By Selam Beyene, Ph.D.
Meles Zenawi was awarded an MA degree in Business Administration by the Open University in 1995, and an MSc in Economics by Erasmus University in 2004, while perpetrating egregious crimes against humanity. Rumors abound now he has given orders to scholars in the country to provide feedback on a thesis that he is working on for an advanced diploma in tandem with his relentless efforts to promote a policy of genocide by mass starvation [1], and to suppress basic human rights through systematic imprisonment, harassment and killings of innocent civilians [2].
Although dictators are generally known for the extreme measures they take to project a false impression of grandeur and to disguise their crimes and inferiority complex through absurd propaganda, Zenawi’s obsession with the ivory tower as a cover for his vices has no parallel in the annals of despots in power. It might come as a surprise that a leader of a country like Ethiopia, which is in the lowest ranks with respect to every conceivable measure of human development, could make time for advanced study. However, time is no constraint for an autocrat, who has no allegiance to the country he rules, who does not abide by any laws, and who subjects the constitution to the service of his selfish interest and those of his cronies.
Institutions of higher learning may not be held accountable for future actions of their graduates. However, it is contrary to reason for a university to claim it upholds the principles of fairness and justice while consciously admitting to its programs of study tyrants and despots with proven records of human rights violations and crimes against humanity.
Ironically, a stated mission of the Open University, one of Zenawi’s preferred institutions of erudition, is to promote “educational opportunity and social justice” [3]. His other alma mater, Erasmus University, declares that its “… driving forces are academic curiosity, critical reflection and social engagement”[4].
The lofty ideals of these universities are in sharp contradiction to their decisions to have an association with a despot with well-established records of anti-academic and anti-intellectual campaigns, which include the suppression of freedom of speech and other fundamental rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The world first witnessed Zenawi’s viciousness against the academic establishment when in January of 1993 he ordered his police to shoot and mutilate hundreds of Addis Ababa University students for peacefully exercising their freedom of expression. Subsequently, Zenawi fired over 42 professors from the same university when the academics expressed opposition to the brutal force the dictator used against the students. On April 18, 2001 Zenawi’s special forces police opened fire on a peaceful protest organized by students of the university, and killed at least 41 people and wounded hundreds [5]. More recently, in the aftermath of his infamous defeat in the May 2005 elections, Zenawi unleashed his special forces to mow down 193 unarmed civilians, and sent thousands of university students to concentration camps [6].
Since he assumed power, Zenawi has used economic deprivation as a tool of repression, and has subjected the vast majority of the people to immeasurable suffering. As the following facts suggest, no dictator in history has so blatantly and effectively utilized mass starvation for the purpose of propagating authoritarian rule to the same degree as Zenawi has done so.
According to a July 28, 2003 report of the New York Times, in 2003 more than 12 million Ethiopians were at risk of starvation, half of those children under 15.
Based on a recent report of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), eight million Ethiopians are chronically food insecure and at least 3.4 million Ethiopians are in need of emergency food relief.
The Centre for Research on Globalization disclosed that several million people in the most prosperous agricultural regions have been driven into starvation [7].
On June 23, 2008, the Boston Globe reported: “People have become so desperate for food that they are eating seeds that were meant for their next harvest. 4.5 million Ethiopians are in need right now”[8].
Meanwhile, Zenawi has taken effective measures to perpetuate the famine for political ends, i.e., to penalize ethnic and political groups that did not vote for him, and to send a macabre message to others who may dare challenge his authoritarian rule in the future.
Remarkably, in a March 18, 2008, address to his rubber-stamp parliament, he unabashedly denied the veracity of drought-related deaths [http://www.mcclatchydc.com/226/v-print/story/39021.html].
Recently, he ordered his Deputy Prime Minister to denounce reports of the current famine [10].
According to the June 13, 2008 issue of The Economist, “he has banned photographs of the starving and has told field workers not to give information to foreign journalists”.
As the Edinburgh Evening News (26th July 2008) correctly observed: “The catastrophe is not an accident of nature. The squalor and folly of the Addis Ababa regime needs to be corrected.”
On the political front, Zenawi has virtually incapacitated opposition parties with brazen use of torture and imprisonment.
Following his defeat in the May 2005 elections, he incarcerated leaders of the opposition and clung to power illegally[11].
As recently as last April, he conducted sham elections, excluding viable opposition through systematic intimidation, harassment and coercion. According to a Human Rights Watch report, candidates allied with his party were allowed to “… run unopposed in the vast majority of constituencies across Ethiopia. Local ruling party officials systematically targeted opposition candidates for violence, intimidation, and other human rights abuses since the registration period began. Particularly in areas with established opposition support, local officials arbitrarily detained opposition candidates, searched their property without warrant, and in some cases physically assaulted them”[12].
With regard to crimes against humanity, the charges leveled against Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic by the International Court of Justice pale in comparison to the crimes committed by Zenawi against the various ethnic groups in Ethiopia:
In the Gambella area, the Anuaks have been subjected to a government-sponsored genocide, and many more have been displaced from their homes [13].
In the Ogaden region, Zenawi has committed war crimes, burning homes and property, and firing upon and killing fleeing civilians [14, 15, 16, 17].
In other regions, including Oromia and Amhara, Zenawi has been waging covert and overt attacks against the inhabitants creating an atmosphere of siege and terror [18].
Zenawi has suppressed freedom of speech and the press, while giving a deceptive impression of an open society to the outside world.
In a recent report, the Committee to Protect Journalists found Ethiopia at the top of a list of 10 countries where press freedom has deteriorated over the past five years [19].
The present incarceration of Tewodros Kassahun (a.k.a. Teddy Afro) on trumped up charges is a glaring example of the policy of the dictator to stifle the voices of musicians and singers from reflecting the misery of the people [20].
John Dewey once wrote: “When men think and believe in one set of symbols and act in ways which are contrary to their professed and conscious ideas, confusion and insincerity are bound to result.” Thus, it is a travesty of scholarship for an institution of higher learning, that professes social justice, to open its doors to despots and tyrants with crimes so egregious as those committed by Zenawi. Irrespective of the source, the money the tyrants pay to these institutions for their diplomas is money tainted with the blood, sweat and tears of millions of helpless people. The credentials these institutions bestow upon the tyrants are potent weapons used to legitimize the authoritarian rules of the despots and to perpetuate their regimes through terror and repression.
– – – – – – – –
The writer can be reached at [email protected]
Copies of this article are sent to:
1) Professor Brenda Gourley, Vice-Chancellor, The Open University
(http://www.open.ac.uk/vice-chancellor/Contacts.html)
2) Dr. A van Rossum, Chairman, Supervisory Board, Erasmus University
([email protected])
8 thoughts on “The travesty of scholarship and Zenawi’s crimes”
Hey i don’t know from where do you get your information but last year when he was asked by Steven on hard talk about his highest education he himself replied that he dropped out from Addis Ababa university. I don’t understand your point how come you are claiming some thing that he denied unless it is a smear propaganda to cover up for his incompetence. You can still listen on the net the interview that he made with Steven Sakur of hard talk. ” hundred of lies can’t a single true” For those who are scholars they now what it takes. you got to earn respect and knowledge you just can’t buy it. With a brain that has been rotten with chat,alcohol,hate for at list 20 years and old edge it will be an up hill battle even to earn his first degree let alone masters but i will give him credit for his fantasy.
An excellent analysis of the situation. Zenawi did not like intellectuals to lead the country but he wants himself to “intellectual” by showing a bought up diploma. He should have first learned before attempting to lead a couintry. Still it is not late to leave the power to those able intellectual-leaders.
Dr. Selam,
I believe this is the third article I read by you. They are well written. Thanks. I don’t know what you think about Open U (UK). My take is that its operations in Ethiopia go beyond the bounds of an academic institution. In other words, it is political. Open U seems to be doling out diplomas to TPLF leaders in a way that compromises its credentials. I had read hinted somewhere that there are no proper controls in place (similar to PM Meles’s dissertation) and that corruption is rampant. I think someone who has access to information within Ethiopia should bring to light those shady practices.
Guys,
We might hate the Man but his intellectual capacity could be as great as Selam, Ph.D. Do not mix hate with the reality. In today’s Ethiopia, we have over 20 public universities and 100 colleges, and over 50 private university colleges. This is not enough but we need to buil on this to make sure that the service is equitable and better quality.
Hope Ethiopian elites will come out of hate, and engaged constructively.. you do not need to engage with Meles’ government but engage with your fellow constructively no matter who is in power. Because we know TPLF will not be there for ever but get our ideas together to help Ethiopia rather than exchange hate and distructive views of the world.
Happy Ethiopian new year
Degu
Mail order diploma can not substitute to a good elementary education. If Zenawi had studied his country’s basic history and geography lessons at elementary school the country would not have gone to war in Bademe in Eritrea and over hudred thousand inocent children would not have perished for nothing. The miilions starving people are the dircet result of psudo intelectuals decorated with mailordered diplomas for foreign countries. Sure those countries would provide any kind of diploma to any one willing to sell his country and people.
Dr. Selam Beyene — God bless; you hit the nail right on the head. Meles is a human rights abuser and mass murderer with a huge inferiority complex.
Why else would he chase correspondence degrees and fake prizes? The inferiority complex is forcing him to want to buy respect and prestige that he knows he has not earned.
Remember the bogus “World Peace Prize” he bought from an unknown Korean entity? The malodorous Yara Prize from the corrupt Norwegian fertilizer vendor?
May God save Ethiopia from this guy and his TPLF thugs!
1) I am truly sick and tired of every Phd and so called educated ethiopian person in the diaspora writing about Meles and his crimes! YOU ARE ALL BEATING A DEAD HORSE!! Guess what, everyone is aware of it, if they’re not…they NEVER will get it!
2) I am even more sick and tired of these writers that DO NOT OFFER ANY SPECIFIC DETAILS AS TO HOW TO COMBAT the Devil himself here! I know everyone is angry, frustrated and powerless…surprise, surprise!! Well, what is new…again I ask you all…WHAT IS NEW!!
SOLUTIONS, SOLUTIONS, SOLUTIONS is what is lacking! Details solutions on the following is missing everywhere and website:
1) How can the dispora Ethiopians UNITE (remember that word?), how can we all unite and be behind a common cause or organization?? If not, how can we start the process?? Cause without this foundation of a question, nothing can be successful cause Woyane has professional lobbyists.
2) CLEARLY, there needs to be a campeign to reveal the REAL MZ and let other major players (US and allies) who will support the opposition know and get a PR movement going in this regard, it’s tough but can be done.
3) We all need a formula to overcome his biggest weapon which is ETHNICITY and HOW HE SILENTLY DIVIDES US be it back in Ethiopia or in diaspora! We need a weapon against this or a new thought of movement and everyone needs to promote it.
4) I’m tired, there are more, but it just seems to me that there are way too many critics and NOTHING of specifics on HOW TO COMBAT THIS ABOMINATION CALLED MELES ZENAWI, I mean, something, anything…any plans at all here?!? I know Ethiopians love quick emotional rantings but that is really a mark of character of someone that is NOT INTELLIGENT and MATURE nor HAS SELF RESPECT nor DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO SOLVE SOMETHING BUT IMMEDIATELY ACTS LIKE A MONKEY!
Am I alone in this? Or is everyone so far fearful and paralyzed and fuzzo that no one knows what to do or even if they do, they’re afraid of it?!?!?????? huh?????
Peace!
Dr. Selam,
FYI:
By the way Meles Syetanawi was not achieved any accomplishment to aquire his degree since he dropped out from Tikur Anbessa school to join the worest Ethiopian destructive and anti human element group Weyane,
Meles Sytanwi has never gone back to school after he joind the most horrofic party TPLF, of course Meles Sytanwi has been taking several trainings how to stay in power by killing and avoiding his internal TPLF memebers and the whole ethiopian people along with many other corruption methods to smuggle money from ethiopia …..he also learn how to keep lying even when he sleeps during his dreaming…..
Oh my bad, I forgot to mention that he had bought several degrees from abroad with a huge amount of dollars, along with his teammates Arekebe Ekubay and recently he has also bought another degree for his loyal servant Junedienne. In addition to that members of the TPLF idiot groups just have been claming so many degrees from under grad to phd level, but they never have shown their capability using the falsified skills that they claimed…..
Simply in the camp of TPLF the first thing you learn is just to keep lying, even though there is not going to be no listener. That is what exactly we notice from their endless false propaganda.
Look tplf mafia groups tells us the growth of economy while millions are starving, and other millions are exposed to unfordable life situation in Ethiopia. TPLF maferia and mafia gangsters tells us there is democracy in Ethiopia while millions of people are suffering with the lack of justice and democracy in the whole country.
TPLF maferia and mafia gangsters tell us there is a respect for all ethnicity while the top power of the government is controlled by one ethnic group starting from the Crime Minster all the way down to werderda and kebele level.
TPLF maferia and mafia group tell us there is a free economy for merchants while the top and major parts of the economy is controlled by the TPLF officials businesses ….
TPLF officials tells us the farmers of Ethiopia have millions of money and driving Mercedes Benz, while the farmers of Ethiopia are migrating to urban areas by leaving their land since they cant feed them seleves due to the high taxes that comes from fertilaizer and monopoloy of TPLF taking the market of the farmers products along with the daily repression of the TPLF cadres on the famers family….
So does TPLF still assumes the Ethiopians believes their endless lies….NO WAY,
Death to all Weyane Members and HODAM Supporters!!!!!!