27. July 2009 by Assimba.

(A reply to the self-defeatist camp of Neamin Zeleqe)
By Tsegaye Kassa

OF PERMANENT ENEMIES & INTERESTS

Some Opposition groups seem to believe in the statement that there are no permanent enemies but permanent interests. The USA follows the policy that it co-operates with enemies if it is in the interest of it’s national security. For the USA, there are permanent interests but no permanent enemies. Permanent interests cannot be safeguarded if there are enemies that are against the strategic interest of a nation. The USA would not co-operate with any country if it stands against it’s national interests. Any nation that stands against the sovereignty of any other nation is the enemy of that nation. Eritrea is arming secessionist groups who are against Ethiopia. Eritrea aims in fact to dismember Ethiopia. Thus the Eritrean leadership is an enemy as long as it stands against the strategic interest of Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian Opposition should face the bitter reality and find a solution rather engage itself in sweet daydreams. It is naïve and unforgivable to allow the very enemy engage itself to further cause damage to the Ethiopian Nation. Ethiopian patriots should distance themselves from Eritrean secessionist forces. They are becoming part of the problem and not the solution. This does not mean that the Opposition should not stand against Meles Zenawi and his clique. The writer wants to stress again and again that both TPLF of Tigrai and EPLF of Eritrea are enemies of Ethiopia and have to be dealt with equal vigour and intensity. In case of some countries, it seems that Ethiopia has permanent enemies. Ethiopia has to defeat these enemies by organizing it’s population defend the patria (the fatherland). The Opposition should wage a relentless struggle to maintain the pre-1991 political boundary. The Eritrean people are Ethiopians and have to be integrated in our community as Ethiopians.Opposing the Tigrean and Eritrean leadership is in no way standing against the people of Eritrea and Tigrai.

As in the past, the opposition seems to fall prey to catechisms and slogans that stand against the opposition itself and against the Ethiopian people. There are permanent enemies and permanent interests depending on the situation. There might be also permanent interests only. The evidence-based behaviour of this group and that group will, decide whether the Opposition is to wield either strategic or tactical alliances. As to working with Eritrea, the evidence is against it. It is counterproductive because Eritrea is an instrument of expansion and control for Egypt and other traditional enemies of Ethiopia. Unfortunately Europe seems bent on anti-Ethiopia crusade too and we could safely say that Europe and USA will use Eritrea against Ethiopia. In all cases, Eritrea at this juncture in history is anti-Ethiopia and collaborating with Eritrea means helping traditional enemies of Ethiopia  attain their goal of dismemberment and fragmentation of Ethiopia. The opposition should rather agitate the Eritrean people to overthrow the Issayas regime. By collaborating with Issayas Afewarki, the Ethiopian Opposition is weakening the democratic struggle of the people of Eritrea.

THE DEFEATIST CAMP OF ZEAMIN ZELEKES IS SPINELESS

Though this is a reply to the absurd scribble of Neamin Zeleqe under the title “The Imperative for Ethiopians Dealing with Eritrea”, there is in many websites and other media a serious betrayal and indirect attack on Ethiopia as a nation. This is really a very shameful defeatist tendency which we have to up-root and control. One case in point is the Amharic Daily “Ethiopia Zare”. This Amharic Daily has been disseminating self-defeatist articles that try to project Eritrea as an ally of the democratic movement in Ethiopia. A recent article that Issayas Afewarki stands for unity of Ethiopia was disturbing to read in the newspaper.  The Ethiopian opposition should stand for the unity of Ethiopia and should be able to discern the hypocrisy of Eritreans. The Ethiopian Opposition should never collaborate with Eritrea for this legitimizes Eritrea as a separate and legal entity. Recognizing Eritrea as a country and collaborating with it, is tantamount to legitimizing the illegal rule of Meles Zenawi. Our point of departure should be the pre-1991 status quo and we should oppose to Eritrea’s secession from her Motherland – Ethiopia and to Woyane’s (TPLF) rule in Ethiopia. We should fight against both Meles Zenawi and Issayas Afewarki, for these two persons are directly responsible for the current unbearable situation of our people. We have to look for other countries and organizations for logistic and material support for our struggle to create a united and democratic Ethiopia.

ETHIOPIAN WEBSITES BECOMING A MEDIA FOR ERITREA’S ANTI-ETHIOPIA PROPAGANDA

Ethiopian websites and newspapers who promote the propaganda of Eritrean secessionist forces should be boycotted and be seen as our national enemies that will have to be brought to justice when the opportunity comes. Almost all Ethiopian websites published Neamin Zeleqe’s absurd scribble. This in future should not be allowed. Are we asking Shaebya (Eritrean secessionist movement) to come and liberate us from Woyane (TPLF)? This is really ridiculous. How can the Ethiopian opposition forces ally to dismantle Ethiopia? There is either too much passivity in the democratic movement or the political awareness is so low that Ethiopians are so apolitical that they do not know who their enemies and allies are. Websites like “Ethiopian Review” called by Ethiopians sarcastically “Eritrean Review “have  played a negative role in misleading and diverting the Ethiopian people from focusing on the real political issues. The Ethiopian Review presented fascist Issayas Afwarki as man of the year. Such disinformation has some impact on the Opposition movement to Meles Zenawi and   some Opposition groups went to seek assistance from Eritrea. Besides such destructive propaganda is humiliating to the many families that have lost their loved due to the misrule of Issayas Afewarki. In general, such propaganda would promote crime and fascism in our region. People like Issayas Afewarki should be condemned and brought to justice. The website “Ethiopian Review” should be accountable for the death and suffering of the Eritrean and Ethiopian people because of the criminal and fascistic acts of Issayas Afewarki, who was presented as the Man of the Year by the Ethiopian Review website.

For the last 18 years, we seem not to understand how our country is being driven to more chaos and social deprivation. That the Eritreans are playing a negative role in the destruction of Ethiopia should be unequivocally clear. We have to observe how Eritreans are abusing Ethiopian communities in foreign countries and at home. This is partly due to the lack of awareness and the readiness of the Ethiopian communities to defend and fight for Ethiopian values. To do this we should stop Eritreans from using and abusing our communities. Our churches should be for Ethiopians only. The Eritreans have been coming to Ethiopian community services with a plan to infiltrate and control the communities. However Ethiopians have defended their communities and many are functioning properly. That Eritreans publish in Ethiopian newspapers to legitimize the status quo in Ethiopia and  Eritrea is not new. This has been the case in the early days of the Ethiopian Student Movement. For Eritreans, it is natural to use and abuse Ethiopian resources to legitimize the secession of Eritrea and to wage the struggle to dismember Ethiopia. Neamin Zeleqe could be an Eritrean. He could also be an Ethiopian, who is very much frustrated by the current situation in Ethiopia. In all cases, it is entirely wrong to disseminate the idea of collaborating with Eritrea. We have rather to distance ourselves from Eritrean secessionist groups. We cannot be armed and trained by Eritrea to unite and democratize Ethiopia. We have to hold together as Ethiopians and stop Eritreans from infiltrating in our organizations. We have to use our resources for the cause of Ethiopia only and any anti-Ethiopia article should not be allowed to circulate. Eritrea cannot be our ally to erect a democratic Ethiopia. Ethiopia should rely on her own population and seek assistance from countries that do not stand against our strategic interest.

DEFEND THE HISTORY OF ETHIOPIA AND OPPOSE THE FALSIFICATION CAMPAIGN OF ERITREA AND TIGRAI

On the awareness of our community on the history of Eritrea and Ethiopia, there seems to be much to be done. We should bear in mind that we are not being rude to Eritreans if we defend the true history of Eritrea and Ethiopia. Defending the history of Ethiopia is important for the democratic movement to strengthen itself. No country in the world rejects it’s own history or restrains from defending it’s history. The Eritreans are destroying the history of Ethiopia in many different ways. They reject the heroic struggle of the people of Ethiopia against Italy. The Eritreans disseminate the fallacious idea that Ethiopia was liberated by the British duringWorld War II. The patriotic resistance of the Ethiopian people against fascist Mussolini and the birth of the many selfless heroes and heroines are ignored. Without Belay Zeleqe, Abune Petros, Zeray Deres, Dejazematch Gebremariam, Dejazmatch Balcha and many other heroes Ethiopia would not have been liberated. CIA fact sheet about Ethiopia and Eritrea shows how the Eritreans have falsified Ethiopian history. If Eritreans stand for the unity and liberation of Ethiopia, they should not falsify Ethiopian history.

No country in the world has falsified Ethiopian history. All European, American and other historians have documented the history of Ethiopia and that the Eritreans are trying to falsify this well-documented history of Ethiopia is really beyond comprehension. Ethiopians should condemn such acts of the Eritreans. We have to defend the history of Ethiopia for generations to come and for the present generation. Eritreans have given us Ethiopians a hundred years home work, to use the expression of fascist Issayas Afewarki. Issayas Afewarki has been trying to pit Ethiopian ethnics against each other. Eritreans hate and look down upon Oromos and other southern tribes of Ethiopia. The Oromos are seen as animals by Eritreans. But the fascist junta under the leadership of Issayas Afewarki has been training and arming Ormos with the aim of seceding Oromo region from Ethiopia. The Oromos are being insulted by Eritreans as dogs as we were to notice from some of the discussion forums. Oromos and all ethnies of Ethiopia have been living together for millennia. Practically there is no ethnic discrimination as we see it in many African countries but the whole country Ethiopia has no democratic rule and all tribes suffer directly and indirectly under the suppressive regime of Meles Zenawi.

The idea that some groups in the Opposition find Eritrea as an ally should be rejected and condemned. The Ethiopian opposition to the rule of Meles Zenawi should not allow itself to collaborate with Issayas Afwarki of Eritrea. At this juncture in our history, we have to be very careful not to go to bed with our fatal enemies. It is suicidal and very humiliating to ally and collaborate with Eritrea to dismember Ethiopia. Eritrea is a sworn enemy of  a democratic and united Ethiopia. The self-defeatists like Neamin Zeleqe are enemies of the Ethiopian people and should be ignored. We have to look for our strategic allies elsewhere. Eritrea cannot be our ally in our struggle to create a democratic Ethiopia. Eritreans gave us Ethiopians a hundred years home work not to unite Ethiopia but to dismember it and to pit one ethnic group against another like it was the case in Rwanda between Hutus and Tutsis.

The Opposition should struggle against Issayas Afewarki and Meles Zenawi. Both Meles Zenawi and Issayas Afewarki must be brought to justice. It does not make sense to ally with Issayas to overthrow Meles Zenawi’s regime. We have to work to replace Meles and Issayas with another accountable government. Melez Zenawi and his henchmen are dictatorial and are anti-Ethiopia. We could have tolerated if the current government in Addis Abeba was only dictatorial. But it is intolerable to have an anti-Ethiopia government. As is noted earlier, the anti-Ethiopia policy of Meles Zenawi is due he and his henchmen being Eritreans and have a hidden agenda to dismantle Ethiopia. The Opposition might be forced to use all means available to erect a pro-Ethiopia regime by co-operating wit Eritrea. However the fact that Eritrea is anti-Ethiopia compels the opposition forces to look for other alternatives of boosting the democratic struggle for a united Ethiopia. The Opposition should stand against the regimes in Addis Abeba and Asmara.

Any struggle has to have a vision and a cause it can die for. The Ethiopian people are struggling to defend Ethiopia. They are ready to die for Ethiopia. It is sadistic and a gross mockery of history if the opposition was to kneel down to a group of traitors and anti-Ethiopia crusaders in the regions called Eritrea and Tigrai. It is equally wrong and betrayal of the Ethiopian Nation to collaborate with Meles Zenawi and his henchmen. The Opposition should have the grain necessary to liberate and control Ethiopia. The issue of Ethiopia is the issue of the world. The world needs Ethiopia and any country will be ready to stand with the Ethiopian people in their struggle to safeguard the sovereignity and territorial integrity of Ethiopia. It might be that the Black Diaspora and Black African countries (Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda etc) will have to liberate and unite Ethiopia for Ethiopia is their symbol, their nation, their heritage, their liberty, their creation. The Opposition should weed out any defeatism in it’s ranks and should be able to see it’s role as very decisive for the unity and liberation of Ethiopia and Eritrea from the dictatorship of Meles Zenawi and Issayas Afewarki, who are contemporary lackeys of neo-colonialism. We have to draw a lesson from the experience of the Vietnamese people and see ourselves challenging and changing the decadent international community. We have a golden opportunity to renew Ethiopia’s mighty and greatness by uniting our forces. It is beautiful and an honour again to have a cause to stand for. The Vietnamese people paid an enormous sacrifice to liberate and unite their country. The freedom fighters under the leadership of Ho Chmin liberated North Vietnam and were fighting to liberate South Vietnam. They paid the necessary price for the liberation of South Vietnam and united it with North Vietnam. USA and Western Europe negotiated with the North Vietnamese for a peace deal which maintained South Vietnam as an independent country. The Vietnamese people rejected the offer that compromised the sovereignity and territorial integrity of the Vietnamese Nation. The North Vietnamese people paid more sacrifices and liberated South Vietnam from US control and united it with North Vietnam. Vietnam maintained it’s national unity and is now one of the world’s fast growing economies. The Vietnamese people had a very nationalist and patriotic leader. Had the North Vietnamese leaked the boots of USA and other countries, Vietnam would have been not united. In case of Ethiopia. The Opposition should commit itself to the unity and liberation of Ethiopia. The Opposition should be ready to die for Ethiopian Unity. The Opposition should never collaborate with forces that stand against the territorial integrity and unity of pour nation. The Ethiopian Opposition should fight the Eritrean secessionist forces and collaborate with them. It is only such a force that will aid the birth of a New Democratic Ethiopia. A self-defeatist group would only prolong the status quo of oppression and ethnic strife as is practised by the regime of Meles Zenawi and Issayas Afewarki.

There is much evidence that the regime in Asmara is a sworn enemy of Ethiopia. If we have to assess the situation evidence-based, then we have to be honest and fair for ourselves and Ethiopia. Issayas Afewarki is palying with ethnic hatred against the Tigray people. This is appealing to some of us who happen to be from the other ethnic groups. Some of us have fallen to the ethnic trap Issayas Afewarki and his advisors have put for Ethiopia. If Issayas Afewarki stood in the best interest of Ethiopia, he would not and should be against Tigrai province. The opposition should stop being a victim of Eritrea. It should be able to recognise the problem and try to stand against Issayas Afewarki and Meles Zenawi. The Opposition should and could exploit the contradiction in the enemy camp (TPLF, EPLF, OLF0 to safeguard the unity of Ethiopia. But the current alignment of forces in the opposition and Eritrea is in favour of Eritrea and any collaboration with Eritrea at this stage will only serve the anti-Ethiopia crusaders. This writer is optimistic that the Ethiopian people will stand against the anti-Ethiopia camp and will be victorious. It is only Ethiopia and her history which could keep Ethiopians united and democratic. The people of Ethiopia need to go through the bitter experience of betrayal. But in the end the Ethiopian people will be united and will promote a democratic unitary or federal state. It would have very easy and simple if nations could be dismembered by fooling them. The experience under the ethnic federalism and tribalism of TPLF-EPRDF is a mind opener and our people will have to stand against any force that stands against the Ethiopian Nation for this is natural that citizens of a nation defend their nation against forces that try to dismember it. The Ethiopian Opposition should clean it’s own camp from collaborators and defeatists in order to accelerate the struggle for democracy and unity in Ethiopia. Both TPLF and EPLF are enemies of the people of Ethiopia. After 18 years in power, we should believe what we see. Collaboration with Eritrea will affect the struggle of he Ethiopian Opposition in a negative way (to be continued).

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24. July 2009 by Assimba.

Call me by my name, address or title By Obo Arada Shawl - July 23, 2009

This is the final piece of article written in memory of a student activist, a planner in transport & communications and a public servant. His name was Assegid Wolde Amanuel (AWA). His professional address extended from Moyale in the south, Assab in the east, Karora in the north and Kurmurk in the west labeled as MAKK ኤትዮጵያ. His job title was an economist and later a minister of Transport & Communications. His civil title was Ato Assegid as opposed to ግራዝማች ፤ ቀጝዝማች ወይም ጛድ

Introduction

In the past two articles, I have indicated AWA’s participation in the Ethiopian Student Movement as well as in his professional expertise in transport & communication sectors of the Ethiopian economy where it is believed that Transport and Communication are the nerve centers for any meaningful development.

Aethiopia is considered to be a backward nation not because of its lack of social, religious or cultural factors but of its undeveloped modes of transport and communications. In Aethiopia almost 80%-90% of its passenger and freight are moved by traditional mode of transport such as walking and horses for traveling, pack animals such as donkeys and mules for transporting goods and services.

As a public servant, AWA has facilitated the movement of Aethiopians to and from. Doing so, the interaction of peoples of Aethiopia whether in going to war or running away from war was accomplished by AWA’s responsibility via his professional understanding of public service not military service. In other words the interactions of T&C have brought the Eathiopian people to a better understanding of cooperation though not necessarily of coordination (CC).

Public Service

I know that there are individuals who think that working under the Monarchy or the DERG would automatically qualify them to be servants of Haile Sellassie and Menghistu but not of the Public. Such ideas emanate from people who were neither ever landed in professional jobs nor do have a clue about a clandestine political struggle – where freedom of any kind is banned. I bet the contribution of those professionals who had worked under the Monarchy or the DERG could weigh more than those who were in the battlefields. Let the benefit and cost analysis begin to roll – sabotaging the aims and objectives of militarism as well as of feudalism.

Public sector is about “budgeting” whereas in the private sector it is about “cost”. Transport and communications sector in Eathiopia was and is public, private and autonomous. From this we can understand how difficult it was to evaluate and pinpoint AWA’s role in this sector of economy especially when it was dominated by a public policy dubbed as the “revolutionary Ethiopia”.

By the way, what is public policy? Public policy is an attempt by a government to address a public issue. In public policy, there are three parts (PPP),

• Problems

• Players and

• Policy

The problem in AWA’s case was the issue that needed to be addressed namely the transport of people, goods and services.

The player is the individual or group of individuals that is influential in forming a plan to address the problem in question. Again in AWA’s case the Central Planners of the DERG dubbed as the agents of the so-called revolution had their models from GDR and Moscow whereas the model of T&C for Assegid was from the West, resulting in a conflict of visions.

Policy is the finalized course of action decided upon by the government in this case Menghistu and his military cronies. AWA has nothing to do with top level of decision-making body. In most cases, policies were widely open to interpretation by non-governmental players, including those in the private sector. In this case, the role and influence of AWA was limited due to his non-membership holder of workers of Ethiopian party alias COPWE.

How was Public policy defined? It is defined as the course of action or inaction taken by government entities in regard to particular issue or issues. Normally, public policy was to be embodied in constitutions, legislative acts, and judicial decisions. The era of AWA’s public service was the era of revolution and counter-revolution.

Ministry of Transport & Communications

Politically if not psychologically, anything that flies in the sky, crawls on land, swims in sea or water, was under the “Ministry of the DERG”. Technically and in practice though it was a different matter. Everyone and everybody had his/her own game plan. A country of conspiracy and secrecy, the end result is what and where we are now.

However, for the ministry of transport and communications where AWA had spent his entire professional and public life, the following procedures were relevant

The rational model for the public policy-making process can be divided into the following three parts:

• Agenda setting

• Option-formulation and

• Implementation.

Within the agenda-setting stage, the agencies such as the Highway Authorities and government officials from the Central Planning used to meet to discuss the problem at hand. In the second stage, option-formulation, alternative solutions are considered and final decisions are made regarding the best policy. Consequently, the decided policy is implemented in the final stage. Implied within this model is the fact that the needs of the Aethiopian societies are a priority for the players involved in the policy-making process. Also, it is believed that the government will follow through on all decisions made by the final policy.

Unfortunately, those who frame the issue to be addressed by policy used to exert an enormous amount of influence over the entire T&C process through their political affiliations, personalities, and personal interests. The final outcome of the process, as well as its implementation, was therefore not as effective as that which could result from a purely rational process. The Public policy though it continued to be vital in addressing economic and social concerns of societies, the DERG, notwithstanding along with its loyal friends had collapsed on its own weight.

AWA had the skills and knowledge to understand not only the complexities of transport and communications but also the feudal mentality of many of his colleagues’ vis-à-vis his revolutionary contemporaries’ vision and mission. The following facts and figures could indicate the nature of AWA’s industry in which he was involved.

On the one hand, the costs of infrastructure is astronomical as shown in the examples below

• Roads cost $410,000 per km

• Railways cost $900,000 per km

• Ports cost $40-60 million per berth

• Airports cost $300 per 1 passenger capacity

The above figures are in us dollars and are obtained from World Statistical Data

On the other hand, demand for freight and passenger was very high. Transport is essential not only in developed nations but also in developing countries that we tend to take for granted.

Transport and communications not only are expensive but also they are complex in the sense that we have also what is known as the “hardware” and the “software” infrastructures. AWA was mainly involved in the “software” infrastructure and as such it was/is more than we think we know enough about people to be involved in this type of infrastructure investment. AWA was a classical example to be misunderstood.

AWA has definitely assisted in the development of transport and communications such as roads, ports, airlines, railways, river and sea development as well as in the “software” infrastructure investment that were/are mostly financed by the World Bank and international finance capital. A case in point was that AWA has sent his employees for further studies for over two years while other ministers and authorities send their trainees for short duration in order to buy consumer goods from abroad notwithstanding the long term benefits of our country Eathiopia.

Democracy

AWA’s support for DEMOCRACIA did not seem to be born out of a naïve sense that democracy means or will necessarily brings rapid economic progress. Unlike many of his colleagues AWA did not define democracy in terms of procedural terms to the protection of civil liberties, participation in decision-making, voting election and governance reforms. AWA knew when such democracy fails, people will have to resort to another form of government. The MIESO group as well as GINBOT 7 had confirmed HIS POINTS of view.

AWA’s Democracy was a substantive outcome like economic development or social justice. Demand for Democracies emanates from

• Understanding democracy

• Political awareness

• Political knowledge

• Formal education and

• Membership in the student movement

The above criteria had solidified AWA’s belief in a public service that was based not only on a fundamental change of economics but also on a political system of government.

In contrast to AWA’s work colleagues the right to rule is ascribed to an office rather to a person. AWA was loyal to laws and to the “Eway Revolution”. AWA did not pay loyalty to the big bosses either to Emperor Haile Sellassie or the Dictator, Menhgistu and in return AWA’s subordinates were expected not to pay loyalty to him but to the laws and institutions of Aethiopia.

For AWA, no challenge was more profound than controlling corruption as he had believed then that when public resources bleed and as public officials serve their own ends rather than the public good. AWA’s dilemma was not to be deciphered so easily.

On the hand as economists love to say, AWA understood

1. As Development and governance suffer by the policy of the DERG

2. As the conflict intensifies by the nationalists

Aethiopians would turn to alternative regimes.

While on the other hand, AWA has realized that

No country in Africa was suffering between democracy and pseudo democracy than Aethiopia as

1. Civil liberties were constrained

2. Opposition rights were tenuous

Because of the above dilemma, AWA’s aspiration was geared to the following two principles

• To achieve sustainable development, democracy would not stand still; freedom alone will not be enough

• Democratic institutions to control corruption and constraint would have to be installed.

The exercise of power by the DERG may have seemed to AWA as the delivery of public goods, not private ones. He might have believed sometimes that the revolution was in the right course. This was his dilemma. He was detached from the true clandestine revolution that was going on by DEBTERAW’S EPRP.

AWA was in conflict with the current president of Ethiopia, Girma W. Giorgis as well as with the chairman of All Amhara party, Hailu Shawl, not because of their political positions but because of their personal ambitions and greed while dealing with investment in transport and communications. That was AWA that I know serving the public good.

Conclusion

The shaping of public policy in Aethiopia is not only a multifaceted process but that it was very complex. AWA could be considered as an advocacy group who had attempted to influence public policy through knowledge and participation without political pressures.

Because of AWA participation in the student movement to define the problems faced by the lack of progress and his commitment to be at the service to Aethiopian public, he was a typical an Eway Revolutionary who would have confirmed his struggle for a subtle transform of change in toppling the ethnic government, the international attempt to deplete the potential resources of Aethiopia that have been preserved for centuries by the Orthodox churches and the Monarchies. We salute his effort in the “Eway Revolution” to initiate DEMOCRACIA.

AWA was not in a position to educate the general public but in a position to the public policy makers to explain about the nature of problems in transport and communications and how to solve them not by decree by POSDCORB, an acronym coined by Luther Gullick for (Planning-Organizing-Staffing-Directing-Coordinating-Reporting-Budgeting). In my terminology, I call AWA as ጽንሐተ ምሁር akal not only because he had participated in the Aethiopian student movements but also he was a professional who could evaluate and limit funding from the World Bank and other international organizations. That was a public service in its own right.

Time and history will tell whether AWA belonged to the SAD or MAD generations of Ethiopia.

TRUTH WILL PREVAIL

For questions or comments

woldetewolde@yahoo.com

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24. July 2009 by Assimba.

Hama Tuma

“An obliging fool is more dangerous than an enemy” says a Russian proverb. In Amharic we say “kemogn dejaf mofer yikoretal” or “mogn indenegerut, beklo indasegerut”. Those Ethiopians who hailed the Obama speech in Accra and rejoiced at the possibility of a new deal for Ethiopia and Africa thanks to Obama remind us of such obliging and dangerous fools.

Ours is a continent that had endured so many speeches of eloquence and style. African leaders have been mostly demagogic, we have heard it all. Nkrumah, Ben Bella, Nasser, Nyrere, Banda, Sekou Toure and more were moving speakers and yet we found out, much to our dismay, that words and realities are two different things. Well crafted words and flowery phrases do not a good policy make. Hence, it is inexcusable for Africans to be swayed by public speakers that shroud the real issues with self evident truths (”the future of Africa is up to Africans”–isn’t it precisely to affirm this that Africans have been struggling?) and cover their dearth of knowledge with paternalist “you must do this” advice and threats. At the end of the day, the Obama speech was a rehash of the old American policy towards Africa, all bones and no meat, and an expression of the continuing incapability of Washington to come to grips with the real problems of Africa. One wonders why some Africans beat the festive drums over the Obama Accra speech even though such drummers as Raila Odinga of Kenya do prove the point that “it is business as usual” for Africa’s corrupt leaders. Obama did say once that his knowledge of African realities is equal to the knowledge of those who had occupied the White House seat before him–just imagine Reagan and Bush and even the Clinton fellow who hailed Meles, Kagame, Museveni,etc.. as democrats. Not very encouraging at all. Doing the visit to the slave prisons is just a photo op that even Bush had done in Senegal and it is by now an empty symbolism from a country that has refused to pay due reparation for the slave trade.

Is Obama ending the misguided policies of Bush or extending them wrapped in demagogy? As Americans are wont to say, where is the beef? Is he showing us the money? That Obama’s father was a Kenyan is neither here nor there as Condoleezza Rice, Susan Rice and Johnnie Carson are African Americans/blacks/ and they did not hear the heartbeat Africa at all. Colour and birth considerations aside, Obama is an American, elected to safeguard the interest of America in Africa and the whole world. Obama’s vision of Africa is American and that of the ruling power holders of the big country. His refusal to acknowledge that Africa’s woes are mostly the results of neo colonial plunder and machination is at the center of his failure to understand the woes of Africa. He said accusingly that the West did not cause the economic problems of Zimbabwe and the West has little to do with wars in which children become soldiers. What? Zimbabwe’s economy was wrecked by embargoes and sabotage by the West ever since Britain raged against Mugabe for taking action against white landowners. No one n the west cried foul when Mugabe was torching Matabele land to crush an insurgency. The child soldiers of Sierra Leone for one were involved in a diamond war in which Britain and even South Africa played a major part. Who were the allies of Charles Taylor? Who financed Renamo? UNITA? And the ongoing war in the Congo? Western mining companies like British Ashanti corporation finance the militias wreaking havoc, recruiting children as soldiers and raping women in thousands. Obama harped on corruption and good governance in his attempt to attribute the blame on Africa itself but the reality shows us different. “No business wants to invest in a place where the government skims 20% off the top,” said Obama. Is this true? Absolutely not. The foreign companies actually want those scoundrels who can be bribed. From Lumumba to Nkrumah and more, nationalist African leaders have been victims of coups mostly engineered by the CIA and the West. Leaders that rig elections and repress voters enjoy American aid and backing. The butcher in Equatorial Guinea is sustained in power by American oil companies. President Nguema’s stolen millions were stashed in Washington’s Riggs Bank and Condoleezza Rice feted the tyrant. Western oil companies who ran after Africa’s oil have been allies of the despots be it in the Congo, Gabon, Nigeria or Angola (for a good exposure of how these giant companies practically manipulate the tyrants and the governments do read Nicholas Shaxson’s: Poisoned Wells–The Dirty Politics of African Oil ). And this affirmation by Obama that “we must support strong and sustainable democratic governments” or “no good governance no aid” is an old song crooned by Western leaders from Mitterrand to Blair to Clinton. American and western aid had actually gone to despots, to apartheid South Africa, to Egypt’s Mubarek, to Meles Zenawi, to corrupt Dos Santos in Angola, etc. Britain and France have also backed despots in their particular enclaves and as the competition from China (ruthlessly nationalist and arrogantly racist too) heats up the West is grovelling before the dictators in countries with oil and minerals. Foreign investment has thus been mainly in countries where scoundrel and thieves are in power. The issue of corruption is not also just an African internal affair as Obama wanted to imply but something that has been fanned and extended all over Africa by Western embassies and companies working intimately with African officials. Governments cannot skim 20% off the top if the Western companies were not in accord with them. Western investors hate honest and nationalist leaders (who overthrew and had Lumumba murdered? Allende? Mossadegh? Arbenz?) and are comfortable with corrupt rogues.

That is why Meles Zenawi is one of the usual guests of the G8 meetings and the very person picked by Tony Blair to head an African committee. Nigerian dictator’s solen billions ares till British and other western banks. Meles Zenawi and his corrupt wife have hidden millions in Citibank. The eight African leaders recently invited to the G8 meeting are all corrupt and seven of the eight are leading countries considered not free by Freedom House itself. Ghana may fare better now than others but it is also rife with corruption. In the UN Development Index report also Ghana is not that glorious (among the 20 poorest–142nd while Kenya is 144th). Corruption flourishes in Africa with Western collaboration. Africa is wrecked by wars in most cases financed and fanned by the West as it chases its greed for oil and minerals to the detriment of Africans ( more than 4 million have died in the mineral war of the Congo). Obama talked of the need for a strong parliament, honest police force, independent judges, independent press, a vibrant private sector, and a civil society. Fine requirements. However, if development depends on good governance and if America will not help those who have not instituted good governance then one is at odds to explain the actual and real policies of America in support of despots all over the continent. This is why Obama’s glossing over the damages of colonialism and neo colonialism grates and sprinkles salt on our wounds. Diseases and conflicts have ravaged the African continent but who is to really blame for that? Poverty is linked to the system; Ethiopia is suffering from famine not because its land is infertile. But who supports these regimes that impoverish the African people while opening up the country to the greedy western oil and mineral companies? Who is impoverishing African farmers by subsidizing its own farmers and making the African products cheap in the world market? Questions that Obama, like Bush, did not want to address at all.

There is the possibility that some hardened fools may still argue that all this was in the past and that things have changed now with Obama. Where and when? Besides repeating the usual (and mistaken) official diatribe against “genocide” in Darfur and terrorists in Somalia, has Obama really broken with the past? Let us take the Horn of Africa, a region we know much better than the American president. Somalia’s intractable clan war was complicated by Washington when it decided to arm the hated warlords against those it called terrorists linked to Al Qaeda. Like the WMD, it was said there were three or four top Al Qaeda operatives hiding in Somalia (they were never found) and the support to the venal warlords made the fanatics of the ICU appear better in the eyes of most Somalis. And then, Washington prompted Meles Zenawi to send in soldiers and actively supported the disastrous invasion which any Ethiopian would have told them was doomed to failure. The troops of Meles helped the Al Shabab gain more support, were forced to withdraw and Somalia is now in the pits with the fanatics in ascendance. And what is new American policy as concerns Somalia? Arming the so called moderates of the Transitional Government, paying Uganda and Djibouti (!!) for arms and training, fuming against terrorists, accusing Eritrea of arming the “terrorists”. More of the same. The misguided notion of considering the Somali mess as part and parcel of the so called war against terror is very flawed. Let us take Ethiopia where a ruthless dictatorship is in place. Taking Obama’s measures, it fails miserably to qualify as good governance: the parliament is rubber stamp and even the rubber is threadbare, the police force is brutal, corrupt and repressive, the judiciary is controlled by the State, civic society has been denied independent and vibrant existence, the free press is muzzled (Meles is named one of the worst predators of the free press), the private sector is stifled by the monopolistic economic firms of the ruling Tigrean front (TPLF). In 2005, the ruling front lost the general election but used violence to massacre more than 200 protestors, to jail thousands and to stay in power with the help of America and Britain. This repressive regime and its cold blooded head called Meles have remained to be the West’s darlings and Mr Obama was sitting together with this murderer in the last G8 meeting. W cannot talk of change because the new secretary of State for African Affairs, Johnnie Carson, who recently visited Ethiopia, praised the anti people regime as an ally and as the one that has brought democracy to Ethiopia. There is no new policy, no new deal, no firm American stand against dictators and tyrants.

So, if we judge the Obama speech in Accra from the real and bitter realities of poverty, war, AIDS, corruption and sovereignty. that is if we ask did he say something new or has he heralded any change, the answer is no. The “future of Africa is up to Africans” is an refrain we have heard before so many times from Western leaders that do not waste time to forcefully take our sovereignty away. It is empty talk. To rile against poverty, corruption, the lack of good governance without mentioning the lion’s share of the guilt and responsibility of the West is to bray at the moon and to hoodwink the victims. Talk of neo-colonial plunder, talk of oil companies robbing countries blind and backing tyrants and murderous militias, talk of subsidies that impoverish and debilitate African farmers, talk of taking real and concrete actions against tyrants and then we can listen. The West needs corrupt and repressive regimes in Africa for it to rob best the continent. President Obama should say no to this addiction, to this greed and craving of a junkie. Up to now, he has not done so. He is continuing the Bush policy incensing it with confusing speeches. Those Africans who imagine that “the end of tyranny is now” and that “with Obama in charge our sufferings will end” only prove the truth in the saying that a fool will laugh when he is drowning.

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18. July 2009 by Assimba.

Yelfiwos Wondaya

Some argue that helping family is good enough for one to be patriotic; they do say that in order to ridicule those who are involved in Ethiopian politics.  Although it is true that helping one’s family is necessary but would not mean necessarily good enough for those who insist on such larger duties in life as politics, philosophy, religion and nation. Naturally, in my life, I have more time and energy for my family than I should have to my country.  Isn’t that natural for any animal on earth to do so?  Therefore, something like lending a hand to one’s family is natural and is always done out of sixth sense.  Isn’t that one of the simple biological factors that we humans do share with the rest of the animal kingdom?  Rather what makes humans different from the rest of the animal kingdom is his way of organizing nations and systems in an orderly manner.  The manner in which human compassions, understandings and sympathy prevail and accommodate different social and political views and issues.  Besides, disciplines including but not limited, Economics, Politics, criminology, Law, Psychology and religion and so on and so forth are the creations of human beings at some point where human being is found itself @ the center of the universe.  Taken as a whole, we as human beings are the mothers of all inventions.  Nations and politics are the landmarks of our inventions in which older generations have to have some paternal concern to pass on to the young one that comes after them.  So sharing and loving are common compliance to me.  It is indeed good but helping one’s nuclear family and related individuals is not something that you can simply equate with the broader national responsibility that has to do with the characteristic of a nation as a whole. 

Just a thought. 

Yelfiwos Wondaya

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9. July 2009 by Assimba.

(A reply to the self-defeatist camp of Neamin Zeleqe)

By Tsegaye Kassa

Self-defeatist groups are mushrooming in the movement for democracy and liberation of Ethiopia, a country which has been under the throes of an ethno-fascist junta for the last 18 years. There are many Neamin Zeleqes  in our ranks be it by design or by persuasion as the result of the frustrating political situation in Ethiopia. Whoever Neamin Zeleke is and whatever motivation he has, we should judge him only by what he objectively is trying to add to Ethiopia’s problems or possibly contribute to the liberation of Ethiopia from the dictatorship of TPLF-EPRDF.

It seems there is no clear line of thought among some of the “democratic” opposition in Ethiopia as how to deliver the liberation of Ethiopia. As many of us think and do, Ethiopia’s transition to democracy will be realized by only practically engaging ourselves in the struggle. However as long as the movement for liberation of Ethiopia lacks the minimal moral and patriotic restraint to choose the means of struggle, there would be no liberation of a single inch of Ethiopian land from the ethno-fascist TPLF-EPRDF mafia. This being the case let us take some of the points of Mr. Neamin Zeleqe’s absurd scribble that we had to see in some of the Ethiopian websites under the title : “The Imperative for Ethiopians Dealing with Eritrea”. The title of the article mirrors how hopeless and self-defeatist the writer himself is. By extension we cannot see the liberation of Ethiopia if we join hands with such defeatists. At least one would expect some self-respect and love of one’s country.

To the majority of Ethiopians, anything that comes with the help of the Eritrean bandas is counterproductive and directed against the strategic interest of Ethiopia. One wonders why some groups in our community at home and in the wider world fail to see this very basic fact, which in fact should be a primitive physiological reflex to majority of Ethiopians. When any Ethiopian thinks of Eritrea, the only jerk reaction we get is the perception that we have to deal with a region that has seceded itself from it’s motherland and has committed heinous crimes on the Ethiopian population, who had to leave Eritrea after the secessionist rebels took control. The Eritrean secessionist movements deny their African roots and have created a fiction which stands against the true history of the Ethiopia of today. They see the history of Axum as a myth. And the thousands of years Ethiopia contributed to world heritage like Christianity, Islam,  legal norms and customs, music and literature, coins and crowns etc seam for the Eritrean secessionist simply a fugitive of the Ethiopian mind. The secessionist movements in Eritrea were supported by Ethiopians because as we all know we thought the Eritreans were our own people, who were being oppressed by the Ethiopian governments. We were right in protecting and sheltering Eritreans coming to Ethiopia. But the fact is the Eritreans never saw this in a positive perspective. They declared war against Ethiopia in 1998-2000 which was dubbed as a border war. The Eritreans thought the few million dollars of weaponry they had from Egypt and Libya could destroy Ethiopia once and for all from the face of the world. But the world laughed at the fool Eritreans and was surprised by the gallant Ethiopian army, which defeated and literally uprooted the spineless Eritrean army. Such is the bloody relationship between Ethiopia and secessionist movements in Eritrea which have dubbed themselves as a government on the territory that historically belongs to Ethiopia. Such forces of anti-Ethiopia cannot liberate or help the liberation of Ethiopia. Eritrea has backstabbed Ethiopia 1000 and more times. The Alger’s Agreement which give Eritrea a new boundary in contrast to the treaty between Ethiopia and Italy in 1896, the time around which northern part of Ethiopia was declared  a colony of Italy by Italy  and was called “Eritrea”, a crime which Italy committed with the support of England & France. Italy after the Battle of Adwa was given the region called Eritrea as a symbol of reconciliation for the defeated Italian army to use it until they could leave for their home to Italy It was leased to Italy by Emperor Menelik II, whose army defeated Italy at the Battle of Adwa in 1896. Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia and Italy agreed the Mereb River to be the boundary. All the regions south of the Mereb River belong to Ethiopia. It is superfluous to mention the United Nations and the International Community should not recognize such a region, which has been created by blackmailing and sabotage of Ethiopia. Further the UN should recognize the Treaty between Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia and Italy regarding the boundary between Eritrea and Ethiopia.

THE SABOTAGE OF THE ERITREAN SECESSIONIST MOVEMENTS AGAINST ETHIOPIA

During the Eritrean secessionist movement, all armed groups were against the Ethiopian Nation. The unsuspecting Ethiopian authorities were treating Eritreans who were living south of the Mereb River equal with other Ethiopians. Both ELF and EPLF and their supporters disseminated anti-Ethiopia propaganda and were in conspiracy with Arab League countries against Ethiopia. Egypt was directly organizing Eritreans who were against unity with Ethiopia. Egypt and other Arab countries provided the secessionist movements with training and logistics. In return the Eritrean secessionist movements were in service of the Arab League’s plan to control the Red Sea – a day dream, which has become impossible because of Israel. The Eritrean secessionist movements exploited the kindness and brotherhood of the Ethiopian population south of the Mereb River. By extending their influence to the Tigrigna language speaking communities of Northern Ethiopia, the Eritrean secessionist movements, spread their venom of regional nationalism. The formation of TPLF was induced or intiatiated by the secessionist movements in Eritrea. ELF was organising and supporting TLF (Tigray Liberation Front) and EPLF supported TPLF. The Eritrean secessionist movements were also spying and sabotaging nation-wide Ethiopian opposition forces like EPRP. EPRP was forced to leave it’s base in Tigray by TPLF and EPLF.
During the armed struggle of TPLF against Mengistu’s regime, the Eritrean secessionist movements, particularly EPLF committed many acts of sabotage such that the armed struggle in Tigray against Mengistu was in jeopardy. EPLF forbade TPLF to pass through Eritrean regions to Sudan. TPLF succeeded to liberate and control north western Ethiopia and had it’s own passage to Sudan. During the armed struggle, EPLF succeded to infiltrate the unsuspecting tigreans. Tigreans of Eritrean origin controlled the leadership of TPLF with the direct and indirect assistance of the Eritrean secessionist movements. Meles Zenawi was made the leader of TPLF by Eritreans who were members of TPLF. Meles Zenawi purged the pro-Ethiopia wing of TPLF. Meles Zenawi and co killed some Ethiopian patriots of Tigray origin, who were members of the leadership of TPLF.

After the down fall of Mengistu’s regime, some units of EPLF marched to Addis Abeba with TPLF-EPRDF.The Eritrean guerrilla fighters that marched to Addis Abeba with TPLF-EPRDF were plundering Ethiopian factories and were transporting them to  Eritrea. They were burning some production depots and factories in the hope of devastating and destroying the Ethiopian economy. Above all the Eritreans were killing and kidnapping Ethiopians of Eritrean origin, who had Ethiopian citizenship and did not want to take the new Eritrean citizenship. Eritreans were being used and still are being used by Egypt, Libya, Europe and other countries to spy over Ethiopia and Ethiopians. The self-appointed government in Asmara was conspiring with the enemies of Ethiopia. Such hatred and animosity of Eritreans was timely recognized and Ethiopians started to take care of their country. Some Ethiopians exposed those Eritreans sabotaging Ethiopia and called the government to take action. For example, the people of Agame in Tigray region stopped all traffic passing to Eritrea and asked the government to stop the plundering of Ethiopian resources by Eritreans.

The regime in Addis Abeba is controlled by Eritreans ( eri-tigreans). Meles Zenawi, Bereket Simon, Sebhat Nega etc are Eritreans. The Shaebya mafia group seems to want to control more of Ethiopia. Issayas Afewarki is waging war by proxy against Ethiopia. Meles Zenawi and co. have made enormous concessions to Issayas Afewarki at the cost of the Tigrean population of Ethiopia in particular and Ethiopia in general. Contrary to popular view, Meles Zenawi and his henchmen are anti-Tigray and specially anti-Ethiopia. Meles Zenawi is destroying Ethiopia in the name of Tigray people. Ethiopians of other regions should be careful in wrongly assessing the situation in Tigray region of Ethiopia. Meles Zenawi and his henchmen have been promoting an anti-Ethiopia and anti-Tigray policy. Zenawi and his Eritrean buddies have sidelined the Tigrean people effectively. Meles Zenawi ordered the murder of General Haylom. Many Ethiopian patriots of Tigray region in TPLF, specially those in the military were killed by Meles Zenawi and his gang. Many generals like General Tsadikan were practically made to resign with threats to their lives and to the lives of their family members. Ethiopians of Tigray region like Seye Abraha, Gebru Asrat and others were expelled from the EPRDF. Seye Abraha spent years in prison for faked up corruption charges. These and other facts show that Meles Zenawi is an Eritrean and is ruling Ethiopia in the name of Tigray.  These statements should not be seen or interpreted to apologize for the people of Tigray. The writer is aware of the historical mistake the political leaders of Tigray had committed. The political leaders in Tigray of Ethiopia should have not accepted the secession of Eritrea from Ethiopia  as democratic and legitimate. This is unpardonable and has to be corrected by standing for the reverse of the secession of Eritrea or at least to stand for the boundary of Eritrea to be Mereb Melash (North of the Mereb River). The Tigrean elites of Ethiopia should shoulder their historical responsibility for the current situation in Ethiopia. The region now called Eritrea should be part of Tigray as it has been prior to the arrival and occupation of the region by Italy’s worthless army, an army which was bent to destroy but not to win a single battle. The people of Tigray should voice their opposition to the secession of Eritrea, which has no legal basis for it was decided without due consideration of historical facts. Massawa belongs to Tigray of Ethiopia and tigreans of Ethiopia should demand from and confront the powers that be to get control of their port.

At present Eritrea is actively busy with organizing anti-Tigray and anti-Ethiopia groups. But the sell-out Meles Zenawi and Sebhat Nega are not taking adequate measures to foil the plot coming from Asmara. As in the past Meles Zenawi will allow Eritrean forces to occupy some parts or the whole of Tigray region of Ethiopia. Besides the Eritrean mafia group under Meles Zenawi and Sebhat Nega is prohibiting non-Tigrean Ethiopians from settling and working in Tigray. Sebhat Nega, Meles Zenawi and his Eritrean henchmen are sabotaging and criminalizing the people of Tigray of Ethiopia. The Eritreans in TPLF, who are controlling TPLF-EPRDF are planning to force the secession of Tigray from Ethiopia. But the heroic people of Tigray are resisting and will have to intensify the struggle to oust the Eritreans in TPLF.

As to Eritrea as a whole, there is awareness in Tigray region of Ethiopia how anti-Ethiopia the self-appointed fascist government of Issayas Afewarki is and has been. Eritrea is arming and training Somalian forces, ONLF and OLF. Eritrea supports categorically only forces that do not accept the ancient history of Ethiopia. Eritrea works day and night to dismember Ethiopia and tries to destabilise Ethiopia by all means. Shaebya of Eritrea are arming the secessionist forces and opposition groups in Ethiopia to overthrow the dictatorial regime of Meles Zenawi. But why is Eritrea then arming and training OLF, ONLF and other opposition groups which do not stand for a united Ethiopia? Those opposition forces, which might stand for a united Ethiopia, are supported only if they are entirely subservient to Eritrea. The sad story of Ethiopians under the umbrella of EPPF is one example to cite. The EPPF leadership is entirely controlled by Eritreans and some in the leadership of EPPF are Eritreans, who are accountable to the self-appointed president of Eritrea. Ginbot 7 will have the same fate if it co-operates or collaborates with Eritrea. It is very disturbing that Ginbot 7 is in bed with Eritrea. The very fact that Ginbot 7 failed to defend the pre-1991 political boundary by collaborating with Eritrea makes Ginbot 7 unreliable. Whether Ginbot 7 is making a tactical rapproachment with Eritrea or not is to be seen. All the same Ginbot 7 has tarnished it’s name and no Ethiopian group will take Ginbot seriously. EPRP and MEISON have no co-operation with Eritrea, which makes them very reliable and patriotic organizations where to Ethiopians can go to wage the struggle for a united and democratic Ethiopia. In general Ethiopian opposition groups should not collaborate or co-operate with Eritrea. Even if Eritrea meant seriously to stand for unity and democracy in Ethiopia, we should not rash to join hands with Eritrea for as we note the history of the secessionist movement, it is against Ethiopia and would take a very fundamental change in Eritrea which has to be imposed from outside. Those opposition groups collaborating with Eritrea should know that they are weakening the struggle of the people of Ethiopia. This in contrast strengthens Meles Zenawi’s grip of power for the people of Ethiopia would distance from forces that collaborate with Eritrea. This does not mean we should not co-operate at all with Eritrea. But as long as Eritrea is anti-Ethiopia and continues to wage the falsification of Ethiopian history, we should see Eritrea as anemey to be dealt with.

If Eritreans have changed their mind and want to rejoin a united and democratic Ethiopia, then they should support forces that struggle for the unity of Ethiopia. If Eritreans have recognized the historical mistake of seceding from their motherland Ethiopia, then they have to make it clear that the secession of Eritrea is wrong and has to be reversed. Until Eritreans reject the position that Ethiopia is and was a colonial master of Eritrea and accept that they are Ethiopians, we cannot co-operate with them because they are part of the problem which Ethiopia has to fight against with all means at her disposal. We could continue discussing about the political situation in our region with Eritreans but to hope to get assistance from Shabya to erect a democratic government in Ethiopia is tantamount to being part of the international conspiracy to dismember Ethiopia.
…………………(to be continued)

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9. July 2009 by Assimba.

SOLUTIONS WITH DEBTERAW, XI Call me by my name, address and title   - July 4, 2009

In the recent past months, there is a simmering movement towards settling scores of politicking between Eritreans and Ethiopians. Such instances are

• Federation vs. Confederation

• A repeat of the slogan for struggle via “Bale or Bole” (EDIAL)

• Formation of a youth league for EPRP

• Crying wolf by the leaders of Shaebia and Woyane for Unity and Power Abdication

• A promise to reveal the existence of the Ark of Covenant by the an Ethiopian Cleric

and so on and so forth…

All the above could be taken as a sign for positive thinking for final arrest to the Eway Revolution.

However, on close analysis, there are very important elements “missing” from these movements.

Scenario one: In the designs of God and in the eyes of men, “all men not women were created equal” Who created Eathiopians? Or alternatively, what is the day or the date for the INDEPENDENCE of Eathiopia? Miazia 27, Meskerem 2, May 24 or July 4? Do we really understand the meaning of Independence, Freedom or Liberty in the context of Eathiopia? Is this enough to be a challenging question? If there was no beginning date for Colonialism, we should not look for one as Independence.

Let us start with July 4, 1776. Was this date and year the Independence Day for America? Was this calendar an adoption or Declaration of Independence? If we know the answer to this question, I hope Eathiopians will come to their senses to talk about arnet or nezanet.አርነት፡ ነፃነት common terminology. Who struggled for what and for whom?

The Eritreans might have mismatched the Italian Colonialism to Ethiopian Colonialism that did not exist. I believe their long struggle was for freedom and liberty and not for Independence. If it was for Independence, it must be an independence from Italy. This should be the topic for reconciliation. Ethiopians should accept the independence of Eritrea and Eritreans in return would accept that their Independence Day was a culmination of European colonialism. This should be the challenging question before moving on to the next movement.

Scenario two: Sports and Entertainment do not seem to be part of these movements. The fact that the soccer players from Eritrea and Ethiopia crisscross in order to avoid each other instead of coming together. This year for instance, Ethiopians are in Chicago, Eritreans are in California and the Oromos will held their own on Atlanta, Georgia.

On the one hand, The Eritrean soccer federation does seem to grasp neither the adoption nor the declaration of Eritrean/American Independence. The Federation was hiding or rather sandwiched between the day of the Martyrs and the day of Family/Religious Festival known as ንግደት. I do not believe that their agenda was and is about sportsmanship. If it is, we have not seen it yet.

While on the other hand, The Ethiopian Sports Federation was/is not participating in the agrarian societies where food is plenty with missing “sportsmanship and comradeship”. The Ethiopian Sports Federation was in a unique position in the sense that political groups, business people and civic communities gather in one place. Unfortunately, a quarter of a century has passed without making significant contributions to either development or cooperation among people of all walks of life from Ethiopia.

Can any one explain this anomaly of our struggle for change and revolution? Art, Entertainment and Sports industry should take center stage for reconciliation and development. Without these three sectors of Industry, little will be accomplished in the case of Eritrea and Ethiopia let alone in the Horn of Africa.

A reminder to all Revolutionaries of Eway Ethiopia

• You were involved in the struggle to bring peace and democracy

• You had the courage to fight for your Rights

• You were imprisoned for your thoughts

• You died for your beliefs and

• You are going to die for your Blue and Red Nation (BRN) but not for your currency (BR)

A message to all anti-Eway Revolution

• Forgive and move on

• Stand for Eathiopia

• Ask questions of why and how

• Differentiate between Tabot and Constitution

Then

• Tell the truth for it will set you free

• Confess to not only to your God but to your fellowmen

• Speak to Power without fear

• Dare to be open to disclose your ID

• Search for the whereabouts of DEBTERAW

Why DEBTERAW?

For DEBTERAW is the one who taught us that

R is for REVOLUTION

Not for RACE

E is for Eritrea and Ethiopia

Not for ETHNICITY

.

That is why we should re-examine the RE as a subject not as a predicate.

In short let us all

TAKE THE HEAT FOR OUR INALIENABLE RIGHTS

LET US TAKE A STAND FOR OUR DEMANDS not dreams

TAKE THE HEAT FOR OUR INALIENABLE RIGHTS

LET US TAKE A STAND FOR OUR DEMANDS

Happy Four to all!!!

woldetewolde@yahoo.com

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4. July 2009 by Assimba.

(In response to “In Lieu of Eritrean & Ethiopian Ties”)

Iskinager - July 2009 at 16:27

Time is the best mid-wife. It gives birth to truth and reality. Eritrean peoples have come to learn the truth in the most painful way. The grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence. The knowledge we acquire retrospectively is sometimes so disturbing that we ask ourselves over and over again, why were we not aware of it in the first place. Why were we so blind not to see the obvious? Why did we make such a grave mistake?

After so many years of denial and self-hypnosis, Eritrean peoples have come at last to the cross road and they are asking the most painful questions in their lives.

• Was thirty years of sacrifice worth an independence devoid of freedom, but not only that, was it necessary to shade so much blood to replace a freedom that was not perfect by an outright slavery?

• Was cohabitation colonialism and occupation as long as Eritrean peoples were freer when they were with Ethiopia than today, as an independent country?

• Were Eritrean peoples used by their elites, by TPLF/woyane, Egypt and the Arabs, for a cause that is not theirs?

• Can Eritrea exist without Ethiopia economically and security wise?

• Can Eritrea afford to have an enemy like Ethiopia or can Ethiopia afford to have an enemy next door?

Unfortunately, there are many painful questions Eritrean peoples and Ethiopians should ask themselves, if they have the slightest sign of logics and rationality left in them, after decades of ignorance and foolishness.

There is a simple and an obligatory answer to all these questions after so many years of sufferings. Eritrea was amputated from Ethiopia forcefully and the best thing to do is to return to its mother Ethiopia. To me Eritrea is the prodigal son and it should be seen as such by all Ethiopians. The other obvious solution is mutual concession on issues that will divide them for ever, i.e. the boarder issue and the issue of Assab. I believe that both solutions will give peace and economic prosperity to Eritrea.

Ethiopians should not close the door on Eritrean peoples, simply because they made the wrong decision. Both people are tied up together by fate, history and our genes. Eritrean elites and TPLF/woyane tried to separate the inseparable. They used all sorts of false issues and the outcome is what we see today, a painful situation both for Eritrean peoples and Ethiopians.

We have a new nostalgia for Ethiopia on the side of many Eritrean peoples, of course, excluding the die-hard anti-Eritrean peoples and ant-Ethiopians. I say die-hard enemies, because a regime and its followers who do not see the plight of its people and where its advantage lies, are deadly enemies to the people they rule and this is what Eritrean peoples saw from the present regime, after so much blood they sacrificed at the alter of the petty god, Issayas Afeworki.

Let the All mighty God give strength both to Eritrean peoples and Ethiopians, to see the reality on the ground, before they destroy each other, a fact that will serve the enemies of the people of Ethiopia and Eritrea, the Arab nations, who want to make the Nile an Arab river, a personal property and do not want to share it with its true owners, the people of Ethiopia.

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