The following is a short list of the Ethiopian Review “2009 Person of the Year.” The choice will be made from among these five individuals on December 31.
Listed in alphabetical order:
Ali Abdu, Ministry of Information, Eritrea, for giving voice to the voiceless people of Ethiopia
Andargachew Tsige, Secretary General, Ginbot 7, for having the courage to leave his comfortable home in Europe and join Ethiopian freedom fighters in the desert, while his 80-year-old father is held hostage in Ethiopia by the tribal junta
Birtukan Mideksa, Chairperson, UDJ, for having the courage to stand on principle, and leading by example
Isaias Afwerki, President, Eritrea, for standing with the people of Ethiopia while the international community continues to ignore their plight and the West collaborates with the genocidal regime
Sileshi Tilahun, U.K. Representatives, EPPF, for helping remove some chronic obstacles in the armed resistance group and contributing to its emergence as a viable political organization; also for playing a major role in the ongoing constructive dialogue between Ethiopians and Eritreans
The person who will be chosen as “Person of the Year” is believed to have contributed the most to the betterment of Ethiopia during the past 12 months.