A documentary film The Silent Cry, produced by a team of young passionate British students, in partnership with African Rights Monitor, hosted a special screening in Toronto, on Saturday November 28, 2009. Over four hundred people from the Greater Toronto area attended the screening.
The Silent Cry is based on stories depicting the shattered lives of Somali refugees from the Ogaden region of Ethiopia. These stories were discovered by the Silent Cry producers when they visited Nairobi, Kenya, during their last Spring break. This group of students’ initial purpose to vacation in Kenya was fundamentally altered after they had met, “Omar” a local taxi driver, who shared with them his personal tragic story. Omar fled the Ogaden after losing his children and wife to the brutalities of the Woyanne regime soldiers in the Ogaden. This team of students then made a trip to Ifo Refugee Camp, in Northern Kenya, which is a destination for many survivors fleeing the devastating circumstances in the Somali region of Ethiopia.
A picture conveys thousand words, thanks to this team of students. We now can see images of the hidden truth about the suffering of the people of Ogaden shown through this powerful documentary, Silent Cry. The atrocities in the Ogaden have been compared to the atrocities in Darfur, with zero media attention due to the total lack of access by international media and NGOs, and as such been termed the “Hidden Darfur” of the Horn of Africa.
Three members of the Silent Cry team, Abdallah Abdi, Ahmed Abdalle, and Abdi-Shukri Omar who is the narrator of the documentary, were present in Toronto for the screening of the documentary. After a warm welcome by the a member of the Greater Toronto Community, Huda Yusuf, the Executive Director of the African Rights Monitor (ARM), a non profit group, presented a brief presentation on rights and responsibilities of citizens in democratic societies and some of the responsibilities and obligations on the part of governments to protect their citizen.
Then the Silent Cry team delivered passionate presentations before the screening, sharing with audience the impact filming this documentary had on them and how it changed their lives. Then when the audience watched Silent Cry, they were moved to tears by the stories of these refugees.
Followed by the Silent Cry team, highlighting some next steps, and emphasizing their commitment now to raising awareness and breaking the silence around the suffering of the people of Ogaden, and have asked the audience to join in this journey. The team have challenged the participants to join this campaign of advocacy and assist in bringing the attention of the international community to the plight of the people of this region. To drive the point home, Fowsia Abdulkadir, an independent researcher and human rights activist, put the Silent Cry stories in a historical context, underlining the fact that Somalis have historically been marginalized in Ethiopia. Somalis have been oppressed and discriminated against by successive Ethiopian regimes; however, under the current regime led by Meles Zenawi, human rights abuses and the suffering of Somalis in Ethiopia have reached a level it has never reached before.
The evening was concluded with poetry reading by young Somalis, who recited poems dedicated to some of the refugee children in the documentary. The screening of Silent Cry in Toronto was overwhelmingly successful, and the event was positively received by the Toronto community.
(Further information: [email protected])
MICHIGAN (AP) — A 15-year-old Michigan boy admitted raping a 3-year-old girl, so enraging his father that the man couldn’t control himself when witnesses say he forced the teen to strip, marched him to an empty lot and shot him through the head, a defense lawyer said Tuesday.
The lawyer for Jamar Pinkney Sr., 37, said he will pursue an insanity defense as a judge in the Detroit enclave of Highland Park ruled Pinkney should stand trial on first-degree murder, assault and firearms charges in his son’s Nov. 16 death.
Defense attorney Corbett O’Meara said Pinkney’s son’s confession would have driven anyone crazy.
“There is no rational response to the rape of a child,” O’Meara said after the hearing. “He was immediately remorseful and didn’t seek to hide. He turned himself in to the police.”
Pinkney acted “under heat of passion,” O’Meara said, and should be found “not guilty by reason of insanity” or found guilty of manslaughter.
During questioning of witnesses, Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Christine Kowal tried to establish that Pinkney had time to think about what he was going to do as he forced his son out of the boy’s mother’s home on North Street before killing him.
No evidence of sexual penetration was introduced at the hearing, despite testimony about the girl being taken to Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit a day before the shooting.
O’Meara said the defense would introduce medical reports that indicate the girl had evidence of vaginal tearing. He said Jamar Jr. had at first denied he molested the girl, then later said he only lay on top of her but they had their clothes on.
O’Meara said after the hearing that the teen finally admitted to his father that he had sex with the girl, causing his father to snap.
He said his client is now devastated and under the care of a psychiatrist at the Wayne County Jail, where he is being held without bond.
“He doesn’t understand how any of this could have happened,” O’Meara said.
Authorities haven’t said if they believe the teen raped the girl, his half-sister, and police have said the matter is not part of their investigation. Wayne County prosecutor’s office spokeswoman Maria Miller declined to comment Tuesday on the nature of the sexual contact.
Pinkney’s confrontation with his son came a day after the 3-year-old underwent an examination at Children’s Hospital of Michigan. Results of the exam haven’t been released, but the teen’s mother said they indicated her son “had molested” the girl. The Associated Press is not naming the girl or detailing her relationship to the teen to avoid identifying a victim of sexual assault.
Lazette Cherry testified Tuesday that her son talked to her about his contact with the girl after her exam. Cherry said her son called his father about 3 a.m.
“Daddy, can you please forgive me in your heart, forgive what I did?” she quoted Jamar Pinkney Jr. as asking his father.
The mother said the elder Pinkney agreed to come to the house later to talk further. Cherry’s sister, Yolanda Cherry, testified that Jamar Pinkney Sr. arrived about 10 a.m.
Yolanda Cherry said she and her sister talked about getting help for the teen, while Pinkney Sr. said he spoke with the 3-year-old’s mother and she wanted to press charges.
“Jamar, is there something you want to tell me?” Yolanda Cherry quoted Pinkney Sr. as asking his son.
“He got on his knees in front of his dad and said, ‘I’m sorry,'” the aunt said.
“What did you do?” she quoted the father as asking.
“I humped (the girl),” the teen replied. “I need counseling.”
Pinkney Sr. didn’t immediately respond, Yolanda Cherry said, and she left to visit her mother’s upstairs apartment. She later heard screaming and banging and rushed down to find Pinkney Sr. holding a handgun and beating his son.
Both sisters testified Pinkney Sr. ordered his son to undress and marched him outside. The teen’s mother said Pinkney Sr. ordered the boy to kneel in the grass, ignoring his pleas for mercy.
“I said, ‘Jamar, stop. Don’t do this. Think about what you’re doing,'” Lazette Cherry testified.
She said Pinkney Sr. stood behind the boy and shot him in the head, then walked around still grasping the gun.
“He didn’t want anybody to go back and help him,” the mother said. After Pinkney Sr. left, she rushed to her son’s side.
“He’s bleeding, blood coming out of his mouth,” she said. “Somebody said, ‘Get some covers, cover him up, keep him warm.’ So that’s what we did.”
Jamar Pinkney Sr. is being held in the Wayne County Jail without bond, charged with first-degree murder in the Nov. 16 shooting. If convicted, he faces life in prison without parole.
ABC News released its top 10 electronic gadgets of the past ten years.
By Ki Mae Heussner | ABC News
Maps. Compact disk players. Film. Paperback books. Ten years ago, we couldn’t live without them. Today, they’re inching closer and closer to obsolescence. The past decade has delivered a bounty of consumer electronics that make our lives easier, keep us connected and ensure that we’re endlessly entertained.
But a few have gone above and beyond, altering the way we organize, experience and share our daily lives.
Here are 10 of the gadget world’s greatest hits from the past 10 years.
The iPod
The digital music player was already on the scene when Apple introduced the iPod in 2001. But it wasn’t exactly hyperbole when Apple CEO Steve Jobs said, “Listening to music will never be the same again.”
The iPod — and its signature white earbuds — quickly became a cultural icon. But its impact was hardly cosmetic. Along with iTunes, the iPod popularized the mp3 player and changed the music industry forever.
Stacks of CDs? Gone. Trips to the record store? Gone.
Apple made buying music, TV shows and videos as easy as logging on to your home computer and clicking your mouse a few times.
In 2007, the company announced that it sold its 100 millionth iPod unit, making it the bestselling digital music player of all time.
And the iPod has come a long way. Since the original iPod that could hold 1,000 songs, Apple has updated the model nearly every year, expanding the line to tiny workout-friendly Shuffles and Nanos and, of course, the iPhone-like iPod Touch. The current iPod classic (the model closest to the original) can hold 40,000 songs.
GPS Devices
Oh, those folding maps. For a time, they were a staple car accessory, not to mention a road trip necessity. But now, they’re almost quaint reminders of a bygone era.
In 2000, the United States discontinued a feature that deliberately degraded GPS signals available to the public.
Overnight, civilian users of GPS devices could pinpoint locations up to 10 times more accurately than before. And in the years that followed, led by Garmin, GPS devices found their way on to dashboards across the country.
Drivers retired their maps, letting voice-enabled GPS devices (or in-car navigation systems) lead them to their destinations.
Now, turn-by-turn directions and information about the nearest gas station and other points of interest are available on car dashboards, iPhones and more.
The BlackBerry
They’re known to be so addictive that they’re often called “CrackBerries.”
Research in Motion’s highly popular BlackBerry mobile device was first introduced as a two-way pager in 1999, but the now-common BlackBerry smart phone was introduced in 2002.
The handheld devices, which were initially the gadget of choice for executives and jetsetters, let users send and receive e-mail, access the Internet, take pictures, make phone calls and more.
As the price dropped, their popularity surged, and BlackBerrys found their way into the hands of everyone from urbanites to college students to stay-at-home moms.
When President Barack Obama ascended to the White House, he famously fought to keep his precious BlackBerry, despite national security concerns and a tradition of e-mail-free presidents.
Though the launch of the touchscreen iPhone challenged its share of the smart phone market, BlackBerry has held its own with an easy-to-use keyboard and sophisticated office applications and security features.
Digital cameras
Think back to 10 years ago. Did you get married? Graduate from college? Welcome a new child into the world?
Chances are, you didn’t get to see images of those major milestones until at least a few days later. Now, thanks to the proliferation of the affordable digital camera, memories are captured — and in many cases, shared — nearly instantaneously.
Though the digital camera was introduced in the 1990s, it really came into its own in the 2000s, finding its way into the hands of millions around the world. Even little kids have their own digital cameras.
Unfortunately, the downside of digital photography’s expansion is that your most embarrassing moments might live on the hard drives and Facebook accounts of countless family members and friends.
But the upside is that if you’re fast enough, you can delete those pictures before they ever see the light of day.
TiVo Digital Video Recorder
Remember when you had to make appointments with your living room television? If you wanted to watch “Friends,” “Lost” or “Monday Night Football,” you had to adjust your schedule accordingly.
The TiVo Digital Video Recorder and its more recent competitors now let you record those programs and watch them at your leisure — commercial-free
TiVo pioneered the device in 1997, but it was in the 2000s that the ad-skipping DVR really took off, sending advertisers and television programmers back to their drawing boards.
LG now offers a DVR-integrated television and some cable providers also provide DVR services.
Nintendo’s Wii
When Nintendo launched the Wii and Wii Sports in 2006, it pulled gamers off the couch and into the action, revolutionizing video game play in the process.
Using a wireless controller, players actually simulate actions such as playing tennis, baseball and boxing.
But the game has had successes beyond gaming, including teaching school children music and helping people lose weight.
The USB Flash Drive
The memory disk, the jump drive, the pendrive — or the USB.
It goes by many names but always serves the same crucial function: storing mountains of information on a miniscule device.
More durable and with more memory than its predecessor the floppy disk, flash drives help us carry documents, photos and more between work and home and school. They may be among the more humble items on this list, but simple can also be significant.
The iPhone
In June 2007, diehard Apple fans camped out on city sidewalks for days to be among the first to score the hotly anticipated iPhone. The first iPhones dropped on June 29, and within 74 days Apple had sold 1 million of its new devices.
Now it’s said that the number of iPhone and iPod touch units sold has climbed to 40 million.
Whether it’s with iPhones, BlackBerries, Android-powered phones or Palm devices, consumers increasingly send and receive e-mail, play games, watch video and access the Internet from mobile phones.
Thanks to the advent of the mobile application, like those in Apple’s App Store and the Android Marketplace, consumers also look to their handheld devices for a host of other practical — and frivolous — functions.
Whatever our desire, be it finding the closest public toilet, tracking stocks or starting a car remotely, we now know that “there’s an app for that.”
What’s behind the growth of the ever-smarter phone? Technologists say the answer is easy: the iPhone.
E-Book Reader
Bye bye, books? Maybe not quite yet, but as e-readers, such as Sony’s Reader and Amazon’s Kindle, gain in popularity, printed novels, textbooks and even newspapers and magazines are slowly retreating into the background.
Sony was the first this decade to offer an e-book reader in 2006 and Amazon’s Kindle quickly followed in 2007. But since then, as prices fall and content options rise, the market has continued to grow.
This month, research firm Forrester said 2009 has been a “breakout year” for eReaders and eBooks. By the end of the year, sales will have more than tripled with content sales up 176 percent for the year.
Netbooks
Earlier this year, some analysts predicted that the PC industry would experience its sharpest shipment decline in history. But the industry’s fate was changed largely because of one key new computing species: the netbook.
Smaller and cheaper than its cousins the laptop and desktop, the netbook has emerged as an increasingly popular PC option.
The netbooks, or mini-notebooks, can’t compete with fully-functional laptops and desktops when it comes to memory, power and battery life. But they can be had for below $300, a price closer to that of some smart phones than traditional computers.
In addition to the price, their compact size and mobility make them attractive options for consumers.
Taiwan-based Asus introduced the first netbook of the decade in 2007 when it launched the Asus Eee PC (the three “Es” stand for “Easy to learn, Easy to work, Easy to play).
But its competitor, Acer Inc. (also from Taiwan), popularized the category with its 2008 launch of the Acer Aspire One. Analysts say Acer’s version was the first to do well among retail customers, as its operating system and overall look more closely resembled traditional PCs.
In March, research firm Garter predicted that PC shipments would fall in 2009 by 11.9 percent. Now, boosted by netbook sales, the firm expects shipments to actually grow by 2.8 percent this year.
The following Amharic article by editor-in-chief of Awramba Times analyzes recent political developments in Ethiopia involving the Addis Ababa-based opposition parties, particularly the joining of UDJ by two former high level Woyanne officials — Defense Minister Seye Abraha and President Negasso Gidada. The writer hammers Seye Abraha as incurably arrogant.
ስዬ ወደ አንድነት፤
የገነቡትን ለማፍረስ ወይስ ያልዘሩትን ለማጨድ
በዳዊት ከበደ
[pdf]
የቀድሞው የኢህአዴግ ፕሬዚዳንት ዶ/ር ነጋሶ ጊዳዳና የቀድሞው መከላከያ ሚኒስትር ስዬ አብርሃ አንድነት ፓርቲን በይፋ መቀላቀለቸው የሰሞኑ ዋነኛ መነጋገሪያ አጀንዳ ሆኗል፡፡ ባለፈው ሐሙስ አቶ ስዬና ዶ/ር ነጋሶ አንድነት ፓርቲን በይፋ የመቀላቀላቸውን ዜና በውጭ ድረገጾች ሲቀርብ ኢትዮጵያዊያን በዜናው ላይ የተለያዩ አስተያየቶች ሰጥተዋል፡፡ በኤሊያስ ክፍሌ የሚመራው ‹ኢትዮጵያን ሪቪው› ድረገጽ ለምርጫ እየተዘጋጁ ያሉ የኢትዮጵያ ፓርቲዎች በሁለት ጎራ ይከፍላቸዋል፡፡ በሁለቱም ጎራ ያሉ ተፋላሚዎችም ኢህአዴግ መሆናቸውን ገልጾ መጪው ምርጫ በሁለት ኢህአዴጎች መካከል የሚደረግ ምርጫ ነው ብሎታል፡፡ እሱም በአንድ በኩል መኢአድን ያቀፈውና በስልጣን ላይ ያለው ቡድን ሲሆን በሌላ በኩል ደግሞ የቀድሞ ኢህአዴግ አመራሮችን ያቀፈው አንድነት/መድረክ ነው ይላል፡፡
‹ናዝሬት› ድረገጽ በኩሉ በመላው አለም የሚገኙ ኢትዮጵያውያን በዚህ ዙሪያ አስተያየት እንዲሰጡ ባቀረበው ጥሪ መሰረት በመቶዎች የሚቆጠሩ ኢትዮጵያውያን አሰተያየታቸውን ሰጥተዋል፡፡ ከጥቂቶቹ በስተቀር የበርካቶቹ አስተያየትም አሉታዊ ነበር፡፡ በተለይ አንድ አስተያየት ሰጪ ‹እነ ስዬ የአዲስ አበባ ዩኒቨርስቲ ጓደኞቼን ያስጨፈጨፉና ለበደኖና አርባጉጉ እልቂት ተጠያቂ ናቸው፡፡ እነሱ አንድነት ፓርቲ ሳይሆን ዘ ሄግ ፍርድ ቤት ውስጥ መግባት አለባቸው የሚል አስተያየት አስፍሯል፡፡ በአንፃሩ ደግሞ ደሳለኝ አስፋው የተባሉ ፀሐፊ በ‹ኢትዮፖለቲክስ› ድረገጽ ላይ እርምጃውን በጎ ጅምር ሲሉ አድንቀዋል፡፡ በእለቱ ‹ኢትዮፎረም› ላይ አስተያየት ከሰጡ ኢትዮጵያውያን መካከልም ብዙዎች ለግለሰቦቹ ድጋፋቸውን ሰጥተዋል፡፡
ምርጫው እንደመቃረቡ መድረክ በአንድ የመወዳደሪያ ምልክት ግለሰቦቹን አቅፎ ምርጫ ውስጥ ለመግባት ሰዎቹ ከመድረክ አባል ፓርቲዎች ውስጥ ወደ አንዱ መቀላቀላቸው የግድ ነበር፡፡ በብዙዎች ዘንድ የነበረው ግምት ዶ/ር ነጋሶ ኦፌዴንን አሊያም ኦብኮን አቶ ስዬ ደግሞ ከህዋሀት የተሰናበቱ ጓዶቻቸው በመሰረቱት አረና ፓርቲ ውስጥ ይቀላቀላሉ የሚል ሰፊ መላምት ነበር፡፡ ምክንያቱም ሁለቱም ከቀድሞ ጓዶቻቸው ጋር የዘር ፖለቲካ በሀገሪቱ ስር እንዲሰድ አይነተኛ ሚና የተጫወቱ እንደመሆናቸው ከዚህ ማዕቀፍ ወጥተው አገር አቀፍ ፓርቲ ውስጥ በመግባት ደጋፊን ለማሰባሰብ መሞከር ‹ያልዘሩትን እንደማጨድ› ስለሚቆጠር ነው፡፡ እንደውም ቀላል በማይባሉ አክራሪ ደጋፊዎቻቸው ዘንድ እንደ ክህደት ሊያስቆጥርባቸው እንደሚችል ብዙዎች ግምታቸውን ይሰጣሉ፡፡ ስለሁለቱም ይህን ያህል ካልኩኝ ወደ ዋናው ርዕሰ ጉዳይ ልግባ፡፡
ከበርካታ ወራት በፊት፥ ሚያዝያ 15 ቀን 2000 ዓ.ም ረፋዱ ላይ አቶ ስዬ ስልክ ደወሉልኝና ‹ጊዜ ካለህ እቤት መጥተህ በአንዳንድ ጉዳዮች ላይ እንዲሁ በግል እንድንወያይ ፈልጌ ነበር› አሉኝ እኔም ደስተኛ መሆኔን ገልጬ ወደ አቶ ስዬ መኖሪያ ቤት አቀናሁ። ስለ አገራችን ወቅታዊ የፖለቲካ ሁኔታ፣ በወቅቱ ስለነበረው የተቃዋሚዎች እንቅስቃሴ፥ እንዲሁም ስለገዢው ፓርቲ አንዳንድ ሀሳቦች አንስተን ተወያየን። ዛሬ ስለ ያኔው ውይይታችን ሳስብ የአሁኑ የአቶ ስዬ ውሳኔ ግራ አጋብቶኛል፡፡ በወቅቱ የነበረው የተቃዋሚዎች እንቅስቃሴ የጠራ መስመር አልያዘም ነበር፡፡ እነ ወ/ት ብርቱካን አንድነትን አልመሰረቱም። እነ ኢንጅነር ኃይሉም በይፋ ወደ መኢአድ አልተመለሱም፡፡ ዶ/ር ብርሃኑም በሰላማዊ ትግል ተስፋ መቁረጣቸው ይገለጽ እንጂ ግንቦት 7 ንቅናቄን አልመሰረቱም ነበር፡፡ ሁሉም ግን በየፊናቸው በሚያደርጉት እንቅስቃሴ (ስማቸው በኢህአዴግ ቢነጠቅም) የቅንጅት አመራሮች እየተባሉ ነበር የሚጠሩት፡፡ ከአቶ ስዬ ጋር በነዚህና ሌሎች ጉዳዮች ዙሪያ ሀሳብ ከተለዋወጥን በኋላ አቶ ስዬ ‹ምናልባት ከዶ/ር ብርሃኑ ጋር መግባባት ይቻል ይሆናል፤ ከሌሎች ጋር ግን አብሮ መስራት የማይታሰብ ነው፡፡› አሉኝ፡፡ ለዚህም ሁለት ምክንያቶችን አስረግጠው ነገሩኝ፡፡ አንዱ ምክንያታቸው ይደግፈኛል ብለው የሚተማመኑበት የትግራይ ህዝብ በ1997 ምርጫ ሙሉ ድጋፉን ለህወሓት የሰጠ ከመሆኑም በላይ ገዥው ፓርቲ ቅንጅትን ከ‹ኢንተርሃምዌ› ጋር በማያያዝ ትግራይ ውስጥ ሰፊ ቅስቀሳ ማካሄዱን አስታውሰው ዛሬ ከቅንጅት አመራሮች ጋር ጥምረት ፈጥሮ ትግራይ ውስጥ ድጋፍ ለማሰባሰብ መሞከር ከባድ እንደሚሆን ስጋታቸውን ገለፁልኝ፡፡ ከዚህ ጋርም አያይዘው አሜሪካ ውስጥ ከዶ/ር ብርሃኑ ጋር ፖለቲካዊ ውይይት ስለማካሄዳቸው ኢህአዴግ ሆን ብሎ የነዛው እና ስዬ ቅንጅት ሆነ ብሎ በትግራይ ህዝብ ዘንድ እንዲጠሉ ለማድረግ የሸረበው ሴራ መሆኑን አጫወቱኝ፡፡ በውይይታችን መሀል ያነሳነው ሁለተኛው ነጥብ የተቀዋሚዎች መንደር ‹የንትርክ አውድማ› የመሆኑ ጉዳይ ነበር፡፡ በዚህ ዙሪያ አቶ ስዬ እስከ ቅርብ ጊዜ ድረስ ተመሳሳይ አቋም እንደነበራቸው ግልፅ ነው፡፡ በዚህ አመት መጀመሪያ ላይ ከአንድነት ወጣቶች አባል እንዲሆኑ ለቀረበላቸው ጥሪ ‹አንድነት ያልተሰራ ቤት ነው፡፡› በማለት ጥያቄውን ውድቅ ማድረጋቸው አይዘነጋም፡፡ ታዲያ ያ ያልተሰራ ቤት ከመቼው ተሰርቶ ዛሬ ለአቶ ስዬ ዝግጁ ሆነ? መልስ የሌለው ጥያቄ ነው፡፡
እንደ አንድ ኢትዮጵያዊ ዜጋ ሁለቱም አንድነት ፓርቲ ውስጥ መግባታቸው አልቃወምም፡፡ ከዛ ባሻገር ግን ዶ/ር ነጋሶ በይፋ የሰሩት ስዬ ግን ‹በመቃበሬ ላይ› የሚሉት አንድ ወሳኝ የቤት ስራ መኖሩን ግን መጠቆም እፈልጋለሁ፡፡ አቶ መለስ ባለፈው አመት የተከሰተውና መጠነ ሰፊ ኢኮኖሚያዊ ምስቅልቅል ያስከተለውን የኤሌትሪክ መቋረጥ አስመልቶ የኢትዮጵያን ህዝብ ይቅርታ እንዲጠይቁ ከተቃዋሚ የፓርላማ አባላት ጥያቄ ሲቀርብላቸው ‹ድህነት ይቅርታ ይጠይቃችሁ እንጂ እኔ አላደርገውም› ማለታቸውን እናስታውስ፡፡ በመሰረቱ የምትመራውን ህዝብ ይቅርታ መጠየቅ የአክብሮት እንጂ የሽንፈት መገለጫ አይደለም፡፡ ለኢህአዴግ መሪዎች ግን ይቅርታ መጠየቅ የአለም ፍጻሜ ነው፡፡ አቶ ስዬም በይቅርታ ላይ ያላቸው አቋም ተመሳሳይ ነው፡፡ ይህ ደግሞ የህወሓት አክራሪነት ባህሪ እስካሁን እንዳልለቀቃቸው ከማሳየት ውጪ ሌላ መልዕክት የለውም፡፡ አቶ ስዬ ከ1968 ዓ/ም ጀምሮ እስከ 1993 ዓ/ም ድረስ በከፍተኛ ወታደራዊ አመራርነት ደረጃ ጥሩ አዋጊና ተዋጊ እንደነበሩ ይነገርላቸዋል፡፡ ከ1983 ዓ/ም እስከ ተሰናበቱበት 1993 ዓ/ም ድረስ በተለያዩ የመንግስትና የፓርቲ ኃላፊነት ላይ አገልግለዋል፡፡ መከላከያ ሚኒስትር፣ የኢትዮጵያ አየር መንገድ የቦርድ ሊቀመንበር፣ በአሁኑ ወቅት በአዜብ መስፍን የሚመራው ኤፌርት ዳይሬክተር፣ የፓርላማ አባል፣ የህወሓት ፖሊት ቢሮ አባል እንዲሁም የሌሎች በርካታ ሹመቶች ባለቤት ሆነው ‹ጦርነትን መፍጠር እንችላለን› እስከማለት የደረሱት ሰውዬ ‹ንፁህ ሰው ነኝ ይቅርታ አልጠይቅም› ሲሉ አሳማኝ አይደለም፡፡
በሌላ በኩል ዶ/ር ነጋሶ ባለፈው ሀሙስ የኢትዮጵያን ህዝብ በይፋ ይቅርታ ጠይቀዋል፡፡ በርግጥ ከዛም በፊት በተደጋጋሚ ‹ሳላውቅ ተታልዬ መጠቀሚያ ሆንኩ› ሲሉ ብዙ ጊዜ ተደምጠዋል፡፡ ብዙ ሰዎች የዶክተሩን አባባል ‹የመለስ መጠቀሚያ ነበርኩ› የሚል አንድምታ እንዳለው አድርገው ይመለከታሉ፡፡ በኔ እምነት ይህ የዋህነት ነው፡፡ ነጋሶ ኢህአዴግ ውስጥ በነበሩበት ወቅት ስዬ ከመለስ ባልተናነሰ ሁኔታ የህወሓት አድራጊ ፈጣሪ እንደነበሩ መዘንጋት የለብንም፡፡ እናም ነጋሶን መጠቀሚያ በማድረጉ ሴራ ውስጥ ስዬ ጭራሽ የሉበትም ማለት ዘበት ነው፡፡ ነገር ግን ነጋሶ ይቅርታ ሲጠይቁ ስዬ ግን እምቢተኛ የሚሆኑበት ምክንያት ግልጽ አይደለም፡፡ በ2000 ዓ/ም መጀመሪያ ወራት አቶ ስዬ ወደ አሜሪካ አቅንተው ኢትዮጵያዊያንን ባነጋገሩበት ወቅት ይቅርታ ይጠይቁ ዘንድ ሀሳብ ቀርቦላቸው ነበር፡፡ ስዬ ግን አስቂኝ ምላሽ ነበር የሰጡት፡፡ እንዲህም አሉ ‹እዚህ አዳራሽ ውስጥ የኢህአፓ አባላት የነበራችሁ፣ ደርግ ውስጥ ያገለገላችሁ፣ መኢሶን የነበራችሁ ልትኖሩ ትችላላችሁ፡፡ ሁሉም በየፊናው ስህተት ሰርቷል፡፡ ነገር ግን ሁላችንም የይቅርታን ሂሳብ በማወራረድ ጊዜ ከምናጠፋ ለወደፊት ምን ማድረግ እንዳለብን ብንወያይ ይሻላል፡፡› ነበር ያሉት፡፡ ይህ አባባል ለኔ አሳማኝ አልመሰለኝም፡፡ የራስን ጥፋት የደርግ አባላት ከሰሩት ጥፋት ጋር እያነፃፀሩ እናንተ ካልጠየቃችሁ አልጠይቅም ማለት በትጥቅ ትግል ከተፋለሟቸው ሰዎች ጋር ራስን ማወዳደር ብቻውን ይቅርታ ያስጠይቃል፡፡
አንድ ነገር ግልጽ መሆን ያለበት ይመስለኛል፡፡ ጉዳዩ የስዬ ይቅርታ የመጠየቅ ያለመጠየቅ ግለሰባዊ ጉዳይ ብቻ ሆኖ መታየት የለበትም፡፡ የኢትዮጵያን ህዝብ አመኔታን አግኝቶ ወደ ፊት ለመራመድ ምርጫው ይሄ ብቻ ስለሆነ እንጂ፡፡ አለበለዚያ ግን ‹ቂም ይዞ ፀሎት› ይሆናል፡፡ ይቅርታ የመጠየቅ ክቡር ስብዕና የተመካው ለኢትዮጵያ ህዝብ ከሚኖረው አክብሮትና እንዲፈጠር ከሚፈለገው የመቻቻል ሰርዓት አንፃር እንጂ በተለያየ ተሳትፎ ውስጥ ያለፉ ሌሎች ወገኖች ለጉዳዩ በሚሰጡት ምላሽ የሚሆንበት ምንም ስነ አመክንዮ የለም፡፡ ሌሎች አካላት ይቅርታ አለመጠየቃቸው ከደሙ ንፁህ የመሆንን ዋስትናም አያጎናጽፍም፡፡
ሰሞኑን አንዳንድ የተቃዋሚ ፓርቲ አባላት የሚጠበቅብንን ያህል አልሰራንም ብለው ይቅርታ እየጠየቁ ባሉበት ሁኔታ የገዥ ፓርቲ ከፍተኛ አመራር የነበረ ሰው ‹ድሮም አሁንም ትክክል ነኝ› ብሎ የተቃዋሚዎችን መንደር በነፃነት ሲቀላቀል አንድም የተቃውሞ ጎራውን ከልቡ አላመነበትም አሊያም ደግሞ እራስን በሰማየ ሰማያት ላይ ከማስቀመጥ የመነጨ ግለሰባዊ ጀብደኝነት ነው፡፡
አንድነት ፓርቲም ህዝብን የሚያከብር ከሆነ እንዲህ አይነቱን ውዥንብር አጥርቶ መሄድ ያለበት ይመስለኛል፡፡ ፕሬስ የህግ የበላይነት እንዲሰፍን፣ ተጠያቂነት እንዲኖር፣ አምባገነኖች የሚያራምዱትን ኢዴሞክራሲያዊ አሰራር እንደሚኮንን ሁሉ ተቃዋሚዎች ውስጥም ችግር ሲኖር ፕሬሱ ችግሩን ማጋለጥ አለበት፡፡ በግሌ አንድነት ውስጥ አንድ መሰረታዊ ችግር ይታየኛል፡፡ ፕሬስ ገዥውን ፓርቲ ብቻ እንዲኮንን፣ እንዲያጋልጥ አንድነት ውስጥ ያለውን ድክመት ግን አይቶ እንዳላየ አድበስብሶት ብቻ እንዲያልፍ ግዴታ ያለበት አድርጎ እንዲገነዘብ የማድረግ ችግር ይታየኛል፡፡ የውስጥ ችግራችንን ማንም አይስማው፤ የፕሮፌሰር እከሌን መጣጥፍ ለምን አተማችሁ ብሎ ፕሬስን ማሳቀቅ ፓርቲው ከቅንጅት ይልቅ ‹የኢህአዴግ ሞራላዊ ወራሽ› እየሆነ መሄዱን ያሳያል፡፡
ለዚም ይመስላል አቶ ስዬ ከባህሪያቸው ጋር የሚጣጣም ፓርቲ መርጠው የተቀላቀሉት፡፡ በጥር ወር 2000 ዓ/ም ፕሮፌሰር መስፍን ወ/ማርያም የስዬን ቃለምልልስ መነሻ በማድረግ በፃፉት መጣጥፍ ‹ስዬ ተለውጧል› ብለው ነበር፡፡ እኔ ግን በፕሮፌሰሩ አባባል አልስማማም፡፡ ስዬ በጭራሽ አልተለወጡም፤ አሁንም አምባገነን ናቸው፡፡
በሚያዝያ እና ግንቦት 2000 ዓ/ም ከአውራምባ ታይምስ ጋር ሁለት ጊዜ ሰፋፊ ቃለምልልስ አካሂደው ነበር፡፡ በወቅቱ የአንባቢ አስተያየት ምን እንደሚመስል በየሰዓቱ እየደወሉ ይጠይቁኝ ነበር፡፡ ነገር ግን የተስፋዬ ገ/አብ የጋዜጠኛው ማስታወሻ መፅሐፍ የካቲት 10 ቀን 2001 ዓ/ም ዳሰሳው በአውራምባ ታይምስ ጋዜጣ ላይ ሲሰራ ስዬን በተመለከተ ደራሲው ያሰፈረውን ፅሁፍ በጋዜጣው ላይ በከፊል መጠቀሱ ክፉኛ አበሳጭቷቸዋል፡፡ አጋጣሚ ሆኖ ደራሲው አቶ ስዬን በመልካም ሁኔታ አልጠቀሳቸውምና ጋዜጣው ዳሰሳውን ሲሰራ ምን ማድረግ እንደነበረበት ባይገባኝም፤ አውራምባ የሳቸውን ‹መልካም ገፅታ› ብቻ የመፃፍ ግዴታ የተጣለበት ይመስል መበሳጨታቸው እጅግ አስገርሞኛል፡፡ በርግጥ አቶ ስዬ ለረጅም አመታት ካካበቱት ‹ነገሮችን በጉልበት የመፍታት ልምድ› አንፃር ለሰላማዊ ትግል አዲስ ስለሆኑ ለእርሳቸው የሚቀርብ የትግል ስልት ከሚከተሉ ወገኖች ጋር መቀላቀል ነበረባቸው፡፡ ነገር ግን በሰላማዊ ትግል ቆርበናል ከሚሉት ጋር እስከቀጠሉ ድረስ ትእግስት የግድ ነውና በተለይ ሀሳብን በነፃ የመግለጽ መብትን ሊያከብሩ ይገባል፡፡ የትግል ስልትም ቢቀይሩ ይህንን መሰረታዊ መብት ማክበር ግድ ይላልና::
(ዳዊት ከበደ የአውራምባ ታይምስ ጋዜጣ ማኔጂንግ ኤዲተር ነው)
