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Author: Elias Kifle

Woyanne claims it foiled OLF attack

The Chinese News Agency, Xinhua, reports that the Woyanne regime claims to have stopped the Oromo Liberation Front from carrying out attacks against the regime. Read the news below >>>

This latest attempt was targeted at bombing infrastructures and public institutions and assassinating figures, including the president ofAdama University, located in Ethiopia’s second largest city of Nazareth, said a statement released from the federal police anti-terrorism taskforce.

The statement said police apprehended the coordinators of and those given missions in the foiled acts of terror as well as arms, including 9 explosives, 12 fuses and klashnikov rifles.

The OLF terror ring had its hardware house in Mojo (a town about 70 km southeast of the capital Addis Ababa), its exchange spot in Nazareth and its mission targets mainly in Addis Ababa, it said.

The statement accused neighboring Eritrea of orchestrating this latest attempt of terrorism.

In January this year, a similar terror ring was dismantled by the taskforce, including one targeted against the Eighth AU Summit, held in Addis Ababa.

The OLF evolved from a political party into an armed movement 10 years ago, claiming that the rights of the Oromo people, who make up almost 40 percent of Ethiopia’s 70 million, were not being respected.

The OLF are now fighting Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s government for the independence of the Oromo region from the rest of Ethiopia.

Volcano erupts in Ethiopia’s Afar region

(Reuters) A volcano has erupted in Ethiopia’s remote Afar region, leaving two people missing and forcing hundreds to leave the area, the state news agency said on Wednesday.

People living on the mountain range fled their homes after hot lava began flowing in different directions along valleys at the weekend, Ethiopia News Agency said.

“A river of lava cascading from the volcano, which began erupting in Terru district of the Afar regional state on Sunday, forced residents of Dayulu and Gomoyta villages, to leave their homes and flee for their dear lives,” regional official Mohammed Ayu told the agency.

“Two residents of the two villages are unaccounted for so far,” he added.

The volcano has since calmed, he added. It also briefly erupted last year.

The Afar region, bordering Eritrea and Djibouti, is home to mainly nomadic herders.

U.S. Policy in the Horn of Africa – James Swan

By James Swan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs
4th International Conference on Ethiopian Development Studies
Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan
August 4, 2007

As Delivered

Good afternoon, and thank you, professor for inviting me to join you in Kalamazoo. I am pleased to have this opportunity to discuss U.S. policy and engagement in the Horn of Africa. You have assembled an impressive and distinguished group of panelists for this important conference.

THE CURRENT SITUATION

As all of you know, the Horn of Africa is a rough neighborhood. At least one conflict – and frequently more – has raged in the region continuously since 1960. Inter-state conventional wars. Guerrilla-style liberation struggles. Coups. Revolutions. The Horn has seen them all.

It is also a region that has suffered historically from poor governance — from the brutal excesses of Ethiopia’s Derg, to authoritarian one-party systems in much of the region until the 1990s, to the lawlessness of the failed state of Somalia after the fall of Siad Barre. Winner-take-all politics and violent regime change have been the norm. And this historically unstable political and security climate has been a profound impediment to economic development.

The Horn ranks near the bottom in the world – and indeed below the rest of Africa – on Human Development indicators. The region is ecologically and economically fragile. Its peoples face the challenges of overwhelming dependence on rain-fed agriculture, as regular droughts trigger cyclical famines.

Yet, despite these longstanding challenges, in most of the region we see signs of progress. Djibouti has held peaceful elections; its port has become an economic hub; and the government has become a partner in counterterrorism efforts. Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government offers the best hope for peace and stability in the last 20 years. Ethiopia has made progress on democratic governance with the release of political party detainees and parliamentary discussions on electoral and media reform. Kenya, which has been spared the conflicts that have impeded the development of its neighbors, has become an economic powerhouse, has made tremendous strides to consolidate democracy, and plays a lead role in complex regional peace initiatives. Moreover, all of these countries and governments are increasingly close partners of the United States in the Horn of Africa.

The glaring exception to this favorable story is of course Eritrea, which openly abuses its population and serves as a destabilizing force in the region. I’ll come to that later.

While progress is fitful, and additional diplomatic and aid resources will be necessary to sustain success, the overall trajectory of the Horn is positive.

In keeping with Secretary Rice’s concept of Transformational Diplomacy, United States government policy in the region focuses on partnership, while promoting regional stability and security, strengthening democratic processes and institutions, fostering economic growth, expanding the scope and quality of basic services, and responding to the humanitarian needs of vulnerable populations.

The Horn is a region where Muslims and Christians coexist and intermingle, and where the cultures of ancient Ethiopia, of traditional Africa, and of the Arab-influenced coastal regions have combined in different ways to create unique national and regional identities. It is a region in which all of our Embassies and their officers are working to demonstrate our respect for different faith traditions and to promote our commitment to religious tolerance, political rights, and gender equality.

While our Embassies are the U.S. Government’s principal platforms for promoting effective cooperation, governance reform and sustainable development, we also have a great asset in the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa in Djibouti. This U.S. military initiative provides a vehicle for outreach to vulnerable communities in the region and for contributing to the professionalization and effectiveness of armed forces in the Horn.

So let me now discuss current developments and some of the key U.S. interests and policies in each of the countries of the Horn.

DJIBOUTI

I’ll begin with Djibouti – which rarely gets top billing in a discussion of the Horn, but will today — and then move clockwise through the region. Djibouti, which celebrated the 30th anniversary of its independence in June, in many ways epitomizes both the progress and the challenges we see on the Horn.

With the end of the conflict with the Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD) in the 1990s, and the return of the Front’s leader to Djibouti in 2000, Djibouti has moved beyond violent conflict. General elections in 1999 and 2003 were orderly and peaceful, despite a boycott by the major opposition coalition. Some opposition members are represented in local and regional councils. More needs to be done to open up political space and ensure that all citizens have a voice in government decisions. But the transition from armed combat to political competition is a positive step.

On the economic front, Djibouti remains a poor country with per capita income below $1000. Yet it has a vision for development of its key assets – its port and strategic location along major sea-transport routes. Port tonnage – which tripled after the 1998 Eritrea-Ethiopia border war which cut access to Assab – has increase 30 percent per year between 2002 and 2004 under new management of Djibouti port. And Djibouti aspires to become an international hub for transit cargo serving not only the horn of Africa hinterland, but a much wider worldwide clientele.

The United States, which has long had good relations with Djibouti, has seen this partnership further deepen in recent years. Since 2002, Djibouti has hosted the only permanent U.S. military base in sub-Saharan Africa, (CJFF-HOA)… We also value Djibouti’s diplomatic role in the region, as a bridge among other countries in the Horn and between African and Arab states.

So in Djibouti, we see a country that has ended a protracted violent conflict, begun important steps toward greater political openness, developed a vision for its economic future, and engaged in a close partnership with the United States.

SOMALIA

Now let me turn to Somalia – a country that, for all its problems, has perhaps the best opportunity in nearly two decades to overcome its status as a failed state. Somalia is a priority for the United States in Africa. U.S. policy is designed to promote stability in Somalia – including by preventing Somalia from again becoming a safehaven for terrorists, as it was under the Council of Islamic Courts – to support humanitarian and development needs, and to foster inclusive democratic institutions.

The key to Somalia’s success will be national reconciliation to ensure inclusive representation in the Transitional Federal Institutions and in the organizations that will prepare the way for election of a permanent government in 2009, as called for by the Transitional Federal Charter.

The National Reconciliation Congress, which opened in Mogadishu on July 15 and is still ongoing, provides an opportunity for all Somalis to achieve suitable representation in the TFIs and formulate a roadmap for the remainder of the transitional period, in the run-up to national elections in 2009. In support of the National Reconciliation Congress, the United States has provided financial assistance of $1.25 million, in coordination with other international donors. Our Ambassador in Nairobi and our Special Envoy for Somalia are in frequent contact with congress organizer Ali Mahdi Mohamed, with Transitional Federal Government leaders, with clan elders, with civil society leaders, and a wide array of other stakeholders to encourage support for this process.

We believe it is important for the Somali people to focus on the future, moving forward in the transitional political process as envisioned by the Charter, rather than focusing only on the current composition of the Transitional Federal Government and Institutions. While imperfect, the Transitional Federal Institutions provide a framework for achieving the objectives outlined in the Charter and the formation of representative governance institutions following the transitional process. We are steering clear from Somali politics and focusing on a clear message of inclusion and accommodation to all actors in Somalia.

To help stabilize Somalia and create conditions for national reconciliation, the United States strongly supports the African Union’s peace support mission in Somalia. The mission currently has a lead contingent of approximately 1,600 Ugandan troops deployed as part of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). At the beginning of the year, the United States identified $19.6 million to assist AMISOM forces. Approximately $10 million was used to provide equipment and airlift to assist the deployment of Uganda’s AMISOM contingent. Congress subsequently appropriated a further $40 million in funding to support AMISOM.

AMISOM is important not only to help create conditions for national reconciliation, but also to permit the reduction in presence of Ethiopian forces and their eventual departure. We, the Somalis, and the Ethiopians themselves recognize that an Ethiopian military presence is not a long-term solution to insecurity in Somalia. For there to be lasting security, there must be political dialogue and accommodation among Somalis, improvements in Somali government capacity, and training and deployment of a competent and respected Somali security force.

The United States is the largest bilateral donor of humanitarian assistance to Somalia, and has provided more than $102 million in humanitarian and development assistance this year. We also coordinate closely with other international partners diplomatically and on our international assistance programs. We were founding members of the International Contact Group on Somalia in June 2006, and also are active in the International Advisory Committee for the National Reconciliation Congress (NRC).

In short, there is an international consensus that we must seize this moment of opportunity in Somalia. The United States is a leader on both the diplomatic front and in our humanitarian and economic response.

KENYA

Next let me say just a few words about Kenya, which is not always discussed as part of the Horn of Africa, but lies on its southern edge and is an important regional player. Nairobi hosts the largest U.S. diplomatic mission in Sub-Saharan Africa, and we cooperate with the Kenyans on a wide array of both bilateral and regional programs. Our bilateral assistance program is more than $500 million in 2007. Total resource flows from the U.S. to Kenya each year from all public and private sources amount to about $1.5 billion.

Kenya’s peaceful, credible democratic elections in 2002 represented an important step on Kenya’s path to becoming a fully functional democracy. The next elections, scheduled for December 2007 offer an opportunity to consolidate those gains. The U.S. is providing election-related training to civil society organizations, political parties, and youth and women candidates, as well as supporting the work of the Electoral Commission of Kenya to ensure that these elections are free, fair, and transparent.

Kenya is beginning to enjoy the fruits of its enviable regional reputation for stability, openness, and tolerance. Economic growth has increased to more than 6 percent in recent years, as Kenya capitalizes on its role as a major regional hub. While important challenges remain – specifically in combating corruption, moving away from tribalism, and promoting gender equity – there is a palpable sense of energy and optimism among the Kenyan people. Kenya is clearly a country on the move in a positive direction.

We have worked closely with the Kenyans diplomatically on the North-South peace agreement in Sudan and on Somalia issues, through the International Contact Group as well as bilaterally. In its capacity as President of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Kenya continues to occupy a leadership role in promoting peace and stability in the Horn of Africa. We look forward to continued close partnership.

ETHIOPIA

Now, Ethiopia, which has been the subject of your conference. With more than 70 million people, bordering all of the other Horn countries, Ethiopia is the giant of the region. Ethiopia is an important strategic partner for the United States in the Horn of Africa. We collaborate on a wide range of development objectives and in efforts to promote regional stability. We share a commitment to address threats by transnational extremist groups.

We are also eager to see progress in democratic institutions. As you know, the run-up to the May 2005 national elections was the most open, free, and competitive political campaign period in all of Ethiopian history. Never before had opposition candidates had so much access to coveted constituencies and the ability to convene rallies and openly campaign against ruling party opponents.

Opposition candidates’ access to the press, including state-owned and operated media, was unprecedented. Never before had the electorate seen live, televised debates between government Ministers and their opposition challengers.

Unfortunately, this spirit was lost in the contentious aftermath of the vote, in bloody confrontations in the streets, in detention of political leaders, and in strident and uncompromising positions that for too long dominated the political leadership. As we consider the democratic challenges facing Ethiopia today, we recognize that sentiment has been so bitter precisely because of the heightened expectations prompted by two decades of political reform.

With the release of 38 detainees, and anticipated release of the remaining Coalition for Unity and Democracy leadership, and anticipated release of the remaining CUD leadership, following lengthy mediation by respected elders, Ethiopia’s political leaders have committed themselves to a new collaborative relationship for the good of the country. In Addis Ababa, U.S. foreign assistance programs are bringing together leaders from across the political spectrum to address critical questions of national governance and the future of the country, build the capacity of parliament, and bolster judicial independence.

We are again seeing a cautious, yet engaged host of political parties that are committed to institutionalizing the advances of March and April 2005. That ruling and opposition parties today gather around the negotiating table to debate the relative merits of reforms of democratic institutions is extremely positive.

We must all encourage this process. As stakeholders in Ethiopia’s stability, democracy, and prosperity – we urge all parties to remain engaged, so that we can regain the advances of early 2005 and build upon them for the people of Ethiopia.

Meanwhile, we continue a robust program of U.S. humanitarian and development assistance for Ethiopia. We have contributed more than $160 million in humanitarian assistance this year to help the Ethiopian people break the cycle of famine and mitigate the impact of drought and natural disasters. With over $300 million in assistance to the health care system in Ethiopia this year alone, we help ensure that clinics reach into previously underserved regions including Afar and the Ogaden.

With respect to the Ogaden, we are concerned that insecurity and impediments to commercial sales of commodities put the population of this fragile region at further risk. We are currently working with the government to ensure that humanitarian assistance and the more important commercial shipments can flow to the Ogaden. We note that rains have been relatively good this year, which should ease the economic hardship faced by the pastoralist population.

In conflict-prone areas, U.S. programs bring together representatives from diverse communities during periods of calm, in order to build bridges of understanding and prevent potential conflicts from erupting. We are working with local administrations to build their capacity to govern for the people and to promote transparency. We are working with the Ethiopian military to transform that organization into a professional and apolitical defense force for the nation. The challenges are many, but the objectives merit the tremendous scope of the resources, time, and commitment that we have focused on them. We are confident that through partnership with local stakeholders, together we will contribute to making Ethiopia more secure, more democratic, and more prosperous for the next generation.

A STEP BACKWARD: ERITREA

Now, let me turn to Eritrea. While the rest of the Horn of Africa is making political, economic, and social advances and seizing opportunities — albeit with periodic important setbacks — the opposite is true for Eritrea.

Eritrea has experienced economic decline and a lack of freedoms, for the press and political expression. There is widespread and arbitrary conscription. The government has worked to destabilize its neighbors, including Ethiopia and Somalia.

Given the American penchant for supporting the underdog, it is disheartening to see what has become of Eritrea in the 14 years since it gained independence and produced a praiseworthy constitution. President Isaias Afwerki has become increasingly tyrannical and megalomaniacal. He has actively sought to destabilize the Horn, fueling regional insurgencies and supporting groups affiliated with terrorists.

Eritrean Government policies have also choked the Eritrean economy and consolidated political power among a small cadre of cronies, who are distinguished only by their unwavering loyalty to the President.

The government has actively blocked humanitarian assistance from international donors. It initiated the border war with Ethiopia that cost tens of thousands of lives.

The Eritrean Government has fabricated a national mythology by demonizing neighboring Ethiopia, for the central purpose of garnering complete compliance with his autocratic domestic policies. By channeling Eritreans’ patriotism into hostility toward Ethiopia, the government ensures that [it] can rule as it likes, without public opposition. Democracy and economic opportunity remain purely theoretical concepts for the people of Eritrea.

As you know, the reality is atrocious. Youth are sent to camps for indoctrination. Citizens in the prime of their lives are forced into national service; anyone who refuses is beaten. If you flee, your family is imprisoned. Those who fail to espouse officially sanctioned opinions languish in metal shipping containers.

As in the former Soviet Union, the Eritrean government controls both the message and the medium. There are no opposition political parties, no non-governmental organizations, no private media. Any senior government official who dares to speak out puts himself at risk. The brave individuals known as the G-15, who challenged Eritrea’s path back in the spring of 2001, are missing.

Elsewhere in the region, Eritrea has chosen to support extremist elements, including the al-Qaida affiliated al Shabaab militia in Somalia, in an effort to undermine the political process. While the rest of the region and the international community have united behind a common strategy for achieving lasting peace and stability in Somalia, Eritrea has opted to support terrorists and spoilers while encouraging continued violence. There is no justification for such actions. The ruling cabal is – to our great regret — leading Eritrea along the path toward increased domestic repression and hardship, and regional and international isolation.

BOUNDARY DISPUTE

Since the border dispute with Ethiopia serves as the pretext for Eritrea’s domestic authoritarianism, let me say a final few words about how the U.S. sees this issue. This impasse has been a long-festering flashpoint between Eritrea and Ethiopia, and it is of course symptomatic of deeper divisions between the two countries.

The Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) issued its delimitation decision in 2002. Yet, the two parties have still not cooperated on demarcation of the boundary. Both appear comfortable with the status quo. Ethiopia avoids painful domestic political decisions, while Eritrea uses the unresolved issue to goad Ethiopia and deflect attention from a deteriorating domestic situation.

The United States government fully supports the “final and binding” decisions of the EEBC and has consistently called on both parties to cooperate with the EEBC and meet their commitments in the Algiers Agreements. We work closely with the other Witnesses to the Algiers Agreements — including Algeria, the African Union, the European Union, and the United Nations — and other interested governments.

The level of urgency has increased, as the situation has recently deteriorated. Both parties remain wedded to their positions and may have hardened them. Eritrea has moved about 4,000 troops along with supporting artillery and armor into the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ), a buffer zone between the parties, and restricted the activities of UNMEE, a UN peacekeeping force. Eritrea maintains a further 120,000 troops in the vicinity, while Ethiopia has deployed about 100,000 troops along the border.

We believe it is essential for the parties to discuss directly how to implement a workable boundary regime, consistent with the decisions of the EEBC, and to address the fundamental issues that divide them. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has offered to engage the parties, and we support his initiative. The Ethiopian Government has agreed to participate in this initiative, and we urge the Eritrean government to do so as well. We will continue our efforts and support those of others to resolve this issue and remove one flash point in an already unstable region and bring the parties closer to a normalized relationship.

So, in conclusion, this is a tough neighborhood, economically fragile, with a history of violent conflict and of uncompromising politics. Huge challenges remain. Yet, overall, there is reason to be hopeful about the Horn. Progress may not be uniform, but with the exception of Eritrea, we are working in partnership with local governments toward a more peaceful and prosperous Horn of Africa.

Thank you again for inviting me to join you today, and I look forward to answering any questions that you may have.
____
Released on August 9, 2007

Woyanne soldiers opened fire on a passenger bus, killing 12, wounding 93

Ninty three Somali civilians suffer from bullet wounds after Ethiopian [Woyanne] forces opened fire on passenger bus.

MOGADISHU – Six more Somali civilians died Tuesday after being seriously wounded when Woyanne forces opened fire on a passenger bus the previous day, medical officials said.

The soldiers had fired on the bus suspecting it was ferrying insurgents.

“So far six people have died since last night of critical injuries they suffered yesterday,” said Dahir Dhere, the director of Mogadishu’s Medina hospital. “We have 93 more injuries in (the) hospital. All of them have bullet wounds.”

The latest fatalities raise the death toll from the bus attack to 12.

The shooting erupted after a Somali soldier manning a road block accidentally fired a rocket, narrowly missing the bus and prompting the Woyanne troops who were nearby to open fire.

Meanwhile, unknown assailants attacked a Woyanne billet north of Mogadishu, but there were no reports of casualties, witnesses said.

“We have heard more than eight rounds of mortar shells fired near (the base). We are very near to the site but luckily no civilians were harmed,” resident Nuradin Ali Hassan said.

Source: MiddleEast Online

Alienation: A result of the impact of Western education on Ethiopian intellectuals

By Fikre Tolossa

It is my contention that Western education has alienated Ethiopian intellectuals by uprooting them from their history, culture, language and society. This paper, which was presented at an Ethiopian studies conference at the University of Dayton, Ohio, in the summer of 2006, attempts to elaborate my contention by providing a brief account of the history of Western education in Ethiopia and its negative impact on Ethiopian students. It also demonstrates how Marxism damaged Ethiopia and reveals the secret forces behind Marxism and its hidden agenda. In conclusion, it suggests ways and means of improving the core-curriculum of Ethiopian education.

When Emperors Menilik II and Haile Selassie I introduced and spearheaded Western education to and in Ethiopia in the 19 nth and 20th centuries, they didn’t foresee that it will alienate and uproot Ethiopian children from their origin: Ethiopian history, culture, language, psychology, philosophy, religion, music, literature, arts, and even society. These emperors introduced and spearheaded it with the sole purpose of modernizing Ethiopia by the acquisition and transfer of knowledge in the form of science, technology and education. When parents wouldn’t allow their children to go to Western schools fearing they would be exposed to foreign ways of life and religion such as Catholicism, Emperor Menilik II made a decree to punish them severely. This phenomenal Emperor who had cultivated the love for technology when he was growing up at the court of Emperor Tewodros who was himself a fanatic for technology, particularly weapons’ technology, set an example to his people by doing menial works, demonstrating an interest in engineering, and even himself repairing watches, driving car, encouraging his wife Empress Taitu to ride bike, introducing electricity, telephone, telecommunications, cinema, railway transportation, etc. to his country. Following in his footsteps, Emperor Haile Selassie laid a modern infrastructure and stressed the importance of Western education. As a matter of fact, he volunteered to serve as the Minister of Education for many years to see to it that his educational policy was implemented properly. To this end, he went to different schools in person and supervised the classes and the foods his “kids” ate and drank. At times, he sent fruits to his students from his palace. During Christmas, he offered thousands of students in his palace with cakes and special sweaters. To high achievers, he awarded special watches with his profile and inscriptions of his name.

Modernization and “civilization” were understood to be two words defining the same concept. Westerners were supposed to be highly civilized. Hence the acquisition of Western education to “civilize” and modernize Ethiopia after their model. This implied that Ethiopia was not civilized or was less civilized than the West. If one was to define civilization as a high achievement in science and technology, Ethiopia was not indeed civilized. However, if civilization meant a high achievement in religious moral, ethics, philosophy in general, music, culture, literature, arts, architecture, history, warfare and even politics, then Ethiopia was highly civilized. The concept of civilization was not then explicitly defined.

What Ethiopian leaders overlooked was that Western science, technology and education brought with them an unexpected baggage: Western culture, history, geography, literature, psychology, sociology, and most of all, political economy and revolutionary philosophy championed by Karl Marx which not only formed their world outlook, but also affected the behavior and political practice of the youngsters. As Karl Marx himself stated, philosophers before him had interpreted the world, but his philosophy was to change the world, whatever change meant, by revolutionary means.

After all was said and done, after having gone through Western education, Ethiopia produced many technocrats who didn’t contribute an iota to the betterment of the life of the toiling masses, a few scientists from whom she didn’t benefit much, philosophers who were ignorant of the existence of Ethiopian philosophy, economists who didn’t have any impact on the economy of the county, revolutionaries who didn’t know the culture, tradition, history and mentality of the people in whose name they were dying and killing, political scientists, psychologists, sociologists and anthropologists who didn’t know a lot about the politics, psychology and sociology of their people, in addition to specialists and experts in various disciplines whose expertise had no relevance to Ethiopian realities.

It would have been a different story had these students dealt with these subjects in terms of their application to Ethiopian realities. In order for them to do so, nonetheless, the Ethiopian subject-matters mentioned above should have been systematized and included in the Ethiopian school curriculum and studied side by side with those of the West. This doesn’t mean that there were not conscious Ethiopians who didn’t understand the dangers of unchecked Western education and didn’t suggest otherwise. His excellencies Ato Mekonen Desta and Haddis Alemayehu who served as ministers of education in their own times had foreseen it and suggested the integration of Ethiopian subjects with Western education; but nobody took them seriously. The zealots of Western education, such as His Excellencies Mersaehazen Woldeqirkos and Ato Abebe Retta nevertheless, went to the extent of proposing to replace even one of the oldest if not the oldest alphabet in the world, Geez, with the Latin alphabet and to make changes in the alphabets. Aleka Lema who had a debate about this matter with other groups of scholars and his witty son who had just graduated from high school, Mengistu Lema, he who had later challenged Bertrand Russell ’s ( the famous British philosopher and mathematician) colonialist contentions at the London School of Economics, exposed the errors of those who wanted to alter the Geez alphabet and nipped the proposal in the bud. (Mengistu Lema, Autobiography. P.116-124)

Indoctrination in the form of Western education begins at an early age. The process of alienation starts when a child is placed in the first grade of a Western school. The moment a child attends first grade and moves to grade two, he moves away farther from his Ethiopian roots and gets a step closer to becoming westernized; so that, at the end of twelve years of schooling and four years of college he has strayed away from his “Ethiopianess” for 16 years. By then, his mentality, psyche, manners, cultural orientation and life-style will have been influenced profoundly. The more this young person acquires Western education and culture, the more he becomes westernized, and the less Ethiopianized. If he moves to the West for further education, he is even alienated more from his Ethiopian roots. Outwardly, this person has an Ethiopian look. However, inwardly, he feels and thinks like a “Ferenj”. The fact that the color of his skin and even his citizenship is Ethiopian doesn’t mean much with respect to his mentality and psyche. A white person who is deeply rooted in Ethiopianess could be more Ethiopian than such a person. A case in point is the situation of Ayana and Ayantu, a white twin living in an Oromo region of Ethiopia.

When Ayana and Ayantu were babies, they strayed away from their parents, got lost and were taken by some Oromo peasants who raised them like Oromo peasants in the remotest part of Ethiopia. Now they are adult peasants married to Oromo peasants. These two white individuals were never exposed to Western education, culture and language after they were kidnapped. Their parents traced them later. But alas! They had become totally Oromos in their language, mentality, psyche, manners, culture, cloth and life-style. Their parents traced them after it was too late, and left them sadly. Despite their white color of skin and their place of birth, Ayana and Ayantu are more Oromo, and as such, more Ethiopian, than a westernized Oromo, or any person belonging to any other Ethiopian ethnic group, thus proving the fact that the color of one’s skin alone doesn’t always determine one’s identity.

Alienation as a result of Western education within the Ethiopian context was best reflected on the generation of Ethiopians who received Western education after the end of the invasion of Ethiopia by Fascist Italy and the subsequent years (1941-1980). The reason for this was the fact that Ethiopia flung opened her gates for the West to engage in the construction and reconstruction of the infrastructure, as well as in the building of the nation itself. The generation that received Western education before the Invasion had been exposed more to Ethiopian traditional education, culture and way of life than the generation which followed. They had already been adults when they entered grade one having spent so many years in Kine and Zema bet or serving as shepherds, and even farmers contrary to the generation after the War which joined Western schools at relatively early ages without being too familiar with Ethiopian culture and way of life.

The Westernized Ethiopian exhibits a few distinct characteristic features. Such an Ethiopian has tendency to look down upon Ethiopian things labeling them as backward and feudal, and looks upon anything Western highly. If there is anything Ethiopian he appreciates, it is the food- the Kitffo and Doro Wot. As such, he dreams to visit Paris and New York instead of Axum and Laibella. Given the choice to read between Charles Dickens and Haddis Alemayehu, he prefers the former. He esteems highly Marx and Kant, but is not even aware of the existence of Ethiopian philosophers such as Zera-yacob and Welde-hiywot. If he is cultured in the Western sense, whether his appreciation and knowledge are superficial or not, he appreciates and gives the impression to know Mozart than St.Yared. He values more the guitar than the Kirrar, any Western dance than isqista and dankira, Western outfits than Shema and Ye tibeb libs, beer than Tella, wine than Tedge, and whisky than Katikala. He is well-versed in China’s, Russia’s and West Europe’s history, politics, music, languages, literature, philosophy, etc. but very little, if any, in those of Ethiopia. He knows the cities and states of Europe and America like the palms of his hands, but not of his native land. He prefers to speak in European languages than any of his native tongues. He speaks to his children and encourages them to speak European languages than his native languages thinking his children will be more “civilized” if they spoke European languages. In an extreme case of his identity crisis, he will also give his children European than Ethiopian names.

Teens who grew up during the Era of the Derg were reared upon the so-called Socialist-Realist culture which emphasized the deployment of the “culture of the masses”. As such, contrary to those who grew up in the 1940s and 1950s and even the 1960s, the “children of the Derg” appreciated and practiced the Kirrar, than the guitar, Isqesta and dankira than Western dances as well as traditional costumes (more women than men). “Ye Kinet Kibebes” (traditional art groups) mushroomed in different Kebeles in Ethiopia, and those youngsters became experts in traditional music and dance. Hence, the frequent appearance of young people performing traditional music and dance in weddings and dance floors in Ethiopia proper and in the West where Ethiopians have been exiled.

When the revolutionary youngsters were not yet revolutionary, they wee influenced highly by the so-called “imperialist culture”. When they became revolutionaries they rejected “cultural imperialism” and fought it tooth and nail, labeling it us “Jolly-Jackism” on the campus level. “Jolly-Jackism” was understood to be wearing bell-bottoms (the fashion of the day), Afro-hair-styles, fancy shoes and attires in general, partying, singing, looking good as opposed to looking shabby, and even having boy and girlfriends in the open (Visiting prostitutes in the dark was the order of the day). Ironically enough, being a “revo” was like being a “Pente”. The only difference between being a “revo” and a “Pente” was that the former didn’t believe or pretend not to believe in the existence of God. Even the military junta led by Colonel Mengistu Hailemariam echoed this sentiment shouting slogans such as “Down with imperialism! Down with imperialist culture and Joly-jackism!” etc. What was shameful was that all who condemned Western imperialism ended up in the West. Nobody sought asylum in the East Block and China though every revolutionary dreamed of making Ethiopia like the Eastern Block countries and China. I remember only one person who naively chose to seek asylum in the East Block. Funny enough, he was rejected everywhere! So, he headed for Seattle, USA and found a safe haven in the imperialist West against which he had fought. There was a widely spread jock then: “sew-belaw (man eating, swallowing) imperialism “minew innen bewategn” I wish I was eaten up (swallowed up) by the man-eating (the cannibal) imperialism”. The situation is not any different at present when it comes to Ethiopian Exodus.

Things reversed themselves when Weyane took over from the Derg. Weyane itself was Communist and nominally “anti-imperialist” up to the eleventh hour. In that sense it was not any different than the other Ethiopian radicals, as both groups were the result of the student movement. Since communism was crumbling at its source (USSR and East Block), Weyane betrayed its communistic convictions to impress Western donors and wore the mask of a democrat the day it entered Addis Abeba from the bush in which it was waging guerrilla warfare. The West flooded over Ethiopia through the floodgate with its religion and “imperialist culture” including pornography and strip-dance clubs. Sadly, everything Western in general, and American in particular, is being worshiped to this day. Many Hotels and even “Tela Bets”in the remotest part of Ethiopia bear American names and states instead of local Ethiopian names. This is a reflection of cultural subjugation, low self-esteem and identity crisis. Furthermore, the fact that Ethiopians endured sever drought and famine as well as tragic civil-wars has affected negatively the former self-pride and self-reliability of Ethiopians. This has debilitated Ethiopians so much so that they are compelled to deny themselves and to lie about their nationality and identity. Unless something is done about this on the national level, Ethiopia will sink in a bottomless abyss. To overcome this grim and shameful situation, a lot of work should be done on the educational and cultural fronts.

Even though Western education is idealized by many Ethiopians, Western education per se, is deliberately distorted when it deals with the humanity subjects in general, and with history and politics in particular. Let me illustrate my point with a few examples. I will take Marx, communism, the French Revolution, the October Russian Revolution, the First World War and the Second World War.

Marx told us that religion was the opiate of the poor and that neither God nor the devil existed. And yet, when he was in high school, he believed in God and wrote a poem in adoration of Jesus. The same Marx joined a Satanist group in college, wrote an ode to Satan and vowed to dethrone God from heaven. (Richard Wurmbrand. Marx & Satan. P. 11-35). Well, how would he dethrone God, if God didn’t exist. The truth is that Marx believed that God existed, and knew there was Satan, because he practiced witchcraft and worshipped Satan. Not knowing the darkest side of Karl Marx, “progressive” Ethiopian students denounced religion, denied the existence of God, destroyed the foundation of their ancestors’ faith, created social upheaval, got engaged in a civil-war and caused much bloodshed and sorrow in the name of Marxism.

They thought that the tenets of communism were formulated by Karl Marx and Frederick Engle who were “so concerned” with the well-being of the down-trodden. And thinking so, they tried to implement them in Ethiopia at the cost of the lives of others and their own lives. Meaning to improve the tragic lives of their people, they sacrificed their youthful lives for the realization of communism which promised a utopian system of government. The bitter fact was that the tenets of communism were formulated by a Satanist evil man named Adam Weishaupt a century or so before the appearance of Marx and Engle on the European political scene. He was himself recruited by other Satanists such as Mendelssohn and Rothschild who were aspiring to bring about a New Atlantis; and was organized under a Satanic secret society known as Illuminati to destroy the then prevailing monarchies, religions (Judeo-Christianity), feelings of nationalism, families, and abolish ownership of private property with the sole purpose of bringing about one world government under a Satanic religion, economy and army to exploit the world’s resources, spread Satanism and enslave the peoples of the planet Earth. ( Milan Martin, Lucifer’s Children. P. 84-87) To launch this, he attempted to eliminate everything people cherished dearly such as religion (the belief in one God, particularly Christianity and Judaism), the family unit, private property, and feelings of nationalism which would hinder internationalism or one world government. (William Cooper.Behold A Pale Horse. P. 76) According to his vision, a Satanist elite was to be on top of this Satanic world government with absolute power to control the world army, police, economic resources and Satanic religion. Today, this kind of system is called the New World Order. The Bushes, the Clintons, the Gores, the Kissingers, Fords, Rockfellers, the Carnegies , etc. in the US and many of the European elites are ready, willing and able to make it happen. They will use the United Nations and the European Union to achieve this.

Adam Weishaupt founded the Illuminati secret society on May 1, 1776 to conquer the world. His ideas deceitfully infiltrated into the international trade union movements so that the first day of May became Labor Day. (If you observe May First as a labor day, you are a victim of Weishaupt’s plot). Though he was a professor of Canon Law and lived in Bavaria, Germany, he thought France was more conducive than Germany to experiment his communistic theory. So, he recruited French revolutionaries such as Robespierre, organized the Jacobins (Martin, Milan. Ibid. p. 106-109) and led the bloody French Revolution in disguise. To motivate and allure the French masses he used high sounding and meaningless words, such as “liberty”, “equality” and “fraternity”. We know the havoc and bloodshed which followed the French Revolution. It is enough to recall that most of the victims were innocent Christians who were a threat to the Satanic religion of the Satanist Adam Weishaupt.

Marx followed in the footsteps of Adam Weisehaupt about 80 years later, and expanded and propounded his Illuminati ideas. He was financed by the powerful members of the Illuminated-Masons in secrecy.

One half a century later, the Illuminati-Freemasons found another puppet and volunteer to pursue their vicious agenda further. This person himself was a high level Illuminated-Mason by the name of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. His successors and Lieutenants, Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky too, were Masonic-Satanists. (Texe Marrs. Codex Magica. P. 44, 256) Stalin, before he became a Satanist had attended a theological seminary to be a priest. The Illuminati bankers and financiers smuggled Lenin from Switzerland to Russia in a closed train with millions of Dollars at his disposal. Trotsky was smuggled by the same groups from New York to run the Bolshevik Revolution together with Lenin. He was given an American passport and $10, 000 USD by the Illuminate US President who plunged Americans into the First World War so that the League of Nations, the first stage to World Satanic Government is established at the end of the War. When the Red Army of Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin were almost destroyed by the Nationalist forces of the Mensheviks, the same group of Illuminated-Masons “capitalists” financed and equipped, and rescued the Red Army by levying arms and supplies embargo on the armies of the Mensheviks and by sabotaging them in many ways. (Stanley Monteith. Brotherhood of Darkness. P. 69-72) They also lent Lenin over $100 million USD later. He paid between 1918 and 24 over $400 million Rubles in interest and principal to these “capitalists”. But if these Satanic bankers and financers were capitalists, we wonder, how come they championed communism? Was it because capitalism was a system of exploitation to enhance communism which was the future form of world government. David Rockefeller is a good example of what I was saying. He was the first capitalist Illuminati-Mason who visited Communist China in 1973. After he met his fellow Illuminati-Mason Satanist by the name of Mao Tse-tung, (David Icke. The Biggest Secret. P.285) who had wiped out 40 to 60 million of his people for the sake of Illuminati agenda, David Rockefeller said, “… The Social experiment in China under Chairman Mao’s leadership is one of the most important and successful in history.” (Monteith, Stanley. Ibid. P.44)

Think of it. This is the capitalist of all capitalists stating this. By “social experiment”, of course, he meant the Illuminati communistic social experiment which will be applied world-wide in the future. So, if you think the communism of the past was horrible, you haven’t yet seen anything. There is no escape. These vicious people have done their homework, and they will launch their “new” brand of communism soon.

It is the same Illuminati-Masonic group which artificially and deliberately caused the First and the Second World Wars. Since people wouldn’t willingly surrender their rights, their religious convictions and the sovereignty of their nations in peaceful and prosperous times, argued these Satanists, we had to plunge them into world wars so that they would accept the formation of world government at the end of such tragic wars. True enough, people didn’t object to the establishment of the now defunct League of Nations, and the currently active United Nations at the end of the First and Second World Wars to serve as platforms for a Satanic-Communist one world government which is otherwise known as “The New World Order”. Now they are scheming a Third World War which should go as planned by Albert Pike and his followers who envisioned to wage three world wars to materialize the one world government of their dream.(Martin, Milan. Ibid. p. 34) They are now plotting to add more fuel into the already flaming Arab-Israeli relationship which they conspire to transform into Christian-Muslim global war. They have no doubt that the end of the Third World War will grant them their one world government. The question is whether they will find any survivor to enslave and rule even if they themselves outlive the forthcoming war.

How many of us knew these facts? How many of us know them now? Formal Western Education is not that enlightening, is it? Western history and political text books as well as the mass media, being controlled and censored by the Illuminati, told us that Communist wars were fought by the oppressed masses of the world. We were led to believe by the unseen hands that the First World War took place because Gavrilo Prinzip assassinated the Archduke of Austria. True, Gavrilo Prinzip assassinated the Duke, but the assassin was a Mason who was sent to kill him to trigger and escalate the First World War which had been “concocted” by the invisible rulers of the world in an effort to bring about a one world government besides making tons of money by financing all sides of the belligerent nations during the War, and at the end of the War, by reconstructing what they had helped to demolish. By the same token, they make us think that WW II was fought because Hitler invaded Europe. They didn’t reveal to us that Hitler, who was himself a Satanist-occultist and National socialist who aspired to unite Europe and conquer the world by reviving the Roman Empire which had ruled the world, was financed, equipped and armed by the same invisible rulers of the world- members of the Illuminated-Masons such as the Fords and Rockefellers in the US, and bankers and financers in Europe such as the Rothschilds.(Martin, Milan. Ibid. P. 276-277/)

All miner and major wars and revolutions including the French Revolution, the American War of Independence, the American Civil War, WWI, WWII, the Russian Bolshevik, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Cambodian,, Cuban, Ethiopian, Congolese, Angolan, and Mozambican communist revolutions which ruined these countries were led behind the scene by the Illuminati-Masons. Speaking of Cuba, Fidel Castro is Illuminated-Mason (Marrs, Texe. Ibid. p. 165) who was put in power by the CIA knowing full well that he was one of their buddies who would experiment on the Cuban people their “social experiment”, as David Rockefeller bluntly and brutally stated. Do you find this information I furnished you with in the text books of Western schools? No way. This is a top secret. The evil Adam Weisehaupt once said that their power lies in their secrecy. That is why they are called secret society. The revelation of their secret to the public at large will definitely weaken them and expose their scheme. So, they keep us in the dark. As long as we are ignorant, they can control and rule us with ease.

Our ignorance of this bitter truth in part propelled us Ethiopian intellectuals to destroy our country, to kill each other and to die for the Ethiopian Revolution which strove to attain the so-called communism which was alien to Ethiopia. Thinking that we were killing and dying for the welfare of our people, actually we killed and died for the realization of the satanic aspirations of the Illuminati-Masons. Isn’t this tragic? Our tragedy was not only in enduring and inflicting physical pain and death, but also in destructing whatever we had achieved culturally. A case in point is the destruction of and the attempt to destroy the cultural relics and rare books written before the outbreak of the February 1974 communist inspired Ethiopian Revolution which toppled over the government of Emperor Haile Selassie. Ethiopia’s glorious past was ignorantly labeled as “feudal”. As such, Ethiopia’s glorious past: her culture, history, religions (both Christianity and Islam), and most of all, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church which was the cradle of Ethiopian civilization, were under attack. Ethiopia’s four thousand plus years of recorded history was reduced to one hundred years of colonial history to suit the needs of the political protagonists of the day.

At present, the politically-disillusioned youth has embraced Western culture as a role-model in terms of outward appearance, music and dance. Moreover, almost every Ethiopian, be it young or old aspires to get out of Ethiopia to head for the heavenly West for economic, political and cultural reasons. In addition to the above factors, the fact that Ethiopians endured sever civil-wars, famine and drought have contributed to the crisis affecting the self-esteem of Ethiopians. This has affected some Ethiopians so much so that they deny themselves and declare their original nationality to be any other but Ethiopian. Unless something is done about this on the national level, Ethiopia will sink in a bottomless abyss. To overcome this situation, a lot of work should be done on the educational and cultural fronts.

On the educational front, the core curriculum should be redesigned to reflect Ethiopian folklore, culture, literature, history, geography, theology, philosophy, sociology, anthropology, psychology, traditional medicine, arts, crafts, architecture, music and dance among other subjects. This doesn’t mean that the existing Western Science and humanity courses should be precluded totally. Science is science no matter what, unless it is mixed up with politics. The new core curriculum should aspire to transfer from the West science and technology selecting the ones applicable to Ethiopia. However, when it comes to humanity subjects, an alternative research should be conducted to seek and find the truth concealed by the invisible rulers of this world instead of continuing the status quo which is filled with distortions and lies.

On the cultural front, the performing and fine arts too, should reflect the beauty and splendor of Ethiopian culture, arts, history, society, literature and other subjects pertaining to Ethiopia. Ethiopian traditional schools, which are going out of existence due to lack of funding and moral support should be identified, recognized and incorporated under the Ministry of Education and be given equal status with the other schools or assisted separately. The Ministry of Education should indeed provide traditional schools with class rooms, educational materials and put the teachers on its payroll. As things now stand, these dedicated teachers who are the foundation and promoters of Ethiopian education, culture, literature, arts, music, philosophy and medicine are neglected. They are not paid for the great task they accomplish. In most cases, they depend even for their foods on their students who themselves beg their daily meals from the public, as it has happened for the last two thousand years.

If such an action is taken as soon as possible in both the educational and cultural spheres, Ethiopians will regain their pride and self-esteem and also avoid and avert unnecessary personal and national crisis and tragedy which occur because of alienation and due to lack of self-awareness, appreciation, and information.
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Fikre Tolossa, Ph. D., is professor of literature and writing at Patten University, Oakland, CA. He could be reached at [email protected] for feedback.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

  1. Lema, Mengistu, Gile-Tarik. Mega Publishing Enterprise. Addis Abeba. 1988
  2. Wurmbrand, Richard, Marx & Satan. Living Sacrifice Book Company. Bartlesville, Oklahoma, seventh Printing 2001.
  3. Martin, Milan, Lucifer’s Children. New World Order Books. Tulsa. OK. 2002
  4. Cooper, William, Behold A Pale Horse, Light Technology Publishing. Sedona, AZ. 1991.
  5. Marrs, Texe, Codex Magica, River Crest Publishing. Austin. Texas. Second printing, 2006.
  6. Monteith, Stanley, Brotherhood of Darkness. Hearthstone Publishing. Oklahoma City, OK. 2000.
  7. Icke, David, The Biggest Secret. Bridge of Love Publications, Scottsdale, Arizona. 1999

City of Denver issues proclamation on Ethiopian Millenium

City of Denver, Colorado, issued a proclamation naming September 11, 2007, “Ethiopian Millennium Day” in Denver. The proclamation was signed by Mayor John Hickenlooper and presented to Dagmawit Gishet Kidist Mariam Church of the Denver Metro area.Click here to read the proclamation.

Kidist Mariam Church is organizing various millennium-related events from Saturday, September 8 – 11, at its location, 16200 East Colfax Ave, Aurora, Colorado.