ESAT Yesamentu engeda Ato Birhanu Damte Aba mela May 2013 Ethiopia

The irony of Zenawi’s Foundation By Robele Ababya

USA locking horns with the monster it created?

The TPLF regime was catapulted to power armed to the teeth with modern weapons of war provided by Gaddafi coupled with supply of intelligence about the military movements of the Derg regime, which the western powers wanted to revenge for its ideological leaning to the left and its anti-USA stance – all due to the political immaturity of Mengistu breaking at a public rally bottles filled with red liquid condemning imperialism. The US and UK governments in revenge to Mengistu’s bluff kept the TPLF warlords in power by direct financial and security support. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs portfolio has been under the monopoly of TPLF regime for the last 22 years in order to make sure that the interests of the two Western powers are served through instructions whispered to the Minister with whom they frequently meet at various international forums and domestically through their resident envoys.

However, it is encouraging to hear the statement by the acting deputy State department spokesman Patrick Ventrell that “The US was “deeply disappointed” that Ethiopia’s federal supreme court upheld the men’s “conviction and harsh sentencing,” adding that “Today’s decision further reinforces our serious concern about Ethiopia’s politicized prosecution of those critical of the government and ruling party, including under the anti-terrorism proclamation.” Mr.Ventrell went on to stress that “the Universal Declaration of Human Rights gives everyone “a right to freedom of opinion and expression, and that this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference.”

The USA looks set to lock horn

Keep your eyes on the prize

by Yilma Bekele

We are witnessing a flurry of news from the TPLF party that calls itself the Ethiopian government. Why is the Woyane party so busy and why is the party pushing its cadres to be super active is a good question. That is what piqued my interest and I was forced to look around to figure out what exactly is happening both in Ethiopia and the Diaspora community to make the illegal regime work overtime.

I did not have to look far to see why the government is acting very nervous. It looks like for a change the progressive forces are on the attack and the reactionary regime is on the defense. Believe me this is a rare occurrence and shows the realignment of forces in our country. I will try to explain why later on but let us look at what is causing this shift. A few weeks back the regime carried out its ‘ethnic cleansing’ activity in the Beneshangul Gumuz Kilil. It was not the first time the TPLF led regime has done this criminal act but what was different this time around was our collective indignation. We were able to carry out a sustained and well organized push back from around the world. The opposition in Ethiopia cooperated by boldly demanding action and tried to collect evidence from the affected areas.

How we Behave Online

by Teklu Abate

Thanks to advances in information and communication technologies, people overcome spatio-temporal limitations. We communicate in real time regardless of where we live. Traditionally, communications and collaborations were made between people and organizations that somehow know each other well. These times see communications of all sorts being made between entities that do not know each other in person.

In fact, we use technologies to conquer new grounds- to create, expand and sustain our international online presence. Technologies are also places where to make retreats to- people who are denied of their natural rights (such as freedom of expression and association) consider technologies as powerful remedies. Thanks to Internet-based social media, the oppressed are claiming their lost identities. Although 1) some dictatorial regimes aspire to curtain the move, and 2) the technologic infrastructure in several places is still inadequate, people worldwide are building online/virtual identities and presences.

Ethiopian editor questioned over story on Azeb Mesfin

(CPJ) New York, May 15, 2013–Ethiopian police in Addis Ababa questioned an editor for several hours today in connection with a story published in October about the widow of the late Ethiopian leader Meles Zenawi, according to news reports.

Azeb Mesfin the widow of the late Ethiopian dictator Meles Zenawi

Officers in the Ethiopian Federal Police Crime Investigation Department interrogated Ferew Abebe, the former editor-in-chief of the private Amharic-language weekly Sendek, about his sources for the October 10, 2012, story that saidAzeb Mesfin, Meles’ widow, had refused to leave the Ethiopian national place nearly two months after the prime minister’s death, local journalists said. The story, which was widely covered in local and international press, cited government sources as saying that Meles’ successor, Hailemarian Desalegn, was unable to live in the palace.

When the truth punches the desperate Ethiopian regime in the face?

Like it or not Ethiopians are coming together to end Woyane rule. What is left for regime and its stooges is to continue pocking hole on Ethiopiawinet; pandering and instigating ethnic and religious divisions and conflicts to divert the issue of illegitimacy. As my uncle use to say, ‘ወያኔ ፈረስ ከገብስ ያጣላል’ In its desperate attempt to cover up the truth and avoid responsibility diversion became the only option left. የቸገረው እርጉዝ ያገባል?

by Teshome Debalke

Recent news the regime ruling Ethiopia detained some of its corrupt officials after it use and abuse them for two decade to accomplish its grand corruption is another hide-and-seek game of the illegitimate regime plays. It sounds more of the same face saving scum of TPLF to preserve its draconian rule and corruption by all means necessary. TPLF’s apologist and the badmouth Medias running wild and swinging wide to preserve the rotten regime.

Corruption and the Ethiopian Regime By Semahagn Gashu Abebe (PhD)

The legal measures undertaken by the Ethiopian regime last week has once again brought about the issue of corruption to the spot light. According to the statement released by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission of Ethiopia, high ranking government officials and prominent business personalities have been arrested for their alleged involvement in corrupted practices. A measure against such high profile personalities prompts us to look at the various perspectives of addressing corruption in the country.  The measure gives an impression that the regime is determined to fight the rampant corruption in the country. But there are numerous issues surrounding the problem of corruption in the country and its implications.

Some commentators associate the measure taken by the regime in relation to the internal strife emerging within the party after the passing way of the godfather of the regime some eight months before. After the deaths of the only unifying force within otherwise a fragmented EPRDF leadership, the emergence internal struggle for dominance is a natural sequence. After all, applying the parameters of corruption to root out dissent within EPRDF is not a new phenomenon. Leaders of EPRDF, particularly Meles Zenawi, have been applying the rhetoric of fighting corruption to attack political opponents. The imprisonment of the former prime minister of the country Tamerat Layne as well the veteran TPLF leaders such as Seye Abreha in 2003 were largely associated with the use of corruption rhetoric to purge out power rivalries with in TPLF and the larger EPRDF circles. If the current campaign against corruption is taken in light of the rivalry among the various factions within the vanguard party, the implications are more serious to the survival of the regime and stability for the country in the short term since the power struggle is now conducted without any apparent ‘big man’ that may manipulate the power play to emerge victories. Due to this new scenario, the consequences of this power struggle may not be a limited one as it was before.

Edu-corruption and Mis-education in Ethiopia By Prof. Al Mariam

Educorruption and the miseducation of Ethiopian youth   

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” said Nelson Mandela. For the late Meles Zenawi and his apostles (the Melesistas) in Ethiopia, the reverse is true: Ignorance is the most powerful weapon you can use to prevent change and cling to power. They have long adopted the motto of George Orwell’s Oceania: “Ignorance is Strength”. Indeed, ignorance is a powerful weapon to manipulate, emasculate and subjugate the masses. Keep ‘em ignorant and impoverished and they won’t give you any trouble.

For the Melesistas education is indoctrination. They feed the youth a propaganda diet rich in misinformation, disinformation,  distortions, misguided opinions, worn out slogans and sterile dogmas from a bygone era. Long ago, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, “Father of African-American History”, warned against such indoctrination and miseducation of the oppressed: “When you control a man’s thinking you do not have to worry about his actions. You do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder. He will find his proper place and will stay in it. You do not need to send him to the back door. He will go without being told. In fact, if there is no back door, he will cut one for his special benefit. His education makes it necessary.” The rulers in Ethiopia continue to use higher educational institutions not as places of learning, inquiry and research but as diploma mills for a new breed of party hacks and zombie ideologues doomed to  blind and unquestioning servility.  “Zombie go… zombie stop… zombie turn… zombie think…,” sang the great African musician Fela Kuti. I’d say, “zombie teach… zombie learn… zombie read… zombie dumb… zombie dumber.”

Minister Fenta and 16 others arrested on corruption charges

ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopian activists have praised efforts by the government to crackdown on corruption in the East African country. They said the arrest of a minister and 16 other people show that Ethiopia is pushing forward on efforts to help end the rampant corruption within government and business in the country.

“I believe this will turn out for the better because we need to clean up our government,” one activist, who also works in finance, told Bikaynews.com on Saturday. For him, the arrests are “the beginning of a new Ethiopia free from the politics and past craziness and greed that had been part of the country for far too long.”

Businesses in the region regularly complain of corruption as an obstacle to their work. Transparency International ranked Ethiopia 113 out of 176 nations worldwide in its 2012 perception of corruption index, where No. 1 is considered least corrupt.

That ranking puts Ethiopia above most nations in the Horn of Africa and east Africa regions, although Rwanda is ranked 50.

Melaku Fenta, a senior ruling party member and director general of the revenue and customs authority with the rank of minister, was arrested on Friday alongside two other officials from the authority, government spokesman Shimeles Kemal said.

የአቶ አስገደ ልጆች (አሕለፎምና የማነ አስገደ) ምን ወንጀል ሠሩ? – መስፍን ወልደ ማርያም

አቶ አስገደ ከቀደሙት የወያኔ ታጋዮች አንዱ ነው፤ ወያኔ ለሥልጣን እስከበቃበትና ከዚያም አልፎ አባል ሆኖ ቆይቶአል፤ በኋላ ግን የተመለከተውን አሠራርና አካሄድ እየተመለከተ ወያኔ ዱሮ የነበረውን ዓላማ በሥልጣን ላይ ከወጡ በኋላ ከሚደረገው ጋር ሲያነጻጽር መነሻውን እየሳተ መሆኑን በመገንዘቡ የወያኔን አሠራር በቁጭት መተቸትና መንቀፍ ጀመረ፤ በዚህ ጉዳይ ላይ መጽሐፎችንም ደረሰ፤ አጫጭር ጽሑፎችም በጋዜጦችና በመጽሔቶች ላይ ጻፈ፤ ከጓደኞቹ ከቀድሞ የወያኔ አባሎች ጋር በመሆን አሬና የሚባል ተቀናቃኝ ፖሊቲካ ፓርቲ አባል ሆነ፤ ይህ ሁሉ እንደሰውም፣ እንደዜጋም የአቶ አስገደ መብቱ ነው፤ ወያኔን በመተችትና በመንቀፍ አቶ አስገደ የመጀመሪያው አይደለም፤ የመጨረሻውም እንደማይሆን እየታየ ነው፤ ከዚህ በፊት አቶ ገብረ መድኅን አርአያ ወያኔን ሲያጋልጥ ቆይቷል፤ አሁንም እየቀጠለ ነው፤ አሁን ደግሞ ከአቶ አስገደ ጋር ኤንጂኒር አብደልወሃብ ቡሽራ አለ፤ … እውነት የብረት ግንብም ቢሆን ሰርስሮ የመውጣት ኃይል አለው፤ እየወጣም ነው፡፡

Prof. Mesfin Woldemariam

በሚያዝያ (2005) ውስጥ የአቶ አስገደ ሁለት ወንዶች ልጆቹ ከተለያዩ ከተሞች ተይዘው ታሰሩ፤ አቶ አስገደ እንዳለው አንዱ ልጁ፣ አሕለፎም አስገደ ሚያዝያ 16/2005 ‹‹በአንድ ሻይ ቤት ቡና ሲጠጣ›› ተያዘ፤ ሌላው ልጁ ደግሞ፣ የማነ አስገደ የሚባለው የሶፍትዌር ኤንጂኒር ታሞ ስለነበረ ጠበል ለመጠመቅ ወደአያቱ መኖሪያ ሄዶ ሳለ በሚያዝያ መጨረሻ ሳምንት አካባቢ ተይዞ ታሰረ፤ የሁለቱ የአቶ አስገደ ልጆች በሚያዝያ 16ና ምናልባትም 25 መሀከል በሁለት በተለያዩ ከተሞች ተይዘው መታሰር አድፍጦ የሚጠብቃቸው ኃይል የነበረ ያስመስለዋል፤ ልጆቹ ከወያኔ ድርጅት ጋር ያላቸው/የነበራቸው ግንኙነት አይታወቅም፤ አባታቸው አቶ አስገደ ግን ወያኔ የነበረ የወያኔ ነቃፊ መሆኑ ይታወቃል፤ የሁለቱ ወጣቶች መታሰር ምክንያት ከመንግሥት ጋር ሳይሆን ከወያኔ ጋር የተያያዘ መሆኑን የሚያመለክተው አሕለፎም የሚባለው በመጀመሪያ የታሰረው በመደበኛ ፖሊስ ጣቢያ ወይም ቀበሌ ሳይሆን 06 በሚባል የወያኔ እስር ቤት መሆኑ፣ የፖሊስ ጣቢያውን ኃላፊ አቶ አስገደ ሲጠይቀው የሰጠው መልስ ‹‹አስገደ እራስህ ተበክለህ እየጮህክ እዚህ ያለውን ሰው እየበከልክብን ነው›› ማለቱ የልጆቹ መታሰር የተያያዘው ከአባታቸው ጋር እንደሆነ የሚያመለክት ያስመስለዋል፡፡

የፍትህ ሚንስትር አቶ ብርሃን ሃይሉም ተባረረ!!

የጉምሩክ ዳይሬክተር እና ምክትሉ መባረራቸው በተሰማ ማግስት ሌላ ዜና ደግሞ ተከትሎ መጥቷል። የኢትዮጵያ ፍትህ ሚንስትር የነበሩት አቶ ብርሃን ሃይሉ ያለምንም ማስጠንቀቂያ ስልጣናቸውን ተነጥቀው ተባረዋል። አቶ ብርሃን ሃይሉ ከስልጣን መነሳታቸውን የሚገልጸው ደብዳቤ የደረሳቸው ከጠቅላይ ሚንስትሩ ጽ/ቤት፤ አዲሱ ጠ/ሚ አቶ ኃይለማርያም ደሳለኝ በፈረሙበት ደብዳቤ ነው። ሚንስትሩ እ.አ.አ በ2005 ዓ.ም. በማስታወቂያ ሚንስትርነት ሲሰሩ ነበር። ሆኖም ማስታወቂያ ሚንስትር እንዲፈርስ ሲደረግ፤ በቀጥታ ሌላ ሹመት በማግኘት የፍትህ ሚንስትር ሆነው ኢህአዴግን በታማኝነት ሲያገለግሉ ቆይተዋል።

Justice Minister Birhan Haile – Fired!

አቶ ብርሃን ሃይሉ የብአዴን (ብሔረ አማራ ዴሞክራሲያዊ ንቅናቄ) ማዕከላዊ ኮሚቴ እና ስራ አስፈጻሚ ሆነው ለብዙ አመታት ሲያገለግሉ ቢቆዩም፤ ባለፈው ማርች ወር 2013 ዓ.ም. ብአዴን በባህር ዳር ስብሰባ አድርጎ በነበረበት ወቅት፤ ከፍተኛ ወቀሳ ከተደረገባቸው አባላት መካከል ዋነኛው አቶ ብርሃን ሃይሉ ነበር። “ብቃት እና ችሎታ የሌለው ሚንስትር” ተብሎ በተደጋጋሚ ተገምግሟል። ከዚህ ስብሰባ በኋላ ከብአዴን እና ኢህአዴግ ስራ አስፈጻሚነት ተነስቷል።