As for the outpouring of grief from the Addis
populace, there could be a few rationalizations. One is that Meles has undoubtedly strong support from some section of
the society who have benefited from the system he put in place. All leaders,
including the wicked, somehow, muster some level of support from some quarter
of the society they rule.
Second, Ethiopians are culturally predisposed to
showing mercy and a softer heart toward the deceased, so goes the amharic saying: ‘yemotelijangeturejim naw‘.
Third, there is the sociological phenomenon called call
‘herd behaviour’ – to look to others to see how to behave. We humans are hardwired
to show this behavior. Actually, this behavior must be stronger in our case
since we value social conformity more than any other society I can think of.
Lastly, of course, Meles’
death was a sad event after all. He was only 57 years old. It would be great if
he were to live longer to see the wedding of his children and to watch his
grand children grow. It was also a sad view to watch his wife cry
uncontrollably for the death of a husband with whom she had gone through thin
and thick dating back their rebel days.
Not to take away anything from Meles’
admirers if it means something to them, but what we see via youtube
could be quite deceptive since a camera always gives an exaggerated representation
of reality by circumscribing the reference point. The fact is if tens of thousands of Addis
residents came to the streets to receive Meles’
coffin, millions were at their homes, perhaps nursing not his death but the
uncertainty his departure has created.
Some say Meles died
before he had a chance to enjoy life. This is not only foolish, but also a bad
homage to the life and times of the late Prime Minister. Observing his disposition over the last
two decades, pity would be the last thing Meles would
appreciate.The truth is also that Meles had enjoyed life at least since he came to power for
he valued power more than anything else. Why else did he cling to it for 21
years? Why else – if not for the enjoyment of the life power afforded him – did
he kill many and imprisoned countless to stay in power
for more than two decades?
To put things in perspective, the current sombre
environment will pass in the days and weeks to come. What will remain is Meles’ legacy – the good, the bad, and the ugly. I
believe he has done some good. But before we get carried away, let me also say
every leader does some good.Furthermore,
even where Meles did well, I believe, others could
have done much better if they were given a chance. Many cite the roads and
other infrastructures built in Ethiopia as positives to his legacy. One has to
be reminded of the more than $40 billion aid money he received over the years which
is enough to build more than what he built over the 21 year rule.
If we overcome our gullibility, Meles’
economic achievements are in fact below mediocre. Ethiopia’s economy is
largely sustained by outside money – aid, loan, and remittance – not
by the surplus created internally. If these three sources were to stop flowing
suddenly, the government and indeed the country could go bankrupt over night. If Meles’ admirers know shame, they have to remind
themselves of the fact that, twenty one years later, millions of Ethiopians
still live at the edge of starvation.
The worst legacy of Meles
is his human rights record. He and his acolytes have turned Ethiopia into a
massive prison house. There have been more prisoners in Ethiopia under Meles than under the notorious Mengistu.
Remember, Meles came to power promising to set free
Ethiopian nations and nationalities from the pseudo bondage of Amhara rule. Ironically, Ethiopian prisons are full to the
brim by those same people he promised to set free.
No doubt Meles was a
clever man. He had a higher IQ than anyone around him. (No surprise here in
view of the people Meles had surrounded himself with
and given his disposition to being deeply anti-intellectual).He was also a smart man who understood the
cue and language of world power politics faster and better than the other
African leaders. No surprise he rose to the top among
them.
But the fact is the West has a very low standard
for African leaders. By that standard, Meles was an
exceptional leader to them, so they bestowed on him all kinds of accolades in
the past and on the occasion of his passing. If any leader in the West did a fraction
of the crimes Meles did, they would have gone for his
throat. But for an African tyrant, killing 200 innocent people in broad day
light, children and the elderly included, and throwing tens of thousands to
jail does not tilt the scale against him just yet. What is so sensational about
hundreds dead by bullets of a tyrant in a land where tens of thousands die of
starvation, seems the sentiment. The West’s assessment of African affairs
and African politics and economics remains hollow and self serving.
In the final analysis, the true and legitimate
judges of Meles’ legacy are Ethiopians.
In life, Meles was never
accepted by most Ethiopians as a truly Ethiopian ruler. He never belonged to
his subjects. Ethiopians were always convinced that his true love and heart belonged
elsewhere. He has done lasting damages to Ethiopia than any leader before him, one
of which is rendering the country landlocked. He is someone who derived pride
in robbing Ethiopia a sea outlet. The national security implication aside, the
economic cost of being landlocked will remain a staggering blow for a poor
country like Ethiopia.
In sickness, Meles nursed
his ailment in isolation, without visitation or good wishes from his relatives,
his close ‘comrades’, if any, his cabinet, and his admirers. His illness was
hid from the Ethiopian people as long as it was possible. Even after his subordinates
admitted his sickness, they shrouded it with childishly silly statements that
contradicted each other. The people who now appear to be grief stricken didn’t
have the chance to say their prayers for his recovery. To this date, there is
no official statement as to where Meles received
medical treatment, let alone the nature of the ailment that took his life.
Death often brings a redeeming opportunity but not for Meles. When he knew he was dying he could have set
free the many political prisoners who are unjustly incarcerated and/or
sentenced to long prison terms on utterly fabricated charges. This single act would have gone a long
way toward redeeming his name and legacy. It could also have set a political
trajectory his successors could follow to usher a healing and reconciliation
process for a healthy political transition in the country.
Alas, only his coffin, not his goodwill, was
brought to Ethiopia under the cover of darkness in a rainy night. It was a
pitiable scene. During the reception at Bole Airport, we observe his family
members and the coffin emerging from different parts of the plane. Apparently,
the body of the all powerful man was kept alone in the cargo compartment for
the flight from Brussels. We see at the far corner of the footage Meles’ coffin being handled by four ordinary airport
workers like any ordinary luggage. None of his subordinate dignitaries rushed
to take care of it. In fact, no one seemed to care to notice it. Even when
alive, AtoMeles was essentially
a lonely person. He never mingled with ordinary Ethiopians for any event even
for a handshake. In twenty one years at the helm of power, he has visited only
a few places in Ethiopia.
No doubt Meles has left a
big shoe for his ill prepared subordinates to fill. They are like a cast
without their star actor. For now they are mustering all the bravado vowing to stay
the course the master had charted and left behind. This is a bad omen for the
country and eventually for them too. If they want to leave a better legacy than Meles, at the very least, they must free all
political prisoners, allow more freedom of the press, and open up the political
space for opposition parties to operate freely and vie for political power
peacefully.The country has to
start a healing and reconciliation journey so the time comes when Ethiopians
celebrate and mourn together the lives and deaths of their future leaders.
