Yesterday the dictator was pretending to call for the unity of Ethiopians behind TPLF in the name of famine. Today, he came back with his real face (again by the pseudonym of Adal Isaw in Aigaforum) full of anger with intent to ban the Ethiopian Diaspora from traveling to their homeland bogusly charging them as threats to national security.
As typical to all dictators whose days are numbered, his is colliding with every nation that does not sympathize with him, except Britain. His contemptible list of countries who are conspiring his demise is growing by the day, Iran, Libya, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Eritrea (did he forget Sudan?), USA, etc. I am sure after reading this post we will read a new list of enemy countries from Meles and his TPLF tomorrow.
To the dismay of every sane person, Meles is now accusing the opposition as promoters of faith based intolerance, when promoting religious and ethnic intolerance is his signature trademark, and warning that nothing will stop him from eradicating the, “self-exiled opposition” and its members and supporters in the name of preserving national security. He is also warning in advance the international human rights groups not to raise any issue of human rights violations in the aftermath of his action.
All these tactics are to intimidate the US and the West to buy their sympathy to allow him to cling to power without question. In reality, radicalizing and polarizing Ethiopia’s relations with the closest Middle Eastern countries would not be an advantage to Ethiopia’s long-term diplomatic and geo-political interest, but Meles is ready to compromise the country’s national interest for the short-term political gain.
The US and the West should never concede to these deceptive tactics of the dictator and should tell him to stop and to open up Ethiopia’s political environment to real electoral politics. That is the only way to guarantee long-term stability in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. .
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Dictator Meles! Put the Politics and Economics Right first to End Hunger and Poverty in Ethiopia!!
Dictator Meles (by the pseudonym, Adal Isaw) is back on Aigaforum with an article, “Enough is enough: there is ample time for politics”, in relation to the current famine that is endangering the lives of 14 million Ethiopians, with the hope of galvanizing the Ethiopian Diaspora behind the TPLF.
But I would say no to this futile and scaring tactics. Unless the politics and economics is put right first, there will never be an end to famine and poverty in Ethiopia. We know this famine is not just a result of unprecedented natural disaster in Ethiopia. It was a making of the TPLF’s disastrous economic policy and ethnic politics. TPLF’s land tenure, agriculture, environment, natural resource development, urban development, rural development, domestic and foreign trade policies were all flawed from their inception, and the minority Tigre dominated and ethnic politics that sow suspicion than trust amongst the Ethiopian people did not encourage productivity in all sectors of the Ethiopian economy.
We also know that TPLF had a history of using famine as a political tool. TPLF thrives through people’s hunger, poverty and crisis. They never cared for the loss of life. We know from their early history how they triggered Dergue to get “Howzen” bombed to get recognition internationally, we have heard from Gebremedhin, how they pocketed millions of dollars by forcing the mass movement of the people of Tigray into the Sudan territory to collect famine money on their behalf. We know how they denied entry of aid agencies to the Ogaden region to provide much needed emergency. We know how they used to deliberately facilitate the burning of forests and National Parks in the Southern and Oromia regions. We know how they triggered conflicts between different ethnic and religious groups where lots of lives were lost.
They can not tell us now how they care for people’s lives. Even recently, in the aftermath of the 2005 election, we know how they used donor food to force people to register in the kebeles to buy food ration.
There is no guarantee that TPLF will not use any future food assistance for a similar political purpose, especially in the run up to the already won “2010 election”. I am sure, if a condition was to be imposed where a neutral body, like international NGOs, local, NGOs or UN agencies oversee the whole management of the prospective emergency food aid , the TPLF will outright say NO, in the name of sovereignty. Since the issue for them is not saving life, but a hidden political end.
So my fellow Ethiopians, I understand that our people are at the verge of a crisis, people have already started dying of hunger. We might have to come to the consensus of helping our fellow Ethiopians who are passing through this ordeal, but it should be only under one condition: provided that this life saving effort is wholly overseen and managed by independent national and international institutions. Otherwise, it is another business opportunity for EFFORT/TPLF.
But I would say no to this futile and scaring tactics. Unless the politics and economics is put right first, there will never be an end to famine and poverty in Ethiopia. We know this famine is not just a result of unprecedented natural disaster in Ethiopia. It was a making of the TPLF’s disastrous economic policy and ethnic politics. TPLF’s land tenure, agriculture, environment, natural resource development, urban development, rural development, domestic and foreign trade policies were all flawed from their inception, and the minority Tigre dominated and ethnic politics that sow suspicion than trust amongst the Ethiopian people did not encourage productivity in all sectors of the Ethiopian economy.
We also know that TPLF had a history of using famine as a political tool. TPLF thrives through people’s hunger, poverty and crisis. They never cared for the loss of life. We know from their early history how they triggered Dergue to get “Howzen” bombed to get recognition internationally, we have heard from Gebremedhin, how they pocketed millions of dollars by forcing the mass movement of the people of Tigray into the Sudan territory to collect famine money on their behalf. We know how they denied entry of aid agencies to the Ogaden region to provide much needed emergency. We know how they used to deliberately facilitate the burning of forests and National Parks in the Southern and Oromia regions. We know how they triggered conflicts between different ethnic and religious groups where lots of lives were lost.
They can not tell us now how they care for people’s lives. Even recently, in the aftermath of the 2005 election, we know how they used donor food to force people to register in the kebeles to buy food ration.
There is no guarantee that TPLF will not use any future food assistance for a similar political purpose, especially in the run up to the already won “2010 election”. I am sure, if a condition was to be imposed where a neutral body, like international NGOs, local, NGOs or UN agencies oversee the whole management of the prospective emergency food aid , the TPLF will outright say NO, in the name of sovereignty. Since the issue for them is not saving life, but a hidden political end.
So my fellow Ethiopians, I understand that our people are at the verge of a crisis, people have already started dying of hunger. We might have to come to the consensus of helping our fellow Ethiopians who are passing through this ordeal, but it should be only under one condition: provided that this life saving effort is wholly overseen and managed by independent national and international institutions. Otherwise, it is another business opportunity for EFFORT/TPLF.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
It is time to stop Meles: The Mad Dog of the Horn
Of recent, when all the tail wagging to lure the Obama administration and the western democracies did not buy him any sympathy from them, dictator Meles is now openly expressing his contempt for democracy and multiparty election, as the subsequent writings of Adal Isaw of Aiga Forum (non other than Meles himself) reveal. In his most recent statement, “A Challenge to Election Observers”, Meles is questioning election observers why should they focus on freeness and fairness of an election and presenting China as a country that did not hold an election for 60 years but has become a world economic power as a success case study.
Mind you, it is this mad dog who is pretending to hold an election, but at the same time who is advocating that focus should not be made on freeness and fairness of the election process. From his statements the election outcome is already determined and Meles’ TPLF is presumed the winner and there will not be transfer of power. In this scenario, why in the hell should “election observers” be invited to Ethiopia in the first place? It is reported that close to 150 million Ethiopian Birr is allocated for the “2010 election”. In a country where more than 14 million people are starving, why should the mad dog be allowed to waste this sum of money for a fake “election”?
Meles is suggesting to the US and the West that he will shift his wagon to China and Russia, if in anyway they try to influence the democratic process in Ethiopia, in the pretext of sovereignty. He is also trying to warn the US and the West that the Horn of Africa will descend into havoc without him being recognized as the regional police.
The US and the West have intervened in the aftermath of rigged elections and subsequent mass detentions and killings in Kenya and Zimbabwe, and recently condemned the brutal killings of civilians in Gineau-Conakry, and asked the military dictator to step down. The blood of Ethiopians is no thinner than any other African, and Ethiopians also deserve an equal treatment from the US and the West in the face of brutal dictatorship that is undermining their future.
It is time for the US and the West to give an ultimatum to Meles to make the upcoming “2010 election” real using their leverage. The US and the West are the major financiers of development aid in Ethiopia and have real power to influence the democratic process for the benefit of the Ethiopian people and the stability of the Horn of Africa region.
Meles is just moving into Somalia in full force to distract international attention away from the election issues. Inciting conflict within and without is his best strategy to cling on power. He should be stopped by all concerned!!! And the time is now!!!
Mind you, it is this mad dog who is pretending to hold an election, but at the same time who is advocating that focus should not be made on freeness and fairness of the election process. From his statements the election outcome is already determined and Meles’ TPLF is presumed the winner and there will not be transfer of power. In this scenario, why in the hell should “election observers” be invited to Ethiopia in the first place? It is reported that close to 150 million Ethiopian Birr is allocated for the “2010 election”. In a country where more than 14 million people are starving, why should the mad dog be allowed to waste this sum of money for a fake “election”?
Meles is suggesting to the US and the West that he will shift his wagon to China and Russia, if in anyway they try to influence the democratic process in Ethiopia, in the pretext of sovereignty. He is also trying to warn the US and the West that the Horn of Africa will descend into havoc without him being recognized as the regional police.
The US and the West have intervened in the aftermath of rigged elections and subsequent mass detentions and killings in Kenya and Zimbabwe, and recently condemned the brutal killings of civilians in Gineau-Conakry, and asked the military dictator to step down. The blood of Ethiopians is no thinner than any other African, and Ethiopians also deserve an equal treatment from the US and the West in the face of brutal dictatorship that is undermining their future.
It is time for the US and the West to give an ultimatum to Meles to make the upcoming “2010 election” real using their leverage. The US and the West are the major financiers of development aid in Ethiopia and have real power to influence the democratic process for the benefit of the Ethiopian people and the stability of the Horn of Africa region.
Meles is just moving into Somalia in full force to distract international attention away from the election issues. Inciting conflict within and without is his best strategy to cling on power. He should be stopped by all concerned!!! And the time is now!!!
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