After being locked up in jail for 6 years by Woyanne dictator Meles Zenawi, Ato Siye Abraha is finally free and next month he will start a public meeting tour in the U.S. His first stop is Washington DC on January 5, 2008.
Ato Siye’s U.S.A. tour is being promoted by almost every Ethiopian media in the Diaspora. Some try to portray him as a national hero. Ethiopian Review is the exception. Our position is that before calling public meetings and ask people to pay $20 or $30 per person to attend his meetings, Ato Siye needs to explain, through a press conference or some other means, about the positions he had held and the actions he had carried out as the former military head of the Woyanne regime.
Let’s face the hard fact before getting excited about Siye’s visit. He has not made any public apology for the enormous death and destruction he had caused as one of the top Woyanne leaders.
During the 1998-2000 war with Eritrea, at least 70,000 fellow Ethiopians had perished — for nothing. The dead did not even get proper burial ceremony. Their families were not compensated. The injured were completely abandoned. There is no national holiday to honor those who died. As one of the major proponents of the war, indeed the leading advocate, Ato Siye has the blood of at least 70,000 poor young Ethiopians on his hand whom he callously sacrificed using an outdated military tactic known as human wave to overrun Eritrean trenches.
Just because Meles locked up Siye Abraha in jail for six years as a result of internal Woyanne power struggle, the crimes he committed do not go away. He must account for his horrible deeds.
It is shameful, to say the least, on the part of many in the media to try to portray Siye Abraha has a national hero. He is a person who swam in the blood of countless poor innocent Ethiopians.
203 thoughts on “Siye Abraha is NOT a national hero”
Though I do not buy Elias Kiflie’s philosophy and approach, I admire his guts. He seems to have balls of steel. The rest of the media appears to be very gullible to run from one end to the other. From ultra nationalist stand to promoter of secessionist forces like OLF and ONLF. As the saying “those who do not know where they going, every road will take them there”. The media has become anti-thesis to rational debate and discussion by following the crowd than questioning critically some of the moves.
Having said that there are things Ato Seye needs to address to become a national hero. First, he has to disassociate his ethnocentric view of the Ethiopian people. If he is trying to resurrect another tigrean TPLF then he would not be my hero. If he is promising to fight for all of us, regardless of our ethnic origin, social status and gender I may welcome him as an emerging leader who has a part to play in the Ethiopian politics. Gebru Asrat who himself half Tigrean has gone down the line to resurrect the “gold and rug” (werkena cherke) division of the Ethiopian people.
What I say is let give him a chance to come clean before calling him a hero or a villian. Otherwise, one again we will be disappointed just like the CUD leaders. Serving terms in prison should not be the main criteria to be honored as heros.
Happy new year Elias and readers of this comment.
I want to say a little, wheather Mr. Abreha,S is a national hero or not. Probably, he killed a lot of Ethiopian army during the communist regime, OLA(Oromo Liberation Army), EPLF(Eritrean Peoples Liberation Front) defense force and TPLF’s surrogate organizations members who had WH questions against the ill-treatment of their own people in the hand of the narrow minded TPLF minority junta. To sum up he killed hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians in all this conflict, and this deeds will entitle that Tigray bull(Mr. Abreha) a good snipper but not a national hero. He never had a national vision other than “liberating” Tigray from Ethiopia’s (Amahara’s)colonization. After he came to power he made all his sibillings angels for his kingdom.
When it came to his political skill, he is really far from the modern politics. Let me raise what he said on ETV when TPLF pushed OLF out of the transitional charter for the mere fact that the later had a good ground over the TPLF in any standard but the military strength. MR. Abreha said TPLF not only defeate the war, but can create a war and defeate it. Geniunely speaking Mr. Abreha is the 2nd face of his master, may be the worst. He also as a head of the Board member of Ethiopian Air Lines,when the employee striked for wage increase siye suggested to fire all and replce them with Merkato “bozene”. I am not an analyst to follow all his crimes but in these two incidence I able to observe him making very emotional suggestions.
To sum up, he was/is/will/not a national hero and visionary politician but an emotional snipper.
As some misinformed persons allege that Siye Abraha has been a national hero, let us assume he is now a fallen hero, but let us hear what he has to say as a fallen hero, not as a national hero. A convicted criminal, ready to go to his death chamber, many times at the last moment confesses he has committed a crime and why he did it. In the same way, even though he may think he is an innocent person, Ato Siye Abraha has nothing to lose or gain if he tells the truth why he wanted a “greater Tigre” instead of a greater Ethiopia? Even if he confesses all his crimes he has done against Ethiopia, his confession may not guarantee him that he will have a secure job either with Kinijit or other political organization. He is coming to North America with, I assume, a clear intention to curry favor with the Ethiopians in Diaspora. After we have heard the complete confession from him, we may, if he agrees, give him a vermifuge – a political advice – that expels the bad political worms that have affected not only his intestines but his entire body. Barred from all political activities, he can only live as a political prisoner in one of those Ethiopian jails. Meles may have set him free for his political advantage or with a kind of promises that we do not know yet, but we must make him accountable for most of the destructions he brought on all Ethiopians and even on some of his own people.
Siye Abraha is a war criminal. He has committed untold atrocity, amounting to genocide against Oromo in 1991/1992. Criminals and murderers like Siye cannot be heroes for Oromo, and they will be tried in court of law when the right time comes.
Elias,Another excellent timely job.On Addis Dimt’s radio,your answer “Ethiopin poor people should get help fromm anybody includind the tyrant Esayas” to fight Woyane is absolutly correct and on time.Ethiopin people never had any problem with Eritrean people.All the fight was and is among two devils.concerning the Woyane little victim ato Siye,he has to wait and be tested more by the Ethiopian people to be trusted.He has to wait for all the blood he poured to be dried.
Allow me to address an issue of a different pradgim. A man by the name of Hajji Mustefa, born in Wello, Ethiopia, lived in Balle as a tailor pre Epdrf. Once EPRDF came to power, Hajji Mustefa became the key personnel in looting the assests of Bale Oromia. Hajji Mustefa, bought multimillion dollar empire under different names of his in-laws and friends. By the time EPRDF discovered the handiworks of Hajji mustefa, he was smugglled into Nairobi, where he was accepted as a refugee to Canada. Hajji Mustefa while he was in powere in Bale Oromia, he is responsible for deaths of many women and children. He was the key persona for TPLF BUT… bUT CAN we call him Hajji Mustefa a hero or treasonist Banda? Does Ethiopian people deserve to demand the extradition of Hajji Mustefa? Does Ethiopian victims of Hajji Mustefa be paid for the destructons he caused to the lives of loved ones as well as their properties throughout?
When truth rigns! when truth be spoken! when victims face their demons face to face…. then one can even dare to use the namicalture of as SUCH HERO/ COWARD. Hajji Mustefa was and is a coward so as many more clawns that roam throughout.
Justice may delay but truth never dies.
If EPRDF IS FOR JUSTICES…. Hajji Mustefas relatives assests must be taken and awarded to all victims of Hajji Mustefa. That is the justices Ethiopian people have been yearning. Nazret city WOLOYES assests were looted wealth by Hajji Mustefa, from Bale mountains.
Naga Tuma,
There are givens and known facts, yet the quest is to solve the problem. Seye’s past has been part of the problem. As an ex woyane, he was part of the destruction brought up on Ethiopia. However, to accuse him of being a criminal as an individual, you have to lay out the specific crimes he personally committed. Most of the potential leaders of today’s Ethiopia, have been a part of mass movement at one time or another from student movent, EPRP, Derg or others. All these orgs committed crimes against Ethiopians in one form or another. As much as we all condemn Derg’s campain of carnage, EPRP had also indulged itself in murdurous rampages known as White Terror. These murders by EPRP were aimed at ordinary citizens for as little reason as being elected to work at the Kebele offices. They made countless children orphans. They pained countless families. Tell me now that people who were part of such an organization should not be part of the political process in Ethiopia. Seye Abraha was part of a movement, just like some of our leaders were part of a failed movement like EPRP. Better yet, Seye seems to come back to the people’s side. My view about Seye made a 180 degree change after I heard his interview on VOA. I think he is a very intelligent and articulate person. I believe he will contribute tremendously to our struggle for democracy and unity.
We are tired of hearing a phrase “let’s give a chance”. We ca not give any chance to ay body who aliniated with killers in the past and proven incapable of leading he Ethiopian people. Siye Abraha started to generate “BETTER” ideas after he got in to jail. The question here is, where was he before getting in to jail to generate those “good” words and ideas? It sounds the motive of those ideas were to get better attenion from Ethiopian people inorder to satisfy his power thrist. I advise Mr Siye not to nvolve in political issues with all the negatives he was counted with Meles regime. Ethiopia has plenty of fresh and youth minds to run the country in the future. Hence we don’t have time to attend meetings organized by pro-woyanes and people whose stand is adulterated with Meles in the past.
Elias,
Do you think all previous Ethiopian heroes are faultless people. Take the knowns, Atse Theodros, killed many innocent people, Atse Yohannes, helped British to kill Theodros, Atse Menelik, …Yohannes.
You see that is why forgivenes matters not purity.
Elias raises a good question. I also think that for the people’s movement to be successful, we need grow the number of stakeholders who join the people’s movement. Victory comes about by having as many stakeholders on our side. We do not win by turning potential allies into enemies. Having said all that questions Elias raised need to be answered. We must hear what siye has to say and judge. If we judge before we hear, then, I would worry about our ability to win this movement of the people.
What is to “give him a second chance”?
What is hero? who hate my people, my country where is the reality?
Yes Siye is a hero for some people from Tigray ( you know who are these people are) or for the enemies of ethiopia and ethiopians. SIYE has done everything to ethiopia and ethiopians to his capacity as GRAZIANI did to Ethiopia or HITLER did to the juwes. Is there any thing Siye did good to Ethiopia? If it is fact history, only Melese and his friends can call him a hero.
It has been reported in Ethiomedia and related places that Siye Abraha has called for a meeting this coming Tuesday in Washington, D.C. As we all know, Mr. Siye is a controversial figure. He has also languished in prison for years with tramped up charges. We all know also that Siye Abraha was a defense minister, a prominent TPLF member (and a polit bureau member) and a person who had power to at least to voice his opposition when many crimes were committed against the Ethiopian people and our country. Many people believe that:
1. Siye Abraha approved and participated the war that was waged against our party and EPRA
2. Siye Abraha approved and participated in arresting and/or killing of our leaders. Did he tell us where they are? Can he tell us the truth now?
3. Siye Abraha approved and participated in arresting opposition coalition representatives such as Yemane GebreAb. Did he say anything about Yemane after he himself got out of prison?
4. Siye Abraha approved and participated in the session of Eritrea
5. Siye Abraha approved and participated in making our country a land locked one
6. Siye Abraha approved and participated in the killings and mayhem of Ethiopians who were fleeing Eritrea to the Sudan and inland 1991 and later
7. Siye Abraha approved and participated in the killings of university students who peacefully showed their opposition to the formation of a kangaroo parliament based on ethnicity; when they demonstrated against Boutros Boutros Gali’s visit, etc.
8. Siye Abraha approved and participated in boasting that the TPLF not only can it win a war it waged against the OLF thereby inciting people to go to war, but it also can make war
9. Siye Abraha approved and participated, directly or indirectly, in the mass killings of the Amharas in the southern part of the country
10. Siye Abraha approved and participated in the ethnic fractionalization of our country. Has renounced his position, if he had one?
11. Siye Abraha approved and participated in the rampant corruption that is still pillaging our people and country! According to past claims by many people, the conflict between him and Meles is mainly related to greed and corruption. What would he say about this claim?
12. Siye Abraha, in one form or another, has helped Eritrea in creating the 1998-2000 war (by giving it independence, etc.) and the deaths of at least 100,000 Ethiopians and especially OUR Tigrian and Eritrean compatriots. The Tigrian people who live close to the border surely paid the ultimate price in terms of their lives and wealth more than anyone else! The Ethiopian people are paying high price for a military expenditure that was and still is totally un-necessary. And they are about to pay more in terms of their lives and wealth for the war that the current government is about to create. What did Siye say about it? What would he say about this issue?
13. Isn’t Siye Abraha still a gotegna? Does he still believe that he has helped our Tigrian people and compatriots by making their country land locked, etc.?
Unfortunately, I will not be there to ask him these questions for I live far away from where Washington, D.C. It will be my sincere hope that people who have chance to be there would ask him such questions?
fetno derash wrote: “Tell me now that people who were part of such an organization should not be part of the political process in Ethiopia.”
fetno derash,
In my earlier comment, I only asked for a clarification about what you meant. Thank you for your explanations here even though my question remains unanswered. And since you asked for what I want to tell you, yes, any Ethiopian that was involved in a single incidence of extra judicial execution must face justice. If such individuals wish to lead the people by hiding their known facts that others may not know, their mental state should be examined and treated at the tax payers expense since such individuals could be a menace to the society. All the political organizations you listed must expose such people individuals instead of giving them a membership card thereby giving them a hiding place.
Hi Elias,
You have done a good job. Siye is not a hero by any means. He has to stand in front of justice for the crime he did when he was one of the senior officials of woyane government. Appology is not enough we need a justice.
Dear Ethiopians,
Seye was one of some of the top right hands of Meles. No question. He shouldn’t be called a”Hero”. He is rather a criminal who has blood on his hand. As a human being, we know power makes people blind and stupid. He has done many stupid things during his time. What do you expect from a person who was a guirella fighter and to become a Board of director for a big company like Ethiopian Air Lines?. I am sure seye was doing what meles was telling him. He knew what was wrong and right. But he never expected days like that ( being thrown in jail) were coming.He then realized that a lot of ethiopians were under the rule of this tyrant decator and what they had been doing was wrong. Till that time of being in jail, for him it was ”HULGIZE FASIKA.”and Ethiopia was a Heaven on Earth.
It is only when we get hungry that we appreciate any food is good, otherwise, we would be selective and we don’t even know the existence of hunger. The same is true to seye. He realized the suffering of ethiopians after he got off the jail where he had all the lesson missed while he was in power.
Finally, I agree with Every Ethiopians HE IS NOT A HERO. Because, he didn’t do any thing to save Ethiopia. But he can be a good lesson for others not to do things like this. And I my self would like the Diaspora to just give him a chance to tell us what he did and why.Every thing comes for those who wait.
Thanks.
Elias,
As much as I disagree with many of your points on other issues, I agree 120% with your point about Siye. He was part of TPLF and did many damages. Just because he went to jail and got released, it doesn’t make him a hero. He was one of the members of Meles’ regime. So you are more than correct on this issue.
Happy new year Ellias and other fellow critique providers and readers. I am from Gambella state but residing in the U.S.A.I am here to say this. The diaspora Ethiopians political arena should not be a dumper for garbages of Meles Zenawe.We should not give a name hero to anybody who was a servant under that ethnic and fascist regime if we know the meaning of hero. Hero is a title that should be given to a person who did his best to liberate his nation and people from the york of repression like Nelson Mandala,Martin Luther King and Gandhi. But these Wayane garbages, Seyae, and other escapees lawyers shouldn’t fullfil the hero content. Yet, some Ethiopians are they, themselves who are illitrates and stupid to give hero title to murderers and wayane agents after their defection. The diaspora Ethiopians need to have a behaviral change not to be used as a garbages dumper. To do so, we need to ask Seyae and others to sign an appology petition like CUD leaders shamful signatures to come out from Jail. I want Ellias and other Ethiopians to take this comment seriously and apply it on any escapee who want to have a meeting with diaspora Ethiopians. Now, you should make Seyae Abrah signs a petition for regret, apology and handfull blood cleaner and call all Ethiopian’s meeting. To forgive seyae, I think northern and central Ethiopian diaspora residents in washington DC alone are not enough but the southern, south western, west and Eastern ethiopians blood that been washed into Genale, Awash, Dedessa, Openo/Baro/ and Omo rivers should be count too.Please make appology petition available and sign before any diaspora Ethiopians meeting held by those former wayane agents or authorities including Seyae Abraha.
Thankyou!
Have a nice happy new year!
I always remember the first meeting of woyane in Africa Hall at the presence of Dr Asrat Woldeyes, who raised a question to Meles and Tamrat, chairing the meeting.
Dr. Asrat suggested that the Eritrean separation meeting to be held after a government is set up. He said that the then government was a temporary one with no mandate to rule the country and secede Eritrea from Ethiopia.
Seye, jumped out of his seat and said that the question raised by Professor Asrat Woldeyes was to damage ” the corner stone of that meeting”. He further asked the chairs not to entertain that question.
The meeting was adjurned by voting Eritrea to separate from Ethiopia. This was done by SEYE ABRAHA himself. ( I HAVE THE VIDO TAPE IN MY HAND FOR THIS MEETING )
“YEWOGA BERESA YETEWOGA AYRESAM” We all know who this individual is.
Now, let us hear if he apologizes for what he did in the past. Then we may support him to join Ethiopians in the diaspora and back at home. if not, we don’t need him any more. After all his time is gone and expired. He is an ordnary citizen now.
One day he will be accountable for all he did in the past together wth his P.M. Meles Zenawi.
There is one great saying “Bedero Bere Ayetaresem”. I cant believe people are willing to listen to a dictator who has been responsible for the death of thousands insolent lives less than a decade ago. I don’t think his apology or reconciliation would bring back the lives of our brothers who fought the most senseless war that has ever taken place in our world. I think he is FINISHED*.
Seye is not free man he is racist.I know him very well .He belived ethiopia under Tigray supermacy. He is one of known enemy to ethiopians .He is folower of sahel trety that signed b/n EPLF,TPLF AND OLF(today they call it ye chaka hege).He do not accept existance of other ethiopian.How could he become hero his is enemy and enemy of Ethiopia .He is equally responsible for all mess that happened during his power and position.
thank you Elias. when Siye arrived here it shows that the rule of law applies to all equaly here. did he came to support hr 2003? or face saving for his crime aginst 70000+ lives? what will be his motive this time? is he still carrying two flags? I still smell the blood of the innocents on his hand. he is no hero of mine. he is one of TPLF thugs who caused disasters in our mother land.
Elias, if Ethiopia and Africa can have a few reporters like you, by now all of those corrupt and power hungry politicians would have been in jails or out of power.
Siye, very interesting subject!
As most of you stated, Siye and his crew put the Oromo, Amhara, Adere and other ethinic group Ethiopians as a wave of canone folders during the Ethiopia-Eritrea war. Knowing that more than 70,000 innocent Ethiopians were perished due to the most despicable acts of such as Siye, a power hungry and the most racist of all, and now to call him a hero? What a shame. A call for Siye to apologize – is a call to let go any criminal with out any accountability and the consequences. Let say one criminal kills another innocent person, are we gone just accept the apology of that criminal and let him go free? Where is justice?
In conclusion, even if Siye apologizes (BTW: Tegrians are know for their double speaks and deceiving heart), are Ethiopians that naive and forgive this criminal. We might as well free those ex-derges who are put in jail by these same gang.
There is something that always astonishes me in the Ethiopian political tradition. Once you go to jail for what ever reason and you start to make it political, you get acclamation from fans who do not look into the gist issues. I have not known Seye Abraha for being anti TPLF. His issue rotates around Eritrea and Meles. As an old comrade-in-arm with wodi Zenawi and a former school mate, I have seen Seye being very sentimental at times. What we all heard about him is that he was a good fighter and commander in the struggle against the Derg’s regime.
However, post Derg Seye is a different creature. He has used his political influence and position in the current government to benefit himself and his close family members. For me Seye symbolized corruption and narrow nationalism. By all standards Meles is more democratic and less narrow nationalist than wodi Abraha. We all were in the struggle and Seye’s militaristic solution seeking to all problems does not resolve Ethiopian political problems. For him capturing Asmara and toppling Esays’s government was a vindictive move rather than a politically motivated strategy. Then what?!!
I have seen some change in Seye’s approach once he came out of prison. He is willing to talk and come closer to the public. His interviews were very candid and moving. He is trying to speak his mind. Is he doing this because he was a former member of the TPLF ruling clique or is is because the government is excericing democracy? Is Seye the new ambassador at will to try and domesticate the opposition or is he sincerely interested in fighting for democracy and justice. It would only be fair to listen to him and then pass judgement. I am not expecting any miracles to happen or hear something new. Is he the new face of the TPLF led government trying to salvage the tarnished image of the ruling circle or is he a visionary? All these quesitons need to be addressed once we listen to his presentation.
Let’s be critical but not totally sckeptic; let’s give him the audience and listen to what he has to say but not expect miracles; last but not list, let’s give all members of the opposition the benefit of the doubt before being dismissive.
I for one will go to this meeting though I think the entrance fee is still too aggressive. Who are the organizers and why are they charging such an incredible amount to listen to Seye? Let’s all be clear if that is a fund raiser?!!! What if it were Berhanu or Hailu Shawel or any other leading member of the EPRP? Can they officially criticize the current regime as Seye openly does and continue to leave in peace? I doubt it.
Ayte Siye may forget what he did to Ethiopia and the people of Ethiopia. But we never forget it, never ever. His long time friend Meles has set him free today. But tomorrow they will both be brought to justice. Ayte Siye does not have the moral ground to appear infront of Ethiopian and address them. In fact he has no moral ground to speak about any problem of Ethiopia when he is the one who planted and cultivated those problems. Ayte Siye Aynun bechewu tatbo nu simugn yibelen? Woy gud!!!!!
We know that Tagay Seye was the most bully ones of all Woyanes including Meles. He is, in fact responsible for Bedeno, Arsi and other crimes besides making our country land locked and dividing the country in ethinic lines.
Simply because Siye was jailed by Meles doesn’t warrant him a hero status. He is responsible for our 70,000 people perished in Ethio-Eritrea war in which he pushed mass of our citizens in to the trenches. What is the difference between Siye and Meles?? If Siye is a hero there is no reason why Meles could not be envisaged as a hero!
I think we have to listen what he has to say.
I have viewed all the opinions commented about ato siye.It is very nice to see “politicians” (if he is to be said so) from different angle both from their history and current opinions and view points and possible future directions as well.By this time ethiopians well know what we want though still starving for it.Whether he is trying to penetrate the public apparently and do the evil again or he already did understand what he commited before and is gonna regret and make some corrections(If he can)will be seen in the near future.To be rational enough even a criminal has the right to say and to speak of his opihion whether he/she regerets or is proud of what he/she did ,then the judjement follows we Ethiopian people (not the “politicains”)know how to judge rationaly and also know “yeneger akahed” very well …
In my opinion let us hear what he is gonna say and act accordingly with caution.Plus he might be the ladder to bring those people marginalized (because of the wrong deeds of the mafia leader and followers)because of irrational generalization.In my opinion the struggle for democracy should embrace all people of the country as much as possible.And finally the presenter of the critics ,I wanna ask you one question DO YOU BELIEVE ASSAB AND THE TERRITORIES upto MERSA FATIMA(if we use the so called colony map for bordering?)BELONGS TO ETHIOPIA OR NOT ?If not why? Coz i smell some sort of “eritreanism” from some of your opinions.
Selamun yamtalin,Biltsigina le ETHIOPIA
he is well experienced in politics…..he knows very well who EPRDF is…..so he helps a lot to free Ethiopia from EPRDF….so am really eager to hear from him his stands!!
Elias,
i agree with you that Seye is not a hero, had never been and will never be in the history of Ethiopia. His name will be remembered as a tyrant, narrow minded,mass murderer and an enemy of Ethiopians and Ethiopia.
we shall not expect any thing new from him. his staying in jail does not warrant him to recover the damage he has done. it is already done.
one thing is true, let us hear him and will judge him later with his known back ground.
thank you.
yigermal
01.02.08
My people what we foget is that Siye Abraha is human being , having said that, he deserve a second chance to corret his past.For siye to believe and to have done what he did , he was under differnt influence back in days-meaning when derg was bombarding tigray and among other things.My brothers and Sisters , as long as we don’t have a forgiving heart , a will to compromise, forgive and forget , we will continue to bucher one another. I for one think we should forgive siye, better yet bring him to the CUD; so he can give back to the people of Ethiopia. Siye is also the way to many Tigrian heart and minds. We all know what meless think he has a backing from – the Tigrayns.So lets us take his backings ; and reassure the people of Tigray that CUD is the Way ..Amesegenaleu.
“Eshohin be Eshoh” endilu, Melesn maswegeja lemefter enji, Siye bewunet ye100 amet tarik alat lemilat ager yitekmal biye alasebem.
Elias to inflamate the situation you brought the HERO word which no ethiowebsites has used to express Siye Abrha.They put a flyer just calling for a meeting.Dont’put word into their mouth.
Also you accuse him on Eritrean war with Ethiopia.There are so many cases to accuse him with like separating Eritrea from her motherland.I could not figure out why the war is your core issue.
Depspite whatever I think of him,I WILL LISTEN TO WHAT HE HAS TO SAY.
Seye could have been part of Ethiopia’s problem unknowingly or not, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a solution!!! He met a number of Ethiopians in Boston and he had promised to continue in the struggle to bring law and order in Ethiopia! He said that despite the bitterness of him being jailed by Meles, he actually will shake Meles’ hand if he opens up the political space and seeks a real dialogue!!
Elias ,
as I pointed out on my last comment, please as an EDITOR, post clear messages. The death toll amounted as a result of the war between the two countries was between 70,000 to 100,000 as most of the pubblications and media suggested.And these numbers were shared between the two countries ,Ethiopians alone did not loose 70,000 soldiers as stated in your posting. Although I dont want anyone to die whether Ethiopian or other, the facts should be conveyed properly. Let me quote this from your commentary “…Ato Siye has the blood of at least 70,000 poor young Ethiopians on his hand whom he callously sacrificed using an outdated military tactic known as human wave to overrun Eritrean trenches”. This contraddicts with the real facts. Of course he has to be held responsile for any crime he commited , on that I agree with you, but your comment holds him responsible also for the Eritrean side which is very insane.
On top of that , all the pro-Elias or anyone reading your analysis now has in mind that Siye killed 70,000 Ethiopians ,and this is because of your rushing to judgement and emotionality. I dont know that much about Siye ,but I know that the devastating war did damage our country because Siye or whoever.
It is interesting to see such a huge response on Siye Abraham. This indicates the Diaspora is interested in him before and after his arrest. The man will definitely add to the current dialogue of Ethiopia politic and historical perspective to Woyanes early history. Such perspective will add to the literature to the TPLF rise and continued domination of Ethiopia. Give him a chance and hear what he has to say.
Don’t forget that it is Siye who freed you from Derg
I can not admire enough the courageous journalistic stances the Ethiopian Review has taken recently to advance what I call genuine and educative trend both to the naive public and the “so-called free press”.
I keep saying,the so-called free press and any political group
or otherwise should begin to take a serious inventory of events surrounding our country’s unprecedented socio-economy and political crises perpetrated- implicative or otherwise- and caused by individuals and homegrown Ethiopia’s enemies should be brought to light every day and every day and every day until the message take root. Until one clearly and unequivocally, and , of course, narrowly defines Ethiopia’s enemies it is infinity to win our uphill battle with poorly informed and biased public. It is long over due to educate
one another about our arch enemies, although it is harder for some to face a challenge(s).Ethiopian Review seems to take constructive sense of directions to shed light on roles played by any free media.
I ask any one: If the press or any one for that matter does not take the Bull by the Horn now, when should that be?
My favorite Character
My favourite character was, and still is, a real person. He is Seeye Abraha, or Seeye – as I have always thought of him – though in the Ethiopian tradition his (Coptic) christian name should be taken as Abraha. On the other hand, he shares some bigger than life features with the fictional heroes of adventure writers such as Earnest Hemingway. Of course he is ruggedly handsome, one of my female colleagues fell for him in a big way, and he is – to a degree – charismatic as all leaders have to be. But, unusually for someone whose deeds deserve to enter into history, he is self-effacing. You will certainly never have heard of him, and few others ever have. Yet, if the truth was known, he was one of the great figures of the last quarter of the 20th century.
I never found out anything about his earlier background, though it must have been somewhat privileged, for – when my account starts – he was at university studying medicine. It was the 1970s, and the communist dictator, Mengistu Haile Mariam, had not too long previously ousted Haile Selassie; the Ras Tefera still beloved of the Rastefarians. The momentous decision, which Mengistu then made, had a sound Marxist pedigree; Mao Tse Tung had just done it as part of his Cultural Revolution. It was to send the university students out into the country to work on the farms. Mengistu was, however, to regret this when, after seventeen years of revolutionary war, they returned – at the head of a column of tanks.
As a student from the Tigray province, where the rebellion started, Seeye eventually joined the rebel army. He described how, with mounting apprehension as to what his future might be, he took his last drink as a ‘free man’, in a bar in Asmara, before setting off to war. In view of his training, and his almost pacifist convictions, he became a medical orderly. Like everyone else in the rag-tag army, though, his only possessions were a blanket and the Kalashnikov rifle which was the common currency of the times. For almost a decade he was to sleep in ditches or under hedges, but almost never under a roof, with this trusty weapon at his side. Indeed, it was soon realized by his superiors that he was much more adept with the weapon than he ever was with his medicine. Thus, from the humblest of beginnings, began his military career.
The army he had joined had no great resources at its command. Indeed, the story is told of how, at the beginning, it had just two shotguns and five Lee Enfield rifles. Against it was ranged the military might of the Derg, the communist government, and that in turn was backed by the overwhelming might of the Soviet government. Paradoxically, the rebels too were Marxist – but this counted for nothing with the Soviets, who pumped in massive amounts of military aid; including a complete air-force and literally thousands of tanks. It was for this reason that the TPLF, the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Force as they liked to be known, briefly flirted with Bulgaria – then a leper even amongst communist states – for the simple reason that it was the only other Marxist nation opposing Moscow!
The outcome was that, throughout the revolutionary war, they never received a single piece of military aid from the outside world. This contrasted with almost every other successful revolution; where, for example, the Taliban in Afghanistan were resourced by the US and the rebels in Southern Africa were supported by Cuba. As a result, every bit of the TPLF’s military equipment had to be captured from the Derg forces. Thanks to Seeye’s tactics, though, they were incredibly successful in this respect, and ended up with thousands of captured tanks under their control, so much so that the end of the war featured massive tank battles, and its warehouses were full of more munitions than they could ever use.
Even food aid was withheld from them by the Derg. All the food paid for by the Band Aid appeals went to support the Derg armies, since Mengistu was using the famine in Tigray – the home of the TPLF – as a military weapon. In the process he quite deliberately killed a million civilians, where the even worse drought of ten years later only resulted in the deaths of 8,000. As a result, the rebels had to carve, by hand, roads through the Simian highlands – which rise to 18,000 feet – for heavy lorries to bring in from Sudan what little aid they did receive. Even then the trucks could only run at night, where they were bombed by day.
The one piece of new technology which did transform their warfare, though, was CB – Citizen’s Band – radio; which they used, superbly well, to coordinate their attacks. Apart from that they had very little. They were famous for wearing plastic sandals, which were much cheaper than boots. Indeed, their symbol for the first anniversary after winning the war was a sandaled foot crushing a helmet!
They were an unusual army, though. Discipline was self-imposed. The troops didn’t even have uniforms, and foot drill was unheard of. More amazing still, for those many who think that obeying orders without question is a life and death necessity in an army, the cadres of troops chose what to do themselves. If they ever needed to storm a position, knowing that many would die, they took a vote on the decision; and then, without fail, stormed the position. They ended up, without it being imposed, as the best army in Africa, and one of the best in the world.
I think one policy, perhaps better than any other, demonstrates how idiosyncratic yet successful, they were. It concerned the fate of any troops captured in an action. These were given three choices:
1) Join the rebels, which some did and died fighting for the TPLF cause.
2) Leave the country, and go across the border to Sudan, which some also did.
At this point most of my listeners expect to hear a third choice which says “or die”. The actual offer was, though, very different:
3) Go home!
It was a very humane offer, which most of them took up. They were given a month of political indoctrination, which wasn’t brainwashing but simply an extended explanation of what the TPLF planned to do for the country, and then they were repatriated to their homes in Derg controlled territory.
It was, however, not just ethically admirable but very effective militarily, for the Derg immediately drafted them back into its army. This meant that in every battle, when the chips were down for the Derg troops, there was always somebody to say “Shall we surrender and go home?” Vast numbers of such troops surrendered in this way, bringing their invaluable equipment with them!
As the war progressed, Seeye gradually was promoted, until – as the 1980s dawned – he became the general in charge of military planning; and ultimately their war-time leader. This meant he no longer had to sleep in a ditch. Instead he and his staff were housed in bunkers dug into a 2,000 foot high cliff face in the north of the country. There, underground, they were safe from the air-force who – during daytime – bombed anything that moved; even the farmers had to harvest their crops at night. At night, though, the pilots could not fly, so the cliff face – lit up by the thousands of fluorescent lights from inside the man-made caves – reportedly looked just like Manhattan.
Inside their own cave, Seeye and Meles – who handled all the diplomatic contacts and after the war became the president – had their Spartan bedrooms and a library; for both of them never gave up the learning they had started together at university. Seeye also had his map room, with a vast table spread with the maps of Ethiopia, on which he planned their campaigns. The one which was still there at the end of the war still showed the vast, sweeping movements of their armies as they converged on Addis Abeba.
Above all, Seeye’s genius, which eventually made him the most successful general in the last quarter of the 20th century, was in strategy. Five years before the end of the war he even predicted, correctly, in exactly what month his army would roll into Addis. His greatest victory though, the one which should have been on the front pages around the world, but never was, was the final battle of Teodras.
I well remember the British Ambassador saying to Seeye how they had all been surprised by the sudden collapse of the Derg army in this battle. I remember even more clearly the explanation for his ignorance: “MI6 wouldn’t pay for us to send spies behind your lines…you know, businessmen or academics.” At the time I was just such an academic! Seeye patiently explained to him that the planning for that ‘sudden’ victory had started more than two years before the battle. They had then spent those two years building the supply lines they would need, and the intelligence sources that would support their efforts. This timescale was much longer than for almost any other battle in history, with the possible exception of D-Day.
The battle, when it came, was indeed on a monumental scale; especially when it was supposedly conducted by a rabble of a guerrilla force. In fact, by then the warfare was almost traditional in its scale. Indeed, at the heart of the battle was a conventional tank battle involving something like ten thousand tanks, split evenly between the two sides; possibly the largest tank battle since World War II. The quarter of a million highly trained troops under Seeye’s command were opposed by approaching a million Derg conscripts. However, the outcome was inevitable. The TPLF lost only ten thousand troops, where the Derg army was routed; and in that rout something like half a million of them perished.
Thus it was that the TPLF’s armoured column rolled into Addis Abeba, meeting almost no resistance. I well remember that, when at last the Western papers realized what was happening, they graphically described seeing a burnt out tank on the approach to the city. In fact, the tank was outside the palace, scarcely 300 yards from the Hilton Hotel where the journalists stayed put and patronized the bar, listening to the stories anyone offered them. This was why they, and we, knew so little about the war, and the exploits of Seeye were never acknowledged.
His genius did not end with that final victory. He stepped aside and let the more diplomatic Meles, who had been in touch with the leaders of the nations around the world throughout the war, take over as President. He even helped negotiate a generous peace settlement with the defeated Mengistu, who then fled to hide in Harare. He finally withdrew to become Minister of Defence, with his reduced army of 100,000 troops acting as a guardians of the new peace. Until the war with Eritrea, which he was called back from retirement to fight, his army only fought one major battle. This was against the US backed OLF, which tried to restart the civil war. This new war lasted just three weeks, after all he still had the best army in Africa and the OLF only had mercenaries.
Paradoxically, before the war between the countries, he had also negotiated the secession of Eritrea, the first ever such move in Africa. He had also masterminded the new government’s move from Marxism to social democracy, albeit on the pragmatic basis that this was more likely to put bread in the mouths of the near-starving peasants, and – with the new President – introduced genuinely democratic elections; which at last made them, or at least Meles, for Seeye still managed to hide in the shadows, the darlings of Western governments.
Simply, Siye Abrha should go back to jail. He is not a hero. Ethiopians needs to stop giving sympathy every time someone goes to jail. Some still give sympathy to Derg prisoners who are still in jail….guess what??….they all deserve it and they are all sitting at the right place.
Siye is a trojan horse sent to destroy the opposition from abroad.
“By the time we get done with our plan, the notion of so called Ethiopia will forever vanish” Dawit Yohannes at the London conference in 1991.
In no time of human history citizens of a nation presided over the dismemberment of their own state. The three most evil force (Geragn(Turks), Mussolini and Woyane) encompassing past and present, ever to be unleashed to the nation of Ethiopia. Collectively they share one common truism. Hatred for everything that is Ethiopian, thereby destroy all elements that constitute ETHIOPOIA all while Pelage its resource as long as it lasts.
No communist nation including the old Soviet Union ever adopted Stalin’s so called national question that professes independence except you guessed it, the self deprecating cadres of Woyane who championed Article 39. Even the notorious Paul Heinz commented in his book with total puzzlement of Meles violent insistence for Eritrea’s Independence(more than Isayas Afewrki) arguing instead of Ethiopia’s fiscal and security viability as a land locked nation. The ensuing war to fight over the scrap of lunar landscape of Tigray, after conceding the lion share of the nations territorial integrity is a mockery to the gallant martyrs of Adwa, of Dervish, of Mekdella. In this case, fallibility in man who is not immune to mistakes cannot be used to cover the evil intent to destroy a nation from within. As Joseph Campbell once defined heroism it is a selfless act like an expectant mother, who gives up her life to give a new life ie: her child. Woyane is an anti thesis of a hero, an illegitimate child who grew up to be a nation-killer.
History has thought us that bandits are partner in crime even of high treason, up until it is time to part their spoil. Every enemy of Ethiopia throughout her existence, have all been consumed by the very flame they started which was intended to destroy her. Do you remember the old chant right after the end of Mussolini’s occupation. Awaye Mussolini ! Awaye Mussolini!… Tesebabro Kere ende Japan Sini. By interchanging the semantic, we shall sing soon the end of this unfathomable enemy of Ethiopia.
Before granting the benefit of the doubt to any key players of this apocalyptic regime which was hatched by a self obsessed ethnic vile, they need to give a full repentance before GOD and the Ethiopian people. If Seye has anything to say, let him confess first the plot he and his friends concocted somewhere in the woods of Tigray/ Eritrea and implemented it since 1991. He needs to come clean with the Ethiopian people with full contrition and beg for forgiveness. By pledging to help Ethiopia in purging and prosecuting her mortal enemies by producing material evidence in prosecuting their crimes. Only then we may glance at his future plan if we have time.
Anything less, is to betray our nation along with them.
GOD SAVE ETHIOPIA
Siye is murderer. He killed so many innocent people. Under his command, professor Asrat woldeyes was thrown to jail until his death. who would forget all those crimes committed by this evil person.
former woyane/tplf gang, this is the guy who was robbing ethiopian people. this thug deserves life time prison without parole.
I cannot say Siye Abraha is a hero. Primarily, he was not struggling for the whole Ethiopian people. He disagreed on sharing with his collogues then finally threw to jail. Can we say such a person a hero? Let’s use the word on proper way.
ERMIAS (15),
LISTEN freind, I wasn’t here in the U.S. breathing nicely when Siye and his gang committed atrocities against Ethiopian people. I saw every thing.
Thank you! I some times agree with you!
Tintagu
Thanks ER. Siye is more of a villian than a saint. Ethiopia has a lot of heroes and heroines, Siye is not one of them. He oversaw and led the killings of thousands of innocent Ethiopians, esp during the 1991-95.
Aregu,
How convincing you look when you said,”… The death toll amounted as a result of the war between the two countries was between 70,000 to 100,000 as most of the publications and media suggested. And these numbers were shared between the two countries, Ethiopians alone did not loose 70,000 soldiers as stated in your posting…”
The death toll on the Ethiopian side – if you really want to know – is 123,000. This figure squarely belongs to the loss of the Ethiopian army. Eritrea on its part lost 19,000 soldiers. (To verify Eritrean loss check Awate.com – a strong critic of the Eritrean government) – In fact, there is a list of 19,000 Eritreans martyrs on Awate.com. So, don’t try to play with figures. Siye and the current leaders of Weyane know how many poor peasants they have sacrificed. Siye should be accountable for the death of 123,000 soldiers.
Hi Elias,
It is a good point for discission. How come one bloody criminal becomes a national hero for he was kept behind a bar due to power struggle with his boss, Meles?
It is a recent memory for Ethiopian people what he did. Imagine dear Ethiopians, What would we say, if Meles was incarcerated by somebody else becouse of power struggle and freed after certain years? Would he be a national hero or we would need him for justice in all opportunities for the crime he did?
Siye did series crime for our country and and people. To mention some
1)He is one of the authors ethno-centric politics in Ethiopia
2) He made with his freinds our country land locked.
3) He was one of the cooperators of the current regime for the unfair Ethio-Eritrea economic relationship before the war broke out.
4) He is responsible for killing of Addis Ababa University Students in 1985EC
5)He is also responsible for the killing of 70000 ethiopian military force due to Ethio-Eritrea conflict
6) He was one of the vanguard to design the current undictator and undemocratic regim.
We need a justice for this arrogant blood sucker not appology?