Ethiopian Youth National Movement (EYNM) hosts public meeting in Washington DC

May 12, 2004

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Ethiopian Youth National Movement (EYNM) held a public meeting on Sunday April 25, 2004 in Washington DC’s Unification Church. The meeting started with the first speaker, Masresha Tilahun, EYNM’s North America representative and member of council, who asked the audience to join him in a silent prayer in memory of 41 Addis Ababa University students and over a hundreds of Addis Ababa residents who were massacred by the security forces EPRDF regime on April 10, 2001.

He then introduced the EYNM, stressing that the civic organization seeks to unite Ethiopian youth inside the country and abroad. He described the movement’s genesis in April 2001, when students in Addis Ababa University went on strike demanding academic freedom, the right to form a student union, and the removal of armed, uniformed police from their campuses. Although the students protested peacefully, the EPRDF regime responded with brutal violence. Security forces entered the campus and fired on students. The brutality sparked a nation-wide student protest demonstration against the repressive regime. In addition to the 41 students who were killed during the demonstration, many others were wounded, imprisoned and tortured. Over two Hundred, including the leaders of the student council, fled the country.

While in exile, students have got freedom to talk about what had happened and they formed an organization called Ethiopian Youth’s National Movement. Masresha said that the youth of Ethiopia is alienated from the political, social and economic affaires of our country. Ethiopian Youth’s National Movement is dedicated to enlighten, organize, and mobilize Ethiopian youth to help in bringing about good governance, peace, dignity, prosperity and justice for our beloved nation. The county is at the corssroads of her survival, thus the critical to save our country and pass it on to the coming generations, Masresha said.

The April 25, 2004 meeting in Washington was organized to commemorate the April 2001 massacre and to discuss the future of the struggle. Masresha said that in addition to introducing the student movement, the meeting was the first of a series in order to organize and mobilize the Ethiopian youth in the Diaspora; to mobilize support for the Ethiopian student movement inside the country; and to maintain the continuity of the struggle for social justice waged by successive generation of student movements.

Ato Mesfin Mekonen spoke next. He discussed the Ethiopian National Congress, presented its past efforts, and stressed the need for unity among members of the opposition movement. The ENC was formed as an umbrella group to unite political and civic groups that share the goal of transforming Ethiopia into a free and democratic country. It has been particularly active in Washington by informing and lobbying Congress and the State Department. It has solicited assistance to help Ethiopia to overcome famine, but has also informed Congress and the Executive Branch about the causes of the famine and stressing the need for change in Ethiopia to prevent the recurrence of starvation. Similarly, it has asked for assistance towards Ethiopia’s economic development, as well as to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic, malaria and other epidemics. The ENC has also championed respect human rights, and has been successful in convincing several respected international organizations, including several representing the media, to press the EPRDF to respect the freedom of the press.

Ato Mesfin praised the student movement and urged Ethiopians to support the young generation. The student movement has earned the respect of all Ethiopians. Several young brothers and sisters have been killed by the regime. Their struggle is continuing around the world. The young brothers and sisters have shown that they are not afraid to risk their lives to rid Ethiopia of the EPRDF regime. He called on all Ethiopians to support the student’s struggle financially and morally, and to join them in their struggle for freedom and democracy.

Dr. Taye Wolddesmayat, President of Ethiopian Teachers Association (ETA) addressed the meeting. He painted a distressing picture of the current Ethiopian situation, reporting that the nation is on the verge of economic, social and political collapse. He stressed AIDS, malaria and other curable diseases are taking a toll on our people.

The regime has turned the university campus into a military camp by pitting ethnic and political groups against each other, Dr. Taye said. The regime’s policies of divide and conquer, and ethnic cleansing, as it is the case at the present in the Gambela region, where there have been massacre of hundreds of innocent civilians by Government forces.

Dr. Taye said the regime’s education policy is a failure, and as a result there is a high level of drop out rate. The ill-educated young people are unable to find work thus susceptible to join the ranks of the criminal and drug addicts. The privatization of the schools has resulted in a disaster and personally confirmed that it is possible to purchase diplomas or certificates in today’s Ethiopia. Talented people are leaving the country enmass to find a better livelihood because of the regime’s repressive policies. As a result, he said, many people who could be helping build a prosperous country are found abroad.

Dr. Taye advised the Ethiopian Diaspora to help their countrymen, to support them financially, politically, and morally, in their effort to bring about democracy and rule of law in Ethiopia. He also emphasized the need to close the gap among the current generation of Ethiopians and thus the need to support Youth organizations like EYNM that is determined to contribute towards the struggle for justice and democracy in Ethiopia

Ato Fassika Bellette, vice chairman of the UEDF, described the formation of the 15-member UNITED FRONT that was formed in Rockville, Maryland in 2003. Since then the UEDF has made much progress. He said UEDF is working hard to change the deplorable conditions in Ethiopia. One of its achievements has been the formation of several UEDF support groups worldwide. The UEDF is trying to counter the regime’s divide-and-conquer policy. The regime is fragile due its incompetence and the lack of effective policies to advance the country from its sad state of affairs, Ato Fasika said. He also discussed about recent talk that UEDF held with the Meles government regarding the upcoming elections and the electoral process in an effort to ensure a free and fair election.

Ato Fassika said the student movement is not new; it has been going on for decades. He said that we all started in the student movement and people in all walks of life should commend today’s students. He also affirmed the solid support of UEDF for the student movement and the need to work together with the young generation and civic groups like EYNM to bring about a democratic, peaceful, and prosperous Ethiopia.

Solidarity messages and on the historic role of the youth in the struggle for democracy and unity sent for the conference by Professor Mesfin Woldemariam, Chairman of ERCHO and Dr. Getachew Begashaw, who was President of Ethiopian Student Union of Addis Ababa University (ESUAA) just before the February 1974 revolution were read by Ato Samson Siyoum, the moderator of the meeting and EYNM rep in Washington DC area. Artist Alemtsehay Wodajo and Ato Teodros Abebe also read Laureate Poet Tsegaye Gebre Medhin poems sent for the meeting

Acknowledging the contribution of Professor Mesfin Wolde Mariam, Dr. Taye Wolde Semayat and Laureate Tsegaye Gebre Medhin in the struggle to bring about justice and democracy and respect for human rights in Ethiopia, EYNM announced its decision to give honorary membership to the three distinguished Ethiopians to guided and advise the fledgling youth organization. The meeting was well attended with a great deal of interest among the audience that was present. An informed and lively discussion also took place between the guest speakers and the audience.