By Kidus Dawit
Tigrai Onlne - May 16, 2014
Recently we have heard about a disappointing and shameful incident. That is members of the self-proclaimed “Zone 9”, six people and three freelance “journalists”, have been put under arrest by the federal police under the suspicion of working with foreign organizations that claim to be human rights activists and receiving finance to incite public violence through social media.
48 hours after the homes of the suspected individuals were searched; they were brought to federal first instance court. However, the ones behind this; the pseudo human right organizations which are preparing themselves to incite color revolution in our country, some Face book activists and very few extremists in the Diaspora, have been seen trying to divert the situation to another direction, in order to get some petty personal political expediency and to confuse the public.
We have heard and seen the main culprits behind this incident; like ‘Article 19’, Egypt and Eritrea shouting out-of-proportion on the arrests of the bloggers and independent “journalists”.
Although, the wishes of Egypt and its personal lackey Eritrea is to create permanent chaos so that there will be instability in our country, its known that ‘Article 19’ is a neo-liberal extremist organization for hire, created for the sole reason of overthrowing democratically elected governments from various countries by plotting various schemes and color revolutions through its own local lackeys.
Before I tell you dear readers, from what I have heard, about the situation of the self-proclaimed ‘Zone 9’ and former “ journalists” of the private press, I believe it’s important to look into the personalities of their ‘Godfathers’ and proponents – as the saying ‘knowing thy father is knowing the son’.
This is because the color revolution campaign carried out in other countries by ‘Article 19’ and its likes is similar to the one that’s been stopped in its budding stage in our country.
Information show that ‘Article 19’ was the main culprit in instigating color revolution in Ukraine. According to the American Nikolai Bobkin of the “Strategic-culture.org”, many NGOs including the England-based ‘Article 19’ have tried to involve Ukrainian experts and elite into their activities while discussions and seminars are used to collect information on the country, its politics, military potential, economy, as well as religious and social life. Then the data is sent to corresponding centers of information processing and analysis in the USA.
In this work, institutions known for their color revolution pedigree and incite bloodshed within foreigners like ‘Article 19’, national Democratic Institute (NDI)’, ‘International Republican Institute (NRI)’, and ‘National Endowment for Democracy (NED) are made to join the soiree. After the data are analyzed, the US embassy in Ukraine is actively involved in the process of external funding or grants distribution needed for the color revolution.
So, I think the readers of this article know what followed next. This is because, many people are well aware of the mess created in Ukraine by these color revolutionaries.
Nevertheless, I think the neo-liberal extremists even themselves understands that the color revolution model is not working as seen in Ukraine – as the recent statement made by the blogger Anne Applebaum “Ukraine shows the color revolution model is dead” suggests.
All in all, the likes of ‘Article 19’ did not cease from setting up unpatriotic “bloggers” who made them through their own spit image, independent “journalists” and some local opposition parties for color revolution.
In fact this same organization was asking for the release of the people that got involved in a death struggle to block the secession of Crimea (which now is part of Russia), and in releasing confusing reports to their people, at the expense of the country’s people well being.
Out of these independent journalists and activists and bloggers and photographs Alexi Gresnko, Sergei Suprin, Natalia Lucanchesko, Andriy Shekun, Antony Kovalski, Elena MAximenko, Oles Kromplas, Alexandra Rayazantsva and Katriana Butkon are to name a few.
And as this reality was taking place at the eve of the Crimean referendum, this shows ‘Article 19’ fictional ‘I stand for journalists’ freedom’ job description written in the webpage is all fiction.
I don’t think it can be asked why these neo-liberal extremists do all these at the expense of the blood of the people. This is because they don’t have an iota of compassion for the country.
Truth be told, it can be said that, despite some differences seen between the color revolutions of different countries which have to do with their own respective realities in the ground, its general execution is the same. For this, its enough to mention the effort of the likes of ‘Article 19’ to create a conducive environment for color revolution in our country to follow next year’s general election.
As its known, there isn’t a trick left untried by ‘Article 19’and the likes neo-liberal extremist forces to reverse back our country’s all-encompassing development. This ranges from bombarding us with bogus reports up to recruiting local color revolution comrades.
Like it was done in other countries, ‘Article 19’ first act was calling for “journalists” (by recruiting those who are known to have a hatred for the government) and giving them training in Nairobi, in order to use them to confuse the public through the social media.
What I heard was that new so-called Ethiopian journalists association; which has already demonstrated its illegal behavior (inclination) by disregarding the government’s paper on its legality, has received its mission (job description) for its role in the color revolution. I have also heard that the recently suspected 9 individuals also took part in the covert training given by ‘Article 19’.
The other thing that makes this theory solid is the fact one member of ‘Article 19’ was put under custody and deported back by security forces at Bole Airport when he was trying to get into the country by holding various documents under the guise of giving training to these same bloggers, independent “journalists” and the not-legally-recognized journalists association.
Although, the Kenyan Patrick Mutay, who claim to be the institution’s researcher, stated the reason for coming to Ethiopia; which is to take part in two day training session to be held in Debre Zeit, he hasn’t got any kind of permission and legal recognition from any authorities. What’s funny is the documents this man brought with him for the “training”. It can be said that all of the documents are about “security and safety”.
Surely, any reader of this article will raise the question ‘What is security and safety training doing in our country” And it’s a right question. Why? because there’s a guaranteed peace in our country.
Although the safety of a journalist or any other person should be secured even in peaceful environment, with regards to the profession, it can’t be executed by choosing the place and time, and with foreign funding – as there’s nothing threatening with regards to safety and security in Ethiopia.
So, the training should be given in places like Al-Shabaab controlled small areas, Afghanistan or Iraq; but not in our country – as these are countries categorized for having dead and injured journalists. So giving security and safety training for journalists and bloggers who are based in these countries makes more sense.
Truth be told, if ‘Article 19’ is really (concerned) and stands for the right of journalists, the training the institution should be giving in our country was “peace journalism”. But, to insist on giving security and safety training; in our country cannot be anything more than a pretext for carrying its own future objective.
Nevertheless, I believe the main reason why ‘Article 19’ wanted to give this training is plainly obvious. That is, as the institution knows the mission it gave to its employed misfits i.e. the suspected bloggers and “journalists” and the (legally) unrecognized association of extremist journalists, is illegal and incites violence, this act is part of its cover–up.
It also can be said that, based on the institution’s experience as a color revolutionary, its part of its pre-emptive defense mechanism. However, this institution should know that, in any country where rule of law reigns, be it a journalist or a singer, soldier or priest, blogger or musician …. Every citizen should respect the law and rule of their country – as democratic order in any country run supreme only when rule of law is guaranteed.
So, I am saying the institution’s planned conspiracy to incite violence and its “safety and security” training which is aimed at saving suspected criminals is futile as it’s like knocking on the wrong door.
And as any person or entity that knocks on the wrong door end up getting on the wrong house; I suggest to the institution to stop its hollow screams of ‘we ask the Zone 9 blogger and private “journalists” to be immediately released from police custody’, and to be ashamed of its meddling in our country’s internal affairs. This is because everyone easily understands that this is part of the failed neo-liberals tactic.
Here, it’s important to raise the question “Are members of ‘Zone 9’, bloggers or covert employees?” It’s also important to see in parallel, the question “Is it really because there is no freedom of expression in our country; as ‘Article 9’ is claiming, that bloggers and private journalists were put under suspicion?”
Of course telling to the readers of this article about the fact that Ethiopia has enshrined freedom of expression, right to assemble and organize etc … on its constitution and has been executing them for the east 23 years, will be a case of ‘telling the obvious’.
This is because the fact that today there are more than 36 magazines and newspapers (being published), where extremist politician mindlessly blabber about their upbringing, political thinking, their past political associations, their so-called incredible achievement; and the fact that there’s a conducive environment where opposition parties can stage mass demonstration and say whatever they wanted to say is there for all to see.
Just to take a single instance (out of the many). Ato Temesgen Desalegn’s riot–drumming and unlawful writings like “in the name of justice the establishment should be overthrown, those who fear (to riot) should no more, why are you afraid (to incite riot)” are repeatedly put out on the extremist magazine ‘FACT’.
Ethiopia is also a country where even people like professor Mesfin W/Mariam; who at one time when asked by the dictator colonel Mengistu H/Mariam “EPRP are troubling us, what should we do?”, he cruelly answered back by saying “the gun are at your hands, what are you asking to do”, freely sell and distribute his tedious and riot-drumming articles. Lest not forgot he called the same constitution that allowed him this freedom, as “law of the jungle”.
As far as I can understand, Ethiopia is also a country where its (free) medias put out Egypt’s position in a contradicting way to their country’s national interest and where news papers like ‘Afro times’, where they overtly claim to have assembled previously shut down entities (along with their materials_ for their role in inciting violence and riot during election ’97.
What should be noted here is the fact it’s our country’s Broadcast Authority that gave them the legal recognition- and not ‘Article19’. And this fact shows how much our country’s developmental and democratic government cares about freedom of expression and democratic rights, and how hard it works to execute them.
So, in a country like ours, where unlawful acts are carried out in the name of the (free) media, claiming that the blogger and private “journalists” are jailed for exercising their democratic rights and for expressing their views freely, it is disappointing and unacceptable.
It’s not clear for anyone what’s the harm in the police doing its job in bringing individuals suspected for operating covertly, in accordance to its duty of upholding the rule of law - except of course for their masters and their partners.
All in all, ‘Why does the suspected bloggers and freelance “journalists” wanted to operate covertly in a country where permission paper is given for any media professional?’ ‘Why do they choose the dark corner in a country where the light of freedom of expression and democracy are shining brighter by the day?’ and ‘Why are they afraid of seeing the light from their dark corners?’ …
I think the answers to this are obvious. I am inclined to agree with the suggestion that was heard immediately after they were jailed which goes like “they are aligned with ‘Article 19’ and its likes; which works to instigate color revolution at every place it can get its hands on, and also have received money from the Eritrean and Egyptian government”. So, considering this, it’s not surprising and confusing why they choose to operate covertly and under the radar.
what shameful though is the fact that these individuals are so un-patriotic and “Banda” enough that they stood to realize the failed and wet dream of Shabiya, which is to turn Addis Ababa into Baghdad, and to stop the GERD project; which is a project that’s demolishing our age old ‘we can’t do’ attitude and which is also is seen as an eye-candy project by the public, through riot and havoc.
I think it’s a criminal act to make Addis Ababa turn into Ukraine’s Kiev for the sake of money, by working with the likes of ‘Article 19’ Eritrea and Egypt. And I don’t think anyone world want to see our country share the same fate as Ukraine, which is in a mess (ala color revolution).
This is because the country is currently going under fire as a consequence of the color revolution that was instigated in the country, and the likes of ‘Article 19’ are looking sitting idly from afar.
These entities are making their living on the misery of other people, and while they go through difficult times. As far as I can understand any Ethiopian who side with these neo-liberal extremist and enemies of Ethiopia, for the sake of some pocket money, must have a blinded conscious.
Therefore, any Ethiopian that condemns his/her own country to the dark for the sake of money, as that person has defied the bible verse ‘Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?’ he/she can’t be one of us. So, I conclude this article by letting it to the fair people of my country and the concerned and just judicial body of the country.