Prof. Mesfin Woldemariam says Woyanne is
not the enemy of Ethiopia
Professor Mesfin Woldemariam, who is currently in Washington DC representing Unity for Democracy and Justice Party (UDJ, said at a meeting today (Sunday afteroon) that “we should not call a ‘political opponent’ like Woyanne an enemy.” It’s like a Jewish professor asking Israelis not to call Hitler or the Nazi party their “enemy.”
In ridiculing those groups that have raised arms against Woyanne, Prof. Mesfin said at the meeting, which was held at the Marriott Hotel in Washington DC, that these organizations are sacrificing young Ethiopians just so that their leaders can come to power, arriving in Addis Ababa by plane.
Prof. Mesfin said that Woyanne will never give up power because 1) it has the blood of many innocent Ethiopians on its hands, and 2) it has amassed a great deal of wealth. Therefore, the professor explained, we must be able to forgive Woyanne for shedding the blood of innocent Ethiopians and that it needs to be allowed to keep the wealth it illegally amassed (plundered) if we want to see change in Ethiopia.
The professor was not done yet. He said we must be considerate to Woyanne. We have to try to understand the fears and concerns of the Meles gang.
Woyanne could not ever have done a better public relations job than what Prof. Mesfin did today to weaken the resolve of Ethiopians in the Diaspora against the fascist regime. He gave DLA Piper lobbysts and those Senators who are blocking H.R. 2003 a tool to use it against us. How is it possible now for the U.S. Senators to pass a law cutting aid to Woyanne when a prominent member of the opposition refuses to say that the Meles crime family is not the enemy of Ethiopia?
This is the very reason why Ethiopian Review wrote two weeks ago that the party Prof. Mesfin represents, UDJ, is a fake opposition party. UDJ is undermining the struggle by portraying Woyanne as a legitimate regime, at the same time campaigning against freedom fighters who are shooting back at Woyanne. UDJ turns out to be even worse than Beyene Petros’s UEDF. At least Dr Beyene never attacks other opposition parties as Prof. Mesfin continues to do in every opportunity he gets.
Prof. Mesfin is a great scholar in the field of geography and a genuine and respected human rights advocate. For that we hold him in high esteem. But it is clear that he has no clue about politics or how to bring about political change in Ethiopia. Even worse, with all due respect, he has unknowingly become a tool for Woyanne. Meles, Azeb and gang can stop paying DLA Piper $50,000 per month since they now have a much more effective lobbyist in the person of Prof. Mesfin who is providing a free service.
In the next several weeks, Prof. Mesfin will visit several cities in the U.S. repeating the same messages to Ethiopians in North America. Those of us who support the brave Ethiopians who are shedding their blood to remove the Woyanne cancer from Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa will just ignore him.
126 thoughts on ““Woyanne is not the enemy” – Prof. Mesfin Woldemariam”
I don’t get it. What happend to the proffessor? I have a big respect to him he did a lot to his country but now things are getting wrong. How could we let a government to go on while he confirms that woyane had a blood of innocent people and plunderd money of innocent Ethiopians.
I don’t see the logic.
Aye Abesha,
You all rush to critic without getting the substantive points made by the professor
Elias is doing his because of his bias of UDJ, don’t defame and respect the values of people. Lets develop TOLERANCE
Prof. Mesfein work hard to divided KINJIT even from India. Now he has got another mission.
#25 Good but….. says:
“the Shiek (is) phidophile” . Do you mean pedophile? Is this a public secret and/or knowledge?
I think we deserve to know! Please tell!
Dear EgoCentricMoron,
I agree with you that we Ethiopians are unique in our culture and in our behaviors, and some of our cultures are detrimental to our making business with the outside world.
For instance, I have observed correctly when I was young that if a metal-worker father’s son comes to play with us, we will call him “Yebiret ketikach Lij.” If he is the son of an animal-skin (a hide) tanning father, we will call him “Yekorbet fakie Lij.” If his father is a jar maker, we will call him “Yeshehila serie Lij.” If his father is a farmer, we will call him “Yegeberie Lij” or “Yafer-gefie Lij.” If his father is a priest, we will call him “Yekies Lij.” If his father is a medicine man, we will call him “Yemedihanit kemamie Lij” or “Yeasmategna Lij.” If his father is a black person, we will call him “Yebaria Lij.” We also have the culture of “Yulunta” that prevents us from telling our needs or wants to other people. Because of “Yulunta,” an Ethiopian gentle man hesitates to say that he is hungry even though he has nothing to eat in his house. These are some of our “twisted cultures” that need some changes, and it is hard for Professor Mesfin Woldemariam to work with some of us the children of the above occupations. Of course, “barinet” is not an occupation; it is rather a stigma given to another human being by some people who think their race is superior to any other race.
Even in our worship of God, we Ethiopian Orthodox Christians are different from some of the other Christians; for example, we never eat breakfast if we are going to Church on Sunday morning and especially if we are going to receive the Holy Communion. Why is that? Because it is our culture or tradition, and we can’t change it. If we try, the other Ethiopian society will condemn us.By the way, is there any connection between taking the Holy Communion with an empty stomach and between going to have a surgery without eating any food or drinking any water?
One of the good cultures we have is that we respect people, some times too much; we also give our first priority to education, and we believe in hard work, but we have to avoid our bad cultures, especially the “Yulunta.”
For for many reasons known only to me I decided not to be part of any political group or party and spent the the 4th of July week-end at home. It kills me to see so many money hungry bastards prfitting at the expenses of Ethiopa and its people. Pride, honor and dignity as we know them have become things of the past. Now reading your article on Professor Mesfin left me speechless. I refuse to accept your accusations of this distiguished scholar to be so careless to make such repulsive statement in public or in private. This, I have to hear it myself from the horse’s mouth. Rest assured that I will make sure to find out where his next stop is and be in the front seat to make sure I hear every single word he utters. Till then, please hands off the good professor.
Ethiopian Review seems to label every one that has a difference in opinion with their usual “hard line” of hate filled rehetoric even when it is people like Prof. Mesfin who have been in the trenches while the likes of Elias were in diapers. When are you going to give up your political diapers and grow into political manhood? Who do you think will pick up arms, fight and liberate Ethiopia, so that the likes of you can, as the professor says fly in (first class of course) to rule the Ethiopian people? From your own writings your genocidal intent against those you consider woyane etc are clear. For those of us who have seen enough bloodshed in our country and believe not one drop of blood needs to be shed, our ears are open when elders of our people like Prof. Mesfin speak.
Professor Mesfin has an outstanding knowledge of politics of all kinds; including domestic and international. The problem is, we don’t just take time to understand what he says and the mechanism of his thinking. People differ in the way they think and analyse the given situation from different perspective differntly. We must know that error in perception can lead us or will lead us to making mistake in our thinking.
We can defeat woyanaetplf if we think differently and stepping out of the old thinking and see the whole situation in such a way that we can achieve measurable results.
How about this: woyanaetplf is our political enemy? can we direct our attention to this specific senario or idea and build another idea so that we can arrive at a situation where we can gain success over our politica enemy?
Woyanaetoplf is an illegal organization ammasing a large amount of wealth and plays a game in the poliitics it thinks it can’t lose or thinks its opponents can’t defeat it. That is how woyanaetplf thinks, we guess; but, when there is politics, there is violence; as far as the politics of woyanaetoplf is concerned,it is a bad politics that they are in and playing init. So, can’t we change our way thinking and chalange the regime by thinking strategically; well, as long as we want measurable result leading us to victory over the woyanae regime, we must accept constructive ideas, openion, and defferent approach to different thinking henace, alligning our vision while doing things differenttly.
ETHIOPIAN REVIEW EQUAL TO AMERICAN FREE PRESS,ITS AMERIAN THING,ITS IN U.S ARCHIVE.ITS CALLED FREEDOM OF SPEACH,PRESS.
Prof. Mesfin Woldemariam is one of the pioneers of the Ethiopian peoples struggle for freedom for the past four decades. He has paid his dues through imprisonment, banishment, harrasment and dehumanization through three successive Ethiopian governments. However, the editors of Ethiopian Review, true to their “struggle”, born of comfort, in a posh office in VA, want nothing less than the single minded Derg-like, “support us or else” policy of demonizing all those who have opinions genuinely different than their party line – even when such opinions are generated by veterans like Mesfin Woldemariam. When will we ever learn to respect each others opinions without resorting to the cackles of redicule and disrespect?
In the last seventeen years Ethiopians from Tigray to Sidamo and from Ogaden to Gambela have tried all peaceful means of political struggle and engagement with TPLF/Woyane to bring about democratic governance and the rule of law. Unfortunately, TPLF/Woyane was (still is) unwilling to respect the will of the people and engage in peaceful political discourse. Ethiopians now are experiencing extreme form of tyranny, intimidation, imprisonment, torture, terror, and treachery. TPLF/Woyane as we see it now is increasingly and aggressively engaged in state sponsored terrorism against Ethiopia and Ethiopians including committing treasons of historical proportion.
According to the professor TPLF/Woyane has the blood of many Ethiopians in its hand and a lot of money. As a result Ethiopians don’t have the capability to defeat the TPLF/Woyane thugs. In other words, TPLF is very rich and invincible to be defeated. So Ethiopians should obey, beg, and hope for TPLF/Woyane to change.
The statement of Prof. Mesfin is the most ridiculous and unfortunate ever made by an individual that loves his country. I used to respect and like to hear what the professor had to say regarding our Country and the challenges we always have. But now, I have serious reservation about his intentions. According to the good professor Ethiopians should only use peaceful means of struggle. This includes:-
1. Even if Ethiopians are being terrorized, murdered, raped, and tortured every day.
2. Even if the Country is being disintegrated, undermined, torn, and divided every day.
3. Even if this method has proved (in the last seventeen years) to be the most ineffective and impotent method of struggle with TPLF/Woyane.
I have two possible explanations for this. First, psychologists say, people who have been abducted and tortured will start (unknowingly) to like and identify themselves with their abductors and torturers as soon as they are released. This is what they call the “Stockholm Syndrome”. Could this be that the professor is suffering from the “Stockholm Syndrome”? I suspect this because no one in his right mind would say what the professor said about the TPLF/Woyane being invincible or beyond the ability of Ethiopians to defeat their historical enemy and liberate themselves and their country. The second explanation is that the professor’s ability to understand, analyze, and interpret military history may be very limited. For one, TPLF/Woyane’s military might has never been proven. It fought and presumably won a leaderless, spent, unmotivated, and untrained army of the Derg. Nobody should take TPLF/Woyane seriously as invincible for this. Secondly, TPLF was unable to conclude a war even after loosing 70,000 citizens. These are not in any way proof of TPLF’s invincibility. To the contrary, these are evidences of weaknesses and short comings. The bottom line is, people that love life more than freedom should not deserve freedom and Ethiopians throughout their history loved freedom than life itself. They will fight and free themselves and their country no matter what and no matter whom!
Dear Contributors,
We all agreed with the idea that The Ethiopian people and friends people should work together to place Democracy and Freedom to our people. The problem comes how? Professor Mesfin (may be his party also) has chosen a way to give the current regime time and space to strategically change the minds of the gangs to think.
He pointed out two things:
1. They are killers and they know that if they leave their power peacefully, they will go to prison because of the crime they committed
2. They have money which is accumulated illegally. They can not use this money anywhere.
The strategy he followed is let’s give them a chance that they can be pardoned for ill deed they did if they peacefully and democratically transfer their power to the public.
When we hate them (The simplest thing in the world that every body can do it)they will become more fierce and terrorized. When a powerful person is terroized and full of fear he lose his mind… He do what makes him stay in power. This will worsen the sacrification of our people.
He, prof, is most worried about the smooth transition of power in Ethiopia. We should patiently think about the strategy very well. If you want to attck your enemy very easily, make him your friend.
I am very sad that the so called educated persons speak what ever they want and every body accept them when they speak with out logic but the thing that we know(owner poverty, our unity ,our love, and so on). Let us tell them who they are and what they know. For example let us take the current speech of the professor, it takes 1/3 of his speech before it stars his main speech. and also just hear what ever he said u can’t find a single word which is new.
At last for him and for others who look like him, i would like to hear music by Eyobe Mekonen “YKONEKA FELASEFA”
I think it is to his and other Ethiopians benefit that he releases a very good translation of all his speeches, and especially the ones he will be doing in North America in the recent future.
In my humble opinion, he had left a very important speech to Ethiopians any where. As much as I was puzzled about what he could have done to mend the Kinijit conflict and that I have a few points that I do not agree with him, he should not be harshly criticized on this speech.
-As a five years old boy who witnesses to the cruelty of Grazianne, he compared Woyanne as equally bad.
-As a champion for human right causes, peaceful struggle and a legitimate democratic computation, the way he interjected, “Woyanne is not an enemy” is in that sense. True, it did sound contradictory from what he defined Woyanne to be.
– In many ways and in several of his recollection of recent and distant past, it is very clear that he denounces what they do, but does not label them an “ENEMY”. A figure of speech or a “Scientific attitude’?. The next journalist who interviews him might have at ask him for clarity.
-Peaceful struggle had proved a result, though painfully, but armed struggle can not be ruled out for those who choose to follow that path. It is as much their right to struggle that way as would be for those who choose peaceful ways.
Elias;
I have few points to riase:
. Can’t you advance your philosophy of political change while loyally opposing/negating the professor’s idea?
. Going to the extent of ridiculing the professor with a phrase “… it is clear that he has no clue about politics…” shows how desperate you are.
. As the professor illuminates the facts on the ground, the hollowness of your bla bla would be exposed. That is why you are throwing every thing you can on him.
. The funny thing is your desperate attempt to divorce him from politics by repeatedly telling us about his field of specialization.
. If politics is run by political science students, I think Dr Taye Woldesemayat should take the driver’s sit. I know you are fierce enemy of him.
. Does your argument make exception to you (who is a journalist) or Dr Berhanu Nega (economist)?
. Please give the professor at least one tenth of the respect you have for President Esayas.
Shame on you Elias.
Dear Bloggers,
I am neither a politician nor a son of one. However, I appreciate those who can maintain their “integrity” as a politician. I have never met Prof. Mesfin but admired his controversial speeches and statements through the years. One of such was when EPRDF controlled the country in 1991, his plea was for peace and reconciliation. He recommended that a consortium of “shimagueles” (elders)representing every ethnic group in Ethiopia should form a provisional or transitional government. In the meantime the process of making peace was to start with the motto “yiqer le-Egzer” (forgive the person and let God deal with it). To me, a sincere Christian, this is a fascinating principle that I have advocated. Knowing the atheistic Marxist philosophy which the professor had espoused and propagated during the Dirgue reign, I could not take him at his word then. I thought it might have been for political expediency. But, I know it works for I have used that biblical principle in my work as as strategist for peace, justicce and reconciliation in southern Africa. The rest is history.
I personally respect the professor for who he is what he worth. He is a man of great intellect but may be lacking when it comes to moral integrity as we all may. Whatever he said should not be taken out of the context and blown out of proportion. I believe I have heard his speech in its entirety. Most of you have analized or synthesized it in as much as you understood. I may be biased by his former stances. What I understood from the speech is what the principle of peaceful struggle may require; i.e., that you must accept the person and work from where he stands in his thoughts. If you undermine the person, there is no room for any negotiation becuase you threaten his very existence. I do not think he is a messenger of the ruling party, sent to woo the Diaspora as some have suggested. He has passed that age. If he is, he will be making a big mistake and that defeats the purpose. Mind you, this is a man who singlehandedly (probably with others, as well) stood for human rights and abuses in the eve of transition in 1991. We should respect him for that, to say the least.
The other point, I beg to express is our conempt and disrespect for differences, seniority and intellegentia. Democratic virtues are all extract from the biblical priciples of justice, equality, freedom and unity. Diversity and unity are inseperable dichotomies. We cannot have true unity at the expense of diversity. In real world they should complement each other. Otherwise, there is no growth. Everything will be static or chaotic. Now in the process of building democracy in Ethiopia, there is bound to be made mistakes. Polititians, including Prof. Mesfins, Ato Meleses, Ato Eliases, etc., are human being that are liable to make mistake as well. The most important thing is to avoid making mistakes while working for the good of the people. But, if we do make mistake, it is “jegen-net” to admit our mistake publicly and apologize, correct and forgo. This is a good nugget that we lack our political and cultural menu.
The other thing is that all leaders are visionary. They may not see what their counterparts see. Ato Mesfin and Ato Meles see different pictures of Ethiopia and Ethiopians. They should be given a forum to discuss their differences and let democracy take its course. They do not need to kill each other. We should not allow that to happen becuase we need both, with their extreme views. It is up to the people to choose or not to choose. But God reigns with justice eternally.
Finally, it is my prayer that, as the professor said we should not let Ethiopia be a failed state taken over by ethnic or religious warlords. In this cosmomanic (I just coined the word for “global extremism”)world this can easily happen if we refuse to respect and accept each other. Let reason, rather than mere emotion, reign our thoughts and actions.
God bless Ethiopia and Africa.
Prof.Mesfin is just like John Mcain(Presumptive rep. nominee for U.S. president) both of them sometimes loose their minds, they dont know what they are saying and they dont know how to say it.Prof.Mesfin you should retire and do humaniterian job not poltics.
God bless Ethiopia.
It was a great and sincere speech by Professor Mesfin. It seems so many people are posting comments without even listening to the speech. It is sad to see so many of you in the diaspora waging war from the comforts of your homes in Europe and America. How many of you are actually willing to send your sons to fight in the war? How many of you will go directly to fight the woyannes? There is no point in talking the talk. The culture of bloodletting should stop in Ethiopia. Professor Mesfin is right – we need to renew our minds. Otherwise, we will never break out of the vicious cycle we are trapped in.
I agree with ER,UDJ has to stay away from critisizing others.I am afraid they are losing thier support.proffesor Mesefen:,with all due respect,just mind your business.we have the right to choose what form of struggle we follow.we are sick tired of African specially Ethiopian poleticians telling us they are better than the others.I call this an insult to our conciouse.
It is the right of the editor of ethiopianreview not to agree with what the respected professor had to say, but it is offensive and respectless to say the professor does not have any clue about politics.
ER/Elias,
I hope you will post this comment. I was in a big rush when I did my last post. This is lengthy comment, but Proffesor Mesfin will be doing more tour/speeches. He is political, but not viewed as a politician. As far as Geography as his field of expertise, his in put could be called for on the case of Ethiopia vs Woyanne, Ethiopia’s land to Sudan.
To promote and guard his party is one thing but to justify its existence at the cost of its former allies is not called for from him. Some of his comments over a period of time since his release had been irritating
-In regard to his speech relating to UDJP, his comment, “ ANDENET, THE ONE THAT REPLACED Kinijit” was not only irritatingly false, but also spoke how much Professor Mesfin might have played in what some people called, “the coup of the splinter” against what still continues to be Kinijit.
– It dismissed the 800 delegates who recently met in Addis as Kinijit representing an average of 4000 to 5000 Ethiopians from different Kilils and Zones.
– It dismissed thousands of Kinijt members out side of Ethiopia.
– He is also aware that Kinijit as it exists had taken Ethiopian Election Board to court to continue using the name and symbol.
-A a rising “politician” like W/t Birtukan Medekssa dismissed the existence of the original Kinijit after her vice presidency to the same was threatened, and declared, “Ethiopians know the real Kinijit” after several confusing attempt to be Kinijt’s president, and the splinter took an official name as Andenet.
– Ethiopians are watching how UDJP came into existence. Followers and supporters of this party might share similar values, but IT DID NOT REPLACE KINIJIT.. When some one like Proff. Mesfin says it, I wonder if he really believes that or segments of his speeches at times get contradictory exposing a different side of him.
– The emergence of UDJP emerged out of Kinijit ( although most of its members might still be the former short lived Kestedemena). ANDENET DID NOT REPLACE KINIJIT. Ginot 7 movement leader Dr. Birhanu put it as it is, “we evolved out of Kinijit”/ ‘ Ke Kinijit wustte niw ye wettanew.
-Another truth is, if there was a power struggle between current Kinijit president Engineer Hailu and Dr.Birhanu as Proff. Mesfin stated, the more obvious was, W/t Birtukan in power struggle to be president of Kinijt or in a short cut rush to replace Kinijit President Hailu Shawel.
-??? It is better that UDJP go forward in its own and the country’s affairs than be provocative in Kinijit vs UDJP in their speeches.
-He concluded his speech recalling a discussion on armed struggle with Ethiopians in the diaspora long time ago. If money left over from self care and /or indulgence ( as he put it) supports peaceful struggle like his own party Andenet and others, why not to armed struggle if one chooses to?. I think he over simplified “armed struggle” to the extent that he made a mockery of such choice. One of his concern on the subject was, “where do you get the people?.. you need willing people to fight”. True, but armed struggle should not be undermined (it already exists and the “soldiers/patriots” formed a front to resist and defend brutality, direct oppression on them selves and their families (including kidnapped wives, rape etc). It is more complex that it needs good research and debate from experts, eye witnesses and those Ethiopians who joined EPPF based on legitimate reasons for defense. Some of its members like Ato Mellkay Mengiste ( according to an interview to him in 2007), five members of his immediate family members were killed by Woyanne. What can you say to people like him who choose armed struggle?. Some Ethiopians including myself hesitate because the front operates out of Eritrea. The fact of the matter is that Woyanne itself came to power through armed struggle.
ERE TEWU
why is it that every time somebody says somthing that’s slightly out of line, we must react so violently and we ready ourselves to easily outcast such a decorated and experienced individuals. we must learn the art of discussion; the professor may or may not be wrong. he may have some good reasons why he’s saying what he’s saying. why dont’ we give such a person the benefit of the doubt and let him explain himself? instead of being ready to outcast every member of the opposition? If we don’t adopt such a culture of discussion, who are we gonna be left with to trust? should we start doubting ER for publishing such divisive commentaries on literally every member of the opposition? ERE TEWU
I can understand the fears of the Professor, but it should not be at the cost of poor Ethiopians who had given their life for their rights. One of those who had paid that preciouse cost is Professor Mesfin himself.
We are not going to forgive a brutal regime like Woyane, and leave them to continue their harrassing and brutally rule there must come a change by any means. The peaple is paying a high cost to secure his dignity, right , and rule of law.
This is not the first time that we are paying sacrifices and we will continue to do so. If not this regime will never give power in peace. They will go forth on weakening the country economically and politically. This is the objective of Woyanne.
God will save Ethiopia from being a desperate and disintegrated country.
ET_Truth,
Your comment might include my post as well. There are some accomplishments that honor Professor Mesfin. Society might have a tendency to view its heroes and idols to remain the way they were perceived, but that does not necessarily mean that, when that is not the case, we zip up. It is tough love to comment on people like Professor Mesfin if one views him as an exemplary citizen, leader and teacher. In my view, his best accomplishment is being founder of Ethiopian Human Right Council Organization. He had done some research on hunger etc that is also good.
I kept up with his interviews and speeches and some of the articles he wrote. He is best when he nails down what Woyannes are and the way he guards Ethiopia.
As far as internal politics, consistently, he had sent a message that generalize AEUP, pre Derg era mentality, and certain segment of society just by its very title of its members is bad. He gets provocative to the point that it works against him and thus the party he is trying to promote as its member. He is a controversial person and as a member of the committee under Derg that made a critical decision on the lives of so many with out trial can be recalled if he keeps saying every person with a title of the feudal era is oppressive and bad. He had said it during his interviews, as a lead speaker on the establishment of Andenet party, his speech in Boston etc. Why not just go with the new and convince people what is taking off in this present time, like Andenet.
He will be touring some more states, not only such comment will be redundant, but it will give him away too much and also breed some hostility instead of embracing the new party.
I read those comments, i found out that Tazabi Elias’s the best one.This is absolutly correct.I do not have to listen the entire speech.Prof Mesfin is need go to the nearest Hopital.I think he is confused and do not know what is talking about.Woyane is not emeny of Ethiopia?? Big mistake in big time.
Woyane(EPRDF)is not an enemy despite one says it is or it is not.Pls first let me ask you all commenters,,,ask ur self whether u like ur ethnic group or the whole ppl of ethiopia?,,,U blame EPRDF for his ethnic policy,,,but we all need for the power to be handed by somebody from our ethnic origin.The amhara wants amhara to get power,,,the oromo same,,and so on.I belive most of u hate EpRDF because it is not from your ethnic group,,,But this is not a fair attitude.Be free from bias and be Independent and judje EPRDF accordinglly.There are really undinayable facts that should be promoted during the time of EPRDF.so lets appritiate things to be appritiated and give comments on those that should be improved,,,If We LoVe OuR CoUNTry