EthiopiaOnMyMind

Mystery of the Nile: from source to sea

2006-03-20T14:22:00.000-05:00

For those of you who may not have seen it, Mystery of the Nile is a must see IMAX film. It is a real life adventure from the source of the Blue Nile to the Mediterranean Sea. It is nicely made and the IMAX theater enhances the experience of watching the film by making you feel like you are the one traveling on the river. My family enjoyed every minute of this great adventure.

You can find out if it is showing in your state by selecting the name of the film and your state on the left hand side drop-down menu here . Enjoy!

Respecting the people's right

2006-03-16T11:43:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since my last post but we have not seen much change in the political situation. The government continues its prosecution and persecution of opposition party leaders and citizens alike. Injustice is called justice. Those who unfairly have put people behind bars promise to the world that the trial will be 'fair'. What a disgrace? There should be no trial in the first place as it is not a crime to oppose the EPRDF government peacefully. The only fair thing to do is to release all political prisoners without condition and work toward national reconciliation based on respect to the people's choice and voice.

The Ethiopian constitution delcares various rights of citizens. As I have said in the past, the constitution has its share of good articles. But what good is a constitution if the government routinely disregards its provisions to achieve its political objectives. I even wonder if the people whose constitution it is understand and know that they do have inviolable rights under the constitution.

Inviolable is defined as secure from violation or assault. So, the Ethiopian people have rights that no government can take away. But of course, what are they going to do about it even if they do know their rights with a government that shows no respect for its people and its constitution.
Our history has shown us that constitutions come and go with every government and you can not count on your rights staying the same from one regime to the next. Even if your rights seem to stay the same on paper, you can not be confident that the government honors its own constitution. People may not even believe what is in the constitution applies to them anymore. This is understandable but should not be acceptable.

Most of the time, those in power ride the blood of others to the palace and prepare a constitution that serves them instead of the people. Since they did not get to power with the support of the people, they would not hesitate to spill more blood to continue in power as they have done in the beginning. So, how do we remove this pattern of coming to power or maintaining power once and for all?

I believe that Ethiopia's longterm survival depends on peaceful transition of power through elections. Moreover, there needs to be a clear definition of the role of the military and the police in a democratic society. The military should only be used to safeguard the sovereignity of the nation not to club citizens that oppose the policy of whoever happened to be in power. The sovereignty of a nation is not threatened when citizens exercise their democratic and constitutional rights. Should there be a disturbance; the police need to be ready to diffuse the situation while allowing the citizens to exercise their rights. The military and the police as institutions need to stay out of politics. They are to serve the constitution and not the interests of one person or one party.

This can only happen when those in power understand that they are in that position to serve the interests of the people that they represent and to uphold the constitution. If the people decide to choose someone else or another party, they should gracefully relinquish power wishing the newcomers well (without sabotaging the incoming administration's effectiveness via new policies and rules). We also need to learn to disagree on issues respectfully without making the disagreement personal. No one person or party has a right to stay in power perpetually without the consent of the governed. We need to continue the peaceful struggle until the political culture is changed and the people's voice and rights respected by those who wish to govern them.

Congratulations! Olympian Robel Teklemariam

2006-02-27T16:30:00.000-05:00

Even though, the broadcasters did not show Robel Teklemariam finish the 15K Classical race, it is wonderful to know that he finished the race even beating out a few others. I congratulate him on representing Ethiopia with dignity. I hope in the next winter olympics we will have more athletes inspired by Robel Teklemariam's effort.

A great weekend for Ethiopian athlets

2006-01-16T09:28:00.000-05:00

P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon & 1/2 Marathon

Ethiopian athletes dominated both the marathon and half-marathon races in men as well as women and for good measure Haile added a new world record in half-marathon (58 minutes and 55 seconds) to his accomplishments reducing the previous mark by 21 seconds.

Marathon
Men:
1, Shimelis Mola, Ethiopia, 2:13:08.
2, Terefae Yee, Ethiopia, 2:13:13
3, Asnake Fekadu, Ethiopia, 2:15:13
4, Belay Welasha, Ethiopia, 2:17:53
5, Yuriy Hychun, Ukraine, 2:20:57.

Women:
1, Shitaye Gemechu, Ethiopia, 2:31:44
2, Askale Tafa, Ethiopia, 2:31:46
3, Hiromi Ominami, Japan, 2:36:08
4, Salomie Getnet, Ethiopia, 2:36:55
5, Abeba Tola, Ethiopia, 2:38:19.

Half Marathon
1, Haile Gebrselassie, Ethiopia, 58:55
2, Tessena Abshiro, Ethiopia, 1:02:57
3, Habte Jifar, Ethiopia, 1:04:40
4, Abiyota Guta, Ethiopia, 1:05:58
5, Fidele Barangsabe, Ethiopia, 1:08:44.

Source: www.iaaf.org.

Great Edinburgh Cross Country

Kenenisa Bekele came from behind to beat Saif Saeeed Shaheen in a dramatic fashion at the Great Edinburgh Cross Country 9km race. Geleta Burka won the women's 6km with a dominant performance relegating the defending champion and favourite Tirunesh Dibaba to third place.

RESULTS

Men's 9.2km
1 K Bekele (Eth) 26:08,
2 S Shaheen (Qat) 26:12,
3 Z Tadesse (Eri) 26:18,
4 D Ritzenhein (USA) 27:03,
5 S Lebid (Ukr) 27:22,
6 T Bacha (Eth) 27:51,
7 T Shifer (Eth) 27:51,

Women 6km:
1 G Burika (Eth) 19:01,
2 I Ochichi (Ken) 19:12,
3 T Dibaba (Eth) 19:21,
4 H Kibet (Ken) 19:47,
5 G Getenah (Eth) 19:48,
6 E Dibaba (Eth) 19:49,

Source: www.iaaf.org.

24rd Cross Internacional de Itálica’

In another cross-country event in Seville, Spain, Abebe Dinkessa and Sileshi Sihine were 1 and 2 in the Men's race while Bizunesh Bekele led an Ethiopian sweep of the first three positions in the Women's race.

Results

Men (10.8km course)
1. Abebe Dinkesa (Eth) 31:03
2. Sileshi Sihine (Eth) 31:10
3. Charles Kamathi (Ken) 31:11

Women (6.6km course)
1. Bizunesh Bekele (Eth) 21:32
2. Meselech Melkamu (Eth) 21:36
3. Derbe Alemu (Eth) 21:40

Source: www.iaaf.org.

Random thoughts on current affairs ...

2006-01-11T09:35:00.000-05:00

I am jotting down here my thoughts on some of the issues that occupied my mind in the last three weeks.

On the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has tied the hands of the Ethiopian government by signing the Algiers agreement and by agreeing to abide by the result of the court of arbitration. Eritrea knows Ethiopia has a losing hand in this game and it will push hard. Meles had a chance to argue for the long-term interests of Ethiopia during the arbitration. Unfortunately, he neither took the opportunity to advocate for the return of the port of Assab nor did he argue that Eritrea does not have the facts to her claim to Badme (see Dagmawi's website for detailed facts and arguments ). Now, the UN and the US are pushing hard to end the standoff between Ethiopia and Eritrea. My gut feeling tells me that the demarcation will go forward as Ethiopia has lost its bargaining position in Algiers and the court of arbitration. I don't believe Eritrea will be inclined to make any adjustments as requested by Meles Zenawi. Meles Zenawi knows he has lost it for Ethiopia and now wants a face saving gesture from Eritrea which will not happen. Regardless, we will not see another round of sensless war but I have learned not to count the leaders of the two respective countries out when it comes to fighting. I will close this topic with a quote from Enset blog article No Senseless war which makes a very good point regarding the future of this conflict.

... there cannot be any real peace between the states of Ethiopia and Eritrea until both countries have representative governments that can negotiate a real peace agreement on behalf of their respective people. Furthermore, even if the belligerent parties somehow manage to avoid going to war this time around and settle their differences by ratifying the Algiers agreement and demarcating the border, any peace agreement that is reached by the current holders of state power in Addis Ababa and Asmara will not be considered complete by the Ethiopian people if the agreement fails to address Ethiopia’s unencumbered access to the sea through the port of Assab.

On the travesty of justice

It is a sad spectacle to see those who advocate for peaceful struggle against the tyranny of EPRDF continue thier fruitless trek from prison to the court. They are accused of very serious crimes such as treason and genocide. The strange part is that those who ordered and committed the killing of innocent citizens are not in prison. Those who ordered the mass arrest and terror of citizens are not in prison. The argument of the government is that these people who are in prison made us do it. They say that, if it were not for the opposition party leaders calling for peaceful civil disobedience, all the killing and arrest would have been avoided. But the EPRDF led government ordered the killing, arrest and terrorizing of innocent citizens and it continues to do so. They should be facing prosecution instead of the opposition leaders. No one should be above the law.

On the future of politics based on ethnicity

Politics based on ethnic affiliation (if you can clearly fall into one of many groups and of course, you have no choice in the matter: you belong to one, the other or to none) has been in place for the past fourteen years. Moreover, Ethiopia is now a federation of ethnic based regions. Ethnic based politics assumes that everyone in the ethnic group views the world (should view) the same way. There is little room for movement for those who may not view the issues in ethnically-correct way. So, if you don't agree with what representatives of your ethnic group are advancing, how do you 'unbelong'?. You can't.

We know even for a family, not all memebers of a family think the same way in a matter let alone a whole group. I am of the view that for a united Ethiopia to come out of this, political parties should cease to be organized along ethnic or religious lines. Parties should organize themselves on ideas that apply to all citizens. How about Democratic/ Republican/ Independent/ Green etc... party of Oromia/ Tigray/Amhara/ Southern Peoples/ Ogaden/ Somali regions? These associations do not require belonging to one ethnic group or another just agreement on the ideas and principles the parties stand for. If you don't like the idea of one political party, you are free to choose another that fits your principles better.

Some may ask, how do we safeguard the freedom and interest of each ethnic group? I would say by safeguarding the freedom and interest of the individual and by allowing the rule of law to be supreme. As for regional interest, that should be the work of the elected representatives from the region to advance the needs and interests of their constituents. The biggest challenge, I believe, is balancing the need to maintain and develop ethnic and cultural heritage while participating in non-ethnic non-religion based democratic multi-party system. Is this possible? I believe so. Is it easy? Absolutely not.

I may have simplified some things but everybody should share ideas on how the various ethnic groups can prosper together in a united Ethiopia. My view is just that my view. I am open to persuasion on what works and how to go about it.

Happy New Year to All!

Myopic and insecure leadership takes us nowhere

2005-12-20T09:23:00.000-05:00

Fourteen years of the government of EPRDF, by EPRDF and for EPRDF has not led to a more democratic, stable and prosperous Ethiopia. There may have been some improvements here and there, may be mostly there, but not nationwide. Certainly, the political structure and culture is dominated by EPRDF with token opposition members in parliament. It boggles the mind why so many EPRDF members of parliament are needed if they vote lock-step with the Prime Minister's view. They take up seats in the halls of parliament but have forgotten to effecitively use their God-given brain to think and arrive at a decision beneficial to their constituents even if it is contrary to their party's position.

EPRDF is a communist party which masquarades as democratic by virtue of the existence of opposition parties and the often harassed not-so-free press as long as its grip on power is not threatened. If you remember, the communist party claimed to know what is best for the people without considering what the people really wanted. This is the story of EPRDF's leadership through the last fourteen years. Narrowly focused and arrogantly confident in its 'all-knowing' power, it has no room for the views of others. Compromise is considered as defeat and surrender in the eyes of the EPRDF leadership regardless of its benefits for citizens.

Even though EPRDF pretends to be confident of the rightness of its ideas and policies, its insecurity is evident by the brutal actions it takes against Ethiopian citizens with every little challenge of its ideas and policies. That is the only way to explain the killing, jailing and harrassment of journalists, opposition party leaders and citizens alike.

Yesterday, I happen to watch BBC World news program and they showed government videotape of the rock throwing incident that supposedly ignited the government crackdown. This government, with all its military machinery, was so threatened by rock throwing youth, it turned the guns meant for securing the borders of the country on its own citizens. This government is so insecure, it drags opposition party leaders to court, claiming that they tried to overthrow the government. One would ask by what means are they trying to overthrow the government, with their bare hands? Now, it has charged them with treason and boasts that it has evidence supporting this outrageous charge. The only thing this show trial proves is that EPRDF can not handle fair competition, so it has to silence the challengers.

On the same program, the Prime Minister was asked if he still believed that Ethiopia's democracy is still a model for Africa. His response was, "We are not trying to be role models but are trying to do what is right for our country." This reminds me of some famous basketball player, who said "I am not a role model", when he failed to live up to the public expectation. The Prime Minister is a leader of a party that has failed to recognize doing the right thing for the country requires listening to the people of the country. What is a country without its people? How can a party, which is impermeable to the idea of others, be expected to do what is right to Ethiopia and the people of Ethiopia? The honest answer is it can not without significant change in its vision for the country.

Ethiopia needs leaders

who recognize that the government is to serve the people not the other way around.
who understand that people regardless of their status in life have inherent worth and value just because they are God's creation.
who have a vision and are able to rally the support of the people rather than ram their vision at gun point.
who can work with opposition members and citizens so that the best ideas and policies are implemented with the long-term interest of the people and of the country in mind.
who know how to use the diversity to bring out the best in all its citizens.

The EPRDF government is pressed from within, despite the facade of calm, and from without. It can continue on its current path which leads to further alienation or it can reverse course by releasing all political prisoners without condition and sit down and discuss the future of the country in good faith. We hope for the best with our eyes open.

Champions again

2005-12-12T10:48:00.000-05:00

The Ethiopian national football team has successfully defended its title as CECAFA challenge cup champions defeating Rwanda. The final score was Ethiopia 1 Rwanda 0.

Congratulations! to the Ethiopian national football Team on the job well done.

We want to stop corruption but don't shine the light on us!

2005-12-11T21:37:00.000-05:00

The Ethiopia News Agency (ENA) has published a few articles marking the International Anti-Corruption day, Friday, December 9, 2005. One of the titles declares International Anti Corruption Day Celebrated in Ethiopia . I agree that corruption needs to be dealt with for a host of reasons such as economic progress, fairness in the political process and efficient service delivery to name a few. But I wonder if the celebration is more for foreign consumption than anything else. Here is an excerpt from the above article:

According to Addisu Ethiopia has demonstrated its commitment to the battle waged against corruption in sending delegations to take part in international and continental events pertinent to anti-corruption.

The EPRDF government shows its commitment to the war on corruption (WOC) by sending delegations to various events overseas. You would think it is a joke if it were not true. This government harasses and jails anyone from journalists in the private press to political leaders and citizens who dared to speak against it at home. As usual, the EPRDF pretends to be one thing for foreigners and another thing for its own citizens. The motto for this global WOC is "You Can Stop Corruption." Well, I don't have such confidence in a government as corrupt as the EPRDF.

If the EPRDF is serious about the WOC, they should give journalists from the public as well as the private press access to decision makers as well as documents that are not classified for security purposes. A truly free press is one essential asset if the EPRDF wants to fight corruption. Harassing and jailing journalists in the private press leads reasonable people to suspect that the government has something to hide.

In the case of the election of May 15, 2005, these warriors of corruption should have made the electoral process resistant to fraud as much as possible. This is too much to hope for from a government that has no intention of relinquishing power.

When the CUD challenged the results of the election, the EPRDF rather than making every effort to assure the voters that their votes have been counted according to their preference, it started a campaign of terror in the name of law and order to cover its fraud. Terrorizing citizens continues to this day.

The EPRDF has monopolized the economic sector by creating, formally or informally, companies whose success depends on it which frustrates investment by local entrepreneurs. If this is not corruption, what is?

EPRDF is willing to fight in the WOC as long as the light is not shining on its workings. What a shame! The light will shine and the truth and magnitude of EPRDF's corruption will come out sooner or later.

In other news...

2005-12-08T14:00:00.000-05:00

Ethiopian Soccer Team

The Ethiopian national team is into the finals of the CECAFA tournament in Rwanda beating Zanzibar 4-0. Uganda and hosts Rwanda will play for the remaining spot in the finals. I am a sports fan and would like to see the Ethiopian team repeat as champions. I am sure another CECAFA championship will bring some joy to the hearts of all sport-loving Ethiopians. I wish the Ethiopian team all the best in their final match. Win or lose I have great admiration for these young men representing Ethiopia at this critical juncture with class and dignity.

Ethiopian for Winter Olympics

No, I did not make a mistake. There is an Ethiopian training to represent Ethiopia in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. His name is Robel Teklemariam and is featured in For Ethiopian, the ski's the limit. Currently, there is one person on the Ethiopian Ski Team as per the Ethiopian Ski Federation website. Hopefully, Robel's effort will encourage those who have interest in and access to skiing to be part of this new team.

I myself enjoy skiing even if it has been a while since my last visit to the ski slopes. I find his story encouraging and hope he will be successful in his efforts. Robel is raising funds so he can travel to the Olympics and I am sure he would appreciate any help from Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopa to make his dreams come true. I will certainly look forward to watching the Winter Olympics, this time I will be rooting for Ethiopia.

A Luta Continua: until revolutionary democarcy is history

2005-12-05T08:55:00.001-05:00

The demonstrations and appeals around the world are bearing some fruit. This article from The Observer , which I quote in part below, brings two points home to me. One, donors (Britain as well as EU) are having second thoughts about supporting this brutal government which shows that the pressure from outside is having an effect and we need to intensify the effort.

Embarrassed by what it has called 'disproportionate' use of force by Ethiopian police, Britain is withholding some £20 million in aid. While the British ambassador declined to be interviewed Clark, himself a Briton, was unusually frank.
The EU has aid projects in Ethiopia that are worth more than €1 billion and Clark warned that those projects were under review subject to the government's response. Clark said: "We've been hearing from Dedesa camp about atrocities taking place. It's extremely worrying. We have not witnessed anything like this in Ethiopia before.'

Secondly, the brutality of the government led by Meles Zenawi is increasingly laid bare for all to see.

Five months after Ethiopia descended into political chaos following a dispute over the country's first democratic elections, details are emerging that give a disturbing glimpse into the scale of human rights abuses taking place. One man who had endured 19 days of almost constant beatings at the hands of Ethiopia's security forces is Dereje. 'The federal police beat us with batons and big sticks,' he said. 'A man was shot in his leg, but he got no medication. People lost their eyes and had their feet smashed. Many people were suffering there.'
He was referring to Dedesa camp, a former military base, in the far west of Ethiopia, where thousands of detainees have been dumped in recent weeks as part of a massive and unprecedented crackdown by Ethiopian security forces. Few are prepared to talk but Dereje agreed to do so. He was picked up by federal police in Addis Ababa in early November, but is not sure why, as he has no links to any political party or protests. He was stuffed inside a truck with 150 other men and wedged under a pile of mattresses. Three men suffocated to death on the way to the camp.
Once there, he says, several men, weakened by hunger and malaria, were beaten mercilessly by the guards even as they urinated. He says he knew of at least 30 who died, their bodies taken away to an unknown location for burial. He discovered from overhearing conversations between two police guards that there were at least 43,000 detainees in the camp.

This is also a result of the organized protests and appeals of Ethiopians all around the world. But we have a long way to go. Now, we hear that there are other such camps where citizens, whose only crime is to support the opposition to EPRDF, are being held. So, we need to continue to inform donor governments, organizations and people of goodwill about the true nature of and the plight of those unjustly imprisoned and have lost their lives at the hands of this government.

I am encouraged by the letter I received from one of my senators in the United States Senate in response to an email I sent him in early November. I intend to send a follow up letter with updated information. It is possible to make headway in winning others to our side because the truth is on our side. I have copied the email from my senator in hope of encouraging others to write their elected representatives regarding the current situtation in Ethiopia. If you do write, please do write factual and courteous letters or emails pointing out the fact that the interests of the United States in the war on terror is best served by a democratic government in Ethiopia and urging them to stand with the Ethiopian people in their struggle for democracy. Be persistent.

Thank you for contacting me regarding U.S. foreign policy toward Ethiopia. I appreciate hearing your thoughts on this matter.
Since 1991, the U.S. has provided more than $3 billion in aid to Ethiopia. Among other things, these funds have supported programs aimed at reducing the transmission of HIV/AIDS, combating hunger, reducing poverty, and encouraging economic and social reforms. The U.S. has also provided funds for training the Ethiopian military in areas such as the laws of war and observance of human rights.
As the horrific events of September 11th and the continuing terrorist activities worldwide have illustrated, our domestic security is related to the economic and political stability of other nations. U.S. foreign aid is critical to helping Ethiopia ensure a better future for its citizens.
I am concerned by any reports of human rights abuses by the Ethiopian government. Human rights violations not only harm the citizens they are perpetrated against, they also threaten the development of democratic societies. To prevent these types of abuses, we must encourage compliance with international standards on human rights and consider Ethiopia's record on human rights in our diplomatic relationships and in determining future levels of foreign and military aid.
Thank you again for contacting me. I will continue to monitor the situation in Ethiopia, and I will keep your thoughts in mind as these issues come before the Senate.
Sincerely,
Carl Levin

Just in case anyone doubts that we have a long and hard struggle ahead of us, this is what the shameless Prime Minister has to say in The Observer article cited above.

'I've always been convinced that democratisation in Ethiopia is not only a matter of choice but of survival. We shall persist with our democratic reforms, no matter the challenges we will face along the way.'

It is not hard to guess whose survival the PM is talking about. He believes his way to democratization is the only way. So, the meaning should be clear to all when he says he shall persist with his democratic reforms. The more the pressure against his rule, the greater his brutality becomes. He will do anything to keep himself in power as he has done in the past.

We don't care about the survival of the PM or his party. We care about the freedom of our people. We don't want a democracy that revolves around one person or party (a.k.a. revolutionary democracy) but rather a democracy that revolves around and respects the voice of the people.

No weapon will defeat a people determined to be free!
We shall overcome!

The constitution meets reality

2005-12-01T12:13:00.000-05:00

I have been looking into Ethiopia's constitution and its relevance to events in the recent past. The constitution spells out, with some specificity, the rights citizens have. It is sad and frustrating that, time and again, those in power ignore the provisions of the constitution just to hang on to power. For any serious observer of the EPRDF government's practice, the citizens enjoy the rights in the constitution only if the Prime Minister agrees to it. The constitution should, therefore, be amended to indicate the supremacy of the Prime Minister as opposed to what is in Article 9. I have taken some liberty in suggesting the revision so what happens in Ethiopia can clearly be understood.

Article 9
Supremacy of the Constitution
1. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Any law, customary practice or a decision of an organ of state or a public official which contravenes this Constitution shall be of no effect.
2. All citizens, organs of state, political organizations, other associations as well as their officials have the duty to ensure observance of the Constitution and to obey it.
3. It is prohibited to assume state power in any manner other than that provided under the Constitution.
4. All international agreements ratified by Ethiopia are an integral part of the law of the land.

Revised Article 9
Supremacy of the Prime Minister
1. The Prime Minister is the supreme law of the land. Any law, customary practice or a decision of an organ of state or a public official which contravenes this Prime
Minister shall be of no effect.
2. All citizens, organs of state, political organizations, other associations as well as their officials have the duty to ensure adherence to the Prime Minister and to obey the Prime Minister.
3. It is prohibited to assume state power in any manner other than that provided by the Prime Minister.
4. All international agreements ratified by the Prime Minister are an integral part of the law of the land.

Article 15
Right to Life
Every person has the right to life. No person may be deprived of his life except as a punishment for a serious criminal offence determined by law.

Revised Article 15:
Every person has the right to life. No person may be deprived of his life except as a punishment for a serious offence to the Prime Minister and as determined by, of course, the Prime Minister.

Article 17
Right to Liberty
No one shall be deprived of his or her liberty except on such grounds and in accordance with such procedure as are established by law.
No person may be subjected to arbitrary arrest, and no person may be detained without a charge or conviction against him.

Revised Article 17:
No one shall be deprived of his or her liberty except on such grounds and in accordance with such procedure as are established by the Prime Minister.
No person may be subjected to arbitrary arrest, and no person may be detained without a charge or conviction against him except by the consent of the Prime Minister.
The change could go on but I will stop here.

In all seriousness, there is a lot to like in the constitution even if it is not applied as it should be. I believe there are areas that need amending such as article 39 (I will try to look at it another day).

At the moment, leaders are arrested for no other reason than encouraging their supporters to peacefully express their dissatisfaction over the election results; other have been arrested en masse for believing in the constitution’s guarantee of right to life, liberty and assembly and exercising it. It may be difficult to hope for better days in the face such oppression. But we should not give up hope. Rather, those of us who have the privilege of living in freedom should continue to be the voice of those whose voice is muzzled by a tyrant as they peacefully struggle for democracy.

I look forward to the day when the constitution means what it says and all persons including the Prime Minister are equal under the law. I look forward to a day where the people’s tears over random government killing and over mass arrests of their loved ones are but a distant memory. I have hope because tyrants don’t live forever and the Almighty God is on His Throne.

Campaign for justice and freedom: part 2

2005-11-21T10:58:00.000-05:00

The protest rallies are dying down. Ethiopians in the Diaspora as well as back home may be getting back to their everyday lives and concerns. The EPRDF government claims that all is calm as it continues arresting and prosecuting citizens for no other reason than exercising their rights. The EPRDF government has clearly shown itself to be a bona fide brutal dictatorship. This is not news to many but it may be news to some who have not paid enough attention to the two-faced (one for foreigners and one for the Ethiopian people) nature of the EPRDF beast. As I mentioned in my earlier post, we need to continue to communicate the plight of all Ethiopians with our elected representatives and other people and organizations of influence. All is not well with Ethiopia yet and we need to do more so that the sacrifices made by so many would not be in vain.

So, what more can we do? How do we move beyond dealing with the crisis of the day to forging a lasting solution to the long-suffering people of Ethiopia? I will share what is on my mind. Useful and constructive comments are appreciated as I don’t claim to have found the solution to what ails us.

I believe it is in the best interest of those who call Ethiopia as their home and/or their heritage to discuss ideas openly in order to lay a foundation that endures. There are various political and civic groups operating in and outside of Ethiopia. And there are people, like myself, who have not been active in the political dialogue until recently but now want to play a constructive role for the future of Ethiopia. We need to refocus the anger and sadness of the current crisis into an energetic campaign for freedom and justice for the people of Ethiopia. How do we do that?

We need to bring all who have a stake in Ethiopia's future together.
We need to hear from all voices even ones we prefer not to with the goal of finding a common ground on which to continue the struggle for a society based on liberty and justice for all.
We need to remove or at least lower the barriers we have built between each other over time so we can build trust and work together for the common good.
We need to accept and respect one another as Ethiopians who have concerns for the well being of all Ethiopians despite our disagreements.
We need to work on a set of principles that will form the basis upon which a new Ethiopia will be founded. These principles shoul apply to all Ethiopians , should address most pressing concerns of the people and should be acceptable to the majority who have a stake in the future of Ethiopia. ( I say majority as it may be impossible to find something that every single stakeholder can agree on.)
We need to articulate a vision for a united, just and strong Ethiopia that derives its strength from the diversity of its peoples.
We need to work until the people, of their own free will, take ownership of the vision and establish a new and just union.

Such things may have been tried before but we need to continue until we find a way that has broad support and can capture the imagination of the people. I understand it is not as easy as putting a few bullet points together. But we have to start sharing our ideas, who knows how far we can go. Failure should not be an option if a dream of a society based on liberty and justice for all Ethiopians is to be fulfilled.

Some hard questions to ponder:

what does a united Ethiopia look like?
On what basis does this unity rest?
How do we deal with the issues of past inequities and oppression while maintaining a united vision for Ethiopia?

These are some of the real questions we all have to struggle with in earnest if we are to get anywhere.

Campaign for justice and freedom: part 1

2005-11-16T10:18:00.000-05:00

The organized protests of Ethiopians against the injustices of the EPRDF government around the world are very encouraging. This, I believe, is a first step but we need to continue making the plight of our people known to the outisde world by peaceful protests and letter writing campaigns to our elected representatives supported by evidence when possible. The journey to a democratic Ethiopia will be a long and hard one, but we should do what we can wherever we are to make the end of the journey nearer. Today, I share a letter I wrote to the White House regarding the current crisis in Ethiopia. We need to persuade all to the cause of democracy in Ethiopia.

Dear President Bush,

I am an American of Ethiopian descent and am very concerned by the brutal oppression of peaceful demonstrators by the government of Ethiopia. As a donor country to Ethiopia and an advocate for liberty and justice, I urge you to use your influence to let the Prime Minister of Ethiopia know that such actions are not tolerated. I am encouraged by what you said during your second inaugural address:

"America will not pretend that jailed dissidents prefer their chains, or that women welcome humiliation and servitude, or that any human being aspires to live at the mercy of bullies. We will encourage reform in other governments by making clear that success in our relations will require the decent treatment of their own people.
America's belief in human dignity will guide our policies. Yet rights must be more than the grudging concessions of dictators. They are secured by free dissent and the participation of the governed. In the long run, there is no justice without freedom, and there can be no human rights without human liberty. "

Dear President Bush, the Ethiopian government led by the Prime Minster's party (EPRDF) has been crushing dissent in everyway to keep itself in power. In an election that the opposition contested in good faith, he declared his party a winner even before the counting was over. Now, the opposition is expressing it's dissatisfaction with peaceful civil disobedience. Instead of addressing the concerns of the opposition the government has taken measures disproportionate to the situation as it has done before with little consequence from donor countries such as ours.
The Ethiopian people, for the last 14 years, have been living at the mercy of bullies and they want to be free of bullying and be governed by their freely elected representatives. It is my hope that our government does demand that the support of the United States of America to Ethiopia's leaders depends on the decent treatment of the Ethiopian people.
Thank you very much.

Rejoice but keep up the pressure

2005-11-14T08:43:00.000-05:00

We are hearing that some of those that have been arrested are being released. It is good news that they are alive and well even though the experience may scar them for life. But the government should not be let off the hook just because it released these innocent citizens. The government should

apologize in public for arresting innocent citizens in contravention of their constitutional rights
pay restitution for the pain and suffering it has caused these innocent citizens
account for all the people it has arrested but not released or charged
give full access to family members of all arrested
bring to justice those who gave the unlawful orders for mass arrests, so no such thing is repeated.

It is only right that the victims should receive apology and restitution at a minimum for suffering without cause. We should not be satisfied with the fact that they are released. Mass arrest and release as a terror tool must end. It may be idealistic to wish the EPRDF government will do any of the listed things but we should press on until they right the wrongs. Since the decision to terrorize the people, I believe, was made at the highest levels of government, they may not willingly accept that they have done anything wrong. But we should continue to point the just way forward.

The Armed Forces: Protect the country or the government?

2005-11-09T10:54:00.000-05:00

Article 87 of the Ethiopian constitituion relates to the Principles for National Defence . It is enumerated below. I would like to focus on the last three sub-articles.

The composition of the national armed forces shall reflect the equitable representation of the Nations, Nationalities and Peoples of Ethiopia.
The Minister of Defence shall be a civilian.
The armed forces shall protect the sovereignty of the country and carry out any responsibilities as may be assigned to them under any state of emergency declared in accordance with the Constitution.
The armed forces shall at all times obey and respect the Constitution.
The armed forces shall carry out their functions free of any partisanship to any political organization(s).

Sub-article 3 shows that the role of the armed forces is

to protect the sovereignty of the country and
perform duties under state of emergency if the state of emergency is constitutional.

In performing their duties in sub-article 3 they are to also keep in mind what is in sub-articles 4 and 5, which is

the armed forces are to obey and respect the constitution at all times and
they are to show no partisanship to any political organization(s).

The fact that a state of emergency is delcared (not sure if it is true currently) can not be used as an excuse to ignore their duties under article 87 sub-articles 4 and 5. The duty to obey and respect the constitution is not the same as obeying the government. The armed forces need to understand that the people have rights under the constitution that no government official can deny. But the current crisis has shown us that the army neither obeys nor respects the constitution. Obeying and respecting the constitution requires disobeying the unconstitutional order of the Prime Minister or any government official to shoot, kill and arrest citizens for exercising their rights under the constitution.

It is clear the armed forces allegiance is to the Prime Minister not the constitution. This should not be acceptable. The Ethiopian people need the protection of their armed forces not bullets for freely exercising their rights.

Note: I am not a lawyer but just was curious as to the relationship between the role of the military under the constitution and what happened since the May 15, 2005 election.

Speak with one voice

2005-11-08T14:42:00.000-05:00

Politics based on ethnicity has been the norm for the past 14 years of EPRDFs reign. Even though there were those who advocated principle based politics, they did not have much success until now. Unfortunately, this success is met with ruthless cruelty that has always shown its face when EPRDF fails to win hearts.

Now, we have a government that disregards the constitution but accuses its opponents of the same. We have a government that denies the rights enshrined in the constitution, takes extrajudicial steps to terrorize the people it is supposed to protect to retain its power. Whatever the EPRDF leaders may say to appease the western donors, the people of Ethiopia will face a depressing future unless the EPRDF led government is replaced by one that has respect for the people and the consititution.

In order to accomplish a change of government, ethnic based politics has to give way to politics based on ideas and principles that apply to all Ethiopians. This is not to say that we should ignore the fact that we are a nation of various nationalities. We should celebrate our diversity without making our diversity to work against us. We should never let our diversity be used to divide us. We have to realize that we have a shared destiny and work towards that end.

The seeds of division that ethnic politics has sown is a challenge we should overcome if we are to speak with one voice. We are to speak with one voice:

for the release of those who have been arrested and whose whereabouts is unknown
for the release of those who have been arrested and whose whereabouts known but have not committed any crime
so that our people can know and exercise their right under the consititution without fear of reprisals
so that those who ordered the killing, the arrest and banishment of political leaders and innocent civilians are brought to justice
for a new political order that respects the voice of the people, that strengthens the unity of the diverse cultures within our country and that fosters economic growth for the benefit of all its citizens

It is my hope that the sacrifice of those gallant Ethiopians will not be in vain. They faced EPRDFs bullets with only a stone in their hands and I pray their sacrifice will bring us the victory as David was victorious over Goliath.

May the almighty God remember us!

EPRDF unleashes its terror machine

2005-11-07T11:18:00.000-05:00

A lot of people were excited about the elections in May. There was genuine hope that real change and progress were at hand. People came out and made their voices heard by voting. As the results were coming in, the ruling party (EPRDF) realized that it had been utterly rejected by the people. Once this realization dawned on them, they started their manipulation of the system in order to maintain power.

The oppositon, justifiably, cried foul. The oppostion contested the results in many areas but the final result let the ruling EPRDF's fradulent victory stand. When the opposition, mainly CUD, after exhausting all avenues decided to boycott the parliament. The ruling party changed parliamentary rules to make the incoming opposition ineffective. Despite the effort of foreign governments to mediate, the CUD and EPRDF could not come to agree on the way forward.

Finally, the CUD calls on civil disobedience by staying home. Before the call took effect, the government starts its crackdown on oppositon leaders and supporters. People start expressing their dissatisfaction of the election results by peaceful demonstration. The security forces deploy in force to crush the peaceful demonstration. It is not clear how the rock throwing started by the protestors but it is my belief it is instigated by the government in order to get a pretext for a full blown carckdown.

Using this rock throwing incident as a pretext, the so called democratic government of Ethiopia unleashes the full force of its military and police forces on its own people. They began by arresting all leaders of CUD and whoever else associated with them. In some case, killing wives and children of the leaders in the process. These forces using machine guns and tanks begin suppresing the demonstration. Indescriminate shooting and mass arrests of young people continues throughout the country. Only God knows where they have taken these young people and what treatment they are receivng.

It is hard to say how this situation will be resolved. I hope the donor nations that prop this government up will put extreme pressure on the government:

to immediately release everyone who is arrested and has not committed a crime
to bring those soldiers and their superiors who gave the shoot to kill order to justice
to have a truly independent (not one appointed by the criminal Prime Minister) committe to investigate everything that happend in the last week and report its findings to the world.
to agree to the fact that the army never be used to intimidate, arrest and kill innocent citizens for expressing their views and exercising their rights
to allow all Ethiopian citizens to exercise their right to free speech and all other rights as given in the constitution

The list could go on but the American taxpayer should not be funding the oppression of innocent citizens by dictators.