EDITOR’S NOTE: This is just one more prove that the food shortage in southern Ethiopia is man-made by the Meles regime, not lack of rain.
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Global Energy (OTCBB:GEYI), an alternative energy innovator, announced today that its subsidiary, Global Energy Ethiopia (GEE), has successfully completed sowing 5,000 hectares of Chinese hybrid castor seeds for its alternative energy project in Ethiopia. The project entails planting and harvesting castor for the production of non-edible oil for the bio-diesel industry and for other uses.
Castor is a plant with an oil content ranging from 46-53%.
The castor farming initiative is located in southern Ethiopia, approximately 350 km south of the capital of Addis Ababa. Just six months after launching the project, some 90% of the land has reached a germination stage of over 96%
GEE expects to commence harvesting in approximately three weeks and for the harvesting to continue for a period of five months. GEE will also open a peeling center in the town of Sodo, the capital of the country’s northern zone.
Recently, GEE signed a rental agreement for a 10,000 square meter facility in Sodo to house the peeling center. The agreement is set for 15 years, with an option of extending to 35. This center will have the capacity to process over 25,000 tons of castor plant fruit.
The agreement includes the establishment of a 3,000 square meter closed storage facility. In addition, generators and peeling machines have been purchased in order to aid with the advancement of the project. The total cost of the center (including equipment), is estimated at $250,000, and the completion of the project will be finished within 60 days of the start of its implementation. The facility will have the storage capacity to hold 3,000 tons of seed and 450 tons of castor plant fruit per day.
“Global Energy continues to explore new methods to produce environmentally friendly, efficient and cost-effective energy solutions,” stated Asi Shalgi, CEO of Global Energy. “The Ethiopian project not only represents a new and important piece of our puzzle, but it also allows us to significantly boost the local economy of an area in desperate need of help. I am pleased at the results we are announcing today and am looking forward to continued success for our company, for the local farmers and for the environment as a whole.”
In order to coordinate the complicated logistics of the project, GEE has developed a significant infrastructure for an agricultural cooperative in the Ethiopian regions of Waletia and Goma Gofa. GEE’s operations offices, located near the peeling center, includes a logistics department, computer operations and a staff of trained agricultural supervisors.
GEE is concurrently conducting a research and development program to achieve new species of castor to improve future yields and intends to conduct studies in eight experimental sites simulating a variety of conditions. Additionally, GEE’s agronomists are training hundreds of local personnel to operate and facilitate the entire planting through production process.
About Global Energy
Global Energy’s (www.global-energy.net) mission is to commercialize innovative technologies which produce energy from waste and renewable sources, while contributing to a vision of a cleaner environment. Global Energy intends to use the most efficient and environmentally friendly of all currently available alternative fuel technologies, each originally developed and patented by acclaimed scientists.
Forward-Looking Statements.
Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among others, that GEE plans to commence harvesting in three weeks and for harvesting to continue for a period of five months; that it plans to open a peeling center in the town of Sodo in Ethiopia; that the center will have the capacity to process over 25,000 tons of castor plant fruit; that the total cost of the center is estimated at $250,000; that the completion of the project will be finished within 60 days of the start of its implementation; that the facility will have the storage facility to hold 3,000 tons of seed and 450 tons of castor plant fruit per day; and that GEE intends to conduct studies in eight experimental sites simulating a variety of conditions.
Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others: (i) the inherent uncertainties and speculative nature associated with biofuels and alternative fuel sources; (ii) potential environmental liabilities, weather, mechanical failures, safety concerns, labor problems and financing problems; (iii) changes in economic conditions, adverse exchange rates and financial markets; (iv) the risk that we are not able to execute our business plan, such as entering agreements with strategic partners, leasing land, obtaining loans, etc; (v) the inability to retain key employees; (vi) changes in energy prices and the high cost of alternative fuels; (vii) Global Energy’s inability to finance its operations or growth; (viii) the inability to obtain all necessary government, environmental and regulatory approvals; (ix) an increase in competition in the biofuel and alternative fuel market; and (x) the possibility that our technology does not work as well as expected. Investors should consider all of these risks and should also refer to the risk factors disclosed on the SEC filings of Global Energy.
A Few Reasons Why some of the Ethiopian Diaspora Community Members are not Interested and/or against “Investing” in Ethiopia: A Summary of selected conversations over coffee and by telephone.
By Dr. Seid Hassan
As some of you already know, some of the EPDRF (Ethiopian People’s Democratic Revolutionary Front) representatives (cadres?) have been roaming the western world trying to lure the Diaspora community so that they would “invest” their assets in Ethiopia. Some in the Diaspora community have challenged the same cadres and representatives in some of the cities they visited, such as in Dallas, Los Angeles, and London. This writer wondered, just to satisfy his intellectual curiosity, about this issue and decided to talk to some of the Diaspora members why they would be against or are reluctant to “invest” in Ethiopia. The conversation was made via telephone, at coffee/tea houses, and to a limited extent at lunch places. Incidentally, most of those that I have talked to have no problem in sending remittances to their loved ones back home and in making contributions to their NGOs, provided that the NGOs they support have full control of the monies they send back home. So, this summary of many conversations is not about remittances. It is about Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in general, and Diaspora “investment” in Ethiopia, in particular.
By the way, there are good economic reasons why nations would be interested in luring the Diaspora community to make foreign direct investment (FDI). Unlike the FDI made by multinational corporations (MNCs) and foreign nationals, whose impact is not known in promoting economic growth, FDI by the Diaspora community is known to be advantageous in many respects, some of them being: 1) That the profits and the assets/technology that the Diaspora community members take to their Homeland seem to stay in the host country for a longer time; 2) That the know-how and the knowledge-spillover effects of the Diaspora and its advantages are relatively quantifiable; the Diaspora members are known to be a richer source of know-how and skills. 3) That, once settled to their country of origin, the Diaspora seems and are expected to be more motivated in achieving the desired results compared to employees of multinational corporations. 4) That there seems to be more informal and altruistic intentions directed towards families, friends and their country of origin than MNCs. Many experts seem to think and recognize that, if properly directed and handled, the Diaspora plays an active role in the development process of their countries of origin more than MNCs. 5) That the Diaspora is expected to stay longer in the host country, and their stay is expected to attract more FDI flows by other companies; and last but not least: 6) That, the Diaspora members seem to bring new cultures with them and infuse those newly acquired cultures with those of their country of origin.
In so doing, they tend to bring additional societal rate of return.
Despite the importance of Diaspora FDI, however, remittances are much larger (for example, remittances from Africans working abroad between 2000 and 2003 averaged roughly 17 billion dollars per annum, according to a 2005 report by the United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa. Ethiopian Diaspora remittances exceed $1.1 billion per annum in the last few years). Remittances are also much more predictable than FDI and ODA (Official Development Assistance).
It seems that many of the Ethiopian Diaspora community have numerous problems and issues in making investments inside that country. Obviously, individuals have to weigh the risks and rewards when making investment decisions. For the most part, evaluating such risks and rewards seems to be in the minds of many of the Diaspora members who have the resources to invest and have been contemplating to do it in Ethiopia. Some of it seems to be related to the problem of asymmetric information. In the context of the Diaspora investors, they have and are expected to contemplate if there is any information that they do not know and if their competitors, especially the ones supported by the government or those who are inside the country know more than they do. They also have to weigh the risks in case the government fails to honor the promises. They seem to ask: Do I have the power to legally challenge the authorities if the government fails to honor the explicit or implicit promises it gave before I invested?
In general, risk assessment firms, international organizations, and governmental agencies try to provide information in order to allow investors evaluate their investments more objectively, or to make an investment in a particular country appear profitable or attractive. This provides the individual investor with additional information. Unfortunately, such assessments and guidance either do not exist when it comes to Ethiopia or the quality of information available does not allow investors to venture investing in that country.
As you can imagine, the Diaspora possesses various forms of capital, e.g. investment, intellectual (professional, technical, and entrepreneurial skills and expertise), social (trust, values, relationships), and political capital (lobbying, advocacy), which could be positively mobilized for development of any country. Unfortunately, when it comes to Africa, only about 6% of remittances are actually channeled into investments. The vast majority of remittances are made through international money transfers and physical cash transfers. Unfortunately, the current regime made things worse by shooting its own feet when it arrested private foreign exchange dealers and confiscated their assets. The confiscation of the traders’ assets might have enabled the TPLF to improve the amount of foreign exchange available to it in the short run, but it is counterproductive in the long-run. It also shows how desperate this regime has become to acquire foreign exchange. As some of you in the Diaspora community might already have observed, such actions have scared some of the Diaspora community not to take their hard currency into that country. They instead have resorted to some other means to send their money back home. The hard currency that the government used to enjoy is not or is less available now compared to the situation before. By the way, as alluded in my previous postings, Ethiopia could have faced a financial crisis were not for these huge flows of remittances and foreign government support.
In any case, most of the Diaspora community members I have chatted with seem to list a number of obstacles for them to invest in Ethiopia. Some of their concerns seem to be related to moral issues. Most of them seem genuinely concerned about the potential real returns on their investments, the efficacy of their endeavors, and, most importantly, the lack of consistency and the rule of law. As one of my good friends stated it “I have lived and worked in Ethiopia for one year since the TPLF came to power. What I observed most was the lack of transparency and the absence of the rule of law. A rule of law (or rule of the game) that is clear to all and that’s consistently applied is crucial to the development of a modern economy and society. Max Weber, the German sociologist, emphasized this same point in his famous book: The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. He argued that a clear rule of law was central to the development of capitalism in Western Europe…”
The good news is that, nearly all of them seem to be either sympathetic or willing to invest in the country they came from provided these obstacles are tackled. I have listed, in a paraphrase format, some of the obstacles or moral issues they mentioned and I am happy to share them with you.
Please note that the complaints (rationales not to invest) are sayings of many people even though I have represented them in a single first-person (that is, as “I”) format. Please also note that the list of complaints/rationales is by no means exhaustive. For those of you whose rationales are either omitted or that I failed to include, my apologies.
List of complaints (rationales not to invest in Ethiopia):
* The country is engulfed with a rampant inflation rate. Because of this, my real rate of return will be lower than what they appear to be. Moreover, if I want to bring some of my “profits” or my assets back home, just in case things fail to work out as originally planned, my real assets will be a lot less by the time they are converted into dollars, euros or any other hard currency. Therefore, “investing” in a country like Ethiopia with high inflation rates does not make any business sense. That is one of the reasons why I refrain (have refrained) from doing business in Ethiopia.
* Due to the undemocratic nature of the government and the lack of peace and stability in that country, there a chance for me to lose my assets. The lack of peace and stability creates confusion and uncertainty. Such situations are known to create losses. Consequently, I hesitate to waste my hard earned resources by taking them to Ethiopia.
* The major economic structure is controlled by the EPDRF and its cadres. There is no level-playing field in the system. As a result, there is a market failure due to too much interference in the functioning of the business sector by the cadres. The system is also too bureaucratic. A bureaucratic system does not recognize that time is money and hence it would be foolish on my part to try to invest in that country.
* The country is now totally landlocked, pretty much by the choice of its own leaders. As a result, it has to pay port fees, most of the payment going to Djibouti, Ethiopia’s main conduit for its imports and exports. The forfeiting/ceding of its ports and the lack of having access to the sea, among other things, has increased the importing and exporting costs of finished goods, capital and intermediate inputs for both the country and the business sector. Obviously, my business will face the same fate. Moreover, if some regional conflicts arise around the neighborhood, as it is happening between Eritrea and Djibouti, I may not be able to transport the equipments and the intermediate input goods that I may need to use and run my business smoothly. There are, therefore, both cost and risk considerations involved and a lot of uncertainty as well. These are additional reasons why I am (was) not comfortable in “investing” in Ethiopia.
* Many of the Diaspora community I happen to know who have tried to invest in Ethiopia have been disappointed in part because they are unfairly discriminated against in the workplace as well as in getting meaningful employment. Furthermore, they are excluded from the decision-making and policy-making processes with regards to Ethiopia. I am afraid, therefore, I may face the same fate, and, if so, my capabilities would be wasted.
* The country’s miserable infrastructure (lack of roads, sewer systems, electric power, water, etc.) does not allow my investment to flourish. Whatever infrastructure there is, it is limited to certain geographical places, such as the Tigrai region and a handful of some cities elsewhere. Hence, investing my funds in other disadvantaged regions puts my investment at a disadvantage. Moreover, my investment requires constant communication and since the country’s internet and telephone infrastructure is the lowest in the world, I am afraid that the returns on my investment will not be attractive.
* The country lacks the necessary skilled manpower, in part because of the brain-drain. Recent reports indicate that even the EPDRF owned businesses and structures are operating way below full capacity due to skilled manpower shortages and other bureaucratic entanglements. In fact, the EPDRF seems to be more interested in sending its citizens abroad so that it could garner increased remittances. Its policy seems to encourage some of its citizens to become “super-maids” in advanced and neighboring countries.
* The country is divided into ethnic enclaves and there is limited freedom of movement of both people and assets. As a result, my investments will be restricted to a limited ethnic enclave thereby adding more constraints and inhibiting growth. I rather invest my assets where there are less geographical constraints. Because of these restrictions, the market size is also rather small, thereby limiting the prospect of the growth of my investment and business in the future.
* The financial sector is controlled by the TPLF and its cadre-controlled businesses. As a result, my investment may face challenges in case I needed some more financial support. It has been reported that the government-controlled banks are bent to extend loans mainly to the government controlled businesses. It could be very hard for me to compete with those businesses which are being paid to borrow funds (through negative real interest rates). It is quite clear, therefore, that the financial infrastructure needs to be restructured in order to accommodate investors like me, and unless such changes are made, it is not worthwhile for me to invest in Ethiopia.
* If I cannot make financial investments, I want to help that country by sharing my expertise and knowledge. I want to share my marketing knowledge, my engineering abilities and management skills with the people of Ethiopia. I want to be a bridge between foreign investors and the people of Ethiopia. I want to teach there, too, no matter how little the payment could be. But, unfortunately, as things stand right now and in the last 18 years, it will be a waste of time for me to do so. Look, can’t you see all educated people trying to flee the country? That is because the system has failed to allow them to use their expertise. For some of them, it will be downright dangerous to go there. Others who volunteered to teach at the universities were denied because they believe they did not belong to a certain ethnic group. Others were expelled from the country for speaking their minds. Due to the lack of academic freedom, it is perilous to try to serve a repugnant bureaucracy. Instead of trying to combat the brain-drain by creating conducive environments to attract those who have left the country, the actions of the government exacerbate the brain-drain problems, almost on a constant basis. By the way, many experts suggest that both China and India were able to expand and build their economies in part by attracting their expatriates and creating conducive environments for them. The Ethiopian government, on the other hand, seems to be doing the opposite.
* Thanks to my hard work and the opportunities accorded to me in the country I took refuge, I have acquired some skills that could turn out to be good investments and useful to Ethiopia. But I am afraid that I may be unemployed or underemployed once I get there. Specifically, my sources tell me that joining the EDPRF (political party) is the main qualification to land on a good job in Ethiopia, instead of one’s abilities and earned skills. Even worse, my sources also tell me that those who voted for the opposition parties and who exercised their rights during the 2005 election are now being harassed for doing so. I am, therefore, reluctant to waste the human capital that I acquired through hard work. I rather stay put where I reside.
* I could be willing to go back to that country but I am reluctant to do so because I may say something, as I am used to here where I live, that the EPDRF does not like and be put in prison or be expelled. Isn’t that part of the reason why some of the country’s citizens leave their own country, leaving their loved ones behind? The insecurity or unstable political and socio-economic conditions are not attractive to me either to move into that country and/or invest my assets.
* The prime minister has said that he would bring Nigerians to the country so that they would teach at the country’s universities FREE of charge, while at the same time, expelling some foreign born professors, such as the American law professor, Salisbury for speaking her mind. Consequently, there is neither a place nor a reason for me to go there. Besides, I cannot support my livelihood while competing with those who teach for free. As the old Ethiopian (Amharic) saying goes “yagerun serdo (ersha) bageru berie. Instead of using and supporting the country’s educated personnel to teach their own country’s burgeoning young population, the prime minister wants to bring in and replace them with foreigners. Why would I go back to that country while the “leader” of the country itself threatens to replace me at the outset?
* Because of the rampant corruption, my investment would not be safe; I have seen or heard complaints from those who attempted to “invest” and I do not want to make the same mistakes they have made.
* I have better alternatives to invest my funds where I live than doing it in Ethiopia; the returns on my investments where I live may not be high enough, but the risks are more tolerable than the ones in a corrupt country like Ethiopia.
* It would be immoral for me to buy the land that belonged to my relatives (ancestors) and enrich the TPLF kleptocratic gangs. Just think about it: Before the Derg confiscated all city dwellings, they used to belong to the people who owned them. Instead of returning those same properties to their rightful owners, who could well be my own relatives, the government is trying to sell them back to me! I am not willing to play this game that the EPDRF has created: taking away/keeping the properties which should belong to me and my relatives and selling them back to me. Doing so will be morally unacceptable to me.
* I am afraid that the investment that I make in Ethiopia would be lost (confiscated) when the regime goes away. I suspect this possibility because there is a good chance that my investment will be contaminated while trying to deal with a corrupt system.
* Why would I take my money to Ethiopia knowing full well that the corrupt EPDRF leaders and cadres would use the hard currency I take into the country for them to expatriate the stolen funds out of the country? My actions will be tantamount to a philanthropic activity to those who send the looted assets overseas. My conscience would not allow me to do just that.
* Since funds are fungible, I am afraid that the TPLF (EPDRF) would use my hard currency to suppress my own people (using it to buy weapons); for example, the regime was accused for indirectly using the hard currency it obtained from multilateral institutions, foreign governments, and Ethiopian expatriates to buy weapons during the Ehio-Eritrean nonsensical war of 1998-2000, in which the lives of 100, 000 people were lost, many more were maimed and hundreds of thousands were displaced. I want neither my funds nor my actions be a part of that in case conflicts flare up again.
* I am not like some people who just take my money and pretty much waste it just to feel good and boast to my friends that I have made an “investment” in Ethiopia. I happen to know people who said they bought properties and have made many trips to secure those properties. By the way, some of the deals that some of my friends made did not go through, and as a result, they lost money in the process. Unfortunately, and sadly, some of those who tried to secure some properties were not (are not) wise enough to count their expenditures they make while making the trips in order to secure those properties. What they do really does not make any economic or business sense and, hence, I refuse to follow suit and act stupidly, no matter how hard the EPDRF cadres try to lure me to do so.
* For those people who bought apartments in Addis Ababa, it has become clear to them that they did not get their money’s worth. People who bought apartments, especially those I saw in Addis, are found to be a lot smaller than they anticipated. Some of these buildings lack the proper sewerage systems. They lack running water. They have faced power outages. In effect, some of those premises have become ghettos, especially compared to here, where I live. I am not going to waste my precious resources to live in a ghetto like environment.
* Many times, I considered building a house in Ethiopia so that I could use it for my vacation or for my retirement. When I think about it, the cost of building a house where I reside is somewhat cheaper than, or comparable to, depending on the location, compared to doing the same in Ethiopia. So, it makes little or no economic sense for me to build a house or an apartment in that country. By the way, Ethiopia is listed as one of those countries which has a competitive disadvantage for tourism, mainly due to its bad and/or nonexistent infrastructures and lack of amenities. This is one reason why I would be less tempted to buy properties in that country. Moreover, I am not really sure if Ethiopia would be a good place for me to reside when I retire. As you know, I need more things when I retire than I do now such as access to the doctor, medicine, convenient facilities and other amenities. Such things do not exist in Ethiopia, especially when I need them the most. That is why I am reluctant in building a retirement place in that country.
* I know a few friends of mine who tried to “invest” in that country that have lost their assets or not made any progress with their funds; the cost of the handling fees, the number of days wasted to get the proper license, the bureaucratic red tape, etc. is just too high to warrant my investment. I happen to know some people who have been deceived. Knowing this to be true, the EPDRF established a Diaspora complaint center at the ministry of foreign affairs, called Ethiopian Expatriates Affairs Directorate of the Foreign Affairs Ministry. That complaint center is known to be too bureaucratic. Those who presented their complaints have been told to go back and resolve their issues with the local EPDRF representatives. I happen to know some who have left the country in despair.
* The consultancy fees that I would have to pay to the EPDRF cadres and other non-cadres are just too high to warrant my investment.
* Past and present experience indicates that those who tried to invest in the country have ended being supporters of the dictatorial regime. Knowingly or unknowingly, the so-called investors have become subservient to the system. So, if I want to play by the same cards that I will be dealt with, I am afraid I will end up doing the same. I am reluctant to play with cards that someone else controls and hence will be reluctant to invest in Ethiopia.
* Why would I take my assets to that country to fill the gap of foreign exchange and tax revenues of a dictatorial government? If I could, I would actually work against such actions in order to deprive the regime from buying the extra bullet it uses to kill my own relatives.
* The flow of foreign investment tends to camouflage Human Rights Abuse and I am afraid my investments will do the same. The very concept of opening up the country for foreign investment sends out the wrong message to the outside world by perpetuating the myth, often through the IMF and World Bank, that TPLF/EPRDF is open to free market economics and democracy and that Western powers should support it by all means possible irrespective of the opposition’s cry of injustice! So, those who care about human rights abuses should instead advocate for an embargo. This was what was done during the Apartheid regime of South Africa. This is what is being done on Zimbabwe, Cuba and host of other countries. As one who believes in “injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere”, I believe the same embargoes should be applied to the dictatorial regime in Ethiopia, which in my view has stolen the peoples votes during the 2005 election, has killed many people and put tens of thousands of them in concentration camps.
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The writer can be reached at [email protected]
EDITOR’S NOTE: If and when Woyanne starts another war with Eritrea, it will be the end for the Meles criminal family, because the people of Ethiopia will either stay neutral or stand with Eritrea.
(APA) — The Ethiopian Woyanne army is ready to fight and conclude a war with Eritrea “in a very short time and with little cost”, a high ranking military official said on Wednesday.
Major General Seare Mekonnen, head of the Ethiopian Woyanne southern army, said the Ethiopian Woyanne army has been making preparations to safeguard the country the Meles crime family from any aggression from Eritrea.
“If Eritrea wants to be involved in war with our country, the army is ready to finalize the war in a very short time and with little cost,” said Mekonnen said.
He was speaking at the commemoration of the Ethiopian millennium by the army in northern Ethiopia in the presence of Ethiopian Prime Minister fascist dictator Meles Zenawi.
Ethiopia Woyanne and Eritrea fought a bloody border war in 1999 in which over 70,000 150,000 troops from both sides were reported to have died.
Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatu Allah wa barakatuh — Peace be onto you!
I want to express my deep gratitude for giving me the opportunity to offer you some words of encouragement at your conference entitled Ethiopian Muslims: Challenges and Opportunities. I regret not being able to be with you in person to get to know you better and to affirm your important role in Ethiopian society, but hopefully, I will have that pleasure in the future.
First of all, I am excited that this conference will provide an opportunity to Ethiopian Muslims to consider the contributions that Ethiopian Muslims have made to creating a unique environment in Ethiopia where Muslims, Christians and Jews have lived in harmony for centuries as well as to consider the challenges and opportunities ahead and consider what you could do about them.
May Allah/God bless this conference, giving wisdom, peace, truth and courage to you so that those blessings might overflow to bless our nation, Africa and the world. As it says in your holy book, the Qur’an and similarly in the holy Bible: [1:5-6] “Thee do we serve and thee do we beseech for help. Keep us on the right path.”
I know this event is covering many relevant topics: Islamic history, Ethiopian Islamic faith and identity, health-related issues, current affairs and youth issues. Inter-related to all of these is something I would encourage you to seriously focus on something that is close to my heart and passionately believe in and that is human rights.
For those who do not know me, my name is Obang Metho and I am the Director of International Advocacy for the Anuak Justice Council, a small human rights organization. I have been involved in human rights ever since December of 2003 when Anuak—my own ethnic group—were massacred in a genocide perpetrated by Ethiopian National Defense Forces and some militia groups in Gambella, Ethiopia. The Anuak, as a tiny minority group, had no voice and their pain, suffering and misery was ignored by most everyone other than fellow Anuak.
As I attempted to advocate for them in the international community, I became keenly aware of the suffering of many other Ethiopians undergoing similar injustices, human rights abuses and oppression. As I did, I realized that until justice comes to all Ethiopians, justice would not come to the Anuak. I realized that until freedom came to all Ethiopians, freedom would not come to the Anuak and I realized that until the human rights of all Ethiopians were respected, the human rights of the Anuak would not be respected. That is why I am now speaking out for all Ethiopians regardless of ethnicity, culture, regional background, religion or gender and it is the reason I am sending this statement to you.
Right now there are human rights atrocities going on in the Afar region, in Oromia, in the Beninshangul-Gumuz region, in the Southern Nations and especially severely in the Ogaden and into Somalia. These are not just violations of human rights, they are violations of Allah/God’s law and principles and people who fear Allah/God and value human life, should show that they care about such injustice through their actions.
When the Anuak were killed, no one spoke out. It is now our chance to speak out for those now suffering in our country. If someone is wounded at the side of the road, we should not first ask the wounded person if they are from the same tribe, region, culture or religion before we help them.
I am a strong Christian believer who believes our faith should influence the way we live in everyday life—for the little problems and the deep crises. I believe you would agree with me. Ethiopia is now in such a deep crisis and it is worsening to the point it may explode. How can we be part of the solution?
Our people are suffering from the north to the south and from the east to the west due to gross human rights violations and related humanitarian crises like in the Ogaden, which has been called “a silent Darfur.” Ethiopians are starving due to crop failures from drought as well as due to corruption, human rights violations, mismanagement, denial of the problem and the lack of good government. People of faith should be at the forefront of intervening for the good of the people. Our people are being wounded and are lying on the side of the road. We cannot ignore their plight.
Ethiopian religious leaders have a critical role to play in confronting these human rights crimes and by helping those in need. In Ethiopia, Muslims and Christians are the two dominant religious groups, each making up approximately 50% of the population. If there is one thing I would like to accomplish today through this message to you is to encourage Ethiopian Muslim leaders and Ethiopian followers of Allah to take a courageous moral stand for freedom, human rights, justice, equality and the rule of law for all Ethiopians. If we compromise what we believe, we may be judged later not for our actions, but for our inactions.
Human rights is founded on the fact that all human kind are representative of Allah or God—that includes the Oromo, the Tigrayan, the Amhara, the Afar, the Ogadeni, the Anuak and all of the eighty different ethnic groups in Ethiopia. It means the rich and the poor, the uneducated and the educated, the Muslim and the non-believers, the TPLF and the non-TPLF. As it is written in the Qur’an, when a person sheds blood of another human being, it is taken as that person is killing all human kind because human life is so precious.
Allah loves all of those He has created. That means there is no 99.9% human. Every human being is 100% human and is precious in the sight of Allah. What does this mean for those of us who are people of faith, wanting to live righteous lives in submission to Allah in Ethiopia or as Ethiopians in the Diaspora?
For many centuries, Ethiopia has been so unique in Africa and in the world because of the way Muslims, Christians and Jews have lived in such a peaceful manner as close neighbors to each other, including their frequent intermarriage. Ethiopian Orthodox priests and Ethiopian Muslim imams have shared buildings or only been separated by a fence in many places throughout Ethiopia.
However, today, some politicians are using religion to advance their own self-serving political agendas such as Meles claiming to be fighting a war on terror when he is terrorizing his own people. They purposely create division and hatred between different groups of people to gain power or access to support and even religious groups have fallen victim to this at times. We must clean out our mosques, churches, hearts and minds of anything that is not honoring to Allah.
As it says in the Qur’an, [49:13] O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).
For instance, until Meles came to power, there was not a history of such a thing as a Muslim killing Christians or Christians killing Muslims in Ethiopia. But now Meles is justifying his attacks on Muslim civilians in the Ogaden and Somalia by claiming to be searching for terrorists. As he does, some, but not all, within the Ethiopian military are agents of destruction and are attacking Muslim civilians, including women and children, with impunity. Women are being raped and homes, cattle and crops destroyed. This is morally outrageous and we should be speaking out loudly with one voice.
Preceding the December invasion of Somalia, incidents of violence were set up to look like religious violence between Muslims and Christians in the Oromia region. However, I personally spoke to witnesses of those tragic incidents and they reported that they were able to identify some of the perpetrators and knew them to be Meles supporters, members of the military and some security forces who were behind the violence in order to make it appear like religious conflict. Such conflict was used as a pretense to attack Somalia.
As a Christian, I was personally outraged by these injustices against my fellow Ethiopian and Somalian Muslim brothers and sisters and did my best to expose this deception in an article you can find on our website:http://www.anuakjustice.org/061101PlanToDivideMuslimsAndChristians.htm.Or http://www.anuakjustice.org/070525EthiopianReligiousLeadersCallOurPeopleToPrayer.htm
It should not matter what religious background in order to speak up for justice. For example, since the massacre of the Anuak, many Ethiopians have come forward to personally express their support. This includes my Ogadeni, Afar and Oromo Muslim brothers and sisters.
We Ethiopians must take purposeful action to educate others within our faith so Ethiopians do not fall for this deception purposely planned to overpower us by stirring up dissension between religious groups. We will not easily fall into this trap if Muslim leaders such as you who are here today stand up for truth, justice and right and if we look at the lessons of history like in the former Yugoslavia.
That is one reason I am so happy that you have organized a Muslim organization that can positively affect Ethiopia by reclaiming the historical legacy of living in harmony. Not only that, but the fact that this organization is for all Ethiopians who are Muslim, regardless of ethnicity, cultural background or political views, makes a very strong statement to others who refuse to work together simply because they might come from a different background. From what I have heard, those of you attending have come from all over Ethiopia and from many different countries in the Diaspora. What an accomplishment!
We Ethiopians can be one family with diverse parts and personalities—a garden of Ethiopia with many flowers of varying color, shape and size. Differences in religion—should it be Muslim, Christian, Jewish, traditional religion or atheist—should not make us enemies. We should be able to work together for a better Ethiopia for our children. As you gather here, you are in a position to pass on this belief and I encourage you to start immediately to pass it on to others when you return home.
As it says in the Qur’an, Muslims, Christians and Jews all have the same roots in the Allah/God of the Torah.[2:136] Say: ‘We believe in Allah and that which is sent down to us, and in what was sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes; to Moses and Jesus and the Prophets from their Lord. We do not differentiate between any of them, and to Him we are submissive (Muslims).
We are our brother’s keeper. It says it in the Qur’an as well as in the Scriptures that we are to protect the weak, the widows and the orphans and to practice justice and benevolence. We are to speak truth, give mercy, administer justice and reach out in love towards one another. If someone becomes filled with hate and anger and wants to become radical, educate them on how this could poison the future of Ethiopia.
We do not want to become like Nigeria where one kills another and then the other retaliates in an endless cycle of violence. We do not want such hatred to break up our families and society. Instead, Ethiopian people of faith who show other Africans and the world how to live together in peace will become a mighty river of blessings to the world and an example for others to follow. As it says in the Qur’an, [49:9] If two parties of believers fight, reform between them. If either of them is insolent against the other, fight the insolent one till they revert to the order of Allah. If they revert, reform between them with justice, and weigh with justice. Allah loves those who weigh with justice.
The order of Allah/God gives value to human beings and that it is why He “loves those who weigh with justice.” It is for Ethiopians to defend one another regardless of faith. If someone is prejudiced against others, help correct their views. You do not have to be a Muslim to defend a Muslim or a Christian to defend a Christian. Neither do you have to be an Anuak to defend Anuak, an Amhara to defend Amhara or an Oromo to defend Oromo. Ethiopia is a nation for everyone. It is a home where we extend hospitality to not just our family, neighbors and kin, but to the wayfarer.
Meles and his EPRDF are trying to steal the real Ethiopia from us and make us to be divided. How can we stop him from breaking up our families and keeping future generations in bondage? We can stop him by loving our neighbor as ourselves. We can do it by refusing to tolerate hate, corruption, injustice, genocide, greed, lies or doing nothing. As it says in the Qur’an,[2:263] “Kind speech and forgiveness is better than charity followed by injury; and Allah is Self-sufficient, Forbearing.”
The anti-slavery movement in Britain, as well as the civil rights movement in America, were both grounded in Biblical principles that sprung out of the churches.
Malcolm X emerged with the message of justice and equality from the Muslim community and led African-Americans to arise and struggle for equality, civil rights and justice.
The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. fearlessly spoke out about peaceably breaking down the walls of prejudice and discrimination through following the teachings of Jesus.
Ghandi promoted a non-violent struggle for freedom in India using principles from various different religious sources that instructed his people not to take revenge as he said, “taking an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth would leave the world blind and toothless.”
Humility and a lack of hatred for his oppressors led Nelson Mandela to free his people from the evil apartheid system without destroying the society.
The Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet recently led a non-violent struggle for freedom, equality and justice of his people.
All of these examples point to Allah/God as having created a yearning in the human soul for freedom. At times like these, such freedom may come at great personal cost.
The people of Ethiopia are looking for such courageous leadership from their religious leaders as the pressures around them increase to go the wrong way. In the Qur’an it says: [4:27] “And Allah desires that He should turn to you (mercifully), and those who follow (their) lusts desire that you should deviate (with) a great deviation.”
There is a battle taking place in the hearts of people between following Allah/God and following the pressures of the world. In our case, we have to refuse to give in to becoming part of a system of tyranny. May the esteemed teachers among you interpret this verse for us as a needed lesson for us at such a time as this.
Our mosques and churches are where Ethiopians are looking for teaching on how to live righteous and loving lives in a world that is polluted with evil or the failure to care about others. Many of the more fortunate in our society believe they can ignore the poor, weak and oppressed without sympathy, but this is not the way of the genuine believer. We are all precious children of Allah and He sees and knows all and His ear is especially open to those who cry out to Him in need. Let us also listen to those cries that Allah/God hears and have generous compassion towards them.
In the Qur’an it says:[3: 92] “By no means shall you attain to righteousness until you spend (benevolently) out of what you love; and whatever thing you spend, Allah surely knows it.
Ethiopian Muslims could make a tremendous difference in our country during these very difficult times. Can you imagine what would happen if out of this conference came a movement to reach out to Muslims throughout Ethiopia to stand up for human rights, justice, democracy and freedom?
Can you imagine the impact Ethiopian Muslims would have if out of this time together emerged a movement to call together a conference for religious leaders from all different faith backgrounds—Muslim, Ethiopian Orthodox, Jews, evangelicals, traditionalists and others—to work together in advancing these goals within Ethiopia for a New Ethiopia?
We would invite you to be part of our call for a Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia. The faith community is essential to bring reconciliation and lasting peace to our country and the Horn of Africa.
We should not be afraid to influence the future of our country as people of faith. We are not saying that the faith community should be the government, but people of integrity should shape the government and hold it accountable.
On the other hand, government should not intimidate, control or prevent the religious community from doing its job—leading people to live righteously, not just inside the mosque or church but outside it as well.
Meles and his EPRDF government has succeeded in some places in controlling the Muslim and Christian leaders from doing their jobs through fear tactics, bribes, intimidation and manipulation because they know that faith can be a mighty obstacle against injustice. They are more afraid of moral courage and truth than of physical courage and insults. In doing so, they are pressuring leaders and believers to not live out their faith according to the Qur’an and the Bible.
Faith cannot be forced into cooperating with an unjust system—sometimes by intimidating it into silence—or it loses its genuineness and becomes worthless in affecting a life or society. Both the Bible and the Qur’an condemn belief that is not freely given to Allah/God because it is meaningless if it is not sincerely believed and lived out. In the Qur’an it says: [2:256] “There is no compulsion in religion….”
In the teachings of Jesus he warns that believers should not lose their “saltiness” in flavoring and preserving what is good and right in society, regardless of the costs. If more people lived by the principles in the Bible and in the Qur’an, many of our societal problems would improve and there would be much greater respect and love between people.
Ethiopians will always be a diverse people with diverse cultures and beliefs. If Ethiopia is to be their home, where they and their children are to live and flourish, we must learn how to live together and Ethiopian Muslim religious leaders are needed to help.
I hope you will take the initiative to help your own followers as well as to invite other people of faith to join together to reclaim the legacy of harmony we have enjoyed for years. We need your contribution in rebuilding our broken society and healing our wounded hearts.
This is a critical time for us if we are to survive as a people and as a nation. This is the challenge and opportunity of our time and we cannot wait for others to do it or ignore the warning signs because the road ahead is long and difficult and without the help of Allah/God, working through His people, we will never succeed.
If Ethiopian Muslims can lead the way in such peace-making, they will be teaching others in the world a precious lesson of history in the making that will tear down the ignorance and prejudices of society about Muslims and free our societies to live in peace.
May Allah/God find us faithful to Him in all that we do and may He bring peace, justice, freedom, morality and most of all—the fear and love of God—to our beloved country of Ethiopia!
May Allah/God because of His great mercy and love, give courage, wisdom, strength and blessings to Ethiopian Muslims as you seek to meet the challenges and opportunities of today and of tomorrow!
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
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Obang Metho, Director of International Advocacy, Anuak Justice Council
E-mail: [email protected]
Tsegaye Kebede wins the 2008 Paris Marathon
(AFP / Getty Images)
(By Elshadai Negash for the IAAF) — Few observers who saw marathon runner Tsegaye Kebede enter the 2007 Abebe Bikila International Marathon in July last year as an unknown but emerge victorious in a new course record time would have thought that he would be carrying Ethiopia’s hopes for medals at the 29th Beijing Olympics.
But after a 2:06.40 performance en route to victory in the 2008 Paris International Marathon and several solid half marathon and 10km performances throughout the year, the 22-year old is now being touted as a genuine hope for medals in Beijing.
“I never thought that I could make the Olympic team this year,” he says. “I have always known that I am talented, but I did not expect to do well.”
Short career, outstanding success
Kebede’s rise to the top level has shocked the athletics community in Ethiopia. After all, he has only been training seriously for less than two years and competed internationally for less than a year.
Yet he currently has the second best progression for Ethiopian marathon runner in a single year which includes 2:15.34 (2007 Abebe Bikila Marathon), 2:08.16 (Rotterdam Marathon), and then 2:06.39 (Paris). He also has two sub 60-minute performances (59.00 at Ras Al Khamiah and 59.88 at the Zayed Half Marathon) over the half marathon and two 10km victories during this period.
“I am exceeding my own expectations,” he says. “I do not think training is the only reason for my improvement. But I have big confidence in myself and my abilities.”
Desperate upbringing
Kebede has earned over USD 100,000 in prize money this year thanks to his focus on major city marathons and other lucrative road races. He lives a life on relative luxury, a far cry from the days where he says “I had nothing”.
“I know that many athletes say that they started from nothing, but to be honest, I do not think many of them were as poor as I was a few years ago,” says Kebede, who was the fifth child in a large family of thirteen children.
Life was a struggle for Kebede and his family who survived on the earnings of his father’s traditional carpeting work. Because the earnings were not enough to support the family, Kebede collected firewood near his town Gerar Ber, 42kms north of Addis Ababa, for sale in markets. Earnings from this work put him well under the WHO’s poverty barrier of 1USD per day.
“I made about ETB 2.50 (USD 0.30) a day,” he says. “I would buy bread and some tea and would have only one meal a day. After that, I had nothing left in my pocket. I had to wake up the following morning to go back to work in order to survive. If I didn’t, there would be no food.”
In order to survive, Kebede also got a side job as a herder in order to pay for his school and the rest of the family. It was in school that he started showing an interest in sport, but only started running in 1995 after watching kids from the neighbourhood training.
“I was not really serious about becoming an athlete,” he said. “I just run to stay fit and pass time.”
He took part in his first real race the following year finishing 20th in a regional cross country race only to incur the wrath of his angry father who thought his son was wasting his time.
“I never complained about our life and even ate whatever I get,” he recalls. “I did not even told my father that I had started training, but he found out somehow and was upset that I was wasting time.”
Bright beginning
Despite the disapproval of his father, Kebede continued his training part-time and got his lucky break in the most unlikely of circumstances.
“In September 2006, I took part in a half marathon organized on the occasion of the world tourism day in Addis Ababa,” he recalls. “I only finished 21st in the race, but what happened at the end of the race changed my life.”
Although Kebede endured a forgettable time in the race, he caught the attention of Getaneh Tessema, marathon coach and agent. Tessema asked Kebede to come for a trial race with his training group in a few days. He shocked Tessema by finishing second in a 10km time trial only losing out to Deriba Merga, who would go on to win the Great Ethiopian Run 10km less than six weeks later.
Unlikely circumstances open door to international debut
Kebede progressed well enough under Tessema’s tutelage to convince his coach that he was ready to make his international debut. But a week before he was scheduled to race in Holland, he was denied a visa support letter by the Ethiopian Athletics Federation (EAF) because he belonged to a pilot project not an established athletics club.
“I was upset but there was no choice,” he recalls. “Because I could not go, my coach put me in the Abebe Bikila Marathon.”
However, Kebede’s troubles were by no means over.
A week before race date, Kebede and team mates travelled to Entoto, a popular training venue for Ethiopian runners on the outskirts of Addis Ababa. On their way back, they ‘nearly died’.
“We took a bus on our way down and the driver could not control the brakes,” he painfully recalls. “He did not say a word to us because he was afraid we might panic in fear. He tried to control the car, but when he came up against a steep curve, it was over for us. The bus skidded off the main road and into the forests. We all screamed for help, but we were all crushed.”
While others sustained heavy injuries, Kebede was lucky to escape with just a small leg wound. Many of his team mates were ruled out of the marathon the following weekend, but Kebede got the all-clear to compete.
“I do not wish something like this to anyone,” he says. “All the time I was praying ‘God, I came to Addis to change the life of my family. Are you going to end my life here? Please save my life.’ My prayers were answered. I thought I would die for those few minutes, but I think I was given another life.”
Securing Olympic berth
Kebede did not waste his ‘new life’. He easily won the marathon prompting the EAF to give him the all clear to race overseas. He ran two successive 10km races, but his lucky break when he was entered in the Rotterdam Marathon.
“I was excited about running a full marathon outside Ethiopia,” he recalls of his experience. “In fact, I was so excited about being part of the leading group that I forgot to even look at the kilometre marks during the race.”
“When the top runners just took off at 35km, I felt that it was too early and just held back to conserve my energy. I knew something was wrong when I saw the stadium from a near distance. But at the finish, I was shocked to see 2:08 on the clock. I knew that no one apart from Haile [Gebrselassie] had run 2:08 in Ethiopia that year. I was so happy.”
Confirming rise
With many more autumn and spring marathons coming up, Kebede knew that his 2:08.16 might not be enough for a place in the Ethiopian Olympic team.
“Many people did not know me in Ethiopia because I had not run for my country,” he said. “Even after the 2:08, only some coaches and people in athletics knew about me.”
He sealed his place in Ethiopia’s Olympic team in Paris propelling him from fourth to second place in the 2008 Ethiopian lists. Because Deriba Merga run two seconds faster in London the following week, Kebede dropped down a place to third during the Olympic qualification but returned back to second following Gebrselassie’s decision to skip the marathon in Beijing.
“I am living in a dream,” he says. “This is so big and so important for me. I did not obsess about it all my life, although I wanted to run for my country in the Olympics. I am just surprised that it has come early.”
Hopes for Beijing: Nothing but gold
Given his lack of experience in championship-styled marathon racing, one would expect Kebede to be cautious about his chances in Beijing.
But the youngster does not hold anything back when saying he is going for gold. “I am not experienced and it will be my first time running under our national colours,” he says. “But I am confident about my chances. I will be going for gold.”
Kebede’s marathon ambitions do not end there. “I have two big ambitions,” he says. “Apart from Haile, Ethiopia has not had many big marathon runners. I want to become a better marathon runner than I already am.”
How about popularity and the love his people?
“Every time I train at the Addis Ababa stadium, I look at the images of our Olympic champions on Olympic rings. There is a question mark [or a space open for future Olympic champions]. I want my photo instead of the question mark.”
(Associated Press) NEW YORK — Tadesse Tola of Ethiopia upset Patrick Makau of Kenya in the men’s NYC Half-Marathon on Sunday, and Catherine Ndereba of Kenya won the women’s race to solidify her standing as a favorite in next month’s Olympic marathon.
Tola won a sprint to the finish in the 13.1-mile race, crossing in 1 hour, 58 seconds to edge Makau, a half-marathon specialist, by 1 second. U.S. Olympic marathoner Dathan Ritzenhein was third in 1:01:38 in his last competition before the Olympic marathon on Aug. 24 in Beijing.
“I came in really feeling strong the last few miles, and that is a good sign for me leading into Beijing,” Ritzenhein said. “This was a great last test for the Olympics, perfect for me. I am really thrilled with this.”
The 36-year-old Ndereba, the reigning marathon world champion, finished in 1:10:19 to beat Madai Perez of Mexico (1:10:26) and Yuri Kano of Japan (1:10:31). The Kenyan won this race in 2006 and marathon silver at the 2004 Olympics.
