Open Letter: Modern Slavery in Libya and the Plight of Ethiopians

Consortium of Ethiopian Civic Society Organizations (TIBIBIR)

The Honorable Fayez Seraj,
Prime Minister, Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA)
Tripoli, Libya.

Honorable Prime Minister,

The Consortium of Ethiopian Civic Society Organizations (TIBIBIR) is a coalition of 27 major Ethiopian civil society groups within and outside Ethiopia that have consolidated their efforts to defend and advance human rights, justice and the rule of law, national consensus, peace and reconciliation as well as the institutionalization of a democratic society in Ethiopia. Among the major concerns the Consortium is dealing with today is to draw global attention to the plight of Ethiopian migrants in Libya, a center of human trafficking and modern slavery that is unacceptable to the human conscience and human dignity.

Our Consortium is pleased to note that the UN system, the African Union Commission, regional organizations and human rights groups such as the International Office for Migration (IOM), the governments of Chad and Rwanda, news organizations such as CNN, BBC, the Guardian, CBS, the New York Times, Reuters and Al-Jazeera have drawn attention to the despicable act of modern slavery in Libya. The struggle against modern slavery is and should be a global effort. It must be deliberate and sustained to prevent it from recurring.

Given the outrageous nature of this practice in the 21st century, we commend the government of Libya for taking the initiative of investigating the dehumanizing practice of selling black Africans. We hope and pray that the culprits will be brought to justice and made accountable for crimes against humanity.

Our organization has been approached by a number of Ethiopian migrants including women with children seeking financial support in order to pay the requisite ransom that will enable them to become free. One female Ethiopian migrant with children was asked to pay $30,000 in ransom payments. The going rate is $400 minimum. While we empathize with the plight of our compatriots, we have decided not to raise funds for this outrageous practice of ransom for freedom.

Our Consortium also wishes to commend CNN and the Libya based Anti-Illegal Immigration Agency that provided primary data and evidence to this news organization for its timely investigative report. On November 19, 2017, the Journalist Nour Youssef provided insight and urged the government of Libya to ensure that human traffickers and traders are convicted. “Priorities of the investigation are not only to convict those responsible for these inhumane acts, but also to identify the location of those who have been sold in order to bring them to safety and return them to their countries of origin” (Sale of Migrants as Slaves in Libya Causes Outrage in Africa and Paris).

The outrage prompted a spontaneous demonstration in Paris. Protestors condemned the outrageous act and urged Western governments and the African Commission to express outrage. An official investigation by the government of Libya followed. “Hundreds of protesters, mostly young black people, demonstrated in front of the Libyan Embassy in central Paris on Saturday — with some carrying a sign that said, “Put an end to the slavery and concentration camps in Libya,” and chanting, “Free our brothers!” This expression of outrage took place “three days after CNN aired footage of migrants being auctioned off in the Libyan capital, Tripoli.”

The widespread and dehumanizing nature of “migrants are being auctioned” like sheep in Tripoli reminded African leaders of the slave trade. Outraged and angered by the auctions of African migrants in Libya. Moussa Faki Mahamat, the chairman of the African Union Commission and the foreign minister of Chad, issued a statement after the rally, calling the auctions “despicable.” He urged the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to assist the Libyan authorities with the investigation that they opened in response to CNN’s report.

The government of Chad announced that it was ready to send troops to Libya to crush African slave traders and the Government of Rwanda has offered to provide refuge to 30,000 African Migrants suffering Slave-like conditions in Libya.

Our Consortium is cognizant of the fact that Ethiopian migrants flee their homeland because of civil conflict, a suffocating political and social environment and because of lack of job opportunities in Ethiopia. They are attracted by the prospect of opportunities in the West and in the Middle East. They are part of the IOM estimated “700,000 to one million migrants in Libya” of whom more than 2,000 have died at sea this year alone. These migrant pay enormous amounts of money to smugglers and end up living in overcrowded detention centers for several months. Sadly, the Libyan coast has become a hub for escape. This harrowing and dehumanizing condition forces thousands to seek employment with minimum or no pay. Females are raped routinely and migrants are abused and tortured by smugglers, traders and employers.

Mr. Prime Minister,

Our Consortium joins the international community and urges the government of Libya and others that modern slavery should be met with a unified and sustained effort. In this connection, we commend the African Commission that has begun negotiations with the government of Libya and other stakeholders in North Africa and the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa to seek practical and concrete steps that will address the plight of hundreds of thousands of African migrants.

We would like to specifically appeal to all International organizations and Governments to exert maximum effort to get all victims of these inhumane acts to safety without delay, to bring the culprits to justice and to take reliable measures to prevent similar crimes from happening anywhere in the world.

On our part, we will do all we can to dissuade Ethiopian migrants to refrain from taking huge personal risks in their genuine efforts to find meaningful life outside Ethiopia. The best option is for the government of Ethiopia to deal with the root causes that push hundreds of thousands of Ethiopian youth out of their homeland.

We thank you in advance for your attention to this human tragedy that also affects the reputation of Libyan society and its government.

Oromo-Amhara Accord: Hope for Ethiopia’s Future

Members of the Oromo, Ogaden and Amhara community in South Africa demonstrate against the ongoing crackdown in the restive Oromo and Amhara region of Ethiopia on August 18, 2016 AFP/Getty Images

The fact that Ethiopia is presently ruled by representatives of a minority nationality may puzzle, surprise, or aggrieve any reasonable Ethiopian. But a closer look and attentive examination of the events of the past 26 years would reveal that the situation we are living and enduring today, and what may most likely be unfolding in the no so distant future should neither puzzle or surprise us; though it may never cease to aggrieve us.

That the TPLF and its creation, the EPRDF, have been able to maintain power for such a long time  should not be attributed to their preternatural ability to govern, their military prowess, or political savvy, or much less to their superior intelligence. They are here today, ever more tyrannical, cynical, and violent because they have been able to identify from the outset the inherent weaknesses of the country: and that is, its history, culture, politics and internal dynamics.

When they came to power, Mengistu Hailemariam and his regime had left a country which was not only impoverished, but was war-ravaged, wounded to its core, and completely demoralized. This was not a people that rose up to chase away a tyrant or rid itself of a regime, it was a country that was abandoned by a tyrant to its own device, and basically handed over to an armed guerilla group of questionable intentions and unproven record. Even though the people welcomed the demise of the Derg, they were less than enthusiastic in their reception of the rag-tag, ill-clad and rather uncouth and rough guerilla army. In retrospective, their uneasy and circumspect reception was more than justified.

Thanks to Mengistu’s murderous regime, the Ethiopian people had grown not only demoralized, but also deeply unsure of the soundness of their moral core: they had seen the depth of the depravity perpetrated by their own people during the Terror years, and they had come to question their belief in their capacity for compassion, their claim to trustworthiness and their commitment to their country as a whole. There was a sense that any regime could not be worse than the one they lived through. And if the current regime prides itself in being better or superior to its predecessor it would be setting itself the very lowest bar.

Even though the Derg, in clear contrast to the imperial regime, has addressed the question of nationalities, it never succeeded in framing it properly or much less resolving it. It simply acknowledged its existence without proposing serious or viable alternative to the status quo. Indeed it was ill-equipped to address the question while it was waging war against all the ethnic-based liberation fronts. It could have opted for political and legal solutions, but instead it chose force over reason.

When the TPLF marched into the Capital, its leadership was very well aware of the emotional and mental state of the people. But it went about to exploit it for its own political ends. It did not seek to re-assure people through a reconciliation process, but set about to immediately emphasize their differences and mutual grievances. It even revived old rancor and hostilities. Its objective was to have a divided and dis-united nation to easily manipulate and rule. The ruse has worked wondrously for 26 years. But now it is becoming undone at the seams, and the TPLF is scrambling to hold its artificial coalition and its power by making recourse to unprecedented violence.

Anyone with a modicum of intelligence knows that if the two major ethnic groups of Ethiopia, the Oromos and the Amharas – who together constitute nearly 60% of Ethiopia’s population, and likewise occupy nearly 60% of the habitable land – decided to put aside their old rancor and recriminations, and negotiated the terms of their co-existence, this current regime would collapse like a house of cards. The nationalities question in Ethiopia is simply the question of Oromo-Amhara co-existence. And I say this with no disrespect or malice intended towards minority nationalities of Ethiopia. On the contrary, it is out of concern for them that I propose an Oromo-Amhara terms of peaceful co-existence. Their status as members of the Ethiopian Nation will be far better established and served under such terms than under the current regime, which, it should be repeated, designed the current ethnic federalism out of expediency than genuine desire to validate their status.

When these two major ethnic groups hammer out the terms of their peaceful co-existence, Ethiopia will finally gain a more solid lease on life, a more stable polity and the best antidote against a possible balkanization of the region. The TPLF regime has shown time and again that it rather see the dismemberment of Ethiopia, than surrender power peacefully. I would rather fight and scramble to preserve the unfair advantages, the ill-gotten gains, and undeserved power of its ethnic base than surrender power to the majority of the people. But as history has shown, no minority government lasts for very long. It always starts with an expiration date written all over it. And that date is fast approaching for the TPLF and the EPRDF.

What Ethiopia needs is not an ethnic federation with uncertain rights and privileges, or duties and obligations. She does not need a tapestry of national states with questionable territories and authority. True, Ethiopia is still, as one eminent scholar put it once, “a mosaic of peoples”. But this should not imply that we should curve out of her as many killils as there are nationalities. Ethnic federalism has proven an utter disaster as implemented by the TPLF: I need no conformation than to refer to what happened in the past two years. It is clear that we need to re-configure and re-think Ethiopia differently, and on much solid basis.

For a more permanent, peaceful and prosperous Ethiopia, we need to bring at the center of our political discourse and vision what has been and remained the big elephant in the room, the fundamental cause of TPLF’s continued hold on Ethiopia, and Ethiopians constant frustration. I am referring of course to the simmering, and yet deceitfully calm, anger and hostility that has defined the relation of our two major ethnic groups. As long as it continues TPLF can ensure its permanence in power for the foreseeable future. Only the proper and peaceful resolution of this anger and mutual suspicion can bring Ethiopia a sigh of relief and the prospect of a bright future.

Oromos and Amharas must come together to resolve their century old issues. They do not need any government, or any arbiter, to establish the platform of their negotiation, they can do it themselves, anywhere and at a time of their choosing. They can select their wisest members and their most respected intellectuals (but not their vociferous provocateurs and agitators) to represent them at the negotiation table to hammer out the outlines of a new Ethiopia.

A return to the pre-revolutionary Ethiopia, or the maintenance of the status quo with some modification is neither feasible nor desirable. Ethiopia will be best served when her two largest nationalities take center-stage in her governance. It is not a wild idea to envision an Ethiopia where Oromiffa and Amharic will have equal status, where they will be used side by side for all matters concerning government, commerce, education, etc… Where everyone in the realm will be required to learn one of these languages besides one’s own. This is in no way to denigrate the status of minority nationalities. On the contrary it is to provide them with safeguards against abuse by a regime such as the one we have now. In truth their rights and privileges will be better protected and served when the source of power is based on a dual majority coalition.

What I cannot imagine is the creation of several states out of what has been for nearly a century a viable country. What I firmly believe is Ethiopia’s fragmentation benefits no one, but harms everyone. No one nationality has the human and land resources in Ethiopia to survive adequately, let alone prosper. For us Ethiopians, unity is not a matter of sentimental wish, but a dire necessity. Indeed, our potential has been seriously curtailed by Eritrea’s departure from our union thanks again to TPLF’s misguided and short-sighted deal.

The name “Ethiopia” would be meaningless in reality if her two major nationalities claimed independence and self-government. The name Ethiopia is a shared name, no one ethnicity has a particular claim to it. It should not be contraposed to Oromia or any other nationality. If we hark back to its Greek etymology, it means simply [people] of “burnt face”, meaning of darker complexion. And no one ethnicity can arrogate to itself alone such an appellation. We can all claim it: Oromos, Amharas, Tigreans, Gurages, Somalies, etc…. (And even Eritreans!!). Thus it should not and cannot be used as a term of division or separation.

We don’t have much time to deliberate any further. The winds of unrest is already at our doors. It would be criminally irresponsible for our elders and intellectuals to sit and watch what could be the worst tragedy Ethiopia has witnessed in a generation. The choice is all ours: what will we tell the next generation? That we tried nothing but stood by quietly?

Ethiopia: FOR THE SAKE OF OUR CHILDREN! (SMNE Press Release)

Ethiopia Needs Its Elders and Trusted Leaders to Help Stop the Cycles of Violence and Revenge in Our Communities and to Bring Us Together!

SMNE Press Release

Washington, D.C, September 14, 2017–We in the Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia (SMNE) strongly condemn the horrific and inhumane murder of 32 or more Ethiopian civilians in the Somali and Oromo regions of Ethiopia. Shocking reports of unbelievable brutality and cruelty to the victims on both sides accompany these reports. We deeply grieve with the families and communities who have lost their loved ones.

Why has this happened and who is behind it?

From the little background we have; the problem began among people who have lived together for many generations. Not only have they shared resources, but they have intermarried and now many share the same blood.

When the TPLF came into power, new boundary lines were drawn to define Somali land and Oromo land. Some of those boundaries encroached on each other’s land, causing new man-made challenges as neighbors who had lived near to each other and peaceably for years. The Somali and the Oromo in this area, share many of the same characteristics of their cultures, something that has added to their ability to live near to each other; however, ethnic federalism created a wedge between them that is now again being exploited for the interests of the TPLF/EPRDF.

The TPLF/EPRDF, as a highly centralized regime, is in charge of all aspects of life down to the district level. This includes the Liyu Police who are TPLF/EPRDF’s “enforcers of the law”, as defined by the TPLF/EPRDF. When Somali Liyu Police from Somali State killed and incited others to commit horrendous acts against vulnerable Oromo citizens, why were the TPLF/ERPDF silent— not even uttering a murmur of reprimand? When Oromo Liyu Police, employed and under the control of the TPLF/EPRDF did the same thing to defenseless Somalis, why was there no accountability, only complicit passivity?

The answer is: it works to advance their interests. The TPLF-controlled EPRDF, being a tiny minority group trying to maintain perpetual hegemony over the majority has used divide and conquer tactics since they were in the bush, when they even targeted people from their own ethnicity when it suited their interests. They also have been masterful at inciting others to do the work of violence for them. Too often, after fomenting division and violence, they have then taken the role of observers or have imprisoned political opponents or scapegoats who were not responsible for it. They thereby become beneficiaries of the conflict, sometimes because it diverts attention from other problem areas— like protests in Oromia— or they make sure the unity of their opponents does not become an existential threat.

They have been doing this for decades. People should not fall into their manipulation and traps. It is only they who could benefit.

As mentioned, the Liyu police from the Somali region and the Liyu police from the Oromo region are the perpetrators, but both are paid, supervised and supplied with weapons by the federal government; so this federal government could stop this at any time. As a result of doing nothing, once the violence is picked up by the local people, they can sit by and watch as the local people slaughter each other, re-starting another cycle of violence.

For us in the SMNE, this is a heart-breaking example of what can happen to a society when we fail to see the humanity of another human being. This is a tragedy that will repeat itself if we abuse or devalue another person simply for being of a different race, ethnicity, religion, political view or whatever you define it to be. How can anyone arrogantly be the one to define who is worthy, valuable or entitled to “life and liberty?” When this is done, we end up defining others by whether or not someone is “useful” to us; otherwise the person can easily become either expendable or an enemy. Do we want to live in such a society?

Those brutally killed were part of our greater family of Ethiopians, created, like us, in the image of their Creator. What was done to them was wrong! Their deaths are a loss to all of us and we in the SMNE grieve with their families and communities. These people were killed by one side or the other only because of their ethnicity.

Where are our trusted elders and leaders, including religious leaders? We now call on you to come forward. Ethiopia needs you! We also call on the people to restrain themselves before grief, anger and the desire for quick revenge explode into cycles of uncontrollable vengeance, killing, destruction and upheaval. Instead, pause long enough to ask yourself and others:

• Who started this?
• Why?
• Who benefits from it?
• Are we—both Oromo and Somali Ethiopians, as well as others in Ethiopia—being “used” as a tool of this regime for their own political purposes?
• What if this conflict and others like it, explode into widespread and uncontrollable ethnic-based killing and destruction?
• What are the costs to all of us— to you, your family, your community, your country, and our shared future?
• Can anyone really win liberty when fighting alone?
• What are the best options for the best, long-term results?

We in the SMNE believe in the preciousness of every life; putting humanity before ethnicity or any other difference. We also believe no one group will be free until all of us are free, so why do people who want freedom fight against others also wanting the same thing? Can only one of us achieve it? Do we want a future where our neighbor is our perpetual enemy simply because they are of another ethnicity?

We call on the people of Oromia Regional State and Ethiopian Somali State to not seek revenge, but for the trusted elders and leaders within each of these communities to come together to stop the killing, to help the families who have lost its loved ones, to find a meaningful solution and to find a common vision for the future—- for the sake of the children.

Revenge against each other will not bring lasting change, but will only incite more violence and reverse progress. More deaths will create more deaths; more destruction will create more destruction. We cannot afford this. It is essential for the people from both sides to not lose their sense of humanity in the midst of unrestrained emotion and violence against other human beings. Who are those suffering, but some of our most vulnerable people.

Already, countless people are displaced from both communities. Now is the time for the people of self-restraint and understanding to look for meaningful dialogue and to NOT become victims of TPLF manipulation.

Somali and Oromo in the Diaspora, especially the ones in Minnesota, should start talking and call a press conference to jointly condemn the killing and destruction. What happens here can have a significant effect back home.

We also call on all Ethiopians to stand with them at this time of crisis to try to find a lasting solution to this continuing problem.

We also call on the TPLF/EPRDF to stop this. It is a game with deadly consequences and once it is started, it may be difficult to reverse. You are only inciting anger against yourselves with the possible result of unifying a strong movement to end TPLF/EPRDF domination. Be wise enough to change your course.

We call on the international community and human rights organizations to put pressure on the TPLF/EPRDF to stop this immediately. No one can be a bystander.

You do not have to be a Somali or Oromo to feel the pain. Ethiopia should take a lesson from Rwanda or from Myanmar (Burma) where people are slaughtering Rohingya Muslims because of religious differences.

We Ethiopian can be better than this as people. We have lived together in peace for centuries and we can still do it. Let us fear and love God and demonstrate it by how we care for our neighbors, whether or not they are like us or totally different from us.

At this difficult crossroads, we call on all people of faith to call on God for His divine guidance, wisdom, mercy and intervention that will bring about a peaceful outcome throughout our country.

May God help us to not lose our humanity or fail to see the humanity of others— for the sake of our children!

Ethiopia Needs Its Elders and Trusted Leaders to Help Stop the Cycles of Violence and Revenge in Our Communities and to Bring Us Together!

SMNE Press Release

Washington, D.C, September 14, 2017–We in the Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia (SMNE) strongly condemn the horrific and inhumane murder of 32 or more Ethiopian civilians in the Somali and Oromo regions of Ethiopia. Shocking reports of unbelievable brutality and cruelty to the victims on both sides accompany these reports. We deeply grieve with the families and communities who have lost their loved ones.

Why has this happened and who is behind it?

From the little background we have; the problem began among people who have lived together for many generations. Not only have they shared resources, but they have intermarried and now many share the same blood.

When the TPLF came into power, new boundary lines were drawn to define Somali land and Oromo land. Some of those boundaries encroached on each other’s land, causing new man-made challenges as neighbors who had lived near to each other and peaceably for years. The Somali and the Oromo in this area, share many of the same characteristics of their cultures, something that has added to their ability to live near to each other; however, ethnic federalism created a wedge between them that is now again being exploited for the interests of the TPLF/EPRDF.

The TPLF/EPRDF, as a highly centralized regime, is in charge of all aspects of life down to the district level. This includes the Liyu Police who are TPLF/EPRDF’s “enforcers of the law”, as defined by the TPLF/EPRDF. When Somali Liyu Police from Somali State killed and incited others to commit horrendous acts against vulnerable Oromo citizens, why were the TPLF/ERPDF silent— not even uttering a murmur of reprimand? When Oromo Liyu Police, employed and under the control of the TPLF/EPRDF did the same thing to defenseless Somalis, why was there no accountability, only complicit passivity?

The answer is: it works to advance their interests. The TPLF-controlled EPRDF, being a tiny minority group trying to maintain perpetual hegemony over the majority has used divide and conquer tactics since they were in the bush, when they even targeted people from their own ethnicity when it suited their interests. They also have been masterful at inciting others to do the work of violence for them. Too often, after fomenting division and violence, they have then taken the role of observers or have imprisoned political opponents or scapegoats who were not responsible for it. They thereby become beneficiaries of the conflict, sometimes because it diverts attention from other problem areas— like protests in Oromia— or they make sure the unity of their opponents does not become an existential threat.

They have been doing this for decades. People should not fall into their manipulation and traps. It is only they who could benefit.

As mentioned, the Liyu police from the Somali region and the Liyu police from the Oromo region are the perpetrators, but both are paid, supervised and supplied with weapons by the federal government; so this federal government could stop this at any time. As a result of doing nothing, once the violence is picked up by the local people, they can sit by and watch as the local people slaughter each other, re-starting another cycle of violence.

For us in the SMNE, this is a heart-breaking example of what can happen to a society when we fail to see the humanity of another human being. This is a tragedy that will repeat itself if we abuse or devalue another person simply for being of a different race, ethnicity, religion, political view or whatever you define it to be. How can anyone arrogantly be the one to define who is worthy, valuable or entitled to “life and liberty?” When this is done, we end up defining others by whether or not someone is “useful” to us; otherwise the person can easily become either expendable or an enemy. Do we want to live in such a society?

Those brutally killed were part of our greater family of Ethiopians, created, like us, in the image of their Creator. What was done to them was wrong! Their deaths are a loss to all of us and we in the SMNE grieve with their families and communities. These people were killed by one side or the other only because of their ethnicity.

Where are our trusted elders and leaders, including religious leaders? We now call on you to come forward. Ethiopia needs you! We also call on the people to restrain themselves before grief, anger and the desire for quick revenge explode into cycles of uncontrollable vengeance, killing, destruction and upheaval. Instead, pause long enough to ask yourself and others:

• Who started this?
• Why?
• Who benefits from it?
• Are we—both Oromo and Somali Ethiopians, as well as others in Ethiopia—being “used” as a tool of this regime for their own political purposes?
• What if this conflict and others like it, explode into widespread and uncontrollable ethnic-based killing and destruction?
• What are the costs to all of us— to you, your family, your community, your country, and our shared future?
• Can anyone really win liberty when fighting alone?
• What are the best options for the best, long-term results?

We in the SMNE believe in the preciousness of every life; putting humanity before ethnicity or any other difference. We also believe no one group will be free until all of us are free, so why do people who want freedom fight against others also wanting the same thing? Can only one of us achieve it? Do we want a future where our neighbor is our perpetual enemy simply because they are of another ethnicity?

We call on the people of Oromia Regional State and Ethiopian Somali State to not seek revenge, but for the trusted elders and leaders within each of these communities to come together to stop the killing, to help the families who have lost its loved ones, to find a meaningful solution and to find a common vision for the future—- for the sake of the children.

Revenge against each other will not bring lasting change, but will only incite more violence and reverse progress. More deaths will create more deaths; more destruction will create more destruction. We cannot afford this. It is essential for the people from both sides to not lose their sense of humanity in the midst of unrestrained emotion and violence against other human beings. Who are those suffering, but some of our most vulnerable people.

Already, countless people are displaced from both communities. Now is the time for the people of self-restraint and understanding to look for meaningful dialogue and to NOT become victims of TPLF manipulation.

Somali and Oromo in the Diaspora, especially the ones in Minnesota, should start talking and call a press conference to jointly condemn the killing and destruction. What happens here can have a significant effect back home.

We also call on all Ethiopians to stand with them at this time of crisis to try to find a lasting solution to this continuing problem.

We also call on the TPLF/EPRDF to stop this. It is a game with deadly consequences and once it is started, it may be difficult to reverse. You are only inciting anger against yourselves with the possible result of unifying a strong movement to end TPLF/EPRDF domination. Be wise enough to change your course.

We call on the international community and human rights organizations to put pressure on the TPLF/EPRDF to stop this immediately. No one can be a bystander.

You do not have to be a Somali or Oromo to feel the pain. Ethiopia should take a lesson from Rwanda or from Myanmar (Burma) where people are slaughtering Rohingya Muslims because of religious differences.

We Ethiopian can be better than this as people. We have lived together in peace for centuries and we can still do it. Let us fear and love God and demonstrate it by how we care for our neighbors, whether or not they are like us or totally different from us.

At this difficult crossroads, we call on all people of faith to call on God for His divine guidance, wisdom, mercy and intervention that will bring about a peaceful outcome throughout our country.

May God help us to not lose our humanity or fail to see the humanity of others— for the sake of our children!

Home » News » Ethiopia police halt Teddy Afro’s event

Ethiopia police halt Teddy Afro’s event

Posted by: ecadforum September 4, 2017

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(BBC) — Authorities in Ethiopia have stopped singer Tewodros Kassahun, popularly known as Teddy Afro, from launching his much-acclaimed album, Ethiopia.

On his Facebook Page, Teddy Afro says police asked him to have a permit for the launch that was to be held at a hotel in the capital, Addis Ababa, a demand he has termed as ridiculous.

A BBC reporter, who was attending the launch, says federal police showed up at the hotel hours before the launch and prevented Teddy’s sound team from setting up equipment for the gig.

His manager told the BBC, that they are yet to get official reasons as to why the launch was cancelled.

His concert scheduled for the eve of Ethiopian New Year, which falls on 11 September, has also been cancelled in unclear circumstances.

Teddy’s 15-track album has made history as the quickest selling album since its release in May this year and for weeks topped the Billboard World Albums chart.

Famed Ethiopia musician, activists slam govt over cancelled album launch

Teddy Afro. Photo: 

(Africa News) — Ethiopia’s biggest music export, Teddy Afro, has slammed the government for his inability to hold an album launch at an Addis Ababa hotel.

His management have also confirmed the cancellation of a concert scheduled to coincide with the Ethiopian New Year which falls on September 11.

The artiste, full name – Tewodros Kassahun, described as ‘ridiculous’ a demand by Federal police that he produced a permit for the album launch. The police stopped his team from setting up for the event.

It should be condemned by all as this is smothering freedom of expression and an attack on art no matter who the target is. But remember this is nothing new.

The U.S.-based musician is no stranger to clashes with the government. He has previously had run-ins with the government leading to the banning of his tracks in 2005, four years after his career took off.

He was jailed three years later for a hit-and-run incident – he described the trial as politically motivated. He enjoys cult status in the country with bars, public transport and homes playing his tracks.

A number of activists have waded into the issue and accused the authorities of gagging the artiste and by so doing smothering freedom of expression.

Afro, had in June 2017 said he wanted to use the album titled ‘Ethiopia’ to beat down the political temperature in the country. The main track of the 15-track album is called – Ethiopia – is sung in Amharic – the dominant language used in the East African country.

The track was published on video sharing website Youtube on April 14, 2017 between then and now (September 4), it has been viewed over 7.9 million times. The track marked Teddy’s global breakthrough and his fifth album since he started off 16 years back.

The 6 minutes 37 seconds track recorded instant success when it shot to the top the Billboard World Albums chart, a feat the musician celebrated on his Facebook page. He told the BBC that the current track has exceeded his expectations. It is said to have sold over 500,000 copies since release.

‘‘It gives me great joy, there hasn’t been an album that has been this well received to my knowledge. All of my music is based on love, like Martin Luther King said, hate is defeated with love, darkness with light,’‘ he said.

Smith Resolution on Ethiopian Human Rights Advances From Committee

Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.)

Today, the full House Foreign Affairs Committee voted to advance a resolution, authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), highlighting the human rights violations of the Ethiopian government, and offering a blueprint to create a government better designed to serve the interests of the Ethiopian people.

The resolution, which passed without objection, also calls on the U.S. government to implement Magnitsky Act sanctions, targeting the individuals within the Ethiopian government who are the cause of the horrific abuses.

The State Department’s current human rights report on Ethiopia notes, “[t]he most significant human rights problems were security forces’ use of excessive force and arbitrary arrest in response to the protests, politically motivated prosecutions, and continued restrictions on activities of civil society and NGOs.”

“H. Res. 128, is like a mirror held up to the Government of Ethiopia on how others see them, and it is intended to encourage them to move on the reforms they agree they need to enact,” said Smith, Chair of the House panel on Africa. “For the past 12 years, my staff and I have visited Ethiopia, spoken with Ethiopian officials, talked to a wide variety of members of the Ethiopia Diaspora and discussed the situation in Ethiopia with advocates and victims of government human rights violations.  Our efforts are not a response merely to government critics, but rather a realistic assessment of the urgent need to end very damaging and in some cases inexcusable actions by the government or those who act as their agents.”

H. Res. 128, entitled “Supporting respect for human rights and encouraging inclusive governance in Ethiopia,” condemns the human rights abuses of Ethiopia and calls on the Ethiopian government to:

• lift the state of emergency;
• end the use of excessive force by security forces;
• investigate the killings and excessive use of force that took place as a result of protests in the Oromia and Amhara regions;
• release dissidents, activists, and journalists who have been imprisoned for exercising constitutional rights;
• respect the right to peaceful assembly and guarantee freedom of the press;
• engage in open consultations with citizens regarding its development strategy;
• allow a United Nations rapporteur to conduct an independent examination of the state of human rights in Ethiopia;
• address the grievances brought forward by representatives of registered opposition parties;
• hold accountable those responsible for killing, torturing and detaining innocent civilians who exercised their constitutional rights; and
• investigate and report on the circumstances surrounding the September 3, 2016, shootings and fire at Qilinto Prison, the deaths of persons in attendance at the annual Irreecha festivities at Lake Hora near Bishoftu on October 2, 2016, and the ongoing killings of civilians over several years in the Somali Regional State by police.

“It is important to note that this resolution does not call for sanctions on the Government of Ethiopia, but it does call for the use of existing mechanisms to sanction individuals who torture or otherwise deny their countrymen their human and civil rights,” said Smith.

Smith has chaired three hearings on Ethiopia, the most recent of which looked into the deterioration of the human rights situation in Ethiopia and was titled “Ethiopia After Meles: The Future of Democracy and Human Rights.”

ጣራው ለሚያፈስ ቤት – የወለል እድሳት

መላ አከላቷን ዝንጀሮ እሾህ ወግቷት
መቆም መራድ መቀመጥ ተስኖአት
የትኛውን እንንቀልልሽ ብለው ቢጠይቋት፣

ብታስቀድሙልኝ የመቀመጫየን
እኔ እነቅለዋለሁ ቁጭ ብዬ ሌላውን፣
በማለት መለሰች
ቅድሚያ የሚሰጠውን ነገር ስላወቀች፡፡

ጣሪያው በሚያፈስ ቤት ውስት እየኖሩ ክረምት በመጣ ቁጥር እየተሰቃዩ በጋ  ሲሆን የወቅት መለዋወጥ የተፈጥሮ ባህርይ መሆኑ ተዘንግቶ ነገር አለሙን በመርሳት ወለሉን ቢያድሱት ግድግዳውን ቀለም ቢያብሱት አይቀሬ ነውና ክረምት ሲመጣ የሚሆነውን አስቡት፤ከንቱ ልፋት አጉል ብክነት፡፡

የቤቱ ወለል እድሳት ቢሻ፣ ግድግዳው ቀለም ቢያምረው፣ ጣራው ደህና እስከሆነ ድረስ መኖር አይከለክልምና ቅድሚያ መቀመጫየን እንዳለችው ዝንጀሮ መቀመጫን አስተካክሎ ሌላ ሌላውን በሂደት ቀን ሲፈቅድ አቅም ሲጎለብት ማደስ ይቻላል፡፡ ጣሪያው የሚያፈስ ቤት ውስጥ እየኖሩ ክረምቱ አልፏል ብሎ ወለል ማደስ ቅድግዳ ቀለም መቀባት ግን አንድም ሞኝነት ሁለትም አጭበርባሪነት ነው፡፡እንዲያም ሲል ከዛሬ ያለፈ አለማሰብ ይሆናል፡፡በአን ጎራ ካለነው እኛ ከምንባለው እነማን ከየትኛው ጎራ እንደሆኑ  እናንተው አስቡት፡፡

ሀገራችን ቤታችን ናት፤ ጣራዋ በብልሽትም በእርጅናም ተበለሻሽቶ በበጋ ለጸሀይ ሀሩር፣ በክረምት ለዝናም ዶፍ ብንዳረግም  ለምደን ተላማምደነው  እንኖራለን፡፡ገዢዎቻንም የእኛ ቻይነት፣ የፈረንጆቹም ጩኸት እንዴትነት ገብቷቸው ወለሉን እያደሱ፣ ግድገዳውን ቀለም እየቀባቡ  ለአላፊ አግዳሚውም ሆነ ለደርሶ ሀጅ ጎብኝው ችግሩ አንዳይታወቅ አንደውም ያማረ የሰመረ መስሎ አንዲታይ በማድረግና መኖሩን ችለውበታል፡፡ ያማረው ቤታችን ሞንዳላው ኑሮአችን እያሉ በሚያሰሙት ፕሮፓጋንዳም እኛን እያደነቆሩም አቀጣጫ እያሳቱም ከፈረንጆቹ ጋር እየተሞዳሞዱ ረብጣው ሳይነጥፍባቸው፣ ዲፕሎማሲያዊው ድጋፍ ሳይቋረጥባቸው፣ሲገድሉና ሲያስሩ የሚሰማው ተቃውሞም ከቃል ወደ ተግባር ሳይሸጋገርባቸው ሀያ ስድስት ዓመት እንደዋዛ ገዙን፡፡ ሁሉንም ነገር አይተው ገምተው ጠብ- መንጅቸውንም ተማምነው ገና አርባ አመት አንገዛችኋለን እያሉ ነው፡፡ ይበሉ! የታገሉት ለምንና ለማን ሆነና፡፡ ጥያቄው እኛ የምንባለው ከተቃውሞው ጎራ ያለነው ብዙ እኛዎች ያለፈውን የሰሩትን እያየን የወደፊት ምኞት ዝግጅታቸውን እየሰማን ምን አልን ምንስ አደረግን ነው ? ብዙዎቻችን ካለንበት ነቅነቅ ያላልነው  ከመማረር ወደ ማምረር ተሸጋግረን  ራሳችንን ከሰቀልንበት ከፍታ አውርደን ከመጯጫህ ወጥተን  አገዛዝ በቃን በማለት  የምንችለውን ጠጠርም ቢሆን ለማስቀመጥ ዝግጁ ነን ወይ? ነው ጥያቄው ይህ ካልሆነ ወያኔ ከምኞት ፍላጎቱም በላ ይገዛናል፡፡ አንደ አያያዛችን ከሆነ ብዙዎቻችን በአፋችን እንጮሀለን እንጂ በወያኔ የተፈጸመው ነገር ሁሉ ውስጣችን ዘልቆ አልተሰማንም ለዚህም ነው ከመማር ወደ ማምረር መሸጋገር ያልቻልነው፡፡ ይህ ባይሆንማ ኖሮ ወቅት እየጠበቀ ወያኔ በሚሰጠን መጫወቻ ከአንልፋችን እየባነንን በምናሰማው ውግዘት ጩኸት  ጣሪያው ለሚያፈስ ቤት የወለል እድሳት የምንጠይቅ ባልሆነ ነበር፡፡ በእኔ እምነት ጣራው ዴሞክራሲያዊ ሥርዓት ነው፡ እንደ አብርሀም ሊንከን አባባል የህዝብ፣ በህዝብ፣  ለህዝብ፣  የሆነ መንግሥት ፡፡ ስለሆነም ይህ በሌለበት/በተነፈግንበት/ ሀገራችን  ሌሎች የህግም በሉት የሰብአዊ መብት፣ የቋንቋም በሉት የሀይማኖት ጥያቄዎችን ማንሳት  ታሰርን ተሰደድን ተገደልን እያሉ መጮህ ከሂደቱ ለማትረፍ እንጂ ከግቡ ለመድረስ የማንታገል ያስመስላል፡፡

ዴሞክራሲ ቅንጦት ተደርጎ በሚታይበት አገዛዝ ውስጥ እየኖሩ ስለ ቋንቋ፣ስለ ሀይማኖት፣ስለ ብሄር ብሄረሰብ፤ስለ ህግ በላይነት፣ስለ ሰብአዊ መብት መከበር ስለ ነጻ ምርጫ ወዘተ ማሰብ፣  መጠየቅ፣ መጮህ ጣራው በሚያፈስ ቤት እየኖሩ ወለል ለመቀየር ግድግዳ ለማደስ የመንደፋደፍ ያህል ነው፡፡ እነዚህ ጥያቄዎች ዴሞክራሲያዊ ሥርዓት እውን ሲሆን ምላሽ የሚያገኙ ናቸው፡ ብቻ ሳይሆን ያለ እነዚህ ተግባራዊነት ዴሞክራሲያዊ ሥርዓት ሊኖር ስለማይችል ወያኔ በሥልጣን ለመቆየት ጠመንጃውን እንደሚተማመን ሁሉ በዴሞክራሲያዊ ሥርዓት ውስጥ ለሥልጣን የሚበቃ ግለሰብም ይሁን ፓርቲ እነዚህን ነገሮች ማክበርና ማስከበር የህልውናው ጉዳይ ይሆናል፡፡ ስለሆነም ከፈረሱ ጋሪው የሆነውን መያዣ መጨበጫ ያጣውን ነገራችንን በማስወገድ ዴሞክራሲያዊ ሥርዓትን እውን ማድረግ በሚያስችለው መንገድ አንደየአቅማችን እንራመድ፡፡ለዚህ ደግሞ ቀዳሚው ነገር ራስን መለወጥ ነው ፡፡ እዚህ ላይ አንድ ዘመን ተሸጋሪ አባባል ብጠቅስ ማለት የፈለኩትን ይበልጥ የሚያሳይልኝ መሰለኝና እነሆ!

የአሜሪካፕሬዝዳንት የነበሩት አብርሀም ሊንከን ለኮንግረስ ያስተላለፉት ሁለተኛው መልዕክታቸው ተብሎ በሚጠቀሰው ንግግራቸው «አንድ ትውልድ ያልፍና ሌላ ትወልድ ይተካል፣ ዓለም/መሬት ግን ለዘለአለም ትኖራለች፡፡ ጸጥ ረጭ ያለው ያለፈው ግዜ ፍልሰፍናዎች (ዶግማስ) አውሎ ነፋሳዊ ለሆነው ለዛሬው ችግር ለመፍትሄነት አይመጥኑም፡፡ ጊዜያችን ችግር ያዘለ ስለሆነ በአዲስ ሁኔታ ማሰብና በአዲስ ሁኔታም መንቀሳቀስ አለብን፡፡ ራሳችንን ከሰቀልንበት ከፍታ ማውረድ ይገባል፡፡ ያን ግዜ አገራችንን ለማዳን እንችላለን፡፡ ታሪክን ልናመልጥ አንችልም፣ልንሸሸው አይሆንልንም፣ ክፉም ሰራን ደግ እንዘከራለን፣ (እንታወሳለን) ግለሰባዊ መታወቅ ወይም አለመታወቅ አንዳችንንም ሆነ ሁላችንን አያተርፈንም፣የምናልፍበት እሳታዊ ፈተና (ፍርድ) በክብር ወይንም በውርደት ማለፋችንን ይመሰክራል»

ብዙዎች እኛ ፤ እነርሱ ወያኔዎች ምንም በሉዋቸው ምን ባነገቡት ዓላማ ሊደርሱበት በሚያስቡት ግብ አንድ ናቸው፡፡ በዚህ ጉዳይ አይደለም ሰው ነፋስ አያስገቡም፡፡እንዲህም በመሆናቸው ነው ታግለው ያሸነፉት፣ ሀያ ስድስት ዓመታትም በዙፋኑ ለመዝለቅ የበቁት፡፡ በተቃውሞው ሰፈር ያለነው እኛ ግን ብዙ እኛዎች ነን፡፡ ሰንደቅ ኣላማ ለብሶ ከሚፎክረው፣ ኢትዮጵያ እያለ ከሚዘምረው፣ የብሄር ኩታ ለብሶ ከሚያቀነቅነው ፖለቲከና አይደለሁም እያለ ከሚሸውደው  ወዘተ ብዙ እኛዎች መካከል  የቤታችን ጣራ ተቀይሮ ሁላችንም የጸሀዩ ሀሩር ሳጠብሰን፤ የክረምቱ ዝናም ሳያበሰብሰን መኖር የምችልበት ቤት እንዲኖረን ምን ያህሉ ነን ከምር የምንሻው ተብሎ ቢጠየቅ  ከብዙዎቹ ተግባር በማየት የምናገኘው ምላሽ አሉታዊ ነው የሚሆነው፡፡ ይህ ለወያኔ ግዞት ያመቻቸን መሰረት አልባው ልዩነታችን መሰረት የለሽ በመሆኑ ለገላጋይ ዳኛ ለመካሪ ሽማግሌም የሚመች አይደለም፡፡ ብዙዎች በቤታችን ጣራ መቀየር በየግላቸው ያምናሉ፣ነገር ግን ይህን እምነት የጋራ ለማድረግ ይቸገራሉ፣ለምክንያትነት የማይበቃው ሰበባቸው የሚያሳብቅባቸው ደግሞ ጣራው እኔ በምለውና በምፈልገው መንገድ ካልሆነ በስተቀር ባይለወጥ ይቅር የሚሉ ከራስ በላይ የማያስቡ መሆናቸው ነው፡፡ በግልጽ ቋንቋ ለመናገር እኔ አባዋራ የማልሆንበት ቤት አንኳን ጣራው ግድግዳውም ይደርመስ የሚሉ ነው የሚመስሉት፡፡

አንዳንዶቹ ደግሞ ለስሙ ከተቃውሞው ጎራ ከትመዋል እንጂ አድራጎት ንግግራቸው የተቃውሞ አይደለም፡፡ ጣራው እያፈሰሰም ለጸሀይ እየዳረገም ቢሆን ወለሉ ከታደሰ ግድጋዳው ቀለም ከተቀባ ርካታ የሚሰጣቸው አይነት ናቸው፡፡ ያ ባይሆን  ከሀያ ስድስት አመታት አገዛዝ በኋላ ዛሬ ስለ ህግ በላይነት፣ ስለ ሰብአዊ መብት መከበር፣ ስለ ሀብት እኩል ተጠቃሚነት፣ ስለ ፍትህ ወዘተ ለወያኔ  ማላዘኑ በቆመ ነበር፡፡ እነዚህ ከእባብ እንቁላል እርግብ የሚጠብቁ ሊባሉ የሚበቁ ይመስለኛል፡፡ ሌላው ሁሉ ቢቀርና ቢረሳን  የህዝቡ ጥያቄ ትክክል ነው፣ የሰጡትን ዝም ብሎ የማይቀበል ጠያቂ ትውልድ ፈጥረናል ወዘተ ብለው ተመጻድቀውና ተሳልቀው ለተቃውሞ መውጣቱም ሆነ ያነሳው ጥያቄ ትክክል ነው ያሉትን ህዝብ በገፍና በግፍ አስረው እያስተማርነው ነው ተሀድሶ እየሰጠነው ነው ከሚሉ ሰዎች ምን ሊገኝ ጥያቄ እንደሚቀርብ ጩኸት እንደሚሰማ አይገባኝም፡፡

እያዩያ አለማስተዋሉ፣እየሰሙ አለማዳመጡ፣ እያነበቡ አለመገንዘቡ በእኛ ሰፈር በመብዛቱ እንጂ ወያኔዎች ከጅምሩ በመቃብራችን ላይ ሲሉ በግልጽ ነግረውናል፡፡ጽፈው አስነብበውናል፣ በተለያየ መንገድ በዘፈንም በፊልም አሳይተውናል፡፡እኛ ሰፈር ግን በምኒልክ ዘመን የደነቆረ ምንይልክ ይሙት እንዳለ ይኖራል እንደሚባለው ሆነን በወያኔ ድል ማግስት የተጀመረው ጩኸት፣ልመና ተማጽኖ፣ ስድብ ዘለፋ የመግለጫ ተቃውሞ  ወይ መሻሻል ሳይሳይ ወይ አርጅቶ ገለል ሳይል እስካሁን አለ፡፡

ሎሬት ጸጋየ  ገብረ መድህን የአባቶቻችን ነገር ሳስታውሰው ትዝ የሚለኝ ከሞከርነው ነገር ይልቅ ያልሞከርነው ነው የሚቆጨኝ እንዳለው  እስከ ዛሬ የመጣንበት የፖለቲካ ጨዋታ አላዋጣም፣ የያዝነውም ተለይይቶ ጉዞ  ከምንለው ቦታ የሚያደርስ አልሆነም ስለዚህ ራሳችንን ፈትሸን፣ አመጣጣችንን ገምግምን ድክት ጥንካሬአችንን ለይተን፣ለዘመኑ የሚስማማውን አስተሳሰብ እንያዝ፣ ለትግሉ የሚመጥነው መንገድ እንከተል በማለት የሚታትሩ ብቅ ሲሉ ከወያኔ ሰፈር ባልተናነሰ ጩኸቱ የሚበዛውም ሆነ  ትንሽ ትንሽ መሰናክል ማስቀመጥ የሚጀመረው እኛ ከምንባለው ብዙዎቹ እኛዎች በኩል ነው፡፡

ቤቱ ጣራው ዝናብ ቢያፈስም፣ ጸሀይ ቢያስመታም ወለሉ ካማረ፣ ግድግዳው ቀለም ከተቀባባ ለእኔ ይመቸኛል፤ የጣራው ነገር አያስጨንቀኝም ማለት መብት ነው ምርጫ ነው፡፡ ለዴሞክራሲ ነው የምታገለው የሚል ሁሉ ይህን ምርጫ መቀበል የሰዎቹን መብት ማክበር ይገባዋል፡፡እነርሱ ደግሞ ጣራው መቀየር አለበት ብቻ ሳይሆን ካልተቀየረ በቤቱ ውስጥ መኖር አንችልም በሚለው ወገን እየተከለሉም እየተመሳሰሉም እያደናገሩም መኖሩን አቁመው አቋማቸው ጥቅም የሚያገኙበት ሳይሆን ከልብ የሚያምኑበት ከሆነ   መብታቸውን በይፋ መጠቀም እምነታቸውን በግልጽ ማራመድ ይኖርባቸዋል፡፡መሸፋፈን ለመኝታ ግዜ ብቻ ይሁን፡፡ ማለባበስ ይቁም!

በጣም አስቸጋሪው መፍትሄ አጥቶ የግዞት ዘመናችንን እያራዘመው ያለው በጣራው መቀየር ላይ ልዩነት ሳይኖር መቀየር ያለበት እኔ በምለው መንገድ ብቻ ነው የሚለው አስተሳሰብ ነው፡፡የነገሩ ክፋት የሚብሰው ደግሞ የዚህ አስተሳሰብ አራማጆች በሚሉት መንገድ ለመቀየር ስንዝር የተግባር እንቅስቃሴ የማያደርጉ መሆናቸው ነው፡፡ተግባሩ ቀርቶ እንዴት በምን ሁኔታ በማን ጣራው መለወጥ እንደሚችል ግልጽ አቋም የላቸውም፡፡ አቋማቸውን ገልጸው መንገዳቸውን አሳይተው ሊደርሱበት የሚያልሙትን ግብ ነግረው ደፋ ቀና በሚሉት ላይ ለመዝመት ግን እንቅልፍ የላቸውም ፡፡እንዲህ መሆን የለበትም፣ አንደዚህ ለምን ይደረጋል፣ በዚህ መንገድ ለምን ይኬዳል ከማለት በስተቀር እንዲህ ይሁን በዚህ መንገድ መሄድ ያዋጣል ወዘተ በተግባር ቀርቶ በቃል ደረጃ እንኳን አይናገሩም፡፡

ግልጽ አቋም በጣራው መለወጥ ላይ፣ የቤታችን ጣራ ከተለያየ አቅጣጫ ብዙ ስም የወጣለት ገዢዎቻችንም ሊያደናብሩንና አቅጣጫ ሊያስቱን በከጀሉ ቁጥር አዳዲስ ስም እያወጡ  በአንድ ያልረጉበት ሲሆን የምንሻው ግን ግልጽ ነው፡፡ዴሞክራሲያዊ ጣራ፡፡ ወራጅና ማገሩ ቆርቆሮና ምስማሩ በህዝብ ለህዝብ የህዝብ ሆኖ የሚሰራ ጣራ፡፡ይህን የሚጠላ ወይንም የማይፈልግ በአንደበቱ ባይናገረውም በተግባሩ እንለየዋልን፡፡የመጀመሪያው ወያኔና በዙሪያው ተኮልኩለው ተጠቃሚ የሆኑት ናቸው፡፡ለጥቆ የምናገኛቸው ሀያ ስድስት አመት ሙሉ ተቀዋሚ መባል ያልሰለቻቸው ምን አልባትም የሚያኖራቸው ወያኔ ተሰናብቶ ዴሞክራሲያዊ ሥርኣት ቢሰፍን ወለሉ ይታደስ ግድግዳው ቀለም ይቀባ አይነት የይስሙላ ተቃውሞ እያሰሙ መኖር አይችሉምና የጣራውን ለውጥ አይፈልጉትም፡፡ ሲስልስ ወያኔን ከማውገዝና ከማጥላላት ባለፈ የተጀመረም ሆነ የተሰነቀ ነገር የማይታይባቸው ነገር ግን ይህንኑ መኖሪያቸው ያደረጉ እናት ኢትዮጵያ የዴሞክራሲ ብሉኮ ብትከናነብ ህዝባችን ተገደለ ታሰረ በዘራችን ብቻ ተጠቃን  እያሉ ነሸጥ ሲያደርጋቸውም በመገንጠል እያስፈራሩ፣ ሰከን ያሉ እለት ደግሞ ስለ አንድነት እየዘመሩ ያሉ፣ የሚኖሩ ወገኖች ያኔ ይህን ማድረግ አይችሉምና በአፋቸው የሚናገሩት/የሚነግዱበት  ዴሞክራሲያዊ ስርዓት በተግባር እውን ሲሆን ለማየት ይሻሉ ብሎ ማሰብ ይቸግራል፡፡

በድርድርም በሉት በግርግር፤በሰላማዊ ሰለፍም በሉት በጩኸት፣በጽሁፍም ይሁን በንግግር የሚቀርቡ ጣራውን በመለወጥ ላይ የማያተኩሩ ነሮች ሁሉ ጣራው ለሚያፈስ ቤት የወለል እድሳት የመፈልግ ያህል ነውና ሲብስም እቅጣጫ የሚያስት ትግል የሚያዘናጋ ለገዢዎች እፎይታ የሚሰጥ ወዘተ ነውና ይታሰብብት፡፡ በሁሉም መንገድ በየትኛውም መስመር ትግል ጣራውን ለመቀየር፡፤

ሰውም እንደ ጊንጧ (ይገረም አለሙ)

ጊንጥ በመስክ ላይ ሆና በድንገት አካባቢው በውኃ ይጣለቀለቅና ነብስ ውጪ ነብስ ግቢ ጭንቀት ውስጥ ትገባለች፡፡ህይወቷን ለማትረፍ የምትችልበት መንገድ  ፍለጋ ዙሪያዋን ስትቃኝ በቅርብ ርቀት ኤሊን ታያትና ኤሊ ሆይ! እባክሽ አንች ውኃ አያጠቃሽምና አድኒኝ፣ ጀርባሽ ላይ አድርጊና ከዚህ መአት አውጪኝ ብላ ትማጸናታለች፡፡ ኤሊም የጊንጥን ባህርይ  ታውቃለችና ማዳኑን አድንሽ ነበር ነገር ግን አንች የንክሻ አመል ያለብሽ ዘሮቼን በንክሻ የጨረሽ ነሽና ትነክሽኛሽ አይሆንም  ትላታለች፡፡ ጊንጧም በዚህ ሁኔታ ውስጥ ሆኜ  አድኒኝ ብዬ ለምኜሽ እንዴት እነክስሻለሁ አላደርገውም እባክሽ ህይወቴን ታደጊያት በማለት አጥብቃ ስትለምናት በዛ ሁኔታ ጥላት ለመሄድ ዔሊ ሆዷ አልጨቅን ስላለ ጀርባዋ ላይ አስቀምጣ ዳር ስታደርሳት ከውኃው መውጣቷን ከአደጋው መዳኗን ያረጋገጠችው ጊንጥ ትነክሳታለች፡፡ ኤሊም የፈራችው፣ የጠረጠረችው ንክሻ ሲደርስባት ምን ብለሽ ነበር እንዴት ትነክሽኛለሽ ስትላት የጊንጧ ምላሽ አዝናለሁ ላለመንከስ መተው አልቻልኩም አመሌ ስለሆነ የሚል ነበር፡፡

ዙሪያ ገባችንን ስንቃኝ፣ የሚጻፍ የሚነገረውን ስናይ እንደ ጊንጧ አመል ሆኖባቸው አለያም ስራቸው ሆኖ ክፍያ የሚያገኙበት ወይንም በሎሌነት አድርው ለጌቶቻቸው እጅ መንሻ የሚያቀርቡት  ካልተናከሱ መኖር የማይችሉ ብዙ ሰዎችን እናገኛለን፡፡ጊንጧ ዔሊዋን እንደነከሰቻት በአካል አግኝቶ መንከሱ ባይሆንላቸውም ካሉበት ሆነው ከሚስቶቻቸው ጉያ ተሸጉጠው አለያም ከማጀት ሳይወጡ ምላሳቸውን ስለው ብእራቸውን አሹለው ለምንና ማንን  እንደሚናደፉ እንኳን በውል ምክንያት ሳይኖራቸው የሚራመደውን ትንሽም ቢሆን እንቅስቃሴ የሚያደርገውን ሁሉ  በቃላት የሚናደፉ በብልግናቸው የሚወርፉ ብዙ ብዙ እያየን ነው፡፡ በተለይ የሀገር ቤቱ ትግል ሲያተኩስ የፖለቲካው መድረክ ሲሟሟቅ በተግባሩ እነርሱ የሉበትምና በመድረኩ ላይ በሚታዩት በመስኩ ላይ በተግባር በሚገኙት ወገኖች ላይ ይዘምታሉ ሎሌዎቻቸውን ያዘምታሉ፡፡ እንዲህ የሚያደርጋቸው ታዲያ አመላቸው ወይንም ቅናታቸው ወይንም ክፍያቸው ነውና ነክሰው ማድማት ነድፈው ጉዳት ማድረስ ባይችሉም  ግዜ እየጠበቁ ብቅ ከማት አይቦዝኑም፡፡

ከሚናገሩት ከሚጽፉት (ከዚህ የዘለለ ተግባር የላቸውም) ድርጊታቸው  ማረጋገጥ እንደሚቻለው እነዚህ የጊንጥ ባህርይ የተላበሱ ወገኖች  ከወያኔ ተስማምቶ አለያም ጎመን በጤና ብሎ የሚኖረውንም ሆነ እኔ ከደላኝ ምን አገባኝ አለም ደህና ሰንብች ብሎ የተኛውን ወይንም በአፉ ከማውገዝ በመግለጫ ከመፎከር ያለፈ እንቅስቃሴ የማያሳየውን መንደፍ አይደለም እስከ መኖሩም አያውቁትም፡፡ በሀገር ውስጥም ሆነ በውጪው ዓለም በጎሳም ሆነ በሀራዊ ስም የሚጠሩ ብዙ ድርጅቶች አሉ፣የራዲዮና የቴሌቭዥን ጣቢያዎችም እንዲሁ፣ ተዲያ ጊንጦቹ መንከስ መንደፉ ባይሆንላቸውም የቃላት አረራቸውን የሚተኩሱት የሀሜት አሉባልታ ናዳቸውን የሚለቁት በእነማን ላይ አንደሆነ የአደባባይ ምስጢር ነው፡፡ ግን ለምን?

ይሄ ነው እንግዲህ  ንክሻቸው እንደ ጊንጧ አመል ስለሆነባቸው ነው ከማስባል ይልቅ ለዓላማ የሚፈጽሙት፣ በእቅድ የሚከውኑት ተግባር ነው ለማለት የሚያበቃው፡፡ አመል ከሆነ ከቆመው እንደውም የተኛው ነበር ለንክሻ የሚቀለው ለመንደፍ የሚመቸው፡፡ የእኛ የሰዎቹ ጊንጦች ግን የሚራመደውን እየተከተሉ፣ የሚንቀሳቀሰውን እያነፈነፉ ነውና ንድፊያ ንክሻቸው ጉዳት የማያደርሱ ከመሆናቸው አንጻር ንቆ መተው የሚቻል ቢሆንም የሚሰሩትን አያውቁትምና ይቅር በላቸው የሚባልላቸው ባለመሆናቸው ለይቶ ማወቁ፣ ነቅቶ መጠበቁና መጠንቀቁ ቢበጅ እንጂ አይከፋም፡፡

እነዚህ ወገኖች መገለጫ ተግባራቸው ተመሳሳይ አረ እንደውም አንድ ቢሆንም ከእነርሱ ማንነትና ከአሰማሪያቸው ምንነት አንጻር ሲታዩ ዘርፈ ብዙ ናቸው፡፡ ከፊሎቹ ለሥልጣን እድሜው መርዘም ያዋጣኛል የሚለውን ማናቸውንም ነገር ከማድረግ ወደ ኋላ የማይለውና ለዚህ ይበጀኛል ካለ ከዲያቢሎስም ጋር ቢሆን ከመስራት የማይመለሰው ወያኔ አሰልጥኖ የተለያየ ጥብቆ አልብሶና ርስ በእርስም እንዳይተዋወቁ አድርጎ  የተለያየ ተልእኮ ሰጥቶና ስራ መድቦ በሁሉም ቦታ ያሰማራቸው ናቸው፡፡ እነዚህ ግራ ቀኝ ማየት፣ ወደ ፊትና ወደ ኋላ ማመዛዘን፣ የሚያዩትን ከተሰጣቸው ስልጠና  ከተነገራቸውና በየጊዜው ከሚነገራቸው ነገር ጋር ማመሳከርና ማመዛዘን የማይፈቀድላቸው ከመነሻውም ይህን ማድረግ የሚያስችላቸውን የአእምሮአቸውን ክፍል የተሰለቡ ናቸው፡፡ ለዚህም ነው እንድ መቅረጸ ድምጽ የተጫነባቸውን እንደ ገደል ማሚቱ ወይንም በቀቀን የተነገራቸውን ከመናገርና ከመጻፍ ውጪ የሚሰጣቸውን ምላሽ መስማት የሚለገሳቸውን ምክር መቀበል የማይሆንላቸው፡፡ ስለሆነም ለእነዚህ ምላሽ መስጠትም ሆነ አተካራ መግጠም የእነርሱ አጯጯሂ በመሆን ተልእኮአቸውን ከማሳካት ባለፈ የሚፈይደው ነገር የለምና ለይቶ በማወቅ ንቆ መተው ሌላውም እንዲያውቃቸው ማድረግ ነው የተሻለ የሚሆነው፡፡

ሌለኞቹ እንዲሁ የየራሳቸው ዘርፍ አላቸው፣ ዋንኛ ሊባሉ የሚችሉት እነርሱ ሊሆኑ የሚመኙትን ግን መሆን ያልቻሉትን ሌሎች መሆን ሲችሉ፣ ትንሽ የፖለቲካው አየር ሲያተኩስና መሆን የቻሉት በየመድረኩ ሲታዩ በእውን በህልማቸው የሚቃዡለት የሚቃዡበትን የምን-ይልህ ቤተ መንግስትን የተቀደሙ እየመሰላቸው ከሰይጣናዊ ቅናት በሚመነጭ ምቀኝነት የሚያደርጉት ነው፡፡ ቤተ መንግሥቱ ቢቀር የዚህ ወይንም የዛ ድርጅት መሪ ተብለው በየደረሱበት  ጭብጨባ ሲነጉድላቸው፣ ብሩ ሲጎርፍላቸው፣ አንቱታ ሲቸራቸው ማየትን የሚመኙ ነገር ግን የሚመኙትን ሆኖ ለመገኘት  ለዛ የሚያበቃ ዝግጅቱም፣ ብቃቱም፣ ቁርጠኝነቱም፣ ወዘተ የሌላቸው ሆኖ ሳይሳካላቸው አመታትን ያስቆጠሩ ሌሎች በተግባር እንቅስቃሴያቸው የህዝብ አክብሮት ሲቸራቸው ውዴታና ፍቅር ሲዘንብላቸው ለተግባራቸው ማስተግበሪያ ርዳታ ሲጎርፍላቸው አይናቸው ደም ይለብሳል፣ ጨጓራው በብሽቀት አሲድ ይረጫል፣ ይህን ተከትሎ እንደ ጊንጧ መናከስ መናደፍ እንደ መንደር አውል አሉባለታ ማውራት ስድብና አሽሙር መንዛት ወዘተ ስራቸው ይሆናል፡፡ ብዙ ርቆ መሄድ ሳያስፈልግ ያለፉትን ሁለት አመታት ለአፍታ መለስ ብለን በእክሮ ብንቃኝ በዚህ መስመር የተሰለፉትን ሰዎች ለይቶ ማውጣቱ ብዙም የሚቸግር አይሆንም፡፡ በተለይ ማህበራዊ መገናኛውን የመጠቀሙም የመበለቱም አቅሙ ላላቸው፡፡

በዚህ ጎራ ያሉት ሌሎቹ  ስልቻ ቀልቀሎ ቀልቀሎ ስልቻ ዝም ብለሽ ተቀበይ የሰጡሽን ብቻ አይነቶች ናቸው፡፡ ከላይኞቹ ጋር የተዛመዱበት ወይንም የታጠበቁበት ምክንያት ባይታወቅም ከእነርሱ የሚነገራቸውን ብቻ እየተቀበሉ በሉ በተባሉት ልክና መጠን የሚጮሁ ከቻሉም የሚናደፉ ናቸው፡፡ ስለሚናጋሩትም ሆነ ስለሚጽፉት ምንነት፣ ስለሚሳደቡት ሰውም ሆነ ድርጅት ማንነት ቀርቶ ስለሚያሰማሩዋቸው ሰዎች ዓላማን ግብ ተልኦኮና ድርጊት መረዳት ቀርቶ  በመጠኑ እንኳን የማያውቁ  አለማወቃቸውም ደንታቸው የማይሰጣቸው ናቸው፡፡ እንደ ሰው ሲያስቡት ሰው ዝም ብሎ የሚጮህ (ምን እንበለው)? ሲሆን  አሳዛኝም አሳፋሪም ነው፡፡ ህሊና የሚባልን ትልቅና ታላቅ ነገር እንዲህ እንደ አልባሌ እቃ አውጥቶ ማስቀመጥ ይቻላል እንዴ! ውሻ እንኳን ባለቤቱ ጃስ ሲለው እንዲነክሰው ጃስ የተባለበትን ሰው የሚያውቀው ከሆነ በባለቤቱና በሰውየው መካከል ሆኖ ግራ በመጋባት ስሜት ጅራቱን በማወዛወዝ ይቆማል የጌታው ትእዛዝ ቢበረታበት ግፊቱ ቢያይልበት ወደ ሰውየው ዞር እያለ በለሆሳሳ  ይጮኻል እንጂ ለመናከስ አይጋበዝም በጌታው ትእዛዝ ተደፋፍሮ ሰውየው ላይ ልከመር አይልም፡፡ እንዴት የሰው ልጅ ከዚህ ያንሳል፡፡

ባለቅኔው ሎሬት ጸጋዬ ገብረመድህን እንዲህ መያዣ መጨበጫ ያጣው የተቃውሞው ጎራ ነገር ግራ ቢገባው የሚነገረው የሚሰራው እንቆቅልሽ ቢሆንበት እንዲህ ብሎ ነበር፡፡

«እኛ ምሁራን የምንባለውና ተቀዋሚ ፖለቲከኞች እሚባሉት ጭምር የዓለም ህብረተሰብ እንቆቅልሽ ነን፡፡ ለስሟ መጥሪያ ቁና ሰፋች ብቻ ነን፣ህዘቡን ርስ በርሱ እያጨፋጨፍን በዲስኩርና በድርሰት ብቻ አፍ ስንካፈት እያንዳንዳችን በሀቀኝነት የህዝቡ ወገን ሆነን የምንቆምበት ጀንበር እየጠለቀብን ነው፣ እንቆቅልሽ ነን፡፡» ጸጋየ በአካል ከተለየን አሰራ አምስት አመታት አልፈዋል፡፡ የባሰ እንጂ የተሻለ ነገር የለም፤ እንቆቅልሻችን እንዲህ ፈቺ አጥቶ ይልቁንም ተባብሶ ተመሳጥሮ ነገሩ ለከት አጥቶ ቢመለከተው ምን ይል ነበር፡፡

ይሄ እንቆቅልሻችንም መሰለኝ ጌትነት እንየውን እኛው ነን ብሎ ስንኝ ለመቋጠር ያበቃው፡፡

ካሳለፍነው ህይወት ካለፈው መከራ
መማር የተሳነን ደመና ወራሾች፣
የሞትነውም እኛ ያለነውም እኛ
ከፋይም ተቀባይ እኛው ነን ባለእዶች፡፡