By Abebe Gellaw Ethiopia has so many “ambassadors” and “diplomats” across the globe. Unfortunately, they neither represent our country nor can proudly stand in front of the oppressed people of Ethiopia. If at all they dare to do so, they know that they will be booed, condemned and pelted with rotten eggs, if not worse. The reason why they are held in great contempt is that they are emissaries of tyranny that constantly lie and degrade themselves to please their TPLF paymasters. The opportunists and sycophants that shamelessly call themselves Ethiopian diplomats and ambassadors are actually willing accomplices of TPLF’s untold crimes, oppression and plunder against the poor people of Ethiopia.
One of TPLF’s admirable skills is admittedly grooming and recruiting servile puppets and opportunists in different colors and stripes, such as Hailemariam Desalegn, Girma Woldegiorgis, Shimelis Kemal and Tesfaye Habiso, who will do and say anything as long their bellies are taken care of. TPLF’s Trojan horses, disguised as ambassadors, like Girma Biru, Genet Zewidie, Dawit Yohannes, Kassahun Ayele, Fisseha Yimer, Berhanu Kebede, Suleiman Dedefo, Teshome Toga, Konjit Sinegiorgis, Tekeda Alemu, Degife Bula et al, not to mention TPLF’s first-class emissaries and missionaries all over the world, are unscrupulous messengers of the criminals in power. They are driven by greed, self-interest and TPLF’s privileged reps at every embassy. They loyally and slavishly serve their masters at Arat Kilo that have been committing all sorts of brutal repressions and atrocities against the people of Ethiopia. Quite obviously, their bellies are always full but, alas, their conscience is starkly empty.
The greater majority of “ambassadors” and “diplomats” shamelessly tell the world that Ethiopia is democratizing,human rights is constitutionally guaranteed, free press is flourishing, the economy is booming without saying whose economy it is….They are willingly enslaved to constantly condemn the past and praise the prevailing apartheid system under the guise of ethnic federalism. After all, it they dare to tell just a gain of truth, they know they will be booted out by the TPLF. That is why they are just wagging their tails like hungry dogs to please their masters that throw them some bones to gnaw.
While the so-called ambassadors and diplomats work against the basic interests of Ethiopia and Ethiopians, there are unpaid missionaries of freedom that have been traveling far and wide to defend liberty, condemn tyranny and expose the daylight robberies in Ethiopia. One man stands tall above others. Our brother artiste and activist Tamagn Beyene, who has been the unwavering voice of truth and freedom for over two decades, is undoubtedly one of Ethiopia’s real ambassadors serving the nation tirelessly and selflessly. Unlike TPLF’s bogus ambassadors and diplomats, who represent no one but tyranny and brutality, Tamagn speaks the unvarnished truth loudly and clearly.
Had Tamagn just wanted to fill his belly at the expense of his conscience, he would have stayed closer to his former friend, billionaire tycoon Sheik Mohammed Al Amoudi. In a video clip I had once the privy to watch, Al Amoudi praises Tamagn gushingly as his most beloved brother. He said Tamagn never asked him to do anything for himself but to be generous to others. But the most serious difference between them appears to be the Sheik’s blind support to the TPLF regime, the ethno-fascist oppressive front that has been dividing and misruling Ethiopia for over two decades. When Al Amoudi became one of the sponsors of TPLF’s tyranny, the once respected billionaire fell from grace and his immense fortune proved to be not worthy enough to buy back the genuine respect and love of the Ethiopian people. No matter how poor Ethiopians are, they know their true friends and allies irrespective of their wealth.
The tireless Tamagn never says no when it comes to promoting the interests of Ethiopia and Ethiopians across the world. I had the privilege to travel to a few cities with Tamagn for ESAT’s fundraising events. His unmatchable love for his country, his passion for freedom, unwavering voice for the truth, humor and eloquence has won him genuine admiration and respect among his fellow Ethiopians.
Tamagn is currently touring Europe to garner support for ESAT, which has emerged as a powerful voice for Ethiopia. Wherever he goes, patriotic Ethiopians come out in full force to receive and honor him. While TPLF emissaries are held in contempt and spat at wherever they go, Tamagn Beyene gets accolades and flowers. While Ethiopia’s so called ambassadors and diplomats hide from the ordinary men and women that they were supposed to serve as servants, Tamagn enjoys acclamations and standing ovations. In contrast to that, when “Ethiopian” embassies hold meetings, the majority handpicked to attend are surely TPLF agents, members and their cronies. The rest of Ethiopians who are asking hard questions are excluded shamelessly.
There may indeed be a few junior diplomats, but certainly none at ambassadorial and high-ranking levels, that want to serve their country and people with integrity. But that is obviously mission impossible as long as they humbly serve their blood sucker paymasters at every embassy, which have been effectively converted into TPLF’s foreign offices at the expense of poor taxpayers. They all know full well that even the ministry of foreign affairs, the supposed command center of diplomacy, is one of the useless government agencies that have been crippled with discrimination, corruption and nepotism. In order to serve as a diplomat, the most important criterion is being slavish and servile to the TPLF. Never tell any inconvenient truths that can offend the TPLF. That is the unwritten rule that no one can break.
The famous journalist and scholar Isaac Goldberg (1887-1938) once said that diplomacy is the art of doing and saying the nastiest things in the nicest way. Unfortunately, our ambassadors and most of our diplomats do and say the nastiest things in the nastiest way. In the process, they have lost their conscience, honor and dignity for the sake of serving the TPLF, one of the worst terrorist organizations in the world. If there are any “diplomats” with a conscience, they should join the struggle for freedom and dignity, sooner rather than later. It is better to starve in dignity and earn a living by working hard rather than being paid for standing against the oppressed people of Ethiopia.
Let every “diplomat”, irrespective of their rank, answer one simple question honestly. Who are you serving? The people of Ethiopia, yourself or TPLF’s ethno-fascistic tyranny. We already know the answer but you also need to sleep over it.
As far as so many Ethiopians are concerned, Tamagn Beyene is the foremost but unpaid ambassador-at-large of Ethiopia, who is inspirational to millions of Ethiopians. On the contrary, the depressing agents and emissaries of tyranny, whose main mission is lying on behalf of the despicable TPLF-led regime, are condemned to live in hiding—not from criminals but from the ordinary men and women that they were supposed to serve with clear conscience and utmost humility.
Some people may wonder what an ambassador-at-large does. According to the Macmillan Dictionary of Diplomacy, an ambassador-at-large is a diplomat or a minister of the highest rank who possesses great experience and as a result appointed to handle major issues without being tied to a particular country. As per diplomatic protocol, an ambassador-at -large is addressed as His/Her Excellency.
I personally salute Tamagn for his patriotism, integrity and struggles for freedom. I see him as my older brother with admiration and veneration. As Tamagn said once, everyone one of us have a calling to stand for the dignity and liberty of our country no matter how high the cost is. If few individuals can make a difference, all the oppressed people of Ethiopia can do miracles when they rise up in unison against TPLF’s unjust war against Ethiopia and its people. Yes, we can undoubtedly reclaim our God-given liberties and the land we can proudly call Ethiopia.
His Excellency Tamagn Beyene, represents me and millions of freedom-loving and voiceless Ethiopians wherever his goes. He has the full authority to speak on behalf of ordinary Ethiopians like me that aspire to make tyranny history in our beloved country suffering under oppressors and occupiers. The unpaid ambassador-at-large serves us with utmost integrity unlike those who will be asked, sooner or later, to reimburse all the salaries and benefits that they are paid for working against the people of Ethiopia.
Your Excellency Tamagn Beyene, I take my hats off for your unflinching, unwavering, consistent and vocal stand against the ethno-fascistic enemies of freedom that have turned our country into one giant prison. We will march together until tyranny is defeated in Ethiopia once and for all.
I am obliged to write this short note after I heard the new Ethiopian UN Ambassador Tekeda Alemu’s, my former big
boss, interview on the EPRDF pal-talk gezategaru a week earlier. The points he forwarded in the interview are provocative and therefore demand a reply and correction. He cannot escape using the usual EPRDF deceiving tactic of making up a story to disguise itself as being somebody that it really is not. From my personal knowledge of the person
The ambassador mentioned that the reason he returned in 1974 to Ethiopia after he completed school in the USA was because he believed the Derg was progressive at the time and Ethiopia was at war with Somalia.
Well, I do not contest his initial argument. However, that does not explain why he remained cozy with the Derg people for the next 17 years with out any opposition or resistance to their untold human rights violations and horrific killings of innocent Ethiopians. While Ethiopians were slaughtered on the streets and its smartest and brightest were imprisoned and tortured, the so-called Dr. was serving the Derg regime full-heartedly and defending its bad deeds in the diplomatic sphere. On the interview he gave, he also mentioned that he was in the OAU meeting in West Africa when Woyane took power, and he said he came and joined them after Addis fall in their hands. Therefore, as he did during the oppressive Derg period he started serving the ethnic-psycho TPLF hegemonic rule in Ethiopia since the very day they came to power. Until the day he was sent to New York as Ambassador he has firmly stood in the side of those rulers who blocked the door that takes Ethiopia from autocracy to democracy and from poverty to development.
While we were at the ministry the Dr. was willing and happy to execute and endorse the decisions and actions of his TPLF bosses. When many intellectuals opposed the system at different times and resigned from the ministry the so-called Dr is still the proud son of TPLF. The Dr. has never said a word nor has he expressed any resentment at any point. As he shuts his mouse under the Derg oppressive system for years he has exhibited the same opportunist character under the current administration that is balkanizing the Ethiopian polity. This will definitely begs for the obvious question, how is the Dr.’s moral compass set and what is the meaning of his knowledge? Unless used to serve fight deceit and defend justice knowledge is the same as ignorance!
The other point the Ambassador raised in the interview was that he is not a member of EPRDF. He said that neither he nor the government had asked the question and so he is not a member.
To begin with, nobody cares whether Tekeda is a member or not. After all everybody knows that Tekeda is equally responsible for all the blunders and persecutions committed against Ethiopians and Ethiopia as Meles Zenawi is. The question is what have you done to hurt the cause of democracy, development and justice in Ethiopia, not whether you have received a membership paper to be EPRDF. Today Ethiopians at colleges and universities, civil services, businesses and farmers are being coerced to be a member of EPRDF. Failure to do so results in discrimination in employment, getting government services, fertilizers and others. The rhetoric that the Doctor is not a member is a cheap political game that will never save him when the popular peoples’ movement washes away the illegitimate Woyane junta from its place.
He used to insist diplomats at the ministry join EPRDF, at different times treated them as enemy, and has collaborated in firing many diplomats by accusing them as accomplice of CUD and other opposition parties. In his diplomatic status, he has sold Ethiopian interests in collaboration with the TPLF juntas. When the Ethio-Eritrea boundary commission awards Eritrea the Badme region the Doctor has collaborated in deceiving Ethiopians by telling us that it was decided in our favor. As a State minister for Foreign Affairs he should have debated and promoted Ethiopian cause. However, the sorry thing is that the Doctor is working to please his TPLF bosses, nothing more. The same holds true with respect Ethiopia’s right to get access to the sea and the issue of Western Gondar land given away to the Sudan. In all these cases the Doctor has done nothing except running and barking after the ball his TPLF lords thrown before him.
I could have said a lot about the weaknesses the Doctor exhibits and opportunism that seriously co-opted his character to the core. Due to lack of time I cannot say any more. I will add a follow up as soon as I got time.
Article 27 of the TPLF-imposed constitution stipulates a secular Ethiopian state; it permits freedoms of conscience, expression, association, and religion among others in conformity with United Nations Declaration on Universal Human Rights. It is therefore discriminatory and wrong for the PM taking advantage of his political position to allow members of his Pentecostal church to hold mass at the Palace built at the expense of the Ethiopian people to run their national affairs.
It is to be recalled that Ethiopian leaders in the past worshipped in churches in sharp contrast to the venue in Menilik Palace deliberately chosen by Prime Minister (PM) Hailemariam Desalegn partly to sow discord among Ethiopians and partly to be build his power base.This constitutes utter lack of sensitivity to the 90 million multicultural citizens of Ethiopia of various creeds that the PM is supposed to represent impartially. Is the PM fit to rule?
The stance of the PM carries a double-edged sword, division along ethnic and religious lines both leading to internecine carnage. This is the demonic legacy of the late tyrant Meles Zenawi that the PM has publicly vowed to perpetuate intact.
Followers of Orthodox Tewahedo Christians and Muslim faiths constitute 77% of the Ethiopian people; the latter have shown determined and sustained demand for the respect of their right to elect their leaders freely at Mosques without government interference as stipulated in the constitution standing bravely for their right for over a year. Tewahedo Christians should match the bravery of their Muslim citizens and forge unity to force the brutal EPRDF regime to respect its own constitution.
Unfortunately the Holy Synod in Addis Ababa is in leadership crisis and is therefore impotent to rally Christians and demand government involvement in religious such as forcefully spearheading the replacement process for the late illegitimate Patriarch Aba Paulos. This pathetic situation has to change by the demand of the faithful in Addis Ababa noting that the proportion of the followers of the Orthodox faith has fallen from 60% to 45% in the last 21 years owing to the split of the Holy Synod.
Need for Ethiopian secular state
The Muslim Brotherhood is accused of hijacking the Egyptian revolution of the people, opposition political parties, and activists for change to a democratic dispensation. Egyptians are back in their hundreds of thousands to Tahrir Square in Cairo and other major cities in protest. Leaders in the opposition are calling on President Morsi for a dialogue aimed at establishing a national unity government in order to check popular unrest, stabilize the country, and taste the fruit of the revolution in a secular democratic state. President Morsi is in deep political trouble owing to economic decline and social unrest.
Ethiopian Christians and Muslims should enter into covenant to struggle for a secular democratic state in which freedom of conscience is inviolable. In doing so they are advised to take into consideration the current Egyptian predicament and the following narration on religion and ideology.
1. By visiting Google readers will, in an article posted by Scott From South Cackalacky dated 10/17/2009, find that “Christianity and Religion Have Caused More Deaths Than Anything Else in History”. The author argues on the basis of the Holy Bible and history that “Religion and ideology are secondary causes of war and the primary cause of war is sin”, vide:-
“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures”,
James 4:1-3
“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander”, (Matthew 15:19).
“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).
“The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time” (Genesis 6:5)
2. By visiting Google under the title “Is religion the cause of most wars?” readers will find the argument that the primary cause of war is “our wicked hearts; religion and ideology are simply the means through which we exercise the wickedness in our hearts.” It is further stressed that “… true religion keeps fallen humanity in check; without it, wickedness and sin would reign supreme.”
Historical tells us that non-Christian wars caused the death of 90 million compared to 6 million deaths attributed to Christian wars, vide:-
“By all accounts, the 20th century was one of the bloodiest centuries in human history. Two major world wars, which had nothing at all to do with religion, the Jewish Holocaust, and the Communist Revolutions in Russia, China, Southeast Asia and Cuba, have accounted for anywhere between 50-70 million deaths (some estimate upwards to 100 million). The one thing these conflicts and genocides have in common is that fact that they were ideological, not religious, in nature. We could easily make the case that more people have died throughout human history due to ideology than to religion. Communist ideology necessitates ruling over others. Nazi ideology necessitates elimination of “inferior” races. These two ideologies alone account for the death of millions, and religion had nothing to do with it. In fact, communism is by definition an atheistic ideology.”
Global Public Protest Against the Graziani Mausoleum and Fascist Italy’s War Crimes in Ethiopia
Ethiopian patriots hanged by Fascists
International public protests, peaceful demonstrations and meetings are scheduled to take place in major cities
throughout the world on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 against the dedication of a mausoleum and park in honor of Rodolfo Graziani, the remembrance of the 3-day Fascist massacre of 30,000 Ethiopians in Addis Ababa in February 1937, as well as all of the Italian Fascist war crimes in Ethiopia, with the support of the Vatican, during 1935-1941.
Fascist war crimes in Ethiopia
The Italian Fascist war crimes that were perpetrated in Ethiopia resulted in the following huge losses:
The massacre of one million Ethiopians using internationally forbidden weapons, including poison gas;
Italian Fascists posing after beheading an Ethiopian patriot
The destruction of 2,000 churches and 525,000 homes;
The killing of 14 million domestic animals and degradation of the environment.
In a travesty of justice, Italy paid a mere derisory amount of 6 million sterling pounds in 1947 as war reparations to
Ethiopia.
As if to add insult to injury, the Italian Government has recently established a mausoleum in honor of the war criminal, Rodolfo Graziani, at Affile, south of Rome
Rodolfo Graziani’s mausoleum being inaugurated in the presence of a Vatican Representative
Vatican Support for the Fascist Invasion of Ethiopia
The Vatican, under the leaderships of both Popes Pius XI and Pius XII, was fully complicit with Fascist war crime in
Rodolfo Graziani’s mausoleum being inaugurated in the presence of a Vatican Representative
Ethiopia.
In its issue of February 13, 1937, The New York Timereported: “Earlier today the Pontiff (Pope Pius XI) had given his recognition of Italian sovereignty over Ethiopia by bestowing his apostolic benediction upon Victor Emmanuel as “King of Italy and Emperor of Ethiopia.”
The Manchester Guardianon February 12, 1929 wrote: “Pope Pius XI is credited with much admiration forMussolini. That the Italian clergy as a whole are pro-Fascist is easy to understand, seeing that Fascism is a nationalist, authoritarian, anti-liberal, and anti-Socialist force.”
According to Avro Manhattan, Pope Pius XI expressed his elation at the advent of the Fascist army in Addis Ababa by declaring: “The triumphant joy of an entire, great and good people over a place which, it is hoped and intended, will be an effective contribution and prelude to the true place in Europe and the World.”
The Bishop of Torano had blessed the Fascist invasion of Ethiopia by pronouncing: “The war against Ethiopia should be considered as a holy war, a crusade” (as Italian victory) would “open Ethiopia, a country of infidels and schismatics, to the expansion of the Catholic Faith.”
