The Total Domination of the Ethiopian Army by Ethnic Tigrean Officers

Ginbot 7 Report

Originally Posted May 30th, 2009
Since day one of its active political life, Ginbot 7 has repeatedly informed the international community that the ethnocentric political and economic policies of the TPLF regime are the primary sources of violence and instability in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa at large Despite the different masks that this crafty regime wears to dupe donor nations and other stakeholders, Ginbot 7 has delved deep into the inner workings of the TPLF regime and exposed the toxic ethnic policies that consumed the life of many Ethiopians, and forced many others to seek refuge in neighboring countries.
Unlike any other time in the nation’s history, a minority ethnic group that comprises no more than 6% of the total population (80 Million) controls the political, economic, and social life of 94% of the Ethiopian people. In the last month, the military intelligence wing of Ginbot 7 has uncovered vital information that substantiates its past claims that all high level military positions in the Ethiopian army are asymmetrically dominated by a minority ethnic group lead by the TPLF elite.)
Article 88, Sub Article 2 of the Ethiopian constitution states: “The State shall have the duty to respect the identity of the nations, nationalities and peoples and on the basis of this promote equality, unity and fraternity among them”. However, despite what the Constitution says, in the last 18 years, the political, social, and economic affairs of Ethiopia has been disproportionately controlled by a handful of Tigrean elites. For example, 93.5% of all key military positions in the Ethiopian National Defense Forces are occupied by ethnic Tigreans, far in excess of their 6% representation among the Ethiopian population.
Historically, the ethnic composition of the Ethiopian army was evenly distributed between the different ethnic groups. Besides, a military tradition of the Ethiopian Armed Forces which spans back through the nation’s long history was the ultimate example of a system based on meritocracy. However, under the TPLF regime, since the Ethiopian army is organized to defend the ruling party from the people, incompetent officers who are loyal and ethnically related to the ruling party elites occupy almost all key positions in the army.
In 1991, when the TPLF regime controlled Addis Ababa, economic development, political inclusion, and ethnic equality were its three very important promises that convinced the Ethiopian people to change their heart and give the incoming new regime the benefit of the doubt, despite all signs that TPLF was a party of one ethnic group. In fact, it wasn’t just the Ethiopian people that temporarily trusted the TPLF party; the entire free world that stood with the Ethiopian people during the dark days of communism trusted the minority TPLF regime as a vector of peace, equality, and democracy in Ethiopia.
Today, after 18 long years, the Ethiopian people and many in the free world realize that the guerrilla movement that took power preaching liberal democracy and free market economy is neither democratic nor capitalist.
In the past three weeks, Ginbot 7 has issued a plethora of press releases and public statements exposing the entrenched corruption of the TPLF regime, which includes political exclusiveness, nepotism, and absolute control of power. As it was clearly indicated in many of the public statements, ethnic favoritism and nepotism are rampant in every aspect of public life in Ethiopia, leading to deep disaffection and ethnic polarization in a nation packed with a large number of ethnic groups.
Ginbot 7 fully understands that when channeling multi million dollar aid packages to Ethiopia, the intention of donor nations is to finance economic development in Ethiopia and to feed its growing population. However, a good deal of the aid package is used by the regime for political purposes that neither benefits the poor nor stimulates economic development. The grave concern of Ginbot 7 and other Ethiopian progressive forces is not that the world is helping Ethiopia, but that these donor nations and international organizations do not hold the secretive TPLF regime accountable for the amount of aid it receives every year.
For the most part, donor nations do not have proper monitoring mechanisms that assess how aid funds are spent and who benefits from the expenditure. Obviously, donor nations and tax payers in donor countries do not want to see their funds used by dictators who deny freedom and justice to the very people to whom the aid is intended. Likewise, no democratic citizen of the world wants its hard earned money to go to a Third World country and be used to prop up a dictatorial regime that muffles free press and kills democratic movements. The message of Ginbot 7 to donor nations has always been to hold the TPLF regime accountable for its political and economic actions, and judge this authoritarian regime by applying the same moral standard used in the Ukraine, the former Yugoslavia, Kenya, and Zimbabwe.
The TPLF regime and its puppets have used the state propaganda machines internally and state funded news outlets internationally, to refute the human rights reports of well respected international organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the International Association of Journalists (IAJ) as well as the U.S. State Department.
The table below shows that the TPLF regime has a virtual monopoly over political power; and this monopoly is established among other things through the introduction of ethnic politics into the political process. In Ethiopia, ethnic politics is at the helm of the military and other civic organizations, which naturally are supposed to be politically neutral institutions. Ginbot 7 urges donor nations and other international aid agencies to pay particular attention to this overwhelming evidence and reconsider their policies towards a regime that benefits the few.

High Ranking Military Officials
Principal Defense Departments

No	Job Division	Name & Rank	Ethnic Group
1	Armed Forces Chief-of-Staff	General Smora Yenus	Tigre
2	Armed Forces Head of Training	Lt.General Tadesse Worde	Tigre
3	Head of Logistics	Lt.General Gezae Abera	Tigre
4	Head of Intelligence	Br. General Gebre Dela	Tigre
5	Armed Forces Head of Campaign	Major General Gebreegzher	Tigre
6	Armed Forces Head of Engineering	Lt.General Berhane Negash	Tigre
7	Chief of the Air Force	Chief of the Air Force	Tigre

Heads of the Nation’s four Military Commands

No	Job Division	Name & Rank	Ethnic Group
1	Central Command	General Abebaw Tadesse	Agew
2	Northern Command	Lt.General Saere Mekonene	Tigre
3	South Eastern Command	Lt.General Abraha Wolde	Tigre
4	Western Command	Br. General Seyoum Hagos	Tigre

Army Divisional Commanders
Central Command

No	Job Division	Name & Rank	Ethnic Group
1	31st Army Division	Colonel Tsegaye Marx	Tigre
2	33rd Army Division	Colonel Kidane	Tigre
3	35th Army Division	Colonel Misganaw Alemu	Tigre
4	24th Army Division	Colonel Work Aynu	Tigre
5	22nd Army Division	Colonel Dikul	Tigre
6	8th Mechanized Division	Colonel Jamal Mohammed	Tigre

Northern Command

No	Job Division	Name & Rank	Ethnic Group
1	14st Army Division	Colonel Wodi Antiru	Tigre
2	21st Army Division	Colonel Gueshi Gebre	Tigre
3	11th Army Division	Colonel Workidu	Tigre
4	25th Army Division	Colonel Tesfay Sahiel	Tigre
5	22nd Army Division	Colonel Teklay Klashin	Tigre
6	4th Mechanized Division	Colonel Hinsaw Giorgis	Tigre

South Eastern Command

No	Job Division	Name & Rank	Ethnic Group
1	19st Army Division	Colonel Wodi Guaae	Tigre
2	44st Army Division	Colonel Zewdu Tefera	Tigre
3	13th Army Division	Colonel Sherifo	Tigre
4	12th Army Division	Colonel Mulugeta Berhe	Tigre
5	32nd Army Division	Colonel Abraha Tselim	Tigre
6	6th Mechanized Division	Colonel G/Medhin Fekede	Tigre

Western Command

No	Job Division	Name & Rank	Ethnic Group
1	23rd Army Division	Colonel Wolde Belalom	Tigre
2	43rd Army Division	Colonel Wodi Abate	Tigre
3	26th Army Division	Colonel Mebrahtu	Tigre
4	7th Mechanized Division	Colonel Gebre Mariam	Tigre

Commanders in Different Defense Departments

No	Job Division	Name & Rank	Ethnic Group
1	Agazi Commando Division	B.General Mohammed Esha	Tigre
2	Addis Ababa & Surrounding Area Guard	Colonel Zenebe Amare	Tigre
3	Palace Guard	Colonel Gerensay	Tigre
4	Banking Guard	Colonel Hawaz Woldu	Tigre
5	Engineering College	Colonel Halefom Eggigu	Tigre
6	Military Health Science	B.General Tesfay Gidey	Tigre
7	Mulugeta Buli Technical College	Colonel Meleya Amare	Tigre
8	Resource Management College	Colonel Letay	Tigre
9	Siftana Command College	B.General Moges Haile	Tigre
10	Blaten Military Training Center	Colonel Salih Berihu	Tigre
11	Wourso Military Training Center	Colonel Negash Heluf	Tigre
12	Awash Arba Military Training Center	Colonel Muze	Tigre
13	Birr Valley Military Training Center	Colonel Negassie Shikortet	Tigre
14	Defense Administration Department	B.General Mehari Zewde	Tigre
15	Defense Aviation	B.General Kinfe Dagnew	Tigre
16	Defense Research and Study	B.General Halefom Chento	Tigre
17	Defense Justice Department	Colonel Askale	Tigre
18	Secretary of the Chief-of-Staff	Colonel Tsehaye Manjus	Tigre
19	Indoctrination Center	B.General Akale Asaye	Amhara
20	Communications Department	Colonel Sebbhat	Tigre
21	Foreign Relations Department	Colonel Hassene	Tigre
22	Special Forces Coordination Department	B.General Fisseha Manjus	Tigre
23	Operations Department	Colonel Wodi Tewk	Tigre
24	Planning, Readiness and Programming Department	Colonel Teklay Ashebir	Tigre
25	Defense Industries Coordination Department	Colonel Wodi Negash	Tigre
26	Defense Finance Department	Colonel Zewdu	Tigre
27	Defense Purchasing Department	Colonel Gedey	Tigre
28	Defense Budget Department	Ato/Mr. Berhane	Tigre

One of the most common and great truths of our time is that freedom requires international vigilance. The free people of the world cannot enjoy the full benefit of being free when the freedom of 80 million Ethiopians is egregiously violated by a regime that enjoys the full support of the free world. In Ethiopia, the TPLF regime has tossed out freedom and democracy at the crossroads. The problem in Ethiopia is not just the absence of democracy. The Ethiopian people suffer from persistent, systematic, and widespread human right violation. The TPLF regime continues to suppress dissenting opinions and maintains political control over the legal system. Arbitrary detentions, torture, ill-treatment of prisoners, and severe restrictions on freedom of expression are the most common types of abuses that the Ethiopian people face daily.

Ethiopia braces for anti-government protest

By KIRUBEL TADESSE  

---

AFP

Prime Minister of Ethiopia Hailemariam Desalegn.

Addis Ababa - Anti-government Muslims in Ethiopia on Monday called for mass demonstrations to be held on the religious day of Eid al-Fitr later this week to protest the arrests of 28 people on terror charges.

The calls followed a weekend of violence in which three people were killed after security forces clashed with what police labeled Muslim “extremists.”

Hundreds of people held rallies near mosques in the capital, Addis Ababa, and some regional towns on Friday and Saturday.

Police in the Oromia region said some protesters fired guns at police. The state news agency said all three killed were police officers and that 11 people were injured during the hours-long unrest. Muslim leaders, however, said that police stormed a peaceful protest and killed about a dozen people.

Some in Ethiopia's Muslim community - about one-third of the predominantly Christian nation - have been protesting alleged government interference in religious affairs for about two years.

The Muslim protesters accuse the government of unconstitutionally encouraging a moderate teaching of Islam called Al-Ahbash. Other protests have also turned violence in the past.

Rights groups and the U.S. Commission on Intentional Religious Freedom blame the government for the ongoing tensions with Muslims.

Most of the protest leaders are now behind bars and face terrorism charges. In December, 28 activists pleaded not guilty to the terror charges. The trial has since then continued behind closed doors with the press and family members denied access to the proceedings. Defense lawyers say the court is yet to deliver a verdict.

During the latest protests at the Grand Anwar mosque in the capital, some shouted slogans demanding the release of the activists.

“The illegal activities are being spearheaded by few Salafists who have been plotting terror attacks including the killings of religious scholars,” the country's federal police said in a statement. “The Ethiopian government and Ethiopian people will continue to work together to protect the peace and stability of the nation that enjoyed religious tolerance during its long history.”

Sapa-AP

Ethiopia sees Muslim anti-government violence during holy period; threats of protests on Eid

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Anti-government Muslims in Ethiopia on Monday called for mass demonstrations to be held on the religious day of Eid al-Fitr later this week to protest the arrests of 28 people on terror charges.
The calls followed a weekend of violence in which three people were killed after security forces clashed with what police labeled Muslim “extremists.”
Hundreds of people held rallies near mosques in the capital, Addis Ababa, and some regional towns on Friday and Saturday.
Police in the Oromia region said some protesters fired guns at police. The state news agency said all three killed were police officers and that 11 people were injured during the hours-long unrest. Muslim leaders, however, said that police stormed a peaceful protest and killed about a dozen people.
Some in Ethiopia’s Muslim community — about one-third of the predominantly Christian nation — have been protesting alleged government interference in religious affairs for about two years.
The Muslim protesters accuse the government of unconstitutionally encouraging a moderate teaching of Islam called Al-Ahbash. Other protests have also turned violence in the past.
Rights groups and the U.S. Commission on Intentional Religious Freedom blame the government for the ongoing tensions with Muslims.
Most of the protest leaders are now behind bars and face terrorism charges. In December, 28 activists pleaded not guilty to the terror charges. The trial has since then continued behind closed doors with the press and family members denied access to the proceedings. Defense lawyers say the court is yet to deliver a verdict.
During the latest protests at the Grand Anwar mosque in the capital, some shouted slogans demanding the release of the activists.
“The illegal activities are being spearheaded by few Salafists who have been plotting terror attacks including the killings of religious scholars,” the country’s federal police said in a statement. “The Ethiopian government and Ethiopian people will continue to work together to protect the peace and stability of the nation that enjoyed religious tolerance during its long history.”
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Ginbot 7: The same regime, another massacre

 Ginbot 7 press release
Ginbot 7 Movement for Justice, Freedom and Democracy

The TPLF dictatorial regime that indiscriminately killed more than 200 demonstrators in the aftermath of the infamous 2005 election has struck again killing more than 25 innocent demonstrators and wounding, assaulting, and rounding up thousands more. In a bizarre and disgraceful move, the same regime that claimed 99.6% electoral victory just a little more than three years ago, has  gone to the same precincts and localities and mercilessly killed the same people that it said – “The People have spoken”.
The abuse and the killing over the weekend targeted Muslim communities all over the nation who for the past 32 months have peacefully been demanding the regime to respect their constitutional right to worship.  According to eye witnesses, the heavy-handed attack that resembled a battle field planned operation took place in the town of Kofle about 275 km south of the capital, in Arsi zone of Oromia state. An elderly imam, a five year old child and four teens were among the dead in a killing spree that continued for two days and covered cities, towns, and villages across the nation.
Ethiopia and its tyrant rulers are not new to mass arrests and street massacres; in fact, Ethiopia arrests and kills its own citizens more than any other nation on earth. What’s new and difficult to comprehend is that, the killers in Ethiopia also enjoy one of the largest inflows of foreign aid in the world, and the killing of political disinters and peaceful demonstrators seems to increase as the amount of foreign aid to the killers increases. Ginbot 7, Movement for Justice, Freedom and Democracy condemns the recent mass killing in Ethiopia and holds the TPLF regime and its enables responsible for the innocent life lost.
The political impasse in Ethiopia has come to a dangerous crossroads where the minority regime cannot continue governing the nation without mass arrests and random killings. Ginbot 7 urges the international community, especially those who call themselves ‘defenders of freedom and democracy’ to not quietly watch when citizens in Ethiopian who practice their constitutional right get massacred by their own government.
Ginbot 7 re-affirms its commitment to the proud and courageous people of Ethiopia, and it also wants to use this opportunity to make a call to Muslim and Christian Ethiopians to stand together and show  the world that their 1600 years of peaceful co-existence will never be tarnished by the divide and rule policy of the TPLF regime.  The time to view and wage the struggle for freedom and justice across religious and ethnic lines has come, and it is now.
Together, we shall overcome!
Ginbot 7 Movement