19 August 2002

Perhaps you could help me with a problem. Here I am in Ethiopia – where I was born – and yet, oddly, I have a national government that makes me wake up vomiting; local government officers and regional leaders so twisted their bodily fluids twirl around their interior plumbing like irritating children on aqua slides. And a rather nice and irreplaceable countryside, which are infested with spies for no reason by a federation of satanically greedy and ruthless politicians. They are of course, foreign agents and traitors. To be honest, I just don’t feel at home, not any more. I mean I really don’t understand where I live any more. And I do try. I have lived abroad, for many years and travelled a lot. I‘ve done a lot of praying too, believe it or not. Ethiopia was and still is my only world.

All the way through I have felt a bit of an outsider, as though I was just trying to make something of myself, with little help from families and friends. I suddenly felt as if a concrete refrigerator had dropped on me. It was appalling. We have a crisis, a huge crisis in Ethiopia. The whole thing has gone pear shaped. A very definite strategy of tension and threat are facing our nation. These murderers and traitors have taken their toll on Ethiopian tolerance. Probably it will take another generation to fix it if we are not united now and do something about it. We have given too much comfort to our enemies while busy fighting each other. We are on the brink of being more divided and invaded by Eritrea. They too are given a new lease of life to again suck Ethiopian wealth & control our affairs.

In Ethiopia, if we are not already totally an apartheid state, we are getting much, much closer to it. We are moving farther and farther away from the founding document of the state of Ethiopia. We are not just in danger of pulling a thread but we could be in danger of unravelling the whole thing. If we ignore or support Meles’s activities, we would be preparing to severe an arm and leg of the whole establishment and our history without considering what affect this would have. It could also mean the capitulating to the concept of a secular state. These perpetrators of grave acts continued to enjoy impunity. But this crisis has the capacity to wreck all things including them. We are a long, long way from what a democracy should expect after such a monumental violation of people’s rights.

We learnt that African nations had agreed “to raise standards of governance” and had committed themselves to “a peer-review mechanism” which “will provide an objective assessment” making it sound like an article offered for publication in Nature Magazine. In any case, fairly constant peer review has achieved little in Ethiopia. Everything else seems trivial by comparison. In Ethiopia while Meles sat chatting with his Ministers and Generals as insects smashed into the windows like drunken kamikaze pilots, the footling problems and nit-picking complaints of Ethiopians everywhere must have seemed hopelessly distant. Sadly we are fighting each other instead of our mutual enemies.

Meles is stuck well and truly at the scene of the worst crime of the century. The recent so-called “World Peace Council Award”, for which it was described by WPC as false and deceptive, put him right in the frame for political Wudja Cudja, a kind of trashy new game. The Prime Minister of Ethiopia has on many occasions proved himself to be skilful escapologist but it would take not only Houdini but also miracle to get out of this one.

They have tried to use these deceptions for political ends and to divert people’s attention from the recent blunders. I disapprove of all politics and all politicians who intentionally deceive their people and the whole world at large. I’m not going to stoop to argue his case on this matter as he’s not it would seem, averse to making a spectacle of himself.

While Meles Zenawi is a brutal and nasty dictator and one the world could do without, talk of regime change places unnecessary obstacles in the path of finding a peaceful solution to the current crisis. Meles’s ruthless and treacherous machine is set to completely destroy Ethiopia. His shameless-ness and self-interest has taken him beyond prejudice. He is in his own murky underworld.

So, to strongly criticize the current government of Ethiopia and support EDP who has clearly shown to be anti-ethnic politics and organised itself on multi-ethnic basis is not to attack the people of Ethiopia, and in particular the people of Tigrai. Despite malicious assaults by Radio stations like Netsanet and Hibret, Newspapers like Kokeb, Hawaria and individuals, I‘ve got great confidence in opposition parties like EDP and Civic organisations like Tigrean Solidarity (TISJD) who stood out clear and strong among others at this particular time.

They are doing a heck of a good job indeed and must be wholeheartedly supported financially and morally encouraged. The suggestion by some writers, Newspaper editors and Radio stations that we should not speak that truth, especially at a time like this, strikes me as bad politics and wrong in principle. This is an assault on real democracy too. These people really need to be exposed. We need to stand up, be counted and confront them. We need to stop those who incite hatred by fabricating malicious propagandas.

This struggle between the Ethiopian people and her enemies is at the heart of every major domestic issue of the past eleven years campaign and is still the central dynamic of politics in 2002. In my opinion piece, encouraging the upcoming political moderators and criticising the present regime are right and justified. We better are united. We need to strive to pursue honesty and integrity in the future Ethiopian administration. Otherwise, we will live to regret for the rest of our lives if we remove dictators and replace them with other dictators.

Therefore, why is it that some people are determined to attack people who are walking down the road to democracy? It is beyond my comprehension and belief. I am appalled too by those who oppose the principle of removing Meles Zenawi. Such people obviously have no brains nor have regard for the oppression that the Ethiopian people have had to endure for more than two decades at least – oppression unmatched anywhere in the world and a kind of treason that has never been seen in Ethiopian history. These people are worse than Meles himself.

The Ethiopian people will never surrender neither for Meles, any country nor wicked whispers. We are a peace loving nation as well as proud people who will never be defeated by traitors or our natural enemies. The report that Meles is terrorising the country using his foreign agents and some of his cronies inside cities and towns demonstrate how dispensable Ethiopian civilians are to him.

If opposition parties strongly challenge him, that will remove the fear from the Ethiopian people, and give them the confidence to turn against Meles’s loyal cronies, and confused troops who are led by the man who betrayed his native land Tigrai and Ethiopia, Samora Yenus. Not only that but also it is alleged that some parties like EPRP, Radio stations like Netsanet and Hibret, Newspapers like Kokeb, Hawaria, and individuals are doing their best to destroy themselves and in particular EDP in full public view – with a fitful, but enjoyable sequel.

Oh God! Mr Abraham Yayeh is back too. As one Ethiopian put it, Abraham Yayeh is “a common criminal, a tribalist and a Shaebian agent who is spilling blood around.” It was also alleged that the incredible Abraham Yayeh was back in Eritrea working as a loyal servant and undercover agent for President Isaias. If that was true, then what the hell is he campaigning for and dreams to do to Ethiopia again? If that is so too, how come an Ethiopian Radio station support him and campaign on his behalf while also attacking pan Ethiopian opposition party like EDP? “The mischievous of these poisonous rats who are lurking in our litter” and their supporters must be challenged and be stopped. Period! We don’t need political prostitutes of the worst kinds and the cheapest too.

Once again, the old and rotten motifs are on display, vicious attacks on one another, profound disagreements, on the way forward in a desperate fear of future electoral oblivion. Furthermore, clearing squabbling children out of EDP was the right action hence should not be used as propaganda by EPRDF and EPRP to undermine the EDP leaders. These ex-party apparatchiks are now back from the dead to be used by the government and EDP opponents to fabricate allegations against EDP leaders at a time when their ex-colleague Ato Tamirat Tarekegn has just escaped an assassin. They are used for the assassins cover up.

It is shame and inhumane for Aiga Web Site too, to post Addis Zemen’s report about these individual’s malicious allegations. None of these huffing & puffing helps much. The disaffected have apparently shared their collective panic at the seemingly residency of political rock bottom. The EDP and the polls that refuse to budge worry them, stubbornly holding them at almost 0%. Their plan looks mere fantasy. They live in “a fantasy world that never existed and never will.”

The politically retarded and old-fashioned leaders of these political groups, broadcasters and editors including Addis Zemen seem obsessed with the ethnic minorities and power. As Elias Kifle put it in his recent article “EPRP gives TPLF assassins political cover”, EPRP should really tell us their leaders, political agendas and compete openly in public. The people of Ethiopia have been through a lot of things for the past 30 years at least hence can no longer be fooled by some bureaucratic rhetoric, unfounded gossips and malicious allegations against the true democratic forces and patriotic individuals. They will never support those bloodthirsty warmongers. Their false and threatening tactics will never work.

They must also understand that a lot of water has gone under the bridge since these parties went out of action. Therefore, it is sad to say that these very old parties have become “political pariahs”; short on talent or anything else that might make them attractive to voters and newly formed political parties like EDP, civil organisations like Tigrean International Solidarity (TISJD) and others.

The hard truth is most of them wasted their times waging war of words and advocating armed struggle to depose the king, then overthrow Mengistu and now topple Meles using out of date strategies. Unfortunately it is more than a decade now but they have made little progress. They failed to learn from their mistakes and failures too. Their attack on the previous and present governments and now on EDP had two clear prongs. The first is that the parties have erred by fretting about style rather than substance, trying to change their tone of voice rather than what they say, in a voice dripping with derision: “This is the lip gloss and botox strategy – trying to make themselves look nice” instead of getting the heart of the matter, fighting Meles and his cronies on the battleground of philosophy and principle. Why are these politicians really a breed apart for the same cause?

So far they have mistaken the government’s entire rule and EDP’s peaceful and anti-ethnic strategy for mere opportunism and jealousy. That is “a huge error.” Nevertheless, these parties didn’t lose all the arguments but they stopped making it public and openly fight for it like EDP. Otherwise, it is no good to hide and live in murky underworld and tries to force their way onto EDP’s successful and fast bandwagon. Respect and loyalty can never be demanded but must be earned.

So the fact that talks such as this bubbling and accusations between opposition parties and others should be good news for Meles. He is, of course want clear blue water between him and the opposition plus the divisions hence the recent squabbles in the opposition circle has provided bucket loads of it for Meles and his regime. It is sad but Meles and his cronies must be laughing their soaks off. What do we really want? Let Dictators and Traitors destroy Ethiopia? Never!

Before I conclude this issue, I would like to say this: We have a beautiful country blessed by God, which, thankfully, is more varied ethnically and religiously, far more vibrant and tolerant society despite all the injustices and bigotries of our leaders. We have the best history too. Now is the time for “social democratic moment and movement.” It is the last chance we have in our hands to save the starved, humiliated, oppressed people of our country and mother Ethiopia from the death penalty. “The worst insult to the oppressed is to forget them.” Hence we should not let this moment pass. For now at least we should know what would happen to our people and our country if we fail. God Have Mercy On All Of Us!

Meles Zenawi has tried running away from the truth and fought back with deceptions and forces but the scraps have got nastier and the wounds deeper. And yet we seemed to have failed to capitalize on his weaknesses and blunders and chose to be engaged on trivial issues and fight one another. To make the matter worse, opposition parties, web sites, broadcasters are divided too. All are of course pretending to remove Meles Zenawi & his regime from power. But it looked to me that most are more interested to gain power. For heaven’s sake let us put the guns down, forget about stupid power and strive to save Ethiopia first.

Meles the dictator and the traitor has started dumping innocent and Young Street kids in a dark forest and ordered the evacuation of the poor and the homeless. The harm done to the young and vulnerable people of our country fill us all with a deep sense of shame and sadness. He is indeed an evil, a very dangerous Prime Minister, a compulsive worrier and, to be honest, there is plenty more to worry about. He has also appeared to be complacent about the charges he will face in future for being a traitor and a war criminal. But we will do everything in our power to bring him to justice and be punished for his sins. We will chase him to the end of his life and corner of the earth to make him pay for the sufferings he inflicted on our people and the dignity of Mother Ethiopia.

Despite some writer’s and the regimes efforts, they will not get away with these ones. Now they are in the process of rushing legislations through to finalize the sales of Assab, Badme and the rest. God knows what will happen to our country next. I suspect him and his regime of honesty, at any rate by political standards. It is also alleged that many military personnel were humiliated, insulted, tortured, killed and their families been abused when few loyal soldiers to Meles, were secretly decorated with medals and ranks. Thousands have been thrown to the streets too. Others like Major Desta fled the country. Hence no stretch of the imagination would make them want to defend Meles if violence breaks out which of course will be against the wishes of the majority of the Ethiopian people.

Meles Zenawi’s ruthless pursuit of power is nothing new. From the period he was elected to be TPLF boss to the recent massacres of innocent and peaceful demonstrators in Awassa, other places and the current reign of terror, he has demonstrated a messianic belief in his own leadership. That has led to the crushing of his long time trusted colleagues, political opposition and the collapse of the economy, despite Dr. Solomon Enquai’s false statistics in his recent article on Hmbasha Web Site. Silttan Yetemarewunim Wushetam Denkkoro Yadergal Ende?

He tried to fool us saying “this government-achieved growth unparalleled in history” at a time when eight million people are starving because of draught, shattered economy, shortage of food and poor administration. As some reliable observers confirmed too, we are as poor as 20 years ago. So why did this Doctor tell us fibs? After reading his scribbles, it was true that “it is not the degree that makes a man great; it is the man that makes the degree great.” Nicolo Machiavelli.

Can the Doctor tell us the truth, the whole truth but nothing but the truth for a change? Can he write about the famine, the menace, the Aids, the homeless, the abandoned children, the draught, the ethnic clashes, the imprisoned, the TPLF split and above all the traitorous activities his government is engaged in?

Now in a fiendish twist to tale, Meles and his cronies like Doctor Solomon are using the second to complete the first. As with the killings of the Oromos, the hounding of the Tigrai people and the Movement of Democratic Change in our country, the Prime Minister is showing no compunction in turning the organs of state against his fellow countrymen. The response of the outside world to the tightening of Mr Zenawi’s tyranny has been slow and ineffective. In fact I dare to say is totally ignored. The reluctance of African leaders to criticise Meles shows too how corrupt and backward the continent is in real democracy.

Perhaps something definite and damning thing will be unearthed soon about his secret dealings with Shaebia and America regarding the independence of Eritrea and Assab, which is about to become American Military Base. But let us give him the benefit of the doubt. Shall we? I would also like to congratulate AAPO that had the wisdom and the courage to be transformed into AEUP and urge OLF, TPLF and other Liberation Fronts to follow suite. I also fully agree with Teketel Hailemariam’s recent suggestion in his article “Prospect for the Union of Non-Ethnic Democratic Forces” that TISJD and others should form “a United Party.” As the matter of fact, I was going to suggest that in another article therefore, strongly feel it is time that they should strengthen Ethiopian unity. I would like to also say “HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO TIGREAN SOLIDARITY”

Finally I say that Ethiopians in the Diaspora knows all too well the treason and cruelty of the Ethiopian regime. The famine, the killer diseases, the draught, the rounding-up of street children, evacuation of the homeless, the assassination attempt on EDP’s Ato Tamirat Tarekegn, food crisis which are making our people starve and die in millions. We know that we are as poor as 20 years ago too. But we are powerless to bring immediate solutions but we pray that God will give the Ethiopian people the strength to face each day that lies ahead. Amen!

United We Stand, Divided We Fall !

Long Live Mother Ethiopia !!

PS: Because of my strong opposition against the present government, some pretenders, Meles supporters and those who have suspicious minds have accused me for using strong languages to attack Meles and his cronies. I had also received an overwhelming support, from patriotic Ethiopians for which I was very grateful. I really found purpose and meaning in your kind responses. Furthermore, I have a free mind blessed to be free of any prejudice. Hence I always speak out my mind. I thank God for that.

Also because of my regular/weekly publications on the Internet, some people are confused whether I write from a party political point of view or not, instead of appreciating my contributions and take note of my messages. They have breached my democratic rights and gave me all sorts of names like Super Ethiopian, Arbegna etc. They even thought I am doing these simply to be recognized as a Statesman.

I am open to genuine and constructive criticisms at any time but could not tolerate personal abuses hence responded in a very harsh way. They made an ass of themselves and paid the penalty. From now on though, there is no need for me to wrestle with every Tom, Dick and Harry that comes along to waste my time. They are Messengers of the Devil hence been urged by supporters to ignore them and concentrate on my writings.

For the patriotic Ethiopians I say this: I support all political parties, Civic organizations and individuals that genuinely advance Ethiopian unity and cause. But I have never been a member of any Ethiopian Political Party nor want to be a Statesman. But I have much to offer and serve Ethiopia hence is only trying to give some to my people and to my country. It is only a moral obligation for the love of Mother Ethiopia, my Ethiopian brothers and sisters. Nothing else! Now go & get ready for my next article. I thank you.