Holding supposedly highest political office and being virtually
inconsequential is obviously frustrating, more so for people who
expected change –so to speak. It is in that light that I gave a room for
speculative interpretation to unelaborated recent status update from a
facebook friend: “Obama is an American fraud.” Apparently, Obama seem to
have mastery of how to handle the reality of being powerless,or at
least not as powerful as he is supposed to be by virtue of the power of
the office, while in “power.” His communication skills which earned him a
reputation as an eloquent speaker could be part of the trick.
In the context of Ethiopian politics, current Ethiopian prime minister, Hailemariam Desalegne is not only powerless but also he seem to be totally clueless in how to handle the embarrassment of being inconsequential. Unruly impulsiveness, confusion, mimicry (of the former prime minister) and worst of all shallow understanding of issues characterize his public appearances.
It is reached to a point, apparently, that it becomes news when he is not impulsive and able to speak as a politician. It happened in what is said to be “public-private consultative meeting” in Addis Ababa, as reported by Addis Fortune, which was attended by Hailemariam Desalegne and his cabinet members. In that note, Addis Fortune wrote, in its July 6, 2014 online edition, the following under the tile “Face the Business”:
A few days ago, he had an interview with Emmanuel Igunza, BBC correspondent in Addis Ababa. A five minutes video clip of this interview, which is posted on BBC website, tells it all. Actually one of the question and his answer is worth quoting :
In what seem to be a defensive comment,in the same interview with the BBC correspondent, to a question related to repression in Ethiopia, Hailemariam did try to give an impression that the “democratic modern process” is only twenty years young which is overused excuse even by the late Meles Zenawi. Even in the aftermath of the massacre which claimed the lives of well over 200 people in Addis Ababa in a matter of hours in 2005, one of the excuses was “Democracy is a process.” And clueless Hailemariam is reading that from the dead Meles.
Total repression is not a hallmark of starting point for democracy which Hailemariam is clueless about. More importantly, aspiring ethnic-supremacy which manifested itself in the form of creating wealth wealth both as a means and as an end, while controlling all key government structure, ranging from foreign affairs to defense and intelligence and what not, and while at the same time creating an illusion of giving the giving public service an appearance of mulch-ethnic public face to the extent of putting a ceremonial like Prime Minister and ceremonial president at the same time, to sustain real power behind stage and make inter-generational ethnic supremacy agenda absolute reality is in no way young democracy. it does not look like something that can grow into democracy. Hailemariam is also clueless about that too. As a matter of fact, right after the death of Meles Zenawi, the position of Prime minister was unconstitutionally chopped into three pieces in an apparent effort to put down discontent in the ruling coalition. However, TPLF took the slice that matters more.
Hailemariam was asked about skyrocketing price of Teff in the parliament about a year or so ago.Teff has always been a stable cereal crop in Ethiopia. But his reply was, “it is because people who have never tasted Teff, [and this is a reference to Ethiopia, not Teff consumption overseas] started to consume Teff.” Again, his response is literally what the late Meles Zenawi responded to parliamentarians except that Meles’ response was to a question related to sugar.
The British hand in Ethiopia
Question is how did Hailemariam end up being prime minister? The death of the late prime minister Meles may appear to be full explanation for it but it is tricky. Yes, Hailemariam, unlike the anti-terrorism law, is not copied from current UK politics either.
He just happened to be a servant in an ethnocentric political system which reminiscent of British Colonial Administration – even that of apartheid South Africa except that in the case of Ethiopia British involvement appear to be in disguise and only in the form of technical advisory and mentorship in how to divide and rule which the ruling Tigray People Liberation Front’s (TPLF) elites enjoyed since, at least, it was about to take state power more than 23 years ago by forging alliance with ethnic based rebel groups.
TPLF had even business in the UK and US at a time when it was operating as conventional guerrilla force – a fact confirmed by one of the founders of TPLF, Sebhat Nega, during his interview with VOA Amharic Service some years ago.
In fact, it is now more like public knowledge that the British are confidant to the regime in power in Ethiopia. And there seem to be some degree of awareness that UK is conspiring with and for the regime in power.
Soon after UK government delegates found out that their citizen of Ethiopian decent, Andargachew Tsige (who was abducted by Yemen and forcefully extradited to Ethiopia same day in violations of all international norms), is in the hands of the regime in Ethiopia ,some time in early July, and at a time when the public was expecting that the UK government would exercise their lobby power to protect the legal rights of their extradited citizen, there was news in the state controlled ERTA that UK vowed to renew £300 million in annual financial support to “Ethiopia.” Andargachew is still living torture -physical and mental.
In total contempt to the repressed peaceful struggle in Ethiopia, British Embassy in Addis Ababa called Ethiopian Opposition parties for a meeting to discuss the situation in the country (this you can find it on Sendek Amharic Newspapwer). And this was during the week the British disclosed that they learned about the abduction and extradition of Andargachew Tsige, if they did not learn well before that, in fact. Same week, members of Ethiopian opposition were arrested in what looked like fresh crackdown on the opposition in the name of alleged terror plot related to the abducted British national. Who the British Embassy is kidding, only the British Embassy know.
Erstwhile, Ethiopian opposition appear lured by this idea of diplomatic campaign “ to expose the level of repression in Ethiopia.” The thing is the British diplomats are not ignorant about what apartheid regime looks like. And they are not oblivious to existence of an apartheid like system in current Ethiopia.
My suspicion is that perhaps they even helped shape it. And they are probably thinking in terms of using it sometime in the future to safeguard their interest in Ethiopia and the region. And, of course, what matters to UK is not development or democracy in Ethiopia but its interest- long and short term interest. In what appears to be an excuse for their alliance with the regime in Ethiopia, they seem to radiate the idea that the opposition is weak. But the excuse that Ethiopian opposition is weak is lame, rather. What was the role of the British and the Americans when the opposition was solid back in 2005? Didn’t even they conspire to with regime to weaken the opposition Kinijit?
On a different note, What I don’t understand is why there is no friction, it is not apparent, between British (and western) interest and Chinese interest in Ethiopia. Or is it just to early for the friction to happen? UK (and other western powers too) is spending money in Ethiopia and apparently providing other forms of subtle support to the regime. The fight against terror cannot explain that. China is not spending money. It is rather making money in Ethiopia, including from what western powers spend in Ethiopia,from infrastructure development while providing technological support for repression ( I think that is paid too) to the regime in Ethiopia. And Woyane wants to project its treason as recognition for development and economic growth. Surely, it sounds naive to tell it like it is but the story is rather points to neglected reality: uncolonized Ethiopia is deeply neocolonized and Woyanne, a wealth political entity with firm grasp of power, is a reliable partner in that project.
_________________________
The article is published on www.borkena.com (You may subscribe for daily updates)
The writer can be reached at dbirku@hotmail.com
In the context of Ethiopian politics, current Ethiopian prime minister, Hailemariam Desalegne is not only powerless but also he seem to be totally clueless in how to handle the embarrassment of being inconsequential. Unruly impulsiveness, confusion, mimicry (of the former prime minister) and worst of all shallow understanding of issues characterize his public appearances.
It is reached to a point, apparently, that it becomes news when he is not impulsive and able to speak as a politician. It happened in what is said to be “public-private consultative meeting” in Addis Ababa, as reported by Addis Fortune, which was attended by Hailemariam Desalegne and his cabinet members. In that note, Addis Fortune wrote, in its July 6, 2014 online edition, the following under the tile “Face the Business”:
-
…In an unusually well attended meeting, with the entire cabinet of his administration in attendance, Hailemariam was seen being assertive and articulate
[emphasis mine] in responding to all issues raised by chamber leaders
and individual businessmen and women on Wednesday,July 2, 2014.
A few days ago, he had an interview with Emmanuel Igunza, BBC correspondent in Addis Ababa. A five minutes video clip of this interview, which is posted on BBC website, tells it all. Actually one of the question and his answer is worth quoting :
- Emannuel: You said that there is a distinction between
opposition and what you call terrorist elements. That law
[Anti-terrorism law]has been criticized by the International Community
for having a broad mandate …that is why the security forces have been
accused of arbitrarily detaining example opposition figures.
- Hailemariam: that is not true. What we did …We know
this accusation would come.So we said let us copy from the British law.
If you compare the British terrorist law and that of ours, it is almost
similar
In what seem to be a defensive comment,in the same interview with the BBC correspondent, to a question related to repression in Ethiopia, Hailemariam did try to give an impression that the “democratic modern process” is only twenty years young which is overused excuse even by the late Meles Zenawi. Even in the aftermath of the massacre which claimed the lives of well over 200 people in Addis Ababa in a matter of hours in 2005, one of the excuses was “Democracy is a process.” And clueless Hailemariam is reading that from the dead Meles.
Total repression is not a hallmark of starting point for democracy which Hailemariam is clueless about. More importantly, aspiring ethnic-supremacy which manifested itself in the form of creating wealth wealth both as a means and as an end, while controlling all key government structure, ranging from foreign affairs to defense and intelligence and what not, and while at the same time creating an illusion of giving the giving public service an appearance of mulch-ethnic public face to the extent of putting a ceremonial like Prime Minister and ceremonial president at the same time, to sustain real power behind stage and make inter-generational ethnic supremacy agenda absolute reality is in no way young democracy. it does not look like something that can grow into democracy. Hailemariam is also clueless about that too. As a matter of fact, right after the death of Meles Zenawi, the position of Prime minister was unconstitutionally chopped into three pieces in an apparent effort to put down discontent in the ruling coalition. However, TPLF took the slice that matters more.
Hailemariam was asked about skyrocketing price of Teff in the parliament about a year or so ago.Teff has always been a stable cereal crop in Ethiopia. But his reply was, “it is because people who have never tasted Teff, [and this is a reference to Ethiopia, not Teff consumption overseas] started to consume Teff.” Again, his response is literally what the late Meles Zenawi responded to parliamentarians except that Meles’ response was to a question related to sugar.
The British hand in Ethiopia
Question is how did Hailemariam end up being prime minister? The death of the late prime minister Meles may appear to be full explanation for it but it is tricky. Yes, Hailemariam, unlike the anti-terrorism law, is not copied from current UK politics either.
He just happened to be a servant in an ethnocentric political system which reminiscent of British Colonial Administration – even that of apartheid South Africa except that in the case of Ethiopia British involvement appear to be in disguise and only in the form of technical advisory and mentorship in how to divide and rule which the ruling Tigray People Liberation Front’s (TPLF) elites enjoyed since, at least, it was about to take state power more than 23 years ago by forging alliance with ethnic based rebel groups.
TPLF had even business in the UK and US at a time when it was operating as conventional guerrilla force – a fact confirmed by one of the founders of TPLF, Sebhat Nega, during his interview with VOA Amharic Service some years ago.
In fact, it is now more like public knowledge that the British are confidant to the regime in power in Ethiopia. And there seem to be some degree of awareness that UK is conspiring with and for the regime in power.
Soon after UK government delegates found out that their citizen of Ethiopian decent, Andargachew Tsige (who was abducted by Yemen and forcefully extradited to Ethiopia same day in violations of all international norms), is in the hands of the regime in Ethiopia ,some time in early July, and at a time when the public was expecting that the UK government would exercise their lobby power to protect the legal rights of their extradited citizen, there was news in the state controlled ERTA that UK vowed to renew £300 million in annual financial support to “Ethiopia.” Andargachew is still living torture -physical and mental.
In total contempt to the repressed peaceful struggle in Ethiopia, British Embassy in Addis Ababa called Ethiopian Opposition parties for a meeting to discuss the situation in the country (this you can find it on Sendek Amharic Newspapwer). And this was during the week the British disclosed that they learned about the abduction and extradition of Andargachew Tsige, if they did not learn well before that, in fact. Same week, members of Ethiopian opposition were arrested in what looked like fresh crackdown on the opposition in the name of alleged terror plot related to the abducted British national. Who the British Embassy is kidding, only the British Embassy know.
Erstwhile, Ethiopian opposition appear lured by this idea of diplomatic campaign “ to expose the level of repression in Ethiopia.” The thing is the British diplomats are not ignorant about what apartheid regime looks like. And they are not oblivious to existence of an apartheid like system in current Ethiopia.
My suspicion is that perhaps they even helped shape it. And they are probably thinking in terms of using it sometime in the future to safeguard their interest in Ethiopia and the region. And, of course, what matters to UK is not development or democracy in Ethiopia but its interest- long and short term interest. In what appears to be an excuse for their alliance with the regime in Ethiopia, they seem to radiate the idea that the opposition is weak. But the excuse that Ethiopian opposition is weak is lame, rather. What was the role of the British and the Americans when the opposition was solid back in 2005? Didn’t even they conspire to with regime to weaken the opposition Kinijit?
On a different note, What I don’t understand is why there is no friction, it is not apparent, between British (and western) interest and Chinese interest in Ethiopia. Or is it just to early for the friction to happen? UK (and other western powers too) is spending money in Ethiopia and apparently providing other forms of subtle support to the regime. The fight against terror cannot explain that. China is not spending money. It is rather making money in Ethiopia, including from what western powers spend in Ethiopia,from infrastructure development while providing technological support for repression ( I think that is paid too) to the regime in Ethiopia. And Woyane wants to project its treason as recognition for development and economic growth. Surely, it sounds naive to tell it like it is but the story is rather points to neglected reality: uncolonized Ethiopia is deeply neocolonized and Woyanne, a wealth political entity with firm grasp of power, is a reliable partner in that project.
_________________________
The article is published on www.borkena.com (You may subscribe for daily updates)
The writer can be reached at dbirku@hotmail.com
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