Ethiopia’s disillusion and Mussolini’s viceroy

By Seyoum G. Hiwot

January 26, 2006

“Some spoke of how they were taken away in mass round-ups in Addis Ababa and how they suffered appalling beatings at the hands of the security forces. Witnesses spoke of seeing people tortured and killed at Dedesa camp in west Ethiopia, where about 50,000 people were detained.” – The Observer; Jan 2, 2006

We have often observed, read and lamented while fellow Ethiopians ask why all these injustice and misery to Ethiopia? The following note, by no means exhaustive, no doubt important, is believed to shed some light on tackling the recurring nightmare of this Nation.

Why the great powers used Ethiopia as a pawn in the game of their politics without scruples, without any consideration for its interests, desire or destiny?

As one can imagine, there is no easy answer to this complex question. The problems are more complex than we realized because of the extraordinary foreign influence compounded by our own weaknesses and absurdities. Nonetheless, it may be of interest to note some of the historically relevant observations, blunders, blackmails and reversal of alliances perpetrated by the west with the intent of weakening this tragic nation since time immemorial for their own perceived geo-politico-strategic interest and control of the Red Sea shore, Nile and Tana waters, among other things. One can cite the Swiss canal debacle, where the USsupported the idea of the UK`s greater Somaliland , against Ethiopia’s most vital interest and for which she fought a devastating war. Kissinger and co kept Ethiopia’s military supply intentionally meager in the name of regional power balance. In a continued mischief, the United States disastrously reversed alliance and abandoned Ethiopia altogether, moved its base from Kagnew to Diego Garcia to avoid US-Soviet confrontation as the Soviets earned Somalia’s friendship. The UK was resentful of Haileselassie’s alliance with America post WWII, which contributed immensely to their vengeful meddling in the nation’s affairs – this time with a brilliant calculated move, using home-grown enemies!

During WWII, the west, in a glaring misconduct, savagely allied with the fascist and betrayed Ethiopia and immorally kept silent when Italy used Mustard gas to exterminate any living creature. The magnitude of this blackmail and atrocity is beyond the scope this note. The Nazi philosopher, Baron Roman Prochazka, in his book “Ethiopia the powder barrel” (veina 1935), sternly warned the west to destroy Ethiopia before it is too late. Starting from its first page, he alerted his white public that Ethiopia, “in close cooperation with Japan was engaged on a life and death struggle with the white race, the consequence of which is incalculable. The targets are the colonial powers in Africa without exception. It is hardly possible to imagine an unhappy situation of a white man than have to live under the oppression of Abyssinian grandee. The prevalence of this contemptuous invective is characteristic of the mentality and attitude of the natives who imagine themselves to be infinitely superior to the white race.” His book was widely translated and distributed in Europe, especially in Italy – the Italian translation was Abyssinia pericolo Nero, meaning Abyssinia the Black danger or threat.

Ironically he was the first ever to coin the term “self- determination”; tribalisation and division of Ethiopia in to ethnic states with the grand design of divide and destroy. This was further refined and attempt was made to practice it by Fascist Italy during the five-years of occupation and resistance and now fine tuned and implemented to its fullest extent by Mussolini’s viceroy, grandson of shumbash Asres.

There is a remarkable similarity between the administrative policy, action, and governance of Mussolini and Meles. The map, the ethnic federalism, the December massacre in 1937 and the June, November massacre of 2005, the Agnuac, the Awasa massacres etc. are examples of their destructive and vengeful suppression of dissent. Subtle looking but very dangerous and detrimental to society in both regimes was their systematic execution of the educated with out mercy. There was no survivor of educated Ethiopian at the end of the five-year occupation except those who were out side of Ethiopia. Graziani`s fear was that they will regroup and lead the resistance and his viceroy is doing the same thing although, we do not know for how long yet. The other striking event is the similarity between the Agazi death squad and Mussolini’s black shirt killers. One of European Doctors then in Addis wrote” Even for my war hardened heart (being participant of WWI); the Graziani massacre was so much that it broke me down. They killed anything that is moving including toddlers, and while treating some of the wounded black shirts I have heard them boasting about how many Ethiopians they killed at random- some were reporting up to a hundred, just by one of them alone…”

Religious divide and fomenting of ethnic hatred were the weapons then for Italy and the weapons now. Their incessant attempt to create wedge between Christians ad Muslims had some how served their evil desire. Both Mussolini and Meles enlarged the map of Tigrai for military strategy and control of the patriotic resistance in Amhara region by the former and for both military and economic reasons by the latter. Tigrai has been enlarged by TPLF from its traditional and official size of 65,000 Sq. Km to102, 000 Sq. Km by annexing by brute force and shamelessness the fertile lands of Gonder and Wollo. It claimed the unfounded, unhistorical garbage and assertion that following the woyane revolt of 1943 Haileselassie incorporated parts of Tigrai to Amhara provinces. It is of particular importance to note the TPLF regime effectively closed off the Amhara region from external access anticipating resistance, hence paving ways for easy control of the region and based on this fictitious assertion they claimed northern Gonder to gain more external access for themselves. Review of the administrative map of Ethiopia in the twentieth century and even Italy’s Map of 1936-1941 is enough to discredit such baseless claim of TPLF to justify its Expansionist agenda.

This partly explains as to why our current misery is more complicated as her covert and overt external enemies implanted (after years of well planned and calculated move) an internal enemy, composed of a small separatist terror group populated largely by descendants of bandas and an insignificant group of mercenaries and selfish opportunists cooperating with this regime out of greed, deference, or political survival. These implants, (lead by the snakes head Sebhat Nega, also chief of the oligarchs- the most corrupt and kleptomaniac goon), are implementing the Italian “legge organicha”- the great project to dismember Ethiopia by creating fake ethnic states (compare the maps of two regimes –it is a carbon copy). It is noteworthy to mention here that Sebhat Inc. has conglomerates of business empire (more than anybody else in the mafia crime ruling family) run by all his families, even distant ones with sharp shooters and death squads to secure it infinitely.
TPLF`s, accompanying pseudo intellectual’s, and some dishonest &opportunist intellectual’s farcical attempt to cure tribalism by even more institutionalized tribalism represents the culmination of efforts of the enemies of Ethiopia stretching over a millennium to undermine the unity of the Nation.

Contrary to the divisive propaganda of Meles and Mussolini, Ethiopia belongs to every Ethiopian regardless of race, tribe or religion. The humble and wise people of Ethiopia have remarkably resisted propagation of deafening lies, fostering of hatred among ethnicities and religions by the enemy regime by sticking together at times of great turmoil.

My fellow Ethiopians, the general interest of the west to do nothing or maintain the status quo in Ethiopia is neither neglect nor illusion. It is a deliberate, well thought plan and continuation of their old plot to weaken Ethiopia to the point of helpless beggar nation and in to total submission and control the Horn of Africa and Indian Ocean passageways. If there were some conscience, moral or ethics in donor (should be rightly called debtor) countries, it would have been a glaring dereliction of duty, to demand to ” both sides restrain in a fight between innocent civilians and their big man armed to the teeth by them, and firing on the crowd of boys and girls at will and to kill with impunity. Even after painfully slow reporting of the atrocities by the western media (NY times- good government gone bad, Oops we did it again- the Washington times, the UK observer, Le Monde, Channel 4 of BBC etc?) and after this mad man has been strongly condemned by the international human right groups, EU, CPJ, etc.the US and The UK governments gave their deaf ears to our cry. The world doesn’t pity slaughtering of innocent Africans or they are used to it (cf the Soweto, the Rwandan, Darfur massacres to name the few). Ethiopia’s massacre and brutal repression is doubly sad as the regime is supported and armed by the so-called icons of democracy and freedom. Mass arrest, torture, mass grave is nothing to them. Wanton shedding of Ethiopian innocent’s blood on the streets cannot be herd by a morally deaf world. It is happening, nothing is happening to them. They are telling us they are deeply concerned, a diplomatic code word for “we do not care”. They are busy fighting terrorism and ironically arming a terrorist regime and cultivating frustration, rebellion and resistance among the repressed people. Are they this stupid to figure this out? , No they are not. It would not be the first time for this either. The west failed to recognize the dangers of backing totalitarian regimes, which are doomed to fail, and replaced by anarchy. It happened (they did it) in Mobutu’s Zaire , Liberia, Nimeiri’s Sudan, and Latin America. How come they cannot learn from past failures? If and when their policy fails they simply walk away and poor Africans are paying the price.
We strongly encourage American and UK foreign policy makers to sit back and think seriously. Despotic regimes will come and go. But the PEOPLE of Ethiopia whom you refused to listen will be there forever, for generations to come! This will go in to the annals of world History as an unforgettable and perhaps unforgivable crime to humanity.

The present day Ethiopian politicians are not interested in the truth (in fact they are doing exactly the opposite, i.e. deceit, lie, misinformation and etc.) but in power and maintaining power. To maintain this power they make a mockery of truth and justice, they lie even the truth of their own lives. They provide us with a tapestry of lies, which we feed on. They explode grenades and blame the opposition ( how cheap). They commit genocide and accuse the opposition for it, they kill stone throwing kids and blame the opposition, and they dismember Ethiopia but try the opposition with treason! They prepare fake charges and wait for scapegoats to muzzle a dissenting voice. They arrest, imprison and facilitate slow death to prominent citizens of the nation by delaying and denying needed medical care – they did it to the martyr professor Asrat Woldeyes and are doing it now on patriot Hailu Shawel, Ethiopian fearless defender of democracy professor Mesfin Woldemariam and many others. What unimaginable travesty of justice!

This “totalitarian dungeon”-meles inc, with death squads, torture chambers, systematic MILITARY brutality, systematic incitement of ethnic and religious tensions, firing live on innocent protesters killing hundreds is still Africa’s new breed of leaders. It absolutely sounds like a caricature. He is nothing but African new MONSTER. The west especially the U.S has exercised quite a clinical manipulation of power world wide while masquerading as a force of universal ally for freedom, justice and democracy. This is a very clever act of political hypnosis. Where is the moral sensibility of the west? (If there was any).

The brutal suppression of the peaceful disobedience by Meles was an act of banditry and blatant state terrorism, demonstrating absolute contempt for the concept of the rule of law (their own law). The U.S supported Meles in his torture, innumerable acts of calculated and random murder, misery, degradation and death to Ethiopian people and calls it a partner in fighting terrorism. How many people should he kill before they call him a murderer or war criminal? Two hundred thousand? Or he will be immune because he is a partner and allowed establishment of a US military base in hurso, Dire Dawa.The succinct lawyers of Ethiopia are making a case for genocide and we will see how the international court will treat it.

By the same logic, our failure to recognize their apparent mischief is equally, if not more baffling and damaging. We undermined our elders, our culture and fall prey to Eurocentrism as if any thing European is good for Africa. Gone are the days, we should learn from our mistakes. Many golden opportunities had been squandered over the last several years. We should now wake up and cultivate the concept of collective interest and look at the big picture. We should vigorously discourage the harmful culture of self centered and individualistic sentiments. And at this critical and deciding moment in our history, the blood of our people from the motherland on which it has been shed by aga-nazis should fire a rebel in our hearts and give strength to our moral. This shall propel our effort to liberate our people from these thugs, which is a noble duty, if not an obligation. We should clearly set forth our goals in our quest for justice, freedom and democracy, which shall not be post poned for tomorrow. It has to be faced and confronted right now and everywhere on the spot by any means.

We have to avoid division on little things; we’ve got to be objective and persistent. We must learn to approach each other from a variety of angles and from full and uninhibited range of perspectives. Dissent among peers should be respected and be subject to intense debate and reasoning than strength. We shall respect the power of the people, avoid self fulfilling and group affililiations and see the big picture, the greater cause of entailing justice, equality, and freedom based on mutual respect and national interest of Ethiopia and its people. This cannot be war mongering or hatred, it is self defense, as the great US president JF Kennedy once said “those who make peaceful disobedience impossible, will make violent resistance inevitable”. What can we call the death of our mothers, our fathers, our little brothers and little sisters? All with no danger to this satanic regime, as they have no weapons. What do you call this my friends? This is a cold-blooded mass murder without provocation to prove ethnic supremacy. The viceroy in a major speech in Tigray uttered a racist slogan! ( Hizbi tigrai equan haba hatkum tefeterna. Equan zih zib ezi nait mai konen. In crude translation, I am glad, I am born from your race and so glad that I am not from theirs! Translation is mine and stand to be corrected). Hitler said the same, exactly the same supremacy slur!

We must struggle for our own freedom, for our own survival, and not only for those who perished. Our freedom is not and cannot be a charitable gift. It is our inalienable right to live in freedom and if someone denies us, we should resist it by any and all means at our disposal. The deepest urge in any living creature is the desire or urge to live! To secure survival one has to defend self from predators!.There will be those groups in Ethiopia mainly beneficiaries of the regime in one form or another, and masquerading themselves, as intellectuals will vigorously encourage passivity and apathy in the name peace and stability. I will say to them: the majority of Ethiopian people know when and how to struggle – in their relentless quest to defend themselves and their motherland. The era of “I know for you” government shall be over.

My fellow Ethiopians, I can only repeat, and repeat it with infinite regret that poor Ethiopia never had, and never will have an ally and we miserably failed to understand it. We avoided our noble Ethiocentric views and contributed immensely to Ethiopia’s` doom and gloom! Those of us still in denial and delusion should wake up and rise up to join the current Ethiopian uprising by the people at the grass root level propelled mainly by the fear free youth, with minimal leadership, which is difficult, if not impossible for the Aga-Nazis to violently suppress. Having looked at the above brief account of Ethiopian pertinent history, it shall be fairly easy to conclude that we, her sons and daughters are the only ones to rescue her and her people from this savage and wanton attack by this greedy and nepotic regime. Misery, abject poverty, chronic destitution, rampant disease, gross injustice and systematic clearance of the cream of the society incurred up on her by a gang of Banda descendants must be systematically and persistently confronted. It must be clear, however, that these gangs do not represent all the people of Tgrai. For that matter there are collaborators from other ethnic groups whose mentality and thinking is suffocated by greed. The Tigrai people should join the rest of Ethiopians in this critical moment in our history. We should not waste precious time and resources lobbying the US state Department which proved time and again that its conduct of business is based on its national interest.

If we accept this brunt and convince ourselves that “life without freedom is not worth living”, we will, without doubt, remove these thugs and parasites from the yoke of Ethiopian people. Whence, there won’t be any more blood sucking, injustice and discrimination, as the power rightly belongs to the people. Then only, we can build vibrant, dignified, educated, wealthy and harmonious society in no time. Once we achieve this we need not beg for allies! They will come and bow to us themselves!

We shall prevail
Independent Ethiopia forever!

The writer, Seyoum G. Hiwot, can be reached for comments at [email protected]