EPRP is celebrating its 34th Anniversary in Germany, Frankfurt, SAALBAU, NIEDERRAD, Goldsteinstrasse 33-35, 60528 on Saturday, 02 September 2006 from 11.30am. Guests of the event include: Ato Mersha Yosef, Ato Iyasu Alemayehu, Ato Fasika Belete, and from civic groups Veteran Journalist Kefale Mamo, Ato Wondimu Mekonnen, Miss Samrawit Tesfaye (daughter of the late Dr. Tesfaye Debesay) & Mrs Genet Girma. The event that highlights the current political situations of Ethiopia and milestones in the party’s history will be concluded with the concert of the most popular singer Shambel Belayneh.
Why to cover up the desecration of our Ethiopian flag by Shabiya!?
N
ote from the Debeteraw Team: At the moment some individuals are fatally trying to cover up the desecration of our Ethiopian flag by Shabiya. Why?! That is what we asked ourselves when we witnessed some individuals, in the name of Ethiopians, denying the fact that Shabiya dishonored our Ethiopian National Flag on their recent Independence Day. Yes, they have desecrated our national Ethiopian flag and this has been transmitted and seen on their TV by large number of Ethiopians, including members of the Debteraw Team. There is no use to cover up such appalling act of Shabiya. We salute http://www.ethiolion.com and UEDF for posting video film of the action (click here to watch) and issuing a press release (click here to read) respectively. The following is a letter from one of our visitors on the issue recapitulating that disgusting behaviour of Shabiya.
The 15th anniversary of Independence Day was honoured in the presence of Isaias Afwerki, (President) guests, citizens of Eritrea at the Asmara Stadium and was broadcasted live from Eritrean — TV. For some reasons we had the opportunity to watch the Television Broadcast until such time that we were extremely appalled and dismayed by the event in front of us, an event that probably may have a wider implication which we are not prepared to comment at least for now. Amongst the various events, stadium shows, at the day in question, an act of debasing the Ethiopian flag was one of major plays. The Ethiopian Flag (Eritrea atigenetelim written on the flag itself) was paraded on a moving vehicle accompanied by people who wore uniform until it reached a point where the Flag was smashed to the floor of an open car display and kicked for a while. In the mean time, those in uniform raised the Eritrean Flag high on the display ca r until the show culminated in front of the President.
Meles Zenawi and Adolf Hitler
By Ewnatu Yeferad
Meles Zenawi and Adolf Hitler originality lay in their realization in modern conditions are out with and not against, the power of government: the correct order of events was first to secure access to power and then begin their racist revolution. Meles like Hitler never abandon the cloak of legality; both of them recognize the enormous psychological value of having the law on their side. Instead they turned the law inside out illegality legal.
In short, please, we shouldn’t foul ourselves and expect justice from unjust racist system. Let us fight the bloody racist system for the freedom of Ethiopian people and for the political prisoners who are suffering in Woyane’s prison.
COMMONSENSE
BY Mankelklot Haile Selassie (Ph.D.)
BACKGROUND
Time is the essence of the struggle in Ethiopia. The longer the time Meles and his regime is left to rule, the stronger the potential for the eroding factors, that were systematically built into the geo-political system, working on Ethiopian Unity, and, the longer the time, even the basic needs, such as, food, shelter and clothing misery that the society will put up with. Therefore, to guaranty, a) the stopping of the eroding factors from working on the Unity of the society, and, b) to improve the basic living conditions of the whole society is, to shorten the shelf life of Meles and his regime. Given the experience, the one and the only means left to do the job is Popular Up-Rise. Not through armed struggle, for it is going to take time, nor through the usual election process, for we have witnessed what have happened to the election result of May 15, 2005. There is no doubt that the next election will also be stolen and end up with the same result of May 2005. Not through the archaic national reconciliation, for there is not pressure on Meles and his regime that is capable of forcing it to negotiate with the opposition forces with no significant power to put pressure on Meles.
As to the stealing of the election by the regime, the concerned leaders of the United States Congress are well aware of it. Here is what the Honorable Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) clearly stated on Marach 14, 2006, in the House of the Representatives: No pragmatic strategy can justify the United States backing a regime that STOLE the last election and has brutalized their own people and will, at some point, disintegrate from its own corruption and incompetent ways.
When the Government Elect was jailed with trumped up charges, the back bone of the struggle was hit with a well calculated crushing blow. Therefore, right now, in Ethiopia, the FIELD is open for any political or armed parties. Right now, Meles is the only actor. As a result, the environment is inviting for a new and aggressive strategy, to stop Meles and his regime from ruling the coming five years. This new and revolutionary strategy calls for: a) The Ethiopian Armed Forces, b) The Patriotic Fronts, those in armed struggle excluding the liberation fronts. And, c) The Opposition Forces in Diaspora, namely, EPRP, Meisone, Hibrehizb, TAND and Medhin. The call is for either individually or in groups, in cooperation. Earlier, I have indicated that the FIELD is open, so, it is anybody’s game.
There are, at least, three sources of power that can be utilized to remove Meles and his regime and empower the society: a) the Use of Military Power, b) The Use of Opposition Forces in Diaspora, and c) The Use of Patriotic Fronts. It is incumbent upon these three power sources to be aware of the fact that there is no hard rule to dictate the method of struggle. It is up to these power sources, to use commonsense and creativity to come up with an effective and timely methods of struggle to protect the Unity of Ethiopia and alleviate the misery of the society. The environment to maneuver the struggle is ripe and there. It is crying out loud to be used.
1. THE USE OF MILITARY POWER.
This is not to be considered an alternative. It should be taken as a kind of competition that emanates from who is more concerned and more enthusiastic to hold power and change the current destructive system. One of the built-in culture in Ethiopian political struggle is, the lack of a-burning-desire to be in power and implement ones political program. In my view, this lack of gutsy aspiration is literally denying the empowerment of the Ethiopian people. The only route to alleviate the misery of the society is, for one political organization to be in power irrespective of what the intentions of the other political parties are. I argue, that, if each leader of a political party had this burning desire to change the system, the mode and the spirit of the struggle would have been totally different, and, Meles would have been removed from power long time ago. The Addis Ababa community can become a formidable power, sufficient enough, to remove Meles and his regime from power. What is needed is leadership.
The Armed Force is one of the sources to be lobbied to come out and remove Meles and his regime to liberate the society from this cruel and totalitarian regime, and, to stop the erosion of the Unity of Ethiopia. Here, if ones concern were the establishment of military dictatorship, so be it. Right now, the concern aught to be the protection of the Unity of Ethiopia. Democratic rights, human rights, civil rights and the rule of law should, for the time being, relegate its primary position to the survival of the country. It is very important to be fully aware of the fact that the regime in Ethiopia is not just a violator of the above mentioned rights.
There are two fundamental characteristics that make the current regime in Ethiopia unique and different from the rest of the sub-Saharan African leaders. The first one is, it is a government, turned into a full-fledged corporation with the most corrupted system of management. A corporation that has a built-in economic web of its own, into the economic system of the country, that enabled it to suck the blood of the Ethiopian people, openly, with the full knowledge of the Western Democracies. The second one that distinguishes it from the rest of the sub-Saharan African dictators, perhaps of the world, is, the systematic erosion of the Unity of Ethiopia. A well designed scheme that inseparably linked, a) the constitution, b) the division of the country along ethnic and language lines, c) decentralization of the governance to the regions. A scheme designed not to cultivate the cultures of the ethnic groups and to encourage economic development, but, to facilitate its design of breaking apart Ethiopia. And, d) instead of cultivating a language, in this case Amaric, (in my opinion it could have been Oromifa, it is a historical and natural coincidence for the Amaric to be the national language) to unite the society and help develop economic and commercial language, Meles and his regime deliberately decreed the local language to be used in all local activities including schools. This was made with shrewd and precise calculation to instill and cultivate contradictions, the sense of separation and independence at the grassroots level.
This treasonous act was developed under the phony cover of cultural protection of the ethnic groups. Mind you, this is the regime, that, in early November 1999, tried to merge the language of four ethnic groups, namely, Wolaita, Dawro, Gamo and Gofa to create a new language called Wogagoda, without any input of the ethnic groups in question. Had this move been successful the four ethnic groups would have been completely erased from the face of Ethiopia, with all their cultural values attached to them. Amazingly, the United States Government had a hand in this destructive act too. It allotted $13 million assistance, to this and other education related projects. The community of Wolaita withstood this nefarious and menacing move of the ruling party, a move that was supported by the United States Government. As the result of this resistance four students, one of them a girl, were Killed and seventeen wounded. In addition, 126 to 146 teachers were forcefully transferred to other remote areas as punishment, 500 people were detained, and, the whereabouts of nine of those who protested never known. At the end, with the sacrifices made, the Wolaita people became victorious. Please note, in this kind of cut-throat struggle sacrifice is inevitable.
I brought this Wolaita example to show the evil intent and the true nature of Meles and his regime.
2. THE USE OF OPPOSITION FORCES IN DIASPORA.
The opportunity has come, for the opposition forces in Diaspora, namely, EPRP, Meisone, Hibrehizb, TAND and Medhin, to be counted and be relevant. A political party, unless and until, its absence or its presence fundamentally affects the literal motion of the struggle, in my humble opinion, it is irrelevant. I don’t think, the amount and the frequency of, the press releases made and, the political analysis of the struggle, will and can, by itself, affect the struggle in the field. Unfortunately, it feels and smells the Diasporas turning the political struggle into a profession, that is, if Meles rules for the next twenty years they will be there too. It is very scary. The experience of the last thirty years clearly attest to this fact. So, the opposition forces in Diaspora, girdle up and be involved physically, as well as mentally and be counted.
Here is what Samuel Adams, the cousin of John Adams, one of the active leaders during the American Revolution said:
“When people are oppressed, when their rights are infringed upon, when arbitrary rulers are put upon them, when governments are secret, the people become alarmed, if they have any spirit of freedom, they will fight for their liberties and they are justified in doing so.”
The argument by Samuel Adams that factored in, 1) when people are oppressed, and, 2) when their rights are infringed upon, they (the people) a) will fight for their liberties, and, b) they are justified in doing so, will apply, squarely, in the current political situations in Ethiopia. Therefore, it is commonsense, for the people of Ethiopia to RISE UP and remove Meles and his regime. The question is who is going to provide this sacred leadership, a) a leadership that demands determination and guts. Look, commitment without determination and gut to take action is just a waste of time. b) A leadership that demands sacrifices, and most of all, c) a leadership that reflects the spirit of our heroes and heroines that protected and defended the Unity and territorial integrity of Ethiopia? The answer to the question, “who is going to provide the leadership?“ includes the opposition forces in Diaspora, namely, EPRP, Meison, Hibrehizb, TAND and Medhin.
The follow up question is, then, how are they going to execute their responsibility? I don’t think they can handle this historic responsibility by the usual barrages of press releases, and initiating all sorts of Hibrets, and, or Coalitions, literally devoid of any success so far, from here, particularly, from the United States of America, while the people of Ethiopia is desperately in need of them inside Ethiopia. Therefore, the only result oriented way of executing this responsibility is to enter Ethiopia clandestinely and organize the society, with a targeted-time-limit, say, two years, for the ultimate showdown that would not cease without removing this Mafia regime. I proposed the preparation time to be two years, because; a) the know how, that is the skill and the political experiences and maturity to do it are there. We are talking about the political organizations with at least 30 years of experience. And, b) the environment is conducive enough that the ground is fertile for a focused and single-tracked-struggle. By focused and single-tracked-struggle meant not to do it step wise, that is, to plan the striking for a given number of days, then followed up by demonstration, etc. This type of struggle is suicidal. KINIJIT is a good example. An up-rise is an up-rise. No more no less. It is to come out to the streets in mass and stay there, until Meles and his regime is removed from power, where sacrifices are inevitable. Of course with meticulously organized up-rise, including what step to take if and when Meles is removed. Here, persistency is very critical to wear down the regime, and, also, in the process, to win over the military establishment. In my opinion, it was the multi-tracked and the step-wise tactic of struggle that put Kinijit to its current situation. And finally, c) the link, however weak, between those in Diaspora and some elements inside Ethiopia still exists. It is simply to revive and activate it.
Unfortunately, another arm of Meles is newly created in Ethiopia. Hence, it is important to note that the struggle might be also against the two opportunist parties, namely the Union of Ethiopian Democratic Forces, led by Dr. Beyene Petros and the Oromo Federalist Democratic Mo Bultcha Demekssa. The declared agreements between the two states: “… not to attempt or take part in any plan or conspiracy, to seize power through any means other than that provided in the constitution, and to expose such attempts.” Addis Ababa, May 24, 2006.
However things are getting complicated, since the potential is there to come out victorious, it would be up to the political organizations in Diaspora to take the matter very seriously and organize and coordinate, a) the Students, b) the Labor Union and c) the Ethiopian Teachers Association. The most important and possibly the decisive element in the make-up is the Student body. To establish a strong bond with the Students from the get go will have significant influence on the society to come out and join the up-rise. It is incumbent upon the opposition forces in Diaspora to take this charge. However, if and when consensus could not be reached within the opposition forces in Diaspora, one of them, the strongest, which could possibly be EPRP, should step out from the circle and lead the people to its ultimate empowerment. It is absolutely unfair, perhaps tantamount to crime against the people of Ethiopia, to go with the majority, particularly when knowing it would be unproductive.
3. THE USE OF PATRIOTIC FRONTS
The Patriotic Front refers to those in armed struggle excluding the liberation fronts. It is another independently competing source of power to remove Meles and his regime. There are a number of groups that are undertaking armed struggle. Whether these groups have really factored in, the need of the removal of Meles and his regime, within a given period of time is not clear.
I think, it does not require to be a rocket scientist to figure out the minimum requirement of those in the field of armed struggle whether one to be in a threatening position. That is, a formidable position to force the regime, at lease, to come to a negotiating table. It appears that the existing fronts have not reached that level of strength yet. Now the question is then, how long would it take them, a) to be strong enough in skilled military man-power and, b) to be with a reasonably matching weaponry, to be a formidable threat to the regime? Unless they have taken the armed struggle as a profession and continue, irrespective of what happens to the society, the argument in line of what I stated for the Diaspora political forces, it is incumbent upon them to think very critically and find out where they are. For example, if it is to go all the way and remove the regime from power by military force, they have to be on equal footing with that of the regime’s military power in every sense. Most definitely that would take, perhaps, at least, fifteen to twenty years. Here, what is to be noted is that, the longer the regime stays in power, the more the damage is done to the country and the society. To repeat what I stated in the beginning, time is the essence of the struggle in Ethiopia.
The question is then, is there a way out of this self-perpetuating cycle, for the Patriotic Fronts? The answer is unequivocally yes. There is an alternative for the Patriotic Fronts to easily and effectively shift to. It is simply to modify its current tactic to that of combining the armed struggle with that of “POPULAR UP-RISE.” The group is in a more advantageous position than that of the opposition forces in Diaspora. They are functioning inside Ethiopia. They can construct a network within the community in Addis Ababa, for that matter anywhere in the provinces clandestinely, and organize a POPULAR UP-RISE. I am quite sure, if they were determined to take this route, they are capable of coming up with the specifics.
The point is, it is commonsense for the Patriotic Fronts, the Armed Forces and the Opposition Forces in Diaspora to be creative and be of use to the society of Ethiopia. I don’t think they are of much use to the society in their current position of doing things. They are simply wasting their time, energy and their money, as well as, of their constituencies. It is time, in fact it is long overdue to be creative and change strategy, and be counted.
4. WHAT SHOULD BE THE ROLE OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
As it is obvious to everybody, the major and the defining interest of the United States government is to preempt the foot-holding of the terrorists in the Horn of Africa, to which Ethiopia is a part. To that effect, it has military presence at that corner of Ethiopia. In my opinion, this interest of the United States Government, hence, the interest of the people of the United States of America, if and when implemented, would, directly or indirectly benefit the people of Ethiopia too. Wahabism of Saudi Arabia hovering over Ethiopia, it would be to Ethiopia’s advantage that this equation be kept intact. Wahabism is a movement founded 250 years ago by Muhammed ibn Abd al-Wahab, whose Saudi’s instruction textbooks teaches, “The apes are Jews….while the Swine are the Christians. Jihad is the path of God…is the summit of Islam.” Washington Post, May 21, 2006.
But, unfortunately, the Bush Administration, perhaps intentionally, has ignored the major role player to make the equation strong and long lasting. That is, the people of Ethiopia. The Bush Administration has to realize that the source of stability and, therefore, the long lasting denial of the terrorists to have a foothold, particularly in Ethiopia, is the people, not the leader of the regime, particularly when the regime is openly corrupt and the enemy of the Unity of Ethiopia. Here is what State Department‘s spokesman Sean McCormack said: “State Department would work with responsible individuals…..in fighting terror. It is a real concern of ours–terror taking root in the Horn of Africa. We don’t want to see another safe haven for terrorists created. Our interest is purely in seeing Somalia achieve a better day.” (Washington Post, May 17, 2006). This was a response to the question whether the US Government is supporting the Warlords of Somalia.
Here, I am not questioning the interest of the United States Government. The question is how it is handling this suppose to be mutual interest in relation to the well-being of the Ethiopian people and its Unity. The individual based working relationship, possibly applicable in Somalia, should not, and cannot, be used in Ethiopia. To do so is short sightedness and against the people of Ethiopia. That is what the Bush Administration is doing in Ethiopia today, at the expense of the Ethiopian Unity and the people’s democratic and economic interests. That was why Meles Zenawi arrogantly rejected and denied the election result of May 2005. That is why the Government Elect is in jail and the rejected regime is in power.
Against the will of The People!
Shimeles Teferra
The so called EPRDF regime is a tribal regime which can rightly be characterized as the most backward and primitive mode of rule in the 21st century. It has the appearance of a normal government but is archaic and primordial in content. Since its seizure of power, it has been working hard to inculcate the most despicable and disgraceful ideology of ethnicity in the minds of the Ethiopian people, especially that of the youth. Ethnicity is the scourge of humanity and should be rejected by all of us. They have tried it for more than 15 years even in elementary schools. Fifteen years is an average age for a youngster. The Meles regime, HAS FAILED IN ITS ATTEMPT to achieve its goal of fostering the destructive ideology and nowedays experiencing quite the opposite. It is the teenagers of this age or youngsters of 15 years old who are in the forefront of fighting against the regime and confronting the special forces of the regime or AGAZIY TROOPS USING STONES LIKE THE PALISTINE YOUTH. This is really disappointing for the tribalsit and primitive minded EPRDF founders and leaders.
It is well known that the woyane (TPLF) have no respect for the people. Youth protesters have been labelled as vagabonds by Meles and his cadres. However, recently, may be after getting advise from his loyalists, Meles has replaced the derogative term vagabond with another and less degrading phrase “unemployed youth.” It still shows immaturity and irresponsibility on the part of the tribalist regime, because it is the government`s duty and responsibility to create job opportunities for the unemployed youth. But who are the vagabonds actually? The vagabonds are those who robbed the peoples` votes. They are rejected individualls who are determined to cling to power by resorting to the tactic of state terrorism against innocent citizens, in defiance of the the will of the people! What the woyane EPRDF have never understood is the fact that the people of Ethiopia will never be subjugated and defeated.
Now the Meles regime seems to stay on power for the simple reason that it has already prepared a biting and killing force, just comparable to the story in the Animal Farm –preparing fiercely biting dogs for protection. The other reason is controlling the main financial outlets for using the money to buy money slave individuals. But it is only for the time being and a matter of time. The barbaric cabinet of Meles and his terrorist groups will eventually unravle and fall apart under the increasing pressure of popular resistance. It is the dying group.
It has always been said that, Kinijit is the spirit of the people-a concise and precise description, why? Because it embodies and epitomizes only the will of the people. The Meles regime has created a forged KINJIT as part of its deceptive strategy to controland abort the popular movement for democracy and freedom. Does it really matter if an illegitimate government gives legitimacy or recognition, with out the will of the people? No, it does not and legitmacy derives only from the masses. At this time We have to pose a question, What, in the past, has been done by the will of the people for the people? Nothing! “The people will judge us!” said Temesgen zewde (still jocking on the people). I think the people has already judged. But for whom are these so called leaders stand for? The EPRDF woyane leaders and supporters stand for no one! It is all about the money (benefit), not because they stand even for the ethnic tigray people as they use to claim. They only stand for themselves.The ethnic Tigray people (if they still hear what Meles says) have misunderstood very much this so called governement. Do these people really think that they will be attacked by other ethnic groups if the Meles government falls? Had this happened in the history of the country or is it the invention of Meles as a means to cling to power ? It is simple to know. We all must understand that these people are trying to damage the nations well founded values. They have used almost all the means to create conflict among the Ethiopian people. All failed and the Ethiopian people have told them what they want. The people of Ethiopia is a wonderful nation for it has a natural pride, respect for each other, patience and most amazingly forgivness.
If these so called leaders do not respect and have no interest in the people, they can never have national interest. How could then these persons be called leaders? Now the people of Ethiopia have recognised both their domestic and international enemies, and the nation is once again betrayed by the international community, especially by the west. “I used to think donors were fooled or misinformed by the current regime, I do not entertain the same belief any more. They collude and deliberately work against the inetrest and legitimate aspiration of Ethiopians. I doubt they will never be forgiven…” said Addis ferengi. To come to a logical conclusion-whoever is praised by the woyanne regime, is the enemy of the Ethiopian people. I think thay should understand the serious damages they are inflicting by standing against the interests, will and welbeing of the Ethiopian people. The fashonable talk nowadays is terrorism. What does terrorism mean? Who is being called terriorist? Who fights and who wins the war against terrorism without the will of the people? To the dismay and disappointment of the enemies, the solidarity and unityof the Ethiopian people have grown and increased more than ever because the woyane EPRDF rule continues to be in conflict with the fundamental values of the people. The cumulative effect of all the woyane EPRDF`s attempt to split, harass, intimidate, terrorise, torture, imprison and their barbaric killings (prosecutions), has exposed as usual the political bancruptcy of the so called leaders. It is only the will of the people that prevails!!
Ethiopia does not need to be involved in a war in Somalia
By Kahsay Berhe and Tesfay Atsbeha
August 12, 2006
It has been an Ethiopian Tradition for centuries, never to go to war as an aggressor against any other nation. Ethiopia defended herself against Egyptian (1875 and 1876), Italian (1886, 1895, 1896 and from 1935 up to 1941) dervish (1889), Somali (1964 and 1977) and Eritrean (1998 until 2000) invasions, but never invaded any country. While Ethiopia must always be prepared and never be taken by surprise by any invader, she has at the same time to maintain the tradition of not committing any aggression. It would be a futile attempt to give advice to the murderous and anti Ethiopian regime of Meles Zenawi against sending Ethiopian troops to Somalia. Nevertheless, we all Ethiopians including the armed forces should oppose any war against the Somalis in Somalia. This call has to be seen in the spirit of peaceful neighborhood and not mixed up with opinions expressed by anti-Ethiopian individuals and organizations.
Why should Ethiopians kill and get killed in Somalia? There is no rational explanation or justification for such a war of intervention. Who is interested in and hopes to benefit from such a war of intervention? Of course, Meles Zenawi as he has been sadistically spilling blood for more than 30 years would enjoy a carnage, hoping to please the American administration and exploiting the alliance against terror for American handouts and political support despite the heinous crimes Meles Zenawi is committing on the people of Ethiopia. Meles Zenawi may also entertain the hope to divert attention from internal problems. In fact, the Bush Administration has not yet openly called for an armed intervention in Somalia, but the possibility that the U.S. can give a green light to Meles Zenawi cannot be excluded.
The PFDJ regime with its short-sighted policy based on hatred towards Ethiopia is interested to see Ethiopia embroiled in war with Somalia and thereby create a favorable situation for itself to restart the war against Ethiopia. The Eritrean administration is principally opposed to the organization of political entities on the basis ethnicity and religion in Eritrea and it has claimed to have experiences of dealing with Afghan trained alien fanatic veterans. However, as if what affects Ethiopia would not in the long run affect Eritrea, Eritrea is supporting a religious political organization to inflict damage on Ethiopia. The Eritrean intervention in Somalia by arming the radical group, which is opposed to the TFG, shattered the chance of negotiation and reconciliation between the factions in Somalia to form a government of national reconciliation.
The history of the Meles Zenawi Clique, from its inception, is such that it has never solved any conflict peacefully. Hence, apart from the war against the military regime, the bloodletting in the armed conflicts of the TPLF and later EPRDF first partially and later absolutely controlled by Meles Zenawi against the TLF, TLFCC (later as part of EDU), against the Ugugumo and the Afar people, against the ELF, the EPRP, the OLF, the EPLF can explain the warmongering behavior of Meles Zenawi. Whenever he felt physically threatened, Meles Zenawi was used to shamelessly betraying his comrades-in-arms. However, Meles Zenawi, from a safe distance to the actual fighting does not hesitate to misuse the Army to cover up his perennial inability and insincerity to settle conflicts peacefully.
The claim by Meles Zenawi that he would, according to his propaganda minister, crush the Islamic extremists is simply rubbish. What for would Ethiopians crush Somalis in their own country, even if they succeeded in doing so? The answer by Meles Zenawi, a white lie of an evil as always, is to defend a secular (clan) representative transitional government so that Somalia would have a stable democratic regime and Ethiopia a friendly neighbor free of Islamic terrorists. Somalis sought help in Meles Zenawi’s court and chose Addis Ababa as a venue for solving their problems. Meles Zenawi’s Ethiopia missed the chance to wholeheartedly help Somalis to create a central administration. The Somalis moved to neighboring Nairobi to carry out their duty of bringing peace to their country. In fact,Ethiopia could have trained tens of thousands of Somali soldiers for the transitional government during the two years since its formation, if Meles Zenawi had sincerely been interested in strengthening the Somali government and bringing peace and tranquility to the Somali people, before the Union of Islamic Courts came into the limelight. Now, it is too late.
The Somali transitional government cannot have an interest to make a garrison out of Baidoa and live under the protection of foreign forces and Ethiopia cannot afford to engage herself in an internecine war of attrition within Somalia to enable the transitional government control the whole country. Meles Zenawi has been causing so much bloodshed as near as right from the next door of the house of his parents and spreading death and agony all over Ethiopia for too long and he should not be enabled to export death and suffering to Somalia as well.
Nobody knows with absolute certainty that the Union of Islamic Courts is going to establish a Taliban like state in Somalia and provide terrorists with a safe haven and operational facilities for international terrorism. Although a political system which does not allow the separation of the state from religion, be it Islamic or Christian, is likely to end up in a dictatorship, Meles Zenawi, as a mass murderer, who is using the state to terrorize Ethiopians has no moral high ground to condemn any act of terrorism. The Somalis have, like the Ethiopians, their own national pride in wanting nobody to intervene in their internal affairs and therefore it is none of the businesses of Ethiopians to try to suppress the Union of Islamic Courts by force.
Yes, it is also almost impossible to rule out that the Union of Islamic Courts would pose a threat to Somalia’s neighbors. Even if one assumes the Union of Islamic Courts to be a potential threat to Ethiopia, the threat cannot be avoided by a pre-emptive attack. It has to be borne in mind that many Somalis have been brought up, with hatred towards Ethiopia, along with the history of the two major wars between Ethiopia and Somalia. Therefore, it is a blessing in disguise for the Union of Islamic Courts to be attacked by Meles Zenawi, unfortunately in the name of Ethiopia, as the Union of Islamic Courts can get more support from the Somali population due to the intervention of Ethiopia than in the absence of such an intervention. Under this situation, the transitional government is in the long run going to lose more than it can gain by its association with the Meles Zenawi regime.
Meles Zenawi, who is at war with Ethiopians, be it by his extra-judicial individual and mass killings, his ethnic based system of divide-and-rule, his policy of eroding Ethiopian sovereignty and his vile and fabricated accusations of opposition leaders and activists, defenders of human rights and journalists etc. is the worst enemy of the people of Ethiopia. Therefore, what we need is not making more of an enemy out of the Somalis whether invited by the transitional government or not, but getting rid of the worst enemy Ethiopia has ever encountered, Meles Zenawi, the butcher.
POLITICALLY INCORRECT ABSURD SOMALISTAN
Hamesso Boroda
Soldiers of the Somali Islamic Court Union banned Mogadishu residents from watching the World Football match and reportedly moved from house to house to check if people were listening to music which, according to the Courts, is un Islamic. Not that many houses are standing in shell ravaged and war torn Mogadishu but the self declared soldiers of Allah are undeterred in their zeal to turn Somalia into a boring Islamic State.
As usual, these retrograde elements got their support from none other than George Bush who, listening to the self serving advice of Ethiopia’s Meles Zenawi, armed and supported the notorious warlords, the same pests who had ruined Somalia by waging a bloody clan war, to form a so called anti-Terror coalition. Which prompted a dozen or more disparate Islamic groups to unite and chase the warlords out of the capital and out of Jowhar. And now, the same Bush has been forced to call for talks with the Sheikhs who redden their beards with henna and stiffen their hearts with hatred for all and sundry. The Bush blunder and the emergence of the Islamic Courts as winners (some of the groups in the Union consider Bin Laden too moderate) have once again proved that Somalia is still a trailblazer. It showed in the past that a country does not need a State to continue in the African way of misgovernment, poverty and chaos. Who needs a State when you can have the evil trappings of the State without one? The Somali experience was being studied avidly at least in the Horn of Africa, and even in central Africa now, as more and more people realized that without a State they can just have it as bad. As if this big discovery is not enough the Somalis have now shown the world that Allah also prefers a Stateless and barren place. The victory of the Koran citing Islamic Union over the US backed warlords surely proves that Allah is in Somalia and he is on the side of the anti-Americans.
This has serious implications for Bush who is close to claiming, like former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, that he has a direct line to God. Of course, a number of serious questions arise. If Allah is not, as Bush asserts, with the Taliban and the Zarqawis in Iraq, but is on the side of Somali fanatics who do not cringe from declaring death to democracy, does it mean that Allah prefers Stateless places? Does the color of the beard matter more than having the beard itself? If God or Allah is with bearded fanatics who ban music does this mean that God is not really and actually with America? If God does not trust those who like to say, “in God we trust”, what will be their future? According to inside reports, Iraqi insurgents are decided to make Iraq Stateless so as to get the support of Allah and be victorious. The same could be true in Afghanistan. Even Chadians, Sudanese and Congolese (the latter are not in their majority Moslems) are now learning from the wisdom of being Stateless and getting the sympathy of Allah. Of course, there is the assumption that Allah and God are one but this may turn out to be a presumption at best. Washington may not like the Islamic Courts but they resemble the fellows America put in power in Afghanistan and Iraq. The ones who sentenced someone to death because he converted into Christianity, the ones who want to turn the rights o women back to zero minus. The Somali fanatics are planning to stone to death some people accused of rape. Somalis who are routinely flogged and beheaded in Sharia- ruled Saudi Arabia would for sure stay out of their own country if their red bearded sheikhs win complete control. This is indeed a worrying fact for Europe and America who want to keep refugees out.
The situation has also revealed another American discovery– a creature called secular warlord. There we were attacking the Somali warlords as clannish murderers and destroyers worthy of a genocide trial when lo and behold we were told firmly and unequivocally that these warlords are actually secular and thereby cool, kosher, “fréquentable”. So much so that they became friends of America and benefited from Washington’s support and backing to attack the Islamists alleged to be Al Qaeda allies. Some of these notorious warlords were guests of American ships in the Red Sea and some others flew to Ethiopia where Bush’s regional lapdog, Meles Zenawi presides over a wobbling regime. The sudden respectability of butchers is actually consistent with US politics if we look back to dictators embraced by Washington. But what is a secular warlord? Polite, tolerant, non- Moslem or just plain pro American if we forget the fact that warlords dragged an American Marine corpse through the dusty streets of Mogadishu? Al Turki, Sheikh Hassan and some other leaders of the Islamic Courts are not only itching to launch a war against Ethiopia over the Ogaden but they reportedly want to eliminate Osama Bin Laden for being a moderate, a softie. If the new interlocutors of Bush, meaning the Islamic Courts, consider Bin Laden a moderate who are they really? Pests or public order militants? And where does this leave the newly baptized secular warlords? More seriously, if one is secular one can commit genocide or what? I shudder to imagine millions of Somali males with henna treated beards left free to wreak havoc in the Horn. America discovered the Somali Bantus, reportedly oppressed by the “racist” light skinned Somalis (are the Hawiyes who make up the Islamic Courts not black?) and took most of them to the USA (just like the so called lost children of Southern Sudan) and is now courting “reasonable” and “secular warlords”. More revelations and discoveries are to be expected.
As the Horn of Africa slides into more chaos (so, what else is new?), Bush is confronted by the Somalia conundrum on top of Iraq and Afghanistan. There are as yet no secular warlords or armed groups in Iraq and Afghanistan. The CIA could create some if need be. Secular Zarkawis could be a find. At the end of the day if Washington can talk to groups who consider Bin laden too soft why not imagine the possibility of America again playing ball with the Al Qaeda leader. Why not indeed? The Afghan and Iraqi regimes put in place by America may not use henna on their beards but they share most of the values of the Islamic courts in Somalia. The situation is becoming confusing. Can Bush cope? Moslem warlords who are secular but still genocidal, Islamic Courts that are more fundamental than Al Qaeda but still worth talking to, democrats in Afghan who sentence a person to death because he dared change his religion, Bush has his hands full. For a very intellectually challenged fellow, Bush is in a serious mess with the Somalistan situation. Not to mention Darfur. Not to mention those in the Horn and the region trying desperately to go it the Somali way–chaos and Statelessness. If the assertion that Allah favors such states becomes true then the proliferation of Somalistans (with Bantus, secular warlords, and fanatics who ban TV and music) may be the New Order of things in Africa for the coming decade. May Allah have mercy on all of us poor souls who are against the superpower but sill love music, TV and hate henna colored beards
Putting Ethiopia and Her People First
By Melaku Yismaw
It has often been said that a good cause is ruined many times by good intentions. I recently cam across a paper written by intellectuals which argues to “put the prisoners of conscience first” and counsels the World Bank to give no budgetary aid before they are released. Bad slogans confuse the whole campaign; commanders who give confused orders lead their army to disastrous defeat.
The correct stand of Ethiopians should be PUT ETHIOPIA AND HER PEOPLE FIRST. The primary issue is NOT the release of the arrested leaders of the CUDP. Even then how come those calling for their release forget that close to 50,000 people are incarcerated in Dedesa, Zwai and Bir Sheleko, NOT to mention hundreds and thousands of others jailed and disappeared since 1991? The regime of Meles Zenawi should be denied any aid and assistance UNTIL IT RESPECTS THE VOTE OF THE ETHIOPIAN PEOPLE and resigns without much ado. We cannot sanely argue that it will have democratic credentials or will be kosher and halal enough to receive help if only it releases the lastly jailed prisoners in Kaliti. To argue as the intellectuals did is to miss the whole point notwithstanding the desire to have the jailed leaders released – a sentiment that no Ethiopian other than the Woyane can contradict.
It is imperative that the democratic forces get their vision right. It is not important that they write long and scholarly pieces if their premise is confused and their message totally wrong. PUT
ETHIOPIA AND HER PEOPLE FIRST. Get rid of the Woyane and all political prisoners will be released. The main and sad event of post May 2005 Election is not that people got arrested or jailed but that the VOICE and CHOICE of the people was denied by the Meles regime. This is the primary ill to be addressed as it is the one that led to the subsequent crimes on the part of the Woyane thugs.
Not at their Expense: Putting the Elected Prisoners of Conscience First!
By the Network of Ethiopian Scholars (NES) Scandinavian Chapter
Press Release No. 33
August 6, 2006
“But from my first articles to my latest book I have written so much, and perhaps too much, only because I cannot keep from being drawn towards everyday life, towards those, whoever they may be, who are humiliated and debased. They need to hope, and if all keep silent or if they are given a choice between two kinds of humiliation, they will be forever deprived of hope and we with them. It seems to me impossible to endure that idea nor can he who cannot endure it lie down to sleep in his tower. Not through virtue, as you see, but through a sort of almost organic intolerance, which you feel or do not feel. Indeed, I see many who fail to feel it, but I cannot envy their sleep.” By Albert Camus, Philosopher and Writer
1. Budget support only after the political prisoners release and NOT Before!!
Today, the BBC World broadcast the Ethiopian Government plea to get budget support reinstated by giving air time to Meles and a British EU MP, from the donor side, without the inclusion of any opposition voice in the programme. The lack of opposition representation, when the BBC deals with the question of Ethiopia’s aid dependency is a serious omission. This is in part a response to the BBC report on this issue.
In Ethiopia today, elected opposition leaders are in jail. More than 20 journalists of the free press are in prison. Thousands of political prisoners are suffering in prisons throughout the country. They are innocent. They are arrested because they contested the rigging of the election. They are in jail because they express different political views regarding democracy, human rights, rule of law and governance from the regime. The rigging of the election has been endorsed by independent observers who corroborated that the election counting had been subject to heavy irregularities. The regime’s claim to have counted the ballots fairly has been rejected. A significant component of the international community took a symbolic step by suspending budget support to show their disquiet regarding the mishandling and subsequent excessive violence by the regime against those who protested electoral injustice.
As a consequence, Britain, EU and even the World Bank made a symbolic gesture by suspending budget support alleging breakdown of ‘trust’ (Hilary Benn) mainly because of the Government crackdown on democracy, the people and the opposition. They expected the situation not to continue to worsen. As soon as conditions get better and trust can be restored, budget support was to be reinstated. That seemed to be the overall donor position in making the symbolic gesture perhaps as an investment to Ethiopian democracy!
It looks the World Bank has found a trick to say it is not giving budget support to the regime directly while releasing funds to the branch of the local regional government indirectly. The understanding is that budget support to the government will help the Government and not the poor especially at a time when there is such large scale peoples’ resistance and mistrust of the Government. Aid should go directly to the people or to the programmes that yield direct benefits to the people. It should go directly to the health services, schools and other local services to the people, but not to the local government offices, because the centre and the local Government are run by one and the same political party and its overt and covert structures of control. The World Bank is fully aware that the centre and the local Government are run by one and the same party as a number of its own studies on the budgetary flows between the centre and regions attest. The indirect aid agreed by the World Bank now to the regional level also will strengthen the Government against the people, which proves a further barrier to bring the much anticipated democratic transition and framework to the country.
2. The situation has NOT changed yet
The crackdown continues. The elected opposition leaders are in jail. If health and education services are suffering due to budget cuts, who is to blame for this situation? The responsibility falls entirely on the shoulders of the Government. It is not to be ruled out that the Government can play games with these vital services to protest the donor community’s just action to suspend budget support direct to its treasury. It is the position of the government, that wishes the aid to be channelled directly to its coffers, that starves the social services to support their activities and programmes. In the mean time, we encourage the resourceful engagement of the donor community who should try to find avenues to reach directly the people or civil society groups especially community and faith- based and other grass roots groups to support their sanitation, water, health, education, farm support and other local needs. The donors must not give the money to the Government knowing that the regime wants to have complete control of the flow of aid in Ethiopia in order to use the aid to strengthen its dictates over the local people. At the moment until the situation shows demonstrable improvement, budget support by donors means the undermining rather than the building of democracy in Ethiopia. The donors must not reward the arrogance and rigid stance by the regime. Aid should target and empower the public, strengthening civil society, building an independent media, organising independent judiciary and such like.
If Meles wants budget support badly he should not persecute the opposition and put elected opposition leaders in jail. Meles tries to put conditions to the donors on how he should receive aid. He asks them not to put the lid of aid on and off- meaning he indirectly begs them to put it on rather than off. The current development assistance prioritises governance, democracy, human rights as paramount for aid. Meles has been violating these values and principles and most glaringly during the election in May, 2005. If the donors uphold these principles that he has violated, they should be congratulated. When they fail, they should be criticised. At the moment it is the regime in Ethiopia that is violating these principles. The longer the elected leaders are in jail, the journalists are in jail, civil society and other thousands of political prisoners are in jail, it is hard for Meles how he can speak with diffidence and arrogance that donors are cutting budget support without principle. It is principled not to give money to those who kill and violate the rule of law, abuse human rights and put in jail elected leaders of opposition parties and an elected mayor. Why not solve this important affront directly rather than weave convoluted subterfuge of alleged ‘donor lack of principle’ when what it takes is release the innocent and the democratically elected, the journalists and all others who are suffering from injustice.
The BBC should have invited opposition voice to explain and clarify why budget support became suspended in the aftermath of the Ethiopian election in the first place. There was no opposition representative to put the case forward. The BBC should redress this omission in the future.
Generally speaking, the BBC, the donor world and others must understand that the Meles regime has structural and objective weakness that will sooner or later cripple it. Internally the Ethiopian people are against its chicanery and fraudulent actions. There is growing urban and rural resistance that is developing. Externally it has been embroiled with Somalia’s Islamic Court by supporting the losing transitional outfit. It has a war- like relationship with Eritrea for nearly a decade now. It has the Oromos’ fully disaffected by the way they have been mal- treated. There are pockets of resistances sprouting for this or that reason of perceived injustice everywhere. Regardless of what problems the opposition camp may have, the Meles regime has even bigger and more structural problems.
The opposition forces grouped around Kinjit, the new Alliance for Freedom and Democracy and others, have called for a national dialogue with the regime in order to change the political environment for conversation and solving the problems by setting up an all- inclusive democratic framework to bring about a broad collective thrust and assault on the country’s manifold and complex problems.. The regime seemed hell bent to undermine national reconciliation and seemed emboldened in its belief that it can fight on all fronts as long as it can hoodwink the Bush administration as its partner in the ’global war on terror.’ The regime has been blinded by its own arrogance and deception and seemed more desperate to win back its loss of budget support by its inexhaustible willingness to assume a role of regional policeman, than to release the prisoners and create a favourable environment for a broad based all inclusive national dialogue and reconciliation.
The international community must hold firmly to the position by linking budget support to the immediate and unconditional release of the prisoners of conscience in Ethiopia. Nothing else is acceptable than this priority. First the prisoners must be released, and then budget support can follow. Not the other way around. We call upon the international community not to sacrifice the prisoners of conscience who are suffering in crowded jails risking their lives for no other crime than trying to create a sustainable system of democratic transition and national framework for Ethiopia for citizen self-expression and freedom. In order to bring back budget support on the agenda, the pre-condition of an immediate and unconditional release of the prisoners of conscience must be a priority of priorities to free them from suffering being in the hell holes of Kaleti and Alem bekagn!
3. The Struggle for Democracy Continues
At present Ethiopians inside and outside the country are united in the desire and motivation by a no greater noble ambition than to see the birth of a democratic transition within a united national framework in the country to provide the context and engine to try to address all the thorny issues that people have been quarrelling over for decades in our country: Ethiopians want to achieve at a time when their own millennium is just around the corner the following: structurally uproot poverty and inequality by instituting a comprehensive, effective and capable system for fair representation in politics, fair distribution in economics, fair governance in administration, fair treatment in the eyes of an impartial legal/judicial system, and freedom, rights, justice, dignity and security for all.
A lot in the Diaspora tried to strive and act as a moral community by focusing on the larger issues of making our country achieve a major civilization shift from authoritarian and tyrannical traditions to democratic, participatory and people empowering frameworks and traditions. May 15, 2005 saw a massive voter turn out serving as a guidepost and as a huge resource for effectuating the transition from tyranny to democracy. Ethiopians at home and abroad united, struggled tooth and nail to show how debased it was for that massive turn out to be marred by accusations of fraud in the post-election period.
Those who remained true to their principle and fought to the end this gross abuse of peoples trust were thrown into jail. Like the independent observers, they have refused to accept that wasting voter ballots for the sake of extending the tenure of the current incumbents is to be condoned. They say it is un-condonable. For their stand and principles, they have been hurled shamefully by the regime into jail. The donors must not finance this gross injustice by aiding their jailors.
4. Concluding Remark
We call on the international community not to finance injustice owing to unrelated and possible expedient reasons to the development of Ethiopian democracy. We urge the international community to stand firm against injustice. It is only by upholding principle that launching a democratic renaissance in Ethiopia and , indeed in wider Africa would be possible. In Ethiopia, the immediate and unconditional release of the prisoners comes first. It actually brooks no delay. Withholding budget support and other well targeted boycotts are necessary to change the rigidity and arrogance of the regime. Financing its rigidity is to court injustice and not to serve justice. The international community must support the people, the opposition and especially those who are languishing in jail such as the renowned human right activist like Prof. Mesfin, the elected mayor of Africa’s capital , Dr. Berhanu, elected party leaders such as engineer Hailu and judge Birtukan, journalists and civil society activists ,and an unaccounted number of innumerable rural and urban young people across the breadth and depth of Ethiopia.Above all the media and others should not exclude and must include the voice of the opposition for justice, freedom, democracy and dignity for all Ethiopians.
Professor Mammo Muchie, Chair of NES-Scandinavian Chapter
Berhanu G. Balcha, Vice- Chair of NES-Scandinavian Chapter
Tekola Worku, Secretary of NES-Scandinavian ChapterContact address:
Fibigerstraede 2
9220- Aalborg East
Denmark Tel. + 45 96 359 813 or +45 96 358 331
Fax + 45 98 153 298
Cell: +45 3112 5507
Email: mammo@ihis.aau.dk or berhanu@ihis.aau.dk or tekola.worku@bromma.stockholm.se
Doctors Beyene and Merera & Co. Do You Know How to Lift Your Broken Face? Just Resign!!!
By Yilma Begashaw
Dear Learned ‘Intellectuals’,
You made lots and lots of shambles and committed crimes against your own constituents in particular and the Ethiopian people in general, especially following the last National Election.
You ferociously campaigned against the Woyane regime prior to the election. Many candidates and supporters belonging to your respective political organisations followed that campaign and lost their precious lives in the hand of the Woyane assassin squads. We in the Diaspora learned about those atrocities from your own words while you were going around the World to brief us and to lobby the Western Powers, at the expense of the innocent Ethiopian groups that sponsored your visits.
Despite your bad political records over the last decades, we gave you a benefit of a doubt that you might have learned from your past mistakes and came back to your senses. You were given senior political position within the opposition camps. Unfortunately these proved to be painfully wrong.
We also gave you the benefit of a doubt that your inclinations could possibly change from the Dergue to the Woyane regime due to the following mistaken assumptions:
a) That you regretted for life for serving under the Dergue dictatorship whose Red Terror measures affected the lives of all Ethiopians, eventually including your own and those of your families.
b) That the hard lessons we thought you learned from that previous repressive regime could not be repeated during the current brutal Woyane dictatorial regime that did not only deny your nationality but also introduced ethnically based genocidal acts as witnessed all over the country, including Arba Gugu, Bedenno, Gujjii, Assebot, Gambella, Bahr Dar,
Gondar, etc.
c) In fact, against all expectations that the next regime did not manage to be any better from the previous Dergue regime, the Woyanes have proved to be worse than even the Nazis and the Fascists, probably resembling the Ahmed Gragns and the Yodit Gudits.
d) Sadly, however, you went from the bad to the worst.
There is an ongoing drama news that you and the Lidetus are dying for Ministerial positions under the so called ‘Power Sharing’ bluff of the Woyanes. The opposition political party leaders currently suffering in jails promoted an extremely peaceful means of struggle. Even after getting a landslide victory at the last national election, they offered a power sharing settlement for the transition that will include the Woyanes that terribly lost during the election. The Woyanes blatantly rejected that offer and threw those peaceful leaders to jails. Therefore, what power sharing are your talking about, if any? ‘Doron siyataliluwat bemechagna taluwat yibalal’.
If you are learned and conscious human beings, how could you possibly choose to live with all these guilt? Do not forget that you are driving or walking over the corps of the innocent Ethiopian people, using the financial incentives from the Woyane murderers.
Thus, my sincere advice for you is to have the guts to resign and to leave our people alone.
Leave alone you Ph.D. holders who can sell your professions to make a good living and prepare for the inevitable eventual grave, any one can survive one way or the other, with respect. Nuro kalut mekabir yimok yele?
Debteraw Blog 