By Fasil Girma Aragaw,
Ethiopian journalists have come to expect the worst from our government.
One of the world's most hostile governments to an independent press, it has jailed friends and colleagues, forced them to leave the country and unjustly branded them as terrorists or enemies of the state for doing their jobs. But until now we have at least been able to count on the moral support of fellow journalists, media organizations and others opposed to injustice.
That has been changed by the deeply disappointing decision of the African Media Initiative (AMI) to hold its annual convention, the African Media Leaders' Forum, in Addis Ababa this year. Far from helping to improve Ethiopia's media environment, as suggested by the AMI's chief executive, Amadou Mahtar Ba, this move will instead embolden the government in its ongoing war against the press.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 49 Ethiopian journalists have been forced into exile since 2007. Nine of our colleagues languish in prison, making the country the second worst jailer of journalists in Africa after Eritrea.
Just last year, the government forced the closure of Feteh ("Justice"), the prominent independent newspaper in Addis Ababa, because of its critical editorial line. Its publisher, Mastewal Berhanu, who was forced to leave the country after receiving threats from security agents, is one of those who have said that the AMI's decision is a blow to jailed and exiled Ethiopian journalists.
We have held the AMI in high esteem because of its stated commitment to"promote the development of pluralistic media". But we believe its justification for holding the forum in Ethiopia is self-serving and insensitive to Ethiopia's independent media community, and we cannot understand why Mr. Ba calls the decision "courageous".
The AMI's suggestion that holding the forum in Addis Ababa will further a process of "constructive engagement" with media stakeholders, including the government, is either naïve or aimed at benefitting narrow interests that do not really serve the Ethiopian media community at large. Neither the publishers' association nor the media council with which the AMI has interacted represent independent journalists, nor do they defend their rights.
Despite all the Ethiopian government's actions to stifle press freedom, I used to believe that if the press could organize itself it could gain enough strength to overcome its multi-faceted challenges. To test my belief in practice, I tried in 2011 to organize a monthly informal journalists' roundtable, bringing the highly-polarized media together to discuss investigative journalism, particularly on corruption issues.
This platform sought to help the media play its watchdog role and I hoped it would grow into an investigative or anti-corruption journalists' association.
But over ten months of meetings, the arrest and intimidation of journalists, along with the closures of local rights groups, rendered members frustrated and hesitant about forming an independent association.
Even the monthly roundtable meeting could not be sustained as participants gradually dropped out. Stringent laws, arrogant bureaucracy, threats and other challenges sapped the media of its energy, leaving it too weak to build one strong local media association which could help protect itself.
Today, professional media associations are either under the concealed patronage of the government or too scared to speak out for unlawfully imprisoned journalists such as Eskinder Nega, Reeyot Alemu, Woubshet Taye and many others. The Ethiopian government has ensured that there is no strong and vibrant media association that can stand for freedom of speech and press freedom.
Mr. Ba's suggestion that the government-sponsored media council "is known for its independence and commitment to building free and balanced media" confirms our fears that the AMI, its handful of local partners and the Ethiopian government are speaking with one and the same voice.
I appreciate the Pan-African approach of Mr. Ba. But Pan-Africanism begins with African solidarity, based on the understanding that injustice against one African is an injustice against all Africans. The Ethiopian government is willing to have the AMLF meet in Addis Ababa because it can use the event as a counter to international pressure for freedom of speech and press freedom.
In our struggle to realize the freedoms promised in our constitution, Ethiopian journalists have seldom heard African intellectuals, media leaders or the African Union call out our government on its grave abuses and support those struggling to be free. Apartheid and colonialism were not defeated with "constructive engagement" or apathy and silence.
Business interests that worked with the apartheid regime are marked with shame forever. The AMI should reconsider its plan to hold the meeting in Addis Ababa.
- Fasil Girma Aragaw can be followed on Twitter @fasiledesfasil
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Bashir calls for African economic independence
August 21, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir has urged the finance ministers and central banks governors of the African bloc to declare the economic independence of the continent, saying that Africa has huge natural and human resources which qualify it to emerge as a new economic power.
“Sudan’s doors are wide open for foreign investments in all sectors, specifically agriculture and infrastructure”, he said
The Sudanese leader also pointed to the importance of allocating adequate resources for job creation and woman development.
Bashir noted that Africans suffers from poverty, hunger and lack of funding for infrastructure which hinders development and therefore necessitates cooperation among African countries to work within the International monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) to remove all obstacles.
He added that Sudan looks forward to seeing tangible results which could help achieve the desired economic growth, pointing to the importance of human resource development.
The meeting, which lasts for two days, discusses economic and development issues of the African continent and dealing with the IMF and the WB on how to help these countries to fight poverty and achieve development and economic growth.
Sudan’s Minister of Finance and National Economy who is also the Chairman of African Central Bank governors, Ali Mahmood Abdel-Rasool has described the meeting "as opportunity for Sudan to present its economic policies and contributions in Africa".
Abdel-Rasool was quoted by state media as saying that that the conference will review major issues concerning energy, infrastructures and agriculture, noting that Sudan is an agricultural country and in need of infrastructure in that sector .
He disclosed that Sudan is now implementing a joint project with the WB in the fields of agriculture and energy pointing out that Sudan has good experience in building of dams and power generation.
(ST)
- Sudanese President Omer Hassan Al-Beshir (C) stands among speakers before the opening of the African bloc meetings of finance ministers and central bank governors on August 21, 2013 in the Sudanese capital Khartoum (ASHRAF SHAZLY/AFP/Getty Images)
“Sudan’s doors are wide open for foreign investments in all sectors, specifically agriculture and infrastructure”, he said
The Sudanese leader also pointed to the importance of allocating adequate resources for job creation and woman development.
Bashir noted that Africans suffers from poverty, hunger and lack of funding for infrastructure which hinders development and therefore necessitates cooperation among African countries to work within the International monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) to remove all obstacles.
He added that Sudan looks forward to seeing tangible results which could help achieve the desired economic growth, pointing to the importance of human resource development.
The meeting, which lasts for two days, discusses economic and development issues of the African continent and dealing with the IMF and the WB on how to help these countries to fight poverty and achieve development and economic growth.
Sudan’s Minister of Finance and National Economy who is also the Chairman of African Central Bank governors, Ali Mahmood Abdel-Rasool has described the meeting "as opportunity for Sudan to present its economic policies and contributions in Africa".
Abdel-Rasool was quoted by state media as saying that that the conference will review major issues concerning energy, infrastructures and agriculture, noting that Sudan is an agricultural country and in need of infrastructure in that sector .
He disclosed that Sudan is now implementing a joint project with the WB in the fields of agriculture and energy pointing out that Sudan has good experience in building of dams and power generation.
(ST)
South Sudan calls on Ethiopia and Eritrea to resolve disputes
By Tesfa-Alem Tekle
August 21, 2013 (ADDIS ABABA) – South Sudan’s Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister, Barnaba Marial has called on Ethiopia and Eritrea to return to the negotiating table to resolve their long-standing border dispute through peaceful means.
Although relative peace and stability has returned in the volatile east African region, Marial said the stalemate on the frontier between Ethiopia and Eritrea remains a major concern for regional peace.
The South Sudanese foreign Minister made the remarks while addressing the congregation at memorial service held on Tuesday in Addis Ababa to commemorate one year since the death of former Ethiopian Prime minister, Meles Zenawi.
Marial cited the peace achieved in Sudan and South Sudan as well as the relative stability gained Somalia as cases in point to show that the region was getting more stable and peaceful.
However the South Sudan Foreign Affairs minister said the standoff between Ethiopian and Eritrea is one challenge that needs to be addressed.
“We would love to see Ethiopia and Eritrea shoulder to shoulder and smiling together once again”, he said.
In 1998 Eritrea and Ethiopia fought a two year bloody border war that killed over 70,000 people.
The two countries ended fighting in 2000 under a cease-fire agreement signed in Algeria allowing an international boundary commission to rule on the disputed border.
In an April 2002 ruling, the commission awarded the disputed town of Badme to Eritrea however Addis Ababa refused to accept the ruling and kept its troops in the town insisting on further talks to resolve the dispute.
Eritrea refused to engage in further talks with Ethiopia and relations between the two neighbours has since remained strained.
Ethiopia’s current Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, who assumed power after his predecessor Meles Zenawi died in August last year said he is willing to travel to Asmara for peace talks with his Eritrean counterpart.
Some African countries including Africa’s newest state, South Sudan, have proposed to broker peace talks between the two countries. However no peace talks is yet to take place. But South Sudan’s Barnaba Marial said he is optimistic that Ethiopia and Eritrea will peacefully resolve their conflicts.
“We are hopeful for the best outcome and for the sake of peace in our region”, Marial said.
(ST)
August 21, 2013 (ADDIS ABABA) – South Sudan’s Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister, Barnaba Marial has called on Ethiopia and Eritrea to return to the negotiating table to resolve their long-standing border dispute through peaceful means.
Although relative peace and stability has returned in the volatile east African region, Marial said the stalemate on the frontier between Ethiopia and Eritrea remains a major concern for regional peace.
The South Sudanese foreign Minister made the remarks while addressing the congregation at memorial service held on Tuesday in Addis Ababa to commemorate one year since the death of former Ethiopian Prime minister, Meles Zenawi.
Marial cited the peace achieved in Sudan and South Sudan as well as the relative stability gained Somalia as cases in point to show that the region was getting more stable and peaceful.
However the South Sudan Foreign Affairs minister said the standoff between Ethiopian and Eritrea is one challenge that needs to be addressed.
“We would love to see Ethiopia and Eritrea shoulder to shoulder and smiling together once again”, he said.
In 1998 Eritrea and Ethiopia fought a two year bloody border war that killed over 70,000 people.
The two countries ended fighting in 2000 under a cease-fire agreement signed in Algeria allowing an international boundary commission to rule on the disputed border.
In an April 2002 ruling, the commission awarded the disputed town of Badme to Eritrea however Addis Ababa refused to accept the ruling and kept its troops in the town insisting on further talks to resolve the dispute.
Eritrea refused to engage in further talks with Ethiopia and relations between the two neighbours has since remained strained.
Ethiopia’s current Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, who assumed power after his predecessor Meles Zenawi died in August last year said he is willing to travel to Asmara for peace talks with his Eritrean counterpart.
Some African countries including Africa’s newest state, South Sudan, have proposed to broker peace talks between the two countries. However no peace talks is yet to take place. But South Sudan’s Barnaba Marial said he is optimistic that Ethiopia and Eritrea will peacefully resolve their conflicts.
“We are hopeful for the best outcome and for the sake of peace in our region”, Marial said.
(ST)
San Jose to honor the Ethiopian flag and celebrate the Ethiopian New Year
San Jose to honor the Ethiopian flag and celebrate the Ethiopian New Year August 22, 2013
San Jose, California – To celebrate the Ethiopian New Year and to honor the Ethiopian flag, the leaders and members of the Ethiopian American Council (EAC) are encouraging all Ethiopians, Ethiopian-Americans, and their friends and families to join them at the Ninth Annual Ceremonial Ethiopian Flag Raising at New City Hall of San Jose on Friday, September 6, at 4:00 p.m.
The flag raising will mark the beginning of a week-long celebration of the Ethiopian New Year. This special civic ceremony is a salute to the Ethiopian flag and a heartfelt remembrance of Ethiopian roots and heritage. San Jose is the only city in the nation to have established this traditional, annual acknowledgment of the heritage and history of Ethiopian-Americans. When the Ethiopian flag was first flown over New City Hall in 2005, it was an historical event in that no other foreign flag had been so honored in the history of the city.
The San Jose City Mayor, Vice-Mayor, and City Council Members will be in attendance. The EAC and the Ethiopian-American community at large are extremely appreciative of the time and the energy that city officials have devoted to this annual event. The United States and the City of San Jose have become welcoming and nurturing homes for countless members of the Ethiopian Diaspora. Because of the friendly American environment, our young people are flourishing. The ceremony will also honor entities that have helped.
The Young Ethio Jazz Band, under the leadership of Sirak Tegebaru, is becoming more professional and skilled everyday. The San Jose Maleda Soccer Team, consisting of 120 youngsters ranging in age from five-to-fifteen years, has enjoyed much well-earned success. AB’s Pre-School has been serving the Ethiopian community for 10 years and has assisted countless families by helping their youngsters move skillfully through American society while still retaining an appreciation of the Ethiopian homeland.
The Annual Ethiopian Flag Raising Festival is a celebratory event that gives Ethiopians, Ethiopian Americans, their families, and their supporters the chance to come together, not only to celebrate the New Year of the Ethiopian calendar, but also to stir the love of Ethiopia within the hearts of Ethiopians, so they will never forget their roots even though they may be far away from their motherland.
Last year, protests were lodged by the Ethiopian Consulate General in Los Angeles, and a Palo Alto business man because Ethiopians and Ethiopian Americans chose to use the Ethiopian Heritage Flag rather than the flag used by the current ruling party. The Ethiopian Heritage Flag is simply a three-color banner of green, yellow, and red. Red represents the blood of Ethiopian patriots, yellow the peace and harmony between Ethiopia’s various ethnic and religious groups, and green symbolizes hope, or the land and its fertility.
This flag does not signify any particular regime nor political party and is most revered by members of the Ethiopian Diaspora, especially Ethiopian-Americans. American institutions, churches, and community centers, especially here in San Jose, use this flag. Flags are supposed to be a source of unity and need not exalt any particular political purpose or program. Our three-color Ethiopian Heritage Flag is a source of identity to all Ethiopians regardless of their political fealty.
The Ethiopian Heritage flag has never flown under the banners of conquering colonial powers, so it is a symbol of pride to Ethiopians and Ethiopian-Americans, and a symbol of hope for other African nations as they struggle for self-governance and liberty. The EAC is extending thanks to the citizens of San Jose for their recognition of the diversity that has made this country so great, and for offering the Ethiopian-American community a time and place to come together and take pride in their heritage.
The EAC is encouraging other Ethiopian-Americans who are living in different states to do the same in their cities. Ethiopians and their friends and families who are living in the Bay Area are urged to dress in green, yellow, and red, and come celebrate with the societies and civic leaders at the flag raising and join them in the festivities that will follow.
Ethiopians, Ethiopian-Americans, and friends of Ethiopians will be stirred by this historic event that celebrates the flag, the nation, and the heritage of Ethiopia. The EAC and the civic leaders of San Jose are inviting all citizens to share in this solemn and celebratory ceremony at New City Hall, located at 200 East Santa Clara Street in San Jose on Friday, September 6, at 4:00 p.m..
May God bless the United States of America!
The flag raising will mark the beginning of a week-long celebration of the Ethiopian New Year. This special civic ceremony is a salute to the Ethiopian flag and a heartfelt remembrance of Ethiopian roots and heritage. San Jose is the only city in the nation to have established this traditional, annual acknowledgment of the heritage and history of Ethiopian-Americans. When the Ethiopian flag was first flown over New City Hall in 2005, it was an historical event in that no other foreign flag had been so honored in the history of the city.
The San Jose City Mayor, Vice-Mayor, and City Council Members will be in attendance. The EAC and the Ethiopian-American community at large are extremely appreciative of the time and the energy that city officials have devoted to this annual event. The United States and the City of San Jose have become welcoming and nurturing homes for countless members of the Ethiopian Diaspora. Because of the friendly American environment, our young people are flourishing. The ceremony will also honor entities that have helped.
The Young Ethio Jazz Band, under the leadership of Sirak Tegebaru, is becoming more professional and skilled everyday. The San Jose Maleda Soccer Team, consisting of 120 youngsters ranging in age from five-to-fifteen years, has enjoyed much well-earned success. AB’s Pre-School has been serving the Ethiopian community for 10 years and has assisted countless families by helping their youngsters move skillfully through American society while still retaining an appreciation of the Ethiopian homeland.
The Annual Ethiopian Flag Raising Festival is a celebratory event that gives Ethiopians, Ethiopian Americans, their families, and their supporters the chance to come together, not only to celebrate the New Year of the Ethiopian calendar, but also to stir the love of Ethiopia within the hearts of Ethiopians, so they will never forget their roots even though they may be far away from their motherland.
Last year, protests were lodged by the Ethiopian Consulate General in Los Angeles, and a Palo Alto business man because Ethiopians and Ethiopian Americans chose to use the Ethiopian Heritage Flag rather than the flag used by the current ruling party. The Ethiopian Heritage Flag is simply a three-color banner of green, yellow, and red. Red represents the blood of Ethiopian patriots, yellow the peace and harmony between Ethiopia’s various ethnic and religious groups, and green symbolizes hope, or the land and its fertility.
This flag does not signify any particular regime nor political party and is most revered by members of the Ethiopian Diaspora, especially Ethiopian-Americans. American institutions, churches, and community centers, especially here in San Jose, use this flag. Flags are supposed to be a source of unity and need not exalt any particular political purpose or program. Our three-color Ethiopian Heritage Flag is a source of identity to all Ethiopians regardless of their political fealty.
The Ethiopian Heritage flag has never flown under the banners of conquering colonial powers, so it is a symbol of pride to Ethiopians and Ethiopian-Americans, and a symbol of hope for other African nations as they struggle for self-governance and liberty. The EAC is extending thanks to the citizens of San Jose for their recognition of the diversity that has made this country so great, and for offering the Ethiopian-American community a time and place to come together and take pride in their heritage.
The EAC is encouraging other Ethiopian-Americans who are living in different states to do the same in their cities. Ethiopians and their friends and families who are living in the Bay Area are urged to dress in green, yellow, and red, and come celebrate with the societies and civic leaders at the flag raising and join them in the festivities that will follow.
Ethiopians, Ethiopian-Americans, and friends of Ethiopians will be stirred by this historic event that celebrates the flag, the nation, and the heritage of Ethiopia. The EAC and the civic leaders of San Jose are inviting all citizens to share in this solemn and celebratory ceremony at New City Hall, located at 200 East Santa Clara Street in San Jose on Friday, September 6, at 4:00 p.m..
May God bless the United States of America!
Ethiopia: When a Traditional Past Collides with an Irrigated Future
By William Davison, Bloomberg
Are the government's large-scale developments in southern Ethiopia forcing local populations to move with the times or just move out the way?
KANGATON, Southern Ethiopia - A short stroll away from the bloated Omo River in Ethiopia's far south, a new type of settlement is forming on the outskirts of Kangaton, a frontier town occupied by Nyangatom people and highland migrants.
The empty domes are traditionally built: bent sticks lashed together with strips of bark and insulated with straw. But instead of the typical handful of huts ringed by protective thorn bushes, hundreds of new homes are clustered
on the desolate plain.
This is a site in the Ethiopian government's villagisation programme, part of an attempt to effect radical economic and social change in the Lower Omo Valley, an isolated swathe of spectacular ethnic diversity.
Agro-pastoralists such as the Nyangatom, Mursi and Hamer are being encouraged to abandon their wandering, keep smaller and more productive herds of animals, and grow sorghum and maize on irrigated plots with which officials promise to provide them on the banks of the Omo.
The grass is greener
The government, now rapidly expanding its reach into territory only incorporated into the state a little over a century ago, says it will provide the services increasingly available to millions of other Ethiopians: roads, schools, health posts, courts and police stations. But critics, such as academic David Turton, argue that this state-building is more akin to colonial exploitation than an enlightened approach to the development of marginalised people.
Longoko Loktoy, a member of the Nyangatom people, says all he knows is herding, as he carves a twig to clean his teeth, occasionally glancing behind to check the movements of his sheep and goats. But, he adds, "our educated boys under the government structure" have told him life in the resettlement site will be better.
Longoko says his family straddles two worlds, with some of the children from his two wives receiving education in regional cities and others raising animals in the Omo. In line with his "educated boys", he says security and services will improve in the commune, but wants to retain the option to move to high land or to the Kibish River when the Omo runs low.
"I don't think the government will tell us not to move", he says, a Kalashnikov slung over his shoulder. Nearby, boys hunt doves by firing metal-tipped arrows from wooden bows, while women, their necks swaddled in a broad rainbow of beads, begin a long trudge back from the Omo with jerry-cans perched on their heads.
Longoko is unaware of plans for the under-construction upstream Gibe III hydropower dam to control the flow of the Omo River, ending the annual flood that leaves behind fertile soil for locals to cultivate on when waters recede. The regulated flow will be used for the country's largest irrigation project: 175,000 hectares of government sugar plantations, some of which will occupy Nyangatom territory.
Are the government's large-scale developments in southern Ethiopia forcing local populations to move with the times or just move out the way?
KANGATON, Southern Ethiopia - A short stroll away from the bloated Omo River in Ethiopia's far south, a new type of settlement is forming on the outskirts of Kangaton, a frontier town occupied by Nyangatom people and highland migrants.
The empty domes are traditionally built: bent sticks lashed together with strips of bark and insulated with straw. But instead of the typical handful of huts ringed by protective thorn bushes, hundreds of new homes are clustered
| During dry periods the Nyangatom dig deep into the land in order to extract water. Kibish river bed, Ethiopia. © Serge Tornay/Survival |
This is a site in the Ethiopian government's villagisation programme, part of an attempt to effect radical economic and social change in the Lower Omo Valley, an isolated swathe of spectacular ethnic diversity.
Agro-pastoralists such as the Nyangatom, Mursi and Hamer are being encouraged to abandon their wandering, keep smaller and more productive herds of animals, and grow sorghum and maize on irrigated plots with which officials promise to provide them on the banks of the Omo.
The grass is greener
The government, now rapidly expanding its reach into territory only incorporated into the state a little over a century ago, says it will provide the services increasingly available to millions of other Ethiopians: roads, schools, health posts, courts and police stations. But critics, such as academic David Turton, argue that this state-building is more akin to colonial exploitation than an enlightened approach to the development of marginalised people.
Longoko Loktoy, a member of the Nyangatom people, says all he knows is herding, as he carves a twig to clean his teeth, occasionally glancing behind to check the movements of his sheep and goats. But, he adds, "our educated boys under the government structure" have told him life in the resettlement site will be better.
Longoko says his family straddles two worlds, with some of the children from his two wives receiving education in regional cities and others raising animals in the Omo. In line with his "educated boys", he says security and services will improve in the commune, but wants to retain the option to move to high land or to the Kibish River when the Omo runs low.
"I don't think the government will tell us not to move", he says, a Kalashnikov slung over his shoulder. Nearby, boys hunt doves by firing metal-tipped arrows from wooden bows, while women, their necks swaddled in a broad rainbow of beads, begin a long trudge back from the Omo with jerry-cans perched on their heads.
Longoko is unaware of plans for the under-construction upstream Gibe III hydropower dam to control the flow of the Omo River, ending the annual flood that leaves behind fertile soil for locals to cultivate on when waters recede. The regulated flow will be used for the country's largest irrigation project: 175,000 hectares of government sugar plantations, some of which will occupy Nyangatom territory.
When ESAT beams its light on there is no place to hide
The truth is, there is no glory associating with a dying criminal regime and everybody knows it. The most you gain out of it self-incrimination that would hunt you the rest of you life until justice catches up with you. Noting you do would prevent the unavoidable demise of Woyane, noting. It is the fact every Woyane stooge must understand and live with until the end. The best one can do is abandon the criminal regime; sooner than later.
by Teshome Debalke
The news Ethiopian Satellite Television Network (ESAT) called for a town hall meeting of all Ethiopian political parties, civic society and activist to discuses the pressing issues of our people is another breakthrough that call for celebration. Personally, I am ecstatic. The long awaited public meeting in the history of our people finally going to happen. Now Ethiopians can seriously begin addressing the problems of our people once-and-for-all. It is like being ‘born again’; not to run away from our past as many of our contemporaries do but, to take personal responsibility for our bad behaviors.
As I said before, ‘ESAT is the best thing that happened to Ethiopians since the Adwa victory’ and we haven’t seen anything yet. I can confidently say real Ethiopians know what I am talking about. The convenient Ethiopians, especially those that tag along with Woyane are confused bunches; afraid their love affair will end soon with the dishonorable Woyane. Lost like a hapless mistress in the middle of the night watching the door to hear the fate of her lover.
Naturally, undermining ESAT comes from the same people that live in a bubble with Woyane’s fairytale. The truth is so powerful even the Woyane Communication Minster is scared and running like a frightened rabbit when his phone rings. Instead of facing the truth the hapless Woyane is sending its goons after the messengers of the truth. When that isn’t possible; altering the truth became second nature to Woyane.
With all honesty, not too many people understand the impact truth telling would have on the mind of many that have been feed fairytales most of their lives. Ever since mass-media was introduced we as people have been deprived of the truth so-much-so the dishonorable Woyane made some of us believe we don’t exist as Ethiopians.
The saddest thing of all is the people that run our country today are guided by fairytales of Woyane. There are others that call themselves Media men repeating the same fairytale over-and-over again; hoping to make people believers of the hoax. Take the dishonorable Prime Minster Hailemariam’s insult against our people of the Muslim faith; mimicking his TPLF handlers. If that isn’t an insult to the people of Ethiopia what could it be?
‘A mind is a terrible thing to waste’ and there are quite lots of people willingly wasting it; absorbing as much rubbish they can handle and spewing it as fast as they can discharge it. It is fascinating to explore how they came about to believe Woyane’s fairytales and go on further to spew and act on it. Isn’t a mind precious enough to protect it from gabbling up rubbish?
When I began looking in some of the rubbish news outlets to see if they do it intentionally or simply discharging the rubbish they have been feed for extended period, I came to conclusion contrary to what I thought before. Most of them are indeed the causalities of the fairytale they have been feed most of their lives with a twist of hate to make them irrational zombies. I reached to that conclusion quite recently after I saw and heard what the Woyane badmouths put out on their Media outlets about our people of the Muslim faith. Before that I thought they do it intentionally to preserve the hapless Woyane as any criminal enterprise would. But, the fact is their mind is filled with rubbish they wouldn’t know any other better way worth living. After all, no rational human being knowingly put out such rubbish unless his/her mind is altered by fairytale.
The truth is painful to hear for someone that lived in bubble as most of Woyane stooges do but, somebody has to tell it so that our people can be free from bottom feeding regime that is a nuisance in society.
When ESAT initiated truth telling I knew long ago it is going to be painful for many that live a life of lies. And, when ESAT call for town hall meeting of Ethiopians and invite the dishonorable Woyane to come and tell the truth I said Ethiopians are free before Woyane actually surrender power. After all, freeing the mind comes first before physical freedom. Ethiopians mind is being freed faster than ever before because of ESAT.
It is the first time in modern history Ethiopians will come together to sort out the fairytale that have been told over-and-over again by the usual suspects, Woyane leading the pack. It is also the first time friends and foes will ‘face the nation’ on the record like never before.
Frankly, noting gives me pleasure than seeing ESAT chase Woyane stooges to face the truth. There is something joyful about seeing liars sweat. Most importantly, they need to hear the truth more than anybody else before they turn dangerously suicidal as they have been acting lately. We should also feel sorry for them for being mentally unstable to do what they do to our people. If you ask me, anyone associated with Woyane should get his head examined. He/she is dangerous to him/herself and for society at large.
I fear the mental instability phenomenon is widespread not only limited with those associated with Woyane. My observation tells me we are in bigger problem than we think. Watching our ethnic elites rationalize fairytale to fit their reality isn’t promising either. In general, our intellectual elites aren’t any better either.
The recent statements by learned men and Medias mimicking Woyane regarding our people of the Muslim faith reinforce the crises our people are facing with our contemporary élites that live in a bubble. If such learned men believe fairytale as reality ESAT needs more resources, more truth telling and more town halls meeting sooner and more frequently.
I also notice the hostility towards ESAT comes from the same circles of deranged individuals and groups led by Woyane’s fairytale. It reminded me of a sudden change from fairytale to truth telling didn’t seat well in the minds of those that are used hearing fictions. Violet reaction, as we are witnessing should be expected when the house build on fairytale erodes with little blowing truth.
Recently some of the same Media outlets put out news as if Al-Qaida is coming through Bole International Airport to hold conference in Addis Ababa with our people of the Muslim faith. Others aren’t ashamed to put out article on ‘the rise of political Islam in Ethiopia’ so that they can continue living in a fairytale world and the goodies that comes with it.
The changing world events like the fall of the Egyptian ruling Islamic Brotherhood Party Woyane banked-on taking the Abby Dam war drum diversion with was replaced by Al-Qaida is coming fairytale. ESAT, G7, Andinet, Blue Party and Church leaders weren’t spared; accused of collaborating with ‘terrorists’ for standing with their people. It is getting so bizarre the regime’s Western apologist puzzled what kind of a monster they helped create. Are the village clowns of the regime graduating into mentally deranged individuals in a suicide mission?
With all honesty, what motivates Woyane to behave the way it does is irrelevant. Our concern should be how to prevent a suicidal regime from blowing itself up and the rest of us with it. If we don’t concentrate on what we should do instead of what Woyane does, we will be going the wrong direction. Woyane shouldn’t be given a choice but to surrender for democratic rule as it is told over-and-over again. Negotiating with the hostage taker in my opinion sends the wrong message.
The people of Ethiopia proved over and over again we are too civilized to be ruled by a corrupt and atrocious ethnic regime like Woyane. More recently our brothers and sisters of the Muslim faith showed the world what civilization is all about the Ethiopian style. That is precisely why I wrote ‘Civilized people uncivilized regime; how did it happen?’ a while back I still struggle to answer how it happened). If truth must be told we don’t have to wait for ESAT to tell it. Each of us must be the messenger of truth when we see it and hear it anywhere at anytime.
Civilizing uncivilized regime is often an impossible task we can’t afford. What is possible is dispelling the fairytales out of the minds of the gullible as ESAT is doing. Therefore, my humble advice to my people is, it isn’t wise to react to the actions of uncivilized regime. Nor it is feasible to fight for the same cause as one group or another separately but as one. Otherwise we will be playing on the hand of the uncivilized regime.
What needs to be done is proactively hound the uncivilized regime on the important issue of freedom and democracy. The rest will take care of itself. ESAT is one tool among many to hound the regime to surrender for the truth and the rule of law. Every political and civic institution must help ESAT to transmit the truth to the desire end.
That said there is no mystery to the nature of uncivilized regimes and their entourage. They all live on borrowed time and stolen money. They are all on a panic mode at all times. They all know they are public enemy # 1; waiting for the judgment day. They all think they can cheat their way out of their criminality. And, they all depend on their assassins and badmouth messengers to stay put.
Woyane is no different than any other uncivilized regime. The problem isn’t the uncivilized regime that should have been long gone if we put our collective act together. Therefore, the question for one-and-all is; do we want freedom and democracy for our people or advance our individual and group’s interest in the chaos the uncivilized regime created?
That is the ultimate question that must be asked and candidly answered by one-and-all in the town hall meeting ESAT organized and for the foreseeable future. Anything less would guarantee to prolong our misery under tyranny.
Again, in my humble opinion blaming the uncivilized regime known to the world may be good enough to cover up our own weakness but, it isn’t good enough to bring about freedom and democracy for our people. After all, there is life after Woyane.
Let the truth be told and become the guiding principle to set ourselves and our people free.
The article is dedicated to ESAT’s family. If there is anybody you need to fear it is the people of Ethiopia. Your job is more important than what all others can do combined. When you made the Warlords of Woyane run as a frightened rabbits you have done your job on behalf of Ethiopians. Capturing, charging and convicting them in court of law are someone else’s job.
When every institution does its job as it should freedom and democracy would be around the corner. Ultimately, ESAT must go after those dragging their feet and detracting the struggle for freedom and the rule of law with as much vigor as it does to seek the truth on behalf of the people. No one is above the law and the interest of the people, no one.
Long live to Ethiopia and Ethiopians
Ethiopia’s Muslim Activists Pave a Path for Nonviolent Political Activism
by Terrence Lyons, Briefing
World Politics Review
A year after Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn came to power following the death of longtime leader Meles Zenawi in August 2012, the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) remains firmly in control. It has continued to govern through a collective leadership that includes three deputy prime ministers from the Amhara, Tigray and Oromo wings of the coalition; Hailemariam hails from the Southern People’s Party. Party discipline and coherence has held, although the lead-up to elections in 2015 may reveal destabilizing fissures. But while older opposition parties and armed movements have been marginalized, a social movement of Ethiopian Muslims is an important new development.
Rapid economic growth has been key to Ethiopia’s stability. The economy grew by more than 10 percent annually over the past decade, and while growth has slowed down it remains higher than the African average. Recent data, however, suggest that earnings from coffee and gold, Ethiopia’s two largest sources of export revenues, have declined. The World Bank also raised concerns that Ethiopia’s boom has relied too heavily upon public investment and that sustained growth will require a significant increase in private investment.
The political opposition to the EPRDF—currently divided into camps based on whether they subscribe to ethno-national or pan-Ethiopian goals and whether they operate in exile or have remained in the country—has struggled to find channels to influence Ethiopian politics. After competitive elections in 2005 and the subsequent crisis that led to the arrest of much of the opposition leadership and the collapse of the main opposition coalitions, the regime effectively criminalized dissent. Restrictions on independent media and civil society limit the ability of Ethiopians to mobilize outside of the structures of the ruling party. The EPRDF’s dominance was evident in local elections this year, in which it and its affiliated parties won all but one seat nationwide.
As a result, opposition political parties that challenged the regime in 2005 now play virtually no role in national politics. The Semayawi, or Blue, party organized a notable demonstration in June and has some following among the youth, but its potential to challenge the regime is limited. Berhanu Nega, a politician who had considerable influence in 2005, is now operating in exile without a significant presence in the country. Repression and the use of anti-terrorism laws, as well as weak structures and leadership, limit the opposition’s ability to operate within Ethiopia.
Meanwhile, several groups, notably the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), remain engaged in protracted armed struggles, but Addis Ababa has effectively managed these military challenges. Oromo nationalism remains potent, but the OLF leadership is divided and discredited. Promising talks between the ONLF and Addis Ababa collapsed in October 2012, but there are officials on both sides that see advantages from a negotiated settlement. The government would like to end the war in order to concentrate on development of the region’s natural gas and other resources. Some Ogadenis recognize that they are unlikely to win the military contest and wish to end the ferocious counterinsurgency campaign in the region. But reaching a durable agreement, a recent International Crisis Group report accurately notes, will require “unprecedented concessions from both sides.”
World Politics Review
A year after Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn came to power following the death of longtime leader Meles Zenawi in August 2012, the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) remains firmly in control. It has continued to govern through a collective leadership that includes three deputy prime ministers from the Amhara, Tigray and Oromo wings of the coalition; Hailemariam hails from the Southern People’s Party. Party discipline and coherence has held, although the lead-up to elections in 2015 may reveal destabilizing fissures. But while older opposition parties and armed movements have been marginalized, a social movement of Ethiopian Muslims is an important new development.
Rapid economic growth has been key to Ethiopia’s stability. The economy grew by more than 10 percent annually over the past decade, and while growth has slowed down it remains higher than the African average. Recent data, however, suggest that earnings from coffee and gold, Ethiopia’s two largest sources of export revenues, have declined. The World Bank also raised concerns that Ethiopia’s boom has relied too heavily upon public investment and that sustained growth will require a significant increase in private investment.
The political opposition to the EPRDF—currently divided into camps based on whether they subscribe to ethno-national or pan-Ethiopian goals and whether they operate in exile or have remained in the country—has struggled to find channels to influence Ethiopian politics. After competitive elections in 2005 and the subsequent crisis that led to the arrest of much of the opposition leadership and the collapse of the main opposition coalitions, the regime effectively criminalized dissent. Restrictions on independent media and civil society limit the ability of Ethiopians to mobilize outside of the structures of the ruling party. The EPRDF’s dominance was evident in local elections this year, in which it and its affiliated parties won all but one seat nationwide.
As a result, opposition political parties that challenged the regime in 2005 now play virtually no role in national politics. The Semayawi, or Blue, party organized a notable demonstration in June and has some following among the youth, but its potential to challenge the regime is limited. Berhanu Nega, a politician who had considerable influence in 2005, is now operating in exile without a significant presence in the country. Repression and the use of anti-terrorism laws, as well as weak structures and leadership, limit the opposition’s ability to operate within Ethiopia.
Meanwhile, several groups, notably the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), remain engaged in protracted armed struggles, but Addis Ababa has effectively managed these military challenges. Oromo nationalism remains potent, but the OLF leadership is divided and discredited. Promising talks between the ONLF and Addis Ababa collapsed in October 2012, but there are officials on both sides that see advantages from a negotiated settlement. The government would like to end the war in order to concentrate on development of the region’s natural gas and other resources. Some Ogadenis recognize that they are unlikely to win the military contest and wish to end the ferocious counterinsurgency campaign in the region. But reaching a durable agreement, a recent International Crisis Group report accurately notes, will require “unprecedented concessions from both sides.”
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