Immoral fund flow to the evil powerhouse of TPLF

By Robele Ababya,

The name Obama has now become a universal household word or idea synonymous to respect for human rights, rule of law, and democracy. The following quotation is striking in that respect particularly in the case of Ethiopia where thousands of political prisoners, including the icon Judge Birtukan Mideksa and artist Theodros Kassahun, are languishing in congested jails:
“Described as an 'Ethiopian Obama' and a brilliant speaker and organiser, she [Birtukan] has become a symbol of democracy in her own country, compared with figures like Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi." - The Independent
The Independent said nothing but the truth in the above quotation. Ethiopians are right in seeing Birtukan as their symbol of democracy in their bitter struggle with the crisis-ridden powerhouse of TPLF kept afloat by the support of the EU and IMF among others. Ethiopians have long come to the point of losing confidence and trust in the ruling regime because of rampant leadership crisis in their country under the misrule of Meles.
There are indeed four easily discernible crises in our country in terms of eroded moral authority, anachronistic ideology being secretly practiced, lack of confidence due to absence transparency, and mistrust in the integrity of the pathological liar, Meles
Yes, Birtukan is paying priceless sacrifice on behalf of her fellow citizens to put an end to these crises.
Irony of rewarding a tyrant
The tyrant Meles is now wealthier by the amount he can siphon from the US$ 320 million plus US$ 50 million given to his brutal regime by the EU and the IMF in that order. We know the lion’s portion of the donation will find its way back to the pockets of some corrupt officials of these two institutions and as well end up as salaries and allowances of experts recruited by these officials. Little will be left for poor Ethiopia to do any worthwhile project. The question is who will hold these institutions to account when they extract money from taxpayers and channel it to the tyrant despite his internationally known heinous crimes.
The propaganda value of the announcing in the media of these two amounts given in the name of Ethiopia is far greater, politically in enhancing his image, than the monetary share that Meles will get. The tyrant knows that the lion’s portion reverts to the givers as a price for their vote of confidence cast in his favor. We know how this money will evaporate in financing costs such as project identification, project document preparation, project appraisal trips, salary and emoluments of experts, ad infinitum. Imagine how much money per capita remains for poor Ethiopia after deductions for all these!
This support from the EU and IMF to the leader of the repressive regime came in the wake of hundreds being thrown into jail including the imprisonments of the iconic Judge Birtukan Mideksa, for exercising her right of freedom of expression, and the star artist Theodros Kassahun for his clarion call for love, unity, peace and reconciliation enshrined in the famous ballades of his songs. This reward is not surprising given the fact that the tyrant was given a red carpet reception to the G8 summit hosted by the former Prime Minister Tony Blair in Scotland, shamefully only a few days after the slaughtering by his security forces under his direct command of hundreds of peaceful demonstrators protesting his day light robbery of votes cast at the polls at the historic election of 2005.
Given the current crisis mainly attributable to World Bank, IMF and the Wall Street among others, it seems some leaders in the IMF exercised their last rites in rewarding their accomplices (in the act of embezzlement) before their impending demise by the tsunami of angry calls of the peoples of the world demanding basic changes in the way these institutions operate. Their demise is surely inevitable in view of the assurance uttered by none other than Prime Minister Gordon Brown during the Davos debate in Switzerland hosted by Farid Zacharia (Global Public Square), Prime Minister Gordon Brown assured the world that the present financial institutions will be radically overhauled to fit the emerging worldwide demand for effective
There seems no end to the double standard of some Western leaders. They preach democracy on one hand and deliver hefty rewards to internationally known grave violators of basic human rights on the other hand. In the context of the current worldwide economic down turn, one wonders if this double standard is not a crisis of leadership and moral bankruptcy then what is.
The following recent passage taken from http://www.ethiopundit.com/ is an apt description of the regime that the EU and IMF are keeping alive:
”The rulers no matter the hat they wear are actually the same people. Ethiopia's ruling party is actually a party no democrat would recognize. It is a bloody minded terrorist organization built on greed, fear, and deceit. It owns businesses, runs government monopolies, and regulates all of them. The whole rule is enforced by armies of tribal militias, espionage agents, spies, agents provocateurs, torturers, and gulag managers.”
Gratitude to the EU Parliament
EU Parliament has consistently played positive roles to assist the development of democracy and respect for human rights in Ethiopia; whereas the EU Commission has dealt a heavy blow to thwart these fundamental imperatives.
What the Honorable Members of the EU did in calling for the immediate release of Judge Birtukan is commendable.
Certainly, the Honorable Anna Gometz shall be eternally remembered as a principled and true friend of the oppressed people of Ethiopia. The validity of her words that there will be no democracy in Ethiopia as long as Meles is in power, is vividly manifest in the increasingly evil deeds of the tyrant. .
Lesson from Davos debates
I am sure most readers have watched the Davos debate in Switzerland on the current economic crisis battering the entire world. In particular one of the debates aired on the television on 31 January 2009 caught my attention. This is so because the crisis enumerated in the title to this piece was time and again articulated in the debate hosted by Nik Gowing of the BBC. The panelists included President Bharrat Jagdeo of Guyana, Professor Laura Tyson (Professor of Global Management at the University of California, Berkeley) and three others whose names I did not catch – a Professor of Economics at New York University, a CEO of Global Economics and a Vice President of AIG. For the sake of brevity I will mention three points among those of relevance to this piece:
The era of unbridled free-market economy is dead, according to the Professor from the University of New York who earned the reputation of being called Dr. Doomsday for predicting the onset of the present crisis years in advance.
Professor Tyson said that chief executive officers of corporations and their respective board of directors are not to blame for the current crisis because they were operating within the management structure in which they found themselves. A “risk management model”, mathematically contrived for one corporation and well understood at micro level was sold to and adopted by other corporations; this micro model is to blame in that it was applied at macro level causing unnoticed systemic problems leading to the current crisis. The Professor admitted there were law breakers with the structure like the now infamous Bernard Maddoff who swindled US$ 50 million from charity organizations and families including that of the Professor.
The President of Guyana served on the Boards of the World Bank and IMF before he retired to become President. He was paid tribute by the host for his advance warning of the present crisis. In the debate the President underlined that gone are the days when developing countries will be lectured by gurus of the industrialized countries on how to deal with their economic problems
I would hope that my fellow citizens will agree that the doctrine of absolute free-market economy is critically sick.; that the President of Guyana is so right that people of the developing world should rely on the advices of their own gurus in shaping their own destiny without succumbing to the diktat of Western powers; that Meles, like Maddoff, is a swindler to be caught and brought to justice.
Storm of anger & positive paradigm shift in the making
The storm of anger against gross violation of human rights and sellout of vital national interests is gathering. TPLF can not stop the momentum by force because time is on the side of democratic forces both at home and globally. I would like to cite the following encouraging examples:
(a)EWHRA says – “Enough”
The Ethiopian Women Human Rights Alliance (EWHRA) recently blessed us with their exhilarating Press Release demanding in no uncertain terms the immediate and unconditional release of Judge Birtukan Mideksa. This is a reassuring sign that the Ethiopian women reputed for their valor in fighting invaders have joined the foray in the bitter struggle to ensure the supremacy of the rule of law in Ethiopia and the development of democratic civil societies with no government interference. The Release ends with the stern warning “Enough” to the abuses of the TPLF regime.
I salute EWHRA sure that their resolve is unstoppable. Their own Birtukan has torn down the iron curtain of FEAR to let us into the train of HOPE in our journey to reclaim our right to unity, democracy and justice.
(b) Release Birtukan, says Dr, Bulcha Demeksa
This is a demand from a seasoned and highly educated gentleman with considerable in-depth knowledge of Ethiopian politics. It is my fervent prayer and ardent hope that Meles would respond to the call of this noble man of wisdom and release Judge Birtukan immediately.
Positive voice of Tigreans at home and Diaspora
The paradigm shift expressed in the communiqué by the Association of Tigreans in the Diaspora is a significant breakthrough in our struggle to save our Motherland on the course of disintegration due to the evil policy of TPLF contradicting the principles of democracy in all dimensions. The resolve to organize under a national emblem is commendable. Arena Tigrai is also moving in that positive direction. So, our struggle is moving in the right direction gathering momentum everyday.
I should add that the statement by Mr. Siye Abraha (in his interview with the VOA) giving credit to the Amharas for their contribution in the preservation of the territorial integrity of Ethiopia is wonderful. After all, as I will explain in the following paragraph all ethnic groups of Ethiopia share a common history bound by blood and a mosaic culture.
Urgent need for unity
The theme today is common humanity. Dissent must be based on well established historical facts. The ethnic-conflict exacerbated by the ruling regime as a matter of policy is a case in point for the regime does not take the uniqueness of the relationship of the various ethnic groups over centuries. It does so deliberately.. I wish to advance this argument further.
As an individual born to Oromo parents not by choice, I submit that my forebears were part and parcel of the Ethiopian politics in the past; I take pride for their countless achievements as much as I share the blame for their mistakes. The Oromos came to the corridor of power in the Solomon Dynasty during the reign of Emperor Iyasu in Gonder. Ras Gugssa, descendant of the first Ras Ali of Yejju Oromos, ruled Ethiopia for twenty eight years. Great patriotic leaders like Ras Gobena Dacthe, Fitawrari Haptegiorgis Dinegde, Dejazmatch Balcha Abanebsso, et al played noble and patriotic roles for the preservation of the unity of Ethiopia. Oromos were in the corridor of power during the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie and the Derg. But it is TPLF that has downgraded the Oromos to the level of stooges by excluding them from holding real political power., Thank God, the Amharas, Oromos, Guraghes, all Tigreans opposed to TPLF policy, Kembatas, Hadeyas et al are now wide awake to the treachery of TPLF and Shaebia (EPLF). Thank God, Ethiopians, including Birtukan Mideksa, born out of mixed ethnicity constitute the overwhelming majority of the present Ethiopian population.
True love knows no ethnic boundary. Marriage between the Anuaks and Nuers as well as with members of other ethnic groups in Ethiopia is undeniable, for we have friends to prove it. The same is true of other ethnic groups I did not mention. Tigreans may have been married to Oromos and Amharas, otherwise where did Ras Araya Gugssa, Dejazmatch Haile Selassie Gugssa and Hailemarriam Gugssa (the leader of the first Woyanne) get their second name. Centuries ago, Basha Dori was the administrator of Bahr Negash later called Massawa. Dori is an Oromo name. There are the Raya Oromos in Tigrai.
There is no question that this majority will increasingly hold its commanding numerical superiority eventually shaming hypocrites in the TPLF regime playing the ethnicity game in our politics. I say Amen to the inevitable trend. Dissent based on wrong premise should not impede our unity so indispensable to our victory over tyranny.
Counting of the number of people in a society begins with one individual. Therefore the right to life, liberty and prosperity of an individual translates to all members of that society as a whole.
The great people of the USA elected Barrak Obama as their President not because he is African American. They elected him for the content of his character. I believe we Ethiopians should borrow a leaf from this example and ensure the fundamental right of the individual regardless of his/her ethnic origin. This must be the starting point to secure the unity that most of us crave.
We need to create a political space that lets the individual to climb to the zenith of power on merit by consent of the people in a fair and free election.
Jails for prisoners of conscience must soon be a thing of the past in our Ethiopia! This must be achieved by us for ourselves. Let us say “Enough” to the abuses of TPLF and demand the immediate and unconditional release of Birtukan Mideksa and all political prisoners.
Let us admit that it is the fault of opposition forces due to lack of unity that foreign fund is flowing to the divisive evil powerhouse of the repressive regime encouraging it to continue its gross violation of human rights acknowledged by the international community.
LONG LIVE ETHIOPIA!