Ethiopia says logistical preparations for Abyei peace force underway - Sudan Tribune: Plural news and views on Sudan

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

June 26, 2011 (ADDIS ABABA) - An Ethiopia military official said that necessary military logistical preparations is being finalised for a peacekeeping force to be deployed to Sudan’s disputed region of Abyei.

Earlier this week, under the broker of the African Union, leaders from North and South Sudan signed Addis Ababa agreement to fully demilitarise the central region of Abyei and allow an Ethiopian peacekeeping force to move in to monitor the North-South frontier.

The United States on Thursday said that it has put forward a draft resolution to the U.N. Security Council for the deployment of 4,200 Ethiopian troops to Abyei. Ethiopian officials said that they are only waiting for UN to approve the deployment and are making all preparations before their forces depart.

“Among others our mandate in the Abyei region will be to protect civilians, maintain buffer zone and also to crate peaceful environment that will allow to conduct referendum on Abyei’’ Logistics affairs head under the ministry of defence Major General Gezahegn Abera said speaking on state television on Sunday.

“We are only days away from deploying our peace force to the region and we are doing every logistical preparation which will enable us to successfully accomplish our mission to Abyei.”

"Ethiopia forces are well competent to be deployed with in days up on urgent calls’’ the military official said referring to the country’s long experience whose forces had deployed in south Korea, Rwanda, Burundi, Liberia and currently under mission in Sudan.

Last month, North Sudan forces invaded the Abyei region launching military attacks. The violence has forced thousands of people to flee the area and raise tensions of a possible North-South return to war.

The Ethiopian military official called on both North and South Sudan parties to play their own positive role by immediately withdrawing their troops from the contested oil producing region of Abyei.

South Sudan will officially be an independent state on 9 July but the latest worsening security situation has become worrying. Addis Ababa which is seen as honest broker by both North and South Sudan doesn’t want another bloodshed in Sudan.

“Any instability in Sudan will certainly affect Ethiopia and the region as a whole and Ethiopia will remain devoted to maintain lasting peace in Sudan’’ Major General Gezahegn Abera further said.

North and South Sudan fought for over two decades in a civil war that killed some 2 million people. In 2005 the two sides signed Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that granted South the right to hold a self-determination vote.

The referendum on South Sudan was overwhelmingly in favour of secession however there are pending issues like demarcation of the border and sharing of oil wealth and others that remain to be a main concern between North and South Sudan.

(ST)

Ethiopians rule Half Marathon - Connecticut Post

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  The Connecticut Firefighters Pipes and Drums band makes their way through the runners before the start of the Stratton Faxon Fairfield Half Marathon on Sunday, June 26, 2011. Photo: B.K. Angeletti / Connecticut Post | Buy This Photo

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OTHER SPORTS

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  Ethiopians rule Half Marathon

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FAIRFIELD -- It was a warm at Jennings Beach Sunday morning, but the winners of the Stratton Faxon Fairfield Half Marathon were used to much hotter days.

Claiming victory in the male division of the 13.1 mile race was Kumsa Adugna of Ethiopia, the nation of origin for the top four male finishers.The 24-year-old was running in his first Fairfield Half Marathon, but he dispatched the other 1,670 male runners like he was the reigning champion, finishing with a blistering time of 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 40 seconds.The top three were rounded out by Ketema Nigusse and two-time winner Worku Beyi, who finished with times of 1:04.55 and 1:06.15, respectively.

At the halfway mark of 6.5 miles, Beyi was out in front and on pace to threaten the course record of 1:02.41, but Adugna stormed ahead at the 9-mile mark and held off a hard-charging Nigusse for the lead throughout the rest of the race. Lucas Meyer, 27, of Ridgefield, finished in fifth place with a time of 1:09.52, best among American-born men. Local teenagers Matt Klein and Michael Johnstoncrossed the line ninth and 12th, as well.

Topping the field of 1,749 females was Malika Mejdoub, finishing with a time of 1:18.06, a mere five seconds ahead of runnerup Tertza Dengersa of Turkey. The 29-year-old winner from Morocco, in her third Fairfield Half Marathon, came here with one goal in mind: to win.

"I didn't come here to train. I ran smart, and I ran to win," said Mejdoub, who was 16 minutes off the course record she was aiming to shatter. "I'm not a morning person, but I would be out running at 10 a.m. and I would run at least eight hours a day. I run every race to win."

Mejdoub, who has been training at a running camp in New Mexico in preparation for October's Chicago Marathon, was tired, but the $2,000 prize awarded to the winners makes the exhaustion worth it. "It's really good money, it makes me feel less tired too," she said.

The fifth-place finisher, 40-year-old Shannon McHale of West Simsbury, with a time of 1:23.49, was the first American woman to cross the finish line, followed by five more local women rounding out the top 10.

Read more: http://www.ctpost.com/othersports/article/Ethiopians-rule-Half-Marathon-1441345.php#ixzz1QReNbT1b