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Commander Assefa Seifu’s exclusive interview with Wendimagegn Gashu (ESAT)- . 17 May 2019

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Teshome M. Borago | Zehabesha-Satenaw Columnist

Somali state government advisor accused the Ethiopian embassy in London of using “colonial tactics” to divide Somali diaspora by clan.
Mohammed Olad, the new communications advisor for Somali President Mustafa Omer, condemned the embassy’s recent meeting with members of the Gadabursi Somali clan in London as a plot “bitting Somalis against each other.”
The Ethiopian embassy in UK faced similar criticism from other Somali nationalists on social media who accused the embassy of “an immoral act” by discussing with Somali sub-clans like Gadabuursi, separately.

Wardi Abdulatif, another supporter of the current Somali President Mustefa said the embassy should use the phrase “Somali region diaspora” instead of mentioning different clan or sub-clan names of the diaspora.

However, members of the Dir clan Gadabursi sub-clan and other non-Darood Somali clans praised the Ethiopian embassy for holding dialogue with exiled Somali-Ethiopians in London and beyond. Hasan Ahmed, a resident of Jigjiga, said other clans do not need the permission of Darood clan to meet with their ambassadors. Other Somalis ridiculed the alleged hypocrisy of accusing the Gadabursi clan for organizing, while the Ogaden clan has  organized under the ONLF and used the label “Ogadenia” for over 30 years.

Meanwhile, Ethiopians on social media criticized the “double standard” of Somali nationalists who support dividing Ethiopia by ethnic identity but oppose when Somalis are labeled by their sub-clan identity.

“Finally you can feel the pain of Ethiopian nationalists when you divide us by ethnicity, just like you accuse the embassy of dividing you by clan,” posted one resident of Adama in Oromia.

Critics say these controversial debates illustrate the “hypocrisy” of the current identity based federalism in Ethiopia, because ethnic nationalists are openly denying the “group rights” of clans and sub-clans (ex. Somalis), or dialects (ex. Meskan of Gurage),  indigenous minority (ex. Qimant, Harari ) as well as by religion (Wolega) and by region (Welkait, Wollo etc). Ethnic nationalists have also recently opposed the group rights of mixed urban Ethiopians living in cities like Addis Ababa, Hawassa and Nazret who want to separate from larger ethnic blocs like Oromia and Sidama.

All these identity based disputes combined with dangerous nativism and violent land disputes nationwide, have virtually overwhelmed the current system of ethnic federalism in Ethiopia. Since 2018, International rights groups have ranked Ethiopia as the worst ethnic based humanitarian crisis in the world under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Some diaspora members of the Gadabursi clan have already demanded that Somali President Mustafa apologize for the “reckless” comments of his advisor on social media this week. This friction between Somali clans resembles historical disputes between Oromo clans like Arsi, Shewa, Walaga and others, including among splinter factions of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) who sued each other in American courts. Since the arrival of the OLF rebels in Ethiopia, various wings of the group have split from the leadership of Dawud Ibsa, causing multiple bank robberies in western Oromia. Even Oromo Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has publicly admitted this division by acknowledging that he fears for his safety if he travels to western Oromia.

Meanwhile, supporters of the largest Ethiopian opposition party of Dr. Berhanu Nega say non-identity based true federalism is the solution to end the current tribal competition and conflicts nationwide. They attribute the lack of respect for the individual rights of the citizen and the dangerous institutionalization of identity politics as the fundamental cause of the crisis in Ethiopia.

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BBC

In October last year, three research scientists from the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa travelled to a village called Gonji in the country’s Amhara region to investigate intestinal worms and the eye disease trachoma at a local school.

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Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed has hosted a lavish fundraising dinner as part of a drive to secure $1bn (£750m) for infrastructure projects in the capital.

The dinner, dubbed “the most expensive in the country”, saw 200 business people and representatives gather in Addis Ababa.

Guests paid $173,000 (£136,000) to dine at the former emperor Menelik’s palace.

Since coming to power last year, Mr Abiy has pushed for wide-scale economic reform in Ethiopia.

The glitzy event was held to help pay for the regeneration of an area in the capital, Addis Ababa.

Beautifying Sheger, as the project is called, involves cleaning the rivers and building recreational parks in the capital.

Image copyrightETHIOPIA PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE

Who was there?

Some 200 business people and representatives from different organisations attended the dinner, held in the lavish palace of a former emperor.

Guests began arriving at 15:00 local time (10:00 GMT) and were given a tour of the palace, according to some of the attendees who spoke to the BBC.

After the tour, they attended a cocktail reception and were personally greeted by Mr Abiy.

“I was happy to take pictures with him [Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed] and to talk to him like a normal friend. Not just me, but everybody else [got to experience that],” one guest, Ali Hussen, said.

He felt proud to be able to help his city:

“I don’t know how much money they collected [from the dinner]. But I am ready to pay again and again to finish the project”, Mr Hussen said.

‘Traditional food’

The guests described the food as traditional.

“There was raw meat. And I appreciate the way they prepared it. There was Tej (honey wine), coffee, very special coffee,” Mr Hussen said.

Businesswoman Solome Tadesse said Mr Abiy was making the rounds to the tables, encouraging people to eat. According to her, the prime minister did not sit in a special place but sat among the guests and ate and drank with them.

“We were satisfied by a lot of things, not just the dinner. I came out with hope,” Ms Tadesse said.

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Eritrea stands in solidarity with the Sudanese people was the crust of a message transmitted by a delegation that was sent on Sunday by President Isaias Afwerki to Khartoum.

“President Isaias’ message further stressed Eritrea’s confidence in the ability of the Sudanese people to find solutions to their own issues. The President of the TMC, General Alburhan, welcomed Eritrea’s initiative and briefed the delegation on developments in the country.

“Both sides affirmed their readiness to put Eritrean Sudanese relations back on track. Eritrea’s delegation is on a two-day visit to the Sudan,” the information Minister said in tweets on Sunday.

Foreign Minister Osman Saleh and Presidential Adviser Yemane Ghebreab met the leader of Sudan’s Transitional Military Council, TMC, General Abdulfetah AlBurhan, for talks on Sunday. The same day talks resumed between the generals and the protest leaders – Forces for the Declaration of Freedom and Change, FDFC.

As at Monday, they also held a meeting with the second in command of the military junta and leader of the Rapid Support Forces, General Mohamed Hamdan Hamedti.

Eritrea is the second neighbour to send a delegation to Khartoum since Bashir was deposed. Ethiopia PM days after Bashir’s ouster issued a statement stressing that Ethiopia stood with the resilient Sudanese protesters.

Abiy’s deputy has visited Khartoum as has the Foreign Affairs chief earlier this month. South Sudan president Salva Kiir also recently expressed support for the protesters tasking meddlers to stay off the affairs of sovereign Sudan.

Eritrea diplomacy hits top gear: Delegation visits Mogadishu, Cairo, Riyadh

View image on Twitter

Yemane G. Meskel@hawelti

Eritrea’s delegation visiting the Sudan met with Deputy President of TMC, Mohamed Hamdan D. Hameidti. General Hameidti stated that current visit of the delegation signifies the end of a chapter and the beginning of a promising one in bilateral ties between Eritrea & the Sudan

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May 16: British ambassador urges resumption of talks

Irfan Siddiq, the British ambassador in Sudan has asked the military junta to quickly resume talks with protest leaders. He said the parties risked losing progress made in the transition talks with the situation.

He tweeted details of a meeting with the Abdul Fattah Burhan-led Transitional Military Council, TMC, that deposed Omar al-Bashir on April 11.

His full statement is as follows:

Met with TMC today for their explanation of the suspension of talks. TMC claim environment not conducive given escalation: expansion of roadblocks, blocking of railway line, worsening security and hostile statements from FFC.

Urged TMC to resume talks asap. Progress made was significant and it seemed strange to suspend at this point and risk losing all gains made. Delay also creates a vacuum that could lead to further instability. Rollback of roadblocks had begun, should continue and was welcome.

Also stressed absolute need to avoid further violence. No amount of provocation justifies shooting protestors. Pressed for results of investigation into recent killings and injuries ASAP.

“Protesters caution military junta over suspension of talks”: https://www.africanews.com/2019/05/16/sudan-protesters-warn-confused-junta-over-suspension-of-talks/

May 13: Special forces disperse protesters in northern Khartoum

Special forces believed to be from Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces have dispersed protesters in the capital on Monday, media reports have shown.

The forces dispersed protests and removed road blocks in parts of the city’s north. Tear gas was used in the process, the reports further added. Incidentally, the action comes on the day talks resumed over transition.

The military junta that deposed Omar al-Bashir remain deadlocked with protest leaders calling for a transfer of power to a civilian-led transition team.

A sit-in outside the army headquarters in Khartoum, however, continues with roadblocks being regularly reinforced. Protesters are spending the Ramadan in the streets where they spend the entire day – observing the fast.

May 7: UN, AU support civilian-led transition

The African Union and the United Nations say they are supporting a civilian-led transitional government in Sudan following last month’s overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir.

AU Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat told reporters after meeting Monday with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres there is no question of sustaining the military council that assumed power after al-Bashir’s ouster, saying “it is not acceptable.”

But he said military members could be part of a civilian government.

Protesters have called for a swift transition to civilian rule, and the AU initially gave the military 15 days to hand over power but extended the deadline to 60 days. Mahamat said talks are underway.

The U.N.-AU communique welcomes and supports “AU-led efforts to facilitate a consensual and civilian-led transition, in close coordination with the U.N.”

AP

May 3: Military rejects civilian majority in joint council

A protester was killed in Sudan’s Darfur region after security forces shot at a group of protesters on Saturday. Media reports said nine people were shot and injured at a sit-in with hospital authorities in the town of Nyala, confirming the casualty.

Reports on Saturday said the military had tried to break the sit-in leading to the clashes and the subsequent incident. The sit-in is part of the nationwide action by protest leaders to push for a handover of power to civilians.

Around 5,000 protesters marched peacefully from the Atash camp for the displaced to a military installation housing the 16th Infantry Division, SUNA said, citing South Darfur’s governor. Sudan has seen frequent protests near military buildings.

The agency said protesters attacked military personnel and tried to seize military vehicles in the town, some 1,100 km southwest of Khartoum.

However the Sudanese Professionals’ Association (SPA), which spearheaded protests that led to the ouster of president Omar al-Bashir last month, said the protesters were peaceful, and made no mention of casualties.

South Darfur Governor Hashim Khalid Mahmoud said four military and Rapid Support Forces personnel were injured, SUNA reported. He said the joint forces fired live ammunition into the air and used tear gas, but said no demonstrators were hurt.

The Transitional Military Council, TMC, is currently holding power having ousted long-serving Omar al-Bashir in April. Talks with civilians have failed to reach an agreement.

The junta are however under pressure from the international community and the continuing sit-in that has crippled movement in key parts of the capital and other cities.

The TMC is currently led by Abdel Fatteh Al-Burhaan who was sworn into office about two days after Bashir’s fall. His predecessor was one Ahmed Ibn Auf – Bashir’s last defense minister who resigned after a little over a day in charge.

Bashir is currently being held in solitary confinement at Kobar, a maximum security jail in Khartoum. He is the subject of a judicial probe over possible money laundering and terrorism financing.

May 3: Military rejects civilian majority in joint council

A member of Sudan’s Transitional Military Council has told the BBC that they were only willing to split representation on a proposed joint transition team with civilians.

Lt-Gen Salah Abdelkhalek said they had rejected a civilian majority in the proposed council with the Alliance for Freedom and Change who led the protests that led to the ouster of ex-president Omar al-Bashir.

Roadblocks are still mounted across the capital Khartoum where a massive protest was held on Thursday calling for a civilian administration. Protest leaders early this week said the junta was not serious about reaching a deal.

“The red line will be not a majority of civilians, they will not accept this… maybe half and half, this is the last point. This is the top point.”

Asked about a team of say seven civilians, seven soldiers he responded: “Maybe, maybe: I can satisfy my soldiers, my officers, we are not alone.”

April 20: Sudan investigating Bashir after large sums of cash found at home- source

Sudan’s public prosecutor has begun investigating ousted President Omar al-Bashir on charges of money laundering and possession of large sums of foreign currency without legal grounds, a judicial source said on Saturday.

The source said that military intelligence had searched Bashir’s home and found suitcases loaded with more than $351,000 and six million euros, as well as five million Sudanese pounds.

“The chief public prosecutor… ordered the (former) president detained and quickly questioned in preparation to put him on trial,” a judicial source told Reuters.

“The public prosecution will question the former president in Kobar prison,” the source added. Relatives could not be immediately reached on Saturday for comment about the investigation.

Bashir, who is also being sought by the International Criminal Court over allegations of genocide in the country’s western Darfur region, was ousted on April 11 by the military following months of protests against his rule and had been held at a presidential residence.

April 18: Bashir’s brothers detained

The Transitional Military Council in Sudan has arrested two brothers of ousted leader Omar al-Bashir. It is not know over exactly what charges they are being held.

A military spokesperson said the move was part of efforts to uproot symbols of the former regime. HE added that militia and armed groups loyal to Bashir had been brought under police or military control.

Bashir was arrested after his overthrow last week and transferred to prison custody earlier this week. The military is under pressure from protesters and the diplomatic community to handover power to a civilian transition team.

Meanwhile, neighbouring South Sudan on Wednesday (April 17) offered to mediate in the crisis. The government has sent a delegation to Khartoum to meet interested parties.

“The president has offered to mediate the ongoing negotiations among various groups in Sudan with the hope that the new transition will usher in a new day in Sudan…,” a statement by President Salva Kiir’s office said.

Statement: AUC chair meets military delegation in Addis Ababa

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, today (April 16) received a Sudanese delegation led by Lieutenant-General Jalal Alsheikh Altayeb, member of the Military Transitional Council (MTC), who conveyed a written message to from Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Chairperson of the MTC.

Recalling the communiqué adopted by the Peace and Security Council at its meeting held on 15 April and his own earlier communiqué, the Chairperson reiterated the African Union’s commitment to work with all the Sudanese stakeholders towards a consensual and inclusive transition that meets the aspirations of the people and ensures the stability of the country.

As part of the continental solidarity and the search for African solutions to African problems, the Commission of the African Union will continue to closely monitor the situation and interact with all the Sudanese stakeholders, with the view to helping them overcome the challenges confronting their country.

Moussa Faki Mahamat@AUC_MoussaFaki

My statement following discussions earlier today with a Sudanese delegation led by Lieutenant-General Jalal Alsheikh Altayeb, member of the Military Transitional Council. #Sudan. https://au.int/en/pressreleases/20190416/communique-meeting-between-chairperson-commission-and-sudanese-delegation …

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Standing with Sudan

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the TMC, received phone calls from the Saudi king, UAEpresident, Qatari emir, Ethiopian prime minister and South Sudanese president, SUNA said on Monday. They expressed support for the TMC in “this delicate and historic stage” and their concern for the security and stability of the country, SUNA said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for “a rapid transfer of power to a civilian transitional government,” in a phone call with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

“This must be followed by a credible, inclusive political process that meets the expectations of the Sudanese people with regard to economic and political reforms,” her office said in a statement.

Sisi meanwhile reiterated Egypt’s support for “the brotherly Sudanese people’s will” and said Cairo would “not interfere in its internal affairs”, according to a presidential statement.

AU issues ultimatum to Sudan military

In a communique on Monday, the African Union’s Peace and Security Council called for Sudan’s military to transfer power to a “transitional civilian-led political authority” within 15 days or face suspension from the AU.

Lieutenant General Jalal al-Deen al-Sheikh, a member of the TMC, met Ethiopia’s prime minister in Addis Ababa, where the AU is based, and said, “We are already in the process of choosing a prime minister” for a civilian government, according to the Sudanese state news agency SUNA.

“So we are initiating this even before having this session with the African Union. This is our conviction and this is also the way forward to peace, but also, we respect it and we are committed to the decision of the Peace and Security Council.”

SPA makes demands

The Sudanese group that led protests against deposed President Omar al-Bashir called on Monday for the transitional military council that has taken power to be disbanded and for a new interim civilian ruling council to be formed.

Representatives of the Sudanese Professionals’ Association (SPA) piled pressure on the military commanders who have taken over, issuing a long list of demands for deeper and faster change to end repression and a ruinous economic crisis.

If their demands were not met, the group would press on with protests and not join a future transitional government, Ahmed al-Rabie, an SPA member, told Reuters.

The SPA held its first news conference since Bashir, who ruled with an autocratic hand since seizing power in a coup 30 years ago, was ousted by the military on Thursday following months of street demonstrations.

A new interim civilian body should be given full executive powers, with the armed forces having representation, and the Transitional Military Council (TMC) that took over last week should be dissolved, the SPA said.

“If our demand for the formation of a civilian transitional council with military representation is not met, we will not be part of the executive authority, the cabinet, and we will continue the mass escalation and the sit-ins to fulfil our demands,” Rabie told Reuters.

SPA representatives also renewed calls for the head of the judiciary and his deputies and public prosecutor to be removed. They demanded the dissolution of Bashir’s National Congress Party and said they received affirmation from the TMC that the party will not participate in a transitional government.

The SPA also called for the seizure of the party’s assets and the arrest of its prominent figures.

It demanded the dissolution of paramilitary groups that were loyal to the old government, and of the National Intelligence and Security Service’s (NISS) operations authority, and called for an end to Sudan’s press law and the public order law, which the SPA has said restricts freedoms.

April 15, 2019: Protesters assured of security, ex-govt members arrested

Some members of the erstwhile government have been arrested by the transitional military council, reports from the country has suggested as at Monday morning.

There has been no mention of the reasons why they were picked up and who exactly had been picked. Ousted Omar al-Bashir is currently in detention and is likely to face trial in Sudan.

Protesters who are holding an adamant sit-in entering two-weeks have also been assured of security by the military. As of Monday morning, protesters have block efforts by soldiers to remove road blocks according to reports.

The sit-in at the army headquarters in the capital, Khartoum, was the last straw that forced the military to oust President Omar al-Bashir last week.

Protesters have refused to leave until the military hands over power to a civilian-led transition team. The military high command has offered the protest leaders the opportunity to name a prime minister, Al Jazeera reported on Sunday.

April 14, 2019: Protesters to pick Prime Minister

The military council in charge of Sudan has asked activists to nominate an independent candidate for the position of Prime Minister in the transitional government, Al Jazeera reports.

The portal’s journalist covering the Sudan uprising confirmed that on day two of military – protester groups talks, the military said it was only interested in two security related portfolios.

“He said the military council only wants two positions, the defence and interior ministries. That’s because, in his words, they want to maintain order and security in the country,” Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan reports from Khartoum.

Morgan reported further that there were some disagreements among political parties in the duration and the shape that some of the measures expected to he undertaken.

“Now the political parties themselves are divided. Some of them want a two year transitional period, others want four. There’s also disagreement over how to deal with the national intelligence and security services. Some want it completely abolished while others want reforms,” she added.

Sudan’s new transition leader

Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan Abdelrahman is a military commander believed to be more ready to talk to the protesters.

He was the third most senior general in the Sudanese armed forces and is little known in public life. As head of Sudan’s ground forces he oversaw Sudanese troops fighting in the Saudi-led Yemen war and has close ties to senior Gulf military officials.

In his first televised address, Burhan said he was also canceling a night curfew ordered by his predecessor and ordered the release of all prisoners jailed under emergency laws put in place by ousted President Omar al-Bashir.

A coalition of groups leading the protests said it had accepted an invitation by the armed forces to meet on Saturday to discuss a new civilian government.

The main protest organiser had earlier on Saturday urged people to keep marching to demand a civilian government after the defence minister and the intelligence chief stepped down.

Intelligence chief resigns

Sudan’s security and intelligence chief quit on Saturday, state media reported, a day after the defence minister stepped down abruptly as interim leader following the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir and protesters kept up demands for change.

Salah Abdallah Mohamed Saleh, known as Salah Gosh, who headed the National Intelligence and Security Service and was once the most influential person in the country after Bashir, was held responsible by protesters for the killing of demonstrators demanding an end to military rule.

The Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), which has been leading protests to demand a civilian government, called for more demonstrations on Saturday.

“Today, we continue the march to finish the victory for our victorious revolution,” the SPAsaid in a statement.

“We assert that our revolution is continuing and will not retreat or deviate from its path until we achieve … our people’s legitimate demands of handing over power to a civilian government,” it said.

Defence minister resigns

Sudan’s defence minister stepped down abruptly on Friday as head of the country’s transitional ruling military council after only a day in the post, as protesters demanded quicker political change following President Omar al-Bashir’s ouster by the armed forces.

Hours after the military council sought to calm public anger by promising a new civilian government, Defence Minister Awad Ibn Auf said in a televised speech he was quitting as head of the council.

Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan Abdelrahman will be the new head of the council, Ibn Auf said. He also said Chief of Staff Kamal Abdelmarouf al-Mahi was relieved of his position as deputy head of the transitional military council.

“In order to ensure the cohesion of the security system, and the armed forces in particular, from cracks and strife, and relying on God, let us begin this path of change,” Ibn Auf said.

News of the change sparked joyful celebrations by many thousands in the streets of Khartoum as people chanted, “The second has fallen!” in reference to Bashir, witnesses said.

“What happened is a step in the right direction and is a bow to the will of the masses, and we have become closer to victory,” Rashid Saeed, a spokesman for the main protest group, the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), told Reuters.

“We are committed to our demands that we submitted to the army,” he said. “We call on the masses to stay on the streets until all the demands are met.”

16 killed during protests against military council

At least 16 people were killed and 20 injured by stray bullets at protests and sit-ins on Thursday and Friday, a police spokesman said.

Government buildings and private property were also attacked, spokesman Hashem Ali added.

Worshipers packed the streets around the Defence Ministry for Friday prayers, heeding a call by the SPA to challenge the military council.

The numbers swelled in the afternoon and a Reuters witness estimated hundreds of thousands of protesters thronged areas around the ministry, which was guarded by soldiers.

Hashem Ali asked citizens to help ensure safety and public order.

Military council pledges civilian government

Sudan’s ruling military council on Friday promised the country would have a new civilian government, a day after the armed forces overthrew President Omar al-Bashir after 30 years in power.

The council, which is now running Sudan under Defence Minister Mohammed Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf, said it expects a pre-election transition period it announced on Thursday to last two years at most or much less if chaos can be avoided.

The council also announced that it would not extradite Bashir to face allegations of genocide at the international war crimes court. Instead he would go on trial in Sudan.

Friday’s announcement of a civilian government by the head of the military council’s political committee, General Omar Zain al-Abideen, appeared aimed at reassuring demonstrators who took to the streets to warn against imposing army rule after Bashir’s overthrow.

‘Protesters, not army have solutions’

Abideen pledged that the military council would not interfere with the civilian government. However he said the defence and interior ministries would be under the council’s control.

He said the military council had no solutions to Sudan’s crisis and these would come from the protesters.

“We are the protectors of the demands of the people,” he said. “We are not greedy for power.”

Earlier on Friday, thousands of Sudanese demonstrators camped outside the defence ministry to push for a civilian government, defying a curfew and calling for mass prayers.

Demonstrators who have been holding almost daily anti-Bashir protests have rejected the decision to set up a transitional military council and vowed to continue protests until a civilian government is established.

Activists called for mass Friday prayers outside the defence ministry compound, a focal point for protests.

At the compound, large tents were put up and people brought in food and handed out water as the crowd swelled, a Reuters witness said. Ahmed al-Sadek, a 39-year-old trader, said he had not slept at his home since the sit-in began on Saturday.

Activists wearing yellow vests controlled traffic around the compound on Friday morning and managed foot traffic to and from the sit-in, a Reuters witness said. They also blocked a major bridge in central Khartoum.

Bashir, 75, had faced 16 weeks of demonstrations against him.

What next for protesters?

Thousands of people flocked to an anti-government protest outside the defence ministry on Thursday, while huge crowds took to the streets in central Khartoum, dancing and shouting anti-Bashir slogans. Protesters chanted: “It has fallen, we won.”

Demonstrators called for a civilian government and said they would not accept an administration led by military and security figures, or by Bashir’s aides.

Omar Saleh Sennar, a senior member of the Sudanese Professionals’ Association, one of the main protest groups, said it expected to negotiate with the military over a transfer of power.

“We will only accept a transitional civilian government,” Sennar told Reuters.

Names of Bashir’s possible successors that have been circulating include the defence Minister, an ex-military intelligence chief, also an Islamist, and former army chief of staff Emad al-Din Adawi.

Adawi is said to be favoured by regional neighbours at odds with Bashir over his Islamist leanings.

Bashir detained, military council takes over

Sudan’s defense minister said on Thursday that President Omar al-Bashir had been detained “in a safe place” and that a military council would run the country for a two-year transitional period, confirming a long anticipated coup by the armed forces.

In a statement broadcast on state TV Defense Minister Awad Mohamed Ahmed Ibn Auf said there would be elections at the end of the transitional period.

Seated on a gold-upholstered armchair, Auf announced a three-month state of emergency, a nationwide ceasefire and the suspension of the constitution. He also said Sudan’s air space would be closed for 24 hours and border crossings shut until further notice.

Sudanese sources told Reuters that Bashir was at the presidential residence under “heavy guard”. A son of Sadiq al-Mahdi, the head of the country’s main opposition Umma Party, told al-Hadath TV that Bashir was being held with “a number of leaders of the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood group”.

The defence minister made an appeal to the citizens, asking them to tolerate security measures that will be put in place. He also pledged that human rights will be observed throughout the transition period.

Photos: Celebrating the end of an era

Political prisoners released

Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Service has announced the release of all political prisoners across the country, state news agency SUNA reported on Thursday.

The announcement came after Sudanese sources said President Omar al-Bashir had been forced to step down after three decades in power.

Shortly after the announcement, Twitter users circulated photos showing former detainees being welcomed by protesters as they joined demonstrations against Omar al-Bashir.

One of those released was Mohammed Naji Elasam, a spokesman for the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), the main organiser of protests being held across Sudan since December, witnesses said. Elasam had been detained for more than three months.

Protesters vow to protect revolution from Bashir’s allies

The Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), which has been leading protests that have lasted over three months, has urged the armed forces to ‘handover power to the people’, according to what they described as ‘the declaration of freedom and change’.

‘‘We assert that the people of Sudan will not accept anything less than a civil transitional authority composed of a patriotic group of experts who were not involved with the tyrannical regime,’‘ read part of a statement issued on their website on Thursday.

Omar Saleh Sennar, a senior member of the SPA said the group was waiting for a statement by the army and expected to negotiate with the military over a transfer of power away from Bashir.

Soldiers raid Bashir’s party headquarters

A Reuters witness says soldiers raided the headquarters of the Islamic movement led by Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir in the capital Khartoum on Thursday.

The Islamic movement is the main component of Sudan’s ruling party. Government sources said Bashir had stepped down and consultations were underway to form a transitional council.

Minister says Bashir has stepped down

Embattled Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has stepped down and consultations are under way to form a transitional council to run the country, government sources and a provincial minister said on Thursday.

The minister of production and economic resources in North Darfur, Adel Mahjoub Hussein, told the Dubai-based al-Hadath TV that “there are consultations to form a military council to take over power after President Bashir stepped down”.

Sudanese sources confirmed the report and told Reuters Bashir was at the presidential residence under “heavy guard”.

Military to make announcement soon: state media

The military will make an announcement soon, state television said as troops were deployed in Khartoum.

“The armed forces will present an important statement shortly. Be ready for it,” the announcement on state television read, without giving further details.

The army and security services deployed troops around the defence ministry and on major roads and bridges in the capital as thousands of people flocked to an anti-government protest outside the ministry, a Reuters witness said.

Tens of thousands of Sudanese took to the streets in the centre of Khartoum in jubilation, dancing and chanting anti-Bashir slogans.

Protesters outside the defence ministry chanted: “It has fallen, we won.”

State television and radio played patriotic music, reminding older Sudanese of how military takeovers unfolded during previous episodes of civil unrest.

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Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban

The Ethiopian government is worsening an already bad situation with respect to an internal displacement crisis that has made the country a global leader in the area of displacements relative to insecurity.

This is the view of Refugee International, RI, a Washington-based group that “advocates for lifesaving assistance and protection for displaced people.”

In a May 18, 2019 statement titled, Ethiopia’s treatment of its own IDPs making crisis worse, RI said it was deeply alarmed by new efforts aimed at forcibly returning displaced people.

The irony is that the Ethiopian government has been receiving international praise—deservedly so—for its increasingly progressive policies toward refugees, including promoting their right to work and access national services. But the way it’s treating its own displaced citizens is not only shameful, it’s

Their statement is premised on recent reports especially by the UK Guardian that said authorities were destroying temporary structures in southern Ethiopia, Gedeo Zone, as a means of getting displaced people to return to their places of origin.

“The government’s actions are making an ongoing humanitarian crisis even worse,” said RI Senior Advocate Mark Yarnell, who traveled to southern Ethiopia in September 2018.

“I met displaced people who described horrific levels violence, including entire villages burned to the ground. The government pushing people to return to their home communities prematurely will only add to the ongoing suffering.”

RI said the government was reversing positive gains in the mode of a recent draft IDPstartegic plan which promised humane returns. They averred that officials were not learning from the problems of earlier return efforts.

“This is in no way voluntary and a major breach of basic rights,” said Yarnell. “The irony is that the Ethiopian government has been receiving international praise—deservedly so—for its increasingly progressive policies toward refugees, including promoting their right to work and access national services. But the way it’s treating its own displaced citizens is not only shameful, it’s inhumane.”

The statement concluded with a call to the government to pause the current return effort until its Strategic Plan can be carried out in a manner that is truly voluntary, sustainable, and in collaboration with displaced people themselves.

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By ILAN BEN ZION | Associated Press

JERUSALEM – Israeli researchers raised a glass Wednesday to celebrate a long-brewing project of making beer and mead using yeasts extracted from ancient clay vessels —some over 5,000 years old.

Archaeologists and microbiologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority and four Israeli universities teamed up to study yeast colonies found in microscopic pores in pottery fragments. The shards were found at Egyptian, Philistine and Judean archaeological sites in Israel spanning from 3,000 BC to the 4th century BC.

The scientists are touting the brews made from “resurrected” yeasts as an important step in experimental archaeology, a field that seeks to reconstruct the past in order to better understand the flavor of the ancient world.

“What we discovered was that yeast can actually survive for a very, very long time without food,” said Hebrew University microbiologist Michael Klutstein. “Today we are able to salvage all these living organisms that live inside the nanopores and to revive them and study their properties.”

Beer was a staple of the daily diet for the people of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Early Egyptian texts refer to a variety of different brews, including “iron beer,” ”friend’s beer,” and “beer of the protector.”

The yeast samples came from nearly two dozen ceramic vessels found in excavations around the country, including a salvage dig in central Tel Aviv, a Persian-era palace in southern Jerusalem and ‘En Besor, a 5,000-year-old Egyptian brewery near Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip.

Other researchers of ancient beers, such as University of Pennsylvania archaeologist Patrick McGovern, have concocted drinks based on ancient recipes and residue analysis of ceramics. But the Israeli scientists say this is the first time fermented drinks have been made from revived ancient yeasts.

Aren Maeir, a Bar Ilan University archaeologist, excavates at Tel es-Safi, the biblical city of Gath, where ancient Philistine beer pots yielded yeasts used to brew a beer offered to journalists. He likened the revival of long-dormant yeast to the resurrection of ancient beasts fictionalized in “Jurassic Park,” but only to a point.

“In Jurassic Park, the dinosaurs eat the scientists,” he said. “Here, the scientists drink the dinosaurs.”

“It opens up a whole new field of the possibility that perhaps other microorganisms survived as well, and you can identify foods such as cheese, wine, pickles,” opening a portal into tasting cultures of the past, he said.

For this initial experiment, the team paired up with a Jerusalem craft brewer to make a basic modern-style ale using yeast extracted from the pots. The ale had a thick white head, with a caramel color and a distinctly funky nose. The mead, made using yeast extracted from a vessel found in the ruins of a palace near Jerusalem that contained honey wine roughly 2,400 years ago, was champagne bubbly and dry, with a hint of green apple.

The beer incorporates modern ingredients, like hops, that were not available in the ancient Middle East — but it’s the revived yeast that provides much of the flavor.

“We tried to recreate some of the old flavors that people in this area were consuming hundreds and thousands of years ago,” said Shmuel Naky, a craft brewer from the Jerusalem Beer Center, who helped produce the beer and mead. Yeasts, he said, “have a very crucial impact on flavor.”

Naky described the beer as “spicy, and somewhat fruity, and it’s very complex in flavor,” all attributes produced by the ancient yeast.

Genome sequencing of the yeast colonies extracted from the pots showed that the ancient strain of yeast was different from the yeast used in beer-making today, but similar to those still used to make traditional Zimbabwean beer and Ethiopian tej, a type of honey wine.

The researchers said their next aim is to pair the resurrected yeasts with ancient beer recipes to better reproduce drinks from antiquity.

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How a little-known Wall Street sovereign fund manager ended up as a CEO of the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency to give development and transparency a whole different meaning explains impunity from lawlessness of all involved.

Teshome Debalke

May 21, 2019

“It is a shame when nonsense can substitute for facts with impunity” –Lawrence M. Krauss

The Center for Strategic & International Study (CSIS) recent conference in Washington DC titled Building a Big Tent for Agricultural Transformation in Ethiopia organized  specially for Khalid Bomba, CEO  of the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency is a tale-tale sign; modern African economic hitmen/women particularly from the diaspora are out in the open to substitute nonsense for fact to redefine economic development and checks-and-balance  to preempt any meaningful reform towards accountable governance.

The whole PR stent of global finance ‘without borders’ to socialize the risks on the people and privatize the rewards for equity investors in the name of development is better descried by Joh  n Perkins, the former economic hitman and the author of the Confession of an Economic hitman (2004) and the New Confession of the Economic hitman (2016). He retreated;

“I thought about the core tools we EHMs used in my day: false economics that included distorted financial analyses, inflated projections, and rigged accounting books; secrecy, deception, threats, bribes, and extortion; false promises that we never intended to honor; and enslavement through debt and fear. These same tools are used today. Now, as then, many elements are present in each “hit,” although that likely is evident only to someone willing to delve deeply into the story behind the story. Now, as then, the glue that holds all of this together is the belief that any means are justified to achieve the desired ends.”

In the era where nothing seems to stand on the way of global finances’ maximizing profit, corrupt depots that mismanaged their nations’ resources no longer risky investment but partners in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) ‘win-win’ scheme. Thus, watching modern economic hitmen of Africa tag along to do what they know best shouldn’t surprise anyone familiar with 101 development finance.

In her August 19, 2016 article titled ‘A powerful and corrupt elite is robbing Africa of its riches’ the Executive Director of Oxfam International Winnie Byanyima showed the dark side of global finances’ collusion with African economic hitmen you find in many staged conferences organized by the usual suspects. She wrote;

“This is wrong. We must examine the root causes and do something to weed them out. As the Panama Papers show, so much of the tax avoidance or criminal movement of finance on the continent is made possible by a system propped up by a number of banks, law firms and other outfits based outside of Africa, working in collusion with African economic and political elites. It is a system designed in the Global North that helps Africa’s few wealthy and powerful elites to cheat the rest of us.”

More alarming is what the renowned Physicist and environmental activist Dr Van Dan Shiva of India in an interview reviled on what she refers as the “Poison Cartel” — multinational finance, data, seed, pharma and chemical industries’ ambition to control the world resources led by the world renowned data guru Bill Gates turned philanthropist ‘working in collusion with African economic and political elites’ in  the name of  curing diseases and transforming the economies of poor nations.

Bill Gates with multiple conflicts of interest against his own Foundation’s stated mission brought the ruling party of Ethiopia infamous Former Health and Foreign Minister Dr. Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus in the WHO top position to help the sick and the Former Morgen Stanley sovereign fund manager Khalid Bambo as CEO of Agriculture Transformation Agency of Ethiopia to feed the hungry along a Former senior policy adviser for Mayor Greg Nickels of Seattle, Washington Haddis Taddese as PR man of the Gates Foundation African HQ in Ethiopia.

Ironically, the CSIS’s conference that featured CEO Bomba was also sponsored by “the generous contribution of the Bill & Malinda Foundation”  —  giving a whole different meaning for checks-and-balances of power and conflicts of interests in governance and development in Africa; not to mention insult the intelligence and underestimation the people of Ethiopia and the world at large in public. Understand

When they say ‘what you can’t say owns you. What you hide controls you’ they weren’t joking.  Bomba and his cheerleading panelists along CSIS’ fellows suspending every rule of governance and development with PR stunt rapped with big jargons’ presentation out of global consultancies’ templet appears to be the new and improved PR campaign to preempt meaningful reform.

 Among the panelists presented as an ‘independent consultant’ was an Ethiopian national by a name Dr Getachew Diriba. The Former Program Manager for CARE International and a World Food Program (WFP) employee in different capacity turn ‘independent consultant’ and author to validate Bomba’s PR stunt gave a whole different meaning for independent and author speaks volumes.

But, his one-and-only book conveniently titled “overcoming Agricultural  and Food Crises in Ethiopia (2018),  according to the Norwegian Minster of Foreign Affairs  was published with  the ‘support of the Norwegian Government and its Ambassador to Ethiopia opening speech in the launching ceremony on 16 May 2018. The synopsis of the book better reflect weather it is a scholarly research or an advertisement booklet. It reads;

“Ethiopia agriculture is an open museum of Neolithic invention; it is left out of the industrial and agriculture revolution for far too long. It is unsustainable to continue to expect to feed 100 + million Ethiopians with obsolete system of production. The origins of the discontent being displayed in many parts of the country since 2015 can be traced back to the lack of agriculture technology, land fragmentation, inadequate property rights, and absence of rural industrialization. The combination of the obsolete system in one hand, with a growing young population, sustained decline of agriculture land per capita, unstructured urbanization and absence of industrialization on the other, presents grim prospect for contemporary Ethiopia state builders”

Unfortunately, peddling for his new found love for consultancy, the author not only missed the forest for the tree to the causes of the problem but, reviled who pays his fees to validate the new global finances’ development narrative – confirming; ‘whoever pays the piper calls the tune’.

Likewise, Kimberly Flower, the Former USAID employee in Ethiopia turn a ‘Director of Humanitarian   Agenda at CSIS’s Global Food Security Project’ in Washington, DC cheerleading Bomba as the saver of Ethiopia should remind observers; her Former USAID boss Gayle Smith turn President of One Campaign, a Washington, DC based nonprofit run by the infamous Irish singer Bono that raises fund to help poor Africans and invest in ‘development’ in Africa with his London based  8 Miles private equity fund  Chained by his fellow Irish singer Bob Geldof and managed by nonother than Eleni LLC  Founded and managed by Dr Eleni Gebremedhin that seats on the Board  of Directors of One Campaign at the same time – redefining the meaning of transparency in governance for Africa and reviling; ‘the apples do not fall far from their trees’ when it come to the poverty industry of Africa.

At the meantime, Sara Boettger, ‘Senior Adviser for Agriculture Transformation’ at McKinsey & Company, a global management consultant’s enthusiasm for Bambo who claims ATA is working with the world-renowned management consulting firms including, McKinsey & Company further confirms; the staged CSIS’ conference was not to inform but to misinform the public from the naked reality.

It is interesting time to observe, how staged conferences for bunch of clowns with empty titles and words making something out of nothing in broad light passes under the radar unchallenged by the world Media, concerned civic organizations and the authorities in the ‘Free World’. If anything, it is not a good sign to bring about accountability and transparency on behalf of the long-suffering people sooner than later.

But, noting even come close to the infamous Bill Gates’ impunity to bring abroad ruling parties of  poor nations with multilateral, bilateral, and nonprofit and for-profit enterprises under one mission of maximizing profit of global finance in the name of helping the poor and development with his righthand men Khalid Bomba that pride to be expert in sovereign fund management along Haddis Tadesse that pride as policy adviser and PR expert before both joined the Gates Foundation. Subsequently, Bomba became CEO of Gates Foundation funded Ethiopian Government Agency ATA and Haddis became the PR man for the Foundation in Addis Ababa where the African Union HQ is based.

It all started with one unfaithful meeting between the late ‘beggar’ PM Melse Zenawi and corporate philanthropist Bill Gates instigated by nonother than Dr. Eleni GebreMedhin, the Founder and CEO of the infamous Ethiopian Commodity Exchange in 2008 funded partly by the Gates Foundation through UNDP. The onetime celebrated “Market Maker” that set the stage for the ruling member party TPLF capture of the private sector in the agriculture sector turn foreign private equity fund manager at Eleni LLC based in Kenya with initial investment of Morgen Stanley and the IFC  and the Founder and CEO of a new venture capital firm Blue Moon Ethiopia based in Addis Ababa with the help of European Investment Bank.

Consequently, the Agriculture Transformation Agency (ATA) under a global development consulting firm Synergos Consulting Service  based in New York  with Bomba as CEO was established in 2010. Ever since, the ruling party captured private sector as driver of agriculture transformation on behalf of a the ruling member party TPLF hellbent to control the means-and-ways of the economy — production, finance, data,  marketing… not to mention the rules that govern the economy for the convince of global finance has been the driving force.

Welcome to an ethnic apartheid party-captured ‘Developmental State’ of no man’s land of Ethiopia where Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with foreign private equity funds led by Morgen Stanly, corporate philanthropist led by Gates Foundation, bilateral and multilateral donors funding led by USAID, EIB and IFC in partnership with diaspora economic hitmen and women colluding with pseudo private investors ‘transforming’ poor nations’ economy like never had been done before, talk about ‘the bigotry of low expectation’.

The whole PR stunt at CSIS conference raped with lots of economics 101 jargons in one staged ‘Big Tent for Agricultural Transformation in Ethiopia by Bomba and his cheerleading panelists tells everything you need to know about the present problems and causes of the political, social and economics of Ethiopia.

What is not clear yet is whether Bonba’s PR stunt was sanctioned by the new reformist Prime Minster Abiy or simply an effort by reneged interest groups associated with the old guard and sponsors to undermine reform.  In that regard, Bomba’s amnesia about the late PM Melse that instigated ATA that brought him abroad as CEO and his halfhearted praise for the new PM reform indicates; his boss Gates has little interest on reform than what he agreed to accomplish with the late Zenawi to establish ATA  — fully knowing; the Zenawi led ruling member TPLF party led regime he fell in love with was a menace for governance and economic development and remained so for the reform.

“The only thing more dangerous than ignorance is the pretense of intelligent ignorance. The former is teachable; the latter is not” wrote the American poet, philosopher and essayist Christopher James Gilbert better known by his pseudonym Criss Jami.

Bomba, his boss and the cheerleading panelists’ at CSIS conference ‘pretense of intelligent ignorance’ on the fundamentals of governance and economic development – (checks-and-balances of power, transparency of public data and the very meaning of private sector itself) speaks volume to validate; ‘pretense of intelligent ignorance’ is rampant among many contemporary dysfunctional elites and sponsors at the expense reform in the public interest.

When it comes to checks-and-balances of power, the Agriculture Transformation crusader Bomba pretense of intelligent ignorance needs no checks nor balances from anyone but his boss –  reducing it; “our objective is the government objective — Improve the livelihood of small farmer,  food security at a national level and agriculture sector as a catalyst for transformation.”

It is not clear why Bomba didn’t mention the driving force behind his transformation agenda he refers as ‘our objective’ is referring the global development consulting firm Synergos Consulting Service funded by corporate foundations.

When it comes to public data, the Wall Street sovereign fund finance guru Bomba ‘pretense of intelligent ignorance’ goes as far as wanting to have his cake and eat it too — reducing it as “much more impactful is the way we do integration and coordination of the agriculture commercialization cluster”.  No one knows where in this world integration and coordination of ‘agriculture commercialization’ possible without open and independent data readily available to the producers, the middlemen and the consumer as well as investors and the Free Press is where Bomba and his cheerleading panelists had complete amnesia.

The irony of rationing public information for specific cash commodities productions as the means justifies the ends’ on behalf global finance profit maximization disguised as ‘improving the livelihood of small farmers and food security at a national level’ alone qualify as a crime against humanity let alone a crime of conspiracy of an economic hitman.

More telling was the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs and Office of Global Partnerships organized  Ethiopia Partnership Forum (EPF) in May 15, 2019 featuring Bomba and known and unknow operatives representing the ‘private sector’ as well as governments and nongovernmental sector if unchecked reveles what direction the new PM reform may be heading.

The Forum participants representing PM Abiy’s government listed were Dr. Arkebe Oqubay, Adviser with the rank of Minster in the Prime Minster Office. Fistume Argea, the Ethiopian Ambassador to the United State. Mamo Mehirtu, Senior   Adviser to the Prime Minster and Chief Trade Negotiator. Dr. Yarid Sied  (International Growth Center based in London) and Dr. Nemera Mamo (teaching Fellow Queen Mary University London) members of Policy Team in the Office of Prime Minster.

Representing the Diaspora in ‘private sector’ on Telcom, Power and Transportation Tewodros Ashinafi presented as the Founder and CEO SouthWest Energy. On Access to Capital: Financing Growth, Worku Gachou presented as Managing Director for Africa, OPIC. Helawe Taddese presented as Director of Research and Analytics, Cepheus and Zafu Eyesuswork Zerfu presented as Chairman of the Board, United Bank and Adviser to the CEO United Insurance SC. On Start Up: Engine of Growth, Solomon Kassa presented as TV Personality, Producer Host –Tech Talk with Solomon, A Fortune 500 Tech Consult Manger and Author. Eleni GebreMedhin presented as CEO, Blue Moon Ethiopia. Kebron Dejen presented as Founder/CEO Viditur.

Representing non-governmental sector: on Agriculture tool Box: Investing in Value Supply Chain, Kalid Bomba, CEO of Agriculture Transformation Agency.

What stood out representing the US and the Ethiopian governments and private sector tells a story of its own.

Dr. Arkebe Oqubay, presented as Adviser with the rank of Minster is the Central Committee member the ruling member TPLF party. Fistume Argea presented as the Ethiopian Ambassador to US is the long-time Ethiopian Investment Commissioner who know everything who is or not allowed to invest in Ethiopia over a decade.

Mamo Mihertu presented as Senior   Adviser to the Prime Minster and Chief Trade Negotiator is a World Bank ‘Operation Officer’ and ‘Program  Manager for Ethiopia Investment Climate Program’ based in Nairobi, according to the World Bank.   Mamo’s only article published on the WB blog in 2015 speaks volume what may be his role as  Senior   Adviser to the Prime Minster and Chief Trade Negotiator.

Dr. Yarid Sied  and Dr. Nemera Mamo presented as members of Policy Team in the Office of Prime Minster are a teaching Fellow Queen Mary University London and employee of International Growth Center based in London respectively.

Worku Gachou presented as the Managing Director for Africa, OPIC is a US government employee for the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) responsible to oversee who receive US government investment loan and political risk insurance assistant.

Helawe Taddese presented as Director of Research and Analytics, Cepheus  is representing the Founder and Managing Partners of Cepheus Growth Capital/Fund (2016) Kassie (Kaasahun) Kebede and Berhane Demisse. Kebde is also the Founder and CEO of Panton Capital based in New York (2004) and Panton Alternative Fund Ltd (2009) based in Cayman Island that managed nearly a billion dollars private fund of unknown individuals investing in Ethiopia. He is also a member of Prime Minster Abiy’s Diaspora Trust Fund Advisory Council and the Public Enterprise Privatization Advisory Counsel.  Helawe Taddese has no public profile nor disclosed on the official Gepheus Growth Fund website.

Solomon Kassa presented as TV Personality, Producer Host — Tech Talk with Solomon of unidentified Media works for Ethiopian Broadcasting Service (Ebs) TV established in Maryland in 2008 by a TPLF operative Amman Fissehazion & Brothers using the Ethiopian Government Broadcasting Agency satellite service. Solomon Mulugeta Kassa according to his own profile ‘currently works as a senior technology consultant at a Fortune 500 Global Consulting firm’. It is not clear why he failed to revile the name of the Consulting firm he works for.

Dr Eleni Gebremedhin presented as CEO, Blue Moon Ethiopia is the Founder and Former CEO of the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange and Eleni LLC with multiple ventures as mentioned above.

Unfortunately, the list of participants or any news of the proceeding was taken down from the State Department website a day after the event for unknow reason but, a Pdf document listing participants and EPF-Agenda is found. The US Embassy in Ethiopia also reported on the Forum — reviling more corporate participants listed on the original State Department list.  The Former US Ambassador to Ethiopia Tibor P. Nagy, Jr. (1999-2992) is the present Assistant Secretory of Bureau of African Affairs since July of 2018.

At the meantime, the PR stunt to convince Ethiopians in the Diaspora is underway in multiple front. The  infamous Ethiopian Diaspora Business Forum that was established by two brother operatives by the name Yohannes Assefa, the present  and Henock Assefa are back with elaborate PR stunt — indicating more of the same to undermine the ongoing reform to come. Among the 2018 Diaspora Business Forum speakers were the infamous Zemedenhe Negatu, Former Ernest Young Ethiopia investment adviser of the ruling party turn Global Chairman of Fairfax Africa, US based private equity fund investor and Mani Amar, a clandestine TPLF operative that run and managed the Ethiopian Investment Commission website and data from 1991 to 2010 out of New York under Ethiomarket.com through three successive Commissioners including, Fessume Arega (the last Commissioner and the new Ethiopian Ambassador to the US) website he managed  turn ModernETH info tech investor with no public profile.

When that was not enough, in December 2016 the US Embassy reported AmCham was launched with Daniel Hailu as President at the presence of Embassy Charge D’Affaires   Petter Vrooman and the then Ethiopian Investment Commission General Director Fesum Arega ( the present Ethiopian Ambassador to US)  the But, the State Department in January 2009  reported American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham)  Ethiopia established under the Former US Ambassador to Ethiopia Donald Yamamoto to “enhance the bilateral trading relationship between the two countries”  and,  Nazeret Media in its January 12, 2009 report confirmed ‘AmCham launch with its President Getachew Ayele’ in the presence of Ambassador Yamamoto and Ministry of Trade and Industry Girma Birru.

Unfortunately, the US Embassy nor the State Department didn’t know AmCham Ethiopia was launched in 2009 in the same Embassy it was relaunched in 2016 again.  Nor, the new President Daniel Hailu, (the only person identified on the new AmCham Ethiopia official website says where the old AmCham gone and who may be the officers of the new AmCham Ethiopia. The only public record found on the new President is Bloomberg reporting; ‘Daniel Hailu is a CEO of General Electric Ethiopia since 2016, the same year the new AmCham was launched.

At the meantime, a woman identified as Rebeca Araya is profiled on World Economic Forum website as the General Manger at AmCham Ethiopia. No one knows who may be behind AmCham established in 2009 nor reestablished in 2016. A comparable AmCham Kenya not only disclose it Founders, the officers and their credential but what they do as chamber of commerce.

Regrettably, people who belong in penitentiary or reformatory are free to come on the world stage as private equity investors, journalists and development experts, trade reps… to legitimize a corrupt system under reform that demands a complete overhaul and accountability on how the public affairs is conducted.

They say, ‘where there is smoke there is fire’. In this case, where there is dollar to be made, there are a pack of economic hitmen and women out to get it. With the old edict of ‘follow the money’, there is no need to go for endless search to find the source of the political, social and economic problem of Ethiopia but to follow the dollar.

Whether Bomba and his cheerleading panelists at CSIS’s conference and participants at the  Ethiopia Partnership Forum (EPF) and privately invite Diaspora Business Forum as many more before and to come to tell the world; what is good for them is good for the people of Ethiopia  and America shouldn’t surprise anyone.  After all, that is what they do best to socialize the risk on the people and privatize the reward for themselves and sponsors and, why individual accountability and transparency matter now than ever.

In a nation like Ethiopia where the government, the ruling party, the private and non-governmental sector as well as the Media are indistinguishable as long as we can remember, Interest groups running their mouth on staged conference and Media is nothing more than a ‘pretense of intelligence ignorance’ of the highest order.

Once again, as the vocal animal rights advocate Sir Paul McCartney said; “if slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone will be vegetarian”. In the same breath, if public houses had glass walls, every elite would be kosher or go to jail.

The Agriculture Transformation Agency CEO Kalid Bomba and associates may transform the profits of offshore venture capital by creating a banana republic but, for sure they won’t transform the economy nor “improve the livelihood of small farmer,  food security at a national level and agriculture sector as a catalyst for transformation” as Bomba put it and they know it.

As absurd as it is for a self-described Wall Street sovereign fund manager to utters empty jargon and for his cheerleading  consultant scribble promotional booklet that belong in the 17^th century agriculture revolution for an party captured ethnic Apartheid Developmental State under reform in the 21^st century, it is clear they aren’t familiar with their Miranda Rights  — ‘the right to remain silent. Anything you say and do can and will be used against you in court of law’ not to self- incriminate.

Our people say; ‘የጎርጊስን ግብር የበላ ያስለፈልፈዋል’. Bomba like many of his dysfunctional peers utters nonsense because there has never been individual accountability in lawless nation of Ethiopia under ‘reform’.

Plato,  the Athenian philosopher, the founder of Platonist school of thought — The Academy, the first institution of higher learning  in Western world in the early 400 BC wrote; “we can easily forgive a child who is afraid of dark, the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of  light.”

Here we are in the 21^st century, adults with credentials exclusively from Western institutions of higher learning afraid of light they are hiding in the dark to do the bidding of their sponsors against their own people. As tragic as it is, what Ethiopians do to adults, particularly learned men and women afraid of light is the ultimately solution for the entire problem facing the people of Ethiopia.

As the debate among the elites on the political, social and economic reform of the 27-year-old ethnic apartheid Developmental State continue, the advice of a young Indian author and magician Amit Kalantri — “you will have relatively less problems to solve, if you don’t confuse problems with inconvenience” goes a long way.

The reformist Prime Minster Abiy Ahmed took a quantum leap in the right direction to draw the line between lawless ethnic apartheid developmental state led by ruling member party TPLF elites and the public interest led by popular demand for reform but, so far he came short of the basic test of the reform – to put a light on the elites he encounters in his reform effort — starting with members of the Office of the Prime Minster and government agencies and the public data held hostage  by the ruling party.

Short of explanation, he appears to confuse the problems of Ethiopia with the inconvenience of the ruling elites’ and their sponsors that caused the problem in the first place. It will be indeed another tragedy in the political history of Ethiopia if the PM reform fail to tell the difference between what is good for the elites and sponsors is not necessarily good for the people of Ethiopia as we see them scramble to look ‘holier than the pope’ talking on both side of their mouth afraid of light at the expenses of the blood and sweat of the people of Ethiopia.

The sooner PM Abiy turns the light on the adults around him, the better he and the people of Ethiopia will be. But, under no circumstances, he should insult the intelligence of the people of Ethiopia not to know the difference between who-is-who afraid of light.

That said, the responsibility does not rest on the PM alone but on each-and-every elite particularly the Media elite that sees, hears or speaks no evil to excuse adults operating in the dark afraid of light.

After all, democratic reform and economic development is all about putting light on adults hiding in the dark doing nefarious things for power and money at the expenses of the people and, it shows.

The article is dedicated for the youth of Ethiopia caught up with adults afraid of light talking on both side of their mouth to lead them in the dark.

The post Meet the Ethiopian-American Economic Hitman from Wall Street to Poverty Street in the no man’s land appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News & Breaking News: Your right to know!.

Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban

Head of Ethiopia’s state-run investment body says it is time the government settles on a minimum wage among others to protect the interests of workers.

Ethiopian Investment Commission, EIC, Abebe Abebayehu added that his outfit was currently working with the relevant ministry and other agencies in efforts to achieve that goal.

His comments come in the wake of a recent report that said garment workers in Ethiopia’s industrial parks are the least paid in the world. Whiles speaking to the general issue of jobs and remuneration, Abebayehu said government had identified loopholes it needed to fix.

I think how low can this wage be is the question that should be asked. How can we ensure that while providing competitive labour force we are also ensuring the wellbeing of workers… and also ensuring a decent standard of living for our workers?

He was speaking to a private channel, Business Safari TV during the European Union – Ethiopia Business Forum that took place between 14 – 15 May, 2019 in Brussels, Belgium.

“Currently the industrial parks alone have created around 80, 000 jobs. Now, how do we make sure that these jobs are decent and provide a decent way of living for the workers?

“We do not believe we have addressed certain types of issues that need to be tackled towards improving the living conditions of the workers.”

Directly addressing the report he said: “The salary that the report indicated does not take into account a number of other benefits that the investors provide. But still as the basic salary we need to work as a government towards setting a minimum salary that can provide the workers a decent way of living.

“But I think how low can this wage be is the question that should be asked. How can we ensure that while providing competitive labour force we are also ensuring the wellbeing of workers… and also ensuring a decent standard of living for our workers?”

In mid-May this year, the privately-owned Capital Ethiopia news portal reported that the government had started talks to harmonize a national minimum wage. The draft proclamation was to set a Commission that will work on the wage, the report said citing Kassahun Follo, president of Confederation of Ethiopian Trade union, CETU.

A minimum wage is the lowest wage that an employer is allowed to pay; determined by contract or by law. Most African countries have it in place save for the likes of Ethiopia despite being Africa’s second most populous nation. The three biggest economies in Africa – Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt – have in the last few months increased the threshold.

Other issues he touched on were:

• The phenomenon of investors in labour intensive industries moving from countries that have higher wages to countries that have lower wages.
• Says it is part reason why textiles and apparel industry moved from Britain to southeast Asia and now to Africa.
• Fairly expected that companies show great interest in countries where there is low wage.
• EIC working very closely with the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs towards setting a standard that can be met by all investors.
• The standard will cut beyond textiles and apparel but cover other sectors of the economy.

What the Capital Ethiopia report said about mistreatment of Ethiopian garment workers

Factories in Ethiopia making clothes for top global brands are paying their workers far less than counterparts in other low-paying countries, according to a report by New York University’s Stern Center for Business and Human Rights released in May 2019.

The new report is based on a visit to the flagship Hawassa Industrial Park that currently employs 25,000 people.

Workers in Industrial parks earn less than 30 USD per month. CETU is therefore advocating with government and employers for any new labor law to include an adequate minimum wage.

In comparison, Chinese garment workers earn USD340 a month, those in Kenya earn USD207 and those in Bangladesh earn USD95.

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FATMA ABUSIEF

Inside her trip to Ethiopia with UNICEF

There is no stopping for Priyanka Chopra, who jetted to Ethiopia, straight from Cannes. This past week, the Isn’t it Romantic actress made her Cannes debut, and then stole the show with her husband Nick Jonas a day later. But, it is not all just glamour and parties for the Indian native, who traveled to Addis Ababa, fulfilling her commitments as Unicef Goodwill Ambassador.

Ahead of her trip, the 36-year-old took to Instagram stories to update her 40.5 million followers on her whereabouts. In a series of videos, Priyanka revealed that she is en-route to Ethiopia, and gave fans a background of her association with Unicef and how she wants to highlight it’s education programme. “I am in Ethiopia for a specific reason. I want to highlight Unicef’s education programme when it comes to children and youth in the country.”

“There is a huge barrier when it comes to access to education for children, especially because there are so many dropouts in school which begin as soon as kids start school. The primary education goes from Standard 1 to Standard 8, that is primary education. Secondary education is after that, we see dropouts of children even from first grade, so 50 per-cent of kids in Ethiopia end up dropping out,” Priyanka continued.

She shared some shots from her trip on Instagram stories, and then put up a detailed post of her first day there, as she visited the Sibiste Negasi Primary School in Addis Ababa. “In Ethiopia, primary school enrolment between 2000 and 2017 has TRIPLED. This is because of the Ethiopian government’s investment in education and its dedication to the future of the country…but there is still so much work to do,” she captioned her post.

“2.6 M children of primary and secondary school age are out of school, and 50% of children attending school drop out by grade 8. Because of poverty children are responsible for much more than just learning, like caring for siblings, walking miles to collect water and other house hold chores…things that should not be a child’s responsibility at any age. A child is a child. @unicef’s efforts, along with a very committed government, are focused on getting every child in school, ensuring every child has a quality education, and that every child completes school. Thank you Principal Abebech, Dagmawit (7th grade), and all the other students who made my first day in ethopia so special.”

While there, the Bollywood beauty had discussions with The Gender Club, which is a UNICEF supported program that empowers girls and boys. This club helps provide students with relevant knowledge and skills to help them combat harmful social practices, like gender based violence, child marriage, and sexual violence.

Seeing as Priyanka is a great dancer, it came as no surprise that some of her activities while in Ethiopia included dancing. On her stories, she shared videos dancing in one of the classrooms in school. Meanwhile, on her feed, she posted a picture of her doing the Kunama Dance, writing: “Dance is such an important part of Ethiopian culture. Wherever I have been so far…even though we don’t speak each other’s languages…the joy that has been shared through dance has bonded me with this amazing country forever. (Even though I’m terrible at it‍) Ethiopia is extremely rich in culture and compassion. ”

Of course, a trip to Ethiopia wouldn’t have been complete without a meeting with the country’s leader. Priyanka had the chance to meet Madam President Sahle-Work Zewde, the first female president of Ethiopia, which she described as an “honour.” In her post, the Quantico actress continued to praise the President, saying: “She has a global perspective for the development of her country – Ethiopia is the second largest host country of refugees in Africa, they’ve taken in just under 1M. She’s pushing for policies that provide people with access to education and other essential needs so they can improve their familial economic situation and hence the economy of Ethiopia. I’m so inspired.”

Priyanka’s visit to the African nation continued with a trip to the Bambasi Refugee Camp Primary School. The actress shared pictures of herself with the students, while highlighting some of the issues that they face. The school suffers from a shortage of trained teachers, with one teacher for every 89 students. She also went on to share the stories of two students from the Bambasi Camp: Hasina a 7th grade student and Abda Abdulaziz, who arrived at the camp in 2011.

Hasina, is a 15-year-old student, who loves to go to school. When she was 12, her sister’s husband was arranging her marriage to one of his friends, but Hasina escaped to a friends house and then to one of the community-based child’s marriage prevention platforms. The young student loves learning and wasn’t willing to trade her education or freedom for anything, which gave her the courage to stand up for herself. The community, along with the authorities, stepped in and stopped the marriage. The man was charged. Priyanka told her story, writing: “Hasina is a very brave girl. t was so heartening to see the elders in the community learning from the examples these young girls are setting, standing up against child marriage and female genital mutilation/cutting. Education gave these girls that perspective. This community is an example of how change is possible. FEMALE RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS.”

The second story that the Baywatch actress shared was that of 26-year-old Abda Abdulaziz, who sought refuge from the war in Sudan. She gave birth to all of her five children in the camp, while her husband works as a labourer at a nearby farm. Priyanka got the chance to meet with two of Abda’s daughters saying: “I met two of her daughters, Zulfa Ata Ey, 8, and Muzalefa, 10, at the primary school I had visited earlier in the day. Zulfa is at the top of her class and her mom is so proud. While they’re safe and her children are receiving an education, they are still living below the poverty line, and she’s desperate for the most basic supplies…like water, books, and clothes for her children.”

The actress is urging her fans to follow her social media accounts, to learn more about the situation of refugees in Ethiopia. Moreover, after every post, she redirects her followers to UNICEF’s website, so they could learn more and help make a difference.

The post Priyanka Chopra: Female rights are human rights appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News & Breaking News: Your right to know!.

By Shiferaw Abebe

So much has changed in Ethiopia in the past one year, mostly for the better. A twenty-seven-year state tyranny was ended peacefully and a country that was a prison house for political dissidents, journalists, and human right activists has become a land of press and political freedom.

Individuals and political parties that were condemned as “terrorists” and banished from their country were redeemed fully and accepted with open arms to take part in the legal and peaceful political process. Draconian laws created to stifle dissent and critics are being revoked or amended.

The Election Board is now headed by a new chairwoman as a new female president is appointed to the Supreme Court, both picked from outside the EPRDF orbit.

A number of EPRDF old guards were rooted out of the security forces and key government positions and sent home for retirement.  Meanwhile charges have been brought against dozens of federal and kilil officials for egregious corruption and human right violations; no match to the number that should face justice but a strong message nonetheless that the new government will not tolerate such crimes.

In all, the political liberalization that took place in Ethiopia under Prime Minister (PM) Abiy Ahmed’s leadership has been spectacular in its speed, scope, and peaceful manner.

Meanwhile, an equally, if not more, remarkable feat has been stabilizing and governing a country that was in a freefall politically, economically, and financially. Ensuring millions of federal and regional public sector employees are paid their salaries regularly; continuing government programs and services at least at the status quo levels; servicing the pile of domestic and international debts; and averting famine from millions of Ethiopians were tremendous tasks for a new administration that inherited a bankrupt public account from TPLF.

Today, inter-ethnic conflicts and internal displacements are serious problems but they could have been much worse if it were not for the goodness of the Lord and PM Abiy’s constant messages of unity, harmony, and love. His lucid and powerful messages were perhaps most responsible for calming down Ethiopians and creating space in their collective minds to hope for a better tomorrow rather than harboring self-fulfilling fear of doom and gloom.

Over a year ago, many were anxious about the potential disintegration of their as they feared the breakup of the security forces along ethnic lines following the end of the TPLF rule.  Today, while the militarization of kilils is a potential threat for the unity of the country down the road, there is no serious concern about the unity and integrity of the federal security forces. The PM’s military background and his wise and calm commander-in-chief leadership has diffused any tensions within the security forces, recommitting them to their legitimate role of safeguarding the unity and integrity of the country.

On the external front, the swift and strategic action in ending the 20-year impasse with Eritrea and restoring the brotherly-sisterly relationship between the two people, and the efforts to recalibrate relationships with other horn countries is already paying off in ways that will be more apparent in the years to come.

The above is a partial list of PM Abiy’s and his administration’s accomplishments over the past year. If he were to retire tomorrow, I would think he would retire his shoulders high and proud of what he has done for his country. But there is more work to do – most importantly the country will need to move beyond political liberalization toward a political reform before the next election. He, more than anyone we can think of at this point in time, has the right combination of intellect, skills, temperament, wisdom, and institutional advantages to lead that reform.

Resolving the conflict between democracy and ethnic self-rule…

Whether Ethiopia will have a stable political system that ensures peace and stability and create the environment for economic development and social wellbeing for all its citizens will depend on whether democracy is institutionalized in the country.  However, instituting democracy is not going to be easy or straight forward, not only because the key political players have their own versions of democracy; more importantly, because some of them see ethnic self-rule as paramount even if it must be guaranteed at the expense of democracy. Ethno-nationalists, in general, and the extremists among them, in particular, see democracy as merely a bundle of rights and ethnic self-rule as a core democratic right.

Contending this view are those who see democracy as more than a bundle of rights,  primarily as a political system of a particular form with laws and other institutions that ensure equal and inalienable political, economic, and social rights and equities to all citizens regardless of kilil, differences in language, culture, or any other demographic background.

This contention cannot be resolved by referring to the constitution because the constitution is conflicted, indeed contradictory, on the relationship between democracy and ethnic self-rule. On one hand, it provides for the political rights of individual citizens including their right to vote and be elected to political offices “without any discrimination based on colour, race, nation, nationality, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion or other status” (38:1). This implies, a non-ethnic political party can compete in local and kilil elections and, if elected by a majority vote, form a government in those localities or kilils.

At the same time, the constitution takes away individual citizens rights stated under 38:1 when it gives all sovereign (political) power to nations, nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia (8:1) “expressed through their representatives …” (8:3). The notorious Article 39, which provides for “the unconditional right of Nations, Nationalities and People to self-determination, including the right to secession (39:1), further states “every Nation, Nationality and People in Ethiopia has the right to a full measure of self-government which includes the right to establish institutions of government in the territory that it inhabits and to equitable representation in state and Federal governments” (39:3).

Ethiopia is the only country in the world that has the kind of constitution it has and the type of federalism it has. That, in and of itself should lend a strong support for changing both.  More aptly, constitutionalized ethnic self-rule is undemocratic in its essence, because it discriminates citizens on the basis of their ethnic background. This fact is incontestable in today’s Ethiopia given the eviction of millions of Ethiopians from their homes and property on the basis of ethnic identity, or in view of the fact that, as we speak, non-ethnic political parties are not allowed or given protection by kilil, zonal or woreda authorities to hold public meetings, open offices or establish party structures in most parts of Oromia, for example (not to mention Tigray). This problem has snowballed to other kilils as well, making political activity outside of Addis a precarious proposition for non-ethnic parties at this point.

Resolving the contradiction between democracy and ethnic self-rule in Ethiopia will require a courageous, principled, yet pragmatic approach that, on the one hand, acknowledges that ethnic politics may not or need not disappear tomorrow (the pragmatic), while, on the other hand, affirms the precedence of democracy over ethnic self-rule (the principle).

A democratic system based on the respect of the rights of individual citizens does not preclude the existence or participation of ethnic parties in the political process including their ability to form local, regional, or federal governments if elected democratically.  What a true democratic system does not allow is a constitutionally-mandated ethnic self-rule. In other words, how or by who kebeles, woredas, kilils, or the federal government are ruled is left up to the democratic political process.

A good example for this could be Canada where a democratic federalist system has functioned since Canada’s creation some 150 years ago.  One of its provinces, Quebec, is distinct in its predominant French background, which in turn has shaped the politics in that province. Quebec has a dozen and a half registered parties with ideologies ranging from federalism to nationalism to sovereignty, and from neoliberalism to social liberalism to Marxism-Leninism.  Looking at the past 15 years, for illustration, Quebec was governed by Quebec Liberal Party (a federalist and neoliberal) from 2003 to 2008 and from 2014 to 2018; by Parti Québécoi (pro sovereignty and social democratic) from 2012 to 2014; and by Coalition Avenir Quebec (pro Quebec nationalism and fiscal conservatist) since 2018.

It goes without saying French speaking and non-French speaking Quebecers have exactly the same democratic rights and the same protection of their personhood and their property under the law at all times and regardless of which party is in power.

A political roadmap through a national convention …

Those who would like to keep ethnic federalism into the future argue the inequities of the past 27 years were a result of TPLF’s undemocratic and hegemonic power exercise. The fact is, however, any of the other ethnic parties would have committed more or less the same inequities had they been in TPLF’s place. That aside, the past one year has proven that Ethiopia cannot be at peace, ensure democracy or mitigate its economic challenges, let alone prosper, under the current political system. In fact, we are witnessing an evolution of a multipolar power dynamics between the major ethnic groups that will inevitably weaken the federal government, heighten power and resource competitions and increase inter-ethnic tensions, conflicts and displacements at a scale much bigger and wider than seen in the past.  No one – no kilil, region or community – will benefit whatsoever from a system that is prone to alienation, constant conflicts and instability.

Reforming the current system will require changing the constitution, but this cannot be achieved through the constitutional route, i.e., by following the process stipulated in the constitution itself. Because, the constitution (thanks to TPLF’s sinister ploy) confers a veto power on each and every one of the nine kilil councils (not to be confused with the people of those kilils) to vote down any change to chapter 3 of the constitution – the very chapter that is the basis of the current ethnic federalism.

What would be needed is to rewrite the current constitution by a political decision. A strategic approach to accomplish this would be to first engage all stakeholders through an honest dialogue on the kind of political system the country should have going forward.  Moving from one political system to another peacefully requires time and a well-planned process and broad buy-in, hence the need for a national convention to develop a political transition roadmap.

Over a year ago, many Ethiopians called for a national convention to chart a new political direction for the country, a call that is as relevant today. Meanwhile, in the past several months, the PM’s office has used different platforms to engage intellectuals and other thought leaders in on-going conversations of topical and immediate issues facing the country. As useful as these dialogues are, they cannot substitute or delay a political level dialogue on reshaping the political system in the country.  This dialogue will need to be structured, focussed, outcome oriented and facilitated by a preliminary outline of a roadmap prepared by the PM himself.

The national convention could be preceded by the PM’s targeted engagements starting with the executive committee of EPRDF, followed by as many opposition political parties as possible (individually and in small groups), intellectuals and other key stakeholders.

The goal of the convention should be to come out with a consensus that will allow the PM to draft a clear roadmap for political transition in Ethiopia. The format and length of the convention are process matters but as important as the end objective. For example allocating time for structured and focussed bilateral and plurilateral conversations between the various stakeholders would as important as the all inclusive discussions.

How the upcoming election fits in the roadmap could be part of the dialogue at the national convention. One option could be push the election as far back as necessary to rewrite the constitution and ratify it through a referendum. However, as long there is an agreement on a clear roadmap and the election assured to be fair and free, rewriting the constitution can wait for after the election.

There are risks associated with any step as bold as changing a political system.  However, not taking this step will have graver risks. Ethiopia cannot be held together for long by bandaging an inherently divisive, contentious political system. Changing this system is the PM Abiy’s historical responsibility, destiny and the legacy he can leave behind for generations to come. Without changing the system, everything he has done so far and staked his life for will not have a lasting impact.  But he cannot do this by himself; at the appropriate time in this process, he should bring the Ethiopian people into his plans and seek their support. He is still a highly approved and trusted leader by most Ethiopians. With their support, he can do anything!

shiferawabebe1@gmail.com

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NES COMMENTARY No.45

Network of Ethiopian Scholars (NES): May 25, 2019

Title: Celebrate Africa Day to Learn all of Africa’s Positive Contributions to the World!

by Mammo Muchie: DST/NRF SARChI Research Professor, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa & Chair of the Board of the Ethiopian Professional Association In Southern Africa (EPASA https://www.ethpasa.org/)

Inspiration               

“I have often been accused of pursuing a “policy of the impossible.” However, I cannot believe in the impossibility of achieving African union any more than I could ever have thought of the impossibility of attaining African freedom. Africa must unite. We have before us not only an opportunity but a historic duty.” ((Nkrumah 1963: 231) 

1. Introduction

Every year on May 25, 2019, we have Africa day celebration. This year on Africa day the new president of South Africa will be inaugurated who will also be the president of the Africa Union; so Africa day can either be combined together or be celebrated a day before or after. South Africa should make both the day and the month the Africa unity and renaissance education driving time. We have been running the African Unity and Renaissance series of conferences annually and South African partners have all been paying for it. This has made us all feel very proud of South Africa for making tangible Pan-African contributions. We just did the 9^th Africa Unity for Renaissance conference that the SARChI chair was a founding member continuing to contribute without fail for the last nine years.

As the education system does not value and include the rich knowledge, struggle and spiritual heritages of Africa, the Africa Day should open the possibility to become the education and learning day. How great it will be even beyond the day the full Month of May is allocated for all Africans to know each other and learn about the rich positive data, narratives and heritages of Africa. This knowledge that Africa created is critical to learn in order to change the mind-set of all Africans. It is time for Africans to know one another, trust each other and recognise and appreciate the rich knowledge, spiritual and struggle heritages that our ancestors created and left behind that we have failed to acknowledge.   We should de-colonise the state, the universities and even the way we value what we manufacture and buy and sell. The Africa day can provide the opportunity to create the space and platform to exchange how we can move forward to bring back what has been ignored and excluded to make a big difference to harvest the rich wealth and resources of Africa to make all Africans live a sustainable well-being anchored quality of life and decent existence always and ever without fail. Innovate education, Educate all with creativity, invention, social innovation and social entrepreneurship. Create Smart, creative, inventive, innovative, entrepreneurial Africans to liberate fully Africa with full integration, knowledge and   eradication of poverty, unemployment, inequality and carbon rich diet climate risks in developing united, renascent and sustainable Africa.

2. Africa Day: Remove the Negative Data to Bring Back and Value the African Positive Data

Africa has not come out yet from the over 500 years of negative data based on the pessimism of description as well as a pessimism of prescription. There is still the condescending and often violent gaze from diagnosis to destiny about Africa’s past, present and future with an underlying tone of reproach and even unwelcome condemnation. There is a need to protest and resist against this negative projection.

 Africans need to know where they are going. They must comprehend the difficult journey of where they come from.   What do Africans see when they look back?’ They are often overwhelmed by seeing mainly the destructive 500 years of the dehumanising African experience. They rarely acknowledge, appreciate, recognise and promote the positive and constructive African knowledge heritage and contribution that the African ancestors created before the period of destruction.  The current education system hardly recognises that this rich knowledge, and science and technology heritage ever existed. This positive heritage or data should be included systematically in the curriculum of African schools. It is disheartening to realise that the demand to change education policy in Africa often receives a lukewarm reception. The inclusion of the African knowledge heritage is much needed to design new models that prevent dependence and encourage creativity and innovation by African learners. The negative narrative emanating from the destructive period must end. The constructive and positive heritage must be resurrected and serve to educate and wean generations of Africans, starting from children from kindergarten and going up to the tertiary level.

The positive data is much needed to reject the negative legacy of colonialism, imperialism, apartheid, neo- colonialism and all the varieties of oppression that continue to affect the people. The positive data will change Africans from the way they think, to the way they look and work. African learners need to make a big difference by becoming Africans with agency, pride, dignity, self-reliance, self-confidence, freedom and interdependence. The Pan-African education system must capture critically both the heritages, the re-thinking of narratives and the future.  Ethiopianism, Pan Africanism and African Renaissance, as three in one together, must provide the foundation and defining meta-narrative for rethinking, re-designing and re-engineering the completely African education system. Ways must be found to promote the Pan African education system across the world without excluding anyone by making sure all are encouraged, invited and welcomed.

The reason why we must resurrect the history and knowledge of the positive heritage and data is to learn that the African past contains rich sources of knowledge that are highly relevant for today and tomorrow. The rich knowledge exists but we were made not to know it. It is time to choose like the Africa Day to make all Africans to be exposed to the knowledge, struggle and spiritual heritages created in Africa and by Africans for all to grow up with learning always systematically without fail. This can indeed be achieved by consistently putting all of them together in the curriculum.

When past generations went to school, they never learned the following remarkable facts about Africa. Even today, we ask, who in Africa knows that Africa is the origin of humanity? Who knows that Africa has made discoveries in mathematics, astronomy, science and technology? Who knows that Africa is also the origin of universities? It is not me but astronomers and engineers from Western research universities that have acknowledged evidence that in many major inventions, Africans have made documented contributions.

Carbon steel was made 2,000 years ago in Tanzania: astronomical observations by the Dogons in Mali have been acknowledged by those scholars such as Carl Sagan of Cornel University: language, mathematical systems, architecture, agriculture, cattle rearing, navigation of inland waterways and open seas, medicine and communication, writing systems- in all these fields Africans have been inventors. The negative narrative that Africans have not been inventors must be rejected. There were also African fractals in West and Central Africa that have been demonstrated by repeating geometric patterns on various scales that have been used in textiles, paintings, sculpture, cosmologies, architecture, town planning. Today fractals are the basis of the World Wide Web. In Ethiopia, the mathematics that applies binary logic has been used for both computation and Meta physics. The Ethiopian method of mathematical calculation was released publicly by BBC4 with commentary by scholars from UK’s Open University. This ancient mathematics from Ethiopia demonstrated that Africans used binary logic of mathematical calculation, which is similar to what is behind today’s internet explorer and other computer -based systems.

African knowledge in agriculture is rich as this has been recognised and acknowledged fully by the US Academy of Science in 1996. The academy agrees that Africa has more native cereals than any other continent, has its own species of rice, as well as finger millet, and several dozen wild cereals whose grains are eaten. This is a food heritage that has fed people for generations, possibly stretching back to the origins of humankind.

Africa had a rich past before the destruction and the dehumanisation of Africans. It is high time that the positive data from the past is resurrected. The more Africans learn to unite and stand up together, the more there will be the opportunity for Africans to resurrect the positive data for undertaking and performing in the 21^st century the constructive Pan-African transformation. Africa must reject epistemological marginalisation and overcome strongly the Africa failure narrative and dwelling on the negative data. It is important to recognise that Africans can be able to do so only if they are to re-engineer the entire education system by promoting Ethiopianism, Pan Africanism and African renaissance as three into one, and African unity expressed with the three foundations. Success of uniting the three into one will make a big difference. Then the Africa that the imperial- colonial builders rejected will become the cornerstone of the arch for creating a humane and civilised not only Africa but also the rest of the world.

3. The Pan African Contribution from South Africa

Who knows that the first 1900 Pan-African Conference was not only organised by Henry Sylvester Williams but also by a South African female Pan-African activist Anne Victoria Kinloch? She was the co-founder with Sylvester Williams of the African Association that organised the first Pan-African Congress in 1900, but she is not included in all the narratives.

Who also knows that in 1906 Pixley ka Isaka Seme from South Africa initiated the African renaissance by writing a book on regeneration of Africa. He was also one of the earliest Africans to do his degree in an Ivy league university in New York City at Columbia University making major contributions to inspire Africans in America. Azikiwe from Nigeria wrote the book renascent Africa in 1937.Cheikh Anta Diop did his in 1966. The earlier contributions, however, all came from South Africa.

The end of apartheid also brought the Thabo Mbeki contributions to make Africa fully renascent. In fact, the most significant positive development for Africa after the end of the cold war is the emergence of South Africa from its apartheid era exclusion and isolation. Post–apartheid South Africa should have been the South Africa with the rest of Africa and conversely the rest of Africa also united fully with South Africa. The reason for this much needed closer integration is to strengthen both South Africa and the rest of Africa by combining all the needed energy to liberate Africa entirely from all the dangers of the colonial onslaught that has not been fully removed.

South Africa very much needs the rest of Africa to avoid being pushed aside itself from the harsh competition in the current fourth industrial revolution of the global economy. The strength of the South African economy making with the rest of Africa beneficial connections would help to insulate the weaker African economies by providing an alternative to the challenges of the African states facing the unequal lack of benefits from the current global economy. The relationship between South Africa and the rest of Africa can be mutually beneficial if both sides develop a Pan-African outlook, perspective and shared goal and interests.

The problem is thus twofold: First, South Africa has to evolve a Pan-African perspective from the debris of its apartheid past involving all sections of its communities. Second, the rest of Africa should be able to recognise the benefits and  values in making the South African connection an important prod to enter the world economy on terms, for a change, not dictated against Africa’s best interests. Thus if South Africa evolves a clear Africa role, opportunities exist to adding new energy and vitality to conversations regarding the revival and renewal of African unity. Something like a second edition of Pan African ideals, potentialities and projections under the changed circumstances of the time can be fostered. This will open the opportunities for South Africa and its leaders to utilize their hard-earned reputation to repair Africa’s fractured identity, unity, future and destiny.

4. Conflicts multiply in defending borders left from the scramble for Africa time of divide and rule

The borders are drawn cynically by outsiders in all parts of Africa. Families have even been divided and tribalism promoted to make divide and rule successful to benefit external actors. Why do Africans fight each other to protect borders others cynically drew to divide even families? The divide and rule divisive plot has plagued Africa with so many conflicts and wars. Africans should have united and rejected the borders.

There is a need to make an agreement where no African must not lose life to defend borders that others for their interest and not for African benefits. There must be full agreement never to fight one another to defend such borders. If the U.S.A. has the whole world in one state, why do we Africans fail to unite? China is united. India is united. Europe is united. Where is Africa now? We have the Africa Union, but we are not still united yet. Time to accelerate this unity. South Africa should help this unity process. Let South Africa herself also become South of Africa; then it can give big lessons for other Africans to follow up to do the same! They all must put Africa first and recognise they are all shaped with colonial mistakes.

Trade, mobility and currency still are big challenges to promote African sustainable, smart, innovative and sustainable development. They have not all agreed to sign the continental free trade zone. Africans still have not agreed to learn and speak the language the Africa Union has selected. Africa has its own alphabet, its own calendar and even long before the European enlightenment, there was the African enlightenment acknowledged by Western scholars.

The African union has not removed yet Anglophone, Lusophone, Francophone and Levantine Phone classifications. All Africans should agree to speak at least a few languages. There must be an agreement by all which languages to choose. Africa has an ancient Ge’ez alphabet and even a calendar system now still exists in current Ethiopia. These were created when ancient Ethiopia had the name Africa. Why not learn to use our own African alphabet, numbering system and calendar. Why stay locked in speaking colonial languages. We can use the current digital on line training to make all of us learn the African languages. We can enrich and develop the selected and chosen languages. Africa is not a phone. Africa is philia (love).

Africa’s spiritual heritage with values of Ubuntu can save not only Africa but also the world. Africa has the richest philosophy that will save the world.

The struggle heritage should be valued. Africans from all over have struggled from the time of slavery. They have won major anti-colonial battles from Haiti, South Africa and Ethiopia.

5. The Struggle Heritage:125 Years of Adwa African Victory: Celebrate with Statues in the Africana World for the Leaders that Deserve

The great African Adwa victory will be celebrated as the 125 years in 2021. The 120 years’ celebration was done all over the world. In South Africa, former president brother Thabo Mbeki gave a well-researched and powerful presentation. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=624BaD6wKIQ). The opportunity to celebrate the 125 years by erecting statues for the African leaders like Aste Menelik and Etigue Taitu in the different regions of Africa exists. It will be good as Ethiopianism was powerfully promoted in Southern Africa and after the 1896 Adwa Great African Victory, there was the second Ethiopia Manifesto, the erection of statues in Southern Africa should be accepted by the Government of South Africa. It will be exemplary to do it in order to promote the Pan-African and African unity for renaissance objective that all Africans must realise without fail. Africa Day and Africa Month should deliver tangible outputs.

6. Time to Make African People own Africa: Set Up the African Sovereign Wealth Fund

Africa still loses every year billions with more than six times her resources taken away. All Africans must own rich Africa; not others should own Africa’s rich resources and wealth as it has been and has not ended. Ways must be found how to make all the people of Africa are enabled to own Africa’s rich  resources. Norway created the sovereign wealth fund when it discovered oil in 1996 by making the people own the resources, not the states or private companies. Africa is super rich, if the people own Africa’s resources, they will all have their social well- being secured.

The solar energy even the Sahara can also provide free electricity for all of Africa by making at the same time the Sahara Deseret a green zone. We have the African Solar Energy network that is trying to promote this important project (www.ansole.org). The Sahara should unite Africa. It should not divide Africans. I was recently in Tunisia and shared this message. The African union has not removed yet Anglophone, Lusophone, Francophone and Levantine Phone classifications.

All Africans should agree to speak at least a few languages. There must be an agreement. Africa has an ancient Ge’ez alphabet and even a calendar system now still exists in current Ethiopia. These were created when ancient Ethiopia had the name Africa. Why not learn to use our own African alphabet, numbering system and calendar. The language selected Kiswahili should use the Ge’ez alphabet that a Swedish professor said is much better than the Roman/Latin alphabet. Why stay locked in speaking colonial languages. Africa is not a phone. Africa is philia (love).

Africa’s spiritual heritage with values of Ubuntu can save not only Africa but also the world. The spiritual heritage in Africa should also bring back all the rich values, traditions and indigenous knowledge. I recently visited the Hayk Estfanos Monastery that created so much knowledge about astronomy and all other physical and natural spheres of life. The knowledge is very rich but it is not accessible. Ways must be discovered to share the rich knowledge that combines spirituality with the natural world.

We should do all we can to also value our belief systems and traditions instead of copying mission churches that played a big role in promoting colonialism. Let our spiritual heritage be valued as our knowledge and struggle heritages. Together they will make Africa radiate moral, intellectual, and economic and political intelligence that will not only make Africa great but also the rest of  Africa and the world.

7. Concluding Remarks

Africans need to come together and know each other and remove all the negative obstructions that distract the unity and renaissance vision, mission and project identity. Time for all Africans to   see and recognise themselves first as African human citizens and fast –track to create the one Africa nation. Now, Now, Now! It should have been done already but we should all work very hard to do it and make our people own Africa and create leadership qualities that serve rather than that steal; institutions and systems that we all value and learn to agree even if we disagree to discover and find a way to re-agree. If we Africans value Africa we should all be humble, honest, sincere and with integrity shape the future destiny of the rich Africa to stop forever and always to make the people poor. Let rich Africa make the people of Africa rich and let us transform, reform and perform to make sure we are out of the current paradox of having rich Africa with its resources flowing out while the people are poor. Let the betrayal of Africa by all who have been doing it for so long stop forever.

Decolonizing Africa should have been fully achieved with unity, freedom and liberation. Neo-colonialism, aid, loan and debt dependency continue with huge resource flight from Africa. Time to liberate Africa by making Africans to unite and own Africa now to go beyond all these unending dangers haunting rich Africa not enabled to change the poverty, inequality and unemployment of the people. It is unity and liberation time now. Let the Africa Day and Month highlight these liberation and unity values for all. Time now to unite and make Africa renascent without fail and use Africa Day to spread and share this important message to all in the world. Let Africa unite, regenerate and be renascent.

8. References

1. http://www.africanbookscollective.com/authors-editors/mammo-muchie

2.https://www.amazon.com/Making-Africa-Nation-Pan-Africanism-African-Renaissance/dp/0954503724

3.https://www.amazon.in/Books-Mammo-Muchie/s?rh=n%3A976389031%2Cp_27%3AMammo+Muchie

4.https://www.foresightfordevelopment.org/featurebd/pan-africanism-iv

5.https://newafricanmagazine.com/news-analysis/businesseceonomy/need-africa-centred-innovations-systems-prof-mammo-muchie/

6.https://www.waterstones.com/author/mammo-muchie/556127 

7.https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/978-1-78560-311-220151002

8.https://muse.jhu.edu/book/27516

9.https://www.scidev.net/global/cooperation/opinion/african-networks-needed-to-improve-higher-education.html

10. https://www.sahistory.org.za/archive/turning-adwa-global-heritage-site-pan-african-struggle-mammo-muchie-pambazuka-news-02-march

11.http://vbn.aau.dk/en/persons/mammo-muchie(89262108-15d6-4a1f-bb4e-65872bf5f912)/publications.html

12.https://us2.campaign-archive.com/?u=46728cff27280ebef4dd887b3&id=7638870fb2

13. http://vbn.aau.dk/files/33248386/workingpaper_83.pdf

14..https://books.google.it/books?id=rpdmDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA58&lpg=PA58&dq=Mammo+muchie+Pan-African+Books&source=bl&ots=8mjVRizpUc&sig=ACfU3U23JKpFyfhWUuD3oDmDYSUUH_rGJw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi2_bbc5KnhAhXF6qQKHbGcDQg4FBDoATAGegQICRAB#v=onepage&q=Mammo%20muchie%20Pan-African%20Books&f=false

15, https://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319921792

16. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24487452?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

17..http://www.ligabanews.com/index.php/component/k2/item/305-professor-muchie-a-giant-scholar-of-pan-africanism

18.https://searchworks.stanford.edu/catalog?q=%22Muchie%2C+Mammo.+%22&search_field=search_author

19.https://ieri.org.za/sites/default/files/outputs/Research_Knowledge_Training-Mammo_Muchie.pdf

20. https://journals.co.za/content/aa_afren/1/1/EJC10021

21  https://www.codesria.org/IMG/pdf/mammo_muchie.pdf?584/…

. file:///C:/Users/Mamo%20Muchie/Downloads/mammo_muchie%20(3).pdf

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By:Gavin O’Toole

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Emilie Dewarde

PARIS (Reuters) – A French woman whose husband died in the crash of a Boeing 737 MAX airliner in Ethiopia has filed a U.S. lawsuit against the planemaker, seeking at least $276 million in damages.

The crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 in March killed all 157 passengers and crew aboard and followed the death in October of 189 people on a Lion Air 737 MAX which plunged into the ocean off Indonesia in similar circumstances.

Dozens of families have sued Boeing over the Lion Air crash, and several lawsuits have been lodged over the Ethiopian crash near the capital Addis Ababa, which led airlines around the world to ground the Boeing 737 MAX.

The lawsuit on behalf of Nadege Dubois-Seex, whose husband Jonathan Seex was a Swedish and Kenyan citizen and chief executive of the Tamarind Group of Companies, was filed in a U.S. District Court in Chicago, her lawyer said on Tuesday.

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By Assegid Habtewold[1]

Ethiopian Science and Academic Network and One Pupil organized a conference at Ethiopian Embassy in Washington DC on May 18^th 2019. Congratulations to the team for organizing such a successful event. We need these kinds of platforms to deliberate and strategize on how to improve our education system, one of the key factors to transform our country. The theme of my 15 minutes presentation was “The Place of Leadership Development to Implement the Ethiopian Education Roadmap.” This article captures the main essence of the presentation.

From the start, I disclaimed that I’m not here as an expert on education, but rather, as a leadership practitioner who began taking lead as a youth leader in the early 90’s. As the president of AAU students’ union, in the late 90’s, I had also some golden opportunities to witness the place of leadership from a very close distance- from the classroom to the ministerial level. I was lucky to serve together with some great student leaders, and work with faculty and department heads. Unfortunately, I also observed some failed leadership while I was traveling to the different faculties of AAU, a few universities out side of Addis, and some government offices. In short, I had enough exposures to attest the vital place of leadership for our education system.

I was also there presenting as a leadership professional. I wrote books, articles, and blogs on the theme leadership. I’ve been coaching and training leaders of some government agencies, major corporations, and community organizations here in the US. During my recent travel to Ethiopia, last November, I had chances to conduct some consultative discussions, make keynotes, and facilitate workshops for some corporations and learning institutions. I am grateful for the opportunities I was given. These experiences allowed me to closely witness the eagerness of the leadership of these institutions to bring leadership experts like myself to empower their people. I also saw the hunger and thirst for knowledge from participants. That is to say, I was there presenting as a leadership professional to share my thoughts on how leadership development is critical to implement the Roadmap successfully.

Before jumping to talk about the vital role leadership plays for the implementation of the Roadmap, I gave a context. Reminding the audience that Ethiopia is experiencing change, I pointed out that in the past people used to say ‘change or risk stagnation’. But, in the 21^st C, it’s ‘change or die’. You might have already noticed, many individuals, organizations, and communities ‘died’ because they had resisted change. Like the dinosaurs, many ‘died’ because they failed to be friend with change. They were unable to make deep change on time. Otherwise, all victims of change tried to catch up with it but it was too late. They were stubborn to undergo deep change when it mattered the most, and paid dire prices.

Ethiopia now is in a critical juncture aspiring to undergo a transformational change. This is encouraging. Hope is on the horizon. However, we should understand that change means one thing to some and another all together to others. It is subjective. What is more? Change has also levels: Superficial and Deep.

For example, if my current shoe is hurting me, I just need to buy a new one. I don’t need to go through lots of structural and deep changes. However, if I had an accident and if I broke my leg, I need a deep change that may include amputating my leg and having a substitute. Another example. If a company is experiencing revenue decline, it may need to make some quick changes to reverse gear and begin increasing its income. Nonetheless, if a company is losing its customers in mass and its market share going down spiral, it has to go deep change before it goes bankrupt. This kind of change, nevertheless, demands changing at so many levels including the top leadership, the policies, brand, and the underlining culture of the organization.

Depending on where we are, we can choose either level of change. Both are relevant in their rightful place. But, we have to stop and make that call wisely. Sustainable development at national level calls for a deeper change.

In my personal opinion, the kind of change that Ethiopia needs at this juncture is deep change, not superficial. If we are on the same page on this, for a given deep change to succeed, the least, these must be carried out:

1. Reforming the culture
2. Putting in place the necessary laws
3. Building/rebuilding institutions
4. Remodeling the education system
5. Developing the people

Though each of these is important, in my presentation, I only highlighted the last two points. In my future writings, I may cover the remaining top three. For now, as you may already now, Ethiopia decided to reform its education system. That is why we have now a new Roadmap. This is outstanding.

As I disclaimed earlier, I wasn’t there as an expert on education that I didn’t talk about the actual Roadmap and its content. My focus was about the need to raise competent leaders who could implement the Roadmap so that its intentions are translated into concrete results. And, in turn, Ethiopia, through her new education Roadmap may equip the next generation leaders who enable her experience true transformation in one generation.

Change isn’t a one-time phenomenon. It’s a process. Sometimes, it takes years, even decades. Though change is fluid and don’t take a straight-line, for the sake of understanding, let’s break down change into three phases: Initiating, Implementing, and Sustaining. Note that there are many major and mini-steps within each core stage. A given organization or nation may also pass through multiple stages at the same time. The activities that should be carried out under each stage also vary from a given change case to another.

The Roadmap is now in the Initiation phase. There may be some implementations underway though. At this point, it is very critical to think about developing leaders at all levels to implement the Roadmap so that it may achieve its goal and objectives. As the saying goes: ‘leadership makes or breaks’. Look at any nation or organization, even a family. If you see that nation or organization or family flourishing and advancing, no doubt, though there may be other factors, the single most important factor is leadership.

We may not agree about its definition and may remain arguing about what kind of leadership is necessary for a given organization or nation. Interestingly, like beauty, we all know leadership when we see it. When we walk into a place or organization or village, we will immediately sense the presence or absence of leadership. That is why the phrase ‘leadership makes or breaks’ resonates to many around the world.

You can have everything you need for a change and still may not succeed. If there is lack of proper leadership from the top to bottom, the change will fail. For the Roadmap to get implemented successfully, we need competent leaders. However, we cannot have such leaders without investing our time, energy, and resources. We need to plan and strategize to develop leaders. In short, for the Roadmap to bring meaningful change and finally produce productive citizens who are part of the solution to transform Ethiopia, we need to develop the organizational and leadership capacity of leaders from the top to the grassroots- classroom level.

Every new effort starts with idea, then you write it down, and finally you implement it. Afterward, you evaluate to see if it worked and attained the intended results. If it succeeded, great, if not, you regroup and start the process all over again. At each level of this flow, we need leadership with unique qualifications.

When the Roadmap was released, it passed the ideation phase. After documenting the new ideas that aimed at improving the education system, next is gathering inputs to improve it, and ultimately implement it.  The latter is the toughest. That is why, going forward, it is key to develop competent leaders at all levels to implement the Roadmap successfully.

We need leaders at all levels. The top leadership- at the Ministry level is the highest leadership that should focus on vision casting, and providing clear directions, and this Roadmap is one of the deliverables of the top leadership and those professionals who consulted and advised the leadership. The vision also needs effective strategies. The top leadership in close consultation mainly with leaders at university and college levels, I presume, have already come up with or may still be working on it to enlist potential strategies and tactics to implement the Roadmap. At the end of the day, leaders of faculties and departments, their admin staff, and teachers/faculty members are the ones who play critical leadership roles for the successful implementation of the strategies and tactics on the ground to translate the vision into realities. The vision may abort if there is a lack of competent leadership at this level of the hierarchy. Leadership is especially critical at this level in the hierarchy due to the fact that leaders/teachers not only they should equip their respective students technically, but also they are expected to demonstrate leadership in empowering their students by molding their attitudes, mindsets, people skills, and character. They cannot do that theoretically. They should lead by example. If they themselves aren’t well developed as leaders, they cannot fulfill this obligation. Remember, students may not pay attention to what their leaders/teachers are saying but rather what they do. There is a saying, “Your actions are so loud that I cannot hear you.”

Of course, at the end of the day, we need new breed technocrats in all fields of studies who are not just technically superb but also well equipped as problem solvers, proactive, innovative, and creative geniuses with ‘I can overcome and succeed’ mindset. These are important qualities of leadership. They should also develop character and demonstrate consistency, authenticity, and credibility to serve the public with integrity. These vital leadership attributes should be developed while students are still in school before they go out to serve. Parents and local community leaders, and other stakeholders at the grassroots level should also be empowered to play their respective roles for the successful implementation of the Roadmap.

Developing leaders should be done by following two routes: Short courses to achieve urgent and quick results, and long term programs for lasting solutions. Since implementing and harvesting the results of the new Roadmap takes years, if not decades, the relevant body at ministerial level should prepare for the long term development of leaders at all levels while partnering with other stakeholders to provide quick leadership development courses so that all stakeholders are ready to shoulder their respective leadership responsibilities to implement the Roadmap. The long term effort may require establishing a leadership organ (institute) or partnering with the existing leadership schools at various universities to custom design and provide some leadership programs according to the level of leadership of each stakeholder.

Whether in short or long term, the leadership development efforts should consider developing holistic leaders. The programs should incorporate contents that can produce all rounded leaders who have a) The right mindset and attitude, b) The necessary technical knowhow and soft skills [people skills], and c) Character. Providing mere leadership programs that only focus on developing skills doesn’t lead to raising competent leaders. It is like pouring a new win into an old wineskin. We cannot raise new breed leaders who can implement the Roadmap and at the end of the day change the destiny of our country while providing the usual leadership trainings without addressing outdated and counter productive mindset and flawed character.

That being said, how can PRO Leadership, a non-profit organization established in 2009 in the US, help in raising competent leaders who can successfully implement the Roadmap? Together with its strategic partners, the following are where it can help:

1. Creating platforms
2. Designing programs
3. Providing contents
4. Delivering motivational speeches, trainings, and mentoring programs
5. Evaluating these programs

The good news is that PRO Leadership is going to launch an Initiative called ‘Bridging the Leadership Gaps to Tackle the Major Challenges Africa Faces’ on May 29^th here in the US and July 17^th in Addis Ababa. The initiative outlined on how PRO Leadership teams up with its strategic partners to empower youth and women leaders in Africa, starting from Ethiopia, by engaging the diaspora. During these upcoming two launching events, we will gather the inputs, advice, and suggestions of potential strategic partners.

If you’re in the DC metro area, please join us on May 29^th 2019 @ 5pm at Veterans Plaza downtown Silver Spring, MD and let’s hear your opinion and how you may want to get involved. If you are in Ethiopia, mark your calendar and we look forward to hearing your inputs as well. In the meantime, PRO Leadership has already began discussing with some strategic partners here in the US and Ethiopia to begin implementing the Initiative one community at a time, and you and your organization may join us implement this initiative within your own community. To learn more about PRO Leadership and the Initiative, please visit our website at www.proleadership.org

[1] Dr. Assegid Habtewold is the Founder of PRO Leadership Global, Inc. (www.proleadership.org) Assegid can be reached at assegidh@gmail.com

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APA-Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)

Isuzu Motors Ltd said it has finalized preparations to open a vehicle assembly plant in Ethiopia in August 2019.

Mr.  Taro Kunifusa, General Manger of the company, announced the plan on  Saturday during the talk he had with Ambassador of Ethiopia to Japan,  Kassa Tekleberhan.

A Japanese vehicle manufacturer, Isuzu Motors supplies a wide range of products to the Ethiopian market, trucks in particular.

“We  want to engage in other investment sectors to take advantage of  Ethiopia huge market potential. We have finalized preparations to open a  vehicle assembly plant in August 2019” he said.

Ambassador  Kassa assured the company of government’s commitment to provide the  support the company needed to set up an assembly plant.

The  ambassador also briefed other officials of the company about the  investment opportunities in Ethiopia, according to Ethiopian Embassy in  Tokyo.

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The Financial Times
Tom Wilson in Dilla, Ethiopia

World’s biggest displacement of people threatens reforms of prime minister Abiy Ahmed

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https://www.ft.com/content/0fa7e73e-7afe-11e9-81d2-f785092ab560

On a drenched field in southern Ethiopia, hundreds of members of the ethnic Gedeo community are huddled together with nothing to do but wait. It had rained all night and the ragged shelters they had strung together were sinking in the mud.  “We can’t go back,” said Haptemu Mariam, 28, a father of six who fled his home in the Guji area of the neighbouring Oromia region last year. “The Guji people are dangerous,” he said, referring to a group with which his people had lived peacefully until a recent flare up of violence between the two groups.  About 700,000 people have been displaced by the Gedeo-Guji dispute, according to the UN. Yet it is just one of many inter-ethnic conflicts raging in Ethiopia that have given the country an unenviable distinction: last year more people fled their homes there than in any other nation on earth. In total, 2.9m people were displaced by December 2018, more than those dislodged in Syria, Yemen, Somalia and Afghanistan combined, according to estimates published this month. The upsurge in communal violence has coincided with the early days of Abiy Ahmed’s tenure as prime minister and is arguably the greatest threat to his lofty ambitions. Elected prime minister in April last year, Mr Abiy has won international praise for his sweeping political and economic reforms in Africa’s second-fastest growing economy. But the huge displacement during his tenure is the biggest black mark against the ambitious leader’s first year in office. “Officials and others [outside of the Abiy administration] have been focused on the opportunity for democratic progress, and they have been reluctant to also recognise this serious humanitarian and security crisis,” said William Davidson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, a think-tank.  Appointed by the ruling party to steady Ethiopia after three years of anti-government protests, Mr Abiy has won over much of the country with promises to reform the country’s authoritarian politics. He has released journalists and political prisoners, welcomed exiled dissidents back into the country, declared peace with longtime foe Eritrea and been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.  But this freedom has had dangerous consequences. Ethiopia is a complicated multi-ethnic federation with more than 80 ethno-linguistic groups. In many parts of the country, the new political atmosphere has allowed long-running tensions between communities to erupt into conflict as hate speech has flourished. Ethiopia’s prime minister Abiy Ahmed has promised to reform the political system but until his party agrees on how future power will be shared, violence could continue, warn experts © AFP More than 200,000 ethnic Oromos have been evicted from the western Benishangul-Gumuz region since September, while Benishangul authorities last month accused members of another ethnic group, the Amhara, of killing more the 200 people in a territorial dispute. Similar disputes have flared on Oromia’s eastern border with the Somali region.  In southern Ethiopia, Guji and Gedeo groups have periodically clashed over access to productive farmland, but the recent conflict was marked by an unusual intensity. In the villages around the town of Dilla where Mr Mariam and his family are huddled, the government has begun putting displaced people on buses to return them to their homes, in what they said was an effort to regain the initiative. Aadi Tigistu Boyalla, an official in charge of the response in the Gedeo zone, told the Financial Times that any security issues had been resolved and that the plan was for all the area’s 446,420 displaced people to be returned by the end of the month.  However, humanitarian workers accuse the government of rushing the process by returning people against their will to areas where the underlying causes of the conflict have not been addressed. Some were being taken back to homes that had been burnt or occupied, said one aid worker who declined to be identified.  “You just don’t wake up one day and return half a million people. You need to plan,” the person said. “Two years is a viable timeframe, not two weeks.”  The situation, long-ignored, is now generating international attention. “The government’s actions are making an ongoing humanitarian crisis even worse,” the Refugees International aid organisation said last week. “Pushing people to return to their home communities prematurely will only add to the ongoing suffering,” senior advocate Mark Yarnell said.  The prime minister’s office said all returns had been compliant with international best practice, but warned that unnamed “hostile” actors had sought to disrupt the process. “There are elements exploiting victims of displacement and conflict for their own agenda,” a spokesperson said.  Recommended African politics Ethiopian ethnic rivalries threaten Abiy Ahmed’s reform agenda One explanation is that political and community leaders from the Oromia region have seen the rise to the prime minister’s office of Mr Abiy — who is also from Oromia — as a chance to assert the rights of the region’s people. Other officials say that the conflicts are an unavoidable consequence of Ethiopia’s attempt to move from a de facto one-party state to a pluralist democracy.  For almost 30 years, Ethiopia has been governed as a collection of ethnic regions dominated by a single group at the head of a highly centralised state. Mr Abiy has promised to reform that system but until his party agrees on how future power will be shared, violence could continue, experts said.  “There’s a concern that the country is on a negative trajectory due to entrenched elite disagreement over what sort of federation Ethiopia should be and how to share power,” said Mr Davidson of the International Crisis Group. “Unless there’s some sort of agreement on a common vision for Ethiopia, there’s a danger that the turmoil continues, and possibly gets much worse.”

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by Prof. Alemayehu G. Mariam

Word on the street is that the Tigrean People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) is talking to “K” Street lobbyists to get the attention of the Trump administration.

According to the little bird who told me, the TPLF has retained a lobbying firm in Washington, D.C. to provide them access to top Trump officials for the purpose of thwarting, undermining and stopping the current reforms in Ethiopia.

The TPLF lobbying effort is said to be geared towards using U.S. aid, sanctions and other punitive policies to pressure the government of H.E. Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed to retract and significantly cut back on the ongoing political and economic reforms in Ethiopia.

My fly on the wall informant tells me that the argument to be used in convincing  Trump officials, as absurd and silly as it sounds, is that the current political and economic reforms in the country are dangerous, will unravel the ethnically organized political system, and if not stopped immediately, will lead to ethnic conflict and civil war.

According to my informants, the TPLF is in the process of raising at least USD $1 million to pay for lobbying services.

Apparently, TPLF leaders do not want to tap into the billions they stole from the Ethiopian people for the last 27 years for lobbying.

They want to hustle their crestfallen supporters and minions for the money just like they did in their criminal  bond sales for the so-called Renaissance Dam for which were sanctioned $6.5 million by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2016.

In May 2013, I told the TPLF they were committing a serious financial crime (and cited chapter and verse of the applicable U.S. Code to them), and should not sell unregistered bonds.

They did not believe me and got slammed with a multi-million dollar fine.

Truth be told, the people of Ethiopia got slammed with a multi-million dollar fine.

Other details about the TPLF’s latest lobbying efforts may come out in due course.

None of this comes as a surprise to me.

I have a pretty good idea how the TPLF uses lobbyists.

After all, I have fought TPLF lobbyists and their congressional supporters single-handedly, tooth and nail, since 2007.

I consider myself a veteran of TPLF “lobby wars” on The Hill.

Indeed, what the TPLF is trying to do today is not much different than what it did back in 2007 when it hired DLA Piper to stop passage of human rights legislation in Congress.

Back then, the TPLF was paying millions to lobbyists to stop passage of Ethiopia human rights bills in Congress to remain in power “for a hundred years”.

Today, the TPLF aims to pay millions to lobbyists to stop political reforms in Ethiopia, return to and remain in power “for a hundred years”.

In 1991, key U.S. officials helped the TPLF seize power.

Today, they think key U.S. officials can get them back to power.

DLA Piper is one of the largest law firms in the world with 4,200 lawyers in over 90 offices around the globe.

On May 4, 2006, the TPLF signed an agreement with DLA Piper to pay  $50 thousand a month plus hourly rates for lobbying services.

In September 2006, I declared full diaspora Ethiopian mobilization against DLA Piper lobbying efforts.

In October 2006, I mobilized Ethiopian American lawyers to oppose TPLF human rights violations.

In my call for grassroots advocacy and activism, I  declared, “Richard Armey, the former Majority Leader of the House of Representatives and lobbyist for the Ethiopian government, has arrayed his mighty DLA army against us and H.R. 5680.”

We did fight back with a massive grassroots campaign.

In August 2007, I fought mano a mano with DLA’s top lobbyists and partner Gary Klein in the firm’s Federal Affairs and Legislative Practice Group.

It was a battle between David and Goliath.

At the time, I had just joined the Ethiopian human rights movement following the Meles Massacres and was just cutting my teeth in grassroots activism and advocacy.

In mid-August 2007, Klein gave a radio interview in which he made numerous outrageous and preposterous claims.

Klein said there are no political prisoners in Ethiopia.

Klein said no one in Ethiopia has been jailed because of their political views or stand.

Klein said opposition leaders jailed by the TPLF after the 2005 election were all criminals.

Klein said reports of human rights abuses by international human rights organizations were lies and unsubstantiated allegations.

Klein said the TPLF regime allows full and unrestricted exercise of basic freedoms including free speech, free press and free electoral participation.

At the time, I made various efforts to contact Klein and challenge him to a public debate on the lies he told in his interview. But Klein refused to engage me.

So, I wrote him a 6,000-plus word letter in which I sliced and diced his outrageous lies and made them public.

I concluded my letter as follows: “We respect your public advocacy efforts on behalf of your client. We believe you are entitled to your opinion; but you are not entitled to your own facts.”

But the DLA Piper lobbying team batting for the TPLF had 12 other lobbyists, including power-hitter former House Republican majority leader Dick Armey.

Among the senators DLA Piper lobbied for the TPLF was one Barack Obama, who after becoming president in 2015 declared the TPLF “government of Ethiopia has been democratically elected.”

Between 9/01/2007-7/30/2008, the TPLF paid DLA Piper $1,351,851.25 for fees and expenses.

In return, DLA Piper made several hundred “contacts” with U.S. officials, media reps and others for the “Government of Ethiopia.”

Remarkably, with the exception of a few face-to-face meetings with members of Congress, all of the other official contacts by DLA Piper lobbyists were with congressional staffers by email.

On behalf of the TPLF, the DLA Piper firm made over 114 contacts with U.S. officials to prevent passage of H.R. 2003, almost all of them by email to Congressional staffers.

The TPLF also retained the services of the Dewey and LeBoeuf (DL) firm to do additional lobbying. DL is a prominent “white-shoe firm” with many Fortune 500 clients.

Between 12/26/2007 and 02/01/2008, DL snagged four payments from the “Government of Ethiopia” ($183,307.48; $28,642.50; $73,962.30; $300,000) for professional fees and expenses.

For $586 thousand, the TPLF got a total of 17 face-to-face meetings and 13 telephone contacts, principally with officials in the U.S. State Department Office of East African Affairs and the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs.

But my battle with DLA Piper in Congress continued.

I sought to meet and discuss H.R. 5680 with the now-disgraced and former House Speaker Dennis Hastert. I could only get a few minutes with one of his staffers.

So, I did two things. I wrote a 4,000-word letter to Hastert explaining  the facts of TPLF’s human rights abuses and pleaded with him to let the bill come to the floor.

More importantly, I was able to mobilize active citizens in Hastert’s Illinois 14^thcongressional district (DuPage, Kane, Kendall, LaSalle, DeKalb, and Lee counties in Illinois).

In less than a week, we were able to enlist the support of local evangelical, civic and media leaders in Hastert’s district.

Hundreds of telephone calls poured into Hastert’s Hill office.

Hastert’s staffers were amazed, but not amused, by the ferocity of our grassroots response.

Hastert heard us loud and clear but he did not listen to us.

My battle against TPLF lobbyists and legislative supporters continued as Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) became a notorious champion of the TPLF in the Senate and erected a legislative stonewall to prevent consideration of any Ethiopian human rights bills.

I challenged Inhofe and demanded an apology from him for making racist, offensive and mean-spirited comments about Ethiopians and Africans. On the Senate floor, Inhofe in effect said Africans care so little about their female babies they feed them “to the dogs”.

Suffice is to say, Inhofe is not known as the smartest member of the U.S. Senate.

In October 2007, Inhofe condemned H.R. 2003 after it passed the House absurdly claiming the bill “enflames tensions already present in the Horn of Africa, threatening regional stability and long-term U.S. national security.”

I challenged Inhofe once again.

I argued, “Inhofe is the quarterback on Team D.L.A. Piper lined up against H.R. 2003 in the Senate. Inhofe’s strategy is to use Senate procedures to delay and/or prevent action on the bill in committee; and to keep it away from the floor by making a veiled threat of a filibuster.”

I later confirmed from various sources that Inhofe had put a hold (prevented the bill from coming to the Senate floor) on HR 2003 in the Senate where it died.

But I managed to organize a group of Ethiopians in Oklahoma and elsewhere to protest and make mass telephone calls to Inhofe’s Senate office to release his hold.

In the intervening years, I have followed TPLF’s efforts to use highly paid American lobbyists to remain in power, as they like to brag, “for a hundred years”.

With Susan Rice as Obama’s top advisor and Gail Smith as USAID Administrator, the TPLF lived high on the hog at the U.S. aid candy store for 8 long years.

In May 2015, I challenged Smith, who incidentally was a TPLF employee in the mid-1980s, and whose nomination in the Senate I vigorously opposed, on her attempts to excuse the TPLF from responsibility for the recurrent famines in Ethiopia.

Smith’s response to my letter was laughable pap.

The election of Donald Trump in 2016 hit the TPLF like a ton of bricks.

They had counted on Hilary Clinton being a shoo-in for the presidency.

They were sure as the sun will rise tomorrow that with Hilary Clinton it will be business as usual and they will continue to ride the Barack Obama gravy train for another eight years.

The TPLF hit the panic button and on January 18, 2017, two days before President Donald Trump was inaugurated.

The TPLF signed a  “Memorandum of Understanding” (MOU) and agreed to pay SGR Government Relations, Lobbying (Washington, D.C) $150,000 per month “to develop and execute a public affairs plan to enhance the dialogue and relationships with policymakers, media, opinion leaders, and business leaders.”

The total amount to be paid by the T-TPLF under the MOU was a whopping USD$1.8 million.

The T-TPLF was in complete panic that the Trump administration will drop the hammer on them. They were desperate to get some influence.

In the waning months of the presidential campaign, my little bird informants were telling me that TPLF representatives were making frantic efforts to gain access to Trump advisors through Republican Party channels and later to the Trump Transition Committee.

Their efforts failed. It was a time of high anxiety for TPLF leaders.

The TPLF’s situation became even more desperate when Secretary of State Rex Tillerson began “cleaning house” at the State Department. Most of TPLF’s sympathizers in the Department were history.

I strongly supported Tillerson’s State house cleaning.

During the campaign, I had vociferously opposed Donald Trump.

In my December 18, 2016 commentary, I boldly declared I will “eat crow” if Trump did not follow in Barack Obama’s footsteps and do business as usual in Africa and particularly Ethiopia.

But what the Trump administration has done, despite Trump’s poor choice of words, in U.S.-Africa policy has stunned me and forced me to grudgingly eat crow (vegan style, of course) time and again.

Right off the bat, the Trump Transition Committee began asking a whole lot of tough questions about Africa and U.S. policy.

The Committee was asking the same questions I had been asking for years.

That was music to my ears.

“With so much corruption in Africa, how much of our funding is stolen? Why should we spend these funds on Africa when we are suffering here in the U.S.?”

I had answered that question dozens of times over the past ten years, the latest in my January 22, 2017 commentary, “TrAIDing in Misery: The T-TPLF, its Partners and Famine in Ethiopia”.

“We’ve been fighting al-Shabaab for a decade, why haven’t we won?”

I had answered that question several times over the past decade including in my November 3, 2008 commentary, “The 843-Day War”.

“How does U.S. business compete with other nations in Africa? Are we losing out to the Chinese?”

I had answered that question in my June 2011 commentary, “The Dragon Eating the Eagle’s Lunch in Africa?”

“Why should the U.S continue to support AGOA [Africa Growth and Opportunity Act which allows 39 eligible sub-Saharan Africa countries to export certain goods to the US market duty-free] and allow imports which benefit to corrupt regimes?”

I had been asking the same question about AGOA for years.

In my 4200-word letter to President Trump in February 2017, I alerted him of the TPLF’s massive lobbying assault planned on his administration and detailed the TPLF’s history of fraud, waste and abuse of U.S. aid in Ethiopia.

In my conclusion, I argued, “How long must the US aid gravy train continue to transfer billions of American tax dollars to African dictators to maintain their empires of corruption? There must come a time when Ethiopia and the rest of Africa must be forced to kick their addiction to aid and charity.”

In October 2017, I wrote a letter to President Trump requesting imposition of Magnitsky Act sanctions against members of the TPLF self-styled as the “Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front”.

On December 21, 2017, President Trump issued an all-inclusive executive order“imposing  tangible and significant consequences on those who commit serious human rights abuse or engage in corruption.”

I gave the Trump administration high marks for its Africa policy in its first year.

I know it is not popular to give credit to the Trump administration.

I have been publicly and privately criticized for praising the Trump administration and “dogging Obama” on Ethiopia and Africa policy.

I tell it like it is, or as I like to say, “I speak truth to power, the powerless, the hungry and thirsty for power and anyone who cares to listen”.

The truth is the Trump administration is doing fine by me with respect to U.S. policy in Ethiopia.

Just a week ago, the U.S. Department of State held an Ethiopia Partnership Forum and assembled some 400 business leaders to come together and discuss investment opportunities in Ethiopia.

Such a Forum has never been held under any U.S. administration!

Did the Obama administration organize an Ethiopia partnership forum?

Hell, no!

I am glad that the Trump administration is now moving from handouts to promoting private investment in its “private segment engagement policy” supported by the Better Utilization of Investments Leading to Development (BUILD) Act of 2018.

I have been advocating against handouts of U.S. tax dollars and for a hand up through U.S. investments in Ethiopia and Africa in general.

My motto has been, “Give Africa (Ethiopia) a hand up, not a handout.”

BUILD, in my view is a hand up which promotes “market-based, private-sector development to spur economic growth in less-developed countries.”

TPLF’s Last Hurrah!?

The TPLF has tried every trick in the book to return to power “for a hundred years.”

The TPLF has used its agent provocateurs to spread conflict and strife throughout Ethiopia.

The TPLF has used its supporters to instigate military coups.

The TPLF has used its minions to make attempts to take the lives of the leaders who are managing the change.

The TPLF has unleashed its “digital woyane” trolls on social media to spread lies and disinformation.

The TPLF has activated its agents throughout the Ethiopian bureaucracy to sabotage the current reforms.

The TPLF has tried to make deals to escape legal accountability and resurface from the trash bin of history where its leaders today reside in fear and trepidation.

None of it has worked.

Now, the TPLF and its supporters in America are trying a change of tactics.

They want the Trump administration to help them dismantle the government of H.E. Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed.

They want to use American aid to pressure the government of H.E. Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed.

We know the TPLF has billions in money stolen from the people of Ethiopia.

We also know the TPLF is determined to return to power “for a hundred years” at any and all costs.

But let there be no mistake.

We will fight the TPLF in the halls of the U.S. Congress.

We will fight the TPLF in the State Department.

We will fight the TPLF in the policy forums.

We will fight the TPLF in the conventional and social media.

We will defend the current nonviolent democratic revolution taking place for the first time in Ethiopia’s 2000-plus year history.

As I have said for over a decade, we know the TPLF’s basic strategy is, “Apres moi le deluge.”

After me, the flood. In the Amharic equivalent, it is what the donkey said, “After me, I do not care if the tall grasses never grow.”

The TPLF does not give a damn what happens to Ethiopia if they cannot make a comeback and remain in power for “a hundred years.”

TPLF leaders have every right to engage in self-deception and self-delusion.

We also know the TPLF can hide but can’t run.

But I will tell the TPLF leaders today what I told them in my February 9, 2009 commentary.

ETHIOPIANS UNITED CAN NEVER BE DEFEATED!

By the TPLF!

By TPLF’s lobbyists!

By TPLF minions and supporters!

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