Viewpoint
A piece of good newsPreviously, Meles has been warned amply by the donors about such a possibility and other similar measures, if improvements are not made. In response, he has made it clear on several occasions that the withholding of foreign assistance does not bother him, implying that he will continue to govern the country without complying with any of the demands forwarded to him. The present move by the donor group is a normal reaction and is considered appropriate. It is the first major blow to the Meles regime. This is good news for the Ethiopian people as it can positively contribute to their struggle against this tyrannical regime. Although a lot more remains to be done to achieve the ultimate goal, even at this initial stage, it may be appropriate to thank the donor group for the action it has taken in this regard, and to congratulate those gallant Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopia on their accomplishments. The announcement of the donors states that the $375 million support fund will be reallocated to the UN and aid agencies working to combat poverty among the bulk of the Ethiopian population. Among others, the antipoverty work would include the upgrading of health care and supply of clean water. If this plan is executed properly, the people in need will benefit tremendously from the effort, since they will have a better chance to receive the intended assistance. It is known that the Meles administration has been using foreign aids primarily as a means of controlling the Ethiopian population for political goals. As a result, it is discriminatory in providing assistance to the people, leaving a large sector of the Ethiopian population in abject poverty and misery. The regime also uses foreign aids to finance its repressive security and military establishments against the people. Further, part of the money received by the Meles government from donors is used for amassing personal wealth by government and party officials at the expense of the poor. Therefore, the donors’ decision for withholding direct budgetary support will not only be of direct economic benefit to the poor of the country but it will also, to a certain extent, relieve the Ethiopian people from various forms of negative pressures imposed upon them by the EPRDF government. In response to the announcement made, Ethiopian government authorities, as expected, expressed, one after another, that the decision of the donors group was wrong, while at the same time belittling it and pledging to continue the crackdown on the opposition. Expanding on this, the Finance minister said that donors by so deciding were breaking their commitments and agreements with the Ethiopian government, and described their move as totally unacceptable by his government under any circumstances. The Minister further said “Ultimately it is the poor who are the victims of this decision. It is their basic services that will be affected at the community level.” To the understanding of this writer, these responses of the Ethiopian authorities could be yellow lights for possible upcoming challenges that would be placed by the Ethiopian government against the implementation of the decision of the donors. Since the government does not want the Ethiopian people to become more strong and challenging, it will do whatever it could to prevent the donors’ decision from succeeding. A number of blocking stones are expecting to be “erected” by the government as soon as possible in order to bring this evil idea into effect. By taking these measures, the regime would hope to prove to the world that working with its administration is the only option to provide help to the Ethiopian poor community. If it succeeds in this highly likely effort, obviously, the outcome would be more damaging not only to Ethiopians but also to the international community and humanity in general. It is therefore advisable for the donors and participating non-governmental aid agencies to take necessary precautionary measures against this possibility well ahead of time. In this respect, the seeking of the services of reliable independent Ethiopian civic organizations such as the Ethiopian Teachers Association is something that should be kept in mind in case of need. Since these organizations are more familiar with the intricate of the Ethiopian environment, it is believed that they can provide effective service if requested to be involved. Given the reluctance of the Meles government to behave democratically and its expressed intention of disrupting the newly proposed assistance plan of the donors, for the sake of preventing further deterioration, it is also most appropriate for the international community to take additional measures that can have a more direct impact on the authorities in power. In line with this, previously, the European Parliament has recommended the imposition of selected sanctions on members of the incumbent government unless the government takes actions to improve the current human rights conditions as expected. As suggested by NES, these measures can comprise the freezing of bank accounts, putting travel bans, etcetera. Knowing the greedy and fragile nature of the EPRDF officials, it is likely that such actions will lead to a more favorable result in a short time.
To sum up, Ethiopians overwhelmingly now say that Meles has to go, as he has done an irreparable damage. Although a little late, the international community seems at least not to disagree with this- if not supporting it privately. As the ultimate arbiters regarding Ethiopia are the citizen themselves, the international community should continue listening to them. The first major step announced by the donor group should be put in practice as soon as possible and this should be followed immediately by subsequent actions. The success of these efforts is believed to result in a win-win situation for both the Ethiopian people and the international community. ETHIOMEDIA.COM – ETHIOPIA’S PREMIER NEWS AND VIEWS WEBSITE © COPYRIGHT 20001-2006 ETHIOMEDIA.COM. EMAIL: [email protected] |
