Eskinder’s Wail from the Gulag irks ‘Tyrants on the Throne’

By Selam Beyene (PhD)

It is in
the backdrop of such a horrendous and uncertain condition in the country that
we are presented with Republicans on
the Throne. This is a book that will put to shame our generation for ignorance of
our heritage, and enlighten current and future generations about the heroic
achievements of their forefathers and their obligation to fight and die for
their proud and precious legacy.

In the
early chapters of the memoir,
the author reminiscences about his youth in Gore, one of the remotest
provincial cities during Emperor Haile Selassie’s reign, and takes the reader back
to an age of innocence when citizens were not categorized by their ethnicity
but by the social bond that tied them closely together, and when leaders and
followers revered the sanctity of our tricolor and the inviolability of our
sovereignty. In contrast, the treasonous tyrants “on the throne” today
denigrate the flag that countless generations protected with blood and sweat,
parcel out precious land to foreigners at dirt cheap prices, aggressively
promote inter-ethnic strives, and loot the cherished wealth of the country. 

The
subsequent chapters that depict Gedamu’s early life as
a student in the US and the ensuing decades of career in the United Nations, successive
governments in Ethiopia and eventually the African Development Bank, paint the
picture of a man who epitomizes all the qualities of that unique Ethiopian we
all grew up to venerate — one who values hard work over leisure, esteems
public service over personal wealth, relishes integrity over treachery, and,
above all, reveres love of country over caustic ethnic politics. In due course,
the memoir elucidates the strengths and weaknesses of the Imperial system, the
chaos that followed the 1974 revolution, and the emergence of successive brutal
dictatorships.

The book is also a treasure trove of anecdotal
accounts of important events and personalities that shed further light on the
modus operandi of the time and the lives and moral fibers of some of the extraordinary
leaders that ran the day-to-day business of the nation. As one flips through the
pages one is frequently reminded of how little did most of us know about those
leaders, not to mention the foibles of Aman Andom, the remarkable professionalism of Haddis Alemayehu, the statesmanship
of Aklilu Habte-Wold or the
gumption of Michael Imru.

As the
writer transitions his focus to the post-Derg era, he
momentarily leaves the reader with a sense of puzzlement as to why he would
choose to return to Ethiopia and embark on major entrepreneurial projects under
the tyrannical rule of Zenawi. In light of the
stellar background of the author as an accomplished technocrat who had served
under or lived through disparate systems of government, the reason for such seemingly
foolhardy decision is hard to justify, and even more difficult to attribute to a
manifestation of plain naiveté. However, a perceptive reader would soon be
sympathetic on the knowledge that the sinister and elusive propaganda Zenawi perfected has hoodwinked many seasoned technocrats
of Gedamu’s caliber and eventually landed them in
prison. Even today, it is with a sense of unfathomable astonishment and
compunction that we witness the tragic transfer of hard-earned Diaspora money
into Woyane’s coffers, in the name of investing in
the home country, by credulous Ethiopian émigrés in the West, who have yet to
fully appreciate the true nature of the regime and the cancerous ethnic agenda
it has espoused to irreparably harm the long-term viability of the nation.

While the
book by and large abounds with a wealth of information about the recent past
and present history of the country, some of the most significant contributions
come in the last few chapters, in which breaking from tradition, the author
tackles head on Woyane’s totalitarianism and
duplicity, and masterfully analyzes the internal and external challenges that
must be confronted to build a “promising future”. Unlike most writers of the
same genre whose pens are woefully timid when it comes to underscoring the true
nature of Woyane, Gedamu
boldly exposes the most dangerous aspect of the regime, viz,
its anti-Ethiopianism. “Closely wedded to ideology,
perhaps even its principal raison d’être,
is TPLF’s commitment to the politics of ethnic identity,” he affirms. He
goes on to caution: “A one-dimensional perception of identity puts greater
emphasis on the rights of groups and correspondingly less on the rights of the individuals that make up these groups;
and lesser still on those outside the group.” He then reminds us of Amy Gutman’s wise words: “Subordinating individual [rights] to
group [rights] is another name for tyranny.”

In debunking the anti-Ethiopia agenda that
“extremist TPLF members” espouse, Gedamu warns them
of the “… tragic backlash that is bound to ensue if they persist in their
policy,” and notes:

“An independent Tigrai built on assets
plundered from Ethiopia is the surest prescription for a potent reprisal that
would be an unending source of conflict for the new state. More menacingly, Tigreans living in Ethiopia would be exposed to vengeful
acts of violence too fearful to contemplate. The silent majority of Tigreans is doubtless conscious of this and will hopefully
prevail upon the party fanatics to pursue a policy of multiethnic collaboration
and accommodation.”

To those who
try to find answers to the present predicament of Ethiopia, where
totalitarianism, corruption and anti-Ethiopianism
define the Woyane leadership, the author candidly expounds
Woyane’s barricade against the struggle for
democracy, fundamental freedoms, national cohesion and the fight against
poverty. He authoritatively declares that “[N]either Marxism
nor identity politics is likely to respond to the challenges facing
Ethiopians today: autocracy, poverty, and communal antagonisms,” and boldly
charts a pragmatic roadmap that can inform genuine dialogue to extricate the
country from the current quagmire of ethnocentric rule, naked tyranny and
gloomy prospects of national collapse.

Admittedly, Gedamu’s
roadmap is only one of many admirable ideas put forth by many genuine
Ethiopians to accelerate the victory for democracy and national salvation that
has proved so elusive so far. Such a victory, however, can only be possible
through the discreet activities of a strong organization that enjoys the
participation of a well-informed membership about their heritage and the true
nature of the regime. While the works of writers like Gedamu
are a good start, it is the responsibility of every legitimate Ethiopian to
ensure the messages are spread far and wide.

The enemy is well armed, superbly organized
and lavishly financed, and has controlled the population through a Soviet-
style security system and sinfully alluring entitlements that may make the
tasks of pro-democracy forces exceedingly onerous. However, as the recent
history of the Arab Spring has shown, no power can pent up the rage of an
oppressed people for much too long.

—
The writer can be reached at [email protected]