The legacy the martyrs left behind

ተነሳ ተራመድ (Stand up and stride) was a
revolutionary rallying song authored by progressive youths (in their twenties)
of the former Imperial Ethiopian Air Force in 1974. It was broadcast over the
national radio and soon captured the spirit, soul and mind of the Ethiopian people.
The young authors of that all-inclusive famous song in my opinion rekindled the
legacy of heroic deeds of their ancestors in preserving the unity and independence
of Ethiopia while at the same time passionately calling for fundamental bloodless
change to engender democracy, equality, liberty, dignity and prosperity for all
regardless of ethnic origin or creed.

The coward
Mengistu Hailemariam took the famous song off the air on the advice of
Marxist-Leninists because it was nationalistic! Since 1974, communist ideas
have been collapsing giving way to the rebirth of nationalism as the best
weapon for defending and preserving vital national interests – a crystal
clear development oblivion to TPLF graduates of Dedebit school of ideology.

In some of
my previous articles, I had argued that the theory of the vulgar dictator Joseph
Stalin on “Nations and Nationalities” is not applicable to Ethiopia
because of our unique history confirming common values of dignity, freedom and
sovereignty for which all ethnic groups fought dearly paying heavy sacrifices
in lives and damage to colossal material resources. Add to this the fact that
no one ethnic group can claim racial purity because each individual today is an
offspring of mixed marriages. So, why is unity of opposition forces to confront
their sworn common enemy nowadays stubbornly elusive?

Some Ethiopians
attribute the incessant plight of the masses as a kind of curse imposed on us
by the creator of the universe. Others blame bickering among political elites for
the suffering of the masses living in abject poverty to the point where life
for the ordinary people has become unbearably acute under the dictatorial rule
of TPLF.

The first assertion
in the above is answered by the common adage that “Heaven helps those who
help themselves”; the second one is answered by the quote attributed to Shakespeare
in Julius Caesar, which reads:

“Men at some time are masters of their fates:

The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,

But in ourselves, that we are underlings.”

So, in all
cases the fault lies with societies that allow dictators on the loose to
exploit their silence. We ought to be ashamed for letting Meles Zenawi in power
for the last twenty years. As the popular saying goes “Every nation
deserves the government it deserves”. I believe that we deserve far
better if we Ethiopians unite and act together. We have a glorious history of
scored victories over external aggressors by acting in unison knowing that the
TPLF regime is an aggressor serving foreign interests.

Sitting
under a giant African tree, I wrote the following stanzas in tribute to our
martyrs and heroes that had made us proud in wars and political arenas. I hope
that fellow Ethiopians will appreciate the message therein expressed:

The tyrant is cruelly infringing on my basic human right

And I am ready to fight the dictator with all my might

He has abused my beloved flag Green Yellow and Red

Which I have a moral duty with all my power to defend

The Green on my flag symbolizes prosperity

The Yellow color portrays faith in perpetuity

The Red for our ancestral blood for freedom shed

A priceless sacrifice paid to keep dignity to the end

The Oromos and Amharas take the brunt of his rant

Often unleashed in wrath by the misruling TPLF tyrant

Oh! People are sick and tired of his incessant threat

So nothing more than deposing the dictator is great

So stand up my fellow Ethiopians in resolute unison

To demand the release of all political leaders in prison

And pledge holding political prisoners will never happen

So that the hope for freedom and dignity shall shine again

Investment in high rise buildings, roads and infrastructures

Without the motto of “people come first” betrays our martyrs

Relegates social justice to the backburner & defeats our aims

To build democracy and prosperity for future generations

We have legacy of martyrs marvelously written in blood

Given to us by our heroic ancestors in trust tightly sealed

Therefore the onus is indeed on all of us young and old

To expunge the evil thugs so our history in glory be told

A bizarre
combination of arrogance, ignorance, bigotry, lust for power, greed and other
inhuman evil attributes such as these intoxicated the tyrants of Ethiopia and
Eritrea and led them into committing gruesome human rights violations and incalculable
damage to life and property in both countries as well as destabilization of the
region through their proxy war.   Their central theme was disempowering of
the Amhara and the Oromo combined majority of 61.4% of the Ethiopian people. But
they have of recent realized that their strategy is failing rapidly.

And according
to the news posted on Abugida website on 16 March 2012, the twin brothers in
crime, Isaias and Meles are going to meet to resolve their differences. It is
widely believed however that the two had concocted a drama aimed at how best to
stay in power in the face of rising opposition to their unbridled brinkmanship.
Meles’ arrogance emanates from his insatiable lust for power, hatred for
the Amharas, contempt for the Oromos, dominion over Tigres constituting only
6.1% of the Ethiopian population and neglect for the rest of the minority
ethnic groups. Isaias is an absolute dictator who has been misruling Eritrea
without a constitution and destabilizing the Horn of Africa region for the last
19 years; he has reduced Eritrea to a pariah state condemned by the United
Nations for supporting the religious fanatic extremist Al Shabab linked to Al
Qaeda.

All-inclusive
dialogue is welcome. To avoid bloodshed is noble. However the two tyrants,
Meles and Isaias, do not represent durable interests of the people of both
countries. Both of them lack the moral character and integrity of visionary
leaders that give top priority to human development and the rule of law. They
are utterly corrupt dictators sleeping in separate tents but thinking alike.

Meles,
immediately after the outbreak of hostilities initiated by Isaias in 1998,
complained of being “stabbed in the back”. The reported meeting may
be to settle their differences that led to the stabbing. As to the rest of us
Ethiopians, we have yet to discover what their secret deal was? We can only
guess and my guess is that there could have been a secret agreement allowing
Isaias to keep Eritrea for himself alone and share Ethiopia with Meles. Let us
stay tuned for the breaking news that someone in the know may one day reveal
the secret!

 I would like to close this piece with the
quote below attributed to Margery Eldredge Howell:

“There is dignity in suffering

Nobility in pain

But failure is a salted wound

That burns and burns again “

Dignity,
nobility and decency do not exist in the lexicon of thugs. Tyrant Meles is a
sadist adept at swiftly passing on sufferings and pains to the masses; he is
quick to pull the trigger to silence his peaceful opponents. In doing so, he goes
into trance chewing psycho thermal plants, while trusted scribes read to him litanies
of his ‘historic’ achievements as a ‘Statesman leading
Africa’. But failure is fast approaching to burn him incessantly till
death – and the bloated parasitic bureaucracy of his TPLF regime is
fueling the inferno.

Let us
jealously guard our priceless legacy written in blood and given to us by the
Ethiopian  martyrs and heroic patriots;
let the present and future generations forever keep their valiant deeds alive
in the annals of history.

LONG LIVE
ETHIOPIA!!!

Release
all political prisoners in Ethiopia including Andualem, Eskinder, Nathnael et al!