Dr Abiy Ahmed’s audacious move to rehabilitate perpetrator of genocide

By Berhane Kahsay
Tigrai Online, August 8, 2018

It is astonishing how Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ahmed goes out of his way to make provocative and debasing annotations related to Tigrians in general and the TPLF in particular. At every opportunity, he devalues the role played by the TPLF in elevating the socio-economic status of Ethiopia in Africa and beyond. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is simply a power hungry demagogue who wastes a great deal of his time denying the multi-sector feats in Ethiopia under the guidance of the TPLF which the international community unanimously acknowledged.

Just to cite a snippet, the UK based broad-sheet newspaper, The Telegraph, in its edition of 2 August 2018, reported that male life expectancy in Ethiopia has increased from 49 in 1992 to 66 which is far higher than ‘’Stockton (UK) and South Dakota (US).’’ Augmentation in life expectancy is clearly linked to economic growth and provision of universal health care which Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is refusing to appreciate simply because he wants to enchant the nemeses of the great TPLF.

Clearly, over the last 27 years, a lot has been done in Ethiopia, but instead of recognising the hard won achievements, the leader of the EPRDF has decreed the booming years as the ‘darkest periods’ in the history of the country. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has made it his mission to sully TPLF’s contributions in making Ethiopia the success story of sub-Sahara Africa. He even said the Derg collapsed because of its inner weaknesses and not as a result of the TPLF’s strategic vision, military tactics, farsighted leadership and waging scientific warfare. The Premier must gulp the truth ,and accept that the military junta that was equipped with the latest armaments and supported by East Germany and USSR, was cut down to size by none other than the organisation he laboured to fragment but humiliatingly flopped.  

Dr Abiy Ahmed failed to protect the constitutional rights of Tigrians living in Amhara and Oromia regions, and yet, he expects them to be part of the divisive and dangerous changes he is peddling in cahoots with their mortal enemies. He assumed power by violating the constitution and still continues to show scant respect to the supreme law of the land. The recent invasion of the sovereign territory of Ethio-Somalia to remove the regional President without following the due process was simply a confirmation of Dr Abiy Ahmed’s modus operandi. Tigrai condemned the action; it is now time for the other regional administrations to flex their muscles to ensure that the sanctity of the constitution that has made it possible for them to determine their destiny remains intact.  

Since the coming of the EPRDF, Ethio-Somalis have shown pride in associating themselves with the Ethiopian flag which was not the case under previous regimes. Ethiopians ought to be mindful of the glaring fact that, if it was not for Ethio-Somalis, the African metropolis, Addis Ababa, would have suffered more than Kenya at the hands of the merciless Al-Shebab. What transpired in Jigjig lately, however, could change the prevailing dynamics and may create an opening for the terror outfit.

Djibouti, Somaliland and proper Somalia are likely to stand on the side of their kin as they did during the border clashes with Oromia. Ethiopia uses the ports of Djibouti and Somaliland for its import and export transactions. Strained links with these sea outlet owners, can seriously affect Ethiopia’s economy which is in a dire shape at the present moment. Even the route to Assab is not safe. Djiboutian-Somalis control several Afar lands placing them in perfect position to curtail free movement of goods-vehicles to and fro the Eritrean port.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s main reasons for wanting to remove Abdi Mohamoud Omar may be to do with the border clashes with Oromia, his close connection with the TPLF and not subscribing to the brand of politics the Ethiopian reader is currently espousing. Same measures were also taken against ANDM and SNNP members perceived to be on the side of the organisation that fought for 17 years and established a federal system that paved the path for Dr Abiy Ahmed to be the Prime Minister. He even allowed G-7, which called for the elimination of Tigrians, to enter the country before its weapons cache stockpiled in Amhara region were decommissioned. Similarly, OLF, another Isaias puppet, is still in possession of its arms which were recently used in Wollega and Bale with devastating effects. Time would tell if these terror groups would graciously accept the outcome of the next general election and move on or take the law into their own hands and plunge the country into insoluble crisis.       

It has been reported lately that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is preparing the ground for the butcher Mengistu Haile Mariam to return home notwithstanding the heinous crimes he committed against the Tigrian people. The previous Prime Minister, who was in Zimbabwe as an election observer, had his picture taken with the murderer which he would not have done without a prior clearance from Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.   

It is amazing how far the Prime Minister is prepared to move to display his utter contempt for the TPLF and the Tigrian people who suffered the most at the hands of the assassin. It is simply unforgivable to consider pardoning the engineer of the 1983-85 famine which triggered the fatalities of 300,000 to 500,000 people (http://wiki.ieg--mainz.de). Moreover, the head of the military junta was responsible for the involuntary resettlements of Tigrians in Southern Ethiopia causing 50,000 additional deaths as a result of ‘’illnesses, lack of food, shelter and water.’’ (https://sites.tufts.edu/atrocityendings/2015). This was the Derg’s counterinsurgency strategy of ’’ draining the sea to catch the fish’’ which of course failed to halt the advancement of the TPLF to capture the capital after completely annihilating the fascist regime.

Any decent leader would have requested for Mengistu’s repatriation to Ethiopia to complete his sentence or call for his referral to The Hague’s International Criminal Court to be indicted for war crimes and genocide like--- the Serbian leaders---- General Krstic, Karadzic and Milosevic. Many atrocities have been committed by the Derg, but the massacre in Hawzen alone, where 2,500 innocent people were massacred in a single day falls within The UN’s definition of genocide.     

After all the suffering, TPLF achieved a unique victory because it had the complete support of the Tigrian people. TPLF still enjoys mass backing as evidenced by the recent public display in Mekelle and other parts of the region. Any move to place a wedge between the TPLF and the Tigrian people would not work, and the novice politician, who is still learning the ropes, should instead focus on the economy, security and the vile Amhara and Oromo extremists. TigraiFirst!!!!

Advertisement