The tale of TPLF fairytale regime of Ethiopia: From ethnic liberation to Federal banditry

November 21, 2014

It is rather baffling TPLF’s crimes are all around us but yet barrage of books, articles and news pieces are written and bogus institutions and Medias created to make the fairytale TPLF led regime looks real and acceptable. Whether they do it because they believe TPLF is a legitimate entity or simply to take advantage of the chaos it was empowered to create to divide-exploit the people and the nation is not clear. But one thing is abundantly clear for all; Ethiopians are under occupation of a confused mercenary like ethnic regime led by TPLF. If institutions, including Medias can’t see this reality, either they are as bogus as the fairytale regime –tangled up with their own petty interest or part-and-partial of TPLF willingly conspiring to commit crimes.

by Teshome Debalke

A strange phenomenon is happening with Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF). It appears the inevitable identity crisis of to be-or-not-to-be a Tigray Chiefdom it claimed to fight for or a Federal bandit it turned out to be in Nations and Nationality it created and occupied is coming home to roost. That is not all; it still agonizing whether to stick with the Marxism ideology it was baptized to control and brutalize the population or the crony capitalism it adapted along the way to extort and robe the people and the nation.

Intoxicated by political power and daylight robbery its enablers afforded it, it is having difficulty to choose between the empty bravado it pumps up its juveniles in the imaginary ethnic ‘Tigray’ people it liberated (use and abuse) in an imaginary Region (open air prison) and the Nations and Nationalities of Ethiopia it crafted to divide and exploit as a make-believe Federal government.

To make matter worst, the self-professed ‘Tigray’ liberators turn bandits actually believe they duped Ethiopians and the world –telling their fairytale over-and-over again with crafty propaganda—aimlessly drifting away from reality to believe it themselves. In fact, it is amazing how many fairytale story tellers mushroomed in the last decade alone around the fairytale regime in order to sustain its rule and unprecedented corruption.

It all started in one unfaithful day four decades ago when a half-dozen Ethiopian `juvenile armed with Marxist books sat around a table in a tearoom in Addis Ababa and decided to start a revolution to ‘free’ the ‘oppressed people’ of Ethiopia from ‘Feudalism’ as many of their contemporaries did. With too many ‘revolutionaries’ competing to free the same people in the name of the same ideology, the sorry juveniles with too much time on their hand figured out the only chance they got in the competition was to curved out an imaginary ethnic group called Tigray and made their newly minted identity a rallying cause for liberation-leaving the rest of the ‘oppressed people’ Ethiopia behind.

‘Imaginary ethnic group to liberate out of the way, they had to come up with an imaginary territory to match their newly minted identity and began drawing and redrawing territories to fit a fairytale history out of their back pockets. Short of the Fascist Italian occupied territory their Arabs led ‘Eritrean’ Liberation Front comrades declared their own, they started slicing and dicing wherever their juveniles mind took them to curve out a territory called Tigray and became a fairytale Liberation Front and found out they were conspiring in a territory they declared an enemy they no longer belong. Read more…

(Left to right), Professor Ephraim Isaac , Director of the Institute of Semitic Studies at Princeton University, Dr. Haile Selassie Belay, Former governor of Tigray Province and former Dean of Alemaya University, Dr. Tilahun Beyene, Associate Dean of the University of Maryland Dr. Ahmed Moen, Associate Professor and Interim Director Health Management Sciences of Howard University Dr. Mulugeta Eteffa, Former Ambassador of Ethiopia and the Ethiopian Permanent Mission in New York Source: Peace and Development Center-
Dr. Astair GM Amante, Associate Professor at Arizona State University and one of the Founder of HAPDC picture `not found.

http://ecadforum.com/2014/11/21/the-tale-of-tplf-fairytale-regime-of-ethiopia/

Eritrea blames UN refugee agency for thousands fleeing

AFP  |  Nairobi 

November 21, 2014

Eritrea said today the reason thousands of its youth are fleeing the hardline regime is because the UN refugee agency and countries with “sinister” motives are tempting them to leave.

Tens of thousands have now run away from the autocratic Horn of Africacountry, escaping open-ended conscription and the iron-grip rule of President Issaias Afeworki, with many continuing northwards to brave the often harrowing journey towards Europe.

Asmara’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the youth were fleeing the county because of “deliberate policies of certain governments and agencies” who have chosen to “encourage for sinister political purpose the youth to defect from the national military service through various inducements.”

Eritreans are second only to Syria as the largest number of asylum seekers inEurope this year, totalling some 37,000 so far in 2014, according to UNHCR, a three-fold rise from 2013. The vast majority are aged between 18 and 24.

But Eritrea said UNHCR was “part of the problem” for automatically granting asylum to those who survived the escape out the country, and dismissed its warnings of rising numbers as “crocodile tears.”

It said the reports that over 6,200 had arrived in Ethiopia in the past six weeks were part of a “smear campaign”.

Hundreds cross the heavily fortified and dangerous border into arch-foe Ethiopia daily, with reports by rights groups saying people are struggling under Asmara’s repressive government. The entire national football team has defected twice.

Asmara said the labelling of its conscription that stretches for years as “slave or forced labour” was “slanderous”. It said the officially 18-month long service is “prolonged only because of Ethiopia’s occupation of sovereign Eritrea territories and its continued belligerence in breach of international law.”

Eritrea won independence from Ethiopia in 1991 after three decades of war, but returned to battle in 1998-2000. They remain bitter enemies, with their troops still eyeing each other along the fortified frontier.

The two countries remain at odds over the flashpoint town of Badme, awarded to Eritrea by a UN-backed boundary commission but still controlled by Ethiopia.

Eritrea, about the size of England, has a population of some five million people.

Sudan hosts over 1,09,000 Eritrean refugees while Ethiopia hosts over 1,06,000, with thousands more arriving each month.

In the past Issaias has said those fleeing are only going for “picnic” and would return.

http://ethioforum.org/eritrea-blames-un-refugee-agency-for-thousands-fleeing/

London man Andy Tsege faces death penalty in Ethiopia (BBC video)

Click here for BBC Video

Andy Tsege, from Islington, who opposes the Ethiopian authorities, was seized in June and has been in solitary confinement ever since, his family says.

The Foreign Office says he is not being held “illegally”.

BBC London’s Charlotte Franks spoke to Mr Tsege’s partner Yemi Hailemariam, Maya Foa from human rights organisation Reprieve, and Andy’s sister Bezu Tsege.

http://ethioforum.org/london-man-andy-tsege-faces-death-penalty-in-ethiopia-bbc-video/

Time for Opposition Parties to join hands

November 

by Belay Manaye

There are about 75 political parties in Ethiopia, according to the National Electoral Board. This is a huge number. And I think Ethiopia doesn’t require such a huge number of parties. It requires few genuine political parties that could change its politics for the better. Fair enough, the people of Ethiopia want to see few political parties with best political alternatives.

Thus, this number should be reduced, not simply by dissolving them but by bringing them together. I know it is not an easy task. It is a tough one. But it is time to be done, I believe.

For the last years, we have seen different coalitions, fronts, alliances and unions of political parties. However, none lasts long, I can say. The problem of such coalitions, fronts, alliances and unions to break up again is mostly due to the ego of individuals. It is not because of ideology or political programs difference. Besides, most parties are seen lacking internal democracy which cause for further split up.

Now, the present political parties should draw lessons from previous experiences and strive to form better ones, most importantly unions. Whether we believe it or not EPRDF is a strong party. The present opposition parties are not strong enough to compete with it separately. Even for election contests, none of the parties stretched its structure throughout the country. And to lead Ethiopia, a party (parties) should secure the majority vote of Ethiopians. To do this, among other things, it is time for opposition parties to join hands together.

October 22/2014, nine national and region-based opposition parties have agreed to cooperate in selected areas such as election. Such cooperation could be considered as a good initiative. However this cooperation did not include major opposition parties except Semayawi Party. We don’t find other relatively strong political parties such as UDJ and Medrek. I know these parties have been in the process. And at the end, they didn’t sign the agreement. (May be in the future…)

In fact, as I said earlier, political parties better to form unions than mere cooperation and bla bla. Yes, some parties should be ceased through unions. I cannot see any strong reason for their separate existence. Sure, some parties are almost the same in many aspects. For example, what are the major differences among Semayawi, UDJ and AEUP parties, which could be hindrances for forming union? I think, it is only individuals’ self interest (ego) that could hinder the move towards forming union.

Some are arguing that coalitions, fronts, alliances and unions have been tried and it failed. True, many of such attempts were failed. But that doesn’t mean it won’t work anymore! It is a tough task; but it can really work if integrity is there among leaders. And the time is now.
I believe it is really time for political parties to communicate with the public. Yes, it is time to come up with best political alternatives; and in unison. It is not the duty of political parties to sell IDs to those who seek to get visa and collecting money by renting their ‘office’. Such parties should not exist anymore. Hence, genuine parties should not only struggle the ruling party but also such ‘business oriented opposition parties’ too.

The People of Ethiopia are still looking for best alternative political party (parties). And yet, there isn’t any strong alternative party. For example, which party has introduced its alternative political programs to the public? Opposing for the sake of opposing never benefits the people. Opposition parties should come up with their alternatives. Party leaders should defeat their ego and work for the people with other parties that have similar programs and ideology.

Needless to say, this regime is a despot. People have anger at EPRDF’s maladministration. Yes, there is anger at the growth of corruption. EPRDF is arresting journalists, politicians, and bloggers, among others. Citizens are fleeing the country. There is extremely poor service provision of electricity, potable water and telecom etc. People would say no to this regime anytime. Yes, riot or protest would happen anytime. In that time, at least there should be a single strong party to manage that revolution or protest. Thus, it is time for opposition parties to join hands together.

Remember that united you stand, divided you fall.

http://ecadforum.com/2014/11/03/time-for-opposition-parties-to-join-hands/

Nightmare’ for Ethiopian pastoralists as foreign investors buy up land

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Suri boys with water gourds herd cattle along a road in Tulgit, Omo valley, Ethiopia. Photograph: Danita Delimont/Alamy

David Smith, Africa correspondent, theguardian.com, Monday  November 2014

— Ethiopia’s policy of leasing millions of hectares of land to foreign investors is encouraging human rights violations, ruining livelihoods and disturbing a delicate political balance between ethnic groups, a thinktank report has found.

The US-based Oakland Institute says that while the east African country is now lauded as an economic success story, the report, Engineering Ethnic Conflict, “highlights the unreported nightmare experienced by Ethiopia’s traditionally pastoralist communities”.

A controversial “villagisation” programme has seen tens of thousands of people forcibly moved to purpose-built communes that have inadequate food and lack health and education facilities, according to human rights watchdogs, to make way for commercial agriculture. Ethiopia is one of the biggest recipients of UK development aid, receiving around £300m a year.

The Oakland Institute’s research, conducted in 2012 and 2013, focused on 34,000 Suri pastoralists who have lived in south-west Ethiopia for up to three centuries. Suri livelihoods consist of herding cattle, goats and sheep, shifting cultivation, and hunting and gathering.

But the recent introduction of large-scale plantations “has not only made important grazing lands unavailable to the Suri and devastated their livelihoods, but disturbed political order between the Suri and other local ethnic groups, escalating violent conflicts”, the report says.

The investigation was prompted by 2012 reports of violence at Koka, a foreign-owned 30,000 hectare (74,000 acres) plantation established two years earlier to produce palm oil, although it has since expanded to grow moringa trees and maize, with plans for rubber trees.

According to a Kenyan NGO, Friends of Lake Turkana, the government cleared grass and trees to allow Malaysian investors to establish the plantation. Water was diverted from the Koka river to these plantations, leaving the Suri without water for their cattle.

In response, the Suri took up arms and battled government forces, Friends of Lake Turkana said. Government forces killed 54 unarmed Suri in a marketplace in retaliation. There have been more killings and arrests since.

Based on interviews with victims’ families, officials and other witnesses, the Oakland Institute found that the plantation exacerbated tensions between the Suri and another ethnic group, the Dizi, seen as collaborating with the government. The first episode of violence in February 2012, in which three Dizi police officers were killed, occurred over police marking land for expansions of the plantation.

The institute accuses the Ethiopian government of manipulating these tensions, for example, by favouring the Dizi in employment. “According to field research, the increase in violent clashes between the Suri and Dizi can be linked to the intrusion of the Koka plantation and displacement of Suri from lands vital for cattle raising, one of their most important livelihood resources.”

A generation after the famine that was screened around the world, Ethiopia claims it is on track to meet most of the millennium development goals and become a middle-income country by 2025. But the report contends that the government puts foreign and political interests above the rights and needs of local populations, especially historically marginalised and neglected ethnic groups.

It also argues that the World Bank’s support of three phases of Ethiopia’s pastoral community development project implicates western funds in the coerced settlement of pastoral communities and the conditional – and coercive – distribution of food aid.

“The dramatic reconfiguration of land for foreign investment in the Koka plantation, as well as its alleged failure, illustrates the haphazard manner in which the government of Ethiopia implements its development strategy,” it says.

“While there have been reports of Suri returning to the plantation lands to take corn and sweet potatoes, the palm tree-lined land is no longer suitable for grazing. Although, presumably, investors are unhappy with the failure of their cheaply-leased land, the local impact has been the increase of local ethnic conflicts and the drastic altering of local livelihoods.

“As such, the Koka plantation is representative of the Ethiopian strategy of pursuing foreign investor-led development at the expense of local inhabitants.”

Felix Horne, Ethiopia researcher at Human Rights Watch, said: “Unfortunately, the Suri and other marginalised groups have no ability to voice their concerns over these developments on their land.

“There is little in the way of an independent media in Ethiopia that is permitted to cover this story, civil society that could advocate on these issues have been decimated by repressive laws, any criticism of government is met with harassment and detention. So what options are left for the Suri?”

http://ethioforum.org/nightmare-for-ethiopian-pastoralists-as-foreign-investors-buy-up-land/

Obang Metho: All eyes are on Burkina Faso

All eyes are on Burkina Faso right now following the startling news of the peoples’ uprising to ousted their iron-fisted president, Blaise Compaore, after being in power for twenty-Seven years.

It it sending a shock-waves of fear to other strongmen throughout Africa, the Middle East and the world; all who are rightfully worried that their own subjugated people will similarly rise up against them.

Will Ethiopians Join in the People’s Movement for Change as it Blows from west Africa?

We know that it is a matter of time before there is a “revolution” for the “liberation” of humanity in Ethiopia; replacing a sordid history of “liberation of ethnicity” for one’s own family, village or tribe.

Gen Honore Traore: “I will assume the responsibility of head of state”

(BBC) Burkina Faso’s President Blaise Compaore has announced his resignation, following violent protests at his attempt to extend his 27-year rule.

Mr Compaore issued a statement saying the presidency was now vacant and urging elections within 90 days.

Army chief Gen Honore Traore said he had taken over, but it was not clear if he had the backing of all the military.

Crowds danced and cheered in the capital, Ouagadougou, after Mr Compaore’s resignation was broadcast.

On Thursday, protesters angry at his attempt to amend the constitution had set fire to parliament and government buildings.

At the scene: BBC’s Yacouba Ouedraogo, Ouagadougou

There was a euphoric atmosphere in the Place de la Nation as the thousands of protesters heard that Blaise Compaore was no longer their president.

The demonstrators sang the national anthem. But the crowds have no intention of going home, as they are unhappy that Gen Honore Traore has been appointed as transitional head.

He is seen as too close to the ousted president – he was Blaise Compaore’s aide de camp – and for these demonstrators that is not enough of a rupture with the past. They have been chanting “Lougue, Lougue, Lougue” – the name of retired Gen Kouame Lougue, a former defence minister who fell out with Mr Compaore in 2003.

“This is not a coup – this is a popular uprising,” one man in the crowd said. “We rose up, we fought and we won, and now we are saying we want this man to lead. We don’t want Honore, we want Kouame Lougue.”

‘Social peace’

Mr Compaore had earlier vowed to remain in power until a transitional government completed its work in 2015, although he had agreed not to seek another term.

However, the opposition continued to demand that he resign – a key leader, Zephirin Diabre, urged protesters to occupy public spaces.

After the resignation, Mr Diabre told the BBC’s Focus on Africa radio programme: “We are all relieved by what is happening – and this is our demand for so long so we are very happy – and we need to work on the transition to take care of our country.”

It could be a year before elections are held, he added, “because you need to revive the constitution, maybe draw up a new constitution. That would take at least 12 months”. Read more…

http://ecadforum.com/News/obang-metho-all-eyes-are-on-burkina-faso/

britain-axes-aid-to-ethiopian-police-amid-human-rights-outcry/

Document warning that aid programme posed ‘high’ risk to human rights deleted from Government website as £27 million aid scheme axed

(The Telegraph) Britain has suspended most of a £27 million aid programme to support Ethiopia’s police force, The Telegraph has learnt, amid mounting allegations of torture, rape and murder by the regime.

Britain has given £1 billion in aid, including around £70 million for “governance and security” projects, to the country over three years

Ministers pulled the plug on a scheme intended to improve criminal investigations, help Ethiopian police “interact with communities on local safety” and help women access the justice system.

The cancellation coincides with an Amnesty International report that documents how the Ethiopian security forces have conducted a campaign of torture, mutilation, rape and murder in order to suppress political opposition.

Britain has given £1 billion in aid, including around £70 million for “governance and security” projects, to the country over three years. Critics of the ruling regime have disappeared, and Amnesty International found allegations of men being blinded and women being gang raped and burnt with hot coals by regime officials.

There are mounting fears for the safety of Andy Tsege, a British national and critic of the regime, who was abducted in Yemen before being tortured and sentenced to death.

The Department for International Development said the project was cancelled because it did not represent “value for money” and because of “risk” in getting it delivered on time.

It insisted that the cancellation of the project was entirely unrelated to allegations of human rights abuses, and said the decision pre-dated the Amnesty International report.

However, earlier this year an internal government assessment of the programme warned it posed a “high” risk to human rights, upgrading it from medium.

The document noted that the Government of Ethiopia appeared reluctant to improve the human rights situation. “The underlying assumption of GoE’s commitment to reform in the security sector is sensitive and subject to a range of factors (e.g. terrorist attacks inside Ethiopia). In light of this, we propose elevating the risk to ‘high’.”

It also warned that work had been “poor quality” with “weak value for money”. There were “tensions” between British aid workers and the Government of Ethiopia, with Ethiopian civil servants complaining over being “overwhelmed” by paperwork. Work fell behind the timetable.

The document, an annual assessment of the scheme, was subsequently deleted from the website.

DfID said the document was deleted because the programme had changed. The decision to axe the programme went unannounced before inquiries from this newspaper, despite mounting concern at the deteriorating situation in the country.

A DfID spokesman said: “DFID has suspended major activities under the Community Safety and Justice programme because of concerns about risk and value for money. We are updating the website to reflect programme changes.”

One element of the scheme, run by Harvard University in measuring the effectiveness of justice reforms, will continue to be funded by Britain.

The deletion of the documents was detected by Reprieve, the anti-death penalty charity which is campaigning for Mr Tsege’s release.

“While MrTsege is held in a secret prison in Ethiopia under sentence of death, Dfid has inexplicably scrubbed alltraces of this funding from its website,” said Maya Foa, the head of the death penalty team. “The Government should be using its extensive influence in Ethiopia to ensure the safety of one of its nationals, not aiding the very forces responsible for his detention – then removing the evidence.”

A blistering report on Thursday warned that British aid money is fuelling corruption overseas. One development project in Nepal encouraged people to forge documents to gain grants while police stations in Nigeria linked to British aid were increasingly demanding bribes, the Independent Commission on Aid Impact found.

http://ecadforum.com/2014/10/31/britain-axes-aid-to-ethiopian-police-amid-human-rights-outcry/

Poor Ethiopia amid global village in crises By Robele Ababya

Pope Francis on global youth unemployment & loneliness of the old

Pope Francis – Holy Father of 1.2 billion Catholics in the world – vividly, precisely, and powerfully addressed the epic contemporary issue on the captioned subject about which there is global consensus. In His interview with atheist Scalfari dated 01/10/2014, the Pope said that:-

Quote: The most serious of the evils that afflict the world these days are youth unemployment and the loneliness of the old. The old need care and companionship; the young need work and hope but have neither one nor the other, and the problem is they don’t even look for them anymore. They have been crushed by the present. You tell me: can you live crashed under the weight of the present without a memory of the past and without the desire to look ahead to the future by building something, a future, and a family? Can you go on like this? This, to me, is the most urgent problem that the Church is facing. Unquote

When Scalfari suggested that the above issues are largely political and economic problems for states, the Pope noted that “these problems affect both bodies and souls. It is not the only problem that we face, but it is the most urgent and the most dramatic.”

It is not in the interest of dictatorial rulers to formulate and implement solutions to problems affecting bodies and souls because tyrants like the thugs on the top echelon of the EPRDF regime are intolerant to political pluralism and civilized open dialogue on issues relating to social justice.

Corruption as a major problem in Communist China and Ethiopia 

The General Secretary (GS) of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which is friendly to EPRDF party, had to say the following at the opening of its 18^thCongress:-

Quote The GS in his speech to leading officials underlined the unprecedented stride in economic growth achieved in the last decade but asking them “to exercise strict self-discipline and strengthen supervision over their families and staff.” He said “Leading officials at all levels, especially high-ranking officials, must readily observe the code of conduct on clean governance and report all important matters” adding that “If we fail to handle this issue well, it could prove fatal to the Party, and even cause the collapse of the Party and the fall of the state”. He made a passionate plea that “the CPC must make unremitting efforts to combat corruption, promote integrity and stay vigilant against degeneration.” He singled out corruption as a major problem in his closing speech also. Unquote

And the incoming General Secretary Xi Jinping strongly underscored the same thing in condemning the rampant corruption. But corruption is still rampant and the quest for full democracy is gathering momentum as exemplified by the current mammoth public protest feared to spread to main land China.

The lesson for Ethiopia is therefore not to emulate the economic growth model of the CPC.

Any serious combating to uproot corruption must start with the arrest of the Mother of corruption in Ethiopia.  To that end, one should follow the recent two examples:-

• Spain: fifty-one “high-people” detained and hundreds of bank accounts frozen; citizens expect more action from the corrupt political class;
• India: “Black Money” activity afflicting India is so rife; Prime Minister Modi’s Administration listed more than 600 wealthy citizens for freezing their accounts in foreign banks.

The arrest and freezing of the accounts of the Mother of corruption including her inner circles shall be a deadly blow to the person being groomed for the post of premiership by foreign powers.

Infringement on freedom of Ethiopians by the ruling party

I am nostalgic of those days in the first half 1960s when travelling by airplanes to the U.S.A., making intermediate stops at airports in Europe where carriers used to unload and upload passengers and cargos. Transit passengers used their 45 minutes ground time to rush to the terminal building for shopping or taking refreshments after which they returned to their seats by showing their boarding card without undergoing any physical search at all. That freedom began vanishing gradually with increasing number of high jacking of airplanes – the Israeli national carriers and the Ethiopian Airlines being the first victims in the second half of the 1960s.

People with evil minds saw the vulnerability of passenger airplanes to their brutal political and ransom-seeking objectives; a stream of high-jacking and destroying of airplanes in the air became a matter of worrying concern to the international community to this date.  A new entirely unexpected and horrifying occurrence of 9/11 of using civilian passenger airplanes as a weapon of mass destruction shocked the global community. The Aviation Security Annex to the International Civil Aviation Organization had to be revised substantially with a view to preempting the menace.

Our freedom of movement has since been curtailed to unacceptable degree due to pervasive intrusion on our daily lives. The TPLF regime has gone further in organizing the entire Ethiopian people into “one boss to every five” cells for eavesdropping, surveillance and controlling of citizens.

Crisis-ridden global village

Our global village is awash with unprecedented number of crises  of all sorts generated by, inter alia :- regional wars such as in the Middle East, the Horn of Africa and Ukraine; proliferation of nuclear weapons; climate change; fear of  economic recession; mistrust; ethnic cleansing; abuse of fundamental human rights; ideological and religious conflicts; the Ebola nightmare spreading from its epicenter in West Africa; tax evasion by the rich stashing their loots in foreign banks; pervasive corruption in India, China and most African countries including Ethiopia; intolerable youth unemployment especially in Africa; abject poverty with Ethiopia ranked last but one in the world.

The pervasive curtailments of freedom are symptoms of malignant ailment attributable to social injustice, in terms of denial of liberty and utterly unfair sharing of resources, that human civilization in its history has been unable to cure in spite of the French Revolution (1789 -1799) which was meant to address it significantly. The present world is unsafe, social injustice in the developing world is rampant and the world is beset by endemic corruption. Therefore, the prospect of a major war is hanging over our heads. This generation has to work hard to avert it.

The renowned intellectual, Jean-Jack Rousseau, recommended punishment by death to those who violate the “Social Contract” justifying his recommendation as follows:-

Quote “man is born free, but he is everywhere in chains.” Rousseau asserts that modern states repress the physical freedom that is our birthright, and do nothing to secure the civil freedom for the sake of which we enter into civil society. Legitimate political authority, he suggests, comes only from a social contract agreed upon by all citizens for their mutual preservation.

Rousseau calls the collective grouping of all citizens the “sovereign,” and claims that it should be considered in many ways to be like an individual person. While each individual has a particular will that aims for his own best interest, the sovereign expresses the general will that aims for the common good. The sovereign only has authority over matters that are of public concern, but in this domain its authority is absolute: Rousseau recommends the death penalty for those who violate the social contract.” Unquote – Source: google

TPLF warlords breach even their own constitution imposed on the Ethiopian people as frequently as they please. Therefore they deserve a harsh punishment – political death at the polls.

Youth unemployment & “loneliness of the old” in Ethiopia

Overwhelming majority of skinny peasants living in Ethiopia in serfdom, employ primitive mechanical farming tools, mostly made of wood, pulled by a pair of oxen or other animals such as donkeys or horses. The poor peasant farmers guide the animals from the rear cracking their whips to control the direction and speed of the animals in the arduous process of ploughing the government-owned land leased to tenants.  There is no way that this method of farming can make Ethiopia food sufficient to feed 93 million citizens growing at worrying rate. It stands to reason to query the EPRDF regime why it is in the process of importing 200, 000 metric tons of grain in addition to borrowing US$ 600 million to cover for shortfalls, in spite of boasting self-sufficiency.

I recall that the former USSR was showcasing grandiose farmlands stretching tens of kilometers with buddying crops on the sides of highways. But at the same time it (USSR) was importing thousands of metric tons of wheat from the Western world, especially Canada. The Kremlin authorities were telling half-truths to their people just as the copycat EPRDF regime is now doing. The Russian Republic of today is exporting wheat.

The young have migrated to cities in search of greener pastures are disappointed to find that manual jobs such as laying cobble stones are reserved for university graduates; they are loitering the streets with hungry stomachs as victims of substance abuse and exposed to all kinds of indignities. The old are living a miserable life because their once able-bodied children are now jobless and unable to supplement the minuscule income of their parents that is prone to erosion owing to rising cost of living.

So, abject poverty and youth unemployment are not going to end unless democracy and private-sector participation including private land ownership take the center-stage in Ethiopia’s development policy.

Glimmer of hope for unemployed youth in EAC

I am impressed with the bold initiative that the presidents of Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda are taking to expedite the integration of the East African Community (EAC) for the benefit of, inter alia:- enhancing economy of scale, development of transportation systems connecting their capitals and Juba in South Sudan, enhancing jobs creation projects and youth employment; dropping the requirement for work permit, fostering freedom of movement of their citizens, implementing equal university fees for their citizens, and fostering political collaboration and awareness to have a common voice on issues relating to the AU, UN and other international bodies . It pains me to concur that South Sudan has made a sensible decision to cancel the peace talks in Addis Ababa ruled by an apartheid regime.

In regard to free movement of citizens, travel documents such as identity cards, student IDs would be sufficient obviating the need for a national passport. This is the spirit of Pan Africanism, for which the three Presidents: – Y.K. Museveni, Uhuru Kenyatta, and Paul Kagame have to be applauded!  This praise for the three Presidents is uttered in the spirit of my firm belief that all-inclusive politics is imperative for enduring democracy and prosperity in a free society. Rwanda should be congratulated for becoming the only African country among the top ten countries ranking 7^th – according to “The Global Gender Gap Index” that compared 142 states.

The initiative taken by the three Presidents is in sharp contrast to that of the racist divisive Woyane regime. Bravo EAC for seeing the danger posed by Woyane! Adios IGAD dominated by EPRDF!

Ethiopia’s historical foes in political turmoil

Ethiopia’s traditional enemies in the Middle East, Arab states in Africa, and the extremist Islamic states such as Pakistan are victims of crisis of their own making. Iraq, Syria, and Libya are squarely in the category of failed states. Their generous support to Ethiopian separatists is dwindling.

I extend my deep sympathy to the innocent civilian population – children, women, and old citizens of these countries for taking the brunt of the atrocities unleashed by their tyrant leaders.   But the crisis is a propitious event for Ethiopian opposition forces to seize in order to dethrone the EPRDF warlords and put in place a democratic Ethiopian government that will act as an agent of change that will promote regional peace, stability, and prosperity. The support of Western powers, especially the U.S.A. and the U.K., is important in this regard for it will be in their long time interest to be on the side of ancient Ethiopia situated at a very strategic location in the Horn of Africa.

Regarding freedom of expression, the US Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Powers, characterized the guilty verdict in Egypt on Aljazeera journalists as “A chilling and outrageous attack on freedom of the press”. In Ethiopia too, the stalwart journalist Temegen Desalegn has recently joined others in the filthy notorious Kaliti prison to serve a three-year sentence without parole; all pillars of democracy including press freedom are the sole monopoly of the brutal TPLF regime in full view of the Obama Administration paying only leap service to the grim reality. I plead with Ambassador Powers to take this exceedingly important matter of gagging freedom of expression in Ethiopia.

I seize this opportunity to pay my sincere tribute to Ambassador Powers for her audacious visit to the Ebola-ridden West African countries thereby expressing solidarity with the people of that region. This is what I call leadership by example of which her fellow citizens should be proud of and install her in the White House as President.

In closing, I would like to underline that:-

• Craving for democracy is divine and therefore Ethiopians should emphatically rebuff any political interference of CPC in the internal affairs of Ethiopia and demand it to focus on its appreciable economic development efforts!
• Poor Ethiopia is in multiple crises pervading the global village; Ethiopians have only God and themselves to overcome these crises. To that end consider what peoples power in Burkina Faso could do in forcing their tyrant President to resign.
• Religious leaders in Ethiopia should emulate His Holiness Pope Francis in addressing the burning issues of abject poverty, youth unemployment, and endemic corruption.
• Brain-washing of young Ethiopians by the EPRDF ruling regime must end soonest!
• Preparation by the brutal regime is underway to steal the coming election and claim 100% ‘win’ unless Western powers withdraw direct budgetary support to the brutal EPRDF regime and exert pressure on it to abide by democratic principles for a free, fair, transparent and credible election.

It is my ardent hope and fervent prayer that all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Ethiopia including:- Andualem Aragie, Eskinder Nega, Andargachew Tsige, Abraha Desta,  Bekele Gerba, Reeyot Alemu, Haptamu Ayalew Daniel Shibeshi, Yeshiwas Assefa, Leaders of the Ethiopian Muslims, the 9 bloggers and 3 Journalists, Temesgen Desalegn et al are released immediately and unconditionally!

LONG LIVE ETHIOPIA!!!

http://ethioforum.org/poor-ethiopia-amid-global-village-in-crises-by-robele-ababya/

Eritrean resistance steps up pressure on President Isaias Afewerki

Two opposition members tell the Guardian how Eritreans are becoming increasingly disillusioned with the repressive regime

The Guardian — Eritrea is the most closed and repressive country in Africa, routinely denying access to the international media. No foreign journalists are based in the country and there is no independent local press. However, in a rare and courageous breach of the wall of silence, members of the internal opposition spoke to the Guardian and Radio France International last weekend.

Since independence from Ethiopia in 1993 Eritrea has been ruled by as a one-party state by President Isaias Afewerki, who brooks no opposition.

Two members of the Eritrean resistance, speaking via a secure connection, described conditions inside the country. “Essentials like water, electricity or petrol have disappeared,” they said. Food is so expensive that even middle-class families find it difficult to find enough to eat.

They said tension in the capital, Asmara, is high, with reports of trucks filled with Ethiopian “mercenaries” – from the Tigray People’s Democratic Movement (TPDM), known locally as Demhit, which Eritrea supports – ringing the city. The last round of compulsory military service failed, with only around 50 of the expected 400 conscripts reporting for duty. “We think it is highly likely that Demhit will carry out a door to door sweep to round up recruits,” said Sami (not his real name).

The TPDM, drawn from the ethnic group that now rules Ethiopia, has been given sanctuary, arms and training by Afewerki. Eritrea and Ethiopia have a long-standing border dispute, which has resulted in tens of thousands of troops confronting one another in the bleak, mountainous border region. Supporting Demhit is Eritrea’s means of maintaining pressure on the Ethiopian government.

A UN report published this month estimated that some 20,000 TPDM fighters are based in Eritrea, bolstering the president’s security. The report described them as having “a dual function as an Ethiopian armed opposition group and a protector of the Afewerki regime. Its fighters, who are from the same ethnic group as Afewerki, are seen to be personally loyal to him, unlike the defence forces whose loyalties have been questioned by the president in recent years.”

Since a failed army mutiny against the Eritrean regime in January 2013, the TPDM has become central to Afewerki’s survival. This reliance on foreign forces is deeply resented by the Eritrean population. “They demanded the identity documents of a friend of mine and I,” Sami said. “When this happened earlier this year there was a riot. People really hate them.”

Despite the intense security, the resistance is finding new ways of getting its message across. The group, which began over two years ago,started by helping organise phone calls from the diaspora abroad to Eritreans back home.

The resistance told the Guardian how it evaded tight security to put up posters protesting against conscription. “We lay on the streets, pretending to be homeless people,” said Sami. “It was freezing cold, but the security officials walked right over us. When they had gone we could put up our posters.

A smuggled video of “Freedom Friday”, now on YouTube, shows people in Asmara crowding round to read the posters.

Sami described the growing contempt for the regime. “In coffee bars you hear people talking – even high-ranking officials complain openly about the regime.” The government led the struggle for Eritrean independence, and for years relied on its legitimacy to demand the population’s support. “The movement was treated like a religion then, like the Bible or the Koran, and followed unquestioningly,” said Sami’s colleague, Temasgen. “Slowly, this has fallen away – and now it is gone.”

Both men know the risk they are taking in speaking to the international media. “I am willing to pay with my life,” Sami declared. “In history I would rather be remembered as someone who made the ultimate sacrifice rather than just sit and complain to my neighbours.”

They appealed for international pressure to be maintained on Afewerki: “Listen to our agony. We thank you for giving shelter to Eritrean refugees abroad, but if you are a decision-maker we beg you to keep up the pressure on the Eritrean regime.”

The opposition’s growing confidence and the fragility of the regime comes at a time when discussions are taking place about relaxing the sanctions against the Eritrean government. There are suggestions that the European Union is thinking about a new approach towards Asmara, and offering aid worth €200m (£158m) as a carrot for improved human rights.

Previous attempts by the former EU development commissioner Louis Michel to negotiate the release of the Swedish journalist Dawit Isaak in return for aid resulted in empty promises. Neither Dawit nor other political prisoners were freed. Instead, repression intensified, resulting in an exodus of refugees, who find their way across the Sahara and the Mediterranean to arrive at Calais in their hundreds.

http://ethioforum.org/eritrean-resistance-steps-up-pressure-on-president-isaias-afewerki/