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There will be civil war in Ethiopia if TPLF doesn't leave power - Ethiopian citizen


Ethiopians are increasingly saying their country was better off under the rule of former President Mengistu Haile Mariam than the current TPLF dictatorship led by Deputy Prime Minister Debretsion Gebremicahel 


Ethiopia: Journalists’ forgotten voices and the illusion of the rule of law


By Maria Gerth-Niculescu

With the 2015 parliamentary elections in Ethiopia being just around the corner, the leading coalition (EPRDF) is putting efforts into maintaining its current state of dominance and channels of oppression. A look into Ethiopia’s violations of the freedom of press and expression makes clear that, although the country is a democracy on paper, its practices are far from ensuring fair elections and the respect of basic human rights.

In May 2010, Ethiopia’s citizens voted for the composition of their current parliament. The results allocated 499 seats out of 547 to the Ethiopian’s People Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), the coalition in power. With upheavals arising across the country, activists, journalists and opposition forces started speaking out against an invalid result and unfair campaign. And with this wave of frustration also came a wave of violent repression. We all remember this, right ? Or maybe not. In fact, the media coverage of these events was disturbingly low and to this day Ethiopia’s practices don’t seem to be of particular interest at an international level.

Recent events, including targeted arrests of journalists, show how the EPRDF has been continuing to implement a way of ruling aimed at silencing dissident voices without being held accountable.

From bad to worse

After the EPRDF coalition overthrew the popular democracy of Mengistu Hailemariam, Ethiopia became a parliamentary regime in 1995. This was seen by many as an improvement to Hailemariam’s rule and as a hope for the human rights record of the country. National elections have been held, and it seems like the mass killings perpetrated under Hailemariam have stopped. And yet…

Hanna* is from Addis Ababa: “I loved Mengistu Hailemariam. He did a lot for the country, for example in terms of education. He killed many people, but Zenawi did too, only he hid it well.

Meles Zenawi, who was Ethiopia’s prime minister from 1995 until his death in 2012, is still alive in the hearts of many people and posters of him hang on the shabby walls of coffee shops and in government offices. But he has been fatal to the human rights record of the country, freedom of press and expression being the one he most vehemently oppressed. He is the reason why today’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn is able to continue and even strengthen the oppression of journalists, activists or members of the opposition.

Democracy “is all in theory and this is used to please the outside world. But we citizens all know that it’s a façade”, says Gashaw*, a young teacher from Gondar.

The façade mentioned by Gashaw is real. The constitution is irreproachable and has a clause for both freedom of press and freedom of expression. Desalegn admitted that « It is not the law that hinders but the implementation of these laws. Therefore, we have put in place the code of conduct of all parties. “

What this code of conduct concretely implies and whom it benefits remains of course in the dark.

In practice, the country is not less an authoritarian regime than it was 20 years ago. Some timid western voices confirm this, yet no real pressure is being exercised. But with election campaigns qualified as “unequal” by the European Union and a 143rd rank out of 180 on the World Press Freedom Index, Ethiopia has fallen into a cycle of oppression and silencing out of which it will be difficult to get out.

The worst repression since 2005

During the last decade, no less than 75 newspapers and independent magazines have been forcibly closed under government authority. Their owners and journalists have been either threatened, imprisoned or exiled.

In 2008 and 2009, the parliament passed laws making it easy to censure publications and convict journalists on a “legal” basis. In particular the anti-terrorism law allowed many persecutions on the basis of national security.

Never have these laws been more used than in recent times, and 2014 has brought with it a dark time for Ethiopian independent journalists and bloggers. In April, a group of bloggers for Zone 9 have been arrested and subdued to violent treatment because they wrote in favour of press freedom and spoke out about the danger journalists face for writing the truth. Other arrests include Elia Gebru, editor-in-chief of an independent magazine, as well as the owners of three other magazines (Addis Guday, Lomi and Fact) last October.

According to Reporters Without Borders, at least 30 journalists have fled the country and several newspapers have closed since the beginning of the year.

Kality Prison and the fear of being forgotten

Many prisoners of conscience are brought to Kality Prison in Addis Ababa. There, cells are shared by hundreds of people who sleep on cold cement floor infested with lice, fleas and rats. But worse than the inhuman (and, for the record, unconstitutional) treatment they receive, it is the mental torture that makes the condition unbearable. Martin Schibbye, a Swedish journalist who has been detained for fourteen months speaks of a “geography of fear” that keeps most of the prisoners silent.

Eskinder Nega, a widely known journalist who wrote about justice and press freedom, was brought to Kality in 2011, where he currently serves an 18 years sentence. A note written to his son states that « The pain is almost physical. But […] we must bear any pain, travel any distance, climb any mountain, cross any ocean to complete this journey to freedom. Anything less is impoverishment of our soul. »

The worst suffering endured by journalists who have had their freedom and their life purpose taken away from them is the fear that they, their soul and their ideas might be forgotten outside the bars of their living hell

Fortunately, Eskinder has been awarded the Golden Pen of Freedom last June. This shows that the fight for freedom is being recognized and that attempts are made not to forget. The sad truth is that many names, many lives behind bars, remain just letters on a list. Probably because there are so many of them, and because the cries of despair in Kality prison barely make it past the dark walls and cold cement.

Nothing can be changed  – or can it?

Six months from now, Ethiopia’s citizens will vote anew. It is highly probable that the EPRDF will claim enough seats to continue their politics of silence without having to give accounts. It is highly plausible that, after having scared away any dissident voice, after having made clear that a citizen who doesn’t support them will face consequences, the results will turn in their favour.

“Nothing can be changed. I would sacrifice myself without hesitating if I knew that I could change something” says Gashaw.

Governments from other countries don’t seem to want to mingle. Ethiopia, still highly dependent on international aid, is still not of much geopolitical interest to the EU and the US, its biggest donors. As a consequence, no apparent pressure is being exercised from these countries, which claim to be the biggest supporters of human rights in the world.

There is some flicker or hope, however. The events that have occurred in Africa in the past years have awoken international attention. It is thus likely that the 2015 elections will be under more international spotlight than in 2010.

“There will be a war. There is a diaspora outside the country, and I think that they are raising awareness and preparing something”. Gashaw seems to see this as the only way out.

While a civil war is far from an ideal or even plausible solution at the moment, the fact that voices start to rise might bring about some change eventually. Also to be kept in mind is Ethiopia’s very fast growth, which will increase its trade and relations with other countries. Maybe then, Ethiopia’s leaders will be made more accountable for their actions. Until then, individual personalities will have to keep fighting and speaking up.

*The names of the people cited have been modified at their own request and for their safety
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There will be civil war in Ethiopia if TPLF doesn't leave power - Ethiopian citizen Reviewed by Admin on 9:23 AM Rating: 5

37 comments:

  1. Aii poor shaeboons, tell us when the eritrean regime will conduct elections lol?
    The fact that madote republishes this news article from opinion-internationale is an indication that it won't happen. After all the list of madote's lies are too long to mention, but here are a few:

    -Madote reported that ali abdu has returned safely back to asmara after assenna and others reported he had defected. Later on assenna turned out to be accurate and ali abdu is now in Australia. Please correct us if we're wrong.
    -This site called Ethiopian Airlines Ebola Airlines after it accused this site of spreading ebola by flying to the countries effected. Ethiopian Airlines halted flights to the affected countries temporarily and has taken precautions to prevent the spread of ebola (including in Bole Airport). The irony is that madote forgot to mention that Eritrean Airlines could never spread ebola, or even passengers since the all but bankrupt airliner isn't flying to many destinations these days is it?

    There are many many more. Why doesn't madote just focus on the micro dams and micro watts obtained from the EU and other micro projects in eritrea. If you do that I promise I won't come here and mention Ethiopian Airlines (best flag carrier in Africa, fastest growing destinations, fast growing fleet etc.), the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Gibe 3 dam, Ashegoda wind farm, the 5000 kilometers of Ethiopian Railway projects and many other infrastructural projects.

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  2. አብ፡ኢትዮጽያ፡ሐደ፡ምስላሎ፦
    "ኢትዮጽያ፡አገሬ፡ሞኛ፡ናሽ፡ተላላ፡የሞተልሽ፡ሳይሖን፡የገደለሽ፡በላ"
    ናይብ፡ትግሪኛ፡ክትርጎም፡ኮሎ
    "አደይ፡ኢትዮጽያ፡አሻን፡ትታለሊ፡ኢኪ፡ዝሞተልኪ፡ከይኮነ፡ዝቀተለኪ፡በሊኡ"ይብሉዮም።
    ወያኔ፡ኮይኑ፡መንግስቱ፡ኮይኑ፡ሐይለስላሴ፡ኮይኑ፡ኩሎም፡ሐደ፡ኢዮም፡ንአዶም።ከይኮኑ፡ንነብሶም፡ዝሀስቡ፡አረመኔ፡ኢዮም።

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  3. 'The irony is that madote forgot to mention that Eritrean Airlines could
    never spread ebola, or even passengers since the all but bankrupt
    airliner isn't flying to many destinations these days is it?'


    Ouch haha don't be so hard on these losers Berhane. Have some appreciation man, didn't you hear that Eritrean (Ailing) Airlines has recently leased a 20 year old plane from war-torn Ukraine? Perhaps now they can compete with Ethiopian Airlines or others. Their fleet has doubled overnight (from 1 plane to 2).

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  4. Don't underestimate the power of a dormant volcano. When the time is right, it will explode. All Eritreans need is a comfortable sofa, free coffee, and popcorn for all. LOL

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  5. Congrats on your airline too bad your goverment is 14billion in debt.

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  6. You forgot to mention that Ethiopia has seen a massive increase in infrastructure spending over the last decade. You forgot that in addition to the projects mentioned above by Berhane, there are huge hydro dams and wind farms like Tekeze 1 (300MW), Tana Beles (460MW), Adama 1/2 wind farm (350MW), Genale Dawa 3(254MW), Guder dam (1780MW). Further there are more than 10,000 km of roads that were paved over the last few years. The coming years will see 5,000 km of new railway network cris crossing the country (mind you that is 5,000 km more than Eritrean has). So in addition to having no airliner worthy of mention, you also have no railway network (unless you consider the abysmal italian steam-locomotives as anything useful. No passenger transport, no cargo transport, NOTHING).


    Perhaps you can give us an insight into the debt of Eritrea. Could you share that with us? Does Eritrea publish a national budget? Can you give us a link where the ministry of finance (if there is one), or the National Bureau of Statistics (if there is one), or any government entity for that matter provides an oversight into the nations finances. NOPE you can't. Eritrea has never in its twenty years of existence published a national budget, EVER! Am I wrong on that point, if so could you provide the budget and I will stand corrected. Thank you in advance.

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  7. Cuba did not have elections and yet under US sanctions. But has not begged for money like Ethiopia. Cuba has produced doctors that are professionals who are helping the world. Cuba is a defiant and proud country. Woyane land is a beggar land. Elections where rigged, 200 people killed on the Streets of Addis Ababa.
    Elections were held in Ethiopia but more politicians, Journalists under prison for many years. A beggar country is a beggar country. The writer of the article has said it all. El;ections in Ethiopia are bogus, to hoodwink The USA and western countries. There will never be election in Eritrea if election is going to look like woyanes election. Elections in Ethiopia has not brought peace, economic prosperity, or equalityin Ethiopia. Human rights are more violated and in Ethiopia people are displaces, evicted, killed, murdered, burned alive and chased from their ancestral lands.
    The writer has said it. There is civil war already in Ethiopia . The Somalia opgadense have been fighting , the Tigray people, The amharas, The ormos. There is already civil war in Ethiopia where millions of Civilians and innocent people are being murdered by woyane. Ethiopia is at war with itself all the time.

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  8. HAILEMARIAM THE TOPIC IS ABOUT A NEW CILVIL WAR LOOMING IN Ethiopia. It is not about Eritrea. The writer, Ms Maria, Berth-Nicoluescu has well articulately exposed the already known behaviour of voyages and their supporters. She has not mentioned Eritrea here. Is this the way you want to respond to the writer of the article. Hiding the truth is your mission. Your way of responding to the exposure you cannot take . Swallow it as you do not have anything to say against it, Looser. You look very weak because you do not have anything to bring to challenge the writer of the article. That means you are accepting by saying "yes, yes, there is nothing I can challenge the writers argument. But let better speak about Eritrea to avid being shamful.......". You are weak , broken and lost ground . as a result you talk about Eritrea, where you are obsessed with madness and jealouse about Eritrea. Ok then you get the smoke wand try to puff puff to get air it as your stomach is bleeding of hunger, anger and jealously. Eritrea is shining. No one is bothered about elections in Eritrea except you. Eritrea is like Cuba.

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  9. The topic is about Ethiopian civil wars. Ethiopia has been in war within itself in the last 24 years. War with the Promos, with the Somali territory of Ogden, with the benshangul, with TPDM of Tigray, with Amharas and afars. Ethiopia has been burning villagers from Ogden, to Gamelan benshangul, Anauk , Amharas and Afars. It is a civil war already. There is no infrastructure if it does not serve the people. When people are hurried alive in Ethiopia, the Ogadenises burned to ashes in their huts and dwellings, people evicted from their homes, and farming lands and made beggars, who is the infrust4ructure for. For woyane junta group. It odes not make any sense. If people do not have peaceful life, land yo farm, live in their communities and their ancestral lands, raise their children. Farm and feed themselves, what is the point of making t4rsinins running in Addis Ababa. The issue is about people, about every individual of a country, =- a citizen who are denied the minimum normal life. There is no life for the majority of Ethiopians. That is the main thing. Infrust4ructures, roads, hospitals and schools and all have to benefit the people all equally far from towns and cities including. That is what we call infrastructure.

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  10. If you are going to brag in public at least get your facts straight or someone will call you on it. First it is not Ethiopian airline but a Woyane airline. Second, it owned about 70 % by the Chinese but we all know it has a Woyane flag on it. You should start taking ESL classes in Mandarin :))

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  11. Shabia Arab slaves, we already know what you wish for Ethiopia: civil war and a total catastrophe. You do not need to write it. We already know what is in your mind. I would rather advise you to mind your damn business.

    http://www.caperi.com/eu-updates-list-of-airlines-banned-within-its-airspace/

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  12. Jacob, I give you credit for not giving up on woyane, even when woyane with their Low IQ have come to realize their days are numbered. You are unique from the Low IQ's.
    In any case, Ethiopia under woyane can be described like a suicide bomber strapped with explosives and heading for 72 "virgins". Not only that no one can stop him, but he is about to find out the 72 are actually Virgin Men :) Hehehehehe.
    Sorry about that. That's not funny (:

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  13. That's all good and well.., but if its done out of the scope of your actual budget and means? hmmm its counter productive to say the least.

    Eritrea is in the highest percentile in basic needs. It all good and well to show development to foreigners. But when the people arn't getting basic education and health care well... then you have a completely different monster on your hands. Eritrea's goverment doesn't need to answer to the west/the IMF/the world bank for that matter. All it has to answer to is its people. You really think national budgets show everything?? my niaive little friend the USA doesn't put all of its torture facilities on its budget lol. We learned thanks to the "release" of some of the torture documents that they even have places in Ethiopia where they torture people {some of them probably Ethiopians}. I'm pretty sure snowden had the info and they are just pre empting him. My point is Ethiopia might answer to Imperial west but Eritreans don't.
    The Eritrean goverment did alot of what poor countries did in the past to become world powers. Basic's.. slowly privatizing the national businesses until they can get on there feet. This all with sanctions etc.. Who impeded Ethiopia's growth or actively works against it. On the contrary you people get tons of western aid to be servants.

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  14. I have been working for the government almost 4 years now and travel to so many places in Ethiopia except to two regions. The level of frustration and complaint about EPRDF on the ground is not near the way it is described in this article.

    So, Arab chiwawas, as you dream death to Tegaru you have to grow balls and come to destroy us yourself instead of wanting someone else to do it for you. Stop saying Oromo, Amhara, Ogaden this and that......
    Coz we all deal our own issues with Federal and regional executions and jurisditions here ..... this is not a mam show country like yours.

    You wanted your "freedom" from Ethiopia and you earned. Then, whatever, happens in here shouldt be non of your f-ing concern.

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  15. Hohohohoh Right on the head of Wadiya

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  16. My only take away from reading this article is "Also to be kept in mind is Ethiopia’s very fast growth, which will increase its trade and relations with other countries"

    Die of envy refugee producers. Your dream of seeing war in Ethio will never come true.

    Buda nation!! your eyes can't handle the shine from the south. can they? Roads, electric power grids,,, going to east, west and south from Ethiopia but not to the cursed land in the north. Go buy Ethiopian products in Sudan. btw, even teff is flying over your heads to EU and USA ..... no more Shabia butchery and gang in Ethio.......... :)))))))))))).

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  17. Singapore, North Korea, Cuba, Wadiya......... all are Shabistan or Shaboland

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  18. so said by citizen of Wadiyah

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  19. We don't wish any thing for others as they did for us because we have been victimizes for the last 100 years or more like the Somalis because of God giving gifts of having long sea outlet while having an expansionist neighbor whose only thinking is to destroy and take other peoples lands with the help of white people who claimed he used to fight you are not better than RUSSIA if this is your destiny you will face it sooner or later .

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  20. To be fair, in a nation of 42 ethnic group, the ruling of the country would be divided fairly so that they live all in peace. Else the consequence will be the same fate the derg had..

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  21. Why all this ranting? The article writer is not an eritrean or a shaebia.

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  22. What a cursed site.Go and wish death for your people who are prishing in sea,Cursed.

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  23. MENGHISTU HAILEMariam WAS BETTER THAN BOTH MELES ZENAWI AND ISSAYass Aforki

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  24. Ayda,
    The reality on our world is attesting everyday that any people that was ruled by tyrant regimes like ours end up on a bloody civil war. In Eritrea the social groups like Kunama and Afar has already carried guns and are waging war against the security apparatus of the regime.

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  25. To y both Sam and Shabokilla! I would have appreciated you if you have just written only about the development of yr country and Sam to yr contribution and do not say buda. I loughed to the bottom of my heart when I read 'buda'. 'Chwetene kemuge aleche alu seteyo. Since when we came to you and destroy yr country? Since the day Eritrea's emerged by force, Eritreans contributed a lot to Ethipia's development. Ok let us forget this and go back to 1998 war. For example why did y first destroy the Eritreans cotton factory or came to destroy 'Enda Korea' houses? These are typical budas character. Congratulation if you r doing well. In whatever way GOD will pay yr price. Just wait and see! There is a Tgrnya proverb 'ed shenahi tsenahit'!
    I wish y to think positive.

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  26. lol, agames mad about their impending doom

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  27. " executions"? keep on doing that you are not lying there but i don't know if it is a good thing though, or is it?, and for your record Eritreans don't hate tegaru, but you have a differen agenda when it comes to Erititreans. The article was not written by an Eritrean. we have moved on so why keep on comparing your country with us?. and also " the level of frustration on the ground" is not there because your government killed protestors in a broad day light ...over 250 of innocent souls. so tell me, how would you expect frustration can be expressed huh?

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  28. you have been told us that the woyane is in its 11 th hours before 10 years ago. you have a lot of unfounded lies, distortions, illusions, and pysychotic attitudes to ward Ethiopia and Ethiopians. but none of them happened. rather, ethiopia is becoming more robust and developed federalist state. Ethiopia is becoming a promising countrya that able to solve its internal problems and its main enemy called poverty. now the country is rising. thanks for the leadership of the

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  29. But you forget that these losers TPDM, ONLF, ......liberation fronts are sponsored by sanctioned Shaboons

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  30. This wasbwritten by Ms Maria, not by Madot. Or, are you doing you low IQ business as usual, claiming everything on Shaebia even if a woman's delivery gets delayed?

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  31. Good predictions!!!

    The TPLF junta commits atrocities in Ethiopia’s northern town of Bahir Dar (photos, videos)

    http://mereja.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=90709&p=545805#p545805
    The TPLF junta commits atrocities in Ethiopia’s northern town of Bahir Dar (photos, videos)

    The TPLF junta commits atrocities in Ethiopia’s northern town of Bahir Dar (photos, videos)

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  32. SHAME ON YOU FOR YOUR LIES.ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES IS FULLY OWNED BY THE ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT SINCE ITS INCEPTION INTHE 40S.FYI ETHIOPIAN OWNS 49% OF ASKY IN TOGO REGISTERED AIRLINE AND ANOTHER 49% IN ANOTHER AFRICAN AIRLINE.FOR HOW LONG CAN A PEOPLE LIE.AS TO THE CIVIL WAR THAT YOUR SISTER AYDA IS TALKING ABOUT...THOSE ARE HER DREAMS AND MAY BE IT MIGHT BE IN HER MOTHER ERITREA.I DONT PERSONALLY WISH BECAUSE OF MORE RUNAWAYS,WE ALREADY HAVE ENOUGH.

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  33. WHEN IS THIS BOMB GOING TO EXPLODE? YOU HAVE BEEN DREAMING FOR SO LONG?

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  34. u enjoy the bloodshed;poor u ,not all eritreans want to see that.you are sick and dreaming.

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  35. STUPID AYDA WHAT MAKES NICOLUESCU AN AUTHORITY AND U TAKE IT AS BEING TRUE.

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