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The Ethiopian government has  effectively transition from being known as a TPLF/EPRDF government   to Prime Minister Meles government. This  change did not come easy.  During the armed struggle days  TPLF/EPRDF  were managed and run as effective organization by a group of leaders so to speak. Although such arrangement continued during the early years, after EPRDF assumed power ,  the obvious difficulty to run a country with such arrangement became evident as time passed. One of the main outcome of the TPLF leaders split  has been that   the Ethiopian government was more looking like a government with a prime minister at the helm and not a group of EPRDF leaders  at the helm! We think this is good but readers are welcome to disagree. Regardless, we hope we all  agree that EPRDF has transformed itself to become  a government and not a guerilla movement unlike EPLF or Isaias Afeworki regime in Eritrea!

Prime minister Meles is set to retire in the coming three years. His legacy as a government head will be remembered for generations to come. We think PM Meles will be remembered more for his contribution as a government head and not as the head of TPLF/EPRDF. We say this for two reasons, first, the history of TPLF is more of the history of the people of Tigrai! Second, PM Meles’s contribution as a government head has achieved a lot  historians can write volume after volume. One such volume may be his government dealing with the Isaias regime in Eritrea. Given all  what has happened so far do you think Prime Minister will be happy to retire from politics without resolving the problem Ethiopia has with the one man regime in Eritrea? Do you agree or disagree the problem Ethiopia has with Eritrea today is significant enough that prime minister Meles has to address while he is in office? In other words, is this a must for PM Meles to resolve if he wants to keep his otherwise magnificent achievement as a government head untarnished? Have Your Say!

The Ethiopian government is about to issue a new Diaspora policy to engage the vast diaspora community around the world. You can read the draft( here). Any policy will become effective and useful if it is derived  based on inputs from those that will be affected by and on expert opinions. We may not be experts but we are for sure beneficiaries. As such what will it take for you as a diaspora to be engaged in your mother country? What would you like to see the policy address? And as a diaspora what will it take for you to move back and contribute your know how and invest your money?  And what is missing from the current draft document that you would like to be included? Have Your say.

In opening this blog, our intention is not to side track you from the main task at hand-defeating poverty and building the Hedase Dam! It is not our intention to remind you of your old wounds and fresh hurts! It is not our intention to remind you to point fingers and devoid you of a forgiving heart that you have towards the derge! Our intention is simply to give you a venue to air your grievances, anger and even “ululeta”. We have received many requests to open the blog and have received many comments about the recent release of the derge functionaries. We cannot post them all but you can! Have your say, just for the record, that derge victims were not forgotten on the day the criminals were let go free so to speak!

The one man regime in Eritrea has been a thorn in the flesh for all the Horn countries for over a decade. Every country in the horn has been victimized by the regime at one time or another. In the case of Ethiopia, ever since the regime’s costly defeat during the war of 1998-2000, it has been engaged in covert action to derail Ethiopia’s peace. The regime is the primarily sponsor of the terrorist wings of the ONLF, OLF and Ginbot 7.

Resolving conflict by dialogue is normal and is the civil way. In many cases two warring parties will sit down to negotiate a win-win solution if the alternative is a zero-sum outcome. Ethiopia has begged the one man regime in Eritrea to sit down and resolve any issue it has ever since it came to power. Even during the aggression war of 1998, Ethiopia was ready to sit down and negotiate than to continue the costly war!

Ethiopia has been ready to sit down and negotiate to resolve any issue Eritrea has even though as a victor of the last war it could have demanded a final solution unilaterally. Isaias Afeworki declined all gestures. Instead of sitting down to negotiate it has been recruiting terrorist foot soldiers to cause mayhem inside Ethiopia.

Now the question we want readers to answer is why negotiate with the devil? We know the Ethiopian government will even sit-down with a Monkey if the Eritreans think monkey is all they have for now! But Isaias is not a monkey he is the Devil! Isaias is a devil who will do all in his power to survive. He has survived this long by signing at the dotted line at the 11^th hour during the last war only to come back to plan and execute a Bagdad event- that never came thanks to Abune Aregawi, in Addis Ababa!

Isaias is cornered and is frightened. His best buddy Gaddafi is gone, his next best Mubarak is bed ridden waiting in jail and his key sponsors in other Middle East countries are hibernating due to fear of not knowing when their turnwill be to face Gaddafi’s fate. Now why give Isaias breathing space when the UN is working hard to sanction him more? Would Ethiopia benefit by sitting down with Isaias Afeworki regime today? Have Your Say!

 EPRDF   in its short life as a government has achieved many magnificent victories. For a starter it has managed to transform the people’s mindset to believe in that there is no other better enemy than poverty. It has expanded elementary education to a universal coverage level and it has changed the country’s image from that of poor and famine stricken in to a country where its economic growth is measured and compared with other developing countries. Ethiopia today is in a much better position than it was 20 years ago! That is what we think but what do you think is the main significant achivement of EPRDF to-date?

 What is your understanding about the Great Hedase Dam at Blue Nile River? Is it a watershed event for its economic and political implication? Can opposition political organizations that are against the project survive and become relevant in Ethiopian politics? Have Your Say!

Siye criticizes PM Meles for stopping the last War with Shaibia early! Is he right or wrong?
Click to listen to the interview…. Interview

If  you think Siiye  is wrong to criticize PM Meles for stopping the war before Shaibia was completely defeated   what do you have to say on Siye’s argument that Shaibia strong man Isaias Afeworki   was a menace to peace  as he is now  thus he see no reason justifiable for the current Ethiopian government stand against Shaibia?

If you agree with Siye,  do you think Ethiopians were united then, as Siye wants you to believe  on how to build Democratic Ethiopia  and its institutions unlike today that is? Siye said though Shaibia is menace to peace, then not now was   the time to fight Shaibia head on. Now is the time, says Siye ,  to reconcile and have heart to heart talk among Ethiopians.  Have Your say either way!

As we all know the Ethiopian government and Ethiopian people are deeply engaged in the Transformation and Growth Plan. The plan calls for Ethiopia to be self sufficient in food with the Industry sector  playing  a leading role in the economy and surpassing the service sector by the end of the next five years.

As Prime Minister  Meles pointed out in his latest Q&A session with Parliament, all Ethiopian Foreign Mission’s primarily role is to seek investors and promote investment.

The Diaspora Ethiopian community is huge in number and can play critical role in the Growth and Transformation plan. The government seems to have  realized the potential the Diaspora community has in contributing to the Growth and Transformation plan. Foreign Minister Hailemariam Desalegn met Diaspora vacationers and investors in Addis Ababa recently and explained his government plan to engage the Diaspora. The question we have for you is what can Embassies around the world  do to help facilitate so you could be an active contributor to the development of Ethiopia.  What do you think their role should be to engage us in the Diaspora to make Ethiopia self sufficient in food as well as to develop the industry sector… Have Your Say!

The current civil uproar against a 60 year military dictatorship disguised in civilian uniform in Egypt is coming to an end. While that may be what the Egyptians want the west and the rest of the world is not sure about the change coming. The US is deeply involved to influence the outcome of the current crisis to its advantage. Similarly other Arab countries are trying to learn from how Egypt handles itself.  Egypt and Ethiopia has a long relationship that includes religion and the Nile River.  Egyptian government as well as experts have been fuming about the latest Nile Treaty Ethiopia is championing. The Ethiopian government had openly complained about Egypt’s role in destabilizing Ethiopia.  Some say Ethiopia is shielded by God’s hand thus why her enemies from far and near have not been able to put her down over the years, but, that aside what do you think a regime change in Egypt would mean to the Nile Treaty and politics? Would a new government deal with the Nile issue in earnest or will it continue with business as usual? Have your say!

Girma Asmerom Returns to Addis Ababa as Eritrea’s Ambassador to African Union!

For more click here…..

http://sallina.com/Audio/News%20Wegahta/zirzir%20zena%20%2016-01-2011.wma

  (Radio Wegahta, Sallina.com)

The one man regime in Eritrea is known to do the unexpected to survive another day. In the aftermath of its huge defeat by the Ethiopian defense forces it signed on the dotted line not to station its forces within 25 KM from the border area as Ethiopia demanded. Today after belittling the African Union over the years, it has decided to respect it by appointing an Ambassador! The question is why? What does this mean to the Eritrean Opposition in Addis Ababa? Who else could benefit by Eritrea’s government right hand man presence in Addis? Egypt? who….have your say!