Sonny Inbaraj

Meseret, from the Lalibela district in northern Ethiopia, was only 13 when she became pregnant. Married at 12, her underdeveloped body was not ready for the stress of giving birth. After six days of gruelling labour her child was finally born, but it was dead. As a result of the long labour, Meseret suffered crippling injuries – including the ripping of internal tissue.

The 75-year-old water-sharing treaty that has kept Nile basin countries from warring over the region’s most precious resource is in jeopardy as East African signatories consider pulling out. The 1929 Nile Basin Treaty regulates Nile water usage by the 10 countries that share the river’s watershed.

The problem of illegal border crossings between Ethiopia and Eritrea is adding to the woes of United Nations staff who are monitoring peace efforts between the two countries. Earlier this week that three Eritrean staffers of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea had driven to Addis Ababa from the Eritrean capital Asmara, using a stolen UN vehicle.

For decades the Rastafarian community, in their spiritual home in Shashemene, were not taken seriously and Ethiopians had even termed them ludicrous. But all that was set to change with the efforts of a Rastafarian non-governmental organisation in promoting alternative farming techniques and youth development programmes.