Futility of ESAT’s ‘’Ethiopia and Horn of Africa Conference’’

By Berhane Kahsay
Tigrai Online, May 21, 2015

Futility of ESAT to host Ethiopia and Horn of Africa Conference in Washington DC.

The Eritrean satellite television, ESAT, hosted two days conference on ‘’Ethiopia and Horn of Africa ’’ in Washington last week, and the usual Amhara centric old farts were invited to present their old and outdated politics that was conclusively rejected by the Ethiopian people over two decades ago. The bulky and die-hard Shabyia, Sofia Tesfamariam, was also among the attendees as the conference was sponsored by the psychopath Eritrean leader who has denied his own people basic human rights but is teaming up with geriatric Diaspora politicians of yesteryears to destabilise Ethiopia and sabotage its economic and political successes of the last twenty-three years. It is beyond comprehension how these people can rub shoulders with an absolute dictator who bombed Ayder elementary school in Mekelle in June 1998 killing 48 people including 10 children under the age of 15.

Alongside Sofia was the Derg cadre, Dr Messay Kebede, who was advocating mass upheaval similar to what to took place in Libya, Yemen and Syria as he has come to the conclusion that the EPRDF could not be defeated by the opposition in a free and fair political contest. For monetary gains, the good doctor appears to be willing to toil for the Kim Jong- un of East Africa who is ruling his own people with utmost cruelty after having endured thirty years of hard struggle for ‘’liberation.’’

Dr Messay has been intensely crying out for the removal of a democratically elected government unconstitutionally and this is contrary to what Ms Sherman, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, stated during her recent visit to Ethiopia. It is possible this man could get into trouble with the US administration for conspiring against its staunch ally in the Horn of Africa, and he would be mistaken to expect exoneration by citing his age induced senile dementia.

In any case, why should the Ethiopian people heed to Dr Messay’s call for a revolt against a government that has invested huge amounts of money on education, health and infrastructure including city light railway transport for the first time in the history of the country?  Dr Messay should get it into his head that Ethiopia is not a ‘’banana republic’’ and the conditions that caused the demise of autocratic leaders in the Arab world don’t exist in the Horn nation. It is simply   cowardice to sit in the US and entice the youth to die for him in order to quench his lust for power. If he has the courage, the doctor should abandon his comfortable life in the Diaspora and lead the insurrection he is calling for, and see how far he would go.      

Dr Getachew Begashaw, another disloyal and unpatriotic dead wood, was also in attendance re-gurgitating his ethno-centric political views that were dead and buried with the military junta. These so-called PhDs have no credible alternatives and they are simply coming together to fulfil their master’s wish of creating pandemonium and blood –shed in Ethiopia by propagating hate politics.  Semayawi has been assigned to perform this task and for its efforts it has received over 80,000,000 birr. To swell the party’s ranks, Islamists have been drafted in by the First Hijra Foundation President Hajji Najib Mohammed who resides in the US and was among the participants of the conference.

Anuradha Mittal of Oakland Institute was also present in the Shabiya sponsored conference to give her support to administration change in Ethiopia by using violence. Many Ethiopians have previously questioned her impartiality but it has now become pretty obvious that she has been actively meddling in Ethiopian politics by raising the non-existent ‘’land grab’’ issue as a camouflage. It is, therefore, fairly legitimate to deduce that Oakland Institute is receiving financial backing from the Eritrean dictator for executing his sinister agendas in Ethiopia. Surprisingly, Human Rights Watch, International Rivers and Amnesty International were not present in the conference of futility.

Throughout the conference the leader of Ginbot-7, Dr Berhanu Nega, appeared to be subdued and this could be due to the fall of his deputy into the hands of the Ethiopian government.  One can tell from his body language that he was forced by Esayass to organise the ‘’Ethiopia and Horn of Africa’’ meeting in order to give the impression that he was still alive and kicking.  It was very embarrassing to hear him inform the audience that after all these years he has not been able to form a front with other opposition groups that he wants to use to dislodge the fearsome EPRDF which smashed Shabiya’s military prowess beyond revival. The interesting thing was that while the futile conference was taking place in Washington, the Ethiopian Prime Minister was inaugurating Industrial Parks throughout the country constructed with an outlay of $10 billion.

Economic development is set to continue as the EPRDF is expected to receive a further five years mandate from the electorates, but it is hoped that this time around some of the opposition party would reduce the party’s overall majority by making it to parliament. Considering the quality of the current political challengers, it would be very difficult to envisage the EPRDF losing an open and competitive election to the opposition.  In the meantime, the camel will keep on marching, while the   ageing dogs bark until they gasp for air.