“Boycott Ethiopian Airlines! But why?”

It has been over a week or months for some since Prime minister Meles has died. I have been following the news from foreign media as well as the state-owned ETV. Whether it is by design or overwhelming outpouring of sorrow for the late prime minister, what I have seen on ETV reminds me of the old Eastern bloc countries’ way of mourning when their leader is gone. The same thing repeated over and over again in different languages and the people said the same thing as if they all are referring to the same script. Whether we like it or not, the late prime minister got a place in Ethiopian history and what he did for the country will be judged in the years to come and it rests in the “eyes of the beholder.” For some he is a visionary and a hero and and for some he is a dictator and divisive leader. I will leave the judgment for every reader.

I have also heard and seen some of the Ethiopian officials highly talking of the late prime minister and concluded business will be a usual. My premise in writing this email is to clear the air about the death of the late prime minister. An air of secrecy surrounds his illness and death. There has been lots of rumors when and how he died…. Everyone I talked to have their own version and the Ethiopian people deserve to know the truth. If the officials are to be transparent and respect the Ethiopian people, they have to “tell the truth.” As depicted by the officials, if Meles is a people’s person, then the people ought to know the truth and the whole truth.

I faithfully pray and hope better days are yet to come for Ethiopia but it is a responsibility with the people in power if they meant it and wants it. This remains to be seen.

Alex from Atlanta

“Boycott Ethiopian Airlines! But why?”

Dear Sir/Madam,

We can easly sense whose idea is to boycott Ethiopian Airlines. It is the idea of other Airlineses who are so far unable to get a foothold in Africa and African air spaces because of the challenge put to them by Ethiopian Airlinese. Ethiopian Airlines became successful not because it gets Government subsidies but because we Ethiopians are good at doing airlines business.

Ethiopian Airlines has survived all calamities that crushed many airlineses out of business. So why is Mr. Elias Kifle interested to destroy our only pride and which made us famous all over the world? What is the benefit of boycotting Ethiopian Airliness other than handing over Ethiopia’s Dominance of African Commercial Air space to others? Genuine Ethiopians should not heed what Mr Elias says about Ethiopian Airlines.

Concerned Ethiopian