Monday, April 8, 2013

የኢትዮጵያዉያን ሥደተኞች መከራ


ዓለም ያለዉ እያስላከ ሲከፍል፥ የሌለዉን አጋቾቹ ይደበድቡ፥ ይደፍሩት ገቡ።ኢትዮጵያዊዉ ዱላ መደፈሩን መቋቋም አቅቶት ሞተ።«ከሞተ በሕዋላ አስከሬኑን እኛን ባሰሩበት ክፍል ዉስጥ ተዉት፥ አስከሬኑ ከበሰበሰ በሕዋላ ትላትሎች ሲወሩት አዉጥተዉ እንድጥለዉ አስገደዱን» ይላል ትረፍ ያለዉ ኤርትራዊ።


08 04 13

የኢትዮጵያዉያን ሥደተኞች ሥቃይ-ሰቆቃ፥ ለዓለም አቀፍ የመብት ተሟጋቾ ድርጅቶች፥ ለርዳታ ሰጪ ተቋማትም ያለፍ አገደም ርዕሥ ነዉ።ለጋዜጠኞች በተለይም ለትላልቆቹ መገናኛ ዘዴዎች እንደ ሊቢያዉ ጦርነት የሐያሉን ዓለም ትኩረት ካልሳበ ከቁብ የሚገባ አይደለም።የደራሲዎች ብዕር፥ የፊልም አንሺዎች ካሜራ ቃኝቶታል፥ ግን ከወግ ማጣፈጪያነት አላለፈም።ለነሱ የዕለት ከዕለት ጩከት፥ ሥቃይ፥ ሲከፋም ሞት ነዉ።ሰሚ ያጣዉን የደካሞች ተደጋጋሚ፥ ደማቅ ጩኸት ላፍታ ዳግም እንስማ።አብራችሁኝ ቆዩ።

ዓለም፥ ሥለ ፍትሕ፥ ዲሞክራሲ፥ ሥለ ሰዉ እኩልነት፥ ሥለ መብት ነፃነት፥ ሥለ ሥደተኞች፥ ሥለ ጋዜጠኞች፥ ሥለ ሴቶች፥ ሥለ ሥደተኞች ሌላ ቀርቶ ሥለ ዉሻ-ድመቶች፥ ሥለ አሕያ-ፈረሰች፥ ደሕንነት የሚሟገቱ ዕልፍ-አዕላፍ ድርጅት፥ ተቋማት አሏት።

የኢትዮጵያዊቷ የቤት-ሠራተኛ ሸዋዬ ሞላ ሊቢያ ዉስጥ የተፈፀመባት ግፍ ከዓለም ጆሮ የደረሰዉ ግን ቀጣሪ፥ ደብዳቢ፥ ገራፊ፥ አሰቃይዎቿ ከዓለም ሐያላን ጋር ሲጋጩ እንጂ ዓለም የብዙ ጉዳይ ተከራካሪ ብዙ ድርጅት ተቋማት ሥላሏት አልነበረም።አሁንም የሐኒባል ቃዛፊ ባለቤት ኢትዮጵያዊቷን በማሰር፥ መደብደቧ፥ በፈላ ዉሐ ወይም ዘይት በማንጨርጨሯ በሕግ የጠየቀታት አካል ሥለመኖር አለመኖሩ እስካሁን የምናዉቀዉ የለም።
One of the seventy survivors of an incident where over forty others suffocated to death in a truck container, is treated in the regional hospital in the capital Dodoma, Tanzania Wednesday, June 27, 2012. An official in Tanzania says that 43 Ethiopian and Somali nationals suffocated in the truck they were being smuggled in and Tanzania's state television said the bodies were thrown off the truck and dumped in the bush after the driver of the truck realized some of the people he was smuggling had perished. (Foto:Khalfan Said/AP/dapd)
ታንዛኒያ፤ ከብረት ሰንዱቁ ሞት የተረፉ ኢትዮጵያዉያን


ያኔ ግን ምዕራባዉያን ያዘመቱት ጦር የኮሎኔል ሙዓመር ቃዛፊን ሥርዓት ማፍረሱ፥ቃዛፊና ታማኞቻቸዉን መግደሉ ለሸዋዬ የሥቃይ፥ ሰቆቃዋ መቃለል-ሰበብ፥ ከሞት ደጃፍ የመመለ- ምክንያት፥ ብሥራትም ጭምር ነበር።ሊቢያ የዘመተዉን የአሜሪካ-አዉሮጶችን ጦር አጅበዉ የዘመቱት የሐያል-ሐብታሙ ዓለም፥ ጋዜጠኞች ጉዳያቸዉ ባያደርጉት ኖሮ በሸዋዬ ላይ የተዋለዉን ግፍ ጉዳዬ የሚለዉ መገኘቱ ሲበዛ አጠራጣሪ ነበር።

ከቢቢሲ እስከ አል-ጀዚራ፥ ከሲኤን ኤን እስከ ፍራንስ 24፥ ከሮይተርስ እስከ አዣንስፍራንስ ፕረስ፥ ዓለም ሊቢያና ሊቢያ ብቻ የሆነች ያክል የቀድሞ ገዢዎችን ምግባር ከመኝታ አልጋቸዉ-እስከ መዝናኛ መጠጣቸዉ ሲነግሩን በኢትዮጵያዊቷ ላይ የተፈፀመዉን ግፍ ለየዘገባ ማዳመቂያቸዉ በመጠቀማቸዉ ቀጠሮች ዶላራቸዉን፥ የሞልታ ፖለቲከኞች የመኖሪያ ፍቃድ፥ሐኪም፥ ጠበቆቻቸዉን ይዘዉ ደረሱላት።

ጥቅምት ሁለት ሺሕ አራት እንደነገረችን።ሸዋዬ አስጠጊ፥ አካሚ፥ ተንከባካቢ፥ በማግኘቷ ዜና የተደሰተዉ ኢትዮጵያዊ፥ ለደስታ-እፎይታዉ ደርዝ ሳያበጅለት፥ የሊቢያዉን ጦርነት ሽሽት ወደ አዉሮጳ ለመሻገር ሲሞክሩ ሜድትራኒያን ባሕር ለሰመጡ ወገኖቹ ለቅሶ መቀመጥ ነበረበት።

የኢትዮጵያ፥የኤርትራ፥ የሶማሊያ ይሁን የሌላ አፍሪቃዊ ሐገር ስደተኛ ሰጥሞ መሞቱ፥በያኔዎቹ የሊቢያ አማፂያን መገደል፥ መገረፍ፥ መሰቃየቱ የግዙፎቹን የዓለም መገናኛ ዘዴዎች የዜናነት ሚዛን የሚደፋ ሥላልነበረ ችግረኞቹን የሚረዳ ቀርቶ፥ ችግራቸዉን የሰማ-ያወቀዉም ጥቂት ነዉ።

ሸዋዬን ሞልታ መግባቷ በተሰማ ሰሞን ወደ ማላዊ ይጓዝ በነበረ የጭነት መኪና የብረት ሰንዱቅ ኮንቴነር ዉስጥ ታጭቀዉ ከነበሩ ኢትዮጵያዉያን ስደተኞች የአርባ-አምስቱ አስከሬን መራገፉን ከብላንታየር ሰምተን ነበር።


Logo IOM Internationale Organisation für Migration
ኢትዮጵያዉያን ስደተኞች ባሕር ገብተዉ፥ በኮንቴይነር ታጭቀዉ፥ በረሐ ዉስጥ ሲጓዙ መስመጥ መሞታቸዉን ከሜድትራኒያን እስከ አደን ባሕረ-ሠላጤ፥ ከቦሳሶ እስከ ሲናይ፥ ከታንዛኒያ እስከ ደቡብ አፍሪቃ፥ በተደጋጋሚ ሰማነዉ።ጋዜጠኛ ግሩም ተክለ-ሐይማኖት ከየመን።የመሰደዱ ምክንያት እንደ ጋዜጠኛዉ ፖለቲካዊ፥ ወይም እንደ ሌሎቹ ምጣኔ ሐብታዊ ችግር ሊሆን ይችላል።የባሕር-ሐይቁ፥ የበረሐ፥የኮንቴኔሩ ሞት በ1997 ዘግናኝ ነበር።አሁንም ዘግናኝ ነዉ።ግን እብዙ ሥፍራ ይደጋገማል።ቀጥሏልም።

በአዉሮፕላን ወይም ባሕር፥ ሐይቅ፥ በረሐዉን አቋርጠዉ ከሊባኖስ እስከ ስዑዲ አረቢያ፥ በደረሱ ኢትዮጵያዉያን በጣሙን በሴት የቤት ሠራተኞች ላይ እንደሸዋዬ በፈላ ዉሐ-መቀቀል፥ አንዳዴ መሰየፍ፥ መታሰር፥ መደፈር፥ አነስ ሲል ከሥራ መባረር፥ ደሞዝ፥ መኖሪያ ፍቃድ መከልከልም የመን የሚገኙት ኢትዮጵያዊት ባለፈዉ ሳምንት እንደነገሩን ብዙ ጊዜ ሰማነዉ።


የእሱን አላማ ፍላጎት፥- ሥራ-ፍለጋ፥ እስራት፥ እንግልትን ሽሽት ብለን መገመት እንችል ይሆናል። ትክክለኛ ምክንያቱን ቀርቶ ሥም-አድራሻዉንም አናዉቅም።ግን አብሮት የነበረዉ ኤርትራዊ ብጤዉ ለአምንስቲ ኢንተርናሽናል እንደተናገረዉ አጋቾች በረሐ ላይ አስቀሩት።

ከሱዳን ወደ እስራኤል ሲጓዝ ወይም ገና ሱዳን ዉስጥ እያለ ሊሆን ይችላል።እሱንና የሱን ታሪክ የተናገረዉን ኤርትራዊ ከሎች ብጤዎቻቸዉ ጋር ታጣቂዎች አገቷቸዉ። ለየዘመድ-ወዳጆቻቸዉ ደዉለዉ ገንዘብ እንዲከፍሉ ጠየቋቸዉ።ያለዉ እያስላከ ሲከፍል፥ የሌለዉን አጋቾቹ ይደበድቡ፥ ይደፍሩት ገቡ።ኢትዮጵያዊዉ ዱላ መደፈሩን መቋቋም አቅቶት ሞተ።


«ከሞተ በሕዋላ አስከሬኑን እኛን ባሰሩበት ክፍል ዉስጥ ተዉት፥ አስከሬኑ ከበሰበሰ በሕዋላ ትላትሎች ሲወሩት አዉጥተዉ እንድጥለዉ አስገደዱን» ይላል ትረፍ ያለዉ ኤርትራዊ።በዓለም አቀፉ የመብት ተሟጋች ድርጅት በአምንስቲ ኢንተርናሽናል የኢትዮጵያና የኤርትራ ጉዳይ አጥኚ ክሌር ቤስተን እንደሚሉት ወደ ሱዳን በተሰደዱ ኤርትራዉንና ኢትዮጵያዉያን ላይ አዲሱ አይነት ግፍ መፈፀሙን ድርጅታቸዉ ከሰማ ሁለት ዓመግድም ሆነዉ።


«በተለይ ምሥራቃዊ ሱዳን ከሚገኘዉ ከሻግሬብ መጠለያ ጣቢያ ሥደተኞች እየታገቱ ወደ ግብፁ የሲናይ በረሐ መወሰዳቸዉንና የሚፈፀምባቸዉን ግፍ የሚገልፅ ዘገባ ለኛ መድረስ ከጀመረ ሁለት ዓመት ግድም ሆኖታል።የታጋቾቹ ቤተ-ሠቦች፥ ዘመድ ወዳጃቸዉን ለማስለቀቅ ገንዘብ እስኪልኩ ድረስ ወይም ጨርሶ ካላኩ አጋቾቹ ታጋቾቹን ያሰቃዩቸዋል።ይደበድቧቸዋል። ጋዝ እያርከፈከፉ ያቃጥሏቸዋል።በኤሌክትሪክ ንዝረት ያሰቃዩቸዋል።ወንዶችንም ሴቶችንም ይደፍሯቸዋል።የታጋቾቹን ሕይወት ለማዳን ቤተ-ሰባቸዉ ከሰላሳ-እስከ አርባ ሺሕ ዶላር መላክ አለበት።»

Beschreibung: Die Neuankömmlinge werden medizinisch versorgt. Die Hälfte aller Kinder unter 5Jahren sind unterernährt. 
Thema: 120.000 somalische Flüchtlinge harren in dem überfüllten Lager im Grenzgebiet von Äthiopien und Somalia aus.
Copyright: Schadomsky/DW
Aufnahmedatum: 16.08.2011
ሐራጥ ለሚገኙ ኢትዮጵያዉያን ይሕ ቅንጦት ነዉ
በምሥራቅ በኩልም ኢትዮጵያዊ ይሰደዳል።የኢትዮጵያን፥ የጅቡቲን፥ የሶማሊያን በረሐ፥በየበረሐዉ የሸመቁ ዘራፊ ታጣቂዎችን አልፎ፥ የባሕር ማዕበሉን አምልጦ የመን ሲደርስ «እሰዬዉ» ባሰኘ ነበር።ይሕ ግን ድሮ ቀረ ነዉ-የሚባል ነዉ።አሁንም።

የየመን በረሐን-ተሻግሮ ሳዑዲ አረቢያ ወይም ሌሎች የፋርስ በሕረ-ሠላጤ አካባቢ ሐገራት ከገባ ደግሞ አሮጌዉን ወይም የተለመደዉን አይነት ግፍ መጋፈጥ በርግጥ ግድ ነበረበት።ወይዘሮ ቤስተን ከሁለት ዓመት ወዲሕ ያሉትን ዓይነት ግፍም ዛሬ ለሚያዩ-ስደተኞች፥ ለሚሰሙታዛቢዎችም ያ-የድሮዉ ዓይነት ግፍ ለብዙዎች ሥቃይ-ሰቆቃነቱ ቀርቶ እንደ ጥሩ የሚታይ ነዉ።እሳቸዉ ሰነዓ ሆነዉ-ያዩ የሰሙትን ለመናገር ይከብዳቸዋል።

እሱ ግፉን ኖሮታል።

ጋዜጠኛዉ አይቶታል።

በኢትዮጵያ የዓለም የሥደተኞች ድርጅት (IOM) የመገናኛ ወይም የኮሙኒኬሽን ባለሙያ አቶ ደምሰዉ ብዙ ወርቅ እንደነገሩን ድርጅታቸዉ በስደተኞቹ ላይ የሚፈፀመዉን ግፍ ያዉቀዋል።አምንስቲ ኢንተርናሽናልም ያዉቀዋል።የተባበሩት መንግሥታት የስደተኞች መርጃ ኮሚሽነር UNHCRም ያዉቀዋል።ግን፥-ስደተኞቹ ይናገራሉ።
ዮርዳኖስ፥ ቱርክ እና ኢራቅ ለተሰደዱ ያዉም በየመጠለያዉ ጣቢያ ለሠፈሩ፥ የሶሪያ ተወላጆች መርጃ የአረብና የምዕራብ መንግሥት ከአንድ ቢሊዮን በላይ ዶላር ማዋጣታቸዉን ከሰማን ሰወስት ወር አልሞላዉም።ኢትዮጵያዉያኑ ስደተኞች ተመጣጣኝ ምግብ ቢጠይቁ ሊወቀሱ አይገባም።ግን አልጠየቁም።በክረምት ማሞቂያ፥ በበጋዉ ማቀዝቀዣ ቢያገኙ አይጠሉም። ግን አልጠየቁም።የጠየቁት ከሞት፥ ከሥቃይ አድኑን ነዉ።በመደብደብ፥ መሰቃየታቸዉ የቆሰሉት ሕክምና ነዉ።ይሕ ቢቀር ወደ ሐገራችን መልሱን ነዉ።

የIOM ባልደረባ እንደሚሉት ድርጅታቸዉ ለመርዳት የሚያዉለዉ በቂ ገንዘብ የለዉም።ስደተኞቹ እንደገና ይወቅሳሉ።መንግሥትን፥-


የኢትዮጵያ ዉጪ ጉዳይ ሚንስቴር ባለሥልጣናትን ለማነጋገር ሥልክ ደዉለን ነበር።«ይመለከታቸዋል» የተባሉ ባለሥልጣናትን ግን ልናገኝ አልቻልንም።ሥደተኞቹ ይወቅሳሉ።ኢትዮጵያዉያንን፥ከሁለት ዓመት በፊት ከኢትዮጵያ የሚሰደደዉ ወጣት ቁጥር በዓመት ከሐምሳ-እስከ ሥልሳ ሺሕ ይገመት ነበር።የሚፈፀመዉ ግፍ በሚሰቀጥጥ፥ በሚያስቆጭ፥ በሚቀፍበት ባሁኑ ወቅት በዓመት የሚሰደደዉ ኢትዮጵያዊ ወጣት ቁጥር ወደየመን ብቻ ከመቶ ሺሕ በልጧል።እና ስደቱም፥ ግፉም ብሷል። የስደተኛዉ የድረሱልኝ ጩኸትም አላባራም።ግን እስካሁን እንደ ሶሪያ፥ እንደ ሊቢያ፥ እንደ ኢራቆች የዓለም ዘዋሪ መንግሥታትን ቀርቶ የመገናኛ ዘዴዎችን ቀልብ እንኳን አልሳበም።ከወገኞቻቸዉ ጆር ግን ያቃጭላል።አቅም ያለዉ ወገንን ጆሮ ያጣ ሰቅጣጭ ዋይታ።ነጋሽ መሐመድነኝ ቸር ያሰማን።
ነጋሽ መሐመድ
አርያም ተክሌ

SMNE on the newly formed Oromo Democratic Front (ODF)

“Oromo Democratic Front (ODF) Declares Commitment to Work with Others towards a Democratic, Multi-national Ethiopia: Is this the Same “New Ethiopia” We in the SMNE Envision?”
I believe the ODF, and its new vision, could be part of the answer to the serious division among the Ethiopian opposition groups. This is a good beginning and worth applauding. During the meeting, ODF leadership clearly explained their objectives as advocates not only for the Oromo, but also for the “freedom and justice for all individuals and nations.” They explained that the change in focus was “motivated by the universal principle that struggling for justice for oneself alone without advocating justice for all could ultimately prove futile because ‘“injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”’
I do believe it is legitimate to protect the rights of your own ethnic people; exposing injustices and working towards the resolution of these grievances, especially in a country where no one speaks on behalf of others; however, we will know we have a much healthier society when we advocate for the rights of others and readily correct wrongs. These others can be from tiny subgroups of people or from large majority groups. They can be fellow members of our society that agree with us or those who dispute our positions. In a free society, those unlike us still deserve respect and equal rights. This is why it was so gratifying to hear Oromo leaders say they will not be speaking only for Oromo, but for everybody; and that from here on, the ODF will be a body that will work with others to bring lasting change to all Ethiopians.
Some in the audience challenged this new position. One man summed up the opinion of a number of attendees as they sought to better understand the change of direction. The man asked, “For the last 40 years, we’ve been told that Ethiopians in power were colonizers and imperialists and we have been dreaming about having our own country, but now you are saying we can work from within? Why the change the course we have been on?”
One of the leaders, Mr. Leenco Lata, respectfully explained, “I cannot preach what is unachievable. It cannot work in Ethiopia. If Oromia was to become a country, the entire region would be in chaos. Oromia is everywhere. What are you going to do with Gambella, Southern Nations and Benishangul?
It will be best to fix the country from within so we all have a democratic country in which to live. The Oromo don’t have to think like we are a victim or act like we are a minority. We are not a minority but a majority. We will not forget the historical chapter, but we have to start a new chapter where we work together with everybody to create an Ethiopia for everybody.”
This new ODF initiative is what was envisioned four years ago when the SMNE was established. Our history of having an Ethiopia for only one or a few tribes—while all the rest struggle—must be ended. The only Ethiopia that will bring sustainable peace and prosperity is one where the humanity of each and every person, regardless of any differences, is not only valued, but also cared for, nurtured and protected. One’s own freedom, justice and empowerment are only sustainable when the same is given to others for “no one is free until all are free.”
The widespread application of these principles will make Ethiopia a home rather than the prison described by the ODF that makes us hunger for personal and collective freedom. Lasting change requires much dialogue, acknowledging the grievances of other people, the restoration of justice, the empowerment of our citizens at every level and reconciliation. Our goal is not to defeat, crush or root out the enemy as was said during the Dergue, but we must work to find ways to transform our country.
Through such dialogue we can talk about why the majority of various ethnic groups will not end up having their particular language as one of the national languages of the country because we have over 80 different languages. In the case of the Oromo language, it makes strong sense that it becomes a second national language because forty million of our people speak it. English may become another of its languages. There are examples of some countries functioning well with more than one language, like Canada or Switzerland; however, it is important to keep in mind that language is meant to be an instrument to advance communication. Through dialogue we can find ways to figure this all out, including how to bring new inclusion to the minorities and to the marginalized—like Ethiopian women, the disabled, the uneducated and others whose voices must be included.
With respectful dialogue, we can find workable solutions to our differences and grievances rather than dividing the country or seeing other people as our enemies. This is the time to talk to each other rather than talking about each other. In the last 20 years the only thing we have done, which was also advanced by the TPLF/EPRDF, was for some Oromo to talk about the Amhara and what they have done and for some Amhara to talk about the Oromo, decrying them as refusing to let go of what Menelik had done to them. In other cases, some Ethiopians do not openly say it, but they discriminate against some they do not consider to be “real Ethiopians” by not giving them opportunity. The people of the Omo Valley are good examples of that discrimination. Fortunately, more of us are realizing that there is no 99% Ethiopian; but instead that every one of us is fully Ethiopian.
We also must realize that there is no ethnic group that cannot claim being oppressed at some time; however, the name “Ethiopia” and the flag of Ethiopia have never oppressed the people. It has been the few elite in power and the dictatorial systems they set up which have oppressed us. There is no “us” and “them” in this land for we are one people. There is no need to separate the country when we can solve our differences through a genuine dialogue. The ODF are now promising to do this.
From the very beginning, the SMNE has always sought to work with anyone and any group who honestly was willing to advance the betterment of humanity rather than using these principles disingenuously while holding onto a hidden agenda. As the ODF begins to advocate for all Ethiopians, they are “putting humanity before ethnicity” and endorsing the belief that sustainable freedom will never come to the Oromo until it comes to all Ethiopians. I enthusiastically commend them on a job well done and look forward to the fruit of this contribution. We in the SMNE will do whatever we can to work with them and hope that others, including the TPLF, will come to the realization that this is the only way forward that gives us all a future.
To accomplish these goals, we must acknowledge the historical past with its injustice towards different groups of people, but we must also look forward to building a better future. We should also be willing to give up something for a bigger cause. There is a price to be paid for a better future. It will cost us something which may include forgiveness, humility, compromise, and putting behind us some of our past grievances.
The Ethiopia we have now is not good for anyone; for example: the unemployment, the locking up of Oromo and many others, the displacement of the people like the Amhara and others from their land, the outflow of Ethiopian women to the Middle East as maids, the lack of a future with hope in Ethiopia which should make us think about why we are choosing to work as factions rather than together.We must ask why we are settling for so little when we could collaborate by doing our share rather than giving the burden to only a few. Together we could create a better country—more unified than divided, more livable than inhospitable and more caring about others than selfish about our own interests.

FinSpy in Ethiopia tricked users


Jonas Tameru on Finspy
Jonas Tameru
“Last week, media outlets, citing a briefing published by CitizenLab – an interdisciplinary laboratory based at the University of Toronto, Canada – widely reported an allegation that the Ethiopian government is using FinSpy malware.
FinSpy is a lawful interception malware developed and marketed by a British company, Gamma International, and is said to have the ability to “capture information from an infected computer, such as passwords and Skype calls, and send the information to a FinSpy command & control (C2) server.”
CitizenLab claimed that its research “strongly suggests” that Ethiopia is using FinSpy to intercept “political activists” by embedding the malware in images of officials from Ginbot-7, an organisation designated as terrorist by Ethiopian law.” Posted by Daniel Berhane
The above article was posted by a famous blogger in Addis, this week. It talks about the allegations made by Citizen Lab claiming that the Ethiopian government uses a malware called finspy to intercept the communication of political activists within and outside the country.
I am not here to discuss the technical ways used to do so, rather how inappropriate this action is from a government that claims to be free from dictatorship. In a democratic system, governments are cautious of intruding with the privacy of their citizens. This sort of offence in punishable by law in most countries that don’t follow a dictatorial form of leadership. Countries like China and Iran, who openly admit to their dictatorship, are the sort of countries that violate the public’s privacy to protect their authoritarian rule from harm’s way.
This is even further proof that the EPRDF is a regime of dictatorship that does not bend to the rules of democracy. Should not this government begin to act according to its claims? Should it not treat its citizens with the level of respect they deserve? We Ethiopians are not a herd of cattle that will be blindly driven by dictators to slaughter.
It is not clear what the government wishes to accomplish from the interceptions, but whatever they find it is almost certain that it will be used to convict the opposition as terrorists in the specially designed anti-terrorism law which is aimed at imprisoning opposition party officials. It is obvious that anyone who keeps mere contact with the opposition is subject to severe scrutiny and imprisonment, whether they are members of the opposition or just acquaintances.
If this is the idea of freedom and democracy, then what is oppression? What is the difference with the former Derg regime but just a change in the people who dictate? Ethiopia is heading to a dark future and we must stand together to prevent this from happening. Let’s think of the coming generations and what we are planning to leave behind when we pass on.
Tameru.jonas@gmail.com

Ethiopia delays terror case appeals

               (AFP) ADDIS ABABA — An Ethiopian court on Monday delayed again the appeal of blogger Eskinder Nega and opposition leader Andualem Arage, who were jailed last year for terror-related offences.
Eskinder and Andualem were among 24 people jailed in July 2012 on terror-related charges.
“The judges have requested further time to assess all the evidence and statements to make their decision,” said Andualem’s lawyer Debribew Temesgen.
Both men, who were present in court, are accused of having links to the outlawed opposition group Ginbot 7.
The ruling has been repeatedly delayed, with the next hearing due on May 2.
Eskinder was jailed for 18 years, while Andualem was sentenced to life.
Rights groups have called Ethiopia’s anti-terrorism legislation vague and accuse the government of using the law to stifle peaceful dissent.

Ethiopia’s Dictator Meles Foundation leaves activists angry

Prime Minister Zenawi suddenly passed awayADDIS ABABA: The launching of a new foundation in Ethiopia in honor of late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has left many activists in the country questioning the future of the country, arguing that dictators should not be given foundations in their name.
“This is horrible,” said Yussif Mohammad, a Muslim activist who was detained during Meles crackdown last year before he passed away. “I think this would be kind of like if Egypt would have a foundation for Hosni Mubarak. It would be unthinkable.”
In his opening address last month in launching the foundation, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn remembered the late PM as “exemplary leader in his unique leadership skills and flawless performance as chief of the executive” and added that “the establishment of the Foundation is deemed necessary as a thorough study of his life and his works and their implementation thus far is important to ensure the continuity of the renaissance of Ethiopia.”
Former First Lady, Azeb Mesfin, on the occasion noted that the Foundation will assist researchers interested to study Meles’s academic works through scholarships to ensure the continuity of the implementation of his vision.
The Meles Foundation aims to serve as a memorial of the prime minister’s great contribution in socio -economic issues, climate change negotiations and for his efforts aimed at ensuring peace and security of the continent among other things.
But activists like Mohammad told Bikyanews.com that this foundation continues the status quo and authoritarian nature of the Ethiopian government.
“We have fought for our rights over and over again, but now the foundation as a remembrance to a man who killed his own people and stifled freedom of speech is existing. It says a lot about where we are as a country.”
Source: Bikya News

Eskinder is a hero to the world but a villain to Meles Zenawi and his disciples

Right in Prison, Wrong on the Throne
by Alemayehu G. Mariam
Last April, I wrote a “Special Tribute to My Personal Hero Eskinder Nega”. In that tribute, I groped for words as I tried to describe this common Ethiopian man of uncommon valor, an ordinary journalist of extraordinary integrity and audacity.
Standing with Ethiopia's tenacious blogger, Eskinder Nega - CPJ blog
Eskinder Nega
Frankly, what could be said of a simple man of humility possessed of indomitable dignity? Eskinder Nega is a man who stood up to brutality with his gentle humanity. What could I really say of a gentleman of the utmost civility, nobility and authenticity who was jailed 8 times for loving liberty? What could I say of a man and his wife who defiantly defended press freedom in Ethiopia, even when they were both locked up in Meles Zenawi Prison just outside of the capital in Kality for 17 months! What could anybody say of a man, a woman and their child who sacrificed their liberties, their peace of mind, their futures and earthly possessions so that their countrymen, women and children could be free!?
Ethiopian journalist Eskinder Nega is a special kind of hero who fights with nothing more than ideas and the truth. He slays falsehoods with the sword of truth. He chases bad ideas with good ones. Armed only with a pen, Eskinder fights despair with hope; fear with courage; anger with reason; arrogance with humility; ignorance with knowledge; intolerance with forbearance; oppression with perseverance; doubt with trust and cruelty with compassion. Above all, Eskinder speaks truth to power and to those who abuse, misuse, overuse and are corrupted by power.
Now almost a year since I wrote my tribute, I remember my great friend and brother Eskinder Nega as he languishes in Meles Zenawi Prison. But I do not remember him in sadness or with heartache. No! No! I remember Eskinder in the hopeful, faith-filled and resolute words of American poet James Russell Lowell (“The Present Crisis”): “When a deed is done for Freedom, through the broad earth’s aching breast…/ Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide…/ In the strife of Truth with Falsehood, for the good or evil side… For Humanity sweeps onward: where to-day the martyr stands…/ Truth forever on the scaffold, wrong forever on the throne…/
Eskinder and his wife Serkalem did the right deed to defend the right of press freedom in Ethiopia. They spoke truth to falsehood in their newspapers and never backed down. They spoke right to wrong in kangaroo court. The man who tried for 20 years to right the wrongs of tyranny, today, like Lowell’s Truth, hangs on the scaffold in the belly of Meles Zenawi Prison, a place of “wrath and tears where the horror of the shade looms”, with his head bloodied but UNBOWED!
Last week, Birtukan Mideksa wrote an opinion piece for Al Jazeera urging the release of Eskinder Nega and other journalists including Reeyot Alemu (winner of the International Women’s Media Foundation 2012 Courage in Journalism Award) and Woubshet Taye (2012 Hellman/Hammett Grant Award) and all political prisoners in Ethiopia. Birtukan is the first female political party (Unity for Democracy and Justice) leader in Ethiopian history. Birtukan, like Eskinder, was the personal political prisoner of the late dictator Meles Zenawi. Meles personally ordered Birtukan’s arrest and on December 29, 2008, a year and half after he “pardoned” and released her from prison, he threw her back in jail without even the usual song and dance of kangaroo court. On January 9, 2010, Meles sent chills down the spines of reporters when he declared sadistically that “there will never be an agreement with anybody to release Birtukan. Ever. Full stop. That’s a dead issue.” On January 15, 2010, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention adopted an opinion finding that Birtukan Midekksa is a political prisoner.
It is heartwarming to read Birtukan’s moving and robustly principled defense of Eskinder Nega and the other Ethiopian journalists and political prisoners. It is also ironic that Eskinder should replace Birtukan as the foremost political prisoner in Ethiopia today.
Few can speak more authoritatively on the plight of Eskinder and all Ethiopian political prisoners than my great sister Birtukan who also spent years in in the belly of Meles Zenawi Prison, a substantial part of it in solitary confinement. In her Al Jazeera commentary she wrote:
My journey to become a political prisoner in Ethiopia began as a federal judge fighting to uphold the rule of law. Despite institutional challenges and even death threats, I hoped to use constitutional principles to ensure respect for basic rights… [Ethiopian] authorities have detained my friend Eskinder Nega eight times over his 20-year career as a journalist and publisher. After the 2005 elections, Eskinder and his wife – Serkalem Fasil – spent 17 months in prison. Pregnant at the time, Serkalem gave birth to a son despite her confinement and almost no pre-natal care. Banned from publishing after his release in 2007, Eskinder continued to write online. In early 2011, he began focusing particularly on the protest movements then sweeping North Africa and the Middle East. Eskinder, who does not belong to any political party because of a commitment to maintain his independence, offered a unique and incisive take on what those movements meant for the future of Ethiopia. Committed to the principle of non-violence, Eskinder repeatedly emphasised that any similar movements in Ethiopia would have to remain peaceful. Despite this, police briefly detained him and warned him that his writings had crossed the line and he could face prosecution. Then in September [14], 2011, the government made good on that threat. Authorities arrested Eskinder just days after he publicly criticised the use of anti-terror laws to stifle dissent. They held him without charge or access to an attorney for nearly two months. The government eventually charged Eskinder with terrorism and treason, sentencing him to 18 years in prison after a political trial. Unfortunately, Eskinder is not alone; independent journalists Woubshet Taye and Reeyot Alemu also face long prison terms on terrorism charges.
Eskinder is a hero to the world but a villain to Meles Zenawi and his disciples
Who really is Eskinder Nega? In Meles Zenawi’s kangaroo court, Eskinder has been judged a “terrorist”, a “public enemy”. In the court of world public opinion, Eskinder is celebrated as the undisputed champion and defender of press freedom.
When speaking of my brother Eskinder, I could be accused of exaggerating his virtues, hyperbolizing his singular contributions to press freedom in Ethiopia and overstating his importance to the cause of free expression throughout the world. Perhaps I am biased because I hold this great man in such high respect, honor and admiration. If I am guilty of bias, it is because seemingly in Ethiopia they have stopped making genuine heroes like Eskinder Nega, Woubeshet Taye, Anudalem Aragie, Temesgen Desalegn… and heroines like Birtukan Midekssa, Serkalem Fasil, Reeyot Alemu….
Let others more qualified and more eloquent than I speak of Eskinder Nega’s heroism, courage, fortitude, audacity and tenacity in the defense of press freedom.
On December 3, 2012, when Carl Bernstein (one of the two investigative journalists who exposed the Watergate scandal leading to the resignation of President Richard Nixon) read at a public forum Eskinder’s last blog before he was arrested, he said: