April 6, 2018
“Can Ethiopia’s new leader bridge ethnic divides?” cried Aljazeera’s Inside Story. The more appropriate question should have been, Can Al Jazeera stop building more ethnic divide bridge in Ethiopia at the expenses of the ‘new leader’?
For too long, Ethiopians’ heritage and history have been reduced to ashes by self-professed non-Ethiopian ethnocentric political hakes and pseudo intellectuals as well as religious zeolites with colonial agenda of the old and new Arabs Ottomans and Europeans’ autocrats that at one time or another invaded Ethiopia for centuries for the same reasons they do what they do now. The determination to deprive Ethiopians the hard-earned independence and the glories experience of tolerance and co-existence that came with it in the middle of chaos and conflicts perpetuated by the same old foes continue unabated – more so now than ever.
Unfortunately, short of physical invasion; the same old foes haven’t let go their restless ambition to undermine Ethiopians by all means. If one is attentive enough to notice, the propaganda war in-and-out of the country against the unity of the people of Ethiopia and the integrity of the nation is ruthlessly implemented to say the least, thanks to self-declared non-Ethiopian ruling ethnic apartheid regime that dine and wine with the old-and-the new foes like thanksgiving feast at the expenses of the people of Ethiopia.
Since Ethiopia became officially an ethnic apartheid State by the decree of the ruling minority Tigray ethnic Mafia regime in 1991 with the support of the international community, the consent of Ethiopians became irrelevant as it was design. Ever since, the international as well as the local Medias’ narratives under the ruling ethnic minority party-control had been feasting on make-believe Amhara-Tigre-Oromo-Somali ethnic divides and conflicts to sustain the status qua as it was intended. Ethiopians’ resistance to fall for the same old divide-and-weaken game of the old and new foes didn’t stop them as we are witnessing on supposedly independent Medias pivoting the reality on the ground.
But, no single foreign Media enjoy the ethnic apartheid divide narrative in Ethiopia than Al Jazeera, the most popular Media in the bastions of Arab oligarchs of the Middle East masquerading as independent Media. Though the Petrodollar financed Al Jazeera is not considered an independent Media by any stretch nor impartial since it was established by decree of the King of Qatar to counter the negative narratives of ‘Western Medias’ about the Arab world, it won’t let go the Middle Eastern Arabs’ negative narratives about Ethiopians and Africans in general. After all, Al Jazeera is seating in the middle of the long-rejected 21st slave market that serves its enablers to have any moral authority on anything to say about any one.
Therefore, like any autocratic government funded Media that reflect the policy of the the ruler, by definition; Al Jazeera is not a Free Press. But, its attempts to look impartial is also violated often when it consistently overlooks the basic journalistic standard of doing due diligence on the sources of its news and individuals it the present as one thing or another to its audience when no one is vetting.
For instance, on March 29, 2018 Al Jazeera conducted an interview with three individuals in journalism profession regarding the ascendency of Dr. Abaye Ahmid it presented to power as the ‘first Oromo’ Prime Minster of Ethiopia. Though the claim of ‘first’ is further from the truth but, the same old propaganda of the regime’s operatives and political hacks with the agenda of their own or enablers to sustain ethnic apartheid on Ethiopians, no one counter Al Jazeera’s habit of making up stories and history or presenting unverifiable information from individuals when it comes to Ethiopia and Ethiopians.
Among Al Jazeera’s guests were, the Ethiopian Government Communication Minster Dr. Negari Lencho (pictured left). The former Journalism Professor in Addis Ababa University was recently appointed as a Communications Minster to apply his journalistic skill to deal with the political crises all over the country in general and the ‘Oromia Region’ in particular; where the rejected ethnic minority Tigray party could no longer lie its way out of its crimes to stay in power despite all the propaganda machine at its disposal to need Dr. Negari journalistic skill but, his ethnic Oromo skill to save the Apartheid regime.
Granted, Dr. Negari Lencho contradicting his journalism profession with his PR role on behalf of the ethnic apartheid regime controlled by a minority ethnic Mafia that gabbled up the nation’s resources in a span of two decades robbing the public treasury, killing and destroying innocent Ethiopians is no easy task. Never the less, defending the elephant in the room he is part (preserving ethnic apartheid on Ethiopians) is what got him excite to take the job as member of the Oromo party in the first place. (see also his incoherent interviews on VOA Amharic and BBC English to justify for the crimes of TPLF and ethnic apartheid in Ethiopia).
The next guest was Mohammod Ademo (pictured center) of OPride (Oromo Pride) Media established in 2011 and based in Minnesota USA presented as “editor of an independent news website about Oromo and Ethiopia” – contradicting himself in the same sentence. Yet, Al Jazeera failed to confront him misrepresenting himself from the get go. Incidentally, the same Mohammod Ademo of OPride Media was a guest among other Ethiopians on Voice of America (VOA) Straight Talk Africa by Shaka Ssali presented as “Freelance Journalists and Founder and Editor of an independent online OPride Media” until he was confronted by the host what OPride stands for? His rambling response reviled; Mohammod Ademo is not only a political hack for any credible international Media to allow him to present himself as ‘independent journalist’ but, not even as ‘Oromo Pride’ advocate since his mission is to legitimize ethnic apartheid in Ethiopia for the world audience as the ruling ethnic minority regime did by decree. If that was not the case, he wouldn’t have concealed who he is in the first place and what his English language Media have anything to do with Oromo Pride to tell for the international audience?
Therefore, Al Jazeera presenting OPride Media as “an independent news website about Oromo and Ethiopia” as if Oromo is independent nation outside Ethiopia and as if the new leader is not Ethiopian PM but, Oromo PM for Al Jazeera to present Oromo political activist in the diaspora as reliable independent Journalists to inform the world to the reality says more about Al Jazeera than OPride.
Finally, Ms. Tsedale Lemma (pictured right) presented as “Editor-in-Chief of Addis Standard” an Ethiopian based English language monthly Magazine that was also established in 2011. According to its website, it covers variety of issues but, doesn’t revile who Ms. Tsedale Lemma may be and if there is any other reporter [s] in the seven-year-old publication. Ms. Lemma appears to be in exile in Germany and regular contributor for the OPride Media and often appears on international Media and Forums, according the public record.
For instance, in March of 2017 ‘Making Transparency Possible’ Forum organized by Publish What You Pay (PWYP), a Norway based extractive industries’ corruption watchdog she eloquently spoke on the lack of transparency in the ethnic apartheid regime of Ethiopia but, came short of making OPride Media outlet she is affiliated with nor any other bias Media including Al Jazeera itself transparent towards the truth in the interest of the people of Ethiopia for that matter for the universe to be true to her profession of journalism she spoke about.
Unfortunately, many contemporary dysfunctional elites don’t understand what transparency means thus, feel, it doesn’t apply to them but, others. Regrettably, there are no institutions with the power to make them accountable.
For instance, how Al Jazeera presented the ethnic apartheid Government of Ethiopia Communication Minster representing the ruling EPRDF Oromo party he belong (as member of one of the four-member Oromo ethnic party (OPDO) and two individuals misrepresented as journalists of running ‘independent Medias’ both established in 2011 contradicting the very essence of journalism sums up the problem with Al Jazeera more than it can be said about its guests.
But again, to make matter worst and for some undisclosed reason, Al Jazeera choice not to invite the regime’s opposition political parties or civic organizations’ leaders (international, national, regional nor ethnic or otherwise) in-or-out of the country, nor independent Media representative, particularly the most transparent and popular Ethiopian Media — The Ethiopian Satellite Television/Radio Network (ESAT) on issue that matter for the entire people of Ethiopia.
And, by some coincidence or by design, all the three guests on Al Jazeera happened to be Oromos and all in journalism profession though Al Jazeera conveniently fail to ask them to identify their ethnicity to find out if they are what they claim to be to the benefit of the audience as any credible Media would.
Therefore, the dispute among Ethiopians is no longer whether the ruling ethnic minority Tigray party is guilty of laundry list of crimes against the people of Ethiopia and beyond but, whether to preserve or not the apartheid system it brought with the help of its enablers on the people of Ethiopia beyond the control of the 42 years-old new Prime Minster Dr. Abaye Ahmid who was only 15 years old when the Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) representing the present Region of ethnic Tigray consisting of 6 % of the Ethiopian population came to power in 1991 to impose ethnic apartheid on the people of Ethiopia with the help of the international community.
Thus, Dr. Abaye Ahmid grew up under ethnic apartheid Ethiopia instigated by decree of the minority Tigray party (TPLF) that promoted ethnic conflicts particularly between Amharas and Oromos and remain in controls of the security, the military, the economy and the Media apparatus of the nation for 27 years of its rule.
Dr. Abaye Ahmid that also belongs in Oromo People Democratic Organization (OPDO), one of the four ruling EPRDF ethnic collusion parties formed by TPLF out of prisoners of the former Military regime that consist of four ethnic parties now considered the ruling collusion EPRDF parties that supposedly won the last election by 100% vote to hold 100 % of the 547 seats Parliament.
Therefore, his [S]‘election’ as Prime Minster in rubberstamp Parliament under a minority Tigray ethnic party declared State of Emergency control came about due to the uninterrupted uprising of Ethiopians throughout the country more so in the ‘Oromia Region’ in the last three years that reject the regime at the cost 1000s of lives and injuries and imprisonments as well as millions of internal and external displacements of Ethiopians.
The new PM with no control over the intelligence agency and the military nor all the public agencies of the Federal government alone make him a symbolic Prime Minster with no power to make fundamental change the people of Ethiopia demanded. But, Al Jazeera choice to invite the Government Communication Minster who is also an OPDO member with no power but to read the script as well as two little know individuals to Ethiopians that claim to be independent journalists to explain the complex ethnic apartheid regime dominated by the minority Tigre ethnic party (TPLF) speaks more to the agenda of Al Jazeera than the guests. For a trained observer, the problem starts with who in Al Jazeera makes the decision to lineup guests without verifying their background.
Therefore, it is clear the coverage of Dr. Abaye Ahmid unconventional ascendency as Prime Minster of Ethiopia by the international Media as well as local Media under the thumb of the dominant minority ethnic ruling party (TPLF) is misleading at best or promotion of interest groups’ agenda at worst — reflected by unverifiable information coming from political hakes’ masquerading as journalists, human right activists, political analysts etc. on Al Jazeera and many other Medias including Voice of America for decades.
Needless to say, as international Media are targeted by autocratic regime and political hakes one form or shape to promote their own agenda other than the people, the biggest losers remain the innocent Ethiopians victimized by the apartheid regimes to sustain its illegitimate power and interest groups with a political and economic agenda of their own to replace it at the expenses of the rights of the larger population with no access to the national and international Media to tell the reality on the ground reviling – the people of Ethiopia are prisoners of their own dysfunctional political elites led by self-describe ruling minority Tigray Mafia elites hiding behind ethnic apartheid walls that are proven beyond reasonable doubt to be criminals no Professor of Journalism turns Government Communication Minster can help mitigate that reality.
As reliable information became more and more short to come in the age of information technology revolution, ‘Making Transparency Possible’ of the Media outlets and journalists than anything else should have been the priority of the profession to make a difference on every aspect of the lives, rights and liberty of a given people of nation state. Unfortunately, political, social, religion and economic consideration reduce the profession of journalism into another commodity for sale and, Al Jazeera is not expected to be any different.
No peoples and nations ever achieved their rights, liberties and the peruse of economic development without the Free Press and professional journalists that adhere by the responsibility of the profession to search for the truth on behalf of the public interest. The fact nations under autocratic regimes fail short of achieving rights, liberty and development to remain poor and undemocratic is directly correlated with the conduct of ‘journalists’ subordinating their professional responsibility for other than the truth no matter how painful it may be to their personal interest.
Al Jazeera’s consistent failure to screen out political hacks masquerading as independent journalists and civic organizations and think-tanks’ leaders says more about its own substandard journalists reflected by the bias towards the political reality of Ethiopia. But again, like many mainstream Western Medias, low expectation that comes naturally to the plight of people under autocratic regimes in Africa and elsewhere is not helping either.
In a region where democracy is as foreign as the religion of Scientology, Al Jazeera masquerading as a Free Press violet the spirit of ‘charity begins at home’. If anything, Al Jazeera is a PR Media of its chosen autocratic regimes of the region and beyond in the geopolitical an economic infighting of the world’s powers for public resources. Simply acknowledging that fact alone would help clean house to give hope for the people in the region; one day in the foreseeable future a Free Press would emerge to tell the reality on behalf of the people so that the people in the region can taste fresh air of freedom and democracy.
Until then, Al Jazeera like many of its counterparts would remain a Weapon-of-Mass-Confusion as it was designed for the obvious reason. Naturally, it gravitates towards its kind. After all, ‘misery loves campaign’.
The Canadian mystery novelist Louise Penny said it best, “Better to accept the wretched truth than struggle, twisting to make wish a reality”
Thus, there is no mystery why make-believe Medias masquerade as a Free Press and independent — twisting and spinning reality to make their ‘wish a reality’. Little do they know; the simple act of accepting the ‘wretched truth’ will liberate them faster — providing they want to be liberated from the bondage of mental slavery to be free from hiding their true self.
It is a matter of time before they discover they are victims of their own making.
