IS IT A CURSE OR A BLESSING

It is common to see now days about what has happened/ is happening in the northern part of our continent, Africa especially in Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria , Tunisia and Libya letting those other countries in the Arab world and more analysis are done in context to the situation in Ethiopia whether the flame reaches or stops there.

The topic is currently discussed from different angles and is well discussed over a short time but my input here is to add my own opinion and discuss what are written by our analysts who are trying to sell their ideas to the public arguing there is no such ripe situation in Ethiopia as such that leads to an appraising that flooded the North African countries.

I will try to summarize the major points that are put from those that defend the government point of view and try to give my view where it goes wrong in their analysis and add my recommendation for those who can at least try to learn the situation and propose solutions to avert the calamity that will come in Ethiopia.

The group that tells us there is not any ground for public uprising in Ethiopia including the prime minister bring the root causes of the uprising in the Northern Africa as follows:

They label the North African governments as dictators, corrupted, abusers of Human Rights and disproportioned accumulation of wealth.
Moreover they claim that there are no opposition parties, in some opposition parties are not allowed to run for election, or non existence of election, and the government is being hijacked by families or descendents.
In addition to the above facts they add unlawful use of foreign exchanges earned by the country to self accumulation, non existence of employment opportunity and the people was subsidized for living form the oil they produce and could not be engaged in other activities.

While they narrate the condition in Ethiopia they tried to tell us about the existence of more than 80 political parties registered and the flourishing freedom of expression, our leaders are the results of ballots not bullets as was confirmed also by prime minister Meles the people has given him employment contract for five years to run the country. Democratic governance is in tact that is why the prime minister is appearing in all global forums as representative of African dictators etc.

The writers who wrote as a mouth piece of the pro for the TPLF led government could not visualize what the existing objectivity in the country either due to their loyalty or such articles are put in the web by the TPLF led government itself in the names that vary from Danano, Qelbessa, Gidey, Dagnachew, Okello, Dana or what you have.

Which ever they are produced what failed in their analysis is the core concepts of Dictatorship, corruption, Human Right abuse, Freedom of expression, democratization, and essence of wealth distribution.

Based on the above background I will try to inculcate my ideas where they fail to sew the tread and put some sweet sauces to substantiate their findings.

I will not toil on the topic of democratization because I have written on it earlier and one can read it with the link “undemocratsing Ethiopia”.(quatero.net) But I will try to take definitions of dictatorship from the web and it is defined” as an autocratic form of government in which the government ruled by an individual” (Wikipedia) or could be defined as “form of government in which one person or a small group posses absolute power without effective constitutional limitations”. (Oxford dictionary)
It is also stated that dictators resort to force or formed to gain despotic power which they maintain through the use of institutions. Due to this definition one can not put a line to differentiate with respect to the Ethiopian reality.

As far as I know Ethiopia even though have a constitution that allow the regional governments to administer themselves what is practiced is the assignment of TPLF cadres to run the government for example till 1988 Bitew Belay SNNP driving Abate Kisho, Zeray Kahsay driving Yaregal Aheshum, Yohanes driving Okello, Melaku Fanta driving the Afar president and Moges driving the Ogaden Region and the new cadres have replaced these group because some of them fall out or were made offal’s by TPLF. The main reason is that dictatorial regime use people as a condom and when the time reaches they are no more useful and must be thrown away.

The second issue they claim is there is no corruption in Ethiopia that is rampant in the North African countries but the reality is not true because corruption is a result of stinking administration and we could not say there is no corruption where 1.6 million Birr worth gold is exchanged to metal spring of a car, 10 thousand tons of coffee disappeared in the air, gold bars found ready for transport to leave the country through the airport, first lady renting her building to the Ethiopian Telecommunication, a person who served as two year prime minister and deputy prime minister deposited four million dollars in Swiss Bank and members of the military, police forces, security forces and cabinet ministers that came in 1991 without a coin had built villas that cost in hundred millions. Daughters and sons of our officials are attending schools in the most expensive schools in the planet with a monthly salary not more than 500 dollars equivalent.

The other issue that is propagated is the availability of oppositional parties and conducting election as a parameter to show there is democratic governance but the reality in Ethiopia shows the contrary. We can enumerate lists that goes on but what had happened in Ethiopia is only two things, one dismantling opposition parties that seem to organize themselves to confront the TPLF government either in a script drama or falsified accusation not to leave power. For example one can remember the drama in Inquftu to chase OLF. The other is just to reject the decision of the people ballots result as what happened in the 2005 election result and more other parties that are dismantled by hatching pseudo parties. Yes in the last 20 years elections pro forma were conducted this is also the cases in Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia. There distinct differences are in these countries there were no hatched pseudo parties like of us.

The issues of Human Rights are easy to put them together just by putting tow sentences, i.e. please refer reporters of UN human rights commission, Amnesty International Bulletins, USA state department reports but if one has ears and eyes better to ask the people of Gambella, Morecho, Oromiyaa and Ogadenians. In addition to that let every household manifest what happened to the loved ones in all the regional states of the country including the birth place of TPLF.
One can also just put words “Ethiopia, abuse, human rights” in the web and could get materials that could not be finished reading for more than twenty years that are committed in twenty years.

At the last resort those who advocate that there is not arrangement of descendants in the government in line could also refer the families that are having posts in the last twenty years and also the new inclusion of Azeb Mesfin in the politburo of EPRDF is enough to put two and two together.

Based on the above analysis it is farce to say there are not similarities in Ethiopia with our northern neighbours that will instigate public appraising but what is better is to come to own sense and hear the cries of the people and ameliorate in accordance before it is too late as Meles himself said to come late is better than not to come. But procrastination is a theft of time for the inevitable insurrection is at your door step.


“Sooner or later there will be a public uprising in Ethiopia” Mengistu Neway