It is written by the
long-time Dutch correspondent of this newspaper, Mr. Koert Lindijer, who
has been reporting on Ethiopia for many years now. In this report this
Dutch journalist relates his encounter with some Ethiopians (a
teacher, a professor) and documents their anxieties, fears and dashed
hopes. He also provides us with glimpses of the repressive measures
that have been unleashed by the ethnocratic minority EPRDF regime
which, during the last 14 years, has been bank-rolled by Western
governments and institutions such as the World Bank, IMF, etc as a
model of “ethnic democracy” in Africa.

He expresses his own fears and
anxieties when he and his Ethiopian teacher acquaintance were
confronted by a string of secret agents who have been set loose in the
country by the incumbent regime following the recent election-related
unrest. The thin democratic veil of the regime has been exposed to the
full and its democratic mask thrown out on the open for every one to
see. Repressive, if vengeful, measures have been mounted against
students, peasants and city and town dwellers in all areas of Ethiopia
where EPRDF´s monopoly rule has been challenged during the election.

A
long and dark shadow seems to have been cast on the brief, if morally
uplifting, Ethiopian Spring that culminated in the momentous 8th of
May 2005 mass rally called by the Coalition of Democratic Unity (CUD)
and the unprecedented 15 th of May 2005 election turn out whereby 26
million Ethiopians massively voted to bring to power the politicans of
their choice. Where Ethiopia is heading for from hereon is anybody´s
guess. But one thing is certain i.e the indomitable spirit of the
Ethiopian people would not be crushed for ever by the dark forces that
have been unleased by the minority ethnocratic EPRDF regime.

I pen off
here by repeating the apt popular song coined by Latin American people
here in South America who have to fight against dictatorships for
years. Their slogan read as follows and is germane or relevant to the
struggle of the Ethiopian people who continue to be confronted by a
divisive and fissiparous regime such as the EPRDF that can only thrive
on the politics of national fragmentation.

A SPIRIT OF RESISTANCE REMAINS IN ETHIOPIA

By our correspondent Koert Lindijer
The NRC Handelsblad, 14 th of June, 2005

Last week riots broke out in Ethiopia over the possible election
rigging. Anxiety reigns in Addis Ababa.

The blue taxis, beggars and the street vendors are back on the streets
of Addis Ababa. The strike by the public transport workers has ended
and yesterday every one returned to work. The victims of the
sanguinely suppressed demonstrations of last week have been buried. In
the Ethiopian capital an atmosphere of anxiety and also of defiance
prevails.

“Ethiopia will not be the same again” says a teacher in a coffee Bar.
The government opened the door to democracy once but when it realized
that it was in danger of losing the election, it slammed the door
shut. No one will tolerate this repression any more. The century-old
culture whereby the government controlled every one has passed or
gone”.

A woman shuffles along or inches towards us. She turned on the tape
recorder in her bag. “Some body is listening to our conversation”
whispered the teacher to me. Since last week the security or secret
agents are in abundance and busy watching and following every one
closely. We left for the next bar. “Do not order Pepsi” warned me the
teacher. “The company which produces Pepsi is allied with the ruling
party (EPRDF). The people boycott Pepsi since last week”.

The power struggle which broke out following the controversial
election of last month takes on an infantile form. Just last week the
government made it impossible to send SMS messages. The opposition may
use this medium of communication to call its supporters for an action.
Western diplomats are working over time. They try to control the
crisis by bringing together the opposition and the government around
the negotiating table.

Last Saturday they seemed to succeed in that. But no sooner had the
politicians promised to pacify the spirited among their followers than
the mud slinging began. “How can we tell our followers to be calm
when the government continues to arrest our leaders” concluded the
teacher in the next coffee bar where once again another security or
secret agent came to sit next to us.

The police arrest suspected people and bring them to prison camps
outside the city. After a brief openness during the election, the
state media has returned to its usual role of parroting the
government´s views. Statements of the opposition are simply ignored.
The inhabitants of the city have been delivered to the mercy of a flow
of rumours. According unconfirmed reports, in the past few days
thousands of people have been arrested.

The teacher wanted to move to another bar but this time I began to
feel uncomfortable. The soldiers not only opened fire on demonstrators
but also randomly rounded up and arrested people who talked to
journalists and foreigners. Today I can endanger the life of my
Ethiopian acquaintances and other people with whom I could have made
appointments with in any part of the city or whom I could have visited
at their homes in the past. It seems like Ethiopia is returning to the
dark days of the military dictatorship of Mengistu.

We broke off our conversation and each one of us went out in opposite
directions. “We are heading for a civil war” said the teacher. Western
diplomats try to bring about a dialogue between the government and the
opposition in order to avert such a civil war. During the weekend the
Western diplomats talked to politicians in the opposition and the
opposition apologized for its biting remarks during the
reconciliation meeting. The National Election Board, in an attempt to
take away the rage of the opposition, announced yesterday that it
would investigate the vote rigging or fraud allegation in 173 election
districts.

On the surface, it looks as though peace has come back. But
underneath, it is bubbling up and the flame is on. From outside the
capital city news of last week´s riots at three universities are
coming in. Ardent followers of the ruling party (EPRDF) are taking
revenge on peasants who have voted for the opposition. The
psychological barrier of respect for and fear of the government – a
legacy of imperial feudal administration seems to have been overcome.
The little freedom which surfaced during the election campaign has
brought forth with it a wave of flood or deluge.

The ruling Ethiopian People´s Democratic Front (EPRDF) is in a state
of shock. A little bit of freedom during the election period was good
for the public consumption of the international community (or the
West) but it was not meant to endanger EPRDF´s monopoly of power.
EPRDF´s monopoly of power has been challenged and now scapegoats have
to be found. Prime minster and EPRDF´s leader Meles Zenawi gets the
full blast of his party and his comrades. According to some observers,
his position has become uncertain. Rumours about a helicopter of the
air force veering off towards neighbouring Djibouti feed up
speculation of division within the army ranks.

The following day, speaking from the relative safety of his research
institution, the professor said “We had almost achieved democracy. Now
we are back to the centuries old time of repression. That is why the
protests have subsided and the streets look normal. But do not be
mistakened, nothing has yet been resolved and the worst is to come
yet”. He expresses a doom scene which is born out of anxiety and rage.
The more the government persists in its tough repression, what is now
a curse would come awfully close.