የ2007 የመንግሰት በጀት ሚስጥር … በግርማ ሰይፉ (የፓርላማ አባል)

June , 2014 - ትንታኔ

የኢትዮጵያ በጀት በደንብ አድርጎ ለመረመረው ሀገሪቱ ያለችበትን ፖለቲካ ሁኔታ የሚያሳይ ነው፡፡ ይህም ማለት በበጀቱ ውስጥ የቻይና፣ ምዕራባዊያን ሀገሮች እንዲሁም የምዕራብ ሀገሮች ይዞታ የሚባሉት አለም አቀፍ ባንኮች እጅ በግልፅ የሚታይ ነው፡፡ እንደምታውቁት መንግሰት ለ2007 ዓመተ ምህረት ያቀረበው በጀት ብር 178.6 ቢሊዮን ነው፡፡ ዘጠኝ ቢሊዮን የአሜሪካ ዶላር አካባቢ ማለት ነው፡፡ መደበኛው ወጪ እና የክልሎች ድጋፍ ሙሉ በሙሉ በሀገር ውስጥ የሚሸፈን ሲሆን ዋና ዋና የካፒታል በጀት ደግሞ ከመደበኛ ወጪ እና ክልሎች ድጋፍ ከሚተርፈው አነሰተኛ የሀገር ውስጥ ገቢ እና ለበጀት ጉድለት ለመሸፈን ከታሰበው ከሀገር ውስጥ ባንኮች ብድር ይሸፈናል ተብሎ የሚጠበቅ ነው፡፡ ከአጠቃላይ በጀቱ 19.2 በመቶ ከእርዳታና ብድር ይሸፈናል በዝርዝር ሲታይ ግን የመደበኛ በጀቱ 21.8 ከመቶ፣ የካፒታል በጀቱ ደግሞ 36.5 ከመቶ የሚሸፈነው ከብድርና እርዳታ ነው፡፡

ስንት ሰው እንደሚያስታውስ ባላውቅም የቀድሞ አዲስ ጉዳይ ጋዜጣ (ሁሌም ጋዜጣ ሳስብ የሚናፍቀኝ) በአንድ ወቅት የቀረበን በጀት ይህ በጀት ኢትዮጵያዊ በጀት ነው ወይ? የሚል ጥያቄ አንሰቶ ነበር፡፡ የበጀትን ዜግነት የጠየቀበት ገፊ ምክንያት በዚያን ሰሞን መወያያ፤ በአሁኑ ጊዜ ጠርናፊ ህግ የሆነውን የሲቪል ማህበራት ህግ ነበር፡፡ ይህ አፋኝ ህግ ማነኛውም በኢትዮጵያ ውስጥ የሚንቀሳቀስ ሰቪል ማህበር በጀቱ ከአስር በመቶ በላይ ከውጭ ከሆነ ኢትዮጵያዊ አይደለም ነው የሚለው፡፡ አሁን በሀገራችን የሚንቀሳቀሱት ብዙዎች መንግሰታዊ ያልሆኑ ድርጅቶች የተመዘገቡት በኢትዮጵያዊነት ሳይሆን “ረዚደንት” በሚል ቅፅል ነው፡፡ አዲስ ጉዳይ ጋዜጣ ይህን በጠየቀበት ወቅት የሀገሪቱ በጀት ከ40 በመቶ በላይ ከውጭ እርዳታ ሰለነበር ይህ መንግሰት ይህን ያህል ከውጭ የሚያገኝ ከሆነ ኢትዮጵያዊ አይደለም የሚል መከራከሪያ ይዞ ወጥቶ ነበር፡፡ ይህን ሰፋ አድርገው በመተርጎም አንድ አንድ ሰዎች የገቢ ምንጭ ዜግነት የሚወስን ከሆነ ብዙ ኢትዮጵያዊያን ከውጭ ከሚኖሩ ዘመዶቻቸው በሚላክላቸው ገንዘብ የሚተዳደሩ ስለሆነ ዜግነታቸው ኢትዮጵያዊ መሆን የለበትም ብለው ነበር፡፡ ስላቅ መሆኑ ነው፡፡ ያለበለዚያ ደግሞ የሚልኩላቸው ዘመዶቻቸው ዜግነት ያልቀየሩ በመኖሪያ ፍቃድ (ረዚደንት) የሚኖሩ መሆናቸውን ማረጋገጥ ይጠበቅባቸዋል፡፡

የሰዎችን ወይም የድርጅቶችን ዜግነት ኢትዮጵያዊ ወይም የውጭ ለማድረግ የገቢ ምንጭ መስፈርት መሆን የለበትም የሚለውን መከራከሪያ መንግሰት በዋዛ ያለፈው እንዳይመስላችሁ፡፡ መፍትሔ ብሎ የያዘው በተቻለ መጠን መንግሰት በጀቱን በመከፋፈል እና የተወሰኑት ወደ ጎን በማድረግ የብድርና የእርዳታ ገንዘቡ እንዳይታይ ማድረግ ነው፡፡ ለዚህም ነው መንግሰት ከፍተኛ መዋለ ንዋይ ከሚፈስባቸው የመሰረተ ልማቶች ውስጥ ዋና ዋና የሆኑትን ለምሳሌ እነ ቴሌ፣ መብራት ሀይል፣ ባቡር፣ የመሳሰሉት በሪፖርት ውሰጥ በስፋት እንደሰኬት ተካተው በበጀት ውስጥ ግን አይታዩም፡፡ ሉሎች ፋብሪካዎች ለምሳሌ ስኳር ፋብሪካ፣ ማዳበሪያ ፋብሪካ የመሳሰሉት ትልልቅ የመንግሰት ፕሮጀክቶቸ በበጀት ውስጥ የሉም፡፡ እነዚህ ከፍተኛ መዋለ ንዋይ የፈሰሰላቸው የመንግሰት ኢንቨስትመንቶች ከበጀት ውሰጥ እንዲወጡ የተደረጉት ደግሞ ብዙዎች በብድር የሚሰሩ ናቸው፡፡ የእነዚህ ፕሮጀክቶች የብድር ሂሣብ በበጀት ውስጥ ቢደመር የመንግሰትን በጀት ዜግነቱ ኢትዮጵያዊ ላይሆን ነው ማለት ነው፡፡ ለነገሩ በሲቪል ማህበራት ትርጉም እነዚህ ሁሉ ተቀንሰው አሁን የቀረበው የመነግሰት በጀት ኢትዮጵያዊ በሚያደርገው ደረጃ ላይ አይለም፡፡ ምክንያቱም ከአጠቃላይ በጀቱ 19.2 በመቶ ከውጭ ብድርና እርዳታ የሚገኝ ስለሆነ ማለት ነው፡፡

መንግስት በበጀት ውስጥ ያካተታቸው በእርዳታና ብድር የተገኙ አብዘኞቹ የካፒታል ወጪዎች ለኤኮኖሚ ሴክተር መንገድ፣ ግብርና እና ውሃ ሲሆን፤ እርዳታው ደግሞ ለጤናው ሴክተር የተመደበ ነው፡፡ የእነዚህ ገንዘቦች ዋናኛ ምንጮች ደግሞ የኒዎ ሊብራል አራማጆች የሚባሉት መንግሰታት እና የእነዚሁ መንግሰታት ይዞታ ናቸው የሚባሉት ባንኮች የሰጧቸው ብድሮች ናቸው፡፡ እነዚህ መንግሰታት እና በቁጥጥራቸው ስር ያሉት የፋይናንስ ተቋማት ኢትዮጵያዊያን ጤናቸው እንዲጠበቅ የተሻለ መንገድ እንዲኖረን፣ ምርታማ ግብርና እንዲሁም ንፁህ ውሃ እንዲኖረን ዕርዳታና ብድር እየሰጡን፤ በሌላ በኩል ደግሞ ብጥብጥ እንዲነሳ የቀለም አብዮት ይደግፋሉ ብሎ ስጋት ውስጥ መውደቅ አይቃረንም ወይ? ይህ በእውነት የአብዮታዊ ዲሚክራሲ ወይም የልማታዊ መንግሰት ቅዠት ይመስለኛል፡፡

በጣም የሚያስገርመው ደግሞ በዋነኝነት ከፍተኛ እርዳታ የሚሰጡን መንግሰታዊ ባልሆኑ ድርጅቶች በኩል አድርገው በቀለም አብዮት ሊያጠፉን ነው የሚባሉት የኒዎ ሊብራል አራማጅ ተብለው የተፈረጁት ሀገሮች መንግሰታት ናቸው፡፡ ከነዚህ ውሰጥ ቻይና እንደ መንግስት የምትሰጠን እርዳታ በሀገር ውስጥ ከውጭ ሀገር ዜጎች ምዝገባና የስራ ፈቃደ ከምናገኛው ያንሳል፡፡ ከሌሎቹ ሀገራት ጋር ሲነፃፀር ደግሞ ከአንድ መቶኛ ያነሰ ነው፡፡ ቻይና ሀገራችን በበጀት ውስጥ ከተካተተው ብድር ከ59 በመቶ በላይ ሰጥታናለች፡፡ ይህ ቻይና የሰጠችን ብድር ብዙ ስለሆነ ሳይሆን መንግሰታት ለኢትዮጵያ የሰጡት ብድር እጅግ ዝቅተኛ ከመሆኑ የመጣ ከፍተኛ የመቶኛ ድርሻ ነው፡፡ ቻይና በጀት ውስጥ ባልገባው ብድር ከፍተኛ አበዳሪያችን ነች፡፡ የቻይና ብድር በዋነኝነት በበጀት ውስጥ ባለተካተቱት ከፍተኛ የመንግሰት የመሰረተ ልማቶች እና የኤኮኖሚ ሴክተሮች ላይ ነው፡፡ ለምሳሌ ከበጀት እንዲወጣ የተደረገውን የቴሌን ማስፋፊያ ብቻ ብንወሰድ ወደ 32 ቢሊዮን ብር ወይም 1.6 ቢሊዮን በላይ የአሜሪካን ዶላር በ2007 በጀት ተብሎ የተያዘውን 18 ከመቶ ይሆናል፡፡ ይህ ገንዘብ በጀት ውስጥ ቢታይ እና የመንግሰትን የዜግነት መስፈርት ብንጠቀም መንግሰት ኢትዮጵያዊ ነው ለማለት ይቻላል ወይ? በጀት የመንግሰትን አቅም የሚያሳይ መለኪያ ነው በሚለው ልማዳዊ መለኪያ ለመጠቀም ለሚፈልግ ለቀጣይ ዓመት የቀረበው በጀት ትክክለኛውን የመንግስት ጡንቻ የሚያሳይ ነው ብለን ለመውሰድ እንቸገራለን፡፡

የኢኮኖሚና ፋይናንስ ሚኒሰትሩ አቶ ሶፊያ አህመድ በዚህ ጉዳይ በተደጋጋሚ በግንባር ቀደምነት የሚያነሱት የኢትዮጵያ አየር መንገድን ነው፡፡ የኢትዮጵያ አየር መንገድ በዕዝ ኢኮኖሚ በሚባለው በደርግም ጊዜ ቢሆን ሪፖርቱን በይፋ ያቀርባል አቶ ሶፊያ ግን ይህን እንዲያደርግ ያለበትን ዓለማ አቀፋዊ ጫና የምንረዳ አይመስላቸውም፡፡ ያለበለዚያ ቦይንግ መግዣ ገንዘብ ሊገኝ እንደማይችል ግልፅ ነው፡፡ አሁን እኛ የግልፅነት ችግር አለባቸው እያልን ያለነው የብረታ ብረትና ኢንጂነሪን የሚባለው አስማተኛ ድርጅት የሚሰራው ሰራ የሚያገኘው ገቢና ወጪው በግልፅ አይታወቅም ነው፡፡ እጅግ ብዙ ሀብት ፈሶበትም የሚያመጣው ትርፍ ተመጣጣኝ አይደለም እያልን ነው፡፡ በቅርቡ ከመንግሰት ድርጅቶች ይገዛው የነበረውን የወዳደቁ ብረቶች ግዢ እንዲያቆም መታዘዙ ይታወቃል፡፡ ለምን? የፀረ ሙስና እና ሰነምግባር ኮሚሸን እነዚህ ተቋማት ለምዝበራ የተጋለጡ እንደሆነ ሪፖርት አቅርቧል፡፡ ለነገሩ ይህ ድርጅት ተጠሪነቱም ለመንግሰት የልማት ድርጅት አይደለም፡፡ ሌሎቹም ኮርፖሬሽኖች ለምሳሌ የሰኳር ኮርፖሬሽን ስር ነው የሚባለው ተንዳሆ የሰኳር ፕሮጀክት ያለበትን ጉድ የማያውቅ ያለ አይመስለኝም፡፡

በጀት ውስጥ የገባውን የመከላከያ በጀት ስንመለከት ደግሞ በየሳምንቱ እሁድ በሚያቀርበው የቴሌቪዥን ፕሮግራ በነፃ ገበያ ሰርዓት እየተወዳደረ መነገዱን ቢነግረንም፡፡ በግልፅና በሰውር የሚሰራቸው የገቢ ማስገኛ ገንዘቦች እንዳሉት እየታወቀ ከውስጥ ገቢ የሚባል አንድም የገቢ ርዕስ በጀቱ ላይ አይታይም፡፡ ስለዚህ የኢትዮጵያ የመከላከያ በጀት ይህ ብቻ ነው ብሎ ለመውሰድ አይቻልም፡፡ የመንግሰት ጡንቻ በመከላከያ በኩል ከዚህ እንደሚበልጥ ለማወቅ ደግሞ ልዩ እውቀት አይጠይቅም፡፡ ለዚህ ነው የመንግሰትን ትክክለኛ ቁመና የሚያሳይ በጀት አይደለም የምንለው፡፡

እነዚህ እርዳታ እየሰጡን ብድር የማይሰጡን መንግሰታት ምክንያታቸው ምንድነው? ብሎ መጠየቅም ተገቢ ይመሰለኛል፡፡ በኒዮ ሊብራል አሰተሳሰብ ተፈርጀው ሀገራችን ላይ የቀለም አብዮት ሊያመጡ ያሴራሉ የሚባሉት ሀገራት በዋና ዋና የንግድ እና ኢንቨስትምነት ውስጥ እጃቸውን ለማስገባት ወደኋላ ያሉት ለምንድነው? በተቃራኒው ደግሞ ቻይና በእነዚህ ወሳኝ የኤኮኖሚና የንግድ ኢንቨስትመንት ውስጥ እጇን በሰፊው የምትዘረጋው ለምንድነው? ብሎ መጠየቅ እና መልስ መሻት ግድ ይላል፡፡

በእኔ እምነት የምዕራባዊያን መንግሰታት በኢትዮጵያ ውስጥ ባሉ የኢኮኖሚ መስኮች ውስጥ ለመሳተፍ ውሳኔ የሚሰጡት መንግሰታት ሳይሆኑ በየሀገሮቻቸው ያሉት የግል ባለሀብቶች ናቸው፡፡ የመንግሰታት ድርሻ ለባለሀብቶች ትክክለኛ መረጃ እንዲደርሳቸው ማድረግ እና ተገቢውን ከለላ መስጠት ነው፡፡ የግል ባለሀብቶች ደግሞ መረጃ የሚያገኙት ከኢቲቪ አይደለም፡፡ በተለያየ መልኩ በሀገራችን ያለውን ሁኔታ አብጠርጥረው ያውቁታል፡፡ እንደ ምሳሌ በቅርቡ በኦሮሚያ ክልል በሚገኙ ዩኒቨርሲቲዎች የተከሰተው ዓይነት ብሔርን መሰረት ያደረገ ብጥብጥ ከፍተኛ ትርጉም አለው፡፡ አንድ አንዶች እንደሚያስቡት በአዲስ አበባ እና በዙሪያዋ ያሉ ከተሞች የተቀናጀ ማሰትር ፕላን ዝግጅት ነው ብለው አይወስዱትም፡፡ የዓለም አቀፍ የሰብዓዊ መብት ተከራካሪዎችና የሰጋት ደረጃ የሚተነትኑ ድርጅቶች የሚያወጧቸው ሪፖርቶች ትርጉማቸው ከፍ ያለ ነው፡፡ በሀገሪቱ ውሰጥ ያለው የዲሞክራሲያዊ ሰርዓት በተለይም በየምርጫ ወቀት የሚፈጠሩ ሰጋቶች፤ መንግሰት የሚያወጣቸው አዋጆች፣ ደንቦች እና መመሪያዎች ተገማችነት፤ በአጠቃላይ ለኢንቨስትመንት ያለው ምቹ ሁኔታ ወሳኝ ግብዓቶች ናቸው፡፡ ዝም ብሎ በኢቲቪ የሚለፈፍ የገፅታ ግንባታ ፕሮፓጋንዳ ተጠቅመው የኢንቨስትምነት ውሳኔ አይሰጡም፡፡

በተቃራኒው የቻይና መንግሰት በከፍተኛ ደረጃ አፍሪካን ለመቆጣጠር ባለው ፍላጎት መነሻ እንዲሁም ውሳኔ የሚሰጡት የግል ባለሀብቶች ሳይሆን የቻይና መንግሰት በመሆኑ ውሳኔዎች በአብዛኛው ኤኮኖሚያዊ አዋጭነት ብቻ ሳይሆኑ የፖለቲካ ጭምር ናቸው፡፡ በአሁኑ ጊዜ ቻይና በዓለም ላይ ከፍተኛ ብድር ሰጪ ሀገር ነች፡፡ ለአማሪካ ጭምር፡፡ በቻይና የግል ሴክተሮች በዓለም አቀፍ ደረጃ ኢንቨስት ለማድረግ ገና አልደረሱም፡፡ ቻይና እንደ ሀገር ያላትን ከፍተኛ ቁጠባ በዓለም ላይ ኢንቨስት ለማድረግ እየተጠቀመችበት ነው፡፡ ቻይና በሙሉ በሚባል ደረጃ የምትሰጠንን ብድር የሚጠቀሙበት የቻይና ኩባንያዎች ናቸው፡፡ እነዚህ ኩባንያዎች ያለውን ስጋት በሚያካክስ ደረጃ ትርፋቸውን በአጭር ጊዜ ለማግኘት ይገባሉ በአሁኑ ሰዓት ቴሌን የወሰዱት ሁለት የቻይና የመንግስ ኩባንያዎች ናቸው፡፡ በተለያየ ስም የሚሰሩ፡፡ ቻይና የምታስገርመው እነዚህ የመንግሰት ኩባንያዎች ጉቦ የመሰጠት ጭምር አቅም አላቸው፡፡

እንደ ማጠቃለያ ለኢትዮጵያ የተበጀተው በጀት ብር 178.6 ቢሊዮን በጀት እንደ ሀገር ሲታይ አጅግ ዝቅተኛ ነው፡፡ ኢትዮጵያ 90 ሚሊዮን ህዝብ የሚኖርባት ከመሆኗ አንፃር እና በቅርቡ ደግሞ ዓመታዊ የነብስ ወከፍ ገቢያችን ብር 11 ሺ (550 የአሜሪካ ዶላር) ደርሶዋል ከተባልን ይህ በጀት ከእያንዳንዱ ሰው በወር የገቢውን 1.5 ከመቶ መዋጮ ሊሸፍነው የሚችለው ነው፡፡

ቸር ይግጠመን

http://ethioforum.org/amharic/%E1%8B%A82007-%E1%8B%A8%E1%88%98%E1%8A%95%E1%8C%8D%E1%88%B0%E1%89%B5-%E1%89%A0%E1%8C%80%E1%89%B5-%E1%88%9A%E1%88%B5%E1%8C%A5%E1%88%AD-%E1%89%A0%E1%8C%8D%E1%88%AD%E1%88%9B-%E1%88%B0%E1%8B%AD/

No Country for Ethiopian Human Rights Abusers

The U.S. Justice Department encourages Ethiopians to report human-rights abusers hiding in plain view in America

They are hidden in plain view. They have been hiding in plain view in the U.S. for over 30 years. They have been hiding in plain view in the U.S. for just three years.

They skulk around most of the major urban centers from New York City to Los Angeles. They swagger about in public places and places of worship in designer suits with an air of untouchability. They slither in and out of popular coffee shops. They creep in the shadows and alleys. They are highly educated. They are barely literate.  They are loaded with cash they stole when they held power. They own property and operate businesses  in the U.S. They are service workers eking out a living and struggling to make ends meet.   They  signed death warrants against innocent victims. They executed innocent victims.

They conceal their true identities by taking aliases to avoid detection. They are known by the victims they tortured and abused, but their victims do not know what they can do to bring their victimizers to justice in American courts. They live in peace and security certain in their knowledge that they have gotten away with murder, torture and various other crimes against humanity while their victims live each day the nightmare of the abuses they have suffered.

THEY are former high-level and low-level Ethiopian junta Derg officials who have committed gross human rights violations and are now hiding out in the U.S. in plain view.

THEY are high-level officials and low-level functionaries of the Tigrean Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) and its handmaiden the “Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front”.

THEY have gamed the liberal American asylum system and obtained residency or citizenship fraudulently.

THEY believe they have gotten away with murder and will live in the lap of luxury in the United States of America.

THEY need to be brought to justice in American courts!

Occasionally, these Ethiopian criminals against humanity hiding out in the U.S. make chance encounters with their victims.  In May 2011, Kefelgn Alemu Worku (a/k/a Habteab Berhe Temanu, “TUFA”, Kefelegn Alemu)  came face to face with one of his victims in Denver, CO. Worku came to the United States in July 2004 as a refugee using the false identity of Habteab B. Temanu. In the late 1970s, a ruthless military junta known as “Derg” launched a “Red Terror” campaign in Ethiopia resulting in the extrajudicial killings and persecution of hundreds of thousands of citizens. Worku served as a prison guard during that period. Samuel Ketema, an Ethiopian political prisoner in Ethiopia in 1978 testified that Worku tortured and executed fellow prisoners. Abebech Demissie, a 16-year-old high school student detainee in 1977,  “watched Worku shoot and kill people, including a teenage boy.” Worku ordered other prisoners to “clean the blood off the floor with anything we could find, including our tongues.” Worku “pointed an AK-47 assault rifle at Abebech’s head but for some reason spared her life.

According to court records, in October 2013 Worku was  indicted on various charges including unlawful procurement of citizenship or naturalization, aggravated identity theft, and fraud and misuse of Visas, Permits and Other Documents.  Following a five-day trial in U.S. District Court, Worku was convicted on all counts and given a 22-year sentence on May 23, 2014.  Generally, similar immigration violations are punished by no more than 18 months in federal prison. But the sentencing judge, U.S. District Judge John L. Kane, was so outraged by Worku’s criminality, he “maxed” him out. Judge Kane explained, “The risk that this country becomes regarded as a safe haven for violators of human rights is such that the maximum sentence is required.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney John Walsh who prosecuted Worku declared, “Our system of justice has successfully removed the defendant from the immigrant community he once terrorized, and in so doing vindicated not only our laws, but the rights of the defendant’s many victims now living here in our country. Today, justice was done. By sentencing defendant Worku to the maximum possible term for his crime, Judge Kane sent a stern, determined message that the United States will not allow its generous asylum laws to be manipulated to create a safe haven for murderers and torturers from abroad.”

Last week, famed exiled Ethiopian investigative journalist, Abebe Gellaw, identified one Tewodros Beharu, as “Ethiopia’s prosecutor from hell (hiding in plain view) in America.” Abebe accused Beharu, a resident of Silver Spring, MD., of being a “wilful participant in the unjust and arbitrary prosecution of dissidents, independent journalists and opposition figures using the so-called anti-terrorism proclamation.” According to Abebe, Beharu “fabricated countless treason and terrorism charges against innocent people whose only crime was exposing and challenging the corruption and tyranny of the TPLF.” (Click here to view the ENGLISH copy of the charging document; click here for the AMHARICversion.)

Abebe alleged that  “Tewodros Beharu was one of TPLF’s (ruling regime’s party in Ethiopia) prosecutors trained and employed to fabricate terrorism charges against political prisoners like Eskinder Nega, Andualem Aragie, Nathaniel Mekonnen, Reeyot Alemu, Wubishet Taye, Bekele Gerba, Olbana Lelisa, the Muslim community leaders and the two Swedish journalists Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye.” Abebe stated that Baharu had charged him in absentia with “terrorism” as a U.S. citizen along with others including Obang Metho, Neamin Zeleke, Dr. Berhanu Nega, Ephrem Madebo, Fasil Yenealem, Mesfin Negash, Abiy Teklemariam.”

In an electronic communication,  Beharu told Abebe that he “was following orders” when he brought the trumped up charges against Eskinder Nega and the rest of the defendants mentioned above. Incredibly, Beharu invoked the “Nuremberg defense” used byNazi  perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity.  Adolf Eichmann at his trial testified, “I am guilty of having been obedient, having subordinated myself to my official duties and my oath of office.  I did not persecute Jews with avidity and passion. That is what the government did.”  Likewise, Beharu was just doing his official duty. He is guilty of being obedient and doing his official duties. He did not persecute Eskinder Nega, Reeyot Alemu, Woubshet Taye or dozens of others “with avidity and passion.” That is what the government did.

Serkalem Fasil’s accusations against Tewodros Beharu

The most damning allegations against Tewodros Beharu come from Serkalem Fasil, Ethiopia’s foremost female journalist and publisher until the ruling TPLF regime in Ethiopia imprisoned her and her husband Eskider Nega. Both Serkalem and Eskinder (who is currently serving an 18 year term on trumped up terrorism charges at the infamous  Meles Zenawi Kality Prison a few kilometers outside the capital) are arguably the most persecuted and most celebrated dissident journalists in modern African history. Eskinder has been the recipient of practically every major international press award over the past three years including the  prestigious 2014 Golden Pen of Freedom which he received a couple of weeks ago.  Serkalem is also a recipient of international press awards including the prestigious “Courage in Journalism Award” given by the International Women’s Media Foundation to women journalists that have shown extraordinary bravery in the face of danger.

In a recorded audio interview, Serkalem  stated that Tewodros Beharu was not merely “following orders”.  He was the one giving the orders in and out of court.  Serkalem specifically stated that Beharu persecuted her husband and the others “with avidity and passion.” Beharu was an angry, fierce, harsh, ruthless and pitiless persecutor, according to Serkalem. He went after the defendants not like a professional prosecutor but as political persecutor. Beharu took every opportunity in court to belittle the defendants.  He made countless objections to prevent the defendants from introducing exculpatory evidence to show their innocence.  He abused procedure to prevent the defendants from receiving a fair trial and to prolong the pretrial detention of the defendants by applying for endless continuances. He fabricated and falsified evidence to obtain a wrongful conviction.

Serkalem specifically alleged that Tewdros Beharu in his individual capacity as a lead state prosecutor knowingly, intentionally and maliciously used his powers to deny her and her husband of due process of law. In 2011, Beharu brought false and unfounded charges against her husband, fabricated evidence, suborned perjury and made allegations and statements he knew to be factually false to secure her husband’s conviction. Serkalem alleged that Beharu falsely alleged Eskinder was a leader of the Ginbot 7 organization  and that he had mobilized and recruited youth to engage in terroristic acts. He produced no evidence whatsoever to support this allegation but connived with the judges to convict her husband. She further alleged that prosecutors Beharu and Berhanu Wondimagegn were  personally involved in depriving her family of property including homes, cars and other personal property without due process of law. Beharu grossly abused his powers by knowingly, intentionally and maliciously prosecuting other independent Ethiopian journalists and denying them a fair trial and due process including international press award winners Reeyot Alemu, Woubshet Taye and others, according to Serkalem.

Serkalem’s allegations against Tewodros Beharu raise serious legal questions of far reaching implications particularly with respect to the maintenance of the rule of law and the central role played by government prosecutors in protecting innocent victims from human rights abuse. International human rights law requires that prosecutors be active protectors of human rights and must maintain the highest level of integrity under national and international law and ethical standards. Prosecutors are essential  to the right to a fair trial and if they abuse and misuse their prosecutorial powers for political ends, they would have committed not only a violation of the principle of the rule of law but also a gross miscarriage of justice for which they must be held accountable. 

Both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) (the U.S. ratified the ICCPR in 1992 ; incorporated as part of the Ethiopian Constitution under Article 13(1)) guarantee that “everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him’. (ICCPR, Article 14; African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), Arts. 6-8.) The Rome Statute on the International Criminal Court (ICC), also defines in detail principles of criminal justice (Articles 22-33) and principles of fair trial (Articles 62-67).  The Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law (Adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 60/147 of 16 December 2005), prescribe that states have an obligation to prosecute individuals suspected  of gross violations of international human rights law and serious violations of international humanitarian law that constitute crimes under international law.”

A call to report Ethiopian criminals against humanity hiding in the U.S.

In January 2012,  in a commentary entitled, “African Dictators: Can’t Run, Can’t Hide!” I put out a call for Ethiopians in the United States to report Ethiopians living in the U.S. who have committed gross human rights violations to U.S. authorities. In light of the increasing numbers of investigations and prosecutions of human rights violators who have entered the U.S. fraudulently, it is important for Ethiopians in particular to report such suspects to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) which operates the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Unit (HRVWCU) within the National Security Investigations Division (NSID).

HRVWCU “conducts investigations focused on human rights violations in an effort to prevent the United States from becoming a safe haven to those individuals who engage in the commission of war crimes, genocide, torture and other forms of serious human rights abuses from conflicts around the globe. When foreign war crimes suspects, persecutors and human rights abusers are identified within U.S. borders, the unit utilizes its powers and authorities to the fullest extent of the law to investigate, prosecute and, whenever possible, remove any such offenders from the United States.”

Over the past decade, HRVWCU has been quite successful in investigating and arresting hundreds of  individuals for human rights-related violations under various criminal and/or immigration statutes. Its large data base contains the names of thousands of known and suspected human rights violators. The data base has been instrumental in preventing identified human-rights violators from attempting to enter the United States. Currently, ICE is pursuing thousands of leads that involve suspected human rights violators from nearly 100 different countries. Over the past 8 years, ICE has arrested hundreds of individuals for human rights-related violations under various criminal and/or immigration statutes and deported hundreds of other known or suspected human rights violators from the United States.

Ethiopian criminals against humanity living in the U.S. must be reported to ICE HRVWCU for investigation

The evidence of widespread crimes against humanity and war crimes in Ethiopia is fully documented, substantial and overwhelming. An official Inquiry Commission report of the TPLF ruling regime in Ethiopia in 2007 documented the extrajudicial killing of at least 193 persons, wounding of 763 others and arbitrary imprisonment of nearly 30,000 persons in the post-2005 election period in that country. There are at least 237 individuals identified and implicated in these crimes. In December 2003, in Gambella, Ethiopia, 424 individuals died in extrajudicial killings by security forces loyal to the TPLF.  In the Ogaden, reprisal “executions of 150 individuals” and 37 others were documented by Human Rights Watch in 2008 which charged, “Ethiopian military personnel who ordered or participated in attacks on civilians should be held responsible for war crimes. Senior military and civilian officials who knew or should have known of such crimes but took no action may be criminally liable as a matter of command responsibility. The widespread and apparently systematic nature of the attacks on villages throughout Somali Region is strong evidence that the killings, torture, rape, and forced displacement are also crimes against humanity for which the Ethiopian government bears ultimate responsibility.” These are only the tip of the iceberg.

Why we must take individual initiative to report Ethiopian criminals against humanity hiding in the U.S.

Perhaps the question I have been asked most frequently by Ethiopians over the past several years is, “What can I do as an individual to help improve human rights in Ethiopia?”

Too many Ethiopians, particularly in the Diaspora, feel frustrated by a sense of individual powerlessness. Observing the lack of cohesion among opposition groups and the endless bickering, they stand aside overwhelmed by disappointment. But there are many things Ethiopians can do as individuals to help bring about significant improvements in human rights in Ethiopia.

Last week I called for a boycott of Coca Cola and its 114 different products. When Coca Cola commissioned  32 local versions of the world soccer cup song, released 31 of them and  “dumped” the Ethiopian version, I told  Coca Cola, “GO TO HELL!!!” I will never, never buy, use or encourage others to buy or use a Coca Cola product. There is no doubt that individuals acting by themselves and collectively can make a difference. Say NO too Coke!

Just last week, it was reported that “Coca-Cola sales nosedived in Spain after boycott call.” Sales of Coca-Cola in Spain slumped by half because the people of Spain told Coca Cola to go to hell!!! (There is substantial anecdotal evidence that a silent boucot of Coca Cola is well underway in Ethiopia.)

If the Spanish can do it to Coca Cola, why can’t Ethiopians?

There are many reasons why Ethiopians with evidence and information on Ethiopian human rights violators hiding in the U.S. should report them to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Human Rights Violators and War Crimes. First, it is the inescapable moral duty of any Ethiopian who is directly victimized or has personal knowledge of others who are victimized to report human rights abusers hiding in the U.S. Such criminals against humanity must be exposed and removed from American society. Second, reporting such abusers sends a strong message to those violators in official positions in Ethiopia that America will not be a safe haven for them if they should seek asylum fraudulently by concealing their criminal past. If they enter the U.S. they should be prepared to go to jail because they will be fingered and brought to justice. Third, broad participation in such reporting will send a strong message to the regime leaders in Ethiopia who have committed atrocities that if they step inside the U.S., they risk losing not only their fat bank accounts but also their liberty. They should be prepared to spend their last days in an American federal prison. Fourth, if Ethiopian human rights abusers believe that America is not a safe haven for them, they are less likely to engage in crimes against humanity in Ethiopia. There is no question that nearly all of the regime leaders and their cronies today believe they will relocate to the U.S. if things change in Ethiopia. They had better think again!

Knowingly allowing Ethiopian criminals against humanity to live freely in the U.S.  is itself a crime against humanity. It is tantamount to being an accomplice after the fact. These human rights abusers hiding in the U.S. should know that justice is like a delayed train. Victims may have to wait a while, but in the end justice shall arrive with its full might. That is the lesson Kefelgn Alemu Worku learned on May 23, 2014. That is a lesson every Ethiopian human rights abuser hiding in plain view in the U.S. should be taught every day.  That is a lesson every human rights violator in Ethiopia who plans to relocate to America should learn today.

A lesson in justice for ALL Ethiopians

Last week, 89-year-old Johann Breyer, who lived in Philadelphia for nearly 65 years was arrested and is facing extradition for crimes he committed during WW II as a Nazi guard at the notorious Auschwitz II-Birkenau concentration camp and at another locations.  Breyer migrated to the United States in 1952 and claimed citizenship as a displaced person. He deliberately made false statements to minimize his role in the Holocaust in which over 1.1 million men, women, and children were exterminated. German authorities have charged Breyer “with complicity in the murder of more than 216,000 European Jews.”

Kefelgn Alemu Worku is no different from Nazi prison guard Johann Breyer. Worku was a prison guard for the “Derg” junta. Like Breyer, he committed or was complicit in the commission of untold atrocities. He tortured and killed innocent victims. Like Breyer, Worku tried to conceal his identity and criminality  when he sought asylum in the U.S. and tried to minimize his role in the Red Terror massacres. Worku, like Breyer, tried to escape justice; but unlike Breyer, justice caught up with Worku in 10 years.

The fact of the matter is that the Ethiopian human rights abusers hiding out in America are not only those who did their dastardly deeds under the Derg regime. There are many who have committed similar human rights abuses as former members or functionaries of the TPLF ruling regime in Ethiopia today. They must ALL be reported.

Whether it takes 6 or 65 years, these abusers who were TPLF or Derg members must be brought to justice. They should know that there is no statute of limitations on justice! Indifference to such criminals living freely in our midst in plain view must end!

I ask ALL Ethiopians one simple question: When the U.S. Justice Department is willing to do ALL of the heavy lifting to prosecute criminals against humanity hiding in the U.S., is it too much to ask Ethiopians to finger these suspects for investigation and prosecution and cooperate with the Department?

It is easy to report human rights abusers hiding out in America- You do NOT have to give your name when you report.

If you have evidence or information about foreign nationals suspected of engaging in human rights abuses or war crimes,  call the ICE HSI tip line at1-866-347-2423 and complete its online tip form.

You do NOT have to give your name when you report.

You may also submit evidence and information to the Human Rights Violator and War Crimes Unit by emailing HRV.ICE@ice.dhs.gov.

Assistance is available to victims of human rights abuses. Call ICE’s confidential victim/witness hotline toll-free number at 1-866-872-4973.

“The United States will not allow its generous asylum laws to be manipulated to create a safe haven for murderers and torturers from abroad.” Assistant U.S. Attorney John Walsh

=====================

Professor Alemayehu G. Mariam teaches political science at California State University, San Bernardino and is a practicing defense lawyer.

Previous commentaries by the author are available at:

http://open.salon.com/blog/almariam/

www.huffingtonpost.com/alemayehu-g-mariam/

Amharic translations of recent commentaries by the author may be found at:

http://www.ecadforum.com/Amharic/archives/category/al-mariam-amharic

http://ethioforum.org/amharic/category/%E1%8A%A0%E1%88%8D-%E1%88%9B%E1%88%AD%E1%8B%AB%E1%88%9D/

http://ethioforum.org/no-country-for-ethiopian-human-rights-abusers/

Zone Ten on behalf of Zone Nine Ethiopian bloggers

( WEGESHAW 01.05 2014 )

It is known that Reeyot Alemu our young heroine who sadly enough is languishing in the dengeons of the cruel and atrociuos regiem in Ethiopia is kept in solitary in the KALITI horrible prison. Thanks to her definition we know now what ZONE NINE really means in our country.

By the way Addis Abeba the historical center, where unheard of human suffering and mass torturings are taking place is not only the capital city of Ethiopia but also a seat for as big as AFRICAN UNION and many other known International offices. The story goes as follows: It is a fact that Reeyot is isolated and thrown in the dark room for her defaiance against tyranny and injustice. Atrocities are definitely perpetrated against her too. Even medical treatment is denied for her serious illness which needs immediate emergency attention! Nowadays her closest loved ones were pushed out when they tried to visit for that meager 30 minutes. Could one imagine that only thirty minutes are there for Prisoners to be visited after not having seen their relatives or friends for several months if not years?

Here, we are only talking about KALITI PRISON, without mentioning MAEKELAWI MAGORIA or countless KEBELE prisons where sever torturings such as “castrating male inmates like oxen” as the infamous prison torturers love to express with irony. This is a hell on earth where women breasts are beaten by gun buts, or gang raping takes place. Where electrocution is applied on helpless prisoners. Where people are creepled by sever beatings with many individual’s eyes blinded due to physical injuries inflicted deliberatlely. These all inhuman and facistic acts are perpetrated on already weakend and sick prisoners. That kind of cruelity are widely applied throughout Ethiopia today. These facts are also recorded repetetively by many International Human rights inistitutions and activists!
The Government has long ago banned International inistitutions like the Red Cross or phisicians without Borders, so that they won’t have the opportunity to exspose the genocide taking place in Ethiopia.
Please open the following attachments:

http://www.iwmf.org/reeyot-alemu-2012-courage-in-journalism-award/

While all these heavy burden could be life threatenning Reeyot Alemu’s spirit was not broken at all. In her relatively better times, when her friends were allowed for that mean 30 minutes visit, she used to meet them with humour. Once on her visit she asked her friends SO, HOW ARE THINGS GOING ON IN ZONE NINE? Her friens were confused with that strange question. They knew that Kality prison or MAGORIA BET has got not more than eight zones, they wondered where from did Reeyot get the NINTH one? Some time has passed when her friends understood that it was highly relevant joke of exact similarity with what is going on in the country. She was talking about the comparetively much wider and much bigger prison. We have been informed that KALITI, with eight zones in It, where Reeyot with many other heroes of Ethiopia like: Andualem Aragie, Eskinder Nega, Bekele Gerba and thousands of other innocent Ethiopians are forced to languish is a place with one or two toilets for upto 300 inmates, where medical attention is not given addequetly and prisoners are ill fed.
KALITI PRISON was described well by information gathered from previously imprisoned individuals, but Reeyot Alemu was talking about another prison when she reffered to as ZONE NINE. She was telling about a much bigger prison whith hundreds if not thousands smaller ones and tens of massive hidden concentration camps included in it places. It is meant to represent the biggest of all prisons of TPLF which is ZONE NINE. Deep sadness and anger sarrounds us to know that ZONE NINE is nothing other than our mother land Ethiopia as a whole, where 90 million people are taken hostage since 23 years now under gun points by few criminal rulers and their security and military apparatus.

These forces of tyranny include the military, federal police, security agents, cadres, even kebele guards. All of the mentioned evil power equipped with massive armaments ready to shoot right on the heads or chests by using live boolets which are loaded by sharp shooters. Those soldiers were supposed to defend the people and sovereighnity of what they say “their oun country”, but sadly enough the top commanding ranks were taken by one Ethnic group led by a party whose hidden agenda is looting the masses and bringing total destruction to the land with its people altogether. Those days it is difficult to consider that the country has got an Ethiopian Army. They are just an army of killing squads whose aim is massacring the people of Ethiopia led by one ethnic group. Here we have to take in mind that there are many low ranked poor soldiers who don’t have the decision making ability, and hence may one day side with the people when the right time comes. They surely know that they are massacring their own brothers and sisters. Please open the following attachment to learn about the facts of the hidden agenda from a reliable source:

So, our intelligent youth bloggers inspired by the exspression they first time heard from Reeyot Alemu in KALITY, decided Their screen name to be ZONE NINE. that was how ZONE NINE BLOGERS created. There is no any wrong doing with that! Recall that KALITY PRISON has got seven zones for the male prisoners and one, the eighth one, for female inmats. For children like NAFKOT who experienced prisons even before they were born, ZONE EIGHT was both their birth place, where their beds were sarrounded by rats bigger than the children themselves. No medical attention was and still is given to their mothers or infants. No prenatal or postnatal medical care, Instead harrasments beatings and tortures are served. What a shame to the rulling government in this stage of twenty first century?!
Now, why are ZONE NINE bloggers thrown from ZONE NINE TO ZONE SEVEN Prison by the same brutal tyranny? The answer is simple, it is like in that recent spectacular protest march slogans of Andenet party, which sounds:
KALITY IS HOME FOR THE HEROES OF ETHIOPIA DEFIANT AGAINST TYRANNY!
IN TODAYS ETHIOPIA, WISDOM OF LITERECY LEADS ONE TO KALITY!

Or equaly highly appreciated Blue party slogans, among others:
WE DON’T SLICE OUR COUNTRY INTO PIECES LIKE BREAD!
EMBI BELL, EMBI BELL! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXOc9-DE5JE

http://ecadforum.com/2013/06/02/semayawi-party-demonstration-addis-ababa-video/

Yes, todays Ethiopia is full of known and hidden from the world terrible prisons. In Addis alone except Kality, Maekelawi, throughout the city in every Kebele one can count smaller prisons. Apart from those in all “KILILS” there are huge hidden concentration camps of TPLF where Ethiopians are harrassed, severly beaten, tortured and killed! In every region there are such mass MAGORIAS. It is better if we refer to them as ETHIOPIAN GULAGS. From the north to the south and east to west of the country prisons after prisons have suffocated the wider masses: Some to mention – Birr Sheleko, Baddo sidest, Mekod, Dedessa, Zeway. Every one with capacity to accomodate prisoners counting in tens of thousand. In Shire -Tigray alone for example the highest capacity from 30,000 to 50,000 inmates. Can one imagine that ? (these facts about the concentration camps of TPLF were recorded by Tigrayan Ethiopians activists who have stood for justice and human rights. Individuals who exposed about those concentration camps were few, we hope we would hear more since it is commendable ).

All ZONE EIGHT prisoners are locked up without court order and have been tortured. The judiciery system is not free either. Many are found in solitary. Several eloquent patriotic political activist like Andualem Arragie, who dearly loves his county have been silenced, despite that they are still speaking loud to the World by telling the truth in silence!

ZONE NINE BLOGGERS emmerged to use their God given rights of free speech. They started to tell the truth about ZONE EIGHT and democracy, rule of law and liberty to happen in Ethiopia in general. This was the reason why they have been transfered from Zone Nine to Zone seven. Now, who will speek for Zone Nine bloggers when they have been locked up and tortured? We think the time has come to open another front called ZONE TEN BLOGGERS.

We know that zone Eight represents Kality prison, zone Nine means Ethiopia as a whole as wider prison, then what is zone ten?
There are countless Ethiopian prisoners arround the World. There are Ethiopian Refugees in tens of thousands around the Globe. This compatriots of ours are leading a miserable life, hell on earth. This mass Exodus of refugees is caused by inability to cope with life in Ethiopia due to the cruel and brutal regiem in the country. The sufferings of our country men and women with their families arround the world is well recorded: http://www.amharictube.com/watch.php?vid=9ef33c0e9

Sine most of the Ethiopian refugees flee their country to escape from the atrocities commited on them and their families back at home, they are indirect prisoners of TPLF. Even if they have reched to the Arab countries or Europe by narrowly escaping death, while others, in hundreds and thousands perished deep in the seas or Sahara desert, they are still considered as prisoners of the current illegal and criminal Government of Ethiopia. So we have to include them all in ZONE TEN. Many were abducted from neighbouring countries and brought back to Ethiopian prisoners. Our country is full of concentration camps, she is saturated with KEBELE detention rooms.

Some of us, who say are relatively free by living abroad and experience democracy of the free world, prospering in some ways may seem to be totally satisfied with our situation. But deep in our concious and hearts we always lack a huge part in our inner lives, which is LOVE OF ONCE COUNTRY. One beautifull Ethiopian expression defines it all – “ETEBTE YETEKEBERET MERET”. We forget the fact that we have been denied of the love of our motherland by the tyrannical regiem. When we go home after decades of separation for a visit, so that we quench our nostalgia and longings with our people and land, we have been seen as un invited foreign guests. We are not foreign aliens to be feared or hated, even if we have changed our citizinships to other countries. It is like in the lovely Ethiopian song mentioned “BE WEREKET YESEW BE DEM YANCHI NACHEW”! Yes, on paper we belong to other citizenshp but by blood we remain Ethiopians!

The causes of BRAIN DREIN in our country mostly comes out of bad governance. Ethiopia our blessed country has got multiple high calibre scholars and intelectuals out there in the World who are working for the betterment of their respective countries they are forced to live. Had we got good governance and rule of law, all these respected Ethiopians by blood: professors, Medical Doctors, Ingeneers, call what profession is left… would have engulfed their beloved motherland! These scholars would have elevated not only their country from the abyss, that she has got heself thanks to the current Government but Africa as a continent itself.

Preventing people from going back to their own country leads to internal spiritual imprisonments. That is what the current Government in Ethiopia is doing on us the so called diaspora. Therefore we could be included to ZONE TEN PRISONERS too.We, the diaspora Ethiopians can’t vote to elect our leaders back at home by living abroad like the free World is enjoying. We like to vote for our people even if the result we already know would be 99.6% for the fake winner, as long as the present regiem exists. Don’t worry though, time will come when true elections would take place in Ethiopia one day. When we travel to visit our parents or friends, why are we being followed by desguised security personels like criminal intruders? Many of our businesses fail due to bureaucracy and lack of good governance or racism. Our private phone calls, e-mail messages or skype messages to our country are all spied by Ethiopian telecom secret agents which have long been converted into an intelligence spying office. We have become the only country on the planet where people are thrown into jails for skyping, where as in this stage of technological growth and achievements, skyping has become part of a given daily life – not big deal.

The letters we write to our loved ones back at home are been opened and checked. We have been told by some police Sergeatns that in case we demand justice and rule of law for our country, we are automatically counted as dangerous terrorists. That, there are those who have the power to abduct us and bring back to ZONE NINE prisons even if we hide ourselves in Heaven itself leave alone the planet earth. If strong and heroic Ethiopian patriots in exile defended their beloved country against tyrannical regiem by standing in front of the World leaders, they recieved life threatening warnings and even assasination attempts had been disclosed.
In short we in the diaspora are also victims of the regiem back at home.We can say that we are the most fre-est prisoners of TPLF, who have got protection by the free democratic World. For all these reasons we need to open ZONE TEN BLOGGERS outsid Ethiopia. We have been speaking out for justice to prevail and now continue with even more enthusiasm till our blessed land and people be liberated. What is now left to do is uniting all ZONES to struggle for the freedom of mother Ethiopia.
FREE the locked up ZONE NINE BLOGGERS.
FREE ZONE EIGHT in Kality prison And Maekelawi.
CLOSE ALL HIDDEN PRISONE FACTORIES OF TPLF in Ethiopia!
FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS AND PEOPLE in ZONE NINE!
Ethiopia should prevaile.
BEKA! GEYE! YIAKEL! BES! IKE! WETENDEM! ALONI! IKAKO

http://ethioforum.org/zone-ten-on-behalf-of-zone-nine-ethiopian-bloggers/

Woyane is a dead and deadly regime walking

Ethiopians must be very attentive to safeguard the safety of our people and the integrity of our country from a dead and deadly regime walking. We must warn the officials and the cadres of the regime to abandon Woyane like their colleagues or ultimately pay for all the crimes of the Woyane. There would be no excuses not to abandon the regime and expect a safe haven to hide or run.

by Teshome Debalke

The defection rate of Woyane’s officials and cadres are increasing faster than ever. In recent news several individuals including the Deputy Communication Minster Ermias Legesse, the Federal Prosecutor Tewodros Behar, the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange Executive Director Anteneh Assefa, and the General Manager of the Endowment Fund for Rehabilitation of Tigray (EFFORT) Getachew Belay Wendimu is the sign of a dead and deadly regime walking.

The testimony of the former Deputy Communication Minster Ermias Legesse 1 2 3 / alone is sufficient to the extent of the crimes of Woyane to abandon it. Others choose to remain silent as cowards from telling what they know. They will be sought out as conspirators of the regime’s crime for the rest of their lives.

Things are not going well for Woyanes. Desperation is setting in among the officials and the rank and file of the cadres of ruling regime Woyane. They are searching for a place to run for dear life.

There are no armed oppositions surrounding them to surrender yet. There is no popular uprising to overthrow the regime yet. They are afraid of the same regime they have been serving most of their adult life going to use them as fall guys for its extensive crimes to buy time.

The inner circles of TPLF are scared to their pants from each other and are in a no-way-in no-way-out position the regime put them in. It is like being in hard place and a rock. The grandfather of Woyane Sibhat Nega is seen shuttling back-and-forth to calm down the Gangs of Adwa to stick with each other or else.

The ethnic puppets Woyane assembled and use to justify its crimes are in more crises than ever. Used and abused as front men by TPLF’s ethnic agenda, they sensed they are disposable to get out of the jam the regime got itself in to save face. Stuck from getting out of their predicament of serving the criminal enterprise of TPLF they are looking for escape route out of the reach of the regime’s assassins.

The vocal Diaspora apologists are also looking for an easy way out of their association with Woyane. With very little options for their transgression against the people of Ethiopia for far too long, economic growth and peace and stability became the only safe things to say to feel better. The popular badmouths of Woyane are also toning down their insult of Ethiopians on behalf of TPLF– sounding more patriotic that unite Ethiopians than Woyane lovers. If it wasn’t for the perk, they would have bailed out sooner than later singing Tobia Hagre woy mot.

The top enchiladas of the regime are also scrambling to stop the bleeding of Woyane by throwing all kinds of bizarre propaganda as they go. Accordingly, terrorist are surrounding us is becoming the quick way of buying time until they find a better diversion.

Other developments are, the numbers of Woyane’s officials’ family abounding the country to settle around the world. ’According to the advocacy groups that follow up these case most of the families of high officials are seeking residency permits as investors while the low ranked cadres are applying for political asylum. Sources inside the regime reviled the operatives of the regime are issuing passport and legal papers for substantial fee to smuggle officials to preferred destination of Western countries.

Others that fear Diaspora oppositions in Western countries prefer to migrate in African countries, South Africa in Africa and Thailand and Malaysia in Asia being the preferred destination.

As much as many corrupt officials and their families are free to migrate anywhere around the world with stolen public money without much challenge, oppositions rarely challenge them with all legal means available in the countries of their destinations.

Ethiopians have a long way to go to setup legal groups to challenge the officials of the regime and their families that committed crimes of atrocities and corruptions. Medias can’t any longer seat ideal and watch when the regime officials and their family launder public money in front of our nose. Political parties can no afford to squabble over minor differences than saving their country and protecting their people they want to rule. Individual Ethiopians no longer can pretend the little benefit they may have gotten from Woyane in a form of land is sufficient to abandon their people and country for the criminal enterprise of TPLF.

It is time to standup and be counted

http://ecadforum.com/2014/06/17/woyane-is-a-dead-and-deadly-regime-walking/

Ethiopia’s prosecutor from hell in America

By Abebe Gellaw

Under the brutal rule of the TPLF, courts are key instruments of repression. This is not an allegation. It is rather a well-documented and substantiated fact widely known across the world. One of the worst crimes the TPLF has committed in the last two decades is using fake laws, Kangaroo courts, unjustly ruthless “prosecutors” and “judges” to silence and torment anyone opposed to its criminal tyranny.

“Prosecutors” and “lawyers” in the league of Shimelis Kemal have committed heinous crimes under the guise of nonexistent due process.   Among other things, Shimelis is the author of the so-called anti-terrorism proclamation and the charities and societies law.  Tewodros Beharu, who was recruited as a student OPDO operative at college, is one of those who willingly followed the bloody footsteps of TPLF’s hacks like Shimelis.

Journalists, activists and political dissidents that have survived torture chambers, killing sprees and all sorts of inhumane treatment are mostly forced to go through the Kangaroo court system even if the whole process is a sham designed to give repression a semblance of justice. The system deliberately dispenses injustice by imposing the will of the TPLF under the guise of justice.

The fake and unjust “lawyers” like Tewodros Beharu, Berhanu Wondimagegn, Zeresenay Misganaw and  Berihun Teklebirhan were given tasks to persecute journalists and activists using the anti-terrorism law. In the service of their TPLF paymasters, the hack lawyers have fabricated countless treason and terrorism charges against innocent people whose only crime was exposing and challenging the corruption and tyranny of the TPLF.

Fake prosecutor Tewodros Beharu is no exception. He willingly and passionately played a key role in sending Eskinder Nega, Andualem Aragie, Reeyot Alemu, Nathnael Mekonnen, Bekele Gerba, Olbana Lelisa, the Muslim leaders and so many political prisoners to the hellish TPLF jails. This unjust man is now living in Silver Spring, Maryland. While his victims are suffering in harsh jails, he appears to go to bed without any remorse and regrets.

After shattering the dreams of so many patriots condemned to suffer nightmares just for the love of their people and country, he is pursuing “happiness” and the American dream. It appears that the former TPLF tormentor and persecutor has sought asylum under false pretense that he was persecuted and tortured. To make matters worse, he rejected numerous requests to explain the way he and his partners in crime were able to convict innocent people with serious terrorism offences and crimes they have never committed. He even tried to blame it all on Shimelis Kemal despite the key roles he played in the whole drama.

Whatever the justification, Tewdoros knows the fact that political prisoners deemed to be threats to the TPLF are always guilty, even before they are pronounced guilty as charged by opportunistic Kangaroo court judges and prosecutors like himself hired to do the dirty job. He is also aware of the fact that the “terrorists” he convicted faced concocted and fictitious charges without the need to present any shred of evidence. They have been denied a fair trial and the basic right to challenge false accusations to prove their innocence.

The worst and most outrageous legal drama unfolded in the aftermath of the 2005 elections. The landslide election victory the opposition had pulled off triggered Meles Zenawi’s panic attacks. Over 193 civilians including minors were mowed down by the brutal Agazi brigade and the federal police. Then opposition party leaders, journalists and civil society leaders were detained and charged with genocide, outrage against the constitution and treason, charges authored by Shimelis Kemal and his handlers.

Former publisher and journalist Serkalem Fasil and her son Nafkot Eskinder, who was born in jail in the wake of the 2005 election turmoils, were forced to flee Ethiopia almost a year ago. Her husband , the fiery award-winning journalist Eskinder Nega, was convicted of trumped-up “terrorism” offenses. He was condemned to 18 years in jail. The chief prosecutor in this and other high profile anti-terrorism charges to inflict maximum harm and pain was none other than Tewodros Beharu.

Following Eskinder’s terrorism conviction, their two houses and a car were confiscated. Adding insult to injury, TPLF was very eager to make sure that not only Eskinder but his family suffer the injustice. After losing everything they have, it was a hard and heartbreaking decision for Serkalem to leave her husband behind. But upon his insistence, she had no choice but to go into exile, at least to protect their child from the unjustly tormenting and painful experience.

A couple of weeks later, Tewodros Beharu, along  with his wife Meron Girma,  left Ethiopia dreaming a better life in the United States. Unlike the majority of Ethiopian exiles that flee persecution, torture, killings and discrimination, the former public prosecutor left behind the shattered dreams of so many political prisoners and their families.

Tewodros was one of TPLF’s prosecutors, or rather persecutors, trained and employed to fabricate terrorism charges against political prisoners like Eskinder Nega, Andualem Aragie, Nathaniel Mekonnen, Reeyot Alemu, Wubishet Taye, Bekeke Gerba, Olbana Lelisa, the Muslim community leaders and the two Swedish journalists Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye. Tewdos also convicted exiled “terrorists” such as Abebe Belew, Obang Metho, Neamin Zeleke, Dr. Berhanu Nega, Ephrem Madebo, Fasil Yenealem, Mesfin Negash, Abiy Teklemariam and myself.

In a reversal of fortune, Tewodros Beharu has ended up among the terrorists he falsely accused and convicted. This beggars the question how the persecuted and the persecutors can coexisted in the land of freedom where the rule of law is supreme. When victims and tormentors face off, the “dreamer “in the pursuit of happiness may be too sad to face truth, justice and reality….

As Malcolm X once said, “I’m for truth, no matter who tells it. I’m for justice, no matter who it’s for or against.” Not only Tewodros but all the false accusers and judges in Ethiopia should realize the fact that those of us they convicted with all sorts of crimes and terrorism are not criminals and terrorists but law-abiding citizens that dare to speak truth to power.

Tormenting and attacking innocent people with false accusations and fake laws is nothing but terrorism. Those who falsely accuse and prosecute others are conscious criminals. They cannot invoke ignorance or arrogance as a defense.

Let the truth speak for itself. The truth never lies. It is always powerful and irrefutable.

http://addisvoice.com/2014/06/tewodros-beharu-ethiopia%E2%80%99s-prosecutor-from-hell-in-america/

The Ethio-Djibouti Water Deal: the Lasting Game or the Last Game?

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The Ethio-Djibouti Water Deal: the Lasting Game or the Last Game?

Last week we have heard that Ethiopia is going to supply a neighboring nation, Djibouti, with water in the amount of 103 thousand cu m. per day. To that effect, the Ethiopian Government has entered into a 30-years agreement with the Government of Djibouti to enable Djibouti to mine fresh water for free from ground water resource in Ethiopia. According to the agreement, the Ethiopian Government grants a big chunk of land in Shinile Zone of the Ethiopian Somali Region, eastern Ethiopia, while Djibouti runs the water development project over part of that land. The project will be owned, financed and operated by Djibouti. The deal was kept confidential until last week, when a bill to that effect was presented to the federal parliament (the House of Peoples Representatives) of Ethiopia for discussion and promulgation.

Before I go further, I would like to make clear that I am not standing against our brotherly people of Djibouti in any way and I understand their need for water. I recognize that the Djiboutian people need to get fresh water that they need. However, there are a lot of ironies relating to this agreement. For instance, the deal has not been transparent and the conduct of the negotiation has never been known to the public.  Some of the other troubling points that need to be questioned are the following:

1.   The first one is that in exchange for the gift of water, there is not any benefit for Ethiopia that was included in the agreement or the designers of the project did not want to disclose it. According to the pro-TPLF media, The Reporter, some members of the Ethiopian parliament had questioned this aspect of the agreement when they debated the bill and the Ethiopian Government, through its representative in the parliament, admitted that Ethiopia would not get any economic benefit out of it. The government did not specify, as well, what other benefits Ethiopia may gain out of the deal that the country would not without it. However, Djibouti is an independent country and any deal or business between two nations is expected to be based on mutual benefits according to internationally accepted norms and practices. Furthermore, the Ethiopian Foreign Policy envisages that the country’s foreign and security strategy is centered on economic interest.  The policy document states Ethiopia’s relations of friendship or otherwise should be based first of all on economic matters. The policy further states that Ethiopia shall enter into friendships or hostilities based on matters relevant to its development.

(http://www.mfa.gov.et/docs/Foreign%20Policy%20English.pdf)

With regard to Djibouti, though the Ethiopian foreign policy is directed towards ensuring long-lasting and reliable port services, it is all at reasonable fees and no free service or gift is expected on either side. The policy further promotes strengthening economic ties between Djibouti and Ethiopia on the basis of trade and investment where sound legal practices are adhered to and on the basis of give-and-take principle in which both sides benefit.

Thus, one can observe that the water gift agreement is inconsistent with common sense practice and international norms, and with the foreign policy of Ethiopia. The first question is “Why was it necessary?” Second, given the secretive and corrupt nature of the TPLF junta, one should ask also if the deal is really a free gift agreement. Or some one or group might stand in between and do business with Djibouti. We cannot get the answer for this because the Djiboutians will not tell us if they pay for or not as far as they get the water safely.

2.   We already heard that the local residents of the area around the water mining project were instructed to evacuate to some where at least 70 km away as soon as possible by the Federal Government forces. The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) has issued complaints on this forced eviction of residents. I was wondering why it was necessary to evict residents in order to run a ground water project from technical point of view? Residents do not normally have contact with deep-seated ground water. In particular, hydrogeological documents indicate that the aquifers in that part of the country get their recharge mostly from flood waters originating from the highlands in the west and east and from Awash River (seehttp://ellasprings.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/gw-ethiopia-hq.pdf), and as a result local human activities do not have significant impact on the water quality.

The local residents in that part of Ethiopia are so sparsely populated and live on natural agriculture of mainly animal raising type. They do not have mechanized farms that utilize polluting chemicals, and there is not any big urban center in the area. Further, the people do not have any intention, capacity, motive, and culture that adversely affect the ground water resource because they need it for themselves. For that matter, those people were living there for years and the ground water was also there without any problem. Why is it necessary to remove residents and handover an empty land to Djibouti?

3.   The local residents of the area depend on that very water resource that the Ethiopian Government is donating to a foreign nation.  The Somali Region in general and Shinile Zone in particular is where scarcity of water is a major problem (see the following reports for example).

http://www.scribd.com/doc/118102413/Water-Stress-in-Shinile-Zone-Somali-Region

http://www.refworld.org/pdfid/523ad22c4.pdf

To tackle the problem, several governmental and nongovernmental institutions have been working in the area on the study and development of ground water. Moreover, the Somali Regional Government embarked upon drilling and developing 70 water wells in Shinile Zone with about Birr 160 million in 2012. ( see

http://www.waltainfo.com/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2943&pop=1&page=0&Itemid=45).

However, the federal government intends to donate this same water to a foreign country. On one hand, this shows that the Djibouti water project has not been planned for and it is an arbitrary overnight decision, which is a common behavior of the TPLF led Government. On the other hand, the decision is unfair and unacceptable by any measurement when our own government gives precedence to foreigners over its own citizens.

But it is hardly surprising as far as TPLF regime is concerned. This regime never considers most Ethiopian peoples as its citizens. This is the government that has been evicting its citizens from their ancestral farmlands to grant the land to foreign farmers and members of its corrupt political family. This is the government that sells and still vows to sell more electric power to foreign countries while Ethiopian cities including the capital do not get enough power.  Now, the Ethiopian Government is concerned for water problems in another country while most of Ethiopian peoples do not have clean water. Even in most parts of the capital, Addis Ababa, residents get water supply on shift basis.

Who is this Government working for? Is it really an Ethiopian Government? Additionally, the way the Ethiopian Government does business is becoming very much totalitarian. The TPLF leaders do not know policies, laws and procedures but their narrow and short sighted interest only. Any thing they want to do, they bring it over night to the public as a surprise and implement it by military force. The will of any TPLF leader is a law in Ethiopia.

4.   The water development project could have been handled and treated under the existing legal framework like any foreign investment without any requirement to take it to parliament separately. This legitimate question was also raised by one member of the House, in fact.

5.   As a result of this agreement, Ethiopian Government will secure the exclusive rights of the Government of Djibouti over the land for the terms of the agreement. The Government of Ethiopia also tasked itself with safeguarding the water resource from pollution and other dangers that may harm the resource. Moreover, this land grant agreement, being effected as a separate bill by the national legislature, is not governed by other existing investment, mining, and environmental and safety laws and regulations. Therefore, unless it is specifically addressed in the agreement, environmental impacts and other consequences that may result from the ground water development and production operations will not be inspected, regulated or mitigated in accordance with normal business procedures in that country. However, I cannot comment further on this issue as I have not seen the details of the agreement.

Finally, I am puzzled as to what the intention of TPLF is and what is behind this deal?

A)    Is TPLF trying to establish a lasting relationship between Djibouti and Ethiopia to secure the port service? If this is the case, I think that TPLF has gone too far a distance unnecessarily and at the expense of Ethiopians. Djibouti is giving us a port service based on internationally accepted trade practices. They are benefiting from the business and I believe as much as we need their service they also need us, their customers. There is no other competitive customer coming up for Djibouti. Therefore, it is questionable if it was really necessary to give a special present that costs us evicting and endangering our own citizens.

B)    Or are TPLF leaders making a secret deal in this that we do not know?

C)    Or is TPLF finalizing its journey and preparing for its plan B? Plan B is preparing for the worst if the inevitable comes. Presumably, they already consider Afar as part of Greater Tigray. They isolated Dire Dawa as a buffer zone long time ago. They are diverting the new rail road to north from Awash. Now, through this mysterious Djibouti project, they are securing the area east of Awash including Dire Dawa all the way to Djibouti.

Ze-Habesha Website may contain advice, opinions, and statements of various information and content providers. The Website neither represents nor endorses the accuracy of information or endorses the contents provided by external sources. All blog posts and comments are the opinion of the authors.

http://www.zehabesha.com/the-ethio-djibouti-water-deal-the-lasting-game-or-the-last-game/