Assimba Blog

Hama Tuma

 Many naïve people like me believe that crime does not pay while the reality shows it does. On the other hand, lying is an art of governance not only in Africa but all over the world and even Barack Obama has been caught in the act more than once. Remember Powell at the UN with his ridiculous flask and the present day dull fellow Kerry following the Powell act on Syria. Lies are part of bad governance and worse politics.

But no one makes as much money from a lie as that Bush poodle called Tony Blair. Even the obdurate liar called Meles, who lied his way to the grave (he claimed he was not sick and what he died of is still considered a secret), would have had much to envy and learn from mentor Tony even if the so called Tigrean People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) that has wrecked Ethiopia, has been referred to as the “The Professional Liars’ Front”. To leave the dead pest alone and to return to Blair: while he was prime minister this person lied to the British public and to the whole world that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction, an Anglo-American lie responsible for the carnage and destruction in Iraq. Blair, along with Bush, is responsible as a person and his recent attempt to give advice on Syria has been dismissed, and rightfully so, as appalling and repugnant. The main point being that Blair was and is a liar and backed tyranny in Ethiopia and many other places. And, surprise surprise, this notorious liar is paid for a two hour speech a hefty sum ranging from 200,000 to 360,000 English pounds, more or less 2000 to 2500 pounds per every minute of a lie! The stingy liar spends not a cent for hotel expenses as he exploits the tax payer’s money by staying (with his wife and entourage) in British tax funded residences during his money making trips. He is often a holiday guest of one dictatorial Sultan or another.  Blair does political consultancy (Tony Blair and Associates) and has bagged an 8 million British pounds fee from Kazakhstan which was also visited, gas and petrol obliges, by David Cameron in June 2003 damn the human rights violations. Prince Andrew often goes to the desolate capital of Kazakhstan, ostensibly to hunt for goose, but this British royal hobnobbing with the Kazak tyrant has eye catching economic reasons. When Prince Andrew decided to sell his Sunning hill Park home for a cool 12 million pounds a Kazak businessman bought it for 15 million and never lived in it (up to now). The Kazak thank you or bribe? If Blair thinks all this is not fair he can find excuse by pointing to America, France and China who cuddle with tyrants for economic motives.

If any Ethiopian institution, other than that of the Blair loving ruling clique, was to invite Blair to Addis Abeba, he would have told them at millions of Birr how the dead tyrant was good for Ethiopia and why he named him to the African Commission despite his gross human rights violations and massacres. No hesitation, no qualms, pure unadulterated British lies like the Kenyans and Yemenis know of. Blair is one of the most corrupt of British politicians and he has paved his way by bombing and mayhem from Serbia to Iraq, Sierra Leone to Libya. Blair has lied his way into a profitable business mixing diplomacy with trade and using his role as the member of the UN Quartet on the Middle East for his own profit.

A British paper wrote:”Not long after leaving No. 10 Downing,  Blair was flying to Kuwait—a country that benefited greatly from the fall of Saddam Hussein—where Tony Blair Associates eventually landed a 27 million pound contract to advise on Kuwait’s economy. This much has been reported in the past, but Oborne notes that one of Blair’s advisers at his consultancy even accompanied him to a meeting that Blair was ostensibly conducting for the Quartet. “On one hand, our former prime minister is promoting peace,” says Oborne. “On the other, he is earning millions from an autocrat in the same region. In fact, more than one.” Blair also has strong links to Abu Dhabi; he advises a sovereign wealth fund with ties to the crown that has had interests in the Iraqi oil sector. –

Blair gets 2 million pounds per year from J.P. Morgan, promotes the luxury designer bag and luggage giant Louis Vuitton. Being a liar is good business and Blair lied and lies for himself and for his stooges like the Kazak and the late and unlamented Ethiopian despots. There is a foundation set up to make sure Blair is tried for his crimes but that of course will not be by the ICC  that claims to have more important fish to fry or cats to whip in Africa. Why Blair? Because he still does condemnable damage to oppressed peoples and we cannot forget the crime against Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, the DRC, etc…

Helter Skelter. Not many people notice that Obama, as a Washington Post article revealed , has expelled more migrants from America than had done Bush junior in eight years. Actually, one wonders what promise this president has fulfilled or when will he just openly admit defeat and cry like Eisenhower at the Military Industrial Complex, the Israeli lobby or somebody.

To continue. An American family that had adopted an Ethiopian girl and boy severely beat them, starved them, kept them outside of the house and the girl, 13 years old Hannah, died as a result of the mistreatment.  Though the cruel parents have been found guilty Hannah was exhumed because of arguments on her age and , as the foreigners say,  to add insult to injury (we say goiter on  swollen ears) the adoptive parents lawyer did argue that “poor parenting technique is not a crime. The typical manipulation and misuse of words and the disregard for African lives. In fact, the criminals are the rulers in Ethiopia who are amassing millions from the adoption racket, selling children (most are not even orphansand a good example is Angelina Jolie’s Zahra) like cheap Samosas in the Merkato. Brother and sister have been separated to be sold to different parents in different countries and though I argued, tongue in cheek, that they, the foreigners, should adopt us all the plight of adopted children and those sold into modern slavery in racist Arab countries is indescribably bad.

Take the suffering of thousands of Ethiopian refugees in Yemen, on the border areas of Saudi Arabia, Djibouti and many other places. The khat crazed thugs calling themselves policemen and tribal chiefs have raped and murdered hundreds of our compatriots in Yemen. They spare not their own children, these criminals who hide behind antiquated customs. More than a quarter of Yemeni females are forcefully married off before they reach 15 and a bride of 8 called Rawan married off  or sold by her parents  to a 40 years old man in an area called Hardh died on her wedding night (September 2013) from injuries suffered in bed. It may not be fair to single out Yemen in this as child brides exist in Ethiopia and many other countries too but the cruelty shown to children and refugees highlights the level of depravity unto which extreme poverty (parents selling their children) and ignorance has led most people. Norway compounds the whole issue by claiming that it has “resumed” the deportation of Somali refugees back to Somalia. With most of the world not quite sure if a Somalia exists as such one wonders on the itinerary of the deportees at the same time as the Ethiopian press reports that one deported refugee from Kenya has died under torture in the notorious prisons of the Addis Abeba regime that Obama or Cameron have praised to the skies as democratic. With the party of mass murderer Breivik taking over power in Oslo it is proper to wonder if refugees in Norway or in “Fortress Europe” in general are headed towards a tragedy that would minimize all that has happened up to now

The ongoing, frenetic and also brutal neocolonization of Africa by China has spawned many serious problems and hilarious jokes on Chinese African relations and inter relationships. Chinese expansion has little conscience and even less soul. It is imperialism at its deceitful and hungriest. Africa’s wealth and resources are the source of misery to Africans (Eastern Congo is a glaring example) and of greed and competition to foreigners. With more and more countries depending on Africa from gold and diamond, to coltan to uranium, the fate of Africa does not cast a bright tomorrow. Especially, as the continent is gripped by tyrants selling their countries to the highest bidder and are experts at celebrating deception and slavery. The powers that be are convinced that a divided Africa would best insure their interests and thus they are backing murderous militias, ethnic based vagabonds and mercenary African ruling elites. Countries that cannot be controlled and subjugated are being droned and bombed to the Stone Age and the masses of people are bamboozled on all sides to give up their condition as fate or else take note of Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, and now Syria.

The attempt to laugh at all this and to claim our importance because they all covet us, they are not ignoring us, they want to finish us off, they still hate black or any other color but white and we matter because of all of this jars the victims and is often taken as sprinkling salt in to an open wound and Africa, for one, is surely wounded and full of gaping sores. Satire seems to hurt. Still others complain that to talk of our failings as Africans is to expose our dirty linen in public though this is pure ostrich politics hiding your head in the sand and hoping no one will see you or the problems will just fleet away. That gives no solace to Africa and impoverishes the condition of the aspiring satirist with enough optimism (yet) to defeat what some call Afro pessimism instead of critical consciousness. Gandhi and his ways were not popular in our continent and are not so now. Turning the other cheek leaves you without any cheek as we are not accustomed to see, expect or get any magnanimity ever. We saw none from colonialism, we got none from our compradors and traitorous rulers, absolutely zero from Western and Eastern imperialisms. The role of the eternal fool is not a comedy but an ultimate tragedy but it is played as a cruel farce especially in Africa, alas. Helter skelter, we move on, life asunder and hoping and struggling for a better tomorrow.

(Written on September 11, 2013 which was, as we take it slow in our calendar, Ethiopian New Year Meskerem 1, 2006).

By Tedla Asfaw

Recently numbers are “produced” discussing ethnicity and religion in Ethiopia  with no one checking facts. I heard Dr. Megersa on Oromo TV in Minnesota telling us  the “victims” of red and white terrors in Ethiopia Eighty percent of them  were “Oromos”. Eighty  percent of Ethiopian Muslims are “Oromos” according to the “book” of Jawar Mohamed. Where did they get  those numbers ? Journalists pick such figures and confuse the public. Both Megersa and Jawar are biased actors, their claim is not supported by local/Ethiopian as well as foreign historians.

Professor Fekadu Lemessa with whom most likely studied Agricultural Engineering in Alemaya/Haramya in 1980s has done his part to counter the numbers coming out from Minnesota.http://ecadforum.com/2013/07/29/fiction-and-facts-on-oromos-of-ethiopia/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ecadforum%2FHv. When it comes to red and white terror victims, there are studies and websites who compiled the names of the victims of the red terror. It is time to rebuke the claim of Dr.Megersa.

We are living in a fast information age where numbers are used rightly and wrongly. Numbers are used by anti Ethiopia elements  for “propaganda” to  divide  Ethiopians by ethnicity and religion, create tension according to the designers.They care less for the people they claim they are speaking on their behalf  because they are living sound and safe in the West with their own families and can not be impacted by their action.

In a civilized world there is always census every ten or so years to study communities where numbers are used to address legitimate issues. In poor and undemocratic country like Ethiopia where ethnicity is the force to rule by division journalists have to check their facts. 

Professor Fekadu Lemessa’s  “Oromo 101” helps  foreigners as well as locals/Ethiopians interested to educate and empower the people of Ethiopia, including Oromos.

Thanks,

Tedla Asfaw

Hama Tuma

I have always been fascinated by, to use an old term, the political economy of walks, their relationship with crimes and dangerous protest. l once wrote a short story on the case of the criminal walk in which one citizen crossed regional lines, called, Kilil in Ethiopia, and violated the pseudo Bantustan edict against walking in areas  and on streets that are not of your own ethnic group. The court labored long to identify what really constituted a criminal walk. And then a Ugandan opposition leader, a clever man to boot, called for a “walk to work” protest in the country where the majority (like the morning human deluge that comes out of the Kibera slum of Nairobi) did walk to work out of necessity. But, his call was deemed illegal and provocative and he was beaten and jailed for his effort. The walk baffles when its impact touches on the political.

And now has come the Trayvon walk which has led and may lead to more deaths. It require being black first and foremost. No menacing face required. Wearing a hoodie is an accessory that makes the walk slide to the realm of the criminal. As the court case against the killer (no need to mention his race) progressed, we came to learn that Trayvon was not walking  quickly as if he had just committed a crime or an offence but was walking slow as if he was about to. Now how slow and revealing was that particular walk that led to the death of the young Trayvon? Did he, under the cover of his hood and blackness, hoof it? Trudge and plod? Shamble and tip toe? Wobble and waddle? Slick and slink? Perambulate or swagger? Or lurch and wend? What pushed Zimmerman to kill, other than the rank prejudice that the jury that set him free refused to see? The judge gave us no insight at all in what made up the Trayvon walk thus increasing the anxiety of the parents of so many millions of potential Trayvons. Can Latinos do the walk? Can Ethiopians in the USA, of whom some imagine they are neither black nor white, be caught doing the Trayvon walk unawares?  So many questions.

Walk aside, the Trayvon case is notable for shining a light on the American justice system, strength and failings included. Obama, fresh after praising the Apartheid backing Bush senior, the massacre supporter from Bangladesh to Vietnam, the invader of Panama, the man who avoided shaking hands with Africans during his brief visit to the continent, as a man who contributed to make America healthier, better and what not, spoke of similar experiences he had had in the past. Though Obama is half black, but black skin wise, he said he was followed by guards in supermarkets. He must have read one of my own African Absurdities wailings on the matter because he also mentions old white ladies clutching their bags tight in the buses when they see a black fellow. Black as evil, as pernicious, threatening, criminal, and more—it is still out there despite Obama being elected president for two terms. Racism has more lives than the proverbial cat and the colour black is on top of the list of its victims. Reading a book called Impressing Whites, I was struck by the fact that Indians, who do not consider themselves black and are racist towards Africans, also suffer from racist prejudices because of their color and despite their exotic side(gurus, Hara Krishna, etc.) The Chinese are also racist as are Africans. The generalization is not unintended in this case. But, Trayvon was not killed by any of these (Chinese, Indian or African) and we are forced to raise the question what if the places have been reversed and Trayvon had shot and killed a hooded or not hooded Zimmerman? Would there have been a jury to set him free? That we do not have, to say the least, a certain and sure answer to this highlights the problem. For all that it mattered, Trayvon may have danced an Afrian spear wielders’ dance on the street as he walked home but he would have been shot at anyway. He courted death with his color (his parents are to blame actually for his blackness and we Africans whose ancestors allowed the slave trade to take place are also responsible), with his hoodie, timing and that walk that is alleged to have tweaked the alleged  self-defense or “stand your guard” (not mentioned by Zimmerman though) instincts of the killer. Zimmerman is now chubby, dressed conservatively, looking as the defender of the helpless white ladies old or young. There are by far too many Trayvon candidates in America at a time when the Malcolm Xs and Rap Browns are not that much in evidence and the Beyoncés and Jay Zs play at being militant.

Writing on Perspectives on Racism, Tracy Baker had the following to say:

“Racism in this country is, and I believe will always be, a permanent condition. It is a thread that was sewn into the very fiber of the American flag. When Betsy Ross sewed the first stitch of the flag that would represent a new country, Crispus Attucks had already died fighting for every man’s liberty–except his own. None other than the forty-first President of the United States, George Bush, Sr., was still practicing this racist tradition in 1991. On January 8, of that year that former President vetoed a Civil Rights Bill. Seven days later, on January 15–Dr. Martin Luther King’s official birthday holiday–Bush ordered the largest number of minority soldiers off to fight in a war. The fountain of this country is racism; its nature is racist, and sadly the one permanence that I can count on is racism”.

An exaggeration? Hardly, given the Trayvon murder and the setting free of his killer. As oppression is not an option and most African Americans are not the Rice variety the Trayvons, those dead or alive, will have their day of reckoning and real justice. That’s one other thing we can all count on.

By Yilma Bekele

That is exactly what I feel like now. Who died and left me with this burden is not clear to me but believe me I feel like I am all alone and it is up to me to carry the flag and sing the national anthem. This business of being an Ethiopian has never been easy but you would think with experience and practice I have gotten the hang of it. I am afraid I am hopeless in that department. I still feel the burden.

They say the environment shapes our behavior. I am not here to argue whether ‘nature’ or ‘nurture’ is the defining role in our development I will leave that to the scientists. Speaking for myself I believe the environment has played a big role in shaping who I am today. I am a transplanted Ethiopian who has been culturally shocked, mentally molded, philosophically tampered and forced to question realty on a daily basis. I have no idea how that central theme of being Ethiopian has managed to survive in all the thousands of ways my central core has been violently breached.

I have survived it all thanks to my family and that little town in Southern Ethiopia that imbued me with respect for elders, love for your neighbor and the beauty of leaving with different cultures in a mutually beneficial way.  Those values are what differentiate the beast from the human. I believe that upbringing gave me an advantage when later on in life I found myself in circumstances that I have never thought I would find myself in. I have confronted moving to Addis from my small town, crossing an ocean to come to America, being the object of curiosity in small town in Oregon and coming to terms in growing old in the US with that wisdom I learnt while growing up that says ‘it is not really that bad just deal with it.’

As I said I have dealt with most things in a calm collected manner. The one thing that is really causing me pain and agony is this business of defending my country Ethiopia. It feels to me,  mind you I might be mistaken, or a little touchy but it feels to me that every Hagos, Ketema, Kuma, Abdella, Betiso  etc. is dumping on me for crimes I have no idea I committed.

Well you my Ethiopian reader, can I call you that without offending you, any way you must be thinking why the heck am I telling you all this in the middle of summer? It is because a few things happened the last few days and I felt they were directed at me. Not personally you know but since I feel I am the last one standing it felt personal in a roundabout way.

The big momentous event was my dear friend Jawar declaring he is Oromo first and his Ethiopianess was imposed on him. I have no problem with that. In fact I believe Jawar is Oromo, Ethiopian and American. He has got choices. Which one he puts primary is all up to him. I also don’t know if being an American was imposed on him or he voluntarily filled up a form and swore allegiance to the star spangled banner. With this speech he seems to dig the hole a little deeper. He was heard equating Ethiopian Oromo Moslems with those in Somalia and Djibouti claiming it to be one and the same struggle. I am afraid his next Al Jazeera appearance he is going to have to answer the question are you Muslim first or Oromo first. Good luck my friend.

The only thing I have problem is his assumption of the role of a spokesman ship for the Oromo people of Ethiopia. As far as I know he has never been elected to any office. He has never been sent as a delegate by any group in present day Ethiopia to speak for them. He has not articulated their demands in a coherent manner, written books about their glorious history, interpreted the nuances of their culture or educated the rest of us about the Oromo condition. In other words other than others declaring him an up and coming young intellectual and him playing that role to the hilt he has not bothered to study, interpret, add on the history and role of the Oromo people in what we call Ethiopia. Of course I stand to be corrected if someone could present me with a proof showing Obbo Jawar’s vast contribution to the knowledge base of Oromo history, Oromo culture and Oromo Psychology.

In the You tube video being distributed he is addressing a gathering of Oromo Muslims. I am assuming he was invited as an analyst regarding the Ethiopian Moslem confrontation with the dictatorial regime taking place in our country.

How did our political analyst approach the challenge is a good question to ask. All I could say is he did not respect the sensibilities of his audience. He was confrontational. He was dismissive, he was arrogant and he was an extremist of the highest order. That is the impression I got after watching this Duche like sermon. From what I understand the Ethiopian Moslem issue is regarding state interference in their religion. It is not about political power, it is not about demonizing the rest that don’t have the same belief. Then why is the speaker turning this peaceful issue of respect into one of violent confrontation? Our Ethiopian Moslem leaders have done a splendid job of making friends with all Ethiopians regardless of religion and gone the extra mile not to antagonize anyone and succeeded beyond expectations. The rest of Ethiopia has embraced their quest for fair treatment and stood side by side with them. Why is our young intellectual turning this simple request for respect into a jihad?

Is it possible our dear friend Jawar grew up in Woyane Ethiopia thus his understanding of our common history derives from that perspective. It looks like he never bothered to scratch below the surface and learn if there is more. What is education for if not to answer vital questions in a rational and measured manner? What is the point of learning if not to pinpoint problems and look for answers that would bring not only lasting solutions but harmony? Why would anyone boast about cutting peoples necks off because they follow a different god?  Caught in the heat of the moment my young friend said that.

That was a week ago. Many people wrote their opinions about that.  That is the beauty of democracy. It is all about the individual’s right to speak and write what he thinks and others to respond. We all learn from the diverse views and the give and take. Some we reject off hand, some gives us a pause and a some really say what we believe and we go ‘I am not alone.’  So that is what I was doing when I came across this audio by Ato Abdi Fite on Ze Habesha.com.  It is presented in a rational manner but misses the point by a mile. It just does not seem to answer a very simple question that it itself asks. Who is us against them?

As far as I am concerned Ato Abdi Fite has locked himself into this small room and anybody outside is the enemy. Is that the way it is? What is the difference between the Oromo farmer, the Amhara peasant, the Tigrai laborer, the Adal pastoralist, the Ogaden herder, the Gambellan fisherman, the Dorze weaver etc.?  Aren’t they all victims of the system? Isn’t this what the struggle is all about? Can one be free while the rest stay in bondage? Shouldn’t we all work together to liberate them all so they could grow and prosper?

Ato Abdi was repeating himself so much I thought we were on a never ending loop. Just because something is said many times over does not make it turn out to be a factual statement. It is just false hood but told in twenty minutes instead of two. The central theme in his audio essay is to accuse the rest of Ethiopians ignoring the plight of his Oromo people. Does he have a leg to stand on?

Not really. When in the sixties the Ethiopian students confronted the Imperial regime their number one slogan was ‘land to the tiller.’ They did not specify Amhara, Oromo, Sidama, Tigrai etc. land but their demand was all inclusive. When they went out and established EPRP and other anti-dictatorship associations they did not think in terms of ethnic affiliation but a nationwide movement. Today the Diaspora which Ato Abdi is addressing, I don’t see any ethnic based successful movement working to get rid of the ethnic based TPLF that is tormenting our country and people. We have one voice that abhors ethnic division, avoids ethnic/religion divide and concentrates in uniting the many to get rid of the few troublemaker woyanes.

It is true we popularize some of the victims of the TPLF but that is a political move. We are aware there are thousands of Eskinders, Reyots, Wubshets, Bekeles, Abubakers but we mention those victims as a symbol for the many. We don’t even ask what ethnic group they belong to nor do we care.

Instead of telling us where we failed him I wish he would tell us where he called on us and we ignored his cry. Instead of accusing us of not paying attention to the Oromo question I wish he would tell us what he did to popularize the Oromo issue. In today’s Ethiopia the system is the problem. The solution is to unite all the victims in a democratic and equal association to smash the system and build a new one that respects their aspiration to be free, to be seen as equal and form a lasting union. Being a polarizing figure like the road taken by Meles Zenawi is not the way to go. Uniting people to work for a common solution they could all live with is the Mandela way and it is much preferable and lasting.

What I find troubling about our two Oromo operatives is their failure to see the futility of the treatment they are prescribing to resolve the ethnic divide in our country. The medicine they are ranting about has been administered by the OLF for the last forty years. What exactly has it achieved other than give a false sense of cure while the disease is causing untold damage to our people? With wisdom born from experience the present day OLF is in the process of revising their failed policy and searching for ways of working with others like them that are feeling the brunt of TPLF fire. That is what leadership is about.

Our young intellectuals seem to be gung ho about opening old wounds and reviving past mistakes. What is also surprising is their suicidal drive to offend the one friend they always have on their corner. I am referring to the progressive forces in the Diaspora that are working hard to expose the TPLF regime. The Diaspora is the most important and natural ally of the oppressed people of Ethiopia. There is not one Diaspora organization that opposes the right of the Oromo people to determine their future without undue interference from outsiders. We feel the liberation of the Oromo is the liberation of the Amhara, the Gurage, the Tigrai and all Ethiopians.

Timing is very important in political struggle. Today our country seems to be entering a new stage with the death of the dictator. The political parties are making good progress in wiping out fear from their constituents. We have broken the regimes strangle on mass media thanks to ESAT. It is a shame the ranting and a childish tantrum of a few is taking our eyes away from the prize. All I can say is grow up, coming up with bizarre talk trying to garner attention lasts a few days but in the end you have to live with yourself.   .

http://www.zehabesha.com/are-you-oromo-or-ethiopian-first/

By Yelfiwos Wondaya

It is well Known that the so-called Ethiopian constitution is framed by an ethnocentric dictatorial regime to serve its narrow purpose, so one would not expect to see it working for all parties on board, much less to preserve Ethiopia’s unity and territorial integrity intact. Although mentioned in the constitution still the TPLF is not willing to comply with its own rule of law. At will, though the TPLF undermines the basic substances mentioned in its own fake constitution one of which is a common platform in which both parties [the regime and the oppositions] could be able to build an agreement to settle a difference of opinion in a way that is acceptable to all. Worst of all, its constitution does not promote unity, equality, fraternity and social justice for all to take root in Ethiopia. So in this case, one would conclude that not merely a regime change or reform Per Se but a revolution that must be played out by the genuine parties and the public at large. Thus in order to turn the popular revolution into a success, one would also conclude that the objective condition at hand needs to acquire the following important continuities, a society that defies all orders from the current tyrant regime, unity, organization, leadership, and outside factors that would influence Ethiopians in a positive and uplifting ways.

Firstly, though Ethiopians openly resisted the regime in the past but the resistances were not conducted in a cohesive manner as a result have been crashed and suppressed by the regime one at a time. After all, “a house divided against itself cannot stand”.  Often times than not, however, students in Addis, Mekele, Jimma and other higher learning institutions were striking but not collectively in a cohesive manner, which is why also they did not get anywhere, and also Christian worshipers in Gondar, Muslims in Addis and then, the youths together with the general public came out in thousands to oppose the election result of 2005, during which time over 35 thousands people locked up in prison and were subjected to pain, and suffering from torture and continue to languishing in woyanes’ top-security prisons allover. At the same time, some 200 people were gun down by the regime’s police and secret agents and the rest had been chased, harassed and intimidated by non other than the agents themselves.  In unison, though there were about three million people came out in Addis to oppose the regime but were dispersed non other than by the so-called opposition leaders in 2005. currently, public resistances are qualitatively changing to the point where the public uprisings are routine in terms of testing the water and moving on to shove the regime.  The formidable movement of Ethiopian Muslims, the widespread uprisings of Ethiopian students both in colleges and high schools, the armed resistances in Gambella, Benishangule, Gondar, Afar,  the turmoil in Waldiba Geddam, the demonstrations that are taking place In addis, Gondar, Wello and elsewhere in the country are Ethiopian movements. 

Potentially though such pattern of events are positive indications for one to confirm that we have indeed a defying society in Ethiopia. With that in mind, Ethiopians have a reason to believe that there is a meeting place both for the public and the genuine political groupings to join forces and carry out a collective form of protest against the regime. And in due time, the said form of actions will set off a chain of events and shall bring about a full fledged revolution in Ethiopia.  Collectively though the revolution requires an effective leadership that can promote a pragmatic course of action in a bid to liberate the country from the yoke of tyranny.

Secondly, the question of leadership is vital. In order to mobilize the public and prepare forces for actions the movement requires a leadership, a leadership to frame and formulate slogans, tactics, catchphrases, and strategies that have an immediate impact on the movement. And also leadership is vital to coordinate the movements ahead and produce more leaders that would organize the ordinary people of cities, towns, and villages across the nation. Leaders of all ranks are also required to distribute fliers, leaflets and other promotional materials to their own respective regions and locals on a timely fashion. In such a way leaders of all ranks can control and coordinate various activates through out the nation. Once the question of leadership is resolved, the rest is possible to change the no-win situation around and move on to the next level where waging a pragmatic form of action is possible. And then again, move on to the next level where our superior moral truth dominates enemy’s position and brings about the downfall of our last few rivals in power. In short, the task of leadership is to coordinate, guide, and direct the revolution and further influence the youths and the elderly to join the protest against their common enemy the TPLF that is. So, at this critical time, an action oriented political entity capable of providing the public with an effective leadership is highly required to appear into the political arena in order to topple the current regime and rescue the victory on the horizon. Indeed, a leadership envisaging and contemplating a future ahead, a leadership that has a firm hold on the public’s imagination has to come forward to assume a new role of leadership to lead the revolution.

Thirdly, the question of unity is vital too. Although the task of leadership falls upon the entire organizations, coalitions and alliances it takes an initiative of individuals to determine whether or not the organizations function effectively, and upon their functioning depends on the determination and the commitment of members of different ranks and beyond. The society on the other hand is the sea in which individuals, organizations and associations are brought to shore. Together, all of whom are parts and parcels of the shore and of the wave of the sea in which more leaders will emerge from within to coordinate further the different functions and resources into a one pathway forward. In such a way, leaders could let numerous citizens involve at will and bring their contributions to the coherent form of action in place. Isn’t that a challenge for us all, and a test of time to preserve the genesis and the progression of our revolution and its success story ahead? After all, “United we stand divided we fall” unity is power! Unity together with firepower is even more vital to blow the enemy at hand. If not right, Might is absolutely essential for us to survive my fellow Ethiopians. In all fairness, might is the answer for an upper hand: as lips service is for an empty technique of rhetoric. “Actions speak louder than words” Taken as a whole, the popular insurrection of Ethiopian people is prone to generate more of pragmatic actions ahead. And then, the unity together with the said leadership would share a great deal of experiences with foreign movements that are already successful and what not, would carefully apply it in a ways it would help the movements go forward

Fourthly, the wind of change blowing from the North and the shock wave it sends toward the south may well have positive impact on Ethiopians’ situation as a whole. If not decisive, it is an encouraging factor for Ethiopians’ situation to get ahead of time and use it before hand to weaken our enemy. It also helps them feel emotionally and intellectually attached to the movement and their comrades in arm in a positive and uplifting ways, it helps leaders to utilize their natural talents and to convey optimism and send that down the line with a message that conveys strength and security for all on the ground. It indeed gives them morale boost especially, when they see that the opinions of the world powers are changed in favor of the winning situations in Tunisia, Egypt etc. Be that as it may, the groundbreaking revolution in Ethiopia is imminent although the current tyrant regime will try its best to appease it by massacring the people indiscriminately or what have you. Despite the pain and injuries its excessive force might have inflicted, the regime won’t make it this time. Much like those dictators in Tunisia, Egypt, etc, the current regime will lose grip of power and the reign of terror will be over once and for all.  The Tunisians and Egyptians have done it so will Ethiopians so long as they are determined in terms of moving forward in a full force to defend their human and constitutional rights in the open. And then, much like Egyptians and others, Ethiopians’ uprising will enjoy the support of democratic countries and international communities across the world. And then, the WOYANES’ deceptive and distorted information that had been systematically spreading to confuse the international community will be silenced at the end. For that to happen, the Mass Medias of all oppositions are expected to convey a coordinated message against regime’s press and get in the way to frustrate its tribal  military forces and agents on the ground as well. And then, the friendly press together with general public would make it clear even clearer to that of our defectors and collaborators not to taking side with the dying regime and more. Those false prophets aside, however, the foremost duty of all genuine Ethiopian political and civic organizations is to depose the TPLF/EPRDF and replace its ethnocentric regime with a democratic system of government. Clearly, this is the central theme as is a dividing wall separated us from the enemy. The TPLF/ EPRDF together with those fortified collaborators that are relentlessly reinforcing its political muscle must be condemned permanently to the fire of hell.

Lastly, we are at a time when we need to make our choices not only to condemn the regime but also to have the courage to defy and let the blast blew the dictator off! And of course, winning the war against all odds is the choices and the goals of moral forces as opposed to losers that are in battle for evil deeds. Victors Vs. losers. If there is anything in between of these two forces it should be nothing but belongs to those who are neglected and left in oblivion during the course of this watershed time in our history. History is in the making and the positive aspect of all this is that victory is inevitable so long as we are determined to keep on struggling in spite of obstacles and so long as the movement is led by an experienced and well competent leadership. In the aftermath, however, the said leadership will find itself in a position where the vast majority of the people are awaiting in the wings to cast their vote to it given that friendship is the product of privileged circumstances and authentic victories and hardly ever any enemy thereafter.

In conclusion, a competent leadership together with a defying society, unity, and organization is ultimately needed to make our national struggle a success in terms of changing the current ethnocentric philosophy together with his an ethnic oriented federal system. So much so, such continuities as competent leadership, a defying society, united forces and organizations will also be the resources to found some broadly based transitional government in Addis, which in turn, will frame a constitution that paves a way to broadly representative government, and allows parties of all persuasions to freely participate in the upcoming political system and equally permits different professional and civic associations, to join or choose political organizations of their own choices.

Enachenifalen!!

By Yilma Bekele

They say all kinds of bad stuff about us. It is said so many times and so often sometimes some of us start to believe the lie. That is always the problem with being lied to. I am sure by now Woyanes are drunk with their own silly propaganda. The situation with us is that they used to own the means of communication and we were their potted plants waiting to be told, lectured and abused to no end.

I have so many instances of this situation I just don’t know where to start. I believe 2005 is day one in recent Ethiopian history. From 1992 to 2005 were the golden years of Woyane where they could do nothing wrong. They could have declared black is white and no one would have challenged them. They held three elections before 2005 and trounced the so called opposition like a beach ball. The loyal opposition led by such luminaries as Dr. Beyene Petros were amenable in a fantastic manner and submitted without much fanfare.

It was the height of believing your own lie to hear the late dictator lament about the lack of a worthy opposition to challenge his TPLF mafia outfit. What is more our benefactor’s embassies were reporting that ‘there is no viable alternative to EPDRF.’ So our people lied low. You know how we operate. We flash that winning smile while in the back ground the brain is on overdrive to find a way out. That is what our people did in 2005.

In a closed door session with the foreigners Ato Meles was so sure of victory this is what he told them regarding his reason for allowing free discussion on his TV “That is why we were so generous in allocating airtime to the opposition. We wanted to give them a long enough rope for them to hang politically, by expressing their views in the ugliest form so that the people can see what they stand for…So as far as our rhetoric is concerned, we have said that they are the Interhamwe. Not because they will send the Tutsis back home, but the Tigrayans back home, normally on all fours.”

This is how much the TPLF was detached from reality. What did our people do? They annihilated the TPLF machine in every corner of our beautiful land. No worthy TPLF was left standing. Bereket Semon was knocked out, Aba Dulla was left for dead, Arkebe was humiliated and Meles Ashebari Zenawi was rendered mute. My best recollection is the letter to the editor to the Ethiopian Herald written by no other than the tyrant himself. Until today I believe that is the best insight into that murky criminal mind of the dear departed leader. I have a printed copy of that infamous letter hanging on my wall. In 2005 the Ethiopian people spoke loud and clear when given a chance. We proved them wrong in no uncertain ways.

Recently I read an editorial by the Ethiopian newspaper ‘The reporter’. Let me say first the Amharic version has a motto above the name and it says ‘Free press, Free thought and Free spirit.’  That motto is absent in the English version. I would think it would be easier to lie in a foreign language but I guess the Reporter thinks otherwise. They have no shame. Here is the title of the editorial ‘የኢትዮጵያ ሕዝብ ተቃዋሚዎችን እየታዘበ ነው’  According the ‘Fearless Reporter’ here in a nutshell is what the editor is preaching. The opposition claims the government is putting hurdles to keep them weak and the editorial says they in good faith cannot claim the government has helped, supported or encouraged the opposition. But the Reporter opines we do not think the government is responsible for the weakness and the problems of the opposition.

In the Reporters opinion ‘the opposition lacks resolve strength and good will and is not ready to sacrifice otherwise they would have been stronger.’  We believe the opposition is responsible for their weakness. The Reporter goes on to say plenty of nasty stuff about the opposition none of it worth repeating. The Reporter that practices what is called ‘yellow journalism’ and is the unofficial mouthpiece of the TPLF is one of those weapons that insistently peddles hate, fear, hopelessness and attempts to kill the spirit of Ethiopianism. I also believe the English version is written by someone with a second grade education.

Who else in his right mind would blame the victims that cannot even rent a meeting hall, that do not have a newspaper, that are denied airtime and cannot even raise funds to operate for being weak? The Ethiopian opposition has paid and is paying a heavy price for freedom. They hav e been hounded from their homes, fired from their jobs, their children denied schooling some murdered and the jails are full of our brave and resolute comrades in arms. You can see the shameless Reporter that does not even have an iota of honor and that lacks the moral capacity to pass any form of judgment on those that operate under a ruthless and criminal regime using precious paper to spread ignorance.

Despite what is being done to them, despite the power of the state that belittles their efforts 24/7 on national TV, Radio and rags like the Reporter the Ethiopian opposition is alive and well. There are ups and downs in this long journey. Today the torch of freedom is burning bright. We got a few choices that are steeled in the struggle and are raising the banner of hope. Semayawi Party is the new kid on the block. They are redefining the agenda. Despite the Reporters lamentations, the TPLF’s unending threats of dire consequences and the fear mongering by the old guard on June 2^nd the Ethiopians came out in droves to support their party. The young and old, men and women, Christian and Moslem regardless of ethnic affiliation all showed under the banner of freedom and democracy. They said it was impossible, cannot be done but we proved them all wrong.

The recent ESFNA’s 30^th. Celebration in Maryland is another occasion where we rose up to the challenge. They say we are one combative people. The rumor is we love to fight with each other, we don’t care to unite and we are always badmouthing our own people. They claim there is nothing on earth that will bring us together and we are one selfish people. It is supposed to be common knowledge that Abeshas are envious, uncooperative and hopeless. They say it and we repeat after them. After a certain time we reach a point where we start believing it ourselves. So we thought.

It is lucky for us that those that try to put us down and demoralize us start to be swayed by their own propaganda. Our clueless bandas believed their lies and organized a tournament to compete with ESFNA. They rented the best stadium there is, they bribed youngster from all over America with free ticket and free lodgings, they brought plane load of the nouveau rich from home and waited for the party to begin.  They really thought we would sell our soul for a fist full of dollars. They inadvertently gave us a stark choice. Money or country was on the table. The people spoke. You can always buy a few bandas like the Italians did but Ethiopia or death became the cry of the many. How many you asked? Over forty thousand and that was the capacity of the stadium. We might quarrel, we might have disagreements but when it comes to Ethiopia we are tight. How tight you ask? We don’t even allow a skinny Woyane to pass between us. We proved them wrong! Thank you ESFNA, thank you my brothers and sisters, I knew you will not let mother down. Prove them wrong is the battle cry. We shall overcome.

http://www.ethiopianreporter.com/index.php/editorial/item/2307-%E1%8B%A8%E1%8A%A2%E1%89%B5%E1%8B%AE%E1%8C%B5%E1%8B%AB-%E1%88%95%E1%8B%9D%E1%89%A5-%E1%89%B0%E1%89%83%E1%8B%8B%E1%88%9A%E1%8B%8E%E1%89%BD%E1%8A%95-%E1%8A%A5%E1%8B%A8%E1%89%B3%E1%8B%98%E1%89%A0-%E1%8A%90%E1%8B%8D

By Hama Tuma

Egyptians are a very romantic and humorous lot. Now that they have tasted some notion of western hypocritical democracy, they went ahead and elected a Moslem Brotherhood extremist as their president and within a year struck the street again to protest and prod the army to intervene and remove Morsi and to get the chance to play a Nasser-Sadat-Mubarek on the country once more. The West, which had sabotaged the results of a democratic election once before in Algeria to short-circuit Islamists and had advised Burundi’s Buoya to prepare for a rigging (he was over confident, was beaten by the Hutu Ndandaye and the Tutsi officers had to stage a coup, kill the elected and reestablish the status quo) has now made ambivalent statements about the Egyptian coup that wants to call itself a non-coup, a handsome coup, a people’s coup.

Political roadmaps by African (and Arab) military forces have most often spelled chaos and dictatorship and the lot of Egypt threatens to go along the same path of repression and civil conflict. The bloodshed has already begun. What was surprising, if not funny, was the reluctance to call the coup a coup. This is not totally new either. African coups have had the tendency to call themselves all names but the true one. Redemption, Accidental, Salvation, Restoration, people’s movement, and more—anything but a clear and firm assertion of ladies and gentlemen, this is coup! At the bottom of the Egyptian ongoing crisis is the hard and harsh fact that the powers that be at the regional international level are not at all ready to accept the sovereignty of the people. Kissinger was more blunt when he insulted the Chilean people of being foolish for electing the socialist Salvador Allende and went on to arrogantly declare if they are foolish with their destiny we are not expected to fold our arms and watch them do it. As we all know Allende was overthrown by a CIA sponsored coup and the butcher Pinochet brought to power. The right wingers were not as hypocritical as today’s self-declared democrats.

The popular Egyptian revolt was from the outset marred by foreign interference. Qatar and others in the region intervened to assure the takeover of power by the Islamists (as in Tunisia) while others tried to short circuit the struggle for democracy to serve their own interests. However, the election was not rigged and the unsavory Moslem Brotherhood and Morsi came to power with the support of the majority even if it was a tiny majority. The development did not amuse the West and all those who rile against Islamists. The same people who support Islamic extremists in Syria and invade other countries (Mali, Libya, etc.) to fight, as they claim, other Islamic extremists. Searching for logic and commons sense in American and western politics is becoming as difficult as finding democracy in troublesome Qatar. The fall out of the military and covert moves has been disastrous. The invasion of Libya has led to the instability and war in western Africa, the so called war against terror in East Africa has buttressed the tyrants and weakened the democratic opposition, Iraq is a mess, Afghanistan a calamity and Obama labeled the Drone Killer. Now, Egypt is added to the list of the chaos, with a legitimate government that, loathed or abhorred, was legitimate. The intervention of the army, even on the side of the people for now, is illegal. Morsi did turn out to be bad leader, repressive and sectarian but the Brotherhood had never been a shining symbol of democracy and tolerance. We could say Morsi cut short his own rope while he did get help to finish himself off from the quarters that detested and could not bear his victory.

The so called road map is not that inviting, the likes of Baradei unappealing. It is already very clear that Morsi’s followers are not going to accept his ouster. The Tahrir protesters are united in their determination to oust Morsi but are not on the same wavelength on what the democratic transition should entail. The confusion spells heightened civil conflict, repression and violence. The result of a democratic election has been negated in an undemocratic way. Once again the Egyptian military has stood in the way of a democratic process as Morsi, however detested by some part of the people, had won the election and should have finished his term. This is the essence of the matter and also the complexity of the issue. Are the majority and their decision to be respected? And who gave all those, local and foreign, who have a hand in the coup the right to derail the elected government? No party supported by a substantial part of the population can easily be wiped out by repression. The Moslem Brotherhood was victimized by Nasser, Sadat and Mubarek without losing its existence. Once again, it will use the martyr card to redeem itself and all this makes the outcome in Egypt very uncertain.

The army and the West are actually saying to the people: go ahead and vote for whomever you want but it better be the party we support with a politics we can stomach. The FIS in Algeria and the Morsis in Egypt are not, alas, halal. Obama recently said, in Tanzania, governments that stifle the free press, trample on due process and the rule of law, throw dissidents into jail, practice repression are dictatorships that America would not support. The regime in Ethiopia is a good example of tyranny but Obama is on record assisting it, hailing it and militarily cooperating with it. Hypocrisy. Morsi is, like the people in Ethiopia, a choice victim. The army intervention in the political process is to be condemned however much we dislike the politics of the Moslem Brotherhood and Morsi. It does not bode well and can only hope for the best for the Egyptian people who have had the courage and determination to sustain a long protest and to reconquer the fruit of their revolution.

Seid Hassan- Murray State University-USA

My own research as well as the research of other scholars show that the control of donor resources allowed the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), not only to consolidate political power that it seized in 1991, but also virtually penetrate the Ethiopian society at the grassroots level and expand its repressive and predatory tentacles.*

This paper also makes use of my ongoing studies regarding corruption in Ethiopia. The concluding part of the paper ties the corruptive practices of the TPLF/EPRDF when it was a liberation front (that is, the humanitarian aid-corruption nexus) with its current and similar activities (that is, the capture and misuse of development aid.) The paper exclusively focuses on the development aid -corruption nexus.

The paper uses theme-based cases (heavily donor-funded projects) in order to illustrate the captured nature of development aid and extent of corruption in the country. The theme-based cases used as examples of capture include corruption within the so-called Productive Safety Net Programs, privatization of state owned enterprises, trade mispricing and illicit financial outflows, the judicial system, resettlement and villagization programs, health extension programs and corruption within the primary and higher education expansion programs.

I use the concept of state capture (the highest and most intractable form of corruption) as a framework of reference to explain the predatory nature of the Ethiopian state. State capture is a form of grand corruption initially observed in post-communist countries evolving to captured-economies during their political and economic transitions. The concept gained traction after experts working for the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund described the phenomenon of corruption that was found in transition countries of Eastern and Central Europe and the former Soviet Union. The paper shows the Ethiopian corruption experience being a stronger form of the state capture that was observed in East and Central Europe and the former Soviet Union.

The paper establishes that, by creating opportunities to the highly organized groups and elites, donor aid has led to a legacy of corruption, maladministration, cruelty, brutality, money laundering and the establishment of a ruthless oligarchy in Ethiopia. I show that the type of corruption which has transpired in Ethiopia is the strongest and highest form of corruption known as State Capture. The paper documents how various powerful ethnic, social, personal, regional, political and economic groups in Ethiopia were able to extract rents and use it for their own political survival and hegemony. The case studies in the paper show the captured nature of the donor-funded projects by the ruling elites in Ethiopia and how those who are able to capture the foreign aid resources are using them as tools of control and repression. The work also shows how, when it comes to Ethiopia, donor aid has poisoned the wells with deep corruption and, by implication, the unholy alliance between donor aid and corruption and donor aid and tyranny.  In addition to foreign aid being used to finance repression, it has exacerbated the extent and level of the income gaps between the haves and the have-nots while at the same time increasing the vulnerabilities of the poor.  The increased level of rent-seeking that one finds in the country indicates that foreign aid has undermined governance in the country.

By exploring the heavy-handed use of development aid by the ruling party and the culpability of donors and aid agencies, the paper provides analytical support behind aid and corruption, aid and extraction of rents and the type of corruption that one finds in Ethiopia. The paper also shows that misusing and abusing of foreign aid by the TPLF/EPRDF is a learned behavior it acquired when it was a guerrilla force.

Taken together, therefore, both humanitarian aid and a large portion of development aid have exacerbated the already worse governance structures of the country. Despite the huge annual influx foreign aid (to the tune of $3.3 billion by 2009 and rising), life in Ethiopia has gotten worse, not better- with the poor getting poorer, income inequality worsening, citizens leaving their country in droves trying to escape the onslaught of poverty and oppression that has been aided and abetted by foreign aid and, close to 20 million Ethiopians still depending on foreign aid.  In short, all that foreign aid begot is absolute dictatorship, repression, kleptocracy, aid dependence. The paper inescapably concludes that development has been a curse and both Ethiopia and its people would have been better off without foreign aid than with it.

_______________________________

*           This short write-up is the synopsis of a much longer piece.  It is the second installment of the three (and possibly four) short blogs which are intended to introduce the reader to research papers published in Ee-JRIF, Volume 5, and No. 1. In particular, this short write-up summarizes the rather lengthy paper entitled as “Aid, Predation and State Capture: The Role of Development Aid in Fuelling Corruption and Undermining Governance: The Case of Ethiopia.” Those interested in reading the (non-technical) entire manuscript will definitely benefit from the extensive literature that I have used and incorporated in paper.

                This work is motivated in part by the studies and findings supporting the research and investigative findings made by Human Rights Watch (2010(a) & 2010(b),  2012(a) and 2012(b)), Epstein (2010), Hassan (2009), BBC (2011), Nigussa et al (2009), Bazezew (2012), Endale, Debalke (2012) and several others.

The specific article and six more articles are published in Ee-JRIF, Vo. 5, No. 1 (2013).

To access the journal and the articles, please follow this link: http://www.nesglobal.org/eejrif4/eejrif-v-5-1-13.php.

To access the Development Aid Corruption Nexus, please follow this link: http://nesglobal.org/eejrif4/index.php?journal=admin&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=102.

By Yilma Bekele

There was a half hour discussion on the Oromo issue in Ethiopia on Al Jazeera Television Network. It was one of those situations where you go ‘what just happened’ after an experience that leaves you confused and dumbfounded when it is over. As an Ethiopian I am familiar with the issue and as someone who was born and raised in Sidama I certainly have enough real experience to have a handle on the matter. Furthermore as an Ethiopian that has been exposed to the opinions presented by the OLF and other Oromo groups I thought this program will give me further insight to the grievances by the party’s concerned.

I am sad to say the discussion did not shine any new light on the issue, was not able to define the problem in a coherent manner and failed to present a solution that is well thought of and acceptable to all the parties involved. What is the point of appearing on a discussion program if the net result is to not being able to teach some, respond to difficult questions with rational and verifiable argument and show the world why your position is just and convince all peace loving people to support your cause.

I would like to say that the hosts of ‘The Stream’ show were very gracious and asked very important and probing questions and gave the participants plenty of opportunity to state their case. You can tell the interviewers were as confused as we the viewers based on the trend of their questions which was asking for specifics and some kind of solution as the program was coming to an end. In fact one of the hosts brought out her own experience belonging to a majority tribe in Nigeria trying to make sense of the confusing analysis made by the guests.

One thing for sure is that the subject is not an easy one to define and explain. What exactly is the Oromo question in our country is a good place to start. Some see it as a question of democracy and human right within the Ethiopian context. Others define it as a self-determination issue up to and including secession. We are talking about a new country with international boundary a flag and a seat in the UN.

I am not really well equipped to discuss the historical question as I have not versed myself in the issue to be able to give an in-depth analysis. I will leave that to historians. As a layman I am just interested by the arguments presented on this show and the end result achieved by the participation of my esteemed Ethiopian brethren whether they accept me as such or not.

What troubled me most was the wanton way statistics was thrown around, facts distorted to fit the argument and reality on the ground completely and absolutely ignored to make a feeble point. I am familiar with the way we Ethiopians use statistics. No one equals our current government with absolute disregard and unrivaled contempt to the science of statistics. It is with a straight face and somber look that they tell the whole world our economy is growing double digits and is the envy of every developing country. It is their cooked number and they are proud of it.

I was a little appalled when the same argument was brought out on ‘The Stream’ presentation. Here are some examples of the plethora of statistics thrown during the discussion – ‘there are twenty five thousand to thirty thousand Oromo political prisoners, nine out of ten political prisoners are Oromos jailed for speaking their language, in 2012 ninety thousand out of one hundred ten thousand (82%) refugees into Yemen were Oromos, Oromos contribute sixty to sixty five percent of Ethiopia’s GDP’ All I ask is credible citations for this pronouncements.

I am afraid I do not have direct experience under Meles/TPLF administration but most of the stuff that was said about our country during the Imperial era and the Derg regime does not seem to reflect the facts on the ground. We all agree there was national oppression in our country. We all understand the vast majority were marginalized and did not participate fully in the governance of their nation. On the other hand what we had was an old fashioned Imperial Kingdom that drew its legitimacy from tradition and the ‘will of God’. Logic says democracy and rule of law cannot be expected from such arrangement.

The military regime that followed with all credit due tried to right what was wrong in its own way. But due to its nature it did not succeed. Remember the Imperial regime failed by the sheer will and determination of the masses of people. The Derg circumvented the will of the people. Both systems failed because they did not fulfill the aspirations of their people. But we got to admit things did not stay the same as they were before. Claiming otherwise is a futile attempt to deny reality. The change brought about has not yet fulfilled our hopes. That is exactly why there is so much dissatisfaction in our country today. Our people deserve better is our general sentiment.

That is exactly why the host asked a very intelligent and deep question. She said ‘How do you see Ethiopia, how do you see Oromos reconciling so you all want Ethiopia rather than this major group, major ethnic group felling they have a lot of grievances –where do you go to now, what is the way forward?  This was the perfect opportunity for the guests to shine. To rise above the rhetoric, the blame game, the victim syndrome and use the program to be a teachable moment for their Oromo constituents and for the rest of Ethiopians. They failed miserably. Their purpose was to insistently talk about the past instead of what could be achieved in the future together with the rest of the oppressed masses of Ethiopia. They failed to recognize their dream is our dream, their liberation is our liberation and the future belongs to all of us together. It was a missed opportunity to help our people see beyond victimhood and paint a bright future in bold colors.

Our Ethiopian/Oromo guests were reluctant or unable to state what exactly they want but instead deluded the hosts with horror stories by traveling back in time and drawing a nightmarish Ethiopia of conquests, slavery and dark moments. You see the problem with that analysis is no country or nation on planet earth can claim immune from the untold horror stories that accompany nation building. China, Russia, France, England, USA, Brazil, Bolivia, South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia, Canada etc. etc. were all the outcome of conquest. It is not unique to our country. Just because the current Woyane regime intensifies the contradiction for its own narrow aims, just because they preach hate, just because they feed on our ignorance there is no reason we should repeat after them and take our country to hell.

Except for our northern cousins most of us in the south, center, east and west of our country are a very mixed blood people. We have lived together for eons, intermarried, and lived in harmony for a very long time. I remember when discussing lineage was frowned upon. The TPLF came and said everybody to your Kilil and a lot were unable to define themselves. Our Woyane masters were totally confused with this phenomenon. Twenty years into this game it is sad to see people singing the same old song.

Our guests seem to conveniently forget a certain part of history where the OLF leadership partnered with TPLF. The OLF was used by TPLF thugs to commit untold atrocity in certain parts of Ethiopia. The OLF leadership disarmed and abandoned their troops to be humiliated and massacred. We understand. We are the victims of TPLF policy too. We are familiar with ANDM that is betraying our people. We certainly recognize Bene Shangul Gumuz and SNNP that is carrying out ethnic cleansing fueled by TPLF, we are familiar with Afar and Gambela hired puppets that are displacing our brethren from their ancestral lands, we feel the pain of our Somali Ethiopians that are going thru hell on earth. All atrocities are committed by TPLF using local people as a front.

Well my friends, the Amhara and Tigrai peasant, the Oromo herder, the Afar pastoralist, the Sidama farmer, the Gambelan fisherman have one thing in common, they are all victims of a policy by the Tigrai based so called Ethiopian regime. It is only when these dispersed groups unite and challenge the heavily armed minority regime that real change can happen. This idea of confronting the enemy as bands of warriors is not going to work. This idea of going on a television program and reciting atrocities from hundred years back is a no brainer. It gives the speaker some tiny ego massage but it does the cause they stand for no good. It is a disservice to our people and a complete joke on our intelligence. We have come a long way, we have seen so much, we have experienced a lot and we should be treated with a little bit more respect.

On a recent lecture on crisis leadership, Nancy Koehn a Harvard Business school historian said what we need is wisdom, because ‘information …does not equal knowledge, and knowledge does not equal understanding, and understanding does not equal wisdom.’ It is not a good thing when some of our learned friends prey on the ignorance and weakness of our people to reduce grave problems into simplistic formulas of us against them. That road has been tried and it has not taken us anywhere. Leadership requires making the hard choices no mater unpopular. In the same lecture Professor Koehn quoted the novelist David Foster Wallace and his definition of leadership-‘effective leaders are individuals who help us overcome the limitations of our own selfishness and weakness and fears and get us to do harder, better, and more important things than we can get ourselves to do on our own’.

It is a beautiful definition and that is what is needed of those that aspire to be future leaders. Work hard to enhance our strength rather than magnify our weakness, strive to bring the best in us instead of catering to our worst instinct, show us the road to the Promised Land not dwell on what we left behind. It is never too late to change. We pray for change.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idvJozrs284

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhhnoK8yd3g&list=PL7fuyfNu8jfOYjG80JWTSIkRjsSHVAeTT&index=4

http://ecadforum.com/2013/06/26/an-ethiopian-walking-on-eggshells/

By: Hirut Mesfin

Bethlehem Abera is the much talked about Big Brother Africa contestant of 2013.    This beautiful, smart and astute girl was representative of Ethiopia in BBA house South Africa.  I don’t know what it takes to be elected as a contestant to the Big Brother house but listening to Betty explaining herself on Admas Radio; it is a pretty tough competition to say the least.  First, an on-line application followed by four different phases of selection; each phase, producing winners and losers just to be a contestant.  Our Betty won all those phases and made it to the BBA house.  This is an achievement that merits acknowledgement.  Good on you!

I must admit I never watched BBA   during its broadcasting.    I had an overdose of it when it first came to England.  Like millions of others I was hooked on it, any spare time was entirely dedicated to watching Big Brother so it was not something that interests me anymore.

However, this year BBA keeps popping up in conversations wherever I go around my circle of Ethiopian friends and family.   I keep hearing this Ethiopian girl and her Sierra Leonean mate with whom she had something going on so and so forth.   This was until I heard what she did live on television, apparently there were  other horrible scenes or  “acts” as she calls it;  nevertheless this one  scene was more than enough for me to understand what the whole thing is about.

When I did, all sorts of emotions were flying in my head.  One minute I feel they are acting but very bad at that, another minute I am asking why she needed to do it, and then I was annoyed that they did not exactly look an item, in fact they both looked disappointed after wards.  Whatever the truth, (Betty claims to be acting)!  What really upset me was  when she began slowly to move the sheet further down and gave the whole world the full Monty, what!  I could not believe my eyes.   Disgusting, nasty, cheap.  You name it; I screamed it all on the screen. Why did she do that  there was no need!

After the initial shock, I questioned my own emotion.  Why did I feel so angry?  I am not Betty, she does not represent me or my country then I realise of course she does.  May be not me but she represent our country and this is what our Betty decided to sell us as to the outside world.

The debate is raging all over the world.  As they say we live in a global village and nothing is hard to reach to a village gossip of global scale. Now she is finally booted out of the BBA house, Addis Admas Radio had managed to conduct a phone interview with Betty on the phone from South Africa.    The interviewer made a lot of effort to make her feel ashamed. Nop; not our Betty.  She is quite defiant about her behaviour on BBA.  She even has the audacity to blame her society’s lack of understanding as to what Big Brother is all about.  She also pointed out the lack of internet access in Ethiopia as the reason why her people misunderstood her. Really?  What has that got to do with how you chose to be shameless knowing you are going to be viewed by millions?  I get it.  What Betty means is we don’t understand that sex is not  taboo elsewhere.  So, on the process, showing total disregard to her country and her culture.  Betty clearly sees herself as a separate entity from her culture.     But is this possible.  Can any one of us see ourselves any different to the society from which we emerged? I don’t very much.   In another attempt to justify her action, Betty said she did what everybody is doing in private.    Her arrogance is staggering.

She went on to defend herself from this national anger that has engulfed her by pointing out why all the good things she taught her room mates about Ethiopia during her stay were never mentioned.  She repeated this question to the interviewer and demanded he asks his audience why this part was ignored.  Oh Betty,   It is not rocket science love; even if you conduct a live operation and saved a life and then you went on to show your vagina – as you just did,   it is the latter that would make it to the News – As you have just discovered!!!

So in the grand scheme of things, who is Betty?  A naïve beautiful young woman who did not realise what she has done or is she a reflection of the moral decline in our country hence shrewd enough to make a name for herself by whatever means necessary?    Let’s see why I raised these questions.    I have read this young woman has a BA in Biology, she has a job as an English teacher, and she appears confident and stunning.  So why on earth would someone who has so much going for her decided to sink so low?   A lot of people have come to the conclusion that is for money.  The winning prize is $300,000.   Betty denied this emphatically.

There are three things that I want to bring into this discussion.  Materialism, Individualism and Internationalism – all of which are features of Capitalism and I will try to emphasise and link it with the story here.     There has been huge wealth accumulation in the last twenty or so years in Ethiopia.  Many have become rich beyond their dreams.  Many more are left just salivating about what they see around them but overall, everyone wants to be rich instantly in today’s Ethiopia.   A lot of people want quick and easy money.  I am not talking about money for one needs or survival.   I am talking about in search of riches.  Women have been bought and sold for money so to speak.   That is liberal capitalism for you! Wealth does not just trickle down to the lower level of society through normal economic activities as they would like us to believe but evidently, through exploitation of one kind or another.

I can tell Betty had a good upbringing. She most likely comes from a middle class back ground, where her needs and wants were met and access to good education.  But, this does not appear to be enough.  She is also a product of globalised world; i.e.  Betty probably knows everything that happens in the US or any western city than those of us in it – such is the level of integration and awareness about Global culture in Ethiopia among the metropolitan, middle class, city dwellers.  All thanks to 24 hrs television and If one is as cleaver as Betty is, there is all sorts of other things that social media can provide. Therefore, she would be constantly fed who the celebrities in the west are, what they do and how they have acquired this and the other.  So here begins the idolisation of those who are faraway places and yet to the likes of Betty this   feels tantalisingly close.  Thanks to modern media.

All these things have a huge impact on the thinking and formation of individuals in any metropolitan city.  Betty’s appearance and behaviour here is not reflective of the culture or upbringing she has come from but the culture she idolises and identifies with.  She believes this sort of behaviour is the norm around those she believes are as enlightened as her.  In other words ( western).  This  what she buys, this  is what is sold to her.   You are wrong Betty.  Modesty is universal.  Selling your body in any form of sexual act may bring fame and money but it won’t earn you any respect anywhere!  This is a sad reality of the modern capitalist system.  Everything is up for sale.  Even your precious body is a commodity!!!

One has to listen to Betty’s interview to understand where I am coming from.  I am not judging her from the outset but based on her own explanation.   She pleaded that we watch what happens in the British or Aussie BB reality shows before judging her.  She claims worse things to have taken place and we Ethiopians are taking this out of proportion.  For your information Betty, No one before you has shown their private parts on BB to my knowledge.   Even if they did, so what, must you follow such degrading path?   Betty also try to teach us this is “acting” if so, such “acting” is not going to be shown in National Theatre is it Betty?“There is a name for this sort of “acting”.  It is called Pornography.

You have stated about your forthcoming photo shoots. Who knows, at the rate you are going, there is all sorts of possibility.   Once you show your bits, It is been known opportunities in films, modelling and advertising to have come knocking your door.  Our Betty is fully aware of that and ready to exploit it.   But I urge Betty to think again.  What has been done is done but I believe you are better than that.  My sisterly advice is, be assertive in the future.  Use this experience to bring something positive that does not involve taking your kit off.

There are thousands of Ethiopian women in exploitative situations be it in the Middle East or at home, they have no mouth or power  to defend themselves, you have.  You are an intelligent girl.     Why not use your abilities, qualities and your new found platform to bring positive changes to your sisters in need and your country in general.  Don’t get carried away by what you believe is the norm because it is not.  There are so many good things you can do that would bring you popularity in a positive and productive manner.

The writer can be reached: hirutfaj@hotmail.co.uk