Ethiopians unwanted in Ethiopia, hard to believe but true!
No, this time, the scandal is not about the border issue. But it is about something no less than that. It is about the discrimination of Ethiopians by own government.
First, I would like to make clear that I am not writing my comments representing a political party or with a sole purpose of being against the government of Ethiopia. What initiated me to do this is my personal bitter experience in Germany and based on that I would like to say something about the discrimination the government of Ethiopia is committing against its own citizens. And I hope I wont get misunderstood for the release of these comments at the time when we all are celebrating our millennium. I have in no way the intention to bring about a damping mood to this important event. On the contrary, I found it necessary to tell the government and its sycophants that things are not as good as they propagate under the cover of the millennium celebration. As a concerned Ethiopian, I believe, I also have the personal obligation to witness and expose the government orchestrated lies, at least from the country where I am living.
The news about the discriminatory practices by Ethiopian Airlines
on Ethiopian passengers at the Bahir Dar airport (www.ethiopiafirst.com/news/monthly/2007/Mar1-30-2007.html)
(www.theethiopianamerican.com/read.php?article=1&module=law) was offending and embarrassing enough. Unfortunately, however, I have to add a big piece on it. This time it is not a certain company practicing discrimination, but the Ethiopian government itself.
Before telling you more about the secret and dark deeds of this government, let me draw your attention to some points on how Ethiopians in Germany are currently being fooled with empty promises “to join hands with the government for a better Ethiopia”:
I have read the news at WIC (www.waltainfo.com/EnNews/2007/Jul/31Jul07/33578.htm) about the workshop entitled “Millenium Development Goals and the Contribution of Ethiopians Educated in Germany” and the speech of the German ambassador to Ethiopia, Dr. Claas Knoop in relation to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), particularly his view and recommendation on Ethiopians who are educated in Germany to do their level best to assist their country meet the Millennium development Goals, etc.. The ambassador advised the Association of Ethiopians in Germany: “if the association is interested in working with in the [Ethiopian] government system, …the government has successful MDG-related policies”, and so on.
I have also followed the interview with Mr. Kassahun Ayele, Ethiopian ambassador to Germany at “Ethiopians Forum for Political Civility” (www.aigaforum.com/EthiopiansforumforPoliticalcivility/civility.htm). One would think at the first impression, what a positive and pleasing interview!. One would really feel as if Ethiopians and Germans of Ethiopian origin are being more than motivated to support their country, especially those educated seem to be urgently needed, according to Mr. Kassahun.
The reality, however, is the other way round. Both the Ethiopian ambassador to Germany and the German ambassador to Ethiopia should either be naïve, just doing the job for the sake of money and they lack sufficient information on important issues pertaining to both countries and have no insight into cooperation networks with the numerous organisations in both countries, or they are simply fooling us. Let me tell the ambassadors, particularly the Ethiopian that his assertion in relation to gaining closer relationship and cooperation with educated Ethiopians in Germany is nothing but hypocritical. That is, his explanations were not reflecting the true situation of Ethiopians in Germany and he was simply showing his office at its best. Do the ambassadors know Ethiopians are being discriminated by their own Ethiopian government, the government claiming to transform the country into a lower-middle-income country in 20 years by also calling home and reintegrating educated Diaspora Ethiopians in the development process? What is the answer going to be? Who knows, perhaps they might tell us they are innocent and knew nothing about it. Or, perhaps they might tell us unconscionably, they were of course part and parcel of the secret agreement between the Ethiopian government and German organisation, knew about the discrimination already and stand for it, because, this is the way it should be.
Here is the disgusting story:
I do not know how things look like in other countries, but I can tell you what is going on in Germany right now. As you may already know, a number of German organisations are present in Ethiopia, as direct investors, consulting firms, NGOs, etc. The DED-German Development Service and the GTZ (German international enterprise for technical cooperation) are counted among the most famous ones. The DED and the GTZ are partners of the government of Ethiopia under the so called capacity building program and they, among other things, hire qualified people to work in Ethiopia.
I believe, cooperation with these organisations is welcome, but we must strongly denounce it, if it happens by discriminating Ethiopians and through disgraceful secret agreements.
What really happened: a number of Ethiopians (no TPLF/EPRDF, no KINIGIT) asked the DED several times as to why job applications of professional Ethiopians and Germans of Ethiopian origin have always been rejected for since years and are still being rejected. To our utter astonishment, the answer we got from the responsible person, Mrs. Ratke was an extremely embarrassing one:
“your government wants us to exclude you from the choice, even if you posses a German degree or whatever qualification. We are told to send only native Germans”.
All we thought was, this can not be true! To us the value of Ethiopian professionals is by far higher than that of those from a foreign country. It is us Ethiopians who can speak the language and communicate with our farmers and students better and more effectively. It is us educated in Europe who know both the Ethiopian and European cultures. In short, it is us, not the foreigners, who posses the important human capital for the development of our homeland. Why should we be discriminated and our contribution to the development of our country underestimated? After the devastating experience and hoping to get a some how satisfactory answer, some Ethiopians including MBAs and PhDs went to the German Labour Office and asked the responsible person to seek clarification from the DED’s Frau Ratke on why Ethiopians are not welcome to work in their country Ethiopia. He got the same humiliating answer from her:
“I am very sorry, but I have to tell you that their government wants us to send them only native Germans and the irony is that, the Ethiopian government could not still get the people it demanded. The vacancies are still out there in our website and almost no native German is interested in these jobs. Most applications we get are from Ethiopian professionals and I regret to say that we have to reject them. I can’t help it, sorry! ”.
Totally disappointed and perplexed, the man from the labour office tried to inform the German ambassador to Ethiopia immediately about the bizarre action being taken in the name of German Development service. Of course, as some one who has almost nothing to do with issues related to Ethiopia, he knew nothing about the speech of his ambassador I mentioned above. He made a direct call to the German embassy in Addis Ababa a couple of times, but nobody could answer, though the line was functioning.
In the case of the bigger partner of the Ethiopian government, the GTZ, things are done differently and a bit smarter. But in the end, the same thing is happening to Ethiopians educated in Germany. After doing the same inquiries at the GTZ, the person in charge for job exports to Ethiopia, Mrs. Schneider insisted, as opposed to the DED, there is no discrimination against Ethiopians. The fact is, however, job applications of Ethiopians and Germans of Ethiopian origin are being rejected by the GTZ as well. We believe, here too, the government of Ethiopia is behind it.
We are shocked! We are extremely humiliated and dashed to the ground by our government!
This is not a fictitious story and I advise everybody having doubt on this to contact Mrs. Ratke personally and convince himself. Just make a call or write her.
Here is the full address:
Deutscher
Entwicklungsdienst
Frau Ratke
Tulpenfeld 7
53113 Bonn
Germany
Tel.: 0049 (0) 228
- 24 34 -255
http://www.ded.de
The answer you will get will be disastrous. Educated Ethiopians are simply unwanted in Ethiopia.
For those of you who would like to contact the GTZ, the address is as follows:
Deutsche
Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit GmbH
Frau Monika Schneider
Dag-Hammarskjöld-Weg
1-5
65760 Eschborn
Germany
Tel.: +49 61 96 79-3322
Fax: +49 61 96 79-803322
e-mail:
monika.scheider@gtz.de
http://www.gtz.de
In the name of all those affected by the embarrassing discriminatory action taken by the Ethiopian government against its own professionals and educated citizens, I hereby pose my request to the Ethiopian government and his minister for capacity building, Tefera Walwa:
why did you make this shameful secret agreement to exclude Ethiopians and German citizens of Ethiopian origin living in Germany from participating in their country’s development? How long are you going to depend on foreign aid whereas your educated people are longing for the opportunity to work in and for their country? What is the reason that made you neglect your own people?
A German colleague asked me recently, whether time has not come after so many years of work and higher education in Germany to go back home and help my country? I had to tell him the above story and I got, at least from him, some explanation on the problem:
“I could imagine that your government doesn’t want to have you back home, because, as professionals and educated people, you are a potential danger to it and it would be safer for them to keep you offshore”.
From the Ethiopian minister for “capacity building”(how paradoxical), however, I don’t expect to get an adequate answer. I rather urge him to stop this scandal immediately and let the educated Ethiopians get an appropriate place at home.
I also urge every Ethiopian in the USA, Europe, Australia, etc. to examine the hidden activities of the Ethiopian government in his/her country of stay. Unmask and denounce them.
I wish to all of us a joyous and peaceful millennium celebration.
Sincerely
Gebriye Tesfaye (09/05/07)