As goes an excited announcement on public media on Thursday, an exposé
about a new round of conspiracy, perhaps with a “confession” which
links it to Eritrea, will soon be aired to the nation. No specific
date has been set.
And four of nine alleged culprits have already been named by the
police. Addressing journalists on Wednesday, Demmelash Gebre-Michael,
spokesperson of the Federal Police, confirmed that Zerihun
Gebre-Egzabher, chairman of the Ethiopian National Democratic Party
(ENDP); Dejene Tefera, member of ENDP ; Woubshet Taye, deputy editor
of Awramba ; and Reyot Alemu, columnist of Fethe, were amongst those
arrested.
The charge: terrorism.
ENDP is one of Ethiopia’s multitudes of tiny political parties. It has
legal standing, and has vied to win seats in local and national
elections. But its diminished name recognition has meant that its
relevance has been more on the fringes than in the mainstream. This is
its first brush with fame. And in the event of Zerihun’s eventual
conviction, it could very well secure a place in history as the first
political party to be banned by the judiciary.
Unlike the 2005 treason trials, however, when newspapers were
notoriously charged, convicted and proscribed as distinct legal
entities, the government’s wrath is more circumspect this time,
entangling only journalists, Webeshet and Reyot, rather than the
entire newspapers they work for.
But be not deluded into thinking that this is an improvement in any
sense of the word. The grand design has not been altered. The
commitment to a one party state is as unyielding as ever. Only the
threat has changed. While it was on the verge of overwhelming the
EPRDF in 2005 it is only latent in 2011. There is no need for
widespread clampdown yet; simply cultivating a climate of fear may
suffice to deter it from growing in to an existential threat.
And in well-publicized applications of the dreaded anti-terrorism law
lies the perfect means to stretch fear to its furthest limit. Already,
rumors of pending arrests of journalists and members of the opposition
are rife on the grapevine. The danger seems so obvious that some are
being counseled by family and friends to leave the country. Many more
live with the anxiety of an uncertain future. Raw fear is in the air.
And journalists have been affected the most.
The popular understanding of terrorism in much of the world is that of
any act which deliberately victimizes members of the public. But most
legal definitions also incorporate politically motivated damages to
private and public properties within the same realm. The UN defines it
informally as, “(all) criminal acts intended or calculated to provoke
a state of terror in the general public.” American law identifies it
as, “(any) premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated
against noncombatant targets.”
But in a somewhat fanciful, but plainly futile, attempt to blackmail
and stigmatize its opponents, the EPRDF has failed to acknowledge the
crucial distinction between violence against civilians and armed
insurrection. This calculated shortcoming has unavoidably politicized
the issue of terrorism both in the eyes of the public and the regime’s
stalwart international partners. And thus the refusal of the
Americans, despite strong protestations by the EPRDF, to classify
armed Ethiopian groups as terrorists. Virtually no one believes that
the EPRDF’s armed opponents pose a terrorist challenge to the nation.
The sooner the EPRDF recognizes this, the better for the nation.
As to our colleagues in prison, Webeshet and Reyot, we testify to
their commitment to non-violence. No independent journalist has given
the charges the benefit of the doubt. And we reaffirm our commitment
to peacefully serve the causes of truth, justice and democracy with
our writings. We will not be intimidated.
Democracy is humanity’s common destiny. There is no avoiding it
whether you are an Eskimo or a Zulu; a Christian or a Muslim; white or
black; developed or developing. It is truly universal. And after a
long journey, Ethiopia’s encounter with destiny is right around the
corner. We are almost there.
