As I Reacted to Girma Kassa’s

                            Let the Weyane “Bashing” End

Henok G. Amlak, 7/17/08:-
 I have read Girma Kassa’s red titled article that tells what EPRDF should do in order for peace to prevail in Ethiopia.

Girma you failed to include reference page and publication year to the quotations you made to Frederick Douglas and Ralph Waldo Emerson. You should not forget to include the year of publication and possibly the page number of your source. How the hell do we find their books if we want to confirm that these people said what you quoted and you actually read their referred books? So please accept my genuine advice that these things are crucially important by way of showing some respect to your readers, and you’re being serious with what you write about. 

Now back to my comment on the content of your writing.

When you write this, it seems that you were charged with the conviction that EPRDF is an evil and all the other opposition parties are angelic seeking our sympathy. Here is where you drifted from the right path to what you are crying for: reconciliation.

Let us see the four points you proposed to EPRDF so that peace can overflow in Ethiopia:

1. Your point of departure here is that there is no even a grain of democracy in EPRDF governed Ethiopia and all its institutions are undemocratic. No way. Democracy is indeed looming in EPRDF governed Ethiopia, but it still has to be reinforced. The media you mentioned are not void and are quite different from the Derg era. In these media, we watch and listen about economic developments in different sectors: education, agriculture, construction, hydro-electricity and what have you. We listen and watch Ethiopia progressing in various spheres. We listen and watch the culture, value system and aspirations of the nations and nationalities of Ethiopia practised as is stipulated in the Constitution. We see mountains and hills demolished in order to construct tunnels for hydro-electricity and roads. We listen and watch hundreds of Ethiopian farmers making miracle in this country: miracle in the sense that farmers who barely used to feed themselves and their families are now investors with millions of capital. The Ethiopian people do not hear about war, pestilence, forced mass resettlement, red terror and other itchy news.

Regarding the Electoral board, you said it is inefficient. I would not call it that way. It is efficient, but not a perfect, foolproof one. It has accomplished a great job in a country which has been alien to things like democracy, electoral board, and the like. I believe it could have some loopholes, which are being mended through the common effort of the concerned stakeholders: opposing parties. You said that all the contesting opposition parties would boycott in the 2010 general election if it (the electoral board) is not reengineered to suit the need of the opposition parties. As far as I can understand EPRDF and all the other parties have sit together and worked to improve the structure of the board. The recent local election which you labelled as an "embarrassment" went about with the new electoral board in place. What is an embarrassment for me is the way some of the opposition parties preferred to boycott. Once they conceded that they would contest and went some distance, they at the 11th hour declared their boycott. By the way do not forget that there are some opposition parties that took part in the local election and contributed their share in the manifestation of the democratic nature of the election

2. To your second point, I think you seem to lack the appropriate information regarding the long way the government went about to pacify things with these armed elements (OLF, ONLF), or you do not want to acknowledge these peace efforts all. There have been a number of calls by the government for roundtable peace deals with these rebellious groups. There were even arrangement in Europe, Asia, and the USA. But trusting the Eritrean regimes back up and empty promises, they were not ready for such meetings. They just see where the wind blows and go accordingly. As to your claim that they are all "Ethiopians and have equal right as the EPRDF to make their case before the Ethiopian People," I know that is how the Ethiopian government and people believe. But these rebels do not say this so. If OLF and ONLF happen to read your article, I am sure, you will be frowned upon and they will accuse you of misquoting what they have been saying for decades. Are you sure they consider themselves as Ethiopians and like to put their case before the people of Ethiopia? Please verify that part of your assertion.

3. You also mentioned about Ethiopia's withdrawal from Somalia. You are not alone. It is crystal clear what people like you would have said had the government remain lenient and as a result, havoc and anarchy prevail in Addis and other towns, at the hand of the ICU and its Al-Shabab military wing. You would accuse the government of leniency and lack of nationalism. You would pour hundreds of curses on the government for not protecting the sovereignty of the country and the security the people. People like you do not speak out their mind and heart. It is often common for some government opposing people in the Diaspora to see suppressing what they believe should be done but pompously talking that it should not be done. This makes them good examples of hypocrisy and being hypocrites. Otherwise it has been said time and again about Ethiopia's being in Somalia: to respond to the calls of the TFG of Somalia and pre-emptively defend Ethiopia and its people from the day by day advancing threat of the IUC that openly declared war on Ethiopia. Ethiopia is there with the support of the AU, UN and a number of other international organizations. I believe our stay there has taken more time than anticipated, but this is due to the failure of the international community to live up to their promises and pledges. Your plea that Ethiopia has to come out of Somalia unconditionally is highly irresponsible and lacks the least human prudence. For me, Ethiopia has to withdraw its troops after assuring the world community that the IUC would no longer be a threat to the legitimate TFG in Somalia and the people of Ethiopia, and when there is enough peacekeeping force deployed in Somalia.

4. On your case with the Eritrean government. I really do not understand what you mean by the word 'engage' in engage the Eritrean government. It has been the stand of the Ethiopian government that only round table, face to face dialogue is the only solution to do away with the current stalemate between the two countries. Ethiopia has forwarded its possible peace proposal. But the other side has been giving a deaf ear to the face to face dialogue request of the Ethiopian government.  By the way, as you may remember, this has been the position of Ethiopia even before the break out of the war-with the status quo ante on ground in fact. So arrogant was the Eritrean regime that it did not heed the call. Why are you pointing your finger at Ethiopia, then? What is that you are nagging Ethiopia to do other than this? Before and after the war, the words of the Eritrean regime were the same: 'singing' the one and the same 'song' as if there are no alternative 'songs'. 

As to this statement of yours, "It is silly and outrageous to see heavy military build up between brothers who are intermingled and lived together as," I would simply say it is rather your statement that is silly and unwise. How can you forget that the enemy we are dealing with is Shaebya (PFDJ) that has a so unpredictable and mercurial behaviour? Was it not because we hadn’t such a big force the enemy took a safe landing in Badme and other Ethiopian towns and villages? Did we not rebuke the government for not deploying enough regular army on the border areas? We did. How can you then say it is silly of the government of Ethiopia and outrageous to you to see such a military build up between 'brothers' who intermingled and lived together as?

 My brother, contrary to your view, I am of the opinion that the man currently ruling Eritrea will leave no stone unturned to ruin Ethiopia, and is amassing all available military resources to realize this. Thus it is very prudent of the government of Ethiopia to station proportional military force that checks the enemy military manoeuvre from yonder.

Hisu selama lehager

Let’s honestly seek peace for Ethiopa.

ለአገራችን ሰላም ከልባችን እንስራ!

For possible comments, I can be approached at

Jahdanok@yahoo.com