Monday, August 31, 2009

መጠመዘዣ ላይ ቆመዉ መጠምዘዝ ያቃታቸዉ የዑዘይር አህዬች




መጠመዘዣ ላይ ቆመዉ መጠምዘዝ ያቃታቸዉ የዑዘይር አህዬች ጌታቸዉ ረዳ http://www.ethiopiansemay.blogspot.com/ ሀማ ቱማ “በዝብርቅርቅ ፖለቲካ”-መጣጥፉ የሚለዉ ወይንም በ “Democratic Cannibalism”መጽሃፉ ላይ “Of Boring Politicos and Change of Times” ያነበብኩትን ትዝ ሲለኝ አንዳንድ የፖለቲካ ተቃዋሚ ቡድን መሪዎች እና ደጋፊዎቻቸዉ ድርጅታቸዉን በማይገባ ለማሸብረቅም ሆነ ከእነርሱ ጋር በተለያዩ አቁዋሞቻቸዉ የማይግባቡ የተቃዋሚ ድርጅቶች ላይ የሚሰነዝሩት ከሃቅ የራቀ በሬ ወለደ ዉግዘታቸዉም ሆነ ለኢትዮጵያ ላላቸዉ ራዕይና የመታገያ ስልታቸዉ በስሜት ከመነዳታቸዉ ብዛት፤ እነሱ አሜሪካ እና አዉሮጳ ሀገር ሆነዉ “መለስ ዜናዊን በማንቁርቱ ይዘዉ ለማመረክ አዲስ አበባ ከተማ ከብቦ የነበረዉ የሽምቅ ተዋጊ ሠራዊታቸዉ ከመቅጽበት ከተማዉን ሰንጥቆ በመግባት ከቤተመንግሥቱ ደጃፍ ላይ ርቀት እንደቀራቸዉ”-አስመስለዉ የሚያሰራጩት የፓል ቶክም ሆነ የጽሁፍ እና በሚጠሩት ሕዝባዊ መደረካቸዉን የሚያስተላልፉት ትኩሳት ሳዳምጥ ዕዉነትም “ዝብርቅ” ያለብን ነን። እላለሁ። ፔንሰልቪኒያ የተባለው ግንቦት 7- ቤተመንግሥት ተገኘ? በማለት ተመልሶ አንባቢዎቹን በአግራሞት የጠየቀ አንድ ከወደ ዋሽንገተን ዲሲ የሚታተምጋዜጣም ሳነብብ “ፈጣን ጉሬላ ይሉሃል ይሄ ነዉ!” አልኩኝ” ከ10 ዓመታት በፊት ተቃዋሚዉ እርስ በእርሱ ያለመስማመት ችግር የኖረዉ ቢሆንም፤ እንደዛሬው እንደዚህ ዓይነት በነፋስ የሚጋልብ ስነ ፖለቲካዊ ልቦና የጎደለዉ መድረሻዉና መታገያ ሜዳዉ የማያዉቀዉ ስሜተኛ የፖለቲካ መሪም ሆነ ደጋፊ ተሰምቶም ታይቶም አይታወቅም ብየ በእርግጠኛነት መናገር እችላለሁ። ከጋላቢዎቹ ይልቅ ከእነርሱ ብሰዉ የነሱን የስሜት ግልቢያ የሚያጎሉ፤የጋዜጠኛነት ሙያ አለን የሚሉ ባለ መድረኮች ስታስቡ ደግሞ እዉነት የኢትዬጵያ ጋዘጠኞች እነዚህ ነበሩ? ያሰኛል። ከግንቦት 1983 ዓ.ም አስከ ግንቦት 7 1997 ዓ.ም ማለትም ለአስራ አራት ዓመት ሙሉ ቅጥረኛዉ የወያኔዉ መንግስት ታዋቂ ምሁራን፤ (ታየ፤ አስራት፤ አበራ፤ አሰፋ ማሩ፤ ፊታዉራሪ መኮንን፤ የኢሕአፓዋ አበራሽ፤ጸጋየ፤ገለብ ተስፋየ እና ብዙዎቹ ጋዜጠኞች … በሺዎቹ የሚቆጠሩ የጦር ሜዳ ጀግኖች የማረካቸዉ ወታደሮችና መኮንኖች…) ዜጎቻችን በወያኔ የሰቆቃ (ቶርች) ቻምበር ሲያሰቃዩበት/ሲገደሉበት በነበረበት ከባዶቹ የጨለማ ዓመታት፤ ተራዉ ያልተማረዉ ዜጋ የወያኔ ምንነት እንኳ እያወቀዉ “ጉደኞች” የምንላቸዉ የግንቦት7 መሪዎች እነ ብርሃኑ ነጋ ቃሊቲ እስከታሰረበት ጊዜ ድረስ (ማለትም ለ14-ዓመታት ሙሉ ምንም ሳያወቅ-ከሰቆቃ አዛዦች ጋር ዊስኪ ሲያንቃርር) ወያኔ “በእስረኛ ላይ ሰቆቃ አይፈጽምም” የሚል እምነት እንደነበራቸዉ ሳያፍሩ የፖለቲካ ግብዝናቸዉን በመጽሃፍ ያሰፈሩትን (ጎህ ሲቀድ -በብርሃኑ ነጋ ገጽ 199 ይመልከቱ) ጉደኞችን ይዞ የሚጓዘዉ የፖለቲካዉ ዓየር እና የሃገሪቱ ሁኔታ ሳስበዉ ጭንቀቴ ከልቤ ጋር ሲተናነቅ ደረቴን ሰንጥቆ ለመዉጣት የሚያደርገዉ ትግል እስከ ናላየ ድረስ እንደምላጭ ስለት ሲተለትለኝ ይሰማኛል። አሁን ያለዉ አሳዛኝ የፖለቲካ ዝብርቅርቅ እላይ በተጠቀሱት መሪዎች (ግንቦት 7) ብቻ ሳይሆን ለወደፊቱ የፖለቲካ ዋስትና እና መጠለያ ለማግኘት በቁሳቁስም ሆነ በሞራል እና በዜናዉ ማስራጫ አዉዳቸዉ ላይ ሌት ተቀን ስለ እነሱ አገር ወዳድነት ሕዝብ አፍቃሪነት እና ስባዊ መብት ተቆርቋሪነት በሰፊዉ በመሟገት በተቃዋሚነት ታዉቀዉ መድረኩን እንዲቆጣጠሩት “ወያኔ -ክፍል ለ”-ወይንም “ዓረና”በመባል የሚታወቁት ሌሎቹ ጉዶች በመደገፍ የ ፖለቲካዉ ዓየር በባሰበት መልኩ እንዲምታታ አስተዋጽኦ እያደረጉት ስላሉት “የዑዘይር አህዬችን” አንድ ለማለት ነዉ። የዑዘይር አህያ ታሪክ ላናነበባችሁ-ዑዘይር ምንድነዉ እንዳትሉ-፦ ረዢሙን ታሪክ አላቀርበዉም። አደም የተባሉ ጸሃፊ በሐጅራ ዕትም ያቀረቡትን ዜጋ መጽሄት በ1995 ዓ.ም ዕትሙ አቅርቦት ነበር። ዑዘይር የሰዉ ስም ነዉ።ፍልስጢማዊ ነዉ። ዑዘይር የትልልቆቹ የጫካ አህዬች/የባዝራዎቹ ሳይሆን የትንንሾቹ ለማዳ አህዮች ባለቤት ነዉ። በዑዘይር ታሪኩ የሚጠቀሰዉ አህያ እንደ ሰዎች መናገር ይችላል። በየመንገዱ በየአፈሩ ላይ የቀሩት ኮቴዎችን ማንበብ እና አለቆቹ የማያያዩትን የማየት ችሎታ አለኝ ይላል።በዑዘይር ከመገዛቱ በፊት፤በዱላ ሲነርቱት ከነበሩት አይምሬ ጨካጮች ጌቶቹ ሲነጻጸር ዑዘይር የዋህ እና ደግ ነበር፤ ይላል አህያዉ። ዑዘይር ለማገልገል ሞቶ ቢነሳም ምንም ጌዜ ቢሆን ወገቤ ለእርሱ ዝግጁ ነዉ ይላል። ከእለታት አንድ ቀን ዑዘይር እህያዉን እንደ በቅሎ መጭ ብሎት ወደ እሩቅ ጉዞ ሲጓዙ ወደ መድረሻቸዉ ሲቃረቡ አንዱን ከተማ አልፈዉ ለማረፍ ዕቅድ ስለነበራቸዉ በአንድ የከተማ ሰፊ መካነ መቃብሮች አካባቢ ሲደርሱ ጌታዉ ዑዘይር ፤-አህያዉ በተቻለዉ ፍጥነት እተጣደፈ በድንገት ፍጥነት መጨመሩን ሲረዳ “ዑዘይር”-በአህያዉ ላይ “ሳቀ”-አህያዉ እንደፈራ ያዉቃል። ከቦታዉ እስከሚርቁ ድረስ አህያዉን በእጁ መታ መታ እያደረገ ያረጋጋዉ ጀመር። የከተማዉ ሰፊ መካነ መቃብሩን ካለፉት በሗላ ባንድ የአትክልት ሥፍራ እንዳረፉ ይተርካል። ጌታዉ ዑዘይር ጋደም ብሎ በሀሳብ እና በማስተዋል እንደተዋጠ አህያዉ ተመለከተዉ። ዑዘይር በዓይኑ ትኩር ብሎ ስለፈራረሱት እና የተሰባበሩት አጥንቶች ፀጥ ወዳሉ ሙታኖች የሚመለከት መሆኑን ከፊቱ ይነበባል። የአላህን ችሎታ ለራሱ እንደሚያረጋግጥ ሰዉ የህችን ከተማ ከሞተች በሗላ እንዴት ሕያዉ ያደርጋታል?” ሲል ሰማሁ (አልበቂራ፡259) ይላል የዑዘይር አህያ። ዑዘይር ይህንን ቃል ተናግሮ ከማብቃቱ በፊት ከባዱና ድንገተኛ እንቅል ይዞት ጭልጥ አለ። የዑዘይር አህያም ስለጌታዉ መተከዝ ተጨንቀቆ ሲያስብ እሱም እንቅልፍ ወርሮት ከጌታዉ ጋር አብሮት አንቀላፋ።ይላል። የዑዘይር አህያ እንቅልፉን ጨርሶ ሲነሳ ዑዘይር እንዳንቀላፋ በዛዉ ሳይነሳ ተሸንፎ ቀረ። ይህች ከተማ አላህ እንዴት ሕያዉ ያደርጋታል? እያለ ነበር በዛዉ ያንቀላፋዉ። አላህም ገደለዉ። መቶ ዓመት አቆየዉና ከእዚያ አስነሳዉ። ምን ያህል ቆየህ? አለዉ። “አንድ ቀን ወይንም የቀንን ከፊል ቆየሁ” አለ። “አይደለም መቶ ዓመት ቆየህ” አለዉ። “ወደ ምግብ እና ወደ መጠጥም ሂድ እና ያልተለወጠ መሆኑን ተመልከት”።አለዉ።ወደ ጉዞዉ ሲሄድ ከድኖት የቆየዉ የወይን ጠጅ መጠጡንም እንዳለ ሳይለወጥ ቆየዉ። ዑዘይርም ወደ አህያዉ ተመለከተ። የዑይዙር አህያም ጌታዉን ዑዘይር ሲመለከት በደስታ ተዉጦ ከሞት መነሳቱን ደስ ብሎት ወዳሰበዉ መንደር ለመጓዝ ከመቶ ዓመት በፊት ተቋርጦባቸዉ ወደ ነበረዉ ጉዞ እንዲመራዉ ጠጋ ብሎ ወገቡን አለጥልጦ ፈቃደኛነቱን እና ዝግጁነቱን ለጌታዉን ለዑዘይር እንደገለጸለት ይተርካል። ዛሬም በጉደኛዉ ዓለማችን ከ 8 ዓመት የጌቶቻቸዉ ሞት ማየት በሗላም ቢሆን ጊዜዉ እንደተለወጠ ቢሰብኩንም ጊዜዉ መብረሩን እንጂ ገዳዬችን፤ረጋጮችን፤ዘረኞችን፤ አገር አፍራሾችን በታኞችን፤ ዉሸታም አፈጮሌዎችንና….ሲያዩ እንደ ዑዘይር አህያ ወገባቸዉን አለጥልጠዉ ጌቶቻቸዉን ለማገልገል ዛሬም ቃል ኪዳን ያደሱ መጠመዘዣዉ ላይ ቆመዉ መጠምዘዝ ያቃታቸዉ አህዬችን ስንመለከት በሺዎቹ የገደልዋቸዉን ጸጥ ብሎ በመታዘብ ያለዉ የሙታኖች አጥንት ዛሬም ከመቸዉም ጊዜ በበለጠ ጉደኛዉ ጊዜ ሳያስገርማቸዉ እንዳልቀረ እርግጠኛ ነኝ። ከታች በቅንፍ የምታነብቡት ጥቅስ አንብቡት እና የ18 ዓመት የኢትዬጵያን እዉነታ የማያዉቁ ፖለቲከኞች መድረኩ ላይ ዘልለዉ በመዉጣት ጭልጥ ያለ ዉሸት ከሚዋሹት ጋር ተጣምረዉ አገሪቱን እንደገና ወዴት ሊመርዋት እንደሚችሉ የሚጠቁማችሁ እጅግ አስገራሚዉ የብርሃኑ ነጋ እና የስየ አብርሃ ሹክታን ላስነብባችሁ እና ልሰናበት። “እዚህ ላይ አንድ ገጠመኝ ልናገር። እስርቤት እንደገባን ሌሊት ላይ የተደበደበ ሰዉ ጩኸት እንሰማ ነበር። በመጀመርያ ማመን ነበር ያቃተን። ሰቆቃ (torture) በኢትዬጵያ የለም ብለን እናምን ነበር። ስነሰማዉ ግራ ተጋባን። እነ ስየ አብራሃ ከመጡ በሗላ እንደዚሁ አንድ ሌሊት ይህን የሰዉ የስቃይ ጩኸት ስንሰማ አድረን ጥዋት ስየን “ሰማኸዉ ወይ የማታዉን” ስለዉ እሱም መስማቱንና ማመን እንዳቃተዉ፤ “እንዲህ ዓይነት ነገር እንዳለ እንደማያዉቅ” ነገረኝ።” ብርሃኑ ነጋ ፤- የነፃነት ጎህ ሲቀድ- ገጽ 199)። አምላክ ከዉሸት ዓለም ከጉደኛዉ ጊዜ ያወጣችሁ!-ጌታቸዉ ረዳ http://www.ethiopiansemay.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

A New Book Dealing With the Defunct DERGUE Regime.

A New Book Dealing With the Defunct DERGUE Regime. Assefa Negash (PhD)
Book title: “MISEKERENET BEBAALE SELTANATU ANDEBET" Author: Captain Tesfaye Riste, XV + 348 pages (in Amharic) Published: in May 2009; Price 35 Ethiopian Birr The author is a captain who used to serve as an intelligence officer during the Dergue regime. He was thrown into prison following the seizure of power by the TPLF regime. The book is based on an extensive interview which the author conducted with some of the highest ranking military and civilian officials of the now defunct Dergue regime both inside and outside the prison walls in Addis Abeba .Under difficult circumstances, the author interviewed key informants running the whole gamut from top Dergue officials such as Fikre Selassie Wogderes, top security officials like Tesfaye Wolde Selassie, civilian officials like Yesuf Ahmed (former vice president of Ethiopia, Welle Chekol(former minister of finance), to lower ranking individuals who worked under the Dergue regime. The author relates how he was constantly consumed by anxiety lest the evidence he was gathering to write this book falls in the hands of the TPLF prison officials and be used to incriminate those former officials held in custody. The book contains quotations from these high ranking former officials who are currently in prison or out of prison (some have been released just like the author). The author had also shown the draft of this book to those who were supporters of the Dergue, Meisone and EPRP and has asked them for their feedback and comments before he published his work. Among others, the book deals with the outbreak of the 1974 revolution, the process that led to the creation of the Dergue (how it was constituted), the various forces which were trying to use the Dergue in pushing their respective, if sectarian, political agendas. A table containing the names of the Dergue members, their military ranks upon the creation of the Dergue in 1974, their subsequent ranks at the end of the Dergue era (in 1991), their ethnic background (although this is incomplete as it does not list the ethnic background of all the Dergue members), their present status (dead or alive) and whereabouts is included in the book. The metamorphosis of the Dergue from a coterie of soldiers, non-commissioned and junior military officers with an inchoate political goal of “Ethiopia Tikdem” (i.e. Ethiopia First) into Africa’s most radicalized Marxist regime are captured in the book. The process which led to Mengistu Haile Mariam's emergence as the strongest man within the Dergue since February 1977 following the brutal elimination of those elements within the Dergue who sought to curb a one-man dictatorship is documented. The author mentions the two Marxist radical groups (i.e. the Meisone/Wez League groups) who had worked in cahoots with the Dergue in those days as having been instrumental in convincing Mengistu Haile Mariam to reject the peace initiative suggested by General Teferi Benti which tried to bring all progressive forces around the negotiating table. According to this author it was by allying with the Meisone/Wez groups that Mengistu Haile Mariam brutally eliminated in February 1977 the meek General Teferi Benti and his associates (Alemayehu Haile, Moges Wolde Michael, etc) the latter of whom were identified with the oppositional EPRP that used to enjoy wide sympathy and support among the urban youth and elite at that time. Rightly, the author believes that even if General Teferi’s words were heeded, the EPRP was on its part not ready to accept the peace initiative suggested by General Teferi. According to the evidence provided by the author, Mengistu was able to eliminate those who challenged his dictatorial ambition thanks to the help he got from these radical Marxists in Meisone/Wez League, etc. The book captures also the process of cannibalization (dubbed Red/White terror[1]) that ensued following the radicalization of the Dergue under the influence of the civilian left. The role played by the civilian left in radicalizing the military, the pernicious influence of the civilian left (EPRP/Meisone, etc) and its disruptive role on the conduct of the Ethiopian military on the eastern/southeastern (1977-1978) and northern war fronts is discussed in the book. The author depicts the unpatriotic stance of the civilian left (Meisone, EPRP, Wez League,etc) that was blind to the national interest of Ethiopia, its sovereignty and survival in the face of massive military onslaught by external (Somalia) and internal (Eritrean secessionists)forces bent on the deconstruction of Ethiopia as a united country. Instances of alleged sabotages made on the eastern/southeastern and northern fronts by members of the EPRP, who according to the author, worked within the Ethiopian army and undermined it are mentioned in the book. The gruesome manner in which the late emperor Haile Selassie was suffocated to death by the notorious military officer cornel Daniel Asfaw (who was himself later gunned by Major Yohannes Miskier in February 1977) is documented in the book. The book also deals with the May 1989 coup d'etat, its genesis, goals, weakness and failures. The decapitation of the Ethiopian military’s top brass that came right on the heels of this attempted coup d'etat and the disintegration of the Ethiopian army following Mengistu's vindictive Elimination of the coup leaders and all those suspected of collaboration with them is graphically presented. Horrendous accounts of the dehumanization process to which coup leaders such as the late General Fenta Belay were exposed are found in the book. The uncharacteristic burning of the corpses of alleged coup leaders and supporters based in Eritrea, in utter violation of the cultural practice of Ethiopians, is mentioned in the book. At one point, the book mentions an account of a Dergue member (General Woubishet Dessie) who recounted the story of the 270000-men strong Ethiopian army stationed in the north that was bereft of military leaders who could lead it on the war fronts. This lack of able military leaders was precipitated by the coup d’etat and the subsequent death or imprisonment of many top army officers thereby rendering the Ethiopian army leaderless. As illustration of this fact, the author cites the cases of 64 army brigades of which 63 had no leaders as all of them were either killed or imprisoned after the coup d’etat. Equally, 256 (64X4) Shaleqa units that formed part of the 64 brigades were without any able and experienced officer to lead them. According to General Woubishet Dessie, the 270000 unformed soldiers were nothing more than a collection of individuals with no army leader to lead them in wars they were supposed to fight against the Eritrean secessionists and the Tigrean ethno nationalist rebels. The 17000 men strong Ethiopian army that was wiped out at Massawa[2] for lack of military leaders is cited as an example of the total disarray the Ethiopian army found it self in following the decapitation of the Ethiopian army leadership in the wake of the May 1989 coup d’etat. Such defeats were later duplicated on the various war fronts in the north thereby leading to the disastrous defeat of the Ethiopian army and the eventual assumption of power by the rebel forces of EPLF and TPLF in May 1991 in Asmara and Addis Abeba respectively. The fact that foreign elements were implicated in the coup d’etat of 1989 is mentioned in the book and individuals such as Dawit Wolde Giorgis are implicated in the coup effort. The book also documents the total lack of army discipline that made its foray into the Ethiopian army ranks in the wake of the 1974 Revolution thereby replacing the top-down military leadership by a triangular command structure composed of a military leader, a political cadre and an intelligence officer. The latter three component elements which constituted the triangular command structure were competing with each other (often undermining each other) than working together by way of providing a unified leadership to the Ethiopian army they were supposed to lead. The mutual suspicion that ensued from this triangular command structure caused great damage to the moral of the fighting force on the ground leading to repeated losses on the part of the Ethiopian army. The consequence of the new triangular command structure within the army was such that it rendered the military leaders of the army units powerless and frustrated. Professionalism within the military structure was replaced by a system run by riffraff political cadres whose sole qualification was their blind loyalty to the Dergue regime. This led to apathy and indifference on the part of the army officers on the ground and adversely affected the command chain within the army. It also led to the dramatic decline of fighting moral among the rank and file members of the Ethiopian army and its leaders both of which were ultimately rendered leaderless. The insecurity of tenure the military leaders of the Ethiopian army felt, the frequent reshuffles, demotions, public humiliations in front of soldiers and even assassinations (General Tariku Ayne is a case in point) to which the Ethiopian army leaders were exposed, sapped the stamina of the Ethiopian army and led to massive defections and surrender to the enemy camp. Corruption became rife within the ranks of the military leadership. The virtual absence of audit and the wide-spread frustration and resentment felt by the rank and file of the Ethiopian army are well documented in the book. The information provided to readers in this book is of utmost importance as it gives a rare, if hitherto, unknown account of the Dergue period as told by those who were in the highest echelons of power. Accordingly the book provides to potential readers insight into the working mechanisms of the Dergue regime, the decision making process, the personalities of some key figures who served as Dergue members and senior officials within the Dergue regime, etc. In this book one comes across rare confessions by some of the Dergue members about the inept character of the individuals who led the Dergue regime. One such confession made by General Woubishet Dessie (a Dergue member) in an interview which the author conducted with him on March 13, 2003 (Megabit 21, 1995 EC) reads as follows: "I am always surprised when I think of the goals of the Dergue and how it was constituted. The officials of emperor Haile Selassie were individuals (such as Akililu Habtewold, Endalkatchew Mekonnen, Ketema Yifru and Minase Haile from among the ranks of the civilians; Generals Abiy Abebe, Assefa Ayana and Kebede Gebre from the among the ranks of the military) who adequately met international standards of political maturity. Equally when we look at the officials of emperor Menelik II, we come across great individuals such as Fitawrari Habte Giorgis and Ras Mekonnen Wolde Michael. On the other hand those of us who formed part of the Dergue leadership are individuals who had no strong goals. The army units which elected us did not assign to us clearly defined tasks. They have not instructed us to promote a certain political goal. All of us were young people who were not equipped with enough knowledge and life experience. The majority of us were very much hated individuals by the army unit members that elected us. We were sent away by them because they wanted to keep us away from them. There was no one who was famous among our ranks (i.e. Dergue members). We were simply hodge-podges. I am really surprised by the fate Ethiopia faced (under the Dergue). The people of Ethiopia simply tolerated us for 17 years. The fact that we stayed in power and leadership position is a miracle". According to the author, this view of General Woubishet Dessie is also shared by two other Dergue members i.e. Birgadier general Girma Ayele and Major Kassaye Aragaw. The reader of this book encounters also rare account, coming as they are from the horse’s mouth that has bearing on the personality profile of some leading Dergue members such as the former Dergue chairman Mengistu Haile Mariam. In one such an account, the personality profile and character of Mengistu Haile Mariam has been summarized as follows by Mengistu’s best friend within the Dergue i.e. Major Endale Tessema. Here is what Endale Tessema says about Mengistu Haile Mariam: "Major Mengistu Haile Mariam sounds like some one who very much likes Ethiopia and some one who has a strong love for his country. But he has no love for any one except for himself. He appears to be some one who has dreams for the growth, development and prosperity of Ethiopia. However, he does not know how development and prosperity come about. He is extremely cruel person. He does not know pardon, forgiveness and kindness. He easily listens to what others tell him about some one and acts upon that information without verifying the truth. He defends those who favored him as witness his treatment of individuals such as Generals Wolde Selassie Bereka, Gizaw Belayneh, Kefelegn Yibza and Dr. Geremew Debele. He is very happy when he is flattered. He does not trust any one and is even suspicious (afraid) of his own shadow. He will do anything to promote his personal interest. He has the good habit of carefully listening to some one else's ideas and subsequently presenting those ideas as if they were his own (as if these ideas originated from him). He is very jealous and some one who suffers from inferiority complex. My dear friend Major Mengistu Haile Mariam lies a bit too". One reads also the following rare confession by a former Dergue member Major Kassaye Aragaw: "We (Dergue members) are really useless creatures. We killed individuals like prime minster Akililu Habtewold who was a great national asset. Mengistu is a barbaric and cruel creature who becomes happy with the death of human beings. Among those in the meeting, some of us protested and saved the lives of individuals like Kassa Wolde Mariam (the former university president). But Mengistu later killed them by taking them out of prison. One is powerless after being imprisoned. If there was a genuine Ethiopian government, not only imprisonment but even being hacked into pieces would not have been a big deal for us". This penitent or contrite view of Major Kassaye Aragaw sharply contrasts with the view of another Dergue member Major Melaku Teferra (otherwise known as the butcher of Gondar) who thinks that he committed no mistakes and did nothing wrong. As such Melaku does not regret any wrong doing on his part. During the past several years, I have opportunity to read several books dealing with the Dergue regime[3], the Ethiopian military[4] and its disintegration. Many of these books have been written by those who worked with the military regime in various capacities i.e. as military officers or civilian political actors. I have to admit that the book by Captain Tesfaye Riste provides a rare and relatively balanced account of the Dergue regime which depicts the damage caused to the Ethiopian people and Ethiopia as a country. The author has successfully tried to highlight the mistakes that were committed by all protagonists without tending to side with one protagonist against the other. The failure of the various political protagonists (ranging from political groups, government officials down to individuals who were jockeying for power) to see beyond their narrow political agendas of power and prestige is well captured in the book. In this book, the reader also comes across words of self-confession and remorse by some of the highly-placed former Dergue members in regard to the damage they caused to Ethiopia during the 17 years in which these Dergue members ruled Ethiopia with an iron-fist. One Achilles heel of the book is its effort to attribute the initial moves of the Dergue (in hastening the downfall of the Haile Selassie regime) to the alleged advice and guidance provided to the Dergue by Dezazmatch Kebede Tessema. The latter is allegedly depicted as a relative of Mengistu Haile Mariam and is presented in the book as having given advice to Mengistu Halie Mariam, Dergue’s strongest man. Personally, I find this alleged role and influence of Dejazmatch Kebede, who is believed to be master of palace intrigues, very far-fetched and as lacking in evidence and substance. It sounds like a make-believe story which fails to take into account the dynamics of the various forces which sought to influence the Dergue committee in the initial phase of the Ethiopian Revolution. In addition to this misrepresentation of the Dergue, some minor mistakes are evident in the book with regard to the current whereabouts of some of the Dergue members. For example Demisse Alamrew, a former Dergue member is presumed to be dead by the author. However, Demisse Alamerew currently lives in Holland where he has sought asylum. Equally, contrary to what the book purports, General Zeleke Beyene lives in Germany and not in Kenya (he used to live in Kenya several years ago. In spite of such minor warts, it is a good book. I recommend readers to get hold of this important book and read an account of a painful period in the annals of recent Ethiopian history as it captures the events under the Dergue regime that finally led to the secession of Eritrea and the descent of the rest of Ethiopia into an ethnic dictatorship. The process of destruction which has been pursued vigorously by the ethnic dictatorial regime of TPLF during the last 18 years has further launched the country on the path of deeper political fragmentation with all disastrous consequences thereof. Thoughts which the content of this book provoked in me After I read this book, I could not help asking myself how and why, during the last 35 years (although I am not discounting the political deficit caused by the imperial regime), the Ethiopian society allowed itself to be at the mercy of riffraff, if contemptible, elements of society who do not command wide respect and popularity among the majority of its ranks? An answer to this question may partly help us disentangle the riddle of our current impotence and help us loosen the dictatorial hold on Ethiopia of groups such as the TPLF that continue to ride roughshod over our people. Equally an answer to this riddle can help us diagnose the problems within the Ethiopian oppositional movement, its inability to tame personal and group egos of opposition leaders who, more often than not, have put their narrow interest before the purported public good they claim to promote. An answer to this riddle will also help us disentangle why the oppositional politics in Ethiopia frequently attracts individuals of dubious social standing & checkered political track-record as we are currently witnessing both among the Diaspora and home-based opposition political groups. What is it that explains the inability of the great majority of the Ethiopian people, who had a history of repulsing repeated foreign incursions by foreign invaders, to tolerate an apartheid-like rule by a group which represents a minority ethnic group and has been able to ensconce itself in power by mobilizing famished, if spiteful, peasants from an ecologically degraded part of Ethiopia who were catapulted into political action by TPLF by drumming up a patently anti-Ethiopian ethnicist ideology? Assefa Negash, M.D. Amstelveen, Holland Debesso@gmail.com [1] - The book rightly criticizes the attempt of supporters of the EPRP/Meisone protagonists in trying to deny responsibility for what transpired during the infamous Red/White Terror period. Both Kiflu Tadesse of EPRP (author of the book entitled “The Generation, part I (1993) & part II (1998)” and Andargatchew Asseged of Meisone (author of the book entitled “Be Achir Ye Teketche Rejim Guzo, Meisone Be Ethiopia Hizbotch Tigel Wiste” 2000) have tried to absolve themselves of any responsibility for what transpired in Ethiopia during this bloody period. [2] - Tadesse Tele Salvano, “ Ay Mistsewa, Mot Yeteferedebatchew 17000 Ye Etiyopia Serawit”, 1997 Ethiopian Calendar (E.C). [3] - Books dealing with the Dergue and the Ethiopian military include the following: - Genet Ayele Anbesse, “Ye Lieteunant Cornel Mengistu Haile Mariam Tizitawotch” 1994 E.C - Zenebe Feleke, “Neber” 1996 E.C. - Yohannes Mullugeta, “Atifto Metfat”, (year of publication is not mentioned in the book) [4] - Brigadier General Kassaye Chemeda, “Ye Tor Meda Welowotch Ke Misrak Eske Semen”, 1997 E.C. -Tadesse Tele Salvano, “Ye Anabest Mider” , 1999 E.C. - Birgadier General Tesfaye Habte Mariam,“Ye Tor Meda Welo”, 1997 E.C. - Dawit Wolde Giorgis, “Khidet Bedem Meret”, 2006

A New Book Dealing With the Defunct DERGUE Regime. Dr. Assefa Negash
Book title: “MISEKERENET BEBAALE SELTANATU ANDEBET" Author: Captain Tesfaye Riste, XV + 348 pages (in Amharic) Published: in May 2009; Price 35 Ethiopian Birr The author is a captain who used to serve as an intelligence officer during the Dergue regime. He was thrown into prison following the seizure of power by the TPLF regime. The book is based on an extensive interview which the author conducted with some of the highest ranking military and civilian officials of the now defunct Dergue regime both inside and outside the prison walls in Addis Abeba .Under difficult circumstances, the author interviewed key informants running the whole gamut from top Dergue officials such as Fikre Selassie Wogderes, top security officials like Tesfaye Wolde Selassie, civilian officials like Yesuf Ahmed (former vice president of Ethiopia, Welle Chekol(former minister of finance), to lower ranking individuals who worked under the Dergue regime. The author relates how he was constantly consumed by anxiety lest the evidence he was gathering to write this book falls in the hands of the TPLF prison officials and be used to incriminate those former officials held in custody. The book contains quotations from these high ranking former officials who are currently in prison or out of prison (some have been released just like the author). The author had also shown the draft of this book to those who were supporters of the Dergue, Meisone and EPRP and has asked them for their feedback and comments before he published his work. Among others, the book deals with the outbreak of the 1974 revolution, the process that led to the creation of the Dergue (how it was constituted), the various forces which were trying to use the Dergue in pushing their respective, if sectarian, political agendas. A table containing the names of the Dergue members, their military ranks upon the creation of the Dergue in 1974, their subsequent ranks at the end of the Dergue era (in 1991), their ethnic background (although this is incomplete as it does not list the ethnic background of all the Dergue members), their present status (dead or alive) and whereabouts is included in the book. The metamorphosis of the Dergue from a coterie of soldiers, non-commissioned and junior military officers with an inchoate political goal of “Ethiopia Tikdem” (i.e. Ethiopia First) into Africa’s most radicalized Marxist regime are captured in the book. The process which led to Mengistu Haile Mariam's emergence as the strongest man within the Dergue since February 1977 following the brutal elimination of those elements within the Dergue who sought to curb a one-man dictatorship is documented. The author mentions the two Marxist radical groups (i.e. the Meisone/Wez League groups) who had worked in cahoots with the Dergue in those days as having been instrumental in convincing Mengistu Haile Mariam to reject the peace initiative suggested by General Teferi Benti which tried to bring all progressive forces around the negotiating table. According to this author it was by allying with the Meisone/Wez groups that Mengistu Haile Mariam brutally eliminated in February 1977 the meek General Teferi Benti and his associates (Alemayehu Haile, Moges Wolde Michael, etc) the latter of whom were identified with the oppositional EPRP that used to enjoy wide sympathy and support among the urban youth and elite at that time. Rightly, the author believes that even if General Teferi’s words were heeded, the EPRP was on its part not ready to accept the peace initiative suggested by General Teferi. According to the evidence provided by the author, Mengistu was able to eliminate those who challenged his dictatorial ambition thanks to the help he got from these radical Marxists in Meisone/Wez League, etc. The book captures also the process of cannibalization (dubbed Red/White terror[1]) that ensued following the radicalization of the Dergue under the influence of the civilian left. The role played by the civilian left in radicalizing the military, the pernicious influence of the civilian left (EPRP/Meisone, etc) and its disruptive role on the conduct of the Ethiopian military on the eastern/southeastern (1977-1978) and northern war fronts is discussed in the book. The author depicts the unpatriotic stance of the civilian left (Meisone, EPRP, Wez League,etc) that was blind to the national interest of Ethiopia, its sovereignty and survival in the face of massive military onslaught by external (Somalia) and internal (Eritrean secessionists)forces bent on the deconstruction of Ethiopia as a united country. Instances of alleged sabotages made on the eastern/southeastern and northern fronts by members of the EPRP, who according to the author, worked within the Ethiopian army and undermined it are mentioned in the book. The gruesome manner in which the late emperor Haile Selassie was suffocated to death by the notorious military officer cornel Daniel Asfaw (who was himself later gunned by Major Yohannes Miskier in February 1977) is documented in the book. The book also deals with the May 1989 coup d'etat, its genesis, goals, weakness and failures. The decapitation of the Ethiopian military’s top brass that came right on the heels of this attempted coup d'etat and the disintegration of the Ethiopian army following Mengistu's vindictive Elimination of the coup leaders and all those suspected of collaboration with them is graphically presented. Horrendous accounts of the dehumanization process to which coup leaders such as the late General Fenta Belay were exposed are found in the book. The uncharacteristic burning of the corpses of alleged coup leaders and supporters based in Eritrea, in utter violation of the cultural practice of Ethiopians, is mentioned in the book. At one point, the book mentions an account of a Dergue member (General Woubishet Dessie) who recounted the story of the 270000-men strong Ethiopian army stationed in the north that was bereft of military leaders who could lead it on the war fronts. This lack of able military leaders was precipitated by the coup d’etat and the subsequent death or imprisonment of many top army officers thereby rendering the Ethiopian army leaderless. As illustration of this fact, the author cites the cases of 64 army brigades of which 63 had no leaders as all of them were either killed or imprisoned after the coup d’etat. Equally, 256 (64X4) Shaleqa units that formed part of the 64 brigades were without any able and experienced officer to lead them. According to General Woubishet Dessie, the 270000 unformed soldiers were nothing more than a collection of individuals with no army leader to lead them in wars they were supposed to fight against the Eritrean secessionists and the Tigrean ethno nationalist rebels. The 17000 men strong Ethiopian army that was wiped out at Massawa[2] for lack of military leaders is cited as an example of the total disarray the Ethiopian army found it self in following the decapitation of the Ethiopian army leadership in the wake of the May 1989 coup d’etat. Such defeats were later duplicated on the various war fronts in the north thereby leading to the disastrous defeat of the Ethiopian army and the eventual assumption of power by the rebel forces of EPLF and TPLF in May 1991 in Asmara and Addis Abeba respectively. The fact that foreign elements were implicated in the coup d’etat of 1989 is mentioned in the book and individuals such as Dawit Wolde Giorgis are implicated in the coup effort. The book also documents the total lack of army discipline that made its foray into the Ethiopian army ranks in the wake of the 1974 Revolution thereby replacing the top-down military leadership by a triangular command structure composed of a military leader, a political cadre and an intelligence officer. The latter three component elements which constituted the triangular command structure were competing with each other (often undermining each other) than working together by way of providing a unified leadership to the Ethiopian army they were supposed to lead. The mutual suspicion that ensued from this triangular command structure caused great damage to the moral of the fighting force on the ground leading to repeated losses on the part of the Ethiopian army. The consequence of the new triangular command structure within the army was such that it rendered the military leaders of the army units powerless and frustrated. Professionalism within the military structure was replaced by a system run by riffraff political cadres whose sole qualification was their blind loyalty to the Dergue regime. This led to apathy and indifference on the part of the army officers on the ground and adversely affected the command chain within the army. It also led to the dramatic decline of fighting moral among the rank and file members of the Ethiopian army and its leaders both of which were ultimately rendered leaderless. The insecurity of tenure the military leaders of the Ethiopian army felt, the frequent reshuffles, demotions, public humiliations in front of soldiers and even assassinations (General Tariku Ayne is a case in point) to which the Ethiopian army leaders were exposed, sapped the stamina of the Ethiopian army and led to massive defections and surrender to the enemy camp. Corruption became rife within the ranks of the military leadership. The virtual absence of audit and the wide-spread frustration and resentment felt by the rank and file of the Ethiopian army are well documented in the book. The information provided to readers in this book is of utmost importance as it gives a rare, if hitherto, unknown account of the Dergue period as told by those who were in the highest echelons of power. Accordingly the book provides to potential readers insight into the working mechanisms of the Dergue regime, the decision making process, the personalities of some key figures who served as Dergue members and senior officials within the Dergue regime, etc. In this book one comes across rare confessions by some of the Dergue members about the inept character of the individuals who led the Dergue regime. One such confession made by General Woubishet Dessie (a Dergue member) in an interview which the author conducted with him on March 13, 2003 (Megabit 21, 1995 EC) reads as follows: "I am always surprised when I think of the goals of the Dergue and how it was constituted. The officials of emperor Haile Selassie were individuals (such as Akililu Habtewold, Endalkatchew Mekonnen, Ketema Yifru and Minase Haile from among the ranks of the civilians; Generals Abiy Abebe, Assefa Ayana and Kebede Gebre from the among the ranks of the military) who adequately met international standards of political maturity. Equally when we look at the officials of emperor Menelik II, we come across great individuals such as Fitawrari Habte Giorgis and Ras Mekonnen Wolde Michael. On the other hand those of us who formed part of the Dergue leadership are individuals who had no strong goals. The army units which elected us did not assign to us clearly defined tasks. They have not instructed us to promote a certain political goal. All of us were young people who were not equipped with enough knowledge and life experience. The majority of us were very much hated individuals by the army unit members that elected us. We were sent away by them because they wanted to keep us away from them. There was no one who was famous among our ranks (i.e. Dergue members). We were simply hodge-podges. I am really surprised by the fate Ethiopia faced (under the Dergue). The people of Ethiopia simply tolerated us for 17 years. The fact that we stayed in power and leadership position is a miracle". According to the author, this view of General Woubishet Dessie is also shared by two other Dergue members i.e. Birgadier general Girma Ayele and Major Kassaye Aragaw. The reader of this book encounters also rare account, coming as they are from the horse’s mouth that has bearing on the personality profile of some leading Dergue members such as the former Dergue chairman Mengistu Haile Mariam. In one such an account, the personality profile and character of Mengistu Haile Mariam has been summarized as follows by Mengistu’s best friend within the Dergue i.e. Major Endale Tessema. Here is what Endale Tessema says about Mengistu Haile Mariam: "Major Mengistu Haile Mariam sounds like some one who very much likes Ethiopia and some one who has a strong love for his country. But he has no love for any one except for himself. He appears to be some one who has dreams for the growth, development and prosperity of Ethiopia. However, he does not know how development and prosperity come about. He is extremely cruel person. He does not know pardon, forgiveness and kindness. He easily listens to what others tell him about some one and acts upon that information without verifying the truth. He defends those who favored him as witness his treatment of individuals such as Generals Wolde Selassie Bereka, Gizaw Belayneh, Kefelegn Yibza and Dr. Geremew Debele. He is very happy when he is flattered. He does not trust any one and is even suspicious (afraid) of his own shadow. He will do anything to promote his personal interest. He has the good habit of carefully listening to some one else's ideas and subsequently presenting those ideas as if they were his own (as if these ideas originated from him). He is very jealous and some one who suffers from inferiority complex. My dear friend Major Mengistu Haile Mariam lies a bit too". One reads also the following rare confession by a former Dergue member Major Kassaye Aragaw: "We (Dergue members) are really useless creatures. We killed individuals like prime minster Akililu Habtewold who was a great national asset. Mengistu is a barbaric and cruel creature who becomes happy with the death of human beings. Among those in the meeting, some of us protested and saved the lives of individuals like Kassa Wolde Mariam (the former university president). But Mengistu later killed them by taking them out of prison. One is powerless after being imprisoned. If there was a genuine Ethiopian government, not only imprisonment but even being hacked into pieces would not have been a big deal for us". This penitent or contrite view of Major Kassaye Aragaw sharply contrasts with the view of another Dergue member Major Melaku Teferra (otherwise known as the butcher of Gondar) who thinks that he committed no mistakes and did nothing wrong. As such Melaku does not regret any wrong doing on his part. During the past several years, I have opportunity to read several books dealing with the Dergue regime[3], the Ethiopian military[4] and its disintegration. Many of these books have been written by those who worked with the military regime in various capacities i.e. as military officers or civilian political actors. I have to admit that the book by Captain Tesfaye Riste provides a rare and relatively balanced account of the Dergue regime which depicts the damage caused to the Ethiopian people and Ethiopia as a country. The author has successfully tried to highlight the mistakes that were committed by all protagonists without tending to side with one protagonist against the other. The failure of the various political protagonists (ranging from political groups, government officials down to individuals who were jockeying for power) to see beyond their narrow political agendas of power and prestige is well captured in the book. In this book, the reader also comes across words of self-confession and remorse by some of the highly-placed former Dergue members in regard to the damage they caused to Ethiopia during the 17 years in which these Dergue members ruled Ethiopia with an iron-fist. One Achilles heel of the book is its effort to attribute the initial moves of the Dergue (in hastening the downfall of the Haile Selassie regime) to the alleged advice and guidance provided to the Dergue by Dezazmatch Kebede Tessema. The latter is allegedly depicted as a relative of Mengistu Haile Mariam and is presented in the book as having given advice to Mengistu Halie Mariam, Dergue’s strongest man. Personally, I find this alleged role and influence of Dejazmatch Kebede, who is believed to be master of palace intrigues, very far-fetched and as lacking in evidence and substance. It sounds like a make-believe story which fails to take into account the dynamics of the various forces which sought to influence the Dergue committee in the initial phase of the Ethiopian Revolution. In addition to this misrepresentation of the Dergue, some minor mistakes are evident in the book with regard to the current whereabouts of some of the Dergue members. For example Demisse Alamrew, a former Dergue member is presumed to be dead by the author. However, Demisse Alamerew currently lives in Holland where he has sought asylum. Equally, contrary to what the book purports, General Zeleke Beyene lives in Germany and not in Kenya (he used to live in Kenya several years ago. In spite of such minor warts, it is a good book. I recommend readers to get hold of this important book and read an account of a painful period in the annals of recent Ethiopian history as it captures the events under the Dergue regime that finally led to the secession of Eritrea and the descent of the rest of Ethiopia into an ethnic dictatorship. The process of destruction which has been pursued vigorously by the ethnic dictatorial regime of TPLF during the last 18 years has further launched the country on the path of deeper political fragmentation with all disastrous consequences thereof. Thoughts which the content of this book provoked in me After I read this book, I could not help asking myself how and why, during the last 35 years (although I am not discounting the political deficit caused by the imperial regime), the Ethiopian society allowed itself to be at the mercy of riffraff, if contemptible, elements of society who do not command wide respect and popularity among the majority of its ranks? An answer to this question may partly help us disentangle the riddle of our current impotence and help us loosen the dictatorial hold on Ethiopia of groups such as the TPLF that continue to ride roughshod over our people. Equally an answer to this riddle can help us diagnose the problems within the Ethiopian oppositional movement, its inability to tame personal and group egos of opposition leaders who, more often than not, have put their narrow interest before the purported public good they claim to promote. An answer to this riddle will also help us disentangle why the oppositional politics in Ethiopia frequently attracts individuals of dubious social standing & checkered political track-record as we are currently witnessing both among the Diaspora and home-based opposition political groups. What is it that explains the inability of the great majority of the Ethiopian people, who had a history of repulsing repeated foreign incursions by foreign invaders, to tolerate an apartheid-like rule by a group which represents a minority ethnic group and has been able to ensconce itself in power by mobilizing famished, if spiteful, peasants from an ecologically degraded part of Ethiopia who were catapulted into political action by TPLF by drumming up a patently anti-Ethiopian ethnicist ideology? Assefa Negash, M.D. Amstelveen, Holland Debesso@gmail.com [1] - The book rightly criticizes the attempt of supporters of the EPRP/Meisone protagonists in trying to deny responsibility for what transpired during the infamous Red/White Terror period. Both Kiflu Tadesse of EPRP (author of the book entitled “The Generation, part I (1993) & part II (1998)” and Andargatchew Asseged of Meisone (author of the book entitled “Be Achir Ye Teketche Rejim Guzo, Meisone Be Ethiopia Hizbotch Tigel Wiste” 2000) have tried to absolve themselves of any responsibility for what transpired in Ethiopia during this bloody period. [2] - Tadesse Tele Salvano, “ Ay Mistsewa, Mot Yeteferedebatchew 17000 Ye Etiyopia Serawit”, 1997 Ethiopian Calendar (E.C). [3] - Books dealing with the Dergue and the Ethiopian military include the following: - Genet Ayele Anbesse, “Ye Lieteunant Cornel Mengistu Haile Mariam Tizitawotch” 1994 E.C - Zenebe Feleke, “Neber” 1996 E.C. - Yohannes Mullugeta, “Atifto Metfat”, (year of publication is not mentioned in the book) [4] - Brigadier General Kassaye Chemeda, “Ye Tor Meda Welowotch Ke Misrak Eske Semen”, 1997 E.C. -Tadesse Tele Salvano, “Ye Anabest Mider” , 1999 E.C. - Birgadier General Tesfaye Habte Mariam,“Ye Tor Meda Welo”, 1997 E.C. - Dawit Wolde Giorgis, “Khidet Bedem Meret”, 2006

Sunday, August 23, 2009

The Masked Mercenary Housed in the Misnomer TPLF is Visiting His Pets in the U.S.

Some of you who visited the so called Aigaforum.com (a pro Meles Zenawi website) might have seen a “public” notice posted to all the Meles Zenawi’s puppets to come and join Tedros Hagos in San Jose, California for August 29, 2009 which invited only to “ Tigrayans”. Tigrayans to these Eritrean puppets are either full blooded Eritreans like that of their guest Tedros Hagos who is one of the masked mercenary groups housed in the misnomer TPLF, or their narrow ethno puppets. Even if this thug was supposed to call to all Ethiopians, I am positive not many genuine Ethiopians will go to his meetings to hear his lecture of caring about his Eritrea. Who is Tedros Hagos? Well, as long as I knew him during our youth age in Tigray, he was not anti Ethiopia. He switched his sick mind preaching anti Ethiopia in favor of his country Eritrea (if it is conceder country) after he fled to the forest. I knew Tedros asking me and his and mine friend few weeks before he went to Dedebit to establish TPLF to help him rewrite a hand copy of their propaganda and spread it to friends who we think are reliable. Back to the era of our youth-hood, I as a family friend, I was many times invited to their house and eat lunches with warm and friendly social talks and they were fan. And I knew Tedros a conscious, none violent, soft talker, friendly with a habit of reading the small communist book called “Communist Manifesto” and few other pocket books written by Mao Tsetung which I had fan discussed few times with him. Generally speaking we were friendly until he confused himself in the jungle. Leave that as past history. Let us deal now, with his current anti Ethiopia position which shocked me absolutely for years. Tedros Hagos is the sun of a very secretive bureaucrat, who liked to isolate himself from the public integration as Isayas’s father used to do in Mekelle. His father had held a secretary position for Prince Mengesha Seyoum in Tigray all his life. Their life-hood is conceder rich and comfortable with the then standard of living compared with all the indigenous Tigrayans. We never distinguished him or his brothers and sister as Eritreans. They were sweet and friendly Ethiopians back then. But, later I heard even his other brothers in LA including a popular Medical surgeon were pro EPLF and run a vicious campaign against Ethiopia during the battle in the 80’s and later after their “fake independent”, continue during the conflict of the two askaris/banda (TPLF and EPLF) during the Badime conflict. Surely sad as it is to those who we considered as a decent Ethiopian family, Tedros Hagos turned to be the worst vicious anti Ethiopia masqueraded in TPLF as one of the founder and currently high TPLF official. Today’s Tedros Hagos is not that I knew before he went to the forest. He is now part of the tyrannical TPLF group and most sadly also, he is one of the elements who are a staunch defender of Eritrea accusing Ethiopia as colonizer which deserve to be landlocked. Not only he stood clearly for his native Eritrea, but also, he is one of the elements who deny Tigrayns to practice democracy. Read what his comrade (Shall I say x-comrade) Aregash Adane of TPLF-Arena had to say about him. “Tewodros Hagos, a serving TPLF CC member said that there was no need for the Tigray people to participate in politics other than under the TPLF as this is the only organization that understands and responds to their needs.” Tewodros was said to have made the comment during a TDA conference in the region. Her interview was made in around November 2006 (before three years). She said “the party has effectively been reduced into an organization whose day to day activities are subject to the personal dictates of Meles Zenawi. She said Meles Zenawi has molded the Front into one that merely advances his personal interests and views”. It was possible for Meles Zenawi to own and posses the organization because of his friend the likes of Eritreans Tedros Hagos masqueraded as Tigrayans hosed in the misnomer TPLF. Remember! Tedros is here touring the U.S. to hypnotize the Ethno- ill informed TPLF(TDA…) members in order to stretch the agony of the Ethiopian people searching for their support. We know from TPLF’s record there were undisclosed number of Tigrayan elders, children, women and priests, monks, war captives poisoned in amass (remember Gebremedihn Araya’s document?), and the burning of elders with live fire like Fotawrari Gezai Reda (who is still alive) and also my own family shot dead while asleep after tortured with fire, and the living witness “Deacon” Berhane Gebrehiywet who was shot seven times and crippled for life. So many untold stories waiting to be disclosed as the previous abused by the cruel Derg was disclosed. And yet, Tedros and his Eritrean group are acting as a Tigrayan to care about his native villages in Eritrea with the expense of Ethiopia. Many of you might know the story of Tedros Hagos’s father said to be a pro EPLF while he was in Mekele after the Eritrean independence. After the quarrel of TPLF and EPLF, the secret I have heard from a reliable insider person is that- his father Girazmach Hagos was found in the circle of EPLF cell, on which he was aiding a fellow who was sent to Tigray from EPLF to kill the so called anti Eritrea group with in the TPLF (such as Abay Tsehaye, Gebru Asrat, Seye and the like who are against Isayas and Meles Zenawi at the time) rankings. The secret list of names that were to be shot killed by the EPLF dead squad was later found by the TPLF security apparatus, on which his father was disclosed among the conspirators as EPLF undercover members. When officials decided to arrest him-, (later decided by the angry TPLF officials to deported him to his Eritrea), he fled to his son for Addis Abeba for shelter and surely got a firm defense on which his deportation or any attempt to arrest him was halted immediately. As you know, Meles Zenawis mother who officially vote for independent of Eritrea as an Eritrean was also protected from deportation because of the power of her son. Justice? Call it anything you want, it is there for any blind to see! Tedros Hagos or Sebhat Nega, Meles Zenawi, Bereket Simon, Seyoum Mesfen- whose faith committed every day and every second the pledge of Elegance to the State of Eritrea on their words “"We fought for Eritrean independence from the colonial rule ofEthiopia. Even now, if Eritrea is attacked, EPRDF would jump into Eritrea, join the Eritrean people and engage the enemy." - Sebhat Negaon Radio Woyane (May 28, 2007)”.
Dear Ethioppians: - Tedorso Hagos and Tsegay Berhe and other Meles Zenawis puppets are not a bit worried about Ethiopia. Their main concern is how they can use Ethiopia for the better use of Eritrea! One need to do is read every interview Tedros Hagos carried with DimTsi Woyane Tigray Radio or Woyin Tigringa gazeTa. You will read his arrogance, his disrespect to the nation, his filthy propaganda teaching ordering the people of Tigray to obey to his fascist organization “TPLF” that clearly violated national soverignity and the unity of the Ethiopian people which casued so many havoc and deportation of the Amharic speaking society from the South as we speak. Please visit http://www.ethiopatriots.com/ under the title ethnic cleansing by Zenawi's militia against defenseless Amharic speaking people. ( horrific audio report from DW) and also visit http://www.ethiolion.com/ on the right side of the Amharic section under the title “የአማራው ሕዝብ ሰቆቃ ፤ የቡርቃ ዝምታ ስኬታማ ተልዕኮ” both are audio report. This showed that these filthy ignorant racists and fascist group in power are the number one enemy of Ethiopia who still acclaimed Ethiopians; while in practice you will find them being the diehard defenders of all sorts of Ethiopian Enemies! This kind of group must be exposed until the blood they spilled and the national crime and soverignity they committed for enemies’ benefit is accountable in the court of law. The people’s victory is inevitable! Getachew Reda- http://www.ethiopiansemy.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

ቀዳዳ ጨረቃ (ደራሲ ሀማ ቱማ)

http://www.ethiopiansemay.blogspot.com/ ኢትዮጵያ በመከራ አምጣ ከወለደቻቸዉ ጥቂት ወጣት አገር ወዳድ አርበኞች፤ አንዱ አቶ እያሱ አለማየሁ ነዉ፡፡ የብዕር ስሙ “ሀማ ቱማ” በመባል ይታወቃል፡፡ በብዙዎቻችን የ የዛዉ ዘመን ትዉልዶች ታዋቂነቱ የጎላ ነዉ። በዚህ አዲስ ትዉልድ (ማለትም በወያኔ 18 ዓመት ጫት ቃሚ እና ክልልተኛ ትዉልድ ዘመን ባሉት) ብዙ የሚታወቅ አልመሰለኝም። ይህ ኢትዬጵያዊ አፍሪካዊ አርበኛ ፣እዉቅ ዓለም አቀፍ ገጣሚ፤ደራሲ፤የፖለቲካ መሪ ታጋይና የሕዝብ አጋር፤ የወያኔ ሥርዓት ባማገጠዉ ዘረኛ ትዉልድ እንዳይታወቅ እና ጽሑፎቹ እና ድርጅቱ (ኢሕአፓ) ኢትዬጵያ ዉስጥ እንዳይነበቡ እና እንዳይንቀሳቀስ በሕግ ወጥነት በወያኔ ሕገ መንግሥት በመታገዳቸዉ ወጣቱ እንደ እነ ሀማ ቱማ የመሳሰሉት “በ አፍሪቃ እና በአለም አቀፍ” ደረጃ እዉቅ፤ዝና እና አክብሮት ያተረፉ አንቱ የተባሉ መተክያ የማይገንላቸዉ ረቂቅ ምሁራን እንዳያወቃቸዉ ሆን ተብሎ የተለያዩ ደባ በመጎንጎንና ይህ እዉቅ አርበኛ ስሙ እንዳይገንን ጥረት መደረጉን በፖለቲካ መድረክ የቆየን ሰዎች የምናዉቀዉ ምስጢር ነዉ፡፡ ደባዉ በወያኔ ብቻ ሳይሆን የወያኔ መሰሪ የማጥላላት ተንኮልም በማስፈፋት እና በማሰረጨት ተቃዋሚ ነን በሚባሉ ‘ቀዳዳዎችም” ከወያኔ በባሰ ሁኔታ ስም የማጥፋት ዘመቻ ሲደረግበት የማየታችንም ሌላዉ አስገራሚ እና አሳዛኝ ክስተት ነዉ፡፡ ወያኔም ሆኑ እንኚህ “ቀዳዳዎች” የሚያጥላሉት እጅግ አድርገዉ የሚፈሩት ምሁራዊ እና ቀጥተኛ ብዕሩ መሆኑን አትዘንጉት። “ኢትዮጵያ ሀገሬ ሞኝ ነሽ ተላላ የሞተልሽ ቀርቶ የገደለሽ በላ” ተብሏል አይደል? ያም ሆኖ ደራሲዉ ሀማ ቱማ “በቀዳዳ ጨረቃ” መጽሃፉ ምዕራፍ ዘጠኝ -ገጽ 73 -…84 “ማን ቢወልድ ማ?” የሚለዉን ክፍል ሙሉዉን ሳይሆን “ቀንጭቤ” ላስነብባችሁ፡፡ መልካም ፖቲካዊ የስነ ምርምር ንባብ ይሁንላችሁ።እነሆ፦ ማን ቢወልድ ማ? “የጫካ ጉዞዬ እያበሳጨኝ እያተከረኝ መጣ፡፡እብደት ያጠቃዉ ቢራቢሮ ሊዉጠኝ ፈልጎ በሩጫ አመለጥኩ። አደናቅፎ የጣለኝ ድንጋይ “እንግባ” ብሎ ሲከታተለኝ ዋለ። ወደ ሗላ የሚራመዱ ሰዎች ወደ ፊት በመሄዴ እስኪንፈራፈሩ ድረስ ሳቁብኝ። ርስበርስ እየተደዋወሉ የሚያወሩ ቴሌፎኖች ከዛፍ ቅርንጫፍ ላይ ሆነዉ ተፉብኝ።አንድ ጠቋራ ጉምም እየተከታተለ ሲዘንብብኝ ቆየ።የቁራ መነኩሴ መስቀል ላሳልምህ ብሎ ልሳለም ብል በብረቱ መትቶ ዘረረኝ። ከግንባሬ የፈሰሰዉ ደም ስጠርገዉ ወፍ ሆኖ በረረ።በግንባሬ ስንጥቅ አንጎሌ ልዉጣ ብሎ አስቸግሮኝ እጄን ግንባሬ ላይ ለጥፌ መጓዝ ተገደድኩ። ጭንቅላታቸዉ ባእጃቸዉ ይዘዉ የሚጓዙ ሰዎች ሲያዩኝ እየሳቁብኝ አለፉ። በድመቶች ላይ ተሳፍረዉ የሚጓዙ ዓይጦች ጠጠር ወረወሩብኝ። ጠጠሮች እስፒል ሆነዉ ተሰኩብኝ። እስፒሎቹ ስነቅል እባብ እየሆኑ በድንጋጤ ወረወርኳቸዉ። በዚህ ክልል አታልፍም ብለዉ አረንጓዴ ዝንቦች ጫካ-ቦዳ እንድጥስ አስገደዱኝ። ዛፎች ከሥራቸዉ እየተነቀሉ መንገድ በመዝጋት አናሳልፍ አሉኝ። ያየሁት መከራ ብዙ ነዉ።እንደ ወፍ የሚበሩ አፍንጫ-የለሽ ሴቶች ሊጠልፉኝ ሲቃጡ መሸሽ ነበረብኝ። የተደገፍኩት ዛፍ በቅርንጫፎቹ ተብትቦ ሊያስቀረኝ ሲል ማምለጥ ነበረብኝ። ልብሴ ተቦጫጭቆ እርቃኔን ልቀር የቀረኝ ትንሽ ነበር። ጫማዬ ከእግሬ ተፈትልኮ ታቅፎ ተገጣጥሞ እሽኮኮ ሆኖ ዛፍ ወጥቶ ጠፋብኝ። ሳሩን እግሬን እየቆረጠ ደሜን ይልሰዉ ገባ። ሰዉነቴ “እረፍት” እያለ ጮኸብኝ። ደከመኝ ተሰላቸወሁ። የእግርና የእጅ ቦታ የተቀያየረባቸዉ ሰዎች በእጃቸዉ እየሄዱ እግራችንን ጨብጥ ሲሉኝ እጄን ስዘረጋ እጄን ሲነጥቁኝ እየቃጡ ግብግብ መግጠም ነበረብኝ። ቆም ስልም ምስጦች በላዬ ላይ ኩይሳ ሊገነቡ እየሞኩ ስላስቸገሩኝ ቆም ብዬም ማረፍ አልቻልኩም። በጥንዚዛ ላይ ተሳፍረዉ የሚበሩ ዳንኬራ የሚረግጡ ቢምቢዎች አፏጩብኝ። ዘንግ መስሎ የተጋደመ እባብ ረገጥከኝ ብሎ አሳደደኝ። ቀሚስ ያጠለቀች ንብ “አይ ሰዉ ድንቄም ሰዉ/ ማስመሰሉን ምነዉ ብትተዉ/እያለች ጆሮየየ ላይ ዘፈነችቢኝ። ልይዛት ብቃጣ አቃተኝ።ስልቻ ተሸክመዉ ቆመዉ የሚሄዱ አሣዎች አፋቸዉን ከፍተዉ ጥቁር ዉሃ ረጩኝ። ከዉሃዉ ክርፋት የተነሳ አፍንጫዬ ወልቆ ወደቀ። ቶሎ ብየ አንስቼ የወረሩትን ጉንዳኖች አራግፌ ከፊቴ ለጠፍኩት። ሰማዩ ድንገት ዝቅ ብሎ ራሴን ተጫነኝ። ለረዥም ጊዜ መዳህ ተገደድኩ። ቀዳዳዋ ጨረቃ ከፊቴ እየተንከባለለች ብርሃን ሰጠቺኝ። በረዥም ቱቦ ዉስጥ ገብቼ የምጓዝ መሰለኝ። እየሄድኩ ስጓዝ በርካታ የጉንዳን;የምስጥ፤የልዩ ልዩ ትሎችን መንደሮች አለፍኩ። ሰማይ እና ጨረቃ ከቦታቸዉ ተመለሱ። ተነስቼ ቆምኩና እጅ እግሬን አፍታታሁ። ጫካዉን ጨርሼ መዉጣቴን አየሁ። ለጥ ያለ ሜዳና ኮረፍታ አየሁ።ከኮረፍታዉን ወጥቼ ስጨርስ ተጉዤ ያለፍኩት ተጠቅልሎ መጥቶ ከፉቴ ይዘረጋል። እወጣለሁ። ጨረስኩ ስል እንደገና ይዘረጋል። ሳልታክት ቀጠልኩና በመጨረሻ ከኮረፍታዉ ጫፍ ደረስኩ። ጎጆ መሳይ በእንጨት የተሰሩ ቤቶች ኩታገጠም ሆነዉ አየሁ። አስራ አንድ ቤቶች። ቤቶቹ መብራት አላቸዉ።ስለደከመኝ አንድ ዓለት ላይ ቁጭ አልኩና አረፍኩ። ከፊቴ፤በግራና በቀኝ ያሉት ቤቶች ፀጥ ያሉ ናቸዉ። ምንም ፍጡርም ላይይ አልቻልኩም። ተንፈስ ልበልና ተነስቼ በየቤቱ እየዞርኩ አያለሁ ብዬ ሳስብ የተቀመጥኩበት ዕለት በላዩ እንዳለሁ ተንከባልሎ ሳይሆን በፍጥነት ተንሸራትቶ ካንደኛዉ ቤት ዉስጥ አስፈንጥሮ ወረወረኝ። ከወደቅኩበት ስነሳ በዙፋን ዓይነት ወንበር ላይ የተቀመጠዉን ሰዉ አየሁት። ሰዉየዉ ራስ ከግንባሩ ወደታች ገባ ያለ ሆኖ ጆሮዎቹ ወጣ ወጣ ብለዋል። ራሱ ድቡልቡል ሳይሆን ወጣ ገባ ሆኖ ታየኝ። አፉን ገለጠ። በጥርሶቹ ላይ “ዉሸት ሳቅ” የሚል ተጽፎ አነበብኩ፡ አፉን ዘጋ። በግራ እና ቀኙ ክላሺን የታጠቁ አረንጓዴ የወታደር ልብስ የለበሱ የአህያ ራስ ያላቸዉ ሰዎች በተጠንቀቅ ቆመዋል።የክፈሉ መብራት በአየር ላይ አለገመድ ከተንጠለጠለ የክፍሉ አምፑል መሆኑን አየሁ። ማን ነህ? አለኝ ዙፋኑ ላይ የተቀመጠዉ ሰዉ። “ሰዉ? “ምን ዓይነት ሰዉ?” “የሰዉ ሰዉ።” “ እንዲሁ ሰዉ የለም” አለኝና አፉን ከፈተ። በጥርሶቹ ላይ በጥቁር “ቁጣ” የሚል መዳፍን አሳየኝና አፉን ዘጋ። “ኢትዬጵያዊ” አልኩት። “ኢጦ…” ማለት ጀመረና ቆመ። ሲያጨበጭብ በእጆቹ ትልቅ መጽሃፍ ገባ። አገላበጠ። “ኢ ኢ…” አለ ፍለጋ ገባ።መጽሀፉን ዘጋ።መጽሀፉ ተሰወረ። “ያልከዉ ነገር የለም።” “ ኢትዬ ጵያ? ኢትዬጵያዊ?” መገረሜ ግልፅ ነበር፡፤ “መጽሀፍዎ ጎደሎ ነዉ።” “የመጽሀፉ እዉቀት ከ ሀ እስከ ፐን ያዘለ ነዉ። ያንተ ቃል የለም። ያንተ ቃል የለም። “ሀገር ነዉ።” “አልተመዘገበም፡” “ታሪክ አለዉ” “አይታወቅም።’ “ኢትዬጵያ…” “የሌለ ነገር ነኝ ካልክ ያንተ የራስህ ጉዳይ በጣም አጠያያቂ ነዉ፡” “እንዴት?” “መመርመር አለብህ።” “ለምን?” “መኖር አለመኖርህን ለማወቅ።ማንነትህን።” “ማንነቴን መቼ አጣሁት?” “ይመስልሃል። የአንተን ማንነት ወሳኙ እኔ ነኝ።” “እንዴት ሊሆን ይችላል…?” “ነዉ። ነህ ያልኩህን ትሆናለህ። የምሰጥህ ማንነት ይገልጣልሃል።” “አይቻልም።” በዙፋኑ የተቀመጠዉ ሰዉ አፈጠጠ። ዓይኖቹ ዱቡልቡል ኳስ የሚያክሉ ነበሩ። ከቦታቸዉ ወጥተዉ በርረዉ መጥተዉ ከፉቴ ቆመዉ አፈጠጡብኝና ተመልሰዉ ከቦታቸዉ ገቡ። “ደም!” ሲል ሰዉዬዉ ጮኸ። ሁለት ሃኪም መርፌዎች የብረት ዘንግ አክለዉ እየተንሳፈፉ መጡብኝ። “ለደም መርማሪዎች አትበገር” የሚለዉ የሽማግሌዎች ምክር ትዝ አለኝ። መርፌዎቹ በልቤ ሊሰኩ ሲጠጉ በፍጥነት ያዝኳቸዉና አዙሬ ወደ ሰዉዬዉ ወረወርኳቸዉ። አንዱ በልቡ አንዱ በአንገቱ ተሰካ። ኳስ ዓይኖቹ ከመሬት ወደቁ። አንደኛዉ ወታደር በጫማዉ አፈረጣቸዉ። በሰዉየዉ ላይ የተከሉት መርፌዎች በጥቁር ፈላሻ ተሞሉ። ሰዉየዉ እየሟሸሸ ሄዶ ዝንጅል የሚያክል ዓይጥ ሆነ። ሌላኛዉ ወታደር ዓይጡን ከዙፋኑ አነሳና ከመሬት ፈጠፈጠዉ። ወለሉን በስቶ ጠፋ። የሚደረገዉን ሳላስብበት ዙፋኑ ላይ ሄጄ ቂጥ አልኩኝ። በጣም ቆንጆ ሴት ከፊቴ ቆማ ፈገግ ብላ ስትሰግድና እግሬን ስትሰመኝ አየሁ። ከንፈሯ እግሬን ሲነካኝ ሰዉነቴን በሞላ ሙቀቱ ወረረ ። “ጌታዬ” አለችኝ በጣፈጠ ድምፅ። ከተጎነበሰችበት አነሳሗት። የፍላጎት ንዝረት ተሰማኝ። ዙፋኑ ተዘርግቶ አልጋ ሆነ። ሳብ አድርጌ ከጎኔ አጋደምኳት።ትንፋሽዋ የመቅደስ ዕጣን ሆኖ ሸተተኝ። ልቤ ጠፋ፤ራሴን ሳትኩ ብል ማጋነን አይሆንም። ልስማት ስጠጋ የሽማግሌዉ ድንክ “ሽፋኑ ዉስጡን አይጋርድህ” ማስጠንቀቂያ ታወሰኝ። ቆንጆዋ ሴት ዓይኗን ጨፍና ስትተነፍስ ትርንጎ ጡቶቿ ብድግ ዝቅ ይሉ ነበር።በጣቶቼ ከንፈሯን ከፈት አደረግኩ። የላይና የታች ጥርሶጫ ተለያይተዉ በርካታ የእባብ ምላሶቻ ቀልተዉ ብቅ አሉ። “ስልጣን!” ብዬ ጮሄ አንገቷን አነቅኳት።ዓይኖቿን ከፈተች። ፊቷ ተለዉጦ የ እናቴን መልክ ያዘ።”እማዬ!” ብየ በድንጋጤ እጆቼን ሳነሳ ፈትለክ ልትል ስትነሳ እንደገና አነቅኳት። ከእናቴ መልክ ወደ ፈንጣጣ የቦደሳት አሮጊት መልክ ተለወጠ። ማነቄን ቀጠልኩ።እንደገና ፊቷ ተቀይሮ በትሎች የተሞላ የ እባብ ራስ ሆነ። ዓይኔን ብከፍት እጄን በእጄ እየጨመቅዩ መሆኑን አየሁ። የስልጣን ደብዛዋም የለም። ዙፋኑ የለ፤ አህያ ወታደሮች የሉ፤ ቤት-መብራት የለ። ጠምዝማዛ መንገድ ላይ ተንበርክኬ እጄን በእጄ ስጠመዝዝ ስጨምቅ አገኘሁት። “አሞህን ነዉ?” አለኝ አንድ ቁጥቋጦ፡፤ “የዛፍ ልፍለፋ ሰለቸኝ” አልኩ በቁጣ እየቆምኩ። “ዛፍ አይደለሁም።” “ታዲያ ምንድነህ?” “ቁጥቋጦ።” “ቁጥቋጦ ዛፍ ሁሉም ያዉ! ቁጥቋጦ በብስጭት ተርገበገበ። ቅጠሎች ተወራጩ። “ሁሉም ያዉ አልከኝ” አለ በድነገት ድምፅ። “አንተ ማንነትህ ቢሰረዝ ምን ይሰማሃል? ስንት ዛፍ የፀረ -አብዮት ባንዴራ አንጠለጠለ ተብሎ መቆረጡስ አይሰማህም?” የቁጥቋጦዉ ንዴት ተሰማኝ እና “ይቅርታ አልኩት”። “ምንም አይደል” አለ ቁጥቋጦዉ። “ብዙ መንገደኛ አይቻለሁ። ወዴት እየሄድክ ነዉ?” “ልወጣ።” “አሃ! የት መድረስህን ታዉቃለህ?” “አላዉቅም።” “ከጉዞህ አጋማሽ ላይ ነህ። ሆድ አካባቢ ልበልህ።” “እንዴት አወቅክ?” “አለሁበትን እንዴት ልጣ? ቁጥቋጦዎች ደግሞ እንነጋገራለን። እኔን ማወቅህን ከነገርካቸዉ ሌሎቹም ያመለክቱሃል።” “ማነህ ልበላቸዉ?” “ሳትላቸዉ ያዉቃሉ።” “ይኸ ጠመዝማዛ መንገድ ይወስደኛል?” “ይሰድሃል። መንታ መንገድ ስትደርስ ምርጫዉ ያንተ ነዉ።” “ምኑን አዉቄ?” “ፈትሽ ማወቅ ነዋ! ግራ ወይ ቀኝ ዞሮ ዞሮም ሊገጥም ይችላል። ዋናዉ ወደ ሗላ አለመመለስ ነዉ። “መልካም ጉዞ” አለኝ። አመሰገንኩትና ጉዞየን ተያያዝኩት።ከስልጣን አዙሪት ባስቸኳይ መዉጣት እንዳለብኝ አመንኩኝ። ረዥም መንገድ ተጓዝኩ። ወደ መጣሁበት ሲሄዱ ያገኘሗቸዉ ሁሉ ሲያዩኝ በሀዘን ራሳቸዉን እየነቀነቁ ያልፋሉ። ሰዎች፤ አዉሬዎች፤ግማሽ አዉሬዎች ግማሽ ሰዎች ሁሉም ያዝኑልኝ ነበር። በስጋት ወደ ሗላ መመለስን አልመረጥኩም። ጠመዝማዛዉ ጎዳና በሜዳ በኮረፍታ፤በሽንጥሮ. በምንጮች ላይ እየተጠመዘዘ ወሰደኝ። ምንጮችን ስሻገር እንቁራሪቶች ’ተመለስ” እያሉ መከሩኝ። ሳሮች በጋራ “አትበድ” ተመለስ” ሲሉ ጮሁብኝ። አካላታቸዉን የሚታጠቡ ድመቶችም “የወጣ የለም ተመለስ” ብለዉ ነገሩኝ። ዛፍ ላይ የተኛ ኣዞ “ጥፍርህም አይገኝ ጉዞ ከቀጠልክ” ብሎ አስፈራራኝ”” ጉዞየን ቀጠልኩኝ።ከአባበ አበባ የምትዘል ንብ ተከተለችኝ። “አልደከምክም?” አለችኝ “አንች መች ደከመሽ?” “እኔማ ሸርሙጣ ነኝ” አለች ቆምጨጭ ብላ። “ካበባ አበባ ካልዘለልኩ እሞታለሁ።” “በሽታ አትፈሪም?” “ከአበባ በሽታ የለም።” ከቆንጆ በሽታ የለም ብለዉ ጉድ የሆኑት ጓዶኞቼ ትዝ አሉኝ። “ተጠንቀቂ ለማንኛዉም” ስል ንቢታን መከርኳት። “አንተም እንዲሁ” ብላኝ ብዙ አበባዎች ካሉበት በረረች።…………………..”
እያለ የዘመኑ ፖለቲካ እና ፖለቲከኞች ባሕሪ አስከ ገጽ 84 የቀጠለዉን (እኔ የቆረጥኩት ትረካ) ባስደናቂ የስነ ጽሁፍ ቋንቋ በቀዳዳ ጨረቃ መጽሀፉ ማንነታችንን ገልጾናል። ሀማ ቱማ! “ምንም ጊዜም ቢሆን አንተን ክፉ አይንካህ!!!!!!!!” በማለት የምትጣራህን ኢትዬጵያ አገርህ ሁሌም ለዘላም በአክብሮት ስራዎችህን ተንከባክባ ለትዉልድ ትዉልድ ታስተላልፋለች። አገርህን ለማየትያብቃህ! በርታ! ሁሌም ከጎንህ የቆመዉ ጌታቸዉ ረዳ የኢትዮጵያ ሰማይ አዘጋጅ። www.Ethiopiansemay.blogspot.com

Friday, August 14, 2009

A Dog Returning to Its Vomit-(My Critique to Abraha Belay)

This commentary is not personal against Abraha Belay the editor of ethiomedia.com. My commentary is against his coverage of news on his media that he deliberately, many times, created a media epilepsy ignoring the suffering of the Ethiopian people, particularly the ethnic cleansing of the 12,000 deported Amhara society from the Southern Ethiopia reported last week by few medias (which the deportation occurred in the month Hamle) blanked out from his media while he is dedicated covering news of some anti Amhara extremists like that of the OLF, ONLF propaganda audio-video. Though, it focusing on him my critique is meant also the to many of the failed opposition media who currently are engaged in promoting few circles of the mediocre intelligentsia image while ignoring the image of the suffering population on their media. As it is know to some of you, ever since his split from his ethnocentric circle at Deki Alula online (remember few of the editors of Deki Alula “Abraha Belay, Walta and some few editors” disguised on a female names as “Maaza Alula” and “Azeb Alula” (?), one accusing the other for hijacking the website over who should serve better to the former TPLF officials, not in the best interest of the people of Ethiopia,- the fellow still is an ardent defendant of these political criminals awfully irritated and dismayed so many of us. The so called DISSIDENTS HAVE SO FAR BEEN ABLE TO AVOID CONFRONTING FOR ALL KINDS OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, TREASON THAT STARTED FROM THEIR TIME IN THE FOREST AND INCLUDING THE AWFUL POWER ABUSE AND ETHNIC CLEANSING POLICY THEY FRAMED AND PRACTICED FROM 1991- TO 2001 was widely protected from being exposed on his popular media. This passed week, I emailed Abraha Belay (the editor of Ethiomedia.com) who claimed he has the undying love for the former TPLF officials and the Tigray people to visit Ethiopatriots.com where audio news of 12,000 Amhara peasants deported by force from the Southern Ethiopia (Gamogofa) posted where originally broad casted from the German radio Amharic program. The editor visited the said website, and instead of posting copying the audio news and spread the news to the world on behalf of the victims as I pleaded him to post this freshly news on his website, he unfortunately, came with a response to react about my commentary posted there regarding Dr.Yacob’s “flip-flop position of the Ethio-Eritrean border issue and the TPLF’s press Yacob defended it publicly as you recall his interview in Addis Ababa. Sadly and unfortunately Abraha Belay as shallow as he is, he irrationally reacted to the commentary written by the website editor as if it was commented by me. Mind you, my reference and plea to him to visit the said website was not to tell me what he thinks about mediocre individual Yacob. The purpose of it me referring him to Ethuiopatriots.com and Ethiolion.com was as I stated it above to listen the audio posted and the interview of the 12,000 Amhara deportee from the South which just occurred a week or two weeks a go at the end month of “Hamile” (July), in the hope he might have a soft heart as he has the undying love to his ethnic Tigray people. Sadly, instead, he preferred to engage with me via email worried so much about his mediocre elite individual of his own circle’s pride. It is awful!
Among all those “opposition” media only two patriot Ethiopian website owners “www.Ethiopatriots.com” and “www.ethiolion.com”posted the news on their media for the world to hear how the Amhara society is the constant victim of an ethnic cleansing in Ethiopia under the apartheid divide and rule-government's policy of TPLF for the last 18 years, constantly, until this fresh wave of the last week’s deportation of 12,000 Amhara from the Southern Ethiopia. May god of Ethiopia bless the two of you patriots that became a good example of what a good journalism is all about who executed a satisfactorily media responsibility on such most important news of human sufferings of the nation. Please visit http://www.ethiopatriots.com/ under the title Ethnic cleansing by Zenawi's militia against defenseless Amharic speaking people. ( horrific audio report from DW) and also visit http://www.ethiolion.com/ on the right side of the Amharic section under the title “የአማራው ሕዝብ ሰቆቃ ፤ የቡርቃ ዝምታ ስኬታማ ተልዕኮ” both are audio report.
When I think over it, -it is almost impossible for me to believe such fellow might willingly ignore the news to cover on his website of the fresh wave of 12,000 Amhara society deportation from their native country and land with their children, pregnant women, elders dying suffering sheltered on a chilly school with no food and water in the capital city of the nation after learning it and hearing the news in his own ears from a source that is reliable. It was equally also shocking for me to believe some Ethiopian commentators will come in massive to write commentaries, and news in reaction to an individual racist website editor who called the Obama Administration “N Administration”, while willingly ignored not to comment regarding the Ethiopian racist system and racist Liberation Fronts who are engaged in the ethnic cleansing of the Amhara society in mass! What went wrong? Media bias is expected in a country where political party leaders are engaged in power hunger and power struggle. Sure, it is almost impossible for any network or journalistic publication not to be accused of some media bias. But, only is acceptable if the bias is on political views only. I am not talking here why the opposition media failed to post some political group or leaders’ viewpoint on their website failed to post or why the Ethiopian educated sectors failed to comment/deal on specific view point. I am talking about the exclusion of the fresh ethnic cleansing of the Amhara society happening as we speak! How is that Obama’s pride greatest concern to the Ethiopia intelligentsia commentators and website editors to come with dozens of articles of reaction, but can’t offered a single article or line or a phrase of news on their websites/commentaries, while the news of the mass deportation and ethnic cleansing news coming out from Ethiopia are aware of? Do those website editors, such as Abraha Belay willingly and knowingly commit a bias AGAINST such news from posting it to the world? Yes! No question. Not only he committed a mistake, but also committed a conscious bias by failing to include the honest service of journalism represented in the profession of journalism. Failure to represent news that is already known and reported to him (to the editor) is indeed media bias. Ignorance at its worst! Abraha Belay is been quite blatant in his serving a small circle of petty berg intelligentsia for a while now. His media now only criticized for being a stooge and a tool to destructive groups and bogus politicians, but also criticized for allowing anti Amhara racist ads in his media. What this means is- he knowingly and willingly for some reason unknown to some of us allowed an ad that degraded Amhara women. The re was an article specifically dealt to this problem about Ethiomedia why he allowed an ad that says “Date Amhara Women”. I would mind if it says “Date Ethiopian Women”, but the ad was mainly pointing out to the Amhara women in a degrading manner. Is this man allowing such degrading ads of the Amhara society for money or for educational purposes? No one, but only him and his other editors around him knows the answer why they want to portrait the Amhara women as commodities. Coverage of the latest ethnic cleansing is not an option, it is a responsible, and a must reported to the world if a media is calling itself opposition media outlet. The ethnic cleansing in Rwanda was ignored and covered up by major news outlets purposely to suppress it in order the population of Rwanda to slaughter each other as irrational animal. There are groups, countries, elements that want to see the African people eradicated, poor, sick and weakening. There are puppets, mercenaries who like to serve the masters of such crime perpetrators taking advantage the media they own by accident and fortune. This is a new madness that is now coming to Ethiopia currently haunting our population. And yet, some opposition media like that of Abraha Belay’s Ethiomedia, Ethioforum.com, Abugida.org Abay Media and some few of their likes are busy engaging in the business of shaping the image of political criminals to give them a human face. If the opposition media doesn’t broadcast the suffering of their people they claim they represent or defend, who will? The government, the OLF, the ONLF who are the causes and perpetrators of the ethnic cleansing? It is obviously clear that the opposition media is a failed media operated by mentally corrupted individuals, who have no idea how to exploit news to challenge the repressive system they claim to oppose. We have few handful clicks who claim from petty bourgeoisie intelligentsia circle that comes with weekly article/commentary, overloaded articles in defense of one individual leader or individual artist who is incarcerated by the regime, while ignoring or dealt slightly on their commentaries in regard to the suffering of the people at large. What we are witnessing is a corrupt intelligentsia sector that is running around doggish like a chicken its head cut off in search of popularity after sleeping for years in comfort or coming out fresh few years from serving the repressive system. Sadly, we have some shameless opposition leaders like that of G7 who are trying to colonize the brain of the lost Diaspora community all over the glob by cleverly unplugging the oxygen of unity that was made by the restless effort of the patriotic leaders of EPRP and its members and other zealous Ethiopian patriot individuals. The failed opposition media owned by individuals is not largely to be blamed. What it might amaze you is how hopeless and so poorly the so called Ethiopian Journalist Association is organized. This last/past week somebody forwarded email to me that plea for financial support to a member of the media who is suffering by kidney frailer living in exile Yemen Sana’a. His name is Tamrat Serbessa. Though, it is not my first time to support financially or emotionally to those our brother journalists in Yemen, as I saw the email- I was taken by it. My heart just palpitated, so sad and angry at TPLF. I promised to help the brother in Yemen. I talk to a friend who lives in San Jose, if he can share with me to send this brother some money. He agreed with me and we have an appointment to meet for the coming Saturday on how to send the money. I tried to contact some more people that I saw their names forwarded to me in the email. None replied/react.
I tried to contact Ethimediaforum.Org editors Ato Kinfu Asefa and Ato Dawit Kebede, Abraha Belay and Ato Kifle Mulat to guide me how I can safely send the money to Yemen. None of them responded or even react to my email. They simply ignored it! I will present you the sample of the email I wrote to them so that you will judge how the Ethiopian Journalist Association in the Diaspora is poorly organized.
The following two sample emails posted under are among the dozen of emails from the ill Journalist seeking help guiding me to contact Dawit Kebede’s and Kinfu’s and Kifle Mulat’s and other journalist members email how to safely transfer the money I am willing to send him. Before that read my email send to Ethioforum.org editor. And Ato Dawit kebede and Ato Abraha Belay of Ethiomedia. None of them react to my email regardless I appealed to them pushing aside our differences and cooperate on issue of such as this one.-----Original Message-----From: getachre@aol.comTo: serbessabiru@hotmail.com; media.emf@gmail.comtamirugeda@yahoo.com; aklilu35@yahoo.com; editor@ethiomedia.com; Ethiolion@ethiolion.com; ethiopatriots@gmail.comSent: Mon, Aug 10, 2009 11:05 am Subject: Re: e_mail address
Selam Ato Kinfu;(Ethioforum.org)Though, I know we have a rough communication between you and due to some misunderstandings among each other due to the politics of the time. Regardless, we have a common issue that makes us talk. One of the issues is the following. If you recall few years back, I pledge some money to the Ethiopian journalists in Yemen through the association. This time the Journalist Association Ato Kifle Mulat seems to be found no where though I repeatedly contacted him through his given email to me to ask him how we can help his members in Yemen. Any way, some one from them a former president of the association contacted me to contact Dawit Kebede or you how I can give you the money Tamrat Serbessa is asking (he is sick and suffering from Kidney problem). Can you provide me Dawit kebede or some one responsible to contact, so that I can send him money? It is sad the Journalist Association is mediocre. I have to prepare a commentary about this issue to the public how lazy the media opposition association is disorganized. The Musician Association is much organized than the Kifle lead organization to my understanding. Any way, please contact me. Getachre@AOL.com Getachew Reda http://www.ethiopiansemay.blogspot.com/ Please read the following; also from the Ethiopian journalist seeking our help crying in the name of god for help.
“-----Dearest Getachew my heartiest greetings.endat newa yn Dawit means new information hule? I will wait. My brother, one of kindly man.Sorry, an Ethiopian journalist.God bless you and all your family.Tamerat serbessa” (Highlited with color added mine). And the other email reads this way.
Dearest Dawit and Kinfu greetings.please Dawit and Kinfu now again big problem please contact our brother Getachew is help me one Ethiopia journalist reptrnstivecontact please again Dawit and Kinfu contact the name of God Tamerat-Yemen Sanna E-mail address GetachRe@aol.com
We have also a huge problem that we faced from the nihilists and their media glorifiers who pushed self-hatred politics of self-determination, nation, nationality, on different media and Pal Talks ill-informed citizens caught in the shell of ethnocentrism, It is also sad that Abraha Belay and G7 and the likes are for such propaganda and principle. Gebru Asrat of Arena is now Abraha Belay’s icon. Arena party is nothing but the other side /version of TPLF. As Dr.Hagos Gebre Yesus putted it “Self determination is reduced, logically enough to “nothing else” the right for each and every group to separate itself not only from the “Amhara nation” and the “Tigray nation”, but also from the rest….in one word, not only do they insist that Ethiopia must be broken up into 10 or 100 nations, but that each “PEOPLE” WITHIN EACH OF THESE “nations” must have the “right” to, in effect, further atomize themselves to the last clan or family. Only thus, we are assured,.self determines itself and live happily ever after. …….Put quite simply, this ideology of national self-hatred…is the recipe cooked by the declassed section of the petty –bourgeoisie whose constituent elements are like many chickens running around with their heads cut off.” (Hagos Gebre Yesus- Commentary on the Ideology and Politics of national Nihilism). Indeed, this virus of self hate is what is causing the current 12,000 Amhara peasants made deported from their own land and country. Anti Amhara is on the rise for the last 18 years- Amhara women are degraded and singled for prostitution on opposition media, the Amhara are the target ever since the racist Tigray Liberation Front seized power in Ethiopia. Separatist students are all over the university and public offices on the rise, Islamic extremist are breeding at a large paste in Ethiopia, burning churches, slaughtering priests and Christians. To our shame the so called opposition media is engaged only promoting the self server petty bourgeoisies intelligentsia. TPLF as we know is determined to escalate the ethnic cleansing conflict since 1991. Its determination to violate the Rights of Ethiopians knows no bounds. Few years back An observer said the”TPLF’s divisive policies have triggered a backlash effect, and ignited a spirit of Ethiopian patriotism and nationalism…which had perhaps not manifested itself with the same intensity since the (Fascist) Italian war…”. I disagree with the gentleman’s statement since I have never seen such intensity either in the opposition owned media or among the people itself. The opposition inside or outside the country is going through fragmented division like an amoeba cell let alone to intensify Ethiopian patriotism among the people. There is one opposition remained a hope for us, and we are hoping to do what is doing currently. We have a situation of disunity; we have a situation of petty bourgeois intelligentsia taking advantage of the black out media to promote its personal glorification. We have a situation at hand going on ethnic cleansing in mass!!!!None what so vever showed pan Ethiopianism cry in the country. What went wrong? In 1992 submitted a report from the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (RCHO (III Report, July 16,1992) received report from the Christian Association of Tich, Sude, Ameya, and Seru Weredas (Arsi Province) in Kulu,Derreba and Diksis towns the Christian population has been prevented from engaging in trade with the Muslims and from going to the market,- the flour mill of the Amharic speaking and other Christians has been stolen away and the Christians are prevented from using the four mills the Muslims, Christians have been massacred, and many were detained and their property looted.
What about this month? These anti Amhara propaganda not only continue to this day, but, the same type of horrendous deportation that was taking place almost in all OLF and now OPDO occupied territories are repeated. We know from the early reports of Professor Asrat- “in order to create the favorite precondition for massacre and deportation, Amharas have been disarmed by government order. And today the defenseless Amhras in what ever part of Ethiopia they may be living, are being hunted like animals, assembled and slaughtered” (Professor Asrat).
Where is the opposition media? Can the petty bourgeoisie elite and their media explained to us why they excluded the 12,000 Amharic speaking Christian and Islam Ethiopian victims of racism from their commentary, when they dedicated their pen to offer emotional support to Obama administration? Can Abraha Belay of Ethiomedia explain to the public why his undying love for his Tigrayan people failed to ignite his heart to show the undying love he claimed when it comes to the Amahric speaking Ethiopians? Doesn’t such ignorance illustrated what the bible says “A Dog Return to its Vomit”? You the people need to stand up and learn how challenge the handful petty bourgeoisie elite’s circle that is busy glorifying “petty bourgeoisie image” in the mist of the nation’s darkest age. The price of not speaking up for hesitation has been enormous. Enough! Is Enough! We had enough of this mediocre media game of glorifying image elites. The people of Ethiopia are desperate of a real media who can cry and speak for them at this time of their hardest life! Getachew Reda http://www.ethiopiansemay.blogspot.com/

Sunday, August 9, 2009

An Eritrean Journalist’s prescription to the Issue of the Ethiopian and Eritrean People

The unfortunate and the long ordeal of Eritrea and Ethiopia issues that still lingering without any viable solution to the problem that started since the invasion of Ethiopian territory by colonialist Italia in the18th Century is still a hot issue even after the so called “Eritrean Independent” asserted by conspiracy, and force. We have been told over and over by the two (EPLF/TPLF) Imperialist/Arab puppets, that if their Europeanized/ civilized pasta eater Eritrea is separated from “the bare footed, Gojjo living and Injjera eater feudalistic Ethiopia”,-“peace, prosperity and friendly atmosphere will prevail in both countries”. Eritrea is now registered as an independent country for the last 18 years. With in those years, Eritrea or Ethiopia never had no peace, no friendly atmosphere. What witnessed in 18 years of Eritrean and Ethiopian relation was “a savage war and bitter animosity” towards each other. It is now crystal clear what was been promised by the two liberation fronts namely EPLF (Eritrea) and TPLF of Tigray (Ethiopia) is contrary to what they lied publicly.
As the consequence of their lie, the safety, freedom and national survival of the two people is threaten from inside and outside threats. As the result of bad and abusive leaders of both Eritreans and Ethiopians, for the last 18 years people on both sides of the border are forced to immigrate all over the world living in exile as slave, in some cases worst than the life of a slave. In short, demoralized, dehumanized, unsecured and frightened new generation is emerging
(in case of Ethiopia , please visit, Ethiopatriots.com or Ethiolion.com to listen the audio posted ob both of these patriotic Ethiopian websites, who grabbed the news broadcasted from the German Amharic radio regarding a new round of the 12, 000 Amhara peasants’ ethnic cleansing, suffering from forced deportation, currently sleeping sheltered in one of the school buildings in Addis Ababa with no food and water , children starved to death and the government of TPLF who is perpetrated the ethnic cleansing seemed to be happy seeing its mission on action. Thanks both websites for posting the audio when others ignored the news while their media busy publicizing mediocre individual opposition leader’s publicity. Indeed sad!!!!! )
The two liberation fronts (EPLF and TPLF) as you know are fascistic in nature and communistic in ideology and gave us homicidal regimes of Isayas Afewerki of Eritrea and Meles Zenawi of Tigray /Ethiopia. Both parties taught the young and misinformed society, a destructive false words and analogies in the diagnosis of our country’s ills. “The use of false words and analogies such as “colonized”, “Cushitic” and “Semitic” to describe relations among Ethiopians precipitated us into denying our common history and shared identity, and like all falsehoods, led us down the path of self-destruction.” (Ethiopian Register- Editorial Feb/1998) The two brothers and sisters of Tigray (Ethiopia) and Eritrean people are disoriented and ill informed by these despotic, racist liberation front leaders and their cadres for many years to mobilize and recruit them to the game of killing and hate. No rational mind can deny the shared history, the oneness, the blood relation, the intermarriage and interaction carried ever sine history registered it. Unfortunately, we now know how lies and distortions of the so called liberation fronts of both sides of the land (TPLF and EPLF) brought a destructive end of the two people. After witnessing the separation and hate perpetrated by the two irresponsible thugs, many concluded that if people of both sides followed such a destructive trend for the few coming years without changing a new rout, and a new thinking,-“worst poverty, hunger, war, exile, and conflict” could take place and that could breed a chaotic and anarchic society like that of a neighboring Somalia. What is the solution and prescription to stop such continues distraction and conflict of both sides of the people? Well, many people came with different ideas and solution of their own. Some say Con-Federation, some thinking of Federation, some say total unification of both people can only deliver final peace and prosperity to the warring sides. Few months back, there was a conference held in San Jose, California where I live regarding this issue hosted by Ethiopians, where Ethiopians and Eritrean guest speaker like that of a genuine, humble , outgoing personality and a distinguished scholar Prof. Dr. Tesfatsion Medhanie from University of Bremen, German. After such conference ,the connive TPLF also did carried a similar Ethio/Eritrean conference, right after we carried ours down here in San Jose (U.S.A), aimed to hijack and destroy the wholly mission we started. The sabotage kind of conference was taken place in Shire (Endasilassie- Tigray). The participants came from Eritrean opposition {so called Eritrean Opposition Aligns- TPLF stooges/TPLF’s propaganda department. One will be wonder why I labeled some personalities among them as such have my own reason. - All you need to do is listen to their interviews and press papers- one will find them talking or defending how TPLF is developing Ethiopia/Tigray, how TPLF is a Democratic regime or how Kinjit is the collection of chauvinist Amhara, anti Eritrea or how Kinijit/opposition is NefteNnga…..etc, etc-}.
, and some refugees (from Shimeliba shelter camp) and also some Tigrayans from TPLF members and the sympathizers. The conference took place in Tigray was coordinated by TPLF Tigray “State”, and its cadres to hijack our mission. Its mission is clearly understood, and it was designed to destroy and exploit the good mission that is trying to bring both people together (You all know that TPLF thuggish leaders- never wanted the unity of both people) in the harmonious way possible. Surprising also, our mission is not only copied by TPLF government of Meles, but also by EPLF government of Isayas Afewerki. The EPLF government is going to hold its own similar conference For August 15, 2009 in Oakland California. The guest panelists are Ato Elias Kifle from Ethiopian Review {the host described him as: Addis Abeba born”while stated others nothing of such specification of which city or country they were born}, Prof. Dr. Ahmed I. Samatar (Macalester College) (Somalian) and Dr. Lako Tongun (Pitzer College) (Sudanese) and Dr. Dr. Awet T. Weldemichael (Eritrean).
Each is trying to hijack our mission to their destructive roll. We know that, two of these liberation fronts (TPLF/EPLF) can’t be a solution for the problem, since they are the source and the double breeder of the problem. The source can’t be the solution for the problem, unless both obeyed “miraculously” to the people’s will and give back what they snatched from the people. The people already said “enough is enough!” Eighteen years is a long year for the two parties to show a significant change in both sides of the people. Unfortunately, these are junkies from the jungle that uses gun to implement governance issue. Therefore two of them can’t be conceder serious sectors to bring a notable and worthy reconciliation of the two people. It clear by now that these thuggish leaders survival stick with conflict of both people, not unity of the people. We have seen sides of the TPLF and EPLF cadres, how they are now agitated and felt nervousness after the genuine Ethiopians and Eritreans scholars and ordinary citizens of both sides of the people started to reshape and bring a new rout to the Ethio/Eritrean relation. As you recall Isyas Afewerki called the San Jose Ethio/Eritrea conference “positive” but, he also called us “TPLF cadres” (what a ridiculous fellow!). No matter how these two thuggish parties tried to talk about Eritrean and Ethiopian friendship, we do not think any of the two jungle tyrants (EPLF and TPLF) will bring a solution to the poor people as these fronts are the primary cause of their misery and abuse. In a single phrase “they have been in power for 18 years, where every facilitation (money, personnel, power, diplomacy, media,) is on their possession where none of it implemented for a positive construction of the two people. Instead, they used it for destruction and war. And therefore failed! And failed miserably! Therefore, simply “are not credible to bring these two abused society together as one brother and sisters”! Hence, let us search other Eritreans idea and new rout that they think is the way out. To those who were been following the Eritrean issues closely all these years to bring solution to the problem, I am sure, you might have few genuine Eritrean scholars that you know who came out with effective prescription to solve the dilemma of the Eritrean Ethiopian issue. Among them, today, I will bring you a young Eritrean journalist Mr. Milkias Mehreteab once a Lawyer, Judge, President of Eritrean Independent Journalists Union in Eritrea-now in exile and disappointed by the EPLF government calling itself PFDJ. I currently read Mikias’s articles here and there in Asmarino.com and I am hoping to interview him live in the future regarding his view of the Eritrean Ethiopian relation and his prescription and how he sees the present effort of conferences that is going on by TPLF and EPLF regarding Ethio/Eritrean reconciliation. Till then, I will bring you his view regarding Ethio/Eritrea relation from his interview back in November 2002 with the English paper “Ethiopian Mirror” based in Los Angeles. Milkiest Mehreteab was the editor and publisher of the Kestedamena (Tigringa paper) in Eritrea before he fled to exile. Milkias was born in Asmara and learn his elementary and high school in Addis Ababa. In 1991, he returned to Asmara/Eritrea attended Asmara University Law School and earned LLB. After his graduation, he worked as magistrate, assistant judge and attorney in Karen and Asmara. After he launched his Kestedamena in 1998, he also was elected as president of the Eritrean Independent Journalists Union in 1999. He won different awards for excellence journalism from different world wide organization along with the Ethiopian Independent Journalist Ato Kifle Mulat. His interview with Ethiopian Mirror then in 2002 follows and read the interview for your file , since his view and prescription regarding the two people is an excellent solution which all mature people of the two side need to take it seriously if one wants to see a stable peace and prosperity in the area. Here is the interview. EThiopian Mirror-, what is your suggestion to bring the brotherly Eritrean and Ethiopian people together? Mihreteab, - Very good and important question. My suggestion and I think the solution is the final unity of the two but one people. I conceder the so called independence as an artificial one just as in the East and West Germany’s and North and South Yemen and other places where division was created forcefully from outside forces under the gun. Historically, Eritrea is more Ethiopian than say Sidama or Gamogfa is. Adulis (Eritrea) was the cradle of the Abyssinian civilization along with Axum and Gondar (Ethiopia). There is absolutely no difference between the different Ethiopian and Eritrean Nationalities. For example, the Tigre in the lowlands speak a language known as Tigre which is directly descended from Ge’ez, the Blen came from Agew Meder and Lasta. Most of the highlanders came from Tigray and Amhara highlands. The Gurages trace their ancestries from a place known as Gura in Akale Guzai, the name Begemeder comes from the name Beja Meder (The Beja tribe are in the border of Eritrea and Sudan). Honestly speaking the commonalities between the two peoples are much higher than say two tribes in one country such as India. It is true the past regimes have been cruel and dictatorial and have exploited the grievances of the local people to create a wedge between a various people in order to dived and rule comfortably. The past regimes, especially the Dergue massacred countless Eritreans, but it has to be remembered the Dergue killed more Ethiopians than Eritreans. Hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians youth were killed and the Dergue’s killing machine was not discriminatory. The Dergue destroyed equally the Amharas, Aderes, Gurages, Oromos, Tigrayans etc…It is true also the Haileselassie Regime violated the Federation imposed by the UN and many crimes were committed by Haileselassie and the Dergue regimes. How ever this should not be the sole reason for a total scission. Now, formerly bitter enemy people and states such as Germany, France, Britain, Denmark, and Portugal….etc... are uniting. All over the world, the motto is unity because it is the way to prosperity and even survival. Look at the US. 50 big states with annual income and GDP greater than many so called independent countries but are united under one flag and government. Look where it took them. The US is now the leader of the world in almost every aspect imagine, Eritrea and Ethiopia united with vast amounts of resources and manpower how beautiful it could be for all concerned. Sadly, first the current Ethiopian Government made a big mistake in letting Isayas usurp the Eritrean people’s aspiration for his personal use. My greatest opposition to the current is that it didn’t take into consideration the wishes and history of many Eritreans who paid dearly for the existence and independence of Ethiopia. The EPRDF regime literally destroyed the great history of Eritrean patriots such as Zerai Deres, Abraham Deboch, Belay HaileAb Megos Asgedom, Bahta Hagos and thousands of others. I want to emphasize that for example it is only in Eritrea people that name their daughters “Ethiopia” and still now you can see many people bearing that name. During the deportation the Ethiopian government deported inhumanely many Ethiopian of Eritrean dissent who lived in Ethiopia for generations. It expelled children of Aman Andoms’, Zerai Deres’ and Dej Abera Hailus’, who were patriotic Ethiopians lived and died for Ethiopa. I strongly oppose both EPRDF in Ethiopia and the PFDJ in Eritrea for twisting history for their own cause. I oppose more the EPRDF in Ethiopia, because it literally denied its Ethiopianes and handed over a country and its people to a brutal dictator without giving any consideration to the people on both sides. Whether we like it or not the unity of these two brothers is coming and as the currently State Department held conferences regarding confederation in Florida suggests even the International Community is coming to its senses and is realizing its mistakes. So, I suggest to the Ethiopian government currently in power not to deny to people who advocate for unity of both countries instead of torturing and harassing people who have such ideas, it should entertain possibly embrace them because both the EPRDF and PFDJ cannot for ever suppress people’s aspiration and will. I pray to see such a day. I think both governments in Addis and in Asmara are almost the same in their structure, attitude towards the opposition and dissent, free press, etc. Until recently both were hardliners Marxist Leninist groups. So, they have no stomach for other ideas and viewpoints, that are why many people are arrested, tortured disappeared from both Ethiopia and Eritrea. The over all solution is when people are given the chance to elect and remove their government representatives and leaders as they deem necessary. In other words leaders should start being civil servants not the other way round. During the last decade till now, Eritreans and Ethiopians been led by groups literally came from the bushes and captured the capital city (the power base). The people of both countries were never really given a chance to express themselves. They are under the gun for sometimes but you cannot go on like that forever and the results have been disastrous so far.” Milkias MehreteAb (Eritrean Journalist interview excerpt from Ethiopian Mirror based in Los Angeles, from the November 2002 publication page 8)//-/ Ethiopiansemay.blogspot.com