By Prof. Alemayehu G. Mariam

The United States will stay the course in Ethiopia, and I hope I can count on each of you [Ethiopians] to do the same.” — U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Michael Raynor, in his Facebook outreach message message of February 13, 2018.

I write this open memorandum on the occasion of U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s visit to Ethiopia and to publicly acknowledge the extraordinary human rights advocacy U.S. Ambassador Michael Raynor has been doing in Ethiopia since his appointment in July 2017.

I recognized Ambassador Raynor’s outstanding contributions to human rights improvements in Ethiopia in my October commentary, “Thanking the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia for Standing and Walking on the Right Side of History”.

I have chosen the “memorandum” style for this commentary in its original Latin semantic signification, “memorandum est” [It must be remembered (that)…).

It must be remembered that Ambassador Michael Raynor’s strong stand on human rights has helped strengthened the resolve of the Ethiopian people in their  struggle for freedom, democracy and human rights.

It must be remembered that Secretary Tillerson’s strong stand on human rights, aid accountability and sanctions against gross human rights violators under the Magnitsky Act has contributed to a significant paradigm shift in U.S. human rights policy in Africa.

I aim to address four topics in this open memorandum.

First, I wish to commend Ambassador Raynor  for standing his ground for American values given the current “state of emergency “and massive human rights violations in Ethiopia by the regime of the Tigrean People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a regime listed as a terrorist organization by the Global Terrorism Database.

Second, I aim to offer my reflection on the world of difference between the Obama and Trump administrations in U.S. human rights policy in Ethiopia and Africa especially in light of an alleged derogatory statement made by President Trump. That is important because so many well-informed Africans, distracted by media circuses, have been blinded to the fact that significant positive human rights policy changes affecting Africa have occurred under the Trump administration.

Third, I aim to name and shame certain Western countries and the African Union for their pusillanimous and spineless responses to the TPLF’s state of emergency, cowardly indifference and hollow diplomatic palaver about the suffering and oppression of the Ethiopian people.  In the past few days, irrefutable proof has been presented showing the ruling TPLF regime rigged the votes in its parliament to pass its “state of emergency decree”. Only the U.S. has publicly expressed strong disagreement with that so-called state of emergency decree as other countries have tip-toed around it.

Fourth, in light of Secretary Tillerson visit to Ethiopia in the next few days, I aim to offer my personal views on how to move forward given the increasingly deteriorating situation in Ethiopia.

Commending Ambassador Michael Raynor for doing an outstanding job standing up for American Values First in Ethiopia and Secretary Tillerson for placing human rights as a central elements of “America First” U.S. foreign policy

Even though I have previously recognized Ambassador Raynor’s outstanding job standing for American values in Ethiopia, I want to publicly recognize and commend him again for living up to the promise he made during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In his Statement  Ambassador Raynor said, “If confirmed, I will advocate for full respect of the rights guaranteed under Ethiopia’s constitution, as well as for reforms that strengthen democratic institutions.”

It must be remembered that for the past eight months, Ambassador Raynor has been vigorously advocating respect for human rights and promoting the establishment of strong democratic institution in Ethiopia.

Barely eight months into the job, Ambassador Raynor has done exactly what he pledged to do.

I like a man of straight talk. I respect highly a man of his word. I like a man who says what he means and means what he says. If action speaks louder than words, Ambassador Raynor’s words are powerful action that have strengthened the spirit of the Ethiopian people in their struggle for peaceful change, truth and reconciliation.

It is a fact that Ambassador Raynor, Secretary Tillerson and the Trump administration have done more to promote and defend human rights in Ethiopia in eight monthsthan the Obama and his administration in eight years. I challenge anyone to disprove me in this assertion!

There is a saying that “An ambassador is an honest gentleman sent to lie abroad for the good of his country.” In Ambassador Raynor, America has an honest gentleman sent to Ethiopia for the good of his country who proudly stands up for American Values First.

I should like to specifically commend Ambassador Raynor by acknowledging his extraordinarily hopeful Facebook outreach message of February 13, 2018 to all Ethiopians. That message is poignant, powerful, inspiring and forward-looking. It must be remembered that Ambassador Raynor stood up for the democratic rights of the Ethiopian people to the extent maximally possible within the parameters of diplomatic decorum.

In his message, Ambassador Raynor made it crystal clear that he is going to stand for American Values First in Ethiopia, not merely mouth off lofty rhetoric about freedom and democracy.

He said “there are certain principles that we stand for, and in light of recent events [in Ethiopia] I want to reiterate those now.” Among the principles he  mentioned included the right of “people to be free to express themselves peacefully, and to be confident that they can do so.”

Ambassador Raynor underscored the vital need for “constructive political engagement through strengthening institutions rather than destroying them”. He emphasized the “need for accountability through legal mechanisms and constitutional processes.”

Ambassador Raynor talked about his “goal” of “playing a constructive role in Ethiopia” specifically by “supporting the aspirations of those who seek a better future”. He urged extreme care in the use of “lethal force” and “to protect the safety of the public, even in the face of violent protests, must always be a last resort.” He assured the people of Ethiopia, “The United States will stay the course in Ethiopia, and I hope I can count on each of you to do the same.”

No U.S. ambassador in the history of Ethiopian-U.S. relations, spanning over a century, has stood for American Values so publicly and so proudly in Ethiopia!

In May 2017, Secretary Tillerson said the U.S. will make human rights a center piece of America First foreign policy. He told State Department employees: “Guiding all of our foreign policy actions are our fundamental values: our values around freedom, human dignity, the way people are treated. These are our values… not our policies…   Policies change… our values never change.”

When others doubted and dismissed Secretary Tillerson’s statements on human rights as political rhetoric and demonized him as the “destroyer” of the State Department, I believed he meant what he said and said what he meant about human rights as core American values. That is why I fully supported Secretary Tillerson’s “house cleaning” at the State Department.

I believe Secretary Tillerson to be a man of principle who follows an American Values First U.S. foreign policy.

Contrasting the human rights policies of the Obama and Trump administrations in Ethiopia and Africa

It must be remembered that President Barack Obama loved talking about “standing on the right side of history” in Africa.

In July 2009, in Accra, Ghana, Obama hectored Africa’s dictators: “History is on the side of these brave Africans, not with those who use coups or change constitutions to stay in power.  Africa doesn’t need strongmen, it needs strong institutions.”

In August 2014, Obama stood shoulder to shoulder with the African “strongmen” who used coups, stolen elections, mass arrests, torture and subverted their constitutions to cling to power, including Hailemariam Desalegn Boshe (Ethiopia), Paul Biya (Cameroon), Blaise Compaoré (Burkina Faso), Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo (Equatorial Guniea), Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Joseph Kabila Kabange (DR Congo), Idris Deby (Chad), King Mswati III (Swaziland), Yoweri Museveni (Uganda), Denis Sassou-Nguesso (Rep. of Congo) and many others.

U.S. ambassadors are regarded as the “the U.S. President’s representative to the host country.” Ambassador Raynor is the “personal representative” of President Donald Trump in Ethiopia.

Ambassador Raynor has been in his post since July 2017.

It must be remembered that in eight months, Ambassador Raynor, President Trump,’s personal representative in Ethiopia, has demonstrated beyond a shadow of doubt that he is on the right side of history by standing shoulder to shoulder with the Ethiopian people and assuring them that the U.S. will stay the course and strongly urging them to do the same. . He has stood with the “brave Ethiopians” time and again in their struggle to be free, and not with those strongmen in Ethiopia who trash their constitution, steal elections, abuse their power and declare illegal states of emergency to cling to power.

When President Barack Obama was president of the United States, I was ashamed of U.S. policy in Ethiopia.

When Donald Trump is president of the United States, I am proud of U.S. policy in Ethiopia.

How on earth (or in the solar system) is that possible?

Well…!!

President Donald Trump is vilified for allegedly using the phrase “s**t hole countries” referring to African and other countries.

Senator Dick Durbin’s (D-IL) testified in the court of public opinion (a/k/a CNN) that Trump made a statement using the particular phrase. The White House and other Senators present at the meeting have cast doubt about Durbin’s claims.

Many of my longtime readers have asked me why I did not react to the reported statement.

While I make no excuses for President Trump, I don’t know exactly what he said or did not say.  There is no audio or video recording or clip of what Trump said at that meeting. Since the controversy is centered on a single phrase, it is necessary to know exactly what Trump said, in his own words in full context, and not extracted words or phrases reported in public possibly to even political scores. It is true that candidate and President Trump has used intemperate words and phrases in his political communication. I have roundly condemned such expression in my previous commentaries. The question here is what evidence exists other than the “testimony” of Senator Durbin to CNN.

Trial lawyers know all too well how unreliable eyewitness (and “earwitness”) testimony can be in a court of law. But in the court of public opinion soundbites appear seductively truthful.

If Trump indeed used the alleged phrase, I would imagine he was using it to refer to “s**t hole African regimes” that make life so miserable for ordinary Africans they are forced into exile and become refugee problems in America and elsewhere.

Certainly, that appears to be the clear understanding of the alleged phrase by President Museveni of Uganda.

But I submit President Obama said something a thousand times worse than what President Trump allegedly said!

It must be remembered that when Obama visited Ethiopia in July 2015, he unashamedly and unapologetically declared the Tigrean Peoples Liberation Front is “democratically elected”. He said that barely two months after the T-TPLF declared it had won 100 percent of the seats in its rubber stamp parliament.

Obama said:

I don’t bite my tongue too much when it comes to these issues. We are opposed to any group that is promoting the violent overthrow of a government, including the government of Ethiopia, that has been democratically elected. We are very mindful of Ethiopia’s history – the hardships that this country has gone through. It has been relatively recently in which the constitution that was formed and the elections put forward a democratically elected government. (Emphasis added.)

Blunt and plain talk don’t bother me much.

As a staunch defender of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, I believe people have the rights to say whatever they think even if I totally disagree with me.

In my career, I have defended the rights of those with loathsome views. I believe in the maxim, “If we don’t believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don’t believe in it at all.”

What bothers the hell out of me is hypocrisy and duplicity.

When Barack Obama publicly declared twice at the press conference that the T-TPLF is “democratically elected”, he knew without a doubt it was a lie, a bold-faced lie. But he stood before 100 million Ethiopians and insulted their intelligence by telling them they live under a “democratically elected government”.

Barak Obama, of course, knew better.

It must be remembered that Obama was a constitutional and civil rights lawyer before he became president. He knew all too well about election fraud and irregularities. He was among the lawyers who successfully sued Chicago in the early 1990s to redraw ward boundaries to ensure fair elections districts.

For heaven’s sake, Obama made his home in Chicago, the epicenter of the Democratic machine politics, the city famous for its dear departed voting from the grave and “stealing” the 1960 election for John F. Kennedy. Gov. In 2011, Governor Rod Blagojevich from Chicago tried to sell Obama’s Senate seat and got 14 years in prison.

Obama knows stolen elections. Yet, Obama stood up and told the Ethiopian people and the entire world that the TPLF regime is “democratically elected”. Perhaps Obama was so jetlagged, he thought he was talking about elections in Chicago.

I would take blunt talk any day than intentional, malicious hypocrisy and duplicity.

Contrasting the U.S. Response to human rights abuses and state of emergency decree in Ethiopia with other Western countries and the African Union

It must be remembered that on February 17, 2018, after the TPLF regime declared a state of emergency, the U.S. Embassy issued a statement making clear its “strong disagreement with the Ethiopian government’s decision to impose a state of emergency that includes restrictions on fundamental rights such as assembly and expression.”

That statement further asserted, despite regime claims of “incidents of violence” justifying the state of emergency, the U.S. “firmly believes that the answer is greater freedom, not less.” The statement reiterated the U.S.’s position that “expanding the space for meaningful dialogue and political participation can pave the way to a lasting democracy” and not the “imposition of restrictions will not promote democratic reform, economic growth, or lasting stability. Restrictions on the ability of the Ethiopian people to express themselves peacefully sends a message that they are not being heard.”

If anyone wants to know what standing for American Values First means, they only need to read Ambassador Raynor’s statements.

True to form, the TPLF regime sought to generate disinformation to the effect that Ambassador Raynor had retracted his statement of “strong disagreement” when he met with TPLF officials. According to TPLF disinformation, Ambassador Raynor told TPLF officials he “did not mean to cause any harm and he will commit to closely work with the government in the future.”

The U.S. Embassy categorically dismissed the TPLF disinformation.

It must be remembered that no U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia has ever made such a strong statement of solidarity with the Ethiopian people and taken a bold stand on human rights. None.

Ethiopians must show their gratitude and appreciation for the extraordinary solidarity Ambassador Raynor and the Trump administration have shown to them.

A recently released video of the vote tally on the state of emergency decree on March 2, 2018, in “parliament” by the “Speaker of the House” shows beyond a shadow of doubt that the decree indeed failed to pass.

In tallying the vote on the decree, “Speaker” Abadula reported:

Out of the members of parliament we have, eight are not available in their duty due to death and other reasons. The total number of members of parliament we have is therefore 539. Of these 539, according to the proclamation, two-third of it will be 339. The vote we have got in support of is 346 [for]; against is 88; and 7 have abstained.

Doing the arithmetic produces a different sum: The total votes cast and abstention include: 346 for + 88 against + 7 abstain = 441.

95 (88+7) members either voted against or abstained from voting on the decree.

539-441= 98 members who voted against or abstained.

Assuming 441 votes constitutes a quorum (Art. 58 of the constitution), passage by 2/3 of those present and voting in favor= 0.667 (2/3) x 441= 294 votes.

Did the decree pass by 294 or 346 votes (52 vote difference)?

Did 95 or 98 members of “parliament” vote against/abstain?

The Speaker subsequently said he had reported the vote tally erroneously.  But he completely avoided explanation of exactly how he committed the most elementary arithmetic error.

But is the “Speaker’s” claim of tabulation/calculation error credible?

It must be remembered that “Speaker” Abadula made a big deal about his “resignation” from his speakership in October 2017 alleging disrespect by the TPLF, only to return to his post in December 2017.

Did Abadula have an axe to grind when he reported the vote tally?

It must also be remembered that “Speaker” Abadula presided over sessions in two previous emergency decrees without make any tabulation/calculation errors.

On October 20, 2016, the “House of Peoples’ Representatives” unanimously endorsed the State of Emergency Declaration of October 15, 2016. There were no tabulation/calculation errors at that time.

On March 30, 2016, “the House unanimously voted to extend the state of emergency” by four months.” “Speaker” Abadula made no calculation errors at that time.

On March 2, 2018, “Speaker” Abadula claimed to have made a mysterious tabulation/calculation error.

Does that mean the TPLF “Speaker” can add and subtract only if the vote is unanimous?

According to a credible report, “Speaker” Abadula holds a graduate degree from “American Century University” and a “BSc degree from ‘Chinese Defense University’ in military leadership”. He obtained these “degrees” after “dropping out of school at 8th grade” and “joining the Derg’s army as a private over three decades ago.”

It is remarkable that a man of such impressive intellectual accomplishments should find simple tabulation/calculation of votes over a highly controversial matter so challenging!

Of course, Abadula did not mis-tabulate or miscalculate. He called it right the first time. He has been used to unanimous votes on everything for so long, he merely assumed the vote on the latest emergency decree would also be unanimous. When he found out the decree had failed to pass, he was stunned and rigged the vote count and declared a tabulation/calculation error.

Stealing votes and election is nothing new for the TPLF.

The TPLF lost the 2005 election and instead of conceding defeat, it jailed nearly all the opposition leaders, leading journalists, civic society leaders and human rights advocates.

The TPLF returned with a vengeance and claimed it had “won” the 2010 election by 99.6 percent and the 2015 election by 100 percent.

That is why I called the TPLF, “The Lords of Living Lies in Ethiopia”.

But unlike the United States which “strongly disagred” with the emergency decree, various Western governments and the African Union were tiptoeing around the issue.

The British Government expressed “concern and disappointment by the decision to impose a new State of Emergency” because it “sends a discouraging signal to the international community and foreign investors.” Casually, the British Government “urged the Government of Ethiopia to ensure that human rights and the constitution are respected.”

The German government also expressed “concern about recent domestic developments  and state of emergency proclamation” and “hoped the government will be extremely cautious in exercising its powers.”

The foreign minister of Norway further expressed “concern” and offered the TPLF regime good friendly advice as a strategic partner to “respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms” and stay the course on its “commitment to ongoing reform processes, including multiparty dialogue, release of prisoners and the dialogue with civil society.”

Unlike the U.S. which expressed strong disagreement, the U.K., Norway and Germany expressed hollow “hope” and inconsequential “concern”.

None of them took a stand on principle.

As a matter of fact, these countries were manifestly following the Obama administration’s policy of “concern” over election thefts and human rights violation in Ethiopia. “Concern” has been the hallmark of the  Obama administration’s human rights policy in Ethiopia.

In 2010 when the TPLF regime declared victory by “winning” 99.6 percent of the seats in parliament, Obama’s White House released a statement which said, “We are concerned that international observers found that the elections fell short of international commitments.” Mere concern over an election stolen by 99.6 percent!

Truth be told, I never understood why the Obama administration was ever “concerned” about the TPLF’s 99.6 victory. Obama himself had no concerns when he said the TPLF was “democratically elected” by winning 100 percent of the seats in “parliament”. Obviously, Obama must have been concerned about the 4/10 of 100 percent the TPLF missed.

The European Union’s statement is laughable. It noted the “opening of a period of uncertainty after the resignation by Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn” and urged “constructive dialogue among all stakeholders”. It advised the “state of emergency [should] be limited in time as possible”.

Ana Gomes, a member of the European Parliament described the EU statement with contempt. “The statement made by the European Union is a shame compared namely by the one that was put out by the Americans condemning the reinstatement of the state of emergency.”

The African Union statement is simply embarrassing and hypocritical.  The AU chairperson lauded the “remarkable progress made in the socio-economic development of Ethiopia” and “welcomed the steps taken by the Ethiopian authorities to widen the political and democratic space.” He encouraged “all concerned stakeholders to display a spirit of responsibility and refrain from any acts likely to undermine peace and stability.”

The AU statement made no mention of human rights violations or the state of emergency.

It must be remembered who stood by the Ethiopian people and worked hard to lift the boots of tyranny from their necks.

Shame on the Governments of the U.K, Germany and Norway!

Shame of the EU!

Shame on the African Union!

Personal reflection: Why I believe the Trump administration by standing for America First Values is standing on the right side of history in Ethiopia/Africa

In my December 18, 2016 commentary, “Trump Out of Africa”, I made certain hard and fast predictions about what the Trump administration will do in Africa in general and in Ethiopia in particular. I predicted Trump will be just another Obama pushing the age-old aid welfare mentality in Africa.

I confess I was among those who blindly condemned Trump confident in my conclusion that he will be just another Obama clone on Africa policy. I proclaimed I will eat crow if Trump did not follow in Obama’s footsteps in Africa. Suffice it to say that I have been feasting on crow (vegan style) for the past year.

In August 2014, I wrote a commentary entitled, “What is the Value of American Values in Africa?” reflecting on the meaning and value of American values in

It must be remembered that President Obama loved talking about American values. Talk. Just talk.

In his book, “The Audacity of Hope”, then-Senator Obama wrote:

We hang on to our values, even if they seem at times tarnished and worn; even if, as a nation and in our own lives, we have betrayed them more often that we care to remember. What else is there to guide us? Those values are our inheritance, what makes us who we are as a people. If we aren’t willing to pay a price for our values, if we aren’t willing to make some sacrifices in order to realize them, then we should ask ourselves whether we truly believe in them at all.” (Emphasis added.)

Condemning Bush-era torture interrogation techniques , Obama  said, “The character of our country has to be measured in part, not by what we do when things are easy, but what we do when things are hard.”

After he became president, Obama invited to the White House the “finest” practitioners of torture, corruption experts and master criminals against humanity from Africa to talk business and American investments (not human rights or American values).

Incredibly, Obama called these murderous African criminals against humanity America’s “partners”.

If we measure the character of our country by the thing is does when things are hard, how do we “measure the character” of a U.S. President? By the lofty words and catchy phrases or his inactions “when things are hard”?  If the old saying that “one can judge a man by the quality of friends he keeps” is true, does it necessarily follow that one can also judge a man by the quality of the “partners” he keeps?

President Trump has been criticized for his “America First” foreign policy.

Trump’s critics say his “America First” has been harmful because it is isolationist and allows Russia and China to take a greater international role while diminishing U.S. global stature. They say he runs an “ill-defined and sometimes chaotic U.S. foreign policy broadcast by tweets.” They say he has made America “strikingly unpopular in many nations” resulting in “a significant drop in support for U.S. leadership in the world”. They claim he has “weakened America’s role and moral standing”.

Trump’s critics complain he has “downgraded such traditional U.S. priorities as promoting human rights, democracy and international development.”  They have accused Secretary Tillerson of destroying the state department.

The fact of the matter is that there is nothing wrong with an “America First” foreign policy.

Focusing on Africa, without aiming broadly at other global issues, “America First” foreign policy has meant accountability, resistance to human rights violations globally and no more business as usual.

Let us look at the record:

In February 2018, the Trump administration imposed an arms embargo on South Sudan reflecting “growing frustration over that nation’s grinding civil war.”

On December 21, 2017, President Trump issued Executive Order 13818 extending the targeted sanctions provision of the Magnitsky Act to all nations. The order contained the unprecedented declaration that “serious human rights abuse and corruption around the world” threaten the “national security, foreign policy and economy of the United States.”

In December 2017, the United States announced it was “suspending food and fuel aid for most of Somalia’s armed forces over corruption concerns” and because Somalia “failed to meet the standards for accountability for U.S. assistance.”

In November 2017, Secretary Tillerson condemned the persecution of Rohingya minority in Myanmar as “ethnic cleansing”.

In October 2017, the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia issued an extraordinary statementdeclaring “peaceful demonstrations as a legitimate means of expression and political participation,” and “encouraging all Ethiopians to continue to express their views peacefully.”

In September 2017, the U.S. imposed sanctions on certain senior current and former South Sudan government officials and South Sudanese companies responsible for undermining peace, security and stability in that violence-wracked country.

In August 2017, the United States notified Egypt that $95.7 million in military and economic aid will be withheld, and $195 million in additional military aid released only after Egypt “makes progress in its human rights record.”

Americans have many great cultural values that I value highly and “truly believe in”.  A strong work ethic, altruism and giving a hand up to those who are down are definitely signature American values. Americans place a high value on individual freedom and individualism, which simply means they believe in the uniqueness and paramountcy of the individual person. They value highly individual initiative, individual expression and individual privacy. They value equality and an open society. They value science and technology. They believe in competition (they have a “USA #1 mentality”). They value and practice volunteerism and philanthropy. They believe in pragmatism and are achievement-oriented.  They are frank, open, and direct in their dealings.

However, there are other American values I believe in even more and am “willing to make some sacrifices in order to realize them.” The most important one is the rule of law. It simply means that law should govern a nation, not politicians, dictators or thugs. To paraphrase President Dwight D. Eisenhower, “The clearest way to show what the rule of law means to Americans in everyday life is to recall what is happening in much of Africa today where there is no rule of law.”

I became a constitutional lawyer because I have an unshakable belief in the rule of law.

I truly believe in due process, the principle that before government takes a person’s life, liberty or property, it must comply with fair procedures and be guided by fundamental American values of fairness.

I am proud to say that I have stood up and defended one of the greatest of all American values: the right against self-incrimination in the California Supreme Court.

In People v. Peevy (1998) 17 Cal.4th 1184, the California Supreme Court warned that the practice of “outside Miranda interrogation” practice becomes widespread or pursuant to an official police department practice, a new exclusionary rule may be developed to resolve the problem.

The Peevy case opened the door to stopping police interrogation abuse with additional incentive of the threat of civil rights liability in 1999. Today, all of the police training sources for California law enforcement officers advise officers that they should no longer violate Miranda intentionally.

In Dickerson v. U.S. (2000), the U.S. Supreme Court held, “Miranda announced a constitutional rule that Congress may not supersede legislatively.” In Dickerson, the Court rejected the core claim of those practicing outside Miranda interrogation that the Miranda rule is a non-constitutional judge made rule.

In 2004, in Missouri v. Seibert, the U.S. Supreme Court expressly disapproved of outside-Miranda interrogation tactics to obtain admission from suspects. The court held that allowing the police to achieve an “end run” around Miranda would encourage Miranda violations and diminish Miranda’s role in protecting the privilege against self-incrimination.

I believe in “American Values First” and I am comforted by the fact that what Ambassador Raynor is doing by standing for American values in Ethiopia is not much different than what I am doing standing for American values in America.

Back to the future: What should be the trajectory of U.S. foreign policy in Ethiopia under the Trump administration

As Secretary Tillerson visits Ethiopia, I wish to share with him the “prophetic” words of Ambassador, now Assistant Secretary of African Affairs, Donald Yamamoto.

It must be remembered that in June 2009, Ambassador Yamamoto, assessing the political and human rights situation in Ethiopia gave insightful advice and counselDeputy Secretary of State Jacob Lew.

I believe that advice and counsel is as fresh and relevant today for Secretary Tillerson as it was for Jacob Lew in 2009.

Ambassador Yamamoto advised:

Your visit to Ethiopia comes at a time when the Ethiopian Government’s (GoE) growing authoritarianism, intolerance of dissent, and ideological dominance over the economy since 2005 poses a serious threat to domestic stability and U.S. interests.

The GoE has come to believe its own anxieties about a fundamental shift in U.S. policy against it. This self-induced crisis of confidence has exacerbated the GoE’s natural tendency of government control over politics, the economy and personal freedoms.

To pre-empt retaliation, the GoE has increasingly purged ethnic Oromos, Amharas, and others perceived as not supporting the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) from the military, civil service, and security services. Such moves only add to the already growing deep public frustration and have led to a vicious cycle. The public is increasingly upset over double-digit inflation, anxiety over their economic future, the GoE’s denial of the drought, growing public inability to feed their families, and narrowing of political space highlighted by the prominent arrest of opposition leader, Birtukan Midekssa.

Without significant policy reform to liberalize the economy and allow mounting political dissent to be vented, the national elections in 2010, another season of failed rains, increasing inflation, or a terrorist attack could spark major civil unrest.

The United States can induce such a change, but we must act decisively, laying out explicitly our concerns and urging swift action. Because the GoE has enjoyed only growing international assistance and recognition despite its recent record, it currently has no incentive to veer from the current trajectory to which the EPRDF is so committed. If we are to move the GoE, we must be willing to use USG resources (diplomatic, development, and public recognition) to shift the EPRDF’s incentives away from the status quo trajectory.

Your Role in Ethiopia. For USG leadership in moving the GoE to be successful

We need to deliver an explicit and direct (yet private) message that does not glad-hand them. We must convey forcefully that we are not convinced by their rhetoric, but rather that we see their actions for what they are, and that we see their actions as potentially destabilizing and undercutting Ethiopia’s own interests.

We should then explicitly allay their anxiety by affirming that we value what they have done in terms of economic growth and institution building since 1991 in turning Ethiopia around, that we are not trying to promote regime change, and that we are delivering a similarly explicit message of the need for change to opposition groups.

As one of the most senior U.S. officials in the new administration to visit Addis Ababa, Prime Minister Meles and his senior officials are anxious to hear what you have to say, and they will scrutinize your every word for indicators of any change in U.S. policy toward Ethiopia…

Understanding Ethiopia’s domestic political and economic actions, and developing a strategy for moving the ruling party forward democratically and developmentally, requires understanding the ruling Tigrean People’s Liberation Front’s (TPLF) prevailing political ideology: Revolutionary Democracy. Hard-line TPLF politburo ideologues explain the concept in antiquated Marxist terms reminiscent of the TPLF’s precursor Marxist-Leninist League of Tigray. Western-leaning TPLF members and more distant central committee members from non-TPLF parties within the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) coalition generally shed the Marxist rhetoric of the hard-liners…

To the ruling party, development is their gift to Ethiopia, and their first priority. While they accept assistance from the international community, they resent attempts by donors to tell them how development should be done. The leadership believes that only they can know what is best for Ethiopia, and if given enough time, Ethiopia will transform itself into a developed nation. (Emphasis added.)

I urge Secretary Tillerson to heed Ambassador Yamamoto’s insightful advice and counsel on Ethiopia to Jacob Lew.

Ambassador Yamamoto knows all about the TPLF and their wicked ways.

Ambassador Yamamoto recently said the U.S. will be “very aggressive” on human rights in Africa.

Secretary Tillerson told State Department employees: “Guiding all of our foreign policy actions are our fundamental values: our values around freedom, human dignity, the way people are treated. These are our values… not our policies…   Policies change… our values never change.”

I support Secretary Tillerson, Asst. Sec. Yamamoto and Ambassador Raynor 100 percent in being very aggressive in Ethiopia on American values around freedom, human dignity, the way people are treated.

Memorandum est!

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ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – Ethiopia’s ruling coalition is expected to meet this week to choose a new prime minister, most likely from the populous Oromo ethnic group to try and dampen the discontent behind recent anti-government demonstrations.

Members of parliament attend an extraordinary meeting on the state of emergency in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 2, 2018. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

The change in leadership follows the surprise resignation of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn last month. He is the first ruler in modern Ethiopian history to step down; previous leaders have died in office or been overthrown. He said he wanted to clear the way for reforms.

The international community is closely watching the developments in Africa’s second most-populous nation which has a booming economy and is a staunch Western ally in the fight against Islamist militancy.

The coalition is made up of four region-based parties but is dominated by the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front. The Tigrayans are a much smaller ethnic group than the Oromo who are from Ethiopia’s most populous Oromiya region and have long complained of being sidelined from political power.

Their criticism of a government development plan for the capital Addis Ababa in 2015 sparked wider anti-government protests that spilled over into attacks on foreign-owned businesses in 2016. This plunged the country into an crisis and there are still sporadic protests.

“Our people should take a leadership role because this is a moral question. Our people want this. We want this,” Lemma Megersa, the Oromiya region’s president, said in a speech last month.

Global strategy companies including Teneo Intelligence and Eurasia Group have been predicting an Oromo prime minister as the most likely candidate because it would help tamp down protests.

The government has declared two states of emergencies as it tries to calm the political unrest. Since the first one ended in August, it has introduced a series of conciliatory steps, including the release of more than 6,000 prisoners this year.

The government declared a second state of emergency the day after Hailemariam’s resignation in February and protests started up again. On Friday, parliament voted to ratify the state of emergency, although 88 legislators rejected it. The previous state of emergency passed unanimously.

    One frontrunner for the leadership of the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) is Abiye Ahmed, according to the Eurasia Group. He was chosen last week to lead the Oromo People’s Democratic Organisation – one of the coalition parties.

The multilingual official holds a doctorate in peace and security from Addis Ababa University and served in the military. He set up a government intelligence agency that increased online surveillance before serving as cabinet minister for science and technology, government media outlets have reported.

Diplomats will be watching closely.

“The government needs to continue to release detainees and open the political system by allowing more room for civil society and a freer press,” said David Shinn, a former U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia.

MORE REFORMS NEEDED

Opposition leaders say they want more than prisoner releases. They want the government to reform the strict laws that sent them to jail in the first place.

Those include laws passed in 2008 and 2009, including an anti-terror law with a vague definition of offences and another that limited foreign funding for pro-democracy groups. Human Rights Watch has said the legislation was being used to criminalize free expression and peaceful dissent.

“There are laws that the government uses to stifle peaceful activity,” said Bekele Gerba, a former Addis Ababa University lecturer and opposition party leader who was among the thousands of prisoners freed this year.

Bekele, who suffered a stroke during his incarceration, told Reuters that he spent two years confined in a small windowless cell with no bed.

“Usually in this country, the tradition is that opposition parties are regarded as against the government. Whatever the opposition parties do, they are regarded as unlawful,” he said.

    There are no opposition lawmakers in Ethiopia’s 547-seat parliament.

ETHNIC TENSIONS

Since toppling military leader Mengistu Haile Mariam in 1991, the ruling EPRDF coalition has been dominated by the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front. Tigrayans account for about six percent of the population. Oromos make up 36 percent.

    Overseas-based activists have complained for years that Tigrayans secured business contracts without competition and dominated the security sector, said Daniel Berhane, an Addis Ababa-based political analyst.

Tigrayan government officials reject the claims.

This resentment contributed to the anger behind the protests, Daniel said.

    “There are legitimate public discontents that fuelled the protests. But these protests were … at times accompanied by ethnic attacks, which ranges from physical attacks to arson to eviction,” said Daniel.

The government needs to quell the discontent to avoid further protests that could fan ethnic tensions, said Abdul Mohammed, a political analyst and former government advisor.

“Today, our political discussions are conducted almost entirely in the language of ethnic identity: which group benefits, and which doesn’t,” he wrote in a commentary sent to Reuters.

Former ambassador Shinn said making sure everyone benefits from Ethiopia’s boom would go a long way toward defusing protests.

“The current government deserves high marks for its economic progress,” he said. “But the time has come to ensure this progress improves all parts of society.”

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IAAF

Britain’s Laura Muir has revealed she does not speak to rival Genzebe Dibaba over the Ethiopian’s links to a coach arrested as part of an anti-doping investigation.

Dibaba beat Muir to gold in both the 1500m and 3,000m events at the World Indoor Athletics Championships.

Her coach Jama Aden denies any doping offences, while Dibaba has always maintained she is clean.

But Muir’s coach says the relationship is “not healthy for the sport”.

Aden was arrested in June 2016 as part of a joint anti-doping operation by Catalan police, world athletics’ governing body the IAAF and the Spanish anti-doping agency.

Dibaba has never failed a drug test and says she would ditch her coach if he were ever found guilty of doping-related offences.

But Muir, who won 3,000m bronze and 1500m silver in Birmingham last week, said she did not have a relationship with Dibaba and racing against her was “difficult”.

“It can be difficult but I think I’ve always said that no matter who’s on the start line, I’ll race against them. The reason I’m in this sport is because I enjoy it and nobody is going to stop me from enjoying it,” she added.

“It is what it is. All I can do is concentrate on my performances.”

The Scot’s coach, Andy Young, added: “[Dibaba’s] association with a certain coach is not particularly healthy for the sport.”

Dutch athlete Sifan Hassan, who won 3,000m silver and 1500m bronze, refused to smile on the podium in Birmingham, which was interpreted as a sign of how she also felt about Dibaba.

“We saw Hassan at the stairs, she was lovely, it was all great. I don’t think she was expressing disappointment [on the podium]. I think she was expressing her contempt for the gold medallist and her associations,” said Young.

When asked about Young’s statements, Dibaba’s agent Juan Pineda said Muir’s coach was a “bad loser”.

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A group that supports women’s rights using music influenced by Ethiopian heritage is thriving – despite losing UK aid funding. A group that supports women’s rights using music influenced by Ethiopian heritage is thriving – despite losing UK aid funding

In the grounds of a school in Bahir Dar, a city in north-west Ethiopia, thousands of young fans have gathered to catch a glimpse of the country’s hottest girl band.

Behind billowing white sheets in a makeshift green room, the four women collectively known as Yegna prepare to take the stage. As the harsh lunchtime sunshine beats down, curious schoolchildren press up against the material to get a glimpse of their idols, who have been dubbed Ethiopia’s Spice Girls by the British press.

More than just a band, Yegna, which means “ours” in Amharic, use music and drama to raise awareness of child marriage, sexual harassment, violence and the importance of education. And it’s making a difference. An estimated 8.5 million people have heard the band’s messages.

Bilen, 14, is at the concert with her sister. “Yegna taught us the motto ‘Yes we can,’” she says. “As we grow up, I think people think less of girls, and that’s what we used to think too. But our perspective has been changed by Yegna.”

But last year, Yegna’s work came under threat when the UK’s Department for International Development, which helped create the band in 2012, abruptly announced it was cutting funding following media criticism. DfID said it took the decision to end its partnership with Girl Effect, which oversees Yegna, after a review of the programme.

A spokesperson said: “There are more effective ways to invest UK aid and to deliver even better results for the world’s poorest and value for taxpayers’ money.”

Girl Effect had received an initial DfID grant of £4m for Yegna, covering the period from 2011 to 2015. They were later given a further £5.2m for 2015-18, although the premature conclusion to the partnership meant not all these funds were drawn down.

The Daily Mail hailed DfID’s decision, but the announcement drew criticism from women’s rights campaigners.

Ripples from the decision ran from Ethiopia to the UK. Yegna drew support from Lemn Sissay, the British poet and broadcaster of Ethiopian heritage, who has performed with the band and chose one of their tracks, Taitu, when he appeared on Desert Island Discs.

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“It was a total misrepresentation of what was happening here,” says Gayathri Butler, Girl Effect Ethiopia’s country director. “And also a reduction of what we actually do. The representation of the Spice Girls, it was just taking what they had seen as a reduction of the brand, because that was what’s facing the international audience. We’re a brand created by Ethiopians and for Ethiopians.”

Butler also confirms that payments to the band reported in the Daily Mail were wildly inaccurate, and that Yegna band members are paid the market rate for performers in Ethiopia.

But Girl Effect were not to be beaten. They replaced the DfiD money with funding from several philanthropic foundations, who choose to remain anonymous. The change forced the organisation to accelerate plans to ensure its sustainability, and Girl Effect are now exploring brand sponsorships, advertising revenue during radio shows, and music sales.

“We’re a youth brand trying to break [down] barriers for girls in a very inclusive way. That includes boys, includes adults in the conversation. It’s obvious [girls] are being left behind and we should do something about it,” says brand director Bemnet Yemesgen.

Yegna consists of five “archetypal” young female characters (one is currently on maternity leave) who use storylines and song lyrics to explore social mores and controversial issues. The platforms come together to tackle one issue at a time, with the radio show theme reflected in the lyrics of the latest song.

“The music calls in the heritage of Ethiopia. The lyrics are well thought through but also we have gender teams who look at it to make sure they are meaningful without being preachy,” says Butler.

Boys also feature in the stories, to show the young fanbase that men and women can be friends as well as partners.

“We have created music that people want to buy, so we’re considering commercialising some of the products we own,” explains Yemesgen.

Butler says the audience remained blissfully unaware of the behind-the-scenes funding drama. But the decision to cease funding, she says, was short-sighted: “What we’re trying to do requires a sustained effort for change in the long term. We’re in it for the long term. We’re already seeing impact, we want to see it at scale over time and that requires commitment. It’s never been more important.”

Ethiopia is considered one of the fastest growing regions in eastern Africa. Over the past decade, Ethiopia’s economy has experienced strong growth. But with 70% of the population aged under 30, big challenges face girls growing up there.

Nearly one in five girls marries before the age of 15. The Amhara region, where the Yegna project operates, has the highest rate of child marriage, with nearly 45% of girls tying the knot before the age of 18. Social isolation, particularly in rural areas, is also a problem, with 20% of girls saying they have no friends.

Girl Effect says Yegna reach 8.5 million people, or 50% of the population in Addis Ababa and the Amhara region.

Despite the funding setback, Girl Effect are expanding the operation, which they hope to take nationwide.

Yegna members Lemlem Hailemichael, Teref Kassahun, Eyerusalem Kelemework, Zebiba Girma and Rahel Getusee see themselves as teachers – and the voice of the children of Ethiopia – rather than singers. Their enthusiasm is clear. Describing a tour of the Amhara region, Girma says: “There were over 10,000 spectators, it was amazing. Some women, who looked like us, came to the back of the stage and told us their life stories.”

When asked about the project in January 2018, Penny Mordant, who succeeded Priti Patel as development secretary, said the “Spice Girls” are still in Ethiopia doing great things without UK money.

Girl Effect are proud of the project’s resilience. Butler tells of how she was approached at a Yenga concert by a woman who married young: “She’d never really reflected on whether it had created complications in her life. It made her think about her situation and how difficult it had been. She had four daughters at home and this was the first time she realised she had to go home and have an open conversation with them.”

Back in Bahir Dar, the children, polite and restrained during the performance, cheer and clap wildly as the concert draws to a close. At the end of the gig, there’s a stage invasion. Unfazed, the band simply carry on singing with the children.

Habtamu, 19, is full of praise for the project. “It helps girls be confident,” he says. “Teaching a young girl is changing a whole community.”

A decade from now, Yemesgen’s ideal vision is a “euphoric state” where Girl Effect does not exist, because the project has succeeded and given all girls in Ethiopia a voice and agency. But he is realistic. “We know there is a lot of work to be done to get to that stage. In 10 years, I want to look back and see there has been a change.”

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The post Women’s rights and gender equality ‘By Ethiopians, for Ethiopians’: girl band Yegna shake off Spice Girls tag appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News|Breaking News: Your right to know!.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Monday that Russia had suggested a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Ethiopia this week, the RIA news agency reported.

05 Mar 2018 

Source: Reuters
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/russia-suggests-tillerson-lavrov-meeting-in-ethiopia-this-week—ria-10014994

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Bloomberg
By Nizar Manek

Strikes protesting Ethiopia’s state of emergency spread across the restive Oromia region ahead of U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s arrival for talks with the Horn of Africa nation’s embattled government.

The closing of shops and roads by members of Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group is the latest sign of discontent in Oromia state, where unrest has prompted the country’s second state of emergency in two years. Tillerson is due in Ethiopia this week as part of his first government visit to sub-Saharan Africa, less than a month after Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn resigned.

More than two years of protests in the Oromia and Amhara regions have left hundreds of people dead, while recent conflict between the Oromia and Somali regions has forced more than 900,000 people from their homes. Combined, they pose the largest challenge to Ethiopia’s ruling coalition since it took power a quarter-century ago.

Youth in the sprawling Oromia territory, which surrounds the capital, Addis Ababa, announced three days of strikes Monday to protest the emergency measures that Ethiopia’s parliament ratified without meeting a required two-thirds quorum, said Bekane Tadese, a lecturer at Addis Ababa University.

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 Jeff Bezos

CEO and Founder, Amazon.com

REAL TIME NET WORTH — as of 3/6/18

$127.3 B 

2018 BILLIONAIRES NET WORTH — as of 3/6/18

$112 B

• Amazon’s chief Jeff Bezos is the first person to top $100 billion as number one on the Forbes list of the World’s Billionaires.
• He owns 16% of e-commerce colossus Amazon, which he founded in a

 

The List

• 2018 Ranking

	Rank	Name	Net Worth	Age	Source	Country of Citizenship
	#1	Jeff Bezos	$112 B	54	Amazon	United States
	#2	Bill Gates	$90 B	62	Microsoft	United States
	#3	Warren Buffett	$84 B	87	Berkshire Hathaway	United States
	#4	Bernard Arnault	$72 B	69	LVMH	France
	#5	Mark Zuckerberg	$71 B	33	Facebook	United States
	#6	Amancio Ortega	$70 B	81	Zara	Spain
	#7	Carlos Slim Helu	$67.1 B	78	telecom	Mexico
	#8	Charles Koch	$60 B	82	Koch Industries	United States
	#8	David Koch	$60 B	77	Koch Industries	United States
	#10	Larry Ellison	$58.5 B	73	software	United States

	#11	Michael Bloomberg	$50 B	76	Bloomberg LP	United States
	#12	Larry Page	$48.8 B	44	Google	United States
	#13	Sergey Brin	$47.5 B	44	Google	United States
	#14	Jim Walton	$46.4 B	69	Walmart	United States
	#15	S. Robson Walton	$46.2 B	73	Walmart	United States
	#16	Alice Walton	$46 B	68	Walmart	United States
	#17	Ma Huateng	$45.3 B	46	internet media	China
	#18	Francoise Bettencourt Meyers	$42.2 B	64	L’Oreal	France
	#19	Mukesh Ambani	$40.1 B	60	petrochemicals, oil & gas	India
	#20	Jack Ma	$39 B	53	e-commerce	China

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Awol K. Allo, Special to CNN

Updated 5:46 AM ET, Wed March 7, 2018

(CNN)Ethiopia is facing an upheaval of unprecedented magnitude. On February 15, the country’s Prime Minister Hailemariam stepped down in a surprise move that plunged the country into uncertainty.

Ethiopian prime minister resigns after years of turmoil

However, as Hailemariam’s abrupt resignation and the subsequent imposition of a martial law highlights, the crisis in the country is explosive and requires an urgent, robust and courageous response by all stakeholders.

US influence

The visit by America’s top diplomat, Rex Tillerson, could not have come at a better time. According to the State Department Spokesperson, Tillerson is scheduled to discuss with countries on counter terrorism, peace and security, good governance, and trade and investment, all issues particularly relevant to the crisis in Ethiopia.

Tillerson highlights sub-Saharan security challenges ahead of Africa visit

Although the United States has long lost its reputation as a shining exponent of human rights and democracy in the region, the United States still wields enormous power over Ethiopia and can leverage its diplomatic power to help steer the country out of the crisis.

Three decades of US policy on Ethiopia has not worked. The ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), which ruled the country with iron-first since it came to power in 1991, is on the verge of unraveling.

The crisis facing the country, a very important geo-strategic partner of the US in the region, requires an urgent, robust and courageous response by all stakeholders.

Tillerson must emphasise to Ethiopian authorities that security and human rights are not two mutually exclusive ideals but rather interdependent and mutually reinforcing. As the United States Embassy in Ethiopia stated recently stated, the response to the crisis can only be ‘greater freedom, not less.”

Secretary Tillerson must meet with the opposition and the leadership of EPRDF’s constituent members, particularly the the Oromo People’s Democratic Organization (OPDO) and listen to their concerns.

Political dominance

The ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), which controls seats in parliament and regional assemblies, is on the verge of unraveling, and it is woefully unprepared to meet the challenges facing the country.

The party was created in 1989 by the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a party that purportedly represents the Tigray ethnic group, about six percent of Ethiopia’s estimated 106 million people.

When the downfall of the military dictatorship of Mengistu Hailemariam became imminent, TPLF engineered a coalition to bolster its legitimacy.

Like the EPRDF, the other three members of the coalition – the OPDO, the Amhara National Democratic Movement (ANDM), and the Southern Ethiopian People’s Democratic Movement (SEPDM) – were created by TPLF.

Over the last 27 years, TPLF used these forces, with little or no resistance, to rule the country with an iron fist.

Tigrayan domination of the country’s political and economic lives are the rallying cries of both the Oromos and Amharas, as competing interests between the coalition parties have plunged the country into the current crisis.

The Oromo and Amhara protests

Ethiopia declares state of emergency after months of protests

Three years of relentless protests by the Oromos and Amharas, have irreversibly changed this master-servant relationship.

In Oromia, the epicentre of the Oromo protests, protesters invoked historical marginalization of the Oromo people, emphasizing how their perspectives, experiences, and memories have been pushed to the margin and hidden from the mainstream Ethiopian perspectives.

Their articulation of the issues and their large-scale mobilization forced the OPDO to reconsider its positions, and eventually challenge TPLF’s hitherto unquestioned hegemony.

Emboldened by the waning influence of the TPLF and the political awakening taking root in Oromia, the largest and wealthiest of Ethiopia’s nine linguistic-based states, the OPDO is now upping the ante by demanding the chairmanship of the EPRDF and the office of the Prime Minister.

Ethiopia’s next leader

EPRDF is expected to name a new party leader when its 180-member Council convenes this week in a high stakes meeting. The decision, the most important and contentious vote in its nearly three decades of authoritarian rule, will be consequential both for the party and the country.

If its candidate is not elected, OPDO will face fresh questions from the Oromo public.

Oromos makeup more than almost 40 percent of Ethiopia’s population but they have not had a political power commensurate with its size and immense contribution to the country’s economy.

There is already a strong sense within the Oromo community that the Ethiopian state and its institutions are hostile to the Oromo, a notion best captured in a 1978 essay titled “Ethiopia’s Unacknowledged Problem — The Oromo.”

Ignoring OPDO’s quest to take the mantle of leadership requires an enormous amount of effort on the part of coalition partners not to recognize the particular nature of the crisis and what it takes to fix it.

Transformative change

Regardless of who may succeed Hailemariam, Ethiopia’s next leader faces the challenging task of reforming and democratizing the EPRDF.

The leader must also unite a deeply divided country behind a democratic and all-inclusive agenda.

It would also mean repealing a slew of repressive legislation, including the anti-terrorism proclamation and the charities and societies law; reviving the press and civil society; reforming the electoral board and the security sector.

Despite widespread fears of uncontrollable violence, the crisis can also be an opportunity that can offer some promise of a hopeful transition. EPRDF has a trust deficit, but most Ethiopians are cautiously optimistic.

If reformists within the EPRDF prevail in the ongoing power struggle and act with the utmost caution, putting country before an individual or party interest, Ethiopia has a real chance for a transformative change, and the US and all other stakeholders must do all they can to enable them.

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author

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Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban

The United States Embassy in Ethiopia on Tuesday issued a security alert following reports of unrest and disruption of transport to and from the capital Addis Ababa.

The country-wide alert read in part: “Reports of civil unrest.  Road closures in affected areas could disrupt transportation links to and from Addis Ababa and the availability of goods and services within the capital.

“The U.S. Embassy continues to restrict travel for Embassy personnel to areas outside of Addis Ababa,” it added.

Today (March 7, 2018) is the final day of a social shutdown in the Oromia region, Ethiopia’s largest. The three-day measure was called by activists and youth to protest a current state of emergency (SOE) imposed on February 16.

The SOE was announced a day after the resignation of PM Hailemariam Desalegn. The U.S. Embassy in a statement shortly after the declaration said it ‘strongly disagreed’ with the decision of the Council of Ministers.

The measure was ratified at a special sitting of the parliament on March 3. The process was however marred as the speaker announced figures that suggested that the vote had failed. Speaker Abadula Gemeda later apologized for the error.

The U.S. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, is meanwhile expected in Ethiopia later today as he kicks off an African tour that will see him visit Kenya, Chad, Nigeria and Djibouti.

Secretary Tillerson to Travel to Addis Ababa, Djibouti, Nairobi, N’Djamena, and Abuja

Heather Nauert

@statedeptspox

Sec. Tillerson will travel to #Chad, #Djibouti, #Ethiopia, #Kenya & #Nigeria, March 6-13 to further our partnerships w/the governments & people of #Africa & discuss ways to work w/our partners to counter terrorism, advance peace & security, promote good governance & spur trade.

1:48 PM – Mar 1, 2018

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The Ethiopian Premier League has been around for over 70 years, and, since it was founded, the number of clubs under it has grown. But with the incredible growth and influence of the Western football leagues, Ethiopian football players have been demanding higher salaries, some reaching a whopping 165,000 Br a month, way above the national per capita income of the country. This, in turn, has jeopardised the existence of the very clubs these players belong to, writes SOLOMON YIMER, FORTUNE STAFF WRITER.

Asfaw Nigatu was waving the blue and white flag of Weldia Kenema, as he made his way to Addis Abeba Stadium to watch his favourite football club play with Meqelle Kenema. Although he does not have a regular source of income, he has travelled all the way from his hometown of Weldia to catch the game.

“This is not my first time; I rarely miss the chance to support my favourite team,” he says.

But he finds the currently inflating salaries of soccer players worrying, especially since football clubs such as Weldia are not that financially well-off. Nor is the sport growing at a level that can justify this inflation.

“We, the fans, have to help the clubs by other means aside from just buying tickets,” he adds.

This is the view of many soccer fans of the 74-year-old Ethiopian Premiere League. Clubs are running into financial ruin. This financial situation cannot be sustained unless some change is brought to the fore by the management of the clubs, a fan who did not want to be named told Fortune.

One of the highest paid players is Fitsum Gebremariam, who has been playing for Weldia for the past six months. Although he stopped playing for the team a couple of weeks ago, he has been earning a gross monthly salary of 168,000 Br. He declined, however, to comment on the issue, stating that he was under contract.

But Weldia is not the only one that is paying its players well-over the national per capita income, which stands at under 900 dollars. Fasil Kenema’s Dawit Estifanos earns 200,000 Br a month, while Adama Kenema pays Jecko Peaze Peryze 165,000 Br. Moreover, at least three players at Dire Diwa Kenemaearn over 150,000 Br.

Although some of the 16 clubs that participate in the League such as the Ethiopian Electric and Mekelakiya get government support, the Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF), which is the regulator, does not have the mandate to set salary caps.

Read more at: Addis Fortune

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By Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban

The social shutdown prompted by Ethiopian activists against a recently imposed state of emergency has entered day two with full compliance.

The three-day strike called by pro-democracy activists and Qeerroo – youth – in the region is expected to end tomorrow.

Towns across the Oromia regional state, Ethiopia’s largest, have largely been deserted as people continue to stay at home. Shops and businesses remain closed and there is no active sign of public transportation.

This is the case despite the regulation under the Command Post administering the state of emergency stating that disrupting of public and economic activity was an illegal act.

The government-run EBC on Monday admitted that Oromia region had ground to a halt with the protest. Photos shared on social media showed towns like Jimma, Hirna, Gimbi, Yabello and Burayyu all deserted.

The Oromia region has been the heartbeat of anti-government protests that started in 2015 through 2016 till a state or emergency was declared in October that year. The measure was lifted in August 2017 but has been reinstated six-months on in a security move according to the government.

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Hindessa Abdul

The nation seems to have held its breath in anticipation of the next Prime Minister. The choice, as it stands now, doesn’t seem to be a mere replacement of the outgoing Hailemariam Desalegn. As the unprecedented struggle within Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front in its third week, the change of guard is a vote for semblance of change or maintaining the dying status quo.

A change within – if at all – is inevitable then Dr Abiy Ahmed seems to be the embodiment. The take over by the rest of the uninspiring pack might spell the continuation of the current crisis.

Simply by following the barrage of character assassinations and smear campaigns from the ordinary party operatives and paid trolls all the way to the top dogs like Bereket Simon, the chairman of Oromo Peoples’ Democratic Organization Dr Abiy and head of the Oromia region Lemma Megersa are bearing the brunt of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front’s blasphemy.

Smear campaign

Whether Dr Abiy is going to be the next Ethiopian PM or not there are groups that have a vested interest in thwarting his ascension to the post. TPLF owned media outlets are busy churning out materials bashing the two OPDO leaders who the public in general is considering change agents. For the record let’s have a feel of these mean, audacious and vulgar posts spearheaded by Aigaforum and their cohorts.

One recent article entitled “Taking over through violence” dubs Dr Abiy “engineer of destruction.” One has to understand that Abiy didn’t just turn up out of the blue, he is a creation of TPLF. It’s anybody’s guess why he suddenly became the monster he’s depicted to be.

Another article which has an air of former spin doctors of Government Communication Affairs Office is titled “Who should replace PM Hailemariam?” Expecting the good old political analysis? Not a chance. Instead it begins by belittling Lemma Megersa on academic grounds and how he was helped to complete his studies at the Civil Service College. But what they forgot was the public has long been calling that college “brick factory.” The vast majority of regional and federal government officials and particularly the judiciary is a product of this college now christened university. As long as the people are in tune with the TPLF, graduating from there is not a problem. But dissenting, that’s almost a capital offense. Even then they don’t seem to get the complete picture of Lemma’s academic credentials. The article further accuses Lemma of not publicly condemning ethnically motivated attacks that allegedly took place in Oromia. It also insinuates Lemma being an agent of Oromo Liberation Front, which is outlawed by the parliament. But that card has already been played along with chauvinist, narrow minded, rentseeker, neo-liberal and several other epithets party operatives hurl at citizens who humbly beg to differ with the government’s way of running the affairs of the country.

“A country can not be governed by lies and deceits” is a four page post that goes too low accusing Abiy of his long standing “hate of Tigreans.” How can one work for decades with such attitude in organizations like Information Network Security Agency and the defense forces whose core leadership is a well known secret. It is just baffling. Even his rank in the military is used as part of the campaign. That is an echo of the politics of the country ever since TPLF took power. Whoever opposes the government is almost entirely projected in ethnophobic terms. While the public doesn’t even care a hoot whether he served in the army, everything that can discredit him is a fair game by the disinformation army.

In light of last week’s parliament session where the state of emergency was approved in a controversial count, the absence of Dr Abiy created an opportunity to turn up the heat one more time. Any passive look at the TV during the parliament session shows a line of empty seats and a bunch of tired, sleepy and yawning MPs whose attendance has never been an issue in a 100% EPRDF turf. Why is Abiy’s absence triggering consternation? As a chairman of a party of the most populous region of the country, it is his attendance that should have raised eyebrows not his absence.

The coming weeks will eventually give the answer to as who would move to the palace at Arat Kilo. But the crisis has shown the true color of TPLF even for those who were blinded by the benefits that came in exchange for loyalty. The duo should take partial responsibility for such state of affairs as they were part of the system. But they have a promising media outlet that they can shape to serve the people far from the confines of Oromia. And if any lesson is drawn from the ongoing smear, it is how not to run the media in such a way even in rough days.

The post TPLF’s rage against the Oromia duo. appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News|Breaking News: Your right to know!.

AFP

Ethiopia: Ancient land beset by long-running divisions

Paris – A cradle of mankind, modern-day Ethiopia is riven by ethnic tensions, gripped by anti-government rebellions and now under a state of emergency.

Here are some key facts about Africa’s second most populous nation:

Ancient history

Ethiopia is the oldest independent African state and one of the oldest in the world, dating back more than 2 000 years.

It also has a claim on being the birthplace of mankind. Its Awash Valley has yielded some of the earliest hominid remains, including the fossil of a partial skeleton, dubbed Lucy, which has been dated around 3.2 million years old.

With a population of around 102 million people in 2016, according to the World Bank, Ethiopia counts more than 80 ethnicities.

Around 60% are Christian and more than 30% Muslim.

Ethiopia is a federal state with considerable autonomy granted to regions and most power held by the prime minister.

It hosts the African Union’s headquarters.

Famines and wars

Except for a brief period under Italian occupation between 1935 and 1941, Ethiopia was never subjected to European colonisation – a rarity in Africa.

Emperor Haile Selassie dominated between 1916 and 1974, save for a period of exile during the Italian occupation.

After 1974, when he was overthrown in a coup and later executed, Ethiopia underwent a series of military dictatorships, notably under Marxist ruler Mengistu Haile Mariam who waged a series of bloody purges dubbed the “Red Terror”. He was ousted in 1991.

The late 1970s and early 1980s saw a series of devastating famines which caused widespread starvation.

The UN said 1.2 million people died in 1984-85 alone and the tragedy shot to global attention when Band Aid recorded a single to raise money for famine relief.

When Eritrea gained de-facto independence in 1991, Ethiopia was deprived of access to the Red Sea.

War broke out between the neighbours between 1998 to 2000 over a border dispute, which remains a source of tension despite an accord.

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Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban

Ethiopia People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), the country’s ruling coalition has finally set a date for its Executive Committee meeting which is expected to produce a new Prime Minister.

Head of the EPRDF office, Shiferaw Shigute confirmed that the committee will meet on Sunday March 11, 2018 to deliberate on outcomes from evaluation processes conducted by the four constituent parties.

The 180-member body is also expected to elect a new chairman of the front, who will effectively become the next Prime Minister of the country. An earlier meeting scheduled for March 1 was postponed for unexplained reasons.

The government needs to continue to release detainees and open the political system by allowing more room for civil society and a freer press.

The 180-member body comprises 45 members from each of the four parties. The meeting will evaluate the party’s six-month performance report, approve the resignation of PM Hailemariam Desalegn and then vote his replacement into office.

Desalegn resigned his post in mid-February and became the first leader in modern Ethiopian history to step down; previous leaders have died in office or have been overthrown. He said he wanted to clear the way for reforms announced in January 2018 to be fully pursued.

Though the party has accepted his resignation, he remains in charge till his replacement is picked.

There is high expectation that the new Prime Minister will be from the Oromo bloc, the Oromo People’s Democratic Organization (OPDO). The party recently replaced its leader Lemma Megerssa with Dr Abiy Ahmed – a strategic move as it positions to pick the PM slot for the first time.

The other parties in the EPRDF are: the dominant Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), Southern Ethiopian Peoples Democratic Movement (SEPDM) and the Amhara National Democratic Movement (ANDM).

The last two Premiers in recent history are TPLF’s Meles Zenawi who was in charge from 1995 till his death in August 2012. Desalegn (head of SEPDM) took over in September 2012 till his resignation in February 2018. The current deputy PM is Demeke Mekonnen from the ANDM.

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister resigns amidst political crisis

The international community is closely watching the developments in Africa’s second most-populous nation which has a booming economy and is a staunch Western ally in the fight against Islamist militancy.

“The government needs to continue to release detainees and open the political system by allowing more room for civil society and a freer press,” said David Shinn, a former U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia.

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Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban

The Ethiopian government has admitted a violent pushback to a recently ratified state of emergency (SOE). A number of security of forces have reportedly been attacked and their weapons confiscated.

The privately-owned Addis Standard news portal quoted defense minister and head of the Command Post administering the SOE, Siraj Fegessa, as comparing the fightback as a ‘coloured revolution.’

“Seventeen security forces were hurt so far, according to Siraj. He also said several areas have witnessed property damages including looting, breaking ins and torching of government offices – particularly Woreda and Kebele offices – as well as burning of public buses and government vehicles.

“Four vehicles were torched beyond repair and ten vehicles, including public buses, were destroyed in various places,” the Addis Standard report said.

Fegessa was on Wednesday (March 7, 2018) presenting the first report on implementation of the SOE, barely a week after it was controversially ratified in a parliamentary vote. Activists insist the vote failed and speaker Abadulla Gemeda apologized for a numbers mix-up.

The minister also disclosed that there had been arrests made under the emergency rule – he, however, did not give details of where the arrests were made or how many people had been detained.

His report coincided with the final day of a social shutdown religiously observed across the Oromia region. The measure was called by online activists and youth to protest the state of emergency. The action disrupted economic activities as the capital Addis Ababa was cut off from other parts of the country.

The minister also admitted that road blockages were rampant in parts of the country but said 80 – 90% of such incidences had been cleared.

He blamed online activists behind the social boycott for the hard time security forces were having and further referred to them as ‘anarchists,’ bent on illegally seizing state power.

Fegessa fended off talk of divisions in government. According to him, the government has never been united than at this time. The country is without a substantive Prime Minister after the resignation of Hailemariam Desalegn.

The current state of emergency was announced a day after Desalegn’s resignation. The ruling EPRDFaccepted the resignation but asked him to stay on till a successor is picked. The coalition heads to congress this weekend to pick a new leader and Prime Minister.

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Ugandan side, Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) forced a goalless draw in Addis Ababa against Ethiopian giants, Saint George, on Wednesday 7 March 2018 in Addis Ababa.

The away side created better scoring chances through swift counter attack movements while the Horsemen failed to register a single shot on target although they saw much of the possession. The visitors put up a fantastic performance to surprise the Addis Ababa outfit.

A magnificent and electrifying atmosphere created by the home fans ignited Saint George to take full control of the game from the onset. Five minutes into the start, Saint George left back Abebaw Butako set up Asechalew Tamene from a free kick effort to break the deadlock but the later headed over the bar from close range.

Three minute later, the visitors presented with a chance when Paul Mucureezi dispossessed Mulualem Mesfin and fired at goal but Robert Odongkara was equal to the task as he parry away the ball to safety. KCCA, yet again, looked dangerous and Ugandan international Derrick Nsibambi tested an altered Odongkara in the 16th minute but to no avail. As the minutes went by, the home side made sure they closed the flanks to stifle KCCA from having a swift transition to attack. Mesfin headed over the cross bar in the 19th minute before Burkinabe import Abdulkerim Nikima skied his effort from range.

Saint George kicked off the second interval on a high as a dominant display on the left flank gave them the edge over KCCA. Midfielder Gadissa Mebrate’s ambitious effort from distance sailed wide four minutes after the resumption.

In the 59th minute, Abubakher Sanni spurred a Nikima’s perfect delivery. Five minutes later Muzamir Mutyaba’s free kick cross was met by the unmarked Nsibambi whose effort rattled the bar leaving Odongkara glued to his post.

With the hope of getting goals, the home side brought on Salahdin Said and his fellow Ethiopian international Behailu Assefa. The two combined to create a glorious chance for the home side nonetheless, Said missed a free header from 3 meters out. In the last ten minutes Saint George opted for long balls where KCCA defenders found it easy to clear the ball away and cause havoc to the home side defenders who opened that much spaces behind.

Saint George’s poor domestic form persisted to haunt them in the continental stage. The record Ethiopian champions have now to overcome KCCA, who are looking for a maiden group stages appearance, in the return leg in Kampala next week, if they are about to progress to the group stages.

Reactions
Manuel Vaz Pinto (Head Coach, Saint George)
Firstly, I want to send out my gratitude to our fans for their fantastic support. The game had two different parts. In the first half, we relied on the right flank to create some situations. I think it is important to get the ball into the box and we failed to do that. We commanded the game as we were aware of the quality of KCCA. They like to play on counter attacks having three players upfront who have got pace. Now we need to get back to work and try to get goals in Kampala. Our objectives were to win the tie and not concede at home.

Mike Mutebi (Head Coach, KCCA)
I am happy with the result though we could have done better. The tie is not over yet. We still have a second leg to play and I believe the tie will be decided in the second leg.

Results

Tuesday, 6 March 2018
Al Ahly (Egypt) 4-0 Mounana (Gabon)
Horoya (Guinea)2-1 Generation Foot (Senegal)
Young Africans (Tanzania) 1-2 Township Rollers (Botswana)
Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia) 4-2 Plateau United (Nigeria)

Wednesday, 7 March 2018
Saint George (Ethiopia) 0-0 KCCA (Uganda)
Zanaco (Zambia) 1-2 Mbabane Swallows (Swaziland)
Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco) 7-2 Williamsville AC (Cote d’Ivoire)
Aduana (Ghana)1-0 ES Setif (Algeria)
MFM (Nigeria) 2-1 MC Alger (Algeria)
Gor Mahia (Kenya) 0-0 Esperance (Tunisia)
AS Togo (Togo) 2-0 El Hilal (Sudan)
Zesco (Zambia) 0-1 ASEC Mimosas (Cote d’Ivoire)
TP Mazembe (DR Congo) 4-0 UD Songo (Mozambique)
Difaa Hassan (Morocco) 1-0 AS Vita (DR Congo)
Primeiro de Agosto (Angola) 1-0 Bidvest (South Africa)
Rayon Sports (Rwanda) 0-0 Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)

Source: CAF

The post KCCA Hold Saint George to a Barren Draw appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News|Breaking News: Your right to know!.

Africa News

The United States says much as it shares security concerns raised by the Ethiopian government, the answer lay with ‘greater freedom and not less.’

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reiterated the U.S. disagreement on a reimposed state of emergency. He stressed that the U.S. continued to monitor the ‘voluntary transition,’ ongoing in the country.

He was speaking during a press briefing along with Foreign Affairs Minister Workneh Ghebeyehu in Addis Ababa. He stressed the importance of strengthening the over 100 years of bilateral relations between the two countries.

We recognize the transition that is underway in Ethiopia, the first ever voluntary transfer of power, and I view this as a very positive symbol of this very young democracy in Ethiopia – a peaceful transition of power.

“We share concerns raised by government over the incidence of violence, loss of lives and we do firmly believe the answer is greater freedom of people not less.

“We recognize the transition that is underway in Ethiopia, the first ever voluntary transfer of power, and I view this as a very positive symbol of this very young democracy in Ethiopia – a peaceful transition of power.

“During recent events, the United States have expressed our concerns with the government’s decision to impose another state of emergency because it does put restrictions on fundamental rights like assembly and expression.

He touched on political reforms announced in January 2018 by the ruling coalition and the subsequent measures undertaken to actualize them. He stressed, however, that there was more to be done in that respect.

“We formally believe that democratic reforms, economic growth and lasting stability are best addressed through an inclusive political process rather than through the imposition of restrictions.

In a word of advice to the citizenry, he said: “We encourage the Ethiopian people as well to maintain patience, maintain support for your government through this change or this transition but also through this journey of pursuing democracy which takes time and effort. Democracy is not easy, it takes a lot of work.”

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March 8, 2018

MODERATOR: Would you join me to welcome the two foreign ministers. May we rise, please? I thank you very much. Ameseginalehu. Your Excellency Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, foreign minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia; Your Excellency Rex Wayne Tillerson, U.S. Secretary of State; ambassadors, ministers, all protocol observed, welcome to Addis Ababa, the political and diplomatic hub of Africa.

As His Excellency Minister Tillerson said during his speech at George Mason University, Africa is part of the future. It’s a continent in which 70 percent of its population is youth. This population, Your Excellency, is an opportunity and, again, a challenge. Ethiopia, as a UN-U.S. partner and longer in the continent, I believe this extraordinary visit will further deepen the ties of Ethiopia and the United States, one of the oldest diplomatic ties.

According to our program, His Excellency Dr. Workneh and His Excellency Rex Tillerson will highlight the gist of their discussions to the media, and that will be followed by questions from media houses. Media houses, make sure that you have one questions. If it is more than one, the two principals will ask – will respond to one question only.

I thank you very much. Excellency Dr. Workneh.

FOREIGN MINISTER WORKNEH: Thank you very much. Thank you. Good afternoon. The house is full. Your Excellency Rex Tillerson, Secretary of State of the United States of America, we are delighted to have you here in your visit to Africa as a first stop here in Addis Ababa. United States and Ethiopia have a century-old relationship, a relationship which, time-tested, always a relationship.

So Your Excellency, your coming here is a testament for this strong relationship. I and Excellency Secretary discussed extensive issues bilaterally. We discussed about our regional issues – the regional security, international issues, international politics – at the same time, how to boost our economic ties and investment between the United States of America and Ethiopia.

We touched about the issue of South Sudan and Somalia, which we are working very closely together. And also, we discussed other very important security concerns that we have in common. And also, I explained to Excellency about our situation, the country’s situation, the transition that we are in the process, and we are very thankful that the United States of America is a close friend, which – working with us in all aspects, especially in economic areas. So it was very cordial, candid, and very fruitful discussion. And thank you so much, Your Excellency.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, thank you as well, Excellency, for the warm welcome and hospitality. And we just had a very enjoyable lunch where we were able to continue our discussion with a number of members of both of our delegations, which is always useful to gain a greater understanding of each other. I also want to welcome both the local press and the foreign media as well to this event. And we do appreciate our partnership, and particularly at such a critical time for Ethiopia. I also look forward to my meeting later today with the prime minister.

And I’m quite excited to be in Ethiopia. This is my first visit, and certainly this was an important place to start my trip as Secretary of State to the continent, in large measure because of the more than 100-year diplomatic relationship between Ethiopia and the United States. And it’s been an enduring relationship; as the foreign minister described it, an all-weather relationship, that even when storm clouds gather we remain friends and have always worked through challenges together.

I also want to acknowledge again today this being International Women’s Day and an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women across the world, and note the role of women in Ethiopia in promoting economic growth as well. It’s quite evident the prominence that women already occupy in government, but in economics as well, strengthening the rule of law, the important role they play in human rights and building and strengthening a civil society that will thrive.

As I indicated, the United States and Ethiopia are longstanding partners. I was glad to have the opportunity to exchange views with the foreign minister on many areas of mutual interest that we share. We recognize and share concerns expressed by the government about incidents of violence and loss of life. We do firmly believe the answer is greater freedom for people, not less. We recognize the transition that is underway in Ethiopia, the first-ever voluntary transfer of power. And I view this as a very positive symbol of the strength of this very young democracy in Ethiopia, a peaceful transition of power.

Given recent events, the United States has expressed our concerns with the government’s decision to impose another state of emergency, because it does put restrictions on fundamental rights like assembly and expression. We also discussed in our exchange the importance of ensuring that security forces remain disciplined in maintaining law and order, preventing violence. They have a very difficult challenge on their hand. This is – this tests their own discipline as well.

We firmly believe that democratic reform, economic growth, and lasting stability are best addressed through an inclusive political process, rather than through the imposition of restrictions. And we encourage the Ethiopian people as well to maintain patience, maintain support for your government through this change, through this transition, but also in pursuing this journey of democracy, which takes time and effort. Democracy is not easy. It takes a lot of work. But staying with it, lasting change will come about, and to not resort to violence. Violence is simply never a solution.

I was able to raise these concerns because of this very, very strong relationship that exists between Ethiopia and the United States, and we share so many values as partners. We want Ethiopia as a country to succeed and prosper, and we’re confident that they will succeed and prosper, providing many, many economic benefits not just for the Ethiopian people, but for the neighboring countries in Africa, and ultimately for U.S. business interest as well.

We welcome the proactive steps that have already been taken with the release of thousands of prisoners, including journalists and political leaders, and we encourage additional concrete measures to allow greater political freedom of expression. As the seat of the African Union, Ethiopia plays a critical and significant role in leadership in the region throughout the continent and the world, and we appreciate its efforts for – to further our mutual goals of peace and prosperity on the continent. This is especially true of our shared security interests. As the largest contributor – Ethiopia is the largest contributor to UN peacekeeping operations – they play a vital role in AMISOM in Somalia, as well as peacekeeping efforts in Sudan and South Sudan. We have shared treasure together in trying to advance the cause of peace, and we have shared blood together in this advance for the cause of peace, and we acknowledge that.

Ethiopia’s influence in supporting the security of Somalia and Djibouti are particularly important at this time to keep global commerce routes open. These routes through the Red Sea affect billions of people around the world in terms of their economic stability. And we discussed the United States is eager to help Ethiopia liberalize its economy. We think it’s going to bring great opportunity and attract many business interests as they continue the process of reform and liberalization, strengthen its judicial and commercial institutions, and assist in humanitarian emergencies here and throughout the region, including the almost one million refugees that currently reside in Ethiopia. And we need to reside – recognize Ethiopia’s generosity in hosting those refugees.

The United States is a long-term friend and partner of Ethiopia. We look forward to working with you as the people of Ethiopia seek greater peace, democracy and prosperity, all of which we know you will succeed at achieving. Thank you.

MODERATOR: Thank you so much, excellencies. Now, back to the media. Tibebu Yared from EBC.

QUESTION: Thank you very much. I am Tibebu from EBC. My question goes to Your Excellency Mr. Tillerson. What is the purpose and, of course, the implication of your visit to Ethiopia at this particular time? Thank you.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, as I indicated, this is a very, very longstanding relationship, more than 100 years. Ethiopia is a large-population country, they are an important security partner in areas that I’ve already touched upon, and we also see Ethiopia’s journey towards democracy – I think 27 years now, which is a long time, but it’s a young democracy, and as I indicated, democracies are challenging. It’s not easy to take a country forward as a democracy. And so we’re here also to support Ethiopia’s journey towards a democratic society and institutions.

But importantly, also, to have an exchange on additional steps that could be taken, what else can the U.S. do to be supportive and helpful of Ethiopia’s economic development. Ethiopia has a vibrant economy, but there’s a lot of potential that has yet to be realized in Ethiopia’s economy, and we think there are great opportunities for U.S. private sector engagement in supporting economic growth, creating jobs for these many, many millions of young people who are working hard at getting an education in school; now they want to have their opportunity for a future themselves. And so we would like – we want to be a part of that and hope to be a part of that.

So there are so many touch points where we share a common interest of security, stability for the region, which affects our security but also affects global security, and then opportunities for economic prosperity. And that’s the purpose of the trip, is to – for us to better understand how do we work together as partners to achieve what are really common aspirations.

MODERATOR: Next question, Sisay Woubeshet, Afro FM. I am trying to meet gender parity. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: Thank you very much. My question also goes to Secretary Tillerson. You came during the time of the second state of emergency here in Ethiopia, and what is your opinion towards the state of emergency, as many nations are opining on that? And how is the U.S. following the current political situation in Ethiopia and what role does it want to play? Thank you very much.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, as I indicated, first and foremost, I want to acknowledge this voluntary transfer of power. We think that’s a very powerful symbol to the strength of the democratic process here in Ethiopia, and we think it’s important that the parliament, which has been elected by the Ethiopian people, decide who the next leadership be. That’s the way democracies should perform.

So I want to first acknowledge the very positive aspects of what is happening. I know it’s challenging for the country. It creates uncertainty. And that is the hard part of democracy. But we support this peaceful transfer of power.

As to the state of emergency, as I indicated, we believe ultimately giving people greater freedom gives them a greater investment in this democracy as well. And so while we appreciate the government’s responsibility to maintain control and not allow violence to break out and harm innocent people as well who may become victims of violence, it is important that that – that the country move on past the state of emergency as quickly as possible. We hope that that can occur. As I said, we’re encouraged that a number of steps have been taken to release large numbers of people who have been detained. That’s an important step. But the citizens of Ethiopia have a responsibility as well to behave in a nonviolent way, and we hope the government allows that nonviolent expression to take place. This is all part of understanding how to best serve the citizens of Ethiopia.

MODERATOR: Thank you very much. Girum Chala from CGTN, international correspondent based in Addis.

QUESTION: Thank you very much. I’m from CGTN. Mr. Minister, thank you very much, as well as Mr. Secretary. Ethiopian Airlines over the past few years has spent about $20 billion – that’s Ethiopian money – invested in the United States, in Boeing Company, to be particularly straightforward. Now, when it comes to those – the money spent, 100,000-plus jobs were created in the United States. When it comes to the investments of the United States to Africa, Ethiopia particularly, we don’t see much. Policy-wise, what’s the next move in this country and particularly also in the African continent to expedite investment? And how do you view, Mr. Minister, the expectation from Ethiopia’s side, the U.S. involvement in helping the country industrialize and even more trade internationally? Thank you very much.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, we had a very robust discussion of economic opportunities and the potential economic opportunities that we see within Ethiopia. And because you mentioned the aviation connection, Ethiopia is becoming a critical hub for intercontinental traffic for people traveling from the United States, with more and more nonstop connections for Americans to travel to Addis Ababa and then make connections to other parts of the continent. I think this is going to promote a great deal of interest in Africa and in Ethiopia. There are still economic reform measures that are necessary, not just in Ethiopia, but in other parts of Africa as well, to lower some of the barriers to investment, create greater certainty to outside business investors, strong rule of law, good regulatory processes. The more privatization of holdings as possible creates opportunities. But we understand this is all part of governments in transitions, economies in transitions, but that’s what we encourage, is what are the areas of opportunity where we believe there will be strong interest in U.S. companies to participate.

I commented on, in our discussions, the what we understand soon-to-be-completed continental free trade agreement, and we believe stimulating intra-continental economic activity and trade from countries on the continent is actually going to create even more opportunity for inbound foreign investment, and certainly U.S. business interest, in wanting to be a part of the intra-continental trading system as well. Similarly, with the civil aviation agreement that’s being negotiated through the African Union. That once again is going to just tie the continent more closely together, more efficiently.

All of these are very positive conditions for outside businesses to want to participate and be a part of. So I think a number of very positive steps are being taken, and I think it’s really ensuring that American businessmen and investors understand what are the opportunities here. And we had discussions about how to do that as well. Recently creating an American Chamber of Commerce-Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce partnership is going to be very important to exposing American businesses to the opportunities here.

So I think there’s a lot of it in front of us yet to come, and as the conditions are created and some of these pieces come into place, I think American business and private sector interest is going to grow in Ethiopia.

FOREIGN MINISTER WORKNEH: Yeah. As Secretary has said, the issue of investment and trade is also one of the agendas that we have discussed with Secretary Tillerson. Africa is a future continent, as Secretary said, and Africa is a population who have more than 70 percent of users and skilled labor. So coming to Africa is, by all measurements, will benefit the business, the investment of America. So we are expecting more investors to come to Ethiopia and Africa; we are expecting more business from here to United States of America and from America to Ethiopia. Ethiopian Airlines is one of the largest airline who have the largest passengers from here, from Africa to United States of America and vice versa. This trade relationship will continue, and we hope that this visit also assists a lot to this – boosting this investment in trade.

MODERATOR: Last question. Kylie Atwood, CBS.

QUESTION: Thank you. Secretary Tillerson, I want to pivot to North Korea for a minute with you. South Korea now says that Kim Jong-un is willing to negotiate with the U.S. on abandoning his nuclear program. You’ve said that you are listening to North Korea, and you said that the message from them will come very explicitly. Is this the message that you needed to hear? And are you worried that the South Koreans are overeager? Can the U.S. now commit to negotiations with North Korea? And I have to ask you one more question about Russia.

MODERATOR: Only one question.

QUESTION: I got cut off last time. Can I ask one more? Thank you. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov is said to be here in Ethiopia at the same time as you, and the Russian embassy says he’s actually staying at this same hotel. He says there have been talks of you and he meeting. Do you plan to meet with him while you’re here? And if not, what does that say about U.S. diplomacy, that you refuse an opportunity to meet face to face to express U.S. frustrations over Russia’s continued military campaign in Syria? Thank you.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: I think there’s five or six questions in there. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: I’m sorry, but we had to do it.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: First, with respect to North Korea, I think, as President Trump has indicated, potentially positive signals coming from North Korea by way of their intra-Korean dialogue with South Korea. We maintain very, very close communication with President Moon of the Republic of Korea. They are keeping us well informed of their meetings, the content of those meetings and the nature of those meetings, and we’re providing them input as well.

In terms of direct talks with the United States – and you asked negotiations, and we’re a long ways from negotiations. I think it’s – we just need to be very clear-eyed and realistic about it. I think the first step – and I’ve said this before – is to have talks, have some kind of talks about talks, because I don’t know yet, until we are able to meet ourselves face to face with representatives of North Korea, whether the conditions are right to even begin thinking about negotiations. And that’s kind of the current state of play.

With respect to my meeting Foreign Minister Lavrov, I’ve lost track of how many meetings he and I had last year. So any notion of us rejecting diplomatic engagement is really silly. That’s just silly. We have had extensive negotiations, contact, dialogue. We have strategic dialogues. We have a number of mechanisms by which we talk to one another. I was unaware Foreign Minister Lavrov was going to be here at the same time I was until a couple of days ago, and I’m unaware of any outreach to want to meet until I was on my way over here. My schedule’s largely set, so if it doesn’t work out here, he and I see each other often around the world, and we have each other’s telephone numbers, and we do use them.

MODERATOR: Thank you. I thank you, excellencies. Thank you, media houses. Your Excellency Tillerson said that this is his first visit, but I hope this will not be his last visit to Ethiopia. Thank you very much. Thank you.

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A NEW STARTING POINT TOWARDS A NEW ETHIOPIA?

In what was called the Woyane Rebellion of 1943, in (Ge’ez: ህዝባዊ ወያነ ሓርነት ትግራይ), more commonly known as the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the resistance cry of the Woyane of Tigray against the Imperial regime’s corruption, greed and centralization of power at the top was: “There is no government, let’s organize and govern ourselves.”  

Ironically, this same cry could be voiced even more loudly and boldly today, as “those Woyane or TPLF, now at the top of power,” have created a ruling government based on one-ethnic group domination, corruption, greed and violence in a time where the stability and future wellbeing of Ethiopia is at stake. 

The truth is obvious, tyranny under anyone, including Woyane, is still tyranny and none of us want it. It is in the nature of human beings to seek freedom for ourselves; yet, unfortunately, it is too often in the fallen nature of human beings to seek to dominate over others, a definition of tyranny. When the Woyane took over Mekelle, they proclaimed, “Our governor is Jesus Christ….and our flag that of Ethiopia.…”.

Had Woyane not recycled the same tyranny, instead of working for the good of all and reclaiming the “flag of Ethiopia” for everyone; how different things might be for all of us today. The tyranny that led to the Woyane Rebellion of 1943, has been perpetuated by the Woyane of today and we also reject it.  Therefore, we can also state, “There is no government today that is for the people under the current leadership of the Woyane.  So, how might we organize and govern ourselves?”   

In other words, is the government in Ethiopia so dysfunctional and so strongly disliked that meaningful inclusive reforms are imperative if we are to save all of us from a worsening calamity? How can Ethiopians emerge from the present crisis with a win-win solution for all our people, including the people of Tigray, without resorting to the worst scenario?

In 1943, the Imperial regime used drastic measures, the aerial bombardment of the Woyane. Are the Woyane of today willing to do the same, to use full force against the non-Woyane Ethiopians? It slowed down the rebellion for awhile, only to come back full force many years later. What a waste of life, time and resources to have rebellion from every direction for decades instead of meaningful change, recognizing the rights of all the people. Self-delusion and self-deception are dangerous right now when level-headed wisdom and restraint are so critically necessary.We all, including the Woyane, should face the truth: the EPRDF has lost all legitimacy as a government.

Once again the Tigrayan Peoples” Liberation Front (TPLF)-dominated coalition of the ruling Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) has rigged a vote, this time in the Ethiopian Parliament, which manipulated the votes in order to give falsified approval to the recently declared State of Emergency (SoE). Because of its implementation, there has already been needless violence, harm and the killing of innocent people at the hands of federal security forces. Additionally, because of this falsified result, a national dialogue leading to democratic reforms and more sustainable solutions to this crisis will be obstructed; a consequence that may trigger a dangerous and destabilizing reaction.

In rigging this vote for a SoE, the TPLF/EPRDF violated truth, justice, the rule of law, the Ethiopian Constitution and the integrity of the entire system. This is a crime of significant proportions that requires accountability and correction.

Was it not enough that 100% of the seats in the Ethiopian Parliament were claimed in the 2015 national election by one party— the EPRDF? Not one opposition member sits in the Ethiopian parliament today. Worse yet, even though the EPRDF monopolizes all political space in Ethiopia, EPRDF parliamentary members are still strictly controlled, and can face consequences if they depart from the party’s position on any issue, especially issues such as the SoE.

Furthermore, all members of the coalition are expected to follow the dictates of one of the four ethnic-based coalition members, the TPLF, who in turn is under the authority of its Central Committee, made up of approximately 45 members, all of one ethnicity (6% of population) in a country of over 80 different ethnic groups and in leadership for 27 years.

So, the question of today is why that degree of control seriously failed to produce the votes necessary to pass the SoE. Keep in mind, ALL members of the parliament are members of the EPRDF. Why, under these already heavily “rigged” conditions, was it embarrassingly necessary to rig the vote? In the past, the TPLF/EPRDF was mostly able to bully or bribe its members into compliance; but now, it appears a rising current of strengthening resistance is now openly challenging the TPLF/EPRDF status quo.

WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THE TPLF/EPRDF?

The TPLF/EPRDF is losing its credibility, its legitimacy, its support and its viability. The TPLF/EPRDF is an idea that has failed. It is based on false, illogical and self-centered thinking of Ethnic federalism or that has proven itself wrong. It requires the dehumanizing of others and is unsustainable. The TPLF/EPRDF as an ideology cannot be saved; in fact, to try to save it will require force, not more lies, deception or persuasion, as it is a morally and mortally wounded construct. The public has become familiar with its characteristics, especially the lying, deception, shedding of innocent blood, incitement of division and the accusations of blame against others for that which they do themselves, like their own failure to uphold the rule of law and the Ethiopian Constitution.

This time the voting results were rigged in favor of the passage of a required parliamentary vote to approve the State of Emergency, declared on February 16, 2018. It failed to meet the necessary votes on March 2, 2018, which led to the chairman’s action in changing the vote. This happened even after parliamentary members were threatened with serious repercussions it they failed to vote “yes”.

Despite all the pressure, many members of the parliament resisted it by either voting “no,” by abstaining, or by boycotting the vote entirely by staying home. It is now the people of Ethiopia who demand truth instead of lies, justice instead of ethnic or party-based partiality, the rule of law instead of impunity for cronies and power holders, compliance with the Ethiopian Constitution instead of manipulating it for self preservation or self-advancement, maintaining the integrity and equitability of the entire system instead of threatening or bribing members of the Parliament, rigging the votes or elections, imprisoning opponents, covering up illegal acts, indulging in corrupt acts and favoring yourself, your “tribe,” and your cronies.

Ethiopia, one of the countries viewed as strategic in Africa, especially in the Horn of Africa and in the Middle East, is brewing turmoil that could boil over to affect not only Ethiopians, but also neighboring countries and those beyond their region. Should this happen, it could also lead to a humanitarian catastrophe, not counting the likely loss of lives, the destruction of property and the flood of refugees to other countries that would surely follow.

Ethiopia has been considered a symbol of stability, but much of this perception is based on deception.  Lies have been sold to outsiders, especially to donor countries, who in varying degrees bought into the exaggerated claims of economic growth, misinformation surrounding the land grabs and forced displacement, denial surrounding rampant human rights abuses, repression and numbers of political prisoners, and minimization of the rising ethnic tensions within the country, much of it directed against the TPLF. Some experts estimate that ten million refugees could flood surrounding countries, including Europe, within one month!

In 2010, the International Crisis Group, foresaw the rise of ethnic tensions and warned that Ethiopia was like a ticking bomb ready to explode. Other human rights groups have also noted the danger of implosion, all of which has been gaining momentum over the last two years as can be seen from the growing resistance and ongoing protests, particularly strong in the Oromo and Amhara regions. It led to a more serious crisis within the last two or more weeks.

In what appears to be a defensive and desperate measure to silence and stop the rising momentum of the people, the government declared a State of Emergency on February 16, 2018, and set it up to be approved by the Parliament at the next session— before the new prime minister would be appointed. It is interesting to note that this vote on the SoE took precedence over the appointment of the prime minister, as was expected.

This all led to a state of confusion among the people as well as among  a number of government officials, who saw no need for the SoE, seeing it as an unnecessary repressive measure. International voices, such as the US spokesperson for Ethiopia, agreed; yet, the SoE was called anyway.

According to some reports from parliamentarians, they were pressured and threatened by federal security or intelligence agents, who told them to vote for the SoE or they would lose their benefits or “something” would happen to them. Some were also allegedly bribed, being told that if they wanted Abiy Ahmed to be the next prime minister, they should vote in favor of the SoE.

On March 2, the parliament assembled for the vote of approval on the SoE. According to the Constitution, two-thirds of the parliament members, numbering 547, had to approve it; however, in the case of the vote, the numbers were not there. Over 100 members had boycotted the vote or for other unknown reasons, not shown up. Seven members had abstained and 88 members had voted no.

The Speaker of the Parliament announced that the vote had passed, only later determining it had not passed because the number of votes required amounted to less than the required two/thirds of all members. They had justified the vote in assuming that the number of votes needed were two/thirds of members present instead the actual requirement of two/thirds of all members. That required at least 365 votes rather than the 346 yes votes they had announced. Strangely, the outcome was later changed to 395 yes votes, which only then, met the requirements of the law, even though they were falsified results.

The whole system was set up to rig the outcome considering there is not one opposition member within their entire membership. What is quite remarkable and encouraging is the numbers of EPRDF parliamentarians who resisted the pressure to vote yes, an outcome that was intended to buy some extra time for the TPLF to regain power and control. There may have been fewer yes votes if there had not been so much pressure; yet, it still did not pass and required rigging of the numbers in order to appear to have passed when in fact, it did not. Everyone knows this now although they were warned not to leak the information.

Overall, this is a serious and debilitating defeat for the ruling party. It demonstrates a strengthening resistance within the ranks of the TPLF/EPRDF against the ruling regime’s power holders and instead indicates their desire for genuine democratic reforms. Additionally, a State of Emergency, according to the Ethiopian Constitution and international standards, is not meant to be used to suppress the peaceful resistance of citizens who are attempting to bring democratic change to the country, but it is to be used in a state of war or in response to a national disaster.

In summary, integrity is in short supply, as is sadly apparent in this rigged vote that actually failed to approve the SoE. As also can be noted in some of the pictures of the actual vote, some members of the parliament raised both hands for an extra vote or turned their heads as they voted, as if they wanted to hide their identity. Who does not feel shame voting for something wrong under pressure, threats, bribes or rigged manipulations. This clearly demonstrates the reason why increasing numbers of Ethiopians can no longer put up with the deception and corruption of the entire system of government. Let us be honest; there is no justice or democracy in Ethiopia, only the attempted appearance of it—and that no longer works.  Over a hundred persons boycotted the vote, 88 persons voted no and 7 abstained. This is moral courage that challenges the current corrupted system, something that seems to be spreading. 

In reality, the vote did not pass, even among these EPRDF members. If the vote had been done, freely and fairly, among the people of Ethiopia, the results would have been overwhelming defeat for the EPRDF as the people have had enough of the government-perpetrated killing, imprisonment, torture, human rights abuses and restrictive laws such as anti-terrorism laws that accused, silenced and imprisoned democratic voices and members of the opposition and civil society as terrorists. Additionally, the EPRDF has maintained control by fomenting division among the people, including inciting ethnic hatred as a means to maintain domination over others.

Now, though in effect, the SoE is not working, but is backfiring, creating increased resistance and protest. How will the TPLF/EPRDF respond? Will they simply crackdown all the harder on the people, using increased levels of violence, and bringing more death and destruction?

The TPLF/EPRDF has lost its legitimacy to govern. The majority of the people are uniting against them, including many within their ranks. There is an opportunity to change the downward direction of this conflict even now, before options for a peaceful solution disappear and civil war erupts into ethnic-based violence or other kinds of violence that will entrap the country, making them a possible failed state.

It is time for all who are interested in the stability of Ethiopia and the Horn to put pressure on the EPRDF to come to the table. The only win-win solution for all is through genuine democratic reforms, starting with the release of ALL political prisoners. Now it is an opportunity for the TPLF/EPRDF and all stakeholders to initiate plans for an inclusive national dialogue that will lead to reconciliation, meaningful reforms and restorative justice for all.

The vote on the SoE was rigged in order to slow down the increasing momentum of the peoples’ demand for change; however, it cannot be ignored for it will not simply go away. Will we take the path to a better Ethiopia or to the destruction of our country and people? It is impossible to maintain the status quo.

Let us humbly come together to serve each other as agents of change, bringing: TRUTH, JUSTICE, THE RULE OF LAW, THE CONSTITUTION OF ETHIOPIA AND INTEGRITY to their proper positions as pillars of Ethiopian government and society, for the sake of every one of us.  May God help us!

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For more information, contact Mr. Obang Metho, Executive Director of the SMNE.

Email: Obang@solidaritymovement.org

The post IS TODAY’S RECYCLING OF THE WOYANE (TPLF) CRY OF 1943: “THERE IS NO GOVERNMENT,” appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News|Breaking News: Your right to know!.

Sworn Duty Journalist Eskinder Nega – Pt 1 SBS Amharic

The post Sworn Duty Journalist Eskinder Nega – Pt 1 SBS Amharic appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News|Breaking News: Your right to know!.