I grew up during the reign of the Emperor. Everybody was afraid of HIM. Then came the Colonel and we had nothing but contempt for him. He was an impostor of no consequence. A rude chapter in our glorious past. Now we are stuck with yet another dictator of questionable deeds. He kills to gain respect. We neither respect him nor are we afraid of him. Our contempt has runnth over.
Chairman Bertukan, you are different. Thinking about you is a very confusing process. Sadness is the first emotion that grips you. The sadness is not for you. The sadness is for all of us. The living dead. The bystanders. The big liars. We pretend to care but we avoid to act. አስመሳዮች፣እግዚኦ ይባል፣
What do you think of us? I know you love us. Isn’t that why they locked you up? That is not such a crazy notion is it? Not really. They jailed you because they are threatened by the love and respect showed to you by the Ethiopian people. You managed to put the cadres in a big quandary. They can’t leave you alone but they can’t lock you up either. That is what you call a problem of Talmudic proportion. Cadre brain is overloaded and shows signs of overheating hence the pungent smoke. That is too much work for collective pea brain. We are talking milliwatts here. It is obvious. The odor of fear has gripped Arat Kilo.
There is a flurry of activity around the world regarding you. You have managed to stay current. You will be surprised by the amount of interest you have raised regarding the lack of freedom in Ethiopia. Your cause has been heard by non other than the US Congress. Your supporters in the US thank Congressman Donald Payne for championing the cause of freedom in the land of his ancestors. Congressman Chris Smith is another friend of Ethiopia. They fought hard for you. I am sure you remember the Hon. Ana Gomez member of the European Parliament. She is still committed to our cause. They have locked you in a dark room but as Abebe said you are a ‘Super Nova”. They say a super nova outshines an entire galaxy. That is what you have done. Amnesty International has declared you to be an important person to fight for. Human Right Watch has issued an alert regarding your condition. You are the Aung San Suu Kyi of Ethiopia.
I saved it for last. The most important people in this equation, your fellow citizens, they are in the fore front of keeping your name, your spirit, and your strong as iron principles in the lime light. There were memorials held in all six continents. Your scattered brethren rejoiced in your memory. It is never a sad event; rather it was a celebration of your leadership. Your resolve in the face of injustice, your cool demeanor under testing circumstances filled all of us with hope.
Your party and old friends informed the city of Addis Ababa their intentions to hold a candle light ceremony to commemorate your illegal incardination. Guess what, the City of Addis Ababa has sold the right to Meskel Square to a different entity. No one knows who the current owner of Meskel square is, thus the memorial was left in limbo. May be EFFORT owns it now. We will know when we see a tool booth to go to Bole. But the memorial was held. It was held in the hearts of Ethiopians all over. No one can stop that can they? The more they try the stronger our resistance.
I read the story on Ethiopia Zare web site (http://www.ethiopiazare.com/the-news/1-latest-news/712-birtukan-mideksa0 it was an insight into the complete brutality of the regime. It confirms the lawless nature of society under TPLF. It is nothing to shrug off. Your family, friends and supporters showed up Saturday morning to see you. They were told by the police/prison guard/ TPLF cadre that your allotted visiting hours was from 6PM to 7PM. When they showed up at 6 they were told you were not allowed visitors. Somehow they were granted a favor by allowing you to see your mother and daughter. Forty minutes was what you were allowed to be with your daughter and mother. Your four years old daughter was allowed 40 minutes to hold, kiss and talk to you. This is the enemy we are dealing with. Irrational, cruel inhuman and very petty.
The report said ሓሌ Hale cried on the way out. Actually she wailed like ‘an adult’ is what it said. She is surounded by loving family and a praying nation. Out of the four years of her life she has only spent one year with you. It must be hard on her. We all feel your family’s pain. Your strength is what keeps us going. I told you we are the weakest link. We feed of your resolve. We hear you are on hunger strike. The guards say you return the food sent to you. We worry but we understand.
This is the second time the dictator has jailed you. It looks like you have threatened him to the core. His emotions betray him when it come to you and Dr. Berhanu. His alpha male status is what he got going for him. You guys seem to ratlle that. His utterings regarding you betrays his deep emotions.There was a time when he refferd to you as ‘gelesbua’ ግለስቫ It was the perioed of denial. Nowdays he calls you by your first name. No Chairman Bertukan, no Judge Bertukan not even Weizero Bertukan. You are just plain Bertukan. Is that good? Does he think of you as a friend? Well I am sure that is not a good thing. He is considered highly toxic when it comes to friendship. The highway is litered with the dead and decapitated remains of his former friends. I have noticed you always refer to him as the PM but he does not seem to recogonize your title. I wonder why? Specially since you earned that title democratically.
Do you guys know each other? The Seye affair was classic Bertukan. Defiant! You forced him to show his dictatorial card. Changing the law to fit the crime is classic. And to do it in one weekend is just an increadable feat. That couldl easly qualify him for the dictators hall of fame.
I know he is familiar with Dr. Berhanu. I am sure he does not like him. He can’t silence him. He can’t even jail him but he wants to excuite him. Who said he lacks a sense of humor.
So you are in jail, Dr. Berhanu is awaiting the firing squad and Hailu Shawel is in Mekele campaigning. I saw Hailu’s video and I just sat there. All I could think is Meles got a new pet to play with. That must be his X-Mas present from Azeb. I guess he got tired of Ledetu. Use and discard, that is the Woyane way. Who needs recycling when you have so many hodams. I also noticed it was an orderly crowed wheras the attempt by your party to hold a meeting in Nazret was nothing but embarrassaing. I guess it is ok to speak Amharic in Mekele but not in Nazret. Poor Hailu was let loose in a sea of cadres. At long last he is with his kind. They must have have been laughing their ass off. The new freak is in town. The show will be screened for the ferenjis you can be sure of that.
The ferenjis are another matter. The US, Britain and Germany are at their old game again. The Chinese and even the Indians are enablers too. It has nothing to do with color, it is all about national interest. The only problem here is who is looking after our interest? I have some bad news for you. A few of our own people are part of the problem. They are anti woyane in public and investors at night. This holiday season while you are in kaliti they are dancing with the Sheik at the Shearton. Feeble minds are dangerous. Hodams are a curse. I am sure they present all sorts of theories and justifications for their betrayal. No matter, it is shameful, disgusting and short lived.
Do you think the regime is threatened a little less because you are in jail? Or do you think you guys are a shot across the bow. It is meant to be a warning. አባይን በጭልፋ( Nile with a spoon) is what comes to mind. It wouldn’t work. The contempt of the Ethiopian people twards TPLF/EPDRF and other garbage is such that nothing will stop the coming tsunami of rage. Since the dawn of time dictators have tried every immaginable method to rule by force. None have worked. That need of the human soul to be free is woven in our DNA. When we are free we thrive. Look at all the Ethiopians building a successful life where ever they have settled. We are no different from our cousins back home. We are just free to soar like an eagle.
We wish you a happy holiday. Your sacrifice is not in vain. Your people are waking up. The woyane game has run its course. There is no turning back. Your courageous stand is not about winning but it is all about doing what is right and moral. Winning will come. There is no question about that. Our wish and our prayer is to give all of us the strength to withstand this time of trial so our people and country will survive woyane madness.
This new year fills us with hope that at longlast we are ready to take matters into our own hands. It is a new year, It is a new day. It is a new begining. It is the time to stand up. We remeber the thousands of our children drowing in the Red Sea, disappearing in the jungles of central Africa and made to wither and die in Ogaden. The days of lametation is over. The time has come to act.”
By Yilma Bekele
There are three things important in real estate: location, location, location. Agents never tire mentioning this important fact. What exactly does it mean? Simply put what matters most is not the structure of the house as much as its physical location. It is smart to buy the ugliest house in a good neighborhood than a beautiful palace in a rough area. It is much easier and cheaper to remodel a bad and decrepit structure rather than moving it to a new location.
The importance of location never played such a pivotal role as in the current situation regarding our country. Our location has become our Achilles heel. It is true there was a time when our location worked in our favor. Our mountainous terrain protected us from foreign invaders while the scorching lowlands surrounding us were our natural defense. Isolated from others we were able to enjoy undisturbed peace and our own way of life.
Those days are gone. Today our location is working against us. Our neighborhood has become the center of the so-called ‘terrorist’ incubating ground. There is Somalia the poster child of a ‘failed state’. There is Yemen competing with Somalia for this coveted prize. There is Sudan teetering into civil war and religious fanaticism all rolled into one. There is Eritrea still trying to define it self while standing on a shaky ground.
How is this madness all around us affecting our country is a good question to ponder. I am afraid the prognosis is not favorable. Well at least for the ‘law and order’ contingent amongst us while it is making the cadres deliriously happy. ግር ግር ለሌባ ይመቻል fits this situation.
Somalia was a Godsend to the minority regime. The Bush administration obsession of fighting terrorism found its bedfellow in Ethiopia. The Meles regime was able to play one clan against the other, Jihadist against warlord and enjoy the fireworks. Poor Ethiopia was a scarifical lamb. Nothing was gained for our nation but the TPLF regime was able to ward off any discussion of democratic reforms by appearing to be a pillar of stability in the midst of chaotic neighborhood. The close alliance with the US military paid two dividends. TPLF army was able to get training and surplus arms for low level warfare and the Pentagon replaced State Department in policy formulations.
Sudan was another trouble spot that brought about more misery for our people. The Sudanese tyrants abhorrent policy in Darfur was a good excuse for the West to fan the flames of inter-ethnic animosity. The discovery of oil was all that was need to for the Chinese to enter the fray. The Ethiopian regime saw an opportunity to cozy up with Sudan. The more rogue Sudan becomes the closer it stuck with the minority regime. The cost to our country was loss of territory. The gain for the TPLF regime was a friendly dictator that will deny base of operation for the opposition.
When we thought things were quieting down guess who shows up to increase the stress level. It is none other than Yemen, the new preferred destination of Osama and company. This new situation does not bode well for our country. Surely the West is going to worry more about friendly areas of operation more than the rule of law and human rights. The horn of Africa is the new home of the fight against ‘extremism’. That means our quest for establishing a democratic state is going to be put on the back burner.
It is clear that the minority regime has been able to anticipate the situation correctly and seized the opportunity to endear itself to both the Americans and the Europeans. The opposition on the other hand has abandoned the initiative to the dictatorial regime. The opposition reacts to the shifting agenda set by the TPLF regime. The regime has surpassed its own benchmark due to its ability to create dissent, animosity and lack of trust in the camp of the opposition. Of course one cannot blame the enemy for one’s lack of foresight and resolve. Vacillation is the calling card of the spineless. We are blessed with plenty of spineless wana be leaders.
In spite of the efforts of a few to create confusion a certain notion is entering our everyday discourse. Despite our optimistic outlook the reality on the ground is forcing us to revise our thinking. We are beginning to accept the inevitability of the impending turmoil. The possibility of a violent eruption has become as sure as the sun rising tomorrow. There is no other conclusion. We are watching two trains speeding towards each other traveling on the same track.
Is it due to the worsening economic situation or the elevated paranoia of the police state is a tricky question. It is like who came first the chicken or the egg. Productivity does not match population increase. Unemployment, deflation, famine, and scarcity of goods are making life intolerable. Hopelessness breeds alienation. The only response possible by the police state is more repression. More repression invites more resistance. And vice versa. It is a merry go round of misery.
We are surrounded by the League of Failed states of the Horn of Africa. We are on our way to join them. On one hand, due to our location the international situation is not favorable to the democratic forces. On the other hand, the internal situation in Ethiopia is more than favorable to challenge the police state. Without going into details suffice to point out the over fourteen million on the brink of famine and the tens of thousands abandoning their country at the risk of imminent death is a testimonial to the abhorrent condition in the country. To say the Ethiopian people have reached a breaking point is not an exaggeration.
The late Kinijit was a perfect example of identifying the problem and appealing to the public in popular terms. Kinijit succeed beyond the wildest dreams of its founders. Kinijit was able to show the Ethiopian people the true nature of the dictatorial regime. Kinijit was able to expose the fallacy of ‘peaceful transition’ in a heavily armed police state. Kinijit’s success in winning the election and failure in assuming power was a revelation for the opposition to re-think the nature of the coming struggle. A redefinition of the path to attain victory was called for. The failure of the 2005 general election is a perfect example to the impossibility of rational conversation or dialogue with an armed and belligerent opponent.
It was very refreshing to hear President Obama presenting the problem and a solution to such a conundrum as faced by the Ethiopian people. In his important speech during the Noble Peace prize ceremony following is the way President Obama put the issue:
I face the world as it is, and cannot stand idle in the face of threats to the American people. For make no mistake: Evil does exist in the world. A non-violent movement could not have halted Hitler’s armies. Negotiations cannot convince al Qaeda’s leaders to lay down their arms. To say that force may sometimes be necessary is not a call to cynicism — it is a recognition of history; the imperfections of man and the limits of reason.
I am glad he said it. Some in Ethiopia have been saying that since 2005. The TPLF are the personification of evil. Their contempt for the Ethiopian people knows no bounds. Their cruelty is legendary. Though they try to mask their true nature by high-sounding sophistry they are nothing but ordinary thieves and street hustlers that have found themselves in a position of power. They will not abandon this gravy train without a fight. No amount of negotiation or dialogue will convince TPLF to ‘lay down their arms’. The last seventeen years is a testimonial to this irrefutable fact.
It is very sad the TPLF tugs are forcing the citizen to resort to violence. Force is not the preferred option. It contains its own shortcomings. It corrodes the soul and damages the human spirit. The brunt of the sacrifice falls on the young. Ultimately all of society pays the price. But there are some things that are not negotiable. Freedom is one such thing. A war that is waged to attain freedom is considered a just and necessary war. The war to remove TPLF and their associates from power will be judged to be a just and necessary action by any international standard. በቃ
It is not easy removing such an entrenched regime from power. It requires tested leadership. The enemy is lethal. They have no qualms about killing. They have showed their ugly side on numerous occassions. On the other hand their whole organization is like a house built on sand. They project an image of fierce warriors to hide their cowadly nature and fear that manifests itself by their empty rhetoric. Their lack of self esteem and doubt leads them to irratinality. It does not take much to un nerve them and make them react without thinking it over. The loyality of their members have no depth. They are prone to abandon them at the first sign of a percieved problem.
We are emolded with the appearance of Ginbot7, EPPF and other liberation fronts that have taken the nature of the facist regime toheart. Ginbot7 is the rightful heir of Kinijit. In a matter of one year it has shown a superior form of organization. Its utterings are well thought of and timely. Its no nonsense approach towards the minority regime have managed to fill us with hope. Ginbot7 cool demanour while surounded by hysterical nay sayers have won it plenty of quiet friends. The short wave radio broadcast is unprecedented success. It is not the result of some philatrophy by a rich uncle, or donation by ‘friendly’ government. It is the rsult of Ethiopians taking care of Ethiopia.
This new year fills us with hope that at longlast we are ready to take matters into our own hands. It is a new year, It is a new day. It is a new begining. It is the time to stand up. We remeber the thousands of our children drowing in the Red Sea, disappearing in the jungles of central Africa and made to wither and die in Ogaden. The days of lametation is over. The time has come to act.
We are emolded by the courageous act of Judge Bertukan Mideksa. We are greatful to her for showing us what it means to stand up for the truth. We honor her work by continuing her example of steadfatness in the face of overwhelming force. She did not buckle down. We will not back down. Here is the lyrics from Tom Pettys ‘I will not back down.’ Rock on my friends!
Well I won’t back down
No I won’t back down
You can stand me up at the gates of hell
But I won’t back down
No I’ll stand my ground, won’t be turned around
And I’ll keep this world from draggin me down
gonna stand my ground
… and I won’t back down
Well I know what’s right, I got just one life
in a world that keeps on pushin me around
but I’ll stand my ground
…and I won’t back down
I don’t know if you are familiar with it but there used to be an American television show called ‘what is my line?’ It was a guessing game where the panelists try to determine the identity of the contestant by asking leading questions. It was fun to watch a skillful contestant completely baffle the panelists.
Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia was in Europe playing what is my line. Our skilled PM was using the podium to get legitimacy abroad while enhancing his image as a respected states man in front of the Ethiopian people. It was a perfect Kodak moment. I am sure ETV, his private television station back home will play the tape ad nauseam. The Sarkozys and the Obamas were enabling him to hide behind their podium.
Why was he there since Ethiopia cannot be accused of contributing to green house gas? Well he was delegated by NEPAD (New Partnership For African Development.) What is NEPAD? According to their website it ‘is a Vision and Strategic Framework for African Renewal.
NEPAD is setup to address the ‘current challenges facing Africa. Its objective includes eradicating poverty, halt the marginalization of Africa in the globalization process and empowerment of women. The principle NEPAD stands for includes good governance, broad and deep participation of the population in decision-making, acceleration of regional and continental integration.’
The Ethiopian Prime Minster was heading the NEPAD delegation. To start with one gets the feeling NEPAD is trying to convince others to work for the lofty goals mentioned above but it does not want to lead by example. If the challenge faced by Africans is the absence of ‘good governance’ shouldn’t NEPAD appoint some one who exudes those qualities? That is not too much to ask is it?
Let us put the NEPAD thing in perspective. The Copenhagen meeting was about threat to planet Earth. It is man made crisis. It is a problem created by the Northern hemisphere dwellers. The Europeans and the Americans. As time honored tradition dictates we Africans are victim number one. Our usual fellow victims Asia and South America are not with us anymore. They are heating up the planet but they are not in a mood to discuss slowing down. There is a lot of catch up to do.
So what was NEPAD doing there? Since it does not have any green house gas to threaten with it was doing some serious begging. Leading to this great ballyhooed affair our fearless leader was posturing to disrupt the proceedings. He was threatening to walk out. He was demanding 40 billion USD a year for Africa. That was his demand and he is sticking to it! Not. He was just kidding.
With the French President at his side the NEPAD leader agreed to a pittance 10 billion USD for the first year and little guarantee for the future. Africa’s cut will be 40%. Heck of a negotiator wouldn’t you say. The Westerners will heat up the planet and increase the temperature that in turn will create havoc on Africa’s weather forcing us into more deforestation, drying up of lakes and rivers and further starvation.
What do we get for this? Surplus genetically engineered food and deposit in African leaders personal account in European and American banks. To say plenty of African were upset by this unilateral negotiation by NEPAD chief is an under statement. They were fuming. From Algeria to South Africa they all distanced themselves from NEPAD. The Americans and the Europeans used NEPAD as a wedge to divide the third world group.
We Ethiopians are familiar with that playbook. Is it me or do you see some similarity here. Let us see Ato Meles is famous for his unique disruption technique. He leaves a clear MO. (Modus operandi). We can refer to the Ledetu affair, the Chamiso saga or the Hailu opera. The Westerners used NEPAD exactly as the Prime Minster used Hailu to break the solidarity of the opposition. The only difference is NEPAD will be paid thru African Development Bank while Ato Hailu or Ato Ledetu will suffer eternal humiliation. Not that I will waste any tears for them.
To go back to ‘what’s my line’ story the performance of the Prime Mister was enough to baffle the panelists if this was a show. He preached the gospel of compromise. The science of give and take was the heart of his philosophy. Ato Meles scolded the West for marginalizing Africa. He demanded to be included as an equal.
I was flabbergasted. Well that is an under statement. I was floored. I have not seen this side of him. Did the mantra ‘my way or the highway’ get revised? Did the philosophy of ‘some are more equal than others’ get tossed away? Are we going to have the new improved TPLF after Copenhagen?
The old one we knew was different. He has a few political prisoners in the various dungeons scattered all over the country, he likes to be mean and angry when it comes to Chairman Bertukan and jailing, bankrupting, and exiling journalists and intellectuals is his hobby.
Stupid me, I used to think TPLF was all about power and revenge for the past transgressions for perceived injustice. It is sort of surprising and a let down to see it is all about money. The net worth of Ato Meles is jaw dropping. It is difficult to explain. It begs for a tharrow investigation. The information boggles the mind.
This is a list of heads of state and government by their net worth, mostly of their liquid assets in US Dollars. This list should not include crown property and other material goods (although these are sometimes difficult to separate depending on the source) as of August 2008.
Name Title Net Worth Country
Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Sultan $20 billion[1] Brunei
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Emir $18 billion[1] United Arab Emirates
Abdullah King $17 billion[1] Saudi Arabia
Mohammed Bin Rashid Prime Minister $12 billion[1] United Arab Emirates
Silvio Berlusconi Prime Minister $9.4 billion[2] Italy
Asif Ali Zardari President $4 billion[3] Pakistan
Hans-Adam II Prince $3.5 billion[1] Liechtenstein
Mohammed VI King $2.5 billion[1] Morocco
Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Emir $2 billion[1] Qatar
Meles Zenawi Prime Minister $1.2 billion[4] Ethiopia
Albert II Prince $1 billion[1] Monaco
Qaboos Sultan $700 million[1] Oman
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo President $600 million[citation needed] Equatorial Guinea
Poor Mr. Obama is not even worth a lousy million and he is going to stay that way till he leaves office. Our Meles can eradicate famine from Ethiopia if he donates some of that stash. Don’t ask me how he amassed such obscene amount of money in such a short time. I did not know we paid our chief executive that kind of money either. Do you get the feeling there is no rational answer to this problem except outright denial. May be Wikidepia’s editors character can be brought to question or a plot can be uncovered that was trying to defame the regime. Hey 1.2 billion in USD is nothing to scoff at.
The Russians and East Europeans have definitely made their opinions known. They would rather forget about it. The Cubans have always experimented with it and continue to craft their own version. The Chinese are fine tuning it or trying to bend it to their will. You can feel the Chairman shaking in his grave. The Vietnamese do not want to talk about it. Only the North Koreans are forging full steam ahead. What I am talking about is dictatorship and the absence of the rule of law. The questions for us is why is poor Ethiopia flirting for the umpteenth time that one-man rule is the way forward?
All indications are our country is withering away as we speak. How could a country with over three thousand years of history decay and shrivel? Well, it is not unheard of. It has happened before. We have no idea where the early Egyptians went nor do we know what happened to the Mayan civilization. The Roman Empire is no more and the Greeks are a shadow of their former self. Ethiopia as we know it is on its way out if this trend continues.
It is not good to dwell so much on the negative is a good saying. On the other hand pretending life is good and everything is dandy is postponing the inevitable clash with reality. Speaking from experience, if I might be presumptuous enough to generalize about us in the Diaspora we have learnt that reality is unforgiving. No amount of pretension, glossing over problems or side steeping over issues will make it go away. Life forces each one of us to grow and accept responsibility. We learn not to panic when faced with failure or shortcoming. Our strength comes from getting up and forging a new path. There is no recipe for success as failure.
The problem is our current Ethiopia does not seem to have the capacity to learn from the past. We are the poster country for repeating failure. We change the language but not the action. We think renaming the problem is like coming up with a new solution. We have a saying ‘gulechawen bekeyayerut wotun ayattafetem.’ How true, the secret is in changing the recipe or the cook.
We are at it again. I mean repeating what does not work. Suffice to say we brave Ethiopians expect a different result. We seem to say ‘why not it did not work last time, we will just pray and leave it to fate and it will work this time.’ After over thirty years of the same solution to the same problem we find ourselves where we started. The problem is getting bigger while our solution stays constant.
What brought about this rumination is the constant unceasing jabber regarding the so-called general elections scheduled in our country. Even the term ‘election is a misnomer; it should be referred to as a ‘coronation’. I have no idea where everyone has been the last four years but the preparations by the ruling TPLF party not to repeat the ‘calculated risk’ taken in 2005 started the same day as the voting ended. The following laws were enacted to unlevel the playing field of free and democratic elections.
1. The free independent media was crushed. Methods used were killing of editors, jailing and intimidation of journalists, forced exile, increase the price of paper and ink and using the judiciary to bankrupt news organizations by forceful seizure of property.
2. Enact new ‘laws’ to make the news business expensive and the process lengthy to start a newspaper or any independent journal.
3. Enact new laws to restrict the role of NGO’s.
4. Jail and intimidate the opposition. Use all government resources to create disarray in the opposition by means of blackmail, bribery and character assassination.
5. Enact new laws under the cover of fighting ‘terrorism’ to restrict political activity.
6. Come up with a so-called ‘code of conduct’ to further confuse intimidate the opposition.
7. Use the judiciary to imprison opposition leaders and party members.
8. Use foreign diplomats to meddle in our internal affairs and water down our demands while keeping our country in a state of perpetual poverty and welfare.
For those who are willing to listen, brave enough to accept reality the TPLF regime has made it abundantly clear that the idea of free and democratic election in Ethiopia is not acceptable. The Prime Minister has made it crystal clear that the only way he will vacate the palace is by force and on several occasions he has invited his countrymen to go ahead and try it. So much for participatory democracy.
The current TPLF regime in power has shown that it is not capable of solving the many problems facing our country. It is not for lack of trying; rather it is about lack of basic practical knowledge and know-how. It was not long ago when the regime declared ‘agriculture will drive modernization’. You would think that they will revisit the infantile idea of the state ownership of land and change the policy. No they were referring to ‘leasing land’ to grow flowers for the European market. Poor farmers were evicted from their ancestral land and a generous tax benefit was given to the foreign investors and their local agents. The theory was the income in foreign currency would be used to buy food items to feed the country or something like that.
What was the net effect of this adventure? The poor peasant farmers joined the unemployed migration to the city, the use of banned chemicals was a disaster on the eco system and the few young women workers in this hazardous environment were poisoned for life. The melt down of the European economy rendered the project useless while the long-term negative effect on our country and people is immeasurable. Future generations will pay the price. You don’t hear the regime-touting flower as a savior anymore.
Now the talk is all about ‘leasing’ agricultural land to foreigners. We are in the process of clear-cutting our national resource so the Saudis can harvest wheat and barley. A Reuters report said:
‘The three investors met Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi late last month, Mohamed al-Musallam, who chairs Dar Misc Economic and Administrative Consultancy firm, “They approved to lease us the farm land. They will exempt us from paying taxes and lease fees in the first years of production and they will allow us to export all our production,” Musallam told Reuters.
Our ancestors escaped the scrooge of colonialism our generations is selling our land to the new breed of colonialists. What they could not do with weapons they are doing it with dollars and Euros.
Both solutions prescribed by the regime have something in common. The need for dollars is what drives the TPLF machine. The Ethiopian government is a very expensive venture. Remember the regime is the number one employer in the country. Loyalty is paid for. Like a drug addict needs his fix and will do anything to acquire drug, so will the TPLF regime sell land, sell children, sell sovereignty to acquire dollars and Euros.
Do we have to sell our land and our children to build a better Ethiopia? There is no precedent where countries have traded sovereignty to improve the life of their people. The lesson for us is to follow the example of India where investment was made in education and the Diaspora was encouraged to invest in knowledge based ventures. The example by South Korea where the government systematically nurtured the big conglomerates (Chaebols) like Hyundai-Kia, Samsung, LG and others to grow big and strong to be able to compete in the international scene. Both India and South Korea are ancient country like us. Both value nationalism and sovereignty very much. Unlike us, both are blessed with forward looking, people and culture loving leaders.
How come our solutions do not require our involvement? Why are we relying on foreign benefactors to develop our country? Why are we allergic to crafting our own solution to our problem? Again we in the Diaspora are familiar with such mentality. There are those who work hard and build a prosperous business a successful carrier and energize their people. We are also aware of the welfare bums, the short cut artists, the fast talkers and flimflam swindlers. The Ethiopian regime falls in the second category. Intoxicated by its own lies and always stretching its hands for a spare change from the foreigners.
All we need is one example to show the bankruptcy of the TPLF regime and the hopelessness of counting on the clueless regime to get us out of the hole we are in. Let us take the Internet. It is only twenty years old. The new technology is what is driving the economies of the advanced countries.
Here in California the new technology of computer hardware, World Wide Web and its many application software with the venture capitalists have been driving the economy at a very fast pace. Is this something our Ethiopia can emulate? The answer is a resounding YES we can! The proof is the many Diaspora Web sites populating cyber space. They are the result of our people’s capacity to master the new technology and the fertile ground of freedom that allows us to soar like an eagle. You open any one of our Web sites and you are bound to find hundreds of destinations to go to.
How does this compare with Woyane land? Like day and night. We got Walta for the cadres and Aiga for their children in the Diaspora, nothing else! They are not willing to innovate and they block our people from learning.
If the Ethiopian people are free to learn and experiment with the new technology where would our country be? How many jobs will be created? All this can be accomplished with no cost to the regime. But that is not what they want. Information and knowledge is the number one enemy of a totalitarian system. They would rather invest in purchasing Internet traffic filtering technology to block knowledge.
Our fearless leader is going to Copenhagen representing African dictators. He is going to blame the world for the impoverished state the Africans are in. He is going to demand reparations to be paid over many years. The people of Africa will not see a cent. The money will be used to buy weapons and useless trinkets. What is left will be deposited in the West. The developed countries will laugh all the way to the bank while the poor impoverished Africans will cry all the way to the grave.
I couldn’t sleep all night. I kept turning and tossing to no avail. What was bothering me was what I heard on VOA yesterday afternoon. VOA is Voice of America for those of you not in the know. I found out I can listen to VOA on my smart phone and things haven’t been the same. My phone has become my best friend. I can surf the web, send email, watch You Tube, shoot a video, listen to the radio and oh yes talk too. My phone has become indispensable. Back to my story.
Dispersed among the many important stories of the day I heard the announcer discussing food, rather the lack of food in East Africa. Looks like the FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization) was passing out the plate to collect donations to feed poor Africans and the pledge from the Europeans fell short and the director and African delegates were crying about the indifference of the rich countries. This is what you call aggressive begging. It takes balls to sit on such virgin land and blame others for your own stupidity so I didn’t pay that much attention to the story.
What came next was what piqued my interest. UNFPA (UN population fund) was discussing the state of human population growth. According to them there are eighty-two and half million Ethiopians. Plenty of us if you ask me. On the other hand the Ethiopian government count shows seventy-three point nine million Ethiopians. Quiet a discrepancy wouldn’t you say. We are talking about eight point six million Abeshas an accounted for. Now you know why I couldn’t sleep.
I don’t mind if we are missing a few thousand of us. You know how African borders are. It is possible the day or week of the count some have ventured far following rich grazing grounds or even gone to the market in a neighboring country. It is also possible so many are escaping and temporarily situated in Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, Eritrea or Djibouti. I doubt if they will stop for the census bureau to be counted. Believe me eight point six million is not a small number. For crying out loud it is larger than a whole bunch of countries entire population.
Staying up all night has its rewards. As the sun was rising over the rolling hills of East bay, the birds chirping signaling a new day the answer came to me, we Ethiopians have a problem with numbers! We just don’t know how to count. That is not idle talk my friend, I got proof.
Let us just start with famine. According to the UN, US Aid, Oxfam and other professionals who do this sort of stuff for a living there are over ten million Ethiopians in need of food. According to the Meles regime the number is less than four million. It sort of bizarre to haggle over the number of your own people condemned to die of hunger but that is what has become of our country. Why this obsession with numbers you might ask. It is because the TPLF regime is always interested in the degrees of suffering of our people.
They start with the great famine of 1973 and compare that with the famine of 1983 and arrive at the startling conclusion that says less are dying thus we are doing better. With TPLF the question is not how to avoid famine but how to manage famine. Thus they spend time, energy and try our patience playing with numbers.
How about the much heralded 12% growth. Again it is a number TPLF throws with abandon gets quoted by Reuter or Bloomberg ergo it becomes a fact. The question is does reality on the ground jive with fantasy in the collective brain of TPLF cadres? I am afraid not. Putting up some concrete structures using Diaspora money, paving roads with IMF and Chinese loans is not an example of sustainable growth. It is just feel good economics or voodoo economics. The numbers are repeated again and again purposely to etch them in our mind.
Even the so-called Federal budget is not immune to this number challenge we face. After the 2005 elections the TPLF regime was printing money as if it was going out of style. The money was used to bribe the different EPDRF minions and buy their temporary loyalty. When the Federal Audit Report showed the truth about the minority regimes borrowing of billions of Bir the Prime Minster was not amused. Our fearless leader called the report a ‘junior accountants error’ and rejected the findings. His handpicked teams of investigators were able to shift a few zeros and bring the report in line with his wishes.
The mother of all ‘number challenged’ problems was the 2005 general elections. It was a situation where electorate and the ballot were in complete and total dis-harmony. It took more than six months of the best TPLF cadre’s brain to reconcile what really happened with what was supposed to happen. Even our favorite Woyane Bereket Semeon’s Wollo constituency was in disarray. The second balloting ordered by TPLF showed more people than what turned out to vote during the first free and euphoric election. Go figure that out!
Numbers and facts came to clash during the recent ‘Tekeze dam’ inaugaration. The prime Minster was proud and precise when he said Tekeze was built by “berasachin genzeb” Again does this jive with reality or does it leave many un answered questions. According to some knowledgeable sources ‘The Tekeze Dam Project financing is by China National Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Company (CWHEC), 49pc, and China Gezhouba Water and Power (group) Ltd, 30pc, and Sur Construction, subsidiary company of EFFORT, 21pc. (TPLF) So what is it? Does it belong to us or the bond holders? Is this a new formula of financing? Questions, questions.
I will leave you with one number problem we encountered a while back as told by our own Tamagne Beyene. He tells it a whole lot better but I will do my best. The TPLF radio, yes they used to have a radio station during their armed struggle for the liberation of Tigrai, in its reports of their heroism was throwing increasable numbers regarding the number of Derg solders they have killed. Unfortunately when the numbers were added up at the end of the day they showed that they have killed more solders than all the Derg military combined.
The question for us is shall we get out of this numbers business? Shall we bring in outsiders to do any and all counting business in our country? Can Ethiopians be trusted with numbers or is it a localized TPLF problem? No matter it still leaves us with eight point six million Ethiopians out there with no one to claim them. Misplacing that many Abeshas is nothing to sniff at, I want my people accounted for.
Dear Ato Meles, I have been following your interviews with the foreign media the last few months. I have no idea why you prefer to discuss matters regarding our country with the foreign press. One would think that it would be better to discuss your plans, dreams and musings with the Ethiopian people rather than blabber with foreign journalists who a) are not well informed about the country b) do not give a figs leaf what you a Prime Minister of one of the poorest country have to say and bury the story on page ten beside the obituaries forcing us to dig deep so we the concerned can publish it on page one.
To say I am always baffled after reading or listening to your interviews is putting it mildly. You always seem to have a different take on the situation in the country. The facts on the ground do not seem to support the conclusions you reach. Have you thought of any reason why that is so?
I know it is presumptuous of me to comment on the matter and I humbly ask your Excellency to indulge me in this little exercise to set the record straight. First and foremost I want you to know that I wholly understand that when one is isolated from normal everyday human contact one develops certain ideas and beliefs not grounded in fact or truth. From what I understand you have been residing at your current address since 1991. Shall we just say Arat Kilo is an awe-inspiring location?
I did not have the privilege of visiting the inside but I am sure it is very luxurious. It must have beautiful hardwood floors in the dining rooms, Italian tiles in bath bathrooms, thick Persian or Afghan rugs and carpets in the bed rooms, long Mahogany dining room tables with beautiful chandlers and real crystal lights everywhere, oh let us just say opulent. I hope the previous tenant did not remove some of the expensive items. He left in a little bit of a hurry so may be he did not have time to loot. I know for a fact that you have turned the place into a modern fortress since you moved in. It is highly possible the so-called Green Zone in Iraq was a copy of Arat Kilo.
The move from ‘meda’ to palace must have been most jarring to say the least. Unless handled carefully such a move can cause a lot of anxiety and delusion. Believe me it is normal. Here in the US we witness that all the time. Most athletes from the inner cities are prone to that. The idea of jumping from public housing one bedroom apartment to signing a multi-million-dollar contract has been blamed for plenty of meltdowns.
It is fair to say it has been over eighteen years since you have found yourself in the company of ordinary people discussing ordinary issues as an equal. You have managed to get rid of a majority of the people who know you as Legesse. Some have died under peculiar circumstances, you have jailed quite a few, some have been exiled to far away places and some have resigned before you got to them. That leaves the few that have accepted their location on the bottom of the totem pole. Those are the sycophants. The yes men, the flatters. There is no one in the vicinity that is able to correct you when you are wrong, advise you when you err or set you straight when you digress.
I believe that explains the many false statements you seem to utter to the complete disbelief of your country’s people. As I said before this little note is to help you see the other side of the story. It is an attempt to show you a different perspective so you know that there is another reality outside of Arat Kilo.
I will start with your recent interview with the Financial Times of London on June 23. A lot of UN true stuff was said. I will not bother with most of your answers except the one dealing with the free press.
FT: All these events have contributed to an atmosphere where people do not feel free to speak.
MZ: Have you read the local newspapers? Do they mince their words about government …
You see my problem here? What local newspaper are you talking about? Isn’t it true that after the 2005 elections you have managed to destroy the free press? Didn’t your government enact new legislation to strangle the press? For your information you own the single television transmitter, you won the single short wave radio transmitter and you own the telecommunication department. There is no free press in Ethiopia. There are a few that are struggling with a loaded gun held to their temple. Somehow they manage to publish. You really do not think that we consider ‘The Ethiopian Reporter’ as an example of free press do you? We know it is there to give legitimacy to your regime. Nothing more.
In August of 2008 you told your Parliament “In general, we don’t expect drastic effects on our economy, our financial structure is not as liberalized as those of affected countries and the economy is not intertwined to Western economies to face a crisis” Do you want to revise that assertion? Do you see now that our country is not an island? Why were you unable to see that the single crop Ethiopia has been peddling before you were born is going to be affected by world economy slow down? How come you did not know the double digit economic growth you have been shouting about is the result of misguided and selfish Ethiopians in the Diaspora investing in your real estate ponzi scheme and remittances are going to dry up?
Since the debacle of the 2005 election your National Bank has been printing Bir as if it is going out of style. What made you think this kind of irresponsible economic scheme will not result in inflation? I know you have to increase the money supply to keep up with the ever-increasing demand of the military, Kebele officials, public security personnel and various Kilil dogs you have to appease. Your government is the number one employer in the country. So now we are faced with both devaluation and inflation. Are you aware that you have to devalue the Bir by another 20%? Are we going to do five percent here nine percent there or are we going to swallow the bitter medicine all at once and get it over with? Inflation dipping to single digit…when pigs fly.
You have been titillating us with this talk of quitting why is that? This is what you told Financial Times:
FT: Why is it that Ethiopians don’t really believe you could go?
MZ: Because it has not been done in the past in Ethiopia.
FT: But this is a precedent you would like to set?
MZ: This is a precedent that I would almost kill to set.
Very dramatic indeed. Believe me you can purchase a ticket from your local TPLF kiosk and fly away and no one will care. Killing, beating and maiming is an obsession with you TPLF folks. There is no need to kill anybody, but if you have to kill may we suggest one of your comrades. On the other hand there are a few unsettled businesses between the Ethiopian people in general and you and your TPLF cadres in particular. The massacre in the aftermath of the 2005 elections is in the forefront. I believe Judge Wolde Michael Meshesha would like to interview you about that without the presence of your armed goons. There are also a lot of families that want closure and justice done. There is also the murder of Professor Asrat, Assefa Maru and god knows how many more to be dealt with. You really do not think all will be swept under the rug do you? We don’t care what Ledetu have promised you but it will not work.
When you say your party have to agree what exactly does that mean? Are they asking for blanket forgiveness for all crimes committed the last eighteen years? Are they demanding Parliamentary resolution to that effect? Are they threatening you in anyway, something like we all go together or we stay put? Most of you in the politburo are exposed to criminal charges whereas the rank and file is afraid of economic meltdown. It must be difficult to explain how one becomes a multi millionaire in a mere fifteen years. Is this the discussion inside the TPLF? We know for a fact that those ‘teletafis’ or pretend party’s are unsettled about this talk of you leaving them high and dry to face the music. They never thought the end was coming. Do you stay awake all night thinking about all these unpleasant matters? Do you think you are clever and you will manage to squeeze out of this predicament you find yourself in?
They say hindsight is one hundred percent, do you look back and think may be you should have exited peacefully in 2005? What did all that killing bring you except a few million more and universal condemnation? Are you improvising as you go along or do you really have a plan for what is about to happen tomorrow?
The world has changed a lot since 2005. The hate level of the Ethiopian people against your TPLF cadres has skyrocketed, the economy has tanked and there is no light at the end of the tunnel. Creating ethnic tension has become too obvious, terrorism is so yesterday it has been devalued more than your Bir and your loyal dogs are lined up by the exit door (check out your Communications Minister who is getting ready to spill his guts on Addis Voice, VOA or DW radio) If I were you I will assign loyal cadres to watch Addisu, Dula, Kumsa, Azeb and Kasu Ilala. Betrayal is second nature in your sorry outfit.
So you said you want to retire in peace and rest. Well let me tell you what the opposition have in store for the future of our country upon your departure to Kaliti. Here are the top ten:
· Truth and reconciliation committee will be set up. Citizens will be encouraged to file grievances.
· New Constitution will be written after extensive discussion and debate.
· Kilils will be abolished.
· Land belongs to the individual not the government will be the law.
· All confiscated property will be returned to the lawful owners.
· Television, radio, newspaper, Internet and telephone service will be in private hands.
· All bank account, property and assets of former officials will be frozen awaiting certification of how it was amassed.
· All international agreements and deals made by the TPLF government will be subject to review.
· The millions of Ethiopians in the Diaspora will be encouraged to return home and participate in building the motherland. When we say contribute it is not bars or nightclubs but farming, industry and other productive enterprises.
· That ugly symbol you affixed will be removed from our flag never ever to be seen again.
I know all the foreign press has been asking you about the increasing repression, your hasty departure from Somalia, the drying up of foreign reserve and now the lack of electricity in 2009. No one seems to have any thing good to say about your regime. Judge Bertukan’s star is shining bright from behind bars. Your feeble attempts to rub shoulders with democratically elected leaders have only brought you further humiliation. Brave leaders face the consequences of their actions head on and either apologize to their people or take the Japanese way out you know what I mean. Which one would it be? Riding peacefully into the sunset is out of the question!
