A COMMENTARY
By Dr. Alamz Zewde, 4/28/07
It has been more than 33 years since Ethiopia forfeited her opportunity to reinvent herself, to build on the fundamental essence of core identity, to improve and change those cultural and national attributes, and institutional practices, including its political culture and system of governance, to bring about evolutionary social, political, and economic change. Our imitative education system did not prepare us to be creative thinkers anchored in our own cultural and political reality and history-good and bad. As an ancient African proverb puts it, “Those who do not know can know from learning”. An unfortunate generation of the mid-70s failed to know that it did not know.
Instead of doing the hard work of learning about the social and cultural fabric of Ethiopia, its geopolitical environment, instead of thinking independently and creatively to build an understanding on how and what alternatives to the existing social and political order could work, a generation of impatient youth led by a mixed bag of elites, reviled everything that was Ethiopian and simplistically strove to copy and impose an alien Marxist ideology that fell in the hands of a brutal military junta. By this act, a generation of Ethiopia’s best and brightest self-destructed and destroyed the prospects of a whole people. They were not informed enough to understand that by this act, they were reviling who they were. And because only people who accept themselves and the challenge of transforming those aspects in their existence that hinder progress succeed, a generation of Ethiopians who rejected who they were and pursued nihilist paths to become like others failed, as they inevitably should. Marxism is as Western and as much a product of Western philosophy, culture, history, and experience as Capitalism is. Until Mao disproved him, Marx never imagined a socialist revolution possible before capitalism had run its course. What does Marxism have to do with our experience and for that matter, Mao except to license the worst in our human nature?
It is interesting that Latin Americans and Libya reworked the Marxist concepts to come up with their own diagnosis of the problems of their fit in the global environment and some pointers towards possible solutions to address issues of social and distributive justice. Because Africans, Ethiopian intellectuals in particular, did not think through their problems and potential solutions independently and from their own standpoint, building on their own positive social and cultural assets like mutual trust, resolving disputes through peaceful dialogue, caring for ones neighbor, respect for human life etc., progress of any form continues to completely elude them. Alien ideologies have led to reckless disregard for human life. They are murdered, thrown in jail in ten’s of thousands, disposed of in any number of ways for no other crime than aspiring to live as free people with legal rights in their own country.
The problem has become all the worst since the rise to power of TPLF in 1991. No other previous regime, no matter how evil, ever entertained such complete disdain for Ethiopia and the Ethiopian people like the TPLF. We recall the news accounts of how Meles Zenawi denigrated the victory of Adwa which many African leaders hailed and wanted to congratulate him about at their meeting in Arusha in 1992. To make things worse, it seems that there are two distinct Meles personalities. One personality presents itself to foreigners who must support him politically, diplomatically and financially. To them he shows the side that projects knowledge of the people’s economic plight-only economic plight mind you- and what he is trying to do about it. Apparently he presents himself in such a way that it becomes convenient reason for them to defend him stoutly, knowing fully the indescribable oppression and torment he mates out to the people with vengeful and vindictive consistency. Such is the condition of complete lack of international human sensibility and morality.
The other side of his personality presented to the Ethiopian people is one of insolence, crassness, vindictiveness and mean-spirited lawlessness deliberately designed to harass, torment, disrespect, humiliate, and create a sense of helplessness and despair. This is entirely consistent with the very nature of his self-imposed rejection of the Ethiopian people as his constituency. Indeed the torment has taken untold toll on the Ethiopian people inside and outside the country. An international health report some 10 years ago classified the Ethiopian people as the most “mentally and emotionally disturbed whose life is under constant threat”. Do outsiders need to tell us? Do we not see it in our midst? Mothers walking like zombies, their loved ones murdered, disappeared or jailed in known and unknown places? People with no human security in their livelihoods whether they are farmers, teachers, laborers or professionals constantly destabilized, dislocated, or jailed on suspicion that they may not have voted or support TPLF? Even the US State Department report on human rights for 2006 acknowledges the removal of farmers from their farms and homesteads because they were suspected of having voted for the opposition.
Some American scholars have analyzed ‘Meles’ double personality in terms of Syndrome “E”; a very dangerous trait. It will take extraordinary nurturing to rehabilitate such a traumatized and tormented population. People have seen and lived through too much. They have seen that their life and well being are not valued so much as red herring. They are simply disposable goods. Mark the man-made famines that have grown from some hundred thousands in the early nineties to 3 million, then 7 million, then 14 million during the late nineties and the new Millennium. And the World Bank shamelessly tells us that the economy is growing-healthily. Perhaps it is for some 500-1000 people. The TPLF is gearing up to celebrate the Ethiopian millennium as a bright time when any decent person with any integrity, leadership quality, competence, care for the Ethiopian people, and willing to dream of a hopeful Ethiopia is in jail or has been among the mass fatal victim of TPLF violence against all Ethiopians aspiring for freedom and liberty.
It is to extricate themselves from this heart of darkness that Kinijit leaders and their massive followers set out on a peaceful journey to confront this crime against humanity and outrage. They knew that the journey will be excessively costly in human life and welfare, for Meles having no affinity to any element of Ethiopianess and Ethiopian aspiration, or mere human decency, will relentlessly use his lethal weapons against all who aspire for freedom from tyranny and insufferable oppression. And he has been doing just that with impunity. Notice that it is unprecedented for even an African country-except Edi Amin’s Uganda- to continue to kill or jail members of the intelligentsia and scarce professional’s who are desperately needed in the country’s educational and economic development. Or put in illegal detention a whole generation of honored citizens-young and old, whose whole life has been devoted to public service, to academia, and to defense of human rights. Their crime? Well, freedom and democracy seeking, of course. Most of these decent people had survived even Mengistu Haile Mariam. Today, Meles is doing everything he can to ensure their death or disablement in prison. The prison conditions are described by international witnesses as hell on earth, with nothing like it witnessed any where else in the world.
But then, this tyranny and this indescribable cruelty and lawlessness have stiffened the spirit of resistance of all freedom loving Ethiopians and their vanguard Kinijit leaders. The abhorrence for this cruel inhumanity is such that, except for TPLF sycophants, opportunist and paid agents, there is unanimity in the need for putting up a determined fight against this crime against decent humanity till the end. In a prophetic statement, one of the elders in Kinijit leadership said, to a crowd of Diaspora Ethiopians in Washington DC shortly after the election “Nesa lemehon berasachin mecheken alebin” (to be free, we have to surrender our self to the ultimate sacrifice). Kinijit leaders knew
THAT FREEDOM IS NOT, AND HAS NEVER BEEN FREE. THEY HAVE PREPARED THEMSELVES TO PAY THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE IN HEALTH AND LIFE.
WHAT ARE THE REST OF US PREPARED TO DO IN SUPPORT OF FREEDOM AND OUR LEADERS?
From what we see in Ethiopia, the youth and the conscientious people of courage and character use every chance to express their disdain for Meles’ immoral and corrupt rule. They use any window of opportunity such as Marathon and other sport or religious occasions to martyr themselves for freedom, liberty, national honor and humanity. When they and their Kinijit leaders shall ultimately win, and they will win for truth always wins in the end, Ethiopia will be the land of the just and free, with no ill towards each other or any one else. They will empower themselves never again to allow untested and unknown quantities with excess baggage of the venoms of indiscipline, scandal, corruption, opportunism, blind selfishness, incompetence, ill intent, and disrespect for the peoples’ rights under their arm, to meddle in public affairs. Only in Africa, including Ethiopia, since the days of the Derg and TPLF have public offices been appropriated, not through the litmus test of character, integrity, experience and talent, but through proven defects in talent and character which make public servants entirely subservient to carry the malice and avarice of the ruling political elite. Studies have come in recent years and more have come in November-December of this past year proving that the backward slide of Ethiopia’s (as a dictatorial state) and similar African countries’ development is largely due to corrupt, irresponsible, incompetent and unaccountable governance and the resulting public institutions. In the case of Ethiopia, we know the many deadly additions to this recipe that go beyond current abuses and oppression to threaten the very existence of the country as we know it.
Given the determination of Kinijit leaders and the overwhelming majority of Ethiopians to pay all necessary sacrifices, to stop this mad tyranny, one has every reason to be hopeful that freedom is at our door step. BUT FOR FREEDOM TO BE REALIZED SOON, WE MUST ALL STEP UP AND CONTRIBUTE OUR BIT TO HELP THE PROCESS ALONG STARTING TODAY. Those of us in the Diaspora have a historic responsibility to be part of the good fight and to stand behind the Ethiopian people and their Kinijit leaders. Here are a few ideas to start us out on that participatory road:
1. We must all get a hold of the Code of Conduct Kinijit leaders crafted for their new political ethic of true democracy, tolerance, openness, and respect for others ideas, civility, discipline and dedication to sacrifice for the cause of the people’s freedom and causes. We should also get hold of their Election manifesto so that we study and understand their basic philosophy, method and goals.
2. We must determine to assist no one or no cause except that of the Ethiopian people and their elected leaders. We must vigilantly preserve and defend the ultimate authority of the electorate and their elected leaders and ensure that the trust given by the Ethiopian people to their elected leaders will remain only with them and not be usurped or otherwise claimed by any one else under any pretext. Un-elected people should have the humility to serve and support Kinijit and the Ethiopian people through political activism, political education broadcast to Ethiopia to nurture democratic aspirations, fund raising to help election victims etc. under the watchful eyes of patriots in the Diaspora, elders, and Kinijit leaders in Kaliti without in any way shortchanging their authority and covenant with the Ethiopian people.
3. We must be vigilant to ensure that Kinijit leadership remains in Ethiopia in body and spirit. Outside entities and un-elected people should only set up a political committee to coordinate the willing effort and contribution of Diaspora patriots. They can name the committee in any way they want except “Kinijit Leadership”. Adopting this latter nomenclature will be tantamount to declaring Kinijit leadership in Ethiopia defunct, and therefore, dead. No one wants this.
4. The test of character and dedication to the cause of Kinijit and Ethiopia is at this time of darkness and extreme challenge, when TPLF is spending millions to buy many off. When the going was easy, all of us had become “yedil atbia arbegnoch”. Let us see who really takes the effort to research, analyze and determine what is best for democracy in Ethiopia and engage with Kinijit support and the Ethiopian people in the right way. For our part, we seek to serve KINIJIT unconditionally and with no self-interest of any sort implied, in the political, international advocacy, media mobilization, financial, propaganda and education arena to invigorate the struggle at home and abroad.
5. Among the sever challenges which Kinijit brought us close to resolving is the crisis in legitimate leadership. Leadership and trust is earned through a long process of working with people and proving ones character and worth and eliciting popular good will. This is the way Kinijit leaders earned the trust, respect and acceptance of the Ethiopian people. Three years ago, we distinctly remember Engineer Hailu Shawel declaring that only the people in Addis Ababa have refused to buy into their program because they did not believe its attainment possible. But some 4-5 years of work in the countryside had laid the ground for trust in Kinijit leaders and their full acceptance as people who could be trusted as they stood to gain nothing from political leadership except the freedom they sought for the people. They were wealthy, educated, well seasoned and experienced and could sit in the comfort of their homes satisfied with themselves. Their willingness to sacrifice all this bought the complete trust and respect of the people. This filtered into Addis till we saw its manifestation in the May 8th, 2005 demonstration and subsequent popular reaction to Kinijit leaders. So leadership can not be claimed in any other manner. But serving the leaders with no other claims and pretenses is entirely noble and should be encouraged. The end-game of such effort should be limited to working 24/7 to get Kinijit leaders released for they have done nothing wrong except for wishing freedom and democracy for their people.
ONLY ELECTED KINIJIT LEADERS CAN MAKE ANY DECISION WITH POLITICAL CONSEQUENCE, LIKE ELECTION OR NEGOTIATION WITH TPLF. KINIJIT LEADERS HAVE EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED NEGOTIATION WITH TPLF/EPRDF, RESERVING THIS RIGHT AND THE RIGHT TO DECIDE ON MATTERS OF ELECTION TO THEMSELVES. WE MUST ALL BE ALERT TO ENSURE THAT NO ONE CLAIMS THIS PROFOUND RIGHT.
6. All self-respecting, responsible Ethiopians must resolve, and not use any excuse, to contribute to Kinijit in finance, time, and knowledge. This is an extremely critical time for the future of democracy in Ethiopia and the life of our leaders. We must appreciate that they are the last hope for Ethiopia’s freedom and TPLF knows it. Among them are scholars and elder statesmen, people with solid knowledge of Ethiopia under whose watchful eyes a new generation of Ethiopians schooled in civic duty, civility, respect for the law, ethics and national interest must be recruited and trained on the job and tested. If we miss this chance, any intergenerational transfer of wisdom and realism to ensure future stability and the preservation of the rights of the Ethiopian people as the sole source of legitimate power and authority will be forever lost. Those who do not want this must start to organize and mobilize to contribute to worthwhile programs, to demand of European Union and European countries, the United States, African countries and the African Union, significant international NGOs working on human rights, United Nations Commission on Human Rights and other entities to demand the immediate release of Kinijit leaders. Otherwise we will have willingly betrayed them.
IF WE DO ALL THE ABOVE, A HOPEFUL DEMOCRATIC ETHIOPIA IN WHICH ALL HER CHILDREN WILL BE CHERISHED AND DIGNIFIED IS INDEED POSSIBLE.
MAY GOD HELP AND BLESS THOSE WHO STAND FOR TRUTH, FREEDOM AND LIBERTY.
By Dr. Alamz Zewde, 4/28/07