The regime in Addis Ababa, led by the despotic leader Meles Zenawi, is nothing less but a tyrant, oppressor, war criminal and master minder of genocide who is clinging to power by no means necessary. The so-called general election of 2010 to which he is the party leader recorded an amazing 545 out of 547 or 99.6% of seats of the Parliament, just a copy cat of the military regime of Mengistu Hailemariam; say it all. Ever since Meles Zenawi grabbed power 20 years ago, the atrocities and crimes committed is identical, if not worst to the crimes committed by Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic on Bosnian Muslims from 1992 to 1995. The regime of Meles Zenawi, after math of the 2005 general election: (1) continued in imprisoning, disappearing and killing of Oromos, Amharas, Anuaks, Afars, Sidamas for exercising their God given rights, (2) committed a war crime, and death by starvation on Ogaden Somalis of Ethiopia under the pretext of fighting terrorism, and (3) continued in the killing and disappearing of countless members of and supporters of opposition parties.
The Somalis, living in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia have been the main targets of the Zenawi’s regime; were and still are subjected to systematic state sponsored repression, human rights violation, and worst of all starving them to death by hunger. The regime classified innocent law abiding citizens of the Ogaden as supporters of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF). On October, 2008 the Subcommittee on Africa, Congress of the United States of America, and Chairman Mr. Donald Payne on a press release stated that “The Ethiopian security forces are deliberately targeting innocent civilians. The raping and hanging of civilians are used routinely by the regimes security to intimidate and to psychologically torture innocent civilians. I met many of these victims in a refugee camp in Kenya. Since when does starving a child or hanging a young woman publicly qualify as a counter insurgency operation? I have witnessed many tragedies around the world but the one unfolding in the Ogaden is by far on of the worst.”
Human Rights Watch on its June 2008 report accuses the Meles regime that “the government forces committed numerous violation of human rights, violation of the laws of war that amount to war crimes, and crimes against humanity against civilian population. The committed crime includes widespread of forced relocations of civilians, destruction totally or partially burning down their villages, willful killings, summary executions, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence. It is agonizing to see why the international community has failed the ethnic Somalis of the Ogaden region of Ethiopia.”
On its 2011 world report, the Human Rights Watch, once again stated that “torture and ill-treatment of detainees arrested on suspicion of involvement with armed insurgent groups such as the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and the Ogaden National Libration Front (ONLF) in the Somali region remains a serious concern. The Ethiopian military and other security forces are responsible for serious crimes in the Somali region, including war crimes.”
Honorable Mr. Secretary General:
As if the above stated atrocities and crimes are not enough, Zenawi’s regime continued to starve to death the Ogaden Somalis. The regime knowingly continued to do so until the CNN report was broadcasted and exposed the seriousness of famine that is taking place in the Ogaden, Eastern and South Western parts of Ethiopia. As per UNDP’s report, the regime of Meles Zenawi instead of alleviating poverty and talking famine it stashed over 8.3 billion dollars in foreign banks, illegally. By default, regime care less about the dying of citizens of hunger rather tries to hold the International Community responsible. What make one wonder is that this shameless, despotic and tyrant regime over two months ago, was busy in purchasing 200 tanks, paying over 100,000,000 from Ukraine, while its citizens of varying age crying for food.
Honorable Mr. Secretary General:
Is it not time to tell the regime of Meles Zenawi, enough is enough? Is it not time to hold responsible to bring Zenawi and his regime to the International Criminal Court (ICC) like Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic for the genocide they committed on Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica? How many innocent Ethiopians should further be sacrificed to awake the ICC?
Mr. Secretary General, we have two questions to pose to you and the Office you are leading: First, wouldn’t you prefer to stand by the side of the poor and the voiceless, so that history will remember you as a person of justice? And second, what action should you take if one of those children dying of hunger in the Ogaden be yours?
Sincerely,
Members of the Ethiopian Current Affairs Discussion Forum
