By Prof. Alemayehu G. Mariam

The jackal in sheep’s clothing is back!

The latest strategy by the bosses of the Tigrean People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) hunkered and bunkered down at the Axum Hotel in Mekele is to bring together elements of the Arena Party, Amhara National Movement and Oromo Liberation Front to wage a scorched earth opposition against the nonviolent change that is taking place in Ethiopia today and take over power.

The information supporting this revelation could have been related to me by member(s) of Arena Party, Amhara National Movement and Oromo Liberation Front or all three.

But there is no question that I have received the tip from a highly reliable informant(s).

The singular aim of the TPLF bosses in bringing elements of the three entities  is to create a fake Amhara-Tigray-Oromo coalition behind which they can hide as they wage a scorched earth strategy to destroy what has been described as the  Oromo-Amhara alliance, which resulted in the TPLF’s ouster.

The timing of the formation of the fake coalition is in itself curious.

In just about four weeks, PM Abiy will be celebrating his first year in office.

What better way to steal his thunder?!!

What better way to rain on his parade by parading a fake Amhara-Tigray-Oromo coalition?!!

According to my source(s), the TPLF bosses recently concluded a secret assessment of their efforts to date to destabilize and usher in a period of chaos in Ethiopia.

The conclusions they reached are self-evident and plain for all to see.

Their attempts at taking the life of PM Abiy Ahmed have failed.

Their attempts to instigate a coup have failed.

Their attempts to create ethnic tensions which could deteriorate into ethnic and religious civil  war in various parts of the country have failed.

Their attempts to create division and strife within the EPRDF have failed.

Their attempt to scare monger the population about an imminent genocide have failed.

Their attempts to mobilize international support for themselves by claiming genocide and ethnic persecution have failed.

They have failed on all fronts. The TPLF is confused and bewildered about to do to get back in the game.

What can the TPLF bosses do in the face of the total failure of their political intrigue and machinations?

The TPLF bosses have decided to return to their tried and tested dirty old tricks of divide and rule.

For the last 27 years, the TPLF maintained its ethnic apartheid system in Ethiopia by pitting Oromo against Amhara, Tigray against Amhara, Sidama against Wolieta, Afari against Somalia and so on.

But the TPLF’s ethnic apartheid system came apart almost a year ago when H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed became prime minister.

Over the past year, the TPLF bosses have left no stone unturned to demonize, criticize and ostracize PM Abiy and his administration.

They have waged scurrilous attacks on the integrity and reputations of the leaders of the nonviolent Ethiopian revolution.

Above all, they have done everything in their power by using billions they have stolenthey have stolen from the Ethiopian people to

1) trivialize the achievements of the PM Abiy administration;

2) delegitimize the extraordinary and historic democratic changes in Ethiopia by waging a concerted and coordinated cyber psychological warfare on social media; and

3) direct and coordinate behind the scenes death and destruction they hoped will bring Ethiopia into civil war.

To accomplish this purpose, they have not only paid street thugs to wreak havoc on the civilian population in the countryside but also hired empty barrel intellectuals, journalists, pundits and trolls to wage psychological cyber warfare for them.

But their efforts have only produced strange fruits of death and destruction.

Their message of hate and division has fallen on deaf ears.

But they continue to preach their gospel of  ethnic supremacy to their chorus of hate mongers and thugs.

But the Financial Times, a British newspaper founded in 1888, best described the changes that have taken place in Ethiopia over the past year in its report a few days ago. Abi Ahmed

has overseen the swiftest political liberalisation in Ethiopia’s more than 2,000-year history.

The TPLF bosses today are hellbent on totally destroying the current reform and liberalization process in Ethiopia at any and all costs.

What must the TPLF bosses do to destroy Ethiopia’s nonviolent revolution?

That in a nutshell was the quintessential question the TPLF bosses faced at the end of their analysis (gimgema) recently.

The consensus they reached was unambiguous:

Destroy once and for all the so-called Oromo-Amhara alliance which ended the TPLF’s  ethnic supremacy and ethnic apartheid in Ethiopia.

TPLF boss Getachew Reda once said of Oromos and Amharas coming together, “If Amharas and Oromos are united, that means we, the TPLF, have not done our homework”.

Getachew Reda also said, “Amhara and Oromo are like “chid” (the chaff from Ethiopia’s staple food teff)  and fire (the equivalent of fire and highly combustible pampas grass).  They can never come together as one.”

I know exactly what the TPLF bosses think of Amharas. I have it documented it over the years.

The TPLF bosses believe Amharas are “retards” and “enemies”.

This is also exactly what they tell and teach their children about Amharas:

Yes, the Gojames (Amara people) are called retards.  Gonderes (another Amhara people) are enemies. They should not be given awards. They are retards. In terms of thinking, their brains, they are low, very low. They are low retards. They are in a separate category. They represent a retarded idea, a retarded way of doing things.

The TPLF bosses believe Amharas are dumb as a flock of turkeys.

The TPLF also believes Amharas must be wiped out as an ethnic group.

It is all in their Manifesto and corroborated in the testimony of their top leaders.

I also know exactly what the TPLF bosses think of Oromos.

They believe Oromos are “criminals and terrorists”.

They believe Oromos do not have the innate ability to govern or exercise political power because they too are dumb and stupid.

The ignorant TPLF thugs are clueless that Oromos are the originators of the African Gada democratic system!

The TPLF bosses believe they, and only they are the smartest, the brightest, the bravest and the chosen ones.

The rest of Ethiopians are God-forsaken fools and idiots, as their late leader used to say.

well, the TPLF bosses are now back to school, the school of intrigue, double-dealing, conspiracy and monkey business.

They are huddled to do their homework.

What is their homework today? Well, it is the homework they did not finish yesterday!

Slice, dice, mince, divide and chop Ethiopians into hate groups so that they can cannibalize each other while the TPLF bosses sit at Hotel Axum sipping French cognac.

The TPLF bosses have done their homework.

They have created a make-believe, shell opposition force composed of elements of Arena Party, Amhara National Movement and the Oromo Liberation Front to do the dirty work for them by promising to

1) defend the constitution;

2) preserve ethnic federalism;

3) reject  neoliberalism and oppose privatization of inefficient state-owned enterprises promised by PM Abiy;

4) give greater autonomy to local areas;

5) return Addis Ababa (Finfine) to Oromos;

6) rescind the Ethiopian-Eritrean peace accords by insisting on reclamation of Eritrean ports, among others.

The die has been cast according to the information I have received.

Elements of Arena, Amhara National Movement and the Oromo Liberation Front are in negotiations  as of this writing and may be ready to announce their new coalition at any time.

The shadow coalition and fake shell opposition force the TPLF has created to undermine the current peaceful change may succeed in creating the illusion of a real opposition force and sow temporary confusion in a segment of the public mind, but it will not succeed.

There are three reasons why it will not succeed.

First, the Ethiopian people will not be fooled by the TPLF wolf in sheep’s clothing trying to sell them snake oil.

The TPLF bosses have always believed the people of Ethiopia are fools and idiots, as their late leader once said.  They think they can hoodwink and bamboozle them with sweet talk and empty promises. But that too will fail.

Today, Ethiopia enjoys a free press with energetic journalists and bloggers who will shed the light of truth on the secret intrigues and machinations of the TPLF to return to power regardless of the tricks they may pull out of their rear ends.

Second, the TPLF’s ethnic apartheid system and ethnic supremacy is dead, dead, dead! It will never return to Ethiopia.

No amount of backroom dealing, payoffs of so-called opposition leaders, or armies of social media trolls and empty barrel intellectual, journalists and pundits will bring back to life the TPLF’s ethnic apartheid system.

Third, as I have warned the TPLF on numerous occasions, IT IS GAME OVER!

In October 2017, I wrote a commentary entitled, “Ethiopia: The Day After… the Firestorm”, I predicted the strategy the TPLF is using today.

I also predicted the TPLF’s endgame will be: “ ‘Apres nous, le deluge.’  After us, the flood.

Like the proverbial Ethiopian donkey which said, ‘After I am gone, I could not care less, if grass grows.”

After the TPLF is gone, they could not care less if grass grows in Ethiopia or Ethiopia is consumed in a forest fire.”

If Ethiopia cannot be a plaything and playground for the TPLF, she can go to hell in a handbasket.

But we Ethiopians care about our country.

We will make our country a paradise in Africa.

A year ago, Ethiopia rose from the hellfire of TPLF rule because God lifted her up by her outstretched hands.

I will prophesy to the TPLF bosses this simple truth. In the end, your swords will pierce your own hearts and your bows will be broken. If they doubt me, I challenge them to go back and review all of the prophesies I have made about them.

In February 2013, I prophesied the TPLF shall inherit the wind.

In February 2019, the TPLF inherited the wind.

In February 2019, the TPLF is gone with the wind!

I give one advice to my fellow Ethiopian sisters and brothers everywhere.

The price of liberty is eternal vigilance. Stay alert and awake.

The TPLF wolf in sheepskin is in your midst. Beware or the wiley wolf will get you by the jugular.

I call on all Ethiopians to stand vigilant and defend the nonviolent revolution on the ground and in cyberspace as the TPLF bosses roll out their latest and greatest show to reinvent themselves, return to power and reestablish ethnic apartheid!

What should we make of the three-ring dog and pony circus of the TPLF-created coalition composed of elements of Arena Party, Amhara National Movement and the Oromo Liberation Front?

Do what everyone does at any circus: Be entertained!

But never, never, never underestimate the wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Well, you read all about it here, first.

The post EXTRA! EXTRA! Read All About the TPLF’s Latest Strategy to Return to Power and Restore Ethnic Apartheid in Ethiopia appeared first on Satenaw Ethioopian News & Breaking News: Your right to know!.

NES Commentary 45

Inspiration

“In The History of Mankind, there has never been any other black man like Menelik, who had triggered a lasting fear and doubt in the mind of Europeans” Augustus Wylde

“Menelik, the Great, inspired generations yet unborn with his daring defeat of the Italian Army at the battle of Adwa. He tried diplomacy and experienced cunning; he showed character and got in return snobbery and lies; and when he saw the signs of war, he rallied Ethiopian forces to defeat the enemy on African soil. This became one of the most important lessons in African history.”

Molefi Kete Asante, author of The History of Africa

 “In 1896 it was evident that the Europeans, even those who said they were the friends of Ethiopia, would come together and betray Menelik after the Treaty of Wuchale. Africans were encouraged by the ultimate victory of Menelik’s genius and the courage of his soldiers on the battlefield. Let our youth never forget the many heroes of our victories; let our nations raise monuments to them in every city to teach lessons of resistance, selflessness, and Pan African Unity!” Molefi Kete Asante, author of The History of Africa

“If in Brazil the newspaper ‘Oh Menelik’ after the Great Adwa Victory was created, why not we fail to erect a statue in Southern Africa where Ethiopianism has inspired the liberation imagination of all Africans with the second Ethiopia Manifesto declared after Adwa Victory in 1896 in Southern Africa.”   Molefi K Asante and Mammo Muchie

“If the American president John F Kennedy, the French president Jacques Chirac and Mummar Gaddafi all recognize Aste Menelik as the greatest African leader for ably  leading and winning the Adwa  victory to make Africa free, why are some in current Ethiopia   use ethnic virus  and fail to recognize this great African leader?”  Mammo Muchie

Ethiopia has a unique distinction in the universe for empowering those that were disempowered, for humanising those that were dehumanised, spiritualising those that were denied their right to worship God and inspiring and strengthening those oppressed to resist oppression” —Mammo Muchie

Introduction

Today is the 123 Adwa Great African Victory Day. We are celebrating the Great Adwa African Victory in Johannesburg in South Africa on March 2, 2019.  The leadership of Aste Menelik is recognised and acknowledged globally. For some reason in Ethiopia, there is still a perception of Aste Menelik with ethnic curses and lenses. Ethiopians must acknowledge whatever mistakes Atse Menelik may have made, he is the greatest leader Africa ever had. It is time all Africans who genuinely recognise through the leadership Aste Menelik provided that Africa discovered the globally recognised wonder of African solutions to the problems imposed on Africa by colonialism. It is after the great Victory of Adwa the Second Ethiopia Manifesto was launched globally. Ethiopia earned the name to be the home for all non-European peoples. It became the spiritual homeland of all the oppressed people not only for Africa but also for the whole world.

The Journey is Still Not Over to End Colonialism

Today, more than ever, Africans need to look back in order to go forward.  But what do Africans see when they look back? They often are overwhelmed by seeing mainly the destructive over 500 years of the de-humanising African experience. They rarely acknowledge, appreciate, recognise and promote the numerous struggles for liberation that took place from the period of slavery to the present time in all parts of the Africana world.

It is urgent that the constructive and positive heritage of liberation struggles from every part of Africa have to be excavated, recorded, studied and  resurrected  in order to re -educate and wean generations of Africans to know that Africans have continued to sacrifice throughout the  over 500 years of destruction, thingification, colonisation and   subjection to varied forms of oppression.

1. b) The negative destructive period must be taught with a full appreciation of the positive data of the African liberation and resistance historical heritage so that the legacy of colonialism, imperialism, apartheid, neo-colonialism and all varieties of oppression no longer affect Africans from the way they think, to the way they learn, work and look. Time to re-visit and remember all the liberation struggles to become Africans with unity and renaissance expressing full pride, dignity, self-reliance, self-confidence, freedom and independence.
2. c) The African futures are built with the imagination and knowledge of the liberation struggle history and heritage by learning and overcoming the remaining risks and dangers from the legacy of the destructive period. The future is made by appreciating and learning from the liberation struggles how Africans tried their best to come together when attacks were directed at them.
3. d) The liberation struggles were in various ways influenced by the shared ideas of Ethiopianism, Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance. These ideas were not just created. They are the outcomes of the heritage and history of Africa’s numerous liberation struggles. Africa’s unity is still waiting to be made. Ethiopianism, Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance will provide the foundational ideas and visions for re-thinking, re-designing and re-engineering the African united futures.

Why The Great Adwa African Victory is a True Radiator of the Sunshine of Liberation

The Adwa Victory that took place on March 2, 1896 was of the most significant African liberation struggles that took place during the time of the European Scramble for Africa. The Adwa Victory reinforced Ethiopianism and Ethiopianism reinforced pan-Africanism, and both Ethiopianism and Pan-Africanism reinforced the Africa Renaissance. They are one in three, and three into one. The successful resistance of the 1896 Adwa Victory symbolizes the best highway of African liberation. Any other way is not the African freeway. Africans must value and cherish their history. The Adwa Victory has to live on until Africa is fully free and united. The lessons from Adwa Victory make us all never to give up resisting all varieties of injustice Africans are still not free from. The African spirit of liberation will continue to shine ever brighter by remembering all the liberation struggles that the great African Adwa Victory represents.

The victory dented irreversibly the claim that the European colonial project was invincible. The victory was so decisive it brought into big question the project to Europeanise, just like America, Canada and Australia, the whole of Africa. Remarkably Africans from South Africa and other parts wanted to join the battle making the Adwa Victory a distinctive African battle over World Empire.

.Adwa was a major anti-colonialist battle fought by all Ethiopians, under the skilful leadership of Emperor Menelik and Empress Taitu. This victory resonated well beyond the Ethiopian and indeed the African border. It represented the clash between colonialism and liberation on a world-scale.  Emperor Menelik made the call: “Those who have strength, support us with your strength those who are weak, support us with your prayers” Empress Taitu added: “I am a woman. I do not like war. But I would rather die than accepting your deal.”

It is a matter of historical record that the Adwa victory signalled the beginning of the end of the Scramble for Africa. This victory constitutes a crucial chapter in the record of African resistance and liberation. It armed generations of Africans with the confidence of victory to engage in resistance and liberation. It attracted attention as far as the Caribbean and the Americas, not to mention South Africa, where those involved in the Ethiopianism movement decided to join directly the battle of Adwa in 1896.  In South Africa we celebrated the 120 years of the Great Adwa Africa Victory with former President and current chancellor of UNISA gave a powerful and knowledge rich highly inspiring keynote address. When we celebrated the 120 years of the Great Adwa African victory, we combined it with the 6^th Africa Unity for Renaissance Conference to open the opportunity to connect all the liberation struggles with the current call to fulfil African unity and Renaissance today. We opened with a number of partners that included the DST, NRF AISA, TMALI, UJ and TUT and others to go from talking to doing African unity and renaissance in 2010.  In 2016 Both Adwa’s African victory and the African unity for Renaissance has been run with TMALI providing the secretariat. The Patron our brother former President Thabo Mbeki gave the most inspiring and so well researched the keynote address combining the 120 years of Africa’s Adwa Victory with his powerful vision combining Ethiopianism with Pan-Africanism and the African renaissance.

The Adwa Victory forms as a key pillar reinforcing the Pan-African Congresses, and the first African liberation movement the ANC in Azania. Adwa Victory provided probably one of the best, if not the very best of all the most significant practical examples of the African resistance history during the Scramble for Africa. Hence it becomes one of the pivotal helices for Ethiopianism, Pan-Africanism and  the African Renaissance  Adwa Victory in 1896 reinforces the World Union of Ethiopians (Africans), formed as the African Association in 1897 from outside Africa. The pan-African congress was founded by Sylvester Williams in 1900 that was in direct contact with Emperor Menelik at the time. Cuban-Americans, Haitians and African Diaspora from Brazil all were inspired by the Adwa Victory of 1896. Haiti’s 100 years of independence was celebrated in Ethiopia in Addis Ababa. The formation of the African National Congress (ANC) as the first African Liberation Movement with spiritualism and Ethiopianism was acknowledged by former president Mandela as follows:

“Fundamental tenets of the Ethiopian Movement were self-worth, self-reliance and freedom. These tenets drew the advocates of Ethiopianism, like a magnet, to the growing political movement. That political movement was to culminate in the formation of the ANC in 1912. It is in this sense that the ANC, we, trace the seeds of the formation of our organization to the Ethiopian Movement of the 1890s” (Nelson Mandela, Speech to the Free Ethiopian Church of South Africa).African -American churchmen who went to South Africa in the 1890s arrived at a time when some African Christians were setting up churches of their own. This independent-church movement was called “Ethiopianism”

Ethiopianism became a generic term to describe a whole range of the black man’s efforts to improve his religious, educational and political status in society. It became the concept that constituted pan-Africanism from the 18^th, 19^th to the 20th century until World War I in 1914.The Adwa victory provided practical expression to Ethiopianism: self-worth, dignity, unity, confidence, self-reliance, race pride, spirituality and freedom from colonialism.

Lessons from the Adwa African victory over World Empire are relevant to strengthen Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance for our time and the future. The Africa Union, all the current African states, the entire African Diaspora and even all those nations across the world that have been colonised are welcome to participate and contribute and spread vast education and awareness to reach every African child, woman and man across the world.

Concluding Remark: A Handbook on the Great Adwa African Victory Is A Must Read for ALL

We need to produce a handbook on the Great African Adwa Victory and publish it to launch on the 125^th of the Great African Adwa Victory Day on March 2, 2021.

We suggest there should be the following areas included in the handbook.

:

1. The Significance of the Adwa Victory for Expediting African Unity Today
2. The Lessons of the Adwa Africa Victory against the Scramble for Africa
3. The Relationship of Adwa Victory with Ethiopianism,Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance
4. Adwa’s African Victory with ANC, and the Pan-African Congresses
5. The Relevance of the lessons from the great Adwa Victory to Diffuse Pan-African education
6. The Relationship of Liberation Struggles inside and outside Africa
7. The Contribution of the African Diaspora   to the Adwa African victory
8. Adwa Victory make Africa a victor not a victim
9. Adwa Victory the Best Example for providing African solutions to African problems Evaluating critically political and economic de-coloinsation
10. Using Adwa Great African Victory as a Model for Anchoring Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance to close the colonial chapter finally.

Wishing you all to spend the happy Adwa Great African day memorably and educationally to make Africans own rich Africa and make every African to live   by enjoying additive and multiplicative capable life free from the subtraction of life with poverty, inequality and ballooning unemployment.

Prof. Mammo Muchie, DPhil

DST/NRF SARChI Research Professor on Science, Technology, Innovation and Development :Tshwane University of Technology , Adjunct Professor in BDU & Harmaya, Ethiopia , and Riara University in Kenya, and Associate Faculty Professor, Sussex University, U.K.

e-mail: muchiem@tut.ac.za, mammo.muchie@gmail.com,

Website: www.tut.a.c.za  www.tmd-oxford.org/content/mammo-muchie

www.tandfonline.com/rajs and www.ajstid.com

www.nesglobal.org and http://nesglobal.org/eejrif4/index.php?journal=admin

The post Happy 123 Adwa Great African Victory Day: Time to Erect the Aste Menelik Statue in Africa Now! appeared first on Satenaw Ethioopian News & Breaking News: Your right to know!.

By Haile-Gebriel Endeshaw

The decisive victory Ethiopians gained at the Battle of Adwa has been the source of African pride. It sustained Ethiopia’s national sovereignty and showed generally Africans resistance to colonial rule. Sources indicate that the Battle of Adwa sent shock waves across the world. “The Pope is greatly disturbed,” reported the New York Times.  Ethiopian soldiers reportedly killed 3,000 Italian troops, took close to 2,000 soldiers as prisoners of war (PoWs) and seized about 11,000 rifles, four million cartridges and 56 cannons.

Apart from the victory prevailed against the invading Italian forces, the clemency granted to the Italian troops captured and taken as PoWs has long remained fresh in the minds of all peace-loving nations across the world. Let’s touch on issues related to the Italian PoWs, Ethiopian officials who turned their face against Menelik… deserters that joined Italian army versus the compassionate nature of Emperor Menelik.

After the Ethiopian gallant force emerged victorious against the invading force at the Battle of Adwa, about 2,000 Italian PoWS were pardoned by Emperor Menelik-II of Ethiopia. First there were disagreements among Ethiopian high-ranking officials regarding this issue of pardoning with some individuals opposing the release of Italian PoWs. At last a large vote was given for the release of the Italian PoWs. Then they were brought before Emperor Menelik who gave imperial clemency to them. A writer said in connection to this event stating that the Italians did not believe this and carried out to tears. “When the Battle of Adwa ended, about two thousand Italian prisoners of war were forgiven by Emperor Menelik and were led through a long journey to Red Sea to the waiting ship that will carry them home to Italy.”

Taking in to consideration many of the good things he accomplished to his people and country, Ethiopia, one can say that Menelik-II was a kind-hearted leader. Though there are a few individuals who do not agree with this, what history testifies is that Emperor Menelik is exceptionally among the type of individuals with compassionate nature. The Battle of Embabo is one of the incidents we can pick to show his kindness. At this battlefield Menelik and King of Gojam, Tekle-Haimanot fought furiously. Tekle-Haimanot demonstrated prowess commonly expected from an Ethiopian warrior and unfortunately he was wounded and captured. Up on his capture, he was not cuffed as per a special order given by Menelik. This was done to show respect to the captured king. Then he was taken to Menelik. Up on his arrival, Menelik got to his feet from his throne, hugged and kissed him. “My brother, it is God’s will that we have met alive,” said Menelik. Later on, Menelik announced that he was the one who should treat the wounded king, Tekle-Haimanot. He washed and wiped the sore of Tekle-Haimanot… Immediately after, Menelik commanded for the release of all captured soldiers of Tekle-Haimanot.

In the meantime, while chatting, Menelik asked Tekle-Haimanot what he would have done if he was the one who had captured Menelik. Tekle-Haimanot responded bluntly that he would have cut his flesh in to pieces and given to vultures.

Menelik also showed respect to king Kawo Tona of Wolaita after the latter was captured at a big war held between the two. King Tona was believed to be one of the greatest warriors and powerful last king of Wolaita. After wounded and captured, he was taken to Menelik who rose to his feet and hugged him saying, “my brother, you forced us to kill the people in vain”. After the bloody war, Menelik commanded that all the cattle taken by his troops should be returned to the people of Wolaita. Then he appointed Kawo Tona to govern that part of the country. Similarly, Menelik pardoned many of his prominent officials who had betrayed him and joined the enemy side. This is just to show how kind-hearted Menelik was.

A month after the victory of the Battle of Adwa, Menelik said in one of his letters addressed to an Italian official: “They [the Italians] fought against me at the Battle of Adwa but they were defeated… However, I did not feel happy to shed Christians’ blood for [nothing].”

About 900 Italian soldiers were surrounded at their fortress at the battle ground in Mekele Town. The trapped Italians could not break out of the tightened circle. They had no any chance to get drinking water as the source had been under control of Ethiopian soldiers. They seemed to be dying of thirst. At last Menelik was asked by Barateri, commander of the Italian army, to set free the surrounded Italians. Regarding this, a special envoy, Pieter Filter wrote the following in his book:

“…I was taken to Menelik,” Filter said. “As I walked in to his tent, the king said, ‘you have come here to defeat us. You say you emancipate Ethiopians from slavery. Let alone Ethiopians, you could not come for deliverance of those poor devil Italian soldiers who have been trapped in their strong hold. If I were as weak as you, your people would be made to die of thirst. Tell this to Barateri. Saint Angeles teach us to love our enemies. I am a Christian. I am not a king of barbarians. Therefore, these Christians will not die. Send people who can take them to you. If you need to fight again with us, get together and wait for me. I will come wherever you are’. The king told me this,” Filter said.

Then the next day the Italian troops who were trapped in their strong hold being surrounded by Ethiopian soldiers, were allowed to fetch 30 barrels of water from the source which had been under strict control of Ethiopians.

Three months after the victory (of Adwa) over Italian invading force, Pope Leo XIII wrote a letter to Emperor Menelik asking for mercy to the Italian PoWs. Receiving the special envoy, Menelik sent to the Pope a respectful letter giving his word that the PoWs would not be mistreated in any way. “…my duty as king and father of my people prevents me from sacrificing the sole guarantee of peace that I have with me.” So saying, Emperor Menelik released as a token of his respect to the Pope a prisoner who was seriously ill and allowed him to travel to his country, Italy along with the special envoy.

One day Menelik was told that an Italian PoW who was kept by the imperial household received a letter from his widowed mother in Italy. Upon reading the letter from his mom, the PoW came to be inconsolable, wept bitterly and started suffering from hysteria. Menelik ordered for the soldier to come to him and had the letter translated for him. The poor mother stated in the letter saying that she had been busy weeping in the compound of St. Mary’s church begging the mother of God to bring her son back to her, a weak and lonely widow whose life had no meaning without her only child. A written source from Italy indicates that when Emperor Menelik heard what was written, his eyes filled with tears and said to the PoW, “the tears of your mother, and our shared love for the Mother of God have freed you. Go back to your mother and tell her that the Holy Virgin has turned you to her”.

It is in this way the Ethiopian Emperor, Menelik showed respect and compassion to human beings even if they were his foes. While celebrating the 123^rd anniversary of the victory of Adwa, we Ethiopians (the posterity) should give respect to our leaders and forebears who were killed, wounded and tortured so that we can have this independent and beautiful country.

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By Haile-Gebriel Endeshaw

We observed last Tuesday, the 19^th of February, the 82^nd anniversary of the massacre of civilian Ethiopians in Addis Ababa. We give a special place in our heart to those who lost their lives cold bloodedly at the hands of the brutal Fascist invaders. This writer dedicated this piece in memory of the 30,000 civilian Ethiopians who were massacred indiscriminately by the Italian invading fascist force in 1937.

Italy who had no any colonial possessions in the early 19^th century was running amok in need of one from the impoverished but resourceful continent, Africa. In 1911 this European country had to try its chance on Libya. The then Italian invading force in Tripoli, the capital of Libya, was “mad with lust for blood” … to say it in words of an observer. Ian Campbell, the renowned historian, states in one of his incisive accounts that “[a]ll the Arabs they met, men, women and children, even babes at the breast were shot down without trial” by the brutal Italian invading force. It was estimated that close to 4,000 Libyans were butchered by Italians over three days in October 1911.

As Europeans and Western powers were tantalized by the natural resources of the continent, no single country came to denounce the atrocities committed by the Italian invading force in Libya. Libyans cried for deliverance; but is was in vain. This undoubtedly encouraged Italy to come again after 26 years with its barbarity to the ancient African country, Ethiopia.

Moans of crushed babies, disemboweled pregnant women and beheaded people echoed across the city… Many cottages were gutted down by fire. The blood stream was lapped up by truant dogs… The dead bodies were torn up by vultures and hyenas. Ethiopians bitterly cried being shrouded by black shadow of death. The Italian soldiers who are driven by a lust for blood killed the Ethiopians with daggers, shovels, axes, truncheons, pickaxes… Some posed on the dead bodies and decapitated heads of the victim Ethiopians to have their photographs taken.

In February 1937 young Ethiopians who bitterly denounced the invasion and occupation of their country by the invading Italian force hurled grenades in an attempt to kill the Italian military commander, Rudolfo Graziani who was appointed by Mussolini to govern Ethiopia. This happened 82 years back in the center of Addis Ababa at an event organized by the Italians. While the commander, Graziani, was delivering speech to Ethiopians gathered around, the hurled grenades detonated. The Italian fascist soldiers who were enraged by the incident started firing directly at the crowd of Ethiopians. A number of people were killed and seriously wounded. This was the beginning of the massacre that was attested by many to be the worst ever heard in this planet. That time all exits of the compound were sealed off so that the innocent Ethiopians could not run off for their lives. Then, the blood lust Italian soldiers chopped off the Ethiopians. Campbell wrote the following: “Throughout the day, Italian soldiers… ran amok in the streets and suburbs of the city. They split the heads of Ethiopians with pickaxes and shovels. Every native was a target… Men, women and children were taken and killed indiscriminately and without explanation. Going home for lunch or stopping for a chat, unsuspecting and defenseless, they were ruthlessly struck down in broad daylight in the main streets… among the eucalyptus groves and the hedgerows, around market stalls, on bridges, in tiny lanes and narrow alleys.”

Unfortunately, the fascist Graziani survived the attack unscathed. No Italians were killed. But after the aborting assassination, the city transformed in to a butchering site. Addis Ababa was inundated by blood of the poor civilian Ethiopians. Some say that the invading Italian force perpetrated atrocities the worst of its kind in the 20^th century. Campbell said that in three terror-filled days and nights of arson, murder and looting, thousands of innocent and unsuspecting men, women and children were roasted alive, shot, bludgeoned, stabbed to death, or blown to pieces with hand-grenades. Ethiopians suspected or accused of opposing Italian rule were rounded up and executed. “Meanwhile the notorious Rudolfo Graziani, infamous for his atrocities in Libya, took the opportunity to add the carnage by eliminating the intelligentsia and nobility of the ancient Ethiopian empire in a pogrom that swept across the land.” Bahiru Zewdie, a prominent historian wrote that the massacre marked the total liquidation of the intellectual component of the resistance. According to Campbell, the massacre was aimed “in particular at eliminating the Ethiopian nobility and intelligentsia”. Most of the 125 young men who had their education abroad were killed.

History gives its testimony that Ethiopian PoWs (prisoners of war) “were frequently used for target practice” by Italian soldiers. First, they were shot in the testicles and then in the chest. This was the real incident witnessed in this country in broad daylight.

In this way the Italian soldiers took revenge on Ethiopians who had defeated their fathers at the battle of Adwa. They knew that their forefathers suffered humiliating defeat at the hands of Ethiopians 41 years ago. However, the Italians showed to the world in 1937 that they were not men enough to join the Ethiopian gallant force at the real battle grounds. The best war-front for Graziani and his soldiers was the then dilapidated Ethiopian capital city which was inhabited by women, children elderly citizens and other defenseless people.

Following the assassination attempt, Rudolfo Graziani gave his strict command to the fascist soldiers that they should slaughter or kill any Ethiopian they happen to see on their ways. “Remember,” he spoke out loud to his soldiers who carried their guns and sabers at the ready, “remember, you are Italians, Romans, and remember that your forebears were once in this country.” With his words echoing in their ears, the Italian soldiers slaughtered, burned alive, cut heads of many Ethiopians. Moans of crushed babies, disemboweled pregnant women and beheaded people echoed across the city… Many cottages were gutted down by fire. The blood stream was lapped up by truant dogs… The dead bodies were torn up by vultures and hyenas. Ethiopians bitterly cried being shrouded by black shadow of death. The Italian soldiers who are driven by a lust for blood killed the Ethiopians with daggers, shovels, axes, truncheons, pickaxes… Some posed on the dead bodies and decapitated heads of the victim Ethiopians to have their photographs taken. In the three-day massacre perpetrated by Italians, it was estimated that 19-20 per cent (close to 30,000 in number) of the people of the then Addis Ababa was eliminated. Campbell says that the civilian carnage perpetrated by the Italian force is “one of the most hideous civilian massacres of all the time to be concealed, and the perpetrators to walk free”.

The most surprising thing was that after the abortive attack launched by Ethiopians against the Italian invading force, Graziani received a strict commend from Duce (leader of the then Italy) to execute all prisoners. As an Ethiopian I feel here that it was far better for those compatriot prisoners to be killed (so long as it was their fate) than to be used for the purpose of shooting target practices by the barbarian Italian soldiers. This is my opinion. It doesn’t mean I am ruthless… but I suggest that. History gives its testimony that Ethiopian PoWs (prisoners of war) “were frequently used for target practice” by Italian soldiers. First, they were shot in the testicles and then in the chest. This was the real incident witnessed in this country in broad daylight.

Commonly we Ethiopians are not the kind of those who take revenge on evil doers. Even if we lost 30,000 civilian compatriots, we did not take revenge on Italians after liberation. The world attested the fact that Ethiopians did never raise their hands against the Italians who were strolling in their midst at the time. In his passionate speech delivered to its people, Emperor Haile-Silassie admonished the people not to repay evil with evil. “Take care not to spoil the good name of Ethiopia by acts that are worthy of the enemy,” Haile-Silassie urged. This reminds us of the same forgiveness given by Emperor Menelik-II to the Italian PoWs captured by Ethiopian warriors at the famous battle of Adwa. Menelik was compassionate for the Italian PoWs. History testifies that the Italian PoWs were not made to languish in prison cells. Instead they were given to the then prominent Ethiopian officials who were duty bound to abide by the imperial command to give shelter, clothing and food to the PoWs. This was our history we all Ethiopians should be proud of.

Available sources indicate that in its 1935-41 occupation of Ethiopia, the Italian fascist force has massacred one million Ethiopians; destroyed 2,000 churches as well as 525,000 residential houses and killed 14 million animals. I would like to seize this opportunity to announce my support to those who claim that Ethiopia deserves apology for the massacre perpetrated by Italy. I am also voicing my compliant that Ethiopians should be compensated well by the Italian government for the havoc.

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By Mekuria Gize

Acquisition of the Lega Dembi Gold Mine by MIDROC

The Lega Dembi Gold mine is the single large-scale operating mine in Ethiopia until its closure on May 30th, 2018 as a result of in street protest in Shakisso town that was led by Oromo fundamentalist activists like Jawar, Tsegaye Ararsa, and Prof. Eskial Gabissa. Ownership of the mine was transferred from the Government of Ethiopia to MIDROC in 1997. MIDROC acquired the property for US$172 million following an international bid announced through the Ministry of Mines. Companies that were shortlisted following the bid were: MIDROC, South Africa’s Gold Fields and JCI. MIDROC  won the bid beating these two companies fair and square. Information close to the sources indicates that the second competitive offer given to the mine was less than MIDROC’s by about 35-40  million US dollars. There is often a rumour after rumour, particularly in the social media, that MIDROC bought Lega Dembi Gold Mine at dirt cheap price because Shek Al Amoudi, the owner of MIDROC, has close ties with the ruling party, TPLF-EPRDF. In fact, people who have information from the bidders indicate that it was somewhat a surprise for the other bidders to see Al Amoudi giving such an inflated price for the mine (according to the these bidders, the mine does not worth 172 million).

Until 2005 Shek Al Amoudi as such has no close relationship with the ruling party or the Government of Zenawi. Shek Al Amoudi in fact used to hire technocrats fired by Zenawi’s government for alleged “Derg supporter/officials.”  TPLF and Zenawi probably have no good view of the Shek’s investment companies. Al Amoudi became a colleague to TPLF officials during the 2005 election season, where he was seen side by side with Mayor Arkebe Equbay in support of EPRDF.

Lega Dembi’s worth

When people talk of the Lege Dambi Gold Mine, they make it look like you take a shovel and come back full of gold, something former Prime Minister (Haile Mariam Desalegn) once said inside parliament when he explained how young people can overcome poverty. The overall proven contained gold reserve of the mine, at the time the time of sale, was about 1 million ounces. MIDROC Gold started Gold production in August 1998. At that time, the price of one ounce of gold was around 300 US dollars. You do the maths for total money you could get out of the total reserve. To that, add operating costs.  If I put a  15%  modest profit before tax, and all the gold is recoverable (which is not the case) the total money MIDROC could generate is no more than 45 million dollars. The government’s tax at the time was around 35%, and a royalty of 5%. The net income after tax and royalty  will be about 28 million over the mine’s lifetime (over a period of  30 years).  That is the reason the other bidders (JCI and Goldfields) wondered Why Al Amoudi bought it at such an exaggerated price.  Since MIDROC started mining in 1998, the price of gold has dipped in the world market as low as 250 US dollars per ounce as a result of the Bre-X scandal, and the sale of gold reserves by banks in Europe, Australia, and the USA.  Gold price remained below 275 US dollars up until 2003. Since 2003, gold price started to climb to more than 400 per ounce, reaching over 1000 per once in 2009, and peaking as high as 1700 per ounce in 2012. Gold price is now steady at around 1300 US dollars with some ups and downs. So, the first 5 years for MIDROC was probably a loss or a very low profit, and it is during this hard times MIDROC braved to acquire Lega Dembi mine.  However, the last 15 years have been great for MIDROC as a result of a surge in gold price. During these times Shek Al Amoudi’s  MIDROC’s wealth increment has been one of luck.

Environmental and Health Impacts,  Community Accusations

Expected impacts due to gold mining at Lega Dembi are air pollution,  landscape degradation (aesthetic loss), soil erosion, deforestation, surface &  groundwater pollutions. Air pollution is mainly around the mine site and the effect is on the workers and not to residents at Shakisso  (the town protestors came from). Erosion and landscape degradation is expected, and can only be mitigated by mine site reclamation when the mine operation ceases. Soil erosion and landscape degradation started when the government owned the mine and is not a new phenomenon. The only mechanism to restore it is when mine operation ceases and reclamation starts.  To prevent surface water pollution, the company by law is required to take mitigation measures such as preparing tailing pond/dam and controlling mine effluent limits. The mine will have an environmental monitoring unit that will check for any possible contamination into the drainage system from time to time. When MIDROC is given license to do the mining, the Ministry of Mines will make sure there is a measure to meet these requirements. Once things are in order,  MIDROC’s primary responsibility is paying taxes and royalty to the government and these obligations are clearly known in the mining act of the country. Usually, mining companies help communities in the area of education, health centers, recreations facilities to foster good relationships with the communities. Unless stated in the agreement the government or community leaders cannot force companies to get everything they want. Mining companies are on site to make profits. Government is to take advantage of taxes and employment of workers, and in turn support communities. What the people in  Shakisso did is a total transgression of the law. They have no right to stop the mine operation once a license is granted. If they want to reject the project it should be at the consultation stage. Moreover, Shakisso town was established by the government for the sole purpose of supporting mining operations in the area. When the government was recovering gold from placer gold, shakisso was a site of the revenue and police post. Even prisoners used to be sent to Shakisso to do artisanal gold mining activity long before the Lega Dembi gold was discovered.

Between Shakisso and Ageremariam, (approximately 120 km to the south) there is no legally established permanent settlement when MIDROC owned that property except placer gold mining camps and police posts.  Any settlement that came to existence since 1997, are sudden settlements without title deeds that happened to be founded due to artisanal mining activities and without licenses. These mining activities often use mercury to recover the gold; as a result, pollution of a stream, soil, and rivers is highly likely which continued to this date unhindered by the so-called protesters.  The accusation by activists and village protesters that MIDROC Gold affected their safety is a wild generalization. They have no data that contaminants went to the waterways and from there to the people from MIDROC’s operations. That the Shakisso medical doctors confirmed the seriousness of the mining contamination is bogus, to say the least. These doctors are BSc holders in Medicine and their best experience if at all is probably in tropical diseases. The level of accusation raised requires confirmation by expert toxicologists with many years of experience.  Cyanide becomes dangerous when there is a tailing pond/dam breach which we have not heard so far in the area.  I am not implying here that there exists no impact from the mining operation at all, but I am saying there is no confirmation either.

Whenever mining companies come to Ethiopia they need a calm atmosphere to operate, and every villager cannot come and protest whenever they feel they own the resources. Such things are resolved by talking between the federal and the regional governments and not by mobsters. It is a very dangerous precedent for investors. Ethiopia should be firm in protecting investors whatever feelings there may be out there.

Conclusions

Lega Dembi is the only large scale gold mine that generates more than 90% of the mineral revenues of Ethiopia. The foreign currency from a gold sale is locally used, an additional advantage for the government of Ethiopia. Such an operation should not have been blocked for such an extended period, nearly 9 months now. It is high time now the government sits down with community leaders and MIDROC representatives and solve differences and get the mine back into operation.

The protest by villagers instigated by oromo fundamentalists like Jawar mohammod, Tsegaye Ararsa, and Prof Eskial Gabissa is simply out of a sentiment that the gold resources belong to them. Such tendencies were manifested in North Shewa Oromia Zone when villagers attempted to seize Dangote’s quarry site in earlier years. Activists, you just cannot like one part of the constitution and dislike the other. You like ethnic federalism entailed in the constitution because you think your tribe has better resources. But the constitution also puts mineral resources under the jurisdiction of the federal government. Accept it and stop being noise makers.

There is no proof Lega Dembi Gold Mining impacted the health of villagers, whereas there remains a danger from mercury pollution in the area by artisanal miners. The government must not yield to every protest without adequate proof.

Ethiopia ’s ministry of mines must put a mine inspection unit, if it does not already have one,   to monitor environmental impacts, do the onsite investigation, as well as acquire and document periodic reports from mining companies. It could seek the help of foreign governments (e.g. Canada, Australia) known for good mining practices.

The accusation that Lege Dembi Gold Mine was acquired by MIDROC in 1997 at dirt cheap price because MIDROC’s owner Shek Al Amoudi has a close relationship with the ruling party (EPRDF) is baseless. MIDROC won Lega Dembi Gold mine fair and square with a wide margin of the purchase offer. Al Amoudi’s closeness to TPLF started only in 2005; Fault finders must sharpen their memory of chronology before making wild accusations. I cannot conclude that Shek Al Amoudi has not been favoured in business dealings after 2005. However, the evidence is required when we throw accusations.

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by Zekarias Ezra

The Ethiopian people’s struggle is for the establishment of a truly democratic system of government. As such, the struggle is to see the end of rule by the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front.

After nearly three years of sustained pro-democracy anti-EPRDF mass protests, led by gallant Amhara and Oromo youths, last February Hailemariam Desalegn resigned, signaling the prospect of a transition.

What happened in the ensuing months is a classic example of managed regime change. It is known that if police, security apparatus, army and senior officials think they have more to lose from revolution than from defending a regime, then even sustained mass protests can be defied and crushed, notwithstanding the cost. Remember Tiananmen Square. However, if insiders and the men with guns begin to question the wisdom of defending a regime—or can be bought off—then it implodes quickly. In other words, a regime collapses when insiders turn against it.

That was what happened in Ethiopia. A splinter group within EPRDF clearly saw the writing on the wall; that the front’s days were numbered if they didn’t do something to avert its impending downfall.

Then the group dubbed Team Lemma prevailed in intra-party elections and installed one of its own as Prime Minister. The party announced a reform agenda that included releasing all political prisoners and allowing exiles to return to struggle peacefully. This in no small way was the fruit of the pro-democracy struggle, although credit is due to Team Lemma for recognizing the reality and expediting the process, thereby sparing the country unnecessary chaos.

Mesmerizing Medemer

Optimism and euphoria for the new Prime Minister went through the roof following his speech of forgiveness, reconciliation, renewed passion for Ethiopian unity, and the slogan Medemer. The people who had been lamenting the daily erosion of the Ethiopia they know and for which their forefathers fought and died for, suddenly found in Lemma and Abiy leaders who equate Ethiopia as a life-giving “addiction”. The ecstasy of ordinary citizens was on display in the June 16 rally in Addis Ababa.

The imminent repeal of the draconian anti-terrorism law, the ushering in of press freedom, the willingness to sit and talk with all opposition parties, and the general political atmosphere in terms of people not being afraid to speak their minds, are all accomplishments that should be acknowledged and celebrated. Abiy and his administration showed political astuteness in fulfilling the legitimate demands of the populous by taking such measures, although in reality they had little choice.

Notwithstanding the promise of a democratic transition, however, the new administration has yet to put forth a coherent roadmap. The most progressive move is the excellent appointment of former opposition leader and political prisoner, Birtukan Mideksa, to lead the electoral board. But save a couple of meetings chaired by Birtukan with all political parties, no concrete steps have been taken to assure the public that work is underway. Ad hoc meetings such as the one attended by the Prime Minister and opposition leaders are not enough to address the longstanding demand of the people.

On key appointments, Abiy regrettably followed the pattern of TPLF Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and appointed Oromo Democratic Party (ODP) officials to key positions, as well as making the legally dubious appointment of a de facto mayor of Addis Ababa.

Amid all the feel-good drama, ethnic conflicts are unfolding on several fronts. The country is embroiled in crisis after crisis. As a result, in the first half of last year Ethiopia had the highest number of internally displaced people in the world, outpacing even Syria, Yemen and South Sudan.

It’s the EPRDF, stupid

The culprit for Ethiopia’s ills is none other than the EPRDF, which includes the newly installed administration. It was this front that imposed the language-based federal system which is the root cause of problems. The partitioning along ethnic lines led to the continuation and continued sprouting of ethno-nationalist movements, which weaken national unity, and create strife.

Today there are ethnic regions with their own paramilitary police and militias. They have become de facto semi-independent countries. There are now many ethnic groups demanding their own regions in the south, so they will also arm themselves and act as de facto nations. Unless this tendency is corrected quickly, balkanization is a risk.

Judging solely by their public pronouncements and attitude, it seems Abiy and Lemma very much want to address this burning issue. Yet, with the EPRDF establishment entrenched and TPLF, the Oromo Liberation Front, and other ethno-nationalists working to undermine everything and anything Ethiopian, they are caught between a rock and a hard place.

On the other hand, the disillusioned citizenry, perplexed, confused and overwhelmed by ethnic conflicts and the ongoing social and economic problems, have begun showing through vocal activists a hunger to punish the fallen TPLF and its allies. Finding themselves cornered, the victorious group, too, are now finding retribution against their old comrades can be a useful distraction from the economic and social problems, which didn’t disappear with the proclaimed reforms.

Judicious justice

It is irrefutable that the top leaders of EPRDF should be held to account for all their misdeeds. Yet, the victorious group must not be allowed to oversee process of bringing to justice their comrades. That would be a mockery of justice. There is clearly a conflict of interest. How could one justify holding to account Bereket Simon but not Abadula Gemeda, for example? Such a road is a recipe for a disaster. Such matters would better be left to a legitimately elected government.

Given the current volatile situation, it is unlikely any credible election activity will take place. More importantly, there is no strong opposition political party. It is an open secret that most of the parties—particularly the returnees—are in name only.

It is under these circumstances that ODP-led EPRDF 2.0 is working, and using the state apparatus, to emerge victorious in the upcoming election, and thereby guarantee their continued rule. It is quite possible they could once again change their party and front’s name. They could even change the make-up of the coalition. The end game though is clear: The splinter group will not relinquish power.

In the interim, this group will continue to methodically ostracize the defeated EPRDF group. The TPLF seems to be fighting for its survival, and is also accused of instigating proxy violence in Qemant areas as retaliation for the Amhara claims on Welkait and Raya. While these two EPRDF groups fight it out to establish a power equilibrium, the poor disillusioned populous continues to sing the ‘Medemer’ song without realizing the struggle is hijacked.

All is not lost

Abiy and Lemma still have a golden opportunity to correct course and focus on transitioning Ethiopia to a multi-party democracy. That means they must show the fortitude to see to it that the next election will be fair and free, as if they are not competing.

They must set out in more detail the purpose and direction of the ‘reform’. This roadmap must consider two critical points.

• Recognize that the peoples struggle, the pro-democracy protests and sacrifices, first and foremost was not for the reformation of EPRDF; rather it was and still is to transform the social and economic order of the country by removing the EPRDF
• Ensure by taking concrete steps that nothing fundamental will be done from the Palace or by groups of self-appointed elites and politicians claiming to be people’s representatives without the consent and authority of the people

The fundamental political issue of Ethiopia surrounding the question of what type of constitutional order is befitting the country has been a bone of contention for generations. This fundamental question, and others, must be left to the electorate, the Ethiopian people, to decide.

Abiy should see his leadership role to be that of a watchdog of the system for ordinary citizens, and as such must spend much of his energy in activities that help institute and pave the way for a transition to a liberal democratic system.

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March 9, 2019

Tegenaw Goshu

I am one of millions of ordinary Ethiopians who are genuinely concerned about the very undesirable if not dangerous political and social trends resurfacing at this very critical moment of getting rid of not only the very deadly political game of the inner circle of TPLF but also all elements of the same game, and about the question of how to deal with it accordingly. I am also one of those millions ordinary compatriots who sincerely believe that the country is at the very critical political juncture (urgent and decisive decision- making cross road) than any time in its political history. Yes, I am one of those millions of ordinary of fellowmen and fellowmen who strongly believe that it is absolutely crucial for us to choose the right road (way out) before it is too late. Needless to say, the only way out (road) is to make concerted efforts with a real sense of bring about a fundamentally democratic system that would enable us to live as civilized, dignified, prosperous, peaceful and peace-loving citizens of Ethiopia that truly and productively embraces the very essence of unity within diversity.

I read a statement by a cross-sectional grouping called Addis Ababachin: Association of Youth, Adults and Intellectuals (March 9, 2019) expressing its serious concern on the very dangerous political game being orchestrated and operational in and around Addis Ababa in particular and in the country in general. I carefully and seriously went through the outlined measures (actions) to be taken by both federal and local governments as well as by all genuinely concerned Ethiopians wherever they may live.

Here is the way I see and understand this very crystal clear, straight-forward, rational, realistic, constructive and of course patriotic statement of position and determination to fight back all kinds of evil-driven intentions and actions that are against the struggle for the prevalence and assurance of a democratic country in which the very fundamental rights and dignities of all citizens should be exercised and respected equally and equally only.

Let me start by saying that the statement is quite appropriate, legitimate, farsighted, and truly patriotic as far as the need to avert the very nonsensical but dangerous political threat not only to Addis Ababa (the capital of Ethiopia and the very hub of Africa and the world) but also to the very survival of the country itself is concerned.

Yes, it is true that patience, tolerance, morality and humbleness are great to the extent of hurting oneself if they bear fruit of real mutual understanding, peace and mutual benefits. They are essential factors (elements) to deal with any disagreement, dispute and conflict, and to provide a desirable solution.  Their essentiality becomes much more critical when it comes to a country that has been terribly messed up by a political system designed and run by a bunch of people who have been so crazy about how to fulfil their own monstrously voracious self-interests in the name of serving the interests of ethnic groups or nationalities.

However, the very idea of morality, tolerance, patience and humbleness desperately does require a partner or compatriot who genuinely, rationally, critically, and productively understands the very essence and great outcome of working hard together for a common good with a real sense of mutual respect that should pay the way for advancing the pursuit of making the common density peaceful and prosperous. This is what is terribly missing in our political discourse.

Morality and tolerance without an appropriate and rational way of action are useless as a prayer without living by practical example is so meaningless. After paying huge and priceless sacrifices for a  long period of time, the people of Ethiopia are able to bring about a relatively encouraging change for the better within about a year.

Sadly enough, what we are witnessing and facing these days in our country is quite the contrary. Needless to say, the very ugly and destructive political trend of attempting to replace one terribly dictatorial (minority) ethno-centric regime of TPLF with another horribly dictatorial (majority) ethno-centric regime is dangerously opposite to what the people of Ethiopia sacrificed for. The sacrifice was and is to bring about a fundamentally democratic country in which all citizens could live with a real sense of freedom, justice, human dignity, equal opportunity, fraternity, peace, and shared prosperity within diversity.

It is very alarming these days  to witness  the very interests of the innocent people of Ethiopia particularly in Tigray and Oromia are being hijacked by those evil-driven fellowmen and fellowmen who felt losing their power of abusing everything for their own extremely wild self-interests as well as   by those ethno-centric extremists who very stupidly convince themselves that it is their turn to play  their deadly politics at the very expense of the very lives of the people and the very  survival of the country .    Deeply and unbearably painful!

It is from this perspective that I strongly appreciate the very message of the statement for calling a spade a spade and saying enough is enough before it is too late to avert the very dangerous political game being played by those elements of ethno-centrism operating either as parts of the government (the ruling circle) or as outside hijackers of peoples’ concerted efforts to bring about a democratic change with the very idea of unity within diversity.

The Truth and only the truth shall win! The only truth is that those compatriots (fellow Ethiopians) who try hard to mess with the very fundamental demand and interests of the innocent people of Ethiopia should not and cannot go without being challenged and of course without being  defeated and punished! Yes, enough is enough!!!

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By Prof. Alemayehu G. Maiam

Praxis is simply the practical application of theory.

In praxis, one is not interested in trying to understand the world in the abstract but to act in the world in order to change it and make it better.

Last week, H.E. Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed was doing whirlwind shuttle diplomacy demonstrating the praxis of his Medemer “theory” to the distressing, tragic and often aggravating politics of the Horn of Africa.

On March 1, PM Abiy hosted President Uhuru Kenyatta, who brought with him as many as 100 Kenyan government authorities, corporate and business community representatives, to discuss a range of economic and investment issues.

On March 3, PM Abiy and President Uhuru flew to Asmara to meet President Isaias for trilateral discussions on regional economic integration.

On March 4, PM Abiy and President Isaias were in Juba, South Sudan to discuss “regional peace, economic ties and infrastructure development”.

On March 5, Somali president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed “Farmajo” arrived in Ethiopia for bilateral talks.

On March 6, PM Abiy was in Nairobi mediating a maritime border issue on the Indian Ocean between Kenya and Somalia.

All I have to say is, “Henry Kissinger, king of shuttle diplomacy, eat your heart out!”

I have previously discussed in detail what “Medemer” means to me and its practical implications.

Broadly stated, “Medemer” consists of specific political practices to determine the collective destiny of a given people.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. often said, “We must all learn to live together as brothers or we will all perish together as fools.”

“Medemer”, to me, is the road map out of the wilderness of the Valley of Fools in the Horn of Africa where we have lived for centuries as enemies hellbent on destroying each other.

PM Abiy’s Medemer in the Horn of Africa has a clear and unmistakable message and resonates the truth of MLK’s words:

We have great issues facing us today in the Horn of Africa. No individual can live alone; no nation can live alone.  We are tied together in the Horn of Africa in a single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality.  And whatever affects one Horn country directly affects all indirectly.

The Horn of Africa today faces myriad issues ranging from grinding poverty, disease and ignorance to large scale population displacements (and population explosion) and endless strings of deadly conflicts.

What happens in each Horn country affects the others. War in one country threatens the peace in the other. Peace and democracy in one country becomes an example of good governance for others.

But for decades, Horn countries (Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Kenya, Djbouti, South Sudan and Uganda) have chosen the path of perishing as fools.

Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a needless war in the name of “national pride” and “territorial integrity”  between 1998-2000, which resulted in the deaths of as many as 100,000 people, displacement of up to one million and diversion of much needed resources to buy bullets instead of butter.

In July 2016, a “general” of the now defunct regime in Ethiopia openly advocatedwaging war against Eritrea for the purpose of regime change.

Not long ago, Sudan built up its troop presence on its eastern border with Eritrea on the pretext of potential conflict in the Red Sea.

Over the past several decades, Ethiopia and Somalia have had three full blown wars and numerous border clashes in which untold numbers of civilians were killed and displaced.

Somalia and Kenya have had low intensity conflict for decades. Last month, Kenya broke diplomatic relations with Somalia over off-shore gas and oil disputes.

There have been recent tensions between Eritrea and Djbouti.

And history continues to repeat itself in the Horn endlessly.

Since the creation of South Sudan in July 2011, President Salva Kiir and former Vice President Riek Machar have manifestly decided not to live as brothers but perish as fools.

In 2013, a power struggle between President Kiir and Mr. Machar turned into armed conflict as Kiir accused Machar of plotting a coup.

The two leaders mobilized their ethnic bases and South Sudan was headed to hell in a handbasket. Thousands died and thousands more were displaced.

A peace agreement was reached in 2015 but it did not last as conflict flared in July 2016 and Machar was forced to flee the country. South Sudan was again in the grips of civil strife and the suffering of the people continued.

In September 2018, Kiir and Machar signed a 128-page peace agreement with the aim of creating a “revitalized transitional government of national unity” and conduct new elections, among other things.

When Machar returned to South Sudan in November 2018, Kiir said he had forgiven Machar and was ready to start fresh. “I want to reiterate that the war in South Sudan has come to an end. To forgive is not an act of cowardice. It is a Christian obligation.”

There is no guarantee the tenuous peace between Kiir and Machar will hold. Thus, the peacemaking mission of PM Abiy and President Isaias.

Medemer or “the need to advance the cause of regional integration”

PM Abiy and President Isaias received a warm reception in Juba.

Regional integration is another phrase for “Medemer”.

PM Abiy’s office announceddiscussions with President Kiir will focus on “regional peace, economic ties and infrastructure development. In addition they will also be addressing issues of developing joint capacities and working together in an integrated manner.”

South Sudan’s foreign affairs minister Nhial Deng Nhial acknowledged the constructive role of the Ethiopian and Eritrean leaders and assured his government is  “committed to pushing for the smooth implementation of the peace agreement.”

In a Joint Statement, the three leaders declared their discussions “focused on the need to advance the cause of regional integration” and “agreed to work out the common projects that will facilitate the attainment o of the goal of Regional Economic integration and shared prosperity.

I read the Joint Statement to mean the following:

The root and true cause of the  political crises in South Sudan is not ethnic conflict or individual power struggle. The root cause is poverty. Poverty is an enemy no single country in the Horn can defeat on its own. There must be concerted effort by the countries in the region to uplift their people from poverty. In order to replace poverty with prosperity, there must be peace in each country in the Horn. Peace breeds prosperity; poverty breeds war.

Could South Sudanese faction leaders learn from PM Abiy and President Isaias?

In my view, the people of Ethiopia and Eritrea have never been enemies.

Neither do I believe the ordinary Dinkas and Nuers in South Sudan are enemies.

The problem of conflict is with the leaders and not the ordinary people.

I offer a simple thought experiment: If the people of Ethiopia and Eritrea were enemies, how can anyone explain the profusion of love, brotherhood and sisterhood we saw in Asmara and Addis Ababa when peace was declared and the two leaders visited each other’s capital?

Leaders may have differences and march their armies into war, but the people are never given a choice to decline peace and wage war.

For the past two decades, the drumbeat by the regime in Ethiopia was that Eritrea is the enemy. The Eritrean government responded in kind.

Both countries deployed troops on their borders pointing and occasionally firing their guns on each other’s position. For two decades, the leaders of the two countries conducted a war of words.

All that changed when PM Abiy took office in April 2018 and announced to the House of People’s Representatives that he will seek peace with Eritrea and finally settle the border issue as decided by international arbitration. That resulted in PM Abiy’s historic trip to Eritrea in July 2018, which was followed by President Isaias’ historic trip to Addis Ababa.

When the border crossings between Ethiopia and Eritrea were opened on September 11, 2018, I was present as a witness to history.

When I visited Ethiopia after 48 years, the last thing I expected was to be present in person at the border when Ethiopia and Eritrea opened their borders for the first time in two decades and let the dammed love flow once again.

It was a prophetic moment.

By opening their borders, the two leaders made a commitment in full view of the world that they shall hereafter “beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”

I hope to write about that intense moment when I became a witness to history someday. It was one of the defining moments in my life.

I was present in Bure, a forbidding desert where some of the fiercest battles took place during the Ethio-Eritrean war. As I stood looking over the barren moonscape, I tried to imagine the thousands who lost their lives.

And for what? How true the saying, “War is hell!”

I was present in Zalambessa, once a bustling border town reduced to a heap of rubble during the war.

I wondered if the wounded hearts of the survivors of Zalambessa would begin to heal now that they are allowed to have peace in a no war, no peace zone for the first time in 20 years.

I witnessed Eritreans and Ethiopians welcoming each other at the borders with tears of joy and ululation. I am confidently optimistic the best days of Ethiopia and Eritrea are yet to come.

The million dollar question is whether South Sudanese factions can learn from the peace and reconciliation process between Ethiopia and Eritrea and get their house in order.

Frankly, is there anyone better than PM Abiy and President Isaias to teach, preach and demonstrate in practice that it is perfectly possible to have peace and reconciliation among “enemies”?

The lesson for the South Sudanese leaders may lie in replicating the techniques and following in the footsteps and roadmap of PM Abiy and President Isaias.

How did PM Abiy and President Isaias manage to tear down the wall that had separated them for decades and build a bridge in just a few weeks that brought them together?

I am sure the two leaders will one day tell us how they did the impossible.

But in my speculative view, the two leaders were able to tear down the wall on their borders and replace it with bridges because they:

Took joint and full responsibility for the mistakes of the past without pointing fingers at each other.  That is why we did not hear words of recrimination and accusation about who is more culpable than the other. They both owned up to the mistakes of the past.

Decided to look at the future if their countries through the lens of peace and reconciliation rather that their old dark glasses of war.

Came to an existential realization that their peoples are inescapably connected by birth, marriage, religion, culture and language and are bound in a single garment of destiny.

Shared a common vision for the future of their two countries and decided to overcome the burden of the past by embracing a new future of interdependence.

Were willing to take a chance for peace and avoid risking war.

Understood they are not enemies of each other, but face three deadly common enemies named poverty, disease and ignorance. Every day they fight with each other, they assure total victory for  their deadly enemies.

Realized economic integration and interdependence are the only options for then to have a better and prosperous future. Peace and prosperity go hand in hand. Conflict, war and poverty will only result in misery.

Realized trust, good will, patience, integrity, giving each other the benefit of the doubt, avoiding tit-for-tat retaliation, keeping the channels of communication open are decisive  in peace-building.

Understood Mandela’s maxim, “If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.”

Understood their people desperately need butter not bullets!

The future of Africa hangs in balance on the Horn

I hear some empty barrels criticizing PM Abiy for not “staying home and solve problems instead of trying to help neighbors solve their problems.”

I pity these benighted cry babies who cannot see beyond their noses.

These bellyachers fail to understand that not only the future of Ethiopia but the future of Africa hangs in the balance in the Horn.

As goes the Horn of Africa, so goes the rest of Africa.

The Horn is the laboratory, the proving grounds, for all of Africa. Will there be endless wars and conflicts that will bury the continent in the abyss of poverty? Are we on the cusp of a new era of collective prosperity and progress that will ensure Africa’s rightful place on the international stage?

If the Horn countries are able to come together (Medemer), make peace and build the foundation for peaceful and prosperous relations, the rest of Africa will follow in their footsteps.

The September 2018 South Sudan agreement is essentially about peace and reconciliation. Chapter V of that agreement talks about transitional justice, accountability, reconciliation and healing.

The people of South Sudan are not enemies of each other. If given a ghost of a chance, they would choose to live as brothers and decline their leaders’ offer to perish as fools.

The ordinary people of South Sudan are wise but they suffer greatly because of the foolishness of their leaders.

I am touched and share fully President Kiir’s statement that, “To forgive is not an act of cowardice. It is a Christian obligation.”

My personal view is forgiveness is the ultimate demonstration of human courage.  That is the only way in and out of Africa!

Given the history of failure of ceasefires, agreements and understandings in the past, one could easily fall prey to pessimism and expect the worse.

There are threats that if Machar fails to join the reconciliation process, he may lose his status as official opposition leader.

I am not discouraged by political rhetoric. With a little help from their friends and neighbors, South Sudan will experience peace soon. Hope springs eternal!

My African brother’s and sister’s keeper: “Medemer”, all for one and one for all

I commend PM Abiy and President Isaias for travelling to Juba to keep the flames of peace flickering, if not blazing.

In my view, the two leaders are teaching by example (praxis). They came together (Medemer) and made peace.

Now, they are demonstrating to the world that together they are their African brothers’ and sisters’ keeper. They do not want the people of South Sudan to go through the pain and suffering of their peoples over the past 20 years.

That touches my heart.

For me, compassion is the greatest of all virtues.

But it is all counter-intuitive.

What PM Abiy and President Isaias seem to be saying is that South Sudan cannot have peace and prosperity unless the whole Horn region has peace and prosperity.

It is a hard concept to grasp.

It is like saying a family in a given neighborhood can neither have peace nor prosperity if the neighborhood is constantly beset by violence, conflict and strife.

So, the destinies of the Horn countries are intertwined.

For there to be lasting and durable peace, there must be vital economic ties and interdependence between Horn countries.

In the Horn of Africa, the rule is united we stand divided we fall and perish like fools.

When the people of the Horn have jobs, quality education for their children, affordable health care for their families, they will have no reason to engage in ethnic, religious and regional conflicts.

Therein lies the simple secret of “Medemer”: All for one and one for all.

All Horn countries for South Sudan and South Sudan for all countries in the Horn because the Horn of Africa is bound in a single garment of destiny.

I have a dream that one day the Horn of Africa will be a Horn of Plenty.

That is plenty of peace.

Plenty of love.

Plenty of respect, appreciation and gratitude.

Plenty of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Plenty of food and clean drinkable water.

Plenty of jobs and opportunities.

Plenty of hospitals, clinic and doctors.

Plenty of modern technology.

Plenty of good will.

Plenty of good leaders.

Plenty of…

Medemer: All for one and one for all in the Horn of Africa!

The post The Praxis of Medemer in the Horn of Africa appeared first on Satenaw Ethioopian News & Breaking News: Your right to know!.

Frankly speaking, I started to doubt how far we can travel with ODP since the time  I heard Jawar saying he will win over Addis Abeba either through election or Fiticha. The reason is the ODP should have come out immediately to the media and denounced Jawar. They never did. These days  PM Abiys’s government and his Excellency Lemma Megersa are bowing to the demands of fundamentalist Oromos within (such as Addisu Arega) and outside (such as Jawar, Eskial Gabissa, Tsegaye Ararssa, Dereje Etena, etc) of ODP. Given the lenient nature of PM Abiy’s government to keep law and order, the absence of any significant power-sharing to a major ethnic group (Amaras) within PM Abiy’s government exposes Amaras and other ethnic groups living in Addis Abeba to grave danger. Today, all military apparatus in Addis Abeba, and at the federal level are run by Oromos which are reluctant to confront fundamental Oromos.

The Issue of Addis Abeba

The main problem and controversy facing Addis Abeba are whether ODP abides by the principles of democratic elections and whether ODP agrees to allow Addis Abebans to have a say in their own administration. ODP  along with Jawar et al., keep talking they own Addis Abeba despite the so-called constitution asserts otherwise. Other Ethiopians think Addis Abeba belongs to all citizens of Ethiopia. The constitution empowers Addis Abeba as a seat of the Federal Government and independent of any other states. Whereas Addis Abeba’s old boundary was within 80 km radius, it was liquidated since EPRDF came to power in the 1980s. The constitution stipulated Addis Abeba’s new areal extent was to be demarcated with Oromia in the future. This clearly shows  Addis Abeba is a separate entity. ODP need to see the experience of Washington D.C. that was created from land donated by the state of Virginia and Maryland. Washington is not owned by these states. It is under the jurisdiction of Congress. Washingtonians elect their mayor.  The best avenue for ODP is to build a brand new city and fence it so that other ethnic groups are not coming.  Fundamentalists, have a shame, do not try to steal other’s property.

Jawar’s illogical logic and his demand for dividends without buying a share

Jawar Mohammed has been demanding condominium be given to Oromo farmers. The reason behind his demand was the land was taken from them. First Jawar is in contradiction with the Ethiopian constitution masterminded by Meles Zenawi and Oromo elites. Jawar is known to praise the current constitution that subscribes ethnic federalism. But the irony is Jawar seems to select only what he wants. According to Jawar’s constitution, land and natural resources are public and government properties and no individual owns them. So the claim that farmers were confiscated is bogus. They can only claim compensation which they did and were given. While on the other side we who oppose ethnic federalism and the current constitution, believe that farmers are masters of their land and no one should evict them except when the land is wanted for public purposes and in such cases, farmers must be compensated with free market prices. Secondly, Jawar’s reasoning that farmers be given condos is without merit because these condos are built with a saving plan by the City of Addis Abeba and not Oromia. People who obtained the condos paid for them. Addis Abeba people had to reduce their humanly needs to make the savings. Obo Lemma was once heard saying he distributed plots of land for 500,000 Oromia government workers. Addis Abebans did not ask Obo Lemma to get these plots of land.  What Jawar is doing is, going to every company and ask for a dividend without having shares in these companies. Jawar Mohamed rather should teach his people how to work hard and overcome poverty. Trying to get what does not belong to oneself is robbery which the government of PM  Abiy is should not tolerate.

Time for ADP and NaMA to show leadership

I hope the ADP and NaMA will not underestimate the turmoil going on in Oromia. The message is clear: fundamentalist Oromos are transgressing the law and want to have it in their hands. What is of great concern is the uprising of Oromos outside of Addis Abeba following Jawar’s facebook message. These hooligans think their Oromoness gives them the legal right to own the land wherever they think there is Oromia administration closer to Addis Abeba. ADP in cooperation with NaMA should organize a defense squad quickly that will be stationed in North Shewa to defend Addis Abeba. Jawar Mohammed has bragged that he will one day order his qerroo troops to encircle Addis Abeba residents. It is time to show leadership for the two Amara parties, seek alliances from the South, Gambella, Afar and Somali as well as from the international community as Addis Abeba is a city for all. It is clear ODP is not interested to manage the security of Ethiopians,  including the capital. It has allowed fundamental Oromos to have unlimited access in the daily decision making of the ODP. In fact, if the ODP leaders are genuine let them ratify a bill accepting unequivocally that Addis Ababa is a city for all Ethiopians, and let ADP and ODP leaders come out in a union and provide a press release to the Ethiopian people. This is a guarantee for the reform to advance ahead.

Urgent Amendment to the Constitution

Since the emergence of PM Abiy as Ethiopia’s PM, nearly 2 million people have been displaced due to the propaganda of fundamentalist activists and bad apples within regional governments. The situation is not showing any sign of normalization. If not thrown, a  constitution that is not serving its citizens needs amendments. When the Derg solved the issue of land, the constitution at the time of His Majesty was thrown out. It is not possible to serve the people simply following the old constitution.  When EPRDF formed the current constitution after the Derg was removed from power, the constitution Mengistu’s party framed was thrown out.  Now when the TPLF is thrown out of power, the constitution it drafted should have been thrown out from the get-go. If PM Abiy has no guts to cancel the constitution, he should get it amended to serve citizens. It is no sense PM Abiy engages in other affairs of Ethiopia while the country is burning from the malfunctioning of the constitution. Thus, the right of citizens, the House of Federation and other areas of the constitution need urgent changes.

The right of citizens

Today, Ethiopian citizens have no government to rely on. This is not to belittle the great changes PM Abiy brought initially. As far as peace and security are concerned, PM Abiy has failed. Regional states have unlimited power to displace and or kill Ethiopian citizens under the pretext they do not belong here or there. Ethiopia is a signatory to the human right convention that guarantees the right to life. Jawar, Tesegaye Ararsa, and Dr. Ezkial Gabissa today are super-heading turmoil in the environs of Addis Abeba. Their reckless propaganda has served regional powers to commit excess unlawful acts against innocent citizens. Yet these activists are enjoying the unlimited right western countries give to anyone living in the respected countries. It is high time  PM Abiy institute a law that guarantees citizens to have continued save life in their places of residences. This law should put regional governments accountable and force them to provide protection and rehabilitation in the event of accidents (at the cost of regional governments).

The House of Federation

The House of Federation that includes all the tribes of the country irrespective of population size is undemocratic and in no way acceptable. As we see it now it is a mouthpiece of the TPLF. The conference held in Tigray recently is a clear testament to this assertion. The actors within the Federation’s Conference were TPLF representatives, TPLF intellectuals, and the chair of the House of Federation was a TPLF cc member. It will soon be a mouthpiece to ODP. The house of federation must reflect the population size and they must be elected periodically. The House of Federation should not be allowed to interpret the law.

New Armament law

It is in the media circle that the government of Ethiopia is considering a new law prohibiting certain military hardware from owning or carrying. This would-be new armament law is untimely. Right now,  the government of PM Abiy is not protecting citizens; law and order had been broken everywhere. Making a new law that will prohibit kilils like Amara from having armament to defend themselves is indirectly enabling others to have total control. If the Federal government wants this law, it should first disarm regions with excess arms. Ethsat’s analysis on this law is skin depth. They have not looked at the negative sides, and shortcomings of this would be bill.

Formation of a task committee

ADP and ODP should form a committee that oversights the progress of the changes Ethiopia has embarked since April 2018. They should identify obstacles and provide leadership. If the two parties do not meet from time to time and give solutions to the challenges our people are facing from every direction, I think the relationship with the two parties that brought the current marvelous changes in Ethiopia is going to evaporate soon. It is not impossible for a head-on collision between the two parties if things deteriorate at the current pace. The federal government has opted to be neutral against TPLF’s war drum against Amara, and ADP is not seen demanding the federal government punishes the TPLF. When  the TPLF trains over 70,000 military personnel what is ADP doing?  ADP’s failure to demand power in the federal military apparatus has caused PM Abiy to ignore Amara plight. ADP even failed to organize Amaras and defend itself. It is still in fear mood as it did for 27 years. ADP should now demand equitable power sharing in the military, federal cabinet  and Addis Abeba administration proportional to its seat in parliament. It should investigate the campaign by Takele Uma to distribute ID cards for Oromia permanent residents.

Yohannes Buayalew’s comments

In a recent meeting with Amara intellectuals in Addis Ababa, Yohannes tried to blame Amara intellectuals for failing to provide policy lines (comparing to what Oromo and Tigray intellectuals have been doing). I have high regard for Yohannes and he may have a point here. He is probably the guy with guts within ADP. However here is the problem Yohannes must understand. ADP (former ANDM) was chasing Amara intellectuals to please its master TPLF.  OPDO at least gave its elites recognition to undertake research and support their people, and forward opinion to them. TPLF managed to rule 27 years primarily because of the unlimited service it obtained from ANDM. The poverty of leadership in Amara region is primarily the work of ANDM.  At this point, the initiation should have come from ADP to call a large meeting and tell all the bad things they did in the past, and earnestly ask a pardon before their people. After TPLF was pushed out from the central government, it took ADP 4 months to remove Bereket Simon and Tadesse Tinkishu from the party, and it took 6 months to clean the rest of TPLF mouths.  An insult to injury, ADP did nothing to protect Amara from Qimant and Benishangule attacks. It is sickening to see over 100, 000 Amaras displaced from attack by a tiny group. If ADP cannot manage attacks from Qimant and Benishangule,  how can it withstand TPLF? It is a very shameful leadership Amaras have so far. Gedu’s resignation is welcome. It is long time overdue; he should have been made to resign when Amaras were displaced from Benishangul. Gedu is accountable for security failure in Amara. Leaders in every sphere should think ahead and forecast the direction of events to protect their people.  Perhaps a  younger and more energetic deputy officer is also required to support General Asamnew so that the general gets time to be engaged in the training of local security personnel.  Amaras need to be trained and armed.

ODP’s press release Regarding Condos and Addis Abeba

After completing writing this easy, I just read a press release by ODP which denounced the condo lottery that helped Addis Abeba residents obtain housing. The press from ODP is a  very sad situation. What Obo Lemma Megerssa is telling us is, “If you work in Washington, you can’t own a house and live in Maryland or Virginia”, emphasis mine. I am telling Obo Lemma that thousands of Ethiopians live in Maryland or Virginia and commute daily to work in Washington.

The ODP must know that the condos were built with money belonging to Addis Abebans, not Oromians. Where were you when the houses were built if you have border issue with Addis Ababa? Kuma Diriba,  central committee member of former OPDO (now ODP) presided over decisions to construct the houses. The ODP also stated that it is working to own Addis Abeba, a clear message that it is going the undemocratic route to displace Addis Abebans in mass. What did the TPLF do more than the consequences of this reckless news press release? In retrospect, PM Abiy’s power monopoly in the air force, ground defense, and the security at the Federal and Addis Ababa administration levels was a clear step taken to push the ADP out of power. What a cheating of the century!! This is backstabbing, the most blatant betrayal on ADP by OPD. No panicking, ADP!!! Problem brings a solution.

Amaras should now avoid fighting among themselves. There is a grand issue we all have to tackle – the collusion of Jawar et al., OLF and ODP. This is not without a blessing from the top party bosses. NaMA must mobilize all Amaras and reach out to other citizens of Ethiopia. Ginbot 7 is a hopless party. They are engaed in uplifting PM Abiy’s persona. I would not recommend ADP to go into friction with ODP at this time since things have to clear out, but rather urge it to work with ODP cordially until it is no more possible. It is not without reason PM Abiy showed less interest to maintain peace and security in Ethiopia, and in particular in Amara. It is now glaringly clear that there might be a plan behind it. PM Abiy’s calculation may well be to create chaos, and amid this condition transfers power to Oromo fundamentalists.

We now connect the dots that the promotion of Ahmed Shide, Moferiat Kamil and Aisha Mohammed in key positions was an attempt by PM Abiy to get an alliance from Somali, SEPDM and Afar governments and parties, respectively. The recent meeting of PM Abiy with five Agar dirjitoch (sister organizations) was an attempt by PM Abiy to get a coalition for ODP in order to control power using these minorities, effectively isolating Amara and Tigray regions. In a democracy, this, not a problem but not respecting the rule of law as in the case of Addis Ababa is a great danger for the country as a whole. ADP should approach the international community and expose ODP’s intent. PM Abiy is using his position to influence other parties and I do not believe this is a democratic way of doing business. Parties must not be forced by PM Abiy to go into ODP party structure.

Conclusions

There is an urgent need to make a constitutional amendment in Ethiopia to contain the increasing displacement of people. In this regard, there should be a new bill addressing the rights of citizens and the House of Federation. The House of Federation should be disbanded and replaced by elected leaders proportional to population size. Any bill addressing the use of armaments should be rejected if there is no prior measure taken to disarm highly armed groups.

Jawar is known to praise the current constitution that subscribes ethnic federalism. But the irony is Jawar seems to select only what he wants. According to Jawar’s constitution, land and natural resources are public and federal Government assets and no individual owns it. What Jawar is doing is like going to every company asking for dividends without having shares in these companies. Addis Abebans took sacrifice to make the savings for building the condos. Trying to get what does not belong to oneself is robbery which the government of PM Abiy should not tolerate.  Jawar Mohammed and ODP elites, let us agree on one thing: change the constitution to make the land a private property where no one displaces individuals without their consent and adequate compensation. I know you do not have the guts to do this because you want to ride the Oromo people.

The recent fundamentalist Oromos attitude in the environs of Addis Abeba is worrying. NaMA and ADP should sit down and strategize how to defend Amaras, Addis Abebans and other Ethiopians from ethnocentrism. Forget Ginbot 7. ADP must facilitate resources for NaMA as ODP is doing to Jawar et al. It is time to explore new alliances and options for Amara people.

ADP must be proactive if it wants recognition of its leadership by Amaras. You should not sit down and ponder helplessly over events. You rather get prepared to create and shape events by closely working with NaMA,  Amara people and other Ethiopians. Amaras are not a security risk to any ethnic group in Ethiopia. They believe in democracy and are ready to abide by the will of the people. We expect the same from our Oromo compatriots.

ADP should demand the formation of a task force with ODP to oversight the reform, peace and security, and address rights of citizens in all corners of Ethiopia. Sidelining ADP by ODP is not acceptable. Above all, PM Abiy government must show leadership against fundamentalists not ready to be governed by the rule of law and those not willing to abide by people’s choice.

The ODP is not a party to be trusted. It is a backstabber. It imports Oromos to Addis Ababa for the sole purpose of cheating elections. I highly doubt ODP’s leadership is genuine in the Amara-Oromo unity. On the issue of Addis Abeba, ADP should approach the international community and expose ODP’s intent. Demeke Mekonnen gave a very powerful speech, before PM Abiy during Gedu’s farewell party, that, I call leadership. My hats off! I hope Abiy gets it.  I am proud of ADP that it did not do the trust breach. Demeke Mekonnen, watch ODP leaders. Some are more sophisticated. Finally, I wish good luck and all success to the incoming Amara president, Dr. Ambachew Mekonnen.

Lastly, note PM Abiy is using his premier position to influence other smaller parties to join “ODP-EPRDF to form a pan Ethiopian party” and I do not believe this is a democratic way of doing business. Parties must not be forced by PM Abiy to go into an ODP party structure.

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By Haile-Gebriel Endeshaw

Do you know what TIA means? … Yes, TIA (tee-ayi-aee) is an acronym that stands for ‘This Is Africa’. Say… a foreigner (non-African) happens to get annoyed by a given African guy over his delay to appear at the appointed time. What the non-African guys will do in return is that they will take a glance at their wrist watch and solely say in amazement, ‘TIA’. This is to mean that such thing is common in Africa… or to say it bluntly, this is what westerners expect from the backward people of this continent. An available source put thus: TIA is used to shrug off a range of inconveniences, from power cuts and roadworks to general inefficiency, infuriating bureaucracy and questionable ethics… Having said this for the time being, let’s pass over to our main issue of discussion.

If you are an African journalist with your target audience westerners, this is what you should do while covering events for your stories. Here abiding by the rules and regulations of journalism may not be advisable. Your journalism and communications instructors might have taught you to use formal language while writing news stories. I tell you, buddy, we have nothing to do with this thing! Speak or write whatever you want in the informal way of communicating in the English language.

If you really need to capture attention of western audiences, make the solid foundation of your stories on famine, war, conflict, Kalashnikov, corruption, nepotism, coup d’état, unrest, civil conflict, clashes, skirmishes… The principles of journalism like proximity, responsibility, accuracy, fairness, truth, decency, impartiality, accountability…  should not be considered here. Tell your esteemed readers in the western world about an incident in which the police officers let their bulldogs against the black toddler who encroached on the farming estate of a white master. Show in your stories vividly how the bulldogs tore up the flesh of the young poor African kid like a piece of paper.

If you are given an assignment to cover events of thefts in one of the cities of African countries, don’t forget to recount your stories in a lively manner. Tell the audience how the crowd of young people put used up vehicle tires round the neck of the thief and roasted him alive. Don’t forget to put the photographs of the young man burning alive in the very front-page of your paper. See how mob justice is capturing attention of your readers. As I said, don’t give a damn to the ethics of journalism. Your major purpose is to get profit and attention from your western readers…

If you go out for reporting, I advise you not to forget to carry in your pocket a match-box or a lighter. You know why?… if you happen to see a crowd of young people who captured a street thief, feel for that match-box or lighter in your pocket…? Is it there? Yes!… Pass it over to a young boy running amok in the area and tell him to light alive the allegedly thief in the middle of the street. That’s a creative idea of having a worth reading story for your paper. I advise you to think of newsworthiness. Know the interest of your audiences… Your lead story may start like this: …a street thief who was caught red-handed while pickpocketing a business man was set alight near the transport hub here down town… See?  Yes, if you do this, you will get a number of readers who appreciate your stories. Now you can write a story of newsworthy. By doing this, probably you may receive an award or an appreciation letter from one of the western countries. The western readers will say in appreciation, “oh, my God! What a shit! … This is cool! …How interesting!”

As an African reporter, if you get a chance to write about a military coup d’état, don’t forget to come out with detailed account of the incident. How young soldiers raid the streets and terrorize the entire souls by shooting in the sky. How the military personnel shot point blank on the heads of civilian officials … How the skulls of the officials were shattered by the damning bullets… How the soldiers drag the dead bodies of civilian officials behind a truck…

I should remind you here that as our man, Binyavanga Wainaina put it down beautifully in his memorable piece, ‘How to Write about Africa’, writing about a genius African boy is worthless and be sure you will never get readers from among the westerners. It is rather advisable to write about a poor little girl who was raped by a gang of four or five young urbanites. Write about how many rape cases are reported on daily basis in the land of Africa. Don’t get tired of scribbling about the development efforts Africans are putting forth to purge themselves of abject poverty. No way! Don’t do that! … This is shit, my man! You will never get a single reader. You rather select jargons to beautify your stories that are recounting about child soldiers who invaded villages, burned houses, killed many mothers, sisters and elderly people. Tell your western readers how the real toddler soldiers smoke marijuana … rape big ladies (quite big enough to be their moms) and little girls. Mind you, in Africa, this is more newsworthy than any other hotchpotch.

Don’t write about an African scientist who have become known for his or her ground-breaking research in agriculture, medicine, rocket science, engineering…. You don’t need to write about a contemporary African soldier who can fly sophisticated fighter jets or helicopters. If you dare to discuss issues on the progress of Africans, be sure, you will never be accepted by western readers… or your newspaper will be tossed in to dust bin. Yes, if you need your news stories get the best attention of your western readership, create headlines like the ones listed here next… “AIDS hits Africa like a never-ending hurricane… Civil war causes displacement of over one million Africans… The entire African city gutted down by fire … Africa imports millions of machetes… More relief aid needed for starved poor Africans… AIDS and Ebola gobbling up young working force of Africa…Illicit trafficking of goods, live animals intercepted in an African country… Africa experiences major economic chaos… Africa suffers bureaucratic bottle necks, embezzlement of public funds…Gross enrollment rate at all levels of African schooling is said low… Africa’s school age children are out of school… Acute respiratory infection on the rise in Africa… The poor, downtrodden African citizens dying of hunger… Africa falls in to civil war… Civil war drags Africa in to an abyss of chaos…. President’s murder sparks unrest across Africa… Africa hit by inner party squabbles and political uncertainty… African government officials driven in to corruption by personal greed…” See how your story becomes newsworthy!

*****

“But why am I supposed to do this? …Why all these nasty things? …”

Did I hear you asking that? … Ok… Coming back to the very beginning of this piece… the response is TIA. You are from this backward, uncivilized and dark continent. This is what you deserve! … TIA! Period!! … As Africans, you are not supposed to deserve development, progress, better livelihood and modernization… Because …TIA! What you are damned to get in to are… Or what you are cursed to wallow in to are poverty, corruption, nepotism, famine, murder, civil war, coup d’état, backwardness, disaster, misery, quarrel, selfishness, disrespect, disagreement, arrogance, dishonesty, deception… My man, these are the things you are ‘blessed’ with… TIA… TIA! …Can you hear me!!

The post TIA Delivered to African journalists appeared first on Satenaw Ethioopian News & Breaking News: Your right to know!.

by Muluken Gebeyew

This is  a summarised English account of four parts article I wrote in Amharic (one of Ethiopian language) for  people who don’t read Amharic on  what should I think to be taken in to  account  for  successful political transition period to benefit all or most Ethiopians.

Ethiopia is undergoing a political transition period in the last one year following a peaceful popular struggle against the 27 years brutal  and dictatorial TPLF (Tigry People’s Liberation Front) led EPRDF (Ethiopian People Revolutionary Democratic Front) regime. Although the struggle took decades to reach to its final phase, the reform oriented new leaders emerged with in regime in the last 2 years who managed successfully to assume the leadership position of the regime though still the  regime that ruled Ethiopians still exist. These reform oriented new leaders have  taken the responsibility to lead the political transition period without forming a transitional government comprising of all oppositions political parties or stakeholders despite a call for such.  As the new leadership made very bold promises  in the early days  to the Ethiopian people to  transform  the country towards democratic society and they have taken the popular measures which needed to be done at the start of every transition  ( for e.g. releasing political prisoners, inviting opposition political parties, allowing relative media freedom etc), the public have given them support (not letgimacy)  to “led” the transition period.

As this reform oriented transitional leaders are still part and parcel of the regime that brutally ruled the country and their failure to form all stakeholders transitional government, they are not able to process the transition process in the speed the public demand as desired. Although there are great visionary leaders among these leadership, they haven’t clearly spelled out transitional road map. They have been also to some extent hijacked by some former banned ethnic based political parties and activists who are allowed to exercise in the country without any legal restraint or orderly fashion. These created tension as this new groups are engaged in hateful, ethnic oriented media sensational claims and terrorizing actions in different part of our country which resulted in several death, displacement of people which don’t belong to certain ethnic members. Most of these actors were part of 70’s political culture who were convinced on oppression of one by others, reinvented themselves with Ethnic based political parties to achieve their ill fated desire to assume power through intimidation, fear and coercion. The transitional period leaders are confused and flag blustered by the agenda of this groups.  They  chose to engage  in competitive mood for setting or meeting agenda set out by this groups instead of leading the transition.  . As result, the country is once again on the cross road.

The transitional leaders were expected to facilitate a peaceful  national reconciliation process among the people  and political parties ( like  the South Africa post apartheid period) on  the crimes committed in the last half century  on Ethiopian people to close the past chapter. The victims and perpetrators to forgive, reconcile and live in a country with no return to the past habit. Unfortunately, this must do top priority agenda haven’t been yet addressed. This failure have resulted  further unwanted animosity, tension, displacement  among our people during this  transition period in the last 11 months mostly orchestrated by the  hateful ethnic propaganda from the new comers with simultaneous synergic action of the old TPLF guard  who are sought  to account for the crime they committed on Ethiopians people in the last 27 years. This could further darken the fate of the transition if the General Election  is to go a head as planned as the new comers  plan to fuel further ethnic tension based hate speech and campaign focused on people difference, false and exaggerated historical accounts  instead of what kind of political or economic policies  that will change the life of Ethiopians.

So what are  the best measures that will help this transition to success?

Though the political transition  has been derelict from its path, there is still time to bring it back to right course provided that all the stakeholders come to realize the big picture and prepared to do their share.

The fundamental truth for all stakeholders should acknowledge and work is the realization that people should be treated as an Ethiopian citizens with fundamental individual human rights  respected and  not to be defined and categorised  based on their ethnicity as if they are a heard of cattle. The stakeholders and the people have to be aware of there are opportunist groups who have well  prepared strategies to hoodwink the people struggle to change it to ethnic based balkanization to return back to  TPLF kind era,  mainly to achieve their hidden aim of  personal political ego, power, wealth rather than to help  the people they claim represent for. They refuse or fight against  political society  based on citizenry and individual rights. In order to achieve their ill fated aim, these groups wouldn’t stop division only by ethnicity but region and village they hail from.  They have secessionist agenda to  declare independent  country based on the ethnic enclave and map the TPLF regime draw for them.  This opportunist ethnic agenda followers  do not realise that people also differ in religion, gender, ability, age, body  size, height  wealth  etc in which case by their logic  all this can be basis to form a new  a country or secession from Ethiopia, which is illogical.

Ethiopia is a rich country of people with different language, culture, custom, religion  which we inherited from our forefathers. We can further preserve and develop these for better    but we make sure that this difference shouldn’t be a source of our conflict or basis to form or assume power. If we form a society where  individual human right is respected through independent judiciary, police, army, election board, free election, independent mass media and etc, most of the social ill of the people which resulted in subjection of oppression for decades can be solved. Citizenship-based politics which also respect our difference  and guarantee our individual freedom will be an essential political necessity for the our multi ethnic, religious and cultural country.

In order to achieve successful political transition, the leaders need to have and explain to the public a clear and bold Road map. The measures they have been taking shouldn’t be based on the willingness of the top leader or trouble shooting for the agenda the new comers give them. They have to come out from this confusion and quagmire they are in competing with new comers to get political support for post transition public support.  They should work with stakeholders and the people to focus on the big picture of peaceful national reconciliation among people and political parties, dismantle the divide and rule policy of the TPLF poisonous system and then ensure we can reform what is to  follow.

Following the national  reconciliation and people to people negotiation or discussion, we can easily identify the policies and laws that were put up on us by the former regime to divide, weaken us and easily to be ruled by ethnic  and opportunist dictators.

One of the legal frame work TPLF led regime enforced up on us is the country’s Constitution which was adopted as ruling means  by TPLF  which can  not  serve as the supreme law of the land to serve for generations. By thoroughly examining it, we can identify  and rectify those articles which would pose us for  future problems that  create rift among ourselves.  Or  we can adopt a new Constitution which should be discussed and ratified by the Ethiopian people.

Following this, the regional boundaries that are drawn by TPLF for divide and rule purpose which created pseudo identities  will be abandoned.  We can build a state structure of federal nature that would promote people to people relation, economic development  and growth.

All the stakeholders, media, and the leaders of the reform should make  several discussion and meeting with all parts of people with aim to dismantle ethnic based political parties which are segregationists, tribal and aim to force its wish against other fellow human being.  We can by law forbid such association as it is divisive, anti-people and create tensions among Ethiopian people.

We can build a state institution  (like a Minstery office )  that can promote and preserve  our culture, language, folklore, customs  etc of every part of Ethiopian in way that would benefit Ethiopians. This shouldn’t be the basis to form a fence and wall  among ourselves.

We can follow presidential system of government for a country like us where all citizens will have direct vote to elect  their leaders, governors and mayors. We need to build and expand different regional towns and cities  including the federal government representation in each cities instead of accumulating everything in the capital city of Addis Ababa. This would reduce the tensions in Addis Ababa and also give opportunity to other cities to grow and develop.

It is also good to discuss  our fear and potential future risk as discussing such will enable to combat our fear and examine the substance that entails such risk. As the opportunist ethnic politicians are dominating the agenda and the transitional “reform leaders” are confused by them  and preferred  not to combat their illegality, such groups have created  fear of secession of regions as independent country.

Lets assume the region Oromia  which is created by TPLF  in the last 25 years secede from the rest of Ethiopia  and form independent country  based on the map or boundary  the TPLF artificially drawn to fulfil its oppressive regime. (You can also assume another region to secede and form a new country like Amharaia, Ogadenia etc).

The artificial map drawn by the TPLF for these regions will be the source of conflict with neighbouring regions as the map is not true representative or factual. Oromia will be in war  with Ethio-Somlai region on its 1000km boundary, Oromia will be on war with Amhara region or country on the north due to these disputed territories, the same in the South and West with Southern people nations. There are more than 15 millions non ethnic Oromo Ethiopians in Oromia whom either they will be treated as second class citizens or  leave the country or deported. This is definite war issue  as most people were born, raised and lived their for many generations.

The Ethiopian people are mostly mixed heritage, related by blood. It is difficult to say any one  “I am pure Oromo or Amhara” specially in central Ethiopia, the same in Northern Ethiopia among Amhara and Tigre people, for Ethiopia Somali and Eastern Oromo people. The outcome will be eventual unending war that resembles that of Somalia,  Rwanda, Yemen, Yugoslavia etc. Those opportunists who are pushing for such will not entertain this but runaway to USA, Canada, Europe or Australia where they have a passport or citizenry. It is going to be the mass as usual that will be on fire. So it is important all Ethiopians know this fact and clearly discuss their fear in which case it will reveal the opportunist ethnic politicians aim.

The ethnic enclave politicians have made well studied strategies to achieve either or  agenda. If it happens that  the people will not go for their secessions agenda, they will use the ethnic political ambition against others as being the next rulers in Ethiopia as it is “our turn”  with claim that as the Amahars’ had such historically and the Tigray’s had the last 27 years. The opportunist are troubling the new transitional leaders with several demands,  trapping them  and dominated the political agenda. This is clearly what is happening in the media and public gathering run by the so called activists and ethnic political propagandists.

So the Ethiopian people and different stakeholders of this transition have to be patient, smart and work together to jump this obstacles and pit holes on the road towards  successful political transition.

As our country is currently on cross road, we have to take measured, smart and well thought measures in the next few months  as its implication will affect many years to come. Decisions we make should be inclusive, less divisive, democratic, reconciling, promote good relation among people and specially not to fall in the trap towards the divide and rule tactic . As per the reknown veteran professor Mesfin Wolde mariam said in his book,  we shouldn’t allow to continue the usual habit of Ethiopian people holding grudges while being suppressed and when time is ready to cooperate to dismantle the ruling regime but return back to home without new regime that will guarantee it will not subject them again to another suppression.

A well known young Ethiopian politician also raised an important issue in regard to the need to change the political culture of those who are on power and those who are in opposition as their political traditions of not flexible and not up to the people’s demand or quest. Some are engaged in personal ego, power, wealth and dominance instead of focus on the people’s quest. This bad political culture have to start to change.

If we analyse in simplistic way, things can be much more clearer. Either through the will of God or fate of history, we are born or created in country called Ethiopia. Most countries in the world are made through generations of people movement or migration,  war that defined their boundary and identity. Ethiopia is not exception from such facts. We can learn from history but not live in past history. When you study society’s development and historical facts, and specially the last 50-100 years, people/political parties/country can sit, negotiate peacefully and  make great difference in their life for good  and benefit from such. We can witness this from European countries which had been under difficult  two world war in the last one 100 years and defined their future through peaceful means.

Ethiopia is a home for all its citizen. It should serve as mother for all of us equally, some should  not be left out, or Ethiopia be as their step mother. We can all ensure  equal under the law when we form a society and government which is based on fundamental individual human rights. If we fall towards our difference in terms of language, ethnicity and culture as means of rift, superiority or division; we will lose the country we inherited from our forefathers (despite they managed  setting as side the  oppression experience  among themselves to do such for us). Our home will be taken by the other superior force. We will fail to hand over our country to future generation.

So What are the solutions expected during this political transition?

As I have stated firmly above, a society and government system based on citizenship would serve our multi-cultured, ethnic and religious country better than other system. Such system can help us to benefit from our differences for good instead of division.

Every Ethiopian citizen should  feel as right citizen when s/he is able to move and live in any part of the country and earn her/his means through lawful means without any subjection  to the origin of  ethnicity. In order to realize this right, the measures we take during this political transitions really matters.

I emphasis here what have been stated as above and the need for  significant focus to be paid by the transitional leaders and all stakeholders.

Though I have elaborated most of the measure that need be taken  during this transition period in this article above, I have listed them here as concluding remark.

1. As the current leaders of this political transition are part and parcel of the former oppressive regime which risks them to hinder  from making decisive and  transformative decisions; they need support from all rounded, well learned elders, intellectuals who would promote what is best for our  country and people. They should also consult and report to  a council  made of different political parties and stakeholders in the country.

1. There is an urgent and must do priority that National Reconciliation  and people to people discussion in our country to face  the past 50 years of misdeed and crimes,  so we can close the past chapter and define common future without the past ill.

1. The root cause of the suffering of our country in the last 27 years  are the divide and rule policy and related TPLF led regime imposed  political sanctions  which should necessarily  be dismantled.

1. The Constitution which is adopted by TPLF  for its divide and rule polices, forced up on us for as legitimate Supreme Law  need to be scrutinized, and Articles that will create  problem should be removed ;If necessary we should ratify a new Constitution that the whole public fully  participated with.

1. Following good detailed consultation with people and stakeholders, we need to ban organising political party based on ethnicity as it is segregationist, divisive and prone for suppressing one against other.

1. Those who are at the responsibility of running the country should fulfil their responsibility to maintain law and order in the country. Those  opportunist criminals  and bandits who carry weapon and terrorize the public in the name of ethnic army.  Those who preach hate, division and monger war in their media need to be accounted as well.

1.  We need to entertain any facilitate  different political opinions and position of any colour as long as no hate, or division and war agitating that would risk the country to war and the people in to significant distress.

1. Those on power either in the regional or federal states should know that they are  not legitimate leaders voted by the people as they were put there under shambolic election organised by the previous regime which was not representative. Their role at present is engage in peaceful transition of the political process and refrain from taking divisive actions, propaganda, hidden or overt political agenda that displace and hurt the country and the people or citizens of our country. Those who do such should be accounted and face the full force of the law.

1. Although TPLF’s  old guards and cadres take the lion share in TPLF led regime in the lat 27 years, many with in EPRDF and other affiliated political parties committed several crimes and should be equally accounted and face the full force of justice.

1. The people of Tigray should be part and parcel of the reform and transition and they should play pivotal role in the process for successful transition

1. Those political  governmental appointments given by the current transition leaders should be scrutinized to rule out any nepotism and intention to run covert political agenda.  As the current parliament is not yet fully independent and legitimate representation of the country,  a special neutral scrutinizing committee can do such with  the help of free independent media in exposing any such ill intentions.

1. Those major democratic infrastructure like independent judiciary, police, army, election board, human right commission  etc should be reformed in open and transparent way so they can’t  be a tool to the government on power but for all Ethiopians and any elected government.

1.  We should not rash to wards General Election before we make national reconciliation among the people and political parties  and agree on banning  any divisive, war mongering political agenda off from the election campaign slogans. Election campaign should be based on policy how to change the fate of Ethiopian citizens life from poverty and etc instead of revisiting past divisions and controversial histories and past misdeed.

1.  Those who are on power either at Federal or regional states should be aware the fact that they are not duly elected by the public in democratic genuine election but the public gave them support to led successfully this political transition. They need to be accounted for every measures and decisions (Actions or Commissions or Omission) they have to take or taken.  People and history will reckon them for their good work.

In general, this political transition has to yield genuine outcome as people have been struggling for the last 50 years  yearning for a democratic, inclusive, citizen based, human right respected society where majority  represented. A society and governance that treats citizens equally, ensure law and order, ensure genuine election and people exercise their citizenship right by working  and living in any part of the country  without any restriction . In order to reach such goal, we have to support each other during this political transition period and not set aside and criticise those sisters and brothers who are working for such.

May God help us to achieve this and make once again our country great!

The post Ethiopia : What should be done for a Successful Political Transition? appeared first on Satenaw Ethioopian News & Breaking News: Your right to know!.

by Prof. Messay Kebede

Recent events are bringing Ethiopia closer to the limit beyond which ethnic politics enters into a zone perilous to the alliance of the ruling parties and, by extension, to the unity of the country. Among these events, the most explosive one is the rise of tension and deep divisions generated by protests in the Oromo region over the issue of Addis Ababa and the subsequent declaration of ODP (Oromo Democratic Party), a major partner in the ruling coalition, claiming ownership of Addis Ababa. The claim goes further than the usual demand for recognition of special rights of Oromia over the capital and clearly testifies to the growing impact of Oromo extremists on the ODP.

Observers and activists supporting the ongoing change no longer hide their disappointment over ODP’s declaration, especially over the surprising twist of its leader, Lemma Megersa, who so far was very much liked for his trans-ethnic openness. Many extend their disappointment to the Prime Minister, who, they say, is not forceful enough in the defense of the autonomous status of Addis Ababa. The ultimate fear is that the claim and the tepid reactions on the part of the parties in power may be the beginning of a déjà-vu trend, namely, the insidious evolution of one partner of the coalition into a hegemonic ruler.

Without questioning the well-founded nature of these disappointments, it is important to understand the rationale of the behaviors causing the setbacks. In my last posted response to Andreas Eshete and Samuel Assefa’s article, “Reflections on Expanding Ethiopia’s Democratic Space,” I underlined, in agreement with the article, the tension existing between the Pan-Ethiopian ideology of the reformers and their ethnic political basis. I wrote: “It stands to reason that the integration of nationalist and populist demands is the only way by which the various parties composing the EPRDF can compete against their rival regional parties and maintain their political relevance.” The issue of Addis Ababa is where the competition plays out in its most divisive and disruptive implications, given that all rival Oromo parties openly support the integration of the federal capital into Oromia. Evidently, some such extremist claim does not give much room to maneuver for those struggling to unite ethnic politics with a Pan-Ethiopian agenda and is thus quite efficient in undermining Abiy’s position.

Let us go further. In an article I posted early October titled “Where to Be, on the Right or Left of Abiy? That Is the Question,” I noted that Abiy’s determination to combine ethnic politics and Pan-Ethiopian ideology so covered the whole political space of moderation that rival Oromo ethnic parties had no other choice than to opt for extremism in order to retain some political significance.  I wrote: “As to competing political groups with moderate views, their problem is Abiy in that he is too big to the point of covering the entire political space. Consequently, these groups try to create new spaces for them by moving on the right or left of Abiy.” Addis Ababa is a perfect illustration of the dilemma compelling Oromo political parties to give up moderation in order to be politically relevant.

It is only when we understand the dilemma of Abiy and other Oromo reformists that we can temper the tendency of losing faith in the ongoing reform. Some supporters have already crossed the threshold by alluding to a scam to advance the long term goal of Oromo ethno-nationalists under the guise of reform. Yet, it is but obvious that the need to appeal to a carefully elaborated scheme subsides as soon as one carefully examines the sticky situation arising from Abiy’s commitment to implement, for the first time in Ethiopia, fair and free national elections. Nothing is easier than to inflame people by irresponsible and extremist rhetoric, especially where poverty, unemployment, and lack of democratic tradition prevail so extensively.

The question, then, is as follows: short of having recourse to authoritarian methods, what other option is there to counter extremism in a democratic national election taking place in a volatile situation? The solution I have recommended many times, namely, the election of a president with extensive executive power by universal suffrage, alongside regional elections on ethnic lines, requires a change in the constitution that is difficult to achieve given the prevailing political atmosphere.

The remaining way out is exactly what Addis Ababians seem to understand and initiate under the leadership of the indomitable Eskinder Nega, which is to mobilize and organize in defense of the autonomous status of the capital. The mobilization must target the de-ethnicization of the town as the unambiguous confirmation that it effectively belongs to Addis Ababians and all the peoples of Ethiopia. In addition, the cosmopolitan character of Addis Ababa must comprise its African vocation both as the birthplace and the seat of African Union and other pan-African organizations. In other words, the defense must not solely rely on the federal government and the provision of the Constitution stating that Addis Ababa is “the capital city of the Federal State” with “a full measure of self-government.” It has to include the understanding and the practical readiness stemming from one basic fact: Addis Ababians have only those rights that they can effectively defend. Moreover, as collective owners of the capital, all other ethnic groups and regional states must provide tangible support to the cause of autonomy and self-government.

Only when Addis Ababians organize to defend their town does the stake become clear to everybody. The stake is none other than the rights of people to govern themselves by freely electing their representatives and defending peacefully these rights. It is incumbent on the federal government to explain clearly that going against these rights, not only will lead to violence, but it will also permanently damage the consensus and mutual respect governing the ruling alliance of parties as well as the initiated democratization of the country. Needless to say, such a reversal will land us right where we were before the demise of the Woyanne dictatorship, with all the disastrous consequences that an Oromo hegemonic rule will necessary have on the preservation of peace and national unity.

Messay Kebede

University of Dayton

https://udayton.academia.edu/MessayKebede

The post Addis Ababa: Drawing a Line in the Sand of Ethnic Politics appeared first on Satenaw Ethioopian News & Breaking News: Your right to know!.

Our country Ethiopia is in a turmoil with a specter of being a failed state under our eyes! The displacement of fellow Ethiopians including children, elder-lies, women, and men in different parts of the country, conflicts between different ethnic groups, demands by different ethnic groups for regional (‘kilil’) status, destruction of churches and mosques, lawlessness, mob justice, the beatings and deaths of innocent citizens and looting of property have become day-to-day phenomena.

Parochialism is at its peak due to its propagation through social media, television, radio and press, some of whom are allegedly financed by foreign powers as well as by the defunct TPLF genocidal and kleptocratic criminals who are hiding in Tigray. Not only do these thugs have been sponsoring all sorts of terrorism on the people of Ethiopia but also beating the drums of war lately. Extremist elites who have never been given any mandate by a section of the Ethiopian people that they purport to represent seem to call the shots and be in the conductor sit of the train. Essentially what they have been doing lately, one of whom, Jawar Mohammed, glorified by the current Prime Minister as a “Freedom Fighter” during his visit to the U.S. simply fits the maxim of “the tail wags the dog”.

Some members of the so called change agents who the Ethiopian people embraced over the past nearly one year seem to change their color like a chameleon. The recent statements given by the Oromia Democratic Party regarding Addis Ababa, which is the capital city of our beloved Ethiopia and seat of the African Union and many other international organizations and diplomatic missions, claiming to own the city, the resettlement of fellow Ethiopians who were displaced in the Somalia region in and around the capital instead of returning them to their homes, and illegal issuance of Addis Ababa residence ID cards to people from their ethnic group with the aim of changing its demography show their ulterior motives. All the analogy between Ethiopianness and addiction and revival of “Ethiopia” into the political discourse have simply vanished into thin air!

Now the question is what is to be done? It is worrisome and greatly concerning that, in spite of all sorts of the mayhem that is taking place currently and the looming danger hovering on our country, no concrete action that could avert the peril is being taken either by the current government or political parties, civic organizations and our people. Few political parties and civic organizations have come out and condemned, for example, the recent bulldozing and eviction of our fellow Ethiopians in the outskirts of Addis Ababa, Legetafo. Some political parties, in whom the Ethiopian people has vested its hope have astonishingly kept silent toward such horrible acts of the Oromia Government, whose political party, ODP is headed by the Prime Minister.

One wonders whether, unintentionally, the leaders of such parties have gone into the Prime Minister’s pocket!

It seems that a focused and concerted effort should be made by all concerned Ethiopians inside and outside of the country to prevent the worst immediately. We seem to be running out of time, “quarter to 6 p.m.” before the worst happens. Below are recommendations that could help in averting the impending danger; however they are by no means conclusive or even others could point us to other better and more effective solutions. As such, this article aims at sparking a discussion and debate among all concerned Ethiopians so we all play a part in preventing the danger.

Recommended Actions:

The Government of Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed: Dr. Abiy was embraced by the Ethiopian people since he ascended to the highest office in the land a year ago. Our people accepted him almost all at once after his inaugural speech because he seemed to change the political discourse, preached love and peace, narrated the glories of our beloved Ethiopia after its trampling for decades by the secessionist parochial TPLF lords. The release of political prisoners en masse, opening of the political space, return of exiled political parties and leaders, restoration of peace with Eritrea are but some of the notable actions made by his Government.

This does not mean however that all that he has done so far are not without major flaws. Dr. Abiy ignored the calls by many to form a transitional government stating publicly that he alone would transition the country. Furthermore, when people realized that he was adamant in his stance, some recommended the formation of a transitional council composed of all stakeholders that would play an advisory role to his government; however this also fell on deaf ears. His government was not inclusive by any stretch; he made major decisions affecting the country on his own despite the fact that the country is in a transition period. The call for by many for a road map of the transition period was ignored. His government lacked transparency; agreements made with Eritrea and some Arab countries are cases in point. His party orchestrated the political appointment of a non-resident of Addis Ababa as its mayor, a typical TPLF-style maneuvering. More can be said about his speeches at different venues but it seems unnecessary to go any further. In spite of all that, however, our people gave him and his team the benefit of the doubt.

One thing that should not be overlooked and which is inexplicable is his recent “diplomatic shuttles” in East Africa while giving little concrete attention to what’s going on back home. It was pathetic that some touted it as dwarfing Henry Kissinger’s shuttle diplomacy. No one disputes the fact that an effort by any leader of a nation to bring about peace, security and socio-economic integration in their region should be commended. However, it is “First things First”. In normal times the Prime Minister’s actions would definitely be commendable. However, our country’s situation is not at all normal; it does not take genius to say Ethiopia can become a failed state unless a preventative action is taken immediately. Social activist Marcus Garvey once said, “Charity starts at home.” Ignoring one’s home and appearing to take care of others is

simply preposterous. It fits the Ethiopian proverb “stirring someone else’s pot while one’s own dish is getting overcooked.”

Unless the Prime Minister is in denial, his “emotional bank account”, the popular support he garnered among our people since he came to power is diminishing fast since extremist nationalists such as Jawar Mohammed (it is alleged that he and his OMN are financed by foreign powers who do not wish well for our country) have hijacked his party. The extremist parochial measures that his party has taken recently have dazzled millions of Ethiopians!

In spite of all the above, I believe that Dr. Abiy and his government have still a chance to regain the confidence of our people provided he and his government take tangible measures such as the following:

1. Take concrete action to restore peace and security throughout the country as this is a major responsibility for any government.
2. Work closely with and provide the necessary support to regional governments to restore peace and security and return displaced citizens in different parts of the country to their homes, including those who have been resettled in and around Addis Ababa maliciously immediately.
3. Issue a press release to rectify the recent press release issued by his party on Addis Ababa and unequivocally declare that Addis Ababa belongs to the people of Ethiopia and not to one ethnic group. To preach and equivocate without taking concrete action would be a sign of arrogance and contempt for the people of Ethiopia.
4. Outlaw hate speech and propaganda that pits one section of the Ethiopian people against another. Hold individuals such as Jawar Mohammed to account through the court of law.
5. Hold to account through the court of law any media such as television, radio and newspaper that entice ethnic division and promote conflict among the people of Ethiopia immediately.
6. Postpone the population census indefinitely until peace and security is restored in the country. Unless there is a hidden agenda, census cannot be conducted under the present circumstances.
7. Convene all political parties, leaders of religions, intellectuals, elderlies and Abba Gedas, civic society leaders, prominent individuals, students, teachers, businessmen, etc. to start a series of serious discussions that focus and councils on the current socio-economic and political situations of the country and develop a road map for a peaceful transition toward a genuinely democratic system that benefits all people of Ethiopia equally.
8. Out of the stakeholders mentioned above, form a transitional body that plays an advisory role and works closely with the current government.
9. Discuss with all stakeholders the viability of the election which is scheduled to take place in about a year. Given the current political situation, it is safe to assume that a free and fair election cannot be held in such a short period and postponement seems to be inevitable.
10. Become transparent to the people of Ethiopia in all dealings with foreign nations and other international entities.

Political Parties: At present, there are a number of political parties operating in our country. Some of them have been in existence for decades mainly providing company and legitimacy to the brutal TPLF regime in and out of the parliament without any meaningful leadership to their base in the struggle against the regime.

Some have returned home from exile and have been in the country for about six months. There was a great hope and expectation particularly from those parties who advocate a citizen-based as opposed to ethnic-based politics however their muted response to the human right violations across the country has perplexed many. It seems kind of a common question these days, “Where is Patriotic Ginbot 7?”

Some members of ethnic parties under the shadow of extremist individuals such as Jawar Mohammed have left no stone unturned to create havoc in the country. They have done everything they could to realize their hidden secessionist agenda by promoting mob justice and driving the youth to destabilize the country (‘girgir le leba endimech’).

Whereas it is understandable that the current political climate which is poisoned by ethnic politics is difficult to operate in, it seems that those parties who genuinely struggle for our country’s freedom could have done much more under the circumstances. No one with clear conscience doubts and underestimates their intentions and sacrifice for the people of Ethiopia. However, they should and could have done much more than giving company to the “change agents” and presenting papers. The problems of our country are real, palpable, and require working with a great sense of urgency. In light of this, below are recommendations for what they are worth. As noted above, this is not to be prescriptive; however they are recommendations from a concerned citizen, which may be improved, developed and/or added to:

1. Start robust inter- and intra-party discussions in assessing the current socio-economic and political situation of our country and come up with recommendations to solve problems. It is clear that the parties have differences in their policies and programs; however, they need to keep such differences aside for an election season when it is due. Now is the time to save our country from the danger it is facing not for inter-party rivalries.

2. Engage Dr. Abiy’s government, support any genuine endeavor that it takes to bring about a democratic system and constructively criticize when it goes off track.

3. Enhance discussions with the public to the extent circumstances permit. This includes discussions with civic society organizations, leaders of religions, elders and Abba Geddas, youth, students, intellectuals, businessmen, civil service employees, etc. Show the people that you genuinely stand for and with them. That ultimately broadens the base. Discussions may be made in town hall meetings and through media such as television and radio.

4. Guide and support the youth to organize under various civic institutions (youth associations, women’s associations, professional associations, etc.) for them to engage in their own country’s affairs civilly and peacefully.

5. Collaborate and work with media outlets that work for the unity and freedom of our people across the country. Promote Ethiopiawinet through all possible media and beat the evil narratives of parochial groups and individuals.

6. Issue press releases and hold press conferences regularly to update Ethiopians where things are in the struggle. This will keep our people informed of the political process, develop the culture of transparency in our society that has been subjugated by secretive dictators, and promote the culture of accountability.

7. Engage Ethiopians in the diaspora to support the struggle for freedom, justice, democracy, and equality for all Ethiopians. The diaspora community could be of great resource in the diplomatic front as well as raising funds needed for the struggle. Since the “change agents” ascended to state power it seems all political parties have disengaged with the diaspora as if our quest for a free and democratic system has materialized.

The Ethiopian Youth: Since the past six decades, the Ethiopian youth have been at the center of the struggle for freedom, justice, democracy and equality for all Ethiopians across our country. Thousands upon thousands have paid the ultimate sacrifice for Ethiopia’s bright day that has yet to be realized.

The TPLF brutal regime did its utmost over the past three decades to divide our people along ethnic lines and our youth have been victims of such division. In spite of that, however, we have also witnessed during the struggle over the past three years when the youth in the Amhara Region came out shouting “Oromo’s blood is my blood”, which was reciprocated by the youth in the Oromia Region. Our youth in all parts of our country must realize that Ethiopia is for all of them and they are the ones that are most affected by what happens to our country since not only today but also the future belongs to them. Recognizing this fact, they should declare “No to ethnic politics!”, “We are brothers and sisters regardless of our ethnicity!”, “We are one people of Ethiopia!” and never fall victim for infantile lunatics such as Jawar Mohammed. They should take responsibility for their country and their future, organize themselves in different civic groups, stand together and continue their PEACFUL STRUGGLE until Ethiopia is genuinely democratic for all Ethiopians regardless of their ethnicity. A parochial mentality particularly in the era of globalization, in the 21^st century is simply madness!

In this globalized world, people from different parts of the world live and work together harmoniously. For example, according to some reports, in New York City more than 8 million people live and about 800 languages from all over the world are spoken in the city. Despite such enormous diversity, people are able to live peacefully together since there is a rule of law and generally all people enjoy freedom, justice and equality. Our youth must learn from this and stand together hand-in-hand and continue their struggle peacefully until a truly democratic system is established in our country.

Leaders of Churches and Mosques: Our religious leaders have served as a moral compass for our people for thousands of years. As all of us know, Ethiopia is one of the few countries who accepted Christianity early before others in the world. Similarly, our country was chosen by Prophet Mohammed as a refuge for his followers when they were persecuted. Since then Muslims and Christians in our country have lived together as one family. We shared our happiness and griefs together. Our forefathers fought foreign enemies together paying the ultimate sacrifice for the independence of our country. The roles of our Popes and Priests, Imams and Sheiks in such harmonious relationships have always been paramount.

Our religious leaders have a huge responsibility at present in educating our people in Churches and Mosques about the importance of living together as one people despite our differences in religion and ethnicity. They should intensify their teachings that we are all one people under God more than ever before to eradicate the evil spirit that is causing destruction across our country. In addition, I recommend that they declare a Prayer Day for the Unity of Our People across Ethiopia. The prayers may be held on a Jummah (Friday) and one day later on Elete Senbet (Sunday).

Prayers may also continue during this Kudade season for Christians and upcoming Ramadaan that begins in early May.

I hope and believe that their concerted effort in this regard could pre-empt and minimize the evil actions sponsored by TPLF lords and others who are suspected of getting support from foreign powers who have ill wish for our country.

Ethiopians in the Diaspora: Ethiopians abroad who feel responsibility for our country have supported the struggle for freedom, justice, democracy and equality at home over the past 27 years. They have been voice for the voiceless of the Ethiopian people through demonstrations and knocking at the doors of foreign government offices and international organizations and exposed the crimes against humanity and genocidal actions of the brutal TPLF regime. Furthermore, they have supported political parties and families of victims at home financially. Last but not certainly least is they have financed media organizations such the Ethiopian Satelite Television (ESAT) over the years.

I believe that Ethiopians in the diaspora should continue to support the struggle at home; given the current political climate support from the diaspora community is all the more important. In this regard:

1. Create urgently discussion fora across the globe, including in Europe, United States, Asia, Australia and Africa. The purpose of such discussions should be to assess the current socio-economic and political climate of our country and play a role in preventing a political crisis and state collapse. Organizations such as Global Alliance, Vision Ethiopia, the Ethiopian Advocacy Group, the Ethiopian American Council and other civic institutions, as well as media outlets such as ESAT, Voice of America, Deuce Velle, etc. could be instrumental in organizing and facilitating such discussions.

2. Continue to provide support to the struggle for freedom, justice, democracy and equality in our country. Details of the types of support and how those support can be given should be a decision of the diaspora community.

3. Continue to seek the support of the international community, particularly the U.S. and U.K. governments, the European Union, and other international organizations such as the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights in bringing to justice those who committed crimes against humanity and genocide on the people of Ethiopia. We all know that the process to hold Getachew Assefa under the Magnitsky Act accountable is a matter awaiting decision with the U.S. Government. The TPLF lords who committed such crimes with impunity are still beating the drums of war to commit other similar crimes and they should be deterred. Our Western allies know it all too well that given our geo-politics, any unrest and war could destabilize the region and have a spillover effect beyond the horn of Africa. And it is in the best interest not only of our country but also of the Western world to prevent any war and this provides an opportunity to make a legitimate case with those countries and institutions. Furthermore, continuing to seek the support of Friends of Ethiopia such as the Honorable Anna Gomez, member of the European Parliament and the Honorable Anders Österberg, member of the Swedish Parliament will help in this endeavor.

Finally, the responsibility for taking our beloved Ethiopia out of the current extremely difficult situation falls on the shoulders of each and every Ethiopian. Elders, Abba Geddas, prominent individuals, businessmen, intellectuals, students, teachers, farmers, civil service workers, carpenters, plumbers, men, women, and all of us from all walks of life have a role to play in this regard. Let’s hold each other hand-in-hand say in unison “NO!” to the evil operators who try relentlessly to divide us and use our division to grab state power! Let’s support our religious, political, and civic leaders who promote our unity and lead us to a genuine democratic Ethiopia in which the rule of law, democracy, equality and justice reign supreme!

As it is written in the Bible, Ethiopia stretches her hands to God! And God in His Mercy will protect our people and country as long as we align our hearts to what He desires for us all, His children! Let’s unite and stand together! Let’s speak in one voice for freedom, justice, democracy, and equality for all of us! Let’s all pray to God so He will free us from decades of division and destruction!

May Almighty God protect our people and country!!!

Asfaw Regasa

The writer can be reached at asfawregasa1@gmail.com

The post An Urgent Call to Avert the Imminent Danger in Our Country Ethiopia appeared first on Satenaw Ethioopian News & Breaking News: Your right to know!.

By Dawit W Giorgis

I was able to go back to my country after 33 years in exile in Dec of last year.  I have thanked the government and the people of Ethiopia for creating the condition that enabled me to go back home. I am an old man by any standard. My purpose in continuing to write about Africa and Ethiopia is to share the wisdom that can only be gained only through age and experience. I have both. I have no other motives. I know some people would not like some of the contents in this article. I have no right or capacity to prescribe any solution but I have certainly the obligation to present and critically analyze the  situation.

In 1984 during the great famine, the international community viciously condemned the Ethiopian government (dergue) for the resettlement program it conducted. It accused the regime  for gross human rights violation.  The case was discussed in the UN Human Rights Council and in the US Congress several times. Though the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) I headed, was not in charge of the resettlement program, it was responsible for the provision of food to the settlers. The program was condemned for it’s political motivation and for moving the people against their will, though the stated goal of the project was humanitarian. It was to move people from drought affected, highly congested  and degraded lands to a more productive areas of Ethiopia, to Wolegga, to Gambela and some to Bale.  Looking back, it was indeed amazing how these settlers, mostly from Tigray, Wollo and Northern Showa  regions were received. People mostly Oromos were lined up on the streets to cheer and welcome the new settlers. They later helped in the construction of their new homes, invited them to their own homes until they adjusted and helped them in every possible way without any coercion from the government. There was no doubt in anybody’s mind that the welcoming was sincere and in the best tradition of Ethiopians.  Those living, remember those days as the best of ‘Ethipiaiwinet’ and indeed it was.

Some members of the international community reported that the program had political motives particularly for those who were moved from Tigray.  I have discussed the resettlement in general and this particular project in detail in my book ‘Red Tears page 281 to 308’.   There were many such experiments on resettlement in Ethiopia but none were done to change the demography of a given area.

The last one was the brainchild of Mengistu: moving 300,000 families (1.5 million people)  from Wollo and Tigray to South Western Ethiopia, in nine months.  The stated objectives were then purely humanitarian though Mengistu included his own political agenda in this project.  The international community was merciless and consistently and strongly condemned these as human rights violations and placed sanctions on the Ethiopian regime.  It created an uproar within the international community.

Human Rights Watch states:   “ The details of the implementation of the program varied from place to place; at its worst, it was a brutal form of counter-insurgency, at its best, a fierce attack on the independence of the peasantry….In addition to the direct human cost of the resettlement program, it involved enormous indirect human costs, by the diversion of resources. Resettlement sites and transit camps received priority allocations of relief food from the RRC.” [1]

The Paradox

There was a very close scrutiny of the activities of the government then, partly because it was the times of the cold war and partly because the government’s (dergue) policies were brutal in many aspects. Fast-forward, and Ethiopia went through a 27-year ordeal that included not only forced eviction and resettlement but also ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity, suppression of freedom of speech corruption and torture unprecedented in Ethiopian history. And yet the world kept silent. Instead it went on talking tirelessly of the fake economic growth of the nation. Meles was the darling of the West and East and there were little told about what went on behind the prison walls and the booming constructions across urban Ethiopia.  It was not because the West did not know because there were several witnesses and independent sources  which confirmed  the crimes committed by the Ethiopian regime.

In 2017 Forbes Magazine wrote about the UN Secretary General Guterres, speaking from Addis at the 28th Summit of the African Union, described Ethiopia as a “pillar of stability” in the tumultuous Horn of Africa, praised the government of Ethiopia and asked the world to show “total solidarity” with the regime. This was being said as the economy of Ethiopia was collapsing under the weight of its own corruption and the wide spread anger and rebellion of the people.

Forbes (the global media company) asks: “Why, despite ever-increasing amounts of foreign support, can’t this nation of 100 million clever, enterprising people feed itself? Other resource-poor countries facing difficult environmental challenges manage to do so. Two numbers tell the story in a nutshell:

1. The amount of American financial aid received by Ethiopia’s government since it took power: $30 billion.
2. The amount stolen by Ethiopia’s leaders since it took power: $30 billion

The West, including the so-called global financial institutions like the World Bank and IMF kept on hammering on the myth that that Ethiopia’s economy was the fastest growing economy.

This government, under the  previous PM, had conducted forced resettlements and the international community did not give it serious attention. Human Rights Watch reports:  “Ethiopia’s government has been accused of forcing tens of thousands of people off their land so it can be leased to foreign investors. People are being forcibly relocated to new villages that lack adequate food, farmland and facilities. Ethiopia has already leased out more than 3.6 million hectares (8.8m acres) of land – an area the size of The Netherlands “ [2]

Somehow the Ethiopian government escaped the harsh scrutiny of the UN, the US and the international community despite the obvious corruptions, oppression and human rights violations that they now shamelessly condemn while keeping silent while Ethiopian people suffered for 27 years.

Forced Eviction and Resettlement

This year, when Ethiopia and the world were expecting improved governance under  PM Abiy and the Lemma Team, the world is once again witnessing gross human rights violations, approved and told publicly by the most senior people in the government.  Some of the incidents are happening right in front of the doorsteps of the international community in Addis. These are the forced evictions of thousands of people from the homes they have lived in for over a decade and the demolition of their homes reminiscent of the destruction of houses in the occupied territories of Palestine.

People also witnessed the forced resettlement of Oromo farmers and villagers from their ancestral lands to places they have never been, without their consent. The President of the Oromo region Lemma Megersa revealed publicly, boldly and arrogantly that the forced resettlement of 500,000 Oromos was necessary. It was stated that the idea of moving people without their consent to Addis and surrounding areas was to change the demography of Addis Abeba, in favor of the Oromo tribe. It outraged and shocked people particularly because it came from Lemma, the man who was in the forefront of unity and human rights in Ethiopia. The shock reverberated across the nation putting in doubt the agenda of the leaders whom Ethiopians were quick to reward with a saintly image.  Besides creating a wave of discontent this action was also  a clear and gross human rights violation.

The AU, whose head quarter is in Addis Abeba, the  international community, the UN and the US have not condemned this blatant violation of human rights of evicting people from their homes and moving people to remote parts of Ethiopia for political reasons. Forced evictions and forced resettlements are human rights violations under international law.

United nations Human Rights Commission states:

“ Forced evictions commonly result in people being pushed into extreme poverty and as such pose a risk to the right of life itself. They have also been found to be tantamount to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, particularly when carried out with violence or with discriminatory intent. During forced evictions, people are frequently harassed or beaten and occasionally subjected to inhumane treatment or killed. Women and girls are particularly vulnerable to violence, including sexual violence, before, during and after an eviction. Forced evictions may also result in indirect violations of political rights, such as the right to vote, if persons are rendered homeless. They can also have a profound detrimental psychological impact on evictees, in particular children, who have been found to suffer both short- and long-term effects.”[3]

The silence of the PM while thousands of people were being evicted and illegally resettled, put people’s mind in doubt as to whether he was really the head of the country. International law is clearly against this

The United Nations Human Rights Commission states:

“Forced evictions commonly result in people being pushed into extreme poverty and as such pose a risk to the right to life itself. They have also been found to be tantamount to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, particularly when carried out with violence or with discriminatory intent. During forced evictions, people are frequently harassed or beaten and occasionally subjected to inhumane treatment or killed. Women and girls are particularly vulnerable to violence, including sexual violence, before, during and after an eviction. Forced evictions may also result in indirect violations of political rights, such as the right to vote, if persons are rendered homeless. They can also have a profound detrimental psychological impact on evictees, in particular children, who have been found to suffer both short- and long-term effects”[4]

There are numerous UN resolutions and declarations that make forced evictions and resettlement a human rights violation. The Expert Seminar on the Practice of Forced Evictions (Geneva, 11-13 June 1997) establishes guidelines for the practice of forced evictions under the international human rights provisions and instruments.  The guidelines state:

“Forced evictions constitute prima facie violations of a wide range of internationally recognized human rights and can only be carried out under exceptional circumstances and in full accordance with the present Guidelines and relevant provisions of international human rights law.”

Forced and violent evictions and displacements are taking place throughout Ethiopia, and the demolishing of houses by the regional authority in Legetafo is just the latest example.  The dispute over the ownership of Addis Abeba, the attempt to change the demography of the capital city and the forced evictions are   the most serious problems  that can trigger a countrywide unrest.  The international  community has been largely silent.  It is possible that the silence of the international community can  be perceived by the Ethiopian government as a green light.   PM Abiy is not a man deserving a Nobel Prize for peace unless he comes out clean from these crimes.  There could either be tacit or explicit agreement. But certainly it happened on his watch. It must be remembered hundreds of thousands of people have signed a petition calling for Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi  to be stripped of her Nobel Prize  because of her country’s persecution of its Rohingya  Muslim minority.

For the sake of political stability, the Ethiopian government should rescind the policy of forced evictions, resettlement and land grabbing without due process of law.   If forced evictions continue unabated, Ethiopia can plunge into a civil war a political tensions rise

Hate Speech and Radicalization: The Jawar Factor.

The government has allowed extremists like Jawar Mohamed, the CEO of the Oromo Media Network (OMN), legally registered in Ethiopia to spread ethnic and religiously motivated hate speech.   PM Abiy’s tolerance of Jawar is perplexing.   Giving unchecked political power to extremists like Jawar can only further exacerbate the already tense political environment.   Some political observers suspect that there is either an explicit or implicit understanding between the PM and Jawar.  If that is the case, PM Abiy is allowing Jawar’s extreme voice to influence the youth, particularly in the Oromo region.  In any other country Jawar would have ended up in prison and prosecuted for crimes of incitements and possibly for terrorism.

OMN reminds one of Radio Télévision Libre des Milles  Collines (RTLM),  the hate radio that was instrumental in the Rwandan Genocide. “ It’s stated aim was “to create harmonious development in Rwandese society” but nothing could have been further from the truth, It was set up and financed by Hutu extremists to prepare the people of Rwanda for genocide by demonizing the Tutsi and encouraging hate and violence. Some people –including the Belgian ambassador and staff of several aid agencies –recognized the danger and asked for international help in shutting down the broadcast, but it was impossible to persuade Western diplomats to take it seriously. They dismissed the station as a joke” [5]

General Romeo Dallaire, the Canadian commander of the UN peacekeeping operation in Rwanda at the time of the genocide, said: “Simply jamming [the] broadcasts and replacing them with messages of peace and reconciliation would have had a significant impact on the course of events.” His advise was ignored and the UN and the international community regrets with great humility and embarrassment that, had it acted earlier the genocide would probably have not taken place.  There is a red line between freedom of expression and hate speech,  oratory and incitement. It is well established in the international legal instruments.

Security Council resolution 1624 (2005) further

“1. Calls upon all States to adopt such measures as may be necessary and appropriate and in accordance with their obligations under international law to:

(a) Prohibit by law incitement to commit a terrorist act or acts

(b) Prevent incitement to commit a terrorist act or acts

(c) Deny safe haven to any persons with respect to whom there is credible and relevant information giving serious reasons for considering that they have been guilty of incitement to commit a terrorist act or act

The UN resolution clearly leaves the responsibility to governments what to define what constitutes a terrorist act.  Many governments have defined it to use it

Based on these general guidelines the AU defines terrorism  as follows

Terrorist act means:

• Any act which is a violation of the criminal laws of a State Party and which may endanger the life, physical integrity or freedom of, or cause serious injury or death to, any person, any number or group of persons or causes or may cause damage to public or private property, natural resources, environmental or cultural heritage and is calculated or intended to:

• 3 (i) intimidate, put in fear, force, coerce or induce any government, body, institution, the general public or any segment thereof, to do or abstain from doing any act, or to adopt or abandon a particular standpoint, or to act according to certain principles; or

(ii) disrupt any public service, the delivery of any essential service to the public or to create a public emergency; or

(iii) create general insurrection in a State.

(b) any promotion, sponsoring, contribution to, command, aid, incitement, encouragement, attempt, threat, conspiracy, organizing, or procurement of any person, with the intent to commit any act referred to in paragraph (a) (i) to(iii). “

Though the previous regime in Ethiopia defined terrorism to stifle dissent and freedom of expression, there are ways for  democratic governments to define it in the genuine interest of the people. The implications of the absence of a universal definition of terrorism for legal purposes are wide-ranging.  I believe that Ethiopian government is conducting a study to replace the revamped pervious anti terrorism law. In doing so care will be taken so that the new law does not define terrorism in a manner that can restrict the freedom of people and violate the individual rights of expression, movement and actions. A suitable universal definition is elusive because different governments   have different definitions to suit their own particular politics and agenda. The UN and the AU, as indicated above,  have established the parameters and for now that should be sufficient to investigate people like Jawar Mohamed for terrorism or crime under the criminal law of the country or deport him to face the law in the US if he is a  US citizen.

A reasonable government should investigate all the activities, speeches, source of funds, affiliations   and their effects on current and future peace and stability and make him accountable through due process of law. Not doing so makes the government itself an accessory or a silent collaborator in what are believed to be  serious crimes.

END

[1] [1]https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/Ethiopia919.pdf

[2] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-16590416

[3] https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/FS25.Rev.1.pdf

[4] (https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/FS25.Rev.1.pdf).

[5] http://www.rwandanstories.org/genocide/hate_radio.html

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March 14, 2019

The Ethiopian Dialogue Forum (EDF), a not-for-profit think tank established to promote equitable and sustainable socioeconomic and political development through inclusive governance and genuine democratization through dialogue is deeply concerned that escalating ethnic-based conflicts and atrocities might lead to civil war and the Balkanization of the country.

EDF is convinced that the root causes of recurring violence against innocent civilians, ethnic-cleansing and genocide, theft and corruption, growing extremism, forms of terrorism, theft, corruption and illicit outflow of funds, unprecedented traffic of armaments, demagoguery, mob rule and hate speech based on ethnic affiliation, lack of confidence in the rule of law, in the governing party, the state as well as in the Federal government, regardless of who is in power, is the ethnic-Federal system and the government structure that divided the country into antagonistic, irreconcilable ethnic and linguistic groups in which exclusionary actions have become the norm.

EDF is convinced that, a democratic and unified Ethiopia is virtually unattainable on the basis of Ethnic- federalism and ethnic identity. It is an experiment that has failed.

The ethnic polarization engineered and planted by the TPLF/OLF and their allies over the past three decades has put asunder the cultural, spiritual, economic, social, geopolitical and other bonds that defined Ethiopia and Ethiopians for thousands of years. Today, ethnic zealots, vigilantes and mobs are fanning and inflaming an already inflammable political environment. The situation in Addis Ababa and its suburbs, for example, Burayu, Legetafo and Sululta foretell a dramatic escalation of ethnic-based
land and property grabbing; and the displacement of thousands of Ethiopians from their homes. There is no red-line; and no authority to stop the slide into chaos and catastrophe.

Addis Ababa, the federal capital, seat of the African Union (AU), the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and a hub for the diplomatic community has become a flashpoint of contention. More than 5 million Ethiopians from all ethnic and religious groups live in this metropolitan city. Its status as a chartered city with its own administration is now contested. People are in fear. EDF believes that the democratic and human rights of the residents of Addis Ababa must be protected by the federal government. We also believe that Federal and municipal authorities should refrain from
nitiating substantial policy or structural or deliberate demographic changes. The people of Addis Ababa
must be allowed to exercise their fundamental citizenship rights through the electoral process. Addis
Ababa belongs to all Ethiopians.

EDF recognizes the merit of motivational speeches and aspirational goals that Prime Minister Dr. Abiy
Ahmed espouses. However, these utterances have not dissuaded extremist voices and forces to
appreciate the importance of Ethiopia as one country; and the vital role unfettered inclusion for the
prosperity of all Ethiopians. The rule of law continues to be illusive. The formation of a truly democratic
Ethiopia is but a distant dream.

The litmus test for Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed, in power for almost one year, is whether or not he
can face and address the systemic and institutional issues that emanate from the ethnicization of
politics in Ethiopia. Ethnic-elites managing their ethnic- regional states (Kilils) feel strongly that they
have evolved into independent homogenous nations: the Tigray region for Tigreans; the Oromia region
or Oromos; the Amhara for the Amhara; the Somali region for the Somalis etc. etc. This narrative has
diminished Ethiopia as a country; and Ethiopians as citizens. This model is a losing proposition.

Rightly or wrongly, millions of Ethiopians perceive that the ethnic-based supremacy, oppression and
corruption by the TPLF and its allies has now morphed to that of Oromo-led dominance by the Oromo
Democratic Party (ODP) and those who dictate the terms. In its report No. 269 dated February 21, 2019,
the International Crisis Group (ICG) said that “Among non-Oromo ethnic groups, some fear that they
have turned the page on years of Tigrayan supremacy only for the Oromo to dominate.”

EDF’s assessment is that ethnic politics and ethnic polarization are not only cancerous for Ethiopia; these
ethnic elite-led and propagated tools are also leading this strategic multiethnic nation into the abyss of
Balkanization. Our estimation is that the costs of Balkanization will be catastrophic not only for
Ethiopia’s 110 million people; but also for the Horn and the rest of Africa as well as the Middle East and
the world.

Accordingly, we urge the global community, especially the European Union, the United States and
members of the African Union to respond quickly and urge the Abiy government and all Ethiopian
stakeholders to convene an all Inclusive Convention for National Consensus, Peace and Reconciliation;
and, the formation of a transitional government of national unity that will facilitate a free and fair
election within a reasonable period of time.

In the interim, Abiy’s government must have the courage to change the ethnic-based Federal
Constitution; to ban political propagation and organization on the basis of ethnic and religious affiliation;
and, instead, to embrace identity and citizenship solely on the basis of Ethiopiawinnet (ኢትዮጵያዊነት). This
is the primary reason why we joined millions of Ethiopians at home and abroad and expressed jubilation
and adulation for the Prime Minister when he was selected to lead Ethiopia.

We recognize the notion that events on the ground over the past few months do not bode well for the
Government of Ethiopia under Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed’s watch for the following illustrative
reasons:

1. By the government’s own admission, the number of internally displaced Ethiopians
most of them of Oromo nationality, exceeds 3 million; more than 90,000 Amhara in Gondar are also displaced and thousands forced to flee their homes to the Sudan;

2. As Reuters reported in August 2018, Oromo youth led by Qeerro “replaced Ethiopia’s national flags in the capital and surrounding areas with OLF banners…In the following days, clashes erupted in Burayu” and “58 non-Oromo nationals were killed.” Inevitably, “hate speeches on social media” targeting non-Oromo spread like wild fire. They have not subsided.

3. Over the past several weeks, residents of the town of Legetafo were evicted from their homes forcibly. While the situation has calmed down, there is widespread fear that similar actions will be taken in other parts of the city of Addis Ababa and elsewhere in the country. Ethnic cleansing has reached a boiling point and must be stopped now.

4. The situation in numerous parts of Oromia where non-Oromo Ethiopians live and work; and the
humanitarian crisis in the Southern Regional State of Nations, Nationalities and Peoples where
56 ethnic groups live side by side is grave, explosive and out of control.

EDF wishes to highlight the volatility of Ethiopia’s unsettled and recurring ethnic conflicts. On March 3,
2018, one month before Dr. Abiy Ahmed became Prime Minster after Mr. Hailemariam Desalegn
resigned his post abruptly amid a growing country wide crisis, International Policy Digest posed the
ominous question “Is Ethiopia Headed towards a Civil War?”

A year later on March 14, 2019, the Guardian revealed one of the worst humanitarian crisis that depict
the horrors of famine, rape, violence against children and women, wanton destruction of homes and
property, massive displacement and ethnic-cleansing that Ethiopia has ever faced. In its investigative
report “Shadow falls over Ethiopia reforms as warnings of crisis go unheeded,” the Guardian reported
this. “In southern Ethiopia, tens of thousands of people are enduring what aid workers say is a full-
blown humanitarian crisis. But the government of the new Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, appears not to
be listening.” This is region is home to 56 ethnic groups who have coexisted side by side peacefully for
generations.

The scale and the number of people involved is simply staggering. Equally outrageous is the targeting of
a specific ethnic group of people, the Gedeos. “More than a million Ethiopians were forced from their
homes by ethnic violence in 2018 – the highest number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) of any
country last year. The worst of it took place in the south, where an estimated 800,000 mostly ethnic
Gedeos fled the district of West Guji in Oromia, the country’s largest region. This is a higher number,
and over a shorter period of time, than occurred at the height of Myanmar’s Rohingya crisis in 2017….
Gruesome reports of lynchings, rapes and beheadings, and of complicity among local officials, police
and militia, makes it seem more like organized ethnic cleansing than an ordinary tribal clash.”

How is it possible for Ethiopians to inflict such savagery and inhumanity against other Ethiopians in the
21st century? How is it possible for these atrocities to go on with impunity against a background of
hope, reconciliation, peace, national forgiveness, love, bonding and togetherness” promoted and
propagated by the country’s Prime Minister?

EDF shares the question posed by the Guardian. “Why and under whose authority such a problematic
policy has been pursued is unclear. Ethiopia’s system of decentralized, ethnically organized federalism
blurs lines of responsibility.” This is the reason why millions of Ethiopians suggest that there is no
legitimate public authority in Ethiopia. Artificial decentralization does not work; it camouflages
oppression and suppression.

At minimum, EDF urges Prime Minister Dr. Abiy to visit the sites of the atrocities. More important, he
needs to take a hard look at the root cause of the systemic problem now rather than tomorrow. This is
because Ethiopia’s humanitarian crisis is an existential threat for the country and for the regime.
Regardless of location and ethnicity, the displacement of Ethiopians is an affront to Ethiopian and
human dignity.

Members of the EDF joined and expressed their adulation to Abiy for a reason. In their hearts they
believed that the days of ethnic based hate, division and corruption were over. In his acceptance speech
he mentioned the name “Ethiopia” 63 times. It was no longer a taboo or a liability to identify oneself as
an Ethiopian. We recognize that the Prime Minister initiated substantial reforms. He released
thousands of political prisoners. He invited members of the opposition within and outside the country
and urged them to promote peaceful democratic change. He opened up political, spiritual and social
space for all stakeholders. He changed the narrative from ethnic division, animosity, hate and division to
that of a unified Ethiopia embracing its rich past and diversity. He took the unprecedented proactive
diplomatic step by restoring peaceful relations with the government of Eritrea; and forged robust
relations with other Horn, Eastern Africa and Arab countries. Abiy reached out to Ethiopia’s huge
Diaspora in North America and Europe, urging all of us to visit the homeland and to invest our
intellectual and material resources for the common good.

But, the asymmetry between talk and action; between proactive diplomacy and domestic conflict
resolution is stark. Dr. Abiy Ahmed ignored or shunned the “Big elephant in the room,” namely, the
ethnic-based Constitution and the administrative structure of government that was intentionally and
deliberately established by ethnic elites on the basis of ethnicity and language; as well as “Revolutionary
Democracy” that guides the ideology of the governing party that gives elites the upper hand.

EDF finds it indefensible that the Oromo Democratic Party (ODF) released a press statement stating
unequivocally that “Ethnic-Federalism and the Kilil system of administration is non-negotiable.”

Under Abiy, ethnic conflict erupted in both the South and the north. As a consequence, close to 3 million
Ethiopians have been displaced and billions of dollars of property has been destroyed. Millions of
Ethiopians are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front, a key
member of the governing party, the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), has
garrisoned itself in the Tigray capital of Mekele and is calling for an all-out war with the Amhara regional
state. The TPLF is not alone. Others are using the cover of reform to inflict pain too.

Extremist groups and ultranationalist Oromo have unleashed a level of ethnic hatred and division that
pose danger for both the Abiy led regime; and for Ethiopia as a country.

As noted above, the capital city Addis Ababa is a point of contention with Oromo nationalists demanding
the restoration of lands to their regional state, government and people. Thousands of non-ethnic Oromo
nationals have been evicted from their homes in Addis Ababa and its environs.

In the north, there are ominous signs that civil war might break out between the Tigrean and Amhara
nationality groups. The primary cause in Addis Ababa, the north and in other parts of the county is land
and other natural resources. The ideological narrative is ethnic identity and affiliation that excludes
others on the basis of ethnicity and language.

While EDF supports Prime Minister Dr. Abiy’s proactive diplomatic activities in the Horn and Eastern
Africa, we find it baffling why his leadership is unable or unwilling to exercise similar leadership in
addressing the root causes that trigger civil conflict, the displacement of millions, and the current
volatile and potentially explosive situation in the country.

In the light of the dangers Ethiopia faces, EDF calls on Prime Minister Dr. Abiy, representatives of all
opposition, civil society, religious, youth, academic, professional, business and other stakeholders within
and outside Ethiopia to convene an All-Inclusive Conference towards sustainable reconciliation, peace
and national consensus; as well as a transitional government that will lead to free and fair elections as
soon as possible.

EDF also calls on the governments of the United States, members of the European Union as well as the leaderships of the African Union and the UN to help avert a potential catastrophe in one of the most volatile and conflict-ridden parts of the globe, Ethiopia and the Horn.

EDF calls on all Ethiopian intellectuals, associations and others to stop self-censorship and address the country’s core ethnic problems boldly and truthfully; and speak out on behalf of Ethiopia and the Ethiopian people as a whole now.

Finally, EDF calls on all concerned Ethiopians to convene forums and discussions on the current crisis in Ethiopia and offer to the Ethiopian public as well as to the global community constructive alternatives and possible road-maps for the future.

Long Live Ethiopia!!! March 14, 2019

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Federations of ethnonational states can become explosive during moments of political liberalization. Abiy Ahmed must tread carefully to avoid a Balkan nightmare.

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Despite all rumors of impending doom I am not worried or afraid Ethiopia will disintegrate into pieces in the immediate future. It has been tried before. Ask Mussolini or Meles, they will tell you. Our ancient homeland is one of the few in the world with over thousand years of continuous history. It took many generations to build that bond and kinship. Anyway the world community will not accept it either. Not because they think the existence of our country is an important issue but no one can stomach the idea of one hundred million refugees roaming the planet. They will do any ‘band aid’ solution that will keep our ethnic cleansing activity local. Rest assured your little predilection to do evil will stay hidden. That is the good news.

The bad news is that the little activity we carried out about a year ago regarding being free seems to be stalling, if not arrested. It looks like some folks are not done with their old vision and are trying hard to stay relevant. Are we back to square one? Not really, we are actually moving on an excellent trajectory. There are hopeful signs the recent brand of hooliganism will fail like the ones before it.

The root of the current problem can be traced to what started to take shape the last five years and reached its conclusion a year ago. The struggle against ethnic dominance that began when Woyane landed was relentless. The regime after the demise of the evil leader was left without an evil replacement worthy of his dark vision. Like what he did with our country he has emasculated those around him to the point of dysfunctional. The Muslim movement sapped the energy of the feeble regime. The Diaspora organized and fought back using all means. Foreign currency was in short supply and the countryside started its final push to choke Woyane. Oromo youth paid a heavy price; left to defend themselves with clubs while their leaders stumbled over each other to take credit.

There was no light at the end of the tunnel for Woyane. They took the safe way out. It was what is called ‘soft landing’ for Woyane warlords. For a loser on the run they came out winning. They left everything intact in Addis and took first class flight on Ethiopian Airlines to Alula Aba Nega International in Mekele and were accorded hero’s welcome. What is today known, as ‘Team lemma’ became the perfect patsy for criminal Woyane. Our new leaders were ‘left holding the bag’ meaning they suffer the consequences and get the blame for what Woyane gang did.

Well they deserve it. They and their friends marginalized all other that sacrificed and claimed to be the real liberators. They kept quiet when their friends and supporters were openly rude. Just because they voted in their illegal politburo to win over Woyane they boasted how smart they are and how we were liberated without bloodshed. They slowly started making their role bigger than life and OPDO was renamed ODP and today we are asked to bow down and thank our new liberators while they put out press release setting down the rules of the game.

While we are trying to digest the new reality none other than OLF shows up to demand a bigger share of the pie called Ethiopia. Why they were taken seriously is not clear but they did manage to raise our stress level. How they accomplished such a feat out of nothingness is a fascinating story. The drama started with Obo Lemma’s journey to Asmara to invite the OLF Chairman to enter Addis as a hero. The idea was to give legitimacy to an organization that has nothing to show after over forty years of existence. Not a single liberated village, not a single act of inflicting pain on Woyane, not a single manual to make the case for liberation nothing, nada – you get my drift. Well they couldn’t even organize a happy victory ride into Addis because it is one of those things they are not organized to do.

OLF and their new friends of ‘intellectuals’ have been busy showing us that they are not ready to play in the big league. Right of the bat they came up with a proposal no sane person will ever bring to a peace table. They wanted to start with redrawing the map of Ethiopia in general and Addis Ababa in particular and while they are at it they wanted to change the name of the City too. What do you think? I was thinking my hope that the over twenty years of exile would give one a chance to sit and reflect and wreck the old brain to come with solutions that would bring people together and move history forward was left in shambles. That is not the OLF way. Actually OLF does not have any road map. Who needs a road map when you have no idea where you are going? There is no vision there. They really thought robbing a bank was the road to legitimacy or will instil fear in us. Woyane loots the National bank and here comes OLF robbing a small branch in their own town.

Do you think this idea of ‘owning’ Addis Ababa will fly? Over five million is the estimated population of Addis. It is not easy to change such a large metropolitan areas demographic in a short time. We are sure they do not have an army to enforce their will since that would’ve been the thing to display when they returned if such thing existed. Right now they are not sure how this is to be accomplished. If not by force then how is a good question. The residents of Addis have the number, the independence and support of all Ethiopians not to be bullied around by some unelected officials. They also have many leaders steeled in the battle for liberation from Woyane – they are not a pushover. I believe that is why they forcefully made their demands known. We are with you Addis Ababan’s. I doubt anybody that cannot even liberate a village in Wollega can effectively control the capital.

As we all know the subsidiaries of Woyane TPLF have supposedly broken off ties to the parent organization. Their names have been changed in accordance to the wishes of TPLF. They did not even have the courage to drop their ethnic identity stamped by Meles and Company. The same people trained and placed in position with the blessing of Woyane are still in control. Today’s ODP or ADP are led by the same folks that implemented Woyane policies to the village level. Why we are demanding the arrest of criminal Woyane politburo members while we are appointing Oromos or Amharas that were part of the criminal enterprise and now hold party and government positions is what is confusing some folks at the moment. It is giving ammunition to Woyane criminals while awaiting arrest but that is the Ethiopian way- never close a chapter. .

It is clear now our liberation came with a price. Team Lemma made a deal with the devil and lost. The illegal nature of the government is continuing unabated. The ethnic cleansing is done with the police turning a blind eye, the house demolition is being carried at night in no regard for life and the fanning of ethnic flames is tolerated. In Addis Ababa young people are arrested enmas and taken away-just like the good old days. The poor residents of the capital city are threatened on a daily basis making life uncertain. Is this what liberation is about? The events of Legetafo and Burayu, the dragging in Shashemene the cleansing in Ogaden and today displacement in the South is showing the ineffectiveness of the regime. It is reduced to reacting instead of being proactive. The regimes base of support are the common denominator in all the atrocities mentioned above. They are the cause of its instability. They are taxing the patience of the other actors and they are making a mockery of their own leaders. Why else would they place them in the middle of demolitions, cleansings and unfettered power grab?

The PM has to show courage and confront those that are trying to reverse the change we fought for. His party has to reign in the young and the restless and refocus their aim towards positive activity. The PM is the leader of all of Ethiopia. He has to start acting it. He cannot stay tied down and indebted to one group. That would be like being taken hostage. The failure of one should not affect the health of the country. As a politician he should work to welcome others under his tent if he wants to succeed. This idea of putting all your eggs in one basket did not work for our Tigrai warlords. It wouldn’t work for others either.

What was accomplished here both by OLF and Woyane is divert our attention from the job at hand. We have already wasted one whole year with nothing of value accomplished. Those that caused untold misery to our people are sitting in Mekele and taunting us. The organization they built in their image today is still functioning in our land. EFFORT is still the premier Ethiopian business and it was built with stolen capital and run like a state organization with all the benefit and none of the risk. The Television, the Radio and the Newspapers are still run by Woyane trained bosses. All this organizations have a budget from the Federal Govt. and that is not wise use of our limited resource. We demand they cut the tie. We have accomplished nothing of consequence other than the Diaspora coming and going and I do not think that was one of our worries.

Dear OLF and petty supporters, our people rebelled against Woyane and won. We did not fight against individual abusers but against a system. Not part of the system but the whole system. That is what was rejected a year ago. As far as we are concerned the list on the table includes the Constitution, the Map, the Land question to name a few. Feel free to add your grievances. What OLF is trying to do today is enshrine what was done illegally. That is not acceptable. They should be ashamed for carrying Meles’s banner of inter ethnic conflict.

The world knows we got rid of Woyane in a very admirable manner because our people are wise and thoughtful. No matter how we were goaded by Woyane we did not go to the dark side. It is our ancient culture, our beliefs and wisdom that saved us. We cried for Iraq, we felt sad for Libya; we are witnessing the happenings in Syria and Yemen. You see we escaped an inferno. Now some are pulling us back towards the fire, no thank you.

But our people are creative and forward-looking. Despair was replaced with hope when I saw our friend Eskinder Nega doing what he does best  – fight injustice. The Town Hall meeting with the residents of Addis Ababa is the type of grassroots movement that will empower our people. The assembly registered their concerns and placed the authorities on notice not to trample on their hard won victory. We Ethiopians are going to organize and assert our rights one village at a time. Eskinder and his friends were teaching us by example the smart method to safeguard what is won and chart a better future.

Stabilizing the country is the most important task at hand. The economy is in shambles, people are eating once a day if lucky and the future looks bleak. Today with rampant unemployment, inflation and other ills the country in dire situation. The young people with no education and no future are ready and willing to listen to voices some not well meaning. They are easy target for those that think chaos is the way to attain their misguided goal.

Here is the statistics about our country. Our population stands at one hundred and eight million (108M) out of which sixty three percent (63%) are under the age of twenty-four. Sixty three percent of the population has not been trained to produce anything of value but has to be housed and fed. That is not a simple task. That is what should keep our leaders awake at night not some arbitrary line inside one country. The sixty three percent born and raised under Woyane is a generation that should be handled carefully. They were raised in a society where the moral compass was amiss. Woyane encouraged lying, stealing, standing false witness and infected the mind with khat and other chemicals at a young age. Life under Woyane was a constant struggle. The sixty three percent there now are what is left of the hundreds of thousands that escaped from all corners of the country. They carry a heavy burden but are not equipped to handle the load we placed on their shoulder.

There is no choice but for the adults to start acting like one. Sixty three million idle youth is a time bomb ready to explode. That is exactly why our political, community and business leaders have to be extra careful of what they say and what they do. Sure it is not difficult to stir up a mob in a place where the grievances are plenty and the young ones are ready to rebel, but what next? The intellectuals leading the charge caused both of the last two debacles we suffered. Both times theory did not pan out in practice. Why everything looks so simple and great on paper but unfortunate for us our highly educated friends and their eighteen-year-old anarchist supporters have not solved why it falls flat in real life. That is not stopping them from playing their fiddle while Addis burns like Nero did while watching Rome burn.

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There is no historical record of justice under the last apartheid regime in South Africa that was abolished because of the very injustice until TPLF warlords imposed it at the same time to commit injustice on the people of Ethiopia that defeated it in the Battle of Adwa 123-years ago. To expect justice under apartheid rule is simply prolonging injustice that is urgently needed to do anything else.

by Teshome Debalke

In the wake of the 123-years anniversary of the Adwa victory over colonialism and its residue — poverty, slavery and apartheid reinstituted by TPLF warlords led apartheid regime, Ethiopians shouldn’t be complicit in helping the new PM dismantle the only apartheid system that exist in the world and the main source of all ‘current problems and challenges’ in Ethiopia as it was designed by the usual suspects.

Therefore, regardless of what TPLF warlords and their apartheid comrades in arms and pen think and believe they have anything worthy to offer Ethiopians more than the weapons of mass-destruction (apartheid) of their sponsors’ that got them in their present pre-indictment, their bravado on one hand and crocodile tears in another to convince anybody let alone Ethiopians to sustain the status qua doesn’t  go further than what is often described as ‘the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree’.

No one ever articulated the Ethiopian version of TPLF led apartheid than Professor Al Mariam. His 2017 article titled “Apartheid State of Emergency 2.0” is one of the collection of commentaries in his arsenal to end the most intrusive apartheid regime in  extended history Ethiopia’s.

Tracing the historical root of apartheid that excited TPLF warlords and surrogates to go as far as committing crimes against humanity, corruption, and treason go as far back in the early 1650s Dutch and British settlers (invaders) of in Southern Africa and the subsequent exponential expansion by the British led seven European nations’ conquest of the world starting from the 17^th century Agriculture Revolution followed by 18^th century Industrial Revolution that instituted apartheid rules in the colonies.

It gives Ethiopians that defeat colonialism a window of opportunity who put up TPLF warlords and surrogates to fall in love with apartheid and continue to mimic it day-in-and-day-out disguised as Revolutionary Democracy in the 21^st century.

After all, there is nothing revolutionary nor democracy what a British mining magnet and the champion of apartheid politics in South Africa Cecil John Rhodes who served as Prime Minster from 1890 to 1896 of Cape Colony that put it bluntly as;

“We must find new land, from which we can easily obtain raw material and at the same time exploit the cheap slave labor that is available from the natives of the colonies. The colonies would also provide a dumping ground for surplus goods produced in our factories.” 

The architect of institutionalized apartheid in Southern African and an ardent believer in British Imperialism, Rhodes and his British-South Africa Company founded the Southern Africa territory of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe and Zambia). His statement that coincided with the Berlin Conference of 1984-85 initiated colonialists’ ‘Scramble for Africa’ miserably failed in Ethiopia by the defeat of the invading Italian regime on March of 1896 at the Battle of Adwa led by the legendary King Menelik II. Ever since, the war on the history of Ethiopia, her people’s heritage and the legendry King that made it happen became fashionable by the old colonialists as well as their domestic agents recruited to preserve the defeated ideology of Colonialism and its legacy of Apartheid across the globe.

The emergence of domestic ‘mercenary’ class to undermines and reduce the glories history of Ethiopia and King Menelik II led victory eventually led to the second invasion and the five-years occupation of Fascist Italy regime that introduced six ethnic apartheid Regions’ rule from 1936 -1941 for the first time in extended history of the nation.

The restoration of Emperor Haile Selase government after the defeat of the Mussolini led Fascist regime in World War II eventually dismantled the occupying ethnic apartheid regime but, the attempt to undermine Ethiopia and her leaders continued.

Unfortunately, 50 years later since Fascist Italy imposed ethnic apartheid was abolished, domestic agents led by the Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) reinstated it once again in 1991 with the endorsement of the same old colonialists led by Britain and, the assault on Ethiopia and her legendry leaders continued to this day.

The striking similarity between TPLF led ethnic apartheid regime and Fascist Italy colonial regime during its occupation as expressed by the British mogul and apartheid proponent in South Africa Cecil John Rhodes in 1880s and the evicted Austrian envoy Nazi baron Roman Freiherr Von Prochazka to Ethiopia in the early 1930s that led to the Fascist reinvasion and occupation is testimony to that reality.

Prochazka’s book titled Abyssinia: The Powder Barrel (Die Schwarze Gefahr) published in 1935 (a year before Fascist’s reinvasion and occupation that implemented ethnic apartheid rule) revels where, by who and why apartheid rule was planned and executed in Ethiopia. It reads;

“The numerous peoples and tribes who inhabited the territory of Ethiopian state, and which differ in race, languages, culture and religion from the ruling minority of the Abyssinians proper, would long ago have thrown off the Abyssinian yoke if they have been given the right of self-determination. Instead, they have been forcefully kept cut off from European influence and from the advantage that progressive colonization could confer up on the country. The final aim of (Abyssinia) policy of antagonism to the white race, in collaboration with Japan, is nothing less than to act as a champion of all the colored people of Africa… it is incumbent to delegation of the civilized nation in Abyssinia to warn their government to take a defiant stand before the Abyssinians attack and destroy western culture and civilization in its entirety. There is no such thing Abyssinia people. The greater part of non-Christian tribes in Abyssinia has no more burning desire than to be free from the tyranny of the Amhars…if they would vote freely, they would certainly prefer a European protectorate to universally hated extortionist and slave drivers. This country is cracking at all its joints and has only been kept together up to the present by methods of ruthless coercion”

Prochazka frustration that reflected the colonialists’ dilemma how to implement ethnic and religious apartheid to colonize Ethiopia and the subsequent reinvasion and implementation of ethnic apartheid regime consisting of six ethnic Regions is enough for anyone that can read-and-write let alone for contemporary scholars with any worthy credentials to discount.

Fortunately, Fascist occupation and its ethnic apartheid regime was defeated again but, the old Colonialists’ onslaught remained alive via domestic agents when TPLF warlords reinstated apartheid 50 years later once again as Ethiopians witness warlords scream ethnic Apartheid-or-Death — echoing the same old colonialists’ narratives. Mind you, not in the name ‘Civilizing Mission’ as the old Colonialists’ use to say nor “progressive colonization” as Prochazka suggested but, in the name of Revolutionary Democracy.

Astonishingly, the same Western elites that detest the Apartheid system in South Africa and Jim Crow laws of the American South Confederacy are cheering apartheid for Ethiopia. Sadly, the infamous ‘Kenyan-American U.S. President Barak Obama lauded as the first African American President was among them.

More disturbing, the indigenous proponents of ethnic apartheid on Ethiopia led by TPLF apologists to reduce Ethiopians to a slave status where their land, resources and labor could be readily available for their old colonial sponsors as Cecil John Rhodes declared over 100 years ago and Prochazka advised 50 years later to qualify them as modern-day ‘mercenaries’ of the defeated colonialists.

It is no longer a mystery what TPLF warlords and surrogates are instructed to do by their sponsors via ethnic apartheid rule. The more they resist to dismantle Apartheid that benefited them, the more they expose themselves who they are and, the proof is in the pudding more so in the economy that drives the politics of apartheid to empower many elites fixated with ethnicity and, increasingly religion as ordered to elude Ethiopians from figure out what drive them and who may be behind them.

Obviously, the old Colonialists didn’t invade the Africa continent for love of its people or the climate. It was for the same old resources and slave labor as Rhodes declared that persisted in the 21^st century. Nor, they implemented apartheid for the rights and liberties of the people as Prochazka suggested but, to neutralize the unity of the people and the inevitable revolt that comes with occupation, violation of rights and exploitation of resources.

Martin J. Wiener’ in The Journal of Historical Society March 2013 Issue titled The Idea of Colonial Legacy and the Histography of Empire” chronicled several interpretations of colonial legacy and summed it up as; the colonies “were prevented, it was argued, by four fold inheritance from colonialism: first, of authoritarian state structures and habits, with “emergency” laws readily employed to suspended liberties; second, by economic structures created to facilitate foreign exploitation of nations’ resources; third; by colonial authorities’ promotion of religious and ethnic distrust; and finally, by ongoing international political and economic relationship and structures emerging out of colonialism designed to preserve and maintain this pernicious colonial inheritance.”

The five-years’ Fascist occupation that instituted ethnic apartheid as articulated by Prochazka is a testimony to that reality. Fifty-years later, TPLF warlords and surrogates didn’t reinstituted the same ethnic Apartheid rule on the people of Ethiopia for love of the people or to insure their rights via ‘Revolutionary Democracy’ either but, to fulfill Prochazka’s dream on behalf of their sponsors.  They know it, Ethiopians and the people of the world know it.

Without mimicking the colonial ethnic and religious apartheid hiding behind Revolutionary Democracy and Developmental State, TPLF warlords and surrogates would have been nothing more than modern village gangs terrorizing the population with donated weapons as Ethiopian witness them fulfill their sponsors’ obligations of sustaining Apartheid at all cost.

Unfortunately, that is not all. Contemporary elites that bought the defeated colonialists’ apartheid narratives as badge of honor by accepting TPLF warlords led ethnic and religious divide as legitimate political engagement — not on its merits but to undermine Ethiopians’ unity and wisdom of Ethiopian leaders that defeated it hands down as Prochazka decried. Unfortunately, many are embroiled with the colonialists’ narrative of their own heritage, culture and history.

Here is a good example. Awol K Allo, in an Op-Ed of March 1, 2019 on Al Jazeera titled How a Major anti-colonial victory divided Ethiopia — reflecting contemporary ‘scholars’ that propagate the colonialists’ narrative of Ethiopia reinstituted by TPLF warlords.

Instead of ‘how the defeated colonialists divided Ethiopians via TPLF and its surrogates’, in the 123-years anniversary of the Adwa Victory Allo, a ‘Lecturer in Law at Keele University U.K.’ choice to make the victors the villains (“Amhara dividers/invaders”) for defending their nation from the victimizers (colonialists invaders) that surrounded Ethiopia as innocent bystanders as prescribed by Prochazka.

Imagine accusing leaders that defend their country from three of the seven powerful colonial forces of the 19^th century right after they signed a pact of 1884-85  in the Berlin Conference to invade and partial Africa and enslave and exploit the people as ‘dividers’ or ‘expansionist invaders’ for routing them out against all odds?

Contemporary elites trained to ‘eat their own roots’ are what the famous Pakistani-British award-winning author Kamila Shamsie known for her ‘Home Fire’ novel asked; ‘how do you eat your own root?

The partition of the present-day Pakistan and the Kashmir standoff between India and Pakistan is as the result of colonial Britin initiated religious apartheid during the independence movement as Al Jazeera documentary titled Boarders of Blood. Unfortunately, Al Jazeera promotes ethnic and religious apartheid in Ethiopia and elsewhere disguised as a Free Press when it serves its own ‘sponsors’ agenda.

Likewise, and closer to Ethiopia, the ongoing Yemeni civil war can be traced to the Feb 1934 colonial British held South Yemen colony based in Aden led ‘treaty of friendship’ with both the Kingdoms of the newly created nation of Saudi Arabia and the indigenous rulers of North Yemen to resolve the war to control Yemen that was under colonial British and Ottoman empire.

But, beyond TPLF and surrogates’ sponsors led by U.K.; contemporary root-eating elites in general are the biggest obstacle to the liberty and rights of the people of Ethiopia and the independence of the nation our forefathers paid for by blood and treasure and, it was not by accident but by design rewriting history and disseminating fairytale propaganda.

The British politician Lord Macaulay 2^nd Feb 1835 address to the Parliament said it best how to make contemporary elites ‘eat their own roots’ to force Ethiopians submit for colonial rule.

He said.

“I have travelled across the length and breadth of Africa I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such calibers, that I do not think we would ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her spiritual and cultural heritage and therefore, I propose that we replace her old and ancient education system, her culture, for if the Africans think that all that is foreign and English is good and great than their own, they will lose their selfesteem, their native culture and they will become what we want them, a truly dominated nation”

Unfortunately, almost two centuries later enough root-eating elites made Lord Macaulay’s dream come through by ‘breaking up her spiritual and cultural heritage’, denying her existence of Ethiopia as a nation by reinventing history and implementing apartheid to divid the people by ethnicity and religion.

A good example of the result of Lord Macaulay proposal is the young root-eating elite Jawar Mohammed and the CEO of Oromia Media Network (OMN). A proponent of ethnic Apartheid i.e. “Ethiopia get out of Oromia” and Oromo First, he is no stranger and alone to promote colonialists’ agenda with selective amnesia.

For instance, from all writing system, the root-eating proponents of apartheid Oromo elites adapting Latin as an official alphabet of ‘Affan Oromo’ language testify to that reality.

The irony  a western educated elite like Jawar that proclaimed to be a follower of Islam doesn’t know the history of Islam he claims to voluntarily follow is interwind with ‘the spiritual and cultural heritage’ of Ethiopia for over 1400 years to reduce her history starting from  the defeat of colonialism over 100s years ago is a testimony; the problem of Ethiopia rests on root-eating contemporary elites’ selective amentia to undermine Ethiopia and her people as Lord Macaulay of colonial British’s parliamentarian proposed in 1835 and Prochazka reinforced in 1935.

There is no question Prime Minster Abiy Ahmed took the first step in the right direction to emancipate Ethiopians from TPLF enablers instigated colonial apartheid rule surrounded by root-eating elites. Their resistant to sustain the ethnic apartheid divide status qua to fulfill the obligation to their sponsors speaks volume to ask; who is compromised by the old and defeated colonialists’ agenda against the people of Ethiopia and why.

On the 123 years celebration of the greatest victory over colonialism in the Battle of Adwa in full gear for the first time since TPLF warlords led apartheid rule came 27-years ago, look no further than the propaganda Media led by the usual suspects discount the victory to prolong the life of the only apartheid rule in the world.

Reuters wire service of U.K. like most western and domestic Medias conveniently erased the leader of the Adwa victory — Emperor Menilk II on its report of unnamed correspondent titled Ethiopians celebrate defeat of colonialists, call for unity. But, to its credit, it highlighted the anniversary celebration summed up by Bonsa Kuma expressing; “I call myself independent because my fearless father fought the battle from all corners of the country…, I rode for two days to get here to remember my heroes” said, the 27-year old who arrived in the capital on a horseback’.  In contrast, root-eating elite ‘scholars’ crisscross continents on airplanes to tell us otherwise.

However, the same Reuters’ reporter present at the same celebration in Addis Ababa stated, PM Abiy “also joined a chorus of calls to end violence’ quoting his remark of “the young generation of today should repeat the victory of Adwa by defeating current challenges and barriers” to “published report by the state-owned Media” — discounting the new PM role of bringing Ethiopians together in unity as Ethiopian leader  as oppose the Oromo leader preferred by the usual ethnic apartheid proponents.

Sadly, root-eating elites led by the Adwa Gang and surrogates continue to undermine the glories heritage and culture of the people of Ethiopia and the history of the nation not to mention the wisdom and bravery of her leaders that defeat it.

It is clear for one-and-all why the name Ethiopia is allergic for root-eating elites and their sponsors and, why the PM calls of the young generation to repeat the victory of Adwa by “defeating current challenges and barriers” frightens modern-day Prochazkas’ apartheid ideology followers. Even the blind and deaf can see and hear; the same ethnic apartheid divide TPLF enablers instituted that continue to disfranchise Ethiopians is the cause of the ‘violence’ mainstream western Medias like Reuters as well as local Medias chose to ignore.

Therefore, the absence or skewed narratives on Ethiopia and her greatest victory over colonialism in the world history by major international, regional and local Media networks is not by accident but by design.

Of course, the infamous Al Jazeera featured story on the 123^rd years’ anniversary the Adwa victory wasn’t about the celebration but, an Op-Ed of an individual in U.K. “how the victory divided Ethiopia” wasn’t by accident either.

Here are a few mainstream western Media coverage undermining the 123th anniversary of Adwa Victory.

The Continental Telegraph of U.K. Headline reads ‘not First Battle Victory of Blacks over White Colonizers but First War Won’ injecting and generalizing race to reflect the same racist attitude of the old colonialists’ in seven European nations that still feel privileged to invade any nation to enslave the people and keep the spoil. In Ethiopia

Agency France Press (AFP) and Associated Press (AP) reporters in Ethiopia known to cover anything skipped the most important event altogether.

More unrelenting are make-believe Medias run by root-eating indigenous elites.

The mouthpieces of TPLF in the diaspora did not shy away undermining Ethiopian leaders by piggybacking on the Adwa victory either.

For instance, from all relevant Ethiopians on the Adwa Victory, the infamous Aiga Forum featured TPLF ethnic apartheid warlord/Chairman Deberthion Gebermariam’s  message of empty unity on a victory he and comrades denied since they embarked in war with Ethiopians on behalf of their sponsors.

Likewise, the official TPLF owned propaganda Medias like Walta and Fana masquerading as private are playing it safe by pivoting the nature of TPLF to make it holier and failed to mention; the Adwa Victory is a victory of colonialism TPLF warlords brought back on the people of Ethiopia 100 years later via their Amhara villain Emperor Menilk II that defeated it as their bogyman.

Fana Broadcast Service report actually was savvier on the victory than its TPLF propaganda partners by featuring ‘President’ Sahle Work Zewde that served TPLF warlords with distinction representing the Ethiopia Federal government and the “Chief Administrator of Tigray regional state, Dr Debretsion Gebermichael”  to get its agenda across reinforcing the same apartheid ethnic regional states imposed on the people of Ethiopia is legitimate.

The most fascinating of all is TPLF warlord operated The Reporter masquerading as a Free Media. In an Op-Ed by unnamed ‘Stuff  Reporter’ titled Reviving Ethiopian nationalism as Adwa Victory is CelebratedAmare Argawi cunningly blamed the victims (the opposition) for his TPLF warlord comrades’ crime; not to mention blame the new PM Abiy i.e. “the government’s inability to appoint a successor in place of the outgoing Prime Minister in a manner that reassures both the Ethiopian people and the international community only serves to exacerbate the air of uncertainty”  instead of blaming the source of uncertainty are his comrades led by Deberthion Gebermicael hiding in Mekele doing what they did best for the last four decades — instigating ethnic and religious conflicts.

It continently goes on;

“The historic mistake that the EPRDF and its allies committed in belittling Ethiopianism is today exacting a heavy toll as is the treachery of some in the opposition camp. The internecine conflicts incited by parochial politicians and their ilk have led to the death of thousands of innocent citizens, injured tens of thousands, displaced around a million and caused the vandalizing of the properties of hard-working folks. Ethiopians have never resorted to the kind of ethnocentric violence and destruction we have witnessed over the past two years. Nowadays there abound elements bent on sowing discord instead of doing their part to restore Ethiopia’s greatness by exploiting the considerable potential its patriotic and far-sighted people embody. They have no qualms about amassing power and wealth at the expense of the masses. This is why Ethiopianness is waning alarmingly”

The irony a journalist wannabe and Founder of Media Communication Center with public money out of the jungle to have the audacity to blame the oppositions and the new PM for crimes of his comrades says more how the minds of apartheid proponents masquerading as journalists work.

Similarly, ethnic apartheid competitor Medias like Oromia Media Network (OMN) that erase the Adwa victory altogether short of calling it Ethiopia (Amhara) invasion of ‘Oromia’ as prescribed by the old colonialist speaks for itself. Though it is not clear why OMN ‘reporters’ led by Jawar Mohammed are not for religious apartheid as prescribed by Prochazka, it is clear religion as oppose ethnicity is not as effective politics in their primary agenda of undermining Ethiopia as a nation.

At the meantime, clandestine Media operators are savvier than the official ethnic apartheid mouthpieces but, not smart enough to hide their true feeling about Ethiopians in general and the Adwa victory leader Emperor Mekilk II in particular by erasing the legendary leader of the Adwa Victory altogether as expected and altering the history of Ethiopia to their liking.

The infamous no-see, hear… evil of TPLF warlords instigated ethnic apartheid Tadias Magazine featured Headline was the Op-Ed of Ayele Bekerie (PhD) titled ‘The Victory of Adwa, an exemplary Triumph to the rest of Africa’ —  skipping Ethiopia and the Ethiopian leader[s] that actually won the Battle.

Unfortunately, the author is not an ordinary root-eating elite but a Professor of ‘African and African American Studies at Cornell University and Mekele University, according public record.  He not only failed to mention a single Ethiopian leader that made the Adwa Victory possible or “an exemplary Triumph to the rest of Africa” as he put it — giving TPLF apartheid a stamp of approval in Ethiopia as prescribed by Prochazka – so much for a scholar of African and African American Studies that was born in American Universities out of the Jim Crow Laws of the Southern Confederacy States against African Americans to perpetuate colonialist apartheid and erase Ethiopian leaders that made it possible.

No one know why TPLF operatives masquerading as scholars, experts and journalists think they can get away insulting the intelligence of the people of Ethiopia by passing TPLF warlords’ crimes on the innocent. Then again, if Ethiopians don’t understand the history of the old colonial apartheid mission that set them up, they will continue to do what they know best.

Therefore, ‘why Ethiopians must help PM Abiy dismantle Apartheid system altogether’ answer is nonother than root-eating elites’ selective amnesia that made the universally rejected Apartheid rule possible. After all, unlike their visionary forefathers that defeated ethnic apartheid, they want to have and eat their cake at the same time — the defeated colonial apartheid political system to divide Ethiopians and the political, social and economic benefit it afforded them — ‘two birds in one stone’?

Dismantling the colonial Apartheid political system IS “the current challenge and barrier” facing the people of Ethiopia as PM Abiy put it without saying. It must be defeated again particularly by the young generation. Unfortunately, the problem is, it contradicts with the interest of apartheid proponents.

Given it is an established historical fact colonialists invented Apartheid is evil for the entire humanity to the benefit of the few, there is no plausible explanation to sustain it except to benefit the root-eating elites and their sponsors’ interest over the many.

Therefore, Ethiopians must dismantle the apartheid political system as a prerequisite for everything else for numbers of reasons including to honor our foresighted leaders that sacrificed in blood-and- treasure to defeat colonial conquests via apartheid that showed its ugly head in 21^st century, thanks to TPLF warlord and surrogates.

But there is a whole more social, economic and security reasons of dismantling TPLF instigated apartheid.

For instance, TPLF warlords redrew internal ethnic apartheid boarders that displace and cleanse millions of Ethiopians around the country at enormous cost as we are witnessing the ongoing violence unfold over artificial ethnic boarders. Like the old colonialist, it is to maintain power via perpetual conflicts with one ethnic group to hate another.

In that regard, land grab, slave labor and resource extraction of the last 27 years is the historical hallmark of colonial apartheid rule as prescribed in the 19^th century by the Father of Apartheid and business mogul Cecil John Rhodes of Southern Africa.

When it comes to security of the people and the nation, “authoritarian state structures and habits, with “emergency” laws readily employed to suspended liberties” as it was argued by Martin J. Wiener’ remained the hallmark of colonial apartheid legacy TPLF bestowed on the people of Ethiopia that brought the revolution for change and the rise of PM Abiy to power. The ‘security’ apparatus TPLF set up that parallel the British colonial rule is a testimony to that reality.

The famous South African comedian and the Daily Show host Trevor Noah said it best;

“What the apartheid system was really good at doing was convincing groups to hate one another”.

Likewise, TPLF warlords and associates are good convincing Ethiopians ‘to hate one another’ on the behest of their old colonial sponsors.

In the 123^rd anniversary of the Adwa Victory that defeated apartheid, they would be advised again to abandon it to celebrate their culture and heritage robed by their sponsors than attempt to doubletalk or shoot their way out of their predicament as we are witnessing.

As the legendary the late anti-apartheid icon, Nelson Mandela said; “Poverty is not an accident. Like slavery and apartheid, it is manmade and can be removed by the actions of human beings”.

Whether the new PM remove the manmade poverty, slavery and apartheid or not all depends how long he can tolerate TPLF led ethnic warlords that live off apartheid and root-eating elites around him that benefit from it playing hide-and-seek to prolong the status qua as Ethiopians wonder with amazement as they scramble to make up more fairytales and instigate more conflicts from their hideouts.

Unfortunately, root-eating elites in the diaspora that should know better are the most aggressive apartheid propagators on their own people while they enjoy the privilege of living in non-apartheid nations afforded to them by their sponsors. Therefore, helping the PM Abiy ‘remove apartheid’ is not an option but a duty of every Ethiopian alive especially the young generation that would inherit ‘to hate each other’ for generation to come.

And, how but full disclosure of who they are and what they have done so they can be accountable for their transgression would abolish apartheid, poverty and slavery?

The PM has his hands full. In one hand, he is operating under apartheid rule handed to him by the TPLF warlords and surrogates since he was a teenager. In another hand, he is calling for unity, democray and the rule of law to make everyone accountable.

Drawing lesson from South Africa reviles; apartheid and democracy are like water and oil that cannot mix. Therefore, his dilemma is real and, requires bold steps in his part disclosing everything about TPLF warlords led apartheid in the name of the people of Tigray, Oromo, Amhara, Somali…

Who can he blame but root-eating elites at home and from abroad surrounding him with unverifiable credential that propagate the rejected Apartheid rule on the people of Ethiopia?

When knowledge is used for self-preservation or doing the bidding of apartheid sponsors as oppose to empower individuals – all society’s ills including slavery, poverty, apartheid… are inevitable as we witness contemporary root-eating elites tramped on one another to make up stuff to be relevant under apartheid rule.

Plato wrote;” knowledge without justice ought to be called cunning rather than wisdom”.

There is no historical record of justice under the last apartheid regime in South Africa that was abolished because of the very injustice until TPLF warlords imposed it at the same time to commit injustice on the people of Ethiopia that defeated it in the Battle of Adwa 123-years ago. To expect justice under apartheid rule is simply prolonging injustice that is urgently needed to do anything else.

Who is primarily responsible but root-eating scholars, experts and journalists that see, hear and speak no evil of apartheid to accomplish their sponsors’ mission that was defeated 123 years ago?

Where is the justice for the people of Ethiopia in that?

The article is dedicated for the legendary Journalist and the former prisoner of the apartheid regime Eskender Nega that challenge apartheid proponent head-on.  Short of wisdom to understand, the root-eating elites don’t even understand; he is emancipating their colonized mind 123-years later after it was defeated in the Battle of Adwa.

The post Why Ethiopians must help PM Abiy abolish the Apartheid system all together? appeared first on Satenaw Ethioopian News & Breaking News: Your right to know!.

By Belayneh Abate

In the western world,  you have to produce astounding  resume to get a decent job.  To reassure the job offer, you have to provide references that could speak highly about your past achievements in addition to your resume. Based on the resume and the references, the employer can predict what you can and cannot do in the future. In other words, the employer predicts your future achievements based on your past accomplishments.

Before  the Westerners start to read resumes, our forefathers  used to predict future abilities based on the past activities. Predicting the future achievements based on the past accomplishments  was the culture of our ancestors. For example, our forefathers never  elected a volunteer slave, a  liar, a traitor, a looter,  or a coward as Gobez Aleqa, Shimagille, or Atbia Dagna. Our forefathers used to think in three dimensions  for long not to give the hands of their daughters to uncultured and unprincipled boys or boys raised of such parents.

The Ethiopian elites have lost the principles and the culture of our forefathers as much as they have failed to follow the Westerners’ tradition of reading resumes. As the result of this tragic failure, many Ethiopian elites cheer behind murderess,  looters, volunteer slaves and traitors.

It was perplexing to watch the Ethiopian elites endorsing  the murderers, looters, and  volunteer slaves that shuffled power last year under the pressure of the West after thousands of people were massacred , disabled and tortured by these looters and volunteer slaves.

The opportunist Ethiopian elites salivated when the volunteer slaves such as Abiy Ahmed pretended to act as visionary leaders that  stood on their own spines. Failing to stand by their forefathers principles and ignoring to read their resumes, the opportunist elites blindly trusted the  shameless volunteer slaves when these volunteer slaves acted as if they emancipated themselves from the bondage of slavery.

The opportunist elites did not want to listen when principled citizens cried not to support the volunteer slaves that murdered and tortured patriots that freed them. Defying the concerns of principled citizens and shouting the “national unity” mantra as an excuse,  the gullible elites failed to admit that these slaves were criminals, who were librated by the martyrs they slaughtered.

Like an immature girl cheated by a cunning but useless boy, the gullible elites were miserably seduced by the slaves’ rhetoric and pretensions behind podiums. These elites forgot how the Legesse Zenawi’s gang group selected these slaves in order to establish its rule at the graves of Chauvinists and Neftegnas. The elites forgot that Legesse Zenawi’s gang group never assigned slaves that would question the atrocities and treasons the group committed.

As aliens that recently descended from Mars, these unprincipled elites acted as if they did not  know that the criminal  party Abiy Ahmed leads made the country land- locked, granted land to Sudan, promoted endless ethnic conflicts, massacred people, tortured and sterilized innocents. The pseudo- elites did not want to remember  that this party executed these atrocities and treasons after designing and building effective weapons. The elites do not want to admit that these effective weapons were Abiy and other volunteer slaves who are now embraced like a darling first child by the unprincipled elites.

The unprincipled elites did not want to listen when principled citizens spoke loud that trusting  these criminal slaves is trusting Yihuda. Yihuda served Satan betraying Christos that groomed him as disciple. Similarly, these slaves served Legesses’s gang group betraying the people that cultivated them from cradle to adulthood.

The opportunist elites do not want to admit that Yihuda was a better traitor than the volunteer slaves they support. Yihuda never hammered nails to Christos’s extremities nor did he tie rope around his neck to gratify Satan. But these slaves, who are now supported by opportunist elites,  shot bullets and bombs to their mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters to please their masters. Yihuda regretted his treason and committed suicide, but these slaves showed no remorse and placed themselves into seclusions. Instead of placing themselves into seclusions, these shameless traitors pretended as if they were visionary leaders to steal the hearts of the naive mass and unprincipled  elites.  The elites fail to understand that these shameless slaves were regrouping themselves to stay in power for the coming decades.

The shameful Ethiopian elites are also supporting the traitor leaders of “opposition” political parties, who are currently dancing with the criminal  leaders of the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF).

How could a sane elite stand behind the  traitor opposition party leaders that dine with the heads of EPRDF that massacred, amputated, sterilized and blinded the members and supporters of their political parties? What kind of sane elite supports  traitor politicians that open a bottle of sparkling Champagne and cut a decorated cake with the murderers of their members and followers? What kinds of citizens vote for these types of traitors?

The Ethiopian elites have failed to follow the principles of our forefathers as much as they have failed to master the western culture of reading resumes. As a result of their failure,  the Ethiopian people, known for granting the outmost respect to intellectuals, have completely lost hope on the Ethiopian elites.

In order to get the trust of the Ethiopian people back and to save the country from demise, the elites should follow the principles of our forefathers and  stop supporting the criminal  slaves that massacred, amputated, sterilized and tortured millions of our citizens!

Thank you.

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The writer can be reached at abatebelai@yahoo.com

March, 2019

The post The Ethiopian Elites Have Failed to Follow The Principles of Our Forefathers! appeared first on Satenaw Ethioopian News & Breaking News: Your right to know!.