Dr Berhanu Nega and Ato Daniel Assefa at a press
conference today in Virginia [photo: Dereje Getachew, Clear Photo]
Addis Ababa Mayor-Elect Dr Berhanu Nega and colleagues gave a press conference on Wednesday at the Ethiopian Television Network’s studio in Virginia where they announced the formation of a new Ethiopian political organization named “Ginbot 7 Movement for Justice, Liberty and Democracy.” The group’s web site, ginbot7.org, was also introduced at the press conference.
Dr Berhanu Nega said at the press conference that “there is a limit to people’s patience.”
“We are not going to beg Meles and Sebhat anymore. We are going to push back.”
Representatives of several media, including the VOA, DW, EriTV, Oromo Community Radio, Addis Dimts, Ethiopian Review, EMF, and Hibret Radio, were present to ask questions.
In a stern tone, Dr Berhanu said the people of Ethiopia will never allow an unelected government to rule over them any more. He repeated this message several times through out the press conference.
As far as elaborating Ginbot 7’s methods of struggle, Dr Berhanu said it’s not going to be wise to discuss the details, but all means that are available will be used by the people of Ethiopia to protect themselves from the Meles regime’s brutal rule.
This coming weekend, Ethiopian Review, in collaboration with the other media, will try to interview Ato Andargachew Tsige and other members of Ginbot 7 Movement who were unable to participate in today’s press conference due to technical proglems.
15 thoughts on “‘There is a limit to people’s patience’ – Dr Berhanu Nega”
It is a delicious idea. My problem is, how are we going to settle the concern of those who are fighting to untie themselves from ethiopian empire’s bondage.
Are we going to wage another battle to resolve that problem , or have they already agreed on how to settle that difference?
As an Oromo, I will certinly have a problem with any “freedom” that would be handed out to me by anyone group or entity.
The only freedom I will be happy with is the one that I get by my own sacrifice. The kind of freedom that I think would allow me to decide whether I would be happy to be labeled ” an ethiopian”, or want to decide my own destiny.
If there is a force out there that is working on my behalf to twist my arm in to accepting what it thinks is good for me, I would gladly like to inform that force that I am neither ready nor willing to bow to that pressure.
Dibaba, You sound more like a woyane cadre than a true Oromo.
Dibaba,
LOL, we have been around long enough to know where you are coming from. Freedom is Freedom wherever it comes from.
It is a good start. Let’s dismantle the bondage of woyane occupation.
Dabala
I appreciete your comments and we support it,There will be no peace until the will of Oromo and Ogaden nations are respected,and i hope one day might come that we might hear or see,The oromo countries side by side with Ogaden country and also I hope a good luck our neighbor country of Ethiopia.
Dear Dibaba. If you think rhetoric of freedom fighters of the sixties is the panacea, please learn from Zimbabwe. Did it deliver? it only revealed the true intention of such leaders. Don’t try to push us through that door. Let us give the chance to the new door that is trying to open.
Let us walk the talk with determination to pay the ultimate sacrifice for liberty, justice, democracy and prosperity in a united Ethiopia in diversity. We must settle for nothing less than a government of the people, by the people and for the people in a strong, democratic and sovereign Ethiopia where universal human rights shall be truly respected and protected by law administered by independent judiciary.
Let us earn our liberty and freedom through our resolve and united struggle to put an end to the puppet ruling party TPLF/EPRDF under the tyrant Meles Zenawi.
I pledge my support for the noble Movement!!
Robele Ababya
Dabala,
I think you got it wrong. The message of all Ethiopians and freedom fighters like Dr. Berhanu is clear: ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL. ALL MEN HAVE RIGHTS THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO THEM BY THEIR CREATOR. LET THESE RIGHTS BE RESPECTED. That is the message. Do not think people are trying to create new human rights for you. You already have them but the regime in Ethiopia does not want to respect them. So, what is wrong in forming a union to force the regime respect our rights to be ruled by the choice of our own. You said “as an Oromo, you will have problems with any ‘freedom’ that would be handed out to you by anyone group or entity”. I think you should have not said “as an Oromo” because, as an Oromo, I disagree with you. If you do not want any group to “give” you freedom, as you said, it is your problem. Your words imply that you still want to live more years in oppression under Woyane because you do not want any group to respect your rights. I believe everyone knows what he/she wants. That is your choice. But, that is not the chioce of Ethiopians. We want our freedom respected! We want our rights respected not by one group, but by all groups for that matter!
My short message to Deabala, I think everybody knows that you are a paid TPLF cadre to do this kind of Job.
Finally, our dreams and aspiration may come true.I can not take the Weyane junta any more.Alas at last.
“LET FREEDOM RING”from the mountain of Shewa to the desert of afar.”LET FREEDOM RING”
It is a noble idea. I don’t believe in this fake “non-violent struggle” fantasy. The westerners injects this kind of struggle once they crsh every aspirations of humanity at gun point. It is wise to be non-violent if the other side believes in discussion and mutual understanding. If not what is the option? To be a kid who cries foul every minute, while spreading mucus on his face?
Challenging the ethiopian government by force is the only option Ethiopians possess. The question is how can we trust Berhanu Nega who at one point diminishes the appropriate oromo peoples’ struggle to a joke. Later he said he understood the Oromo peoples’ situation after he went to jail. Ha ha–ha. The burden of proving he was wrong is on his shoulder.
I agree with Robele Idia that is the way.
Obbo Daballa, well said. Those who professed to be democratic and assured us that the Empire will not be ruled again by the reminants of the old feudal “rezerajis” (their words) are the ones who are terrorizing our people. The Tigrean thugs promised to have a just and democratic Ethiopia prior to their ascendance to power in Shagger/Finfinnee. Once they’ve achieve the total control of the state apparatus, they picked fights with OLF and all other stake-holders in the Empire!
The only liberation that is going to be meaingful for the subject peoples of the Empire is the one they acquire through a long protracted armed struggle as most oppressed nations/nationalities have done elsewhere! The Beranu Negas of the world could not even manage CUD to make it a strong and viable force against the Tigrean thugs! So I have no confidence in any of the Ethiopian orgnizations whether they’re political or temporal!
The struggle of the Oromo Nation will continue for the generations to come! Time is not the essence, it is the vigilance and perseverance of the Oromo people that will determine the consequence.
Dumessa Diimaa
We shall fight for freedom,
live for love
struggle for peace
till the end of time,
for we ,belive in the almighty lord
vow to die for his holly land
Never shall Cowardice
fill our hearts
Fesh burning, bood shade nor breaking bones
allow them hurt no more
touch tiny hair strand
To the end rise up,
fight to the end
Let peace and prospherity
spread up on the land!
ONE LOVE ETHIOPIA
I like Dr. Nega. I am very glad he is alive. I assure him that the TPLF does not go away without a heavy handed force. That takes a lot of organizational and political work. I want every Ethiopians to real be more realistic than ever before that the TPLF had abundant accesses to the masses of Ethiopia than any body else at this moment. We must be able to reach to our people in the country sides. Otherwise victory against this government will be elusive forever.
Sine 2005 the government has been working its butt off in the countryside at least to appear to the people it has been standing for their interests. The innocent peasants do believe the government whole heatedly and they want to keep them on power.
We have failed to defend against the armies of TPLF in the cities during the 2005 because we did not have people with us from the countryside as much as we needed them. Even though they were jolted off power chairs in some small towns in rural Ethiopia. The urbanites and the Addis , Gonder, Harar and Nakemte elites must be able to go back to their roots and organize people and rise up to demand for their rights. I believe then and only then we could succeed in getting the Tigayan power out of the seat of government. That is what the peasants of Tigray did for TPLF and EPLF. They gave them ideas and they gave them advise and propaganda. People took to the jungles and came to Addis to topple Megistus government. All southern fronts failed to achieve that politically as well as militarily. They were buried alive with their Banners on their shoulders. Since then their supporters remind leaderless. It is true and sad history. It is a great historical shame of the people of the south including Addis Ababa.
The main opposition fighters gave great military and political opportunities by fighting within the organizations and killing their leaders such as Telote of Tigray and Baro Tumsa of Oromia. These organizations which turned against each other never survived at all. They almost went to extinctions while the TPLF and EPLF grew bolder and stronger. Even Megistu did give them great chances by killing his own brilliant military leaders and political rivals. Because of those internal fights among the
the southern elites the Tigrayans and Eritreans won the military campaigns and came to Addis Ababa to make every one surrender to their wishes. When they had made sure they had what they wanted they order
Assaults against those weak and dying military fronts and nabbed their leaders and their military wings
Within a very short time. Strong opposition became just a mere dream and Melse joked if he was going to be challenged by remote controlled movements from foreign countries. We must not repeat those grave mistakes again and let them have great parties at their respective palaces in Addis Abab and Asmara.
The two northern elites from Adawa and Asmara are joking at all of us because they have strong grips of the countryside as well as the cities’ population. Unless we change the minds of the populace in the country sides there will not be any ways to dislodge those leaders of tyranny from their powers.
You were there; you had seen it while you were mere 22 years old. Melese never stopped playing the wiz boy from Wingate boarding School ever since he went to Tigray in 1976. He will do anything to win the Dibdib game as he used to do that while he was in Asfaw Wase Hall in Arat Killo, believe me.
So. I say focus on the country sides and peasant population. Then and only then you could win the battles in the cities. The cities have been organized and well versed in politics well over the five decades, now we need to work hard to change the outlooks of our southern people in the country sides.
Especially the national and nationalities have developed hate towards other major nations such as Oromos and Amharas. Your organizations must be able to disprove the propaganda of the current government against those nations. Melese want to play a number and mind games always. That has been his actions since he took the power seat. He betrays without hesitations and he lies without blinking and thinking twice.
We must stop his selfish games against the minds of the oppressed of Ethiopia southern Ethiopia.
I sometimes feel that The Tigrayans in power just crossed the Abay River to the south with their guns two decades ago; they think as if they were people from Europe who came to conquer and pocketing of wealthy without accountabilities. What a greed for power and of course for money and wealth/ Welcome to the modern era of Atse Melese of Aiwa! His roaming army stretching to every corner of the Empire.
“Liji asadig biye
Lam itebik biye
Misten astakafkut ihite nat biye.”
Hoping to keep my cattle; willing to save my children; I let my wife raped by roaming soldiers.”
You people need to stop calling Ethiopia an “empire” Most countries in the world are formed by empire or colonialism. The “word” empire is used to make ethiopia illegitimate but what country in Africa is more ligitamate then ethiopia? The other countrys are not nation states but old colonies containing many ethnic group. To the OLF and other self determinisms, stop this tactic because its been corny for 40 years.
By the way Ethiopia needs a “popular” revolution to remove woyane.