Definitely, it is not going to be in celebration of the economic development made, the protection of human rights achieved, the democracy reformed, or the presence of the rule of law that one can rely on, for none of them took place or existed during the last sixteen years of the regime‘s rule. Right now, in my opinion, the only thing, as a society, we hang on to in unison is our history. Particularly how the country have been protected and defended. Almost all of the prominent books written, particularly by Ethiopian intellectuals, dealt with, very strongly, the heroic achievements of its leaders and its people, particularly in relation to the defense and protection of the country. Here is the most important question to be answered by the regime. How can, then, the regime who trampled on all sacrifices made, and, on all the bloods shaded through out the millennium that is coming to pass, and through out the one before it, who put the last one hundred years the benchmark of Ethiopian history, initiate and organize a thousand years achievement? It is laughable. I argue, then, it is obvious that a destructive regime does not have the right to claim the celebration of the millennium.

The economic situation, the lack of the rule of law and, to be anti-individual and group rights, may not disqualify the regime to organize the millennium, per se, one might argue. These types of characteristics, whether we accept them or not, are common factors among the dictators in the continent of Africa. What makes Meles and his regime oddly different and unique from the rest of the African dictators is, the regime in Ethiopia, deliberately, with the intention to weaken the unity of the Ethiopian society, a) divided the nation along its race and language line, b) created an economic system, for itself, within the existing economic system of the country, to suck the blood of the Ethiopian people. It does it to an extent of mercilessly suffocating the grassroots economic activities. The regime owns instruments such as the regular banks, the import-export banks and, production companies, etc., to augment its money making machines. Particularly these two extremely important factors, “a and b,” separate the regime from the rest of the African dictators. No one can identify an African leader openly working for the destruction of the country he or she is ruling.

These two factors are the partial, yet very important, measuring yards that unquestionably disqualifies the regime from owning the millennium celebration. It is an ownership question. The history of Ethiopia hence the millennium is built and owned by the current living society of Ethiopia. Due to the contradictory relationship between the current living society of Ethiopia and the regime, irreconcilable difference predicated upon the removal of the regime, in my opinion, the current living society of Ethiopia does not own the regime. I argue then, the regime cannot own the millennium. In my opinion, it is as simple as that.

The other very important factor to be considered, for the regime to pompously claim the ownership of the millennium celebration is what and how it dealt with the territorial integrity of the country. Meles and his regime, to achieve its objective of separating Eritrea and literally create a handicapped Ethiopia without sea outlet, constructed a one articled constitution, namely, article thirty-nine. The millennium in the process of reaching its 2000 mark, before May 1991 was slowly but surely moving along, holding in its belly an already completely formulated Ethiopia. Ethiopia is the sum of its people, its land and, its history. None of which have escaped repeated and methodical multifaceted assault by the regime. Never dreamt by Tewdros, Yohannes, Menelik and HaileSelassie, to mention the very latest ones, that Ethiopia will be under such rogue and destructive rulers that put enormous pressure on the unity of the society. Meles Zenawi, who is heading this millennium thing, once said:

“A feudal monarchy and a repressive dictator couldn’t hold Ethiopia together…..
Now we are trying another way. If Ethiopia breaks apart then it wasn’t meant to be.”

No leader of a heterogeneous society would dare utter such divisive statement publicly, except with one whose deliberate motive is to saw poison among the nationalities. Why inject the statement, “if Ethiopia breaks apart then it wasn’t meant to be,” if the ultimate goal were to create a harmonious relationship among the nationalities and encourage stability for a full fledged economic development? How dare, then, a regime who is running an experiment on the lives of a society, and, above all, of this kind of divisive and with malicious objectives, organize the celebration of the millennium, I ask?

Allow me to itemize factors, including the two I mentioned above, that disqualifies Meles and his regime to own the celebration of the millennium. By extension those satellites of the regime such as DC Millennium, are also disqualified to represent the history of Ethiopia. They can take advantage of the situation and make money but it should not be at the expense of the monumental, wisdom-woven history of the people of Ethiopia, including its leaders. So, here are the factors that prohibit the regime to initiate and prepare the millennium, by extension its satellites such as DC Millennium:

1. The business empire it developed, for itself, within the existing national economic system. This is parasitic act that clearly shows the insensitiveness to the well being of the society. This is beyond any level of corruption. It is a treasonous act. Here are more samples to show the insensitiveness of the regime: When Meles was asked in reference to the misplaced budget allotted for Harar, he said “they can burn it.” And, when challenged as to why medical doctors are fleeing Ethiopia in mass, Meles responded by saying, “Ethiopia does not need doctors.” What is amazing is that, it is only in Ethiopia, where such an arrogant and corrupt leader can utter such barbarous, cruel, and irresponsible words and get away with. Then, what right the regime has to organize the celebration, except to make money?
2. Dividing the country along race and language lines. Suspiciousness to an individuals nationality, questioning the nationality of an individual or groups of individuals in a suspicious manner, asking individuals’ race when registering to vote, on the part of the regime, etc., are, all, rooted in this division of the country along ethnic and language lines. This is another full-fledged treason.
3. The introduction of the last 100 years as the bench mark for the history of Ethiopia. If this is not an assault on the history of Ethiopia, what is? How would then, any one with good conscious, would support the celebration of the millennium initiated and organized by this blasphemous regime?
4. Deliberately used language, as an instrument, to instill ethnic nationalism, the precursor for secessionism. Ethnic nationalism is potent instrument for radical individuals whose motto is, “power or death.” I am not saying that I am against “power seeking,” For it is an important motivational factor. What I am against is the divisive motives behind it.
5. Degraded the flag of Ethiopia. It is immature and crudeness to demean the utterly respected symbol of the nation one is suppose to lead. I vividly remember, when I was a kid, I used to stand still wherever I was when I hear flag-lowering trumpet (ceremony) at 6:00 PM. It is a very dear symbol of the nation.
6. What do, the Castle of Gondar, the Oblesq of Axum in Tigray, and the Churches of Lalibela Wello, got anything to do with non-Gondar, non-Tigrian, and non-Welloye, respectively, but to those nationalities where the historical monuments are located? Here, I am showing the implications of Meles’s statement. Can you imagine, then, after this type of divisive, anti-unity, and cultural misappropriation statements, Meles Zenawi standing on a pulpit and lecturing about the millennium of Ethiopia, perhaps invoking Tewodros, Yohannes, and Menelik? These monuments belong to the people of Ethiopia composed of over eighty nationalities. It is a cruel insult to the people of Ethiopia. How dare, then, this regime claims the millennium celebration?
7. The regime jailed opposition leaders elected on May 15, 2005. To put an Elected Government in jail is a well planed coup d’e‘tat, on the part of the regime. The regime flatly rejected the voice of the people, who is the owner of the millennium that the regime and its satellites hijacked. Right now, its leaders are languishing in jail. How can, one, in good conscious dance and celebrate in the manner it is being organized while these leaders, cadres, journalists are suffering in jail? What has gotten into us that blinded us not to see, particularly those of us in the Diaspora, the reality in Ethiopia?
8. The regime jailed particularly the committed cadres, journalists, and students that brought the struggle to fruition, unquestionably manifested in the election of May 15, 2005. Right now, most of them are languishing in jail.
9. The regime openly, in broad daylight, cold bloodedly, murdered hundreds of students with live bullets aimed at their heart or their head to finish them, while they are in the process of peace-full demonstration. The regime whose hand is full with the blood of these innocent kids is now organizing the celebration of the history of Ethiopia whose blood is in the process of building it (the millennium. Do you see the contradiction here? It is very, very important and commonsense to recognize the fact that the sacrifices made by these innocent kids have already married with or to, the sacrifices made several hundreds or thousands years ago. The streets soaked with the blood of these innocent kids have registered their sacrifices in the belly of Ethiopian earth. For this is how history is built and remembered. They have become the building bricks of Ethiopian history. Given this reality then, I hope it is clear for everybody how fake the celebration is.

All these took place in the last 16 years of the end of the second millennium, from May 19991 to 2007. It is dumb even to think, let alone starting the process of preparing the celebration without seriously considering the last 16 years of the regimes behavior against the people of Ethiopia. It is dumber to be the satellites of this divisive regime. To inject activities of enjoyment, such as concert and soccer games to create money making machines is an organized crime against the people of Ethiopia and its history. To come back to the crux of the issue, given these concrete, undeniable facts, how can the same regime declare the celebration of the millennium that belongs to the people of Ethiopia, a) whose leaders and its active members of the society are in jail, b) who is left without sea outlet, c) whose land is given away without its consent, d) whose right of economic competition is curtailed, and, e) whose democratic rights are completely trampled upon, by Meles and his regime. It is arrogance, it is an insult to the people of Ethiopia.

Please note this. The people of Ethiopia are in grief. A society in such immeasurable grief has no time to have a celebration of any form, but to reflect on what took place within the last 16 years and find out how to solve them. Particularly those who are outside of Ethiopia and are planning to go to Ethiopia and celebrate the regime‘s millennium, I am humbly appealing to you to reflect on what I itemized above before deciding to go. However, if you decided to go, I would like you to imagine that by doing so, you are: a) stepping over the jailed opposition leaders, the cadres and the journalists; and, b) stepping over the dead bodies of those killed with live bullets by the forces of Meles and his regime. I think we have to tell the regime, by boycotting the celebration, that it is an insult to our intelligence when a regime of this type is organizing and inviting people to dance and be merry as if things are moving very smoothly.

Finally, the bottomline of my argument is that, due to the regime’s destructive anti-Ethiopia actions over the last 16 years, the last 16 years of the current millennium, it has disqualified itself even to think about it, let alone to organize it. It is a fake one, on the part of Meles and his regime, to appear in the mood of celebration. To drive a car with a suspended license is a punishable crime.

As to extending the celebration of the millennium to African countries, come on, how can one love God in heaven before loving and respecting his brother on earth who is by his side? It is the mother of all hypocrisy. Given the political, economic, and the social environment in Ethiopia, Ethiopia cannot be a role-model for African countries to emulate. Only blind loyalty one has for the regime would hinder one from discerning this reality in Ethiopia.