by Veronica Melaku

I know the CIA, Bill Gate and Milinda Gate projects and plans in Africa that have been tested in Ethiopia for years now .
Targeting the Amhara actively happening since TPLF appointed Theodros as a health minister and then foreign minister to work for them.
The Amhara served them under Theodros as the helpless and hopeless testing animals in the medical institutions to control/destroy the African/black population in Africa using new and dangerous vaccines, medicines, sterilization and castration methods. That devastated the Amhara people and would be recognized as genocide .
..
They seem are satisfied with their project and plan in Africa to wipe out blacks is working after testing it on the Amhara since Theodros was appointed as health minister and then foreign minister by them to do their jobs on Ethiopia targeting the Amhara .This is not about him doing the right jobs at WHO but to use his experience on the Amhara on the rest of Africa against blacks .
.
Everybody shoul know who is behind this idea Tewdros to become the leader of WHO.. It is the CIA, Bill and Melinda Gate , the so called aid agencies and the likes.
They are looking to use him in Africa the way they have been using him in Ethiopia for years targeting the Amhara committing genocide in peaceful ways using modern and silent methods .
..
Even If they put him there to do their dirty and criminal jobs in Ethiopia as well as Africa knowing it is not about the world but Africa targeting the black population that would give them multiple benefits including their drug companies making billions out of it selling poisons while calling it medicines, he will never get a peaceful welcome in any country he is going to visit.

Ethiopians will make sure, the whole of Africa as well as the world do know what he did in Ethiopia as health minister as well as foreign minister being the Anglo-American trusted agent and about the mission him being the leader of WHO.
..
As an Amhara i would be curious about the disappearance of 5 million Amaharas in Ethiopia, supposedly due to unsolicited distribution of birth control injections under his watch . I know The idea of him being at WHO is not coming from him but them. They know how he served them in Ethiopia against the amhara and they are looking to use him the same way the rest of Africa against Blacks .

Although the criminal Tewdros got a massive support from evil institution One thing is certain and that is the TPLF era is over in Ethiopia as well as Africa .

The post Why I am firmly opposed to Ato Tedros Adhanom becoming the director of WHO appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News | Breaking News: Your right to know!.

By Shiferaw Abebe

It may appear rather odd that the majority of Ethiopians are opposed to Dr. Tedros Adhanom’s candidacy for the position of Director General (DG) of the World Health Organization (WHO) when the African Union (AU) is fully behind his bid.

The simple explanation could be that African leaders don’t know this candidate as much as we Ethiopians do. But of course there is more to the dichotomy. African rulers are reportedly backing Adhanom for a geopolitical reason, namely that they feel it is an African’s turn to head the WHO. This rationale is of course myopic and narrow minded but could still get a pass if Adhanom had the moral integrity and the intellectual fortitude that match the post he is aspiring to fill. Unfortunately Adhanom lacks both qualities and voting for him on partisan grounds and making him a head of one of the most consequential international organizations is irresponsible and inexcusable.

But then these African rulers are the same individuals who in 2016 threatened to pull their countries out of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a shameful show of solidarity with those African heads of states the ICC charged with genocide and crimes against humanity. The current rulers of Ethiopia, represented by Adhanom as a foreign minister, were in the forefront of the call for boycotting the ICC.

It goes without saying that the vast majority of Ethiopians have no respect or attach any value to the blanket endorsement Adhanom received from the AU. We know if ordinary Africans were to cast the votes they would side with the Ethiopian people in repudiating Adhanom’s candidacy.

But why do Ethiopians oppose Adhanom’s candidacy?

First and foremost, the vast majority of Ethiopians don’t see Adhanom as representing Ethiopia in any capacity. Adhanom is one of nine politburo members of a secretive, underhanded tribal group called Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) that took power in Ethiopia in1991 following a 17-year bloody armed struggle. When TPLF began its armed insurgency in 1975, it had a goal of seceding Tigray from Ethiopia. It was only by surreptitious circumstances that it came to control the entire country, and the reason why most Ethiopians to this day see it as an occupying force.

True to form, TPLF has since ruled the country with an apartheid type political system where a slice minority controls the political apparatus and subject the vast majority to constant harassment, persecution, arrests, tortures and killings.

In addition to Adhanom’s piling crimes as a former health and foreign minister, as member of the TPLF politburo, he shares responsibility for the genocides, tortures, and extra-judicial killings of thousands of innocent Ethiopians. In the last year and a half alone, the TPLF regime has killed over a thousand, wounded and tortured as many and arrested over 25 thousand Ethiopians.

Second, Mr. Adhanom may appear cheery and honest for outsiders but Ethiopians know for what he really is – a master of lies and deception. To give an example, in a July 2015 interview with CNN (http://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2015/07/28/intv-ethiopia-amanpour-tedros-adhanom.cnn) the following is what he said regarding the arrest of journalists in Ethiopia:

First of all what I would like to say is we haven’t jailed any journalist. We follow the law… the rule of law. Nobody is above the law. When they trespass the law they will be in trouble. Otherwise nobody will touch them…

Denying the regime’s false accusation of journalist who are critical of the regime as having connections with political groups the regime has outlawed, he also said:

On arrests for being critical, no…. that cannot be a problem….the problem is when they trespass the law…otherwise for being critical, no we need it because it is feedback for us, and we can learn from what they are saying… media is the eyes and ears of the people …

These lies were interspaced by Adhanom’s stale plea that democracy is nascent in Ethiopia, that it takes time to build democratic institutions, educate people, etc.

To an outsider, particularly a journalist, a politician, or ordinary citizen in the west, the above answers may appear deceptively reasonable, but for Ethiopians they are infuriating lies that show not only Adhanom’s debased morality but also his contempt for the victims of his regime and the Ethiopian people at large who year after year lose their sons and daughters for prison, exile or TPLF’s bullets.

Adhanom’s lies and deceptive remarks are of course taken from a well-rehearsed TPLF playbook designed to keep outsiders deceived or at the very least confused about TPLF’s serial abuse of human and democratic rights of Ethiopians.

The following is what the puppet Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, said in April in a BBC interview when asked about the regime’s (deceptive) interest to open a dialogue with the opposition when many opposition leaders were locked up in jail (https://www.facebook.com/bbcafrica/videos/10155294955615229/?hc_ref=PAGES_TIMELINE):

First of all, the Ethiopian government has not detained anyone because of its political view. The detention has been there because these guys directly communicating to destabilizing the country with armed struggling groups in Eritrea. So I think it is very clear that none who are arrested because of their political view. You know the problem with transition democracy is these kind of people they know that if you go to the political parties, you know, media and the western, you know, politicians will cry out for them.

Asked how “his government” was going to address concerns of human right abuses and media freedom, Desalegn answered:

The issue is, you know, democracy in Ethiopia is a very young one, with only four elections, five elections conducted…. We need to develop within our own culture because we have our own culture. Sometimes, it can be say to be undemocratic, may be abuses and human rights, which also is within the culture of the society. We have to address these issues through education, awareness creation and institution building.

Except for Desalegn’s poorer mastery of the English language and his utter incoherence, his responses are exactly the same as Adhanom’s. They both apply TPLF’s three part communication strategy:

First, deny any wrong doing, i.e., claim no human right activist or journalist or opposition figures is arrested. Everyone arrested is arrested for violating a law.

Second, admit the possibility of mistakes and room for improvement followed by a plea for patience – repeat democracy is nascent in Ethiopia, that erecting democratic institutions take time, etc., and

Third, blame the Ethiopian people for any mistakes and hold their education and culture as the culprit for lack of progress on democracy and human rights.

It is depressing to admit this gimmick has so far had its intended trick on clueless and half interested western journalists, politicians, philanthropists and even academics.

But it has no chance with Ethiopians!

Ethiopians know that the absence of democracy or human rights in their country has nothing to do with their education or culture but has everything to do with TPLF’s determination to stay in power forever and at any cost.

Ethiopians know TPLF does not respect democracy because it does not respect the rule of law. For example Adhanom and his party have erected the anti-terrorism and civil society laws for the sole purpose of targeting their political opponents and critics. Even as draconian as such laws are it is the TPLF leaders, not the Ethiopian people, who are abusing and misusing them routinely.

Finally Ethiopians know that as long as there is no justice and fairness there cannot be an enduring rule of law or democracy. There is no justice in Ethiopia today because TPLF has no democratic representation. It took power forcefully 26 years ago; it has stayed in power this far forcefully.

When its atrocities and repressions finally gave way to popular uprisings, the regime declared a Marshall Law that is still in place, suspending the constitutional rights of the people, and hunting down its opponents, torturing them with medieval type techniques, and killing many of them without due process.

This minority group controls most of the country’s economic resources, stashes away billions of dollars in foreign banks, and spends millions of dollars to hire lobbyists to soften its image among foreign powers, while millions of Ethiopians are starving and on the verge of death as we speak.

Tedros Adhanom is the embodiment of and a key player in this brutal and criminal regime. Appointing such a person to lead the WHO would be a travesty of justice and a mockery of integrity of the highest order.

Concealing his political rank within the TPLF party, Adhanom has embellished and presented himself as a public health leader and a career diplomat. His deception might work with others.

Not with Ethiopians.

That is why the vast majority of Ethiopians are unapologetically against his candidacy for the DG of the WHO

The writer can be reached at shiferawabebe1@gmail.com

The post Why Ethiopians are opposed to Tedros Adhanom’s candidacy for Director General of the WHO appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News | Breaking News: Your right to know!.

“The oppressors, who oppress, exploit, and rape by virtue of their power, cannot find in this power the strength to liberate either the oppressed or themselves.”

——–Paulo Freire

“When I heard Dr. Tedros Adhanom is running to be the Director-General of the World Health Organization, I screamed wondering if the international institutions such as the UN are tacit participants in my torturing.”

—Ethiopian torture survivor

It is located not far from the buildings that house both national and international power centres in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. Thus, one can be forgiven for not suspecting that the most henious acts of brutality would be taking place in the same neighborhood as where international dignitaries work, as well as wine and dine.  It is called Meakelawi prison the stories of those who survived this notorious site of human suffering are difficult to comprehend.

Anyone who dares to oppose the regime or is suspected of opposing it is brought to Meakelawi prison for  inhuman treatement that is difficult to put into words. The physical suffering, psychological torment and the deliberate degrading and humiliation are all routine practise.

In his powerful and agonising account of kidnapping and torture in Meakelawi prison, Teshome Tenkolu, the former air force captain, narrates his first-hand account inside the regime’s torture chamber. The 11-page raw personal account entitled “moto menesat,” “Coming back from the dead,” is a testimony of cruelty and inhumanity on one hand, and the courage and strength of the human spirit to fight injustice, on the other.

Captain Teshome Tenkolu was a young aspiring and fiercely patriotic airman deeply committed to serving his country. His story begins on June 5, 1998 on the campus of the Ethiopian air force located 63 Kilometers south of the capital Addis Ababa. He was kidnapped and driven blindfolded outside the city of Debrezeit where he grew up. “At first,” he says, “I thought it was some kind of practical joke. However, as the minutes turned into hours, and hours into days it dawned to me that I am a prisoner. Until now, my familiarity of prison is limited to hearing the stories of prisoners who were locked up during the military regime.”

“It has been 24 hours since I was kidnapped, handcuffed, blind folded and thrown into a small cage like room.”  He narrates this harrowing story of endurance and unbreakable human spirit. “The stink of urine and feces in this small cell where I can stretch my hands and touch both ends of the room is appalling. I am having difficulty breathing and feeling nauseous due to the unsanitary condition of the room.”

“When they took me to another semi-darkroom not too far away from my smelly cell, I could barely walk. I was hungry, thirsty and exhausted. As I approached the room accompanied by two individuals holding me on both sides, as I gingerly waked into the room, a heavy punch landed on my face. Within seconds, I was on the floor. Then, the beating with a hard-electric cable began on my feet, hands and back. I don’t know for how long I passed out, when I woke up I was still in handcuffs lying on the floor. This routine of torture continued for 20 consecutive days.”

“During the course of my ordeal, my meal was a small slice of bread and cup of water every 24 hours. For me one of the most difficult part of this experience was going to the washroom. Imagine for a moment attempting to use the washroom while you are handcuffed and shackled. I can not unbutton my pants or keep my balance to do simple things such as using the bathroom. Indeed, this cruelty is not simply to cause suffering to my flesh and bones, but also to rob me my dignity and pride.”

“After twenty days, I was transferred to a much smaller room. I can barely move around because of the size of the new cell. Deprived of any sound or light my solitary life in this cold room began to take its toll on me. I came to conclusion that the only way I can end this misery is to take my own life. As I began to explore the way to end my life, I was confronted with a reality that I was handcuffed and shackled and even if I try I have no tools to speed up the end. No ropes, no knife nothing. I settled on a hunger strike. Stopping eating the single slice of bread and the cup of water. This went on for three days.”

“After three days, my pain and suffering accelerated. While my desire is to end this suffering by not eating or drinking water after three days, I picked up a glass of water which was sitting close to the door and drunk it in one breath.”

“As my ordeal continues I am beginning to lose track of time. The date, month, morning afternoon, day or night they have no meaning in my life. Everyday is just one long sad day. My pants and t-shirt I was wearing the day I was kidnapped are torn apart and they barely cover my body and I decided to take them off.  My flight uniform has become my blanket as well as my regular clothes.”

“While my daily wish is to end my life instead of continuing living under these circumstances, from time to time I think of my mother who suffers from a heart problem and my girlfriend who has become my close friend. I wonder what would be the impact of my disappearance on my mother’s health. Would I be the cause for worsening my mothers heart condition? How is she feeling these days? I ask myself regularly. The truth is I have no way knowing her condition. But I wonder.”

“All this time I also wonder why they are doing this to me. I have done nothing wrong except taking my flight instructor job very seriously. From time to time I ponder with the question ‘why?’ Could it be simply hate, or simply intoxication with power? Perhaps both I dialogue with myself trying to squeeze an answer from my exhausted and tormented mind. Sometimes my torturers show up for work drunk puffing cigarette mix with the smell of alcohol which makes my breathing difficult.”

“The reality of prison life is not just the torture and the physical suffering. It is the control, humiliation of robbing one’s dignity. Since I lost sense of time I am not sure for how long I have been in those dark and cold dungeons. What I know is that my tormenters have imposed all forms of physical, emotional and psychological brutality on me. All along, I have come to the conclusion that I won’t be able to get out alive from this dark hole of suffering. I have given up on living. With each day, the torture and the abuse continues, the meaning and purpose of life is lost in me.”

The ordeal of Captain Teshome Tenkolu is a clear demonstration of man’s inhumanity to a fellow human being. It is also the triumph of human spirit, a spirit that is good, caring and resilient. It is also worth noting that Captain Teshome Tenkolu’s story is not an isolated anomaly. Thousands of men and women languish in this dark dungeon called Meakelawi. One former prisoner who still resides in the capital Addis Ababa said, “the sounds and smells of torture still haunt me. It is something that I am unable to rid from my mind, the recurring nightmare keeps me awake at night. The sound and the smell of torture and the stinch of rotting flesh are still with me. I have left Meakelawi prison (even the country)but the prison never left me.”

He vividly recalls the torture techniques used in Meakelawi. Electric iron being placed on the bodies of prisoners, water boarding, being hung upside down for hours and electric shock are some of the methods used. He also said, “women prisoners are forced to undress themselves in front of male prison guards.”  In all of such sufferings, there is a strict rule from the Country’s Minister of Health not to provide any medical aid to political prisoners. “This administrative order was given by Dr. Tedros Adhanom, who was the Minister of Health at the time. When I heard that Dr. Tedros Adhanom is running to be the Director-General of the World Health Organization, I screamed wondering if the international institutions such as the UN are tacit participants in my torturing,” said one torture survivor, who still lives in Ethiopia.

Part two will be coming soon.

Alem mamo -alem6711@gmail.com

Additional reporting from Addis Ababa and Nairobi

The post Africa’s Abu Ghraib in Ethiopia (Alem Mamo) appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News | Breaking News: Your right to know!.

The closing of civic space has become a defining feature of political life in an ever-increasing number of countries including Ethiopia, Egypt and Russia. (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace)

SASKIA BRECHENMACHER
The closing of civic space has become a defining feature of political life in an ever-increasing number of countries.
Published May 18, 2017
ResourcesFull TextBriefPrint PageComments (2)
Related TopicsNorth AfricaEgyptRussiaDemocracy and GovernancePolitical ReformSociety and CultureArab AwakeningRule of Law

The closing of civic space has become a defining feature of political life in an ever-increasing number of countries. Civil society organizations worldwide are facing systematic efforts to reduce their legitimacy and effectiveness. Russia, Egypt, and Ethiopia have been at the forefront of this global trend. In all three countries, governments’ sweeping assault on associational life has forced civic groups to reorient their activities, seek out new funding sources, and move toward more resilient organizational models. Competing security and geopolitical interests have muddled U.S. and European responses, with governments divided over the value of aggressive pushback versus continued engagement.

The post Civil Society Under Assault: Repression and Responses in Russia, Egypt, and Ethiopia appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News | Breaking News: Your right to know!.

The U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is charged with leading foreign-policy legislation and debate in the Senate. The Committee is generally responsible for overseeing and funding foreign aid programs.

Press Release

Cardin, Rubio Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Calling on Ethiopia to Respect Human Rights, Open Democratic Space

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) introduced a Senate resolution Wednesday condemning excessive use of force by Ethiopian security forces that led to hundreds of deaths last year, and calling on the Ethiopian government to release all political opposition, dissidents, activists, and journalists and to respect the rights enshrined in its constitution.

The Resolution notes that hundreds of people have been killed and thousands were arrested during the course of the protests. To date, there has not been a credible accounting for the excesses of security forces.

Joining Senators Cardin and Rubio as original cosponsors of the resolution are U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.).

“The Ethiopian government must make progress on respecting human rights and democratic freedoms. I am deeply troubled by the arrest and ongoing detention of a number of prominent opposition political figures. The fact that we have partnered with the Ethiopian government on counterterrorism does not mean that we will stay silent when it abuses its own people,” said Senator Cardin, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “On the contrary, our partnership means that we must speak out when innocent people are detained, and laws are used to stifle legitimate political dissent.”

“As the Ethiopian government continues to stall on making progress on human rights and democratic reform, it is critical that the United States remains vocal in condemning Ethiopia’s human rights abuses against its own people,” said Senator Rubio, chairman of the Foreign Relations subcommittee on human rights and civilian security. “I will continue to work with my colleagues in the Senate to urge the Ethiopian government to respect the rule of law and prioritize human rights and political reforms.”

The text of the resolution is at this link.

The post U.S. Senators Call on Ethiopia to Respect Human Rights, Open Democratic Space appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News | Breaking News: Your right to know!.

Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban

The Ethiopian government has formally responded to a resolution passed by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) condemning the country’s human rights situation and what it called ‘political persecution.’

The response was carried in a communique issued by the Embassy of Ethiopia in Brussels, Belgium, which is incidentally the seat of the European Union.

The response titled ‘‘The EP Resolution on Ethiopia lacks understanding on important issues,’‘ tackled five major areas chiefly amongst them, the arrest of leading opposition figure, Dr. Merera Gudina, the state of emergency and Ethiopia’s internal probe into protest deaths.

It can only be hoped that the European Parliament will find ways to positively support the Ethiopian Parliament and other Ethiopian government institutions in the implementation of this framework (human rights), not by criticizing, but through a constructive support.

The two other areas were on the human right situation and finally on the political space. The authorities insisted that the country was making headway with wide-ranging reforms, which needed the support of the MEPs and not their criticisms.

‘‘It can only be hoped that the European Parliament will find ways to positively support the Ethiopian Parliament and other Ethiopian government institutions in the implementation of this framework (human rights), not by criticizing, but through a constructive support,’‘ a section under the human rights situation in the country read.

Responding to the arrest and charge brought against Dr. Gudina, the authorities disclosed that he had violated deliberately the state of emergency rules by meeting with and holding discussions with the leader of a banned group (Ginbot-7) whiles he was in Brussels.

‘‘Dr. Merera Gudina knows very well that Ginbot-7 was designated as a terrorist organization by the Ethiopian Parliament due to its numerous terrorist actions in different parts of the country. By meeting and discussing with the leader of this organization in Brussels from 7-9 November 2016, Dr. Merera Gudina deliberately violated the state of emergency.

‘‘As a leader of a political party, he is particularly supposed to respect and protect the laws and to know that anyone who breaches the law will be held accountable, and the European Parliament should also acknowledge this,’‘ the statement added.

It also reiterated that the government went through the due process in declaring the state of emergency which was not decided for political motives but to preserve the country’s stability. It referred to the Ethiopia Human Rights Commission (EHRC) report into the protest deaths as a sign of Ethiopia’s ability to probe itself.

Ethiopia said it was disappointed that the MEPs failed to recognize that the government had opened talks with 17 opposition parties and had also launched its second National Human Rights Action Plan as part of efforts to deepen its democratic credentials.

The government has yet to comment on the resolution by 14 United States Senators who are also calling for the opening of the democratic space and respect for human rights.

The post Ethiopia replies EU MPs: Quit criticisms and give ‘constructive support’ appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News | Breaking News: Your right to know!.

I will continue to protest until the Oromo people in Ethiopia gain their freedom.

by Feyisa Lilesa

Feyisa Lilesa is a long-distance runner from Ethiopia and a member of the Oromo people.

The post Why I run appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News | Breaking News: Your right to know!.

Three armed Chinese policemen guarding the US embassy in BeijingImage copyrightAFP
Image caption
Chinese police guard the US embassy in the capital, Beijing

Up to 20 CIA informants were killed or imprisoned by the Chinese government between 2010 and 2012, the New York Times reports, damaging US information-gathering in the country for years.

It is not clear whether the CIA was hacked or whether a mole helped the Chinese to identify the agents, officials told the paper.

They said one of the informants was shot in the courtyard of a government building as a warning to others.

The CIA did not comment on the report.

Four former CIA officials spoke to the paper, telling it that information from sources deep inside the Chinese government bureaucracy started to dry up in 2010. Informants began to disappear in early 2011.

The CIA and FBI teamed up to investigate the events in an operation one source said was codenamed Honey Badger.

The paper said this investigation had centred on one former CIA operative but there was not enough evidence to arrest him. He now lives in another Asian country.

In 2012, an official at China’s security ministry was arrested on suspicion of spying for the US. He was said to have been lured into the CIA. No other such arrests appear to have reached public attention during that time.

Obama questioned slow intelligence

Matt Apuzzo, a New York Times journalist who worked on the story, told the BBC: “One of the really troubling things about this is that we still don’t know what happened.

“There’s a divide within the American government over whether there was a mole inside the CIA or whether this was a tradecraft problem, that the CIA agents got sloppy and got discovered, or whether the Chinese managed to hack communications.”

A few years later in 2015, the CIA pulled staff out of the US embassy in Beijing, after a hack blamed on the Chinese state exposed information about millions of US federal employees. If the events of 2010-2012 were helped by a similar hack, it was not one that was made public.

The disappearance of so many spies damaged a network it had taken years to build up, the New York Times reports, and hampered operations for years afterwards, even prompting questions from within the Obama administration as to why intelligence had slowed.

Officials said it was one of the worst security breaches of recent years.

By 2013, the Chinese government seemed to have lost its ability to identify US agents and the CIA moved back to trying to rebuild its network.

Mr Apuzzo continued: “For many years China and the US have been locked in this spy battle that’s been going on behind the scenes. While doing this story we uncovered that Chinese intelligence have been able to infiltrate an NSA outpost in Taiwan. It goes back and forth.”

The story was published during a temporary vacuum at the top of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The Trump administration has named Terry Branstad, who is the governor of Iowa, as its ambassador to China but he has not yet moved to Beijing.

Cui Tiankai, China’s ambassador to the US, has not commented, but in a recent press release, he mentioned “the current positive momentum that the China-US relationship enjoys”.

The post China crippled CIA by killing US sources, says New York Times – BBC appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News | Breaking News: Your right to know!.

“The oppressors, who oppress, exploit, and rape by virtue of their power, cannot find in this power the strength to liberate either the oppressed or themselves.”

                                                                                    ——–Paulo Freire

“When I heard Dr. Tedros Adhanom is running to be the Director-General of the World Health Organization, I screamed wondering if the international institutions such as the UN are tacit participants in my torturing.”

—Ethiopian torture survivor

It is located not far from the buildings that house both national and international power centres in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. Thus, one can be forgiven for not suspecting that the most henious acts of brutality would be taking place in the same neighborhood as where international dignitaries work, as well as wine and dine.  It is called Meakelawi prison the stories of those who survived this notorious site of human suffering are difficult to comprehend.

Anyone who dares to oppose the regime or is suspected of opposing itis brought to Meakelawi prison for  inhuman treatement that is difficult to put into words. The physical suffering, psychological torment and the deliberate degrading and humiliation are all routine practise.

In his powerful and agonising account of kidnapping and torture in Meakelawi prison, Teshome Tenkolu,the former air force captain,narrates his first-hand account inside the regime’s torture chamber. The 11-page raw personal account entitled “moto menesat,” “Coming back from the dead,” is a testimony of cruelty and inhumanity on one hand, and the courage and strength of the human spirit to fight injustice, on the other.

Captain Teshome Tenkolu was a young aspiring and fiercely patriotic airman deeply committed to serving his country. His story begins on June 5, 1998 on the campus of the Ethiopian air force located 63 Kilometers south of the capital Addis Ababa. He was kidnapped and driven blindfolded outside the city of Debrezeit where he grew up. “At first,” he says, “I thought it was some kind of practical joke. However, as the minutes turned into hours, and hours into days it dawned to me that I am a prisoner. Until now, my familiarity of prison is limited to hearing the stories of prisoners who were locked up during the military regime.”

“It has been 24 hours since I was kidnapped, handcuffed, blind folded and thrown into a small cage like room.”  He narrates this harrowing story of endurance and unbreakable human spirit. “The stink of urine and feces in this small cell where I can stretch my hands and touch both ends of the room is appalling. I am having difficulty breathing and feeling nauseous due to the unsanitary condition of the room.”

“When they took me to another semi-darkroom not too far away from my smelly cell, I could barely walk. I was hungry, thirsty and exhausted. As I approached the room accompanied by two individuals holding me on both sides, as I gingerly waked into the room, a heavy punch landed on my face. Within seconds, I was on the floor. Then, the beating with a hard-electric cable began on my feet, hands and back. I don’t know for how long I passed out, when I woke up I was still in handcuffs lying on the floor. This routine of torture continued for 20 consecutivedays.”

“During the course of my ordeal, my meal wasa small slice of bread and cup of water every 24 hours. For me one of the most difficult part of this experience was going to the washroom. Imagine for a moment attempting to use the washroom while you are handcuffed and shackled. I can not unbutton my pants or keep my balance to do simple things such as using the bathroom. Indeed, this cruelty is not simply to cause suffering to my flesh and bones, but also to rob me my dignity and pride.”

“After twenty days, I was transferred to a much smaller room. I can barely move around because of the size of the new cell. Deprived of any sound or light my solitary life in this cold room began to take its toll on me. I came to conclusion that the only way I can end this misery is to take my own life. As I began to explore the way to end my life, I was confronted with a reality that I was handcuffed and shackled and even if I try I have no tools to speed up the end. No ropes, no knife nothing. I settled on a hunger strike. Stopping eating the single slice of bread and the cup of water. This went on for three days.”

“After three days, my pain and suffering accelerated. While my desire is to end this suffering by not eating or drinking water after three days, I picked up a glass of water which was sitting close to the door and drunk it in one breath.”

“As my ordeal continues I am beginning to lose track of time. The date, month, morning afternoon, day or night they have no meaning in my life. Everyday is just one long sad day. My pants and t-shirt I was wearing the day I was kidnapped are torn apart and they barely cover my body and I decided to take them off. My flight uniform has become my blanket as well as my regular clothes.”

“While my daily wish is to end my life instead of continuing living under these circumstances, from time to time I think of my mother who suffers from a heart problem and my girlfriend who has become my close friend. I wonder what would be the impact of my disappearance on my mother’s health. Would I be the cause for worsening my mothers heart condition? How is she feeling these days? I ask myself regularly. The truth is I have no way knowing her condition. But I wonder.”

“All this time I also wonder why they are doing this to me. I have done nothing wrong except taking my flight instructor job very seriously. From time to time I ponder with the question ‘why?’ Could it be simply hate, or simply intoxication with power? Perhaps both I dialogue with myself trying to squeeze an answer from my exhausted and tormented mind. Sometimes my torturers show up for work drunk puffing cigarette mix with the smell of alcohol which makes my breathing difficult.”

“The reality of prison life is not just the torture and the physical suffering. It is the control, humiliation of robbing one’s dignity. Since I lost sense of time I am not sure for how long I have been in those dark and cold dungeons. What I know is that my tormenters have imposed all forms of physical, emotional and psychological brutality on me. All along, I have come to the conclusion that I won’t be able to get out alive from this dark hole of suffering. I have given up on living. With each day, the torture and the abuse continues, the meaning and purpose of life is lost in me.”

The ordeal of Captain Teshome Tenkolu is a clear demonstration of man’s inhumanity to a fellow human being. It is also the triumph of human spirit, a spirit that is good, caring and resilient. It is also worth noting that Captain Teshome Tenkolu’s story is not an isolated anomaly. Thousands of men and women languish in this dark dungeon called Meakelawi. One former prisoner who still resides in the capital Addis Ababa said,“the sounds and smells of torture still haunt me. It is something that I am unable to rid from my mind, the recurring nightmare keeps me awake at night. The sound and the smell of torture and the stinch of rotting flesh are still with me. I have left Meakelawi prison (even the country)but the prison never left me.”

He vividly recalls the torture techniques used in Meakelawi. Electric iron being placed on the bodies of prisoners, water boarding, being hung upside down for hours and electric shock are some of the methods used. He also said, “women prisoners are forced to undress themselves in front of male prison guards.”In all of such sufferings, there is a strict rule from the Country’s Minister of Health not to provide any medical aid to political prisoners. “This administrative order was given by Dr. Tedros Adhanom, who was the Minister of Health at the time. When I heard that Dr. Tedros Adhanom is running to be the Director-General of the World Health Organization, I screamed wondering if the international institutions such as the UN are tacit participants in my torturing,” said one torture survivor, who still lives in Ethiopia.

Part two will be coming soon.

Alem mamo -alem6711@gmail.com

Additional reporting from Addis Ababa and Nairobi

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By Keffyalew Gebremedhin The Ethiopia Observatory (TEO)

The 1967 delightful movie “Guess who is coming for dinner” with Sidney Poitier as a WHO senior expert was the first of its type as an attempt to break barriers, though its theme of love and human dignity fictional.

In turning to reality, we note in a world that has declared 70 years ago in Article 2 (1) of the United Nations Charter the sovereign equality of nations, Africa never had the opportunity to provide its leadership to the World Health Organization (WHO) in the 70 years of its existence.

While a part of the international community, there is no escaping, therefore, Africas’s total absence from WHO’s leadership in these seven decades is scandalous.

Some felt that this should be indicator to Africa that the rest of the international community had issues with its credibility or competence. Whatever the reason, especially if it is that those with least financial contributions and the highest disease burden cannot be leaders of the organization, as the developed nations’ argument implied during the negotiations in the last decade in response to the demand for geographical rotation of the Director-General’s post, runs counter especially to WHO’s Principle 3: “The health of all peoples is fundamental to the attainment of peace and security and is dependent on the fullest co-operation of individuals and States.”

Whatever the reason for that past position, today the WHO is at the cusp of change and, thanks to the diligence of the African Group in Geneva, indeed nations since 2012 have shown a degree of understanding in their dealings with WHO; they are now underlining the importance of international cooperation. Certainly, there is still need on the part of Africa to take giant steps to catch up with the rest of the world especially in terms of openness, greater transparency and respect for fundamental human rights of its citizens.

Without this, Africa would continue to be seen at askance, its isolation deepening and left behind, as perpetual laughingstock overrun by dictators or unaccountable leaders.

It must be pointed out that it still is unfortunate that right at this very moment, when the opportunity has finally come for Africa for the first time in seven decades to clinch the top WHO post, Dr. Tedros Adhanom’s behaviour, especially his lack of integrity and principles, consistent with the UN Charter and WHO’s Constitution, is not helping the African cause. This has made his candidacy probably the most resented and protested in the annals of WHO leadership selection.

What makes this intriguing is the fact that the Ethiopian candidate is being challenged by his own compatriots. One could also notice that the ferocity their anger and persistence have found listeners within the international community.

They have also caught the attention of some of the major international media. These have heavily dwelt on the cardinal failure of the candidate’s principles, as the minister of health of his country (2005-2012), when he and the regime he serves breached their WHO obligations by hiding cholera outbreak in Ethiopia on three occasions thereby being responsible for the lives lost for lack of interest and proper treatments.

The case has thus been made by Ethiopian protesters that, as top member of the TPLF leadership and partaker in its human rights crimes, Tedros Adhanom’s personal record has stood against his national and regional and international ambitions. It is the behaviour of his regime and the candidate’s integrity problems that Ethiopians from all over the world, now warn the international community as the danger before WHO. They are trying to impress on Member States of the need to prevent the organization’s leadership from falling into his hands.

A Norwegian psychologist whose grandfather Dr. Karl Evang, Norway’s first post-war minister of health who brought the idea of creating a world health organization in 1945-47 as the world was seized with the founding of the United Nations and elaborating its Charter at San Francisco, Friday tweeted:

The WHO post is very important to all nations. This is due to disastrous impact of diseases on everyone, the possibility of its rapid spread in today’s world, the need for strong international disease surveillance, necessity of continued identification and production of vaccines and other relevant medicaments, etc. This is clear indicator that WHO is not something to be left to anyone.

Moreover, for WHO, we saw in all its documents, INTEGRITY is key, a commodity in short supply with Dr. Tedros Adhanom. His records on human rights leave so much to be desired. In the last week, both The New York Times and The Washington Post have also exposed his lack of principle in hiding the outbreak of cholera, even threatening professionals and governmental organizations if they mentioned it at all.

The great thing about WHO is that it complied with the arbitrary demands of the TPLF regime and Dr. Tedros Adhanom as minister of health (2005-2012). On one occasion, the organization did so by reporting outbreak of cholera in 28 countries around the world between 2007-2009, one of them being Ethiopia. It presented to Member States the profile of the 27 countries, i.e., without Ethiopia’s, while its map clearly showed Ethiopia too had cholera.

I was surprised, as embarrassed, by the hide and seek between the TPLF regime and WHO, realizing the detours WHO crisscrossed to show there was cholera in Ethiopia. Out of admiration for that action, I tweeted the following a few days ago:

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In 2007-09, TPLF machos in Ethiopia forced one & all 2refer cholera as አተት(Atet). That didn’t stop #WHOmap frm showing it by its right color

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What is the international community planning to do about it? Is it going to vote in this person into the organization, or vote him out for life to protect the lives of the young and the old around the world?

Either way it is possible that Africa may lose this present opportunity — be it with a candidate from another region elected, or Tedros Adhanom being picked. In the event this happens, the opposition to the African candidate – Ethiopians from around the world – seem to agree on one thing: the blame cannot be apportioned to the rich nations in the Executive Board or the World Health Assembly (WHA), as before, but to the TPLF and its candidate.

It needs also to be stated, as we witness in this case, the performance of African nations and their political behaviour are likely to remain obstacle to qualified Africans in future to demonstrate their leadership abilities at the international level.
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Cacophony of geographical rotation

Invocation of the principle of geographical rotation has a long and protracted history within WHO, until fairly recently.

It seems aware of this, Dr. Tedros Adhanom has adopted a very deceptive electoral campaign. For instance, it has become common to constantly hear from him and the chatter of his supporters about WHO director-general’s post being subject to geographical rotation.

For several months now, we have witnessed Dr. Tedros Adhanom going on his knees to get the African support. He has been campaigning, using the geographical rotation stratagem.

The question to Africa is what does it know about Tedros Adhanom that it should surrender to him, when his own compatriots, most of them professionals, are rejecting him?

The Ethiopian/African candidate launched his campaign on May 24, 2016 in Geneva, choosing to reduce the whole point of his candidacy to geographical representation of Africa. He felt free to claim it was “time for an African to occupy the key UN job”, according to AFP.

On the same day, after wining and dining with African diplomats resident in Geneva in an expensive restaurant (God knows who finances him), Tedros Adhanom enthusiastically appealed to African emotions only to offer himself to become WHO-DG: “It’s time for a director-general who has lived some of the most pressing challenges facing our world today, as I have lived in Africa.”

To begin with, there is no such thing as a/the primary principle of geographical rotation in the election of the Director-General of WHO, as pointed out in my discussion of Dr. Tedros Adhanom’s candidacy on April 18, 2016. Had that been the case, WHO would have long become a badly-managed another African Union (AU).

The confusion so sown by the candidate himself, characteristically political in the TPLF strain – is another evidence of a duplicitous personality.

The lack of consensus within WHO negotiation rooms in 1996 forced rejection of “the principle of geographical rotation”. That is why in between sessions of the World Health Assembly (WHA) and the Executive Board, resolutions adopted kept on reiterating same words in their resolutions, which called, for example, from 2007 (EB120.R19) on “the Director-General to report to the Executive Board at its 121st session on the geographical rotation of the post of Director-General, and on the requirement to appoint a Deputy Director-General, taking into account the views expressed by members of the Board.”

One could notice from the 2006 document (by the WHO legal counsel (EB119INF.DOC/1), there is not even any reference to “geographical rotation” or “geographical representation”.

While negotiations continued through 2011, via Burundi-authored resolution, it was only in 2012 an agreed language was recommended by the Working Group of Member States on the Process and Methods of the Election of the Director-Genera of the World Health Organization that clearly states in paragraph 1 (a):

(a) due regard shall be paid to the principle of equitable geographical representation in the overall process of nomination, election and appointment of the Director-General of WHO, being mindful at the same time that candidates appointed to this post have so far only come from three out of the six regions of the Organization, and that the paramount consideration of the necessity of securing the highest standard of efficiency, competence and integrity in the election and appointment of the Director-General shall be maintained;

Certainly, for anyone who has studied the WHO records, rather long and arduous negotiations had taken place since the early 1990s between the representatives of states in WHO. The reason for this protracted negotiations was donors unwillingness to be financial contributors and Africa, with its highest disease burden – as they put it – wanting to be manager of the global health machinery.

This point of view was pushed by Japan and the European Union. Now in less than honest ways, my fellow countryman in the same manner seems to have chosen to cash on that, arousing ‘African resentment/nationalism’ in clear ways giving precedence to his personal ambitions, instead of the global health problems, especially in poor nations.

In fact, pushing this divisive idea of geographical representation, bitterly opposed for decades within the WHO, would only endanger the organization’s future, at a time when, WHO’s financing is weakening. This is mainly because of pressure by Bill Gates and other philanthropists, as The Washington Post recently put it, due to their creation of “a more diffuse global health landscape.”

While geographical rotation is an important consideration, this clearly shows that it is not WHO’s primary governing principle in the selection of the Director-General, as Tedros Adhanom tries to make it out!

The agreed upon document, recommended by the working group of member states, was approved by WHA in a resolution for the first time in 2012 in WHA65.15, whose paragraph 1 (f) details the following criteria:

1. “[T]he Executive Board should ensure that the nominated candidates fulfil the following criteria, while underscoring the paramount importance of professional qualifications and integrity and the need to pay due regard to equitable geographical representation, as well as gender balance in the process leading to the nomination of the candidate(s) that should be submitted to the Health Assembly; he or she should have:

(1) a strong technical background in a health field, including experience in public health;

(2) exposure to and extensive experience in international health;

(3) demonstrable leadership skills and experience;

(4) excellent communication and advocacy skills;

(5) demonstrable competence in organizational management;

(6) sensitivity to cultural, social and political differences;

(7) strong commitment to the mission and objectives of WHO;

(8) good health condition required of all staff members of the Organization;

(9) sufficient skill in at least one of the official working languages of the Executive Board and the Health Assembly”

The above understanding among states members of the World Health Assembly (WHA) has not changed in 2017.

That is why Africa would be better off, examining closely whether Dr. Tedros Adhanom satisfies the above criteria, whereas in Ethiopia his management skills have been worse than a tornado for any institution!

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By Adane Buni Irkiso
Sunday, May 21, 2017

Ethiopia’s Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is a candidate for director general of the World Health Organization. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

Even though it is too late the oppressed voices of Ethiopians against the candidacy of Dr. Tedros Adhanom for World Health Organization Director is gaining attention. It would seem baffling why Ethiopians oppose another Ethiopian’s advancement to such a higher international post. Some may assume the protest emanates from personal envy not to see someone flourish. That is not the reality, and Ethiopians have well founded justifications not to back up Dr. Tedros’s candidacy. Within the past few months and so, He might have promoted himself hard to earn the votes of many countries, but he and his party has been persecuting Ethiopian’s for two decades, which left Ethiopians strongly unconvinced of his leadership.

The brutal ruling party he represents was so crafty in building its positive image at the international level, while internally mistreating Ethiopians. There is no question about how their international diplomacy policy they follow has been successful so far and sustained their life to stay in power in Ethiopia. Apparently it is crystal clear to every Ethiopian who drove them (the current ruling party) to the top from the very beginning. And now as they are losing the plot in the internal politics and the battle of peaceful political protest in Ethiopia, the easiest way they found to make their breath last is to get the global endorsement. If it was as to the wishes of the majority of Ethiopians, Dr. Tedros and his party, had been long since they were overthrown. However, it is so sad to see for hapless Ethiopians, the global community still endorsing one of the tyrants of their country, Dr Tedros Adhanom. It could not have been a problem, would WHO pick randomly any of the many well qualified and deserved professionals in Ethiopia, but Dr. Tedros’s is a criminal waiting for a judgment day to happen soon in Ethiopia, not elsewhere. We are grateful for nations who showed support for an Ethiopian, they just know by name, and we understand that support is for our country not for an individual. But we have lived with him, we know him better than foreigners, we have suffered a lot under his leadership, which is why we request you to revise your decision to vote.

In addition we believe if an Ethiopian is selected as a director, it doesn’t mean Ethiopia is going to benefit better. We don’t think this is up to the standard of the working policy of World Health Organization. At the moment Dr. Tedros Adhanom is irrationally urging Ethiopians on a social media to stop opposing him, pledging Ethiopia is going to benefit from his candidacy. World Health Organization should not allow this corrupted mentality to lead itself. We expect a universal, neutral, fair service from World Health Organization.

Some innocent Ethiopians suggest, for the love of our country, we have to show support for Dr. Tedros. I am somehow tempted to do same, but I personally feel it is like tightening the chain on ourselves. Some might say he didn’t kill anyone in Ethiopia. I would say our former President Mengistu Hailemariam claimed same, saying he did not kill a single person. Dr. Tedros as a central member of the ruling party cadre, there is no way he will escape the responsibility of the mass killings, tortures of political prisoners. From his level of education we have expected him to object and stop those wrong doings, but he turned a deaf ear to our voices, and we don’t hope for anything better coming from him to us. That is why we say Dr. Tedros will not represent us, Ethiopians.

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Africa Times

The physician who leads the Africa Tobacco-Free Initiative has spoken out against candidate Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of Ethiopia, just as the final vote for World Health Organization Director-General (WHO DG) looms next week.

Dr. Frank Ashall, in an open letter published online Friday in the well-regarded British medical journal The Lancet, raised questions about the Ethiopian government’s deal-making role in a tobacco industry at odds with global health goals.

The letter marks the second time in as many weeks that the candidacy of frontrunner Tedros has been challenged, including the charge that he withheld information about deadly cholera outbreaks in Ethiopia a decade ago.

Ashall referenced Ethiopia’s sale of 40 percent of the shares in its National Tobacco Enterprise (NTE) in 2016, a USD$510 million deal overseen by two Ethiopian ministers and celebrated as an inroad into the Ethiopian market by Japan Tobacco International.

“At the time of the deal, Tedros was Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister,” said Ashell, who believes the tobacco deal runs afoul of the WHO Framework on Tobacco Control, to which Ethiopia is a party. “Because he was Health Minister from 2005 to 2012, and aims to be DG of WHO, I believe that he should have spoken out publicly against the tobacco deal.”

Ashell’s letter cites other documented instances where he believes Tedros’ leadership on tobacco has failed, at a time when tobacco and smoking prevention have been established as a global health priority under outgoing WHO DG Dr. Margaret Chan.

“This is to be expected of the WHO DG, given that tobacco continues to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality, and that the WHO Africa and Eastern Mediterranean regions, particularly, are at risk for increasing smoking prevalence in the coming decade,” Ashell said.

Ashell concludes his letter by saying that “the vote for the next WHO DG should not be a vote for Ethiopia, or for Africa, but it should be a vote for the most appropriate candidate for WHO DG. Given the aforesaid issues, I believe that Tedros is not the right candidate that WHO needs to take it forward.”

In addition to Tedros, the finalists include Dr. Sania Nishtar, a cardiologist from Pakistan, and Dr. David Nabarro of Britain – both of whom are well-endorsed and have been working down to the wire as well.

The final vote will be held at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, which begins on Monday and runs through May 31. The new DG will take office on July 1.

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Welkait.com

“Emperor Menelik and Meles Zenawi both used language to unify Ethiopia, they both killed people in the process and they both failed to create a unified country. Menelik made a strategic mistake, a mistake that emanates from false sense of superiority and arrogance. Meles, the most educated of all Ethiopian leaders, repeated the same mistake that he vowed to correct. Menelik and Meles have different goals but the same ending.”

taken from an article written by Ephrem Madebo of Ginbot 7

Read Ephrem Madebo’s article

=========================================

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By Daniel Teferra (PhD)

Daniel Teferra (PhD) Emeritus Professor of Economics.

Ethiopia under TPLF does not resemble a unified country with a national purpose. The national unity and pride that Ethiopia once enjoyed, especially under Emperor Haile Selassie, have disappeared. Ethiopia has finally become a collection of isolated and vulnerable ethnic enclaves that are fighting among themselves over land.  The fears we all claimed are playing out now.     

Looking back to history, Ethiopia was a loose federation of regional kingdoms within a dynastic empire. These regions had vied among themselves to control the State and appropriate the economic surplus. The most successful region was Shawa, which led Ethiopia’s development in the modern world.

Since the early 18^th century, Shawa had been able to make a considerable progress, expanding its frontiers under a series of kings. There were two major factors that contributed to the remarkable success of Shawa.

First, Shawa was able to focus on its own development for a long period of time. This was possible because Shawa, cut off by Wello, stayed away from the internecine rivalry that consumed the north during the Era of the Princes, especially.

Second, Shawa was a natural strong-point for access to the rich Sidama/Oromo regions and lucrative trade routes. Consequently, Shawa was able to amass wealth and military might, linking the north with the south through its prosperous Addis Ababa market.

Hence, except for few interruptions, Ethiopia saw a long period of unprecedented unity and prosperity under Shawa. Western education was introduced for the first time, the bureaucracy was modernized and infrastructure was built. Foreign trade and investment were promoted.

However, there were important measures that Shawa did not undertake. Primarily, Shawa failed to free land and the peasantry and to democratize the State. There were major errors made too.

For instance, annexing Eritrea unnecessarily, Shawa spread itself thin. Consequently, it squandered its wealth and awesome military, fighting rebels in Eritrea and Tigre for thirty years. In the end, Eritrea broke away and Tigre controlled the State in Addis Ababa.

What does Tigre’s control mean for Ethiopia’s progress? First, Tigre, unlike Shawa, is a poor region, located farther north, lacking close ethnic and cultural ties with the south.  Therefore, its rise to state power was purely a result of military victory.

Still, instead of building on the achievements of Shawa, Tigre turned the clock back. It divided the country ethnically in its own image, thereby planting the seeds of its own demise. For instance, today, TPLF officials and their associates are no longer welcome in “Oromia;” and consequently, they are compelled to rule the entire country by a Martial Law.

Oromia was carved out arbitrarily by TPLF and Oromo nationalists, negating the historical Oromo regions of Arsi, Bale, Wellaga and Illubabor. Oromia is now claiming Addis Ababa as its capital, renaming it Finfine, and as a result threatening the existence of Ethiopia.

On the other hand, tens of millions of multiethnic Ethiopians have been denied equal citizenship in their own country. They are now fighting back for their democratic rights, rallying behind the original flag of Ethiopia, and thereby sending the Tigrean rulers and their associates a strong message.

For instance, it is not unusual to see in Addis Ababa and rural towns, a taxi or truck displaying openly a decal of the original flag of Ethiopia. Some stores in Addis Ababa carry Emperor Haile Selassie’s pictures and copies of His book, “My Life and Ethiopia’s Progress.”  From Addis Ababa to Gondar, protestors against TPLF rule are rallying behind the original flag of Ethiopia.

Among all the protests, The Gondar Resistance poses a major threat to the rulers in Addis Ababa. Gondar may not be suppressed easily. First, the people of Gondar are united by a common culture and national hero.  They are fiercely independent and proud people.

Second, Gondar had been the seat of Ethiopia for a long period of time in the past.  Consequently, patriotism is deeply rooted there. In addition, Gondar could form an alliance with Gojam, Wello and Shawa, to counter effectively Tigre’s dominance.

Such an alliance, if successful, could give the rulers in Addis Ababa an incentive to return Ethiopia to its source, abiding by the traditional boundaries and democratic rights of all the historical regions of the country. Then there will be a new Ethiopia of equal citizens with freedom for development of all individuals, groups and interests.

*Emeritus Professor of Economics.

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ESAT News /May 22, 2017

“No Tedros, No Tedros,” shouts an Ethiopian activist from the press gallery at the annual World Health Organization assembly, while his compatriots hold a huge rally outside the Palace of Nations in Geneva.

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Asress Mulugeta

The Ethiopian government is now faced with unprecedented rebellion from the Oromo, the Amhara, Ogadenis, Gambella, Benishangul-Gumuz, Afar  and other ethnic groups that are deeply dissatisfied. The Ogaden national liberation Front (ONLF) in Ogaden is waging an insurgency. Similar insurgency rages in Oromia led by the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). In Amhara region, the Amhara Freedom fighters, have organized themselves in the typical traditional Ethiopian resistance form and are clashing with the army in parts of Gojam and Gondar. With ethnic discontent reaching a new high and the tendrils of insurgency growing exponentially, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, TPLF’s rule faces the greatest challenge.

In Ethiopia, the minority ruling class, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) led by the late Ethiopian Prime Minster, Meles Zenawi, achieved power in 1991 as “the first among equals” in a ruling coalition. After the 1998-2000 “border war” with Eritrea, Meles institutionalized one-party rule of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and his Tigrayan inner circle, with the participation of other co-opted ethnic elites who were brought into the ruling alliance under the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). The EPRDF consists of four groups: the Oromo Peoples’ Democratic Organization (OPDO), the Amhara National Democratic Movement (ANDM), the South Ethiopian Peoples’ Democratic Front (SEPDF) and the Tigrayan Peoples’ Liberation Front (TPLF). The role of OPDO, ANDM and SEPDF is simply to rubber stamp TPLF’s agenda.

TPLF’s violent crackdown on the 2005 demonstrations protesting the widely believed rigged election was a clear indication of his determination to hang on to power. In the 2010 elections, the EPRDF won 546 out of 547 parliamentary seats and all but one of 1,904 council seats in regional elections. In the 2015 elections, the EPRDF won 100% (547 out of 547) parliamentary seats. It is clear that Ethiopia is under a one-party rule with a vengeance, ensuring the triumph of repression, the squashing of dissenting voices and the shutting down of independent media. Elections in Ethiopia are shenanigans to show complete EPRDF control rather than engagement in democracy. There is a clampdown on internet access, and the arrest and sentencing of political opponents, journalists and bloggers.

Currently, the country is still under state of emergency rule which was imposed in October 2016 during the worst ethnic violence in 25 years that Ethiopia has seen.  The Oromiya and Amhara regions of Ethiopia were like war zones since protests began in November 2015.  From October 2015 till January 2017 more than 3000 people have been killed and tens of thousands have been arrested by security forces of the minority ruling party, TPLF.

The Tigrayan People liberation Front, (TPLF) has been too stubborn in reforming the country’s ethnic political system which has been the main problem in creating one political and economic society in Ethiopia.  It is also unlikely that TPLF will change its iron feast rule strategy fearing reforms would encourage even more protests aiming to overthrow the minority regime. To conclude, if the TPLF dominated EPRDF government does not change its iron feast rule and continue on its unwillingness to reform the ethnic political game, it could lead Ethiopia to prolonged conflict and instability that looks like the Syrian situation.

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Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ethiopia, speaks at Chatham House. Wikipedia image.

Written by Endalk

Thousands of Tweets, several open letters and a relentless online campaign have dogged Ethiopia’s candidate for the World Health Organization Director-General position, Tedros Adahanom, as member states prepare to vote on May 23, 2017. But why do Ethiopians dislike him so much?

With support from the Ethiopian government, Mr. Adahanom has led a robust and elaborate campaign, making it through to the last round of candidates; though the overall sources of his campaign funds remain shrouded in secrecy.

While the election for the Director-General of the WHO is largely an unexciting, institutional affair, Ethiopians fierce online opposition has added an interesting sub-plot as some of Adahanom’s controversies come to light.

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Their relentless campaign might also have prompted media to shed light on Adahanom’s controversies.

The New York Times for instance revealed that Adahanom covered up a cholera outbreak during his tenure as Ethiopia’s health minister.

A few days later, the Washington Post reported that Adahanom “didn’t like mentioning a certain disease”.

Lancet, a respected British medical journal published a short, sharp letter alleging Adahanom’s indifference towards deals struck by the Ethiopian authorities with Japanese and British tobacco companies. In the letter, Frank Ashall of the Africa Tobacco-Free Initiative said:

Given the aforesaid issues, I believe that Tedros is not the right candidate that WHO needs to take it forward.
Adahanom has accused his fellow candidate Dr. David Nabarro of an imperialistic attitude but has not refuted any of the claims that have made his candidacy controversial.

Meanwhile, in the final few days of the campaign, Adahanom’s opponents have been reinforced.

An Olympic medalist, Feyisa Lelisa, who was exiled after he defiantly protested against the Ethiopian government at the Rio Olympics asked Adahanom to drop out of the race and apologize to the people of Ethiopia for his role in human rights abuses and covering up cholera outbreaks as Ethiopia’s minister of health. Lelisa made the request in an Op-Ed for Al-Jazeera.

Reeyot Alemu, an award-winning journalist wrote an open letter protesting Adahanom’s candidacy to the World Health Assembly which is set to meet on May 22 in Geneva, Switzerland.

She wrote:

The reason why I am writing to you today is not to express self-pity. It is because I strongly believe that the World Health Organization (WHO), an important global institution, is on the verge of falling into the abyss of scandal. I fear that WHO’s reputation will be tarnished and credibility questioned if it elects Dr. Tedros Adhanom. The fact that Dr. Adhanom, one of the top human rights violators making life miserable to the people of Ethiopia, has managed to be in the last three candidates, bidding to take over the position of Director-General, is very troubling and alarming.
Yet another prominent opposition politician, Habtamu Ayalew, who was banned from leaving Ethiopia for medical treatment said:

I cannot imagine a person who refused treatment to a victim of torture seeks to run the global health institution
Adahanom’s team have fought back, however, arguing it is Africa’s turn to lead WHO:

Zerihun Abebe Yigzaw @zerubeeb
3 Days to go!!! “This is time for #Africa ” because it has the best candidate @DrTedros to be the #NextDG of @WHO @DrTedros4WHO #Ethiopia .
11:27 PM – 19 May 2017
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The post Ethiopia’s Cholera-Denying Candidate to Lead the World’s Top Health Body Is Taking a Battering Online appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News | Breaking News: Your right to know!.

Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki denied his country’s deepening relations with Egypt signify plans to disrupt neighboring Ethiopia’s construction of Africa’s biggest hydropower dam.

“The claim by the Ethiopian regime that the relation between Eritrea and Egypt is targeting the millennium dam is unfounded,” the Ministry of Information said on its website, citing a May 21 interview with Isaias in the capital, Asmara.

 

Image of the Ethiopia’s Renaissance Dam [File photo]

Egypt’s government has claimed Ethiopia’s construction of the hydropower dam on the main tributary of the Nile River contravenes colonial-era treaties that grant it the right to the bulk of the river’s water. Ethiopian officials reject the accords as obsolete and unjust. The plant, being built at a cost of $6.4 billion, is scheduled for completion next year and will produce as much as 6,450 megawatts of power.

Isaias traveled to Cairo in November to meet Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, when the two discussed deepening relations, the Cairo-based Daily News Egypt newspaper reported.

Ethiopia’s government has said forces receiving support from Egypt and Eritrea are trying to destabilize the country. In October, Communications Minister Getachew Reda said the banned Oromo Liberation Front received financing and training from Egypt. In March, Ethiopian security forces killed 13 members of a rebel group that the government said had crossed into the country from Eritrea.

Eritrea achieved independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after decades of armed struggle. The two countries fought again in 1998-2000 over the disputed territory of Badme on their border in a conflict that left at least 50,000 people dead.

The post Eritrea Denies Targeting Ethiopia Dam as Egyptian Ties Deepen appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News | Breaking News: Your right to know!.

Netsanet Zeleke (nzeleke35@gmail.com)

Well, I perfectly recognize the fact that people like me have no power to change the natural or the unnatural, if you will, course of things that may negatively affect billions of people on our planet.  But, thanks God, we are, at least, able to air our grievances and feelings whenever we need to do so. This letter from the heart of ‘Ethiopia’, Addis Ababa, is hence, meant to express some timely concerns about who is leading WHO to its demise. As a matter of fact, the demise of an entity/organization may not necessarily happen overnight or may be escaped by hypocrisy and self-righteousness either. Therefore, WHO is free to “elect” Dr. Tedros Adhanom of TPLF, not of Ethiopia, as its GD.

One clear Ethiopian fact any global citizen should understand: It is the conviction of roughly 94% of the Ethiopian population that the ‘Ethiopia’ of today is not the real Ethiopia history knows. This ‘Ethiopia’ of TPLF, a terrorist organization from its inception, is a Fake Ethiopia designed by co-sponsors in such a way that this ISISic terrorist association is accepted as legal body especially among the so called International Community. Enigmatic to me, this International Community is fond of hatching and fostering such groups for a bizarre purpose whose end result is most likely counterproductive.

In the Fake Ethiopia (F-Ethiopia here after), we, the 94%, are under the yoke of ethnic apartheid and ethnic cleansing along with perpetual indiscriminate genocide. This ethnocentric divide and kill system of TPLF has been in place for the last 26 years since the downfall of the Dergue regime. As a make-believe strategy, F-Ethiopia was formed on the grave of the real Ethiopia to enhance the long term plan of Mr. ‘X’ or Mr. ‘Y’ to destroy the pride of this historical nation in the East of Africa.

Be it people in WHO or people anywhere for that matter beautifully know the F-Ethiopia and along with what has been done in this fake country by TPLF’s ruling junta. And I prettily understand that this junta has been doing all the evils that men can do according to the interests of the ones who, not necessarily WHO now, had commissioned it to eradicate Ethiopia from both the history and the surface of Planet Earth. The most pandered kid of Mr. ‘X’ or ‘Y’, hence, should be rewarded the most precious mundane awards. As shamelessness has become the fad of this planet, it is no wonder if you promote the cursed and demote the blessed. WHO is applying the motto of one of the Louis’s of France: Mighty is right. In light of this, the first prize our Misters can offer to TPLF being Ethiopia’s financial and material assets, the second is RECOGNITION. Recognition is one of the most valuable intangible properties. Understandably, this kind of present is presented to someone you love most for a number of reasons you only know, and it is expensive as well. Most often, individuals and/or groups spend millions of dollars to earn such empty but useful recognition. Nevertheless, a recognition you get for money is not as viable and natural as the real one which is obtained through hard work and meritocracy; it is futile to earn such fictitious fulcrum to achieve an insincere objective and such attempt is definitely the fruit of sterile and dysfunctional mind.(I wonder how this world is infested by such worthless people nowadays!)

Personally, I do not have any objection or grudge if Dr. Adhanom becomes the GD of WHO. I know he is ‘Ethiopian’, if not practically Ethiopian, for the clear fact that his actions speak loudly that he is anti-Ethiopian. Moreover, I would rather be happy if this awkward phenomenon was not an outcome of mischief and scandalous nature of people who materialized this gruesome reality into fruition.

In reality, I am an Ethiopian and there is no reason that I oppose an Ethiopian to be positioned on a high profile my country needs badly. Ask any Ethiopian; unless s/he is sick, no body negates itself and opposes such elections that help build the positive image of the country. But the question is which country? In the absence of the real Ethiopia, in a situation where F-Ethiopia is controlled by an imposed junta of the aliens, aliens who even sell out, in addition to the genocide and the plunder they carry out on a daily basis, the massive land of the nation to neighboring countries such as South Sudan, the election of this man as GD of WHO is senseless, at least, and a crime at most. The question is a question of representation. This man, in short, does represent only TPLF and TPLF is meant Nihilism and Terrorism in all senses of these terms. In connection with this, I should not be blamed for my failure to support the promotion of devil-incarnate. This man of the cabal society has always been doing what his organization, TPLF, instructs him to accomplish, though the man as a man could have some positive sides. Nevertheless, we should know that a snake is always a snake to whatever extent it may pretend to be a pigeon.

Whoever does it, for whatever purpose it is done, the election of this man is as adding an insult to injury for the real Ethiopia, the real Ethiopia which is to resurrect soon, willy-nilly. It is a matter of time. Ethiopia has been experiencing such devastations, though not in such a historical proportions of a higher degree committed by the TPLFites, throughout her history. And we expect this testing time will pass shortly. The election of this person is nothing to the real Ethiopia, for she is not yet on the scene. It is WHO’s people who are going to face the repercussions of what they are doing now. They will have to bear the consequence(s) of their ignorance of not heeding the cry of millions of Ethiopians. This man’s appointment will heart most WHO, not Ethiopians as such. I personally am not ashamed of him, am ashamed of WHO rather for its decadence to the extent of picking a man with PhD who is unable even to express himself in a language a Kenyan farmer is fluent. Of course, I know language shouldn’t be our major yardstick to measure a person’s caliber, but as a matter of fact it speaks a lot. But the people with a portfolio of deciding the fate of WHO must understand that appointing Adhanom as GD of WHO is the same as assigning the caliphate of ISIS to be the head of World Peace Organization (WPO), if at all there is such an organization. And appeasing a terrorist organization such as TPLF with such an important office is nothing but despising the people of the world at large.

Dear Ethiopians all over the world!

Do not get surprised if this man goes to WHO. We have to realize that this world is becoming funniest especially these days or perhaps since the past 50 years or so. It is not my point here to opine why and how such anomalous things are happening or have to happen. We could say many things from different angles as to why the riffraff are supplanting the best ones, the chaff replacing the grain. Perhaps this ridiculous time has to come into the front scene so that this world has to pass through some sort of suffering before the emergence of the much awaited golden age.

Otherwise, while there are zillions of medical doctors worldwide who have the necessary credentials to wisely lead WHO, we would not have witnessed such stupidity of even nominating an idiot from F-Ethiopia, unless it is a bonanza for TPLF for its blind obedience to its international masters. He is a doctor of Malaria, as to the information I have, and this qualification has nothing to do with the health problems of at least Europe and the Americas; it is so funny. Aren’t there medical doctors with superb skill and experience or are they banned due to their sound personality that cannot be easily maneuvered by idiot merchants and mega companies of pharmaceuticals? Should the WHO be run by an architect of mass killing in the F-Ethiopia when he was the Minister of Diseases, I mean Health? Who is composing this joke of WHO to have a man from the den of mass killers to be its leader? Where is this world heading to? Who the hell is deciding the fate of all of us in this world? Where have the ears of our world leaders gone? What is the cause of all this ignorance and the resultant arrogance? Are the F-Ethiopian current affairs really hidden from the world? Why should they be indifferent at least to their little God, the Conscience? Let them try to listen to what we say before it is too late.

This man’s, Dr. Adhanom’s, “election” has nothing to do with his ethnic group, as perhaps some foolish observers may suggest. This election has rather to do with the following records of his satanic cabal, TPLF. The innermost people of the WHO or those who have the power to manipulate this gigantic organization are very smart and hence know what is happening in the F-Ethiopia. They know, for example, these crude facts – The incessant public uprisings due to untold suppression and oppression, the undemocratic nature of our “elections” which waste millions of dollars in vain, the absolute supremacy of one ethnic group over the others in all walks of life, the ethnic cleansing by the TPLF of the Amhara people along with the concomitant disappearance of some 10 million Amharas in the last 26 years alone, the unbalanced budgets of the so called (fake) Federal States in the F-Ethiopia, the corruption that has stifled the throat of almost all citizens, the poor ratio of statistics  the country has such as in medical personnel, number of cars,  number of schools, higher education institutions, facilities such as hospitals, courts, potable water, factories, per capita, education, quality of education, number of prisoners of conscience, development and growth indices, etcetera. Moreover, they well know there is no freedom speech in the country. They know all prisons are full of citizens who demand their rights. They know that the constitution is non-existent and instead the whims of few TPLFites are the rule of the tattered nation. Truth be told, in the F-Ethiopia, I believe, there is nothing positive in the salon of the incumbent government that attracts the WHO or anyone else to elect an expertise to a higher international position unless the intention is to reward this crooked junta, namely, TPLF, for the achievement of one or more dishonest objectives.  And I think these international people are joking on TPLF and hence saying, “You TPLFites are the saviors of this world in terms of militancy; you are tokens of civilization; exemplars of genuine democracy;  sign of enlightenment; advocates of equality, fraternity, and liberty; pioneers of anti-corruption, anti-ethnic, anti-nepotism, anti-neocolonialism, … movements; pillars of harmonious human development….” What a luckiest TPLF! And what an astoundingly reverberant joke of supporters in the twenty first IT generation! I wonder as to why these simpleton TPLFites couldn’t explode yet due to the overflow of excessively flattering praises.

In Amharic, we have this saying, አውቆ የተደበቀ ቢጠሩት አይሰማም:: This saying can literally be translated as, “One who has intentionally  hidden himself never answers calls.” This is to mean if one is adamantly arrogant to the extent of despising advices, they never give attention even to the most precious words of wisdom. Yea, but history will judge us all. History’s nuclear power is most destructive than any hypocrisy and chauvinism.

Anyhow, Good Luck WHO for the ‘brilliant’ doctor the F-Ethiopia bestowed upon you! Good Luck TPLF(You deserve this disingenuous victory because your campaign has been ferocious and your expenses have presumably been too huge and multi-directional, though they are abundantly taken from the coffers of the oppressed mass)! And Good Luck Dr. Tedros Adhanom for the ‘historic achievement’ you have made, whether you do it or not…. We will know the whole story within two days.

The post WHO is going to fall headlong into an abyss of decadence? appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News | Breaking News: Your right to know!.

By Alemayehu G. Mariam

Author’s Note: This month the Ethiopian popular music megastar Tewdros “Teddy Afro” Kassahun released his “Ethiopia” album, which quickly topped the World Albums Billboard chart during the week of May 15. This “commentary” consists of an English translation of Tewdros’ recent Amharic interview with reporter Elias Meseret of EthioNewsflash following the release of that album.

I have prepared this translation for two reasons: 1) to help young Ethiopians in the Diaspora who do not speak or understand Amharic get a glimpse of the musical genius of Teddy Afro, and 2) acquaint them with the metaphysics of “Ethiopiawinet”, a state of being and consciousness, a philosophy and way of life, a system of beliefs and praxis of being Ethiopian. I do not believe there is anyone today who can explain Ethiopiawinet (“Ethiopianity”) better than Tewdros Kassahun. Certainly, no one better to communicate it to the younger generation. I also hope to introduce this musical legend to my global readership so that they too may appreciate and enjoy his music as millions have come to appreciate Ethiopian cuisine throughout the world. “If music be the food of love, play on,” wrote Shakespeare.

I would not presume to articulate Tewdros’ philosophy and practice of “Ethiopiawinet” here.  “Unhappily, I possess neither that eloquence of diction, that poetry of imagination, nor that brilliance of metaphor” Tewdros has to tell my readers what Ethiopiawinet means. To me, Ethiopiawinet simply means Ethiopia WIN Et hiopia.

In my view, for Tewdros, Ethiopiawinet is about what we ought to be as Ethiopians, what we can be, what we will be and what we must be. To Tewdros, I believe, Ethiopiawinet is a rallying point for all Ethiopians “to build courage when courage seems to fail; to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith; to create hope when hope becomes forlorn”; and to believe — to believe without hesitation or evasion — that all Ethiopians are bound by a single golden yarn of destiny and that the best days of Ethiopia are yet to come.

To me, and I believe to Tewdros, that is what Ethiopiawinet is all about.

As I have studied Tewdros’ lyrics in his “Ethiopia” album, I have been captivated and enraptured by the aesthetics of the idea of Ethiopiawinet. But Ethiopiawinet is more than an idea. It is a defining civic virtue, a set of values that define the essence of Ethiopian identity. But it is indeed much more than a virtue. It is a complete experience unlike any other. It is a credo which embraces every Ethiopian into the collective Ethiopian brotherhood and sisterhood. Ethiopiawinet is ultimately about the dignity, personhood and humanity of being an Ethiopian. It is a unique collective consciousness and self-consciousness about being an Ethiopian. It is about the roots of what makes Ethiopians, Ethiopians.

In his “Ethiopia” album, Tewdros preaches Ethiopiawinet with poetic eloquence, polished diction, passionate patriotism (love of country and compatriots), and unabashedly proclaims his unseverable attachment to Mother Ethiopia by a primordial umbilical cord.

I am overawed not only by Tewdros’ unsurpassed musical genius and prodigious creativity, but even more compellingly, I am mesmerized by the depth and breadth of his understanding and extraordinary discernment. Tewdros is not just a musician, he is a deep thinker who speaks in lyrical poetry.

Tewdros is a man who practices his credo of love, compassion and understanding, tolerance, forgiveness and reconciliation in his music. Tewdros Kassahun is a man for all seasons.

In America in the 1960s, Bob Dylan (2016 Nobel laureate for literature) was the voice of the young generation.

I hereby proclaim and declare Tewdros “Teddy” Kassahun the voice of Ethiopia’s young generation today!

On a personal note, perhaps the most poignant and deeply touching songs on the “Ethiopia” album is “Atse Tewdros”, in tribute to Emperor Tewdros II of Ethiopia from 1855-1868. That song speaks of the Emperor’s contributions and sacrifices to create a united Ethiopia from a bunch of feuding principalities and kingdoms. Atse Tewdros birth name was Kassa Hailu. Tewdros Kassa Hailu.

In 2017, Tewdros Kassa-hun carries on the spirit of Tewdros Kassa Hailu and sings to the heavens about the oneness and unity of Ethiopia. He makes sacrifices and contributions in the cause of the unity of the Ethiopian people.

Ironic how art imitates life!

Teddy is our man for all seasons. That is because it takes great courage to sing and speak truth in a Kingdom of Lies. Telling the truth about Ethiopiawinet as Teddy does, is in my view, the ultimate act of humanity in this day and age. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn said, “The simple step of a courageous individual is not to take part in the lie.”

What does a nation owe a man who not only has the courage to tell the truth with poetic delicacy but also refuses to take part in a Great Lie, come hell or high water?

Journalist Biruk Endale resigns over censorship of Teddy Afro Interview 

*** A few days ago, Biruk Endale, a journalist at “state owned Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) for the past four years” resigned in protest against censorship of his interview with Teddy Afro. In his single sentence resignation letter, Biruk stated, “Due to recent controversies [censorship involving my Teddy Afro interview scheduled to air], I no longer have the moral justification to continue in my job [with state media] and forthwith voluntarily resign my position.”***

Translation note: I admit my translation herein is imperfect, to say the least. I do not even pretend to capture Tewdros’ sheer poetic eloquence, brilliant diction, depth of ideas, powerful expressivity, unquestioned command of the language, razor-sharp wit, captivating vivacity and mesmerizing oratorical prowess. But I make a sincere effort, to the best of my ability, to present his views with as much fidelity to his words and what I sincerely believe to be his intentions. Any errors in translations are exclusively my own.

Below are translations of the lyrics to the title song “Ethiopia” and the interview. 

The 14-track “Ethiopia” album is available for digital download for the incredibly low price of USD$10 HERE.

==================

“Ethiopia”

Even if I pass [die] away
My motherland [Ethiopia]
She [remains] is my honor
Indeed, [she is] my [mother] country.

So many have died
Guarding your [her] honor
Against those who have crossed seas
To dishonor you [her].

You are the land of heroes
[Land] Where Adam left his footprints
The fountainhead of Ghion [river  mentioned in Ch. 2, Genesis]
[From where] your name is called out.

Not only those who see your flag waving in the sky
Even those who hear the name “Ethiopia” [dare] keep quiet
Not only those who see your flag waving in the sky
Even those who hear the name “Ethiopia” [dare] keep quiet.

With your rainbow [shining]
The sky draped with your flag
Your symbol is imprinted on the palm of the world
And known [even] to Aryam [Ge’ez: sky above all skies, heaven].

Mountain [ranges] of high peaks
Have stood guard over you
[From] The peak of mountains
That citadel of Axum, Ethiopia.

You are the gate to Creation
The [beginning] chapter for the round world
If [rainbow] colors are seen across the sky
It is hers [Ethiopia’s] and no one else’s.

Even though the world calls her [Ethiopia] backward today
She will be the front runner of the coming age
Just let me repeat her name over and over
Isn’t Ethiopia my own name?

If there is less food [injera] on the table [Ethiopia is poor]
Is it possible to trade one’s [poor] mother for anything else
I will hold tight on her skirt
And never give up hope in my mother.

Before [I] finish paying her [Ethiopia] for all her favors
Should not people say [shout out] “Unity” when they hear [the name] Ethiopia
Ethiopia! Ethiopia! My country!
Isn’t my honor because of you?

You are the seed  of Solomon
Tears of the holy ones from which your leaf sprouted
It should be nothing new [not be surprised] today to those
Who touched [provoked] you to be burned by the fire they lit.

Without any limitation to your glory
In the book of your heritage with the history of the spirit of the ages [written]
The prophets saw you from afar and wrote in their books:
“Don’t touch Ethiopia!”

In the north
In the south
In the east and in the west
May your bounty be full!

Begone hardship [misery] from the land [Ethiopia]
Let your bounty be full!
Begone hardship [misery] from your land [Ethiopia]
Let your bounty be full!

=====================
Teddy Afro: Prophet for a new Ethiopian generation? Or Philosopher-poet?

First things first. I am Teddy Afro’s #1 fan! No questions about that! I will arm wrestle anyone, anywhere who says otherwise.

I watched Teddy Afro for the first time at the Proud Bird in Los Angeles in 2010 during his triumphant “Love Conquers All” world tour.

I talked about that experience in my commentary, “Proud Teddy at the Proud Bird in L.A.”:

I have listened to Teddy Afro on CD and viewed his Youtube videos countless times. His voice, his message and powerful lyrics and his melodies have moved me, rocked me, soothed me and lifted me up when I was down. But there is nothing that compares to watching this young musical genius live. The difference between watching Teddy live and listening to him on CD/Youtube is the difference between listening to gospel music on the radio and singing it in the choir with the preacher directing. The Proud Bird concert was a quasi-spiritual experience, almost like being at an old time southern Baptist revival. His audience was not only passionately and emotionally involved with the lyrics and melodies, they were spiritually bonded to him with some invisible gravitational force. There was not a single person at the concert who was not movin’, swingin’, rockin’ and rollin’ and groovin’.

Seven years ago, Teddy taught us how love conquers all and how Jah, Yasteseryal (God forgives, reconciles if we atone, Leviticus 16:6; 11; 24!)

In 2017, Teddy takes us to new heights, Ethiopiawinet.

INTERVIEW

Elias Meseret of Ethio Newsflash: First, tell us about your new album. What sorts of issues does it encompass?

Teddy: [The main thing is] to save Ethiopiawinet from danger. That is the big foundation [for the album]. The reason I decided to make this album, or the thing that encouraged me to contemplate on this [Ethiopiawinet] is [the belief] that above all else, our Ethiopian unity is an essential [most important] thing. [I have] labored many years on [to produce] this album on Ethiopiawinet.

As is well-known now, instead of organizing around ideas, they are organizing around ethnicity. To dwell on things that have happened in the past [historical grievances] [exposes] us to grave danger. So above all else [the foundation for the album] is [the realization] that it is important to save Ethiopiawinet. Such was the aim when the album was made.

Elias: How many copies of the album were sold?

I do not know how many copies are sold. Only the publishers of the album can answer that question. But the fact that it has been extraordinary [in terms of popularity and distribution] is something, I think, everybody can see. I know during the first run, there were some 600 thousand copies [of the album] pressed. But I don’t know anything about how many other copies were made beyond that.

Elias: Did you expect the kind of extraordinary popularity [reception] the album got?

Teddy: Most of the time, the reward [for creative work] is the happiness you get from the work you have done.  After that, when your effort becomes successful, that also gives you much happiness. But I never imagined it could be as  [massively] popular as it has.

Elias: Some of the songs on the album focus on Ethiopia’s historic leaders. What was the reason that necessitated that?

Teddy: A country stands because of the sacrifices and contributions of patriotic individuals and other elements of society. As is well-known, Ethiopiawinet is the emblem of living free. It is a symbol of freedom for many people who never experienced freedom [implied reference to colonial Africa]. It is necessary to have a great leader like Menelik [Emperor Menelik II (1844-1913)].  It is impossible to say [today] if we can talk about a country we call Ethiopia without [the sacrifices and contributions] of great kings like Atse Haile Selassie [Emperor Haileselassie I, (1892-1975)] who [toiled] from the time of the League of Nations [estab. 1919], and the kinds of contributions and great deeds they did for the country gaining acceptance for [Ethiopia] throughout the world. Without their efforts, it is impossible to say the country we call Ethiopia could exist [today].

Regardless, to the extent kings stand for their people, [they and] those who serve under them [offer] a big window that enables us to see the contributions of the people who were standing in the vanguard [defending the country]. Therefore, first, if we do not give proper respect for historical figures [leaders] and symbols, the next generation will not have anything to inspire them.

Secondly, over the past so many years, Ethiopian history, the feeling of national identity has faced extreme challenges in various ways. So to strengthen [national identity and unity] and to bridge the gap, it is necessary to have a generational movement [of Ethiopiawinet]. As I am a member of this generation, I tried to do that [in my album].

As is well-known, Atse Tewdros, at one point during the rule of princes, when Ethiopia was divided up by ethnic leaders and warlords, began with a dream of uniting Ethiopia. He faced great difficulties not only from outside but also inside. He was a great hero who fell [in battle fighting those trying to colonize Ethiopia.] [Unlike] any time in the past, I believe the spirit of Tewdros [unity] is necessary today. Our thinking must be as great [wide] as our country. That is the reason we have to think of a united country. We are all born in the same country [Ethiopia]. We all live in the same country [Ethiopia]. It is to point out this fact, that I undertook my efforts around the album.

This [concern for Ethiopian unity] is not just based on my belief, it is based on the objective situation. No one can say they are apolitical [uninvolved]. Secondly, to raise political issues should not be regarded as a sin. Since all of us are going on the same journey, [and face similar] economic, social and political issues, it concerns all of us. To focus around these issues and to get involved is a [civic] culture that needs to be accepted [nurtured] and encouraged. That is what I believe. It is from this perspective that I made the album. The depth and the focus [with which I have addressed] the issues is detailed in the album. It is difficult to mention all of them [issues]. That is the situation now [how it is].

Elias: Some people say Teddy Afro’s music is focused on certain segments of the [Ethiopian] population. Others say, he does not properly understand Ethiopian history. What is your view on this?

Teddy: For all of us, Ethiopia is our manifestation. There is a segment that chafes [does not accept] against [the idea] of Ethiopiawinet. It is necessary to accept this truth. It is not possible to make everybody happy. One has to assess which one is the valuable and practical way out [solution] and focus on what one believes is right and proceed forward.

Therefore, there may be different types of positions [views] taken on [Ethiopiawinet].  As you can see, everybody who has Ethiopiawinet inside them, [will forever] have it in them. That can never be lost. It is as deep as religion. Ethiopiawinet has a delicate mystery to itself. It has a very deep foundation.

When we can agree on so many good things, it is not useful to dwell on the deficient things we have done together. I have a young son. He is 4 years-old. This child, if I ask him to tell me about love or hate, he will tell me about love. If I ask your son which he prefers between unity and division, he will tell you unity is better. This question that little children can answer, [it escapes] those of us who are older adults. We have reached a point where we [prefer to] focus on things we disagree on [divide us]. This is how the journey of many young people has been obstructed. This is also the pressure of the older generation. But our forefathers were people who were far better than what we have [become]. That is why my work focused on them. It is a natural right of everyone to express their views. Even though it is not possible to make everyone happy, I have tried to present things that will promote general understanding [unity] of all people [of Ethiopia].

Elias: You have said that you have been inspired by Bob Marley and other artists to deliver a political message.

Teddy: All of us have our inspirational foundation. Musically, [artists] like Bob Marley in Reggae, others like Tilahun [Gessesse], Mahmoud [Ahmed], Alemayheu Eshete, [left their legacies]; but their taped music is what we have [left]. That is how the [previous generation of artists] have done it passing it on to the next one. Other than that, based on my ability and the talent I have and efforts I make, I try to work hard and strive to reach a good result. Beyond that, for me to say I have achieved this or that [is not appropriate];  it is better for others to speak of what I have done. I don’t feel comfortable talking about. All I can do is do what I know [best] and keep moving forward.

Elias: Do you have any plans to get involved in Ethiopian politics in the future?

Teddy: It is better for us [me] to do what we [I] do best. We will see what happens in the future when we get there.

Elias: What would you say were the problems you faced when making the “Ethiopia” album?

Teddy: Even though it cannot be said that the [album] was completed in a short time, it took two years to complete the studio work. Before that, I had to prepare the melody and lyrics at home. I used to work every day.  The major problems I had were sleeplessness and having proper diet. Other than that, I finished it in a very good way. I finished in a happy way.

Elias: Do you have any short-term plans to have concerts inside or outside the country?

Teddy: It is possible in the future, but now it is necessary [for me] to step away and take a rest. Adequate rest. After that, to get ready for a [concert], it is necessary to do some studying [preparation]. As you know, members of our band live abroad. After they get here, they will need a minimum of one month preparation. With proper preparation, even with better preparation than before, we have plans to elevate the performance level. And this requires some time.

Elias: Do you have any concerns that any concerts you may have could be endangered [stopped] by [arbitrary] government action?

Teddy: When such things [public concerts disallowed by arbitrary official actions] happen to you, you get used to it. You learn to balance emotions. But it is inappropriate to disallow concerts. It is not proper to disallow concerts without a good reason. Those authorities who are responsible for such things should consider this [arbitrary denial of permits for concerts.] As a citizen, as a human being, it is proper for us to present our music [to the public] just like any other ordinary musician. It is proper for us to be given permission [to have a concert]. [It should be noted] we have not apologized for any concert denials of previous requests we have made. We suffered a lot of financial losses, material harm [from the denials]. This is not a proper thing to do. I believe this needs to be improved.

Elias: Finally, what things do you wish for Ethiopian people in terms of social and economic matters?

Teddy: Above all things, there has been an enormous inter-generational price paid [to have] one country, one people. Particularly, the price paid by our fathers is not something that can be mentioned lightly. They were extraordinarily decent people. They had a broad and complex understanding of things. They had a high level of understanding. They had intellectual capacity that challenged those who lived in the most civilized countries. They are not just war heroes who defeated the enemy. They challenged the international forums [League of Nations appears to be implied]. They stood for truth and strove to implement the principles [appears to refer to the Covenant of the League of Nations, 1919]. They were such decent people [who believed in the rule of law]. They challenged and scrutinized [the Westerners] them to the core [on the issue of rule of law].

So, living in a country where such great people are not honored, it is not possible to have a generation like them to be born. While drowning in [foreign] debt, we cannot secure a country. This is what I believe to be a national problem for all of us. Which way are the youth going? Who is showing them the way?

Therefore, the first task is to save our country. That takes priority over all things. All things have a process about how things come one after the other. The first thing is we have to save Ethiopiawinet. If we do not save Ethiopiawinet, it is impossible to create a country where anyone can live [all is lost].

To bring about economic change, the people have to unite. [We] had a united force that was brought together to fight [and defeat] the [Italian] enemy at the Battle of Adwa [1896]. It is  just as possible to put such a united force together now for purposes of development [to defeat poverty]. And this is the way to follow as well. So there are such deficiencies in the way things are done [today].

Second, [Ethiopian] young people want to be educated and change and improve themselves. Young people need someone who can show them the way. It is a tragic generation. It is because we [I am] are members of that generation that we are forced to focus on this problem. What I wish for the future of my country is that Ethiopia becomes a country where her children are united and a country where people who have toiled for their country are honored. When we honor those who have toiled for their country, then it is possible to create a generation that can [itself] create a great country. We should avoid [violent] conflict at all costs, [and take the path] of forgiveness, love and love of country, in unity, for our people who have deep foundation. It is necessary to get ready and mobilize for a long journey.

Ethiopiawinet is very far away [needs great effort to achieve]. It is necessary that the standard of living must improve for all of us. For this purpose, we must all cooperate [and work together]. If we cannot cooperate, if we do not support [respect] our history, if we do not support [uphold] our identity, if we don’t support [come together in] our unity, if we don’t support [practice] tolerance, if we don’t have closeness, how is it possible [for us] to make the long journey [to Ethiopiawinet] together?

People [Ethiopian] who once tried to unite Africa, are today suffering because it [they] cannot unite itself [themselves].

There is an incredible situation. There are those [Ethiopians] who live in the United States of America [today], people who benefitted from living in a society where there is great diversity, they are now preaching [division and hatred] to people in Ethiopia who have barely anything to eat. It may be their right to say it [hateful and divisive things]. But we cannot pass it without telling them the grave danger that can come from what they are saying.

Therefore, we [Ethiopians] want peace. We love our country.

Ethiopiawinet is not how they have presented it, jumbled up color. It is delicately sophisticated. It is valuable [way of life] not only to us but also others. For Ethiopians to be united is not beneficial just for us, our people [unity] also have the potential to benefit [unity] all of Africa. They [Ethiopians] are paralyzed [today]. To save them, I believe, is my obligation, your obligation and everyone else’s obligation [to promote and defend Ethiopiawinet].

Thank you very much.

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God bless Ethiopiawinet and Ethiopia!!!

God bless Tewdros “The Ethiopian Lion” Kassahun!

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