Al Mariam’s Interview on HR 128 and PM Abiy – VOA Amharic

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PEOPLE’S ALLIANCE FOR FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY

April 18, 2018

The PAFD Press Statement On Ongoing State-Terrorism And Government Instigated Ethnic Conflicts.

The TPLF/EPRDF army and security apparatuses are wrecking mayhem throughout Ethiopia as the operation of State of Emergency intensifies with degree of unprecedented barbarism in Oromia and throughout the country, even after the new PM has been appointed by TPLF/EPRDF. The killing of dozens of unarmed civilians is also intensifying in various Oromia regional state as are the imprison- ment of civilians in Ogaden Somali since the new PM, Dr Abiy Ahmed has sworn in on April 02, 2018. The PAFD categorically condemns with all possible terms the EPRDF/TPLF’s State terrorism in Ethiopia and urges the EPRDF/TPLF to call for an urgent transitional arrangement.

The inauguration speech of the new PM has been meticulously crafted with a lot of positive attributes albeit with the objective of achieving one key target of erroneously uplifting the spirit of often dejected mass. All peoples of Ethiopia who’ve lost hope and trust in TPLF/EPRDF during its 27 years reign of divide and conquer thought there is going to be a glimmer of hope, although it has become apparent that nothing has changed apart from paying lip-services.

Meanwhile, the killings of and an arbitrary detention of civilians has increasingly continued in various regions with severity in Oromia. The instigation of ethnic conflicts between peacefully coexisted nations such as the Oromo and Gedeo, Oromo and Ogaden Somali and the rest is increasing albeit the imposi- tion of State of Emergency and murdering of civilians. In Oromia regional state where the TPLF/ EPRDF’s army and security apparatuses are saturated, in addition to April 17, 2018’s Moyale carnage, the daily executions of unarmed dozens of civilians including a pregnant woman known by the name

‘Ayyaantuu Mohaammad Shaanqoo’ in East Oromia Hararge Zone, Mee’sso town on April 8, 2018 has increased. Initially, the indicated Oromo pregnant woman was approached by the Agaazi forces who demanded her for a gang-rape. As she refused to obey their sadistic orders, they forced her to her knees and shot her on her head with three bullets to instantly kill her. Additionally, an elderly Oromo man known by the name ‘Mardaasaa Yaadasaa’ in Qellem district of Wallaggaa zone, Sadii Caanqaa sub district, Koomboo village has been executed by TPLF/EPRDF’s Agaazi on April 13, 2018 who broke into his house before dawn by further seriously wounding his son who is fighting for his life in hospital.

In Ogaden Somali the detention of politicians and deliberately denying water and food to civilians in various districts is widespread as part of indirect killing of hundreds of deliberately targeted civilians

with the objectives of depopulating Ogaden Somali. Moreover, the TPLF/EPRDF’s regime is also de- ploying the Ogaden Somali detainees who have been recently released for a forced labour where the la- bourers are often denied food and water until they die. Today (April 18, 2018) the TPLF/EPRDF’s re- gional agents -the Solomali Liyu militia executed an Ogadeni Somali woman known by the name

‘Rooda Yaasiin Muhumed’ in Kabribayah town of the region for no apparent reason. In Sidama the displacement of thousands of peasants from their lands of Hawassa proximity is intensifying by turning

the majority to virtual beggars in their own land. In Gambella, Amhara, Afar, the entire south and Benshangul, the plights of civilians remain as precarious as it was 15 or 20 years ago. The situation all over the country remains as fluid as it has been a year ago despite the short-lived Euphoria of the majority after the inauguration of the new PM two weeks ago.

Therefore, the PAFD categorically deplores the ongoing killing and arbitrary detentions of civilians in various parts of the country including in Oromia, Ogaden Somali, Amhara, Afar, Gambella and elsewhere. We urge the new PM and his EPRDF’s party to unconditionally lift the State of Emergency, release all political prisoners and call for an unconditional all- inclusive transitional arrangement in Ethiopia to restore law and order that remain distant from the peoples of Ethiopia for the past 27 years.

Finally, the PAFD’s once again renews its calls of London February 2018 all-inclusive confer- ence to opposition groups of all peoples of Ethiopia to unconditionally put aside their differ- ences to agree to work together to achieve the highly-craved democratic changes by struggling in unison. We also call upon all politicians, civic society, academics and religious groups to open their minds and hearts to come to term to realistically address the demands of the major- ity in Ethiopia in unison. Recognising and appreciating the recent approval of House Resolu- tion (HR-128) in America, we finally call upon all the international political players to do more in defending the rights of over 104 million peoples in Ethiopian by unconditionally and fully supporting their struggle until they achieve their dream of living in a free and democratic country where her leaders are held into account for their actions and accountable to their con- stituents.

Justice, Freedom and Equality For All Peoples In Ethiopia!

The Peoples’ Alliance for Freedom and Democracy (PAFD), April 18, 2018

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Ayah Aman

Ayah Aman is an Egyptian journalist for Al-Shorouk specializing in Africa and the Nile Basin,

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Paid annual leaves, specific working hours to be stipulated in contracts

Published: 11:35 April 18, 2018

Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief

Manama: A much-trumpeted agreement to recruit Ethiopian domestic helpers to work in Kuwait ahead of Ramadan has yet to clear several hurdles.

Earlier this month, Interior Ministry’s Assistant Undersecretary for Citizenship and Passports Affairs Shaikh Mazen Al Sabah said in a statement that Kuwait had lifted the ban on hiring Ethiopian domestic workers after a series of meetings with representatives from the Ethiopian government.

 

One reason for lifting the ban imposed in 2014 was based on compassionate grounds since the holy month of Ramadan is approaching, “which invariably means more household chores for Kuwaiti families.”

However, Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Kuwait Abdul Aziz Ahmad said that his country had not yet lifted the ban on allowing its citizens to work in Kuwait.

The diplomat said that they are still waiting for a response to the letter they presented to the Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kuwaiti daily Al Rai reported on Wednesday.

The letter included a draft of the new agreement on the return of Ethiopian workers to Kuwait, he added.
A major item in the new deal is to grant Ethiopian workers a paid annual holiday and the two sides should agree on its duration.
The deal also stipulates that the workers keep their passports with them or at the Ethiopian embassy.
The working hours should also be clearly mentioned and the Ethiopian workers should be given salaries that are equal to those received by helpers from other countries, according to the draft.
“The ball is now in the Kuwaiti court and whenever we receive the response to our letter, we will agree on a date for the visit by the Ethiopian minister of labour to sign the agreement to have Ethiopian workers in Kuwait,” the ambassador said.
The embassy of Ethiopia is one of 11 diplomatic missions in Kuwait contacted by the local authorities to coordinate the hiring of workers and reinvigorate the local market.
The contacts are part of steps taken by Kuwait to help address deepening challenges in recruiting domestic workers.
In January, Kuwait’s domestic work was hit hard after the Philippines stopped sending workers to the Gulf state following reports that abuse by employers there had driven several Filipinos to suicide.
The decision, involving thousands of helpers, sparked a crisis in Kuwait, prompting all the state agencies to seek prompt solutions.

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US Congressman Mike Coffman spoke with Teshome Borago of Zehabesha newspaper & Satenaw media Group regarding recent efforts by American lawmakers to defend human rights in Ethiopia.

Satenaw/Zehabesha: After NJ Rep. Chris Smith introduced H.Res. 128, no congressman has publicly advocated for it more than you. What were your biggest challenges to get a vote on and finally get this resolution adopted?

Congressman Coffman: It was very hard because the Ethiopian government was very active in trying to make sure the bill never came up for a vote. We had some reports that they were spending $150,000 dollars a month on lobbying and PR campaign. I was getting pressure from member of Congress, even right before the vote. I remember Senator Inhofe from Oklahoma and Congressman Garamendi from California both called me and asked that we not bring it to vote. Also,the Ethiopian government was threatening cooperation in terms of the war against terrorism in the region and al Shabab if we pass the resolution. That was a big consideration. Even the US ambassador, the last time i talked to him, he did not think it was a good idea to bring it to a vote. But I just felt it was very important. One thing the US [have] been doing is what was done during the Cold War against communism. If a government was anti-communist, no matter how authoritarian and oppressive they were to their own people, the United States supported them. I think we paid for that long. I think we have been doing that with Ethiopia. Because Ethiopia has been cooperating with us against terrorism, we have been supporting this government that is oppressive to its own people. There were a lot of obstacles in the way. We did do some amendments to the bill, that I supported….they were mostly updating what was occurring in Ethiopia with the new Prime Minister.

And they also pushed back saying that this is going to reverse progress in Ethiopia, saying we are making progress in human rights…I just did not see that at the end of the day. I pushed very hard for it. I had support certainly from Ethiopian-Americans across the country and I had a working group in Colorado with Amhara and Oromo Ethiopian-Americans helping me, and advising me.

Satenaw/Zehabesha: Has the State Department shown willingness to adjust its engagements with Ethiopia to reflect the key proclamations inside the adopted resolution?

Congressman Coffman: We will see. I mean we got a strategy on what the next step is. There was no question that we had to win in this vote. It was important. Once we started, that if we failed on the vote, I was concerned that it would have been worse than not doing anything at all. Because, then the Ethiopian government would say that those Ethiopians in the United States have no power…they (diaspora Ethiopians) have no influence on the American government so it (TPLF) will just continue what its doing.

So we have got to think about the next step. It is important for the Ethiopian government have respect for Human Rights for its people…and the United States not to be complicit in giving support to the Ethiopian government, the same weapons and ammunition we are giving them to fight terrorism but they are turning it against their own people. Against peaceful protestors. I mean, they are jailing journalists and political opposition, putting dissidents in detention camps. The human rights abuses are terrible.

I had a lot of meetings with the Ethiopian government during the debate, they were obviously opposed to it, the provision they were most opposed about was having UN rapporteurs investigate. I met their ambassadors, their position was its a sovereignty issue, but my position was there is no other way to confirm that they were achieving what they said they were achieving.

Satenaw/Zehabesha: When you openly condemned the Ethiopian TPLF regime and the corrupt DC lobbyists who took $150,000 per month from a poor country, some Ethiopian media has labelled you “the amazing congressman” and “the best friend of Ethiopia.” What drives you to take up such causes for African immigrants?

Congressman Coffman: They are part of the fabric of our community in my congressional district. It was interesting, I first heard their concerns and I met with the Ethiopian government, the ambassador assured me that things will be taken care of. That was 3 Years ago or so. But of course, i found out nothing was ever being taken care of.

I am so honored to represent one of the significant Ethiopian community in America, in the state of Colorado. They have allowed me to be a part of their community, the Amhara and the Oromo. I so often spend weekends going to the Orthodox Church, the evangelical church and the Mosque. I just really appreciate the Ethiopian community in my district and this country, they are such a compliment to America. I also fully understand they are very sensitive to what is going on back in Ethiopia. The fact is, they have a lot of family back there and ties to the Ethiopian people. So it is important to address this issue that is critical for them.

Satenaw/ZeHabesha: Many Ethiopian-Americans want to give back to outspoken leaders like you for defending human rights in Ethiopia and beyond. What is the best way to get involved in Colorado?

Congressman Coffman: The Ethiopian-American community in Colorado did such an extraordinary job, in putting pressure on members of Congress. They literally mobilized across the entire country and called their members of Congress… wrote letters, made visits to members of Congress. At the end of the day, even those members of Congress who were putting pressure on me not to bring up the bill….the interesting thing is that…none of them showed up. Because they couldn’t, they had no argument to make, what, where they going to defend a government that was so oppressive to its people? Are they going to defend a government that is shooting protesters in the streets? Jailing dissidents without trial? Of course they couldn’t defend that…..it is counter to our values as Americans.

There will be other tests too (for Ethiopian community). This is not over with. And I am going to stand shoulder to shoulder with people of Ethiopia, until this government shows respect to human rights.

Satenaw/Zehabesha: After the H.Res 128 success, the Ethiopian Diaspora is now pushing for S.Res 168 version. It is slowly getting Democrat support but Republicans have majority in Senate as well. What are its chances of passing the senate and will you be able to influence your colleagues in the senate?

Congressman Coffman: I have less influence (in the Senate) than I have in the House. But I am going to talk to members of the Senate about it, to see if we can rally some support. I will try to do the same, obviously it will be difficult . Ethiopian-Americans are going to have to rally. I want to say that, from Minnesota, Keith Ellison did a wonderful job debating this issue on the floor, supporting it all the way thru. I was very impressed with his dedication and supporting the Ethiopian people.

It will be hard in the Senate, one of my greatest opponents in the Congress was from the Senate, Senator Inhofe tried to persuade members of our House to oppose this resolution. I was surprised with his unwavering support for the government (TPLF) in Ethiopia.

Satenaw/Zehabesha: According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), hundreds have been massacred in Ethiopia since 2015. But even after the new PM took office on April 2, at least a dozen Ethiopians have already been killed by the same TPLF regime, including an Oromo police and a pregnant mother shot last Sunday by federals. Despite the new PM’s best intentions, it is becoming clear that the TPLF controlled military does whatever it wants. How can the international community push accountability for state crimes in Ethiopia ?

Congressman Coffman: I have had several conversations with the UN high commissioner for human rights.

He is very aware with the extent of the problems. In fact, when i set up negotiation between the majority leader’s (Rep. Kevin McCarthy) office in the House and representatives of the Ethiopian community, he was kind enough to send a United Nations (UN) representative to that meeting, that is very helpful.

Satenaw/Zehabesha: Considering that the adopted Congressional resolution is non-binding; some notable Ethiopian scholars like CSU Professor Al Mariam have mentioned President Trump’s extension of the Magnitsky Act globally, which would impose targeted sanctions and travel ban on officials inside regimes engaged in serious human rights abuses. If the current trend gets worse, will you suggest the Trump administration to apply the Magnitsky Act on the TPLF leadership?

Congressman Coffman: Absolutely. There is no question. I would not give the new government…if you want to call it a new government…it is still the same group. It is a change in top but it is still the same ruling coalition. In a way, it is not a new government. So I don’t think we should give them much time at all, to see if they improve their human rights record. I think the Magnitsky Act, is very important to apply.

I also think we should look at the US foreign aid to Ethiopia. There is no guarantee that aid is being used against terrorism, from what i have seen, it is being used to terrorize their own people.

Satenaw/Zehabesha: Another popular Trump policy among Ethiopian-Americans is cutting the waste and misuse of US foreign aid in Ethiopia. Just like Welfare’s unintended consequences inside America, Western aid has caused a cycle of dependency in Ethiopia while financing a dictatorship. Would you support more US aid accountability?

Congressman Coffman: I think there is a better way to do aid. First is humanitarian aid. Instead of providing food shipments which disrupt the markets, we can help the Ethiopian agriculture become more productive.

So I think there are ways we can do, that i am going to look at, to help the Ethiopian economy more, help Ethiopian agriculture in a more sustainable way.

Satenaw/Zehabesha: One less reported crisis in Ethiopia is the suffering of millions of mixed-Ethiopians, born with multiple ethnic heritage. Unlike the Oromo and Amhara, mixed-Ethiopians are officially unrecognized by the EPRDF regime and face persecution because they are stateless, according to the new ethnic-federalism. Will lawmakers address this crisis where millions are persecuted, becoming refugees inside tribal enclaves, because they are Ethiopians without ethnic affiliation?

Congressman Coffman: I think this is a big part of the whole view on human rights.

Certainly, [there should be] respect for everyone within a country, that all members of society have dignity and deserve respect. So that issue is something that could be included in this.

Satenaw/Zehabesha: Lastly, on domestic policy, Ethiopian-Americans are against illegal immigration to US, but they are concerned about Trump’s plan to end the DV Lottery program which benefits Africans. Won’t closing legal avenues encourage more illegal immigration?

Congressman Coffman: I think we need a kind of balance. I think immigration is very good for America.

I certainly disagree with the President on that (policy on DV lottery). The cap should be relatively high to reflect the needs of our country, in terms of legal immigrants. We should make it much easier to come here legally and much harder to come in illegally. A balance between familial based and merit based system.

I also think there is a visa overstay problem. We have no system today of tracking those visas, we should give people opportunity to come out of the shadows and with ability to work in the country without fear of deportation. At the same time, we can put in a much tougher system, have an E-verify system…having more enforceable laws. We don’t have that [now] and we need to recognize that.

Satenaw/Zehabesha: Thank you for this interview and for your dedication to the Ethiopian-American community.

Congressman Coffman: Thank you so much. I appreciate it.

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By Assegid Habtewold

In my latest commentary (https://www.facebook.com/NewBreedLeadersOfAfrica/posts/876809422523559), I shared the second leadership attribute of Dr. Abiy, one of the New Breed Leaders of Africa. I pointed out that since he had done his homework and developed his personal growth very well that he outgrew his past leadership positions and outlived the challenges he had been facing. This is my hope that this same quality is one of the virtues that could empower him to lead the country’s transformation successfully.

However, before I cover his third leadership attribute on New Breed Leaders of Africa Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/NewBreedLeadersOfAfrica/), I’d like to emphasize that the personal development of the top leader alone is not enough to undertake a lasting and sustainable change at this critical moment in the history of our country. Yes, he has a clear vision many including those outside of his party bought in easily. Nonetheless, translating his vision into realities and making a smooth transition to democracy is impossible without having cabinet members, leaders of the various institutions, and departments of his new administration who have well developed personal growth like him. Don’t forget, a nation cannot go any farther than its collective leadership.

That is why it’s very critical for the new PM to assemble cabinet members who share his vision, and those who have also the ability and character to carry out his new mandate. He should appoint those who have done their homework and already worked on their personal growth. Of course, having capable leaders in your team who are constantly able to lead their organizations and teams successfully requires a continuous effort. The PM office should create an office that focuses on empowering the new administration’s leaders’ personal, professional, and leadership development. This is a worthy investment with a high return on investment, and it shouldn’t be taken lightly. This office should be comprised of knowledge management professionals, content designers, facilitators, coaches, and mentors both within and outside of the country including experienced foreign experts in the fields of personal, professional, and leadership development.

Some of you may question and wonder: Why do we need foreigners? Well, simple. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel. We should learn from other countries’ experience. However, we need to customize it to fit our objective conditions on the ground and according to our historical and socio-cultural contexts.

Let’s remember. Ethiopia is a geopolitically positioned strategic country with lots of responsibilities for the stability and prosperity of the region and continent, and beyond. Thus, the new PM has a historic responsibility and a golden opportunity to shape the destiny of the country, and in turn, the Horn and Africa. Nonetheless, this cannot happen unless he has able leaders around him. The question is: Will his party allow him to have the freedom to pick the cabinet members of his choice? Or, at least, can he be given the lion’s share in selecting key cabinet members? We will see.

From the quick research I’ve conducted, PM Abiy has the right attitude; the ability to envision, articulate and communicate his vision, and the capability to execute it; and the character to lead the transition. His vision, which he articulated in his inaugural speech, was inclusive and very powerful. His overall intention, which he has been expressing in recent tours intended to bring together diverse stakeholders, is commendable, to say the least.

Please note that I’m well aware that some stakeholders have already expressed their unhappiness about some of his chosen words, and his priorities so far. By the way, I’m not surprised at all. The stakes are high, and the PM himself has been setting the expectations of all stakeholders high in his speeches and discussions thus far. That being said; however, this is my hope that we Ethiopians employ one of our virtues- patience, to give the new PM a fair chance to prove himself.

Common! He hasn’t even formed his cabinet yet. He is just communicating his vision, strategies, and approaches, most of which are commendable compared to where we have been as a society for the last many decades. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t air your grievances and doubts but delay your conclusion a little bit. Don’t just yet be dismissive. Doing so, at this early point, doesn’t serve anyone well.

I’m not a politician, and don’t have any hidden motive. I ask your patience as someone who cares about our country. I’m sharing my expertise as a leadership expert and workshop facilitator for some government agencies, major corporations, and community organizations for over a decade. I‘ve studied change management cases around the world. A transition isn’t easy, as it seems from afar. There are many factors, players, and phases that the new leader needs to navigate through before he gets a chance to translate his dreams into realities that we all are hoping to see. We’re just at the very first stage of the change process and he is doing his part in this initial phase by communicating his vision and strategies. We too, we should play our roles at this stage proactively.

Please remain optimistic for a while and, of course, while finding ways to negotiate for the consideration of your views, the prioritization of your needs, and the inclusion of your change proposals in the change agendas of the new leader. To be effective in your efforts, please get organized in groups with people who share your goals. Some have already begun doing so and have taken some proactive steps. I applaud the latter. You too, use this critical moment and juncture in our generation to put a dent in the future of your beloved country. Don’t just be an onlooker, and critic alone. Do something while it matters and now! As the saying goes, if not now when; if not you, who?

That being said, PM Abiy cannot turn his dreams- what so ever glorious his vision may appear to him and his supporters- into realities. He cannot turn the liabilities of his party into assets. He cannot also turn the ashes covering this lovely country for so long into beauty without having well-abled leaders from top to bottom in his new administration! Achieving these demands a strong team, not just one or a couple of well-developed leaders at the top. In short, unless the new PM brings in new breed leaders like himself at all levels, it is an uphill battle to fulfill his obligations to lead over 90 million diverse people with different interests and priorities into their Canaan land.

Well, transforming Ethiopia shouldn’t be left to the new administration alone. Other stakeholders such as citizens (inside the country and abroad); opposition parties; the media; civic organizations; community organizations; and regional, continental and global strategic partners and friends of Ethiopia should also play their share in this regard.

However, the reform cannot succeed by having leaders in the new administration who have well developed organizational and leadership capabilities alone. So far, PM Abiy called upon oppositions, civic and community organizations, and the media to play their fair share and engage proactively and meaningfully in creating a vibrant political playing field. He is challenging, especially the oppositions to come out and be equal players with the ruling party. Though his open arms and willingness to welcome and put ‘the alternative parties’ (as he calls them) in a positive light should be appreciated and oppositions should accept his challenge, it should be clear that the opposition parties and the free press need empowerment to develop their organizational and leadership capacity so that they could be able to play their roles.

Though oppositions, civic and community organizations, and the media should be proactive and do their own homework to build their capacity, PM Abiy should also go further than demonstrating his goodwill to work hand in glove with them. He should put in place some laws (revoke others), institutions, and also set aside funding that should be dedicated to developing their capacity. Otherwise, these key stakeholders that are vital to the transformation of Ethiopia into democracy, stability, unity, and prosperity cannot easily and quickly step up to the plate considering where they have been in the past few decades.

At this point, I can see that there may be some complications when a PM of the ruling party showing a vested interest to empower oppositions. I’m also uncertain whether the latter accepts such an offer. If that is the case, what about the PM allowing other stakeholders inside and/or outside of the country to support oppositions and the media to develop their organizational and leadership capacity? This is a win-win. All parties need more helping hands on this…

Many home-based civic, organizational, and leadership institutions should team up to empower both the new administration’s leaders, leaders of the oppositions, civic, community and media organizations. Friends of Ethiopia such as regional, continental, and international institutions that have already been involved in providing development assistance to the nation should be invited to play their share too.

As an Ethiopian-American, I also call upon the US, whose Congress just endorsed HR128, to play a proactive and hands-on role through the appropriate US development agencies in developing the organizational and leadership capacity of key stakeholders including leaders of the new administration, oppositions, media, and civic and community organizations. These key stakeholders need empowerment to implement HR128 resolutions. In order to widen the political space and build democratic institutions, Ethiopia needs to develop its organizational and leadership capability. This is a win-win to both countries. A stable, prosperous, peaceful, healthy, and strong Ethiopia in the Horn of Africa is a win-win to our country and other regional, continental, and international stakeholders who have a strategic interest in the region.

Civic and community organizations in the diaspora and experts in the fields should also contribute their share toward empowering the organizational and leadership capacity of the country.

I’m emphasizing the significance of developing the organizational and leadership capacity of the new administration and other stakeholders because one visionary, charismatic, and well able leader alone cannot lead a lasting and sustainable change in a country like Ethiopia with deep-rooted and complex problems coupled with diverse interest groups. Bringing lasting peace, stability, democracy, good governance, and a vibrant socio-economic and political environment requires going beyond having the goodwill to bring change, the desire to initiate reform, and exuding optimism toward the future. There are necessary soft skills our leaders desperately need to turn their good intentions into realities, their zeal into tangible fruits.

By the way, the business community and citizens too need the same attention since they are key stakeholders in this transitional state the country is in. The young generation stepped up and demanded change and did what they had to including sacrificing their lives with little organizational and leadership empowerment from the grown-ups. If the government is serious about engaging the new generation and making them active players in transforming Ethiopia, it must invest in their capacity to engage by developing their civic, organizational, and leadership skills.

Likewise, regardless of corruption and many other stumbling blocks, the business community tried its best and contributed a lion’s share in the economic development of the nation so far. As the PM himself mentioned during his recent discussion with the community, both public servants and business leaders need to work on their envisioning and execution abilities including developing their project management capability. He also called for discipline, ethics, and character from both sides. However, these things cannot just happen without an upfront investment.

Let me conclude this article by emphasizing the importance of acknowledging the rare opportunity our country just got following the inaugural of Dr. Abiy as the new PM. The latter’s acceptance speech inspired, I’d say, the whole nation except a few. Unfortunately, this new enthusiasm seems to decline in certain sections of our society. Many people on social media began expressing their disagreements with some of the contents of the new PM’s recent speeches. Some started questioning his motives, impartiality, and ability to translate his optimism into realities.

As far as I’m concerned, personally, it’s too early to reach any hasty conclusion. This is the time to try all we can and give our best to equip the key players to undertake their organizational and leadership responsibilities effectively and successfully. They need help. Punitive criticism at this early stage serves little toward our future though essential to air our concerns right away. We have ample time in the future to evaluate and judge the performance of the new administration. Now is the time to roll our sleeves up and do our part first. It’s not yet time to get distracted.

Last but not least, leaders back home- both in the new administration, opposition parties, civic and community organizations and in the media, need to learn from other successful nations, which led fruitful transformations like the one we’re hoping to undertake. Our leaders need to be up-to-the-minutes concerning the latest theories, principles, models, and tools available in the world; especially from countries whose objective conditions and socio-cultural contexts are similar or close to ours.

Zeal alone isn’t enough! Good intentions by itself are inadequate! Vision without execution remains a fantasy! Implementing the change agendas and reforms the new PM promised requires well-prepared, equipped, and empowered executioners at all levels and multiple fronts.

We shouldn’t squander this uncommon chance. The whole world is watching. Can we repeat history? We defeated aggression. Can we defeat poverty, conflict, poor governance, and diseases, the new enemy of Ethiopia, by coming together to achieve our shared goals for the sake of the common good? Could we be able to make the next generations proud? Would they look back to learn that we were capable enough to address our internal differences through dialogue and negotiations without resorting to violence and bloodshed?

Are we willing to be leaders again in Africa in the 21^st C as we were during the colonization era? We should make our forefathers proud by resuming our leadership role by taking a leading role to lead the continent out of her shame- chronic poverty, corruption, poor governance, diseases, and so on.

However, we cannot assume leadership again without first putting our house in order. It’s unlikely we could be able to say ‘we’re back’ again while we are unable to settle our differences through dialogue and team up together to address our common challenges. How can we claim leadership without demonstrating that we have the ability to march forward toward a shared destiny as a nation while having some disagreements on the way? If you ask me, at the moment (I’m hopeful going forward), we don’t have the moral ground to be the seat of African Union, let alone to lead our brothers and sisters in Africa as our forefathers and mothers did.

Don’t get me wrong. I know that we didn’t elect him. He may not be your first choice and preference as a national leader. You may have some disagreement with his ideologies, worldviews, and policies. However, here we are. We have now a smart, inclusive, and well-versed leader who expressed his willingness to lead us all into our Canaan. Why cannot we tap into this opportunity?

Let’s give him a little bit time. Most importantly, let’s support him where we can and on issues we agree so that he may have enough leverage to force his own party (those who are fighting to maintain the status quo) makes genuine reforms. Those of us who have the means, expertise, influence, and connections, let’s play our fair share in empowering leaders of the new administration, oppositions, civic and community organizations, the media, and businesses to help them navigate this important season in our history and finally make sure the transition goes smoothly. This call is for all concerned Ethiopians back home, here in the Diaspora, and friends of Ethiopia whose desire is to see a democratic, prosperous, and stable Ethiopia, the Horn, and the continent of Africa.

Dr. Assegid Habtewold is an organizational and leadership expert and author, and the founder of PRO Leadership Global (www.proleadership.org). Assegid can be reached at

ahabtewold@yahoo.com

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By: Shiferaw Abebe

Nope! I doesn’t seem he has the intention or the capacity to bring any fundamental change. From everything he has said so far, his intention is to keep the status quo largely intact. He does not admit there is a systemic political problem that caused the current crisis, only some failures in leadership which he says EPRDF is already fixing.  His preoccupation is therefore on bringing stability in the country and getting back to TPLF’s growth and transformation plan, as he put it in Mekele last week.

So here is what he will do over the coming few weeks:

He will do some reshuffling in current cabinet positions (per negotiations between him and TPLF). I wouldn’t be surprised if Getachew Assefa and/or Samora Yonus are let go. I would be surprised if at least one of them is not removed. The cabinet reshuffle will be sold as an important political reform except that it is not. Replacing individuals will not make any difference unless the entire security and intelligence apparatus is reconstituted

Second, more political prisoners will be released, which will be a welcome action but has nothing to do with reforming the political system.

Third, he (or his cabinet) will lift the State of Emergency (SoE) probably once he travels to the Amhara region and perhaps to the Southern people region. Lifting the SoE is no reform but it will be trumpeted as one.

Finally, as he indicated at the Millennium Hall speech, he will amend some of the draconian laws. This is more for the consumption of Western donors; for Ethiopians, as long as TPLF remains in power, its security forces will kill, arrest, and torture without the anti-terrorism law, as they did prior to 2009.

That is all. There is no further political or economic reform planned by this prime minister.

Can he get away with this?

Perhaps. Perhaps not. It all depends how fast Ethiopians woke up from the spell of his dazzling speeches.

Words have power in Ethiopia, especially when they are uplifting.  Meles was an articulate speaker too but, besides being a tyrant, he was mostly nasty and lacked the gentle and likable personality of the new prime minister.  Hailemariam was boring and at his best a bad imitation of Meles. By contrast, the new PM is animated and appears to be comfortable in his own skin.  No wonder, therefore, his word power is earning him some dividends already: his audience appears captivated and lulled, and the demons of protest cast away, at least for now.

But, if one observes closely, the more he talks the more mistakes he is making and, worse, the less substance one finds in what he says.  The question is how many are listening closely.

His inaugural speech was all about our “identity crisis”, so to speak. He spoke at length how Ethiopia is a great country with a shining history; how great we are as a people and capable of solving any problem in front of us if we come together and work harder. Lofty, uplifting narrations Ethiopians longed to hear from a leader for 27 years. Many thought that speech was great despite his failure to acknowledge the immediate crisis that made him a prime minister let alone articulate his approach to resolve it.

After his inauguration, the speech he made over the weekend at the Millennium Hall provided him with the opportunity to articulate the real root causes of the crisis; and more importantly, a real, clear, practical roadmap to solve the crisis.  He passed up the opportunity and instead he spent over half an hour going over a hodgepodge of quite superficial business as usual prescriptions.

He acknowledged that the unrest of the past two or so years have caused economic setbacks, but his solution was to suggest that everyone stands guard to keep peace and order;

He talked about the foreign exchange crunch, and his solution was to accelerate import substitution and stem capital flight;

He repeated TPLF’s tried and tired “building democracy is hard”, slogan, and his offer was that EPRDF will do its best to make the next election fair and transparent;

He talked about the judiciary as being liable for its transgressions but said nothing how that can be accomplished;

He said the security and intelligence forces will continue to be neutral of politics (an infuriating concept to say the least). Think of TPLF’s killing machine, Agazi, being described as neutral to politics by none other than some one who became a prime minister because of the price thousands of youth paid in the hands of Agazi;

Of the media, he said it should be a responsible partner for promoting peace and order;

Of artists, he asked them to create more humor and comedy to take the edge off angry protesters;

He talked about the quality of education that is in the gutter and said improving it will be a priority (no clue how); and

Of the youth, suddenly the darling of EPRDF, he told them to stop protesting and instead use their youth fire to melt iron ores to make steels, to tap rivers for irrigation, to build factories and bridges, etc.

Seriously?

The bitter and despondent opposition…

At a dinner he hosted for opposition parties, which he now calls “competitors” he was but engaging. The new name he coined for them may sound positive and even admirable except that it is not. By calling them “competitor” he is legitimizing TPLF/EPRDF, not elevating the opposition. Besides there is nothing wrong with the name opposition, what is wrong is TPLF/EPRDF took away their right to exist or function.

That aside, during the dinner speech, he did not say anything substantive on how he intends to engage with them to resolve the crisis or chart the course for the future of the country. Instead, he lectured them on democracy and freedom and scolded them for being bitter and despondent. I am surprised no one left the dinner at that point.

The golden people of Tigray and the contented Wolkaites…

His Mekele trip seemed as though he was paying homage to TPLF (still the capo) and intended to appease Tigrayans. Yes his audience were clapping to his speech with an irritating frequency but I don’t believe the rest of Ethiopia joined in.

His reference to the people of Tigray as gold, tested by fire, left a bad after taste for many Ethiopians. Not because he complemented the people of Tigray, but the “gold” reference brings back to memory a boastful, if not racist, remark by the late Meles Zenawi for being born to the Tigrayan society.

The “tested by fire” part, likely in reference to the 17-year guerrilla warfare TPLF waged against the Derg regime is even more ill advised. If Tigrayans and the new PM derive pride in that, that pride remains their alone. The rest of Ethiopians cannot share it because they never believed TPLF represented Ethiopia’s interests from its inception to this date. This is a treasonous organization that not only at first wanted to secede Tigray; not only fought for the separation of Eritrea from Ethiopia, but upon the overthrow of the Derg regime, it made Ethiopia landlocked, without even giving it a chance to negotiate. A prime minister that fails to recognize these facts and appreciate the feelings of the Ethiopian people at large cannot truly be a prime minister for the whole country.

Second, his characterization of the Wolkait identity issue as non-existent and reducing their concerns to one of lack of health clinics, water, electricity and such – is shameful, to say the least. He declared the identity issue was something that was fanned by Diaspora Ethiopians, who by extension also created the Wolkait Identity Committee led by Col. Demeke Zewdu. He even implied Wolkaites are content with how they are treated by their internal colonizer, the Tigray kilil. We will see if he will repeat these assertions in Bahir Dar or Gondar.

It is the economy stupid, or is it?

The new PM’s latest talking engagement was with the business community which further exposed his flawed understanding of the nature of economic crisis and his superficial, minimalist approach to solve it. He touched on a long list of issues that can be grouped into three themes.

The first and, by his own admission the main reason for arranging the meeting, relates to the dire foreign currency shortage that has crippled business and investment in the country.  He admitted the problem will not be solved any time soon but had very little strategic to offer for a long term solution.  As a bandage solution, he mentioned government will cut back on international travels, which he admitted were taken advantage of for personal vacations. Then he turned the table on the business owners and asked them to bring the foreign currency they have stashed away in Dubai and China. That was quite a strange confrontation but also an incredibly naïve notion on his part.

He mentioned the remittance embargo by Diaspora Ethiopians where he used a hilarious analogy to describe the situation. He likened the TPLF/EPRDF regime as an errant child and Diaspora Ethiopians as a cruel parent who penalizes that child by taking away his or her dinner. He suggested softer penalties like writing critical pieces (like this one) or demonstrating in front of Capitol Hill.  Really funny staff.

The second theme was unemployment. He essentially boiled the popular uprising of the past two, three years down to youth unemployment. TPLF could not have a better spokesperson. His solution was to entreat with the business owners to create more employment (apparently by bringing back the hard currency they stashed away in Dubai and China) and save the regime from the angry unemployed youth. He literally said that.

The third theme was business morality 101. He spent a great deal of time going over business ethics, corruption, free service, leading by example, and staff of that nature. Of course, no mention of the most scandalously corrupt business empire in the country run by TPLF.

All in all, same old, same old TPLF talking points delivered by a sharp tongued PM.

It is a shame that, as someone aptly put it, the young bull Ethiopians hoped to use for next ploughing season is already dead meat in a butcher’s shop.

 Shiferawabebe1@gmail.com

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At the end of Zagwe dynasty around the 14^th century, medieval Ethiopia was in disarray. Provincial warlords were battling for supremacy and the nation was on the brink of disintegrating. Ethiopia was at threat of breaking itself apart through internal fighting as its standing in the world diminished.

It was at this fraught moment in time that the Kibre Negest emerged. Meaning “The Glory of the Kings” and written by an anonymous author or authors, this huge text reconstructed the biblical tale of how Queen Sheba visited King Solomon in ancient Israel. The book claimed that the two conceived a child, Menelik, who went on to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Ethiopia and became the nation’s first Solomonic king.

By establishing the divine origins of Ethiopia’s royal line, the Kibre Negest sought to disarm the warlords at home, while portraying the empire as unified and proud to the outside world. However, ordinary citizens soon found surplus meaning in it. Over the years, ideas of Ethiopia’s unifying and mythic origins contained in the ancient text evolved into a popular notion of Ethiopiawinet or “Ethiopianness”.

Still to this day, intellectuals debate whether or not Ethiopianness exists. Some claim that ethnicity is the overriding identity that cuts through and across the national. Others argue that the concept is the outdated invention of a Christian empire that has little relevance today.

However, for many ordinary citizens, the idea of Ethiopiawinet transcends historical debates. It not only exists, but is a matter of survival, common belonging and celebration. Religiously, it emphasises the unity of humanity by weaving together Islamic and Christian teachings. Ethically, it offers moral guidance by critiquing the imperfections of earthly life. Politically, it urges negotiation and the striking of a balance between what is good to me and what is good to my ethnic and religious neighbour.

For many Ethiopians, Ethiopiawinet also manifests as that electrifying and inescapable feeling when watching Abebe Bikila, Haile Gebrselassie, Deratu Tulu, Mesert Defar or Tirunesh Dibaba glide past their international competitors to win gold.

Meles’ painful story

For centuries then, the kind of myth-making found in the Kibre Negest has been central to the formation and fate of Ethiopia. This is as true now as it has ever been. When the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) came to power in 1991, for example, its leader Meles Zenawi drew on his deep talents as a storyteller.

His story came from a dark place, coloured by the painful past of the Tigrayan people and of himself. Its genesis went all the way back to the 18^th and 19^th centuries when Tigrayan and Amhara rulers tussled for power. This struggle continued up to 1889, when last Tigrayan king, Yohannes IV, died in battle. With his dying breath, he declared his natural son to be his heir, but Menelik II proclaimed himself the rightful Emperor. Once on the throne, the Amhara leader used a combination of force, religion and the Amharic language to expand his kingdom. While there may have been well-intentioned reasons behind his campaign, it involved various atrocities and undermined the culture and identity of less powerful ethnic groups.

This Ethiopian Empire continued until 1974 when the communist Derg took power. This new regime maintained a unifying narrative, but its rule was largely experienced as the repression of anyone who questioned it. The people of Tigray, fighting for self-determination, were among its many victims.

The EPRDF thus came to power after centuries of what Meles saw as the subjugation of minorities. He believed the singular narrative of Ethiopia was inherently oppressive and established a federalised system based on the diversity of the country’s ethnicities. The ruling coalition, made up of representatives from different groups, told a new story. This hopeful tale emphasised the discreteness and uniqueness of Ethiopia’s many peoples, but had at its core an implicit sense of mutual fear and suspicion.

Over the years, these anxieties grew. Notions of ethnic nationalism hardened along with feelings of systemic discrimination. Meles’ story might have aimed to restore “the dignity of difference”, but it weakened the unifying legend that had helped Ethiopians transcend their ethnic and religious divides.

Things worsened under Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegne, who came to power in 2012. He had no story of his own and simply tried to re-tell that of his more eloquent predecessor. He resigned earlier this month after years of sustained and widespread protests, particularly amongst the Oromo and Amhara frustrated by feelings of marginalisation.

Abiy’s soaring eagle

Ethiopia’s new prime minister, Dr Abiy Ahmed, has thus inherited a country in crisis. He faces a wide range of complex challenges in trying to reform the political system, economy, military and much more. He will have to lead tough negotiations and come with myriad smart and sensitive policies to steer this country of 100 million people back on track. However, in all this, he should not forget the importance of storytelling.

In my previous piece here on African Arguments, I pointed out that Abiy has gained popularity across ethnic groups because of his inclusive rhetoric. His many allusions to Ethiopiawinet in his inaugural speech hit a chord with many. But in fact, it goes beyond that.

Due to his own background, Abiy personifies both the existential dangers and reasons for hope in the country’s future. His biography encompasses the marvellous messiness of Ethiopian society. He hails from an Oromo father and Amhara mother. He shares Islamic and Christian upbringings. He is fluent in several languages. His personal story is Ethiopia’s story.

Moreover, Abiy has the ability to spin this rich heritage into a tale that oozes positivity. His story-telling style eschews the usual aloofness of politicians and speaks directly to the people’s aspirations. The new PM has already been utilising these skills in his tour of the country, focusing on regions that may be apprehensive about his rapid rise. In Ethiopia’s Somali State, he proclaimed: “There is neither centre nor periphery to the Ethiopian identity. Together we form the nucleus of our national story”. In Oromiya, from which he hails, he took pains to tie the protests and his own identity to the broader nation, emphasising: “The Oromo struggle is the Ethiopian struggle”. Meanwhile, in Tigray, the home of Meles, he contended: “Ethnic differences should be recognised and respected. However, we should not allow them to be hardened to the extent of destroying our common national story”.

At other times, Dr Abiy’s speeches have been full of forward-looking imagery. He uses the concept of medemer, a word that means “being added to” but stresses the beauty of blending, to talk about Ethiopia. He describes the eagle that soars above the stormy clouds to encourage audiences to look beyond today’s messiness to a brighter future. And he explains that the Ethiopian people have not inherited the nation from their parents but are borrowing it from their children. “When you inherit something, you can change or sell it. When you borrow something, you have to handle it with care because you have to return it”.

At this difficult moment in its history, Ethiopia desperately needs some wide-ranging and concrete reforms. But as relations fray and tensions simmer, the country also needs a soothing story.

• Former anti-corruption official moves to petroleum ministry
• Abiy moves fellow ethnic Oromo Motuma to defense ministry

Ethiopia’s new prime minister named a political ally as defense minister as he seeks to address two years of insecurity that prompted his predecessor’s resignation two months ago.

Motuma Mekessa’s switch to the defense portfolio from the petroleum ministry was among 16 changes Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed made to his cabinet on Thursday. The reshuffle signifies the government’s desire to “solve people’s complaints” and combat corruption, Abiy said in a speech broadcast on state television in the capital, Addis Ababa.

Like Abiy, Motuma is a member of the ethnic Oromo community and the executive committee of the Oromo People’s Democratic Organization, one of four regional parties that make up the ruling coalition. As defense minister, he’ll head up a so-called command post administering a state of emergency introduced when former Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn stepped down in February.

“The defense minister has to be extremely close to the prime minister, who heads the military,” said Ermias Tesfaye, an independent consultant based in Burayu, Oromia. “If the defense minister was from a different ethnicity and mind to the prime minister, Abiy may have found difficulties communicating with the military.”

Sporadic Protests

Ethiopia, Africa’s fastest-growing economy over the past decade, has been wracked by sporadic anti-government protests in the Oromia and Amhara regions since 2016. At the same time, a conflict between the Oromia and Somali regions has forced more than a million people to flee their homes.

Motuma’s departure from the petroleum ministry will be filled by Meles Alemu Hirboro, according to a statement published on the Facebook page of the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front. The portfolio is gaining importance as Ethiopia develops at least 4.5 trillion cubic feet of gas finds to diversify its $72.3 billion economy.

Meles, an ethnic Hadiya who is the vice president of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region, previously headed the area’s anti-corruption commission, according to a biography Abiy read in parliament. Shiferaw Shigute, the SNNPR’s president who ran against Abiy in last month’s leadership election, becomes agriculture and livestock minister.

‘Power Sharing’

The appointments are “about power sharing and proportioning power to different regions,” said Desalegn Tekle, an independent analyst based in Jinka, a market town in southern Ethiopia.

Ethiopia’s ambassador to the European Union, Teshome Toga, becomes minister of public enterprises, replacing Girma Amente, who now heads Oromia’s urban development and housing bureau — a position Abiy held before he became prime minister.

A former vice president of Oromia, Umar Hussein, becomes director-general of the Ethiopian Revenue and Customs Authority.

“He is one of Abiy’s inner circle,” Ermias said. “This reflects Abiy’s priority to crack down on contraband and corruption.”

CAIRO, April 19 (Xinhua) — Egypt got no reply from Ethiopia and Sudan to its invitation for further talks in Cairo over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) that is currently being built on their shared Nile River, the Egyptian foreign minister said in an interview with a local TV channel on Thursday.

“We’re sorry that we have not got a reply from Ethiopia and Sudan to this invitation, as we miss another chance to implement the instructions of the leaders of the three states,” said Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.

Ethiopia and Sudan eye massive benefits from the GERD construction, while Egypt is concerned it might affect its 55.5-billion-cubic-meter annual share of the Nile River water.

Earlier in April, a high-profile ministerial meeting of the three countries in Khartoum failed to reach an agreement over technical issues regarding the GERD, with Ethiopia and Sudan holding Egypt responsible for the failure of the talks.

Egypt later rejected the blame and said it joined the talks with “a positive spirit and an earnest desire to reach an agreement,” inviting Ethiopia and Sudan for further talks in Cairo.

The nine-member tripartite talks in Khartoum comprised the ministers of foreign affairs, those of water resources and the heads of intelligence services of the three countries.

“Every one should know that Egypt will not accept imposing a status quo through which the will of a party is imposed over another,” Shoukry said in the interview.

Egypt agrees to the preliminary report by hired French technical consultancy companies BRL and Artelia on the potential hydraulic, economic and environmental impacts of the GERD on the two downstream countries Egypt and Sudan.

Ethiopia, however, has not approved the study and sees it does not meet its aspirations, a position that halts and freezes the course of negotiations according to the Egyptian foreign minister.

In January, the presidents of Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan met in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa on the sidelines of the 30th African Union summit and agreed to avoid misunderstandings by joint cooperation on common interests.

The meetings of a tripartite technical committee on the GERD have been fruitless over the past sessions.

Egypt’s ties with Ethiopia have seen ups and downs since the latter started the dam project in April 2011 while Egypt was suffering turmoil following an uprising that toppled former President Hosni Mubarak.

When Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi took office in 2014, he showed understanding of Ethiopia’s aspiration for development through the GERD that would produce around 6,000 megawatts of electricity to the country.

In March 2015, the leaders of upstream Nile Basin country Ethiopia and the two downstream partners Egypt and Sudan signed an initial cooperation deal on the principles of sharing the Nile River water and the construction of the GERD, which will be Africa’s largest dam upon completion.

On the other hand, Sisi and his Sudanese counterpart Omar al-Bashir met in Cairo in mid-March and agreed to end all differences between the two African countries over a number of thorny issues.

In addition to the GERD issue, Egypt and Sudan have a territorial dispute over the border region of Halayeb and Shalateen, which is currently under Egyptian control.

In January, Khartoum recalled its ambassador to Egypt for consultation over “potential security threats” from Egypt and Eritrea following reported military moves in Eritrea’s Sawa area near the border with Sudan’s state of Kassala. The Sudanese ambassador later returned to Cairo.

Bashir also accused Egypt last year of providing military support for armed rebels in his country, which was strongly denied by Sisi.

The Tigrean People Liberation Front (TPLF) has been ruling Ethiopia with an iron fist for 27 long years. The regime has been able to stay in power for so many painful years mainly through its ethnic based federalism – a divide and conquer policy that the regime has employed effectively in pitting one ethnic group against another and weakening the Ethiopian state.

The role played by the teams of Lema Megersa and Gedu Andargachew in coming up with the antidote for the divisive ethnicization of Ethiopia and reversing the danger of the much-feared ethnic fragmentation is enormous. The event that took place in Bahir Dar where Oromo and Amhara Ethiopians re-asserted their unity was historic.

In the wake of this and as a result of the struggle and enormous sacrifice paid by Ethiopians across the country since the regime seized power in general and during the past three years in particular, Dr. Abiy Ahmed, a member of the Lema Megersa team, was selected as the leader of EPRDF and assumed premiership, the highest office in in the land.
In his inaugural address as Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy used parlance that was in stark difference from the speeches that EPRDF officials used over the past 27 years. Previous speeches by the regime’s officials were tuned on Revolutionary Democracy, a “Communist tendency, with Marxism-Leninism-Maoism as its core.” On the contrary, Dr. Abiy spoke with Ethiopia and Ethiopians at heart, a notion that was considered a taboo by the Stalinist TPLF, the core party with an upper hand within EPRDF. His speech triggered hope for a change in the political order among the Ethiopian people.

As stated by different media, Dr. Abiy joined EPRDF at age 15 and worked through the system for the last 26 years. He was a military officer in the rank of Colonel and established the regime’s Information Network Security Agency (INSA). Dr. Abiy’s full story is unknown to the Ethiopian public. That is to say the specific roles that he played especially in the military and intelligence remain unclear. In spite of this, however, Ethiopians have given Dr. Abiy the benefit of the doubt and have been waiting to see if he could translate his inaugural address into action.

The political reality on the ground indicates that the status quo is continuing. The illegal state of emergency continues nearly three weeks into Dr. Abiy’s premiership. It was reported recently that soldiers from the “Command Post” murdered an innocent woman who was three-month pregnant and arrested several others in different parts of the country. Thousands of Ethiopians continue to languish in official and secret prisons throughout the country (albeit the regime claims that they have closed Maikelawi, the notorious torture chamber in the capital). It was also reported that many innocent citizens have been killed and thousands displaced due to the conflict that took place between the Gedeo and the Guji ethnic groups in the southern part of Ethiopia, an outcome of the regime’s ethnicization of the country. Furthermore, the regime’s forces have reportedly murdered innocent citizens for a second time in Moyale. Dr. Abiy’s Government has so far been silent instead of acknowledging and intervening to stop these tragic incidents.
Dr. Abiy has been touring in different parts of the country since he ascended to power and he has made speeches in Jijiga, at the Palace Reception, Ambo, Mekele and the Millennium hall. His Mekele and the Millennium Hall speeches in particular have been talking points among Ethiopians over the past few days.

During his Mekele visit Dr. Abiy’s characterization of Trigreans as gold, tested in fire, (reminiscent of the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s similar characterization) has angered many. Meles Zenawi masterminded the constitutionalization of the poisonous, divisive and destructive ethnic federalism in our country. The revival of such characterization by Dr. Abiy was ill advised and dangerously divisive as it implicitly denigrates other ethnic groups in Ethiopia.

Above all, his remarks with respect to the question of Wolqait, a region that TPLF forcefully annexed and included in the Tigray administrative region for economic and political reasons, is greatly dangerous. Dr. Abiy characterized the issue as one of economic and developmental instead of an identity issue that the people of Wolqait have been demanding for decades. As fellow Ethiopians from Wolqait region have repeatedly claimed on different media, TPLF has committed possible genocide due to this issue. This writer does not believe that Dr. Abiy’s statement in this regard was out of ignorance but it was instead intentional that was either prescribed by TPLF (following their modus operandi of democratic centralism), or it was made to appease TPLF. In either case, Dr. Abiy has become a subject of condemnation for his remarks.

The Ethiopian people have been demanding the end of the brutal dictatorship and internal colonialism of the TPLF immediately and unconditionally. However, during his meeting with the youth at the Millennium Hall, Dr. Abiy declared that the usual TPLF orchestrated national election, which he said will take place after two years, would be free and fair.
The Ethiopian people have spoken loud and clear that they will no longer carry the yoke of TPLF’S brutal ethnic dictatorship. The people across the country have demanded an immediate (repeat immediate) change of the political order. To say that the next election would be free and fair is an insult to the intelligence of Ethiopians since this is a tactic that the despotic regime has been using over the past two and half decades under the guise of a “fledgling democracy”, particularly at times when the regime is in short of oxygen. Indeed, Dr. Abiy is not walking his inaugural talk!

This writer strongly believes that the Ethiopian people (in particular the Keros, Fannos, Zermas, Nebros) should resume their non-violent (peaceful) struggle in a coordinated and unified manner without any further delay. That is the only guarantee that brings about real change in our country.

May God protect Ethiopia! Felek Alemu
The writer can be reached at felekale@gmail.com

Vision
Democratic and Peaceful Transition in Ethiopia
May 12 & 13, 2018 Washington D.C./ Alexandria, VA/

Vision Ethiopia, in collaboration with the Ethiopian Satellite Television and Radio Station (ESAT) and civil society groups, is pleased to announce that its fifth conference will be held on May 12 and 13, 2018, in Washington D.C. As many of you probably know, Vision Ethiopia/ESAT’s fifth conference which was scheduled to be held on March 24 & 25 2018, under the theme of “Transition and Alternative Forms of Federalism”, was postponed because the responses from authors to the two rounds of calls for papers were not enough to warrant a two days long conference.

Following the inaugural speech of the new Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed, on April 2, 2018, there is some optimism that the ruling regime has got yet another opportunity to transition the country into a post-conflict social, economic and political order. We therefore found it necessary, to contextualize the previous theme of the conference so that it reflects the more recent and evolving situation in Ethiopia. The theme of the conference is process to a democratic and peaceful transition in Ethiopia. Authors who submitted their papers on the previous theme will not be affected by the change.

Vision Ethiopia, consistent with its mission, attempts to create unhindered public forums for scholars, professionals, activists, political and civic organizations and concerned Ethiopians to present their carefully thought policy alternatives for the country. There is need for independent forums for the analysis of the process towards democratic and peaceful transition, primarily because reform outcomes are critically dependent on systems and processes that are put in place. A thorough analysis of the issues, policy options, and sequences of reform measures should be examined to set the foundation for inclusive and credible transition in Ethiopia. It is time fellow Ethiopian experts address the issues in a systematic and well-researched way, and inform the public about the minimum threshold of reforms to start the process of making a credible roadmap so that cosmetic reforms aimed at extending the longevity of the tyranny and its “deep state” are replaced by a plan that has the potential to take the country out of the crisis.

Vision Ethiopia cordially invites Ethiopian scholars, activists, individuals and organized groups to look forward and engage in this important policy dialogue with a view to having successful post-conflict social, economic and political order. Papers may be written in either Amharic or English, but presentations need to be in a language that most Ethiopians understand. Manuscripts will go through a review process. Position papers from political and civic groups are not required to go through a review process, but the papers must focus on practical or applied/feasible policy options, and the proposal will have to be informed by data, maps and nature of political and economic institutions across the breadth and depth of the country.

Abstracts and papers must reach Visionethiopia2016@gmail.com on or before April 30, 2018.

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Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban

Ethiopia Premier Abiy Ahmed on Friday morning arrived in the city of Gondar in the northern Amhara region. The trip forms part of his nationwide tour that started two weeks ago.

The state-affiliated FANA Broadcasting corporate (FBC) reported that Abiy was received by head of the region, Gedu Andargachew and other top officials of the state.

As part of his itinerary, he is expected to address residents at the Gondar stadium. “Today’s meeting is parts of his plan to send messages of unity to the public across the country,” the FBC report added.

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Addis Standard
@addisstandard
Replying to @addisstandard
#Ethiopia – PM #AbiyAhmed received a warm welcome this morning upon arriving at the historic city of #Gonder in #Amhara regional state, where he is expected to address a public gathering. The premier will also attend this year’s #TanaForum in #BahirDar, the capital.

Abiy since taking over from PM Hailemariam Desalegn on April 2 has embarked on a national tour that has seen him visit Jijiga (Ethio-Somali region), Ambo (Oromia region) and Mekelle (Tigray region). He has shared the message of peace during all his rounds across the country.

Abiy is tasked with undertaking political reforms that were announced in early January by the ruling Ethiopia Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF).

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She also met with Sintayehu Shifaraw, the runner up of the International Bible Quiz before the competition.

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Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban

The United Nations Human Rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein arrives in Ethiopia today for his second official trip in under a year. The visit is on the invitation of the host government, his office confirmed late last week.

He is due to hold talks with the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and also attend a high-level African Union-United Nations dialogue on human rights, as part of his four-days trip.

High Commissioner Zeid last visited Ethiopia in May 2017, when he met the then Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn and other high-ranking Ethiopian officials and civil society members to discuss the human rights situation in the country.

At the time he also visited the UN Human Rights East Africa Regional Office based in Addis Ababa. The Government of Ethiopia earlier this year extended another invitation to Zeid in respect of a follow-up visit.

“During his four-day visit, Zeid is due to meet with the new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed as well as other high-level officials, the Speaker of the House of People’s Representatives and the Chairperson of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, representatives of civil society and Government critics who have recently been released from prison.

“On Tuesday, 24 April, Zeid will deliver opening remarks and participate in the African Union-United Nations High-Level Dialogue on Human Rights, to be held from 8h30 at the AUC Small Conference Hall 2 in Addis Ababa,” an OHCHR statement read.

After the meeting, a joint press briefing by the AU Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat and Zeid be held before Zeid subsequently delivers a lecture at the Addis Ababa University.

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By Belay Zeleke
April 19th 2018

The more the newly non-elected PM speaks the more obvious it is where his ideology and moral compass are aligned. As I said in my previous article this was a head fake by the deep state TPLF, to cynically deceive the people of Ethiopia. All the non-actions of the PM and his empty words are offensive to Ethiopians.

Case#1: To take an example of his callousness, he compared the brutal TPLF government to a child that misbehaves. He went further to draw the metaphor that Ethiopians outside the country should not be like parents that are harshly punishing their child by withholding diner. This was his comparison to the reduction and/or stoppage of remittance campaign that Ethiopians outside the country are successfully waging. All of this was during an address to business people who apparently have complained about the campaign by Ethiopians abroad who are reducing/withholding remittances. Some studies put the remittances close to $4Bln. When compared to the export/import deficit the remittance constitutes a significant source of income for the TPLF regime. If for a moment once closes their eyes and listens to Abiy Ahmed’s words, Hailemariam Desalgn might have well said it. These are empty scripted words. What person in their right mind, who understands the reality of all the children, mothers; fathers that have been killed by this regime make this type of arrogant comparison. It appears as if Abiy Ahmed has a set of words he will use and then quickly reverts back to cadre speak. The cadre speak which includes words like developmental government, centralism, revolutionary democracy. Words that are as meaningless as they are useless.

It makes one wonder whether he was designated by the TPLF instead of the result of the people’s struggle. Did the TPLF truly fight tooth and nail not to have him designated as PM or was all that drama smoke and mirrors. I argue that if he truly broke through the ranks and was a result of the protests, why is he not exercising that power now. If he is a transformational leader why is he not picking cabinet members who are qualified and not reshuffling of the same simpleton cadres. If he had a moral compass why is he not calling to account the killers of Ayantu in Harerge or the Woldiya massacre or the Moyale killings. If he had dignity why would he have minimized the Welqait question to water and development.

Case #2 was during one of his tours in Mekelle where he clearly diminished the Welqait land grab as a question of clean water and development. Then he went on to call the people of Tigray gold. That to me is lip service and if calling one people gold or diamond or sliver makes them feel better about themselves then so be it. The other people of Ethiopia dont need to be flattered by empty compliments, because they have thousands of years of history to tell the tale of their bravery. So once again empty useless words and no action.

Case#3 in Gondar and Bahir Dar the roving PM was called out on his previous comments in case #2. And as with most slippery sliver tounged TPLF cadres he went back on his word and said the context was different. Well thank goodness for Technology and videos we all heard what was asked and how he answered the question. Everything he said about Welqait and the countless many problems caused by the TPLF has been said before. Once again his scripted answers with a sprinkle of patriotism was as empty as the power he doesn’t wield.

My conclusion is the same as it has been from the beginning. If his actions don’t match his words then once again the TPLF are doing all they can to survive and Abiy Ahmed is yet another Hailemariam Desalgn 2.0 or 0HD2.0 just younger. All of his actions are clear indications that the TPLF are still in power and pulling the strings. The fact that he called on the remittance reduction campaign to end, is a message from his TPLF masters who are hurting because their way of life is effected. They don’t have the foreign currency to continue robbing/stealing, torturing, maiming and killing Ethiopians as they please. On the other hand the remittance campaign should see this as a sign of strength and double down on the reduction and embargo of foreign currency from Ethiopians abroad.

I am quite surprised by many writers who are talking about hope, hope, hope. There is always hope in humanity even in the most dire of circumstances. We don’t need hope, what we need is transformational change, what we need is the removal of the TPLF not more words of hope. Action is what we need not sweet sounding lyrics. I refuse to give a chance to someone who has done nothing. The Bible says judge a man by his deeds. His deeds are non-existent but his forked tongue is conniving against the people of Ethiopia. Some say we have to help him because the TPLF hyenas surround him. I say he must listen to his conscience and starts acting like a leader and not a lackey. When will he takes bold steps? When will he do something?

The struggle continues

Belay Zeleke

—-

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By Prof. Al Mariam

Author’s Note: For the past couple of weeks, I have read and heard unjustified and irresponsible criticism of PM Abiy. Many of his critics are Hippos (older generation) like me, who still cling to the faded political ideals of their youth in the 1970s and stubbornly remain sticks-in-the mud.

A few of these old war horses have counselled me to take it easy with my “gung ho support” for PM Abiy. They say I am wasting my hard-earned credibility and taking a big risk with my readers who have followed me for years by my unreserved endorsement of PM Abiy.

The allegations are becoming too familiar. PM Abiy is said to be a “TPLF front man, a puppet”. He is the TPLF’s secret weapon to cling to power. He is just warming the seat and buying time for the TPLF until they can come back stronger, meaner and leaner. One person even used the word the phrase “TPLF comprador” (agent of exploitation) to describe him, a word I had not heard in decades. They say he is a silver-tongued imposter.

When I ask for the evidence to support these assertions, none is forthcoming. I am told categorically, “You just don’t know how cunning and clever the woyanes are. They are evil.”

My views on the TPLF are well known, but with the positive and uplifting messages of PM Abiy and Obbo Lemma Megerssa, I have changed my mind even about the TPLF. We are all capable of good and evil. Dr. Martin Luther King rightly noted, “There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.”

The “sins” of PM Abiy are all “guilt by association”. The fact that he served in a military and civilian capacity in the regime consigns him to eternal damnation for political service. That his cabinet includes current regime members is flagged as fatal sign of his doomed failure.

He is challenged with a moving goal post. He should lift the state of emergency, but if he does that would be nothing more than symbolic window dressing. When he talks about the next election to be free, fair and competitive, a cloud of distrust is cast upon him as a trick. When he speaks with eloquence about the future, he is accused of not walking the talk even as he is taking baby steps in the first few weeks of his adminstration.

He is put in a no-win predicament. He is damned if he does and damned if he does not.

But what is his individual culpability for any wrong doing? What has he done wrong in his official capacity in the regime?

Are there not many in the opposition today who have worked closely with the regime or benefitted significantly from their association? Should they be disqualified too? How many holier-than-thous are there prepared to throw the first stone at PM Abiy?

The fact of the matter is that “politics makes strange bedfellows”. Mandela had to work with deKlerk to usher in democracy in South Africa.

I realize that PM Abiy is not going to make everybody happy or meet everyone’s expectations. He is the accidental prime minister, in my view. He is just a young man — one of the best and brightest Ethiopia has produced — thrust into a historic role by historic forces. No doubt, he will fail and fall short on many things, like any other human being. Mandela said, “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. You may succeed in delaying, but never in preventing the transition of South Africa to a democracy.”

I believe PM Abiy will fall many times and rise every time and transition Ethiopia to a democracy.

But how should we deal with him?

With condemnation and criticism for every mistake he makes or understanding, compassion and instruction?

Do we hold him accountable to a standard of divine perfection?

Or do we give him all the chances he needs to succeed and triumph in our cause.

There is no question that PM Abiy has wide support, particularly among the younger generation which represents 75 percent of the population. His town hall meetings have been resounding successes.

PM Abiy and Lemma Megerssa have awakened and unleashed the deeply repressed sense of Ethiopiawinet that is in our DNA.  PM Abiy and Lemma say we rise together or fall together. Our destinies are intertwined. No one will be left behind. That is all Ethiopiawinet is about!

In this “Memorandum”, I remind and plead with my fellow Hippos who are taking an increasingly negative attitude towards PM Abiy Ahmed to turn their cynicism, pessimism, defeatism and negativism into positive activism; to turn their alarmism and egocentrism into altruism and volunteerism; to turn their antagonism and jingoism into true patriotism; to turn their dogmatism, emotionalism and subjectivism into intellectualism, progressivism and rationalism and to turn their factionalism and ethnic federalism into Ethiopiawinet humanitarianism, idealism and pragmatism.

The task at hand is how to move Ethiopia forward and stay ahead of the curve. We need to move in one direction for a common purpose, walk on the road to freedom, democracy and human rights.

Just so I am not misunderstood. I do not think PM Abiy is the “savior” of Ethiopia or some messianic figure. He is just a young man. Many of us have sons his age. Like any young person he has a lot to learn. I dare say that there are many of us in our golden years who have a whole lot to learn, especially about truth and reconciliation.

The obvious point is that we do not live in a perfect world. That is why we should engage in creative thinking, not carping criticism, and come up with innovative solutions.

With PM Abiy, Ethiopia is moving in the right direction and is on the right track as the preliminary evidence shows. We should line up behind PM Abiy and keep on pushing to make sure Ethiopia remains on the right track and moves even faster. I see PM Abiy as a good- hearted, well-intentioned and passionate young leader with a demonstrated ability to mobilize Ethiopia’s youth and get the country moving forward with peace, unity and reconciliation.

To my superannuated (old) brother and sister Hippos, I want to tell them the freedom train has left the station but they can still catch up at the next station if they wish.

In my youth, there was a song I liked very much. It was called “elem ale baburu, wetat yizo bemulu, (“the express train has left the station filled with young people)”.

All Hippos aboard! Choo, choo… Abiy Ahmed is at the controls!

Before I get to my main topic, I would like to comment on a couple of newsworthy items from last week.

The healing power of “I am sorry…”: A teachable moment for the young PM and us

My respect for PM Abiy increased exponentially when I learned that he had apologizedfor being misunderstood for a remark he had made in response to a question which had caused considerable dismay among some Ethiopians.

Last week, social media was abuzz with allegations that that the PM showed great disrespect by describing the long contentious issue of Wolkait as a simple problem of “development” involving the building of infrastructure and services.

In an amazing and unprecedented break with (a bad) tradition of Ethiopian leaders, PM Abiy came out and not only apologized but also explained the context of his answers. He subsequently met with the leadership of the Welkait Amhara Identity Committee and dozens of community leaders who gave him an earful. He was humbled by the outpouring of deep passions about the issue and learned much from the experience.

In a poignant moment at the town hall meeting, PM Abiy said he was told not to go to Gonder because the people there were so disappointed in him for what he said about Wolkait. But he decided to go to Gonder because he believed that if he had made a mistake the people of Gonder would give him a little qunticha (the mild equivalent of being taken to the woodshed) and teach him. In other words, what he meant was that he is young and can make mistakes or be misunderstood. But he is the son of the people of Gonder. If he has done or said something wrong, they will treat him like their own and straighten him out.

Such humility from a national leader of any country is unheard of. A leader who humbly accepts responsibility for his actions needs high commendation not condemnation. That is why I say we should give PM Abiy constructive and positive criticism. He will accept it, learn from it and grow through the experience to become a more dynamic and effective leader.

I know of no situation in which an Ethiopian leader ever apologized for official acts and agreed to work with those aggrieved to resolve problems.

I knew PM Abiy was a rare bird, a special guy, when I heard him apologize in his inaugural speech for the numerous deaths and injuries inflicted on civilian peaceful protesters by security forces. That meant a lot to me because extrajudicial killings of innocent Ethiopians were the reasons that impelled me to join the human rights struggle in the first place.

A leader who has the courage and integrity to apologize is a humble leader; a leader who is open-minded and open-hearted and a leader who has self-confidence. Such a leader affirms to us power is to be used only in the service of the people. He tells us, “I am human and make mistakes like everybody else. There is nothing special about me except that I have the blessing (burden) of being the people’s servant.”

PM Abiy is teaching by example about the healing value of atonement and reconciliation with the people.

In my June 2010 commentary, I wrote about the power of atonement to reconnect leaders with the people. Those in power and in the opposition must learn to say to the Ethiopian people, “We messed up. We are sorry. We will learn from our mistakes and never repeat it.” Unfortunately, many of us do something wrong and fall into the trap of insisting wrong is right.

The power to apologize is the power to ask forgiveness and to forgive. A sincere apology is magical. It dissolves anger and hate. It promotes love, understanding and reconciliation.

Gandhi said, “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”

I would add, “The weak can never apologize. Apology is the attribute of the strong.”

PM Abiy taught me a great lesson because, in as much as I hate to admit it, I have a big apology deficit myself. But I am working on it.

It’s never too old to learn from the younger generation. I am just speaking truth to myself!

I salute PM Abiy for his good nature, graciousness, humility and empathy for those who felt wounded by his words. Words have the power to heal and to destroy. PM Abiy used his heartfelt words to heal many people whose hearts were broken by words he said that were misunderstood out of context.

Trying to make Ethiopian hero Eskinder Nega a wedge issue?

The Good Book says, “For they cannot rest until they do evil; they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.” In other words, evil never sleeps.

A couple of days ago, it was reported that Ethiopian patriot and hero and internationally celebrated journalist Eskinder Nega was prevented from flying to the Netherlands to attend the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Amnesty International. “His passport was confiscated at immigration check in Bole Airport and informed of his [travel] ban.”

As they confiscated his passport, Eskinder told the immigration officials to check with higher authorities because he did not want unnecessary criticism to be directed at PM Abiy’s administration. He was told the order to take away his passport came from the “highest authorities”. Fortunately, within hours, it was reported he is free to go.

Eskinder was released from prison in February 2018 and re-arrested with other recently-released political prisoners late last month for displaying the traditional Ethiopian flag at an event in a private home.

When I first heard the news that the “highest authorities” had ordered his travel ban, the obvious question that came to mind was, “Why would PM Abiy prevent Eskinder from leaving the country to attend a human rights celebration event?” After all, he released him from jail barely two weeks ago.

A fleeting thought crossed my mind. Will Ethiopia once again be the “skunk of the world” by preventing Eskinder from leaving to be a guest of honor at Amnesty International’s Golden Jubilee?

PM Abiy has no quarrel with Eskinder Nega. PM Abiy’s predecessor said Eskinder and so many others were indeed “political prisoners”.

Of course, it did not take me long to figure it out.

I knew exactly what game was being played and by whom. I have seen it played previously.

In May 2016, “they” pulled the same trick on the Zone 9 bloggers.

They took the passports of Zelalem Kibret and 5 other members of Zone 9 Bloggers at the airport. Zelalem was expected to attend Obama’s “Young African Leaders Initiative” in June 2016.

At the time, the Minister of Communication Getachew Redda explained, “the action could have been taken by “judges and immigration officials (who) could zealously overstep their bounds. They could even make mistakes that would take months or years to correct.”

Is that what happened with Eskinder? An action by a judge or zealous immigration official?

We know that game. A few reactionary individuals in power who despise Eskinder and seek to embarrass PM Abiy had their own hidden agenda.

With the simple act of denying exit to Eskinder, they intended to:

embarrass and undermine the legitimacy and prestige of PM Abiy.

drive a wedge between PM Abiy and Diaspora Ethiopians.

humiliate the great Eskinder Nega in his moment of glory.

send a message that “they” are still in power and can do whatever they want.

provoke and distract Diaspora Ethiopians into recriminations.

take us back to the Dark Side.

But we won’t go the Dark Side because the Force is with us!

Ethiopians at home and in the Diaspora are not playing that old, tired game.

For years, I have warned and written about the teachable moments about the games played by those in power in Ethiopia on the Ethiopian Diaspora just to get them to react reflexively, emotionally and angrily. Back in the day, they played us like a cheap country fiddle. They would intentionally say something outrageous to create a distraction and the Ethiopian Diaspora would be bent out of shape reacting to them until they change the subject and start the whole thing again.

Now, they should know that the jig is up. Game over.

We’re moving on to rebuild the new Ethiopia with love, truth and reconciliation.

I have a simple message for them.

Know ye who do such evil that your time has passed. The era of darkness is gone and the age of civility, understanding and reconciliation is here. Your game will ultimately prove to be clapping with one hand in the wilderness. You can spend sleepless nights manufacturing tricks to create conflict and strife between people. But we have moved on. We are inoculated against your virus by a medicine called ETHIOPIAWINET. Try as you like, you will not succeed in dividing and ruling us. NEVER AGAIN!

Speaking about my brother Eskinder and…

In his inaugural speech, PM Abiy said, “Ethiopians living abroad and Ethiopians living here, we need to forgive each other from the bottom of our hearts.” He said he would welcome us all “with open arms” to bring their knowledge, resources and experiences and help develop the country.

I appreciate his welcoming statements wholeheartedly.

My dream is that before PM Abiy embraces with open arms any Diaspora Ethiopians, I would like to see him embrace Ethiopia’s heroic native sons and daughters who stayed behind and fought the good fight, did the time even though they did not do the crime and tell them to their faces:

“Ethiopians living here in Ethiopia, we need to forgive each other from the bottom of our hearts.”

I would love to be a fly on the wall watching the faces of Eskinder Nega, Andualem Aragie, Prof. Bekele Gerba, Woubshe Taye, Prof. Merara Gudina, Abebe Qesto, Olbana Lelisa, Emawayish Alemu, Zelalem Workagegnehu, Mahlet Fantahun, Zone 9 bloggers, Ahmedin Jebel, Nigist Yirga, Emawayish Alemu, Abubakar Ahmed, Okello Akway Ochalla, Col. Demeke Zewdu, Dr. Fikru Maru, Natnael Mekonnen, Mamushet Amare… as they hear the words, “Ethiopians living here in Ethiopia, we need to forgive each other from the bottom of our hearts.”

What a precious moment that would be!

My readers know my respect and admiration for all the young people who stayed home and fought the good fight. A month before the Nazi blitzkrieg of Britain, Winston Churchill praised the outgunned British pilots: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”

Never in the history of the struggle for human rights in Ethiopia was so much owed by so many to so few.

Reconciling with these heroes who suffered so much for simply standing for democracy, freedom and human rights is the ultimate test of the earnest beginning of truth and reconciliation in Ethiopia.

I do not doubt it will happen. Just a matter of time.

Speaking truth to good leaders who listen

I pride myself in speaking truth to power. That slogan adorns my website. “Defend human rights. Speak truth to power.”

When I first started preaching on Ethiopian human rights back in April 2006, I borrowed Gandhi’s words to make my motto: “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”

For the past 13 years, I have been speaking and preaching truth to power who have turned a deaf ear, blind eyes and laughing at me.

Of course, my weekly “sermons” in truth to power were personal acts of civil disobedience in the classic Gandhian sense.

Gandhi taught about a “truth force” which confronts tyranny through non­violence, passive civil resistance, noncooperation with oppressors and mass protest the State. Gandhi’s “truth force” seeks to convince oppressors that the hate in their hearts and minds will destroy them and their only salvation is love of self, community and nation.

I guess I could say I have been speaking truth to power in Ethiopia from the beginning quietly. But I held my peace until 2006.

In a June 10, 1991 op-ed piece in Ethiopian Review, the premier monthly magazine on Ethiopia at the time, I offered an analysis of the end of the Derg era and concluded with a prophetic observation that all sides should not miss the opportunity to open a new chapter of peace and prosperity in Ethiopia or they will risk plunging that desperate nation into misery through wrong choices and miscalculations.

In my July 1, 1991 op-ed piece, I analyzed the challenges the “EPRDF” faced after seizing power and urged inclusiveness, authenticity and unity. I warned that without genuine democracy the choice will be hello to arms and a farewell to Ethiopia.

Those words have proved to be prophetic and came alive in April 2018 in the words of the amazing “speaker of truth to power” Aba Geda Beyene Senbeto who declared publicly the unvarnished truth:

Let me tell you something. Lately there was this thing about selecting the prime minister. The transition to the Prime Minister had not happened, let me speak the truth, let the whole country hear it, this country would have been in a whole lot of hurt. God is my witness. Everybody was ready with their sharp knives. They were all saying, ‘We’ll see what will happen?’ But God protects Ethiopia. And the government bodies did the right thing and were saved from deep anxiety [about ominous things]. If that had not happened, you think a thousand command post soldiers can suppress one hundred million people? No, they can’t…

Aba Geda Beyene is right. God protects Ethiopia. We dodge the bullet and the knife this time.

Some 8 years ago, I wrote a series in the Huffington Post under the title “Speaking Truth to…”.

In the series, I spoke truth to strangers (international donors and loaners), the truth seekers (Ethiopian intellectuals) and on behalf of Ethiopia’s youth  and Ethiopian women. I even spoke truth to those who talk trash. I have also spoken truth to the powerless.

Let’s challenge PM Abiy: Let’s Give him the Ethiopian Diaspora Agenda(s)

In his inaugural speech PM Abiy said, “For those of you who want to bring your knowledge and experiences and return to our country and develop your country, we will welcome you with open arms.”

In November 2017, Lemma Megerssa similarly urged, “To be educated and to be in service of country does not mean just to produce academic research papers. It also means to save your country, to contribute by finding ways of saving our country, coming up with creative ideas, to spread such ideas around. That is something expected more from our intellectuals than anyone else. That is what I think.”

Both PM Abiy and Lemma are challenging us.

I take their message personally. They are saying to me, “Put up or shut up!”

That’s is why I quickly accepted the challenge in November and now. I am going to put up.

My Diaspora agenda which I hope others share

The Ethiopian Diaspora is not monolithic. It does not march to the beat of a single drummer. It is richly diverse. I hope a diverse agenda reflecting the range of concerns and interest will be presented to PM Abiy.

My agenda of youth issues and human rights is well-known as I preach it every week.

I have long believed the problem of 21st century Ethiopia is quintessentially the problem of Ethiopia’s youth. I have written about it extensively with extreme concern. I have also argued and advocated improvements in human rights in Ethiopia.

I am sure there are many in the Diaspora who share my concerns about the youth and human rights. So, I say, let us draft at least one version of the “Ethiopian Diaspora Youth and Human Rights Agenda” and send it to PM Abiy.

The situation with our youth is frightening.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in about three decades Ethiopia’s population will more than triple to 278 million, placing it in the top 10 most populous countries in the world.

Ethiopia’s population growth has been spiraling upwards for decades. In 1967, the population was 23.5 million. It increased to 51 million in 1990; and by 2003, it had reached 68 million. In 2008, that number increased to 80 million. In 2013, Ethiopia’s population was estimated to be over 94 million. Today, an estimated 70 percent of Ethiopia’s population is under 35 years old (66 million). Since 1995, the average annual rate of population growth has remained at over 3 percent.

As of 2014, “45 percent of the Ethiopian population is under age 15 and 71 percent under age 30.” In 2018, it is not unreasonable to estimate that cohort in the population exceeds 75 percent.

Various studies have documented the plight of Ethiopian youth. According to a 2012 USAID study, “Ethiopia has one of the highest urban youth unemployment rates at 50 percent and there is a high rate of youth under­employment in rural areas, where nearly 85 percent of the population resides.”  Another 2012 study of youth unemployment by the International Growth Center reported that the Growth and Transformation Plan for 2010-2015 does not directly address the issue of youth unemployment…”

In 2012, Ethiopia had the world’s third-largest out-of-school population.

There is a substantial segment of the Ethiopian youth population that is not only unemployed but also unemployable because they lack basic skills. Youth access to public sector jobs requiring training and skills depends not so much on merit or competition but political and social connections and party membership. Every young person in Ethiopia knows that a card verifying membership in the ruling party is more important than an honestly earned university diploma. Moreover, rural youth landlessness has contributed significantly to the chaotic and ever-increasing pattern of youth urban migration, joblessness and hopelessness.

In October 2017, President Mulatu Teshome said, there has been an “investment of US$400 million in a revolving fund to be made available to budding young entrepreneurs and is building industrial parks to employ the hundreds of thousands of fresh graduates annually and other “assistance given to the private sector to help ease youth employment.”

Manifestly, the investment has not paid off because the youth rose up in resolute civil disobedience and we are where we are now.

In 2004, the ruling regime in Ethiopia issued its “National Youth Policy” and asserted that “44% of the population is below the absolute poverty line. Under this situation of poverty, the youth is the hardest hit segment of society”. Indeed, that policy proved to be a blueprint for the recruitment of youth to become supporters of the regime and the ruling party.

Beginning in 2006, I have tried to organize Ethiopian lawyers and set up a legal defense fund, without much success.

In 2011, I called for and volunteered to help in the establishment of an informal public policy “think tank”.

I have made numerous public requests for such an effort over the years to no avail. I have even offered the idea to established “opposition” groups who turned deaf ears.

I have attempted a variety of collaborative efforts, but I have found no serious takers. It would take too long to list the reasons why my efforts have failed. Suffice it to say that making a long-term commitment and making the human rights struggle as part of one’s personal life may not be the right choice for everyone.

There are many things that can be done to improve human rights in Ethiopia. Developing a comprehensive Diaspora human rights agenda should not pose any extraordinary challenges.

What should be the rules of engagement with PM Abiy moving forward?

How should Diaspora Ethiopians deal with PM Abiy going forward? How should he deal with us?

I wrote about certain “rules of engagement” in June 2010, which I believe are relevant in the present circumstances.

I believe we can develop and sustain a productive and respectful relationship if we agree on a few basic rules of engagement:

Let us learn to use evidence-based thinking and unlearn speculation-based thinking

In my observations, many people who raise concerns and hold a negative attitude towards PM Abiy tend to rely on speculation-based thinking. They criticize without much evidence. They make inferences on factoids (unfounded assumption and speculations that are repeated so often they become accepted as fact) instead of a body of evidence and systematic research. They seem unwilling to reexamine their assumptions and avoid seeking out new information that contradicts their biases. They tend to like formulaic thinking and have a mindset in which they believe there is one way of doing things.

As the old saying goes, “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.”

We should base our views and opinions on facts gathered from diverse sources and critically evaluate them. We should be aware of our biases. We should be willing to maintain an open mind and be willing to receive information inconsistent with our long-held views and assumptions.

Let us be the change we want to see in the world

The old saying is that when we point an index finger at someone, three fingers are pointing at us. But change begins with the person. George Bernard Shaw said, “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”

Many of us want to change the world but not ourselves. Sadly, we are often not aware of the manifest contradiction.

We must change the way we think before we can change the world.

Gandhi taught, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.” But that change comes from the mind and the heart. He said, “Your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your values. Your values become your destiny.”

I don’t aim to preach or pretend to be a motivational speaker. But it is the obvious that most of us forget.

Learn from past mistakes: In my view learning from mistakes is the second part of the problem. The first part is simply recognizing we have made mistakes. Those in power in Ethiopia and their opposition have a problem acknowledging mistakes. I am not sure why is difficult for many of us to admit mistakes. But making mistakes necessitates apologizing, a topic I have addressed above extensively.

Let us develop Diaspora agendas in support of issues and causes special to us: In my view, the core issues democracy, freedom, human rights, the rule of law and the unity of the people and the physical integrity of the Ethiopian nation. We should be able to build collective agenda to advance and support these issues.

Let us agree to disagree without being disagreeable: PM Abiy will never be able to make everyone happy at all times. He will make mistakes. He may disagree with Diasporans on some things. But we must abandon the destructive principle, “If you do not agree with me 100 percent, you are my enemy.” There is nothing wrong with reasonable minds disagreeing. Dissent and disagreement are essential conditions of democracy.

Let us always act in good faith: Those in power and opposition leaders must always strive to act in good faith and be forthright and direct in their personal and organizational relationships. We must mean what we say and say what we mean. That is how PM Abiy does his business. Games of one-upmanship will keep us all stranded on an island of irrelevance. Let us not assume bad faith without proof. Let us “Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity.”

Let us think generationally; act presently: The struggle is not about who is in power. The struggle is about establishing democracy, protecting human rights and institutionalizing accountability and the rule of law in Ethiopia. It is not about us. It is about the younger generation and future generations to come.

Let us give young people a chance to lead: We Hippos (over 55) in power and out of power need to learn to get out of the way. Let’s give the younger generation a chance to lead. After all, it is their future. We can be most useful if we help them learn from our mistakes and guide them to greater heights. If there is one thing universally true about young people, it is that they love freedom more than anything else. Let Hippos be water carriers for Cheetahs.

Let us think like winners, not victims: Victory is not what it seems for the victors, and defeat is not what it feels for the vanquished. There is defeat in victory and victory in defeat. Both victory and defeat are first and foremost states of mind. Winners think and act as winners, likewise for losers. Let us not indulge in victimology, self pity and useless griping.

Let us never give up: Sir Winston Churchill was right when he said: “Never give in—never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”

Dreams of an Ethiopia at peace with itself   

I am inspired by dreams. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream of an America at peace with itself and the world. Nelson Mandela said, “I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself.”  I, too, have a dream of an Ethiopia at peace.

Let us all move forward with Positive Vibration

We have a new day. We have a new day to rebuild and reinvent Ethiopia. Let us hold hands and sing the great Bob Marley’s song, “Positive vibration. Make way for a positive day”.

Positive Vibration!

Live if you want to live
(Rastaman vibration, yeah, positive)
That’s what we got to give
(I’n’I vibration yeah, positive)
Got to have a good vibe
(Iyaman Iration, yeah, Irie ites)
Wo-wo-ooh
(Positive vibration, yeah, positive)
If you get down and you quarrel everyday
You’re saying prayers to the devils, I say, wooh
Why not help one another on the way?
Make it much easier (just a little bit easier)
Say you just can’t live that negative way
If you know what I mean
Make way for the positive day
‘Cause it’s news (new day) news and days
New time (new time), and if it’s a new feelin’ (new feelin’), yeah
Said it’s a new sign (new sign)
Oh, what a new day
Pickin’ up?
Are you pickin’ up now?
Jah love, Jah love (protect us)
Jah love, Jah love (protect us)
Jah…

EthUTOPIAwinet today,

EthUTOPIAwinet tomorrow,

EthUTOPIAwinet forever

Professor Alemayehu G. Mariam teaches political science at California State University, San Bernardino. His teaching areas include American constitutional law, civil rights law, judicial process, American and California state governments, and African politics. He has published two volumes on American constitutional law, including American Constitutional Law: Structures and Process (1994) and American Constitutional Law: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights (1998). He is the Senior Editor of the International Journal of Ethiopian Studies, a leading scholarly journal on Ethiopia. For the last several years, Prof. Mariam has written weekly web commentaries on Ethiopian human rights and African issues that are widely read online. He blogged on the Huffington post at  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alemayehu-g-mariam/ and later on open.salon until that blogsite shut down in March 2015.

The post Memorandum No. 2- How to Speak Truth to Good Leaders Who Listen appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News|Breaking News: Your right to know!.

Israel’s Justice minister vows to help Ethiopia’s Jews immigrate to Israel as soon as possible during a rare visit to Ethiopia.

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Israel’s Justice minister vowed to help Ethiopia’s Jews immigrate to Israel as soon as possible during a rare visit to Ethiopia.

Ayelet Shaked visited the synagogue in Addis Ababa on Sunday.

“These programs that will eventually reunite Ethiopian Jews with their families in Israel are not generally easy,” said Shaked to the group gathered in the synagogue.

“But I will try everything within my power to work with relevant offices to make this happen in the shortest time possible,” she said.

Shaked, on what is reported to be her first official visit to Africa, said she came to find out more about the situation of Ethiopia’s estimated 8,000 remaining Jews.

Members of the Ethiopian Jews who attended the meeting told her that they want to move to Israel, where many family members moved years ago. They said they want “aliya,” the Hebrew term for the immigration of Jews in other parts of the world to Israel.

“We know aliyah for Jews that are descendants in other countries happened so swiftly that sometimes even their dogs were also included as they moved to Israel. Are we less important than these dogs?” asked Meles Sidisto, the community head of Ethiopia’s Jews in Addis Ababa.

In an emotional speech, Sidisto reaffirmed that members of Ethiopia’s Jewish population plan to stage a mass hunger strike should Israel fail to reunite them with their families soon.

“We are unhappy here. We have had enough here. If our situation is not resolved in a very short time, we will hold a momentous mass hunger strike that will help us present our voice to Israel and the world,” he said.

The Ethiopian Jews met with Shaked in the small hall decorated with Israeli flags and scriptures. Some said they have been separated for decades from close family members who moved to Israel.

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Tigabu Worku, one of the synagogue’s most active members, read a letter to Shaked in which he complained that he has been separated from his family for years.

“I have been torn from my younger sisters Leah and Sarah for 18 years,” said Tigabu. “Eighteen years I have missed them. Eighteen years I have waited to see their faces that I no longer remember.”

Ethiopia’s Falashmuras are believed to be descendants of one of the Ten Lost Tribes of ancient Israel. Ethiopia’s Jewish people mainly live in the Amhara and Tigray provinces.

Thousands of Falashmuras moved to Israel following the Law of Return in April 1975 and most of those who remain in Ethiopia have been separated for well over a decards from family members who moved to Israel.

About 140,000 Ethiopian Jews live in Israel today, a small minority in a country of over 8 million. Their assimilation hasn’t been smooth, with many arriving without a modern education and then falling into unemployment and poverty.

Although many of those remaining in Ethiopia are practicing Jews, Israel doesn’t consider them Jewish, meaning they are not automatically eligible to immigrate under its “law of return,” which grants automatic citizenship to anyone with at least one Jewish grandparent. Instead, the government must OK their arrival.

Ethiopian community members have been permitted to immigrate over the last two decades in limited bursts that have left hundreds of families torn apart.

The Israeli government did not approve the funding for the movement of the Ethiopians in its new budget but said a special ministerial committee would to discuss the issue. A date for that meeting had not been announced.

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Abiy’s Ethiopia: Education, Youth unemployment and Political Participation – Pt 1 – SBS Amharic

The post Abiy’s Ethiopia: Education, Youth unemployment and Political Participation – Pt 1 – SBS Amharic appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News|Breaking News: Your right to know!.