Amanuel Biedemariam

On a recent interview with ESAT, the Founder and President of Genocide Watch, Dr. Gregory Stanton stressed that Ethiopia is high on the list of countries of Genocide Watch. The reasons Dr. Stanton outlined are alarming; however true, yet, an opportunity for Ethiopians and other peace loving people in the world to try to stop it from taking place. This is not the first time Dr. Stanton raised alarm publicly. However, this time, Dr. Stanton detailed the reasons why; as well as how and, what could trigger genocide in Ethiopia and specifically Tigray.

Dr. Stanton comes with a sizeable resume and expertise in genocide related matters because he has been closely associated with the formulation of the legal language and UN resolutions that govern the international standards. He has dedicated a great deal of time into the matter understanding the triggers; the damage, the consequences and ramifications; and hopefully preventive mechanisms. Dr. Stanton said the very reason Genocide Watch started is that, after The Rwanda Genocide, he came to the realization that there is a need for a watchdog group that specifically focused on genocide. And, that is the reason why he founded the organization.

While it is difficult to trust West- based organizations that claim to do good; I found Dr. Stanton’s reasoning compelling and his observation about the issues in Ethiopia spot-on. Dr. Stanton highlighted the stages or indicators that point to the likelihood of genocidal events in a given region and in this case Ethiopia, specifically Tigray. One of the common factors in these countries is often minority regimes ruling ethnically based administrations. Dr. Stanton said a Tigrayan minority that created its own colonies within the country rules Ethiopia. He further noted that the minority Tigrayan regime has created animosities and mistrust amongst the various ethnic groups in Ethiopia in order to divide and rule. In these circumstances a feeling of”Us-against-them” and resentment arises with deadly consequences. And there is always a nickname associated used to demonize the minority group as in Rwanda.

In Ethiopia, the minority Tigrayan regime has committed countless crimes against humanity in the Ogaden, the Gambella and other places. There has been a major forced uprooting of large populations to accommodate multinational organizations not to mention the ethnic cleansing of over eighty thousand Eritreans from Ethiopia from 1998-2000. That is why Dr. Stanton was compelled to warn; ultimately, the people of Tigray will end up paying the price for the crimes the genocides Meles regime is perpetrating. He stated, “My job is to identify trends that could cause genocides and what I am witnessing in Ethiopia is a great deal of concern for the people of Tigray because the regime is committing these crimes on their names.”

Here we go…, if an Ethiopian or Eritrean makes these remarks a Tigrayan is likely to brush it off as exaggeration. But what Dr. Stanton’s attempt to expose the minority Tigrayan genocidal regime does is, give weight to the subject and raise the ante. It gives it credibility. In a recent interview with ESAT, American Professor Theodore Vestal echoed similar concerns.

What is taking place in Ethiopia is real and not difficult to see its direction. All good things come to an end and the good time the genocidal TPLF clique enjoyed at the expense of Ethiopia and the regime is coming to end sooner than later. The regime, thinking that it will be the ultimate ruler in the region played a zero sum game with every country and ethnic group in the region. It committed genocides in the Ogaden and Gambella. It is dismembering the region by giving major land-away free; in Somalia, it has created a holocaust etc…

Signs of a dying regime

All of what the minority genocidal regime has done is ending. In 2006, Meles Zenawi waived the Holy Bible to invade an Islamic nation and failed leaving bloody trails. Now the Kenyans have taken that dubious honor to the dismay of the Transitional Government of Somalia. This clearly is a sign that the mercenary clique has failed to do the job and replaced by Kenya.

After the war between Eritrea and Ethiopia started, the minority regime established alliances with Omar Al Beshir of Sudan and Abdallah Sallah of Yemen to isolate and entrap Eritrea. Ten years removed, The Sallah regime is on life support and Sudan has distanced itself from Meles and strengthened her alliance with Eritrea. This is significant because there were major events that changed the dynamics of the frail Sudanese Ethiopian alliance for good. Firstly, Sudan split into two. Secondly, the Weakileaks revelation that Meles wanted Beshir gone is a certain dagger into the relationship and importantly, the TPLF clique is prone to pursue US interests at the expense of Ethiopia. While the minority regime has tried to show a positive face with Sudan, in a departure from the regular positive spins, the mouthpiece of TPLF Aigaforum website posted a critical article about Sudan while President Isaias Afwerki was in Sudan on a state visit, a first.

All one has to do is understand what Sudan means to Tigray.  The city of Kassala Sudan is 182 km from the city of Humera Tigray [aka Beghemder]. Sudan is a lifeline to Tigray because Tigray is a landlocked province. Most of the goods that come into Tigray including oil come from Sudan. If Sudan closes borders with Tigray, there will be a drastic change in the economic realities of Tigray. For long, the genocidal Meles was able to play the ICC card against President Beshir but now the political dynamics have changed after the independence of South Sudan. Furthermore, Eritrea is deeply entrenched in Sudan. In fact, during the opening ceremonies of a new highway between Eritrea and Sudan President Beshir said, “I want no border between Eritrea and Sudan.” This is significant because it means the interest of Sudan and Eritrea are in sink economically, politically, culturally and security wise. This clearly highlights the influence Meles lacks with his immediate neighbors. The only lifeline the genocidal regime has is Djibouti. In other words, he is alienated and, what he conspired against Eritrea turned on him.

The realities inside Ethiopia are not different. Meles Zenawi and his clique have no support of the Ethiopian people. The majority of Ethiopians in the 2005 election rejected them.  And the crimes Meles committed in various Ethiopian regions are a public record.

The Alarm of Genocide

That being the case, what could push Ethiopia over the edge and create a scenario that could dismember the nation and create chaos? What could trigger a situation that makes a specific group of Ethiopians, in this case Tigray a target for mass killing?  Why Tigray? Is there a truth behind Dr. Stanton’s alarm about genocide? To say Ethiopia loathes the TPLF and Meles Zenawi is understatement. Hence, is there truth to the fact that Tigrayans will ultimately pay for the crimes Meles is committing in their name?

While there are many Tigrayans that say Meles does not represent Tigray; the reality is the main supporters of Meles are from Tigray.  On the other hand, one of the main threats to his regime is Tigray based with a resurgent TPDM, a movement that is creating problems from within and gaining momentum with tens of thousands in the force already.  This means that the people Tigray, at least a sizeable portion are, opposed to Meles Zenawi’s rule. However, a perception exists that Tigrayans are the ones perpetrating the oppression that is taking place in Ethiopia.

In 1998, Meles and his clique forced over 80,000 Eritreans out of their homes. What is interesting was that the majority of Ethiopians were opposed to this. They hated seeing their neighbors, their friends, friends of their sons and daughters, people they grew up and grew old with; old, young and people that knew little or nothing about Eritrea forced out of their homes and ethnic cleansed. This is a precedent Meles Zenawi set, unheard of before and breaking the fabric of a long-standing relationship between both peoples. Therefore, is it likely, when the opportunity arises that Ethiopians could say, “What is good for the goose is good for the gander” and repeat history?

In 2003, a report that detailed the atrocities the minority clique committed in Gambella became public and it compelled Dr. Stanton to state, that the crimes “fit the definitions of genocide and crimes against humanity. Human Rights Watch also conducted two investigations of their own and determined that the crimes against the Anuak meet the stringent definition of crimes against humanity.”  This does not include the forced eviction of thousands of Anuak Ethiopians from their homes, villages and farmlands to accommodate Indian and other multinational corporations. If Anuaks have the opportunity, will they lash out?

The most Brutal atrocities by Meles and his clique are taking place in the Ogaden. Major humanitarian organizations have provided detailed account of the atrocities the genocidal clique is committing in the Ogaden. Horrid pictures of tortured and raped women; torched village after village; reports of systemic alienation and denial of humanitarian aid to millions of Ogadeni’s over a sustained period with irrefutable-evidences are abundant. Thousands have perished while millions remain disconnected from the outside world, deliberately. The international community has been-denied access to the area. In fact, two Swedish reporters are in jail captured by the minority clique while trying to report about the plight of the people of Ogaden.  The list could go on…, but the question is there a repercussion?  And who will pay?

What the minority clique is doing to the people Somalia is a historic crime that will reverberate for generations. It is the highest crime of humanity like the holocaust and the crimes of the Ottoman Empire on the Armenian people. What makes it more ironic is that the people of Somalia were not posing any threat; they were not in a position; they did not have the capacity or, the ability to do harm. The minority clique invaded a sovereign nation at the behest of Westerners and committed genocides needlessly. Unfortunately, the regime is still at it using the people of Somalia for political, monetary and military advantages from the West and using the plight of the poor women and children as apolitical theater against Eritrea squandering precious moments for the people. Will they have their day?

The people of Oromo didn’t fare better either. The first target of the minority clique was Oromia.  The people of Oromo have suffered the most in the hands the TPLF. Any resistance against the clique meets brute force. Thousands of students have perished, beaten and jailed in high schools and colleges for showing a sign of opposition. Siye Abraha, a clique member said that the jails are full of Oromo people. A fight with Tigrayan students in colleges is a reason for serious punishments. This is because Oromia poses the greatest threat since the Oromo represent the highest percentage of Ethiopia’s population and if they rise, it will end the regime’s reign. Whilst the minority clique is-forced to apply an appeasement strategy, the people of Oromo are asserting their position evermore with vigor. And it is certain that they will clash in due time. The list of atrocities is long everywhere in Ethiopia.

These are the realities in Ethiopia today. The situation in Ethiopia is grave and requires urgent intervention. Numerous causalities can lead to calamitous and bloody events in Ethiopia at any time. There are different scenarios under which these events could become reality. However, the clique has ignored all the possibilities with a belief, “As long as the international community is with us, the people of Ethiopia and the region does not matter: hence, catering to the needs of foreign powers and businesses solely. For example:

The regime is in violation of international laws for sitting on Eritrean territories which could trigger a conflict at any time when Eritrea sees it necessary. Furthermore, the Tigrayan minority regime has based its very existence on the destruction of Eritrea. Emboldened by the support it gets from the West, it is feeling invincible which could lead to a conflict. This will create an opportunities for the insurgencies to assert their positions forcefully and target their perceived threat, the people of Tigray.

Sudan could close its border with Tigray and deny needed goods creating economic chaos for Tigray. This in turn will force Tigryans to migrate into areas where they may not be welcomed.

Frustration and helplessness of the youth will be rampant and a conflict from within will be rampant. Insurgencies will erupt and create a civil war inside Tigray. This grim assessment is happening as we speak and will gain momentum in a much faster pace because the regime has broken all the bridges with Ethiopians. It denied Tigrayans their traditional gateway and business partner in Eritrea isolating the people.

Conclusion

Dr. Gregory Stanton made it clear that Meles Zenawi will face justice for the crimes he is committing all over Ethiopia. There is always a price to be paid and someone is going to pay for all the crimes committed over the last two decades. The question is will that affect the people of Tigray and how? What can the average person do to avert disasters and unnecessary hardships of poor innocent people? Meles Zenawi is a friend to no one. He is leading a minority clique that does not answer to the Ethiopian people. As he gets desperate, he is doing all he can to stay in power and if he cannot, he has already seeded all the destructive seeds to light the fire and destroy everything so he cannot be brought to justice. This alarm is a call to all regardless of where they come from.

Awetnayu@hotmail.com

Amanuel Biedemariam

As a lead diplomat for the Clinton Administration for Africa, Ambassador Rice failed the people of Africa and particularly Rwanda in the most negligent of ways imaginable. Of course, no one will accuse Ambassador Rice for creating the genocide but she is responsible in many ways. As a point woman, one of her responsibilities was to identify threats to civilians and she failed in that regard. She could have used US power to minimize the slaughter; could have done more to attract international attention to minimize the damages and she failed. In other words, she could have done more to minimize the scope, duration and magnitude of the genocide but failed miserably and allowed genocide of a biblical proportion to take place on her watch with indifference. That is undeniable historical fact!

Before she became the UN ambassador for the Obama Administration, Susan Rice gave many interviews to promote her bid for the position. During those interviews, she expressed regret after regret for watching the Rwandan Genocide unfold as a bystander. However, the regrets are not to repent mistakes she made; rather, it was to absolve herself from direct responsibilities by assigning the blame on US policies and directives. In an interview with Michele Norris of NPR Ambassador Rice said,

“No policymakers in Washington or on Capitol Hill or any editorial boards, for that matter, were advocating U.S. military intervention in Rwanda. It wasn’t an option that was ever credibly contemplated, whether or not that would have been the right option.”

This statement is nothing but a skillful diversion of responsibilities laced with a devious sales pitch for a new aggressive policy. However, it is unfortunate that Michele Norris and other US media outlets served as a PR tool to-a-failed diplomat that affected humanity in the most negative way imaginable by passively accepting her comments without any challenges, denying Americans an opportunity to make educated choice. They failed to question statements Ambassador Rice made admitting to the colossal failure when she said that she, “Learned that policymakers have to put all of the options, conceivable and inconceivable, before ourselves and before senior leadership so that we’re not in a position of saying that we didn’t give it full enough or ample enough consideration.”

She did not “put all of the options” or “give-it-full enough consideration” because she failed to anticipate the possibilities. That is an admission of failure. The Human Rights Watch’s Alison Des Forges stated how very “un-helpful” Susan Rice was when Des Forges was trying to mobilize action and raise the alarm in the early days of the Rwandan genocide.

But what I found troubling was her disingenuous crocodile tears and the fact that Rice used the genocide as a platform for her hawkish agendas. According to the New York Times, the Obama Administration appointed Susan Rice, “To send to the world organization a prominent and forceful advocate of stronger action, including military force if necessary, to stop mass killings like those in the Darfur region of Sudan in recent years.”

The Obama Administration did not have to select an individual with such a record. It is also unfortunate Ambassador Rice used the Rwanda genocide as a reason to forward the agenda of force as a primary option to impose change on countries of interest. Her primary tool of achieving US interests is force or credible threat of force. Ambassador Rice is not an advocate of peace, cooperation, the prevalence of the rule of law, diplomacy and welfare of the good of the people of the world and particularly Africa.

Ambassador Susan Rice was a miserable failure as a US point woman in Africa. In her watch, the Eritrea and Ethiopia peace process was botched leading to a war that took the lives of over 150,000 youth, with millions displaced and thousands-more maimed as a result. Somalia’s slide and mistrust for US policies goes back to her tenure. Yet, she is able to use these and other failures to lever her to a much higher cabinet level position. In fact, Rice advertised how she intended to accomplish her objectives by saying, “I swore to myself that if I ever faced such a crisis again, I would come down on the side of dramatic action, going down in flames if that was required.”

As a result, the US has a brazen, aggressive UN Ambassador. She is unbalanced on her approaches, unprincipled, hypocritical, and unashamed to make outlandish claims. Most importantly, her views, approaches and actions are damaging to US interests long term. She is intent to pass a robust and open-ended UNSC decisions to help launch full-scale attacks as in Libya.

It renders the average person even more helpless when failed-diplomats rise to a level of UN ambassadorship after a colossal failure such as Rwanda. The hypocrisy is even glaringly more apparent when one compares the scolding and rebukes the Captain of the ship Exxon Valdez (rightfully) received for creating environmental disaster after wrecking the tanker compared to the holocaust that Ambassador Rice bared witness as a bystander without any accountability.

The Alarm

Ambassador Susan Rice is pursuing reckless policies particularly in the Horn of Africa. As an American, I am deeply disturbed and concerned by the way she is pushing policies that will lead to uncontrolled bloodshed and genocides in Africa. No one expected what took place in Rwanda could have actually happened, but it did. There could have been warning signs, ignored signs. This time however, the world will have no excuse to plead ignorance. The responsibility befalls on all involved since the threats and warnings are real and based on substantive evidence.

Dr. Gregory Stanton, President and founder of Genocide Watch warned; ultimately, the people of Tigray will end up paying the price for the crimes the genocides Meles regime is perpetrating. He stated, “My job is to identify trends that could cause genocides and what I am witnessing in Ethiopia is a great deal of concern for the people of Tigray because the regime is committing these crimes on their names.”

Dr. Stanton did not express an isolated observation of warning. The Human rights Watch (an organization that pushes US agendas) and major humanitarian organizations have detailed genocides Meles Zenawi committed in Somalia, the Ogaden, and other parts of Ethiopia and warned successive US Administrations about the prevailing humanitarian crisis. Moreover, in 1st of October 2007, Human Rights Watch briefed The House Committee on Foreign Affairs, subcommittee on Africa and Global Health and (concerned about how US interests could be impacted adversely)warned,

“Human Rights Watch would like to focus on the conduct of the Ethiopian military, not only because the Ethiopian government’s military forces have systematically committed atrocities and violated the basic laws of war, but because Ethiopia is a key ally and partner of the United States in the Horn of Africa. The crimes committed by Ethiopian forces in the Ogaden and in Somalia are not unique, on the contrary they add to a mounting toll of abuses that have made Ethiopian security forces among the most abusive on the continent. Human Rights Watch has previously documented crimes against humanity by Ethiopian military forces in Gambella, and serious abuses in Oromia, Addis Ababa and other parts of Ethiopia.”

Human Rights Watch and others have reported genocides the Meles regime committed evidenced by satellite photos of torched villages and systemic suffocation of large populations in various parts of Ethiopia. But what arouses the current concern is the fact that the actions and decisions Ambassador Rice is pursuing will unhinge the entire region and create a human calamity that can potentially dwarf the genocide of Rwanda.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) released a report authored by Terence Lyons in June of 2011 called, “Ethiopia, Assessing Risks to Stability” highlighting the “brittle” nature of Ethiopia’s stability. The report detailed the faultiness and triggers to instability. According to the report, Ethiopia is a powder-cake with many challenges that in time will erupt when the risk factors coalesce. A powerful party that buys loyalty with economic incentives rules Ethiopia. Ethiopia is a country led by an ethnic Tigrayan minority that represents only 6% of 90 million populations. Ethiopia is a country divided ethnically with the ethnic groups having some autonomy but in time will demand more. Ethiopia faces insurrections in Oromia with the OLF, Ogaden ONLF, in Tigray TPDM and Afar etc… The ruling party is, resented throughout the entire nation. The country has a one party system that Ethiopians rejected in the 2005 elections. The army may be representative of the different ethnic groups but the leadership core is almost entirely from Tigray. Ethiopia is under a firm grip of a tyrant and when challenged could spell disaster for the nation. These threats represent internal threats only. The report outlines Ethiopia is susceptible to outside threats Somalia and Eritrea. In addition, instability and conflicts in the region can affect Ethiopia. For example, instability in South Sudan or other countries can easily spill over. The study hesitates to give a time-frame but stated when all these forces come together it will definitely lead to instability in Ethiopia.

The report is modest, conservative and minimizes the true dangers facing Ethiopia. The report however, is deadly accurate when it concluded that Ethiopia is given a pass on all its human rights violations because it is a vital ally of the US and Western interests. Ethiopia receives the highest development and security aid from the US, UK and other Western countries. According to USAID, Ethiopia is the highest recipient of bilateral aid in Africa. From 2008 to 2011, Ethiopia received 969,916,533 and 583 million US Dollars. From the Department for International Development’s (DFID) in 2009/2010 Ethiopia received a total of £214.3 aid from the UK and has chosen Ethiopia to be its biggest recipient $2 billion in British development total during the next four years. This is just a sample representative of the humanitarian, development, economic and security aid Ethiopia receives. Ethiopia receives these aid with a condition to, in effect, work as a subcontractor of Western security interest in the region. Ethiopian troops are active in peacekeeping missions in sensitive areas when Western troop presence could look like an occupation. They are in Darfur and recently, in the contested Abiye region in Sudan. They are doing countless missions in Somalia and elsewhere in Africa.

What this demonstrates clearly is Ethiopia’s dependence on Western powers for sustenance. As the report indicated inadvertently, Ethiopia has a mercenary army lead by Tigrayan Generals operating as hired guns for the West. Ethiopia is the most important country in the region because it serves as a linchpin in a strategic area of the world. And Ethiopia is a perfect candidate for that because Ethiopia has leaders that are warmongers and willing to do the dirty job and importantly, the regimes survivability depends upon the funds it generates from these activities. Absent of the funds the regime will collapse instantly.

The reason Ethiopia is important is that it allows the West to direct their activities from Ethiopia the headquarters of the African Union. US and Western interests in the region include, South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia, Uganda, Rwanda amongst others. Ethiopia as an anchor State allows US, to quarterback activities. These advantages, Westerners believe cannot afford to lose; therefore, they allow Ethiopia to get away with all the human rights and international laws violations with impunity. The West is also determined to accommodate Ethiopia’s wishes by providing political cover and support as Ethiopia pursues its interests. The regime in Ethiopia is emboldened as a result.

However, the US is pursuing a dangerous policy that could backfire and bring about significant setback to US interests in the region. The US is also playing Russian roulettes with the lives of millions and risking its influence and reach in the region. Instability in Ethiopia will affect the region negatively politically and economically. It will contribute to instabilities in South Sudan, Uganda and Rwanda. In the aftermath of the 2007 election violence in Kenya, Uganda’s economy froze because Uganda imports all the goods it needs through the ports in Mombasa Kenya as a result the risks to instability in Uganda was high. This illustrates the region is interlinked at many levels and in many ways.

Ambassador Susan Rice is currently pursuing to impose additional sanctions on Eritrea for the second time under the pretext of “African Initiative.” This is a strategy the US is uses to avoid appearance of direct involvement. By using a regional grouping such as IGAD, Arab League etc…, the US has replaced the burden of proof or, legal process with un-provable slanderous allegations that can make a PR case against any nation in order to pass punitive measures. This strategy has proven its effectiveness. If the likes of the Arab league or African Union accuse a nation of malice there is no burden of proof required for the US to punish in order to pursue interest in this case Eritrea. Ambassador Rice will go to any length to ensure the development of the language she needs to achieve her objectives.

Recent leaks show how Ambassador Rice collaborated with Ethiopia to design the sanction against Eritrea. The cables show how Charge d’ affairs of Ethiopia Fesseha Tessema and Rice collaborated to forward the sanction measure to UNSC based on deception. Ambassador Rice is one more time pushing this agenda by using Gabon as she did with Uganda.

The problem with the resolution being-pursued is multi pronged. Firstly, as evidenced, the Ethiopian regime is driving the agenda. Ethiopia and Eritrea have been engaged in prolonged hostility where the US has sided with Ethiopia because Ethiopia is its strategic partner. Secondly, it is because the charges are baseless and unjustifiable. The accusing parties namely Ethiopia and the US are the destabilizing actors in Somalia parties that are culpable. The US and Ethiopia are the parties that invaded Somalia in December of 2006 and uprooted the only hope to stability the Somali’s created in nearly 20 years with Islamic Court Union (ICU) which was headed by the current TFG leader, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, whom the US detained after the invasion of Somalia. If it was not for the US and Ethiopia, there was a good chance Somalia could have reconstituted. But they concluded, it is a possible threat to US and Ethiopian interests and they forcibly disbanded them leading to the current holocaust the world is witnessing in horror. Thirdly, the resolution being-thought; was hatched in Ethiopia by the genocidal regime in Ethiopia. Fourthly and most importantly, Eritrea does not have access to effectively prove or disprove the charges and, to challenge a system that the US controls armed with a veto power. The Somali Monitoring Group tasked to look at these matters was set-up by Dr. Jendayi Frazer to pursue punitive measures against Eritrea. It is not a legal body with a process to stand. It is not a court of law where the plaintiff, the defendant and witnesses stand in front a of the judge to litigate; it is not an investigative body that has the ability to conduct its own investigation and present evidences; it is not an elected body beholden to any constituency; it is PR tool whose directives come from the State Department designed to legitimize illegal UN actions on nations that have no representation or voice. The world must stop this dangerous international precedent.

The above agenda’s design is to decapitate Eritrea; and place it under the control of the genocidal regime in Ethiopia. The first sanction Ambassador Rice passed was an arms embargo to tie the hands of the people of Eritrea while Ethiopia is occupying Eritrean territories in violation of international laws. This time, she is seeking to tighten the sanction to render the nation non-viable by using yet another African nation, Gabon. The question is what is Eritrea’s answer is going to be to the slow death-sentence Ambassador Rice decided upon it? Will Eritrea allow the hawkish Rice and the genocidal regime to collaborate and destroy Eritrean independence earned with the lives of thousands and over 50 years of colonial agony? The answer to that is Eritrea will do what is in the best interest of Eritrea whatever that may be!

Conclusion

The cumulative result of years of US and Western support of a tyrant that is unaccountable to Ethiopians and the needs of the people in the region has reached a critical stage as highlighted by Genocide Watch and others. The institutional and governance vacuum that it created in the region is evidenced by the holocaust we are witnessing in Somalia. The situation in Ethiopia is not any better. In addition to all the instability indicators, the CSIS outlined; on August 17, 2011, The Telegraph reported, “Ethiopia famine dwarfs Somalia’s tragedy in scale.” The US has provided all the resources and political cover Ethiopia needed to pursue US interests. In the process, the potential for one of the greatest humanitarian crisis in the world is ever closer to becoming a reality. The population in the region, namely Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, Kenya, South Sudan and Eritrea is about 250 million. Another conflict in the region will set off events that Ambassador Susan Rice could not foresee.

Any future war in the region will have no end game other than a complete annihilation. The region has no reason to fight other than to pursue devious agendas based on irresponsible interests. And that will be bloody beyond imagination. But one thing for certain, Ethiopia and the region will never be the same.

The blood will-be shed as a direct result of policies Ambassador Rice pursued. Ethiopia could be, fragmented by region and ethnicity. And worse, there will be a religious conflict because the leadership in Ethiopia waved the holy-cross to invade an Islamic nation in Somalia. There are also populations and regions like Tigray that will face genocide as retribution because that is the home of the ruling party. Afar and the Amhara regions surround Tigray and they may-not have a warm feeling because of the hardship they endured due to a group that leads Ethiopia in the name of Tigray. Hence, any action by Ambassador Rice will be to light a fire and set off uncontrollable calamitous events that will destroy the lives of millions in the region. It will put the region in a permanent state of chaos.

This is a warning that all peace loving people need to take seriously because once events are set in motion it will be irreversible. The world must stop Ambassador Rice from passing decisions based on fabrications. The region suffers a great deal as a direct result of US involvement that does not consider the wellbeing of the people and long-term viability of the region. In other words, in order to achieve US interests the region is, denied the right to exist. That is unjustifiable and major crime against humanity. The people in the region have no recourse and ways they can address their grievances. Hence, it is incumbent upon all to stop it by campaigning against this evil design and stop Ambassador Susan Rice from triggering events that will lead to Rwanda like genocides in the Horn of Africa. This is what the “Is” is in the Horn of Africa today and tell President Obama it must not be.

Please spread the message to deter genocide.

Awetnayu@hotmail.com

A joint undercover investigation by BBC Newsnight and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism last month uncovered evidence that the Ethiopian government is using billions of dollars of development aid as a tool for political oppression.

The team travelled to the southern region of Ethiopia where they found villages in which whole communities are starving, having allegedly been denied basic food, seed and fertiliser for failing to support Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

Now Newsnight has heard from members of the Ethiopian diaspora that the government is accused of a renewed crack-down on opposition supporters, politicians and journalists.

Angus Stickler reports, then Jeremy Paxman hears from International Secretary Andrew Mitchell.

Source: BBC

refugee camp

A joint undercover investigation by BBC Newsnight and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism has uncovered evidence that the Ethiopian government is using billions of dollars of development aid as a tool for political oppression.

Posing as tourists the team of journalists travelled to the southern region of Ethiopia.

There they found villages where whole communities are starving, having allegedly been denied basic food, seed and fertiliser for failing to support Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

The investigation has also gathered evidence of mass detentions, the widespread use of torture and extra-judicial killings by Ethiopian government forces.

Yet Western donors including Britain – which is the third largest donor to Ethiopia – stand accused of turning a blind eye by continuing to provide aid money despite being warned about the abuses. The aid in question is long-term development aid, not the emergency aid provided in response to the current drought in Ethiopia and its neighbours in the Horn of Africa.

Government response

Ambassador Abdirashid Dulane, the Deputy Head of Ethiopia’s UK Mission, has rejected the allegations saying that the Newsnight/Bureau report “lacked objectivity, even-handedness”.

“The sole source of the story was opponents of Ethiopia who have been rejected by the electorate, and time and again it has been shown that their allegations are unfounded”. Our reporters visited one village in southern Ethiopia with a population of about 1,700 adults. Despite being surrounded by other communities which are well fed and prosperous, this village, which cannot be named for fear of reprisals, is starving. We were told that in the two weeks prior to our team’s arrival five adults and 10 children had died.

Lying on the floor, too exhausted to stand, and flanked by her three-year-old son whose stomach is bloated by malnutrition, one woman described how her family had not eaten for four days.

“We are living day to day on the grace of God,” she said.

Another three-year-old boy lay in his grandmother’s lap, listless and barely moving as he stared into space. ”We are just waiting on the crop, if we have one meal a day we will survive until the harvest, beyond that there is no hope for us,” the grandmother said.

‘Abandoned’

In another village 30 km (19 miles) away it was a similar story. There our team met Yenee, a widow who along with her seven children is surviving by begging, eating leaves and scavenging scraps from the bins in the nearest town. ”The situation is desperate,” she said. “We have been abandoned… It is a matter of chance if we live or die.” The two villages sit just 15km (9 miles) either side of a major town, surrounded by other communities where the populations are well fed and healthy. They are in desperate need, but no-one is helping.

According to local opposition members they are being punished for failing to vote for the ruling party, the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), which Mr Meles leads. Further north a group of farmers alienated by Mr Meles’ government met the BBC/Bureau team at a secret location on the edge of a remote village. One farmer described how he had been ostracised for failing to support EPRDF: “Because of our political views we face great intimidation. We are denied the right to fertiliser and seeds because of political ideology,” he said.

‘Buying support’

The Ethiopian federal and regional governments control the distribution of aid in Ethiopia. Professor Beyene Petros, the current vice-chairman of the Ethiopian Federal Democratic Forum, an alliance of eight opposition parties known as Medrek, told our reporters that aid is not distributed according to need, but according to support for the EPRDF:

“Almost all of the aid goes through the government channels… in terms of relief food supply and some of the safety net provisions, they simply don’t get to the needy of an equitably basis. ”There is a great deal of political differentiation. People who support the ruling party, the EPRDF, and our members are treated differently. The motivation is buying support, that is how they recruit support, holding the population hostage,” he said.

Mr Beyene said that the international community, including the British government, is well aware of the problem and that he has personally presented them with evidence: ”The position of the donor communities is dismissive… they always want to dismiss it as an isolated incident when we present them with some proof. And we challenge them to go down and check it out for themselves, but they don’t do it.”

Accountability

The UK International Development Minister Stephen O’Brien issued a statement in response to the allegations raised by the investigation, saying: ”We take all allegations of human rights abuses extremely seriously and raise them immediately with the relevant authorities including the Ethiopian Government, with whom we have a candid relationship. Where there is evidence, we take firm and decisive action.

“The British aid programme helps the people of Ethiopia, 30 million of whom live in extreme poverty. We demand full accountability and maximum impact on the ground for support from the British taxpayer.”

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism and Newsnight also gathered evidence of a crackdown and human rights abuses in Ethiopia’s Somali region, the area bordering Somalia and Kenya, also know as the Ogaden region. Ethnic Somali rebels from the outlawed Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and Ethiopian government forces have been fighting for control of Ogaden since the 1970s. The media and most aid agencies are banned from the region.

Ethiopia, one of the poorest countries of the world, is currently suffering from horrific drought.

Many of those fleeing the ensuing humanitarian crisis have headed to Dadaab refugee camp in northern Kenya. It is the largest refugee camp in the world, and the vast majority of the 400,000 people there are from Somalia, but among them are an increasing number of Ethiopians from the Ogaden.

‘Revenge killings’

Abdifatah Arab Olad, an Ogaden community leader, told our reporters that up to 100 refugees are arriving every month with tales of killings and the burning of villages by government troops. ”Whenever fighting has taken place between the rebels and the army, for each army member that is killed, the military go to the nearest town and they start killing people,” he said. “For each army member killed it equals to 10 civilians losses.”

In the corner of a makeshift shack in the camp, an old woman who had arrived from Ogaden three weeks earlier described being arrested along with 100 others in her village. She said they were taken to a jail where they were locked up in a shipping container, and picked out on a nightly basis to be tortured: ”They beat me then started to rape me; I screamed and fought with them… I tried to bite them… they tied me this way,” she said, gesturing to her legs.

“They raped me in a room, one of them was standing on my mouth, and one tied my hand, they were taking turns, I fainted during this… I can’t say how many, but they were many in the army,” she said.

‘Assaulted when pregnant’

Other women in the camp also said they had been arrested and accused of being members of the OLNF. They included one who said that she was eight months pregnant when she was detained and raped by eight soldiers: ”They were beating me while I was being raped, I was bleeding,” she said, describing how one soldier stamped on her stomach and beat her with the stock of his rifle:

“I fell unconscious when I saw my baby… a man jumping on your stomach, you can imagine what happened to the child, very big kicks blows with the back of a gun. As a consequence of that the child died.” We cannot substantiate these individual allegations. But other credible sources have reported similar stories of the widespread use of rape by Ethiopian security forces against women in the Ogaden.

Speaking on Newsnight, Ethiopia’s Ambassador Abdirashid Dulane said that the claims of rape and torture were a “rehash” of old allegations that the Ethiopian government had answered time and again. ”The Ethiopian government is governed by the rule of law, and human rights and democratic rights are enshrined in the Ethiopian constitution,” he said.

BBC

Nabro Volcano Eritrea

According to NASA strong volcanic activity continued at Nabro volcano, Eritrea in late June, 2011, almost two weeks after the volcano sprang to life after a series of earthquakes shook the Eritrea-Ethiopia border region.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Terra satellite captured this true-color image at 7:25 UTC (10:25 a.m.) local time on June 24, 2011.

Shortly after midnight local time on June 13, the volcano spewed a large ash plume about 8 miles (15 km) high and disrupted air traffic over parts of the Middle East. Prior to that day, there had been no eruptions of this volcano during historic times. The initial eruption contained large amounts of ash as well as very high levels of sulfur dioxide. By June 20, the Volcanic Ash Advisory Center reported that the sulfur dioxide eruption continued.

In this image, the large red hotspots represent areas of increased surface temperature, an expected result of volcanic activity. A very large, white, billowing plume can be seen rising from near the hotspots and blowing to the southwest. The difference in the character of the eruption can be seen by comparing this image to the MODIS Image of the Day for June 21 (image captured on June 19), when the large plume was primarily dark brown in color.

On June 22, a report from the Eritrean Ministry of Information, stated that the ash and lava emitted from the Southern Red Sea region volcano has created a new land mass measuring hundreds of square meters.

Amanuel Biedemariam

If we look back at the recent History of Africa and particularly World War II, there has never been a government or a leader that deliberately instigated enmity with countries and people solely as a ploy to remain in power and gain prominence like the conman Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia. He has committed every act of crime, lied on every conceivable matter of importance and sold everything he can to the detriment and at the expense of the future of the nation and people in the region. He manipulated every issue and human cause and, instigated catastrophic military adventures in the region. He has sold everything, every political affiliate, organization and Tigray. In short he has sold everything including his soul if he had any. But all that is coming to a head now, for it must, since all adventures must end at some point. That point seems to be here and now!

The Eritrean Center for Strategic Studies (ECSS) conducted an interview with H.E Isaias Afewerki, and asked: “Your Excellency, there are some parties which contend that Ethiopia‘s future is in danger. Which way is Ethiopia going?”

President Isaias replied: “I do not want to make speculations as to which way Ethiopia is going. I can say that Ethiopia is going in the direction charted for it by the Woyane group administering Ethiopia. This group stood before, and still stands now, to gain nothing at all from Ethiopian unity. An examination of this group’s program which is holding the reigns of power in Ethiopia reveals that its objective since the 1975’s was to establish and independent sovereign state in Tigrai. We conducted relentless struggle to change this viewpoint and introduce them into a single Ethiopia program. But this viewpoint has as yet not disappeared. This regime is still in the process of creating conducive environment to disintegrate Ethiopia. It does not have Ethiopian national feelings. For instance, if we examine the Ethiopian constitution, especially Article 39 thereof, we observe that it permits right of self-determination up to secession. There is no constitution in the world during this epoch with this kind of provision.”

The template for the disintegration of Ethiopia was set in motion from-before the regime came to power. However, events did not play-out exactly as they were planned out. In fact, it turned out the opposite of what they calculated rendering all their projects, proclamations, agendas and predictions some miserable failures. Under normal circumstances, the clique would have collapsed for it remains rejected by the Ethiopian people. However, the illegitimate clique had become to be a staunch ally of the US propped and financed to further their agenda at the expense of the Ethiopian people and the region. If that western support stops, the clique will fall instantly. Otherwise, Meles Zenawi is probably one of the dumbest, incompetent and incapable tyrants to have governed any where. Here is why:

He Hurt the People of Tigray, His Own

In large part, the reason why Meles and his clique are in power today is due to their involvement with the causes that the people of Tigray fought for and the leadership role they assumed. That propelled to power because Ethiopia needed to fill a leadership vacuum created due to the ouster of The Derg. The clique did not have a mandate but, at that time, Ethiopians understood and realized the sufferings the people of Tigray endured for decades and tacitly acquiesced to some advantage for Tigray in order to bring it to a comparable level with the rest of the nation. Overtime, as the clique controlled the nation, they funneled more resources into Tigray. And regardless of the effectiveness or the size, a perception exist that Tigray was accorded a disparate advantage over the rest of Ethiopia. However, whether a sustainable foundation is established in Tigray is debatable. In addition, while power is a source of pride for some Tigrayans, it may have raised eyebrows in the rest of the nation. That is undeniable fact.

While the views about how the people of Tigray may have benefited are debatable; the critical question is how do the people of Tigray feel about their role at this critical juncture in the History of Ethiopia? Clearly, the people of Tigray were victorious after the fall of Derg. After years of hardships, it was high time to bring a just change in Tigray. The question is, at that very moment of victory, how did they envision the future of Tigray say, fifty years from that moment? How do Tigrayans feel about article 39 now? As president Isaias explained; if the group’s initial inclination was for Greater Tigray, which means it was the aspiration of some Tigrayans. Thence, for those that aspired to see that dream and are in leadership positions with that feeling; how committed are they for the security of the people of Ethiopia? How nationalists are they? The answer is it matters not anymore. Meles Zenawi killed any and all Tigrayan nationalist dreams and aspirations inadvertently. But worse, in the process, while killing Tigrayan nationalism, he inspired other ethnic group’s nationalism to a much higher level. Here is why:

In a recent article by Jawar Mohammed entitled “Meles Zenawi and OPDO Relations Enter A New Phase” outlined, “Dealing with the Unintended Consequences of an Appeasement Strategy.” In his analysis, Mr. Jawar explained how Meles initially manipulated and controlled the Oromo aspirations by using a “Client list system” and how the 2005 election changed that. Quote:

“For the previous 15 years, antagonizing and alienating the Oromo elite was seen as a key strategy to keep OPDO weak and subordinate. However, in order to survive the sudden surge of the Amhara threat, Meles had no choice but to try to make peace with the Oromo constituency. That is where Abadula Gemeda came in with a proven loyalty particularly during the 2001 TPLF internal crisis.”

Mr. Jawar states that, Mr. Gemeda was chosen for the post because of his enmity to the OLF. And as a result of the brief autonomy he acquired he successfully managed to bring on-board the opinion makers and possible opponents of the clique in line. Furthermore, he challenged them to bring changes and provided the incentives required. This turned out to be extremely successful-venture due the better governance that was attributable to the infusion of competent personnel as well as for Mr. Gemeda, Oromia-regional government and the people he recruited. As a result Mr. Gemeda’s popularity “skyrocketed” and became a threat and subsequently, a target of the ruling clique.

The strategy of Meles backfired and as a result, he is faced with lose-lose situation to quell Oromo nationalism. In other words, Meles dangled meat to a lion and is trying to take it away while the lion is roaring. The people of Oromo were given an opportunity for a taste of real autonomy and if that is taken away there is a good chance that the OLF can take advantage. Conversely, if the status quo is allowed to continue it threatens the regime.

This is contradictory to the situation in Tigray where most believe is run as an autonomous region yet, could not publicly assert that autonomy because it will have negative consequence both for the people of Tigray and Meles Zenawi. It is a conundrum of the highest form for Tigrayans whether they believe in Greater Tigray or a united Ethiopia. It is also a question that could only be addressed by the people of Tigray. This is also an issue that requires leadership and Meles could not openly address it since he is the leader of Ethiopia. Moreover, the leaders that came to power with Meles are compromised beyond reproach.

Article 39 and its Hypocrisy

There are many armed movements in Ethiopia today. There is a movement in Oromia, Gambella, Afar, Ogaden and in Tigray with TPDM amongst others. All these movements are empowered by the barrel of a gun. The article accords all ethnic nationalities legal rights to self determination up to secession in a nation that they divided along ethnic regions. Ironically, all the ethnic regions have their representative armed-movements. The illegitimate regime may have its own reasons to put article 39 on the constitution but in doing so it created some fault lines.

President Isaias stated, “This regime is still in the process of creating conducive environment to disintegrate Ethiopia.” The key word being “conducive”, is there such an environment to facilitate that end? Hardly! For one thing, the people of Tigray will not have a uniform attitude, which renders it premature. Secondly, if the people of Tigray unilaterally decide to exercise that option (which they could do since they control the process – (the parliament, the resources and the security apparatus), then they would carry a bulls eye for target by all. Thirdly, they have not established, as of yet, a conducive environment to enable them to be independent. Because as is known Abbay Tigray’s map incorporated parts of the Red Sea coast line and hence, it is not viable as is.

The key,

It requires a political honesty for the people of Ethiopia to address these entanglements. There needs to be a clear understanding of where the issues lie. It is also incumbent upon the people of Tigray to understand the burden as well as the responsibilities they carry for the rest of Ethiopia and ultimately, Tigray as part and parcel of Ethiopia.

At the height of the war with Eritrea in 2000, there was an opportunity for Meles and Ethiopia to chart a new direction for the nation and put it on a solid footing because Ethiopians were truly united at the time. Meles squandered that opportunity because he decided to sneak an election while the war was ongoing. However, Ethiopians waited for their time and came in the millions to reject the illegitimate con-man in 2005. That is when the brutality and naked disregard for the will of the Ethiopian people became glaringly obvious. That is also when Ethiopians clearly understood that he is only the yes man for his US and Western interests as the US Humvees roamed on the streets of Addis at that time. The US made Meles, their number one Ethiopian, gave him political cover from public scrutiny and actually raised his status by inviting him to the G-20 and G-8 meetings everywhere. That was when the Ethiopian revolution ribbon was cut.

Meles did not give Ethiopia a choice. Since then, Ethiopia’s fault-lines have widened along ethnic, religious, class, status and financial standing. The Gap between the halves and have-nots widened. The power and money is controlled by a handful that is in bed with the clique. At a moment in history where the world have traveled long to establish Anti Trust Laws, Meles is giving-away the nation in ways Ethiopians would have no control by leasing land to people that are not beholden to Ethiopians. The worst example of this is the land grab that is uprooting people from their villages.

Another sad example is the Midroc Ethiopia a mega conglomerate that is owned by Alamoudi. The billionaire is running a country within a country literally. He owns everything he needs. It is fascinating to imagine how any competition could be possible when he owns MIDROC Gold Mine PLC, ELFORA Agro-Industries PLC, Huda Real Estate PLC, Kombolcha Steel Products Industry PLC, Modern Building Industries PLC, addis Home Depot PLC, Trans Nation Airways PLC, addis Gas & Plastics Factory PLC, Wanza Furnishings Industries PLC, Daylight Applied Technologies PLC, Summit Engineered Plastics Pvt. Ltd. Co., Blue Nile P.P & Craft Paper Bags Manufacturing P.L.C, Rainbow Exclusive Car Rental And Tour Services Pvt. Ltd. Co., United Auto Maintenance Services Pvt. Ltd. Co., Queen’s Supermarket P.L.C. He even owns Trust Protection and Personnel Services PLC for security related matters. He has the capacity to manufacture, sell, and promote every conceivable product and services.

The problem here is not the success the billionaire enjoys. Rather, it is the concentration of unlimited powers that ought to concern all. His economic power accords him tremendous political and PR reach as well as influence beyond the capacity of any Ethiopian. It is rather strange to see a nation handing a Saudi billionaire the freedom to operate his own security company in a nation with a large army. This is uncharted territory because he is a billionaire that can afford to hire mercenary-troops, ala Black Water.

Conclusion

Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? At this point it is safe to say if it was up to the ingenuity of Meles, he will make the tunnel and the lights disappear in order to eliminate any and all threats. Absence of hope despair reigns. Unfortunately for Ethiopia, the Weyane clique made strategic calculations and concluded that it can only succeed as a hegemonic by using fear, threats, brute force, bribes, deceit, lies and all other deceptive tactics to stay in power. In the process, Ethiopians have given up altogether. They gave up hope in the process and on Weyane. After genocides, mass killings and shootings innocent peaceful demonstrators; after years of corruption, empty slogans and exaggerated numbers of growth and after years of wars they have decided enough. Beka!

Over the years, the threats have escalated. They are unapologetic and brazen when approaching the region, the international community, and issues of national security.

Over the last 3 months, Meles’s incoherent blubbering has increased to a new high. He has declared war with Eritrea and is threatening Egypt using the Nile as a pretext in order to rally support and divert attention. He has completely disregarded Ethiopians and chose to antagonize them by sending his cohorts in the Diaspora. That is backfiring or has backfired. Their brazen pokes have galvanized people against them. In fact they have given the public a gift by awakening them.

Meles Zenawi and the clique are amongst the deadliest, most ruthless group of people Africa has ever seen. Their brutality knows no boundaries. They have no humanity or good will in them. They have placed Ethiopia and the region in the gravest of dangers. It is like the Ebola virus that will devour its host violently until its own demise. However, as grim as it may look, there is hope. There is hope in unity of all the people in the region coming together. There is awareness that cooperation amongst all the people in the region is the ultimate weapon against this vile virus. It is time to utilize all means at our disposal to make sure the scourge meets its fate. The vile vermin knows his time is up that is why he is resorting to outright threats. And the good news is he is all bark and no bite. Because, while he is declaring war and bragging to change the regime, he is begging Eritrea to make peace with him at the same time. He stated we will relinquish you your Badme so long as you agree to make peace and not support his opposition. In other words, he inadvertently admitted his weaknesses.

Therefore, it is time to unite and get rid of this vermin. May be then, the region can see peace. We are all hungry and desperately seeking peace and development. This is a call to all peace loving people in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan and Djibouti. It is time to chart a new direction. It is also time for the people of Tigray to see the sincerity of the call and not succumb to the fear the tyrant Meles may have instilled in them! In other words there is life after Meles with the people of Ethiopia and the region. That is the inescapable reality!

Awetnayu@hotmail.com

By Amanuel Biedemariam

Note: this article is a repost. The original was posted on Nov 27/2009. The revelation by Wikileaks on the role of Uganda’s Museveni and Dr. Jendayi Frazer played to hatch the ILLEGAL sanctions on Eritrea confirms what Eritreans have been saying all along. It is a travesty to see the one of the greatest nations to resort to this low! President Obama needs to repeal the ILLEGAL sanctions NOW!

For centuries, African leaders have done tremendous harm to Africans equal to that of the European colonizers by selling Africans to Western slave masters and by allowing foreigners to exploit Africa for their selfish interests. The exploitation of Africa using African leaders is pervasive. African resources are exploited by the West and other powers using African leaders who work for the interest foreign powers. These include leaders such as Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Mwai Kibaki of Kenya and the notorious Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia amongst others.

These leaders do not represent African interest, but worse, everything that they pursue is at the expense of the people they are supposed to lead. In the process, they are destroying the harmony, cultural heritage, the economies, health, agriculture and customs of the people in Africa. They are standing on the way of traditional cross-border trade amongst neighborly countries by igniting wars in an effort to fulfill the interests of their masters.

Over the years this tactic was used by many international actors. Since World War II, US governments have empowered and employed African strong Men to do their bidding in Africa extensively. During George W Bush´s administration however, the roles of these surrogates have expanded into many areas to achieve different geopolitical interests. They are being used as advocates for African related matters at the UN, as peacekeepers in sensitive areas where direct Western military involvement could conjure up anti-Western backlash and for PR purposes around the world. They are providing cover for Western powers to pursue questionable strategic interests and provide unfettered access into the countries of interest. The sole purpose is to exploit resources; and always at the expense of the lives and livelihoods of the people.

The human rights records of these surrogate African leaders are abysmal and should put them in jail for crimes against humanity. Their grade for governance is, Fail. The futures of the countries they lead are bleak. They are looting the resources and have neglected the infrastructures; health, agriculture, education and business opportunities are limited to the privileged few and foreigners. Their countries are ready to disintegrate from religious, ethnic and regional strife. We saw this in Kenya during the 2007 election-violence that paralyzed the country and in Ethiopia, during the May of 2005 sham election, with Ethiopians taking to the streets to protest against the criminal Meles regime, which responded by massacring innocent students by sharp shooters while the world witnessed in horror. The recent ethnic violence in Uganda that threatened to destabilize the country was quelled by violent Ugandan army that butchered people on the streets.

That is the hallmark of these leaders .But the irony is that they have the green light from the West to do as they wish in order to quell any popular uprising that could rise up against the interest of the West. The atrocities Museveni commits in Uganda and throughout the region is a shameful reminder of the warped justice Africans are subjected to. The West is making a mockery of justice as they employ it at will based on their geopolitical economic interests. Those on the payroll of the West can commit any crime ala Yoweri Museveni, Meles Zenawi, Mwai Kibaki and others while The International Criminal Court (ICC) looks the other way. But if you fail to tow to the whims of the West you are certain to face the fury of justice, or threat of it, as we have seen attempted on Sudan´s Omar Al Bashir.

Yoweri Museveni has constitutionally outlawed all other political parties and is ruling Uganda using his militarized one party dictatorship. He disbanded the presidential terms for him to rule indefinitely. Yoweri Museveni is one of the key US operatives in Africa and he doesn´t even care to hide it. When the ICC came out with Omar al Bashir´s indictment, he was the first to come out and express his intention to put President Bashir in jail while the rest of Africa unanimously denounced the process and stood by Bashir. The irony is Uganda and Sudan share common borders. Sudan is a huge country with untapped potential that could create opportunities for Ugandans. Instead, Museveni chose to aggravate the situation instead of inviting cooperation between the two countries.

It is evident Yoweri Museveni cannot keep peace and stability in his own country but at on behalf of his masters, he sent Ugandan forces into Somalia as peace keeping forces with disastrous results. Ugandan troops are mowing civilian populations from behind their barracks in Mogadishu using heavy artillery. He does that because that is how he makes money. The Somalis are unfortunately surrounded by leaders that entirely depend on Western support and as a result they are suffering mightily with no one to speak on their behalf. That is why Somalia cannot free itself from perpetual misery.

The geopolitical games at play are bearing deadly consequences for the people in the Horn of Africa in particular and Africa in general. The conflicts are widening and the international actors are desperate to assume full control using any means at their disposal. They use political, economic and military pressure to achieve their objectives. They are imposing leaders on the people of Africa and the weaker the leader the easier for them to control, exploit and impose their will. Therefore the main idea is to place a “leadership core” however possible. That is the West´s modus operandi. This means, third world nations will not be allowed the opportunity to create their indigenous governance policies. Instead, they will be subjected to leaders imposed by the West in contradiction to their own history which allowed them go through political strife to establish systems of their choice as in the case of the American Civil War. During the French revolution the US deliberately remained neutral.

The problem with this approach is that it is impossible to achieve. It is a fool´s dream certain to create human calamity much worse than the holocaust. It´s already created tremendous loss of life and resources with dire ramification for future generations. It is certain to fail for many reasons:

Firstly, the problems are overlapping and the issues interlock creating chains across borders and throughout the region. Unlike the Middle East, the situation and actors in the Greater Horn region remains unsettled. It is impossible for any imposed leader to be effective because of the complicated ethnic makeup of the region. Kenya and Ethiopia have Oromo ethnic population, Ethiopia and Somalia share Ogaden while Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia share the Afar and/or Issas´ and on and on. These overlap is multiplied across borders throughout the entire region. Many of these nationalities are fighting for some form of recognition, and in some cases they are fighting for total independence as in the case of the Ogaden. There are border issues, ungovernable and ungoverned areas. There are regions that claim to be independent and operate independently as in the case of Somaliland and Puntland.

These countries have competing economic and geopolitical interests making it impossible to create harmonious trading and political partnerships. For example: Ethiopia depends on Djibouti to access the sea. Djibouti needs Ethiopia because Ethiopia is the main source of income. Therefore, the conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia serves Djibouti well because if Ethiopia utilizes much bigger ports in Eritrea Port Djibouti will be out of service. Moreover, the situation in the region is complicated by competing security interests, suspicion and history based-on-bloodshed.

Secondly, some international actors have always played and continue to play negative roles. All the problems in Somalia are byproducts of colonial and cold war legacies. And unfortunately, Somalia and the region are beset by foreigners with means and resources determined to their own interest at any cost to the detriment of the lives of the people.

At the height of the Bush era war-of-terror, Chinese oil explorers were killed in the Ogaden while under the protection and guidance of Ethiopian army. US oil companies´ have had licenses to explore oil in the Ogaden since 1945. The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) is claiming to have controlled sizeable territories from Ethiopian forces, which is a major development! While at the same time, the US operatives like David Shinn, in a complete change of tone, is accusing Ethiopia of human rights violation in the Ogaden. This is taking place in the backdrop of what is taking place in Somalia, a country that once claimed Ogaden as her own and went to war for it in 1976-1978. Consecutively, the US is trying to assert control in Somalia by putting in place a transitional government hatched by the failed diplomat Dr. Jendayie Frazer in Djibouti at the waning hours of the Bush Administration. Furthermore, in the same period, to satisfy foreign interest, Djibouti started unprovoked conflict against Eritrea and on and on…

Thirdly, the leaders in the region are susceptible to the very conflicts hatched by the West. Since they are surrogates and dependent on Western direct support, they have to parrot any agenda being pushed. It is to be recalled Dr. Jendayie Frazer threatened to place Eritrea on the List of States that Sponsor Terror. To satisfy Dr. Frazer, from the offices of African Union in Addis Ababa, the surrogates led by Meles Zenawi went on full gear to blame Eritrea for the problems plaguing Somalia. The Irony is these countries are key-parties to the conflict in Somalia.

Fast Forward
Uganda is a TEMPORARY member of the Security Council. And instead of using that time on a useful agenda that can foster development in the region and Africa they are using it to undercut and weaken Eritrea. Uganda is circulating a draft resolution at the UNSC to slap sanctions on Eritrea for alleged support of Al Shabab. These are Somalis fighting to rid Somalia from outside forces like the Ugandan-army responsible for the death of thousands of Somalis.

The regional organization that sponsored the draft includes Kenya a country that is admittedly arming and training Somalis. Djibouti is a country that has turned into a Trojan-horse for the region and has become a major nuisance at the behest of US and France. Somalia; the transitional government is a government in exile with no legitimacy on the ground. Ethiopia is a country at the center of the problem and responsible for the displacement and death of millions of Somalis. Meles Zenawi should be put in jailed for crimes against humanity he committed in Somalia, Ogaden and other places in the region.

The question here is who gave Ethiopia the right to invade and occupy a sovereign nation against UN resolutions with impunity and without consequences at the cost of millions of Somali lives displaced, dead and wounded. Who is the international arbiter to decide who is guilty? Why not sanction Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya for arming, training Somalia flouting international law? Why is the US exonerated? Is the US interest more important than that of the interest of the people in the region? Who makes the US above the law? Does it mean that a Superpower can use international law and mechanism to punish others and accord themselves immunity from justice regardless of the crimes? What does this mean for the future of the region? Do the people in the region have to be subjected to hardship that surpasses the holocaust in volume and impact until US interests are fulfilled? How is justice going to be served on the true crime that is being committed by Museveni? The questions are endless.

What this shows is a broken international system and, if allowed to continue, it can threaten international stability and disrupt world trade because the area is a major international waterway. And the people in the region will suffer endless conflict cycles.

The UNSC has diminished its stature by allowing its permanent members to use dictators that are unaccountable to their own people and region in order to fulfill ill conceived agendas. Yoweri Museveni is a dictator with criminal human rights and poor governance record. He is alms dependent and beset by civil strife. In other words, a criminal is playing a prosecutor for one month because of a broken international system.

This also shows the hypocrisy of the international organizations that claim to represent the interest of justice, human rights, freedom of speech and the like. Organizations like Enough Project, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Reporters without Borders and individuals who claim to care about humanity. But what these organizations are Faucets that can be turned on and off on queue based on the interests and the whim of their respective governments. They are PR tools. They use justice as a tool in places where they can help the powers in subjugating these nations.

Conclusion
If the mercenary, Yoweri Museveni, is seeking stability in Somalia, he needs to get out of Somalia and give the Somalis a chance to solve their own problems. The money he earns for providing soldiers is not worth the destructions he is causing. Using Eritrea as a scapegoat is not going to change the situation in Somalia. Nor, will it exonerate or absolve Uganda and Ethiopia from the crimes they have committed. The Somali people have a legitimate right to cast their path and must be allowed.

As history shows all the attempts by foreign powers to control the resources in the region failed because it doesn´t belong to them. It belongs to the people and they should be allowed respite to gather their nation. The Somalis must be allowed to go through the process of re-forming their nation and become responsible international citizens capable to exploit their wealth while satisfying international appetite based on market dictates. Furthermore, it is incumbent upon all and particularly the people in the region to stand for the rights of the people of the region!

By Amanuel Biedemariam

For a while many Tigrayans, some openly and some behind the curtains, have been ripping some benefits from the tyrannical Meles regime unashamedly, boldly and with impunity.  They are benefiting at the expense of all Ethiopian ethnic groups in many ways in the name of Tigray.  Why this issue warrants an attention is the fact that they are benefiting more than any ethnic group; while claiming to be Ethiopians. But most importantly, they are doing it at the expense of the people in the region be it Ethiopians, Somalis, Eritreans or The Sudanese and in many ways.

It is ironic that the genocidal tyrant Meles Zenawi repeatedly cried Interhamwe when the Voice of America broadcasted reports that he didn’t like. While that rant was an effort to rebuff pressures from his Western masters; in reality, the resentment, which is building up on Tigrayans continues. It is, therefore, possible for the majority of Ethiopians to lash out in ways that are unpredictable and downright genocidal. That is the brutal truth. It is recent history that unexpected events led to the most horrific genocide of our time in Rwanda when the Hutus’ killed 800,000 to 1,000,000 Tutsis’ in a short period of time. While there is no history of enmity amongst the various ethnic nationalities of Ethiopia at the level of Hutus’ and Tutsis; they have not lived a harmonious coexistence either. It is also worth noting that what caused the genocide in Rwanda could not have been expected to create such a historic holocaust in Africa. The genocide was sparked by the death of the Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu, when his plane was shot down.

The question then is now-that a sizeable number of Ethiopians resent Tigrayans, what can Tigrayans do to change that resentment?

The resentment stems from the fact that Tigrayans are in power with full control of the economy, military, information, political and everything else in between. To deny that, is to deny reality. Ethiopia, since 1991, has been and is still being controlled by an ethnic minority clique from Tigray. The amount of monies, material wealth and the resources under the control of these Tigrayans is simply put, insane. They have gotten extremely rich simply by the sheer advantage of occupying the Menelik Palace provides. It accords them unchecked diplomatic prowess and political cover from any PR attacks around the world. In addition, control of the military gives them almost impenetrable power-base from which to control the nation and its agendas regionally and internationally.

In fact, prior to the election of 2010 that brought a nominal reshuffle of the cabinet, on June of 2009, Gunbot 7 and other major Ethiopian organizations released a list of names in Senior Command Posts in the Ethiopian army. And listed General SamoraYunus, Chief of Staff, Lt. General Tadesse Worede Training Department, Lt. General Geazi Abera Logistics Department, Brg. General Gebredela Military Intelligence Department,  Lt. General GebreEgziabiher Operations Department, Lt. General Berhane Negash, Engineering Department,  and Brg. General Mola Haile Mariam air force are all from Tigray. Throughout the entire army, 98% of the core-leadership groups are Tigrayans. They also exposed the systemic domination of Ethiopia in all sectors of the government including agriculture, transportation and all other government ventures.

This is the reality of Ethiopia today and many have written about it ad-nauseam and Ethiopians know that is the case. However, they are unable to do anything about it. In 2005, the election they thought could bring change, served as tragic transitional point in Ethiopian history. It defined a new Ethiopia with uncertain future and direction. It destroyed the vision Ethiopians have had for their country – at least temporarily. It generated unnecessary suspicion on each other and a period of unease. Unfortunately, that has not changed one-bit since 2005. In fact, the tension is building up with Ethiopians wondering; if the Tigrayans truly believe that they can go on like this indefinitely. It is a political and societal conundrum for Ethiopians who are vehemently incensed about the ruling clique yet, always cognizant that their words and actions could likely ignite unnecessary tension with Tigrayans. They were afraid that Tigrayans could be forced into a bunker mentality if they believed they are ganged up on.

According to Human Rights Watch, “Ethiopia is a de facto one-party state masquerading as a democracy. Its ruling party, the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), permeates the state and goes to great lengths to ensure citizens’ political loyalty. In parliamentary elections in May 2010, the EPRDF won 99.6% of the seats. In local elections in 2008 it won more than 99%.”

Moreover, there is a definite resentment because Ethiopians are-not convinced the Tigrayans, ruling the country by force, are Ethiopian nationalists. Because before they came to power in 1991, they fought for the rights of the people of Tigray -with the idea of creating Greater Tigray (Abbay Tigray) in mind. This is documented on their Tigray-manifesto of 1976. In fact, Ethiopians are convinced the idea behind article 39 is a ploy designed to give the clique and in effect the people of Tigray the possibility of seceding from Ethiopia if they choose.

Article 39 gives all Ethnic groups in Ethiopia a “Right” to be break away from the union. It states, “The right to self-determination up to secession of nation, nationality and peoples may be exercised: where, the demand for secession is approved by a two thirds (2/3rds) majority of the legislature of the nation; where, the Federal Government within three years upon receipt of the decision of the legislature of the nation, nationality or people demanding secession, organizes a referendum for the nation, nationality or people demanding secession; where, the demand for secession is supported by a simple majority vote in the referendum and where, the Federal Government transfers power to the parliament of the nation, nationality or people which has opted for secession.”

Under this arrangement the TPLF clique could claim, they respect the rights of all ethnic groups while giving themselves opportunities to become independent at any given time legally at a time of their choosing. To emphasize its meaning, one can look at a statement that articulates; “If the demand for secession is approved by a two thirds (2/3^rds) majority of the legislature of the nation, any ethnic group can secede.”  That means, Meles can order the handpicked rubberstamp parliament to vote for secession and Tigray will become independent. This is a clear example on how Ethiopia can break apart.

Furthermore, the Tigrayan minority clique stands-out for their history and propensity for merciless brutality. They have committed genocides in Gambella, Ogaden and Somalia. Countless have lost lives in Southern part of Ethiopia and everywhere in the country. Their human rights records are atrocious by all standards. The sense of instability and insecurities that permeate throughout every aspect of Ethiopian life is palpable. That is now compounded by massive land-leasing program they have embarked on displacing millions under the guise of development. They have created an environment that is full of pressure and can explode in uncontrollable ways difficult to contain once unleashed.

The Tigrayan minority clique has reached a point of hubris that is unparalleled. Leading up to the sham election of 2010, The Human Rights Watch documented some instances of the withholding of donor-funded food aid from families with malnourished, hungry children on the basis of political affiliation. On November 29 William Davison of Bloomberg reported the Ethiopian government has relocated about 150,000 people in the eastern Somali region in the past five months. The VOA and others reported; Meles Zenawi is forcibly uprooting million Ethiopians in the Gambela, Afar, Ogaden, and Benishangul regions from their land. This is consistent with the story The BBC reported accusing the TPLF of using Aid funds for arms. In simple terms the crimes of the Tigrayn clique is beyond redemption. They are getting their way by using every dirty trick under their sleeves to the detriment of the people of Ethiopia and the region. In Ogaden they quarantined the entire population and isolated Ogadenis from the rest of the world denying them access to everything. Under the guise of fighting terrorism and development they are destroying lives and a way of life of millions of people of Ethiopians everywhere.

Moreover, everything the Meles led minority clique from Tigray tried have failed. Regardless of how rosy they claim things are or will be; it is a time proven that everything they utter is a lie. After the sham elections of 2010, the regime effectively rendered itself illegitimate. Even if it falsely certified itself with a rubberstamp parliament and 96% victory; what it did is tell the world how belligerent it has gotten. It showed that Meles Zenawi is playing a different game. On the recent reshuffle of his cabinet Meles tried to defuse blame of his failures by throwing his former partners under the bus (ala Aboy Sbhat) to extend his reign. And to show diversity he brought-in individuals that have no popular support, constituencies and represent no viable party. As a result, Ethiopia will not enjoy leadership continuity when the regime falls. Ethiopia would have to start all over again in the least predictable way as it did during the last two transitions.

The Key

Whereas the country is governed by a rogue and illegitimate despot…Whereas the country is being divvied-up torn to pieces and given away to multinationals…Whereas the country that is rich and full of promise is rendered to abject poverty with no hope for change …Whereas all hope for continuity through a consensus have disappeared and the nation is dominated by a handful rich-elite…Whereas the nation is divided ethnically creating a perfect template for disintegration….Whereas citizens of a nation are rendered helpless and hopeless… Whereas citizens have decided that change is possible only through the barrel of a gun…Whereas the illegitimate government have lost all political capital in the region…Whereas there exists no good-will or intent by the ruling clique…Whereas there exists no trust or confidence on the ruling mafia clique…Whereas the minority genocidal regime is totally convinced that peace does not serve its best interest…Whereas the clique have decided to impose its hegemonic agendas with the nations on the region wantonly…Whereas it has become clear that the mischief by the clique will only worsen…Whereas it is proven that no ethics or humanitarian logic binds the clique to the people of Africa and the region…Whereas it is established that compromise, the rule of law, fair play and do-good for goodness-sake amounts to mean crime on their dictionary.

It is high time for the average Tigrayan to be asked where they stand on these matters. It is time to ask, are you with the people of Ethiopia and the region seeking a peaceful coexistence? Do you accept these war mongers as your leaders and embrace them as is? Do you believe the people of Ethiopia are happy with the minority clique from Tigray? Are you proud on how the clique is handling Ethiopia? Do you think the people of Oromo, Ogaden, Gambella or Amhara are happy with the way they are being treated? Do you believe fair election, which is inclusive has taken place to satisfy the people of Ethiopia?  Do you believe Ethiopia is headed on the right direction? How long do you think the TPLF clique can hold-on to power without the support of Ethiopians? The questions are endless.

Ethiopia is at crossroads. More than any time in its history, Ethiopia finds itself at a delicate stage. During the commemoration of the 2005 Ethiopian election in DC, Dr. Gregory Stanton, President of Genocide Watch warned the people of Tigray; ultimately the people of Tigray will end up paying the price for the crimes the genocidal Meles regime is perpetrating. He stated “My job is to identify trends that could cause genocides and what I am witnessing in Ethiopia is a great deal of concern for the people of Tigray because the regime is committing these crimes on their names.”

That is the truth whether one chooses to accept it or not. Because, the origin of the leaders in Menelik Palace is Tigray; the people of Tigray fought alongside the ruling clique for the rights of the people of Tigray. Therefore, rightly or wrongly the perception exists the criminals in Menelik palace are representatives of the people of Tigray. That is the prevailing belief. The question is then; what can the people of Tigray do?

Concluding Remarks

To quote Gandhi, “An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it.”  There is also a saying in Tigrigna “you can lace poison with honey but the taste inside will never change.”

So the moment of truth is here. Ethiopians all over the world are coming together and the momentum is building up against the thugs in Menelik Palace. In this and other future endeavors, Eritreans have embraced Ethiopians and vice-versa to charge ahead. The failed regime is on the defensive all over Ethiopia with his morally defeated soldiers on the run in Ogaden, Gambella, South and Central Ethiopia and most significantly; TPDM is chasing his soldiers in Tigray. Moreover, all these groups are coming together and putting the criminal regime on the defensive more and more.

Moreover, all of what the regime tried to achieve was based on mischief and trickery but all that is come to an end. The alliance that he set up with Yemen, Djibouti, and Sudan in order to strangulate Eritrea failed. He is now the odd man out. What he calculated with Eritrea failed completely and now Eritrea is poised and on the right track. The no-war no-peace agenda he set up ended up isolating Ethiopians from their natural trading partners all around. Eritreans didn’t fail as he expected instead they are vibrant and flourishing. In all, what he banked-on was the misery of Eritreans but he forgot that Eritreans are resilient. It was a big mistake to bet against the people of Eritrea. He was dismissive and believed he can strangulate Eritreans economically so he shut all doors by telling Eritrea, “let them quench the thirst of their camels from the waters of the Red Sea” when he abandoned Eritrean ports. Eritrean camels are drinking water from the dams in every corner. Eritrea is not the isolated nation he was hoping it to be. To the contrary, it is flourishing in every way be it in sports, diplomacy, agriculture, mining and in all aspects Eritreans are on the move.

As a result, the warmongering and hate mongering mouthpieces at Aigaforum are not saying Eritrea is poor any more. They are saying Eritrea is becoming rich! Therefore it is going to hurt us what is Ethiopia to do? They are going crazy, completely at a loss for any sane strategy hence, they are calling Eritreans “Egyptian-army” that are coming to hurt us. These people are no-more in the realm of sanity they are delusional to the point of pity.

Therefore, the choice is clear. In this defining moment; do the people of Tigray want to be with the people of the region and coexist in peace or will they believe on the hegemonic agenda of Meles? Do they want partnership or hate? Meles like the past leaders will crumble and crumble badly. So the choice is clear: Meles or the people of the region in peace. The people of Tigray need to denounce the criminal regime and stand with the people of the region openly-soon for the sake of their own people. One more thing to ponder; it is certain at the end, the world will side with the people of Ethiopia and the region. So should the people of Tigray.

This case is not a concern for Ethiopians only; it concerns all peace loving people in the world. It is obviously a great concern for Eritrea and the region because it directly impacts our securities and that means we will do what it takes to ensure peace. Hence, let the rising momentum engulf these criminals for good. The people of Eritrea are peace loving and their interest is peace and prosperity of the people in the region.

Awetnayu@hotmail.com

Eritrea’s Foreign Minister today told the General Assembly that the United Nations “continues to ignore” Ethiopia’s failure to comply with the ruling of an international commission that delineated the border between the two countries after their 1998-2000 war.

“While the United Nations grapples with Sudan and Somalia, it continues to ignore grave consequences of Ethiopia’s continued occupation of sovereign Eritrean territory, eight years after the ruling of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC), and three years after the Commission ended its work by depositing in the United Nations the demarcated boundary between the two countries,” Osman Saleh told the Assembly’s high-level segment.

To end the border war, both parties agreed to abide by the ruling of the border commission, which was reached in April 2002. However, Ethiopia’s rejection of the decision stalled the physical demarcation of the border in 2003.

“Ethiopia’s illegal occupation and the United Nations silence, which mean the continuation of the conflict, is exacting a heavy price on the peoples of Eritrea and Ethiopia and complicating the regional situation.

“I wish to remind the United Nations that Eritrea awaits responsible and urgent action to end Ethiopia’s violation of international law and its threat to regional peace and security,” Mr. Saleh told the General Assembly’s high-level debate.

Cheered on by thousands of spectators on a cloudy Sunday 35,000 runners including the world’s top athletes started the men’s elite race in the world’s largest fundraising marathon event, the London Marathon 2010.

From the beginning of the race the men’s field kept a high speed with a group of  twelve front runners from Eritrea, Ethiopia and Kenya leading the masses. Abel Kirui from Kenya and Ethiopian Tsegaye Kebede lead the men’s race for a long time until Kebede increased his pace to leave Kirui behind.

Kebede who finished last year’s London Marathon second place is the third Ethiopian to win the London Marathon at 02:05:18. Second place goes to Emmanuel Kipchirchir Mutai from Kenya with a minute away of Kebede and third place goes Jaouaed Gharib of Morocco.

Having finished first at this year’ s Lisbon Half Marathon, Zersenay Tadese was not able to repeat his outstanding performance from Lisbon.

CAIRO, (The National), Mad Bradley – Despite a lack of agreement from Egypt and Sudan, seven of the nine countries that share the Nile River basin will proceed with plans to create a permanent negotiating body for determining the equitable use of the world’s longest river, African water ministers have said.

Water and irrigation ministers from seven up-river African nations said they hope to finalise negotiations on the Co-operative Framework Agreement next month, with or without agreement from down-river nations Egypt and Sudan.

The plans follow failed negotiations last week in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, between the nine countries of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), a World Bank-funded programme that seeks to establish a diplomatic protocol for evaluating the fair use of the river for agricultural and energy projects.

The impasse between up-river and down-river countries has led to more than a decade of delays in forming the framework agreement, which supporters say could become an example of international co-operation for the fair use of water resources in the impoverished and conflict-prone region of north-eastern Africa.

A spokesman for the Ethiopian government accused Egypt on Tuesday of “delaying” negotiations, according to the Bloomberg news agency.

But Egypt, which is where the river flows into the Mediterranean, and Sudan say such an agreement could threaten their “historical rights” to secure sources of water. Their position downstream renders them particularly vulnerable to changes in water availability caused by up-river development projects, they said.

Egyptian water officials said if up-river nations exclude them from the agreement, it could spell the end of negotiations on equitable water-sharing for the entire river basin.

“Egypt’s share of the Nile’s water is a historic right that Egypt has defended throughout its history,” said Mohammed Allam, Egypt’s minister of water resources and irrigation, to a parliamentary session on Monday, according to Agence France-Presse. “If the Nile basin countries unilaterally signed the agreement it would be considered the announcement of the Nile Basin Initiative’s death.”

Egypt and Sudan’s historical claims to the Nile’s water stem from two past treaties that did not include signatures from the other Nile basin states. The latest treaty, which was signed between Egypt and Sudan in 1959, gave the Egyptian government rights over 55.5 billion cubic metres of water annually out of the 84 billion cubic metres that reach Egypt’s High Aswan Dam each year.

Although all of the countries have agreed on most of the terms of the framework, Egypt and Sudan have insisted that the agreement should include guarantees of the “historical rights” to which upper riparian states were never a party.

“We are not party to that agreement and we don’t recognise it,” said Teferra Beyene, the head of trans-boundary river affairs for Ethiopia’s ministry of water resources, of the 1959 treaty between Egypt and Sudan. “We don’t know of such a thing called historical rights. After all this is going to be a new covenant, a new agreement among the riparian countries.”

Egyptian diplomats urged negotiators to proceed directly towards the formation of a Nile River Basin Commission instead of first negotiating the terms of the framework agreement. The commission would act as a deliberative body and would make its decisions by a consensus of all the riparian states.

Egyptian officials say that unlike upper riparian states such as Ethiopia, whose rainy highlands provide an estimated 85 per cent of the Nile’s waters, projects on the Egyptian section of the river have no impact on countries further downstream.

“Our Egyptian water comes from the geography of the river and they can’t control that,” said Abd el Ati el Shafei, the chairman of the Nile Guards and Environment Protection Association.

Mr el Shafei said the Nile water that reaches Egypt only constitutes around five per cent of the Nile River’s total reserves of 1,600 billion cubic metres. And with its large and growing population that dwarfs those of other Nile Basin states, with the exception of Ethiopia, Egypt’s need for water security is particularly acute. “They don’t need the water that runs into Egypt and we didn’t take it from them by force,” Mr el Shafei said.

But as the countries of the Nile basin bicker over who is responsible for the stalled negotiations, the impasse continues to delay the creation of a permanent body that might arbitrate such disputes. Hani Raslan, the director of the Sudan and Nile basin studies programme at the semi-official Al Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo, said he does not expect any serious decisions on a co-operative agreement within the next 20 years.

“These countries are small and fragile, they have many crises, and they act with Egypt like maybe they think they are superpowers,” Mr Raslan said. “That is not real. Egypt must have the right to do anything to protect its people.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury has backed calls for Africa to be “blanketed” with bed nets as part of the battle to eradicate malaria.

Dr Rowan Williams said in spite of being preventable and treatable, the blood disease – caused by a parasite transmitted by the mosquito – was still killing nearly a million people every year.

In a message recorded to mark World Malaria Day on Sunday, Dr Williams called on the world to put its “energy and imagination” behind efforts to achieve the goal of getting rid of malaria deaths by 2015.

“One of the things that I was taught when I was growing up was that among the greatest achievements of modern science was the identification of where malaria came from, the great steps that have been made to eradicate malaria from the world,” he said.

“That was many years ago and in the intervening years, tragically the challenge of malaria has grown worse not better.

“Half the world’s population is at risk from malaria, about a million people die because of it every year and not surprisingly the cost is highest among those most vulnerable and the youngest.”

The message was recorded by Dr Williams to support the global coalition United Against Malaria.

Campaigners are working towards a United Nations target of providing bed nets to everyone at risk by the end of this year with the aim of eradicating malaria deaths by 2015.

Ethiopia, Rwanda and Eritrea have been highlighted for their success in reducing malaria deaths by more than a half in just a few years through the use of bed nets, medicines and spraying.

Malaria sufferers experience flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache and vomiting. Without treatment, the disease can result in permanent brain damage and death. Source: (The Press Association)