Ethiopia is a federal republic. On August 20, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi died. The ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) elected then deputy prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn to take Meles's place as chairman of the party. The EPRDF subsequently nominated him for the post of prime minister. On September 21, parliament elected Hailemariam as prime minister.

Hundreds of people were injured and arrested when Ethiopian police clashed with Muslims in the capital, Addis Ababa, where African leaders are gathering for a summit, and one person may have died, an Islamic committee said.

Ethiopia began its transformation to a federal democratic system in 1995 with its new constitution containing provisions of general, fundamental and democratic rights, including the right of all Ethiopian communities to protect and promote their religion, culture, language and historical heritage. The constitution stipulates that state and religion are separate. There is no state religion; the state does not interfere in religious matters.

Leikun Berhanu, former Governor of the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE), and more markedly founding president of Awash International Bank, began serving earlier this week his 15 month jail sentence. Leikun was convicted over foreign exchange mismanagement offense.

Will the government pardon journalists currently serving severe sentences over terrorism charges? Or are more crackdowns to follow against the press and politicians that the government argues support groups it has classified as terrorist organizations?

On Tuesday this week, the Sudanese justice minister Mohamed Bushara Dousa appointed a special prosecutor for Darfur and announced a special court to handle the "gravest" crimes committed in the Darfur region would be established soon.

Last week the government ordered the arrest of journalists and politicians under the anti-terrorism legislation in the first big crackdown since the 2005 elections.

The Ethiopian police said on Sunday that they have arrested seven terrorist suspects with 50 kilogrammes of explosives and various other weapons.

Tesfaye Birru (PhD), former CEO of the former Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (ETC), and 16 employees of the corporation were found guilty of corruption by the Federal High Court, First Criminal Bench, on Tuesday, January 11, 2011.

A federal judge, Zerihun Bode, was sacked this week by parliament in a consequence for a ruling he made, sending one of the country’s leading businessman, Getu Gelete, free after facing serious charges.