It’s been a long-held tradition of Ethiopian Review to choose “Person of the Year.” The person who is selected by Ethiopian Review’s publisher, in consultation with associates and readers of the journal, is believed to have contributed the most to the betterment of Ethiopia in the past 12 months.
For the year 2008, Ethiopian Review has selected President Issayas Afeworki of Eritrea as “Person of the Year.”
The choice was an easy one. But it is expected to create a great deal of controversy because of a relentless propaganda campaign that the tribalist regime in Ethiopia, the Tigray People Liberation Front (Woyanne), has been waging to make sure that relations between Ethiopians and Eritreans will NOT develop and improve. It’s the same tactic that Woyanne uses inside Ethiopia and through out the Horn of Africa region to turn people against each other.
The Woyanne propaganda has been effective only to a certain extent. Through an aggressive counter campaign by the media from both the Ethiopian and the Eritrean sides, such as Ethiopian Review and EriTV, as well as the Eritrean government’s tireless effort, a great deal of improvements have been made in improving the relationship between the people of Ethiopia and Eritrea. This has been a nightmare for Meles Zenawi’s Woyanne, as well as those tribalists such as the Siye Abraha group that strive take over power after Meles is gone.
The person who is leading and putting the resources of his government behind the effort to create friendship and lasting peace among not only Eritreans and Ethiopians, but all people of the Horn of Africa is Issayas Afeworki.
Under President Issayas’ leadership, Eritrea has opened up its doors to Ethiopians who are fleeing Meles Zenawi’s bloodsucking dictatorship. There is no country in the world, perhaps with the exception of the U.S., where the rights and freedom of Ethiopian refugees have been fully respected and protected as much as Eritrea.
Freedom fighters such as EPPF, OLF, ONLF, TPDM and others are given shelters in Eritrea so that their wounded receive treatments and their leaders hold meetings unmolested by Woyanne agents, thanks to President Issayas. These freedom fighters are gaining ground every day and will succeed in removing the Woyanne cancer from the Horn of Africa. Only then Ethiopia’s unity can be saved, and a lasting peace in the Horn of Africa region will prevail. The humiliating defeat of Woyanne in Somalia — brilliantly masterminded by Issayas Afeworki — is a major step toward that goal.
While Woyanne-controlled radio and TV programs transmit daily barrages of propaganda that promote ethnic division, under the sponsorship of the Eritrean government, EriTV and Eritrean Radio are aggressively promoting Ethiopian unity — despite the tens of millions of dollars Woyannes spends to jam them. Issayas Afeworki has also authorized a publication named ‘One Ethiopia’ for the purpose of countering Woyanne’s anti-Ethiopia propaganda.
Why would Issayas Afeworki and his government want to help Ethiopian freedom fighters to free our country from the Woyanne cancer?
1) Between 1998 and 2000, Meles & gang have carried out a massive ethnic cleansing campaign against Eritreans. During this campaign, over 500,000 Eritreans, most of whom were born and raised in Ethiopia, had been stripped of all their properties and expelled from Ethiopia. Their homes and other properties were distributed among Woyanne officials and members. Because of forced family separations, it is estimated that close to 1 million Eritreans are affected by the Woyanne ethnic cleansing campaign. The ethnic cleansing that Meles, Seye & gang had carried out against Eritreans is a crime against humanity by any standard, which the United Nations has completely ignored. Getting justice for these Eritrean victims of ethnic cleansing alone is a good motivation for the Eritrean government to help Ethiopian freedom fighters eliminate Woyanne.
2) Eritreans are well aware that the endless ethnic and religious conflicts that the Woyanne regime is instigating in Ethiopia will continue to keep them in a perpetual state of war. They have seen it first hand how monstrous evil Woyannes are. Eritreans have suffered more during the Woyanne regime than through all the wars during the Derg regime. Currently, Woyanne has created a transitional Eritrean government based in Mekelle and is arming and training over 20,000 mercenaries. It is preparing to invade Eritrea and put a puppet regime in Asmara as it tried to do in Somalia. Getting rid of Woyanne, in collaboration with Ethiopian freedom fighters, is a matter of survival for Eritreans, not a just a kind favor for Ethiopia.
The reason why Woyannes have turned their backs on Eritreans after the Eritrean People Liberation Front helped them come to power is more psychological than any thing else. By nature, Woyannes are ravenously greedy (like hyenas), and more importantly, they suffer from chronic inferiority complex. That’s why they are extremely violent and ready to flex their muscle over every little disagreement.
For Ethiopian freedom fighters to fight and successfully defeat the Woyanne mafia, cooperation with Eritrea’s government is necessary. Those Ethiopian opposition leaders who have understood this fact have been doing that for a while now and in the past few months a great deal of progress has been made.
It is not an easy task to defeat Woyanne. Because unlike in Somalia, there are too many fake opposition figures in Ethiopia that create confusion. The only genuine Ethiopian opposition groups at this time are those that are shooting or ready to shoot real bullets at Woyanne.
For those who are able to see through the smoke that Woyanne propagandists are producing, it is easy to arrive at the same conclusion that Ethiopian Review has reached that Issayas Afeworki has contributed the most to the fight to remove the cancer that is eating away at Ethiopia in the past 12 months. President Issayas has been able to throw out of whack the Woyanne master plan of creating ‘Greater Tigray’ and fragmenting Ethiopia into 8 small countries with their own puppet regimes serving the ‘golden race.’
The visceral hate toward the publisher of Ethiopian Review by not only Woyanne, but also those who want to remove Meles but keep Woyanne in power, is caused by the knowledge that Ethiopian Review is succeeding in exposing their tribalist agenda. The selection of President Isayas Afeworki of Eritrea by the #1 Ethiopian journal will surely drive them more insane than they already are.
Let 2009 bring freedom and peace to Ethiopia and all the people of the Horn of Africa.
112 thoughts on “Ethiopian Review’s “The 2008 Person of the Year””
Free press can choose who ever want to be the person of the year, If truly there is a free press and freedom of expression under President Esiais. I am proud of the Eritrean people and what they achieved, but what they aspired for they never get after Independent due to the arrogance leadership of the president. He is stuborn, know it all, Mugabe to be and arrogant. The Esiase as gurella leader yes deserve to be the person of the years… Not the Isaias as president in my opoinion to be P/of the year. He need to transfer power to the best and brightest Eritreans 18 years is long time to lead a country under one man rule. I don’t understand ER how they piced him as Person of the year. Wedi Gudagudi
Elias, you are very bold and a man of integrity. I will never forget what happened in 2005 election. The only leader who stood up and condemned the Woyanee-Tigraian bandits was Issias Afework, the only people and friends who called and consoled our grief during the massacre and chaos in Ethiopia were our Eritrean friends and neighbours here in diaspora, while the supporters of Woyanees and Agazees were dancing and beating their war drums on the bodies of our brothers, sisters and parents back home.
Besides, Eritrea and Eritreans are the only people who have recognized the justified armed struggle of the Ethiopian people against tyrany and Woyanees tribalism. Only Eritrea recongizes that Ethiopians are suffering under an Aparthied regime.
Yes, only in Eritrea can a fleeing Ethiopian get a passport and is allowed to travel wherever he/she can. Who would have thought this eight years ago.
May god bless Ethiopian Review and may a united Ethiopia live for ever.
Debretabor
With the start of the new, the old politics is out and the new politics is in. The official diaspora line of bringing Eritrea back to the motherland and drive the Eritreans into the Red Sea shelf life is over. Now is time to focus on the main issue facing the nation, and that is the removal of the Tribal Junta. This task can be accomplished in collaboration with our Eritrean brothers/sisters. With the President in command the task seems easier and victory certain. Thus, ER’s radical move is what the doctor ordered to cure the Ethiopian malaise.
Elias, The ER team has dug a big hole in the Wall of deception and destortion that has been erected by the sponsors of the Apartheid regime in Woyaneland. Besides the diplomatic cover provided to their treacherous mercenary regime,they have been spending millions of dollars to mask the truth that President Issayas, as the Eritrean head of state or the leader of Shaebia, has always strived for the long term sisterly relationships between the peoples of Ethiopia and Eritrea on one hand and the peoples of the Horn on the other.
Elias, Happy New year and Melkam Gena to your family and your colleagues at ER.
May the struggle and sacrifice of those who dared to stand for TRUTH bear fruit in the NEW YEAR.
I have never liked Isayas Afeworki but now I am having a second thought thanks to you Elias, I want to like Isayas for the sake of hating woyannes, I hope Isayas will stay in his stand for the better future of Ethiopians and continue working to bring together the great people of Ethiopian and great people of Eritrea, I have good Eritrean friends whom I wish I could see ourselves and support one national football team and athletics together, that’s my dream
Preident Isayas is the modern ‘Dagmawi Tewdros’ of our region, one who stood for liberation, unity of the people of the “Horn of Africa”. ER Wise choice, he is a true leader of the people, who did not came with fake elections. His leadership is tested in bad and good times. Let it be Peace and development to our region.
vote..for ELIAS K. as ETHIOPIAN PRESEDENT..vote
I was reading an article by Joe in NAZI.com…u know what i mean i choose to answer it ER…
“How is it possible for a dear to protect it self from wolves by becoming friend with hyenas? How in the world one proves itself as true Ethiopian by associating itself with Ethiopian Enemies?” By Joe
Dear joe Get Your head out of ur Fat ass pls so that u be able to c this article ..there is no Hyenas in this cartoon film u r writing about this is not Madagascar two…there is a Dear u gott that right and wolves as well if u want to know how the dear should protect itself… by self reliance it needs to be strong and learn how to jump and run and run and run fast like a Forest-Gum …if the dear found a friend offering it help it should analyze and accept it …u Dick head the only real help Ethiopia is getting at the moment is from Eritrea …u r slashing the only help u have …As Eritrean I hate Meles…i mean he is really really bad man …the guy send home 500000 Eritreas with out a penny…to understand it think of US government corners all Ethiopians in DC and send them home in one day …u know most Eritrean in Addis had money home and life…and they all loved Addis ..what am i talking about YOU never been to big city like Addis u r FARA wedi ADIGRAT …we hate the asswhole my dear he has done things he shouldn’t have ..he messed with us BIG TIME ..and we dont like to be messed with..we ll take our time , he and any one who has similar thoughts like him should be hunted from east Africa let alone to have power …at the moment we r seeking a good decent Ethiopian leader …to find that Animals like u has to go first …u think u know it all but u have no idea …Meles has played with our martyrs grave…in Eritrean terms that is a NO NO NO …i think he will do worse if he stays in power …actually comparing what he has done to Eritrea …he is a friend to Ethiopian ppl..so u telling us we still want this dick head …what we don’t want is an Amhara or Oromo virgin of Meles …and ppl like u r cultivating this hate and promising falls hopes (ASEB) I see extension of hard times ..the Eri/Ethio glory times might be delyed…we both will suffer a little bit more ..tanx to dick heads like u …luv DG
vote for ELIAS to be ETHIOPIAN PRESIDENT ..
Your choice of Afeworki as “p.o.y” was, for a first time visitor like me, unexpected, intriguing, dangerous, risky, but oh so perfect! Good job, ER! Say the truth and drive “Ehadig” crazy! Death to EPRDF and Seye Abraha!
This clearly shows me the extent of your hatred to Woyane!!!
Yetelate telat endetebalew honobachu yimeslal ….
LOL anyways!
TD AFRO THE SOUL AND A PERON OF THE NEW GENERATION IN ETHIOPIA WHO HAS GAVED HIS LIFE TO HIS PEOPLE.AND HE IS EVERYTHING FOR THE FUTURE.THEREFORE LET’S ELECT HIM A MAN OF THE YEAR AS WE ARE SO HAPPY ACCEPT THE HERO LEADER PRESEDENT ESSAYAS OF ERITREA.THANKS.
Hello, its good to ask the salve master to know how to kill the slave. Isaias is the father of TPLF. that is why we have to work with Issayies to kill Melese and Bereket
selam from america
i wish to both eritrean and ethiopian have a wonderfull peacfull time , but i dont agree with both of prisednts