Ethiopian Review Editorial
Amnesty International has reported that Addis Ababa mayor Dr Berhanu Nega’s health is deteriorating as a result of unsanitary prison conditions. The high court last month ruled that he should be transferred to a clean prison cell, but the Meles regime, as expected, has ignored the court’s ruling.
Kinijit’s Secretary General Muluneh Eyoel, council member Andualem Aragie and other younger leaders are exposed to the same or worse prison conditions. Those who are physically strong are kept in solitary confinement to wear them down.
The Meles regime keeps these political prisoners under inhumane condition not only to punish them, but to also physically disable them so that even if they are out of jail, they will not be well enough to lead the struggle. That is why every day these Kinijit leaders are in jail must be spent by the whole Kinijit organization fighting for their release.
One of the top priorities of any political organization should be to protect the well being of its leaders, because 1) it is difficult to replace skillful leaders, particularly leaders like those of Kinijit who were able to rally the nation around common goals, and 2) the enemy’s first target is the leadership, because it knows that without strong, competent leaders, an organization will not survive, let alone be successful.
Unfortunately, the Kinijit leadership and rank and file members abroad have practically abandoned the jailed leaders. The Kinijit structure abroad that took over the leadership responsibility is weaker and more fractious than the government of Somalia. The Kinijit leadership abroad and many of the rank and file members are busy alienating supporters and creating enemies than building alliances. Kinijit’s civilized/advanced (yeseletene) politics has been replaced with the current leadership’s bankrupt politics. Kinijit’s culture of brotherliness, love, peace, and tolerance, has been replaced by a culture of corruption, greed, intolerance, and hate.
One cannot feel any thing but bitterness after learning about the condition of the political prisoners, and observing the indifference of those who claim to be their supporters. The indifference to the plight of the Kinijit leaders by their own party is so much so that even latest information by Amnesty International and others about their health status is not posted in Kinijit’s official web site