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Ferensay Legacion people shrug off their neighbor’s arrest

In November 2005, when the Federal Police and Agazi special forces (Meles Zenawi’s death squads) went to Birtukan Mideksa’s home to arrest her, the Ferensay Legacion neighborhood of Addis Ababa rose up to protect her. In that confrontation between unarmed civilians and the heavily armed Woyanne forces, at least 5 people were gunned down and several were injured. Birtukan escaped to some embassy and later surrendered herself.

It was a different story yesterday when Woyanne thugs picked up Birtukan. It seems no body in the neighborhood cared, according to Ethiopian Review sources. Few people even show enough interest to talk about it. The people of Ferensay Legacion feel that Birtukan has betrayed them, as she betrayed all Kinijit supporters by breaking most of the promises she had made. Not only that, after she signed the letter of apology and was released from jail in July 2007, she didn’t even visit the families of those who were murdered by Woyanne death squads trying to protect her.

Some Addis Ababa residents, even her own supporters, say that, what Birtukan did is foolish. It’s like throwing herself from a cliff.

Others say that she seemed to have welcomed the arrest. She was about to lose control of her party, UDJ, due to worsening internal frictions. Inside sources told Ethiopian Review that a group of executive committee members had asked Birtukan to resign just a few days ago. Some of the most senior members of the UDJ leadership were quitting. So the argument goes that both Woyanne and Birtukan will benefit from this trumped up controversy. The only losers are Birtukan’s dimwitted followers who jump up and down over this game of shred between Birtukan and Woyanne.

It is obvious to any one with commonsense that Birtukan’s arrest is a smokescreen for Woyanne’s other troubles, particularly its withdrawal from Somalia after suffering a humiliating defeat. Although she has been the weakest opposition figure inside Ethiopia as far as criticizing the Meles dictatorship, she is a better target for Woyanne since she is relatively more popular in the Diaspora than any of the other Addis Ababa-based opposition leaders. Woyanne strategists have correctly calculated that her arrest would attract a lot of media coverage, which is what they want.

Woyanne is not satisfied with arresting Birtukan. EMF has reported today that UDJ members of parliament were summoned today by the speaker of the Woyanne rubber-stamp parliament and had been asked to distance themselves from Birtukan. Those ‘parliamentarians’ are opportunists. They will waste no time doing that.

13 thoughts on “Ferensay Legacion people shrug off their neighbor’s arrest

  1. Elias is amazing and full of energy with unending critique,
    be it the incumbent party or opposition parties.

    No short of critiques as far as the incumbent party, but
    Elias breaks the taboos of niceties or wishy washy
    analysis for the opposition parties. Without clarity
    no site for the goal.

    Yet, Elias is unfair with Lidetu who has clarity,
    irrespective of his personal failings. Compared
    with X-CUD leaders Lidetu is a long way ahead.

    Cheers

  2. I agree with your analysis. She is more comfortable in prison than leading a fractured party with no knowledge.
    She fall in to woyane trap knowingly ,I can say it intentionally.She didn’t want to respect what other leaders of UDJ said. She should respect the decsion made by the majority. It is her preference to be called hero with out doing somthing. This is her leadeship ability which is 0.

    We need wise leaders who can challenge woyany with takticfull strategy not foolish like Birtukan.

  3. I also grew up i Ferensay Legacion area. I concur with Dagne. The news is welcomed as ESAAY!! Ewnetem Fetench!! according to the 73 year old lady!Vivia Teddy Afro

  4. I am deeply saddened of the commentary among our fellow Ethiopians and the discourse we have on how we deal with people whom we have differences.

    In God’s name please stop it! As Ethiopia is being strangled to death with Neo-Mussoloni Grip, the broad political coalition need to keep in mind that their differences remains insignificant compared to the current state of our land.

    One cannot imagine during Italy’s occupation, competing Ethiopia forces viciously attacking each other in order to be heard all while the Graziani army is pillaging and murdering the country. If one tried it, one would have been labeled as ASKARI (Traitor) and would have met his terminal fate from the likes of Ras Abebe. To many of us Mussolini and Woyane are the two faces of the same coin, PERIOD.

    In light of this epic struggle, we are tired of the internal bickering while the state of Ethiopia is being dismembered before our own eyes. Instead, our thoughts should always be with those gallant Ethiopians who stand against Woyane’s (a colonial occupier) consequentially are being shot, tortured, imprisoned and exiled. May our fathers prayer be with Wo. Birtukan and others like her who are languishing in Woyane’s prison camp on our behalf.

    We must observe the old Indian Proverb, ” Until I travel the same passage, I shall not judge ”

    In God’s name stop it!!!!
    Long Live Ethiopia, Amen!
    Bertu

  5. Elias,

    You have refused to listen to advices and continue to wreck havoc. For your own soul, and for those who you intend to destroy, I hope that God takes you away. Yes, this is what it means: I hope you die.

  6. hi,

    all most all the time i agree with your anaylsis of situations. but, this time i respectfully disagree about birtukan. if she couldn’t solve the troubles with her party due to internal conflict i do not believe she prefer to go kaliti. she chose to go to jail because she doesn’t know how to deal with her internal conflict. it is a very stretched imagination and doesn’t convince me.

    however dire her situation were she could have chosen other means. say, stay behind in europe as u suggested it last time, or completely joining woyanne camp waving a white flag. i just do not believe she used the opportunity to go to jail?,,no, i just can not see it that way.

  7. I agree with Bertu (#6) 100%. Please stop tearing down any of the opposition forces in Ethiopia!

    These remarks no matter how well they are written can only serve the interest of WEYANE. The idea of my way or the highway is the very reason we ended up with this evil regime for this long.

    We should learn a thing or two from the ANC and its struggle against apartheid in South Africa. The ANC is a broad coalition of opposition group from every ideological bends necessary to overthrow Woyane-like system, APARTHIED.
    Without ANC and its astute statesman Neilson Mandela, That fascist regime may have survived till the present. Is that what we want for Ethiopia?

    Even if it helps the cause for one day, or for one square meter of Ethiopia we need to form the unity among different and competing political parties in oder to shatter Woyane hold on power. Anyone who spends a single brain cell to spell evil about another group while Woyane is still in power may be deemed one and the same.

    Thank You

  8. Abay maderia yelewem, gin gind yezo yezoral alu. It’s amazing to me the fierceness with which we are willing to criticize the opposition by those that claim to be in opposition themselves. This “my way is the only way” attitude implies political immaturity and frankly is the main reason weyane still reigns in Addis. It is shameful to suggest that one would welcome his/her own imprisonment in a weyane prison for some political gain. But it’s easy to suggest that when we’re abroad and don’t appreciate the bravery it takes to put your life in danger for the sake of your country.

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