imruzelleke

Italy's Shame: The Massacre in Ethiopia

Sat, 09 Apr 2022 15:27:19 GMT

Ambassador Imru Zelleke interviewed on Witness Histor, BBC World Service

Italy's Shame: The Massacre in Ethiopia

In 1937 Italian forces occupying the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa began a three day campaign of killings which left thousands of Ethiopian civilians dead. Alex Last has been speaking to Ambassador Imru Zelleke, who witnessed the massacre as a child. The violence began after a grenade attack wounded Marshal Rodolfo Graziani, the man appointed by Mussolini to govern Ethiopia. Italian forces had invaded the country in 1935 as Mussolini tried to expand Italian colonial territories in East Africa. Haile Selassie, the Emperor of Ethiopia, then called Abyssinia, was forced into exile. Ethiopia was a member of the League of Nations, but despite appeals, Western powers refused to intervene to stop the Italian invasion.
The massacre is known in Ethiopia by it's date in the Ethiopian calender,Yekatit 12.

Photo: The arrival of an Italian official in Italian-occupied Addis Ababa. The slogan on the banner reads: 'To whom does the empire belong? Duce! Duce! To ourselves!' (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Listen to Alex Last of the BBC World Service
interview Ambassador Imru Zelleke

Questions to Question?

Fri, 08 Apr 2022 13:24:07 GMT

Demystification

First published on 11 August 2011

I would like people to read my message carefully and studiously. I am not advocating any political ideology but for Democracy, Human Rights and the Rule of Law to be the best system of governance for our country and for the future well being of our people. However, I believe that sometimes we must call a spade a spade and that our thoughts and behaviors must be based on the truth and not on fabricated myths. Yilugnita is a nice and elegant social behavior to avoid embarrassments or for scape-goating on difficult issues. Unfortunately it dominates our social comportment and more than often obfuscates the evident realities of our lives.

First of all we must reckon that we the people and communities in the Diaspora are exerting an important influence on events at home. The more our numbers have increased the more our umbilical cord with our country of origin has been strengthened by travel, instant communications, huge remittances of funds, businesses, investments, educational and social connections, etc. Therefore, the impact of our ideas and actions on events at home are substantial. Hence, for good or bad we have an unavoidable responsibility for what happens in Ethiopia. The fact that we are out of the country does not exonerate us from our duty to our people at home, for nothing else than Humanitarian reasons. I believe that any action we espouse should be based on the true whishes of the Ethiopian people and not on facts assumed and exposed by sundry interest groups. There have been too many notions and conditions, if not right out fabricated lies, imposed on the people without their understanding and consent by self-appointed elites. The proposition being that most people in Ethiopia are illiterate therefore stupid, we are educated we know better what is good for them

Were the people asked when their land and properties were confiscated and they were made rootless vagrants at the mercy of gun toting hoodlums? No.

Were the Ethiopian people asked when the country was land locked and lost its historic and legitimate access to the sea? No.

Were the people of Ethiopia consulted about the separation of Eritrea? No.

The choices offered to the Eritrean was to choose between slavery and freedom? Can you imagine anybody choosing slavery against freedom? Has anyone in Ethiopia ever known an Eritrean slave? No.

Were the people of Humera, Wolqait Tegede, Semen Wollo, and Afar consulted when they were integrated with Tigray? No.

Were the people of Ethiopia consulted to be split in arbitrary ethnic groups? No.

Have the Ethiopian people been consulted to choose their own ethnic enclave? No.

Have the people of Addis Ababa have been given the chance to choose their administrative status? No.

Have the Oromos been given any choice when adopting the Latin alphabet? No. They could have chosen Arabic, Hindi, or Chinese instead of European colonialist letters.

Didn't the thousands of people who died and were maimed in defense of Ethiopia's borders against the Shabia invasion come from all parts of the country as Ethiopians?

Were the people in the border areas consulted before being sold out summarily to the Sudan? No.

Were the people asked when millions of acres of fertile land were sold to foreigners? No.

It is too long an effort to catalog all the misconceptions and misrepresentations of facts introduced in our social and political fabric in the past thirty or so years. They distort the realities in which we live, leading us to confusion and self degradation. I say let's open our minds and face our problems openly without fear of retribution by anyone, or for personal gain. We have to rehabilitate our values and cultures and get rid of the demeaning foreign influences that have denigrated our existence and contaminated our noble traditions.

When England bestowed to Emperor Haile Sellassie the Most Venerable Order of the Garter, it was not just for his person, but because he represented an ancient and noble nation, whose heroic history was reckoned by the whole world. This said, I don't mean that we return to old bypassed habits that are no more practicable; but to fund our new vision on the basis of the good values that exist in our cultures and mores.

On The eve of the 2005 elections I had written the following reflections, more for my inner self than for others, and later over the post-election 2010, wondering about what has changed since that tragic episode.

March 18, 2005

From outside the rat race.

Now that a new page has opened in Ethiopian politics and a chance to change regime in our country looms over the horizon, a lot of worms are coming out of the woodworks. Some old, some not so old and some new protagonists are appearing on the stage. Some we never heard from for the past three decades are crying loudly (in falsetto) their deep concern about the future, especially about who is going to be where, at the helm; obviously there are no other positions worthy of their talent.

The new vulture nobility that has kept itself hidden, for the good of the country, from the risky climate of our unflattering history, is perceiving a light at the end of the tunnel. A new day in which it can shine and glitter without much pain or cost seems to be imminent. As to the downtrodden people who paid dearly to bring the change, in the hope of seeing if not getting something better, some political commerce sprinkled with a little gold dust should suffice. After all the vulture nobility considers them stupid and deserving no more than what they get.

The political parties striving in the land better watch-out not to be stampeded by the new arrivistes. These last ones have ample unused energy and a lot of reserve fat. Now. What will the vulture nobility do when it comes to power?Exactly what the guerilla nobility was doing, with a little more panache and smarter PR. Pray for Ethiopia.

July 18, 2010

Five years later and lot water having passed under the bridge, what happened and what is occurring in our beloved land and in the ever extending Diaspora community entails some new reflections. Probably not for the best but, but changes have happened. After the debacle of the 2005 election Meles & Co. had learned their lesson, and prepared themselves assiduously to win the next one at all costs. With threats, violence, bribes, graft, blackmail and all sorts of pressures exerted on the people by a well organized cadre and militia, and massive foreign support they won the 2010 election by 99.6 percent. Obviously these fantastic results have some drawbacks because nobody believes them to be true and they expose clearly the ridiculous charade that has been made to appear as a fair and open election.

Obviously, this extraordinary feat was accomplished with a large participation of the Amhara, Oromo, and other ethnic groups' vulture nobility, who seems to have increased and expanded substantially in the past five years, and is now a large faction of the regime's power base. Thus, the power base of the regime has moved from the periphery to the center, and the opposition has been annihilated.

Now we are almost at the end of 2011, it is also time to ponder about what is facing us in the future. Do we have a credible national movement that embraces indiscriminately all Ethiopians? No yet. Yes, there are some active parties; unfortunately, they have put on auction the future sovereignty and integrity of the nation, with the hope that they can barter their own future in unpredictable conditions that might be favorable or not for some horse trading.

First of all we must recognize that no political party or group can deny an Ethiopian his citizenship, it is his God given immutable birthright, and his individual rights are inviolable. Hence, our future political democratic set-up must be based unequivocally on the principle of one person one vote, in one sovereign Ethiopian nation. There seems also to be some dichotomy about the concept of Unity, Andinet meaning the integrity and sovereignty of the nation on one hand and on the other unity or alliances between political factions. There shouldn't be any confusion about that, once a democratic system of governance is established, people can organize themselves freely into political, civic, religious, business, cultural and sundry associations as to fit their needs. For instance in a free election those that claim to have the largest number of the population would have nothing to fear, because they will dominate the politics by the share number of their voting members. Therefore, political parties and groups must realize that any other formula based on concocted group rights of any kind is not acceptable to the vast majority of the people, and will inevitably lead to mayhem and bloodshed. There are more than eighty million Ethiopians who are not likely to accept the dictate of power seeking groups, whatever their promises and incantations. When I hear the many volatile speeches that are made in public meetings and the enthusiastic applause they receive, it makes me wonder.

When the TPLF regime will depart, it will leave in its wake enormous political, social and economic problems that will need the good will and joint effort of the whole nation to solve and put the country back to normal conditions. Beside the huge disparity of income created by the monopolistic and kleptocratic rule of the TPLF regime, the ratio of poverty has expanded to include even the remaining fringe of middle class citizens. Moreover, a huge foreign presence has taken place in the form of aid, loans, investments, etc., that will impact the future development of the country. As the former head of the World Bank group in Ethiopia stated, the present development program that is implemented in the country is not sustainable, a sad prognosis for what comes next.

Let's put our ears on the ground and listen to what the people of Ethiopia are saying. Ultimately they are the ones who pay with their blood and flesh the price of our misdeeds. That is why I say that we should opt for a genuine national democratic movement and not for some compromise that will engender more problems than solutions. As the saying goes "the Devil is in the details", and compromises are an essential elements of the political process. However, there are limits and parameters under which they can be made. We should be more discerning and judgmental in our quest for an outcome that will benefit all the people of Ethiopia and will secure their freedom and wellbeing.

I appeal to the great number of the people in the Diaspora, particularly to the many thousands of professionals, educators, business men and women, students representing the silent majority of the community to organize in civic associations, and take an active role in maintaining the integrity and sovereignty of Ethiopia and the establishment of genuine democratic system in the country. We are privileged to live in this Great Country, where we are free to express ourselves and do what we deem just and air for our people, without fear and apprehensions.

Ethiopia lezelalem tenur.

Time Out

Wed, 06 Apr 2022 11:27:24 GMT

A new generation of achievers is coming to be, let’s give them all the help they need

The above title is not for me I am way past my time out, having lived through three generation, with a fourth beginning its journey. Hence, sharing some reflections on the past and the present may be timely. For the past eight decades our country has gone through a traumatic journey whose end is still to come. At this point in time I believe that we have reached a critical point, where the future of the nation is in question. Particularly, when external forces, including a large Ethiopian Diaspora, have assumed a major role in our national life. Globalization and rapid communications have shrunk the overall environment in which we exist transforming radically all previous paradigms.Former Ethiopian ambassador Imru Zeleke

For Ethiopia all these changes have not come peacefully and without pain; they occurred with extremely violent quakes and upheavals. First was the brutal Italian invasion that disaffected Ethiopia from its quasi pastoral middle age existence. The occupation of the country with a huge army equipped with modern arms, airplanes, thanks and poison gas; Italy’s large scale massacre of the people and of the burgeoning educated class, brought profound changes in all aspects of the country’s life. The post liberation period dedicated to re-establish the state on modern foundations had also its own problems, it required a radical transformation of thought and behavior of the leadership. Although the reconstruction and modernization of the governing system was successfully achieved, it failed to satisfy the overall developmental level the country had reached. Moreover, the changes that occurred in the last four decades during the revolutionary era, and that of the following Ethnocentric regime, have brought the country into the most virulent and vicious internal crisis in its history.

Governed subsequently by two predatory regimes, a. the first introducing an ill digested political ideology, b. the second adopting an ethnic based federal structure, with a monopolized central power in the hands of an ethnic cabal. Consequently the country has been reduced to the lowest standard of Human Development, in spite an enormous infusion of foreign financial and technical aid. The opposition to this lamentable and corrupt governance has been numerous but ineffective. Not for lack of good intentions or lack of heroic sacrifice, even though a whole generation lost its life and went into exile in the process. It is said “that the way to hell is paved with good intentions”, this might be the case with our country were many trials for good governance have failed, and we have fallen into such disgraceful conditions.

Traumatized by these tragic events our political revival has been hampered by lack of clear direction and lack of a popular leadership that has public confidence and inspires courage, sacrifice and unity of purpose from all. Two generations later, a new spirit is arising especially amongst the younger generation, a worldwide phenomena that is also coming to life in Ethiopia. Therefore, it is incumbent for the elder generation to step back, and help the young assume the leading role of salvaging Ethiopia out of the quagmire created by ineffectual politics.

From their part the youth must unequivocally realize that politics means dealing with the real life and survival of the people and the country. It is a very heavy and complex responsibility that must be assumed with gravity and diligence. There is no room for political shenanigans and self centered ambitions, it requires an altruistic spirit and absolute moral integrity. A short glance at ours and other’s history suffice to learn of past successes and failures of many regimes and empires. The pain and suffering, the degradation and humiliation we suffer today are home grown. If some foreign elements play havoc with our national destiny it is because of our weakness, a rich land rendered poor and helpless by the doings of its own children.

Ethiopia is a great country and its People are great with tremendous potentials. Inheritors of great religions Judeo-Christian and Islam our moral and ethical standards are second to none. Throughout our long history our people have created a unique way of life that reflects the multiple blends of diverse ethnics and cultures. Our geographical position has been a pathway between the great civilization of the Middle East and the Asia. It is the totality of this atavistic past that gives a distinct character to our identity as Ethiopians. I advise the young not to fall into the ethnic trap, fore there is no such thing as a pure ethnic group, throughout the centuries there have been a long process of miscegenation which still continues in our time. I trace my own family from Amara, Tigre and Oromo origins, and even of some Islamic descent. When an Ethiopian asks me from where I am I say from Addis Ababa because I was born there from parents born in Gondar and Harrar, but when a foreigner asks I say I am Ethiopian. If we have remained excluded from the modern European influence, it is because our forefathers fought relentlessly against all invaders to maintain our independence and national integrity.

That is why is say “time out” for the generation of politicians whose time has run out, failure cannot be worn as a combat badge, it can only serve as a lesson learned from past mistakes and a spring board for the future. A new generation of achievers is coming to be, let’s give them all the help they need on the long and strenuous journey to rebuild Ethiopia. I hope that you will forgive me if I quote a comment made by a young person in one of the Sodere social blogs. As you have all observed a subject of great debate beside the Abay issue was Betty’s indiscretion, after all the indignant comments a person called “Lastaw” said quote:

" Welcome to the new, global Ethiopia and Ethiopian-ism!

You can be “a skinny guy with a funny name” with 3.99 CGPA, or

You can be in the Forbes 100 powerful women list, or

You can be the Latin commencement speaker at Harvard, or

You can be the honorary doctorate recipient and commencement speaker at Holy Names University, or

You can be one with three of the six degrees that your family collected in a week, or

You can be an IBM scientist and be named innovator of the year, or

You can be the Chief of Spacecraft and Satellite Systems Engineer at NASA, or

You can be the Chief Engineer at AirBus and design the A380, or

You can be appointed as the new Under-Secretary-General of DGACM by the UN Secretary-General,

Or You ………………………………………………..!!!

Your passion, your dream and your choice – shaping the new face of Ethiopia. "

I ask Sodere to forgive me for copying one of the comments.

Well this is the spirit of the New Ethiopia, let’s help the young to achieve it. Bravo Semayawi Party!

________________________________________________________________________________

Note : previously published on ECADF - Ethiopian News and Opinions

Hilina Desalegn, Hero for all Seasons

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 11:52:49 GMT

Published in Ethiopian Point of View - ethiopoint.com

96 years old former ambassador Imru Zelleke, son of a minister in Emperor Haile Selassie’s first cabinet praises Ethiopia’s young poet Hilina Desalegn for her recent popular poetry. (Below more about Ambassador Imru Zelleke)

" In Year 2011 Ethiopian Calendar, 105 million Ethiopians produced 1 (one) hero: HILINA DESALEGN.

A courageous young lady that has defied and denounced openly the racist tribal gangs that are ruling the country into a corrupt and ruinous blind future.

I have the utmost respect and admiration for HER extraordinary courage, intellectual integrity and grace, I name her “EMEBET” an Ethiopian heroine in tradition of her predecessor like Empresss Taitu and Shewareged Gedle.

I salute you Emebet Hilina Desalegn. "

Ambassador Imru Zelleke

New Paragraph

A Journey - Chapter I, My Childhood

Fri, 07 Jan 2022 15:28:51 GMT

Chapter I

I have had the fortune to participate in many significant historical events and have witnessed the unfolding of huge social changes both in Ethiopia and across the world. Through my memoirs I wish to share these extraordinary events with my readers and let them partake to all that has shaped, fascinated and motivated me.

My memoirs are a work in progress and it is with pleasure that I am making a few extracts available on my website.

It is may be too late to start a life story that spans eight decades. Memory fades, events get blurred, names are forgotten and places get hazy, softened by passing time events and things lose their edge. Neither I am writing a history, it is simply a narration about my life and of the events and conditions through which I have lived. Therefore, I plead mea culpa for what is missing, mistaken or misplaced.

________________________________________________________________________

My parents, Woyzero Azaletch Gobena and Bejironde Zelleke Agidew

My early childhood

I was born in 1923 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. My father was Bejironde Zelleke Agidew, he was educated in Menelik II, he joined government service during the reign of Empress Zewditu and the regency of H.I.H. Ras Taffari Makonnen and became member of the Ministerial Cabinet of H.I.M. Emperor Haile Sellassie in which he served as Minister of Commerce, of Finance and Agriculture and Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary to the United Kingdom, the French Republic and Ethiopian representative at the League of Nations, having carried out several prior missions abroad he was familiar with world affairs. My mother was Woyzero Azaletch Gobena, a cousin of the Emperor, she had accompanied my father in his foreign missions and after the liberation from the Italian occupation, was responsible for women affairs in the Imperial Court until its demise in 1974. Generally, I can say that my ancestors from both sides of my parents had always served the country and the State in one form or the other. My immediate family consisted of my younger sisters Ketsela and Zena, and my half-sister Woizero Mekdes-Work and brother Mesfin. W/ro Mekdes-Work was married to Fitawrari Makonnen Adefriss, she wrote the first Ethiopian cook-book. My brother attended the University of Lausanne in Switzerland and later graduated in civil engineering at the Ponts et Chausses in the University of Montpellier, France.

In the early years I grew up in a typical Ethiopian large household, what I remember most was that there were many people around, relatives, retinues, and servants. There was also a continuous stream of friends and visitors who came to see my father for some business or another. There were always a lot guests at meal times, especially on holidays. We the children had our nannies. A monk took care of the spiritual need of the household and thought children to recite orally the appropriate prayers and psalms until we memorized by heart the Psalms of David, which were in Geez that we did not understand. And the Amharic language, which by the way, our monk could not write. Our monk Aba Gabre-Medhin was a young man whose religious beliefs amounted to fanatism, he was severe in his teaching otherwise he was a very kind and generous man. In later years he became the Gebez of Lalibela where his great chef-d’oeuvre was to paint all the rock churches with red brick color.

Our compound on Menelik square was very large and contained several buildings. The main house, my grand parent’s large tukul, where my grand mother still lived in, a big dinning hall ‘gibre bet’ for large functions, several other houses for guests and servant quarters and the kitchens and brewing rooms, stores, the stables horses and mules and a garage for we had an automobile. It was an adventure for me to run from one place to the other in the compound, where something was always happening and to hear some braggadocio from retinues whose stories and arguments fascinated me. I remember particularly Basha Thomas who had soldiered with my grand father. He was a short ferocious looking man who carried a huge sword all the time. Whether they were true or not, to hear him tell of the great feats he had done in battle mesmerized me to no end. My imagination soared for hours combating ferocious enemies and hunting dangerous animals. I liked specially to go to my grand-ma’s house, she always fed me some delicious food.

My grandmother' s house was a very large tukul divided into various rooms with bamboo sticks tied together with colored leather tangs. The ceiling was also made the same way, with a nice pattern to it. My grand mother Bejironde Yetemegnu Wole was an extraordinary person on her own, she carried a title usually bestowed to men as my father’s and was at one time Governor of Yeju province, where she came from. Even in present days, a rare accomplishment for a woman in Ethiopia,. My grand father Negadras Agidew Imru was from Gondar, he was a merchant and owned caravans that carried goods from the sea coast to the interior and vice versa. He was in the retinue of Emperor Menelik when Addis Ababa was founded and organized the first customs. He was appointed Negadras (head of merchants) by the Emperor, a position that in those days included the governorship of Addis Ababa, which my father followed suit years later when he became Minister of Commerce. His deputy then was Fitawrary Haile Giorgis, later Prime Minister.

As I remember the population of Addis Ababa was very small, maybe twenty to thirty thousands which comprised a sprinkling of Europeans, Indians and Yemenite merchants and laborers. It superficies were large about seven kilometers radius from Menelik Square. There were a few asphalted roads, one running from the railroad station to Arat Kilo via the center Arada, and one connecting the old palace with the new palace at Sidist Kilo, otherwise there where only gravel roads or simply dirt paths. Automobiles and trucks were rare and limited to very limited distances, most of the travel was on horse or mule back and donkeys, mules and camels to carry goods. The air was clean and the fragrance of the eucalyptus trees was predominant. There were wild flowers and all kinds of bushes, some bearing edible fruits like koshim, kega and shola trees along the streets.

When I was about five years old my father was sent on several missions abroad and my mother went with him, Ato Wolde-Giorgis Wolde-Yohannes, later Tsehafi-Tezaz Minster of Pen and Minister of Interior, was his secretary. Ato Gessesse Retta also traveled with my father as his personal secretary. My parents were away frequently abroad. I don’t think that I missed them very much, we were always surrounded by our nannies, and relatives. However, what made a great impact on my life then, where the illustrated books they brought with them on their return. There were large illustrated volumes from the Louvre and from the British Museum, there were photos of the Pyramids and of the many other places they had visited. Although I could not read and write in any of the languages the visual perception of the images opened my mind to a new world. I use to sit hours gazing at the pictures and listening to my parents talking about their voyage. We also had many foreign friends visiting our house, they usually brought for us children some sweet and biscuits. My imagination was simply inflamed by all the stories they recounted and also because my elder half-brother Mesfin Zelleke was already in school in Europe.

Dr. Martin's family

My real journey into life began at this point, I think I was six years old, when my father sent me to Dr. Workneh Martin Eshete’s house to begin my proper education. Dr. Workneh and my father were close cousins from Gondar and they were also very good friends. Dr. Workneh was a medical doctor, a graduate from Edinburgh University, he was the last physician that was called to treat Emperor Menelik when his health had fallen beyond any remedy. Dr. Workneh was an exceptional man as well as his own personal history was. Captured together with the son of Emperor Theodros, H.I.H Prince Alemayhu, after the battle of Magdala and the suicide of the Emperor. He was taken to England with the Prince, then later to India with Gen. Napier’s contingent while the Prince remained at the British Court.

In India because the officers in charge of him could not attend to him properly they put him up with a missionary family, the Martins, who eventually adopted him. He did his schooling in India graduating as a medical doctor and served as such in the British Army. As the Indian medical degree did not qualify him for private practice he went to England and graduated as MD and Surgeon from the University of Edinburgh. He came back to Ethiopia, married Woyzero Ketsela Tulu, a cousin from my mother side branch of the family, and returned to India to serve as Chief Medical Officer in Burma. He returned to Ethiopia upon his retirement and became Governor of Chercher with the title of Azaj. Later he became Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia to the Court of St. James. He was about six feet tall and a very handsome man who excelled in sports. Dr. Workneh’s house was in Shola in a very large compound with all the compartments of a large Ethiopian household. They had many children, of which the elder five were in school in England. The two eldest sons, graduates from English Universities, were later murdered by the Italians. The house itself was big in the form of an H, in the left wing was the living room, bedroom and office, in the middle were the dining rooms and in the right wing were the children’s quarters and those of the English teacher.

For my life it was a complete transformation. The family having lived for long in India and England, the house was run in the best traditions of an English household with some Anglo-Indian touch to it. Our mistress was an English lady and all the family but the servants spoke English. All our meals were composed of English dishes. For me, used to shiro, alicha fitfit and the like, eating porridge, boiled eggs, ham and boiled potatoes was a complete revelation. Our mistress run our quarters strictly like an English boarding school. She was a firm disciplinarian so was Dr. Workneh. It did not take me long to learn English. I heard it all day long and it was the only way I could communicate with my cousins, having grown abroad they all spoke English. Dr. Workneh had a large library of English books and he received periodicals and magazines like the London Illustrated News. Even if I didn’t understand properly the texts the pictures use to fascinate me.

Moving to Vevey, Switzerland

In 1929 my father was appointed Envoy Extraordinary & Minister Plenipotentiary to France, the United Kingdom and as Representative at the Society of Nation. We traveled by train from Addis to Djibouti, and from by boat to France. By the way the journey to Djibouti by train took three days, with overnight stops in Awash and Dire Dawa. It was a colorful journey, the train stopped for a while at each station, in both Awash and Dire Dawa there were decent hotels to accommodate passengers. From Djibouti we embarked on a French ship. I don’t remember much of the voyage on sea. There was no one I could talk on the ship but for one elderly Englishmen who answered kindly to all the myriad questions I asked. One thing I remember vividly was a magician named GalaGala who came on board the ship in Port Said, he enchanted everybody with his humor and his magic tricks. For me it was the first time that I saw a magician. When we arrived in Marseille we were received by Mr. Bauvais, who was then the Ethiopian Honorary Council. In Paris we stayed at the Legation, which was in Rue Cortembert. Lij (later Ras) Andargacthew Messai was the Charge d’Affaires and Ato Tesfaye Tegegn was First Secretary. Ato (later Blatten Getta) Ephrem Tewwelde-Medhin was First Secretary in London. We did not stay long in Paris, with my parents, my sister Ketsela and I plus our nanny Woyzero Fanaye and the chauffeur Ato Alebatchew, we were to many for the facilities of the Legation. Fortunately His Imperial Majesty allowed us to say in his villa in Vevey, Switzerland, where we moved shortly after our arrival in France.

The villa in Vevey was very large with a big garden of which about one third was for fruits and vegetables. There as gardener called Hans. We had year round seasonal flowers, vegetables and fruits. The cook Aunt Clementine use to make excellent preserves. Mother had brought with her all sorts of Ethiopian spices and ingredients, between her and Iteye Fanaye they cooked all sort of our national dishes including teff injera and brewed tej. On one occasion on their tour of Europe H.I.H. Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen, H.I.H. Princess Tenagne Work and her husband Ras Desta Damtew, Dejazmatch Aberra Kassa, Dejazmatch Kassahun Hailu, come to visit us for a few days and mother gave them an Ethiopian banquet. There were not many Ethiopians in Switzerland at the time but for a few students, my brother Mesfin Zelleke, Asheber Gebre-Hywot, Leggesse Gabre-Mariam at the University of Lausanne, and Woyzero Senedu Gebru are those I remember. There were also few members of the Imperial Guard who came for training with Orelikon anti-aerial guns. I remember only Captain Alemayehu Filate (later Dejazmatch) which I saw frequently in the Place in later years. Ato Ashebir Gabre-Hiywot had written and published a book on Ethiopia which contained a photo of His Majesty in his very young age wearing a sheep skin, quite a normal thing at the time. The son of Ato Gebre-Hiywot Baykedagn, a progressive intellectual of the time, his rather provocative political views brought him the disfavor of the Court throughout his days.

When the guns were ready to be shipped to Ethiopia the Italian invasion was imminent. In the mean time the Society of Nations declared an embargo which only affected our country. The Italians could bring anything they wanted trough their colony of Eritrea. Anyway nobody tried seriously to stop Italy from invading Ethiopia, the Laval government in France that was cultivating close collaboration with Mussolini and Hitler, imposed a strict embargo on any arms destined through Djibouti. Actually they were the ones who recognized first the colonization of Ethiopia. Fortunately, the owner of Orelikon Mr. Buhrle who was a great supporter of Ethiopia, had them smuggled in the chassis of trucks that were sent to Ethiopia as regular transport vehicles. Mr. Buhrle was Ethiopia’s Honorary Consul in Switzerland until his death in the sixties.

In Vevey I went to a private school and started too learn French. The school was run by two elderly ladies, we were only about twenty students, most of us foreigners. The school curriculum was flexible and conform to our age group. However, they gave a big emphasis for language, literature and arts. They encouraged us to read a lot. A habit that has lasted me all my life, and for which I am still grateful to them. On Sundays we went to Pastor Flad’s house for Bible lessons which was given by one of the daughters, who was still alive a few years ago. Father Flad and his family, where missionaries who had gone to Ethiopia during the reign of Emperor Theodros. They had kept their contacts with Ethiopia since that time. There was also Mr. David Hall, with the same background, though in his case his mother was an Ethiopian lady from Gondar, who helped father with many tasks.

Once in a while we went to Paris with father. I remember seeing the 1930 World Fair where for the first in my life, I saw some African Art, wild animals and a multitude of other things. When we went to Paris father usually visited Count Lagarde who was a friend. Count Lagarde was French Minister in Ethiopia during Emperor Menelik’s reign. In recognition for the great services he did for Ethiopia while he was Governor of Djibuti and later as Minister to his Court the Emperor had bestowed on him the title of Duke of Entoto. When we visited him he lived in the Palais des Invalides in an apartment for retired high ranking officers, and was attended by an orderly from the French Navy. This contact of my father - Count Arnaud d’Andilly a nephew of Lagarde - served me enormously in later years when I was posted in France. Life in Vevey was a whole new experience at least for me, beside French I learned to swim, skating and an everlasting love for reading.

The tragedy in Ambo

Wed, 05 Jan 2022 13:20:25 GMT

We are one Ethiopian family that has lived and survived together since ancient times

Originally published in May 2014

I am deeply saddened by the tragedy that happened in Ambo and the loss of precious lives, and the senseless destruction of properties belonging to people who have toiled a life time to obtain them.

If it is to be believed, video interviews made later with the President of Ambo U and students it appears that no student was killed or maimed, in fact the students had protected students from Amhara other ethnic groups that were hiding in local Churches in fear of being slaughtered by the rioters. It seems that the riots had been carried by other elements, although the students had started the demonstration. The regime admitted that eleven people were killed during the riot, which number is likely to be more. Who made the riots and destroyed buildings and pillaged properties is still a mute question.

It has also been reported that the students demands were not only against the expansion of the City of Addis Ababa but also the eviction of all Amhara from what they call the Oromo area, allocated to them by the TPLF regime; tantamount to an ethnic cleansing of Amharas, and the establishment of a racially pure Oromo territory.

I believe that the vast majority of Oromos know well their history, and have not been deceived by these false historical tales, neither by the nefarious scheme of the TPLF to divide the people by ethnic politics. Actually all these problems have been created by a minority of self appointed Oromo elite sustained by foreign interests. Unfortunately, the victims of all these plots are the very young generation of Oromos who have been confined from knowing the truth by ethnic seclusion and fabricated versions of Ethiopian history. It would be helpful if the Oromo students ask by name about who was Emperor Minilk’s mother, Emperor Haile-Sellassie’s grandfather, who were Minilik’s great commanders, who were the Generals, the commanders, the Ministers, the Ambassadors, the Governors, the professors, bankers etc. during the Monarchy? From which ethnic group were the head of state, the prime minister, the high officials and commissars during the Derg? It might enlighten them about the part of Oromos in Ethiopian history and their background in the age long trail of Ethiopia’s chronicles.

Like all Ethiopians citizens, whatever their ethnic roots, we Amahra believe that Ethiopia is our country and the land is ours, and it is our inherent right to live, move, work, own property anywhere in the territory of Ethiopia. We don’t believe in segregating anyone by gender, culture, language or faith. We are one Ethiopian family that has lived and survived together since ancient times, we are not itinerants in the land but perpetual inhabitants. The unfortunate conditions prevailing in the country at the present is merely short-term; together we have overcome many tragic events and crisis in our long standing history, and we shall do so now and in the future.

My advice to the TPLF leaders is to stop their despotic rule, they have been in power for over two decades, they must have learned something about governance. Have they not seen the fate of the Gadafi, Mubarak, Assad, Mengistu and other tugs? Governing by the point of a gun, killing, imprisoning, terrorizing and looting a nation are a dead end road. Do you think that the Americans, Chinese, British, Europeans and other entities that have made heavy political and financial investments in Ethiopia, do not know of the crimes, utter corruption and misdemeanor of your regime? Where do you think the money that is siphoned out of Ethiopia ends up? They have a long experience of your kind of regimes, they know that it is a matter of time before they collapse in their own rot. Momentarily you are convenient instruments at their bid, although you are also becoming an embarrassment with their own public opinion. Ultimately they know that they have to deal with the Ethiopian people.

Persecution against the Amhara population was initiated during the Derg with the formation of a special anti Amara armed units (Yethiopia Chiqnoch Abyotawi Party) with the full support of the Marxist parties of that time. This ensued with the killing, raping, chasing and enslaving Amharas around the country especially in the South and South-West. This could not be news to the former revolutionary cadre that live amongst us. After the fall of the Dreg it has also been an overt policy of the regime and its allies. Evictions, killings, ethnic cleansing in the guise of population control, depravation and derogatory actions against the Amhara has been carried on indiscriminately. Sebhat Nega a leading TPLF cadre was boasting recently saying “we have broken the back of the Amharas and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church”.

To the Amhara my advice is to stop being weak-kneed victims of daily abuse and humiliation, it is a betrayal of our values and traditions. This must stop, we count as the second largest population of the country, we must stand-up and fight together with our fellow citizens for freedom, justice and democratic governance for ALL the people of Ethiopia. We have the spiritual and material means to achieve this goal; neither we lack friends and support, if our struggle is genuine and free of political manipulations. The past maybe forgiven but not forgotten, the new Ethiopia must be built on clean and new foundations.

Nobody, No One can divide us and destroy a nation that we have kept free and secure for generations through unrelenting struggle and limitless sacrifice. We are nation builders not destroyers, history is our testimonial.

The Deconstruction of Ethiopia

Mon, 09 Aug 2021 00:50:11 GMT

A letter to the people of Tomorrow

You are in your twenties and thirties, you have grown up in one of the most painful eras of Ethiopian history, you have been traumatized by the violence and misery that you have endured and seen since your birth. All you have learned and viewed from your unhappy experience is the ever increasing poverty and the wretched existence of your people, including your family and kin. All this spiritual and physical flagellation has certainly left you with some bitter view of your country, especially that it is a homegrown calamity that started with good intentions and ended in a catastrophic cataclysm.

You identify yourselves mostly as Ethiopians, for better or worse, because it is the only origin, history and culture you can identify with, and for its worldwide recognition. You also enjoy Ethiopian cuisine, music, humor, manner and style, and that your civilization is second to none in the world. You can quote your history from ancient times, and you are a repository of two great religions, Christianity and Islam. All this heritage and the gifted talents of our people should have given us a springboard to create a modern and dynamic nation. But instead of building our future on the basis of our wealth and traditions, we fell victim of ideologies and notions that had already failed their own authors.

It is true that our inherited monarchical system of government had, even by its own reckoning, seen its days. Nevertheless, in its quest for survival, it had introduced many positive elements that constituted a good foundation for the future. Yes, it was not democratic, yes it was oppressive, but compared to what followed it might be called almost liberal. (Dr. Minasse Haile’s monograph “Comparing Human Rights in Two Ethiopian Constitutions,” Cardozo Journal of International and Comparative Law, Spring 2005.) Thus, began a deconstruction and unbridled mystification of Ethiopian history and the invention of the evil “bully” the “Amhara” oppressor. According to the new legend, the Amharas who inhabit the regions of Gondar, Gojjam, Wollo and Shewa have a higher standard of living than Americans, which they gained by exploiting the rest of the population. If you visit those areas you won’t see their wealth because they make them invisible by some mysterious magic, you need special three-dimensional eye glasses. Which reminds me, some years ago there was a fashionable song in Ethiopia named “Ayne yeTefeTerew hulun lemayet new” (“My eyes were made to see everything”). One day my five-year-old daughter asked, “Why is it that I cannot see everything?” I told her that it is because she is not yet a Ph.D.

It would be pertinent to come out into the light from the dark cloud of mystifications and ask of what and of whom this Amhara polity is made. As you all know, a political group holding power cannot exist without allies and fellow travelers with a vested interest in the system. Even presently Meles has his own Amhara, Oromo, and other allies. Historically, the same paradigm stands for Ethiopia. In our part of the world, Cushitic and Hamitic people have been mixing for thousands of years. (Dr. Fikre Tolossa “Common Factors Uniting Ethiopians,” Ethiopian Review, July 2011) Therefore, there has been a continuous population movement in the whole area, resulting in a miscegenation of races and tribes. Throughout the centuries, our rulers sprung forth from the same historical process. Few Ethiopians can claim racial purity and unique ethnic identity; all of us are of mixed origin, but for some cultural trends that differ amongst the many entities that make up the nation.

As to political power, the dominating group of the last one and a half centuries has been an Amhara-Tigre-Oromo hegemony consisting of the monarchy down to the lower ranks. Therefore, the claim that there was an oppressive regime composed solely of an Amhara ethnic group is utter nonsense. If the Amharic language was preponderant and become the lingua franca of the nation, it is because of its age-old alphabet and written religious and literary traditions, as opposed to the oral vernaculars. The monarchs Menelik, Zewditu, Iyasu, Haile Selassie, Negus Mikael, and all the great leaders Gobena, Habte Giorgis, Balcha, etc., were of mixed ethnic origin.

Hence, if there were oppression and malfeasance by one ruling regime or another, the guilt must be shared by all and not attributed to some fictitious character created to justify a political agenda. It is perfectly legitimate for one to espouse a particular social group and culture, but to use it as an instrument for the deconstruction of a nation that has been built by the blood and guts of millions of people from many origins is unacceptable, and not conducive to a healthy and prosperous future.

This year when Americans are celebrating the 258th year of their independence, we should be proud and celebrate our thousands of years of independence, despite the many crises caused by our faulty governance. Unfortunately, we lament past misdeeds and negate our own role in the making of our disastrous fate, without devising solutions for our predicament. We are told to forget the past as if it was not the foundation of our existence. We are advised to look to some indiscernible future where milk and honey will be plentiful, and our whims and wants will be fully met. Which divine power will bestow upon us all these blessings? It is a good question to ask.

In 1974, we were told to forget the past and look towards a prosperous future in a free and just society, but we all know what happened after that. In 1991, we were promised the same, and we all know the results. Now we are promised the same again and are asked to consent a priori to the eventual ethnic breakup of the country, and accept a promissory note from political parties of doubtful consistency and popularity. Is this a promising future for a country that is barely able to get out from abysmal poverty? Is this what the Ethiopian people aspire to for their salvation?

NO!! We must build our new Ethiopia on solid bases, on our common history and common heritage. We are not a people sown on this Earth like wild weed. We are civilized people of the first order, our tradition, cultures and values are universal. Our people are talented and our land fertile and rich. Let’s make the Ethiopian renaissance with a national spirit and rejuvenating outlook, instead of indulging in endless willy-nilly political deals that promise an uncertain future. In 2005 when more than two million people demonstrated openly in Addis Ababa and later when twenty-six million voted peacefully without a single incident, they voted as Ethiopians and nothing else. We should stand with them and work unremittingly to liberate them from the TPLF nefarious dictatorship.

I am asking the young people who are the people of the future not to succumb to views vented by false prophets, and to inform themselves properly and judiciously about the realities in Ethiopia before acting. You must all realize that individually and collectively you are responsible for the fate of millions of people.

When reading the above, some will probably say that I am an old fogey still anchored in the past. With all humility I say that I am not, I have struggled and fought for Human Rights and Democracy in Ethiopia for over three quarters of a century, much before many of you were born, and I intend to do so until the end. I am a nationalist and patriotic Ethiopian, proud of my country of origin and the people of Ethiopia.

ETHIOPIA LEZELALEM TENUR

Is Silence Made of Gold ?

Thu, 16 Oct 2014 00:02:02 GMT

Afterthoughts Fall 2014

Is Silence Made of Gold?

The lack of freedom of expression and the jailing of journalists, bloggers and media people in Ethiopia has always been a hot topic in the Diaspora media, and justly so. We also observe that the Diaspora audio-visual media that has become a most important source of information for the public in Ethiopia about issues unavailable in the local media. This said the question is if there is censorship in the Diaspora media? For instance my article on Ethiopia’s Future was not rejected but not even acknowledged by some web-sites like Abugida, Ze-Habesha, ECADEF, 6Kilo. Thanks God! there are Medias like Facebook with millions of viewers worldwide including Ethiopia.

Fear of Protests?

I have been following on TV the protests by thousands people of Honk Kong to elect freely their own city government, and at the same I was also viewing what is happening with the few hundred protesters in Fergusson Missouri (population 21200) here in the United States of America. What I remarked particularly is the way that the authorities in both places have handled the protests. In Honk Hong the police were unarmed and the authorities have handled the matter peacefully with negotiations, which they are still doing after almost a month of the people occupying the town center. In Fergusson the police came out dressed and armed with military gear and equipment including armored vehicle, shooting rubber bullets and teargas bombs against a few misbehaving youngsters and against peaceful protesters.

The contrast is evident; it is difficult to understand the extreme violent reaction of the police in America against neighbors who have lived in the same township for at least since the US has existed. With their violent reaction the police did not show strength and courage, but stark naked fear! And lack of confidence in one’s own national institutions and laws. It is sad to observe this decay of civility in the 21st Century America. Moreover, the political paralyses that has developed at home in recent years, has undermined the foreign policy in a world whose peace and stability lies principally with the United States. For billions of people in the World the US symbolizes Freedom and Progress to which they aspire. The people in Honk Kong are what they are protesting for. With the political and economic power center shifting from West to East, what the future bids is something to ponder upon with utmost concern. Obama will be gone in less than two years, then what??

Perspectives of Ethiopia's future

Wed, 24 Sep 2014 00:29:16 GMT

September 2014

I am neither a scholar nor a historian. The following are broad brush strokes of my personal outlooks about the epoch I have lived in and strived. I leave the descriptive details off events and facts to professional historians. The 1974 revolution that replaced the Imperial Regime and gave birth to an era of terror and lawlessness, since then Ethiopian history has been subject to many interpretations according to the ideological, political and personal persuasion of the narrator. Although a lot of well researched books and papers have been published by Ethiopian and foreign authors alike, there is also a lot of writing that borders the surreal, particularly by political bodies and their members. Assumptions, speculations, misquotations, fabrications and exaggerations make poor history.

In my view Ethiopian history has changed by somersaults during the past nine decades, especially after the Italian invasion of 1935. The post Minilik period was a time of internal contentions, the Lij Yassu regency concluded with the crowning of Empress Zewditu Minilik with the crown passing to Emperor Haile Sellassie on her death. Thus began the embryonic modernization of Ethiopia’s polity with Haile Sellassie pursuing Minilik’s policies, introducing a western education systems and other modern reforms. A written Constitution was adopted, and Ethiopia became a full-fledged member of the Society of Nations. The 1930 Constitution marked the beginning of a constitutional form of government and the end of feudalism, which was abolished further by the Italian occupiers who introduced a colonial system of governance. Although the occupation lasted only turbulent five years, it changed radically all aspects of the Ethiopian way of life. Primarily to consolidate their occupation and secure the future development of the colony, the Italians built a network of roads and infrastructures throughout the country. This factor revolutionized the traditional political, social and economic structure of the nation, by facilitating large population movements and commercial exchange amongst the various provinces. A uniform system of governance was also introduced, transforming radically the feudal relationship between the rulers and the people.

The post liberation era 1941/1973 was a time of reestablishing the state and keeping the integrity of the nation. Thanks to the popularity of the Emperor and patriots forces the country remained united. Starting with establishing a new government administration the challenge was extremely onerous, there was no money but a small loan granted by the British; there was no trained personnel but a handful people with formal education; no equipment of any kind as the British forces had taken away anything movable even office and household furniture; all Italians were also evacuated, depriving us of some technical labor. In spite of some difficulties created by the British in the early years, by 1960 the government was firmly established. Organic Laws were codified, National Bank and National Currency, Ethiopian Commercial Bank, Ethiopian Airline, Highway Authority, Telecommunications’ Board and many other institutions and structural changes were made. Eritrea was federate with the motherland and Ethiopia had regained a direct access to the sea.

However, the political system did not evolve according to the innovations the country underwent with its socio-economic development and its large exposure to the world. Addis Ababa had become the HQ of the OAU, the ECA and of many International organizations, increasing the country’s role in world affairs. Nevertheless, domestically all powers remained centered with the Emperor, all officials were by appointment and the Parliament although partially elected was actually an advisory body with limited prerogatives. The Emperor, lulled by his worldwide popularity was more focused on world affairs than those of the interior. The first shock came in 1960 with the Mengistu Newaye attempted coup d’etat, that culminated with the senseless murder of some of the most important leaders whose voice influenced all Imperial decisions. Unfortunately, the Emperor nor his government learned much from this tragic event, although the country was fermenting with discontent from all classes of society and things went on as usual. Triggered by the famine in Wollo this period climaxed with the 1974 revolution, spearheaded by students and joined by the military. To their credit the Emperor and all high officials surrendered peacefully all powers to the revolutionary. Although their peaceful surrender did not prevent their eventual assassinations.

Thus, began the Ethiopian tragic Odyssey. The revolution had started with a lot of ignorance and good intentions by most of the student’s movements, slogans such as “land to the tiller” had some popular appeal, although land ownership in Shoa, Wollo, Begemdir, Tigray and Gojiam was communal, and it was a matter of returning to the rest the ownership to the “tiller” that was already in place, in his ancestral land. The actual intention was to disown the people of any property, and have full control of the peasantry that consisted of eighty-five percent of the population. The same goes to the campaign of “Idget Behibret”, whereby high school teen agers were dispersed around the country to foster a development nobody knew about including its authors. Again this was contrived to break-up the student movement from growing into a political force on its own. It was also a malefic program contrived to denigrate the middle class. Thus, a whole generation of youngsters were thrown into an unplanned and disorganized foray, where many were diseased, raped, maimed and perished.

The revolution turned into a murderous struggle for power amongst the revolutionary themselves, one faction allying themselves with the ignorant and uncouth military subalterns and providing them with some half backed Marxist political notions. Eventually, the military took over all powers after a campaign of terror and mayhem in which thousands of innocent young people lost their life; millions lost their livelihood, their property and even a modicum of basic rights. The governance of the country fell to a regime with no moral compulsion of any kind, but brute force and unbound lawlessness. After seventeen years of misrule that destroyed and tainted the historical and traditional values of Ethiopia, maligned its institutions and cultural vestiges, denigrated its defense establishment and left a bankrupt country to the vagaries of an ill fated future.

The power vacuum left by the Derg regime was replaced by an ethnic cabal in the guise of an alliance with other liberation movements led by the TPLF. Admittedly, they fought and won the battle on the ground, but they also abandoned their Marxist leaning for some sort democratic platform that won them the support of the US and other powers and institutions, without giving up their ruthless and corrupt governance. They have conceded to the independence of Eritrea land locking Ethiopia, and transferred a large amount of national territory to the Sudan. With the preceding nationalization the ownership of the land having passed to the state, millions of acres of prime land are sold to foreign investors on concessionary terms. Under the governing tribal oligarchy all economic and financial institutions are owned and controlled by the regime through state or party owned corporations and affiliates. Large infrastructure projects such as dams, railroad, highways, industrial and agricultural projects have been undertaken through international, bilateral loans and private investments. Depending on the source the Ethiopian economic development has risen from six to ten percent a year in the last decade, resulting in huge disparity of income, that leaves the ninety-eight percent of the people in retched poverty, and endows Ethiopia with the highest brain drain in the world. Debt servicing has also risen over $1.2 Billion per year, in addition to capital evasion that amounts to more than $20 Billion since 2004. Corruption and malfeasance at all levels of governance are the modus operandi of the regime; with the extensive political and financial support of the US the EU and sundry “democratic” countries.

Presently, we have entered a New Year 2007 EC and a new national election is to be held in a few months, most probably with the same concocted results as the preceding one in 2009 when the TPLF/EPRDF won by 99.6 percent. On this occasion the regime says barefacedly to have spent some 900 million Birr from the national budget to promote its own election, at the expense of the public. However, due to the general disappointment, particularly with donor countries, that its loutish and coercive governance is causing, and fearing that the growing opposition might turn violent, the regime may be pressured to make some nominal political space to affiliated parties, while maintaining the monopoly of power until the next election in 2012 EC. The emergence of a burgeoning middle class seeking to maintain its status in a stable and lawful political system, plus foreign elements wanting security for their investments, may induce the regime to give some space to some selected parties. Nevertheless, in spite all the political gerrymandering, sooner or later the failure of the deficient regime is inevitable.

The question is what bodes for our country after the present tribal clique will lose powers in one way or another? Is it going to be a tribal battle ground by parties contending for power of some kind? Or even separation? Or, a most likely outcome, another civil-cum-military dictatorship will replace the present oligarchy? Where are the Ethiopian people in all this tumult played over their destiny? What do the powerless multitude of the opposition factions promise? Will it be another half-baked compromise under the macabre dance of peaceful struggle, or political reconciliations over the head of the real stake holders, the people of Ethiopia?

The following is a personal comment for those indulging in the Politics of our country; it should not be construed as a self promotion. Given my age, I am quite conscious my own limitations, I merely want to impart my views about the future politics of our country. This message is mainly addressed to the young generation; it does not exclude the veterans of our political melee, but for those with an unsavory past as high officials of the delinquent Derg regime. After all politics are implemented by people, its success or failures are measured by their integrity and irreproachable demeanors in office.

When in 1948 we joined the UN forces in the Korean conflict, the standard of living of the Korean people at that time was not better than our own, the same could be said of China’s after the traumatic ordeal of the cultural revolution. When I visited Panama in 1949, but for the American Base and some official sites, the city was a slum with a couple of hotels and sundry shops, today Panama rates with 61% of wellbeing on a world scale. While these countries and others around the world have achieved a high degree of development, why have we failed? is a legitimate question to ask ourselves?

Ethiopia is a great country whose history dates from ancient times, our land is varied and rich that contains large natural resources of all kinds, from agriculture to minerals, and abundant water and energy potentials. The Ethiopian people are intelligent, courageous, cultured and diligent in all endeavors. Their social mores and moral values are second to none. With all this spiritual and material wealth in our hands, shouldn’t we have achieved higher standards of wellbeing for our people? Why have we become a swarm of terrorized and servile citizens deprived of their birthright in their own country? Ethnic and cultural divisions have been imposed on us by the point of the gun, creating disharmony and animosity amongst people. It is time to say NO to this unjust and abusive rule.

The remedy for this sad situation is a national democratic political movement genuinely geared towards restoring freedom and justice to the people of Ethiopia. It is not ideas and methods that are lacking, a plethora of political programs have been pronounced by many parties; most of them advocating democratic principles in their own terms. However, personal rivalry and diverging objectives that prevail amongst leaders, has impeached the formation of a united national front. Consequently, no party has been able to establish a constituency large enough to play a leading political role. The only successful political coalition was Kinijit, whose winning a popular majority was revoked forcibly by the regime. Kinijit’s ambivalent leadership was also instrumental for its demise.

Assuming that the regime will remain in power for the next five years, I believe that the opposition must belong to the young generation whose future is at stake. They would have the contemporary vision and the energy to regenerate and build a new Ethiopia. In fact this is already occurring in the country where the youth have already taken the vanguard of the democratic movement as exemplified by Skender Nega, Andulam Arage, Reeyot Alemu, “group9” bloggers, and scores of journalists and activists, the Semayawi Party and countless others that are persecuted and imprisoned around the country. What they need a strong support from all elements of the society, particularly from the community in the Diaspora that enjoys freedom of action with abundant human and material resources.

Unfortunately the opposition parties in the Diaspora are fragmented and the leadership still tied up to defunct notions and groups, that do not reflect the present realities in Ethiopia. Neither have they have been a convincing voice to influence the foreign affairs establishments of relevant countries. Aspiring for power over ninety million people from ten thousand miles away seems to border the fantastic, internally Ethiopia is not lacking of talented people. I believe that the youth in the Diaspora should organize itself into an effective and credible pro-democratic movement representing legitimate parties at home, instead of wasting time in useless pal-talk and sundry internet debates.

It is time to open a new page of Ethiopian history.

Imru Zelleke

Farewell 2013

Tue, 31 Dec 2013 16:02:07 GMT

December 2013, year’s end thoughts.

A year has passed leaving us with the nostalgia of things past, but also with the distinct feeling that this year been a turning point in Ethiopia’s destiny. The general lethargy prevailing over the mood of the Diaspora community, that had found comfort, distraction and even amusement in devotional practice, the restaurant/bar scene and gossipy rumours, has awaken with a surge of patriotic fervour.

What caused this high irruption and indignation was the loutish behaviour of the Saudis towards the Ethiopian citizens who had migrated to their country in search of some menial job which they could not get in their own land. Migration of Ethiopians to Arab and other lands has been going on for forty years. Beginning from our murderous revolution, which has denied the people of basic human rights, confiscated their properties, abolished law and order executed mass assassination and imprisonment of innocent unarmed citizens; then collapsed disgracefully and surrendered the country to a regime of ethnic servitude.

For those of us who were lucky enough to find refuge in civilized countries where we have lived in peace and freedom and even prospered, the sad fate of our unlucky compatriots is not new. What is surprising is this sudden awareness or “prise de conscience” and angry Diaspora manifestation against the Saudi Kingdom in particular. Ethiopian refugees are spread all over the Arab lands thus the selective indignation at the Saudis is rather bizarre, unless is it because of their enormous wealth. Anyway, it has caused the creation of a Global Alliance of the Diaspora to deal with the problem of Ethiopian immigrants. Most of the immigrants in Saudi Arabia being already repatriated back home, it is sending a fact finding mission to Yemen. However, sending an inquiry commission is a good gesture, it denotes a serious commitment from the Diaspora regarding the fate of Ethiopian immigrants. At least it might give some hope to those whose conditions are desperate. I also hope that it will not fizzle out into some publicity stunt, because it is a very grave problem that requires large amounts of funds and sustained logistical support.

The death of the venerable President Mandela and the contribution that Ethiopia has made to the struggle against the white racist regime in South Africa was discussed at length, and justly so. This gave occasion for some of our intrepid reporters to resuscitate and interview Mengistu Haile Mariam and some of his collaborators. Since Mengistu’s role in the Mandela history and his opinion of the present TPLF regime is utterly irrelevant, one would have thought that a subject of great interest, primarily for the young generation of Ethiopians, would have been his own murderous history. How with US assistance he arranged to hand-over the country to the TPLF, and himself escape with his family and friends, betraying the Ethiopian Army and the country. This was one of the most violent and horrific pages of Ethiopian history for which he is accountable, and worth remembering for future generation. I have a lot of respect for the valuable service that ESAT has given for the Ethiopian people in opening a free access to information that is denied to them by the present regime. Myself having had the opportunity to express my views on ESAT, I am grateful for the chance given to me. However, I was deeply outraged together with millions of Ethiopians, by the callous indifference shown by ESAT for the enormous suffering and crimes committed by Mengistu against the Ethiopian people. We all respect and aspire to a democratic Ethiopia where the freedom of expression will be a fundamental tenet of its governance, we also believe that freedom has also its limits when it is concerned with acts of genocide and crimes against humanity. Unless of total amnesia, seventeen years of lawless bloody mayhem and genocide cannot be ignored. A serious apology is in order.

The end of this year marks also the fortieth anniversary of the calamitous Ethiopian Odyssey. Four decades of pain and pangs, of terror and persecution that still continues. It should also be time to ponder over our lasting failure to bring solace and peace to our people. I don’t think that it is a mysterious phenomenon that impeaches our actions, but the lack of courage to face unpleasant circumstances in their real context. The TPLF came to power by a long and protracted struggle in the field by which they gained political power, and the recognition of major foreign nations. The opposition for its part being totally absent from the ground, was incapable to assume any role out of the debacle left by the Mengistu regime. The only opportunity that was offered to the opposition was the election of 2005 when it received a large public support, that was forcibly shanghaied by the regime, and against which the opposition had nothing to counter with. To add insult to injury the leaders of the opposition were sent to prison, a measure that still continues to be practiced against all opposition politicians, journalists and Human Rights activist .Yet, in spite of its blatant violations of all democratic principles of governance, international aid continued to flow in support of the regime. It was Senator Barry Goldwater of the US who said that “Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice, moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue”, which might describe the criteria lacking in the spirit of the opposition and the cause of its chronic demise. Forty years of continuous failure to form a coherent and effective political movement cannot be explained otherwise.

This year was also the 100th anniversary of the passing of the beloved national hero Emperor Menilik II. His memory should remind us of the best patriotic character of our cultures and traditions. Recommended reading by Tekle Tsadik Mokria, Paulos Gnogno, Professor Sergewu H. Sellassie, etc. Ethiopia is not a Paper Tiger created by some fiction, it is a nation built by sweat and blood, with thousand years of heroic defence of its independence. Unfortunately, of late, her destiny had fallen into the hands of an alienated generation that has destroyed its great heritage with nothing to replace it. The rebirth of the nation will demand a lot of soul searching and a return to those basic values of our own. We are not Europeans, Asians, Arabs or others, throughout millennia of interactions we have evolved our own civilization and way of life. Our traditional manners and morals are second to none.

The fermenting affairs of the Diaspora never cease to distract us with new subjects and events. A formation of a Transition Government has been announced by a Transition Council who counts amongst its members a member of the former Imperial Crown, a high official of the Derg and sundry people of undetermined background. It would be interesting to know what this new government will be, and from where to where the transition will proceed. Whatever the case organizations created in the Diaspora, more than often, have a resonant name containing little substance. Therefore, it is wiser to check the personal history of the people in the leadership, and avoid embarrassments running after a ghost.

On the bread and butter side a lot of development projects are implemented in Ethiopia; in fact the amount of money involved is simply staggering. Foreign investors seem to have found a worthwhile environment for their business in Ethiopia, in spite of serious comments made concerning the viability and sustainability of a development dependent on foreign aid and deficit financing. China announced recently a 16.5 Billion project financing program, that may involve the influx of maybe a million Chinese citizens? In the meantime the same amount of money or more, is to have taken the high road out of Ethiopia. Having become foreigners in their own country, but for a very small minority, the Ethiopian people are estranged from all these developments.

To crown the year with unique originality the TPLF regime has put under arrest the Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, an event that has not happened in the 1600 years of the Church History, but maybe once. I guess that the regime has taken this action out of a profound sense of fairness, to balance its own outrageous behaviour against our Muslim community. It could also be out of the profound paranoia and apprehension that things are getting out of control. Monopoly of power captured by a mafia ethnic cabal, dominated by pervasive corruption and inefficiency, that have little respect even for their own keen have doubtful permanency.

After many years of reflection a matter for which I have yet to find a rationale is our relations with Eritrea and Somalia. Years of bloody conflicts, misery and mayhem have brought neither peace nor freedom to anyone. We all have a good and industrious population, we each have abundant natural resources, and we have no external enemies. We had the opportunity and the time to build reasonably stable and progressive societies. Yet, we have failed our people and our countries. If we look at the progress that China has accomplished in the last three decades, ours conclusion would be comparable to marching backward during the same amount of time. Characteristic of our peculiarity the heroes of Eritrean independence Woldab Woldemariam and Issayas Afwerki are both Tigrean while the many TPLF leaders are Eritrean. Cost accounting resulting from their conflicts and contentions, millions in human losses, displacement and all round misery that still continues to keep our people in a quagmire of poverty, ignorance and backwardness. Yet, there are more Somalis living in Addis Ababa than in Mogadiscio, more Eritreans living in Addis than in Asmara. With some common sense in their leadership the Countries of the Horn could have realized an advanced and prosperous community that could have been an asset to World peace and stability.

Personally I have faith in our people and that they will overcome the obstacles that constrain their growth, and will emerge healthy and strong nations in the near future.

Let’s do it!!!

I wish all a Very Happy and Prosperous New Year.

ETHIOPIA LEZELALEM TINOUR.

Parallels in times

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 01:41:46 GMT

January 2013

Watching TV last night I saw the Governor of New Jersey (R) and politicians of New York protesting vehemently over the delay to provide disaster relief for the victims of the storm that occurred two months ago. The Republican dominated House, busy haggling over the fiscal cliff, had forgotten or delayed voting for the appropriation. Eventually it did so at the last minute by voting for a small portion of it, leaving the matter for future bickering. Thousands of people are homeless and with no power, no water and without help in this bitter winter. In fact a few days after the storm the matter was set aside, the media had stopped talking about it. The game of outguessing each other by pundits and alike about who would jump over the cliff was in vogue, while human suffering was not forgotten but neglected.

This reminded me of the famine that occurred in Ethiopia forty years ago. The foreign press went wild about it, a gamut of artists, entertainers, organizations were mobilized, and songs were written for it. In the domestic scene the Emperor and his government were blamed and accused for it. Like the present “cliff” in the US, the government was suffering from an internal crisis of enfeebled leadership. There was sufficient food and resources in the country to meet the crisis and quell the famine. Unfortunately, the government had become dysfunctional and subject to intrigues and power struggle amongst individuals and groups. The famine added to the general public dissatisfaction became a catalyst for the revolution; that ended up with a most violent loss of life and breakup of the nation’s spirit that has lasted to present days.

The parallel comes to mind when considering the conditions and times that such crisis happens. On one side we have a poor and backward country Ethiopia that could not handle a famine, although it had the means to do so, because of politics. On the other hand forty years later we have the most powerful, the richest and most advanced nation in the world failing to help its own citizens, because of politics. However disproportionate the comparison, the common denominator being the failure of politics and of human society.

Happy New Year.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 14:44:41 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

As a young diplomat and member of the Ethiopian Delegation to the UN General Assembly, I participated in the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and witnessed its adoption on 10 December 1948. It was memorable experience which reinforced my aspiration to contributing to the well-being of my compatriots and our country. I was sitting in the Third Committee for Social and Economic Affairs.

Mrs Elenor Roosvelt and Mrs Nehru were the principal actors in the deliberations on the Charter. As strong women leaders of those days, the passionately promoted human rights at a critical time in history after WWII.

Having worked closely with Mrs Roosevelt, she invited my then wife, Martha Nassibou and I and a Mexican Delegate to a private dinner. She also invited all the Third Committee members to a luncheon in their family estate in Hyde Park, New York.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the most idealistic, noble principle and international rule that the UN has produced. Despite many challenges it has now come into its real and universal implementation, not only at the level of States but accessible and inforceable for individual victims.

With the theme MY VOICE COUNTS this year the UN has placed the " spotlight on the rights of all people — women, youth, minorities, persons with disabilities, indigenous people, the poor and marginalized — to make their voices heard in public life and be included in political decision-making."

It is extremely relevant at this historical time when ordinary people are standing up, at the risk of their lives, for their political rights in countries where freedom of speech and choice have been stifled for so long.

We have come a long way and the Declaration of Human Rights guides us still towards the attainment of justice and the development of peaceful societies.

A Call for a Fresh Pan-African Dialogue

Wed, 12 Jun 2002 13:18:50 GMT

An appeal to the Young Generation

What prompts me to write this appeal to the younger generation is a statement I read in the Journal of Ethiopian Students Association International, March 2002, in which I found some telling confusion and contradictions. I understand perfectly the reasons for which the Association wishes to maintain a neutral position with regard to existing political organizations. I myself and many others are not members of any political party. However, this does not mean that we have no opinions about all sorts of issues regarding our country, and that we do not advocate reforms and changes which we believe are essential for the well being of the people and the orderly development of the country. In the final analysis, such issues are intimately involved in the politics and the governance of the nation.

To quote some parts of the statement: “This means that we would have to stand against actions that directly violate the well being of our country and the people…The focal point of our statement is that we boldly claim to be the future leaders of Ethiopia. We are her protectors, builders and caregivers.” These are manifestly noble and great aspirations. However, whether they can be accomplished outside of the political process is highly doubtful.

The Urgent Need for a Common Vision

What is needed presently and for the future, whatever political party comes to power, is a basic framework that establishes unequivocally the equal rights of all citizens without prejudice about their gender, age, language, ethnicity and personality. This vision is naturally embodied in a Bill of Rights or a Citizen’s Charter.

With this in view, I am tabling herewith a draft entitled Ethiopian Citizens’ National Charter (Ye’Etyopia’wian Ye’zeginnet Mebit’enna-Gidetta Ti’rri) prepared by Dr. Berhanu Abegaz for consideration by all compatriots. This is a charter that puts the focus squarely on citizens who are ultimately the guarantors and beneficiaries of free Ethiopian citizenship. It should be agreeable to all factions irrespective of their social, ethnic and political credo, as it is aimed to guarantee a level field of action and inclusive participation in national life for all people.

I am inviting all concerned Ethiopians, whoever you are and wherever you may be, to analyze it, make your amendments and suggestions so that we can together establish a shared vision that would serve as a foundation for our nation’s renaissance. I appeal particularly to the younger generation to take up this Charter as their cause because once people’s rights become the basic tenets our civic and political life, peace and stability will be secured for the present and for the future.

I believe that a national dialogue amongst all political and civic organizations must also proceed concomitantly. A consensus on fundamentals that is based and a common understanding of the challenges facing our country is bound to generate the cooperative spirit necessary to galvanize us all into constructive action.

The Need to Debate Our Future Instead of Just Our Past

I would, therefore, like to clarify certain important points that must be clearly understood before entering into a constructive dialogue:

First of all, we have to realize that we are living today in 2002 and not one hundred, or fifty years or even ten years ago. Today the world political context has changed radically. We are moving inexorably towards a globalization of world affairs be they political or economic. The trend in Africa is for Unity and regional integration, which have become unavoidable, if rapid and effective solutions are to be found for our under-development.

Secondly, we have to admit that we Ethiopians are at the lowest level of any aspect of political and economic development, and that our people are going through endless spiritual and physical suffering.

Thirdly, our problems are common to all, and it is only by pooling all our human and material resources that we can give a chance of survival and a better life to our people.

Lastly, we must admit that all this politicking is at the expense of the people who are the ultimate victims of these terrible vicissitudes. Admittedly, abuses have been committed in the past. No one can claim to be innocent of such deeds, and base one’s history on selective memories. Once these facts are established, we can discuss with a clear mind and find solutions to our serious problems.

Yes, there have been crimes and abuses committed on each other. Nobody can claim to be innocent of many misdeeds. Some factions claim that the history of Ethiopia began only a century ago. Most Ethiopians rightly have a much longer memory, maybe of thousands of years long, in which the Beja, the Tigre, the Agaw, the Afars/Somali, the Amara and the Oromo have taken turns in imposing their hegemony on the far-flung peoples of Ethiopia.

It is also sobering to note that none of them did introduce the Magna Carta, the Napoleonic Code or the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They plundered, killed, burned and violated every ethnic group in imposing their rule. Notwithstanding these clashes, there has been a process of mutual acculturation and physical assimilation, within which the groups have been inter-acting, and incorporating with each other.

Eventually, they came to terms and managed to live mostly in peace as one nation and one people, profoundly conscious of their common experience. What was unique about our history has been our capacity to absorb each other genetically, politically, economically and culturally. What distinguishes the Amara culture is not merely a matter of language and customs, but rather its capacity of assimilation and its pandemic character in the Ethiopian context.

For centuries most of the Ethiopian Royal houses and the ruling classes have had Oromo and other ethnic lineage. Weren’t many of Ethiopia’s great leaders and patriots Oromos and of other tribes? Aren’t the majority Ethiopians of mixed ethnicity today in our country? (Names like Berento, Lentcha and Gobena are part of my own ancestry). Who is to deny them their identity as Ethiopians and their right to live and toil in their own motherland? Now! Do we have to go back and make this generation of Ethiopians pay for all the crimes committed in the past? Can we afford renewed internecine conflicts and bloodshed? For what gain and for whose benefit? When the rest of the world is converging towards unity and integration, are we going towards to dismemberment and disunity?

Where Do We Go from Here?

The people in Ethiopia have demonstrated more than once that they don’t care about the ethnic and racist politics introduced by the TPLF. For instance EDP (Ethiopian Democratic Party) has shown clearly, the great appeal that a straightforward Pan-Ethiopian political platform has amongst the general population. Therefore, political groups aspiring to power should base their claims on democratic programs beneficial to all the people of Ethiopia and not on ethnic or religious bigotry that is supported by the barrel of a gun. We have had enough of that with TPLF and company.

The terrible poverty and wretchedness of our people have shown irrefutably the necessity of common action:

a) to overcome these miserable conditions, and

b) that no single entity can do it by itself.

Hence, shouldn’t our own unity come first, in order to give some real solutions and some real benefits to our people?

We all agree on a democratic system of government, and to all the perquisites of democratic governance including one person one vote. Therefore, the political parties that claim to have the largest following have all the voting power they need to protect their own interests. Those that may have to worry, and for whom a constitutional provisions to protect their rights should be made, are the minority groups who risk to confront a permanent majority formed by the large political groups.

Therefore, our future actions should be:

Form a national coalition on agreed principles to install a legitimate democratic state,

Develop and implement the necessary strategy to change the political regime in Ethiopia and prepare a new constitution, and

Hold free and fair elections leading to the establishment of properly elected legislature, judiciary and executive branches.

This formula should be acceptable to any group with a modicum of good will and genuine regard for the welfare of ALL the people of Ethiopia. Neither the Parties who claim to have a large following of the population nor those purporting to represent small minorities should have anything to fear from such a procedure.

I hope to be excused for the bluntness of my statement. The terrible predicaments that our people are subjected to are homegrown and mostly self-inflicted. Even a minimum improvement in their standard of living of the people, would be an enormous achievement, which no political flag waving can accomplish. Ignorance, disease, poverty, environmental decay, inefficient and corrupt governance are battering our people and the land. The future might look rosy for those few who have, but for ninety-eight percent of those others, life is bleak, hopeless and divested of human dignity. Neither our people nor the country deserve this demeaning fate. The issue now is to reconstruct our country.

We must stop using past tragedies as terms of reference for the future. What we are facing today is a matter of survival. We don’t have the time and the energy to waste on marginal and unproductive issues. The challenge is to build a modern civil society, wherein all citizens have their rights respected and in which they can toil and live freely in equality, peace and harmony. It is only under these conditions that all the citizens can develop fully their creativity and their potential to build a dynamic and prosperous society. This has been made even easier in our times because of the new advances in science and technology. We might not solve all the problems at once because they are of monumental proportions, but we can make a good and positive start. We owe it to all the people of our country.

I appeal particularly to the young generation because you are the leaders of tomorrow. Your sacred mission is to save Ethiopia and make of it the land of great and well-to-do people that it should be, and can be. Ethiopia is a rich country; it’s natural resources are barely exploited; it’s human resources are abundant; and it offers a tremendous and exciting challenges for those who have the vision and fortitude to undertake such noble and exhilarating endeavor. The greater our ambition and the clearer our vision, the more formidable will be our achievements. Thank you.

Amb. Imru Zelleke

Washington, D.C.

June 12, 2002

Crocodile tears for oneself

Sat, 07 Apr 2001 00:36:00 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

2005 (Ethiopian Calendar Zemene Matteos) has been dramatically eventful. Almost a year ago with the former PM passing away we have witnessed the most extraordinary spectacle of ordered, organized and enforced mass hysteria ever seen in our poor land. In the reverse sense it is comparable to the extraordinary edict of the Derg prohibiting any wake keeping, crying and holding funeral ceremony for the people it murdered and buried in mass graves. Thus, under the pseudo-Marxist regime to cry for your dead was an anti-revolutionary act, while under the pseudo-democratic TPLF regime mass demonstration of sorrow, crying and self flagellation is an obligatory pseudo-liberal-capitalist-democratic conduct.

In our long history self-respect and honor had been principal characteristics of our national ethos. However, these recent developments have been the most self humiliating and self demeaning acts that have ever been inflicted on our people. Even the Italian occupation did not impose such break down of our spirit, the patriotic forces fought the enemy until final victory. In the following years we rebuilt the nation to a point where we reached a take-off point, that unfortunately took the wrong turn. Thanks to the great revolution that was supposed to bring equality, wellbeing and happiness in a just world, the Ethiopian people have been subject to the worst abuse and political slavery for the past four decades, which culminated in this sad tragicomedy of enforced mass crying. Not that there was democratic freedom during the preceding monarchies, at least there were moral canons derived from Christian ethics that defined the rule of the Monarch. Espousing half-baked modernity has deprived us of any kind of individual freedom, more than any previous era. Our well-being is simply quantified by statistical numbers and not by the freedom of our spirit. Our happiness is measured by the amount of stuff we consume and by the garbage we produce. Our welfare is gauged by whatever numbers the regimes in power choose to publish, and is convenient to them and foreign bodies. The new moral standard being that so-called economic development supersedes Freedom and Human Rights.

By the same token we are told that Ethiopia has undergone a tremendous economic development of 11 percent a year for the past decade. No mention is made that it has received about 38 billion US dollars in foreign aid plus other 10 or more billion from China, India and other bilateral grants and investments; nor of the 16.5 billion US dollars siphoned out of Ethiopia in the past decade. Yet, the beneficiaries of all this input have been a very small minority composed of the members of the regime and party-cum-state owned businesses and their acolytes. The vast majority of the population, about 95 percent, have been denied all Human Rights including that of property, and rendered vagrant in its ancestral land; reduced to menial labor, and pariah to state whims and edicts. Cronyism, nepotism, pervasive corruption at all levels, inefficiency and waste have been the trade mark of the governing regimes. Millions of people depend on food aid and many still die of starvation. With all that money pouring into the country, supported by the huge presence of foreign nationals as aid personnel, investors and other functions, it is not surprising that large infrastructure works, industries, and agricultural concessions have nominally boosted the economic development to the highly inflated figures of 11% growth of GDP claimed by the regime. The question is whether the vast majority of the Ethiopian people are the beneficiaries of all this development, or whether it benefits only the members of the regime, their party affiliates and foreign acolytes, which has been the real case.

In spite of all odds and hue and cry of the opposition in the Diaspora, that for implausible reasons hopes to gain power someday, the situation in the country seems to be normal. In fact the regime has been successful in projecting the image of a real multi ethnic governance. Just as the commanded mass crying, I assume that the new triumvirate (the two kililites + TPLF), will soon order a multi-ethnic mass laughter. The new Premier has declared that it will be a collegial leadership and not a one man show. Which is to be expected, because I find it improbable that the TPLF, holding major control over all sectors, will relinquish power so easily, nor do the two newcomers have the experience and the political clout to make fundamental policy changes.

Nevertheless, two new elements have been introduced on the political scene. First, at least in appearance, a new team composed of non-Tigreans has come to the forefront of the leadership, and second some rift has appeared amongst the core leadership of the TPLF. However, none of these factors have shown any change in the behavior of the regime so far. The promotions made in the military in the absence of a Head of government and the mere blessing of the putative President, is a clear indication that the real power still remains with the TPLF leadership.

As to the prevailing mood in the country, the exaggerated funeral proceedings, has probably embittered further the mood of the people, who are largely opposed to the regime. Particularly, in view of the many social, economic and especially political trends that are developing in the country. There is a serious lacuna within the political dialogue, if not a generational incongruity. With a rather bleak view of the opposition from abroad, and not knowing much about the ones in the country, predicting the future has been a hazardous task, particularly since the moribund opposition is still anchored in the failed history of its own making. For its part the regime shows serious ambivalence in some new policies that it seems to be introducing in its governance, like allowing the parliament a more active role, initiating an anti-corruption campaign, permitting political demonstration, yet, at the same time carrying its campaign of arrests and harassment of the opposition. Journalists are arbitrarily jailed, student movements persecuted, and conducting blatant violations of basic human rights, contradicting the image of good governance that it wants to show.

Now comes the surprise, the young generation who have been victimized by the vehement tumults made by their elders, have risen to take their future destiny in their own hands. The Semayawi (Blue) Party led by the youth, showed a broad popular support with the mass demonstration it made on June 9, 2013. Their age group representing seventy percent of the population, their movement has the potential of creating a political Tsunami. Reading some of the statements they made they have shown courage and maturity. I think that the appearance of this new element signifies a new trend in the political dialogue which so far has been stifled by the regimes intransigence to any reform.

The fate of the Ethiopia is still in the hands of its people. In the meantime let’s support the Semayawi Movement.

Imru Zelleke