Free Republic

The world witnessed Stalin's Purge, Hitler's Holocaust, Mao's Cultural Revolution, Pol Pot's Forced Exodus, and Saddam's brutal mass killings. Africa is no stranger to atrocities to the likes of Idi Amin and Mobutu Sese Sekos. Here is another act of genocide carried out by former Ethiopian leader Mengistu Haile Mariam, who is a Communist leader of the Workers Party. Mengistu was part of the Derg, which was the military junta that came to power by overthrowing Haile Selassie in 1974. He ruled from 1977 to 1991. His first act was "Red Terror", in which he attacked anti-Communist guerillas. He detained,...

Ethiopia’s brutal Marxist dictator, known as the African Pol Pot, became the first fallen leader to be found guilty yesterday of genocide in his own country after a 12-year trial.Mengistu Haile Mariam, the former President, who fled to Zimbabwe in 1991, was accused along with top members of his military Government of killing thousands during his 17-year rule. The period was marked by vicious crackdowns on opponents, disastrous wars with neighbouring countries and rebel groups and devastating famines in which starvation was used to force peasants into submission. “Members of the Derg [Government] who are present in court today and...

Latin American artists from throughout the hemisphere convened in Cúcuta, Colombia, Friday, on the border with Venezuela, for the Richard Branson-sponsored “Venezuela Aid Live” concert to demand dictator Nicolás Maduro allow international aid into the country. The long list of diverse artists — many who have been household names in Latin America for decades — did not shy away from making political statements in support of Venezuela’s legitimate president, Juan Guaidó, and demanding that Maduro step aside. Several artists indulged the audience in what has become a common back-and-forth chant at anti-socialist protests: “Maduro, ¡el coño de tu madre!” or...

Live Aid celebrates its official 30th anniversary today, but there’s only one star from the famous Wembley show that stands out in our minds. That’s Freddie Mercury who performed the most epic of epic sets with Queen on July 13th 1985. For a solid 25 minutes Freddie had the entire Wembley stadium on their feet, as well as 1.5 billion viewers at home, and it has gone down in history as arguably his greatest ever performance. So whether you wait until your lunch break, or stick your headphones on now, you won’t regret the time you spent watching Freddie Mercury...

Less than three weeks after Al Gore, the environmental campaigner and former vice president, visited Istanbul to announce its participation in the round-the-world Live Aid concerts on July 7, organizers announced yesterday that the city had been dropped from the roster of nine sites because of a lack of interest coupled with security concerns in advance of general elections on July 22, Reuters reported.

When Sir Bob Geldof, the rock star-turned-Africa campaigner, visited the impoverished town of Ajumako-Bisease in Ghana, he was hailed as a saviour. In an elaborate and memorable ceremony full of ritual and colour, the people crowned him as their chief of development, a ceremony captured on film for his Geldof in Africa TV series. Their firm understanding was he would help the town, and they claim he said he would. But, three years on Ajumako-Bisease remains disappointed, according to a documentary. Nothing has changed. And, despite accepting his position as chief, they have not heard from Geldof since. Ajumako-Bisease's 27,000...

Live 8 hero Bob Geldof has been forced to cancel two concerts in Italy because of lack of public interest, after only 45 people turned up to see him perform in Milan, Italy's La Stampa newspaper reported on Saturday. Geldof walked out of Milan's 12,000-capacity Arena Civica on Friday without playing, given the paltry attendance. His manager explained that a concert for less than 400 people would not be viable, the newspaper said. The 54-year-old Irish rocker, who said he had flown in from South Africa for the gig, sought to placate angry fans afterwards by promising to give a...

The millions donated to Ethiopia in 1985 thanks to Live Aid were supposed to go towards relieving a natural disaster. In reality, donors became participants in a civil war. Many lives were saved, but even more may have been lost in Live Aid's unwitting support of a Stalinist-style resettlement project Isn't it better to do something rather than give in to despair or cynicism and do nothing? This is the reproachful question familiar to anyone who has criticised organisations that view themselves as dedicated to doing good in the world. To those UN agencies, relief organisations and development groups working...

The first time Bono and Madonna got together to save Africa, the unintended consequence was the death of perhaps as many as 100,000 people. That's aid expert David Rieff's conclusion in the July 2005 issue of the resolutely liberal American Prospect magazine regarding the end result of Live Aid in 1985. Billed as "The Greatest Show on Earth," Live Aid was a multivenue rock concert held on July 13, l985, in London and Philadelphia in order to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. With an estimated 1.5 billion viewers watching the live broadcast in 100 countries, the event reportedly...

There’s one absolute: Star Power is the answer when you want to bring attention to a world issue. Live 8 proved beyond a doubt that, if asked, the young people of the world would come together on an issue such as poverty in Africa. As a journalist, I have lived through two of Sir Geldof’s promises to have the greatest concerts ever. The first one, 25 years ago, Live Aid, realized $100 Million in aid to be spent in impoverished Africa. Countries delivered on their promises — some even cancelled debts owed to them by African countries. Now, Sir Geldof’s...

Ahead of this week's G8 conference in Scotland, the world's richest nations forgave billions in debt to the world's poorest. Great news, right? Not necessarily. Decades of Western aid have done little to ease suffering in Africa -- indeed the situation is worse than ever. Is it time for the West to rethink its aid strategy? The aid workers are thirsty and the beer is flowing: There is a party mood in Rumbak, the city of tents which at one time almost became the capital of Southern Sudan. It's is a bit like the end of the day atmosphere at...

According to Bob Geldof, two billion people watched his snazzy Live8 concert thingamajig. Therefore, he declared, "It's now for the leaders to act." He also added, "Now feel the force of the gale that's hit you." At the top of Geldof's gale-force demands: debt relief for African nations. O.K., so here's what I'm confused about. People watched a concert, which was chockablock with acts supposedly popular with the young 'uns and old 'uns alike. From Snoop Dogg, Will Smith, and Coldplay to the more aged likes of Madonna, Sting, and Bono. There were even a few troubadours with last names...

Since the announcement of the Live 8 concerts to raise awareness of Africa’s plight amongst world leaders (as if they don’t already know about it) Irish rocker Sir Bob Geldof has shown one thing -- he’s no Bono.

Bob Geldof, the fading B-class rocker formerly of the "Boomtown Rats", recently made it known that Prime Minister Paul Martin wasn’t welcome at the upcoming G-8 summit unless he was prepared to cough up .7% of Canada’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to help "fight poverty" in Africa. Geldof must have the balls of a canal horse to think that who is or is not invited to attend the summit depends on him. Some 20 years ago Geldof’s Live Aid concert, which was held to alleviate poverty and starvation in Ethiopia, accomplished very little, if anything to that end. At least...

Riddle me this: What do Madonna, Bono, President Bush and Prime Minister Blair all have in common? They want to help poor Africans, that's what. But how to do that is the rub. Madonna has signed up for the latest Bob Geldorf concert series to heighten "awareness" of the dire African situation. She will join Paul McCartney and other pop stars in a series of shows next month. This is a nice, if somewhat fuzzy, idea. The last time Geldorf swam into these waters, in 1985, his "Live Aid" project raised about $150 million dollars for Ethiopian famine victims. The...

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Woodstock. The Monterey Pop Festival. The Beatles on Ed Sullivan. They are regarded as defining moments both in the history of rock 'n' roll and for the generations who experienced them. But what about Live Aid, the charity concert that will celebrate its 20th anniversary next month and has spawned a sequel, Live 8, to be held on July 2? Did Live Aid transcend the actual performances like its predecessors? Does it still resonate like those events? Perhaps the better, more telling question is: Do you remember where you were during -- Live Aid? Indiana University Professor...

Irish rock star and campaigner Bob Geldof, a driving force behind the 1985 Live Aid appeal for Ethiopia, urged Tuesday that Africa's debt problems stay a priority despite the Asian tsunami disaster. "The tsunami must be dealt with, it is an act of God, an act of nature," he told BBC radio, voicing concern the disaster would sideline chronic issues elsewhere. "Africa's an act of man. Millions die each year completely unnecessarily and that can be adjusted ... The issue is one of poverty and debt and it need not be," Geldof added. He said the government should seize the...

FRESH from afternoon tea with Gordon Brown, Bob Geldof was in a buoyant mood last night at the premiere screening of the new DVD of the 1985 Live Aid concert.

Live Aid II By GEORGE PASCOE-WATSON Deputy Political Editor LIVE Aid is to be held AGAIN — 20 years on. The mega concert to ease Third World debt — on the anniversary of the 1985 original — will be unveiled this week. Tony Blair is backing what promises to be the greatest pop bash in history. Last night a Whitehall source confirmed: “It’s going to be bigger and better than before.” Live Aid II is the brainchild of U2 rocker Bono, 44. He will officially announce it this week. Robbie Williams and Oasis are tipped to head a stellar line-up...