By Yilma Bekele
Dear President Obama,
I am sure you do not have time to read my letter nonetheless it gives me a certain amount of release from the pain I am feeling and the little chance of this letter getting to you fills my soul with great amount of joy and hope. I am an Ethiopian immigrant currently living in California. I came to your country to go to college. I am always grateful to the American people in general and the citizens of the State of Oregon in particular that supported me in fulfilling my dream. Their graciousness in welcoming me and their generosity in helping me with financial aid to finish my education will stay in my heart forever.
Upon finishing my education I have become a productive member of society and hopefully contributed my share in making your nation a beacon of light for all of mankind. I have been blessed enough to get married to a beautiful person and raise a family. I am glad to claim I am the personification of the American dream come true. I am not writing you to ask a favor for myself but I want to tell you about the dire situation regarding the homeland I left behind a long time ago. I want to give you an idea about my country Ethiopia and the horror faced by my people in the year two thousand twelve as the rest of humanity thrives.
The source of this unbearable pain forced on my country is none other than the individual that shows up in every meeting the heads of the advanced industrialized countries attend to solve problems and plan the future. I am sure you have noticed him during picture sessions and dinner parties. He is the one who claims to represent Africa and is usually given the corner seat in the back to keep quiet and observe.
His name is Meles Zenawi and his title is chairman of TPLF party and Prime Minster of Ethiopia. He has been in power for the last twenty years. It is not that he was elected to that position since free democratic elections are not allowed but he has managed to organize sham election and rigged voting not once but five times in a row. I will tell you a few things to give you an idea of how he manages to do that.
1) Press: There is no free press in Ethiopia. There is only one local TV controlled by his party. The only radio-broadcasting unit is under his communications department. There are no independent newspapers in the country. The few that are allowed to exist are routinely harassed and their publishers and editors spend most of their time in his rubberstamp court. Today a few are in his dungeon accused of fabricated charges and plenty are forced out of the country. There is only one Internet provider and his outfit controls that. He uses Chinese technology to block any foreign TV or Radio broadcast and Internet sites. Your Voice of America broadcast is routinely jammed. Today there are more journalists and Independent Web sites outside the country than in our homeland. The Ethiopian people are kept in the dark by design.
2) Political Party and Civic organizations: The dictator does not allow real independent political parties. On paper there are over eighty political parties in the country, but they are all the creations of the dictator. The few that dare to organize independently are subjected to harassment, imprisonment and even murder. His claim that there are no worthy opposition parties is a cruel joke. In Ethiopia being an opposition party leader is a death wish. We have lost many worthy leaders in the last twenty years. Independent labor unions, civic organizations and non-government affiliated associations are not allowed. If they dare to organize they are brought under government control within a short time.
3) Administration: He has divided the country into what is known as Kilil. Kilil is a black version of Apartheid; the system the White South African set up to control black citizens. The individual appoints all Kilil administrators usually local lackeys for show purpose. His party and ethnic group controls the Army and Security service with all commanders’ hand picked from his ethnic group. Ninety nine percent of high-ranking military officials belong to the dictators ethnic group. The individual and his party inherited the dreaded Kebele system set up by the departing military dictatorship to control neighborhoods and enhanced its capability using modern means. Today the Kebele system is the eyes and ears of the TPLF party and is present in every household to terrorize and control.
4) Economy: All land belongs to the state. The Ethiopian people are sharecroppers. When he took power twenty years ago facilitated by your State Department he created a congramolate called EFFORT controlled by his ethnic group. All major confiscated business and property were given to EFFORT and today it is the premier corporation in the country involved in banking, transportation, manufacturing, import export and the hospitality business. EFFORT is bigger than Ethiopia. Unable to grow the economy, ill prepared to unleash the creative potential of his people the dictator is currently selling our fertile and virgin land to foreign investors. This is despite the billions of aid dollars given by your country and Western Europe and the billions more written off the book from the IMF and World Bank. His sole purpose is to stay in power by bullying and enrich his ethnic group, family and friends.
Dear Mr. President, you might think what a coward people we are to allow such and individual to do us so much harm and accept it with silence. That is not so. We were not always that docile. The simple explanation I can offer you is that he came on the scene at a very unfortunate time for us. The twenty years of military dictatorship has sapped our strength to fight back. We were caught at a time when in the name of socialism our people and country had gone thru a very traumatic process. Our moral compass was left in disarray. No one was willing to continue the self-inflicted agony we experienced. The current dictator also showed up carrying an olive branch that promised to form an all-inclusive government. Your State Department was the premier facilitator of such transfer of power from the Military to the new liberators.
Unfortunate for Ethiopia your country still is coddling and enabling the dictator. He is considered the front line in the fight against terrorism The Pentagon is pouring money and resources to train his army. He is given the green light to interfere in Somalia in the so-called war against terror. We pay the price. The US is not made safer with all the support given to the regime but the Ethiopian people are made insecure and hopeless. Today the Ethiopian people are migrating out of their homeland at an alarming rate. The young and able and the educated are leaving their country in search of a better tomorrow. Washington DC your capital is living proof of the flight of our people outwards.
We ask you to intervene and stop this human catastrophe. We believe it is the right thing to do. It is the moral thing to do. Ethiopian Americans were in the forefront of your campaign for the presidency. We were filled with hope that you will intercede and help our motherland enter the twenty first century with dignity. It has not happened. Your State Department never fails to record and publish the crimes of the Ethiopian regime. The annual report is a very alarming detailed testimony of the nature of the illegal regime and the crimes it commits against its own people. Thanks to Wikileaks we are made conscious of the terrorist acts of the security department’s involvement in setting up explosives on its own citizens and blaming the opposition. Your Ambassador was part of the cover up of this crime. It is wrong.
We would like to call your attention to the policy the US followed in the aftermath of the Second World War when it came to Europe. The US was instrumental in encouraging democratic forms of government. US aid was based on the rule of law. Sixty years later Europe enjoys the fruits of such progressive and forward-looking policy. We ask your administration follow the same principle when it comes to Africa. We deserve nothing less. We ask your administration stop coddling and enabling dictators, misfits and loathsome individuals from terrorizing their own people.
The Ethiopian people are faced with a sad dilemma. How could they fight back against a terrorist regime armed and supported by a big power like your country? It is not a fair fight by any stretch of imagination. They find it confusing that on one hand you preach democracy and human rights while on the other hand you furnish the weapons and facilitate loans from World Bank and the IMF to the their tormentor. Wouldn’t you say the US would have a lasting and worthy relationship with a strong and democratic Ethiopia rather than a country always on the verge of civil war and a pitiful hand stretched begging for food and medicine?
The Prime Minster is showing up at your dinner table next week. We all know he has nothing to contribute to such discussion. The country he has been leading for the last twenty years is beset with famine, double digit unemployment, runaway inflation and human misery in a large scale. He has no record to be proud of. He has no opposition to shame him. His presence at this gathering is unexplainable and undeserved. His single TV station and his sole Radio broadcast will present a different picture. They will use the occasion to bully the Ethiopian people. There is no other voice to set the record straight.
We wish you would UN invitee or dis invite him. We know that will not happen. On the other hand we ask you use the occasion to make it clear to him that your constituents are not happy with his actions. We wish that you explain to him US aid goes hand in hand with the existence of the rule of law and respect for human rights. The American people are blessed to have such a caring and honorable person as a leader. You lead a very honorable and generous nation that has stood with Ethiopia in its time of need. We ask you to step forward and do the right thing at this critical moment in our history. We ask you to think of the eighty million Ethiopians that are made to suffer because on man and his ethnic based party is enabled by your country and others to run amok and brutalize. History will not look kindly at such abdication of responsibility.
Dear Mr. President, we are aware of what happened to dictator Gaddafi. We are witnessing the unfolding human misery in Syria. That is what is waiting Ethiopia if the regime continues its maltreatment of its won citizens. That is what we are trying to avoid from happening in Ethiopia. You can help us.
Finally we are not asking you to fight our war. We are perfectly capable of doing the job ourselves. We are simply petitioning you not to stand with the dictator. Not to give him lethal aid and training to turn his fire on us. We know it is in your power to make a stop to this enabling activity. The children of Ezana, Tewodros, Yohanes, Minilik, Aba Jifar, Tona and many others are up to the task given the opportunity. We have taken care of our business for over three thousand years and there is no reason to think we will not rise up to the occasion now. Just give us a level playing field and Green Yellow and Red will fly high on our ancient mountains and fields.
P.S. We have a petition on line to be presented to your office along this letter. The Web address is as follows: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/obama-stop-monster-zenawi-invitation.html
38 thoughts on “A note to President Obama”
I am impressed my brother.i hope our president Barack Obama open his eyes to see beyond the self interest of the few but to see the suffering of Ethiopian by the hand of TPLF..
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/7/stop-forced-relocations-ethiopia/
Obama is an American president. why on earth do you think he would bother if poor Ethiopia goes down the drain. He has got his mercenary in the person of meles to carry out his orders by remote control. as long as you scratch my back i will scratch yours, that is the relationship betweem zenawi and obama. Kill as many somalis as he can and zenawi is ok as far as US are concerned.
You guys will always be in pain because you happen to collide head on with the truth all the time. The fact is Meles is an extra ordinary leader and most Ethiopians know it. Serious people including Obama also know that. And God also helps him as his intentions are good. You guys are manifesting the symptoms of hatred. You hate Meles first, then you hate Obama because he likes Meles and I am afraid that you might end up hating God because He helps Meles. May God help you regain your conscience. Amen !
Bel
No matter that this guy is a slave for the US interest than Ethiopias national interest,but it would have been worse if they assume that we dont know all this drama and besides they had some of his types in thord world countries but when the justice days come which can only be achieved by our own it wont take them a second to turn their Ak 47 straight on his head as if he was a brother of Bin laden.
I don’t really understand as to why foreign people like Yilma Bekele keep writing poems, songs, appeals, laments, etc. to the good American president brother Barack Obama who has done an unbelievable grand miracle and brought about a planetray paradigm shift simply by believing, planning, campaining, fighting and giving the American people the first black president in the first White House that rules the entire world.
The stark reality is that all of these lamenting, divided, weak and bickering Ethiopian oppositions will learn the hard way the fact that NO one from the outside icluding brother Obama is going to come and save thm from the shackles of dictatorship. Mark my word! Hence they need to get to the bottom things by themselves, revaluate their endless errors, construct believable and broad based viable unity within diversity and challenge the dictatorship both from the ground up as well as from the roof down to the ground.
Why should brother president Barack Obama risk the displeasure of his trusted regional ally(Zenawi)who is dirt rich both in cash and kind and can dig his bottomless pockets for some issues as well as enjoying top popularity among his high flying and fast moving shrewed lobbyists eating spicy lobisters and drinking barrels of the original Johny walker scotch whisky born in 1870 and still walking very strong and upright.
Yilma or even some hundred or thousand Yilma’s may say that they have dcontributed that and have contributed these sooo… much, but the stark reality is that Meles’s contribution is light years ahead to put it simply. As far as brother president Barck Obama is concerned he will keep Governing the USA and keep choosing trusted regional allies in power who also possess DEEP POCKETS and may help in financing modern rockets. On the other hand the brother president may also be flexible and change sides if a miraculous popular uprising may spring up within the twinkiling of an eye and washes away the dictator before any near and far away birds wake up, open their eyes and turn around as to know what exactly is going on, I mean just similar to that of the Tunisian revolution. Brother president made miracles himself aginst all odds and as such may not discount other miracles to be taking place here and there.
“The leaders we revere and the businesses that last are generally not the result of a narrow pursuit of popularity or personal advancement, but of devotion to some bigger purpose. That’s the hallmark of real success. The other trapping of success might be the by product of this larger mission, but it can’t be the central thing. ~Barack Obama. (Arizona State Commencement Speech, 2009) :)
Tizbit replies:
May 15th, 2012 at 11:17 PM
Way to go bro, reality, fact, and the holl truth
Thanks Yilma, I appreciate your contribution as always. Especially this one is well written.But the thing is Obama is aware of the monster’s deeds, but he is giving him his support anyways, because he thinks he got to loose nothing. If we want Obama to take us seriosly,we have to threaten him by saying, ” Why would we Africans vote for obama while he is polling around while he is polling around African dectators?”.This should be one of the slogans we need to carry during the demonstration next week. We have to partner with other Africans to give obama an ultimatum. Be has to either be with us or else….We shouldn’t let him play both ways. Bear in mind November election will be too tight.
I advise the opposition to go home and even join EPRDF to change the system and to contribute to the country’s future. Just writing all hate and negative does not help and in fact it will hurt the genuine opposition in Ethiopia .
Meles is dictator and he violates individuals’ human right, that is a fact but so are the Chinense leaders. Many believe that he is doing better than the previous governments and many current african governments in-terms of building infrastructure and attracting foreign capital to Ethiopia. I am not saying that development and democracy are mutually exclusive. But my worry is the opposition is more undemocratic than the woyane regime. Let’s not forget that Mele’s EPRDF is a more progressive political party as compared to the opposition in-terms of addressing the needs of the minority races( other than tigre and amhara), for the poor, minority religions( islam , johava, pente..),the gay community and so and so on. Simply opposing every thing woyane does is nothing but hatred and jealousy.
Shetaye replies:
May 12th, 2012 at 10:31 AM
Ato Lema, You are one a heck of a confused individual when it comes to the reality of present day Ethiopian politics.
You said ” EPRDF is a more progressive political party as compared to the opposition in-terms of addressing the needs of the minority races( other than tigre and amhara), for the poor, minority religions( islam , johava, pente..),the gay community and so and so on.”
You just insulted the whole Ethiopian people from A to Z. Whether you did it on purpose to annoy every one and the opposition or you did it unknowingly what you said is ridiculous and childish in the eyes of any educated and adult person.
You are saying EPRDF is addressing the needs of the Tigre and Amhara population plus everyone else in the country including the gay community. You must have copied and pasted this phrase from stories about other countries. Otherwise I don’t even spend a minute more to explain to you how and why your comment is simply nonsense and rubbish.
If you are advising others to go and join the EPRDF you must be already a member of it and with your kind of view you can survive until they fall miserably by the Ethiopian people. Your eyes are very much shut that they can not even see the revolt by the people you labelled as satisfied. So pinch yourself and wake up from your sleep.
Lema replies:
May 12th, 2012 at 7:11 PM
Ato Shetaye,
you are another typical what I call professional anti-woyane -you just oppose and hate.
Tale me if Ethiopian Muslims are not better off with woyane:
1.woyane allowed sharia law for the first time in Ethiopia
2.Musloms were allowwed to pray in Meskel Square for the forst time under woyane.
3.Orthodox church used to be the sole beneficiary of direct government budgetary support before woyane but now that is over and all religions are treated the same…….
I never said that Muslims have got everything they wanted, that is exactly why they are peacefully struggling inside Ethiopia,but in my opinion woyane has put Ethiopia in a better trajectory than the narrow minded opposition can imagine.
I can also mention hundred reasons that Oromos or other minorities are better off under this government which you as a blind opposition will not understand . Rather than evolving with time, the Ethiopian opposition is stuck in the Derg and Haillesillasei era mind set and reflects only the interest of one race(amhara) and one religion (orthodox/christian) group.
My friend you are in your own little world-probably in DC mingling with old minded professinal anti-woyanes, waging a losing cyber war.
Shetaye replies:
May 13th, 2012 at 3:12 PM
First of all Shetaye is not really a guy’s name in Ethiopia. It is another good example of what I said in my previous comment that you have no idea about Ethiopian names leave alone the politics.
Secondly, I am not a moslem, but I have no doubt that the Ethiopian Moslems are not happy with the policies of the TPLF government. If you were following the news there are millions of Moslems protesting against its policies. And if you are also following the news the government’s response to that was killing them. Therefore, whether you agree or disagree, believe it or not, the Ethiopian Moslem brothers and sisters are not happy with the government and infact they are angry. It is true they were not treated equally before but it does not mean they have to accept more mistreatment by this TPLF government now. Your logic does not work here. I am not representing any ethnic or religious group, I am talking as an Ethiopian, so don’t play your dirty politics with me.
And also I would like to remind you that I know the Oromo movement a little bit more than you do. Again the population was subjected to various forms of exploitation and more, but the fact of the matter is that they are suffering, the jails are filled with Oromo opposition individuals, their lands are snatched and the people killed now under this Govenment. Your logic does not work here either. They do not have to suffer under any government. You can not tell them because they were not treated fairly before it is ok to be treated in a different form of discrimination and imprisonment now
Finally I don’t live in DC and I am not trapped under any kind of intellectual enslavement like you do. I am a free, independent thinking Ethiopian woman who does not accept any form of mistreatment and injustice of any one on this planet including my own people. I am not sure if you get paid for this kind of wrong defense you are trying to make out but you are in the wrong camp. The camp you are defending is violating human rights and the rule of law.
Alula replies:
May 14th, 2012 at 8:21 AM
Shetaye,
You are too emotional; You do not even respect other people’s opinion. This guy is not insulting anyone. I do not agree the suggestion of joing EPRDF from him. How would one join a polilical entity thatis totally divorced from the people by itself.
The other thing, because of Chinese are dictators; we do not have to have dictators. But even accepting the dictatorship, if this dictator at least had any love for the country, we could say we can negoiate and bring slow change by educating and influencing. However, these are hell bent traitors who renew their betrayal every year. It is unthinkeable for partiotic Ethiopians to join such an antiEthiopian regime.
On the other hand, I do agree Ethiopian oppositions are as undemocratic as that of TPLF itself. Therefore Gulcha bikeyayere wet ayataftim. You are not allowed even to have different opinion. I think this has to do with the Ethiopian culture. Everyone is right in his or her own eyes. No one is wrong. In such culture there is no feasibility of democracy no matter who comes to the palace and that is what is prolonging the suffering of Ethiopians. Oppositions can not even sit and exchange oppositions together. You can understand this from the articles on the website that is what we have. Prof. Almariam is accusing Meles for famine that occured during Haileslassie? how is that going to help Ethiopia? Why would be Meles accused for somebody else’s crime? why? what is the merit? who is going to buy that lie and defamation? are the Ferenjis stupids who will absorb Prof. Almariams lies and hate politics of accusing Meles for everything from the past, present and future. Our people has lost their track.
Shetaye replies:
May 15th, 2012 at 9:35 AM
Alula, I could be too emotional thanks for the criticism. But the main issue in Lema’s comment of everyone almost all minorities from Oromos, Somalis, Moslems etc etc are getting equal and democratic treatment under this government is completely wrong.
And this Article is not Prof. Al’s article so there is no point of discussing it further. But one thing we should remember is that the TPLF committed a very serious and unforgivable crime against its own people of Tigray which it claims to defend. We all know the uproar over the selling of sand to Charity organizations in-order to get money for arms. They deliberately prevented the aid organizations to deliver food by creating security problems so that they can sell sand. As I said a lot can be said and let us leave it here.
Individual people have a right to express their opposition to any body’s comment specially those ones that support the government. You have a right to oppose and criticize the opposition. But I have never seen any writing by an opposition organization or heard a speech that sounds undemocratic. As you are well aware of, being undemocratic and killing and imprisoning are worst than not agreeing with.
If someone writes here like Lema did and tells me the TPLF dominated government is democratic and the people of Ethiopia are happy and equally treated, of-course one should expect a vigorous opposition to that notion.
Jegnaw replies:
May 13th, 2012 at 6:48 PM
Lema,
About what country are you talking about? Ethiopia or some imaginary country in another galaxy? or you are one confused woyanne.
“let is not forget Melese’s EPRDF is a more progressive political party as compared to the opposition” That is a lie cos the opposition party is not in power for us to judge if they are progressive or not.
you are just one payed woyanne cadre like EZANA,nothing you say is credible cos your woyannes have lost your moral compass from inception.
well Mr.Darwin you now you want talk about Evolution.”rather than evolving with time” we believe in revolution rather than Evolution like the animal TPLF.you have evolved to be animal rather than a good Stewart of our nation Ethiopia.
My brother,these letters,demonstrations in front of every major government building has been done since their arrival from the jungle. Don’t expect President obama to give freedom to Ethiopia. The ultimate deciders about our freedom are We,Ethiopians ourselves. Our people is at the edge of a potential uprising that would be very dangerous when we think of the enemy’s potential. But peoples’ power is very big ( remember the story of Goliath and David) or in our own version (Goliad ena Dawit) those who have the power of truth and above all The Almighty God will win. We shall organize ouselves,strengthen our spirits and lead our people with all necessary means. I believe both city ambush and organized army are key to our siccess. Our enemy has to feel the death of their families as we do, they should die themselves. Let us start now. There are ortganized cells in Addis and other major cities that are waiting for the right time. you will see the fruits.
Let Us Unite.
My brother,these letters,demonstrations in front of every major government building has been done since their arrival from the jungle. Don’t expect President obama to give freedom to Ethiopia. The ultimate deciders about our freedom are We,Ethiopians ourselves. Our people is at the edge of a potential uprising that would be very dangerous when we think of the enemy’s potential. But peoples’ power is very big ( remember the story of Goliath and David) or in our own version (Goliad ena Dawit) those who have the power of truth and above all The Almighty God will win. We shall organize ouselves,strengthen our spirits and lead our people with all necessary means. I believe both city ambush and organized army are key to our siccess. Our enemy has to feel the death of their families as we do, they should die themselves. Let us start now. There are ortganized cells in Addis and other major cities that are waiting for the right time. you will see the fruits.
Let Us Unite.
Thanks a lot Obo Yilma. I am sure President Obama will cringe when he shakes hands with this murderer. He knows the crimes of this ruthless PM Meles Zenawi. Woe to the mothers of those young boys and girls who were gunned in a broad day light just because they protested a rigged election in 2005!!! Woe to the fathers and mothers who were made target practice even though they had nothing to do with the demonstration!!! Woe to those toddlers who never saw their murdered parents coming back to them that fateful day!!! Woe to the mothers whose eyes have dried up of their tears crying out for justice all these years!!!!
This killer is so eloquent alright!!! John Wayne Gacy knew how to talk!!! Ted Bundy was so skillful in communicating with others in a charming way just as this killer PM Meles. The difference is Ted and John did not have the chance to be top level public officials. Thank God for that!!! I am afraid that when this thug extend his hands to shake hands with President Obama, he is extending his blood-drenched hands to the leader of the most democratic and powerful nation of today’s world!!! Dear My President!!! When you gaze at this guy across the desk on your meeting day, you are looking at a reincarnated Ted Bundy who possesses the most powerful army in the Horn of Africa. The blood of those 196 innocent people who were gunned down in cold blood by the order of this ruthless PM are screaming out loud at you for nothing else but due justice!!! I understand your predicament facing you fighting a more dangerous terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda. That is what he is smartly exploiting. In the long run he is not worth it. And he has the blood of innocent people on his hands!!! I did not make this up. It is in the State Department archives. You may also hear the same from those members of the inquiry commission he himself set up to investigate the killings. They had told the truth and nothing but the truth but they had to run for their lives for doing so!!! I am sure they will be very happy to tell you the truth nothing but the truth about the killings along with the whole story of the time. Dear My President!!! Nowadays you can’t even report of court proceedings in Ethiopia and if you do you will be slapped with heavy fine and lengthy incarceration!!! Mind You, My President, that all those reporters who reported on the current John Edwards trial would be heavily fined and thrown into jails for 8 months or longer in PM Meles Zenawi’s Ethiopia!!! Or at least they will be harassed and threatened with their lives until they are forced to flee their country. And such victims are found living everywhere and they can attest to my claim. Someone has to tell this guy to shape up and I strongly believe the Good Ole’ USA has enormous capabilities to do just that.
Thank you Yilma for re-minding Obama.
Yes it’s High Time to raise some noise and ask the proverbial question:
Mr Obama, are you with us ( the Good side) or are you with the Dark side ( the evil)?
Today Africans boldly see evil in the eye and unafraid. Mr Obama if you are the leader of the pack in the American experiment of so-called true democracy, have the wisdom, the insight and The foresight to fight evil with passion when you see one – specially Zenawi of Ethiopia / certified murderer / who is among the invited guests at Camp David in this election year.
Mr Obama be aware also if you go against democracy and the good interest of the Ethiopian people / it’s the law of nature that what goes around comes around / and will haunt your reelection chances in November.
History will absolve Ethiopia but not the dark side.
Please read and reread Yilma’s friendly note and pay Heed.
A friend won’t let a friend go to The Dark Side.
Every one should do their bit to expose, isolate the fascist dictator meles and to inform the international community about the crimes committed by meles and his stooges on a grand scale on the Ethiopian people. Yilma is doing his bit in the way he thinks and suits him, and that is very fine. we applaud his efforts.
Ultimately, it falls down on all of us to bring about change to improve the lives of our people. we have to take action, however small, to help the people to break the shackles of ethno-fascism. More than anything else we have to rely on our own abilities. america will only stand for its own interest, not ours!
Simple help: Dear Brother Yilma, you forgot to tell president Obama how many articles you have written so far condemning Meles and how many demonstrations you have joined in US. This would have added some value to your request.
My brothers and sisters finally I found someone who can draft a good letter for all of us to write to Meles asking him to resign. Ato Yilma is an excellent writer I like it very very much. I am proud he is from my country. Now if he writes a good letter for us to Meles and if he gets it soon and resigns we will all have a good sleep.
The next struggle will be focusing at his wife asking her to resign.
As I said on another comment somewhere else my only concern is if there is democracy in Ethiopia I have no chance of getting elected because of my eyes. I am hoping there will be some type of flexibility for people like me.
By the way my brothers and sisters, I need your advice on how to roast an egg. Last night I was browsing Ethiopian Review and I put a couple of eggs in the oven and few minutes later they both exploded destroying the oven and they were the last ones I had.
I am sorry for bothering you about this but some of you have been abroad for a long time and you must know.
Thank you for reading my comment.
My crystal ball , intuition, feels that all hell is about to break out in Ethiopia Soon. It seems Ethiopia is late for another uprising. We saw the first April 2001; a second in may 2005…. the next is going to be the storm of the century …
Fezaza
you killed me one more time.
next time read the manual i am sure you are talking about your micro weave not your oven.
Fezaza-that is the dumbest and smartest thing i have heard in a long time..
keep it up bro…
99.6 percent of our population is a living-dead in woyane time -no human right, no food, no land no country, no.. no. so guys, why we shoudn’t die doing noble things and with dignity?
while MELESS the TYRANT AND MR. GOOD FOR NOTHING(OBAMA) dine AMERICAN STYLE IN camp DAVID, LET’S ORGANIZE PROTESTS in Ethiopian cities for government change.
or even better, let’s attack and terrorize (woyane style) institutions owned by or affiliated with the regime (SHERATON ADDIS, CIVIL SERVICE COLLEGE, ABA DIABILOS’ SANCTUARY … ETC)
I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WILL BE HEAVY CASUALITIES AND SUFFERINGS, BUT WE HAVE TO PAY THE PRICE FOR OUR LATENT ACTIONS IN THE PAST.
THIS IS WOYANE STYLE OF CHANGING THE GOVERNMENT.
IF YOU AGREE LET’S START ASAP. IF NOT LAMENT AND DIE SLOWLY, BRO.
Dear Yilma,
I honestly do not understand why you guys are begging freedom from Obama? It is hard to believe honestly. It appears most of our people do not know how the world runs. The world is not run according to Amnesty internationar or other media discoura. Our ancestors never begged freedom from anyone.
Now we, our generation is addicted to begging evertything? we beg food, condom, clothe, shoes, medicine, high tech products or anything. We are like we are very disabled people who need support. Even to my surprise, I found a blind person on the streets one day who was wading through traffics. The blind was wading through busy traffic line. He started to talking to me when I was crossing with him. I did not know he was blind. He did not have dog or any aid to help him walk through traffic. This was in cape town. The man is 100% confident. He never he was blind to my suprise. I would he was much more safe than me when wading through the traffic. We started chatting. He told me he is a member of parliament in the Cape Town. He was a licensed Lawyer and he works in the Cape Town Justice Ministry branch. He told me his vision and the project he was working on. He told me he wanted to change the entire South African Justice system. He went on telling me how he lives. He is a black South African who came from a very poor family. Now he lives all alone in his own apartment in Cape Town. He does not have a maid or a house worker. He cleans his apartment himself. He cooks himself. He do laundry himself. He does everything himself. I is not capable of doing any normal person can do. He does actually above any normal person. He is extremely fast and fastidious and extremely judicioius and extremely disciplined. I have never meet a person of such high quality in my entire life. He went to his house. We had lunch in his house and the food he cooks is Yammy and extremely delicious and extremely healthy natural food. He did not get charity to study. He worked and paid for his education himself. He is a rare man. His dream is to make South Africa the best place forevery one who lives in it. He is human; he has no any negative on people of different race or ethnic. He is just positive. I despised myself after knowing him.
I see now we Ethiopians are all disabled. We have ears; but we are deaf. We have eyes; but we are blind and even there are blinds like the one I mentioned. But our blinds is rare that is not found anywhere. We have tongue that say so much but does so little or none.
In the past 20 years;I have been following up protests or toytoying, picketing at the white house or House of Commons Down town London. I am still watching things repeating themselves evern today. Here we go brother Yilma himself begging Obama to give him freedom on a golden plate and diaspora politicians are busy doing the same thing? It is so bad we have no anymore any self esteem and dignity and integrity. We have become all of us beggars one way or the other. Those who are leading the country are beggars and they even give away national assets to multinational corporates for little money just to send their children to Oxford University while 91 million people are starving to death and living a stone age rustic lives.
I cannot how I must say; I want to tell you my people, all Ethiopians. If you do not free yourself, no Obama or any foreign president will give you freedom. Obama is in his office and he has little power to change anything. He is in office to give America a face lift from the Bush administration many political mistakes. He is not there to help Africa or Africans. American policies are not planned daily or hourly or even yearly like Meles Zenawis. American policies are drawn at least 10 or more years ahead and American draw policies even 30 years ahead to maintain their status quo.
What I am saying, Americans are after their interest; they do not care about anyone. For instance, American government and British government refused to offer help for dying Ethiopians in 1984. They eve opposed to facilitate the delivery of money raised by live aid by Bob Geldof. Most of the money eventually ended up in TPLF hand because Bog Geldof and others could not get the money to those who need it.
This is to say; the majority of Ethiopians have no clue how this world is run and they think democracy is real. I wish it was real. But democracy is about business. You can see democratic countries praising Meles and even applauding him. It is not becaus it is real Meles is good for Ethiopian? It is because it is good for all of them. Meles is giving away Ethiopia like a cheap pie almost at no cost for free. They call it for for Mehala which means for free. You have heard what the Indian corporate leader said in his interview? he said,” when we took the land, we did not even see it. We did not pay anything. We will not pay anything except small money to the Ethiopian goverment. We have no contract or force to do anything that do our business. This land has never been farmed since God created it. It is Green gold.” this is all what he said. All foreign corporates or governments are trying to their best to get their share of the pie Meles is doling out. Obama or his administration is not different. Actually American govenment and American corporates are working very hard to take over the Ethiopian Commercial bank, Ethiopian Telecom, Ethiopian Airlines, Ethiopian Insurance Company and other big Ethiopian national assets. City bank of New York is bribing Ethiopian officials to seduce them to hand the commercial bank of Ethiopia in the name of revamping the banking system. If you have heard, if Meles is bribed with enough money; he is willing to give anything. Commercial business, be it demostic or exptraite license is given by Meles. Apparently there is no law in Ethiopia. The law is Meles and if you have connection with Meles you will get any deal at any rate. Every foreign governemnt is trying to get its pie of the deal. As such I would never believe any foreign agency or government would bring change or give freedom to Ethiopians. I would not never beg anyone to give freedom. I do not believe because Mr. Yilma wrote letter to Obama, USA will change its policy. Meles will be used as much as he can be used, not based on the interest of Ethiopia or Ethiopians but based on the interest of USA. No matter what, first is USA interest. Even American democracy does not give priority to non-USA interest. American democracy commands USA interest first and it is floolish toytoy at white house for 20 years. I am sure; they themselves must be tired seeing such toytoy. I think Ethiopians we do not know what we are doing.
Jegnaw replies:
May 13th, 2012 at 5:10 PM
mr.geazaee
How do you feel about armed struggle.taking down those people who are looting Ethiopia,selling our women to Arabs and giving our land to Sudan,evicting Amara’s from there land,taking the land from Welkait tegede and forcing there women to marry Tigress,and all those who benefited on the misery of other Ethiopian. what should we do with them ?should we declare war on them? tell us about that…
and you told us you will never return to this website again about a week or so ago and what happened?
Thanks.
Hey you Yilma!!!
What did I say in my last comment? I gave everyone here to shut up and that was a standing order during our Most Revered PM Zenawi’s trip to the USA. Now I am finding out now that you lack cognitive reading skills. But we are so advanced in reading your minds way ahead even before you start thinking that our competent judge change the sentencing date of your friends. But don’t worry they will have their days in court and will be treated to the fullest extent of the current law. And don’t forget that we are destined to play the leadership roles in every affairs of the country. We took that role not because it is there but it lawfully belongs to us.
But Ato Yilma!!! Why such a potentially productive person like you just goes out on a lam wasting all his energy just for no reason? Why? You can be a productive servant of our people if you choose. And they will be so generous in making sure you are rewarded commensurate with your service. There will be nothing you have to worry about material wise and you will be capable of supporting so many of your countrymen. Just look at our Comrade-In-Arms Ato Solomon Tekalign. He is living a dignified and clean life loved by our people. All you have to do is keep your mouth zipped and avoid these miscreants wondering around in cities all over the West. They are remnants of those losers who we kicked their ass in fair fights. Our Dear Leader PM Meles and our glorious countrymen are magnanimous people. If you ask for forgiveness they will pardon you. I can guarantee you that!!! Come come Ato Yilma!!! Then you and I can forge an alliance to serve them wholeheartedly. It is all worth it!!!!!
Jegnaw replies:
May 13th, 2012 at 5:16 PM
Tekle
the little termite..
you know what we do to termite like you and your banda family? fumigate them out of our house Ethiopia.
we will get read of all The termite from Ethiopia soon…
Tekle replies:
May 13th, 2012 at 10:30 PM
Ato Jegnaw!!
After so many exchanges between two of us lately, I came to realize that, if given the chance, you and I can work together for the good of our people. All we have to do is get together and have a civilized discussion on the current situation back home. I am 100% sure that you will agree with me after you hear the facts on the ground back home. And I can arrange a trip for you so you can go there and see them yourself. All expenses paid. The payment will come out of my pocket. Is that a deal? It sounds that someone has been taking you for a long ride telling you stories tinged with bigotry. And that sin. So what do you say?
Jegnaw replies:
May 14th, 2012 at 7:01 AM
Tekle the little termite
dud there is no amount of money in this world will make me change how i think about termite like you and the banda family you came from. all i think about day a night is how we are going to fumigate you from Ethiopia period.so my little termite don’t even think we can work together.hell don’t worry working together we cant live in the same country together period.
Tekle replies:
May 15th, 2012 at 11:30 AM
Jegnaw!!!
I admire your guts. You seem to be worthy of a camaraderie. I used to be just like you. I used to like going out with few peers to protest all the time. But that changed years ago. Slowly but absolutely I came to realize how all these groups in the Diaspora hate me because of who I am. I also came to realize that I was wasting my valuable time shouting and screaming fruitless slogans. If I continue that way I would end up with nothing, nothing to fall back on when I retire and they will be nothing valuable that I can leave behind for my children if something happens to me. Now I am all set and have nothing to worry about. I happened to me, for me and it can happen to you, for you too. Just look at Comrade Artist Solomon Tekalign. Do you see him hustling his cd’s lately? Or sing his lungs out to make a few bucks to eke out a living? Those days are gone baby, gone for good!!! It is not stealing or robbing. It is the capitalist way!!! The people of our country will enable you to earn it the old fashioned way!!! They will generously reward you. And you won’t be alone. There are hundreds of us here among the Diaspora. Think about it!!! Otherwise I told you to shut up before and I am giving you the same order again. Shut up and that is a permanent order!!!
Boy life is good and I have hunka-hunka burning love for my life and the people of my country for being so very generous to me!!!!
kkkkkkkkkkk, Fezazeza, you are really fezaza. How come you do not know when you put an egg in a microwave, it does not explod. Anyway, that is one way of learning. That is how I knew it. Do you know NitroToluene? it is TNT inside the egg. It is like bomb,you are one step to start making a bomb. Try it more with more eggs, you will see what is happening.
Here is a comment by Meghan Daum of Los Angeles times under the head line OBAMA,OUT OF PLACE, Thursday May 10,2012.
” To many who were feverishly devoted to Obama’s candidacy four tears ago, what was most exciting wasn’t just the idea that American voters could elect a black man. It was the idea that we could elect-and be represented by-someone who was unapologetically intellectual.But in the current political climate, intellectual can too often equal ineffectual. Thanks to a system that’s broken by partisanship and pandering to the lowest common denominator, being in politics-even being the president-may have less to do with holding your ground than holding your nose.”
Yes folks, the whole thing stinks!
FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS IN ETHIOPIA!!!!
You guys,
why do you focus on this Camp David thing and forget the protests at home that are spreading fast ?
America might have invited Meles to divert our attention from the protests in Ethiopia. Let us not be distracted. Lets help to intensify the protests in Ethiopia.
Of course America invited Meles also to smear our country’s name and stereotype us and to benefit America at our expense.
If people decide to go to the demonstration at least the slogans should mainly target the US,and not Meles.
Slogans like,
USA, keep your food aid and your stooge Meles away from Ethiopia
Ethiopia is a great country, dont smear it
Ethiopia has no food problem, Ethiopia has an American problem
USA, take care of 50 million hungry Americans first etc
Mr.Yelma Bekele, I am sorry I cannot say what others say to you: thank you. There is a reason as to why I don’t give thanks for your piece. Prior to this I personally don’t know you; I never met you before.Therefore, I ask you not to take my response personal, am simply after your opinion. I (take it you know very well that Washington’s foreign policy is crafted by interest groups. I am sure, like many of your country men, you are well acquainted that right and left, conservative, and liberal, and republican or democrat paradigm does not exist. Hence, the two party system is exists to reassure and serve the continuity of the interest of the very few elite.
Mr.Melese’s handlers know very well about the character and ruthless method of his rule. One of the reasons they continue to work with him, among other things, is because there are not other contenders who will replace him. To be contenders, that mean, the opposition camp must work hard, must rectify our ways, learn to set high standard, this may mean some of us more than others need to build our confidence; we need to believe the Ethiopian people are capable of mastering their destiny. And that we need to make the motto “We the people of Ethiopia can do it “the guiding principle of the struggle.
We know the, not because they are in love with him but for other consideration, west is reluctant to remove melese, why do we continue to beg and protest about against their policy? We can judge from our dealings with them in the past, and owing his unique and anti nationalist stand we can infer that he is their preferred candidate that is suited to accommodate their best interest. If this is assessment make sense why do we Ethiopians continue to beg that things be otherwise? Would it not be appropriate to learn from our past and craft a strategy based on the confidence of the bed rock constituency of the people of Ethiopia. We really need to be very careful about our letting down of the moral of our people. They never ask the Diaspora to lead them to victory it is to be noted many of we the Diaspora are the ones we believed democratic transition is possible. We are the one who preached to the people of Ethiopia we can solve the problem. I am sure had we from the start told the people to come up with their own solution tend to believe may be by now they could have sought one.
Finally, to compose a piece of letter is to have a conversation with people. The Ethiopian political problem has been around twenty years now.Still, many of us we don’t have a clue how to go about solving it. Yet we keep talking than to put a plan of action. But why is such our case? Is it because there is conspiracy amongst us? Why do we continue to do something that failed to work? The people are ready for another spontaneous change. Yet we want to turn history’s wheel backwards. How deplorable! How disgusting is our case! Just because one has the ability to express opinion in English does not suggest this individuals are committed, or free from pretence, or care at all for the whole thing.
THANK YOU YILMA.
My greate admiration to Yilma, let the President know what Ethiopians do know. If millions of Ethiopian Americans and other Africans Americans are expacted to vote for democrats, as ussual let us divert from it. Let us incline towards librals or to Republicans, we’v got nothing to loose. For us it is the better of the two evels. Wether Democrats or Republicans claiming the power, Africa is the last thing in their Agenda. We don’t mater, and we dont count. It is sad, but that is how it is, and we have to say it loud and clear.