Forwarded message
From: Abraha Belai
To: xx
Dear Ebin Nat and friends:
Thank you for your kind words, and I truly feel humbled when you refered to me as “the true son of Ethiopia.” In these trying moments of our country, I work and live as an ordinary journalist trying to serve in my modest capacity the news and information needs of our people.
About Tesfaye Gebreab’s Yegazetegnaw Mastawesha? I’d be a liar if I didn’t tell you how I enjoyed reading it. I know Tesfaye was a gifted writer, but I never knew he would rise to the degree of comparing him with the great writers of our country, like Sibhat Gebre-Egziabher. The late Ba’alu Girma used to revere Sebhat so much his book, Deraseew, was all about the life history of Sebhat.Tesfaye was lucky to have Sebhat as his editor for his Efoita magazine, as I was lucky that Sebhat was also my editor at Ethiopian Herald. Sebhat is gifted in both English and Amharic editing. He is infact admired as the father of writing short essays. I remember in his book, amist-sidist-sebat, there is one short, memorable story covers only half of the page.While reading Yegazetegnaw Mastawesha, I felt I was reading the works of Sebhat. He has this tremendous ability to describe situations in very short and yet powerful words and sentences. Impressive among Tesfaye’s chapters, for instance, is Ye-quindedo Feresoch. It was phenomenal. I found it full of action, and the description was almost like watching a video clip. Congratulations, Tesfaye!
So far I haven’t responded to Tesfaye’s accusations. As a matter of principle, I don’t use a pen name; therefore, trust me friends that I haven’t said a word about the book. A few guys wrongly thought the article written by Ethiopia Yingalish was mine.But trust me, when the writer’s mood sets in, I will write comment on Tesfaye’s memoir. This is only to clarify things, to add to the literary dialogue, and not to accuse Tesfaye of doing this or that. That is not my concern. I’m a journalist interested in promoting factual information, and not a politician with a vested interest of a certain group.But for the sake of honoring the few friends I see here, like my dear friends Fekade Shewakena, Ephrem Madebo and of course Obang Metho, I’d like to clear a few things that made me really sad:
1. In his book, Tesfaye labelled me a “Woyanne informant” who jumped onto the TPLF bandwagon when he was chief of the Press Department. When the brutal 17 years of the Derg regime came to an end, I never thought a regime worse than the Derg would come. Never. The end of the Derg for me was the beginning of a new era of peace, democracy, and justice. As a young man, I was overjoyed, and expressed my support for the “new government in public” at a meeting held on the premises of Berhanena Selam Printing Press (which used to house offices of The Herald and Addis Zemen). There is no secret about it. After TPLF took control of power, Ethiopian Press Department manager was Mezmoor Fente, member of the Central Committee of Tamrat Layne’s Party of the time (Edin?). Then after a while, Mezmoor was transfered to ENA, and Tesfaye Gebreab came in as replacement. Since those Esepa members were expelled, Tesfaye, the new manager, was counting on us the young employees of the press for any information toward getting the job done. Since I clearly expressed my support for the “new government,” I was one of those individuals Tesfaye would ask for information on who is better for the Herald (may be a staff of eight). This is about who is better qualified for being a news editor, sports editor, culture editor etc. I genuinely gave my advice since I’ve lived and worked with the Herald for 7 years. When I was sent to Lake Tana along with a high-ranking delegation led by then Prime Minister Tamrat Layne, I wrote what one farmer said, among other things, about Tamrat Layne: “The prime minister is young, tall and handsome.”I didn’t do this to be favored and get promotion. Never; it is not my nature. In fact, I’m very defiant to bosses and governments. Tesfaye pulled this line out of context and projected me as if I were an “Adir Bai” gazetegna. Even if the words were mine, it was no big deal to describe the prime minister in nice words. After all, the medium is English. It may sound odd in Amharic but it was pretty fine in English. In the meantime, what was in my mind at that time was the “era of writing with fear, the era of self-censorship” was over, and I’m a free man who can write without the fear of government retribution. I was wrong.The problem with EPRDF started early on as the Editor in Chief of the time, Ato Kiflom Adgoi, called me to his office and handed me the phone: The call was from the palace. It was in 1992, and Derartu Tulu had won the Barcelona Olympics: I wrote the story whose headline was something to the tune of: Derartu crowned as the queen of women’s Olympic marathon. Since Derartu was the first African woman to win an Olympic gold medal (Abebe Bikila was the first African to win an Olympic gold medal, 1960 Rome Olympics), it was a fitting headline for the news. But a top EPRDF official scolded me like a kid saying,”Do you know Derartu is the daughter of a poor peasant?” Yes, I do.Why do you then refer to her as a “Queen”? Are you an admirer of the feudal monarchy? No, sir. It is because you don’t want to give credit to EPRDF, which is the guardian of the poor peasants? No, Sir. Then why did you portray her as if she was member of the royal family of Haile-Selassie? It is an English expression that doesn’t have any connection with Derartu’s royalty. Are you trying to teach me English? (The tone this time was threatening). (And honest to God), I shot back, “Are you threatening me for what I wrote?”The call ended there.Shortly, I didnt stay long with the Press, I was sent to ENA, where Amare Aregawi was the manager. If I were an Adir bai gazetegna, how is that I will ran into conflict with Tesfaye, then Amare, and others before I left for the US on my own?
SECONDTesfaye said the cause of his conflict with me was when a certain Mulugetta Ashenafi wrote story on Ethiomedia alleging that Tesfaye had made away with half a million Birr when he fled the country about eight years ago. The normal practice of a journalist is to send a rebuttal, or even ask the editor to post a correction, or remove the material altogether. Tesfaye didn’t do this. He rather waited several years until he wrote his memoir that included a few pages he thought would destroy my reputation. In fact, when Tesfaye called one close friend of mine and asked him if he has read his book, the question from the friend to Tesfaye was: “How come you were more bitter about Abraha than Bereket Simon, the man who you said forced you to flee Ethiopia?” Well, Tesfaye knows what he answered.
THIRD AND THE LAST: When Tesfaye’s interview appeared on EMF, he accused me of disseminating copies of his book to sabotage the sale. This is truly sad. For any journalist worthy of his profession, this is not only ethically shameful but also criminal.I read about the existence of the book like everyone of you – when Elias Kifle posted a few excerpted pages of the memoir on Ethiopian Review. Period. Later in the interview with EMF, Tesfaye added another accusation and said I had asked him to pull out the negative pages about me before he got the book published. He said he ignored my request, and as a revenge, “Abraha disseminated copies of the book to sabotage sales.” Oh, Lord! Can Tesfaye share the email message that he said I begged him to pull out the pages written against me? Can he post it for the public that I begged him? I had no idea he was writing a book, and how is it possible for me to do that?
Tesfaye should answer this. Do I’ve any more to say about the book? Oh, yes, at least on two serious issues: the political murders linked to Hayelom Araya and Kinfe Gebremedhin.Given that Tesfaye had access to top EPRDF officials, I don’t think Tesfaye has been honest, and telling the truth about the killings which for me remained as political murders. Tesfaye dismissed Hayelom’s assassination as the work of a “silly Eritrean” who had smoked hashish, and went to bed directly. That was a slap in the face, Tesfaye. But all said, again, thank you for a wonderful reading.
Abraha Belai, Editor of Ethiomedia.com
From: Ebin Nat
To: xxx
Dear Ethiopia Yingalish,
I read your 6 pages reaction on Tesfaye Gebreab’s book. I have the following observation:
1. First and foremost I liked your pen name, Ethiopia Yingalish. It reflects the reality that Ethiopia is still in the dark and your wish is very good. Amen! Ethiopia Yingalat!
2. You are absolutely right TPLF and Shabia have used Derg to eliminate their enemies. Derg was so useless and did kill many honest Ethiopians on the basis of deliberately disseminated wrong info about individuals. Thank you for bringing this issue. It is quite interesting. Our historians are not writing anything about such diabolic acts so far. Let us hope they will write in the future.
3. I beg you to differ from your cautious reaction on Tesfaye’s book. I wish you could explain to me why you think Meles and Bereket may produce such a book? For “tactical” reasons??? It is very unlikely. I remember each and every details of Tesfaye’s comment about Bereket, Abadula etc? I remember how he characterized Walwa’s teletafi so called “biaden”? What to benefit Meles and Bereket may write such a book. Your suspicion that Tesfay’s book could be Weyane’s tactic to divide the opposition is far fetched, to say the least.
4. Let me tell you a true story. Fascist Italia was surprised by the fighting capability of our Patriots and tried to know about the leaders. Graziani heard about the shumet i.e fitawrari, dejazmach etc. Graziani asked the bandas how much he would pay if he appoints them {the bandas} as dejazmach, fitawrari etc.. The Bandas told him nothing. They told him those shumets are just titles of honor. Graziani ordered people to gather at janmeda and made everybody dejazmach, fitawrari, balambaras etc. Five solid years after Italy was defeated and the Emperor came back to power. The Emperor shamelessly acknowledged the Shumet by fascist Italy and even made those bandas his close aide with their unearned title intact. Our historians kept quiet in fear of retribution from the Emperor. They said, Yewushon neger yanesa wusho yihun and buried it under the rubble. This stupid move of the Emperor made pro Ethiopia forces anti Ethiopia and Jebha and shabia of ertrea came into the picture. Many Pro Ethiopia individuals committed sucide not to see themselves as subordinates of the fascist bandas. I recommend you read Zewde Reta’s ‘Ye-Eritrea Guday”. 30 years after i.e in 1974 during the revolution many patriots expressed their opposition about what the emperor did. I don’t know if you know some of those in power now are sons and daughters of those bandas. If their fathers were rebuked promptly for their treason, those bandas would have drilled Ethiopian nationalism into their off springs and the present anti Ethiopia forces ruling clique would not have had such chance to destroy Ethiopia to the extent of making our beloved country with 80 million people the only landlocked with huge population while leaving (“donating”) the entire red sea to the shabia horses according Meles Zenawi’s explanation on the national TV. Those bandas raised their children in their own image as bandas with banda mentality and another banda generation could be left behind. Please read Prof Mesfin’s Yekihdet Qulqulet in which he blames the parents of the traitors for making them so much anti Ethiopia.
The Emperor had to call a spade spade immediately after victory. His courage failed him to do that and moreover took it as an opportunity to counter balance the challenge from the patriots. He could have accommodated the bandas as a result of national reconciliation, while their crime being documented for posterity. Our society is very secretive and strongly believes THAT IT IS BETTER IF SOME TRUTHS ARE LEFT UNSAID. I say all truths have to be told. I appreciate Tesfaye for telling us ALL HE KNOWS. I encourage him to tell ALL THE REMAINING HE KNOWS in his volume II, the journalist memoir.
5. I have not read what Tesfaye said about Abraha Belai. I got the 400 pages copy, not the 412 pages. I cannot comment until I get those 12 pages. My respect and admiration to Abraha Belai is very great. Leave alone in a situation when Abraha is saying it is not true, even if he says it is true my respect and admiration to Abraha Belai remains undiminished. I believe his ineffable service as ethiomedia editor offsets any real or perceived foul play some years back in the past. I hope either you or Tesfaye will send me the 12 pages missing to make my record complete.5. In your article you have not come up with anything concrete and convincing that disproves any one of the things what Tesfaye said. You only want to cast doubt as to his motive. You want to cast doubt by two ways: (i) his parents happened to be from Eritrea (ii) he was weyane. He knew this would happen and mentioned it in his book. . He told us his parents are from eritrea. he told us too he was weyane. He asked us to evaluate the book just as a memoir i.e an honest narration of a one time event and independent of his parents ethnic affiliation and his own political background. I did that and liked the book very much.
6. Andargachew Tsige was a weyane. He left them and joined the opposition. Nobody questioned his motive. He wrote two books and then accepted by the opposition with open arms. The same logic should apply to tesfaye’s case. He is an out and out Ethiopian. I hope his dream will come true and will live in Busheftu in liberated Ethiopia for the rest of his life.
7. The person severely attacked/exposed in Tesfaye’s book is Bereket Simon. Funny enough you accuse him of being soft on Bereket. You remember what Alemseged said to Tesfaye about his conflict with bereket? Alemseged said, “when it comes to ertrawinet, both of u r from there. it can’t be a bone of contention”.
8. Unlike many of us, Tesfaye confessed all his wrong acts against individuals. He regrtetted. We have to appreciate this also.
9. Above all, he gave us a fantastic book. I kindly urge Tesfaye not to be discouraged by such comments coming from different corners.
10. I read a 25 pages response from weyane to Tesfaye. In that response, weyane wants to widen the rift between Tesfaye and Abraha Belai. My observation is that both are forces of unity. Tesfaye has to play it down and try to reduce distance, rather establish contact with Abraha Belai. Abraha Belai is a true son of Ethiopia and did a great job as ethiomedia editor. We expect a lot more from him. We don’t want him to be discouraged when the neaty greatys of the past resurface in any form. Whatever might have happened some 15 or more years before we have to bear in mind that no human being has a clean, flawless, spotless record. After all we are human beings. We see something, we think it works. We try it, it doesn’t work. We accept mistakes and change our position.
I urge all concerned Ethiopians to intervene and bring these two persons together. One tactic of weyane is to create, widen etc silly antagonisms between individuals, ethnic groups, intellectuals, students etc. When a man joins weyane, they make sure he comes into conflict with different sectors of the population. They order you to say in public that will let you go into conflict with the people or a specific group. Dawit yohannes was once ordered by Meles Zenawi himself to make on a national TV and radio a silly statement. Dawit said, ” ethiopia in her entire history has never won a war. Now under EPRDF leadership won a war for the first time in her history; be it 100 or 3000 years”. Many got angry. Dawit himself was shocked by the reaction. Meles was laughing out loud.
Yours, Sincerely,
Ebin Nat