Political leanings of the top 10 Ethiopian media look as follows:
Listed by EMAI‘s rank:
1. EthiopianReview.com – Editor: Elias Kifle; independent
2. Nazret.com – Editor: Unknown; Claims to be neutral, but leans toward Woyanne
3. Ethiomedia.com – Editor: Abraha Belay; supports the Siye Abraha wing of Woyanne
4. EthiopianReporter.com – Editor: Amare Aregawi; a member of Woyanne
5. EthioForum.org – Editor: Kinfu Assefa, supports Ginbot 7
6. AbbayMedia.com – Editor: Girum Zegeye; undercover Woyanne
7. AbugidaInfo.com – Editor: Ashebir Gezimu; supports UDJ
8. Tadias.com – Editor: unknown; political leaning is unknown
9. ECADForum.com – Editor: Endelibu (pen name); supports Ginbot 7
10. JimmaTimes.com – Editor: unknown; supports Oromo Federal Democratic Movement
The list is prepared by Ethiopian Review’s Intelligence Unit.
Voice of America (VOA) Amharic Service today has reported about the Woyanne propaganda claim that it has arrested several fighters of Ethiopian People’s Patriotic Front (EPPF) in southwestern Ethiopia yesterday.
VOA’s Tizita Belachew interviewed EPPF-UK representative Ato Sileshi Tilahun and Eritrea’s Ministry of Information Ato Ali Abdu. Click below to listen. Forward to 08:00:
[podcast]http://www.ethiopianreview.info/audio/08jan2010amha1800a.mp3[/podcast]
Reminder: EPPF is organizing a public meeting in London on January 24, 2010. Click here for more info.
By Elias Kifle
A holiday greetings that was posted here earlier this week from Prof. Ephraim Isaac, a world renowned Ethiopian scholar, has generated some harsh criticisms and even insults. Many of the criticisms point out that the professor has not been speaking out against the Woyanne junta’s brutality against the people of Ethiopia. Some have also expressed anger that Prof. Ephraim did not support HR 2003.
It seems a lot of Ethiopians have misunderstood Prof. Ephraim’s recent involvements in mediating the release of political prisoners in Ethiopia and his approach to finding solutions for the political crisis.
I have known Prof. Ephraim personally for over 16 years and known about him much longer than that. He is one of the most honorable Ethiopians I have ever met in my life. I disagree with him on how he approaches the problems in Ethiopia. I believe that good people must speak out against evil. It would have been great for a person of his caliber to expose the unspeakable crimes that are being committed by the Woyanne junta in Ethiopia. His approach is different and has been consistent through out his life. He believes in mediation and reconciliation than exposition of injustice. He believes that for mediation to work, mediators should not take side or criticize any one. In traditional Ethiopian mediation, shimagilwoch (elders) who engage in shimgilina (mediation) do not point out the wrong doings of either party to the other. Instead they focus on forgiveness and reconciliation.
Such elders among past generations of Ethiopians were highly respected citizens. Elders were able to prevent wars and clashes between ethnic and religious groups in Ethiopia for centuries.
From all the unfair criticisms directed at Prof. Ephraim, it seems that the role of elders (shimagilewoch) has no respect any more in today’s Ethiopia. That is a tragedy by itself.
What makes Prof. Ephraim uniquely qualified as an elder and mediator is that he never utters any negative word about any one. It is not in his nature to do that. He is in good terms with every government, political party and leader in the Horn of Africa.
Just because he doesn’t talk in public about the human rights abuse and political prisoners in Ethiopia, it doesn’t mean he is not concerned. His own brother died in Woyanne prison several years ago as a political prisoner. A close friend of the professor told me a while ago that when Woyanne officials asked him why he didn’t tell them about his brother, his response was “how can I talk about my brother when there are thousands of others like him who are also in jail? All of them are my brothers.” He appealed to them to release all those who are unjustly imprisoned.
Individuals like Prof. Ephraim Isaac have an important role in any society, but particularly in a traumatized nation such as ours. Every body cannot be an activist or a freedom fighter. I personally cannot be like the professor. The role I chose for myself is to expose injustice, not to try to reconcile with perpetrators of crimes against humanity. I believe genocidal criminals like Meles and Bereket should be hanged in a public square. Prof. Ephraim’s approach is different, but it is a necessary one. When we acquire more guns than Woyanne, we need a mediator to talk Meles and gang into signing our terms of surrender.
If the upcoming elections in Ethiopia were legitimate, and there is a presidential system (instead of the current fake parliamentary system where the prime minister is a dictator), who would you vote to be next president and vice-president of Ethiopia.
Please post your suggestions below with detailed explanations. The top 10 names that are nominated by readers will be voted on after one week of collecting your suggestions.
This is not expected to be a scientific poll, but it will be a valuable information as to which current political leaders are viewed most favorably by the people of Ethiopia.
By Hirut Habte
Ethiopian People’s Patriotic Front (EPPF) is in the forefront of the battle to end the Tigray Liberation Front’s tyranny against millions of Ethiopians. Our young and brave EPPF fighters are operating under tremendous difficulties to bring freedom and democracy in Ethiopia.
Given its own rise to power, TPLF is keenly aware of the lethal power of EPPF fighters, therefore it wants to quash them. Reminiscent of Derge’s time, TPLF is using its propaganda machines to paint EPPF freedom fighters as terrorists and foreign agents.
Ethiopians, who have lived the past 18 years of horror under the TPLF regime, know that TPLF is the true terrorist party. It has not only destabilized Ethiopia but the entire Horn of Africa.
Going forward, we must be strategic in our approach to the politics in the Horn of Africa. It is in the best interests of Ethiopians to form partnership with Eritrea to rid off TPLF so countries in the Horn of Africa can begin to establish diplomatic and economic relationships based on mutual respect and interests. The post TPLF era will turn the now war-ravaged Horn of Africa into a peaceful and prosperous place, where the next generation of kids will be allowed to go after their dreams.
We are at a crossroad, we will either topple the ruthless TPLF regime, or we will continue to be enslaved by them. Clearly, for the first time TPLF is fretting over EPPF. That should motivate every Ethiopian to give support to our EPPF liberation fighters for they are sacrificing to free Ethiopia from the menace of TPLF regime.
It is time to think regionally rather than parochially for the future is brighter than ever for the peoples in the Horn of Africa. Support EPPF!
The Woyanne-run ETV in Ethiopia that is run by Hailu Shawel’s new friend Bereket Simon is reporting that the regime has arrested several Ethiopian People’s Patriotic Front (EPPF) fighters in Gonder. Watch the video here.
Nothing that comes out of Bereket Simon’s mouth can be believed, but this news proves that Woyanne is increasingly threatened by EPPF’s activities. In the past few months EPPF has been intensifying its military operations against Woyanne targets in northern and north-western Ethiopia, as reported by Ethiopian Review and other media.
