Ethiopia’s despot Meles Zenawi who has recently completed the transformation of his regime into a one-man-dictatorship is now toying with his former equals in the ruling TPLF leadership by demoting them to mid- and low-level government posts. His latest move is the appointment of Abay Tsehay as manager of the Ethiopian Sugar Corporation. Before the September reshuffle, Abay was a politburo member, minister of federal affairs, and national security adviser.
Earlier in the week, Meles appointed Industry Minister Arkebe Okubay as adviser to the prime minister, without any specific assignment, and former Foreign Affairs Minister Seyoum Mesfin is named ambassador to the U.N., which he has refused to accept. Seyoum reportedly wants to be ambassador to Washington if he is to be demoted from a cabinet position.
Meles is also going after the humiliated Sebhat Nega’s businesses. A government-owned construction company has recently filed a lawsuit against Wugagan bank, which is owned by Sebhat. Just a year ago, it was unthinkable to touch any of Sebhat’s enterprises. [read here]
Meanwhile, the despot has taken even greater security measures than before to protect himself. To start with, Meles has the most protection than any other African dictator. Currently, even when he holds meetings with top level officials, he is constantly surrounded by several nervous bodyguards who are ready to act in a split second against any threat.
Woyanne, the ruling tribal junta in Ethiopia, is preparing to launch a people-to-people tour in Europe and North America with known athletes and artists.
Recently, the Woyanne Minister of Culture and Sports Aster Mammo held a secret meeting in Washington DC and set up a committee to help coordinate the program. The committee is composed of the usual suspects — Al Amoudi employees Ayaya Arega and gang who have hijacked and looted the Ethiopian Sports Federation in North America (ESFNA).
Aster had tried to hold a similar meeting in Seattle last Friday, but the brave Ethiopians there chased her away.
The purpose of the tour is to counteract the recently intensified anti-Woyanne activities in the Diaspora.
Meanwhile, 20 out of 27 ESFNA teams have signed a statement supporting the invitation of Birtukan Mideksa as a guest of honor at the Federation’s next event in July 2011.
Fearing backlash, the Ayaya gang-dominated executive committee is reconsidering its decision to disinvite Birtukan. The gang’s biggest fear is the auditing of ESFNA’s finances by an external auditor as the teams have been demanding. Some of the teams are now threatening to file a lawsuit if the executive committee refuses to be audited.
Ethiopia’s dictator Meles Zenawi has appointed several ambassadors today. For minister of foreign affairs Seyoum Mesfin and minister of state for foreign affairs Tekeda Alemu the appointment in the surface appears to be a demotion, but reportedly both individuals have asked to be ambassadors so that they can get medical treatment in the West (in Seyoum’s case for AIDS, and in Tekeda Alemu’s case for stomach overgrowth), and also to use diplomatic immunity to take out of the country the treasure they looted from Ethiopia during the past 19 years. Diplomatic immunity is particularly important for Seyoum Mesfin, who is suspected of trafficking in heroin. Today’s announcement from the dictator’s office did not specify to which countries the new ambassadors are appointed. See the list below.
New TPLF Ambassadors
1. Seyoum Mesfin
2. Girma Birru
3. Dr. Kassu Illala
4. Teshome Toga
5. Degife Bula
6. Mulugeta Alemseged
7. Hilawe Yosef
8. Mohammed Dirir
9. Hassan Abdella
10. Dr. Tekeda Alemu
11. Gifti Abasiya
12. Dr. Mohammed Hassan
13. Kassahun Dendir
14. Dr. Yehsimebrat Mersha
15. Markos Tekle
16..Lelalem Gebreyohannes
17. Dr. Bogale Tolosa
18. Minelik Alemu
19. Dr. Mohammed Gudeta
20. Misganaw Admasu
21. Dr. Kua Wang
22. Merwan Bedri
23. Ababi Demise
24. Dr. Gebeyeu Ganga
25. Mule Tarekegn
26. Tesfaye Yilma
27. Tebeje Berhe
28. Bereded Animut
29. Dereje Asfaw
30. Aman Hassan
31. Alemayehu Sewagegn
32. Mesfin Chernet
33. Dr. Bitew Getnet
34. Shamilo Fitamo
35. Mohammed Ali
36. Dr. Desta Woldeyohannes
The Legatum Institute, a London-based independent research, policy and advocacy organization, has recently ranked Ethiopia under the Meles dictatorship 108 out of 110 countries that were surveyed (See here). And yet the U.S.-based National Foundation for Infectious Diseases is preparing to honor TPLF Health Minister Tedros Adhanom, the person who is responsible for one of the worst health care systems in the world, with the 2011 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Humanitarian Award in March 2011. This is outrageous and an insult to the victims of Tedros, who is a politburo member of the genocidal Tigray People Liberation Front (Woyanne) that is currently brutalizing the people of Ethiopia. Ethiopian physicians around the world who are unable to practice medicine in their own country may want to inform NFID about TPLF’s disasterious ethnic aparthied health policy.
Following a widespread alms boycott by Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, the illegitimate synod presided by Tagay Gebremedhin (formerly Abune Paulos) has decided to destroy the statue he recently built for himself in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa.
Although Tagay Gebremedhin and his cadres are trying to give a different spin to the decision to thorn down the statue, sources in Addis Ababa who are close to the Church told Ethiopian Review that the real reason is economics — churchgoers across the country simply refused to give donations. In some areas, church administrators were forced to make people pay for holy water.
We are gathering more information on this developing issue. Also watch the video below:
The recent lawless action of Ethiopian Sports Federation North America’s (ESFNA) executive committee in reversing a decision by the board to invite Birtukan Mideksa as a guest of honor has drawn the attention of a number of Ethiopian groups and concerned Ethiopians who have started to take a closer look at the 25-year-old organization. Ethiopian Review, on its part, has launched an investigation into ESFNA’s activities. Our investigation so far has uncovered the following. (We have also contacted the FBI with a request for investigation. Click here to read.)
1. The ESFNA 9-member executive committee is simply in the service of billionaire businessman Ato Al Amoudi, not the Ethiopian community in North America. ESFNA’s top decision-making body, the 27-member board that represents the soccer teams in the U.S. and Canada, has been stripped of its authority by Al Amoudi’s top aid Abnet Gebremeskel through bribes to some of its members and intimidation by a gang of thugs led by Ayaya Arega, Sebsebe Assefa and Demis Lema (aka Arawit).
Al Amoudi (center) wearing a t-shirt with Woyanne logo; top aid Abnet Gebremeskel (left)
2. Those executive committee (EC) members who are {www:subservient} to Abnet are given wads of cash, free plane ticket to fly to Ethiopia and stay at Sheraton Hotel for free up to 2 months per year. Those who try to carry out their responsibilities as board members are physically threatened by Ayaya and his thugs. The chairman, Mekonnen Demisiew, is the Girma Woldegirogis of ESFNA. For example, when he chairs meetings, Ayaya or one of the thugs simply snatch away the microphone from him and order him what to say or not to say.
3. Attendance has been declining drastically at the ESFNA annual events during the past 5 years. July 2010 was the worst yet. That seems to be fine with Al Amoudi and his Woyanne junta as long as Ethiopians who oppose the ruling party do not control this potentially powerful organization that can bring together tens of thousands of people from all backgrounds.
Ayaya Arega
4. ESFNA is currently facing a lawsuit that was filed at the Los Angeles Superior Court by its former auditor Assfaw Teferi.
5. ESFNA has not been audited by an independent auditor for over 20 years. A few years ago, when some ESFNA members led by the late Dr WM Akalou tried to clean up house, they had discovered that at least $40,000 was missing in one incident alone. The treasurer, who is part of the Ayaya gang, admitted that he took the money and was forced to resign. But soon after that, the stealing continued. It is not unusual for sacks of money to disappear following soccer matches and music concerts.
Arawit
6. Al Amoudi gave over $700,000 to the ESFNA so far, but it is not clear how the money was used.
7. Ayaya and Arawit have escaped from Ethiopia after allegedly orchestrating the savage beating and attempted murder of The Reporter editor-in-chief Amare Aregawi. They attempted to kill Amare after The Reporter begun publishing investigative reports about how Al Amoudi is manipulating the Ethiopian banking system. One of the suspects in the attempted murder is Arawit, who is employed by Abnet through Ayaya. Currently, Arawit is living inside a $3,000-per-month luxury apartment on Massachusetts Ave., Washington DC. All his living expenses are being paid for by Abnet, on top of hefty allowance.
8. While objecting to naming Birtukan Mideksa as a guest of honor, the Ayaya gang has forced ESFNA to name Al Amoudi as permanent honorary president of the ESFNA. As we all know, Al Amoudi is an active member and “election” campaigner of Woyanne.
9. For Al Amoudi’s Ayaya gang, ESFNA is a cash cow that they are milking at will. At one point, the Federation was generating up to $3 million in revenue at the one-week annual event. However, much of the one disappears without a trace. The players are forced to buy their own soccer gear (uniform, shoes, etc.) and some times they raise funds from their local community.
Al Amoudi aid and the real boss of ESFNA Abinet Gebremeskel who lives and acts like a mafia boss
10. It must be noted that most of the ESFNA members are innocent Ethiopians who are being victimized by a well-financed, mafia-like group under the supervision Al Amoudi’s aid Abnet Gebremeskel. Visible and active members of the gang are Ayaya Arega, Sebsebe Asefa, Endale Tufer, Arawit, and Fassil Abebe. Another member of the group, Solomon Tekle, is facing long prison term after being convicted of heroin trafficking. Their mission is to keep the ESFNA under the control of the ruling Woyanne junta, while stealing its funds with impunity.
Ethiopian Review’s investigation of ESFNA continues. We urge any one who has any credible information to contact us at [email protected] or call 202 656 5117. What we have uncovered so far is so outrageous that we are compelled to report our finding to the FBI. Click here to read.
Addis Dimts Radio has a discussion about ESFNA on its Sunday program. Listen here (forward to 1:04:01):
Ethiopia’s despot Meles Zenawi who has recently completed the transformation of his regime into a one-man-dictatorship is now toying with his former equals in the ruling TPLF leadership by demoting them to mid- and low-level government posts. His latest move is the appointment of Abay Tsehay as manager of the Ethiopian Sugar Corporation. Before the September reshuffle, Abay was a politburo member, minister of federal affairs, and national security adviser.
Meles is also going after the humiliated Sebhat Nega’s businesses. A government-owned construction company has recently filed a lawsuit against Wugagan bank, which is owned by Sebhat. Just a year ago, it was unthinkable to touch any of Sebhat’s enterprises. [read here]
