By Ginbot 7
The recent accusation by Meles Zenawi’s clique of an alleged ‘coup’ attempt led by {www:Ginbot 7}, which in a matter of days, was revised and heralded as an ‘assassination’ attempt is a vivid indication of a very serious internal danger that the dictatorial regime in Ethiopia has begun to face. The only objective of the confusing and the constantly changing statements coming from the Prime Minsterís office is to distract Ethiopians and the international community from seeing the real crisis engulfing the regime.
For a long time, high military positions and exclusive military training and educational opportunities both at home and abroad have been monopolized by ethnic Tigrean officers; and this has created immeasurable discontent in the highly polarized Ethiopian army. Officers affiliated with the ruling Tigrean People Liberation Front (TPLF) routinely disobey their superiors from other ethnic groups, ignoring military codes of conduct and discipline. For example, a major affiliated with the TPLF scolds a General from other ethnic group in a breach of strict military protocol. The absolute majority of the Ethiopian army is composed of non Tigreans; however, most of the high ranking commanding officers, including the Army Chief of Staff are from the ruling Tigrean ethnic clique. In addition, 22 of the 23 Army Divisions and all of the five Regional Army Commands are headed by ethnic minority Tigrean commanders.
Such disproportionate Tigrean domination is not limited to the military, it encompasses the Police Forces, Intelligence services as well as the political and economic spheres of the country. Moreover, almost all important civilian assignments within the government and key posts in the economic and social sectors are occupied by a small group of loyal ethnic Tigreans affiliated to the TPLF. The recent uproar in the military was to challenge the inequity and the injustice inherent in the system. General Kemal Gelchu from Oromo ethnic was the first high ranking officer to officially break rank with the ethno-racist politico-military rule of Meles Zenawi.
General Tefera Mamo, the recent victim of the brutal regime, has been a long time outspoken opponent of the ethno racist policies of Zenawi’s regime. The view of this courageous general is shared by tens of thousands in the highly politicized and polarized members of the Ethiopian Armed Forces.
Ginbot 7 is acutely aware of the simmering discontent within the army and defense forces, shares their solemn belief that only a genuinely democratic Ethiopia will remove the scourge of preferential treatment and nepotism in the army and in the country at large.
What shook Meles Zenawi’s regime to its core is the realization that the Army has now joined the civilian population in concluding that Meles and his band of ethno-racists are the main impediments to Ethiopia’s peace, stability, economic prosperity and forming a truly democratic government accountable to its citizenry. This is the frightening fact Meles and Bereket want to hide underneath the confusing allegations and denials of the last few days.
Meles and his colleagues are failing to understand that the problem they are facing now is of greater magnitude than anything they have faced in the last 18 years. The festering problem will not disappear just because the regime clumsily accuses and imprisons a handful of officers and a motley crew of alleged collaborators — including an eighty year old senior citizen. Ginbot 7 would like to inform Ethiopians at large, and the international community in general, the simple truth behind the smoke screen of alleged ìcoupsî, ìplotsî and ìassassinationî attempts concotted by the Zenawi regime.
The primary link between Ginbot 7 and General Tefera Mamo as well the civilian prisoners of the brutal regime is our shared vision of creating a democratic Ethiopia where citizenship and merit, rather than blood line will become the route to high office and wealth and where civil liberties and the rule of law will flourish in every corner and every hamlet of our proud and ancient land.
(The above is a statement by Ginbot 7 Movement for Justice, Freedom and Democracy)
7 thoughts on “Frightening facts Ethiopia’s regime wants to hide”
It makes sense for Meles Zenawi to fear his military. Traditionaly much of the current Ethiopian governments strength has been derived from its support from the United States and other western allies.
It is in the United States interest to have a strong Ethiopian military to secure peace and stability in the region. However, the US and its allies do not need the Zenawi dictatorship. The paranoid, anti-democratic actions his government have taken demonstrate a dangerous instability.
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2008/af/119001.htm
(the author can be contacted at [email protected])
we know that EPRDF is a tribal junta. for the last 17 years it was baptizing many peoples in ethiopia with Anti- amhara stand by convincing that all mistakes of the past regimes are the responsibilities of what woyanne calls “amhara” people. this inturn resulted many narrow minded oromos like OLF, OPDO, to join TPLF in the ethnic cleansing process against the adherently ETHIOPIANIST peoples in the southern part of this country.
I think this is a good story and very substantive. All we need now, in all seriousness, is just a list of names and their political position as well as their ethic background. That makes it crystal clear and help people join the struggle. No general statement like, “all of the five Regional Army Commands are headed by ethnic minority Tigrean commanders.” Just bring to the forefront, there should at least be someone in Ethiopia who can furnish the names and titles. then they have nowhere to go and say.
The opposition must find a way to work with progressie elements with in the army to accelertae the downfall of this uninvited, unwanted government.But before that; unity, unity and unity among the opposition itself!!!
2# “NEFTEGNAW” says:
As your attitude exposes you here your displaced stupid aggression against other opposition groups shows that you are even worse than Wayyane itself. If you cannot talk of uniting all oppositions against the minority Wayyane dictatorship you better shut your damn stupid mouth and go to sleep like an old cow sop that that facist group keep riding you for the next century, or are you Wayyane yourself?:)
Dear Elias many thanks as always. Keep the heat on woyane and its sarogates .
Please Take the initiative to list out all political, civil economic and military posts by the ethnic mainority cadres including important Business holdings. Tegbar can concentrate on thse issues. If tegbar is not ready to do let us form a voluntary comitte under ER . I am ready to cooperate in any capacity in the comittee.
Let us keep the heat on Woyane Gangsters regime.
ANG
IT’S TIME!
…for the whole of diaspora Ethiopians that see themselves as true Ethiopians to support an Army that will liberate Ethiopia from colonizers from God knows where, God knows Meles Zenawi is NOT Ethiopian, he’s obviously a wolf in sheep cloathing, that much is clear!
I am not someone who says, Woyane is really Eritrean/Sheabian organization that it’s main objective is to destroy Ethiopia into ethnic homelands and set all into independent states, sure the contitution says that for sure, but if that is the case, WHY WHY do ALL tigray people love and support Woyane with all their hearts. Even Jouralists like ethiomedia.com is pushing the idea that the Tigray people are Ethiopian Patriots but are fooled by Woyane…if so, doesn’t ethiomedia say that the tigray people are dumb??? very dumb??? I think IF Tigray populations love, support and defend Woyane and are ethinic racists who think they are superior from other Ethiopian tribes, than why, WHY do they support Woyane so?? After all, IF Tigray people and population didn’t support Woyanne, Woyanne would NOT be in power today.
Just some food for thought!
Ethiopians as I see will either be genocided one after the other, from amhara’s to anyone else like Oromos if they oppose Woyane. Otherwise, Ethiopians, namely Oromos/Amhara’s being the largest population groups/tribes in Ethiopia (Oromos: 28million/Amhara: 21million) Will have to unite to defeat Woyane and have their own political new age for Ethiopia, otherwise, Woyane will destroy the country into a worse than Somalia!! and we all know where that will take us all…a road of no return where Eritreans, Arabs, and all traditional enemies of Ethiopia will play with us and make us kill each other with hate all day and night!!
THINK ABOUT IT…IF YOU CARE FOR ETHIOPA!