The Proxy Game

22. January 2012 by Assimba.

By Gemencho

The London conference of 1991 deserves the credit for engineering the coup d’ etat of 1991 in Ethiopia, and for manufacturing a democratic cover to the anti-Ethiopian narrative. Not surprisingly, this is what frames all colonial and imperial adventures. Dismantling third world nationalism has always been the pre-occupation of colonial elites-the core element of their project.

So, side by side with the coup; the massacres at Gondar, Areka, Arbagugu, Weter, Asosa, Bedeno, etc, ; the murder of patriotic Ethiopians- professor Asrat, Gaim, Assefa Maru, Tesfaye Tadesse, Shibere, …etc.,, the selling of the land and its resources to foreign conglomerates, went along an all out assault on the nation’s history, on its values and experiences. The anti-Amhara narrative (the bread and butter of the TPLF/EPLF/OLF), was the convenient tool to be employed for this purpose.

A fake opposition was planted to make sure that national consciousness would not get an outlet. Fake Mandellas and Gandhi’s surfaced to stir public attention away from the real issue, -the issue of sovereignty, towards fake democracy and fake elections.

Twenty years after its launching, it seems evident; the colonial/racial project is preparing to go for a face lift. Facts on the ground are necessitating it. The EPLF/TPLF alliance has unraveled. The TPLF has imploded, with the Meles wing hanging to power. T he fake opposition has been exposed and rendered irrelevant. The regime’s belligerence, its brutalities its insatiable appetite for wealth and power, added to its human rights violations have reached their threshold. Most importantly, Ethiopian nationalism has remained resilient and frustrating the project. . It appears, Meles’s shelf life is about to expire. According to Mr.Herman Cohen, the chief architect of the London conference, in his recent interview with ESAT, the Meles regime is not sustainable. The valuable asset is becoming a liability.

It is said that for things to stay the same, things have to change. The colonial/racial project has to continue with or without Meles. So, the need to weave a democratic narrative, carefully crafted to portray Meles as the garden variety African dictator. Meles is accused for breaking his own rules, for hounding the fake opposition, for suppressing dissent, for imprisoning and killing his opponents, and for being outright corrupt. Conspicuously absent in these accusation, are the massacres he committed, such those in Gondar, Gambella, Arbagugu, Weter…etc, his apartheid like policies and practices on non-Eritrean, and non-Tigrean Ethiopians, which cannot be explained away as merely dictatorial. What is not mentioned is his deep rooted hatred of Ethiopia which informs the very nature of his regime. What is also not mentioned is how the entire ethnocentric cabal that came out of the London conference and now finding itself in the opposition share his hatred of Ethiopia.

The slogan is out, and it says: “forget ethnic politics, fight for democracy”. The entire ethnocentric cabal is coalescing against it. The game is reset to 1991, to be played by the proxies who are craving and competing to replace Meles.

Let Ethiopia belong to Ethiopians.

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Ato Bereket writes a book?

5. January 2012 by Assimba.

 By Yilma Bekele

 

Did you see what was coming out of North Korea this week? Someone referred to it as the ‘world’s largest display of uncontrollable grief.’  Kim Jung un ‘the Brilliant Comrade’ succeeded his father Kim Jung il  ‘the Dear Leader’ who took over from his Grand Father the ‘Great Leader.’ The Korean people are celebrating sixty years under the stewardship of the Kim family? Do you wonder why? How is that possible in this day and age that one family can control a whole nation?

 

The Korean people are no different than the rest of humanity. There is no outward sign that sets them apart from the rest of us except the system they live under. That is the key to their dilemma. The Kim family and the system they perpetuate is the cause of all this freaky display being beamed out.

 

The Korean people are kept in ignorance by design. The Kim family motto is ‘Military first.’ It is not because North Koreans have enemies ready to conquer them. In fact North Korea have no enemies other than the Kim family and those aligned with them. The military ‘s mission is to bully, frighten and intimidate the Korean people into submission. The people are the enemy.

 

There is no independent Television broadcaster, no independent Radio station, no independent Newspaper and no independent Internet provider in the Kingdom of Korea. The Kim family and friends control all of the communications media. They figure that ignorant people are easier to control. You can’t argue with sixty years of success. I was looking and marveling at this phenomenon when I heard the news that Ato Bereket has written a book. You know me I was delirious with joy with the news. I have found my own Kim in my backyard. For some reason Kim of Korea and Meles of Ethiopia converged.

 

Mind you Ato Bereket have no compelling reason to stick his neck out and display his normal unfamiliarity with rational thought process and his utter contempt for facts and put all that down on paper for all to see. The only explanation I have is this disease of contempt for truth, self-aggrandizement, ego trip and simple garden-variety madness.

 

I have not read the book yet. To tell you the truth, I have no intention of reading it either. Judging from the inaugural ceremony when the book was made public I figured reading is not a requirement to talk or write about it. I am not going against convention here and read the damn book. My sincere hope is Ato Bereket himself has read the book.

 

The setting for the unveiling (Addis Sheraton, Lalibela Room) more than made up for the pedestrian quality of the content. It is reported that ‘who is who’ of the Ruling Party was present. The most esteemed benefactor of our motherland, Dr. Sheik Al Amoudi was there. The report does not say if Ato Meles was present or was watching from a remote site. I know from sources that videotaping is standard procedure. The First lady was not present either. I assume they were watching from their bunker.

 

The book is titled ‘A tale of the two elections.’ The dilemma faced by librarians all over is which category to file the book under. Fact or fiction is a valid question. It purports to be based on facts but from the reviews I get the feeling there is no research and data to support the thesis presented but rather it is a matter of taking the authors assertion as facts. Simple faith is what is called for.

Dr. Sheik Al Amoudi paid for the printing that was done in Kenya for quality purpose. According to the Dr. Sheik who confessed that he has not read the book it is a work of such importance that he recommended it as a ‘must reading’ for our youth. Judging by the glossy cover, beautiful fonts and pretty soft paper its function, as a doorstop will be invaluable. I know I am hating but deservingly.

 

Next to give his lofty recommendation was none other than Ato Demeke Mekonen, Minster of Education. Unfortunately he has not read the book either but it did not stop him from offering his praise and opinion. In fact he went a step further and added stuff that was not even in the book. Ato Demeke was glad and praised the author for dedicating the book to his comrades from the liberation movement when the reality is that Ato Bereket dedicated his book to his brother. Needless to say the Minster is in favor of adapting it as a textbook for our children.

 

I knew my friends at Aiga would add their share of cheerleading to this work of historic proportion. I am grateful to Ato Reta Sisay for his blind review. No adjective was spared in his haste to pile the accolades. He boldly compares and equates the book to the work of the celebrated English author Charles Dickens. I have no idea how and why. The only reason why Charles Dickens would be mentioned can only be due to the similarity of the title because the two works have nothing in common what so ever. The Englishman’s book is a work of fiction while Ato Bereket’s book purports to be a historical analysis of what happened yesterday in front of all of us. Ato Reta got carried away.  

 

In my opinion the best un read review is done by none other than Ben of Ethiopia First. He wanted to stay true to the theme of fiction and continued to weave his own tale. When the book was unveiled in Addis, Ben said he was visiting the Great Wall of China. We are grateful he stopped his tourist activity and stayed in his room to write his Blog. How he got hold of the book in China is not clear and to top it all he was writing a testimonial before he even finished reading the book. He said so himself. Ben, Ben, Ben, how many times have you been told to not make shit up!

 

I found the review written by an individual named Daniel Berhane to be mildly interesting. He seems to be a Party functionary and goes out of his way to show Ato Bereket in a good light despite his failings as the ‘main strategist’ for the 2005 elections. Daniel seems to take advantage of his ethnic affiliation and gives us inside information regarding the Prime Minster’s plan to be called Doctor and the many fiction he has written and are awaiting publication. Ato Daniel states that there was no need for Ato Meles to review the work since Bereket is a premier ‘spin doctor’ in his own right. It is a little confusing when Bereket claims that Ato Meles is the busiest person in the service of his country and Ato Daniel asserts that the PM is busy studying for his Phd. We got a part time student and Prime Minster, and a part time spin-doctor and historian author.

 

May be I should also mention the write up by Addis Fortune newspaper ‘gossip’ columnist. We are after all in Ethiopia where a few papers are allowed to function pretending all is honky dory and normal while some are hounded out of existence. Our Columnist took a different take on the whole issue. The concern was not what was in the book but rather the perception. It boldly claims the  ‘recently released book, the launch of which, at Sheraton Addis, caused so much furor among members of the public.’ Over the top statement considering ‘members of the public’ are eighty million of which seventy nine million nine hundred thousand are not aware of the book nor do they give a damn. Furthermore the Columnist was ticked off and wrote ‘there has been a passionate disapproval by many after seeing a well-heeled businessman speak of a senior government official in a manner that was distasteful, if not repulsive.’  I am sure this disapproval was not followed by not eating the lavish dinner, not drinking the free booze and not lining up to buy an autographed copy. A room full of spineless sycophants is what it looks like. A little harsh but you know what I mean.

 

The following paragraph from the Fortune article I would like to leave it intact and you the reader be the judge of this madness:

‘Equally, he has been criticised for reaching out to a businessman while his own party, the Amhara National Democratic Movement (ANDM), could have paid for the printing of the book. He could have received the services of Mega Printing, a subsidiary of the Endowment Fund for the Rehabilitation of Tigray (EFFORT), a party-affiliated company, others criticised.’ I have nothing to add to this crap. The fact that in an ethnic centered arrangement by TPLF how Ato Bereket /Mebrehatu ended up as a leader of an Amhara based Party is not lost on us but we will gloss over that. No need to go there.

 

It will be considered rude to finish without saying something about our dear friend, newly minted author and Head of Government Communications Minster good old Bereket Semeon. I will start from the beginning and rely on Ato Tesfaye Gebreab’s first hand description of the times and events. I have no reason to doubt Ato Tesfaye’s meticulous research and incredible memory. We are lucky.

 

Ato Bereket was born in Gondar to Aboy Gebrehiwot and Weizero Werknesh. He was named Mebrehatu Gebrehiwot. He came of age when our country was in turmoil. Like the youth of his time he joined the struggle to topple the Military regime or Derg. Young Mebrehatu was dispatched on the Derg’s ‘Edget’ program before he even finished high school. He has an older brother named Kasahune and the book is dedicated to him. Kasahune was born in the province of Eritrea and grew up in Gondar.  He joined the EPRP to liberate his country. In my opinion history will show EPRP to be the first modern multi national movement that understood the richness, diversity and strength of the new Ethiopia to be built. Ato Kasahune died in a battle between EPRP (EPRF) militia and TPLF army. 

 

History will also show TPLF was established, formed and founded to liberate the province of Tigrai. George Orwell wrote ‘to see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle.’ The folks of TPLF have the whole of Ethiopia under their nose but they choose to liberate a small sliver of land. This myopic vision never left our fearless leaders.

 

Back to our tale, upon joining TPLF Mebrehatu changed his name to Bereket. This was a common practice at the time but Mebrehatu went a step further and changed his fathers name too. He wanted a complete transformation I guess. He choose the name of an EPRP combatant from Eritrea that has mysteriously disappeared. It was normal to assume that he might have been killed in battle. It is good to know that the real Ato Bereket Semeone is still alive and was even the Ambassador to France representing the State of Eritrea. Not even Hollywood can dream of such a tale.

 

Ato Bereket/Mebrehatu did not bother to go into these matters. His book is about the 2005 election and the 2010 Coronation. It is very strange that TPLF folks are trying hard to revise history right under our nose. They have this guilt feeling if at all possible mixed with real fear and are constantly working hard to make us believe they were the victims. I have this strange notion this fiction is authored by none other than Ato Meles/Legesse Zenawi. I consider myself a skilled observer of The TPLF in general and the Politburo in particular. In fact I specialize on three and half individuals as my object of interest.

 

Based on extensive review of the reviews I have concluded Ato Meles to be the author. The tone and language is vintage Meles. The length (over 300 pages) is standard Meles diatribe and the evil ways he attacks perceived opponents is familiar to us. The book was written to whitewash the crimes of 2005 settle scores with ‘enemies’ and gauge the reception from the one percent. The 99 percent are not part of the equation. I believe Ato Bereket is not wired to come up with such absurd tale and commit it to paper. It requires someone with a lot of time in his hands and the expertise to think smart and act damn. It is a worthy digression from the current malaise. But it is temporary. The economy is stuck, the remittances are still anemic, the constant jabbering of “Spring” is unnerving and the Gadaffi picture is difficult to shake. Most of all I truly enjoy their paranoia regarding Dr. Berhanu. They imprisoned him again and again, they exiled him and they still obsess about him. The more you hate him the more I love him. Bring it baby let us have some more fiction. 

 

I have a few suggestions to our authors. It is easy to talk trash when you are the only one allowed to speak. I will fight for your right to write any book you want but please let others tell their side of the story too. You see your denial of the same rights to others cheapens your work. No one will believe it. What is the point of writing it if it doesn’t shed some light? You might think forcing schools, work places and associations to buy it might give you boasting rights but what is the point if everyone knew it is fake. It will be like your Tehadso project. You call a meeting of the faithful you give them money to donate and you shout how successful it was. This Mamo Kilo moment is not a wining strategy. I will read Ato Bereket’s fiction when he allows others to write their version of reality.

 

Let Eskinder out of prison, he will show you how to write. Let Reiyot Alemu and Zerihune Gegziabeher out of your dungeon and they will show you how to publish using their blood, toil, tears and sweat. Let Andualem Arage out of his confinement and he will teach you how to organize without using force and bribery. This trash publishing business using welfare is not the way of the Ethiopia we envision. I suggest Ato Bereket read his book if nothing else to know what is being said in his name. He will need it during his trial. Please refer to Mubarak and Ben Ali for further information.   

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I AM AN EaTHIOPIAN not Ethiopian

3. January 2012 by Assimba.

Obo Arada Shawl

 

January 1, 2012

 

What is in a name?

What is Ethiopianism? Who is an Ethiopian? Should he be a native, a national or a citizen? Notice that I did not say her for Lucy is a native citizen from the Afar Land, if we believe in Evolution.

 

What about if one is a believer in Creation? According to Evolution Adam is an Eritrean dubbed as Innocent.

 

So why is the current regime of Ethiopia cry day in and day out that “we Ethiopians” as if the Eritreans are not Ethiopians. By many accounts, they are the true Ethiopians. They just have a land called Eritrea just like the Tigrians have their local name, Tigrai.

 

Last year, Elias Kifle, Editor of the Ethiopian Review, has published his knowledge about the top current Ethiopian brass of Leadership. According to him they are mostly Eritreans. By their own definition, they have colonized Ethiopia. It is an anomaly when we know that the government of EPRDF is based on ethnicity and that Eritreans do play a role in the current structure of “Ethiopian polity”. Shouldn’t the Eritreans belong in the fatherland of Hamasien and not in the motherland of “Ethiopia?”

 

The Eathiopians (both Eritreans and Ethiopians) are in bad shape in terms of social and psychological norms. It is a result of religious affiliations and beliefs. The religions of Catholicism, Judaism, Muslim, Orthodox and Protestantism with ancient remnants in Eritrea are being transformed to the current Ethiopian Ethnic Empire (EEE).

 

The Menghistu regime due to its credit has carefully avoided the religious aspect of Eathiopians. He had accepted class warfare though in the end badly abused it.

 

The TPLF has always believed in “nationalism”, avoiding the existence and the concept of Nativity and Citizenship. Leaders of TPLF, contrary to the advice of EPRP top leadership, who were mostly Eathiopian citizens from Tigrai national, had instead pursued the politics of EPLF and now pursuing the ideologies of the Derg. In both instances, they followed the wrong advice or path.

 

In the near future, it seems that the TPLF leadership is attempting to emulate the path of EPRP leadership. The distortion of the theory of Wallelign Makonnen (WM), the burial of Debteraw’s DEMOCRACY and the dishonoring of Assimba’s Army as non-Ethiopian have put their credibility in question. Under TPLF leadership, Eathiopia will not be stabilized despite its rhetoric. Copycat will not work. Learning from mistakes will.

 

Celebrating ብሔር - ብሔረሰብ - ሕዝቦች  B’Her, B’Hereseb and People is not appropriate for a country whose ancient history was based on the Axumite civilization, on the Ankoberite politics and on whose future will depend on the Zgbawians (bites) economics.

 

The people of Eathiopia were known as Hametic, Semitic, Cushitic, Abyssinians, Omotic, Hamasien, Srilankans, Amharas, Ethiopians, and Eritreans and so on and so forth. Now, thanks to TPLF and EPLF, they are known by their ethnicity and Zonal basis.

 

How low can they go? The half Ethiopian or Eritrean division is not working. It may only work when it involves race as a card as in the American case as with President B. Obama but not when it is involved with same race. The current president of Ethiopia, Melese Zenawi is not an Eritrean and the current president of Eritrea, Essayas Afeworki, is not an Ethiopian. Let us not kid ourselves. Our problem is far deeper than that. Some two thousand years ago, it is said that JC has spent three decades in retreat (asylum) in Ethiopia. Where in Ethiopia? It can only be in the present day Eritrea.

 

Our Eway Revolution was/is not about ID (investigate and discover) but reassert our freedom and Independence. If the leaders of TPLF and EPLF didn’t know the difference between the fine lines of Liberty and Freedom, they should have consulted their own comrades and countrymen. They joined forces on the advice of GHWB (George Herbert Walker Bush) just to get rid of Menghistu and by extension to live together in peace and harmony. I don’t blame President Bush to think that both leaders were real cousins. And we still believe in such rubbish reasoning. Eritrea is a Father’s Land while Ethiopia is a Mother’s country. Think of Adam and Eve.

 

Can the two leaders give us peace and harmony? Let us see E_Z or I_M.  How do they write their true names alphabetically. With GE’ EZ script, there is no problem but I doubt whether they sign in GE’ez Fidel, for in GEEZ E=E and G = government and it has ending in Z. This is what needs investigation and discovery (ID).

 

Leadership, Leadership and Leadership

For leadership to exist there should be followers and a space what we normally label as people and country.

 

Are we led by names or ideologies? What is our history? Is it common with the rest of the world or is it unique to us? Migration changes demography and demographic changes to land grab.

 

The Eathiopians were resistant to migration. For the most part, they were happy with their surroundings and neighborhood. If they migrated it has to do with family reunion or temporary visitation.

 

The major migration in the form of emigration happened during the war for liberation and revolution. And it is still continuing unabated. Why? Some say it is because of leadership, the leadership of Haile Sellasie I, Menghistu H. Mariam, Melese Zenawi and Essayas Afeworki. Others claim it is because of the foreigners, such as the British, the Arabs, the Europeans, the Western nations in particular the United States of America. How much is this true? Let us see it from a different perspective.

 

EPLF and TPLF leadership

VIP is an acronym for Very Important People and is frequently used by the British for their leaders. According to the American heritage it is somewhat referred to mean the American foreign policy of Value-Interest-Principle (VIP). Where do the EPLF and TPLF leaders belong? The answer should come from the readers of this article.

 

In my own limited research, Eathiopians have been lead mostly by value laden systems of belief as opposed to interests or principles. To illustrate my points, I would like to ask my readers to decipher the following questions.

 

ሐወወይ? HWWY signify?

H=Hamasien=Eritrea

W=Wollo = Aba Wollo

W = Wollega =

Y = Yirga = Badme

YA = Alem = Sidamo

Or alternatively from the outside world

H = Herbert

W = Walker

GB = George Bush

 

The main reason why I am raising the above acronyms is simply because there are many intellectuals who think that the Ethiopian Revolution was led from outside by either countries or agents of foreign governments. I am of the opinion that assertion is not totally true. The Ethiopian Revolution is an indigenous Revolution. As such, it will continue in the same direction and valuation.

 

The American Influence on Leadership

The American baby boomer generation (1946-64) has embarked on investing on infrastructure on roads, health, and agriculture. After the 1960’s American Peace Corps took over to influence Eathiopians in terms of ideology but did not succeed.

 

In 1989, The Americans having failed in leading Eathiopians ideologically turned to the Israel’s for leadership advice. GHWB – the father came to the conclusion that the inheritors of the Axumite Empire in the names of Melese and Essayas will do the trick to provide leadership for all Ethiopia. And so 1991-2011, i.e. Two decades have passed without peace and stability in the region. We don’t know how the George Bush – the son who has gone to Ethiopia to continue advice on leadership style by the end of 2011. We have to wait and see what kind of leadership to Eathiopia will evolve.

 

The Eathiopian Leadership

From the beginning, EPRP leadership seek to understand the difference between leadership and management. The functions of leadership and management might be the same, but they are not. The roles are different though both might be filled by the same person or different people.

 

Leadership is about inspiration, while management is mostly about supervision.

 

Myths of leadership which EPRP did not endorse are enumerated below:-

·         The leader speaks and the followers listen

·         The leader controls information and the followers can only guess

·         The leader knows and the followers only have opinions

·         The leader decides and the followers just do what they’re told

·         The leader commands and the followers obey

 

Instead the leadership of EPRP considered the following five points

• Neighborhood monitoring
• Teaching and coaching subordinates
• Organizing subordinate activities
• Motivating others and
• Intervening actively in the groups work

 

 

Styles of EPRP’s Leadership vis-à-vis EPLF and TPLF

 

EPRP leadership follows the style of Democratic rule of an organization.

 

TPLF leaders are autocratic

Organization by definition is a dichotomy, two groups, to one we assign duties, and to the other we assign privileges. Unique and powerful privileges have to be conferred upon the leaders and specify numerous duties to be obeyed by the many followers. The vast majority, i.e., the followers due consigned to an inferior status, even to be sacrificed, if needs be, in order to preserve and protect the power and privilege of those designated as leaders.

 

EPLF is an authoritarian leadership. They are very specific on how they lead to their expectation and what needs to be done, when to be done, and how to be done. EPLF leaders make decisions without consultations.

 

 Conclusion

Eathiopia needs leaders who can differentiate and negotiate among alternatives of strategic planning, the concept of legacy and provocative thinking.

 

As far as I know Eathiopian philosophy is to differentiate between a personal name and public nomenclature. በአማርኛ አነጋገር “ስም መልአክ ያወጠዋል” Ethiopia!!!

ብትግርኛ ብሂል “ሽም ይመርሕ ጥዋፍ የብርህ” Eathiopia!!!

.HAPPY HOLIDAYS FOR ALL OF YOU.

 

TRUTH WILL PREVAIL

 

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