ADDIS ABABA (AFP) — Tens of thousands of Rastafarians converged on Addis Ababa for a massive concert as part of the celebrations marking Ethiopia’s new millennium.
The Horn of Africa country, which is the cradle of the Rastafari movement, follows a unique version of the Julian calendar and entered its third millennium on September 12, seven years after the rest of the world.
“More than 25 artists mainly from Ethiopia will perform for two days in Meskel Square,” said Ras Kesh Kassaye, one of the organisers, just before the concert kicked off.
He said some 50,000 people were expected to come to listen to rasta artists such a King Kong and Luciano and added that 10 percent of the proceeds would be donated to a millennium-sponsored fund for orphans.
Meskel square is one of the main landmarks in the Ethiopian capital and was where a huge concert marking the 60th anniversary of rasta icon Bob Marley’s birth took place two years ago.
The Rastafari movement accepts Ethiopia’s former emperor Haile Selassie I as a living God. The emperor — who died in 1975 — had invited Rastafarians to settle in Sheshemane, some 160 kilometres (100 miles) south of the capital.
The community still exists and is believed to number around 3,000.
“This millennium has special significance for us Rastas because for 2,000 years, we’ve been told that Jesus was white but his majesty (Haile Selassie) has shown the way and marked a new era,” said Ras Abye Tilahun.
Ras Abye Tilahun is one of the co-organisers and has translated Bob Marley lyrics into the Amharic language.
“Ethiopia was never colonised, it has its own Church… it is the place of Africa’s rebirth,” he added. “We are at the forefront and this is a sign of hope.”
According to the Ethiopian authorities, some 30,000 Rastafarians have travelled from Jamaica and other countries for the concert.
Tens of thousands of Ethiopians from all over the country and the diaspora took part in a concert and other events on the night of September 11 that kicked off the country’s year-long millennium celebrations.
Open Letter to the CUDP Leaders
Dear Chairman Mr. Hailu Shawel and Executive Members of the Kinijit:
I am writing this letter to you with deep respect and gratefulness to all of you for what you have done for our beloved country. Your contributions towards creating a better Ethiopia have been monumental and the Ethiopian public, of which I am part, knows what sacrifices you have all made to bring about this significant accomplishment for all us. You may not realize the extent to which the Ethiopian Millennium was more filled with joy and hope because of your recent release from the dark cells of prison.
Many Ethiopians have been anxiously looking forward to this day after experiencing the pain and despair we felt during the past twenty months of your imprisonment. Our excitement was tempered with the realization that we had won a battle, but not the war as many remain in prison throughout our country and many Ethiopians continue to suffer. Yet, since your release on July 20th, most of us Ethiopians in North America have looked forward, with great anticipation, to your arrival here. However, the greatest expectation from Ethiopians everywhere is that you will give us direction and guidance in our struggle to win the war for our freedom.
During your absence, we Ethiopians in the Diaspora have stumbled and fallen over the last months and year as divisions in the Kinijit leadership, as well as amongst other political, civic and religious organizations, have eroded our progress, leading to increasing confusion, frustration and discouragement.
Right now, many are looking to you to be pro-active in solving the serious crisis within the Kinijit and to reach out to embrace other organizations.
Most of us hoped that once you were released from prison and came to the United States, you would be able to delve into the reasons behind the split between the KIC and the KIL, to resolve it and in doing so, would be able to renew the spirit of unity that existed before the election of 2005. We ask for your devoted and undivided attention in addressing and resolving the current divisions so we Ethiopians can fight together in a united struggle against the oppression, deprivation and corruption that surrounds our people like the bars of a prison cell.
Why is it that the most difficult part of our battle has not been fighting our adversary on the frontlines, but instead it has been the struggle from within? It creeps in quietly through the backdoors of unspoken conflicts, unwarranted criticism, misunderstanding, lack of communication, unverified assumptions and avoidance. Sometimes there is clear wrongdoing on the part of someone and relative innocence on the part of others or there can be shared responsibility for a problem.
In many cases, both sides have valid points. However, without due diligence, these conflicts can go unresolved, simmering underneath the surface for months and years, taking energy and health away from both. The longer such problems go unresolved, the greater is the risk that anger will bear its undesirable fruit of alienation, division, hatred and infighting… continued on next page >>
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PRESS RELEASE
ENC
The Ethiopian National Congress (ENC) fears that the chances of establishing democratic order in our country in the near future will be missed if the problems within Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) are not resolved soon. Though a civic organization that normally does not comment on internal matters of political parties, we are concerned about recent public statements and media reports of ill feelings within the CUD. The hurtful ramifications of fractious politics of any popular political organization will be felt nationally.
The current events around the CUD leaders contradict their overwhelming victories in Ethiopia. Observers are confused by the negative comments the leaders are making about one another. Their supporters too are pulling them in different directions. Sadly, their squabbles, seemingly centred on the rights of executive office holders, have been caused by misunderstandings among the executive members who had little communication between them during their imprisonment. Unfortunately, this has been exacerbated by the questions raised about directives that they gave for their members and supporters, leaders’ imprudence at airing internal differences in public, and the unhelpful, albeit perhaps ‘normal’, role of the media in highlighting differences. The failure of competing factions of CUD supporters in North America to settle the differences has not been helpful either.
It is high time that CUD leaders and supporters pay attention to the public voice of reason regarding resolving these matters. Ensuring an effective leadership in Ethiopia requires this. The country is being pulled and pushed in different directions by a host of ethnic, regional and international interests; the ruling party is still refusing to open up the political space for a level playing field, and it has been stifling meaningful opposition and dissent. The leaders need to pause and reflect that they are in a very sensitive moment of history that could define the destiny of our people. The fateful May 2005 elections have left the nation with a sense of disarray and lack of direction. The leaders need to bring it back on track. We also call on the media and blog owners to stop exacerbating the situation by reporting in a manner that perpetuates hostility.
It is time for all concerned, especially a popular opposition party, to work hard to build up national consensus to shape the future political directions of Ethiopia. CUD should realize that falling out over manageable internal administration and politics is bound to disillusion members and supporters. The public expects popular opposition parties to remain united, overcome controversies, and deliver firm leadership. No one has the stomach for yet another round of in-fighting, in yet another Ethiopian political movement. To allow division within the party by failing to compromise over internal differences is in nobody’s interest. Apart from causing public withdrawal from political engagement nationally, such behaviour presages the dangerous postponement of the date for realizing democracy in our country.
This is the time for realizing the dreams of our people. This is the time for beefing up one’s organizational, material, human and financial capabilities. In fact, CUD should reach out to all concerned Ethiopian organizations and build up the ingredients for national reconciliation. It should do this to all, including the EPRDF, and invite participation in charting consensus on the future of Ethiopia.
The ENC urges all concerned, leaders, members or supporters inside and outside CUD to:
* Immediately cease directly or indirectly airing the differences within CUD.
* Set up an independent and ad-hoc committee that can mediate and recommend binding solutions to both sides within two to four weeks.
* Discourage any transgression of reconciliatory moves, at least until reports of an ad-hoc committee is made public.
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Ethiopian National Congress
