James Clapper, the US national intelligence director, has told U.S. Senate today that Muammar Gaddafi will defeat the rebels. That seems to be the Obama Administration’s wishful thinking. Some senators were furious at Clapper’s comments and asked for his resignation. The Libyan people are pleading for help in liberating themselves from a mass murderer, and instead of providing some help (no-fly zone), the Obama White House comes out with a moral boosting statement for Gaddafi forces.
(BBC) — James Clapper told the US Senate that Col Gaddafi’s superior military force would prevail over the long term.
In Washington, Mr Clapper, who is the top intelligence adviser to US President Barack Obama, told the Senate he saw no evidence Col Gaddafi would step down from power. He warned Col Gaddafi’s military was stronger than had previously been described.
In response to calls from some senior US Senate figures to establish a no-fly zone, Mr Clapper said Col Gaddafi’s air defences were “quite substantial.”
(Fox News) — U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, in an exclusive interview with Fox News correspondent Carl Cameron, called for Gen. James Clapper to resign or be fired as Director of National Intelligence, citing his comments before the Senate Armed Services Committee this morning, on which Graham sits.
Graham told Cameron that he lacks confidence in Clapper’s understanding of his job, that President Obama should “repudiate” Clapper’s remarks, and that this is the third time Clapper has faltered in this way. “Three strikes and you’re out,” Graham said.
(Politico.com) — “The situation in Libya remains tenuous and the director’s comments today on Qadhafi’s ‘staying power’ are not helpful to our national security interests. His comments will make the situation more difficult for those opposing Qadhafi,” Graham said in a statement released a few hours after his comments to Fox. “It also undercuts our national efforts to bring about the desired result of Libya moving from dictator to democracy.”
Ethiopian Review is celebrating its 20th year of service and commitment by organizing various activities this year. Through a series of events, we are prepared to showcase Ethiopian Review’s proud past and promising future.
Ethiopian Review has clear vision and sense of purpose. First and foremost, we recognize the struggle of the Ethiopian people for freedom is just and sacred. Ethiopian Review will continue to support the struggle in no uncertain terms, as we have done so for the last 20 years. We have come this far through the undying love and support of our readers and our dedicated team.
As we look back in pride and recommit ourselves to work more vigorously in the future, we have devised a strategy to intensify our work inside Ethiopia. Our planned activities for the future revolve around our anniversary theme: Information is Power, and Empowered citizenry is the force behind freedom and democracy.
Ethiopian Review’s board will present its 2011 Plans at a special meeting that is called for this coming Sunday, March 13, at 9 PM Washington DC time. The meeting will be held via teleconference.
To participate, please register by sending email to [email protected]
Ethiopian Review Board of Directors
By Lebenu Andinet
In the Time of Deceit Telling the Truth is a Revolutionary Act” – George Orwell
As a former Woyanne Diplomat I am writing this piece to call upon all Ethiopian diplomats and civil servants to stand for truth and abandon the regime that lives on deceit.
The year 2011 is a unique and crucial year for many oppressed and marginalized people of a number of Africa and Middle Eastern countries. The year has so far witnessed the freedom of people through out the Arab world where dictatorship prevailed for decades. Tunisia and Egypt have completed the removal process of their respective dictators through popular uprising, where as Libya, Bahrain, Djibouti, Yemen, Algeria, Saudi Arabia are fighting hard to topple their decayed and undemocratic regimes. The basic underpinning of these revolutions is tied to the inability of the regimes to bring about economic development, establishing the rule of law and adopting democratic system that includes freedom of speech, expression and women rights.
The underpinning factors that initiated the uprising in the Arab world that include poverty and undemocratic practices are extensively witnessed in Ethiopia in a greater level for decades. Each and every rational Ethiopian can easily understand the prevalence of these sorry realities in Ethiopia. Just taking the recent realities it is enough to mention that up to 3 million Ethiopians are in need of food aid from other donors. On the other side it is also important to point out the ridiculous EPRDF’s “99.66%” election victory, which, according to Human Rights Watch and European Union Election Observation Mission, was conducted under the environment of coercion and harassment. Ethiopian have the obligation to use the time to voice their discontent in a peaceful and legal ways so as to bring about a better and promising future to themselves and they children. It should be time Ethiopians stop going to bed empty stomach and it should be time Ethiopians feel free to express their opinions with out fear of the government intelligence apparatus. Our future is now and it is in our hands.
When people are faced with the issue of bringing about change in Ethiopia through peaceful popular uprising they seem to interpret it in terms of going out in the streets to for demonestration. Although that is part of the whole process it is not the only action.
As the British famous author and journalist George Orwell, whom we know by his controversial novel, “Animal Farm,” and the well known quote, “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others,” has suggested the most important idea as to what constitutes a revolutionary act. Not only throwing stones, shouting anti-government words, posting resentment on facebook is revolutionary, but standing for truth in the face of deceit and naked propaganda is also by far the most revolutionary of all.
We all know the white lies and dry fabrication Meles Zenawi’s regime in Ethiopia feeds the public day in and day out about economic development and democracy. But it is not secret to understand the reality prevailing in Ethiopia. After two decades of Woyanne-led EPRDF rule, Ethiopia is at the bottom of the global economic ladder and its so-called “democracy” is resulting in the triumph of a one-party state where oppositions are weakened and coerced by the incumbent party and its coercive arm of the government.
In the face of these realities, Ethiopians from all walks of life have to be true to the truth rather than be filled with the garbage information disseminated by the regime to deceive Ethiopians. Therefore, amid these limitless Woyanne/EPRDF lies we got to stand for the truth. In so doing we are executing what is needed from each of us in making the revolution our country deeply needs a reality.
As a former diplomat of the Woyanne led EPRDF government, I know that the diplomats in different countries are instructed to execute so much fabrication that does not match the reality in Ethiopia. Among others, they are expected to promote the 10% economic growth, where as millions are in need of food and the government is begging other countries for help. They are supposed to promote respect for human rights in Ethiopia while the reality is that people have no right to organize freely. They are expected to inform other countries that elections in Ethiopia are free and fair, where as the institutions necessary to conduct elections are totally controlled by the Woyanne regime.
Ethiopian diplomats and other civil servants residing in Ethiopia and through out the world have to remain true to the truth and contribute their share of revolutionary act. They must assist the revolution by giving information necessary to inform the international community about the human rights violations and the corrupt nature of the regime. It is a call for your conscience in the name of millions of Ethiopians who go to bed every night with empty stomach, walking with bare feet and afraid to express their views.
Let’s come together and stick to one of the acts of revolutionary measure. Let’s fight deceit with the truth by exposing Woyanne’s horrible crimes and by supporting the forces fighting for the new Ethiopia where all people are equal no matter what their ethnic origin or political persuasion.
I am envious of the achievement of the people of northern Africa and it is my hope that Ethiopia shall join the Tunisia and Egypt in saying “no more” to dictatorship.
(The writer can be reach at [email protected])
Sudanese opposition groups are defying warnings by security forces not to hold the protest rally they scheduled for Wedensday.
The legal affairs official in the opposition alliance Kamal Omer, from the Popular Congress Party (PCP), said that they only notified the authorities about their intentions stressing that they need no permission to practice their right under the constitution.
The protest will take place at 1 p.m. at Abu-Janzeer square in the Sudanese capital and is scheduled to be addressed by leader of the Umma Party Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi.
The police chief in Khartoum State, General Mohammad Hafiz Hassan Attiya, said at a press conference that he does not recognize the opposition’s reasoning adding that the law requires permission and not notification in order to organize a protest.
Attiya said that the opposition appears to be seeking “to take law into their own hands” describing this as unacceptable. — Sudan Tribune
Angola protest did not materialize
The Angola regime of President Jose Eduardo dos Santos has reacted to a call for peaceful protests by arresting several individuals, including 3 journalists, on Monday.
Novo Jornal editor Victor Silva said the journalists were part of a group of some 15 people arrested at May 1 Square in the capital, Luanda. He said all the detainees were later released.
“They were detained for no apparent reason,” Silva said of the journalists. “They were in May 1 Square to report on whether or not the protest was happening.”
(AFP) — Since last month, rumours have circulated on the internet of North Africa-style protests scheduled to begin on March 7 in Angola.
While the organisers of the protest remain largely anonymous, a Facebook page called “The Angolan People’s Revolution” had called on Angolans to march at midnight with posters “demanding the departure of Ze Du [Dos Santos’ nickname], his ministers and his corrupt friends”.
Rapper Brigadeiro Mata Frakus, who recently returned from exile, is hugely popular on the internet since he released a song criticising dos Santos, in power since 1979.
The chief opposition party, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), has said it would not take part in the protests because it does not know who is calling for the marches.
There were no signs of people gathering in May 1 Square at noon (11:00 GMT), two hours before the rescheduled protest was due to start. Military police patrolled the streets, which were unusually quiet.
Many had dismissed the anonymous call to protest as a charade but the ruling party, the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), reacted with a show of strength by organising large pro-government demonstrations on Saturday in Luanda and several other cities.
Angola is the continent’s largest producer of crude oil along with Nigeria, but the majority of its 18 million people live beneath the poverty line.
More from The Guardian’s Lara Pawson:
Since Tunisians rose up so heroically two months ago, a great deal has been written about the influence on the rest of the Arab world. Now, the spirit of revolution may be starting to blow south, stirring up protests in pockets of sub-Saharan Africa, too. In Angola, 17 people, including several journalists, were arrested on Monday at the start of a demonstration in Independence Square in the capital, Luanda. The protest began as an internet campaign two weeks ago when an anonymous group of individuals, announcing “a new revolution of the Angolan people”, set up a website calling for an end to the 32-year rule of President José Eduardo dos Santos.
Monday’s short-lived protest in Luanda is in no way comparable with the extraordinary scenes witnessed in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. Very few protesters showed up. However, people in Luanda say the atmosphere was extremely tense. There was a heavy police presence throughout the city and most people stayed at home fearing trouble. Even senior members of the ruling Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), which has held onto power since independence in 1975, have been rattled by the surge in criticism.
“Angola is not Egypt. Angola is not Libya. Angola is not Tunisia,” the MPLA provincial secretary to Luanda, Bento Bento, has insisted. He has also accused western intelligence agencies and pressure groups in France, Portugal, Italy, Brussels and the UK of instigating opposition: “They have enacted … a proper operation against Angola, the MPLA and especially our comrade and president, José Eduardo dos Santos.”
In a bid to bolster confidence and outmanoeuvre the critics, MPLA officials organised pre-emptive “pro-peace” rallies across the country on Saturday. State radio said 500,000 supporters took to the streets of Luanda waving MPLA flags, wearing MPLA T-shirts and drinking MPLA-funded beer and fizzy drinks. The Associated Press estimated a lower figure of 20,000 participants. Whatever the number, this was not an authentic outpouring of adoration for the regime. State employees were ordered to attend, and beyond the capital all did not go well. For example, in the north-east diamond-rich province of Lunda Norte, MPLA supporters were attacked by other members of the public, and the provincial governor, Ernesto Muangala, fled to safety.
Meanwhile, in direct contradiction to article 47 of the new Angolan constitution, approved in January 2010, which grants all citizens the right to demonstrate peacefully, Bento Bento announced: “Whoever tries to demonstrate will be neutralised because Angola has laws and institutions and a good citizen understands the laws, respects the country and is a patriot.” The secretary general of the party, Dino Matross, was only marginally more blunt: “Anyone who demonstrates,” he said, “we’re going to get you.”
This is not idle rhetoric. The MPLA has long relied on excessive brutality to quash opposition. As Sousa Jamba, a journalist and member of Angola’s main opposition party, Unita, wrote this week: “The scars of 1977, 1992, etc, have still not disappeared. We have a history in which demonstrations in the streets, particularly in the capital, end in tragedy.”
Jamba is referring to 27 May 1977, when two senior members of the MPLA led an uprising against the administration of President Agostinho Neto. The government’s response – supported by the Cuban army – was extreme. Violent retaliations went on for months, killing thousands – some say tens of thousands – of innocent people. Many men and women were arrested and tortured, and some were held in concentration camps for years. In 1992, following Angola’s first attempt at multiparty elections, civil war erupted once again when Unita leader Jonas Savimbi refused to accept the results. Hundreds of people in Luanda who were thought to have voted for Unita were attacked or killed by MPLA supporters.
This state-sponsored violence, coupled with the fact that the 27-year civil war ended only in 2002, helps explain why opposition parties in Angola have been so reluctant to support this week’s demonstration. Unita leader Isaías Samakuva has described the protest as “a trap” set by the government to test the political temperature of the country. He is also suspicious of the fact the organisers are anonymous. Smaller political parties agree it would be foolhardy to participate in a demonstration called for by unknown figures. The Democratic Block, which comprises several respected political figures, said it would be “extremely naive” to participate in a protest that could lead to the sort of purges that took place in 1977 and 1992.
The response from the political class this week may indicate a growing generation gap within Angolan society. Luaty Beirão, a popular Angolan rapper also known as Ikonoklasta, was one of the protesters arrested on Monday morning. He believes the political parties are out of touch with the majority of Angolan people, and are either too lazy or too old-fashioned to take action for their political beliefs. At a gig on 27 February in Luanda, he called for President Dos Santos to leave power. Each time he did, a large audience of mainly young men chanted “Fora!” (“Out!”). To the delight of his fans, he described the regime as “a son of a bitch government” and ended his performance holding up a banner which read: “Ti Zé Tira o Pé: Tô Prazo Expirou Há Bwé!” (Uncle Zé [the president], get out: your time ran out ages ago!). The crowd erupted into wild applause.
Although Angola is not ready for a revolution like Tunisia’s or Egypt’s, the past week suggests that the tide may be beginning to turn. As Rafael Marques, a journalist with an excellent track record for exposing corruption and human rights abuses across Angola, observes: “Opposition is frail, but unhappiness with the MPLA is overwhelming.” And a new generation is finding its voice.
