World leaders mourn death of Ethiopia's Meles Zenawi

President Barack Obama, USA
It was with sadness that I learned of the passing of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia. Prime Minister Meles deserves recognition for his lifelong contribution to Ethiopia’s development, particularly his unyielding commitment to Ethiopia’s poor. I met with Prime Minister Meles at the G-8 Summit in May and recall my personal admiration for his desire to lift millions of Ethiopians out of poverty through his drive for food security. I am also grateful for Prime Minister Meles’s service for peace and security in Africa, his contributions to the African Union, and his voice for Africa on the world stage. On behalf of the American people, I offer my condolences to Prime Minister Meles’ family and to the people of Ethiopia on this untimely loss, and confirm the U.S. Government’s commitment to our partnership with Ethiopia. Going forward, we encourage the Government of Ethiopia to enhance its support for development, democracy, regional stability and security, human rights, and prosperity for its people.
Raila Odinga, Kenyan Prime Minister Meles Zenawi was a great leader, an intellectual, someone who was very dedicated to pan-Africanism. One will remember him for the great effort he put in to transforming the Ethiopian economy.
One fears for the stability of Ethiopia upon his death because you know that the Ethiopian state is fairly fragile and there is a lot of ethnic violence... I don't know that [Ethiopian politicians] are sufficiently prepared for a succession: this is my fear, that there may be a falling out within the ruling movement.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
Mr Meles would be remembered "for his exceptional leadership and advocacy on African issues within and outside the continent" and for overseeing his country's economic development.
Jacob Zuma, South African President
It is an absolute tragedy for Africa and the people of Ethiopia to mourn such an exceptional leader who contributed as an active role-player in various continental and global initiatives. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi had been a strong leader, not only for his country but on the African continent, acting as mediator on numerous talks, particularly in the Horn of Africa region.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia
Meles Zenawi was an economic transformer, he was a strong intellectual leader for the continent. In our regional meetings he stood out because of his intellect and his ability to respond and to lead dialogue on matters relating to African development. He will be missed in all of our meetings and all of our endeavour.
I don't have fears [over the transition] because I believe there are many other leaders in Ethiopia who will get the support of regional leaders to make the transformation that is necessary, moving towards an open society.
Barnaba Benjamin, South Sudanese Information Minister
It's a very, very sad day for the people of the Republic of South Sudan and the people of the East African region as a whole. This has been a tremendous nationalist leader, a president who had always let peace come to his neighbours. We in South Sudan in particular, consider Ethiopia and especially Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, a strategic ally that (who) always never let a friend down. Indeed we greatly mourn him and we extend our extensive condolences to the people of Ethiopia.
European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso
Prime Minister Meles was a respected African leader. He demonstrated his strong personal commitment over many years to improving the lives of not just his own but all African peoples, through his work on African unity, climate change, development and in promoting peace and stability, particularly in the Horn of Africa. I sincerely hope that Ethiopia will enhance its path of democratisation, upholding of human rights and prosperity for its people, and of further regional stabilisation and integration
David Cameron, British Prime Minister
Prime Minister Meles was an inspirational spokesman for Africa on global issues and provided leadership and vision on Somalia and Sudan. His personal contribution to Ethiopia's development, in particular by lifting millions of Ethiopians out of poverty, has set an example for the region. Our thoughts are with his family and with the nation of Ethiopia. He will be greatly missed.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair
It is with great sadness that I learned of Meles Zenawi's death. He was a hugely significant figure in Ethiopia's history, in particular helping guide his country from extreme poverty to an era of economic growth and development. My deepest condolences go to his family and the people of Ethiopia.
Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki called Meles a "pragmatic and visionary" leader who helped stabilise his country, adding that his death was a "devastating loss", while South African President Jacob Zuma lauded Meles as "a strong leader, not only for his country but on the African continent".
Asuman Kiyingi, Uganda's state minister for regional cooperation, said his country was "shocked and saddened" by Meles's death. "He has been so instrumental in finding solutions to African problems," Kiyingi told AFP, noting Meles' support for African Union forces battling the Shebab. Cameroon President Paul Biya said Ethiopia had lost "one of its most illustrious sons".
President of Chad Idriss Deby Itno described him as a "great statesman" whose death was a "great loss for the African continent".

Cheetahs, Hippos and Saving Ethiopia

George Ayittey, one of the foremost African public global intellectuals, metaphorically suggests that Africa’s destiny will be determined by the promise of the “Cheetah Generation” or the paralysis of the “Hippo Generation”. As he explains,
The Cheetah Generation refers to the new and angry generation of young African graduates and professionals, who look at African issues and problems from a totally different and unique perspective. They are dynamic, intellectually agile, and pragmatic. They may be the ‘restless generation’ but they are Africa’s new hope. They brook no nonsense about corruption, inefficiency, ineptitude, incompetence, or buffoonery. They understand and stress transparency, accountability, human rights, and good governance. They also know that many of their current leaders are hopelessly corrupt and that their governments are contumaciously dysfunctional and commit flagitious human rights violations. The Cheetahs do not look for excuses for government failure by wailing over the legacies of the slave trade, Western colonialism, imperialism, the World Bank or an unjust international economic system. To the Cheetahs, this ‘colonialism-imperialism’ paradigm, in which every African problem is analyzed, is obsolete and kaput. Unencumbered by the old shibboleths, Cheetahs can analyze issues with remarkable clarity and objectivity. The outlook and perspectives of the Cheetahs are refreshingly different from those of many African leaders, intellectuals, or elites, whose mental faculties are so foggy and their reasoning or logic so befuddled that they cannot distinguish between right and wrong. They blame everybody else for Africa’s problems except themselves.
On the other hand, the “Hippo Generation” is
intellectually astigmatic and stuck in their muddy colonialist pedagogical patch. They can see with eagle-eyed clarity the injustices perpetrated by whites against blacks, but they are hopelessly blind to the more heinous injustices they perpetrate against their own black people. They are stodgy, pudgy, and wedded to the old “colonialism-imperialism” paradigm with an abiding faith in the potency of the state. They lack vision and sit tight in their air-conditioned government offices, comfortable in their belief that the state can solve all of Africa’s problems. All the state needs is more power and more foreign aid. And they would ferociously defend their territory since that is what provides [us] with [our] wealth. (Hippos kill more people in Africa than any other animal.) They care less if the whole country collapses around them, but are content as long as their pond is secure… But now is not the time for the cheetahs to take over. They will be ripped up by the ornery and nasty Hippos. Rather, they should build up on their skills, strength and accumulate knowledge and wealth — in the private sector — while methodically draining the swamp of the Hippos. Soon, the [Hippos] will find themselves ‘homeless’ and then the Cheetahs can take over.
The youth are the most dynamic segment in any society. Two of history’s evil men understood the importance of controlling and “owning” youth. Vladimir Lenin, the founder of the totalitarian Soviet state promised, “Give me just one generation of youth, and I’ll transform the whole world.” His counterpart in the Third Reich proclaimed, “He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future.” Both used their nations’ youths as cannon fodder to realize their warped vision of world domination. For the past decade, Ethiopia’s dictators have sought to buy the loyalty and allegiance of the country’s best and brightest. Most of the country’s university graduates have been held hostage to Dictator Meles Zenawi’s corrupt neopatrimonial system. Zenawi has used various means to recruit, control, politicize and depoliticize the country’s youth. He has made economic survival impossible for the youth of the country except through membership in a syndicate palmed off as a political party.
Now is the Time for Ethiopia’s Cheetah Generation to Lead the Way to National Reconciliation
It is now time for Ethiopia’s cheetahs to take a leading role in the national dialogue to transition Ethiopia from dictatorship to democracy. Such a prescriptive declaration might be surprising to some coming from a card-carrying member of the “Loyal Order of African (Ethiopian) Hippos”. But over the years, I have learned to appreciate the sacrifices of Ethiopia’s cheetahs and have been awed by their transformative potential. In numerous weekly commentaries, I have despaired over their plight under Zenawi’s dictatorship but nevertheless insisted that they must be the tip of the spear in bringing about democratic change in Ethiopia. In June 2010, I reflected over what could happen if the rage bottled up in Ethiopia’s youth suddenly exploded:
The wretched conditions of Ethiopia’s youth point to the fact that they are a ticking demographic time bomb. The evidence of youth frustration, discontent, disillusionment and discouragement by the protracted economic crisis, lack of economic opportunities and political repression is manifest, overwhelming and irrefutable. The yearning of youth for freedom and change is self-evident. The only question is whether the country’s youth will seek change through increased militancy or by other peaceful means….
This past April, in my ongoing series on “Ethiopia’s transition from dictatorship to democracy”, I argued against the “conventional wisdom [that] says the important task of managing the transition from dictatorship to democracy should be left to the elites—the politicians, party leaders, bureaucrats, academics and other institutional leaders.” I insisted that “for there to be a truly a… durable democracy in [Ethiopia], the dialogue base must be expanded to broadly include… women and the youth…”
Ethiopian Youth Must Lead a National Dialogue in Search of a Path to Peaceful Change
Ethiopia today is a country without a head of state or a functioning government. The “prime minster” has literally gone AWOL. Apparently, no one knows where he is or even if he is alive. He has not been seen or heard of in public for the past two months. The “deputy prime minster” is as invisible as a ghost. The “president” is… Is there a president? The opposition is as silent as the gravestone. Who can save Ethiopia?
Since the beginning of 2012, I have been talking and writing about Ethiopia’s inevitable transition from dictatorship to democracy. More recently, I called for a national dialogue in the spirit of President Nelson Mandela. I now call upon and appeal to all of Ethiopia’s youth to lead the transitional national dialogue because I believe Ethiopia’s salvation and destiny rests not in the hardened jaws of the hippos but in the soft paws of the cheetahs.
Why MUST Ethiopia’s cheetahs lead the national dialogue for a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy? First, if the cheetahs do not initiate the dialogue, which will? Who can? The hippos have been dialoguing for decades using the language of finger pointing, mudslinging, hatemongering and grudge holding. Second, the future belongs to the cheetahs (an estimated 67 percent of Ethiopia’s population is said to be under the age of 35) and not the hippos who continue to wallow in the muddy politics of ethnicity and sectarianism. Third, Ethiopia’s cheetahs are already doing much of the heavy lifting. They have been paying the price for democracy, freedom and human rights in blood, sweat and tears. The best and the brightest have been persecuted, prosecuted, brutalized and silenced by dictator Meles Zenawi. At the top of the list are Birtukan Midekssa, Eskinder Nega, Andualem Aragie, Bekele Gerba, Olbana Lelisa, Reeyot Alemu, Abebe Gellaw, Temesgen Desalegn, Yenesew Gebre, the hundreds of victims of the 2005 massacres and so many others. Fifth, Ethiopia’s cheetahs are paying the full price for the stupidity, narrow mindedness and incompetence of the hippos. Sixth, unlike the hippos, Ethiopia’s cheetahs have the best chance of leading a successful transition because they are focused on the future and not the past. Current violations of human rights are more important to Ethiopia’s cheetahs than historic grievances. They would rather seek justice today than remain paralyzed talking about the injustices of yesterday. Ethiopia’s cheetahs would rather steer the Ethiopian ship of state looking through the windshield than looking in the rear view mirror.
Beginning the Dialogue on National Reconciliation
The dialogue on national reconciliation in Ethiopia must begin within Ethiopia’s youth communities. Ethiopia’s cheetah’s must empower themselves, create their own political and social space, set their own agendas and begin multifaceted dialogues on their country’s transition from dictatorship to democracy. They must develop their own awareness campaigns and facilitate vital conversations among youth communities cutting across language, religion, ethnicity region and so on. Their dialogues must be based on the principles of openness, truth and commitment to democracy, freedom and human rights. They must dialogue without fear or loathing. Above all, the cheetahs must “own” the dialogue process. At a gathering of cheetahs, hippos should be seen and not heard; tolerated but not involved. The cheetahs must keep a sharp eye on the hippos who are very skillful in political intrigues and expert at finding ways of getting involved to take over and manipulate the youth.
Informal dialogues among activist youth. For a variety of reasons, it is most practical for Ethiopia’s cheetahs to begin dialogue on national reconciliation at the informal level. For instance, such dialogues could initially take place among like-minded activist youth at the neighborhood level. Activist youth could undertake an assessment of their capabilities, potentials, opportunities and obstacles in setting up and managing a community-based informal reconciliation youth dialogues. Youth activist should focus on creating broader youth awareness and involvement in the dialogue process and utilization of existing organizations, institutions, associations, forums, etc., for national reconciliation dialogue. These dialogues should begin by focusing on certain key questions: Who are Ethiopia’s cheetahs and how committed are they in shaping the democratic destiny of their country? Are these cheetahs committed to nonviolent political change? Are they willing to commit to national dialogue as brothers and sisters?
Cheetahs should rely on themselves (and not expect much help from hippos) in beginning informal dialogues. In the past, Ethiopia’s cheetahs have looked up to the hippos for political guidance and direction. But hippos in and out of power have sought to marginalize the cheetahs.In the aftermath of the 2005 election, the hippos in power understood the power of the cheetahs and took active measures to blunt their impact by organizing them to support the regime and avoid involvement in opposition politics. They tried to control the cheetahs by creating and inducting millions of them into mass organizations and indoctrinating them in the bogus and mindless ideology of “revolutionary democracy”, bribing them with educational and job opportunities and threatening them with a variety of legal and extra-legal sanctions. By co-opting the most dynamic segment of the youth, the hippos in power were able to prevent large-scale youth engagement on the issues of human rights and democracy. Regrettably, the cheetahs were abandoned by the hippos out of power after the 2005 election. Ethiopia’s cheetahs must begin to develop self-reliance in transitioning their country from dictatorship to democracy.
Learning from and supporting each other and learning from the mistakes of the hippos and other youths. Ethiopia’s cheetahs have much to learn from each other, from the mistakes of the hippo generation and youths from other nations. Dialogue involves not only talking but also listening to each other. Youth from Ethiopia’s multiethnic society have much to learn from each other and build upon the strengths of the diverse youth communities. Much can be learned from the mistakes of the hippo generation. For starters, the cheetahs should learn that to disagree on issues does not mean becoming mortal enemies. It is possible to disagree without being disagreeable. Civility in dialogue, though lacking among hippos, is essential for cheetahs .Ethiopia’s cheetahs must also learn from the mistakes of other youth movements. Youth power was the catalyzing force in Tunisia and Egypt. They creatively used mobile technology to mobilize the youth population, but in the end they were marginalized.
Ethiopia’s Destiny hangs in the Balance
Many societies face generational gaps as the youth rebel against tradition and societal norms. In Ethiopia today, there are two different generations. The cheetah generation wants freedom, human rights and democracy now. The hippo generation wallows in a mucky swamp of corruption, nepotism, cronyism, criminality and inhumanity. The cheetah generation wants to drain the swamp. The hippo generation is hopelessly trapped in the bog of ethnic politics and revenge politics.
Africans know all too well that hippos (including their metaphorical human counterparts) are dangerous animals that are fiercely territorial and attack anything that comes into their turf. Every year more people are killed by hippos (both the real and metaphorical ones) in Africa than lions or elephants. Cheetahs are known to be the fastest animals, but their weakness is that they give up the chase easily if they fail to make a catch quickly or surrender the prey they have caught when challenged by other predators including hyenas. A group of hippos is known as a crash. A group of cheetahs is called a “coalition”. Only a coalition of cheetahs organized across ethnic, religious, linguistic and regional lines can crash a crash of hippos and a cackle of hyenas and save Ethiopia.

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.

Judge not, that you be not judged but still I judged! By YohannesY

MSNBC and FOX networks are the manifestation of American politics. Through them, you can see clearly the makeup of America. Both networks provide deep and lengthy political analysis based on their personal beliefs and biases. As MSNBC is a left-wing organization compared to the right-wing FOX, both attack the other daily in order to gain more support for their respective parties. For the outsides looking in, the vicious verbal battle between the left and right is interesting in itself!
Despite the daily political “warfare”, I love that at the end of the day, the only voice that truly makes a difference is the American people. I am extremely proud and happy to be the part of this great nation.



At the same time because of where I come from, it always hurts to hear about Ethiopian politics and the lack of discourse and resolution. I dream like any other Ethiopians that the light of true democracy and freedom will flourish in Ethiopia one day.


As the Ethiopian politicians continued by their greedy and arrogance way never abide by the rule of law. Ethiopian government is unable to create common ground because there is no openness. And as our politician from both sides fails to call right or wrong by its right name. Ethiopian politicians on both sides hate lawful order, while the oppositions clearly failed to unite the people and forcing the government to create common ground. Because they failed to acquire a political power and there is no excuse for that and for sure something is wrong with their leadership. Both will run down the country as they preach hateful “politics” day after day.

The Ethiopians politicians fail to unite Ethiopia’s social base because their politics is divisive and tribal. This has been one of Meles Zenawi’s weakest points. His political tactics have done nothing but divide the country. However, there is no doubt, according to many reputable sources, such as the World Bank and UN that under Zenawi’s rule the Ethiopian economy has positively grown. Throughout all of Ethiopian long history, there has never been a leader who has developed the country -as much as Meles Zenawi.


As far as the opposition goes, their main critique of Meles Zenawi is that he is a beggar to the western world. However, this is hypocritical, as the opposition has gone and begged in every major capital of the world for western assistance in taking down Meles Zenawi. They literally stand outside begging with signs and outcries while simultaneously condemning Zenawi.


Throughout all the discourse and politics, the ones truly getting hurt is the Ethiopian people. At the end of the day, it is neither the opposition nor Zenawi’s government that will feel the effects of these two divisive parties. If the opposition wants to have any political say, they must organize themselves in some form, legally or illegally. However, in the end, the main concern for both sides should be the future of the Ethiopian people.


Ethiopian in Diaspora should question why do we hold political gathering, meeting that brings with it no action? Why are we having political opposition leaders who only talk but have never established an entity, built organized party and able to establish themselves in Ethiopian societies, or started a program related to their rhetoric but never completed.


Why do we even call these folks "political leaders" in the first place? Shouldn't we at least measure them by the results of their rhetoric? Why they treated us with cheap talk and lectures and writing all kind of article but just simply empty talk, We Ethiopian needs ACTION not cheap talk.


The Ethiopian opposition did not even accomplish any of their programs and they cannot even handle their internal turmoil, kinjit in Ethiopia and kinjit in Diaspora are not in good terms. So what is it? What did I miss here?: Why they keep lecturing us? This is a source of deep frustrating situation in Ethiopian politics.

የኢትዮጵያ ሕዝብ የጋራ ትግል ሸንጎ (ሸንጎ) Ethiopian People's Congress for United Struggle (Congress) www.derbiaber.com shengo.derbiaber@gmail.com

Two decades have passed since TPLF/EPRDF imposed its brazen ethnocentric and repressive regime on our country, Ethiopia. Its large-scale measures of repression and terrorization of the Ethiopian people have continued unabated. A United Struggle is a Necessity, not an Option! Over the years, TPLF/EPRDF has shown that it is inherently undemocratic in its governance. It has stifled all political dissent. Prisons and detention centers are overcrowded with actual and perceived opposition leaders and their members, who are persecuted merely for their political beliefs. TPLF/EPRDF has effectively denied the Ethiopian people freedom of expression and press freedom is practically nonexistent; its draconian press, "anti-terrorism", and other repressive ‘laws’ criminalize any commentary and dissent against the TPLF/EPRDF regime. As such, the regime keeps silencing anyone with differing views. Over the last several years, more journalists have been forced into exile than any other country in the world. Hardly could one find any free press in operation in Ethiopia—be it in print, online or other forms of media. TPLF/EPRDF continues to hand out large tracts of fertile land to neighboring countries and foreign investors while forcibly uprooting the inhabitants from their own lands. The regime’s self-serving greed has not even spared holy places like the Waldba Monastery whose religious site has just been leased to foreigners. Worse still, the TPLF/EPRDF minority group, which thrives on divide & rule systems, has deliberately created and fomented inter-communal conflicts among people of various ethnic and religious groups. Ethiopian Moslems have also been targets of the regime. It has interfered in the religious leadership of the Moslem community and has arrested the faithful worshipers at the mosque. The need for all Ethiopians to join hands so as to reverse the appalling and critical situation has never been more compelling now than ever before. The forceful eviction of over 87,000 Amharas from the southern Ethiopia speaks volume of its dangerous ethnic cleansing agenda. As the regime swells its pocket from the plunder of Ethiopia, the cost of living has created misery and destitution for the masses of the land. As the situation gets worse, it is becoming more apparent that there is a burning need for all Ethiopians to join hands together to reverse this appalling trend before it extends to a full blown crisis with unpredictable consequences. It is upon realizing the dangerous trend and intending consequences stirred by the TPLF/EPRDF’s brutal and dictatorial rule that various Ethiopian opposition groups set out to collectively find solutions towards bringing democratic changes and lasting peace to the suffering of our people. About two years ago, a few prominent Ethiopians started the process by calling on all Ethiopian opposition forces to form an alliance. This was followed by a number of political and civic organizations as well as other prominent Ethiopians joining the alliance-building effort. The initiative made all effort to make the process all inclusive and relied on financial and moral support of many Ethiopians worldwide. Finally, from May 18 to 21, 2012 an all-parties conference attended by several Ethiopian political & civic organizations and renowned individuals was held in Canada’s capital, Ottawa. The participants assessed the prevailing situation of Ethiopia and reflected on the lessons learned from past experiences of alliances and coalitions. The Conference culminated in a unanimous agreement to form an alliance and the establishment of the Ethiopian People’s Congress for United Struggle (hereinafter “The Congress”). The Congress stipulated five unifying points, namely, accepting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ethiopia; respecting the rule of law; accepting a democratic system of governance; believing in the equality of all citizens before the law; and believing in the removal of the dictatorial regime of TPLF/EPRDF and replacing it with a democratic political system accountable to the people. Further, the Congress approved its bylaws together with its structure and it named its executive leadership and various departments. Unique to this Congress, a Council of Elders was created with a mandate to resolve any issues that may arise among the members of the Congress. Finally, the Congress extends its open arms for any political and civic groups as well as individuals who share our five cornerstone values to join us in the struggle for a better Ethiopia. Thank you. A united struggle to bring about a lasting peace, democratic and just system in Ethiopia

Ethiopia: Obama Focus on Current Plight of Ethiopian Civil Society, Media, and Political Opposition

Dear President Obama, I am William Nicholas Gomes, Human Rights Ambassador for Salem-News.com. I am writing to express my concern about your invitation to Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to attend a meeting on food security during the G-8 summit at Camp David on May 19. I urge you to use your time together to address the current plight of Ethiopian civil society, media, and political opposition. Otherwise, your invitation risks sending the wrong message at a time when Ethiopia’s human rights situation is becoming increasingly grim. After more than two decades of Meles Zenawi’s leadership, Ethiopia’s institutions have become mere extensions of ruling party power. The country has steadily grown more authoritarian since the 2005 elections ended in bloodshed and controversy. The ruling party won more than 99 per cent of the seats in both the 2008 local government elections and the 2010 general parliamentary elections, mainly due to the government’s comprehensive crackdown on dissent. In recent years the Ethiopian government has severely curtailed basic freedoms, particularly freedom of expression and association. I am not certain how many people Ethiopia has wrongfully detained for peacefully expressing their political views because the government will not allow credible, independent organizations access to all detention facilities. Credible estimates place the number of people arbitrarily detained in the thousands, particularly in regions like Oromia and Somali Region, where the government faces long-running insurgencies. Torture, ill treatment, and appalling conditions of detention are widespread in Ethiopia’s prisons. The government has increasingly used flawed legislation to persecute independent voices. Prime Minister Zenawi’s government has used the 2009 Charities and Societies Proclamation to undermine the work of independent civil society organizations, especially those working on human rights. Several of the oldest and most respected Ethiopian human rights groups have been forced to cease most of their operations due to the restrictions on foreign funding imposed by the law or arbitrary enforcement by the new agency established to regulate nongovernmental activity. The government has also used a 2009 Anti-Terrorism Proclamation to target members of the media and political opposition, arresting more than 100 people in 2011. To date, five journalists and two opposition members have been convicted under the law. Six journalists, at least two opposition members, and 16 others are currently on trial facing politically motivated terrorism charges. Two of those convicted in 2011 were Swedish journalists who were attempting to report on the conflict in the Ogaden region, where Ethiopian security forces have allegedly committed crimes against humanity during counter-insurgency operations. They were both sentenced to 11 years in prison. Dozens of other opposition members and supporters remain in detention awaiting trial on terrorism-related charges. Finally, the government has issued a new legal directive compelling the government printing office (the only printing press still operational in the country) to censor the content of all publications under threat of criminal sanction. The United States, the World Bank, and other states and institutions have shown little or no attention to Ethiopia’s worsening human rights record. By inviting Prime Minister Meles to the G-8 summit, the U.S government is sending a message that at best shows a lack of concern about the human rights situation in Ethiopia, and at worst, will be perceived as a U.S. endorsement of the Ethiopian government’s policies. I urge your administration to review its policy towards Ethiopia and consider how U.S. government programs—including those pertaining to development and military assistance—can be re-tooled to advance the cause of human rights in Ethiopia. The U.S. should privately and publicly call upon the Ethiopian government to take credible and immediate steps to reverse Ethiopia’s policy of human rights repression. Ethiopia should amend the Charities and Societies and the Anti-Terrorism Proclamations to bring them into compliance with international best practices, release all persons arbitrarily detained, including opposition members and journalists, and ensure access throughout the country for humanitarian and human rights organizations and the media. Yours, William Nicholas Gomes Human Rights Ambassador for Salem News.com Salem-News.com P.O. Box 5238 Salem, Oregon 97304 www.williamgomes.org

Is Linking Democracy and Economic Growth Telling a Bedtime Story? A Quick Look at Ato Meles Zenawi’s Assertion By Fekade Shewakena

At the world Economic Forum, conference held in Addis Ababa, in May, 2012 that some in the media dubbed the Meles Zenawi Show [1], Ato Meles Zenawi said “there is no direct relationship between economic growth and democracy, historically or theoretically…..I don’t believe in bedtime stories, contrived arguments linking economic growth with democracy”, He was even more unequivocal and emphatic when he added that “We need to democratize but not in order to grow”. According to him the only reason we need to democratize for is “in order to survive as united sane nation”. He didn’t care to elaborate on what he meant by surviving as united sane nation. Only God knows how he compartmentalized the usefulness of democracy for the sanity of a nation and how any such sanity doesn’t directly relate to economic growth. There is every reason to suspect that this was a strong attempt on the part of the Prime Minister to fend off the barrage of criticism coming at him these days about the closure of democratic space in the country, the abuse of human rights, the repression of civil society and free expression from his irate donors in the west. He was in effect saying judge me by the economic growth statistics I give you, not by my credentials on democracy and human rights. I suspect his experience of attempted opening of the country for democracy in 2005 has fatally blinded him. If Ato Meles was opining as an academic and not as a head of a government, we could have taken his statement lightly and perhaps as something which is only academic, i.e., something that has value only in the exercise of thought with benign relevance to real world situations. But when such declarative statements as the Prime Minister’s, which are at best based on half truths, come from people in positions of power, it gets troubling and scary. It is even more troubling when the individuals are the kinds that pursue their beliefs with zeal and propensity to use the machinery of state force at their disposal in pursuit of their ideas. Anybody who lives the military dictatorship in Ethiopia remembers the deafening declaratory statements of Mengistu and his officials such as the “not only do we control the reactionaries – we will control nature too” slogan. A regime official who I once politely told that the Gambella plains were unfit to resettle peasants moved from highland Ethiopia, accused me of preaching cowardice and told me that I am confused by pseudo education. He said what is important is the belief and conviction, the rest is easy. I only told him that unlike the highlands, the flat plain in Gambella has drainage problems, and that the soil gets waterlogged and leached and not reach in soluble minerals that many crops need adding that the green forest should not fool us. I had to shut up my coward mouth and regretted for venturing into dangerous territory. The disingenuous project ended up in shambles even before it started. Meles’s declaratory statement is also in the same tradition. It is an indication of a decision by him that the prevailing intolerance of dissent and civil discourse is going to be kept in place. I fear that this may lead to the intensification of existing conflicts and widespread discontent in the country. As someone who doesn’t prefer a violent or revolutionary approach to the solution of Ethiopia’s problems, I sincerely do fear. The fact of the matter is that Mr. Prime Minister is half right. But his assertion seems to be based on linear thinking and selective reading of the literature on the relationship between democracy and economic growth. I am sure he has read the works of some in academia that do make similar generalizations about the relationship between democracy and economic growth. He has disregarded that in many cases even these conclusions depend on the measures they use and the context of their studies. Unlike the Prime Minister, many of these academics and researchers who do come to these conclusions are careful to add that the relationship between democracy and economic growth is more complex than meets the eye and encourage us to do more innovative examination and develop methodologies and do a more careful use of data. In fact, the literature of political economic thoughts regarding the relationship between democracy and economic growth is in many cases contentious and inconclusive and varies with the country or region considered and the kind of data used. Yes, economic growth can occur even under tyrannical dictatorships. The world has many examples of places where economic growth and democracy even seem to relate inversely, so much that the linear thinker can conclude democracy affects economic growth negatively. Kaddafi’s Libya and many of the rich countries in the Gulf and Asia provide ample example of this. Russia’s transformative achievement in infrastructure such as the building of the world famous Moscow subway and other industries occurred under iron feasted Joseph Stalin. China’s one party rule hasn’t slowed its growth although many attribute the speed of its growth to liberalization within the party and managing conflicts including the country’s cultural context. That you do and don’t fit the variables in a linear regression model and predict an outcome may not necessarily mean a universal relationship does or doesn’t exist. Professional observers suggest the need for a closer examination of each country’s economic realities, resource bases, level of development and their socio-cultural environments more than accepting these observations as universal truth as our Prime Minister does. But none on all sides in the debate on the subject come to saying anything approaching what our Prime Minister said – that it is a bedtime story. Like all knowledge the enquiry goes on and on. Our Prime Minister seems to want to stop it. If I am as selective as Meles, I can bring testimonies of non-armchair researchers who made many empirical studies that show the direct effects of democracy on economic growth and development using various components of democracy as measures. Scholars like Cooper Drury et al., who actually made hands in the mud kind of research as opposed to armchair contemplation, for example, argue: …one of democracy’s indirect benefits is its ability to mitigate the detrimental effect of corruption on economic growth. Although corruption certainly occurs in democracies, the electoral mechanism inhibits politicians from engaging in corrupt acts that damage overall economic performance and thereby jeopardize their political survival. Using time-series cross-section data for more than 100 countries from 1982-97, we show that corruption has no significant effect on economic growth in democracies, while non-democracies suffer significant economic harm from corruption. [2] These individuals have crunched massive data across time to be dismissed as tellers of bedtime stories. Bringing Nobel Prize winner political economist, Amartya Sen, who famously said democracies don’t starve, in this argument with our Prime Minister, may be like taking a gun to a knife fight. Instead, let me bring two other Indian professors, Sarbapriya Ray and Ishita Aditya Ray, who used a fairly sophisticated model to understand causality between democracy and economic growth. Here is what they say: Using co-integration analysis for the period 1980-81 to 2009-10, we seek to identify the relationship between economic growth and democracy. Our empirical results suggest that there is a long run bi-directional causality between economic growth and democracy in India. Moreover, our statistical investigation confirms that democracy affects economic growth positively and vice versa both at regional level as well as aggregate level. [3] There are actually many studies that show that India’s current leap to a newly developed country relates to its robust democracy. I could have gone on and on citing other studies that challenge the Prime Minister’s wild assertions that the relationship is a bedtime story. I believe Ato Meles is savvy enough to locate the materials if he intends to base his views in knowledge and honesty and doesn’t have an axe to grind against democracy. In my view, there is perhaps no other country that needs democracy as the primary tool of getting out of its poverty as Ethiopia does. In the past we tried it through governments that tightly control the people and failed abysmally. Now we have to try a government where our people have at least some significant say in it. It is simple common sense to understand that economic growth and development in Ethiopia cannot be achieved and sustained in conditions where simmering political conflicts prevail, where there is little rule of law, where people have no confidence and control on what they do, where corruption and favoritism are rampant and government continuously hovers over the heads of everyone. The largely aid funded growth in Ethiopia in infrastructure and social services and massive Diaspora remittance are no substitute to what we can get out of building democratic institutions. The PM’s suggestion that Ethiopia doesn’t need to democratize for economic growth is not different from his now defunct idea of choosing Albania as our model. There is some weird picture we see in Ethiopia today when we juxtapose the economic gains over the past several years and the real life conditions of the Ethiopian people. How is it that the economic growth that Ato Meles brags about is related to more and more people becoming unable to feed themselves and their children? The multidimensional conflicts prevailing in Ethiopia need a resolution through a democratic and transparent discourse. Suppressing them is guaranteeing the destruction of whatever gains we have made. We are already losing a lot of opportunity because of the closure of the political space in the country. Economic growth cannot be guaranteed under conditions where Ethiopia is losing its human capital at alarming rates. I see a massive wealth and potential of Ethiopians outside and inside Ethiopia not being put to use because of the democracy deficit. Ato Meles would help Ethiopia more if he becomes an expert of the art of compromise than a political economist. Fekadeshewakena@yahoo.com References [1] http://allafrica.com/stories/201205150820.html [2] Cooper Dury et al. (2006): Corruption Democracy and Economic growth: International Political Science Review (2006), Vol 27, No 2, 121-136. [3] Sarbapriya Ray and Ishita Aditya Ray (2011): Regional analysis on the relationship between Economic Growth and Democracy: Evidence from India: Afro Asian Journal of Social Sciences Volume 2, No. 2.3 Quarter III 2011 ISSN 2229 – 5313.