Economic corruption in Ethiopia must take front burner to bring down the Woyane regime faster

Given Woyane’s stranglehold on the economy through its network of criminal enterprises and its official corruption it is important to bring down the rotten system sooner than later. It is the responsibility of all concerned to organize properly to take immediate action on the Merchants-of-Death.

by Teshome Debalke

Ethiopians are taken for a ride by an atrocious ethnic tyranny on the top of notorious criminal syndicate called Woyane. The ruling regime in Addis Ababa and its corrupt partners in crime in-and-around the world are having it easy; robbing the nation blind while distracting the public with all kinds of diversions. The politically bankrupt ethnic regime hopes to hang on power by-all-means on its disposal to continue its robbery going.

The moving target regime managed to elude the world for too long. Its newfound love with ‘economic transformation’ is noting more than another diversion to legitimize its modern day robbery under institution of larceny it setup to help it. The regime and its partner-in-crime genuinely believe they outsmart everyone in ransacking the nation with impunity.

The regime’s apologists are simply bottom feeders enjoying their pretty corruption granted them for their service. Equipped with well orchestrated propaganda they created enough confusion to allow the regime get away with its heist while protect their ill-gotten petty theft as willing participants. In reality, the economy driven by top-down vertically integrated criminal enterprises run by TPLF operatives. Congregated around the usual economic activities with all the ‘legal’ cover they can master the operatives channel illicit goods and launder ill-gotten money at will.

The high-level corruption the regime and its partner-in-crime engaged is unheard-of in African dictatorship. The sophisticated network of economic monopoly revile the crime syndicates are in business not to govern but exploit the nation with every conceivable crime of corruption that would earn them hard cash.

At the meantime, the TPLF’s front ethnic parties with a label of EPRDF are simply an instrument of TPLF’s corruption; providing cover for its criminal syndicates.  These mentally and morally bankrupt individuals handpicked to front for Woyane are willing to sell the people in a hand basket in return for symbolic position in government as puppets of TPLF. They permitted to commit petty corruptions as reward for their services on the people Woyane labelled for them as theirs.

What is more interesting is the international community willing ignorance on the corrupt ethnic tyranny they support. In doing so, they willingly finance to expand crimes of corruption by lifting a small-time tyrant as ‘progressive leader’ of their liking.  As tragic as it looks, there is no concerted effort to make them accountable for their conspiracy and complicity. Also, seldom the networks of TPLF’s corrupt operatives challenged by the Media, advocacy groups and political parties.

The last few years there are encouraging activities by independent Media outlets and freedom advocates extensively engaged putting out the true picture of Woyane and its partner-in-crime. But, organized effort needed to expose and legally challenge the operatives throughout the world.

For example, TPLF owned and managed Almida Textile; the # 1 exporter of Textile or garment to US is supported by US Agency for International Development (USAID) VEGA Ethiopia AGOA+ Program Quarterly Performance … – USAID as Private Sector Promotion through the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) that offers private companies duty-free privilege to export to US. In reality, the company neither is private nor legal to be allowed taking advantage of the privilege. In fact, it is one among many that became nuisance on the private sector development by cutting out competitions through subside and favoritism by the ruling regime that won them on the expenses of Ethiopians taxpayers and foreign Aid.

So far no investigation launched by US Congressional Committee or advocacy groups. In fact, the company rewarded for its crimes. AGOA’s news reviles the selected few, including Almda Textile Plc. are using the incentive and the technical backing of USAID to export garment in the USA.

USAID didn’t make it secret of helping the corrupt ruling party TPLF’ owned companies even thought it is illegal to do business with corrupt official of regimes or companies. According to USAID document ‘Almda Textiles, a member of the Effort Group, and two U.S. companies, Atlas Manufacturing Group and Pinnacle Textiles, signed agreements in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia establishing long-term relationships in the apparel sector’.

It went on to say, ‘these commercial agreements are a result of several initiatives undertaken by COMPETE’s East and Central Africa Trade Hub (ECA Hub). COMPETE provided technical assistance to Almeda and sponsored the company to exhibit at the MAGIC Apparel Trade Show in August 2009. The Africa Pavilion at MAGIC, designed and managed by COMPETE, has become the premier platform for African Apparel exporters to access the U.S. market. Sustained ECA Hub support to the Ethiopian Apparel sector under the U.S. African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) initiative dates back to 2003.

US tax-payers money wasted to subsidize notorious corrupt TPLF’s companies to profit from illicit trade. Yet, no one challenged the regime or USAID nor took any legal initiatives against the operatives under Foreign Corrupt Act or various laws in the book.

The congressional committee on African Affair has not began nor approached to look into these blunt corruptions on the expenses of US taxpayers. The Congressional Budget Office reported in several occasions that USAID spending in Ethiopia isn’t transparent.  Yet, for unknown reason no investigation started; most likely because of the lobbying effort of Woyane.

For sure, Woyane is rotting in corruption to its cores and ready to self-implode on its own. The overreaching illicit crimes of its operatives posed as Tigrians is a calculate move to isolate and hide behind the people to continue TPLF’s power grab. At the meantime, corrupting as many willing Ethiopians to protect its money grab and economic dominance is part of a typical organized criminal syndicate’s strategy. Patronizing people by ethnicity is also to fend off and divert the opposition in other issue to continue its power and corruption.

Therefore, protest against a rotten regime is not enough but, to go after regime’s criminal elements operating around the world. The clandestine operatives aren’t ordinary folks but professional criminals with multiple identities and citizenships. Legal professionals must involve to unravel the criminal syndicates’ activities and to help advocates launch criminal probes against the operatives.

Every ‘supporter’ of the regime should understand the criminality of Woyane. They should be warned they could be victims of misinformation that can entangle them in criminal liability. They must demand TPLF return the billions of dollar stolen money and stashed around the world. They should expose the officials and affiliates that amassed so much wealth.

Ethiopians must open multiple fronts to bring down the regime and its corrupt affiliated criminal syndicate. The economic front that finances the atrocity of the regime is a key sector that can’t be overlooked for long.