Prime Minister Abiy should be cognizant, no people in the world achieved sustainable unity, freedom, justice and democratic rule without check-and-balance of the three branches of government, the Free Press and independent civic society. And, no nation developed without the rule of law and transparent public institutions to protect the people with the least access to political and economic power. Therefore, for unity of the people of Ethiopia to be sustainable and secured, democratic institutions, including the Free Press must be free of party politics and interest groups now than later, nothing less.
July 25, 2018
The Ethiopian grassroot movement that propelled Prime Minster Abiy Ahmed to power to end TPLF instigated disunity, conflict and corruption is more a miracle than by design. Regardless, it the best thing that happened to the people of Ethiopia that endured so much divisions, conflicts, atrocities, displacement and corruption instigated by the 27 years old ethnic Apartheid oligarchy led by Tigray People Liberation Front.
Ethiopians must appreciate the new Prime Minster led Lema Team within the ruling ethnic Apartheid party for taking unprecedented swift and bold actions beyond expectation to ‘teardown the wall of disunity’ and, recognize; the people of Ethiopia are way too civilized to deserve a 19th century ethnic and religious apartheid imported to Ethiopia from the dust ben of colonialists’ history with extreme caution. After all, unity without the end objective of freedom, justice and democracy will remain elusive as the PM’s forget-and-forgive the good, the bad and the ugly campaign to the convenience of dysfunctional elites and their enablers continue.
Therefore, Prime Minister Abiy should be cognizant, no people achieved freedom, justice and democratic rule under Apartheid without check-and-balance of the three branches of government and the Free Press. And, no nation developed without the rule of law and transparent public institutions. Therefore, a sustainable unity of the people of Ethiopia to be secured, democratic institutions including the Free Press must be free of party politics, nothing more.
Special indebtedness for the Ethiopian Satellite Television Network for putting the aspiration of the people of Ethiopia for unity and freedom in the front burner like no contemporary Media has ever done before in the history of the nation. Despite ESAT’s many short comings for various reasons, including the TPLF operatives’ nuisance and dysfunctional elites with vested interest in the status qua, it played pivotal role to keep Ethiopians together in unity. Indeed, “ESAT is the best thing that happened to the people of Ethiopia since the Adowa victory”. And, the Prime Minster would be better off to recognize ESAT by appearing frequently as he does on the ruling party controlled and TPLF owned Media outlets with serious credibility problems to speed up his reform effort and to honor and empower the Free Press as the pillar of democracy.
Likewise, Ethiopians should also show gratitude to the Ethiopian Patriotic-Ginbot 7 Movement that carried on the spirit of Kinjit for Unity, Freedom, Justice and Democracy like no political movement has ever done before in the history of the nation. The Former Kinjit and the now Patriotic-Ginbot 7 leaders that were hurled to jail for winning the 2005 election against the ruling party fair-and-square kept what the Former Chairwomen of the party Bertukan Mekidesa referred as ‘the Kinjit Spirit’ alive.
The new Prime Minster should publicly honor the legitimately elected Ethiopian leaders to reinforce his reform message; legitimacy comes only by the consent of the governed. After all, since he became the Chairman of the ruling party that supposedly won the 2015 Election by 100%, PM Abiy is preaching the Spirit of Kinjit for unity, freedom, justice and democracy 13 years later.
Ethiopians should also be grateful for the grassroot youth movement of 1 Ethiopia 1 people that embrace youth movement of ‘ችግር የወለዸው ትውልዽ’ led by the charismatic young Ethiopian Tolosa Gebsa determined to demolish the ethnic apartheid wall Woyane erected to bring Ethiopians together for unity, freedom, justice and democracy and the integrity of their country like no civic movement has ever done before in the history of the nation. The fact the youth of Ethiopia that paid the ultimate price for disunity of their compatriots by the ethnic Apartheid rule willing to stand guard to protect their people and their country by naming-and-shaming TPLF warlords led domestic and foreign enemies by itself is enough cause to celebrate as the best thing that happened to the people of Ethiopia. The new PM should look no further to embrace anyone but, ‘ችግር የወለዸው ትውልዽ’ effort to bring about accountability in government.
But, no single individual in modern history of Ethiopia consistently stood firm on the unity of the people of Ethiopia and the integrity of the nation at home and abroad from the day Woyane warlords arrived to instigate ethnic apartheid rule to disunite and rob Ethiopians and dismantle the nation like the Honorable Tamagne Beyene. Recognized as a selfless and tireless Ethiopian for unity and freedom with unbending commitment, integrity and credibility, the PM should look no further to honor anyone but, Tamagne Beyene.
There are countless individuals, political and civic organizations and Media outlets and activists, journalists and scholars to thank for raising the voice of unity, freedom, justice and democracy of the people of Ethiopia despite barrage of insults, assaults and torture coming from Woyane warlords and Citizens of Convenience to list here. The new PM Abiy should and must recognize those that endured the brute force of Woyane lost in his blanket amnesty for the good, the bad and the ugly.
Regardless, it took the new PM Abiy Ahmed led Lema team within the ethnic apartheid ruling party of Ethiopia to embrace and formalize the unity of the people of Ethiopia taken from the jaw of disunity and conflicts of the ruling TPLF member party led Adowa team to earn them the admiration of millions of Ethiopians they rightly deserve.
The fact the PM Abiy stood in front of the world to say; the apartheid regime he and his team members served their entire adult life is no different than what colonialists did in defiance to the official policy of his own party alone qualify him to lead Ethiopians in transition to democratic rule.
But, how far the Prime Minster goes forward beyond unity and forgive-forget campaign to bring about freedom, justice and democratic rule to complete what the people of Ethiopia have been waiting for throughout their extended history remains to be seen.
In a previous article dated May 24 2018 titled “PM Abiy Ahmed; whatever you are up to; don’t insult the intelligence of the people of Ethiopia” I warned the new PM to understand, the mandate the people of Ethiopia gave him is NOT to repair a 19 century ethnic Apartheid oligarchy he himself despise but, to take Ethiopians to the promise land of democratic rule.
Therefore, there are many more things the PM can and must do to get Ethiopians to the promise land regardless of the difficulty he may encounter by the old guard and new opportunists. After all, he has the full mandate and backing of the people of Ethiopia he can’t afford to throw such historical opportunity under the bus to entertain warlords and dysfunctional elites’ lust for illegitimate political power and economic privilege on behalf of their enablers and at the expenses of the people of Ethiopia.
Here it is important to note: If the PM’s priority is to create transparent and free system for the benefit of the people of Ethiopia in transition to democratic rule as he claimed, he should look no further than forming independent bodies to oversee public institutions and embracing and empowering the Free Press in search of the truth. The more he delays from doing it, the more his reform efforts lose momentum and credibility to the benefit of TPLF led warlords and associates and opportunist elites across the country and abroad. On the flip side, if his reform priorities are for the benefit of interest groups (foreign or domestic) under the status qua he presides over, he will make a historical mistake like every political elite that came before him but, this time with far more consequences.
Therefore, the new PM # 1 priority should be to sort out the truth from decades of fairytales perpetuated by TPLF led warlords and their enablers. Otherwise, he will expose Ethiopians to the crimes of warlords, opportunists and foreign advisories further as we are witnessing them scramble to get a seat on the table.
Unfortunately and as expected, with all the good news of unity and celebration of Ethiopiawinet around the country and abroad, the barrage of terrorist acts including assassination attempt on the PM himself in the middle of the Millions of Ethiopians March in Addis Ababa followed by many towns and hamlets around the country to undermine the support for the PM’s reform effort is not surprising for those that understood the Tigray people Liberation Front (TPLF) mission on the people of Ethiopia.
In fact, the ruling Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front led by the new PM Abiy not only conceded; the rogue TPLF member party masquerading as a representative of Ethiopians in the ethnic apartheid Tigray Region is not only illegitimate entity by its own ethnic Apartheid rule it imposed on the people of Ethiopia but, loudly and proudly broadcasting; its very survival relies on terror, disunite and corruption — confessing; it is a lawless terrorist as well as a Mafia organization as the warlords continue to make a mockery of governance. It is what our people describe as ጅራፍ እራሱ ገረፎ እራሱ ይጮሃል or የሌባ ደረቅ መለሶ ልብ ያዽርቅ.
Classified as a terrorist organization by the world way before terrorism became a worldwide phenomenon, TPLF warlords’ motive to institute the only ethnic Apartheid rule left in the world was for the same reason the last South African minority Apartheid regime did — to subdue the people by terror, disunity, extortion and propaganda that ended in disgrace by 1994. Like the old South Africa, the fate of TPLF instigated apartheid will end in disgrace as warlords agonize to terrorize and bamboozle Ethiopians to stay alive at the expenses of the people of Ethiopia.
It reminds me of a July 2015 opinion Ed (more a confession) on Al Jazeera by a TPLF operative named Dr. Iru Taddle Maru (pictured left) masquerading as security expert and human rights lawyer titled secret to Ethiopia’s counterterrorism success with a caption ‘Obama has expressed keen interest in learning from Ethiopia’s counterterrorism and counterinsurgency strategies’. It published right after President Obama returned from State visit of Ethiopia with his infamous speech endorsing the rogue TPLF led apartheid regime that claimed to win the May 2015 Election by 100% as “democratically elected government of Ethiopia” to the dismay of the world.
Maru’s detailed knowledge of TPLF’s terror network presented as opinion and his audacity to claim; the US President ‘has expressed keen interest in learning’ from’… rogue ethnic warlords led regime that terrorize its own population speaks for itself. But, the irony the people of Ethiopia are labeled terrorist to satisfy TPLF warlords’ wishes to maintain political power and economic privilege in a cover of fighting international terrorism and ‘peace and stability’ is conspiracy of historical proportion only dysfunctional contemporary elites like Maru are willing and capable to participated at the expenses of the people of Ethiopia.
Believed to be a US national with multiple identity and assignment in government, nongovernmental and private entities of Ethiopia as well as African and the Western, Maru at present works as a ‘private’ consultant for the African Union Peacekeeping Mission and as a contributor for a TPLF affiliated Horn Affairs Online Media outlet based in Addis Ababa.
It would be a grave mistake in the part of the new Prime Minster to overlook dysfunctional elite operatives like Maru that are situated to undermine the freedom and the rights of the people of Ethiopia thus, his reform effort.
Likewise, several clandestine individuals affiliated with unknown entities continue to cause havoc on the new Prime Minister’s reform effort as they did for decades on the oppositions’ democratic struggle to bring about the Government of the People. Some come-and-go as they accomplish their mission of ‘distract-confuse-disunite’ Ethiopians from coming together for unity, freedom, justice and democracy to end the ruling ethnic apartheid oligarchy stranglehold. Others are in it to sustain apartheid rule on behalf of their enablers. Most appeared to be driven by popularity contest to seek illegitimate political, economic and social privilege at the expenses of the people of Ethiopia regardless of who is in charge.
A good example that come-and-go in the public seen is Dr. Fesha Eshitu, a businessman turns politician/activist. The Former Founder and Chairman of the Ethiopian National Transitional Council (2012) until he abandon it few years later formed አንድ ኢትዮጵያ ሕዝባዊ እንቅስቃሴ አመራር (One Ethiopia Movement) (www.oneethiopia.org) with suspended website transferred to his personal Facebook page turn to “የኢትዮ-ዳያስፖራ ልዑካን ለዘላቂዊ ለውጥ’) አስተባባሪ (ዶ/ር ዓቢይን ማነጋገር የሚፈልግ ቡድን)“.
In short span of six years since he sold his business (Unity University) and migrate to U.S., the lone ranger come-and-go in public as if the people of Ethiopia struggle are a part-time hobby he can pick-and-drop as his convenient — this time around on Facebook wanting to talk with the new Prime Minster Abiy. No one knows what motivates nor qualify him to speak on behalf of anyone let alone Ethiopians. But, if he isn’t a typical dysfunctional elite who wants to have his cake and eat it too we don’t know who could be.
At the meantime, a contemptible dysfunctional individual by a name of Alula Solomon (picture left) that lately showed up too little too late claiming to represent the Union of Tigreans in North America (UTNA) ማሕበር ተጋሩ ሰሜን ኣሜሪካ (ማተሰኣ) and by default the people of Tigray that he alleged victimized by other Ethiopians is another tragedy.
Apparently, according to UTNA’s website; it was established in 1974 as “a non-partisan, not-for-profit civic organization that works towards the enhancement of peace, development, democracy, good governance and justice in Ethiopia and strives for the provision of critical information and support that would help empower the immigrant Ethiopian/Tigrean Diaspora”.
There is no record that shows, the 44 years-old UTNA is an Ethiopian organization at least until the Tigrean People Liberation Front (TPLF) came to the helm of state power in 1991. Nor, there is any record it ‘works towards’ the noble ideas it claims but, ‘the enhancement’ of ethnic division, conflicts, racketeering and extortion on behalf of TPLF ethnic oligarchy and to ‘strives for’ the provision of critical’ misinformation to divide Ethiopians in the diaspora by ethnicity in the name of the people of Tigray.
There is also no disclosure regarding its legal status in US or the claimed activities on its website prior 2015 nor anything critical of TPLF as a party, as owner of 100s of corrupt corporations with countless atrocities and massive corruption of the warlords against the people of Ethiopia since 1991 or since UTNA was established in 1974. Apparently, that is why the officers of the organization, including Alula disclosed on the official website and why they won’t appear on the Free Press to take credit for UTNA’s noble cause outlined.
The lone UTNA representative Alula Solomon frequent appearances on the Media since the Prime Minster Abys ascendency to power and up on the announcement of the PM’s North America visit to engage the Ethiopians in the diaspora was rather surprising for a civic organization a half-century old in hiding from the people of Ethiopia.
But Alula’s explanation on his recent interview with EMF on behalf of the people of Tigray unnder TPLF instigated ethnic apartheid Constitution and contrary to the organization claim of “peace, development, democracy, good governance and justice in Ethiopia” reviles; UTNA is TPLF wing masquerading as a civic organization .
If Alula and his elks aren’t a classic illustration of dysfunctional ethnic elites that use-and abuse Ethiopians in a make-believe “peace, development, democracy, good governance and justice” as outlined on UTNA website to caused havoc in the diaspora like their counterparts do at home, we don’t know who could be.
It is not clear what exactly spooked the undisclosed UTNA members about the new PM reform effort except to revile; Tigreans in diaspora they claim to speak as their counter at home need special protection from UTNA operatives more than the rest of Ethiopians. No wonder they are canceling their identity hiding behind the people of Tigray to cover up for TPLF warlords’ massive atrocities and corruptions. If that isn’t the case; why no officer of the organization with such a noble cause of “peace, development, democracy, good governance and justice” in the free world playing hide-and-seek for 44 long years of its existence?
Ethiopians shouldn’t be distracted by TPLF warlords instigated terrorist act nor by the empty noise generated by its operatives and all kinds of clandestine dysfunctional elites of one kind or another with vested interest claiming to represent one group or another with one make believe mission or another to frustrate the people of Ethiopia struggle and the new Prime Minister’s ‘reform’ effort within the ruling ethnic apartheid party as they did and continue to do to the oppositions’ efforts to end the minority ethnic apartheid oligarchy.
Fortunately, TPLF warlords and their operatives were told over-and-over again by Ethiopians to know beeter; crimes of terrorism, atrocities and corruption against the people of Ethiopia skirted as policy, proclamation and laws and in cover of ethnic apartheid ‘Revolutionary Democracy’ and in a name fighting international terrorism will come back to bite them. Moreover, they were warned; window-dressing TPLF’s racketeering and extortion ring as investment in a cover of Developmental State Economy and Growth and Transformation will backfire.
Unfortunately, the dimwitted pseudo intellectual elites masquerading as experts are too busy robbing the people of Ethiopia blind; no one is left to tell TPLF warlords the consequence of their criminality. Instead, they continue to engage in elaborate cover up and diversion to sustain the status qua than doing the right thing to free the people of Ethiopia from the bondage of Woyane.
Obviously, TPLF warlords and associates have two choices, to surrender for the will of the people i.e. Ethiopian unity and democratic rule as the new PM reform offers or continue the ethnic war on the people of Ethiopia. So far, they haven’t shown interest to surrender — hoping they will win the war on unity in their last dich effort to remain relevant hiding behind Ethiopians in the Tigray Region they occupy.
The new Prime Minster openly and eloquently acknowledged (God bless his heart), Ethiopians are too civilized to be ruled by uncivilized elites without their consent. His unprecedented humility to admit the shortcoming of political leaders within the ruling party that caused so much suffering and humiliation on the people of Ethiopia is historic by itself. But, when and if he delivers what he promised as he appears to be; he will be recognized as the greatest Ethiopian leader in the modern history of Ethiopia.
Therefore, the people of Ethiopia can’t afford to let their guard down — distracted by the barrage of propaganda coming from Woyane operatives and the vested interest groups to sustain the status qua nor should we take the Prime Minister’s words for grant but his actions.
Somehow, Apartheid rule by its very nature designed to institute guilt by ethnic, religion… association to divide and justify committing crimes against the people of Ethiopia is lost by many well positioned dysfunctional political elites. The colonial political construct TPLF warlords led ethnic apartheid parties adapted to segregate and subjugate Ethiopians was bound to be a disaster before it started as Ethiopians witnessed in horror in the last three decades and as the PM Abiy openly acknowledged. But, the irony many elites that oppose the ethnic apartheid regime continue to embrace apartheid as political strategy to remain or climb on illegitimate power and privilege is a tragedy to speak volume; dysfunctional elites rule the day.
It is clear by now; dysfunctional political elites don’t seem to grasp the ‘consent of the governed’ no matter what. Such simple concept that separate the civilized from uncivilized regimes of the world lost in contemporary dysfunctional elites’ mind will continue to be major challenge for the people of Ethiopia and the new Prime Minster reform effort.
In short, what do contemporary dysfunctional elites want from the people of Ethiopia remain the million-dollar question that remained unanswered.
Our people suffered enough under TPLF warlords instigated ethnic Apartheid rule for 27 long years, 17 years of Derg instigated Marxist Military rule and as they did for 1000s of years under traditional monarchy rule. Contemporary political elites experimented every modern ideology invented in human history on the people of Ethiopia except the Consent of the Governed — Democracy.
Is there any doubt by now, the people of Ethiopia are far more civilized than the political elites that rule or want to rule them without their consent as the new Prime Minster Abiy himself acknowledged?
Therefore, from all things that should worry the self-described ethnic dysfunctional elites that insist to represent Ethiopians in Tigray Region by 100%, it shouldn’t be to have control over the Apartheid regime they instigated to terrorize, subdue and extort them and the entire population of Ethiopia as oppose accepting their illegitimacy to represent anyone but, themselves. Yet, they continue to terrorize and extort the people of Ethiopia. That is not only wrong by any definition but, organized crime. Thus, anyone associated with TPLF warlords should be warned; there is no place to hide nor run but, to abandon the Mafia organization and surrender to the Consent of the People of Ethiopia.
At the meantime, dysfunctional elites in oppositions regardless of what ideology they claim to follow can no longer play hide-and-seek with the people of Ethiopia in a cover of the ruling ethnic apartheid regime. Either they are for unity, freedom, justice and democracy the people demand or disunity, subjugation, injustice and dictatorship of their own version. There is no gray area to hide but, to free or deprive the people of Ethiopia their rights for liberty, justice and democracy.
As unpopular as the ‘Consent of the Governed’ among contemporary dysfunctional elites that feel entitled for illegitimate power and privilege, it happened to be the only thing that makes-or-breaks unity, freedom, justice and democracy Ethiopians can no longer afford to live without. Fortunately, this time around; the people of Ethiopia at the grassroots are in charge of their destiny.
Therefore, the new Prime Minster is fully aware of what is going on with the renegade dysfunctional elites in his own ethnic apartheid party that refuse to surrender for the will of the people of Ethiopia. Likewise, he is cognizant who in the oppositions have the capacity to advance the cause of democratic rule the people of Ethiopia have been yearning for centuries.
Nothing illustrates dysfunctional elites’ behavior in defending ethnic apartheid jungle rule more so in the ‘free world’ than Media operators and journalists that supposed to defend but, don’t understand the concept of the Consent of the Governed and the Free Press’ obligation to it. After all, without the Free Press and journalists respect for their professional duty to search for the truth; nothing a regime does nor what the oppositions promises worth the paper it is written on and, it shows.
As a vanguard of the public interest, the Ethiopian Press is over run by dysfunctional elites’ interest in the middle of the grassroot revolution to end a minority ethnic apartheid oligarchy Ethiopians have been under for three decided until PM Abiy showed up to confront it by popular consent.
Unfortunately, journalists of prominent Media outlets can’t grasp the reality nor their professional responsibility to confront dysfunctional elites that brought havoc and chaos on the people of Ethiopia for decades yet.
Take for instance Voice of America Amharic service recent coverage of the publicly unannounced conference organized by mysterious diaspora elites in Washington D.C. with a stated mission of facilitating Prime Minster Abiy Ahmed anticipated visit in collaboration with the Ethiopian Embassy to engage the Diaspora.
The drama started when Solomon Abete of VOA (pictured left) covering the conference pretend to stumble at the conference and began interviewing a person by a name Besufekad Kasegn he referred as ‘Chairman of event organizer’ at the entrance of the conference hall followed by Solia Asmelash, a member of Zone 9 blogger and a human right activist in exile that escaped arrest by the regime few years ago and Grima Sefu, the Former lone opposition party parliamentarian in the 547 seat assembly also in exile in their way in the conference hall. In all cases, Solomon failed to find out who invited the audience and three panelists until he ventures inside the conference hall and pretend to be surprised to find two of his VOA colleagues seating in the audience and began to interview them. The two VOA ‘journalists’ also pretend to see him for the first time in the event and claim it is their first time they attended such an event concerning Ethiopia — a rather odd admission for VOA journalists hired to cover the Ethiopia affairs.
Needless to say, according to the event organizing committee ‘Chairman’ Kasegn that ramble to explain how ‘individuals across the USA he referred ‘ from diverse background with no affiliation to political party or religious organizations unknown to each other got together when they ‘heard’ from undisclosed sources the new Prime Minster Abiy Ahmed visit to U.S. to form a committee to facilitate his engagement with the diaspora’. It says more about journalist Solomon Abebe of VOA that supposed to investigate the individuals’ background on behalf of the public instead of covering up for them.
The unannounced event organizers unknown to each other somehow also found three panelists to agree to participate. Prof Al Mariam known for his extensive critical writing on TPLF led ruling ethnic apartheid regime, Berhanu Mewa, a former Kinjit official and private citizen in exile and Dr. Berhane Meskle introduced as the Former judge, the Former legal adviser for Ethiopian Foreign Minister and Former UN diplomat under the ruling EPDRF party also in exile in US. The two-dozen people that showed up at the event must have been told informally by the organizers to show up on publicly unannounced conference.
That is not all, the newlywed Ethiopian human right activist Obang Metho of SMNE known for his bold stand on Woyane also showed up in the middle of his honeymoon and was called up to address the audience by the supposedly unknow volunteer organizers to him.
It is not clear, how from all the politically active Ethiopians and many Medias in the diaspora, the three panelists were invited and accepted the invitation and how only VOA showed up to cover publicly unannounced event organized by unknown individuals remain a mystery.
Apparently, none of the seven U.S residents and member of the organizing committee of the conference namely, Besufekad Kassegn, Selmon Yemanhe, Beyene Yenesu, Eyasu Tedros, Fesume Girma and Yonas Antenhe but only Edna Alemayhu (picture left) may explain why the whole drama was staged.
Apparently, either Solomon Abete of VOA didn’t do background check on the members of the organizers before he present them to the public or he conspired with the organizers. Likewise, the three panelists that showed up on a publicly unannounced conference either didn’t do their own investigation who the organizers may be using them to justify whatever mission they may have hosing Prime Minster Abiy visit or they knew the organizers to accept the invitation.
But, what was even more surprising; the famous public intellectual, attorney and a professor of Constitutional Law and Political Science Prof Al Mariam, a stanch advocate of transparency and accountability appearing as a panelist at a publicly unannounced event organized by clandestine individuals that supposedly are not known to him and endorsing the organizers’ effort to host the most important political figure at critical time of the nation in violation of his own rule.
When the Washington drama was not enough, across Western U.S. in Los Angeles four individual unknown ‘volunteers’ to the public in collaboration with the Ethiopian Consulate in Los Angeles and one of the two Prime Minsters’ supposed ‘delegate’ held a Press Conference by undisclosed Media. The rather amusing drama apparently included two individuals seating on far left and far right side of the Press Conference are the same TPLF operatives that were confronted by an Ethiopian activist in North California on a video titled TPLF Woyane Agents Confronted in Feb of 2018.
Incidentally, the Ethiopian Consulate in Los Angeles known for financial and visa fraud and spying on the diaspora in July of 2018 was caught red-handed by US Federal Agents for visa Fraud by the arrest of Desta Woldeyohannes, the Deputy Council General. No one knows how many TPLF agents used and abuse their diplomatic privilege.
Why TPLF agents disguised as innocent volunteers want to host the PM’s visit nor why the Press Conference concealed the audience asking scripted question was as puzzling as the drama presented at the Washington event – reviling TPLF operatives continue to undermine Ethiopians’ unity in the diaspora and the support of the new PM reform by one means or another. Unfortunately, the supposed delegates of the PM appeared as confused as everybody else by TPLF operatives disguised as innocent volunteers.
The rotten ideology of Woyane held together by terror, extortion and deception for the last 27 years is dead as we know it, thanks to the of Ethiopian grassroot movement and the bold actions taken by new Prime Minster Abiy within the ruling party to the surprise and delight of millions of Ethiopians. Unfortunately, the institutions Apartheid imposed on the people of Ethiopia and its ‘ambassadors’ and apologists will continue to cause havoc until the new Prime Minster began to formalize the de-apartheidization and decolonization of Ethiopian institutions that sustains TPLF led warlords’ rule.
As much as the new PM uniting Ethiopians is important and a prerequisite for the freedom, justice and democracy to come, without independence of public institutions and ‘private’ establishments from party politics, especially the Medias, the courts and the economic establishments that sustained the only Apartheid oligarchy in the world, de-apartheidization and decolonization institutions won’t be an easy task and will continue to be used-and-abused to distract, confuse, violet and exploit Ethiopians.
Therefore, the ruling TPLF party-controlled and government owned ethnic apartheid Media establishments that remain to cause havoc on the people of Ethiopia and TPLF party owned Media outlets that continue to dominate the airwaves and the cyberspace to fabricate and disunite Ethiopians in-and-out of the country must be dealt with sooner than later.
The apartheid kangaroo court system that legitimize the ruling oligarchs’ violation of rights and extortion against the people of Ethiopia masquerading as justice must be dealt with sooner than later.
Likewise, the Apartheid economic establishments masquerading as Developmental State economy TPLF instigated to serve its massive racketeering and extortion ring that bankrupted the nation to force the new Prime Minister’s Administration announcement to sell the last remaining public assets including, the national Airlines, Telcom, Ethio Electric… to ‘domestic and foreign investors’ to alleviate the foreign exchange crises and service the national debit must be addressed sooner than later. It shows, the PM reform effort difficulties dealing with TPLF instigated apartheid institutions.
For instance, according Bloomberg report dated July 16 2018 titled Ethiopian Shelves Plane Deals, Maps Out Privatization Plan quoting TPLF appointed CEO Tewolde GebreMariam, Ethiopian Airline said; “the carrier’s logistics arm, which has a venture with Deutsche Post AG’s DHL brand, could be transformed into a joint holding giving the German company a 49 percent stake “within weeks.”. It was obvious on the process was on way before the new PM came to power and announce the plan — reviling the PM is yet to have a full grasp of the economic crises TPLF instigated to tackle the reform necessary to free the people of Ethiopia from the bondage of its oligarchs.
In addition, it is not clear why the new PM wanted to continue the Apartheid Developmental State industrialization model led by TPLF party owned corporation that dominate the economy in the middle of political and economic turmoil that necessitated his reform.
For instance, the new PM’s recent show casing the Hawassa Industrial Park as a future model for the nation’s economic development and employment creation is the continuation of the same old Developmental State industrialization riddle by TPLF corruption, cronyism…
The Intercept report of July 15 2018 titled “Ethiopia Touts Good Conditions in Factories for Brands Like H&M, Workers Scrape By On $1 a Day” reviles, the Hawassa Industrial Park designed by TPLF operatives led by the long-time Ethiopian Investment Commission Director General Fesum Arega (pictured left) is nothing more than a sweatshop in favor of TPLF oligarchs and their foreign partners .
Arega that was recently appointed as State Minster (replacing Arkebe Oqubay) to advise Prime Minister Abiy never missed accompanying the him on every event, including his visit to Eritrea and the Eritrean President visit to Ethiopia including, the two leaders’ visit of the Hawassa Industrial Park.
Likewise, according Al Jazeera’s July 15, 2018 report titled Ethiopia: the New China Counting the Cost quoting the London based Renaissance Capital’s Global Chief Economist Charles Robinson stated; the fastest growing Ethiopian economy is a ‘successful PR’ stunt with no data to back it up. He added, with 4% manufacturing base (one of the 8th lowest in the world) and with 49% illiteracy rate to claim; the manufacturing sector nor the digital economy will produce growth at a rate of China is a myth.
Notwithstanding the new PM Administration is having difficulty to deal with the urgency of servicing the national debt mostly embezzled by TPLF warlords, it is not clear why he believes; TPLF operatives with vested interest to sustain the old guard can help with his reform effort to rid of corruption and cronyism they benefited from. If anything needs to be sold to pay for the accumulated national debit and foreign exchange crises, it should start from TPLF and associated owned enterprises including EFFORT built on embezzled public money and resources.
With complex ethnic apartheid economic establishment TPLF instigated in the name of Development State and Revolutionary Democracy, the Prime Minster reform would be better off, first to rid TPLF propaganda machine and clandestine Media operators and establish independent bodies to takeover public institutions fast so that Ethiopians know the truth about the political, social and economic crises they will be facing now and in the foreseeable future so that they can help the PM achieve his reform agenda faster.
But, selling the national asset to unknown domestic or foreign investors to elevate the short-term foreign exchange crises nor building sweatshops across the country to create ‘employment’ can’t be a long-term solution as proven failure in many countries around the world without the additional burden of ethnic apartheid system.
As many Ethiopians in the diaspora enthusiastically wait the Prime Minster arrival to the U.S. to appreciate his unity message they wholeheartedly support, he would be more productive if he answered the hard-factual question to the lack of independence and transparent public institutions that makes-or-breaks the people of Ethiopia struggle for freedom, justice and democratic rule that will eventually measure his leadership success than entertaining dysfunctional elites’ opinion formed by barrage of ethnic apartheid propaganda of four decades brought by make-believe Media establishments led by TPLF’s operatives controlled government and ‘private’ Media at home as well as in the diaspora.
Prime Minister Abiy should be cognizant, no people in the world achieved sustainable unity, freedom, justice and democratic rule without check-and-balance of the three branches of government, the Free Press and independent civic society. And, no nation developed without the rule of law and transparent public institutions to protect the people with the least access to political and economic power. Therefore, for unity of the people of Ethiopia to be sustainable and secured, democratic institutions, including the Free Press must be free of party politics and interest groups now than later, nothing less.
Until then, with best wish for successful visit in North America, “PM Abiy Ahmed; whatever you are up to; don’t insult the intelligence of the people of Ethiopia’ still stands.
This article is dedicated to Prime Minster Abiy Ahmed and his Lema Team for standing up against the corrupt ethnic bullies within led by TPLF warlords, But, more importantly, to our people that needlessly died and suffered to make the PM reform possible and the future of our people brighter. No dysfunctional elites should be allowed to reverse Ethiopians unity, freedom, justice and democracy reform efforts.
