We have all asked why we as a national are not using Abbay in a grand scale while Egypt and the Sudan have used it to support their populations. The Egyptians even have a saying about our Abbay: “Egypt is the gift of the Nile”. And Ethiopians have added, “The Nile is the gift of Ethiopia”.
After thousands of years of seeing our great river flow to the Sudan and Egypt it is understandable why we may feel excited about the Renaissance Dam project. But should Diaspora be too quick to jump into buying Ethiopian Government bond to support the building of the Dam? I say, sure, lets support the Dam, but, we may also be able to do more with our bond money.
I have been reading the arguments for and against buying bond. I think there is a great opportunity that is being overlooked during these arguments. After seeing the insulting 99.6% election ‘result’ of 2010, some or even many in the opposition camp have felt powerless and desperate about the democratization process of Ethiopia. Even some among those who were optimistic about peaceful struggle have become sympathizers of groups who want to overthrow the Ethiopian government by armed struggle or violence.
Diaspora politics needs to be intelligent politics.
The Renaissance Dam is politically a trap for the opposition in Diaspora, or even the opposition in Ethiopia. But most things in life have a gray area, and there is a gray area in the Dam politics too. If we in the Diaspora refuse to support the Dam we will not only be missing a historical opportunity to make a difference for our beloved country, but we will also be politically outcasts.
I say lets buy the bond, but BEFORE we write checks, transfer money or direct deposit, we must demand the following from the government:
Demand the release of ALL political prisoners in Ethiopia
Demand the Ethiopian Government give opposition parties access to use public media (ETV, Radio, Government Newspapers)
Demand the Prime Minister publicly apologize for the 2005 post election protest killings by the Federal Police
Demand the Prime Minister meet with the victims’ families of the 2005 post election killings by the Federal Police, and offer apologies to the victim’s families
Demand the Ethiopian government involve opposition parties in the Council of Ministers.
Once these demands are met we will write checks, transfer money or direct deposit to buy bond and support our historical Renaissance Dam project. We will never say no to build a dam over our river Abbay! Never!
Let’s form a Diaspora Opposition Renaissance Dam Support Committee that will organize and encourage the buying of bonds for the Renaissance Dam project, but we buy the bond ONLY when the above proposed five demands are meet.
Checkmate to 99.6% tyrants!
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Yared Ayicheh can be reached at [email protected]
