The Hailu Shawel comedy hour in Minneapolis
Jan 6. 2008, 10:30 PM EST
The Hailu Shawel public meeting in Minneapolis has ended in another public relations disaster. Ethiopian Review has been able to confirm from multiple sources that there were at most 35 people at the meeting. Out of those, four were Ethiopian Review sources. Ato Hailu, his relatives, chief of staff (Assefa Dires), chika shum (Taye), bankers (Moges Brook and wife from Los Angeles were there), bodyguards, butlers, and the meeting organizers add up to about ten. The rest were well known EPRP cadres in the Minneapolis area.
As soon as the “public meeting” started, members of the Hailu Shawel gang, Wzr. Nigist Gebrehiwot and Ato Bedru Adem, begun to shower insults on Wzt. Bertukan Mideksa and the other Kinijit officials. At one point, Ato Bedru called Wzt. Bertukan “mendertegna who came from nowhere.” Wzt. Nigist angrily stated that Bertukan Mideksa was not the only female political prisoner in Ethiopia!
The Shawel gang: Bedru, Hailu and Nigist
Turning his face to the Diaspora, Ato Bedru accused Ethiopian Review and others of making false reports regarding alleged financial improprieties by Hailu Shawel and friends. He gave as an example that ER had reported that Kinijit North America under Shaleqa Yoseph Yazew had collected $700,000 up to $1.2 million. Ato Bedru said this is false and that only $680,000 were deposited by Shaleqa Yoseph. Ato Bedru did not talk about the tens of thousands of dollars that were collected in cash, but were never deposited in the bank account. Ato Bedru also said that he and his colleagues are preparing to file a defamation lawsuit against Ethiopian Review and others. Bring it on.
Dr Taye did not say much at the Minneapolis meeting. He did not look and sound happy. He was not even sitting at the stage with the other guests. He sat down among the audience. When his turn came to speak, his complaints included how Starbucks is harming Ethiopia. It just happens that Ato Hailu Shawel’s son who is residing in Minneapolis works at a Starbucks Coffee Shop. Taye may be onto something this time.
Finally, Ato Hailu Shawel got up to speak. He talked incoherently for several minutes, mostly about personal stuff. He said that he has sold his $650,000 house in a suburb of Minneapolis to his son — the one who works at Starbucks. He said Bertukan is allowed to call him “Gashe”, but not Debebe Eshetu… His speech included no serious national issue. Mostly he talked about himself — how brave and right he is.
The Hailu Shawel comedy hour in Minneapolis
During the fund raising program of the event the organizers raised about $1,500 ($1,000 was pledged by Prof. Getatchew). Their cost for Ato Hailu’s bodyguards alone may exceed three times that amount.
We had promised to post photos as the meeting went on, but taking photos was prohibited. As the meeting was about to start, the organizers tried to confiscate a camera that belongs to one individual who was cooperating with ER. That had caused a brief disturbance. Police had to be called. We still managed to take some pictures. They will be posted shortly.
Overall, the meeting in Minneapolis was a disaster. It was worse than the one in Washington DC on Oct. 14. Next weekend, the Hailu Shawel gang will put themselves in another embarrassing situation in Atlanta. They are now becoming more of a joke than a threat to Kinijit. It is terribly sad that Hailu Shawel has turned out to be like this.
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Jan 6. 2008, 9:00 PM EST
The Getatchew-Hailu meeting in Minneapolis continues. They are excitedly announced that there are 50 people inside the meeting hall, contrary to the report by Ethiopian Review over 4 hours ago. The meeting is being broadcast live via Ethiopian Review Radio Network.
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Jan 6. 2008, 4:48 PM EST
Ethiopian Review sources are reporting that there are currently only 25 people attending a public meeting organized by Prof. Getatchew Hailu in Minneapolis. Most of those who are attending the meeting are relatives and personal friends of Prof. Getatchew and Ato Hailu. The meeting looks more like a Prof. Getatchew family reunion than a public meeting. We are trying to get some photos. More update later…
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3:30 PM EST
The estranged chairman of Kinijit, Ato Hailu Shawel, sets himself up for another embarrassment by making an appearance at a public meeting organized by his friend Prof. Getatachew Haile in Minneapolis this afternoon (Sunday). ER Research Unit members will be inside the meeting hall to take photos and inform us how the meeting turns out. There will also be a live report by Ethiopian Review Radio Network. Click here to listen.