Friday, September 18, 2015

The sun is shining over Ethiopia

 

by Yilma Bekele
Ethiopia has been in darkness. We had light before most but that is history. We can recite our ancient history; write beautiful poetry extolling our virtues and fill a library with our traditional lore unfortunately it is not something we can take to the bank. It is not all lost. Ethiopia and her wellness has been woven into our soul. Thus today where ever we go we survive and thrive. Don’t take the fact you walk with your head high for granted my friend, that pride in you is cultivated and nurtured.
The Ottoman Turks, the Egyptians, the British, the French, the Italians have all tried to force their ways on us. It just did not work. Outsiders have learnt their lesson and have stopped trying force to make us serve their interest. It is the homegrown variety that has become a challenge. It could be a (seyawkush yinkush ሲያውቁሽ ይንቁሽ) situation where naturally one disarms in the presence of family and friends. Sooner or later one member goes rogue. It never fails. Throughout our history we have encountered such situations where kings, warlords or madmen have fought for power and glory. TPLF is our child gone rogue.
TPLF is the worst internal enemy faced by our county. There isn’t any aspect of our culture and history they have not tried to contaminate with negativity and hate. For over thirty years they have systematically worked on destroying the unity and strength that has taken hundreds of years to build. It is due to the solid foundation that our dear country has been built on that they are unable to even cause a little crack let alone a fissure. We are grateful to all those that sacrificed and painstakingly built this formidable home we call Ethiopia.
The current struggle being waged by TPLF on one side and Democratic forces on the other is about the kind of Ethiopia we want to build on the foundations already laid by our ancestors. Instead of building on that and adding value we have been busy subtracting, dividing and undermining our precious asset.
On this side we have the current Ethiopian government led by Tigrai Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) that has been in power for the last twenty two years uninterrupted. The TPLF Party with its clueless and unwritten guiding dogma it calls ‘Revolutionary Democracy is based on the following principles:
• The Ethiopian people are not ready for Democracy.
• The vanguard TPLF will oversee the development of Democracy.
Despite what the regime and its international supporters claim this arrangement has not worked well for the average Ethiopian. There is no need to try to convince an Ethiopian how bad the Tigrai People’s party has been to our country. All one has to do is look around one’s own family and ask ‘how are you doing?’ If you do not know of a family member in distress you my friend is an exceptional Ethiopian. We all salute you but that unfortunately is not the norm.
That is why there are many that have decided to sacrifice life and family and stood against the tyranny of the Tigrai Peoples Liberation Front. We Ethiopians are such a lucky people to have been able to produce such dynamic and selfless leaders that would rather suffer than accept injustice.
Kinijit is the grandfather of all independent movements in Woyane era politics. Kinijit beyond a shadow of doubt showed how hollow and wild Woyane’s are. Before Kinijit we used to view Woyane as being benign with no harmful effect. Thanks to Kinijit Woyane was forced to show what a malignant tumor it is.
Ever since then many have tried to work within the system Woyane created. We are finding out even that is not possible. The brave leaders and members of Semayawi Party are a living testimonial that conversation with Woyane is not possible.
That in a nutshell is Ethiopian history the last twenty two years. We produce selfless individuals that have entered the fray knowing full well what savage Woyanes are capable of. Common sense shows that carrot (staying quiet) alone has not worked in Ethiopia. A stick is an absolute requirement to balance the equation. Do you follow me? After twenty three years of abuse we Ethiopians should be the last to be bewildered by this situation.
Patriotic Ginbot7 is our stick. There have been others, what makes this one any different is a good question. That is the reason I raised our recent history earlier. Woyane has held five or more election the last twenty two years, which one is memorable? May 2005 is when we divorced Woyane. The 2005 was led by Kinijit with Berhanu Nega as a central figure. Dr. Berhanu and friends whipped Woyane. Dr. Berhanu is the first popularly elected leader to a high office in our entire history. His election to be Lord Mayor of Addis Abeba was a landslide. The people of Addis Abeba loved him. No need to say more.
The formation of Ginbot7 Movement for Unity and Democracy was the result of lessons learnt from the 2005 attempt to seize power through peaceful and legal means. By all scale of measurement G7 has exceeded all expectations. It has shown what it means to be an organization focused on one thing and one thing alone. To leave no stone unturned to find a way to grow Freedom and Democracy in Ethiopia.
To this end the last five years the Organization has painstakingly built the network necessary to do the work. What is there not to admire more than the fact despite the mighty power of a Nation State’s attempt to kill, undermine, destroy, wreck from inside, jail exile so many times in the name of fighting terrorism but to protect single ethnic rule, G7 has managed to blossom to an organization that in the eyes of many Ethiopians managed to bring that old feeling of pride that has quietly been sitting inside all of us. Elel Belu!
How do you fight one of your own has been our dilemma. Believe me if Woyane was an outsider no matter what; we all would fight back and there would not be discussion like what we are having now. Unfortunately it is not so. At the moment Patriotic G7 is in the forefront of the struggle to get rid of this disease that is infecting our homeland.
It is said ‘leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality’ that is what we have in Dr. Berhanu Nega. In every turn of our movement he has been there crafting winning strategy to get us closer to our goal of building a better Ethiopia where her children invest time and energy in making it a place we are proud to call home. His simple manners, generous smile and focus His style has been pay any price, walk the extra mile so we Ethiopians can drink from the fountain of freedom.
The TPLF regime has done all it could to discourage our leader. A mere mortal would have thrown his hands in the air and walked away. Dr. Berhanu stayed the course and showed little Woyane there are some Ethiopians that are determined and resolute. Such character is not a trait Woyane understands.
In Arbegnoch G7 we Ethiopians at last have achieved a winning formula to bring national salvation to our homeland. In Berhanu Nega and his team we have found leaders with a record and a winning formula. Kinijit paved the way and Arbegnoch G7 is poised to finish the job. We say it with confidence because the experience the last ten years have shown us that an organization built on democratic principles, staffed by able leaders and carrying the torch of freedom and equality cannot fail. Especially when the enemy is a group led by gangsters and shameless characters that have not achieved much in life using legal and transparent means it does not need much for the house of cards they built to come crashing down.
All patriotic Ethiopians are fighters in this war of salvation. The question we should ask ourselves is what can I contribute to hasten the day of freedom. Today this joke of I am not into politics, I am neutral has no place. It is like standing back and watching while your house is on fire. Ethiopia is burning and her children are dying in droves. This is not the time to be a spectator or a shameless supporter of the ethnic regime. It is past time for verbal condenations. We have done that, we have been there.
The current activity to support and celebrate our Freedom fighters is a breath of fresh air. It is nice to stand up rather than always be a victim. We used to cry for Ethiopia. Today we cry for Woyane that is already feeling the wrath of the people. All over the world Ethiopians are giving what they could without being compelled. Five dollars or a thousand, five minutes or a lifetime, whatever is offered, it is sure to bring satisfaction to the heart, pride to the family and debt paid top our mother. Here in Oakland, California we are preparing to give the mother of all fundraising events since Kinijit. The enthusiasm of the members, the reception of our people and the smile painted on our face is an indication the sun is shining on our motherland. Find out where Arbegnoch G7 activity is held in a location near you and be part of this tsunami of support for our liberators. Tell everybody that the Sun is shining brighter than ever over Ethiopia.
 

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