Ethiopia: The Death of Meles Zenawi would be a great tragedy!

By Tibebe Samuel In a movie titled “Brave Heart”, a movie that Actor Mel Gibson played the leading role and directed, when the King was in his death bed, the princess begged for mercy to save the life of William Wallace (Mel Gibson). When the king refused, the princess whispered in his ear saying that “After all, death will come to us all.” As the Americans say, the only thing certain in this world is “death and taxes.” Recently, the main issue in the Ethiopian politics and major news outlets has been the health of Mr. Zenawi. Today, a reliable source has indicated that Mr. Zenawi has returned to Ethiopia without divulging his condition. Although some hoped and wished for the death of Mr. Zenawi, I hoped for his survival. Few months ago, there was a speculation about the death of Eritrea’s dictator Issaias Afeworki. The speculation led to intense discussions and comments. Among thousands of comments made about Issaias’ death, one touched my heart. The individual who commented stated that “It will be a tragedy if Issaias dies; this man inflicted enormous pain on the people of Eritrea; he is responsible for the destruction of millions of people lives, it will be injustice and a great tragedy if he dies in peace.” I share the sentiment of the commentator and, I feel the same way regarding the death of Mr. Zenawi. Mr. Zenawi does not deserve to die in peace! Mr. Zenawi, before and after taking power in Ethiopia, has committed enormous crimes against humanity. As several news accounts indicated, under Zenawi’s watch civilians who did not support the TPLF were killed during TPLF’s rebel years. The crime did not stop after Meles took power. As several human rights reports clearly show, Meles Zenawi is responsible for the death and sufferings of millions of people. It is under his leadership that thousands of Amharas including women, children, and elderly were massacred, burned to death, and thrown in ditches. Since 1991, Meles and his cronies have imprisoned, abducted, tortured, and killed millions of innocent Ethiopians. Meles is responsible for the destruction of properties and for uprooting communities in Southern parts of Ethiopia. His crimes are enormous and painful to list here. I believe that it is a mistake to pray and wish for the peaceful death of this man? Soon or later death will comes to us all. There is no question that Meles will die, but he should die after facing his crimes and after justice is served for millions of Ethiopians who suffered under this brutal man. Although Mr. Zenawi had an ample opportunity to unite the country, to establish sustainable peaceful governance, implement policies that are just, fair and that could have created an equal opportunity to all citizens, and an economic development that could have transformed the lives of millions of people. However, because he is short sighted, visionless, a moral and political dwarf, he squandered such golden opportunities. After 21 years of incompetent and brutal rule under Meles Zenawi, Ethiopia is still considered the poorest country in the world. For those who believe that Mr. Zenawi has taken the country in the right path, I suggest that they look at the history of South Korea. South Korea, a country with fewer natural resources than Ethiopia, has lifted itself from poverty, and became one of the economic tigers of the world within 15 years after the devastating war with North Korea that ended in 1950. There is no secret for the sustainable growth and economic development in South Korea. The government focused on its people and believed in the people of South Korea and established democratic governance where the country is governed with the rule of law. Companies like Hyundai and Samsung were established with the assistance of the Korean government. South Koreans did not sell their land to foreigners, did not inflated their Foreign Direct Investment and GDP data by using economic aid money to build the country’s infrastructure. The South Koreans did not rely in foreign companies; the government of South Korea created a conducive atmosphere for the middle class to strive, to build a business, and to be the back bone of South Koreas economy. Thanks for Meles and his voodoo economics, our country is ready to produce a generation of servants to foreigners. Instead of giving incentive to the people of Ethiopia to build a business and to engage in economic development that could transform the lives of our citizens, Mr. Meles has created an obstacle in form of high income tax, high vat, and other unnecessary fees. In addition to government taxes, the corrupt EPRDF officials’ unethical practice and extortion has made it difficult for the middle class to strive in Ethiopia. The government is printing money like there is no tomorrow and has created a hyper inflation in the country that made it difficult for the ordinary people to feed themselves and their families. While top officials in the country are looting the country in millions under the prime minister’s nose, innocent children are dying with starvation. Mr. Meles must be brought to justice for the crime he committed against the Amaharas, the Oromos, the Gambelas, the Wolaytas, the Ogadens, the Tigreans and other ethnic groups in the country. This is the man who ordered the bombing of civilians in the middle of the city in order to frame the OLF for his own political gain, and to extort aid money from his Western allies in the name of fighting terrorism. The human rights violations, the social debacle, and the economic policy that has cost millions of people their homes, and their livelihood under Mr. Zenawi’s watch is cruel inhumane and a crime against humanity. For a man who ordered his brutal security forces to shoot and kill teenage boys, does not deserve a peaceful death. I DO NOT WISH Mr. Zenawi to die in peace. I want him to be brought to justice; I want him to suffer like he subjected millions of people to sufferings. Only Death-will not do. We should not allow this man to escape justice. I urge Ethiopian scholars, particularly those who studied International Law, to find a way to bring Mr. Zenawi and his brutal team that is responsible for the agony and sufferings of our people to the International Criminal Court. I am sorry to say, for Mr. Zenawi, it is not time to die yet! If he dies, it would be one of the greatest tragedies in the history of the world. Permalink70 comments » Web www.nazret.com advertisement 70 comments Comment from: Ezana [Visitor] wishful Donkey. 07/26/12 @ 05:22 Comment from: Extraterrestrial [Visitor] Do you really know what crime against humanity mean? I am tired of ignorant people picking legal terms they heard and stick it anyhow. Yes indeed he is "Donkey"! 07/26/12 @ 05:39 Comment from: Mj Tyson [Visitor] People ignore this article its devoid of facts and truth. How can you wish someone their demise, its unchristian unEthiopian,and inhuman. Do'nt get sucked into this meaningless and unconstructive emotional outburts and name calling that only flames hatred among us. God bless Meles Zenawi and God bless Mengistu Haile Mariam. 07/26/12 @ 05:39 Comment from: Dude [Visitor] Hung him in Meskel square! While all Ethiopians sing dille zare new dille! 07/26/12 @ 05:54 Comment from: Segen [Visitor] If you don't know what crime Aite Meles has been comitting on the people of Ethiopia you must be living in a cocoo land. Ask millions of Amharas whose relatives have been burned alive, thrown to cliffs, displaced and massacred. Ask millions of Oromos subjected to heinous atrocities as we speak, learn from people of Gambela who are being forced out of their land to give way for Arab and Indian plantation. The space and time is not enough to mention the atrocities that midget has inflicted on innocent lives. If this is not crime against humanity then what is? 07/26/12 @ 06:19 Comment from: Kaniti [Visitor] Ghana will teach us what success means. People please have high standard. 07/26/12 @ 06:26 Comment from: Time Ewnetu [Visitor] Blame the American Jews more than Meles for the incredible devastation of our country. They deliberately placed a predator in our midst and closed their ears. We the young generation failed to practice emphaty coming of age; if we had practiced emphaty, we would have learned a great deal from other countries by just reading about thier plight. The previous generation cried for one another and over the suffering of mankind, a Tsega that kept it safe. In Syria, minority takeover artists subjugated an entire country for 40 years. Even if we had known about the Syrians' situation, we, Satan-tricked this generation, would not have cared about them in the past, prayed for them or learned from thier experience. Now, however, after going through worse hell of our own, emphaty will be one quality we carry. Afewerqi and Zenawi are primarily north's problem, but because we were not alert and lack the right knoweledge, we became thier easy target. It it hard to imagine minority invadors bringing down a country. Only in a backward and sinful countries such things are possible. 07/26/12 @ 06:33 Comment from: UNITY [Visitor] The shackles have been there for 21 years have finally rusted and are broken apart. It could take some time for Ethiopians, that have been captive for long to notice it and leap for joy. Let all children of Ethiopia prepare themselves to create a system that guarantees justice, democracy, equality, freedom and development for all. To achieve our goals let us UNITE and stand together. If we fragment ourselves in to smaller ethnic groups we will all become prey to dictators. Look at Eritreans, they fall under Isayas' feet because they failed to understand the benefits of UNITY. If there is any ethnic group leader that thinks to separate his or her group from the rest, my people becareful of them. We are all nothing but Ethiopians. Let us stand together and move forward as bigger nations do. The biggest divider and champion of tribal politics is history now. As the writer put it he wasted all the golden opportunities to rectify his hatred to 80 Million people. Thank you ferenji 07/26/12 @ 06:37 Comment from: Embich [Visitor] Amharas always tend to preach about unit but they are the one who segregate the country in terms of ethnicity and religion. In my view they are number one ignorant people in the country talking too much with zero substance 07/26/12 @ 06:48 Comment from: Favioli [Visitor] Yetekeberu ato Tibebe Samuel, Enquan Zenawi Atse Menelikem motewal..no big deal! Zenawi didn't create Ethiopia, only did his best to demolish it, hopefully without success. I say this because of all these tramps and foul-mouthed lumpens and peasants who spout their poison on this site. 07/26/12 @ 06:52 Comment from: Oromo [Visitor] Meles do not deseve any peaceful death. He too should die like he killed many of Oromo innocents in Maikelawwi, He should die taste the agonising die and feeling he palce on our politians like Birtukan, aand other, he should die while alive in prisin like what he did to my fellow Ethiopian from corner to corner. I am a witness to what has happened to Anyuwaks in Gambella because of his orders Meles should die like my fellow pure innocent Anyauks moms and children died. 07/26/12 @ 07:10 Comment from: Bona Fide [Visitor] Is MZ more dangerous dead than alive? Is there any reason to fear that his legacy might bring more pain to Ethiopia than his actions in life, having in mind ethnic federalism, one ethnic group hegemony, landlocked Ethiopia and with the memory of all the crimes committed by TPLF with MZ at its head? What should be our priority? Should we bring him to the court of justice as Egyptians have done with Mubarak or to find a formula for a peaceful Ethiopia post-MZ? People, Ethiopia is at a crossroad. It takes a spark to start a fire in an Ethiopia where dictatorship has traumatized many, when Ethiopians are so much divided on ethnic and religious grounds, thanks to MZ’s authoritarian politics, and when the enemies of Ethiopia are numerous, and there is not an organized Ethiopian opposition ready to replace him. If I could I would trade MZ’s life for a peaceful Ethiopia after his demise, and forget about him all together. His legacy terrifies me more than what he has done up to now. This is not the time of exclusion of one sort or other. Exclusion must end with MZ. All Ethiopian political parties, TPLF included, must find a way to avoid a catastrophic power politics that would follow. They should come together and find a way to share power, create democracy and a peaceful Ethiopia. By sharing power, TPLF should change its skin and it should show without any reservation whatsoever that it is indeed pro-Ethiopian political party. Remember there are those who are hoping for their resurrection after the demise of our country.