Ethiopians Can Indeed Unite if they are Willing

In my
capacity as the World Bank Group’s first and only Senior Advisor on Racial
Equality (SARE), I had the privilege of representing this multilateral agency
in numerous forums around the globe. The issue at hand was racial, gender,
religious and other forms of equality, with special emphasis on the
mistreatment of people of Sub-Saharan African origin (blacks) around the globe.
Whether state sponsored or societal, the economic, social, cultural,
psychological and political costs of discrimination and exclusion of any form
anywhere in the world are incalculable. Of these, emotionally charged and elite
sponsored discrimination and exclusion that arise from ethnic and religious
dominance of one group over another proves to be the most explosive.

One of the
most memorable of these events was a worldwide conference on racial equality in
Cape Town, South Africa, at which I had the chance to learn about the toxicity
of ethnic and racial discrimination. Equally, I had the chance to meet the
distinguished Nelson humanist and one of the world’s greatest leaders, Mandela,
and to learn from him the value of democratic and inclusive leadership. The
conference and his words and messages underscored the toxicity of ethnic or racial based governance
whether black or white. His is a philosophy to which I subscribe fully;
and I believe you should to.

One vital
lesson I should like to draw to the reader’s attention is an enduring legacy
Nelson Mandela left for all humanity and for a country such as ours that is
beset by a minority ethnic elite governing party, the TPLF. This is narrow and
self-serving elite that led, created, promoted and nurtured ethnic hatred and division
using boogeymen. This, I suggest, is the root and genesis of political,
economic and social capture and dominance by a minority ethnic-based elite that
has now normalized and institutionalized
the abnormal as normal. The normal is representative governance that allows
unrestricted participation by each and every citizen. For this to happen, the
government and state have to be impartial.

Revolutionary
Democracy is nothing less than the dictatorship of narrow ethnic elite over the
vast majority of the population. This form of ideology is never impartial. The
abnormality of the system includes preoccupation with self-interest, individualism,
clannishness, egoism, self-centeredness, nepotism, greed and power,
continuous agitation and turmoil that pities one group against another. It is
‘permanent war’ of the kind inherited from leftist ideology and imposed on the
entire society.  

By
definition, the system must subvert and undermine the common good in order to advance
and maintain the interests of the elite; and in order to survive and thrive. It
has no choice but to create frictions; and or to fabricate scapegoats or
culprits to justify repressive actions. National tendencies are antithetical to
this philosophy.  These values and
tendencies undermine meaningful and healthy transformation that emanates from combining forces on
fundamentals or on those issues that are common for everyone. Those who reject
the system should therefore do the exact opposite: cooperate on basic issues
and leave the rest for resolution once the Ethiopian people are in a position
to assert their sovereignty.

8. Let
us establish a shared understanding of the nature of the political problem: the
genesis of ethnic governance and its costs

I suggest
in the strongest terms possible that those of us who wish the new generation of
Ethiopians a better life, and for the survival of a unified and democratic
country have a moral obligation and duty to come together and arrive at a
shared understanding of the nature, and origin of the problem that emanates
from ethnic minority elite political and economic capture. Let us, for once,
resort to the Einstein formula of
spending “55 minutes diagnosing the problem” and arrive at a shared or common
understanding of what it is that we wish to resolve and fix. It is only then
that any group can frame the alternative (the five minute solution) that will
serve the Ethiopian people as a whole and lift them out of the quagmire they
face today. Opposition to the TPLF/EPRDF alone is not the same as understanding
the nature of the problem and why it persists. As critical, unless and until we
have a shared understanding of the problem, arriving at a meaningful and
credible alternative the day after is a mirage.

There is
no contest that minority elite ethnic governance of the TPLF/EPRDF is the most formidable
barrier to long-term peace, coexistence, stability, the welfare and sovereignty
of the vast majority of the Ethiopian people. Global indices show that growth
has not changed the lives of the vast majority of the population; while it has
generated insane levels of incomes and wealth for a limited few. By definition,
any political and social group that identifies itself as ethnic is exclusive,
corrupt and discriminatory. It is the anti-thesis of the South African and
Ghanaian models of democratic governance; and fair play in the national economy.

Measurements,
statistics and stories in Ethiopia are mind boggling. Regardless of region, key
administrative and other positions are literally manned or staffed
predominantly by TPLF, mostly, Tigrean cadres and supporters: from the Prime
Minister at the top to chauffeurs and janitors and cleaners in ministries and
other offices at the bottom. The façade of democratization at the local and
regional levels is shallow. Policies and decisions are made centrally; and
implemented locally on behalf of the center. How does the ruling party get away
with this type of harmful and oppressive governance for so long? My estimation
is that the rest of us are divided and do not have a shared understanding of
the nature of the governing party itself. Our
division is its strength.

We have a
wealth of evidence that confirms that the entire
system is corrupt and broken. Yet, opponents are unable to collaborate and
cooperate with one another. The system survives by pitying one ethnic or
religious group against another. The burning of a church does not occur without
the tacit approval of the Federal state and its extensions. The regime uses
this and other techniques of divide and conquer to prolong its longevity and to
extract more wealth and assets for itself and its supporters. This is the
reason for my thesis of permanent suspense
as an instrument of dominance.

9. Let us champion
the formation of a society free of corruption; and shame the governing party

There will
not be sustainable and equitable development in the country unless corrupt
practices are eliminated. The prospect of doing this successfully resides in
the sovereignty of the Ethiopian people and in the accountability of government
officials at all levels. If the situation persists as is, I suggest that incomes
will not rise; rising costs will not be contained; domestic production will not
correspond to demand; employment will not be created to accommodate the
country’s youth bulge; illicit outflow will not stop and so on. The opposite
will be true: income inequality and the concentration of wealth and uneven
development will be more pronounced than today. Why?

I am
reminded of what the British Historian, Lord Acton said. “Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Leaders
who have no character–such as honesty, integrity, fairness, empathy for human
life and so on–tend to be repressive and more corrupt. “The spiritual nature
of man,” said Disraeli “is stronger than Codes of Constitutions.” This
“spiritual nature” is totally and irrevocably absent in the entire leadership. They
recruit likeminded people to their side. They provide substantial financial and
material incentives to leaders of key institutions such as security, police and
defense to ensure their survival. Acquiring a privileged status is a critical
way of maintaining the system regardless of the cost to the rest of the
society. It is here that I should like to broaden the now widely used term of
corruption, which we tend to equate only with money. Corruption is more than
the diversion and misuse of resources.

The
TPLF/EPRDF form of corruption embraces all of the following and more:

It
undermines democratic leaning institutions and culture though nepotism, bribery
and kickbacks.

It
encourages brain drain as it sees the benefits of human capital export as an
instrument to contain completion, and as a key source of foreign exchange. This
reinforces brain drain and minimizes domestic intellectual and talent capacity
that is fundamental for sustainable development.

It
corrupts elections and reverses outcomes as was done in 2005; and propagates
the notion that it is possible for an ethnic-based party to win 99.66 percent
of the votes as was the case in 2010.

It diverts
financial and other resources through institutionalized corruption and milks
dry an entire economy and harm the poorest of the poor most. There is no
independent oversight for accountability. The system is judge and jury and
reinforces itself.

It
facilitates illicit of outflow of more than US$11 billion over the past decade
alone; and more than US$3 billion from one of the poorest and least developed
countries on the planet. It does not even investigate because investigation
will lead nowhere; high officials are among the greatest beneficiaries.

Its
absolute power and the associated occurrences such as corruption and illicit
outflow aggravate and deepen poverty, uneven development and inequality. Most
Ethiopians are poorer today than they were 20 years ago.

It
intensifies mutual mistrust, crime and instability.

It
reinforces ethnic as well as religious unrest and antagonism. Permanent
suspense suits the governing party.

It
undermines national culture such as mutual tolerance and peaceful coexistence,
honesty, integrity, humility, the sanctity of human life and so on.

It
implicitly or explicitly allows or promotes dangerous foreign cultural, social
and economic penetration and influences such as widespread use of drugs, prostitution,
human trafficking and the use of foreign languages at the cost of national
languages in educating youth. It condones the export of children and girls to
gain foreign exchange and so on.

It
undermines indigenous and nationally oriented development.

It
propagates scapegoats relentlessly, for example, resorting to the notion of
irreconcilability among specific ethnic groups and allowing their dispossession
and disenfranchisements anywhere and everywhere.

It
undermines national sovereignty and independence by availing well tested
Ethiopian soldiers to fight wars across borders.

All of
these are indicators of absolute power that corrupts. Corruption is by
definition ‘cancerous’ and spreads to the entire fabric of society and deters
its healthy and nationally anchored transformation for the better. In this
system, leaders who have no character manifest insatiable appetite for incomes,
assets and power. This is why I would conclude here that the quest for more
incomes and wealth correlates directly to the proclivity to repress and
dominate. This is why political pluralism
or democratic governance that emanates from the voices and sovereignty of the
people of Ethiopia is the best defense
against all forms of corruption. It is the only form of governance that
will establish a solid foundation for sustainable and equitable development–even
for those who defend the system for temporary gain, often, for crumbs. They
should know that a corrupt system is temporal, and will never survive in the
long-term. It is in their interest to accept the inevitability and emergence of
a just, fair and inclusive system.

The
current system that bestows privileged status to a narrowly based ethic elite
contains all of the ingredients of a potentially catastrophic social phenomenon
that has little comparison anywhere in the world. Part of the reinforcement
comes from the diplomatic and donor community that maintains a blind eye to the
deteriorating situation in the country. Why?

 Primarily two reasons: an incoherent,
fragmented and divided opposition that has thus proven incapable of framing and
offering a better alternative. Second is the Western and especially US
preoccupation with stability in the Horn as an overriding national policy.
Dictatorship is preferred over political pluralism and justice. It is the now that
predominates national policy. The lack of a viable alternative reinforces the
second. This in itself should compel opposition groups whether civil or
political to set aside minor differences and speak with one voice on specific
national policy issues.

If
opponents worked collaboratively and spoke with one voice, they would show to
the world that the governing party’s transfers millions of hectares of
farmlands and water basins to foreign investors and domestic allies has not and
will not boost domestic capabilities and reduce poverty and unemployment. If
they cooperated with one another and spoke with one voice, the governing party
will not get away with stolen elections or with constant arrests of scores of
people and justify it on constitutional and stability grounds. If they
cooperated with one another and spoke with one voice, corrupt officials and
others will not be brazen in stealing known billions of American dollars and
taking these out of the country through illicit means. There will not be a
place to hide. It is therefore not rocket science to conclude that meaningful
cooperation that will lead to political pluralism or democratic governance is
the best defense against this repressive and corrupt system.

Corrupt minority ethnic elite survive by coopting others
to its side, for example, by giving material and financial incentives. Those
coopted are among the most vigorous defenders of the system. Their composition
is ethnic or religious neutral. In the same vein, it prolongs its rule by
stirring fear, hatred and division among the population, including the
Diaspora. It finds scapegoats in the latter group to blame while it arrests and
persecutes those at home without due process of law. Sad, but true, we fall for
this type of corrupt and abusive governance at our own peril. Some do not even
understand this well.

10.
Let us agree and act that illicit outflow weakens aid effectiveness and is a
cost to Ethiopia and Ethiopians

“The
people of Ethiopia are being bled dry. No matter how hard they try to fight
their way out of absolute destitution and poverty, they will be swimming
against the current (tide) of illicit capital leakage” to which aid and
Diaspora remittances contribute. The facts are shameful for a country with one
of the lowest per capita incomes (US$365) in the world; and one of the
“hungriest” to boot. Just think of what illicit outflow of US$11.7 billion
between 2000 and 2009 means. Think of what illicit outflow of US$3.26 billion
in 2009 means. It means plundering precious resources from Ethiopian children.
It is a generational punitive punishment.

The
parallel I could draw of corruption and illicit outflow is ‘Alcoholics
Anonymous’ for an ethnic elite that has no soul. Here are its manifestations:

Institutionalized
greed that condones the behaviors and actions of its members.

Watches
out for the interests of members of the group at the highest level in a veil of
secrecy and confidentiality akin to “Alcoholics Anonymous.”

Systematic
assessment who is allowed in and out.

Periodic
assessment of membership effectiveness through what is called “gimgema” as a tool.

Deployment
of the legal and regulatory system selectively.

Restrictive
regulatory framework to govern private property and to ensure entry or
non-entry.

Invitation
to club based on loyalty.

Pronouncement
of fair and market based competition as neoliberalism to shore up crony
capitalism.

Promulgation
of laws and regulations to manipulate and sustain insatiable need for wealth
making resources and assets.

Propagation
of the notion that failure to defend the corrupt system will result in the
destruction of the country; and use this as a pretext to contain dissent.

‘Alcoholics
Anonymous’ of ethnic elites is an exclusive club in which members maintain
strict anonymity as to who owns what and where. Members are expected to defend
one another’s power and wealth interests in the name of growth. They vow not to
disclose incomes and assets. This is among the reasons why the current
government is among the least transparent in the world. Members refrain from
public disclosure of illicit outflow to avert international scrutiny. Ironically
but not surprisingly, officials disavow corruption in public and empower the
head of their group to assault it and illicit outflow as if the top leadership
is not part of the club. The message is this: we are not part of the problem;
it is others.

It is
worthy to note that members of this anonymous club speak with one voice. They
say more or less that corruption and illicit outflow harm development; and that
the culprits for billions stolen are outside the government loop.

‘Alcoholics
Anonymous’ for the governing elite and its allies is a form of addiction that
comes from “absolute power.” Members are not satisfied with the billions they
have made; the same way that alcoholics are rarely satisfied until they are
cured. They do not see the harm they cause for the rest of the society. They
try to maintain calm and stability at any cost by using the full force of the
state.

In light
of the above, opponents can no longer afford to waste time, energy and
resources second guessing, suspecting and undermining one another. They have
numerous themes and causes on which to rally and to agree on a framework now. Corruption
and illicit outflow are among the most compelling themes on which most
opponents and the global community can and will rally.

There are
other critical themes and issues that lend themselves to the urgent and doable recommendation
for cooperation and collaboration without delay: human rights, social and economic
justice, the rule of law, equitable access to opportunities, civil engagement
in the political process, unemployment, the traumatic situation of
Ethiopian women, especially girls, civil unrest and land grab. All these should mobilize those who resent current minority
ethnic-based repressive and corrupt governance. The bleeding of the country’s
resources should, in itself, revolt each of us, and unify our behaviors and
actions.