Under the seasoned governmental leadership of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, now in his fourth term, and vision of the Tigrai Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) and Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), Ethiopia has made and continues to make progresses in many areas including in education, transportation, health and energy. – Source
It’s unbelievable that such a description about one of the world’s most vicious, corrupt, incompetent tyrants is posted on a prestigious American university’s web site. Only a hired lobby firm such as DLP Piper can come up with such a lie. The truth is that under Meles Zenawi and his tribal TPLF junta, most Ethiopians not only live in abject poverty, they are also being brutalized and systematically starved.
This invitation is a cruel insult against Ethiopians who are being brutalized by the fascist dictator.
Columbia University may not know who Meles Zenawi really is, so this is a good opportunity for Ethiopians around the world to educate them.
Lee C. Bollinger, President, Columbia University
Phone: (212) 854-9970; Fax: (212) 854-9973
Email: [email protected]
University Programs and Events
Office of the President
Columbia University in the City of New York
202 Low Library, 535 West 116th Street, New York, NY 10027
The great Nelson Mandela said, “In my country we go to prison first and then become President.” He assured the masters of the apartheid system, “You may succeed in delaying, but never in preventing the transition of South Africa to a democracy.” On the occasion of the Ethiopian New Year (2003) celebrated on September 11, I contemplate the words of Mandela as I admiringly think of Birtukan Midekssa, (Ethiopia’s No. 1 political prisoner and first ever political party leader), and the prospects of Ethiopia’s eventual transition from dictatorship to democracy.
In December 2008, Birtukan’s “pardon” from a kangaroo court conviction was revoked and her life sentence reinstated. She was literally snatched from the streets and thrown in solitary confinement for six months, despite a court ruling that such punishment was a violation of her constitutional rights. She is denied access to visitors except for her aging mother and five-year old daughter, despite a court order granting her visitor access without restrictions. She has been the object of ridicule by dictator-in-chief Meles Zenawi who has characterized her as a “chicken” who did herself in and an idle prisoner sitting around and “putting on weight”.
Mandela said, “Prison itself is a tremendous education in the need for patience and perseverance. It is above all a test of one’s commitment.” It is comforting to know that Birtukan is receiving “a tremendous education” at Kality “Unversity” Federal Prison where she continues to face daily humiliation, isolation, degradation and dehumanization. But Birtukan perseveres and shall certainly overcome. To paraphrase William Ernest Henley’s poem “Invictus” (Unconquered), for nearly two years Birtukan has been shackled in Zenawi’s “pit of wrath and tears” and faced the “horror” of solitary confinement and degradation without “wincing or crying out loud.” Her “head has been bloodied, but unbowed.” Though she faces the “menace of the years” in prison, she remains unafraid because she is the “mistress of her fate and the captain of her soul.”
It was in prison that Mandela realized the true meaning of freedom:
It was during those long and lonely years that my hunger for the freedom of my own people became a hunger for the freedom of all people, white and black. I knew as well as I knew anything that the oppressor must be liberated just as surely as the oppressed. A man who takes away another man’s freedom is a prisoner of hatred, he is locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness. I am not truly free if I am taking away someone else’s freedom, just as surely as I am not free when my freedom is taken from me. The oppressed and the oppressor alike are robbed of their humanity.
The Prisoner of the Prisoners of Hate, Prejudice and Narrow-Mindedness
It is remarkable how Birtukan’s views mirror Mandela’s. In all of my conversations with her during her visit to the U.S. in the Fall of 2007, (when she led the official delegation of the Coalition of Unity and Democracy [Kinijit]), her Mandela-like compassion and understanding of her jailors and tormentors was instructive and humbling. Like Mandela, Birtukan has steely resolve and unflinching commitment to the rule of law, democracy and human rights. But her political convictions never overpowered her deep compassion for others, including those who continue to mistreat and abuse her. Like Mandela who showed good will to the apartheid masters, Birtukan also shows genuine empathy and understanding for the ruthless dictators who are themselves “locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness”. Like Mandela, that makes Birtukan one of the most unique prisoners on the planet: A prisoner of the prisoners of hatred, prejudice and narrow-mindedness. Like Mandela, Birtukan understands that she must first free the prisoners of hatred, prejudice and narrow-mindedness before she can free herself or her country.
Like Mandela, Birtukan also hungers for freedom. Her hunger for freedom is not just for herself; it is for the freedom of all the Ethiopian people regardless of ethnicity, language, religion and region. Above all, she knows all too well “that the oppressor must be liberated just as surely as the oppressed.”
My New Year’s Resolution
It is customary in free societies to make resolutions for the new year. Accordingly, I pledge to continue to call attention and raise awareness of Birtukan’s unjust imprisonment in the court of world opinion, unceasingly continue to demand her release and the release of all political prisoners in Ethiopia, and urge all freedom-loving people throughout the world to do whatever they can to help secure the release of all political prisoners in Ethiopia.
I am sure that Birtukan’s captors will snicker and giggle at the very idea of releasing her from prison. After all they have declared her release to be a “dead issue.” It does not matter if they giggle or heehaw; the truth about her unjust imprisonment and abject prison conditions will be told and re-told a million times to the world. I also do not believe that prisoners of hatred, prejudice and narrow-mindedness have the moral capacity or basic human decency to set Birtukan or any other prisoner free. Only the “truth shall set her free”; and if Birtukan were to read my words here, she would gently correct me and say: “The truth shall set them free too from nineteen years of solitary confinement behind the locked steel bars and stone walls of hatred, prejudice and narrow-mindedness”.
MELKAM ADIS AMET! HAPPY NEW YEAR! Our Great Sister and Ethiopia’s First Daughter Birtukan Invictus (Ayibegere)! The truth shall set you free!
FREE BIRTUKAN MIDEKSSA AND ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS IN ETHIOPIA.
The biggest loser in this week’s reshuffle inside the TPLF top leadership is the 72-year-old Sibhat Nega, who was a one-time chairman and most powerful person inside the tribal organization that is currently ruling Ethiopia.
The media that is under the control of Meles reported that Sibhat was not re-elected due to his age, which is far from the truth.
The reshuffle took place at Tigray People Liberation Front’s (TPLF) 10th conference in Mekele this week.
The feud between Sibhat Nega and Azeb Mesfin, the wife of Meles Zenawi, came out in the open about a year ago when she managed to force him out of EFFORT, a conglomerate of 60 corporations, to make a space for herself. That was followed by his ouster from the TPLF politburo. He expressed his displeasure publicly about his forced resignation when he was interviewed by VOA in June 2009 (listen here).
According to sources close to TPLF (Woyanne), Sebhat Nega is bitter about the way he was sent off from the organization by Meles and Azeb. After all, it was Sibhat who groomed Meles for leadership and brought him to power. He was a father figure and mentor to Meles. When Siye Abraha, Gebru Asrat and others were about to remove Meles from power in 2002, it was Sibhat who protected him and helped him remain in power. Now that Meles has secured his position, he returns the favor by throwing out Sibhat like an old rug. When a founding member and long time leader of an organization retires, one would expect at least some fanfare as a show of appreciation.
TPLF rank-and-file members are also unhappy about the promotion of Azeb Mesfin to the TPLF executive committee, which is the de facto supreme governing body of Ethiopia. They had hoped that new faces would come to the top leadership. Instead, the change was simply a consolidation of power by Meles and Azeb, who have now an unchecked power by surrounding themselves with loyalists and yes-men. Some are wondering if the next person to come to the executive committee is Semahal Meles.
The 10th conference of the ruling Tigray People’s Liberation Front (Woyanne) this week selects new executive and central committees. The selection brought little change. Some of the changes are:
Sibhat Nega has been forced out. His ouster has been engineered by Meles Zenawi’s wife Azeb Mesfin who wanted to take over EFFORT, the TPLF business conglomerate that he has been controlling.
Seyoum Mesfin, Arkebe Equbay, and Abay Tsehay have been removed from the Executive Committee, but they remain in the central committee. They were the only remaining voices inside the executive committee (politburo) who some times stand up to Meles.
Azeb Mesfin, Debretsion Gebre-Mikael, and Beyene Mikru have been promoted to the Executive Committee.
The other six members — Meles Zenawi, Tsegay Berhe, Abay Woldu, Abadi Zemo, Tewodros Hagos, and Dr Tewodros Adhanom — remain in the 9-member executive committee. Meles will continue as chairman and Abay Wolde, currently Vice President of Tigray, has been selected as vice-chairman of TPLF, replacing Seyoum Mesfin.
Among the new Executive Committee members, Debretsion GebreMikael is known to be Meles Zenawi’s yes-man who has been assigned to block news web sites and jam radio stations as head of Ethiopian Information and Communication Technology Development Agency. His primary task as head of the agency is to make sure that most Ethiopians will not have access to information technology.
Beyene Mikru is another Meles Zenawi loyalist who has served as head of the Tigray Region Education Bureau.
Tsegay Berhe is another Meles loyalist who is currently the president of Tigray Region. He was appointed to that position after the former president of Tigray, Gebru Asrat, had a fallout with Meles. Gebru Asrat now heads the opposition Arena Party.
Of course we all know Azeb Mesfin, the first lady of Africa’s corruption who, along with her husband, has stolen hundreds of millions of dollars of Ethiopia’s treasure. Her new position as one of the 9 people who rule Ethiopia will allow to do more looting.
Dr Tewodros Adhanom is currently the Health Minister. Under his watch, Ethiopia’s health care system has become one of the worst in Africa. These days people in Ethiopia go to a hospital to die, not to get treatment.
Mulugeta Alemseged, Dr. Gebreab Barnabas, Dr. Adhane Haile, Tewolde Gebru (Director of TDA), Dr. Hailemikael Abera, Fiseha Zerihun (Mayor of Mekelle), and Dr Wolderufael Alemayehu have resigned from the Central Committee.
Gebreab Barnabas is responsible for the Anuak massacre (genocide) in Ethiopia’s western region of Gambella.
There is little surprise in the selection of members to both the the Executive and Central committees. It is simply a reshuffle of existing members to allow Meles Zenawi solidify his grip on the organization.
Similar reshuffles have taken place in TPLF’s puppet groups, OPDO and ANDM. Addisu Legese, Tefera Walwa, Aba Dula Gemeda, Junedin Sado and other high-profile puppets have been removed from top leadership positions, while tail-wagging loyal adghis Demeke Mekonnen, Gedu Andargachew, Alemayehu Atomsa, and Kuma Demeksa were promoted to chairmanships.
The Woyanne junta leader Meles Zenawi had promised 3 meals a day for every Ethiopian 15 years ago, October 1995. Today, 15 million Ethiopians are facing starvation and Ethiopia continues to be one of the poorest nations in the world, mainly due to maladministration and corruption on the part of the Woyanne mafia that is ruling Ethiopia. Watch the video below:
The opposition party leader is an Amnesty International prisoner of conscience, serving a life sentence in Kaliti prison in Addis Ababa. A single mother and former judge, she was among dozens arrested after the disputed 2005 elections, freed, and then re-arrested for saying her release had been due to opposition pressure on the government rather than a request by her for pardon.
Mideksa and others arrested in 2005 were pardoned after spending nearly two years in jail. In November 2008 she spoke at a public meeting in Sweden about her pardon, attributing her release and that of others to political negotiations between the opposition and the government rather than an official request made through legal channels.
While people who were in jail with her the first time say this reflected the truth, the government said it equated to denying asking for a pardon. When she returned to Ethiopia, authorities asked her to retract her statement, failing which she would be re-arrested. She refused and was re-arrested in December 2008, when the ministry of justice revoked her pardon and re-imposed her life sentence.
Since a court ruling on a complaint she filed against the prison, Mideksa – the only female leader of a main opposition party in Africa – has been allowed more regular visits from her immediate family, including her mother and her five-year-old daughter. However, she has reportedly had only intermittent access to legal representation.
Mideksa’s imprisonment has garnered increasing public attention. Her supporters are planning a run for her in Turbingen, Germany on 19 September.
In its annual report on human rights around the world, the US state department’s section on Ethiopia said: “Human rights abuses reported during the year included unlawful killings, torture, beating, abuse and mistreatment of detainees and opposition supporters by security forces, often acting with evident impunity; poor prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention, particularly of suspected sympathisers or members of opposition or insurgent groups…”
Opposition parties and human rights groups say Mideksa’s case is stark evidence of the authoritarian tendencies of Meles Zenawi, the prime minister, a major recipient of western aid.
The biggest loser in this week’s reshuffle inside the TPLF top leadership is the 72-year-old Sibhat Nega, who was a one-time chairman and most powerful person inside the tribal organization that is currently ruling Ethiopia.