Crisis
in Ethiopia: Meles Will Ultimately Fall—Are We
Ready?
June 21, 2008
The failures of the Meles regime are rapidly accumulating
and not only Ethiopians know about it now. The news
and incriminating evidence is reaching out into the
international community and it will soon become increasingly
difficult to suppress and excuse the behavior of this
oppressive dictatorship.
The pressing question now is whether Ethiopians are
ready with solutions to the many crises facing Ethiopians
should this regime suddenly fall. Unfortunately, I think
we are not! We have spent far too much time concentrating
on our complaints, but too little time on solutions.
We cannot wait any longer to start initiating a strategic
plan to avert what otherwise could lead to even greater
disaster. It is all a ticking time bomb. We must take
action or our lack of preparedness will be dangerous
to our short and long term interests and even to our
survival.
It is time to initiate a grand strategy of action that
would be in place if and when needed, so that worse
chaos does not break out in our beloved country. We
call on committed Ethiopians in and outside the country
to step out to contribute to finding the needed solutions
before it is too late. We are now forming a leadership
team to launch the Solidarity Movement
for a New Ethiopia. It is a movement to Revive
Ethiopia!
Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia—What
Does This Mean?
We want to elaborate more on what this Solidarity
Movement means. This will not be another political
party, but an umbrella movement that will try to bring
our people together. The reason it is called a solidarity
movement is because right now, everyone is divided based
on ethnicity, regional interests, religion, gender,
age and viewpoints. We do not have anything that unifies
us as one multi-ethnic and pan-Ethiopian institution.
Even the EPRDF who portray themselves as such, is not
truly a “pan-Ethiopian” organization but
is fake, like their plated gold with only steel on the
inside. The EPRDF has always been dominated by the TPLF
and advances the interests of a small group of elite
within that organization. This is absolutely not about
Tigrayans as a people, but about the leadership of this
self-serving organization.
The reason we have used the term “new
Ethiopia” is because the kind of Ethiopia
we envision will be totally different from the Ethiopia
we have now or have had in the past. We all know what
kind of Ethiopia this has been. It has been toxic to
our survival as a people. It is one of the reasons we
have so many liberation fronts wanting to separate from
us because the poison of this regime is killing all
of us. It is one of the reasons that some of us have
not felt included as Ethiopians. It is the reason so
many of us, especially the educated among us, have fled
from Ethiopia for better opportunities in western countries
where there is freedom.
The new Ethiopia we want is the kind of Ethiopia where
there is equality for all, where we put our humanity
before our ethnicity and where there is a rule of law
that supports and advances the values of justice, human
dignity, freedom, equal opportunity, peace and prosperity,
without bias.
This is a movement to Revive Ethiopia
because the image of a dying Ethiopia can be seen everywhere—by
the image of our dying children who are the future of
our nation, by the image of our famines, drought and
hunger, by our constant begging for others to feed our
people, by a constant stream of new reports regarding
gross human rights abuses, the death of any form of
democratic or judicial process, by the lack of opportunity
leading to so many of us wanting to leave our own country
for another or by the death of hope seen in the eyes
of our people young and old, including our mothers,
sisters and our wives who are now struggling to help
the millions of those who are dying —are all signs
of the imminent death of this nation.
The revival of our nation will require a moral transformation
that can only originate from the breath of our Almighty
Creator who will never abandon Ethiopia, but have we
abandoned our God and our moral responsibility to our
brothers and sisters? We Ethiopians have prided ourselves
in being a “proud people” who have never
been colonized, but we are killing ourselves with our
tribal thinking that continues to divide us into factions
with opposing tribal and self interests.
Only from humbly praying to God for moral change within
ourselves and then reaching out to others, forgiving
those have hurt us and asking for forgiveness from those
to whom we have hurt, will we be able to see the dawn
of true transformation come to Ethiopia. God will not
force us to do the work, but we must choose to follow
his life-giving principles and we only then, will we
begin to see the revival of life to our nation.
The primary mission of the Solidarity
Movement for a New Ethiopia will be to bring
all the factions together—political groups, religious
groups, liberation groups and civic groups in order
to find a path to free the country. We believe that
anything that will not include everyone will not provide
a lasting solution, but will only lead us to repeating
our mistakes of the past.
The Signs of Increasing Decline
are Rapidly Accumulating
Almost daily, we Ethiopians hear about another problem
in the country that can be at least partially attributed
to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and his corrupt gang
of leaders. The list is endless. Here are some, most
all of which have been absurdly denied by the government
of Meles as “fabricated” or exaggerations;
others which have been blamed on others:
• drought and crop failures,
• skyrocketing inflation,
• starvation and malnourishment of millions of
Ethiopians,
• the giving away of Ethiopian land to Sudan from
Gondor to Gambella,
• the intimidation of the opposition
• EPRDF control of the recent election,
• the thousands of remaining political prisoners,
• the repression of the media,
• the increase in military spending rather than
in feeding the people
• lack of agricultural development,
• the lack of progress in healthcare, access to
clean water, education and infrastructure in most regions
of the country,
• the lack of private enterprise and land ownership
• the gold-plated steel bars in our treasury,
• corruption in high places with great disparity
between a select elite minority and the rest of an impoverished
nation
• the human rights atrocities in the Ogaden, in
the Afar region, in Beninshangul-Gumuz, in Oromia and
other place
• constant need for hand-outs from the international
community
• the inclusion of Ethiopia as being one of the
worst countries in the world on most every index of
well-being
• the pervasive lack of hope throughout the whole
country
• the lack of unity in addressing these problems
In addition to these many, complex problems within
Ethiopia, the entire Horn of Africa is simmering with
tension and potential conflicts. An example is the tension
between Ethiopia and Eritrea, the tension between Eritrea
and Djibouti, the EPRDF invasion of Somalia and the
potential problems with Sudan now that the secret deal
between Meles and Omar al Bashir, in the making for
seven years according to some reliable sources, has
come out in the open to the astonishment of most Ethiopians.
Ethiopia has been a key player in establishing alliances—often
detrimental to Ethiopians—or in destabilizing
relationships between countries in the Horn of Africa.
A stable, secure, democratic, free and prosperous Ethiopia
could positively affect its neighbors as well as influence
others on the continent of Africa as much as the reverse
has undermined progress in this area.
Unity Does Not Simply Mean Being
Against Meles!
Tomorrow, we will discover another problem area and
will hear many call for unity, but what does that really
mean? For one, it means action in reaching out to others
more than simply rhetoric and secondly, being against
the “same enemy” is not enough to develop
and to sustain our unity!
For example, it is easy to agree to “hate”
Meles and the evil for which he has perpetrated in every
corner of Ethiopia, but unity that is sustainable, must
mean far more than that. We must start unifying as a
country by pro-actively finding solutions to our problems
by developing a grand strategy for the future that includes
short-term and long-term goals!”
Right now we can find disunity in most every institution,
political party, religious group and civic organization
within the country and in the Diaspora. We can try to
blame Meles for our disunity, which he has indeed tried
to advance for his own political gain, but in the final
analysis, we are part of that unhealthy system that
only works to keep us divided if we agree to play by
those rules.
Why do we keep doing so when many are calling our attention
to this flaw? I would suggest that the underlying reasons
lie within each of us and collectively, we need to re-examine
our thinking if we are to change our future. We have
tried feudalism and it did not work. We have tried communism
and it did not work. We now have tried a tribalism,
and fake democracy and it is destroying us.
All of these flawed models required dictatorial leadership
that repressed the people. Perhaps, that is the mindset
we are in right now that is creating a climate of destructive
competition rather than a climate of encouraging the
gifts, talents and contributions of many to be collectively
used to revive Ethiopia. We must look inside ourselves
for our own motivations and evaluate others on this
basis as well. If we fight against each other in order
to become the next “Meles,” we will not
have achieved anything and all who lost their lives
will have died in vain.
Instead, a fearless inner battle must be fought in every
person and institution between the lust for power, prestige
and self-interest and the desire to follow the higher
moral principles which will demand sacrifice and service
for others, frequently without any material reward.
For instance, do we align with one leader over another
because they are “part of our tribe—offering
us greater opportunity” or do we support them
because they have a larger more inclusive vision for
everyone? The best indicator as to whether we have rid
ourselves of the pattern of deposing one dictator only
to birth another just like the first—like replacing
Mengistu with Meles—is whether enough of us change
our thinking on the inside. Otherwise, we will be like
the person who leaves one abusive spouse only to find
another just like the first—or second—someone
who may be even worse than the what we had in the beginning!
A Grand Strategy Must Be Developed
Now!
Right now, all of the serious problems facing the Meles
regime are accumulating exponentially. What that means
is that they are apt to reach a tipping point where
everything could explode. It is impossible to know what
the right triggers may be, but it is clear there are
many warning signs. We are in a very dangerous position
and we must start preparing so that our country does
not fall into greater chaos, suffering and violence—something
that would make recovery horribly difficult. Reviving
Ethiopia will already be an immensely difficult challenge.
We do not want to make it worse by being unprepared.
To date, no one has come forth with a grand strategy
for Ethiopia should this government fall. We know what
has gone wrong, but do we know how to correct it and
how to address the immediate needs of the Ethiopian
people for law and order, food, emergency health care,
clean water and protection?
Do we know how to prevent ethnic violence, revenge
and chaos from breaking out, particularly in light of
the great stresses and frustrations of hunger, inflation,
injustice, displacement and repression that the people
have been enduring for the last years?
Do we know how to engage the institutions of Ethiopian
society in embracing the people and providing needed
structure and direction during a time of upheaval? These
are only the first needs to be addressed immediately.
Many layers of less critical, but yet vitally important
issues will require careful thought, planning and subsequent
action as well.
More complaining and focusing on Meles will not give
us the kind of preparation we need; neither will the
formation of another group. Yet, no one is stepping
up to organize this effort and when people have tried,
no one seems to listen possibly because they want to
be the ones to do it. This failure to move ahead may
be because of jealousy, disagreement, sabotage, lack
of focus on developing a vision or because of intimidation
and obstructionism on the part of the Meles regime to
any opposition parties. Regardless, we must make every
attempt to go forward anyway. We do not have the luxury
of waiting and must simply do the hard work of developing
a strategy, regardless of the obstacles before us.
That is what I am now proposing must be done with great
urgency. This is not the first time we have called on
Ethiopians to create a greater non-political movement
that will push forward a national strategy for the advancement,
security and reconciliation of Ethiopians under one
umbrella organization. We called for this as far back
as when the Kinijit leaders were still in prison and
again after they were released—even before their
division that led to destroying much of the hope of
the Ethiopians people.
We again attempted to call for such a movement on November
17, 2007 in Washington D.C. when we invited Ethiopians
from all different ethnic groups and regions in Ethiopia.
We did the same on May 15 to 18 during the Worldwide
March effort. All of these calls are evidence of why
we refuse to stand idly by any longer, allowing Meles
to achieve his goals of destroying this nation. Because
of that, we are readying ourselves for the next steps
of organizing a Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia.
Many talented Ethiopians have joined already. One of
the top and most respected leaders who came into this
struggle, Dr. Golto Aila from the Solidarity Forum of
Ethiopia, joined the Worldwide March committee because
he said his conscience would no longer allow him to
ignore the misery, pain and horror he is hearing about
in Ethiopia.
I cannot name all of the names of the great, bright
and committed Ethiopians from diverse ethnic, religious
and regional backgrounds because there would be far
too many to mention. Therefore, I will only mention
a couple of others like my mentors and friends Professor
Mammo Muchie and Professor Al Mariam. I admire these
individuals and many others for their wisdom and love
of their country. They have joined with us not to be
the next Meles, but to help free Ethiopia from its bondage.
Urgent Need for a Short-term Plan
to Address Possible Emergency Issues
It is absolutely essential that a team of individuals
focus on the development of a short-term plan of action
to address possible emergency issues that may develop
in Ethiopia. We have had a jumpstart on bringing such
a team together due to the preliminary work already
done by the organizing committee for the Worldwide March
for Freedom, Human Rights and Justice in Ethiopia.
Members from this group have strengthened their commitment
and determination to now step forward to organize a
venue for a leadership team from diverse groups to come
together with the purpose of working towards the development
of such a vision plan. In doing this, we want to make
it very clear that we are not forming another political
party. However, we firmly believe that even a small
group of committed individuals can make a difference
and can lay the groundwork for more to join.
We applaud and value the work of every political party,
civic organization, religious group and other groups
which are working for the purpose of bringing justice,
freedom and prosperity to Ethiopia. We are not in competition
with anyone but we are willing to work with all different
groups in making this national effort work for the survival
of all of us. We may choose different approaches, but
hopefully they will join together as we proceed. Also,
we understand how very difficult Meles has made it for
opposition groups within Ethiopia; yet, hopefully, we
will complement each other.
In other words, we are what we have been waiting for
and so are you. Together we can free our country. Our
purpose is not to be the next Meles, but to pave the
way for an environment and a prepared Ethiopian citizenry
which can implement and sustain the robust freedoms
in Ethiopia that would lead to the formation of a genuine
democracy. This team must address how to revive this
dying nation and they will need many diverse experts
to help, but the work must be started without delay
and we trust that experts will be found.
Our immediate goal is the formation of a team of committed
core people who are able to address the most critical
short-term emergency issues affecting the lives of Ethiopians
should the Meles government fall such as:
1. How to ensure law and order in Ethiopia so the rule
of law is observed by all people so that Ethiopians
are safe.
2. How to feed nine million people who are malnourished,
some of whom whose lives are in jeopardy from starvation.
3. How to develop/utilize agricultural resources within
the country as soon as possible.
4. How to deal with soaring inflation, especially in
light of the food crisis.
5. How to build unity within the country between diverse
and alienated groups to ensure peace and stability.
6. How to lay the preliminary groundwork for justice,
reconciliation and democracy.
Communication Blockages with Ethiopians
Must be Overcome!
It is imperative that a means be found to communicate
with the Ethiopian people within the country. Right
now, most channels of communication are purposely blocked
by the EPRDF, but we have creative, resourceful and
gifted Ethiopians who should be able to come up with
a means to overcome these obstacles. Financial resources
are needed, but again, there are also many successful
and well-to-do Ethiopians with the financial assets
to pay for such a communication plan and implementation.
The time is urgent and we need help from these people.
If the situation in Ethiopia explodes, we want to not
be caught unprepared.
Experts and Committed People Needed
in Most Every Area
Experts, Ethiopians and non-Ethiopians alike, in most
every area are needed such as experts in agriculture,
economic development, private enterprise, land issues,
journalism, broadcasting, government, criminal justice,
security, education, family and social problems, health,
law, the judiciary and food distribution. Religious
leaders, activists and thinkers as well as humanitarian
workers are needed along with others in civil society,
all of whom must help rebuild, reconcile and reshape
Ethiopian society and institutions.
A Team Effort is Essential to represent
the Best Interests of the Ethiopian People to the International
Community
On numerous occasions we have heard from key government
and NGO decision-makers that Ethiopians must become
united and speak with one voice in order to exert the
greatest impact on international policy-makers who could
make a difference in Ethiopia.
This leadership team would initiate pressure in a concerted
effort, something far more credible, persuasive and
powerful if accompanied by a legitimate, well thought
out strategic plan for how to strengthen and stabilize
Ethiopia. Regardless, the greatest responsibility for
changing Ethiopia remains with the Ethiopian people
making it essential for them to come up with a genuine
and workable plan for the immediate and long term future.
Our Focus Must Stay on Solutions
Rather than in Competing with One Another
Consider what will happen if we become so engaged in
counter-productive competition for leadership that we
lose our focus on solutions. It would be like a family
whose children continue to squabble over toys while
a spark has ignited the roof of their hut. They are
in danger, but refuse to acknowledge the impending threat
to their lives and property.
In order not to lose everything, including their lives,
they must start working together to put out the fire.
To do so, they must forget about fighting over their
toys just like we in the family of Ethiopia must forget
about fighting over power or we could lose everything!
Instead, we need to think and plan ahead so we are prepared
for anything.
This is the main focus of this team. We are ready to
take action and work towards finding solutions to present
and potential crises because waiting may simply be a
death sentence on what Ethiopia could become under the
nurturing and protection of those who love this country
and its people. The problems of Ethiopia are very complex,
but solutions can only be achieved by the people of
Ethiopia themselves and this is the hour to revive our
dying nation.
We have no agenda of being the next leader of Ethiopia.
We are doing this to free the country. Having said that,
we are hoping and willing to bring everyone together,
starting with those outside of the country to help organize
a dialogue among themselves. Once they agree on a common
agenda, then we hope to connect to the people in Ethiopia
for another dialogue which could eventually will put
all the opposition groups on one table and the Ethiopian
government on another table to resolve the problems
of Ethiopia similar to what has been done in South Africa.
We really believe this could be done if opposition groups
are willing to put their political agendas aside and
focus on freeing the country as the top overriding goal
to achieve.
We want to work as a facilitator, not discriminating
against any groups or favoring others as long as we
can agree on working towards freedom, justice and the
respect and dignity of all Ethiopians. We cannot wait
for others to do it any longer. We will now pursue this
path, God willing, with great diligence. We pray that
our God Almighty assists us every step of the way.
For those individuals who are willing to participate
as individuals or as an institution, we would be more
than happy to hear from you.
Let us put aside all that might separate or distract
us and stand together as one. May God empower and guide
us!
____________________________________________________________
“For I know the plans I have
for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper
you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and
a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray
to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and
find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will
be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and
will bring you back from captivity.” (Jeremiah
29: 11-14)
____________________________________________________________
For more information please contact
Mr. Obang Metho, by email at:Obang@anuakjustice.org
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