Obama presidency and the Ethiopian extremists: Al Mariam and Liar Bloggers

Zeru Hagos Jan 27, 2009

Starting with the Al Bundy (Al Mariam) of the Ethiopian extreme Diaspora down to the very resourceful liar bloggers, the extremist are lobbying the United States and some European countries to stop their relationship with Ethiopia and its government. These fools think Ethiopia is theirs and as such the EPRDF government is illegitimate despite the EPRDF government was elected in 2005 with the most fair and free election Ethiopia ever had! The extremist who have no qualm to wine and dine with terrorist like the ONLF which is in bed with Al-Shabab of Somalia which in turn is associated with Al-Qaeda are  asking the US and its new president to change its policy towards Ethiopia hoping that will cause the EPRDF govt to crumble.

 How these Ethiopians turned to be such a scum and coward human being to ask foreign powers to dictate what Ethiopia should and should not be is a mystery! We Ethiopians are not known for such trait.  Are we? Were we? Even when we were defending tanks with spears and fighter planes with arrows we never ask outsiders to save us. If there was any time we may have asked outsiders for help it is during second world war with Atse Haileselassie asking the world to come to Ethiopia’s rescue. Though this commentary is not to criticize Janhoy (ye mote sew ayweqesem) I wonder if these remnants are just that: remnants of the generation that grew with the grand deception that Ethiopia is theirs only!

The engine for Ethiopia’s democratization process is its people. Election 2005 was not so successful because the US and Europe were involved. To the contrary! Election 2005  which helped the opposition to garner considerable vote and help them become known all over the world was  in whole part due to the Ethiopian people desire to be master of their destiny . Although it is hard to refresh an aging mind like that of the Al Mariam’s the Ethiopian government booted two US NGOs out of the country because they were interfering in internal politics. And, yet, the election was the most fair and free by any western standard.

Why any opposition would think any foreign machination of Ethiopia’s politics will yield a better result than election 2005 did is beyond me! Didn’t election 2005 bring a clean sweep for the opposition in Addis Ababa the heart of the country! What would Obama presidency add to such kind of win for the opposition? May be we all should lobby president Obama to deny any visa to future elected officials from Ethiopia so he/she does not run away from assuming responsibility! How about that? That is what Berhanu Nega, the mayor –would-have-been, whom Al Mariam waited for hours with a red carpet at hand at Washington DC airport to welcome as a run away from Ethiopia did! Berhanu never assumed his elected office and is now enjoying his lecture circuit in the good USA. Shame! Shame!

Certainly, western nations can help Ethiopia’s democratization process if they can lend a financial help to development hungry Ethiopia. Instead of interfering in its politics they can help alleviate the poverty burden. Poverty, the number one enemy of the country, is one of the key factors the democratization process is taking time. With a growing economy and a bright future for all, the good governance issue Ethiopia is facing today would be greatly improved. Westerns can help in financing infrastructures that can help the country’s diverse population reach each other, talk each other and see each other. When Ethiopians come together we know they indeed do miracles. Who could forget Adwa in 1896 and Badme in 1999!  

But the resourceful liar bloggers are not asking for such help! They instead are asking for westerners to stop Aiding the Ethiopian people! They want to see a hungry child and a broken bridge!  Remember their motto is Ethiopia is theirs and if they cannot have it then it does not deserve a bridge that will live for ever and a road that will stretch from Zalambesa to Moyale!

President Obama as bright and honest he is will be the last person to be hoodwinked by the Al Mariam’s but the US government is a huge institution. Any low level official or relative of an official can give solace to such folks so that they live for another day to do harm. It is such false hope that is causing some of the extreme Diaspora Ethiopians not to throw the towel and start all over again to do some good- this must be stopped!

 Ethiopia certainly needs all her children but “endetebalew, betbach kale man teru whuha yetetla” meaning …one cannot drink pure water when someone is dirtying the stream up, the Diaspora is waiting on the side and that is not good.

Get this Al Mariam and the likes,  let alone a picture with an Obama relatives even a $90K bribe to sit in  the George Bush white house for few minutes  by the then Kiinjit high men did not mean much! Ethiopia has millions of children that will defend her independence come rain or shine. Dedebit and Seqota were neither an outpost for Pentagon nor a parking lot for runaway politicians who seek help from distant countries. They were a place where her unsung hero/heroines children congress to fight head to toe her enemies and ills.

The Obama presidency will be tested in the coming weeks when it names its diplomats to countries like Ethiopia. The word is president Obama would like to engage in earnest developing countries so the US and their interest will converge and not diverge. Ethiopia being the corner stone country for US interest and peace in Africa and also the war against terrorism will be high on president Obama's mind. Though not verified there is some rumor the extremist are working hard to influence the State dept to assign someone the extremist would love to be the next ambassador to Ethiopia or with some capacity at the African desk. The chances are remote but the extremist should know Ethiopia has the right to decline any appointment it does not like!

The extremist may be churning articles after articles to flood the internet, looking for the magic picture(s) of distant Obama relative to hang or searching for the next Diaspora politicians with a name that rhyme like Obama but in the end Ethiopia will remain Ethiopia--fiercely independent and an icon to black Africa that will not flinch away from the path of democracy and development. ”Ehm zebele yetahagom” was not coined for nothing; it was to show the independent mindedness of an Ethiopian!

 President Obama knows this and by all account he is determined to see Ethiopia succeed, I am hearing. Let alone to  Ethiopia which has been a staunch ally to the US, president Obama ,is stretching his hand to the Arab world as witnessed during  his first interview to Al-Arabiya TV! 

 Dear Al Mariam and resourceful liar bloggers give it up, you are check mated will remain check mated till kingdom falls!