There is no doubt in mind that the Swedish jounalists, (Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson)sentenced by the TPLF kangaroo court to 11 years in prison will soon be released. I am sure they or their government will never plead for celmency. These journalists have the international community (their own government and other democratic nations) behind them to defend their rights as free journalists. We are already witnessing the position of US's Department of State aginst this ruling and that of the Swedish media demanding their government to advocate for the unconditional release of the two journalists.
I am glad that by proxy, this sentencing on the Swedish jounrnalists, will help all those TPLF enabler western governments to reflect on how arbitrarly the TPLF junta was handling the case of justice for multitudes of Ethiopians that were detained en-masse in TPLF detention camps since the junta came into power.
I am sure, it should be our duty to push for the release of Ethioipan journalists and other prisiners of conscience, as the west puts pressure on TPLF for the release of these two Swedish jounrnalists.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Why Ethiopia should be singled out: An Answer to Professor David Shinn
I read a commentary by professor David Shinn, the former US Ambassador to Ethiopia and currently, adjunct professor of international affairs at the George Washington University, titled, "Ethiopia and 2011 Global Financial Integrity Report".
In his commentary, while he admits that there are problems of illicit financial flows from Ethiopia, he questioned the integrity of one of the authors, Sarah Freitas, for "singling out" Ethiopia while there are many other African countries who have higher Illicit Financial Flows (IFF) than Ethiopia.
As to me none of those African countries mentioned by the professor (Nigeria, Egypt, Sounth Africa, Libya, Angola, Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire and Tunisia) with high IFF values, are comparable to Ethiopia by most standards, except being located in Africa. To mention a few, the economies of these countries are not as dependent on foreign aid as is Ethiopia, none of these are noted for an annual begging of food from the international community, none of these countries are ruled by closely knit kleptocratic junta of one ethnic group.
If I had to coin a word to express the level of IFF in Ethiopia, it would certainly be even more stronger than "bleeding the country dry".
In his commentary, while he admits that there are problems of illicit financial flows from Ethiopia, he questioned the integrity of one of the authors, Sarah Freitas, for "singling out" Ethiopia while there are many other African countries who have higher Illicit Financial Flows (IFF) than Ethiopia.
As to me none of those African countries mentioned by the professor (Nigeria, Egypt, Sounth Africa, Libya, Angola, Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire and Tunisia) with high IFF values, are comparable to Ethiopia by most standards, except being located in Africa. To mention a few, the economies of these countries are not as dependent on foreign aid as is Ethiopia, none of these are noted for an annual begging of food from the international community, none of these countries are ruled by closely knit kleptocratic junta of one ethnic group.
If I had to coin a word to express the level of IFF in Ethiopia, it would certainly be even more stronger than "bleeding the country dry".
Sunday, May 15, 2011
The Hoopla of the Millenium: Woyane's Millenium Dam
The other day I was calling home to speak to my parents on the occasion of the Easter holiday. As usual, after the initial greetings and enquiries about the wellness of immediate and extended family members, we contnued our conversation about the neighborhood, the community and the general frame of issues dominating the small southern town where my parents live.
Unlike other times, what struck me most during this round was, my mother's mention of the "the issue of the Gojam river dam as the deafening news of the time". It didn't take me long to realize that she was talking about the, "The Millenium Dam of the Woyane", the dam that will never be built under the ethnic dicatorship of TPLF.
That this dam is just a hoopla to divert the public's attention from the growing repression, escalating inflation, dissatisfaction, anger, frustration, poverty and famine, and above all, from the increasing signs of a sweeping revolution, can be noticed well from the absence of any mention about such a huge dam as a key energy development strategy in the much purported Five Year GTP of the country, and the conflicting and inconsistent propaganda of the regime's own mouthpieces, like Amare Aregawi's Reporter and Aiga Forum.
The so called Five Year GTP, that was endorsed by the rubber stamp parliament as the offician development plan of the nation in November 2010, does not mention as single word about the "Mellenium Development Dam" as neither a starategic direction nor as an implemetation startegy of the the energy sector development. It would be so absurd not to mention about such a dam, that is supposed to cost hundreds of billions of dollars of tha nations budget, in the plan document that is supposed to direct its implementation.
Another evidence that this dam is just a hoopla is the fact that, of the estimated total Five Year GTP budget of around 700 bln Birr, the whole of the energy sector's budget constitutes, just 177 bln Birr, jus a few billions more, than the cost of cement required to build the dam, as Amare Aregawi tells us.
Over the last couple of months, this "dam" has been the editorial of Amare's Reporter week after week. But the story he has been telling us does not hold water. Just the other day he tells us a delegation of 45 Egyptian diplomats came to Ethiopia to express their support of the launching of the dam and another day, his editorial laments about that delagation trying to sabotage Ethiopia's efforts to develop its river, once they are back in Egypt. One week he tells us the famous PM Mele Zenawi had laid the corner stone of the dam and its construction is in progress, and another week he tells us, that a study team has been established to reasearch about the dam, and again he tells us about the amount and cost of cement required to complete the construction. What a speedy research! And yet gain, he laments the famous Meles Zenawi has agreed to halt the whole implementation of the dam until an elected government is formed in Egypt.
Do you remember how the whole hoopla about the dam started? The dam that was no where in the GTP in Novemebr 2010, just became a "national sensation", following the popular revolutions in Tunisia, in December 2010, in Egypt, January 2011, in Libya, February 2011, and so on....We are already witnessing the start of its death before even its birth, with lots of the lame excuses of its delay escapegoating Egypt.
Dear Ethiopians, for now, let us focus on uniting and getting rid of this ethnocentric dictatorship, using the revolutionar momentum in our region. No distraction by Woyane's hollabaloo!
Unlike other times, what struck me most during this round was, my mother's mention of the "the issue of the Gojam river dam as the deafening news of the time". It didn't take me long to realize that she was talking about the, "The Millenium Dam of the Woyane", the dam that will never be built under the ethnic dicatorship of TPLF.
That this dam is just a hoopla to divert the public's attention from the growing repression, escalating inflation, dissatisfaction, anger, frustration, poverty and famine, and above all, from the increasing signs of a sweeping revolution, can be noticed well from the absence of any mention about such a huge dam as a key energy development strategy in the much purported Five Year GTP of the country, and the conflicting and inconsistent propaganda of the regime's own mouthpieces, like Amare Aregawi's Reporter and Aiga Forum.
The so called Five Year GTP, that was endorsed by the rubber stamp parliament as the offician development plan of the nation in November 2010, does not mention as single word about the "Mellenium Development Dam" as neither a starategic direction nor as an implemetation startegy of the the energy sector development. It would be so absurd not to mention about such a dam, that is supposed to cost hundreds of billions of dollars of tha nations budget, in the plan document that is supposed to direct its implementation.
Another evidence that this dam is just a hoopla is the fact that, of the estimated total Five Year GTP budget of around 700 bln Birr, the whole of the energy sector's budget constitutes, just 177 bln Birr, jus a few billions more, than the cost of cement required to build the dam, as Amare Aregawi tells us.
Over the last couple of months, this "dam" has been the editorial of Amare's Reporter week after week. But the story he has been telling us does not hold water. Just the other day he tells us a delegation of 45 Egyptian diplomats came to Ethiopia to express their support of the launching of the dam and another day, his editorial laments about that delagation trying to sabotage Ethiopia's efforts to develop its river, once they are back in Egypt. One week he tells us the famous PM Mele Zenawi had laid the corner stone of the dam and its construction is in progress, and another week he tells us, that a study team has been established to reasearch about the dam, and again he tells us about the amount and cost of cement required to complete the construction. What a speedy research! And yet gain, he laments the famous Meles Zenawi has agreed to halt the whole implementation of the dam until an elected government is formed in Egypt.
Do you remember how the whole hoopla about the dam started? The dam that was no where in the GTP in Novemebr 2010, just became a "national sensation", following the popular revolutions in Tunisia, in December 2010, in Egypt, January 2011, in Libya, February 2011, and so on....We are already witnessing the start of its death before even its birth, with lots of the lame excuses of its delay escapegoating Egypt.
Dear Ethiopians, for now, let us focus on uniting and getting rid of this ethnocentric dictatorship, using the revolutionar momentum in our region. No distraction by Woyane's hollabaloo!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Woyani Thugs:The Alawites of Ethiopia will face resistance too, soon!
Hafez Al-Asaad of Syria, who was commander in cheif of the Syrian Air Force in the the late 1960s, was a member of the minority Alawite tribe in Syria, who overthrew the then dictatorial government of President Nureidin and became president of Syria from 1971-2000, until he died. Since then his son, Bashar Al-Asaad is ruling Syria as president.
For almost over 40 years Syria has been ruled by the minority Alawites by sytematically alieniating the majority of Syrians from playing the right role the political and economic spheres of the country. The middle easten dictatorships in Iraq, syria, Libya, Jordan, Yemen, Egypt, Tunisia, etc. were all built along the same line of marginalizing the majority of the populations in those socieites.
And we have witnessed and are still witnessing what all those years of marginzalizations and extreme repressions of the majority populations in those countries have resulted and resulting in those countries from the recent turn of events.
Meles Zenawi recently bragged that he is immune from the revolutions that are rocking the Middle East and Noth Africa. But his recent futile attempts of rallying the Ethiopian Diaspora and the grandoise talk of building the Millenium Dam on the the Nile are symptoms of in built fear among the Woyane thugs and efforts to appease Ethiopias from rising in unison against his regime. Also the sudenn surge in improsoning opposition members from the ONC and OFDM and warnings to the UDJ and sabre rattling of war with Eritrea are all not signs of confidence and immunity from resistence with in.
For the rest of us Ethiopians, these very desperate attempts of the Woyane should give us even more courage to strengthen our resolve to challenge the thugs once and for all.
Momentum is on our side! We will win and get rid of Woyane soon!
For almost over 40 years Syria has been ruled by the minority Alawites by sytematically alieniating the majority of Syrians from playing the right role the political and economic spheres of the country. The middle easten dictatorships in Iraq, syria, Libya, Jordan, Yemen, Egypt, Tunisia, etc. were all built along the same line of marginalizing the majority of the populations in those socieites.
And we have witnessed and are still witnessing what all those years of marginzalizations and extreme repressions of the majority populations in those countries have resulted and resulting in those countries from the recent turn of events.
Meles Zenawi recently bragged that he is immune from the revolutions that are rocking the Middle East and Noth Africa. But his recent futile attempts of rallying the Ethiopian Diaspora and the grandoise talk of building the Millenium Dam on the the Nile are symptoms of in built fear among the Woyane thugs and efforts to appease Ethiopias from rising in unison against his regime. Also the sudenn surge in improsoning opposition members from the ONC and OFDM and warnings to the UDJ and sabre rattling of war with Eritrea are all not signs of confidence and immunity from resistence with in.
For the rest of us Ethiopians, these very desperate attempts of the Woyane should give us even more courage to strengthen our resolve to challenge the thugs once and for all.
Momentum is on our side! We will win and get rid of Woyane soon!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Striking Similarities & Differences: Lessons to Learn from the Egyptian Revolution
Since the rigged election and the standoff between Alassane Ouattara, the legitimate winner of the Ivorian election, and Gbagbo, in Ivory Coast in November 2010, and Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution that culminated with the people’s victory in January 2010, and the ouster of Hosni Mubarak, one of Africa’s most brutal dictators, just yesterday, I was earnestly following the events, at times, with extreme level of emotions as if I were a citizen of those countries. My whole family, my wife and our 14 years old daughter were engulfed, particularly, with the turn of events in Egypt and were constantly comparing what was going on in Egypt now to what happened in Ethiopia in 2005 and what should happen in Ethiopia going forward.
Although this is not a new finding, let me mention some of the similarities of the tactics that the Mubarak regime used to silence the demonstrations/uprising until a few hours earlier to his stepping down to what the Meles Zenawi used to silence opposition prior- and post- the 2005 election in Ethiopia:
• While Mubarak tried to belittle the uprising by calling the demonstrators as young people being manipulated by “sinister” and “terrorist” groups/ the Muslim Brotherhood, Meles Zenawi called the demonstrators in 2005 as “unemployed youth” manipulated by the opposition/Kinijit.
• Blocking the internet, mobile phones, and cable channels. Although there weren’t cable channels in Ethiopia then, the Woyane government blocked SMS, internet and independent newspapers than and continues to jam independent radios like the VOA and Deutsche Welle and independent TV channels like ESAT TV.
• Intimidating and blackmailing the international community and foreign governments as subversive agents and destabilizers in the hope of buying domestic support and dividing the local opposition.
• The complete lying of the state-owned media: TV, radio and newspapers, in reporting what was going on the ground, despite the people’s awareness of the events going by the hour.
• Superficial submission to negotiations with the opposition when the going got tough, as it happened with the TPLF thugs calling for unconditional negotiations on November 8, 2005, just to buy time.
• One striking difference that we witnessed was that the Tunisian and Egyptian armies were on the side of their people while that of the Ivorian and the Ethiopian were with their incumbent dictators.
What is to be learned? Every army of a dictator and the people under those dictatorships are learning from what is going on in their countries and other countries around the world, no matter what dictators do to deny them from accessing information.
By now, at least, we have witnessed that the international community always goes with “wind”: The perceived balance of power on the ground. We have seen how wavering the US government was, changing the statement by the day, reflecting what was going on the ground. They wanted to be part of history in Egypt rather than risk of being in the dust bin.
In Tunisia, it just took just one daring young graduate, Mohamed Bouaziz, who was frustrated of being unemployed, humiliated, to spark the anger of the masses who were going through similar experiences and ordeals. In Egypt, it took just one young Google executive, Wael Ghonim, to inspire the Egyptian masses to rally behind the cause of freedom and democracy.
I remember some Egyptians talking about of being shamed by the uprising of the Tunisians and their toppling down of their 23 old dictator, Ben Ali. I am sure there are millions of Ethiopians who feel being shamed by their Tunisian and Egyptian counterparts who were able to topple down their dictators.
I am also certain that the Ethiopian army is also learning from what is going on in West and North Africa of the people’s thirst for democracy, no matter how it is differently structured in Ethiopia. They also know that they can’t run away with massacring unarmed protesters for the second time if that happened in Ethiopia now. Given what has happened since the rigged election in Ethiopia in 2005 (the Kenyan and Zimbabwean case) and what is currently happening in Ivory Coast, North African and the Middle East, the TPLF thugs are also aware that they can’t run away with the kind of cracking down of a popular uprising they were able to afford in 2005 and its aftermath.
We have witnessed the staunchest ally of the USA, Egypt, in terms of terrorism and Middle East peace, crumbling in our face, and the USA sidelining it and pushing it towards its demise. As to me, Ethiopia’s significance to US’s foreign policy interests would by no means outweigh that of Egypt’s.
Also, as we witness waves of revolutions in North Africa and the Middle East against dictatorships, which western powers are following with intense interest and supporting, it would be impossible for them to deny Ethiopians similar support, if similar revolution arose in Ethiopia at this moment. Since foreigner can’t take the lead on this, it is up to us, Ethiopians to learn the lessons of our time and to take up the leads and initiate the revolution to set ourselves free.
Although this is not a new finding, let me mention some of the similarities of the tactics that the Mubarak regime used to silence the demonstrations/uprising until a few hours earlier to his stepping down to what the Meles Zenawi used to silence opposition prior- and post- the 2005 election in Ethiopia:
• While Mubarak tried to belittle the uprising by calling the demonstrators as young people being manipulated by “sinister” and “terrorist” groups/ the Muslim Brotherhood, Meles Zenawi called the demonstrators in 2005 as “unemployed youth” manipulated by the opposition/Kinijit.
• Blocking the internet, mobile phones, and cable channels. Although there weren’t cable channels in Ethiopia then, the Woyane government blocked SMS, internet and independent newspapers than and continues to jam independent radios like the VOA and Deutsche Welle and independent TV channels like ESAT TV.
• Intimidating and blackmailing the international community and foreign governments as subversive agents and destabilizers in the hope of buying domestic support and dividing the local opposition.
• The complete lying of the state-owned media: TV, radio and newspapers, in reporting what was going on the ground, despite the people’s awareness of the events going by the hour.
• Superficial submission to negotiations with the opposition when the going got tough, as it happened with the TPLF thugs calling for unconditional negotiations on November 8, 2005, just to buy time.
• One striking difference that we witnessed was that the Tunisian and Egyptian armies were on the side of their people while that of the Ivorian and the Ethiopian were with their incumbent dictators.
What is to be learned? Every army of a dictator and the people under those dictatorships are learning from what is going on in their countries and other countries around the world, no matter what dictators do to deny them from accessing information.
By now, at least, we have witnessed that the international community always goes with “wind”: The perceived balance of power on the ground. We have seen how wavering the US government was, changing the statement by the day, reflecting what was going on the ground. They wanted to be part of history in Egypt rather than risk of being in the dust bin.
In Tunisia, it just took just one daring young graduate, Mohamed Bouaziz, who was frustrated of being unemployed, humiliated, to spark the anger of the masses who were going through similar experiences and ordeals. In Egypt, it took just one young Google executive, Wael Ghonim, to inspire the Egyptian masses to rally behind the cause of freedom and democracy.
I remember some Egyptians talking about of being shamed by the uprising of the Tunisians and their toppling down of their 23 old dictator, Ben Ali. I am sure there are millions of Ethiopians who feel being shamed by their Tunisian and Egyptian counterparts who were able to topple down their dictators.
I am also certain that the Ethiopian army is also learning from what is going on in West and North Africa of the people’s thirst for democracy, no matter how it is differently structured in Ethiopia. They also know that they can’t run away with massacring unarmed protesters for the second time if that happened in Ethiopia now. Given what has happened since the rigged election in Ethiopia in 2005 (the Kenyan and Zimbabwean case) and what is currently happening in Ivory Coast, North African and the Middle East, the TPLF thugs are also aware that they can’t run away with the kind of cracking down of a popular uprising they were able to afford in 2005 and its aftermath.
We have witnessed the staunchest ally of the USA, Egypt, in terms of terrorism and Middle East peace, crumbling in our face, and the USA sidelining it and pushing it towards its demise. As to me, Ethiopia’s significance to US’s foreign policy interests would by no means outweigh that of Egypt’s.
Also, as we witness waves of revolutions in North Africa and the Middle East against dictatorships, which western powers are following with intense interest and supporting, it would be impossible for them to deny Ethiopians similar support, if similar revolution arose in Ethiopia at this moment. Since foreigner can’t take the lead on this, it is up to us, Ethiopians to learn the lessons of our time and to take up the leads and initiate the revolution to set ourselves free.
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