monday issued an urgent appeal for -million in emergency aid for multiple humanitarian crises and threats facing Ethiopia, including the risk of famine from a searing drought that has hit East Africa. About 1,7-million Ethiopians are among up to 11-million people throughout four nations in the region in dire need of food assistance to survive.

Ethiopian authorities have disclosed the release of an additional 2 252 persons detained about 11 weeks ago during unrest in cities around the country to protest against alleged fraud in last May’s elections, the local press reported on Saturday.

The United Nations mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea, monitoring the disputed border between the two countries, said on Wednesday there has been a ”drastic reduction” in clashes between the two sides over the past two weeks. Border clashes had increased over the past three months.

For the second time in two weeks, the United Nations mission monitoring the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea has reported movements of troops on both sides of the border on Friday, despite an earlier order from the UN Security Council to pull back or face sanctions.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) disclosed on Friday it is extending 100% relief on all outstanding debt owed it by Ethiopia prior to January 1 2005, a write-off amounting to about -million. The write-off includes assistance the IMF extended to the country under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative.

The Ethio-Eritrea Claims Commission has found Eritrea liable to compensate Ethiopia for damages incurred during attacks and occupation of Ethiopian territory in border regions during the conflict, the ministry of foreign affairs disclosed on Wednesday. The commission found Eritrea responsible for the two-and-a-half-year border conflict.

Ethiopia on Tuesday accused arch-rival Eritrea of deliberately ratcheting up tension along their border and said it will take deterrent measures to dissuade Asmara from starting a new conflict. ”The Eritrean government is making efforts to worsen the situation around the border,” Prime Minister Meles Zenawi told lawmakers.

Eritrea has ordered the expulsion of United States, Canadian, Russian and other European staff of the United Nations peacekeeping mission that monitors the tense border with neighbouring Ethiopia, United Nations officials said on Wednesday. In a letter sent to the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea, the staff were told that they have 10 days to leave the Horn of Africa nation.

Ethiopian police are still holding about 5 400 people detained during deadly street riots early this month over alleged electoral fraud in May’s legislative elections, the country’s police chief said on Tuesday. Federal Police Comissioner Workneh Gedeyhu explained that 3 858 people were released on Monday.

The United Nations mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (Unmee), monitoring the disputed border between the two countries, reported on Thursday that the buffer zone along the border ”remained tense and potentially volatile”. Recently imposed restrictions on Unmee’s activities have also ”considerably increased” during the week.

Businesses and schools in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, remained closed on Monday and public transport was at a virtual standstill as workers shied away from the city in the aftermath of last week’s clashes that killed at least 40. Streets were deserted, with taxis and minibuses still not back in operation.

Residents of Addis Ababa largely stayed home on Friday in a fifth day of renewed protest over the results of May elections the opposition calls fraudulent. There were reports of more scattered gunfire and rioting in parts of the capital. Diplomats said they had reports of police continuing to round up suspected opposition leaders overnight.

Police shot and killed two people and wounded 12 others on Thursday, the fourth day of protests against Ethiopia’s disputed parliamentary elections, doctors said. The renewed violence came a day after police shot dead at least 29 people and wounded dozens more.

Clashes between police and protesters erupted in gunfire and grenade explosions on Wednesday, with police killing at least 33 people during a second day of renewed demonstrations against Ethiopia’s disputed elections, a rights group said. At least 81 civilians also were wounded in Wednesday’s clashes, including children.

The African Union’s Peace and Security Council (PSC) on Thursday extended by three months the mandate of its protection force in Sudan’s war-ravaged region of Darfur amid escalating violence. The PSC adopted the decision to renew the mandate of its African Union Mission in Sudan until January 20, 2006.