Meles Zenawi, the master of deceit, is at it again attempting to fool the international community. His web of deceit has come to an end but he doesn’t realise that. He has been taking everyone for a ride over the last 14 years, but now he has become an object of embarrassment to all those world leaders who have become associated with him in one way or another. Sir Bob Geldof told him to grow up. Even Jonathan Dimbleby, the fun and admirer Meles Zenaw was heard of accusing him of running a police state. A police state is an understatement. The Amnesty International has condemned the crime committed by the regime on Addis Ababa University students. The US State Department has just issued a press release reproving the cowardice murder of innocent civilians. Unfortunately it also calls upon the opposition to stop violence as if the heavily armed Agaazies were under the command of CUD or UEDF. History will judge everyone one day. Only Prime Minister Tony Blair remains “schtumm” silent. He has succeeded in avoiding issues that may give rise to queries regarding the embarrassing situation. Not for long. The Sunday Town Hall public meeting organised by the UK branch of CUD Support Group in London, resolved by Ethiopians vowing never to stop knocking at door of The Downing Street until Tony Blair publicly denounced the fascistic bloodshed perpetrated by his chosen Commissioner of African Commission.

Leaders could be sometimes crafty and may lie to save their faces in such a way that it should not be too obvious they are lying and difficult to prove otherwise. However Meles Zenawi’s lies are so outrageous, failing to deceive even a three year-old child. As he opens his mouth, everyone expects him that he is going to lie. Even if he speaks the truth, nobody would believe the pathological liar. This must be an art he perfected while playing cards as a student gambler at General Winget School of Addis Ababa. Old habits never die. The dictator sounds like saying: “Hey everyone! I am going to fool you. Close your eyes.” After murdering 36 innocent people in cold blood, he declared to the world that they were shot dead while trying to break into the Police Station to grab arms and also trying to rob the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia. This is not new. Didn’t he instruct his gangs to say Assefa Maru of ETA was shot dead in a shoot out? However, the world knew the shots came only from one side. Killing unarmed civilians is a cowardice murder.

The London based CUD Support Group’s original intention in organising the Sunday Public Meeting was to bring over Ato Lidetu Ayalew, the Executive Committee Member of CUD to address Ethiopians in London. However, as it is evident, Meles’s Agaazie special elite crack force confiscated his passport and attempted to starve him to death cornering him in his Party’s HQ office. Now he is confined in his home, still without basic necessities, running out of food. Once Lidetu was immobilised, the contingency plan kicked in. Dr Berhanu Nega volunteered to fill in Lidetu’s place. The Lambeth Town Hall was booked, leaflets were distributed, announcements were made on Negat Radio and everything went as planned. However, as long as dictators rule Ethiopia nothing is expected to go according to the plan. Dr Berhanu Nega was forced to return from the Airport by the armed murderers of Meles Zeanwi. The ethno-apartheid regime’s longhand even managed to reach London to wreck Ethiopian plans! Within two days, the brave, working day and night like bees, the organisers changed the whole plan. They turned the meeting into a fund-raising event and let it be known to Ethiopians throughout London and environs, including those who come as far as from Southampton. That huge hall was not big enough to accommodate the mass that flocked from all corners of England on the day.

Ato Getnet Lemma, Ato Abiyou Wollela of CUD and Ato Getachew Alemayehu were invited to the tribune. Ato Getnet requested the audience to stand up for a 2-minutes for silence in remembrance the victims in Ethiopia. After the silent prayers, Ato Getnet explained why Ato Lidetu Ayalew or Dr Berhanu Nega failed to attend the meeting. However, Ato Getnet surprised the audience with a breakthrough they kept secret to the last minute. They outsmarted Woyyane with their quick thinking ability. The ingenuity of the organisers took many of us, who knew what they had to go through over the last two weeks and marvelled their creativity. In the absence of Ato Lidetu Ayalew and Dr Berhanu Nega, they managed to bring the voice of Dr Hailu Araya straight from Addis to fill the gap, as the main speaker for the day. With what was available at hand the organisers put the voice of Dr Hailu Araya in the hall with Ethiopians. Just using a mobile phone held to a microphone Dr Hailu Araya was able to address the audience. The communication was crystal clear for the whole public to hear. Woyyane might have thought it ruined Londoners plan, the tireless men and women of CUD in London showed many people that if there is a will there is a way.

The presence of Dr Hailu Araya is a rounding victory for Ethiopiawinet (Ethiopianhood). Woyyane has been campaigning over the last few months that CUD was made up of people from a certain ethnic group that was aspiring to bring back the old system. In fact it went to the extent of redesigning a headed paper like that of CUD and distributing leaflets in Addis Ababa making a malicious call that fell on deaf to slaughter all Tigres in the neighbourhood. Knowing that this was a repetition Howazen, and no one was ready to be taken for a ride. Woyyane rode alone along that road. It did not work this time. Any way, the Ethiopians in London put the brave son of a Tigre of Ethiopia in touch with his compatriots. This man is that brought the Woyyane divide and rule plan crumbling down, confining them only to the Province of Tigray. Even in Tigray, if fair election was run, Woyyane would have never had a single seat, given the track record of treachery it perpetrated against Ethiopia at large and Tigray in particular.

Dr Hailu Araya the gruesome picture of Addis Ababa. The blood stained streets of the capital city is slowly coming to life. The situation looked like calm after a storm. Some shops have been opened. Taxis are back on the street. However, Ato Lidetu Ayalew remained under a house arrest, prevented from leaving his home. Similarly Engineer Hailu Shaul remained under a house arrest, again preventing any one to go in or to come out. The tactic was bullying to submission. It is not working.

European Union, the United States and other concerned observers brokered a peace deal and made the regime’s representatives, the CUD and UEDF sign a tri-party non-aggression pact. However, the aggressors did not stop perpetrating atrocities. Dr Hailu Araya told the audience how the aggression that started with the tragic rounding up of the university students shipping to unknown destinations for punishment culminated with murder 26 innocent lives so far. Dr Hailu Araya explained the regime cowardly murdered unarmed and defenceless innocent people because the regimes dictatorial nature did not allow the gangsters to accept poll defeat with grace. The only option it found was to eliminate those who demanded their rights respected by death. Addis Ababa seemed calming down and temporary normal life appeared on the return. Shops were reopening and the taxies tickling out to the road again. Dr Hailu Araya also explained the fate of Ethiopians elsewhere. The situations remained tense everywhere and the regime military forces were carrying out murders and mass arrests in Gondar, Gojjam, Wollo, Mizan Teferi, Awasa, Shashamane,… you name it.

The regime’s play did not have boundary. Setting on ethnic group against another has been the tactic it had been using for the last 14 years. It continued to use that diabolic method of divide and rule. Failing to discredit the opposition as a extremist force working the bring back the old system, EPRDF quickly thought of something very cynical. Few years ago it moved the Seat of Oromiya State from Addis Ababa (Finfine) to Nazareth (Adama). As a result many Oromos were persecuted opposing the move. Hundreds were jailed and thousands of students were expelled from schools, colleges and universities. However, now CUD wiped out the regime from Addis Ababa by electoral vote, EPRDF unashamedly reversed earlier decision and quickly called back to bring back the seat of the Oromiya State Seat from “Adama” to “Finfine” without any approval from the members of the Parliament. That decision was yet another ploy by EPRDF to make life difficult for CUD to govern Addis Ababa setting up the Oromos against the rest of Ethiopians. That would fail too. By doing so, Dr Hailu Araya predicts that the regime was preparing the ground for the upcoming “Kebele” and “Local” Elections.

Dr Hailu Araya then went on pleading with the Ethiopians in Diaspora not to slow down the diplomatic campaign that was waging from horizon to horizon. As anti-democratic and anti freedom forces are attempting to subjugate the people of Ethiopia, he pleaded with those living abroad in the free countries to be the ambassadors of the people, in bringing the plight of Ethiopians to the ears of the world community. In Ethiopia, the regime has monopolised state owned media and press, which should have been to the property of the nation, owned by the taxpayers. However, the regime that took power by force utilises it alone as if it owns it. As a result, the opposition depends only on the local free press newspapers to reach the mass. The Diaspora community must stand on guard to defend the interest of the people wherever they lived. Dr Hailu could not stress enough on the need to rely on the support of the compatriots outside Ethiopia to assist the brave, patient and gallant people of Ethiopia in their struggle against tyranny. Dr Hailu went on saying that the regime is imprisoning CUD members under all sorts of tiny pretexts. The imprisoned still remain in jail. According to Dr Hailu Araya, even office workers were not spared.

The other assignment that the Diaspora should take on has to be the provision of financial support to breath oxygen into the struggle. Lack of resources should not cripple the struggle for freedom. Many would soon be out of jobs. Many of the breadwinners may get killed leaving the family unattended. In a nutshell, Dr Hailu Araya’s message to the Diaspora was a plea not let their compatriots down. Though Ethiopians abroad may not be rich enough to spare much, they are in far better position than those who are ready to sacrifice their lives at home. When the Ethiopians in Ethiopia are ready to face the challenge, the Diaspora is the only hope to provide “sinq” – material resources to live on while on the road of the bitter journey.

Dr Hailu Araya vowed and reassured the audience that there is no way back after this. Whatever sacrifice it may demand, CUD and UEDF would deliver the required leadership to take the people all the way to reclaim their democratic rights. The people have said it clear and loud and clear – they don’t want EPRDF. They don’t want dictators any more. They want their stolen ballots back. They want to be governed by the Government of their choice and not ethno-apartheid dictators. Dr Hail said that EPRF would not be able stop the tide of the mass with a demand to respect their economic, political, human rights. The regime has no choice, but if it wants to remain as a political force in the future, it has to bow down to popular demand now. No amount of murder, detention, abduction, disappearance of innocent would bully the opposition into submission because the power belongs to the people. Ethiopians are determined. There is no way back.

Dr Hailu also cautioned on unguided revolts that may end up living short. Therefore, CUD is advising people to listen to the leadership of the organisation they have chosen to lead them. He used the occasion to reassure the Diaspora that the CUD is taking the necessary steps to guide the tide to the right direction to achieve the desired results. A co-ordinated effort is fruitful and less costly. Own initiatives in isolation may result in life losses without results. Dr Hailu Araya regrets the loss of life so far and expressed his desire to achieve the goal with minimal further damage in the very near future. CUD and UEDF are charting the route forward and the people’s co-operation is vital. One major problem Dr Hailu Araya stressed on was the lack of communication between the people and their leaders due to the communication blackout imposed by the dictators.

When Dr Hailu completed his presentations, he audience were given the chance to ask question. He responded to all patiently. Regarding the question about the atrocities being committed in Gondar, he confirmed that the regime is waging a campaign of terror in Gondar and his organisation is bringing this fact to the international observers. Again the burden of bringing this crime to the international community rests with Diaspora. Meles was trying to justify his action of murder by alleging that the victims were killed while attempting to rob a police station and the national bank. Dr Hailu was asked what he thought about that. Dr Hailu Araya responded to that by saying that the Prime Minster cannot be accused of failing fabricating lies. He is a graduate from lie Invention University. Incidentally, some of those murdered were not even demonstrating but standing at bus stop or attending their daily chorus. The murder was carried out indiscriminately and cowardly.

By the way, the doctors and nurses had problems with the regimes cadres. At the time of releasing the bodies for burial, Woyyane soldiers were demanding that the doctors wrote an affidavit stating that astray bullets killed them. Meles’s lies have no limits. He keeps on lying after lying to cover small lie by even a bigger lie.

Someone asked Dr Haillu Araya if CUD and UEDF were ready to take over power and administer the country. Dr Hailu calmly responded by saying that the two big organisations had many capable people which could give far better leadership and administration to Ethiopia than Woyyane in all aspects of governance.

Some one also demanded that CUD and UEDF should not stop the people from going out to take back what is theirs. Rather than calming down the people, he asked the CUD and UEDF to lead. Dr Hailu Araya’s reply implied that there are tactics and strategies that the opposition follows. With tactics, you win the battle. At times you may even pull back. With a strategy you win the entire wall. Giving a quality leadership to the people is what CUD and UEDF stood for. However, that leadership is based on careful guidance to final victory and not to defeat.

Dr Hailu was asked about the relationship between the CUD and UEDF. Dr Hailu said it was based on solid understanding and tight closeness is build not to let any bad air Up to now the two have been releasing joint press releases and that practice will continue.

Many more people, including Cmdr Assefa Seifu, expressed their appreciation to CUD, shared their advices, expressed their worries and yet reassured Dr Hailu Araya and his friends that the Diaspora would stand by them and encouraged them to remain strong leading the people to the final victory.

And the audience gave the respect and appreciation to the Ethiopian people, the opposition and to Dr Araya and wished them success in the struggle to free motherland.

After Dr Hailu Araya went off the air, Ato Eyase Woldetsadik, Chairman of the UEDF Support Committee took the floor and give detailed description of the situation bother before and after the election. The demands of UEDF on the reorganisation of the Electoral Board were not accepted by the regime in power. Although the conditions were not conducive, the UEDF still decided to participate in the election, as the people were already up for it. The people did not let the opposition down. Both CUD and UEDF scored a resounding victory. However, the loser is not willing to step aside to the people choice. In stead, the EPRDF unleashed reign of terror murdering, intimidating, mass arresting and persecuting citizens. Ato Eyasu concluded his speech by confirming to the people that the UEDF together with CUD will give a good leadership to see the struggle to the end. He thanked the people for joining the rally two vibrant and well attended rallies and he urged not to cool it down until Ethiopian are freed from tyranny. He reminded that there was going to be another rally on Friday 17 June 2005 (now changed to Thursday 16 June 2005) and urged the audience to convince everyone to the attend it, to bring the plight of our people to the UK authorities.

The next speaker was Ato Getachew Alemayehu. Ato Getachew drew the attention of the audience to the hypocritical Woyyane democracy that forced the organisers think of a means of bringing the voice of Dr Hailu Araya on an improvised mobile-microphone, as the dictators prevented the intended guest from physically present on the meeting. Therefore, the future government in Ethiopia should one which would not tamper with the process of democracy. According to Ato Getachew, EPRDF is running a police state. In his moving speech, Ato Getachew urged everyone to rally behind the opposition to help the struggling Ethiopians to get rid off tyranny and build democratic Ethiopia. He stressed on the need to co-ordinate and double our efforts to promote the cause of Ethiopia. He reiterated the commitment that everyone should make to help the people, diplomatically, morally and materially. Ato Getachew’s message was well received by the audience

After his, the floor was opened for discussions to suggestions on how to carry on from there. There were many useful suggestions which were noted by the organisers to improve to take on board in the process of going ahead with the peaceful struggle.

Finally Mrs Svetland Mamedova, the Ethiopian Georgian was given the opportunity to share her ordeal when she was arrested and charged for public offence by showing the pictures of the murdered on the previous on the Rally of 10 June 2005. The Police fined her £80.00 and released her. Mrs Mamedova donated £400 on the spot and pledged to bring £600 more later. She told the audience how proud she was to be an Ethiopian and shouted her dreams: “One Ethiopia! One Country! One flag! One Nation.”.

A lottery was run on a donated special ornamented teapot, which fetched more than £800. Later, the guests were invited to dinner where heated discussions continued. Special thanks should go to the ladies who prepared that delicious Ethiopian meal the organisers who were expecting few hundreds people but ended up dealing with more than thousand guests. Ethiopians have risen to rescue their country!

The next rally will be on Thursday 16 June 2005, in front of the Downing Street, London.

Wondimu Mekonnen

An independent observer.