Ethiopia: Bereket Simeon’s mother lavish funeral

The Horn Times Newsletter April 8, 2013
by Getahune Bekele, South Africa

Demeke Mekonen stole the show at the lavish state funeral accorded to Bereket’s Mum

Is he eying the PM’s post?

One of the main collaborators and loyal disciples of the genocidal minority Tigre Junta, Ethiopia’s Deputy Prime minister Demeke Mekonen was among thousands of mourners descended on the northern historic city of Gonder for the lavish funeral of top TPLF warlord and undisputed king maker Bereket Simeon’s late mother.

The old lady, said to be in her late 80s died in Bereket’s mansion next to Tewodros square in Addis Ababa on March28 2013, after long battle with cancer.

Appreciated for her blandishments and duality, She was described by legions of Tigre warlords as “lioness” who fearlessly spied for the two main rebel groups, Tigre People Liberation Front (TPLF) and Eritrean People Liberation Front (Shabia) in the 80s and 90s until the Durg regime succumbed in May 1991.

Hence she was accorded state funeral which angered and irritated the residents of Gonder city, further exasperating the growing resentment towards the ruling Tigre gang.

But the most inauspicious moment occurred Monday morning before the funeral procession began, when a federal police band attempted to march through the streets of the city playing the so- called liberation songs such as “Tigrai Adi Weyanay”, Tigrai land of bandits, a song regarded as profane and ethnocentric by Ethiopians.

Sensing trouble as angry crowd began to assemble the band was hurriedly removed from the streets.

Moreover, according to eye witnesses from Gonder, the city was completely shut down from Saturday until late Monday where a detachment of the TPLF army from the Tigre town of Adigrat and the federal police took control of every intersection and key installations including strategic surrounding hills and villages.

The road from the city center leading up to the Gonder St Gabriel Orthodox Church was also completely cordoned off to insure the safety of the grieving warlords.

Among the mourners were Tigrai republic God mother Azeb Mesfin, Tigrai republic’s multi-million Dollar brewery Raya beer co-owner Gen Tsadkan Gebretinsay and his business partner former TPLF spin doctor Salome Taddese, the retard Tigre warlord Sibehat Nega, feared Tigrai republic president Abby Woldu, former Marxist Leninist League Tigrai political commissar Tagay Tekestebirhan, today known as his Holiness Abune Samuel, Tigrai republic Mufti Elias Redman and Tigrai high priest, pastor Daniel Gebresilassie.

Warlord turned citizen journalist and owner of Reporter newspaper Amare Aregawi was also there to mourn the passing of his boss’s mother.

As it is the norm in the world’s unofficial apartheid state, non-Tigre mourners were kept away from the elite by security officers in plain clothing.

However, it was the performance of Deputy PM Demeke Mekonen that caused beards to wag and jaws to drop.
Moving around the TPLF flag draped coffin in labored manner, gliding backwards and forwards like a moonwalker, Demeke lamented the death of the woman he barely knew in traditional Amharic mourning poems using a strangely sonorous voice.

Although some mourners gave a smirk, according to our reliable sources, others were spellbound by Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonen’s wailing skills and sheer display of loyalty, whispering ‘is he eying the post of the Prime Minister?

“Look, all non-Tigres who were given key positions in the past had to use TPLF functions such as this to show their loyalty- Demeke was simply following suit. But am not so sure how that exaggerated false sorrow is going to lacerate the cold hearts the Tigre coterie and propel him to new heights. I don’t see him gaining any kudos.” A former non-Tigre TPLF politician who attended the funeral told the Horn Times magazine from Addis Ababa.

In additional news, after the funeral at St Gabriel church, mourners were treated to scrumptious after tears provided by the dream liner owner captain Mulatu where liquor was made available with gay abandon.