Woyanne mission of manipulating Ethiopians fom Wolqait and Tegede failed miserably in Columbus, Ohio.

Two Woyanne officials — Ato Ferede Yeshiwondim, Administrator of Wolqait, and Ato Tsegaye Asamamaw, a Tigray region security representative — who called for a meeting on Saturday, August 18, 2007, in Columbus, Ohio, failed to reach their goal of dividing the people of Wolqait and Tegede.

After an hour of diatribe and exaggerated statistical report on developments on the region, the participants turned the focus on the most dire and urgent issues of freedom and democracy in their homeland.

Almost all the participants including those who support Woyanne repeatedly expressed their dismay at the officials who tried to ignore the human rights and freedom concerns of the Wolqait Tegede people.

The participants expressed their opposition to article 39 and the demarcation of their land to be withing the Tigray Region on the basis of language and demanded their lands to be reunited with Gonder.

The participants also stressed that the most urgent issue for the people of Wolqait-Tegede, as it is for the rest of Ethiopians, is respect of human rights and democratization the country, and that they will not blindly fall into the TPLF trap of “investment and development” designed hold the people hostage to their oppressive policies of divide and rule.

The participants demanded the release of political prisoners who languishing in Woyanne concentration camps. Moreover, they reminded Woyanne to stop giving away lands to Sudan that rightly belong to Ethiopia.

Ato Tsegaye Asimamaw, the Woyanne security agents, denied and dodged many of the questions and concerns raised by the participants.

The two Woyanne officials attempted to explain that everything is peaceful, stable and that there is no problem of political prisoners.

Even though the meeting organizers attempted to give more time and opportunity to their supporters and shut down the dissenting voices, the participants used the advantage to forward their opinions. To the surprise of the dissenting Ethiopians and even to the officials, many of their supporters expressed their opposition to what the Woyanne is doing to the people of Wolqait and Tegede.

A press statement and other supporting documents from the community organizers of the dissenting Ethiopians will shortly be released to the public.

Source: Community Organizers