“I am Ethiopian first” Abebe Gellaw"

July 23, 2013

by Abebe Gellaw

Abebe Gellaw

It has come to my attention that my brief Facebook comment regarding a few controversial statements made by Jawar Mohammed has been posted on ECADF’s website as an article. I had no intention of writing a series piece on the issue. Quite obviously, there is a big difference between a well-thought out lengthy commentary and a brief message in a particular context.

My intention was just to appeal for calm and harmony, a necessary effort lacking in our political discourse. Often times, a message without its context is open to misinterpretation and misunderstanding. So there seems to be a need to clarify.

Politics, as far as I understand, is a mechanism of managing conflict of interests. It is a means of building consensus through dialogue and compromise. Since the early 1960s, the major political conflict in Ethiopia has been between ethno-nationalists and nationalists. The forces on both ends of the political spectrum have not still found a middle ground that can bring them towards consensus and compromise.

My understanding is that Jawar is an ethno-nationalist. As an ethno-nationalist, he says he is an Oromo first. Unlike him, I am a nationalist. But that is not the major problem. The problem is the way he has chosen to articulate and present his views in question that have been widely perceived as inflammatory and divisive.

I firmly and fervently believe that I am an Ethiopian first. I do not wish to allow the ethnic origin of my predecessors and parents to define me as a human being and overshadow my Ethiopian identity.

Jawar said Ethiopian identity was imposed on him. On the contrary, I argue that such a position is fundamentally flawed. Nowhere in the world is anyone given choices of national identity.

The Chinese-American writer, Eric Liu, once said: “The next time someone uses denial of citizenship as a weapon or brandishes the special status conferred upon him by the accident of birth, ask him this: What have you done lately to earn it?” Our predecessors, who have bequeathed us a country called Ethiopia with all its faults, challenges and problems, have made huge sacrifices in blood and flesh so that we’ll never be stateless. We should rather make sacrifices to reclaim our country and make our citizenship more meaningful by winning our rights, as citizens, to live in our country with full dignity, freedom and equality. We should make Ethiopia a country where every citizen and ethnic group is equal.

Unfortunately, our birthplaces also define the major problems and opportunities we inherit. Ethiopia is not a perfect nation. Far from it, it is defective and faulty as a result of the age-old tyrannies and injustices we have been condemned to suffer collectively.

Like any nation, it offers unique challenges as well as opportunities. With all its problems and baggage, Ethiopia is a nation of 80 million people. Our destiny is intertwined. We are diverse and yet we are all Ethiopians, whether we like it or not. I believe that rejecting Ethiopia as our country is not a solution to any of the problems we are supposed to confront. We should rather make strenuous efforts to reconstruct Ethiopia as a country where all of its citizens live in freedom, harmony, justice, peace and prosperity.

In the new Ethiopia we envision, there should be no room for inequality, injustice and tyranny. It should never be a prison for its children, regardless of their political, ethnic or cultural backgrounds. No ethnic or political group should be allowed to impose hegemony at the detriment of the majority.

The worst challenges all citizens of Ethiopia, except the oppressors, face are political oppression, grinding poverty, indignity, inequality, injustice and discrimination, just to mention a few among so many. At this time and age, what has been imposed on us is not national identity but the tyranny of the TPLF, an extremist ethno-nationalist group whose aim was nothing more than seceding Tigray. That is why we should continue struggling to throw off this backbreaking tyranny from our shoulders.

As I have clearly stated in another Facebook post, addressed to Jawar, “No nation-state was formed through consensus and democratic deliberations. Nation-states emerged out of conflicts, conquests, occupations and colonialism. While almost all African states were created by the colonial powers, Ethiopia was formed through internal processes. It was a painful process but not even as painful as what Native Americans and Europeans, who had gone through two devastating [world] wars.”

“We Ethiopians do not need to be bitter about the past. We are not part of the old history. But we certainly need to preserve our country and make it a nation for all correcting past injustices and mistakes. We need to move forward with a united spirit. As long as we can bring about real equality, justice, freedom and democracy, we will be fine. That is what we should all fight for rather than dwelling on the past [and gnaw old bones]. It is the present and the future that really matter….”

While I called for unity rather than condemning each other, making such inflammatory and controversial statements that turned out to be divisive are not only wrong but also damaging to our common cause for freedom. I said Jawar had misspoken. The dictionary definition of misspeak is not to endorse or approve. It means, “To speak mistakenly, inappropriately, or rashly.” I think that should be clear enough. It was particularly wrong for Jawar to speak in such a divisive ethno-religious tone at a time when we desperately need to unify to overcome and overwhelm the divide-and-rule tyranny of the TPLF. That is where he misspoke, in my humble opinion, without completely disregarding so many positive contributions.

I was under the impression that calling for sanity and unity at this critical juncture in our struggle would not also be misconstrued as a sign of weakness. I always see myself as a moderate. Compromise for the sake of the greater good is at times a mechanism to avoid unnecessary conflict and feelings. Even if that was my intention, I believe that we Ethiopians should never compromise on anything that undermines our unity, freedom, harmony and peace.

After all, our aspiration is to rebuild a united nation that will accommodate every citizen as equal and guarantee the freedom of every individual citizen including those who believe that they are the byproducts of their cultural and ethnic heritage. For that to happen, we need to preserve Ethiopia, a country that we will all be proud of when we claim our freedom despite its troubles and predicaments.

Anyone is not entitled to apologize on behalf of Jawar. If any apologies are needed, no one but only Jawar is entitled to make. As far as I am concerned, I am nobody’s apologist.

That said, I will be disingenuous if I do not repeat my main message. Let us move on with a united spirit and focus on our just cause for freedom, equality and justice. That is much more important than the war of attrition and divisiveness that is derailing our gains. Whenever we have problems, we should first have the courage to address them in a civilized manner. Again let us move on united as Ethiopians…

Deconstructing Construction Corruption in Ethiopia

July 21, 2013

by Alemayehu G. Mariam

In my fifth commentary on corruption in Ethiopia this year, I focus on the construction sector. The other commentaries are available at my blogsite.

The cancer of corruption in the construction sector the World Bank (WB) documented in its “Diagnosing Corruption in Ethiopia” is just as malignant and metastatic as in the land, education and telecommunications sectors. According to the WB report:

In the construction sector, Ethiopia exhibits most of the classic warning signs of corruption risk, including instances of poor-quality construction, inflated unit output costs, and delays in implementation. In turn, these factors appear in some cases to be driven by unequal or unclear contractual relationships, poor enforcement of professional standards, high multipliers between public sector and private sector salaries, wide-ranging discretionary powers exercised by government, a lack of transparency, and a widespread perception of hidden barriers to market entry.

Ethiopia’s “construction sector” falls into four categories: roads, water supply and irrigation, power, and other public works including construction of universities, schools, hospitals and markets. Annual spending on roads alone is estimated to be US$1.2 billion. The “government” totally dominates the construction sector. “Ethiopia is unusual compared with most other African countries, which have already fully privatized the design and construction of public works.”

There are multiple and “interrelated drivers of corruption in Ethiopia’s construction sector.” These drivers are “related to deficiencies in accountability (transparency based on clear performance criteria), capacity (availability of sufficient material and human resources and proper procedures), and trust (confidence in the market that allows businesses to invest in increasing their own capacity). In Ethiopia, “A lack of capacity makes corruption possible, a lack of accountability makes corruption happen, and a lack of trust allows corruption to take root.”

The WB report highlights corruption in Ethiopia’s construction sector along six dimensions. The policymaking and regulatory processes are at high-risk area of corruption. Such corruption “has a major effect on sector governance.” Policies and regulations could “encourage, or help hide, corrupt practices” and unless corrected perpetuate corruption by groups or individuals. The Ethiopian “government” “controls the price of construction materials, access to finance, and access to equipment. It controls professional and company registrations. It maintains high-level, bilateral infrastructure deals with China and lacks independent performance audits.” According to the WB report, “Many stakeholders are concerned about the possibility of a connection between the dominant role of Chinese contractors in the road sector and high-level links between the Ethiopian and Chinese governments” and the “lack of effective competition, with Chinese contractors dominating the international market and a limited set of domestic contractors dominating the national market.” These problems are compounded by other factors such as poor quality control, weak enforcement of professional standards and overall lack of transparency. Professionals in the construction sector are reluctant to complain “for fear of being victimized” and believing there is no truly independent body to which they can appeal.” Since the “government is a major client”, “there is a reluctance to express dissent.”

Dawit Kebede: From Hero to Zero

July 5, 2013

by Selam Tesfay

When Dawit Kebede received a CPJ award, as a ‘hero’ of press freedom in 2010, Ethiopians in the Diaspora fired fireworks. So many people were proud of him. His story was compelling. Unfortunately, it didn’t take Dawit too long to ruin his good records unleash a self-destructive war that has harmed himself more than anyone else.

Dawit was one of the journalists who were locked up after the 2005 election turmoil. He was then editor and publisher of a little known paper called Hadar. Then he was released along with Kinijit leaders in late 2007. Unlike other journalists, such as Eskinder Nega and Sisay Agena, he was able to secured an operating license and launched Awramba Times. His courage was admired. The paper became popular even among the Diaspora as he distributed the soft copy online. This was indeed very commendable that made Dawit a darling among Ethiopians all over the world. But today Dawit Kebede has chosen to play a destructive role, much like Aigaforum that leaves no stone unturned to divide activists and dissidents opposed to the Tigryan dictators in power.

Coming to America

Like Eddie Murphy’s popular comedy, Dawit’s Coming to America is full of drama although it may not be too comedic. Dawit suddenly decided to flee Ethiopia. That was not unusual as Ethiopia is the number one source of exiled journalists in the world in the last decade. But there were definitely confusions on the circumstances that led him into exile after he had declared to the world that he would never flee whatever the risks. His colleagues working for Awramba, whom he did not even inform on his new plan, had one version. The regime had another. Dawit had two versions; one for public consumption another one that he says is the real one.

According to the last version of events, one day Dawit got a phone call from the outgoing U.S. Ambassador Donald Booth. The U.S. Ambassador wanted an urgent secret meeting with him. Dawit rushed to the sprawling American Embassy in Northern Addis Ababa. He was wondering about the “top secret” that His Excellency wanted to report to him. Normally U.S. Ambassadors around the world report to the State Department in Washington DC. So Dawit was a bit wary when a U.S. Ambassador was eager to share a secret with him.

At the U.S. Embassy in Addis, Ambassador Booth was waiting for his guest from Awramba. As soon as he arrived, the Ambassador started to share the secrets. Dawit claims that the Ambassador expressed his concern over his safety and future. Booth said that he had received very credible information from his informants within the Ethiopian government that Bereket Simon and his colleagues had hatched a new plan to throw him in jail again. Dawit, claimed that the Ambassador went out of his way and gave him an ultimatum. He had no option but to to leave the country urgently.

Endorsed by the ambassador, his visa was processed speedily in a paranormal manner. So Dawit flew to Washington D.C. and sought political asylum. Though the story seems a passage out of a movie script, it is the version that Dawit Kebede stamped as official.

The Root Cause

It is customary in any part of the world that a job application can either be accepted or rejected. That is a fact of life. But it is extremely unusual for anyone to commit suicide or become an arsonist just because a job application has not been successful. Sadly enough, Dawit Kebede’s problems with ESAT, an emergent media organization he used to praise in flourishing terms (watch the video), began due to such a rare scenario.

When Dawit arrived in the U.S., he was received and welcomed warmly by activists. Anyone arriving in a new country needs some help. That is quite normal. Washington D.C. did not disappoint Dawit. Wherever he went, people accepted and embraced him like their hero.

He wanted to work for ESAT. No problem, of course. Owing to his once cozy relationship with Dr. Berhanu Nega, he asked him to give him a job. But Dr. Berhanu, regardless of his valuable contributions, does not own ESAT. So his application had to be considered by ESAT’s management. As an organization with limited budget and resources, the management had to find budget to cover the cost of hiring Dawit.

While his application was pending, Dawit became too impatient. He started spreading rumors that ESAT did not want to hire him because he was a Tigrian. Many do not want to be seen around ESAT let alone working for it. ESAT believes in diversity and there was a consensus that he would be an asset. He took his strong opinion to the next level. He started saying that ESAT was anti-Tigrian. The evidence he submitted was the focus on the crimes of the TPLF. But it is still a fact that TPLF is the major force behind the corruption, tyranny, abuse of power, gross human rights violations and massive robberies under the guise of EFFORT companies.

In the meantime, Dawit decided to move to Arizona, where his brother lives. His brother is known to be a long time operative of the TPLF. As a matter of fact, he is said to be very close to the top TPLF hatemongers.

Aggressive strategy

While Dawit’s frustration was building up, Ethiomedia and a few other websites published an article critical of the questionable Awramba Times editor. Dawit went ballistic. He responded by launching a personal attack against Abraha Belai. Instead of discrediting Abraha, Dawit exposed his weak side and raised serious doubts about his maturity not only as a journalist but also as an adult. A few more critical articles appeared on ECAD Forum. This time he called Dr. Berhanu Nega a few times and demanded that he stopped ECADF from discussing and publishing anything about him. Again he linked the issue with his Tigrian identity.

Dr. Berhanu politely told him that he had no control over the people criticizing him and was logically unable to censor them for him. He correctly advised him to contact the people running ECADF instead of him. Again, Dawit got threatening and ballistic like the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the punk dictator that threatened to destroy the United States.

Dawit started exhibiting his overt hostility toward ESAT and Ginbot 7. ESAT and Dr. Berhanu Nega became his punching bags. Whenever ESAT broadcasts anything that seriously exposes TPLF crimes, Dawit comes up with a counter effort to “discredit” ESAT. While Dawit’s spin has had no impact on the growing popularity of ESAT, he fully exposed is deviousness more than his skills in journalism.

Dawit went on the offensive and appeared on former TPLF motor-mouth Berhanu Damte’s “Civility Forum.” Then Berhanu was amenably bending too much for the TPLF, who used him in exchange for food and pocket money. Dawit claimed that he had a mission of saving Ethiopian journalism from bankruptcy. He wanted to restore ethics and professional journalism. But it was an ambitious effort as his inexperience and lack of training wasn’t too evident to miss.

The whole project was futility at its best, Awramba Times way of ethical journalism was nothing more than spreading distorted, biased, twisted, divisive and inflammatory stories. The story of hero to zero became more and more bizarre. Dawit’s Kebede’s journey from hero to zero is quite confounding. What is even tragic is his loss of credibility by making a fool of himself.

To be continued.

The Oromo issue on Al Jazeera

July 4, 2013

by Yilma Bekele

There was a half hour discussion on the Oromo issue in Ethiopia on Al Jazeera Television Network. It was one of those situations where you go ‘what just happened’ after an experience that leaves you confused and dumbfounded when it is over. As an Ethiopian I am familiar with the issue and as someone who was born and raised in Sidama I certainly have enough real experience to have a handle on the matter. Furthermore as an Ethiopian that has been exposed to the opinions presented by the OLF and other Oromo groups I thought this program will give me further insight to the grievances by the party’s concerned.

I am sad to say the discussion did not shine any new light on the issue, was not able to define the problem in a coherent manner and failed to present a solution that is well thought of and acceptable to all the parties involved. What is the point of appearing on a discussion program if the net result is to not being able to teach some, respond to difficult questions with rational and verifiable argument and show the world why your position is just and convince all peace loving people to support your cause.

I would like to say that the hosts of ‘The Stream’ show were very gracious and asked very important and probing questions and gave the participants plenty of opportunity to state their case. You can tell the interviewers were as confused as we the viewers based on the trend of their questions which was asking for specifics and some kind of solution as the program was coming to an end. In fact one of the hosts brought out her own experience belonging to a majority tribe in Nigeria trying to make sense of the confusing analysis made by the guests.

U.S. Double-talking Human Rights in Ethiopia, Again!

June 30, 2013

by Alemayehu G. Mariam

As my readers know, I enjoy watchin’ American diplomats chillin’ out and kickin’ it with African dictators. I like watchin’ ‘em kumbaya-ing, back-pattin’ and fist bumpin’. I have trained myself to decipher their cryptic diplomatese spoken with forked tongue. I have also learned chew on their indigestible words with a whopping spoonful of salt and pepper.

Despite years of relentless effort, I have been unable to fathom their mendacity. I am mystified and spellbound by the depth of their duplicity and height of hypocrisy. Bewildered and frustrated, I was compelled to engage in a neologistic exercise and create a word that captured their culture of mendacity. I coined the term “diplocrisy” to refer to the deliberate and calculated use of double-talk, double-speak and double-dealing to misrepresent facts and mislead the inattentive public about what the U.S. is doing to actively promote human rights in Africa.

Diplocrisy is diplomatic hypocrisy in “lights, camera and action”. For instance, the diplocrites say, “We will work diligently with Ethiopia to ensure that strengthened democratic institutions and open political dialogue become a reality for the Ethiopian people…” Yet they turn a blind eye (or pretend to be legally blind) to the complete “closure of political space” in Ethiopia. (The euphemism “closure of political space” is what used to be called in the old days, oppression, repression and suppression.) The diplocrites promise to “work for the release of jailed scholars, activists, and opposition party leaders…”, but when Africa’s ruthless dictators tongue-lash them, the diplocrites become tongue-less (or tongue-tied) and their lips are sealed.

The diplocrites say, “When a free media is under attack anywhere, all human rights are under attack everywhere. That is why the United States joins its global partners in calling for the release of all imprisoned journalists in every country across the globe and for the end to intimidation.” The truth is they plug their ears to avoid hearing the pained whimpers of heroic journalists like Eskinder Nega, Reeyot Alemu, Woubshet Taye and so many other political prisoners chained deep in the bowels of Meles Zenawi Prison in Ethiopia. When they proclaim, “History is on the side of brave Africans…” and conveniently position themselves on the right side of the bed with Africa’s brutal dictators, I marvel at the height of their diplocrisy.

Jawar Mohamed is taken away by The Stream

June 26, 2013

by Tedla Asfaw

The Stream, Al Jazeera’s show, “Oromos Seek Justice in Ethiopia” of June 25, 2013, on the persecution of Oromos hosting my friend Jawar Mohamed at their studio in D.C. including two “Oromo Ethiopians” appearing on Skype. My good Oromo friend Jawar ignored deliberately the Ethiopian Muslims more than one and half year struggle for religious freedom in this discussion. This was well calculated because it will totally disprove Jawar and the others claim of the Oromos as the only victims of Woyane persecution.

Jawar Mohamed who has been sharing a stage with the Ethiopian Muslim Activists and other Ethiopians in the Diaspora many times is now considered himself First Oromo and declared for the first time in public that Ethiopian identity was imposed on him. My friend Jawar if he wants to be known as Oromo First good for him we should call him as such. The problem I have with Jawar is why he then very much involved on the Ethiopian Muslims issue rather than concentrating on “Oromo Muslims” issue.

Stand with Them and Help Them! The People Will Make It Happen!

June 26, 2013

by T.Goshu

Change happens and will continue to happen, and the real question is: Will we fear it or will we welcome it?

(The Leaderless Revolution: How Ordinary people will take Power and Change Politics in the 21^st Century, Carne Ross- 2011)

On the second half of May of this year, Semayawi (Blue) Party took lawful, peaceful and legitimate demands of  millions of victims of dehumanizing political agenda and practice for the last two decades straight to appropriate offices and let them be informed that they (the people) were ready to take their voices to the streets of Addis.  They unequivocally made clear that legitimate voices of millions for political freedom and human rights should not merely be heard but seriously listened to.  They also made clear that the powerfully echoing innocent voices desperately deserve a timely and appropriate response. Although the ruling party tried to play its very ugly political drama, the patriotic young Ethiopians kept the momentum going in a much more determined and wise manner thanks to the very courageous and firm leadership. Yes, it was the Blue (Semayawi) Party that has broken the silence of eight years ruthlessly imposed by the ruling party with the order of the late dictatorial Prime Minister, Ato Meles Zenawi. Yes, a greatly reinvigorated move for change was enthusiastically organized and launched on June 2, 2013. Needless to say, the move has been welcomed with a great deal courage by the people who cannot afford to continue being captives of the fear that has been used by the ruling party as the main instrument to perpetuate its dirty, if not deadly political game.

Now, Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ-Andinet) has come up with very legitimate, well-focused and well-targeted issues to be echoed throughout the country and beyond under the theme “MILLINS OF VOICES FOR FREEDOM!” It goes without saying that these kinds of moves for the prevalence of genuine freedom, justice, and respect for fundamental human dignity are profoundly serious. Yes, not only the moves but how  those genuinely concerned political opposition forces are trying to move in a relatively well-coordinated and mutual understanding sounds very good. Yes, the trends being developed and the directions being taken by those opposition parties (Semayawi and Andnet), and of course in collaboration with all other genuinely concerned parties/movements are encouraging as far as the question of how to deal with the issue of healing from a very painful political agenda and practice being carried on by the ruling party is concerned.    I strongly believe that the author I cited earlier (Crane Ross) is absolutely right when he argues, “When one hand is hurt, the entire body feels the pain. Our neighbor is part of us. When any human being suffers, it should be a source of pain to all of us .We should fell pain, not pity.” I want to believe that that is the sense of the move we are witnessing in our country. Well, I am well aware that there may be many fellow Ethiopians who may still genuinely be doubtful about the desirable trend I am talking about. Given the repeatedly failed attempts of getting  and walking together and registering meaningful difference in our political journey (past and current), it is not surprising to see and experience kind of pessimism lingering. On the other side of the story, it has to be admitted that the failures we suffered from is not only because of the weaknesses of the leadership or membership of opposition political parties. It has been and it is also the lack of active and persistent participation by the people themselves that has contributed to our failures. Yes, individuals and organizations have their own huge impact on any societal endeavor let alone in a political arena that deeply touches every aspect of life like ours.   But, there is no any historical evidence showing a political success story (I am talking about changes for good) without an intensive and extensive participation by the people themselves.  I have never come across any plausible evidence that justifies the successful political story that has been achieved by a society that has never been in a position to break the fear and terror imposed by tyrannical regimes. Harold S. Kushner (Conquering Fear: Living Boldly in an Uncertain World, 2009) argues, “… hope and courage, not fear and timorous obedience, are the will of God. Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the overcoming of fear. Courage is looking fear in the face and refusing to be intimidated. …. Courage is the young mother crippled in an accident or diagnosed with a degenerative disease who continues to raise her children and tend to her husband instead of dissolving into self-pity.”